Why We Remember the Alamo-167 years ago today, brave men faced a ruthless enemy

National Review ^ | 3-6-03 | Gleaves Whitney

[wontbackdown]

My ancestors were not at the Alamo, but they fought for the Republic of Texas. One was at the Battle of San Jacinto.

[SJackson]

If you'd like to be on or off this middle east/political ping list, please FR mail me.

[SJackson]

First the indians, then the Spanish. Plenty of land at that time though, I wouldn't say anyone was getting run off.

[SJackson]

You will find it very interesting, but the reaction of everyone who sees it for the first time is "It's so small."

That wasn't my reaction, I thought it was too green. All that grass instead of dirt. And a whole city around it, doesn't look like the old Davy Crocket movies.

[MamaB]

You should be proud. Tell her congratulations. My older brother was stationed there many years ago and use to go to the Alamo and stay all day. He said he could feel the spirits of those brave men who fought there. I saw part of the nonesense tv program about the Alamo but I could not watch that junk. Why are people trying to rid America of all the heroes? We really need them today more than ever.

[Sparta]

New Orleans bump

[Sparta]

Remember the Alamo ping

If you want on or off the Western Civilization Military History ping list, let me know.

[Experiment 6-2-6]

I'll be visiting the Alamo for the first time...

Make sure ya visit the basement!

[wardaddy]

That is precisely what I was thinking and the Texans subsequent discrimination against Mexicans. (not that I have a dog in that hunt)


I guess his posse never tires of feasting on the bones of the South.

[timydnuc]

I am a Texan, and I have been to the Alamo many times.

The history is written that the last of the 189 defenders, including Crockett, fell back to the mission church for the final stand. It used to be pointed out by guides in the Alamo, that as you walk to the back of the church the temperature drops. History says they made the last stand at the alter of the church. In the heat of August in San Antonio you will still get a shiver at that alter. It's cool, much cooler than the rest of the church, and it's not air-conditioned. Go figure!

Now the socialist revisionists want to take away the courage, and gallantry of the Alamo. Not in Texas they won't. The communists that want your liberty, they want to wipe from you any bastion of courage and patriotism. They want our history as milk toast as their ideas. It just doesn't follow the truth, and the truth is what they hate. Therefore, they try to change the truth.

The Alamo was about liberty and freedom. It was about 189 men that said NO to the slavery of a Mexican dictator, and said YES to liberty. They gave their lives, voluntarily, for the cause of a free Republic of Texas. Could you do the same? If put in that same situation, could you face certain death for a cause as abstract as freedom for you fellow citizens. A soldier is going to face the same question in a land called Iraq, and he will have the blood of Bowie, and Travis, and Crockett running through is veins, and he will make that same decision that was made at the Alamo for the same abstract reasons, and for our freedom and our liberty.

Thank God that we have these brave men to, "Stand and deliver".

[ALOHA RONNIE]

'ALAMO Legend, Take 2' = L.A. Times

http://www.TheAlamoFILM.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=729

[blau993]

Yeah, I was remembering the Davy Crockett movies too, plus the John Wayne film, and I realized (once I got there) that the Alamo was smack in the middle of a modern city, and I realized that the 1836 Alamo was a lot bigger than what was there today, BUT, the whole thing was SMALL.

That said, I enjoyed my tour immensely. There is a great scale model depicting the assault, and the docents were great.

Equally as interesting, we found, was the mission tour. You need a car, but you can then visit a half dozen or so old Spanish missions around San Antonio. They give a wonderful sense for what life was like in the Southwest in the 18th and early 19th centuries. It was semi-feudal and very church oriented.

[HighRoadToChina]

BUMP!

[ErnBatavia]

I'll be visiting the Alamo for the first time in two weeks

If it's like 25 years ago, you'll find it verrrry disappointing. In the early 70's it was surrounded by "downtown honkytonk tourist" garbage. You'll need to use your imagination to get any idea of what went on there, I'm afraid (unless there has been some sort of miraculous transformation).

[Terry Mross]

You are correct about it being surrounded by tourist crap but if you'll stand in front of the church and look about 200 feet past the long barracks you'll see a federal building. That building now sits on the spot where Travis fell just a few minutes into the battle. What amazes me is that Travis was only 26 years old.

[MidlandDesperado]

Mexico had attempted to settle Texas for 100 years by use of missions. They were never sucessful due to Indian deprivation. The Americans were invited to Texas and given land grants by Mexico to establish colonies which were sucessful. Santa Anna was angry with the American colonies and the purpose, for his invasion of Texas, was genocide of the American settlers. The defenders of the Alamo were fighting on behalf of the Mexican constitution and were not aware that independence had been declared at Washington-on-the-Brazos.

[Sans-Culotte]

I've been to the Alamo several times. I don't mind that the chapel sits in the middle of downtown San Antonio. It makes it seem like a conduit to the past. What I usually do: first, go the IMAX theatre and watch the movie Alamo: the Price of Freedom. This is a 45 minute account of the siege. Some of the acting is suspect (particularly Patrick Swayze's brother as James Butler Bonham), and the guy playing Crockett is too old, but it is very accurate, and is the only movie to depict the final assault at dawn. It looks quite spectacular on that giant IMAX screen. It was shot on the Brackettville, Texas set that John Wayne built for his movie. If you think the fort was only the chapel we have today, think again. The Wayne set is an authentic recreation of the entire compound. Then when you're done watching the movie, walk over to the Alamo and look at what is left of it. There is an atmosphere of entering a shrine when you go into the big double doors.

Something I found moving: in the IMAX film, Travis visits Susannah Dickinson shortly before the battle and takes of a ring and ties it on a string and puts it around her baby's neck. When you go to the real Alamo after the movie, that ring is on display there.

[HoustonCurmudgeon]

Just curious...were the Americans there first? Or was it the Mexicans that were there first? We all know how things used to be done...kill off those on the land or run them off.

Never in the history of man has it mattered who was there first, and unless you are 100% American Indian this is a real stupid question. If you are 100% it's just plain stupid (not real).

He who dares wins.

Republic ping for my McGee (Battle of Bexar) and Taylor (San Jacinto) ancestors.

*&*% $$$^* yankee (&%^$% %$#@^&%

[ExSoldier]

REMEMBER THE ALAMO! REMEMBER GOLIAD!!

Yeah...we remembered them both at San Jacinto. The enemies of America would do well to remember that.

[anymouse]

Something for your Texas-sized ping list.