Posted on 08/11/2002 12:51:09 AM PDT by Snow Bunny
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Nam Vet
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Sure is really good to see you!!
(((((( hug ))))
Snow Bunny
A PRAYER OF PROTECTION The light of God surround you The love of God enfold you The power of God protect you The presence of God watch over you Wherever you are, God is, And all is well. Amen.
LONDON, Ont. (CP) - The U.S. army's transformation is underway with the arrival of its first Canadian-built Stryker armoured vehicle. General Motors Defense of London - which is making the Stryker in a $6-billion deal along with General Dynamic Land Systems of Michigan - officially handed over the vehicle Friday after a ceremony at city's convention centre.
The eight-wheeled Stryker is the first new military vehicle accepted by the U.S. army since the Abrams tank in the 1980s, said Col. David Ogg.
"Welcome to London, the world's No.1 maker of armoured vehicles," Mayor Anne Marie DeCicco told the crowd of about 400, made up of U.S. and Canadian military, business people and suppliers to GM Defense, which she called "a flagship industry that defines this community."
In an elaborate affair complete with smoke effects, bright lights and a military band, U.S. army officials talked about how war has become a harsh reality in a changed world. How U.S. soldiers are fighting and dying in Afghanistan, placing renewed importance on the Stryker as a combat vehicle.
"We live in exciting times, in dangerous times," said Lt.-Gen. John Caldwell. "If you didn't know that before the attacks on the free world, then Sept. 11 punctuated that.
"The people who make such attacks grossly underestimate the power in the free world. This program is the hallmark of what can be done when we put our minds to it."
The Stryker looks like the LAV III, another armoured vehicle GM Defense has made for Canada, Australia and New Zealand, but 50 per cent of the Stryker is different.
That's made its design and manufacturing in a short 10-month span remarkable, army and GM Defense officials said.
Gen. Eric Shinseki, the U.S. army's chief of staff, has sought a lighter, more mobile military for the post-Cold War era, with vehicles that can be deployed faster and move in rougher, inhospitable terrain.
The vehicles must also be cheaper to operate. With the army's 60-tonne Abrams tank, fuel demands now account for 70 per cent of the supplies needed for a battle region.
The Stryker addresses those mobility challenges and still delivers a powerful punch - with missile, cannon, artillery and machine-gun systems.
"We could use these in the valley now," said Caldwell, referring to the battle in the rocky regions of Afghanistan.
After testing and training, the Stryker will be deployed to possible combat missions in about one year. In total, 2,131 of the vehicles will be built and delivered to the U.S. in the next six years.
"This is a great day for the army, a great day for Canada and a great day for the partnership," said Ogg, referring to the joint venture of GM Defense and General Dynamics.
"Today we are ending one thing and beginning another. We are ending an idea from our leadership" and beginning the army transformation.
Bill Pettipas, executive director GM Defense, praised the about 1,500 workers at the London plant for delivering the vehicle under "very tight time lines."
He dubbed the vehicle the NEV, or no excuse vehicle, since there was little margin for error.
GM Defense has 500 suppliers worldwide, including about 25 in London. In Canada, there are about 200 suppliers that get about $400 million in business from GM Defense.
"This is something we should be very proud of," said DeCicco. "GM Defense has always been a good corporate citizen in London, they create a great number of jobs and when you get a contract like this, it just builds the reputation of the community.
"Our reputation is now global because of GM Defense."
Anthony McAuliffe is best known for one word - "Nuts." This came about when he was acting commander of the 101st Airborne Division during the Battle of the Bulge in World War 11. He was in charge of the defence of Bastogne on December 22nd 1944 when the garrison was called on by advancing German forces to surrender. His initial response was 'Aw, Nuts!' When he came to compile a written reply he could think of nothing more appropriate: 'To the German Commander: NUTS! The American Commander.' Bastogne was successfully held by the Americans and Anthony C. McAuliffe became immortalised for a single word.
Anthony Clement McAuliffe was Born in Washington, DC on July 2, 1898. He graduated from West Point in November, 1918. He was Commander of Division Artillery of the 101st Airborne Division when he parachuted into Normandy on D-Day and when he entered Holland by glider, 1944. In December, 1944, due to the absence of General Maxwell D. Taylor, he was acting Commander of the 101st Airborne Division and other attached troops during the siege of Bastogne, Belgium. It was when they became surrounded and the Germans demanded their surrender that he sent back his now-famous one-word reply "NUTS." For his actions at Bastogne he received the Distinguished Service Medal.
Anthony McAuliffe became Commander in Chief of the U.S. Army in Europe in 1955, when he was promoted to General. He retired from the Army in 1956 and died on August 11, 1975
In honour of Anthony McAuliffe, the main square in Bastogne is named the McAuliffe Square and the monument at right stands there.
On December 16, 1944, the Germans launched their largest offensive of the war on the Western Front. The primary goals of the offensive were to capture the Belgian port of Antwerp and to drive a wedge between the British and American armies. This offensive is often referred to as the "Battle of the Bulge." It's failure was due largely to American resistance around St. Vith, on the northern shoulder of the Bulge, and by American forces holding Bastogne on the southern shoulder of the Bulge.
The town of Bastogne is strategically located at the center of the road network of the Ardennes. The Germans referred to it as a "road octopus" since the majority of roads in that region of the Ardennes pass through the town. The town's strategic location made it vitally important to the outcome of the offensive. The Allies realized its importance and General Eisenhower dispatched the 101st Airborne Division to hold the town at all costs. This victory resulted in the first full Army Division Presidential Distinguished Unit Citation. This interview focuses on the story surrounding the German's request for the American forces at Bastogne to surrender and the American General's response as witnessed by Lt. General Harry Kinnard, at the time of the siege of Bastogne, a Lt. Col. and Division G-3. These are some of his personal recollections.
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We got into Bastogne late on the night of 18 December, 1944. We were not well equipped, having just gotten out of combat in Holland. We were particularly short of winter clothing and footwear. On the 21st of December we became completely surrounded by Germans and our field hospital was overrun by a German attack. We had put the hospital in what would normally have been a safe place, but no place is safe when you are completely surrounded. At this time, we were not able to receive air resupply because the weather was absolutely frightful. It was very, very cold and snowy. Visibility was often measured in yards. Our lack of winter gear was partially offset by the citizens of Bastogne who gave us blankets and white linens that we used for camouflage.
While we were still surrounded, on the morning of December 22, a German surrender party, consisting of two officers and two NCOs, and carrying a white flag, approached our perimeter in the area of our Glider Regiment, the 327th. The party was taken to a nearby platoon command post. While the enlisted men were detained the officers were blind folded and taken to the command post of the 327th where they presented their surrender ultimatum. The ultimatum in essence said the 101st's position was hopeless and that if we elected not to surrender a lot of bad things would happen.
The message was brought in to the Division Headquarters by Major Alvin Jones, the S-3, and Colonel Harper, the Regimental Commander. They brought the message to me, the G-3 and Paul Danahy, the G-2. My first reaction was that this was a German ruse, designed to get our men out of their fox holes. But be that as it might, we agreed that we needed to take the message up the line. We took it first to the acting Chief of Staff of the Division, Lt. Col. Ned Moore. With him, we took the message to the acting Division Commander General Tony McAuliffe. Moore told General McAuliffe that we had a German surrender ultimatum. The General's first reaction was that the Germans wanted to surrender to us. Col. Moore quickly disabused him of that notion and explained that the German's demanded our surrender. When McAuliffe heard that he laughed and said: "Us surrender? Aw, nuts!" the date was December 22nd, 1944
To the U.S.A. Commander of the encircled town of Bastogne.
The fortune of war is changing. This time the U.S.A. forces in and near Bastogne have been encircled by strong German armored units. More German armored units have crossed the river Our near Ortheuville, have taken Marche and reached St. Hubert by passing through Hompre-Sibret-Tillet. Libramont is in German hands.
There is only one possibility to save the encircled U.S.A. troops from total annihilation: that is the honorable surrender of the encircled town. In order to think it over a term of two hours will be granted beginning with the presentation of this note.
If this proposal should be rejected one German Artillery Corps and six heavy A. A. Battalions are ready to annihilate the U.S.A. troops in and near Bastogne. The order for firing will be given immediately after this two hours' term.
All the serious civilian losses caused by this artillery fire would not correspond with the well known American humanity.
The German Commander.
But then McAuliffe realized that some sort of reply was in order. He pondered for a few minutes and then told the staff, "Well I don't know what to tell them." He then asked the staff what they thought, and I spoke up, saying, "That first remark of yours would be hard to beat." McAuliffe said, "What do you mean?" I answered, "Sir, you said 'Nuts'." All members of the staff enthusiastically agreed, and McAuliffe decided to send that one word, "Nuts!" back to the Germans. McAuliffe then wrote down: "To the German Commander, "Nuts!" The American Commander."
McAuliffe then asked Col. Harper to deliver the message to the Germans. Harper took the typed message back to the company command post where the two German officers were detained. Harper then told the Germans that he had the American commanders reply. The German captain then asked, "Is it written or verbal?" Harper responded that it was written and added, "I will place it in your hand."
The German major then asked, "Is the reply negative or affirmative? If it is the latter I will negotiate further."
At this time the Germans were acting in an arrogant and patronizing manner and Harper, who was starting to lose his temper, responded, "The reply is decidedly not affirmative." He then added that, "If you continue your foolish attack your losses will be tremendous."
Harper then put the German officers in a jeep and took them back to where the German enlisted men were detained. He then said to the German captain, "If you don't know what 'Nuts' means, in plain English it is the same as 'Go to Hell'. And I'll tell you something else, if you continue to attack we will kill every goddam German that tries to break into this city."
The German major and captain saluted very stiffly. The captain said, "We will kill many Americans. This is war." Harper then responded, "On your way Bud," he then said, "and good luck to you." Harper later told me he always regretted wishing them good luck.
SAMWolf, you have put together a wonderful history of Armor. Just out of High School I enlisted for "Armor/Europe-Unassigned." Great option, eh? It meant that I would take BCT and AIT at Knox and head for Germany. In AIT, we trained as Armor Crewmen on the M48 and did get to take a spin in the new M60 for orientation.
When I arrived at Henry Kaserne just outside Munich, the 3/34 Armor was in the process of converting four companies to M60's and E Company, with its Heavy M103's, was being deactivated. The M48's still in use were all fitted with four 55 gallon drums on the back deck. The added fuel would be needed to make it to the border region in the event the Russians decided to break through the Fulda Gap.
I could go on. Thanks again.
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