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Showing posts from February, 2016

A Soldier's Story: Brigadier General Benjamin Oliver Davis Sr.

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General Benjamin Oliver Davis Sr. was born on July 1, 1877, in Washington, DC. He enlisted (against his parents' wishes) during the Spanish-American war in 1889 as a 1st Lieutenant but mustered out shortly after. General Benjamin O Davis Sr. re-enlisted as a Private in June 1899 into the 9th Calvary (The Buffalo Soldiers) and was assigned to the western frontier. With Colonel (then Lieutenant Charles Young's tutoring, he passed the Officers Candidate test in 1901 and was commissioned as 2nd lieutenant General Benjamin O. Davis Sr. served again with the 9th Calvary during the Philippine insurrection in 1902 when the 9th Calvary was deployed to Liberia in 1911/12 and patrolling the Mexico/US border in 1912. He returned with the 9th Calvary to the Philippines from 1917-1920. Between the gaps of his deployments with the 9th Calvary, he taught Military Science and Tactics at Wilberforce University and Tuskegee University. General Benjamin O. Davis Sr. had the honor of escort...

A Soldier's Story: Lieutenant Preston Doane Fogg

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Lieutenant Preston Doane Fogg was born on April 14, 1888, in Boston, Massachusetts; he graduated from Dorchester High School before attending Syracuse University, where he was very active in athletics.  Lieutenant Preston Fogg was captain of the 1911 Syracuse Football Team and participated in the one-mile relay, winning the IC4A championship twice. Also on this relay team was Olympic athlete Charles D. Reidpath. Lieutenant Preston Doane Fogg was active in the fraternities Phi Kappa Alpha, becoming president in 1912, president of the Seniors Dinner Club, and the first president of the Tambourine and Bones. This musical theater society produced "The Coach" by DH Wallace. Lieutenant Preston Fogg enlisted in the US Army in August 1917 in response to WWI and was assigned to the 309th infantry. During the fighting at Champigneulle in October 1918, Lieutenant Preston was noted for heroism and carried another wounded soldier out of battle despite his own injuries. He earned both a D...

A Soldier's Story: Sergeant Adelbert Francis Waldron

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Sergeant Adelbert Francis Waldron, also known as Bert, was born on March 14, 1933, in Syracuse, New York. His childhood was spent hunting around his hometown of Baldwinsville, New York, and Sergeant Waldron could imitate the calls of many animals.  Sergeant Adelbert Waldron enlisted in the US Navy in 1953 and deployed to Korea and Vietnam before leaving the US Navy. Sergeant Waldron reenlisted in the military, this time with the US Army in 1968 and, again, deployed to the Vietnam War. Sergeant Bert Waldron was an impressive sniper and held the record as the best US sniper until 2011 with 109 kills, one of which was shot from 900 yards away. Sergeant Aldebert Waldron briefly taught at the Fort Benning Sniper School after his return from the Vietnam war before leaving military service altogether. After leaving service, he worked as a counter-sniper expert and firearms instructor for Mitchel Werbell's private training facility in Powder Springs, Georgia. Unlike many othe...

A Sailor's Story: Lieutenant Henry Fonda

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Lieutenant Henry Fonda was born May 16, 1905, to William Brace and Elma Herberta Fonda in Grand Island, Nebraska. Lieutenant Henry Fonda was athletic, particularly in swimming, skating, and running. He also obtained his Eagle Scout. He began an acting career at the age of 20 with the Omaha Community Playhouse, transitioning to films in 1935. He was a founding member of the Hollywood Democratic Committee, created to support Franklin D Roosevelt's New Deal. Lieutenant Henry Fonda voluntarily enlisted in the US Navy during World War II, not wanting to just act as a war participant. He served three years, first aboard the USS Satterlee and then on the USS Curtiss. Earning a Navy Presidential Unit Citation and Bronze Star. After taking some time off, Lieutenant Henry Fonda resumed his acting career, ultimately completing 118 films and plays,  winning two Academy Awards, a BAFTA, two Golden Globes, two Tony Awards, a Grammy, and a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. He was longtim...