By Joann M. Ringelstetter
Photos in this blog post can be purchased as wall art, paper prints, downloads, phone cases, and keepsakes. Just click on the desired photo and look for the blue “BUY” button.
March 4th is National Hug a GI Day, a day to show our appreciation to GIs, the people who serve in our armed forces, with a friendly hug. And it nudges me to tell a story of a veteran we met in Rockford, Illinois on the first day of last year’s spring photography trip.
It was April 23rd and the day was a sunny, blue-sky kind of day. We left home mid-morning and headed south, crossing the Illinois border a little before noon. After visiting historic Macktown, one of the earliest settlements in northern Illinois, we drove into downtown Rockford. First, we photographed some old neon signs and then we parked in front of the Veterans Memorial Hall and Museum.
This building is also known on the National Register of Historic Places as Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Hall. A memorial stone in front of the hall says: This memorial hall, the first of its kind in the United States, dedicated to our veterans of all wars, was completed in the year 1903 with dedication ceremonies on June Third of that year by our twenty-sixth President Theodore Roosevelt with these words: "No more fitting memorial could be erected to the men who fought than a hall such as this.....a hall beautiful because of the uses to which it is consecrated."
After capturing a few photos of this beautiful hall, I walked down to the corner where there was a veterans memorial, entitled “Victory.” The sculpture, by Gene Horvath, depicts men and women of diverse ethnic groups from all branches of the services.
The plaque below the sculpture reads: “To all Veterans, to our neighbors and friends, to the men and women who served in every branch of the Armed Forces in time of war or peace, we dedicate this memorial. Remembered here before us are brave veterans from World War II, Korea, Vietnam, and the Persian Gulf conflicts. United by love of country and service to each other we celebrate our ethnic diversity as we salute each individual’s victory of courage over fear and hardship. We will not forget our comrades who died.”
As I stood in front of the memorial, a man approached me with a big smile on his face. He asked me if my sister was in the car down the street. I told him she was, and he said, “She told me that I should have you take my picture in front of the memorial.” I must admit that I was a bit confused at first.
He told me his name was Mark and that he was a veteran who had served in the Persian Gulf War and that he had suffered injuries and was a Purple Heart recipient. So I told him to stand in front of the sculpture and as I snapped a couple of pictures, he held up his hand and sang some kind of marching tune. I only wish I would have thought to take a video.
When the photo session was finished, Mark told me that everyone called him Smiley, which was a great name for him because he had been smiling the whole time. He said everyone at the Veterans Memorial Hall knew him. Then he told me it was his birthday that day and he was wondering if I could spare a little change because he was on a mission to collect enough change to maybe get a motel room for the night and “watch a little TV.” He said he needed only another $13 to make that dream come true.
I wished him a Happy Birthday and told him I didn’t have any change on me, but if he wanted to walk back to the car with me, I would give him something. On the way back to the car, he told me that he was homeless because the injuries he had suffered in the war made it hard for him to work. I could see that he was having trouble with his feet and with his eyes.
When we got back to the car, I put my equipment away and Mark continued to talk. He gave Ruth and me his full name and rank and then talked about the war and the injuries he had suffered. As he talked, I grabbed a small notebook and wrote down some notes. Of course, I couldn’t help but wonder about the truth of all this, but it didn’t really matter.
Here was a fellow human being a little down on his luck, but still as good-natured as could be and who had such hope that by nightfall he could collect enough change to get a cheap motel room with a TV.
I reached for my wallet and took out a $20 bill. I handed it to Mark and said, “Happy Birthday, Mark. Get yourself some lunch and enjoy that motel room tonight. He looked at the money in his hand and tears filled his eyes. Then he hugged me and said, “No one has ever been this kind to me. Thank you so much.” As he headed down the street, Ruth told me that all he had asked her for was a penny. And then we laughed as we heard him say, “Now I can even get some chips!”
Whether you do it in person or through email, text, or social media, give a GI a hug!
Photos in this blog post can be purchased as wall art, paper prints, downloads, phone cases, and keepsakes by clicking on the photo. You will be taken to the gallery website where you will see a big blue "BUY" button. Or to see all photos available, click on the "Browse Galleries" button on the menu at the top of this page. Thank you for your interest!
Happy Shunpiking!
Joann
Shunpiking To Heaven Backroads Blog
Showing posts with label veterans. Show all posts
Showing posts with label veterans. Show all posts
Saturday, March 3, 2018
Sunday, May 28, 2017
In Honor of Richard R. Murray
By Joann M. Ringelstetter
Photos in this blog post can be purchased as wall art, paper prints, downloads, phone cases, and keepsakes. Just click on the desired photo and look for the blue “BUY” button.
In October, 2015, on a very sunny and warm day, Ruth and I visited St. Mary’s Cemetery in Juneau County, Wisconsin. Often, when the lighting is harsh, as it was that day, we decide not to do cemetery photography. But we didn’t know when we would get back there, so I decided I would make an attempt to get a few photos.
And maybe this decision was divinely guided because, as I walked around the cemetery looking for interesting gravestones, a big tree on a knoll enticed me to see what was in the shade of the tree. There, I found the most interesting military plaque I’ve ever encountered.
The bronze plaque read, “In Memory of Richard R. Murray, Pvt, US Army, World War II, Apr 16, 1916, Jul 26, 1942.” Above the plaque was a concrete strip that read “Bataan Death March.” Below the plaque was a concrete strip that read, “Died at Cabanattuan Philippines, Japanese POW Camp.” To the upper left, a World War II military marker, like the one below, was stuck in the ground.
After doing some extensive Internet research on this young man, who died at the age of 26 during World War II, I learned that Richard was inducted from Montana and served the Army Air Forces as a member of the 409th Signal Company. During the war, he was located in the Southwest Pacific Theatre, Philippine Islands.
On April 9, 1942, the U.S. surrendered its forces on the Bataan Peninsula in the Philippines to the Imperial Japanese Army. Approximately 66,000 Filipinos and 12,000 Americans were captured by the Japanese. Richard R. Murray was captured and sent to PW Camp #1, the largest POW camp in the Philippines.
The captured soldiers were forced to walk 65 miles over rough terrain in intense heat to San Fernando where they boarded trains that took them to the POW camps. Along the way, the men were beaten and starved by the Japanese guards, and thousands perished before reaching San Fernando in what became known as the Bataan Death March.
Thousands that did reach the Prisoner of War camps died there from being starved and mistreated or from disease. Richard R. Murray died as a prisoner of war on July 26, 1942. His awards include the American Campaign Medal, the World War II Victory Medal, a Purple Heart, and a Prisoner of War Medal.
This young man went above and beyond the call of duty to serve his country and secure our freedom. Please take a moment on this Memorial Day to honor Richard R. Murray and all the other men and women who died in service to our country.
Photos in this blog post can be purchased as wall art, paper prints, downloads, phone cases, and keepsakes by clicking on the photo. You will be taken to the gallery website where you will see a big blue "BUY" button. Or to see all photos available, click on the "Browse Galleries" button on the menu at the top of this page. Thank you for your interest!
Happy Memorial Day and Happy Shunpiking!
Joann
Photos in this blog post can be purchased as wall art, paper prints, downloads, phone cases, and keepsakes. Just click on the desired photo and look for the blue “BUY” button.
In October, 2015, on a very sunny and warm day, Ruth and I visited St. Mary’s Cemetery in Juneau County, Wisconsin. Often, when the lighting is harsh, as it was that day, we decide not to do cemetery photography. But we didn’t know when we would get back there, so I decided I would make an attempt to get a few photos.
And maybe this decision was divinely guided because, as I walked around the cemetery looking for interesting gravestones, a big tree on a knoll enticed me to see what was in the shade of the tree. There, I found the most interesting military plaque I’ve ever encountered.
The bronze plaque read, “In Memory of Richard R. Murray, Pvt, US Army, World War II, Apr 16, 1916, Jul 26, 1942.” Above the plaque was a concrete strip that read “Bataan Death March.” Below the plaque was a concrete strip that read, “Died at Cabanattuan Philippines, Japanese POW Camp.” To the upper left, a World War II military marker, like the one below, was stuck in the ground.
After doing some extensive Internet research on this young man, who died at the age of 26 during World War II, I learned that Richard was inducted from Montana and served the Army Air Forces as a member of the 409th Signal Company. During the war, he was located in the Southwest Pacific Theatre, Philippine Islands.
On April 9, 1942, the U.S. surrendered its forces on the Bataan Peninsula in the Philippines to the Imperial Japanese Army. Approximately 66,000 Filipinos and 12,000 Americans were captured by the Japanese. Richard R. Murray was captured and sent to PW Camp #1, the largest POW camp in the Philippines.
The captured soldiers were forced to walk 65 miles over rough terrain in intense heat to San Fernando where they boarded trains that took them to the POW camps. Along the way, the men were beaten and starved by the Japanese guards, and thousands perished before reaching San Fernando in what became known as the Bataan Death March.
Thousands that did reach the Prisoner of War camps died there from being starved and mistreated or from disease. Richard R. Murray died as a prisoner of war on July 26, 1942. His awards include the American Campaign Medal, the World War II Victory Medal, a Purple Heart, and a Prisoner of War Medal.
This young man went above and beyond the call of duty to serve his country and secure our freedom. Please take a moment on this Memorial Day to honor Richard R. Murray and all the other men and women who died in service to our country.
Photos in this blog post can be purchased as wall art, paper prints, downloads, phone cases, and keepsakes by clicking on the photo. You will be taken to the gallery website where you will see a big blue "BUY" button. Or to see all photos available, click on the "Browse Galleries" button on the menu at the top of this page. Thank you for your interest!
Happy Memorial Day and Happy Shunpiking!
Joann
Friday, November 11, 2016
Veterans Memorial in Zanesville, Ohio
By Joann M. Ringelstetter
Ohio is one of our favorite states in which to photograph. Ruth has done some very extensive research on this state and we have taken four photography trips there – one in the winter and three in the spring. On all three spring trips, we spent two days in the Zanesville area, with one of our favorite subjects being Mail Pouch Tobacco advertising signs.
On our most recent trip there earlier this year, we visited the county courthouse in Zanesville for the first time. In her research, Ruth had discovered that a very unique veterans memorial had been erected fairly recently on the courthouse grounds.
The monument is a tribute to the servicemen from Muskingum County, Ohio, who gave their lives for their country during World War II and the Korean War. It consists of a pile of 297 helmets, each one containing the name of a fallen soldier from this county.
The sign on the helmet sculpture reads as follows: “297 men from Muskingum Co. Ohio died in World War II 1941-1945, and the Korean War 1950-1953. This monument is a tribute to that sacrifice. 297 empty helmets (symbolic of each fallen soldier, sailor, marine, and airman) have a name upon them.
“They are scattered atop an earthen mound (used for millennia to honor the dead) in an irregular chaotic manner as is the nature of the battlefield and war.
“To the rear of the helmets we have a 7' soldier in full battle gear grieving his fallen comrades, while being comforted by yet another soldier.
“In the front of the helmets we have a strapping young man striding forward with a purposeful gaze into the future, secured by the sacrifice of the men being honored in this monument.
“Many thanks to the donors who made this tribute possible. Alan Cottrill/Sculptor 2012”
And many thanks to all the men and women who have served and are serving our country in all branches of the military. We will be forever indebted to you.
Happy Shunpiking!
Joann
Ohio is one of our favorite states in which to photograph. Ruth has done some very extensive research on this state and we have taken four photography trips there – one in the winter and three in the spring. On all three spring trips, we spent two days in the Zanesville area, with one of our favorite subjects being Mail Pouch Tobacco advertising signs.
On our most recent trip there earlier this year, we visited the county courthouse in Zanesville for the first time. In her research, Ruth had discovered that a very unique veterans memorial had been erected fairly recently on the courthouse grounds.
The monument is a tribute to the servicemen from Muskingum County, Ohio, who gave their lives for their country during World War II and the Korean War. It consists of a pile of 297 helmets, each one containing the name of a fallen soldier from this county.
The sign on the helmet sculpture reads as follows: “297 men from Muskingum Co. Ohio died in World War II 1941-1945, and the Korean War 1950-1953. This monument is a tribute to that sacrifice. 297 empty helmets (symbolic of each fallen soldier, sailor, marine, and airman) have a name upon them.
“They are scattered atop an earthen mound (used for millennia to honor the dead) in an irregular chaotic manner as is the nature of the battlefield and war.
“To the rear of the helmets we have a 7' soldier in full battle gear grieving his fallen comrades, while being comforted by yet another soldier.
“In the front of the helmets we have a strapping young man striding forward with a purposeful gaze into the future, secured by the sacrifice of the men being honored in this monument.
“Many thanks to the donors who made this tribute possible. Alan Cottrill/Sculptor 2012”
And many thanks to all the men and women who have served and are serving our country in all branches of the military. We will be forever indebted to you.
Happy Shunpiking!
Joann
Monday, November 10, 2014
Honoring America’s Veterans
By Joann M. Ringelstetter
Tuesday, November 11th is Veterans Day, a day when our minds and hearts turn to those who have served our country in ways we can never repay.
As we travel around Wisconsin and other states, in addition to visiting veterans’ cemeteries and regular cemeteries with veterans’ graves, we also keep a lookout for veterans’ memorials.
Veterans Day has its roots in an armistice, or cease-fire, between the Allied nations and Germany that was declared during World War I at the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month of 1918. This was considered the end of World War I.
Beginning the following year, November 11th was celebrated as Armistice Day, and it became a national holiday in the United States in 1938. In 1954, after the end of World War II and the Korean War, President Eisenhower proclaimed November 11th Veterans Day, and asked Americans to focus on peace rather than war.
This year, at the end of September, we stumbled on an interesting Veterans Memorial in Monona, Iowa, that consists of statues that honor all the branches of the military.
On a trip to Ohio in 2013, we found a beautiful stone memorial dedicated to World War II and Vietnam Veterans.
The next day, we drove past an interesting roadside flag mural honoring all the branches of the military.
One of our favorite memorials, in one of our favorite Wisconsin counties, is the American Legion Veterans Memorial Flag Park in Richland Center. It’s a very moving experience when all the flags are billowing in the wind.
Finally, two days ago, on the way to visit some dear friends in Cedarburg, Wisconsin, I stopped at a small wayside to stretch my legs. On a rock was mounted a small plaque that said, “The citizens of the township of Elba purchased this land in 1947 as a memorial to the men and women who served their country in World War II." This wayside is located on the banks of the Crawfish River, which was filled with geese that day.
Memorials to the men and women who have selflessly given their time and, often, their lives for our freedom and safety come in many forms. Please be sure to remember these brave individuals, not only on November 11th, but every day and to cherish this great country of ours.
Happy Shunpiking!
Joann
Tuesday, November 11th is Veterans Day, a day when our minds and hearts turn to those who have served our country in ways we can never repay.
As we travel around Wisconsin and other states, in addition to visiting veterans’ cemeteries and regular cemeteries with veterans’ graves, we also keep a lookout for veterans’ memorials.
Veterans Day has its roots in an armistice, or cease-fire, between the Allied nations and Germany that was declared during World War I at the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month of 1918. This was considered the end of World War I.
Beginning the following year, November 11th was celebrated as Armistice Day, and it became a national holiday in the United States in 1938. In 1954, after the end of World War II and the Korean War, President Eisenhower proclaimed November 11th Veterans Day, and asked Americans to focus on peace rather than war.
This year, at the end of September, we stumbled on an interesting Veterans Memorial in Monona, Iowa, that consists of statues that honor all the branches of the military.
On a trip to Ohio in 2013, we found a beautiful stone memorial dedicated to World War II and Vietnam Veterans.
The next day, we drove past an interesting roadside flag mural honoring all the branches of the military.
One of our favorite memorials, in one of our favorite Wisconsin counties, is the American Legion Veterans Memorial Flag Park in Richland Center. It’s a very moving experience when all the flags are billowing in the wind.
Finally, two days ago, on the way to visit some dear friends in Cedarburg, Wisconsin, I stopped at a small wayside to stretch my legs. On a rock was mounted a small plaque that said, “The citizens of the township of Elba purchased this land in 1947 as a memorial to the men and women who served their country in World War II." This wayside is located on the banks of the Crawfish River, which was filled with geese that day.
Memorials to the men and women who have selflessly given their time and, often, their lives for our freedom and safety come in many forms. Please be sure to remember these brave individuals, not only on November 11th, but every day and to cherish this great country of ours.
Happy Shunpiking!
Joann
Sunday, July 27, 2014
For Our Independence
By Joann M. Ringelstetter
Since 1776, when America declared its independence from Great Britain, Americans have celebrated their independence during the month of July. Our independence was hard-won by our ancestors who served this country in the American Revolution, which was fought from 1775 to 1783.
I was surprised recently to learn that there are 40 veterans of the Revolutionary War buried here in Wisconsin. This year, during the July 4th weekend, Ruth and I visited the Old Fort Winnebago Cemetery, where two of these veterans are buried.
As you enter Old Fort Winnebago Cemetery, a National Soldiers’ Lot, there is a historic marker to the left of the gate with information about Patriots Cooper Pixley and Alexander Porter, the two Revolutionary War soldiers buried there. Just inside the gate is a memorial marker “to the memory of our historic dead” that was erected in 1915 by the Daughters of the American Revolution.
According to the historical marker, Cooper Pixley was born in Massachusetts on July 16, 1763 and he enlisted at the age of 15. Following the Revolution, he lived in New York and Canada, moving to Portage in June 1849. Cooper Pixley died March 12, 1855.
Alexander Porter was born December 14, 1757 in Connecticut. On July 11, 1775, 18-year-old Porter enlisted in the Revolution. After the war, Alexander lived in Hebron, Connecticut and Oppenheim, New York, where he died April 28, 1833. He was originally buried in Freedom, New York, with his remains being moved to Portage and reinterred in this cemetery in 1924.
When the U.S. again fought Great Britain in the War of 1812, the only battle fought on Wisconsin soil took place on July 17, 1814 at Fort Shelby in Prairie du Chien. This year, a re-enactment of this battle took place at the Villa Louis in Prairie du Chien to commemorate the 200th anniversary of the battle.
The Old Fort Winnebago Cemetery is also the final resting place of at least two veterans of the War of 1812.
We owe our independence and our freedom to the brave soldiers who have selflessly served this country since its beginning.
Happy Shunpiking!
Joann
Photos in this blog post can be purchased as wall art, paper prints, downloads, phone cases, and keepsakes by clicking on the photo. You will be taken to the gallery website where you will see a big blue "BUY" button. Or to see all photos available, click on the "Browse Galleries" button on the menu at the top of this page. Thank you for your interest!
Since 1776, when America declared its independence from Great Britain, Americans have celebrated their independence during the month of July. Our independence was hard-won by our ancestors who served this country in the American Revolution, which was fought from 1775 to 1783.
I was surprised recently to learn that there are 40 veterans of the Revolutionary War buried here in Wisconsin. This year, during the July 4th weekend, Ruth and I visited the Old Fort Winnebago Cemetery, where two of these veterans are buried.
As you enter Old Fort Winnebago Cemetery, a National Soldiers’ Lot, there is a historic marker to the left of the gate with information about Patriots Cooper Pixley and Alexander Porter, the two Revolutionary War soldiers buried there. Just inside the gate is a memorial marker “to the memory of our historic dead” that was erected in 1915 by the Daughters of the American Revolution.
According to the historical marker, Cooper Pixley was born in Massachusetts on July 16, 1763 and he enlisted at the age of 15. Following the Revolution, he lived in New York and Canada, moving to Portage in June 1849. Cooper Pixley died March 12, 1855.
Alexander Porter was born December 14, 1757 in Connecticut. On July 11, 1775, 18-year-old Porter enlisted in the Revolution. After the war, Alexander lived in Hebron, Connecticut and Oppenheim, New York, where he died April 28, 1833. He was originally buried in Freedom, New York, with his remains being moved to Portage and reinterred in this cemetery in 1924.
When the U.S. again fought Great Britain in the War of 1812, the only battle fought on Wisconsin soil took place on July 17, 1814 at Fort Shelby in Prairie du Chien. This year, a re-enactment of this battle took place at the Villa Louis in Prairie du Chien to commemorate the 200th anniversary of the battle.
The Old Fort Winnebago Cemetery is also the final resting place of at least two veterans of the War of 1812.
We owe our independence and our freedom to the brave soldiers who have selflessly served this country since its beginning.
Happy Shunpiking!
Joann
Photos in this blog post can be purchased as wall art, paper prints, downloads, phone cases, and keepsakes by clicking on the photo. You will be taken to the gallery website where you will see a big blue "BUY" button. Or to see all photos available, click on the "Browse Galleries" button on the menu at the top of this page. Thank you for your interest!
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