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Showing posts from August, 2021

A Soldier's Story: Staff Sergeant Diobanjo San Agustin

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  Staff Sergeant Diobanjo San Agustin was born in 1986 in the Philippines. He and his family immigrated to National City, California, and he enlisted in the US Army in 2007.  Taking advantage of the US Military's path to citizenship, Staff Sergeant Diobanjo San Agustin would become a US citizen in Kuwait while on his first deployment for the War on Terror in Iraq. After that, he would decide to become a career soldier and would ultimately deploy two additional times, once to Kosovo and once to Afghanistan.   On September 4, 2018, Staff Sergeant San Agustin was involved in a fatal accident at Bagram Air Base during his third deployment.   * Read about a.d. elliott's Everyday Patriot Project here* **************************************** a.d. elliott is a wanderer, writer, and photographer currently living in Salem, Virginia.  In addition to the travel writings at  www.takethebackroads.com , you can also read her book reviews at  www.riteoffanc...

A Soldier's Story: Master Sergeant Shelly Marie Weber Satchell

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  Master Sergeant Shelly Marie Weber Satchell was born on November 25, 1965, in Blue Earth, Minnesota. She attended Waterville-Elysian-Morristown High School, participated in the choir and band, and was also on the Student Council. She enlisted in the US Army shortly after her high school graduation in 1984. Master Sergeant Shelly Satchell had a full twenty years in service and would die from a heart attack while stationed in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. She rests at Cedar Hill Cemetery in Elysian, Minnesota. * Read about a.d. elliott's Everyday Patriot Project here* **************************************** a.d. elliott is a wanderer, writer, and photographer currently living in Salem, Virginia.  In addition to the 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  shop.takethebackroads.com #Taket...

A Soldier's Story: Colonel James Ashbury Coffey

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  Colonel James Ashbury Coffey was born on November 18, 1827, in Gallatin County, Illinois. He moved to Kansas in 1855 to open a trading post. He enlisted in the local militia and fought in the border wars before being mustered into the US Army's 4th Battalion 4th Brigade Artillery during the Civil War. In 1869, he created a trading post that would ultimately grow into Coffeyville, Kansas ( read about the town here ). After the founding of Coffeyville, Colonel James Coffey would then move to Humboldt to found a trading post then.  Finally, in 1878, Colonel Coffey moved to Dodge City, Kansas, to found the company, Coffey and Marsh. On January 13, 1879, Colonel James Coffey would die from pneumonia.  He rests in Maple Grove Cemetery in Dodge City, Kansas. * Read about a.d. elliott's Everyday Patriot Project here* **************************************** a.d. elliott is a wanderer, writer, and photographer currently living in Salem, Virginia.  In addition to the travel ...

A Soldier's Story: Staff Sergeant Baldwin "Bobo" Lovell Satchell

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  Staff Sergeant Baldwin "Bobo" Lovell Satchell was born on August 21, 1959, in Courtland, Alabama. He graduated from Courtland High School in 1978 and enlisted in the US Army in 1980. He was assigned to the 229th Supply and Service Company and deployed to the Persian Gulf during Operation Desert Storm/Desert Shield and the Gulf War in 1990. On January 22, 1991, while in Saudi Arabia and still on deployment, Staff Sergeant Baldwin Satchell suffered a heart attack.  He rests at Calvary Memorial Gardens in Decatur, Alabama. * Read about a.d. elliott's Everyday Patriot Project here* **************************************** a.d. elliott is a wanderer, writer, and photographer currently living in Salem, Virginia.  In addition to the 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  shop.takethe...

A Soldier's Story: Captain Napoleon Bonaparte Blanton

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Captain Napoleon Bonaparte Blanton was born in 1829 in Polk County, Missouri. He enlisted in government service while young and, in his early twenties, would lead government wagon trains along the Santa Fe Trail.  Captain Blanton left the wagon trains in 1854 and settled near Lawrence, Kansas, along the Wakarusa River, building and maintaining a toll bridge across the Wakarusa. He would resettle in the Humboldt area to become a town founder.  As a member of the 4th Kansas infantry, he was mustered into US Army service during the Civil War; he served through several border skirmishes and in Washington, DC. After returning to Kansas, the railroads commissioned him to survey and lay out a trading post in SE Kanas. He would lose the coin toss for the town's name but still be integral in the creation of Coffeyville, Kansas ( read about it here ). Captain Blanton next moved to Abbyville, Kansas, where he presided over a land company.  Finally, in 1903, he moved to Witchita, Kan...

A Marine's Story: Private Ralph Ellis Dias

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  Private Ralph Ellis Dias was born on July 15, 1950, in Shelocta, Pennsylvania. He attended school at Elderton Join High School, leaving to enlist in the US Marine Corps in October of 1967, only a few short months after his 17th birthday. He was initially assigned to the 1st Battalion, 28th Marines, but in April 1969, he transferred to the 1st Battalion, 7th Marines, and deployed to Vietnam with Company D for the Vietnam War. On November 12, 1969, Private Ralph Dias earned a Congressional Medal of Honor while on patrol with his unit in the Quang Nam Province. He and his unit were pinned down by a machine-gun bunker and Private Dias, despite being severely wounded, managed to, after three attempts, destroy the bunker with grenades.  His wounds would be fatal.   Private Ralph Ellis Dias rests at the Oaklawn Cemetery in Leetonia, Ohio. * Read about a.d. elliott's Everyday Patriot Project here* **************************************** a.d. elliott is a wanderer, writer,...

A Soldier's Story: Sergeant George Howard Babcock

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  Sergeant George Howard Babcock was born on April 12, 1929, in Coshocton, Ohio. After his graduation, he attended Coshocton High School and enlisted in the US Army. Sergeant Babcock was assigned to the 31st Infantry and deployed to Korea for the Korean War. During the November 27 - December 12, 1950 Battle of Chosin Reservoir, while the Army forces began to withdraw toward Marine units, Sergeant Babcock was wounded and captured. It is thought that he died from his wounds around November 30, 1950.   Sergeant George Babcock has never been recovered and is memorialized in the Courts of the Missing at Honolulu, Hawaii. * Read about a.d. elliott's Everyday Patriot Project here* **************************************** a.d. elliott is a wanderer, writer, and photographer currently living in Salem, Virginia.  In addition to the travel writings at  www.takethebackroads.com , you can also read her book reviews at  www.riteoffancy.com  and US military biographi...

A Soldier's Story: Chief Warrant Officer Andrew McAdams

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 Chief Warrant Officer Andrew McAdams was born on July 3, 1986, in Cheyenne, Wyoming. He was always interested in flying and enlisted in the Army National Guard during high school to earn money to pay for his pilot's license. He completed Warrant Officer training in 2006. He was assigned to Detachment 53 and deployed to Afghanistan during the War on Terror. On January 10, 2014, while flying a reconnaissance mission near Parwan, Afghanistan, Chief Warrant Officer Andrew McAdam's aircraft crashed, and he was fatally injured. * Read about a.d. elliott's Everyday Patriot Project here* **************************************** a.d. elliott is a wanderer, writer, and photographer currently living in Salem, Virginia.  In addition to the 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  shop.taketheback...

A Soldier's Story: Private David Bennes Barkley

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  Private David Bennes Barkley was born on March 31, 1899, in Loredo, Texas.  Private Barkley enlisted in the Texas National Guard but transferred to the US Army in 1917 in response to World War I.  He deployed to France with the 155th Infantry. In August of 1918, Private David Barkley transferred to the 356th Infantry. On November 9, 1918, Private Barkley earned a Congressional Medal of Honor when he swam across the Meuse River behind enemy lines to report their exact location. During the return swim across the river, he would drown, Private David Barkley rests in the San Antonio National Cemetery.  * Read about a.d. elliott's Everyday Patriot Project here* **************************************** a.d. elliott is a wanderer, writer, and photographer currently living in Salem, Virginia.  In addition to the travel writings at  www.takethebackroads.com , you can also read her book reviews at  www.riteoffancy.com  and US military biographies at ...

A Sailor's Story: Fireman Wilton Lanny Huyghue

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  Fireman Wilton Lanny Huyghue was born on May 14, 1970, in St. Thomas, US Virgin Islands. He enlisted in the US Navy after high school in 1988 and was assigned to the USS Saratoga.  He deployed with the ship to the Persian Gulf in August of 1990 for Operation Desert Storm/Desert Shield and the Gulf War. On December 22, 1990, the ferry Al Tovia, which was carrying the sailors returning from shore leave at Haifa, Israel, sank, and Fireman Wilton Huyghue drowned.   * Read about a.d. elliott's Everyday Patriot Project here* **************************************** a.d. elliott is a wanderer, writer, and photographer currently living in Salem, Virginia.  In addition to the 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  shop.takethebackroads.com #TaketheBackRoads Like my page? Plea...

A Soldier's Story: Warrant Officer David Gordon Plasch

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  Warrant Officer David Gordon Plasch was born on August 3, 1967. He grew up in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, where he played soccer for Portsmouth High School and enlisted in the Army after high school to earn college money and received his helicopter piloting training. He deployed to the Persian Gulf during Operation Desert Storm/Desert Shield and the Gulf War. On February 27, 1991, while flying a recovery mission, Warrant Officer David Plasch's helicopter was shot down two hours before the war's ceasefire. Warrant Officer David Gordon Plasch rests in the North Hampton Center Cemetery in North Hampton, New Hampshire, and in 1999, Portsmouth High School retired soccer jersey number 2 in his honor.  * Read about a.d. elliott's Everyday Patriot Project here* **************************************** a.d. elliott is a wanderer, writer, and photographer currently living in Salem, Virginia.  In addition to the travel writings at  www.takethebackroads.com , you can also read ...