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. 

Raising the Flag on Suribachi!

On 19 February 1945, the USMC began the assault on the island of Iwo Jima. This small, volcanic island would at first glance appear to be insignificant, but it had on it an airfield, and US commanders knew that the airfield would be necessary as a safe haven for any aircraft participating in the aerial assault of the Japanese islands. Iwo also was considered sovereign Japanese territory, so by invading Iwo Jima, the US was actually invading Japan.

The Japanese defenders on Iwo had crafted a great defense system. Throughout the island, there was a series of bunkers, trenches, foxholes, and tunnels. Marines found that as they defeated the enemy in a certain area and moved on, they would often again be attacked from the rear by other Japanese soldiers who moved in from the tunnels. The 21,000+ Japanese defenders were well prepared and willing to fight to the death to secure the island from invasion.

Mt. Suribachi was the most prominent feature on the island. Standing at 546ft above sea level, occupiers of Suribachi had a commanding view of the entire island, as well as the area around it. Japanese used it as an observation point from which to call in artillery strikes on invading Marines, so it became the initial focal point of the attack.

On February 23, a platoon of Marines made it to the top of Suribachi. They had brought with them an American flag. They used pipe and rocks, and a few of them raised the flag atop Suribachi. This brought a great amount of cheering from the Marines and other US forces on the island, and ultimately every naval ship in the invasion force joined in by blowing their horns, while the crews cheered and waved.

The Japanese near and in the tunnels on Suribachi were alerted, and the Marine patrol soon came under fire. They neutralized the fire and pushed the Japanese back in short order, and the celebrations continued.

The Secretary of the Navy, James Forrestal saw the flag, and decided that he wanted it as a souvenir. Upon hearing this, the commander of the 2nd Marine Battalion, Holland “Howlin‘ Mad” Smith said, “To hell with that!”

Forrestal went ashore with Smith and said, “Holland, the raising of that flag on Suribachi means a Marine Corps for the next five hundred years!”

The first flag had been raised by a patrol of 40 men under 1st Sgt. Harold Schrier. The patrol left at 8am, and the first flag was raised at around 10:15. Schrier would later receive the Navy Cross for his actions on Iwo Jima.

Marine Sergeant Mike Strank was given orders by “Howlin’ Mad” Smith to find a replacement flag, take a few men up the hill, replace the first flag, and bring it back to him. At 54 inches by 28 inches, the first flag was difficult to see from afar. 

Strank sent PFC Rene Gagnon on a mission to find a new flag, and Gagnon delivered. He found a flag that was 96 inches by 56 inches on one of the ships moored at the beach and was given permission to take it.

Strank, Gagnon, and three other Marines went up Suribachi. They were running a phone line to the top of the hill. They also were going to replace the first flag. 

When they reached the top, Strank told the Marines there to find a pole and give him a hand. They found a long section of pipe, tied the flag to it, and took the first flag down.

A group of five other Marines assisted Strank in raising the second flag. Photographer Joe Rosenthal was with the Marines, and managed to take one of the most iconic photos in US history. He captured on film the raising of the second flag, but at the time, he had no idea how famous his photo would become.

When asked about later it, Rosenthal remarked, “ Out of the corner of my eye, I had seen the men start the flag up. I swung my camera and shot the scene. That is how the picture was taken, and when you take a picture like that, you don't come away saying you got a great shot. You don't know.”

The 6 Marines in the flag raising photo were later identified as:

USMC Sergeant Mike Strank

                           Hank Hansen

                           Franklin Sousley

                           Ira Hayes

                           Rene Gagnon

USN Corpsman John “Doc” Bradley

No one knew at the time the legacy that this photo would create, and ultimately the controversy that would be generated as a result.

“Happy Birthday, USMC!”

Chesty wants to remind you that today is the 245th birthday of the USMC. Formed in 1775 in the Tun Tavern In Philadelphia, PA, the Marine Corps legacy lives on today. 

Happy Birthday, USMC! You’ve aged well. Here’s to 245 more years!

By the way, look for a two-part post on the Iwo Jima flag raising, the resulting controversy, and the 7th War Bond Drive later today.

Birthday of the USMC and Veteran’s Day...

Due to 10 November being the birthday of the United States Marine Corps, and 11 November being Veteran’s Day, we will be taking a break from our ongoing Kennedy series of posts. Parts 4 and 5 (required due to the scope of the narrative) will resume on Thursday.

JFK and the Election of 1960

John Fitzgerald Kennedy, also known as JFK, or Jack was the second oldest of the Kennedy sons. His father Joe had his Presidential hopes come to an end when his pro-Nazi sentiments were leaked to the Nazis. His plan to have his oldest son, Joe Jr elected to the Presidency ended when the younger Joe had his plane shot down by the Germans and died.

What now? JFK was also serving in the US Armed Forces. He was serving in the Pacific, and became a national hero after the sinking of his boat, PT-109, and his subsequent rescue. He received a Purple Heart while in the service of his country, but refused the Bronze Star Medal. When asked how he became a famous war hero, Jack often answered, “I let the Japanese cut my boat in half!”

But, as is often the case, there is more to this story. He had applied for enlistment in the Naval Academy in 1940, but was rejected due to back troubles. He lobbied his dad, who had great political power in the FDR administration, to get him in. After repeated pressure by Joe, young Jack was finally admitted. 

Joe Sr. hoped to use his son’s war service for political gain. He first became a US Representative, and later a junior Senator, but Joe wanted more. He wanted his son in the Oval Office, and was willing to do whatever it would take to get him there. 

Getting JFK in the White House was a major project, as the Republican nominee in 1960 was Richard M. Nixon. Nixon was Eisenhower’s Vice President, and was the favorite in the race. JFK also had a few things going against him. He was only 42, and his experience was questionable. He also was Catholic in a time when Catholics were looked upon with great scorn. JFK’s boyish good looks won over many, and he ultimately won a highly contested and very close race against Nixon. His age made him the youngest President elected to the office. 

His younger brother Bobby was his campaign manager, and he ran a marvelous campaign JFK and Bobby seemingly disagreed on only one thing. Bobby was highly against having Lyndon B. Johnson as JFK’s running mate. He saw Johnson as being anti-labor union, and knew that Jack would need the support of the unions to win the election. 

Joe Sr didn’t care. He had connections in the labor unions, he had great wealth, he had numerous contacts in organized crime syndicates, and he was willing to do whatever it would take for JFK to win the election. 

More to come...

Joe Kennedy, Sr.

Joe Kennedy was the patriarch of the wealthy and powerful Kennedy political family. I’ll probably catch flak for this, but we all know how Joe made a large share of his money. Internet sites like Wikipedia will surely dismiss the claims, but during Prohibition, Joe made his money bootlegging. He bought, distributed, and sold illegal alcohol. 

He wasn’t alone. Many people during the time did exactly the same thing. However, dealing in an illegal and highly lucrative activity required a lot of friends. Joe acquainted himself with many organized crime bosses. It’s speculated by many that Joe had dealings with people like Al Capone and Lucky Luciano. Joe used these dealings to establish strong ties to Mafia bosses. Names like Sam Giancana and others would become common when mentioning Joe Kennedy. (Mob boss Sam Giancana called Joe, “the biggest crook who ever lived”).

After Prohibition ended, Joe kept control of three large alcoholic beverage corporations. He also became heavily involved in the stock market. He became chair of the Securities and Exchange Commission under FDR, and was said to have used knowledge gained from his position to cash out big before the stock market crash of 1929.

At the start of WWII, Joe took criticism for his desire of appeasing the Nazis and trying to force non-intervention by the US. These desires would later come back to haunt him. Joe had been named by FDR as Ambassador to the Court of St. James. At first, the British welcomed him and openly supported his appointment. However, as word of his pro-Nazi sentiment spread, Joe was vilified and demonized by the British population. He was described by a British senior Foreign Office figure as “a very foul specimen of double-crosser and defeatist (who) thinks only of lining his own pocket”.

Joe had political aspirations. He had hoped to challenge FDR for the Presidency, but those hopes were thwarted when it was learned that confidential letters from Joe to FDR that expressed his pro-Nazi sentiments had actually been leaked to Germany itself.

Joe’s political aspirations, with the eventual goal of occupying the White House now fell upon his oldest son, Joseph Jr,. Joe Jr, however, was killed in action when he was shot down over Britain by the Germans after the US entered the war.

Joe Sr. didn’t give up. He had other sons. His next-in-line son was John Fitzgerald Kennedy. JFK was in the war, served in the Navy, and received heroic accolades after the PT-109 incident. The nation now knew who he was. 

Joe was determined to put JFK in the White House, and was willing to do anything in his power to make it happen!

The Kennedy Family

Before we get into any of this, let me remind you all that a lot of what I’m going to post is personal opinion. Also, due to complexity of the topic, this story will be covered in four parts. First will be the intro. Second will be a bio of Joe Sr. Third will be the story of JFK and how he won the election.  Finally, we’ll conclude with my personal theory of the assassination. Feel free to question it. Feel free to post your own theory in the comments. Feel free even to say that I’m wrong. It is a topic of great debate.

By the way, I didn’t just go out and decide this on my own. Instead, have drawn my own personal conclusions from years of research, and from talking to people, like my parents, who were there. 

I feel that these posts are relevant due to our current election and potential scandal, but that’s not where I’m going. We will wait until this one is resolved before I say anything about it. 

However, corruption in US elections is nothing new. Some say it doesn’t happen or is exaggerated. Others say it’s a common occurrence that we’ve been conditioned to accept. As in many things, the truth lies somewhere in the middle. 

The 1960 Presidential Election is one of the most significant elections in our history. John Fitzgerald Kennedy, a wounded, decorated war hero beat Richard Millhous Nixon, another WWII veteran and a man who had served as Vice President under Dwight Eisenhower. By winning, Kennedy became the youngest elected President in our nation’s history. He also was the first catholic elected to the office.

Kennedy’s election was contentious at best. He also, as we all know, was assassinated shortly into his term. Conspiracy theories of all types abound in regard to the Kennedy assassination. Who ultimately was responsible for his death? Why was he killed? Was the assassination of his brother Bobby Kennedy in 1968 related to JFK’s assassination? Many theories exist, but no one can say what happened with any real degree of certainty. We know three things. JFK was elected. JFK was assassinated. Lee Harvey Oswald, JFK’s killer, was killed before he could stand trial. 

By all accounts, Nixon was the favorite in the 1960 election. He was Ike’s VP, and Ike ran a successful Presidency, ending the Korean War, upgrading our infrastructure, and setting the basis for our nationwide interstate highway system. Ike was relatively free of political scandal. Nixon was hoping to use the momentum gained from his partnership in Ike’s administration and easily be elected. 

Yet, he lost. Kennedy won a very close race. How did it happen? More in Part 2.