Military Monday – Veterans History Project

Editor's note: Today's post was written by Richard Hanson.

Many of you are forever researching and, for a variety of reasons, are not yet ready to to publish something like a book. An unpublished and undistributed collection is always in peril. The owner may pass way. Collections by be destroyed by either a physical or digital disaster. Publishing is the solution. But there are relatively easy publishing solutions. One such easy solution is donating files (informational, image, audio/video) to an institution.

The Veterans History Project, sponsored by the U.S. Library of Congress, collects stories plus supporting files pertaining to military veterans and certain types of civilian workers for World War I through the Afghanistan and Iraq conflicts. Their website describes the submittal procedure. After the donation is processed, it will be physically housed at the Library of Congress facility in Washington, DC. About ten percent are currently searchable and posted on their website.

Six years ago I submitted a story and photos on my father's service in the U.S. Army Air Force during World War II. Unfortunately it was not yet part of that lucky 10% that is accessible on their website.

Veterans History Project

http://www.loc.gov/vets/vets-home.html

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Military Monday for a BIG BONUS

Editor's note: Today's post was written by Sandra Gardner Benward - Big Thanks to Marsha McAlexander Wise for sharing this information.


As read in Dick Eastman's column  ......... FREE military records access on FindMyPast from May 23 to Memorial Day, May 27, 2013.

What a great opportunity to view these military records and experience a new (for you) website. See what you can find? Let me know what you found? Share your good fortune with all of us.

Shop and Support Root Cellar Sacramento Genealogical Society.

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Military Monday - Root Cellar Members Honor Veterans

Root Cellar Sacramento Genealogical Society honors the military service and sacrifices of its members and their ancestors.  Click on each link for an expanded story about these heroes.



George D. Marks

 

George David Marks

August 22, 1921 -

World War II - July 7, 1942 - November 10, 1945

PFC , 117th Radio Signal Intelligence Company

 

 

William Babcock

Born 9 December 1831, Warren County, Pennsylvania

Died 24 March 1905, Colorado Springs, Colorado

Civil War Service: 23 Sep 1861 - 5 Feb 1863

PFC, Company A, Michigan 8th Infantry Regiment

Great-greatgrandfather of Ron Setzer

 





Donald L. Whitney



Donald Lester Whitney

Born 31 March 1926, Wentworth, New Hampshire

Died 6 March 2010, Lincoln, Placer, California

Coast Guard:  WW II and Korean War

Father of Robyn Whitney Fitzwater

 





Donovan K. Webster



Donovan K. Webster

Born 6 Jan 1931, Wichita, Sedgwick, Kansas

Died 14 Jan 2008, Paul, Minidoka, Idaho

Korean War: Field Artillery unit operating

the 155mm Howitzer in the Fifth Armored Division

Recipient: Korean Service Medal with two service stars and the United Nations Service Medal for Korea

Father-in-law of  Curtis Jones



Edwin Hanisch

Edwin Hanisch

Born May 1917, Cleveland, Ohio

Died 1973, Sacramento, California

WWII Navy radio operator, where his German language skills monitoring German communications; served on the SS Tucker, a U.S. destroyer

Father-in-law of John Jay

 



Herman A. Hibsch

Herman August Hibsch (1878 - 1939)

Spanish American War, U.S. Calvary, 4th Regiment, Company M

Great-great Uncle of Denise H. Richmond

 



Alba W. Hibsch

Alba William Hibsch (1896 - 1959)

(standing second from right)

World War I, U.S. Army

Grandfather of Denise H. Richmond



Gian G. Fiorini

Gian Guido Fiorini

Born 1897, Traona, Italy, immigrated to the United States in 1914,

and became a U.S. citizen in 1928

Father-in-law of Nancy Fiorini

  

Sherman Franklin Snow

born 19 Jul 1892, Albany, Gentry County, Missouri

died 13 Mar 1966, Whittier, Los Angeles County, California.

Letter from the Front, a transcription of a letter written by Denise Miller's maternal grandmother’s brother Sherman Franklin Snow

 

Paris France Nov 11th 1918

Dear Folks:-

This morning at sunrise I was in this city on my return to camp and will go out to night. This has been the most wonderful day I ever spent. In fact I suppose it is that to every one but being in a city like this and some thing happens like this is beyond comparison. At 11 oclock no one knew of the armistis being signed, but...[Read More]

 



posted by Denise H. Richmond
Military Monday is one of many daily themes suggested by GeneaBloggers.com.

Military Monday – Sherman F. Snow

On Active Service

with the

American Expeditionary Force

American YMCA

Paris France Nov 11th 1918.

Dear Folks:- 

This morning at sunrise I was in this city on my return to camp and will go out to night. This has been the most wonderful day I ever spent. In fact I suppose it is that to every one but being in a city like this and some thing happens like this is beyond comparison. At 11 oclock no one knew of the armistis being signed, but at 11:30 every one knew it, Church bells began ringing people hollowing and singing was some thing great then the flags were beginning to fly from every window. And the awfulest crowds of people in every way were parading the streets. Bands bombs and every thing else to make a noise was used. A fellow could not hear himself think. 

To go along the walk was a job unless he went with the crowd. Girls and old women would grab and kiss every one in khaki. (To much for me I had to beat it) (foot sweet) But no one could blame them as long as it has gone on. They never believed us when we told them some time ago. (Heaven, hell or Hoboken by Xmas) but now they know it. It came as a surprise to many. 

I can just imagine how every one is rejoicing from the news over there. I’m with every one out side of this I seen some wonderful things this fore noon. I am real tired so will close for now. I feel real good physically. 

Your Son. (Doc) 

Pvt. Sherman F. Snow 

Med. Det 47th Co. 20th Engineers 

American Ex. Forces 

Via. New York. 

Nov. 11th 1918. In Paris, I never will forget. 

Transcribed from a letter written by my maternal grandmother’s brother.
Sherman Franklin Snow was born 19 Jul 1892 in Albany, Gentry County, Missouri to James William Snow and Minerva Simpson Posey Snow. He married Marie Louise Standish 15 Dec 1919 in Steamboat Springs, Colorado and died without children 13 Mar 1966 in Whittier, Los Angeles County, California.

Submitted by Denise Miller

Posted by Ron Setzer

Military Monday: Service of Hibsch Men and More

As the nation remembers those who died in service to our country, it made me think of the many veterans in my family.  Not pictured here but remembered are my American Revolution patriot, Thomas Cresap; Civil War veteran and my great-great-grandfather Thomas Brown; and two brothers who served during the Vietnam War and the Gulf War, respectively.

Herman A. Hibsch (1878 - 1939)
Spanish American War 1898-1899
U.S. Calvary, 4th Regiment, Company M
(my great-great uncle)

Alba W. Hibsch (1896 - 1959)
(standing second from right)
World War I, U.S. Army
(my grandfather)

,

Pfc. Robert M. Hibsch
(1923 -  )
World War II, U.S. Army
1943 - 1946
417th Military Police Escort Guard Co.
(my father)

Submitted and posted by Denise Hibsch Richmond

Military Monday – Edwin Hanisch

Edwin Hanisch was born in Cleveland, Ohio in May of 1917 to a German father born in Russia and a German mother born in Poland. Because Ed, as he was called, could read, write and speak the German language, the United States Navy drafted him during WW2 and trained him as a radio operator, where his language skills could be used when monitoring German communications. When called to serve, Edwin had to leave behind a wife, two small children and a third child on the way. After radio training at the University of Chicago, Ed was assigned to the SS Tucker, a U.S. destroyer. The Tucker's primary assignment was to provide coastal protection by patrolling along the entire Eastern coast of the United States while monitoring all radio communications. Ed died in Sacramento, California in 1973.

Submitted by John Jay
Edwin Hanisch was John Jay's father-in-law.

Posted by Ron Setzer

Gian Guido Fiorini

I was looking through a large trunk filled with Fiorini family photos and memorabilia. I came upon a photo of a man wearing what appeared to be some kind of military uniform. The man in the photo looked Gian Guido Fiorini, my father-in-law.  Gian Guido was born in Traona, Italy in 1897, immigrated to the United States in 1914, and became a U.S. citizen in 1928. I had been told that he never served in the military.

I began to ask questions of the family hoping to discover information about the photo that I had found. I contacted Zia Ebe Fiorini, the oldest living member of our family to find out what information she might have concerning the picture. She confirmed that the photo was in fact Gian Guido and he was wearing an Italian military uniform. When she was a young girl, she remembers seeing Gian Guido and his new bride, Rosa Tavelli, in Traona shortly after they had married. She didn’t know the details, but somehow Gian Guido was conscripted into Italian military service shortly after his marriage.

I continued to wonder about this photo and its story. While on a trip to Italy in 1998, I met with Enrico, who is my mother-in-law Rosa’s youngest brother to ask what he knew about the picture.  Enrico related this story: One of his sister Rosa’s suitors was angry that Gian Guido had come back to Italy and married Rosa. This man alerted the Italian government that Gian Guido had returned to Italy and had not yet served the mandatory two years of military service. Italians do not automatically lose their citizenship when they become a citizen of another country, so Gian Guido was immediately put into the Italian military service. Enrico told me that it took a few months, with the help of the United States Government, for Gian Guido to be released. He and Rosa were then able to sail to America.

Submitted by Nancy Fiorini

Posted by Ron Setzer

Military Monday – Donovan K. WEBSTER

Donovan K. Webster

b. 6 Jan 1931 in Wichita, Sedgwick, Kansas

d. 14 Jan 2008 in Paul, Minidoka, Idaho

Donovan was my father-in-law. He grew up on a farm in Elk County Kansas until he was drafted into the Army in 1951 for the Korean War. After basic training at Camp Crowder, he was sent to Camp Chaffee in Arkansas to become part of a Field Artillery unit operating the 155mm Howitzer in the Fifth Armored Division. One of the major battles Donovan was involved with was the intense battle of White Horse Mountain—which was a monumental historical battle that prevented the North Koreans from streaming into the South Korean peninsula. He recalled his artillery unit firing non-stop day and night for seven days straight. When the barrel of the artillery piece got too hot from firing continuously, it would quickly be changed out with another barrel for continued firing.  He recalled being able to somehow sleep just 20 yards behind the big guns as they were firing! Donovan received the Korean Service Medal with two service stars and the United Nations Service Medal for Korea. After the war, he was active in the American Legion Post 77 in Paul, Idaho, for many years. Despite the many hardships Donovan experienced during the Korean War, he never talked much about them except when asked directly—always humble.  He was proud to have served his country and was always a true patriot. I am equally as proud of my father-in-law, Donovan K. Webster. 

Submitted by Curtis Jones

Posted by Ron Setzer

Military Monday - after 110 years a final headstone for this Veteran

THEODORE COLLINS FITCH, Captain Union Army 1865 – 121^st Ohio Infantry

Born September 13, 1838 – Died September 3, 1901

**********************************************************************

On September 3, 1901, Theodore Collins Fitch died.  He was a veteran of the American Civil War and had served from the beginning in 1861 all the way to it’s conclusion in 1865.  He served in the 6^th Ohio Infantry and the 121^st Ohio Infantry, rising from private to the rank of Captain by wars end.  He was laid to rest in the Sylvan Cemetery in Citrus Heights, California.

Captain Theodore Collins Fitch did not receive a headstone for his grave site.  Instead there is simple metal bar in the ground with a small metal tag with his name, age, date of death and that he was a Civil War Veteran.  Over the 110 years since his death the tag has been bent and wrinkled to the point that it could no longer be read.  His final resting place almost became an un-marked grave.

After six months of research and building a document file on Capt. Fitch, a request was made of the Department of Veterans Affair for a proper military style headstone to place at the grave site.  In mid September, the headstone arrived at the Sylvan Cemetery.  It is a white marble, military style headstone with all of the information to describe the final resting place of an American Veteran. 

On Saturday, October 29, 2011 at 11:00 am, there will be a dedication ceremony at the Sylvan Cemetery in Citrus Heights, CA.  Members of the Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War and Sons of Veterans Reserve Company B, 8 Calif. Infantry Regiment, will take part in the ceremony – dressed in Civil War Union Blue uniforms.  There will be musket salute, drum and bugle and a formal color guard.  The public is invited and encouraged to attend to pay tribute to an American Veteran who did not receive the recognition that all veterans deserve. 

http://sylvancemetery.com/   

Sylvan Cemetery

7401 Auburn Blvd.
Citrus Heights, Ca.

Military Monday - Donald Lester Whitney

Donald Lester Whitney

b. 31 March 1926 in Wentworth, New Hampshire

d. 6 March 2010 in Lincoln, Placer, California

My father was a member of the Greatest Generation. He joined the Coast Guard during the Second World War when he was seventeen years old. He saw action in the Pacific until the war was completed. After his discharge, he joined the National Guard. With the beginning of the Korean Conflict, he returned to active duty. Due to his prior wartime experience, he was sent to the Coast Guard Academy in Connecticut where he became an officer, and then it was back to the Pacific for the duration.

Submitted by Robyn Whitney Fitzwater

Posted by Ron Setzer

Military Monday - George D. Marks

George David MARKS was born 22 August 1921 to Albert Joseph MARKS and Mary Iretta STICKLE in New Castle, Pennsylvania.  He was the seventh of twelve children.  He grew up in New Castle and was educated there.

George was drafted into World War II on July 7, 1942.  Induction occurred at Erie, Pennsylvania followed by basic training at Sea Girt, New Jersey.  From Sea Girt, the now Private First Class (PFC) Marks was sent to Fort Monmoth, New Jersey where he attended radio signal school.  His next stop was Fort Sam Houston, Texas where he became part of the 117th Radio Signal Intelligence Company.  He was in Texas from October 1942 to March 1943.  Then his company took a train to Fort Dix, New Jersey.

From Staten Island, the young soldier boarded the Santa Elena, a Grace Line ship, and headed across the Atlantic.  Four days later, the ship arrived at Oran, Algeria in North Africa.  In total, PFC Marks spent 32 months overseas.  After North Africa he was in Sicily and Corsica and was in Sarrebourg, France on Christmas Day 1944.  He served in Luneville, France; Darmstadt and Stuttgart, Germany; and Augsburg, Bavaria.  When George left Europe, he boarded a Bardstown Victory ship in Marseille, France and landed on Staten Island, New York where his journey had begun.  PFC Marks was discharged November 10, 1945 at Fort Indiantown Gap, Pennsylvania.

Every Memorial Day is a celebration for George.  Donned in his original Army uniform, he along with members of the community, place the American flag on the graves of military veterans. On Memorial Day 2011, George posed for the photo (above) at Sylvan Cemetery in Citrus Heights, Sacramento County, California.

In November of 1946 George moved to California. In 1949 he met Sharon Loretta ANDERSON at a folk dance class.  They were married March 24, 1950 in Oakland, California.  The couple has two children and two grandchildren.

George attended school to learn to be an aircraft mechanic.  He received $75.00 a month on the GI Bill.  After he married he received an additional $30.00 a month to support a wife!  During this time the veteran had several jobs including driving a truck and working in a nursery with plants.  Later, while attending school in the morning, George worked at the Oakland Airport on swing shift as a tank sealer on DC-4 cargo planes from the Berlin Airlift. For 25 years, before his retirement in 1985, George worked at McClellan Air Force Base as a sheet metal worker.   Occasionally he worked on electric motors, aircraft engines, jets and gasoline engines.

Genealogy has been part of George’s life for many years. He is a charter member of Root Cellar Sacramento Genealogical Society.  Since it was established in 1978, George has participated in many Society activities.  He has served as Bulletin Board Chairperson and faithfully hauled the bulletin board and notices to every meeting.  George is the Society’s “raffle ticket salesman extraordinaire.”  He has sold raffle tickets for every event.  You will always see George with his “raffler’s hat” and lengths of tickets wrapped around his neck.

He has researched his STICKLE, NEWTON and HOUK lines back many generations.  His photographic memory and “computer brain” can recall the exact facts, details and relationships with amazing accuracy!

George loves folk dancing.  He became fascinated with dancing when he was in the Army after seeing an exhibition.  When he came to California he joined the San Leandro Folk Dance Club and then was asked to join the exhibition group.  He participated in the exhibition group for two years.  During the 60’s, George was an officer in his club, Pairs and Spares.  In the 70’s, he was President of the Sacramento Folk Dance Council.  He also was in the Folk Dance Federation of California, North, from 1975-1976.  George has been dancing for over 58 years! George’s other activities include selling various items for the Folk Dance Council such as pencils, t-shirts and tote bags.  He sells buttons for the Camellia Festival each year, and raffle tickets for various groups.  He likes going to “swap meets” and enjoys longs walks where he often finds coins and other objects.

Military Monday is just one of the daily blog themes suggested on Geneabloggers. Get your ancestors noticed here - submit content to rootcellarsgs@gmail.com.

 

Posted by Denise Hibsch Richmond

Military Monday - William Babcock

My GG Grandfather William Babcock was born 9 December 1831 in Warren County, Pennsylvania and died 24 March 1905 in Colorado Springs, Colorado. He enlisted as a private in Company A, Michigan 8^th Infantry Regiment on 23 September 1861 and was mustered out on 5 February 1863 at Annapolis, Maryland. His younger brother Merit Babcock died at Murfreesboro, Tennessee in April 1863 and is believed to be buried in the national cemetery in Murfreesboro.

Posted by Ron Setzer

Military Monday - Herman A. Hibsch

Herman August Hibsch was my great-great uncle.  He was born in Wisconsin to Prussian immigrants.  The family moved to Azusa, California in the late 1880s. He served in the Spanish American War at the Presidio in San Francisco, California. That service, though short, had a life-long impact on him.  He was devoted to ensuring that military service men and women were recognized on Memorial Day and Veterans Day.  He would visit patients in military hospitals and place American flags on grave sites of fallen comrades. Ironically, he died driving home on Memorial Day weekend in 1939 after placing flags at grave sites.  To honor him, his wife had the Spanish American War emblem engraved on his gravestone.   He was buried at Inglewood Park Cemetery, Inglewood, California.

Posted by Denise Hibsch Richmond

Military Monday is just one of the daily blog themes suggested by Geneabloggers. Get your ancestors noticed here - submit content to rootcellarsgs@gmail.com.