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4A Daily News – Saturday, March 3, 2012 Opinion The Medal of Honor D NEWSAILY RED BLUFF TEHAMACOUNTY T H E V O I C E O F T E H A M A C O U N T Y S I N C E 1 8 8 5 There are a few folks in Greg Stevens, Publisher gstevens@redbluffdailynews.com Chip Thompson, Editor editor@redbluffdailynews.com Editorial policy The Daily News opinion is expressed in the editorial. The opinions expressed in columns, letters and cartoons are those of the authors and artists. Letter policy The Daily News welcomes let- ters from its readers on timely topics of public interest. All let- ters must be signed and pro- vide the writer's home street address and home phone num- ber. Anonymous letters, open letters to others, pen names and petition-style letters will not be allowed. Letters should be typed and cannot exceed two double-spaced pages or 500 words. When several letters address the same issue, a cross section of those submit- ted will be considered for publi- cation. Letters will be edited. 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How to reach us Main office: 527-2151 Classified: 527-2151 Circulation: 527-2151 News tips: 527-2153 Sports: 527-2153 Obituaries: 527-2151 Photo: 527-2153 On the Web www.redbluffdailynews.com Fax Newsroom: 527-9251 Classified: 527-5774 Retail Adv.: 527-5774 Legal Adv.: 527-5774 Business Office: 527-3719 Address 545 Diamond Ave. Red Bluff, CA 96080, or P.O. Box 220 Red Bluff, CA 96080 In the eighth grade we were required to memorize our English teacher's favorite poem, Daffodils by William Wordsworth. Our teacher, Mrs. L., was an eccentric older lady (or so it seemed to us young whippersnappers.) I was not sure why it was her favorite poem; it seemed a little out of fashion to eighth graders and pointless. We did not want to memorize some- thing we didn't understand, and we certainly did not want to receive the reward our enthusiastic teacher would notoriously award to the first boy who was successful—a kiss on the cheek and the accom- panying embarrassment. The poem recounts how the unexpected and spectacular sight of a clump of golden daffodils had become a life changing event for Wordsworth. It begins: I wandered lonely as a cloud That floats on high o'er vales and hills, When all at once I saw a crowd, A host, of golden daffodils; The once lonesome poet then tells us that unexpected encounter brings him great pleasure in moments of reverie. Fourteen year old know-it-alls don't have much reverie, mostly just reactions. We tried not to snicker. These days, of course, I am at a point in my life when I take time Tehama County that are aware of a Medal of Honor recipient buried at the Sunset Hills Cemetery in Corning. The Medal of Honor is awarded for bravery and valor while serving in a battle zone and the recipient was deemed to have gone "above and beyond the call of duty." This award isn't won but it is presented to those who fit into this category of brave military person of the highest valor. Here's a bit of history about the man buried in Corning. Frances Silva, Private, USMC, was born in "Haywards," California on May 8, 1876. Haywards was the man's name who founded that city but later the "s" was dropped and is now called Hayward. Silva enlist- ed in the Marine Corps on Sep- tember 12, 1899, in San Francisco and went to boot camp at Mare Island - at that time the West Coast facility for basic train- ing for Marine recruits born east of the Mississippi. The USS Oregon and the Flag- ship USS Newark were headed to the Philippines to take part in the Spanish-American War about the time Silva was graduating from boot camp but both ships, carrying Marines, were rerouted to China because the martial arts practition- ers, "Boxers," were rising up against the Western Legations in Peking. These eight nations included America, England, Ger- many, Austria, Holland, Belgium, France and even Japan. This could be called the first World War I. After the sinking of the USS Maine in Cuba Americans were in an uproar ("Remember the Maine!"), much like now against the War on Terror. Spain was try- ing to dominate the seas. News wasn't as quick and available as now but the word got out quickly. The big fight was going to be between Spain and America. France Silva enlisted and had graduated from boot camp about this time period. He was assigned to the USS Newark with Captain Newt Hall as his Commanding Officer. Captain John "Happy Jack" Meyer (as in Ft. Meyer, Florida) commanded the Marines on the USS Oregon. Pvt. Silva and future double Medal of Honor recipient, Dan Daly, (leg- end has it that he refused a third MoH after WW I) became the best of friends, according to John Daly, a descendant of Daly (is the descendant of Dan Daly's cousin), who is currently co-writing a book about his relative.Mr. Daly and I and his co-author have emailed each other several times and we have shared information on the Medal of Honor and other topics. I feel I am the one person any- where who knows more about France Silva than anyone else. I have been researching his life since 2004 and hope to write something on him some day in the near future. Mr. Silva was award- ed the Medal of Honor for his actions on June 1, 1900, while fighting the Boxers and Chinese Army on the "Tater Wall," the bar- rier between the enemy and the eight legations. Several Marines and German troops were killed on this day but Private Silva sur- vived (he was shot in the left elbow and the bullet also pierce his sternum then bounced off) but he was able to be taken to the Eng- lish Hospital for treatment. A few days later as the heavy fighting continued Pvt. Silva and several other Marines tried to return to duty with their wounds. Capt. Hall order these Marines to return to sick bay. Pvt .Silva became insubordinate and refused to leave. Hall and Silva got into an argument and finally, Hall said to him, "You won't be able to shoot your rifle because your arm can't hold it." Silva told Hall that "if you give me your pis- tol and and you take my rifle, I can handle myself!" This is from retired Colonel Hall's memoirs, which I have obtained from the Marine Corps History Division. Hall did, indeed, do what this private had "encouraged," under fire. I have also acquired a diorama from the History Division in Quantico, VA, of the American Legation in Peking. This was shown in the early 1990's at the Navy Yard in Washington, D.C. as a tribute to what is now known as the "Boxer Rebellion." That diorama is now sitting at the Northern California Veterans Museum at the Redding airport. A retired Air Force Mas- ter Sergeant friend now living in Quantico, Virginia, made arrangements through her father, a retired Navy Senior Chief Petty Officer in Red Bluff, also a good friend, to bring it here from the Marine Corps History Division. Silva was wounded in action and survived as his fellow Marines were killed while repelling the enemy near the Legations. The Marines and Chi- nese were so close that it resulted in hand to hand combat. They Guest View John Minton even threw stones at each other. Marines were yelling "like cow- boys." He was awarded the Medal of Honor in January 1901 and for the remainder of his life he strug- gled with the Department of Vet- erans Affairs about his disability pension. The medal was mailed from Teddy Roosevelt to his home in the Bay Area. That's how it was given back then. The Congression- al Medal of Honor is normally given by the President of the United States. He lost his medal in 1906 but was later reissued the medal. The Medal of Honor has under- gone some scrutiny and how it is awarded and who it should be awarded to. I've heard the phrase, "Things in the Marine Corps never change, they evolve." I kind of like that phrase versus how things sup- posedly just change. Those who received the Medal of Honor in past times should be left alone and considered to have been awarded it because those times were differ- ent and not as "evolved" as today. Scrutiny is still alive and well, though. I feel that each veteran (inde- pendently) needs to do a serious gut check on how they feel about what they believe is the history of the highest award in the military. For me, I feel this part of history should be left as it is and has evolved to our present times. But do your own research if you are so inclined. Semper Fidelis — "Always Faithful," to our great nation and all who have served during period since our nation was founded. Your officials STATE ASSEMBLYMAN — Jim Nielsen (R) State Capitol Bldg., Room 6031 Sacramento, CA 95814 (916) 319-2002; Fax (916) 319-2102 STATE SENATOR — Doug LaMalfa (R) State Capitol Bldg., Room 3070 Sacramento, CA 95814 (916) 651-4004; Fax (916) 445-7750 GOVERNOR — Jerry Brown, State Capitol Bldg., Sacramento, CA 95814; (916) 445-2841; Fax (916) 558-3160; E-mail: gover- nor@governor.ca.gov. U.S. REPRESENTATIVE — Wally Herger (R), 2595 Cean- othus Ave., Ste. 182, Chico, CA 95973; 893-8363. U.S.SENATORS — Dianne Feinstein (D), One Post Street, Suite 2450, San Francisco, CA 94104; (415) 393-0707. Fax (415) 393-0710. Barbara Boxer (D), 1700 Montgomery St., Suite 240, San Francisco, CA 94111; (510) 286-8537. Fax (202) 224- 0454. Reverie and reaction Commentary for reverie and reflection, and I think I understand and appreciate Wordsworth's sentiments as well as Mrs. L.'s enthusiasm for the poem. I still don't think kissing boys on the cheek was a good idea. One of the songs that wafts through my head most days is "If I Ruled the World", an affirming song for me. The version of the song I like has verses by Tony Ben- nett; it begins: If I ruled the world, ev'ry day would be the first day of spring Every man would have a new song to sing And he'd sing of the joy each day would bring When we arrived home from Costa Rica two weeks ago we were greeted by a cluster of bright yel- low daffodils in our front yard; they seemed to announce the arrival of spring; and Bennett's lyrics started playing in my head. Before I could begin rhapsodizing about the four seasons, I noticed that just twenty feet in front of that beacon of spring was another sign of the season, the gray gossamer sphere of a dandelion, proudly standing erect, just waiting to take its voyage on the breezes for its annual march to invade every lawn in Red Bluff. On the weekdays when we drive west on Walnut Street on our way to the Tehama Family Fitness Center to exercise; we pass by the gasoline and minimart, More 4 Less. Often that spot has the lowest price in town, and the line of cars waiting to gas up some- times edges across the sidewalk. On one recent day I noticed that the gas prices were even higher than I had seen on the coast the day before. I also noticed they had replaced the weather worn awning with a new colorful on. I remarked to my wife how good it looked, but on that par- ticular day it should have said Less 4 More. I could have dwelled on high prices for gaso- line, but I chose to see the humor in the contrast between the name and the actual price that day. It is not always easy for me to make the positive choice. Often when we take a walk through our backyard my wife has to remind me we are observing and enjoying, but somehow or other I always end up commenting with statements like "I'm going to have to pull those weeds" or "that fence post needs bracing." My wife will say, "There is always something that needs to be done; right now we are enjoying." Joe Harrop It is easy to dwell on the dande- lions of life and forget about the rest. The presence of those dande- lions can overshadow the fact that we planted those daffodils to enjoy them. Sometimes our work can overwhelm us and lead us to forget about the family for which we are working. Sometimes our aches and pains take pri- ority, and our horizons do not extend beyond our nose. Those are the times when we need to be open to the beauty of our surroundings, the comfort of our compan- ions, the love of our fam- ily, and the promise of spring, of renewal. When Eleanor Roosevelt died, Adlai Stevenson commented that "She would rather light a candle than curse the darkness." Would- n't it be a wonderful world if someone could say that about each of us? Joe Harrop is a retired educator with more than 30 years of service to the North State.He can be reached at DrJoeHarrop@sbcglobal.net.