HAVE A RESPECTFUL MEMORIAL DAY, EVERYONE! Two years ago I marked the holiday with a look at the U.S. forces who fought in Russia from 1918-1920. Last year I examined American forces during the Boxer conflict. For this Memorial Day let’s look at some Congressional Medal of Honor recipients from the Spanish-American War.
GEORGE CHARRETTE
Branch of Service: Navy
Rank: Gunner’s Mate 3rd Class
Citation: “In connection with the sinking of the U.S.S. Merrimac at the entrance to the harbor of Santiago de Cuba, 2 June 1898. Despite heavy fire from the Spanish batteries, Charrette displayed extraordinary heroism throughout this operation.”
The Merrimac was being intentionally sunk to try blocking the Spanish ships from being able to come out to fight the U.S. fleet. Charrette was taken prisoner and later exchanged on July 6th, 1898. NOTE: Charrette subsequently served in World War One.
EDWARD LEE BAKER JR.
Branch of Service: Army
Rank: Sergeant-Major
Citation: “For extraordinary heroism on 1 July 1898, while serving with the 10th U.S. Cavalry, in action at Santiago, Cuba. Sergeant-Major Baker left cover and, under fire, rescued a wounded comrade from drowning.”
NOTE: This African-American had served in the storied Buffalo Soldiers during campaigns against the Native Americans in the west prior to the Spanish-American War. After that conflict, Baker served in the Philippine War (1899-1902) and the subsequent campaigns against the Moros and others. Continue reading
The Memorial Day Holiday is marked here at Balladeer’s Blog with posts about neglected conflicts and neglected military units from American history. The latest unit to be examined is the Navy of the Republic of Texas. I’ll examine the period from the Texas Revolution against the tyrannical Mexican government up through the Texas Republic joining the U.S. as the State of Texas. 
POWER MAN Vol 1 #21 (October 1974) 
The hurt and angry Power Man returns to his Hero for Hire office above the Gem Theater. Luke gets attacked there by the original Power Man, a former operative of Baron Zemo who was given his super-strength by the Avengers foe the Enchantress. 
PETER PAN IN KENSINGTON GARDENS – Here at Balladeer’s Blog I like to cover neglected items, even when it comes to popular subjects like Peter Pan. Before the figure became established in the public consciousness as the leader of the Lost Boys in Neverland, J.M. Barrie presented Peter in a very different form. 
This was followed by the 1904 stage play about Peter Pan, which established the more well-known lore regarding the character. In 1906, the six chapters from The Little White Bird were published in a separate book as Peter Pan in Kensington Gardens. That was followed by the 1911 novelized version of the 1904 play, with the novel adding some finishing touches to Peter Pan lore. 
A VERY MISSING PERSON (1972) – This made for tv movie was the pilot for an unsold series that was meant as another rotating slot in the ______Night Mystery Movie offerings from the networks back then. 
The last Withers mystery completed by Stuart Palmer during his lifetime was published in 1954, but he left behind an unfinished novel titled Hildegarde Withers Makes the Scene. Fletcher Flora used Palmer’s notes to finish the novel, which finally saw print in 1969. 
AN INTER-PLANETARY RUPTURE (1906) – Written by Frank L Packard. This work of Science Fiction is set in the far-off year 3102 A.D. Since the year 2532 all of the Earth has been united under one single government, which is headquartered in America’s Washington, D.C. (Yet this was written by a Canadian.) 
