I come from a long line of military men...and recently women. My 83 year-old aunt served twice, in the Navy in WWII and the Air Force in Korea, and a great-aunt served as a Navy nurse in the Philippines. In doing my family genealogy, I have found that in nearly every war since the Revolution, there has been someone in my family tree serving in the military.
My father and all my uncles (except one) served. Some in WWII, some Korea and one in Vietnam.
My brother, an Army warrant officer, has served once in the Middle East and will likely be going back now that his recent training is over.
My husband's family has also served. My husband's grandfather was in the Merchant Marine in WWII and his great-uncle was a member of Merrill's Marauders.
If there must be trouble let it be in my day, that my child may have peace.
-Thomas Paine
5 comments:
i would also like to extend my thanks to all the veterans who have served our countries and kept us free! God bless you all.
I appreciate and am so grateful for all the sacrifices the vets and their families have made to keep us safe. May God protect and bless them.
Great post. My dad and all my uncles save one also served. [The one who didn't had a gold plated "4-F" gained from a motorcycle accident. Neat about the females in your family serving too. My dad also had a female cousin who was a Navy Nurse during the Vietnam war era. Have you seen the nice Memorial dedicated to the service Nurses? - it's close to the Vietnam War Memorial in DC. Quite fitting.
Which wars did your family miss out on? As far as I can tell the ones my family missed out on were the Mexican War and the Cuba American war. All the others were "on." I also had a Col. Lindenmuth who fought in the French and Indian wars. I don't have any siblings. When I graduated there was a period of 5 minutes where I considered joining the Navy. Then it occurred to me the US Military wasn't exactly keen on people who had 4-F elbows that pop out of joint doing the stuff that's done in basic training. So I gave up that thought!
I had looked into a connection to the War of 1812, but haven't had a chance to prove/document it. Don't have any evidence of involvement the Mexican- or Spanish-American wars, but there may be a connection with a great-great-great uncle to the Spanish-American war. Have oodles of family in the Civil War, all on the Union side. My great-great grandfather rose to the rank of Sergeant, which was a miracle he lasted that long! His own brother was a prisoner at Andersonville, released during a prisoner exchange, only to die on his way home to OH due to the ill treatment at Andersonville. I have both their military records from the National Archives. And, this brother's widow eventually married my great-grandfather (two brother's married to the same woman...my tree crosses!). Only one known WWI connection, my great-uncle Pete. My dad and his brother were in WWII, as was my aunt and her husband and other uncles by marriage. One uncle in Korea, one in Nam. I only have one sibling, my brother, who has been to the Middle East and may well go back soon. My Navy nurse great-aunt served between WWI and WWII. I have some of her letters home posted on my genealogy website.
Hubby's family is a smattering of things. Irish, German and Polish (German) and then a chunk Brit...two lines that came over on the Mayflower (Francis Cooke and William Brewster). I've got it all documented, but in order to join the Mayflower Society you have to have "proof" of B/D/M and two ancestors are well known but not documented to this extent. There are soldiers in all wars but the Spanish-American on that side. Well documented Revolutionary soldier, so my daughter could join that DAR...
Daughter could also get into the Mayflower society. Tougher than DAR.
I'm DAR eligible, but never bothered!
It's a good thing our ancestors came over when they did. The immigration laws are supposedly tougher now. Unless you walk across our southern border, then they give you every **** goodie. Everyone else has to wait their turn and eventually learn English.
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