Category Archives: Vietnam
JULY 4, For those who sacrifice for the freedoms you so enjoy!
Somehow this post went backwards 8 months, so I’m reblogging it.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY U.S.A.
Let’s show our support!
In Vietnam, Korea and World Wars Past
Our Men Fought Bravely so Freedom Would Last
Conditions Where Not Always Best They Could Be
Fighting a Foe You Could Not Always See:
From Mountain Highs to Valley Lows
From Jungle Drops to Desert Patrols
Our Sinewy Sons Were Sent Over Seas
Far From Their Families And Far From Their Dreams
They Never Wrote Letters Of Hardships Despair
Only Of Love, Yearning That One Day Soon:
They Would Come Home, They Would Resume
And Carry On With The Rest of Their Lives
The P.O.W.¹S Stood Steadfast
Break time for the prisoners.
by: Ben Steele, POW
Against the Indignities And Cruelties Of War
They Could Not Have Lasted as Long as They Did
If They Had Relinquished Their Hope That Some Day:
They Would Come Home, They Would Resume
And Carry On the Rest Of Their…
View original post 396 more words
Memorial Day + “You Are Not Forgotten” book review
From Arlington to remote prairie shrines to foreign fields, America provides a resting place for her fallen. Now, on this poignant 25th day of May, we revive the memory of those heroes, though we should honor them every day. Long after the agony of Bunker Hill, Heartbreak Ridge, Normandy, the Chosin Reservoir, the Tet Offensive and Bagdad, the dead lie in peace. They and their comrades have left us names the world should never forget. Make certain they did not die in vain.
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“You Are Not Forgotten”
Two men, their lives separated by over 60 years, became forever intertwined.
“You Are Not Forgotten” shows the inspiration and commitment of the American military. For this nonfiction story, it goes from the Pacific in WWII to a memory and experience of Iraq.
A USMC, F4U Corsair pilot, Major Marion ‘Ryan’ McCown, is lost during a battle over New Guinea and the jungle swallows all trace of him on 20 January 1944.
Over 60 years later, U.S. Army Major George Eyster V, despite coming from a long ancestry of military officers, became disillusioned after serving in Iraq. Instead of ending his career, he joined the JPAC (Joint Pow/MIA Accounting Command), a division whose sole purpose is to leave no man behind. With the author, Bryan Bender, at the helm, he brings these two lives together with researched firsthand information.
Read how facts and clues are pieced together to locate those that have fallen and that we so wish to remember and honor today.
This book was gifted to me from Judy Guion of the Greatest Generation Lessons, who found this book not only fascinating, but educational. Thank you very much, Judy.
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GP Cox’s Veterans
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Farewell Salutes –
Iona Anderson – Garber, IA; Womens USMC, WWII, Sgt.
Trevarius Bowman – Spartansburg, SC; US National Guard, Afghanistan, 1st Lt., 228th Tactical Signal Brigade
Peter Clark Jr. – Menasha, WI, USMC, WWII
Henry Hoffman III – Brooklyn, NY; US Army Air Corps, Japan Occupation, 11th Airborne Division
Charles Jackson – Thackerville, OK; US Coast Guard, (Ret.28 y.)
Moyne Linscott – Sumner, MO; US Army Air Corps, Japan Occupation, 1127 Airborne Engineers/11th Airborne Division
WWII Memorial poem at Arlington Cemetery
John Myers – Toledo, OH; US Coast Guard, WWII / US Army, Korea, mine sweeper
William Opalka – Chicago, IL; US Merchant Marines, WWII
Terrance Plank – Santa Cruz, CA; US Army, Vietnam, medic, 3/506/101st Airborne Division, Purple Heart, Bronze Star
Gene Vance – Garner, TX; US Navy, WWII, PTO / US Army, Vietnam, 11th Airborne Div. & 10th Special Forces Group, Sgt. Major (Ret.) / FAA
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courtesy of fellow blogger, Patty B.
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There’s More Than One Way to Shoot in a War
The camera-toting soldier
Shooting with cameras rather than guns. Signal Corps photographers were the “eyes” of the military. Whether taking motion pictures or still photographs, often in the thick of the action, military photographers captured and produced scores of images for the purpose of strategy and intelligence, map-making and simply to document historic moments. Photographers in WWII, Korea, Vietnam and other ‘conflicts’ captured some of the most iconic images of their eras.
In addition to its primary role in military transmissions, the Signal Corps, also played a key role in producing training film for army and civilian personnel and documenting combat missions. During WWII, noted Hollywood producers, directors, and photographers all served in the Signal Corps. They all brought their talents in the motion picture studio to the field of battle, while dozens of others provided instruction to the personnel.
Signal Corps photo, 4 June ’44, Normandy
In the European Theater (ETO), Signal Corps photographers took part in the landings of North Africa, Italy and later, Normandy. Amazing footage of D-Day showed members of the unit hitting the Utah and Omaha Beaches, forwarding the first film of the amphibious assaults to England via carrier pigeons.
The Signal Corps subsequently documented every major military campaign around the world, producing millions of feet of combat film and hundreds of thousands of developed still images. From these sources, the Army supplied the news media in the U.S. and elsewhere with imagery of the war, using 24-hour air delivery service and later sophisticated telephoto electronic transmission equipment.
The 165th
In the course of photographing WWII, the Signal Corps also played a crucial role in documenting evidence of Nazi atrocities and the Holocaust. Many of the early still and moving pictures of newly liberated Nazi concentration camps were taken by Army photographers and many were later transmitted to news agencies in America and other countries, where they helped to inform the world about the horrors of Nazism and the plight of concentration camp prisoners. The US Army and other Allied governments eventually used these to confront German POWs as evidence of war crimes.
Lieutenant from the 165th Signal Photo Company dries negatives.
Photography and film taken by the Corps had a variety of uses. Training films were effective for teaching and indoctrinating the masses of inductees. Studies showed that these films reduced training time by 30%. Many of these film were re-scored into foreign languages for the non-English speaking Allies.
In the field, the Corps distributed entertainment films for the soldiers’ morale and feeling for home. While on the home front, the news reels marked the progress of the struggle, bringing the war home to the millions of Americans before the days of television.
Signal Corps footage comprised 30 to 50% of each newsreel; while the still pictures illustrated the nation’s books, newspapers and magazines. The government did put some restrictions on what could be shown, but the public received a more realistic look at the warfare than ever before.
Signal Corps photo, 11th A/B Div. jump on Aparri, Luzon
This article was first published in “The Voice of the Angels” newspaper of the 11th Airborne Division Association.
CLICK ON IMAGES TO ENLARGE!
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Military Humor –
Signal Corps
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Quarantine humor – 
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Farewell Salutes –
Franklin Beach – Washington, D.C. ; US Navy, WWII, Corpsman
James Byrd – Marion, NC; US Army Air Corps, WWII, pilot / Air Force Reserves, Lt. Col. (Ret.)
Otho “Jim” Craddock – Malden, MO; US Navy, WWII, USS Bagley
Mary (Mory) Eldridge (100) – Appleton, WI; US Navy WAVES, WWII
Robert Hull – Oshtemo, MI; US Army, WWII & Korea, Major (Ret.)
George R. Reeser – Washington, IL; USMC, PTO, Pvt., I Co./3/6th Marines, KIA (Tarawa)
Mary Scott – Ebensburg, PA; Civilian, Dept. of Defense & Agriculture, WWII
Jack R. Stambaugh – Wichita Falls, TX; USMC, WWII, PTO, Co. B/1/6th Marines, KIA (Tarawa)
Charles Vonderau – Brooklyn, NY; US Navy, Yeoman 2nd Class, USS Bangust
Ferrald Walker Sr. (105) – Rockwood, TN; US Army, WWII, ETO, 1512th Battalion Detachment, Sgt.
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HAPPY HOLIDAY WISH FOR ALL !! Poems (2)
SANTA PARATROOPER
Merry Christmas and Happy Hanukkah to everyone out there !! May you all find the Peace and Happiness you deserve.
A 1944 Christmas
From: Pacific Paratrooper to ALL !!!
Cherish His Christmas
by Roger J. Robicheau
Dedicated to our military…
Christmas brings such a time of love
Each tender heart holds so much of
Unselfishness thrives, trust is strong
The purpose to give, send love along
A time of pleasantries, patience too
Good wishes to all, all feelings true
Thankfulness follows each fine deed
Gifts from our God, never from greed
Great the rewards that joy does bring
Like the beauty in hearing angels sing
We pray for our loved, each so dear
Especially those who can’t be near
Many leave home to bravely serve
All freedoms we have, they preserve
Do pray for our troops, as we should
And their families too, if you would
Give thanks to our Lord, His only Son
And cherish His Christmas, everyone
©2004Roger J. Robicheau
Please do me one favor and click on last year’s post – Right Here !
From Charly Priest to Smitty – CLICK HERE!!
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Military Humor –
Easton, MD–Dec. 22, 2011–This is a Christmas display at the home of Tom and Alice Blair, which includes an F 104 jet, staff photo/Barbara Haddock Taylor} [Sun Photographer] #9306
Click on images to enlarge.
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Farewell Salutes –
Thomas Anderson – Los Angeles, CA; US Army, WWII & Korea
Bill Bjorson – Canfield, OH; US Army Air Corps, WWII, PTO, Co. A/511/11th Airborne Division
Roland Duffany – Pawtucket, RI; US Army, WWII, SSgt., Purple Heart
Robert Gibbons – Denver, CO; US Navy, WWII, PTO
Samuel Jones – London, ENG; Royal Navy, WWII, ETO, gunner, HMS Zulu
Shuso “Shoes” Kumata – IL; US Army, WWII, PTO, Occupation interpreter
Thomas Lovell – St. George, UT; US Navy, WWII, PTO
Tetsuo Matsumoto – Lodi, CA; US Army, WWII, ETO, SSgt., 100/442nd RCT
George A. Sakheim – Brn: GER; US Army, WWII, ETO, Military Intelligence & interpreter
Wiley Tanner – Radium, KS; US Army, WWII
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Christmas poems for our military (1)
Sailor Santa
“A Different Christmas Poem”
The embers glowed softly, and in their dim light,
I gazed round the room and I cherished the sight.
My wife was asleep, her head on my chest,
My daughter beside me, angelic in rest.
Outside the snow fell, a blanket of white,
Transforming the yard to a winter delight.
The sparkling lights in the tree I believe,
Completed the magic that was Christmas Eve.
My eyelids were heavy, my breathing was deep,
Secure and surrounded by love I would sleep.
In perfect contentment, or so it would seem,
So I slumbered, perhaps I started to dream.
The sound wasn’t loud, and it wasn’t too near,
But I opened my eyes when it tickled my ear.
Perhaps just a cough, I didn’t quite know,
Then the sure sound of footsteps outside in the snow.
My soul gave a tremble, I struggled to hear,
And I crept to the door just to see who was near.
Standing out in the cold and the dark of the night,
A lone figure stood, his face weary and tight.
091202-N-5339S-693
GROTON, Conn. (Dec. 2, 2009) Santa Claus stands with Sailors aboard the Los Angeles-class fast attack submarine USS Miami (SSN 755) during the submarineÕs return to Naval Submarine Base New London after an eight-month deployment. (U.S. Navy photo by Electronics Technician John Sabados/Released)
A soldier, I puzzled, some twenty years old,
Perhaps a Marine, huddled here in the cold.
Alone in the dark, he looked up and smiled,
Standing watch over me, and my wife and my child.
“What are you doing?” I asked without fear,
“Come in this moment, it’s freezing out here!
Put down your pack, brush the snow from your sleeve,
You should be at home on a cold Christmas Eve!”
For barely a moment I saw his eyes shift,
Away from the cold and the snow blown in drifts..
To the window that danced with a warm fire’s light
Then he sighed and he said “Its really all right,
I’m out here by choice. I’m here every Night.”
“It’s my duty to stand at the front of the line,
That separates you from the darkest of times.
No one had to ask or beg or implore me,
I’m proud to stand here like my fathers before me.
My Gramps died at “Pearl on a day in December,”
Then he sighed, “That’s a Christmas ‘Gram always remembers.”
My dad stood his watch in the jungles of “Nam”,
And now it is my turn and so, here I am.
I’ve not seen my own son
In more than a while,
But my wife sends me pictures;
He’s sure got her smile.
Then he bent and he carefully pulled from his bag,
The red, white, and blue… an American flag.
I can live through the cold and the being alone,
Away from my family, my house and my home.
I can stand at my post through the rain and the sleet,
I can sleep in a foxhole with little to eat.
I can carry the weight of killing another,
Or lay down my life with my sister and brother..
Who stand at the front against any and all,
To ensure for all time that this flag will not fall.”
“So go back inside,” he said, “harbor no fright,
Your family is waiting and I’ll be all right.”
“But isn’t there something I can do, at the least,
“Give you money,” I asked, “or prepare you a feast?
It seems all too little for all that you’ve done,
For being away from your wife and your son.”
Then his eye welled a tear that held no regret,
“Just tell us you love us, and never forget.
To fight for our rights back at home while we’re gone,
To stand your own watch, no matter how long.
For when we come home, either standing or dead,
To know you remember we fought and we bled.
Is payment enough, and with that we will trust,
That we mattered to you as you mattered to us.”
LCDR Jeff Giles, SC, USN
30th Naval Construction Regiment
OIC, Logistics Cell One
Al Taqqadum, Iraq
CLICK ON IMAGES TO ENLARGE.
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Military Humor –
Easton, MD–Dec. 22, 2011–This is a Christmas display at the home of Tom and Alice Blair, which includes an F 104 jet, staff photo/Barbara Haddock Taylor} [Sun Photographer] #9306
Aboard the USS Nimitz
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Farewell Salutes –
Arnold Arons – Vacaville, CA; US Navy, WWII / US Air Force, Korea & Vietnam, (Ret. 30 y.)
John Bayens – Louisville, KY; USMC, WWII, PTO, Pfc., Co B/1/6/2nd Marine Division, KIA (Tarawa)
Joseph Cuda – NE; US Army Air Corps, WWII
Glenn R, Goff III – Hardeesville, SC; US Army, Vietnam, specialist
Francis Jackson – Oak Mills, KS; USMC, WWII, PTO, Korea & Vietnam, MSgt. (Ret. 30 y.)
Richard Little – Mobile, AL; US Navy, WWII, USS Henry W. Tucker / US Air Force, Korea
Maurice Mounsdon (101) – Litchfield, ENG; RAF, WWII, Lt., pilot, 56th Squadron “The Few”
Michael Soares – New Bern, NC; US Army, WWII, ETO, 2nd Lt., tank commander / US Navy (Ret. 25 y.)
Gordon Whitlow – Sioux Falls, SD; Merchant Marines, WWII / US Air Force, Korea
John Voogt – Newport, RI; US Navy, WWII, Korea & Vietnam
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JULY 4, For those who sacrifice for the freedoms you so enjoy!
HAPPY BIRTHDAY U.S.A.
Let’s show our support!
In Vietnam, Korea and World Wars Past
Our Men Fought Bravely so Freedom Would Last
Conditions Where Not Always Best They Could Be
Fighting a Foe You Could Not Always See:
From Mountain Highs to Valley Lows
From Jungle Drops to Desert Patrols
Our Sinewy Sons Were Sent Over Seas
Far From Their Families And Far From Their Dreams
They Never Wrote Letters Of Hardships Despair
Only Of Love, Yearning That One Day Soon:
They Would Come Home, They Would Resume
And Carry On With The Rest of Their Lives
The P.O.W.¹S Stood Steadfast
Break time for the prisoners.
by: Ben Steele, POW
Against the Indignities And Cruelties Of War
They Could Not Have Lasted as Long as They Did
If They Had Relinquished Their Hope That Some Day:
They Would Come Home, They Would Resume
And Carry On the Rest Of Their Lives
Medics, Nurses, and Chaplains Alike
Surgery aboard ship
Did What They Needed To Bring Back Life
They Served Our Forces From Day Into Night
Not Questioning If They Would Survive:
They Mended Bones And Bodies Too,
They Soothed the Spirits of Dying Souls
And for Those M.I.A¹S, Who Were Left Behind
We Echo This Message Across the Seas
We Will search For as Long As It Takes
You¹re Not Forgotten And Will Always Be:
In Our Hearts, In Our Prayers,
In Our Minds For All Time
A Moment of Silence, a Moment of Summons
Is Their Deliverance of Body And Soul
To a Sacred Place That We All Know
Deep In the Shrines of Our Soul:
In Our Hearts, In Our Prayers
In Our Minds For All Time
These Immortalized Soldiers Whose Bravery Abounds
Nisei soldiers
They¹re Our Husbands, Fathers, and Sons
They Enlisted For the Duty at Hand
To Serve the Cause of Country and Land:
They Had Honor, They Had Valor,
They Found Glory That Change Them Forever
Men Standing Tall and Proud They be
A Country Behind Them in a Solemn Sea
So Let the Flags of Freedom Fly
Unfurled in Their Majesty High:
In the Sun, In the Rain
In the Winds Across This Land
Years of Tears Has Brought Us Here
Gathering Around to Hear This Sound
So Let the Flags of Freedom Fly
Unfurled in Their Majesty High:
In the Sun, In the Rain,
In the Winds Across This Land
In the Sun, In the Rain,
In the Winds For All Time
Written by Jerry Calow, 2003
CLICK ON IMAGES TO ENLARGE.
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My View –
THEY HAVE NOTHING BETTER TO DO!!
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Farewell Salutes –
Laurens Allen – Bessemer, AL; US Army, WWII, ETO
Salvatore Barone (103) – Tuckahoe, NY; US Army Air Corps, WWII, Sgt.
Hugh Downs – Acron, OH; US Army, WWII
Carlton Hale Jr. – Kenner, LA; US Navy, WWII, Purple Heart
Francis Joannini Jr. – Rockville, MD; US Coast Guard, WWII, PTO, LST-70
Robert Lander – Massapequa Park, NY; USMC, WWII, PTO, 5th Marines
Diane Oldmixon – NYC, NY; Civilian, French Resistance, WWII
Lawson Sakai – Montebello, CA; US Army, WWII, ETO, 442nd RCT, Bronze Star, Purple Heart
David Schmitz – USA; US Air Force, F-16 pilot, 20th Fighter Wing
Henry ‘Jack’ Waters – Bell, FL; US Army, WWII, PTO, Engineer Corps
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Strategy Page’s Military Humor and more….
Military Common Sense Rules
A lot of life’s problems can be explained by the U.S. Military and its applications of common sense …
- “Sometimes I think war is God’s way of teaching us geography.”
(Paul Rodriguez) - “A slipping gear could let your M203 grenade launcher fire when you least expect it. That would make you quite unpopular in what’s left of your unit.”
(Army’s magazine of preventive maintenance ). - “Aim towards the Enemy.”
(Instruction printed on US M79 Rocket Launcher) - When the pin is pulled, Mr. Grenade is not our friend.
(U.S. Marine Corps) - Cluster bombing from B-52s is very, very accurate. The bombs always hit the ground.
(U.S. Air Force) - If the enemy is in range, so are you.
(Infantry Journal) - It is generally inadvisable to eject directly over the area you just bombed.
(US Air Force Manual) - Whoever said the pen is mightier than the sword obviously never encountered automatic weapons.
(Gen. MacArthur) - Try to look unimportant; they may be low on ammo.
(Infantry Journal) - You, you, and you . . . Panic. The rest of you, come with me.
(Marine Gunnery Sergeant) - Tracers work both ways.
(US Army Ordnance) - Five second fuses only last three seconds.
(Infantry Journal) - Don’t ever be the first, don’t ever be the last, and don’t ever volunteer to do anything.
(US Navy Seaman) - Bravery is being the only one who knows you’re afraid.
(David Hackworth) - If your attack is going too well, you have walked into an ambush.
(Infantry Journal) - No combat ready unit has ever passed inspection.
(Joe Gay) - Any ship can be a minesweeper… once.
(Admiral Hornblower) - Never tell the Platoon Sergeant you have nothing to do.
(Unknown Marine Recruit) - Don’t draw fire; it irritates the people around you.
(Your Buddies) - Mines are equal opportunity weapons.
(Army Platoon Sergeant) - If you find yourself in a fair fight, you didn’t plan your mission properly.
(David Hackworth) - Your job is to kill the other person before they kill you so that your national leaders can negotiate a peace that will last as long as it takes the ink to dry.
(Drill Instructor)
23. In the Navy, the Chief is always right.
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More Military Humor –
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Farewell Salutes –
Joe T. Avant – Greenwood, MS; US Army, Korea, Cpl., Heavy Mortar Co./31st RCT, KIA (Chosin Reservoir)
Why Bliley – Richmond, VA; US Army, WWII, PTO, 77th Division
Last Flight
Josephine Boyd – Ochiltree City, TX; Civilian, Amarillo Air Force Base, weapons instructor
Egbert Crossett – Corona, NM; US Navy, WWII, CBI, Medical unit
Kirk T. Fuchigami Jr. – Keaau, HI; US Army, Afghanistan, Warrant Officer, 1/227/1/1st Calvary Div., Apache pilot, KIA
David C. Knadle – Tarrant, TX; US Army, Afghanistan, Warrant Officer, 1/227/1/1st Calvary Div., Apache pilot, KIA
James P. McMahon – Rockford, IL; US Army, Somalia, Sgt. Major (Ret. 30 y.), Delta Force, Silver Star, Purple Heart
Thomas Parnell – Somerset, WI; US Army, WWII, gunner
Rex Ruwoldt – Darwin, AUS; Australian Army, WWII, 19th Machine-Gun Battalion
Dean Weber – Hot Springs, SD; US Navy, WWII
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Veterans Day 2019
For each and every veteran – Thank You!!
For All Our Todays and Yesterdays
Armistice Day Becomes Veterans Day
World War I officially ended on June 28, 1919, with the signing of the Treaty of Versailles. The actual fighting between the Allies and Germany, however, had ended seven months earlier with the armistice, which went into effect on the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month in 1918. Armistice Day, as November 11 became known, officially became a holiday in the United States in 1926, and a national holiday 12 years later. On June 1, 1954, the name was changed to Veterans Day to honor all U.S. veterans.
For their loyalty…
War Dog Memorial on Guam.
US Military dog insignia
The Things That Make a Soldier Great
The things that make a soldier great and send him out to die,
To face the flaming cannon’s mouth, nor ever question why,
Are lilacs by a little porch, the row of tulips red,
The peonies and pansies, too, the old petunia bed,
The grass plot where his children play, the roses on the wall:
‘Tis these that make a soldier great. He’s fighting for them all.
‘Tis not the pomp and pride of kings that make a soldier brave;
‘Tis not allegiance to the flag that over him may wave;
For soldiers never fight so well on land or on the foam
As when behind the cause they see the little place called home.
Endanger but that humble street whereon his children run–
You make a soldier of the man who never bore a gun.
What is it through the battle smoke the valiant soldier sees?
The little garden far away, the budding apple trees,
The little patch of ground back there, the children at their play,
Perhaps a tiny mound behind the simple church of gray.
The golden thread of courage isn’t linked to castle dome
But to the spot, where’er it be–the humble spot called home.
And now the lilacs bud again and all is lovely there,
And homesick soldiers far away know spring is in the air;
The tulips come to bloom again, the grass once more is green,
And every man can see the spot where all his joys have been.
He sees his children smile at him, he hears the bugle call,
And only death can stop him now–he’s fighting for them all.
by: Edgar A, Guest
For All Those In Free Countries Celebrating Remembrance 0r Poppy Day
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Current News –
In honor the Veterans who are in hospice, there is a drive for Christmas cards, and if possible, small gifts for those who are about to go on their final mission. Please do your best for them – they did it for you!
Veteran’s Last Patrol; attn: Holiday Drive, P.O. Box 6111, Spartanburg, SC 29304
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Military Humor –
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Farewell Salutes –
Willard R. Best – Staunton, IL; US Army Air Corps, WWII, ETO, SSgt., 40th/1st Air Div./8th Air Force, gunner, KIA (Germany)
Leon E. Clevenger – Durham, NC; US Army, Korea, Cpl., Co. K/3/21/24th Infantry Division, KIA (Kalgo-ri, South Korea)
Harry Dexter – Davenport, IA; US Army, MSgt., 11th Airborne Division
Herbert B. Jacobson – Chicago, IL; US Navy, WWII, Pearl Harbor, KIA, USS Oklahoma
Servando Lopez – Alice, TX; US Army, WWII, ETO, Bronze Star, Silver Star, Purple Heart
Ralph Nichols – Dawson, GA; US Army Air Corps, WWII, 551/82nd Airborne Division
Robert Register – Jacksonville, FL; US Navy, WWII, PTO, minesweeper USS Notable # 267
William Timpner – Stamps, AR; US Army, WWII
Frank Wills – Columbus, OH; US Navy, WWII, PTO, submarine service
Peter Zemanick – Pittsburgh, PA; US Army, 504/82nd Airborne Division
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U.S. Navy Birthday
The US Navy traces its origins to the Continental Navy, which the Continental Congress established on 13 October 1775, by authorizing procurement, fitting out, manning and dispatch of two armed vessels to cruise in search of munitions ships supplying the British Army in America. The legislation also established a Naval Committee to supervise the work. All together, the Continental Navy numbered some 50 ships over the course of the war, with approximately 20 warships active at its maximum strength.
In 1972, Chief of Naval Operations, Admiral Elmo R. Zumwait, authorized recognition of 13 October as the Navy’s birthday. Not to be confused with Navy Day (the founding of the Navy Department), the Navy Birthday is intended as an internal activity for members of the active forces and reserves, as well as retirees and dependents. Since 1972, each CNO has encouraged a Navy-wide celebration of this occasion “to enhance a greater appreciation of our Navy heritage and to provide a positive influence toward pride and professionalism in the naval service.”
Although written by a Royal Navy Admiral in 1896, “The Laws of the Navy” began to appear in the US Naval Academy’s “Reef Points” Plebe Handbook and is still there today. The sketches were added by Lt. Rowland Langmaid R.N. during WWI.
Beginning of “The Laws of the Navy”
Part 2
Part 3
End of “The Laws of the Navy
Click on images to enlarge!
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Navy Humor –
HAVE A BALL – BUT DON’T ROCK THE BOAT!!
Lady Popeye
for you submariners
for you surface-vessel types.
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Farewell Salutes –
Russell Allen – Lovell, ME; US Navy, Vietnam
Francis Currey – Selkirk, NY; US Army, WWII, ETO, TSgt., Medal of Honor
Joseph Gildea – Hollidaysburg, PA; US Army, Occupation, 593rd Ordnance / US Navy, Vietnam, Capt., USS Rush & Hancock, US Naval Graduate
Everett Grabau – Spring Valley, MN; US Navy, WWII
K.Wayne Hays – Van Buren, AR; US Navy, WWII, pilot
Joe Irwin – St. Shelbyville, TN; US Navy, WWII, PTO
Rocco Lombardi – Ivoryton, CT; US Navy, WWII, LST-616
Richard McConville – Teaneck, NJ; US Navy, WWII, PTO, USS Missouri
Robert L. “Cajun Bob” Thoms – Baton Rouge, LA; USMC, Vietnam, SSgt., Silver Star
Alex Wolffenden – New Smyrna Beach, FL; US Navy, WWII
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The New Boom in the Food Industry
Food has often been an important part of warfare. What is less known is how food developed for warfare changed people’s lives after the war. The most important development happened after World War II, though the canning process has been around for a long time.
Canned food started by using tin cans to preserve various items in the early 19th century. British sailors and explorers found that canned food was a relatively easy way to supplement their rations. For example, the Arctic explorer William Parry took canned beef and pea soup on his voyage. By the middle of the 19th century many of the middle class in Europe bought canned food as novelty items.
The American Civil War, Crimean War, and Franco Prussian War introduced hundreds of thousands of soldiers to the novelty and enjoyment of canned foods, which expanded their consumption even more. Yet at this time they still remained relatively fringe items used by explorers and military.
It was the millions of men fighting in World War I and II that created an explosion in demand for canned food. The American government in particular faced problems connected to supplying troops in multiple theaters of combat around the world. They had to supply and feed millions of men with items that transported safely, survived trench conditions, and didn’t spoil in transport.
Canned foods thus became a pivotal part of the wartime experience. The C rations in particular were pre-made meals that could be eaten either warm or cold, so they often became the main staple of the war weary troops.
Sometimes they got lucky in being able to supplement their canned rations with local foods, and in World War II the rations of Allied servicemen often included M&Ms and Coca-Cola. The M&M candies were particularly liked because their hard outer shell prevented the chocolate interior from melting during transport to hot and humid locations in southeast Asia.
“Coke” became the preferred drink of the troops due to a marketing campaign in the States: any American in uniform could buy a Coke for a nickel regardless of its listed price. But there were few sources of the drink for Americans serving in Europe, Africa, and Asia.
Accordingly, General Eisenhower requested 3 million bottles of Coke be shipped to his current location in North Africa, along with the equipment and supplies to refill them as needed so they could maintain a permanent supply of Coke.
Coke machine worked by the refrigeration crew of the 64th Seabees [Naval Construction Battalion] inTubabao, Samar, Philippines. Gift of Joseph Cohen, The National WWII Museum Inc., 2003.083.071
Both Coca-Cola and canned goods remained popular after the war. Coke products inspired a worldwide thirst, and the canned food companies sold their surplus goods on the civilian market. They also developed a marketing campaign to relate the convenience of canned foods to the demands of busy modern life.
WWII Coca Cola ad
Mass production of instant meals in factories extensively lowered their cost and expanded their use across the lower and middle classes. Some of these items included powdered cheeses, instant drinks, and cured meats, which were all developed during World War II but later became staples in the civilian world. These developments in turn changed the palate of the American consumer and much of the world they had touched.
So the next time you don’t feel like cooking and open up a can of soup, or grab some M&Ms and wash them down with a Coke, you’ll appreciate the fascinating history of how your tastes for such foods resulted from developments during wars, and how some of those foods were first experienced by soldiers that were often thousands of miles away.
Click on images to enlarge.
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Current News –
TF – 102 at award ceremony
The Green Berets of the U.S. Army 10th Special Forces Group received 48 combat awards for the action in Afghanistan. Task Force 102 were awarded:
5 Silver Stars
7 Bronze Stars w/ Valor devices
15 Army Commendation Medals w/ Valor
21 Purple Hearts
Unfortunately it cost them 3 KIA and 1 non-combat death.
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Blog News –
Unfortunately, we have lost a wonderful fellow blogger who has been a friend to many of us. Brian Edward Smith, also know
as Beari, ElBob or Lord Beari of Bow, of Australia, passed away on 24 September 2019. He will be greatly missed.
A note from his daughter, Sarah reads:
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Military Humor –
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Farewell Salutes –
Gerald Abel – London, CAN; Merchant Navy / RC Army, WWII
John R. Bayens – Louisville, KY; USMC, WWII, PTO, Pvt., Co. B/1/6th Marines, KIA (Tarawa)
Norman A. Buan – Long Prairie, MN; USMC, WWII, PTO, Co. C/2nd Marines, KIA (Tarawa)
George Clark – Rome, MS; US Navy, WWII, PTO, USS Astoria
Bill Etherton – Buffalo, IL; US Army, Occupation, 11th Airborne Division
George Flint – Lima, OH; US Army, WWII, 87th Infantry
Morris Maxwell – Gentry, AR; US Army, WWII, PTO
David Pershing (101) – Houston, TX; US Navy, WWII, PTO, pilot, USS Belleau Wood / USNR, Capt. (Ret.)
Clyde Sheffield – Daytona, FL; US Army, Korea & Vietnam, Major (Ret. 22 y.), Bronze Star
Louis Wieseham – Richmond, IN; USMC, WWII, PTO, Pfc, E Co./2/8th Marines, KIA (Tarawa)
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If you fancy taking some time to remember dad I know he would love you to listen to Beethoven’s Missa solemnis. He’d be thrilled to think that was being played around the world for him. He also loved Beethoven s Ninth Symphony or Mozart’s Coronation March. If classical music is not your thing – he loved ol blues eyes – Frank Sinatra!
Sarah’s email is – suzziqqt@hotmail.com