Greetings to all at the Canteen!
To all our military men and women, past and present,
Greetings to all at the Canteen!
To all our military men and women, past and present,
Lock and Load: Famous Leader Commands
https://www.theleadermaker.com/lock-and-load-famous-leader-commands/
Since at least 1793, when flintlock weapons were ready to fire as “well locked and loaded,” the phrase Lock and Load has been used by both the military and in general society. I first heard it while watching the John Wayne film Sands of Iwo Jima (1949) when I was about ten years old. For some reason, it impressed me enough to remember the phrase.
Later, while attending Basic Combat Training in the U.S. Army, I again heard the command Lock and Load on the M16A1 Rifle qualification range. Every trip to the firing range, regardless of small-weapon system, the command Lock and Load always seem to be there. But it was many years later that the words gained real meaning when I went into combat.
Sitting in a small base camp, my Combat Engineer unit was preparing for our first trip “outside the wire.” For nearly every member of our team, they were virgins when it came to war. They had never seen combat, and no one knew what the next few hours would bring. Everyone asked themselves the questions: “Will I be killed?” “Will, my friends, be wounded or killed?” and “Will I be a coward or a brave member of my team?”
We called it going into “Indian country;” we were about to face a real enemy with the will, intent, and firepower to destroy you. Your pucker factor ramps up when someone is out there just waiting to kill you. After getting a detailed convoy briefing, double-checking all our gear and vehicles, and lining up at the controlled exit point, we were told by our senior NCO to Lock and Load.
Lock and Load has been a leader command for several centuries, at least in the United States military. The U.S. Army officially started using the phrase in 1940 and was printed in the U.S. Army Field Manual 23-5 for the M1 Rifle, caliber .30.
The phrase carries a less precise meaning in everyday use. Even among us in the military or at home, some say “lock and load” to mean they are ready to do something of significance. If going on a vacation, we might say we are locked and loaded. This would mean we have everything packed and loaded in our vehicle, our car or truck checked out and ready, and every family member briefed on the trip.
This is a famous leader command. And it carries real meaning.
Tank-On-Tank Combat: Destroying Hitler’s Panzer Division | Battle of the Bulge | Harry Miller - American Veterans Center
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=42tacO27He0
While growing up during the Depression, Harry Miller would watch with admiration as Civil War veterans marched in parades in his native Ohio. The sight inspired him lie about his age & join the military. When he applied for active duty, Miller was assigned to Ft. Knox, Kentucky where he joined a mechanized unit.
During WWII, Harry served with the 740th Tank Battalion as a tank crewman. On Oct. 29, 1944, Miller’s battalion departed England & arrived in France via Utah Beach. Seeing little combat at first, Miller feared he had missed most the action. That all changed on Dec 16, when German forces launched their last great offensive or World War II - The Battle of the Bulge.