Minuteman Salute to Those Who Went Before

Alec Guiness operated a British Royal Navy landing craft on D-Day.

James Doohan of "Star Trek" landed in Normandy with the U. S. Army on D-Day.

Donald Pleasance - "The Great Escape", "Halloween", "Escape FromNew York" - was an RAF pilot who was shot down, held prisoner and tortured by the Germans.

David Niven was a Sandhurst graduate and Lt. Colonel of the British Commandos in Normandy.

James "Jimmy" Stewart Entered the Army Air Force as a private and worked his way to the rank of Colonel. During World War II, Stewart served as a bomber pilot, his service record crediting him with leading more than 20 missions over Germany, and taking part in hundreds of air strikes during his tour of duty. Stewart earned the Air Medal, the Distinguished Flying Cross, France's Croix de Guerre, and 7 Battle Stars during World War II. In peace time, Stewart continued to be an active member of the Air Force as a reservist, reaching the rank of Brigadier General before retiring in the late 1950s.

Clark Gable (a movie superstar when war broke out) was beyond the draft age at the time the U.S. entered WW II, but enlisted anyway as a private in the AAF on Aug. 12, 1942 at Los Angeles. He attended the Officers' Candidate School at Miami Beach, Fla. and graduated as a second lieutenant on Oct. 28, 1942. He then attended aerial gunnery school and in Feb. 1943 he was assigned to the 351st Bomb Group at Polebrook where flew operational missions over Europe in B-17s. Capt. Gable returned to the U.S. in Oct. 1943 and was relieved from active duty as a major on Jun. 12, 1944 at his own request, since he was over-age for combat.

Charlton Heston, former Vice President of the National Rifle Association and star of the original "Planet of the Apes" movies, was an Army Air Corps Sergeant in Kodiak.

Ernest Borgnine ("McHale's Navy") was a Gunners Mate in the United States Navy and served from 1935 to 1945.

Charles Durning was a U. S. Army Ranger at Normandy earning a Silver Star and awarded the Purple Heart.

Charles Bronson of "Death Wish" movie fame was a tail gunner in the Army Air Corps, more specifically on B-29s in the 20th Air Force out of Guam, Tinian, and Saipan.

George C. Scott ("Patton", "Taps") was a decorated U. S. Marine.

Eddie Albert (TV's "Green Acres") was awarded a Bronze Star for his heroic action as a Navy officer aiding Marines at the battle on the island of Tarawa in November 1943.

John Russell: In 1942, he enlisted in the Marine Corps where he received a battlefield commission and was wounded and highly decorated for valor at Guadalcanal.

Robert Ryan was a U. S. Marine who served with the O. S. S. in Yugoslavia.

Tyrone Power (an established movie star when Pearl Harbor was bombed) joined the U.S. Marines, was a pilot flying supplies into, and wounded Marines out of, Iwo Jima and Okinawa...

...and what about little Audie Murphy, the 5'5" tall, 110-pound guy from Texas who played cowboy parts? He was the most decorated serviceman of WWII and earned: Medal of Honor, Distinguished Service Cross, 2 Silver Stars, Legion of Merit, 2 Bronze Stars with "V", 2 Purple Hearts, U.S. Army Outstanding Civilian Service Medal, Good Conduct Medal, 2 Distinguished Unit Emblems, American Campaign Medal, European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal with One Silver Star, 4 Bronze Service Stars (representing nine campaigns), a Bronze Arrowhead (representing assault landing at Sicily & Southern France), World War II Victory Medal, Army of Occupation Medal with Germany Clasp, Armed Forces Reserve Medal, Combat Infantry Badge, Marksman Badge with Rifle Bar, Expert Badge with Bayonet Bar, French Fourragere in Colors of the Croix de Guerre, French Legion of Honor, Grade of Chevalier, French Croix de Guerre With Silver Star, French Croix de Guerre with Palm, Medal of Liberated France, and the Belgian Croix de Guerre 1940 Palm.

A SOLDIER'S CHRISTMAS

T'was the night Before Christmas, he lived all alone,

In a one bedroom house made of plaster and stone.

I had come down the chimney with presents to give

And to see just who in this home did live

I looked all about, a strange site did I see,

No tinsel, no presents, not even a tree,

No stockings by the mantle, Just boots filled with sand,

On the wall hung pictures of far distant lands.

With Medals and badges, Awards of all kinds,

A sober thought came through my mind.

For this house was different, it was dark and dreary,

I had found the home of a soldier once I could see clearly

I heard stories about them, I had to see more

So I walked down the hall and pushed open the door.

The solider lay sleeping, silent, alone,

Curled up in this, His one bedroom home.

The face was so gentle, the room in such disorder

Not how I pictured a United States Solider.

Was this the War Hero of whom I'd just read?

Curled up on a poncho, the floor for a bed?

His head was clean shaven, his weathered face tan,

I soon understood this was more than a man.

I realized the families that I saw this night

Owed their lives to these soldiers who were willing to fight.

Soon round the world the children would play

And grownups celebrate a bright Christmas day.

They enjoyed freedom each month of the year,

Because of these soldiers like the one lying here.

I couldn't help wonder how many lay alone

On a cold Christmas Eve, in a land far from home.

The very thought brought a tear to my eye

Dropped to my knees and started to cry.

The Soldier awakened and I heard a rough voice,

"Santa don't cry, this is my life, my choice:

I fight for freedom, I don't ask for more

My life is my God, my country, my Corps."

The Solider rolled over and soon drifted to sleep

I couldn't control it I started to weep.

I kept watch for hours. So silent and still

And we both shivered from the cold nights chill.

I took off my jacket, the one made of red,

And I covered this Soldier from his toes to his head.

And I put on his T-shirt of gray and black,

With an eagle and an Army patch embroidered on back.

And although it barely fit me, I began to swell with pride,

And for a shining moment, I was United States Army deep inside.

I didn't want to leave on that cold dark night,

This guardian of honor, so willing to fight.

Then the Solider rolled over with a voice soft and pure,

Whispered, "Carry on Santa, Christmas Day is Secure"

One look at my watch and I knew he was right

Merry Christmas my friend and to all a good night!

Some people have been a bit offended that the actor, Lee Marvin, is buried in a grave at Arlington National Cemetery. His marker gives his name, rank (PVT) and service (USMC). They may not realize that he was a decorated Marine, and that unlike some urban legends, he did in fact fight in WWII. He was indeed a famous movie star who served his time in the military, but some urban legends circulating on the Internet have mischaracterized him. Here is the true story.

Like many red-blooded Americans, I always liked Lee Marvin (star of "The Dirty Dozen" movies and "The Big Red One"). But I did not know the extent of his Marine Corps experiences. In a time when many Hollywood stars served their country in the armed forces, often in rear-echelon posts where they were carefully protected, only to be trotted out to perform for the cameras in war bond promotions, Lee Marvin was a genuine combat veteran. He earned a Purple Heart for his part at Saipan.

Lee Marvin was a frequent guest on The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson.

The dialogue went something like this:

Johnny: "Lee, I'll bet a lot of people are unaware that you were a Marine

that fought at Sapian in 1944, and that during the course of that action you

earned the Purple Heart for being wounded."

Lee Marvin: "Yeah, yeah... I got shot square in the ass... bad thing about

getting shot up on a mountain is guys getting shot hauling you down."

Often the story of Lee Marvin is told with untrue embellishments, such as being saved by Bob Keeshan (of "Captain Kangaroo" fame). However, Keeshan did not enlist in the Marines until June 1945, two months after Iwo Jima. Neither served at Iwo Jima, and some actors such as Fred Rogers did not serve at all.

I admit that I was thrown by some of these stories, until I checked the age of Fred Rogers, who died in 2004 at the age of 75. He would have been too old to serve in Vietnam as some have claimed. I have found other actors, though, who have served not generally mentioned on the Internet that ought to be mentioned here:

It is the Citizen Soldier,

not the preacher, that protects freedom of religion;

It is the Citizen soldier, not the reporter, that protects freedom of the press;

It is the Citizen soldier, not the commentator, that guards freedom of speech;

It is the Citizen soldier, not the rally organizer, that insures our freedom to assemble;

It is the Citizen soldier, not the rifle association, that defends our right to bear arms;

It is the Citizen soldier, not the politician, that insures free elections;

It is the Citizen soldier, not the policeman, that deters crime;

It is the Citizen soldier, not the Constitution, that guarantees a de jure government;

It is the Citizen soldier, not the courts, that insure fair and speedy trials;

It is the Citizen soldier, not Abraham Lincoln, that abolished slavery;

It is the Citizen soldier, not the President of these united States, that will determine the direction of the future of our nation.

WHAT IF?

What if back at Concord, When the Red-Coats began to roam,

They rang the Liberty Bell, and the Minutemen all stayed home

What if Patrick Henry and a guy they called Lafayette

Said "I believe you're right, George, but I don't think it's that bad yet"

What if Paul Revere saw the lights in that church, as we've been told,

Then put his horse back in the barn, because it was too dark, wet and cold

How different things would be today if Old Hickory wasn't so alert,

And said "Here they come but boys don't shoot 'cause someone may get hurt"

What if those proud brave Texans who fought at the Alamo

Said "We don't need to die here" and stayed part of Mexico

What if Patton, Bradley, York and Murphy had been so sublime

As to say "Those Krauts are really bad, but I just can't find the time"

What if all thoughout our history in the wars for freedom's name,

The bugle call went out for volunteers and no one ever came

They would have had their reasons, and those reasons might make sense,

But how different it would be today if they had all sat on the fence

Things are getting pretty bad today, something we all agree;

You can hide at home with your excuses, or you could come & stand with me.

[From the May, 1893 issue of "Confederate Veteran"]

The Origin of Memorial Day

It is a matter of history that Mrs. Chas. J. Williams, of Columbus, Ga., instituted the beautiful custom of decorating soldiers' graves with flowers, a custom which has been adopted throughout the United States. Mrs. Williams was the daughter of Maj. John Howard, of Milledgeville, Ga., and was a superior woman. She married Maj. C. J. Williams on his return from the Mexican War. As colonel of the First Georgia Regulars, of the Army in Virginia, he contracted disease, from which he died in 1862, and was buried in Columbus, Georgia.

Mrs. Williams and her little girl visited his grave every day, and often comforted themselves by wreathing it with flowers. While the mother sat abstractly thinking of the loved and lost one, the little one would pluck the weeds from the unmarked soldiers' graves near her father's and cover them with flowers, calling them her soldiers' graves.

After a short time while the dear little girl was summoned by the angels to join her father. The sorely bereaved mother then took charge of these unknown graves for the child's sake, and as she cared for them thought of the thousands of patriot graves throughout the South, far away from home and kindred, and in this way the plan was suggested to her of setting apart one day in each year, that love might pay tribute to valor throughout the Southern States. In March, 1868, she addressed a communication to the Columbus Times, an extract of which I give:

"We beg the assistance of the press and the ladies throughout the South to aid us in the effort to set apart a certain day to be observed from the Potomac to the Rio Grande, and to be handed down through time as a religious custom of the South, to wreathe the graves of our martyred dead with flowers, and we propose the 26th day of April as the day."

She then wrote to the Soldiers' Aid Societies in every Southern State, and they readily responded and reorganized under the name of Memorial Associations. She lived long enough to see her plan adopted all over the South, and in 1868 throughout the United States. Mrs. Williams died April 15, 1874, and was buried with military honors. On each returning Memorial Day the Columbus military march around her grave, and each deposits a floral offering.

In 1866, the Georgia legislature established April 26th as a legal holiday in obedience to her request.