Project Oklahoma to Identify USS Oklahoma's Unknowns-- Part 3

Continued from my Saw the Elephant: Civil War and Running the Blockade: Civil War Navy blogs.

All but one of my blogs are about our veterans today.

When Project Oklahoma began with 394 Oklahoma Unknowns unaccounted for, they were hoping to identify 80% of them.  However, they ended up identifying 361, which is more than 90%!!

This was amazing to families who bever thought they'd have the chance to properly see their loved ones off.

Back in December 2021, on the 80th anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor,  the military held a  final reinternment ceremony for the remaining  33 USS Oklahoma unknowns.

All this is a striking reminder that no U.S. service person is forgotten.

The military currently has other projects underway to identify other Pearl Harbor unknowns.  In addition, this is being done on several other WW II battles and the KoreanWar.

The Last Civil War Widow Died on Route 66 Back in December 2020, Helen Jackson

Not only did she die at a place on Route 66, but she also was born, grew upand lived on Route 66 her whole life.

I wrote about this back on January 18, 2021, when I first learned about her death and said I would be writing more about her life in my Saw the Elephant Civil War blog in the future.  Well, the future has come.

And, I wrote about her in this  blog because of her lifelong connection to our Mother Road, good old Route 66.

She was 17 when she married James Bolin who was 93 back in 1936. 

She was born in the small Missouri town of Niangua in 1919.  Route 66 went through there.  She died at a nursing home in Marshfield, Missouri.  The town and nursing home are both on Route 66.

I will be writing more about it in my Saw the Elephant blog.  Go to the My Blogs area to the right of this, scroll down to the site and click on it.  Click on the Helen Jackson label below to view the first post about her in January.  Her picture is to the right of this entry.  Just scroll down.

A Bit of Civil War History on Route 66,  --RoadCivil

The Last Civil War Widow, Helen Viola Jackson, Dies at Age 101. Died at a Nursing Home in Marshfield, Missouri, on Route 66

From Jan. 7, 2021 U.S. News & World Report "Missouri woman believed to be last Civil War widow dies" by AP.

Her 1936 marriage to Joe Bolin was somewhat unusual.  She was a 17-year-old school girl and he was 93 and in declining health.  Bolin was also a Civil War veteran who fought in the border state of Missouri.

She died at the Webco Manor nursing home in Marshfield, Missouri, right on Route 66 west of town.  She was born and grew up in Niangua, Missouri, which is also on Route 66.

Helen Jackson was almost certainly the very last Civil War widow when she died December 16, 2020.

Several Civil War organizations have recognized her as such.

Joe Bolin was a private in the 14th Missouri Cavalry during the war.  In thanks for her care while he was in failing health, he offered to marry her so she could get his pension.  They were secretly married but never intimate and after his death, she never applied for his pension.  She kept their marriage secret until just a few years before her death.

I'll be writing about her life in my Saw the Elephant: Civil War blog in the future.

--RoadWidow

Along 66, October 2020: Tulsa Race Massacre, Litchfield Veterans and the Amboy Crater

OCTOBER 22

Ten coffins were found in a mass grave which may have been victims of the 1921 Tulsa, Oklahoma Race Massacre.  

A sad chapter of Route 66 history along with the way black motorists were treated.

See my Cooter's History Thing blog for more information.

OCTOBER 23

Litchfield Museum and Route 66 Welcome Center wins a $30,000 grant to expand their veterans exhibit.  They have lots of information on Litchfield and area veterans who served.  The last time through there, we stopped and I asked about War of 1812 veterans buried around the town and they had several pages worth of names and information.  You don't usually think of War of 1812 veterans and Illinois.

OCTOBER 25

Amboy Crater in California is among the newest additions to the National Trail System.  It is located in California's Mojave Desert

Some 30 sites were added to the list.

The crater, located near Amboy (Roy's), population 5, is 1.5 miles long and984 feet high at the rim and has quite a view, or so I have heard.

That Had to be Quite an Impact When That Meteor Hit.  Wondering How Roy's Survived?  Probably Why Gas Is So Expensive There.    --RoadIte

In Honor of Veterans Day: National Veterans Art Museum in Chicago

On November 10 and 11, I wrote about five places you should visit in honor of our veterans in my Not So Forgotten:  War of 1812 blog.

From Wikipedia.

I had never heard of this one.

The National Veterans Art Museum was formerly the National Vietnam Veterans Art Museum and is located at 4041 N. Milwaukee Ave. in Chicago's Six Corners neighborhood.  Originally just for the Vietnam War, it now encompasses all wars.

It was originally a traveling exhibit, but when Chicago's Mayor Richard M. Daley saw it, he insisted Chicago have its permanent home.  The entrance hall had 58, 226 dog tags hanging from it, one for each American killed in Vietnam.

There are nearly 2,500 works of art in the museum.

--RoadDog

2019 MVPA Transcontinental Convoy-- Part 3: The 1919 Convoy and Thanks to Our Veterans

The Military Vehicle Preservation Association (MVPA) Convoy welcomes the public to witness this historic trip across the United States by coming out to meet it at the various stops and/or just enjoy it as it passes by.  We sure did enjoy part of it that we saw while driving on the Lincoln Highway in Clinton, Iowa.

As the Convoy passes through the cities and towns of the Lincoln Highway, the MVPA intends, with the cooperation of the Lincoln Highway Association, to draw attention to this early road system.

Additionally, the MVPA will present both the historical significance of the original 1919 Convoy and the historical significance of  the military vehicles present  on the 2019 Convoy.  Finally, as the 2019 Convoy passes through the many towns along the route, the MVPA will take every opportunity to also say "thanks" yo out veterans in a most patriotic way.

Sure Glad We Got to see Some of It.  --RoadVoy

Salute Those Vietnam Veterans Today

Today is National Vietnam Veterans Day.  I have my flag flying.

Over 58,000 Americans died.  Over two and a half million served.

In the early 1960s we sent military advisors to South Vietnam and by 1963, some 16,000 Americans were there.  After the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution the conflict expanded and by 1968, there were 500,000 military there.

The last American fighting troops left on March 29, 1973, which is why we commemorate their service today.

Hats Off to the Vietnam War Veterans!!!

Tastin' & Fiestin'-- Part 4: A Parade and a Storm

SUNDAY, JULY 23

Out on the FB (Front Porch) for breakfast, coffee and the Chicago Tribune.  Then listened to and recorded Bob Stroud's Rock and Roll Roots program on Chicago's WDRV, 97.1 FM, the Drive.  Since the drummers of the Yardbirds and Young Rascals have birthdays coming up, he featured the music of those two bands.  They are two of my favorites from the sixties.

We went to McHenry for the Fiesta Days parade, one of the biggest parades in Illinois.  We had quite a walk after parking as the parade also draws a real lot of people.  It was a hot and muggy day, with threat of rain.

We went to the PLAV, Polish Legion of American Veterans, and waited for the parade to begin and slaked our thirst.  Liz decided to stay in the cool PLAV, but I walked the half block down to Veterans Park and watched it.  They even had the McHenry High School Marching Band.  Bands are my favorite part of any parade.

About 20 minutes into the parade, we started getting occasional raindrops which increased in intensity so I went back to the PLAV, arriving just as a downpour began.  This turned into a hail storm.  Sure glad I came back when I did.  It let up and I went back outside and the parade surprisingly was still going.  I watched a little until it started to rain again.  I did this about two more times.

We drove to Half-Times in Johnsburg, where they were having a grand opening party for their new addition.  Hard to beat the $1 draft pints and $4 beef sandwiches with fries.  Last stop was at Sunnyside.

At least I Stayed Dry.  --RoadDog

Honoring the Veterans on 11-11-11

Besides being that number thing today, honoring our veterans will be time well-spent.

I plan on attending the American Legion/VFW ceremony at the Fox Lake train station here in Illinois at 11 am, the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month that marked the Armistice taking effect, ending World War I, unfortunately, NOT the War to End All Wars.

Tomorrow, I plan to attend the Marine Corps Birthday Breakfast and Toys for Tots kick-off at the Fox Lake American Legion and later, the Big Band Dance that night in the Legion Hall.

Thank a Vet. --RoadDog

Veterans Monuments in Chicago

The next time you're in Chicagoland and want to check out veteran memorials, the November 11th Chicago Tribune had an article by Ron Grossman "Honoring heroes: Often unnoticed, memorials pay tribute to veterans."

There are five photos as well.

See http://cootershistorything.blogspot.com for an entry on November 11th.

Thank a Veteran. --RoadDog

December 7th, A Day That Shall Live in Infamy

Today marks the sad occasion of events that transpired at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, 66 years ago.

I always spent two days discussing it in class while I was teaching.

This is a day that I honor not just those at Pearl Harbor, but all vets. Today, the American Legion here in Fox Lake, Illinois, hosted a party for veterans from the nearby North Chicago VA Hospital. They were treated to gifts and a full turkey dinner as well as karaoke, which they really enjoyed. I helped served food and drinks, just my own little way of saying thanks.

The advent of WWII had a huge impact on Route 66 which became a major conduit for troops and war material from the east and Midwest to the west coast for the fight against the Japanese. Gas rationing had an impact on American travel as well.

Route 66 had another link to Pearl Harbor, as the Schofield Barracks on Oahu came under attack. They were named for Union General John McAllister Schofield, who, while a major at the Battle of Wilson's Creek, received a Medal of Honor for leading a regiment against Confederate forces.

For more on the story, see http://sawtheelephant.blogspot.com

My Full Support for the Men and Women in America's Armed Forces, both Past and Present. --RoadDog