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Updated June 14th, 2009.
THE VETERAN'S PAGE
Click for Chris' Engeldrum's Story
A true hero, in every sense of the word.
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Chris Engledrum, whose Uncle Donald ran Engledrum's service Station on Tremont and Lafayette Ave, gave his life in Iraq.
Dedicated to a life of service to his city and to his country, Throggs Neck resident and Bronx firefighter Christian Engeldrum was killed while serving in the Army in Iraq on Monday, November 29, 2004.
A well-liked cop turned firefighter who served at two local firehouses—first on Bruckner Boulevard and then in Co-op City—the 39-year-old father of two was a member of the responding rescue teams following the 9-11 terrorists attacks and helped raise the first American flag from the rubble at Ground Zero.
A sergeant with the 105th Infantry, Engeldrum was an active member of the U.S. Army from 1986 to 1991, and fought in Operation Desert Storm for which he received numerous commendations for his service. He then served in the National Guard, and re-upped for active duty, returning to Iraq this past September.
The Edgewater Park resident was reportedly killed during a roadside bombing en route to Baghdad. During the ambush, 16 U.S. soldiers were injured, including another city firefighter, Daniel Swift of Manhattan’s Ladder 43, and two other soldiers were killed.
Mike Kehoe on the left in sneakers and rolled up pants. John McNamara Jr. next to him.
He was the first person I heard of killed in Vietnam. At the time everyone in Edgewater was talking about him. He gave his life. Let me say that again- He gave his life.
There is no greater act.
Michael Joseph Kehoe
June 20, 1946 - January 13, 1967
| Name: |
Michael Joseph Kehoe |
| Birth Date: |
20 Jun 1946 |
| Death Date: |
13 Jan 1967 |
| Gender: |
Male |
| Age: |
20 |
| Race: |
Caucasian |
| Home City: |
New York |
| Home State: |
New York |
| Religion: |
Roman Catholic |
| Marital Status: |
Single (Spouse Not Listed) |
| SSN/Service #: |
2169453 |
| Citizen Status: |
U.S. |
| |
|
| Death Date: |
13 Jan 1967 |
| Processed Date: |
Jan 1967 |
| Casualty Country: |
Republic of Vietnam (South Vietnam) |
| Casualty Type: |
Hostile - Killed |
| Casualty Reason: |
Explosive Device (Grenade, Mine, Booby Trap, etc.) |
| Casualty Air: |
Ground Casualty |
| Body Status: |
Body Recovered |
| |
|
| Service Branch: |
United States Marine Corps |
| Component: |
Regular (RA, USN, USAF, USMC, USCG) |
| Military Grade: |
Lance Corporal |
| Pay Grade: |
Private First Class (U.S. Army) or Airman First Class (U.S. Air Force) or Lance Corporal (U.S. Marine Corps) or Grade/Rate Abbreviations With First Column: A,C,D,F,H,S,Or T; Second Column: A; Third And Fourth Columns: Blank (U.S. Navy, U.S. Coast Guard) |
| Province: |
Military Region 1 - Quang Tin |
| Length
|
| 1 |
| Service Occupation: |
Combat Engineer (USMC) |
| |
|
| Data Source: |
Combat Area Casualties Current File |
My friend John McNamara Jr., better known as Mack from the photo above.
When I asked John about the shirt and when he was "In Country" he replied: I was in Vietnam Jan 10, 1968 to Jan 11, 1969. I was with the First Infantry Division (Army) Alpha Company 2nd Battalion 28th Infantry Division (A-2-28) Black Lions of Cantigny.
At a time when many people were refusing to go, some of them moving to Canada to escape the draft and jail time, John went, knowing full well what could happen, just one year after his friend Mike Kehoe (above) was killed.
Whether the war was right or not has nothing to do with the guys who saw it as their obligation to go, just as American males had gone in all the previous wars. Then, after induring that hell for a year, which must have seemed like an eternity to those there, returned home. Not to a hero's welcome, as all the previous Veteran's had enjoyed, but in many cases to protests against them. Many Vets faced years of nightmares.
You got my respect, John!
Al Burkhart of 110-D gets ready to go to Viet Nam.
This says it all.
From Pennyfield Camp.
Larry Stern
July 21, 1948 - May 25, 1968
Lance Corporal
M CO, 3RD BN, 3RD MARINES, 3RD MARDIV
United States Marine Corps
21 July 1948 - 25 May 1968
New York, New York
Panel 67W Line 005
On May 25th,1968 Mike 3/3 lost three men in a firefight near Vinh Quan, about 6 kilometers north of Dong Ha:
SSG James Thurmond, Cleveland, OH
CPL Don K. Ledford, Marietta, SC
Larry and Judi Stern
This is a picture of Larry and me when we were kids.
I miss my brother every day of my life -- you cannot imagine. He was
the best brother in the world. This past Sunday was Larry's birthday
and my Mom just died this past April. I had a dream that they were
together for his birthday and were very happy.
It was such a great dream.
Hi Craig, thanks so much for adding Larry to the Veteran's page. My Mom died in April of 2002. Her name was Lillian. My father's name was Abe. My brother's are Howard, Paul and Eli.
Larry was so proud to be a Marine. I still think of him every single day and it's been 40 years.
From his sister,
Judi Crowe
[email protected]
Larry at Boot Camp
He would have looked right at home now with the short hair, but at the time most guys had long hair and were becoming hippies.
Larry with fellow Marines.
Larry in Viet Nam
The Stern Family
Larry and I with our younger brothers, Howard, Paul and Eli.
Howard Stern, Larry's younger brother.
He gave his life. Let me say that again- He gave his life.
There is no greater act!
I hadn't seen Joe in years. I first met Joe in the mid 70's when he almost went off the end of Sandy pier on his 450 Honda, which he abruptly sold to me. A member of the Legion, he served in Vietnam in the Marines and later became involved in local politics. He did a very moving thing for me and my brothers when he showed up with an Honor Guard at my family's wake at the Ft. Schuyler Funeral Home, after learning my brother Gary was a Vet and my brother Bruce was a past Commander of another American Legion post. I've always appreciated that greatly.
Another Soldier has left us. Jimmy Revell from the Light Inf. Brigade Viet Nam, passed away.
These are the details:
Apparently, while driving on the Bronx River Parkway on Friday, July 10th, in the afternoon and realizing he
was about to have a heart attack, he pulled over to the side of the
highway and attempted to stop vehicles. He then passed out on the side
of the road and was later pronounced dead by EMS. -Craig
When I forwarded an email about flying the flag on 9/11, an email sent to me by Mike and Ann (Malkin) Lynch, Al Burkhart wrote:
Craig. My flags are always flying. Both the American flag and the POW flag. I am a Vietnam Veteran from 1968 and lost some of my buddies over there. I also lost friends in the 9/11 attack and witnessed it just a block away.
To all of you I would say:
Survivors will have nightmares for years and years, sometimes for the rest of their lives. That we have people who are willing to give their lives, if need be, for our country, is what we ought to be thankful for. There will always be maniacs who want to rule the world, or at least some people's lives through fear and there will always be Americans who will rise up and meet the threat. We should be proud of them.-Craig
NEVER FORGET THEM!
My brother Gary, an MP (AP in the Air Force) stationed in Turkey at an airbase where U-2 spyplanes (and possibly Gary Powers, who was shot down by the Soviets and lived) took off. He was there at the time. My brother was investigated by the FBI in Edgewater and given a Top Secret Military Clearance.
My brother Bruce, home on leave from Destroyer duty, Newport Rhode Island, 1959. I would follow him there 13 years later. He and Jerry Archambault, who married Barbara Wakefield, and lived in Alden Park for years, were both stationed at Newport.
My brother Guy (Joe Jr.), was also in the Navy, stationed on a ship somewhere down south, in North or South Carolina.
Donald Hostomsky Sr. who was a NYC cop, as were his daughter Arlene and son Don Jr., served aboard the USS Batfish, a submarine stationed in Key West during the 50's. You had to have nerves of steel to be appointed to a sub. After his enlistment, he and his wife, Odette, moved from 521 E. 147th St. to 27-D Edgewater Park, where they started a family and had 3 sons: Steve, Dan and Don Jr. and 2 daughters: Arlene and Diane. He was a great guy, very easy going. He died way too young. When you meet people who are older, you really can't appreciate how tough they were when they were young. Like I said, you have to have nerves of steel to be on a sub and you have to be able to get along with a crew that lives together 24/7 for months at a time.
No computers here and if it went down the pressure would crush it. So it wasn't just the enemy you had to worry about. So many things could go wrong with a sub. Luckily, Electric Boat, in Groton (New London), Conn. did a great job of building them.
How would you like to sleep next to a torpedo?
One of the Arizona survivors. An armor piercing shell blew up below decks and exploded with enough force to actually raise the entire battleship out of the water! The ship had just been filled with fuel oil to go to California.
These guys are about to be killed! Imagine the stress of dealing with an enemy that doesn't care if they're killed. Like the suicide bombers of today.
The London Blitz. Americans were lucky not to have gone through this.
Here digging out after a night of hell.
The Japanese surrender. Had it not been for the A-bomb, millions more of American servicemen would have been killed. Many from the war in Europe that we had won were now being transferred out into the Pacific. The Japanese were ruthless with P.O.W.'s.
Young guys went off to war to defend this country. Young women (and
older ones too!) manned the tools of the "Arsenal of Democracy". "Rosie,
the riveter", they worked in every job the men had done. Women not only
built the planes but delivered them all over the U.S. Many gave their
lives for this country and their families weren't even given the benefits
the men were given. When WWII was over they were supposed to return
to a home life of raising kids and caring for their husbands, letting the
men take over the jobs. They should not ever be forgotten.
4 Women leaving their plane, "Pistol Packin' Mama" at the 4 engine school at Lockbourne AAF, Ohio, during WASP training to ferry B-17 Flying Fortresses.
Left to right are: Frances Green, Margaret (Peg) Kirchner, Anne Waldner and Blanche Osborn.
Many of these woman pilots lost their lives ferrying these planes as they were right off the assembly lines and because they weren't in the military innitially, they weren't even entitled to death benefits or were their parents allowed to put a gold star in their windows (to announce a death). There was one case (and probably a lot more) where the cabling to the control surfaces had been reversed and the pilot was able to figure it out and avoid crashing.
These planes didn't have power steering or power brakes. They had to be muscled around.
WHEN A SOLDIER COMES HOME
When a Soldier comes home he finds it hard...
When A Soldier Comes Home thanks to Tom Hansen.
Arlington
The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.
For a person to apply for guard duty at the tomb, he must be
between 5' 10' an d 6' 2' tall and his waist size cannot exceed 30.' Other
requirements of the Guard: They must commit 2 years of life to guard the
tomb, live in a barracks under the tomb, and cannot drink any alcohol on
or off duty for the rest of their lives. They cannot swear in public for the
rest of their lives and cannot disgrace the uniform {fighting} or the tomb in
any way. After two years, the guard is given a wreath pin that is worn on
their lapel signifying they served as guard of the tomb. There are only
400 presently worn. The guard must obey these rules for the rest of their
lives or give up the wreath pin.
The shoes are specially made with very thick soles to keep the heat
and cold from their feet. There are metal heel plates that extend to the
top of the shoe in order to make the loud click as they come to a halt.
There are no wrinkles, folds or lint on the uniform. Guards dress for duty
in front of a full-length mirror.
The first six months of duty a guard cannot talk to anyone, nor
watch TV.. All off duty time is spent studying the 175 notable people laid
to rest in Arlington National Cemetery .. A guard must memorize who they are
and where they are interred. Among the notables are: President Taft, Joe
E. Lewis {the boxer} and Medal of Honor winner Audie Murphy, the most
decorated soldier of WWII} of Hollywood fame.
Every guard spends five hours a day getting his uniforms ready for
guard duty.
ETERNAL REST GRANT THEM O LORD, AND LET PERPETUAL LIGHT SHINE UPON THEM.
In 2003 as Hurricane Isabelle was approaching Washington, DC, our
US Senate/House took 2 days off with anticipation of the storm. On the ABC
evening news, it was reported that because of the dangers from the
hurricane, the military members assigned the duty of guarding the Tomb of
the Unknown Soldier were given permission to suspend the assignment. They
respectfully declined the offer, "No way, Sir!". Soaked to the skin,
marching in the pelting rain of a tropical storm, they said that guarding
the Tomb was not just an assignment, it was the highest honor that can be
afforded to a service person. The tomb has been patrolled continuously,
24/7, since 1930.
LET'S HOPE THEY TAKE CARE OF THE LIVING VETERAN'S AS WELL!
Audie Murphy, little 5'5" tall 110 pound guy from Texas who played cowboy parts? He was the most decorated serviceman of WWII earning: Medal of Honor, Distinguished Service Cross, 2 Silver Star Medals, Legion of Merit, 2 Bronze Star Medals with "V", 2 Purple Hearts, U.S. Army Outstanding Civilian Service Medal, Good Conduct Medal, 2 Distinguished Unit Emblems, American Campaign Medal, European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal with One Silver Star, and Four Bronze Service Stars (representing nine campaigns) and one Bronze Arrowhead (representing assault landing at Sicily and Southern France) World War II Victory Medal, Army of Occupation Medal with Germany Clasp, Armed Forces Reserve Medal, Combat Infantry Badge, Marksman Badge with Rifle Bar, Expert Badge with Bayonet Bar, French Fourragere in Colors of the Croix de Guerre, French Legion of Honor, Grade of Chevalier, French Croix de Guerre With Silver Star, French Croix de Guerre with Palm, Medal of Liberated France, Belgian Croix de Guerre 1940 Palm.
Most people remember Eddie Albert for his role as the urban lawyer turned rural bumbling farmer in Green Acres. What most people don't know is that Eddie Albert served as a lieutenant in the United States Navy in the Pacific during World War II. A genuine war hero, he was awarded the Bronze Star for his actions during the Battle of Tarawa in 1943, when, as a landing ship pilot, he rescued 70 wounded Marines in the water while under heavy enemy machine-gun fire. These guys were under constant fire and to go the extra mile, to save these guys was as heroic as a person can get. He later described some of these events during a short interview in a segment of a program about the war, which appeared on the History Channel. Albert returned from the war a different actor with a darker screen persona, although it would take another ten years before he became better known to audiences.
Jimmy Stewart (USA)- Trained as a bomber pilot for the USAAF in WW2,
he served in the 8th Air-Force and flew 25 bombing missions over enemy
territory as the pilot of a B-24. When he was interviewed for the 1970s
documentary TV series 'The World at War', he recalled as the biggest
fear- "the (German) fighter was the boogey-man....the fighter had eyes!"
War movies he appeared in- Strategic Air-Command
Donald Pleasance (UK) Flew as a Navigator in Lancaster bombers in
British RAF Bomber-Command during the night-air offensive against
Germany in WW2. His plane was shot down in 1944 and he was captured
and placed in a POW camp where he was interrogated & tortured by the
Gestapo. After the war, he seldom spoke about his wartime experiences.
War movies he appeared in - The Great Escape, The Great Escape II (TV)
Charles Bronson (USA) Joined the United States air-force during WW2
and served in the war in Pacific against the Japanese. He flew 25
combat missions as a tail gunner in a B-29 in 1944/45, flying long-range
bombing missions over Japan and received a Purple Heart for being
wounded by shrapnel from anti-aircraft fire. War movies he appeared in
include:- The Dirty Dozen, The Battle of the Bulge
Clarke Gable (USA)- Served in the US air-force during WW2. He worked
primarily in public relations and morale-boosting but also trained as a
gunner and he flew five missions on B-17s over Germany. War movies he
appeared in included Command Decision
Lee Marvin (USA) Joined the US Marine Corps at the outbreak of WW2. He
fought in the Pacific against the Japanese and was wounded in the
buttocks by shrapnel during the battle of Saipan in 1944. War movies he
appeared in included:- The Dirty Dozen, The Big Red One, Hell in the
Pacific.
Henry Fonda (USA). Also served in the United States Navy in WW2 and,
like Steiger, also fought in the Pacific on board a Destroyer. However he
gained a higher rank (Quarter-Master) and was already an established
actor when he enlisted in the Navy in 1943. He earned a Bronze Star for
bravery. War movies included:- The Longest Day, Midway, Battle of the
Bulge
Rod Steiger (USA). Served in the United States Navy in the Pacific during
WW2 on board a Destroyer. His first introduction to war was when he
was ordered to machine-gun and sink an un-armed Japanese civilian
fishing boat whilst his ship was escorting the carrier USS Hornet en
route to launching the Doolittle Raid on Tokyo in 1942. War movies he
appeared in included:- Lion of the Desert, Waterloo, The Longest Day.
Now, that's incredible about Rod Steiger!
If you know someone, let me know!
A Lady Named Irena Sendler
There recently was the death of a 98-year-old lady named Irena Sendler.
During WWII, Irena, got permission to work in the Warsaw Ghetto, as a Plumbing/Sewer specialist.
She had an ulterior motive...
She KNEW what the Nazi's plans were for the Jews, (being German).
Irena smuggled infants out in the bottom of her tool box she carried, and she also carried in the back of her truck a Burlap sack, (for larger kids).
She also had a dog in the back that she trained to bark when the Nazi soldiers let her in and out of the ghetto.
The soldiers, of course, wanted nothing to do with the dog, and the barking covered the kids/infants noises.
During her time and course of doing this, she managed to smuggle out and save 2500 kids/infants.
She was caught, and the Nazi's broke both her legs and arms and beat her severely.
Irena kept a record of the names of all the kids she smuggled out and kept them in a glass jar, buried under a tree in her back yard.
After the war, she tried to locate any parents that may have survived it, and reunited the family.
Most, of course, had been gassed.
Those kids she helped were placed into foster family homes or adopted.
Last year Irena was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize....
She LOST.
Al Gore won for doing a slide show on Global Warming.
Thanks to Jacque Tanner Levine.
TAPS
If any of you have ever been to a military funeral in which taps were
played; this brings out a new meaning of it.
Here is something Every American should know. Until I
read this, I didn't know, but I checked it out and it's true:
We in the United States have all heard the haunting song, "Taps". It's
the song that gives us that lump in our throats and usually tears in our
eyes.
But, do you know the story behind the song? If not, I think you will be
interested to find out about its humble beginnings.
Reportedly, it all began in 1862 during the Civil War, when Union Army
Captain Robert Ellicombe was with his men near Harrison's Landing in
Virginia The Confederate Army was on the other side of the narrow strip
of land.
During the night, Captain Ellicombe heard the moans of a soldier who lay
severely wounded on the field. Not knowing if it was a Union or
Confederate soldier, the Captain decided to risk his life and bring the
stricken man back for medical attention. Crawling on his stomach
through the gunfire, the Captain reached the stricken soldier and began
pulling him toward his encampment.
When the Captain finally reached his own lines, he discovered it was
actually a Confederate soldier, but the soldier was dead.
The Captain lit a lantern and suddenly caught his breath and went numb
with shock. In the dim light, he saw the face of the soldier. It was
his own son. The boy had been studying music in the South when the war
broke out. Without telling his father, the boy enlisted in the
Confederate Army.
The following morning, heartbroken, the father asked permission of his
superiors to give his son a full military burial, despite his enemy
status. His request was only partially granted.
The Captain had asked if he could have a group of Army band members play
a funeral dirge for his son at the funeral.
The request was turned down since the soldier was a Confederate.
But, out of respect for the father, they did say they could give him
only one musician.
The Captain chose a bugler. He asked the bugler to play a series of
musical notes he had found on a piece of paper in the pocket of the dead
youth's uniform.
This wish was granted.
The haunting melody, we now know as "Taps" ... used at
military funerals was born.
The words are ...
Day is done ..... Gone the sun ... From the lakes
...From the hills From the sky ... All is well. Safely rest ..
God is 'nigh
...
Fading light ... Dims the sight .. And a star ....Gems the sky ..
Gleaming bright ... From afar. Drawing 'nigh... Falls the night.
...
Thanks and praise ... For our days ... 'Neath the sun ... 'Neath
the stars. 'Neath the sky... As we go. This we know... God is 'nigh.
...
I, too, have felt the chills while listening to "Taps" but I have never
seen all the words to the song until now. I didn't even know there was
more than one verse. I also never knew the story behind the song and I
didn't know if you had either so I thought I'd pass it along.
I now have an even deeper respect for the song than I did before.
Remember Those Lost and Harmed While Serving Their Country.
And also those presently serving in the Armed Forces..
Please send this on after a short prayer.
Prayer wheel for our soldiers...please don't break it.
Thanks to John McNamara Jr.
The Best Years of Our Lives- The entire movie except for one insignificant 10 min clip.
If you get an error just manually select the next clip from the menu.
After the first clip they're lettered - b,c,d etc.
Harold Russell, the double amputee who lost both arms up to the elbows, is portrayed in this movie as an E-5 Second Class Machinist Mate Navy Vet. Actually he was in the Army when explosives he was working with accidentally exploded. For his work in the movie he won 2 Oscars. He later sold one to pay for his wife's medical bills. He got 60 grand for it in 1992. A sad thing for this Veteran who gave his arms for his country.
To view 2 different bio's go to:
and
more to come
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