Nice memorial area next to historical museums

  This is a very nice presentation. I'm intriqued by the marker that appears to mark the burial of an unknown soldier. Is this really a gravesite? And, one of the paving blocks in the Walk of Honor mentions a Coast Guardsman of World War II and his ship, USS Sebaga.

I did some research. There never was a USS Sebaga. The likelyhood is that the reference is to the USCG Cutter Sebago, of which three were commissioned. BUT, none of those three cutters were in commission during the period shown on the block. The first Sebago was a harbor tug and served the fleet from the turn of the 20th century and for the next 30 years.

The next Cutter Sebago was given to the Royal Navy in 1941 as part of the Lend/Lease program. This may be the vessel in question. That ship was renamed HMS Walney and was sunk during combat operations with the Royal Navy.

The third Sebago was placed into commission with the Coast Guard in 1944 and served until early 1972. Her crew referred to the 255' cutter as 'The Seabag' - I was a radioman aboard her for over a year in 1970 and 1971.

Johhny Clem - As Americans in the 21st century, you and I would find it is inconceiveable that we would ever allow children to accompany our soldiers to any battlefield. That's probably the case today, but 150 years ago it wasn't unusual to see youngsters filling in as drummers, mess cooks, and sometimes clerical aides to the officer staff. But even during the Civil War it wasn't acceptable to place a ten year old boy in harms war - unless your name was Johnny Clem and you were an orphan. Johnny was just 10 when he fled from Newark to follow the Union Army. He wanted to be a soldier - and the Union Army wanted nothing of him. Only his perseverance and wits gave him the opportunity to become a drummer for a Michigan unit. His exploits as a child in war became legandary and he was soon known as "Johnny Shiloh" and had the reputation of one willing to do any job a grown man would undertake.

We was eventually enrolled into the Army and during a lifetime career he rose through the ranks to retire in 1916 as a Major General and the last Civil War veteran on active duty. A monument to Clem is found in Veterans Park and on the grounds of the country courthouse.

 

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