The Everyday Patriot Project

Lieutenant Colonel Melvin Russell Blair was born on November 11, 1915, in Topeka, Kansas. Enlisting in the U.S. Army in 1935 as a cavalryman, Lieutenant Colonel Melvin Blair was first assigned to Merrill's Mauraders, the special forces team assigned to Burma during World War II. He was briefly assigned to the Pentagon before moving to General MacArthur's staff and then was assigned to hold Pusan's Perimeter in the Korean War. Lieutenant Colonel Melvin Blair then served at the New York Military Academy, recreating an equestrian program until his full retirement. He was also an active member of the American Legion. Lieutenant Colonel Melvin Russell Blair died on April 19, 2008, and rests in Arlington Cemetery. * 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...

Seaman Second Class Florence Ebersole Finch was born on October 11, 1915, in Santiago, Philippines. Working at G-2 intelligence before World War II, she had married a sailor, Charles Smith, who was killed during the Japanese invasion. During the Japanese occupation, she suppressed her mixed heritage (her father was an American, her mother Philipino) and worked at the Philippine Liquid Fuel Company, which was under Japanese control. Seaman Florence Finch used her position to assist the Philippine resistance movement, including obtaining supplies and helping sabotage enemy efforts from June 1942 until her discovery and arrest in October 1944. Seaman Florence Finch also smuggled supplies and food to prisoners. After her arrest, Seaman Second Class Florence Finch was severely tortured, starved, and often imprisoned in a small box until the liberation of the Philippine Islands in February 1945.  She weighed only 80 pounds when rescued. She moved to Buffalo, New York, and enlist...

Lieutenant Sorrell Booke was born on January 4, 1930, in Buffalo, New York. Always a performer, he made impressions for the local radio stations while attending Bennet High School, where he graduated class valedictorian in 1948. After high school, Lieutenant Sorrell Booke attended Columbia University, then moved to Yale University to receive his master's degree. However, his college education was briefly interrupted by his enlistment in the US Army during the Korean War, where Lieutenant Booke served as a counterintelligence officer. In 1960, after many years spent on the stage, Lieutenant Sorrell Booke made his way to Hollywood. He took on several roles in film, including one in the movie Black Like Me, before focusing on television roles. Lieutenant Sorrell Booke was nominated for an Emmy for his role in Dr. Kildare. He also appeared on M*A*S*H and All in the Family before landing his most famous role, that of Boss Hogg, in the television series Dukes of Hazzard, a part h...

Specialist John August Boliver Jr. was born on May 10, 1963, in Louisville, Kentucky. He enlisted in the U.S. Army in 1983 and was assigned to Fort Hood, Texas. Specialist John Boliver was briefly assigned overseas in Germany before being discharged from active duty in 1986. Specialist John Boliver transitioned his service to the Pennsylvania Army Reserves. He was responsible for mechanical maintenance at a local hospital before his reserve unit deployed to Saudia Arabia during Operation Desert Storm/Desert Shield and the Gulf War to provide water purification and distribution. On February 25, 1991, Specialist John August Boliver Jr was killed when a SCUD missile struck the warehouse serving as the barracks for the 14th Quartermaster Battalion. He rests in the Monongahela Cemetery in Monongahela, Pennsylvania. * Read about a.d. elliott's Everyday Patriot Project here* ****** ********************************* a.d. elliott is a wanderer, photographer, and storyteller living in...

Airman Paige Renee Villers was born on November 3, 1987. She grew up in Norton, Ohio, graduating from Norton High School in 2006  and enlisted in the U.S. Air Force. Airman Paige Villers left for basic training on March 13, 2007, and, along with many other Airman, contracted an adenovirus, often referred to as "the boot camp flu." Unfortunately, Airman Paige Villers's illness developed complications, and she was hospitalized for pneumonia. Nevertheless, she graduated from basic training at a special ceremony held in the hospital before succumbing to damage caused by the infections. Airman Paige Renee Villers died on August 7, 2007, and rests in the Western Reserve National Cemetery in Rittman, 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 r...

Captain Charles Walter Veach was born on May 18, 1884, in Caddo, Oklahoma. Joining the Oklahoma National Guard, Captain Charles Veach was first mobilized for the Crazy Snake Rebellion dispute before being mobilized for the Mexican Expedition, where the Oklahoma National Guard was deployed to the Texas border. The Oklahoma National Guard was absorbed by the U.S. Army's 142nd Division during World War I. He and other members of the Choctaw tribe first used a Native American language to confound enemy troops and set the stage for further Native American Code Talkers in the U.S. Military. After the war, Captain Charles Veach returned to the Choctaw Nation in Oklahoma, serving on the tribal council and representing the Choctaw Nation in the Camp Council of the Five Civilized Tribes. Captain Charles Walter Veach died on October 13, 1966, and rests in the Highland Cemetary of Durant, Oklahoma. See Also: Captain Charles Walter Vetch Corporal Peter Maytubby Corporal Tobias ...