Memorial Day memorial.

[Chainfire]

My Paternal Grandmother lost her only sibling at Croix Rouge Farm, on 26 July 1918, during The War to End All Wars. She was very close to him and she grieved his loss her whole life. She talked about him enough that I felt like I knew the kid. Monroe Suggs served with the 167th Alabama Regiment attached to the Rainbow Division. The unit was described as "unpolished" mostly rural lads from Northern Alabama, I think that "unpolished" means poorly trained. They were just cannon fodder...The attack that Monroe died in was a disaster, the German machine guns cut the boys to pieces. When the first wave was cut down, the survivors were reorganized and sent back for a second dose of the same. The Americans used the same tactics as the Soviets in WWII, just keep spending lives until the other side runs out of bullets.

It may have been easier on the family had they been able to have a funeral and bury him in the family plot, but that wasn't in the cards, he has spent the last 104 years in the Oise-Aisne American Cemetery. To my knowledge, no family member has ever been able to put a poppy on his grave. He was so unimportant, in the grand scheme of things, that you can not even find a photo of his headstone on the WWW.

So, on Monday, I will spend some times thinking back about the stories and honoring my Grandmother and her brother, Pvt. Monroe Suggs, 167th Alabama. Rest in Peace Uncle Monroe.

[Irish_Dem]

1. I can see Monroe's listing on the O-A cemetery website.

If you look on the OA website, it gives his exact location in the cemetery.

Perhaps if you email the cemetery staff, one of them, or a volunteer, will go take a picture of Uncle Monroe's headstone and send it to you.

My Uncle Tom (my father's brother) was killed in WWII, Yeoman Third Class, United States Navy. He was 22 yrs old when he was killed.

His ship, the USN USS Meredith, was sunk by the enemy during the Battle of Guadalcanal.

The ship was carrying supplies to the men fighting on the islands, part of a large US Navy convoy. US military reconnaissance planes spotted a huge enemy bomber group headed towards the convoy so all the ships turned back, except the ship my uncle was on. The captain of the Meredith said that the US marines on the islands were in desperate need of supplies, it was life or death. He refused to turn back and sailed on. The Meredith was sunk in a matter of minutes, despite valiant fighting.

My uncle is officially listed as Missing In Action. There was no body of course, no remains, no burial, no headstone. No nothing. My poor uncle just floats out there in the ether.

(There is a general plaque or something at the American military cemetery in the Philippines for all of those Navy personnel lost at sea.)

We still miss him and drink a big toast to him at every family reunion. My father never got over his brother's death. (My father was career Air Force and flew combat during three wars, so he understood combat deaths. He just could not handle his brother's death.)

So yes, to your uncle Monroe, and my uncle Tom:

Rest In Peace, you are always in our thoughts and not forgotten.