Biden to award two MoHs tomorrow
Andrews’ Raid aka “The Great Locomotive Chase”
On Wednesday, 3 July, two of Andrews’ Raiders will receive posthumous Medals of Honor for their role in the successful Union raid. Prior to this, Lieutenant (Brevet Lieutenant Colonel) Alonzo Cushing was the Medal of Honor recipient most divorced from the date of action (3 July 1863) and date of award (19 December 2014), at 151 years. The Andrews’ Raid, better known as The Great Locomotive Chase, happened on 12 April 1862, 162 years ago.
The two men, Privates Philip “Perry” Gephart Shadrach and George Davenport Wilson, will be honored 161 years to the day after Cushing lost his life and earned the MoH at Gettysburg. These awards are correcting an oversight essentially. Almost all of the other raiders received the Medal of Honor (with most of them being the very first recipients of the newly created award). In 2008, the awards were authorized, but due to inaction neither received the award at the time.
I’d like to explore the raid in more detail for this week’s Valor Friday piece, but since this is a breaking story and the ceremony will take place before I can do that, you’ll have to tune in on Friday (maybe Independence Day if I can get off my ass and type).
Category: Army, Army News, Breaking News, Medal of Honor, Valor
Something to look forward to.
Sounds like an interesting story, and we know you won’t disappoint.
To some of us the Real Hero of this story is Conductor William A. Fuller. 😀
Look forward to it, Mason.
Will the presentation to the recipients be in person? Seems joe is more than half way there…
I’m sure ole Joe will tell about the time he joined the raiding party and was up in the cab of the General with Andrews himself. Joe was actually at the throttle for a good part of the run through Georgia.
His son, Beau, developed brain cancer as a result of exposure to the smoke from the locomotive.
…while fighting the Barbary Pirates in Iraq during the Vietnam war.
…where he got head from Marlene Dietrich between takes of “We Are the World” on R&R in Haiti.
Hunter will develop it from the crack pipe….
…from his addiction due to PTSD from his one MUTA service before coming up hot on the piss test.
No joke.
Fortunately, since the media couldn’t give a crap about the military, there won’t be live coverage of Joe making a mockery of the award or the recipients through his inability to get through the ceremony.
Supposedly they were going to…until word came down Hunter would be accompanying his dad. How would they explain him at dad’s elbow?
I said it in response to another post. There is a point when the only way to prevent the dementia patient from becoming aggressive in his confusion is to have a trusted -to the patient- family member present.
Immortalized by Buster Keaton
in his somewhat fictionalized 1926 (silent) movie “The General”.
Among the best movies ever made.
Includes a locomotive bridge collapse into a creek,
the most expensive special effect ever in silent films.
A railroad spur and creaky wooden bridge were built for this film.
Way overbudget, seen and loved,
but did not turn a profit,
this classic movie ended Buster Keaton’s independence in movie making,
and led to his alcoholism.
With new visibility due to the new medium of television,
Buster Keaton experienced a comeback in the 1950s and 1960s.
His final film was a CN Canadian tourism film (in color),
finding, then riding, a work railcar from coast to coast (in Canada),
showcasing his comedic talents and willingness to perform (dangerous) stunts.
“The General” (1926)
RIP Buster Keaton (1895-1966)
“The Railrodder” (1965)
Link for jump to 1:08:00 for the locomotive bridge collapse.
https://youtu.be/D_UdtS-8QS0?si=FRpuxyQ4JWNxAD5A&t=4080
I will have to check it out
I have a book titled “Stealing the General” that tells the story. It’s good read and most of it happened locally to where I currently reside.
I believe the General is on display North of Atlanta somewhere.
I have been to this museum. It is very much worth the visit.
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The General is on display in Kennesaw (Big Shanty) Georgia now
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Southern_Museum_of_Civil_War_and_Locomotive_History
The Texas is on display at The Atlanta History Center along with the Cyclorama Painting. Both used to be located in Grant’s Park until politics and “other” factors caused it all to be moved. The SCV raised millions in small donations a number of years back to restore the Texas and The Painting just to have Maynard Jackson and the City of Atlanta take credit for the restoration and then later give the Grant Park Property to their developer buddies, causing both pieces to end up at The AHC.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atlanta_History_Center
I only live about 2.5 hours West of Kennesaw. I need to make a weekend trip. It’s not far from Helen GA and I’ve always wanted to go there too, so,,, might as well drive over one Friday.
Big Shanty Museum is pretty nice. Kennesaw Mountain Battlefield is a good trip too. Helen? Genuine tourist trap now-a-days….’specially in the fall. Take plenty of $ when you go to Helen.
Damn shame one needs to avoid Atlanta.
Is the German food at least authentic?
Been a good while since I was there, so I’d just recommend tread carefully and do extensive Yelp research. Gots some friends that go up now and again, I’ll ask around.
Rgr!
“ In 2008, the awards were authorized, but due to inaction neither received the award at the time.”
I guess big state Bush had better things to do???
Is he doing it for PR and photo-op purposes? Just asking for a Friend.
Yep.
See my comment above