The FReeper Foxhole Remembers Fire Support Base Ripcord (July 1970) Part II - Aug. 8th, 2004

see educational sources

[snippy_about_it]

............



A Currahee lost in battle, remembered in our hearts
Lt. Colonel Andre C. Lucas



LUCAS, ANDRE C. *

Rank and organization: Lieutenant Colonel, U.S. Army, 2nd Battalion, 506th Infantry, 101st Airborne Division

Place and date: Fire Support Base Ripcord, Republic of Vietnam, 1 to 23 July 1970

Entered service at: West Point, New York

Born: 2 October 1930, Washington D.C.

Citation:

Lt. Col. Lucas distinguished himself by extraordinary heroism while serving as the commanding officer of the 2nd Battalion. Although the fire base was constantly subjected to heavy attacks by a numerically superior enemy force throughout this period, Lt. Col. Lucas, forsaking his own safety, performed numerous acts of extraordinary valor in directing the defense of the allied position. On one occasion, he flew in a helicopter at treetop level above an entrenched enemy directing the fire of one of his companies for over 3 hours. Even though his helicopter was heavily damaged by enemy fire, he remained in an exposed position until the company expended its supply of grenades.

He then transferred to another helicopter, dropped critically needed grenades to the troops, and resumed his perilous mission of directing fire on the enemy. These courageous actions by Lt. Col. Lucas prevented the company from being encircled and destroyed by a larger enemy force. On another occasion, Lt. Col. Lucas attempted to rescue a crewman trapped in a burning helicopter. As the flames in the aircraft spread, and enemy fire became intense, Lt. Col. Lucas ordered all members of the rescue party to safety. Then, at great personal risk, he continued the rescue effort amid concentrated enemy mortar fire, intense heat, and exploding ammunition until the aircraft was completely engulfed in flames.

Lt. Col. Lucas was mortally wounded while directing the successful withdrawal of his battalion from the fire base. His actions throughout this extended period inspired his men to heroic efforts, and were instrumental in saving the lives of many of his fellow soldiers while inflicting heavy casualties on the enemy. Lt. Col. Lucas' conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action, at the cost of his own life, were in keeping with the highest traditions of the military service and reflect great credit on him, his unit and the U.S. Army.

********** --- Action ---

Start of Tour: Monday, October 27, 1969

Date of Casualty: Thursday, July 23, 1970

Age at time of loss: 39

Casualty type: (A1) Hostile, died

Reason: Artillery, rocket, mortar (Ground casualty)

Country: South VietNam

Province: Thua Thien

The Wall: Panel 08W - Row 046

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Today's Educational Sources and suggestions for further reading:
www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=819453&BRD=1283&PAG=461&dept_id=158544&rfi=8
www.screamingeagle.org/ripcord.html - Vietnam magazine. This article appeared in their June 1998 issue.

[snippy_about_it]

"FALL IN" to the FReeper Foxhole!



Good Sunday Morning Everyone



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

[snippy_about_it]

ohn Kerry told the world we were war criminals who raped, tortured and murdered in Vietnam. Now, thirty-three years later, we will tell America the truth.

Join us at the rally we call:

What: A peaceful remembrance of those with whom we served in Vietnam - those who lived and those who died.
We will tell the story of their virtues and how that contrasts with the lies told by John Kerry.

When: Sunday, Sept. 12, 2004 @ 2:00 PM - 4:00 PM EDT

Where: The West Front of the U.S. Capitol Building, Washington, DC

All Vietnam veterans and their families and supporters are asked to attend. Other veterans are invited as honored guests. This will be a peaceful event--no shouting or contact with others with different opinions. We fought for their rights then, and we respect their rights now. This is NOT a Republican or a pro-Bush rally. Democrats, Republicans and independents alike are warmly invited.

Our gathering is to remember those with whom we served, thereby giving the lie to John Kerry's smear against a generation of fine young men. B.G. "Jug" Burkett, author of "Stolen Valor," will be one of our speakers. Jug has debunked countless impostors who falsely claimed to be Vietnam veterans or who falsely claimed awards for heroism. Jug recommends that we refrain from dragging fatigues out of mothballs. Dress like America, like you do every day.

Dress code: business casual, nice slacks, and shirt and shoes. No uniform remnants, please. Unit hats OK.

Selected members will wear badges identifying them as authorized to speak to the media about our event. Others who speak to the media will speak only for themselves.

The program will be controlled in an attempt to stay on-message. Speakers are encouraged not to engage in speculative criticism of John Kerry but (1) to stick to known and undisputed facts about John Kerry’s lies while (2) reminding America of the true honor and courage of our brothers in battle in Vietnam.

Send this announcement to 10 or more of your brothers! Bring them by car, bus, train or plane! Make this event one of pride in America, an event you would be proud to have your mother or your children attend.

Contact: kerrylied.com

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Veterans for Constitution Restoration is a non-profit, non-partisan educational and grassroots activist organization.

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Actively seeking volunteers to provide this valuable service to Veterans and their families.

Thanks to quietolong for providing this link.

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UPDATED THROUGH APRIL 2004



The FReeper Foxhole. America's History. America's Soul

Click on Hagar for
"The FReeper Foxhole Compiled List of Daily Threads"

[SAMWolf]

Despite the losses, the action at Fire Support Base Ripcord was a highly successful fighting withdrawal.

The difference between us and the french at Dien Bien Phu.

[snippy_about_it]

However, several battle-dazed Americans, hiding in their bunkers, had been unwilling or unable to run the gauntlet of mortar fire to reach the Hueys.

This was, for me, the saddest part of the story.

[SAMWolf]

Shortly after they lifted off, a rifleman motioned to Frazier and handed him a piece of paper that he had taken from his pocket. Frazier read what was written on it and handed it to the pilots. It read, "Thanks for saving our asses." It was a heartfelt thanks Frazier would not forget. He was impressed that the GI had written it while under artillery bombardment, before being picked up. The GI knew the birds would get them out, no matter what.

Unlike a certain Swiftboat Commander who bugged out on his men after 4 months.

[snippy_about_it]

Unlike a certain Swiftboat Commander who bugged out on his men after 4 months.

kerry's incessant bragging about his "hero" status and three Purple Hearts is an insult to these men.

[SAMWolf]

Good Night Snippy.

No fences or retaining walls tomorrow, I promise.

The 4400 Marathon!! Yeah!!

[snippy_about_it]

Good night Sam. I'm looking forward to vegging out in front of the tv tomorrow.

[Aeronaut]

Good morning Snippy.

[E.G.C.]

Good morning, Snippy and everyone at the Foxhole.

[alfa6]

Sunday Morning Rotary Wing Foxhole Bump

Regards

alfa6 ;>}

[GailA]

Good morning from Memphis, I'm scooting out the door to go camping late this afternoon for a couple of days.

hanoi john betrays POW/MIA

[Professional Engineer]

Good morning ladies. Flag-o-gram.

[The Mayor]

August 8, 2004

"We Cut The Coal"

Read: Romans 16:1-16

I commend to you Phoebe . . . ; for indeed she has been a helper of many and of myself also. —Romans 16:1-2

Bible In One Year: Psalms 74-76; Romans 9:16-33

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Winston Churchill knew that people who work behind the scenes don't always get the credit they deserve. During World War II, many of England's coal miners wanted to enlist and fight on the front lines. Churchill acknowledged their patriotism but reminded them of how valuable their work was to the cause of the war. "Some must stay in the pits," he said, "and others must stay in the army. Both are equally needed, and for both there is equal credit."

Looking ahead to when children would ask their parents what they did in the war, Churchill said, "One will say, 'I was a fighter pilot'; another will say, 'I was in the submarine service'; . . . and you in your turn will say with equal pride and with equal right, 'We cut the coal.'"

Paul too recognized the vital importance of those who worked behind the scenes. Much of Romans 16 is dedicated to honoring some of his fellow workers in the faith—people such as Phoebe, Andronicus, and Urbanus—whom we would otherwise never know about. Their service was valuable to Paul and to the cause of reaching people for Christ.

Your labor for the Lord may be unseen and unheralded, but it is essential. Continue to "cut the coal." You are valuable to the Lord. —Dave Egner

Use now what God has given you,
Count not its worth as small;
God does not ask of you great things,
Just faithfulness—that's all! —Bosch

Your little is a lot when you give your all.

[Soaring Feather]

Good Sunday morning everyone.

[Valin]

On This Day In History


Birthdates which occurred on August 08:
1763 Charles Bulfinch Boston Mass, 1st US pro architect (Mass State House)
1812 John Rodgers II, Commander (Union Navy), died in 1882
1814 Esther Hobart Morris, suffragist/anti-slavery activist
1819 Charles Anderson Dana, Asst Secy War, (Union) died in 1897
1820 Winfield Scott "Old Swet" Featherston, Army Brig General (Confederate)
1835 James William Forsyth, Brig General (Union volunteers), died in 1906
1839 Nelson Appleton Miles, Major General (Union volunteers), died in 1925
1857 Henry Osborn Conn, paleontologist/author (52 Years of Research)
1879 Emiliano Zapata Mexican revolutionary, peasant leader
1884 Sara Teasdale US, poet (1st Pulitzer Prize-1918-"Love Songs")
1896 Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings Wash DC, writer (The Yearling)
1901 Dr Ernest O Lawrence Canton SC, inventor (Cyclotron-Nobel 1939)
1902 Paul A.M. Dirac England, theoretical physicist (Nobel 1933)
1907 Benny Carter, NYC, musician/composer (Easy Money, King Carter)
1908 Arthur J Goldberg Ill, UN ambassador/Supreme Court justice (1962-65)
1910 Sylvia Sidney Bronx NY, actress (WKRP, Sabotage, Beetlejuice)
1918 Rory Calhoun LA Calif, actor (Capitol, Motel Hell, Bill-Texan)
1919 Dino DeLaurentis producer (King Kong)
1922 Rudi Gernreich designed 1st women's topless swimsuit, miniskirt
1923 Esther Williams Inglewood Cal, actress/swimmer (Dangerous when Wet)
1926 Webb Pierce West Monroe La, country singer (Ozark Jubilee)
1927 Jim Weaver (D-rep-Ore)
1930 Andy Warhol artist/movie producer (Frankenstein, Bad)
1930 Joan Mondale wife of former VP Walter F Mondale
1930 Nita Talbot NYC NY, actress (Supertrain, Here We Go Again)
1932 Mel Tillis country singer/stutterer (Who's Julie)
1933 Joe Tex singer/songwriter (Hold What You've Got)
1936 Don Bowden US, 1st American to run a sub 4 min mile
1937 Dustin Hoffman LA, actor (The Graduate, Tootsie, Rainman, Ishtar)
1938 Connie Stevens Bkln, singer/actress (Hawaiian Eye, Back to Beach)
1944 Smokey the Bear, named after NYC fireman Smokey Joe Martin
1948 Svetlana Y Savitskaya 2nd woman in space (Soyuz T-7, T-12)
1949 Keith Carradine San Mateo Calif, actor (Young Guns, Pretty Baby)
1953 "Sweet" Lou Dunbar basketball player (Harlem Globetrotters)
1953 Donny Most Bkln NY, actor (Ralph Malph-Happy Days)
1958 Deborah Norville TV host (Today)
1962 Suzee Pai Toledo Ohio, actress (Big Trouble in Little China)

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Deaths which occurred on August 08:
0117 Mark Ulpius Trajanus, adopted son of emperor Nerva/emperor, dies
1471 Thomas a Kempis, [Thomas Hammerken von Kempen], writer/monk,
1685 Sassoferrato, [Giovanni B Salvi], Ital painter (Madonna), dies at 75
1928 Stjepan Radic, founder/leader (Croatian Boer party), dies
1944 Erwin von Witzleben, German fieldmarshal, hanged
1961 Charlie Gemora actor who portrayed King Kong, dies at 58
1969 Sharon Tate, murdered by the Manson family at 26
1975 Julian "Cannonball" Alderly, saxophonist/bandleader, dies of a stroke at 46
1976 John Roselli hired by CIA to kill Castro, found murdered
1980 Jacqueline Cochrane, US pilot/1st female faster than sound, dies at 70
1984 Richard Deacon actor (Mel-Dick Van Dyke Show), dies at 62
1991 James B Irwin, Col USAF/astronaut (Apollo 15, pilot of the Lunar Roving Vehicle), dies at 61
1992 Abul Qassim Khoei, Iraqi great-ayatollah/leader of Sjiieten, dies
1996 Frank A Whittle, inventor of the Jet engine, dies at 89
1996 Nevill Francis Mott, physicist, dies at 90
1997 Duncan Swift, jazz pianist, dies at 74

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Reported: MISSING in ACTION

1964 GRAINGER JOSEPH W. WEST HARTFORD CT.
[01/25/65 DIED ON PRG DIC LIST PER WIDOW 1965]
1966 FLOM FREDRIC R. MENASHA WI.
[03/04/73 RELEASED BY DRV, ALIVE AND WELL 98]
1966 GOLBERG LAWRENCE CLOQUET MN.
[09/30/77 REMAINS RETURNED SRV]
1966 KOMMENDANT AADO LAKEWOOD NJ.
1966 KASLER JAMES H. ZANESVILLE OH.
[03/04/73 RELEASED BY DRV, ALIVE AND WELL 98]
1966 WALLING CHARLES M PHOENIX AZ.
1966 WYNNE PATRICK EDWARD EAU GALLIE FL. 03/18/77 SRV RETURNED REMAINS TO PCOM

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

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On this day...
0070 Tower of Antonia destroyed by Romans
1306 King Wenceslas of Poland is murdered.
1579 Cornerstone is laid for Tycho Brahe's Uraniborg observatory
1585 Pope Sixtus excommunicates Henri IV
1609 Venetian senate examines Galileo Galilei's telescope
1648 Ibrahim, the sultan of Istanbul, is thrown into prison, then assassinated.
1709 1st known ascent in hot-air balloon, Bartolomeu de Gusmao (indoors)
1786 Congress adopts silver dollar and decimal system of money
1786 Jacques Balmat and Michel Paccard are 1st to climb to top of Mont Blanc
1796 Boston African Society establishes with 44 members
1815 Napoleon Bonaparte set sail for exile on St Helena
1843 Natal (in South Africa) is made a British colony
1844 Brigham Young chosen Mormon Church head following Joseph Smith death
1854 Smith & Wesson patents metal bullet cartridges
1860 Queen of Sandwich Islands (Hawaii) arrives in NYC
1861 William Bateson, originator of term "genetics"
1864 Union troops/fleet occupy Fort Gaines, Alabama
1868 Quake destroys Arica Chile
1870 Magic (US) defeats Cambria (Engld) in 2nd running of America's Cup
1876 Dan O'Leacy completes 500 mile walk in 139h32m
1876 Thomas Edison patents mimeograph
1882 Snow falls on Lake Michigan
1890 Daughters of the American Revolution organizes
1900 1st Davis Cup tennis matches, held in Boston
1914 3rd pole expedition Ernest Shackleton "Endurance"

1918 6 US soldiers are surrounded by Germans in France, Alvin York is given command & shoots 20 Germans & captures 132 more

1919 Treaty of Rawalpindi, British recognize Afghanistan's independence
1925 1st national march of Ku Klux Klan (200 000) in Washington DC
1929 German airship Graf Zeppelin begins a round-the-world flight
1929 Salem Oregon airport dedicated
1930 St Louis Cards are 12 games back in NL, & go on to win the pennant
1937 Bonneville Dam on Columbia River begins producing power
1940 Battle of Britain began as Germany launches air attacks
1941 20 divisions of Russian 6th/12th Army surrender at Oeman
1942 "Monty" appointed commandant of British 8th Army at Alamein
1942 6 convicted Nazi saboteurs who landed in US executed in Wash DC
1944 Canada/Polish troops occupy Cramesnil/Secqueville/Cintheaux/St-Aignan
1944 Germans raid Achterhuis, home of Anne Frank and family
1945 Pres Harry S Truman signs UN Charter
1945 USSR declares war against Japan in WW II
1945 USSR establishes a communist government in North Korea
1949 Bhutan, land of the Dragon, became an independent monarchy
1952 Syngman Ree "re-elected president" of South-Korea
1953 Russia's Georgi Malenkov reports possession of hydrogen bomb
1953 US & South Korea initial a mutual security pact
1955 Geneva conference held to discuss peaceful uses of atomic energy
1956 Fire & explosion kill 263 miners at Marcinelle, Belgium
1960 Ivory Coast declares independence
1960 "Itsy Bitsy Teenie Weenie Yellow Polkadot Bikini" hits #1
1963 Great Train Robbery in England, $2.6 million ($7.3 million)
1963 Kingsmen release "Louie, Louie," radio stations label it obscene
1966 Beatles' release "Revolver"
1968 Race riot in Miami Florida
1970 NY Yankees honor Casey Stengel, retiring his number 37
1972 NY Yankees sign 30 year lease with NYC
1973 VP Spiro T Agnew branded as "damned lies" reports he took kickbacks from govt contracts in Maryland. He vowed not to resign (Right!)
1974 Pres Richard M Nixon announced he'd resign his office 12PM 08/09
1978 Pioneer-Venus 2 with 5 atmospheric probes launched toward Venus
1979 Iraqi president Saddam Hussein executes 22 political opponents
1983 Brig Gen Efrain Rios Montt was deposed as president of Guatemela
1983 Jury in KC, Mo, awards TV anchorwoman Christine Craft $500,000 in sex discrimination suit against KMBC-TV (later overturned)
1984 Carl Lewis wins 3rd (200m) of 4 gold medals in the Summer Olympics
1985 Japan launches Planet A, a probe to Halley's comet
1986 Record 3 grandslams in a game-(Harrah-Tex, Sheets & Dwyer-Orioles)
1987 Lynne Cox became 1st to swim from US to Russia across Bering Strait
1988 Chicago Cubs starts 1st home game under lights (rained-out)
1988 Discovery of most distant galaxy (15 * 10 ^ 12 light yrs) announced
1988 Goose Gossage registers career save #300
1988 Jose Canseco becomes 11th to get 30 HRs & 30 steals in a season
1988 Minn Twins pull 2nd triple-play of year & beat Cleve 6-2

1988 Russian troops begin pull out of Afghanistan after 9 year war

1988 Sec of State Shultz narrowly escapes assassin attempt in Bolivia
1988 South Africa declares cease-fire in Angola
1988 Temperature hits high of 88 on 8/8/88 in NYC
1989 US space shuttle STS-28 launched
1990 Balt Orioles pull their 10th triple play (1-6-3 vs Oakland)
1990 Iraq annexes Kuwait
1991 Carlos Santana pleads no contest to marijuana
possession charge
1991 Shite Muslims release British hostage John McCarthy

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

Afghanistan : Independence Day (1919)
Ivory Coast : Independence Day (1960)
Nepal : Tij Day- Woman's holiday
Italy : Palio Del Golfo (2nd Sunday) (Sunday)
US : National Admit You're Happy Day
Don't Wait...Celebrate Week Begins
Family Day
National Apple Week Begins
Romance Awareness Month

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Religious Observances
RC : Commemoration of SS Cyriacus, Largus, Smaragdus, martyrs
Ang, RC : Memorial of St Dominic, priest/friar

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Religious History
1471 Death of Thomas Kempis, 91, Dutch mystic and devotional author. Though most of his years were outwardly uneventful, his book "The Imitation of Christ" remains in print today, a guide to cultivating the inner human spirit.
1518 German reformer Martin Luther wrote in a letter: 'The Lord will provide with the trial a way out.'
1845 Birth of Thomas Koschat, Austrian sacred composer. One of his scores became the hymn tune POLAND, to which is commonly sung "The King of Love My Shepherd Is."
1852 The roots of the Baptist General Conference were planted when Swedish immigrant pastor Gustaf Palmquist baptized his first three converts in the Mississippi River at Rock Island, Illinois. Today, the denomination numbers about 140,000.
1910 The Sacred Congregation of the Sacraments in the Vatican issued the decree "Quam singulari," which recommended that children be permitted to receive Holy Communion as soon as they reached the "age of discretion" (i.e., about age 7).

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

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Thought for the day :
"There are three types of people in this world: Those who can count, and those who can't"

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Media Reports of the Apocalypse...
Lady's Home Journal:
LOSE 10 LBS BY JUDGMENT DAY WITH OUR NEW "ARMAGEDDON" DIET!

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You Might Be An Engineer If...
The Humane society has you arrested because you actually performed the Schrodinger's Cat experiment

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Doggie Dictionary...
DOG BED: any soft, clean surface, such as the white bedspread in the guest room or the newly upholstered couch in the living room.

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Dumb Laws...
Kansas:
Pedestrians crossing the highways at night must wear tail lights.

[Soaring Feather]

~Josh Groban~You Raise Me Up~

[SAMWolf]

Morning Aeronaut

[SAMWolf]

Morning E.G.C. Supposed to be a hot one here today.