2015 SC MOPH State Convention

S O U T H

C A R O L I N A

MOPH State Convention

Greenville, SC April 30-May 2, 2015

Have a successful Convention.

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LETTER FROM COMMANDER

From: Commander, Department of South Carolina To: All Chapter Commanders Subject: Department of South Carolina Convention Dear Patriots, Ladies Auxiliary, Associate Members and Guests: On behalf of the State Department of South Carolina, I want to welcome you to the 2015 Department Convention.

This event provides us with a great opportunity to reconnect with old friends but also a chance to make new acquaintances. We as members of the Order of the Purple Heart share a common bond that is stronger than any of our differences. We are a “Band of Brothers.�

I would like to thank Chapter 845 and their assistnaces for the hard work that we know goes into the planning and preparing for a Convention. I would also like to thank the management and staff of the Embassy Suites for the professional and courteous treatment that has been extended to us in the preparation of the Convention.

I thank all of you for electing me as your Department Commander for the past year and for the faith and confidence in me to guide you through another successful term.

GREENVILLE, SOUTH CAROLINA

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Welcome Fellow Combat Wounded Veterans to the Department Convention for The Military Order of the Purple Heart State Convention in Greenville.

We Are Looking Forward To Meeting You! Steve and Nancy Duerk Doug and Lynn Greenlaw

The Kimberly N. Hampton Chapter 845

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CONVENTION ITINERARY

FRIDAY, MAY 1, 2015

SATURDAY, MAY 2, 2015

9:00 AM – John Testruth, State Department Commander, opens the Convention agenda, introduces Greenville Councilman David Sudduth, and welcomes MOPH State Chapter members to Greenville, SC.

9:00 AM – State Commander – Business meeting – John Testruth

9:15 AM – Commander Testruth Introduces: – J. Patrick (Pat) Little, MOPH National Commander – John Bircher, Director of PR – James Miller, Regional IV Commander – Debbie Bywa, South Carolina MOPH National Service Officer

10:30 AM – Memorial Service – Lead by State Adjutant and State Chaplain

9:30 AM – State Department Elections – John Testruth

11:00 AM– 5:00 PM – Free Time (Check the Greenville Visitor’s Guide Book for good lunch restaurants and interesting things to do in our beautiful city.)

Doug Greenlaw, Commander, the Hosting Chapter, 845, introduces:

5:00 PM – Hotel Managers Reception

10:00 AM – United Community Bank President of Specialized Lending, Richard Bradshaw

6:00-7:00 PM – MOPH Reception (Special Guest, Congressman Trey Gowdy)

10:30 AM – Major General Mastin M. Robeson, USMC (Ret)

7:00 PM – Dinner Banquet – Special guests are Dale and Ann Hampton, the parents of Captain Kimberly N. Hampton.

11:00 AM – Thom Shea: Former Seal Team 7 Leader, Senior Chief, and author of “UNBREAKABLE, A Navy Seal’s Way of Life” 12:00 PM – Lunch on your own (Check the provided Greenville Visitor’s Guide Book for good lunch restaurants.)

8:00 PM – Recognition Ceremony 8:30 PM – The Keynote Address: Col. Eric (Rick) Schwartz 9:00 PM – Conclusion of the dinner: Commander John Testruth

12:00-5:00 PM – On your own for the afternoon AND/OR visit the BMW plant**.

1:00-3:30 PM – Tour of the BMW plant* facilities (bus in front of the Hotel at 1:00 pm) DINNER: On your own (Check for good restaurants in the provided Greenville Visitor’s Guide Book.)

SPECIAL NOTES: The MOPH Friday Night Baseball Night has been cancelled because of a change in the schedule. The Greenville Drive will be playing out of town. **ALSO: Sign up at the registration table for the BMW “SPECIAL MOPH TOUR” of the plant facilities. (It’s an amazing tour.) There are only 20 slots, first come first serve.

The bus will be in front of the Hotel for a 1:00pm departure on FRIDAY AFTERNOON. GREENVILLE, SOUTH CAROLINA

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HISTORY OF THE PURPLE HEART

THE BADGE OF

MILITARY MERIT

BY PROFESSOR RAY RAYMOND MBE, FRSA

Hasbrouck House, Newburgh, New York, Wednesday, 7 August 1782. George Washington, the Commander in Chief of the Continental Army, sat at his desk in what had once been the Hasbrouck family kitchen. The intense summer heat was relieved only by the gentle breeze from the Hudson River about 400 yards away. This grey dressed stone and rubble Dutch vernacular style house had served as Washington’s headquarters since 31 March when he had returned north to the strategic Hudson Highlands after his victory at Yorktown.

By 7 August 1782, hostilities had ended and peace talks were under way in Paris. That day, George Washington’s thoughts were with his men camped nearby at New Windsor. They had suffered appalling privations for over six years. His officers were on the verge of mutiny because of lack of pay, rations and supplies withheld by a corrupt and negligent Congress. Worse, Congress had taken away the authority of his general officers to recognize their soldiers’ courage and leadership by awarding commissions in the field.

Congress simply could not afford to pay their existing officers let alone any new ones. As a result, faithful service and outstanding acts of bravery went unrecognized and unrewarded. George Washington was determined to end that. So from his headquarters perched 80 feet above the Hudson, he issued a general order establishing the “Badge of Distinction” and “Badge of Merit.”: “Honorary Badges of distinction are to be conferred on the veteran Non-

“Courage isn’t a brilliant dash A daring deed in a moment’s flash; It isn’t an instantaneous thing Born of despair with a sudden spring.

But it’s something deep in the soul of man That is working always to serve some plan.”

– Edgar A. Guest commissioned officers and soldiers of the army who have served more than three years with bravery, fidelity and good conduct; for this purpose a narrow piece of white cloth of an angular form is to be fixed to the left arm on the uniform coats; Non-commissioned officers and Soldiers who have served with equal reputation more than six years, are to be distinguished by two pieces of cloth set in parallel to each other in a similar form…..

The General, ever desirous to cherish a virtuous ambition in his soldiers, as well as to foster and encourage every species of military merit, directs that whenever any singularly meritorious action is performed, the author of it shall be permitted to wear on his facings, over his left breast, the figure of a heart in purple

cloth, or silk, edged with narrow lace or binding. Not only instances of unusual gallantry, but also of extraordinary fidelity and essential service in any way shall meet with a due reward….The road to glory in a patriot army and a free country is thus opened to all. “Thus, George Washington established the “Badge of Merit”. In its shape and color, the Badge anticipated and inspired the modern Purple Heart. In the exceptional level of courage required to be considered for the Badge, however, it was the forerunner of the Medal of Honor. This year we celebrate its 150th anniversary.

In his book “Almost a Miracle”, historian John Ferling writes that “the forlorn conditions under which America’s soldiers were made to live and campaign was a national disgrace. That the army did not implode in a frenzy of mutinies long before 1781 was little short of miraculous.” Professor Ferling is correct. Never in modern military history has an army been so cruelly abused by its political masters.

It was bad enough that these citizen soldiers had to face the formidable force of the professional British army. What was worse was that they faced the harrowing experiences of eighteenth century warfare – the agony of long marches, the debilitating illnesses, the appalling casualties - without the proper weapons, often without boots, winter coats or food.

The memoir of Private Joseph Plumb Martin, who left his grandfather’s Connecticut farm in 1775 and served for eight years in the Continental army, has left us a grim, vivid description of how bad conditions truly were. In January 1780, for example, his unit took up a position in Westfield, New York prior

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fort on Staten Island. Private Martin writes: “we…took up our abode for the night upon a bleak hill, in full rake of the northwest wind, with no covering or shelter than the canopy of the heavens and no fuel but some old rotten nails which we dug up through the snow which was two or three feet deep… we were absolutely, literally starved…I saw several of the men roast their old shoes and eat them.” He added: “Here was the army starving and naked, and there their country sitting still and expecting the army to do notable things while fainting from sheer starvation.” The reason why Private Martin and his comrades were starving and unprotected against the bitter winter cold was the outrageous corruption and profiteering surrounding the army’s supply chain which Congress failed to address throughout the war.

George Washington was acutely aware of the suffering endured by his troops. The Commander in Chief was, of course, a strict and sometimes ruthless disciplinarian. He had to be. But Washington was also a compassionate military manager deeply devoted to the well-being of his enlisted men. If you read his papers, you come away impressed by the almost superhuman energy he devoted to improving the health and welfare of his troops and to lobbying Congress and the States for the food and other supplies they had promised him. No detail was ever too small for him to attend to if it improved the life of an enlisted man.

Washington was indomitable usually working at least 12-14 hours per day, but his task throughout the war was

monumental. He had to transform thousands of brave, inexperienced and undisciplined citizen soldiers into an effective fighting force capable of fighting a conventional as well as a guerilla war. Moreover, the Commander in Chief also had to create an effective intelligence service that would deliver accurate, actionable information on the enemy’s capabilities and intentions, persuade Congress and the States to deliver the supplies they had promised him and work effectively with the French who had different strategic objectives. Add to that the constant political interference in the

appointment and promotion of officers and the corruption and profiteering in the supply chain and you begin to understand the appalling burdens that sat upon Washington’s shoulders for over seven years.

It was understandable that it was not until after Congress took away the power to grant commissions in the field and the war was winding down in August 1782 that the Commander in Chief had the time to devise ways to honor the courage of his enlisted men and non-commissioned officers.

George Washington’s decision to create two awards exclusively for enlisted men and non-commissioned officers was

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unprecedented. Neither the British nor any other European army had decorations for anyone other than their officers.

But Washington believed passionately in the republican ideals of the revolution, and he also understood that his continentals were the first people’s army of patriotic volunteers who had fought for these ideals and who had been pushed to the outer limits of human endurance during the war.

Washington was committed to honoring his troops, but the idea for the “Badge of Military Merit” was probably Baron Von Steuben’s. The tough Prussian general may have had difficulty in instilling military discipline and order into the Continental army, but he admired their courage and fighting spirit. As a veteran of European wars, he would have been aware that the Czar of Russia had created the Cross of St. George for Gallantry and it is reasonable to speculate that he wanted the Americans to have a similar award for gallantry.

If we do not know for sure who inspired the “Badge of Military Merit”, we are even less sure about who designed it. Speculation runs from Pierre L’Enfant, later the architect of Washington DC, to Martha Washington or even General Washington himself. We will never know the truth. The original badge was made of purple silk edged with silver colored lace or binding on a wool background. One was embroidered with a leaf design; another – Sergeant Elijah Churchill’s – has the word “merit” crocheted into the fabric. The heart symbolized courage and devotion. Purple was associated with royalty and would stand out on any uniform.

To determine who should receive the badge, Washington ordered that a

HISTORY OF THE PURPLE HEART board of military officers be convened whenever the Adjutant General had recommendations for them to consider.

This board never met because the Adjutant General never supplied any recommendations. Given the brewing mutiny among the officer corps at this time, it is reasonable to speculate that the Adjutant General offered no recommendations because he never received any. Preoccupied with their own pay and pension problems, too many officers had too little time to worry about writing recommendations for this new gallantry medal for their soldiers. By April 1783, when the Commander in Chief had received no recommendations for the “Badge of Military Merit” and when news of the peace agreement reached headquarters, Washington demanded immediate action before the Continental Army began to disband.

On 17 April 1783, Washington ordered that a new review board be created and he demanded and got immediate results within days. The new board recommended two candidates: Sergeant Elijah Churchill, Fourth Troop, Second Troop of Light Dragoons and Sergeant William Brown of the 5th Connecticut regiment. A little later, they recommended a third candidate: Sergeant Daniel Bissell of the 2nd Connecticut regiment, one of Washington’s most important and successful spies. It is, however, possible that Washington himself recommended Bissell.

All three were superb choices. The first recipient was Sergeant Elijah Churchill from the 4th Troop, 2nd Regiment of Light Dragoons which had conducted some of the most

daring and spectacular raids of the Revolutionary War. Sergeant Churchill received the “Badge of Merit” in recognition of his leadership in two commando-style raids. The first was on 23 November 1780 against Fort St. George on Long Island when he led the advance team. He surprised the British defenders, captured and destroyed the fort. The goal of the mission had been to destroy a storage depot which housed several hundred tons of much needed hay for winter forage for British army horses. Fort St George protected the forage depot and so the capture and destruction of

the fort made a vital contribution to the success of the mission. The second raid for which Sergeant Churchill was honored occurred a year later in October 1781 while the main army was at Yorktown. Once again, Sergeant Churchill led the advance party this time against Fort Slongo on the north shore of Long Island. And once again Sergeant Churchill’s bold leadership of the advance party surprised the British defenders and led to the capture of a large quantity of enemy supplies.

These and other daring raids not only kept the British off-balance unsure whether Washington was going to try to recapture New York, but also forced British commanders to detach large

numbers of troops from their overstretched army to reinforce isolated and exposed outposts.

The second recipient of the Badge of Merit was Sergeant William Brown from the 5th Connecticut regiment. George Washington honored Sergeant Brown for his extraordinary heroism at the Battle of Yorktown. There, on the night of 14 October, Sergeant Brown led the advance party of Lieutenant Colonel Alexander Hamilton’s troops against British Redoubt No 10, one of two key strongholds protecting the British inner defense line at Yorktown. Without waiting for the sappers and pioneers to clear away the sharpened trees designed to impale attacking troops, Sergeant Brown led his men on what could easily have been a suicide mission. To help ensure silence and surprise they attacked with unloaded muskets. Armed only with bayonets, Sergeant Brown and his advance party ran over a quarter of a mile climbed over the sharpened trees and charged the redoubt.

Despite a murderous hail of musket fire, they and the remainder of Hamilton’s troops overcame the defenders in ten minutes of intense fighting.

The third recipient of the Badge of Merit whose exceptional heroism can be documented was Sergeant Daniel Bissell of the 2nd Connecticut regiment, one of George Washington’s bravest and most successful spies.

In August 1781, acting under direct orders from the Commander in Chief, Bissell posed as a deserter and joined Benedict Arnold’s Corps of loyalists in New York City. From 14 August 1781 to 29 September 1782, Bissell served as a quarter master sergeant for Arnold.

He used his position to gather a vast

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troop strength and deployments in and around New York. He recorded these in a series of notes and memoranda that he planned to send or bring to Washington.

Every moment of every day for over a year, Bissell’s life hung by a thread. One wrong move, one mistake and he would have been executed as a spy.

When British military intelligence began to suspect that there were American sleeper agents in their midst, the British commander in chief ordered that any soldier found with military documents would be regarded as a spy. Bissell destroyed all of his memoranda but only after committing every detail to memory.

When he escaped from New York and reached headquarters in Newburgh, he was able to dictate his intelligence to Lieutenant Colonel David Humphreys, Washington’s aide de camp. If Washington had decided to attack the British in New York rather than at Yorktown, Bissell’s intelligence would have been vital.

We know for sure that Sergeants Churchill, Brown and Bissell received the Badge of Military Merit. Recent

research by the Military Order of the Purple Heart’s National Americanism officer, Ron Siebels, shows that Peter Shumway, John Sithins and William Dutton, three other soldiers in Washington’s Continental Army, also

received the Badge of Military Merit.

But we do not yet know the exceptional acts of courage for which they were honored. It is possible that there were other candidates and other recipients.

But we will never be sure unless the “Book of Merit” (in which all of the

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recipient’s names and heroic deeds were to be recorded) is found. But it has been missing for over two centuries.

Unfortunately, we also do not know for sure whether Washington presented Sergeants Churchill and Brown with their honors personally. We do know from Sergeant Bissell’s pension records that his Badge of Military Merit was presented to him on the lawn at Hasbrouck House by Lieutenant Colonel Jonathan Trumbull, Washington’s Military Secretary. Although Washington intended the Badge of Military Merit to be made permanent, it was allowed to lapse after the army was disbanded in June 1783. At the end of the Revolutionary War, no federal decoration was awarded to American servicemen until the Navy Medal of Honor was created in 1861 during the Civil War. «

We are proud to support our troops and veterans.

4 Davis Keats Drive • Greenville, SC 29607 • 864-642-1647 • www.serrus.com GREENVILLE, SOUTH CAROLINA

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GHS Supports Our Heroes At Greenville Health System (GHS), our Military and Government Liaison Office (MAGLO) aims to transform veterans’ lives. This office helps us connect with like-minded groups while forging new initiatives and partnerships for military heroes and their families.

Among our partnerships are Honor Flights to D.C., Upstate Warrior Solution, Peace House (a homeaway-from-home for veterans and other patients undergoing rehab). Through these and other efforts, we are honored to serve our veterans and their families, and we salute their great service and sacrifice.

To learn more about GHS and its service to military veterans, please visit ghs.org/maglo.

ghs.org 15-2971756

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HONORING THOSE WHO FOUGHT AND DIED

CAPTAIN KIMBERLY NICOLE HAMPTON

– ALL AMERICAN Kimberly N. Hampton (August 18, 1976 – January 2, 2004) was a Captain in the United States Army and the first female military pilot in United States history to be shot down and killed as a result of hostile fire. She was also the first woman from South Carolina to die in the Iraq War. Captain Hampton was born in Greenville, South Carolina, the only child of Dale and Ann Hampton.

She graduated from Easley High School, where she was elected as the student body President, Company Commander of the High School ROTC unit and Captain of the tennis team. Captain Hampton began her college career playing tennis for Furman University.

She went on to be an honors graduate and champion tennis player at Presbyterian College. Hampton led the college team to three consecutive South Atlantic Conference women’s tennis tournament titles.

She was undefeated in three years of conference singles play. She won the SAC award for Women’s Tennis Player of the Year in 1997 and 1998, and Female Athlete of the Year in 1998.

Captain Hampton joined the United States Army ROTC while in college. As a senior, she became the second woman ever to serve as the school’s battalion commander.

Upon graduation, she attended flight training and the Aviation Officer Basic Course at Fort Rucker, Alabama, where she completed the training with honors. She served two years in South Korea, and also in Afghanistan as part of the United States forces in Operation Enduring Freedom.

Captain Hampton was assigned to the 82nd Airborne Division at

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Hampton died when the OH-58D Kiowa Warrior helicopter she was flying was shot down near Fallujah, Iraq in 2004. Hampton’s mother, Ann Hampton, and journalist Anna Simon wrote a book about Kimberly titled KIMBERLY’S FLIGHT: The Story of Captain Kimberly Hampton, America’s First Woman Combat Pilot Killed in Battle.

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HONORING THOSE WHO FOUGHT AND DIED

Kimberly in Iraq in 2003

A portion of SC Highway 88 was named for Kimberly.

Kimberly in Iraq in 2003.

ROTC training field at Ft. Lewis, Washington.

Kimberly enjoying down time at Camp Stanton, Korea.

1/17 Headquarters at Ft. Bragg named for Kimberly.

Captain Hampton was the first female military pilot in U.S. history to be shot down and killed as a result of hostile fire. She was also the first female combat casualty in Iraq from South Carolina.

« Fort Bragg, North

Carolina before becoming the commander of Delta Troop, 1st Squadron, 17th Cavalry Regiment prior to the unit’s deployment to Iraq as part of Operation Iraqi Freedom in September 2003.

Captain Hampton died when the Kiowa Warrior helicopter she was piloting was shot down near Fallujah, Iraq on January 2, 2004. Captain Hampton was the first female military pilot in United States history to be shot down and killed as a result of hostile fire.

Captain Hampton was posthumously awarded the Bronze Star, Air Medal and the Purple Heart. In June 2004, she was also inducted into the South Atlantic Conference hall of fame. Since 2006 Presbyterian College has annually presented a scholarship to an ROTC student in Captain Kimberly N. Hampton’s name.

Captain Hampton’s Mother Ann Hampton wrote a book about Kimberly titled KIMBERLY’S FLIGHT: The Story of Captain Kimberly Hampton, America’s First Woman Combat Pilot Killed in Battle. «

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Portrait of Kimberly commissioned by American Legion Post 28, Spartanburg, and painted by Robert Wilson, Jr., Charleston. On display at Kimberly Hampton Memorial Library in Easley.

Delta Troop in Iraq 2003. Darkhorse 6 (Kimberly) is front left.

Kimberly and her parent before leaving for Iraq – August 2003.

We are grateful to be able to support our Troops and Veterans.

Thank you for supporting and protecting us.

www.SunTrust.com

MOPH COMMANDER’S LIST

MILITARY ORDER OF THE PURPLE HEART

COMMANDER’S LIST CHAPTER 354 Commander William D. Huffaker (mailmanwh@gmail.com) PO Box 3892 Myrtle Beach, SC 29578-3892 (803) 448-1936

CHAPTER 845 Commander Douglas J. Greenlaw (douglasgreenlaw@aol.com) 25 Collins Creek Rd. Greenville, SC 29607 (864) 884-6760

CHAPTER 1948 Commander Paul G. Sweet (pages197149@yahoo.com) 21 Blacksmith Circle Beaufort, SC 29906-8579 (843) 846-0763

CHAPTER 402 Commander Carl M. Lopez (pacifictop@aol.com) 8 Windy Knoll Columbia, SC 29229-9031 (803) 699-2512

CHAPTER 932 Commander Jerry Sims (sims4919@att.net) 1831 Dellwood Dr. Orangeburg, SC 29115-3911 (803) 536-3971

CHAPTER 2005 Commander Jimmy Lee Bates (jimmyboom33@yahoo.com) 213 Highland Ave. Edgefield, SC 29824-3403 (803) 502-2662

CHAPTER 530 Commander James W Bell (budbell@embarqmail.com) 120 Flatwood Rd. Hodges, SC 29653-9493 (864) 374-3745

CHAPTER 1670 Commander James E. Lee (james4428@comcast.net 2844 Hut Rd. John’s Island, SC 29445-2461 (843) 559-5628

CHAPTER 2008 Commander Robert Stanton Glenn (moph2008rh@yahoo.com) 1950 Colonial Acres York, SC 29745-9444 (803) 684-3957

CHAPTER 748 Commander George A. White (georgewhitega@aol.com) 505 Fowler Rd. West Union, SC 29696-3124 (864) 638-6186

CHAPTER 1781 Commander Louie A. Robbins (louie1315@att.net) 128 Keloy St. Spartanburg, SC 29301-2461 (864) 576-3457

REGION 4 COMMANDER James Miller (jmi2609470@aol.com) 150 Howitzer Circle West Columbia, SC 29170 (803) 755-0304

CHAPTER817 Commander Jamie C. O’Neal (joneal1@sc.rr.com) 795 W. Emerald Lake Dr. Sumter, SC 29153-7630 (803) 469-3568

CHAPTER 1890 Commandeer Willie L Thomas (wlthomas49@yahoo.com) 125 E. Waterman Ave. Florence, SC 29506-6332 (843) 773-9071

STATE COMMANDER John Testruth (jbtestruth@windsteam.net) PO Box 544 Lexington, SC 29071 (803) 917-7306

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The Captain Kimberly N. Hampton Chapter 845

is proud to host the 2015 State Department Convention!

We welcome you to the beautiful Upstate of South Carolina.

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BLUE STAR MOTHERS OF AMERICA, INC. GREENVILLE AREA | SC CHAPTER 3

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Founded in 1942, Blue Star Mothers of America is a 501(c)3 non-profit, non-sectarian, non-political service organization comprised of mothers who now have, or have had children serving in the United States military. The organization, which has chapters in almost every state, provides support for active duty service personnel, promotes patriotism and assists veteran’s organizations. Its members are also available to assist in homeland volunteer efforts. Blue Star Mothers can be recognized by the Service Flag (Blue Star Flag) they display in their windows or wear as a pin on their lapels. The Service Flag is an official banner authorized by the Department of Defense for display by families who have members serving in the Armed Forces during any period of war or hostilities.

CHAPTER MEETINGS: 3rd Sunday of each month at 3:00 p.m. at The Redeemer Lutheran Church, located at 300 O’Neal Road, near the intersection of Wade Hampton Boulevard and HWY 101 in Greer.

President – Lillian Brock Flemming Vice President – Lynette Owens Secretary – Susan Lutrell Assistant Secretary – Mary Ann Camp Goings Treasurer – Elizabeth Funer Assistant Treasurer – Ramona Marquez Financial Secretary – Joyce Stanford Gold Star Mother Liaison – Karen Bradley Membership Chair – Edie Melson

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BLUE STAR MOTHERS OF AMERICA ALSO SENDS BOXES TO OUR TROOPS

Greenville Blue Star Mothers SC3 • PO Box 15301, Greenville, SC 29610 For more information about the Greenville Area Chapter 3 of Blue Star Mothers of America, visit www.greenvillebluestarmothers.org or e-mail greenvillebluestarmothers@yahoo.com.

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4/16/15 10:39 PM

HISTORY OF THE STAR SPANGLED BANNER

HISTORY OF THE

STAR SPANGLED BANNER

BY WAYNE FIELD

IN 1812, THE UNITED STATES went to war with Great Britain, primarily over freedom of the seas.

We were in the right. For two years, we held off the British, even though we were still a rather weak country.

Great Britain was in a life and death struggle with Napoleon. In fact, just as the United States declared war, Napoleon marched off to invade Russia. If he won, as everyone expected, he would control Europe, and Great Britain would be isolated. It was no time

for her to be involved in an American war.

At first, our seamen proved better than the British. After we won a bat- tle on Lake Erie in 1813, the American commander,

Oliver Hazard Perry, sent the message, “We have met the enemy and they are ours.” However, the weight of the British navy beat down our ships eventually. New England, hard-hit by a tightening blockade, threatened secession.

Meanwhile, Napoleon was beaten in Russia and in 1814 was forced to abdicate. Great Britain now turned its attention to the United States, launching a three-pronged attack.

The northern prong was to come down Lake Champlain toward New York and seize parts of New England.

The southern prong was to go up the Mississippi, take New Orleans and paralyze the west.

The central prong was to head for the Mid-Atlantic States and then attack Baltimore, the greatest port south of New York. If Baltimore was taken, the nation, which still hugged the

Atlantic coast, could be split in two. The fate of the United States, then, rested to a large extent on the success or failure of the central prong.

The British reached the American coast, and on August 24, 1814, took Washington, D.C. Then they moved up the Chesapeake Bay toward Baltimore.

On September 12, they arrived and found 1,000 men in Fort McHenry, whose guns controlled the harbor. If the British wished to take Baltimore, they would have to take the fort.

On one of the British ships was an aged physician, William Beans, who had been arrested in Maryland and brought along as a prisoner. Francis Scott Key, a lawyer and friend of the physician, had come to the ship to negotiate his release.

The British captain was willing, but the two Americans would have to wait. It was now the night of September 13, and the bombardment of Fort McHenry was about to start.

As twilight deepened, Key and Beanes saw the American flag flying over Fort McHenry. That flag, with 15 stars and 15 stripes, was 30 x 42 feet, made from 400 yards of wool bunting. The stars measured two feet from point to point. It is the only American flag to have more than 13 stripes, and is currently housed in the National Museum of American History.

Through the night, they heard bombs bursting and saw the red

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HISTORY OF THE STAR SPANGLED BANNER glare of rockets. They knew the «fort was resisting and the American flag was still flying. But toward morning the bombardment ceased and a dread silence fell. Either Fort McHenry had surrendered and the British flag flew above it, or the bombardment had failed and the American flag still flew.

As dawn began to brighten the eastern sky, Key and Beanes stared out at the fort, trying to see which flag flew over it. He and the physician must have asked each other over and over, “Can you see the flag?”

After it was all finished, Key wrote a four-stanza poem telling the events of the night. Called “The Defense of Fort McHenry,” it was published in newspapers and swept the nation. Someone noted that the words fit an old English drinking

forces fighting in the Great War. The World Series performance moved everyone in attendance, and after that it was repeated for every game. For obvious reasons, Key’s work became known as “The Star Spangled Banner,” and on March 3, 1931, Congress declared it the official anthem of the United States, 116 years after it was first written.

Now that you know the story, here are the words. Presumably, the old doctor is speaking. This is what he asks Key: FRANCIS SCOTT KEY song with a difficult melody and an uncomfortably large vocal range.

It became even more accepted as the national anthem during the World Series of baseball in 1917 when it was sung in honor of the brave armed

O say, can you see, by the dawn’s early light, what so proudly we hailed at the twilight’s last gleaming?

Whose broad stripes and bright stars, through the perilous fight, o’er the ramparts we watched were so gallantly streaming?

And the rockets’ red glare, the bombs

Supporting Our Fellow Purple Heart Community

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HISTORY OF THE STAR SPANGLED BANNER bursting in air, Gave proof through the night that our flag was still there.

O say, does that Star Spangled Banner yet wave, o’er the land of the free and the home of the brave? (“Ramparts,” in case you don’t know, are the protective walls or other elevations that surround a fort.)

The first stanza asks a question. The second gives an answer.

On the shore, dimly seen through the mist of the deep where the foe’s haughty host in dread silence reposes, what is that which the breeze, o’er the towering steep, as it fitfully blows, half conceals, half discloses?

Now it catches the gleam of the morning’s first beam, in full glory reflected, now shines on the stream. ’Tis the star-spangled banner. O,

long may it wave o’er the land of the free and the home of the brave!

“The towering steep” is, again, the ramparts. The bombardment has failed, and the British can do nothing more than sail away, their mission a failure. In the third stanza I feel Key allows himself to gloat over the American triumph. In the aftermath of the bombardment, Key probably was in no mood to act otherwise. During World War I when the British were our staunchest allies, this third stanza was not sung. However, here it is: And where is that band who so vauntingly swore that the havoc of war and the battle’s confusion, a home and a country should leave us no more? Their blood has washed out their foul footstep’s pollution.

No refuge could save the hireling

and slave from the terror of flight, or the gloom of the grave, and the Star Spangled Banner in triumph doth wave o’er the land of the free and the home of the brave.

The fourth stanza, a pious hope for the future, should be sung more slowly than the other three and with even deeper feeling: O, thus be it ever, when freemen shall stand between their loved homes and the war’s desolation, blest with vic- tory and peace, may the heavenrescued land praise the power that hath made and preserved us a nation.

Then conquer we must, for our cause is just, and this be our motto— “In God is our trust.”

And the Star Spangled Banner in triumph doth wave o’er the land of the free and the home of the brave. «

Col. Charles P. Murray Jr. Memorial Chapter 402 ✯ ✯ ✯ ✯ ✯ Military Order of the Purple Heart Columbia, SC GREENVILLE, SOUTH CAROLINA

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AMERICAN HERO: THOM SHEA

American Hero Story:

NAVY SEAL THOM SHEA The Incredibly Touching Thing a Navy SEAL Says Kept Him Alive During a Deadly Battle: ‘I Thought I Was Dead or Alone’ AS POSTED BY ELIZABETH KREFT, THEBLAZE.COM

DON’T FEAR DEATH. It makes you weak. We need you to fight your way back to us.

As Navy SEAL Thom Shea lay on his back, dazed, bleeding and in shock, he heard his wife Stacy’s clear, strong voice ringing in his ears, commanding him to get up and move.

To fight. To live.

Fight your way back to us.

On this mission in Afghanistan, Shea and his SEAL teammates were inserted by helicopter roughly four miles from their target in Kandahar province. They were in a sustained firefight throughout the first day, spending about six hours in a heated battle, fending off enemy fire.

By the following afternoon, they felt a relative calm. The bullets stopped flying and they made it a good distance toward their target. For a few minutes, Shea remembered, they thought they were in the clear.

Then with just about two hours of daylight left, their position was overrun.

“We got overwhelmed by the enemy; there were 65 of them to about 12 of us,” Shea recalled. “The sniper position was overwhelmed and the guys had to jump off the roof, several of our weapons were fired at and destroyed.”

They were pinned down, and all hell broke loose.

«

Shea kept a journal of sorts for his children in case he didn’t return from his deployments. He and his wife have now turned it into a book called, “Unbreakable: A Navy SEAL’s Way of Life.”

Navy SEAL Thom Shea waits to take out an enemy sniper. (Photos courtesy of the Shea family.)

GREENVILLE, SOUTH CAROLINA

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AMERICAN HERO: THOM SHEA

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Shea was in a building alone when a rocket blasted just outside the window, blowing him back against the wall.

Ears and head ringing, he tried to call out for his teammates. But he heard nothing.

“I thought I was dead or alone,” Shea said. “My radio wouldn’t work and I couldn’t hear anyone saying anything, so in that moment I realized that I might be alone. And that’s when I heard Stacy’s words just playing over and over again.”

Fight your way back to us.

It was the voice of his “Spartan wife,” the warrior he left back home to protect and defend their children, and her words gave renewed energy to this battle-hardened Navy SEAL. “In that moment I realized that moment I could either give up and die, or keep moving,” Shea said. “I realized in that moment of clarity, that I wasn’t

Thom Shea and family after being awarded a Silver Star for valor in repelling an attack in Afghanistan.

going to die, that I was going to be unbreakable. So as I fought my way back to lucidity … and we rallied the troops.”

For the next 45 minutes, Stacy’s words were the only thing Shea could hear as

he fought back to defeat the enemy.

Don’t fear death. Fight your way back to us.

“That was a tough moment as a leader to realize that everything

Welcome fellow Patriots to the 2015 South Carolina State MOPH Convention From the Cpl. Matthew V. Dillon Memorial MOPH Chapter 2005

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AMERICAN HERO: THOM SHEA that I do affects everyone else,” Shea remembered. “When you realize every step you take could have been the last one and I was responsible for all those men — and their lives and their future … that’s a tough moment.”

“We couldn’t maneuver, but we did what we needed to do, and we eventually won the battle,” he said, describing the end of the 2009 mission that would eventually earn him a Silver Star.

Years earlier, before Shea left for one of his multiple overseas deployments, Stacy said they needed to find a way to capture his stories and his life in case the worst happened, and so their children could know their father through his own words.

“When our son Chance was 4 months old, Thom left for Iraq, and anybody whose husband or wife is leaving for a combat deployment it becomes very real, the mortality of

your husband.

“All the things I thought were important, strong and admirable qualities of my husband, I couldn’t preserve alone to pass on to our kids,” Stacy Shea said. “I wanted to make sure Thom was writing those down, he is the expert on what make him strong through those successes and failures.”

Thom Shea retired in January after 23 years of service in the Navy, having served as a SEAL since 1996. He said his wife is

the rock that kept him grounded during the dangerous deployments, especially knowing that she had everything under control back home.

Shea documented his deployments as a SEAL, the life lessons he learned a long the way, and the importance of having a “Spartan wife” in the recently published book, “Unbreakable: A Navy SEAL’s Way of Life.”

“I wanted the kids to know how important a woman is to a man, and you don’t hear about that a lot in life in general,” Shea said. «

Best wishes to all of our membership on our 3rd MOPH State Department Convention.

Rich & Chris Roszelle Chief of Staff Region IV Chapter 2008 Rock Hill

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The General Daniel Morgan Chapter 1781 Fellow Patriots…

Have a super 2015 State Department Convention.

The Spartanburg Chapter stands proudly with you 100%!

We hope the Convention meets everyone’s highest expectations!

– Klaus and Carol Schoening

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MEET COLONEL SCHWARTZ

MEET:

COLONEL ERIC C. SCHWARTZ COL Schwartz graduated from Lynchburg College in Virginia in 1984, earning a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Education and a Regular Army Commission as an Armor Officer. His military education includes the Armor Officers Basic and Advanced Course, the Combined Armed Services Staff School, the United States Army Command and General Staff College and the United States Army War College. He holds a Master of Science Degree in Human Resource Development from Clemson University and a Master Degree in Strategic Studies from the United States Army War College.

COL Schwartz’s assignments include troop leading positions in West Germany with the 1st Armored Division during the Cold War; Tank Company Commander with the 24th Infantry Division during Operation Desert Storm; Battalion Operations Officer, Executive Officer,

and Brigade Executive Officer with the 4th Infantry Division. In 2003, he served as Tank Battalion Commander with the 3rd Infantry Division during Operation Iraqi Freedom.

On 5 April 2003, COL Schwartz’s Battalion led the assault to seize Baghdad, Iraq. This decisive Armored Strike is captured in journalist Dave Zucchino’s book Thunder Run and is being made into a movie starring Gerard Butler,

Matthew McConaughey and Sam Worthington. COL Schwartz will be played by Gerard Butler.

After Battalion Command, COL Schwartz served in Hawaii as Chief of The United States Pacific Command Training Program. Following attendance at the U.S. Army War College, He served as the Garrison Commander at Fort Knox Kentucky from 2008 to 2011.

Before his retirement from the U.S. Army in 2013, COL Schwartz was an instructor/ professor at the U.S. Army War College in Carlisle PA. He is married to Nancy and they have 2 children, Allie (23) and Andrew (19).

COL Schwartz’s awards and decorations include the Distinguished Service Medal, Legion of Merit, Silver Star Medal, Bronze Star Medal for Valor, Bronze Star Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster, the Purple Heart and the Defense Meritorious Service Medal (Joint). «

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MOPH FACTS & STATISTICS

MOPH Facts and Statistics from 2014 Purple Heart Recipients

MOPH Today • National Headquarters: Washington DC

WW I

250,000¹

• About 45,000 Total Members

WW II

962,403

• 6 Regions

Korea

137,023

• 50 Departments* (States)

Vietnam

351,078

• 475 Chapters

Persian Gulf

615

• MOPH Volunteers donated more than 160,000 hours to the VA at over 85 different VA Centers and Clinics

New Dawn

333

• Our volunteers’ time and effort amounted to the equivalent of over 90 full time DVA employees, saving the VA over $3.6 M in salaries.

Afghanistan

21,842 *

Iraq

35,439 *

• We have MOPH volunteer representation at more than 100 VA Medical Facilities. * Includes Puerto Rico & Guam

Total Estimated 1.76 M¹ NOTE¹: Estimates only. Battlefield awards and incomplete records; 1974 fire in St. Louis repository. *Includes New Dawn and other casualties. *Data as of 10/1/2014

Enjoy the convention!

OF GREENVILLE

Rafferty’s Supports Our Troops and Veterans

Lawn & Landscape Inc.

600 Congaree Rd., Greenville, SC 29607 864.297.0004 | www.raffertys.com

• Competitive Rates • Design & Installation • Irrigation & Repairs • Maintenance • Low Voltage Light

Ken Gregory, Owner/Designer 202 Pheasant Way, Fountain Inn, SC 29644 Mobile: 864-304-7821

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Thank You to Greenville MOPH Chapter 845 for hosting the Military Order of the Purple Heart 2015 Department Convention

Frank and Debra Kmetz Columbia Chapter 402

Veteran Services Division Lee Vining, Director/U.S. Army Staff Sergeant, Ret. 864.897.9641 | Lee@marchantco.com

“We believe America’s heroes deserve the best representation to help navigate all the intricacies required to fulfilling their dreams of owning a home.”

864.467.0085 www.marchantco.com 100 West Stone Ave., Greenville, SC 29609

Decades of trust. Confidence in the future.

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With deep appreciation to all of our veterans, we thank you for your service, and your sacrifices.

The Veach family‌Dale & Sandra Dale Veach USCG Squadron 1, Div. 13 Vietnam 1969-1970 DaleVeach_hlfH_MOPH.indd 1

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Best Wishes for a Successful Convention from your Fellow Patriots at the Gen. George Mabry, Jr. Chapter 817

Major General George L. Mabry, Jr. (above, right) was a native of Sumter County, SC who received the Medal Of Honor for heroic actions during World War II. On January 26, 2014, the Sumter Chapter hosted members of General Mabry’s family at a Chapter Designation Ceremony to celebrate the new charter establishing the General George L. Mabry, Jr. Chapter 817. The General received his MOH for actions during an attack on November 20, 1944, in the Huertgen Forest near Schevenhutte, Germany.

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KEEPING IT OLD SCHOOL

OLD SCHOOL One of the oldest retail stores operating in Greenville Jeff Zaglin owns the Greenville Army & Navy Store on Main Street in Greenville’s Historic West End. Jeff ’s father, Harry, founded the store over 50 years ago and the military supply store is one of the oldest still operating in the city. The store is an eclectic mix of retail store, museum and meetilng place. It has remained a true “surplus” store with a mix of new and used military, outdoor and camping goods along with many other unusual items.

Stop by and visit with Jeff or Tod Marks and ask them to show you around.

Who knows. You might find something of interest.

660 S. Main Street, Greenville, SC 2960 864-232-3168 Hours: Mon-Sat 9:30-5:30 www.greenvillearmystore.com

A mainstay of Greenville’s Historic West End, the Army Store has been sellling surplus military gear to generations of Upstate families since 1946.

GREENVILLE, SOUTH CAROLINA

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MEET GEORGE BLEVINS

MEET:

GEORGE BLEVINS

Director, Greenville County Veterans Affairs George retired from 25 years of Air Force service and proudly displays his Meritorious Service Medal with 4 Oak Leaf Clusters in his Greenville County office.

He earned those Medals diligently serving his Country.

Upon retirement from the Air Force George was recruited to become the Greenville County Veterans Affairs Director

and has spent the last 25 years serving the Veteran population which is the largest of all the 46 Counties of South Carolina. With a combined career history of 50 years of service, George has established a major advisory role for our Veterans, filing thousands of claims, generating annually millions of dollars in Federal funds for Greenville County.

The Greenville home of the historic “Veterans Memorial” and “Veterans Wall of Remembrance”, displaying over 6000 Veterans names to date, were proudly designed and created by the Greenville County Veterans Affairs.

The County VA mission is: to assist Veterans and their families with any claim for benefits to which they may be entitled and to assist with any appeal for claims that may have been denied.

The Clerk of Court for this office is responsible for the registration and controlling

The Clerk of Court for this office is responsible for the registration and controlling all discharges for the Veterans. A sample of the Veteran Affairs benefits are listed: • Home Loans • Death Benefits • Headstones and Markers • Burial Flags • Health Benefits • Nursing Home Applications • Special Adaptive Equipment for Autos or Home • VA Clinic access • Alston Wilkes Homeless Center • Richard M. Campbell Veterans Nursing Home • Doll Cooper Veteran’s Cemetery

all discharges for the Veterans.

George Blevins is a Greenville County treasure.

Thank you George from the Veterans you so loyally serve.

Helping our Nation’s Finest on the Path to Entrepreneurship.

OUR COACHING SERVICES Individuals: We help individuals explore self-employment possibilities. Our tools are education, coaching and access to hundreds of franchise and other business opportunities worldwide.

Business Clients: We work with businesses providing coaching in the areas of Employee Selection, HR Management, Management Systems, Expansion Strategies, Sales Development, and Accounting Solutions.

Welcome to Greenville and enjoy your convention!

Beth Veach, Business Coach bveach@esourcecoach.com | www.theesource.com/bveach 800.597.5090 | 704.608.2193 30 | M O P H 2 0 1 5 S t a t e D e p a r t m e n t C o n v e n t i o n EntrePre_qtr_TOWN May15_new.indd 1

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The Military Order of the for serving our country.

Chapter 1670 Proudly Supports the Department of South Carolina 2015 Convention. We stand with our fellow Patriots!

2014-2015 Chapter Officers Commander Sr. Vice Jr. Vice Adjutant Finance Officer Judge Advocate Executive Committeeman Alternate Committeeman Sergeant-At-Arms Trustee 1 Year Trustee 2 Year Trustee 3 Year Service Officer Welfare Officer Historian Chaplain Americanism

James Lee Michael Manigault Robert Nix Bob Mastrion Larry Sturdivant Melvin Ravanel James Lee Joseph Brown Edward Frasier George Thiebaud Pat Sullivan Bob Mastrion Bob Nix Bob Mastrion Pat Sullivan Melvin Ravanel Bob Mastrion GREENVILLE, SOUTH CAROLINA

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FORTUNES OF WAR

Four vets of the Upstate SC chapter of the Military Order of the PURPLE HEART

share their battle stories BLOOD BROTHERS: (Opposite page, clockwise from top left) Robert Bostwick; Douglas Greenlaw; Greenlaw’s commendations including 1 Silver Star, 2 Bronze Stars, and 2 Purple Hearts; Bostwick’s Purple Heart

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BY ANDREW HUANG

PHOTOGRAPHY BY PAUL MEHAFFEY

FORTUNES OF WAR

ROBERT BOSTWICK CORPORAL U.S. ARMY 1 ST CAVALRY DIVISION SOUTH KOREA 1951–1952

DOUGLAS J. GREENLAW 1 ST LIEUTENANT U.S. ARMY 196 TH LIGHT INFANTRY BRIGADE SOUTH VIETNAM 1967–1968 GREENVILLE, SOUTH CAROLINA

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FORTUNES OF WAR

THE FACE OF WAR CHANGES WITH POLITICS, GEOGRAPHY, AND TECHNOLOGY. BUT THE NATURE OF WAR DOESN’T. FOR THE BOOTS ON THE GROUND, WAR WILL ALWAYS BE BIG, LOUD, AND UGLY. There is a commendation, awarded in the name of the president, for our military service members who do not escape their baptism of fire and steel unscathed. The Purple Heart exists exclusively to recognize combat veterans who are wounded in action against enemy forces. It is a powerful sign, one whose heritage can be traced to an order established by George Washington. And though it is perhaps enough to know that bravery exists, we should mind the high costs of war.

Here are four men, staggering in ages between 27 and 88, who stand as snapshots of the lives of thousands, and as glimpses into the dark, and light, of battle.

Bob Bostwick wasn’t a rifleman— not at first. He was assigned to the Quartermaster Corps when he first arrived in Korea and oversaw a shower unit. From the units rotating through the showers, Bostwick first learned about the hazards of combat.

“We would hear stories about what was going on… it was pretty brutal.”

The entrance of communist Chinese forces in the fall of 1950 had altered the balance of military power, and by spring of 1951, United Nations forces were on their heels. Six weeks after arriving, Bostwick was transferred to a front-line infantry unit. “We had a spring offensive, and they needed all the help they could get.”

By July 1951, the front lines stabilized. Though there were rumors of a cease-fire, the fighting did not stop. Bostwick’s unit was tasked with manning an outpost to monitor the Chinese activity. “We just set up on the outpost night after night. This

one night, 16th of November 1951, we were completely overrun. There were, oh, gosh, there were… I never dreamed there would be so many.

They would send one wave in and you’d think it was all over, and they’d send another wave in, and then the third one. They just overran us completely.”

During the fighting, Bostwick and his assistant machine gunner were blown out of their position and tumbled to the bottom of the hill their outpost was on. “My assistant machine gunner, he was captured. I was captured also. I thought I was pretty well hidden in a clump of bushes, but they discovered me.”

His captors marched him away from friendly lines, moving at night and sleeping in the daytime to avoid American airpower. On the second day, Bostwick saw an opportunity to escape. “It was just a little old shack that we were in, and my two

captors, they went to sleep and…”

– Bostwick’s voice cracks, almost imperceptibly – “… and I was able to overpower them and make my escape.”

That was the end of Bostwick’s combat experience. Upon returning to American lines, doctors removed 40odd pieces of shrapnel. Bostwick was sent to Japan to recuperate, where he later rejoined his unit.

“I’m proud of my service. I am. I wouldn’t want to do it again, but it was a job that had to be done. I just tried to do my part.”

Bostwick mustered out of the Army in August 1953. He went on to start a pest control company in Florida and an outdoor power equipment company in Missouri before retiring to Greenville with his wife Carole. Bostwick now serves as senior vice commander of the Upstate SC chapter of the Military Order of the Purple Heart.

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FORTUNES OF WAR As Doug Greenlaw tells it, aside from the fact that it was Thanksgiving Day in 1967, there wasn’t much to like.

Then a first lieutenant stationed near Chu Lai, South Vietnam, Greenlaw was a platoon leader in the 196th Light Infantry Brigade. His unit specialized in helicopter assaults.

“They flew us around in helicopters to hot spots… they used us wherever we could be used. When the bell went off, we all jumped in and went.”

On that November day, Greenlaw and his platoon were spearheading an assault against a battalion of North

Vietnamese regular troops.

Riding in the lead helicopter, Greenlaw noticed that his pilots looked confused. “They were arguing over the map and I’m thinking to myself, this isn’t good.” And it wasn’t.

“They made a mistake and landed my platoon virtually in the middle of this battalion, so we were surrounded by 300 well-armed, well-trained North Vietnamese troops.”

Greenlaw was first out of the helicopter. “I was wounded immediately,” Greenlaw recounts, but it was a relatively minor wound to his leg. Outnumbered 6-to-1, Greenlaw’s platoon was in dire straits. “We pretty much had had it. We were pretty much out of ammunition in the first 15 minutes … I called in an airstrike on our own position to keep them away.”

Greenlaw and his beleaguered platoon held on for 5 hours before friendly forces could reach their position.

Everyone in his platoon was killed or wounded.

There are more details, but Greenlaw prefers to keep them to himself: “It was a long day, and it’s a long story, and real nasty.” He does offer another glimpse into that day when later asked about his other ribbons and medals. His Silver Star (the third highest military decoration for valor) was also earned that Thanksgiving Day. “I dragged a few

people to safety,” he states. Of this, and of his service, Greenlaw just shrugs. “People make a big deal of it even though it’s not that big of a deal. We were just ordinary, 20-yearold kids.”

Greenlaw was given a coveted battlefield promotion to company commander after he recovered from his wounds. On Easter of 1968, during the Tet Offensive, Greenlaw was severely wounded by a boobytrapped artillery shell. After being triaged, Last Rites were administered to Greenlaw. Doctors did not expect him to survive. However, Greenlaw recuperated and now serves as CEO of Greenville-based One Minute News and commander of the Upstate SC chapter of the Military Order of the Purple Heart.

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FORTUNES OF WAR

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Angel Martinez is a first-rate storyteller. His Southwest farm-boy accent has a directness tempered by an upward lilt and a twinkle in his eye. You expect a punch line with every breath he takes, and he seldom disappoints. Best of all, the spry 88-year-old has a lifetime of material.

He blazes through anecdotes of his time as a machine-gunner in the 89th Infantry Division: how he discarded his regulation gas mask but kept the gasmask pouch (the 31-pound machine gun he toted was heavy enough, Martinez explains, and besides, the pouch was perfect for holding extra rations); how he used to boil eggs in his water-cooled machine gun (after a few minutes of firing, the water in the cooling jacket got plenty hot).

But when Martinez speaks about the night that earned him his first Purple Heart, his cadence slows. On March 26, 1945, his unit participated in the Allied effort to cross the Rhine River.

Beyond the Rhine lay the heartland of

Nazi Germany. The crossing was heavily fortified and fiercely defended: the 89th recorded its heaviest losses in this action.

As the crossing got underway, German counter-artillery began landing along Allied positions. “They were bombing us real bad. I would be lying if I said I wasn’t scared. I was scared most of the time, but my friends were the ones who were going to advance.”

The crossing was successful, but Martinez didn’t escape unscathed. “I got hit by artillery. I lost some teeth, and my head [was hit by shrapnel], and some other stuff. It wasn’t that bad compared to some of the other guys.”

As Allied troops took stock, Martinez realized his friend Fee was nowhere to be found. “We couldn’t find Fee, so then I go up [to look for him] … he was lying down and there was a big piece of shrapnel … God, I felt so bad.

It really should have been me because I wasn’t married at the time.”

Three days after the crossing, Martinez was tasked with assisting

Graves Registration in locating casualties from the assault. Allied forces had advanced so quickly that the dead had been left behind.

In the process of locating his fallen comrades, Martinez, along with an unarmed medic, surprised a German counterattack and took 17 prisoners without a fight. He was awarded a Bronze Star (the fourth-highest military decoration for valor) for his role.

How important it is for us to recognize and celebrate our heroes and she-roes!

- Maya Angelou

Thank you.

FAS CI N AT E . I N SPI RE .RE WA RD. E N G AG E .

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FORTUNES OF WAR

Joe Turner, dressed in cargo shorts and with a long, wavy mop of hair, looks more like a surfer than a combatseasoned sergeant. The only bodily hints that Turner was, in fact, a combat engineer with the 101st Airborne Division are a couple of tattoos: “WHO’S NEXT” adorns his knuckles in simple, block text; “We few, we happy few” flows in script along his right forearm. Of his knuckles, Turner

grins and says, “You can interpret that however you want.” Of the quote from Shakespeare’s Henry V, he bluntly says, “The guy who died in Afghanistan. It was his favorite quote.”

“The guy” is Gerald Jenkins, a member of Turner’s five-man combat engineer team and a close friend. As a combat engineer, Turner was an expert in explosives: making them, using them, neutralizing them. Turner’s team had been tasked with clearing vegetation from a riverbank near an infantry base.

“We were getting rid of the trees for them, to give them a clearer field of view,” he says. “[Jenkins] was basically keeping an eye on our bags while we were waist-deep in the river. He took one step to the left and that blew him up. Shrapnel came headed my way and got in my head.” It was a bad day, but in many ways, not unexpected.

“You never know where you’re going to step. I’ve seen everything from a soda can to a shoebox blow up on somebody,” Turner says.

By the time Turner deployed to Afghanistan, he was already an old hand with one 15-month deployment to Iraq under his belt and qualifications from Airborne, Air Assault, Ranger, and Sapper schools. Even so, Afghanistan was a different beast altogether. “We were in vehicles all the time [in Iraq] … it’s like a mosquito bite on your vehicle when a bomb blows up,” Turner says. But in the mountainous terrain of Afghanistan, Turner and his team traveled on foot.

“Afghanistan got me real religious,” Turner says. “Every step you take, you’re like, ‘Is this the step that I’m going to be finally done?’ But my step was true and I’m still alive.” Yet for Turner, mortality remains in everyday life: “Death is an entity. It tends to stay with you.”

Turner, who joined the Army to travel, is continuing in that spirit. He is currently traveling cross-country and plans to backpack across the world indefinitely. His itinerary includes Alaska, Russia, and Israel. «

Have a Stellar Convention!

– THOM SHEA, Former Seal Team 7 Leader and author of the book “Unbreakable – A Navy Seal’s Way of LIfe” ThomSeah_hlfH_TOWN May15 opt2.indd 1

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LADIES AUXILIARY OF THE MILITARY ORDER OF THE PURPLE HEART Col. Charles P. Murray, Jr. MOH Memorial Unit 402, Columbia, SC

LADIES AUXILIARY OF THE MILITARY ORDER OF THE PURPLE HEART Col. Charles P. Murray, Jr. MOH Memorial Unit 402, Columbia, SC

LAMOPH Department of South Carolina Officers

LAMOPH Unit Officers

President

President Cathy Mullins

Sr. Vice President

Connie Johnson

Jr. Vice President

Suzy Hill

Treasurer

Sr. Vice President Ann Martin

Parliamentarian

Jr. Vice President Susan Anderson

Sergeant at Arms Trustees

Parliamentarian Debra Kmetz Sergeant at Arms Ema Dell McMahon

Executive Committeewomen

Treasurer Judy Smith

Teresa Hayes

Alternate Executives

Cathy Mullins Debra Kmetz Ema Dell McMahon Jean Testruth, Teresa Rey, Lucy Dillon Kathleen Hill, Sharon Wilson, Marilyn Grace Sandra Rains

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FALL’S PARK IN GREENVILLE

A park’s birthday

A CITY’S REBIRTH Celebrating the 10th anniversay of Fall’s Park, the “crown jewel” that helped bring the green back to downton Greenville

BY SHERRY JACKSON, GREENVILLE JOURNAL STAFF

It’s been 10 years since the city of Greenville took down a “perfectly good bridge” and installed in its stead the soaring Liberty Bridge that anchored the city’s lush, new Falls Park – and transformed downtown Greenville.

The “perfectly good” Camperdown Way Bridge was part of a four-lane superhighway built in 1960. By that time, the Reedy River had become a dumping place for sewage and industrial waste.

Often referred to as a “concrete monster” by Greenville resident Harriet Wyche, the Camperdown Way Bridge concealed the public view of the Reedy River Falls to the point that some Greenvillians had no idea a hidden waterfall flowed a few yards off Main Street. Those who wanted a glimpse had to traipse through kudzu and underbrush and pick their way past discarded beer bottles, cigarette wrappers and other trash to catch a view.

The Carolina Foothills Garden Club, of which Wyche was a member, first approached the city in the 1960s about establishing a public park near the falls. In 1967, the club reclaimed 26 acres for the park, and with the support of the city, Furman University and the Planning Commission, established Historic Falls Park.

Over the next 40 years, the Garden Club and the City of Greenville

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PHOTO BY GREG BECKNER / GREENVILLE JOURNAL

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worked with individuals, corporations and state and federal agencies to further develop the park, clean up the river and restore the historic Falls Cottage. Members such as Wyche, Pedrick Lowrey, Anna Kate Hipp and others were instrumental in raising funds for Falls Park.

In 1990, landscape architect Andrea Mains introduced the concept of transforming the park into a regional attraction, with beautiful public gardens and a pedestrian bridge.

TEARING DOWN THE “CONCRETE MONSTER” The idea of tearing down the Camperdown Way Bridge had been percolating from practically the day it opened, with opposing viewpoints waging continuous war over the issue. In a March 1990 report titled “The Evaluation of the Feasibility of Removing the Camperdown Way Bridge,” engineering and planning firm Post, Buckley, Schuh & Jernigan concluded the motoring public would “incur additional costs of $560.13 per day due to increased travel distances and travel time,” equating to a “total cost of $204,447 for the first year after removal of the Camperdown Way Bridge.”

By 2005, costs would rise to “over $9,000 per day or $3,285,000 per year,” the engineers projected, concluding the traffic impact costs

“Reedy River, with its falls and gorge, constitutes the most distinguished feature in the topography and landscape of Greenville.”

1907 report by Kelsey and Guild Architects of Boston, Mass.

“clearly indicate that the removal of the bridge is not a viable option.”

After that, the idea of removing the bridge “sort of sat for a while,” said Mayor Knox White, who was elected five years after the study’s release.

Then city officials dipped a toe in the water again, commissioning another study – “Report Card and Strategic Assessment of Downtown Greenville” – by Maryland architects and planners LDR International.

Released in February 1997, that study concluded the Camperdown Bridge was a “mistake.” Instead, LDR International saw “a great opportunity for the city to capitalize on the beauty of the Reedy River Falls” and removal of the bridge “should be revisited in

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the future.”

Others agreed. Mayor White and The Carolina Foothills Garden Club now had a study to back up their vision: Tear down the Camperdown Way Bridge and make the Reedy River the “crown jewel of downtown’s ongoing resurgence,” White said.

In 1999, with new city council members in place, White gained the support to do what many motorists still considered unthinkable: tear down the concrete monster.

A July 2, 1999, Greenville Journal article revealed the next step in the crusade: “Mayor Knox White has announced a campaign to reclaim the Reedy River as the birthplace of Greenville. He is promoting a plan

FALL’S PARK IN GREENVILLE that would transform Reedy River Falls Historic Park into a botanical garden with a reputation as a worldclass tourist attraction.”

One major hurdle loomed: The city didn’t own the Camperdown Bridge; the state highway department did.

So White enlisted the support of

plan for the park in the mid-1980s. In August 2002, White announced “In Full Bloom in 2003,” a $13 million initiative to transform the park into a public garden and oasis. White enlisted the help of Jim Cockman, partner in the consulting firm Brains on Fire, to assist with “selling the

PHOTOS BY ROSALES+PARTNERS

Wyche, S.C. Governor’s School president Virginia Uldrick, Betty Mabry, then-director of the SC Department of Transportation (and former Columbia Garden Club president), and local senators to persuade the Highway Commission to turn the bridge over to the city of Greenville.

In February 2001, the City Council voted unanimously to tear down the bridge. The bridge came down in 2002.

The day the bridge closed to traffic, White said he watched motorists drive past the roadblocks from his City Hall office window. “Nothing happened,” he said.

The Carolina Foothills Garden Club and the City of Greenville had already adopted a master

vision to the public,” and spearhead the campaign to realize the public gardens.

Using funds generated through a local hospitality tax, and building on the master plan designed by Washington, D.C. landscape architect Andrea Mains, Falls Park was developed to include 20 acres of gardens showcasing Reedy River Falls.

CREATING THE LIBERTY BRIDGE Included in the Full Bloom project was construction of a 355-foot-long, 12-foot-wide, curved suspension bridge designed by world-renowned bridge architect Miguel Rosales to provide dramatic views of the upper falls and the gardens below.

Additional designs called for a new park building with two levels of plazas, a private restaurant and public restrooms.

GREENVILLE, SOUTH CAROLINA

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“One of the main factors in the design of the bridge « was the location of the falls,” Rosales said. “When the Camperdown Way Bridge was removed, we didn’t want [the new bridge] in the same exact location. The intention was to curb it away from the falls. It needed to be very light,

MILITARY ORDER OF THE PURPLE HEART CHAPTER 2008

We wish our Fellow Patriots an Eventful State Convention!

very minimized and blend with the natural beauty.”

“The whole process took about 2 1/2 years from when I was hired,” Rosales said. City Council chose from two different options. “I think they selected the best one.”

And while the pedestrian bridge was originally slated to cost $2.5 million, bids came in at $4.8 million to $7 million.

The project was awarded to the low bidder, Taylor and Murphy Construction Co. of North Carolina, which had performed the reconstruction of Grandfather Mountain’s Mile High Bridge.

The new footbridge was named in honor of Liberty Corporation founder W. Frank Hipp and his children.

After 10 years, it’s still a unique and beautiful bridge, Rosales said.

“I’m very proud of the structure and it’s won many awards. It’s one of the most famous bridges in the U.S.,” he said. ”It put Greenville on the map and became an icon of Mrs. C. Thomas Wyche, the city.” in a May 18, 1975, Before Liberty Bridge and Greenville News article.

Falls Park, “we had a nice downtown, but nobody came to see us,” White said. Now, he fields calls and visits from cities across the country “on a daily basis” and the economic and tourism impact has been significant.

Every city has something unique, White said. “Our unique feature has always been the falls. We just forgot it for 40 years.” «

“The park is an oasis in the heart of Greenville”

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JAMES MILLER – REGION IV

MOPH REGION IV BIO:

JAMES MILLER I entered the service in September 1968 and served three years with the United States Army and completed one tour of duty in Vietnam.

In July 1970 I was wounded during a rocket/ mortar attack while serving with the 1st Field Force Vietnam. After being honorably discharged from active duty, I enlisted in the U.S. Army Reserve where I continued to serve my country and participated in deployments with my units,

the most significant being in 1998 when my unit was deployed to Bosnia. I retired from the military and USAR in 2002 with the highest rank of SFC (E-7) with over 23 years of service.

My military awards include the Purple Heart, Meritorious Service Medal, Army Commendation Medal, Army Achievement Medal, Good Conduct Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Vietnam Service Medal, Overseas

Service Medal, North Atlantic Treaty Organization Service Ribbon, and Vietnam Campaign Medal w/60 device.

I graduated from Berea High School in Greenville, SC and since that time I have completed a number of training courses and schools where diplomas or certificates of training were awarded. I trained as a firefighter where I completed several training programs such as Firefighter Course Level III at LSU and Haz-Mat Tec at the Georgia Institute of Technology. Being certified

as a Firefighter III and Fire Inspector, I advanced steadily with the U.S. Government at Fort Jackson, SC Fire Department and at the time of my retirement in 2005, I had over 33 years of Fire Service and had advanced to position of Station Captain. «

State Department Commander John B. Testruth welcomes fellow Patriots to the 2015 MOPH State Convention in Greenville.

Welcome fellow patriots to the MOPH State Convention!

DANIEL EDDINGER – MSDT Instructor – 348 Jocassee Lake Rd., Salem, SC 29676 864-944-9255 • jocasseediveshop.com

PO Box 544 Lexington, SC 29071 jbtestruth@windstream.net GREENVILLE, SOUTH CAROLINA

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EVOLUTION OF GEAR WEIGHT

The Evolution of Rucksacks The US Infantryman, the ground pounder, gravel grinder, grunt. Has taken a different shape over the decades of War our Country has experienced. Not only his physical shape but the gear carried on a daily basis. “Today’s Infantryman carries on average, 103 pounds of gear and food on his back,” according to a Battalion Sgt. Major, Ft. Jackson, SC. During contact with the enemy, he, of course, strips himself of most of that weight! Across the different wars, the Infantryman carried…

CIVIL WAR: 25 lbs of gear

WW1: 30 lbs of gear

WW2: 40 lbs of gear

VIETNAM: 70 lbs of gear

IRAQ & AFGHANISTAN: 103 lbs of gear

Service Disabled Veteran Owned Purple Heart Recipient... dedicated to saving lives.

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BEST CURRENT COMBAT PHOTOS

Best Current Combat Photos The Department of Defense selects the top military photos each year. These are remarkable photos taken by talented combat photographers. They also showcase the remarkable service and skill set of those who executed year 12 of one of the most complex wars in American history.

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▲ U.S. Marine Corps Staff Sgt. David Denseley, center, helps Afghan mortarmen clean the bore of a 60mm mortar at a mortar range near Camp Shorabak in Afghanistan’s Helmand province, May 4, 2013. Denseley is assigned to the Regional Corps Battle School. U.S. Marine Corps photo by Staff Sgt. Ezekiel R. Kitandwe U.S. soldiers and Afghan border police hike from their landing zone to Observation Point 12 along the Afghanistan-Pakistan border, Jan. 21, 2013. The soldiers are assigned to the 101st Airborne Division’s 1st Brigade Combat Team. U.S. Army Photo by Sgt. Jon Heinrich

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BEST CURRENT COMBAT PHOTOS 1. U.S. Marines and Georgian soldiers make their way to the extraction point during Operation Northern Lion II in Afghanistan’s Helmand province. U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Alejandro Pena 2. U.S. Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Pablo Perez provides security during training to counter improvised explosive devices on Camp Leatherneck in Helmand province, Afghanistan. U.S. Marine Corps photo by Sgt. Tammy K. Hineline 3. U.S. soldiers prepare a round for a support mission using an M119 105mm howitzer on Combat Outpost Wilderness, Paktya province, Afghanistan.

U.S. Army photo by Maj. Kamil Sztalkoper 4. U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Sean Pabey, left, U.S. Army Sgt. James Carlberg and Army Staff Sgt. Abby, a military working dog, provide overwatch from the mountains of Maiden Shar in Afghanistan’s Wardak province. U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Rachel M. Copeland.

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5 9. U.S. Marines conduct live-fire training at a range on Camp Leatherneck in Afghanistan’s Helmand province.

U.S. Marine Corps photo by Sgt. Demetrius Munnerlyn 10. U.S. Marine Sgt. Eric R. Wagner provides aerial security from the back of a CH-53E Super Stallion helicopter during an operation over Helmand province in Afghanistan. U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Ashley E. Santy 11. U.S. soldiers prepare a round for a support mission using an M119 105mm howitzer on Combat Outpost Wilderness, Paktya province, Afghanistan.

U.S. Army photo by Maj. Kamil Sztalkoper 12. U.S. and Afghan soldiers cross the Tarnak River in the Panjwai district in Afghanistan’s Kandahar province.

U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Kimberly Hackbarth.

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5. U.S. Marine Corps Cpl. Jarrett Goff kicks in a wall while on patrol in Washir village in Helmand province, Afghanistan.

U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Geoffrey K. Scarborough 6.

U.S. Marine Corps Gunnery Sgt. Marcus S. McCollum provides aerial security with a GAU-21 .50-caliber machine gun inside a CH-53E Super Stallion helicopter over Helmand province, Afghanistan. U.S. Marine Corps photo by Sgt. Gabriela Garcia 7. U.S. Marine Corps Cpl. Sean Abrusci provides security during a patrol in Helmand province, Afghanistan. U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. David McKenzie 8. U.S. Army Spc. Austin M. Weyerman and fellow soldiers move into a village with a suspected weapons cache during Operation Southern Fist III in the Spin Boldak district of Afghanistan’s Kandahar province. U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Shane Hamann.

12 13. A U.S. Army CH-47 Chinook helicopter carries a shipping container during retrograde operations and base closures in Afghanistan’s Wardak province. U.S. Army photo by Capt. Peter Smedberg 14. U.S. Army Chief Warrant Officer 2 Bethany Bump conducts her preflight routine in a UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter and checks with her crew chief before a mission on Jalalabad Airfield in Afghanistan’s Nangarhar province.

U.S. Army photo by Sgt. 1st Class John D. Brown 15. U.S. troops prepare for a UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter to hoist them up during hoist training on Forward Operating Base Farah, Afghanistan.

U.S. Navy photo by Lt. Chad A. Dulac 16. Photo by Brian Adam Jones.

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We welcome the 2015 Military Order of the Purple Heart to the 2015 Convention in our home town of Greenville.

PUBLISHERS OF APRIL 10, 2015 | VOL. 4 ISSUE 15

GREENVILLEJOURNAL

FIGHTING FOR ACCESS

GREENVILLEJOURNAL.COM • Friday, April 10, 2015 • Vol.17, No.15

THE

PHOTO PROVIDED

Upstate woman battles barriers for those with disabilities

SPRING STYLE

ISSUE

Page 8

ROCKET GIRLS Fourth-graders discover engineering careers Page 17

REVERSED Greenville City Council is one vote away from repealing a controversial ordinance that removed party labels from municipal ballots - Page 4

INSIDE THE UBJ Going green while making green

FOR HOME DELIVERY CALL 864.679.1200

Greenville City Councilwoman Lillian Brock Flemming, left, a Democrat, and Matt Foster, president of the Upstate Young Republicans, celebrate after City Council voted 4-3 Monday night to repeal a controversial ordinance that changed the city’s municipal elections to nonpartisan.

READ ONLINE AT GREENVILLE JOURNAL.COM

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Air Force to academics,

We’ll get you there.

When this veteran came to campus, he quickly made his mark.

After six years in the Air Force, Bo tried a few colleges before he found Greenville Technical College in 2013. Ever since, organizations on campus have benefitted from his leadership skills.

He is head of the Habitat Club and Student Veterans while serving as communications officer for student government and earning excellent grades in the General Technology Associate in Applied Science program. Soon, he hopes to lead a business with the same degree of success.

Visit us at gvltec.edu or call (864) 250-8000.

Helping people love what they do for a living: Business &Technology • Health & Wellness • Public Service, Arts & Sciences • Corporate and Career Development

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SUPPORTING THE DREAMS OF ALL WHO HAVE SERVED United Community Bank is proud to support the dreams of the men and women who have served—and continue to serve—with bravery, sacrifice, and courage to protect our freedom.

Whether you are starting a business, expanding a business, or financing a home, we have programs and services to fit your needs.

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