A Salute to Our Veterans

(Veterans Day 1999)

PETER THURMES was killed action December 22, 1944, in Belgium and is buried there. (Battle of the Bulge)

NOTE; Location of museum mentioned in the letter is in Ettlebruck, Luxembourg.

A recent letter from Luxembourg stated as follows: "Five Thousand American soldiers are buried in individual graves at Luxembourg's American Military cemetery. In the middle of his soldiers lies General George S. Patton. He is a national hero.

All this shall never be forgotten. Therefore we make interviews with veterans, political prisoners and others. Nearly every day we have American WW II veterans coming to visit our museum (General George Patton Memorial Museum).

We will never forget what the American people did for our liberation. I was surprised as you told me that your cousin Peter Thurmes was killed in action during the Battle of the Bulge. I was interested where he could be buried and found out that he is buried at the American Military cemetery in Henri Chapelle Belgium. Together with my brother we went to the cemetery and laid down some flowers (red-white-blue our national colours) as a salute from the homeland of his ancestors."

Submitted by Eugene Thurmes

On the several days preceding Veterans Day this year one member of the Allegany County mailing list suggested a roll call of veterans. The spontaneous response to his suggestion is included on this page.

In loving memory of my husband, Raymond C Carter (USAF Retired),
with 23 yrs service including WW2, Korea, Vietnam.
Answered the call from up above: 8 Nov 1999.

Allegany County Veterans of WWII - Killed in Action

William A. Love U.S.N. Apr. 1968- Jun. 1 1972
Vietnam 1969-1971.

Charles Hill
USAF 23 Oct 1961 - 22 Oct 1965

Leo Gilbert Friend (deceased 1971) Army - AAF Apr. 1943 -
Nov. 1945 WWII

Carl Lease
U S Air Force March 1953 - July 1973

Rodney Knotts US Army Feb. 1969 - Oct. 1972
Viet Nam Aug. 1969 - Aug 1970

Kenneth Malone US Marine Corp WWII and Korean

Raymond Knotts US Army WWII

In memory of: Capt. Patsy Algieri ---WWII & Korean War, Retired after 20
yrs. Answered the roll call up above on January 10, 1998.

My dad was in Vietnam around 1969. A Seabee in the USN William B King. I was also off the coast of Korea before 1953 when he married Mom. His ship was shot at, but no hits.

Robert G. Shaw United States Navy WWII 1943-1946

Bernice Carter, WAC, 1943 to 1946
Camp Shanks, NY, repaired guns for departing troops.
Served on a War Bride Ship for 3 trips

William H. Wade: United States Navy: W.W.II

Raymond E. Rosley U.S. Navy World War 2

Col Robert F Askey, USA (7 Sept 1917 - 10 Nov 1989)
World War II - 1943-1945 Vietnam (1966-1967)

Lynn R. Patton - USAF March 30, 1970 to February 4, 1974
Viet Nam Jan 12, 1971 to Jan 10, 1972

Harry R. Patton - LT. Army Air Force 1942 to 1946. CBI
Final Roll Call August 17, 1996
U.S. Naval SEABEE Reserves 8/1954 to 8/1984
Retired Chief Engineering Aid

Robert E. Hook
Korean War--USAF 1952--1956

Verner J. Winner--USA Air Force
WWII---Troop Carrier-African-Sicily Campaign 1942--1943
Last Roll-- April 26, 1967

John Parker Winner
WWII--Airbourne 1942--1963

Ralph Dominic Winner--USN
USS Windham Bay-- Pacific Theatre1942--1946

George Edward STARK (my grandfather) Served 1918-1957 WWI, WWII, Korean War

Carl Reed Beachy - USAF - 1952-1964
Christopher Reed Beachy - USAF - 1977-1998
Rachel Dawn Beachy Payment - US NAVY - 1975-1979

Major Dan Harris

Thomas E. Banzhoff - US NAVY 1959-1963

John Malmquist US Army Jan 2, 1951-Nov 6, 1952 Korean Service

Channing Lee Jones
Maryland PVT. Co. D. 326 INF 82 DIV.
World War One
Sept. 5, 1886-Feb. 13, 1953

Jack Harrison Jones
No information on military service yet, possibly WWII

Joseph Franklin DeBerry, Sr. - World War I - my grandfather
Joseph Franklin DeBerry, Jr. - World War II 8th Air Force - my father
George McCracken - Civil War - my great-great grandfather
Nathan McCracken - Civil War - George's brother
James McCracken - Civil War - George's brother
William N. McCracken - Civil War - George's brother

LEO CHARLES FAHEY , ARMY, INF. 1940-1945

Carl W. Schulz, Jr. USN Lieutenant 1959-1963

Benjamin Franklin Hamilton - US ARMY - France - WW I - my father

PFC James R. L. Darr (my brother)
U.S.Army, 1951-1956 (16 months combat duty in Korea)

My brother, Charles H. Redd Viet Nam
My father , Marvin Kern WWII
My grandfather, Louis Kern WWI

William Mahon Goldsborough III United States Marine Corps
Korean War & Marine Corps Reserve 1951-1959
Answered the call from up above: 3 June 1988

George Maynard Hasenbuhler U.S. Navy
W.W.II 1942-1945
Answered the call from up above: 21 April 1983

Millard Louis Hasenbuhler U.S.Army
W.W.II 1941-1945

James Madison Cross, born Frostburg 15 May 1843, died Athens Oh 8 June
1895; 1st WV Mounted Volunteers, Private, Civil War (my great grandfather)

Thomas Lindsey Cross, born Frostburg 4 Nov 1830, died Cairo WV 6 March
1894; Co B. 1st WV Cavalry

Isaac S Cross, born Frostburg ca 1836, died as a prisoner at Andersonville
Prison of malnutrition 6 September 1864

The above three veterans were the sons of William and Rebecca (Porter) Cross and the grandsons of John "Squire Jack" and Eleanor (Glissan) Porter.

My 4th Great Grandfather Jacob Fazenbaker fought in the Revolutionary
War. On the American Side.

Gerald E. Miller (myself) 1985-1993 US Army
Fulda Gap, West Germany (Cold War)
Operation Just Cause (Panama)
Desert Shield/Desert Storm

Wayne A. Miller (my brother) 1987-1988 US Marines
(medical discharge due to back injury)

Earl Miller (my uncle)
1953 -1976 (?) US Air Force Retired
Vietnam

Melvin Miller (g-uncle)
WWII - Pacific Theater

Ralph Hoopengardner (g-uncle)
WWII - European Theater

Robert A. Marshall, Coast & Geodetic Survey, Lt Cmdr USS Oceanographer,
Solomon Islands 1942-1944
John T. Marshall, USMC, Colonel (ret), 1960-1990
Sheila A. Marshall, US Army Nurse, 1964-1969

Richard T. Strickland, 1989 - 1994
U. S. Army - Ranger - Desert Storm
Son

Walter Byron Tomlinson - U. S. Army, W. W. I
Final roll call - November 28, 1945
Walla Walla, WA
Father

Donald D. Tomlinson, U. S. Army, W. W. II
Raymond P. Tomlinson, U. S. Army, W. W. II
Brothers

Samuel L. Caldwell - Civil War
Co. K, 2nd Cavalry, California Volunteers
Final Roll Call - November 11, 1896, Gurdane, OR
Great Grandfather

Joseph Tomlinson - Revolutionary War
Final Roll Call, December 1, 1797, Moundsville, WV
4th Great Grandfather

Ritchie A. Love (Luke) Army, KIlled in action Italy 1943
Robert F. Love (Luke) Army, Pearl Harbor Survivor, died 1988
John Metz (Lonaconing) 2nd Maryland Inf. Civil War.

Ken Burdette-Sept 1942-Aug 1946 Army-Infantry-1st LT.

Thomas Athey, Grayson's Regiment, American Revolution
Benjamin Athey, Grayson's Regiment, American Revolution, Died in service, 9 Dec 1778
Thomas Athey, 1st Regiment, Virginia Militia, War of 1812
William N. Athey, McNeill's Rangers, CSA, Civil War
James Harden, 2nd Potomac Home Brigade, U.S. Army, Civil War
Daniel H. Parrish, Co. B, 75th Engrs., U.S. Army, World War I
Earl D. Athey, 45th Div., M.P. Plat., U.S. Army, World War II
Gerald Athey, 332nd Bomb. Sq., U.S. Army Air Corps, World War II
Ivern Athey, Co. A, 4th Plat., U.S. Army, WWII, KIA at the Battle of the Bulge
James N. Athey, Co. A, 157th Engrs., WWII, POW at the Battle of the Bulge
Floyd M. Athey, Co. A, Qm. Corps, World War II
Eugene Miller, Infantry, U.S. Army, Vietnam
David Athey, 437th MAW, U. S. Air Force, Vietnam

FRIEND, James Russell, died 1918,(influenza) Camp Humphries
VA, 8th Eng Training Reg. Co. F.

UPOLE, William M. Civil War, Co. C, 2nd Md. Potomac Home
Brigade.

Father: James K.Clark
Enlisted Feb. 12,1909 at twenty years of age. served in 131 st Coast artillery; 4th Cavalry 1911; 13th Cavalry 1917; Sgt. 21st Cavalry July 1917; Motor Transport Corps 1920; 79th Field Artillery 1921; honorably discharged July 1921 ;died Sept.13,1967. Great Dad--when the sergeant spoke, you listened.

Mothers brother:Samuel Richard Johnson
Ambulance driver with the 2nd Sanitation Train, 2nd Division. Was at Chateau-Thierry, Belleau Woods,on Meuse and Soissons, and St. Mihiel. Killed at Champagne offensive. Buried in France, awarded the Croix -de-Guerre, cited for bravery by General Petain. Gone but certainly not forgotten

John W. McKenzie
US. Marine Corp. August, 1943 to July, 1946

John Valentine McGriff
Company B - 110 Th Ohio Volunteers Infantry.
Killed at the battle of Mine Run on Nov 27, 1863 at the age off 22.
( My G-G Grandfather )

George McGriff Company A - 84 Th Indiana Volunteers Infantry. Served 1862 - 1864 ( My G-G-G Grandfather )

Robert Earl Wilms, U.S Army W.W.II, 14 May 1943, 1 July 1946. Served in the China, Burma, India theater.

Jack Dean - USNR 1950 - 1954, Active Duty 1952 - 1954. Served aboard the
USS Chipola, AO63.

G-grandfather Wallis Rodgers - Sergeant, 202 Pennsylvanis Infantry - 1864-1865

Dan Harris - USAF 2 Oct 71 to present

HARMAN UTTERBACK Continental Army Maternal 3xG Grandfather

H. STANLEY TORBET Pfc Army Engineers WW1 1918-1919 (father)
JOHN M.TORBET Lt Army Corps of Engineers 1955-1957
JOHN D. TORBET US Navy 1989-1992 Desert Storm (son)

My cousin, Robert Hartsock, was Killed In Action, in Vietnam. He was the first Allegany County, MD resident to be killed during the war, and is buried in the Veteran's Cemetery at Rocky Gap State Park, east of Cumberland.

Debra Hutcheson U.S. Army Europe 1981 to 84.

Raymond J. Brown Jr.--------Korea---------8 years
Richard W. Brown Sr.-----------
James Allen Brown-------------
Donald E. Brown------------Viet Nam---------13 years
Thomas J. Reckley----------Korea
Charles Davis Reckley-----Civil War
Martin Conser Hartley-----------Civil War
Charles W. Boden-----------------Civil War
Joseph E. Boden-------------World War 1
Raymond J. Brown Sr.----------World War ll
Chester F. Erickson--------------World War ll
Hetzel Boden------World War ll-----Prisoner of war in Germany
Charles "Chick" Boden--------World War ll
Dorn "Bud" Reckley---------World War ll

Musings of a Veteran
Tom Speelman U.S. Air Force
1 July 1969 - 1 October 1998

First, as someone who spent 29 years in all parts of the world serving in the U.S. Air Force, I want to say that the outpouring of sentiment concerning veterans on this list is heartwarming and reconfirms that this is the best list going!!!!

A veteran is a veteran, regardless which side he fought on. During my tours in Europe, I've seen a Luftwaffe fighter ace sit down and share memories of the war with a legless British ace who was a prisoner of war in the camp commanded by the German. Their discussion was not between a German and a Brit but between two professionals who had fought for their country ---- remember, they were just the pawns in the war --- it is the governments which started the conflict. They bore no ill sentiments towards each other or others who fought on the other side during the war. They were men who were doing their duty to their county --- and who would have most likely have been sent to jail if they hadn't. The same rapproachment is starting to occur with our Viet Nam vets and Vietnamese soldiers today. If individuals bear no ill will against their former adversaries, far be it for us to do so.

Regarding the Hessians ---- they were not individuals who decided on their own to come fight on the British side but rather were in units sent to fight on the British side by their rulers who willingly sent off their young men in exchange for the King's gold. Again, it was the rulers who should be faulted, not the soldier. Many of the Hessians stayed after the war, swore allegiance to the new America and then spent the majority of their lives being good citizens in the United States. They were hard working, honest men who, in spite of which side they fought on originally, contributed more than their fair share to our country. I have a Hessian soldier who is my ggggGrandfather who was among the troops surrendered by Cornwallis at Yorktown, was marched from there to Frederick, Md where he was a POW. After the war, he married in Frederick in 1784 and moved to Allegany County in the mid 1790s where he lived and raised a family of nine children. Among his descendants are the following veterans that I know of:

A son who was a War of 1812 veteran - on the U.S. side.

Three gGrandsons, all from Cumberland, who were Civil War veterans on the
Union side.

A gggGrandson, my father, who was born in Cumberland and served 20 years in the Army Air Corps and Air Force seeing service in WWII and Korea.

A ggggGranson, me, with 29 years in the AF.

In conclusion, I believe it important that we list all our ancestors who were veterans regardless of which side they fought for in the Revolutionary War. When we honor veterans, we don't necessarily honor the cause for which they fought, we honor the individual and the sacrifices he made in a cause greater than himself. This note is offered to help honor those who have sacrificed for a cause larger than the individual. In the words of a country song --- "All gave some, some gave all."

Wishing the best to all --- veterans and nonveterans ---- on this Veterans' Day and all days thereafter.

God bless each of you!

A related thing regarding veterans occurred to me today. While I was stationed in Germany, my neighbor for two years was a French officer and his wife who still are very dear friends, even though he's retired and lives in France and I'm retired and live in Virginia. He and his wife came to visit last year - their first visit to America.

Because of the tremendous contribution of the French at Yorktown, we took them to Yorktown battlefield. One of the stops we made was a small cross marking the mass grave of about 50 unknown French soldiers who were among the casualties there. I made a comment about how grateful we were for the French soldiers who died in support of our struggle for freedom. I'll never forget his reply ---- "Yes, Tom, but there are a lot more American crosses in Normandy."

Thomas Lancaster USMC 1952-1954 -Korea

Harold "peeWee" Muma, U.S. Coast Guard, W W 2

Clarence E Crowe, US Army, 1917-1920

Mark William Metz U. S. Army 1992 - 1996 Active duty: Desert Storm

Allegany Community College had a newspaper clipping from April 24, 1919-

"Lonaconing Memorial Service-Citizens To Hold Service In Memory Of Boys Who Gave Life For Country In Great War-Roll Of Honor Completed"

A parade was held with members of the various branches of the armed services marching. GAR and veterans of the Spanish American War also participated.

This article mentions " Nearly five hundred left here to battle for liberty, and 21 of this number have made the supreme sacrifice. There is no doubt that Lonaconing's ratio is the highest in the Uniited States from a population between five and six thousand."

Roll of Honor
Lonaconing men who made the supreme sacrifice:

Killed in Action
James P. Love, June 7, 1918
Julius Richter, Septemebr 26, 1918
Thomas Ricker, September 26, 1918
John M. Clark, September 27, 1918
John Frye, September 30, 1918
Charles Green, October 14, 1918
Lieutenant J. Galen Skilling, November 7, 1918
John R. Fairgrieve, November 27, 1918

Died of Disease
James McKenzie, August 6, 1918
Thomas E. Fazenbaker, September 26, 1918
James McAlpine, October 2, 1918
Jesse Keifer, October 5, 1918
James Ferrens, October 9, 1918
William S. Brown, October 10, 1918
Frank Leese, October 16, 1918
James M. Ritchie, October 16, 1918
Fleming Donaldson, October 17, 1918
James N. McKenty, Novemeber 26, 1918
General James F. McIndoe, February 6, 1919

Limited Service
William M. Schaidt, October 10, 1918
Levi Brown, November 4, 1918

This article also lists the program for the day and the various committe members. Unfortunately, the name of the paper is not on there-just the date.

Transcribed by Denise Crowe Mullen

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