We Salute Our Veterans

On this Veterans Day, the year of our Lord 2014, we honor all those who have served and sacrificed to protect our country and preserve our freedoms.

Lyndon R. Foster 1944 campaign ad. In World War
I he was "a combat soldier in the Fourth Divisions and
took part in five major engagements." 

We salute our relations who were veterans across these many decades including, uncle Lyndon R. Foster who served and fought in France in World War I, and my uncle Herbert W. Foster, who deployed to the Pacific Theater as a member of the United States Navy during World War II.  

Uncle Herb's headstone, Bathgate Cemetery.

We salute my father-in-law, Charles Wagamon, 90 years old and going strong, who served on 18 bombing missions over Italy with the army air force during World War II. Cap askew, Doc Wagamon cut a jaunty profile in his World War II enlistment photo.

Judge Charles "Doc" Wagamon pictured in June, 2014 in front of his WW II enlistment photo.

During subsequent decades, Judge Wagmon continued to serve his country honorably in the Air Force reserves.

Maj. Charles Wagamon, Odessa junior high school teacher, pictured receiving refresher training, The Lubbock (Tex.) Morning Avalanche, June 8, 1956,

Doc's sons, Edward and Jack, served the country honorably in the US Army. Edward, a partially disabled veteran, to this day serves our country in a civilian capacity working for the Department of Defense. Thank you Edward. Thank you Jack.

We visited Edward at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in 2011.

This Veterans Day I think it also appropriate to honor those who worked ably and assiduously on the home front to support our troops. A sterling example of such a person was Mr. R. D. Hoskins, husband of my great aunt, Florence Armstrong Hoskins. Robert Dimond Hoskins was a, lawyer, publisher, merchant and first clerk of the North Dakota Supreme Court. R. D. was a prominent and active citizen of Bismarck, North Dakota, from the day in 1889 that North Dakota entered the Union as a state to the date of his death in 1946. 

Bismarck Tribune, May 10, 1898

R. D. Hoskins bade troops farewell as they trained from Bismarck to serve in the Spanish American War.




In the days leading up to World War I, R. D. raised funds to support the troops through the auspices of the Commercial Club.

Bismarck Tribune, June 30, 1916

R. D. Hoskins served on the local draft board, along with J. P. French, chairman, and Justice L. E. Birdzell during World War I.

Bismarck Tribune, September 13, 1924

We learn that R. D.'s draft board service was associated with a bit of unfounded drama at the end of the war.

Bismarck Tribune, March 11, 1919

"Hosk" as he was sometimes called, was in charge of distributing service bonuses to North Dakota servicemen after World War I.

Bismarck Tribune, November 5, 1921

R. D. put on his publisher's hat to produce a book listing the names and service records of the more than 33,000 North Dakota World War I veterans.

Bismarck Tribune, November 14, 1932

As an octagenarian, during World War II, R. D. Hoskins came out of semi-retirement to provide the civilian lead for the North Dakota state salvage effort. Thank you R. D.

Bismarck Tribune, January 2, 1943

Bismarck Tribune, June 15, 1942