AUTHORS

Author: Kevin M. Hymel
143 found

From Vietnam Jungles to Keeping the World on Time: Honoring Marine Corps Capt. Frederick W. Smith

By Kevin M. Hymel on 10/10/2025

Before Frederick W. Smith founded Federal Express (later renamed FedEx) in 1973, he was leading Marines through the jungles and cities of Vietnam and flying over the country as a forward air controller. Later in his life, he would attribute his leadership style to his service in the Marine Corps.

From German Skies to Arlington, 80 Years Later

By Kevin M. Hymel on 10/6/2025

“Fighters at 6:00 high!” Tech. Sgt. Lynn M. Farnham shouted to the nine men in his B-17 “Flying Fortress” bomber over Germany. Those were the last words they heard from the 20-year-old top turret gunner/engineer. As he alerted the crew, shrapnel from a 20mm shell tore into his legs. Soon, the aircraft’s pilot gave the bail-out order and Farnham was last seen slumped behind Lt. Bill May’s co-pilot seat. May had also been killed. The other eight men successfully escaped the stricken bomber before it crashed outside of Langquaid, Germany. 

The Call to Serve: An Army MP Honors the Unknown Soldiers

By Kevin M. Hymel on 10/3/2025

Sgt. Kaylee Johnston wanted to join the Army when she was in middle school, but she worried about her parents’ reaction. Growing up, she was captivated by stories of courage and heroism, particularly in war films; however, she decided to attend college instead. When the COVID-19 pandemic hit and she was sent home from school, she decided it was her chance to join. Within five years of joining the Army, Johnston found herself guarding the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington National Cemetery.

Legacy of Sacrifice: A Military Family Brings Missing Crewman Home

By Kevin M. Hymel on 10/2/2025

Dale Danneker was only two months old when his uncle, U.S. Army Air Forces Staff Sgt. John “Jack” H. Danneker, was killed in the skies over Europe during World War II. On June 20, 1944, Danneker was serving as the left waist gunner on a B-24 Liberator bomber, attacking enemy facilities in Politz, Germany, when the bomber collided with another in the same formation. Danneker’s B-24 spiraled into the Baltic Sea near Langeland Island, Denmark. Two men from its 10-man crew survived the crash and were taken as prisoners of war. The others, including 19-year-old Danneker, could not be recovered. 

From Corpsman to Doctor: The Legacy of Jon Bayer

By Kevin M. Hymel on 10/1/2025

U.S. Navy Corpsman Jon Bayer risked his life to save wounded Marines in Vietnam before finding the love of his life and becoming a doctor. He served with the U.S. Marine Corps’ Delta Company, 1st Battalion, 4th Marines, south of the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ), the dividing line between North and South Vietnam, from 1966 to 1967.  

A Soldier’s Continued Service: The Legacy of Lt. Col. Gail Hartjen

By Kevin M. Hymel on 9/3/2025

In 1990, when retired U.S. Army Lt. Col. Gail Hartjen learned about the Hampton Roads Good Samaritan Foundation, which helped place homeless people in homes, she decided to help. She called Marie Boyd, a chaplain with the Newport News Fire Department, who ran the foundation, and asked her how she could assist. It was the start of a 35-year friendship. On July 9, 2025, Boyd said a final farewell to her friend at Arlington National Cemetery. 

“He Gave His Life:” USS California Sailor Killed at Pearl Harbor Laid to Rest at Arlington National Cemetery

By Kevin M. Hymel on 2/20/2025

Sharon Gunselman cried when she learned that the remains of her uncle, U.S. Navy Seaman 1st Class Aaron Lloyd McMurtrey, who died at Pearl Harbor 83 years ago, had finally been identified. She wished that her mother, aunt and grandmother could have been there for the news. “They mourned him their entire lives,” Gunselman said. “They hoped that maybe, somehow, he had gotten amnesia or something, and he would one day walk in the door, but obviously that did not happen.” On Feb. 13, 2025, a group of 15 family and friends gathered at Arlington National Cemetery  to say a final goodbye.

Coast Guard Members and Descendants Remember the 80th Anniversary of the USS Serpens Tragedy

By Kevin M. Hymel on 2/12/2025

The worst loss of life in United States Coast Guard history occurred on the night of Jan. 29, 1945, when the cargo ship USS Serpens exploded and sank off the coast of Guadalcanal, in the Pacific Theater of World War II. More than 250 men lost their lives. On Jan. 29, 2025—the 80th anniversary of the tragedy—descendants of crew members, along with Coast Guard members, gathered to attend an annual remembrance ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery’s USS Serpens Memorial.

NASA Crews Remembered, Honored

By Kevin M. Hymel on 2/4/2025

On Jan. 23, 2024, NASA officials, along with colleagues and family members, came to Arlington National Cemetery for the annual NASA Day of Remembrance, honoring those astronauts who bravely served and sacrificed. Traditionally held on the fourth Thursday in January, the NASA Day of Remembrance commemorates the crews of Apollo 1 and Space Shuttles Challenger and Columbia—all of whom are honored with monuments at ANC. The timing of the annual remembrance reflects the anniversaries of the three disasters, occurred between Jan. 27 and Feb. 1.

Veterans and Congress Members Remember the Battle of the Bulge

By Kevin M. Hymel on 1/29/2025

On Jan. 23, 2025, a large group from the Battle of the Bulge Association—including five members of Congress and four World War II veterans—gathered next to the Battle of the Bulge Memorial at Arlington National Cemetery for an annual ceremony to honor Americans who served and sacrificed in that pivotal World War II battle.