Medalions for Veterans' Graves

Medallions for Veterans' Graves

The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is offering bronze medallions to attach headstones or markers, signifying a deceased's status as a veteran.

 The new item can be furnished instead of a traditional government. Headstone or marker for. veterans whose death occurred on or after 1 November 1990, and whose grave in a private cemetery is marked with a privately purchased headstone or marker.

Under federal law, eligible veterans buried in a private cemetery are entitled to either a government- furnished grave marker or the new medallion, but not both. Veterans buried in a national or state veterans cemetery will receive a government headstone or marker of the standard design authorized at that cemetery.

The medallion 'is available in three widths; five, three and 1.5 inches. Each bronze medallion features the image of a folded burial flag adorned with laurels and is inscribed with the word ''Veteran'' at the top and the branch of service at the bottom.

Next of kin will receive the medallion, along with a kit that will allow the family or the staff of a private cemetery to affix the medallion to a headstone, grave marker, mausoleum or columbarium niche cover.

More information about VA-furnished headstones, markers and medallions can be found at

www.cem. va.gov /cem /hm_hmtype.asp.

VA is currently developing an application form for ordering the medallion. Until it is available, applicants may use the form for ordering government headstones and markers, VA Form 40-1330. Instructions on how to apply for a medallion are found on the VA website at www.cem.va.gov/ hm_hm.asp.

Veterans with a discharge issued under conditions other than dishonorable, their spouses and eligible dependent children can be buried in a VA national cemetery. Other burial benefits available for all eligible veterans, regardless of whether they are buried in a national cemetery or a private cemetery, include a burial flag, a Presidential Memorial Certificate and a government headstone or grave marker. The new medallions will be available only to veterans buried in private cemeteries without a government headstone or marker. Families 'of eligible decedents may also order a memorial headstone or marker when remains are not available for interment. Information on VA burial benefits can be obtained from national cemetery offices, from the VA website, www.cem.va.gov or by calling VA regional offices toll-free at 800/827-1000.

Veterans Day, 2010

Cleveland, Ohio. today, the IAWV decorated the graves of several veterans at St. John's Catholic Cemetery, Cleveland:

Kelly, James, Co. B, 8th OVI (Hibernian Guards).  Born in Ireland, 03 Mar 1836.. Died 07 Jul 1863. Wounded at  Antietam, died from his wounds.

Garvey, John. Lt., Co. B, 7th Virginia (USA), wounded Antietam, died 11 Oct 1862.

Galwey, John. 19th Ohio Battery. Served in Western Theater. Survived the war. Died 16 Jun 1913.

O'Reilly, James K. Captain, Co  B, 8th OVI. Surved the war. Died May 1900.

O'Connor,Robert E., Captain  1755 Ordance Supply & Maintenance, WWII

Our Logo

Thanks to Hibernian brother Owen Kilbane for contributing the logo you see on our page. It is of his design and and art work.

Commodore John Barry, USN

Commodore John  Barry

On September 13th, the Ancient Order of Hibernians will celebrate one of the major holidays of their order, Commodore John Barry Day. On June 14, 1794, President Washington appointed John Barry Commanding Officer of the United States Navy with the Commission Number One.

On September 13, 1803, at his home on Strawberry Hill, Philadelphia, Barry died after a long illness. He is buried at St. Mary‟s Catholic Church in Philadelphia.

By Joint Resolution, approved August 20, 1981, the U.S. Congress designated September 13th, the anniversary of his death, “Commodore John Barry Day as a tribute to the father of the United States Navy.”

By Joint Resolution, approved in December, 2005, Commodore John Barry has been recognized as the first flag officer of the United States Navy.

Monuments honoring John Barry have been raised in Philadelphia, Washington, D.C., New York, Boston and County Wexford, Ireland.

The John Barry Medal is presented by Hibernians throughout the United States to commemorate outstanding academic, cultural and civic achievement.

Hibernian efforts to honor John Barry at the Naval Academy

We hear about great naval heroes of the American Revolution, many were immigrants who bravely served their adopted country and risked their lives in America‟s hour of need. These heroes sailed under the 13 stars and stripes on the high seas. They won great victories over the most powerful naval power of its day – Great Britain. Their heroic deeds are historical and legendary.

One such naval hero is John Barry from County Wexford, Ireland. Although well known in Philadelphia and in the Irish American community, Barry is a forgotten hero at the US Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland. Retired Rear Admiral William Holland recently declared, “Barry has long been overlooked in our Navy‟s history.”

On the 200th anniversary of Barry‟s death on September 13, 2003, the Washington, DC Hibernians held their annual wreath laying ceremony at the statue in Franklin Park. The then DC State Board President, John E. McInerney, raised this issue in his Barry Day speech. “Barry answered President Washington‟s call to organize the Navy under the Constitution,” said McInerney. “He accepted Naval Commission Number One signed by Washington with the rank of captain and was honored as a Commodore. Like so many other Irish immigrants, John Barry loved and lived for his adopted country and stayed faithful to her until the end of his days.”

Many historians are convinced that had it not been for John Barry, the American Revolution would have been lost. Dr. Benjamin Rush, signer of the Declaration of Independence, said in his eulogy at Barry's graveside, "He was born in Ireland, but America was the object of his devotion and the theater of his usefulness."

McInerney concluded his 2003 talk by saying that “Perhaps John Barry from Wexford needs to receive major recognition at the Naval Academy in Annapolis. Once Congress enacts the bill declaring John Barry as the first flag officer of the American Navy, that fact needs to be enshrined in Annapolis. Perhaps John Barry‟s memorial needs to stand proudly on the grounds of the Naval Academy – paid for by contributions by ordinary citizens.”

Congress on December 22, 2005 by Public Law 109-142 clearly recognized and declared Barry “as the first flag officer of the United States Navy.” Former Secretary of the Navy, John F. Lehman, wrote in February 2010 “It has always been an oddity that his (Barry) memory and example have been largely absent from the Naval Academy. … The time to rectify this absence is at hand.”

About three years ago Jack O‟Brien and McInerney proposed honoring Commodore John Barry at the Naval Academy at a DC state board meeting of the AOH in Washington. The project was approved. O‟Brien became the project director and coordinator, and McInerney, a writer, its public relations director. Previously, O‟Brien led the nation-wide effort to successfully erect the Irish Brigade Monument at the Antietam Civil War battlefield dedicated in 1997. McInerney was that project‟s public relations director.

O‟Brien discussed the project with his contacts at the Naval Academy. A statue was proposed but quickly shot down. The idea of a memorial was mutually acceptable. Following the Academy‟s guidelines, O‟Brien and McInerney submitted a proposal on August 29, 2008. On January 5, 2009 Vice Admiral Jeffrey L. Fowler rejected the proposal stating that a memorial to Commodore John Barry “would not be appropriate for placement on the Yard in an exterior location.” Viewing the rejection as only a minor stumbling block, the DC Hibernians filed an appeal with the Academy‟s Superintendent on February 8, 2009.

On June 16, 2009 the Superintendent wrote that he referred the matter to the Executive Director of the Memorials and Grounds Oversight Committee, who is also the President and CEO of the U.S. Naval Academy Alumni Association and Foundation. He is to make a determination on whether to convene the Committee. As of the date of this article, a hearing is to be held in mid-May 2010.

“The case to honor Commodore Barry at the Naval Academy is based three factors,” O‟Brien pointed out. “(1) He received naval commission number one signed by President Washington. (2) He was the first flag officer of the United States Navy. (3) He was the commanding officer of the Navy under Presidents Washington, Adams and Jefferson until his death in 1803.”

“It is important that we explain,” said O‟Brien, “how a fine officer and gentleman such as Commodore Barry can be an inspiration to future officers of the Navy and Marie Corps. We are asking that the Barry Memorial be placed in a prominent space in the Academy‟s Yard so that midshipmen, officers, and the public will know of the contributions of the Navy‟s first flag officer.”

At the 2008 AOH national convention in New Orleans, the Hibernians adopted a resolution approving of the Barry project. National President Seamus Boyle is backing the project and strongly supports the efforts of O‟Brien and McInerney. During the discussions with the Academy, McInerney brought up the deteriorating condition of Barry‟s original commission number one. He remembered visiting the Academy‟s museum as a college seminary student in 1964. “At that time Barry‟s commission was in good condition and could be read,” McInerney pointed out. “Today it is difficult to read because of its deteriorated state.” The DC Hibernians and the Academy agreed to send the document to a conservator. In the presence of Academy officials as well as Seamus Boyle, Keith Carney, O‟Brien and McInerney of the AOH, and Russ Wylie of the Friendly Sons of Saint Patrick, the document was removed from its original frame and examined. The DC Hibernians paid for the conservator‟s expenses. Today, Commission Number One is safely at the Naval Academy preserved for future generations to view.

Many prominent Americans are currently writing letters of support for the Barry Project. On May 4, 2010, Congressmen Peter King, Eliot Engel, Joseph Crowley, Richard Neil, and Christopher Smith signed a joint letter to the Academy‟s Superintendent endorsing the Barry Memorial. The conclusion of their letter strongly supported the Hibernian efforts “to erect a memorial on the public grounds of the United States Naval Academy. We trust that their appeal will receive the favorable consideration it deserves.”

Many other letters are currently been sent to the Academy‟s Superintendent supporting the Barry Project, including AOH National President Boyle, retired military officers, university and college presidents and professors, Senator Mikulski (member of the Board of Visitors), Governor Martin O‟Malley of Maryland, and members of Congress. Also, Irish American organizations and military associations are sending letters of support. On January 28, 2010 the Friendly Sons of Saint Patrick pointed out that Barry trained “many of the officers of the U.S. Navy who became the heroes of the War of 1812.”

Fran O‟Brien, President of Philadelphia‟s Navy League, wrote on November 13, 2009 that Barry was honored “with the first commission of our new country‟s navy, America owes Barry and his legacy nothing less than the rare honor of being memorialized at our country‟s premiere military educational institution.”

  

Recently Congressman Joe Sestak (PA), a retired admiral, wrote that Barry “served a pivotal role in both winning our nation‟s independence and setting the foundation of our military.” 

Father Joseph McShane, SJ, President of Fordham University concluded his July 31, 2009 testimonial by declaring a “memorial at the Naval Academy would provide a concrete teaching experience to your students as well as a reminder that the Navy honors men of courage who have served.”

Maryland‟s Governor O‟Malley wrote on March 11, 2010 that Barry‟s “victories and sacrifices to secure the birth and strength of this nation are too great in number to fully recount in this letter, but I hope that we can seize on this opportunity today to honor the life of a great Irish immigrant who would become one of our greatest Americans.”

For information and details on the letter writing  guidelines, please e-mail John McInerney at McInerneyVerret@aol.com or call (202) 213 – 2055. 

Operation Big Lift

http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,875302,00.html

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3QX9lH_XrW4 

C.S.A. Sullivans interred in Hollywood Cemetery, Richmond, VA

Andrew J. Sullivan, Co. L, 12^th Reg’t., South Carolina. D. 06/19/1864.  Soldiers Section U, Sect. 279.

Dennis Sullivan, Co. D, 8^th Alabama. D. August, 1861. Soldiers section, Lot unknown.

Dennis O. Sullivan,  Co. H, 7^th Reg’t, Louisiana. d. 28 APR 1865. Sect. W, Lot 261.

James H. Sullivan, Co. B., 30^th Reg’t,  Virginia. B. 1841. D. 13 DEC 1906. Soldiers section East Lot 14.

John E. Sullivan, Co. E, 2^nd Reg’t, Maryland. D. 15 Aug 1863. Gettysburg section, Lot 1.

John S. Sullivan, Co. G, 27^th Reg’t, Georgia. D. 28 SEP 1864. Section V, lot 454.

Pleasant M. Sullivan. Co. B, 10^th Virginia. B. 1839. D. 24 Jun 1862. Soldiers Section O, lot 237.

T. Sullivan, Co. B, 2^nd Reg’t, South Carolina. D. 13 JUN 1864. Soldiers Section U, lot 578.

William R. Sullivan, Co. A, 49^th Virginia. D. 12 JUN 1864. Soldiers Section U, lot 577.

Benedictine Father Peter Whelan, Chaplain, C.S.A.

Father Peter Whelan, O.S.B., C.S.A.

by

J.C. Sullivan

To describe the life and times of one immigrant to the American South could be also be aptly titled "Holy Men in Modern Times." One chapter would describe Wexford-born Peter Whelan. Oh, he was human, to be sure, but his devotion to God and his fellow man is evident in the way he chose to live his life. He was also a Confederate Chaplain to Irish-Americans in the Montgomery Guards, part of the 1st Georgia Volunteers.

     Peter Whelan was born in 1802 in County Wexford, Ireland. He attended Birchfield College in Kilkenny for two years, where he received classical and mathematical education. He may have been influenced by the desperate appeal of John England, the bishop of the new diocese of Charleston, South Carolina. Priests were sorely needed, particularly in the South. He was ordained a priest of the Benedictine Order in Charleston on November 21, 1830. He offered his first Mass in the state of Georgia in 1835 in the home of Robert Semmes. In 1854 a yellow fever epidemic claimed the life of Savannah's first Bishop, Frances Gartland. Father Whelan was summoned to Savannah and was stationed there for the remainder of his life.

     In September 1861 Bishop Augustine Verot was named the third Bishop of the Savannah Diocese, which was formed in 1850. Arriving at his new post from Florida, he was asked to send a chaplain to Fort Pulaski. The Fort, on the Savannah River, guarded the approaches to the city. It was thought to be impregnable as no artillery shells could be directed at it from any nearby land.   Part of the garrison there were Catholic troops, in particular the Montgomery Guards, mostly Irish from Savannah.

     The militia unit was organized on August 20, 1861. Not having their own banner, Captain Lawrence J. Guilmartin contacted the Sisters of Mercy in Savannah. After Mass on Saint Patrick's Day, 1862, a presentation ceremony was held. Private Bernard O'Neill was appointed standard-bearer and Major John Foley presented it to him.

     Father Whelan was present on April 10, 1862 when Federal forces began an artillery bombardment of the Fort. Using new 'rifled' artillery, the rounds were able to reach the outer walls from Tybee Island, more than a mile away. Thirty hours later, with one wall breached by the shot, it was determined that the entire ammunition magazine was in danger of exploding, If that happened the entire garrison would be killed. Colonel Charles H. Olmstead agreed to surrender. Now prisoners-of-war, Father Whelan and the Montgomery Guards were transported to Governor's Island, New York. Bernard O'Neill hid the banner on his person.

     Wartime conditions persisted for prisoners and Father Whelan, through the office of Father William Quinn, pastor of St. Peter's Church, Barclay St., New York, applied for the position of Prison Chaplain so he could offer daily Mass at Castle William. Through Father Quinn he was discharged and put on parole. Father Whelan could have left but he chose to remain with his men and minister to them. He eventually returned to Savannah where the Vicar General assigned him the task of overseeing the spiritual needs of the confederate military posts in Georgia.

On one occasion another Confederate chaplain, the Reverend James Sheeran of the Fourteenth Louisiana, on leave from Virginia, visited him. In his diary he observed,  "He stands nearly six feet with drab hair, coarse ill shaped countenance, round or swinging shoulders, long arms, short body and long legs, with feet of more than ordinary size.... One day he met a brother priest, to whom nature was no more liberal than to himself. "Well," said he, "...your mother and mine must have been women of great virtue....because they did not drown us when the first saw us. None but mothers of great...patience would have raised such ugly specimens of humanity."

     During May of the same year Fr. William Hamilton, pastor of Assumption Church in Macon, accidentally came upon Andersonville Prison and stopped to learn how many Catholics were there. His experience led him to petition the Vicar, suggesting a priest be provided; Father Whelan was asked. He arrived at Andersonville on June 16, 1864. Even though other priests and the Bishop visited briefly, Whelan remained for four months.  Although he never penned his feelings, a pastor from Macon did. "I found the stockade extremely filthy:  the men all huddled together and covered with vermin....they had nothing under them but the ground."

     At the fall of the Confederacy, Father Whelan returned to Savannah and served there until 1868. Now aged sixty-nine and in failing health from his wartime tribulations, he administered his last baptism in 1871 and died in February of the same year. The funeral procession was reported in the Savannah Evening News as the longest ever seen in the city. After a 10:00 a.m. Mass a procession of  eighty-six carriages and buggies of civilians, religious societies and Irish organizations escorted his mortal remains through Savannah's crowd-lined streets to the Catholic Cemetery. Colonel Olmstead led Confederate Army and Navy veterans. An officer who knew Father Whelan said, "I followed this good old man to his grave with a sense of exultation as I thought of the welcome that awaited him from the Master whose spirit he had caught and made the rule of his life."

Bibliography

Gilliam Bowen, Diocese of Savannah

Father Whelan of Fort Pulaski and Andersonville, Georgia Historical Quarterly, Spring, 1987.

General Peter John Sullivan, Cincinnati, Ohio

Born in Cork, Ireland March 21, 1821, he was brought to the Philadelphia by his parents when he was two years old. Descended from British General William O'Sullivan, he eventually settled in Cincinnati. He was a U.S. Army Officer (Major) in the war with Mexico and Brevet Brigadier General Civil War veteran, serving with the 48th OVI. He was wounded at the battle of Shiloh. A Catholic attorney, he fought against the bigotry of the "Know Nothings".  After the Civil War President Johnson appointed him as U.S. Minister to Columbia.
He died March 2, 1883 and is buried at Spring Grove Cemetery, Cincinnati, Hamilton County, Ohio, USA. Plot: Section 20, Lot V. His wife was Margetta Sullivan.

NAVY PAYS TRIBUTE TO SULLIVAN BROTHERS OF WWII

NAVY PAYS TRIBUTE TO SULLIVAN BROTHERS OF WWII

by

J.C. Sullivan


December 7, 1941 was the "day that will live in infamy," the Japanese bombing of the US Naval base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. "I remember I was crying a little," Aletta Abel Sullivan said, as reported in the Waterloo Sunday Courier. "Then George said, 'Well, I guess our minds are made up, aren't they fellows? And, when we go in, we want to go in together. If the worst comes to the worst, why we'll all have gone down together.'" Serving together in the US Navy became a term of the brothers' enlistment.

Both Gunner's Mate George Sullivan, 27, and Coxswain Francis Sullivan, 25, had four years of prior Navy service. Joe (Red), 23, Matt, 22 and Al., 19, became seamen, second class , when they enlisted and were assigned to the new $13,000,000 light cruiser, Juneau, the first American war ship commissioned in camouflage. Nine months later, during the Battle of Guadacanal, near the Solomon Islands, she was steaming toward base when an explosion sent her to the bottom. Later reports said she'd been torpedoed by a Japanese submarine. On January 12, 1943 the headlines of the Waterloo Daily Courier screamed SULLIVANS MISSING.

""It just happened all at once and the Juneau was gone," reported an officer who witnessed it from another ship "One of the most extraordinary tragedies which has ever been met by any family in the United States.," spoke Henry A. Wallace, Vice President of the United States, referring to the sinking . The Navy issued a statement: "Loss of the five Sullivan brothers ranks as the greatest single blow suffered by any one family since Pearl Harbor and probably in American Naval history. In peacetime the Navy has allowed brothers to serve together but in wartime it has been Navy policy to separate members of the same family. Presence of the five Sullivans aboard the USS Juneau was at the insistence of the brothers themselves and in contradiction to the repeated recommendations of the ship's executive officer. Serving together had been one condition of their enlistment."

The lads were the sons of Thomas F. and Aletta Sullivan., 98 Adams Street. Mr. Sullivan was born on a farm in Taylor Township, Allamakee County, Iowa, near Harpers Ferry, Iowa. The family were parishioners at St. Mary's Church. A sister, Genevieve, survived them. Al was the only brother to marry. In February, 1941, his wife Katherine bore him a son, James T., who lives today in Waterloo. Quite naturally, he is a Navy veteran.

In their honor a U S Naval Destroyer was named The Sullivans. It earned nine battle stars in the Pacific and two battle stars for action in Korea. The 376-foot, 2,050 ton destroyer has since been decommissioned and in 1977 was dedicated as part of the Naval and Servicemen's Park, Buffalo, New York. Attending the dedication was James Sullivan, his spouse Sally, and their two children, John and Kelly. The ship had been towed from Philadelphia, manned by volunteer crews and financed with a $250,000 state grant to Buffalo's Urban Renewal Agency.

In Iowa a memorial was constructed at Waterloo's 8-acre Sullivan Brothers Memorial Park, Fourth and Adams Street, in which the family homesite is incorporated. It honors the five Sullivan brothers and all of America's fighting men who die in the cause of freedom throughout the world. A pentagonal concrete dais topped with a circular polished granite base supports a bronze shamrock, insignia from the destroyer USS The Sullivans. Today, the Five Sullivan Brothers AOH Division 1 in Waterloo holds an annual ceremony at Sullivan Park following St. Patrick's Day Mass.

On April 17, 1997 Kelly Ann Sullivan Loughren and John Sullivan, grandchildren of Albert and the daughter of James and Sally Sullivan, was a present at Stapleton Pier, Staten Island New York for the formal commissioning into the US Navy of the second The Sullivans (DDG68). Kelly is a schoolteacher at Southdale Elementary School in Cedar Falls, Iowa. The Arleigh Burke Class destroyer, with a crew of 26 officers and 315 sailors, will be commanded by Commander Gerard D. Roncolato. Last year Commander Roncolato visited Waterloo and was escorted by Mike Magee, AOH Five Sullivan Brothers Division 1, Waterloo.

The commissioning week schedule of events began with the arrival of the ship in the vicinity of Verrazano Narrows Bridge on Monday April 14, 1997. New York Stadium hosted Sullivans Day beginning at 7:30pm. April 17th from 2 - 6:30pm was Sullivans Day at Manhattan's Intrepid Sea-Air-Space Museum (NLUS).

The evening before the commissioning ceremony we visited Staten Island's Sullivan's Pub, owned by the genial former New York City fireman Charley Sullivan. While at Sullivans Pub we personally met some of the USS Sullivans crew who were on liberty that evening. One of them was FC3 Christopher M. Diedrich, Smithville, Texas. Even though he calls himself "Peon", in a self-deprecating fashion, he nonethless possesses a security clearance to work in the Tomahawk Missile area of the ship. "We were off the coast of Maine practicing the drills that would allow us to pass certification to travel the seas," he said. " At the moment that Commander Roncolato announced to us over the loudspeaker that we had indeed passed certification, crewmembers on deck noticed an American bald eagle circling the mast of the ship. It caused all to have their hearts raise up into their throats."

The following morning, April 20, 1997, we sat not more than five miles from where the five Sullivan brothers ship, the Juneau, was commissioned in 1942. We sat among thousands who were there to witness the commissioning of the new USS the Sullivans, DDG 68. It carries the motto of the Sullivan Brothers - "We Stick Together." We were honored to meet the great-grandchildren of the late Thomas Sullivan. Thomas, father of the five lads, was a railroader and belonged to a Chicago Hibernian Division as there were none in Waterloo at the time. Kelly-Sullivan Loughren and John Sullivan are the children of James and Sally Sullivan. James is the son of Albert, the only one of the five brothers who married. "The five Sullivans were common men who made an uncommon sacrifice," Sullivan-Loughren said. "I wish to thank those who decided the ship's name, and also those who have worked so hard to bring her to where she is today, the greatest ship ever built. ...I send my love and prayers to the commander and his crew. May the luck of the Irish always be with you and your crew."

The Commander of the ship, G.D. Roncolato, spoke to the assemblage in an emotion-laden voice. "Today is one of the most significant days in the life of this new warship - she comes alive! Thank you for being here for his memorable occasion. The motto of the Sullivan Brothers, "We Stick Together," lives today in this ship and crew. These young people, two-thirds of whom had never been to sea before and whose average age is a little over 20 years old, have stuck together in a way that has been an inspiration to everyone that has seen them in action. In an era when we are bombarded with bad news about the status and future of our society, you need look no further than this crew to see what is right in America."

Roncolato addressed two survivors from the Juneau sinking, Frank Holmgren, Eatontown, N.J. and Lester Zook, Springfield, Ore. "Your courage is an inspiration to us," he said. He then led the crowd and crew in three cheers for them. Zook later said, "It seems like a long time ago. The Juneau was forgotten for a long time and still would be if it wasn't for the five brothers."

Also on hand was the O'Sullivan, James O'Sullivan, the Master, Droum House, Castletownbeare¸ County Cork. James has since passed on. He made a special presentation to Commander Roncolato on behalf of the Sullivan/O'Sullivan clan in Ireland. "I was delighted to come as I'm the chieftain of the O'Sullivans in Ireland and I thought it my duty. I believe their ancestors came from Harjole, Castletownbeare, Co. Cork. There's an old road left there, just a few stones. It's known as Johnny O'Johns. There was a man who had a pub there, Mark Sullivan. He's long since deceased and he always claimed he was related to the five Sullivan Brothers. I've asked Mike Magee of Waterloo to go to the headstone down at Harper's Creek, Iowa and find out if it shows the age at which he died. This would be the grandfather of the five boys. Thomas emigrated with his wife Bridget Agnes and his brother Owen in 1849."

Commenting on the U.S., which he's visited five times, O'Sullivan said, "I like this country. You can talk your mind out without any restrictions." O'Sullivan presented Commander Roncolato with a map of Bantry Bay, a video and a map of Ireland and hopes to greet the ship in Ireland at some point in time. Commander Roncolato hopes that is the case too.

The following morning we all sat dockside on the Stapleton Pier and watched the ship come alive as the she was placed into commission and the crew, in dress uniforms, ran single file off the pier and onboard the ship.

"This is a wonderful day honoring five brave American boys who m made the ultimate sacrifice, said Kevin McKernan, Staten Island.. "It's a great honor that the Navy has seen fit to bestow on these boys, as well as all Irish Americans."

Chip McLean offered his feelings. "The residents of New York and Staten Island are thrilled to have the commissioning of the Sullivans occurring here. We're happy to see so many people here from throughout the nation and we extend our hospitality to allthose others present here."

Eddie Sullivan, Cleveland, Ohio said, "I was impressed with the crew and how they understood the history of the original USS Sullivans 537 and the relation to the new ship, DD68. It seems to have brought them together in a family spirit similar to that of the five Sullivan Brothers. They recognize the historical and modern day importance of the unity aboard the vessel."

Working very hard since January was a resident of Waterloo, Iowa, Mike Magee. "I feel very privileged to be here. It's a day I've been looking forward to for a long time. I'm looking forward to seeing a lot of people I met in Waterloo in 1992 when we dedicated the Sullivan Convention Center. As a matter of fact, I'm enjoying everything." He introduced us to the mayor of Waterloo.

"We have nearly one hundred people e here from our fine city ," said Mayor John Rooff. "We think it's an honor to be here on behalf of the citizens of Waterloo to present the silver service to Commander Roncaloto and the USS the Sullivans and to be part of this historic moment. We 're pleased to represent all the people of the City of Waterloo, the home of the Sullivans."

The service was acquired and engraved as a result of an initiative by Waterloo attorney Ed Gallagher, Jr., a Navy veteran who organized a 1992 event commemorating the 50th anniversary of the brothers' sacrifice. Gallagher said, as reported in the Waterloo Courier, "...silver service is a traditional gift to naval ships and the service from the original USS The Sullivans, commissioned in 1943 and now decommissioned and docked at a Buffalo, NY military naval park, could not be located."

Virginia Brown Hogan,Staten Island resident, said, "This is really wonderful. I'm really honored to be here."

Any doubters of what's best in and about America would have had their eyes and faces brightened by inner and outer light if they, too, had the privilege of seeing and hearing what we saw and heard. America's best were on Staten Island, New York this weekend. No doubt about that!

The ship's store can be visited on the Internet at http://www.spear.navy.mil/ships/ddg68_hp.html



-30-



J.C. Sullivan is a member of American Legion Nordonia Hills Post #801 Post, Northfield, Ohio

Pvt. Paul F. Riley, US Army WWII. KIA. Born in Cleveland, Ohio

Pvt. Paul F. Riley, US Army, 95th Infantry Division, KIA

Cleveland Veterans Memorial

Cleveland Veterans Memorial

Baseball Play of the Century

Baseball Play of the Century

National Anthem sung by the combined choirs of the service academies

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ETrr-XHBjE

Michael Corcoran, 8th US Cavalry, Medal of Honor recipient. Cleveland, Ohio

On the occasion of the dedication of a Medal of Honor stone at Calvary Cemetery, Cleveland, Ohio
The family of Michael, Albert, James, Robert, Patti and Donna, we are delighted to have located you and be with you today. The Corcoran surname is found in ancient Irish annals. According to Edward MacLysaght, there are the Mac Corcrain sept (corcair purple), who are of the Ely O'Carroll country in County Offaly and there are the O Corcrain, who were an ecclesiastical family located near Lough Erne, County Fermangh.
Why have we gathered here today at Calvary Cemetery on behalf of one who bore the Corcoran name? Some would call these grounds a resting place for the dead. I look around me and see it is ground for the living.
In 1869, while Andrew Johnson was serving his last year as President, Michael Corcoran, a fellow 'Desert Rat,' served with the U.S. Army in the great Mojave Desert, territory of Arizona. It did not become a state until 1912. The United States at that time was younger, expanding westward to a place where the cultures of the Native American, and other Americans, clashed. Violence and savagery defined the borders
Military service in any desert is not easy duty. Back then it was even harder. Besides the dry heat of the day, the thirst, sudden nosebleeds and the surprising cold of the night, the troopers of the 8th Cavalry were confronted with the ever-present danger of violent death. In one of Corporal Corcoran's letters he wrote, "We had several fights with the Apache Indians this last winter. There is not a day but someone is shot here.....We had three men shot since we got here this spring."
The 8th Cavalry was up against the Apache; the name being a Zuni word meaning "enemy." Their own name for themselves was "Inde", or "the people." By 1869 Apaches were already veterans of fights against the Spanish Conquistadors and the Mexican Army. During Corporal Corcoran's military service the Apache nation was led by a man who has been called "a brilliant personal and charismatic leader, and immensely spiritual." We all know his name - Geronimo.
We don't know exactly what individual actions Corporal Corcoran took on that August day in 1869. We know he displayed courage, valor and unselfishness when he took action against an enemy of the day. Nonetheless, it tells us much about who Michael Corcoran was. In 1916 the government dropped 911 names from the roster of the Medal of Honor. Michael Corcoran's name was not one of them. His discharge papers simply say, "He was a good, sober and faithful soldier." His great-grandson Robert recalls that Michael enjoyed a cup on occasion.
We are here today because of our link to the past. The ancient Celts believed that death in this life meant birth into another life. And, consequently, they believed that birth into this life meant death from the other. While there can be no doubt Corporal Corcoran found himself in a situation that called upon this character and his military training, he didn't flee when danger presented itself. He respected himself and his "Band of Brothers.
General John P. Jumper, former Chief of Staff, United States Air Force, spoke to a graduating NCO Class at Maxwell AFB, Alabama. "The character we seek to define is the fire of conscience that burns within us and superintends our conduct over a lifetime. But character is out of vogue in this world, whose standards are set more by the culture of Beavis and Butthead or the Simpsons, than by the standards of, say, our founding fathers: like John Adams, Thomas Jefferson or James Madison. These men were truly unique. They transitioned easily from the pulpit, to the plowshare, to the musket. They wrote the history of their time with powerful words that will live forever: The Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, the Federalist Papers; and they used words we don't hear today, words that describe the supreme traits of virtue and character that inspired them."
The Irish, it is sometimes said, suffer from too much history. It could be equally stated that Americans suffer from too little. Corporal Corcoran's act of valor on that day so long ago speaks to us of character and individuality.
On Friday, May 31, 1889, twenty years after his actions in the desert, this loving father and husband again saw the need to take immediate action. Perhaps he heeded telegraphed warnings from Elias Unger, President of the South Fork Fishing and Hunting Club. Unger had warned that the old "South Fork Dam," fourteen miles up the Little Connemaugh River, might give away. The dam, 450 feet higher than Johnstown, held the 3-mile long Lake Connemaugh. At 3:15 pm it broke, sending a crescendo of 20 million tons of oily and muddy water rushing down the Connemaugh valley at forty miles per hour. Over 2,000 people died and thousands more were injured in what has become known as "the Johnstown Flood." Again, by his individual action, reputed physical strength and possiobly help from others, Michael Corcoran demonstrated his character by saving his family from injury or death by drowning. He moved them all to higher ground before the floodwaters devoured most of the city.
If we chose to further examine the character of Michael Corcoran we would first see the character of the parents who raised him. We would also see others who were a part of his life; brothers and sisters, aunts, uncles, cousins and friends. And we would see him in his descendents today.
Perhaps the energy created here today by our presence and our prayers, will reach the spirit of both Michael Corcoran and his spouse Johanna Culliton. Perhaps this energy will nourish their spirit... and ours as well.

Corporal James P. Brock, USMC. Born in Cleveland, Ohio

ON THE OCCASION OF THE RE-DEDICATION OF A BROOKLYN, OHIO PLAYGROUND IN THE NAME OF CORPORAL JAMES P. BROCK, USMC, VIETNAM KIA.
Sunday, July 27, 2008. 2:00 p.m.
Today is Brooklyn, Ohio’s 2008 Memorial Day. This playground is being re-dedicated to honor the memory and spirit of one of Brooklyn's own, Corporal James P. Brock. I am honored to be a part of this and I thank Mayor Patton for the opportunity to take the name of Corporal James P. Brock from a playground sign and bring him to life.
I first met Jim back in 1957 when we were both newcomer transferees to the halls of Benedictine High School. Other than my grade school friends attending ‘Benny', Jim was one of my first new friends there and I was on of his first friends there too. Like me, he was Irish-American. With his red hair, he resembled others in my family, brother Rodger and sisters Mary Jo and Jean.
After graduation, we saw each other on occasion and telephoned to stay in touch. Not long afterwards, he enlisted in the Marine Corps and I went into the Army. Once we were both home on leave at the same time but missed seeing each other. Instead, he chose to visit his sister in Cincinnati, Julie, who is Sister Julienne, a religious Sister.
During our service years, we continued to communicate. His letters followed me to Fort Hood in central Texas, the barren desert of the great Mojave that spanned New Mexico, California and Arizona, to the field near Berlin, Germany. My letters followed Jim to Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, Guantanamo Bay, Cuba and Okinawa. In the autumn of 1965, his letters bore a new postmark - Vietnam.
Jim was happy that I had somehow missed being sent there and asked how I had "skated this mess." There was more than just a hint of frustration in the tone of the letters. The enemy was elusive; "you can't tell the cowboys from the Indians," he said, a reference to old American movies in which most cowboys we were portrayed as good people, and most Indians as bad people.
On December 9th and 10th, 1965, about 5 clicks northeast of Que Son (Khe San), F Co., 2nd Battalion, 1st Marines and E. Co., 2nd Battalion, 7th Marines, lost eighteen of their own in an engagement with North Vietnamese Regulars. One of them, who we remember today, was a Brooklyn native and graduate of St. Thomas More Catholic Grade School. He became the first Clevelander killed in Vietnam.
Casualties of many wars were buried where they fell, or in graves in neighboring states or countries. I have prayed over some in American Military Cemeteries - outside Hamm, Luxembourg, where George Patton is rests with troops who fell during World War Two’s Battle of the Bulge. Also at Gettysburg, Antietam, Arlington and Calvary. Jim, however, was returned home.
Friends gathered at Chambers Funeral Home on Rocky River Drive to comfort his family and mourn our loss. Corporal Milton Fredrickson, stationed in San Francisco, accompanied the casket home to Cleveland. In his marine Dress Blue uniform, he stood ramrod straight next to flag-draped, closed casket. On his breast was a Purple Heart medal, awarded for wounds he had received in Vietnam.
December 31, 1965 dawned in typical Cleveland winter fashion - extremely cold with a gusty wind blowing off Lake Erie. After a Requiem Mass at St. Thomas More Church, over one hundred cars drove to Calvary Cemetery on the East Side. A Marine firing squad commanded by Staff Sergeant Louis Minter saluted their fallen comrade with a rifle volley that startled most of those present. It was followed by the haunting reverie of Taps, from a hidden bugler, then-14 year old James Ginley. Corporal Frederick son presented Corporal Brock's mother with a tri-folded US flag, "on behalf of a grateful nation." Clutching the flag, she threw herself over the gray casket and sobbed, "Oh, Jimmy." My heart was wrenched from my chest; I tasted the salt of my own tears.
I later heard Jim's younger brother, John, joined the Marine Corps, probably to avenge his brother's death. Surprisingly, he, too, was sent to Vietnam. Knowing of Jim's sacrifice, however, they kept him in Saigon. I'm surprised he got that far.
In 2006, Marine Corps veteran Corporal D.G. Marso wrote, “Jim was a wonderful friend and a great Marine. He was like a Big Brother to younger Marines in K Co, 3rd Bn, 2nd Marines, 1963-64. We wish we could have been there for you Jim.
Semper Fi, Brother. Cpl. D. G. Marso 1990351
Some things remain fresh as if they happened yesterday. Today, it is hard for me to believe it is the year 2008; all that seems so very recent. Maybe it is supposed to be that way - to remind us that forty-three years is not a long time after all in the loop that is life.
Visit his final resting place at home in Cleveland at Calvary Cemetery or at panel 4E6 on Washington’s Vietnam Veterans Memorial. Say a prayer not only for the repose of Corporal Brock’s soul but those of the other 58,195 names listed there. And hate war, not the warrior.
On that last day of 1965, it was still early in a war that would eventually claim so many more American and Allied lives. I now realize that most of us in Cleveland were in shock over Jim's death. And, in keeping with Irish warrior tradition, there should have been a piper at Calvary Cemetery that day.
On a recent Veterans’ Day, I returned to that gravesite for the first time since. With me were representatives from the Marine Corps League, American Legion, Polish Legion of American Veterans and the Cleveland Police and Fire Departments. And, this time, there was a piper.
An earlier version of this story titled The Day the Letters Stopped originally appeared in the Cleveland Plain Dealer in 1995

Fr. Francis J. McManus, S.J., Born in Cleveland, Ohio

Seventy Catholic priests lost their lives in World War Two. Of the 37 Chaplains captured,  21 were Catholic. In the Pacific, most were serving  with Philippine Scouts or the regular Army. One was a Cleveland native, Francis J.  McManus, S.J.

Born to Bernard and Anna McManus, he was baptized at Immaculate Conception on Superior Avenue. In all probability he began his grade school education there and later transferred to Saint Agnes. A graduate from Cathedral Latin, he was later ordained in 1930 at the College Chapel, Canisianum, Innsbruck, Austria. In Cleveland he served as Assistant Pastor at St. Ignatius and St. Malachi. His last assignment before enlisting in the Navy in 1936 was at St. Mary, Lorain.   

His original assignment was in the Pacific as Chaplain on the submarine tender Caponus, formerly the Santa Leonora. It had been taken over by the Navy in 1921. When the war began in December, 1941, the ship was attacked by Japanese forces while anchored in Maravales Bay on Bataan.  Her ammunition magazine exploded causing many casualties. Fr. McManus “rushed to the blazing compartments, helped drag the living to safety, and administered Last Rites to the dying.””[i][ii] For his actions he was awarded the Silver Star, America’s third highest military decoration.

 

Prior to World War Two, the Philippines were a mission of the Society of Jesus’ New York Province.  During the war, the capture of Corregidor, an island in the entrance of Manila Bay, was the culmination of Japanese campaign for conquest of the Philippines. When it fell in April, 1942, about 20,000 American servicemen were captured. One of those was Fr. McManus.

 Fr. McManus was sent to a Japanese P.O.W. camp at Cabantuan, where it was estimated that 40 – 50 men died daily from torture, abuse, starvation and disease. While there Fr.  McManus often offered to work in place of sick men. Cabantuan would be memorialized later in the war when liberated in an operation by U.S. Army Rangers.

Another Ohio Chaplain, Celina native Fr. John A. Wilson, described McManus as “never down-hearted. He never complained. He had a keen sense of humor and was always good for a laugh. Both of us being from Ohio we spent a lot of time together.” 

During the autumn of 1944 the Japanese,  anticipating their loss of the Philippines, began shipping prisoners in unmarked “Hell ships” to Japan. Jammed into the holds, prisoners were deliberately killed through lack of water. These ships were regularly attacked and strafed by American combat aircraft or submarines. It was during such an attack in January, 1945, while the ship was anchored in Taco Bay, Formosa (now Taiwan),  that Father McManus was wounded. As reported in the Catholic Universe Bulletin in 1946, another Ohio Chaplain, Fr. John E. Duffy, wrote to Toledo Bishop Karl Alter and described Fr. McManus’ last days.

“On the death ride from Manila many strange things happened. When three bombs hit us in the forward hold while in Taco Bay, officers on all sides of me were killed. For three days none of us could get out of this hold and the Japs would give us no medical aid, but that’s too gruesome a story. Fr. Frank McManus was serious wounded at this time and died January 22, 1945 enroute to Maji.”  Fr. Duffy administered the last Sacraments. The Japanese immediately buried him at sea.

Fr. McManus was posthumously awarded  a Purple Heart , Legion of Merit and Silver Star in recognition of “heroism and intrepidity” in combat and distinguished service during the December 29^th attack., the latter being America’s  third highest award for valor.

Besides his parents, Fr. McManus was survived by a sister, Alice McManus Lane,  and brothers Richard J. and Edward J.

---

[i] “Blackrobe in Blue, the Naval Chaplaincy of John P. Foley, S.J.

[ii][ii]

FAILTE - to the website of Post #1 Irish American War Veterans in northeast Ohio

For God and Country we vow to uphold and defend the Constitution of the United States of America. As Irish-American veterans, our goal is to recognize and honor the contribution and memory of those of Irish descent who have distinguished themselves in military and civilian life.

Post #1 meets on a quarterly basis at different locations in northeast Ohio.

For more information about us send an e-mail to irishamericanwarveterans@yahoo.com, or call 440.221.2038 , or print mail the application to POB 670685, Northfield, Ohio 44067-0685..



JC Sullivan, U.S. Army, USAEUR
Commander Emeritus

Mike Friery
U.S. Army, USAEUR
First Vice Commander

Russell Davis, U.S. Army, Panama
Treasurer

Richard B. Masterson, U.S.Air Force
Recording Secretary

Kevin McGinty, U.S. Army
Sentinel

Owen and Martin Kilbane
Historians

Chaplain
tba