Back on December 26th I brought you a brief story on Joseph Noils from Nova Scotia and his heroism during the battle between the Confederates' CSS Alabama and the Union's USS Kearsarge during the Civil War. Therein I mentioned that very recently the Noils grave, missing to the MOH world of historians for about 150 years was finally located just a very few miles from Washington DC, On 29 December I also brought you the story of Battle of the Bulge, WW11 war hero Charles McGillivary from PEI and his role in the creation of the new markers for Medal of Honor recipients.
Above at the left and right are two pictures of the Noils grave very weathered and mostly unreadable. In the centre is one of the newer designed markers for Ontario born Dennis Buckley, who was buried under the wrong name for about 140 years.
The Noils grave is one of quite a few that are listed to be replaced with the centre type of marker. But the issue has been delayed because of flexible rules at the federal level that allowed new markers for some but later the rules changed. The marker is apparently still in the works but it seems to be taking a long time moving forward.
I tell you this while I have most recently received a similar request. This is from the Mayor Pro Tem (Deputy) of a small city in Washington state as a result of his reading my blogs. He has asked for help in getting a new marker for a Civil War vet who is also a MOH recipient. His deed was performed by 5 fellows, and one of these was another Canadian. I have now provided him with some of the details causing the delays in obtaining new markers and also contact info for him to communicate with one of America's experts on getting these markers updated. A historian whom I am proud to say is a fellow member of our group known as the Medal of Honor Historical Society of the US.
No doubt he will be able to provide the details needed to move that project along.
On another subject...
Above at the left and right are two pictures of the Noils grave very weathered and mostly unreadable. In the centre is one of the newer designed markers for Ontario born Dennis Buckley, who was buried under the wrong name for about 140 years.
The Noils grave is one of quite a few that are listed to be replaced with the centre type of marker. But the issue has been delayed because of flexible rules at the federal level that allowed new markers for some but later the rules changed. The marker is apparently still in the works but it seems to be taking a long time moving forward.
I tell you this while I have most recently received a similar request. This is from the Mayor Pro Tem (Deputy) of a small city in Washington state as a result of his reading my blogs. He has asked for help in getting a new marker for a Civil War vet who is also a MOH recipient. His deed was performed by 5 fellows, and one of these was another Canadian. I have now provided him with some of the details causing the delays in obtaining new markers and also contact info for him to communicate with one of America's experts on getting these markers updated. A historian whom I am proud to say is a fellow member of our group known as the Medal of Honor Historical Society of the US.
No doubt he will be able to provide the details needed to move that project along.
On another subject...
You better be nervous if you see this critter coming your way. Heck you might not see it cause it may be way up there in the sky. And no point waving at. There is no one in it!
It's not a UFO. Those letters were already taken. Its a UAV. And it kills. A little effort on the internet and you can find a few stories this month and last about how many civilians are being killed by it in the war in IRAQ. It is actually an Unmanned Airial Vehicle and it is being controlled by men and women siting at computer terminals in trailers and other facilities in Florida, in Nevada and who knows were else. They puch buttons and men die. So do women and children. And the men in those operation centres are now dressed in green airforce fighter suits and even call themselves pilots and of late can even earn medals for their DISTINGUISHED WARFARE conduct. Perhaps their medals, just recently created, are really for the heroism they may need when they walk past a real boots on the gound hero who faced his or her enemy in the face and received a purple heart or Bronze Star that are, incidently, now rated BELOW this new medal.
You can bet that politicians and military leaders and the boots of the ground men and women who actually do the fighting are lived at the creation of the new medal called the Distinguished Warfare Medal. In fact they are so up in arms, pardon the pun, that the manufacturing of the medal has been put on hold and now the decision makers are re-examining the whole matter.
"The very name of the medal is ludicrous. Distinguished implies a level of admiration that can't possibly be reached in the prosaic act of piloting a drone." So says a retired airforce Colonel who no doubt recognizes bravery when he sees it. He wears a blue ribbon around his neck. And fasted to it is a Medal of Honor.
I'll be watching for updates on this blunder and bring them to you as I see them.
It's not a UFO. Those letters were already taken. Its a UAV. And it kills. A little effort on the internet and you can find a few stories this month and last about how many civilians are being killed by it in the war in IRAQ. It is actually an Unmanned Airial Vehicle and it is being controlled by men and women siting at computer terminals in trailers and other facilities in Florida, in Nevada and who knows were else. They puch buttons and men die. So do women and children. And the men in those operation centres are now dressed in green airforce fighter suits and even call themselves pilots and of late can even earn medals for their DISTINGUISHED WARFARE conduct. Perhaps their medals, just recently created, are really for the heroism they may need when they walk past a real boots on the gound hero who faced his or her enemy in the face and received a purple heart or Bronze Star that are, incidently, now rated BELOW this new medal.
You can bet that politicians and military leaders and the boots of the ground men and women who actually do the fighting are lived at the creation of the new medal called the Distinguished Warfare Medal. In fact they are so up in arms, pardon the pun, that the manufacturing of the medal has been put on hold and now the decision makers are re-examining the whole matter.
"The very name of the medal is ludicrous. Distinguished implies a level of admiration that can't possibly be reached in the prosaic act of piloting a drone." So says a retired airforce Colonel who no doubt recognizes bravery when he sees it. He wears a blue ribbon around his neck. And fasted to it is a Medal of Honor.
I'll be watching for updates on this blunder and bring them to you as I see them.
As noted in an earlier blog, Womens History Month is being celebrated this month in the US. (It's in October in Canada.)
The month... "is a time to remember those who fought to make that freedom as real for our daughters as for our sons. Written out of the promise of the franchise, they were women who reached up to close the gap betweeen what America was and what it could be. They were driven by a faith that our Union could extend true equality to every citizen willing to claim it. Year after year, visionary women met and marched and mobolized to prove what should have been self-evedent..."
A few of the words of President Obama on proclaimning this to be the Womens History Month of 2013. As the President noted, these women have indeed marched and moboloized. Over 283,000 women have marched into Iraq or Iran in the last decade. More than 800 were wounded. At least 139 have lost their lives.
As American salutes its women, including those in uniform, those who have served and those yet to serve, it is wonderful to report that most recently the Friends of the Freedoms Foundation in Phoenixville at the Medal of Honor Grove has just unveiled a plaque in the Honour of Doctor Mary Walker, the ony woman in the history of the Medal of Honor to be awarded such a medal.
Over the nbext few days I hope to be able to bring you a story with photo's of the unveiling before the historic month concludes.
Closer to home, it should not be forgotten in our somewhat smaller army than the US's, hehe, we can be very proud of our own women in uniform. There are about 8,000 women serving in our regular forces and about 5,000 in our reserve units across the country.
And like in the US, there have probably been hundreds of thousands who wore the uniform, before those currently honouring it.
Kudo's to all.
Bart
RSS Feed