USO Canteen FReeper Style ~ FlashBack Friday ~ March 14 2003

Friends of The Canteen

[SAMWolf]

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By remembering and paying tribute to the military past of our country,
we are paying tribute to those who are serving our country today.

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General Claire Chennault & "The Flying Tigers"

The Flying Tigers were a group of American fighter pilots that flew for China in the early part of 1942. Led by a controversial American, Colonel Claire Chennault, they were actually called the "American Volunteer Group" (AVG), and achieved good success in their aerial battles against the Japanese.

They were a relatively small group of pilots, and never had more than 100 Curtis Warhawk P-40's (decorated with the famous red shark mouth) available. But at the time they were flying (early 1942), they were the only Americans doing ANYTHING against the Axis. With an American public reeling from Pearl Harbor and anxious to strike back "NOW!" the Flying Tigers were "the only game in town" at that point. Thus they received a lot of favorable press coverage, from reporters anxious to write about the only only Americans doing ANYTHING ANYWHERE against the Japanese.

The Flying Tigers comprised three squadrons:

1st Squadron - "Adam and Eves"
2nd Squadron - "Panda Bears"
3rd Squadron - "Hell's Angels"

The top aces of the Flying Tigers were: David Lee "Tex" Hill, Robert Neale, and Chuck Older. James Howard flew with the AVG; he later earned the Congressional Medal of Honor while flying P-51s for the 354th Fighter Group (Ninth Air Force) in Europe. Pappy Boyington was another Tiger who went on to greater fame; he had a falling out with Chennault, who gave him a Dishonorable Discharge. The mercurial Boyington never forgave him.



"Colonel" Claire Lee Chennault had been in China since the mid-Thirties; he called himself "Colonel," though his highest rank had been Major. An outspoken advocate of "pursuit" (as fighter planes were called then), in an Army Air Force dominated by strategic bomber theorists, he alienated many of his superiors. But in China, equipped with P-40's, he developed the basic fighter tactics that American pilots would use throughout the war. The Japanese planes used over China were much more maneuverable than his Warhawks, whose advantages were: speed in a dive, superior firepower, and better ability to absorb battle damage. Chennault worked out and documented the appropriate tactics that capitalized on the relative strengths of the American fighters: intercept, make a diving pass, avoid dogfighting, and dive away when in trouble. This remained the fundamental U.S. fighter doctrine throughout the Pacific War. My appreciation of the pilot's bravery and Chennault's tactical skills, however, doesn't change my assessment of the unfortunate and perhaps distracting role they played. The Chinese politics and Chinese-American relations at the time were quite complicated. The titular leader of China, Generalissimo Chiang Kai Chek, of the Kuomintang, was engaged in an endless three-way war: his Kuomintang vs. Mao's Communists vs. Japan. And his own power within the Kuomintang was dependent on balancing various warlords, cliques, and factions. Given the understandable problems posed by this situation, he always wanted more and more American aid, which he and his generals then wanted to use against internal enemies as well as Japan, or perhaps, not to use at all, but to hoard as symbols of their power.

General Chennault, got the Generalissimo's ear, and persuaded him that air power could sweep the Japanese from China, almost effortlessly and painlessly, just a few score American B-17 bombers would do the trick. Thus Chiang Kai Chek, General Chennault, Madame Chiang Kai Chek, and the powerful China Lobby used their combined influence with the American government to push Chennault's air power scheme.



Unfortunately, the adressing real issues in Nationalist China -- development of democratic or at least stable institutions, the rooting out of corruption in the Kuomintang, the training and deployment of useful Chinese infantry forces against Japan, improving the life of the ordinary villagers, etc. -- had no priority with the Generalissimo. Chennault's proposals seemed to offer such a promising way out.

The American government had its own problems, and couldn't scrape up the numbers of bombers envisioned. But keeping China in the war against Japan was understood to be in America's strategic interest (even before Pearl Harbor). What could be offered to Chiang was about 100 Curtis P-40 Warhawk fighter planes with volunteer military pilots to fly them. They fought with distinction, largely in the defense of Burma, and were absorbed into the United States Army Air Force's 23rd Fighter Group in July, 1942.

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"A nation that forgets its past has no future."
Sir Winston Churchill

"Those Who Have Long Enjoyed Such Privileges As We Enjoy, Forget In Time that Men Have Died To Win Them."
Franklin D. Roosevelt

[Kathy in Alaska]

CHECKING IT TWICE — F-117A Nighthawk crew chief Senior Airman Michael Bodewitz inspects the canopy for any signs of maintenance problems while forward deployed in Southwest Asia March 9, 2003, in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. U.S. Air Force photo by Master Sgt. Terry L. Blevins

WALK DOWN — The flight deck crew aboard the amphibious dock landing ship the USS Comstock conduct a foreign object damage walk down prior to daily flight operations. Comstock is forward deployed conducting missions in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer Tom Sperduto

[Bethbg79]

[tomkow6]

Okay, I'm gotta hereeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!

[Bethbg79]

[Radix]

Here is some transportation for the Dudes!

 

 

 

[Radix]

Bratfeather, and now Bratbg79!

[Kathy in Alaska]

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IN THE GULF — CH-53 “Sea Stallion” helicopters fly over the Northern Arabian Gulf at sunset. U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer Tom Sperduto

[Kathy in Alaska]

Radix did good.

[Soaring Feather]

hehehehehehehehehehe

#150 at the Belve!!!!!!!!


Silly Rabbit!!!

[Kathy in Alaska]

Bush Establishes Medals for Global War on Terror

By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, March 13, 2003 -- President Bush has issued an executive order establishing two military awards for actions in the global war on terrorism.

The president signed the order March 12 establishing the Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal and the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal. A White House spokesman said the medals recognize the "sacrifices and contributions" military members make in the global war on terror.

The Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal will be awarded to service members who serve in military expeditions to combat terrorism on or after Sept. 11, 2001. Operation Enduring Freedom is the prime operation the medal may be awarded for. Personnel assigned to operations in Afghanistan and the Philippines are examples of service members who will receive the award.

The Global War on Terrorism Service Medal will be awarded to service members who serve in military operations to combat terrorism on or after Sept. 11, 2001. Operation Noble Eagle is an example of the type of operation the medal may be awarded for.

The awards do not take the place of the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal, established Dec. 4, 1961, or the Armed Forces Service Medal, established Jan. 11, 1996.

"Any member who qualified for those medals by reason of service in operations to combat terrorism between September 11, 2001, and a terminal date to be determined by the Secretary of Defense, shall remain qualified for those medals," the executive order reads. "Upon application, any such member may be awarded either the Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal or the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal in lieu of the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal or the Armed Forces Service Medal."

No one may be awarded more than one of the four medals for service in the same approved expedition or operation to combat terrorism. No one is entitled to more than one award of the Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal or the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal.

The medals may be awarded posthumously.

DoD and military service officials, including the Coast Guard, are working on provisions to award the medals.

[Bethbg79]

ROTFLOL! Ha! I'll get 200 too, watch!

[Radix]

1800 James Bogardus US inventor/builder (made cast-iron buildings)

 

 

 

 

 

 

Here is some more information concerning James Borgardus!

 

[Kathy in Alaska]

BAHRAIN Mar. 8, 2003 -- Coast Guard Seaman Robert Grant, a native of Atlanta, Ga., looks out from the deck of the Coast Guard Cutter Adak, which is homeported out of Sandy Hook, N.J. The cutter Adak is one of four Coast Guard 110-foot patrol boats assigned to the Central Command area of operations. USCG photo by PA1 Tom Sperduto

[snippy_about_it]

Thanks for Freeping! Give 'em hell!

[Radix]

1864 [John] Casey Jones RR engineer (Ballad of Casey Jones)

 

 

Casey Jones

Come all you rounders that want to hear
The story of a brave engineer.
Casey Jones was the rounder's name,
On a six eight wheeler, boys, he won his fame.

Casey Jones mounted to his cabin,
Casey Jones with his orders in his hand
Casey Jones mounted to his cabin,
And he took his farewell trip to that promised land.

The caller call Casey at half past four,
He kissed his wife at the station door,
He mounted to the cabin with the orders in his hand,
And he took his farewell trip to that promised land.

When he pulled up that Reno hill,
He whistled for the crossing with an awful shrill;
The switchman knew by the engine's moan
That the man at the throttle was Casey Jones.
He looked at his water and his water was low;
He looked at his watch and his watch was slow;
He turned to his fireman and this is what he said,
"Boy, we're going to reach Frisco, but we'll all be dead."

"So turn on your water and shovel in your coal,
Stick you head out the window, watch those drivers roll;
I'll drive her till she leaves the rail,
For I'm eight hours late by that Western Mail.
When he was within six miles of the place,
There number four stared him straight in the face.
He turned to his fireman, said "Jim you'd better jump,
For there're two locomotives that are going to bump.

Casey said just before he died,
"There're two more roads I would like to ride."
The fireman said, "Which ones can they be?"
"Oh the Northern Pacific and the Santa Fe."
Mrs. Jones sat at her bed a-sighing
Just to hear the news that her Casey was dying.
"Hush up children, and quit your crying',
For you've got another poppa on the Salt Lake Line."

 

[tomkow6]

Okay, I'm home!!!!!!!!!

[tomkow6]

BRATbg79????????????

[tomkow6]

What is all that about? I wonder........

[tomkow6]

I wonder........

[Bethbg79]

HAHAHAHAHAAH! I got 100!