The FReeper Foxhole Profiles Brigadier General Frederick Funston - Dec. 29th, 2003

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[SAMWolf]

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Brigadier General Frederick Funston
(1865-1917)

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Frederick Funston (1865-1917) stood only five feet, four inches tall. However, his small stature did not get in the way of his adventuresome drive. Despite his failure to pass the entrance exam or meet the minimum height requirement in order to gain admission into the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, Funston did manage to gain military experience fighting as an expedicionario alongside Cuban insurgents. In such, Funston's famed career with the military commenced.

Baby Frederick Funston

Born in Ohio, Funston grew up in the southwestern Kansas town of Iola. After two semesters at Kansas State University, Funston began a series of odd jobs for newspapers and the railroads. Funston grew frustrated by the lack of sufficient action and "all of the reading and listening you have to do." By the late 1880s, he worked as a botanist in the Dakota Badlands for the U.S. Department of Agriculture - the first of such expeditions that led to similar assignments in Death Valley, Yosemite and Alaska. The adventure he had been seeking finally began.


Frederick Funston, William Allen White, and other University of Kansas friends

In 1896, Funston joined with the Cuban rebels and participated in 22 battles. Funston was then appointed colonel of the volunteer 20th Kansas Infantry Regiment. They were sent to the Philippines to fight the Filipino nationalists who were conducting an "insurrection" against the U.S. after gaining control of the Philippines following the Spanish American War.

The 20th Kansas regiment trained at the Presidio. Their tent camp was located in the Camp Miller area (now called Tennessee Hollow because the 1st Tennessee volunteers also occupied the same area ). Funston described camp life at the Presidio: "Everywhere was sand, sand, sand, deep and fine, blowing into tents, getting into food." Funston called the 20th Kansas Infantry Regiment "Kansas scarecrows" because they lacked uniforms and sophistication which made them a local joke. The press reported that San Franciscans would visit the camp to ask the soldiers, "Who is your tailor?" to enjoy the reply "We don't have none of them things in Kansas."


Eda Funston with sons Frederick II and Arthur.
Credit: Kansas State Historical Society

Funston met his wife, Eda Blankart while his unit was training at the Presidio. He proposed and they were married two days later. Two weeks after their wedding, Funston and the Kansas 20th sailed to Manila.

Military Notoriety

The 20th gained distinction under Funston's leadership after engaging in 19 battles in less than a year earning the title "Fighting Twentieth." During the battle of Calumpit, Funston directed his men across the 400 foot-wide Rio Grande de Pampanga River by establishing a rope ferry and towing rafts on the tied ropes. Funston was on the first raft to cross the river through heavy gunfire to confront the revolutionaries on the other side. He and two privates earned Medals of Honor. The newly promoted Brigadier General Funston and his 20th Kansas volunteers returned home as national heroes.


Frederick Funston as a Cuban Insurrectionist

But Funston soon returned to Philippines and led a controversial, covert operation that would further increase his fame. He and a small team of soldiers posed as prisoners with 90 Filipinos disguised as rebels and marched to the headquarters of rebel leader and elected President Emilio Aquinaldo. They then entered and fired upon the guards. As Aquinaldo was captured, he said, "Is this not some joke?" The publicity of these actions caused Mark Twain to write his sarcastic "In Defense of General Funston." Twain opposed occupation in the Philippines and found Funston's tactics particularly deceitful. Nonetheless, Funston became a hero and a proponent of American influence in the Philippines. He began a speaking tour that chastised the anti-imperialists. Funston's speeches caused President Teddy Roosevelt to write an April 1902 letter to the Secretary of War, "I think that General Funston will have to be requested not to make any more public speeches…he expresses himself at times in a way that is very unfortunate."

1906 Earthquake

Funston returned to the Presidio as commander of the Department of California, under division command of Maj.Gen. Adolphus W. Greely. On April 18, 1906, the day of the infamous San Francisco earthquake, Greely was attending his daughter's wedding in Chicago and Brigadier General Frederick Funston was in command of the Presidio.


Brigadier General Frederick Funston (third from front left) with staff at the Presidio following the earthquake.
Credit: National Archives and records Center, General Greely Album

The severity of the earthquake destroyed the center of the city, and over 300,000 people were left homeless. Funston immediately ordered the mobilization of troops surrounding military installations. He took command of local relief and law enforcement. Funston also directed the dynamiting of buildings to create firebreaks. Acting without state or national authority, Funston was later criticized for many of his actions: Colonel Morris, Post Commander of the Presidio, said of Funston's actions, "He'd better look up his Army Regulations…nobody but the President of the United States in person can order regular troops into any city." He was, however, instrumental in the establishment of communications, sanitation, medical facilities, housing and reestablishing general order to a destroyed city. Again, he was regarded as a national hero; "The man who saved San Francisco."

Later Years

Funston's military career continued to progress. From 1908-1910, he was commandant of the Army Service School, and then commander of the department of Luzon in the Philippines. In 1914, Funston led 5,000 troops into Vera Cruz, Mexico during the Mexican border conflict, was appointed military governor of that city, and promoted to Major General. Funston also supervised Brig. General John J. Pershing's 1916 "Punitive Expedition" of Francisco "Pancho" Villa.



Funston died of a heart attack in a San Antonio hotel near his headquarters at Fort Sam Houston, Texas at the age 51. He lay in state at the Alamo and under the San Francisco City Hall rotunda. (He was the first person to lay in state in the San Francisco City Hall.) Presidio cannons fired thirteen times and city activity stopped for two respectful minutes. He was buried in full dress uniform at the Presidio cemetery.

[SAMWolf]

A Desperate Undertaking:
Funston Captures Aguinaldo

Following the acquisition of the Philippines from Spain after the Spanish-American War, the United States became embroiled in a bloody and increasingly frustrating and unpopular campaign against Filipino insurgents. Many of the Filipinos initially welcomed the Americans as liberators and had expected independence once the American forces defeated Spain. Instead, the U.S. government decided to annex the Philippines. On 4 February 1899, two days before the Senate ratified the annexation treaty, Filipino soldier were fired upon by a U.S. sentry in Manila, opening what became known as the Philippine Insurrection.



At first, the U.S. Army found the poorly armed and organized rebels no match and repeatedly beat them in battle. Finally realizing that they could not defeat the Americans in conventional, set-piece battles, the insurrectos discarded their ragged uniforms, blended into the general population, and adopted guerrilla tactics. The Americans were largely unprepared for this change in tactics. The insurrection became a series of ambushes, reprisals, and patrol actions in the jungles. American soldiers who fell into rebel hands faced various hardships, including torture and murder. In retaliation, American troops would sometimes destroy suspect villages.

The insurrection would eventually take a heavy toll on American troops, as well as Filipino guerillas and civilians. By the time the rebellion was suppressed in 1902, over 6,000 American soldiers were killed or wounded, a figure that far exceeded the casualties of the Spanish-American War. Filipino losses were estimated at over 16,000. Furthermore, as the insurrection raged on, many Americans became vehemently opposed to U.S. involvement in the Philippines and America's drift towards imperialism. For the U.S., the rebellion in the Philippines became the most divisive conflict in U.S. history between the Civil War and Vietnam.

Yet, despite the unpopularity and divisiveness of the conflict, the insurrection featured one of the most daring exploits in U.S. Army history. In an extremely risky mission, a small force of American soldiers, disguised as prisoners of war, ventured deep into enemy territory and captured Emilio Aguinaldo, the elusive rebel leader and self-proclaimed President of the Philippine Republic, in March 1901. With Aguinaldo captured, the rebels lacked the necessary leadership to successfully continue the struggle against the Americans, and, for all intents and purposes, the insurrection was finished.


Aguinaldo

The mission to capture Aguinaldo was devised and led by BG Frederick C. Funston, a general in the Volunteers, who had already had a distinguished, and somewhat colorful, military and civilian life. He was born in Ohio in 1865 and raised in Kansas. After attending University of Kansas (he never graduated), he landed a series of jobs, including newspaper reporter, coffee planter in Central America, and special agent of the Department of Agriculture. This last assignment took him to such places as Death Valley and Alaska, where he made a 1,500 mile canoe trip down the Yukon River.

While passing through New York City in early 1896, Funston volunteered to join the Cuban rebels fighting against Spain. Despite the fact that he had no experience with artillery, Funston enlisted as an artillery officer. After a few weeks in an attic with a small artillery piece and an instruction manual, Funston learned enough to qualify. In August 1896, he was smuggled into Cuba. In eighteen months, Funston fought in four major battles and many smaller engagements. He was wounded several times, once through the lungs, and had a horse fall on him, leaving him with a permanent limp. He was eventually promoted to lieutenant colonel. Funston's experiences in Cuba taught him a great deal about tactics, but also provided him with the basic concepts regarding the strategy and tactics of guerilla warfare.

In 1898 Funston returned to Kansas to drum up support for the Cuban rebels. When the U.S. declared war on Spain, Funston was given command of the 20th Kansas Volunteer Infantry. His regiment was ordered to San Francisco for possible deployment to the Philippines. Funston, however, was ordered to Tampa to be debriefed by MG William R. Shafter, who commanded the American forces assembled for the invasion of Cuba. Upon arriving in Tampa, Funston received a chilly reception from Regular Army officers, particularly Shafter, who viewed Funston as more of a roughneck adventurer than a soldier, and who generally dismissed the effectiveness of the Volunteers.


Funston (seated) with American Officers who captured Aquinaldo.
Credit: Kansas State Historical Society

Funston and the 20th Kansas eventually shipped out to the Philippines, but they did not arrive until 30 November 1898, long after hostilities had ceased. Funston and his men anticipated a couple of months of occupation duty around Manila before returning home.

The outbreak of open rebellion by the Filipinos, under the leadership of the disgruntled Emilio Aguinaldo, changed Funston's plans. In the early campaigns against the insurrectionists, Funston distinguished himself in several battles. On 27 April 1899, Funston's bravery at the Battle of Calumet earned him a Medal of Honor. He was subsequently promoted to brigadier general of Volunteers, partly because of a glowing recommendation by BG Arthur MacArthur.

When the Volunteers were mustered out in September 1899, Funston came home with his unit but returned in December. Funston was assigned to command the 4th District of Luzon. By late 1899, conventional warfare had given way to guerrilla operations. Drawing on his experiences in Cuba, Funston launched a successful counterinsurgency campaign against the Filipino rebels, destroying supplies, building an efficient intelligence system, and conducting constant patrols. Throughout 1900, Funston's operations gradually reduced the strength of the guerrillas, but a small, elusive, hardcore, group, centered on Aguinaldo, remained at large. Until Aguinaldo and his officers were eliminated, the insurrection would continue. The situation forced Funston to resort to drastic measures.


Frederick Funston after Aguinaldo's capture, 1901

The intelligence break that led to the eventual capture of Aguinaldo came on 8 February 1901. While at his headquarters in San Isidro, Funston learned of the surrender of a small group of rebels in a nearby village. At first, the surrender of the insurgents did not draw much attention, as rebels deserted to the Americans on a fairly regular basis. Funston soon learned, however, that this particular group was commanded by Cecilio Segismundo, a trusted messenger of Aguinaldo. Even more important was the fact that Segismundo carried dispatches from Aguinaldo.

Realizing the potential importance of this development, Funston ordered Segismundo and the dispatches to his headquarters. Under questioning, Segismundo revealed that Aguinaldo could be found in his headquarters in the village of Palanan, located in the mountains of northern Luzon. In addition, he stated that Aguinaldo had no more than fifty guards in the village.

Uncertain whether Segismundo was telling the truth, Funston then examined the dispatches, which were in code. The messages were signed with the names "Pastor" and "Colon Magdalo," code names often used by Aguinaldo. The handwriting used in the signatures was unmistakably Aguinaldo's, so Funston and his staff quickly concluded that the dispatches were genuine.

[SAMWolf]

With this information in hand, Funston and his staff began to formulate a plan for Aguinlado's capture. Funston first suggested landing a force near Palanan and marching overland to the rebel headquarters, but Segismundo warned him that any force landed in the vicinity would be quickly detected and provide Aguinaldo with plenty of time to flee.



Funston quickly devised an alternate plan. He decided to disguise a group of loyal Filipinos as the reinforcements Aguinaldo requested in his captured dispatches and send them to Palanan. Funston and a few other American officers, disguised as prisoners of war, would accompany them. The plan was submitted to the American headquarters and approved by BG MacArthur. While supporting Funston's plan, MacArthur realized the extreme risks involved and worried for his friend's safety. Later, as Funston and his party prepared to depart, MacArthur grabbed Funston's hand and said, "Funston, this is a desperate undertaking. I fear that I shall never see you again."

Funston's plan called for disguising a small group of Macabebes, a Filipino tribe loyal to the Americans who also despised Aguinaldo's Tagalogs, as insurgents and marching them with the "captured" Americans to Aguinaldo's headquarters. The "Little Macs," Funston's nickname for the Macabebes, could also speak Tagalog in addition to their own dialect. They were equipped with captured rifles and dressed in peasant garb, since few rebels wore uniforms.

While Funston was actually in command of the column, it would appear to be under the command of Filipino officers. Funston recruited several Filipinos to pose as officers, including Segismundo, Hilario Tal Placido, Dionisio Bato, and Gregorio Cadhit. Placido had served as a rebel officer until he took an oath of loyalty to the U.S. and knew Aguinaldo personally. In addition to the Filipinos, Funston recruited Lazaro Segovia, a Spaniard who had helped decode the captured dispatches. To act as the American prisoners, who would pose as privates, Funston selected four officers, including his personal aide and first cousin 1LT Burton J. Mitchell, CPT Harry W. Newton, who was familiar with the Palanan area, and brothers CPT Russell T. Hazzard and 1LT Oliver P.M. Hazzard.


General Funston and aides take a meal in the field, early 1900s

On the evening of 6 March 1901, the gunboat Vicksburg sailed out of Manila Bay with Funston and his party onboard. Upon reaching the landing point near the village of Casiguran on 12 March, Funston's men were to paddle ashore in three small boats. Heavy seas, however, swamped the boats. To get the men ashore, the Vicksburg had to approach the beach at night. Fortunately, the landing went undetected, and by the morning of 14 March, with Vicksburg safely out to sea, Funston's column set off for Casiguran.

After a short but difficult march, the column reached the village the following day. The "rebels" were welcomed by the villagers. While the column rested and gathered supplies for the trek to Palanan, Funston sent two forged messages to Aguinaldo. One, which appeared to have been sent by Placido, described the encounter that netted the American prisoners and stated that Placido was bringing them to headquarters for questioning. The other, allegedly from Urbano Lacuna, one of Aguinaldo's subordinates, stated that in accordance with instructions from Baldomero Aguinaldo, he was sending eighty men to Palanan under the command of Placido, Segovia, and Segismundo. This second message was consistent with instructions contained in the captured messages decoded by Funston and his staff in San Insidro.



Several problems arose during the stopover in Casiguran. Funston heard that Palanan had been reinforced by 400 men. Despite the increased odds, Funston convinced his men that the element of surprise would compensate for the disparity in numbers. Another problem was that the villagers could only provide three days of rations, and it would take seven days to reach Aguinaldo. Because of their tight schedule (Vicksburg was scheduled to arrive in Palanan Bay on 25 March), Funston decided to continue on with what the column had on hand and supplement the rations with whatever they could. A third problem arose when Funston's guide deserted during the first day out of Casiguran. Fortunately one of the Casiguran bearers knew the way to Palanan and the column pressed forward.

As Funston's men marched on, their progress was greatly hampered by the poor weather and rough terrain. The men were allowed only two meals per day in order to stretch the rations. Just as Funston's men had reached the limits of their endurance, Aguinaldo himself came to rescue. He had received the forged messages and had ordered his chief of staff, Simon Villa, to meet the column. Upon his arrival, Villa told the starving men that provisions would be arriving. There was some bad news, however, as Villa stated that the prisoners would kept in the village of Dinundungan. At the same time, Funston's spirits were raised when he learned that the 400 men that were to reinforce Palanan never arrived.


Nov. 11, 1899 Harper's Weekly Cover

That night, Funston put his forger's skill to use again. He produced a letter stating that the prisoners were to be brought to Palanan. The message was to be carried back to the camp by one of the Little Macs and was to arrive an hour after the column departed for Aguinaldo's headquarters. The next morning, the ruse went as planned, and Funston and the other Americans were sent up with ten Macabebes who had remained as guards.

As Funston and his men made their way to Palanan, they narrowly avoided a group of rebels sent to guard the prisoners in Dinundungan. In the meantime, the "rebel" officers of Funston's column had crossed the rain-swollen Palanan River and made their way to Aguinaldo's headquarters. Aguinaldo greeted Placido and Segovia and took them to his residence. Placido gave a long, time consuming account of the Filipinos' victory over the Americans. At the same time, Segovia nervously watched the crossing of the rest of the column, hoping that the plan would not be betrayed before the force was across the river.



Once across, the Little Macs formed ranks and marched towards Aguinaldo's guards. At the right moment, Segovia gave the signal by waving his hat and calling out to the men. In an instant, the Macabebes opened fire, killing two guards and scattering the rest.

Aguinaldo, thinking that the shots were intended as a salute to the newcomers, moved towards the window to order the guards to conserve their ammunition. As he did, Placido tackled him and wrestled him to the ground. At the same time, Segovia rushed back in from the balcony where he had given the signal. By then, Aguinaldo's officers began to recover from their shock and started to draw their weapons. Segovia immediately fired six shots from his revolver, killing two rebels. The others quickly surrendered or jumped out the windows to escape.

Funston's small group arrived at the river crossing just as the gunfire erupted and crossed quickly. Funston's intervention spared several of Aguinaldo's men from the Little Macs who were more than willing to fight it out with the rebels. Inside the headquarters, Funston found Aguinaldo pinned to the floor with the stocky Placido sitting on him. Aguinaldo quickly realized what had happened and meekly surrendered. Two of his chief officers were also taken prisoner.



With the mission almost over, Funston and his party rested and helped themselves to food left behind by the villagers who had fled when the shooting began. On the morning of 25 March, Funston's column rendezvoused with Vicksburg in Palanan Bay and set sail for Manila.

During the trip to Manila, Aguinaldo admitted to Funston that he had been completely fooled by the phony dispatches. He later confided that he could "hardly believe myself to be a prisoner" and that he was gripped by a "feeling of disgust and despair for I had failed my people and my motherland."

On 28 March, Vicksburg arrived in Manila Bay with Funston's party and its three prisoners. The news of Aguinaldo's capture was a cause for great excitement in Manila and across the U.S. By the spring of 1901, the American public had grown weary of a conflict which appeared to hold no promise for a conclusion. Funston's actions provided hope that an end to the struggle was in sight. Yet Funston's exploits also received condemnation by some who opposed American occupation of the Philippines. Some perceived Funston's methods as treacherous and underhanded. Mark Twain, who wrote a sarcastic diatribe entitled "In Defense of General Funston," took issue with Funston's "begging for food then capturing his benefactor."


Brig. Gen. Funston in San Francisco, Calif. in 1906

But despite the attacks on Funston, the fact remained that the capture of Aguinaldo was the most important development of the Philippine Insurrection. Without him, the rebellion had lost its center of gravity. On 19 April 1901, Aguinaldo issued a proclamation calling for the rebels to lay down their arms and accept American sovereignty. Not all did, but the insurrection had been greatly weakened. On 4 July 1902 President Theodore Roosevelt proclaimed the Philippine Insurrection officially over. Despite the proclamation, fighting continued for several more years against the Muslim Moros in the southern Philippines.

For his daring expedition, Funston was recommended for brigadier in the Regular Army, which he received in December 1901. He later went on to distinguish himself by helping to restore order to San Francisco after the devastating 1906 earthquake. He served as military governor of Veracruz, Mexico, during the American occupation (21 April-25 November 1914). After receiving a second star on 17 November 1914, he was appointed Commander of the Southern Department, supervising Army operations along virtually the entire Mexican border. After Pancho Villa's raid into New Mexico in 1916, Funston ordered BG John J. Pershing to lead an expedition into Mexico to apprehend him. In early 1917, with the possibility of American involvement in the war raging in Europe becoming more likely, it appeared that Funston would be named commander of any U.S. expeditionary force sent to Europe. This, however, was not to be. On 19 February 1917, while dining at a hotel in San Antonio, Funston suddenly collapsed and died of heart failure.

Few actions in the history of the U.S. Army can match the drama of Funston's capture of Aguinaldo. Through skillful use of intelligence, sheer resourcefulness, and a tremendous amount of raw courage, Funston and his small party marched through the heart of enemy controlled territory and captured the leader of the Filipino insurrectionists in his own headquarters. While Funston would continue to distinguish himself throughout his Army career, he would always be best known for his daring exploits in the Philippines.

Matthew J. Seelinger

Additional Sources:

www.armyhistoryfnd.org
www.sfmuseum.org
www.kshs.org
www.ku.edu
skyways.lib.ks.us
webcat.library.wisc.edu

[SAMWolf]

Frederick N. Funston’s service record compiled in 1903 by the Adjutant General’s Office.

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Born in Ohio, September 11, 1865

Entered the service as:

Colonel, 20th Kansas Volunteer Infantry, 13 May, 1898

Appointed Brigadier General, U.S. Volunteers, 1 May, 1899

Appointed Brigadier General, U.S. Army, 1 April, 1901

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Service :

Commanded his regiment en route to and at San Francisco, California to October 27, 1898, when he sailed with it for the Philippine Islands, arrived Manila Nov. 30, and served there-into September 3, 1899, being in command of the 1st Brigade, 2d Division, 8th Army Corps, May 22 to July 4, 1899.

He was absent sick and on leave, September 3 to December 26, 1899.

In command of the 3d Brigade, 2d Division 8th Army Corps January 5 to April, 1900; the 4th District, Department of Northern Luzon, to September, 1901, during which period he was frequently in the field in active operations, and in the capture of Aguinaldo, March 23, 1901.

Sick in Hospital and on sick leave, to April 10, 1902.

Commanding Department of the Colorado to March 18, 1903, and commanding the Department of the Columbia since March 23, 1903.

He was awarded the Medal of Honor, February 14, 1900, for most distinguished gallantry in action at Rio Grande de la Pampanga, April 27, 1899, when Colonel, 20th Kansas Infantry, in crossing the river on a raft and by his skill and daring enabling the General Commanding to carry the enemy’s entrenched position on the north bank of the river and drive him with great loss from the important strategic position of Calumpit.

Recommended by Major General [Arthur] MacArthur for brevet of Major General of Volunteers for gallant and meritorious services throughout the campaign against Filipino insurgents from February 4 to July 1, 1899.

March 28, 1901, General MacArthur cabled, describing the capture of Aguinaldo on March 23, 1901.

“The transaction was brilliant in conception and faultless in execution, all credit must go to Funston who, under supervision of General Wheaton, organized and conducted expedition from start to finish. His reward should be signal and immediate.” "In 1902, General Wheaton said: “I am under great obligations to Brigadier Generals * * * Funston who have since my last report, at various places, held command within the territorial limits of the Department. Their able and energetic execution of all operations committed to them has my highest commendation... .”

Adjutant General’s Office,
Washington, July 22, 1903.

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Before Gen. Funston’s assignment to San Francisco and the Department of California, he was the object of Mark Twain’s venom and ridicule in the May 1902 North American Review article, “A Defence of General Funston.”

The Twain article appeared at about the time Gen. Funston spoke in Denver, and criticized those who did not support the war in the Philippines. A small article appeared in the April 21st Washington, D.C., newspaper about Funston’s speech.

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GAMBLE IN COUNTRY’S BLOOD

Gen. Funston Scores Men Who Oppose Holding the Philippines.

Denver Col., April 20. – Gen. Frederick Funston was the principal speaker at the banquet last night of the Colorado Society Sons of the Revolution. His reference to the Philippines was on the lines of his previous speeches. The prolongation of the war, he declared was due more to outside influences than the desire of the Filipinos for independence. Gen. Funston said:

“I have only sympathy for the senior Senator from Massachusetts who is suffering from an overheated concience.“

He, however, expressed great contempt for the men who, he declared, at the beginning of the war would have had us take everything Spain had, but are now “playing peanut politics and gambling in the blood of their countrymen.”

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As America prepared for World War I, President Woodrow Wilson and Secretary of War Newton D. Baker believed Gen. Funston was the right officer to command the Allied Expeditionary Force (AEF) to France. Funston, however, died February 19, 1917, and the AEF command was given to Gen. John Pershing. Brigadier General Funston laid in state at San Francisco’s City Hall rotunda on February 23rd and 24th, 1917, and was buried at the Presidio.



In his memoirs, Reminiscences, Douglas MacArthur, son of Gen. Arthur MacArthur, wrote of how he broke the news to the president and secretary of war, and how General Pershing was selected to replace General Funston:

“It was February 19 1917, and I had the night watch for the General Staff. My old friend, Peyton March, a lieutenant Colonel in the Adjutant General’s Department, had a similar duty in that office. Secretary Baker was giving a formal dinner that night for the President and left word not to be disturbed unless something of importance took place. About 10 o’clock March brought up a wire that General Funston, who had been informally selected to command an American Expeditionary Force if we entered the war, had just dropped dead in the St. Anthony Hotel in San Antonio. We agreed that the Secretary should be told at once. When I reached the Secretary’s home, the butler refused to let me enter, saying that he had orders to admit no one. The dining room looked out on the entrance hall and I could see it plainly. It was a gay party, with lights and laughter, the tinkle of glasses, the soft music from an alcove, the merry quips and jokes of a cosmopolitan group. I finally pushed by the butler and tried to attract the attention of the Secretary so I could report to him privately what had occurred. But the President saw me and sang out in the most jovial manner, ‘Come in, Major, and tell all of us the news. There are no secrets here.’ There was a general clapping of hands at this, and I knew I was in for it. So I clicked my heels together, saluted him, and barked in a drill-sergeant tone, ‘Sir, I regret to report that General Funston has just died.’ Had the voice of doom spoken, the result could not have been different. The silence seemed like that of death itself. You could hear your own breathing. Then, I never saw such a scattering of guests in my life. It was a stampede.

“The President and Secretary took me into an adjacent room and dictated a message of sympathy to Mrs. Funston. Mr. Wilson then turned to the Secretary and said, ‘What now, Newton, who will take the Army over?’ The Secretary paused a moment and then, instead of a direct reply, asked me, ‘Whom do you think the Army would choose, Major?’ It was a poser, but I had my own positive views and replied, ‘I cannot, of course, speak for the Army, but for myself the choice would unquestionably be General Pershing.’ The President looked at me, a long inquisitive look, and then said quietly, ‘It would be a good choice.’

“I first met General Pershing, then a captain of Cavalry, in my father’s office in downtown San Francisco. I had just graduated from West Point, and I shall never forget the impression he made on me by his appearance and bearing. He was the very epitome of what is now affectionately called the ‘Old Army.’ As Pershing left, he turned to my father and said, ‘General MacArthur, I am sure Douglas and I will meet again.’

How true and how often!”

[SAMWolf]

Veterans for Constitution Restoration is a non-profit, non-partisan educational and grassroots activist organization. The primary area of concern to all VetsCoR members is that our national and local educational systems fall short in teaching students and all American citizens the history and underlying principles on which our Constitutional republic-based system of self-government was founded. VetsCoR members are also very concerned that the Federal government long ago over-stepped its limited authority as clearly specified in the United States Constitution, as well as the Founding Fathers' supporting letters, essays, and other public documents.

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Tribute to a Generation - The memorial will be dedicated on Saturday, May 29, 2004.

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[snippy_about_it]

FALL IN to the FReeper Foxhole!



Good Monday Morning Everyone

If you would like added to our ping list let us know.

[Aeronaut]

Good morning Snippy.

[snippy_about_it]

Thanks Sam,

Funston is a name I had never heard of before doing our thread on Military Bands earlier this year. After the war in the Philippines, "a number of musical compositions, like Funston's Fighting 20th March were written in tribute to Funston and his men."

Even with that I still didn't know much at all, he did a whole lot more than have a march named for him!

I suppose military historians know him well but I sure didn't. I learned a lot this morning.

We know the name Pershing so well and here was Funston, the man who would have been head of the Allied Forces in Europe except for his untimely death. How different would things have been at places who's names we know so well, Belleau Wood, Cantigny and Chateau Thierry without Pershing taking the lead?

I found this little bit of trivia on Funston;

Ike's reputation as a football player brought him to the attention of Major General Frederick Funston, who coerced him into coaching a local academy football team-which Ike accomplished with great success and attendant publicity. Funston would later return the favor by bending policy to allow Ike the necessary leave to marry Miss Mamie Genera Doud of Denver, Colorado.

Good read Sam. :-)

[The Mayor]

Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. —Matthew 5:3

Happiness depends on what you are, not on what you have.

[snippy_about_it]

Good morning Aeronaut.

After arriving home from my vacation with Sam I used my old ping list and inadvertently left you off for a couple weeks, sorry about that.

You're back now and that's good!

[snippy_about_it]

Good morning Mayor. Headed out the door any second now, I'll have some of that coffee after I get to work.

[The Mayor]

G'Mornin Snippy, Plenty of coffee to go around..

[snippy_about_it]

Thanks, I'm at work now and drinking heavily. LOL.

[The Mayor]

I wish I could take my computer to work..

Doesn't work out to well, I'd have to tie up the customers phone line, or hijack their cable.

Plus it's a little dusty when I'm using the table saw etc...LOL!

[Valin]

On This Day In History


Birthdates which occurred on December 29:
1709 Elisabeth Petrovna, tsarina of Russia/daughter of Peter the Great
1721 Madame De Pompadour, mistress of French King Louis XV
1776 Charles Macintosh, Scotland, patented waterproof fabric
1800 Charles Goodyear, inventor (vulcanization process for rubber)
1808 Andrew Johnson (17th U.S. President [1865-1869]
1809 William Ewart Gladstone, (Lib) British PM
1809 Albert Pike Brigadier-General (Confederate Army), died in 1891
1831 Adam Badeau, Bvt Brig General (Union volunteers), died in 1895
1876 Pablo Casals, Vendrell Catalonia Spain, violinist/conductor/composer
1879 Billy Mitchell, aviation hero Gen (WW I)
1908 Gerben Sonderman Dutch test pilot (Fokker)
1917 Thomas Bradley (mayor of Los Angeles)
1920 Syd Dernley, hangman
1936 Ray Nitschke (Pro Football Hall of Famer: Green Bay Packers LB)
1937 Mary Tyler Moore (Emmy Award-winning actress)
1938 John Voight (actor: Midnight Cowboy, Deliverance)
1946 Marianne Faithfull (singer: As Tears Go By)
1972 Jessica Lee McMinn Miss North Carolina USA (1996)

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Deaths which occurred on December 29:
1141 Yue Fei Chinese general, executed
1170 Thomas Beckett archbishop, assassinated by 4 knights of King Henry II
1703 Mustapha II sultan (Turkey), dies at 39
1890 Big Foot, Sioux Indian chief, dies at Wounded Knee
1942 Frank D Adams Canadian geologist, dies at 83
1967 Paul Whiteman, US orchestra leader,(Bing Crosby, the Dorsey brothers) dies at 77
1980 Tim Hardin US singer (Bird on a Wire), dies of a drug overdose at 39
1986 [Maurice] Harold MacMillan, PM of Great-Britain (1957-63), dies at 92

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Reported: MISSING in ACTION

1964 BENNETT HAROLD G.---PERRYVILLE AR.
[06/65 DIC ON PRG LIST]
1964 CRAFTS CHARLES---NORTH JAY ME.
[02/07/67 RELEASED, ALIVE IN 98]
1965 HILL ARTHUR S. JR.---RANCHO SANTA FE CA.
1965 RAWSTHORNE EDGAR A.---MIRAMAR CA.
1967 CLAPPER GEAN P.---ALTOONA PA.
[RADIO CONTACT LOST]
1967 CLAXTON CHARLES P.---CHICAGO IL.
[RADIO CONTACT LOST]
1967 CRUZ CARLOS R.---ARROYO PR.
[REMAINS IDENTIFIED 18 OCT 95]
1967 DARCY EDWARD J.---PORTLAND ME.
[RADIO CONTACT LOST]
1967 ECKLEY WAYNE A.---ENTERPRISE OR.
[RADIO CONTACT LOST]
1967 FISHER DONALD E.---HALFWAY OR.
[RADIO CONTACT LOST]
1967 FOSTER PAUL L.---KNOXVILLE TN.
[REMAINS IDENTIFIED 18 OCT 95]
1967 MC CRARY JACK---MADISON TN.
[RADIO CONTACT LOST]
1967 OSBORNE EDWIN N. JR.---RAILFORD FL.
1967 PARKER FRANK C. III---BRIDGEPORT PA.
[RADIO CONTACT LOST]
1967 POTTER WILLIAM J. JR.---AMBRIDGE PA.
[REMAINS IDENTIFIED 18 OCT 95]
1967 VAN BUREN GERALD G.---TOLEDO OH.
[RADIO CONTACT LOST]
1967 WENAAS GORDON J.---MAYVILLE ND.
[RADIO CONTACT LOST]
1967 WILLIAMS JAMES R.---CHARLOTTE NC.
[RADIO CONTACT LOST]
1968 SCHERDIN ROBERT F.---SOMERVILLE NJ.
[SEVERLY WOUNDED WHEN LEFT]

POW / MIA Data & Bios supplied by
the P.O.W. NETWORK. Skidmore, MO. USA.

---

On this day...
1539 St Jacobs Church burns after being hit by lightning
1541 Isabella of Poland & King Ferdinand of Austria sign Treaty of Gyalu
1558 Charles V, German emperor, buried
1607 Indian chief Powhatan spares John Smith's life after the pleas of his daughter Pocahontas.
1708 Great Alliance occupies Gent
1778 English troops occupy Savannah, Georgia
1782 1st nautical almanac in US published by Samuel Stearns, Boston
1813 British burn Buffalo New York during the War of 1812
1837 Canadian militia destroy Caroline, a US steamboat docked at Buffalo
1837 Steam-powered threshing machine patented, Winthrop ME
1845 Texas admitted as the 28th state
1848 Gas lights 1st installed at White House (Polk's administration)
1851 1st Young Men's Christian Association chapter opened (Boston)
1852 Emma Snodgrass arrested in Boston for wearing pants
1857 Franz Liszt's "Die Hunnenschlacht" premieres in Weimar
1862 Bowling ball invented
1864 Fire Department celebrates 1st annual ball
1867 1st telegraph ticker used by a brokerage house, Groesbeck & Company, New York
1885 Gottlieb Daimler patents 1st bike (Germany)
1890 US 7th Cavalry massacre 200+ captive Sioux at Wounded Knee SD; Indian "war" in the west
1891 Edison patents "transmission of signals electrically" (radio)
1895 Dr L S Jameson begins failed raid on Johannesburg
1900 General Viljoen surprise attack British garrison to Helvetia
1908 Patent granted for a 4-wheel automobile brake, Clintonville WI
1911 San Francisco Symphony is formed
1911 Proclamation restores "Dei Gratia" from Canada's coins
1913 1st movie serial, "Adventures of Kathlyn" premieres in Chicago IL
1920 Yugoslav government bans communist party
1921 William Lyon Mackenzie King succeeded Arthur Meighen as Canadian PM
1926 Vatican puts French fascist Charles Maurras' work on the index
1929 Police arrest Sukarno & 100s PNI-leaders
1930 Fred P Newton completes longest swim ever (1826 miles), when he swam in the Mississippi River from Ford Dam MN, to New Orleans LA
1931 Identification of heavy water publicly announced, HC Urey
1933 Yankees refuse to release Babe Ruth so he can manage the Cincinnati Reds
1934 1st collegiate basketball doubleheader (Madison Square Garden)
1937 Pan Am starts San Francisco CA-to-Auckland, New Zealand service
1937 Ireland adopts constitution (Irish Free State becomes Eire)
1937 Lou Thesz beats E Marshall in St Louis, to become wrestling champion
1938 Construction on Lake Washington Floating Bridge, Seattle WA, begins
1940 Germany begins dropping incendiary bombs on London (WWII)
1940 In a radio interview, President Roosevelt proclaims the United States to be the "arsenal of democracy."
1947 Ship carrying Jewish immigrants driven away from Palestine
1948 Canada recognizes Israel
1949 1st UHF television station operating regular basis (Bridgeport CT)
1949 Hungary nationalized its industries
1952 1st transistorized hearing aid offered for sale (Elmsford NY)
1957 Singers Steve Lawrence & Eydie Gormé wed in Las Vegas
1965 CBS purchases NFL TV rights for 1966-68 at $18.8 million per year
1965 Supremes release "My World is Empty Without You"
1965 "Thunderball" premieres in US
1967 Star Trek's "The Trouble With Tribbles" 1st airs
1967 Turkish-Cypriot government forms in Cyprus
1968 Baltimore Colts beat Cleveland Browns 34-0 in NFL championship game
1968 New York Jets beat Oakland Raiders 27-23 in AFL championship game
1968 Israeli commandos destroy 13 Lebanese airplanes
1969 New York Times reports Curt Flood will sue baseball & challenge the reserve clause
1972 Eastern Tristar Jumbo Jet crashes near Everglades killing 101
1972 Life magazine ceases publication
1978 Shah of Iran, asks Shapour Bahktiar to form a civilian government
1978 Spain constitution goes into effect
1979 Red Army beats New York Islanders 3-2 at Nassau Coliseum
1981 President Ronald Reagan curtails Soviet trade in reprisal for its hash policies on Poland.
1982 Bob Marley postage stamp issued in Jamaica
1982 Coach Paul "Bear" Bryant ends his career with Alabama (323 wins)
1983 US announces withdrawal from UNESCO
1984 Indian PM Rajiv Gandhi claims victory in parliamentary elections
1984 5th United Negro College Fund
1989 Vaclav Havel becomes President of Czechoslovakia
1989 Wayne Gretzky & Martina Navratilova are named athletes of the decade by the Associated Press
1989 Jane Pauley says goodbye to NBC's "Today" show
1991 Boeing 747-200F of China Airlines crash into mountain at Taipei
1992 Governor Cuomo grants Jean Harris ("Scarsdale Diet" Murderess) clemency
1993 Courtney Love sues doctors for leaking news of her methadone treatment
1993 Todd Bridges arrested for transporting methamphetamine (speed)
1994 Last Dutch electro-magnetic telephone exchange shuts down
1997 Hong Kong begins slaughtering all its chickens to prevent bird flu
1997 Orville Lynn Majors, 36, arrested for many deaths under his care
1997 Russia signs agreement to build a $3B nuclear power plant in China

---

Holidays
Note: Some Holidays are only applicable on a given "day of the week"

Gabon : President's Birthday
Texas : Admission Day (1945)
World : Ante-Pen-Ultimate Day
US : Ujamaa-Cooperative Economics Day (4th Day of Kwanzaa)
International Calendar Awareness Month

---

Religious Observances
Roman Catholic : Memorial of St Thomas of Canterbury (Thomas à Beckett),martyr

---

Religious History
1223 Pope Honorius III formally approved the Franciscan religious order. Properly called the Order of the Friars Minor, this Catholic order was founded in 1209 by St. Francis of Assisi.
1841 Howard College was chartered in Marion, Alabama, under Baptist sponsorship. The campus relocated to Birmingham in 1887.
1849 The Christmas hymn by Edmund Sears, "It Came Upon a Midnight Clear," was first published in "The Christian Register." Sears' carol features the American emphasis in Christian living, that is, the social message of "peace on earth, good will toward men."
1876 Popular American hymnwriter Philip P. Bliss, 38, died when the train in which he and his wife were riding plunged off a bridge into a ravine 60 feet below. Bliss had penned such enduring hymns as: "Wonderful Words of Life, "Let the Lower Lights Be Burning," "I Will Sing of My Redeemer" and "I Gave My Life for Thee."
1938 In Tambaram, South India, the second world meeting of the International Missionary Council closed at Madras Christian College (having opened Dec. 12th). It was afterward called the IMC's Tambaram Conference.

Source: William D. Blake. ALMANAC OF THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH. Minneapolis: Bethany House, 1987.

---

Thought for the day :
"The minute a man is convinced that he is interesting, he isn`t."

---

Question of the day...
If lawyers are disbarred and clergymen defrocked, doesn't it follow that
electricians can be delighted,
musicians denoted,
cowboys deranged,
models deposed,
tree surgeons debarked and
dry cleaners depressed?

---

Murphys Law of the day...(Ralph's Observation)
It is a mistake to allow any mechanical object to realize that you are in a hurry.

---

Amazing fact #11,739...
St. Sebastian is the patron saint of bookbinders

[U S Army EOD]

This guy sounds like another lead from the front general. Those are the type that make a difference when the chips are down.

[E.G.C.]

Good morning, snippy and everyone at the Freeper Foxhole. I'm entertaing guests for the next couple of days. My brother and his family from Texas.

[baltodog]

Yet another good read -- this time about a Kansan.
I'm originally from Michigan, but moved down here in Air Force.
I enjoy reading about other Kansans. Thge Sunflower State is a great state, indeed.

[Soaring Feather]

Good morning everyone in The FOXHOLE!

[Professional Engineer]

G'morning Sam

[Professional Engineer]

Nice tagline.