The FReeper Foxhole Profiles Major General Fox Conner - May 23rd, 2006

see educational sources

[snippy_about_it]

Lord,

Keep our Troops forever in Your care

Give them victory over the enemy...

Grant them a safe and swift return...

Bless those who mourn the lost.
.

FReepers from the Foxhole join in prayer
for all those serving their country at this time.

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

.

U.S. Military History, Current Events and Veterans Issues

Where Duty, Honor and Country
are acknowledged, affirmed and commemorated.

.

.

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.

To read previous Foxhole threads or
to add the Foxhole to your sidebar,
click on the books below.

.

.

.

Major General Fox Conner

.

“The Man Who Made Eisenhower”

Men such as Douglas MacArthur and George Patton came from families with rich military heritages. They regarded the United States Military Academy at West Point as their first important step in a lifetime of military service. Dwight Eisenhower, on the other hand, saw “the Point” as little more than the source of a free college education and a place to play college sports, especially football. Ike was by no means certain he would make the Army a career.

By graduation in 1915, the future supreme commander of allied armies was known to his classmates as a fun-loving maverick, one who had earned little in the way of academic distinction or knowledge of military science. Four years of schooling above the Hudson River had yet to shape Ike into a military leader.


Dwight D. Eisenhower (With the Tank Corps, Camp Meade, Maryland, 1919.)

Indeed, after several years in the service, Eisenhower was downright discouraged. Despite enormous personal effort, he had not been sent overseas during World War I, the “Great War.” Then, when his intellectual potential began to emerge, he was slapped down by his superiors. In 1920, he was given a stiff verbal reprimand for having published an article about the future of tank warfare, an article deemed provocative and heretical by the Army’s chief of infantry. Less than a year later he was stoutly reprimanded for an honest mistake that would have seemed trivial outside the Army.

Without a combat record and having earned the disapproval of important superior officers, Ike’s military future looked bleak. Then, in 1921, his three-year-old son, Doud Dwight, died of scarlet fever. Ike and Mamie were devastated. It was a depressed and deeply dejected Captain Eisenhower who took up his new assignment in January 1922 at Camp Gaillard, in the Panama Canal Zone.


Camp Gaillard, Panama, 1922 General Fox Conner awards a commision to Eisenhower

The Army commander at the Canal Zone, Brigadier General Fox Conner, had been General Pershing’s Chief of Operations in France during the Great War. Wealthy, intellectual, and immensely respected throughout the Army, Conner had pulled some heavy strings to get Eisenhower transferred to Panama as his executive officer.

A top Army strategist and military historian, Conner was convinced that the peace treaty following the war was deeply flawed and would inevitably trigger a second world war. To prepare for that struggle, Conner set out to identify and guide the most talented younger officers, those who were likely to become the future leaders of the American Army. George Catlett Marshall was an early choice for his cultivation and then George S. Patton, Jr., followed. Patton introduced Conner to Eisenhower in 1919, and Ike soon became the next addition to the General’s list of promising officers.

For the next three years Fox Conner taught graduate courses in military history, strategy, and leadership in a “virtual” classroom located in the humid jungle of Panama. This classroom contained a single student, Dwight David Eisenhower. Military history classes at West Point had been poorly taught. But Fox Conner stirred Ike’s interest in history — he taught Ike how to read it, think it, and intelligently discuss its lessons. He drummed into Eisenhower his belief that another world war could not be escaped and that whenever it came it would have to be fought with allies. He imbedded this thought in Eisenhower’s mind: “Dealing with the enemy is a simple and straightforward matter when contrasted with securing close cooperation with an ally.”


Ike in Panama

Eisenhower was transformed by his mentor. Three years of rigorous service and education with Fox Conner changed his life. Ike became a more serious reader of everything from military history to science, philosophy and the classics. With Conner’s help, Eisenhower overcame depression and set out with determination to resurrect his military career.

General Conner’s mentorship continued long after Eisenhower’s assignment to Panama ended. Conner helped Ike in gaining admission to the Army’s Command and General Staff School. Ike graduated first in his class. Conner later influenced Eisenhower’s assignment to the American Battle Monuments Commission. This gave Ike the chance to work directly under General Pershing. Conner’s final act as a mentor was to bring Ike’s talents to the attention of George Marshall. When World War II came to America in 1941 — just as Conner had predicted — one of Marshall’s first actions was to have Eisenhower appointed to his personal staff.

Little wonder that in 1969 Frank Van Riper characterized General Conner as “the man who made Eisenhower.”

© Dwight D. Eisenhower Memorial Commission, Washington, DC, 2004

[Professional Engineer]

Good morning ladies and gents. Flag-o-The States-o-Gram.

Psst, Hi Snippy.

[snippy_about_it]

Aloha.

[Professional Engineer]

BTW, both of my sisters were born in Honolulu.

[Soaring Feather]

Good morning everyone.

[Choose Ye This Day]

Perhaps the Foxhole can help. Some tabloid stole milblogger Michael Yon's award-winning photo to use for an anti-war smear article:

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/chat/1638348/posts?page=1

Let's FReep 'em.

[Professional Engineer]

[Iris7]

There was a MK VII Spitfire in the Chicago Museum of Science and Industry back in the old days. I was amazed by how tiny it was. I suppose I was raised on F-4s.

In a glass case next to it was the only Merlin I have ever seen close up. The engine is tiny.

You can see this when you compare the engine to the tires. I wonder what the fellow used for a transmission? Some old bike, I guess, maybe from a non-unit Triumph, a Brough, something like that.

Speaking of Brough motorcycles, a 1939 Superior:

One must forget the Vincent nor Phil Irving it's design engineer. I read his book. Irving knew his stuff.

A 1948 (about) series B Rapide:

[Iris7]

Hi, Snippy. "Conner told Eisenhower to read Carl von Clausewitz's On War three times, each time reminding him that Clausewitz wrote primarily about operations and ignored logistics."

On War does make more sense the second time around. Indeed logistics is scarcely mentioned.

Clausewitz was a Scharnhorst protege, as I recollect, and it was Gneisenau, not Scharnhorst, who was the logistician.

I just now checked, and Gneisenau was chief of logistics (amongst other things Chief of Staff) for the great Field Marshal Gebhard Leberecht von Blücher, the victor of Waterloo and defeater of Napoleon. (Napoleon was a Left disaster.) Gneisenau had very valuable experience in the American War of Independence but on the British side.

Small world, eh? Speaking of which you two are real close to Cowpens. Worth study. General Daniel Morgan really suckered Colonel Banastre Tarleton (excellent soldier, 26 years old, who nearly destroyed the American Rebellion for King and Country). Tarleton hotly pursued Green's forces and would have annihilated them except for Morgan's brilliant (too weak a word) counter attack at Cowpens.

The counter attack is indeed the soul of the defense. Iraq war, for instance. Normandy invasion. Stalingrad. Guadalcanal. Inchon. The counter attack never done in the Viet Nam war, lost because the American Left were not militarily counter attacked. (The operation was all set up, had my oar in the water about one thousandths of an inch, but was just a kid. Ready to go, though. Early 1970. Nixon pulled the plug. If McGovern had won I think we would have done it. The Left should idolize Nixon instead of despising him. Morons.)

[The Mayor]

May 26, 2006

Daily Devotion

LISTEN TO ODB RADIO: Real | MP3 | WMA

READ: Psalm 96

Sing to the Lord, bless His name; proclaim the good news of His salvation from day to day. —Psalm 96:2

Tiger Woods has won many dramatic tournament victories during his professional golf career. But one of his greatest achievements went virtually unnoticed because it unfolded slowly over 7 years. During that period, Tiger qualified in 142 consecutive tournaments—more than any other player in the history of US professional golf. It speaks to the power of his commitment and consistency, and to his conviction never to give up.

Recently I was challenged by a friend’s statement of his growing desire to follow the Lord with “daily rather than dramatic devotion.” Is that how it is in my life of faith in Jesus Christ? Am I consistent or erratic? Am I dependable or unreliable?

There are great spiritual events in our lives, but our daily choices to obey Christ best express our ongoing love for Him. Psalm 96, a ringing call to witness and praise, says: “Sing to the Lord, bless His name; proclaim the good news of His salvation from day to day. Declare His glory among the nations, His wonders among all peoples” (vv.2-3).

When we are consistently devoted to the Lord, we will proclaim His love and power day after day. Over time, a life of daily loyalty will become a magnificent testimony to our Savior. —David C. McCasland

Jesus I will learn from You,
Obey You day by day;
I’ll be your faithful follower
And serve you on the way.  —Fitzhugh

To be a disciple is to be a loyal subject of the King of kings.

Bible in One Year:   1 Chronicles 28-29; John 9:24-41

[Soaring Feather]

Good morning everyone.

[The Mayor]

Cool..

Morning Feather.

[Soaring Feather]

Thanks.


You having a rainy morning, Mayor?? Tis here.

[Professional Engineer]

Good morning ladies and gents. Flag-o-The States-o-Gram.

Psst, Snippy. What's taters precious?

[Professional Engineer]

In a glass case next to it was the only Merlin I have ever seen close up. The engine is tiny.

I got to caress one in a Confederate Air Force hanger in Hobbs, NM 20 years ago. I have pictures somewhere. Not much different than a big block Chevy IIRC.

[The Mayor]

Little bit, clouds are breaking up and sun is trying to come thru.
The weekend is supposed to be beautiful. 70's and 80's

[Peanut Gallery]

suhweet!

[snippy_about_it]

Thanks for the ping.

[snippy_about_it]

You're right Iris7. Cowpens looks to be about an hour and a half away and the road goes right by Kings Mountain. We must plan to make a full day of it soon!

[snippy_about_it]

PO-TA-TOES!

boil 'em, mash 'em, stick 'em in a stew!

[Professional Engineer]

Aw, you remembered.