Wednesday, July 26, 2023
The lonely B-24
Tuesday, July 25, 2023
The Crew of the B-17F, "The Casper Kid".
This is a new memorial in Wyoming's Powder River Basin, dedicated to the crew of the "Casper Kid", a B-17F that went down in what would have been an incredibly remote lonely spot on February 25, 1943.
In recent years, there's been a dedicated effort in Central Wyoming to memorialize the crews who did in aviation accidents during the Second World War. This is the second such memorial I'm aware of (there may be more) which is dedicated to the crew of an airplane that was flying out of the Casper Air Base, which is now the Natrona County International Airport. Both accidents memorialized so far were winter accidents which resulted in the loss of an aircraft in remote country.
We don't tend to think of those lost in training accidents as war dead, but they were. And there are a lot of them.
Sunday, June 25, 2023
Lex Anteinternet: Friday, June 25, 1943. Murder in Ukraine, tragedy in Nova Scotia, race riot in UK.
Friday, June 25, 1943. Murder in Ukraine, tragedy in Nova Scotia, race riot in UK.
The Germans completed the eradication of the Jewish population of Stanislav (Ivano-Frankivsk) in Ukraine.
The "Battle of Bamber Bridge" occurred in the UK when white Military Police intervened in a pub which had stretched out drinking hours for black US troops and then attempted to cite one for improper uniform. Shots were ultimately fired and one of the soldiers was killed.
The Smith-Connoally Act was passed, which allowed the government to seize industries threated by strikes. It went into law over President Roosevelt's veto.
The men were undergoing training. A memorial service will be held for them today in Summerville.
Classified as a medium bomber, the Ventura is one of the numerous Allied warbirds that are now basically forgotten, in spite of having received widespread use. It was an adaptation of a civilian airliner.
Sarah Sundin notes, on her blog:
Today in World War II History—June 25, 1943: 80 Years Ago—June 25, 1943: Bob Hope begins his first major USO tour; he will spend 11 weeks touring England, North Africa, and Sicily.
Saturday, June 3, 2023
Ft. Bragg renamed Ft. Liberty
This one leaves me wondering. Surely somebody could have been found to honor in place of Confederate General Braxton Bragg for this North Carolina post?
The post was renamed yesterday.
Bragg was a West Point graduate from North Carolina who had a career in the U.S. Army as an artilleryman, a branch that generally went to those graduating in the upper ends of their class. His career was mixed as a Confederate general, many would say poor, and he was ultimately relegated to advisory positions after the middle of the war. He died in 1876 at age 59, walking down a sidewalk in Galveston, Texas. His famously argumentative personality meant that after the war he occupied a string of occupations from which he resigned.
He'd been an opponent of succession personally.
Friday, May 12, 2023
Ft. Benning renamed Ft. Moore.
This will be the first in a series of such name changes.
Ft. Benning was named for Henry L. Benning, a Georgia lawyer who had served as a Confederate General during the Civil War. Benning was a lifelong Georgia resident who died in the state at age 61 in 1875. He was an ardent secessionist and opponent of emancipation, who nonetheless had the fort and a Liberty Ship named for him.
Lt. Gen. Hal Moore was a legendary Vietnam War commander who served as the first air cavalry commander in the war. Julia Moore was his wife, who was born of a military family, and who is closely associated with supporting the family members of the unit when it was deployed. Their relationship is portrayed in the film version of the general's book, We Were Soldiers Once, And Young.
The forst was renamed yesterday.
Wednesday, February 22, 2023
Governor Gordon Orders Flags Be Flown at Half-Staff Statewide on Thursday, February 23 in Honor of Wyoming Sailor Killed at Pearl Harbor
Governor
Gordon Orders Flags Be Flown at Half-Staff Statewide on Thursday,
February 23 in Honor of Wyoming Sailor Killed at Pearl Harbor
CHEYENNE,
Wyo. - Governor Mark Gordon has ordered both
the U.S. and State of Wyoming flag be flown at half-staff statewide on
Thursday, February 23, 2023 in honor and memory of World War II
veteran Herman Schmidt from Sheridan.
Schmidt, a U.S. Navy Gunner’s Mate Third Class, served on
the U.S.S. Oklahoma and was killed in action during the December 7, 1941 attack
on Pearl Harbor. Schmidt’s remains were recently identified through DNA testing and dental records.
Schmidt was posthumously awarded the Purple Heart Medal, the Combat
Action Ribbon, a Good Conduct Medal, the American Defense Service Medal (with
Fleet Clasp), the Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal (with Bronze Star), the
American Campaign Medal and the World War II Victory Medal. He will be
interred at Arlington National Cemetery on February 23.
--END--
Tuesday, February 7, 2023
Lex Anteinternet: Sunday, November 7, 1943. The heroism of Sgt. Thomas
Sunday, November 7, 1943. The heroism of Sgt. Thomas, Shoes rationed.
Marine Corps Sgt Herbert J. Thomas displayed heroism on Bougainville that would lead to him being posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor.
SERGEANT HERBERT J. THOMAS
UNITED STATES MARINE CORPS RESERVE
for service as set forth in the following CITATION:
For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty while serving with the Third Marines, Third Marine Division, in action against enemy Japanese forces during the battle at the Koromokina River, Bougainville Island, Solomon Islands, on November 7, 1943. Although several of his men were struck by enemy bullets as he led his squad through dense jungle undergrowth in the face of severe hostile machine gun fire, Sergeant Thomas and his group fearlessly pressed forward into the center of the Japanese position and destroyed the crews of two machine guns by accurate rifle fire and grenades. Discovering a third gun more difficult to approach, he carefully placed his men closely around him in strategic positions from which they were to charge after he had thrown a grenade into the emplacement. When the grenade struck vines and fell back into the midst of the group, Sergeant Thomas deliberately flung himself upon it to smother the explosion, valiantly sacrificing his life for his comrades. Inspired by his selfless action, his men unhesitatingly charged the enemy machine gun and, with fierce determination, killed the crew and several other nearby defenders. The splendid initiative and extremely heroic conduct of Sergeant Thomas in carrying out his prompt decision with full knowledge of his fate reflect great credit upon himself and the United States Naval Service. He gallantly gave his life for his country.
The 25-year-old Thomas had first served, in the war, in the United Stated Army Air Corps before transferring to the Marine Corps.
According to Sarah Sundin's blog, on this day in 1943 shoe rationing commenced in the US. She has an article about it here:
Make It Do – Shoe Rationing in World War II
It's a really interesting article.
The rationing move was announced suddenly, and limited Americans to three pairs of new shoes per year. I'm sure I don't buy a new pair of shoes most years, which makes this limit interesting in context.
The Red Army captured Fastiv near Kyiv.
The Detroit Lions and the New York Giants played a scoreless tie game, the last such game in NFL history.
Monday, February 6, 2023
Lex Anteinternet: Sunday, February 7, 1943. The sacrifice of Howard W. Gilmore.
Sunday, February 7, 1943. The sacrifice of Howard W. Gilmore, Japanese complete Operation Ke, Hitler rallies his followers.
Howard W. Gilmore, age 40, commander of the USS Growler, ordered the submarine to submerge even though he was too wounded to escape down the hatch, thereby allowing the boat to escape, and causing his drowning.
The Japanese successfully completed Operation Ke, the withdrawal of 10,000 Japanese troops from Guadalcanal. Deception was a key part of the operation, causing the U.S. to believe that the Japanese were reinforcing the island.
Hitler gave a rousing speech to German officials and high ranking Nazis at his headquarters, successfully reassuring them that Germany would win World War Two. During the speech, according to notes taken at the time, he stated "„Entweder wir werden Herr über Europa, oder wir erleben eine komplette Liquidierung und Vernichtung“, or "Either we will be the master of Europe, or we will experience a complete liquidation and extermination,", which likely seemed impossible to the audience, who were also seeking reassurance. He also promised total war against the remaining Jewish population within his control.
Friday, February 3, 2023
Lex Anteinternet: Wednesday, February 3, 1943. The Chaplains Fox, ...
Wednesday, February 3, 1943. The Chaplains Fox, Poling, and Goode.
The transport ship SS Dorchester was sunk by the U233 off of Greenland. 605 of the 904 men on board died in the attack, including chaplains Methodist minister George L. Fox, Reformed Church in America minister Clark V. Poling, Roman Catholic Priest John P. Washington, and Rabbi Alexander D. Goode.
They gave up their life jackets to others and went down with the ship, arms linked, praying, and singing hymns.
The chaplains are remembered in a stained-glass window in the Episcopal National Cathedral.
Survivors were rescued by the Coast Guard cutters Escanaba and Comanche, with the Escanaba using rescue swimmers for the first time.
The U-265 was sunk by a RAF B-17 in the Atlantic.
German radio informed the German people of the defeat at Stalingrad in a special radio announcement, causing widespread German public consternation. A secret poll conducted thereafter revealed that hte Germans wondered why troops had not been evacuated from the city and why the war situation had been reported as secure only a few months prior.
Tuesday, January 31, 2023
Wyoming Catholic Cowboys - raw and real: Pearl Harbor
Friday, January 27, 2023
Lex Anteinternet: January 27, 1973. The Paris Peace Accords Signed a...
January 27, 1973. The Paris Peace Accords Signed and last combat casualty sustained.
The following agreements were signed on this day in Paris, between the warring parties in Vietnam.
"Protocol Concerning the Cease-Fire in South Vietnam and the Joint Military Commission"
"Protocol Concerning the Return of Captured Military Personnel and Foreign Civilians and the Captured and Detained Vietnamese Civilian Personnel"
"Protocol Concerning the International Commission of Control and Supervision "
"Protocol Concerning the Removal, Permanent Deactivation, or Destruction of Mines in the Territorial Waters, Ports, Harbors, and Waterways of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam"
The agreements paved the way for the United States to exit Vietnam under the fiction that "peace with honor" had been brought to South Vietnam. In reality, the fighting never fully stopped and the Nixon Administration expected South Vietnam to fall. The South was pressured into signing the agreement.
By this point in the war, the US had largely withdrawn its combat troops from Vietnam. The final ones would be withdrawn in March, by which time it was obvious that the war was continuing on. As a practical matter, disciplinary problems in the US military were, by that point, so severe, that the Army was close to becoming incapable of engaging in combat operations. To this extent, the North Vietnamese had truly defeated the US in the ground war, although US air cover remained potent up until the ceasefire took place.
On this day, U.S. Army Col. William Nolde was killed by Communist artillery fire. He is generally regarded as the last American combat casualty of the Vietnam War, although Marines Charles McMahon and Darwin Lee Judge were killed by a North Vietnamese rocket attack on April 29, 1975, just before Saigon fell. The distinction, if there is one, is that Nolde was assigned to a combat command.
Nolde had been a Korean War conscript, and stayed in the Army thereafter, becoming an officer. His first tour of duty was in 1965.
Nolde had been a professor of military science at Central Michigan University before being conscripted, so he had the somewhat peculiar experience of being a university professor on military matters before being an enlisted man in the Korean War, and an officer in the Vietnam War. A scholarship at Central Michigan was established in his memory.
Friday, January 13, 2023
Lex Anteinternet: The 2023 Wyoming Legislative Session. The Legislat...
SENATE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. SJ0005Air Force 75th Anniversary.Sponsored by: Senator(s) Boner, Furphy, Nethercott and Pappas and Representative(s) Brown, Locke, Olsen and StyvarA JOINT RESOLUTIONforA JOINT RESOLUTION to recognize and congratulate the United States Air Force on the 75th anniversary of its founding.WHEREAS, the United States Air Force was founded in 1947 and has had a continuous and active presence in Wyoming since that time; andWHEREAS, The United States Air Force's heritage in Wyoming pre-dates the Air Force founding as a separate military branch and includes the significant training mission of strategic bomber crews at Casper Army Airfield during World War II; andWHEREAS, Francis E. Warren Air Force Base is the oldest continuously active Air Force base in the nation; andWHEREAS, Francis E. Warren Air Force Base has played a vital role in the strategic defense of the United States and its allies by maintaining the first fully operational Intercontinental Ballistic Missile (ICBM), the Atlas D, in 1959; andWHEREAS, Francis E. Warren Air Force Base is home to the 90th Missile Wing, one of three active missile wings currently operating the Minuteman III ICBM and the headquarters of 20th Air Force, which commands all three (3) missile wings; andWHEREAS, the 90th Missile wing is the only military unit to operate the Peacekeeper ICBM, the most advanced ballistic missile fielded to date which was deployed exclusively in Wyoming; andWHEREAS, the 90th Missile Wing will continue to play a vital role in the strategic defense of the United States now and into the future and be the first unit to deploy the new Sentinel ICBM; andWHEREAS, the University of Wyoming has a strong history of supporting the United States Air Force by establishing Air Force ROTC Detachment 940 in 1952 and counting Samuel C. Phillips, the leader of the Air Force's Minuteman ICBM program, as an alumni; andWHEREAS, the Wyoming Air National Guard has continuously supported our state and nation since 1946; andWHEREAS, the Wyoming Air National Guard became part of the Air Force in 1947 and ever since has honorably, ably and faithfully been the "Sword and Shield" for our state and nation; andWHEREAS, the Wyoming Air National Guard, as the Sword, has played a vital role in guarding the United States and defending freedom in nearly every major conflict and contingency by repeatedly answering the nation's call in places such as Korea, Kuwait, Afghanistan, Iraq and around the world; andWHEREAS, the Wyoming Air National Guard, as the Shield, has fought fires on the ground and in the air in Wyoming and throughout the West, mitigated flooding in Saratoga, Fremont county and elsewhere, and most recently provided desperately needed manpower for medical facilities throughout the state during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic; andWHEREAS, the State of Wyoming is dedicated to memorializing the story of the Air Force through the Wyoming Veterans Museum and Quebec 01 Missile Alert Facility State Historic Site.NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE MEMBERS OF THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WYOMING:Section 1.(a) The State of Wyoming commends the United States Air Force on its 75th anniversary.(b) The state of Wyoming acknowledges the strong historic relationship between the United States Air Force and the State.(c) The State of Wyoming recognizes the significant service that the United States Air Force currently provides in protecting our vital state and national interests.(d) The state of Wyoming is determined to continue the strong partnership between the State and the United States Air Force.Section 2. That the Secretary of State of Wyoming transmit copies of this resolution to the President of the United States, to the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives of the United States Congress, to the Wyoming Congressional Delegation, the Secretary of Defense, the Secretary of the Air Force, the Commander of the 90th Missile Wing, 20th Air Force and the Commander of the Air Force ROTC Detachment 940.
Today In Wyoming's History: A Bill to Recognize the Service of Lester C. Hunt
A Bill to Recognize the Service of Lester C. Hunt
A bill has been introduced in the legislature to recognize former Governor and Senator Lester Hunt. Given Dr. Hunt's historic place in Wyoming, and national, history, it's worth visiting the topic here.
The bill states:
2023
State of Wyoming
23LSO-0301
SENATE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. SJ0002
Recognizing the service of Lester C. Hunt.
Sponsored by: Senator(s) Case and Rothfuss and Representative(s) Stith and Yin
A JOINT RESOLUTION
for
A JOINT RESOLUTION recognizing United States Senator and Wyoming Governor and Secretary of State Lester Calloway Hunt as a consummate model to public servants for his distinguished career, his commendable civility and courage and his service to Wyoming and the United States of America.
WHEREAS, after first coming to Wyoming as a recruit to play semi-professional baseball for a Lander team, Lester C. Hunt moved permanently to Wyoming to start his family and dental practice after working full-time on the railroad to fund his attendance at dental school; and
WHEREAS, Lester C. Hunt served actively during World War I as a First Lieutenant in the United States Army Dental Corps from 1917 to 1919 and as a Major in the Army Reserve from 1919 to 1954; and
WHEREAS, Lester C. Hunt started his distinguished career in public service by serving in the Wyoming House of Representatives, as a Representative from Fremont County, from 1933 to 1934; and
WHEREAS, Lester C. Hunt served as Wyoming's Secretary of State from 1935 to 1943 where among his many accomplishments were obtaining a copyright to preserve the mark of the Bucking Horse and Rider and developing and implementing plans for the Bucking Horse and Rider license plate first issued in 1936; and
WHEREAS, Lester C. Hunt became the first person to serve for two consecutive terms as Governor of Wyoming, holding office during and after World War II. Among Governor Hunt's many accomplishments in addition to managing wartime concerns, he oversaw the creation of a pension system for teachers and advocated for a pension system for state employees as well as expanded systems of health benefits; and
WHEREAS, Lester C. Hunt served as Wyoming's accomplished junior United States Senator from 1949 until his untimely death by suicide, June 19, 1954; and
WHEREAS, Lester C. Hunt supported a number of federal social programs and advocated for federal support of low-cost health and dental insurance policies. He also supported a variety of programs proposed by the Eisenhower administration following the Republican landslide in the 1952 elections, including the abolition of racial segregation in the District of Columbia and the expansion of Social Security; and
WHEREAS, Lester C. Hunt served on Congressional committees including the Senate Armed Services Committee, a special Senate committee investigating war crimes and the Special Committee on Organized Crime in Interstate Commerce; and
WHEREAS, through Senate hearings, Lester C. Hunt was introduced to the bullying and false accusation tactics of Senator Eugene Joseph McCarthy and followers of the charismatic McCarthy, where many considered McCarthy a hero and the people who knew better stayed silent and attempted to stay on his good side; and
WHEREAS, Lester C. Hunt became a victim of this extremely polarized era in public thinking that hurt our nation and ruined the lives of many who found themselves on the other side of the boisterous "majority." During this time, Senator Hunt was a brave critic of the excesses of the McCarthyism era, even introducing legislation allowing private citizens to sue members of Congress who libeled them; and
WHEREAS, Lester C. Hunt endured threats and intimidation, to which his untimely death can be directly attributed, during this dark and harsh period of our nation's political journey characterized by incivility, irrational political dogma and unfounded beliefs; and
WHEREAS, while Lester C. Hunt was cruelly harmed by this movement, thousands of others also had their lives shattered when they were blacklisted by false accusations without credible evidence. Anyone who challenged the methods employed by the McCarthyists was labeled a communist sympathizer in a widespread chilling of free speech; and
WHEREAS, Lester C. Hunt was a victim of blackmail whereby his opponents used despicable means to obtain control of a deeply divided United States Senate; and
WHEREAS, Lester C. Hunt remained true to Wyoming and to our nation but succumbed to the overwhelming pressure and took his own life, adding to the tragic legacy of Wyoming's suicide prominence; and
WHEREAS, in 1954, within a few months after Lester C. Hunt's suicide, the Senate voted to censure Joseph McCarthy and our nation began to heal; and
WHEREAS, former Wyoming Senator Alan Simpson said decades later that what happened to Lester C. Hunt "passed all boundaries of decency and exposed an evil side of politics;" and
WHEREAS, Wyoming's Lester C. Hunt with decency and courage contributed to the survival and preservation of a principled system of participatory government that has carried this nation through the darkest of times.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE MEMBERS OF THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WYOMING:
Section 1. That the members of the Wyoming Legislature commit to respect each member and support our democracy and the right of every citizen to be heard and respected. With this resolution, the Wyoming Legislature remembers and joins with the people of Wyoming and all our nation to rededicate ourselves to democracy, civility, decency and truth.
Section 2. That the members of the Wyoming Legislature commit to work with those with whom we disagree and to strive for pragmatic problem-solving.
Section 3. That the members of the Wyoming Legislature commit to be ever vigilant to do all they can to prevent suicide and to be diligent in battling against injustices, inequities, discriminative conditions and intolerant practices that can lead to suicide.
Section 4. That the Secretary of State of Wyoming transmit copies of this resolution to the President of the United States, to the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives of the United States Congress and to the Wyoming Congressional Delegation.
For more on Hunt:
Baseball, Politics, Triumph and Tragedy: The Career of Lester Hunt
We have discussed Hunt here:
1942. Lester Hunt, DDS, the sitting Wyoming Secretary of State and a Democrat narrowly defeated Governor Nels H. Smith.
It's really interesting that this bill comes up now.
I didn't go into the story in depth, but as noted, Senator Hunt was an opponent of McCarthy and, obviously, tragically involved in a story that he couldn't overcome.
Hunt was a dentist by profession, and entered politics, first becoming, at a state level, the Wyoming Secretary of State. He was the elected a Democratic Governor, back in the day when Wyoming had a functioning Democratic Party and the state wasn't a one party state. He later became Wyoming's Senator.
In June 1953, his son, who was attending the Episcopal Theological School in Cambridge, Massachusetts, where he was the student body president, was picked up for solicitation of am ale prostitute. Normally this was just passed off by the police if it was a first offense, but the arrest became known to Republican Senators, who threatened to break the information if Hunt didn't resign from office. If that had happened, the Wyoming legislature would have appointed a Republican successor.
Hunt refused, his son was sentenced and paid the fine, and the Washington Post picked up the story.
Hunt decided to run for reelection anyhow, and the news story received little attention. Republicans again threatened to use it against him, although the Eisenhower Administration, seeing what was going on, tried to offer him a way out by offering him a position on the U.S. Tariff Commission. On June 8, 1954, following a medical examination, he declared he was bowing out of elective offices entirely. On June 19, he shot himself in his Senate office.
Following this, journalist Drew Pearson wrote about the drama and how the Republicans had threatened Hunt. Pearson noted, however:
Two weeks ago he went to the hospital for a physical check and announced that he would not run again. It was no secret that he had been having kidney trouble for some time, but I am sure that on top of this, Lester Hunt, a much more sensitive soul than his colleagues realized, just could not bear the thought of having his son's misfortunes become the subject of whispers in his re-election campaign.
In private, however, Pearson indicated that Hunt, whom he had been in contact with, had no physical concerns at the time of his suicide.
What the resolution states is completely true. If there's a black mark against Dr. Hunt in his public story, it would be that he was less than enthusiastic about the presence of Japanese American internees in the state during World War Two and his statements at the time would be hard not to view as racist, although they are not uniformly so. In our modern era, we tend not to cut anyone any slack at all for transgressions of this type, but perhaps to some degree we should. Overall, Hunt's service as Secretary of State, Governor, World War One serviceman, and Senator are praiseworthy and no matter what a person might think of McCarthy, his stand at the time was certainly praiseworthy. The actions by the GOP in persecuting him were vile.
Which is why I suspect that this bill will go nowhere. In Wyoming of 2023, there's almost no room in the state to praise a Democratic politician, and chances are that anyone supporting a bill condemning McCarthyism will receive pretty stout criticism as well.
Wednesday, November 16, 2022
Tuesday, November 8, 2022
Friday, September 23, 2022
Painted Bricks: James Reeb Mural, Casper Wyoming
James Reeb Mural, Casper Wyoming
This is the memorial to civil rights activist James Reeb in Casper Wyoming. I should have taken this photograph when this mural was new, as its faded considerably since first painted, and it isn't even very old.
Given that, I'm taking the unusual step of posting it in full size here as well.
James Reeb was a Presbyterian minister in Casper when first ordained. He lost is life when murdered by segregationist in Selma, Alabama, where he was attending civil rights demonstrations, in 1965. The mural depicts scenes from his life, as well as honoring the Civil Rights movement.
Sunday, August 14, 2022
Courthouses of the West: Laramie, Albany County, Wyoming. First "Woman Jury Memorial.
Laramie, Albany County, Wyoming. First "Woman Jury" Memorial.
Contrary to the way it is sometimes recounted, the jury was not all female, but half male and half female, with six women jurors. It returned a verdict finding Mr. Howie guilty of manslaughter, which must have been included as a lessor offense in the charges. The trial convinced Downey who in turn became a champion of women's suffrage.
This memorial is not at the Albany County Courthouse, but at the downtown railroad park. Judicial proceedings in Laramie were originally held in a store at that location.
(Photo and reasearch by MKTH).
Wednesday, July 27, 2022
Hall County Texas World War Two, Korean War, Vietnam War and Gulf War Memorial.
Yesterday we featured the Hall County, Texas Civil War and World War One Memorial. Today we have their memorials for the series of wars following the Great War.
Note how many names appear for the Second World War.
Again, MKTH photograph.
Civil War and World War One Memorial, Hall County (Memphis) Texas
The Hall County, Texas memorial in Memphis Texas was dedicated in 1924 in honor of the veterans of that county who had served in the Civil War, and World War One. MKTH Photo.
Thursday, April 14, 2022
Tuesday, March 29, 2022
National Vietnam Veteran's Day
Governor
and Veterans Commission to Host Veterans Welcome Home Day Events
CHEYENNE, Wyo. – Governor Gordon and
the Wyoming Veterans Commission have announced three celebrations around the
state for “Wyoming Veterans Welcome Home Day” on Saturday, March 26.
During the 61st Legislative Session in 2011, the day of welcoming was codified in state law
for March 30 of each year. This coincides with the date U.S. combat troops
would have set foot on Wyoming soil after returning home from the Vietnam War
in 1973.
All Wyoming Veterans, especially those from the
Korean War, Vietnam War, and other Veterans who were not properly thanked upon
their return home, are invited to attend and receive the welcome and thanks of
a grateful state. Military, surviving spouses of Veterans, and family members
are also welcome to attend.
The first ceremony begins at 8:30 am in Green
River at American Legion Post 28, 38 North Center St.
A ceremony takes place at 11:30 am in Worland at
American Legion Post 44, 129 S. 7th St.
The final ceremony of the day will commence at 3
pm in Gillette at the Campbell County Senior Center located at 701 Stocktrail
Ave.
The ceremonies will include remarks by Governor
Mark Gordon, Maj. Gen. Greg Porter, the Adjutant General of Wyoming and
Veterans Commission Chairman Jake Jacobs, local officials and Veterans.
Receiving lines will be formed so Wyoming residents can join the effort to
thank our Veterans.
Wyoming communities are also encouraged to host
their own celebrations to honor Wyoming Veterans who may not have been thanked
for their service or welcomed home.
For additional information, contact the Wyoming
Veterans Commission at (307) 777-8151.
-END-
Sunday, January 23, 2022
A Cottonwood Memorial.
Even though I've been in City Park in Casper lots of times, I managed to have never noticed this memorial to James Cobb Barlow.
James A. Barlow Jr. was a noted Wyoming geologist. He was the son of the elder James Barlow who was a homesteader first in Colorado and then later in Wyoming, but who had relocated to the East Coast prior to marrying. James A. Barlow came to Wyoming to study geology, and had one of the first two Ph.D's from the University of Wyoming's geology department. While I hadn't realized it, he obviously served as Mayor of Casper, Wyoming in 1965-66.
Monday, December 13, 2021
A French film will be made about the funeral of Norbert Herriges. . .
a P47 pilot who was killed over the country on August 12, 1944. He was from Montana.
His body was hidden by the farm family where he landed when he attempted to parachute out of his stricken plane. Villagers of the village of Pourrieres conducted a funeral that gathered three times the residency of the town's, which was 1,000.
Thursday, November 11, 2021
100th Anniversary of the Dedication of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier
Friday, November 11. Veterans Day
Tuesday, November 9, 2021
Friday, October 22, 2021
Leonard L. Robinson Memorial Bridge, Casper Wyoming.
Lex Anteinternet: The 2020 Wyoming Legislative Session. Proposed Dr. Leonard L. Robinson memorial bridge.
2020 | STATE OF WYOMING | 20LSO-0464 |
1 | HB0096 |