The FReeper Foxhole Revisits "Remembering Cantigny" - February 7th, 2004

http://www.worldwar1.com/dbc/cantigny.htm ^

[snippy_about_it]

Lord,

Keep our Troops forever in Your care

Give them victory over the enemy...

Grant them a safe and swift return...

Bless those who mourn the lost.
.

FReepers from the Foxhole join in prayer
for all those serving their country at this time.


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The Foxhole Revisits



Remembering Cantigny

CANTIGNY:
FIRST BATTLE OF THE AEF

Background

As the third spring offensive of the German Army was getting underway along the Aisne River, the first American attack of the war took place to the west at Cantigny, a village near Montdidier in the Somme region. It had fallen to the enemy Eighteenth Army during the first spring offensive in March.



The 1st Division was moved to the sector in late April. The Germans spent most of the month of May enthusiastically pounding the Yanks with artillery and gas. It was only learned afterwards that Ludendorff had ordered any new American formations singled out for 'special treatment'.

After bearing up well under its nightly initiation rite, the Division was ordered to take highly fortified Cantigny to test its offensive capabilities. The town was captured on the first day of the assault (28 May) with the Division's 28th Infantry Regiment in the lead. After taking over 200 prisoners, the Americans withstood a series of strong counterattacks which died out during next two days.



The victors suffered 1,603 casualties including 199 killed. Although Cantigny was a local operation, it boosted Allied morale to see the AEF finally on the offensive. With the deployment of the 2nd and 3rd divisions to the defense of Chateau-Thierry quickly following this small victory, the German high command were shown that the long feared American infusion of manpower was becoming a reality.

THE CONTEXT

In face of the urgency created by the German offensive on the 21st. March 1918, General Pershing placed all his forces then available in Europe at the disposition of General Foch. Amongst these units, the 1st. U.S. Division which, on the 5th. April had been positioned in the region North of Paris, received on the 27th. April, the responsability for a sector to the West of Montdidier, in the 6th. Corps of the French 1st. Army. This was the first time, on an active battle front, that an American Division took up position.

1ST. US DIVISION

At that time the Germans were halfway through their series of big offensives, and their future attack could include the sector of the 1st. Division. The activity and firing on this front were so great that it was difficult to prepare a defensive position.


Major Gen. Robert L. Bullard, 1st Division Commander

The ground in front of the American sector was the hill on which the village of Cantigny is built. This not only gave an excellent view for the Germans to observe the American sector, but also masked from the Americans the offensive movements and activity in the German rear.

At the beginning of May, the command of the division was transfered to the French 10th. Army Corps and in the middle of May it was decided to dislodge the Germans from their position in Cantigny, in order to reduce the difficulties in holding this part of the front.



The 28th. Infantry Regiment of the 1st. Division was chosen to conduct the attack and during several days rehearsed it's plans on similar ground at the rear. During the attack the regiment received the support of the American and French artillery, of machine gun fire, mortars, 37 mm. guns, tanks, flame-throwers, Engineers and two companies of the 18th. Infantry Regiment.

The assault was launched at 6.45 am the 28th May and despite a lively main resistance from behind the village as well as artillery and machine gun fire on the left flank, all the objectves were rapidly achieved. The construction of trenches, laying of barbed wire and the preparation of strong points on the recently gained ground, was undertaken immediately.



The German reaction was immediate and particularly violent, showing the German will to break the moral of the Americans. Counter-attack after counter-attack was launched against the captured position during the following two days. As from midday on the 28th. May, during 72 hours, the American lines around Cantigny were the subject of intense shelling by all calibres of the enemy Artillery. At the end of this bombardement, the Americans still held all their positions. The Germans had to resign themselves to their failure.

During the defense against the German counter-attacks, the two companies of the 18th. Infantry in reserve and one company of the 26th. were brought up to the front.

The capture of Cantigny was the first big attack carried out by an American division. It is considered to be a great exploit and of particular value to the Allies as an illustration of the aptitude for combat of the American troops, who were beginning to arrive in France. This engagement took place the day after the German offensive of 27th. May against the Chemin des Dames, it was perceived by the Allies, as a ray of sun in a particularly menacing sky.


The 2nd. of June, the 1st. Division took over responsability for a slightly wider part of the front., in order to free French troops to be useful elsewhere. The 3rd., to the north of Cantigny, the front line was moved slightly foreward to improve it's position. During the day of the 9th. June, the division was severely shelled for the Germans began their major offensive between Montdidier and Noyon, to the east of the sector occupied.

The 1st. Division remained in the lines, in all, for 73 days with losses mounting to 5200 killed, wounded and missing. It was relieved on the 8th. July and was to play, ten days later, a very important part in the battle south of Soissons, in the scope of the 10th. French Army (Général Mangin).

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FReeper Foxhole Armed Services Links

[snippy_about_it]

How It Looked to the Brass



THE ATTACK

The 28th Infantry attacked CANTIGNY at 6:45am, May, 28, 1918, after violent artillery preparation of one hour.

The regiment advanced in three lines. The first line closed in to within forty to fifty yards of the barrage, which progressed at the rate of 100 meters in two minutes. The second line rapidly closed on the first line in order that all elements would be 200 yards from the old front line at H plus 10 minutes. This was done to lessen casualties should an enemy's barrage be put down. The third line conformed to the advance. The objective was reached as per schedule at 7:20am.

Patrols were immediately pushed forward and automatic rifle posts were established in shell holes on the line of surveillance to cover the consolidation. The second line, which advanced, consolidated with a line of trenches and wired the line of resistance. The third line, on it's arrival, began the consolidation of three strong points, one about 200 meters east of the chateau in CANTIGNY, the second in the woods at the northeastern exit of CANTIGNY, and the third at the cemetery just north of CANTIGNY.



"D" Company of the 1st Engineers supervised the consolidation of these strong points and the lines of surveillance and resistance. Throughout, the attack progressed with slight resistance and with practically no reaction on the part of the enemy artillery. The section of French flame throwers proved invaluable in cleaning up the town of CANTIGNY and driving the enemy out of dugouts. During the cleaning up of CANTIGNY, our troops were engaged in minor fights, but for the most part, the objective was gained with rapidity and with considerable ease.


Not before noon did the enemy artillery and machine gun fire become heavy. From this time on and during the 72 hours following, the positions about CANTIGNY were heavily shelled both by large and by small caliber guns. Enemy machine gun fire was also heavy. At 7:30am, a small enemy infantry counter-attack was reported to have been delivered without success against the BOIS FONTAINE. At 5:10pm, the enemy launched from the western tip of the BOIS FRAMICOURT another counter-attack. This was broken up by our artillery.



The attack was followed at 6:45pm, after a heavy preparation and barrage fire, by enemy infantry advancing in several waves from the southern and western edges of the BOIS FRAMICOURT. The first wave succeeded in getting through before our barrage was put down. It was driven back by infantry fire, and the following waves were smothered by artillery fire. During the night of May 28-29, the two companies of the 18th Infantry in reserve were ordered into the operation by the C.G., 2nd Brigade to support the 28th Infantry.

One battalion of the 18th Infantry in the vicinity of VILLERS-TOURNELLE, was ordered to take position in rear of the southwest corner of the BOIS DES GLANDS. The other battalion of the 18th Inf., in the vicinity of VILLERS-TOURNELLE was assembled and held in readiness.

MAY 29TH

Between 6:00am, and 7:00am, the enemy launched two small counter-attacks which were quickly broken up by artillery. At 5:45pm, the enemy launched its second heavy counter-attack. Left elements of the 28th Inf. drew back slightly, but the remainder of the line withstood the attack. Artillery and infantry fire broke up this assault.

MAY 30TH

At 5:30am, the enemy made his final counter-attack. It was preceded by a barrage of heavy preparation fire. The enemy attacked in two waves from the LALVAL wood. This attack was also broken up by rifle, machine gun and artillery fire.


In all, seven enemy counter-attacks were reported as launched against our troops. Three of these attacks appeared to have been made by at least a battalion of infantry. The first was the most determined and fell principally on the center battalion, and the right of the left battalion, and was preceded by a preparation fire of 150mm and 77mm shells. The enemy followed this barrage from 125 to 200 yards, thus enabling our troops to be in full readiness after the barrage had passed them.

After the morning of May 30th, the enemy activity lessened. This enabled a greater part of the 28th Infantry to be relieved by the 16th Infantry on the night of May 30-31st. The following night the remainder of the regiment was relieved and the command of the sector passed to the C.O. 16th Infantry.

Prepared by Major General E.F.McGlachlin, Jr.,
Commanding General, 1st Div., in the Army of Occupation

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Today's Educational Sources and suggestions for further reading:

www.worldwar1.com/dbc/cantigny.htm

[snippy_about_it]

How It Looked To A Doughboy



Into the village of Cantigny we go. There remained nothing but ruins. We passed on through to the other side of the village. Here we encountered barbed wire entanglements but it was our good fortune to get through these without any mishap. But once across I notice that the boys are falling down fast. A shell burst about ten yards in front of me and the dirt from the explosion knocked me flat on my back. I got up again but could not see further than one hundred feet.

I heard someone yell "lay down." I knelt on one knee and wondered what would come next...We laid down and started to shoot and it was our good fortune that the second wave reached the place at this time. About twenty Dutchmen came out of the holes, threw down their rifles and stood with their hands up. The doughboys didn't pay any attention to this but started in to butcher and shoot them. One of the doughboys on the run stabbed a Dutchman and his bayonet went clear through him...



The German artillery was in action all the time...I stopped at a strong point and asked the boy in the trench if there was room for me to get in. "Don't ask for room, but get in before you get your [!#%&] shot off," a doughboy said...

We stayed there all that night and the next day, being relieved at two o'clock the following morning, taking position in the first line of reserve trenches. We ate a cooked dinner at eleven o'clock, that being the first meal we've had in three days.

Sgt. Boleslaw Suchocki, 28th Infantry, 1st Division
Unpublished Manuscript

[snippy_about_it]

'The Regiment distinguished itself by conducting the first offensive operations by US troops in WW I at Cantigny, where, in a viciously fought three-day battle, the 28th Infantry captured the town of Cantigny and then withstood five determined German counterattacks. Here the ‘Lions of Cantigny’ were born and the prestige of the American fighting man was upheld before the world.'

-- GlobalSecurity.Org

[snippy_about_it]

A NEW FEATURE ~ The Foxhole Revisits...

The Foxhole will be updating some of our earlier threads with new graphics and some new content for our Saturday threads in this, our second year of the Foxhole. We lost many of our graphic links and this is our way of restoring them along with revising the thread content where needed with new and additional information not available in the original threads.

A Link to the Original Thread; The FReeper Foxhole Remembers Cantigny - May, 28, 1918 - Feb. 6th, 2003

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[snippy_about_it]

FALL IN to the FReeper Foxhole!



Good Saturday Morning Everyone

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

[Aeronaut]

Good morning Snippy.

Hughes "Spruce Goose"

[E.G.C.]

Good morning, Snippy and everyone at the Freeper Foxhole. The weather's nice and sunny but cold this morning. How's things where you are?

[Samwise]

Dad's oldest brother was drafted. He spent one year in the army, most of which was spent in Hawaii. He was considered a WWI era veteran and as such was eligible for some sort of benefits. He did not think it was right to accept the benefits because he did not serve in the war, so he never applied for it or responded to get whatever it was.

[Samwise]

How do I send your Girl Scout cookies over the modem? I keep scanning them, but they are still here. :^)

Scotty, the transporter is down.

[snippy_about_it]

Now that one I've actually seen up close and personal. On one of my visits to see Sam in Oregon he took me to the Evergreen Aviation Museum. That plane is HUGE!! Of course we couldn't take a full shot because it's indoors and you can't stand far enough away to capture it in the camera lens.

Here are some pictures we took. Besides the two smaller planes under the Goose's wings, you can see an SR-71 and a B-17 being nearby being dwarfed by the Spruce Goose.









Evergreen Aviation Museum

[Aeronaut]

When I was instructing I had a student who actually saw it the day it flew.

[snippy_about_it]

Good morning EGC. We received a light covering of snow overnight, more expected today, only an inch probably. No sun to be found. It's cold of course. Yesterday was nice but today we are back to winter.

[snippy_about_it]

Lots of our older folks were and still are that way about veterans and other benefits.

Some WWI era Hawaii trivia for you.

The period from 1908 to 1919 was one of steady and continuous growth of the Naval Station, Pearl Harbor, with the exception of the discouraging collapse of the drydock in 1913. The Act of 13 May 1908 authorized the enlargement and dredging of the Pearl Harbor channel and lochs "to admit the largest ships," the building of shops and supply houses for the Navy Yard, and the construction of a drydock. Work progressed satisfactorily on all projects, except the drydock.

With World War I, the demands to establish Pearl Harbor as a first-class naval base capable of taking care of the entire fleet in case of war, precluded its usefulness as a commercial harbor. The hopes of the Matson Steamship Co. and the American Hawaiian Co. were smashed by this development, just as it doomed the private fishing rights of property owners along the shores of the harbor during World War II.

By 1919, the purchase of Ford Island having been completed, the Army and Navy shared the facilities of Luke Field. The embryonic aviation crew that arrived in December 1919, which included nine officers, forty mechanics and four seaplanes, became the Naval Air Station of 1920. It was under the impetus of this growth of air power that Rear Admiral W.B. Fletcher, then Commandant of the new 14th Naval District, stated that:

Seaplanes, brought by swift carriers within reaching distance, could rise from the lee of the nearest reefs to the northward and westward, or the neighboring islands or from the sea itself, swoop down on Pearl Harbor and destroy the plant unless an adequate defense was provided.

[snippy_about_it]

Darn, you might have to eat those cookies yourself!!

[snippy_about_it]

Did he ever mention the sound? I wonder what it sounded like, how loud it must have been.

[Samwise]

I think Hawaii is a hub for a lot of military strategy. During Gulf War I, one of the guys I was working with was stationed there. All of our correspondence and his work product (e-mail wasn't big yet) had to go through security and censors. They rubber stamped his stuff, but it was still a hold up. I can't help but laugh when I remember my idiot boss telling me I needed to hurry him up and work around the problem.

I looked him square in the eye and said, "What do you want me to do, fly to Hawaii and tackle a marine?"

[Valin]

On This Day In History


Birthdates which occurred on February 07:
1478 Sir Thomas More lawyer/lord chancellor of England/saint (Utopia)
1612 Thomas Killigrew English humorist/playwright/leader (King's Men)
1693 Anna Ivanova Romanova empress of Russia (1730-40)
1710 William Boyce English organist/composer of Cathedral music
1764 Ann Radcliffe London, Gothic novelist (Mysteries of Udolpho)
1801 John Rylands England, merchant/philanthropist
1804 John Deere pioneer manufacturer of agricultural implements
1812 Charles Dickens England, novelist (Oliver Twist, Tale of 2 Cities)
1817 Leroy Pope Walker US lawyer/Confederate minister of War (1861)
1824 William Higgins discovered nature of spiral "nebulae"
1832 Hannah Whitall Smith, American Quaker evangelist and devotional author
1834 Dmitri I Mendelejev Russian chemist (devised Periodic Table)
1837 Sir James Augustus Henry Murray Scotland, created Oxford Dictionary
1867 Laura Ingalls Wilder Wisconsin, children's book author (Little House on Prairie)
1883 Eubie Blake ragtime composer/pianist (I'm Just Wild About Harry, Memories of You)
1885 Sinclair Lewis novelist/social critic (Main Street, Nobel 1930)
1906 Henry P'u-i last emperor of China, puppet emperor of Manchukuo
1907 Arthur George Bottomley politician
1908 Clarence Clarence Linden "Buster" Crabbe Oakland CA, swimmer (Olympics-gold-1932)/actor (Tarzan the Fearless, Flash Gordon)
1914 David Ignatow US poet (Tread the Dark, Rescue the Dead)
1919 Jock Mahoney actor (Range Rider, Yancy Derringer, Day of Fury)
1926 Konstantin Petrovich Feokistov USSR, cosmonaut (Voskhod I)
1927 John Buller composer
1928 Al "Fuzzy" Smith baseball player
1932 Alfred M Worden Jackson MI, Colonel USAF/astronaut (Apollo 15)
1932 Gay Talese author (Honor Thy Father)
1934 King Curtis [Curtis Ousley], Forth Worth TX, US saxophonist (Memphis Soul Stew)
1950 Dan Quisenberry baseball pitcher (Kansas City Royals)
1960 James Spader New York NY, actor (Endless Love, Wall St, Mannequin)
1962 Garth Brooks Tulsa OK, country singer (No Fences, Ropin' the Wind)
1966 Chris Rock comedian (Saturday Night Live, CB4, Boomerang)

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Deaths which occurred on February 07:
0590 Pelagius II Gothic Pope (579-90), dies from plague
1743 Lodovico Giustini composer, dies at 57
1823 Ann Radcliffe (Ward) English poet/author of horror novels, dies at 58
1865 John Henry Winder US Confederate Brigadier-General/provost marshal, dies at 64
1878 Pius IX "Pio Nono", [Giovanni Ferretti], Pope (1846-78), dies at 85
1897 Galileo Ferraris Italian physicist (Ferrari), dies at 49
1920 Alexander Koltsjak Admiral/leader Russian counter-revolutionary, executed
1960 Igor V Kurtshatov Russian nuclear physicist, dies at 57
1965 Nance O'Neil actor (Cimarron, Royal Bed, Rogue Song), dies at 90
1968 Nick [Aloysius Adamschock] Adams actor (Interns, Pillow Talk, FBI Story, Johnny Yuma-The Rebel), ODs at 36
1979 Josef Mengele concentration camp doctor, drowns
1988 Lin[wood V] Carter US, sci-fi writer (Lost World of Time), dies at 57
1990 Jimmy Van Heusen composer (Call Me Irresponsible), dies at 77
1993 Arthur Ashe tennis star (Wimbledon 1975), dies of AIDS at 49
1996 Tiny Winters musician, dies at 87
1999 King Hussein of Jordan died following a battle with cancer, age 63

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Reported: MISSING in ACTION

1965 DICKSON EDWARD A.---WYOMING PA.
[EJECTED N/PARA-SEAT]
1966 CRAYTON RENDER---LA GRANGE GA.
[02/12/73 RELEASED BY DRV INJURED, ALIVE AND WELL 98]
1968 BRANDE HARVEY G.---LONG BEACH CA.
[03/16/73 RELEASED BY PRG, ALIVE IN 98]
1968 HANNA KENNETH---SCRANTON SC.
[OVERUN AT SF CAMP]
1968 HOLT JAMES W.---HOT SPRINGS AR.
[OVERUN AT SF CAMP]
1968 LINDEWALD CHARLES W. JR.---LA PORTE IN.
[OVERUN AT SF CAMP]
1968 MC MURRY WILLIAM G.---SCOTTSDALE AZ.
03/16/73 RELEASED BY PRG, ALIVE IN 98]
1968 MORELAND JAMES L.---ANAHEIM CA.
[OVERUN AT SF CAMP]
1968 PHILLIPS DANIEL R.---PHILDELPHIA PA.
[OVERUN AT SF CAMP]
1968 SMITH MAYNARD LEE---TROY KS.
[08/74 REMAINS RECOVERED]
1968 THOMPSON DENNIS L.---PORTLAND OR.
[03/16/73 RELEASED BY PRG, ALIVE IN 98]
1969 DELEIDI RICHARD A.---EL CAJON CA.

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

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On this day...
0590 Pelagius II ends his reign as Catholic Pope
1301 Edward of Caernarion (later Edward II) becomes 1st prince of Wales
1522 Treaty of Brussels Habsburgers split into Spanish/Austrian Branches
1550 Giovanni Maria del Monte elected Pope Julius III
1569 King Philip II forms inquistion in South America
1613 Michail Romanov (16) becomes czar of Russia
1639 Académie Française begins the Dictionary of the French Language
1795 11th Amendment to US Constitution ratified, affirms power of states
1812 8.2 earthquake shakes New Madrid MO; this is the last of Midwest quakes (see 12/16)
1836 "Sketches by Boz" (essays) published by Charles Dickens
1839 Henry Clay declares in Senate "I had rather be right than president"
1862 Federal fleet attack on Roanoke Island NC
1864 Federal troops occupy Jacksonville FL
1872 Alcorn A & M College opens
1876 President Grant's private-secretary Orville acquitted in Whiskey Ring
1877 1st Guernsey Cattle Club organizes (New York NY)
1881 Battle at Ingogo, Transvaal Boers beat superior British forces
1882 Last bare knuckle champion John L Sullivan KOs Paddy Ryan in Mississippi
1891 Great Blizzard of 1891 begins
1900 Labour Party forms in England
1900 British troops vacate Vaal Krantz, Natal
1904 Baltimore catches fire (1500 buildings destroyed in 80 blocks)
1905 Dominican Republic signs treaty turning over customs collection to US
1905 Oklahoma admitted to statehood
1914 Steel work completed on Exposition (Civic) Auditorium, San Francisco
1914 Charlie Chaplin debuts "The Tramp" in "Kid Auto Races at Venice"
1915 1st wireless message sent from a moving train to a station received
1915 2nd Battle of Masurian Lakes German armies surrounded a Russian army
1928 1st solo England to Australia flight takes off (Bert Hinkler)
1933 Social-Democrat meeting in Berlin "As thousands cheer" Marxism is dead
1934 1st contract for TVA power, Tupelo MS
1935 Monopoly invented by Charles Darrow symbol Rich Uncle Pennybags
1936 A flag is authorized for the Vice President
1936 Felix the Cat, Cartoon Character, by Van Beuren from Otto Messmer
1940 British railroads nationalized
1940 Walt Disney's 2nd feature-length movie, "Pinocchio", premieres (New York NY)
1941 Frank Sinatra & Tommy Dorsey Orchestra record "Everything Happens to Me"
1943 Shoe rationing begins in US (may purchase up to 3 more pairs in 1942)
1944 Germans launch counter-offensive at Anzio Italy
1944 Bing Crosby records "Swinging on a Star" for Decca Records
1945 General Douglas MacArthur returns to Manila
1945 US 76th/5th Infantry divisions begin crossing Sauer
1946 Filibuster in US Senate kills FEPC bill
1947 Arabs & Jews reject British proposal to split Palestine
1948 Omar Bradley succeeds Dwight Eisenhower as Army Chief of Staff
1949 Joe DiMaggio becomes 1st $100,000/year baseball player (New York Yankees)
1950 Senator Joe McCarthy finds "communists" in US Ministry of Foreign Affairs
1950 US & Great-Britain recognize Bao Dai Vietnamese regime
1956 Autherine Lucy, 1st black admitted to University of Alabama, is expelled
1958 Dodgers officially become the Los Angeles Dodgers, Inc
1959 Cessna lands in Las Vegas after 65 d without landing (refuels in air)
1959 Castro proclaims new Cuban constitution
1960 Old handwriting found in at Qumran, near the Dead Sea
1961 Jane Fonda made her acting debut in the NBC drama "A String of Beads"
1962 President Kennedy begins blockade of Cuba
1964 Beatles land at New York's JFK airport, for 1st US tour
1964 Cassius Clay becomes a Muslim & adopts the name Muhammad Ali
1965 US begins regular bombing & strafing of North Vietnam
1969 Al-Fatah-leader Yasser Arafat becomes president of PLO
1969 Diane Crump becomes 1st woman jockey at a major US racetrack (Hialeah FL)
1970 LSU's "Pistol" Pete Marovich scores 69 points in losing cause
1970 "Hollywood Palace" last airs on ABC TV
1971 Women win the right to vote in Switzerland
1973 Senate creates Select Committee on Presidential Campaign Activities
1974 Mel Brooks' "Blazing Saddles" opens in movie theaters(Trust me, I'm Mel)
1976 FCC raids & shuts down pirate radio station WCPR (Brooklyn NY)
1976 World's largest telescope (600 cm) begins operation (USSR)
1976 Larry Groce's "Junk Food Junkie" peaks at #9
1979 Neptune becomes farthest planet from the sun in our solar system (will remain that way for 20 years)
1979 Pink Floyd premiered their live version of "The Wall" in Los Angeles
1983 1st female secretary of transportation sworn-in (Elizabeth Dole)
1984 Bruce McCandless makes 1st untethered space walk (US)
1984 David (born without immunity system) at 12, touches mom for 1st time
1986 Haiti's President-for-Life Jean-Claude Duvalier flees to France Henri Namphy becomes leader of Haiti
1986 Philippine Corazon Aquino defeats incumbent dictator Ferdinand Marcos but fraudulent returns gave the election to Marcos
1987 Dennis Conner & Stars & Stripes bring America's Cup back to US
1988 Heavyweight boxing champ Mike Tyson marries actress Robin Givens
1990 USSR Communist party agrees to allow opposition political parties
1991 Bob Knight, Larry O'Brien, Tiny Archibald, Dave Cowens, Harry Gallatin & Larry Fleisher elected to NBA Hall of Fame
1991 Jean-Bertrand Aristide sworn in as Haiti's 1st elected president
1992 Mike Tyson testifies in his rape trial
1992 Shannon Rhea Marketic, 22, (California), crowned 41st Miss USA
1993 Pebbles Flintstone & Bamm Bamm Rubble wed
1998 NHL's Dallas Stars retire Neal Broten's #7

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

Grenada : Independence Day (1974)
US : Crime Prevention Week Ends
US : Muffin Mania Week Ends
Macadamia Nut Month(They're not just for breakfast anymore)

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Religious Observances
Christian : Feast of St Theodore
Old Roman Catholic : Feast of St Romuald, abbot

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Religious History
1528 Bern, the strongest canton (territorial division) in southern Switzerland in its day, officially embraced the Protestant faith of Swiss reformers Ulrich Zwingli and John Oecolampadius.
1546 Eleven days before his death, German reformer Martin Luther wrote in a letter to his wife Kate: 'I have a better Caretaker than you and all the angels. He it is who lies in a manger ...but at the same time sits at the right hand of God, the almighty Father. Therefore be at rest.'
1832 Birth of Hannah Whitall Smith, American Quaker evangelist and devotional author. Her best-known writing was "The Christian's Secret of a Happy Life" (1875). It's still in print!
1947 U.S. Senate Chaplain Peter Marshall prayed: 'We want to do right, and to be right; so start us in the right way, for Thou knowest that we are very hard to turn.'
1869 Connecticut Congregational clergyman Samuel Wolcott, 56, upon returning home from a YMCA evangelistic service, penned the words to the missionary hymn, "Christ for the World We Sing."

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

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Thought for the day :
"He Who Hesitates Is Not Only Lost But Miles From The Next Exit."

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Qustion of the day...
What do Eskimos get from sitting on the ice too long?

Polaroids.

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Murphys Law of the day...(Boling's Postulate)
If you're feeling good, don't worry. You'll get over it.

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Amazing fact #2,704...
There are only four words in the English language which end in "dous":tremendous, horrendous, stupendous, and hazardous.

[snippy_about_it]

LOL. I think I would have insisted I needed to go to Hawaii myself. ;-)

[Samwise]

Just one of the many reasons I never made it to the top of the corporate ladder. :^)

[snippy_about_it]

1804 John Deere pioneer manufacturer of agricultural implements

And this: