3 Quarters Today

My Life, my photography, my passions

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“Brother, My Brother”, a Tribute to Veterans

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On Veterans Monday I had the opportunity to merge two of my passions, my pride for my sons in the Marine Corp and my love of music, specifically the Elmwood-Murdock choir and band. Just wanted to share a preview of the the choirs song, “Brother My Brother” before I put together the full post, which will recap both schools and the local G.A.R museum.

It’s obvious this song was written with the American Civil War in mind, but I couldn’t find any other history. If anyone can point me in the direction I’d love to add it to the post.

Lyrics “Brother, My Brother”

Brother my brother
One blue and one gray
Will meet upon a quiet field
The morn of judgement day

Brother my brother
God has heard your battle call
Now he’ll watch his precious children
Learn how to stand, learn how to fall
And his eyes will look away

For his heart will so be torn
As his fields of gold turn scarlet
From the rage of battle born
And the silence of the night
Will be broken by the cries
Of the ones who’ve been forgotten
On the quiet field where honor lies

Give me now a splendid sun
With all his light full clear
Give me now a gentle autumn
Before the dying of the year
And some green unbloodied grass
While I can still see far
Give me one night on a river
And one unfailing star

Brother my brother
One blue and one gray
Will meet upon a quiet field
The morn of judgement day

Brother my brother
God has heard your battle call
Now he’ll watch his precious children
Learn how to stand, learn how to fall

My favorite Veterans Day piece the choir sang, by far, is the one a did a few years back of the choir singing Flanders Field. Take a look you won’t regret it!

Remembering Veterans Day

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It is time to pay respect and honor to our county’s military veterans. Yesterday was the Marine Corps birthday and today is officially Veterans Day.

I have three sons who are veterans, although one is still an active duty Marine. They learned to always have your buddy’s back. Never leave someone behind and respect authority. You can question, but you still must carry out your duty and responsibility.

Honoring our veterans

My Dad served on a destroyer in WWII and was also a Korean wartime veteran. I never heard of his experiences. Never knew what he did, never knew what it meant until I found his military records. Back then the term was shell shocked.

WWII Naval Veteran who served on two destroyers

Now we know this as PTSD. Post-traumatic stress syndrome. I don’t know if he had nightmares, but I know he “checked out” in many ways. He got silent, would shut down during stressful times.

Since then I have gotten to know many veterans and seen some “hit the ground” when a metal folding chair falls to the floor at a school function. Serving in wartime affects you the rest of your life. It shapes you in more ways than you can count.

May we never forget to honor those veterans who have served in all branches of our military: The Army, Navy, Air Force, and the United States Marines.

Don’t just remember our veterans on the national holidays like Memorial Day or Veterans Day, but remember and thank them every day.  

Next time you hear of conflict in another country, every time you see an American flag, and every time you hear on the news that another soldier died, remember the veterans.

Remember they defend our freedom of speech, our way of life, and liberty of the United States of America.

Remember them every day, not just on Veterans Day

In addition to my three sons, currently in the Marine Corps, this day and weekend I also remember my “Daddy”.

I wish I had asked more questions, I wish I had listened when you started to tell me the stories, but alas I was a child and only thought of childish things.

I wish I had more time with you, and I wish you had lived to see your grandchildren grow up.  You would be proud of them. I miss you now more than ever. I finally learned your military history and wish you were here to tell me more.

Private Leo Tyrrell, 82nd Airborne
Private Leo Tyrrell, 82nd Airborne (1952?)

WWII Peace At Last

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“Peace at Last” . Three words in a WWII edition of Stars and Stripes. My Dad holds a copy Stars and Stripes from 1945  for someone to snap his picture of this historical occasion. It was a momentous decisive event, one he wanted to record it for posterity. I also find it humorous that the camp dog also holds the honor of being in the photo.

WWII Peace at Last
Stars & Stripes “WWII Peace at Last” Sept 1945

I didn’t know who this was at first, but as I have researched and compared other photos this is my Dad.  I never saw this photo, there wasn’t any writing on the back but I am now sure this photograph is my Father.

There are no other photographs from this time period, I found one I believe of him just before he left, but then there is over a ten year gap between when he was 16 and twenty years old.. I would like to believe is my Dad, in many ways it doesn’t look like him, but in some ways it does.

I had four relatives that served in World War II as part of the greatest generation. Back then almost everyone could say they had a relative in the war.

My Dad, Leo Tyrrell, served aboard a destroyer in the Pacific around this time.  This shot bears a family resemblance  to his nephew Michael Morrill who has a similar nose, slight build, and dark complexion.  In various pictures of my Dads youth, he often had a dog with him. This article has been posted on Twitter numerous times and I’ve asked for help in getting more information.

Here is what I learned about the photo:

  • This is a field hospital, note the bandage on the right hand (how did I miss that)
  • The uniform is a general issue given to anyone at the base

My other relatives that served in WWII were my Uncles Otis and Herman Faries, and my Great Aunts Gussies’ husband Master Sgt. Grover Hale.

I would like to find a copy of this Stars and Stripes and hang it next to the photo next to my son’s Marine Corps photographs. Haven’t found any of this issue yet (that I can afford) but I did find someone on Amazon that does sell the original WWII Stars and Stripes along with several books about this iconic newspaper.

Great GERMANY SURRENDERS Nazis Quit V-E Day 1945The Stars and Stripes: Story of World WarStars and Stripes: World War II and the5 U.S. OCCUPATION OF JAPAN Stars & StripesRare FRANCE EDITION Stars and Stripes Post D-DAYThe Stars and Stripes, Mediterranean, Vol. 1, No.The Stars and stripes: World War II front

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You Fly to Work, in The US Airborne

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In continuing story of my Dad’s Korea War 82nd Airborne experience here is an ad I found in a large envelope where he kept clippings from his time in the 508th. After doing  a little searching I found this was published in Modern Mechanix magazine.

1950s Army Airborne Ad
1950s Army Airborne Ad

The original is yellowed, badly wrinkled, and the bottom corner torn. Since my dad graduated from Ft. Benning in June 151 I can only think he saw this ad and was proud of being part of the finest fighting outfit in the world.

“The Mark of A Man!”

The paratrooper’s wings of the U.S. Army Airborne are the mark of a man! Those who wear this distinctive insignia belong to the finest fighting outfit in the world.”

August 1951

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Photo Restoration: 1960’s Era

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Photo Restoration 1960s
Photo Restoration 1960s

I’ve finally removed hundreds of old photos from nearly a dozen “magnetic” glue photo albums. Not quite acid free. My Mother thought she was doing a good thing in the 1980’s by organizing and putting them into albums, when in actuality they would have been better off in the desk drawer in the original envelopes.

There aren’t many photos of me when I was little, so I want to preserve what few photographs I have of my childhood. They were so stuck I had to use the pointy end of a fondue fork to pry them off and carefully unstick the back. The paper came off on some, but at least now the family memories are back in a shoebox, in a cool dark location in the closet so I can start on the photo restoration part of the project..

At first glance the photos look to be in pretty good shape, but it only takes one scan and a white correction on levels to see how far these photos have faded. I am using Photoshop to adjust the color and white balance to bring back the vibrancy. The white border is the perfect point to select in either layer curves or adjustment levels.

I have just started scanning the snapshots, but the really old photos from the late 1800’s and early 1990’s I’m going to have professionally scanned at Hamilton Color Lab, where I work, they do professional photo restoration. My home scanner will only capture so much detail and they are too important to trust to a Best Buy over the counter scanner.

Photo Story: Here I met my brother for the first time. We were both adopted through Children’s Services of Connecticut. As you can see, although my brother Lance was a baby, he wasn’t a newborn when he went to our parents. My birthday is Sept. 21, 1965, yet I didn’t go to my adoptive parents until January 20, 1966.  Along with photos I now have my adoption records, certificates, and letters from the agency. Still don’t know if I will search or not. Even after witnessing my husband and his son’s adoption reunion.

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