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Posted on 01/15/2005 6:52:06 PM PST 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 Medal of Honor One of the many instances of supreme soldiering in the New Year’s Nordwind engagement is the action of Sergeant Charles MacGillivary. MacGillivary came to the United States when he was 16, from Prince Edward Island, Canada. He took up residence with his older brother in Boston. When Pearl Harbor was bombed, he volunteer for the army. As he told the United States Senate Subcommittee on Immigration 50 years later, when he was in boot camp in Massachusetts, "an officer asked me and two other immigrants ... whether we wanted to become U.S. citizens. [They took us] to a federal courthouse and [swore us] in before a judge. I thought that if I was going to fight for this country, I should be a U.S. citizen." On New years Day, Company I, 71st Regiment, was alerted and ordered to move one mile to be in a position in the event of an enemy breakthrough within the Regimental area. As the Company was proceeding along the road from Wolfling to Gros Rederching, MacGillivary, the squad leader in the second platoon, was given the mission of protecting the left flank. Sergeant MacGillivary, alone, closed in from the left flank and reported the enemy, grenadiers of the 17th Waffen SS Division, digging in.  A few minutes later the enemy opened fire with machine guns, halting the advance. Company K was given the mission to come around the right flank and knock out the opposition. Sgt MacGillivary knowing the position of the enemy, volunteered for a solo patrol and went around the left flank in the rear of one enemy machine gun. With his M1 rifle, at the distance of three feet, killed both the gunner and his assistant. Company I continue to its forward assembly area. By his own initiative and prompt action, after giving knowledge of enemy positions and their fire sectors, he prevented great loss of life to our troops. As Company I went into attack again, it came under heavy machine gun fire. Sergeant MacGillivary, again upon his own initiative, knowing the enemy positions, crawled alone towards the nests of six machine guns, which had halted the attacking force and destroyed three machine gun teams, killing all of them before he himself became seriously wounded by a fourth machine gun. The Sergeant lost one arm as a result of this action. For this extraordinary heroic action, with utter disregard for his own personal safety, his aggressiveness and self sacrifice above and beyond the call of duty, Sgt MacGillivary was awarded the nations highest honor, The Medal of Honor. in the name of The Congress takes pleasure in presenting the Medal of Honor to MacGlLLlVARY, CHARLES A.  Rank and organization: Sergeant, U.S. Army, Company I, 71st Infantry, 44th Infantry Division. Place and date: Near Woelfling, France, 1 January 1945. Entered service at: Boston, Mass. Birth: Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, Canada. G.O. No.: 77, 10 September 1945. Citation: “He led a squad when his unit moved forward in darkness to meet the threat of a breakthrough by elements of the 17th German Panzer Grenadier Division. Assigned to protect the left flank, he discovered hostile troops digging in. As he reported this information, several German machineguns opened fire, stopping the American advance. Knowing the position of the enemy, Sgt. MacGillivary volunteered to knock out 1 of the guns while another company closed in from the right to assault the remaining strong points. He circled from the left through woods and snow, carefully worked his way to the emplacement and shot the 2 camouflaged gunners at a range of 3 feet as other enemy forces withdrew. Early in the afternoon of the same day, Sgt. MacGillivary was dispatched on reconnaissance and found that Company I was being opposed by about 6 machineguns reinforcing a company of fanatically fighting Germans. His unit began an attack but was pinned down by furious automatic and small arms fire. With a clear idea of where the enemy guns were placed, he voluntarily embarked on a lone combat patrol. Skillfully taking advantage of all available cover, he stalked the enemy, reached a hostile machinegun and blasted its crew with a grenade. He picked up a submachine gun from the battlefield and pressed on to within 10 yards of another machinegun, where the enemy crew discovered him and feverishly tried to swing their weapon into line to cut him down. He charged ahead, jumped into the midst of the Germans and killed them with several bursts. Without hesitation, he moved on to still another machinegun, creeping, crawling, and rushing from tree to tree, until close enough to toss a grenade into the emplacement and close with its defenders. He dispatched this crew also, but was himself seriously wounded. Through his indomitable fighting spirit, great initiative, and utter disregard for personal safety in the face of powerful enemy resistance, Sgt. MacGillivary destroyed four hostile machineguns and immeasurably helped his company to continue on its mission with minimum casualties.”      |
Good morning radu.
Good morning Aeronaut.
"Sgt MacGillivary alone dispatched four Waffen SS squads armed with the fearsome MG42. The MG42 is widely regarded is the best machine gun ever with a fire rate of over 1,400 rounds per second."
Thanks for the Clausewitz quote, a good one.
Good morning EGC.
Good morning feather. We are about to head out for another day at the trade show then we will pack up tonight and fly home tomorrow.
Good morning Valin.
Morning alfa6.
Hi Radu!
Morning Aeronaut.
Morning Iris7.
All it takes sometimes is one man who can keep a calm head in a bad situation to turn it aound. Thankfully America produces quite a few of them.
Morning E.G.C.
Nice sunny morning here in Atlanta.
Off to the Trade show again this morning.
Morning Feather.
We dropped into the teens last night. Got a dentist appointment tommorow. Also, the bathtub is stopped up so gonna have to call a plumber.
OSU 83 Iowas State 73.Eddie Sutton surppasses his mentor Moe Iba for career wins as coach.
How's it going, Sam?
CSS Florida, a steam screw cruiser of about 700 tons, was built in England in 1862 under the name Oreto. Secretly purchased by the Confederate States Navy, she sailed in March 1862 for the Bahamas in the guise of a merchant ship. After her arrival, she was fitted as a naval vessel and commissioned in August 1862, commanded by First Lieutenant John Newland Maffitt. With her crew largely disabled by yellow fever, Florida went to Cuba and, on 4 September 1862, ran the Federal blockade into Mobile, Alabama. After completing her outfitting, Maffitt took his ship back out through the blockade on 16 January 1863.
Operating in the Atlantic and West Indies over the next eight months, Florida captured twenty-two prizes, striking terror in the United States' merchant marine and frustrating the U.S. Navy's efforts to catch her. In August 1863, she went to Brest, France, remaining there until the following February, when she again got to sea past watching Federal forces. Under the command of First Lieutenant Charles M. Morris, Florida took another eleven prizes between then and October 1864, when she arrived at Bahia, Brazil.
While anchored in that port on 7 October, Florida was attacked, captured and towed to sea by USS Wachusett, in violation of Brazilian neutrality. After being taken to the U.S., her return to Brazil was ordered by the courts. However, before this could be done, on 28 November 1864 Florida was accidently sunk off Newport News, Virginia.
So far...but as always I remain....vigilant.
You never know when they will strike.
Hi Sam.
free dixie,sw
That's a scary flag waver.
Hiya Sam
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