Terry de la Mesa Allen - one of the greatest combat commanders in the history of the United States Army - took command of the 104th Infantry Division October 11, 1943. The Timberwolves quickly benefited from his vast experience, both as a battalion commander in World War I and, in 1942, as the commanding general of the First Infantry Division in North Africa and Sicily.
104th Infantry Division Patch
Confident, cocky, tough, stubborn, friendly, honest, determined, tireless, quick, aggressive, skillful, religious...all these and more described our Chief Timberwolf. His chest was bedecked with ribbons, among which was a Purple Heart with cluster, and a Silver Star - he knew what it took to be an infantryman.
General Allen was a third-generation soldier; he believed his non-coms and men must always come first..."I want no Timberwolf to spend the night in any damn jail house in town"..."by God, get extra blankets for the men making tonight's river crossing"..."this lousy weather calls for dry socks - the troops need 'em and I mean now!" He was genuinely fond of "his" men, and he'd grin broadly as he'd pop your head back with a sharp, playful left to the chin, and remind you, "hell, those are the guys who make the brass look good - don't ever forget it!" In Arizona and Colorado, he hammered home his principles: "find 'em, fix 'em, fight 'em"..."take the high ground"..."inflict maximum damage to the enemy with minimum casualties to ourselves, night attack, night attack, night attack."
MAJ. GEN. TERRY ALLEN
Commanding General, 104th Division
After the Division's brilliant campaign to the Rhine, General Allen was overheard in Cologne talking with General Omar Bradley:
"Terry, I'm pleasantly surprised to see these young Timberwolves of yours already ranked along with the First and the Ninth as the finest assault divisions in the ETO." Without hesitation, General Allen responded:
"Brad, the First and the Ninth are in damned fast company!" General Allen understood casualties of war...they hurt him keenly - more than he'd acknowledge. But in the fall of '67, when Lt. Col. Terry Allen, Jr. died in battle in Vietnam, the General suffered a severe blow.
General T. Allen with an Aid - 104th Division
The sparkle in his eyes was gone and his erect carriage sagged; but, never a quitter, he took the flag at his son's funeral, standing tall and proud. Minutes later at his home, where many friends had gathered, he admonished all, "let there be no tears in this house - this is the home of an infantry man."
On September 16, 1969, Major General Terry de la Mesa Allen was buried in the National Cemetery at Ft. Bliss with full military honors.
Decorations
Silver Star, Purple Heart with Oak Leaf cluster, Distinguished Service Medal with Oak Leaf cluster, Legion of Merit
Foreign Decorations
Honorary Companion of the most Honorable Order of the Bath (British); French Croix de Guerre with Palm, The French Order of the Legion of Honor; and the Soviet Order of Suvorov, Class II (Gold)
Career Chronicle
30 Nov., 1912, commissioned Second Lieutenant, Cavalry
1912-13, 14th Cavalry, Fort Meyer, VA & Eagle Pass, TX
1916, Mounted Service School, Fort Riley, KS (graduated May 1916)
1 July, 1916, promoted to First Lieutenant, served at Del Rio & Eagle Pass, TX on border duty
15 May, 1917, promoted to Captain
April, 1918, Fort Sam Houston, TX
7 June, 1918, promoted to Major (temporary) & sent to France with the 315th Ammunition Train. Transferred to the Infantry & commanded the 3rd Battalion, 358th Infantry Regiment, 90th Division.
Sept. 1918, received first of three battle wounds. Remained with American Expeditionary Forces in France & with the Army of Occupation in Germany through Sept. 1920.
15 March, 1920, reverted to Captain.
1 July, 1920, promoted to Major.
Sept., 1920, Camp Travis, TX
March, 1922, Fort McIntosh, TX
Sept., 1922, 61st Cavalry Division, New York, City
Jan., 1924, Cavalry School, Fort Riley, KS (graduated from the advance course in June 1924).
1926, graduated from a two year course of the Command & General Staff School at Fort Leavenworth, KS (Dwight David Eisenhower was #1 in the class).
1926-1929, 7th Cavalry, Fort Bliss, TX
16 June 1926, married Miss Mary Francis Robinson, daughter of Mayor & Mrs. Wm. F. Robinson
Later served at Camp Jackson, SC, Fort Oglethorpe, GA & Fort Benning, GA with 6th Cavalry.
June, 1932, completed the advance course, Infantry School, Fort Benning, GA.
Aug., 1934, entered Army War College, Washington, D.C., graduating June, 1935.
1 Aug., 1935, promoted to Lieutenant Colonel & became an instructor at the Cavalry School, Fort Riley, KS.
June, 1939, 7th Cavalry, Fort Bliss, TX.
1 Oct., 1940, promoted to Brigadier General (temporary), without ever holding the rank of Colonel, & assigned to 3rd Cavalry Brigade, Fort Riley, KS
April, 1941, became Commanding General, 2nd Cavalry Division, Fort Riley, KS
Dec., 1941, became Assistant Division Commander, 36th Infantry Division, Camp Bowie, TX
19 June, 1942, promoted to Major General (temporary) & given command 1st Infantry Division, Fort Benning, GA & commanded this division in England, North Africa & Sicily until relieved of command in Sept., 1943.
Oct., 1943, given command of the 104th Infantry Division.
31 Aug.1946, retired from active duty to his home at 21 Cumberland Circle, El Paso, Texas.
Additional Sources: members.tripod.com/RegimentalRogue
math.scu.edu
www.army.mil
www.webbuild.net
libraryweb.utep.edu
home.planet.nl
history.acusd.edu
timberwolf104.tripod.com
On This Day In History
Birthdates which occurred on July 12:
100 -BC- Julius Caesar Roman Emperor
1730 Josiah Wedgewood England, pottery designer/manufacturer
1807 Silas Casey, Major General (Union volunteers), died in 1882
1817 Henry David Thoreau Concord Mass, naturalist/author/pacifist
1821 Daniel Harvey Hill, Lt Gen (Confederate Army), died in 1889
1849 Sir William Osler Canada, physician/author (circulatory system)
1854 George Eastman Waterville NY, invented Kodak camera
1864 George Washington Carver studied the peanut
1868 Stefan George Germany, lyric poet (Algabal)
1895 Oscar Hammerstein II NYC, lyricist who worked with Richard Rodgers
1895 R Buckminster Fuller architect (invented geodesic dome)
1904 Pablo Neruda Chile, poet (Residence on Earth-Nobel 1971)
1908 Milton Berle Harlem NYC, comedian (Uncle Miltie, Mr Television)
1917 Andrew Wyeth US, painter (Christina's World)
1920 Keith Andes Ocean City NJ, actor (Farmer's Daughter, Away All Boats)
1922 Clark MacGregor politician (involved in Watergate)
1922 Mark O Hatfield (Sen-R-Ore)
1934 Harvey Lavan "Van" Cliburn Jr La, pianist (Tchaikovsky 1958)
1937 Bill Cosby Phila, actor/comedian (I Spy, Cosby)
1943 Christie McVie rocker (Fleetwood Mac-Got A Hold on Me)
1948 Richard Simmons exercise guru (Deal-a-Meal)
1951 Cheryl Ladd Huron SD, actress (Charlie's Angels, Purple Hearts)
1957 Rick Douglas Husband, Amarillo Texas, USAF mjr/astronaut
1971 Kristi Yamaguchi (Olympic gold medalist: figure skater [1992]; U.S. and world champion [1992])
Deaths which occurred on July 12:
1450 Jack Cade slain in a revolt against British King Henry VI
1712 Richard Cromwell, English Lord Protector (1658-59), dies at 85
1861 Dave McCanles, first to fall from Wild Bill Hickok's gun fire
1898 Paul Voulet, French captain/mass murderer in Senegal, dies
1935 Alfred Dreyfus, French officier (Dreyfus Affair), dies
1973 Lon Chaney Jr, actor (Wolfman), dies after long illness at 66
1976 Ted Mack TV host (Original Amateur Hour), dies at 72
1979 Minnie Ripperton singer (Lovin' You), dies of cancer at 30
1992 Albert Pierrepont, last British hangman (433 men/17 women)
1996 John William Chancellor, news anchor (VOA, NBC), dies at 68
Reported: MISSING in ACTION
1967 ALMENDARIZ SAMUEL MC ALLEN TX.
1967 DOVE JACK PARIS SR. BLUEFIELD VA.
[REMAINS RETURNED/IDENTIFIED 07/25/95]
1967 FRANK MARTIN S.
[03/05/73 RELEASED BY PRG, ALIVE IN 98]
1967 HENRY NATHAN B. FRANKLIN NC.
[03/05/73 RELEASED BY PRG INJURED,ALIVE IN 98]
1967 MC MURRAY CORDINE DETROIT MI.
[03/05/73 RELEASED BY PRG, ALIVE IN 00]
1967 NEWELL STANLEY A. PEKIN IL.
[03/05/73 RELEASED BY PRG, ALIVE & WELL 12/95-98]
1967 PERRICONE RICHARD R. UNIONDALE NY.
[03/05/73 RELEASED BY PRG, ALIVE IN 98]
1967 SCHIELE JAMES F. GRANGER UT.
1967 SQUIRE BOYD EDWIN SACRAMENTO CA.
[REMAINS RETURNED/IDENTIFIED 07/25/95]
1967 SULLIVAN ROBERT J. EAST ALSTEAD NH.
1967 VAN BENDEGOM JAMES L. KENOSHA WI.
[WOUNDED DIED SEVERAL DAYS AFTER CAPTURE]
1969 BANNON PAUL W. HUEYTOWN AL.
1969 PIKE PETER X. NEW YORK NY.
1972 SHIMKIN ALEX
1972 HUARD JAMES L. DEARBORN MI.
[REMAINS IDENTIFIED THROUGH DNA 01/27/97]
1972 O'DONNELL SAMUEL JR. DEARBORN MI.
POW / MIA Data & Bios supplied by
the P.O.W. NETWORK. Skidmore, MO. USA.
On this day...
0526 St Felix IV begins his reign as Catholic Pope
1109 Crusaders capture Syria's harbor city of Tripoli
1191 Richard Coeur de Lion and Crusaders defeat Saracens in Palestine
1290 Jews are expelled from England by order of King Edward I
1543 England's King Henry VIII weds Catherine Parr (6th & last wife)
1679 Britain's King Charles II ratified Habeas Corpus Act
1690 Orangeman's yearly celebration (The battle of the Orange) - Actually "Battle of the Boyne" ( 1 July 1690), when Protestant had victory in Ireland
1691 Battle of Aughrim (Aghrim) England, William III beats James II
1704 Stanislaw Leszcynski becomes king of part of Poland
1774 Cossack leader Emilian Pugachevs army occupies Kazan
1774 Citizens of Carlisle, Penn. pass a declaration of independence
1812 US forces led by Gen Hull invade Canada (War of 1812)
1817 1st flower show held (Dannybrook, County Cork, Ireland)
1859 Paper bag manufacturing machine patented by William Goodale, Mass
1862 Congress authorizes Medal of Honor
1874 Ontario Agricultural College founded
1900 114ø F (46ø C), Basin, Wyoming (state record)
1906 Alfred Dreyfus found innocent in France
1909 16th Amendment approved (power to tax incomes)
1914 Babe Ruth makes his baseball debut, pitches for the Red Sox
1920 Lithuania & USSR sign peace treaty, Lithuuania becomes independent republic (independent...right...sure)
1923 K Reinmuth discovers asteroids #997 Priska & #3682
1927 Babe Ruth hits 30th of 60 HRs
1933 Congress passes 1st minimum wage law (33cents per hour)
1934 US Disciplinary Barracks on Alcatraz Island abandoned
1946 Vance Dinges hits the only Phillie pinch hit inside-the-park HR
1948 1st jets to fly across the Atlantic (6 RAF de Havilland Vampires)
1949 Baseball owners agree to erect warning paths before each fence
1949 LA Rams sign Norm Van Brocklin
1951 Mob tries to keep black family from moving into all-white Cicero Ill
1957 1st President to fly in helicopter-Dwight Eisenhower
1960 Congo, Chad & Central African Republic declare independence
1960 Echo I, 1st passive satellite launched
1960 USSR's Sputnik 5 launched with 2 dogs
1962 1st time 2 manned crafts in space (USSR)
1962 Rolling Stones 1st performance (Marquee Club, London)
1966 Most rain fell in 1 day in Ohio, 10.5" in Sandusky
1967 Blacks in Newark, riot, 26 killed, 1500 injured & over 1000 arrested
1970 Janis Joplin debuts in Kentucky
1971 Juan Corona, indicted for 25 murders
1977 1st free flight test of space shuttle Enterprise
1979 "Disco Demolition Night" at Comiskey Park, causes fans to go wild & causes White Sox to forfeit 2nd game of a doubleheader to the Tigers
1982 FEMA promises survivors of a nuclear war will get their mail
1984 Geraldine Ferraro, NY became 1st woman major-party VP candidate
1985 Doctors discover a cancerous growth in Pres Reagan's colon
1989 NY Yankee pitching great Ron Guidry retires (170-91 .651, 3.29 ERA)
1991 The House voted overwhelmingly to define marriage in federal law as a legal union of one man and one woman _ no matter what states might say.
1996 Kirby Puckett, retires from Minn Twins
Holidays
Note: Some Holidays are only applicable on a given "day of the week"
Central African Republic, Chad, Congo : Independence Day (1960)
Northern Ireland : Orangeman's Day (1690) (7/1 OS)
Rhodesia : Thodes Day
South Africa : Family Day (Monday)
Swaziland : Reed Dance Day (Monday)
US : Different Colored Eyes Day.
Eat Your Jello Day
National Peach Month
Religious Observances
Christian : St John Gualbert, abbot
Orth : Feast of SS Peter & Paul (6/29 OS)
RC : Commemoration of St John Gualbert, abbot
Luth : Commemoration of Nathan Suderblom, archbishop of Uppsala
Religious History
1191 The armies of the Third Crusade (1189-92), led by England's King Richard ('TheLionhearted'), captured the Syrian seaport of Acre.
1843 Mormon church founder Joseph Smith announced that a divine revelation had beengiven him sanctioning polygamy among his newly-organized religious followers.
1898 Birth of Peter Deyneka, missions pioneer. The Slavic Gospel Association, whichhe founded in 1934, undertakes evangelistic work in Europe and South America.
1944 Golden Gate Baptist Theological Seminary was chartered in Mill Valley, CA, undersponsorship of the Southern Baptist Church.
1963 Swiss Reformed theologian Karl Barth wrote in a letter: 'Do not stop testing andcorrecting your insights by holy scripture. Then, being sound in what really counts, youcan live and represent a comforted life.'
Source: William D. Blake. ALMANAC OF THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH. Minneapolis: Bethany House, 1987.
Thought for the day :
"The fewer the facts, the stronger the opinion."
Things To Do If You Ever Became An Evil Overlord...
Legions of Terror will be trained in basic marksmanship. Any who cannot learn to hit a man-sized target at 10 meters will be used for target practice.
PUNishment of the the day...
If we canteloup lettuce marry!
Dumb Laws...
Idaho:
Riding a merry-go-round on Sundays is considered a crime
Top Ten Things That sound Dirty In Golf..But Aren't...
1. Hold up...I need to wash my balls first.