Honoring Our War Dead

As many of you know, Memorial Day started as “Decoration Day” — a time to put flowers on the graves of Union soldiers who died during the Civil War. Now it has evolved as a time to honor all Americans who died while on active duty during any of our many wars. The list below is, I think, our most comprehensive yet. It includes any in our family tree, not just Campbell or Lugg or Blackwell descendants who died during one of our wars. Undoubtedly some have been missed, so add a comment to add any omitted.

Although many served in the Revolution, War of 1812, etc., I’m not aware of any in out tree that died in those wars. I included a Blackwell descendant who died in WW2 fighting in the Australian armed forces. And, I included, but added an asterisk, for a Hazlett descendant who died in the US Army after the Spanish American War officially ended. Only a few Americans died in combat during that war, many more died of yellow fever, malaria, etc. But a larger number died after the war had ended, but unlike previous wars, the Army refused to discharge anyone before their enlistment was up. Disgracefully, their camps in the US were unsanitary and more died of typhoid, etc. after the war than during it,

Here are out honorees: