As we do on every Memorial Day, we remember Mike Spann, Roslyn Schulte, Jonathan Porto, Billie Taylor Presson, Christopher David Horton, the Cornell Class of 1944, and the other fallen, known and unknown.
The St. Louis Jewish Light had a recent article about Schulte:
… I’ll admit I never much contemplated what Memorial Day stands for until 15 years ago, when I – along with 1,300 others — attended the funeral of Air Force 1st Lt. Roslyn Schulte, who was killed in May of 2009 by a roadside bomb near Kabul, Afghanistan. She was 25 years old, and the first female USAFA graduate to be killed in action in the global war on terrorism.
Roslyn “Roz” Schulte is the daughter of Robert and Susie Schulte of Ladue; the family has long belonged to Congregation Temple Israel and Roslyn was confirmed there. It was also on Memorial Day in 2009 that TI Rabbi Emeritus Mark Shook presided over her funeral and said, “Memorial Day will never be the same. No one in this place now will ever take Memorial Day for granted again.”
He was so right….
In her memory, Lt. Schulte’s parents championed an award that is given each year since her death to a first-class cadet who embodies the values their daughter lived by: “impeccable character, unwavering leadership and spirit of service.” This year’s 1st Lt. Roslyn Schulte Award for Exemplary Cadet Character and Leadership will be given out Tuesday, May 28, at the Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colo. Her parents plan to be at the ceremony, as they are every year, to meet the recipient and nominees and their families.
In addition, Lt. Schulte has been memorialized at her high school alma mater, John Burroughs, with a scholarship in her name. The annual Missouri Girls Lacrosse All Star Game is dedicated to her; she was inducted into the Missouri Lacrosse Hall of Fame in 2018.
Sometimes when I go to The J, I’ll look over at the memorial plaque near the flagpole in front of the Arts & Education Building that was dedicated in Lt. Schulte’s honor. Even now, 15 years after her passing, Roz Schulte continues to be an inspiration and role model to so many as well as a reminder of the many Jewish veterans who served our country so valiantly.
I also found a Virtual Wall entry for Presson:
In 2016, Porto’s widow, Rachel, wrote for Legal Insurrection, I am proud to be the widow of Cpl Jonathan Daniel Porto, USMC:
Memorial Day. What does it mean to me?It means a time to reflect on my husband’s service and sacrifice. A time to reflect on the sacrifices of thousands of families like my own….On January 15, 2010, our daughter Ariana was born. I was fortunate to receive a call from him while I was in labor and because of that, he was present with me when his daughter graced this earth. We had a few months to go until he would be home with us and physically get to meet her.Except, that day never came.On March 15, 2010, two uniformed men rang my doorbell before dawn. A Navy Chaplain and a Marine Staff NCO from 6th Marine Regiment. Their words forever changed our lives as they informed me Jonathan had been killed the day prior.
This photo before his deployment says it all:
I don’t have any updated information regarding Porto, and how his daughter and widow are doing, but I know that one of his relatives is a Legal Insurrection reader, so if you see this, please add the information in the comment section or email it to me and I will add it to this post.
We update information regarding Johnny “Mike” Spann every November 25, the anniversary of his death in Afghanistan.
I see that the Chris D. Horton Legacy Sniper Competition 2024 is scheduled for Ooctober 25 – October 27, 2024:
The competition Facebook page has plenty of photos.
His widow, Jane, who wrote a post about him for Legal Insurrection in 2016, “My husband, like many fallen service members, would want to see you live”. I saw that Jane tweeted after the debacle of the U.S. exit from Afghanistan:
The Cornell Class of 1944 just celebrated its 80th Reunion. I can’t imagine many of that class are still alive, certainly not the men who died in World War II.
In Barrington, Rhode Island, the Memorial Day Parade will take place without the Veterans Council, which has resigned in protest of the continued flying of the BLM and other political flags above the Town War Memorial, as we reported in March of this year, Barrington (RI) Veterans Council Resigns In Protest Of Town Flying BLM Flag Over Veterans Memorial
The town manager (at the time)[2020] followed by the Town Council went full BLM radical, to the point of flying the BLM flag above the town’s Veterans Memorial. This led to protests by the Barrington United Veterans Council (BUVC), an affiliate of the Town, which for almost 70 years was the voice of veterans in town. BUVC objected to ANY political flags being flown on the town flagpole over the Veterans Memorial.The BUVC organized and ran the annual Memorial Day Parade, which is still a big deal in town, but their protests led to retaliation by the Town Council, which pulled the parade from BUVC. We covered the whole sordid saga in March 2022, Veterans Group Alleges Retaliation For Opposing Flying BLM Flag Over Barrington (RI) Veterans Memorial.The BUVC eventually was restored to control of the Parade, after continued public outcry which made the town councilors look petty and meanspirited.
- After Retaliation for Objecting To BLM Flag Flying Over War Memorial, Veterans Group Restored to Organizing Memorial Day Parade
- Barrington (RI) Memorial Day Parade Restored To Veterans Group Ousted After Objecting to BLM Flag Flying Over Veterans Memorial
So the story had a happy ending, right? Right? Buehler?Sorry, BUVC is out again, not just of the parade, but of existence. It has decided to disband because of the continued refusal of the Town Council to get the BLM flag and other political flags, such as the ‘Pride’ flag, off the town flagpole over the Veterans Memorial. Attempts at compromise, such as erecting another flag pole to be placed nearby to fly political flags, were rejected.
See that post for the full Veterans Council statement:
Unfortunately, the Barrington Town Council, which does not have a single Veteran among its members, has chosen to virtue signal to controversial national political entities outside of our community rather than respect the wishes of those that have served and sacrificed from within the community. Therefore, effective immediately, the Barrington United Veterans Council will cease to exist as an official Town of Barrington government entity, and all its current members hereby resign in protest from their volunteer duties and obligations. We can no longer serve in good faith a local government that harbors such hostility and animosity towards its Veterans and its families. In the future, Barrington American Legion Post #8 will continue those Veterans functions deemed necessary.
Our nation is facing extreme cultural and political stress points. But we must remember those who gave all, and honor them.
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