The Everyday Patriot Project

Private First Class Milton Lee Olive III, also known as "Skipper," was born in Chicago, Illinois on November 7, 1946. He was raised in Chicago and Lexington, Mississippi, graduating from Lexington High School. PFC Olive was a photographer before joining the Army, earning pocket money by taking pictures of newlyweds and church picnics. He also participated in the Civil Rights movement by aiding voter registration. Private Milton Olive enlisted in 1964 and was assigned to the 173rd Airborne Brigade and deployed to Vietnam for the Vietnam War. Private Milton Olive earned a Congressional Medal of Honor for smothering a grenade with his body on October 21, 1966, while on patrol with his team in Phu Cuong.   He rests in the West Grove Cemetery in Lexington, Mississippi. Chicago's Olive Park on Lake Michigan has been named in his honor. * Read about a.d. elliott's Everyday Patriot Project here* ****** ********************************* a.d. elliott is a wanderer...

Private First Class William Henry Thompson was born on August 16, 1927, in Brooklyn, New York.  Raised in poverty, he enlisted in the US Army in October of 1945, spending a year and a half in Alaska before an honorable discharge. Not happy with civilian life, he re-enlisted in the US Army in January of 1948. Private First Class William Thompson was known to be a good soldier. He was comfortable with the discipline and was an accurate marksman. Shortly after the beginning of the Korean War, he was assigned to the 24th Infantry (one of the last remaining segregated units) as a machine gunner.  On August 6, 1950, Private First Class William Henry Thompson earned a Congressional Medal of Honor during the Battle of Pusan Perimeter. When wounded by small arms fire and grenade fragments, he continued to maintain fire, despite orders to retreat, and stayed behind, providing cover fire for his unit's retreat. He was killed in action. Private First Class William Henry Thompson r...

Born on May 7, 1947, in Detroit, Michigan, Sergeant Dwight Johnson enlisted in the US Army in 1967. He was assigned to be a tank driver with the 69th Armor Division and deployed to Vietnam for the Vietnam War. Sergeant Dwight H. Johnson earned a Congressional Medal of Honor when, while under attack, his tank through a track. Sergeant Johnson left his tank, armed only with a 45, opened fire, and proceeded to pull wounded soldiers from tanks. Although he did, for a short time, have access to a larger weapon, most of the fight was fought (and won) with a 45.   Sergeant Dwight H. Johnson would be a haunted man after his return home, and on April 30, 1971, he would be shot during a convenience store robbery. However, it is important to note that there are questions regarding his involvement in any theft. He rests in Arlington Cemetery. Sergeant Johnson's story is immortalized in two plays. Strike Heaven on the Face by Richard Wesley and The Medal of Honor Ring by Tom Cole. * Re...

Born on July 24, 1929,  in East Gulf, West Virginia. Sergeant Cornelius Charlton relocated with his family to Brooklyn, New York, where he graduated from James Monroe High School. He was always drawn to the U.S. Army. He enlisted immediately after his high school graduation in 1946. Sergeant Cornelius Charlton was 17 (his parents had given permission). Initially assigned to Allied-occupied Germany, the Aberdeen Proving Ground, then Okinawa, Japan. Wanting to enter combat, Sergeant Cornelius Charlton requested a transfer in 1950 and was assigned to the 24th Infantry Regiment and deployed to Korea for the Korean War. During Operation Piledriver, on June 2, 1951, Sergeant Cornelius Charlton earned a Congressional Medal of Honor while capturing Hill 543. After overcoming enemy fire, he spotted and attacked an enemy bunker, destroying it while suffering from grenade shrapnel wounds that would prove fatal. Sadly, he was interred three times. The first in the segregated ...

Born Joseph Yule Jr, on September 20, 1920, in Brooklyn, New York, Sergeant Mickey Rooney appeared in his first film, Not to be Trusted, shortly after he and his mother relocated to Hollywood, California, in 1925. Throughout his childhood and teenage years, Sergeant Mickey Rooney became well known for his role as "Mickey McGuire" and "Andy Hardy' and appeared on the cover of  Time Magazine in 1940. In 1944 Sergeant Mickey Rooney enlisted in the U.S. Army in response to World War II and was assigned to troop entertainment, spending 21 months touring and earning a Bronze Star for his performances in combat zones. After the war, he began transitioning more toward T.V. and Broadway, creating the Mickey Rooney Show (also called Hey Mulligan). He even appeared in one of   Rod Serling 's Twilight Zone episodes. Sergeant Mickey Rooney was best friends with Judy Garland, who he met during the filming of Thoroughbreds Don't Cry.  He had an 86-year career in ...

Sergeant Donald Russell Long was born on August 27, 1939, in Black Fork, Ohio, where he was raised and attended Decatur-Washington High School. He joined the U.S. Army in 1963, deployed to Vietnam for the Vietnam War, and three years later, on June 30, 1966, Sergeant Donald Russell Long earned a Congressional Medal of Honor by smothering a grenade with his body to save the lives of his teammates during a reconnaissance mission with the 4th Cavalry. Sergeant Donald Russell Long rests at the Union Baptist Church Cemetery in Black Fork, Ohio. * Read about a.d. elliott's Everyday Patriot Project here* ****** ********************************* a.d. elliott is a wanderer, photographer, and storyteller living in Salem, Virginia.  In addition to her travel writings at  www.takethebackroads.com , you can also read her book reviews at  www.riteoffancy.com  and US military biographies at  www.everydaypatriot.com Her online photography gallery can be found at...

Private Irving Berlin was born in Israel Beilin, on May 11, 1888, in Imperial Russia. His family immigrated to New York in 1893 to escape the anti-Jewish pogroms. To help support his family, Irving Berlin began working at eight, selling newspapers and singing for extra coins. Then, at fourteen, he left home and began singing for money full-time, starting with street performances, working as a singing demonstrator, and finally as a singing waiter. Teaching himself the piano after closing. Private Irving Berlin's hard work paid off, and he began gaining a following in  Tin Pan Alley and fame through Alexander's Ragtime Band. Enlisting at age 30 at the beginning of World War I, the Army assigned Private Irving Berlin to the 152nd Depot Brigade at Camp Upton, where his duty was to write patriotic songs and shows for troop entertainment. After the war, he returned to Tin Pan Alley and, with Sam Haris, opened the Music Box Theater, continuing to write musical score...

Major Charles Leroy Thomas was born on April 17, 1920, in Birmingham, Alabama.  While growing up, he showed both an interest and an aptitude for machinery and electronics, and he was explicitly drawn to aircraft. He attended Wayne State University and worked as a molder for the Ford Motor Company before enlisting in the Army in January of 1942 in response to World War II.  Major Charles Leroy Thomas was assigned to complete the Officer's Candidate School and then given to the 614 Tank Destroyer Battalion. December 14, 1944,  Major (then a Lieutenant) was to lead a storming of Climbach.  He was wounded twice while he directed the setup and placement of the anti-tank guns, maintaining return fire, and covered the task force during its maneuver before finally being evacuated from the field.  Major Charles Thomas's actions earned him a Congressional Medal of Honor that was not awarded until 1997. Before retiring to Detroit, Michigan, Major Charles Le...

Born on March 1, 1904,  in Clarinda, Iowa, Glenn Miller and his family relocated to Grant City, Missouri, while he was young.   It was here that Major Glen Miller picked up his first trombone, which he had earned money for by milking cows.   His family moved again to Fort Morgan, Colorado, where Major Glen Miller attended high school and played for the football team, winning the 1920 Northern Colorado American Football Conference. In high school, Major Glen Miller also discovered his love for dance band music and, by high school graduation, had decided to make his living as a professional musician. Major Glenn Miller played freelance in his early career, working with dance bands and clubs, with occasional appearances in Broadway orchestra pits. The formation of the Glenn Miller Band and its unique saxophone arrangements caused his career to take off and earned him a record contract at Blue Bird Records, regular performances, and two motion ...

Born on March 12, 1864, in Mays Lick, Kentucky, Colonel Charles Young was enslaved until the passage of the 13th Amendment in December of 1865. His family relocated to Ripley, Ohio, and he attended Ripley High School, graduating in 1880 as the class's top student. A schoolteacher until 1883, he took and passed the examination for West Point with the second-highest score in the district.  He reported to the academy in 1884. Initially, Colonel Young struggled with mathematics and hazing that accompanied the early West Point cadets of African heritage. However, he persevered, graduating in 1889, and was assigned to the 9th Calvary. His military career was a career of firsts; Colonel Young was the first person of African descent to become the Superintendent of a National Park (The Sequoia and General Grant); he was also the first service member of African descent to be assigned to the military attache in Liberia. Colonel Young was highly educated, spoke several language...

Lieutenant Eugene Curran Kelly was born on August 23, 1912, in the East Liberty neighborhood of Pittsburg, Pennsylvania. While young, his mother had enrolled both him and his brother in dance lessons, but those were quickly canceled because they kept getting into fights with other boys about the classes. Instead, Lieutenant Gene Kelly focused on becoming a Pittsburg Pirate, playing baseball through high school. He briefly attended Pennsylvania State University but dropped out after the 1929 stock market crash to help support his family by performing dance routines with his brother at local clubs and talent shows. He returned to college, the University of Pennsylvania, in 1931, graduating in 1933 with a degree in economics. After graduation, he opened a dance studio and committed to a career in dancing. Lieutenant Gene Kelly made his debut on Broadway in 1938 and, after finding success on stage, was lured to Hollywood by David O. Selznick. He was in Hollywood long enough to firmly e...

Sergeant First Class Lawrence Joel was born on February 22, 1928, in Winston-Salem, North Carolina.  After spending a year as a Merchant Marine, he enlisted in the U.S. Army in 1946, at the age of 18, and chose to be a career soldier from the beginning. Sergeant First Class Lawrence Joel trained as a combat medic and, in addition to his Korean War deployments, earned a Congressional Medal of Honor during the Vietnam War's Operation Hump, when, on November 8, 1965, while assigned to the 503rd Infantry Regiment, he remained in the field (wounded and against orders) and continued to render aid during a firefight that lasted more than 24 hours. Sergeant First Class Lawrence Joel retired from the U.S. Army in 1973 and worked with the Veteran's Administration until 1982.  He died in 1984 and rests in Arlington Cemetery. Sergeant First Class Lawrence Joel's Vietnam valor was honored in the song "November 8" by Big and Rich. * Read about a.d. elliott's Everyday P...

Born in Brand County, Oklahoma, on April 22, 1899, Corporal Solomon Bond Louis spent his early years at the Armstrong Academy, a Native American orphanage and school. When the enlistment for World War I began, Corporal Solomon Bond Louis lied about his age to enlist with his friends.  After training at Fort Sill, Oklahoma, he deployed to France with the 142 Infantry and became known as one of the Choctaw Code Talkers of WWI. After the war, Corporal Solomon Bond Louis returned to his native Oklahoma, where he worked as a peanut farmer and did carpentry.  He was also an active preacher and served as a Justice of the Peace. Corporal Solomon Bond Louis died on February 19, 1972, and rests at Homer's Chapel Cemetery in Boswell, Oklahoma. The first issue of a comic book series that was issued by the Indigenous Narratives Collection called "Tales of the Mighty Code Talkers" celebrates the actions of Corporal Louis and the other Choctaw Code Talkers. See Also: Captain C...