FReeper Canteen ~ Hall of Heroes: Alonzo Cushing ~ 14 November 2022

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[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 ~
 

Alonzo Cushing
Info from here.

 

           

Alonzo Hersford Cushing (January 19, 1841 – July 3, 1863) was an artillery officer in the Union Army during the American Civil War. He died at the Battle of Gettysburg while defending the Union position on Cemetery Ridge against Pickett's Charge. Action was undertaken in 2013, 150 years after Cushing's death, to award him the Medal of Honor. The nomination was approved by the United States Congress, and was sent for review by the Defense Department and the President.

On August 26, 2014, the White House announced he would be posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor. President Obama awarded him the medal on November 6, 2014, in a White House ceremony attended by Cushing's distant cousins, Frederic Stevens Sater and Frederic Cushing Stevens III, and their families, although his closest relation was Helen Bird Loring Ensign, a first cousin twice removed. Cushing left no direct descendants.

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Cushing was born in what is now the city of Delafield, Wisconsin and raised in Fredonia, New York. His younger brother was future Union Navy officer Lt. William B. Cushing. They were the youngest of four brothers who eventually served in the Union forces. (Their brother Howard was also killed while fighting the Chiricahua in 1871).

Cushing graduated from the United States Military Academy in the class of June 1861, and received commissions as second and first lieutenant on the same day. He was brevetted major following the Battle of Chancellorsville. Cushing commanded Battery A, 4th U.S. Artillery at Gettysburg, and was hailed by contemporaries as heroic in his actions on the third day of the battle. He was wounded three times. First, a shell fragment went straight through his shoulder. He was then grievously wounded by a second shell fragment, which tore into his abdomen and groin. This wound exposed his intestines, which he held in place with his hand as he continued to command his battery. After these injuries, a higher-ranking officer said, "Cushing, go to the rear." Cushing, due to the limited number of men left, refused to fall back. The severity of his wounds left him unable to yell his orders above the sounds of battle. Thus, he was held aloft by his 1st Sergeant Frederick Füger, who faithfully passed on Cushing's commands. Cushing was killed when a bullet entered his mouth and exited through the back of his skull. He died on the field at the height of the assault. He was 22 years old.

His body was returned to his family and then interred in the West Point Cemetery in Section 26, Row A, Grave 7. His headstone bears, at the behest of his mother, Mary, the inscription "Faithful unto Death." His grave is next to that of Major General John Buford, another hero of Gettysburg, who had chosen the battlefield that Cushing had died defending.

Cushing was posthumously cited for gallantry with a brevet promotion to lieutenant colonel.

Cushing was nominated for a belated award of the Medal of Honor, beginning with a letter campaign in the late 1980s by constituents of Senator William Proxmire of Wisconsin. The measure was also advocated by Congressman Ron Kind of Wisconsin's 3rd congressional district. In 2002, Senator Russ Feingold (D-WI) nominated Cushing for the Medal of Honor and, following a lengthy investigation, the U.S. Army approved the nomination in February 2010. In order for the medal to be awarded, it had to be approved by the United States Congress. It was announced on May 20, 2010 that Cushing would receive the Medal of Honor, 147 years after his death.

However, the provision granting Cushing the Medal of Honor was removed from a defense spending bill by Senator Jim Webb (D-VA) in December 2012. In December 2013, the Senate passed a defense bill that included a provision granting Cushing the Medal of Honor. The nomination was sent to the Defense Department for review, before being approved by President Barack Obama. On August 26, 2014, the White House announced Cushing would be posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor. On November 6, 2014, 151 years after Alonzo Cushing's death, President Obama presented the award at a ceremony at the White House, attended by two dozen relatives of the Cushing family.

Alonzo H. Cushing Camp #5 of the Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War serves the Ozaukee County region of Wisconsin. A small state park in Delafield was dedicated to the memory of Cushing and two of his brothers, William and Howard. While the park remains dedicated to the memory of the Cushing brothers, it is now the property of the City of Delafield. Cushing Elementary School in Delafield (part of the Kettle Moraine School District) is also named after the brothers. A stone monument in honor of Cushing marks the spot where he was killed during the Battle of Gettysburg. The marker is located on Cemetery Ridge, along Hancock Avenue, at The Angle.

 

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!  

[Kathy in Alaska]

Good evening, radu...hope your shopping outing was fruitful and quick so you could get home and rest.

It’s snowing giant snowflakes, but it is just too warm to do much sticking.

[TigerHawk]

I’m ready for that island in the Caribbean we were joking about! With maybe 5-10 times the number of “GET LOST!!!” signs!

I checked out your reply. Thanks.

Indeed, it gets harder and harder as each day passes to KEEP THE FAITH. I don’t blame the opposition, they’re just being what they are and have always been, commiecrat/marxist/leftists, I hold We the Peole, at fault. I turned 77 less than 2 weeks ago, and I literally find myself weeping over the transformation, the undermining of our beloved ideal of Mankind’s Last Great Hope. What has become of our Manhood?

That’s NOT a sexist statement. That’s the reality of all human history. G-D, HONOR, DUTY, COUNTRY...I GREW UP BELIEVING IN ALL OF THAT! TRUTHS! TODAY AMERICANS BELIEVE THAT A MAN CAN GIVE BIRTH, AND OTHER INSANITIES.

REALITY IS THAT IF YOU ARE NOT A NATION OF WARRIORS, YOU WILL BE CONQUERED BY A NATION THAT IS! NOTHING WILL EVER CHANGE THAT.

OUR SOCIETY HAS BEEN MOLDED TO ACCOMMODATE THOSE WHO DO NOT WISH TO DEAL WITH THE HARSH REALITIES OF LIFE, AND THOSE WHO UNDERSTAND THAT IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO DO SO, HAVE BEEN FORCED TO NOT ONLY SUPPORT THE EMOTIONALLY UNFIT, OR JUST DAMNED LAZY, BUT TO COMPLAIN, LEST THEY BE PILLORIED!

THIS IS THE FAULT OF WE THE PEOPLE, WHO NO LONGER HAVE THE STOMACH TO FIGHT FOR THEMSELVES AGAINST OPPRESSION! OUR FOUNDING FATHERS WOULD HAVE NOT JUST SOUGHT, BUT OBTAINED REDRESS LONG AGO...OR PERISHED.

END OF RANT...FOR NOW.

[Kathy in Alaska]

[Kathy in Alaska]

Jolla!!

1st!!

[TigerHawk]

In a perfect world there would already be a NOT in front of the word COMPLAIN...c’est la what’sit’s.

[Kathy in Alaska]

Janey!!

2nd!!

[radu]

I agree, fought for the wrong “team” but I’m a southron too. LOL My great-great-grandfather was a Union officer, though.

Oops! Good thing you woke up early since you forgot to set the alarm. You were lucky. Well, except for the early part. That hurts night owls. :-) At least you were able to get a good nap and that counts for a lot.

Yeah, we’re colder than Anchorage today/tonight. Weather conditions get posted periodically in the Lake Hood chat. Between warmer temps there and rain, the snow is all gone except where it was piled up by parking lots by snow plows. This time last night, it was all white up there.

[Kathy in Alaska]

ML!!

3rd!!

[radu]

Hey there, Kathy.

Yes, I got the shopping done quickly and was even able to park close to the door for a change. I was happy about that since it was cold with a nasty, biting breeze.

Wow! I just pulled up the cam when you said it’s snowing. It was raining the last time I looked and it IS snowing big, fat flakes! The lake ice isn’t shiny any more. It’s turning white again. It was raining pretty hard the last time I checked. You’ve had some crazy weather lately.

[Kathy in Alaska]

Good evening, luvie...he was a hero for sure.

[Kathy in Alaska]

I hear every word...

[luvie]

My great-grandfather was a soldier in the Confederacy. I don’t know too much about him, but I do have a couple of tintypes that he sent to his mother. One of them is of him in his uniform.

If the snow melted, then they’ll probably have ice on the roads soon, unless it dries out pretty quickly. Snow is way better than ic.

[Kathy in Alaska]

And now comes the wind...it’s still snowing and the street is white, but it’s 35.

[E.G.C.]

A very pleasant good Monday morning and ((HUGS)) to everyone at the Canteen and to all our military at home and abroad. Thanks for your service to our country.

How's everyone doing this morning?

[Kathy in Alaska]

[radu]

Dad had told me about my g-g-grandfather but I’ve learned a little more about him while helping my oldest cousin with the family tree. I was disappointed that I didn’t get to inherit his sword but my brother got that. :-(
I’m the first southern-born on both Dad’s and Mom’s sides of the family. They hated that my brother and I claimed being southern and I told them if they didn’t want southern children, they shouldn’t have moved to TN. LOL

The snow DID melt but now that it’s snowing hard again, I’d say tomorrow morning’s drive to work will be an adventure for the Anchorage folks.

[radu]

I can hear some gusts on the Lake Hood cam so it’s blowing out there too. I hope the wind doesn’t get as bad as that gust you had the other night! That sounded like it was awful.

I forgot earlier - - did you feel the 3.1 quake earlier today? One of the chatters who lives in Anchorage said she felt it but I don’t know what part of town she lives in.
It was underwater between Fire Island and Beluga - closer to Beluga.

[radu]

Howdy, E.G.C. ((HUGZ))

Did you have another pleasantly cool day for your romp at the lake with Gizmo yesterday?

[TigerHawk]

Well, I wrote ‘em all... except for the appropriate NOT before COMPLAIN, but I addendumed!

Sometime ya just gotta rant.

My wife and I were sitting at a sidewalk cafe in Paris, back in the late 70’s, when right in front of us we saw a bunch of Gendarmes with sub-machine guns round up 20-30 people and check their papers. We were stunned, and so glad that we were Americans, and proud that in America nobody could ever do that! That was then, now government goons can, and do.

And We the People, shrug our shoulders, and accept it in the name of this, that, and the other. Horrible! That’s not upholding and defending the Constitution!

[E.G.C.]

We had a great visit to Comanche Lake yesterday. We're watching the weather closely for today. We may do Comanche Lake later this morning depending on how the weather develops.

Pics from yesterday.