On this day in 1832, a signer of the Declaration of Independence passes away. Charles Carroll of Carrollton was the last living signatory of that document.
He was also the only Catholic person to sign. He suffered immensely because of this latter fact.
For years, Carroll was mistreated because of his faith. As a young boy, he attended a religious private school in secret. When he got older, he traveled overseas to complete his education. When he returned to America, he was unable to run for office because he was Catholic.
All in all, perhaps it would have been understandable if he’d chosen to remain loyal to the Crown during the Revolution?
FULL STORY: https://www.taraross.com/post/tdih-charles-carroll
At about this time in 2005, a memorial is dedicated for Smoky, the “Yorkie Doodle Dandy” of World War II. Smoky was a little Yorkshire Terrier who served alongside Corporal William “Bill” Wynne in the 5th Air Force, 26th Photo Reconnaissance Squadron.
Wynne would call her a “mighty little dog I was fortunate enough to have.”
Corporal Wynne first met Smoky when he was serving as an aerial photographer in New Guinea. Another G.I. had found the dog in an abandoned foxhole. Poor Smoky was skin and bones! Wynne ended up buying her for two Australian pounds (about $6.44). From then on, man and dog were inseparable.
Wynne taught Smoky tricks during his free time, but Smoky also hung out in the darkroom with Wynne when he was working. When air raid sirens sounded, the two would run for cover together. Many soldiers came to believe that Smoky instinctively knew which shelter was best. They began following her to the hole that she chose.
FULL STORY: ...
On this day in 1815, Elizabeth Cady is born into a prominent family in Johnstown, New York. She would go on to become a well-known advocate for women’s rights.
“[Elizabeth] was arguably the most important female activist-intellectual of [her] era,” biographer Lori Ginzberg writes, “and one of her generation’s most charismatic leaders.”
Elizabeth’s discontent with the status quo began early: Her gender put artificial limits on her education, which she found upsetting. She yearned for more opportunity and would have leapt at the chance to go to college.
She had to instead content herself with attending a female seminary.
The story continues here: https://www.taraross.com/post/tdih-elizabeth-stanton
At about this time in 2005, a hero succumbs to his injuries. Sergeant First Class Alwyn C. Cashe had saved several of his fellow soldiers from a burning Bradley Fighting Vehicle mere weeks earlier.
Cashe has been described as “an example of what being a Dogface Soldier is all about—selfless service.” His friend, 1st Lt. James “Jimmy” Ryan, would remember Cashe as a man who was “tough and competitive” and “just wouldn’t quit. . . . he cared about the mission, he cared about getting things done, and he cared about taking care of his people.”
Which is exactly what Cashe did on October 17, 2005, near Samarra, Iraq.
The story continues here: https://www.taraross.com/post/tdih-alwyn-cashe-moh
