I've noticed that a few Aux units, such as District 11, have monuments upon which the names of placed of Auxies who have died while a member of the Aux or have died while in retired status. These apparently are for anyone and not for people who died while on Aux duty.

Is it just me or is this a little odd? Putting the names of Auxies who have died on duty on a monument would be in line with traditional military monuments. But, it seems odd to memoralize people who died of reasons unrelated to Aux duty.

I suppose it is a nice thing to do and I don't have any major problems with it, but am I alone in thinking it a little unusual?

I agree -- unusual.

For reference: USCGAux Historian's Memorial page. The two monuments to which RiverAux is referring are the 9WR and 11th District Monuments.

Not mentioned on that page are the two 7th District Monuments. One is at Air Station Miami and the other is at USCG Station Islamorada.

quote:

Originally posted by RiverAux:
Is it just me or is this a little odd? Putting the names of Auxies who have died on duty on a monument would be in line with traditional military monuments. But, it seems odd to memoralize people who died of reasons unrelated to Aux duty.

The Auxiliary is a civilian organization, not military! Thus, there's no reason to follow some vague military traditions re monuments. If it did so, there would very few -- no, very, very few -- names to place on the monument(s).

It's quite common for civilian organizations to place the names of members (albeit usually officers/leaders) on monuments, whether or not they died on duty. They simply honor and recognize those who served -- "line of duty" death is not a requirement for recognition!

So, actually, it's quite usual. . .

...gjd

I have never heard of any organization that has monuments for members who died while in the organization, civilian or military, unless it happened while they were working for the organization. For example, I've never heard of a law enforcement agency putting people on a monument unless they died on duty. Same for Boy Scouts, the Lions Club, etc.

The only exceptions to that are when they name a building or a room or something like that after a former member they wish to honor, or like you implied, put up plaques with lists of former officers or leaders.

Please show me many (since you claim this is a "usual" practice) examples of monuments where an organization lists the names of members who just happened to die while they were in the organization in situations unrelated to their activities within the organization.

Here in the 11th., we have a monument where two people who died on an Air Aux patrol have their names inscribed along with Aux members who have never put in one mission hour. Don't sound right to me.

quote:

Originally posted by geejaydee:
The Auxiliary is a civilian organization, not military! ...gjd

Nor did anyone in the thread state or imply that it was.

quote:

Originally posted by eirikr1:

quote:

Originally posted by geejaydee:
The Auxiliary is a civilian organization, not military! ...gjd

Nor did anyone in the thread state or imply that it was.

Yes -- when it was stated "Putting the names of Auxies who have died on duty on a monument would be in line with traditional military monuments"

...gjd

It may or may not be unusual, but its certainly not hurting anybody.

Whats the harm in allowing an auxiliary unit establish a monument to deceased members? Maybe I missed a point, but I dont see any.

Although, if I knew of an auxiliarist who died while serving the auxiliary, I would prefer to see a separate memorial for that individual.

Maybe this will help put some perspective on the issue of listing dead Auxies on monuments when they didn't die in the line of duty.

There is only 1 monument that has been found to the TRs, that is the one in NYC. It does not list individuals - it is a group recognition to all TRs whether or not they died while on duty. However, according to Malcom Willoughby, U.S. Coast Guard In World War II, page 87, 137 TRs died during the war. Willoughby puts it this way:

quote:

Many Temporary Reservists suffered minor injuries while on duty, or while going to or from duty. ... Many TRs were victims of automobile accidents between home and place of duty. An approximately complete record of those who died during their term of active duty, whether or not directly or indirectly as result of duty, and of those injured during period of duty, shows the following numbers:

Willoughby then gives the number by district. The deaths total 137 and the injured only 41. Willoughby does not list the deceased - nor have I been able to locate any such list. Willoughby's research is backed up by the USCG WWII Monograph series which also does not list the dead. Nobody apparently kept a central (or district level) list - they only tracked numbers.

So before another existing peace time Auxie gets listed on another memorial maybe Nat Aux should institute a project to discover and put on a monument the names of those TRs who died during their WWII duty. After all, most of the TRs had gone thru the Aux first and the Aux always loves to claim them as their spiritual forefathers.

As I said, I didn't think there is anything wrong with it -- I just think its strange.

FL, The Coast Guard at War XX: The Temporary Component of the Coast Guard Reserve has lists of injured and deceased TRs in Appendices II and III. Lists causes of death for some. They do deserve a monument.

One intriguing name is that of S1c James Edward Whaley, Jr. of the 3rd Naval District who is said to have died in a plane crash on 24 October 1942.

I have that monograph but never finished reading it. Thanks for the heads-up on the lists in the back.

Along with the air crash, look at the 9th Naval District. On 4 December 1942 6 TRs all drowned in a boat accident.

• BM2c Sisson
• Lt(jg)Wilson
• MM2c Sprau
• S1c Holdsworth
• S2c Ginsburg
• no rate or rank Jackson

In the 13th Naval District EM2c Mears "died of injuries received when Army truck overturned".

There are several other drownings, several cases of pneumonia and coronary thrombosis and a few deaths due to internal injuires/falls. Most of the deaths do not have a cause attributed to them.

In a quick review of the injury cases, most of them seem to involve the Coastal Picket Force. It also appears that 3 other members of D13 were injured in the same accident that killed Mears.

And speaking of the unsung - I still have been unable to find out the names of the two Auxies who died (date escapes me at the moment) in 8CR during a surface patrol. Although there are several monuments to dead aviators and some are listed on multiple monuments - I cannot even find where the Aux even remembers the names of the two Auxies who died on a surface patrol.But in 2 districts you can get your name on a monument just for having the good fortune to be current in dues or retired when you kick the bucket - no other effort required or expected for the engraving.

BTW - One outcome of those two surface deaths was the absolute prohibition on entering the surf zone.

An online listing of WWII dead http://www.wwiimemorial.com/default.asp?page=registry.asp&subpage=search has this information from Whaley's sister, Mrs. Dora W. Petiti. He was 18 and his hometown was Southport, CT.

quote:

ACTIVITY DURING WWII ENFORCED BLACKOUTS AND ESCORTED OIL TANKERS FROM SOUTH AMERICA. STATIONED IN SANTO DOMINGO, ON ENEMY SUBMARINE WATCH. KILLED IN GOVERNMENT CRASH OF PLANE WHILE ON ACTIVE DUTY, OCTOBER 24, 1942. HE WAS 18 YEARS OLD. TEMPORARILY RESERVED-PRIVATE YACHTS WERE EQUIPPED AND ARMED AND PRESSED INTO SERVICE AT START OF WAR.

A rememberance posted by his brother said

quote:

ACTIVITY DURING WWII:
PATROL ON SOUTHEASTERN WATERS. KILLED IN SANTO DOMINGO WHILE IN SERVICE OF HIS COUNTRY.

and the Navy Dept file for him on the site says he was "KIA".

Didn't find anything about Whaley on the USCG aviation death page so either he was on a CG flight that they missed or died while on some other sort of flight (transport maybe) performed by another service. This site does list AuxAir casualties.

quote:

Originally posted by geejaydee:

quote:

Originally posted by eirikr1:

quote:

Originally posted by geejaydee:
The Auxiliary is a civilian organization, not military! ...gjd

Nor did anyone in the thread state or imply that it was.

Yes -- when it was stated "Putting the names of Auxies who have died on duty on a monument would be in line with traditional military monuments"

...gjd

which would put it in line with "traditional military monuments"; that doesn't suddenly mean we're military, so don't be frightened. We are allowed to wear uniforms "in line with traditional military" clothing without being military, and it would take more than a military looking monument to change that. I have no doubt if somone posted our uniforms and a monument as "proof" that the aux is military, 4 of you would be tripping over each other to be the first saying otherwise, and posting the relevant sections of the AUXMAN to boot.

4 of you would be tripping over each other to be the first saying otherwise, and posting the relevant sections of the AUXMAN to boot.

Locked, loaded and Ready To Roll.

Maybe I should emulate POTUS and do a preemptive strike.

quote:

4 of you

Geeez, I didn't know somebody was keeping score.

BTW, I for one am not "frightened" by the military. As the acronym goes, BTDT -- as an Active Duty and Reserve Coastguardsman -- though (then as now) we were always military, the emphasis wasn't solely on the "military" and "LE" activities of the organization. We gave at least equal emphasis to the humanitarian, life saving, and marine safety missions of the Coast Guard.

...gjd

This message has been edited. Last edited by: geejaydee,