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Posted on 04/18/2004 12:32:50 AM PDT by snippy_about_it
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 are acknowledged, affirmed and commemorated.
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| Our Mission: The FReeper Foxhole is dedicated to Veterans of our Nation's military forces and to others who are affected in their relationships with Veterans. In the FReeper Foxhole, Veterans or their family members should feel free to address their specific circumstances or whatever issues concern them in an atmosphere of peace, understanding, brotherhood and support. The FReeper Foxhole hopes to share with it's readers an open forum where we can learn about and discuss military history, military news and other topics of concern or interest to our readers be they Veteran's, Current Duty or anyone interested in what we have to offer. If the Foxhole makes someone appreciate, even a little, what others have sacrificed for us, then it has accomplished one of it's missions. We hope the Foxhole in some small way helps us to remember and honor those who came before us.
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 The Sixth U.S. Army The Alamo Scouts were organized on Fergusson Island, New Guinea, on 28 November 1943 to conduct reconnaissance and raider work in the Southwest Pacific Theater under the personal command of then Lt. General Walter Krueger, Commanding General, Sixth U.S. Army. Named for his beloved association with San Antonio, Texas, and the Alamo, Krueger envisioned that the Alamo Scouts, consisting of small teams of highly trained volunteers, would operate deep behind enemy lines to provide intelligence-gathering and tactical reconnaissance in advance of Sixth U.S. Army landing operations.  From their first operational mission in the Admiralty Islands in February, 1944, to the end of World War II, the Alamo Scouts performed 106 known missions behind enemy lines in New Guinea and in the Philippines without losing a single man killed or captured. During these two years the Alamo Scouts liberated 197 Allied prisoners in New Guinea, and provided forward reconnaissance and tactical support of the Sixth Ranger Battalion in the liberation of the Cabanatuan Prisoner of War Camp on Luzon, in February 1945, freeing 511 Allied prisoners. In addition, the Alamo Scouts captured 84 Japanese prisoners of war.  The Alamo Scouts evolved from a simple reconnaissance unit in New Guinea to a sophisticated intelligence collection group which supplied and coordinated large-scale guerrilla operations on Leyte and Luzon.  In July 1945, the Alamo Scouts were training to conduct pre-invasion reconnaissance of Kyushu in preparation for OPERATION OLYMPIC, the first step in the proposed Allied invasion of the Japanese homeland. Following the Japanese surrender, the Alamo Scouts landed in Wakayama and became part of the occupation army They were unceremoniously disbanded at Kyoto, Japan, in November 1945, never to be reconstituted. The Alamo Scouts have the finest record of any elite unit of World War II and, arguably, one of the finest in the history of the United States military.  In 1988, the Alamo Scouts were individually awarded the SPECIAL FORCES SHOULDER TAB for their services in World War II and included in the lineage of today's U.S. Army Special Forces. Missions:  The Alamo Scouts conducted 106 known missions during World War II totaling 1482 combined man-days behind enemy lines. Due to the top secret nature of their operations and limited contact with other teams, the extent of their operations may never be known.  The Alamo Scouts battle credits include the Bismarck Archipelago, New Guinea, Leyte, and Luzon Campaigns. Throughout the Bismarck Archipelago and New Guinea Campaigns, the Alamo Scouts conducted 37 known missions." Beginning in October 1944, the Alamo Scouts conducted 13 missions in support of the Allied landings on Leyte, Philippine Islands.  From 9 January to 30 June 1945, the Alamo Scouts performed 43 missions behind enemy lines on Luzon, Philippine Islands.  From 1 July to 15 August 1945, the Alamo Scouts conducted 11 missions on Luzon in support of the Eighth U.S. Army.      |
In 1944, Pyle had written a column urging that soldiers in combat get "fight pay" as airmen were paid "flight pay". Congress passed a law giving soldiers 50 percent extra pay for combat service. The legislation was called "the Ernie Pyle bill."
We're also watching for 30-40 MPH winds today which could cause some issues with electricity. We had a couple of power surges last week.
This story was related to me and others while I was living in Lubbock. My parish priest told a story of growing up in Washinton DC, since his father had been a diplomat and US ambassador.
One day, young Clifton was riding his bicycle. Coming down a hill too fast, he hit the guy wire for a utility pole and crashed, skinning himself up. At about the same time, a black limo stops. The suit wearing guy in the back has the driver put the bicycle in the trunk, and has Clifton join him in the back seat, bloody scrapes and all. They take Clifton an deliver him to his parents, whom they know personally.
At this point Fr. Clifton gets teary eyed about the whole story. Seems the guy in the limo was none other than Vice-President Nixon, who Clifton remembers as a very warm ,friendly, and decent man. He proceeded to dedicate the Mass to the President.
We had sustained winds of 25-30 midday yesterday, tappering off late. Today, the winds are predicted to be 35-40. Indoor painting only today!
If it happnes whith your computeron it's called an improper shutodnw and that can cause system instability.
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