Hartranft Herald The Newsletter of Maj. Gen. John F. Hartranft Camp 15 Sons of Unon Veterans of e Cvl War Harrsburg, Pennsylvana www.suvcwharrsburgpa.org Celebratng our 130 Year @ Gen. John F. Hartranft Camp#15 Sons of Unon Veterans of e Cvl War Volume 14, No. 6 God Bless Amerca June 2012 Come to our general meetngs and vew central Pennsylvana from hgh atop Reservor Park! A newsletter for, about, and by e members of Camp 15 and Auxlary 7! Come One, Come All - Lades & Broers, & Famly & Frends, all are welcome to our Camp meetngs at e Natonal Cvl War Museum and feld trps at-large -- Brng your camera! Camp 15 s next monly general meetng wll be conducted on Sunday September 16, 2012 at Natonal Cvl War Museum hgh atop Reservor Park, Harrsburg PA upper level room 222. Meetng begns at 2pm. Please have a safe and contented summer. Faer s Day - a Story Faer's Day, contrary to popular msconcepton, was not establshed as a holday n order to help greetng card manufacturers sell more cards. In fact when a "faer's day" was frst proposed ere were no Faer's Day cards! Accordng to one source, Mrs. John B. Dodd, of Washngton, frst proposed e dea of a "faer's day" n 1909. Mrs. Dodd wanted a specal day to honor her faer, Wllam Smart. Wllam Smart, a Cvl War veteran, was wdowed when hs wfe (Mrs. Dodd's moer) ded n chldbr w er sx chld. Mr. Smart was left to rase e newborn and hs oer fve chldren by hmself on a rural farm n eastern Washngton State. It was after Mrs. Dodd became an adult at she realzed e streng and selflessness her faer had shown n rasng hs chldren as a sngle parent. The frst Faer's Day was observed on June 19, 1910 n Spokane Washngton. In 1924 Presdent Calvn Cooldge supported e dea of a natonal Faer's Day. Fnally n 1966 Presdent Lyndon Johnson sgned a presdental proclamaton declarng e 3rd Sunday of June as Faer's Day. How many of you recall 66? Faer's Day has become a day to not only honor your faer, but all men who act as a faer fgure, stepfaers, uncles, grandfaers, and adult male frends are all to be honored on Faer's Day! 1
May Meetng Mnutes Gen. John F. Hartranft Natonal Cvl War Museum Sunday May 20, 2012 Offcers Present Commander.... Stanley Zellers Jr.V. Commander/Councl.... Jeffery Sm Treasurer/Chaplan...Davd Demmy, Sr Councl.... Lee Walters, PDC Pat.Ins./Hst......Davd Klnepeter, PCC Offcers Absent Sr.V.Commander.....Scott Debo Secretary....Larry Shebley-Beasom, PCC Councl/Guard..Gregory Klne, PCC Gude.....Thomas Bowman Color Bearer..Kelly Betz Members Present 13 Dave Demmy, Jr, Floyd Demmy, Tony Klne, Dave Laman. Guests Present Dot Klne auxlary 503 and Charlotte Walters Auxlary 112. At e apponted hour, Commander Stanley Zellers began e meetng w e rtual openng ceremones. Broer Tony Klne, actng as secretary, read e Aprl meetng mnutes. Moton to approve e secretary's report by Broer Davd Demmy, Sr., seconded by Broer Davd Klnepeter; moton carred. Treasurer Davd Demmy, Sr. reported $1,956.00 at e end of Aprl; followng payment of per capta to Department of Pennsylvana and average expenses, as of s meetng we have $188.00 n e camp account. The actual camp count s presently 59 broers. We had one junor, but, he s now a full member. Broer Davd announced at a new roster s avalable as well as bumper stckers and busness cards. Davd also reported at Broer Swanger s workng on e ancestor genealogy search gude. Moton to approve e treasurer's report by Broer Lee Walters, seconded by Broer Dave Laman; moton carred. Broer Lee Walters reported at hs grandson, who s a member of Camp #15, has agan been deployed to somewhere n Iraq or Afghanstan and asks our broers to remember hm n our oughts and prayers. Treasurer Davd Demmy, Sr. reported at ere are presently no blls. Also, Form 990-N has been sent to e IRS. Ths must be done every year n order to mantan our non-proft status w IRS and e Natonal organzaton. Jr.V.Commander Jeff Sm gave an update on e Gettysburg Cvl War Collector's Show to be held June 30 and July 1 at e Allstar Events Complex on Emmtsburg Road near e Esenhower Hotel and Conference Center. Broer Jeff has arranged to have a Camp #15 recrutment table provded at no cost. Ths s a good opportunty for us because upwards of 250 vendors attend and attract many shoppers. Jeff s askng for volunteers to serve at e table. Tmes are 10 AM to 5 PM Saturday, June 30 and 9 AM to 2 PM Sunday, July 1. Jeff also reported at October 8 s e 150 annversary of e battle of Perryvlle, Ky. He has been workng w e event organzer at e Park. Ths has been approved by SUVCW Natonal as a Sgnature Event. There are varous Unon Sons and Confederate Sons workng on e plannng for s and he would lke to see Camp #15 nvolved n s affar! Patrotc Instructor Klnepeter recommended we go back rough old Newsletter ssues and look at what was done some years ago on Memoral Day weekend. He recalls at Camp #15 would go to Cemeteres n e Harrsburg area and e Camp Commander would read General Logan's Order #11 and a Hgh School representatve would read Lncoln's Gettysburg Address. He agan, along w Broer Lee Walters, voced hs dsdan for e 3day Memoral Day weekend. They, and oers, feel t should be changed back to May 30, e orgnal date. The US Memoral Day webste at 2
http://www.usmemoralday.org/act.html grants you e opportunty to sgn a petton to change Memoral Day to ts orgnal date May 30. Lkewse, our Natonal webste has same opportunty. Broer Dave read several parts from an artcle n e latest Amercan Legon magazne. The artcle was Sealed n Blood and covered some Memoral Day hghlghts at e Asne-Marne Amercan Cemetery at Belleau Woods n France. Broers Floyd Demmy and Davd Demmy, Sr. recently attended e Army Hertage Day event at Carlsle. Broer Floyd read a poem from a WW2 connecton to paratroopers at Camp ( F o r t ) Campbell, Ky. He also reported on a recent bus trp to e WW2 Memoral at Washngton, D.C. The trp was to honor our WW2 vets. He saw e Arlngton Cemetery and was very mpressed w e mltary precson durng e change of e guard at e Tomb of e Unknown Solder. He had a very memorable day and Davd Demmy, Sr. s puttng togeer some notes from Floyd's trp. Broer Davd Demmy, Sr. announced at we wll be decoratng graves at e Old Cty Cemetery at 13 and State Streets n Harrsburg on Saturday, May 26. We meet for breakfast at e Amercan Dream Dner at 19 and Herr Streets at 8 AM and go to e cemetery from ere. Davd ponted out at e Charter beng dsplayed today s e 4 charter at camp #15 has! Broer Davd and Broer Lee explaned at we have had a total of 4 charters and s s e latest. The reason for so many charters s because of varous name changes rough e years. Broer Dave Demmy, Jr. was recognzed for havng bult e oak stand at now supports e camp charter. As always we ank our Broers who arrve early to set up our meetng space and afterwards help to stack chars etc. The meetng ended at 3:25. Submtted by Broer Tony Klne. Post meetng notes: Broer Butler has been renstated and now camp 15 s strong w 60 Broers among our personnel roster. Natonal Cvl War Museum events Saturday, June 16 Communty FREE Day: Encampment of 42nd Msssspp, Company F (encampment also on June 17); Lance Cappello as General John Buford; Cvl War baseball and more June 22 12:30pm Davd Walker as Jefferson Davs June 23 24 Lvng Hstory Encampment: 27 New Jersey June 28 12:00pm Ampersand Muscal Group June 30 July 1 Lvng Hstory Encampment: 21st Msssspp, Co. D, Jeff Davs Guard & Amherst Battery June 30 12:00pm - 21st Msssspp presentaton on women s attre June 30-2pm The Cvl War & Its Impact on Two Natons w Jm Taggart Sunday, July 1 12:15pm Angels on e Battlefeld: Nurses at Gettysburg w Myra Rechart July 1 2:00pm The Cvl War & Its Impact on Two Natons - Jm Taggart July 7-8 Lvng Hstory Encampment: 148 PA Regment Feld Hosptal & Venture Crew Saturday, July 7 12pm Songs & Stores of e Cvl War w Matew Dodd July 14 2pm James Hayney as Presdent Lncoln July 15 2pm Pro-Unon Sentment n e Sou w James Morgan July 18 2 & 4pm - The Lfe of an Irsh Solder w Mke Plunkett July 18 6pm - Doug Batson as D.H. Hll & e Seven Days Battles July 21-22 Lvng Hstory Encampment: 1st Maryland CSA Saturday, July 21 12pm & 2pm Lessons of e Cvl War Through Musc w Steve Ball July 22 2pm Lessons of e Cvl War Through Musc July 28-12pm & 2pm Lbby Prson Mnstrels Hartranft Camp 15 Next, Memoral Day weekend events n photos! 3
SCOTT DEBO, DAVE KLINEPETER, LES MCCLURE, DOT KLINE, GREG KL I N E A N D DIANE DEBO GATHERING FLAGS TO PLACE THRU-OUT THE OLD HARRISBURG CEMETERY. LES HAS BEEN RECOGNIZING VETERANS IN THIS CEMETERY SINCE 1946. MARCHING OFF TO DO THEIR DUTY, WHILE, AT LEFT, TWO WWII VETERANS DAVE KLINEPETER AND LES MCCLURE RECALL DAYS AND YEARS GONE BY. BROTHERS FLOYD DEMMY AND TONY KLINE PLACING FLAGS IN THE CIVIL WAR VETERANS PLOT AREA AT HARRISBURG CEMETERY. CIVIL WAR VETERANS PLOT. FORMER OLD HEDGEROW HAS BEEN REMOVED, TO NOT ONLY ALLOW SUN UPON THE CIVIL WAR VETERANS LAST RESTING PLACE, BUT TO ALLOW CONSTRUCTION BY AMERICAN LEGION, SPEARHEADED BY LES MCCLURE, TO INSTALL US FLAG AT THIS SIGHT. CONTINUED CAMP 15 AND LOCAL AMERICAN LEGION PAY TRIBUTE AT HISTORIC HARRISBURG CEMETERY MEMORIAL DAY WEEKEND 2012. 4
LET THE SUNSHINE ON! BLUE FLAGS IN FOREGROUND REPRESENT FALLEN PENNSYLVANIA VETERANS! PHOTOS SHARED BY BILL KUHN JR HERSHEY PA. ANOTHER VIEW OF THE AREA. FLAGS ON DISPLAY AT FORT INDIANTOWN GAP NATIONAL CEMETERY MEMORIAL DAY 2012 COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF DON P ALMER AND P RESIDENT OF AUXILIARY, ANNE JASTER PRESENTING WREATHES AT LINCOLN MEMORIAL. THIS PHOTO SHARED BY DAVE SONSNOWSKI Veterans Data submtted by Broer Glenn Stephens of Hummelstown PA To my Broers and ssters of camp 15: My great-great grandfaer, Wllam EGAN served w e 97 PA Infantry from Chester County, Sep 1861-Sep 1864. He partcpated n e attack on Fort Wagner, Georga, depcted n e move Glory. He was n Company E 5
whch was held n reserve. Accordng to Bates, at company along w 2-3 oers was ordered to stack er arms and crawl out on e battlefeld to retreve wounded Afro-Amercans whch ey dd at all rough e nght. Anoer great-great grandfaer, Aaron ALLAM, born n 1816, was too old to serve n e Cvl War. He was e oldest chld of Henry ALLAM from Bedmnster Townshp, Bucks County, PA. In e 1840s, Henry moved e famly nor to Belehem, Norampton County, where ey all eventually worked for e Belehem Iron Works (.e., e Belehem Steel Corp.). In e 1850 s, one of Aaron s younger broers, Wllam, went down to Columbana, AL w a few oer men to help buld e Shelby Iron Works. He remaned and served w e rd 3 Alabama Cavalry our only Rebel. Meanwhle, hs broer, Jesse ALLAM served n e Unon Army w Sherman (46 PA Infantry). They were bo n e Battle of Kennesaw Mountan, among oers, and bo survved and served rough e end of e war. nd My great-great grandmoer, Rachel CLEMENS, 2 wfe of e above Aaron, was sad to be related to Mark Twan. Two of ree branches of Mark Twan s famly dd, n fact, lve n and around Bucks County, PA. But ere was also a separate PA German famly ere to whch I nk we were more lkely related. I ought I dsproved our alleged connecton to Mark Twan only to fnd at Wllam ALLAM, who went to Alabama, ere marred a Mary SAWYER. I have a dstant cousn, Joseph STEPHENS who served w e 47 PA Infantry and was klled at e decsve Battle of Cedar Creek n October, 1864, between Mddletown & Strasburg, VA. I also have a great-great grandfaer, Johannes/John Frommer from Isngen, Wuerttemberg, Germany, w h o arrved n Pennsylvana around 1857. In October, 1863, he was gven hs draft notce nto e Unon Army. He appealed on e bass of beng a German ctzen. Then, e next mon, after hs draft notce was cancelled, he appled to become a U.S. ctzen. For at, he was tred and convcted of perjury, n November, 1864, and sentenced to 3 mons at Eastern State Pententary, n Phladelpha. Hs appeal was dened n December, 1864. Due to overcrowdng. He spent two weeks n e guardhouse before beng placed n e pententary n February, 1865. In May, 1865--one week pror to e end of hs sentence--he was pardoned. I don t know f s was a specfc pardon for hm or part of a more general pardon (whch I more strongly suspect). Ironcally, because of hs tme n e guardhouse, he ended up servng one week longer an hs sentence. My wfe actually has a more dstngushed Cvl War (Unon) ancestry w 3 great-great grandfaers servng n e Unon Army: Absalom DARKES (of Lebanon County, PA) w e 4 PA Cavalry (1861-1865, ncludng Fredercksburg, Antetam and Gettysburg) [e nformaton at Fredercksburg ncorrectly excludes hm because t only lst 1 of hs 2 enlstments]; Elas BUCK (of Dauphn County, PA), who served w t h t h e Emergency Mlta called up durng e Rebel nvason of e Gettysburg campagn, en served e rest of e war w e 20 PA Cavalry; and Henry HECKARD (of Perry & Dauphn Countes, PA) who served 1864-1865 n e 5 PA Cavalry. Henry was wounded durng e Battle of Chapn s Farm, east of Rchmond (where e most Medals of Honor for black Unon solders were awarded) but was at Appomattox and sometme ereafter released. Of course, ere s also my great-great grandfaer, Amandus STEPHENS/STEFFEN who orgnally qualfed me for membershp n e SUVCW. He was drafted nto e Unon Army at age 43 and wn a mon pad for a replacement to serve out hs enlstment. I ve dentfed all ese graves except: Wllam EGAN (whose wfe ded n e Chester County Poorhouse n November, 1864). There s no penson record for Wllam so I assume at he ded shortly ereafter. Henry HECKARD (Grer s Pont cemetery n Perry County but haven t located e grave). Joseph STEPHENS (most probably bured somewhere around Mddletown, VA) Absalom DARKES s bured at Bndnagle s Lueran Church, nor of Palmyra, PA. Amandus STEFFEN s bured at Western Salsbury Unon Church n Lehgh County. I don t nk at hs grave has a marker. My faer, Rev. Wllam A Stephens (1925-2010) served n e 65 Infantry, n Germany durng WW2 and w e Army Securty Agency durng e Korean Conflct. In addton, I am an honorably-dscharged USAF Vetnam-era veteran (1967-1972). Shared by Glenn Stephens 6
July 4 A Trbute to Our Comrades n Arms Four of July 2003! I just read agan about Ft. McHenry n Baltmore, Maryland and how Francs Scott Key, beng on an Amercan Truce Shp, was beng held captve durng e long nght of e bombardment of Ft. McHenry. Ths battle took place 189 years ago. Thru e long nght, e shells were burstng n e ar and e sky would lght up to reveal e smoke flled bay. Then as daylght dawned he saw rough e haze at our flag was stll ere. God Bless Amerca, and he has! It was just a matter of tme untl we won our freedom from Great Brtan, and we would become a great power to be reckoned w. How many men lost er lves at Valley Forge durng e severe wnter n our struggle for ndependence? When I nk of e meager ratons ey receved and er cloes and shoes were not enough to keep em warm and dry. How many men froze to dea, er wounds would go untreated because of lack of doctors and medcal supples. I just read recently at an Amercan spy let e Brtsh know at General Washngton and hs rebel band were plannng to cross e Delaware n e mddle of wnter at e Pennsylvana sde to Trenton, N. J., and rout e Brtsh. But e Brtsh gave e alarm no heed and kept on drnkng and were caught w er muskets dle. It seems at no sooner one conflct ends an anoer takes ts place. In e war of 1812, John Paul Jones sad, Don t fre untl you see e whtes of er eyes. Make sure ey are so close at you can t mss. The Spansh-Amercan War, e war w Mexco, The Alamo, all leadng up to e great Cvl War between e Amercan states where broer was ptted aganst broer, faer aganst son, etc., not countng e many women at ded. Some of ese women weren t always nurses, some were solders or messengers, and some actually were at e ckest of e battles. Some played e role of spes. Then ere were young boys at carred e flags nto battle or played e drums to urge e troops forward. Then e Great Cvl War broke out and once agan we were rust nto conflct. I have read agan e poem of Barbara Frtchey of Frederck, Maryland after e men n her town pulled down e Amercan flag. They ddn t want e house burned down at carred e flag. She pcked t up and clmbng e stars to e attc she fastened t outsde e wndow. W e tramp of horse and foot of s rebel horde, Stonewall Jackson called a halt. A shot cred out, as e flag was rent and would have tumbled to e ground from e marksmen s weapon. But Barbara snatched e flag and waved t n defance of e rebels, where Jackson blushed w shame as Barbara shouted, Shoot f you must s old gray head but spare your country s flag. The leader cred out, Who touches a har of yon gray head des lke a dog! March on! he sad. Durng e Cvl War n 1863, Henry W. Longfellow was wrtng, I Heard e Bells on Chrstmas Day, hs heart was heavy as he ought of e many men dyng and e terrble shape e country was n snce e war broke out, and hs own son a leutenant n e Army of e Potomac lay n a hosptal serously wounded. He wrtes: And n despar I bowed my head. There s no peace on ear I sad, for hate s strong... Somewhere a church bell rang, en pealed e bells more loud and deep. God s not dead nor do he sleep! The confederates moved nto Pennsylvana and concentrated on a lttle known town by e name of Gettysburg. But s tme e Federal troops had e upper ground and e overwhelmng amount of troops and supples. A dfferent outcome compared to e Battle at Fredercksburg where e rebels were dug n and repelled every attack e Yankees made. The creeks ran red w e blood of many men at ded tryng to storm e hll where e rebels were dug n; e hllsde was lttered w blue coats where e men lay dyng. Abraham Lncoln prepared a speech aboard a tran brngng hm to Gettysburg where he made e famous Gettysburg Address. Four score and seven years ago was e way t started and as he sad n e speech, we would lttle remember what was sad here but at we would always remember what was done here. As e years go by more people want to see e great battlefeld where so many ded for e cause ey beleved n. I have a cousn whose husband s great-grandfaer was ht n bo legs w a musket ball. For e rest of hs lfe he walked on hs knees because he lost e lower part of hs legs. (I saw e cane he used; t was only 18 long.) 7
Between e Cvl War and WW#1, ere were oer conflcts at called Amercan boys to defend er homeland. Then e war clouds broke on e horzon and e rados blared w e begnnng of WW#1, and once agan our servce men and women had to leave home to serve er country. The great battle shps would steam across e Atlantc Ocean to brng troops and arms to e western front. W e cavalry, nfantry and e cannon beng pulled by horses and e casson attached to e cannon beng pulled behnd. Our doughboys would storm out of trenches only to charge nto enemy fre. Then anoer reat rased ts head durng at terrble war. The enemy used mustard gas, and all our troops had to carry gas masks to try to protect emselves. When I was small ere was a neghbor of ours at was sad to be gassed as he was n e Frst World War I nk t restrcted hs ablty to work, etc. Agan how many men and women lay on e battlefelds and never returned to Amerca. After e Armstce was sgned, e world breaed easer as e great troop shps brought e men home. They were all heroes, but one stood out above e oers, Sgt. Alvn York. After WWI just as e country was tryng to get back on ts feet, e Great Depresson ht Amerca. Men lost jobs and many walked e streets lookng for work and many of ese men were veterans. It was a very sad tme n Amerca s hstory as s dragged out. But over n Europe e storm clouds started to buld up agan. There was s lttle corporal from WW#1 strrng up trouble. Also n e Pacfc area e Japanese were plannng to nvade Amerca. Somewhere before WWII, Germany sank e Lustanan, whch belonged to England. Ths shp as I recall, had Amercan passengers on board whch helped to drag Amerca nto WWII. When I was n grade school, ere was a typhoon at ht Japan. The teachers asked all pupls to brng a can of vegetables and one potato for our lttle brown broers. Then December 1941, e lttle brown broers ht Pearl Harbor n a sneak attack. We were fghtng on almost every front n e world, not only n Europe and Afrca, but e Phlppnes, Guam, Battan, Pacfc Ocean, and e Atlantc Ocean. God Bless Amerca and he has! We couldn t buld shps and tanks and planes fast enough or get em to e front lnes n tme to stem e tde of e German mght. We used women to shuttle fghters and bombers to certan bases to be used by e fghtng men. Once agan our sons and daughters had to reach out to defend our shores w e spllng of Amercan blood at lttered e shores of France. The beaches of Italy and e beaches of many slands n e Pacfc w e dead of Amercan boys. If every man, woman, or young person at lost er lves defendng our shores were stood sde by sde, I wonder just how far ey would stretch, and ey are stll dyng everyday. How many blue stars hung n e wndows of Amercan homes and how many moers went to bed w a prayer on er lps before fallng asleep. And how many blue stars turned to gold w er son lyng on a beach ey just stormed or cut down crossng some farmers feld n France or maybe some plane at crashed n e Pacfc Ocean brought down by ack-ack. My wfe s broer no more landed on Oknawa when a snper s bullet ht hm. He was one of e lucky ones, he got sent back home. There were some at are stll lyng under foregn sol. Every now and en ey wll fnd a plane from WWII at was covered w sand or maybe ce dependng on where e plane came down. Sometmes e sand shfts or e ce melts just enough to let someone know ts secret. How many servce men and women ded snce e end of WWII? Aude Murphy ded n a plane crash. The Amercan Indan at helped plant e flag on Iwo Jma, after beng sent home, ded whle gong home from a bar! He fell and drowned n 3 of water! Yes, ese are Veterans at we lft up on e 4 of July, 30 of May, and e 11 of November of each year. It doesn t take much to see ese broers and ssters down rough e years. Just nk about em, and ere ey are. The ones at carred e flag, e ones at stormed e hlls w no hope of vctory but only because er leader sad, Charge! The ones chargng a machne gun nest, stormng one of e many beaches, holdng a hll aganst all odds. The nurse holdng e hand of some prvate just off e farm or maybe a young teenager dyng and s may be hs frst tme away from home. Walk rough a cemetery and ese veterans wll jump out at you and tell you ey d do t all over agan just for Amerca. God Bless Amerca and he has! It galls me to nk ere are some people at don t care a hoot about e veteran, but wout ese honored broers and ssters I wonder just where Amerca would be today. I recently heard at wn every 35 years ere s some conflct at breaks out where Amerca s called to defend tself. We just went ru ese unpopular wars w Korea, Nor Vet 8
Nam, and we say, When wll t all end? If at weren t enough en e terrorst roughout e world has to try to brng Amerca to ts knees. But ey should know at our people wll only take so much untl we strke back and strke back we can and we wll. We just lost a great frend and faful comrade to e veteran. One, we wll never forget, Bob Hope. Washngton, D.C. and many mportant captals roughout e country have er flags at half-mast n honor and memory of Bob, A Frend of e GI. God Bless Amerca Submtted by Floyd J Demmy, WWII combat veteran of 10 Armored Dvson (Tgers) e ghost dvson of e 3rd Army ETO! Memoral Day by our camp Hstoran Dave Klnepeter MEMORIAL DAY 2012 by Dave Klnepeter Of course s partcular holday brngs back many memores for me. For ose nterested n how t was w Hartranft Camp 15 SUVCW back n e 1940s-1950-1960, (when we had a Ffe and Drum Corps and a Rfle team) look up e back ssues of e Hartranft Herald, May and June ssues for many pctures and artcles on how actve we were over Memoral Day. Tme moves on and ngs change. Harrsburg stopped parades many years ago, but contnues to have a bg Artfest. I am glad at many small towns stll take tme to have parades and cemetery ceremones. On e holday Saturday mornng a number of members of Camp 15 joned Lester McClure, Legon Post 27 (he furnshes e Amercan flags for us) Note** Lester has been dong s every year snce e end of WW11. LES IN TRUCK SHOWN WITH DAVID DEMMY. We were nformed at e old grave stones are to be replaced w new ones, furnshed by e government, n e comng year. I understand a young fellow workng on a specal EAGLE SCOUT project s e motvaton behnd s. That cemetery could use help w keepng up w e tall grass and downed lmbs. On at Saturday afternoon I had been nvted to e Mdland Colored Cemetery n Swatara Townshp for er Memoral Day program. Alough Gov Curtn was not on e prnted program, he ended up fllng n for Dauphn County Commssoner George Hardwck, who was home n bed. There was an Honor Guard of USCTs from Phla, whch presented e Colors, fred e salute and played taps. It was a fttng trbute. On Sunday I vsted e Oberln cemetery and an e Solder's plot at Paxtang Cemetery. It was placed ere by Smmons 9
Post 116 Grand Army of e Republc. I noted at ere are a number of new flat Cvl War flat grave stones n place. The caretakers do well ere. Went across e street to Old Paxton church yard. Ths s where e founder of Harrsburg, Pa John Harrs e son, and a number of Revolutonary War solders are bured. Even found a War of 1812 grave marker. It s hard to descrbe your oughts and feelngs lookng at e flags blowng n e breeze, readng some of e stones and rememberng what ose solders went rough for s great country of ours. Monday afternoon I went to Lnglestown and watched er parade, I was mpressed by e number of young people who took part n e parade. Ths s one of e small towns at stops to remember, for many years now. After at I vsted e cemetery ere and vewed e monument to e men of West Hanover, East Hanover, Susquehanna and Lower Paxton townshps who served poles w large flags and along e banks ousands of small Amercan flags. Furer up was a square of hundreds of Penna State blue flags. There were many large flag poles roughout e cemetery, even back n e newer secton, where my wfe rests. Many people were ere to pay er respects and place flowers. I would lke to hear what oer members of our Sons of Veterans dd over e Memoral Day weekend. --- DJK n e Cvl War. On Memoral Day MONDAY I drove out to Indantown Gap Natonal Cemetery. Had heard how ey dsplayed e flags ere. On each sde of e entrance road was lned w flag 10
Alled Orders of e GAR On e Road w Camp 15 q June 2012 132nd annual Encampment of e Pennsylvana Commandery of e Sons of Unon Veterans of e Cvl War June 22, 23, 24 at Four Ponts by Sheraton at Greensburg, PA! June 30 J u l y 1 Camp 15 members wll be present at Gettysburg Cvl War Collector's Show to be held June 30 and July 1 at e Allstar Events Complex on Emmtsburg Road near e Esenhower Hotel and Conference Center Sunday, September 16, 2012 General Meetng at Natonal Cvl War Museum at Reservor Park, Harrsburg! W oman' s Rel efcorps Aux l ary t o Grand Armyoft herepubl c, q Lad esoft he Grand Armyoft herepubl c, q Daught ersofun onvet eransofc v lw ar, q SonsofUn onvet eransoft he C v lw ar, q Aux l ary t ot he SonsofUn on Vet eransof t he C v lw ar. Camp Of f cers & aut hors, t he f rstfr day of each mont h st he Deadl ne f orsubm ss on of Sunday, October21, 2012, General Meetng at Natonal Cvl War Museum at Reservor Park, Harrsburg! Annual nomnatons and electons for 2013 camp offcers. Sunday, December 9, 2012 annual Camp 15 holday party at Doc. Hollday s Restaurant, New Cumberland. Plan to share good tme w Hartranft camp today Contnued next mon. Be Proud Wear e Badge Come out to a meetng and jon us! st or es, event s, art cl es, and phot os f or Hart ranf theral d. Membershp Bo Profles wll contnue to appear as ey are submtted by members. Worksheets were nserted n Camp 15 s 125 Annversary hstory book. If you prefer, [and your Hartranft Herald wshes you would], complete an eworksheet, please ask for one send e-mal request to DoubleD@Demmy.cc Brng a nephew, uncle, broer, faer, grandfaer, neghbor and frend to a Camp meetng! Famly and our ssters of Auxlary 7 are always welcome! GENERAL JOHN F HARTRANFT, CAMP 15 HARRISBURG, PA, SONS OF UNION VETERANS OF THE CIVIL WAR ESTABLISHED FEBRUARY 11, 1882 IN FRATERNITY, CHARITY, AND LOYALTY 11