Everyday Patriot

Sergeant Robert Vincent Allard was born on November 7, 1919, in New York, New York. He enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps on November 4, 1937, and completed the additional training to become a Marine Raider. Sergeant Robert V. Allard was assigned to the Pacific during World War II. On August 18, 1942, during the raid on Makin Island, he and nine other Marines helping with the evacuation were captured. After a few months in captivity, Sergeant Robert Allard was executed on October 16, 1942. He has never been recovered and is memorialized on the Tablet of the Missing in Honolulu, Hawaii. *See also   Private Alden Curtis Mattison .  Sergeant Dallas Henry Cook ,  Private John Irvin Kerns , and  Corporal Joseph N. Gifford * Read about a.d. elliott's Everyday Patriot Project here* **************************************** a.d. elliott is a wanderer, writer, and photographer currently living in Salem, Virginia.  In addition to the travel writings at...

2nd Lieutenant Noble Lee Sissle was born on January 10, 1889, in Indianapolis, Indiana.  He was always a talented musician who sang in church choirs and was a soloist for Central High School's Glee club (his family briefly lived in Cleveland, Ohio). Scouted by James Reese Europe to form a band in 1916, Lieutenant Noble Lee Sissle was already on hand to help James Reese Europe organize the New York 369th Infantry military band. Deploying to France for World War I in May 1918 and fighting under France's 16th Division,  the "Harlem Hellfighters" spent 191 days in combat. They also brought Jazz to France. After the war, Lieutenant Noble Lee Sissle returned to the civilian Europe band, briefly holding it together with Eubie Blake after James Europe's murder. Eubie Blake and Lieutenant Noble Lee Sissle would continue collaborating over the years, writing hit songs and performances, including those for Josephine Baker's " Shuffle Along " and ...

Lieutenant Ruppert Leon Sargent was born on January 6, 1938, in Hampton, Virginia.  After graduating from Virginia State University, he enlisted in the U.S. Army in January 1959. Lieutenant Ruppert Sargent graduated from Officers Candidate School on October 15, 1965, and in 1967, deployed to Vietnam with the 9th Infantry Regiment for the Vietnam War. On March 15, 1967, during an investigation of Viet Cong activity and after the discovery of a tunnel, Lieutenant Ruppert Sargent earned a Congressional Medal of Honor when Viet Cong soldiers lobbed two grenades from the tunnel into the middle of the platoon.  Lieutenant Ruppert Leon Sargent smothered the grenades and protected his team. He rests at the Hampton National Cemetery in Hampton, Virginia. * Read about a.d. elliott's Everyday Patriot Project here* **************************************** a.d. elliott is a wanderer, writer, and photographer currently living in Salem, Virginia.  In addition to the travel writin...

Private Kurt Vonnegut was born on November 11, 1922, in Indianapolis, Indiana. While attending high school at Shortridge High School, Private Kurt Vonnegut also played clarinet and was a co-editor for the school's newspaper. After graduation, he enrolled at Cornell University with a biochemistry major. But, by May 1943, in response to World War II, he had left school, enlisted in the U.S. Army, and trained as a scout. Sadly, before his deployment, his mother committed suicide. Private Kurt Vonnegut was assigned to the 106th Infantry Division. During the Battle of the Bulge, his unit was overrun. On December 22, 1944, he was taken prisoner and sent to a camp outside Dresden. The prisoners worked and lived in an old slaughterhouse, which, when Dresden was firebombed on February 13, 1945, prisoner casualties were light, as they had been forced to work underground in the meat lockers. Freed by Red Army Troops after General Patton captured Leipzig, he was repatriated and, after...

Major General Charles Calvin Rogers was born on September 6, 1929, in Claremont, West Virginia. He began his U.S. Army career through the ROTC program at West Virginia State University, graduating in 1952. Assigned to artillery units in both the Korean War and the Vietnam War,  Major General Rogers earned the Congressional Medal of Honor on November 6, 1968, while commanding the 1st Battalion fire support base near the Fishhook region of Vietnam. The post had come under heavy attack, a Major General Charles Rogers continued to rally the Battalion and lead attacks, despite being wounded. After recovery, he was assigned to the office of the Deputy Chief of Staff for military operations. He also continued his education, attending the U.S. Army War College and earning a Master's degree from Shippensburg State College. By 1971 Major General Charles Calvin Rogers was assigned as the assistant deputy commander of V Corps artillery, then as commanding officer of the 42...

Colonel Theodore Roosevelt Jr was born on October 27, 1858, in New York City, New York. While young, he had health issues, including severe asthma, which he conquered when he began hiking in the Alps in 1869.   After learning the benefits of exercise, Colonel Roosevelt was an avid fitness buff for the rest of his life. Another lifelong love of Colonel Theodore "Teddy" Roosevelt was zoology, and at seven, he began, with cousins, a natural history museum featuring animals he had found or trapped and taxidermied. He also wrote  "The Natural History of Insects"  at age nine. He was primarily educated at home until he entered Harvard in September 1876. Graduating Phi Beta Kappa in 1880, he also participated in rowing, boxing, Alpha Delta Phi Literary Society, the Delta Kappa Epsilon Fraternity, the Harvard Advocate. In addition, he was a member of the Porcellian Club. After Harvard, Colonel Theodore Roosevelt began law school at Columbia University, but when he wa...

Sergeant John Gordon MacIntosh Jr was born on May 20, 1920, in Akron, Ohio.  His family moved to Steubenville, Ohio, where he attended high school and briefly worked for the Fuller Brush Company before enlisting in the US Army Air Force on July 1, 1941, in response to World War II. He trained as a turret gunner and was assigned to the B-24 Liberator Unit, 431st Bomber Squadron, 11th Bomber Group, in the Pacific. While flying on #42-73018 (I believe it was named "Captain and The Kid"), an unknown event disabled the plane, which was last seen off the coast of Truk, the Philippines, on July 28, 1944. Sergeant John G Macintosh Jr is memorialized on the Tablet of the Missing at the Manila American Cemetery and Memorial. * Read about a.d. elliott's Everyday Patriot Project here* **************************************** a.d. elliott is a wanderer, writer, and photographer currently living in Salem, Virginia.  In addition to the travel writings at  www.takethebackroads.com , ...

Private Needham Roberts was born on April 28, 1901, in Trenton, New Jersey. He enlisted into the US Army and was assigned to the 369th Infantry, the "Harlem Hellfighters," and deployed to France for World War I. On May 14, 1918, while on guard duty in Argonne Forest with  Sergeant Henry Johnson , Private Needham Roberts assisted in fighting off a 24-man enemy patrol. Unfortunately, the attack left him severely wounded and permanently disabled. After the war, Private Needham Roberts toured, giving lectures about his service and radio interviews during World War II to encourage Americans of African descent to enlist. He died on April 18, 1949, and rests in Fairmount Cemetery in Newark, New Jersey. * Read about a.d. elliott's Everyday Patriot Project here* **************************************** a.d. elliott is a wanderer, writer, and photographer currently living in Salem, Virginia.  In addition to the travel writings at  www.takethebackroads.com , you can al...

Sergeant Rodney Maxell Davis was born on April 7, 1961, in Macon, Georgia. After graduation from Peter G. Appling High School in May 1961, Sergeant Rodney Davis enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps and was assigned to the 2nd Marine Division as a rifleman. He remained at Camp Lejune until 1964, when he was assigned to the Marine detachment to Naval activities in London, England, until 1967, when he was assigned to the 1st Marine Division and deployed to the Vietnam War. Sergeant Rodney Davis earned a Congressional Medal of Honor during Operation Swift, in the Quang Nam Province, during a firefight on September 6, 1967. Sergeant Rodney Davis smothered a grenade with his body.  His wounds were fatal. He rests at Linwood Cemetery in Macon, Georgia. * Read about a.d. elliott's Everyday Patriot Project here* **************************************** a.d. elliott is a wanderer, writer, and photographer currently living in Salem, Virginia.  In addition to the travel writings at...

Colonel Jesse Eldred Stay was born on July 20, 1921, in Draper, Utah. In pre-med, he briefly attended college at UCLA, supporting himself while working at the California Furniture Factory, before leaving school to enlist in the U.S. Army Air Forces in response to World War II. A tall, thin man, Colonel Jesse Stay struggled to make the minimum weight requirements ( General James Stewart  also worked to make weight) but ultimately managed to. He was initially assigned to fly B-17s before being reassigned to the B-24 Liberators and sent for a 29-month assignment in the Pacific, in which Colonel Jesse Stay flew reconnaissance and bombardment missions, including well-known battles, such as the attack on Wake Island and Iwo Jima, and remained relatively unscathed. Colonel Jesse Stay remained with the U.S. Air Force post-war, finishing his degree in Industrial Management at UCLA before being assigned to the Pentagon, first with the Office of the Secretary, then with the P...

Born on August 9, 1919, U.S. Marine Corps Private John Irvin Kerns grew up in Copperhill, Tennessee. Enlisting in the US Marine Corps in response to World War II and volunteering to be a Marine Raider, Private John Kerns took part in the raid on Makin Island and volunteered to help with the evacuation. However, he and nine other Marines were left behind and captured on August 17th and 18th, taken prisoner, and executed on October 16, 1942. Private John Kerns has never been recovered. Private John Irvin Kerns is memorialized in the Court of the Missing, Honolulu, HI. Private Alden Curtis Mattison .  Sergeant Dallas Henry Cook and  Corporal Joseph N. Gifford  also participated in the Raid on Makin Island. * Read about a.d. elliott's Everyday Patriot Project here* **************************************** a.d. elliott is a wanderer, writer, and photographer currently living in Salem, Virginia.  In addition to the travel writings at  www.takethebackroads.com ...

Commander Ernest E. Evans was born on August 13, 1908, in Pawnee, Oklahoma. After graduating from Musegee's Central High School in 1926, he enlisted in the U.S. Navy. In June 1927, he was appointed to the U.S. Naval Academy at Annapolis and graduated with the class of 1931. Initially assigned to the Naval Air Station in San Diego, California, Commander Ernest Evans began to work up the ranks on ships. Commander Ernest E. Evans was assigned to the destroyer Alden and was patrolling the East Indies during the attack on Pearl Harbor and the beginning of  US involvement in World War II, and in March of 1942 assumed command of the Alden. In 1943, Commander Ernest Evans was given command of the new destroyer, the Johnston, which successfully engaged in a submarine encounter before being assigned to accompany the task force engaged in the Battle of Samar, where he earned a Congressional Medal of Honor during the confrontation for his command and his continual engage...

Brigadier General James Maitland Stewart was born on May 20, 1908, in Indiana, Pennsylvania. He attended Mercersburg Academy, played football, and was a high jumper on the track team. Brigadier General Jimmy Stewart also participated in the choir, glee club, and the John Marshall Literary Society and was the art editor of the yearbook. His hobbies included making model airplanes, drawing, and chemistry. He was an avid fan of Charles Lindberg. Brigadier General Jimmy Stewart began his collegiate career at Princeton. He majored in architecture but spent much of his time with drama and music clubs, including the Triangle Club, instead. In Summers, Brigadier General James Steward performed with The University Players,  an intercollegiate stock company that attracted the attention of the film studio MGM. Brigadier General Jimmy Stewart obtained a contract in 1935. After a slow start, he became a well-known actor in many films, including " Mr. Smith Goes to Washington"  an...

Lieutenant Colonel Charles Herman Older was born on September 29, 1917, in Hanford, California. After graduating from the University of California in 1939, he enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps as an aviator before transferring to the American Volunteer Group, better known as "The Flying Tigers." Lieutenant Colonel Charles Older traveled to China to aid in the Second Sino-Japanese War. However, after the attack on Pearl Harbor and the beginning of World War II, the Flying Tigers disbanded, and he was transferred to the Army Air Forces, fighting in the China-Burma Theater. After WWII, Lieutenant Colonel Charles Older remained with the U.S. Air Force Reserve, attended law school at the University of Southern California, and redeployed to Korea for the Korean War. After graduation, Lieutenant Colonel Charles Older worked as a lawyer until he was appointed to the bench by Governor Regan. He served as a judge for 20 years and many trials, including the Charles Manson tria...

Sergeant First Class Webster Anderson was born on July 15, 1933, in Winnsboro, South Carolina. Enlisting in the US Army in 1953, Sergeant First Class Webster Anderson was assigned to the 101st Airborne and deployed to Korea for the Korean War. Remaining in the Army after his Korean deployment, Sergeant First Class Webster Anderson was deployed to Vietnam for the Vietnam War. Near Tam Ky, Sergeant First Class Webster Anderson earned a Congressional Medal of Honor when his unit came under attack. He, under fire, climbed onto the parapet of a Howitzer, directing fire, while simultaneously returning fire with a rifle and grenades. Sergeant First Class Webster Anderson maintained his defensive fire, even when he was struck in the legs with the shrapnel of two grenades. A third grenade exploded in his hand as he tried to throw it back. Despite the severity of his wounds, Sergeant First Class Webster Anderson survived, although he lost both legs and one arm. Retiring from service i...

Born on January 19, 1905, in Killeen, Texas, Colonel Oveta Culp Hobby had a largely informal legal education through Mary Hardin Baylor College, South Texas College, and the University of Texas. She began working as a parliamentarian for the Texas House of Representatives before joining the staff of the Houston Post in 1931. During World War II, Colonel Oveta Culp Hobby became the director of the newly created Women's Army Auxiliary Corps, which was created to fulfill the non-combat roles left vacant after the fighting commenced.  Colonel Oveta Hobby created the enlistment standards and code of conduct and gave women service members equal access to military benefits and pensions.  After the war, she returned to civilian life and her career at the Houston Post. She became the first female secretary under President Eisenhower, appointed to head the Department of Health and Human Services on April 11. 1953.  Her legacy includes the approval of the polio vaccine. ...

Captain Charles Frederick Pratte Jr. was born on March 29, 1915, in Fall River, Massachusetts.  He and his family relocated to Warren, Rhode Island, where, in 1937, he began attending Rhode Island State College and participated in ROTC. He enlisted in the U.S. Army Air Force on April 8, 1941, in response to World War II, and after training, was assigned to the 42nd Bombardment Squad and stationed at Hickam Field, Hawaii. An accomplished pilot, he participated in the Battle of Midway and provided air support during the U.S. Navy's Guadalcanal and North Solomon Campaigns.  He was also part of the offensive of the Gilbert and Marshall Islands. In March 1944, while piloting the B-24 "Belle of Texas," he was attacked, and the plane was severely damaged.  Having to make an emergency landing, Captain Pratte had his crew tie parachutes to the gun mounts to provide enough drag to compensate for the damaged brakes, bringing the plane down safely.  The "Belle of Texas...

Born on January 8, 1896, in Dorchester, Massachusetts, Vice Admiral Clifton Albert Frederick Sprague was a graduate of the Roxbury Latin School. Accepted into the U.S. Military Academy at Annapolis, Vice Admiral Clifton Sprague earned the nickname "Ziggy," he was actually commissioned a year early due to U.S. involvement in World War I and assigned to the gunboat the Wheeling. Vice Admiral Ziggy Sprague began training as a Naval Aviator, graduating on August 11, 1921, and served as a test pilot, significantly contributing to the development of the aircraft carrier catapult systems and the MARK1 aircraft arresting system. Returning to Annapolis, Vice Admiral Clifton Sprague served as the executive officer of squadron VN-8D5 until 1931, when he was assigned to Panama and Hawaii. He became the first pilot to fly the 13 hours Hawaii to Midway run and served as the air operations officer at the Naval Air Station and as air officer of the carrier Yorktown. In 1940 the Navy s...

Ensign Frances Eliza Wills was born in Philadelphia but made her way to New York City early in life to attend Hunter College. She volunteered for the U.S. Navy in November of 1944, in response to World War II, and attended the Naval Reserve Midshipmen's School at Smith College. Upon graduation, she, along with Lieutenant Harriet Pickens, became the first woman Naval officer of African descent. Ensign Frances Wills was assigned to teach naval history and administer classification tests. After her discharge, Ensign Frances Wills wrote a book about her experiences called "Navy Blue and Other Colors."  She was also active with the auxiliary of the Brooklyn Botanic Garden. Ensign Frances Eliza Wills died on January 18, 1998. * Read about a.d. elliott's Everyday Patriot Project here* **************************************** a.d. elliott is a wanderer, writer, and photographer currently living in Salem, Virginia.  In addition to the travel writings at  www.taketheb...

Sergeant Opha May Johnson was born on May 4, 1878, in Kokomo, Indiana.  Moving to Washington, DC, she graduated from Wood's Commerical College in 1895. Sergeant Opha May Johnson worked for the Interstate Commerce Commission until 1918 when, in response to World War I, the U.S. Marine Corps opened enlistment to women. On August 13, 1918, she was the first woman in line to enlist, thus becoming the first woman to be called a U.S. Marine. Sergeant Opha May Johnson was assigned to clerical duties at Marine Corps headquarters. Discharged at the end of World War I, she went on to work for the war department, still serving the Marine Corps until her retirement in 1943.  Sergeant Opha May Johnson died on August 11, 1955, and rests in Rock Creek Cemetery. * Read about a.d. elliott's Everyday Patriot Project here* **************************************** a.d. elliott is a wanderer, writer, and photographer currently living in Salem, Virginia.  In addition to the travel...

On May 12, 1870, in Portsmouth, Virginia, Major General Wendell Cushing Neville was born. He entered the military academy at Annapolis in 1886, graduating in 1890, beginning a military career that would span almost 40 years, many of them in combat roles. While still a cadet, he was assigned to the 1st Battalion during the Spanish American War and took part in the Naval attack on Guantanamo Bay. Major General Wendell Neville was transferred to China for the Boxer Rebellion. After his China post, he was then assigned to the Philippines, Cuba, Nicaragua, Panama, and finally, Hawaii before taking part in the Occupation of Veracruz. Major General Wendell Neville commanded the 2nd Advance base and earned a Congressional Medal of Honor for the Veracruz Intervention on April 21, 1914. He returned to China in 1915 to oversee the Allied Guard. In January of 1918, Major General Wendell Neville was assigned the command of the 5th Regiment and deployed to France for World War ...