Veterans...Get the hell in here now!

Today in Military History:
On August 16, 1945, Lt. Gen. Jonathan Wainwright, (captured by the Japanese on the island of Corregidor, in the Philippines), is freed from a POW camp in Manchuria, China.

When President Franklin Roosevelt transferred Gen. Douglas MacArthur from his command in the Philippines to Australia in March 1942, Maj. Gen. Wainwright, until then under MacArthur’s command, was promoted to temporary lieutenant general and given command of all Philippine forces. His first major strategic decision was to move his troops to the fortified garrison at Corregidor. When Bataan was taken by the Japanese, and the infamous Bataan “Death March” of captured Allies was underway, Corregidor became the next battle ground. Wainwright and his 13,000 troops held out for a month despite heavy artillery fire. Finally, Wainwright and his troops, already exhausted, surrendered on May 6.

The irony of Wainwright’s promotion was that as commander of all Allied forces in the Philippines, his surrender meant the surrender of troops still holding out against the Japanese in other parts of the Philippines. Wainwright was taken prisoner, spending the next three and a half years as a POW in Luzon, Philippines, Formosa (now Taiwan), and Manchuria, China. Upon Japan’s surrender, Russian forces in Manchuria liberated the POW camp in which Wainwright was being held.

(Read below of the O.S.S. involvement (CARDINAL) in the rescue and their task to prevent retaliation to all prisoners being held in Japanese camps in Manchuria. bb)

The years of captivity took its toll on the general. The man who had been nicknamed “Skinny” was now emaciated. His hair had turned white, and his skin was cracked and fragile. He was also depressed, believing he would be blamed for the loss of the Philippines to the Japanese.

When Wainwright arrived in Yokohama, Japan, to attend the formal surrender ceremony, Gen. MacArthur, his former commander, was stunned at his appearance. Wainwright was given a hero’s welcome upon returning to America, promoted to full general and awarded the Medal of Honor.

Operation Cardinal: OSS in Manchuria

A five-man OSS team parachutes into Mukden, Manchuria to rescue American and British POWs during WWII.

www.academia.edu

The OSS' Operation Cardinal: Locating General Jonathan Wainwright

The OSS Cardinal Mission located General Jonathan Wainwright at a Japanese prison camp in Manchuria.

warfarehistorynetwork.com

Jonathan Wainwright, Hero of Corregidor, Rescued By OSS August 1945

n 1945, the OSS had set up specially constructed teams to infiltrate ahead of the allied advance and assist with the freeing of Allied POW camps.

sofrep.com

Further Reading:
Hero of Bataan: The Story of General Wainwright / Duane P. Schultz
General Wainwright's Story / Jonathan M. Wainwright

On August 16, 1940, 48 volunteer members of the U.S. Army Parachute Test Platoon performed the first official U.S. military parachute jump at Fort Benning, Georgia. Today, the date is celebrated as National Airborne Day, a day to honor the U.S. Airborne Forces.

After the first jump, a large force of more 100,000 paratroopers was formed and assigned to the 11th 13th, 17th, 82d, and 101st Airborne Divisions, which fought in every theater during World War II, according to the Department of Defense. Parachutes were an innovative technique used by the Allied Forces, enabling them to deploy troops behind enemy lines. Parachute assaults were key to the US military’s success in the battles for Sicily, Salerno, and D-Day. During the operation into Holland in September, 1944, the airborne forces secured all of their objectives.

Building on the success of the airborne divisions in WWII, the United States military continued to develop this means of enveloping the enemy from above. This approach grew to include Ranger and Special Forces units in the Army, and airborne organizations in the Air Force, Marine Corps, and Navy. Airborne forces have made combat jumps in Korea, Vietnam, Grenada, Panama, Afghanistan, and Iraq. A number of our HFOT Veterans were serving in airborne units when they were injured.

In 2002, President George W. Bush proclaimed August 16 to be National Airborne Day stating: “Airborne combat continues to be driven by the bravery and daring spirit of sky Soldiers. Often called into action with little notice, these forces have earned an enduring reputation for dedication, excellence, and honor. As we face the challenges of a new era, I encourage all people to recognize the contributions of these courageous Soldiers to our Nation and the world.”

Today in Military History:

During the War of 1812, the U.S. Navy frigate Constitution defeats the British frigate Guerrière in a furious engagement off the coast of Nova Scotia. Witnesses claimed that the British shot merely bounced off the Constitution‘s sides, as if the ship were made of iron rather than wood. By the war’s end, “Old Ironsides” destroyed or captured seven more British ships. The success of the USS Constitution against the supposedly invincible Royal Navy provided a tremendous boost in morale for the young American republic.

The Constitution was one of six frigates that Congress requested be built in 1794 to help protect American merchant fleets from attacks by Barbary pirates and harassment by British and French forces. It was constructed in Boston, and the bolts fastening its timbers and copper sheathing were provided by the industrialist and patriot Paul Revere. Launched on October 21, 1797, the Constitution was 204 feet long, displaced 2,200 tons, and was rated as a 44-gun frigate (although it often carried as many as 50 guns).

In July 1798 it was put to sea with a crew of 450 and cruised the West Indies, protecting U.S. shipping from French privateers. In 1803, President Thomas Jefferson ordered the American warship to the Mediterranean to fight Barbary pirates off the coast of Tripoli. The vessel performed commendably during the conflict, and in 1805 a peace treaty with Tripoli was signed on the Constitution‘s deck.

When war broke out with Britain in June 1812, the Constitution was commanded by Isaac Hull, who served as lieutenant on the ship during the Tripolitan War. Scarcely a month later, on July 16, the Constitution encountered a squadron of five British ships off Egg Harbor, New Jersey. Finding itself surrounded, the Constitution was preparing to escape when suddenly the wind died. With both sides dead in the water and just out of gunnery range, a legendary slow-speed chase ensued. For 36 hours, the Constitution‘s crew kept their ship just ahead of the British by towing the frigate with rowboats and by tossing the ship’s anchor ahead of the ship and then reeling it in. At dawn on July 18, a breeze sprang, and the Constitution was far enough ahead of its pursuers to escape by sail.

One month later, on August 19, the Constitution caught the British warship Guerrière alone about 600 miles east of Boston. After considerable maneuvering, the Constitution delivered its first broadside, and for 20 minutes the American and British vessels bombarded each other in close and violent action. After one cannonball bounced "harmlessly" off the side of Constitution, a crew member is said to have yelled "Huzzah! Her sides are made of iron!" The British man-of-war was de-masted and rendered a wreck while the Constitution escaped with only minimal damage. The unexpected victory of Old Ironsides against a British frigate helped unite America behind the war effort and made Commander Hull a national hero. The Constitution went on to defeat or capture seven more British ships in the War of 1812 and ran the British blockade of Boston twice.

After the war, Old Ironsides served as the flagship of the navy’s Mediterranean squadron and in 1828 was laid up in Boston. Two years later, the navy considered scrapping the Constitution, which had become unseaworthy, leading to an outcry of public support for preserving the famous warship. The navy refurbished the Constitution, and it went on to serve as the flagship of the Mediterranean, Pacific, and Home squadrons. In 1844, the frigate left New York City on a global journey that included visits to numerous international ports as a goodwill agent of the United States. In the early 1850s, it served as flagship of the African Squadron and patrolled the West African coast looking for slave traders.

In 1855, the Constitution retired from active military service, but the famous vessel continued to serve the United States, first as a training ship and later as a touring national landmark.

She was restored in the 1920s through the donations and efforts of the Elks Lodge, Hollywood, private citizens, merchandise, and $148,000 came from the pennies of school children who wanted to save “Old Ironsides”.

At first, she was a museum ship, but she eventually returned to active duty. She has since sailed through the Panama Canal, served as a brig for those awaiting court martial, and participated in the United States Bicentennial.

She is currently located at Dry Dock 1 in the Boston Harbor and is manned by six officers and 46 enlisted active duty Navy personnel. It is a special honor to be assigned to the USS Constitution and the crewmen treasure the opportunity. Some of them say the ship talks to them and one former commander says “she’s alive.”

She is the oldest commissioned warship afloat, HMS Victory (a 104-gun first-rate ship of the line of the Royal Navy and flagship of the First Sea Lord) is older but has not sailed in over 100 years and is in permanent dry dock at Portsmouth Naval Yard, England, bb

RIP Joe Galloway

In November 1965, journalist Joseph L. Galloway hitched a ride on an Army helicopter flying to the Ia Drang Valley, a rugged landscape of red dirt, brown elephant grass and truck-size termite mounds in the Central Highlands of South Vietnam. Stepping off the chopper, he arrived at a battlefield that one Army pilot later called “hell on Earth, for a short period of time.”

Mr. Galloway, a 24-year-old reporter for United Press International, went on to witness and participate in the first major battle of the Vietnam War, in which an outmanned American battalion fought off three North Vietnamese army regiments while taking heavy casualties. He carried an M16 rifle alongside his notebook and cameras, and in the heat of battle, he charged into the fray to pull an Army private out of the flames of a napalm blast.
“At that time and that place, he was a soldier,” Maj. Gen. Joseph K. Kellogg said more than three decades later, when the Army awarded Mr. Galloway the Bronze Star Medal for his efforts to save the private. “He was a soldier in spirit, he was a soldier in actions and he was a soldier in deeds.”

BarnBuster said:

Today in Military History:

View attachment 4968500 View attachment 4968501​

During the War of 1812, the U.S. Navy frigate Constitution defeats the British frigate Guerrière in a furious engagement off the coast of Nova Scotia. Witnesses claimed that the British shot merely bounced off the Constitution‘s sides, as if the ship were made of iron rather than wood. By the war’s end, “Old Ironsides” destroyed or captured seven more British ships. The success of the USS Constitution against the supposedly invincible Royal Navy provided a tremendous boost in morale for the young American republic.

The Constitution was one of six frigates that Congress requested be built in 1794 to help protect American merchant fleets from attacks by Barbary pirates and harassment by British and French forces. It was constructed in Boston, and the bolts fastening its timbers and copper sheathing were provided by the industrialist and patriot Paul Revere. Launched on October 21, 1797, the Constitution was 204 feet long, displaced 2,200 tons, and was rated as a 44-gun frigate (although it often carried as many as 50 guns).

In July 1798 it was put to sea with a crew of 450 and cruised the West Indies, protecting U.S. shipping from French privateers. In 1803, President Thomas Jefferson ordered the American warship to the Mediterranean to fight Barbary pirates off the coast of Tripoli. The vessel performed commendably during the conflict, and in 1805 a peace treaty with Tripoli was signed on the Constitution‘s deck.

When war broke out with Britain in June 1812, the Constitution was commanded by Isaac Hull, who served as lieutenant on the ship during the Tripolitan War. Scarcely a month later, on July 16, the Constitution encountered a squadron of five British ships off Egg Harbor, New Jersey. Finding itself surrounded, the Constitution was preparing to escape when suddenly the wind died. With both sides dead in the water and just out of gunnery range, a legendary slow-speed chase ensued. For 36 hours, the Constitution‘s crew kept their ship just ahead of the British by towing the frigate with rowboats and by tossing the ship’s anchor ahead of the ship and then reeling it in. At dawn on July 18, a breeze sprang, and the Constitution was far enough ahead of its pursuers to escape by sail.

One month later, on August 19, the Constitution caught the British warship Guerrière alone about 600 miles east of Boston. After considerable maneuvering, the Constitution delivered its first broadside, and for 20 minutes the American and British vessels bombarded each other in close and violent action. After one cannonball bounced "harmlessly" off the side of Constitution, a crew member is said to have yelled "Huzzah! Her sides are made of iron!" The British man-of-war was de-masted and rendered a wreck while the Constitution escaped with only minimal damage. The unexpected victory of Old Ironsides against a British frigate helped unite America behind the war effort and made Commander Hull a national hero. The Constitution went on to defeat or capture seven more British ships in the War of 1812 and ran the British blockade of Boston twice.

After the war, Old Ironsides served as the flagship of the navy’s Mediterranean squadron and in 1828 was laid up in Boston. Two years later, the navy considered scrapping the Constitution, which had become unseaworthy, leading to an outcry of public support for preserving the famous warship. The navy refurbished the Constitution, and it went on to serve as the flagship of the Mediterranean, Pacific, and Home squadrons. In 1844, the frigate left New York City on a global journey that included visits to numerous international ports as a goodwill agent of the United States. In the early 1850s, it served as flagship of the African Squadron and patrolled the West African coast looking for slave traders.

In 1855, the Constitution retired from active military service, but the famous vessel continued to serve the United States, first as a training ship and later as a touring national landmark.

She was restored in the 1920s through the donations and efforts of the Elks Lodge, Hollywood, private citizens, merchandise, and $148,000 came from the pennies of school children who wanted to save “Old Ironsides”.

At first, she was a museum ship, but she eventually returned to active duty. She has since sailed through the Panama Canal, served as a brig for those awaiting court martial, and participated in the United States Bicentennial.

She is currently located at Dry Dock 1 in the Boston Harbor and is manned by six officers and 46 enlisted active duty Navy personnel. It is a special honor to be assigned to the USS Constitution and the crewmen treasure the opportunity. Some of them say the ship talks to them and one former commander says “she’s alive.”

She is the oldest commissioned warship afloat, HMS Victory (a 104-gun first-rate ship of the line of the Royal Navy and flagship of the First Sea Lord) is older but has not sailed in over 100 years and is in permanent dry dock at Portsmouth Naval Yard, England, bb

USS Constitution in the War of 1812

Additional history resources are listed here.

www.history.navy.mil

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I just watched "Master & Commander" again the other day. The French ship in the movie was based on the Constitution....

doublejj said:

I just watched "Master & Commander" again the other day...

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I did too! If you like that genre of movie, any of the UK produced ones about Horatio Hornblower are pretty good (Based on the C.S. Forester novels). They may not be available to stream but our library had them on DVD's with interesting Special Features included. There were 8 films altogether. Bernard Cornwell was inspired by them to write the Richard Sharpe series (also some films I believe) about the Napoleonic Wars on land. Roddenberry was also influenced by the Hornblower character when he created characters Kirk and Picard for Star Trek.

BarnBuster said:

I did too! If you like that genre of movie, any of the UK produced ones about Horatio Hornblower are pretty good (Based on the C.S. Forester novels). They may not be available to stream but our library had them on DVD's with interesting Special Features included. There were 8 films altogether. Bernard Cornwell was inspired by them to write the Richard Sharpe series (also some films I believe) about the Napoleonic Wars on land. Roddenberry was also influenced by the Hornblower character when he created characters Kirk and Picard for Star Trek.

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That series induced me to read the books.

cannabineer said:

That series induced me to read the books.

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Also the ones by Dewey Lambdin. I had to get books on naval nomenclature of the era to understand what was said.

BarnBuster said:

Also the ones by Dewey Lambdin. I had to get books on naval nomenclature of the era to understand what was said.

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I’ll check the branch library in West Buttscratch.

Here's some of my pics of operation red wings.

hunkered down for ida.

me and my dog,

wife bugged out to dallas.

being i have 10 mature pine and oak trees in striking distance of my house,

gunna be donning my kevlar and vest, get in the cab of my truck , park it in my garage and toke it out.

wascaptain said:

hunkered down for ida.

me and my dog,

wife bugged out to dallas.

being i have 10 mature pine and oak trees in striking distance of my house,

gunna be donning my kevlar and vest, get in the cab of my truck , park it in my garage and toke it out.

Click to expand...

How about your head? Good luck and stay safe bud.

We begged my MIL to allow us to come get her & come north to get through this.
I think a bit of dementia has kicked in and she flatly refused to go anywhere.

And she's in the Bullseye!

I've been through hurricanes & helped clean up in the aftermath of them.
I'm worried for her.