On this day in 1952, a World War II hero is tragically killed in a car crash. It’s been said that Pedro Cano “seemingly was an unremarkable man who did remarkable things during World War II.”
For starters, Cano was not a big man. At just over 5 feet tall, he’s been described as “pint-sized” and “slightly-built.” Yet what he lacked in size, he made up for in determination. He’d used his small size to crawl under enemy fire, risking his life for his fellow soldiers.
Private Cano’s Medal action came over the course of two days in December 1944, as the young soldier served near Schevenhutte, Germany.
The story continues here: https://www.taraross.com/post/tdih-pedro-cano-moh
On this day in 1782, George Washington writes a letter to the Reformed Dutch Church at Albany. He was then in the middle of a quick trip to that city.
“May the preservation of your civil and religious Liberties still be the care of an indulgent Providence,” Washington wrote the church, “and may the rapid increase and universal extension of knowledge virtue and true Religion be the consequence of a speedy and honorable Peace.”
Funny words to write if he truly believed that church and state should be separated. Don’t you think? Food for thought for your day.
Dear regular readers: Full-fledged history stories resume on Monday.
During this summer in 1776, Betsy Ross works as a seamstress and an upholsterer. At least according to legend, she would make the first American flag at the request of George Washington.
History remembers her as “Betsy Ross,” but would that seem funny to her? She was widowed three times and lived most of her life with other names.
She was born Elizabeth Griscom to an abolitionist Quaker family, where she was the eighth of seventeen children. She attended a Quaker school and was then apprenticed to an upholsterer. It was during this apprenticeship that she met John Ross.
The story continues here: https://www.taraross.com/post/tdih-betsy-ross
On this day in 1778, George Washington prepares to strike the British near Monmouth Court House in New Jersey. The conflict that followed nearly ended in disgrace and retreat because one of Washington’s officers made a critical mistake.
Fortunately, General Washington arrived on the scene, just in time.
The clash at Monmouth occurred just after Washington’s army emerged from its long winter at Valley Forge. Americans were in pursuit of the British, then evacuating Philadelphia. The British army was moving very slowly—too slowly! Washington began to wonder if he was being pulled into a trap. On June 24, he held a council of war.
The story continues here: https://www.taraross.com/post/tdih-battle-monmouth
