Posted by Seamus on May 29, 2001 at 10:19:43:
Yesterday was Memorial Day here in the "Colonies"...a day upon which we take time to remember and honor fallen warriors who have made the Supreme Sacrifice to insure our freedom.
I was honored to be invited to speak at the Ceremony in Elderton, PA, the small town where I went to high school. Those of you who have read the Journal of Lt. Col. Armstrong on the Kittanning Trek 2000 webpages will remember that we passed through that town just before reaching Blanket Hill on the last day of the Trek. You will also recall that the first person I saw as we entered the field at Kittanning was my old high school Biology/Driver's Ed teacher, 85 year-old Herman Rupert. Mr. Rupert, as Commander of the American Legion in Elderton, arranged for Lt. Col. Armstrong to appear in the parade and deliver the address at the Ceremony following the parade.
Very early yesterday morning, shortly after daylight, Nancy, the dark-haired lass, Pvt. Timothy Buehler of my Regiment, and I set out on the 3 1/2 hour ride to Elderton, where we were joined by Roger Kirwin, a Kittanning veteran, and a few other men who were there at the end of the Trek. After it was all over we returned home, arriving late last evening...a full day, indeed, but a wonderfully rewarding one.
Once again, as at Kittanning, I "came home," so to speak, and reunited with many old friends, classmates, and teachers who had great influence on me as a youth. I cannot describe the feeling when I viewed over 500 people in the high school gym, to be a part of our program to honor the fallen veterans.
For those who may be interested, below is the text of my address. Some of it will be familiar to some of you. It appears in my Journal, and the last part I Posted a year ago. That Post was lost when Rich and Elaine had some problems with hackers, etc. Fortunately, I had it on file.
Memorial Day Address
Elderton, PA
May 28, 2001
I am very pleased and honored to be asked to return here to Elderton, where many years ago, 41 to be exact, I last attended a Memorial Day service. That year, 1960, I was a member of the High School band. (Speaking to the band) I wore the green then as you are today; first chair, solo cornet, and as you can see, I am still wearing the green, but it has a little different meaning. I played "Taps" at every Memorial Day Service here and at Spring Church from about 7th grade through 12th, and for countless Veterans' funerals here and elsewhere. Now....where is the trumpeter, Vince Brewer? Ah, there he is...you will be playing "Taps" today, right? Well, Lad, I know exactly what is going through your mind right now. The first thing you are thinking is, "Dear God, don't let my mouth be dry when I have to play." Right? The second thing is, and I know ALL of you band members are sitting there thinking, "I wonder how long this old Fogie is going to drone on..." RIGHT?? Hey...it's OK...I've done it, too, I've been there. Well relax. I am only going to speak for.............awhile.
I stand before you today in the uniform of Lt. Col John Armstrong, commanding officer of the 2nd Battalion of the Pennsylvania Regiment during the French and Indian War. In 1755, Lt. General Edward Braddock was soundly defeated by a force of French and Indians near Turtle Creek as Braddock and his army were on their way to attack Ft. DuQuesne, a French stronghold at the Forks of the Ohio River. The Indians, flushed with this success, sent raiding parties to the east into the settlements and burned, pillaged, and plundered, taking captives at every turn. In the summer of 1756, the Pennsylvania Provincial Assembly authorized a raid against the large Delaware Indian town of Kittanning, the place these raids were coming from. Lt. Colonel John Armstrong led an army of 306 men of his Battalion 126 miles through the wilderness...undetected... from Ft. Shirley to Kittanning, arriving there early in the morning of September the 8th, whereupon he attacked the sleeping village, burned the cabins there, killed a number of the enemy, including the war chief, Captain Jacobs, and returned with a number of English captives who had been taken by the Delaware. His army suffered 17 killed outright, many wounded, including Armstrong, himself, and an unknown number of wounded and stragglers who died before reaching Ft. Shirley again, but the Indian raids were nearly entirely stopped. The following year, 1757, the Corporation of the city of Philadelphia minted silver medals for Armstrong and his surviving officers in gratitude for their success in eliminating the major threat to the settlements. This medal was the first ever struck for valor in battle and was the first of any kind struck in America. Twenty were made and presented.
It was my honor and privilege to lead the re-created march of Col. Armstrong last September, as part of Armstrong County's Bicentennial celebration, over the 126 mile route he followed in 1756, and being able to camp several nights where his army camped so long ago. Eight of us made the entire march, and one of those men, Color Sgt. Roger Kirwin, is with me today. As we passed Blanket Hill, we held a Remembrance for the men of Armstrong's command who died there, as well as those who died in the entire action.
Each evening, our camps were open to the local citizens to come visit and talk with us. We presented programs and demonstrated various 18th century skills for them, and answered their questions. One of the highlights of the march was at Hart's Sleeping Place, near Hastings, PA, in Cambria County, when a detachment of four Combat Veterans representing the local Veterans Organizations invited us to join them in a remembrance. I would like to share the text of their remarks with you:
“Lt. Col. Armstrong, men of the KITTANNING EXPEDITION 2000.
“The local Veterans of this area welcome you as Brother Veterans. As
Provincial Troops, you are protecting your homelands and loved ones. We
support you as you carry out your endeavor. We thank you for the
important roles you will play in helping create this new country.
“Twenty years after your actions at Kittanning, an important document
will be signed at Philadelphia. This document will declare to the world
that the thirteen colonies are to be an independent country. Your
actions, and the contribution you have made, will insure the safety of
Western Pennsylvanians.
“In the years following the Kittanning campaign, the colonies will obtain
their independence from England. There will be new lands opened to
settlers and these lands will become states. In all, there will be 50
states. Your fellow countrymen will be involved in wars fought here and
in foreign lands.
“Citizens of this nation, which will become known as the United States of
America, will enjoy freedoms such as no citizen in the history of the
world has ever known.
“As brother veterans who have bled for this land, we present to you, and
your men, Lt. Col. Armstrong, the flag which we have fought for and
carried on the traditions set forth by you and the men of the original
Kittanning Expedition.”
I thanked each of these men for what they had done for us, and for their sacrifices, and had a very nice evening chatting with them.
In my opinion, Memorial Day is to remember all those who have fallen in the defense of their country, not just those who died from the Civil War on through today, but also to those who fell in the 114 years or more before May 8, 1868, the date established for the very first Memorial Day. In that regard, we add the names of those who gave their lives in the French and Indian War, The American Revolution, the War of 1812, The Black Hawk War, and The Mexican War to the Muster Roll of all those who have made the Supreme Sacrifice in every armed conflict since that date.
Today one of the problems faced by Veterans Organizations is the seeming loss of respect for the purpose of Memorial Day, sadly, even among their own members. In addition, the reduction and treatment of the military, and the loss of respect for America's values for the 8 years of the previous administration in Washington has eroded the very purpose of Memorial Day. These days it's easy to forget why we enjoy freedom and that it was earned by veterans, alive and dead, because we aren't involved in any wars at the moment. Still, thousands of our young men and women are serving in more than 100 nations as peacekeepers and/or advisors. The youth of America can, no doubt, tell you what Christine Aguilera's latest hit is, or what Jennifer Lopez was almost wearing when she was out with her boyfriend---you know, the important things in life--but they night not know that Abraham Lincoln was the 16th President, that it was George Washington who had wooden teeth, and that it was the deceased and living veterans who protected their freedom to be clueless about their nation's history. Shouldn't someone be teaching our children to remember the sacrifices that were made by our deceased veterans? Aren't those hundreds of thousands of patriots who lie dead as the result of war worth remembering? Young people must be taught correctly history's lessons. In doing so they will willingly serve in America's armed forces, and will continue to defend freedom and democracy.
Recently there was a letter to the editor of our local newspaper. In it, the writer was criticizing another local school district who has JROTC in its curriculum. There had been a very well-written feature story on the JROTC at that school, and the letter writer's school district has been considering offering it there, also. The writer stated that he saw no point in JROTC, that the value of its teachings "may be of service in combat situations, but it's difficult to see much value to it anywhere else."
He fears that "the search for creative leadership techniques will wither on the vine if the ROTC model of leadership gets institutionalized at.." their high school.
He goes on, "...I'd much rather my child be inspired by role models such as Mother Teresa, Martin Luther King, Jr., Marie Curie, Albert Einstein, or Mahatma Ghandi than any 10 generals you might care to mention." If this person really knew what he was talking about, he'd know that any 10 generals I might care to mention already have been inspired by such people as those he mentioned! All he need do is read the biograhies or memoirs of the choices. I also might care to mention that those 10 generals might, just might, also have the skills to defend the writer and his kid from a very nasty threat to their well-being. I would also suggest that those 10 generals, or any 100 generals throughout history and how many hundreds of thousands of soldiers, men and women of all ranks, including generals, put themselves in harm's way or gave their lives so that he can have the freedom to make the comments in public that he did. I might even suggest that he move to Iraq or China and write his letter to the editor and watch what happens.
Let us all continue to regard Memorial Day as was intended by General John Logan:
"...for the purpose of strewing with flowers or otherwise decorating the graves of comrades who died in the defense of their country...and whose bodies lie in almost every city, village, or hamlet church-yard in the land. In this observance no form of ceremony is prescribed, but posts and comrades will in their own way arrange such fitting services and testimonials of respect as circumstances may permit."
In that spirit, I would like to share with you an experience that I had a year ago.....May 26, 2000...I wrote the following the day after:
"I attended a funeral yesterday. That, in and of itself, is not a remarkable happenstance...it is done every day, by many people...all of whom are mourning a lost loved one, and we all know the feelings that are generated at such an event, regardless of how the person being mourned made their passage from this world to the next. We all know, too, the words that the minister recites to somehow help lessen the pain of our loss...many of us can just about quote the scriptures and repeat the soothing words of the message ourselves, we have been there so often that it is almost mundane.
"But, this funeral, to me, was a far different one than I have ever attended. You see, it was not for a family member, nor a dear, close friend, but of an ordinary citizen, a man not outstanding in the community nor was he known for his civic, business, or professional accomplishments. Rather, this man was known as a loving father, grandfather, and great grandfather, and was an everyday good man...very quiet, and some would say...shy. I never heard an unkind word nor did I ever see any behavior on his part which would cause even the slightest raise of an eyebrow. People loved him because he was himself.
"Mark Lubold was my son-in-law's grandfather...known as "Pap" to all of us. He was a small, very slightly built man, about 5'3" and maybe 95 pounds. All his grandsons tower over him...not a one is less that 6"0" nor less than 230 pounds. Yet Pap stood tall among them...you see, Pap was a Warrior...a true American hero. He never talked about his War...the Second World War, in fact, many of his accomplishments were not known until after his passing. His medals and ribbons were found in his personal effects when preparations were being made for his funeral. Usually when asked if he was in "the War," his reply was, "Yep." That was it..."Yep."
"One of his granddaughters sewed Pap's medals and ribbons to a pillow and they were placed in his coffin with him for the viewing. Many people in attendance expressed surprise at what this small, quiet, sweet man had been through....simply evidenced by this display. However, few, if any, knew what they were seeing, including his own daughters. As I studied the medals and ribbons, my eyes went from the usual achievment medals that recruit receives as he passes one test or qualification to another, to a Good Conduct Medal, to a World War II Victory Medal, to a Combat Infantryman Badge, to campaign ribbons with 4 bronze stars and one bronze spearhead. Among the papers in his drawer was his discharge, which detailed his term of service.
"Mark Lubold,..."Pap"...was in the first wave at Normandy on D-Day, and fought his way across France, as well as campaigns in the Ardennes, Germany, and North Africa...all as a combat infantryman. He was discharged a Private First Class. To say that many of those there were in awe is an understatement. Suddenly, we viewed Pap in a much different light, a light which simply illuminated another aspect of this wonderful old man. As I explained what these medals and ribbons were and what the stood for, the 25 or so mourners crowded closer to hear what thay had never heard before about their beloved Pap.
"The VFW Color Guard, Honor Guard, Firing Line, and Bugler were waiting as we entered the cemetery, and after a brief internment ceremony by the minister, they performed ther solem duty...honoring a fallen comrade. The flag of the United States which draped Pap's coffin was folded and presented to one of his daughters, "Taps" was played and a final salute was given this true American hero.
"The sun was shining, the sky was filled with large, puffy clouds, and the air was quite refreshing and clear.The cemetery was groomed beautifully and the flowers placed about for this Memorial Day presented a myriad of color. I couldn't help thinking that there could not be a prettier day nor a prettier place to have Ppa's mortal remains laid to rest. I know that he is in Heaven...he had already served his time in Hell.
"My son-in-law was given Pap's medals and ribbons, still attached to the little pillow. They will be cherished...he and Pap were quite close...and will be a legacy to be passed on to my daughter and son-in-law's as yet unborn child (Olivia is now 6 months old) who, unfortunately, will never know Pap, but will certainly know about Pap.
"...and Memorial Day will forever, as long as I live, mean just that much more to me..."
Thank you for inviting me here today, and for giving me your kind attention.