Military
This series of messages features those hidden heroes who contributed advances to the structure and openness of the military.
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Christopher Spencer – The Man Who Won the Civil War
Christopher Spencer was born in Connecticut in 1833. It was his grandfather, who he starting starting living with who when he was ill that encouraged his inventive mind. He was allowed to work on a lathe and modify his grandfather’s Revolutionary War musket. This...
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Hercules Mulligan: Spy, Patriot, and Abolitionist
Hercules Mulligan was born in Ireland in 1740 and came to America in 1746. He attended college and opened a tailoring business where he became the clothier of high-level British officers. When Alexander Hamilton came to America, Hercules gave him a place to live. He...
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Creating Discipline from Chaos
Friedrich von Steuben was destined to have a military career. He was born in a fortress town in Germany. His father was an officer in the Prussian army and Friedrich was a volunteer in the military when he was 14. Friedrich was involved in the Seven Years’ War between...
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The Secret Weapon in the American Civil War
Anna Ella Carroll was the oldest of 8 children in a politically active family. Her father, who would become Governor of Maryland when she was in her teens, nurtured her education and political interests. She became influential in the administrations of Presidents...
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The Richmond Spy Network
Elizabeth Van Lew was born in Richmond, VA in 1818 to Quaker parents. She was opposed to slavery even though her father owned slaves. When her father died when she was 25, she convinced her mother to free the slaves they owned. Elizabeth and her brother used their...
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Breaking Gender Barriers
Mary Edwards Walker was the youngest of seven children born to free-thinking parents. Her parents believed in non-gender roles for their children so it was not a shock that she became a medical doctor when so few women attempted medical school. When she was married,...
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Making the Most of Opportunities
Si Spiegal was born in 1924 in New York City. When he graduated from high school, he got a job in a machine shop. World War II had begun and Si enlisted as soon as he turned 18. He was discouraged at first because he was given a position as an airplane mechanic....
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Battlefield Nursing
Mary (Grant) Seacole was born in Kingston Jamaica. Her mother practiced traditional Caribbean and African medicine. Mary learned a lot of her healing skills from her mother. Mary was especially proficient in treating cholera, a disease that affected many British...
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Service to Country
Desmond Doss was greatly influenced by his mother’s religion. As a Seventh Day Adventist, he was raised to honor the Sabbath, believe in nonviolence, and maintain a vegetarian diet. When World War II began, he could have had a deferment since he was working in a...
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Overcoming Expectations of Others
When the U.S. defeated Spain in the Spanish-American War, Puerto Rico became a U.S. Territory. Four months later, an act of Congress created a military unit in Puerto Rico made up of volunteers. Eight years later, the military unit became a part of the U.S. Army. The...
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