Register to vote and request your absentee ballot at www.votefromabroad.org

Request that your absentee ballot be emailed to you.

Americans overseas must request their absentee ballots every calendar year. Best to do this now so you are ready for all 2021 elections! Some people missed out on voting in the November election because they had not requested their absentee ballots before the deadline! Register/Request your absentee ballot today! Make sure you are all set to vote in 2021. 

Register To Vote Now--Make Sure You Get Your Ballot

Just go to www.votefromabroad.org and follow the prompts to fill out the form. We recommend you check the box to have your blank ballot sent to you by “Email/Online” or “Fax.”  

After you’ve filled out the form, Email, Fax, or Mail your signed form to your Local Election Office.

During Black History Month, the DA Global Veterans and Military Families Caucus is highlighting the contributions of veterans. 

Featured Black  History Month Veterans:

Doris “ Dorrie” Miller, Midshipman Sydney Barber, Department of Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, James Earl Jones, Montel Williams, Sunny Anderson, Representative Charlie Rangel, Harry Belafonte, Morgan Freeman, Berry Gordy, Jr., Jimi Hendrix, MC Hammer, Mr. T, James Avery, Tucker Smallwood, Skye P. Marshall, Alex Haley, Colonel Guion S.  Bluford, Jr., Lieutenant General Julius W. Becton Jr., Private First Class Milton L. Olive III-Medal of Honor, Admiral Michelle Howard, Rear Admiral Retired Lillian Fishburne, Rear Admiral Annie Andrews, Major General Irene Trowell-Harris, Minuteman Lemuel Haynes, Corporal Freddie Stowers, First Lieutenant Vernon J. Baker, Harriet Tubman, Private Nelson Charles Davis, Secretary of State Colin Powell, Hazel Johnson-Brown, Cathay Williams , Jackie Robinson, Medgar Evers, Vernice Armour

For details on their accomplishments, check Democrats Abroad Veterans and Military Families Caucus - Facebook (www.facebook.com/DAVetsAndMilitaryFamilies)

Join the DA Veterans and Military Families Global Caucus:  [email protected]

Absentee Ballots.

Register/Request your absentee ballot today! Make sure you are all set to vote in 2021.                                            

Register to vote and request your absentee ballot at www.votefromabroad.org.                                                        

Request that your absentee ballot be emailed to you.

Americans overseas must request their absentee ballots every calendar year. Some Americans missed out on voting in the November election because they had not requested their absentee ballots before the deadline! 

Sacrifice at Sea of an Ecumenical Foursome

By Tilly Gaillard (Global VMF Caucus Steering Committee, France)

After midnight on February 3, 1943, the military transport ship SS Dorchester carried soldiers from New York to Greenland. The ship sailed at only 10 knots/hr because of thick layers of ice and snow on the deck, freezing most of the lifeboat riggings; only two could be used. While traveling through the notorious Torpedo Alley, a torpedo from a German submarine hit the ship, and the SS Dorchester sank within 20 minutes. Of the 902 military passengers on board, 672 died; 230 were saved by the U.S. Coast Guard Cutters escorting the convoy. It was the single worst loss of American personnel on any American convoy during World War II.

Four chaplains on board helped the crew, servicemen, and civilian workers abandon the ship. After giving their life jackets away to four soldiers, they joined arms as they sang hymns and prayed together on the deck as the near-freezing sea swallowed their ship. Witnesses of that terrible night remember hearing the four men offer prayers for the dying and encouragement for the survivors. 

Who were these Four Chaplains?

Lt. George L. Fox (42) was a Methodist minister born in Pennsylvania. In 1917 he convinced the military that he was 18, joined the ambulance corps, and was sent as a medical corps assistant to France. His bravery won him the Silver Star, Purple Heart, and the French Croix de Guerre. In June 1934 Fox was ordained and moved to Vermont. Fox reenlisted in the army again in 1942, just when his 18-yr old son, Wyatt, joined the Marine Corps. 

Lt. Reverend Father John Washington (35) was a Roman Catholic Priest from New Jersey. He was once an altar boy and a prizefighter before becoming a priest in June 1935. Pearl Harbor inspired him to join the military. A BB gun accident left him with poor eyesight and a rejection from the navy. So he joined the army. To pass the eye test he covered the same eye twice and hoped the doctors wouldn't notice. It worked.  

Lt. Reverend Clark V. Poling (33) was a Dutch Reformed Church Baptist Minister. As a child of six generations of ministers, his future was preordained. When WWII broke out, he originally didn't want to enlist as a chaplain. "I'm not going to hide behind the church in some safe office out of the firing line”. His father, a chaplain in WWI, reassured him. Chaplains have one of the highest mortality rates.Before joining the Army, Poling served as a pastor in Schenectady, New York.  

Lt. Rabbi Alexander Goode (32) studied for the rabbinate at the Hebrew Union College in Cincinnati, was ordained in 1937 and accepted a pulpit in York, Penn. He got his Ph.D. in Oriental Languages (Theology) from John Hopkins University in 1940. In 1941 he founded the first multicultural mixed-race Boy Scout troop in the U.S. His scouts uniquely could earn Catholic, Jewish and Protestant badges. He wanted to be a navy chaplain but was rejected; so he joined the Army Air Corps. 

Awards and Memorials for the Four Chaplains

The four chaplains received a posthumous Distinguished Service Cross, a Military Order Purple Heart, and President Eisenhower awarded them the Chaplain’s Medal for Heroism in 1960. Congress wanted to award them the Medal of Honor. But that medal is strictly reserved for heroism performed under fire. Clearly, this was heroism performed underwater. 

There are more than 400 memorials in the U.S. devoted to these heroes. In 1948, the U.S. Postal Service issued a commemorative stamp in their honor, and Congress designated February 3 as Four Chaplains Day.

Volunteers practicing a gas drill on Honolulu. Every child over the age of 7 was issued a gas mask after the Pearl Harbor Attack.

Pearl Harbor Remembrance 2020: Pearl Harbor through the eyes of children

By Jim Moss and Tilly Gaillard

December 7th is the anniversary of the surprise bombing of Pearl Harbor, home to the U.S. Pacific Fleet in Hawaii, by the Imperial Japanese Navy. This event triggered the U.S. decision to enter WWII. 

The first strike sank the USS Arizona and its crew in 40 feet of water. 1,177 sailors and Marines were killed while 335 escaped.

In the second strike, 10 torpedoes hit the USS Oklahoma. It sank with 400 men aboard.

In the end, of the 92 ships docked at Pearl Harbor, 19 sank. The final toll was 2,388 dead and 1,178 wounded. The Japanese only lost 29 of their 353.

Suspicion led to the internment of Japanese Americans with as little as 1/16th Japanese blood in detention centers in the U.S. between 1942 and 1945. After the War returning to “normal life” was hard, with no shortage of racism and discrimination.

Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Roy Stacy, former Vice Chair of the DA Brittany Chapter, witnessed the event as a 4-year old and recorded it in his riveting memoirs, A Delinquent’s Detour.

“My earliest remembrance from growing up in Hawaii was when I was 4 years old on December 7, 1941. It was early Sunday morning and my father and I were out washing his pride and joy, a 1936 yellow convertible Packard. Just before 8 am we were surprised to see dozens of fighter aircraft, with bright red zeros, bombs and torpedoes under their fuselages. They dropped over the mountains and began low level attacks on air bases and especially Pearl Harbor.  

My father and I ran down to the beach at the end of our lane where we had an unobstructed view of Pearl Harbor just a kilometer away over the water. After digging shallow fox holes we lay there mesmerized by the continuous explosions. My mother emerged from her hiding place under her bed to periodically run to the beach, check on us, and then return to her under-the-bed air raid shelter.

We learned later that 358 Japanese aircraft had been launched from 6 aircraft carriers north east of Honolulu so they could attack with the blinding sun behind the fighters.  A Japanese hallmark.

From nearby Fort DeRussy some anti aircraft guns hit one aircraft which crash landed at the far end of the beach near us. My father ran down and took a ten inch morsel of the plane and gave it to me as a souvenir. It has unfortunately been lost during the many moves my family made over the years.  

By Monday all the beaches were closed, covered in multiple strands of barbed wire and a curfew in place.  A Japanese invasion was anticipated as had occurred on Wake Island.  Fortunately, it never came.”

Letter from Leo Cruz, Biden Campaign Veterans and Military Families Engagement Director

Friends,

6 days to take our democracy back.

Yesterday, Vice President Biden visited Warm Springs, Georgia and delivered remarks focused on unity and healing with one week left before the general election. He later spoke at a second rally in Atlanta, where he urged Georgians to vote for Democrats up and down the ticket. You can watch his full remarks in Warm Springs and Atlanta.

Today, Joe Biden will receive a briefing from public health experts. After, Vice President Biden will deliver remarks on his plans to beat COVID-19, lower health care costs, and protect Americans with pre-existing conditions. You can watchHERE.

Also today, Kamala Harris will travel to Phoenix and Tucson, Arizona to urge Arizonans to make a plan to vote early. In the morning, Senator Harris will meet with a group of Latina business owners in Tucson. After, Senator Harris will participate in an early vote mobilization event. In the afternoon, Senator Harris will travel to Phoenix to meet with a group of Black leaders. Later, Senator Harris will participate in an early vote mobilization event with Grammy Award-winning singer and philanthropist Alicia Keys.

Yesterday, Joe Biden and Kamala Harris released a statement on the shooting of Walter Wallace Jr. In his statement Joe Biden stated that “Walter Wallace’s life, like too many others’, was a Black life that mattered — to his mother, to his family, to his community, to all of us.”

Get Involved -- Upcoming Biden Veterans and Military Families Events

Wednesday, October 28, 6:00 PM ET: NH Veterans & Military Families Caucus Get Out The Vote: Join the New Hampshire Veterans and Military Families Caucus for a virtual Get Out The Vote Rally! Featured Guest Speakers: The Hon. Ray Mabus, the 75th U.S. Secretary of the Navy, and former Ambassador to Saudi Arabia; the Hon. Patrick J. Murphy, the first Iraq War veteran elected to Congress and former U.S. Undersecretary of the Army; The Hon. Maura Sullivan, former Assistant Secretary in the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and a Marine Corps Veteran; Tam Siekmann, Chair of the Londonderry Democrats, Blue Star Family Member & Marine Corps Spouse.

Wednesday, October 28, 6:30 PM ET:  Michigan GOTV Roundtable on Civil Rights and Military Communities: Join us for a virtual discussion with General Lloyd Newton, USAF, Ret., Professor Gertrude Croom, Dr. Turnera Croom, and Damien Butler, USA and USAF, 2004 - 2018, and Ms. Tracy Pakulniewicz, former Director of Policy Integration, Department of Defense, focusing on the importance of electing Joe Biden for servicemembers and military families of color.

Wednesday, October 28, 6:00 PM CT: GOTV in The Quad Cities and Southeast Iowa with Admiral Michael Franken (Ret.): We’re so excited you’re interested in making calls to elect Joe Biden for President, Theresa Greenfield for Senate and Democrats up and down the ballot in Iowa this November. 🇺🇸 From the comfort of your home, you can help us Get Out the Vote to help elect Democrats all while staying socially distant.

Wednesday, October 28, 8:00 PM ET: Midwest Conservative Veterans for Biden Roundtable: Join former Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense Dr. Joseph Collins; Air Force veteran; Pennsylvania-residents and Ohio-natives RADM Janice Hamby (USN, Ret.) and her husband and U.S. Army veteran Dale Hamby; Illinois-native BG Steven Anderson (USA, Ret.); and Pennsylvania-native and Ohio-resident MG Dennis Laich, (USAR, Ret.) for a Midwest Conservative Veterans for Biden Roundtable moderated by former Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Air Force and Illinois-native Robert Goodwin on Wednesday, October 28th at 8:00PM ET.

Wednesday, October 28th, 8:00 pm ET GOTV with Oprah: Oprah Winfrey is hosting an event with voters from Ohio, Pennsylvania, Michigan, Minnesota, and across the country.

Thursday, October 29, 7:00 PM ET: Michigan National Security GOTV Roundtable: Join us for a virtual discussion with General Lloyd Newton, USAF, Ret., The Honorable Duane Woerth, Brigadier General Don Schenk, USA, Ret., Brigadier General Mark Montjar, USA, Ret., and Ms. Tracy Pakulniewicz, former Director of Policy Integration, Department of Defense,  via Zoom focusing on the national security imperative to elect Joe Biden. 

Connect With Your Fellow Americans

During this time of social distancing, the most impactful thing you can do is reach out to your fellow Americans and ensure they have a plan to vote as soon as possible. Please join a weekly phone bank in critical states across the nation:

• Make a Plan to Vote
• Volunteer with the National Voter Assistance Hotline
• Join the Voter Protection Team as a Poll Observer (for lawyers)
• Late Help: Volunteer full time for 4-Weeks, 10-Days, or 4-Days
• Volunteer in a Battleground State 
• Phonebank (Training Required)
• Text (Training Required)
• Host an Event (Training Required) 
• Attend a relational organizing strategy session

Commemoration of National POW/MIA Recognition Day

Friday, September 18th at 11am

Suresnes American Military Cemetery

National League of Families’ POW/MIA flag being displayed with the US flag. 
©iStockphoto.com/Joseph C. Justice Jr.

As a member of the DA France Veterans and Military Families Caucus, you are invited to an outdoor guided tour of the Suresnes Military Cemetery by the ABMC Staff this Friday, September 18th at 11am followed by a wreath laying on the tomb of the unknown soldier in commemoration of National POW/MIA Recognition Day. There are 974 MIA buried at the Suresnes Cemetery.

Directions: Trains depart from Gare St. Lazare to the Suresnes Mont Valerien station. From the Suresnes station it is a 10-minute walk to the cemetery. Address: 123 Boulevard Washington, 92150 Suresnes.

Many Americans across the United States pause to remember the sacrifices and service of those who were prisoners of war (POW), as well as those who are missing in action (MIA), and their families. All military installations fly the National League of Families’ POW/MIA flag, which symbolizes the nation’s remembrance of those who were imprisoned while serving in conflicts and those who remain missing.

National League of Families’ POW/MIA flag being displayed with the US flag. 

Background

There are 1,741 American personnel listed by the Defense Department's POW/MIA Office as missing and unaccounted for from the Vietnam War, as of April 2009. About 90 percent of the 1,741 people still missing were lost in Vietnam or areas of Laos and Cambodia under Vietnam's wartime control, (Source: National League of Families website and cited on the US Army website).

National POW/MIA Recognition Day has been observed since 1979 upon the passing of a United States Congress resolution. As of 1986 onwards, the date was fixed on the third Friday of September. 

History of the POW/MIA Flag

The National League of Families’ POW/MIA flag symbolizes the United States’ resolve to never forget POWs or those who served their country in conflicts and are still missing. Newt Heisley designed the flag. The flag’s design features a silhouette of a young man, which is based on Mr Heisley’s son, who was medically discharged from the military. As Mr Heisley looked at his returning son’s gaunt features, he imagined what life was for those behind barbed wire fences on foreign shores. He then sketched the profile of his son as the new flag's design was created in his mind.

The flag features a white disk bearing in black silhouette a man’s bust, a watch tower with a guard on patrol, and a strand of barbed wire. White letters “POW” and “MIA”, with a white five-pointed star in between, are typed above the disk. Below the disk is a black and white wreath above the motto “You Are Not Forgotten” written in white, capital letters.

National POW/MIA Recognition Day is not a federal public holiday in the United States but it is a national observance.

Source: https://www.timeanddate.com/holidays/us/pow-mia-recognition-day

CONGRESS

Sen. Duckworth (D-IL) introduced S. 3791, the National Guard COVID-19 Response Stability Act. The bill is currently pending in the Senate Armed Services Committee. The bill would empower governors to extend federal deployments of their Guard units through the duration of the COVID-19 public health emergency. [Bill text not yet publicly available.]

• The House version of this bill is H.R. 6980, introduced by Rep. Kuster (D-NH-2), and is currently pending in the House Armed Services Committee. [Bill text not yet publicly available.]

On June 3rd, the following hearings will take place:

• Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee will hold a hearing on: “Fiscal Year 2021 Budget and 2022 Advance Appropriations Requests, and Fiscal Year 2020 Enacted CARES Act Supplemental Appropriations for the Department of Veterans Affairs”
• House Veterans’ Affairs Subcommittee on Health will hold a virtual hearing: “Mission Readiness: VA’s Preparedness for Natural Disasters During a Pandemic”

Video: Last week, the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Military Construction & Veterans’ Affairs held a hearing on: “Department of Veterans Affairs - Response to COVID-19” (video begins at 3 minutes, 54 seconds)

Earlier this week, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the following three bills by simple voice vote:

1. H.R. 6168 – the Veterans’ Compensation Cost-of-Living Adjustment Act, introduced by Rep. Luria (D-VA-2). This bill would direct the Department of Veterans’ Affairs to increase, as of December 1, 2020, the rates of veterans’ disability compensation, additional compensation for dependents, the clothing allowance for certain disabled veterans, and dependency and indemnity compensation for surviving spouses and children. The percentage increase in benefits would be the same as the cost-of-living increase for Social Security recipients. The bill now heads to the Senate for consideration.
2. S. 3414 – the Major Medical Facility Authorization Act, introduced by Sen. Moran (R-KS). This bill would authorize the Department of Veterans Affairs’ to carry out specified major medical facility projects during FY2020. There are seven projects: West LA, CA; San Diego, CA; Livermore, CA; San Juan, Puerto Rico; Manhattan, NY; Alameda, CA; Louisville, KY. The bill now moves to the White House for Trump’s signature into law.
3. S. 3084 – A bill to modify the limitation on pay for certain high-level employees and officers of the Department of Veterans’ Affairs, introduced by Sen. Moran (R-KS). This bill amends title 38 of the U.S. Code to modify the limitation on pay for certain employees and officers of the Department of Veterans’ Affairs. The bill now moves to the White House for Trump’s signature into law.

Details: Upcoming webinar with IAVA’s Jeremy Butler and U.S. Sen. Jon Tester (D-MT) to discuss veterans’ access to health care and programs to assist veterans in need

RECENT ISSUE:

• Video: Trump administration cuts National Guard deployment a day short of benefits accrual
• House Letter Calling on Trump to Extend National Guard Activation to Combat COVID-19

RESPONSE:

• Bipartisan, bicameral letter from members of Congress to Trump regarding National Guard benefits for COVID-19 response
• American Legion press release
• Letter to DoD regarding states and the National Guard

House Armed Services Committee press release: Statement in response to the Navy granting its first waiver to allow a transgender service member to remain in uniform

Article: Sam Johnson, Vietnam POW who became a Texas congressman, dies at 89

Article: New Mexico senator presents veterans' histories to Library of Congress

Article: Sen. Booker renews effort to get 74 sailors' names added to Vietnam Veterans Memorial

Article: Veterans Affairs budget hearing represents first steps toward normal operations for Congress

Video: Congressman Lieu (D-CA-33) speaks to Democrats Abroad

Article: Lawmakers call on VA to provide more data on minority veterans affected by COVID-19

Video: Last week, the House Veterans’ Affairs Subcommittee on Disability Assistance and Memorial Affairs held a virtual forum on: “Virtual Forum: Veterans' Disability Examinations in the Time of COVID-19: A Way Forward” (video begins at 8 minutes, 16 seconds)

Video: the Women Veterans Task Force held a virtual roundtable on: “Resilience and Coping: Mental Health of Women Veterans” (video begins at 3 minutes, 47 seconds)

Video: Two weeks ago, the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs Chairman spoke with Jose Ramos, Wounded Warrior Project’s (WWP) Vice President of Government and Community Relations, to discuss the unique challenges faced by women veterans during the pandemic and veterans’ ability to access healthcare while unemployed

Tweet: For Memorial Day, Rep. Lamb (D-PA-17) paid respect at a memorial service

Tweet: For Memorial Day, Rep. Pappas (D-NH-1) attended local observances

Tweet: For Memorial Day, Rep. Levin (D-CA-49) attended a local event

Instagram: For Memorial Day, Rep. Underwood (D-IL-14) paid respect at a military cemetery

Letter from the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs Chairman to the Department of Veterans’ Affairs Secretary urging VA to fully and fairly implement paid sick leave and telework policies and procedures after hearing that some VA employees had been unfairly denied these key benefits that keep them safe and healthy during the COVID-19 pandemic

Two weeks ago, the leaders of the House and Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committees sent a joint letter to the Government Accountability Office (GAO) on the use and management of the emergency relief funds that were appropriated to the Department of Veterans’ Affairs following passage of the CARES Act.

Statement from Sen. Tester (D-MT) on Memorial Day

Statement from the Speaker on Memorial Day

Sens. Tester (D-MT), Rounds (R-SD), Reed (D-RI), and Hoeven (R-ND) introduced S. 3788, the Veterans Cemetery Grants Improvement Act.  This bill would double the current $5 million limit on vet cemetery grants. The bills is currently pending in the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee. The House version of this bill is H.R. 5487, introduced by Del. Sablan (D-NMI).

House floor speech by Rep. Wilson (R-SC-2) on the National Guard

ELSEWHERE IN GOVERNMENT

Article: Latinos are fastest growing population in US military, but higher ranks remain out of reach

• Artículo: Los militares de EEUU son más diversos que nunca pero los latinos no están siendo ascendidos a oficiales

Article: VA says employees have masks and coronavirus tests, but Congress sees inconsistencies

Article: Live nuclear testing could resume in ‘months’ if needed, official says

DoD Article: Military Medical Experts Explore Psychological Impacts of COVID-19

Article: Coronavirus delays new child care priority system, but good news for Coast Guard military families

Article: VA-led research effort shows how medical devices can have well-known seal of approval

Article: Amid criticism, Secretary Wilkie won’t commit to removing Nazi headstones from VA cemeteries

Trump remarks: Rolling to Remember Ceremony: Honoring our Nation’s Veterans and POW/MIA

Trump remarks: Memorial Day Ceremony in Baltimore

Article: DoD launches financial site for Military spouses

Article: Air Force fails to deal with racial disparities in military justice, report says

Article: Telework capacity quadruples during pandemic, VA says

Article: VA says onboarding changes made during the pandemic will ‘change the way we hire forever’

Article: New changes to the VA Home Loan

Article: How the Pandemic Is Helping The Military Prep For World War III

VA press release: VA conducts deep-dive study into effects of COVID-19 on Veterans

Article: VA Union Seeks Injunction Against Impasses Panel

Article: Senate Confirms Braithwaite as Next SECNAV

New CRS report: Full Practice Authority for VA Registered Nurse Anesthetists (CRNAs) During the COVID-19 Pandemic

New CRS report: Delivery of VA Telehealth Services During COVID-19

New GAO report: Defense Health Care: Additional Information and Monitoring Needed to Better Position DOD for Restructuring Medical Treatment Facilities

Article: Social Security Honors Our Military Heroes

Article: Trump’s Decision to Freeze WHO Funding Worries the US Military

OTHER

Op-ed: James Mattis: Let’s honor the fallen by protecting our fragile experiment in democracy

Editorial: Why Does the U.S. Military Celebrate White Supremacy?

Article: Military families need—and can’t get—mental health care

Opinion piece: Supporting the mental health of military families

Article: German auction house sells historic Medal of Honor despite US opposition

Editorial: Never forget

Editorial: Memorial Day is every day right now

Editorial: Our national shame: COVID-19 in nursing homes

Editorial: Returning favor for veterans

Editorial: Remember the sacrifice of our fallen

Editorial: Military base becomes a COVID-19 black hole

American Legion press release: Illinois post makes smooth transition to virtual world

Opinion piece: Advocate for military families' right to vote this Memorial Day

Article: Military Families Have Been Pushed To The Brink By COVID-19

Photos: Veterans who died of coronavirus honored in powerful photographs

Article: COVID-19 delays Congressional Gold Medal for many Chinese-American WWII vets

Article: Suicide risk for veterans could grow as coronavirus crisis winds down

Op-ed: Honor those who serve our country at home and abroad

Op-Ed: We’ve learned to thank those who serve, whether it’s in war or during a pandemic

Op-ed: What happens to veterans’ healthcare post-COVID-19?

Article: Tax incentives and reliefs for US military and veterans

Article: For some vets who have died during pandemic, military honors must wait

Article: Veterans disability exams to resume at some sites as backlog hits 114,000, nearly doubling in six months

Opinion piece: Why War Powers Matter to Military Families | Opinion

DA-V&MFC web site post: Remembering the Fallen on Memorial Day

DA Global Chair web site post: Statement on Memorial Day

DNC Chair web site post: Statement on Memorial Day

Article: Military families share Memorial Day with nation mourning coronavirus losses

Video: Recognizing the service of Native American veterans

Article: This unique community is a haven for military families

Article: The forgotten history of Memorial Day

LEST WE EVER FORGET

 Memorial Day was indeed different this year. The staff at several US military cemeteries in France performed a small ceremony and afterwards laid the wreaths  of Democrats Abroad France on the graves of mostly Afro-American soldiers.  We were thus still able to honor the men and women who lost their lives defending our freedoms. Meredith Wheeler was able to be present to honor the two OSS Commandos downed in the Tarn. 60% of the WW1 soldiers buried in Suresnes had died in the Spanish Flu pandemic.

Private Mitchell Davis, Suresnes Cemetery, a Howard University Law Graduate and an Afro-American soldier who died of the “Spanish Flu” pandemic in 2018, is one of the few highly educated African-Americans that are being cared for at the cemetery.  He even wrote a book entitled One Hundred Choice Quotations by Prominent Men and Women of the Negro Race.

"Through avalanches of prejudices; industrial barriers; professional intrigues; legal technicalities; diplomatic effronteries, and political buffetings, the American Negro has, at last arrived before the public eye, as a factor not easily to be evaded" 
~Mitchell Davis, One Hundred Choice Quotations by Prominent Men and Women of the Negro Race, 1917.