MEMORIAL DAY, 2010: JOSEPH CARTWRIGHT

For Memorial Day in Toobworld, we remember a particular TV character who died in military service. (At least we try to do so - last year I was on vacation and away from a computer. But in 2008, we honored the memory of General Frank Savage from '12 O'Clock High'.)

First off, a quick reminder of the origins of Memorial Day from Wikipedia:

Memorial Day is a United States federal holiday observed on the last Monday of May (May 31 in 2010). Formerly known as Decoration Day, it commemorates U.S. men and women who died while in the military service. First enacted to honor Union soldiers of the American Civil War (it is celebrated near the day of reunification after the Civil War), it was expanded after World War I.

That expansion is why we're remembering Little Joe Cartwright of 'Bonanza' today.....



"Little Joe" Cartwright died on July 1, 1898, leaving behind a son Benjamin and a daughter Sara.

BCnU.......

TOOBNOTE: This is the only picture I have of Michael Landon in uniform (from an episode of 'Cheyenne'). But he's far too young in this picture for it to be 1898, and the uniform is not even the right one for the Battle of San Juan Hill. The picture on the right would be closer to how Little Joe would have looked in 1898, approximately 56 years old.