The Everyday Patriot Project

Corporal Desmond Thomas Doss was born on February 7, 1919, in Lynchburg, Virginia. He attended Park Avenue Seventh Day Adventist School, leaving at the end of grammar school to begin working at a lumber company to help his family due to the Great Depression.   Corporal Desmond Doss then moved to Newport News to work at the Naval Shipyard as a joiner. He enlisted in the US Army on April 1, 1942, in response to World War II, trained as a combat medic, and was assigned to the 77th Infantry Division. However, Corporal Desmond Doss refused to carry a weapon because he was a devoutly practicing Seventh-Day Adventist and, therefore, religiously a pacifist. As a result, his early months in the US Army were challenging. His teammates felt he compromised the safety of his unit, and Corporal Desmond Doss faced court-martial.   In 1944 the attitudes of his unit and superiors changed when Corporal Desmond Doss earned two bronze stars during the Battles of Guam and the Philippines...

  Private Adrienne Lynette Mitchell was born in Taipei City, Taiwan, on June 25, 1970. While young, she moved to Moreno Valley, California, and attended Moreno Valley High School, where she played outfield for the school softball team. Private Mitchell graduated in 1988.  She had started studying for a law enforcement degree at the University of California but enlisted in the US Army in September 1990 to earn money for her education. Almost immediately after training, she deployed to Saudi Arabia in response to Desert Shield/Desert Storm and the Gulf War. Private Adrienne Lynette Mitchell died during her service on February 25, 1991, when a scud missile struck her barracks. She rests at Riverside National Cemetery in Riverside, California. * 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.ta...

Private First Class Adrian Leonard Stokes was born on September 24, 1970, in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. He and his family relocated to Riverside, California, when Private First Class Stokes was still in grade school. He attended Ramona High School, where Private First Class Adrian Leonard Stokes played football and sang in the school's madrigal choir.  He enlisted in the US Army in 1989 to earn money for his college education and was assigned to the 32nd Armor Division as a Cavalry Scout and spent the early years of his enlistment in Germany. Private First Class Adrian Leonard Stokes deployed to the Persian Gulf with his unit in November 1990 in response to Desert Storm/Desert Shield and the Gulf War. He died during his service on February 26, 1991, when his armored vehicle was struck by a mortar. Private First Class Adrian Leonard Stokes rests at the Crestlawn Memorial Park in Riverside, California. An additional memorial is also placed at the Port Hudson Nation Cemetery in Zachary L...

  Construction Mechanic Glenn Corbett was born Glenn Edwin Rothenburg in El Monte, California, on August 17, 1933.   He enlisted in the US Navy in May 1951, serving as a Seabee through the Korean War, and fulfilled his contract in June 1954. Construction Mechanic Glenn Corbett enrolled in Occidental College after his Naval service. He began acting at the Occidental College campus theater and modeled for physique magazines before being picked up by a talent scout and earning a contract with Columbia Pictures.   Construction Mechanic Glenn Corbett's film debut was in The Crimson Kimono in 1959. He then moved on to supporting roles in The Mountain Road, Man on a String, and All the Young Man before he won the part of Jacob Anderson in the Civil War drama Shenandoah.  In the 1960s, Construction Mechanic Glenn Corbett transitioned to television roles, including appearances on Gunsmoke, the Mod Squad, Route 66, and as Zefram Cochrane in the original Star Trek Ser...

  Lance Corporal Daniel Byron Walker was born on December 31, 1970, in Tyler, Texas. He was a musician and artist who wanted to write musical scores for television and movie productions. He graduated from Whitehouse High School and enlisted in the US Marine Corps shortly after graduation. He was assigned to the 1st Reconnaissance Battalion and deployed to the Persian Gulf in the fall of 1990 in preparation for Desert Storm/Desert Shield and the Gulf War.  Lance Corporal Daniel Byron Walker was on post at Observation Post 4 when the First Battle of Khafji began on January 29, 1991. OP-4 was overrun by enemy troops, and Lance Corporal Daniel Byron Walker died in the attack. He rests at Flint Cemetery in Flint, Texas. * 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 ...

  Lieutenant Colonel George Washington Williams was born on October 16, 1849, in Bedford Springs, Pennslyvania. He was homeschooled in his early years and then trained as a barber in the Pennslyvania House of Refuge. Lieutenant Colonel George Washington WIlliams ran away from the House of Refuge when he was fourteen to enlist in the US Army and fought in the final battles of the US Civil War, including Gettysburg. After he served during the US Civil War, Lieutenant Colonel George Washington Williams enlisted in the Mexican Republican Army. He fought with General Espinosa to win Mexican independence from Spanish rule.  He returned to the United States and the US Army in 1867.   He was assigned to the 10th Infantry and sent to the plains region of the United States near the current state of Oklahoma. Lieutenant Colonel George Washington Williams was shot in the chest, perforating his lung, during a skirmish with a Native American people and medically discharged. After ...

  Private First Class Roger Edward Valentine was born in Corpus Christi, Texas, on April 28, 1971. He graduated from Sheffield High School and enlisted in the US Army in October 1989. Private First Class Roger E. Valentine trained in cavalry and was assigned to the 82nd Field Artillery Regiment.   He deployed to the Persian Gulf in October 1990 in response to Operation Desert Storm/Desert Shield and the Gulf War. Private First Class Roger Edward Valentine died during his service on March 2, 1991, when he stepped on a bomblet while on patrol. He rests at Fort Sam Houston National 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 can also read her book reviews at  www.riteoffancy.com  and US military biographies at  www.everydaypat...