RED WHITE & BLUES

04/27/2026

04/14/2026

Medal of Honor Monday: Four Receive Highest Award for Valor on Samoa

By David Vergun

One sailor and three Marines were awarded Medals of Honor for bravery during the Second Samoan Civil War, April 1, 1899.

The combatants were Samoans, Americans and British, who fought against the Germans and a rival Samoan group.

U.S. and British forces landed on the island of Upolu at Apia. They marched 10 miles along the coast to Vailele to fight. This expeditionary force included 26 Marines, 88 sailors and 136 Samoans.

When they arrived at Vailele, they were ambushed by over 800 enemy Samoans hiding in the jungle. Alarmed, the allied Samoans ran off, leaving the sailors and Marines to do the fighting. The leader of the expeditionary force, Navy Lt. Philip Lansdale, ordered the men to fall back, as they were badly outgunned and outnumbered.

During the fight, Lansdale was wounded and couldn't move. Navy Ensign John R. Monaghan disobeyed the order to fall back and continued fighting. After the battle, Monaghan and Lansdale were found dead, side by side.

Marine Corps Pvt. Henry L. Hulbert, despite suffering wounds, conducted a one-man delaying action, laying down heavy fire that enabled the landing force to withdraw to a defensible position covered by the guns of the warships offshore.

Under fire from three sides, Hulbert stood his ground until the main group established a new defensive perimeter.

In support of the Medal of Honor, which was awarded, Navy Secretary John Davis Long wrote: "The gallantry of Henry L. Hulbert, who remained behind at the fence till the last and who was with Lansdale and Monaghan when they were killed, I desire especially to mention."

Marine Corps Sgt. Michael Joseph McNally, Marine Corps Sgt. Bruno Albert Forsterer and Navy Petty Officer 1st Class Frederick Thomas Fisher, who also distinguished themselves in battle, were all awarded the Medal of Honor as well.

Forsterer was, ironically, born in Konigsberg, Germany, July 14, 1869. He served in the Marine Corps for 13 years, attaining the rank of gunnery sergeant. After serving, he became the editor of the Oakland Tribune newspaper. He died June 13, 1957, and is buried in Arlington National Cemetery, Virginia.

Hulbert, born in Kingston upon Hull, England, Jan. 12, 1867, served in the Marine Corps from 1898 to 1918, attaining the rank of sergeant major and later captain. During World War I, he fought in the battles of Belleau Wood, Château-Thierry and Blanc Mont Ridge, all in France. On Oct. 4, 1918, he was killed in action at Blanc Mont Ridge, posthumously earning the Navy Cross, Distinguished Service Cross and French Croix de Guerre. He is buried in Arlington National Cemetery. The destroyer USS Hulbert, commissioned in 1920, was named after him.

McNally, born June 29, 1860, in Manhattan, New York, served from 1897 to 1915, attaining the rank of sergeant major. On Nov. 2, 1916, he disappeared from a Baltimore Steam Packet Company steamer. His body was recovered three weeks later; he was buried in Portsmouth, Virginia.

Fisher, born in England, June 3, 1872, died April 15, 1906, while serving aboard the battleship USS Kearsarge and was buried in Los Angeles.

President Theodore Roosevelt awarded all four Medals of Honor in 1901.

Although Monaghan was never awarded the Medal of Honor because naval officers at the time were not eligible, the destroyer USS Monaghan, launched in 1911, was named for him and served in World War I. Also, the destroyer USS Monaghan, launched in 1935, was named for him and served during World War II before sinking during a typhoon in December 1944.

The Tripartite Convention of 1899 concluded the Second Samoan Civil War, in which Germany gained Western Samoa and the United States gained Eastern Samoa. Also, the Samoan monarchy was abolished, and Samoan autonomy officially ended. On Aug. 29, 1914, during the early days of World War I, New Zealand forces seized Western Samoa from Germany. New Zealand retained control of Western Samoa until 1961, when it was granted independence and became Samoa.

The United States made American Samoa a U.S. territory in 1900. The U.S. Navy administered the territory until 1951, when the Interior Department took over.

The territory's capital, Pago Pago, has a deep natural harbor that is considered strategically important to the United States.

Samoa, in the South Pacific, consists of two large islands and seven tiny ones, totaling 1,093 square miles and American Samoa, 50 miles east, across the International Date Line, consists of seven small islands totaling 77 square miles.

04/14/2026

Cape & Islands Veterans Outreach Center Launches New SSVF Program

Hyannis, MA – April 2026 – The Cape & Islands Veterans Outreach Center (CIVOC) has officially launched its new Supportive Services for Veteran Families (SSVF) program, funded by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. The new program positions CIVOC as the first Cape-based veterans’ organization to serve as the direct grantee and lead provider of SSVF services for the region.

For 43 years, CIVOC has served as a cornerstone of veteran support on Cape Cod and the Islands. While SSVF services were previously available locally through partner organizations, this new award allows CIVOC to deliver the program directly with stronger continuity, accountability, and attention to the specific needs of veterans and families in Barnstable, Dukes, and Nantucket counties.

The SSVF program provides wrap-around support designed to help veterans and their families secure and maintain stable, permanent housing. Services include needs-based temporary financial assistance for rent, utility arrears, security deposits, moving costs, and other essential housing-related expenses,
as well as landlord incentives and personalized cas management.

“Too many veterans on Cape Cod and the Islands continue to face housing insecurity despite their service to our nation,” said Michael McGee, SSVF Program Manager at CIVOC. “Our SSVF program is designed to change that reality. By offering meaningful financial assistance paired with dedicated, long-term case management, we are not only helping veterans secure housing, but we are also equipping them with the tools and support they need to remain stably housed for the long term.
When landlords partner with us, they gain more than just a tenant; they gain a veteran who is actively supported by professionals committed to their success.

CIVOC is actively seeking partnerships with local landlords and property managers willing to rent to veterans. Those partnerships are intended to expand quality housing access for income-qualified veterans while giving property owners confidence that tenants will receive ongoing professional support.

“Our mission has always been to ensure no veteran is left behind,” said Jim Seymour, Executive Director of the Cape & Islands Veterans Outreach Center. “The SSVF program allows us to deliver meaningful, results-driven support that bridges the gap between crisis and stability. We are committed to working together with landlords, community partners, and the veterans we serve to end veteran homelessness in our region.”

“Supportive services like childcare, housing counseling and financial planning can be important catalysts for preventing or resolving homelessness,” said VA Secretary Doug Collins. “These grants will help bring crucial support to thousands of Veterans in need across the nation.”

The SSVF program is now accepting referrals and applications from veterans and families who are experiencing homelessness or are at imminent risk of losing their housing. Veterans, families,
landlords, and community partners are encouraged to contact the SSVF team directly for more information.

Partnership & Developer Inquiries:
Michael McGee, Program Manager, Case Management Services
Cape & Islands Veterans Outreach Center
Phone: (508) 778-1590 Ext. 105
Email: mmcgee@capeveterans.com

Support our Mission: Jeffrey Begg, Director of Development
Cape & Islands Veterans Outreach Center
Phone: (508) 778-1590
Email: jbegg@capeveterans.com
Executive Director: James Seymour

Cape & Islands Veterans Outreach Center
Phone: (508) 778-1590
Email: jseymour@capeveterans.com

The Cape & Islands Veterans Outreach Center (CIVOC) is a tax-deductible, 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. It was founded in 1983 by a group of Vietnam Veterans who did not find the services and programs they needed to transition back to their communities anywhere in our region successfully. Ever since then, we have been an indispensable veteran services provider across the region. Building on the legacy that our founders established over 43 years ago, CIVOC is built on four interconnected pillars that address the most pressing challenges local veterans face: safe and stable housing, reliable access to nutritious food to combat food insecurity, dependable transportation so veterans can reach medical care and essential services, and comprehensive mental-health services and outreach that provide counseling, case management, and connection to community supports, allworking together to ensure veterans and their families can live with dignity, stability, and hope.

For more information or to get involved, please contact SSVF Program Manager Michael McGee at 508.778.1590 Ext. 105.

04/01/2026

Medal of Honor Monday: Marine Corps Maj. Gen. Smedley D. Butler

By David Vergun

Few have been awarded the Medal of Honor. Even fewer have been awarded two.

Marine Corps Maj. Gen. Smedley D. Butler was twice awarded the medal, the first for distinguished conduct during the occupation of Veracruz, Mexico, April 22, 1914, when he was a major.

Butler returned the medal to the Navy, believing his actions were not worthy of the nation's highest award for valor. However, Navy Rear Adm. Frank Friday Fletcher returned it to him, ordering him to wear it.

Incidentally, Fletcher, who commanded the naval forces at Veracruz, was also awarded the Medal of Honor for the same battle.

The following year, Butler arrived in Haiti aboard the battleship USS Connecticut to quell an uprising by Cacos rebels.

On Oct. 24, 1915, about 400 Cacos ambushed Butler's patrol of 44 mounted Marines as they approached Fort Dipitie, Haiti.

Despite being surrounded by the Cacos, the Marines held their perimeter throughout the night and, at dawn, launched a successful counterattack.

Later that year, Nov. 17, 1915, Butler led three companies of Marines in capturing Fort Rivière atop Montagne Noire in northern Haiti. Assistant Secretary of the Navy, and future president, Franklin D. Roosevelt recommended that he receive the Medal of Honor for his actions, which was approved.

One of Butler's senior noncommissioned officers, Marine Corps Gunnery Sgt. Daniel J. Daly, was also awarded the Medal of Honor for his actions in Haiti. Daly is the only other Marine to have received two Medals of Honor, the first for valor during the Boxer Rebellion in China, where he also served with Butler in 1900.

Although Butler served with valor during the Boxer Rebellion, he did not receive the Medal of Honor because, at the time, only enlisted Marines were eligible for the medal.

After his distinguished military career, and at the direction of President Calvin Coolidge, Butler, while still in uniform, was appointed the Philadelphia director of public safety, in charge of the city's police and fire departments. He served successfully in this position from January 1924 to December 1925, rooting out protection rackets, bootlegging, prostitution, illegal gambling and other corruption.

Born July 30, 1881, in West Chester, Pennsylvania, Butler was commissioned a Marine second lieutenant at the age of 16, having lied about his age. In July 1898, he deployed to Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, arriving shortly after its invasion and capture during the Spanish-American War.

Butler retired from the Marine Corps in 1931. In addition to Veracruz and Haiti, Butler also fought in the Philippine-American War in 1899, Nicaragua from 1909 to 1912, and World War I in 1918.

During his service in Nicaragua, Butler earned the nickname "Old Gimlet Eye" for his piercing stare. A gimlet is a hand tool for drilling small holes.

Other nicknames he acquired included "The Maverick Marine," "The Fighting Quaker" and "Fighting Hell-Devil."

Butler died of cancer, June 21, 1940, at the age of 58 at Philadelphia Naval Hospital. He is buried in Oaklands Cemetery near the place of his birth. His childhood home at West Chester, The Butler House, was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1980.

The destroyer USS Butler was named in his honor in 1942 and participated in the European and Pacific theaters of operation during World War II.

Additionally, Marine Corps Base Camp Smedley D. Butler, established in 1955 on Okinawa, Japan, is also named in his honor.

03/27/2026

Medal of Honor Monday: Marine Corps Pfc. Ronald Leroy Coker

By Courtesy Story

During conflict, the last thing many selfless warriors have done is shield their comrades from gr***de explosions using their own bodies. Marine Corps Pfc. Ronald Leroy Coker was one of them, but amazingly, that didn't stop him from continuing to drag a wounded man to safety. His courage through horrific pain inspired his fellow Marines, and it led him to receive a posthumous Medal of Honor.

Coker was born Aug. 9, 1947, in Alliance, Nebraska, to Cecil and Nellie Coker, who raised their family on a 160-acre farm. Coker had two brothers, Charlie and Ray, and a sister named Janet.

After graduating from Alliance High School in 1965, Coker attended an automotive school in Denver, where he completed a mechanic training program in 1966. Sadly, that same year, his mother died.

As a young man, Coker was known for his quiet intelligence. Standing 6 feet, 3 inches tall, he was lean, liked to do things with his hands and always wore a black cowboy hat, according to a profile of him published in the 2013 Omaha, Nebraska, World-Herald newspaper.

In January 1968, Coker was working as a well driller in Alliance when he was drafted. He wanted a say in where he would end up, though, so three months later, he enlisted in the Marine Corps.

By September 1968, Coker had completed all of his training and was sent to join a staging company that would prepare him to deploy to Vietnam, where the war was raging.

When Coker arrived in-country that November, he was assigned as a rifleman to Company M of the 3rd Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment, 3rd Marine Division, which was sent to the embattled Quang Tri Province along the north-central coast of South Vietnam. The company was tasked with patrolling the jungles south of the demilitarized zone to keep northern combatants from infiltrating the area.

On March 24, 1969, Coker was leading his platoon's patrol when he came across five enemy soldiers on a narrow jungle trail. The whole squad quickly chased the combatants, who had hidden in a cave.

As the squad moved closer to the cave's entrance, they came under intense enemy fire, which seriously wounded Marine Corps Cpl. Ronald Playford, forcing everyone else to take cover. Playford was left suffering out in the open, so Coker ignored his own peril and ran back into the fire-strewn area to try to collect him.

Along the way, Coker was wounded in the chest and throat, but he continued to crawl toward his comrade, eventually lobbing a hand gr***de toward the enemy's position to quiet their fire long enough to get to Playford.

As Coker began dragging the injured man to safety, a gr***de landed squarely on top of Playford. Without hesitation, Coker grabbed it with both hands and turned to throw it. Unfortunately, before he could, it exploded. Witnesses said the explosion severed both of Coker's hands at the wrists.

Shockingly, Coker kept going. Refusing to abandon Playford, he used what was left of his arms to pull Playford along from his cartridge belt. As they moved toward friendly lines, two more enemy gr***des exploded near Coker, inflicting even more devastating injuries to his chest, face and legs.

With every ounce of strength he had left, Coker continued to pull Playford toward safety until another Marine was close enough to grab them both and pull them to cover.

Coker's valor inspired his fellow Marines so much that they eventually annihilated the enemy hiding in the cave.

Unfortunately, both Coker and Playford died almost as soon as they were pulled to safety.

"I saw a lot of brave acts in Vietnam, and I saw a lot of people die for their country," Marine Corps Pfc. Jimmy Murphy, who was with Coker during the incident, told the Omaha World-Herald. "This was the bravest act I witnessed."

Several of Coker's comrades who witnessed his selflessness nominated him for the Medal of Honor. On April 20, 1970, Coker's father and siblings received the nation's highest honor for valor on his behalf from Vice President Spiro Agnew during a White House ceremony.

Coker is buried in Alliance's Fairview Cemetery, next to his mother.

The fallen hero's father kept the medal, but sadly, Cecil Coker died in 1972 during a flash flood of his new home in Rapid City, South Dakota. The flood swept the house off its foundation, and the medal was lost, according to the Omaha World-Herald. The newspaper said one of Coker's brothers later received a replacement medal that the family now keeps in storage for safekeeping.

03/13/2026

March 13, 1942, the Quartermaster Corps of the U.S. Army begins training dogs for the newly established War Dog Program, or "K-9 Corps"

03/12/2026

Medal of Honor Monday: Army Col. Jack Jacobs

By Katie Lange

Army Col. Jack Howard Jacobs was just a first lieutenant when he saved more than a dozen lives during an intense firefight in the swamplands of Vietnam. His actions during that incident and throughout his deployment made him one of the most decorated soldiers of the war, including the nation's highest medal for valor.

Jacobs was born Aug. 2, 1945, in Brooklyn, New York, to Rebecca and David Jacobs, a World War II veteran. He had a brother and a sister.

The family lived in Queens for a time before they moved to Woodbridge, New Jersey, in the mid-1950s, when Jacobs was in sixth grade. He loved baseball and was focused on his academics.

After graduating from Woodbridge High School, Jacobs attended Rutgers University, where he earned a bachelor's degree. During his studies, he married a woman named Karen, and they went on to have two children.

Jacobs also took part in the school's ROTC program. After graduating in 1966, he was immediately commissioned into the Regular Army as a second lieutenant assigned to the 82nd Airborne Division.

However, when his unit, the 3rd Brigade, was ordered to deploy to Vietnam in September 1967, he received separate orders to serve as an advisor for Vietnamese infantry battalions. In a 2002 Library of Congress Veterans History Project interview, Jacobs said he was selected for the role because of his college degree. He petitioned to go with his unit instead, but his request was denied.

Prior to his deployment, Jacobs spent 13 weeks learning Vietnamese and the country's culture — lessons he said proved extremely useful when he arrived as the assistant battalion advisor for a South Vietnamese army battalion.

Jacobs said the first few months of his deployment were spent conducting many patrols, and at first, they made very little contact with the enemy. But that all changed after the Tet Offensive kicked off in late January 1968.

By March 9, 1968, Jacobs' battalion was part of an operation in the flat swamplands and rice paddies of Kien Phong Province in the Mekong Delta, near the Cambodian border.

"We received some intel that the enemy was probably going to be located in a specific place, so they mounted an operation that included my battalion attacking from boats over what passed for a beach — it was actually a riverbank," Jacobs said in his 2002 interview.

But as his battalion advanced, it came under intense mortar and machine gun fire from a massive Viet Cong presence that was positioned in well-fortified bunkers. Jacobs' battalion tried to get into an attack formation, but they were halted by more devastating enemy fire. Jacobs, who was with the command element of the company in the front, quickly called for and directed airstrikes onto the enemy.

"We were caught in the middle of this ambush," he said. "A lot of people were killed and wounded."

The intense enemy fire caused heavy casualties to the command group, including injuring the company commander. Jacobs himself had suffered a head wound that impaired his vision, but he quickly assumed command, ordering the soldiers to withdraw to somewhere more covered where they could set up a defensive perimeter.

With no regard for his own safety, Jacobs returned to the open area despite the intense enemy fire to evacuate a seriously wounded advisor. He managed to get the man to a wooded area where he administered lifesaving first aid. Jacobs then returned to the fire-strewn area to evacuate his wounded company commander.

"The enemy had come out from its positions and were killing the wounded and taking weapons," Jacobs said. So, he continued his mission, dodging bullets to make repeated trips across open rice paddies to evacuate more wounded and their weapons. Three times, he was able to drive off squads of Viet Cong, singlehandedly killing three enemy combatants and wounding several others.

"When I finally had my wits about me, I decided I would go along the tree line myself … and be able to engage them effectively, because they were looking in another direction," Jacobs told the VHP. "Eventually, I sat down in a wooded area and physically couldn't get up."

Jacobs was evacuated to a hospital, but not before he'd saved the lives of one U.S. advisor and 13 Vietnamese soldiers. Thanks to his actions, the South Vietnamese company he was with reorganized and fended off the enemy forces.

When Jacobs recovered and returned to the U.S., he served as a company commander at Fort Benning, Georgia. That's where he learned he had been nominated for the Medal of Honor — a commendation that left him "stupefied" and "astounded."

On Oct. 9, 1969, then-Capt. Jacobs received the nation's highest medal for valor from President Richard M. Nixon during a White House ceremony. He'd also earned three Bronze Stars and two Silver Stars during his deployment, making him one of the most decorated soldiers of the war.

Jacobs continued his military career. The Army sent him back to Rutgers to get a master's degree in international relations and comparative politics, a subject he later taught at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point.

Jacobs voluntarily returned to Vietnam for another deployment in July 1972, continuing his role as an advisor, this time for the 1st Vietnamese Airborne Battalion. He returned to the U.S. in January 1973 after suffering minor injuries from an artillery round.

From there, Jacobs worked his way up the ranks, eventually commanding his own battalion in Panama in the early 1980s. He went on to teach at the National War College in Washington before retiring as a colonel in 1987 after 21 years of service.

In his 2002 VHP interview, Jacobs said he thinks the medal makes its recipients modest.

"I think everybody who receives the Medal of Honor receives it in his heart for all the soldiers with whom he served," he said. "Receiving the award has made me a different person — made me a better person, a more thoughtful person."

In regard to his Medal of Honor actions, Jacobs also reflected, "I hope that if I had it to do all over again, knowing what I know now, that I would have the fortitude to do it again."

After retirement, Jacobs worked in investment banking and real estate development, and he also served as a military analyst for NBC News. He currently serves as an advisor for the Code of Support Foundation, a nonprofit that provides assistance to veterans and military families.

In 2008, Jacobs published a memoir, "If Not Now, When? Duty and Sacrifice in America's Time of Need." In 2020, he was inducted into the Army ROTC Hall of Fame.

Jacobs divorced but eventually remarried a woman named Susan, and they had a son. The couple currently lives in Far Hills, New Jersey.