Adm. David W. Bagley

From Find A Grave.

ADM DAVID WORTH BAGLEY

BIRTH:  8 Jan 1883, Raleigh, North Carolina

DEATH:  24 May 1960, San Diego, California

BURIAL:  Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington, Virginia

His military years spanned World War I and World War II.  He served in command positions  in the Pacific Theater during WW II.

He was the brother of Ensign Worth Bagley, the only Navy officer killed in action during the Spanish-American War.

William J. Snow-- Part 5: Retirement and Family

After retiring, he resided in Washington, D.C., and Blue Ridge Summit, Pennsylvania.  In 1940, he published  a memoir "Signposts of Experienece."  He died in Washington on February 27, 1947, and is buried in Arlington National Cemetery, Section South, Site 3953.

Snow was the recipient of the  U.S. Army Distinguished Service Medal for his World War I service. and the British  Order of Bath (Companion) and the French Legion of Honor (Commander).

On 1892, Snow married  Isabel  O'Hear Locke (1872-1944) of  Atlanta, Georgia and had a son named William A. Snow (1894-1940), who was also a graduate of West Point.  The son was a veteran of World War I who attained the rank of lieutenant colonel and an engineer.  I have already written, he constructed what is today called Snow's Cut near Wilmington, North Carolina, which connects the Cape Fear River to sounds along the Intercoastal Waterway.

William J. Snow was survived by two grandchildren, Margaret (1922-2011) and William J. Snow II (1923-2011)  Margaret Payne Snow Coburn's first husband, John Harrell Hill (1911-1980) who served during WW II in the Pacific Theater and her second one, Melville  Brown Coburn (1912-1992) who was an Army major general and graduated from West Point as well.

William J. Snow II  also was a West Point graduate in  and a veteran of the U.S. Air Force.

A West Point Family.  --Cooter

William A. Snow's Father, William J. Snow, Was Army Major General

From Find-A-Grave.

MG WILLIAM JOSIAH SNOW 

His father was a career soldier who also graduated from the USMA at West Point.

BIRTH:  16 December 1868,  Brooklyn, New York

DEATH:   27 February 1947,   Washington, D.C.

BURIAL:  Arlington National Cemetery  Section 3, Site 3953,

Major General U.S. Army.

Major General William Josiah's Snow's father was  William Dunham Snow (1832-1910)   He was a U.S. Senator from Arkansas.  Raised a brigade of Arkansas troops for U.S. Army in 1865.  He was also an inventor.

LTC William Arthur Snow-- Part 1: West Point Class of 1916, WW I and Snow's Cut

From Find-A-Grave.

BIRTH:  21 April 1891, Fort Hamilton,New York

DEATH:  25 September 1940 (aged 46), Washington, D.C.

BURIAL:  Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington, Virginia.

*********************************

Son of William J. Snow, Major General U.S. Army, and Isabella L. Snow.

Graduated from West Point June 13, 1916, 7th in class of 125.

1916-1917 Mexican punitive expedition.

John H. Russell, Jr. 16th USMC Commandant-- Part 3

Then, he was at Marine Headquarters in Washington, D.C. and then back to Haiti where he first commanded Marines, but then became American High Commissioner in that country from 1922  to 1930.

Returning to the States, he was the commander of the Marine Base at San Diego and then Marine Barracks in Quantico, Virginia, and in February 1933 he was made the Assistant Commandant USMC  On March 1, 1934, he was appointed 16th Commandant of the Marine Corps and held that position until he retired on December 1, 1936.

During his tenure as Commandant, Russell changed the old system of promotion from seniority to  advancement by selection and withdrew the 1st Marine Brigade from Haiti.  Also, the Fleet Marine Force assumed new responsibilities; the Marine Reserves were given more attention and the number of ships carrying Marine detachments increased.

Major General Russell retired after 42 years of commissioned service and continued afterwards as a military journalist.  He died in Coronado, Colorado, on March 6, 1947, and was buried in Arlington National Cemetery.

He was a hereditary member of the Military  Order of the Loyal Legion in succession to his father who was a Union Navy officer during the Civil War.

--Cooter

Jacob H. Smith Buried at Arlington National Cemetery-- Part 2

Continuing with posts and positions held by him.

Assigned to 19th U.S. Infantry 15 December 1870
Major, 2nd U.S. Infantry, 26 November 1894
Lieutenant Colonel, 17th U.S. Infantry 20 June 1898

Colonel 17th U.S. Infantry   20 October 1899
Brigadier General, U.S. Volunteers, 1 June 1900
Brigadier General , U.S. Army, 30 March 1901

Breveted Major , 7 March 1867, for gallant conduct in the Battle of Shiloh, Tennessee, 6 April 1862

Retired 16 July 1902

Quite a Career for a Questionable Guy.  --Cooter

Jacob H. Smith Buried at Arlington National Cemetery-- Part 1

Jacob Hurd Smith, who I have been writing about this past week for what he did on the island of Samar in the Philippines.   is buried at Arlington National Cemetery which has a lots of military positions in which he served.  It is quite expansive.

JACOB HURD SMITH  of Ohio.

Appointed from Illinois, 1st lieutenant , 2nd Kentucky Infantry, 5 June 1861
Captain 28 January 1862
Honorably mustered out 29 June 1863

Captain, Volunteer Reserve Corps, 25 June 1863
Honorably mustered out 21 October 1865
Captain, 13th U.S. Infantry  7 March 1867

Unassigned 25 May 1869
Major, Judge Advocate, 25 May 1869
Appointment of Major Judge Advocate Revoked 10 December 1869

But Wait!!  There's More!!  --DaCoot

Jacob Smith in Later Life

He retired to Portsmouth, Ohio, and also did some world traveling.  With the coming of World War I, he volunteered his service,  but was turned down due to his old age (and likely what happened in the Philippines).

He died in San Diego on March 1, 1918, and in interred at Arlington National Cemetery.

I had never heard of him before, but he is definitely an interesting character.  I will write about his Civil War service in my Saw the Elephant blog.

--DaCoot

Tomb of the Unknown Soldier-- Part 7: Everything Must be Perfect

Uniform prep takes several hours.  Everything must be perfect.  The all-wool uniforms are not about comfort, but about looks.  Brass buttons must be polished and shoes must be hand-shined.  The guards' M-14 rifle stocks are customized but the guns are not loaded.

The white gloves are wet to enable better control of the weapon during "the walk."  If a weapon is dropped on the plaza, you are subject to dismissal.

During his time as a Sentinel, Bill Hanna had to call out more than a few onlookers for not respecting the dignity of the Tomb of the Unknowns.

Tomb of the Unknown Soldier-- Part 6: "It Is Requested..."

And, in addition to standing guard at the Tombs, the Sentinel also makes the crowd on onlookers pay their respects also.  There are several videos on YouTube showing how the Sentinels do this.

One is at Tomb of the Unknown -- soldier yelling at laughing crowd.

The Sentinel stops marching and turns and faces the crowd and LOUDLY (not yelling) says, "It is requested that everyone maintain a level of silence and respect."

Well, I tell you, you could have heard the proverbial pin drop.

Tomb of the Unknown Soldier-- Part 5: Twenty-One

The Sentinels keep watch 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, in heat, cold, rain -- and even hurricanes.  Three guard shifts work 24-hour shifts, each guarding the Tomb for one hour.

Everything is done in the number 21 because it symbolizes the highest military honor that can be bestowed: the 21-gun salute.

The sentinel walks 21 steps behind the Tomb of the Unknowns, turns, faces east for 21 seconds, turns and faces north for 21 seconds, then takes 21 steps back and repeats the process.

The weapon always remains between the crowd and tomb to signify that the Sentinel stands between the tomb and any possible threat.

Tomb of the Unknown Soldier-- Part 4: Getting That Tomb Guard Identification Badge

Training to be a Sentinel is very difficult.and rigorous.  It involves learning the history of the Tomb of the Unknowns, ceremonial steps, cadence, military bearing and weapon training.  A person completing this successfully is awarded a Tomb Guard Identification Badge.

This honor is awarded to very few and involves a lifelong responsibility.  Any disgrace by the individual, during or after their service will cause the badge to be revoked and it will be removed from the badge board and in its place is a marker reading "Revoked."  All pictures of the person will also be removed.

Since 1948, only 655 soldiers have earned the Sentinel badge and less than a handful are from Indiana.  Hanna has badge No. 441.

Tomb of the Unknown Soldier-- Part 3: A Servant of the Unknowns

Indiana native Bill Hanna served on the guard of the Unknowns (also known as the sentinel) from 1996 to 1999.

Sentinels are forbidden to touch  he tomb out of respect and to protect the tomb from anyone with the intent of damaging it -- with deadly force if necessary.

When Hanna enlisted in the Army, he had hopes of being an airborne infantryman.  However, he ended up in a presidential escort unit and then volunteered for sentinel duty in 1996.  he says:  "You are below the Unknowns and anyone else who comes to visit in the terms of the citizens of the United States, you are a servant of theirs and a servant of other veterans who have given a lot more than you have in most cases."

Tomb of the Unknown Soldier-- Part 1: "The Old Guard" Keeps Watch

From the May 28, 2018, Indianapolis Star  'Haunting obligation' for tomb guardian" by Dawn Mitchell.

Hoosier watched over unidentified fallen.  Bill Hanna was a guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier from 1996-1999.

Very appropriate for Memorial Day.

"Amid the peaceful and serene landscape of Arlington National Cemetery, the cadence from metal taps on the heels of soldiers marching in drill echoes off the monuments and headstones.

It is a sound that's occurred since 1948, when soldiers from the 3rd U.S. Infantry Regiment or 'The Old Guard' began keeping their watch over the unidentified fallen at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, or Tomb of the Unknowns."

Veterans Day: Through the Decades, Across the Wars-- Part 2: Tomb of the Unknowns

On the first Armistice Day, November 11, 1919,  business was halted at 11 a.m., just as the war halted at 11 a.m..

In 1921, another significant event occurred on November 11.  On this date the remains of an unidentified American soldier, who had lost his life in World War I, was laid to rest at Arlington National Cemetery.  On that same day, the remains of other soldiers who had lost their lives and couldn't be identified were laid to rest in their countries.

A French soldier was entombed at the Arc de Triomphe in Paris and an English soldier's remains were buried at Westminster Abbey in London.

The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier has been maintained as a national monument (and a very fitting one), but it is now known as the Tomb of the Unknowns when remains of unidentified from other branches of service and wars were also entombed.

Ten Most Famous Cemeteries in the U.S.-- Part 2: Hollywood Forever Cemetery

6.  HOLLYWOOD FOREVER CEMETERY  Los Angeles.  Over 115 years old.  In the shadow of the famous Hollywood sign.  Among notables buried here:  Rudolph Valentino and Mel Blanc.

5.  BOOT HILL  Tombstone, Arizona.  They died with their boots on.  Up to 300 buried here.  One gravestone reads:  "Here lies Lester Moore / Four slugs / from a 44 / No less / No more."  Billy Clanton and Frank and Tom McLaury, victims of the OK Corral buried here.

4.  ST. LOUIS CEMETERY NO. 1  New Orleans.  Oldest of the city's three Catholic cemeteries, opened in 1789.  Built up because of low-lying land, vault on top of vault.  Marie Laveau buried here.

3.  FOREST LAWN MEMORIAL PARK  Glendale, California.   Final resting place of 250,000.  Among them: Gracie Allen, author L. Frank Baum "Wizard of Oz," Nat King Cole, W.C. Fields, Errol Flynn, Jean Harlow, Clark Gable and Walt Disney.

2.  GETTYSBURG NATIONAL CEMETERY  Gettysburg, Pennsylvania.  The aftermath of the great battle and the famous speech.

1.  ARLINGTON NATIONAL CEMETERY  Arlington, Virginia.  The cemetery  built to "get" Robert E. Lee on his land.  Obviously, a real lot of famous people buried here.

Charles Dwight Sigsbee: the Maine's Commander

Well, I was wondering about Sigsbee's desk and bathtub as well as other objects.

From Wikipedia.

(1845-1923)  Noted pioneering oceanographer.

He was captain of the USS Maine when it exploded.

Appointed acting midshipman 16 July 1862 from the USNA.  During the Civil War, he served aboard the USS Monongahela, USS Wyoming and USS Shenandoah (not the Confederate cruiser of the same name). He was at the Battle of Mobile Bay and both battles of Fort Fisher.

He commanded the USS Kearsarge (which sank the famed CSS Alabama) and was on the European Station 1885-1886.

Sigsbee and his officers were exonerated by the court of inquiry after the Maine sank and later commanded the USS St. Paul in 1898 at the second battle of San Juan and the  Texas in 1900.

In 1905, he commanded the USS Brooklyn when it brought home the remains of naval hero and Father of the U.S. Navy John Paul Jones from France for internment at the USNA.

Retired from the Navy in 1909 and is buried at Arlington National Cemetery.

--DaCoot

Deaths: Sgt. Cavaiani Locates Remains of Sgt. Jones-- Part 3

In an interesting follow up to the death of Jon Cavaiani, in 2011,  Jon Cavaiani returned to Vietnam to help Defense Department officials locate the remains of Sgt. John Jones, the sergeant who had stayed behind with him and whose body had never been recovered.

This was four decades after the battle on Hickory Hill.

Mr. Cavaiani remembered and precisely identified the bunker where he and Jones had taken refuge.  Larry Page, a former Special Forces radio operator returned to the site with Cavaiani.  He was one of the ones the sergeant's efforts had enabled to be rescued.  Mr. Page said, "I attribute my life to him."

Jones' remains were found, and, in 2012, he was buried at Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia.

I imagine this trip brought back vivid memories for both men and I sure would have liked to have been with them.

An Interesting Story in Itself.

Female Army Doctor Ollie Bennett Buried at Arlington National Cemetery

Ollie Josephine Bennett was an Army doctor born in Decatur, Illinois, in 1873 and always wanted to be a doctor.  She met a man when she was 16 and eloped with him with his promise that he'd put her through medical school.

She was a doctor when World War I started for the United States and signed a contract with the U.S. Army as a contract surgeon.

The army at the time didn't have a uniform for female doctors and she was asked by the quartermaster general to design one.

Her job was to supervise the health and care of 1,100 female employees of the Army and she had tents set up alongside the National Mall in Washington, D.C..

She trained to go to France, but the war ended before she could go.

She is considered the first female medical doctor commissioned by the Army.

Michael Joseph Blassie (Formerly Unknown Vietnam Soldier)-- Part 3

The remains stayed at the Tomb of the Unknowns until 1998.

All along, there was the thought that the remains may have been those of Michael Blassie.  A CBS news report in January 1998 claimed it was Blassie.  His family secured permission and Blassie was exhumed on May 14, 1998.

DNA testing proved the remains were his.

On July 10, 1998, the remains were sent to St. Louis and reinterred at Jefferson Barracks national Cemetery.  The Medal of Honor, however, was not transferred.

From Find-A-Grave:  The grave is in plot section 85, Site 1.