# Any of your realtives involved in important historical events **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [September 1, 2000, 4:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-of-your-realtives-involved-in-important-historical-events/31606 "2000-09-01T04:56:15Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![tennents](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/fbc32d/32.png) [@tennents](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tennents)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2000, 4:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-of-your-realtives-involved-in-important-historical-events/31606/1 "2000-09-01T04:56:15Z")
One of my relatives was with the British S.A.S and was part of the team that did the reconisance so the bridge on the river Kwai could be bombed. And another won the D.S.O. at Vimy ridge and later died during the battle at Flanders. He is refered to in a book by Pierre Burton about those events. ---
**Author:** ![tennents](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/fbc32d/32.png) [@tennents](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tennents)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2000, 5:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-of-your-realtives-involved-in-important-historical-events/31606/2 "2000-09-01T05:23:28Z")
Oh and another one was pretty high up in the unions concerning the building of the golden gate bridge ---
**Author:** ![friedo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8edcca/32.png) [@friedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friedo)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2000, 5:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-of-your-realtives-involved-in-important-historical-events/31606/3 "2000-09-01T05:36:19Z")
My grandfather was in the US Coast Guard during WW2 and helped draw up defense strategies for the New York harbor. You’ll note that because his defense plans were so ingenious, New York was never attacked. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![fnord1966](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ad7895/32.png) [@fnord1966](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fnord1966)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2000, 5:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-of-your-realtives-involved-in-important-historical-events/31606/4 "2000-09-01T05:53:01Z")
Well, Johan Sebastian Strause of Blue Danube fame, is a direct ancestor of mine on my grandmothers side. Not really a historic event, but hey, who hasnt heard the Blue Danube? Now if only I got royalties… ---
**Author:** ![mblackwell](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5fc32e/32.png) [@mblackwell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mblackwell)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2000, 6:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-of-your-realtives-involved-in-important-historical-events/31606/5 "2000-09-01T06:21:32Z")
I am somehow related to Samuel F. B. Morse. ---
**Author:** ![pluto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f08c70/32.png) [@pluto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pluto)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2000, 8:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-of-your-realtives-involved-in-important-historical-events/31606/6 "2000-09-01T08:01:28Z")
It is a family tradition for us that one of the great-greats was the other speaker when Lincoln gave his Gettysburg Address. The one who went on for hours. ---
**Author:** ![MattTheCroc](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/439d5e/32.png) [@MattTheCroc](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MattTheCroc)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2000, 10:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-of-your-realtives-involved-in-important-historical-events/31606/7 "2000-09-01T10:15:23Z")
Well, my grandfather was one of the so-called “Rats of Tobruk” (under siege in Northern Africa in WWII, IIRC), and I studied this in history and it didn’t sound like too much fun. Unfortunately he died before I was born… ---
**Author:** ![The\_Mermaid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a183cd/32.png) [@The\_Mermaid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Mermaid)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2000, 10:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-of-your-realtives-involved-in-important-historical-events/31606/8 "2000-09-01T10:52:48Z")
Samuel Crowley was the first man killed in the revolutionalry war. He was from Virginia and he was my great, great, great, great grandfather. (I think I’m not sure how many greats). There is a monument dedicated to him on the banks of the Ohio river His widow was granted a special commission by the House of Burgessess. ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2000, 12:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-of-your-realtives-involved-in-important-historical-events/31606/9 "2000-09-01T12:53:59Z")
Direct descent of Bathsheba Spooner here. She lived in Massachusetts in the 1700’s, had an arranged marriage to an old coot, took a young lover and they murdered the husband. When his body was found in the well, she was convicted of murder. She said she was pregnant, so shouldn’t be hanged until she gave birth, but they didn’t believe her. After the hanging, they found a perfectly formed five month old male fetus. Last time a woman was executed in Massachusetts. My grandmother had a scrapbook of newspaper clippings from the case. I wish I knew what happened to it. ---
**Author:** ![THespos](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8c91f0/32.png) [@THespos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/THespos)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2000, 12:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-of-your-realtives-involved-in-important-historical-events/31606/10 "2000-09-01T12:58:05Z")
I am related to Johnny Appleseed. Also, my dad played on the GB Packers’ taxi squad in '65 and thus was part of one of the greatest football teams ever assembled. ---
**Author:** ![Saint\_Zero](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c4cdca/32.png) [@Saint\_Zero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saint_Zero)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2000, 1:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-of-your-realtives-involved-in-important-historical-events/31606/11 "2000-09-01T13:01:06Z")
One of my Great-to-the-Xth-power relatives was a Colonel in the Revolutionary war. Dunno anything else. ---
**Author:** ![Dinsdale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/97f17d/32.png) [@Dinsdale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dinsdale)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2000, 2:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-of-your-realtives-involved-in-important-historical-events/31606/12 "2000-09-01T14:24:24Z")
My dad always maintained that his dad, a Chicago cop, was one of the first on the scene after the St. Walentine’s Day Massacre. The old man died several years before I came along. Sure he would’ve had some interesting stories. ---
**Author:** ![Dinsdale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/97f17d/32.png) [@Dinsdale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dinsdale)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2000, 2:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-of-your-realtives-involved-in-important-historical-events/31606/13 "2000-09-01T14:25:59Z")
Sorry for that wascally “W”. ---
**Author:** ![Fretful\_Porpentine](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fretful_porpentine/32/2873_2.png) [@Fretful\_Porpentine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fretful_Porpentine)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2000, 2:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-of-your-realtives-involved-in-important-historical-events/31606/14 "2000-09-01T14:39:07Z")
One of my great-uncles was in the Polish cavalry when they made their ill-fated stand against German tanks. On the other side of the family, I’m distantly related to the McIlhennys (sp.?) of Tabasco Sauce fame (or so my grandmother says – I’m a bit skeptical about this). ---
**Author:** ![SoMoMom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/41988e/32.png) [@SoMoMom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SoMoMom)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2000, 2:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-of-your-realtives-involved-in-important-historical-events/31606/15 "2000-09-01T14:45:46Z")
My dad drove in convoys in WWII. He was watching a war movie once and started trying to tell me how his guys came through with the supplies after that battle or something. Do you ever wish you had paid more attention to what your folks told you? I’m sure it was really important. My niece’s husband is a grand nephew of some gangster named Accardo. Sometimes I’ll see him (the great uncle) mentioned on the History Channel when they are talking about gangsters. Not really my relative though, is it? ---
**Author:** ![Baker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bb73d2/32.png) [@Baker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baker)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2000, 2:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-of-your-realtives-involved-in-important-historical-events/31606/16 "2000-09-01T14:46:43Z")
My family has a distinguished military history. During the Revolutionary War my several-greats grandfather, Robert Kasson, was court-martialed for refusing to fight with the French troops that had been sent over. See, they were Catholics and he was Protestant. Pardoned later though. A great-grandfather emigrated in an informal fashion from Germany during the latter part of the 19th century when Bismarck was busy mopping things up. He was sixteen and about to be drafted, and didn’t fancy the idea of being cannon fodder. So he stowed away on a ship and joined an older brother already here. I did have another Kasson relative that was postmaster general of the United States, and an ambassador to Austria-Hungary. Not a direct ancestor but a third cousin five times removed. I figured out the relationship with the aid of a family book written a hundred years ago. ---
**Author:** ![Ruffian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/71e660/32.png) [@Ruffian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ruffian)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2000, 2:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-of-your-realtives-involved-in-important-historical-events/31606/17 "2000-09-01T14:46:49Z")
I am related (although I’m not sure if I’m a direct descendent) to Daniel Boone. He was involved in several historical events, although being sleepy-eyed and awake for just five minutes, I can’t think of what they are. ---
**Author:** ![Crunchy\_Frog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ebca7d/32.png) [@Crunchy\_Frog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crunchy_Frog)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2000, 2:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-of-your-realtives-involved-in-important-historical-events/31606/18 "2000-09-01T14:52:13Z")
My great-great-great-great-yada-yada-yada grandfather was a Captain for the Colonial Army during the Revolutionary War. My mother’s father was in the First Marine Infantry and stormed the beach in Korea under some general whose name escapes me for the moment. He never talked about it much until we were watching about the Korean War on the History Channel and my grandfather said, “Hey, that’s us.” Apparently they stormed a beach, ended up miles behind enemy lines and had to fight their way back. I’ll know the general’s name if I see it, can anyone help out there? ---
**Author:** ![FarrisGoldstein](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/f17d59/32.png) [@FarrisGoldstein](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FarrisGoldstein)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2000, 2:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-of-your-realtives-involved-in-important-historical-events/31606/19 "2000-09-01T14:54:39Z")
One of my great^27 uncles or grandfathers or cousins signed the Declaration of Independence… That’s kinda cool. ---
**Author:** ![jwg](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/df788c/32.png) [@jwg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jwg)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2000, 2:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-of-your-realtives-involved-in-important-historical-events/31606/20 "2000-09-01T14:55:23Z")
A couple: my father was on Tinian when the Enola Gay and Bock’s Car took off. My uncle Buddy’s unit liberated a small Nazi concentration camp at the end of WWII [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-of-your-realtives-involved-in-important-historical-events/31606.md?page=2)