Bringing Home the Wounded

Looking for more information on my grandpa who was in World War I has taken several years.  It's really cool that I now know that September 29, 1918, is the date of his severe injury in Europe.   I  have a picture of my grandpa with my father's handwriting on the back which states he (grandpa) was gassed in the War, in addition to losing a small part of his leg.

Here's the newspaper article from Feb 17, 1919, from Pittsburgh which names the wounded are home from the war with their stories to tell:

And today, I think I have most likely identified the ship which brought all these wounded men home---  the USS Mercy!  The USS Mercy made four trips to France to bring home the wounded.

Sometimes, a picture is worth more than words.

 Below is information on the conclusion of the trip I think my grandpa was on.

Ahh, genealogy.   What can I say?  Thank you to the men and women who continue to bring home our wounded and thank you for protecting our freedoms.


Sources:
https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=wu.89066171992;view=1up;seq=1
http://www.navsource.org/archives/09/12/09120448.jpg

©2018  AS Eldredge

Winner! Again! National Writing Month

It's just something I do..

For the contest this year, I started a book on my mother's life.  This expanded to including my dad's life.  Let's face it.  They were connected.  So, 60,000 words later and counting as I strive to tell the story of a love that never ended for my Lady from the City by the Sea.

Now that some of the initial writing is complete, it' time to refine, revise and have another cup of coffee!

Ahh, genealogy.  It's a great winter day to sit and reflect on the past.

©2018  AS Eldredge

Effing, you say

It's just one of those days--

Found on Ancestry from 1870 Federal Census. 

Ahh, genealogy.  Sometimes, census takers write the darnedest things.

©2018  AS Eldredge

Wordless Wednesday: Chum of the President

It's the day after our country has exercised our right to vote.  Isn't it cool that we, as Americans, have this right?  While we may or may not agree with the ballot results, we, as Americans, still will honor the decisions.  Enough said.

In looking at some newspapers of the past from New Wilmington, PA, I ran across the following obituary.  I just loved the headline from the 1902 newspaper--  School Mate of M'Kinley Passes Away.

For those who may be interested, this obituary for William C HENRY (1833-1902), who is the son of Thomas M HENRY (1791-1873) and Eliza CLARK (1799-1882), and grandson to my grandpa, John HENRY, documents the 14th President of the United States that my paternal line knew.

Ahh, genealogy.  Up close and personal

Presidential proof in the news, again!

Source:  New Castle Weekly Herald, June 4, 1902

©2018 AS Eldredge

Wordless Wednesday: Liberty Ship of the Merchant Marines

According to the paperwork I have from the United States Maritime Service and the discharge certificate, my dad was on this ship on this day.

Ahh, genealogy.  I am one proud child of my merchant marine.

©2017  AS Eldredge

Sources:  
https://www.globalsecurity.org/military/systems/ship/images/liberty-image49.jpg
http://www.armed-guard.com/about-mm.html

Military Monday: Sailing the Ocean Blue with the Merchant Marines

During the early days of World War II, my own special veteran papa, was part of the Merchant Marines.  I never really thought much about it.  I knew he had his first mate's papers and I knew he thoroughly enjoyed being on the water.

The Merchant Marines.  Well, this is quite interesting.  It wasn't until after my dad's death that the military decided these brave men who sailed the seas for our country during a time of war could be considered veterans.  As the Merchant Marines lost a greater per capita number of men than the US Armed Forces did during World War II, I found it astonishing that they weren't acknowledged as veterans until 1988.

Atlantic Trader, States Marine Co, WWII

The Atlantic Trader of the States Marine Co was just one of the boats on which he served. The captain during his trip to the French North Africa was a Captain S. Glenn.  Of interest in my reading is finding that the SS Keystone was torpedoed on a trip to North Africa at the same time my dad was on the Atlantic Trader.  Were they part of the same mission which had 45 merchant ships and 7 escorts?  I think I have more research to do.

I remember him talking about how they were gunrunners during the early war, but they weren't allowed to defend themselves.  Instead, they had Navy escorts when they trudged over the sea.  Although he told one of his cousins (who later told me) that it was really a cushy little job, he apparently tired of comments by those for whom he was running merchandize and men around.  So, after one trip ended, he tried to join the Navy.  They wouldn't take him.  Why?  I don't know.

He ended up talking with the Army who told them that they, the Army, also had boats.  That did it for him.  He joined up and spent the next twenty some odd years walking everywhere since he ended up in the Infantry.  Isn't that a kicker? Now, to be honest, he did spend some time in the Phillipines ferrying some men and some generals around.

Back to now---  I have been watching the World War II stories on my local PBS station and been amazed and horrified at the conditions these brave men fought.  One of them said that they weren't heroes.  Only the ones under the white crosses at Normandy qualified for that honor.  No, they were just survivors.

I think my dad felt that way as he told a sibling of mine that we should never forget all those brave fallen men.  My dad couldn't forget them.  And I can't forget my dad.

Ahh, genealogy.  A great big hug and thanks to all who served our country.  Papa was right.  We can't forget.

Sources:

http://www.statesmarinelines.com/index.htm

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Merchant_Marine

Census Sunday: He's Not in the Navy, He's in the Naval Militia!

Ever spend time looking and reviewing the information you have collected over the years?  I did just that on Veteran's Day, and did I get a surprise!

Some ten years ago or more, I spent time at the National Archives and was able to find, touch with my prettily gloved hands, and get copies of both my grandfathers' World War I draft cards.  One draft card was not a surprise as I knew that grandpa was in the Army 11th Infantry and was wounded in the Battle of the Argonne in 1918.  

On the other hand, here was the surprise.  The draft card for my other grandpa said Navy?  He had military service?  And no one living today knew this?

Two of his grandchildren have tried to get information on the Navy service from NARA with no luck.  The consensus was his records were destroyed in the 1973 fire which destroyed so many of nation's veterans military records.  Dead end?

Maybe not.

Since the recent announcement that the NARA folks at the St Louis facility where the fire was have been trying to reconstruct some of the files, my interest resurfaced.  I have even had word that two people I know did ask a second time and their grandfather's records were rescued, restored, marked with a "B" for burn file and delivered.  Could I get this lucky?

I pulled up his draft card again just yesterday and realized that something was off.  The draft card was signed in 1917 and indicates he had already served four years as a Seaman.  So, he wasn't in World War I?  He served before that time.

Read closer and now I see something else.  Notice the branch.  It says Navy Militia?  What was that?

Militia groups formed by states in our nation's early days are not new.  I just didn't realize that the practice was common in the early 1900s.  Before and during the Spanish-American War, South Carolina reactivated the use of a Naval Militia in 1892 to guard its coast.  Apparently, this group of volunteers stayed active as the last group was mustered in, May 1907.

What jumps off this page is the mention of Lieut. SB MCCLAREY.  He was the older brother-in-law of my grandfather.  Bingo.  It makes sense.

Grandpa, a young impressionable late teen, was impressed with his more worldly brother-in-law, who had served in the Spanish-American War, probably jumped at the chance to join up with the Militia as one of the 172 elite men.  

The Naval Militia was disbanded at the beginning of World War I as our nation started its own Naval Reserves.  On a sidenote, the Militia was reestablished in 2003 and is now recognized at the Federal level.

Now, I just need to find the names of the enlisted volunteers to prove this.  I suspect the records may be at the South Carolina Archives.

Ahh genealogy.  Isn't it a grand day for a voyage!

Sources:

http://www.sixthfleet.com/newsletter/news10.htm

https://books.google.com/books?id=INblAAAAMAAJ&pg=PA39&lpg=PA39&dq=2nd+Division+SC+Naval+Militia&source=bl&ots=4k6VrlYiVZ&sig=VhdGKXT5AI-BQF_Op04qKP0F8pk&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjfiKbfmbfXAhUJ7IMKHTdSAe8Q6AEIYjAL#v=onepage&q=2nd%20Division%20SC%20Naval%20Militia&f=false

https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:33S7-9YTC-S1TF?i=3627&cc=1968530

©2017  AS Eldredge