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Posted on 02/13/2006 8:35:48 PM PST by alfa6
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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 VALENTINE TANK  Based on the A10 Cruiser tank, the Valentine was privately designed by the Vickers-Armstrong corporation (hence its lack of an "A" designation) and was submitted to the War Office on February 14, 1938. Like many other projects, the Valentine was rushed into production following the loss of nearly all of Britain's equipment during the evacuation at Dunkirk. Several versions exist concerning the source of the name Valentine. The most popular one says that the design was presented to the War Office at St. Valentine's Day (February 14). Some sources, however, claim that the exact date the design was submitted was February 10. According to other version, the tank was called Valentine in honor of Sir John Valentine Carden, the man who led the development of the A10 and many other Vickers vehicles. Yet another version says that Valentine is an acronym for Vickers-Armstrong Ltd Elswick & Newcastle-upon-Tyne.  The War Office was initially deterred by the size of the turret and the crew compartment. However, concerned by the situation in Europe, it finally approved the design in April 1939. The vehicle reached trials in May 1940, which coincided with the loss of nearly all of Britain's equipment during the evacuation at Dunkirk. The trials were successfull and the vehicle was rushed into production as Infantry Tank III Valentine. The Valentine remained in production until April 1944, becoming Britain's most mass produced tank during the war with 6855 units manufactured in the UK (by Vickers, Metropolitan-Cammell Carriage and Wagon and Birmingham Railway Carriage and Wagon) and further 1420 in Canada. They were the Commonwealth's main export to the Soviet Union under the Lend-lease Act, with 2394 of the British models being sent and 1388 of the Canadian (the remaining 30 were kept for training).  The Valentine was Britain's most mass produced tank during the war, having manufactured 6855 and a further 1420 in Canada. They were the Commonwealth's main export to the Soviet Union under the Lend-lease Act, with 2394 of the British models being sent and 1388 of the Canadian (the remaining 30 were kept for training). In Soviet service, they were quite popular due to their small size, reliability, and generally good armour protection. In Soviet service, the Valentine was used from the Battle of Moscow until the end of the war. It was employed mostly on the southern fronts, both because of the proximity to the Persian supply route and in order to avoid using the tank in very cold climate. Although criticized for its speed and its weak gun, the Valentine was liked due to its small size, reliability and generally good armour protection. The Valentine was something of an oddity, having the weight and size of a cruiser tank, but the armour and speed of an infantry tank. Though its armour was still weaker than the Matilda and, due to its weaker engine, it shared the same top speed, its high reliability and lower cost kept it in the war. ![](http://www.dad.incomingwormhole.com/Valentine/valentine_mk_iii_01.jpg") By 1944, in the European Theater of Operations the Valentine was almost competely replaced in the frontline units by the Churchill and the US-made Sherman. In the Pacific the tank was employed in limited numbers at least until May 1945. There were 12 variants of the Valentine as follows:     |
LOL, No kidding!
Hoodoos. I think of Hoodoos when I think of Utah. Aren't they in Bryce Canyon?
and you know snippy, us Texans will never stop talking about Texas. So, you may as well go on. We won't stop anyway. (when i can get here that is)
We could go to all the speculation on the Yellow Rose. :-)
Personally, I just like to think that it was a woman who won the war for us. That's my story and I'm stickin' to it! :-)
Don't know what they mean by "late 1800's but, Wanamaker's department store was the first department store in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and one of the first, if not the first department store in the United States. John Wanamaker and his brother in law, Nathan Brown, began in 1861 a men's clothing store in Philadelphia called Oak Hall.
17. The name Utah comes from the Native American Ute tribe and means people of the mountains.
43. The name "Utah" comes from the Native American "Ute" tribe and means people of the mountains.
Double dip!
15. The Uinta mountain range is named after the Ute Indians.
Hmmmm . . . I wonder what "Ute" means?
32. The 4th Fighter Squadron at Hill Air Force Base, also known as the Fightin' Fuujins, became the U.S. Air Force's first operational Tactical Fighter Squadron in March 1980. The squadron's nickname, "Fuujin", refers to the Okinawan god of wind.
I want to make sure I'm not misreading this but this makes no sense . . . unless they mean "in the the state of Utah". Cannon AFB in New Mexico was reactivated and assigned to Tactical Air Command (TAC) in July 1951. The first unit, the 140th Fighter Bomber Wing, arrived in October of that year. Air National Guard elements from Colorado, Utah and Wyoming made up the 140th, which flew the P-51 “Mustang” fighter. The 140th formally reactivated the airfield on November 15, 1951, as Clovis Air Force Base. At the end of 1952, the 140th returned to Air National Guard control.
The 50th Fighter Bomber Wing, another fighter unit, was activated at the base January 1, 1953. The F-86 “Sabre” began arriving in early 1953. The 50th Fighter Bomber Wing served at the base until it was transferred overseas in August of that year.
Be that as it may, Hill Air Force Base is an Air Force Materiel Command base located in northern Utah. Hill is home to many operational and support missions, with the Ogden Air Logistics Center (OO-ALC) serving as the host organization. The center provides worldwide engineering and logistics management for the F-16 Fighting Falcon, A-10 Thunderbolt II, Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile. The base performs depot maintenance of the F-16, A-10 and C-130 Hercules aircraft.
Here are some old threads we did on the Alamo, we also covered Sam Houston and Davy Crockett.
The FReeper Foxhole Remembers the Alamo (1718 - 2005) - May 2nd, 2005
The FReeper Foxhole Revisits The Fall of the Alamo - April 10th, 2004
First hand knowledge from folks who have been there is always appreciated. I'm sure it is hallowed ground and must be as awesome as when we walked some of the Civil War ground. It's a blessing we all love history here. We have such a deep appreciation for it and I think it makes us care more about each other too. Now I'm rambling. lol.
We would do well to do the same. I hate to see our soldiers act as a "police force" and worse yet as missionaries so to speak. They are soldiers for heaven's sake. Not to mention I don't go along with the kid gloves, I think we should be tougher.
As it should be.
xoxoxox
Well after all, it is the biggest state isn't it?
Oh yes! The infamous Yellow Rose!
William P. Zuber was the last Confederate Texan. He is buried in Austin. It would be neat to see a thread on him one day.
Long time . . . good to have a daughter of Texas back in the Foxhole. Thanks for all the pics and history about "our" Republic. I recently re-read H.W. Brands Lone Star Nation, one of the best books written about my Texas.
And how 'bout 'dem Longhorns! You know how much fun I'm having giving the "hook 'em" sign everytime I pass up a car with USC plates? Big time!
Bookmarked those Alamo threads!
I need help. I moved to a new precinct and can't figure out where to go vote in the primary tomorrow. ~sigh~
Googling....
Any Texans out there got a website to locate this? It's NOT on the GOP Texas web.
For the main continent . . . yes. I hear there's some other state above Canada that's bigger . . . it even has more moose!
I love living in the sticks.
I just don't love trying to find my Republican Primary in this yellow-dog-dim-overrun-spot-in-the-sticks.
AND HOW!!!
I know you're having just as much fun as I am with 2 brothers and 7 uncles who graduated from a&m with a son-in-law from southern California to boot! I'm proudly wearin' my burnt orange several times a week and I got my parking space marked with a "Reserved 2005 Football National Champions Parking" sign!
I heard somebody say that too. But, I haven't seen none of *them* play football. ~grin~ It must be a myth.
More of the boys and girls will make it home!
Hee-heee!
Nope! I hadn't seen that. :-) Will have to send the link to my son-in-law! :-)
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