Military
Pictures of veterans from the Civil War, WWI, WWII, the Korean War, Vietnam, and Iraq. Please send your photos and information of local veterans to the Facebook page, and then they will be copied here.
Revolutionary War Vets
Civil War Vets
109th NY Regiment Tioga County residents in Civil War | |
File Size: | 222 kb |
File Type: | docx |
World War I Vets
Ground Observer Corps
Ground Observer Corps
The first Ground Observer Corps (GOC) was a World War II Civil Defense program of the United States Army Air Forces to protect United States territory against air attack. The 1.5 million civilian observers at 14,000 coastal observation posts performed naked eye and binocular searches to detect German or Japanese aircraft. Observations were telephoned to filter centers, which forwarded authenticated reports to the Aircraft Warning Service, which also received reports from Army radar stations. The program ended in 1944.
Candor must have been close enough to the East Coast to warrant a Post. There was a very active group of observers in the Post Code Name “Bridget 60” in Candor starting in 1942. It ended in 1944. The records that the Historical Society has show observers in both 1942 and 1943. The observation post was located at the top of Honeypot Road near Brewer Road. According to 92-year-old Verda Schmidt, the observers used a small trailer lent by the Hulls for their lookout station.
The observers kept meticulous records of who served on which date, and for how many hours. By 1943 the record book was more detailed and showed what time the observer started their post and when they finished, what type of planes they saw, and where in the sky they were.
Many Candorites were involved. According to the record books, there are about 130 different people who took part in 1942 from June 1942 to July 1943. Approximately half of those people were regulars, working several hours a week. They included the town doctor, several ministers, housewives, working men, and a few teenagers. They tried to keep the post manned twenty-four hours a day with the observers serving shifts of about 3 or 4 hours, but sometimes less or more. Sometimes two worked together, but not always.
In 1950, the GOC was reactivated during the Cold War and the new lookout station in Candor was on Reservoir Hill Road at the crest of the knoll on the left as you start up the road from Owego Road. The Historical Society has Mary Haag’s card showing that she was an observer in the 50s.
The first Ground Observer Corps (GOC) was a World War II Civil Defense program of the United States Army Air Forces to protect United States territory against air attack. The 1.5 million civilian observers at 14,000 coastal observation posts performed naked eye and binocular searches to detect German or Japanese aircraft. Observations were telephoned to filter centers, which forwarded authenticated reports to the Aircraft Warning Service, which also received reports from Army radar stations. The program ended in 1944.
Candor must have been close enough to the East Coast to warrant a Post. There was a very active group of observers in the Post Code Name “Bridget 60” in Candor starting in 1942. It ended in 1944. The records that the Historical Society has show observers in both 1942 and 1943. The observation post was located at the top of Honeypot Road near Brewer Road. According to 92-year-old Verda Schmidt, the observers used a small trailer lent by the Hulls for their lookout station.
The observers kept meticulous records of who served on which date, and for how many hours. By 1943 the record book was more detailed and showed what time the observer started their post and when they finished, what type of planes they saw, and where in the sky they were.
Many Candorites were involved. According to the record books, there are about 130 different people who took part in 1942 from June 1942 to July 1943. Approximately half of those people were regulars, working several hours a week. They included the town doctor, several ministers, housewives, working men, and a few teenagers. They tried to keep the post manned twenty-four hours a day with the observers serving shifts of about 3 or 4 hours, but sometimes less or more. Sometimes two worked together, but not always.
In 1950, the GOC was reactivated during the Cold War and the new lookout station in Candor was on Reservoir Hill Road at the crest of the knoll on the left as you start up the road from Owego Road. The Historical Society has Mary Haag’s card showing that she was an observer in the 50s.
World War II Vets
Korean War
Vietnam Era Vets
Military after 1975
Candor Girl Grew Up to be General Halstead
by Jesse Disbrow for the Ithaca Times (Candor Chronicle) on August 5, 2009
The story of how a "country girl from a town with no traffic lights" became the first female graduate from West Point and first commanding female general in a combat situation is an interesting and colorful story, especially told by the Candor native herself, Rebecca Halstead.
Halstead, a retired Brigadier General, spoke in front of a packed house of family and friends last Wednesday at the Candor Fire Hall. Halstead related her story with as much wit as could be packed into the presentation while still keeping the weight of the accomplishments in perspective.
"Some how I went from hysterical in this community to historical," Halstead said. "But I'm proud to have led America's sons and daughters."
Halstead was a Candor High School student from Willseyville in 1977 when she found out that West Point was accepting female students for the first time. Or, more appropriately, when her parents told her that West Point was accepting female students.
It was never really Halstead's desire to join the military. As a high school student she was sure that she was going to go to Ithaca College to become a gym teacher. But Halstead's parents talked her into a deal, if she was accepted into West Point, she would go.
Halstead, who readily admitted she wasn't a spectacular student, went along with the agreement thinking there would be no way she would make it into the school. In the end, however, she did enough things right to get in and couldn't be happier with the final results.
"It truly was my niche," Halstead said. "There were times when I asked myself whether it was time to move on, but every day when Old Glory went up the pole and I got a chill, that did it."
Halstead wasn't even aiming at becoming a general but that's how it ended up. Halstead did well at all assignments and was lucky to make the best of all her opportunities for advancement.
Halstead regaled the crowd with stories of her time in West Point. As a member of only the second class to include women, there were many issues Halstead had to deal with. From gear that wasn't built to for women to not being allowed in certain buildings, Halstead had a lot of adjusting to do along with the changing program. Halstead did mention that not being allowed in the mens' buildings did save some of the hazing.
Halstead said she recognized the place of hazing in the military school. Tough hazing creates a very high level of discipline, Halstead said, and a high level of discipline is a very important thing in the military. Halstead, who used to make sarcasm a daily part of her routine, became a more disciplined person at West Point and in the military.
During her 27 year career Halstead lived in 18 different places and visited over 40 different countries. Halstead also became a commander at every level. Halstead made it through the military working with two rules, rule number one, don't quit, rule number 2, refer to rule number one. She also said it was important to have a sense of humor.
Halstead went through 24 years of service before seeing active combat. Many of those years were spent in Latin America, where she met several presidents and dignitaries while serving as an executive assistant.
Halstead later commanded troops in Afghanistan and Iraq. Halstead related her experiences there with former Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld. Halstead described Rumsfeld as a very, very difficult man. She said that he was very intelligent and very demanding.
Halstead said most of the generals and heroes of the American war effort were just ordinary folks in extraordinary circumstances. Several times Halstead said that the real heroes were the everyday soldiers and one of the toughest commands was as a sergeant. Halstead said that a general was where in the fighting something had gone wrong, but it was these leaders who took their units into the actual firefights.
Looking back Halstead said she would have never seen herself arriving where she did, and frankly she wouldn't change a moment of it. And the she loves the most about it?
"The freedom to say God Bless America," Halstead said. "We are blessed to live in America."
Halstead, a retired Brigadier General, spoke in front of a packed house of family and friends last Wednesday at the Candor Fire Hall. Halstead related her story with as much wit as could be packed into the presentation while still keeping the weight of the accomplishments in perspective.
"Some how I went from hysterical in this community to historical," Halstead said. "But I'm proud to have led America's sons and daughters."
Halstead was a Candor High School student from Willseyville in 1977 when she found out that West Point was accepting female students for the first time. Or, more appropriately, when her parents told her that West Point was accepting female students.
It was never really Halstead's desire to join the military. As a high school student she was sure that she was going to go to Ithaca College to become a gym teacher. But Halstead's parents talked her into a deal, if she was accepted into West Point, she would go.
Halstead, who readily admitted she wasn't a spectacular student, went along with the agreement thinking there would be no way she would make it into the school. In the end, however, she did enough things right to get in and couldn't be happier with the final results.
"It truly was my niche," Halstead said. "There were times when I asked myself whether it was time to move on, but every day when Old Glory went up the pole and I got a chill, that did it."
Halstead wasn't even aiming at becoming a general but that's how it ended up. Halstead did well at all assignments and was lucky to make the best of all her opportunities for advancement.
Halstead regaled the crowd with stories of her time in West Point. As a member of only the second class to include women, there were many issues Halstead had to deal with. From gear that wasn't built to for women to not being allowed in certain buildings, Halstead had a lot of adjusting to do along with the changing program. Halstead did mention that not being allowed in the mens' buildings did save some of the hazing.
Halstead said she recognized the place of hazing in the military school. Tough hazing creates a very high level of discipline, Halstead said, and a high level of discipline is a very important thing in the military. Halstead, who used to make sarcasm a daily part of her routine, became a more disciplined person at West Point and in the military.
During her 27 year career Halstead lived in 18 different places and visited over 40 different countries. Halstead also became a commander at every level. Halstead made it through the military working with two rules, rule number one, don't quit, rule number 2, refer to rule number one. She also said it was important to have a sense of humor.
Halstead went through 24 years of service before seeing active combat. Many of those years were spent in Latin America, where she met several presidents and dignitaries while serving as an executive assistant.
Halstead later commanded troops in Afghanistan and Iraq. Halstead related her experiences there with former Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld. Halstead described Rumsfeld as a very, very difficult man. She said that he was very intelligent and very demanding.
Halstead said most of the generals and heroes of the American war effort were just ordinary folks in extraordinary circumstances. Several times Halstead said that the real heroes were the everyday soldiers and one of the toughest commands was as a sergeant. Halstead said that a general was where in the fighting something had gone wrong, but it was these leaders who took their units into the actual firefights.
Looking back Halstead said she would have never seen herself arriving where she did, and frankly she wouldn't change a moment of it. And the she loves the most about it?
"The freedom to say God Bless America," Halstead said. "We are blessed to live in America."
Another article about General Halstead
Candor Veteran's Memorial
Veterans Herb Price and Terry Collins on left join Diane Craig, Candor American Legion Auxiliary and Rita Kellogg, president of the Candor Chamber of Commerce for the groundbreaking for the Candor Veteran's Memorial. on right in hat is Dick Zavatto who was a tireless fundraiser for the memorial and Neil Lewis of Richards Monument Service who will make the memorial.