REMEMBERING AND HONORING OUR VETERANS

On this November 11, it will have been 98 years since President Woodrow Wilson issued a message to his countrymen on the first Armistice Day marking the end of World War I. While World War I officially ended when the Treaty of Versailles was signed on June 28, 1919, it was formally ended at the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month in 1918, when the Armistice with Germany took effect. The U.S. holiday was renamed Veterans Day in 1954. Some other nations honor it as Remembrance Day.

Some people confuse Veterans Day and Memorial Day.

On Veterans Day, we honor ALL who have served honorably, or are

currently serving, in the United States Armed Forces during wartime or peacetime.

On this day, particularly in Great Britain, Canada, and Australia, you may notice people wearing red poppies. That practice originated from the poem In Flanders Fields, written at the battlefront on May 3, 1915, during the second battle of Ypres, Belgium during the First World War by Canadian physician Lieutenant-Colonel John McCrae.

“In Flanders fields the poppies blow

Between the crosses, row on row,

That mark our place: and in the sky

The larks still bravely singing fly

Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the dead: Short days ago,

We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,

Loved and were loved: and now we lie

In Flanders fields!

Take up our quarrel with the foe

To you, from failing hands, we throw

The torch: be yours to hold it high

If ye break faith with us who die,

We shall not sleep, though poppies grow

In Flanders fields”

It was Moina Michael who was so inspired by the poem that she penned her own, and began the tradition of wearing red poppies:

“We cherish too, the Poppy red

That grows on fields where valor led,

It seems to signal to the skies

That blood of heroes never dies.”

Memorial Day honors those who have died in battle or as a result of

wounds received in battle in service to our nation.

Memorial Day is an American day observance on the last Monday of May, originating after the Civil War ended in the spring of 1865 and originally referred to as Decoration Day.

By the late 1860s, Americans in cities and towns throughout the country began decorating their graves countless fallen soldiers with flowers each spring.  The federal government declared official birthplace of Memorial Day to be Waterloo, NY which first celebrated the day on May 5, 1866. 

On May 5, 1868, General John A. Logan, called for a nationwide day of remembrance.

“The 30th of May, 1868, is designated for the purpose of strewing with flowers, or otherwise decorating the graves of comrades who died in defense of their country during the late rebellion, and whose bodies now lie in almost every city, village and hamlet churchyard in the land,”

It was called Decoration Day in order not to associate it with the anniversary of any particular battle.

General James Garfield made a speech at Arlington National Cemetery on the first Decoration Day, and 5,000 participants decorated the graves of the 20,000 Union and Confederate soldiers buried there.

Southern states chose to honor their dead on separate days until after World War I when it truly became a national day of remembrance.

On this Veteran's Day, we thank all who have or are serving in the military. We also appreciate the service families who often endure long separations and many stresses unknown to the civilian population.

Memorial Day, A Time to Honor and Remember

        In 1966, Congress and President Lyndon Johnson declared Waterloo, NY, the birthplace of Memorial Day.
        They did this because on May 5, 1866, the town held a service honoring veterans who had fought in the Civil War.

In a General Order in Washington DC, Maj. Gen. John A. Logan said, The 30th day of May, 1868, is designated for the purpose of strewing with flowers or otherwise decorating the graves of comrades who died in defense of their country during the late rebellion, and whose bodies now lie in almost every city, village, and hamlet churchyard in the land. In this observance no form or ceremony is prescribed, but posts and comrades will in their own way arrange such fitting services and testimonials of respect as circumstances may permit.
        We are organized, comrades, as our regulations tell us, for the purpose, among other things, "of preserving and strengthening those kind and fraternal feelings which have bound together the soldiers, sailors, and marines who united to suppress the late rebellion."
        What can aid more to assure this result than by cherishing tenderly the memory of our heroic dead, who made their breasts a barricade between our country and its foes? Their soldier lives were the reveille of freedom to a race in chains, and their death a tattoo of rebellious tyranny in arms. We should guard their graves with sacred vigilance. All that the consecrated wealth and taste of the Nation can add to their adornment and security is but a fitting tribute to the memory of her slain defenders. Let no wanton foot tread rudely on such hallowed grounds. Let pleasant paths invite the coming and going of reverent visitors and fond mourners. Let no vandalism of avarice or neglect, no ravages of time, testify to the present or to the coming generations that we have forgotten, as a people, the cost of free and undivided republic.

        Other towns, including Macon and Columbus, GA, Richmond, VA, Boalsburg PA, and Carbondale, IL, claimed to have had earlier ceremonies, but their events were considered informal and not community wide.

        For example, on April 25, 1866, a group of women in Columbus, MS, decorated the graves of Confederate soldiers killed at the Battle of Shiloh. When they saw that nearby graves of Union soldiers had fallen into neglect, the women put flowers on their graves as well.
        Memorial Day, once called Decoration Day, ceremonies were held on May 30 throughout the US, and the Army and Navy adopted regulations on how to properly observe the day at their facilities.
        At the end of World War I, the observance was expanded to honor those who have died in all American wars. In 1971, Memorial Day was declared a national holiday to be observed on the last Monday in May.
        The passing of “The National Moment of Remembrance Act” by Congress in December 2000 encourages all Americans to pause wherever they are at 3 p.m. local time on Memorial Day for a minute of silence to remember and honor those who have died in service to the nation.
        Let us pause today to honor and remember those who gave the ultimate sacrifice.

 

 

Susan F. Craft is the author of a Revolutionary War suspense, The Chamomile, and its sequel, Laurel. A third book in the trilogy, Cassia, will be released September 2015.
 

"Courage, New Hampshire" Comes to INSP

His love for history was nurtured by his mother and grandmother; his love for writing was encouraged at the university.

So when James Patrick Riley created, wrote and produced the mini-series, “Courage, New Hampshire,” his two passions came together in a way that fulfills most writers’ fantasy. “You gotta dream big,” said Riley in a recent interview.

This dream will be further enhanced on Memorial Day weekend when the four-part series set in the days leading to the Revolutionary War will be premiered on the INSP network on May 27 at 7 p.m. Eastern time. It will be repeated at various times through the ensuing weeks.

Riley’s interest in the American Revolution began as a youngster. He recalls hearing stories told by his grandmother of how his ancestors participated in that war. He became fascinated with the novel Johnny Tremain and his mother decorated their home with genealogy charts of their family trees that revealed ancestry that spanned back for generations.

“I love the Revolutionary War,” he said. “It’s a romantic attraction for me.”

When his family purchased hundreds of acres of ranch land in Southern California in the 1980’s, he and his brother, Scott, both history buffs, sought ways to share the heritage of the United States in various ways. Civil War reenactments led to school programs for thousands of local children.

While Scott Riley’s interest lay in the Civil War, James’ love of the war to free the country from England led to plays and programs featuring the American Revolution. Gradually, he began writing scripts for plays that were acted out on their ranch, complete with a New England style tavern that he and his wife had built as their home.

James P. Riley as Silas Rhodes

Riley’s love of fiction writing began to birth another idea: Scripts for a series that would be historically authentic. Thus, the seeds for “Courage, New Hampshire” were planted.

What began as an hour-long segment entitled “The Travail of Sarah Pine,” soon developed into a four-part mini-series that follows the characters that live in a fictitious town in New Hampshire.

So what are Riley’s hopes for “Courage, New Hampshire?” “I’d like to have a big enough audience to take it through the American Revolution.”

To that dream, most watchers of this series will shout a hearty “Huzzah!”

Here is a review of the series that I wrote for Colonial Quills in 2012:

Courage, New Hampshire is a fictitious township on the edge of the American frontier in 1769.  A close-knit Christian community, it lives under the shadow of the growing discontent of the colonists, who fear the king’s increasingly despotic rule.

Episode 1 is called “The Travail of Sarah Pine.” An unexpected visit by three of the King’s soldiers (dressed as civilians) stirs the ire of the local justice of the peace and tavern keeper, Silas Rhodes (James Patrick Riley). He is disturbed by the fact that the soldiers are not in uniform, yet claim to be seeking deserters from the British Army. He accuses Sergeant Bob Wheedle of plotting a kidnapping, and promptly has the sergeant arrested.

During his incarceration in a local barn, a young woman named Sarah Pine brings the prisoner victuals. She naively thinks that all the British soldiers are trustworthy. In her sympathy, she gives the man more than a free meal and nine months later, she has born the soldier’s child. (This is family friendly in its presentation) When Bob Wheedle returns on military business a year later, he is arrested again, this time for the crime of bastardy.

The mini-saga of colonial justice coming up against one of the crown’s soldiers is fraught with tension and filled with emotion.

Episode 2 begins with the declaration by the justice of the peace Silas Rhodes that Courage seems to be covered with a black cloud. Not only has there been fornication in the community, but burglary and counterfeiting. Rhodes bemoans his choice in the last several years to invest in local mills and industry, rather than in hiring a minister of the gospel. Determined to amend the spiritual drought, he hires a temporary minister—but this wolf in sheep’s clothing may cause more harm than good.

Episode 3 sees increasing tensions between the crown and Courage as pressure is put on the local farmers to leave the white pines on their land. The British want the tall trees for naval ship masts; the farmers just want to clear the land for their crops. But felling these trees—even on their own property—can lead to the British government selling the farm at public auction. As Rhodes bitterly states, “You can’t grow potatoes under a pine tree.”

The increasing influence of the patriot group, the Sons of Liberty, keeps Rhodes walking a fine line between keeping the residents of Courage safe while keeping himself and the other patriots out of trouble.

Episode 4 keeps the action moving at a brisk pace, as the aforementioned reverend from Episode 2 has gone a step too far with a certain young woman in town. But the minister has an ally in the local crown-appointed governor and, in an extraordinary performance by Donal Thoms-Cappello, the reverend shrewdly taunts representatives of the law in Courage. He knows he has the upper hand. Although the patriots want justice, they know all to well that a political misstep on their part can put their entire town at risk for retaliation from the king.

This episode ends with a meeting between the leadership of Courage and the governor. It is militia training day in Portsmouth, New Hampshire and, in showing the colonial force of arms for all to see, the governor is confronted with the reality of the situation: The growing colonial rebellion is stronger than he ever imagined.

This extremely brief synopsis does not even begin to describe the rich characters, accurate historical details, lovely period clothing, and overall quality production of “Courage, New Hampshire.” James Patrick Riley has done his homework for the series and gets an A+ in accuracy.

Some of the industry’s finest actors are involved in this project, including Basil Hoffman who was in the Academy Award winning movie, “The Artist.” Hoffman brilliantly portrays the crown-appointed lawyer Simeon Trapp who does everything necessary to defend the King’s soldier accused of bastardy in Episode 1.

Although there are mature topics in this series, it is not graphic or explicit.

Memorial Day 2012 - Spinning Wheel

 

By: Carla Gade

On this, the last Monday in May, we observe Memorial Day - a time to remember the men and woman who lost their lives serving our country. Originally known as Decoration Day, the name Memorial Day came into use after WWII. The day of tribute was established in 1868 to honor the Union soldiers who died during the Civil War, inspired by the way southern people honored their dead soldiers. Over the years it came to serve as a day to commemorate the men and women killed or missing in action while fighting for what we now call the United States of America.

In our Spinning Room today imagine a group of colonial women gathered preparing their wool and flax for homespun textiles to aid the cause of liberty. Perhaps many, if not all, are longing for a loved one who is away during the war.


Please join the conversation by answering any of the following questions:

Is there a war hero in one of your colonial era novels? Is he/she an historical person or an imaginary character? Can you share briefly how you treated this in your novel?

Do you have an early American ancestor that fought for our country's freedom? Or perhaps someone who has fought in more recent years who you would like to pay tribute to?

One of our commenters today will win a copy of Laura Frantz's The Colonel's Lady, an American Revolutionary War story with a fictionalized happy ending for the hero, Colonel McLinn, inspired by George Rogers' Clark.