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Next on a special memorial day edition of New Hampshire Outlook. the orgins of decoration day. A preview of New Hampshire's walk of History. And, The first war dog memorial in New England. |
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Hello. I'm Allison McNair. Welcome to this special edition of NH Outlook. |
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We are in the Hall of Flags of the New Hampshire Statehouse in Concord. Each of the flags in these glass cases signifies a part of New Hampshire's military history - of more than 320 years of fighting for and defending our freedom. These flags, many of them tattered and torn in battle, are vivid symbols of sacrifice. |
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Another visible symbol is the soldier's gravestone. It is at the heart of today's commemoration. Producer Chip Neal looks at the history of Memorial Day |
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In this story University of New Hampshire Professor of American Studies, David Watters walks us through the history and evolution of the Memorial Day holiday. We learn how it started after the Civil War as a ceremony to honor the Civil War dead. Then over the years it expanded to include all war dead. It also featured a custom of decorating the graves with flowers and other items. In fact the holiday has also been called "Decoration Day" because of this tradition. Since the holiday started simultaneously in dozens of locations around the country, in 1966 President Lyndon Johnson declared Waterloo, New York as the official birthplace of Memorial Day. They claimed a memorial day celebration of their Civil War dead on May 5, 1866. In this story Professor Watters also talks about the changes and trends in gravestone decorations we are seeing recently. Changes that reflect a return to some more ancient traditions of gravestone decorations. Money and broken glass and personal jewlery might be found on gravestones now. |
| Intro walk of history Return to index of stories... |
Just a few years ago, New Hampshire veterans and their families who wanted a burial in a military cemetery had to leave the state to find one. That changed in 1997 when the state set aside 104 acres in Boscawen for the New Hampshire Veterans Cemetery. Since it opened, the veterans' cemetery has become a place for hundreds of families to remember their loved ones. In this story first broadcast last year, producer Richard Ager tells us, it will soon be a place to commemorate more than three centuries of New Hampshire's military history. |
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Track: This peaceful corner of rural New Hampshire has become a final resting place for American soldiers, sailors and flyers who served their country around the globe but whose final desire was to come home to New Hampshire. Bite: NH Vet Cemetery tape 13:38 We ask our men and women to give their lives for our democratic principles and that doesn't come to conclusion until we've buried them appropriately with military honors. And being a military man for 35 years, I hope when my day comes that I will be able to be placed in a military cemetery and have appropriate honors. And I think that's what we look forward to. Track: Richard Ducey served in Vietnam and has been diagnosed with terminal cancer caused by Agent Orange. Bite: Richard Ducey tape 00:00;08 I've selected the NH Veterans Cemetery as my final resting place even though I was eligible to be buried at Arlington National Cemetery. I had at one time thought of doing that, but it was more important to me to be buried here. When I left to fight for my country, I had a sense not only of fighting for America in general - most of which I had never seen - but fighting for NH, for my community, for my neighborhood. That was about all the experience I'd had at 18 years old. But as I look back on it, it occurs to me that I'm very proud to live in NH. I've traveled all over the world but I always come back here. This is home. And it's the home of my family and I'd like to be there. Track: With 128,000 veterans, New Hampshire has one of the country's highest ratios of veterans to population. NH Vet Cemetery tape 46:59 Standup: Chief Warrant Officer Ernest Holm, a veteran of World War One and World War Two, was the first to be buried here at the cemetery in November, 1997. Since that time, more than 600 others have been interred here and the pace is expected to increase as the veterans population continues to age. By 2008, they expect more than one burial a day. Track: When Roger Desjardins took charge of the veterans cemetery last year, he found the cemetery rules had denied burial to a decorated veteran of World War Two - because he lived in Massachusetts while his grown children lived in New Hampshire. So Desjardins pushed hard to change that - and succeeded. Bite: NH Vet Cemetery tape 24;02 As a veteran of 31 years, it really bothered me that we had to say no to a veteran. It's not right. I believe that NH is really going to stand out because NH is the first state veterans cemetery in the east to allow out of state veterans to be buried in their cemetery. It's common in the west - but we're the first in the east. The Dept. of Veterans Affairs is very proud of us for doing that, and we're very proud of that as well. Track: Another point of pride is the Walk of History that will soon be constructed at the cemetery. It will feature 20 marble monuments to New Hampshire's military history from the first militia in 1680 to modern times. Soundup: Desert Storm tape 48:15 Homecoming Track: Most Americans can recall the homecoming of the troops who served in the Gulf War. The overwhelming speed of victory in that conflict seemed to ease the more painful memories of the Vietnam War. But as the veterans of the world wars and Korean war succumb to age, memories of those conflicts are fading. Film preserves images of the Spanish-American War a century ago - but earlier times are easily forgotten. The walk of history will educate visitors with information that can surprise, even about well-known historic events in nearby Boston. Bite: NH Vet Cemetery tape 26:23 A famous battle that took place there was the Battle of Bunker Hill as we know it today. The history shows that there were 1500 citizen soldiers that fought against 2500 of what was considered the best of the British army. The history also shows that 960 - about 2/3 of those 1500 - were NH citizen soldiers - who put down their plowshares to go defend what they felt was appropriate at that time. Track: For 320 years, New Hampshire's fighting men and women have served their country and state and too often paid the price. Richard Ducey tape 00;01:35 I have no regrets about that because, having survived Vietnam, I am so much luckier than the 57,000 who didn't. And having had 30 years before this terminal illness, I've had the opportunity to have a wife and a family and a career. I have no regrets whatsoever and my family is well aware of that. I don't think that I've done anything extraordinary at all. I think that I've just simply stepped forward as every American should be willing to do in order to perpetuate what we have, what we enjoy, and not take it for granted. Track: On these 100 acres in Boscawen, veterans receive their due; a final payment for their service. It is a fine place for the lessons of history. For NH Outlook, I'm Richard Ager. |
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Joining me is Col. Gary Cyr, who has been working on fundraising for the Walk of History. |
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Another campaign is underway to build a memorial to some unsung heroes of war. The memorial will honor dogs. When General Patton's troops hit the beaches of Sicily during World War II many had war dogs by their sides. Dogs have been used in conflicts ever since. On June 22, in Barrington, these veterans will be honored with the first war dog memorial to be built in New England. Phil Vaughn has the story. |
| War Dogs Return to index of stories... |
Shots of John and Doug meeting Narration 1 - It's been 32 years since these guys have seen each other. They trained together and fought together in Vietnam. As young marines, John McCollett, Doug Boyd and Bill Barbeau worked as scout dog handlers. Bill 1-1038 "What do you have? This is a picture of me and my dog Colonel." John 4- 45 "Anytime I got into a firefight, Colonel would stay with me. I could turn him lose and he would stay right with me." Doug 1-1510 - "This is me at 19 - Irish should have gotten the Congressional Medal of Honor, he saved my life." Narration 2 - This reunion, for these Vietnam Vets has special significance. The American Legion in Barrington is planning to construct a war dog memorial. It will stand here at the Pine Grove cemetery in Barrington. John and the other dog handlers have been asked to participate. Clayton 6 - 710/350 "What we're trying to do here is recognize the dogs our forgotten heroes. Just during the Korean War, they estimate there were 65% fewer casualties because of the dogs. In Vietnam, they saved over 10,000 lives." Dissolve to film/photos Narration 3 - Dogs have been used in American conflicts for more than two centuries. From the American Revolution to the present day, they have fought loyally along side our troops. About 4,000 dogs went to Vietnam. They were trained for sentry duty - guarding airfields and personnel. Some dogs were used to track the enemy. And many were there as scout dogs. Bill 2-148 "Scout dogs would hunt people. They would use their sight, sound and smell - nothing would get by you." Narration 4 - Scout dogs were trained at Fort Benning in Georgia. That's where John, Bill and Doug trained, as well. Once in Vietnam, scout dog handlers were assigned to walk point - out in front of their units. The dogs would alert their handlers to North Vietnamese soldiers waiting in ambush. They were even able to detect fine trip wires that were used to detonate booby-traps. Bill 2-2:40 "They could see the wires, they could smell the scent and they could hear the wind blowing through the wires." Doug 5-1925/1649 "They would alert you. And if you ignored them, they would sit in front of you. If you tried to go around, they would move in front. It was one of those things that you had that confidence in your dog. If I had to do it without my dog my life expectancy would be less than that of a machine-gunner when contact was made." Bill 2- 1350 - "The most important mission for us was if we took six men out then six men would come back. And my animal. When he was sick I was sick, when he ate, I ate, we were together all the time." Photo Narration 5 - This is Colonel. John spent his entire tour of duty, 13 month at his side. Vietnam was a strange and frightening place for the young New Englander. There were dangerous jungles, hidden enemy and plenty of death. But, there was also Colonel who helped John survive. John 3 - 24:14 "The element of surprise is what the dog eliminated. You would have a couple of seconds to get yourself ready." Narration 6 - Which is what happened at a place called C2. John 3 - 24:30 "We had been in our second day in, all of sudden my dog alerted. I looked up to see , I had kept my eyes on my dog , I was much more confident in my dog than myself, when I looked up I looked an MVA right in the eye, full helmet branches sticking out of his helmet, and he didn't think I saw him, and he put his head down and it was and L shaped ambush, I turned around and gave the signal for a break to the team, if I'm not mistaken there was 8 men on the team, and the team leader came up and asked me what was up and I said we had an ambush in front of us. He asked me what I wanted to do and I said, start throwing grenades, and smoke and what ever we had and let them have it, the first grenade we threw was gas, then we started throwing frags, and gunning them down and it turned out to be NVA soldiers, and a number of them, how many we don't know, they did confirm we killed 15." Bill 2- 1320 "There are a lot of guys who would have been dead if not for these dogs." John 2- 9:30 "When I was weary, he would come over as if he were slapping me on the back. He gave me a lot of strength. I thanked the Lord to have that dog because for the men who didn't, I can't imagine what it would have been like for them." Doug 5- 2525 "It was pretty easy to die there. Yes. The dog would give up its life for you. Without hesitation." Narration 7 - During his stay in Vietnam, Doug handled two dogs. Irish, his first was killed while saving him from an enemy attack. The second dog, Prince was given to another handler upon Doug's return home. Satan also continued to work with the Marines, following Bill's tour of duty. Colonel stayed behind - a thought that still haunts John. 3-2710/30:00 "I had to give him to another handler, I remember it very clearly, due to the fact that he was such a good dog, I was allowed to pick the handler that he went to, I remember it very clearly, handing the leash to him, turning around walking away from him, one of the hardest days of my life to walk away from that dog. I was so close to the dog, I was so endeared to him, if I think about him I can still feel him I can still smell him, but each time he would do something for me, or for us it made me closer, it made me appreciate him, made me thankful for the privilege of having a dog and someone so close to me, someone I could depend on, he was everything to me, he brought me home." Narration - Of the 4,000 dogs that served in Vietnam, about 300 died in combat. Most that did survive were euthanized and buried there. John 3- 29:25 "If he could have lived out his life I would have been happy - to know that he could die as someone's pet. But the gov't didn't see them that way, the gov't saw them as equipment and put him down. It was not a good thing, I miss him daily." Narration - For NH Outlook, I'm Phil Vaughn. |
| Tag War Dogs Return to index of stories... |
The war dog memorial ceremony will take place June 22 in Barrington. For more information, email the organizers at rsi-AT-concentric-dot-net. |
| Intro Respects Return to index of stories... |
When you join the military, in many senses you are in it for life, even after your active service ends. And in one very special sense, a veteran remains part of the military even after death. As producer Richard Ager tells us, that was the case for the late Dorothy Martell - mother, grandmother and World War Two Navy veteran. |
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Soundup: Veterans tape 1 02:40 tight on priest "So let us commend our sister to the Lord…" Track: When Dorothy Martell died last month at the age of 78, her military service lay 55 years in the past. In 1944, as WW2 raged on, Dorothy joined the Navy's WAVES - Women Accepted for Voluntary Emergency Service. Bite: Veterans tape 1 16:33 Those were the WAVES. And they were brought on board to do whatever needed to be done. And that meant everything from nurses to clerical duty to working in shipyards and helping out wherever people needed assistance. Bite: Veterans tape 1 20:58 Her need to help people was something she was born with, and when the time came that people were needed, she just felt it was her turn to help. Track: Dorothy served for two years in the WAVES, performing mostly clerical duties in Washington. In November of 1946, Dorothy Martell left the Navy. With the war over, she worked as a bookkeeper and raised her two sons on her own. She always remained a quiet patriot. Bite: Veterans tape 1 24:04 When I was married, she bought a flagpole and a flag for me and put it in my yard. Bite: Veterans tape 2 03:23 At the time, I didn't associate that with patriotism, which is such an abstract thing. Mom, of all the things, a flagpole? Bite: Veterans tape 1 24:10 And she put a flagpole in her driveway, and she couldn't see it by looking out the window. So she got another flagpole and put a second flagpole and put it by the back door so that when she looked out the window, she could see the flag and the flagpole. Track: As Dorothy got older, she developed serious health problems. Bite: Veterans tape 2 2:25 For several years, I tried to get her to go to the VA to see about medications or new glasses or whatever, and she would always say 'they won't remember - it was so long ago. Oh no, no.' Anyway, one day she did and I think she was proud beyond belief and surprised that - yeah, they did remember. Track: Though decades had passed, Dorothy finally claimed her due. And in her final year, with her memory gone, she lived at the NH State Veteran's Home in Tilton. Bite: Veterans tape 1 14:13 We didn't know her as a young woman, we didn't know her as a young mother, grandmother. We only knew her at the end of her life, but felt very proud to be able to care for her during her last days with us. Bite: Veterans tape 2 15:05 At a certain point she's responding to human kindness - she didn't know who they were. But that didn't matter to the people working there. They still treated her like a special friend - like their own family. Soundup: Veterans tape 1 05:04 Taps Begins Bite: Veterans tape 1 06:20 "On behalf of the President of the United States, and the chief of Naval Operations, please accept this flag as a symbol of appreciation for your mother's dedicated service to her country and a proud navy. - salute Track: The military honor guard is the final act in a bond of duty between veteran and country. It signifies continuity in the military, as each generation pays respect to those who have gone before it. Bite: Veterans tape 1 19:48 I get a sense of personal satisfaction - and I think it's very important that the family see a full circle - and I like to be that piece of the circle. That's what I get out of it personally. Someday, I think my son will be getting a flag from somebody else - and - the circle continues. Track: The honor guard is also a reminder that veterans served in their youth and vigor. Bite: Veterans tape 2 8:40. My sense of my mother in these last few years is this tiny, shriveled-up little old lady. Go visit her in the hospital and can't find her in the bed, she's so small- holding onto a little teddy bear. Going through the photographs, the years in the service - with her family - she had a life. Soundup: Finish taps over photos of Dorothy in service uniform |
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That's it for this edition of our program. For all of us here at New Hampshire Public Television, I'm Ally McNair. Thanks for joining us. We'll see you next time on New Hampshire Outlook. |
| founders Return to index of stories... |
Thanks to our founding sponsors who have provided major funding for the production of New Hampshire Outlook: New Hampshire Charitable Foundation Public Service of New Hampshire Alice J. Reen Charitable Trust Putnam Foundation Stratford Foundation |
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NEW HAMPSHIRE OUTLOOK Air Date/Time:5/27/02 / 2200 HOST: Allison McNair Length: 4:42 In addition to a summary of the day's top New Hampshire stories, this edition of New Hampshire Outlook, NHPTV's nightly news magazine, included a report on the history of Memorial Day. PRODUCER/REPORTER: Chip neal NAME OF PARTICIPANTS: Prof. David Watters\American Studies UNH |
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NEW HAMPSHIRE OUTLOOK Air Date/Time:5/27/02 / 2200 HOST: Allison McNair Length: 5:12 In addition to a summary of the day's top New Hampshire stories, this edition of New Hampshire Outlook, NHPTV's nightly news magazine, included report on The New Hampshire Veterans Cemetery. Just a few years ago, New Hampshire veterans and their families who wanted a burial in a military cemetery had to leave the state to find one. That changed in 1997 when the state set aside 104 acres in Boscawen for the Since it opened, the veterans' cemetery has become a place for hundreds of families to remember their loved ones. As we found out it will soon be a place to commemorate more than three centuries of New Hampshire's military history. PRODUCER/REPORTER: Richard Ager NAME OF PARTICIPANTS: Gen Joseph Simeone\NH Adjutant General Richard Ducey\NH Veteran |
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NEW HAMPSHIRE OUTLOOK Air Date/Time:5/27/02 / 2200 HOST: Allison McNair Length: 8:28 In addition to a summary of the day's top New Hampshire stories, this edition of New Hampshire Outlook, NHPTV's nightly news magazine, included a report on a the unsung hero's of war- dogs. When General Patton's troops hit the beaches of Sicily during World War II many had war dogs by their sides. Dogs have been used in conflicts ever since. On June 22, in Barrington, these veterans will be honored with the first war dog memorial to be built in New England. PRODUCER/REPORTER: Phil Vaughn NAME OF PARTICIPANTS: John McCollett\War Dog Handler Clayton Bousquin\Cmndr, American Legion 114 Bill Barbeau\War Dog Handler Doug Boyd\War Dog Handler |
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NEW HAMPSHIRE OUTLOOK Air Date/Time:5/27/02 / 2200 HOST: Allison McNair Length: 4:30 In addition to a summary of the day's top New Hampshire stories, this edition of New Hampshire Outlook, NHPTV's nightly news magazine, included a profile of the late Dorothy Martell - mother, grandmother and World War Two Navy veteran. PRODUCER/REPORTER: Richard Ager NAME OF PARTICIPANTS: Lt Cmndr Ken Georgevits\US Naval Reserve Peter Martell\Son Joseph Martell\Son Ellen Douville\NH Veterans Home |
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For information on our program, and links to our guests and interviews, log on to our web site at nhptv.org. You can see and hear streaming video of our broadcasts. If you've got a story idea or comment on our program, we want your feedback. Call us at 800-639-2721. |
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On the next New Hampshire Outlook - |
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For information on our program, and links to our guests and interviews, log on to our web site at nhptv.org. You can see and hear streaming video of our broadcasts. If you've got a story idea or comment on our program, we want your feedback. Call us at 800-639-2721. |