19 Famous People in Military-- Part 4: Riggle, Arthur, Brooks, Gadot, Carson and Carlin

ROB RIGGLE

Actor/comedian spent 20 years in Marines and retired as a lieutenant-colonel.

BEA ARTHUR

Before she was "Maude" and on "The Golden Girls" she was a Marine and was a typist and drove trucks.

MEL BROOKS

Drafted into the Army in World War II.  He worked as a combat engineer disarming mines.

GAL GADOT

After being named Miss Israel in 2004, the future Wonder Woman served two years in the Israel Defense Force as a physical fitness specialist.

JOHNNY CARSON

Joined the Navy in 194 and was later assigned to the USS Pennsylvania towards the end of the war.

GEORGE CARLIN

A radar technician in the Air Force, he was court-martialed three times before eventually  being given a general discharge.

Seven Words You Know.  --Cooter

19 Famous Folks You Didn't Know Served in the Military-- Part 1: Driver, Hendrix, Freeman and Jones

In honor of Memorial Day yesterday.

From the May 31, 2021, Gazette "19 famous people you didn't know served in the military" by Terry Terrones. 

Sure, folks know George Washington, Theodore Roosevelt, Dwight Eisenhower served in the military.  As did Elvis.

But, here are some others:

1.  ADAM DRIVER   "Kenlo in  "Star Wars"  Two years in Marines after 9/11.  Medical discharge.

2.  JIMI HENDRIX--  Enlisted in Army in 1961.  101st Airborne.  Honorably discharged 1962 after injury.

3.  MORGAN FREEMAN--  Joined Air Force 1955.  Radar technician for four years.

4.  JAMES EARL JONES--  Army officer in Korean War

--Cooter

Vietnam Service of Tom Dier

Yesterday, I wrote about this man giving a talk at the Northbrook, Illinois, Memorial Day service and he was going to talk about his buddy, Jerry Corp who died in Vietnam.

Tom Dier himself was drafted at Christmas 1968 and served ten months and 29 days in Vietnam.  he won a Silver Star there for gallantry.  Moving to Tennessee in 1972, he worked as a house painter and raised three boys.

As was the case of many Vietnam veterans, at first he tried to distance himself from the memories, but later wrote a book about his experiences titled "Miss Li Thi Van & Other Stories of Vietnam."

"I wasn't a great fan of the war, but I have never felt that the country owed me anything because there were a lot of guys who didn't come home."

A picture accompanied the article of Tom Dier in Vietnam in 1970 and Tom Dier today, who is standing next to Jerry Corp's mother, Irene Corp.

--Cooter

Remembering the Fallen: Jerry Corp, Vietnam War

This was not written yesterday I was just getting home from Indianapolis.

From the May 27, 2019, Chicago Sun-Times "Memorial Day is to the fallen" by Neil Steinberg.

"The Jerry Corp Memorial Highway is not long.  A section of U.S. Highway 160, it runs 2 1/2 miles through Ozark County, Missouri, 250 miles southwest of St. Louis.

"A green highway sign flashes by, the name registers and some drivers may feel a passing curiosity:  Does anybody remember Jerry Corp?"

"Tom Dier remembers him.

""We weren't really close or anything like that, said Dier, 70.  "He wasn't in my platoon."

"A mortar platoon in Company C, First Battalion, 52nd Infantry.  Corp was a radioman attached to the command post in Quang Ngai province, Vietnam."

" 'We got to know each other that way,' said Nier, who grew up in Nortbrook and has returned home to speak at the northwest suburb's Memorial Day commemoration after the parade Monday.  'You didn't really get close to people too much.' "

This will be continued on my Not So Forgotten: War of 1812 blog and will finish in my Down da Road I Go blog of this date.

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."

A Program for the Dead of Past Wars in 1917

From the May 31, 2017, MidWeek (DeKalb County, Illinois)  "Looking Back.:

1917, 100 Years Ago.

"A Program will be given by Hattie Chesbro's eighth grade of the Haisch school at 9:30 o'clock at the Lucinda Avenue bridge over the Kishwaukee to commemorate the memory of the many dead in the past wars.  (DeKalb, Illinois)

"The program is always very appropriate and the public is invited to attend.  While a reading is given by Lola Maxwell, flowers will be scattered on the water and a salute to the flag given."

This, of course, would be Memorial Day/Decoration Day.

And, the United States was just weeks away from declaring war and entering World War I.

--Cooter

Memorial Day 2017: Delbert Hatch

I am doing this in all seven of my blogs and featuring two World War I veterans and two World War Ii veterans.

Delbert Hatch was in the U.S. Army in World War II.  His unit was the 101st Airborne and he was at the Battle of the Bulge.

He was my uncle.

Looking Back to 1916: Memorial Day

From the June 1, 2016 MidWeek "Looking Back."

"Memorial Day exercises at Elmwood Cemetery in Sycamore will include flowers being placed on the soldiers' graves by members of the Sons of veterans.  A detail will also visit Mt. Carmel Cemetery and decoratye the graves of soldiers there.

"The people of DeKalb County generally are cordially invited to join with these various orders and the people of Sycamore in this tribute to the country's defenders and general patriotic demonstration."

I'm taking the Sons of Veterans here to refer to the Sons of Union Veterans as the United States had not yet entered World War I.

--Cooter

Arlington National Cemetery's 150th-- Part 2: Eight Things You Might Not Have Known

3.  It hosted the first national Memorial Day (called Decoration Day back then) in 1868.

4.  It is the only national cemetery with servicemen buried there from every war the U.S. fought.  The first military burial wasn't until 1864, but in 1892 Revolutionary War dead were reinterred from a Georgetown cemetery.  War of 1812 veterans were also reburied there.

--Brock-Perry

All Gave Some, Some Gave All-- Part 2

Continuing with the list of McHenry County, Illinois, residents who died while in the service during World War I.

Clark Hall
Frank Helwig
W.J. Henshaw
Paul C. Hoffman
Ray A. Howard
John Janowski
Richard Japp
Ernst Kalbow
Edward Kileen
August Klaman
Charles Knutson
Walter Lind
Robert Martin
Claude McComb
Henry F. Miller
William J. Metzen
Joseph Meyers
Jack Mitchell
Albert Moritz

One Last Entry to Come. --Cooter

All Gave Some, Some Gave All: Memorial Day-- Part 1

To use those words from Billy Ray Cyrus' song.

Yesterday's Northwest Herald newspaper, serving McHenry County where we live, had a list of all McHenry military personell who died from the Civil War to the present.

This blog is a perfect place to list them, but over a long time as there were a lot of them. I'll be listing the Civil War ones in my Civil War blog, http://sawtheelephant.blogspot.com.

The source of the list was the McHenry County Historical Society.


WORLD WAR I:

Phil J. Anderson
Carl H. Bartlet
Charles Bartumis
Harold Beebe
Maurice Blake
Ernest W. Blank
Fred Boyle
Horace Bratzman
Burdett A. Briggs
David Brown
Harry L. Carlson
Carl J. Dittman
Arthur Dollman
Eugene Drill
Arthur Dunker
John Farrell
Harry G. Fulton
Paul Gehrke
Charles Geske
A.C. Grauppner
Eugene P. Griebel


And More to Come.

Merchant Mariner Serves as Grand Marshal

From the May 30th Saginaw (Mi) News "World War II merchant mariner is Saginaw's first Memorial Day grand marshal" by Eric Joyce.

Louis LePan, 83 will take his place as first-ever grand marshal in the annual parade in Saginaw, Michigan, today. Every year, he places flags on the graves of veterans in local cemeteries, but this year, he will get an honor.

LePan served as a member of the Merchant Marines who were tasked with delivering the supplies of war so necessary for the eventual victory on the battlefield and at sea. Unfortunately, the Merchant Marine is just beginning to receive the honors they earned.

Many people don't know about the U-boat war that took place off the US Atlantic and Gulf coasts where many cargo vessels were lost. It was bad enough to be in a ship carrying supplies, but even worse if it had ammunition or fuel aboard. Definitely one of the last places you'd want to be when a torpedo struck or a surfaces U-boat opened fire.

According to Mr. LePan, "Wherever they needed supplies, the Merchant marine carried them."

At age 16, LePan joined in December 1944, near the end of the war. he had been a deckhand on Great Lakes freighters before that (kind of young). He first sailed aboard the tanker Gulfwing transporting aviation fuel from New York City to New Orleans. Later, he was on the Liberty Ship Thomas Rusk carrying airplane equipment and ammunition from Seattle to Pearl Harbor and then to Chile for a load of zinc nitrate for fuel oil.

He served in the galley and was a member of a gun crew at battle stations. But, he admits "We didn't get shot at 'cause the war was about over when I got into it.

For his service, he received three awards and commendations and an honorable discharge.

However, the Merchant Marine, until fairly recently, was not considered to be active duty veterans and as such were not eligible for many services and honors accorded to other veterans.

It's About Time. Congratulations Mr. LaPan. --Cooter

World War I National Monument

The Korean War, Vietnam War and World War II have their monuments on Washington, DC's National Mall, but yet, the veterans of World War I only have one that was built to honor the citizens of Washington, DC, who fought in the War to End All Wars.

From May 16th CNN.

This past Sunday, volunteers from the American Legion met at the 1930s neglected marble temple on the National Mall. It is expected that it will soon become the national memorial to those who fought in the war.

Currently, there is national campaign led by the only surviving US World War I veteran, 109-year-old Frank Buckles. He was unable to attend, however.

The National Park Service is planning to spend $7 million in a renovation plan for it.

It's Definitely About Time. --Cooter

Giving the Last Full Measure-- Part 2

Continuing with the Tribune commentary.

Sgt. WILLIAM CARNEY-- Helped lead the 54th Massachusetts, a US black regiment against the Confederate defenders at Fort Wagner near Charleston, SC. This battle was popularized in the movie "Glory."

Although shot three times crossing the sand, he managed to keep the flag aloft. "Boys, the old flag never touched the ground!" he explained as he made his way back to Union lines. The regiment lost nearly 50% of its strength in the attack.


Marine Corporal JASON DUNHAM-- In 2004, he was on his way to help an ambushed convoy in western Iraq when an insurgent attacked him. As two other Marines rushed to subdue the man, a live enemy grenade fell to the ground.

Dunham threw his helmet over it, then covered the helmet with his own body. He saved the others, nut was mortally wounded.

The first widely-observed Memorial Day was in 1868 when it was known as Decoration Day and was in honor of Civil War veterans. It has since been expanded to cover all veterans.

A Tip of the Hat to Our Heroes. --Cooter

Giving the Last Full Measure

This past Memorial Day was more than get-togethers and cookouts. It was to remember those who gave their lives and risked it for our freedoms and lifestyle.
The May 25th Chicago Tribune had a commentary by William J. Bennett and John Cribb about a few of these people.

NATHAN HALE-- A Connecticut teacher who joined the Patriot Army and volunteered when Washington asked for people to gather information behind British lines. He was captured and hanged, but left us the words, "I only regret that I have one life to lose for my country."

Lt. Cmdr EDWARD "BUTCH" O'HARE-- For whom Chicago's O'Hare Field is named. Most people passing through the airport know nothing of the man. When a wave of Japanese bombers surprised the aircraft carrier USS Lexington in the Pacific during World War II, he fought them off in his Grumman F4F-3 Wildcat, shooting down five and disabling a sixth in minutes.

When he landed back on the carrier, he said, "Just load those ammo belts and I'll get back up." He didn't need to, though, as his actions had thwarted the attack and saved the Lexington.

Unfortunately, he later disappeared in the Pacific during a night attack and wan never heard from again.

We Owe You a Lot. Thanks Veterans. --Cooter

Memorial Day Observation

I fly US flags both by the mailbox and on the deck.

Memorial Day, we always go to Twin Lakes, Wisconsin, for the parade. Always the biggest cheers for the honor guard, made up of members of the American Legion and VFW.

I see tomorrow Little Steven is having a Memorial Day show on his Underground Garage show.

I like to thank anyone who is a veteran.

Freedom Doesn't Come Cheap. --Thanks Veterans