Tuesday, March 19, AD 2024 2:56am

The Lion’s Brood

 

Theodore Roosevelt had advocated American entry into World War I, and wanted to fight himself.  Being denied that privilege by President Wilson, he took solace in the fact that each of his sons volunteered for the War.

His son Archie would be a decorated, and wounded, veteran, serving as an officer with the 16th and 26th Infantry.   He would serve in combat in the Pacific during World War II.  He would have the distinction of being determined to be 100% disabled from war wounds in both World Wars.

Theodore Jr, who would attain general rank in World War II and earn a Medal of Honor, also served as an officer in the 26th and would be gassed and wounded.

Son Kermit served as a Captain in the British Army, serving in combat in Mesopotamia (Iraq), and then transferred to the US Army serving as a Captain of artillery during the Meuse-Argonne Offensive.  In World War II he would serve again in both the British and American armies.

Son Quentin, age nineteen, the baby of the family, sailed for France on July 23, 1917 with the 95th Aero Squadron.  His parents and his fiance saw him off.

Not only the Roosevelt brothers saw service in the War.  Sister Ether was the first to see service in the War, as a nurse in the Ambulance Americane  Hospital where her husband served as a surgeon.

 

The Roosevelts were proud of their kids but also naturally worried.  However, Edith Roosevelt told a friend that “You can’t bring boys up to be hawks and expect them to turn out sparrows”.

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T. Shaw
T. Shaw
Sunday, July 23, AD 2017 8:17am

TR led from the front. He walked the walk His sons also. REminds me of the end of THe Odyssey wherein Laertes exclaims he is blessed to have lived to see his son and grandson, Telemachos, outdoing each other in acts of valor.

Bernardo Puppin
Sunday, July 23, AD 2017 10:47am

Standing through to the end is a christ-like characteristic

Ernst Schreiber
Ernst Schreiber
Sunday, July 23, AD 2017 3:05pm

Somebody ought to write a book. Just not Edmund Morris.

Michael Dowd
Michael Dowd
Monday, July 24, AD 2017 1:36am

I wonder how many of our Liberal friends will find this story inspiring? My guess is few. How unfortunate for them and for us.

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