News Day

Western Union, Labor Day, 1942

FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO WERE EXPECTING A LABOR DAY POST, I HAVE HERE A LINK TO MY POST FROM LAST YEAR WHICH DEPICTED THE DAY’S CELEBRATION IN THE STYLE OF THE 1950’S.   I’M SURE MANY OF YOU WILL REMEMBER IT, BUT –  WE HAVE HAD NEW READERS JOIN US SINCE THAT TIME.  PLUS – I’VE ACCUMULATED A LOT OF CURRENT NEWS THAT NEEDS TO BE POSTED.  THANK YOU….

Labor Day Post – HERE

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WWII VETERAN – STILL HAS WHAT IT TAKES!

Arthur Lewis

Arthur M. Lewis, 89, an Army veteran of the Pacific Theater, was working behind the counter of The Jewelry Exchange in Lake Park, Florida when an armed robber entered the store.  Lewis grabbed the attacker’s gun and pulled out his own weapon.  Shots were fired.  Lewis was grazed on his arm and the would-be thief escaped carrying 6 bullets in his body.  The man and his get-away driver were caught by the Boca Raton police when they sought medical attention.  The suspect faces felony charges when he is released by the hospital.

Click on images to enlarge.

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Fallen WWII Soldier Comes Home

David Rogers holding his uncle’s WWII picture

Dog tags of Pvt. Bernard Gavin

DNA testing and a set of dog tags has positively identified the missing US Army Pvt. Bernard “Max” Gavrin who fought in the PTO and went missing in Saipan.  He will be laid to rest on 12 September.  The remains were discovered by the non-profit Japanese organization, the Kuentai Group.

Gavrin’s nephew, David Rogers of Delray Beach, Florida, last saw his uncle when he was years old, said in an interview:  “I am completely in awe of where he is going to be buried.  Arlington Cemetery is the single most hallowed ground in this country.  Beneath its surface contains the who’s who of American history.  To think that my uncle will also be buried there is incredible to me.”

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Java Sea Wreck Confirmed

A wreath is passed to sailors for the tomb of 700.

More than 70 years after the heavy cruiser, USS Houston, was sunk by the Japanese during the Battle of Sunda Strait in February 1942, the grave for 700 of its sailors and Marines has been confirmed.  Nicknamed the “Galloping Ghost of the Java Coast” had only 291 survivors.  The commander, Captain Albert H. Rooks, was killed during the battle and awarded the Medal of Honor posthumously.

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U.S. Military Downsizing

The 1/9 Marine insignia
The Walking Dead

A Marine Corps battalion decorated for extensive combat in WWII and Vietnam earned the nickname “Walking Dead.”  The 1st Battalion, 9th Marine Regiment, which also saw action in Iraq and Afghanistan, was deactivated during a ceremony at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina.  The unit had a reputation for heroism that included Medal of Honor recipients at Guam and Iwo Jima and two in Vietnam.

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Did You Know?

__ Elvis Presley did a benefit concert and raised over $50,000 to help in the cost of erecting the Arizona memorial.

Ticket for the Elvis’ USS Arizona Benefit

__ Some former crew-members are choosing to have their ashes scattered over their former ships at Pearl Harbor.

__ Fuel, to this day, continues to leak from the USS Arizona.

__ Twenty-three sets of brothers died when the Arizona sank.

 

 

 Click on any image to enlarge.

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Merchant Navy Day – New Zealand – 3 September

Capt. Inkster

The men and boys of the New Zealand Merchant Navy had one of the most perilous wartime occupations as they carried supplies to the troops and wounded to safety.  Their virtually unarmed ships were sitting ducks for the enemy.  Hundreds of mines were laid by German raiders in the early years of the war and several vessels were sunk, including the minesweeper, Puriri, May 1941 off Whangarei, NZ.

Around 130 New Zealand seafarers lost their lives and around 140 were taken prisoner.  Captain Inkster, pictured above, served for 60 years, including all six years of WWII.  Let’s join them this Wednesday in honoring these civilians who put their lives on the line for the Allied troops!

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A Current Political Cartoon____

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Farewell Salutes – 

Heroes R.I.P.

Stuart Avery – Tauranga, NZ; RNZ Air Force # W327494

William “Dan” Boone – Adelanto, CA; US Air Force, MSgt. (Ret. 20 years), Vietnam

Charles Catanzaro – Syracuse, NY; US Army, Sgt., Vietnam

Morris “Moose” Fontenot – Longmeadow, MA;  US Air Force, LtCol., 104th Fighter Wing, F-15 pilot

Gerald McHaffie – Ozark, MO; US Navy, Korea

Walter Pacholka – Pointe-Claire, CAN; RC Air Force [attached to RAF Squadron 199], WWII

Harry Peterson – Oak Park, IL; US Army, 99th Div., WWII, ETO, [author]

Bertrand Vachon – Augusta, ME; US Army, Sgt., WWII

Herbert Waits – LaPine, OR; US Army, Corps of Engineers, WWII

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