Ithica Family Military Tradition

[Ithica]

Ok well it was my birthday not to long ago, and all the older people were there. I had the pleasure to speak with members of my family about some of my families military heritage. I was surprised some of the stuff I found out. I knew some of it, but not the this extent.

Richard Ward Confederate Army- (WE THINK but this is not for sure we are still looking into it) Was a Lt. and died at the Battle of Wilson's Creek in Missouri.

Lawrence Ward Sr. United States Army WWI- Was drafted out of Arkansas and sent to France. On the way over he nearly died of Pnemonia and had one lung removed, but remained as an aide at a hospital. In his retelling during the muese-argonne offensive during the night when the artillery lightened up the night all you could see was bodies stacked for as far as the eye could see.

Faye Mathis USMC WWII- Fought at Guam and the battle of Okinawa. Don't really know much more since he never talked about it. Scared him pretty bad

Howell Mathis United States Army WWII- Fought at the Battle of Anzio. Was working their way forward with his squad when a mortar hit near his positon. One of his eyes popped out of its socket and was hangin there and his arm was nearly ripped off. Does he lay there and die like a pussy? HELL NO! He holds his eye in his socket with one hand will using his mouth to bite down on the artery in his arm keeping him from bleeding to death. He then walks the miles back to the aid station, and lives to tell the story.

Bill Mathis United States Army Korea- Was involved in the Chosen Resevoir more famously known as the retreat after the Chinese invaded. Was then part of the Pusan Perimeter Line. Then was part of the invasion force at Inchon. Received 2 silver stars one with oak clusters, 2 bronze stars, and 3 purple hearts. One of the silver stars was awarded to him for charging balls first at a machine gun nest takin out them all by himself after it had killed one man and was pinning the rest down.


So apparently my family is full of heartbreakers and lifetakers. So I encourage you if you have not to sit down with the older members of your family and learn all you can about your past.

[thor]

Ithica - important family history

We had a familymember killed during the spanishcivilwar and another was a member of the norwegian resistans (?) during wwII in Norway. Other than that Norway hasn't really been involved in many wars... We are - or was - a peacefull nation