RED WHITE & BLUES

11/01/2026

Medal of Honor Monday: Army 1st Lt. Victor Leonard Kandle

By David Vergun

Army 1st Lt. Victor Leonard Kandle was an infantryman during World War II whose bravery, leadership and complete disregard for his own personal safety led to him posthumously receiving the Medal of Honor in 1945.



Kandle was born June 13, 1921, in Roy, Washington. His father, Clyde, was an electrician at a sawmill, and his mother was Ilma May Swanson. Kandle was the middle child between older brother Gene and younger sister Shirley.

In 1939, Kandle graduated from Puyallup High School in Puyallup, Washington, and shortly thereafter, the family moved to Redwood City, California. In September 1940, he enlisted in the Army, completed basic training at Fort Lewis, Washington, and was assigned to the 15th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Infantry Division. In January 1942, he married Marigene Lee, and their son Terry was born two years later.

In spring 1942, his regiment moved to Fort Ord, California, for coastal defense duty and amphibious landing training, and on Oct. 24, 1942, it shipped out to Fedala in French Morocco for Operation Torch, landing there Nov. 8, 1942. It would be the first of Kandle's many combat experiences, as the landings were met with resistance from Vichy French forces.



On July 10, 1943, the regiment landed in Sicily as part of Operation Husky, and in September, it invaded the Italian mainland after landing at Salerno and pushing north. During subsequent fighting, then-Army Staff Sgt. Kandle distinguished himself with his leadership and received a battlefield commission to second lieutenant in December 1943. He was again promoted after continuing to show bravery and strong leadership, earning the silver bars of first lieutenant the following May.

On Aug. 15, 1944, the regiment landed on the beaches of the French Riviera, as part of Operation Dragoon, and the soldiers fought their way through the Vosges Mountains in northeastern France.



At around noon Oct. 9, 1944, Kandle had already captured five enemy prisoners and was serving as a platoon leader leading a 16-man reconnaissance patrol into enemy territory over mountainous terrain near La Forge, France.

He engaged in a duel at point-blank range with a German officer, killing him.



His Medal of Honor citation states that the battalion had been held up for two days by heavy enemy resistance. To break the stalemate, Kandle rushed forward several yards ahead of his assault elements and fought valiantly to force the Germans to surrender.

Harassed by machine-gun fire from a position which he had bypassed in the dense fog, Kandle moved to within 15 yards of the enemy, killed a German machine gunner and led his men in the destruction of another machine-gun crew and its r***e security elements.

Finally, he led his small force against a fortified house held by two German officers and 30 enlisted men. After establishing a base of fire, Kandle again rushed forward alone through an open clearing in full view of the enemy, smashed through a barricaded door, and forced all 32 Germans to surrender.

His intrepidity and bold leadership resulted in the capture or killing of three enemy officers and 54 enlisted men, the destruction of three enemy strongpoints and the seizure of enemy positions, which had halted the battalion's attack.

In the weeks that followed, the 3rd Infantry Division continued to face heavy enemy resistance in the mountainous terrain and the December subzero temperatures. While fighting in the Colmar Pocket of the Alsace region of France, Kandle was killed Dec. 31, 1944, while leading his platoon against a German attack.



Kandle is buried in Epinal American Cemetery and Memorial in Epinal, France, where thousands of his comrades are also buried.

Army Maj. Gen. Henry C. Pratt, commander of then-Western Defense Command, presented the Medal of Honor to Marigene Kandle during a ceremony at Presidio of San Francisco, May 11, 1945.

Kandle Pool in Tacoma, Washington, is named for him, and in 2019, Puyallup High School dedicated a memorial to the 1939 graduate; his son Terry Kandle and grandson Victor attended the ceremony.

The Army Reserve Center in Tacoma, Washington, was named for him, and after its closure, Terry Kandle retrieved the 60-pound bronze plaque and worked with his father's hometown to find it a new home. In 2024, the lobby of Puyallup City Hall was dedicated to Kandle.

11/01/2026

Signers of the Declaration of Independence: South Carolina
Part 2

By David Vergun


Delegates to the Second Continental Congress adopted the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776. The 56 delegates who signed the formal break from Britain are all considered Founding Fathers.

South Carolina had four delegates. This week's profile features Arthur Middleton and Edward Rutledge.

Arthur Middleton


Arthur Middleton was born June 26, 1742, on a rice plantation near Charleston, South Carolina. He was the eldest son of Henry Middleton and Mary Baker Williams; six of his siblings survived to adulthood. His father later served as the second president of the First Continental Congress, and his sister Henrietta married signer Edward Rutledge in 1774.

Middleton's family was wealthy; he had private tutors and attended a private school in Charleston. When he was 12, he was sent to London to attend the Harrow School, followed by the Westminster School. In 1757, he was admitted to study law at Middle Temple in London, but first he studied classical literature at Trinity Hall, Cambridge, until he was 18. After graduation, he moved back to London to study law at Middle Temple but did not graduate. He was distracted by the loss of his mother in 1761, so he traveled Europe for two years before returning to South Carolina in December 1763.

Upon returning home, he ran the family's estate, Middleton Place, which he inherited because it was part of his mother's dowry.
On Aug. 19, 1764, he married Mary Izard, and they moved into Middleton Place. Their children who survived to adulthood were Henry, Maria, Eliza, Emma, Anna, Isabella, Septima Sexta — whose name in Latin means seventh child, sixth daughter — and John.

Middleton was elected to the South Carolina House of Commons in 1765 and served until 1768. He and his wife traveled Europe for three years, and when he returned, he was a leader in the "American Party," which supported independence.

He helped draft South Carolina's constitution in 1776 and codesigned the state's official seal, which is still used today. He took his father's place at the Second Continental Congress and signed the declaration.

During the Revolutionary War, Middleton chose to serve as a private in the state militia, turning down an offer to be commissioned. He and many others, including two other South Carolina signers, were captured by British forces during the Siege of Charleston May 12, 1780. In July 1781, all three signers were freed during a prisoner exchange.

From 1783 to 1784, he rebuilt his war-torn estate. He served in the South Carolina House of Representatives from 1785 to 1786.

Middleton contracted a fever in the winter of 1786 and died Jan. 1, 1787, when he was 44 years old; his wife died July 12, 1814. Both are buried in Middleton Place, a National Historic Landmark with a museum that's open to the public.

During World War II, the attack transport USS Arthur Middleton was named in his honor and launched in 1941. In Brooklyn, New York, Middleton Playground is named for him and is located near Middleton Street.

Edward Rutledge


Edward Rutledge was born Nov. 23, 1749, in Charleston, South Carolina. He was the youngest child of John, a physician who emigrated from Ireland, and Sarah Hext. His six siblings were John, Hugh, Andrew, Thomas, Sarah and Mary.

His father died when Rutledge was an infant, but his mother's wealth and independence ensured he and his siblings were well-educated. He had a private tutor and learned law from his oldest brother.

When he was 20, he sailed to England, studied at London's Middle Temple and was admitted to the English bar in 1772. The following year, he returned to South Carolina, was admitted to its bar, and began a successful law practice while running the Philips Plantation in Christ Church Parish near Charleston.

In March 1774, he married Henrietta Middleton, the sister of future fellow South Carolina signer Arthur Middleton. They had two children who survived to adulthood, Henry and Sarah. His wife died in April 1792, and six months later, he married Mary Shubrick Eveleigh.

At 24, he was elected to the First Continental Congress in 1774 and then to the South Carolina House of Representatives the following year. At 26, he was the youngest signer of the Declaration of Independence.



During the Revolutionary War, Rutledge served as a captain in the Charleston Artillery Battalion. He was captured by British forces May 12, 1780, alongside Arthur Middleton and another signer, and he was freed in July 1781.

From 1782 to 1798, he served in the South Carolina state legislature, and he was elected the state's governor in 1798.

Rutledge suffered a stroke while in office and died Jan. 23, 1800; he was buried at St. Philip's Episcopal Church Cemetery in Charleston. His second wife died in 1837 and was buried alongside him.

Rutledge College, the oldest building on the University of South Carolina campus, opened in 1805. The building is named for John and Edward Rutledge. The transport ship USS Edward Rutledge launched in 1942 and carried troops overseas to support World War II. In 1980, the SS Edward Rutledge was built for the U.S. Maritime Administration; it is still active today but was renamed as the container ship George II after its modernization.

This is the 22nd and final installment in a series of articles about the men who signed the Declaration of Independence. The 56 delegates to the Second Continental Congress, representing the 13 colonies, are all considered Founding Fathers.

10/30/2026

10/25/2026

Signers of the Declaration of Independence: South Carolina, Part 1

By David Vergun


Delegates to the Second Continental Congress adopted the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776. The 56 delegates who signed the formal break from Britain are all considered Founding Fathers.

Four delegates represented South Carolina. The week's profile features Thomas Heyward Jr. and Thomas Lynch Jr.

Thomas Heyward Jr.


Heyward was born to Daniel Heyward and Mary Miles July 28, 1746, on the sprawling Old House Plantation in St. Luke's Parish, South Carolina, present-day Jasper County. He was the eldest son of their six children. His father served in the South Carolina militia, rising to the rank of colonel, and was also a wealthy rice planter and a staunch loyalist who retained allegiance to the British Crown and disapproved of his son's revolutionary activities.

Heyward was educated at home by private tutors and later sent to private academies; he also studied law under a local attorney. When he was 19, he traveled to London to study law at Middle Temple, where he became keenly aware of the prejudice against colonists, reinforcing his belief in American independence.

After returning to South Carolina in 1771, Heyward was admitted to the Charleston, South Carolina bar and established a law practice. He also became involved in local politics, including revolutionary committees and was elected to the Commons House of Assembly, a provincial legislature in South Carolina.

Heyward married Elizabeth Mathews April 20, 1776, and only one of their six children survived to adulthood. His wife died during childbirth, Aug. 16, 1782, and was buried in St. Peter's Episcopal Churchyard in Philadelphia. On May 4, 1786, he married Elizabeth Savage, and they had three children who survived to adulthood.

Heyward became one of the last delegates in the Second Continental Congress to sign the Declaration of Independence on Aug. 2, 1776. He also signed the Articles of Confederation in 1778, which shaped the early framework of the United States.

He assumed a judicial role after he served as a South Carolina delegate in 1778 and presided over Charleston's criminal courts, where individuals were tried for treason against the revolutionary government. Those convicted of treason were executed, which made Heyward a target of British hostility.

During the Revolutionary War, he served as a captain in the Charleston Artillery Company, part of the South Carolina militia. As commander of the unit, Heyward led troops in the defense of South Carolina's Lowcountry. He fought in the Feb. 3, 1779, Battle of Port Royal Island near Beaufort, South Carolina, alongside fellow Founding Father Edward Rutledge. Heyward was wounded in the arm during the battle but recovered sufficiently to fight again.

Heyward and Founding Fathers Arthur Middleton, Josiah Smith and Rutledge, along with many other leaders of the Revolution, were captured by British forces during the Siege of Charleston after they took the city May 12, 1780. They were initially detained in Charleston and then transported to St. Augustine, Florida, where they were imprisoned for 11 months. They were freed during a prisoner exchange in July 1781.

Upon his release, Heyward narrowly escaped death when he fell overboard from the ship carrying him to Philadelphia. He survived by clinging to the ship's rudder until he was rescued.

After the war, Heyward returned to South Carolina, where he resumed his judicial role, until he retired in 1789. In 1785, he established the South Carolina Agricultural Society and served as its first president, overseeing and promoting agricultural development in the state. The society still exists today and promotes agricultural excellence.

Heyward also had a hand in shaping South Carolina's constitution while serving as a delegate to the state's constitutional convention in 1790. He remained an influential figure in South Carolina until his death March 6, 1809.

He was buried in the Heyward family cemetery at Old House Plantation near Ridgeland, South Carolina.

The Heyward-Washington House in Charleston, built in 1772 by Heyward's father, served as the residence of Heyward and his first wife when they were not at White Hall Plantation; it was also his base for revolutionary activities and legal practice. Heyward hosted President George Washington at the house during a weeklong stay in Charleston in May 1791, which led to the house becoming known as the Heyward-Washington House. Heyward sold the house in 1794, and it was added to the National Registry of Historic Places April 15, 1970. It houses a museum that's open to the public.

The main structures of the Old House Plantation, Heyward's birthplace, were destroyed by fire in 1865 and never rebuilt. Today, the plantation remains a historic and archeological site with a preserved cemetery and was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1997.

Established in 1970, the Thomas Heyward Academy, a private, college-preparatory school for prekindergarten to 12th grade in Ridgeland, was named for Heyward.

The Liberty ship SS Thomas Heyward launched in 1942 to support World War II, and in 1983 the cargo ship SS Thomas Heyward was named for him.

Thomas Lynch Jr.


Lynch was born Aug. 5, 1749, on the Hopsewee Plantation in Prince George's Parish, South Carolina, present-day Georgetown County. He was the only son of Thomas Lynch Sr., a wealthy rice planter, and Elizabeth Allston. He had two older sisters and a younger half sister.

He attended local school until he was 13, when he was sent to England for undergraduate studies at Eton College and Gonville and Caius College in Cambridge, England. Lynch went on to study law at Middle Temple in London.

Shortly after returning to South Carolina, he decided he did not want to practice law, so his father gifted him the family plantation, and Lynch married his childhood sweetheart, Elizabeth Shubrick, May 14, 1772.

In June 1775, he was commissioned as a captain in the First South Carolina Regiment, and the following month, while on a recruiting excursion in North Carolina, he fell ill with a severe fever. It was likely malaria and permanently affected his health.

After his father suffered a debilitating stroke, Lynch was elected to fill his vacancy in the Second Continental Congress representing South Carolina. At 26, he was one of the youngest delegates to sign the declaration in August 1776. Hoping his father would also sign, Lynch left a gap. However, his father suffered a second stroke in December 1776 and died.



After signing the Declaration of Independence, Lynch's health continued to deteriorate, and he returned to South Carolina, retiring from politics in early 1777. In late 1779, Lynch and his wife embarked on a trip to the West Indies to take a merchant ship to the South of France, hoping to improve his worsening health. However, their ship encountered a storm and vanished; Lynch and his wife were presumed lost at sea.

The Hopsewee Plantation, Lynch's birthplace, was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1972, and is also listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Today, the plantation is open to visitors, offering guided tours, workshops and dining.

The Liberty ship SS Thomas Lynch launched in August 1942 to support World War II. In South Carolina, the Lynches River and Lynches River County Park both honor him.