R. I. P.
- Thread starter Hotpuppy
- Start date
Russell Hamler,age 99
The last living member of the famed Merrill's Marauders.
He was 18 right out of HS and volunteered. The US Army sent them, 2600, on foot and 100 miles into Burma during WWII with just whatever they and mules could carry. They lived off the land and occasional air drops of some food but mostly medical supplies and ammo. They tied up literally tens of thousands of Japanese and resources who would otherwise been fighting elsewhere.
PS. I knew for many years, one of the last survivors who died in 2022 who was awarded Congressional Gold Medal. He would never get ruffled by anything as he said nothing could ever come close to what he experienced in Burma.
He was historian for their website: http://www.marauder.org/marauder.htm
The last living member of the famed Merrill's Marauders.
He was 18 right out of HS and volunteered. The US Army sent them, 2600, on foot and 100 miles into Burma during WWII with just whatever they and mules could carry. They lived off the land and occasional air drops of some food but mostly medical supplies and ammo. They tied up literally tens of thousands of Japanese and resources who would otherwise been fighting elsewhere.
PS. I knew for many years, one of the last survivors who died in 2022 who was awarded Congressional Gold Medal. He would never get ruffled by anything as he said nothing could ever come close to what he experienced in Burma.
He was historian for their website: http://www.marauder.org/marauder.htm
I remember her songs from the early 70's. The Brand New Key was about roller skating — those of you of a certain age may remember how roller skates, with metal wheels, were clamped onto your shoes with the clamps tightened with a skate key.
The song was banned from some radio stations as being sexual in nature — some people just have dirty minds I guess.
The song was banned from some radio stations as being sexual in nature — some people just have dirty minds I guess.
Her performance at Woodstock in 1969 of “Lay Down (Candles In The Rain)” was absolutely soul-stirring. Her later version was about a year later with the Gospel choir of The Edwin Hawkins Singers which was riveting.
Her rebellion against the music industry was reflected in her song “Look What They’ve Done To My Song Ma” which was the battle cry amongst most of the young talented artists that were forced to conform and knuckle under to the executives of the music industry.
She was a beautiful flower child in her youth. Suffered from anxiety and depression for most of her life, though.
She really embraced that communal spirit of the hippies that many of us shared in the 60’s and 70’s.
Her presence on this earth was much appreciated, as well as her unique emotive style of singing and guitar playing.
Sorry, guys, I forgot to mention that Melanie Safka was born in Astoria, Queens.
Also, her most famous song mentioned above, “Lay Down (Candles In The Rain)” was not actually performed at Woodstock. It is a song expressing her deep emotional and spiritual connection with the throngs of humanity, the young hippies who gathered in a kindred spirit of peace and love at the 1969 Woodstock Festival.
Also, her most famous song mentioned above, “Lay Down (Candles In The Rain)” was not actually performed at Woodstock. It is a song expressing her deep emotional and spiritual connection with the throngs of humanity, the young hippies who gathered in a kindred spirit of peace and love at the 1969 Woodstock Festival.
