Heather's Honor Roll Project -- Veterans Day 2015

Heather Wilkinson Rojo of Nutfield Genealogy started an Honor Roll Project in 2010. The goal of the project is to post photos of various war memorials and honor rolls along with the transcriptions of the names on the memorials/honor rolls in order to make the names available for search engines. In this way, people can search for family members, ancestors and friends. This is a VERY worthwhile project and I want to participate in even a small way to support Heather (my blogging mentor and, incidentally, a distant cousin).

To participate in Heather's project this coming Veterans Day, I offer a photograph and transcriptions of names from a memorial in Leesburg, the county seat of Loudoun County, Virginia.  Leesburg is located about 35 miles northwest of Washington, DC.  In the center of historic downtown Leesburg sits the county courthouse "campus." This is where the county has erected memorials to those from Loudoun County who served in various wars -- many of whom gave their lives in service to their country. In past years, photos and name transcriptions of the memorials for World War I, World War II, and the Korean War have been posted here at The Prism as contributions to Heather's project.

The courthouse "campus" in downtown Leesburg, Virginia

The lower courthouse "campus" looking up at the memorial monoliths in the right side of the photograph.

For Heather's Honor Roll Project and Veterans Day 2015, the Loudoun County, Virginia memorial to those who served in the Vietnam War is presented below.

Twelve residents of Loudoun County, Virginia made the ultimate sacrifice during the war in Vietnam. The names of the fallen are . . .

               Welby H. Grayson, III

               Richard B. Grigsby

               Jack Harris, Jr.

               David F. Helms

               Leonard W. Kidd

               Francis E. Manuel

               Weyland F. McCauley, Jr.

               Ralph W. Melbourne

               Richard S. Pohl

               Gregory M. Howard

               David A. Russell

               Charles E. Peters

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Veterans Day 2015 image from http://www.cem.va.gov , the website of the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs -- National Cemetery Administration. 

Photos of the memorial and the County Courthouse campus in Leesburg, Virginia by the author.

Name transcriptions by the author.

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Copyright 2015, John D. Tew

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Friday Fotos (February 6, 2015)-- At The Recyclefest '91: Face Painting and Paper Manufacturing

While he is closing in on age 31 now, we still remember how excited our older son was at age 7 to find himself pictured in our local newspaper, the Loudoun Times-Mirror -- and in color to boot! 

This front page treasure was saved by his maternal grandparents. The newsprint is getting a little brittle and there are some stains around the edges, but this photo captures a moment in time we all enjoyed.

[It is hard not to notice the date at the top of the page.  This fun family event took place ten years to the day before the attacks of 9-11!] 

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Image from an original newspaper clipping in the family collection.

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Copyright 2015, John D. Tew

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Monday Memories (March 31, 2014) -- A Youth Soccer Championship

In 1997 our older son was thirteen years old and soccer was his sport of choice after having left baseball behind. Both he and his younger brother were enthusiastic soccer players and they attended week-long soccer camps at Northwood School in Lake Placid during the summers for fun and to improve their skills. 

As the above photograph shows, our older son's team "Big Red" won the LYSA (Loudoun Youth Soccer Association) All-Star Soccer Tournament in 1997. He is pictured (fourth boy from the right in the back row) with his teammates and coaches. It was a thrilling tournament and a well-earned victory.  

The Championship trophy (1997)

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Photographs in the personal collection of the author.

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Copyright 2014, John D. Tew

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Do You Want To Know A Secret??

One of the aims of The Prism is to share ideas and information that might be useful, or at least of interest, to others.  The post on The ABC was an example.  Those of you who knew about the famous Rehoboth Carpenter family genealogy, might have learned for the first time that it is now available on the Internet.  Those of you who never heard of The ABC, now have a possible resource to use if you have New England roots in the period 1638 – 1898.  THIS post is about a secret history and genealogy resource that sits in the heart of historic Leesburg, Virginia – and you must promise not to tell anyone else!  :-)

The 254-year-old Town of Leesburg, Virginia is the county seat of Loudoun County.  It is located about 33 miles northwest of Washington, DC.   The historic downtown area of Leesburg has been referred to as one of the most picturesque and best preserved town centers in Virginia.  It has been on the National Register of Historic Places since 1970.

Within very easy walking distance of the historic center of Leesburg and such highlights as the Loudoun County Courthouse, Dodona Manor (the restored home of 5-star General, Secretary of State and Nobel Peace Prize winner George C. Marshall), and numerous restaurants and shops sits a gem known as the Thomas Balch Library.  Thomas Balch is a wonderful little history and genealogy library now owned and operated by the Town of Leesburg.  It has served Leesburg in various forms and locations since 1907.

Thomas Balch Library, Leesburg, Virginia

There is no public entrance from the street-side "front" door.
Parking is provided in the rear where the public entrance is found.

While the collections in the library understandably focus on Loudoun County and the history of the region and Virginia, there are also extensive genealogy materials to assist with research into many other geographic areas.  The collections also include impressive resources covering the American Civil War.  The library is a designated Underground Railroad research site. 

The public entrance from the off-street parking lot.

Current library hours of operation. 

The library has been modernized inside a beautiful historic structure and is equipped with several computer research terminals having access to on-line resources such as the New England Historic Genealogical Society databases and a long list of other such resources.  The staff is extremely helpful and knowledgeable.

Photos of the entrance lobby and looking toward the public entrance.

Anyone with an interest in genealogy and history who lives near Leesburg, or who has reason to visit or travel through the area, should be sure to add the Thomas Balch Library to the top of the list of places to stop.  Allow yourself several hours to scratch the surface of all the Balch library has to offer -- and then allow yourself a few more hours to explore historic Leesburg and take in a nice meal.  http://www.visitloudoun.org/Experience-Loudoun/Wine-Country  Better yet, plan a weekend visit and stay in an area bed and breakfast so that during your off-genealogy hours you can drive the roads of rural western Loudoun in the shadow of the Blue Ridge Mountains and tour the vineyards in Loudoun’s burgeoning wine country! http://www.visitloudoun.org  

BUT REMEMBER – don’t tell anyone else about this secret history and genealogy resource.  It is too valuable to be shared haphazardly!  :-)

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Copyright 2013,  John D. Tew

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