NOTE from Dale: I launched the Fortitude Blog in 2021, and this month, I’m thrilled to introduce my first guest blogger. Clare Cory is the great-great-granddaughter of Civil War veteran, SGT Dewitt C. Spaulding. SGT Spaulding kept a personal diary during the Civil War from August 1861 to December 1864. Here’s SGT Spaulding’s compelling storyContinue reading “Andersonville: Walking in Our Ancestor’s Footsteps”
Category Archives: Military
Repatriation: The Bodies of War
May is an introspective month on the calendar each year in the United States as it concludes with Memorial Day. As I reflect on Memorial Day this year, my thoughts take me back to World War I. This month’s post wasn’t easy to write, and may not be comfortable to read, but it’s a storyContinue reading “Repatriation: The Bodies of War”
A Civil War Chaplain’s Story
This is the fourth and final post in a series on the American Civil War. In this series, I described the three combat arms used during the Civil War to accomplish military objectives (cavalry, infantry, and artillery) to include the story of a Spaulding family member who served in each of these roles. In thisContinue reading “A Civil War Chaplain’s Story”
A Civil War Artilleryman’s Story
This is the third in a series of four posts on the American Civil War. In this series, I describe the three combat arms used during the Civil War to accomplish military objectives (cavalry, infantry, and artillery). With each post, I also include the story of a Spaulding family member who served during the CivilContinue reading “A Civil War Artilleryman’s Story”
A Civil War Infantryman’s Story
This is the second in a series of four posts on the American Civil War. In this series, I describe the three combat arms used during the Civil War to accomplish military objectives (cavalry, infantry, and artillery). In the final post of the series, I’ll describe the role of the Civil War chaplain. In today’sContinue reading “A Civil War Infantryman’s Story”
A Civil War Cavalryman’s Story
This is the first in a series of four posts on the American Civil War. In the first three posts, I will describe the three combat arms used during the Civil War to accomplish military objectives. These roles include: cavalry, infantry, and artillery. In the final post of the series, I’ll describe the role of theContinue reading “A Civil War Cavalryman’s Story”
Memorial Day – The Dash in the Middle
Memorial Day will be observed this year on May 29, 2023. Memorial Day has always been special to me as a veteran of 22 years in the U.S. Navy. I live in Northern Virginia about 20 miles west of Arlington National Cemetery. Each year over Memorial Day weekend, my wife and I visit Arlington toContinue reading “Memorial Day – The Dash in the Middle”
Sons of the Founding Fathers
Do you remember career day in elementary school? Do you recall how you admired the fireman telling his exhilarating stories of extinguishing ravenous fires while saving lives? Perhaps you recall your pride in sharing with friends what your parents did for a living? Let your mind now wander back to late 1700s America for aContinue reading “Sons of the Founding Fathers”
The Last Soldier
I recently discovered an amazing book – The Last Men of the Revolution by Rev. E.B. Hillard, published in 1864. In his book, Hillard describes his journey to embark with two photographers to visit, photograph, and interview the six known surviving veterans of the American Revolution. Take a moment to reflect on this accomplishment – today, we can grasp inContinue reading “The Last Soldier”
An Unsung Hero – The Story of Joseph Warren
When you think about the names that shaped the American Revolution that birthed the United States of America, who comes to mind? Immediately, you think of names like General George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Lieutenant Colonel Alexander Hamilton, and James Madison. In addition to these remarkable men, there were many lesser-known patriotsContinue reading “An Unsung Hero – The Story of Joseph Warren”
Fortitude 