Shutting Down

I’ve tried. I’ve posted. We get very few readers, and I have yet to see a comment on anything. Due to lack of interest, this post, which is the 200th post on this blog, will be the last one. It’s been a fun ride. Thanks to those who actually read it. I’m sorry for taking it away from those who enjoy it, but with 2-5 post views per day and no comments, it’s not worth the effort.

Bye!

All effort will be focused on the other blog, “Smashes, Bashes, and Kits.” It will primarily be about 1/6 scale, but will also cover WWII history, reenacting, and some other areas.

“A Date That Will Live In Infamy”

A date that will live in infamy. Nearly 2,500 of our men and women were lost in the deadly attack by the Japanese on the US fleet at Pearl Harbor. This attack brought the US into WWII. The very next day, President Roosevelt gave one of the most noteworthy speeches in US history when he asked Congress to declare war against the Empire of Japan. Shortly afterward, Hitler declared war on the US, and we became one of the Allies. The arsenal of democracy that had been helping to supply the World with vehicles, weapons, rations, and equipment was now a participant in the conflict.

We’d suffer nowhere near the damage that Britain had suffered during the Blitz, and we’d lose nowhere near the number of troops that the Russians did against Germany, but we would contribute to the victory in more ways than providing manpower. Weapons and equipment would continue to flow into the countries at war. Our factories would produce goods at a rate never seem before. Our transports would get the materiel where it was needed. Our people would sacrifice, our men would fight, and our men and women would die, but ultimately, freedom would prevail. Italy, Germany, and Japan would suffer incredible defeats, and the outcome would set up the Cold War. 

The day after the Pearl Harbor attack, President Roosevelt gave his speech. At the bottom of this post, there is a link for a timeline of events that led up to the attack. The text of Roosevelt’s address to Congress follows below:

“ Mr. Vice President, and Mr. Speaker, and Members of the Senate and House of Representatives: 

YESTERDAY, December 7, 1941 a date which will live in infamy the United States of America was suddenly and deliberately attacked by naval and air forces of the Empire of Japan. 

The United States was at peace with that Nation and, at the solicitation of Japan, was still in conversation with its Government and its Emperor looking toward the maintenance of peace in the Pacific. Indeed, one hour after Japanese air squadrons had commenced bombing in the American Island of Oahu, the Japanese Ambassador to the United States and his colleague delivered to our Secretary of State a formal reply to a recent American message. And while this reply stated that it seemed useless to continue the existing diplomatic negotiations, it contained no threat or hint of war or of armed attack. 

It will be recorded that the distance of Hawaii from Japan makes it obvious that the attack was deliberately planned many days or even weeks ago. During the intervening time the Japanese Government has deliberately sought to deceive the United States by false statements and expressions of hope for continued peace. 

The attack yesterday on the Hawaiian Islands has caused severe damage to American naval and military forces. I regret to tell you that very many American lives have been lost. In addition American ships have been reported torpedoed on the high seas between San Francisco and Honolulu. 

Yesterday the Japanese Government also launched an attack against Malaya. Last night Japanese forces attacked Hong Kong: Last night Japanese forces attacked Guam. Last night Japanese forces attacked the Philippine Islands.  Last night the Japanese attacked Wake Island. And this morning the Japanese attacked Midway Island. 

Japan has, therefore, undertaken a surprise offensive extending throughout the Pacific area. The facts of yesterday and today speak for themselves. The people of the United States have already formed their opinions and well understand the implications to the very life and safety of our Nation. 

As Commander in Chief of the Army and Navy I have directed that all measures be taken for our defense. 

But always will our whole Nation remember the character of the onslaught against us. 

No matter how long it may take us to overcome this premeditated invasion, the American people in their righteous might will win through to absolute victory. 

I believe that I interpret the will of the Congress and of the people when I assert that we will not only defend ourselves to the uttermost but will make it very certain that this form of treachery shall never again endanger us. 

Hostilities exist. There is no blinking at the fact that our people, our territory, and our interests are in grave danger. 

With confidence in our armed forces with the unbounding determination of our people we will gain the inevitable triumph so help us God. 

I ask that the Congress declare that since the unprovoked and dastardly attack by Japan on Sunday, December 7, 1941, a state of war has existed between the United States and the Japanese Empire.”

https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=4206060&fbclid=IwAR3p0lmnYDjtvmwhZrSnjF5lCGEmrqE7K5NDT9mVwMMv5_ecgkM1fwaS_5s

Never forget!

Trivia Time: Answer in the comments if you can...

Ten trivia questions. See how many you can get right...

1). Ulysses Simpson Grant, Civil War General and US President, went by the name Ulysses Simpson, but that was not his real name. What was it?

2). What was the name of General Patton’s dog?

3). What was the name of Robert E. Lee’s favorite horse?

4). This Civil War cavalry general, known as the Wizard of the Saddle, was also the first Grand Wizard of the KKK. Who was he?

5). On September 17, 1944, the Allies in Europe launched an airborne and armored assault on occupied Holland. What was the codename given to this operation?

6). What July 1863 Civil War Battle is called the High Water Mark of the Confederacy?

7). During the battle of Midway, in June of 1942, US naval forces sunk four Japanese aircraft carriers. The US Navy lost one of its own aircraft carriers in the battle. Which ship did the US Navy lose?

8). This future US President led the charge of the Rough Riders up San Juan Hill during the Spanish-American War. Who was he?

9). The current US Armed Forces main battle tank, the M1 series of tanks, is named after which Vietnam War era US General?

10). This famous actor, who played roles such as the Sergeant in the movie, “The Big Red One”, and Major Reisman in “The Dirty Dozen” was a WWII USMC veteran who was wounded in action and received a Purple Heart. Who was he? (Bonus if you know where he was shot?)

Have fun with it.

A Larger Than Life Texas Hero

This statue of Stephen F. Austin sits along Texas Highway 288 near Angleton, TX. The statue stands 76 ft tall. Austin is 66ft tall, and he stands on a 10ft base. This statue is 1 foot shorter than the Sam Houston statue near Huntsville, TX. 

In reality, Austin was slightly shorter than Houston. However, that is not why this statue is shorter than the Sam Houston statue. By a gentlemen’s agreement made when Sam Houston was put on his base, no statue of any Texas hero can be taller than Sam Houston. 

Austin and his 300 hundred were the first successful settlers from the United States to make it in Texas. A previous attempt ended in failure. “Austin’s 300” were 300 families who were given the ability to settle in Texas due to an empresarial grant originally given to Moses Austin, Stephen F’s father. Moses caught pneumonia shortly before the expedition to Texas was set to begin, and he then decided that his son should take over. Stephen F was very reluctant to do do at first, but he was ultimately persuaded by a letter from his mother that she wrote two days before Moses died.

Stephen F. Austin was born in the area of Wytheville, VA. He first moved to Missouri, and then to Arkansas before beginning his Texas expedition. He and his 300 at first attempted to maintain good relations with the Mexican government, but tensions began to flare when Austin introduced slavery in Texas. The Mexican government was in strong opposition to the institution of slavery, and let Austin know this in no uncertain terms.

As tensions between Mexicans and settlers grew, Emperor Santa Anna had Austin arrested in 1834. No charges were filed, because no court would take jurisdiction. Austin was eventually released after spending time in several different prisons. 

When the Texas War of Independence began, Austin took control of forces during the siege of Béxar in late 1835. The revolution officially began in Gonzales, TX in October of 1835. It ended after the Battle of San Jacinto on April 21, 1836, after the army commanded by Sam Houston defeated and captured Santa Anna.

Texas was now a free country. The constitution created on March 2, 1836 was enacted, and Texas was now able to self-govern. In the first Presidential race, Sam Houston narrowly defeated Stephen F. Austin. Houston appointed Austin as his Secretary of State, but Austin would not serve for long. He died of pneumonia in what is now West Columbia, TX. 

Stephen F. Austin’s last words before his death were, “ The independence of Texas is recognized! Don't you see it in the papers?”

Sam Houston, after hearing of Austin’s death, was quoted as saying, “ The Father of Texas is no more; the first pioneer of the wilderness has departed.”

Houston and Austin were political rivals. They had a cordial relationship, but they never were what you would call friends. They tolerated each other when it came to business, expressed the usual amount of decorum during political events and ceremonies, and then each went their separate ways.

 During the revolution, Austin often questioned Houston’s military tactics, and was very critical of Houston when he retreated after the siege of the Alamo and the Goliad massacre. All doubts were erased when Austin was informed that Houston had won the Battle of San Jacinto, and also had taken Santa Anna as his prisoner. 

Austin was first buried in Gulf Prairie Cemetery in Brazoria County. In 1910, he was re-interred and moved to the Texas State Cemetery in Austin, the capital city that was named in his honor.

He was not married, and he had no children. His sister, Emily Austin Perry was his sole heir. 

Check out a different blog...

We are going to be taking a short break, getting the other blog up and running, and then alternating posts between the two. The goal is 3 posts a week on each blog.

Check it out here. There’s more to it than just 1/6 scale, by the way. I’m just posting some things on the other blog that I feel are more appropriate there. There also will be a monthly contest with what I feel are nice prizes. Enjoy!

https://kitbashingnearthefield.blogspot.com/2020/03/geronimo.html

Burp the Bayou!

Have you heard about the Big Bubble in the Buffalo Bayou?  Have you seen the mysterious red button on the Preston Street Bridge?  We heard about this shortly after we moved here, and I had to look into it to find out what it was.

In the middle of the brick column on the south side of the Preston Street Bridge, is a little red button.  When you press it, the water in the bayou will bubble for several seconds.  I realize that this is just a button and some bubbles, but if you are going to visit it, you really have all the materials you need for a great adventure.

First off, there is no sign above this little button.  It is just a mysterious red button in the middle of Downtown Houston.  You don’t know whether you should press it or not.  And if you do press it, what will happen?  Where should you look?  And say you see or hear the bubbles, what is causing it?  Did you wake a bayou monster?  And if a boat is traveling down the river, what would happen if you timed the bubbles just right?

For best results, tell your kids you hear there is a mysterious red button in Downtown Houston and you need to find out what it does.  Get them close to the bridge and see if they can find it. 

Once you find it, ask for ideas on what it might do and see who is brave enough to push it.

Once pressed, try to find the bubbles and ask what could be causing them?  Finish up with several minutes of pressing the button, running to the side of the bridge, watching the bubbles and giggling with delight.

To get here, drive or take METRO Rail to the Preston Station.  Walk a few blocks west towards the Downtown Aquarium until you are over the water. On the southeast side of the bridge you will see the little red button.  The water on the south side of the bridge will bubble.

The bubbles are to aerate the slow moving water.  The water is aerated automatically throughout the day and whenever a brave passerby presses the button.  

20 People You May Not Have Known Were From Houston

*Randy Quaid as, “Cousin Eddie”*

*Patrick Swayze in “Red Dawn.”

*Gary Busey in, “The Buddy Holly Story”*

*Shelley Duvall as Olive Oyl in “Popeye.”*

Like all major cities, Houston has had its share of famous celebrities, actors, and athletes. Here’s my list of 20 that you may or may not have known were born in Houston, or the Houston area.

Beyoncé was from Houston’s Third Ward

Patrick Swayze, whose most notable role was in “Dirty Dancing.” He was taken from us when he was way too young!

Randy Quaid, everyone’s favorite cousin. “Shitter’s full!”

Dennis Quaid, who played Jerry Lee Lewis in the movie, “Great Balls of Fire”, among numerous other roles.

Gary Busey, from Baytown, just outside of Houston, gave the best movie portrayal to date of the legendary Buddy Holly.

Kenny Rogers, the Gambler! What more needs to be said?

Hilary Duff, the actress.

Travis Scott, rapper and significant other of Kylie Jenner.

Howard Hughes, the eccentric and reclusive billionaire.

Jennifer Garner, actress and one of the spouses of Ben Affleck. 

Michael Strahan, former NFL Star and current TV host.

Shelley Duvall, actress from, “The Shining”, “Popeye”, and several other movies.

Vince Young, former NFL quarterback.

Anna Nicole Smith. We all know her tragic story.

Jaclyn Smith, one of Charlie’s original Angels.

Phylicia Rashād, wife of Ahmad. Also known to most of us as Clair Huxtable. 

Billy Gibbons, from the Double Z Ranch, and one of the beards of ZZ Top!

Billy Preston, musician who gave us, “Nothing From Nothing”, and, “Will It Go Round In Circles?”

AJ Foyt, champion NASCAR and USAC race car driver and owner.

Tilman Fertitta, owner of the Houston Rockets, and founder of the Landry’s Seafood chain of restaurants. He’s actually from Galveston, but that’s close enough!

The Bissonnet Track

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On this date in history: November 20

In 1789, New Jersey becomes the first state to ratify the Bill of Rights.

In 1815, the Second Treaty of Paris is agreed upon. After the Battle of Waterloo, France agrees to pay reparations. The Napoleonic Wars end.

In 1815, Russia, Prussia, Austria, and England also sign an alliance “for the maintenance of peace in Europe.

In 1817, the First Seminole War begins in Florida.

In 1861, Kentucky’s Confederate Government files an ordinance of secession.

In 1862, the Confederate Armies of Mississippi and Kentucky merge to create the Army of Tennessee under Braxton Bragg.

In 1910, Revolution, led by Francisco I. Madero, breaks out in Mexico.

In 1917, the first successful use of tanks in warfare occurs. The British use tanks to break the German lines in the battle of Cambrai.

In 1928, Boston Garden opens. The Canadians beat the Bruins 1-0.

In 1940, Hungary, Romania, and Slovakia join the Axis Powers.

In 1942, the British 8th Army recaptures Benghazi, Libya.

In 1943, U-538 is sunk in the Atlantic.

In 1943, US forces land on Tarawa and Makin Atoll in the Gilbert Islands.

In 1945, the Nuremberg War Trials begin. 24 former German leaders are put on trial, most for war crimes related to the Holocaust.

In 1949, the Jewish population of Israel reaches 1 million.

In 1962, Mickey Mantle wins his third AL MVP award.

In 1962, the USSR removes bombers from Cuba. The US lifts the blockade.

In 1966, the Dallas Cowboys sack Pittsburgh quarterbacks an NFL record 12 times in one game.

In 1967, Tom Seaver is named NL Rookie of the Year.

In 1968, the US performs a nuclear weapons test in Nevada.

In 1969, Willie McCovey barely beats Tom Seaver for the NL MVP Award.

In 1971, Richard Petty wins the 21st NASCAR Sprint Cup.

In 1975, Ronald Reagan announces his candidacy for the Republican Presidential nomination.

In 1975, Walter Payton rushes for an NFL record 275 yds in one game.

In 1977, Cale Yarborough wins the 27th NASCAR Sprint Cup.

In 1982, 7-yr-old Drew Barrymore hosts Saturday Night Live.

In 1984, Dwight Gooden wins NL Rookie of the Year.

In 1985, Don Mattingly win the AL MVP Award.

In 1989, Robin Yount wins the AL MVP Award.

In 1990, Rickey Henderson wins the AL MVP Award.

In 1992, Windsor Castle, home of the British Royal Family, catches fire.

In 1995, the “Beatles Anthology, Vol. 1” is released.

In 1995, Princess Diana admits in an interview that she cheated on Prince Charles.

In 1997, Eric Lindros of the Philadelphia Flyers tries to bite Marty McSorley.

In 2016, Jimmie Johnson wins his 7th NASCAR Sprint Cup, equaling Richard Perty and Dale Earnhardt 

In 2019, Britain’s Prince Andrew gives in to public outcry over his friendship with Jeffry Epstein, and announces he’s stepping back from public duty.

November 20 is a busy day. There were many more, but this is a brief synopsis.

Who wants a prize?

Post the answer in the comments. To give everyone a fair chance, I’ll stop comments at 9:45am CST tomorrow, and will randomly pick a winner from those who posted the correct answer.

Who am I? (The picture is the Civil War ancestor, not the person the post is about).

1. I am named after my grandfather, who was killed in the American Civil War.

2. I learned a lot about horses and warfare from John Singleton Mosby in my early years. He and I often reenacted Civil War battles.

3. I was an Olympian, but lost my chance for gold in my strongest area of competition when the judges said I completely missed the target on a few of my shots. I argued that I didn't miss, but rather that the shots in question passed through holes in the target.

4. I first met my future commander during tank training exercises in Gettysburg.

5. I believed in the tactics of fast mobility, and always hitting hard and being on the offensive.

6. I also believed that an officer's job was not only to ask the impossible of his men, but to get it out of them.

7. I died in a car accident after the war ended in Europe, and I am buried with my men in Luxembourg.

Good luck!

Buffalo Soldiers

Today’s post comes from a Facebook friend of mine, Allenz Strickland. Allenz tells the story well, so here it goes:

“This post is about the nickname given to African American U.S. Army personnel. For the Bob Marley song.

Buffalo Soldiers originally were members of the 10th Cavalry Regiment of the United States Army, formed on September 21, 1866, at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. This nickname was given to the Black Cavalry by Native American tribes who fought in the Indian Wars. The term eventually became synonymous with all of the African-American regiments formed in 1866:

9th Cavalry Regiment

10th Cavalry Regiment

24th Infantry Regiment

25th Infantry Regiment

Second 38th Infantry Regiment

Buffalo Soldiers of the 25th Infantry Regiment in 1890

Active:

1866–1951

 

9th Cavalry Regiment

10th Cavalry Regiment

24th Infantry Regiment

25th Infantry Regiment

Engagements

American Indian Wars

Spanish–American War

Philippine–American War

Mexican Border War

World War I

World War II

Although several African-American regiments were raised during the Civil War as part of the Union Army (including the 54th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry and the many United States Colored Troops Regiments), the "Buffalo Soldiers" were established by Congress as the first peacetime all-black regiments in the regular U.S. Army] On September 6, 2005, Mark Matthews, the oldest surviving Buffalo Soldier, died at the age of 111. He was buried at Arlington National Cemetery.

Systemic prejudice:

John J. Pershing

General of the Armies John J. Pershing is a controversial figure regarding the Buffalo Soldiers. He served with the 10th Cavalry Regiment from October 1895 to May 1897, starting as a first lieutenant when he took command of a troop of the 10th in October 1895.

In 1897, Pershing became an instructor at West Point, where he joined the tactical staff. West Point cadets upset over Pershing's disciplinary treatment and high standards took to calling him "(N*) Jack," because he had learned to have full respect for black soldiers while leading them. Later during the Spanish–American War, where Pershing served with the 10th for six months in Cuba, the press softened the term to "Black Jack", which they continued to use in World War I.

At the start of the Spanish–American War, First Lieutenant Pershing was offered a brevet rank and commissioned a major of volunteers on August 26, 1898. He fought with the 10th Cavalry (Buffalo Soldiers) on Kettle and San Juan Hills in Cuba and was cited for gallantry.

During World War I, Pershing was the Commander-in-Chief (C-in-C) of the American Expeditionary Force (AEF) on the Western Front. While earlier a champion of the African-American soldier, at this time he did not defend their full participation on the battlefield, but bowed to the racist policies of President Woodrow Wilson, Secretary of War Newton D. Baker, and the Southern Democratic Party with its "separate but equal" philosophy.

Baker was cognizant of the many problems of domestic and allied political involvement in military decision-making during wartime, and gave Pershing unmatched authority to run his command as he saw fit, but Pershing practiced realpolitik carefully where black participation was concerned, not engaging in issues that might distract or diminish his command. Even so, Pershing allowed American soldiers (African Americans) to be under the command of a foreign power for the first time in American history.

The Punitive Expedition, U.S.–Mexico border, and World War I 

World War II 

Korean War and integration 

Medal of Honor recipients (1866–1918) Edit

Memorial to Medal of Honor recipient Corporal Clinton Greaves, 9th US Cavalry, at Fort Bayard, New Mexico

Sgt. John Harris of the 10th U.S. Cavalry with a Sharps rifle, c. 1868.

This list is of the officers and men who received the Medal of Honor due to service with the original units called "Buffalo Soldiers".

Edward L. Baker, Jr.

Dennis Bell

Thomas Boyne

Benjamin Brown

George Ritter Burnett

Louis H. Carpenter

Powhatan Henry Clarke

John Denny

Pompey Factor

Clinton Greaves

Henry Johnson

George Jordan

Fitz Lee

Isaiah Mays

William McBryar

Adam Paine

Isaac Payne

Thomas Shaw

Emanuel Stance

Freddie Stowers

William H. Thompkins

Augustus Walley

George H. Wanton

John Ward

Moses Williams

William Othello Wilson

Brent Woods

This list is of other notable African Americans who served in the original units as "Buffalo Soldiers" from 1866 to 1918.

John Hanks Alexander

Allen Allensworth

Lewis Broadus

Henry Ossian Flipper

Edward W. Pearson, Sr.

Charles Young

Cathay Williams

Today is Buffalo Soldiers Day–proclaimed by President George Bush on 24 July of 1992 and celebrated on 28 July annually thereafter to celebrate the all-black Army regiments’ “outstanding legacy of service.” The Buffalo Soldiers, as Bush acknowledged, are a historically important group best remembered for fighting on American’s western frontier. But “their achievements were not limited to the western United States,” Bush said: Members of the Buffalo Soldiers served in other parts of America and “in places as far-flung as Cuba, Mexico, and the Philippines.” The Buffalo Soldiers fought through both world wars and a number of other conflicts. Throughout all of this, as Bush acknowledged, because of racism “they often received the worst food and equipment and labored without the respect and recognition that were their due.”

There is a great deal more to know about these extraordinary Soldiers as individuals, see my future post that will include more detailed dedications to these individual Soldiers that were essential in the shaping of our Great Nation, ‘Enjoy your Saturday morning Cup of Joe.’”

Assassination

JFK won the election of 1960. After his inauguration, he appointed his brother Robert F. Kennedy (Bobby) as Attorney General. Bobby was tough, and he vowed to go hard after all elements of organized crime in the US, including the Mafia.

This didn’t actually sit well with their father Joe. Joe Sr. had great political power during the FDR Administration. He also made many contacts with organized crime bosses, most notably Sam Giancana, Santo Trafficante Jr, and Carlos Marcello. Giancana was the boss of the Chicago Outfit, one of the most powerful and influential Mafia organizations of the time. 

It has been speculated by many, but never actually proven that Sam Giancana made a deal with Joe Kennedy to get the Chicago dock workers and labor unions to support JFK in the election. Joe is also said to have worked similar deals with people like Trafficante and Marcello. The deal with Giancana, brokered by Frank Sinatra came with a promise; Giancana and the other Mafia bosses would push their people into voting for Jack, and as a result, the Kennedy Administration would basically give the Mafia a free pass to do as they please. It was basically a, “Vote for my son, and I promise that my son will leave you alone!” type of deal.

However, Jack and Bobby didn’t see it that way. Bobby, as Attorney General, started an organized crime task force, and was going after any and all organized crime syndicates. While  Joe made the deal that said that organized crime would be left alone, Jack and Bobby were doing all they could to bring down organized crime syndicates.

As you can expect, this didn’t go over well with people like Trafficante and Giancana. They began to feel that Joe Kennedy was using his son to go after and eliminate all rivals and anyone to whom he owed favors. Instead of having a free reign in which to operate, Mafia bosses were being taken down at near record pace. Bobby’s task force was both ruthless and highly successful in its war on organized crime, and the mob bosses planned to retaliate. 

At 12:30pm local time on the morning of November 22, 1963, Lee Harvey Oswald fired on the Kennedy motorcade from a grassy knoll near a book depository in Dallas, TX. Kennedy was in a car with his wife Jackie, Texas Governor John Connally, and Connally’s wife Nellie when Oswald opened fire.

 As they were driving through Dealy Plaza, Nellie Connaly turned to JFK and said, “Mr. President, you can’t say Dallas doesn’t love you.”

“No, you can’t!” was The President’s reply.

They were the final words he ever spoke. Shots rang out from the grassy knoll. Kennedy was hit. The same shot that hit the President also hit and severely wounded Governor Connally. A second shot hit the President in the back of his head, and was devastating. Pieces of his skull and brains, and a great deal of blood covered the back seat of the limo.

First Lady Jacqueline started to climb out the back of the limo, though she later said she had no recollection of ever doing so. After she was back in her seat, Jackie turned to the Connally’s and said, “They have killed my husband. I have pieces of his brain in my hand.”

The motorcade quickly sped to nearby Parkland Memorial Hospital. The President was pronounced dead on arrival, nearly thirty minutes after the first shot was fired.

The Great War

This is a well written piece by my good friend, Paul Driscoll. It is being shared with his permission. Paul also chose the picture.

“The end of the Great War is largely ignored here in the US, and isn't recognized as a Federal holiday like Memorial Day is in May. It's quite the different attitude in Europe and other parts in the world, where the Great War forever changed the landscapes which are now permanantly scarred with the shell holes and trench lines of over 100 years ago. Unexploded munititions continue to pose a threat in places like France and Belgium, and geopolitically we still live in a world bearing the rotten fruit of the consequences of that war. Nowadays I don't think we do much reflecting on the impact of the Great War and how we live in as much a post-WW1 world as we do a post-WW2 one. 

Personally I'm always inspired by how veterans of the Great War chose to remember it and how the war influenced entire artistic movements in its wake. The Dada and subsequent Surrealist art movements attempted to convey the horror of that war and the existentialist philosophies that stemmed from it and continued to blossom after the Second World War. Some of the greatest anti-war novels of our time were penned in the 1920's and 1930's by veterans such as Remarque and Chevallier. The earliest post-apocalyptic writings also came out of the Great War, as some veterans saw mankind's potential to annihilate itself completely, while other veterans like J.R.R. Tolkien applied their observations and experiences to create fantasy realms who were equally gripped in the throws of total war. The then-burgeoning field of psychology was heavily influenced by the influx of combat veterans suffering from physiological problems caused by "shell shock," and others who were perpetually haunted by nightmares and hallucinations stemming from their traumatic combat experiences. 

And today just as then, we haven't learned any of the lessons of that war. It never was "The War to End All Wars," in fact quite the opposite. The Great War has been the catalyst for many other small and larger conflicts throughout the 20th century and into the 21st. We will always have the scars of the war, and sadly we might continuously be making the mistakes we made back in 1914. 

Lest We Forget.”

On the 11th Hour of the 11th Day of the 11th Month...

...the Armistice took effect. The Great War was over. The Allies were victorious, and the World would once again be at peace. In Europe, foes came together and shared cigarettes, stories, comradeship, and wine. The people rejoiced. 

In the US, this day would be celebrated as a national holiday. Armistice Day, as it was called was recognized a year later by President Woodrow Wilson, who wrote a message that said,

ADDRESS TO FELLOW-COUNTRYMEN

The White House, November 11, 1919.

A year ago today our enemies laid down their arms in accordance with an armistice which rendered them impotent to renew hostilities, and gave to the world an assured opportunity to reconstruct its shattered order and to work out in peace a new and juster set of international relations. The soldiers and people of the European Allies had fought and endured for more than four years to uphold the barrier of civilization against the aggressions of armed force. We ourselves had been in the conflict something more than a year and a half.

With splendid forgetfulness of mere personal concerns, we remodeled our industries, concentrated our financial resources, increased our agricultural output, and assembled a great army, so that at the last our power was a decisive factor in the victory. We were able to bring the vast resources, material and moral, of a great and free people to the assistance of our associates in Europe who had suffered and sacrificed without limit in the cause for which we fought.

Out of this victory there arose new possibilities of political freedom and economic concert. The war showed us the strength of great nations acting together for high purposes, and the victory of arms foretells the enduring conquests which can be made in peace when nations act justly and in furtherance of the common interests of men.

To us in America the reflections of Armistice Day will be filled with solemn pride in the heroism of those who died in the country's service, and with gratitude for the victory, both because of the thing from which it has freed us and because of the opportunity it has given America to show her sympathy with peace and justice in the councils of nations.

WOODROW WILSON. 

The Tradition was established. Armistice Day would be celebrated annually until 1947.

In 1945, WWII veteran Raymond Weeks had the idea to expand the holiday to celebrate all veterans from all wars. Weeks formed a delegation and presented his idea to General Eisenhower. Ike was in favor of a National Veterans Day. 

Weeks led the first national celebration in 1947, and did so every year until he died in 1985. Elizabeth Dole declared that Weeks was “the Father of Veterans Day.” 

A bill establishing Veterans Day as a national holiday passed in Congress. On May 26, 1954 now President Dwight Eisenhower signed the bill into law. Veterans Day was now officially recognized as a national holiday. Congress amended the bill on June 1, replaced the word “Armistice” with “Veterans”, and officially created the day that we now celebrate as Veterans Day.

At various times and for various reasons, the day of the actual Veterans Day observance was changed, but in 1978 it was officially changed back to November 11. It has remained on that day ever since. 

If you see a veteran, thank him or her for their service. We couldn’t be who we are today if they weren’t who they were when called to serve. 

To Mike Nugent, Mike Conklin, Kayla Kreeger, Bob Klokis, Nick “Gunny Pop” Popaditch, CJ Brucker, Shawn Brucker, Rob Field, Chad Sokol, Chuck Van Voorhis II, Dale Dye, Ken Dickson, Little Chad Sokol, Laura Garver, Patrick Gorman, and every other veteran I know, I say  thank you! God bless you! 

2 Flags, 2 Photos, 9 Men, and a Lot of Controversy!

The Marines raised a flag on Suribachi. The Marines then raised another flag on Suribachi. Joe Rosenthal took a picture of the second flag raising. The Secretary of the Navy requested the first flag. Marine Commander “Howlin’ Mad” Smith said, “Like Hell!” The Secretary of the Navy also praised the flag raising, saying, “...the raising of that flag on Suribachi means a Marine Corps for the next five hundred years!”

Fighting on Iwo would last for 31 more days. Nearly 6,000 Marines and Naval personnel would die. Of the original 21,000+ Japanese defenders of Iwo, 214 would be captured, and an estimated 300 would flee. The rest were either killed in battle or committed suicide to avoid capture. 

Of the 6 flag raisers initially identified in the photo of the second flag raising, Mike Strank, Hank Hansen, and Franklin Sousley would die fighting on Iwo Jima. They would not get to participate in the pomp and circumstances that the other three would be forced to participate in.

17 hours after Rosenthal took his photo a copy was transmitted to AP headquarters in NYC and distributed to media entities throughout the US. Associated Press photo editor John Bodkin first saw the photo and said, “Here’s one for all time!”

President FDR saw the photo and decided it would be a valuable tool in the effort to fund the war effort. The US had been supplying our Allies worldwide for nearly six years, and waging war for 3 and 1/2 years. In spite of the six previous war loan drives, the Treasury was nearly bankrupt. More money was needed, but the feeling was that it would be difficult to raise the money needed now that Germany had been defeated. Many people seemingly lost interest because they thought it was soon going to be over. 

Controversy of another kind in regard to the Rosenthal photo also began to develop. After shooting the second flag raising photo, Rosenthal posed some of the men around the flag and took what is now called “the Gung Ho Shot”. It was marked with the identies of every man in the photo, and no one at the time knew how vital this photo would become in the future in regard to correcting mistaken identities.

Word began to spread throughout the US, after people were told that the famous photo was of the second flag raising, that Rosenthal staged the shot, and that it wasn’t as spontaneous as the people were being led to believe. A few days after the photo was taken, Rosenthal was back in Guam. He was asked if he had posed the flag photo, and he said, “Sure!” He thought the question was in regard to the “Gung Ho!” Photo, and not the photo of the flag raising.

Many in the US now began to feel that the photo was a phony, and that it was indeed staged. Robert Sherrod, from Time-Life went so far as to say that Rosenthal should be stripped of the Pulitzer Prize that he had won with his photo.Rosenthal denied the claims and insisted the photo was indeed spontaneous.

Investigations by the media, the War Department, and the Marine Corps itself proved the fact that the photo was legitimate. The 7th War Loan Drive began in earnest.

Ira Hayes, Rene Gagnon, and Doc Bradley were recalled from their duty stations and participated in numerous fund raisers throughout the country. They staged the planting of the flag in DC, NYC, and even at Chicago’s Soldier Field. Crowds were large, and excitement was rampant. The three soon became legendary figures. More importantly, the money began pouring in. 

Ira Hayes began having serious issues with the bond drive and how it was being presented to the public. Speculation now was that he was suffering from severe Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, though that diagnosis was undetermined at the time. Hayes felt that he abandoned his buddies who were still fighting. He also mourned the loss of so many of his fellow Marines, most notably Mike Strank.  He was an Indian from the Pima Reservation in AZ, and he didn’t want to let his people or his heritage down. He began drinking heavily in an attempt to escape his fears, his loss, and his sadness. He was often drunk during the bond drive, and often was in trouble. One particular instance saw a drunken Ira attacking the owner of a diner and some other people with a chair because the diner didn’t serve Indians. Doc Bradley saved him from arrest by telling the police who they were. Hayes’ commanders, however, weren’t impressed with his behavior. They decided that he was a risk to the entire operation, so they sent him back into combat before the war drive was over.

Rene Gagnon had a girlfriend who accompanied the men on the drive. He acknowledged his part in the flag raising, but said he only played a minor part in it. However, he relished the fame the men were gaining on the war drive, and hoped to use it to his advantage when the war was over. 

Doc Bradley reluctantly participated in the war loan drive. He also said that he only played a minor part in the war. He said he was no hero, and that the true heroes were the men who never came home. He never talked about his war experience to his family, he avoided requests for speaking engagements after the war, and he refused to do interviews with the media. His family would turn away reporters at the door, and would tell anyone who called that he wasn’t home. Only after he died did his son James learn about his father’s wartime legacy.

It was during the war loan drive that additional controversy started to arise. There were questions over the identity of the flag raisers. Bradley and Hayes both said that one of the men was misidentified.They said that Hank Hansen was not in the photo. Both said that a Marine named Harlon Block was the true man in the photo. The drive organizers and the Marine Corps dismissed the claim. Block had also been killed in action. Also, it was too late to change things. They would continue under the premise that Hank Hansen was indeed in the photo. 

After he returned from his service, Ira Hayes walked and hitchhiked 1300 miles,  from the reservation in AZ to Welasco, TX. He went to the home of Harlon Block, where he met Mrs. Block and told her correctly that her son was in the photo. She said that she knew it all along. She recognized Harlon when she first saw the photo, but no one she told believed her. The Marine Corps ignored her, and she felt that nothing could be done.

Shortly afterward, the Marine Corps gave into pressure and conducted an internal investigation. Belle Block,Harlon’s mother, had sent a letter to her Congressman telling him what Hayes had told her. She pled with him to not ignore her, and to ask the Marines to investigate. An inquiry was begun. In January of 1947 the Marine Corps officially admitted the mistake. They acknowledged that Harlon Block was indeed in the photo. Hank Hansen was not. This came in large part from an interview they formally conducted with Ira Hayes. They concluded that;

“ Ira remembered what Rene Gagnon and John Bradley could not have remembered, because they did not join the little cluster until the last moment: that it was Harlon [Block], Mike [Strank], Franklin [Sousley] and [Hayes] who had ascended Suribachi midmorning to lay telephone wire; it was Rene [Gagnon] who had come along with the replacement flag. Hansen had not been part of this action.”

During the dedication of the Marine Corps monument on 10 November 1954, Belle Block was invited to and attended the ceremony. Hank Hansen’s mother was not invited. 

This was not the end of the misidentification controversy. In 2016, it was determined after a thorough investigation that Corpsman John “Doc” Bradley was not in the flag raising photo. Franklin Sousley was in the place originally accredited to Bradley. Marine PFC Harold Schultz was now identified as the 6th Marine in the photo. 

This still was not the end of the misidentification controversy. Further investigation revealed that another mistake was made. In October of 2019, the Marine Corps admitted the mistake. Rene Gagnon was not in Rosenthal’s photo, and was not one of the flag raisers. Marine PFC Harold Keller was now put into Gagnon’s place in the photo.

Ira Hayes had a few speaking engagements to Native American support groups, schools, and other such organizations, but he never could escape his PTSD and his alcoholism. He had a small part portraying himself in the movie, “The Sands of Iwo Jima.” On 24 January 1955, Hayes was found dead in a ditch near an adobe hut on the Pima Reservation near Sacaton, AZ. He is buried in Section 34, Grave 479A of Arlington Cemetery. At his funeral Rene Gagnon said of Ira,  "Let's say he had a little dream in his heart that someday the Indian would be like the white man — be able to walk all over the United States."

Hayes was depicted in various movies throughout the years. In 1960, he was played by Lee Marvin in the movie, “The American”. In 1961, he was played by Tony Curtis in the movie, “The Outsider”. In 2006, he was played by Adam Beach in the movie, “Flags of Our Fathers”. He also was the subject of the song, “The Ballad of Ira Hayes.”

What can we learn from all of this? We can learn that no matter how much research is done, mistakes can be made. We also can learn never to stop studying history. Even those who were there can sometimes get it wrong. Question, study, and learn.

I forgot to add that the 7th War Loan Drive was the most successful of all. While the goal was to raise $9 billion, the six-week drive raised more than $26 billion.