USCGC Halfmoon (WHEC-378) and the Lobster Wars

This is one of my Coast Guard pictures that I took, while aboard the USCGC Halfmoon. We were on patrol in the Florida Straits this January 1967 as we would be on our way to GITMO to play games with the Navy.

I had just come “on watch”, 12 Jan 1967, when I heard “May-Day, May-Day” with words we would hear today, “shots fired”.

The photo I took that morning as one of our Life Boards, with a “boarding party” escorted the Bahama Mama to our port side for further investigation. Later in the day, the FBI and others would be arrive and we all would head into Miami.

I bring this up today, as I just found the Newspaper article that talks about this event.

Star-Gazette, 12 Jan 1967, Thu, Other Editions, Page 3 — Newspaper.com.

I remember the when we got home, my mother had a newspaper article, from her local newspaper, pinned to the Map she had with my adventures on the Halfmoon. She also mentioned that we were on the Philadelphia TV Station news for that day.

Have found several other articles while searching through the Newspaper.com website about the family.

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Ships Log Book – Online

Today, October 24, 2018, the Nation Archives is holding a National Archives Virtual Genealogy Fair.

On 15 August 2018 DearMYRTLE and a Wacky Wednesday featuring Jennifer Holik who discussed US MILITARY: MORNING REPORTS. Here a link to that webinar.

https://zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_0aBwuPvhT1imR3lv8e0OTA

During the show, I looked to see if the US Coast Guard Cutter Halfmoon was listed anywhere or had any Ships Log books. I did not find any.

I thought that I would look, again, to see if there were any. This time I searched differently, after browsing for a few minutes, and realized that the Archives used USCG (Coast Guard) and I think I used USCGC (Coast Guard Cutter) in my earlier search. And I found the ship’s log books for 05/1967 and 06/1967, while we were in Vietnam.

My name is on two pages, where I spent the night on a swift boat going up one of the rivers, and the previous month one of my bosses was listed as well. Another boss, was listed several times doing Shore Patrol. — I have written proof that I was in Vietnam.

I know when this picture was taken, because I was returning from that night on a swift boat, like the one in the picture.

The log entry for leaving

and returning

What was interesting and may be important to others, our ship has been on and off of the “Agent Orange” list several times. I had a ship mate ask me several years ago if I had pictures, which I did. But this Log Book has names, ranks, and serial numbers and that we were in Vietnam

In a Facebook posting, That ship mate responded to my post there, letting me know that he in fact was drawing 100% Permanent & Total due to Agent Orange and that another ship mate was in the same position as he, and that we lost another ship mate due to complications of diabetes.

The ship is back on the Agent Orange List, but if one had to prove that they were on the ship at the time, this Log Book would help document that they were on board.

I read both month’s log books, all very interesting, and have sent FB Messages to several of my ship mates to let them know that they are ONLINE.

Thank you National Archives for making these Ships Logs available to us.

https://catalog.archives.gov/id/83869328

— Happy Family History Month

The Cemetery Keeper’s Wife–Book Signing

(note to self – get more pictures on this blog)

Last night I had the honor of meeting Maryann McFadden as a local library as a book signing. Remember I don’t read books, cover to cover, with this exception. I wanted to hear her speak about this book.

I was totally impressed, but from what I do in my spare time. Family History Research. She is obviously a writer, but her journey in how this book became real, might be the same or similar journey for us.

Someone nudging us along the way, dropping hints, following those leads, investigating (searching) other leads or hints, making sure we have the right information, evaluating the evidence, and writing it down. In Maryann’s case, writing the story.

This story is about a long, young lady, who was murdered in our little town. Swept under the rug and forgotten by most. But a monument in her honor, is at the highest point in the major cemetery in town.

Maryann told us what she believes is the Tilley Smith story. Tilly can’t be forgotten, and now we have her story told through a 21st century person Rachel. (oh, my Grandmother’s name was Rachel, and I need to tell her story). But I wondered how much of Rachel, is the voice of Maryann herself.

If I heard “between the lines” that Tilley has had a close eye on Maryann, dropping hints for years, hoping she would pick them up.

My earlier blog posts, and the ones to come (hopefully) I have mentioned that I could sit and home reading this book, and visualize the places that were in the story, making the story in the book real.

I’m not a reader, let along a writer, but I have done family research for another family, who is buried in this cemetery and have taken many, many pictures in the cemetery. I fact a couple of photos from this cemetery are in one of my talks.

One other, small event, that Maryann talked about at the book signing, and is in the book, I also experienced.

Being a murder, there was some references to a trial. That story is in a different book, but Maryann was called for jury duty in our local county. I sat in the same waiting room, and went into the same court room, waiting to be called. (fortunately for me, I wasn’t called). I knew about Tilley Smith, had taken many pictures of the monument, but didn’t make the connection until I read about it in the book and during the talk last night.

I was clearly reminded that WE, as family researchers, need to get beyond the Names, Dates, and Places, and get those stories that we develop “out there”. I have chosen a blog post or two, but beside the “cousin bait” use of a Blog, Telling our Ancestor’s story “out there” is another use for a blog.

DearMYRTLE and I have a Genealogy Game Show, “Who’s In My Line”, designed specifically for that purpose.

Bottom Line, after listening to Maryann McFadden, Follow those “voices” that we hear, some one (our Ancestors) want to be found! It’s our job to tell that story.

The Cemetery Keeper’s Wife

The Cemetery Keeper’s Wife (2018)

The Cemetery Keeper’s Wife-the Bridge

continuing from my reading of The Cemetery Keeper’s Wife, by Maryann McFadden.

In The Cemetery Keeper’s Wife–#2 I mentioned the Musconetcong River. The Bridge was accurately described, but there is more.

A very short walk or drive, you approach this bridge.

Ordinary, you can see the “river” to the right, can’t see the left side yet.

The trick to this bridge, beside the noise as you cross it, is that this picture is in Warren County, and the tree ahead is in Morris County.

The drives Find-A-Grave folks crazy, especially locals. On that website, you won’t find Union Cemetery, Hackettstown, in Morris County. All of the headstones are in that county (Morris). Yes, there is a back entrance, from Morris County into the Cemetery.

Looking back across the bridge, back into Warren County is this.

I think that the author described it well. Oh, and I have driven across it many times in a pick up truck.

The Cemetery Keeper’s Wife–the Office

More from my reading of The Cemetery Keeper’s Wife, by Maryann McFadden.

Early on, after “Rachel” arrives at her new home, she is introduced to “The Seven Dwarf’s Cottage”, but officially The Office.

 

I had to look through my photograph’s to find a picture, but who takes a picture of the Office, when your mission is the photograph headstones??

Later in the book, her description of the inside of the office was that of someone who had been inside. I have, at least once. I could see the office from the description.

I was trying to locate a grave site, but they didn’t have a database. I had the map, so they told me in what area, so I went.

As I normally do, I tried to find someone who might have inventoried the cemetery. They had, but I am sure it isn’t as accurate as “Rachel” would have had it.

I think that of all of the times I have visited, have I only seen some one at the office that one time. The database is on the local Historical Society website.

 

 

The Cemetery Keeper’s Wife–The Gate

… continuing from my reading of The Cemetery Keeper’s Wife, by Maryann McFadden.

As a researcher or a photographer taking pictures for the Find A Grave website, my first photo is that of a sign or an entrance to the Cemetery. I didn’t have to look hard for that, as I have visited it many times and have taken many pictures of the gate. I try to “book end” the pictures taken at that cemetery. (first and last photo of that series)

The problem with this is the wires. (no photo editing for me).

There is an interesting part of this cemetery is that the entrance and official location of the Cemetery and where folks are buried, are in two different counties. There is a genealogy point of interest in this. To my knowledge, no one is buried in the county where this cemetery can be found on Find A Grave. But, I digress.

Oh, the sign:

It’s been around for a while, established in 1857 according to a website. Historic Hackettstown – The Union Cemetery.

On my way out today, this is from the other side of the gate.

Many parades have come though this gate, the annual Memorial Day Parade. You may hear about this in the book.

As my visit today was shortly after Memorial Day, there are flags all over the cemetery (for a later blog post), but the gate also has a left over of the parade.

For a small town, they do it up right.

 

The Cemetery Keeper’s Wife–#2

More from my reading of The Cemetery Keeper’s Wife, by Maryann McFadden.

We had a hurricane in our area in September 2011. In the book, we hear about the Musconetcong River in this book. From my photograph collection from Union Cemetery, here are a couple of pictures of the results of the rain from that hurricane.

This first one is from the “office”, which you will read about, that wet day.

The office:

I do have other pictures of the office, but that’s for another time.

The “Shop”

Our local Canadian Geese had more “room to play” on this day.