Today is Veteran's Day so pray for, be respectful of, and honor the military veterans in your lives today.
Here at Chez Sluggy we have a few family and ancestor vets we think about and honor today......
My Hubs' side of the family there is--
His older brother Tony, who served in the Navy during the Vietnam War.
He is our family's only living veteran.
Those who have gone from us on Hub's side are his Uncle Charles, who served in the Navy during World War II.
The only photo I have of him is this one.....he is the small boy on the right in the front.....
And then there is Hub's dad Steve, who served in the Army Air Corp during World War II.
Those are the only veterans of military service I've uncovered so far on Hub's side of the family.
On my side, I have many many military veterans.
First off, there is my grandfather Frank, who served as a Master Sargent during World War II. He is the handsomely rakish guy in the front center of this photo.....
He survived the war and went on to make the military his career until his retirement in the 1960's.
Then there are my Great Uncles....
US Navy Seaman 2nd Class Tucker Harper, who was wounded in action but survived World War II.
And Great Uncle "Mack" who enlisted in Sept. of 1942 and served in the Army during World War II.
He was disabled on the battlefield in Europe and ended up stateside in Hospital and never fully recovered. His battlefield experiences had lasting terrible effects upon him the rest of his life.
His wife Edith, also served in the Cadet Nursing Corp during World War II. That is how they met.
And if we go back beyond the 20th century, there are many veterans on my mother's side of the family from the Civil War.
Among them are two brothers, my Great Uncles, John & Joseph Harper....
The husband of my 2 x Great Aunt, George Washington Barksdale served as a mechanic in the CSA.
And all my Holt relations-6 brothers who each served in the Confederacy....
From Marcellus who survived the war.....
To John Lee Holt who was KIA at Gettysburg.....
And my 3x Great Uncle William Foster, who served in the Army during the War Between the State. William was actually the last surviving member of his regiment, the 23rd Virginia, dying in October of 1931 at the age of 71+ years old.....
And there is Joseph Hamilton, who served in the CSA VA Reserves and died in a POW camp in Ohio....
And going back even further in our country's history, I can count my 7 x Great Grandfather Thomas Foster. Though advanced in age at the time of the American Revolution he served as a Wagoneer, driving & also furnishing supplies for the Continental Army until his death in 1786 in Virginia.
At least 3 of his son's also served as soldiers in the American Revolution--
Thomas Foster who served 3 years as a private.
William "Billy" Foster who served as a 1st Lieutenant in the 3rd VA Army. He enlisted 10 May 1777 and by the time the war was over, he was a Major. He took part in the Battle of Stono Ferry where the patriots held off the British forces trying to capture Charleston, SC.
And brother Robert Foster, my 6 x Great Grandfather, who was an Ensign in the Army(today that rank is only used in the US Navy).
All three, Thomas the father, sons William and Robert were here during the Winter of 1777-1778.....
All 3 Foster men survived the Valley Forge Encampment and the Revolution but countless other's did not.
I give thanks to them and all my ancestors who came after them who also answered the call to arms to defend our Freedoms.
Sluggy
wow! How is it that you didn't enlist??!
ReplyDeleteThat is quite a record. I don't know anything about veterans in my father's family beyond my father's generation. And, I only know back to the Civil War on my mother's side. My blogger said you had not posted in three days. I knew it had to be wrong!
ReplyDelete