VETERANS: WE SALUTE YOU!

Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, Coast Guard – these are the branches of the United States Military.  There are many veterans in the Surnames written about in this blog.  So, in honor of Veterans Day, here are some of the brave and patriotic men who have served in our military since the struggle for Independence.  I am sure I am missing some, and I’m intentionally not including some of my great grandparent’s brothers, uncles and cousins, or this would get to be too long. 

REVOLUTIONARY WAR (1776-1783) 

I wrote about Henry PATTERSON (1730/35-1781), one of my 5x gr-grandfather’s in my WALLIS family, who sold 500 head of beef for 27 ½ Spanish Milled Dollars.  The transaction receipt is dated 7 August, 1781.  Henry died in two months later in General Green’s Camp on the Hills of Santee.  He and his wife Elizabeth are buried together near Taylorsville, in Alexander County, North Carolina.    

Henry and Elizabeth’s son John PATTERSON (1758-1837) served in the Revolutionary War from North Carolina.  His pension application shows he volunteered for service in Captain Samuel Reed's Company under General Rutherford.  He fought in the Battle of Ramsour's Mill, NC, June 20, 1780, and the Battle of Camden, NC, August 16, 1780, at which time he received two sword cuts.  He was wounded and taken prisoner.  He states he had a difficult time reaching home after being released from prison.  He received a $48 pension per year from his disability.  John Patterson died December 31, 1837 and was buried in the Allen Cemetery, Hiddenite, North Carolina. 

There are other names, but little information - John GAY, from Virginia; George TYLER, Sr., Lieut. From Virginia; and Samuel DENBY, a 4x gr-grandfather on my LAREW line, unknown colony. 

WAR OF 1812

Samuel DENBY (1789-1876) – son of the Revolutionary War veteran of the same name, is one of my 3x gr-grandfathers in my Larew line.  He served February 15 to July 31, 1813 with the Virginia Militia. 

 MEXICO WAR

There are no Mexican War veterans of which I am aware. 

CIVIL WAR (1861-1865)

There is a long list of Civil War soldiers in my family tree, some Rebs and some Yanks.  I will not go into great detail here since there are so many. 

Among the Yankees were Francis Marion CHURCHWELL (1843-1929), my great-grandfather.  He served in the 11^th Missouri State Militia Cavalry, and in Co K, 13^th Missouri State Cavalry, serving the Union cause.  He received a pension, having received a sabre wound of head at the Battle of Independence Missouri October 1864.  He was captured at Chalk Bluff April 21, 1863 and paroled at Little Rock, Ark. August 21, 1863.  He died in 1929, and his widow Sarah Ann Virginia, received a widow’s pension until her death in 1931.  

William Arthur DENBY (1824-1893), a LAREW 2x great-grandfather, was a surgeon and a minister, and served in both capacities with the 6^th Missouri Cavalry.  I’m not sure how long he served as he was elected to the State Legislature and resigned his military position.    

James Webb VANHOOSER (1827-1911), fought with the 6^th Missouri Cavalry, the same regiment as Dr. Denby.  Little did they realize that they would share the same descendants!  Dr. Denby’s daughter Margaret married Charles Porter LAREW; Charles’ son James married Helen VANHOOSER, the granddaughter of James Webb.  

James Webb VANHOOSER

Andrew Jackson STOCKTON (1832-1902) fought with the 76^th Missouri Regiment from July, 1862 to March, 1863, and the 7^th Missouri Militia from June to October of 1864.  

The Rebel ancestors include a WALLIS 2x great-grandfather, Jeptha Rufus SMITH (1845-1915), who fought for the Confederacy in the 1^st/4^th Consolidated Missouri Volunteer Infantry.  He entered the military at 21 years of age.  At the battle of Corinth, October 3, 1862, he received a terrible wound, being shot through the body from his right to his left side, just under the arms, an ounce ball passing in at one side and out at the other.  Amazingly, he recovered enough to resume his place in the ranks.  

James LAREW (1814-1888) took up the rebel cause, serving in the 27^th Tennessee Infantry.  He was captured at Missionary Ridge in the Battle of Chickamauga on November 25, 1863, and sent to Rock Island, Illinois POW camp where he took the Oath of Allegiance on March 18, 1864.  He apparently returned to Cocke County, Tennessee, where he appears in the 1870 census.  A short time after that he moved to Greene County, Missouri and appears at that location in the 1880 census.  

WORLD WAR I

Ben CHURCHWELL – Inducted May 24, 1918, at Burlington, Colorado.  Honorable Discharge, “Engagement with Mexicans Nogales, Arizona, 3-27-1918.”  Pancho Villa (1878-1923).  Ben was discharged May 12, 1919, at Fort D.A. Russell, Wyoming. “Remarks:  Service: Honest and faithful.  No A.W.O.L. or absence under G.O. 31 W.D. 1912 and G.O. 45 W.D. 1914.

Ben's medals, Mexico Expeditionary Force

WORLD WAR II (1941-1945)

My Grandma CHURCHWELL saw four of her sons go off to war, and thankfully they all came back home!  Francis served in the U.S. Naval Seabees.  The Seabees were construction battalions that built naval installations and bases for the Army, Marines, and even Allied troops.  There is a museum in Rhode Island devoted to the Seabees.  Grandma’s second son, Harold, was not able to serve, having had polio and having been in a serious car accident in 1930.  Richard joined the Navy in 1941 and was onboard the U.S.S. Enterprise when the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor.  The fleet of aircraft carriers that was stationed in Hawaii were out to sea, so none of them were damaged or destroyed in the attack.  Kenneth was drafted into the Army.  He was a conscientious objector and was assigned as a medic so he didn’t have to carry a firearm. Kenneth earned a Purple Heart when he was hit by shrapnel running for his fox hole.  Calvin served in the Navy as an airplane radio operator.  Calvin escorted a sailor’s remains home, as was the practice during the War.  The young man was guiding a plane in that had landed when he backed into the propeller of a plane waiting to take off.   

Francis Churchwell on right
France, 1943

My dad, Kermit LAREW, was drafted into the Army and had to report to Fort Logan on Friday, March 13, 1942.  I give a lot of detail on this in my Larew Family Tree post.

My dad’s cousin, Ross Gailon VANHOOSER served in the Navy.  He gave the ultimate sacrifice, being killed in action onboard the U.S.S. Boise.  He was a gunner and died at his post on October 12, 1942, during the Battle of Cape Esperance, off the coast of Savo Island.  He was buried at sea. 

Another cousin of my dad’s was Kenneth VANHOOSER, Sr., who served in the U.S. Coast Guard.  

KOREAN WAR

I don’t know of any relatives that served during the Korean War.

VIETNAM WAR

 Cousin Doug WILLIAMSON served in the U.S. Navy; he was inducted March, 1966 and attended Boot camp at San Diego Navy Training Center (the same place where our Uncle Calvin trained during World War II).  From there, Doug went to the Naval school of music in Little Creek, Virginia, from July, 1966 to May, 1967.  His main instrument was the tuba, but he learned string bass while at the school.  He was sent to Pearl Harbor, Hawaii and was there May, 1967-July, 1968, mostly playing Big Band music.  He was then sent back to San Diego to play his bass in the band on base; he was there from July, 1968 to December, 1969.  The band played at special events like boot camp graduations.  It was while he was there that he met Katie on September 5, 1969, and they were married exactly one year later on Sept 5, 1970. 

Evelyn CHURCHWELL married Curtis BOOK on March 21, 1969, and he was drafted into the Army the following October.  He was released early in May, 1971, to take a job with the U.S. Forest Service.  Evelyn’s brother Everett, also served in the U.S. Army and was sent overseas to Vietnam.

Gary CHURCHWELL served in Vietnam in the 2^nd Army, 9^th Infantry at the DMZ – De-Militarized Zone – between North and South Vietnam.  He was in the Army 1969-1972, his specialty was stock control accounting, and he was in the Motor Pool for 13 months.  Gary received his separation certificate in March of 1972, while at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. 

 

Gary with his Separation Papers

 

Kim LARSON's 1st husband, Derald GAUTIER, Sr., figured if he was going to be drafted he might as well decide for himself which branch of the military he wanted to be in so he joined the Air Force on December 7, 1967. He attended basic training, then tech school in Wichita Falls, Texas, then off to Viet Nam, stationed in Na Trang as an airplane mechanic. He made the best of the situation.  He didn’t like the barracks so he “liberated” supplies and built individual rooms in his barracks – he got an award for “beautifying the base.”  He drove around in a jeep for a period of time before someone asked why an Airman had his own jeep-oops!  He was in Vietnam from 1968-69.  Kim and Derald got a week of R&R in Hawaii about half way through his tour. 

PEACETIME

Lee Jones, U.S. Navy, studying Electrical Engineering.  

 

IRAN 

I don’t know of any relatives that served during the Korean War. 

IRAQ/AFGHANISTAN 

I don’t know of any relatives that served during the Korean War.

Thanks to those of you who shared your memories and photos with me!  For anyone I missed, your service is still very much appreciated.  Whether in wartime or peacetime, your willingness to give up your personal life to serve your country is what keeps America the free country we are today. 

Thank You!

 

 

 

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