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. 
Previously Balladeer’s Blog has examined 
DECEMBER 1894 – On December 11th France declared war on Madagascar after its rulers refused to willingly become a French Protectorate. Though the French Army would be running this military campaign, the French Navy and their Marines kicked off the action by bombarding and then seizing Toamasina/ Tamatave on the eastern coast of Madagascar. 
CAMERONE DAY – A month ago Balladeer’s Blog examined the 1895 collection of short stories 
THE BATTLE OF CAMERONE (Camaron in Spanish) – Getting back to the topic of this blog post, it’s sort of the French Foreign Legion’s central Alamo event. And I say central because many of the most famous battles of the Legion are like a long series of Alamos. Camerone set the standard, though. As usual, the Legion’s cause was not a virtuous one by our standards. The execrable Napoleon the Third was using the FFL and other French forces to try to prop up his Austrian ally Maximilian, the so-called “Emperor of Mexico.” 
Balladeer’s Blog’s theme of Top Twenty lists for 2020 continues. With Memorial Day coming up in a few weeks let’s take a look at some servicemembers who died in assorted neglected Cold War hostilities. 
OCTOBER 7th, 1952 – Another U.S. Air Force Superfortress encountered Soviet fighters off the coast of Japan and was presumed to have been shot down with 8 crewmen losing their lives. 
Memorial Day Weekend rolls along with another topical post from Balladeer’s Blog. This one covers some naval actions from America’s undeclared, neither fish nor fowl, quasi-Naval War with France. Often called Stoddert’s War in reference to Benjamin Stoddert, America’s first Secretary of the Navy, this conflict was waged largely in the West Indies. 
FRANK C HIGH 
GEORGE W MATHEWS 
Balladeer's Blog 