Camp Polk – additional pictures/ Flag Day

Everett Smith w/ unknown buddy, Camp Polk

The Louisiana area has been used for ‘jungle’ or ‘guerrilla’ warfare training for many years and influenced quite a number of our military troops.  I chose today to include these further photographs to help show what these men of 1944 saw.

Nisei soldiers, Camp Polk 1944

Camp Polk 1944

Camp Polk 1944

 

 

 

 

 

Camp Polk 1944

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Flag Day –

For this years Flag Day, I chose to help celebrate the Star Spangled Banner’s 200 years!  As national treasures go, it was a bargain: $405.90 was paid to Mary Pickersgill of Baltimore, who fashioned it from red, blue and undyed wool, plus cotton for the 15 stars to fly at the fortress guarding the city’s harbor.

A collage of 2 women, 1914, at the Smithsonian working to restore the Star-Spangled Banner in a room with a model of a giant squid; by Terry Winters.

An enormous flag, 30 by 42 feet, it was intended as a bold statement to the British warships that were certain to come.  And, when in September 1814, the young United States turned back the invaders in a spectacular battle witnessed by Francis Scott Key, he put his joy into a verse published first as “Defense of Fort M’Henry,” and then, set to the tune of a British drinking song – immortalized as “The Star Spangled Banner.”

The flag itself, enshrined since 2008 in a special chamber at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History, following a $7 million restoration.

This story was adapted from information found at the Smithsonian Magazine and the magnificent rendition of the U.S. National Anthem by GSgt. Alan Benoit, with many thanks.

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Military Humor –

The 5 Most Dangerous Things in the Army

 

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Farewell Salutes – 

Rodney Buentello – San Antonio, TX; USMC, Iraq, Afghanistan, MSgt. (Ret. 21 years), Purple Heart

Franklyn Castner – Elkton, MD; US Merchant Marine, WWII, PTO, USS Monterey

Joan Durman – Waikato, NZ; RAF, WWII # 891692

Ben Hiraga – Los Angeles, CA; US Army, WWII, 442nd RCT

Frank “Bud” Karkoski – Wauwatosa, WI, US Army, WWII, CBI

Michael Marks – Miami, FL; US Army Air Corps, WWII, PTO, 457 Artillery/11th Airborne Division

Robert Peterson – Concord, MA; US Army, WWII

Ernest Reinhold – Harrisburg, PA, US Air Force, 1st Lt.

Jacob Statesman – NYC, NY; US Army, WWII, ETO, Spearhead Division

Ivan Victor – New Orleans, LA; US Air Force, Korea

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