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FReeper Canteen ~ Hall of Heroes: Drummer Boy Willie Johnston ~ 25 September 2017
Serving The Best Troops and Veterans In the World !!
| StarCMC and The Canteen Crew
Posted on 09/24/2017 5:01:30 PM PDT by Kathy in Alaska
Our Troops Rock! Thank you for all you do! |
For the freedom you enjoyed yesterday... Thank the Veterans who served in The United States Armed Forces. |
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~ Hall of Heroes ~
Drummer Boy Willie Johnston Info from here and here.
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William E. "Willie" Johnston, drummer boy of Company D, 3rd Vermont Infantry, has the distinction of being the youngest soldier to ever receive the Medal of Honor, presented to him at age 11 for gallantry on the battlefield in the Seven Day Battle Peninsula Campaign of 1862. Young Johnston is the subject of a book written, Mr. Lincoln's Drummer, written by G. Clifton Wisler. In the Soldiers' Record of the town of St. Johnsonbury, Vermont, it is written:
Born in Warrentown, St. Lawrence County, N. Y. Son of William Johnson, member of Company B, 3d Regiment. Resided with his father in St. Johnsbury when he enlisted. Age twelve years. Enlisted in Company D, 3d Regiment, May 1, 1862. Mustered into United States service same day. Drummer. Re-enlisted at Brandy Station, Va., February 15, 1864. Transferred to Company H, February 15, 1864, and thence, as Drum Major, of 20th Regiment of Veteran Reserve Corps. Mustered out of service December 30, 1864. Willie was with the 3d Regiment in the tedious and hazardous conflicts of the seven days campaign in the Peninsula, and received from the Secretary of War a star medal for heroic conduct during this time. This conduct was meritorious beyond that of other drummers, in so much as he retained his drum and brought it off on the retreat, while they, to lessen their burdens, threw theirs away. Upon reaching Harrison's Landing Willie's was the only drum to be found for use at the division parade.
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William "Willie" Johnston (born July 1850), from St. Johnsbury, Vermont, was a drummer boy in Company D of the 3rd Vermont Infantry. His service during the Seven Days retreat in the Peninsula Campaign was exemplary. He was the only drummer in his division to come away with his instrument, by no means a trivial accomplishment. As a result, he received the Medal of Honor on the recommendation of his division commander, thereby becoming the youngest recipient of the highest decoration at 13 years of age. Johnston was born in Morristown, New York in 1850. Apparently his family moved to Salem, Vermont (now Derby). When his father enlisted in December, 1861, young Willie begged to go with him. The commanding officer agreed. He was enlisted as a drummer boy on December 11, 1861 in St. Johnsbury, Vermont. He was 11 years old and five feet tall. Johnston's first fight was at Lee's Mill, Virginia, on April 16, 1862. During his next campaign, the Seven Days Battles from June 25 to July 1, 1862, Johnston was cited for bravery. During that retreat many men threw away all their equipment so they would have less weight to carry. Johnston, however, retained his drum and brought it safely to Harrison's Landing. There, he had the honor of drumming for the division parade, he being the only drummer boy to bring his instrument off the battlefields. Johnston's division commander noted this fact and included them in his report. President Lincoln heard the story and wrote Secretary of War Edwin M. Stanton, suggesting the youth be given a medal. Stanton agreed, and Willie Johnston was presented his Medal of Honor September 16, 1863, at the age of 13, for a deed performed when he was but 11 years of age. This was the second Medal of Honor ever awarded. Secretary Stanton presented the actual award. There is no Medal of Honor Citation as the date and place of act are not on record in War Department. Until the establishment of the Medal of Honor there was only one medal a soldier could receive: a Purple Heart. However, since the Purple Heart had not been awarded since the Revolutionary War, and would not be used again until World War I, the Medal of Honor was effectively the only award available to U.S. military personnel at the time of the Civil War. |
Please remember the Canteen is here to honor, support and entertain our troops and their families. This is a politics-free zone! Thanks for helping us in our mission! |
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TOPICS: Culture/Society; Extended News; Free Republic
KEYWORDS: canteen; heroes; military; troopsupport
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To: Kathy in Alaska
REQUEST PERMISSION TO COME ABOARD
CHARLESTOWN, Mass. (Jan. 14, 2008) The first major snowfall of the New Year blankets the USS Constitution. Despite the weather "Old Ironsides" remained open for free public tours. At 210 years-old, USS Constitution is the oldest commissioned warship afloat in the world, manned by 67 active-duty United States Sailors and visited by nearly half a million visitors annually. U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Eric Brown (Released)
GOD BLESS AND PROTECT OUR TROOPS AND OUR BELOVED NATION!!!
Boston, Oct. 21, 2009 - Boatswains Mate 2nd Class Philip Gagnon pipes as USS Constitution performs an underway demonstration in honor of the three-masted wooden frigate's 212th birthday. (U.S. Navy photo by Airman Mark Alexander/Released).
USS Constitution's 1812 Marine Guard fire vintage Springfield flintlock muskets during the ship's underway. "Old Ironsides" was underway for the "Constitution Day Cruise," which is conducted to thank the family and supporters of Constitution. U.S. Navy photo by Airman Nick Lyman (Released)
OUR TROOPS ROCK!!!!!!!
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2
posted on
09/24/2017 5:05:13 PM PDT
by
ConorMacNessa
(FMF Corpsman - Lima 3/5 RVN 1969 - St. <font size=4><b> hael the Archangel defend us in Battle!)
To: Kathy in Alaska
Freep mail me to be on or off the Daily Bread ping list
Apart but Not Abandoned
September 25, 2017
Now I commit you to God and to the word of his grace, which can build you up.
Acts 20:32
I had a lump in my throat as I said good-bye to my niece on the eve of her move to Massachusetts to attend graduate school at Boston University. Though she had been away four years as an undergraduate, she hadnt left our state. A two and a one-half-hour drive easily reunited us. Now she would be more than 800 miles away. No longer would we meet regularly to talk. I had to trust that God would take care of her.
Paul likely felt the same way as he said good-bye to the elders of the church in Ephesus. Having established the church and taught them for three years, Paul concluded these elders to be as close as family to him. Now that Paul was headed to Jerusalem, he would not see them again.
But Paul had parting advice for the Ephesians. Though they would no longer have Paul as their teacher, the Ephesians did not have to feel abandoned. God would continue to train them through the word of his grace (Acts 20:32) to lead the church. Unlike Paul, God would always be with them.
Whether its children we launch from the nest or other family and friends who move awaysaying good-bye can be very difficult. They move beyond our influence and into their new lives. When we let go of their hands, we can trust that God has them in His. He can continue to shape their lives and meet their real needsmore than we ever could.
Lord, help us to trust that Your watchful care extends over those we hold dear who are far away from us.
Though were far away from those we love, they are never far from God.
In todays reading we see Pauls painful good-bye to the church at Ephesus. It was Pauls deep conviction that his departure would eventually lead to his martyrdom, not his return (v. 25). But other Bible texts add the encouragement that even death cannot cut the spiritual tie that binds us to other believers (John 14:15; Rom. 8:3139). In this life on Earth, saying good-bye to those we love is difficult. But for followers of Christ, we can trust that God has us in His care and even death will not keep us apart.
How does knowing God cares for your loved ones comfort you?
For further study on the book of Acts check out this free course at christianuniversity.org/apostles.
3
posted on
09/24/2017 5:05:15 PM PDT
by
The Mayor
(Honesty means never having to look over your shoulder.)
To: Kathy in Alaska
Thank God for these heroes and for the heroes who still stand proud among us (and STAND UP for our National Anthem) like Pittsburgh Steeler Alejandro Villanueva.
4
posted on
09/24/2017 5:13:25 PM PDT
by
lightman
(ANTIFA is full of Bolshevik.)
To: The Mayor; ConorMacNessa; SandRat; mountainlion; HiJinx; Publius; Jet Jaguar; TMSuchman; PROCON; ...
5
posted on
09/24/2017 5:14:10 PM PDT
by
Kathy in Alaska
((~RIP Brian...the Coast Guard lost a good one.~))
To: ConorMacNessa
Permission Granted!
6
posted on
09/24/2017 5:15:29 PM PDT
by
Kathy in Alaska
((~RIP Brian...the Coast Guard lost a good one.~))
To: Kathy in Alaska; StarCMC
Good evening, Kathy and Star!
***HUGS***
Thanks very much ~ coming aboard! Rendering Hand Salutes to our National Colors and to the Officer of the Deck!
And thanks very much to you and Star for tonight's Hall of Heroes thread! Drummer Boy Willie Johnston , USA (MOH) is most worthy of entry into our Hall of Heroes!
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7
posted on
09/24/2017 5:16:35 PM PDT
by
ConorMacNessa
(FMF Corpsman - Lima 3/5 RVN 1969 - St. <font size=4><b> hael the Archangel defend us in Battle!)
To: The Mayor
Good evening, Mayor, and thank you for today’s sustenance for body and soul.
Ready to take on the new week?
8
posted on
09/24/2017 5:18:54 PM PDT
by
Kathy in Alaska
((~RIP Brian...the Coast Guard lost a good one.~))
To: Kathy in Alaska; laurenmarlowe; BIGLOOK; alfa6; EsmeraldaA; SandRat; mylife; TMSuchman; AbnSarge; ..
GOD BLESS AND PROTECT OUR TROOPS AND OUR BELOVED NATION!
"The Star Spangled Banner" Verse Four (Click)
Oh! thus be it ever, when freemen shall stand Between their loved home and the war's desolation! Blest with victory and peace, may the heav'n rescued land Praise the Power that hath made and preserved us a nation. Then conquer we must, when our cause it is just, And this be our motto: "In God is our trust." And the star-spangled banner in triumph shall wave O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave!
Please let me know by Freepmail if you would like to be admitted to or released from my music ping list.
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9
posted on
09/24/2017 5:19:09 PM PDT
by
ConorMacNessa
(FMF Corpsman - Lima 3/5 RVN 1969 - St. <font size=4><b> hael the Archangel defend us in Battle!)
To: Kathy in Alaska; laurenmarlowe; BIGLOOK; alfa6; EsmeraldaA; SandRat; mylife; TMSuchman; AbnSarge; ..
Welcome To All Who Enter This Canteen, To Our Serving Military, To Our Veterans, To All Military Families, To Our FRiends and To Our Allies!
Missing Man Setting
"The Empty Chair"
By Captain Carroll "Lex" Lefon, USN (RET), on December 21st, 2004
"In the wardroom onboard the aircraft carrier from which I recently debarked was a small, round table, with single chair. No one ever sat there, and the reasons, both for the table being there, and for the fact that the chair was always empty, will tell the reader a little bit about who we are as a culture. The wardroom, of course, is where the officers will dine; morning, noon and evening. It is not only a place to eat it is also a kind of oasis from the sometimes dreary, often difficult exigencies of the service. A place of social discourse, of momentary relief from the burdens of the day. The only things explicitly forbidden by inviolable tradition in the wardroom are the wearing of a cover or sword by an officer not actually on watch, or conversation which touches upon politics or religion. But aboard ships which observe the custom, another implicit taboo concerns the empty chair: No matter how crowded the room, no matter who is waiting to be seated, that chair is never moved, never taken.
The table is by the main entrance to the wardroom. You will see it when you enter, and you will see it when you leave. It draws your eyes because it is meant to. And because it draws your eyes it draws your thoughts. And though it will be there every day for as long as you are at sea, you will look at it every time and your eyes will momentarily grow distant as you think for a moment. As you quietly give thanks.
AS YOU REMEMBER.
The small, round table is covered with a gold linen tablecloth. A single place setting rests there, of fine bone china. A wineglass stands upon the table, inverted, empty. On the dinner plate is a pinch of salt. On the bread plate is a slice of lemon. Besides the plate lies a bible. There is a small vase with a single red rose upon the table. Around the vase is wound a yellow ribbon. There is the empty chair.
We will remember because over the course of our careers, we will have had the opportunity to enjoy many a formal evening of dinner and dancing in the fine company of those with whom we have the honor to serve, and their lovely ladies. And as the night wears on, our faces will in time become flushed with pleasure of each others company, with the exertions on the dance floor, with the effects of our libations. But while the feast is still at its best, order will be called to the room we will be asked to raise our glasses to the empty table, and we will be asked to remember:
The table is round to show our everlasting concern for those who are missing. The single setting reminds us that every one of them went to their fates alone, that every life was unique.
The tablecloth is gold symbolizing the purity of their motives when they answered the call to duty.
The single red rose, displayed in a vase, reminds us of the life of each of the missing, and their loved ones who kept the faith.
The yellow ribbon around the vase symbolizes our continued determination to remember them.
The slice of lemon reminds us of the bitterness of their fate. The salt symbolizes the tears shed by those who loved them. The bible represents the faith that sustained them. The glass is inverted they cannot share in the toast. The chair is empty they are not here. They are missing.
And we will remember, and we will raise our glasses to those who went before us, and who gave all that they had for us. And a part of the flush in our faces will pale as we remember that nothing worth having ever came without a cost. We will remember that many of our brothers and sisters have paid that cost in blood. We will remember that the reckoning is not over.
We many of us will settle with our families into our holiday season, our Christmas season for those who celebrate it, content in our fortune and prosperity. We will meet old friends with smiles and laughter. We will meet our members of our family with hugs. We will eat well, and exchange gifts and raise our glasses to the year passed in gratitude, and to the year to come with hope. We will sleep the sleep of the protected, secure in our homes, secure in our homeland.
But for many families, there will be an empty chair at the table this year. A place that is not filled.
WE SHOULD REMEMBER."
Many Thanks To Alfa6 For Finding Capt. Lefon's Chronicle Of "The Empty Chair."
"Träumerei" Robert Schumann (Click)
Never Forget The Brave Men And Women Who Gave Their Lives To Secure Our Freedom!!
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10
posted on
09/24/2017 5:20:12 PM PDT
by
ConorMacNessa
(FMF Corpsman - Lima 3/5 RVN 1969 - St. <font size=4><b> hael the Archangel defend us in Battle!)
To: ConorMacNessa
11
posted on
09/24/2017 5:21:28 PM PDT
by
combat_boots
(God bless Israel and all who protect and defend her! Merry Christmas! In God We Trust! 4c)
To: ConorMacNessa
Good evening, Mac...*HUGS*...are you enjoying your new reno, and enjoying a breather before Phase 2?
12
posted on
09/24/2017 5:23:45 PM PDT
by
Kathy in Alaska
((~RIP Brian...the Coast Guard lost a good one.~))
To: Kathy in Alaska
Claude King's "Little Buddy"(excerpt)
Sometimes upon the hillside at the close of day
You can hear a drummer there as he marches on his way
You can see him in the moonlight with the drums he loved to play
Then the shadows close around him and the drums fade away
13
posted on
09/24/2017 5:31:04 PM PDT
by
P.O.E.
(Pray for America)
To: StarCMC; MoJo2001; 007; 1 FELLOW FREEPER; 11B3; 1FreeAmerican; 1stbn27; 2111USMC; 2LT Radix jr; ...
Please note: The author of the Hall of Heroes is StarCMC.
~ Hall of Heroes: Drummer Boy Willie Johnston ~
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14
posted on
09/24/2017 5:52:11 PM PDT
by
Kathy in Alaska
((~RIP Brian...the Coast Guard lost a good one.~))
To: combat_boots
Thanks very much, FRiend - we are in accord!
"I am an American fighting man. I serve in the forces guarding our country and our way of life. I am prepared to give my life in their defense." |
15
posted on
09/24/2017 5:55:38 PM PDT
by
ConorMacNessa
(FMF Corpsman - Lima 3/5 RVN 1969 - St. <font size=4><b> hael the Archangel defend us in Battle!)
To: Kathy in Alaska
Hi Everybody!
((((HUGS))))
To: Kathy in Alaska
We are enjoying the reno - we were living on sub-floors and with holes in the walls for a longer time than I would like to admit.
We spent a few hours today hanging things on the walls. We're going for a kind of rustic, kitschy look.
Phase 2 starts next month.
"I am an American fighting man. I serve in the forces guarding our country and our way of life. I am prepared to give my life in their defense." |
17
posted on
09/24/2017 6:02:43 PM PDT
by
ConorMacNessa
(FMF Corpsman - Lima 3/5 RVN 1969 - St. <font size=4><b> hael the Archangel defend us in Battle!)
To: lightman
Good evening, lightman...yes, thank God for our heroes.
An athlete actually stood for our National Anthem? I am disgusted with most of them....idiots get overpaid for some stupid game and they are a disgrace to our country!
18
posted on
09/24/2017 6:17:13 PM PDT
by
Kathy in Alaska
((~RIP Brian...the Coast Guard lost a good one.~))
To: ConorMacNessa; radu; LUV W
To: Kathy in Alaska; LUV W; HiJinx; AZamericonnie; Jet Jaguar; Soaring Feather; SandRat; ...
Greetings to all at the Canteen!
To all our military men and women, past and present,
20
posted on
09/24/2017 6:30:24 PM PDT
by
radu
(God bless our military men and women, past and present)
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