On this date, after graduating from Norwich University, VT Alpha Brother Guy I. Rowe was commissioned a second lieutenant in the U.S. Army. He would go on to serve in World War I & II, and retire as a Brigadier General.
16 JAN 1918
This is an important day for VA Theta Brother Leonard T. Gerow. On this date, (then) Colonel Gerow, U.S. Army / American Expeditionary Force (AEF) began his two-and-a-half year service in France on the staff of the U.S. Signal Corps. Brother Gerow was responsible for purchasing all the radio equipment for the AEF. Among his awards for service during WWI are the Distinguished Service Medal and French Legion of Honor.
16 JAN 1936
 |
| WWI Veteran and NY Beta Brother |
An
undergraduate at Cornell University in 1917, Brother Meissner dropped out of
school to join the Air Service as an enlisted man. He was quickly recognized
for his abilities, and was assigned to pilot training. By MAR, he was assigned
to the 94th Aero Squadron in France, and was credited with four confirmed
victories while flying a Nieuport 28. By July, recognizing his leadership
abilities, Brother Meissner was assigned as Commander, 147th Aero Squadron, and
scored four more victories.
After
completing his service in Europe, Jimmy returned to Cornell graduating in 1919,
and soon after that took a job in Birmingham, AL. He remained interested in
flying, and formed a flying club of friends primarily comprised of former Army
Air Service combat pilots.
Always
the leader, Brother Meissner saw the need for an organized, official aviation
squadron in Alabama to train Army aviators, and he finally overcame all of the
setbacks on 21 JAN 1922, when officials in the War Department organized the
125th Observation Squadron, and allotted it to the state of Alabama.
Placing the unit under the command of Major James Meissner, the new observation
squadron became the very first Air National Guard Unit in the state of Alabama
and only the seventh such unit in the United States.
Upon his
death, the city held a memorial service including a flyover by the planes of
the unit he had founded. Additionally, his old friend and brother in arms,
Eddie Rickenbacker – the premier American Ace of WWI, returned to Birmingham to
be an honorary pall-bearer for his old wingman. Four months later, the Jimmy’s
ashes were buried with full military honors in Arlington National Cemetery in
Arlington, Virginia.
15 JAN 1941
PA Eta
Brother John A. Standen, Jr. joined
the U. S. Army on this date.
15 JAN 1942
On this
date, Ohio Alpha Brother Wilbur C.
Cotner joined the U.S. Army Air Forces.
16 JAN 1942
IN Alpha
Brother Stuart R. Thomson entered in
to service in the U.S. Navy on this date. |
| USS Hissem (DE-400) |
14 JAN 1944
VT Beta
Brother Charles O. Wagenhale joined
the U.S. Army Medical Corps on this date.
19 JAN 1944
NY Beta
Brother John S. McGowin joined the
U.S. Navy Reserve. |
| 103rd Infantry Division |
16 JAN 1945
On this
date, World War II Veteran and VA Alpha Brother First Lieutenant John Beverley Blanton, Jr., U.S. Army
made the ultimate sacrifice while serving with the 193rd Glider Infantry
Regiment, 17th Airborne Division.
Born in
Richmond in 1918, John was a member of the Corps of Cadets while attending John
Marshall High School. The John Marshall Corps of Cadets Memorial Foundation
memorialized Brother Blanton and other members of the Corps who gave their
lives in the Armed Services in World Wars I and II at Hollywood Cemetery in
Richmond with plaques and flagpoles.
Respect
can also be paid to Brother Blanton at Plot C, Section
2, Lot 11 of Oakwood Cemetery, Richmond, VA.
 |
| Fifteenth U.S. Army (1944-46) |
19 JAN 1945
World
War II Veteran and NH Alpha Brother Private First Class Frederick A. Tilton, U.S. Marine Corps was discharged on this date.
15 JAN 1946
After
more than five years of service, World War II Veteran and New York Alpha
Brother Major Stanley A. Evans, U.S.
Army was returned to inactive duty. Brother Evans entered the service in 1940
and was a military policeman.
On the
same date, World War II Veteran and NY Gamma Brother Major W. R. Spencer, Jr., U.S. Army was released from active duty.
Brother Spencer served overseas for 14 months with the infantry.
16
JAN 1946
U.S. Marine Corps World War I Veteran and VA Zeta
Brother William Munford Tuck
began his service as the 55th governor of Virginia.
17 JAN 1946
After
more than six years of service, World War II Veteran and IN Alpha Brother
Lieutenant Colonel Robert N. Voigt,
U.S. Army was discharged on this date. |
| CA Delta Brother 1LT Stephen Joyner, USMC |
 |
| OH Kappa Brother 1LT Paul Strahm, USAF KIA South Vietnam 14 JAN 1968 |
Respect
can be paid to Brother Strahm at Ottawa Hills Memorial Park, Ottawa Hills, OH.
18 JAN 1969
World
War I and World War II Veteran, Oklahoma Supreme Court Chief Justice and VA
Epsilon Brother Colonel Charles W. Mason,
U.S. Army died on this date. He was 81 years old. During WWI, Brother Mason
served as a captain in the U.S. Army Air Service as a balloon pilot, and as a
command pilot with the Air Corps during WWII.
Brother
Mason graduated from Washington and Lee in 1911, serving as the Nowata County
Attorney from 1914-16, and after his service in World War I he was elected
district judge of Oklahoma’s 2nd District in 1919. Charles served as a district
judge until he was elected to the Oklahoma State Supreme Court where he served,
including two years as Chief Justice of the court from 1929-31.
Respect
can be paid to Brother Mason at Nowata Memorial Cemetery, Nowata, Oklahoma.
16 JAN 1970
Vietnam
War Veteran and CO Delta Brother Specialist 5 Larry L. Orvis, U.S. Army died on this date. Larry entered the Army
in 1966, and served 18 months in Vietnam.
Respect
can be paid to Brother Orivs at Section K, Site 937 of Rock Island National
Cemetery, Rock Island, Illinois.
14 JAN 1976
World
War I Veteran, Virginia State Representative and VA Epsilon Brother Second
Lieutenant Cralle Fauntleroy Blackwell,
U.S. Army died on this date. Brother Blackwell graduated from Washington and
Lee in 1918, and served with the U.S. Army Coastal Artillery during WWI.
In 1924,
Cralle began his 14 years of service as mayor of Kenbridge, VA before being
elected to the Virginia
State House of Delegates, where he served until 1949.
Respect
can be paid to Brother Blackwell at Kenbridge Heights
Cemetery, Kenbridge, VA.
19 JAN 2004
U.S.
Army World War II Veteran and VA Alpha Brother Willie Elwood Cross died on this date. He was a veteran of the U.S.
Army's Ninth Infantry Division in WWII, and saw action in the Ardennes Forest
Campaign during the Battle of the Bulge. In the Rhineland Campaign, he was in
the first Allied infantry division across the Rhine River at the Remagen Bridge
Battle, for which he received the Bronze Star Medal. Willie also served in
Headquarters, United States Strategic Bombing Survey Group Air Command in
London, England for six months after V-E Day before being discharged.
Willie served 16 years as a building official for the City of Richmond. Prior to
working with the city, he was president and part owner of W.L. Cross & Son,
Inc., a masonry contracting company. He was a past president of the Mason
Contractors Association of Richmond, a 45-year member of the Tuckahoe Lions
Club, a member of the American Legion Post 361 and the Disabled American
Veterans.
Respect
can be paid to Brother Cross at Greenwood Memorial Gardens, Richmond, VA.
A 1984 graduate of Georgia Tech, GA Alpha Brother First Lieutenant William “Bill” Cheih-Ve Soong, U.S. Air Force died on this date.
Respect
can be paid to Brother Soong in Section 8-O, Row 1, Site 5 at Arlington
National Cemetery, Arlington, VA.
16 JAN 2007
World
War II Veteran and NY Beta Brother Major James
R. Knipe, Sr., U.S. Army Air Forces died on this date in Lower Gwynedd,
Pennsylvania. A 1931 graduate of Cornell, James was a hotelier and active in
the community and alumni affairs.
Respect
can be paid to Brother Knipe at Riverside Cemetery in Norristown, PA.
17 JAN 2012
U.S.
Army World War II Veteran NC Delta Brother Phillip
Adger Williams, 81, died on this date in Hilton Head, South Carolina.
Following high school, Phillip joined the Merchant Marines and then served in
the Army during WWII. Following his WWII service, Brother Williams graduated
from the University of North Carolina in 1951 where he graduated Phi Beta
Kappa. He worked his way through the ranks of the Travelers Insurance Company,
retiring as senior vice president. He also served as president of the American
Academy of Actuaries.
On the
same date, CA Sigma Brother Mark
Gelverio Dalmacio raised his hand, took the oath and joined the U.S. Navy!
19 JAN 2012
OH Eta
Brother James Francis Gullo, 65, died
at his home on this date. Little is known by SPP about Brother Gullo except
that during his time at Miami University of Ohio, he was a member of SigEp and
ROTC. James was a longtime contractor for the Canton Repository and was known
for his strong work ethic and dedication.
RECENT
LOSSES TO THE ROLL
* U.S.
Navy Veteran MA Delta Brother Emil L. Bernier passed away 15 JAN at Salem
Hospital in Massachusetts. Life member of VFW Post #2005 Chaplain Lyman
Rollins.* Korean War Veteran and NY Delta Brother Specialist 4th Class James H. "Jim" Menk, U.S. Army, 82, passed away peacefully on the morning of 16 JAN. From 1954 to 1956, Jim served in Korea overseeing firearm stores and radar installations in the DMZ.
* In Bluffton, South Carolina, U.S Navy World War II Veteran PA Delta Warren S. Bell, 93, also passed away 16 JAN. Warren graduated from the University of Pennsylvania Wharton School of Business, the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy, and Albany Military Academy in Albany, NY and served in the Pacific during WWII.
* U.S. Army Veteran IN Alpha Brother James J. Portteus, 87, passed away, 18 JAN at The Heart Hospital at Deaconess Gateway in Newburgh, Indiana.
* Also on 18 JAN, U.S. Army Veteran KY Delta Brother Dennis S. “Champ” Frisch, 71, passed away at his home.
* IL Delta Brother Captain James C. Rockow, U.S. Air Force, 81, of Peoria passed away 19 JAN at UnityPoint Health-Proctor in Peoria, Illinois.
Our thoughts and prayers are with the chapter brothers, family and friends of SigEp Patriots Bernier, Menk, Bell, Portteus, Frisch and Rockow.
CELEBRATIONS AND ACCOMPLISHMENTS
- WELCOME HOME to Operation ENDURING FREEDOM veterans KY
Zeta Brother First Lieutenant TJ Freno,
U.S. Army and NY Chi Brother Second Lieutenant Josh Risewick, U.S. Army from their deployments to Afghanistan!
Thank you for your service, Brothers!- On 17 JAN, U.S. Army JAG Officer LA Gamma Brother Mike Tregle and his wife Megan welcomed their daughter, Emma Leigh, in to the world. All the best to Mike and his family.
- FL Zeta Brother Patrick Curran was promoted to Colonel, U.S. Army on 03 JAN! Congratulations to Patrick!
- TN Kappa Brother Second Lieutenant Andrew “Ox” Henderson, U.S. Army learned he will be assigned to the 3rd ID and will be heading to Fort Benning. Best of luck, Andrew!
If you
have some good news you would like to share please send me an email.
Fraternally and Very Respectfully,
Brother
Ed Jones, NY Eta ‘96
Chief Petty Officer, U.S. Navy Reserve
Founder, SigEp Patriots Project
sigepswhoserve@gmail.comChief Petty Officer, U.S. Navy Reserve
Founder, SigEp Patriots Project
