Monday, May 30, 2011

Happy Memorial Day 2011

Memorial Day at Arlington National Cemetery
The gravestones at Arlington National Cemetery are graced by U.S. flags, April 30, 2007.

Memorial Day is an opportunity to remember the sacrifice of soldiers and sailors that died in service to their country. Here is a listing of some of the relatives I would like to remember this Memorial Day.

Korean War:
  • Jack Duane Alexander (1929-1950), PFC, US Army, missing in action July 12, 1950 and died in Hanjang-ni POW camp, November 19, 1950. He was my 1st Cousin, twice removed on my mother's side.
  • Harry Brassfield (1911-1951), M/SGT, US Army, captured November 2, 1950 and died in captivity July 31, 1951. He was a 4th cousin to my Great Grandfather, Floyd Gipson Brassfield

World War II:
  • Vilas D. Parker (1917-1944), S/SGT US Army, member of Merrill's Marauders, missing in action May 22, 1944. He was killed when the C-47 he was being transported in crashed in Burma. His remains were not recovered until 1987. He was my 1st Cousin, twice removed on my mother's side.

Civil War:
  • Benjamin W. Firman (1800-1862), Wisconsin 16th Infantry, Company H. Died May 5th, 1862 of disease after the Battle of Shiloh. He was my 4th Great Grandfather, on my mother's side.
  • Henry Stotler, PVT, US Army, 115th Illinois Infantry, Company "B". Died in Cincinnati, Ohio, November, 1862. Nephew of my 3rd Great Grandfather Hiram Stotler.
  • William Stotler, 115th Illinois Infantry, Company "B". Died at Covington, Ky., October 21, 1862. Nephew of my 3rd Great Grandfather Hiram Stotler.

See my Veteran's Day 2010 post for a list of Veteran's in the family. There are more that are still living, but one of my policies is to not list names of living persons on this blog.

The above image is by Kathleen T. Rhem, US Department of Defense via Wikimedia Commons.