Veterans Day has been celebrated on November 11 every year since 1978. The holiday was adopted in 1938 as Armistice Day, also called Remembrance Day. It was changed to Veterans Day in 1971, and celebrated on the Monday closest to the date to accommodate a three-day weekend. Since 1978, it has been celebrated on the actual date.
Harvey Benjamin Baggett left his home in nearby Accotink in mid-1918 to answer his country’s call to help defeat the Germans in World War 1. When he returned a little over a year later, after the job was done, his family’s house and farm were gone, now part of a new military installation built to support the war effort.
The government had bought his family’s land, plus many others, to train troops for the war effort. Harvey had to search for his family for about a week before he found them on property on Beulah Road in Franconia. Undaunted, he helped build a new house, married neighbor Lydia King, and helped raise their two children, Harvey Jr. and Marjorie.
A little more than 20 years later, Howard Tharpe arrived at the base, then named Fort Belvoir, from Front Royal to begin training for the army’s engineer corps that would help win World War II in Europe. While there, he met Baggett’s young daughter, Marge, who worked part-time in the laundry on the Army post, while also attending Mount Vernon High School. Howard courted Marge on her front porch in Franconia during his free time.
Harvey Benjamin Baggett left his home in nearby Accotink in mid-1918 to answer his country’s call to help defeat the Germans in World War 1. When he returned a little over a year later, after the job was done, his family’s house and farm were gone, now part of a new military installation built to support the war effort.
The government had bought his family’s land, plus many others, to train troops for the war effort. Harvey had to search for his family for about a week before he found them on property on Beulah Road in Franconia. Undaunted, he helped build a new house, married neighbor Lydia King, and helped raise their two children, Harvey Jr. and Marjorie.
A little more than 20 years later, Howard Tharpe arrived at the base, then named Fort Belvoir, from Front Royal to begin training for the army’s engineer corps that would help win World War II in Europe. While there, he met Baggett’s young daughter, Marge, who worked part-time in the laundry on the Army post, while also attending Mount Vernon High School. Howard courted Marge on her front porch in Franconia during his free time.
Howard left Belvoir for Massachusetts in preparation to go overseas and wrote to Marge asking her to come there and marry him. That she did, riding the train all night and marrying Howard the day before he left for Europe. Young Marge talked her parents into giving their consent, and Howard talked his commanding officer into granting him time off to tie the knot.
Howard’s unit arrived at Normandy on Juno Beach on June 6, 1944, six days after D-Day. They first turned west to capture the German port at Brest of the Atlantic Coast. As part of the new United States Ninth Army, Howard and his buddies then advanced with the English Second Army across Northern France and Holland, into Germany, before the Germans surrendered on May 7, 1945.
After the war, when Howard was back in Franconia, he worked as a Union carpenter on many of the housing projects that were springing up in the area. With the help of Marge’s brother, Junior, Howard farmed the property on evenings and weekends, and also built a small house for himself, Marge, and their only child, Judy, on land next door, which he had bought from Marge’s father.
Because of the illness and death of Marge’s mother, and the failing health of her bedridden father, Marge and Howard stayed in the family home to help Junior care for the ailing family members. Marge’s elderly great-grandmother, Ella Baggett, also became very frail, so they moved her into the family house as well. A few years later, Judy married and moved to Falls Church. She and her family moved back to Franconia, into the house Howard had built next door to the home place on Beulah Road. Howard passed away in 2002, and Marge passed away in 2019.
While Baggett and the Americans were in France just a short time in 1918, their presence hastened the end of the war, after hard-fought trench warfare. An American attack in the Argonne Forest in early November forced the Germans to ask for an armistice. Baggett wrote home that he had endured fighting from November 1 to November 11 that “was worse than hell.”
The military base at Fort Belvoir had undergone massive growth in the time between Harvey’s and Howard’s being there, stretching from a small enclave at Gunston Cove on the Potomac River, to Springfield on the west. Originally named Camp Humphreys to honor a Civil War Union General, the base included its own railroad in its early days, reaching five miles to the main line at Newington.
Although Arlington Cemetery is much better known as the final resting place for veterans, Franconia includes Hallowed Ground for local residents who protected the nation. They are joined by neighbors who farmed and worked with them to help make our community extra special. Visit Beulah Cemetery and the Shurtz Cemetery next to each other on Beulah Street, and the cemetery behind Sharon Chapel on Franconia Road. Pause to thank our veterans and their many friends.
Howard’s unit arrived at Normandy on Juno Beach on June 6, 1944, six days after D-Day. They first turned west to capture the German port at Brest of the Atlantic Coast. As part of the new United States Ninth Army, Howard and his buddies then advanced with the English Second Army across Northern France and Holland, into Germany, before the Germans surrendered on May 7, 1945.
After the war, when Howard was back in Franconia, he worked as a Union carpenter on many of the housing projects that were springing up in the area. With the help of Marge’s brother, Junior, Howard farmed the property on evenings and weekends, and also built a small house for himself, Marge, and their only child, Judy, on land next door, which he had bought from Marge’s father.
Because of the illness and death of Marge’s mother, and the failing health of her bedridden father, Marge and Howard stayed in the family home to help Junior care for the ailing family members. Marge’s elderly great-grandmother, Ella Baggett, also became very frail, so they moved her into the family house as well. A few years later, Judy married and moved to Falls Church. She and her family moved back to Franconia, into the house Howard had built next door to the home place on Beulah Road. Howard passed away in 2002, and Marge passed away in 2019.
While Baggett and the Americans were in France just a short time in 1918, their presence hastened the end of the war, after hard-fought trench warfare. An American attack in the Argonne Forest in early November forced the Germans to ask for an armistice. Baggett wrote home that he had endured fighting from November 1 to November 11 that “was worse than hell.”
The military base at Fort Belvoir had undergone massive growth in the time between Harvey’s and Howard’s being there, stretching from a small enclave at Gunston Cove on the Potomac River, to Springfield on the west. Originally named Camp Humphreys to honor a Civil War Union General, the base included its own railroad in its early days, reaching five miles to the main line at Newington.
Although Arlington Cemetery is much better known as the final resting place for veterans, Franconia includes Hallowed Ground for local residents who protected the nation. They are joined by neighbors who farmed and worked with them to help make our community extra special. Visit Beulah Cemetery and the Shurtz Cemetery next to each other on Beulah Street, and the cemetery behind Sharon Chapel on Franconia Road. Pause to thank our veterans and their many friends.
_____________________________________________________________
For previous stories, go to franconiamuseum.org and click on history blog.
For previous stories, go to franconiamuseum.org and click on history blog.
FRANCONIA REMEMBERS
This is one of the Franconia Museum’s occasional articles highlighting the area’s history. If you would like a friend to receive these FREE articles, contact us at franconia.museum.newsletter@gmail.com Membership is also encouraged, so that we can continue our work. The Museum is in the Franconia Government Center, currently located at 6121 Franconia Road, Alexandria, Virginia 22310. The hours are 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Saturday. The Museum is a 501 (c) tax exempt organization, as approved by the Internal Revenue Service.
This is one of the Franconia Museum’s occasional articles highlighting the area’s history. If you would like a friend to receive these FREE articles, contact us at franconia.museum.newsletter@gmail.com Membership is also encouraged, so that we can continue our work. The Museum is in the Franconia Government Center, currently located at 6121 Franconia Road, Alexandria, Virginia 22310. The hours are 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Saturday. The Museum is a 501 (c) tax exempt organization, as approved by the Internal Revenue Service.
Join or contribute to the Franconia Museum electronically by accessing Franconiamuseum.org and clicking on Become a Member. You can also join the old fashioned way by mailing a check made payable to the Franconia Museum at 6121 Franconia Road, Alexandria, VA, 22310. Levels of memberships and giving are presented below.
The Museum will soon move into new quarters at the relocated Franconia Government Center on Beulah Street, near its intersection with the Franconia-Springfield Parkway. We need your help to make the move, so please consider making a contribution or becoming a member for 2025. Contributions in excess of the membership fee are encouraged. The Museum is a volunteer effort, but there are also costs for insurance of our artifacts, printing and postage. Please help!
2025 MEMBERSHIP DRIVE – PLEASE JOIN OR RENEW
Join us in celebrating our 24th year of preserving and protecting the history of our unique community. Our collections are growing, and we are starting to purchase electronic equipment for displays that will be available in the new Franconia Govt. Center coming in 2025 next to Lane Elementary and Beulah Park. Make the move with us by becoming a member! Additional donations are especially welcome! We are a tax-exempt, volunteer organization. There are no fund-raising costs! Come see us and learn about our past, present and future! Join us as a new member, renew your 2024 membership, or become a Lifetime or Founding member. We need to fill vacancies on our Board of Directors, and need volunteers to help man the Museum on Mon-Tues-Wed-Sat.
Annual dues $25.00
Donation $______________
Total Enclosed $_____________
or Lifetime Member…$350.00 (one time payment)
or Founding Member…$1,000.00 (one time payment)
Name............................................................................................................................................
Address.......................................................................................................................................
.......................................................................................................................................
Phone.................................................. E-mail...........................................................................
Please complete application and mail with payment to
Franconia Museum, 6121 Franconia Rd, Franconia, VA 22310
Open Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Saturday 10 a.m. until 2 p.m.
Questions: Call Carl Sell at 703-971-4716 or email sellcarl@aol.com
The Museum will soon move into new quarters at the relocated Franconia Government Center on Beulah Street, near its intersection with the Franconia-Springfield Parkway. We need your help to make the move, so please consider making a contribution or becoming a member for 2025. Contributions in excess of the membership fee are encouraged. The Museum is a volunteer effort, but there are also costs for insurance of our artifacts, printing and postage. Please help!
2025 MEMBERSHIP DRIVE – PLEASE JOIN OR RENEW
Join us in celebrating our 24th year of preserving and protecting the history of our unique community. Our collections are growing, and we are starting to purchase electronic equipment for displays that will be available in the new Franconia Govt. Center coming in 2025 next to Lane Elementary and Beulah Park. Make the move with us by becoming a member! Additional donations are especially welcome! We are a tax-exempt, volunteer organization. There are no fund-raising costs! Come see us and learn about our past, present and future! Join us as a new member, renew your 2024 membership, or become a Lifetime or Founding member. We need to fill vacancies on our Board of Directors, and need volunteers to help man the Museum on Mon-Tues-Wed-Sat.
Annual dues $25.00
Donation $______________
Total Enclosed $_____________
or Lifetime Member…$350.00 (one time payment)
or Founding Member…$1,000.00 (one time payment)
Name............................................................................................................................................
Address.......................................................................................................................................
.......................................................................................................................................
Phone.................................................. E-mail...........................................................................
Please complete application and mail with payment to
Franconia Museum, 6121 Franconia Rd, Franconia, VA 22310
Open Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Saturday 10 a.m. until 2 p.m.
Questions: Call Carl Sell at 703-971-4716 or email sellcarl@aol.com
Recent
Archive
2025
February
September
November
2024
February
September
October
December
2023
September
November
December
No Comments