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Published on: Wednesday, June 18, 2025 read more ...

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Remembering a WWII Marine Who Played a Role in Historic Guadalcanal Flag Raising

On Aug. 7, 1942, U.S. Marine Corps Capt. Robert H. Dillard (pictured, above right) splashed ashore at Guadalcanal with Weapons Company, Fifth Marines, part of the initial Allied assault force . He made his way inland and, on the second day of the campaign, reached the Japanese airfield where an enemy flag flapped in the breeze. “It was hauled down and the stars and stripes were run up,” Dillard wrote years later. “The flag we put up was only about a foot long, but it sure looked good.”  

Arlington National Cemetery Tour Celebrates Army’s 250th Birthday

About 30 people braved the Washington, D.C., area summer heat to tour Arlington National Cemetery and learn about the U.S. Army’s history on June 22, 2025. They took the “Global Wars, Global Warriors: Army History in the 20th Century Tour” hosted by ANMC Historians Dr. Allison Finkelstein and Tim Frank.  

 

WWII Veteran Identified and Buried After More Than 80 Years

When Jeremiah “Jerry” Mannell learned that his uncle and namesake, Jeremiah “Jerry” Mahoney, had been identified after being missing in action for more than 80 years, he felt both relieved and saddened: relieved that his uncle had been identified, but saddened that his uncle’s immediate family had passed away without knowing what happened to him. “None of my siblings knew anything about him,” Mannell said. “We only knew he was lost in World War II.” 

Sergeant of the Guard Conducts Last Walk at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier

On June 2, 2025, Tomb Guard Sgt. 1st Class Andrew Jay stood on Arlington National Cemetery’s Tomb of the Unknown Soldier Plaza and held up a white rose. Then, he dropped to one knee and laid it at the base of the Tomb, which is the gravesite for an Unknown Soldier from World War I. Jay then laid a rose at each crypt that honors the other Unknowns: those who had served in World War II, the Korean War and the Vietnam War. Jay had just made his last “walk” as a Tomb Guard. Since 1948, soldiers from the U.S. Army’s 3d Infantry Regiment “The Old Guard” have guarded the Tomb 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. In a poignant tradition, departing Tomb Guards lay roses at the Tomb to honor the Unknowns during their final walk.  

81 Years of Marriage, Separated Briefly by World War II

Darrell and Dorothy Bush went everywhere together, usually holding hands. The two were familiar faces at Arlington National Cemetery, attending yearly Battle of the Bulge ceremonies, at which Darrell would wear his World War II veteran’s cap and a jacket replete with medals.

Missing Vietnam Air Force Flyers Not Forgotten

U.S. Air Force Capt. Ronald Dean Stafford and his weapons system operator, Capt. Charles Joseph Caffarelli, never came back from their Nov. 21, 1972, bombing mission over North Vietnam. Search flights for their F-111 Aardvark bomber proved unsuccessful. Ten days after their mission, parts of their Aardvark washed up on a beach in South Vietnam near the demilitarized zone. Investigators determined their aircraft had crashed at sea and both officers were lost. 

Daughter Honors World War II Nurse Who Treated Wounded in Pacific

Regina Benson could never understand why people were so fascinated with her World War II service as a U.S. Army nurse. During an interview at the Pentagon on July 10, 2020, at age 100, she asked her daughter, Phyllis Benson, “Why? I didn’t do anything special.” Phyllis simply told her that she was one of the war’s last veterans. “You’ve got to represent.” 

Serving in Vietnam and the Bench: Remembering Judge Howard

U.S. Army Maj. Malcolm Jones Howard graduated from West Point in 1962 and served two tours in Vietnam. Still, everyone called him “Judge.” After his military service, he worked as a lawyer, a federal judge and a Foreign Intelligence Surveillance (FISA) judge.  

From Coast Guard to CIA, A Father’s Love Shaped a Marine’s Success

U.S. Coast Guard Petty Officer 1st Class Howard Hawkins left a legacy of service for his country. He joined the Coast Guard in 1962 and spent four years in uniform before joining the Central Intelligence Agency, but his true legacy was as a good husband and father. 

A Daughter’s Tribute: Remembering a Life of Service and Simple Joys

After the funeral service for U.S. Army Chief Warrant Officer 4 Richard Albert Sauer at Arlington National Cemetery on May 8, 2025, his daughter, Cindy Ingram, stood and addressed her family and friends. “My father loved four things: three of which are God, family, and country,” she said. “I won’t say what the fourth thing is till last.”