RED WHITE & BLUES

09/08/2026

Medal of Honor Monday: Army Cpl. Freddie Stowers

By David Vergun

Army Cpl. Freddie Stowers served as an infantryman during World War I and was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor more than 70 years after his heroic actions in France in September 1918.

Stowers was born Jan. 12, 1896; he was one of Wylie and Annie Stowers' 12 children. His father was a farmer, and his mother was a laborer. Stowers grew up in Sandy Springs, South Carolina, and worked on the family farm.

In October 1917, Stowers was 21 when he was drafted into the Army and sent to basic training at Camp Jackson, now Fort Jackson, South Carolina. His wife, Pearl, and their daughter, Minnie Lee, named for one of his sisters, stayed in Sandy Springs, which was nearly two hours away.

Demonstrating his leadership early on, Stowers was promoted to private first class within two months and then to corporal upon arriving in France in April 1918. He was assigned to Company C, 371st Infantry Regiment, 93rd Infantry Division — one of two buffalo soldier, all-Black divisions — which was ordered to support the 157th French Army.

On Sept. 28, 1918, while serving as a squad leader, Stowers' company came under attack on Hill 188, in the Champagne-Marne Sector of northeastern France. Shortly after the attack began, the Germans ceased firing and climbed onto the parapets of the trenches, holding up their arms as if to surrender. However, it was a trap. As the American forces advanced and reached within about 100 meters of the trench line, the Germans jumped back into their trenches. They opened fire with machine guns and mortars, killing or wounding half of Stowers' company, including his lieutenant and senior noncommissioned officers.

With complete disregard of personal danger and under devastating fire, Stowers took command, crawled forward and led his squad toward the enemy machine-gun nest. After fierce fighting, it was destroyed.

While crawling forward and urging his men to continue the attack on a second trench line, Stowers was hit. Although mortally wounded, he continued to lead his troops and pressed forward, urging the members of his squad until he died.

Inspired by his heroism and display of bravery, the company continued the attack against incredible odds, contributing to the capture of Hill 188 and causing heavy enemy casualties.

After the war, Stowers' commanding officer recommended him for the Medal of Honor, but it was never processed. After a records review in the early 1990s, the recommendation was found, and President George H.W. Bush posthumously presented the Medal of Honor to Stowers. Two of his sisters, Georgiana Palmer and Mary Bowens, accepted the medal on behalf of the family during a White House ceremony held April 24, 1991.

Stowers is buried in the Meuse-Argonne American Cemetery in Meuse, France.

A bronze statue of him was unveiled Nov. 10, 2015, on the campus of Anderson University in Anderson, South Carolina, a few miles from his birthplace.

There's a Stowers Elementary School at Fort Benning, Georgia, and a Freddie Stowers Single Soldiers Complex at Fort Jackson, South Carolina, as well as a Freddie Stowers Veterans Memorial in Anderson County, South Carolina.

09/07/2026

Signers of the Declaration of Independence: Massachusetts:
Part 2

Aug. 28, 2026 | By David Vergun


Delegates to the Second Continental Congress adopted the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776. The 56 delegates who signed the formal break from Britain are all considered Founding Fathers.

Massachusetts had five delegates. This week's profile features Elbridge Gerry, John Hancock and Robert Treat Paine. Their signatures are grouped in a compact block in the middle of the document, with Hancock's signature standing out visually because of its size.

Elbridge Gerry
Gerry was born to Thomas Gerry, a wealthy merchant, and Elizabeth Greenleaf, July 17, 1744, in Marblehead, Massachusetts. He was one of 11 children, though only five survived into adulthood.

He was educated by private tutors before entering Harvard College just before his 14th birthday. Gerry graduated with a master's degree from Harvard University in 1765; his thesis argued that the colonists should resist the recently passed Stamp Act.

After college, he joined his father's thriving merchant business.

Gerry married Ann Thompson, Feb. 12, 1786, and they had nine children: Catharine, Eliza, Ann, Elbridge Gerry Jr., Thomas Russell, Helen Maria, James Thompson, Eleanor Stanford and Emily Louisa.

As a delegate in the Second Continental Congress, Gerry advocated for independence and had a significant role in financing the Revolutionary War. During the 1787 Constitutional Convention, he refused to sign the Constitution because it lacked a bill of rights. The U.S. Constitution was ratified June 21, 1788.

Gerry later served in the inaugural U.S. House of Representatives, 1789-1793, where he helped draft the Bill of Rights and championed amendments protecting individual and state liberties. The Bill of Rights was ratified Dec. 15, 1791.

President John Adams appointed Gerry to a U.S. diplomatic mission to France, which led to the XYZ Affair, a scandal in which French agents demanded bribes from American diplomats, nearly leading to war between the two countries. The fallout from the controversy led Gerry to eventually align himself with the Democratic-Republican Party.

After several unsuccessful bids for governor of Massachusetts, Gerry was elected to the office in 1810. During his governorship, he approved a redistricting plan that favored his party and led to the term "gerrymandering," coined by a political cartoonist.

In 1813, Gerry became vice president under President James Madison, serving until his death, Nov. 23, 1814.

Gerry was buried at the Congressional Cemetery in Washington, and is the only signer of the Declaration of Independence to be interred in the District of Columbia. A monument honoring him also stands there.

His wife died March 17, 1849, the last surviving widow of the signers of the Declaration of Independence. She was buried at Grove Street Cemetery in New Haven, Connecticut.

The towns of Gerry and Elbridge, both in New York, were named in his honor.

John Hancock
Hancock was born to the Rev. John Hancock Jr., a Congregational minister, and Mary Hawke Thaxter, Jan. 23, 1737, in Braintree (part of present-day Quincy), Massachusetts. He had two siblings.

After his father's death in 1744, Hancock was adopted by his wealthy uncle, Thomas Hancock, and inherited a thriving mercantile business making him one of the richest men in New England.

Hancock's education began under the guidance of his uncle. He attended Boston Latin School and was admitted to Harvard College in 1750. He graduated in 1754 with a bachelor's degree. After college, he went to Great Britain, where he spent four years learning business and the import-export trade.

He married Dorothy Quincy Scott on Aug. 28, 1775. They had two children, neither of whom survived to adulthood.

Although Hancock was wealthy, he supported the patriot cause. The British suspected he was smuggling wine and seized his ship, the Liberty. The seizure sparked riots in Boston against customs officials. Hancock attended town meetings that led to the Boston Tea Party and encouraged the colonists by saying, "Let every man do what is right in his own eyes."

He was deeply involved in the American Revolution, helping organize the Continental Army and efforts against the British.

As the president of the Second Continental Congress, Hancock was the first to sign the Declaration of Independence and his signature is the largest and most flamboyant of the signers. Today, when someone asks for "your John Hancock," they are asking for you to sign a document indicating commitment to an agreement, as Hancock did for liberty. The idiom has been used since the mid-19th century.

Hancock played a key role in Massachusetts' ratification of the U.S. Constitution and supported the Bill of Rights. And he served as the first and third governor of Massachusetts, 1780 to 1785 and 1787 to 1793.

Hancock died Oct. 8, 1793, and his wife died Feb. 3, 1830. Both are buried at the Granary Burying Ground in Boston.

Likenesses of Hancock can be found in several locations in Massachusetts, including a bust at Doric Hall at the Massachusetts State House and a statue at Hancock Adams Common in Boston. A full-length marble statue of Hancock, part of the National Statuary Hall Collection, is on display in the U.S. Capitol in Washington. Six Navy ships have been named in his honor.

There are 10 states with counties named for him, and towns named Hancock in Massachusetts, Maine, Vermont, Michigan, New Hampshire and New York.

Robert Treat Paine
Paine was born to Thomas Paine, a former minister turned merchant, and Eunice Treat, March 11, 1731, in Boston. His siblings were Abigail and Eunice.

He married Sally Cobb, March 15, 1770, and they had eight children who survived to adulthood: Robert, Sally, Thomas, Charles, Henry, Mary, Maria Antoinetta and Lucretia.

Paine attended Boston Latin School, was admitted to Harvard College at age 14, and graduated in 1749. He briefly taught at Boston Latin School before pursuing a law career, studying under several mentors in Massachusetts, and was admitted to the bar in 1757.

In 1761, Paine moved from Boston to Taunton, Massachusetts, where he gained recognition as a skilled lawyer and established his professional reputation.

In the aftermath of the 1770 Boston Massacre, Paine served as a prosecuting attorney, alongside Samuel Quincy, in the trials of British soldiers involved in the killing of five civilians. Future signer of the Declaration of Independence and president, John Adams, served as the defense attorney for the soldiers, most of whom were acquitted.

Paine returned to Massachusetts after his service in the Second Continental Congress and was elected speaker of the Massachusetts House of Representatives in 1777 before he took on the role of the state's first attorney general, serving from 1777 to 1790. He had many important cases, including the treason trial of participants in Shay's Rebellion, an armed uprising of farmers protesting high taxation and economic hardship. Paine went on to serve as an associate justice on the Massachusetts Supreme Court from 1790 to 1804.

On May 4, 1780, Paine became a founding member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, along with John Adams, John Hancock, Samuel Adams and others. Among the academy's future members were Benjamin Franklin, Albert Einstein and Stephen Hawking.

Paine died May 11, 1814, and was buried in Boston's Granary Burying Ground, which is also the resting place of several Boston Massacre victims. His wife died June 6, 1816, and was buried alongside Paine.

A statue of Paine stands on a traffic island in front of the city hall in Taunton. The Robert Treat Paine Chapter of the Massachusetts Society of the Sons of the American Revolution, also in Taunton, is named for him.

09/07/2026

Medal of Honor Monday: Marine Corps Brig. Gen. Robert Edward Galer

Aug. 31, 2026 | By David Vergun

Marine Corps Brig. Gen. Robert Edward Galer was a fighter pilot during World War II and went on to serve more than 20 years on active duty. He received the Medal of Honor for his actions in the skies over Guadalcanal in 1942.

Galer was born Oct. 23, 1913, in Seattle. He was the youngest son of Frederick George Galer and Mary Loretta Leahy, and he had two older brothers, Vincent and Fred Galer Jr.

Galer went to Queen Anne High School, where he excelled in sports, playing basketball, football, baseball and tennis, as well as running track. After high school, he attended the University of Washington in Seattle, where he was an All-American basketball player and a member of Navy ROTC. He graduated in 1935 with a bachelor's degree in industrial engineering. Following graduation, he enlisted in the Marine Corps because he wanted to fly quicker than an officer commission would allow. Galer began flight training at Naval Air Station, Pensacola, Florida, and about halfway through the course, he was offered an officer commission and became a second lieutenant in July 1936.

In April 1937, he was assigned to the 1st Marine Brigade, Marine Corps Base Quantico, Virginia, for duty with Aircraft One. Over the next year, he served at The Basic School in Philadelphia, and he was briefly assigned to the Brooklyn Navy Yard before being ordered to St. Thomas in the U.S. Virgin Islands, where he served with Marine Scouting Squadron-3.

He married his first wife, Dorothy Beyer, shortly before the start of World War II. They had two children: Vincent and Robert Tipton Galer, who later retired as a colonel from the Air Force. Galer's first marriage ended in divorce, and he married his second wife, Sharon Alexander, in 1981; he became the stepfather to her children, Charles and Christine.

Galer transferred to Marine Corps Air Station Ewa Field on Oahu, Hawaii, in January 1941. In an August 1998 interview, he described the days leading up to the Dec. 7, 1941, Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor.

"There was practically no mention of trouble with Japan," Galer said. "In fact, the Saturday before the attack, we lined up the airplanes, wingtip-to-wingtip, and nobody even mentioned that we should scatter them."

Ewa had very little damage from the attack, except for the airplanes. Galer said none of them were operational, so the Marines were issued rifles.

Four Marines at Ewa were killed during the attacks, becoming some of the first American casualties of World War II. Galer and his fellow Marines on the ground fought back with machine guns, rifles and pistols.

From Aug. 30 to Sept. 28, 1942, the dates of his Medal of Honor action, Galer, now a major, was the commander of Marine Fighter Squadron 224, Marine Aviation Group 21, flying over the skies around Guadalcanal in the Solomon Islands in the South Pacific in an F4F-4 Wildcat.

His citation reads that he led his squadron in aerial combat with enemy forces in daring and aggressive raids against Japanese aerial forces, which were vastly superior in numbers.

He availed himself of every favorable attack opportunity, shooting down 11 enemy bomber and fighter aircraft over a period of 29 days. Though suffering the extreme physical strain attendant upon protracted fighter operations at an altitude above 25,000 feet, the squadron, under his zealous and inspiring leadership, shot down a total of 27 Japanese planes.

Galer received the Medal of Honor from President Franklin D. Roosevelt during a White House ceremony held March 24, 1943.

The following month, he was assigned to Marine Corps Air Depot Miramar, in Southern California, where he was the assistant operations officer. He was promoted to lieutenant colonel and returned to Ewa in November 1943, where he was chief of staff, Marine Air, Hawaiian Area. During his 1998 interview, Galer said he was told Medal of Honor recipients wouldn't fly again, so he trained units on "this new-fangled radar."

In July 1945, he took command of a cadet regiment at Marine Barracks, Naval Air Training Base, Corpus Christi, Texas, a position he held for two years before he attended the Armed Forces Staff College in Norfolk, Virginia.

Galer remained on active duty another 10 years, with assignments at Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point in North Carolina, Naval Air Station San Diego and the 1st Marine Aircraft Wing in South Korea. He was promoted to colonel in March 1951.

On Aug. 5, 1952, while flying an AU-1 Corsair, Galer was shot down by antiaircraft fire over North Korea, while leading a squadron attack near Wonsan. After parachuting safely to the ground, he evaded capture by hiding in a cornfield.

Upon his rescue, Galer said, "I do know that every pilot flying in this theater should have the highest possible morale with the knowledge that so many are ready and willing to risk so much to get them ."

After being hospitalized for two months for injuries sustained from ejecting from his aircraft, Galer was assigned as the assistant chief of staff for personnel at Marine Corps Air Station El Toro, California.

His final assignment was with the Guided Missiles Division for the Department of the Navy, in Washington, where he served as the assistant director and then the acting director in January 1956.

Galer retired from the Marine Corps July 31, 1957, and he was meritoriously promoted to brigadier general. That same year, he graduated from George Washington University in Washington with a master's degree in engineering administration.

Following his retirement, Galer moved to Dallas, where he worked in the defense industry and then at a real estate firm.

In the early 1990s, he collaborated with the San Diego Air and Space Museum to restore the F3F biplane that he had ditched off the coast of San Diego in 1940 due to a mechanical failure. It was recovered from the ocean floor April 5, 1990, at a depth of 1,800 feet.

Galer died June 27, 2005. He is buried alongside his wife, Sharon, in the Texas State Cemetery in Austin, Texas.

In addition to the Medal of Honor, he also received the Legion of Merit with Valor, the Distinguished Flying Cross with one gold star, the Air Medal with four gold stars and the Purple Heart.

On Dec. 17, 2020, a plaque was dedicated to Galer at Camp Humphreys, South Korea. There's also a monument dedicated to him and other military alums on the campus at the University of Washington in Seattle.

09/04/2026

09/03/2026

08/11/2026

08/05/2026

Medal of Honor Monday: Army Cpl. Jake Allex

By David Vergun

Army Cpl. Jake Allex earned the Medal of Honor for extraordinary courage while leading his men forward under heavy fire during the Battle of Amiens in World War I.

Allex was born Angelko Allex Mandushich July 13, 1887, in Streska, near Prizren, in the Kosovo Vilayet of the Ottoman Empire, present-day Kosovo. He was of ethnic Serbian descent, born to Sava A. Mandushich and Savka Sosevich.He married Valinka Mandushich, per the 1930 U.S. census. They had two daughters and a son.

Allex immigrated to the United States, sailing from Bremen, Germany, about June 1912, according to his 1919 form requesting naturalization and a passport, and changed his name to Jake Allex.

He enlisted in the Illinois Army National Guard on April 27, 1917, just weeks after the United States entered World War I, April 6, 1917.

On the day Allex earned the Medal of Honor, Aug. 9, 1918, he was assigned to Company H, 131st Infantry Regiment, 33rd Infantry Division, at Chipilly Ridge, France, about 75 miles north of Paris.

His citation reads that at a critical point in the fighting, when the platoon commander and all the noncommissioned officers of his platoon become casualties, he took command and led the men forward until the advance was stopped by enemy machine-gun fire.

Allex then advanced alone for about 30 yards in the face of intense enemy fire and attacked the machine-gun nest. He killed five enemy soldiers with his bayonet, and when it broke, he used the butt of his rifle to smash the enemy. During the fighting, he captured 15 prisoners.



The action at Chipilly Ridge occurred during the Battle of Amiens, which took place Aug. 8-11, 1918. Allex and the rest of the 33rd Infantry Division would later fight in the Meuse-Argonne Offensive, the Second Battle of the Somme and the Battle of Saint-Mihiel.

The Medal of Honor was presented to Allex on April 22, 1919, in Ettelbruck, Luxembourg, by Army Gen. John J. Pershing, who commanded the American Expeditionary Forces during World War I.

Allex was honorably discharged from the Army on June 4, 1919, as a sergeant. He became a naturalized U.S. citizen Sept. 16, 1919.

After returning from the war, he worked for a time at the Morris & Co. meat-packing plant in Chicago, where the employees referred to him as Sgt. Jake. The 1930 U.S. census lists Allex as a construction foreman in Cook County, Illinois, and it also lists the value of his home at $1,800.

In 1931, Allex, who was a member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars, was invited by the Illinois governor to attend an address by President Herbert Hoover at the Lincoln Tomb in Springfield, Illinois, which he accepted.

Allex retired from the Chicago municipal water department in 1954. In December 1958, the Disabled American Veterans of Illinois presented him with a color television. Most people had black-and-white televisions at that time.

He died Aug. 28, 1959, and was buried at the Serbian Orthodox Cemetery and Monastery of Saint Sava in Libertyville, Illinois.

07/11/2026

Join us this Saturday, July 11, to support a deeply meaningful cause for our community! 🇺🇸 CIVOC and The Wall That Heals Cape & Islands Committee are hosting Fundraiser for The Wall That Heals: Music, Food, Fun to support bringing the Vietnam Veterans Memorial replica to Yarmouth. Come out for a great afternoon of food, live music, and fantastic auction items and raffle baskets! 🍔🎶🎟️

When: Saturday, July 11, from 12 – 4 PM
Where: Clark-Haddad Post 188 American Legion, Sandwich, MA
Live Music: Wheelhouse Band l 1– 4 PM
Cost: $25 for vets, spouses, widows | $40 for non-veterans

Every bid, ticket, and raffle purchase directly supports bringing this moving tribute to our area. Head over to to: https://wl.donorperfect.net/weblink/weblink.aspx?name=E361750&id=4 secure your tickets online ahead of time, or you can pay at the door!

Let’s come together to honor their service and remember their sacrifice. See you Saturday! ❤️💙