BJ lunch becomes Civil War roundtable

From left are Al Hunsicker, Gene McClellan, Dick Gresock, Cal Deshong and Carl Nelson.

By Tom Moore
Attend a Beacon Journal retiree luncheon and you never know what comes up in conversation.

And regardless of how many or how few, something interesting from the present and the past is bound to show up. Take the Civil War; Somebody wanted to know what the big deal was--bringing up the war again. He was told that this was the 150 anniversary and that led to a story or two about ancestors.

And Dick Gresock had a good one about a retired and now deceased Beacon Journal printer, Joseph Parrot. Seems his two great-grandfathers were among the first recipients of the Congressional Medal of Honor.

The two were members of the special unit that went behind the rebel lines, seized a train and started burning bridges to cripple the Confederate supply line. (there was a movie based on their exploit starring Fess Parker). They were captured and sent to Andersonville prison.

A couple of the unit were executed and when President Lincoln heard about it, he informed the Southerners that if they killed any more, he'd execute 10 Confederate generals. When they were finally freed, Lincoln had them come to the White House where he presented them with the newly authorized Medal of Honor.

After the war, one of the men had a daughter, another a son. They got together and that was the grandparents of Joseph. When the anniversary of the Medal came around, President Kennedy had Joseph come to the White House with the two medals.Joseph, a printer, retired in 1978 at 72. He lived in West Salem.

This story led Cal Deshong to say that his great grandfather was buried in an Anderson Cemetery.

Next luncheon is Wednesday, May 11 at about 1p.m. at Papa Joe's in the Valley. Not only are retirees welcome, but their kin and those still working at the paper.