Posted on 06/01/2019 6:55:03 AM PDT by Oscar in Batangas
Heroes STILL walk among us...just a little slower, and there aren't many of them anymore.
God bless the greatest generation
Thanks but a Kleenex alert would have been nice.
You got that right!
Sam Elliot is really good on the Netflix show The Ranch,
Sam would be my go-to cowboy figure if John Wayne weren’t available, to be sure.
That was Wonderful
Sam would be my go-to cowboy figure if John Wayne weren’t available, to be sure.”””
IF the Spelling Bee can have 8 co-champions-—
You & I & others can have more than 1 COWBOY HERO.
The 16th Infantry Regiment was full of Ray Lamberts. They were known as the Sidewalk Soldiers from their prewar station at Governor’s Island in New York Harbor. Street kids from Brooklyn, the Bronx, Staten Island, and New Jersey filled their ranks and by D-Day, they had already made two amphibious landings and fought across Tunisia and Sicily. They didn’t get to go home after 25 missions, they only went home dead, wounded, or by still standing on V-E Day in Czechoslovakia. Company E, one of the initial assault force on Omaha Beach, left half of their soldiers dead and wounded in the sand before they got off the beach. Today, their successors continue the traditions of their history by serving in Poland. A word of thanks is all they need.
Well I had dozens of them as a kid in the 50s
Sam is admirably carrying on a noble tradition
I am a fan also.
I saw a recent film of his. The Man Who Killed Hitler and then Bigfoot.
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt7042862/
He basically was a 007 type hero in WW2 and was called upon to track down and kill a disease spreading Bigfoot.
The movie had some cool action and period costumes/acting.
You might enjoy a different type of film of his. I doubt that it will win an award but just mind candy.
Sounds cool i’ll have to check it out on my next night off.
$0.99 on amazon...
A few years ago I wrote this about a chance encounter with a hero named John. Thank you John and Sgt. Lambert. Freedom rings because of soldiers like you.
Memorial Day weekend has become one of my favorite special weekends. For so many years I treated it like any other holiday - it was a time to reflect on the reason, and then get on with the weekend. But after the experience I had several years ago, it has become a weekend of being attuned and aware of those that sacrifice(d) parts of their life, limbs, and obtained scars of battle. Now, I do my best to focus my weekend on the needs of those that served, or are still serving. I owe a debt that i can never repay.
Two years ago I wrote about my “conversion” experience of a few years before that. It is below.
“Guy Jackson
July 1, 2015 ·
“A few years ago I was asked to go to Fort Benning to pin a Nephew’s “Ranger” tab on his sleeve at Ranger Graduation. He completed the rigorous training after West Point, and before two tours in Afghanistan. After initially protesting his choice (I told him it was something his parents should do) he successfully persuaded me to be the one. He told me that completing Ranger School was more about endurance than strength or speed; and, he said, I had endured more than anyone he knew. I told him that he must not know many people. But, this is not about him. Lessons I’ve learned from him will be written about in the future.
“This story is about the incredible man I met while traveling to Fort Benning.
“I left Oklahoma City on an airplane that was completely full. As was my custom, I took my aisle seat. I was toward the rear of the plane (behind the wings) about Row 24-25. Next to me was an older man (I later discovered he was 83 years old) that appeared fit. I did notice he had hobbled as he was coming down the aisle. He reminded me of a few of my clients. My itinerary was to fly to Memphis, and then continue on to Birmingham, and motor to Fort Benning.
“Shortly after wheels up, I began a conversation with him. He was traveling to Memphis for the wedding of a grandchild. His wife of 50+ years had died the year before, so he was traveling alone. He told me he didn’t fly often; the last time was in 1946. I thought nothing of it and we continued talking about his Granddaughter.
“He asked me about my planned travel. I shared with him about my Nephew graduating from Ranger school. He seemed to become more interested. I told him with pride that my Nephew had selected me to pin his tab on his shoulder. He was very familiar with the process, and assured me it was quite an honor that I was asked. When he heard about my Nephew, and some of my comments in support of our troops in Afghanistan and Iraq, the wall collapsed. His story came out.
“John (that is the only name he ever gave me) was a survivor of D-Day. You might recall that D-Day was the day on which the expulsion of Germany from Europe was launched. He had been in the initial assault. He was one of the few survivors landing on Omaha Beach. History tells us there were over 10,000 casualties that day, and almost 4,500 deaths. He shared with me the fear, and the proud patriotism he had as a young man. He shared with me the macabre scene of landing in water, wading through blood and bodies, and scaling a wall to get into the fight.
“He was a small part of a “team” that would liberate the world. He was on the point of the spear. He undoubtedly saw more in two days than most of us see in a lifetime.
“John beamed with pride about my respect for him, and my Nephew. He told me he had no regrets for anything he had done. We discussed the difference in our generations, and the undercurrent that is not easily seen. I felt as if there were decades of emotion still walled within him. My sense was that he enjoyed telling his story, but never wanted to tell it to someone who would be rough and not cherish it. Like many in his generation, he wanted to be accepted for who he was and not for what he did.
“Towards the end of the flight I went forward to use the lavatory. While waiting, I spoke to the flight attendant at the front. I told her about John, and mentioned I thought it would be a nice gesture if he was allowed to exit the plane first.
“I returned to my seat. We landed, and taxied to the gate. When we got there, and after seat belts were unlatched, and passengers were buzzing and standing, the pilot’s voice came over the PA system. He said, “This is Captain Williams. It was a pleasure for me to be your pilot today. But I have a special favor to ask you. Today, we are honored to have among us a survivor of the D-Day invasion. Sir, all of us are deeply indebted to your service and sacrifice. I would ask that we honor him by allowing him to exit first.” Then he called him by full name, and mentioned his seat number. I suppose someone had gotten the information from the manifesto.
“All the passengers returned to their seats and started scanning the plane for the real, live, hero.
“I nudged John, and told him we were all waiting for him. Wiping his tears he mumbled “Thank you.” He departed the plane. As he got to the front door, the pilot and co-pilot (both retired Air Force) emerged from the cabin and gave a robust salute; a salute of respect.
“The remainder rose and left. When I got to the front door, the pilot stopped me and told me that he was glad I brought it to their attention. I exited the plane, and walked to the end of the ramp. John was there, waiting for me. He had more tears. The pilots had radioed ahead of landing, and hundreds of travelers had gathered at the gate to welcome this hero. He was moved beyond any expectation. So was I.
“I’ve not seen John since that day. But, I think of him every June 6. There were several attributes he had that was part of his DNA.
“LESSONS:
“1. Making sacrifices for others could affect much more than we think.
2. Sometimes we are so self-absorbed that we don’t recognize the greatness of others that surround us.
3. Great tasks require great commitment from small components.
4. It is never to late to say Thank You.
5. The cost of recognizing supreme sacrifice is negligible.
6. Others will happily join in, if someone shows vulnerability. It empowers others.
“John had an exciting story. I’m glad he shared it with me. I’m confident he had been recognized before, but never without pre-warning, and never at an airport gate. His tears reflected the depth of the love he had/has for his country. I’m glad fate put us together for 2 hours. I continually marvel at the trust he and his fellow soldiers had in their superiors. They had their role, and they unselfishly completed their job.”
So, this weekend, pay extra attention to those who served. You might remember that I wrote about Steve (a homeless vet living in a tent city in San Diego) a few weeks ago. I’m going to San Diego next weekend and look for him again.
Those that read this, and are among those who served our country, thank you.
My most often contact with these men started about age twelve when my dad began taking me out golfing on the weekends. There was a man who used the first golf cart I ever saw, because as a brigade commander of the 41th infantry in New Guinea he was debilitated by sickness. I remember one fairly good golfer who had kind of a weird back swing. I found out he was crippled while serving with the Big Red One in Sicily. My Economics professor in college served with one of the first UDT teams clearing barricades and mines in the surf zone before Pacific landings. I often ended up as a dishwasher at the country club and noticed the chef always limped as he moved around the kitchen. He saw my puzzled look, and said he got the limp from a wound received when he was with the Rangers at Pointe De Hoc. Those are just a few of the stories I remember among so many others I could tell or have forgotten.
The Magnificent Infantry of WW II May 29
The Army deployed 65 infantry divisions for the Second World War. Each was a small town with its own equivalents for community services within eight categories of combat arms. Units such as artillery, engineering, and heavy weapons engaged the enemy directly. Yet of all categories, the foot soldier faced the greatest hazard with the least chance of reward.
These civilians become warriors confronted the most dismal fate of all whose duty was uninterrupted by missions completed or a fixed deployment time. The infantryman was enveloped within a most deranged, barbaric, and brittle existence against a resolute enemy where victory often required actions pushing beyond prior limits for impossibility. Except for the Purple Heart and the coveted Combat Infantryman’s Badge, recognition often eluded these common men become citizen soldiers because so few came through to testify to the valor of the many.
Omar Bradley said, “Previous combat had taught us that casualties are lumped primarily in the rifle platoons. For here are concentrated the handful of troops who must advance under enemy fire. It is upon them that the burden of war falls with greater risk and with less likelihood of survival than any other of the combat arms. An infantry division of WW II consisted of 81 rifle platoons, each with a combat strength of approximately 40 men. Altogether those 81 assault units comprised but 3,240 men in a division of 14,000…..Prior to invasion we had estimated that the infantry would incur 70 percent of the losses of our combat forces. By August we had boosted that figure to 83 percent on the basis of our experience in the Normandy hedgerows.”
Nearly a third of the 65 divisions in the Pacific and European theaters suffered 100% or more casualties. However, their regimental staffs saw frontline units obliterated three to six times over. To deal with this problem there were never enough infantrymen coming from the states, though large numbers were transferred from Army Service Forces and Army Air Forces to Army Ground Forces. Replacement centers overseas continually reassigned artillerymen, machine gunners, cooks, and clerks to infantry duties. The situation in Europe became so severe that rear area units in France and Great Britain were tasked to supply soldiers for retraining as infantrymen. Those suffering battle fatigue came off the line for a few days for clean uniforms, bathing, hot food, and sleep. However, scarcity compelled their repeated return until crippling wounds, mental breakage, death, or victory brought final relief.
For example the 4th and 29th Infantry landed on D-Day and suffered about 500% battle casualties in their rifle platoons during the eleven months until VE-Day. Added to these numbers were half again as many non-battle human wrecks debilitated by trench foot, frost bite, pneumonia, hernia, heart disease, arthritis, etc. Many never returned to duty. In the jungles of the Pacific, non-combat losses often exacted a greater price. But somehow the infantry crossed Europe and the Pacific and always remained in the forefront of attacks.
Ernie Pyle said of them, “The worst experience of all is just the accumulated blur, and the hurting vagueness of being too long in the lines, the everlasting alertness, the noise and fear, the cell-by-cell exhaustion, the thinning of the surrounding ranks as day follows nameless day. And the constant march into the eternity of one’s own small quota of chances for survival. Those are the things that hurt and destroy. But they went back to them because they were good soldiers and they had a duty they could not define.”
Partial bibliography: A Soldier’s Story by Omar N. Bradley
Brave Men by Ernie Pyle (the quote named Tommy Clayton, but was generalized here because Ernie Pyle saw him as an example of the infantrymen he loved.)
Crusade in Europe by Dwight D. Eisenhower
The U.S. Infantryman in World War II by Robert S. Rush
Foot Soldier by Roscoe C. Blunt, Jr.
Links for Listings of United States Divisions during WW II http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_United_States_Army_divisions_during_World_War_II http://www.historyshots.com/usarmy/
Army Battle Casualties and Non-battle Deaths in World War II http://www.ibiblio.org/hyperwar/USA/ref/Casualties/index.html
3rd 'Marne' Infantry Division http://www.custermen.com/ItalyWW2/Units/Division3.html
Total casualties greater than 34,000 National 4th Infantry (IVY) Division Association http://www.4thinfantry.org/content/division-history Total casualties of 34,000
29th Infantry Division http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/29th_Infantry_Division_(United_States)
45th Infantry Division http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/45th_Infantry_Division_(United_States)
Remembering the Thunderbirds – Oklahoma’s 45th Infantry Division http://www.baptistmessenger.com/remembering-the-thunderbirds-oklahomas-45th-infantry-division/ Total casualties of 62,640 When Gen. George S. Patton described the 45th Infantry Division, he said it was “one of the finest, if not the finest infantry division in this history of modern warfare.”
Very good essay. When the war ended on V-J Day, 95 divisions of all types, including the 6 Marine Divisions, had been mobilized and deployed overseas. None remained in the United States. Only one division, the 98th Infantry Division, had not seen combat and it was in Hawaii readying for the invasion of Japan.
I hope your two posts will inspire FReepers to overwhelm the server with patriotic and uplifting Memorial and D-Day tributes. Our country could use a double dose of inspiration’
Humidity 125% at my eyeballs....
Thank you for posting that.
My 19 year old Uncle went to France for D-Day. He was killed on July 4th and is buried over there. Your story touched me and made me cry. Grateful tears.
I forwarded your post to my cousin Jane, whose Dad served as a cook and once. Said that he would have followed General Patton to hell and back!
I forwarded your post to my cousin, Jane, whose Dad served as an army cook in WWII. He once said that he would have followed Patton “to hell and back!”.
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