The Reinterment of Pvt. Emil F. Ragucci

If you are a follower of Gallivanting Geismom, then you've been treated to some exciting adventures throughout the years.  But, on occasion, I make a diversion from my typical style, and offer something a bit different that is near and dear to my heart.

As mentioned in previous blogs, my passion for World War II MIA research led me to the organization, History Flight, who was instrumental in the disinterment of Marines from the Island of Tarawa.  When I realized that one of the recoveries had family waiting for his arrival just about an hour from where I live, I decided that I would make the drive to attend the funeral service as a representative of History Flight.

My experience in the past has been that families are thrilled to have a representative present, as they feel that they owe extreme gratitude to History Flight for bringing their loved one home.

Yesterday was no different in that respect, but I must admit that the aura in the room was more of celebration than of sadness.   It was obvious to me that this family was rejoicing at the return of their beloved brother and uncle Pvt. Emil f. Ragucci, who had served in the 2nd Marine Division.

The love for Emil was easily seen in the carefully preserved photos displayed behind glass.  From the sweet photo of Emil as a toddler, holding his parents' hands to the many family photos of fun times with the family, it was easy to see why his brothers had so many fond memories of him.  It appeared that this family had been waiting for this special day, and now it was here.

Emil was one of eleven children born to Nicola and Carmela Ragucci in Philadelphia, PA.  He had four brothers who also served in the war.  Dante, who served in the 79th division in Europe, earned a silver star for valor while Nicholas, who served with Co F, 141st infantry, 36th division, died in combat in Italy on Jan 31, 1944.  

On Dec. 23, 1943, the family had received notice that Emil had been killed in action on 20 Nov 1943.  His death had been documented by a fellow comrade, who stated that Emil had been shot and fell back into his arms.  He had no recourse but to lay him down on the ground.  In 1949, the family was told that Emil was Missing In Action and that he was considered to be unrecoverable. 

But,  here was the family, nearly seventy five years later, welcoming their beloved Emil home.

Two surviving brothers were in attendance, standing proudly among the throng of family and friends who had taken the time to pay tribute to this fallen Marine.

Behind the flag draped casket stood a crucifix in remembrance of the strong faith that this family continues to cherish.

Father Richard read from scripture and comforted those in attendance with the words that death  is not despair, but rather, it is victory.

The family could now treasure the fact that Emil would finally be laid to rest in the cemetery next to his parents and siblings.  

After a few prayers, we were told to head to our cars for the trip to the cemetery.   

So, of course, me being me, I followed the instructions as directed, only to soon realized that I was the ONLY one sitting in the car.  So, I decided to get back out, and walk to the back of the funeral home when I realized that the casket was going to be carried to the hearse and everyone was watching and waiting.  

But, there was one problem.  Between the cars and the crowd of people, I was unable to actually see anything.  That's when I noticed a pair of black metal steps, leading to a landing, right in front of me.   There were no signs saying that I couldn't go up the steps, so I did just that.   And guess what?  I had the perfect bird's eye view!

How lucky was that?

I was easily able to watch the pall bearers reverently carry the casket 

to the hearse that was waiting with open doors.

saluting when their task was complete.  

It was now time to return to the cars for the procession to the cemetery.  After driving along the highway for quite some time, we finally arrived at the Catholic Cemetery that holds the graves of Emil's loved ones.  

Upon arrival, these same marines began the task of carrying Pvt. Emil Ragucci to his final resting place.

Father led us in prayer as we all bowed our heads in reverence, 

thanking God that Emil was finally at home with his family.

In the distance, a Marine Honor guard waited for the flag to be raised from the casket.

firing 3 volleys from their rifles.

Immediately afterwards, a bugler played taps,

then the ceremonial flag folding began.

The flag was presented to Emil's eldest living brother, while the other stood next to him, steadying his hand upon his brother's shoulder.

"On behalf of the President of the United States, the Commandant of the Marine Corps, and a grateful nation, please accept this flag as a symbol of our appreciation for your loved one's service to Country and Corps."

It was truly a glorious day as one more family was able to rejoice at the return of their loved one.  And I am honored to have been able to attend. 

Forbidden Broadway

In the little town of Birdsboro stands a little community theater run by a little theater company that calls itself  "The 1st Street Players".

Well.....today, Marty and I ventured into this venue as part of the audience of "Forbidden Broadway's Greatest Hits", and let me just say, the performance was far from little!

The production features parodies of famous songs from many of those musicals that we've all grown to love over the years.  I kind of liken it to the "weird Al" version of Musical Melodies.

This was our first time in this theater, and I enjoyed the intimacy of the cozy interior, and loved the fact that we had front row seats.  But there really isn't a bad seat in the place, as it has been cleverly constructed so that all can enjoy the performance from any angle.

And enjoy we did!  In fact, I can't remember when I laughed so hard.  So much so, that there were a few times when I had to actually cup my hands over my mouth for fear that I would be subject to scrutiny.  But, no worries, it seemed that nearly everyone in the audience was enjoying the humor behind the words as much as I.

When our niece, Amanda, appeared on stage, dressed as an adult version of Annie, dragging a microphone while smoking a cigarette (no worries....it wasn't real), I knew we were going to be in for quite a treat.

Shortly after, there was a hysterical trilogy of songs from Hello Dolly, and I must say, that the woman who played  Carol Channing nearly had me rolling on the floor with laughter.  Her performance was spot on! 

I'm just going to present some of the highlights from our day, and you might note that most include our extremely talented niece, but why not plug talent when you've got it show off?

There were several songs devoted to Les Miserables

some features from Mamma Mia

Rent....where Amanda showed just how strong she could belt out a tune,

Spam-A-Lot

Cats

and Hairspray.   Let's face it....how could you not love that costume?

The finale featured Amanda singing "What I Did for Laughs" to the tune of "What I did for Love" 

with backup from the entire company.

When the last song was done, it was obvious that the audience thoroughly enjoyed this performance from this extremely talented group.

And, you can tell by our faces that we were thrilled to have had the opportunity to attend!

Now, if you feel that you have been slighted and have missed out on the fun, no worries!

There are still two more performances this weekend:  Friday and Saturday, Aug 17th and 18th.

So if you are looking for something fun to do over the weekend,  you can thank me for steering you in this direction.  Believe me......you'll love it!

Remembering Those Who Served

I was driving home from an appointment today, when I turned on the radio, and heard the local radio celebrity broadcasting live from the Berks Military History Museum.

Within seconds, I was sucked into the excitement and I knew that there was no way that I could pass on making a quick detour to check out the place myself. 

Imagine my surprise to learn that it is less than 4 miles from my house!

It was certainly perfect timing on my part, as the radio event had just completed when I pulled into the parking lot behind the building.

Today was the one year anniversary of the museum opening, and I was eager at this point, to pop inside and take a peek.

The first thing that caught my eye was the photographic equipment on display.

Unfortunately, you are going to see a lot of the light fixtures reflecting in the glass, as most of the holdings were carefully displayed in viewing boxes.

I turned around, and right in front of me was memorabilia preserved from World War I. 

two operation maps, of which I photographed one,

and a man in uniform.

Through the doorway was a room devoted to women who served.

Other rooms were brimming with uniforms from various campaigns,

as well as all kinds of interesting and unusual items. 

There was a machine for making dog tags,

a cabinet filled with military prayer books throughout the years,

medals

money

and loads of various war time items.

And that was just the downstairs!

I then ventured up the stairs of this old historic building to see what treasures awaited.

Hanging from the ceiling was a replica of an actual B-29 that crashed in Saipan in May 1945.

The model airplane had been built to memorialize a Berks County native was flying on the ill-fated B-29 Superfortress. Much to my surprise, I soon found myself chatting with the sister of this casualty, and learned that he continues to be MIA.  She wore a button, displaying his wartime photo, upon her lapel.  After a brief conversation, I learned that she was very interested in attending the DPAA family meeting in September, but she had no way of getting there.  I offered to take her, as Marty and I had already planned on attending, and she readily accepted my offer.   She was a delightful woman and I can't help but think that our future adventure will be quite entertaining! 

But back to my tour: 

At least half of this upstairs room is adorned with a diorama that was painstakingly put together by the local volunteers.  It is devoted to the Battle of the Bulge.  Here you see Bastogne,

 as well as the Hurtgen Forest.

Two operating trains run through the display adding the finishing touch.

By this time, I realized that the museum was ready to close up for the day, so I headed outside for one last look.  That's when I realized that outside the front of the building stands a beam from the World Trade Center along with this engraved stone.

Never would I have dreamed that I would have stumbled upon such an amazing find so close to home.

If you live in the area, you should consider making a visit.  The open hours are limited:  Saturday from 11:00 am- 1:00  pm, so you really do need to plan ahead.  

Also, keep in mind, that the museum holding have all been donated, and they are more than happy to accept any items that you are willing to part with.

So, here's a shout out to those who have spent so much time and energy putting together this unique collection of military items.  

Great job!