FReeper Canteen - Hall of Heroes: Arthur Wermuth, Part 4 - 18 March 2013

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[AZamericonnie]

 

Our Troops Rock!  Thank you for all you do!

For the freedom you enjoyed yesterday...
Thank the Veterans who served
in The United States Armed Forces.

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Armed Forces Today!

---

~ Hall of Heroes ~

Arthur Wermuth
"The One Man Army of Bataan"
Part 4 - Heroes of Bataan

Info from here.

(Thank you to DeaconBenjamin for bringing this hero to our attention!)

           

Following torturous days in the infamous Bataan Death March, Captain Wermuth was held prisoner of the Japanese, who despite the fact that their most hated enemy was now under their control, feared the One Man Army. Elliott Junior Smelser, a fellow POW recalled in 1993 of his own captivity: "The first year of my captivity I worked on building an airfield for the Japanese. Life was not bad because they were afraid of the Major in Charge. His name was Major Wermuth and the Japanese called him 'Wermuth the Lion'."

After spending time at Cabanatuan, Lipa, Bilibid, and then back to Cabanatuan, in December 1944, Major Arthur Wermuth joined 1,618 of his fellow prisoners aboard the unmarked Japanese prison ship Oryoku Maru, for a voyage to prison labor camps in Japan. On the night of December 14, American airplanes bombed the Oryoku Maru, little realizing more than 1,500 Allied prisoners were aboard. The Japanese beached the vessel, leaving the prisoners and only a few guards on board despite the fact that all of them knew Allied planes would return soon.

The American planes from the U.S.S. Hornet did indeed return the following morning, and, still unaware that the ship contained Allied prisoners, the pilots unleashed a torrent of bombs that killed 300 POWs. Following the attack, the Japanese guard at last allowed the prisoners to abandon ship and swim to shore. Many never made it. Those who did created the pattern of white spots seen on the water in this photograph that was taken from an American airplane from the Hornet shortly after the attack.

Major Wermuth was among the survivors of the first Hell Ship, swimming ashore at Olongapo. All the prisoners were quickly rounded up by their captors, and transported to San Fernando in box cars. Two days after Christmas the Brazil Maru and Enoura Maru crammed more than 1,000 prisoners into their small and filthy holds. The Brazil's most recent cargo had been horses, and the hold was still soiled with un-removed manure. Wermuth was among those that suffered hell in the belly of Enoura Maru, the hold of which was filled with dust and residue from its recent cargo of coal. On December 31 the two ships reached the Formosan harbor of Takao. The Japanese held up there to celebrate the New Year, leaving the prisoners cramped below with little food or water, and no medical treatment, though nearly all prisoners were sick and many had already died.

The Enoura Maru was still at Takao on January 9, 1945, when aircraft from the U.S.S. Hornet again attacked an unmarked Japanese ship, unaware that the bombs they dropped into the front hold immediately killed one half of the 500 Americans crammed into that space. Nearly every man who wasn't killed, including Major Wermuth, were wounded by flying shrapnel. It was friendly fire that netted Wermuth his FOURTH Purple Heart.

For three days the Japanese left the bodies of the American dead where they fell, littering a hold still crammed with wounded and bleeding American prisoners. Finally, on January 12, the dead were carried out and the surviving 890 prisoners were transferred to the Brazil Maru for the final leg of their journey to Japan. By the time the prisoners reached Moji, Japan, there were fewer than 500 survivors from among the 1,691 POWs who had boarded the Oryoku Maru less than a month before. Within three months, another 100 prisoners died of disease and/or wounds received on that tragic journey from prison camps in the Philippines to labor camps in Japan. Fewer than 400 survived the war.

Early in 1945 the U.S. Army changed the status of Major Wermuth from Prisoner of War to Killed in Action, believing the man who had become legendary as the One Man Army of Bataan three years earlier was now a casualty of Japanese brutality. .

Five days after the Japanese surrendered, an American officer stood before a large group of sick, starving, and often still-wounded but now free prisoners. Slowly the names of soldiers long missing in action, or known to have been prisoners of war, were called out. Occasionally a feeble voice would answer "HERE!" Far more often, there was no response at all. "Major Arthur Wermuth," an officer called out loudly, experience having already prepared him only for silence.

"HERE!" came a weak voice from among the throng of prisoners. Arthur Wermuth, the Ghost of Bataan, stepped slowly forward. His 103-pound body was thin, emaciated, and scarred by four combat wounds, as well as the emotional scars that could not be seen, or understood by more than a few who had, like him endured so much. But Arthur Wermuth was still very alive.

Please remember the Canteen is here to honor, support and entertain our troops and their families.  This is a politics-free zone!  Thanks for helping us in our mission! 

[ConorMacNessa]

Aloha, BIGLOOK!



Hand Salute To You, My Brother-In-Arms!

Genuflectimus non ad principem sed ad Principem Pacis!

Listen, O isles, unto me; and hearken, ye people, from far; The LORD hath called me from the womb; from the bowels of my mother hath he made mention of my name. (Isaiah 49:1 KJV)

[BIGLOOK]

[ConorMacNessa]

BAND OF BROTHERS

WORLD WAR II

Members of the 101st Airborne Division "Screaming Eagles"
June 7, 1944 at Ste.Marie du Mont, France

"This day is call'd the feast of Crispian.
He that outlives this day, and comes safe home,
Will stand a tip-toe when this day is named,
And rouse him at the name of Crispian.
He that shall live this day, and see old age,
Will yearly on the vigil feast his neighbours,
And say, "To-morrow is Saint Crispian."
Then will he strip his sleeve and show his scars,
And say, "These wounds I had on Crispin's day."

KOREA

Members of the "Chosin Few", 1st Marine Division
Chosin Reservoir, Korea, December 1950


"Old men forget; yet all shall be forgot,
But he'll remember with advantages
What feats he did that day. Then shall our names,
Familiar in his mouth as household words,
Harry the King, Bedford, and Exeter,
Warwick and Talbot, Salisbury and Gloucester,
Be in their flowing cups freshly rememb'red.
This story shall the good man teach his son;
And Crispin Crispian shall ne'er go by,
From this day to the ending of the world,
But we in it shall be remembered."

VIETNAM

FMF Corpsman D. R. Howe treats the wounds of Pfc. D. A. Crum, "H" Company, 2nd Battalion, Fifth Marine Regiment, during Operation Hue City.


"We few, we happy few, we band of brothers;
For he to-day that sheds his blood with me
Shall be my brother; be he ne'er so vile,
This day shall gentle his condition:
And gentlemen in England now a-bed
Shall think themselves accursed they were not here,
And hold their manhoods cheap whiles any speaks
That fought with us upon Saint Crispin's day."

AFGHANISTAN

Soldiers of the 101st Airborne Division in action, Afghanistan, 2011


"Once more unto the breach, dear friends, once more,
Or close the wall up with our English dead.
In peace there's nothing so becomes a man
As modest stillness and humility;
But when the blast of war blows in our ears,
Then imitate the action of the tiger;
Stiffen the sinews, summon up the blood,
Disguise fair nature with hard-favour'd rage;
Then lend the eye a terrible aspect;
Let it pry through the portage of the head
Like the brass cannon; let the brow o'erwhelm it
As fearfully as does a galled rock
O'erhang and jutty his confounded base,
Swill'd with the wild and wasteful ocean."

(Henry V, Act IV, Scene iii)


THE STRUGGLE AGAINST TYRANNY GOES ON,
AS IT HAS FROM TIMES IMMEMORIAL.
THE BAND OF BROTHERS STILL STANDS FAST IN THE BREACH!

THEY HAVE OUR SIX!

Honor Them For Their Service And Sacrifice!

Genuflectimus non ad principem sed ad Principem Pacis!

Listen, O isles, unto me; and hearken, ye people, from far; The LORD hath called me from the womb; from the bowels of my mother hath he made mention of my name. (Isaiah 49:1 KJV)

[The Mayor]

Freep mail me to be on or off the Daily Bread ping list

Can’t Do Everything
March 18, 2013

Four-year-old Eliana was helping her mom pick up some of Eliana’s things before bedtime. When Mommy told her to put away the clothes on her bed, Eliana hit her limit. She turned around, put her little hands on her hips, and said, “I can’t do everything!”

Do you ever feel that way with the tasks God has called you to do? It’s easy to feel overwhelmed with church involvement, witnessing, and raising a family. We might sigh in exasperation and pray, “Lord, I can’t do everything!”

Yet God’s instructions indicate that His expectations are not overwhelming. For instance, as we deal with others, He gives us this qualifier: “As much as depends on you, live peaceably with all” (Rom. 12:18). God understands our limitations. Or this: “Whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord” (Col. 3:23). He’s not asking for perfection that we might impress people, but simply to honor Him with the work we do. And one more: “Let each one examine his own work, and then he will have rejoicing in himself alone, and not in another” (Gal. 6:4). We are not doing our work as a competition with others, but simply to carry our own load.

In wisdom, God has equipped us to do just what He wants us to do—and that’s certainly not everything!

He gives me work that I may seek His rest,
He gives me strength to meet the hardest test;
And as I walk in providential grace,
I find that joy goes with me, at God’s pace. —Gustafson

When God gives an assignment, it comes with His enablement.

Read: Galatians 6:1-10

Let each one examine his own work, and then he will have rejoicing in himself alone, and not in another. —Galatians 6:4

Bible in a Year:
Deuteronomy 32-34; Mark 15:26-47

[ConorMacNessa]

Red Hanrahan’s Song About Ireland

"The old brown thorn-trees break in two high over Cummen Strand,
Under a bitter black wind that blows from the left hand;
Our courage breaks like an old tree in a black wind and dies,
But we have hidden in our hearts the flame out of the eyes
Of Cathleen, the daughter of Houlihan.

The wind has bundled up the clouds high over Knocknarea,
And thrown the thunder on the stones for all that Maeve can say.
Angers that are like noisy clouds have set our hearts abeat;
But we have all bent low and low and kissed the quiet feet
Of Cathleen, the daughter of Houlihan.

The yellow pool has overflowed high up on Clooth-na-Bare,
For the wet winds are blowing out of the clinging air;
Like heavy flooded waters our bodies and our blood;
But purer than a tall candle before the Holy Rood
Is Cathleen, the daughter of Houlihan."

A Poem by William Butler Yeats

Happy St. Patrick's Day, BIGLOOK!



Six months later - where are the survivors of the massacre at Benghazi? The silence of Obama and his minions on their Fate says more than any story they could put out!

Fiat Justitia, Ruat Coelum!

Genuflectimus non ad principem sed ad Principem Pacis!

Listen, O isles, unto me; and hearken, ye people, from far; The LORD hath called me from the womb; from the bowels of my mother hath he made mention of my name. (Isaiah 49:1 KJV)

[luvie]

Well....of course! :D

[luvie]

Thank you, Galz, for yet another wonderful story about one of our brave and true!

[ConorMacNessa]

FRiends, the chronicle of Major Wermuth's imprisonment brings to mind thoughts that have lain dormant for many a year. General Eisenhower described our campaign in Europe as a "Crusade" - and with good reason. The Japanese were, in my opinion, a far more brutal foe than the Germans in WWII.

Several years ago, I read "Flags Of Our Fathers" by James Bradley, son of the Navy Corpsman who participated in the Flag Raising on Mt. Suribachi. His observations on the barbarity of the Japanese at war were chilling.

Many instances of that brutality have been common knowledge for decades. Yet the Japanese seem not to have confronted this facet of their history. Americans wallow in guilt over the A-Bomb on Hiroshima, an ethical albeit severe stroke to end the war, yet the Japanese have never answered for their repeated atrocities from the Rape of Nanking through the attack on Pearl Harbor, the Bataan Death March, and countless instances of violations of the Geneva Convention in their treatment of POW's. Additionally, they refuse to address the use of civilian prisoners, such as nurses and nuns, as sex-slaves.

I personally have nothing against the Japanese - I just think that it is ironic that we Americans are made to feel guilt for acts that were not wrong while they will not acknowledge guilt for their routine and habitual acts of barbarism.

End of rant.



Six months later - where are the survivors of the massacre at Benghazi? The silence of Obama and his minions on their Fate says more than any story they could put out!

Fiat Justitia, Ruat Coelum!

Genuflectimus non ad principem sed ad Principem Pacis!

Listen, O isles, unto me; and hearken, ye people, from far; The LORD hath called me from the womb; from the bowels of my mother hath he made mention of my name. (Isaiah 49:1 KJV)

[luvie]

Well said, Conor! (((hugs)))

[DeoVindiceSicSemperTyrannis]

I”m Warty O’Bourbon.... :-(

[ConorMacNessa]

GOD BLESS AND PROTECT OUR TROOPS AND OUR BELOVED NATION!


TATTOO
(Click)

Must retire – the 0445 Reveille approaches relentlessly.

The Bugler, his grim visage replete with an evil sneer, already mounts the parapet.

"Do poor Tom some charity, whom the foul fiend vexes!"
(King Lear, Act III, Scene iv)



All Gave Some – Some Gave All!!!
(Click)

Good night, God bless you, and God bless the United States of America!

Godspeed our Troops around the Globe – especially those in harm’s way – by virtue of their service and sacrifice we continue to live in Freedom!

Genuflectimus non ad principem sed ad Principem Pacis!

Listen, O isles, unto me; and hearken, ye people, from far; The LORD hath called me from the womb; from the bowels of my mother hath he made mention of my name. (Isaiah 49:1 KJV)

[luvie]

G’nite! :)

[Kathy in Alaska]

Spent the night...breathing “good”, but by early morning, much more shallow. Then breathing improved in the evening. I went home about 9:30 to shower, eat, and sleep in a bed...mine. Called back to hospice at 10:30pm. Here now, holding his hand and sending everyone’s prayers and “to let go and let God” guide him Home.

Fever and occasional apnea....please pray for his peace and that Our Lord takes him home soon.

[Brad’s Gramma]

Logan's Prayer Warriors... ...please pray for his peace and that Our Lord takes him home soon.

Father, we come before you, thanking you for Kathy's Dad's life. Thank you for all you've done for this good man in his life. We pray now, that if it is Your will, please Lord, take his hand and bring him into Your presence. Jesus, please let him go Home now.

Continue to give Kathy and her family the strength and peace that You have so far. In Your Holy Name, Amen.

[E.G.C.]

BTTT

[E.G.C.]

A very pleasant good morning to everyone at the Canteen and to all our military at home and abroad. Thanks for your service to our country.

((HUGS)Good morning, Ladies. Thanks for this morning's thread, Star. How's it going?

[E.G.C.]

BTTT

[fatima]

We are all praying with you Kathy ((((Hugs))))

[Kathy in Alaska]

((Hugs))

Thank you.

[beachn4fun]

Good morning, Canteen.

Good morning to our

Thank you, Star and Connie Girl,
for preparing the Canteen for today’s activities.
All I can say after the tribute to Arthur Wermuth
is that "if it's not your time, it's just not your time."
God, my heart aches for the American pilots
who dropped the bombs on the prisoner ship...
especially after they found out it was fellow Americans on board.
Hope God was able to give them peace.
And a special place in Heaven.

DC Metroland weather report

~ Today...A mixture of wintry precipitation.
All precipitation should taper off around 9am.
Cloudy with temperatures reaching the upper 30s.
Winds ENE at 5 to 10 mph.
Chance of precip 80%. Snowfall of about half an inch through 12:30pm.

~ Tonight... A steady rain this evening.
Showers continuing overnight.
Low near 40F. Winds SSE at 5 to 10 mph.
Chance of rain 80%. Rainfall around a half an inch.

Harumpf...woke up to snow falling.
Homestead ground and vehicles had light covering.
However, got to DC and nada. Not even rain.

However it is now snowing lightly in DC.

Come on spring!!!!

Needless to say I have to make my rounds
and get to work. Time is flying past me.

But please stay right where you are.
Chat up the military or a family member.
No need to fret...you know I'll be back!

The FR Canteen is

Come in and sit for a while.
There's always plenty of coffee, tea,
pancakes, conversation, silliness,
and plain old BS

REMEMBER THEM ~ DEFENDERS OF FREEDOM

BAXTER, BRUCE RAYMOND
11/9/1967
KIA - Laos - Body not recovered.

FR CANTEEN MISSION STATEMENT

Showing support and boosting the morale of our military and our allied military and the family members of the above. Honoring those who have served before.