Along66, Dec. 2022: The Cozy, a Medal of Honor and an Elephant

DECEMBER 11

The Cozy Dog in Springfield, Illinois, is getting a new sign.  Well, new old sign.  Those great guys over at Ace Sign Company have designed it as a throw-back kind of sign to an earlier one used at the place.

Bob Waldmire started it in 1946.

DECEMBER 13

Medal of Honor recipient Hiroshi Miyamura will be interred in his hometown of Gallup, New Mexico.  He was 97 when he died recently in Phoenix.  He received his medal during the Korean War.

DECEMBER 15

If you're driving through Lexington, Illinois, you may have notived an 11-foot tall scrap metal elephant sculpture called "American Standard."  It is located by the Freedom gas station.

The artist is Kasey Wells, who has several other sculptures around Lexington, ran as a write-in candidate for President of the United States in 2020.  I always like folk art.

Love That Cozy.  --RoadPhant

2021 Keep Spirit '45 Alive-- Part 4: Korean War Veterans in Attendance

Then, Ron Bykowski read off the Korean War veterans in attendance.

Corporal ___________ _________ 8th Army, Korea 1951-1952

Sgt, U.S. Army ________ ________ 7th Army, 1952-1953  Korea

Corp. Arnie Millan, 1953-1954

George Mann, Korea

I did miss some of the names.

Again, sadly, like the World War II veterans.  Not many of them.

Of course, the extreme heat today as well as the continuing COVID-19 problem could have also worked to keep the numbers down.

2021 Spirit of '45 on McHenry, Illinois-- Part 2: Marks the Surrender of Japan, VJ Day

The event started at 5 pm with a rebroadcast of what Americans heard on the radio as Japan had finally complied with the terms of the Potsdam Declaration and surrendered unconditionally.  This decision on their part came after the two atom bombs were dropped on Japan.  They had already reached the point at which there was no way they could win, but were still ready to fight to the end.

So, VJ Day was August 14, 1945.  This set off celebrations in the United States like you wouldn't believe.

This is the 12th time the City of McHenry, Illinois, has observed the Spirit of '45.  Sadly, very few places in the United States observe it.  These days, not only is the World War II folks honored, but also the Korean War people.

Also, sadly, every year there are fewer and fewer of both groups at Veterans Park.

All events take place at and around the huge gazebo in the park.

After the posting of the colors by the Combined Veterans of McHenry, the "Star-Spangled Banner" was sung and the Pledge of Allegiance recited.  The huge U.S. flag that is normally there and hoisted on ladders by the McHenry Fire Department weren't there today because of the strong winds.

Ron Bykowski was the master of ceremonies and the real driving force behind all of this celebration.

--RoadDog

Reasons New Orleans' Mardi Gras Canceled Throughout History-- Part 2

This past Tuesday's Mardi Gras in New Orleans was canceled and the culprit being the you-know-what, although had they had it, it would have been a mighty cool one with top temperature at 32 degrees.

Since New Orleans is a port city it has been very susceptible to various disease outbreaks over the years as well.  After a yellow fever epidemic outbreak in  1878 killed  more than 4,000 people in the city, two of the three krewes did not participate in 1879, though one krewe did.

Fat Tuesday and Mardi Gras events returned the following year and ran annually until 1918, when the Spanish Flu.  The United States had also entered World War I.  In the aftermath of the war and with the flu outbreak the festivities were called off again in 1919.

Wars were also the  deciding factors for the next cancelations.  From 1941 through 1945, World War II halted the events.  The Korean War in 1951 caused the growing number of krewes to scale back or not participate at all.

--RoadGras

Honoring Illinois State Trooper Gerald Ellis-- Part 1

I was out there most of this afternoon for the funeral procession of fallen State Police Policeman Gerald Ellis. He gave up his life in the line of action so that others might live.  The true definition of a hero.  And he was sent off in a correct manner.  By fellow officers and a whole lot of the general public around where I viewed it at the corner of Illinois Highway 173 and Deep Lake Road east of Antioch, Illinois.

Services were held at the College of Lake County in Grayslake and then a procession left there and went to the Tri-State Tollway and north to Randall Road by the state border and then to 173 to Deep Lake and Lake Villa.

We had around 100 people where I saw it along with two fire trucks with ladders up flying a huge American flag, several hundred smaller American flags and quite a few of the Blue Line American flags including the one I was holding.

Unfortunately, the procession was delayed almost an hour in starting so we had a long wait.  Fortunately, the weather was fairly nice.

I told several people the significance of the flag I was holding and talked quite a while with one man who had been drafted in the Vietnam War but had served his time in Korea along the dangerous DMZ as an artillery observer.  Sadly, he told me that after his tour of duty was over, his group went to Hawaii for shots and were told to take off their uniforms and get into civilian ones.

They found out why when they got stateside, when, despite civilian clothes, they were recognized as soldiers, sworn at and spat upon with calls of murderer and baby killer.

This never should gave happened.  Whether you were for or against a war or president, you never ever treat out military that way.  Sure hope this never happens again.

"You Cannot Exaggerate About the Marines"

Today being the 243rd birthday of the USMC, a few words to sum them up are in order.

"You cannot exaggerate about the Marines.  They are convinced to the point of arrogance, that they are the most ferocious fighters on earth -- and the amusing thing is that they are."

Father Kevin Keaney
1st Marine Division Chaplain
Korean War

Fort Sheridan, Illinois-- Part 4: A Fort With No Soldiers

Continued from January 17, 2015.

This entry grew out of the importance of Civil War General Phil Sheridan in Chicago history and the naming of Sheridan Road.

During the Korean and Vietnam wars, Fort Sheridan was a reception and processing center for recruits.  It also provided logistical support for 33 Nike-Hercules missile sites..

By 1975, it had the largest-ever military-civilian contingent in the fort's history posted there with some 5,000.  By 1980 it was down to 1400.  By the late 1980s there were no military personnel.

It was among the first installations to be announced they would be closed in 1990, but it did provide aid during Desert Shield and desert Storm.

It was closed officially by the Army on May 28, 1993.

The Story of a Fort.  --RoadDog

Talking with Private Domain, Korean War Vet

Last night, at the American Legion in Fox, Lake, Illinois, I had the opportunity to talk with Larry Domain, who I found out was a Korean War veteran. Like the WWII vets, the Korean War vets are fast passing on into eternity.

He told me that the first thing the army did to him upon induction was to make him Private Domain. We had a good laugh about that one. At least he didn't become Eminent Domain. He said he'd rather be Private Domain as it is not fair for the government to take people's land away from them.

One interesting story he had was that he never actually saw combat, but he did see his sergeant killed in a fluke accident. Larry Domain was in the army engineers and they were working on leveling a road in South Korea. His sergeant was overseeing the project and operating the tractor.

The South Korean had assigned older citizens to assist the Americans and the GIs called them Papasans. Their job was to clear stones from the roadbed. One old Papasan found an object and brought it over to the sergeant. It turned out to be a hand grenade. Evidently, when Papasan picked it up, the pin had rusted and fell out. As he handed it to the sergeant, it went off, killing both right on the spot.

Now, this was in the days before terrorism, so it was obviously unintential, but still a tragedy.

A Big Salute to Our Korean War Vets. --RoadDog