This Week in SigEp Patriot History, Volume 19/2014, 07 – 13 July

Brothers,

This week, the SigEp Patriots Project (SPP) honors and remembers 16 brother warriors from as many chapters and every branch of the military, including one from Wyoming Alpha who made the ultimate sacrifice more than 71 years ago while taking part in the liberation of Sicily during WWII. SPP pledges it will always remember all our brothers who serve/served our great country, and hopes you will celebrate with us by reading and passing word of this post.

10 JUL 1942
On this date, North Carolina Epsilon Brother Robert L. Orr entered the U.S. Army, and went on to serve in the Army Corps of Engineers during World War II.

13 JUL 1942
Massachusetts Alpha Brother David H. Johnson joined the U.S. Coast Guard on this date, serving as a Soundman Second Class during World War II.

Assault on Sicily - Operation Husky

11 JUL 1943
A year ago, SPP mentioned in this work that 10 JUL 1943 marked the beginning of Operation Husky - at the time, the largest combined operation of WWII, and asked if anyone had any idea how many SigEp Patriots where there. Now we know that at least one brave SigEp made the ultimate sacrifice on the second day of the operation.

On this date, World War II Veteran and Wyoming Alpha Brother First Lieutenant Paul C. Rawdon, Jr., U.S. Army was 26 years old, and assigned to the 179th Infantry Regiment, 45th Infantry Division when his unit made landfall on the southern shore of Sicily. 

Paul completed his bachelor's degree at the University of Wyoming before going to work in New Mexico. He was inducted in to the Army in MAR 1941, and he was with the division when it shipped overseas a month before he was killed.

Respect can be paid to Brother Rawdon at Block 12, Row C, Plot 13 of Glenrock Cemetery, Glenrock, WY.

This Week in SigEp Patriot History, VOL 9-14, 28 APR – 04 MAY

Brothers,

This week, dozens of our brothers across the country will graduate from and be commissioned in the U.S. military, swearing to defend our great country against all enemies foreign and domestic. The SigEp Patriots Project (SPP) would like to congratulate all our brothers who graduate this year, and hope that the SigEp Patriots among them will reach out to SPP.

02 MAY 1918

On this date, World War I Veteran and NY Beta Brother (then) First Lieutenant James “Jimmy” A. Meissner, U.S. Army Air Service won his first aerial engagement while piloting a French-made Nieuport 28 about three miles above Foret De La Rappe, France. Jimmy would go on to become an American Ace during WWI and attain the rank of Major.

For his service on this date, Brother Meissner was awarded the U.S. Army’s Distinguished Service Cross (DSC) in accordance with General Order 121, W.D., 1918,

Distinguished Service Cross

“The Distinguished Service Cross is presented to James A.Meissner, First Lieutenant (Air Service), U.S. Army, for extraordinary heroism in action in the Toul Sector on 02 MAY 1918. First Lieutenant Meissner attacked three enemy planes at an altitude of 4,800 meters over the Foret De La Rappe, France. After a short fight he brought down one of the machines in flames. During the combat the entering wedge and the covering of the upper wings of his plane were torn away and after the battle he was subjected to heavy fire from antiaircraft batteries, but by skillful operation and cool judgment he succeeded in making a landing within the American lines.”

According to the SPP archives, only five SigEp Patriots have been awarded the DSC.

The DSC is the second highest awarded presented by the U.S. Army after the Medal of Honor. Latter in his WWI service, Brother Meissner would earn a second DSC for his actions during WWI.

Renaissance Brother James Naismith

04 MAY 1925

Born in Ontario, Canada, World War I Veteran and KS Gamma Renaissance Brother Captain James Naismith, U.S. Army National Guard (Kansas) became a naturalized U.S. citizen on this date.

01 MAY 1942

Montana Attorney General MT Alpha Brother John W. Bonner entered the U.S. Army on this date and served during World War II.

29 APR 1945

World War II Veteran and WI Beta Brother Ensign Lee Otis Nelson, U.S. Navy Reserve went missing in action in English waters in May 1944, and on this date he was declared as killed in action.

Brother Nelson is among the 5,127 American service members memorialized on the Wall of the Missing at the Cambridge American Cemetery between the villages of Coton and Madingley in Cambridgeshire, England.