First Firebird Cruise-- Part 9: Two Graves

When I turned on  I was very near where I kept the boat during winters.

Like I said, I was going to the Linn-Hebron Cemetery to visit two graves.  

One was the grave of Major Watson (Major really was his first name).  He is thought to be the only veteran of the American Revolution buried in McHenry County.  He also fought in the War of 1812.  He had the sad distinction of being captured by the British in both wars and  spent almost all of the War of 1812 in prison.  I have written about him a lot in my Cooter's History Thing and War of 1812 blogs.  At either site, scroll down the right side until you get to the Search This Blog line and type in his name.

The other person's grave is Elmer Charles Bigelow, who was the recipient of a Congressional Medal of Honor in World War II.  He was a  Water Tender 2nd Class aboard the USS Fletcher (DD-445) when it was hit by a Japanese shell in Manila Bay.  He valiantly fought the resulting fire at risk of his life and he died the next day.

--RoadDog