Noted historical writer William Bartsch is presently writing a book about the Battle of the Ilu River. He is striving to make the record straight and give credit where credit is due. He and I have been in contact. I have given him copies of letters my Uncle(PFC Rivers) wrote home to his Sister, my Mmom. I would love to talk to you and see the videos you have made. If you are agreeable let me know through this medium.

I never besmirched Al Schmid’s courage or the sacrifice of his sight. My frustration was and still is with the Washington Bureaucrats( I called them spin doctors) who didn’t think Americans were ready for their heroes to be anything other than Wasps. Remember, at the time , Japanese Americans were being held in concentration camps, the Armed Forces were still segregated, most Americans thought stories of the Holocaust were propaganda and Native Americans didn’t have full citizenship! My remarks are far from P.C. bullshit they are the facts. All of the men who fought and died that night, in America’s first World War Two victory, should have been given credit for a job well and gallantly done.
I simply wrote the truth of the matter. If one does a cursory study of the Battle of the Ilu/Tenaru River very little mention(if any)can be found of the other participants of the Battle. It will appear as if only one gun emplacement was guarding the tidal lagoon known variously as Alligator Creek(a misnomer, no alligators in the Solomon Islands) the Tenaru River(mismarked on Marine Corp maps) or properly the Ilu River. Finally, after some additional research, I learned Corporal Lee Diamond, after recovering from his wounds, was sent back to his outfit and survived the War. For some futher reading about how Schmid’s Hero status affected his relationship with others; especially Lee Diamond; read “The body and physical differences:discourses of disability” Mitchell&Snyder, 1997.

P.S. P.F.C. John Rivers is my Uncle, my Mother’s Brother. Before the war, He fought as a welterweight under the name Indian Johnny Rivers. Born across the River in New Jersey he grew up in Quakertown, Pa. and made his home in Philly for several years prior to the war.

I’m Jewish; Philadelphian – born and bred (not far from where Al Schmid grew up); my late Father was a WWII veteran; and I think your remarks are out of line – in other words, unkind to say the least! I believe Sgt. Schmid was a real hero – I believe ALL Americans who have done active duty are heroes! To quibble about ethnic group or race is PC nonsense – Al Schmid’s life wasn’t exactly “easy street” despite his deserved honors.

I was born in ‘55 and though I knew several Vietnam veterans (in my age cohort), most young men I knew wouldn’t have dreamed of sacrificing a fingernail for this nation! My Father and my uncles all faced the music as infantrymen in Europe and The Philippines; fortunately they didn’t suffer the devastating wounds that Al Schmid did.

There are many reasons to be discouraged today – the decline of American (and western civ) culture and values are among them. Let’s not rip into a decent man who truly made sacrifices – a real Defender of Freedom. Your surname may not be “Freedman” for nothing, ya know!

Thank you for having such an indepth article about him. I really enjoyed reading it.