If you’ve ever been to Arlington National Cemetery, perhaps you’ve noticed that you can sometimes pick-up stories from the headstones.
Often the information on the stones can bring up more questions than they answer.
SFC Beisel served in both World Wars and Korea. He would’ve been ~54-57 years old during the Korean War – but never made it past E-7. Did he get busted? Or was he a civilian in-between wars? Or maybe he was a crusty old sergeant who didn’t give a ratt’s ass about getting promoted?
Then there is USMC SSgt. Windrich, who died on 2 December 1950 at age 21. Once could guess that the Medal of Honor he won was posthumous, and one would be correct; a search reveals he was killed during Battle of Chosin Reservoir.
Staff Sergeant Windrich was killed in action the morning of 2 December 1950, near Yudam-ni, North Korea, following a savage night battle. He had refused to be evacuated even after being wounded twice, once when a grenade fragment ripped through his helmet. Although later felled by another wound in the leg, he was not put out of action but was still directing his men in setting up defensive positions when he succumbed to his wounds and the bitter cold.
The Medal of Honor, the United States’ highest award for valor in combat, was presented to his widow by Secretary of the Navy Daniel A. Kimball during ceremonies on 8 February 1952 in Washington, D.C.
LTC Jacobson served in WWII, Korea, and Vietnam, and was very likely a career soldier. But was he called back to active duty for Vietnam? Or did he volunteer? He wasn’t exactly a young pup for that one.
Pvt. Korson would’ve been over 40, well past the age for any mandatory services and a good 15 years older than the average private of WWII. One can speculate that he, as a Jew, volunteered to fight the Nazis. And I wonder if he didn’t get sent to the Pacific instead.
I noticed the stone of Col. Daugherty just because he also served in WWII, Korea, and Vietnam, and wonder the same things about him. He died fairly recently, and I hope he was able to pass along some of his story to family or friends.
The headstone for “Linda Sue” and “Robert C. Jr.” is rather sad; the children died at 6 and 9 respectively but their father, SFC Hayes, has apparently not yet passed away as there is an empty plot next to them and his marker is not to be found.
This marker is on the edge of the cemetery on the road to the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.
Last but not least, the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, and the soldier who was standing guard on this cold morning (~30 F) in Arlington.
The name Daugherty caught my eye because I have been researching my family tree and have come across this surname, so I decided to see what I could find out about him. I wasn’t able to find an obituary, which is unfortunate. Anyway, it looks like he participated in Eisenhower’s funeral.
The Last Salute: Civil and Military Funeral, 1921-1969
CHAPTER XXIX
Former President Dwight D. Eisenhower
State Funeral
28 March-2 April 1969
“After all participants were in position the commander of troops, Col. Robert M. Daugherty, Commanding Officer, 3d Infantry, brought the escort units and honor cordon to present arms.”
[page 349, towards the bottom of the page]
http://www.army.mil/cmh-pg/books/Last_Salute/ch29.htm
I found 2 military records for a Robert M. Daugherty. The enlistment one is interesting because of the civilian occupation listed for him [ADMIN NOTE; the occupation listed is incorrect, per the comments of relatives below –Richardson]:
U.S. World War II Army Enlistment Records, 1938-1946
Name: Robert M Daugherty
Birth Year: 1921
Race: White, citizen (White)
Nativity State or Country: Pennsylvania
State: District of Columbia
County or City: District of Columbia
Enlistment Date: 3 Feb 1941
Enlistment State: District of Columbia
Enlistment City: Washington
Branch: Corps of Engineers
Branch Code: Corps of Engineers
Grade: Corporal
Grade Code: Corporal
Component: National Guard (Officers, Warrant Officers, and Enlisted Men)
Source: National Guard
Education: 4 years of high school
Civil Occupation:
Actor (Motion picture actor. ) or Director, Motion Picture (Motion picture director.) or EntertainerMarital Status: Married
Height: 70
Weight: 183
For the Korean War, he got a medal (I am assuming this is him, because his wife died in Virginia and his hometown is listed as such during this time)
DAUGHERTY, ROBERT M.
Citation:
The Distinguished Service Cross is presented to Robert M. Daugherty (O-1794789), Captain (Infantry), U.S. Army, for extraordinary heroism in connection with military operations against an armed enemy of the United Nations while serving as the S-1 Officer with Headquarters, 2d Battalion, 23d Infantry Regiment, 2d Infantry Division. Captain Daugherty distinguished himself by extraordinary heroism in action against enemy aggressor forces in the vicinity of Chorwon, Korea, on 17 July 1952. Late on that night a friendly company occupying positions on a tactically important hill was subjected to an intense hostile artillery and mortar bombardment followed by a smashing assault by an estimated enemy battalion. Captain Daugherty voluntarily left his rear area position and proceeded to the scene of the battle. Finding that the friendly troops had been forced from the crest of the hill by the enemy assault, he directed the evacuation of casualties and then reorganized the remnants of the friendly company and led them in a charge up the fire-swept slope. Wounded in the head by enemy fire, he ignored the pain and continued to lead his men forward until they became pinned down near the top of the hill. There, when an estimated three hundred of the foe charged forward in an attempt to engulf the small band of friendly infantrymen, he called for artillery fire directly in front of his position and successfully broke up the attack. Pushed down the hill by a second hostile wave, he again reorganized his men and, sending a small force up the right flank of the hill, led his own troops straight up the slope through a murderous hostile bombardment into the teeth of the enemy fire. Wounded a second time in the shoulders and back by flying shell fragments, he nevertheless continued to lead the friendly advance. Inspired by his example, his men charged forward until they were stopped just short of the crest of the hill by the vast numerical superiority of the foe. Bleeding heavily and almost unconscious, Captain Daugherty nevertheless remained in his exposed position directing friendly artillery and mortar fire until a relief force arrived and he was ordered to the rear for evacuation.
Headquarters, Eighth U.S. Army, Korea: General Orders No. 711 (November 18, 1952)
Home Town: Arlington, Virginia
Korean War Casualties, 1950-1957
Name: Robert M Daugherty
Race: White
Home State: Virginia
Casualty Date: 18 Jul 1952
Casualty Country: North Korea Sector
Casualty Type: Returned to Duty (FECOM)
Group: Returned to Duty (FECOM)
Branch: Infantry
Component: Organized Reserve Corps (ORC)
Rank: Captain
Pay Grade: Captain
Previous Detail: Wounded in action by missile, hospitalized
Disposed Date: 26 Aug 1952
Organization: In Div - 2nd
Element Sequence: Cv Div Cav Regt Inf
Unit #: 0023
Service Occupation: 2162
Ok, this is very interesting. Here is an enlistment record for Sol Korson. How did you manage to pick out 2 random graves where the occupations of the men had to do with movies? Maybe that explains their ages in the last wars.
U.S. World War II Army Enlistment Records, 1938-1946
Name: Sol Korson
Birth Year: 1901
Race: White, citizen (White)
Nativity State or Country: Russia OR Union of Socialist Soviet Republics
State: District of Columbia
County or City: District of Columbia
Enlistment Date: 29 Sep 1942
Enlistment State: Virginia
Enlistment City: Fort Myer
Branch: Branch Immaterial - Warrant Officers, USA
Branch Code: Branch Immaterial - Warrant Officers, USA
Grade: Private
Term of Enlistment: Enlistment for the duration of the War or other emergency, plus six months, subject to the discretion of the President or otherwise according to law
Component: Selectees (Enlisted Men)
Source: Civil Life
Education: 2 years of high school
Civil Occupation: Projectionist, Motion Picture (Motion picture projectionist. )
Marital Status: Separated, without dependents
Height: 61
Weight: 136
Sorry to keep posting. I just found a 1930 census with Sol and his parents. His dad’s occupation is listed as “projector - Film Exchange” and Sol’s is listed as “operator - moving pictures”. Their language is listed as Yiddish and they came to America in 1904/1905 from Russia/Ukraine and were living in Philadelphia in 1930. He also had a brother and a sister.
As long as you were mentioning Jewish-American in WW II. Don’t forget all those Korean-Americans also volunteered during WW II to fight in Pacific against hated Japanese. But majority of them served in European Theatre instead. Many in their chain of command thought that they will be treated worse by Japanese soldiers than others if became POW.
However, some of them did served in Pacific as Intelligence if they spoke Japanese and Korean fluently. Also many of these Korean Issei also volunteered for OSS to jump into Korean Peninsula prior to Japanese Mainland invasion to disrupt Japanese forces in Korean peninsula.
@ Cynthia,
Thank you for the interesting background info on those soldiers.
@ CPT Kim,
I kept an eye out for Korean names, but I only walked along the roads and didn’t have a chance to view more of the thousands of gravestones just a few rows over. The next time I go to the cemetery, I’ll try different areas.
Soldiers over fifty are still serving (and dying) in our current war, though most of them are WO pilots or officers in the Guard.
Col. Daughtry is my great uncle. He did take time to share multiple stories with our family. He was in my mind a true American hero.I have a black and white 8×10 on my wall at work and hope that I can be half the man that he was. Thank you for your observance.
Rick Payne
Chattanooga TN