Sunday, May 30, 2010

memorial thoughts


WT has been enjoying a few war films on TCM's 72 hour Memorial Day Weekend War Movie Marathon. The movies conjured thoughts of my own ancestors who served our country in wartime. I love this picture of Donald Pullen, Carroll County, Indiana, looking very dashing in his WWI United States Marine uniform. He was the paternal uncle of my paternal grandmother. Even though my father was his namesake, my family was not close, and sadly he died in 1976, before I was able to establish a relationship with him on my own. Not many in my direct family line were military men. In fact, more of my ancestors served in the American Revolution and Civil War, than in either World Wars.


Capt. Robert "Robin" Hanna, my sixth Great-Grandfather, fought in the American Revolution. Born in Prince Edward County, Virginia, December 10, 1744, he attended William and Mary College had a close and enduring friendship with Thomas Jefferson. Capt. Hanna represented Little River District, South Carolina in the Fifth General Assembly (1783-1784). He was also a deputy for the surveyor general and surveyed a great deal of acreage on the North and South Carolina border. His lovely old tombstone, pictured above, in Sims Cemetery, Franklin County, Indiana, reads:

In Memory of Robert Hanna
was born Dec 10th 1744
And departed this life
The 24th of January 1821
He was A brave defender
Of his Country's Rights
And lived and died an honest man

This picture of my 92 year old grandfather was taken in 2006 several months before he passed away. I was able to spend a beautiful, crisp October day with him, tracking down old family gravestones in rural Indiana and stopping by his favorite orchard for some fresh apples and homemade cider. It's one of those rare jewel days, I keep tucked in a favorite spot of my mind's eye. The photo below was taken in Pete's Run Cemetery (supposedly named after an old Native American named Pete), Ervin Township, Howard County, Indiana. I wish I lived close enough to visit his grave this weekend and place a whole arm load of pink peonies, my grandmother's favorite flower. Rest in peace, dear GP. I'm thinking of you today.



Each man must for himself alone decide what is right
and what is wrong, which course is patriotic and which
isn't. You cannot shirk this and be a man. To decide
against your conviction is to be an unqualified and
excusable traitor, both to yourself and to your country,
let men label you as they may. ~Mark Twain


38 comments:

  1. It reminds me of my grandpa's graveyard.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Poignant, Willow. This is a lovely post. Have a good Memorial Day weekend...

    ReplyDelete
  3. There could be no finer post this Memorial Day. It was a pleasure, as usual, meeting your relatives. Your grandfather looks like he was a sweetheart. I never knew any of my grandparents.

    The Mark Twain quote is one to remember!

    ReplyDelete
  4. you are such thoughtful soul!
    thanks for the reminder!
    Happy Sunday!
    Extraordinary post!

    ReplyDelete
  5. You have Mark Twain quote today and I have been reading all Mark Twain this week. Re-reading all the old ones I like. The photo of your grandfather in the cemetery is a heart stopper. I really like the angle of that photo and the love you express.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Dear Willow: Your great uncle is very handsome. How candid a reveal about the relatives; we all have those "little" family "battles royale", don't we? C'est la vie, unfortunately! I put it down to family politics; not much fun when this happens. Did you learn much before he passed on? There sure have been some really good war movies on TCM and AMC this weekend, like "Battle Cry". Based in New Zealand, the scenery so beautiful. A more thoroughly compellingly and humane storyline than most war films that tend to "gorious" rather than glorify the human spirit. I think I may have a war hero relative in the states buried in St. Augustine. The old adage; "those who do not understand the past are condemned to repeat it" rings true. Remembering all the fine soldiers today.

    ReplyDelete
  7. This is such a great post. Willow what a nice tribute to our country
    and lost Military.

    I have to go put a flay on my Husbands Grave he weas in the Phillppines WW2

    yvonne

    ReplyDelete
  8. Lovely photo of your grandpa, Willow. That must have been a special day.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Wonderful post, willow, thank you. It's the anniversary of Dunkirk over here, I presume Memorial Day in the USA remembers the fallen in the wars since the Civil War?
    And a superb choice of quote.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Ah, Willow, I envy your knowledge of your geanology..... (sp?)... Mine is sketchy... my parents were both first generation immigrants - my Father from Ireland, my Mum, from Croatia (then Jugoslavia)... my Father was considerably older than my Mum - and he fought in WWII - a bomber pilot in Africa. It is fascinating to look at the photos he left (he has been dead for 17 years) - his flight crew, his plane etc. But, I can't go back much further - because both sides of my family didn't have photos - or we never saw them. Still, war is cruel - but poignant. So many people fighting for what they believed in....

    Enjoy your long weekend with your family! I must say once more how much I love reading your blog!

    Love,

    ♥ Robin ♥

    ReplyDelete
  11. This graveyard photo reminds me of the stones in the cemetery in Gordon where I was born and raised and where the story "Decoration Day" came from.

    ReplyDelete
  12. Wonderful photos and writing, Willow. I especially like the Mark Twain quote and might "lift" it for my own post tomorrow!

    ReplyDelete
  13. I sometimes have issue with holidays. The 4th, too often is spent in meaningless appreciation of fireworks as opposed to the meaning of the date and its significance. Of course, my interpretation of its importance might be different from others. The same with other days..Memorial Day, Arbor Day, etc. And don't get me started on the only holiday I celebrate for real..Halloween.

    ReplyDelete
  14. Lovely post, Willow. I really enjoyed the photo of your grandfather. It sounds like it was a lovely day, indeed.

    ReplyDelete
  15. What a wonderfully written story on your family's military history. Back to the Revolutionary War!! Wow.

    ReplyDelete
  16. very honorable men who fought the good fight! great tribute.

    ReplyDelete
  17. Love the Twain quote. And your graveyard photos are wonderful!

    ReplyDelete
  18. I know what you mean about storing those "rare jewel days"....now that is my kind of jewelry box! My father died in 1971, Willow. I felt robbed as I never really got to know him...from an adult perspective. Great post for the weekend!

    ReplyDelete
  19. Excusable traitor? Did Twain mean in-excusable traitor?

    Ghastly weather here in France. Best wishes, Cro.

    ReplyDelete
  20. Wonderful post, and a superb quote by Mr. Twain. Yours is a long and proud family history. Have a lovely Memorial Day, Willow!

    ReplyDelete
  21. I have been watching The Pacific on HBO. Unbelievable what they went through. Love the post.

    ReplyDelete
  22. Did Mark Twain ever write anything that did not make sense at the same time as making him a decent amount of money. I would like to visit the house he had built for himself near The Hudson; I have only seen pictures of it.

    ReplyDelete
  23. Lovely memory. Have a great weekend. -J

    ReplyDelete
  24. watched kevin bacon in TAKING CHANCE last night.....
    yes, beyond poignant, like your post.

    ReplyDelete
  25. Marc, have you seen Ken Burns' documentary on Mark Twain? It's excellent.

    ReplyDelete
  26. It must be nice to be so connected to your family tree. Sadly, I am not. Maybe someday, I'll be able to dig up a little more. Thanks for your note re. Barry.

    ReplyDelete
  27. I love the quote from Mark Twain and the epitaph of your Great-Grandfather. Well said.

    ReplyDelete
  28. A wonderful Memorial Day tribute, Willow. I also like the Twain quote very well.

    ReplyDelete
  29. Absolutely Beutiful Tribute. I am married to a 20 year veteran who becomes teary eyed on Memorial Day for all his comrades who have fallen.

    ReplyDelete
  30. thanks for a post so thoughtful and broad.

    stunner pictures.

    great mark twain quote!

    ReplyDelete
  31. A perfect Memorial Day post! I didn't know about Ken Burns' Twain documentary; I'll look for it.

    ReplyDelete
  32. Janice, add the Burns documentary to your queue right now. You'll love it.

    ReplyDelete
  33. I love every single thing about this post.

    ReplyDelete
  34. http://jingleyanqiu.wordpress.com/2010/06/01/shakira-where-r-u-face-of-the-week-14/

    please visit to get Shakira back...
    many thanks!

    ReplyDelete
  35. Willow did you know for those memorial markers/tomb stones that you can't read due to age, you can use shaving cream and a squeegy and the letter pops right up? Works like a charm. I enjoy your blog everyday! Thank you. Danette Nickell, Milan, MO

    ReplyDelete
  36. Wow...This is such a touching post. My Grandfather, who was my best friend as a tiny girl--fought in WW1. He told me all KINDS of things about what he saw and others saw.

    Blessings to you and yours. I have a feeling your Grandpa would be proud.

    ReplyDelete

Inject a few raisins of conversation into the tasteless dough of existence.
― O. Henry (and me)