The origin of Decoration Day – what we today call Memorial Day – has evolved and changed through our American ages. And with that evolution came the various perspectives of celebration and acknowledgement.
When Curt posted a Most Wanted article, “For Me, It Is About the Barbecue” by Deebow at BlackFive, the Pete Seeger adaptation of the Book of Ecclesiastes verses into song – with it’s most widely known performance by the Byrds in 1965 – came to my mind.
To Everything (Turn, Turn, Turn)
There is a season (Turn, Turn, Turn)
And a time to every purpose, under HeavenA time to be born, a time to die
A time to plant, a time to reap
A time to kill, a time to heal
A time to laugh, a time to weepTo Everything (Turn, Turn, Turn)
There is a season (Turn, Turn, Turn)
And a time to every purpose, under HeavenA time to build up,a time to break down
A time to dance, a time to mourn
A time to cast away stones, a time to gather stones togetherTo Everything (Turn, Turn, Turn)
There is a season (Turn, Turn, Turn)
And a time to every purpose, under HeavenA time of love, a time of hate
A time of war, a time of peace
A time you may embrace, a time to refrain from embracingTo Everything (Turn, Turn, Turn)
There is a season (Turn, Turn, Turn)
And a time to every purpose, under HeavenA time to gain, a time to lose
A time to rend, a time to sew
A time for love, a time for hate
A time for peace, I swear it’s not too late
This day of remembrance began as an American movement by localities following the Civil War. In an effort to heal their grief, communities started adorning grave sites and offering prayers in the spring of the 1860s. “A Time to Kill, A Time to Heal”.
It was in May of 1862 that General John A. Logan, leader of an organization called the Northern Civil War Veterans, called for a nationwide remembrance of the fallen on May 30th, 1868.
“The 30th of May, 1868, is designated for the purpose of strewing with flowers, or otherwise decorating the graves of comrades who died in defense of their country during the late rebellion, and whose bodies now lie in almost every city, village and hamlet churchyard in the land,” he proclaimed. The date of Decoration Day, as he called it, was chosen because it wasn’t the anniversary of any particular battle
On that first Decoration Day, a then General James Garfield spoke at Arlington National Cemetery where he and 5000 participants adorned the graves of over 20,000 Confederate and Union soldiers laid to rest.
As time passed, the States followed suit with more official events remembering when a nation was torn apart by internal civil war. It wasn’t until WWI when the nation again found itself embroiled in another major conflict and large loss of life. The tradition evolved, incorporating those who died in the latest conflict… and later the ensuing wars. And the original day, May 30th, became more commonly referred to as Memorial Day.
In 1968, a century after the first official acknowledgement of Decoration Day, Congress began the practice of combining workplace practicality with tradition, passing the Uniform Monday Holiday Act, officially moving Decoration Day/Memorial Day to the last Monday in May in order to create three day weekends for federal workers. The law, simultaneously, declared Memorial Day a federal holiday, and took effect in 1971.
Thus began a more modern practice of remembrance, with grief, mourning and strewing of flowers morphing in to more festive activities of parades and barbecues over three day weekends, ushering in summer. “A Time to Build Up, A Time to Break Down – A Time to Dance, A Time to Mourn”
In the past, many of us have felt that the majority have lost that sense of respect for fallen warriors, harboring a bit of disdain for those barbecues. But I believe that Deebow’s BlackFive article, with a bit of help from King Solomon, Pete Seeger and the Byrds, have pulled me back into a more healthy perspective. As Deebow notes from his article:
Is there anyone here that wouldn’t want to have a barbecue where Basil Plumley, John Basilone, Gary Gordon, Randy Shugart, Hal Moore, Matt Ridgeway, James Stockdale or Michael Murphy all showed up? All of them would make a “who’s who” list of men I would be honored to sit around my firepit and pass out cheeseburgers and ribs off of my grill to in those red drive thru baskets you can still get at old school burger joints as we share cheap cold beer and ask who brought the POG wearing the “HALO” T-Shirt. Later on over mouthfuls of Mrs. Deebow’s pretzel rolls that I am using for sliders and the last of the bleu cheese potato salad, we could spend our time trying not to choke as we tell one hilarious war story after another; all starting with the phrase “and there we were….”
Then, after the sun went down, and we sat quietly around a fire as warriors are apt to do with their cigars and their libations; we would toast our lost comrades and commiserate on what would have been, had it not been for that fateful day; and we would do as General Patton said. We would thank God that men of their character had lived at all. I would feel even more blessed that those men made the choice of a life spent defending something they felt deeply about.
I can think of no better way to honor men like SGM Basil Plumley, Manila John Basilone, MSG Gary Gordon, MSG Randy Shugart, Col. Hal Moore, Gen. Matt Ridgeway, Adm. James Stockdale or Lt. Michael Murphy, Sergeant Earl Werner, Maj. Larry Bauguess, Sergeant Bernard Deghand and the countless many more names just like them who now stand eternal guard in the gardens of stone around the world than to drink, eat, make merry and live the freedom that they have worked so hard to give me.
I toast my freedom in your honor and I live everyday attempting to suck the very marrow out of the freedom for which you have paid so dearly. Thank you sirs; although saying that just seems as if it isn’t enough.
But thank you just the same.
Yes, there is A Time to Every Purpose Under Heaven, including A Time to Laugh, and a Time To Weep. And there is no reason why we cannot do both. In fact, it would be disingenuous to separate that, were it not for the mourning and loss, the joy and celebration of freedom could not exist.
So relish your time with friends and family on this long holiday. But at 3pm your local time, take part in the National Moment of Remembrance to remember the history of why and how you have these days of freedom and joy.
The US Memorial Day Organization has other suggestions to mark the day.
· by visiting cemeteries and placing flags or flowers on the graves of our fallen heroes.
· by visiting memorials.
· by flying the U.S. Flag at half-staff until noon.
· by flying the ‘POW/MIA Flag’ as well (Section 1082 of the 1998 Defense Authorization Act).
· by participating in a “National Moment of Remembrance”: at 3 p.m. to pause and think upon the true meaning of the day, and for Taps to be played.
· by renewing a pledge to aid the widows, widowers, and orphans of our falled dead, and to aid the disabled veterans.
If you’re looking for a parade in your State, the VetFriends site has a quick easy directory for you.
Me? I wish you all well, and leave you with the below video – the message from one father, Tom Sheehan, determined to make sure the new generations will will embrace the lessons of “A Time to Every Purpose Under Heaven”.
Vietnam era Navy wife, indy/conservative, and an official California escapee now residing as a red speck in the sea of Oregon blue.
It has been my honor to have known, quite well, two veterans who served during WW II. One flew gliders during D-Day and the other fought in the Pacific theatre and was wounded at Iwo Jima. The former passed about ten years ago and it was an honor to have been one of his pallbearers. The latter is still alive and damn fit for someone of his age. I personally thank each and every enlisted serviceman and veteran who visit my store. They have given so much which can never be repaid. Honor them all as so many gave away all of their tomorrows for us to enjoy our todays. Godspeed to them always.
@ALPHA, I couldn’t agree with you more. My father served in the Army Air Corps in WWII, and was one of the squadrons that ran around with Patton.
I was lucky… he survived. Else I would not be here to tell this tale. I enjoyed every minute of him until his death on mid term election day in 2010 at the age of 94. But I also was even more blessed to help my father round up all of his squadron, beginning in the 60s, where they held the first of their reunions. After that, each member and their family hosted a reunion in their town every two years. I can’t begin to tell you how fascinating it was to interface with those men during those reunions, and their families, and to hear their stories. They fought hard, lost much, picked up the pieces and tried to make sure that we… the following generations… didn’t have to experience what they did.
As of now, there is only one left in the original squadron. Yet the offspring/following members of the squadron, still continue to hold the reunions. And I find that kinship with their parents, and the past, humbling.
A beautiful article to help us remember those to whom we owe so much.
In 2004 Kerry got 41% of the veteran vote Swiftboated
In 2008 Obama got 44% of the veteran vote running against a decorated naval aviator
In 2012 I have not been able to find an exit poll with are you a veteran is asked I would suspect that Obama did better against Romney than he did with McCain. The veterans who most heavily favored McCain were the older/oldest groups, the ones that favored Obama were are more recent veterans. So when you next wish to demonize those who voted for Obama, think again who they are. They are veterans.
With Remembrance, Decoration and Gratitude we decorate and honour those who have made our Freedom possible.
We honour them as long as we protect that Freedom, and we can only protect that Freedom if we fully comprehend its meaning and essence – that is becoming a greater challenge these days.
Great post, Mata. Thanks.
MataHarley
so very good POST like you did all the other as well,
I like that song I did not capture the WORDS before today
which make me like it more now,
you kept secret of you’re own participation in the WAR,
one of those surely shape your thoughts,
when you returned and found the civilians attitude, ignorant of what all the MILITARY ENDURE,
there was explosions taking your lives and also taking only you’re limbs only, only?
nothing to see there? they smile at you if you meet with them, they are the PROUD GIANT HERO
of our time replacing the other who pass,
this day is very more special for them , because they saw,
what we will never think they saw,
thank you for that POST.
The times certainly are changing.
In Mass. the city of Beverly cancelled its parade for what is believed to be the first time since the Civil War.
The veterans they have in town are too old/ailing to march.
I can understand veterans of WWII are.
Even veterans of Vietnam.
But doesn’t this town have veterans from the Gulf?
I thought it weird.
But the nation’s military are not drawn equally from every area.
In Mass. many, after the draft ended, chose not to serve, I guess.
Anyway they had a ceremony at one of their public parks.
Almost every one in my family is a veteran.
The Cold War, Vietnam, the Gulf, Korea.
We are separated by miles but we share experiences via computer.
One brother went to the ceremony at the Peace Bell in Cabrillo Beach.
One went to dad’s resting place.
We went to a parade and ceremony in Salt Lake City.
Not having met these men and women before was not an issue.
By the end of the day we had made ten new friends.
Excellent post Mata. Unfortunately as was the case last year with I believe Wordsmith’s thread, a lefty troll comes along and uses it to make some political statement.
@another vet: Exactly, like a stud monkey at the zoo, you can’t expect them to show much class, especially during a solemn moment that is dedicated to our heroes of the past.
@another vet, that’s okay. It is exactly the cause intended for the sacrifice of life.. if not the most brilliant and flattering use of that sacrifice. Those that gave the ultimate didn’t demand perfection. They only hope for wise use of our freedoms. Trolls or not, I think we can see that all of us have let them down on a lot of levels over the decades.
Perhaps what can be done… in the event this post even attracts enough attention for an anti-freedom, hijacking troll… is that people will just ignore him. Even if only for a day or so. They are, after all, out for nothing but a reaction. I am, for one, always reticent to deliver goodies to the undeserving. I find ignoring petulant background noise and sniveling pretty darned easy to do. :0)
@MataHarley: My first inclination was to ignore as usual, but what the hell. Getting back to your recollections about your dad and his unit, it’s a shame that the WWII Vets are dying off. I would encourage anyone who knows of someone who served in that war to talk to them. They are a very proud group with unique experiences as Vets of all wars are and are very interesting to talk to. There is a lot to learn from those who were there and those experiences kind of dies off with them like what happened with the WWI Vets.
@Skookum: Lower than whale shit and that’s at the bottom of the ocean.
@another vet, INRE Dad and the reunions. There are many now that are doing the same. Dad’s squadron, like many others, has been merged/absorbed with others, and new squadrons are now picking up on the same. Thus some of the newer members may be from a different era, but carrying on a tradition of staying in touch.
My Mom and I (still lucky to have her, being as Dad married a “younger woman” of nine years), were talking about that today. Oddly enough, she knows this particular holiday is sometimes more poignant and painful to me – both for the high school friends lost in Vietnam as well as my penchant for bonding with the prior generation.
But I think if some of the newer generation are actually interested, they can search for various military reunions taking place and find many results of current activities. I know from my experience, they welcome the curious and appreciative at their events always.
Had a former father in law, who was a 16 year old fighter pilot in Poland before the Blitzkrieg. When they were overwhelmed, he and many thousands of other Polish military rode the rails to Spain and caught a trawler to England. Shot down three times, he survived the war, one of only a few from the Polish squadrons. His face was shot away and he was still trying to fly missions at the end of the war, but the altitude made his reconstructed face caused edema so bad he couldn’t see through his swelling facial features. One of the first to receive penicillin, in the form of a continuous drip, (they wanted those fliers up in the air) he belonged to a group called the guinea pigs who were the first to receive the antibiotic. They met for years after the war, until they were all gone.
He was not allowed to participate in the victory parade in London after all his sacrifices, because they didn’t want to provoke Stalin, who reviewed the parade and all the victorious troops.
He considered this to be the worst insult of his life. He passed away several years ago. He swore when the war was over, he would never fly again. He kept that promise.
He always lamented, “You can be on the winning side and still lose the war.” It’s definitely something to think about at the present time, when our loyalties seem to be misdirected at times.
For those veterans who haven’t talked about their military experiences because they bring back bad memories, at least tell your family members where you have been. My dad was in the Coast Guard during World war II, and based out of New York City. I figured he patrolled the coast, since the service is called The Coast Guard. Many years after he died, I found out he escorted several Merchant Marine convoys across the ocean to different parts of the world. Since he never talked about it, I am guessing that he saw some pretty bad stuff.
I can understand not wanting to talk about it if it brings back bad memories, but I don’t know where my dad has been during the war. I found out what ship he served on, but I would have liked to know where he has been in the world. Tell your family where you have been, or at least write it down for them so they can read it after you are gone. They deserve to know, and I never will know where my dad has been, since Mom is gone too.
To those who have fought, and for those who are still fighting for MY freedom, I say what I always start a letter with to the troops I write to through Soldiers’ Angels:
Thank you for keeping the payments up on the freedoms your predecessors bought for us.
@john: #4
Those who went “over there” so that we didn’t have to fight them here, fought for the right for liberals to take a day of remembrance and turn it into a campaign for their cause if they so choose. Their leader has taught them to do so any chance they get. I wonder if they ever think that if the soldiers hadn’t have gone “over there,” we wouldn’t be able to complain about our politicians without being thrown in a dungeon, or getting our heads cut off.
Thank you vets.
john
YOU must be talking about the VETERANS who where too sick to bother with election and where just following one of talking head NURSE sold to OBAMA in the same cabal,
she just had to lead that voter and hold his hand to where she decided
don’t brag about it,
it make you look stupid
and MITT ROMNEY WAS A FAVORITE of the VETERANS
IN MAJORITY
@ Mata,
A wonderful post.
@another vet:
I agree. My grandfather on my mother’s side, who served in the Army during WWII and Korea, told me some stories shortly before he passes, but I regret not asking him more. My grandfather on my father’s side, who was a Marine during WWII, passed before I was born. I’ve tried to piece together as much as I can on their experiences, but I feel both losses acutely on a day like today.
Tom
yes it is sad to not know more, because we didn’t think to ask, I too think I should have ask,
but maybe we feel embarrass to put them under the obligation to remember and some painful memories too. some people are asking and get some stories, they don’t think of maybe it will hurt him
to give some of it,
how do we know the balance we can and cannot do,
so most of us don’t ask.
bye
Mata Thank you for this post. A beautiful song from Roger McGuinn and The Byrds.
This weekend VFW posts nationwide passed out Poppies which is also done on Veterans Day.When a WWII Vet came by I listened to his remembrances.There is always much to learn from these dwindling heroes. Get to a ceremony today if you can.
“In Flanders Fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses,row on row–
“To those whom much is given,much is expected” JFK
Semper Fi
I have a shirt tail relative who wound up flying a PBY (float plane) for the Marines in the Pacific as an E5 at 16 years of age. At Iwo he was on the beach and given a leather satchel from an officer and told to give it to no one but Admiral Nimitz. The young Marine left the slaughter on the beach and flew to the admiral’s ship. On board, officers demanded the leather satchel but he refused, and insisted he deliver the papers to the admiral. They aimed a pistol at his belly and he still refused to surrender the papers. The admiral passed the commotion on the deck of the carrier and asked what the problem was.
The young Marine handed him the satchel. The admiral asked for a description of the altercation from the young Marine. After a brief explanation, the admiral told the young Marine he was now his personal pilot and to only take orders from the Admiral’s staff.
He stayed in after the war and was made an officer and learned to fly the new jets. He flew in the first dogfights against the Soviet Migs in Korea. After that minor police action, he flew with the CIA and eventually flew the U2 spy plane, it wasn’t a first class ride. You flew laying down for many hours with no bathroom facilities and the plane was rigged to self-destruct if there was a malfunction. He knew Powers and they were all astonished to learn he survived that fateful flight over Russia.
He flew out of Thailand during the Indo China skirmish and flew as a test pilot and instructor for many years. He is having cataract surgery in a week and is in good spirits. He regrets never teaching me to fly his way, but the cards didn’t fall that way. Some guys go through this life with a lot of luck, Carl is one of those guys.
@MataHarley: That is great that they stayed in touch all of those years. There is a certain bond that is formed with those you serve with overseas that can’t be explained unless you experienced it. Unfortunately, in a lot of cases people start to go their separate ways and as time passes and so do the contacts. I’ve experienced that myself.
Skook
WHAT a good story and it’s unbelievably true,
thank you
Richard Wheeler
hi,
AND I BET you must have so many stories to tell, and so much
and so many who are gone to remember too.
did you write it somewhere,
don’t underestimate it they are very precious for those who would like to know them,
best to you
@Smorgasbord: Have you contacted the Coast Guard? I’d bet you can find out where your dad was assuming it wasn’t classified and remains so today which is unlikely. Perhaps if you contacted their public affairs office they could point you in the right direction. I’m sure they have a section devoted to maintaining the history of where those units served. One of my parent’s neighbors is in the Coast Guard Reserve. I could ask him for guidance if you’d like.
Thanks for the stellar post, Mata!
I’ve long accepted barbecues and the frivolous activities done on this three-day weekend as an expression/celebration/validation of the freedoms bought and paid for by the sacrifices of those who serve; but it is still disconcertingly sad knowing that a number of my fellow citizens do not take time out to honor those who gave the ultimate sacrifice to make their lifestyle and life choices possible. Just zero sense of appreciation.
Leif Babin: “It was not the Declaration of Independence that gave us freedom but the Continental Army”:
@Tom: Unfortunately in a lot of cases we don’t appreciate what the older generation did and what their life experiences were like. Then when they’re gone, you wished you would have spent more time learning about their life experiences. My dad has shared a lot of his experiences during the Korean War with me. When I came back from Iraq the first time, I gave him my Bronze Star to keep at their house to go along with the two he earned. Both of his were more deserving than mine was.
@Wordsmith:
When the mutts were walking me this morning, of the hundred plus houses we went by only a dozen had flags flying. Growing up in the 60’s and 70’s, houses not flying flags on a day like today were the exception.
@Smorgasbord, you may be able to learn quite a bit about where your Dad was. What Dad taught me was the majority of the men in all branches were avid keepers of diaries. In fact Dad’s diary, leather bound volume about 11×14 in size, seemed to be issued by the Army Air Corp, with some preprinted data in it, records of him from enlistment/boot camp to discharge. The pages in between were filled with his own writing, and photos.
What always amazed me was that even in his later years, when the memory wasn’t so clear and eyesight was going, I could pull out that diary (as I did every visit), and he could tell me in depth stories about any portion of his writing I singled out, or even a picture he had in there which I described. Those days made quite an impression on them. Some felt comfortable speaking of it. Others didn’t.
But back to your Dad. The reason I mentioned diaries is that sundry books have been written about different outfits over the years, most compiled from these personal diaries. It’s entirely possible there is one available, or at least more archived information about the ships activities, via the USCG museums etc.
i.e. you can start with this brief webpage with links to each of the USCG ships, since you know the name of the vessel. You can also contact the webmaster at the USCG site, and find out how you may get more in depth information on your Dad’s ship, and if there are any books, diaries, records available on that particular vessel. You never know what you can turn up. You might not see anything mentioning your father specifically, but you might find out more about their life and travels. And you never know, perhaps some records your father kept might turn up as well.
@Wordsmith and @Skook, thank you both for more worthy story additions. There is no end to the stories that we do not know… and each is unique and inspiring.
Smorgasbord, a couple more links for you. Films all dedicated to USCG WWII footage, including the mention that the Guard, along with Merchant Marines, rushed men and supplies to the beach in LCIs and LSTs.
Also, this is the webpage to the USCG records management. Thru their Genealogical Research and Personnel Records, you can request copies of your Dad’s service record. That link will take you to the St. Louis National Archives.
It could be quite the hunt/peck search, but I think you’d find it a very rewarding quest.
@Skookum:A Note: One of the reasons why there were only a few Polish fliers left after the war is they would often ram German fighters if their guns jammed or they ran out of ammo. Not an efficient way to kill enemy fighters, but no one ever said they weren’t committed.
@another vet:
I;m sure yours was very deserved indeed. And that was a beautiful gesture.
As Bees mentioned above, sometimes it’s a case of the memories being painful. i know my father says my grandfather couldn’t really talk about it. The book “Flags of Our Fathers’ is very insightful on this point, as the author describes how he didn’t even realize his father was a war hero for years because he never spoke about it. My grandfather was at Iwo Jima, so reading that book was a moving experience.
God Bless our Vets…words cannot Thank You enough…
@Tom: The quiet ones are usually the ones who did the most. There was this little old guy who used go to my watering hole (he died awhile ago). He was very quiet and nice. Went to church every Sunday etc. It turned out he was a medic at Normandy on D-Day on Omaha Beach. He no doubt saved a lot of lives under intense fire. You would never know from talking to him. Another WWII Vet was in there and saw my Airborne hat. He asked how many jumps I had and when I told him he that it was a lot and that he had made only 4 after Jump School and told me where he made them. My response to him was that his were all combat jumps and that everyone of them counted and no one ever shot at me when I jumped. It was very interesting hearing how they used to parachute in the old days during its infancy as a method of deploying troops. Very humble people.
If your grandfather belonged to a service organization like the VFW and there were others there who served during the same time, he may have been more open with them. Vets have a tendency to be more open with their compatriots. Iwo Jima was a hard fought battle. Less than 300 of the 22,000 Japanese on the island survived the battle. We took 26,000 casualties including 6,500 KIA. To put that in perspective, our losses for that month plus battle is roughly equal to our losses in Afghanistan and Iraq combined and those took almost 12 years. Your granddad saw some nasty stuff over there. Most likely he didn’t want to subject his loved ones to the horrors of what he experienced.
On a side note, the young folks who joined since 9/11 deserve enormous praise. They volunteered knowing they were going to end up in harm’s way that being Afghanistan or Iraq. To me they are another “Greatest Generation”.
another vet
so interesting to read you,I feel so bad for the 600k backlog for the VETERANS,
this is unacceptable, there is no excuse to say, they must give them the money now and deal with the paperwork later,
THAT”S THE ONLY SOLUTION
OBAMA DON”T WANT TO SEND THE MONEY?
and he has the speech to give to them while they are waiting for their money,
what a scandal of the first degree
a shame on OBAMA to not order the distribution of the money now,
and they deserve the INTEREST too.
get your butt out of the podium and do the job for the VETERANS WHO DID THE JOB OF KILLING THE ALQAEDA AND TALIBANS TO SAVE YOUR ASS all of you in the WHITE HOUSE,
move and shut up.
how dare you have the VETERANS WAIT SO LONG,
that is 5 years already, how unacceptable, no matter some are homeless, they are waiting for OBAMA to get their well earned money,
we are coming back to remind you
@ilovebeeswarzone: Unfortunately this country has never been as good as it should be about taking care of those who served and ended up with health issues. Look how long it took for them to admit that Agent Orange caused health problems. A chemical that defoliates a jungle is going to cause harm to people. Common sense. Almost everyone I know who was exposed to that crap is either dead or has health problems, usually in the form of diabetes.
@another vet: #36
My closest friend in the world was taken by complications (Multiple Myeloma) from exposure to Agent Orange almost 5 yeas ago – a very long, very difficult passing as the cancer ravaged his body. Long after diagnosis, and long after the medical community put it on agent orange, the bureaucracy finally accepted the link about a year before he succumbed. My buddy fought with unbelievable determination against the invasion, and didn’t let it get him down, didn’t let it break his spirit until his last breath. He didn’t even feel anger at the use of the chemical that was the cause of his shortened life. He’s with me each and every day – always will be.
If they act like that, it tell that they don’t deserve their position and they should pack up and go.
they don’t have the juice to finish their obligation to the number one people,which are the one protecting their asses, is the most important people to get what they are expecting to and not wait for it,
pay the soldier whatever it cost , don’t just talk about it,
talk is cheap.
cut other places, but never on the MILITARY,
you have already cut them at the WAR STAGE,
OBAMA CHECK IT UP
@Skook: #21
You mentioning Garry Powers reminded me how we basically shot down our own plane. The U2 plane was so fast, and flew so high, that by the time it was detected on radar, and a missile launched, the plane was too far downrange to catch it. We had a regular route we flew every day. The pilot left point A, at a certain time every day, flew to point B, and got there at the same time every day, flew to point B and got there at the same time every day, then flew to point C, and got there the same time every day. I have never heard or read about the fact that all the Russians had to do was to have a missile at a certain point at a certain time, and the U2 would be there when the missile got there. Sometimes the oxymoron, “military intelligence” applies. I have seen and read different stories about Garry Powers being shot down, but never heard or read how we made it so easy for the Russians to shoot the plane down.
I read an interesting story I should have scanned into my computer, so I wrote it down from memory:
An SR-71 Blackbird pilot told about a flight he had with his plane. He said he had just been teamed up with another partner. My first thought was, “What do you mean by partner?” Did you know that there are two people in the Blackbird? I don’t remember what the other guy is called. He runs all of the electronic equipment and the camera.
The smaller window behind the cockpit windows is where the other guy sits. The pilot said that he feels sorry for the other guy, because he doesn’t get to see the full view of what the pilot does.
The pilot explained that when a pilot is flying, they are supposed to limit there radio communications to necessary conversations only. As they were flying, he heard a single engine pilot use the term to ask the tower to tell them how fast they are going. The tower gave them their speed info.
Someone else came on the radio who was flying a twin engine plane and asked the same thing. The tower gave that pilot the speed info, which was faster than the single engine plane.
The Blackbird pilot said he wanted to ask to confirm his air speed, but he decided not to. He then heard a familiar voice ask to confirm their air speed and used the Blackbird’s call sign. I forget the speed, but nobody else asked for air speed. The pilot said that he knew right then that he and his new partner would get along fine.
@another vet: #25
I contacted the VA, and I received my dad’s discharge papers. They included where he was assigned. He was assigned to the USS Merrill, but it doesn’t say where the Merrill went. There is another USS Merrill, but Dad was on the first one. I asked to know what medals my dad received, and they sent me mine. That’s when I gave up.
If your friend can at least find out where the first USS Merrill had been, I would really appreciate that. Thanks for your concern.
@Wordsmith: #26
Someone said that the government can’t give us any freedoms. They can only take them away. I never looked at it that way before, but it is true.
@MataHarley: #29
Thanks for the information and the links. I will look into them. Dad and Mom are gone, and there was no information about Dad’s military service. There were pictures of the ones he served with, but no names on them.
As I mentioned before, since Dad never talked about his service, I’m guessing that he saw some bad stuff that he didn’t want to think about. Since he escorted Merchant Marine ships, and 40-50% of them were sunk, I’m guessing he saw several of them sunk, and possibly some very bad injuries.
@MataHarley: #30
Thanks for the extra info. I never thought about checking with the USCG, because until recently, I thought they were a branch of the Navy, not a separate branch of the service.
@Smorgasbord: The next time I talk to Carl, (I used his first name because I thought someone might have known him and the first name would have confirmed the identity) I will ask more in depth questions. My wife is flying to his home in a few hours, to take care of him during the recovery after the eye surgery, so it is not the best time to be asking for details from 50 years ago.
I remember being fascinated with the difficulty in flying, landing, and getting the plane in the air, as well as the fact that the plane was designed to self-destruct in the case of problems. Carl said the other pilots didn’t hold it against Powers for not committing suicide, he thought that was asking too much of an individual.
The rocket never really hit the plane or there would have been nothing left of plane or pilot. It probably ignited in the back draft and blew the wings off the plane, they were fragile. Powers beat the odds and survived that day, but later on died in a chopper crash.
The articles on the U2 don’t actually mesh with Carl’s stories, and I think there may still be some ambiguities in the official lies of the government and the accounts of the pilots. I will try to interview Carl later in the summer and write an article on the plane and a CIA’s pilot’s historical perspective of that period of history.
SKOOKUM
that would be interesting
bye
@Smorgasbord:
Typical of the VA. It makes you wonder how much of their backlog is due to the increase in claims and how much is due to bureaucratic incompetence.
maybe that enormous amount is being hold by the WHITE HOUSE
TO PAY FOR THEIR OWN EXPANSES,
someone CONSERVATIVE ELECTED should check that closer,
it’s another big scandal to uncover, where else is that money?
why so much delay?
why not the VA get help
to sort it up?,
some would do it for free to help the VETERANS, how come they are not ask?
don’t they know this is an urgent matter,
freeze their earning until the VETERANS get their money,
@Smorgasbord, you’re welcome. And I found your personal endeavor curious. So I dug up a couple of things this AM to help you get started.
The first was a SCRIBD 200 pg unclassified document of The Coast Guard at War in WWII. Since I’m not a SCRIBD member and can’t download the document in a PDF form (easier searching and reading), I did scan and found mention of the USS Merrill on pg 10 of this document. It was a Destroyer Escort, DE-392, under DesLant and manned Nov 27, 1943 along with the USS Chambers. I’m guessing DesLant is shorthand for Destroyer/Atlantic fleet. It also talks about the missions of the various vessels, so it’s a good document, unclassified in 1949, to read. You’ll be looking for mentions of the Destroyer Escort Division 45 specifically.
Using that information, I got to the USCG page for the Merrill.
That should tell you where she spent most of her time… but you’re shy oral history from crew members and things a bit more personal and specific. So you have to drill it down a bit further.
According to this site, the Merrill was part of Escort Division 45 (aka CortDiv 45) , with the USS Vance as their flagship. The Vance has photos of the ships in that CortDiv, including the Merrill. I’d say if you could find out military history that may only mention the USS Vance, being as it’s the flagship, you’ll know that your Dad was there too.
The Naval Source archives has more info, including the emblem and some crew member photos. Wouldn’t it be lucky if you found your Dad in one of those? You’ll notice some other helpful links at the bottom, including the Tin Can Sailors Shipmate Registry.
The Merrill has her own Wiki page, but mostly repeating info from what is picked up from these other pages.
There is a site called “HullNumber”. It has crew members or their family members compiling data about the vessel and it’s deployments. This is the page for the Merrill. There’s not many there listed, but there are a few where those that have contributed data with email contacts. You might try contacting them and see what resources they have found… obviously they are looking too. You might even find they know who your father was.
A bit about how the USS Merrill came to be sponsored, and Ensign Howard Dean Merrill, who is believed to be entombed with his mates on the Arizona.
Boy, I wish we had Internet when Dad was trying to round up his squadron members. Back in those old days, it was contacting veteran associations all over the nation, finding Army Air Corp newsletters that may be in existence, and ads in metropolitan papers. He was depending upon finding some, who may have kept in touch with others. It was amazing that they managed to find the majority of them.
Mata Harley
wow
that’s very interesting find,
@Skookum: #44
This reminds me of when the Chinese forced one of our most sophisticated listening planes to land in China while it was flying IN INTERNATIONAL waters and listening to them. They got all of that plane. Why don’t planes like that have a destruct device that can be set for a long enough time to get out? They could at least have a valve they could open to let fuel into the plane to burn it up.
I wondered about that too, especially since the plane was so fast. I’m guessing it was a proximity missile.