Something I Saw For The First Time...

Over the past eight, almost nine years, I've sometimes used the same item for my blog posts. I think the photo I have of my dad and four of his brothers has been used the most. I find reason to dust it off and include it in a blog post at least a couple of times a year, Memorial Day, Veterans Day, even my dad's birthday. And, another thing I could have included is on the back page of that newspaper clipping are stories of two other uncles, Jack and Dave, who served in the armed services.

I've included this photo many times because, after all, there's no way I can honor these men and the men and women of their generation enough.

I like to include this photo in my posts. I think it's cool to have such a direct connection to a family that sent five brothers to war at the same time. Not only did I think it was cool, I thought it was unique, too, sort of like in the film, Saving Private Ryan. Five siblings--all served in the same conflict.

Turns out, this may not be as unique as I once thought.

This last week, after I posted the picture yet again, I read something for the first time. The last paragraph of the story caught my attention. If you can't read the paragraph, it reads, 

"Other Jefferson county families to furnish five sons for war service are Mr. and Mrs. Frank Miller, Sr. of Ririe, and Mr. and Mrs. O. B. Drake of Roberts. In the Miller Family there are four sailors and one soldier; the same is true of the Drake family. Of the fifteen men in the three five-star families eleven are sailors and four soldiers."

In a smallish county in southeastern Idaho three families sent five sons each to war. This made me wonder just how many families sent that many sons and daughters to fight?

I suppose I could do some research on the subject--the answers are most likely out there. But, for me, I'm satisfied in the fact that, even though my father and his brothers's situation wasn't as unusual as I thought, I still am proud of what they did, what the other two Jefferson County families did, and what everyone did to help stop that terrible war. Back then, I'm sure the sacrifice affected everyone. Amazing families, truly.