HISTORYSNARK

Happy birthday, and keep your head down

2012-09-13T09:42:00.001-07:00

Happy 199th birthday to General "Uncle John" Sedgwick. He was a fine officer, but is unfortunately best known today for his (presumed) last words:

"Don't worry, men. They couldn't hit an elephant at this dist-".

Make of it what you will

2012-09-11T09:38:00.001-07:00

So I notice today that both Tom Landry and Bear Bryant were born on this date. Perhaps we should call it "Football Day". I'd be all in favor of it, had a bunch of assholes not ruined the date forever.

Huh?

2012-09-10T06:10:00.001-07:00

Okay, it's odd but here's one from the page I check. Don't ask for an explanation, because there is none.

Happy 27th birthday to Afro BO, greatest monkey.

A Pretty Bad Day

2012-09-02T15:19:00.000-07:00

Well it's an interesting day if your name is Marc Antony. First off, in 44 BC, Cleopatra named her son as co-pharaoh. That would be her son Caesarion. Son of Guess Who. (I suppose Antony didn't mind a certain type of seconds).

At any rate, that was the high point of September 2 for Antony. On that very same day, to the northwest of Egypt in Rome; Cicero gave the first of his phillipics against Antony. Basically, telling everyone in Rome what a poopy-head Antony was. He gave a bunch more over the next few months.

And finally, lest you think THAT was a bad day, Antony had one more notable event on this date. In 31 BC, he and Cleo with their fleets met the fleet of Octavian at Actium, off the coast of Greece. As Antony and his ships were getting their asses kicked, Cleo decided that discretion was the ether part of valor, and took her fleet away. Back to Egypt they went, with Antony following as soon as he could. It didn't help- let's just say that his stay there wasn't long, before he lost his head. That would be literally, of course. And then Cleo got friendly with an asp, Caesarion got into trouble (if he wasn't already), and bob's your uncle, Octavian became Augustus.

And Augustus became "Not-Emperor", since an empire was bad. Nope, he was just the first citizen, who happened to control the senate, treasury, army, and bureaucracy.

So how was your day?

Sent from my iPhone

A note to all runners

2012-09-02T09:25:00.001-07:00

A quick post today, to make note that it was on this day in 490 B.C. that Pheidippides died. Whether or not he had really just completed a 26 mile run with the tidings of Athenian victory at Marathon or not, he apparently was a message runner for the City.

So go run a marathon in his memory, if you're so inclined. And hey- run one for me too!

Sent from my iPhone

Spot the Error

2012-08-25T17:13:00.001-07:00

So astronaut Neil Young died today. No comments yet from his Apollo 11 crewmates, Crosby, Stills and Nash.

Keep This Straight if You Can

2012-08-22T07:48:00.001-07:00

On this date in 1456, Vladislav II, Voivode of Wallachia, was killed by Dracula.

In fairness, Vlad II had killed Voivode Dracul, so it was revenge. And there's nothing to suggest Vlad III drank the blood of Vlad II.

By the way, Dracul was also Vlad II. So Vlad II was killed by Vlad III in revenge for killing Vlad II.

Or put another way, Dracula killed Vlad for killing Dracul.

Dracul, by the way, means "dragon", and "Dracula" is the diminutive form, essentially meaning "son of the dragon".

And Dracul was the legitimate voivode until he was murdered and his throne usurped by Vlad II, aka non-Dracul. So Vlad III was also the legitimate voivode.

And at least Vlad II Non-Dracul was killed (apparently) in a fair fight, mano-a-mano by III.

Guess this helps explain why the Balkans are so screwed up, huh?

Sent from my iPhone

A few thoughts on a legend

2012-08-08T19:30:00.000-07:00

yikes. Didn't realize life had gotten so busy that I was unable to post here for a month. Sorry. But here is a little something, regarding the recent death of the brilliant Sir John Keegan, which I only learned about tonight.

I wrote this as a post on Facebook, but here's a version for anyone that stumbles on this blog and doesn't know me:

********

Here's another bit about Keegan. This one gives a better feel for what he wrote about.

The story that most sticks in my mind was from something I read-"The Face of Battle", perhaps, though I think not- in which he tells of visiting a (The?) royal museum of military medicine.

At any rate, he toured it with the physician who was the director. Keegan casually mentioned at one point that in the days of Waterloo and other battles of the era, a common wound was for a soldier to be hit with fragments of bone and teeth from the men next to him- a danger quite possible in the days when large, soft lead rounds whacked into men who were standing shoulder to shoulder and nearly front to back.

To his surprise, the director was unaware of that factoid, and apparently was quite skeptical. Though given Keegan's expertise (this was after "Battle" was released) I don't know why he would have been. Sir John made us all aware of what it was like to stand in the ranks at Agincourt or Waterloo, where one would have no idea what was happening mere yards away... Even as the tide of history ebbed and flowed.

RIP Sir John. Wish I had made more effort to read your work at the Telegraph.

Big July 5 Event

2012-07-05T05:26:00.001-07:00

Do you know what gigantically, colossally, massively important event happened on this date in 1937?

Yes, you're correct. Hormel Meats introduced Spam.

Now go have a spamwich, babies!

Sent from my iPhone

A crappy day for one family

2012-06-25T17:49:00.001-07:00

Just noticed that today is Little Bighorn Day. In the space of an hour or so, Custer and his battalion got whacked by the Indians. Nobody is too sure what happened, other than his subordinates disobeying their orders, his force being badly outnumbered- in part because all the Indians left Reno and Benteen (almost literally) alone to concentrate on Custer's detachment, and there have even been allegations that the Indians had more advanced weaponry (some of them) than the cavalry.

All that being said, on top of inflicting a resounding defeat on the Seventh Cavalry, here is a list of the Custer portion of the casualty rolls:

George
Tom
Boston
James C. Calhoun- brother in law of George, Tom, and Boston Custer.

Reminds me of a story from "The Twentieth Maine", by Pullen. As the regiment was marching towards Little Round Top and glory, Colonel Joshua Chamberlain, Lieutenant Tom Chamberlain, and brother John- a volunteer nurse- were riding abreast at the head of the Regiment when a shell flew past, a few feet ahead of them. Joshua ( or Lawrence, as he was generally known) commented that another shot like that might make it "a hard day for mother". So he sent John ahead to find a place for the wounded, and Tom to the rear to make sure the regiment was keeping in good order.

Alas, the Custers probably would have preferred to die together, than to do do something so silly- besides, with their record of deeds from the Civil War, who knows if they even thought they could be killed.

Sadly, they could. And it was indeed a hard day for mother.

A quick birthday note

2012-06-22T19:04:00.001-07:00

Happy birthday to Tom Dula, or as he's generally known, Tom Dioley. Hang down your head and all that. Poor boy, you're bound to die!

The recently departed Doc Watson did his usual terrific job with that ballad. Even more interesting is his introduction of it on a live album. Apparently, Doc's grandmother (maybe great grannie) helped nurse Ann Foster Mellon on her deathbed, and was there when she asked for the sheriff to speak privately with her just before dying. She is also said to have heard the flames of hell as she laid there.

Anyhow, that's all I have time for. Hope you enjoyed it!

Sent from my iPhone

June 19 Deaths

2012-06-19T08:44:00.001-07:00

First on our list is Nathaniel Greene, who was more or less Washington's right hand man during the Revolution. He was given command of the Southern Theater in 1780, after Congress decided that maybe their choice, Horatio Gates, was an incompetent putz. Given that he had just gotten his army destroyed at Camden, it was nice of Congress to recognize that fact. At any rate, Greene was ultimately successful with his odd strategy, which he described as "we fight, get beat, rise, and fight again". Hey... it worked! At any rate, he died in 1786, which left his widow Kitty Greene a nice long time to pursue her hobby of sex with numerous men (allegedly). Not that his status as dead or alive had ever really limited her ability to enjoy her hobby even before that (allegedly). In fact, there are even hints that she-ahem- served Washington quite well herself, albeit in a different fashion than her husband.

Allegedly.

In 1937, we lost J.M. Barrie. He's the creator of Peter Pan. (Allegedly). (Not really. That fact is undisputed).

In 1953, the Rosenbergs went to the electric chair. They spied for the Soviet Union, and were sentenced to death for committing espionage in favor of the USSR. Allegedly. (again, not really allegedly. It's pretty well proven beyond dispute, so if someone tells you they were framed, tell them to go read an actual history book, and not a bit of leftist propaganda). Not wishing them an RIP, more of a RIH, or "rot in Hell".

Peter Townshend died in 1995. I know what you're thinking- "but that would
make Daltrey the only surviving member of The Who!" (which would be news to Kenny Jones, if he's still alive). But relax- it was "only" Pete Townshend the WWII fighter ace, and Equerry to King George VI and Queen Elizabeth II. Whatever the hell an equerry is.

And again, that's about it. Later.

Happy June 19 Birthdays

2012-06-19T08:25:00.001-07:00

We start off with a double. Happy bday to to both James I of England, and James VI of Scotland, both born on this date in 1566. In the same bed, I'm told. To the same mother. Whoa, that's really weird!

Happy 1897 birthday to Moses Harry Horwitz, or as some know him, Moe Howard. Yup, the leader of the Stooges. Older brother Shemp and younger brother Jerome joined him at various times, along with otherwise unconnected Larry Fine.

Hum a chorus of "Auld Lang Syne" to commemorate the 1902 birth of Guy Lombardo, if you please.

Or you could play it on the mandolin (or guitar) to celebrate 1914 birthday boy Lester Flatt.

Hot Mess Paula Abdul turns 50 today! Easy on the eyes, but madder than a hatter! Or just a little too fond of her chemical and liquid refreshments. (Allegedly).

Eh, the rest of the list is pretty dull, so we'll end it there.

Big June 19 Stuff!

2012-06-19T08:07:00.001-07:00

It's the beginning of the American Pastime today. On June 19, 1846, in Hoboken New Joisey, the New York Baseball Club met the Knickerbockers in a game of "baseball", under the auspices of Mr. Alexander Cartwright himself, creator of the rules. The NYBC beat the Knicks 23-1. General Abner Doubleday was nowhere to be seen. But then, this being 15 years before the Civil War, he wasn't a general yet either. Maybe that's the problem...

Jumping to 1944, it's day one of The Battle of The Philippine Sea, as the Japanese call it. The Americans call it "The Great Marianas Turkey Shoot", which gives you a pretty good idea of how the battle went. It was the last stand of the Japanese Navy, in a sense; as they objectively had a chance. If sending your outnumbered, less well trained and inexperienced aviators out to do battle with more pilots, better trained, and with more experience, and oh by the way vastly superior aircraft is an objective chance. At any rate, by the end of the battle on June 20, the Imperial Japanese Navy was short three carriers, at least 550 aircraft, and most of the pilots. 350 or more planes were lost by the Japanese on June 19, Day One. In fairness, they did damage one US ship, and shot down a whole 30 US fighters. Turkey Shoot indeed.

Oh, and by the end of this first day, US submarines had also damaged or destroyed two enemy carriers. In one instance, while her planes were in the air. Oops.

Day Two would see a 550 plane raid launched by the Americans, against a foe who could now muster less than 50 planes for defense. Two Japanese fuel oilers and a carrier were sunk, and two more carriers and a battleship were damaged. Again, the Good Guys lost 20 planes. By the time they started to return to the carriers, the US planes were low on fuel, and it was dark. Want to know how confident the navy was? Admiral Marc Mitscher, commander of the carrier forces, took a calculated risk and turned on the lights of the ships to guide the planes home. Saved a LOT of men's lives that night, though the recovery operations on the carriers were chaotic to say the least. About 80 planes crashed, though most of the crews were rescued by the fleet. Planes could be easily replaced. Pilots would be a bit more problematic, so the US was happy to have that outcome.

So how bad was it? The once feared Japanese Carrier Fleet was wrecked. They went into the battle with about 400 aircraft for their carriers, and came out with about 35. A few months later, in the Battle of Leyte Gulf, the Japanese used their carriers as a decoy force, as they were no longer capable of any real mission. (they succeeded in that mission, which is a whole different story).

Switching gears, in 1978 a comic strip debuted, featuring a lasagna loving cat. It's sadly still going, though I don't know who reads it anymore. It's been rehashing the same jokes for about 20 years, which haven't been funny for about 22 years. Meanwhile, Bloom County, Peanuts, John Darling, Travels With Farley, and Calvin and Hobbes are all just a memory.

There's no justice in the world, I guess.

And on that depressing note, we end.

When amateurs write history

2012-06-12T15:54:00.001-07:00

So looking at the list of things that happened today, I see that on this date in 1864 "Ulysses S. Grant gives the Confederate forces under Robert E. Lee a victory when he pulls his Union troops from their positions at Cold Harbor, Virginia and moves south."

Umm. Wow. So much wrong here. Let's start with him "giving" them a victory on this date. Uh, no. I think he actually gave them a victory there when, you know, he charged their lines on June 3. In the space of (by some estimates) less than an hour, Union forces lost almost 7000 men. Now mind you, this was in the day of muzzle-loading muskets and cannons. No such thing as automatic weapons. The Union soldiers knew going in that they were going to get slaughtered, many of them giving their opinion on the attack by pinning slips of paper to their uniform with their name and unit on it, so that their body would be more easily identified. Some are even alleged to have added "killed at Cold Harbor, June 3, 1864" to the paper. Grant later expressed remorse for the attack, which he felt was his biggest mistake in the War (as it almost unquestionably was).

Of course, one could go even further, and suggest that he "gave" them the victory even before that, when his orders to attack on the morning of June 1 were not followed, as his subordinates felt that their men were too exhausted, or they couldn't get there in time, or they wanted time to conduct reconnaissance, or any number of other reasons, which seem plausible but which have to be overcome in wartime if victory is to be attained.

So no, Lee's victory was won long before June 12.

The next part is where the author says the victory came when he "pulls his Union troops from their positions at Cold Harbor". Now it's completely normal and conventional for people to think that retreat is a sign of defeat- for most of history, it was certainly understood to be so. The losing side would pull back after a battle, leaving their opponent in control of the battlefield, then ask for a truce to recover their dead. It was an admission of defeat.

However, Grant changed the rules of warfare in 1864, if they still needed changing. When he ordered the Union Army of The Potomac to cross the Rapidan River and go after Lee and his army, he did not intend to retreat- an action which he had some serious issues with, claiming in his memoirs that he would never retrace his steps if he got lost, but rather keep going and find another route. In the battle of The Wilderness a few weeks before Cold Harbor, he suffered, by any objective standard, a crushing defeat- comparable to the previous year's Battle of Chancellorsville, which was fought on much of the same ground. But while his predecessor, Joseph Hooker, immediately fell back after his defeat, Grant did not. He pulled his men out of line, and sent them south. The men immediately understood the significance- in his classic "The Twentieth Maine", Joseph J. Pullen gives a beautiful account of how the men reacted. I don't have it handy, but will quote from memory: "That little fellow, Grant. He hadn't won, but he was acting like a winner. In the Wilderness, he had taken them straight into Hell, and it looked like there would be more of it in the weeks ahead. But even Hell was hopeful if there was a manifest determination to come out on the other side." Until the marching men reached the crossroads where a staff officer pointed the columns south (to the cheers of the exhausted and battered men, I might add) Pullen tells us "there would be, the men expected, another retreat, another general, and the war going on its weary way forever." Pullen even explains that some of the soldiers- themselves wounded and exhausted- wept bitter tears. They had expected great things of Grant, but all he had given them so far was more blood and defeat, and they just wanted to win the war and go home.

And if events followed their usual pattern, after the army retreated across the river into camp and received the latest savior of the Union as commander, Lee would move out and march north, trying to win the elusive victory on Northern soil, which would lead to yet another battle, followed by a Southern retreat and another Union advance. Lather, rinse, repeat.

So while it was normal for the victorious army to stay on the field, it's by no means- in the modern era- a necessity. A general can certainly win a battle and immediately withdraw to make his next move. Further, a defeat in a specific battle can be a strategic victory, if it upsets the plans of the enemy. Stonewall Jackson's Valley Campaign is a solid example of this, as he continually fought, lost, and then maneuvered his force to threaten another place.

The campaign in the South during the American Revolution is another example. Nathaniel Greene, the American commander, described his campaign thus: "We fight, get beat, rise and fight again". Greene lost pretty much every battle, but by the time the campaign ended, he had driven the British out of every post they held, except a couple (admittedly major) cities. His "defeat" at Guilford Courthouse left his opponent, Lord Cornwallis, little choice except to move his army towards Virginia, where it ended up at Yorktown.

So there's another flaw in this description.

Finally, as we touched on in our PullenPetersburg, which was the key to the Rebel capital of Richmond. That the former city didn't fall immediately is once again due to hesitation on the part of Grant's subordinates, who failed to attack when they had overwhelming numbers. And thus it turned into the siege Lee rightfully feared.

So Cold Harbor, while absolutely a tactical disaster- and believe me, there is far more to say about it than I have written- was also a vital point in the War. It convinced Grant to stop with his frontal attacks, which weakened both armies horribly, though Lee suffered far worse, proportionally. It also pushed Lee into his Richmond defensive lines, which he could only hold onto, never having the ability to strike against his enemies. Cold Harbor was the last real victory for R.E. Lee and his army, and it was less than a year later that the war was brought to a final end, when Lee and his starved, bloodied, and dreadfully outnumbered remnants were brought to bay. He had lost the initiative, and been beaten and starved into submission.

Sorry for the lack of snark here, but I consider the whole post to be snarky, since I'm suggesting that somebody else wrote a bit which showed them to be far, far less knowledgeable than I.

Not that most people aren't, mind you.

Smartass enough for you now?

Really? June 11 already?

2012-06-11T20:17:00.000-07:00

Hey. My how time flies when you're not blogging!

A quick look at the most interesting and important event on this date, from the standpoint of Western Culture and literature. It's June 11, 1184 BC that, according to the ancient polymath Eratosthenes, marks that most glorious day for our culture: The Fall of Troy. Yes, if his calculations are correct- and the man was known as "Beta" because he was considered to be second in the world in everything- we should add RIP Priam, Paris, and all the rest.

It's sad to think that the man most responsible for returning the Trojan War to its rightful place in our culture, Heinrich Schliemann, is also responsible for destroying so much evidence of it. Alas, it was early days in the world of archaeology, and Schliemann wasn't even a professional by the standards of the time, although his mistakes taught his successors an awful lot. But he apparently destroyed some of the most important evidence of the Troy he sought- VII-A, if memory serves- simply because he assumed that the stuff he wanted was farther down than it was. Irony, no?

In any case, we can know state with almost complete certainty that the Trojan War occurred. And right about the time implied by Homer. The general outlines are sensible, based upon the archaeological and literary evidence from the time. In this, the Hittite archives are extremely valuable, as shown back in the 80s by the incomparable Michael Wood in his epic "In Search of the Trojan War", which anyone who knows me probably has heard me call "one of the best things in the history of television".

So nod your head to the ancients, look for Michael Wood on Amazon, and read up on the Trojan War. Remember: ALL of Western Literature grew out that one event, and the more we learn, the more we find that Homer had a lot of things correct.

And Eratosthenes? Well he computed the circumference of the earth for cripes sake (before anyone else, of course), and coined the word "geography". There's very little reason to doubt his guess, as compared to anyone else's.

*********

Jumping ahead 3000 years, let's pause for a moment to remember Jeanette Rankin. She was a politician, among other things, and happened to be a member of Congress in 1917, when the question of entry into WWI came up for a vote. A pacifist, she voted against it, as did a number of her colleagues. Ironically, she was also in Congress on December 8, 1941; when the question of WWII came up. True to her principles, in a way that a loser like John Kerry can never hope to understand, she voted against that declaration of war also. No flip-flopping, no "I was for the war, and that's why I voted against it". She did what she felt was correct, and faced the consequences- which were of course severe. Aware of the cost of principles, she allegedly ran from the floor of Congress into a phone booth and wept after her famous- or is it infamous? vote. And predictably, her political career basically ended that day. While I suspect that she and I would disagree about almost everything, I have no hesitation to say that I respect her courage more than I can say. It takes guts to do something which will ruin your reputation and your career, and even more courage to do so when you are a lone voice out of hundreds. Truly a credit to her gender, and an inspiration to all.

I'll also mention in passing a few other June 11 births, some of them people who are also inspirations, and legends. Like 1910 birthday boy Jacques-Yves Cousteau, 1913's Vince Lombardi, and 1956's Joe Montana. In popular culture, we have 1933's Gene Wilder, 1949's Frank Beard ('49 shares him with ZZ Top).

****

In news of the deceased, Captain William F. Halsey, Sr left us on this date in 1920. Presumably, he taught his son and namesake a lot of good stuff about how to be an outstanding naval officer. He sure learned it someplace, eh? In 1979, we lost the one and only John Wayne, about whom I feel no need to elaborate. He was The Man. 1999 took away "Bones" himself, DeForest Kelley. Want to see how far your mind can stretch? Kelley was apparently the first choice to play Spock. Try to wrap your brain around that!

Two years later, Timothy McVeigh was put to death for the bombing of the Federal Building in Oklahoma City. I for one still think there are a lot of unanswered questions about it, but the government took the attitude of "we got our man" and refused to ever ask the appropriate questions. So now we'll never know. Which suits the politicians quite well, I guess.

Hush

2012-06-08T06:32:00.000-07:00

Today is National Day of Blogger Silence.

Don't let the leftist use lawfare to take away free speech. SWATting is a crime, and it's a danger to the victims.

The President's Statement on D-Day Anniversary 2012

2012-06-06T16:46:00.000-07:00

Given that our dear leader chose not to comment on the anniversary of the Normandy Invasion, I've decided to help him out. Here's the comment I suspect he would have issued, if he could have been bothered to take some time out from fund-raising.

"Today is June 6, or as some people call it, 'D-Day'. It commemorates some sort of event that happened before I graced the world with my presence. Some people claim it's a big f'in deal, but if I wasn't involved, then I doubt it. But apparently it had to do with some sort of war. I of course oppose all wars, as do my sons and the people of all 57 states. However, let me be clear: If this 'D-Day' thing was successful, it was only due to my brave and inspired leadership. I am of course the greatest general that I think I've ever heard of. And I'm smarter than anyone else because I am a genius, so if I say I'm a genius, then I'm right, and ya'll are wrong. That's what you get for disagreeing with someone of my incredible intellect. If it failed, it's of course because I wasn't given correct information.

Where was I? Telling you that I am the one who graced you with my leadership through the.... ummmm... however many long years of war that I inherited. I inherited this mess, because of the mistakes of my predecessor. I've fixed it. Not only have I brought the war to a successful conclusion, but I have also trained my troops to follow my commands. And I'm the one who designed the ships and airplanes that are playing such a vital role. I also trained all my generals to carry out my plans against the enemy, whoever they are. Republicans, I think. What's that? Germans? What, didn't they listen when I told them I wanted to reset our relations?

But there it is. I've once again led you to victory, despite the fact that I inherited this mess. You can't fix things overnight, and if I made a mistake- which we all know is impossible, but let's pretend for a moment that I can make mistakes like ya'll do- then it's because I wasn't given enough information by the militaristic pigs who I am forced to endure while I remake the world in my image.

Or my predecessor, who clearly didn't do enough to bring victory home to Amurikka, like I just did. It's my gift to you for your wisdom in letting me lead you to the promised land. Ya'll don't really deserve me, or anyone half as brilliant as me, but I'm willing to cut you some slack on this.

Now if ya'll will just empty your wallets and pockets into the bins on your way out, I can get back out to hobnobbing with those one-percenters who are ignorant enough to agree with me and give me money.

I, I, I... I hope I've been clear enough on all I did for you on D-Day. Now it's time to move forward, because we are the change we've been hoping for!

Now where are my golf clubs?"

***********

Okay, so that was a complete load of snark. Just to balance that out, and to continue paying tribute to the brave men who dared so much, here is the actual statement made by President Roosevelt to the American people on that day. Note again the lack of the "Vertical Pronoun", as someone once called it.

My Fellow Americans:
Last night, when I spoke with you about the fall of Rome, I knew at that moment that troops of the United States and our Allies were crossing the Channel in another and greater operation. It has come to pass with success thus far.
And so, in this poignant hour, I ask you to join with me in prayer:
Almighty God: Our sons, pride of our nation, this day have set upon a mighty endeavor, a struggle to preserve our Republic, our religion, and our civilization, and to set free a suffering humanity.
Lead them straight and true; give strength to their arms, stoutness to their hearts, steadfastness in their faith.
They will need Thy blessings. Their road will be long and hard. For the enemy is strong. He may hurl back our forces. Success may not come with rushing speed, but we shall return again and again; and we know that by Thy grace, and by the righteousness of our cause, our sons will triumph.
They will be sore tried, by night and by day, without rest -- until the victory is won. The darkness will be rent by noise and flame. Men's souls will be shaken with the violences of war.
For these men are lately drawn from the ways of peace. They fight not for the lust of conquest. They fight to end conquest. They fight to liberate. They fight to let justice arise, and tolerance and goodwill among all Thy people. They yearn but for the end of battle, for their return to the haven of home.
Some will never return. Embrace these, Father, and receive them, Thy heroic servants, into Thy kingdom.
And for us at home -- fathers, mothers, children, wives, sisters, and brothers of brave men overseas, whose thoughts and prayers are ever with them -- help us, Almighty God, to rededicate ourselves in renewed faith in Thee in this hour of great sacrifice.
Many people have urged that I call the nation into a single day of special prayer. But because the road is long and the desire is great, I ask that our people devote themselves in a continuance of prayer. As we rise to each new day, and again when each day is spent, let words of prayer be on our lips, invoking Thy help to our efforts.
Give us strength, too -- strength in our daily tasks, to redouble the contributions we make in the physical and the material support of our armed forces.
And let our hearts be stout, to wait out the long travail, to bear sorrows that may come, to impart our courage unto our sons wheresoever they may be.
And, O Lord, give us faith. Give us faith in Thee; faith in our sons; faith in each other; faith in our united crusade. Let not the keeness of our spirit ever be dulled. Let not the impacts of temporary events, of temporal matters of but fleeting moment -- let not these deter us in our unconquerable purpose.
With Thy blessing, we shall prevail over the unholy forces of our enemy. Help us to conquer the apostles of greed and racial arrogances. Lead us to the saving of our country, and with our sister nations into a world unity that will spell a sure peace -- a peace invulnerable to the schemings of unworthy men. And a peace that will let all of men live in freedom, reaping the just rewards of their honest toil.
Thy will be done, Almighty God.
Amen.
President Franklin D. Roosevelt - June 6, 1944

A Lesson To Be Learned

2012-06-06T08:11:00.000-07:00

Here is the transcript of a short little note written by General Dwight D. Eisenhower on June 5, 1944. He kept it in his pocket, only finding it weeks later (oddly, the original note is dated July 5, which I guess is a testament to the stress he was under when he wrote it).

Notice that nowhere in the note do the words "inherited mess", "worse than we thought", or any other weasel words appear.

THIS, ladies and gentlemen, is how a leader behaves. He takes responsibility for failure, and gives all credit to his subordinates, without anywhere implying that he was given incomplete or false data; or that blame should be shifted off his shoulders.

There are- ahem- certain highly placed people in the US government who really ought to be tied to a chair and have this note read to them until they really, truly grasp what leadership is.

So with no further ado:

"Our landings in the Cherbourg-Havre area have failed to gain a satisfactory foothold and I have withdrawn the troops. My decision to attack at this time and place was based upon the best information available. The troops, the air and the navy did all that bravery and devotion to duty could do. If any blame or fault attaches to the attempt it is mine alone."

He might not have been a great battlefield commander, but there is no questioning that he was a great leader. How he must weep to see the way his successor carries on!

Our Orders For The Day

2012-06-06T08:01:00.001-07:00

Soldiers, Sailors and Airmen of the Allied Expeditionary Force! You are about to embark upon a great crusade, toward which we have striven these many months. The eyes of the world are upon you. The hopes and prayers of liberty loving people everywhere march with you. In company with our brave Allies and brothers in arms on other fronts, you will bring about the destruction of the German war machine, the elimination of Nazi tyranny over the oppressed peoples of Europe, and security for ourselves in a free world.
Your task will not be an easy one. Your enemy is well trained, well equipped and battle hardened, he will fight savagely.
But this is the year 1944! Much has happened since the Nazi triumphs of 1940-41. The United Nations have inflicted upon the Germans great defeats, in open battle, man to man. Our air offensive has seriously reduced their strength in the air and their capacity to wage war on the ground. Our home fronts have given us an overwhelming superiority in weapons and munitions of war, and placed at our disposal great reserves of trained fighting men. The tide has turned! The free men of the world are marching together to victory!
I have full confidence in your courage, devotion to duty and skill in battle. We will accept nothing less than full victory!
Good Luck! And let us all beseech the blessings of Almighty God upon this great and noble undertaking.

-- Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower

June 6 deaths

2012-06-06T06:23:00.000-07:00

We have a vague American Revolution theme going on today. Our first Dead guy left us in 1799. I'd venture to say he got both the liberty and the death he famously asked for. Not at the same time, of course.

Or did he...? Anyhow, RIP Patrick Henry. He was one helluva speaker, he was.

Field Marshal and Governor-General of Canada Julian Bung died on this date in 1935. My hunch is that he's less well known than his wife, Lady Byng. At least to hockey fans. I guess she must have been ladylike, or at least A Good Sport, as the NHL every year awards the Lady Byng Trophy to the biggest wimp- errr, most gentlemanly (star) player in the League. (thugs and benchwarmers need not apply). Or if she wasn't ladylike or a good sport, she must have at least liked hockey and been willing to donate a trophy to the League.

Probably the latter. At any rate, her husband died on this date.

Carl Jung also died on this date, in 1961. He was a psychologist, you know. He went with Jungian psychology, I guess.

In 1991, Stan Getz died. He was a jazz musician, best known for "The Girl from Ipanema". The song, not the girl herself. He apparently had quite a career in music, going back to Big Band days.

And again, spare a thought for all the young men who went ashore in Normandy on this date and never returned.

Sent from my iPhone

June 6 Birthdays

2012-06-06T06:07:00.000-07:00

The first birthday boy is of course an American Legend. He was a schoolteacher, who became an Army officer. He volunteered to go into the enemy camp as a spy. While there, he was recognized by his cousin, who was on The Wrong Side, and knew our boy favored The Right Side. So cousin turned him in, leading to an early demise for the young man born on this date in 1755. But unlike his cousin, he lives on as a man to be respected, even by his enemies. Happy birthday, Nathan Hale. You lived well and died better. The British all agreed you faced the gallows with honor.

Levi Stubbs was born on this date in 1936. Like Hale, he also left us too soon, but otherwise I'm not gonna compare a patriotic hero to a singer for the Four Tops, even though I am from Motown.

In 1947, Robert Englund was spawned from the bowels of Hell- errr, born on this date.

1959 gave us the lovely and oh so talented Miss Josie Lawrence. She is best known- to me at least- for her appearances on the (much better than the American version) BBC version of "Whose line Is It Anyway". IMHO she was the best female contestant I ever saw. On either version of the show.

In 1975, we got actress Staci (or Stacy) Keenan. She had two dads, you know. At least for a year or so. Then she got cancelled.

That's about it. Sorry.

June 6 Fun Stuff

2012-06-06T05:52:00.000-07:00

Well, we're gonna start off with a kind of "good news bad news" deal. It's sorta bad news if it's 1822 and your name is Alexis St. Martin. But the news is better if you're a doctor named William Beaumont, and you work at the fort on Mackinaw Island.

Young St. Martin was accidentally shot in the stomach on this date. Beaumont cared for him, though the prognosis for gut-shot patients wasn't good. At any rate, the victim survived and flourished, except for a hole which led into his stomach. So Beaumont did what any doctor would do: he had his illiterate patient sign a paper agreeing to be his servant, and then conducted experiments on him, to see how the stomach works.

The nice folks at Mackinaw Island like to point out that St. Martin outlived the doctor by a few decades, and had a passel of kids, so in the end he did alright for himself. And we learned a lot about how the stomach works, which is useful.

In 1882, the Shewan defeated the Gojjame at the battle of Embabo, capturing Negus Tekle Haymanot in the battle. And well... I don't think I have to explain the significance of THAT, do I?

In 1917, US Marines charge into Belleau Wood. An awful lot of them stay there in the prone "I'm dead" position for the next eternity or so. It's the bloodiest day in the history of the Marine Corps, which is impressive when you consider some of the places they charged into during WWII.

Speaking of WWII, today marks the end of the Battle of Midway. This is the part where the Japanese carriers all turn into flaming masses of steel. Four of them, inside of roughly 15 minutes. A cruiser joins them, but really, nobody other than the crew of that ship really cares.

And of course two years later, and half a world away.... It's D Day in Normandy. Largest amphibious invasion ever, and one that will presumably never be topped. Allied troops storm into the gates of Hell, and survive. I'll try to post more about this later. No promises though.

Spare a thought for those men on this date. You owe them an awful lot.

Sent from my iPhone

A quick look at June 4

2012-06-04T07:01:00.000-07:00

Running around today and tomorrow, but I wanted to make a quick couple of observations on June 4. It's a big day in WWII news. In 1940, the Dunkirk Campaign ends, as British ships stop evacuating their troops from France. It's a disaster on the one hand, since the troops leave the shore with little more gear than their clothes, but on the other hand, it's 300,000 more troops than Britain should have had at the end of the French campaign. Thanks to the German halt, which gave them time to pull troops out. So ultimately, it probably saved Britain. Saying that a massive, humiliating defeat is what saved you from overall defeat is an uncertain victory, at best. But in 1940, Britain needed any victory they could get. And it would be a while before they got another.

In 1942, the Battle of Midway began. Speaking of disasters... It literally turned the tide, as Japan lost, in just a few short minutes- about 15, to be more precise- 4 of the 6 carriers that bombed Pearl Harbor. From then on, it was a long road, but Japan's naval commander, Admiral Yamamoto, knew how it would end. In fact, he predicted before the War began that he would run wild for about six months, and then America would get the game in hand. June 7 will be the six month anniversary of the war's beginning, so he's off by a couple days only. From the American side, it's a tribute to the code breakers, the mechanics who fixed a carrier than needed months of repair in a matter of days, and of course the brave men who fought and died.

1944 is a biggie too: In the Atlantic, Captain Daniel Gallery and the USS Guadalcanal task force capture the U-505 at sea. It's the first time in over a hundred years that the US Navy has accomplished that feat. For a time, the men of the force are thrilled, wondering if they'll get prize money- an old naval tradition. Alas, the law permitting that had been repealed some years before. So they had to content themselves with the feat itself. Which they did. It was brave, innovative, and well done. Gallery was an interesting guy, who threw his career away in the infamous "revolt of the Admirals" a mere four or five years later. But he then went on to a terrific writing career. Look for some of his books, and enjoy them. They're a riot!

In one of Gallery's books, he tells of a sailor looking at a news bulletin aboard the Guadalcanal. The man shook his head and commented something to the effect of "look what the Army had to do to top us". What did the Army do? Captured the city of Rome. Big doings! The first "enemy" capital to fall in the War, though Italy had already surrendered. Thankfully, the Germans didn't defend the city. Or destroy it.

For our final, non WWII entry, I would just like to acknowledge a very sad day for American music. It was this date in 2001 that the talented and brilliant musician/songwriter John Hartford left us. He's one of my all-time favorites. You know him mostly because he wrote the classic "Gentle on my Mind", which made him a crap-ton of money, especially after Glen Campbell recorded it. Hartford is also known for being a prominent part of the soundtrack of "Oh Brother, Where Art Thou?". It was a nice (almost) finish to a brilliant career. I always thought it was interesting that he died only a few weeks after his close friend Bennie Martin, who appeared with him on many a song, and was beautifully mentioned in Hartford's second best song "Nobody eats at Linebaugh's anymore".

Off to do plenty of exciting things.

Another reset button

2012-06-02T08:15:00.000-07:00

Speaking of Poland, John Paul II, and Lech Walęsa, which we sort of did, I'd like to give a shoutout to the US president- who I will not name here- for resetting relations with Poland in a brilliant manner.

Last year, the moron announced he was canceling plans to deploy US troops in Poland as part of the missile defense shield. Russia was of course thrilled, as it proved that the current president is an incompetent, weak loser who doesn't give a crap about our allies or our security, which is a bonus in their eyes.

In a sure sign of apathy towards our allies, this idiot chose to announce the abandonment of a close ally on the anniversary of the day that said ally,
Poland, was invaded by the USSR in 1939. Bear in mind that when this occurred, Poland was unsuccessfully fighting for its life against Nazi Germany.

There's an old, allegedly African proverb: when elephants fight, the grass gets trampled. Poland is the grass between the German elephant and the Russian one. The Poles have been trampled by Russia on a lot of occasions, so yet another sellout by yet another ally on the anniversary of a stab in the back had a lot more significance to them than one can imagine.

Good thing we have a Department of State to help our president avoid stupid,
pointless insults to our allies, huh?

At any rate, that's old news- but a slight that I suspect the Poles remember, now and forever. So they were less than thrilled this week when the dumbass in DC awarded a medal to a genuine Polish hero- one who was, by the way, executed by the Communists after the War- and referred during his speech to "Polish Death Camps". Because it's not enough to be reminded that one of the biggest crimes in human history was largely perpetrated on your soil when some dummy can also imply that you were the perpetrator rather than, as was often the case, the victim.

But hey, it's not like the Poles contributed much to final victory- sure, they were the first ones to get their hands on an Enigma machine, which they gave to Britain. And sure, they fought bravely with the Western Allies from the Battle of Britain all the way to Arnhem, where Polish paratroopers were butchered by the Germans after being sent in to try and restore a situation that was already beyond saving.

Who cares what the think? After all, what role did Poland play in the death of the Soviet Empire? Other than the Polish Pope and the struggles of Solidarity...

Which leads us to the next, perhaps most egregious insult Crap For Brains inflicted on our Polish friends. When the award to Jan Karski, a member of the Polish Underground who snuck INTO a concentration camp, in order to set up a resistance cell- and then snuck back out to tell the world about the Holocaust- was announced, the Polish government said that they wanted the prize to be accepted on behalf of Poland and her dead hero by former president, Solidarity Leader, and Nobel Peace Prize recipient, Lech Walęsa.

Sadly, the dipshit in chief stated that it was "not acceptable" for this man- one of the greatest heroes of Poland's long history and a genuine symbol of her struggle- and victory- against tyranny- to do so. Why not? He's "too political".

Try and wrap your brain around the incredible stupidity, arrogance, and ignorance there. It's almost literally impossible.

By the way, another honoree was Dolores Huerta, an avowed socialist. Guess she's not "too political" for the socialist in chief.

Of course, the decision to insult Mr. Walęsa surely had nothing to do with his comment that it was "too early" for the empty suit in chief to win his own Nobel Prize, because "he has no contribution so far". No. Impossible that a US president could be so thin skinned, petty, and despicab- no wait. I remembered who we're talking about. This jackass has no scruples and no class.

Yup. It's a good thing we elected someone who was going to restore our status in the world and mend the fences (allegedly) trampled by his predecessor, who we're told was despised by everyone.

From here, it appears that this stuttering clusterfuck of a miserable failure has mended fences only with our enemies, who see what a weak, condescending, incompetent mess he truly is. Our allies don't seem to like him, because he keeps insulting them every chance he gets. No idea why people voted for him in the first place, and even less idea why some people still support him. But there's no accounting for stupidity.

Sadly, the spirits of Thaddeus Kosciusko and Kazimierz Pulaski, two men who fought bravely to make America free and independent, are undoubtedly weeping in humiliation.

Five more months, America. Then it's time to elect a president who doesn't go out of his way to humiliate the American People. Or our friends.