military

Any Family History with Capital H?

emyloom Leave a comment

The the short answer here is probably no, however, after researching the family genealogy, I found some interesting facts.

My maternal grandmother was born Molly Elizabeth Wright. The Wright family  roots can be traced back to the 1600s in Bedford County Virginia and there are hundreds of thousands descendants from the original Virginia Wright family in the US today.   Several books have been written about the Wrights of Bedford County.

Of these, my 6th Grandfather was Joseph Wright born in Augusta, Virginia, in 1742.  According to records I found, he served in the American Revolutionary War  and sold supplies to the revolutionaries .   I found him referenced in several applications for Sons (and daughters) of the American Revolution.

Closer to home and more recent history, my son Aaron was wounded in the Battle of Mogadishu, October 3-4, 1993. He is mentioned in the book Black Hawk Down and in a recent documentary, Black Hawk Down: The Untold Story.  The later has a photograph on the back of the DVD of him and others sitting on the back of a truck. He is the soldier in the center.

Below is an excerpt from a blog post I wrote about the Purple Heart.

“Receiving a call from the Department of Defense it is something that is burned in one’s mind. Mine came after days of watching live action on CNN watching as young men were being dragged through the streets of Mogadishu.

I found myself trying to determine if it was my son in these scenes. The truth is they were all my sons, they all wore US uniforms, they were all oh so young. Mine, just a little over a year earlier, had a midnight curfew; now he was one of America’s finest defending the weak and fighting for the lives of the poor and starving in Somalia. They were there to prevent starving and assist in the distribution of food that was being hijacked by warlords in the area.”

It will probably never make a story in history of the world with a capital H, but for me, him and our family it was.

The Battle of Mogadishu

emyloom 2 Comments

Today marks the 30th anniversary of the Battle of Mogadishu, commonly referred to as the Black Hawk Down Incident that was part of Operation Gothic Serpent. My son Aaron was there that day with the 10th Mountain Division, a member of the 14th Infantry Regiment (“Golden Dragons”).

Just a little over a year earlier, he had a midnight curfew; now he was one of America’s finest defending the weak and fighting for the lives of the poor and starving in Somalia. They were there to prevent the starvation and assist in the distribution of food that was being hijacked by warlords in the area.

On 3 October 1993, a raid was planned to seize two of of the warlord’s top lieutenants. During the operation Somali forces shot down three American Black Hawk helicopters and the battle that followed to rescue the soldiers deep in city became an overnight standoff that extended into the next day, October 4. In the end, although a success, it left 18 dead American soldiers and 73 wounded. Mine was one of the wounded.

Receiving a call from the Department of Defense is something that is burned into your mind. Thankfully, I was forewarned by Aaron’s dad who was called first and told that he had been injured. In some ways it was a relief; as it had been nearly unbearable to have a loved one serving there and watching the horrors unfolding on the news.

My DOD call came after days of watching live action on the news, watching as young men were being dragged through the streets, watching as the chaos unfolded. I found myself trying to determine if it was my son in these scenes. The truth is, they were all my sons; they all wore US uniforms, they were all… oh so young.

He received a Purple Heart for the wounds he received that day. A medal to honor those who sacrificed for our freedoms; those wounded or killed in combat.

After I watched the 2019 documentary “Black Hawk Down: The Untold Story,” I understood better the terror of that night and the bravery and loyalty these young men exhibited surrounded by darkness and gunfire in the middle of Mogadishu.

Young men who stepped up to the job, fought to bring their fellow soldiers home. Some wounds heal quicker than others and although they relive the horrors and loss of this day every day, on the anniversary it is especially poignant.

My prayer is that on this day their hearts will also be filled with pride for their actions and those of their brothers in arms who accepted the task and fought through that long night. We love and respect you all and keep you in our prayers.

I often pray for the mothers whose sons and daughters are today serving our country today, as it is a hard job to be strong and supportive when your child is in harms way.

Remembering the lost:

  • CW3 Donovan Lee “Bull” Briley – 19 Dec 1959 – 3 Oct 1993
  • SSG Daniel Darrell Busch – 30 Jul 1968 – 3 Oct 1993
  • SPC James Manuel Cavaco – 12 Feb 1967 -3 Oct 1993
  • SSGT William David “Bill” Cleveland Jr. – 27 Jan 1959 – 3 Oct 1993
  • SSGT Thomas Joseph “Tommy” Field – 11 Apr 1968 – 3 Oct 1993
  • SFC Earl Robert Fillmore – 16 Jun 1965 – 3 Oct 1993
  • CW4 Raymond Alex Frank – 11 May 1948 – 3 Oct 1993
  • MSG Gary Ivan Gordon – 30 Aug 1960 – 3 Oct 1993
  • SGT Cornell Lemont Houston – 22 Jun 1962 – 6 Oct 1993
  • SGT James Casey Joyce – 15 Aug 1969 – 3 Oct 1993
  • SPC Richard Wayne “Alphabet” Kowalewski Jr. – 31 Mar 1973 – 3 Oct 1993
  • PFC James Henry Martin Jr. – 17 Mar 1970 – 4 Oct 1993
  • MSGT Timothy Lynn “Griz” Martin- 9 Jul 1955-3 Oct 1993
  • SGT Dominick Michael Pilla – 31 Mar 1972 – 3 Oct 1993
  • SFC Matthew Loren “Matt” Rierson – 29 Sep 1960 – 6 Oct 1993
  • SGT Lorenzo Manuel Ruiz – 21 Jun 1966-3 Oct 1993
  • SFC Randall David Shughart – 13 Aug 1958 – 3 Oct 1993
  • CPL James Edgar “Jamie” Smith Jr. – 16 Feb 1972 – 3 Oct 1993
  • CWO Clifton Phillip “Elvis” Wolcott – 20 Jan 1957 – 3 Oct 1993

Gratitude: For our Veterans

emyloom Leave a comment

Veterans, today I honor and thank you for serving in defense of our freedoms and the freedom of people all around the world.

I did some research and found that those currently serving in the US Military, all branches, comprises (.4%) less than HALF of ONE PERCENT of the population of the United States. In 1970 during the Vietnam War it was only 1.4%

Today there are 18.2 million veterans living in the US going back to WWII. So total the percent of US citizen still living is just 5.5% of the population.

They truly are, and were, the select, the brave and the few who sacrificed much for the protection and security of the 99% of the rest of us.

They have given of their heart, their soul and shed their blood; they did so for love of their country, with a sense of honor and pride. Their devotion does not fade. They are a noble group, a very small percentage of our population who answered the call to serve.

My promise is to honor and remember everyday and keep them always on my heart and in my prayers.

May God bless you and keep you and protect your heart and mind.