Military Monday

  Military Monday posts are made to honor those in my family tree who have served in the United States military.

Emerson Lanier Burns

U.S. Army, Korea, POW

August 4, 1950 - August 21, 1953

  I chose Emerson for Military Monday today because I found the most interesting blog post about him and other POWs from Laurens County. 

"Emerson Burns left Adrian, Georgia at the age of eighteen, when he joined the Army in 1949. Burns was sent to Korea on August 4, 1950. While in Korea, Sgt. Burns worked as a radio operator and truck driver. In November 1950, Burns and his unit barely escaped capture when the Chinese Army overran his division. A member of HQ Company, 38th Regiment, 2nd Division, Burns was in Wanju in January of 1951 when he and seven hundred fifty other soldiers were taken prisoner. Burns and his unit had gotten through the roadblock at Kunure, where many of the 2nd Division troops had been killed. Burns' six by six truck had its gas tank shot out. The men were forced to march for three months. On the seven hundred mile march the men were given twelve total days of rest. One in five of the men would live to see the end of the war. Burns and the others were taken to Camp Number 1 near Chonwon. When they first arrived, the prisoners were fed twice a day. Their diet mainly consisted of soy beans and millet. Later the meals were changed to dry fish and rotting eggs. They had to eat it. It was their only food.

Temperatures in the Korean winter often fellow to thirty degrees below zero. Burns recalled that the men were allowed to have a fire in a home-made furnace for about an hour a day. The men lived in mud huts with mud floors. Eventually Burns was stricken with beri-beri, a disease caused by vitamin deficiencies. When truce talks began in 1951, the prisoners were allowed to write letters home. In the long days in the mud huts, Burns dreamed of living in Dublin. He did not know that his parents, Mr. and Mrs. R.D. Burns, had already moved to Dublin. Burns wrote home several times, stating that he was doing as well as could be expected."

From: https://dublinlaurenscountygeorgia.blogspot.com/2013/07/korean-war-pows-will-never-be-forgotten.html

Go read the entire post.  It is very interesting!

Emerson was my 3rd cousin, 1x removed.  Our common ancestors are Francis Bryant Drake and Selina Henlee King Drake.

Sympathy Sunday

  Sympathy Days will be where I share the obituaries and my condolences for members of my family tree who passed recently.  When you get to be a certain age, you begin to read the obituaries every day.  As the days go by, you read about more and more of your friends and family members who have died.  You compare their age to your own and get a jolt. "That could have been me." 

  For genealogists, checking obituaries and visiting cemeteries is as normal as breathing. I learn so much from an obituary, i.e., maiden names, parents' names; children's' and grandchildren's' names, funeral and burial locations, sometimes even a cause of death.  I want to learn these things not for any purpose but to put it on the family tree for future generations to see and learn about the family that went before them. I admit, most of these relatives I have never met, but I think it is important to share that they were here on this Earth, and they were important.

  So I am signed up with at least three funerals homes from Swainsboro, Vidalia, and Wrightsville to get daily notices of obituaries sent to my email.  Every day, I peruse them and with the help of the family tree, figure out who is related to me and add any new information to the tree.    Some weeks there are several, and some weeks there are none.  

         "Mr. Lonnie Hilton Barwick, age 74, of Adrian, passed away peacefully on Tuesday morning, March 18, 2025, at his home. Funeral services were conducted Sunday, March 23, at 2 p.m. from the graveside in Watson – Odomville Cemetery with Karen Breedlove officiating. Family received friends Sunday, March 23, at the gravesite. Mr. Barwick was laid to rest beside his wife.

        Born in Dublin, Lonnie was the youngest of two sons and one of three children born to the late John T. Barwick and Tasia Petrova Barwick. He grew up in Adrian, and in 1968, moved to Atlanta and launched a forty-year career as a Master Carpenter and Independent Contractor in the North Atlanta area. Lonnie retired in 2008 and returned to Adrian. In 2011, he married Cynthia Louise Cronic of Madison who passed away in 2023. Mr. Barwick is preceded in death by his parents; wife; infant brother, Maurice; sister, Gloria Hun; and grandson, Donnie Davis.

        Mr. Lonnie leaves behind his daughter, Tracy Barwick MacDonald, Griffin; granddaughter, Lauren Davis; and great-grandson, Zane Costello.

        Sammons Funeral Home was in charge of arrangements."

            - Obituary courtesy of Emanuel County Live (online news source), Swainsboro, Emanuel, Georgia, USA, posted Wednesday, April 2, 2025.

  Lonnie was my 3rd cousin.  Our common ancestors are William Robert Harrell and Catherine M. Odom Harrell.

  Please join me in offering condolences to Lonnie's family and friends and holding them in the light.

Friday's Faces from the Past -- Unknown photo

  Some of my readers may have noticed this photo on the sidebar of the blog for the past couple of weeks.  This is yet another photo from my Grandma Nealie's (Nealie Drake Tapley (1895-1970) collection that I have no idea who the person is.  I have had several people try to help me with this, especially in trying to figure out what type of uniform the man is wearing.

   

  With the rise in the use of AI in genealogical pursuits, I decided to ask ChatGPT about the man in the photo.

  I asked, "Please define the year of the photograph and describe the man and his clothing in this photograph of an American living in probably Adrian, Georgia. How old do you think he was in the photo? What occupation might he have?"

  ChatGPT answered:

Estimated Time Period:

• This appears to be a tintype photograph, which was popular from the 1860s to the early 1900s.
• The clothing style and photographic backdrop suggest a timeframe between the 1870s and 1890s.

Description of the Man:

• He is wearing a dark-colored, collared shirt with a row of buttons, possibly military or work attire.
• A band or stripe on his upper arm may indicate a uniform rank insignia or mourning band.
• His mustache and hairstyle were commonly seen in the late 19th century.
• He is leaning against what looks like Spanish moss, which suggests a Southern U.S. location, possibly Georgia (as you mentioned Adrian, Georgia).

Estimated Age:

• He appears to be in his 30s or 40s based on facial features and posture.

Possible Occupation:

• The band and structured uniform suggest he might have been a military veteran, law enforcement officer, railroad worker, or a firefighter.
• If not in uniform, he could be a laborer, farmer, or tradesman, given the relaxed but proud stance.

  Those that helped me in the past had brought up firefighter, since it appears the man is wearing a uniform, and it didn't have any insignias indicating a military uniform.  But AI mentioned an occupation I had not even thought of - railroad worker.  Unfortunately, so far, I have been unable to locate any railroad workers among her immediate family members. 

  In looking at my grandmother's relatives, I found the following:

    Her father, William John Drake (1857-1927) would have been in his 30s and 40s between 1887-1907. However, he was a preacher and thus would not have been wearing a uniform.  

    Her uncle, Francis Richard Drake (1859-1933) would have been in his 30s and 40s between 1889 - 1909.  Unfortunately, I have no occupation information for him, but he was probably a farmer.

   Grandma's uncle, James Thomas Drake (1861-1959) would have been in his 30s from 1891-1901. Possibly during this period of time, he was the postmaster for Odomville, Emanuel County, Georgia. At this time, though, postmasters were not wearing uniforms yet.  Later, around 1910, he was the Warden at the Macon County Work Camp. And after that, he was a police officer in Adrian for 25 years.  However neither of those time frames line up with the predicted date of the photo.

  Her other two uncles on the Drake side were younger and therefore would not have been in their 30s or 40s prior to 1900.

  Grandma had one uncle on her maternal side and he, too, was too young to be in his 30s or 40s before 1900.  

  So I still have no idea who the man in the picture could be.  However, ChatGPT gave me some insights and things to investigate.  

  Do any of my readers have any suggestions on how to identify this man?  I would be most appreciative of any and all feedback.

Military Monday - Brigadier General Alonzo M 'Ducky' Drake

  Military Monday posts are made to honor those in my family tree who have served in the United States military.

Alonzo M Drake

Brigadier General

U.S. Air Force, World War I, II, and Korea

August 12, 1894 - March 6, 1971

laid to rest at Arlington National Cemetery

Arlington, Arlington, Virginia, USA

  

  I asked ChapGPT about the initials at the bottom of the headstone, and this is what it said:

Brigadier General Alonzo M. Drake's headstone honors his extensive military service across three major wars. Given his rank and service history, the abbreviations likely represent significant military awards and commendations:

• LM – Legion of Merit: Awarded for exceptional meritorious conduct in outstanding service
• & OLC – And Oak Leaf Cluster: Indicates he received the Legion of Merit more than once.
• BSM – Bronze Star Medal: Given for heroic or meritorious achievement in combat.
• AM – Air Medal: Awarded for meritorious achievement while participating in aerial flight.
• CR – Likely Combat Readiness Medal or Campaign Ribbon: Denotes readiness or participation in combat operations.

Brig. Gen. Drake’s service in World War I, World War II, and Korea suggests a long and distinguished career in the U.S. Air Force, and these awards reflect his exceptional dedication and leadership.

From his Find-A-Grave memorial:

 ADRIAN'S LITTLE GENERAL

The Story of General Alonzo Drake

By Scott B. Thompson, Sr.

Alonzo Drake, Adrian's Little General, was a man of small stature at five feet five inches tall, but was a giant among the military material officers of the United States Army Air Force.

Drake was born on August 12, 1894 in the community which became Adrian, Georgia. His Drake family's roots run deep into the history of southern Johnson County. He possessed a rich heritage of military service, with ancestors fighting in the Civil War and the American Revolution. In his nearly four decades of service, Drake was highly regarded by his peers as a man who could get things done. His career spanned the development of fighter planes from Abi-planes to jet aircraft.

Drake entered the United States Army at Tampa, Florida in 1915. Ironically his first basic training assignment came as a trainee in the aviation section of the Signal Corps at Old Fort Drake. Airplanes were in their infancy in the United States Army. There were only a few trained pilots. Army officials knew that when the United States entered World War I, aircraft would be the key to victory. After three months, Private Drake was promoted to Corporal. Drake was again promoted - this time after only five months - to Staff Sergeant of the 162nd Coast Artillery. Drake learned to fly a Curtiss Jenny at Mineola, Long Island, New York - quite an amazing feat for a young man who came from a town which had only a few automobiles.

As the United States entered the war, Drake continued his flight training. On October 26, 1917, Drake earned his wings and a commission as a Second Lieutenant. His first assignment as an officer was with the aviation section of the Signal Corps in France. Just a few weeks before the end of World War I, Lieutenant Drake was promoted to Captain. He was only twenty three years old. Drake served a brief stint as Adjutant of the American Expeditionary Forces in Tours, France. It was in France where Captain Drake, met and married Alice Roberts, the daughter of a French Army officer. The couple were married for over fifty years.

After the war, Captain Drake remained in France for several months on occupation duty. Drake returned to Georgia where he served as commander of the Aviation General Supply Depot in Americus from 1919 to 1921. In 1921, Drake transferred to the 81st Service Squadron at Mitchell Field in New York, where he served for three years. Drake was promoted again - this time to a desk job in the office of the Chief of Staff's Operation Division. During his two year stint in Washington, Drake developed a talent for the business side of the Army Air Force. From 1926 to 1933, Drake served in the Air Material Command at Dayton, Ohio. In 1934, Drake was sent to Panama to command the 80th Headquarters Squadron in the Panama Canal Zone.

During 1936, Drake attended the Army's Industrial College in Washington. The brass began taking notice of his uncanny ability to manage the daily operations of the Air Force. His first assignment after graduation was as director of Air Corps Procurement in Detroit, Michigan. Shortly after, he was again promoted to Director of the Central Air Force Procurement District in Dayton, Ohio. Drake kept advancing up the ladder when he was named director of procurement for fourteen states. Drake commanded hundreds of officers who were resident agents in aircraft and parts plants around the country.

When the Japanese invaded Pearl Harbor in December of 1941, our country was not prepared for war. Many of the war planes we had were outdated. The biggest war machine in the history of the world was about to be born. Now a Colonel, Drake worked with manufacturing plants all over the country. During the late 1930s, Drake gained an acute knowledge of the problems of operation and production of aircraft. His knowledge of Industrial Mobilization Programs brought him acclamations from his superior officers. In his years in Detroit, Captain Drake won the praise and admiration of the automobile magnate, Henry Ford. Ford described Drake this way: "The Little Colonel is really a big fellow. He fights his way through red tape."

During the first years of World War II, Drake was directly responsible for the quality and quantity of the aircraft from the production lines and for internal security of our country's aircraft manufacturing plants.

Colonel Drake began his service overseas the day before the invasion of Normandy on D-Day, June 6, 1944. On March 23, 1945, Lieutenant General Baker awarded the Bronze Star to Colonel Drake for meritorious achievement in the performance of his services in 1944. General Baker cited Colonel Drake for outstanding initiative and zeal in his untiring efforts to establish a comprehensive inspections procedure.

Drake was named as Inspector General of the Air Force in the Mediterranean Theater of Operations after the end of the war. Drake was nominated for a Distinguished Service Medal for his services during the period. A new staff section was created at the headquarters of the U.S. Air Forces of Europe in June of 1948. The new position was patterned after the Inspector General of the Air Force in Washington. Colonel Drake was the natural selection for the position since he had been serving as Inspector of the U.S.A.F. since January of 1948. In his new position, Colonel Drake supervised the staff sections of the Air Inspector and the Provost Marshall. It was during 1948 when the United States Air Force began the airlift to help the citizens of Berlin. Col. Drake was admired by his staff officers, who dubbed him "The Little Colonel with the big eagles," - his silver eagle insignia denoting his rank.

In June of 1951, Colonel Drake joined the Tactical Command of General John K. Cannon. On March 7, 1952, Col. Drake's promotion to Brigadier General was approved by Congress. He served until his retirement on August 1, 1953. He was one of the few officers in our country's history to be awarded two Legions of Merit. Among his other decorations were World War I and World War II victory medals, a Army of Occupation medal, a Humane Relations medal, a Berlin Airlift medal, an Army Commendation medal with one cluster, an American Defense Service medal, and a Europe-Africa-Middle East campaign ribbon with two battle stars.

After his retirement Drake and his wife returned to her homeland in France. Mrs. Drake had lost homes in both wars when the Germany army invaded France in 1914 and 1940. The Drakes returned to this country. General Drake lived the last 18 years of his life in Sarasota, Florida. After a prolonged illness, the "Little General" passed away at the Extended Care Nursing Home in Sarasota on March 6, 197 1. Funeral Services were held in St. Paul's Catholic Church.

General Drake was honored by his country, which he loved so much, with his burial in Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Virginia. Known as "Ducky" to his closest friends, Drake never ducked when it came to serving his country. He made sure our planes were built right and kept them flying. He was just a good ole country boy, who, when his time came, served his country to the best of his ability.

Alonzo was my 2nd cousin, 2x removed.  Our common ancestors are Francis Bryant Drake (1806-1875) and Selina Henlee King (1812-1899).

A Time Line for William Lovick Drake

Family Search sent me another email today with a timeline for one of my ancestors.  This time it was for my Great Uncle, William Lovick Drake.  

This is my connection to William Lovick Drake:

Liz (that's me!)

↓↓↓

Gilbert Earl Tapley, 1928-2008 (my father)

↓↓↓

Nealie Vermell Drake Tapley, 1895-1970 (my grandmother)

↓↓↓ 

her brother, 

William Lovick Drake, 1892-1912 (my great-uncle)

Time Line for the life of William Lovick Drake 

1892 Age 0	Birth	02 Oct 1892 Emanuel County, Georgia
1893 Age 1	Historical Event	The Last Public Hanging in Georgia was on 28 Sep 1893. The General Assembly prohibited public executions in December 1893. Prior to this law, Georgians commonly traveled to witness scheduled public executions.
1900 Age 7	Historical Event	Trading Wildlife. This law prohibits trade in wildlife, fish, and plants that have been taken, possessed, transported, or sold illegally.
1900 Age 7	Residence	Lothair, Zaidee, Montgomery County, Georgia
1906 Age 13	Historical Event	The Atlanta Race Riot of 1906 occurred on the evening of September 22 through September 24. A newspaper reported the rapes of four white women by African American men. Fueled by pre-existing racial tensions, these reports enraged white men who then arranged gangs to attack African American men. Over the next few days, several thousand white men joined in and in the end, 26 people were killed and many were injured.
1910 Age 17	Residence	Emanuel County, Georgia
1912 Age 20	Death	William Lovick Drake passed away on 17 Dec 1912 in Emanuel County, Georgia of Typhoid Fever.
1912	Burial	Lovick was buried on 20 Dec 1912 at Poplar Springs Methodist Church Cemetery, Adrian, Johnson County, Georgia

 As you can see in his obituary, Typhoid Fever swept through the family that year, but only Lovick and his oldest sister, Hattie Drake Wise (1884-1912) did not survive.  However, it must have been unimaginably hard to lose two children within five months of each other.  The obituary even mentions that the family suffered for seven months after Lovick's death.  From all that I have seen, Lovick was a good boy who was probably headed into a career in the ministry like his father, and his death so young was a tragedy.

(Please note that the obituary states Lovick's birthday as September 2, but his headstone and all other records I have seen state October 2.)

52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks (Week 10): Strong Woman

Amy Johnson Crow from Generations Cafe is hosting a blog writing prompt this year called 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks.  Since I need a swift kick in the you-know-what to get me blogging more regularly again, I thought I'd jump in.  I like that she gives us "permission" to interpret the prompt however we wish and share it however we wish.  It doesn't have to be a blog post; it could be a family video, a letter to a child or grandchild, an e-mail, etc.  I'm probably going to be always behind on this exercise so don't go by the date and week I'm writing about and take it as accurate.  

My paternal Grandmother, Nealie Vermell Drake Tapley, 1895-1970, passed away when I was 3 years old.  I have only one memory of her.  I did not receive the blessing it would have been to get to know her.  However, from all accounts that I have been told, and the research I have done, it is obvious she was a very strong woman.

Nealie was born and grew up in Adrian, Emanuel County, Georgia.  She was the 4th child (of 9) of Rev. William John (or John William) Drake, 1857-1927 and Emma Vermell Harrell Drake, 1867-1935. There were many preachers in the Drake family through the generations.  Nealie's grandfather, James William Drake, 1829-1908, was the first minister at Poplar Springs Methodist Church in Adrian, where many Drakes worshipped and are now buried. 

Tragedy, hard times, and tough situations struck Nealie from an early age and continued throughout her life:

- Her oldest sister, Hattie Lay Drake Wise died from typhoid fever in July of 1912.

- Her older brother, William Lovick Drake died in December 1912, also from typhoid fever.

- Her younger brother, William Robert Drake, was murdered in June 1927.

- Her father was shot and killed in August 1927.  It was an accidental shooting by her brother, James Weldon Drake.

- A younger sister, Nancy Mary Ann Drake Donaldson died at age 25 in 1931.  I do not know her cause of death. 

- After marrying Papa (Lusion Keman Tapley) in 1914, she became estranged from her parents and did not see them much, if at all, before they passed. While I don't know the reason for the estrangement, I imagine it had something to do with her marrying a man 25 years older than her who had 4 children. 

- Upon marrying Papa, Nealie instantly had 3 boys to raise, ages 9, 6, and 4, who had lost their mother just two years earlier. 

- Nealie and Lusion lost their home/farm in 1932 as explained in my last blog post. 

- Papa died in 1935.

- Her mother died, also in 1935, just 3 months after Papa passed. My father told me he did not remember Nealie going to the funeral. 

- For the next several years after Papa's death, as the head of the family, Nealie had to work many different jobs to feed her family. 

- In her older years, she shuttled from one child's home to another and ended up living in public housing. 

- At some  point, she lost an eye, probably to disease, but we do not know the exact diagnosis.

- And in what was probably the final straw...her beloved son, Russ (John Russell Tapley), suddenly passed away from a heart attack in 1967.  He had turned 50 just five days before he died.  Uncle Russ was the glue that held this family together.  He was Grandma's protector and provider.  I cannot even imagine the huge blow it was to her to lose him. 

There is a saying that God doesn't give you more than you can handle.  It seems that there are some people, like my Grandmother, that He believed could handle a lot.  Throughout her life, Nealie had a strong faith.  She had to have leaned on her faith to have survived all she did.  I have talked to many people, both family and non-family, and no one has ever had a bad word to say about her.  (At Christmas time, Mom and I visited a cousin who has dementia and had no idea who we were.  But as soon as we mentioned Nealie, her face lit up and she joyfully said, "Aunt Nealie!  Yes!")  Grandma Nealie was dignified; a true Southern lady.  She was kind, fun, a wonderful mother, grandmother, aunt, friend, and church member.  She was tough. She had a backbone.  She took no gruff.  But she loved her family.  She was a strong woman. 

Tombstone Tuesday: Lovick Drake

William Lovick Drake

b 02 Oct 1892

d 17 Dec 1912

laid to rest at

Poplar Springs Methodist Church Cemetery

Adrian, Johnson County, Georgia

son of

William John Drake

and

Emma Vermell Harrell Drake

Lovick was my grand uncle; my paternal grandmother's, Nealie Drake Tapley's, brother.

Sunday's Obituary: Lester Ottis Foskey

"Lester O. Foskey 

 LAKELAND----Lester Ottis Foskey, 77, of 1329 W. Lime Street, died Friday. A native of Adrian, Ga., he had lived here 11 years, was a retired railroad bridge foreman and a member of Church of God. Survivors include his widow, Mrs. Nellie Foskey; one son, Clifford Foskey, Georgia; one sister, Mrs. Maggie Bell Avery, Adrian; two half-brothers, Myrtice and Norman Foskey of Lakeland; two stepsons, Noah and Ollan Chestnut of Lakeland; one step-daughter, Mrs. Laura Maders, Tucson, Ariz."   

Johnson County GaArchives Obituaries.....Foskey, Lester Ottis May 16, 1969

The Tampa Tribune 5-20-1969 Page 15A

File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/ga/johnson/obits/f/foskey12074ob.txt

Lester Foskey was my 1st cousin, 2x removed.  

Mary Elizabeth Tapley	Me
Gilbert Earl Tapley	My father
Nealie Drake Tapley	My grandmother
Emma Vermell Harrell Drake	My great-grandmother
William Robert Harrell and Catherine M Odom Harrell	My 2nd great-grandparents
Nancy Jane Harrell Foskey	Robert & Catherine’s son; Emma’s sister; and my grand aunt
Lester Ottis Foskey	Nancy’s son and my 1st cousin, 2x removed