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Rivers are both byways and barriers. To understand history, F1RST understand rivers.  VFW Post 6654 ... Let Freedom Ring USS Neosho (AO-143) - Fleet Oiler (AO) Photo Index Japanese Auxiliary Oilers Ship's Bell - USS Constitution Stanley T. Adams (section Medal of Honor citation) Ad Aspera2a_8o23MSW.pdf  LCDR Bob-RJ Burkhart, USNR-Ret (1981) Says: GeoVenturing-LNT Exploritas-GeoScouting PARTNERS IN PATRIOTISM JANICE ARENOFSKY 33725 W. 84th St; De Soto, KS 66058 Honoring Mormon Battalion (1846-1847) KVHAdventuring Digital Jaywalker Journal: KVHAdventuring-Events_X629pm.pdf KVHAdventuring-VFW6654_X629pm.pdf KVHAdventuring-Pathfinder-Passports_X629pm.pdf

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VFW Post 6654 ... Let Freedom Ring

 

Although the De Soto VFW Post 6654 memorial is nearing completion,

bricks can still be purchased in time to be placed for its first Nov. 14 (2009) informal dedication.

 

VFW_6654_Memorial_De_Soto_Explorer_11-5-2009.pdf

The memorial in front of De Soto VFW Post 6654 needs only a few finishing touches but there is still time for community members to be a part of it, De Soto VFW Post Commander Drew Culbertson said. Still to be placed was bronze lettering on the front of the memorial identifying the post, Culbertson said. In addition, bricks are to be laid for the floor of the memorial.

 

Culbertson said that last bit of masonry work gave community members one last chance to be part of the memorial before its first informal dedication in November, although bricks can still be ordered later. “If somebody wants their bricks to be one of the founding bricks, they need to get in,” he said. “We going to have one last order.”

 

Bricks purchased before that last order will be $40. The cost of bricks ordered at a later date will increase to $50. Brick order applications can be picked up at the post or downloaded on the Internet   with LJWorld's De Soto Explorer digital library. The post is planning a small dedication for the memorial Nov. 14, the Saturday after Veterans’ Day, and a formal dedication for Memorial Day in May, Culbertson said.

 

The memorial, which sprang from a design post member Herb Wood drew in 2004, was a true community effort, Culbertson said. Among significant contributors were Monte Freeman, whose company provided the concrete work; Charlie James of Miller Paving, who provided the cast concrete stones; and Randy Cannan, who provided the customized flag poles.

 

Among the De Soto post members involved in the project, Culbertson singled out Archie Bedford for keeping him and the post on task. “He’s basically living, eating and breathing this project right now,” Culbertson said. “He’s been the glue that kept this project going.” A number of projects will further enhance the memorial, Culbertson said. One already completed and only awaiting the memorial’s finish is the placement of two benches at the site. Culbertson said the benches were the Eagle Scout project of Devon Ellison.

 

Culbertson said a project led by Bob Burkhart (Post Watershed Marshal) will add the ship's bell from the U.S.S. Neosho (AO-143), an auxilliary fleet oiler that saw service in the Atlantic and Mediterranian. This (Let Freedom Ring) display could also become an Eagle Scout project, he said.

VFW6654-SOK_FFNHA-mapXchange_9410xm.pdf

 

USS Oklahoma City Ship's Bell Display Specs

 

 

USS Neosho (AO-143) - Fleet Oiler (AO) Photo Index

Feb 16, 2007 ... 77k, USS Neosho (AO-143) steaming up the Piscataqua River

enroute to Portsmouth Naval Shipyard, Kittery, Maine, 26 June 1957. US Navy photo ...

www.navsource.org/archives/09/19/19143.htm -

 

Pearl Harbor Attack: USS Neosho (AO-23) Action Report

View looking down "Battleship Row" from Ford Island Naval Air Station,shortly after the Japanese torpedo plane attack. California (BB-44) is at left, listing to port after receiving two torpedo hits. In the center are  Maryland (BB-46) with the capsized Oklahoma (BB-37)alongside. Neosho (AO-23) is at right, backing clear of the area. Most smoke is from Arizona(BB-39).

 

USN Ships--Neosho (AO-23)

He was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor for heroism in attempting

to save USS Neosho (AO-23) after she was bombed during the Battle of Coral Sea, ...

www.ibiblio.org/hyperwar/OnlineLibrary/.../sh.../ao23.htm - Cached

 

Neosho

 

A river flowing south from its source in Morris County in east central Kansas
until emptying into the Arkansas River near Fort Gibson in Muskogee County, Okla

 

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Japanese Auxiliary Oilers

1 May 1936: Kobe. Laid down as a 9997-ton merchant tanker by Kawasaki ... 

31 October 1936: Launched and named TOHO MARU. [1]. 24 December 1936: ...
www.combinedfleet.com/Toho_t.htm

 

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For his Eagle Scout project, Culbertson’s son Andrew, 13, plans to complete a memorial to Stanley Adams, a Congressional Medal of Honor recipient born in De Soto in 1922.

 

Andrew said Adams — who joined the Army in Olathe and fought in World War II, Korea and Vietnam — earned the nation’s highest military honor in 1951 after leading 13 men in a counter attack against a enemy flanking action. The hand-to-hand combat against 250 communist troops that followed left 50 enemy dead and was credited with saving Adams’ battalion.A master sergeant at the time of the engagement, Adams rose to the rank of lieutenant colonel, Andrew said. He died in 1999.

 

The memorial would have a 9-inch bas-relief bust of Adams and the official citation for his Congressional Medal of Honor, Andrew said. Andrew said he would seek donations from De Soto businesses and those in Olathe, where Adams enlisted.  Should that not raise enough money for the $2,000 bas-relief bust, he would organize pancake feeds and other fundraisers, he said.

 

Andrew said he would like to finish the project by February. He would also like members of Adams’ family to be at the dedication of the memorial and his project on Memorial Day, he said. His father said he and his son have drawn a blank in their attempts gather information on Adams and his family in De Soto. Culbertson said Adams apparently graduated high school in Olathe. Anyone wishing to share information on Adams should call the post at (913) 535-4700 or contact Andrew through the post Web site, Culbertson said.

 

Originally published at:

http://www2.desotoexplorer.com/news/2009/sep/17/de-soto-vfw-memorial-nearing-completion/

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Ship's Bell - USS Constitution

The following information is the courtesy of:
DEPARTMENT OF THE NAVY -- NAVAL HISTORICAL CENTER
805 KIDDER BREESE SE -- WASHINGTON NAVY YARD
WASHINGTON DC 20374-5060

Disposition and continuing Navy use

In addition to its shipboard roles, the bell serves a ceremonial and memorial function after the ship has served its Navy career.

U.S. Navy bells are part of the many artifacts removed from decommissioned vessels preserved by the Naval Historical Center. They may be provided on loan to new namesake ships; naval commands with an historical mission or functional connection; and to museums and other institutions that are interpreting specific historical themes and displays of naval history.  Bells remain the permanent property of the US Government and the Department of the Navy. These serve to inspire and to remind our naval forces and personnel of their honor, courage, and commitment to the defense of our nation.

Maintenance and upkeep

Traditionally, the bell is maintained by the ship's cook, while the ship's whistle is maintained by the ship's bugler.

In actual practice, the bell is maintained by a person of the ship's division charged with the upkeep of that part of the ship where the bell is located. In such a case a deck seaman or quartermaster striker or signalman striker may have the bell-shining duty.

Bells in religious ceremonies

The bell's connection to religious origins continues. Originating in the British Royal Navy, it is a custom to baptize a child under the ship's bell; sometimes the bell is used as a christening bowl, filled with water for the ceremony. Once the baptism is completed, the child's name may be inscribed inside the bell.  The bell remains with the ship while in service and with the Department of the Navy after decommissioning. In this way, an invisible tie is created between the country, the ship and its citizen.

Navy Ceremonies and Events

The bell is used to signal the presence of important persons.  When the ship's captain, a flag officer, or other important person arrives or departs, watch standers make an announcement to the ship and ring the bell.  This tradition extends to major naval command transitions, often held aboard vessels associated with the command.

Safety and Communication

The sounding of a ship's bell found a natural application as a warning signal to other vessels in poor visibility and fog. In 1676 one Henry Teonage serving as a chaplain in the British Mediterranean Fleet recorded , "so great a fog that we were fain to ring our bells, beat drums, and fire muskets often to keep us from falling foul one upon another". Ringing a ship's bell in fog became customary. In 1858, British Naval Regulations made it mandatory in that function. Today, maritime law requires all ships to carry an efficient bell.

American ships of the Revolutionary War period and our early national years adopted many of the practices and traditions of the British Royal Navy, including the use of bells. In 1798, Paul Revere cast a bell weighing 242 pounds for the frigate Constitution, also known today by its nickname "Old Ironsides".

It is of interest to note that the use of a ship's bell contributed to the richest single prize captured by the American Navy during the War of Independence. While a Continental Squadron under Commodore Whipple lay-to, wrapped in Newfoundland fog in a July morning in 1779, the sound of ships' bells and an occasional signal gun could be heard a short distance off. When the fog lifted the Americans discovered that they had fallen in with the richly-laden enemy Jamaica Fleet. Ten ships were captured as prizes, which - together with their cargo - were valued at more than a million dollars.

Timekeeping

Before the advent of the chronometer time at sea was measured by the trickle of sand through a half - hour glass. One of the ship's boys had the duty of watching the glass and turning it when the sand had run out. When he turned the glass, he struck the bell as a signal that he had performed this vital function. From this ringing of the bell as the glass was turned evolved the tradition of striking the bell once at the end of the first half hour of a four hour watch, twice after the first hour, etc., until eight bells marked the end of the four hour watch. The process was repeated for the succeeding watches. This age-old practice of sounding the bell on the hour and half hour has its place in the nuclear and missile oriented United States Navy at the dawn of the Twenty-First Century, regulating daily routine, just as it did on our historic vessels under sail in the late Eighteenth Century.

Source-URL: http://www.theshipinabottle.com/products/authentic_us_navy_and_ship_bells.html

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 i4CQuest-Keywords: Adams "Stanley T" Army Olathe Kansas 1922 DeSoto

 

• Stanley T. Adams (section Medal of Honor citation)

  He was awarded the Medal of Honor for his actions on February 4, ...

  NAME Adams, Stanley T. | ... United States Army Medal ... De Soto, Kansas | ...

  5 KB (698 words) - 01:27, 15 September 2009

• List of people from Kansas

  Red Reeder , (1902-1998), author and United States Army officer, ...

  Stanley T. Adams , ( ... Korean War Medal of Honor ... DeSoto, Kansas . ...

  31 KB (3,783 words) - 23:39, 23 September 2009

• 24th Infantry Division (United States)

  Infantry Division won three Medals of Honor , 15 Distinguished Service ...

  mil/html/moh/wwII-t-z.html | publisher United States Army | title ...

  54 KB (7,618 words) - 20:24, 28 September 2009 

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Ad Aspera2a_8o23MSW.pdf 

 

• Generational+Futures+2009-01-24.pdf

 

• HINU-125: Where Words Touch The Earth

 

• VFW-Post-6654_NHC-Ships-Bell-Loan-Request_9131msw.pdf

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Exploritas-GeoScouting

 

PARTNERS IN PATRIOTISM

JANICE ARENOFSKY

 

On Feb. 8, the Boy Scouts of America celebrates its 100th anniversary. Over this century, veterans and Scouts have formed a lasting relationship based on common values. VFW members have been a part of that fraternity for 95 years.

Few monuments in the U.S. invoke greater pride than Mount Rushmore in South Dakota. On a recent breezy summer evening, hundreds of tourists crowded onto grandstands overhanging an outdoor stage in the Black Hills surrounding Keystone, S.D. Suddenly, a burst of light illuminated the famous presidents’ faces and a park ranger began the somber ceremony.An East Coast Boy Scout color guard presented the flag; visiting veterans were publicly recognized. While the Scouts and veterans stood on opposite sides of the stage, a unanimity of purpose hovered over the assemblage, transcending the dramatic differences in age and accomplishments.

 

Together in Service

A Scouting-military/veteran partnership has existed since 1910 when the Boy Scouts of America (BSA) was founded on Feb. 8 of that year.

In the early years, the fledgling Scouts helped aging members of the Union Civil War veterans group the Grand Army of the Republic at memorial Day activities, for instance. During the 50th anniversary of the Battle of Gettysburg in 1913, 500 Scouts assisted vets in various ways at the reunion.

Amidst WWI, they supported the Doughboys on the home front, selling 2,350,977 Liberty Loan bonds and millions worth of war savings stamps.“This established them as a dependable and recognizable asset to the nation and its vets,” said one historian.

WWII, of course, cemented the relationship between Scouts and servicemen. Many Gis themselves had taken the oath during the 1920s and 1930s.And all kinds of activities stateside mobilized Scout troops nationwide. They collected 30 million pounds of rubber, planted Victory Gardens, conducted drives for scarce resources and even served in emergency service capacities.

VFW has collaborated with BSA for 95 years, beginning in the state of Washington in 1915. (See page 48.)

While Scouts welcome and appreciate veterans’ support, the relationship is a two-way street. In recent years, Scouts and veterans have shared in many patriotic events and activities, including the Library of Congress Veterans Oral History Project, visits to national shrines, fundraisers and Eagle Scout projects.

Many Scout activities extend a helping hand to vets. For example, the construction of a garden at a Phoenix VA hospital; a fundraiser to transport vets to Washington, D.C., to visit the National WWII Memorial; and a film documentary of nine WWII vets.

Last May, eight Scouts from Troop 401 in Phoenix visited a retirement community, and five war veterans there shared memories of times when they felt their greatest pride. They also discussed their recollections and feelings about wounded or killed colleagues.

Eagle Scout projects often spur cooperative efforts. In 2003, a project initiated by Michael McCullough of Indiana Troop 399 led to Scout-conducted veteran interviews. The project was later transferred to the Buffalo Trace Scout Council of Indiana and Illinois.

Other recent Eagle Scout projects include Tim Sherry’s 2009 coordination of a rifle shooting event for Colorado disabled veterans. Also, in that same year Alex Simms, a Rock Hill, S.C., Scout, dedicated a seven-foot brick monument to York County vets, which stands in front of VFW Post 2889 on Main Street.

VFW Post Commander Robert Sweet said of Simms: “He’s a young man who fully understands the sacrifices veterans and their families make.” Another project came about when the community of Springfield, Pa., joined with Eagle Scout Jack Grimm of Troop 571 and VFW Post 7465 to construct a handicap-accessible fishing pier in a local park.

Veterans reciprocate in kind, and Scouts are the better for it. In 2008 in Ashburnham, Mass., vets raised funds for a community center to replace Boy Scout Troop 18’s meeting place, which was in total disrepair.

VFW Post 6370 on Marco Island, Fla., in 2007 donated $500 to an Eagle Scout project to erect a veterans memorial in a local cemetery. Further, when a Rhode Island Eagle Scout embarked on a project to decorate veterans’ gravestones, VFW Post 11519 in Woonsocket contributed enough funds to commemorate 200 graves.

A Rewarding Relationship

Mutual support has led to awards on both sides of the aisle. In 2003, BSA staff kicked off a National Campaign to Support Troops by tying hundreds of red-white-blue ribbons on trees near its national headquarters in Irving,Texas.

In 2007, Paul Davis of Troop 1257 in Virginia designed a Coin of Honor and presented it to vets at Walter Reed Army medical Center in Washington,D.C.

Scouts have received honors in return. Then-President George Bush in an August 2005 speech formally thanked Scouts for mailing 11,000 pocket-sized flags to overseas troops.

In 2006, the Department of Defense honored BSA administrators. Then- Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld praised Scouting for its “profound” effect on the character of the “nation’s highest elected leaders.”

Former President Bush was a Cub Scout; former Vice President Dick Cheney was a Boy Scout; and about 40% of the current U.S. Congress participated in Scouting, with 22 rising to the level of Eagle Scouts.

VFW also directly recognizes Scouts and scoutmasters through its Scout of the Year program, which offers scholarships to the nation’s outstanding Scouts. First place is $5,000; second place is $3,000.

Marching to the Same Tune

Many joint activities such as parades and other ceremonies revolve around patriotic holidays, especially Memorial Day and Veterans Day.

For example, Scouts and vets lay wreaths each year in Hopkinton, Mass., at the local cemetery. And since 1995, the Pause for Patriotism program has been held in Kankakee, Ill., on Armed Forces Day weekend in May. At this time, service members educate Scouts about military hardware and demonstrate skills such as rappelling.

Patriotic activities often focus on the U. S. flag, such as its display, folding and retirement. Old and worn flags are burned.Other flags are placed on veterans’ graves on Memorial Day. In 2001, Troop 799 in Vista, Calif., retired more than 370 U.S and California flags.

That same year, Troop 231 in Colorado launched the Pocket Flag Project (PFP), which mailed tiny flags to troops overseas. The project stemmed from a conversation between the troop leader and a Vietnam veteran who said he kept a flag in his pocket throughout his tour. PFP eventually spread to all 50 states.

In 2006,Marcus Gravatt, a Cub Scout in Pack 639 in Grangeville, Idaho, assisted the local VFW in replacing 100 U. S. flags the town had been using to decorate its main street during holidays and special events.

On other occasions, the patriotic partnership has taken the form of field trips to sites such as Independence Hall, the Pentagon and Gettysburg. Some Scout troops camp out overnight on historic battleships like the USS Yorktown, Alabama and Lexington.

Many veterans can personally testify to the positive influence of Scouting on their lives. “Between our family history,” says Tech. Sgt. Mark DeCorte, a 13-year Air Force veteran, “and my involvement in the Boy Scouts, my brother and I became patriotic at a young age.”

Bridging the Generation Gap

The Scout-vet partnership has endured this long due to common goals that include mentoring; the transmission of vital information, skills and values; and a belief in the family unit.

For returning vets, volunteering with Scouts helps readjustment and gives them a sense of belonging and family cohesion. Scouts benefit through the identification and imitation of positive role models, which serves them well in the armed forces and other occupations.

This was the case for Spc. Vincente Oliver and his father Sgt. Thomas Krumpfer, from Cumberland City, Tenn. Because the father-son bond strengthened through shared Scouting experiences, the two men trained together as military police officers and were deployed to Iraq at the same time in 2009.

Learning citizenship is a priority for Scouts, says Cub Scout leader Greg Sampson of Pack 47 in Vinton, Iowa. Of like importance for vets is nurturing patriotic feelings in themselves and youngsters. That is why the give-and take, mutually beneficial relationship characteristic of vets and Scouts continues to grow and change over the years.

“Scouting has always been about patriotism and garnering a respect for our great country as a young person,” VFW Commander-in-Chief Tommy Tradewell said.

“As a Scout leader, I always have felt that each Scout learns many things that will prepare him to be a more patriotic citizen. There are merit badges for citizenship, law, lifesaving and emergency preparedness, to name a few.

“Scouting allows youth to interact while learning many leadership skills to help them in later life. I have always enjoyed my memories of being an adult leader in Scouting.”

 

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33725 W. 84th St; De Soto, KS 66058

Oklahoma Science Museum USS Oklahoma Let Freedom Ring .mov

 

 

Honoring Mormon Battalion (1846-1847)

 

 

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KVHAdventuring Digital Jaywalker Journal:

 

KVHAdventuring-Events_X629pm.pdf

 

KVHAdventuring-VFW6654_X629pm.pdf

 

KVHAdventuring-Pathfinder-Passports_X629pm.pdf