They Serve

1/2 Man and 1/2 Boy
To those who serve............ God bless and keep you safe!


The average age of the military man is 19 years.
He is a short haired, tight-muscled kid who,
under normal circumstances is considered by
society as half man, half boy. Not yet dry behind
the ears, not old enough to buy a beer, but old
enough to die for his country. He never really
cared much for work and he would rather wax
his own car than wash his father's, but he has
never collected unemployment either.

He's a recent High School graduate; he was probably an average student, pursued some form of sport activities, drives a ten year old jalopy, and has a steady girlfriend that either broke up with him when he left, or swears to be waiting when he returns from half a world away. He listens to rock and roll or hip-hop or rap or jazz or swing and a 155mm howitzer.

He is 10 or 15 pounds lighter now than when he
was at home because he is working or fighting
from before dawn to well after dusk. He has
trouble spelling, thus letter writing is a pain for him, but he can field strip a rifle in 30 seconds and
reassemble it in less time in the dark. He can recite to you the nomenclature of a machine gun or grenade launcher and use either one effectively if he must.
He digs foxholes and latrines and can apply first aid like a professional.

He can march until he is told to stop,
or stop until he is told to march.

He obeys orders instantly and without hesitation,
but he is not without spirit or individual dignity.
He is self-sufficient.

He has two sets of fatigues: he washes one and wears the other. He keeps his canteens full and his feet dry.

He sometimes forgets to brush his teeth, but never
to clean his rifle. He can cook his own meals,mend his own clothes, and fix his own hurts.

If you're thirsty, he'll share his water with you; if you are hungry, his food. He'll even split his ammunition with you in the midst of battle when you run low.

He has learned to use his hands like weapons
and weapons like they were his hands.

He can save your life - or take it, because that is his job.


 Researching History

I started taking advantage of the free access to footnote.com last night, finding documents on my ancestors. What an adventure!  I became so engrossed that I felt like I was actually back in that era and totally lost track of time. Before I knew it the sun was up and I was still at the computer, by this time lost in the Battle at Fishkill!  I have an ancestor who fought in that battle,  James Andrews . I also Found records for Jacob Weygant, Son of Captain Cornelius Weygant (sometimes spelled Weygandt) who was with 2nd Company 5th Battalion of the Northampton Militia.

Do you have any idea how proud I am when I found the records of Private Jonathan Hubbard?  He is one of my ancestors!  He served under Captain James Sherman and Col. Pyncheon. He marched on The Alarm of April 19, 1775, sometimes referred to as the Lexington Alarm, the beginning battle of the war for independence from Britain.  This is the battle where you always hear of the famous ride of Paul Revere.  Many do not know or have forgotten that there were actually two messengers that night, Paul Revere and William Dawes, spreading the alarm throughout the countryside.

I continue to search for records of Ensign Bradley Seelye and Pvt Benjamin Seelye. They are documented in my genealogy by registrations with the DAR but I would love to learn more about them then just numbers in a book. I do know that Benjamin Seelye was killed at the Battle of Ridgefield.  So tonight I will venture back in time, via this wonderful Internet and see if I can locate information on that battle.

I have so many who fought in the various battles of our country that I want to learn more about, all the way back to Daniel Loomis who fought in the French and Indian Wars and Richard Olmstead who fought in the Peqout War. So much to learn and so little time.

Thank you again Footnote for making these records available free for us to use through July 7th. After using this website, I can recommend it highly and something that I feel will be worth getting a membership in.