Thursday, May 07, 2009

Performing legendary actions every day

Legend tells of a military spouse known as Molly Pitcher who followed her husband, an artilleryman with the Continental Army, to war.

She regularly carried pitchers of water to her husband and his fellow Soldiers to help cool the barrels of the cannons they fired.

Then, on a fiercely hot summer day, when her husband was wounded in battle, she took his place, helping load his cannon, immortalizing her as an American Revolutionary heroine.

According to the 2001 edition of the Oxford Essential Dictionary of the U.S. Military and the sixth edition of the Columbia Encyclopedia, Pitcher’s real name was Mary Ludwig Hays. She was
the wife of John Hays of Carlisle, Pa. Both sources cite her actions taking place at the Battle of Monmouth, N.J., in June 1778. In 1822, in recognition of her services, Congress awarded her a $40 grant and a $40 annuity.

Historians differ about the veracity of the identity of Molly Pitcher. Some say it was, indeed, Mary Ludwig Hays.

Others say the term “Molly Pitcher” was a pseudonym for the hosts of women who followed their husbands to war, providing water and sundry needs to them during battles, some of whom may have also engaged in the fights.

Still, others say the acts credited to Hays were actually the exploits of Margaret Cochran Corbin.

References from the Oxford Essential dictionary and the Columbia encyclopedia state Corbin was “wounded and utterly disabled by three grape shot, while she filled with distinguished bravery the post of her husband, who was killed by her side, serving a piece of artillery at Fort Washington.”

In 1779, Corbin became the first woman to be pensioned by the government. The Oxford dictionary records Congress awarded her half of a regular Soldier’s pay and a complete suit of clothes annually and that she was enrolled in the Corps of Invalids and performed garrison duties at [the U.S. Military Academy at] West Point, where she lived thereafter as “Captain Molly.”
Despite who the true Molly Pitcher was, the fact remains, throughout history, military spouses have gone over and above what is expected of them in support of the servicemembers on the field.

Whether taking up arms beside them or serving at home by ensuring families and businesses were tended to, military spouses have been accounted for in every skirmish undertaken by U.S. servicemembers.

Tomorrow, Belvoir takes time to honor the faithful service of you, the modern day “Molly (and, now, Manny) Pitchers” who have made our military community a family.

Although awards for what you do are few and far between, we offer this day as a small token of our appreciation for your sacrifices.

While not all of you will enter the annals of military history, in the eyes of those whom you care for and support, you are legends in your own right.