Monday, May 27, 2013

Memorial Day 2013 and Why I am a Damned Fortunate Man

Strange blog title...however, it says what I feel.   I am truly a fortunate man who has a family (past and present) that have woven themselves into the fabric of what we call the American experience.  This blog is dedicated primarily to my great-great grandfather John W. Derr...who fortunately wrote a lot of letters during the Civil War and whose son was wise enough to keep them.  I am the beneficiary of this fore thought and hence I write on this blog.  That said....I have others who have served in our military...fighting for our nation's continuance and for freedom and liberty.  For that...I am eternally grateful and infinitely proud.

I will start therefore, by saying...Thank You.  Thank you to my ancestors who fought in the various conflicts as part of our nation's history.  And...Thank You to all veterans who have served.




Jacob Wagner - Revolutionary War

Let's start with my Great-great-great-great-great-great grandfather...Jacob Wagner (born July 6, 1725).
Jacob, son of Jacob Wagner and anna Maria Jung Wagner was born in Nottingen, Germany.  In 1776, he served in the War of the Revolution as a private in Captain John Arndt's Company of Associators and Militia in Northampton county.  Jacob and Maria had 10 children.  Jacob died in November of 1802 at the age of 77.  Maria died in July of 1827 at the age of 91.




John Z. Wagner - Civil War

Next I will stay in the Wagner family line with the Great-great grandson of Jacob Wagner...John Zartman Wagner.  I have discussed John Z. Wagner in prior posts.  John Z. Wagner was born on September 27, 1841 in the Deep Creek area of Barry Township.
 A farmer and laborer by trade, John Z. enlisted in the United State Army on April 20, 1861 as part of President Lincoln's call for volunteers during what was supposed to be a 90 day suppression of the rebellion.  John Z. was mustered into the 6th regiment of the Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry, Company E, to serve his 3 months of service to his country.  He was part of the famous First Defenders that came from the great state of Pennsylvania.


As we all know...what was thought to be a 3 month war, ended up being a 4 year struggle that would tear the country apart.
John Z. served his 3 months of duty...mostly on provost and guard duty in the Williamsport, Pa. area of the county and was mustered out of service on July 26, 1861.  He would return home only to re-enlist in the newly formed 55th PVI (Company E) on September 13, 1861...after taking a 1 1/2 month rest from his prior service.








John W. Derr - Civil War



John W. Derr (JWD) was born in Barry Township, Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania on October 7, 1839.  He enlisted in the Union Army in September of 1861 and was mustered into the 48th Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry, Company D at Camp Curtin, Harrisburg Pa, in that same month. From Harrisburg, the 48th PVI transitioned through Baltimore, MD and then down the Chesapeake Bay to Fort Monroe in Virginia. From there, the 48th PVI was attached to the larger Burnsides Expedition to North Carolina (Hatteras/New Berne area). After the North Carolina expedition the 48th PVI was moved north and participated in the 2nd battle of Bull Run, where JWD was wounded on August 29th, 1862 and taken prisoner. He was paroled by the Confederates, and was transported to Georgetown College Hospital in Washington, D.C. After staying in Washington and missing the battles of Antietam and South Mountain, he was transferred to the Cherry and Broad Street hospital in Philadelphia, Pa in December of 1863. He was subsequently furloed home for further recuperation.
His unit was then detached for guard duty in Kentucky and Tennessee, where his unit re-enlisted in December 1863 at Blains Crossroads, TN. In 1864, the 48th PVI was involved in Grant’s campaigns of the Wilderness, Spotsylvania Courthouse, Cold Harbor, etc…and eventually the Petersburg Campaign. JWD, as part of the 48th PVI was integral in the digging of the Mine Crater. Documentation of his participation in the actual mining activities and subsequent illness from the damp/cold conditions are documented in his post mortem pension application by his widow, Magdalena Derr. Pension affidavits by his fellow soldiers indicate that his participation in the mining activities, along with his wounding at 2nd Bull Run were the primary cause of his early death in 1876
In addition to his participation in the Petersburg Siege, JWD participated in the 1863 Army review by President Lincoln in Washington, D.C., the Grand Review of 1865 in Washington, D.C. He was mustered out of the Army in July of 1865 and returned home to live out his remaining short life, dying on January 12, 1876 at age 37.




Robert V. Price - World War I


My mom's dad, Robert V. Price was a very unassuming man and in general did not look the part of the soldier.  Standing barely 5'3" and weighing all of 100 pounds, he was not a person of which action figures are modeled.  However, in 1917 he, along with friends decided that the 'right' thing to do was to join up and fight the 'good fight'.   Though he did not see any combat, he did serve out the balance of the war being honorably discharged in 1918.  Soon after he would meet my grandmother and the rest is history.  To this day, I still have his uniform and his dog tags from that great conflict.




Donald J. Derr - World War II


My father, Don Derr,  passed on a chance to attend the Philadelphia Eagles training camp in 1945 to instead enlist in the Navy.  He wanted to be a fighter pilot.  As an All-State Football running back for Cass Township High School with loads of athletic accolades, Dad was a good picking for pro-ball.  However...like many of his peers, he couldn't wait to go and enlist....So...when he turned 18 in 1945, he enlisted...foregoing his High School graduation and all.  He enlisted for the duration of the war plus 6 months...and so that's how it happened.  With the war rapidly coming to a conclusion, Don Derr spent the final months of the war...not as a fighter pilot, but as a shore patrolman helping to repatriate veteran GIs.  Not what he really wanted...but he did his part.




Marian Jane Price Derr - World War II - Victory Farm Volunteer (VFV)



And last but not least...is my mom.  Jane Price Derr.  Mom was too young to serve in World War II in the military...but like so many teenage girls her age, she volunteered to work on a Victory Farm in Connecticut planting and harvesting tobacco.  Though she often in later life thought that producing tobacco probably did more harm than good...in reality...cigarettes were the life blood of the soldier in the field.  Either smoked or traded as currency, tobacco was an important asset to the soldier.  So...there you have it...I feel as though my mom did her part during the war to  help with the victory.


For that...I say Happy Memorial Day...and Thank You!



Jim D.













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