Posted on 07/08/2004 12:00:05 AM PDT by SAMWolf
www.mcu.usmc.mil
www.history.navy.mil
www.ibiblio.org
'The 2nd Marine Division has been especially chosen by the High Command for the assault on Tarawa...what you do there will set a standard for all future operations in the central pacific area.' Major General Julian C. Smith 'Casualties many; Percentage of dead not known; Combat efficiency; we are winning.' Colonel David M. Shoup, USMC, 'The Marines fought almost solely on esprit decorps, I was certain. It was inconceivable to most Marines that they should let another Marine down, or that they could be responsible for dimming the bright reputation of their Corps. Robert Sherrod, |
Who They Are: Operation: Stitches Of Love was started by the Mothers of two United States Marines stationed in Iraq.
What They Are Doing: We are gathering 12.5"x12.5" quilt squares from across the country and assembling the largest quilt ever produced. When completed we will take the quilt from state to state and gather even more squares.
Why They Are Doing This: We are building this quilt to rally support for the Coalition Forces in Iraq and to show the service members that they are not forgotten. We want the world to know Nothing will ever break the stitches that bind us together as a country.
Ideas to start a local project:
Obtain enough Red, White and Blue material (cloth) for a 12.5 x 12.5 quilt square.
If you have someone in your family that sews, make it a weekend project and invite neighbors to join you.
Consider this tribute as a project for your civic group, scouts, church or townhall group.
Locate an elementary school with an after school program in your neighborhood or locate an after school program in your neighborhood not attached to a school and ask if you could volunteer one or two afternoons and create some squares with the kids.
Invite some VFW posts to share your project in honor of their post.
Send us webmaster@patriotwatch.com for digital photos of in progress and finished project for various websites, OIFII.com and the media.
PDN is making this appeal in support of Operation: Stitches Of Love
Media Contact: Deborah Johns (916) 716-2749
Volunteers & Alternate Media: PDN (916) 448-1636
Your friends at PDN
Special topic of interest ping. ;-)
A good book I read some time back.
Tarawa
Charles T Gregg
1984
ISBN 0-8128-8119-2
An interesting thing from the book:
One of the reasons that is was so costly to take Tarawa. Was an raid a year earlier on Aug 17 1942 With a 2nd in command by the name of Maj. James Roosevelt on Makin Island.
Then President Franklin Roosevelt Was enchanted with the activities of British commandos. And in June 1940 had forced the Marine Corps to set up similar units. The Marinas said every Marine already has this type of training. So no special forces were needed.
For those of you who don't know your history well. This is the Carlson's Raiders. And Maj. Roosevelt is FDR's Son.
This raid drew the attention of the Imperial Headquarters in Japan to the Gilbert Islands.
With the Japanese commanders concluding that this presaged an invasion of the Gilberts.
So they decided to reinforce the area. And build a airfield on Betio Island.
They also scoured the other islands in the area. And captured coast watchers, missionary and some other white men. Tortured and killed them. Destroying the intelligence they provided.
But it could have been more costly. All the defenses on Betio were not fully finished
Lesser known losses at Tarawa:
USS LISCOME BAY (CVE-56)
Displacement: 7,800 t.
Length: 5123
Beam: 65
Extreme Width: 1081
Draft: 226
Speed: 19 k.
Complement: 860
Armament: 1 5; 16 40mm
Aircraft: 28
Class: CASABLANCA
LISCOME BAY (CVE-56) was laid down 9 December 1942 by Kaiser Shipbuilding Co., Vancouver, Wash., under a Maritime
Commission contract; launched 19 April 1943; sponsored by
Mrs. Ben Moreell; named LISCOME BAY 28 June 1943; redesignated CVE-56 15 July 1943; acquired by the Navy and commissioned 7 August 1943, Capt. I. D. Wiltsie in command.
After training operations along the west coast, LISCOME
BAY departed San Diego 21 October 1943 and arrived Pearl
Harbor, 1 week later. Having completed additional drills
and operational exercises, the escort carrier set forth upon
what was to be her first and last battle mission. As a unit
of CarDiv 24, she departed Pearl Harbor 10 November attached
to TF 52, Northern Attack Force, under Rear Adm. Richard K.
Turner, bound for the invasion of the Gilbert Islands.
The invasion bombardment announcing America's first
major thrust into the central Pacific began 20 November at
0500, and 76 battle-filled hours later, Tarawa and Makin
Islands were captured. LISCOME BAYs aircraft played their
part well in the 2,278 action sorties provided by carrier
based planes which neutralized enemy airbases, supported
landings and ground operations in powerful bombing-strafing
missions, and intercepted enemy raids. With the islands
secured, the U.S. forces began a retirement.
On 23 November, the Japanese submarine I-175 arrived
off Makin. The temporary task group built around Rear Adm.
H. M. Mullinnix's three escorts, LISCOME BAY, CORAL SEA
(CVE-57) and CORREGIDOR (CVE-58) commanded by Rear Adm.
Robert M. Griffin in NEW MEXICO (BB-40) was steaming 20
miles southwest of Butaritari Island at 15 knots. At 0430,
24 November, reveille was made in LISCOME BAY. The ship
went to routine general quarters at 0505 as flight crews
prepared their planes for dawn launchings. There was no
warning of a submarine in the area until about 0510 when a
lookout shouted: "...here comes a torpedo!" The missile
struck abaft the after engineroom an instant later with a
shattering roar. A second major detonation closely followed
the first, the entire interior burst into flames. At 0533,
LISCOME BAY listed to starboard and sank, carrying Admiral
Mullinix, Captain Wiltsie, 53 other officers, and 591
enlisted men down with her; 272 of her crew were rescued.
Gallantly her men had served; gallantly they died in the
victorious campaign giving their lives for the Nation's future.
LISCOME BAY received one battle star for World War II
service.
http://www.hazegray.org/danfs/carriers/cve56.txt
Folks, I'm going to be in and out for a few days. My Dad isn't feeling well. He's been having stomach problems the last few days and may have to go to the hospital.
Amphibious Foxhole Bump for Thursday
SAM, if you get a chance you should read RAH's speech to the members of the Naval Acadamey. It was around 1972 or so and I found it in one of Heinlein compilation (i think that is the word) books. It was either Requiem or Extended Visions.
And for a further bonus points did you know that Heinlein gets credit for the waterbed.
Off to work for twelve hours of fun and frivoliity
Regards
alfa6 ;>}
Read: Ephesians 3:14-21
[I pray] that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man. Ephesians 3:16
Bible In One Year: Job 36-37; Acts 15:22-41
A large company uses suction to extract contaminating substances from steel drums. Powerful pumps draw the materials out of the barrels, but the workers must carefully regulate the force of these pumps. If they take out too much air, the drums will collapse like paper cups, because the outer pressure will exceed the inner pressure.
Likewise, when adversity and hardship come into our lives, God must empower us from within or we will be unable to withstand the pressures from without. True, we get solid support from loved ones and Christian friends, but it is our spiritual inner man,strengthened with might through His Spirit(Ephesians 3:16), that sustains us and keeps us from crumpling.
The Holy Spirit works to strengthen us and renew our minds as we read the Bible and pray. If we neglect the Scriptures, seldom talk with the Lord, and stop fellowshiping with other believers, well grow weak and vulnerable. Then we will be unable to withstand the pressures of temptation or trouble.
Lets ask the Lord to develop our inner strength so that when lifes blows and burdens press upon us we will not cave in. Dave Egner
On This Day In History
Birthdates which occurred on July 08:
1545 Don Carlos, son of Spanish king Philip II
1574 Giovanni Battista Stefanini, composer
1819 Alexander Hays, Bvt Major General (Union volunteers), died in 1864
1819 Vatroslav Lisinski, composer
1821 William Harvey Lamb Wallace, Brig General (Union volunteers)
1824 Waldimir "Kriz" Krzyzanowski, Brig General (Union volunteers)
1826 Benjamin Henry Grierson, Major General (Union volunteers)
1826 Robert Kingston Scott, Bvt Major General (Union volunteers)
1838 Count Ferdinand Graf von Zeppelin invented rigid dirigibles
1839 John D Rockefeller US capitalist; founded Standard Oil
1893 Fritz Perls father of Gestalt therapy
1898 Alec Waugh London, novelist (Island in the Sun); brother of Evelyn
1907 George W Romney (Gov-R-Mich)/US Secretary of HUD (1969-73)
1908 Louis Jordan Ark, alto saxman (Caldonia)
1908 Nelson A Rockefeller (Gov-R-NY) 41st VP (1974-77)
1914 Billy Eckstine jazz singer (Tenderly, A Fool in Love)
1915 Charles Hard Townes Greenville SC, physicist, developed lasers
1917 Glenn Langan Denver Colo, actor (Amazing Colossal Man, Margie)
1918 Craig Stevens Liberty Mo, actor (Craig-Dallas, Peter Gunn)
1918 Nelson Mandela Transkei South Africa, jailed political activist
1931 Jerry Vale singer (Arriverderci Roma)
1931 Roone Arledge TV executive (ABC)
1933 Marty Feldman London England, comedian (Young Frankenstein)
1935 Steve Lawrence Bkln, singer/actor (Go Away Little Girl, Lonely Guy)
1935 Vitaly I Sevastyanov USSR, cosmonaut (Soyuz 9 Soyuz 18B)
1942 Janice Pennington, Kansas, playmate (May 1971)/model (Price is Right)
1942 Phil Gramm, (Sen-R Texas, 1985- )
1944 Jaimoe "Johnny" Johanson drummer (Allman Brothers)
1948 Kim Darby N Hollywood, actr (True Grit, Enola Gay, Rich Man Poor Man)
1948 Raffi children's singer (Baby Beluga)
1951 Anjelica Huston actress (Prizzi's Honor, Ice Pirates)
1958 Kevin Bacon Phila Pa, actor (Diner, Footloose, Tremors)
And many other things including the "Heads-Up" display currently found in most modern military aircraft.*
* Described in detail in 1959's "Starship Troopers."
How morale and training can alter a faltering offensive.
Morning Aeronaut.
Thanks for the book recommendation, quietolong.
Tarawa was a costly learning experience for the Marines and the Navy.
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