Thanksgiving 2021, Native American Vets

Thanksgiving is upon us once again and we have many things for which to be grateful. My list is most assuredly different from yours, but I think we should all agree that the service of Native Americans must be high on anyone's list.

So, today, I am going to hold back on the previously promised visit to South Carolina to address the service of Native Americans.

No group in America serves in our country's defense at a greater rate.

I have written and posted before about the National Native American Vietnam Memorial and you can find that elsewhere on this site. It is located in Neillsville,Wisconsin at a site called The Highground.

 

 

Today, however I want to share the newly dedicated National Native American Memorial in Washington DC.

I posted a couple of pics last November as it was about to be dedicated, but at the time, I could not gain access as it was mostly shrouded in preparation for the next days unveiling.

 

Just outside the Museum of the American Indian in Washington DC is the one year old Native American Veterans Memorial enclosed by a plethora of trees, shrubs, and water plants.

Here you can see the four lances with feathers, prayer clothes, and other mementos that people leave at the site. The green plant life on the surface of the water is Duck weed which will recede during the colder months. I am told there is a plan to remove it before next spring.

Among the many prayer clothes and other things left behind was this teddy bear.

Each of the Services is noted and honored at the entrance to the site.

This is a beautiful and long over due reminder of just how valiantly Native Americans have defended this country. It is striking in its gorgeous setting and in its simplicity, there are no names (those lost in Vietnam are listed upon the memorial in Wisconsin) and no wars listed.

Next time, on Thanksgiving Day I will be with family, I hope you are too. 

I will post a quick holiday greeting and then visit South Carolina on the 30th, so join me there,as usual, at 9:00am.

To visit Vietnam memorials from any state, please click on the state name on the left side of this page.

North Carolina XVII

 

Previous trips to North Carolina have mostly been in the eastern side of the state, but a recent trip to Greensboro for a family wedding provided an opportunity to see other more western sites. Greensboro is also the home of the Guilford County Veterans memorial which may be found elsewhere on this site.

Today, I want to share this site from right in the city of Greensboro. It sits at 301 N. Church Street and honors all from the area, over 600, who have died in our nations wars since WWII.

Plaques listing all who have "laid down their lives ..." are placed along the memorials edge.

 

Those from our efforts in 'Nam are listed here, too, all 77 of them.

The sculpture is called Metaphor, a famous work by artist Ogden Deal, is a twelve foot steel statue of a human figure stretching out its hands to the sky. Standing for nearly forty years, the statue is sponsored by the Greensboro Youth Council and installed at the intersection of Summit Avenue, East Lindsay Street and Church Street.

Next time, on the 21st, we will revisit South Carolina, so join me there, as always, at 9:00am.

To see additional memorials from North Carolina, or any other state, please click on the state name on the left side of this page.

Veteran's Day 2021

So, Veterans Day with its storied history, changes of dates and varied meanings and significance is upon us once more.

If you had asked me all those years ago shortly after leaving the army if I might be sitting here writing about this subject, I probably would have laughed.

I was not what most would call a military guy. Yeah, I was drafted, did my training and headed off to 'Nam, like nearly 3 million others, but it was not my calling. I didn't have any real problems, just not what I saw as a long term thing for me.

I come from a staunchly military family. Many uncles and great greats all served in various times. Mostly in the Navy. Family legend has it that we are related to Commodore Barry, the Father of the American Navy.

I, however, ended up in the Army, yet served in the Army's Navy. We trained at Norfolk and Ft. Eustis, so... in some ways, back to the Navy!

Unless you are a first time visitor to this site, you know that I concentrate on Vietnam memorials, but today I will share a couple of more general, all veterans memorials I have come across in my travels.

Harve de Grace, Maryland

Anthem, Arizona

Nome, Alaska

 

Gano, Oklahoma

St. Louis, Missouri

All of the above honor many veterans and their efforts in many wars and while these are but a very few, I hope they represent all veterans and the honor, gratitude and debt we as a nation owe them all.

I hope each of you who happen upon this are thanked today or that you thank a vet for all they have given. We have learned as a nation to separate the warrior from the war, so matter how you feel about any one particular effort, never forget that those who risked so very much deserve our respect and thanks.

Next time, on the 16th we will revisit North Carolina, so meet me there, as alwways at 9:00am.

To see other Vietnam memorial,s from any state, please click the state name on the left side of this page.

New York XXVI

Mike Minnick is a friend of mine and a superb photographer, he's one of those guys who rarely, if ever, manipulates a photo. He just has that good an eye and knows his stuff.

When in my last post I asked for pictures of memorials from others, he immediately sent me several.

The following are his pics of a memorial in Mount Morris, New York. Mount Morris is about 60 mikes east and a little south of Buffalo and as of 2010 had a population of fewer than 4500. AGAIN, I am stunned at what small towns do for their vets.

 

 

Like so many places that cannot afford memorials to individual wars, Mount Morris has created what is called a multi-war memorial, honoring many from many conflicts.

 

The large memorial just to the right of the star lists those from these wars who were lost in those efforts.

Seen here is what seems to be a later addition,the single name of the man lost in Vietnam.

 

Regardless, he is here, honored forever.

A nearby sign attempts to tell our story. It is a bit worn so...

Vietnam Conflict

The controversial war

Almost 9 million men and women

served in the military during this long

and unpopular war.Never losing a

major battle GIs sustained over

211,000 casualties, with 47,378 KIA.

While controversy at home continued,

it became evident that american

involvement had to end.

After the US military left, however,

the North vietnamese engaged in a 

blood bath in the south. It was to spill

over to the "killing fields" of Cambodia.

There is more here that I will post at a future date.

In the meantime, join me at 11:00 hour of the 11th day of the 11th month for a look at a few memorials dedicated to all veteran.

To see additional memorials from New York, or any other state, please click the state name on the left side of this page.

Massachusetts XXI

Natick, Massachusetts is a suburb of Boston, about 25 minutes west and a little south.

The town has made it a priority to ensure that those lost in Vietnam will be honored and remembered forever.

Known at the Natick 11 they are remembered here on this memorial but also by the naming of town squares for each of them.

The Natick 11 include, and honor, Dennis M. Poteat who was actually from North Carolina but, he was posted here and considered to be a member of the group.

This is not unheard of at all. I have written about one soldier, a Medal of Honor recipient, that I have found in at least three, maybe four memorials around the country. This gladdens me, that after the way many of us were treated upon coming home, that now so many are honored in so many places.

Next time I write about Massachusetts I will include the several other interesting components of this site.

These and the future postings from Natick are pictures taken by my friend Jay Korff. Jay is reporter with WJLA, an ABC affiliate in Washington DC. He did a story about this effort a few years ago which won 2 Emmys, 2 Edward R. Morrow Awards, and a Top Prize from the Associated Press Awards. All of this thrilling to me as you might guess, but the best thing is that we have stayed in touch, he has maintained an interest in this project and I consider him a friend.

Thank you Jay for your ongoing support and these pics!

These pictures are opening another chapter of A Means to Heal. In the very near future I will be posting additional photos by other people. Hopefully this will expand the range of memorials available to post, direct attention to others doing similar work and help compensate for my inability to travel during the pandemic.

I invite any reader who has photos of memorials not found on this site to get in touch. If I use your photos I will certainly give you a photo credit. There is an email on the left side of the page.

Next time, on the 6th, we will return to New York, so meet me there at 9:00am.

To see other memorials from Massachusetts, or any other state, please click on the state name on the left side of this page.

Maryland XXXIII

I have posted from Harve de Grace before and you can find that one elsewhere on this site, but I had read about a new memorial in the historic town but could not quite remember what it was about.

So, on a recent day trip to find new memorials for this site, I decided to take a chance and check it out.

After a little bungling around the beautiful town, visiting the original memorial, I finally had to ask someone. A very nice lady having her lunch along the river walk directed me to the new memorial.

It, too, is along the river walk and can be reached from Concord Street.

 

 

Since initial installation, better walking access and lighting have been added to the site.

 

The various panels all have specific meaning as you will see in the final picture.

Obverse

 

 

 

I realize that is not specifically a Vietnam memorial, but there were about 58,279 Gold Star Families from that effort so I choose to honor them with this post. My own family qualifies from WWII and the GWOT.

Next time, on November 1st, we will visit that memorial in Massachusetts I teased about in the post before this one, so meet me there, as always, at 9:00am.

To see additional memorials from Maryland, or any other state, please click the state name on the left side of this page.

Louisiana X

Just a quick look back at Gonzales, Louisiana. I have posted from here before, but found a couple more pictures that I like.

I previously posted a picture of this eagle from the front which you can find elsewhere on this site, but really liked the detail on the view from the back.

I have often stated that I have a weakness for flags and this one blowing in the wind with the sun shining through it caught my eye.

 

So, I guess that is it for this quick post. I will be on the road for a bit, but hope to post some pics from Massachusetts taken by my friend Jay Korff when I return.

So, join me on the 27th for pics from Maryland first, join me at 9:00am.

To see additional memorials from Louisiana, or any other state, please click the state name on the left side of this page.