Over the past few months I have been bringing updates about Alonzo Cushing, The cavalry Lietenant who gave his life commanding one of the few cannons still operating during the famous Pickett's charge of July 1863. Many blogs have brought either his story or the latest developments in a decades long quest to see him being awarded the Medal of Honor. Recently the President has indicated that the medal would be awarded, but a delay was caused with trying to sort out who would get the medal. Since no descendants were known, The US Army came forth to indicate it would accept the medal, but no decisions were made on where they would put it on public display.
Well, that's probably all out the window now as a relative has been located at Fredonia New York and presumable a ceremony will be set in which the medal will finally come home to the Cushing man. Since the medal was earned some 151 years ago, this award is no doubt the longest delay on record.
Well, that's probably all out the window now as a relative has been located at Fredonia New York and presumable a ceremony will be set in which the medal will finally come home to the Cushing man. Since the medal was earned some 151 years ago, this award is no doubt the longest delay on record.
Alonzo Cushing, pictured above, was only 22 years old when he was killed in the charge that was eventually repulsed by the Union forces, and no doubt played a major roll in the battle at Gettysburg being won by the Union. Many Canadians fought and died in that battle. Had the overall battle gone otherwise, Washington DC being only less than 100 miles away, the nation of today may well have been called the CONFEDERATE States of America.
Switching topics, It has been oft mentioned in this space that the British Government is involved currently, in a recently started five year campaign to honour all of the Victoria Cross recipients of WW1. This will involve the unveiling of plaques across Britain. Each is to be unveiled by local governments on the very day that is the 100th anniversary of the day the deed was performed by the hero. Whilst not part of the original plan, it later evolved into one that resulted in the creation of 11 further plaques. Each of these would be sent off to one of the 11 other countries these men came from and on each would be engraved the man or men from that country being honoured.
One of these is to be unveiled in the United States at it's most famous Arlington National Cemetery at Washington DC. A few days ago it was revealed that HRH Queen Victoria's daughter, Princess Anne is coming to the DC area to conduct several official duties. One of these will be officiating at the unveiling on the VC plaque at Arlington on October 6th. The press release issues several days ago unfortuinately made no note of an important fact. Each of the four Americans being honored had come to Canada before the US entered the Great War and signed up with Canadian Forces and were so employed on the very day each performed their acts of bravery that resulted in later receiving their Victoria Crosses.
Switching topics, It has been oft mentioned in this space that the British Government is involved currently, in a recently started five year campaign to honour all of the Victoria Cross recipients of WW1. This will involve the unveiling of plaques across Britain. Each is to be unveiled by local governments on the very day that is the 100th anniversary of the day the deed was performed by the hero. Whilst not part of the original plan, it later evolved into one that resulted in the creation of 11 further plaques. Each of these would be sent off to one of the 11 other countries these men came from and on each would be engraved the man or men from that country being honoured.
One of these is to be unveiled in the United States at it's most famous Arlington National Cemetery at Washington DC. A few days ago it was revealed that HRH Queen Victoria's daughter, Princess Anne is coming to the DC area to conduct several official duties. One of these will be officiating at the unveiling on the VC plaque at Arlington on October 6th. The press release issues several days ago unfortuinately made no note of an important fact. Each of the four Americans being honored had come to Canada before the US entered the Great War and signed up with Canadian Forces and were so employed on the very day each performed their acts of bravery that resulted in later receiving their Victoria Crosses.
The DC plaque contains the names of the 4 men and also honours the Unknown Soldier of the Great War. He was killed in action in France and was repatriated back to the US and honoured with the creation of the Unkown Soldier's tomb of 1921. This important monumnet has of course been expanded over the years to honour several unknown soldiers of other wars.
The names at the left are of Captain Bellenden Hutcheson of the 75th Overseas battalion, later the Toronto Scottish, Sergeant George Mullin of the Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry, Sergeant Raphael Zengel from what is now the South Saskatchewan Regiment and Lance Corporal William Metcalf of the Canadian Scottish Regiment.
Each of these units and the Canadian Embassy and possibly the cemetery itself first learned of this plaque coming to the US by this blog many weeks ago. The four regiments and the Canadian Embassy at DC were further first advised that the ceremeny was to take place on the 6th by this blog, and today, further adised today of the attendance of Royalty at this event.
Princess Anne and her husband will be trvelling to Ottawa in the days following the US trip and may well be unveiling the Plaque for Canada, seen above and at right, at this time. Of the 11 countries getting one of these plaques, it has the most names engraved... about 70 heroes in all.
Back on Sunday,
Bart
The names at the left are of Captain Bellenden Hutcheson of the 75th Overseas battalion, later the Toronto Scottish, Sergeant George Mullin of the Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry, Sergeant Raphael Zengel from what is now the South Saskatchewan Regiment and Lance Corporal William Metcalf of the Canadian Scottish Regiment.
Each of these units and the Canadian Embassy and possibly the cemetery itself first learned of this plaque coming to the US by this blog many weeks ago. The four regiments and the Canadian Embassy at DC were further first advised that the ceremeny was to take place on the 6th by this blog, and today, further adised today of the attendance of Royalty at this event.
Princess Anne and her husband will be trvelling to Ottawa in the days following the US trip and may well be unveiling the Plaque for Canada, seen above and at right, at this time. Of the 11 countries getting one of these plaques, it has the most names engraved... about 70 heroes in all.
Back on Sunday,
Bart
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