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| -Obits- |
| Mexican-American War Soldiers Reburied |
| 2010-05-31 |
| Four unknown Mexican-American War soldiers, whose coffins were recently discovered in Jackson County, will be given a full military burial complete with horse-drawn caissons on Memorial Day at Biloxi National Cemetery. The remains were found beginning in April 2008 on Greenwood Island, which is near Bayou Cassotte in East Pascagoula, when the sand bank had finally worn down enough for coffins to be exposed. The island, which is more accurately described as a peninsula, was set up as a temporary outpost to receive returning soldiers after New Orleans became inundated with them at the end of the war. The new outpost was called Camp Jefferson Davis; it was occupied from June 1848, when there were 1,800 troops there, until November 1849. The four soldiers will be reburied Monday at Biloxi National, where two other unknowns discovered in 1979 at the Camp Jefferson Davis site were reburied. For the service, the Ocean Springs Veterans of Foreign Wars chapter built four replica coffins to replace the originals, which had been heavily weathered. Horse-drawn caissons, something rarely seen in modern times, will escort the four flag-draped caskets. The flags will contain 29 stars, just as they would have in 1848. The soldiers' burial at 9:30 a.m. is expected to draw a larger-than-normal crowd at the cemetery's annual Memorial Day remembrance, Biloxi National Cemetery director Gregory Lee said. The efforts of the unknowns, as well as of all U.S. troops, deserve to be honored, Lee said. “No matter when they served and where, they are not forgotten,' he said. War on Mexico was declared in May 1846. By its end, 13,000 U.S. troops and 25,000 Mexican troops had died, most from diseases rather than combat wounds. |
| Posted by: Anonymoose |
| #5 Chacaog=Chicago (my Previewer function is AFU) |
| Posted by: USN, Ret. 2010-05-31 19:49 |
| #4 But, the Weasel in Chief did go to a Chacaog area veteran's cemetary for a wreath laying ceremony, but was pre-empted by a thunderstorm and lightning. Wonder if God knows who he is Phuquing with? Or maybe he didn't want that..."fascist bastard (to) get a chance to hang a wreath on the graves of men that died to keep people like him from taking over our country." |
| Posted by: USN, Ret. 2010-05-31 19:42 |
| #3 Personally, I'm glad the fascist bastard didn't get a chance to hang a wreath on the graves of men that died to keep people like him from taking over our country. |
| Posted by: DarthVader 2010-05-31 18:00 |
| #2 Mike, at least the guy got in a good game of hoops. AP coverage here. This guy from my hometown was unavailable for comment. |
| Posted by: Matt 2010-05-31 11:53 |
| #1 ...Many, many thanks to the good people of Mississippi who took the time to remember four good men who didn't make it home 170 years ago. Pity President Obama is apparently too busy today to remember those who passed after and are still making the last sacrifice - he sent Biden to speak at Arlington. Until this morning, I had nothing personal against the man. Now, it's personal. Mike |
| Posted by: Mike Kozlowski 2010-05-31 11:35 |