"He lived to bear his country's arms. He died to save its honor. He was a soldier ... and he knew a soldier's duty. His sacrifice will help to keep aglow the flaming torch that lights our lives ... that millions yet unborn may know the priceless joy of liberty. And we who pay him homage, and revere his memory, in solemn pride rededicate ourselves to a complete fulfillment of the task for which he so gallantly has placed his life upon the altar of man's freedom." -- Henry Harley "Hap" Arnold, General U.S. Army.

This Memorial Day and every day let us remember and honor their memory.

In this issue you will view some of the artifacts found in our collection and read some combat stories; all of which were heroes that were killed in action.

Since our last newsletter, we have moved all of our web hosting and email service to another service provider with more storage and other upgrades. We will take advantage of these changes to upgrade websites and add much more data and history.

We hope you enjoy this issue.

Want to help Support Our Mission?

Sons of Liberty Museum - Secure Donation

Army Air Corps Museum - Secure Donation

Thank you for all of the great artifact donations!

We want to send out a special thank you to all of our volunteers who have been helping us on many projects. We could not have accomplished so much without your assistance!

Thank you for your support!

Artifacts help tell the stories, money makes the engine run, please

Donate Now!

We tell history! Saving Military History One Soldier at a Time.

Remember those that made the #ultimatesacrifice #mia #pow #kia #sonsofliberty. #patriots #army #navy #marines #aircorps #airforce #coastguard #spaceforce #merchantmarine; all those that have worn the cloth.

Join us on this journey.

In Their Memory,

Robert Coalter, Executive Director

Jason Weigler, Executive Director

Major Robert Weigler, Jr. US Army Ret. - Director

"Saving Military History One Soldier At A Time".^SM 

"Saving History One Soldier At A Time"^SM

Memorial Day, a federal holiday in the United States, commemorates the men and women who have died while serving in the U.S. military. The origins of Memorial Day can be traced back to the period following the Civil War, a conflict that claimed more lives than any other war in American history and necessitated the establishment of the country's first national cemeteries.

The exact genesis of Memorial Day is somewhat debated, with various towns and cities claiming to be the birthplace of the tradition. However, the most widely recognized origins date back to the late 1860s. On May 5, 1868, General John A. Logan, leader of an organization for Northern Civil War veterans known as the Grand Army of the Republic or GAR, called for a nationwide day of remembrance later that month. He designated May 30, 1868, as Decoration Day, a day to decorate the graves of fallen soldiers with flowers. The date was chosen because it was not the anniversary of any particular battle, and it allowed for the maximum bloom of flowers across the country.

Other accounts include that on July 4, 1864, ladies decorated soldiers' graves according to local historians in Boalsburg, Pennsylvania. Boalsburg promotes itself as the birthplace of Memorial Day. However, no published reference to this event has been found earlier than the printing of the History of the 148th Pennsylvania Volunteers in 1904.

The first large observance was held that year at Arlington National Cemetery, where both Union and Confederate soldiers are buried. During the event, former Union General and sitting Ohio Congressman James Garfield made a speech, after which 5,000 participants decorated the graves of the more than 20,000 Civil War soldiers buried in the cemetery.

As time passed, the observance of Decoration Day spread across the Northern states, but it wasn't until after World War I that the tradition expanded to honor all American military personnel who died in all wars, not just the Civil War. The name "Memorial Day" began to be used more commonly, and it was declared the official name by federal law in 1967.

In 1968, Congress passed the Uniform Monday Holiday Act, which established Memorial Day as the last Monday in May, providing for a three-day weekend for federal employees. This change went into effect in 1971, the same year Memorial Day was declared a federal holiday.

Today, Memorial Day is observed across the United States with ceremonies, parades, and the decoration of graves. It serves as a solemn reminder of the sacrifices made by military personnel in service to their country.

Want to create a permanent memorial for your veteran or family member? Instead of a brick that wears away from foot traffic, memorialize that special veteran on the side of the USH-Constitution.

Bronze

This is a 2 1/2" x 22" name placard. This is a 2 row display with the first line containing the name and the second a unit, conflict and branch. The top row is approx. 1" tall and the 2nd line 3/4".

2 1/2" x 22" - $750

Silver

This is a 2" x 36" name placard. This is a 1 row display with the line containing the name, unit, conflict and branch. The lettering is approximately 1 1/2" tall.

2" x 36" - $1375

Gold

This is a 5" x 36" name placard. This is a 2 row display with the first line containing the name and the second a unit, conflict and branch. The top row is approx. 2" tall and the 2nd line 1 1/2".

5" x 36" - $2000

This Memorial Day we honor those that gave all in the service to their country.

Artifacts from the collection and stories of those killed in action.

Two men of the 1st Special Service Force bury one of their own.

Anzio Beachhead in 1944.

HEADQUARTERS

FOURTH FIGHTER GROUP

A.P.O. 637, U.S. ARMY

PILOTS PERSONAL COMBAT REPORT

VIII Fighter Command F.O. 291

• Combat
• 8 April, 1944
• 335 Fighter Squadron
• 1400 hours
• Wolfenbuttel area.
• Clear
• Me-109’s
• Two Me-109’s Destroyed

I.            I was flying Greenbelt Red 3 in “Upper” Squadron, headed East, for rendezvous with the big Friends. We were approaching the target area when I saw and reported a “Gaggle” at 10 o’clock. We turned towards this gaggle and found about a hundred Huns flying in two boxes of fairly close vie-formation, towards the bombers. As the Group bounced these E/A, I took an Me-109 that started diving. I closed slowly at first, firing short, long-range bursts. I ceased firing and closed easily. When I fired again I was dead line-astern. I observed strikes on the tail and fuselage of this Me-109, after which this E/A emitted an enormous cloud of glycol that covered my entire plane. We were then at about 13,000 feet, and after I broke off this E/A’s tail, I observed it to spiral straight down, trailing smoke, and crash, explode and burn in a wooded area about two miles North of Celle. I did not see the pilot bail out and I claim this Me-109 destroyed.

              After this combat I climbed back to bomber (25,000 feet) level and found another Me-109 attacking a small box of B-24’s. I closed behind this E/A in a port turn. Apparently this pilot had planned to make another attack, as he began a slow pull-out after his initial attack. When I opened fire on this Me-109—(From this point on, the report has been completed by Capt. Victor H. Croxton, Squadron Intelligence Officer.) I observed immediate strikes around the cockpit and after a very short burst the pilot bailed out. I claim this Me-109 destroyed.

A/C Used: P-51B 7Na 43-6579

Ammunition Used: 1260 rnds. 50 Cal. API & T

CLEMENS A. FIEDLER

1st Lt., Air Corps,

Pilot

VICTOR H. CROXTON

Captain, Air Corps

Intelligence Officer

1st LT Clemens Fiedler

Killed in Action

10 April 1944

HEADQUARTERS

FOURTH FIGHTER GROUP

A.P.O. 637, U.S. ARMY

Pilot’s Personal Combat Report

VIII Fighter Command F.O. 291

• Combat
• 8 April 44
• 335th Fighter Squadron
• 1415 to 1500 hours
• In Brunswick Area
• Clear – slight ground haze.
• FW-190; Me-109
• One FW-190 destroyed; one FW-190 destroyed (shared); one Me-109 destroyed (shared); one FW-190 damaged (ground); one train damaged. 

I.            I was flying Green One in Greenbelt Squadron. We were on course and on time when the bombers called for help. We headed South and joined them, finding them quite happy. Shortly after, 2 large gaggles of E/A were sighted, so we attacked them. During the attack I saw 2 white-nosed P-51s with 2 FW-190s on their tail, so I took my section down to help them. Green 3 went after one; I got a few deflection shots at the other, then he broke for the deck. Before I could close on him another P-51 piloted by Lt. Monroe (334 sqdn) got behind him so I continued on down giving him cover. After a long chase Monroe got strikes all over the 190, the coupe top came off and the 190 crashed in some trees, burning.

              A little after I spotted an A/D with a Me-210 setting on it. As I came over the trees, on the edge, there were 2 FW-190s taxying (sic) across—one made the trees, the other seeing he couldn’t make it turned his nose into my attack. I closed very close and saw many strikes. Just as I was about to make another attack on the A/D, Lt. Monroe called me and said that he was chasing a FW-190 but as he was out of ammunition he’d keep him busy till I came up. After a short chase I got quite a few strikes on the fuselage of the 190 and set the droppable belly tank on fire. Then large pieces started coming off and he crashed into the deck and burst into flames. Just as we set course for home, I sighted a Me-109E and we gave chase. He must have had everything forward because continuous black smoke came from the exhaust. After quite a long chase we were just getting into range of him when a FW-190 came in from above. Both Lt. Monroe and myself turned into him. As soon as we did this the Me-109E pilot turned and crash-landed in a small ploughed field. I did not see the pilot come away from the 109. The FW-190 started to turn in a tight circle above a forest. I fell in line astern, firing with a large deflection at about 250 yards. Meanwhile Lt. Monroe kept making attacks trying to straighten him out. I don’t recall seeing any strikes and after about the fourth or fifth circuit with 20 degrees of flap and 110 mph airspeed, I was still drawing deflection but on the verge of flicking into the trees. So I broke off at this time Lt. Monroe saw the 190 hit the trees and go skidding through them leaving a path of small fires. I didn’t see the crash but saw the smoke from the results. 

              Later I shot up the locomotive of a train.

A/C #: P-51B 10NA 43-106464

Ammunition used: 1035 rnds .50 Cal. A.P.I. & T.

ALBERT L. SCHLEGEL

1st Lt., Air Corps.

Pilot.

1st LT Albert Schlegel

Killed in Action

28 August 1944

"Honor Guard Salute"

OFFICE OF THE INTELLIGENCE OFFICER

83RD FIGHTER SQUADRON

INTELLIGENCE COMBAT REPORT

REFERENCE F.C.F.O. NO. 250

1. Combat
2. 24 February, 1944.
3. 83rd Fighter Squadron, 78th Fighter Group.
4. 1230 hours.
5. Furstenau.
6. 5/10 low cloud in patches, excellent visibility.
7. Me-109.
8. 1 Me-109 destroyed.
9. I was leading Cleveland Black section. Just after R/V, I turned toward a burning Fortress that was going down and saw a Me-109 following the Fort on its downward flight. I positioned myself on his tail and gave a short burst at 350 yards with 30 degrees deflection – no results. I closed to 100 yards and shot a three second burst, observing many hits on the fuselage and wing roots. The e/a dived for the deck and leveled out over the tree tops with his “prop” windmilling. He crashed into the ground and disintegrated.

CHARLES M. PEAL,

1st Lt., Air Corps,

83rd Fighter Squadron.

24 February, 1944.

Supporting Statement of Claim:

I was flying Black two on Lt. Peal’s wing. I observed several Me-109’s attacking the lead box of bombers. These e/a broke down after the attack. One 109 continued to fire at a Fort that was spinning down. Lt. Peal attacked this 109. I observed strikes all over the cockpit and fuselage. The 109 began to smoke and angled toward the ground. He pulled out of his dive and leveled out but continued to lose altitude until he hit the ground and exploded.

PETER A. CAULFIELD,

2nd Lt., Air Corps,

83rd Fighter Squadron

24 February, 1944.

OFFICE OF THE INTELLIGENCE OFFICER

83RD FIGHTER SQUADRON

INTELLIGENCE COMBAT REPORT

REFERENCE F.C.F.O. NO. 298

1. Combat
2. 13 April 1944
3. 83rd Fighter Squadron, 78th Fighter Group.
4. 1315 hours.
5. Beuchenbeuren.
6. 4-6/10 cumulus at 2,000 with tops at 10,000 feet, good visibility.
7. FW-190.
8. 1 FW-190 destroyed.
9. I was leading Lockyear Yellow flight in escort of bombers. I bounced four 190’s that came out of the clouds in front and below us. I got on the tail of one and chased him from 18,000 feet to the deck, firing short bursts. I observed hits the first time at about 400 yards, 15 degrees deflection. Pieces flew off as a result of these strikes. I fired intermittently down to zero range, observing many strikes. I broke off at naught range at 500 feet and watched him glide in for a crash landing. He cartwheeled, and then disintegrated. The e/a took no evasive action other than diving. I made one pass to take pictures of the e/a after he had crashed.

CHARLES M. PEAL

1ST Lt., Air Corps,

83rd Fighter Squadron.

14 April 1944

1st LT Charles Peal

Killed in Action

14 August 1944

Burial in Hawaii following 7 Dec 1941 attack.

"Final Honors"

Flag at Half-Staff

S/SGT Theodore R. Rhody

724th Bomb Squadrion

451st Bombardment Group

15th Air Force

Killed In Action

23 March 1944

451bg.org

MM-1776 Launches

Our grand opening last weekend (Oct 21, 2023) of our new mobile museum, MM-1776.. Thank you to American Legion Post 453 for hosting this event and dinner.

Veteran Memorials

With the launch of our new mobile-museum trailer we have a place for a visual honorarium and memorial for your veteran. Honor your veteran family member with a permanent marker on our new mobile-museum.

Like bricks or pavers, this permanent memorial will be seen by many at schools, veteran and civic events. Get your Veteran Memorial Today!

Read more about Sons of Liberty Memorials

Read More About Army Air Corps Memorials

If you are looking to volunteer with a non-profit we would welcome your assistance. We have a need to transcribe over 150,000 of these index cards. Distinguished Flying Cross, Air Medal, Soldiers Medal, Bronze Stars and Purple Heart. Getting this information into our database will allow us to make this data searchable. Contact us to get started!

We are also looking for General Orders of World War II, digital copies are welcome; volunteers to transcribe this data.

Transcription of monthly unit histories and other documents are projects to help us recover and preserve history and are fantastic accounts written close to the actual events rather than decades later as memories may fade.

There are still thousands classified as Missing in Action or as Buried Unknowns. In our partnership with the MIA Recovery Network we have established data on our websites regarding MIAs.

The quest to account for those of our nation's Missing in Action is one of the most noble of endeavors. There are also a large number of recovered remains that are buried in ABMC cemeteries where the identity is unknown. These are known as X-Files.

The recovery of MIAs pose a number of challenges. For example, Navy or Merchant Marine ships that were sunk are unrecoverable and thus ship manifests are the primary and often only source of names for those that have perished but are still accounted.

Each conflict has had its own challenges. At the end of World War II the military had established more than 360 temporary cemeteries, but the dead were being found continually in farm fields, forests, small church cemeteries, isolated graves and the shores of combat zones. These dead were collected and the remains consolidated into the fourteen permanent European, Mediterranean, and North African Cemeteries maintained by the American Battle Monuments Commission along with two permanent cemeteries in the Philippines and Hawaii.

Monetary donations are needed and very welcomed to support these efforts to create case files.

Please consider a DONATION today. Thank You.

#neverforget #bringthemallhome

Sons of Liberty Museum

The Sons of Liberty has hundreds of uniforms and thousands of other artifacts in our collection from the U.S. Revolutionary War to Present day. Our web presence now numbers in excess of 500,000 pages. We continue to accept new material for education and research programs.

Our collection includes memorabilia from the front line soldier to the rear echelon clerk. Drivers, infantrymen, pilots, tankers, seaman, medical, artillery, armorers, engineers, quartermasters and much more. Those that were drafted or volunteered; those that did a single tour or made it a career. Those that returned with all types of injuries and those that gave their full measure; killed in action (KIA). All MOS are welcome from the Army, Navy, Air Force, Coast Guard and Marines.

Monetary donations help us preserve and display these pieces of American History. Thank you for your support.

We are Saving Military History One Soldier At A Time. We are honoring the service of the Citizen Soldier.

#sonsofliberty

Volunteers

We need volunteers to transcribe award and roster documents. You will place the material into a spreadsheet where it will be added to our database and website. We welcome new dedicated volunteers to work from home and help us with this project!

Interesting Links & Resources

Researching History: https://www.sonsoflibertymuseum.org/military-history-records.cfm

Honor Roll: https://www.sonsoflibertymuseum.org/honor.cfm

Donations

We welcome donations of monies for operational costs. Artifact donations are sought in the form of papers, books, photos, gear, uniforms, jackets, medals, ribbons, weapons, equipment, scrapbooks, biographies, diaries and more. Please Contact Us

Revolutionary War, War if 1812, Civil War, Spanish-American War, World War I, World War II, Korea, Vietnam, Desert Storm, Cold War, Gulf War and current conflict donations accepted. From small to large multi-item donations, they all tell a story.

We need you ! We need your help to further our mission of preserving and bringing this history to the public. As a 501(c)(3) non-profit your qualifying donations are tax deductible.

Army Air Corps Museum

The Air Corps Museum online presence encompasses over 500,000 web pages with thousands of photos and other materials. Our artifact collection contains hundreds of uniforms, albums, logs, medals and more from the Army Air Service, Army Air Forces and U.S. Air Force.

World War I, World War II, Korea, Vietnam, Desert Storm, Cold War, Gulf War and current conflict donations welcome!

Volunteers

We need volunteers to transcribe documents, placing the material into a spreadsheet. We welcome new dedicated volunteers to help us with this project! Work from home.

Interesting Links & Resources

Trace a Family Members Military Service: https://www.armyaircorpsmuseum.org/veteran-research.cfm

Honor Roll: https://www.armyaircorpsmuseum.org/honor_roll.cfm

Donations

We welcome donations of papers, books, photos, gear, uniforms, jackets, medals, ribbons, weapons, equipment, scrapbooks, biographies, diaries, letters and more. Please Contact Us

Monetary donations help us preserve and display these pieces of American History. Thank you for your support. As a 501(c)(3) non-profit your qualifying donations are tax deductible.

As a non-profit it's important to let our patrons know where some of their money is going.

This riker-mount display box is one of the most important pieces that we use. They contain ribbons, medals, patches, pictures and other small memorabilia items. They are great to help reserve items as well.

Each year we purchased 500 of these items. We will fill them all with great artifacts in less than 12 months.

$5000.

Constant Contact charges us $1200 annually to create, store and send this newsletter.

Our web servers, domains and hosting cost $8200 / year. Our hosting requirement of storage will only increase over the coming years as we continue to add to our online material.

The annual total for just these three components is $14,400. Naturally, we have other expenditures, but 100% of monetary donations go to operations. All staff and directors are volunteers.

Monetary donations are needed and very welcomed to support these efforts.

Please consider a DONATION today. Thank You.



We rescue a lot of military artifacts; items destined for the trash heap. From torn papers and faded ribbons to moth damaged uniforms decades pass and the condition of items deteriorate. These artifacts still have a story to tell.

Many museums only want items in pristine condition, we say differently. Some so called museums only want materials from a well known commander written up in history books or the fighter ace or a man who would fly to the moon or a Medal of Honor recipient.

While we have artifacts such as these we also have the items of the draftee who answered their nation's call and served their tour and then went home. Some were not so fortunate, special place in our hearts for the KIAs. In our mission of "Saving Military History One Soldier at a Time" it is about all who have worn the cloth of our nation's military. Artifacts help us bring stories to life no matter their condition.

We accept donations of artifacts in ALL CONDITIONS.

---- What is Liberty ? ----

"definition. the state of being free within society from oppressive restrictions imposed by authority on one's way of life, behavior, or political views." 

Merriam-Webster defines it as " the power to do as one pleases, the freedom from physical restraint and freedom from arbitrary or despotic control.

---- So what is a Son of Liberty? ----

In our context and beginning these were the men and women in America who wanted their liberty and freedom from the King of England. They desired a right of self-determination for their lives.  They fought for this liberty and codified it in the Constitution of a new country.  To keep this liberty they created a military to ward off the any would-be belligerent. Since the War of Independence until and including the present day the men and women who have worn the cloth of our nation's military are its Sons of Liberty.  They have fought enemies in other nations, they have fought each other and they have stood as sentinels of the watch.

We celebrate the service of these individuals, we tell the historical story of these selfless patriots.

---- The Sons of Liberty Museum ----

Over 15 years ago we chose a name for this organization and our sister the Army Air Corps Library and Museum. We believe these names accurately describe these men and women who serve. We will not change any name to satisfy a radical viewpoint or computer algorithm. We don't allow for any revisionist history, we tell the factual stories.

We are Saving Military History One Soldier at a Time.

Need a Good Book, DVD?

Check out these titles.

We would like to send a shout out to our website design partner, InterNet Partners, who has helped us with a variety of database programming and web design over the years.