|
Here are the stories of some patriots who have served our country. If you see one of these great Americans at one of our
auctions please take the time to say "Thank You!"
I just wanted to tell you the best years of
my life were my Navy days,
like your GrandDad I too was a Destroyer sailor serving on 2 tin-cans,
USS Harwood (DDE-861) and Hilary P. Jones (DD-427) during the Korean War
However, there is nothing on my records of being on the Jones. I was
part of a bunch who were putting the Jones back in service (as she was
at the time in moth-balls) to give her to the Chinese Nationalist 1954.
and I was out to sea on her for several months. off the North Carolina
coast, any one has sailed in these waters knows that every day they
have rough seas
- Jim Daab
I retired
from the Marine Corps after 21 years of service. I was a CH-53 .50 Cal
Door Gunner, a Marksmanship Instructor and a Drill Instructor @ Paris
Island. Highlights of my career: I fought in the Gulf War in 1991, and
participated in the Granada campaign Urgent Fury in 1983. I participated
in numerous operations in nearly every theater, and spent most of my
career on foreign shores. Most importantly, I had the honor to serve my
Country with the finest men and women of our times,,,many of whom are no
longer with us. Thank you for this very important posting of American
History! "Never Forget" and "Earn This"!
- Semper Fi,
John Boone, GySgt, USMC (ret) (photo from active duty below)
Good
for you on the Veterans section! We need more people like you out
there, now more than ever!!! Keep up the Great Work! Semper Fi!
- John Boone,
GySgt, USMC (ret)
I spent
12+ years in the U.S. Army and finished 20 years in the Reserve. I had
two tours in Vietnam, the first was with the 1st Infantry Division and the
second was with MACV down in the Delta. I can thoroughly appreciate our
young men and women in today's Armed Forces. They are doing a fantastic
job under extremely adverse conditions.
- Bob Linthacum,
Lieutenant Colonel, USAR, RET.
I am a disabled vet, a senior citizen, and a 26-year member of the
American Legion. I entered The US Navy 3/26/51 during the Korean Conflict
and served onboard 2 Destroyers, USS Harwood & USS Hilary P. Jones. I was
Honorably Discharged 6/2/54. I was a MMFN (Engine Room) and even though
my ship did not see any battles, to this day I still am very proud to say
I served onboard her and of my service. I still get e-mails from several
shipmates.
-
James (Jim) Daab
I'm a Viet Nam vet
with two tours Special Forces and Damn Proud of it Let's all support our
boys all over the world protecting us!
I served 1969 to 1971 ;1st
of the 5th 46th S.F group , rank spec 4.
-
Jerry Taylor
I'm a Gulf War
Veteran. I served from 1989 - 1993 in the Army. My rank was E-4 when I
exited the service. Thanks!
-
Don Mack
Service
in US Army 1970 tank commander
-
Richard Saenz
US Army, 1968 – 1972,
Vietnam, Germany, Virginia, Massachusetts, California
-
John Lorson
My fiance' served in
Vietnam, and now has been diagnosed with PTSD. For him to be recognized by
someone other than me would be a great surprise. His name is Jeffrey
John Gainey. THANK YOU!
-
Carol Zamecnik
Vietnam
veteran
-
Hugh
J Bonner
In
reply to your email regarding veterans: I served in the army from April
1965 to April 1967 (active duty).
- Jim Dye
My son, James Daab II
is a career (13 yr) Marine 1 tour in Iraq and is up for Gunny Sgt. at
present he is stationed in Yuma, AZ
- Jim Daab
I am a
veteran that has recently retired from the US Army.
- Scott Natvig
Retired Master Sgt, USAF. Sept 7 1976 - 1 Nov 1996.
- James Labita
James Crowson,
(Grandfather of Pat Cunningham) born December 11, 1889 in Grant County,
Arkansas. He loved God and our country and it seemed fitting that he
should die on Sunday, the 4th of July, 1982.
He graduated from
Baptist University in Shawnee Oklahoma in December 1912. He married
Elsie Turner and was licensed to preach at the quarterly Conference in
East Oklahoma by his father-in-law, Thomas P. Turner in November 1915 he
was ordained as a Deacon in the Methodist Episcopal Church by Bishop
Edwin D. Marzon. He then enrolled at S.M. U. for instruction in
Theology.
After serving in 4
churches he volunteered for service in the Army at the outbreak of WWI.
He graduated from Camp Taylor in 1918 as a Chaplain and Lt. after the
War he resumed his preaching in 4 churches in the Eastern Oklahoma
Conference.
He was called back into
the Army at the beginning of WWII to head the C.C.C. in Northern
California, Oregon and Washington. Her served as Chief of Chaplains in
the South Pacific and retired from the Army in 1946 as a full Colonel
(That’s what Dad called him, “Colonel”, never by his name or “grandpa”,
just “Colonel”)
His history shows how
his leadership was recognized by others. At the writing of this
memorial message, A thought came to mind how numerous were those whose
lives were enriched by his ministry. The soldiers of war, the
parishioners that he counseled and preached the gospel to, and the many
friends who came to love and respect him.
Any soldier that served
with Crowson would tell what a fine officer he was, how much concern he
had for the men, the wise counsel he gave to those who had problems. He
was looked upon as a strong officer who knew what he wanted done. Yet,
his administration of this office was always filled with kindness and
consideration for others. At the close of WWII President Truman gave
him a Letter of Commendation for the leadership that he had given to his
country.
Following his
retirement from the military, James and Elsie once again continued their
ministry to the Methodist Church. They helped to start the churches in
the Duarte and La Tijera, and served at Eagle Rock and Temple; all of
these in the Pacific Southwest Conference.
James wrote and had
published four books of poetry, and was nominated to be named the Poet
Laureate of California. He was a member of many organizations and
served as President or Commander of most of them.
-
George R. Cunningham
(photo of James Crowson below)
George Y.
Cunningham Born July 26, 1899 - Died November 22, 1958
read article about him
He joined the U.S.
Navy in 1917 was a Marksman and saw action in the Atlantic as a Gunner's
Mate on the USS Fanning, a Destroyer.
After World War I,
George managed the general store on Sun Up Plantation in Northeast
Arkansas. In the early 1920's he settled in Black Oak working for Ritter
and Bailey Mercantile Company. He married Zepha Rogers, a schoolteacher
from Jonesboro, Arkansas; they had three children, Billy, Sarah and Bobby
(Dad).
When the United States
joined the allied forces in World War II, George signed up again, this
time as a Chief Petty Officer, one of the Navy’s highest ranking
non-commissioned officers in the newly formed Seabees (Navy Corps of
Engineers).
Left to right: Lt. Billy Cunningham (Dad's older brother), George Y.
Cunningham and Bobby Cunningham (Dad)
Bobby Cunningham,
US Navy 1955 – 1957, USS Hancock. Dad is proud to have served on what was
arguably our country’s best aircraft carrier.
The “Hannah” was
Commissioned April 15th 1944 so she only saw about one year of
active duty in the Pacific during WWII; in that short time her aircraft
destroyed 713 enemy planes, another 10 were destroyed by her guns. A
Kamikaze made it to her deck in early 1945 and caused a massive fire that
was quickly controlled by her capable crew. The Hannah was also credited
with sinking 17 enemy warships and 31 merchant ships. That means the
Hannah, on average, sunk an enemy ship about every week and destroyed
about 15 enemy planes per week; an incredible record by any measure. She
lost 221 shipmates in WWII.
In Vietnam the Hannah
was tied with the USS Oriskany for most deployments, twelve; she
participated in Operation "Eagle Pull" evacuation of Phnom Penh, Cambodia
and Operation "Frequent Wind" evacuation of Saigon, South Vietnam in April
1975 One of last Essex class carriers to operate in the attack role.
The Hannah was home to
Vice Admiral John S. McCain (the Senator’s father) on occasion. Elvis
Presley toured the Hannah while Dad was onboard. Dad served on the Hannah
right after she was “modernized”. She was re-commissioned (CVA 19) Feb. 15,
1954 and was the first carrier of the U.S. Navy with steam catapults
capable of launching high performance jets, the same deck systems in use
today. She was the pride of the US Fleet and was even featured in the
Robert DeNiro film “The Deer Hunter”.
Although Dad didn’t
see any “action” he is still a war hero to us. He joined voluntarily
during the tumultuous “Cold War” when the Hannah could have been deployed
to battle duty at any time.
-
George R. Cunningham
"I am a most unhappy
man. I have unwittingly ruined my country. A great industrial nation is
controlled by its system of credit. Our system of credit is
concentrated. The growth of the nation, therefore, and all our
activities are in the hands of a few men. We have come to be one of the
worst ruled, one of the most completely controlled and dominated
Governments in the civilized world no longer a Government by free
opinion, no longer a Government by conviction and the vote of the
majority, but a Government by the opinion and duress of a small group of
dominant men."
-- Woodrow Wilson (1919), six years after signing the Federal
Reserve into existence in 1913
"And what country can preserve its liberties, if its rulers are not warned
from time to time, that this people preserve the spirit of resistance? Let
them take arms...The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time,
with the blood of patriots and tyrants."
-- Thomas Jefferson
"I am one of those who do not
believe that a national debt is a national blessing, but rather a curse to
a republic; inasmuch as it is calculated to raise around the
administration a moneyed aristocracy dangerous to the liberties of the
country."
-- Andrew Jackson
"Those who would give up essential Liberty to purchase a little temporary
Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety."
-- Benjamin Franklin
"On every question of construction (of the
Constitution) let us carry ourselves back to the time when the
Constitution was adopted, recollect the spirit manifested in the debates,
and instead of trying what meaning may be squeezed out of the text, or
invented against it, conform to the probable one in which it was passed."
-- Thomas Jefferson
"The bold effort the present
(central) bank had made to control the government ... are but premonitions
of the fate that await the American people should they be deluded into a
perpetuation of this institution or the establishment of another like it."
-- Andrew Jackson
"Laws that forbid the carrying of
arms. . . disarm only those who are neither inclined nor determined to
commit crimes. . . Such laws make things worse for the assaulted and
better for the assailants; they serve rather to encourage than to prevent
homicides, for an unarmed man may be attacked with greater confidence than
an armed man."
-- Thomas Jefferson
"Firearms stand next in importance to
the Constitution itself. They are the people's liberty teeth keystone...
the rifle and the pistol are equally indispensable... more than 99% of
them by their silence indicate that they are in safe and sane hands. The
very atmosphere of firearms everywhere restrains evil interference. When
firearms go, all goes, we need them every hour." (Address to 1st session
of Congress)
-- George Washington |
