Posted: 6/1/2017 9:46:06 AM EDT
|
The town is putting together information for a new veterans memorial.
My great uncle was gassed during WW1. He is already confirmed to be listed on the memorial. My Grandfather is gone 50 years now. I remember him talking about military training. He never claimed to have gone overseas or talked in anyway that would be considered “stolen valor”. Just stories about training days. I believe he was a member of the “Massachusetts State Guard”. Which was the official State Militia, authorized by the state constitution and under the command of the Governor. Role was to augment the Massachusetts National Guard. I am not sure if the State Guard back in 1918 could be called into Federal service or if was strictly in state. Medical units of the State Guard went to Halifax NS Canada when a munitions ship blew up in the harbor. I have a rolled up unit picture that shows him. I found a link with a very similar picture of the same camp. Poses are the same. https://www.digitalcommonwealth.org/search/commonwealth:rv0431763 On Granddads photo it shows : Co. A 16 Reg MSG Camp Augustus P. Gardner Framingham Mass July 25 -29 1918 What would opinions be on the propriety of requesting he be included on a Veterans memorial?? |
|
"I believe he was a member of the “Massachusetts State Guard”. Which was the official State Militia, authorized by the state constitution and under the command of the Governor. Role was to augment the Massachusetts National Guard. "
I don't think he's a veteran. Maybe there was a "grandfathering" of the state Militia members into the National Guard, then yes....maybe. |
|
Quoted:
I don't think he's a veteran. Maybe there was a "grandfathering" of the state Militia members into the National Guard, then yes....maybe. |
|
Thanks for the input. Grandpa was a great guy but I do not want him or anyone included that was not eligible. It take away from those that did sacrifice.
I see a definition under mass.gov , Veteran services: Definition of a Veteran, WW1 90 days of active duty service, one (1) day during "wartime" and a last discharge or release under honorable conditions. Does active service mean that a unit had to be actually “activated” and just not formed and trained?? |
|
Late 19th and early 20th Century you still had these private military clubs that in times of trouble would be instantly absorbed into guard units. Some of these clubs still exist, but no longer have any actual status.
http://www.ahac.us.com/about.htm Trying to apply modern standards to old or ancient practices, well its not going to go well, as I doubt there is a Title 10 order. Since you think he deployed to support the Nova Scotia munitions ship explosion, I would search to see if there are any surviving deployment orders for that. |
|
Just to be clear
This was not a private organization. It was a State entity. As per WiKi In April 1917, the General Court again reformed the militia, renaming it the Massachusetts State Guard due to the events of World War I. Anticipating a possible German invasion or other emergency and lacking the National Guard due to deployment, many states created and trained state guard units. Also, He did not deploy to Halifax. Medical units from the State Guard did. I just mentioned that as it seemed to indicate that some duties by units of the State Guard did occur outside of the state. |
|
Its a small town veterans memorial -- so a few things come to mind: the modern definitions of "veteran" relate to claiming benefits, your family member isn't claiming shit, the modern legal definition of veteran is peripheral at best in this context. Did your grandfathers service have bearing on the history of military service in the town? It sounds like the town militia's "deployment" to Nova Scotia is still a remembered event.
The State Guard is mostly a joke now... In 1918, maybe not so much. Did gramps go to Canada for the "deployment?" Did he actually do armed "home-guard" work of some sort like pulling guard at infrastructure sites during the war? It's a small town memorial, ain't nobody gettin' a check, cut gramps the benefit of the doubt, post his name with Mass. State Guard and, if space allows, a blurb that says hometown service and Nova Scotia mission. ETA- just read gramps didn't go to Canada. That sucks for him, I bet those Mass State Guard were knee-deep in Canadian beer and Eskimo pussy with all the locals boys off gettin' machine gunned in France. |
|
Quoted:
Seeing as how the explosion caused a tidal wave that wiped out the native community there, I doubt there was much interaction with indigenous females "I don't know, but I been told, Eskimo pussy is mighty cold." Captain Snerdley McWhistlebean, Massachusetts State Guard, circa 1918. |
|
Quoted:
Tertiary source at best, and not cited according to either Chicago or APA style, I won't allow it. Quoted:
Quoted:
Check your history: "I don't know, but I been told, Eskimo pussy is mighty cold." Captain Snerdley McWhistlebean, Massachusetts State Guard, circa 1918. |
|
Quoted:
Thanks for the reply's. I have done some digging but am still not quite clear as his involvement was during war time. I put a call in to the State veterans services asking for their input. |