While there has been a serious public debate on what monuments should be allowed to reside on the Talbot County Courthouse lawn, a few new ones were added recently. Thanks to VFW Post 5118, led by Agnes Blades and Nancy Gooding, the veterans of World War I, World War II, and the Korean War are now honored for their service with three new monuments.
Nice going VFW!
Catherine C Nobles says
I believe all monuments should be left alone. They are all part of our history, both good and bad. When history is not taught the same mistakes are made over and over
Lois Harrison says
This is such wonderful news and I am most grateful to those who made the ultimate sacrifice as well as to the VFW members who made the monuments happen. God bless them.
James Brennan says
The Korean War ended in July 1953 but the soldier on the Korean War monument is leaning on an M-16A2 Assault Rifle which entered U.S. Marine Corps service in 1983.
David Reel says
I don’t care about the details on the weapon depicted in the Korean War memorial. The important thing is recognition of all the veterans, especially those who served during the Korean conflict — often referred to as the “forgotten war”.
Bishop Joel Marcus Johnson says
A well done testament to their sacrifice and our gratefulness.
Mickey Terrone says
The difference between these three new monuments and the Talbot Boys is that the men (and women) who gave their lives in WWI, WWII and the Korean War gave their lives for our country, the United States of America. The Confederate soldiers listed on the Talbot Boys statue fought against the United States of America shooting at U.S. soldiers, who were sacrificing life and limb to keep our nation whole. Most of those listed did not give their lives, either.
This is essentially why the Talbot Boys statue does not belong on the County Court House grounds.
paul Callahan says
Resisting and invading and occupying military force that placed artillery around your cities threatening to slaughter innocent civilians if your State does not submit to the will of the President, is not a crime against the Constitution of the United States, in fact it is the right of our citizens. If President Trump ordered the US Army to surround Kenosha Wisconsin with artillery and bombard that city, arrest its city officials, members of their legislature and representatives to Congress, that order from the President would not be Constitutional and would be unlawful.
If the Wisconsin National guard activated to protect the citizens of Kenosha from this unlawful aggression would you say they were “Traitors to their Nation?” No – they would not be since the use of Federal force would be unlawful and the right to resist Constitutional. This is what happened in Maryland in 1861. Many (including you) do not understand the severe Constitutional crisis our Country faced during that time.
The big difference between our military in 1861 and today is that today every Military Officer in every branch of service is fully aware that their oath is to the US Constitution and that they are to follow all lawful orders (with emphasis on lawful). They also are obligated under law not to follow unlawful orders or crimes against humanity. If that order were issued by the President today it would not be carried out.
I believe President Trump contemplated using military force against the rioting, but the Military Commanders told him to read the Constitution. If you had been an Officer in your short military stint you would fully understand this concept.
Dominic "Mickey" Terrone says
This is a confused, misinformed jumble of misstatements. First, Talbot County secessionists did act to declare martial law in the name of the Confederacy as the state legislature was meeting in Frederick, MD, and deciding not to move Maryland to secede. Talbot’s revolutionaries, led by Gen. Tench Tilghman, the officer in charge of the County’s state militia unit and the leading secessionists, used the county’s militia and armaments in their act of treason against this state, which did not act to secede. Most of the Talbot Boys were members of this militia which chose to defy this state and act in support of the Confederacy.
In doing so, they acted as as enemies of the state of Maryland and indeed fought to kill Union soldiers who fought to defend the stars and stripes. Confederate troops presented our country with the deadly threat to our constitution. When Confederate troops entered Maryland in 1862, 1863 and 1864 they attacked our state, marauded Maryland farmers, destroyed Maryland infrastructure and property and shot at Union defenders of our constitution. To the extent that Maryland Confederates participated in this, they abandoned both Maryland and the US. What part of your education allows you to forget or ignore those important facts that inform your mistaken opinions? It isn’t that complex. You need to read the Dickson Preston history of our county. You must not simply ignore the reality of our history, try as you might.
Thus your reference to Kenosha and US troops is irrelevant. When Union troops arrived in Easton in June, 1861, they came to disarm people in rebellion against their state and their country and arrest the leaders who acted against the majority of our citizens who had been threatened. The Confederate States of America had already fired on the US flag. And while a total of about 15,000 Marylanders went south to fight in Confederate forces for periods of time during the Civil War, no other county in Maryland declared itself to be in secession as Talbot County did so ignominiously.The secessionists well knew the majority of the county’s population were Unionists.
And in case you forgot, when Union General Butler occupied Baltimore with one regiment on May 13, 1861, he was protecting Marylanders from the threat of secessionists who had blown bridges to prevent troop movements to reinforce Washington, DC from a city that attacked Union troops a few weeks previously. Butler certainly did frustrate secessionists but his actions were likely a relief to Unionists who had ceased any further violence after the March 19th rioting and subsequent bridge damage. Union troops remained in Baltimore to protect important infrastructure like the B&O facilities, which secessionists/confederates desperately sought to destroy.
Paul callahan says
Mickey,
Dickson Preston’s writings about Talbot County about that time has been reviewed in depth by numerous history buffs and we unanimously agree that not only is he very poorly sourced but he injects a huge amount of his personal opinions into those writings. I believe you have heard me tell you that you have quoted “opinions as facts” and this is exactly what I am referring to.
In Preston’s footnotes, which are about two, he documents his sources as statements from a few people he interviews in the mid 1960s. They are telling third and fourth hand information about what they thought happened 100-150 years earlier. That is not a first party source by any means.
Most of what Preston wrote has no sources listed and it is extremely obvious that he injects his personal opinions, and it is even more apparent that Preston injects his own New York born and bread cultural bias.
Dixon totally leaves out Tench Tilghman’s order to his militia that tells us exactly why these men rose against the Union.
The most important historical document pertaining about that time and no mention of it by Dixon. Really?
Dixon stated he used documents gathered by Samuel Harrison (our local historian who preceded Dixon by 50+ years) But Preston fails to mention the most important document in Harrison’s collection. Why did Dixon do that?
There are just one of two reasons, Dixon was either an extremely poor historian or that this extremely important historical document just didn’t fit the narrative he wanted to portray. Probably both.
The final issue is that you yourself misquote Dixon Preston and greatly exaggerate events that Preston only alludes to. Some of your statements that you quote from Dixon are not even in his book. It’s just not there.
Dixon Preston’s writings about Talbot County during the civil war should be seen for what it is – poorly sourced, biased and opinionated fish wrap.
I’ll stick with Tench Tilghman’s order to his militia.
“Maryland is being invaded by Federal forces against her will” … The Federal government is waging war against Maryland’s institutions of democracy… The citizens of Maryland are in danger…. “Prepare to deploy to protect the citizens of Maryland.”
That order is in the historical archives and is a direct source. Dixon Preston leaves it out of his book either from incompetence or deliberate bias.
william lachenmayr says
Kneeling solder in Korea monument is holding an M 16 type assault rifle. Those rifles were not yet available during Korea conflict. They were issued only during and after Viet Nam War as any Vet of that period knows.
Paul Callahan says
The weapon is of no importance…. it is the recognition of those who sacrificed so much that is…
Paul Callahan says
These monuments are a reminder to all of us that our liberties were not given to us by a government but were gained by the sacrifices and actions taken by our citizens. THANK YOU to those who made this happen!
Lorraine B. Claggett says
I am wondering how the names were chosen to go on the monuments. Just a squinty look at the photo of alphabetically listed men (women?)told me that some I hold dear served in combat but do not appear on a monument in their home town.
K Johnson says
Nice, but why no Vietnam War monument as well? BORN ON THE FOURTH OF JULY!!
John Griep says
The Vietnam Veterans Memorial was erected in 1988. In the photo, it is to the left of the newly erected monuments.
K Johnson says
Thanks, John.
Agnes Blades says
These are only the Killed In Action men of Talbot County that served in these Wars, it is a Memorial to them.