Essay: US History

by Romina Nally

On the morning of September 1st 1939, the world was changed forever when Germany invaded Poland. This overt attack was the genesis of World War II. As the Nazis -led by Hitler- in Germany armed themselves in order to gain land in the east and prove their power, surrounding countries prepared themselves for the defense of their domestic bases against invasion. The United States in particular, did not support the Nazis and were extremely against Hitler’s actions; however, they were determined to avoid chaos and stay out of the war. This was due to the fear that a hostile power might soon target America and corrupt its military and economy. Therefore, America’s main focus was to keep neutrality and peaceful relations with the world.

Figure 1-Franklin D. Roosevelt

espite America’s efforts to stay out of the conflict happening between the Nazis, Soviets, British, French, and other European nations, it still managed to get involved. In that, America felt the need to aid Britain and France with American weapons and arms. In order to do so, President Franklin D. Roosevelt (Figure 1) modified the Neutrality Act of 1937 –which forbade helping others in war- to allow European nations to invest in needed war materials. However, certain regulations would apply; Britain and France would need to pay for the materials in cash and had to use their own ships to transport their purchased weapons. (Kennedy)

Along with the modified Neutrality Act, Roosevelt launched a campaign, obligating the power of the US Military to drastically increase. The Army and Navy were told to brainstorm new war plans and tactics in order to cope with threatening international situations. One significant plan was the Lend-Lease Act which was approved and passed by Congress. This act lent American arms to the countries who were victims of war and aggression (mainly Britain). The arms could be used for as long as needed and had to be returned when the fighting stopped. However, the British who were using the borrowed equipment knew that their ships carrying it were susceptible to being attacked and sunk by German submarines. Because of this, Roosevelt authorized the US Navy to sail with the British ships halfway (to Iceland), in case of surprise attacks by the Germans. Unfortunately, German U-Boats did indeed battle the American warships, causing the US to officially involve itself in WWII. (Kennedy)

Figure 3 –Front view of tank

Figure 2-American war tank

As America prepared itself for war, Roosevelt demanded increases in the number of soldiers who were in the National Guard, Navy, Air Force, and Regular Army. “By mid-1941, the Army had achieved its planned strength, with 27 infantry, 5 armored and 2 calvary divisions, 35 air groups and a host of support units”(The Outbreak of War). By the end of the war, the US had contributed 15,000 combat aircrafts and more than one million war tanks (Figures 2 and 3) and motor vehicles. It is evident that America put strenuous effort into helping the protection of Britain, France, and itself. The heavy armored machinery was extremely useful and needed; however, what must be acknowledged in greater depth are the substantial numbers of American soldiers, now war heroes, who fought in honor of their country to help reach harmony in the world. (The Outbreak of War)

Figure 4-Black and White American Soldiers

It is estimated that about 17,000,000 American soldiers participated in WWII. The majority of the army was made up of healthy white men with superior vision who were typically between the ages of 18 and 45. At this same time, the Civil Rights Movement was occurring, in which African Americans were striving to be accepted and be considered equal among white individuals. Therefore, the US military allowed blacks to work in the war industry and take part in combat. There is no doubt that both black and white soldiers exemplified true acts of bravery. These courageous men were put before dangerous situations; they took part in head on battle, destroyed German territory with nuclear weapons, and flew through risky air conditions. Along with their physical participation, these soldiers were emotionally disturbed. In that, they witnessed great amounts of physical abuse and bloody deaths. Horace Evers, a young US soldier, wrote a letter to his family on May 2nd, 1945, describing what he had seen inside various box cars. Evers wrote, “The first box car I came to had about 30 what were once humans in it; all were just bone with a layer of skin over them. Most of the eyes were open and had an indescribable look about them. They had that beaten “what did I do to deserve this” look.” (Evers)

The amounts of WWII casualties are overwhelming. Out of the 17,000,000 American men who served in the war, about 300,000 died in battle, leaving thousands of families grieving for the loss of their fathers, brothers, husbands, etc. Another 700,000 soldiers were wounded and came back with gruesome memories of what they had experienced oversees. Although the numbers of casualties and wounded men are significant, there were also a great number of soldiers who to this day, are still Missing in Action (MIA). The total number of missing soldiers from the US Army, Air force, Marine Corps, and Navy adds to about 18,000 people. (Casualties in World War II)

Frequently, American individuals tend to consider the soldiers who died, were wounded and missing to be people of the past. However, those audacious soldiers are everything but forgotten. Families of war heroes live with great pride in honor of their loved ones who risked their lives for the benefit of America. Others find themselves taking remarkable measures in order to commemorate their beloved soldiers. Sharon Taylor’s story of her pilot father for example, is one that is conspicuous, fascinating, and prominent.

Figure 5- Shannon E. Estill

Sharon Taylor was three weeks old when her pilot father, First Lieutenant Shannon E. Estill (shown in Figure 5), was killed. On April 13, 1945 (less than a month before the war ended), Estill’s fighter plane, the P-38J Lightning, was stuck by a German enemy plane, while combating in what was then known as East Germany. The US Military strived to find his remains, but failed, due to the crash site being controlled by the Russians after the war. As time passed by, the crash sight turned into a farmland owned by Germans. (Various Blog Entries)

Back in America, Taylor lived with her mother along with unanswered questions on what specifically had happened to her father and where his remains could be. Taylor explains in an interview, that by the time she was a young adult, she was “never fully satisfied with the story…because in [her], it created a yearning and a wanting that he was going to come home”(Taylor 2). She then forward began her arduous mission to find her father. (Taylor)

In the early 90s, Taylor approached her mission by transcribing hundreds of letters that were sent back and forth between her parents while her father was fighting oversees. Taylor was able to get a hold of her father’s crew officer, who had been mentioned many times in the letters. “[The officer] put [her] in touch with the guys from the squadron and that’s where it started…[she] just went to a meeting and started asking questions…[she then] found out about a guy in Germany who was an air historian.” (Taylor 2). Little did Taylor know that this air historian, Hans Guenther Ploes would be an essential part to helping her complete her mission to find her father. (Taylor)

In 2001, Taylor flew to Germany for the first time and met with Ploes to begin searching the crash site. Taylor explains that “the top most helpful thing in the whole deal, 100% was the determined searcher (Ploes)…His intuition was unbelievable…When JPAC [the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command] was laying out the fields with the little flags and trying to say ‘this is where we think it is…’ Hans came in about two days after they started and said ‘no, it’s right here.’ He just knows…it’s amazing”(Taylor 4). The excavation itself was a prolonged process with much adjournment and delay. There was one incident in which the German farmer (owner of the land) was not going to allow Taylor and her teams to search. However, Taylor easily convinced the farmer by writing a cogent letter, explaining her strong ambition to bring her father home. (Taylor)

As the excavation occurred, the German media was fascinated and interested in Taylor’s story. Taylor explained that “[as she] was sitting in the parking lot, waiting to go visit with students at an internship…[she got a phone call from a German producer saying that he] would very much like to make a movie of everything [she was] doing from [that] moment forward”(Taylor 7). The movie would be turned into a documentary, similar to those that are shown on the PBS Network in the US. Taylor agreed to the producer’s proposition, and the excavation was able to be documented. (Taylor)

For months, Taylor traveled back and forth, visiting the crash sight, until “[she] was…getting off the plane. And they had just that day discovered what they thought was…a human bone”(Taylor 4). At that time, the search was stopped in order to get permission from the US Government to continue the excavation and identify the human bone. After getting permission from the government, Taylor was able to work with a unit from the JPAC which further helped find more remains and authenticated (through DNA tests) that the remains were indeed of Taylor’s father, Estill. (Taylor)

Throughout the search for her father, Taylor remained calm, assured and optimistic. However, what made Taylor dismal the first time…was “when [she] saw the transport case, which was a big metal coffin…with a flag on it, in the back of the transport plane…because that was the combination of all the work…and [she knew] that those little bones were in that box inside of there…it’s like he’s home. He’s home” (Taylor 6). Taylor’s endurance and motivation throughout the seven year search for her father finally paid off; in that, Taylor was able to bring him back home and honor him in the way that he deserved to be honored. Estill was able to receive his war medals and a proper funeral to commemorate his life and acknowledge his participation in the Air Force.(Taylor)

Awarding medals to soldiers is one of the oldest traditions when recognizing war heroes and their dedication to serving their country. The origin of award medals comes from the Ancient Greeks and Romans. The Ancient Greeks would honor their fighters by giving them crowns. The Ancient Romans acknowledged their soldiers by giving them decorated discs and torques. (Chambers II)

Figure 6- The original Purple Heart

Back in America, Estill was awarded various medals, just like other US military war heroes. In particular, Estill was awarded the well-known Purple Heart. The original Purple Heart was established in 1782 by George Washington. This medal was a simple piece of purple cloth (heart shaped), which was edged in a silver braid and sewn to the left breast of the soldier’s uniform (shown in Figure 6). The Purple Heart was a badge that represented military merit. “[This badge also] ‘recognized instances of unusual gallantry’ as well as ‘extraordinary fidelity’ and ‘essential service’ ”(Chambers II).

Figure 7- The new Purple Heart

Figure 8- The Medal of Honor

Nowadays, the Purple Heart is awarded to any soldier of all aspects of the Armed Forces who has been killed, wounded, or who will die after being wounded. The front of the new Purple Heart medal (Figure 7) consists of a purple heart within a golden border. The heart also contains an engraved profile of George Washington. Above Washington’s head is a Coat of Arms between green leaves. The back of the Purple Heart is simply gold with an engraving that reads: For Military Merit. (Chambers II)

Another significant award given to soldiers of WWII is the Medal of Honor. This medal is awarded by the current President in the name of Congress. The Medal of Honor is given to a soldier who risked his/her life above the call of duty. The recipient of this medal “performed an incredible act or a series of acts of conspicuous valor that clearly sets them apart from their comrades” (Collier).

The original Medal of Honor was only given to those in the Navy (in the year 1861); however, as time passed, the Congress wanted to recognize all individuals who were heroic in combat. The Medal of Honor, as shown in Figure 8, consists of a golden five pointed star, surrounded by a wreath of green laurel. The center of the star contains the profile of Minerva, surrounded by the United States of America. This medal distinguishes from the other war medals, because it is the only medal that is worn on the neck. (Collier)

It is recorded that the US Army gave out a total of 1,800,739 war medals to WWII soldiers. Each medal given comes with a suspension ribbon; this allows the medal to easily be hung around the house or any special area. Although war medals tend to be momentous decorations and noteworthy reminders as to what is exemplified by a true soldier, the medals are also made to be worn on ceremonial occasions such as funerals, openings of war memorials, and parades held on Memorial Day. (Chambers II)

Figure 9- Arlington National Cemetery

There are a number of national cemeteries in the US which allow the public to commemorate the soldiers who have passed away. However, one of the most significant cemeteries in America is the Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia (Figure 9). The Arlington National Cemetery is a “national cemetery under the jurisdiction of the Department of the Army” (Arlington National Cemetery). Arlington’s main goal is to serve as the nation’s premier military cemetery and memorial which honors remarkable men and women who served in any part of the Armed Forces. (Funeral Information)

Due to the great number of soldiers in the American Army, Arlington typically performs more than twenty funeral services every day. During an Army Honors Funeral at Arlington National Cemetery, a casket team is responsible for securing the casket and drives the hearse to the grave-site. The casket team then sets down the casket and secures the American flag by stretching it out evenly and leveled, making sure that it is centered over the casket. At the end of the funeral service, before benediction, a gun salute is fired and arms are presented in order to initiate the volley of the rifles. As the rifle volley ends, “Taps” is played by the bugler (a brass wind instrument resembling a cornet), and the casket team begins to fold the flag. After the flag is folded, it is presented to the soldier’s family members and relatives, followed by a card of condolences. (Funeral Information)

Figure 10- Estill’s burial at Arlington

On October 10, 2006, Estill was buried in Arlington National Cemetery. With about 100 individuals attending, including family, close friends, and military officials, Taylor had justifiably brought her father home to rest in peace. Taylor explains that her father’s funeral at Arlington was “incredibly perfect [because]…they made [her] feel that [Estill] was the single most important person they had ever buried there”(Taylor 9). Not only did Taylor feel that she was in the presence of her father, but she “felt very much in the presence of heroes…it was beautiful, and sad, and happy. (Taylor 9)

Apart from the Arlington National Cemetery, the US maintains twenty-four cemeteries on foreign soil because not all of the American soldiers were returned to their homeland. More than 10,000 soldiers were interred in the Lorraine cemetery and Memorial located in St, Avold, France. About 9,000 soldiers were buried in Colleville-sur-Mer, Normandy, and more than 7,000 we buried in the Sicily-Rome American Cemetery and Memorial. (Chambers II)

The US war memorials serve to symbolize the soldiers who took a stand in order to promote peace and better the world. They allow for the public to acknowledge these dauntless individuals and are a constant reminder of the history that America has been through and continues to make. Every year, Americans visit these memorials during the celebration of Memorial Day.

Figure 11- General John Logan

Memorial Day was first proclaimed on May 5, 1868 by General John Logan (who was the Commander of the Grand Army of the Republic). The members of his republic requested that he decorate the graves of their fallen patriots. This holiday first consisted of decorating the graves by placing flowers, letters written by family members, and other decorations. The holiday was officially observed on May 30, 1868 (the last Monday in May), when flowers and other decors were placed on the graves of the Union and Confederate soldiers at Arlington National Cemetery. (Kutler)

Every year, more and more people began participating by decorating graves, holding religious ceremonies, parades, and other rituals on Memorial Day. It is noted that more than 1,200 soldiers place more than 260,000 flags on gravestones at the Arlington National Cemetery; they patrol 24 hours a day to make sure that the flags still stay standing. (Merchant)

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Figure 12- Annual Memorial Day Parade in Washington DC.

Figure 13- A red poppy is placed on an American Memorial.

More Memorial Day rituals include the wearing of red poppies. Moina Michael wrote a poem in 1915 saying that “the blood of the heroes never dies;”the poppy red color serves to symbolize the blood of the war heroes. After writing her poem, Michael was the first to wear a red poppy on Memorial Day and began selling them to her co-workers. The idea soon spread around the US and Americans began wearing the color red on Memorial Day. (Merchant)

In December of 2000, President Bill Clinton asked Americans to voluntarily and informally pause whatever they are doing in order to participate in a moment of silence at 3pm. Some Americans also light candles at this time as they say prayers and remember their deceased soldiers. (Merchant)

Memorial Day has since become the day on which the US honors the combatants, dead and alive, of all its wars and is observed as a legal holiday in most states. Memorial Day has also come to signal the unofficial beginning of summer.

It is significant to say that American war heroes can fall under the category: Gone But Not Forgotten. In that, the American public has taken salient measures in order to honor and solemnize their loved soldiers. Taylor’s fascinating story of finding her missing father gives hope to other military families that if they truly put their mind to it, they can too bring their wanted soldiers back home. When soldiers do come home, they are given various war medals and awards which are visual representations of what they have experienced and accomplished while fighting in combat. The lives of the deceased valiant soldiers are commemorated in emotional funeral services held at the Arlington National Cemetery and other US cemeteries around the world. Lastly, every Memorial Day, Americans are remembered of those doughty individuals who risked their lives in order to gain peace and harmony in our world. Yes, these soldiers may have served in the past; however, they will forevermore have an influence in America’s future.

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Interview with Sharon Taylor

Held on April 20th, 2008 at 3:00pm

Phone Conversation

RN: Alright so first question, in what way did your father participate in WWII?

ST: Umm, well the short version of the long story I should say is that, umm, when Pearl Harbor happened in 1941, he and my mom had just graduated from high school. And they tell me, (I didn’t know him of course)…but, they tell me that he said, the very first thing he said was “I’m going. I need to go there. I need to help, and I need to be part of this” and just immediately… And then he tried to umm enlist and it took him two years after that for him to get inducted into the army Air Force. So, his dream in life was always to the fly airplanes (which he knew how to do already because he learned in high school.) So he said “this is the best thing I could do.” He really believed that he was protecting our country from invasion. Truly. So, you know, he just went, he said “I can you know, I can fly a plane. They can train me how to do this, and I can be right home and everything will be fine.” That’s what he thought. Truly a patriotic gesture.

RN: So you weren’t born at this time right?

ST: No, I was born in 45 and my dad was killed 3 weeks after I was born. So he was in for two years basically. That was it. He was out in there Feb. of 43. Ended up going to Europe in Nov of 1944 and then he was killed in March, I mean April of 1945. And I was born in March.

RN: And as you got older, how has his participation in the war impacted your life?

ST: Umm, well, it was forever. Because from the time I can remember, (maybe at 3 or 4,) I mean vividly remember, people would look at me literally and they would say “how do you do?” and I’d look at them and say “my daddy was killed in the war.” So I think it impacted my life forever, because I must have always known, you know… because my grandmother, (his mother,) and my grandfather, (his father,) and everybody just always talked about it. So I think I knew… that it was a big deal. So I didn’t know for sure where that put me. And then my mom remarried when I was five. So then I had a little confusion about who I was supposed to say my dad was.

RN: So at what point did you decide that you wanted to find him and his plane?

ST: Umm <sigh> I… Umm… gosh, that’s a really great question. And I really need to come up with a better answer than I have. Because I think I always wanted to know. I was never ever in my life satisfied with the story. Because in me, it created umm a yearning and a wanting that he was going to come home. I understand that he wouldn’t come home. I found out because many people in my position do the same thing. And I’m the same person because we’re all waiting. So I think as I got a little older and a little bit more empowered in my own thinking and after my mother died, this is when I started all this, but then I started realizing that there was more to the story. There just was more to the story. That is all. So I probably literally picked up the first phone call, (I’m trying to think) I would say sometime in the late 80s maybe, something like that. For sure, umm I began with great purpose in the early 90s. I mean all in all it was about a 7 year search. I mean, a physical search, it wasn’t just a thinking search but a physical search.

RN: And how did you approach doing this?

ST: How did I approach it? Umm, my grandmother gave me his letters when I was young, about your age. And she gave me his parent’s letters, and umm I was a little embarrassed to read them. I kinda felt they would be. I don’t know like, I was invading their privacy… but my curiosity got the best of me. So I started to read the letters and I started piecing together things like finding where his medals were and seeing if anybody had anything. You know that kind of thing, and I contacted the army and it was pretty much a building crescendo of interest. And umm, then you said how did I begin? And so basically what happened is that after I finished my undergrad degree late, in my 40s, and the summer between finishing my undergrad degree and master’s degree, I decided to transcribe the letters. So I sat down in front of my word processer and literally transcribed every letter. There were 3,000 pages. And I spent the whole summer [doing this]. And what I said to my parents in my mind was if you don’t want me to do this, make it difficult and I’ll get bored. But I could not not finish this project so instead I turned around one day and transcribed all of them. In the process of transcribing, is where I started getting big clues. So I got a hold of one guy that he mentioned all the time in the letters. And I actually spoke to him and the whole process started right then and there. He put me in touch with the guys from the squadron and that’s where it started. You know, I just went to a meeting and started asking questions. That’s what it takes. So that was the beginning.

RN: So did they give you a specific area to start looking? Or where did you first look?

ST: I umm… I asked a million questions as I said…and I found out about a guy in Germany who was an air historian. Umm a youngish guy, he was in his 30s I guess, and he was just fascinated with WWI and I traveled over there and this was my actual doctoral research because I was actually doing my PHD work at this time. And I had arranged to do it around this topic. So I went over there and met with him and I said “what would you do if you were me?” And he said well “it’s difficult but it’s simple.” And he said “it’s simple. It’s difficult that it’s a needle in the haystack for sure.” But he said “it’s simple in that only so many P 38s and only so many planes crashed in so many places and I know where all the crash sights are. It’s a matter of matching up your father with the crash sight.” That was the most amazing thing. You know, I mean otherwise I wouldn’t have had any clue. Because none of the missing air reports and none of the eyewitness reports from the squadron really pin pointed the location. It was way off… by miles.

RN: Where was the actual sight?

ST: The actual crash sight? The place was called E L S N I G…Elsnig, which became East Germany. And as the war ended and my father was killed the very next week, the Russians, the English, the Americans, and the Germans met up and gave it all and divided all of Germany. And basically the Americans gave up East Germany and gave up everybody who was dead or dying there. All of the guys we had left. And that’s what they did. They didn’t do it to be mean; it was just something that they had to give. The Russians took Germany and kept it til the late 80s. So that’s why, we couldn’t really do anything. If I assumed he was there, until the late 80s, anyway, we couldn’t get over there.

RN: Approximately, how many people were on the team to help you search?

ST: On my search team? Umm…lets see: well, I had about six Germans and then the JPAC team was probably another 10 or something…10 or eleven, I forget. (Next piece of information not audible…) And then the American Team who came in later, who we brought the crash sight to… and then I got the crash sight on the list. See, WWII crash sights are not that much of a priority anymore. They go back as far as Vietnam with enthusiasm and then WWII they just kind of say “rest in peace guys,” you know… They wanna bring them home but there are so many things to do. They put him on a list; I waited another year, so that would have been like 10 or 12 people. And then I had the documentary film crew, who were part of it. And the miscellaneous people like you who just come out of the woodwork and wanna be part of it; I know…You’re huge.

RN: I admire you so much for all you’re work…that’s incredible.

ST: Well you got to be tenacious my dear; that’s what you have to do. You never never take no for an answer and ask for what you want. Just ask. Because you never know you know? And if people say no, then you just go and think of a different way to ask.

RN: So were you able to physically participate in the search or did you just let other people do it?

ST: Did I? Oh yeah. Yeah, I went to Germany a lot after I met the guy in the beginning. Hans Guenther Ploes. I went over as much as I could, and he would drag me around from crash sight to crash sight. Sometimes it would be nothing at all related. Most of the time, it was not related to my father. But, I learned a lot about how they excavate crash sights. So when it finally happened, you know, I knew what to expect, which was pretty cool. And um, yeah…I participated in everything…I mean, in all the searching and all the research. The Germans were the most help to me out of anyone. They were amazing and they became very loyal to me and to my father’s memory. And they would do lots of research when I wasn’t over there. You know. And I also took a job with the Department of Defense on an air base in (not audible), Germany, which was in East Germany too. And that put me in Germany for several months…and then I could go to the crash sight which I really liked. And that kind of gave me like, a local thing.

RN: And I guess, what was like, the most important piece of equipment that you used?

ST: <pause>…Our brains…<laughs>

RN: <laughs> Good answer!

ST: Yeah, I mean, it was such a process, because when they…ah you mean the equipment in terms. Oh I’d say the metal detectors. The metal detectors would tell us if there was anything at all you know, worth seeing. And I mean, I did that for hours. And if you wanna get a good workout for your upper arms, that’s the thing. Um and it takes more than that, I would say that the top, the top most helpful thing in the whole deal, 100% is the determined searcher named Hans Guenther Ploes. His intuition was unbelievable. When JPAC was laying out the fields with the little flags and trying to say “this is where we think it is, this is where we think it is,” Hans came in about two days after they started and said “no, it’s right here.” You know? That kind of thing. He just knows. I mean it’s amazing, it’s like this is his gift or something. I can’t even explain it.

RN: Wow! That’s incredible. So how much time passed until you finally got to find something that was significant?

ST: Time between finding something and doing something about it? Umm, we found…I’m gonna say…when they found the crash sight, I was actually getting off the plane, and they had just that day discovered what they thought was the crash sight. And I was coming there to look again, you know. And I would say they found umm, what they thought was a human bone and so uhh, they had to stop doing everything. You’re not allowed to proceed if you find anything like that, you know what I mean. So what they did was umm, contact the US government right away. So at that point, until let me think…maybe two years? No…Probably 18 months, before they actually started doing the excavation. And that was me, pushing and pushing and pushing constantly. Plus, not making people mad while I was doing it, you know. That’s the trick. Cause you have to be nice but you have to be demanding.

RN: Exactly. Yeah, you have to follow through. So did anything delay you in your search and what was it?

ST: Umm, in the search I would say…well for a long time I couldn’t get a hold of the SEES (not audible) file they call it…it’s the file they keep on everybody. And I had been asking for maybe 15 years for that thing and all I had ever heard was “oh no, from those years, they were all burned in a fire in St. Louis. There’s nothing left, there’s nothing left.” And you know what? I just didn’t buy it. I just thought, no, I don’t think so. And I don’t know exactly why I needed it at the time, but I just wanted it. Oh I know I was just constant to want it, you know, I thought it would be more helpful in the search and all that, I think. No, I don’t remember. I remember just pushing for that. And between the time that we found or thought we found the crash sight, and they came to excavate, I got a hold of John McCain’s office finally. Cause I was in Arizona too. And within a week…within a week, or 10 days, it was in my mail. And now… then, I found out that it hadn’t had been burned at all! And that they kept other copies! So that’s the kind of thing. The kind of little thing you have to go up against. At the actual excavation itself, there was an incident…you probably saw that in the blog, with the farmer who wasn’t gonna let us search.

RN: Oh yeah, did that take a long time to get you to convince him or to persuade him?

ST: It took me about 24 hours because what I did was…the army people were gonna like storm on him and be heavy handed and demanding you know, and I just simply stayed up all night that night because I was really worried that it was gonna stop. And I wrote him a letter. I wrote him a really beautiful letter. It’s really amazing I mean, I don’t even know where it came from. But I had to do something, you know. So I wrote him a letter. I had my friend, a German, my German, well the German translator, who was my translator and my driver. He umm, translated it into German first thing the next morning and we took it to the meeting. And the army guy said no no, we’re gonna handle this you stay out of it, don’t show him any letters, you know that kind of thing. And unfortunately for them, my translator was in charge of the conversation. So he handed in the letter and he read it and he started to cry! I mean this is a punk ass German guy! A guy, you know what I mean…a guy who was like “you people, you Americans, I hate your guts!” And all this stuff. And he started to cry; and he looked literally, and he looked at the army guys and he said “you could learn a lot about diplomacy from this woman.” <laughs> and I was doing everything and dancing on the table. Anyway, the thing continued and the next day he brought beer and invited all the guys to go drinking! I mean there’s a picture of me somewhere with his arm around me! So I think it was a miracle you know. <laughs>

RN: <laughs> Well you definitely got to him! That’s awesome, good for you!

ST: Isn’t that awesome? I know, I should send you a copy of the letter. I think I have it in my computer. Only very few people have seen it. Like one or two. But if you’re interested in reading it, I’ll send it to you because it was like diplomatically perfection, you know. You don’t know until you do it. Because I couldn’t be anything but authentic, and I couldn’t BS the guy, and I couldn’t screw with the guy. I had to really, you know, speak from my heart because if he stopped it, then I don’t know what I would’ve done.

RN: Wow…and um, okay so, obviously the search was super impacting on your emotions, but were you, throughout the process, were you more scared or excited on what you were gonna find?

ST: Umm…I wasn’t scared. I really wasn’t. I mean, here’s the deal. I knew from looking at the crash sights and the other ones and from finding remains that there was nothing to be afraid of. Except that it would be…you know. And as a matter a fact when finding remains and finding things like that, wait no, the scarier thing was if it would have been the wrong place. That would have been a horrible thing that would have been very scary. Then we would have had to start all over. But, I wasn’t afraid of what was going to be dirt, you know, in the dirt. I wasn’t afraid of that. I was very excited. I was also very sure that was the right place. But until you have living proof… until we got that about halfway into the dig you know, then I was excited. Oh yeah it was beyond excited it was more like <sigh> I mean, really validated.

RN: Yeah, definitely! And were you ever skeptical that you weren’t gonna find anything?

ST: Mmm mm. Never. I knew it would happen; it was just matter of time. Because I knew enough about myself, and it sounds like you’re the same kind of woman, that if you really want something then you can just make it happen.

RN: Exactly, you just have to go for it.

ST: You just have to! I mean literally, the impossible…what I’ve always considered the impossible just takes a little longer. I don’t take anything. I don’t take any diagnosis; I don’t take anybody telling me bad news. I always think, well, you know, we’ll figure that out. No one ever says to me “no you can’t Sharon.” Not anymore.

RN: Mmm hmm. Yeah, well you have to keep things optimistic and know in your heart that if you really want something then you just have to follow through with it.

ST: That’s the thing, if he was dead, I’d find him. If he was alive, I’d find him too. That would have been fun. I mean, that would have been amazing. But you know…

RN: What was your reaction when you found your father’s remains?

ST: What was I thinking?

RN: Yeah, I mean, was it more emotional? Or were you jumping for joy? Or…

ST: Yeah, it varied. Because you know there’s not much of him. I mean there’s a couple of little small bones and so there isn’t much to be seen. Really, it’s interesting because the documentary film is finished now and umm they are all in there for everybody in the world to see. That’s interesting. But umm, you know, its like <sigh> They and everything in himself is not power, but its everything except that. It’s sad that that whole beautiful life, like it just kind of gave me a whole philosophy about life and death if anything. My reaction was not… that part, didn’t make me sad. What made me sad, the first time I really really cried about this was when I was in Hawaii. When I saw the transport case, which was a big metal coffin actually, with a flag on it, in the back of the transport plane. That did me. Because that was the combination of all the work. And I knew that those little bones were in that box inside of there. You know what I mean? It’s like he’s home. He’s home. Bringing him home… bringing him back, back on US soil (even though its Hawaii,) he wouldn’t have know that Hawaii was US soil at the time, you know, was really meaningful to me. That moved me more than anything. Cause I always said, I had a picture in my head when I was young, really young, that I could bring him home, you know, that I could pick him up and bring him home.

RN: Well you did!!

ST: And I did! Yeah, I did.

RN: You followed your dream, that’s great. So you said that… well, Dennis told me, and I read from your blog, that the German media got involved and they documented this. How did they get involved in your story? Or did you contact them?

ST: They umm<sigh> umm, I think I know how it was. It was from Hans Guenther Ploes the same guy, you know the same German guy. Umm, he called me one day and said “you may be hearing from (name not audible).” And he said, “he’s through (not audible).” and I had no idea who (not audible) was. And I said “oh really what’s that?” And he said “oh, that’s a big television station, PBS kind of thing, you know. In Germany.” And I said “ohh goody, that’s cool. Let him call me.” And he said okay. And then like literally, within 15 minutes, I was sitting in the parking lot, waiting to go visit with students in an internship and the guy called me and he said “we would very much like to make a movie of everything you’re doing from this moment forward.” And when they did that, it was 5 years. They stayed with me for 5 years. And umm I didn’t even know what to expect, if these people were good or anything you know? But I ended up going to Germany one time and meeting with him and knowing that this was a gift. Because I wanted to make some kind of film about it, but I figured that would have cost me over 100 thousand dollars to make such a film. And I don’t know anything about filmmaking. They did. It was a gift, really, a gift. And they did a really incredible job. It’s an amazing film.

RN: I heard that they translated it into English? Or that’s the process that’s going on right now?

ST: Yes it is translated, I have the English version. I do, it’s very cool. Um, it’s a little bit iffy at the moment only because they just went to the Canton film festival with directors and international people and documentaries and stuff (not the big fancy one) and they, they had great interest in the US market so they want to be sure that it doesn’t get out there before they exhult. That’s what they’re worried about. It’s very…that kind of thing. It’s interesting. I saw it on German TV when it premiered. And I was in Holland when it premiered in German TV. And then it showed like every single minute, practically for a year. And the Germans love it! They think it’s a great story.

RN: It is!! How was it coming back home after everything?

ST: Umm well, it was okay because I still had the… we paid creation to do a funeral. But since the funeral has been over (and I’m doing everything around this topic,) but you know it’s like when I finished my PHD there in that time…that I have, there is that empty space…almost a time for reflection maybe, a little bit of grieving. And you feel like you have to keep moving but there’s nothing to move toward. That kind of thing so, I am working on a new project now. Not very hard though, I have to say something about myself. And that is writing, it’s supposed to be a children’s book for adults. That was my thinking when I started doing it. And I hired and illustrator and we’re using the letters to kind of create something. But it hasn’t come together yet. I really wanted to by this time and the reason is that I have just been so, so busy at school and I can’t certainly think. So it’s fine.

RN: Well, seeming your personality, I am sure you will get around to it.

ST: Oh you betcha! Its one of those things that I will regret not doing because I have an illustrator right now. You gotta have someone you trust.

RN: Well, I mean, your whole story can inspire other people who want to do the same thing to actually take action and, I don’t know…I’m sure there are so many other people who are in your same situation wondering where could he be?

ST: It’s like being… I have had some connection with searching because I got pregnant at the end of my senior year of high school which was very shocking to everyone including me. This was in 1963. Umm, so I eventually, what I had to do, I had no choice. I could either get married, which was a joke (my boyfriend was a junior). Can you imagine?! We didn’t want to get married. I mean, we loved each other but we were babies. So umm, <laughs>, you know, it’s like ridiculous! He and I still know each other; I mean we still laugh, like can you imagine? But what I ended up doing was I gave the child up for adoption, my first child. My son. And I did, and I wanted to find him and go back and look for him, but I waited about 16 years knowing that by the time I’d find him, he’d be old enough to decide if he wanted to see me. He’s 43 now and we’ve been together since he was 18. I found him. That was a lot harder. In a weird way, because the adoption system just keeps everybody. So when I spoke at the funeral, I said something about being good at finding people; and he was sitting like, right in my line of vision, to the right of the chapel, and he just smiled. He was the first big thing I found, you know, the big person. So I think it gave me practice. <laughs> Now nothings gonna keep me!!

RN: <laughs> No Way! <Laughs> as of now, no, nothing is stopping you! Umm, describe more the funeral at Arlington. How was that?

ST: Sorry I can’t hear that, the transmission is awful. I think it will sound better in a little, let me call you back.

RN: Okay.

ST: Just a brief interference. Okay.

RN: Okay.

(A minute later, Sharon calls back.)

RN: Okay now its better, now I can hear you. Let me just fix the microphone. Okay so, describe the funeral and ceremony at Arlington.

ST: Oh! It was incredible! And it was so much better after Dennis’ photos! Have you seen them?

RN: I saw only a few of them, he said that he was going to give me a cd with them, but I saw some, I saw some from your blog also.

ST: Yeah, they are gorgeous! Absolutely gorgeous! Well, I’d say, the funeral at Arlington, because I was so involved at that moment, you know the documentary film people had me come and leave early to film a whole bunch of stuff that was supposed to look like in sequence but it never is, you know. So that was a big week. By the time I actually got to the actual funeral itself, I was just running on empty. But, it was such… I mean I’ll tell ya what, I mean, our government does it right! They do a lot of things wrong, but they really know how to do it. It was the most umm, I just think it was all about him and he was the complete focus to the whole world. You know what I’m saying? I mean, they made me feel that he was the single most important person they had ever buried there. And that’s just the way they do it at the time. So it was absolutely incredibly perfect. Umm, I spent a lot of time, on my end, sort of organizing the logistics, and what we were gonna do because, also, all of the guys from the fire squadron there, left, because they were having a meeting so I had all this stuff to transport. And all these arguments of whose gonna pay for the bus you know. Oh god, just on and on. And then you know, it was just perfect, I mean other than that it was just perfect. You know, and there is nothing wrong with that, it’s just that they’re old guys and I had to help them figure stuff out. They would get freaked out easily. But <sigh> everybody came together, my father was honored, I felt very much in the presence of heroes and you know, it was beautiful, and sad, and happy. I don’t know…hard to describe, really. You have to almost, if you could go to any funeral there and feel the same way.

RN: Really? Yeah I would love to do that.

ST: Yeah.

RN: Were there a lot of people? Or was it mostly just you and your family?

ST: No, there was a ton of people. Umm, because I had all the squadron people who were there. They brought their spouses and kids. My uncle came. Umm, 6 of his 7 kids were there. The boys were all there, umm my kids, my college roommate, my two best girlfriends of course you know people like that, my umm assistant from Arizona State, he was there, he managed me all week, cause that’s what he was used to doing. And umm it’s just a lot of people. You know, I can’t tell you…maybe a 100 maybe? Something like that. And we had a gorgeous day. I mean, I’m so sorry I didn’t know you, you could have certainly come!

RN: <laughs> Oh no! I mean I didn’t even know of your story at that time. So no worries! But um, it’s really nice hearing that! I’m glad it was everything you expected it to be.

ST: More that I expected. It was perfect. They just did not make a mistake.

RN: Okay, let’s see. So how has your experience impacted your views about soldiers in the war today?

ST: Oh well, obviously I have always considered myself to be a military kid because of it. You know what I’m saying. Like, I always considered myself a pilot’s daughter. I’ve always been really honored by them. Umm <sigh> I think when I went to Guising and worked on the army base, I got a lot of family therapy and individual therapy with these people coming and going to Iraq. And I participated when they had to tell people that people were killed and that kind of thing. I had a renewed respect. I had a current respect. You know, like a modern day, this is what it looks like today respect. And maybe, most of them were not much older than you. You know that, I mean, for people coming into a therapy setting, they were incredibly on time, <laughs> I loved that. They were incredibly polite, they were incredibly umm honest, and brave, and gorgeous, and happy to have someone listen to them; and umm, I just love the military because of that. I can’t even tell you! It’s very bizarre but it, the whole thing just sort of validated the feeling. I don’t like wars. With that said, I mean, you can take this to the bank. I don’t like war. I don’t like anything it represents. I don’t. I’m so glad my kids have never had to go, and that’s because if they wanted to, they could have. But man, I tell ya… I know the consequences.

RN: Yeah.

ST: That’s my true sense. You don’t have to tell anyone. You can if you want but…

I love them. And it was the military people who helped with the excavation on the field. They were all military. And this was their duty for a year, to do this work.

RN: Oh I didn’t know that!

ST: Very cool. Yep. Every single one of them. All the branches were represented. Isn’t that cool?

RN: Ahh! Wow. I’m so like, I’m so <laughs> amazed. You are an amazing woman <laughs> Okay. Well, do you feel that America has done enough to acknowledge past and present war heroes?

ST: Umm, I know that JPAC has. And I think the government does, depending upon, you know, how available people make the stories. The two things that I really know of that are important: one is, the joint POW MIA. The JPAC, the places in Hawaii. If you’re ever gonna… if you go on to college, do some research on that because that’s a very impressive organization. And I might even be able to get you to have somebody come as a speaker or something. They are amazing people. That’s the organization that says “leave no man behind.” Or, leave no person behind now. So yes, that’s huge. The security part about that is that they are funded by the government and as we talked about it, when I was in Hawaii last time, I talked to the director a lot, and he said “we are just one no away from not having funding all the time.” So if that should happen, we are in deep doo doo. Because we need them. The other thing that’s interesting is an organization called American War Orphans Network, and I belonged to them for as long as I can remember. And they uhh, it’s a support organization for those who have lost a father in WWII. Only that. It’s only for WWI fathers. But, that’s a huge amount of support. And I actually have a big talk for them about the whole story in December. Because they haven’t heard about it yet.

RN: And do you think that Americans can do something more in order to remember war veterans? Or do you think that the war memorials are doing their jobs? Or do you think that they should…

ST: Well, yeah I think they are, I think they are wonderful, but I think that people, in this war, this Iraq war, if it’s done nothing else, it has made us aware of what the military does. You know, whether we like what they do or not. You know, we don’t really have any idea what goes on in the situations. All I know is that from meeting the people who do the work, like being on their base where they live for three months, that I really know what they’re made of. And you should be incredibly proud. So, do I think we honor them enough? Here’s what I don’t think. I’m pretty sure, based on my experience, that they don’t come back and easily get all the benefits they deserve. Umm, they just don’t. They are working on it, but it is a slow process because we are spending so much money. You know what I’m saying? We are just <sigh> I’m not sure that their needs are being served. That may change with the new administration, you know, I don’t know. We’ll see. But that’s the only thing. I sure wanna know that they will come back and will be taken care of. And I do that work, you know, I work with people coming back. If I can volunteer and do that, then that’s just one small thing. It’s pretty rough, Romina. I mean I’m telling you that this generation of guys that are just a little bit older than you are, are pretty wrecked. Just like they were in my generation. I mean, they came back not okay.

RN: Yeahh, I don’t know, I mean I have a few friends who have gone oversees now and I’ve talked to them, I mean, every chance that I get, I try, but they are…they’re not good.

ST: Mhmm, they’re not, isn’t that true? I know, they are not good. No.

RN: But I guess we just need to be exposed to the reality in order to understand.

ST: Well, what we’re not doing in this world which I really wish we would and I don’t really know the logic cause I don’t really get what goes on with that stuff. We’re not showing and we’re not doing the big lists and we’re not doing the big transport cases coming out from the planes and we’re not seeing any of that stuff that shows off the truth of who is being killed out there. And we’re still nowhere near the numbers. There are still 7, 8, 9,000 people still left in Europe from WWII. So we’re not even talking near about WWII numbers. (Not audible). In Vietnam, we used to see those transport cases coming off on the conveyer belts of the planes, all the time. It was huge. It would make people mad though, out in the streets. So, they don’t want that now. It’s not a good thing. <sigh> this is your world now. You guys are gonna do it. You’re gonna run things, so if you can change it, please do <laughs>.

RN: Yes <laughs> I will do my best. <laughs> I will spread the world.

ST: <laughs> I’m counting on you.

RN: Umm, okay, so what do you do in celebration of Memorial Day?

ST: Ohh umm, whatever is around…like last year I went to (not audible) Cemetery and umm you know, placed the rosette on his name on the wall (that’s on the blog). Umm, so that was a big deal. I’ve been invited to go again this year but I don’t think I’ll go because flying to Europe is so expensive you know. It really is, I mean the euro is horrible! But umm, I do AWON, The American War Orphans Network, to participate in all kinds of activities. I mean I’ve never had any place to go until now, you know? I can go to Arlington I guess. But really, the most important thing for me, besides Memorial Day, is the anniversary of his death…That has always been huge for me, April 13^th. I have written him a letter; umm of course it goes nowhere…umm on April 13^th, as long as I can remember.

RN: Oh wow! That’s really nice.

ST: Mhmm.

RN: And umm, okay this is the last question!

ST: <laughs>

RN: Which is your favorite WWII Memorial and why?

ST: <deep breath> Well…

RN: If you can think of all of them <laughs>

ST: Well you know, I haven’t even walked through the WWII Memorial in Washington yet. I have to tell ya, I still think it’s probably the Wall of the Missing in Holland. It’s not even a US memorial but it’s owned by us, I mean, it’s a US cemetery. So I would say that, even though it’s not in this country. It’s the Wall of the Missing and there are many many like it but that’s the one that had my father’s name . Oh and by the way, I didn’t know that his name was on the Wall of the Missing until I got to Germany the first time in the early 90s. I had no idea.

RN: Geez!

ST: I know! And Hans said “you know he’s on this wall?” and I said “WHAT?!”

RN: <laughs>

ST: And he said “yeah, you wanna see it?” So that was pretty emotional. That was pretty big.

RN: And isn’t there, can’t you like fill something in to show that he was found?

ST: Yeah that’s the rosette. I put that last year. You order it. Once they have found the documentation, then umm you contact the American Federal Monuments Commission, (I think that’s what it’s called). And they umm, send a rosette to the cemetery and they pound it into the wall. Of course, for me <laughs> we ended up having a ceremony with the Ambassador from the Netherlands with all these people! <laughs> Press, press, press. I mean, I get so sick of the press because they all ask the same thing ya know. They would all say “Dr. Mrs. Taylor, how do you feel?” <laughs>

RN: <laughs> Ok I just got another question that popped into my head. Umm, did your father win any medals? Like the Medal of Honor, or did he…

ST: No, not the Medal of Honor. He has a couple of (not audible) Clusters. I wish I could tell you, because they are all hanging in the wall in my other house. Umm, of course the Purple Heart, A European medal…about 5 or 6…but nothing huge. No, umm, I don’t know how you get the Medal of Honor. Remember the P38 was a worker bee. Ya know, they went out there and they protected the big planes that got to do all the glorious stuff. You know, they were the ones that would surround the big planes going ahead of time, fly lower, and direct them so that the planes could get through. They did that kind of thing. So, you know, the only other guy I know who got a lot of medals was the one who did a lot of killing with this plane (and you know they shoot down a lot of planes and get to be an ace). And you know, I’ve met his wife. You know, that’s a whole different sort of glory deal. I thought it was more of a kind of guy that I guess had a squadron that was supposed to knockout railroad lines and bridges and nothing that was very glamorous. Interesting huh?

RN: That’s so interesting! <laughs> I’m just trying to take everything in because, I’m so proud of you! <laughs a lot>

ST: Thank you! <laughs>

RN: I don’t know you but your story is really really incredible.

ST: And I’m proud of you because you’re interested! That’s what is so amazing to me.

RN: I am.

ST: My little 12 year old granddaughter entered and essay contest for something and won this award for writing this paragraph or whatever, about her grandfather. And I was just blown away! Like wow, they are still looking at this war in much more interested ways, more than we ever looked over anything.

RN: Yeah, and I mean I am not even the one who is that much into History. It is not necessarily my best subject.

ST: I know, I mean I didn’t even know anything until I started doing this! I didn’t pay any attention. When they said WWII, I didn’t know anything. Until this day, like the Civil War just looks like a yucky thing that happened. You know? I’m not into it that much. You learn to be. And once you go over there and you start doing this, I mean I had to have a consultant because I did not know what in the world had happened over there. I really didn’t. Now I do. Now I get everything. In high school it was boring! You know, history was not my subject.

RN: I think it is more interesting to learn experiences from the actual people, rather than those who just document.

ST: It is. But tell me what I could send you that would help your deal. Because I have a lot of stuff in my computer that I could easily shoot off to you. Just tell me what would be helpful.

RN: Um, well let’s see.

ST: I have some very good pictures of him.

RN: Yeah sure! I mean, Dennis showed me the DVD, I don’t know if those are the same pictures that you are talking about.

ST: Did he show you the documentary? Because he’s got that.

RN: No.

ST: Oh he showed you the memorial DVD.

RN: Yeah, he showed me the memorial DVD. I haven’t seen the documentary yet. Even though it’s in German, I would love to see it.

ST: Well as soon as I get clearance for people to see it, I will send it and you can send it back because I have to have permission to do that. I mean I showed it to my class and anyone who was missing couldn’t borrow it.

RN: That’s fine, but I mean, other than this, this interview helped a lot. Thank you so much, I really appreciate it.

ST: Well, don’t hesitate to call me back if you want to talk again or if you need some more stuff. That would be fine.

RN: Thank you! And I know that I need to send you, or if you could just send me an email or something that says you approve of this interview (because I need to give it to my teacher to make sure everything is okay).

ST: Sure I’d be happy to.

RN: He has a little paper that you have to sign, but it can just be a note from you, it really doesn’t have to be anything special.

ST: I’ll do that. Um, do you want me to send you the letter I wrote to the farmer?

RN: Yeah, sure! Definitely.

ST: You might get a kick out of that. You can be the template for giving it away someday <laughs>

RN: <laughs> but yeah, my paper has to be 12 pages…

ST: Will you send it to me? Send me a copy?

RN: Yeah of course! And I know that at the end of the paper, he gives us the option of posting pictures or if you don’t mind, the letter or something, but umm, I will let you know what I end up doing with it because you will be a big part of my paper. Then I have to incorporate Memorial Day and Arlington Cemetery. So I have a lot of work to do.

ST: Remind Dennis to give you the DVD and all the pictures because that will help you a lot. You know, those are always good.

RN: Apart from this, seriously, thank you for all your time and for all your answers. It really helped, and I am so interested and I really enjoyed it.

ST: Well I’ll tell you one thing, is that, everyone who gets involved in this, with no exception, I can’t think of a single person. Umm, something very special always happens for them, I don’t know why, but something really special. I tell Dennis, that you are a very special part of people who now honor my father. And he was like really? And then sure enough, there is always something. So, some people call it a blessing, some people call it “cool stuff,” you know, its just a matter of…you know, I mean you already got the energy for it, but you get involved with this story and you honor it and it just makes you feel better. It has nothing to do with me; it has everything to do with my father.

RN: Well he has changed many people’s lives.

ST: Yeah! Isn’t it amazing?!

RN: Even me! A random senior from DC who you don’t know <laughs>

ST: <laughs> I love that! Next time I come over there, (you reminded me that I do need to come back), and maybe I will go there for Memorial Day and go to Arlington because I can, you know, I got a pass. So I will let you know if I will be in town.

RN: Yes, please do. And I will keep you updated on my project and I will send you whatever I have.

ST: Well as you’re writing and if you have any questions, don’t hesitate.

RN: Thank you. Thank you very much Sharon, it was great talking to you.

ST: Thank you, it was nice talking to you.

RN: Take care, bye!

(Hangs up)

Works Cited

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Collier, Peter. “History of a Unique Medal.” Medal of Honor: Portraits of Valor Beyond the Call of Duty. Comp. George W. Bush, et al. New York: The Library of Congress, 2003. 281-288.

Evers, Horace. “Letter from Horace Evers 2 May;1945.” WW2 Soldier’s Pictures and Letters. Stars and Stripes Newspaper, Military.com, 2002. 7 May 2008 <http://home.att.net/‌~w.tomtschik/‌WW2Aindex.html>.

“Funeral Information.” Arlington National Cemetery. 2008. Arlington National Cemetery. 13 May 2008 <http://www.arlingtoncemetery.org/‌funeral_information/‌index.html>.

“Historical Information.” Arlington National Cemetary. Arlington National Cemetary. 16 Dec. 2007 <http://www.arlingtoncemetery.org/‌index.htm>.

Kan, Denis. Personal interview. Jan.-Feb. 2008.

Kennedy, David M., et al., eds. The Brief American Pageant. Sixth Edition ed. A History of the Republic. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, 2004.

Kutler, Stanley I. Dictionary of American History. 3rd ed. Vol. 5. La Follette to Nationalism. New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons, 2003.

Merchant, David. “Memorial Day History.” Memorial Day. 27 May 2007. 16 Dec. 2007 <http://www.usmemorialday.org/‌backgrnd.html>.

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Shandilya, Ranjan. “Military Awards, Medals and Ribbons.” Buzzle.com Intelligent Life on the Web. 25 Nov. 2007. 16 Dec. 2007 <http://www.buzzle.com/‌articles/‌military-awards-medals-and-ribbons.html>.

Taylor, Sharon. Telephone interview. Apr.-May 2008.

• - -. “Various Blog Entries.” Weblog entry. 7 Aug. 2005. Team Estill From the Field . 7 July 2007 <http://www.teamestill.blogspot.com/>.

Figure 1

Pearl Harbor. Photograph. 1940. U.S. National Archives. National Geographic. 25
May 2008 <http://plasma.nationalgeographic.com/pearlharbor/ngbeyond/
 people/people6.html>.

Figure 2 & 3

“The Tank.” Photos, Articles, & Research on the European Theater in World War II
. Lone Sentry. 3 May 2008 <http://images.google.com/
imgres?imgurl=http://www.lonesentry.com/articles/jp_fttank/
jp_ft_tank_flamethrower_wwii_ww2_japanese.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.lonesentry.com
/articles/jp_fttank/
index.html&h=290&w=450&sz=31&hl=en&start=17&sig2=8Td1lZWx24MfzBJV2i2mWw&um=1&tbni
d=57NNp062bDiJmM:&tbnh=82&tbnw=127&ei=v985SL7yNInCefvlha8O&prev=/images%3Fq%3DWWI
 I%2BUS%2BWar%2Btank%26ndsp%3D20%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DN>.

Figure 4

Desegregation of the Armed Forces. Photograph. 1945. Harry S. Truman Library &
Museum, Independence, MO. World War II. 25 Apr. 2008
<http://www.trumanlibrary.org/whistlestop/study_collections/desegregation/
 large/index.php?action=chronology>.

Figure 5

Shannon E. Estill. Photograph. Arlington National Cemetery Website. Shannon E.
Estill, First Lieutenant, United States Army. 28 Apr. 2008
 <http://www.arlingtoncemetery.net/seestill.htm>.

Figure 6

The Purple Heart, Frederic L. Borch III and F.C. Brown, Borch and Westlake Publishing, 1996

Figure 7

The Purple Heart, Frederic L. Borch III and F.C. Brown, Borch and Westlake Publishing, 1996

Figure 8

Collier, Peter. “History of a Unique Medal.” Medal of Honor: Portraits of Valor Beyond the Call of Duty. Comp. George W. Bush, et al. New York: The Library of Congress, 2003. 281-288.

Figure 9

“President Bush Visits Arlington National Cemetery - Memorial Day Weekend 2005.”
SoftVote’s Blog. SoftVote’s President. 10 May 2008
<http://www.softvote.com/blog/poll_2004/archives/2005/06/index.html>.

Figure 10

Shannon E. Estill. Photograph. Arlington National Cemetery Website. Shannon E.
Estill, First Lieutenant, United States Army. 28 Apr. 2008
<http://www.arlingtoncemetery.net/seestill.htm>.

Figure 11

“Logan, John A..” Online Photograph. Encyclopædia Britannica Online. 25 May 2008 <http://www.britannica.com/eb/art-12663>.

Figure 12

“Memorial Day Parade.” United States Department of Defense. 2006. 25 May 2008
<http://www.defenselink.mil/photoessays/2006-05/p20060529b1.html>.

Figure 13

Canis, Bill. “Memorial Day Comes Early This Year.” National Association of
Manufacturers. 9 May 2007. 25 May 2008 <http://blog.nam.org/archives/2007/05/memorial_day_co.php>.