Monthly Archives: May 2022
MEMORIAL DAY 2022
Today we commemorate our country’s most solemn national day of remembrance – Memorial Day. We honor the men and women of our military who have made the ultimate sacrifice in service to our country. The Army leadership especially wants to thank our Gold Star families. We, along with a grateful nation remain inspired by your remarkable strength and fortitude.
As you reflect on this day, remember it has been granted to us by some of the most noble, selfless, and courageous men and women our country has ever produced. Of those who laid down their lives in defense of our great nation, all the way back to those who gave their lives to establish it, we remember.
Our nation owes a debt to its fallen heroes that we can never fully repay.
For all of us who walk in the footsteps of those who have gone before us, it is our responsibility, our duty, and even our privilege to honor their sacrifice.
Stay safe. Stay ready. Stay strong
Ryan D. McCarthy, Secretary of the Army
For Freedom
MSGID/CMC WASHINGTON DC DMCS//
SUBJ/MEMORIAL DAY MESSAGE 2022//
Notable humanitarian, educator, and tennis player Arthur Ashe once said, “True heroism is remarkably sober, very undramatic. It is not the urge to surpass all others at whatever cost, but the urge to serve others at whatever cost.” Each year, Memorial Day offers us an opportunity to reflect on those who have given the last full measure in service to our great Nation and with the aim of securing freedom throughout the world. We owe the deepest debt of gratitude to all who paid the ultimate price in the line of duty, and to the loved ones they left behind. This Memorial Day, let us remember the greatness of past generations and find inspiration in their courage, devotion, and selfless determination.
Gold Star family
2. Each fallen hero is the embodiment of the valiant fighting spirit and devotion to duty that our Nation has come to expect of her Marines in times of crisis. From every generation, a select few rise up and put themselves in harm’s way to protect the ideals on which America was founded. Their stories serve as a continual reminder that freedom should not be taken for granted. We can’t rest on the sacrifices of past generations – peace, freedom, and global security require constant vigilance. Pacing threats around the globe uphold the truth of President Ronald Reagan’s sentiment that “freedom is never more than one generation from extinction.”
3. So this Memorial Day, we honor the courageous actions and sacrifices of our fallen heroes, and we look to them for inspiration as we prepare for the next battlefields. Technology and tactics may change, but the fighting spirit of United States Marines, Sailors, Soldiers, Airmen, and Coast Guardsmen remains strong.
4. Enjoy this holiday weekend. Stay safe, and remember you are a living memorial to all our fallen heroes.
Semper Fidelis,
David H. Berger, General, U.S. Marine Corps, Commandant of the Marine Corps.//
D-Day memorial, Beford, VA
Riverside Cemetery POW Memorial
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Not Military Humor – (Please click on images to read)
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Farewell Salutes –
Richard Adams – Solon, OH; US Army, WWII, ETO
Winnie Ancar Sr. – City Price, LA; US Army, WWII, ETO, Interpreter
Anthony Bova – Plattsburgh, NY; US Air Force, Vietnam
Mildred Bourgeois – Cril, OK; US Navy WAVE, WWII, Aviation Radio Technician
James A. Coleman, USA; US Army, Korea, Sgt., Co I/3/19/24th Infantry Division, KIA (Hwach-on Reservoir, SK)
Luther Cranford – Eatonton, GA; US Navy, WWII, PTO
William J. Dees (101) – Fredericktown, MO; US Army Air Corps, WWII, PTO, 11th Airborne Division
Anderson Dyer – USA; USMC, WWII, Navajo Code Talker
Raymond Femc – Forest City, PA; US Army Air Corps, WWII, PTO, Co E/187/11th Airborne Division
Willie Goudeau (100) – Evergreen, LA; US Army, WWII, Major, Corps of Engineers
Marion Prince – Morganton, GA; US Army, Japanese Occupation, 511/11th Airborne Division
Larry Spencer – Wichita, KS; US Navy, Vietnam,F4B pilot, Commander, USS Ranger & Enterprise, POW, 4 Bronze Stars, 2 Purple Hearts
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https://pacificparatrooper.files.wordpress.com/2022/05/memorial-day-2022-e1653935275865.webp
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Los Banos part – 1
Los Banos University
“I doubt that any airborne unit in the world will ever be able to rival the Los Baños prison raid. It is the textbook airborne operation for all ages and all armies.”
____ General Colin Powell, US Army, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, 25 February 1993
G-2 Henry Muller was required to collect any and all intelligence that he could, from anywhere he could find it – that was his job. A grower from Mindanao who had recently traveled south from Manila told him how awful the prisoners of Los Baños were doing. This was the first Muller had heard of the camp. It turned out Gen. Swing, commander of the 11th Airborne Division also had not been told about it. They presumed that being it was outside the area of their orders from MacArthur to be the reason of this lack of info. But Muller could not forget what the grower had said, “They are in pitiful shape. They’re dying.” He had to find out all he could about that camp.
map, Los Banos
23 February 1945 demonstrated the result of teamwork between General Swing and his troops, the Filipino guerrillas and the intelligence supplied by an escapee of the internment camp of Los Baños, Peter Miles. The man’s photographic memory gave a detailed layout of the prison and the exact sites of the guards and armaments. Mr. Miles had memorized the strict regimental daily routines of the Japanese and the specific times when the guards changed shifts and had their exercise periods, which would put them a safe distance away from their weapons.
Dry riverbed route to Los Banos
Los Banos camp was originally the University of the Philippines Agricultural School. It was situated forty miles southeast of Manila and on this date in history was 26 miles behind enemy lines. This operation needed a multi-pronged attack using each principle of war to the maximum. Above photo shows actual path taken to sneak to the camp.)
The guerrillas provided intel and also guided Lt. Skau’s reconnaissance platoon into position under the cover of darkness. The army did help supply them with radios, ammunition and food, but the loosely organized groups also later stole the 11th’s supplies, calling it a justified gift.
By this time, Everett “Smitty” Smith was an NCO and when I’d asked him many years ago if he was part of the Los Baños Raid, he said, “No, I was occupied somewhere else. I didn’t have any contact with them until after they were brought out.” As best as I can find in my research, he was busy with the rest of the 187th near the 457th Parachute Field Artillery Battalion that was commanded by Captain Flanagan. (The captain would later become Lt. General E.M. Flanagan, author of many WWII historical books, including, “The Los Baños Raid: The 11th Airborne Jumps at Dawn“) Although Smitty wasn’t at this dramatic feat of the 11th Airborne Division, It is an operation that anyone associated with the division remains proud of to this day.
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Military Humor –
Sounds like the 11th A/B
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Farewell Salutes –
David Bailey Jr. (100) – Sacramento, CA; US Army Air Corps, WWII, PTO
Unice E. Baker – Jesup, GA; US Army Air Corps, WWII, PTO, 188/11th Airborne Division
Ty Casey – brn: SK; USMC
Jean Daily – Dallas, TX; US Army WAC; WWII, 45th Air Squadron, nurse
Jack Hoover – Mt. Calm, TX; US Army, WWII, ETO, 36th Infantry Division
Lydia Maile (102) – Worchester, MA; Civilian, WWII, munitions production
Emmy Lou Papagni (100) – Fresno, CA; Womens USMC, WWII
Arthur Rivkin – Minneapolis, MN; US Army Air Corps, WWII, ETO, B-24 co-pilot, 8th Air Force
William Slane Sr. – Schenectady, NY; US Army, Korea, 187th RCT
John W. Welch – LaCrosse, WI; US Army, HQ Co/11th Airborne Division
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Manila (cont’d) February 1945
The importance of Manila cannot be stressed enough. The natural harbor has served as a strategically situated port for commerce and trade for centuries. Manila Bay and Laguna de Bay are connected by the Pasig River.
As the 11th Airborne was switched back to the 6th Army, General Swing received orders to destroy all forces in Southern Luzon, specifically at Macolod and Lipa, along with clearing Route 19. The division had not received many replacements so they were even smaller in size than before; the 158th Regimental Combat Team was attached to partially compensate. The Manila-Batangas highway ran north to south and was essential to secure the port of Batangas for future landings.
Japanese in Manila
On top of all this, Swing was ordered to destroy enemy forces in Ternate. (Southern shore of Manila Bay) None of his men had the privilege of being in reserve, but the general had the utmost confidence in his men to succeed. His plan – Put the 187th on the right, going through the neck between Lake Taal and Laguna de Bay. The 158th on two other routes and the 1st of the 188th to Ternate.
Japanese gun in Manila from a super battleship.
22 February 1945, the Cairns Post reported that the 11th Airborne had been seen south-east of Laguna de Bay and surrounded an enemy unit at Mabato Point and compressed them into an area of 1200×800 yards. From there, they traveled through Alabang to Muntinupa where the Japanese were attempting to evacuate their troops. The 11th was relaying back reports of finding natives hacked to death by bayonet or burned alive by the enemy.
Lake Taal, from Smitty’s scrapbook
The 187th, with the675th Glider Field Artillery Battalion attached bivouacked near Mount Sungay and sent out daily patrols to the east. G-2 (Intelligence) knew the Japanese Fuji Force was out there and needed to picture the enemy locations. While the troopers fought ground battles, the engineers were carving out the mountain. The sheer cliff was almost vertical, but the roads being built was imperative.
Assistance with this article came from Rakkasans by Gen. E.M. Flanagan; the VFW; 2eyeswatching.com (pix only); The Angels: History of the 11th Airborne Division by Gen. Flanagan; Pacific War On-line encyclopedia, WW2 Database and my grandmother for keeping Smitty’s scrapbook – all I wish to thank for their diligence in recording history.
Yesterday, Saturday, 15 May 2022, was Armed Forces Day here in the U.S. I hope you continue to thank a veteran every chance you get!
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Military Humor –
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Farewell Salutes –
Robert Bluford Jr. (103) – Richmond, VA; US Army Air Corps, WWII, B-24 pilot
John L. “Gunny” Canley – Bend, OR; USMC; Vietnam, Sgt. Major (Ret.). Medal of Honor
Courtesy of Tofino Photography
Leonard Cecere – Retsof, NY; US Army Air Corps, WWII, CBI, Flight Engineer
Creedin Cornman – Carlisle, PA; US Army, WWII, 584th Antiaircraft Battalion
Ryan DeKorte – Lubbock, TX; US Navy, Electronics Tech 1st Class, USS Jason Dunham / Naval Special Warfare Unit
Augustine Delgadillo – Seligman, AZ; US Army, WWII, ETO& PTO
Edmund Liebl – Madison, WI; US Navy Air Corps, WWII / US Army, Medical Corps
Rudolph Macey – Tarrytown, NY; US Navy, WWII / FCC (Ret.)
Glenn E. Miller – MT. Palatine, IL; USMC, WWII, PTO & Occupation
Seth Plant – St. Augustine, FL; US Army, SSgt., 3/509th Parachute Infantry Regiment
Fred Ward – San Diego, CA; US Air Force / Beloved actor
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Manila | February 1945
Flamethrower
While advancing, the 11th Airborne encountered heavy barrages from machine guns, mortars, artillery and grenades streaming from tunnels and caves above the highway. After the enemy was eradicated, the command post dug in on the side of the road. In the middle of the night, they were attacked. Headquarters Company used flame throwers and rifle fire to fend them off.
My father, Smitty, would wrinkle his nose at the mere sight of a flame thrower on TV. He said, “Once you smell burning flesh, it stays with you. There’s nothing worse. Every time I see one of those things flare up, even in a movie, I can smell the fuel and flesh all over again.”
The importance of Manila cannot be stressed enough. The natural harbor has served as a strategically situated port for commerce and trade for centuries. Manila Bay and Laguna de Bay are connected by the Pasig River.
Pasig River, before the war
Following the initial American breakthrough on the fourth, fighting raged throughout the city for almost a month. The battle quickly came down to a series of bitter street-to-street and house-to-house struggles. In an attempt to protect the city and its civilians, MacArthur placed stringent restrictions on U.S. artillery and air support. But massive devastation to the urban area could not be avoided. In the north, General Griswold continued to push elements of the XIV Corps south from Santo Tomas University toward the Pasig River.
Late on the afternoon of 4 February he ordered the 2d Squadron, 5th Cavalry, to seize Quezon Bridge, the only crossing over the Pasig that the Japanese had not destroyed. As the squadron approached the bridge, enemy heavy machine guns opened up from a formidable roadblock thrown up across Quezon Boulevard. The Japanese had pounded steel stakes into the pavement, sown the area with mines, and lined up old truck bodies across the road. Unable to advance farther, the cavalry withdrew after nightfall. As the Americans pulled back, the Japanese blew up the bridge.
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Current News – The Legacy continues –
The 11th Airborne will exist once again!!
5 May 2022
Military.com | By Steve Beynon
Soldiers stationed in Alaska will soon ditch the 25th Infantry Division’s “Tropic Lightning” patch and be re-designated the 11th Airborne Division,
The two existing airborne combat units are the 82nd Airborne Division and the 101st Airborne, which is airborne in name only; it’s actually an air assault division.
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Military Humor –
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Farewell Salutes –
Russell Adams – San Francisco, CA; US Merchant Marines, WWII
Willy J. Cancel – TN; USMC / KIA (Ukraine)
Aubrey B. Dale – Lilburn, GA; US Army Air Corps, WWII, PTO, 127th Engineers/11th Airborne Division
Jack W. Harrell – MacClesfield, NC; US Army, Korea, 187th RCT
Luis Herrera – Marion, NC; US Army, Spec., 82nd Airborne Division
Jack E. Lilley – Waldworth, OH; US Army, Korea, Pfc. # 15414336, Truck Driver, HQ Co/34/24th Infantry Division, KIA (Taejon, SK)
Riley D. Mixon – Greenville, SC; US Navy, Vietnam, Desert Shield & Desert Storm, Admiral (Ret. 36 y.) / Exc. Director & Vice Chairman to establishing the USS Midway Museum
Laverne A. Nigg – Browns Valley, MN; US Navy, WWII, PTO, Seaman 2nd Class # 3167440, USS Oklahoma, KIA (Pearl Harbor, HI)
Lee R. Peterson – Edmore, MI; US Navy, WWII, PTO, Radioman, USS Estes
William F. Teaff – Akron, OH; US Army Air Corps, WWII, ETO, radioman # 35586750, POW, KIA (Stalag Luft VI)
Chauncey (William) Sharp – Osborn, OH; US Army, Korea, Pfc., Co C/1/27/25th Infantry Division, KIA (Hwanggon, SK)
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So… Have a great day!
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Luzon | February 1945 (3)
PAYING HOMAGE TO THOSE WHO WENT BEFORE
Soldiers of the 3rd Brigade Combat Team Rakkasans, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) stand in formation to honor the 187th Infantry Regiment during an Activation Ceremony Feb. 20 at Fort Campbell, Ky. The ceremony celebrated the regiment’s 70th Anniversary since its activation in 1943 by honoring its long and valorous combat history and all of the fallen Rakkasans, whose names are inscribed on the pylons that stand in front of them. (U.S. Army photo taken by Sgt. Alan Graziano, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault)
General Swing now had a supply trail stretching 70 miles and he began to fine tune the missions of some of the units. Colonel Hildebrand and the 187th were sent to Nasugubu and patrol the main supply route. Hildebrand was also put charge of thousands of guerrilla fighters, not an easy job in itself. All in all, he and his regiment had been given a very large task. They were staring into the jaws of the noted Genko Line.
The plan on 15 February for the 2d battalion of the 187th and the 188th was plain and simple: push forward and keep going – then meet up with the 511th at the Carabao Gate and still keep pushing. First they cleared the 6 foot high railroad tracks, then a dry riverbed and started to go up the barren rise. All this time there was no enemy resistance and not one sound whatsoever. The Leyte veterans knew something was wrong, they could feel their skin crawl and suddenly they discovered the ruse.
Banzai charge
The Japanese soldiers and their machine guns had been buried in the riverbed and were now behind the G.I.s. A hoard of the enemy came at them screaming despite the gunfire, BARs (browning Automatic Rifles) and hand weapons that killed and wounded them as they charged. But, they continued to come in waves and reached the 1st platoon.
The second platoon caught up to them and destroyed some of the Japanese machine guns. In the total chaos, the enemy ran to their pillboxes to regroup. When two more companies arrived on the scene, the Japanese outfit was trapped. A strange explosion underground knocked some of the troopers to the ground. The enemy, rather than surrender, had blown their hideout thinking they would kill the G.I.s above them, but it was not a sufficient charge to accomplish this. They had only murdered themselves.
The 674th and 675th Glider Field Artillery Battalions had been firing endlessly with the aid of the cooks, clerk, drivers and gun men and took shifts. Banzai attacks were common on these positions, so perimeters had to be kept firm. Gen. Swing’s plan was to keep squeezing the enemy into a tight group and then block their escape routes.
Japanese suicide crash boat
At one point, Gen. Eichelberger went back to the USS Spencer, but a peaceful night sleep was not to be. “There were a number of attacks by explosive-laden Japanese suicide crash boats. Just after daylight, a little worn, I went on deck and watched a curious cat-an-dog encounter between an American destroyer and a suicide boat. The destroyer was trying to sink the Japanese craft with 5” guns and pursued it.
“Whenever the enemy wheeled and made a direct run at the destroyer, the ship zigzagged and took to its heels…. It seemed like a crazy version of you-chase-me and I’ll-chase-you… After about 50 rounds of firing, a shell from the destroyer found its target. The boat did not sink – it disintegrated.”
CLICK ON IMAGES TO ENLARGE,
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Military Humor –
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Farewell Salutes –
Addison E. Baker – Chicago, IL; US Army Air Corps, WWII, ETO, pilot, Lt. Colonel # )-280827, HQ Sq/93rd Bomber Group, Silver Star, Medal of Honor, KIA (Ploesti, ROM)
Joseph E. Bernot – Washington D.C.; US Army Air Corps, WWII, PTO, Battery A/457 Artillery/11th Airborne Division
Veteran’s Memorial, by: Dan Antion
Boyd Guttery – Atlanta, GA; US Army, Japanese Occupation
William Harn – Faribault, MN; US Merchant Marine, WWII, WWII
William C. Kitchen – Sandy, OR; US Army Air Corps, WWII, PTO, 511 Signal/11th Airborne Division
Joseph Loriaux – Kansas City, KS; US Army, WWII, ETO, Lt., Tank unit, Bronze Star, Purple Heart
Etta Moore (101) – St. Louis, MO; Civilian, WWII, Aircraft construction
Agnes “Pat” Paist – Allentown, PA; US Army WAC, PTO, nurse, Bronze Star
Thomas Pessel – Hopewell, NJ; USMC, WWII
Katherine Robinson (100) – Essex Fells, NJ; US Navy WAVE, WWII
George Sage – Shell Lake, CAN; RC Air Force, WWII
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Pacific Paratrooper 
