USO Canteen FReeper Style ~ Bomber Girls ~ September 24, 2002

Message from Snow Bunny to all those who visit the Canteen.

This is how I think of the USO Canteen Freeper Style.
It is like a cottage down a road,
a place where a weary veteran can spend the night.

Since it opened, it is magical how so many
Freepers who post here, feel it too.
It has been so dear how the Freepers
kept making it a cottage - a home-type of place
that had a huge living room
for them to visit in and a dance floor, a library, etc.

Many Veterans have written to me,
saying that the Canteen is like home
to them for the first time since they served.

This is your Canteen -
a respite from our busy
and sometimes troubling world.
Make yourself at home.

Bomber Girls - The Art of Nose Art When someone says "nose art," the term conjures up images of World War II fighter planes careening through the sky combating the Luftwaffe while sporting pin-up girls, predatory eagles or "Old Glory" -- and, in some cases, all of the above.
	During World War II, pin-ups emerged from the fine airbrushed art of Alberto Vargas, whose images were the most sought-after section of the popular magazine, Esquire. With thousands of airplanes droning off to war, noseart emerged as the aviator's unique calling card. Although the Army Air Force attempted to ban and censor noseart on several occasions, ultimately, the art would remain. <-- Click me for a full view
It would be an understatement to call most of the clothing on pin-up girls (as they were called) "painted on". As you can see, the clothing was not meant to hide very much at all. Many aircrews paid their artists to make sure that even this little bit of clothing was removed. Some planes were even named accordingly, "O-O Nothing!", "Off We Go", "Surprise Attack", "Over Exposed", "Tantalizing Takeoff", and dozens of others were popular double-entendres. Click me for a full view -->
	Some poster art of the era used pin-up inspired imagery of women, often in military clothes. This type of art was most often used for War Bond drives and morale-boosters on the home front. Industry often played a part, putting up posters in company cafeterias and at the clock where you got your card punched at the beginning and end of each day. <-- Click me for a full view
The Pacific War against Japan involved long-range missions and hours of miserable heat, rain, and mud. The Hawaiian pin-up, complete with a lei, could only serve to remind the airmen and ground crews of their time back east. Click me for a full view -->
	It was no mystery why these artworks ended up in dozens of variations on so many airplanes. It reminded the airmen of home and of better times. And in a day when death could be just hours away, it gave them something else to think about. Most were women who you could go home to, if you lived to go home at all. And that is why they formed such a central place at the frontlines of the air war. They represented hope and home. Good luck, chum, they would whisper, my dreams are riding with you. <-- Click me for a full view
The metaphor of looking through a keyhole for a sneak peek was always popular, even if quite politically incorrect in today's day and age. Nonetheless, despite the artwork, the airmen were typically nothing short of absolute gentlemen, particularly at 8th and 9th Air Force bases around England. Click me for a full view -->
	The finest pin-ups were torn from the pages of Esquire Magazine. Each artwork was published with a poem by Phil Stack. These poems were designed to rhyme and present without much subtlety, again using the double-entendre to effect. One went simply, "I'm learning some commando tricks. / For keeping fit, they're dandy, / And when you men come home again, / They're apt to come in handy!" <-- Click me for a full view
A few of the pin-ups were so sexy and provocative that they could only be called bombshells. Some were Hollywood starlets, some were imaginary. Almost all of them were proportioned beyond mere genetics. What was the ideal woman of the 1940s and 1950s wouldn't make it in the world of today's supermodels. The twiggy, overly thin look that dominates the fashion industry of the 1990s contrasts sharply with the blushing, well-proportioned female form of the war years. Click me for a full view -->
	Its value in terms of morale was unquestioned. In the end, it emerged as a defining element of the era, gracing everything from the noses of airplanes, to leather jackets, to the walls of barracks huts and O-Clubs across Europe and the Pacific. If anything the pin-ups that inspired a generation of aviators were quite practical. Some were exotic, to be sure, but virtually all were posed in positions that seemed quite acceptable to the gentleman's view of the era. <-- Click me for a full view
Some pin-up art retains its charm and is still in use today. The 1943 Esquire pin-up, "There'll Always Be A Christmas" is the official nose art of Virgin, one of England's largest commercial air carriers. What once graced the nose of countless 8th Air Force B-17s can now be seen on the sides of Virgin's fleet of Boeing 747s. Click me for a full view -->
	The Gulf War saw a resurgence of nose art. With hundreds of airplanes and thousands of the Air Force's best deployed to Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Oman, Qatar, and the Emirates, it didn't take long for nose art to reappear. As in the past, it was allowed to stay, but only for the duration of the war. This example, painted on the side of a KC-135 at Riyahd, is typical of much of the nose art in the Gulf. Arabic numerals sit above the Air Force's own, testimony to the location and the relationship that developed with Saudi ground crews.
As Desert Shield wound down and the coalition forces in Southwest Asia prepared for the assault against Saddam's entrenched ground forces in Kuwait, thoughts of home and the holidays again entered the mind of aircrew members across the region. This airplane was painted with a fitting holiday theme, Santa being pulled in his sleigh by his magical flying camels, err... wasn't that supposed to be reindeer?
	Much of Desert Storm's nose art was based not on pin-ups but on science fiction and fantasy art. This tradition continues and grows as a new generation of artists paint based on their own influences. After all, it has been a long time since Esquire featured a pin-up as a centerfold. This C-130 is a classic example of the new genre. While popular in the field, there are countless nose art aficionados who prefer the old, somewhat less politically correct look.
It seems fitting that Disney characters and movie influences should return to the fore. This Desert Storm C-130 is emblazoned with the ever popular Roger Rabbit -- ever popular that is, but still a close second behind his cartoon wife.
	Another aerial refueler declares the very essence of pilotage -- cool as a cat, smooth as silk. You just can't beat confidence. And so much for popular influences: wasn't this the ubiquitous Frito-Lay mascot of an ad campaign from a few years back?
Another Gulf War C-130 cargo airplane boasted the nose art, "The Desert Phoenix". You could say this as much as about a military that came back from the Vietnam blues to fight and win it all as you could about nose art itself. Without the atmosphere of the Gulf, there is little question that this generation would not have seen much more than a smattering of artwork on the sides of airplanes.
	Who said you had to be cute or sexy to be nose art? The popular comic book and later movie character, the Mutant Ninja Turtles made showing more than once during the Gulf War. Here, a 435 TAW C-130 is painted with the likeness of Donatello, now renamed the "Desert Ninja".
A major role of nose art is in building morale and expressing the pride and strength of the forces. Here, a bulldog chews up Saddam's Iraq, apt and very accurate foresight into the days to come.
	The 5th Bombardment Wing painted a number of its aircraft, including this one which bears the name, "America's Pride". A fitting tribute to the attitude of military aviators, like all military men they remain among the most patriotic and dedicated people in the country.
You don't have to be a pirate to get the message here. From the hostage crisis with Iran to the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait and to dozens of terrorist actions, Americans have harbored a touch of ill will toward the two-bit dictators that rule a number of the countries in the Middle East. This 435th TAW C-130 is ready to even the score -- finally against an enemy that is concrete, military, and spoiling for a "fair" fight. In the end, the Gulf War extracted more than its due, with over 250,000 Iraqi soldiers killed for loss of just about a hundred from the coalition forces.
	Considered by many to be the finest technical example of nose art from the Gulf War, this beautifully rendered pig carries the motto, "Ol Lightnen" and the plane's tail number 0005. Painted on the side of a KC-135 refueller out of Riyahd, it is one of the classics of the era.
The B-17G Shoo Shoo Baby flew 24 combat missions in WW II with the 91st Bomb Group, known as "The Ragged Irregulars". The plane was based at Bassingbourn, England. Its first mission was the bombing of Frankfurt, Germany, on March 24, 1944. The plane ended its combat career after taking battle damage during a mission to Posen, Poland, on May 29, 1944. Today, the plane is at Wright-Patterson AFB in the US Air Force Museum.
	The Duck goes to war.... Painted on the side of a restored, flying P-51D, this nose art captures an era when Walt Disney freely offered his studio's talents to design unit patches and symbols for Americans going to war. Beyond the Vargas pin-ups, Walt Disney's art did more to define the motif of nose art than any other single source.
Yankee Lady is another restored example of a B-17G. Frequently seen at airshows around the country, it is one of the finest examples of a Flying Fortress still capable of taking to the air. If you've never heard the power of four Pratt & Whitney engines at full tilt, you're missing a real piece of history.

To: Victoria Delsoul

I figured you would. Speaking of figures.

341 posted on 09/24/2002 8:59:03 PM PDT by SAMWolf

To: 68-69TonkinGulfYatchClub

342 posted on 09/24/2002 8:59:56 PM PDT by Kathy in Alaska

To: Victoria Delsoul

How do you know she hasn't gotten one already? Or maybe a few

It wasn't exactly a high quality photograph, but she looked too young to have any of that.

343 posted on 09/24/2002 9:00:12 PM PDT by Dakmar

To: DaughterOfAnIwoJimaVet

No really, I love the planes, ask anyone. LOL!

344 posted on 09/24/2002 9:00:12 PM PDT by SAMWolf

To: SAMWolf; souris

Really? Oh.
This Mel has a better voice...when he's singing!

345 posted on 09/24/2002 9:02:55 PM PDT by HiJinx

Battle of Pilot Knob

By the summer of 1864 Confederate army had suffered bitter, large scale defeats in the east, and the death of the Confederacy appeared near. West of the Mississippi, there were no great Union armies. The state was defended with mostly inexperienced State Militia forces. 'I've Confederacy desperately needed a victory to boost the morale of its supporters. An invasion of Missouri made sense. Southern sympathy was strong and an invading Confederate army might expect local support. The arsenal in St. Louis would provide badly needed arms and ammunition. After taking St. Louis the Confederate army could move on Jefferson City, and if successful, restore Thomas C. Reynolds, the Confederate Governor-in-exile. Most important, it was hoped that this offensive would help relieve the burden on Confederate armies in the East by forcing the Union to transfer troops to the West.
Maj. General Sterling Price was selected to lead the invasion of Missouri. His army was composed of three divisions of cavalry totalling eight brigades plus several unattached regiments and battalions. One division, commanded by Maj. General James F. Fagan contained approximately 5,100 men and four cannons. A second division, commanded by Maj. General John S. Marmaduke, had approximately 3,800 men and six cannons. Brig. General Joseph 0. Shelby commanded the third division with approximately 3,800 men and four cannons. Price's army was, however, composed largely of untested soldiers, many equipped with inferior weapons. At least one fourth of his soldiers had no weapons. These he hoped to equip with weapons from the Union arsenal once St. Louis fell. On September 16, 1864, Price brought his army together at Pocahontas, Arkansas. Advancing in three columns, Price's army arrived in the vicinity of Fredericktown by September 25.

Acting on information that Union reinforcements had been transferred to St. Louis, Price changed his plan of a direct attack on the city. He decided, instead, to attack Fort Davidson near Pilot Knob assuming that the garrison could be easily taken. Shelby's division was ordered to destroy track and bridges on the St. Louis & Iron Mountain Railroad north of the ort to prevent rapid reinforcement from St. Louis. He then ordered Fagan's Division, followed by Marmaduke 's, to march westward to Pilot Knob.

Receiving reports that Shelby's force had been seen near Farmington, Brig. General Thomas Ewing, Jr. was sent from St. Louis to Pilot Knob to determine if Price's entire army might he in the area. He was to evacuate and destroy Fort Davidson if he found he was threatened by Price's whole army. Ewing, accompanied by five companies of the 14th Iowa Infantry Volunteers, reached Pilot Knob on September 26 and assumed command of the fort. With the arrival of the Iowa volunteers, about 1300 men were available for the defense of Fort Davidson. These included Missouri cavalry and infantry units and approximately 150 black and white civilian volunteers from the area.

As Shelby's Division left to destroy tracks and bridges on the Iron Mountain Railroad on September 26, a brigade of Fagan's Division rode toward Pilot Knob on the Fredericktown road. The brigade passed through the undefended Shut-ins gap at the southeast end of the Arcadia Valley and advanced toward Arcadia and Ironton. Union and Confederate troops clashed in the streets o f`lronton until a Union cavalry charge pushed the rebels back to the Shut-Ins gap. Throughout the night Confederate forces moved through the gap until Fagan's entire division had entered the valley Marmaduke's Division was camped less than ten miles from Pilot Knob. By 1:00 a.m., General Ewing concluded that he faced Price's army but he decided to stay and fight, rather than destroy the fort and retreat.

Tuesday, September 27 dawned cool and misty. By then the Confederate battle line extended three quarters of a mile across the valley just south of` Ironton. The Confederates attacked at dawn. A rebel cannon ball struck the courthouse. The Union infantry retreated to the Ironton Gap where soldiers were placed along the southern base of Shepherd Mountain, on the western slope of Pilot Knob and across the Ironton Gap. Union troops repelled several frontal attacks. Later in the morning General Price arrived. Confederate troops had gained control of the slopes of both Shepherd and Pilot Knob Mountains facing the fort. Price planned an assault on the fort from four sides, supported by fire from two cannons placed on Shepherd Mountain.

The attack began at 2:00 p. m. Union soldiers in the fort survived charge after charge by the Confederate force before nightfall ended the fighting.

Realizing Fort Davidson would probably not be able to withstand an artillery shelling followed by a frontal assault, General Ewing decided to evacuate the fort during the night. Covering the draw bridge with tents and blankets to muffle the sound of the wheels of the guns and the horses' feet, the entire Union force slipped out of the fort, leaving behind a detail to destroy the fort. Gun powder was dumped out and the detail commander tossed lighted torches into the magazine. At approximately 3:30 a.m. the magazine exploded with a blast that was felt twenty miles away. A reenactment of the Battle of Pilot Knob is held every three years.

347 posted on 09/24/2002 9:04:11 PM PDT by Valin

1950 - "Operation Magic Carpet"-All Jews from Yemen move to Israel

Operation Magic Carpet

Since the destruction of the Second Temple in 70 C.E., Jews played a prominent role in Yemen's economy and politics. With the advent of Islam in the eighth century, Yemenite Jews were relegated to the lowest rung of the social ladder and to poverty. Until the Ottomans gained control of the area in 1872, Yemenite Jews were forbidden to leave the country. From World War I to 1948, roughly one-third of Yemen's Jews, about 16,000 in total, left for Israel. With Operation Magic Carpet (June 1949 through August 1950) nearly 50,000 Yemenites were airlifted to Israel by the Israeli government.

It was a long and arduous journey. The nearest airport was 200 miles away at Aden. The Yemenites picked up their few possessions and began to walk. Along the way they were looted and abused by the local Arab population. They reached Aden, exhausted, on the verge of starvation. Although the operation was called Magic Carpet, it was on crowded planes that the Yemenite Jews were transported from refugee camps to the promised land. The Jews of Yemen had never seen airplanes, but were not frightened by them. It was after all in the book of Isaiah that G-d promised that his children would return to Zion "with wings, as eagles."

348 posted on 09/24/2002 9:05:25 PM PDT by Valin

350 posted on 09/24/2002 9:06:37 PM PDT by SAMWolf

You are so good at finding information on the lesser known War between the State's Battles.

351 posted on 09/24/2002 9:09:49 PM PDT by SAMWolf

Of course I know what you mean!!

Now, see there, that's what I mean when I say less is more. Simple, black, a little flare below the knee, just the right bit of color to accent your tail...knock-down gorgeous!

352 posted on 09/24/2002 9:10:00 PM PDT by HiJinx

but she looked too young to have any of that.

Hahahaha, you don't know that. And I forget to mention, that there is a chance that she might have a couple of piercing on her ears for her earrings… but I don't know that. IOW, we don't know what we are talking about. LOL!!!