April Fools Day – 2018

As the sun rises this morning, I will be on my way to Florida, with my family for a 5 night Disney Cruise. It’s our 2nd Disney Cruise, as a family, but today will be very different for me.

Back tracking 51 years, or the Winter of 1967, I had returned from a different type of cruise, that is on the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Halfmoon (WAVP-378). That cruise was to GITMO, to play war games with the U.S. Navy. This was my 2nd cruise to GITMO, but this return was very different.

When we return, late February, something very different happened. A swarm of Engineers swarmed our rusty bucket of bolts, and started to talk about air conditioning. March, Air Conditioning, Snow, hmm, something weird is going on. Oh, our communications gear had issues with the Navy while we were in GITMO, where the equipment broke down. Not unusual for us. But Air Conditioning.

Would find out later, that through out the Halfmoon other folks were measuring, writing, suggesting changes that would happen quickly. But what ?

By this time, the  CGC Halfmoon had been my home for 2 years. Much of that time was “as sea” on our various missions. Just not at home, or where there was much “news”.

About the 15th of March, 1967, we had a All Hands On Deck meeting on the “mess deck”. Very rare gathering at best. We were told that we would be leaving on an “extended” cruise and thus all of the folks boarding the ship and new equipment, noise, that had been going on and would continue for a couple of more weeks.

On April 1st, 1967, the CGC Halfmoon would leave Staten Island for the last time, and head somewhere, to warmer weather. There had been a prediction that a Coast Guard Cutter would leave New York and not return,  or so the story goes. Well, in fact, we did NOT turn to Base St George for 1967.

We would return 22 January 1968, from a cruise to Vietnam. Through the Panama Canal (both ways). 2 other, east coast Cutters would make that trip, meeting up with 2 others in Hawaii. To the Philippines, then to our various missions off of the Vietnam Coast.

April 1st, 2018, another cruise, but from Florida for 5 days on a cruise ship Disney Magic

5-Night Western Caribbean Cruise from Miami

Experience the many exciting amenities of Disney’s private island, Castaway Cay, and one more Caribbean port of call, where white-sand beaches, brilliant blue waters, balmy breezes and aquatic adventures await. Spend 2 relaxing days at sea enjoying your cruise ship’s onboard delights—from nightclubs and lounges to family-friendly entertainment venues.

According to the fine print, the Disney Magic is 3 times the length of the Coast Guard Cutter Halfmoon. The crew of the Magic is 7 times that of the crew of the Halfmoon (war time crew level). And, I’ll bet there won’t be the rust on the Magic that the Halfmoon had until she ended her career in 1969.

The only time the 5 cutters with tied up together, after our journey across the Pacific.

And our welcome home, with the traditional Navel Welcome Home. My folks were on the pier when we arrived.

Will be so glad to have Jennie, Patrick, Carrie and Patti, on this April 1st cruise. Oh, and I won’t have to work this cruise.

Frances Darlington Lamberti (1925–2016)

A rainy day at Arlington National Cemetery, 25 May 2017

Major Frances Darlington Lamberti, USAF was laid to rest in Section 12, Grave 5289.

I have attended a number of funerals over the years. I have been to Arlington National Cemetery a number of times over the years, for various reasons. My family and I buried Americus Lamberti (1917 – 2012), 2nd Lt, US Army, in 2013. This one was very different.

Because she was a Major, we had a Band, Escort, Caisson, Body Burial Team (6), Firing Party, and a Bugler. I am sure that my Aunt probably didn’t want all of this, but the United States Air Force honors their members.

There was a light rain when we started. The transfer from the car to the Caisson was our first stop.

The band was near by as the transfer was made.

In boot camp, I was in the US Coast Guard Band at Cape May, New Jersey, so I know what being in the band, playing in the rain is like, but certainly not at this sacred place.

Beautiful animals.

Stop number 2. Transfer from the Caisson to the burial team for the burial. (note, the rain had stopped)

Lt Col John L Elliott Jr. Chaplain, USAF was the Chaplain for the service. The service was probably the way Aunt Fran would have wanted it. Short and to the point, with full honors. (sorry, no pictures)

We then took the remains to the burial plot, to put her with my Uncle Max, and her twin sons, Dwight Strode Lamberti, and Mark Darlington Lamberti (31 Jan 1967).

A special Thank You to Mary, our Arlington National Cemetery Representative who took all of the stress out of the day. We knew exactly what we needed to do, where and when.

And to Jean Anderegg, our Arlington Lady, representing the US Air Force.

There is a “rest of the story” here.

When I was much younger, and a Boy Scout, we learned how to fold the American Flag, I remember teaching younger scouts how to fold the Flag. That helped when I was in the Coast Guard, I have folded a couple of flags, but not the way it’s done in Arlington.

When I arrived, Mary took my Aunt’s Flag because she had to “refold it” the way the Air Force Burial Team wanted the flag folded. Interesting.

When Colonel Elliott greeted us, I asked about that. What I learned was that each Service has their own unique ceremony and flag folding routine. I did not know that.

This experience was very different for the other funerals and events I have had at Arlington. I have seen the bands and caissons before, but being 1/2 a car length behind the Burial Team is very different.

It was a honor for me, to be part of this ceremony to Honor my Aunt Fran (Frances), my mothers sister, with full United States Air Force Honors.

Thank you for your service. You are with your family in Our Nation’s Most Hallowed Ground.

Ellwood Palmer Strode (1891-1984)–Happy Birthday

Thinking of my maternal grandfather on his 125th birthday.

Ellwood Palmer Strode was most commonly called Palmer, another person who went by his middle name.

This picture was taken in 1948, most likely in Maine. As a kid, I remember my grandparents going up to Southwest Harbor, Maine for some part of the summer. About every 5 years, we would go to Maine to spend a week at Echo Lake, not to far from where this picture was taken.

It wasn’t until I started to so family history research that I learned WHY Maine, to this specific part of Maine. My grandmothers family has a, now, Historic House in the Acadia National Park. Still standing today. Our Revolutionary War soldier is buried “just up the street” from where my grandparents stayed and very close to the homestead.

A walk into the past (story about that house)

A little more about this family

A funny thing happened at #RootsTech 2014

1940 Census – Ellwood Palmer Strode

 

Happy Birthday Grandfather Strode.

p.s. that’s how I remember us kids, calling our maternal grandparents, very formal for little kids.

Frances Darlington Strode Lamberti (1925–2016)

Today, we lost Frances Darlington Strode Lamberti. She and I always had contact on OUR Birthdays, hers the day before mine, like my Brother and our grandmother.

A week or so ago, she had fallen and broken her hip. She was back for Rehab before she returned home. We later learned that she had other medical issues, so today was “almost” a relief. I am only sorry that I wasn’t able to get to see her one more time.

She was a Lieutenant in the U.S. Air Force. She loved San Antonio and her time in England.

This picture was taken in August 1952, San Antonio, Texas.

A couple of years earlier, she is with her two nephews in West Chester, Pennsylvania.

That is in the back yard at her parents home.

In 1953 (same place), “The Lieutenant and her Boy Friends”

And for my Mother, her sister, and Father’s 60th Wedding Anniversary 17 Jul 1999.

Very sad, that I didn’t have a better picture of her, by herself.

Louise and Henry Worthington’s 60th Wedding Anniversary
July 17, 1999

Road Trip with a Surprise

Just got back from a trip to Fairfax, Virginia to help DearMYRTLE with 4 presentations at the Fairfax Genealogical Society Spring Conference.

On the way home, I had two stops to make. One was to drop off a book that I had created on the Worthington’s who lived in the Worthington House in the Monocacy Battlefield.

On the way there, I stopped by an old cemetery just south of the Battle field to see the renovations that had been done to the Zion Church and Cemetery, Founded in 1802.

Here is a picture I took in 1999.

and today

Incredible.

Dropped of the book, as promised but stopped by the “Thomas Farm” house, the neighboring farm to the Worthington House. Have driven by it many times, but not close enough to take a photo.

(the surprise is coming)

I have a 2nd cousin who lives just north of Gettysburg, but have never stopped by to visit.

The “back story” is that I works for my 2nd cousin’s father one summer. I knew about “the Gettysburg Farm” but didn’t know where it was. Today, I stopped, not out of the blue, but they were going to be home and it was OK to visit.

The surprise was as soon as the door was open, I thought I had escaped by 60+ years, as the smell of Apple Sauce cooking just rolled out of the door. It was like walking into the kitchen of my grandmothers house, or even my mother as they cooks apple sauce. I had forgotten just how great freshly made, home made, apple sauce really was.

Where was my camera when I needed it. On the stove was an apple sauce grinder just like my grandmother had and used on the stove, with it still dripping the sauce. In fact, the grinder was my grandmothers SISTERs apply sauce grinder doing all of the work, with a little help from my 2nd cousin.

Oh was that good.

After catching up a little and talking about what I had been doing, and sharing my spare copy of the Monocacy book, we talked about my other cousin DearMYRTLE and how we were connected. Now, my 2nd cousin was from Chester County. I mentioned one of the names on a Power Point slide the Myrt showed in Fairfax the day before, and my cousin know immediately the surname. I didn’t have to say any more. We talked a little more and mentioned Conrad Weiser, one my Myrt’s ancestors.

This is the Conrad Weiser Homestead in Womelsdorf, PA.

As soon as I mentioned “Weiser”, my cousin’s face lit up, her husband got up and went to a collection of CDs and brought back a Music CD by a Weiser. (sorry, forgot the artist name). But my cousin’s children KNOW the many Weiser family members living in the area. Now the homestead is probably 45 minutes away from where I was, but to make that connection, was NOT Expected.