1317. The men in our family who served in the Military.

In this post I will mention 3 of my great-grandfathers who were in the Mormon Battalion, in 1846-1847.  They served in what was then called the "Mexican War".  Samuel Miles, Haden Wells Church, and George Deliverance Wilson. 

Haden Wells Church

All three of these great grandfathers were pioneers -- Samuel Miles and Haden Wells Church were called to St. George, the Dixie Mission, in the St. George Area, in 1861, with no refrigeration!  And George Deliverance Wilson was a pioneer in several towns, because he was called to several towns recently settled, to start a sawmill there.  Of 11 children, they were born in 7 different towns!  They were brave, and left us all a great heritage.  If you look in "labels" you can read more of their life stories.

 I first published this below years ago!  Today I want to honor these dear men who served in the Military.  We haven't had anyone be killed in a war, but it did have an effect on them, especially my own father who was in World War I.  He received a full disability, and his nerves and stomach were affected the rest of his life.  He was in the Veteran's Hospital several times, during my childhood.

43. The men in our family who are or have been veterans! We are proud of their service.

In honor of Memorial Day I will mostly post photos in this entry, of my husband Wayne and his twin brother Blaine when they were in the army in 1953 to 1955 during the Korean war time, but were in Europe; my father Orson Pratt Miles who was in World War I, and our son Allen, who was in the Air Force 6 years, and served during Desert Storm as a navigator in a refueling airplane.

Wayne in Austria, 1954, with a young son of the Mission President there.

Wayne's official Army portrait! And photos above of his army life.

Wayne and Blaine with a friend, in California at Fort Ord, in basic training.  When they got home from their missions in Sweden, their draft papers were waiting!

Blaine's official Army portrait.

Wayne, also another Army portrait.

This was Wayne and Blaine while in the army, when they were at an LDS Servicemen's conference, and were able to wear their "civies", which they called their regular Sunday clothes.

Wayne sent me this photo when we were writing, while he was in the army.

My dad, Orson Pratt Miles, in World War I, about 1918.  He suffered from "Shell Shock", which was what they then called "Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome" all his life afterward.  He was in and out of the Veteran's Hospital many times.  Look at labels under his name to read more about his army experiences.

Our son Allen, in his Air Force Dress Uniform.  in the late 1980's.

Allen in his flight uniform, worn in the airplane, when they were on refueling missions.  He would have to calculate how to refuel another airplane while they were both in the air traveling at a high rate of speed.  They had a round tube or pipe which would go from his airplane with the fuel in it, and send it into the other airplane while in flight.

Allen, official Air Force portrait.  He was a Captain when he was let out because they were diminishing the size of the military.  He had planned to make it a career.

I am so proud of all our military men!  I love them, and all who serve our country.   My dear husband Wayne loved to go to the free Veteran's Day dinners that various restaurants provided!