With the beginning of May this week, many American Legion groups and other veteran organizations are already planning their Memorial Day services and tributes to our veterans. As the song goes “All gave some, some gave all” (B. Cyrus).

Victory has a long list of veterans we honor each Memorial Day and Veterans Day with services and speakers.

As I research each year, I find out more about our veterans from the Revolutionary War to the present day Iraqi War.

I am constantly updating my list so if you know of anyone in Victory or who used to live in Victory who is a veteran past or present, please call me at 730-3183 so we may add you to the list and honor you.

Our earliest known veteran was Dr. Silas Hamilton, a Revolutionary War doctor who was given a grant of land in Victory for his services. He had two wives and 12 children. Many in Victory are his descendants either by direct line or through marriage. He is buried in the French Settlement Cemetery just west of Victory. Hamilton's grandson, Hamilton Wetherby, joined the army, Company C, NY Infantry, 111th Regiment, in 1862 at the age of 15. He became a drummer boy and after serving nearly two years was killed at the Battle of the Wilderness in Virginia on May 5, 1864.

Civil War veterans were very proud to serve, and their units were usually listed on their gravestones. Other Civil War veterans buried in the French cemetery are: Abel B. Polhemus, Co. F, 28 Michigan Infantry; Nelson Porter Co. G, 4th Wisconsin Cavalry; Amos W. Thompson, 3rd NY Artillery, died at Hancock, Md. in 1862; Riley S. Watson, Co. D, 81st Regiment; Amos Wilson, Co. K, 9th Artillery; James Wilson, Battery K, 3rd NY Artillery, and William H. Wilson, 93rd NY Vol. Infantry.

Civil War soldiers buried in the Victory Union Cemetery, Old State Road are: William R. Fleming, Co. F, 81st Regiment; Nathanial Frazer, BK 3rd NY Volunteer Artillery; John H. Hager, Co. B, 75th NY Volunteer; Raymond Longyear, Pvt., 161st Infantry, 41st Division; Erastus Palmer, Co. L, 16th Regiment, NY Volunteers; William H. Root, 3rd NY Artillery; Cornelias Sliter, Co. L, 16th NY Artillery, and Truman Smith, Co. B, 12th NY Cavalry.

Many of our Civil War veterans appear on the D.H. Becker Post No. 251 Grand Army of the Republic Charter from Red Creek: D.H. Becker, M.H. Waldron, Eugene D. Allen, O.J. Frost, Asel Fuller, Charles W. Blanchard, E.B. Tindar, William B. Sayers, David Hunter, A.G. Chapman, Elias Mitchell, Frank Mosher, Edwin Spurr, Clark Grant, D.D. Peterson, Harry Heagerty, John D. Smith, Moses Parsons, Jerome Chapman, Edwin Samos, Nathan Connors, Charles H. Dates, John Quimby, Chester Cortwright, George D. Barber, M.E. Douglas, Luther Green, William H. Milliman, Eugene Fitch, Elisha Ellis, William T. Clark and E.T. Milliman. Most of these men were in Company F, 160th NY Volunteer Infantry inducted through Wayne County. I will continue the veteran listing for other wars at the end of May to bring us up to the present.

Beverly Sayles grew up in the town of Victory and writes about its history.