Category: We Remember

Top Kone emails that he attended Norman Hall‘s Memorial today. He reports that it was well-attended and that he met two people who heard about the memorial on TAH, but that most people were told by their local VSOs. The local news, WHAS posted this video on their Facebook page;

Top Kone quoted the minister;

A man died with out family? Look around you! You can see is his family by their vests, hats, pins, logos on shirts. We all have a family of brothers and sisters in arms.

From Top;

The city of Radcliffe went above and beyond for MSG Hall. Harden County JROTC, VFW, KY Veterans Service, and Patriot Riders all sent honor guards, Several from FT Knox also were in attendance (including my BDE Commander). Personally this is how ALL Soldiers should be honored, wish it could be like that every time.

You might remember that the 71-year-old Army veteran was murdered in Radcliffe, Kentucky. WDRB reports that two people have been arrested in the case. Top Kone promises to keep us updated on the trial.

Two suspects were arrested for Hall’s murder, including an underage female and 23-year-old Aaron Pearson.

Police believe they knew Hall, and were at his apartment to steal.

My personal thanks to the community of Radcliffe for turning out like they did for our brother.

Raymond Haerry, who was one of the few survivors of the USS Arizona left with us, passed on September 27th, according to the Washington Post;

After the first explosions rocked the USS Arizona, Raymond Haerry sprinted to one of the ship’s antiaircraft guns, hoping to somehow repel the aerial bombardment.

But the weapon wouldn’t fire. The gun’s ammunition was in storage.

Haerry raced toward the ammunition depot. An explosion reached it first, igniting gunpowder and fuel, according to a U.S. Navy interview featuring Haerry and his son. The explosion cracked the ship in two and lifted the bow into the air.

Haerry went with it, falling into oily Pearl Harbor waters that had been lit on fire. He somehow made it to shore, sweeping his arms in front of him as he swam to push the flames away.

He spent the next few days pulling his shipmates from the water. According to the Post, only five Arizona survivors remain. From the Arizona Republic, they are;

Lauren Bruner, 95, of La Mirada, Calif.
Lou Conter, 95, of Grass Valley, Calif.
Lonnie Cook, 95, of Morris, Okla.
Ken Potts, 95, of Provo, Utah.
Donald Stratton, 94, of Colorado Springs, Colo.

Haerry had served on the aircraft carrier, USS Ranger until he volunteered for the Arizona in September 1941 at Pearl.

After Pearl Harbor, Raymond went on to serve 24 years total in the Navy retiring as a master chief petty officer in 1964.

Thanks to Chief Tango for the link.

Back in May, Hondo told us that LTJG Aloysius H. Schmitt’s remains had been identified from the Punchbowl. John sends us a link to the Des Moines Register which reports that the chaplain made his way home on Friday to Dubuque;

Torpedoes hit the USS Oklahoma shortly after Schmitt and sailors celebrated Mass. As water flooded the ship, Schmitt and other sailors were trapped in a compartment with a small porthole. He had the chance to escape, but instead hoisted others to safety through the porthole. Twelve men escaped and lived.

The battleship capsized in minutes, and Schmitt became the first chaplain killed during World War II. He was among 429 crew members on that ship to die in the attack. The Navy announced in September that Schmitt’s remains had been identified.

“By living his faith, he gave his life for his country and his people unselfishly,” Schmitt’s great niece Mary Bouska said.

[…]

The Rev. Aloysius Schmitt will be interred next to the alter at Loras College’s Christ the King chapel, which was built in 1946 and 1947 in his honor. The resting place was inscribed with “Pro deo et patria,” the Loras motto, meaning “For God and country.” The chapel contains a memorial to Schmitt, including personal belongings recovered from the USS Oklahoma.

ex-OS2 sends us the news that Seaman Second Class Lewis Lowell Wagoner comes home to Wichita, Kansas today from Pearl Harbor, Hawaii;

Wagoner’s remains are to be flown Friday to Wichita, Kansas, a day before a memorial service and interment with military honors at a family plot in Harvey County’s Whitewater Cemetery. A bronze grave marker — noting the Missouri-born serviceman’s status as a Purple Heart recipient — already awaits him in a row of final resting places for three of his seven brothers. Just one brother, 87-year-old Carl Wagoner of Syracuse, Utah, is still living.

[…]

Japanese planes hit the Oklahoma with a blitz of torpedoes, quickly capsizing the battleship. Thirty-two men were rescued via holes cut through the hull, but 415 sailors and 14 Marines didn’t make it.

[…]

The Pentagon has offered no public account about how Wagoner died, though Guinn said a shipmate friend of Wagoner’s has said the two men dove off the torpedo-ravaged ship into the water ablaze with leaking oil and fuel. The friend survived and since has died; Wagoner was “not a good swimmer” and was never seen alive again, Guinn said.

Editor’s Note: This is republished from 2008, but Operation Gothic Serpent was 23 years ago today. It’s lessons live on and we’re still waging a war that has it’s roots in that battle;

15 years ago today I lost a dear friend. Tim Martin and I showed up at the Reception Station in Fort Polk Louisiana – I won’t mention the year, the fact that they were still doing Basic and Infantry AIT at Ft Polk should be enough to narrow it down for you. He was a huge, quiet and friendly guy and I felt lucky that we were attached alphabetically through those 16 weeks. I can’t count the times that I’d stumbled and looked up to see his outstretched hand to help me up.

After those 16 weeks, four weeks together at the Basic Airborne Course in Georgia, then he went to the 2d Ranger Battalion at Lewis and I went to Fort Stewart (yes, the 1st Battalion was actually on Fort Stewart in those days). We went off in our separate directions for four years and we rarely saw each other, but each time we met, the conversation picked up right where it had left off the last time.

I’ve never met anyone who ever met him that had a bad word for him. He loved the Army, and later I learned he loved his family more.

I found out his final fate on October 18th, 1993 while I was leaving my last duty station as a retired soldier when I read the casualty list from what is now known as the “Blackhawk Down” fiasco and found his name.

I spent the next seven years trying to find out what happened to him. I became a member of the fine Paratrooper.net forum, run by my good friend Mark (back when Mark and I were the only participating members). As the forum grew, I put together bits and pieces of the story and some wonderful soul sent his wife Linda my way.

The movie Blackhawk Down did a great job capturing his personality and immortalizing his love for his daughters.

Devtun sends us a link to the story of Joe Hughes’ World War One-era dogtag which was found by a fellow walking his dog and brought to Randolph, Massachusetts Police Officer Kevin Aldred who turned to social media to find the family of the owner;

Aldred’s posts to Facebook generated hundreds of responses and ultimately revealed details about the young soldier when a genealogist from New Hampshire offered to do some research.

She found out that Joseph E. Hughes had served in a machine gun unit in the 101st Infantry, had fought in battles at the Argonne Forest and others in France and was wounded.

“I had very sketchy information about my grandfather, very limited. I didn’t know what branch of the service he was in or what he did,” said Hughes.

The whole experience has left Hughes feeling grateful. He’s baffled about how a 100-year-old dog tag from the First World War ended up on the street in Randolph and elated that it came to him thanks to thoughtful people.

Top Kone sends us a link to the story of 71-year-old Norman Hall whose life ended tragically when he was beaten and stabbed by thieves in Radcliff, Kentucky. The thieves were caught, but it looks as though the 22-year veteran who retired as a sergeant major had no relatives. They were afraid that he’d end up in a pauper’s grave.

City officials have stepped up for the veteran who couldn’t step up for himself;

Two of Hall’s cousins were eventually found in Somerset, Kentucky. Donations from the coroner, police, prosecutor, the cemetery and a funeral home are making it happen.

“If anyone is a veteran or interested in coming out, we’d really appreciate it,” Young said. “It will be great to have him sent off in a proper and respectful manner.”

If you’re going to be in the area, the funeral is scheduled for October 12th at 11AM in the Kentucky Veterans Cemetery in Radcliff, with full military honors. Our thanks to Radcliff officials who are taking care of our brother for us.