Remembering our Soldiers

Gram used to send out an email at this time of year, listing the soldiers in our family. Here are the ones I remember and ask that you reflect on their service and sacrifices. Don Cox, Herb, Dick and Ken Garlitz;  Jim Montmeny, Jane Montmeny, Bob Ouimet, Marlin Cox. Gram's brothers Alfred and Don Sneath. Aunt Isobel 's husband Bob Phillips. Joshua Pilch. I seem to remember that Gram could list 14 - but I don't have quite that many, so let me go back further in time...

Job Allen born 1840 fought in the Civil War and was a prisoner of war for a time, Lt. David Cox and his brother John who fought in the Revolutionary War from Grayson County, Virginia. There was a Job Allen, Sr. and Jr. in the Revolutionary War too.

Now for their photos...

Donald Cox, 115th Cavalry, Wyoming National Guard

William Alfred Sneath, Gram's brother. He was a pilot with the Royal Canadian Air Force and the only one of our soldies who did not come home after the war. His plane was shot down over Muelheim, Germany on 23 June 1943. A couple of his crew survived, but Alfred is buried just south of Brussels, Belgium. Here are my notes...

Uncle Alfred Sneath was a pilot in Canadian Air Force and while flying a mission over Germany the night of 23 June 1943, his plane was shot down, over Muelheim.

There is an old Readers' Digest condensed book (I have a copy) that includes the story" Bomber" , a novel by Len Deighton, telling about a night in Germany, the 23 June 1943, and telling the story from several different persons' perspective- the English bomber crew, the Germans defending their country, and the townspeople caught in the middle.
His sister (my mother Jeanette Cox) has a box full of his memorabilia.
The CEMETARY: Heverlee War Cemetary, near Louvain, Belgium, from headstone: Pilot Officer, W.A. Sneath, Pilot, Royal Canadian Air Force, 23rd June 1943 Age 30, (a cross), "They are not dead, Life's flag is not furled."
Lois Ann visited this cemetary 3 times while living in Germany: 1) in 1977 with her mother Jeanette Cox, after visiting England & Scotland, 2) in 1987 with Kenn & Liz Pilch 3) in 1989 with Isobel Phillips & Jeanette Cox, his sisters, and with Lois Ann's daughter Rebecca who graduated from high school that May in Heidelberg.

Donald McGregor Sneath 1918-1977, Alfred's brother. He served in North Africa in WWII.

the brothers - Dick and Ken Garlitz in Vietnam 1969-1970

Herbert L. Garlitz, their father, who served in WWII in France (I think)

Our Civil War ancestor Job Allen, born 1840 in Wabash County, Indiana and died 1915 in Oak, Nebraska. He was the father of my grandmother, Anna Allen who was married to Sam Cox.  During the Civil War, Job was a prisoner of war for over a year at Andersonville prison.

Hopefully I can find a couple more photos - but if you have one of the ones you don't see here, email them to me and I will put them up too. Same deal with a story or more details about one of them that you want to share.