Over the weekend, the Oxford American Legion Post 1197 put flags on graves to honor our veterans in recognition of Memorial Day.
We placed flags at Oxford, Alpha and Summit Level between Woodhull and Alpha. At Summit Level, four of the five flags placed were honoring Civil War heroes and one was a Great War (WWI) hero. Private First Class Rutledge served in the 123rd Field Artillery Regiment, 33rd Division. The 123rd Field Artillery Regiment (part of the 33rd Division’s 58th Field Artillery Brigade) was an Illinois National Guard unit that fought on the Western Front in World War I, participating in major campaigns including the Meuse-Argonne, Somme, and Saint-Mihiel offensives.
I was honored to command the 2nd Battalion 123rd Field Artillery Regiment, August 1999 – January 2001.
