FReeper Canteen ~ Hall of Heroes: Sky Soldiers ~ November 26, 2012

Serving The Best Troops and Veterans In The World !! | StarCMC

[Kathy in Alaska]

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~ Hall of Heroes ~

Sky Soldiers
173D Airborne Brigade

All info and photos from this website.

           

BRIGADE HISTORY

 

The 173D Airborne Brigade was activated on the island of Okinawa on March 26, 1963. From its beginning, it proved to be an aggressive and unique unit led by (then) Brigadier General Ellis W. Williamson who established realistic training throughout the Pacific Region.

The "TIEN BING," as the Nationalist Chinese paratroopers called the 173d, loosely translated to SKY SOLDIER, made thousands of parachute jumps in a dozen different Pacific area countries. The Brigade was the first Army ground combat Unit sent to the Republic of South Vietnam in May, 1965. The major portion of the brigade landed at Bien Hoa Airfield and found an area that had been battered frequently by enemy raids and shelling attacks.

The 1st and 2nd Battalion of the 503rd Parachute Infantry Regiment along with the 3rd Battalion of the 319th Artillery.  comprised the foxhole strength of the 173d. They were well supported by their own Support Battalion and Troop E, 17th Cavalry, D Company, 16th Armour.  The First Battalion of the Royal Australian Regiment, and the 105 Field Battery, 1 RAR AUST Group were later attached to the Brigade during the first year.  In Late August, 1966, the 173d received another Infantry Battalion, the 4th, 503rd which arrived from Ft. Campbell, Kentucky. A 3rd Battalion was formed in early 1967 at Fort Bragg, N.C. and was shipped to Vietnam to join the Brigade on October 2, 1967. 

In the combat operations to follow, the paratroopers made their superb training payoff. They were the first to go into War Zone D to destroy enemy base camps. They introduced the use of small, long range patrols. They fought the battles of the Iron Triangle, conducted the only major combat parachute jump in the Tay Ninh area, and blocked NVA incursions during some of the bloodiest fighting of the war at Dak To during the summer and fall of 1967, culminating in the capture of Hill 875. Elements of the brigade conducted an amphibious assault against NVA and VC forces as part of an operation to clear the rice-growing lowlands along the Bong Song littoral.

The troopers of the 173D Airborne Brigade (Sep) wear their combat badges and decorations with pride. During more than six years of nearly continuous combat, the brigade earned 14 campaign streamers and four unit citations. 13 Medal of Honor winners, over 6,000 Purple Hearts, the only Combat Parachute Assault of the War, and sadly, over 1700 names of Sky Soldiers on THE WALL. The Brigade was deactivated on January 14, 1972 at Ft. Campbell, Kentucky.

The Brigade was reactivated in 2000 in Vicenza, Italy. No longer a separate Brigade, the 173d became the Southern European Task Force, early intervention element for Europe, Africa and portions of Asia, just as the original unit had the same responsibility in the Pacific prior to deployment to Vietnam. Operation Iraqi Freedom found the Brigade making it's second combat jump. This time into Northwest Iraq to secure the Northern Airfield and area. A year later it was subsequently redeployed to Italy to refit and retrain for deployment to Afghanistan where it is currently engaged in combat operations.

 

RECIPIENTS OF THE MEDAL OF HONOR

SGT Larry S. Pierce 20 September 65	PFC Milton L. Olive 22 October 65	Sp5/SFC Lawrence Joel 8 November 65
Sp4 Alfred Rascon 16 March 66	SGT/CSM Charles B. Morris 29 June 66	SP4 Don L. Michael 8 April 67
PFC John A. Barnes III 12 November 67	MAJ (Chaplain) Charles J. Watters 19 November 67	PFC Carlos J. Lozada 20 November 67
SSG Laszlo Rabel 13 November 68	CPL Terry T. Kawamura 20 March 69	SP4 Michael R. Blanchfield 3 July 69
	SSG Glenn H. English, JR. 7 September 70

 

Click the link for the video, with an introduction by Kris Kristofferson.  This song is the story of a Sky Soldier.

 Big & Rich - 8th of November video

Said goodbye to his mamma
As he left South Dakota
To fight for the Red, White, and Blue.
He was nineteen and green with a new M-16
Just doing what he had to do.

He was dropped in the jungle
Where the choppers would rumble
With the smell of napalm in the air.
And the sergeant said, "Look up ahead"

Like a dark, evil cloud
1,200 came down
on him and 29 more.
They fought for their lives
But most of them died
In the 173rd Airborne.

(Chorus)
On the 8th of November,
The angels were crying
As they carried his brothers away.
With the fire raining down
And the Hell all around
There were few men left standing that day.
Saw the eagle fly,
Through a clear, blue sky
1965, the 8th of November.

Now he's fifty-eight
And his ponytail's grey
But the battle still plays in his head.
He limps when he walks,
But he's strong when he talks
About the shrapnel they left in his leg.

He puts on a grey suit
Over his Airborne tattoo
And He ties it on one time a year
And remembers the fallen,
As he orders a tall one
And swallows it down with his tears.

(Chorus)
On the 8th of November,
The angels were crying
As they carried his brothers away.
With the fire raining down
And the Hell all around
There were few men left standing that day.
Saw the eagle fly,
Through a clear, blue sky
1965, the 8th of November.

Saw the eagle fly,
Through a clear, blue sky
1965.

(Chorus)
On the 8th of November,
The angels were crying
As they carried his brothers away.
With the fire raining down
And the Hell all around
There were few men left standing that day.

(Chorus)
On the 8th of November,
The angels were crying
As they carried his brothers away.
With the fire raining down
And the Hell all around,
There were few men left standing that day.
Saw the eagle fly,
Through a clear, blue sky
1965, the 8th of November.

The 8th of November
The 8th of November

He said goodbye to his mamma
As he left South Dakota
To fight for the Red, White, and Blue.
He was nineteen and green with a new M-16
Just doing what he had to do.
 

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]

REST IN PEACE, FALLEN BROTHER!



SSgt. Rayvon Battle, Jr., USA, 38th Engineer Company, 4th Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division, KIA Afghanistan 13Nov2102



I have fought a good fight,
I have finished my course,
I have kept the faith.
2 Timothy 4:7 (KJV)

God Of Our Fathers



Rest in Peace, fallen brother, rest in peace!
We who remain hold you in high honor.
Rest, fallen brother, in this sacred precinct;
We who remain keep this place sacred.
Rest, fallen brother, among these, your comrades;
We who remain keep the watch.
Rest, fallen brother, among these who answered the Nation’s call;
We who remain press the fight forward in your name.
Rest, fallen brother, lay down thy burden;
We who remain have taken up the torch.
Rest in Peace, fallen brother, rest in eternal peace!



Taps

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)

[Kathy in Alaska]

HELLO!!!

Good evening, ML...((HUGS))...any good yard sales this weekend? Did Linda get some turkey?

Now it’s back to work.

[ConorMacNessa]

REST IN PEACE, FALLEN BROTHER!



Spc. Joseph A. Richardson, USA, 1st Battalion, 28th Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division, KIA Afghanistan 16Nov2012



I have fought a good fight,
I have finished my course,
I have kept the faith.
2 Timothy 4:7 (KJV)

God Of Our Fathers



Rest in Peace, fallen brother, rest in peace!
We who remain hold you in high honor.
Rest, fallen brother, in this sacred precinct;
We who remain keep this place sacred.
Rest, fallen brother, among these, your comrades;
We who remain keep the watch.
Rest, fallen brother, among these who answered the Nation’s call;
We who remain press the fight forward in your name.
Rest, fallen brother, lay down thy burden;
We who remain have taken up the torch.
Rest in Peace, fallen brother, rest in eternal peace!



Taps

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

Love Finds A Way
November 26, 2012

Years ago I saw a cartoon that depicted a sour, disgruntled, elderly gentleman standing in rumpled pajamas and robe at his apartment door. He had just secured the door for the night with four locks, two deadbolts, and a chain latch. Later he noticed a small white envelope stuck beneath the door. On the envelope was a large sticker in the shape of a heart. It was a valentine. Love had found a way.

Only love can change a person’s heart. The Russian author Dostoevsky, in his book The Brothers Karamazov, tells the story of a hardened cynic, Ivan, and his resistance to the love of God. On one occasion his brother Alyosha, a man of deep faith who was confounded by his brother’s resistance, leans over and kisses Ivan. This simple act of love burned into Ivan’s heart.

Perhaps you have a friend who is resisting God’s love. Show His love to him or her, just as God showed love to us when He brought salvation into the world through Jesus. Shower upon others the kind of love described in 1 Corinthians 13—a love that is patient, kind, humble, and unselfish.

Authentic love is a gift from God that we can keep on giving.

Teach me to love as Thou dost love,
And let the whole world know
That Jesus Christ lives in my heart,
His glorious light to show. —Brandt

God pours His love into our hearts to flow out to others.

Read: 1 Corinthians 13:4-13

Love never fails. —1 Corinthians 13:8

Bible in a Year:
1 Corinthians 13-16

[ConorMacNessa]

Welcome To All Who Enter This Canteen, To Our Serving Military, To Our Veterans, To All Military Families, To Our FRiends and To Our Allies!



Missing Man Setting

“The Empty Chair”

By Captain Carroll “Lex” Lefon, USN (ret), on December 21st, 2004

“In the wardroom onboard the aircraft carrier from which I recently debarked was a small, round table, with single chair. No one ever sat there, and the reasons, both for the table being there, and for the fact that the chair was always empty, will tell the reader a little bit about who we are as a culture.The wardroom, of course, is where the officers will dine; morning, noon and evening. It is not only a place to eat – it is also a kind of oasis from the sometimes dreary, often difficult exigencies of the service. A place of social discourse, of momentary relief from the burdens of the day. The only things explicitly forbidden by inviolable tradition in the wardroom are the wearing of a cover or sword by an officer not actually on watch, or conversation which touches upon politics or religion. But aboard ships which observe the custom, another implicit taboo concerns the empty chair: No matter how crowded the room, no matter who is waiting to be seated, that chair is never moved, never taken.

The table is by the main entrance to the wardroom. You will see it when you enter, and you will see it when you leave. It draws your eyes because it is meant to. And because it draws your eyes it draws your thoughts. And though it will be there every day for as long as you are at sea, you will look at it every time and your eyes will momentarily grow distant as you think for a moment. As you quietly give thanks.

AS YOU REMEMBER.

The small, round table is covered with a gold linen tablecloth. A single place setting rests there, of fine bone china. A wineglass stands upon the table, inverted, empty. On the dinner plate is a pinch of salt. On the bread plate is a slice of lemon. Besides the plate lies a bible. There is a small vase with a single red rose upon the table. Around the vase is wound a yellow ribbon. There is the empty chair.

We will remember because over the course of our careers, we will have had the opportunity to enjoy many a formal evening of dinner and dancing in the fine company of those with whom we have the honor to serve, and their lovely ladies. And as the night wears on, our faces will in time become flushed with pleasure of each other’s company, with the exertions on the dance floor, with the effects of our libations. But while the feast is still at its best, order will be called to the room – we will be asked to raise our glasses to the empty table, and we will be asked to remember:

The table is round to show our everlasting concern for those who are missing. The single setting reminds us that every one of them went to their fates alone, that every life was unique.

The tablecloth is gold symbolizing the purity of their motives when they answered the call to duty.

The single red rose, displayed in a vase, reminds us of the life of each of the missing, and their loved ones who kept the faith.

The yellow ribbon around the vase symbolizes our continued determination to remember them.

The slice of lemon reminds us of the bitterness of their fate.
The salt symbolizes the tears shed by those who loved them.
The bible represents the faith that sustained them.
The glass is inverted — they cannot share in the toast.
The chair is empty — they are not here. They are missing.

And we will remember, and we will raise our glasses to those who went before us, and who gave all that they had for us. And a part of the flush in our faces will pale as we remember that nothing worth having ever came without a cost. We will remember that many of our brothers and sisters have paid that cost in blood. We will remember that the reckoning is not over.

We many of us will settle with our families into our holiday season, our Christmas season for those who celebrate it, content in our fortune and prosperity. We will meet old friends with smiles and laughter. We will meet our members of our family with hugs. We will eat well, and exchange gifts and raise our glasses to the year passed in gratitude, and to the year to come with hope. We will sleep the sleep of the protected, secure in our homes, secure in our homeland.

But for many families, there will be an empty chair at the table this year. A place that is not filled.

WE SHOULD REMEMBER.”

Thanks To Alfa6 For Finding The Narrative Of “The Empty Chair.”

Robert Schumann – “Traumerei”
(Click)

Never Forget The Brave Men And Women Who Gave Their Lives To Secure Our 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)

[BIGLOOK]

Honoring Our Fallen

[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)

[ConorMacNessa]

GOD BLESS AND PROTECT OUR TROOPS AND OUR BELOVED NATION!


TATTOO
(Click)

Must retire – the 0500 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!



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)

[Kathy in Alaska]

OK...I’m back. Got a “help” from my Mom....the paper is stuck in the printer. Got that fixed, emptied the downstairs trash, got all the plastic in the recycle barrel while I was down there. Now I’m hungry. Gonna have to do something about that pretty soon.

Did you get some good rest today? Did you bring turkey home?

[Kathy in Alaska]

Thanks, Nana Hope, for today's Pledge…((HUGS)). Thanks, AfghanMan and Penguin Girl, for your service to America.

[Kathy in Alaska]

TAPS

RIP

Spc Ryan P Jayne, USAR
178th Engineer Battalion, 412th Theater Engineer Command

Amazing Grace

[luvie]

Great thread, Galz! I’ve always they were part brave and part crazy!

Jumping out of a perfectly good airplane? Not this gal!

[Kathy in Alaska]

TAPS

RIP

SPC Bret E Gonnewicz, USAR
178th Engineer Battalion, 412th Theater Engineer Command

Amazing Grace

[luvie]

Nite, Conor! (((hugs)))

Have a good week, Early Bird! :)

[Kathy in Alaska]

Aloha, Hawaii...((HUGS))...any visitors over the week end? Mainland family all well after Thanksgiving?

Hope you are getting the game live.

[Kathy in Alaska]

TAPS

RIP

Capt James D Niehl, USA
2nd Battalion, 16th Infantry Regiment,
4th Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division

Amazing Grace

[Kathy in Alaska]

TAPS

RIP

SSgt Kenneth W Bennett, USA
3rd Ordnance Battalion (EOD)

Amazing Grace

[Kathy in Alaska]

Good evening, Luv...((HUGS)...I agree about jumping out or airplanes. But thanks be that we have such heroes who are willing to jump out of those airplanes to help protect America. Thank you to the 173rd Airborne Sky Soldiers!!

[Kathy in Alaska]

TAPS

RIP

Sgt Matthew H Stiltz, USA
1st Battalion, 28th Infantry Regiment,
4th Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division

Amazing Grace

[Kathy in Alaska]

God Bless you good, Mac. Good night and rest well. Thanks for helping honor our troops, past and present.
Thank you for your service to our country.