Fort George G. Meade: The First 100 Years

54 THE FIRST 100 YEARS
to illustrate to the public the experiences of the 79 th
Division’s doughboys. Even though my grandfather never
owned a car, my dad drove him across Pennsylvania
several times so that he could visit the cabin that all the
veterans held so dearly.
After the veterans had all passed, the organization
changed its name to The Descendants & Friends of the
314th Infantry.
The descendants lovingly cared for the cabin, but knew
that a new home for perpetual care was needed. My dad,
in honor of my grandfather’s service, was president of
the organization when we began the process of donating
the collection of more than 500 artifacts to the Army
Heritage and Education Center and the Center for
Military History. They gratefully accepted the collection
in 2010, however, a permanent home for the Log Cabin
Memorial had not been identified.
A few years later, the log cabin and this memorial started
its journey back home, to Fort Meade, to be preserved for
future generations to remember the sacrifices of those
doughboys. My aging parents were also beginning their
journey home and my mom was placed on hospice. Early
one August morning in 2014 my mother quietly passed
away in her home. I went downstairs to tell my dad that
his wife of 66 years had passed away. The conversation:
Me: Dad, I wanted to let you know that mom did pass
away this morning.
Dad: Ok, I won’t be far behind.
Me: I know dad.
Dad: I guess I won’t get to see the cabin rebuilt.
I made a promise to him that morning that as the
new president of The Descendants & Friends of the
314th Infantry I would be certain that the cabin was
reconstructed. Dad was reunited with my mom 12 days
later.
That conversation was a poignant reminder of duty,
honor, and family. It is something that this unit learned
as they came together nearly 100 years ago at Camp
Meade and stayed with them through the horrors of war
and the remaining years of their lives as they continued
to gather annually at their log cabin memorial. These
honorable veterans will never be forgotten and they have
passed these important lessons down through several
generations.