The FReeper Foxhole Remembers the Alamo (1718 - 2005) - May 2nd, 2005

Wild West Magazine | February 1996

[SAMWolf]

"Remember The Alamo!"

One of the most gallant stands of courage and undying self-sacrifice which have come down through the pages of history is the defense of the Alamo, which is one of the priceless heritages of Texans. It was the battle-cry of "Remember the Alamo" that later spurred on the forces of Sam Houston at San Jacinto. Anyone who has ever heard of the brave fight of Colonel Travis and his men is sure to "Remember the Alamo."

Besieged by Santa Anna, who had reached Bexar on February 23, 1836, Colonel William Barret Travis, with his force of 182, refused to surrender but elected to fight and die, which was almost certain, for what they thought was right. The position of these men was known but no aid reached them. The request to Colonel James W. Fannin for assistance had gone unheeded. No relief was in store. As the Battle of the Alamo was in progress, a part of the Texas Army had assembled in Gonzales under the command of Mosely Baker in the latter part of February. From this army, a gallant band of 32 courageous men under the command of George C. Kimble left to join the garrison at the Alamo. Making their way through the enemy lines, these 32 men joined the doomed defenders and perished with them.



On March 2, 1836, during the siege of the Alamo, Texas independence was declared. Four days later, the document was signed with the blood shed at the Alamo. It was under such conditions that Travis and his men fought off the much larger force under Santa Anna. It was with the love of liberty in his voice and the courage of the faithful and brave that Travis gave his men the none too cheerful choice of the manner in which they wished to die.



Realizing that no help could be expected from the outside and that Santa Anna would soon take the Alamo, Travis addressed his men, told them that they were fated to die for the cause of liberty and the freedom of Texas. Their only choice was in which way they would make the sacrifice. He outlined three procedures to them: first, rush the enemy, killing a few but being slaughtered themselves in the hand-to-hand fight by the overpowering Mexican force; second, to surrender, which would eventually result in their massacre by the Mexicans, or, third, to remain in the Alamo and defend it until the last man, thus giving the Texas army more time to form and likewise taking a greater toll among the Mexicans.



The third choice was the one taken by the men. Their fate was death and they faced it bravely, asking no quarter and giving none. The siege of the Alamo ended on the dawn of March 6, when its gallant defenders were put to the sword. But it was not an idle sacrifice that men like Travis and Davy Crockett and James Bowie made at the Alamo. It was a sacrifice on the altar of liberty.



Additional Sources:

www.kwanah.com

[SAMWolf]

Veterans for Constitution Restoration is a non-profit, non-partisan educational and grassroots activist organization. The primary area of concern to all VetsCoR members is that our national and local educational systems fall short in teaching students and all American citizens the history and underlying principles on which our Constitutional republic-based system of self-government was founded. VetsCoR members are also very concerned that the Federal government long ago over-stepped its limited authority as clearly specified in the United States Constitution, as well as the Founding Fathers' supporting letters, essays, and other public documents.

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Actively seeking volunteers to provide this valuable service to Veterans and their families.

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We here at Blue Stars For A Safe Return are working hard to honor all of our military, past and present, and their families. Inlcuding the veterans, and POW/MIA's. I feel that not enough is done to recognize the past efforts of the veterans, and remember those who have never been found.

I realized that our Veterans have no "official" seal, so we created one as part of that recognition. To see what it looks like and the Star that we have dedicated to you, the Veteran, please check out our site.

Veterans Wall of Honor

Blue Stars for a Safe Return

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UPDATED THROUGH APRIL 2004



The FReeper Foxhole. America's History. America's Soul

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[snippy_about_it]

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Good Monday Morning Everyone.

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[rustbucket]

A 22-gun Texas national salute to you.

[AZamericonnie]

Bump for morning reading & thank you for the ping.

[Aeronaut]

Good morning Snippy.

[E.G.C.]

A very pleasant good morning to everyone at the Freeper Foxhole.

[E.G.C.]

Folks be sure to click on my sacreename and then "In Forum" to read an observation I just posted to another thread.

[GailA]

Good morning, it promises to be another beautiful day here.

[alfa6]

It's a Monday Morning Bump for the Freeper Foxhole

Don't let this happen to you on a Monday :-)

Regards

alfa6 ;>}

[Soaring Feather]

Good morning everyone.

[Professional Engineer]

Good morning ladies. Flag-o-Gram.

Five countries were represented in the Virginia International Tattoo, in Norfolk, Va., last weekend-- United States, Canada, Norway, Germany and New Zealand. Each country brought its own distinct flare to the show.
Performances included a motorcycle show from the Berlin police force, a drill and musical routine from His Majesty the King’s Guard Band and Drill Team from Norway, and dancers from New Zealand.

Read all about it!

[Valin]

On This Day In History


Birthdates which occurred on May 02:
1551 William Camden English historian (Brittania, Annales)
1601 Athanasius Kircher German Jesuit/inventor (magic lantern)
1729 Catherine II (the Great) empress of Russia (1762-96)
1740 Elias Boudinot lawyer/patriot, found American Biblical Society
1779 John Galt Scotland, novelist (Ayrshire Legatees, Lawrie Todd)
1810 Leo XIII 257th Roman Catholic pope (1878-1903)
1821 Abram Sanders Piatt Brigadier General (Union volunteers), died in 1908
1837 General Henry Martyn Robert parliamentarian (Robert's Rules of Order)
1844 Elijah McCoy black inventor, held over 50 patents including a lubricator for steam engines ("the Real McCoy")
1860 Sir D'Arcy Thompson zoologist/classicist (On Growth & Form)
1860 Theodor Herzl Austria, journalist/founder (Zionist movement)
1885 Hedda Hopper [Elda Furry] Hollidaysburg PA, gossip columnist (From Under My Hat)
1890 E[dward] E[lmer] "Doc" Smith US, sci-fi author (Triplanetary)
1892 Manfred Freiherr von Richthofen [the Red Baron], German WWI ace
1900 Helen Morgan singer/actress (Applause, Frankie & Johnny)
1903 Benjamin Spock New Haven CT, pediatrician/author (Common Sense Book of Baby Care)
1924 Theodore Bikel Austrian/US folk singer/actor (The Russians Are Coming)
1925 Roscoe Lee Browne Woodbury NJ, actor (McCoy, Saunders-Soap)
1930 Morris Courtright manned spaceflight pioneer and Arizona State legislator
1933 Bunk Gardner rocker (Mothers Of Invention)
1935 Faisal II King of Iraq (1939-58)/son of Ghasi I
1935 Hussain ibn Talal King of Jordan (1952-99)
1946 Lesley Gore Tenafly NJ, singer (It's My Party)
1948 Larry Gatlin Seminole TX, country singer (Gatlin Brothers-Broken Lady)
1955 Jay Osmond rocker (Osmond Brothers)
1957 Domonic L Pudwill Gorie Lake Charles LA, USN/astronaut (STS-91)
1970 Vania Thomas Miss US Virgin Islands Universe (1997)
1975 Mark Johnson Dayton OH, baseball pitcher (Olympics-bronze-96)

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Deaths which occurred on May 02:
0649 Maruta of Tagrit theology/1st mafriaan Jakobitische church, dies
1250 Toeransa sultan of Egypt, murdered
1459 Pierozzi Antoninus Italian archbishop of Florence/saint, dies
1519 Leonardo Da Vinci artist/scientist, dies at 67
1727 Paul Aler French jesuit/poet (Gradus ad Parnassum), dies at 70
1849 David H Chassé Baron/General (fought Napoleon at Waterloo), dies at 84
1945 Martin Bormann propoganda minister for Hitler, dies
1957 Joseph McCarthy senator (R-WI), dies at 47
1960 Caryl Chessman rapist executed after 12 years of appeals at 39
1968 Donald L Hall airplane designer (Spirit of St Louis), dies at 69
1972 J Edgar Hoover head of FBI (1924-72)dies at 77
1984 Jack Barry game show emcee (Joker's Wild), dies at 66
1985 Milton S Eisenhower US diplomat, dies at 85
1990 Oleg Anatolyevich Yakovlev Russian cosmonaut, dies at 49
1992 Lee Salk baby doctor/author, dies of cardiac arrest at 65
1992 Wilbur Mills (Representative-D-AR)/involved with Fanne Foxe, dies at 82
1993 Julio Gallo wine maker (Gallo), dies in a car accident at 82

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GWOT Casualties

Iraq
02-May-2004 9 | US: 9 | UK: 0 | Other: 0
US Specialist Ervin Caradine Jr. Baghdad (NW part) Hostile - hostile fire
US Private Jeremy L. Drexler Baghdad (NW part) Hostile - hostile fire
US Staff Sergeant Todd E. Nunes Kirkuk (near) Hostile - hostile fire
US Petty Officer 2nd Class Michael C. Anderson Ramadi Hostile - hostile fire - mortar attack
US Petty Officer 2nd Class Trace W. Dossett Ramadi Hostile - hostile fire - mortar attack
US Petty Officer 2nd Class Scott R. Mchugh Ramadi Hostile - hostile fire - mortar attack
US Petty Officer 2nd Class Robert B. Jenkins Ramadi Hostile - hostile fire - mortar attack
US Petty Officer 3rd Class Ronald A. Ginther Ramadi Hostile - hostile fire - mortar attack
US Captain John E. Tipton Ramadi Hostile - hostile fire - mortar attack



Afghanistan
A Good Day

http://icasualties.org/oif/
Data research by Pat Kneisler
Designed and maintained by Michael White

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On this day...
1497 John Cabot departs to North-America
1536 King Henry VIII accused Anna Boleyn of adultery & incest
1595 King Philip II names Albrecht of Austria land guardian of Netherlands
1598 France & Spain signs Peace of Vervins
1668 Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle, ends War of Devolution
1670 King Charles II charters Hudson Bay Company
1749 Empress Maria Theresa signs "Haugwitzschen State reform"
1776 France & Spain agree to donate arms to American rebels
1780 William Herschel discovers 1st binary star, Xi Ursae Majoris
1813 Napoleon defeates Russian and Prussian army at Grossgorschen
1833 Czar Nicolas bans public sale of serfs
1863 Stonewall Jackson attacks Chancellorsville VA, wounded by his own men; Confederacy defeats Federals
1865 President Johnson offers $100,000 reward for capture of Jefferson Davis
1876 Ross Barnes hit 1st homerun in the National League
1878 US stops minting 20¢ coin
1885 "Good Housekeeping" magazine is 1st published
1885 Congo Free State established by King Leopold II of Belgium
1887 Hannibal W Goodwin patents celluloid photographic film
1890 Territory of Oklahoma created
1902 The 1st science fiction film, "A Trip To The Moon", is released
1909 Honus Wagner steals his way around bases in 1st inning against Cubs
1916 US President Wilson signs Harrison Drug Act
1919 1st US air passenger service starts
1920 1st game of National Negro Baseball League played in Indianapolis
1922 WBAP-AM begins broadcasting from Fort Worth TX
1923 Walter Johnson(Senator's) pitches his 100th shutout, beats Yankees 3-0
1924 Netherlands refuses to recognize USSR
1926 US military intervenes in Nicaragua
1927 International Economic Conference (52 countries including USSR) opens
1928 KPQ-AM in Wenatchee WA begins radio transmissions
1930 Des Moines (Western League) defeats Wichita 13-6 to open 1st ballpark with permanently installed lights
1932 Jack Benny's 1st radio show premieres (NBC Blue Network)
1932 Pulitzer prize awarded to Pearl S Buck (The Good Earth)
1933 Adolf Hitler bans trade unions
1934 Nazi-Germany begins People's court
1936 "Peter & the Wolf" premieres in Moscow
1936 Emperor Haile Selassie & family flee Abyssinia
1938 Ella Fitzgerald records "A-Tisket, A-Tasket"
1938 Pulitzer prize awarded to Thornton Wilder (Our Town)
1939 Lou Gehrig ends 2,130 consecutive game streak, Yankees beat Tigers 22-2
1941 FCC approves regular scheduled commercial TV broadcasts to begin July 1
1941 Martin Bormann succeeds Rudolf Hess as Hitler's deputy
1941 Ted Williams lowest average (.308) in the year he hit over .400
1945 Russia takes Berlin; General Weidling surrenders
1945 Yugoslav troops occupy Trieste
1946 Prisoners revolt at Alcatraz, 5 die
1947 Eugene O'Neill's "Moon for the Misbegotten" premieres in NYC
1949 Arthur Miller wins Pulitzer Prize for "Death of a Salesman"
1952 1st performance of John Cage's "Water Music"
1952 1st scheduled jet airliner passenger service begins with a BOAC Comet
1953 Feisal II installed as king of Iraq
1953 Hussein I installed as king of Jordan
1954 Stan Musial hits 5 homeruns in a doubleheader
1955 Pulitzer prize awarded Tennessee Williams for (Cat on Hot Tin Roof)
1956 US Lab detects high-temperature microwave radiation from Venus (someone making popcorn?)
1956 US Methodist church disallows race separation
1958 Yankees threaten to broadcast games nationwide if National League goes ahead with plans to broadcast, games into NYC
1959 85th Kentucky Derby: Bill Shoemaker aboard Tomy Lee wins in 2:02.2
1960 House investigating committee, looking into payola questions
1962 US performs atmospheric nuclear test at Christmas Island
1964 90th Kentucky Derby: Bill Hartack aboard Northern Dancer wins in 2:00
1964 Beatles' "Second Album" goes #1 & stays #1 for for 5 weeks
1964 Mad Dog Vachon beats Verne Gagne in Omaha, to become NWA champion
1965 Early Bird satellite goes into commercial service
1968 U.S. Army/Marine began the 14 day battle of Nhi Ha (3rd Battalion, 21st Infantry, 196th Light Infantry Brigade, Americal Division (the "Gimlets") on loan to the 3rd Marine Division)
1968 Israeli television begins transmitting
1969 British liner Queen Elizabeth II leaves on maiden voyage to New York
1970 1st woman jockey at Kentucky Derby (Diane Crump)
1970 "Student" anti-war protesters at Ohio's Kent State University burned down the campus ROTC building. Ohio Governor James A. Rhodes ordered in the National Guard to take control of the campus.
1972 Electrical fire in Sunshine Silver mine - 126 die (Kellogg Idaho)
1972 Lieutenant General Vernon A Walters, USA, becomes deputy director of CIA
1974 Former Vice President Spiro Agnew is disbarred
1975 Apple records closes down
1980 Pink Floyd's "Another Brick in Wall (Part II)" is banned in South Africa
1980 Pope John Paul II begins African tour
1981 Radio Shack re-releases Model III TRSDOS 1.3 with 2 fixes
1982 Falklands War: Argentine cruiser General Belgrano sunk by British submarine Conqueror, killing more than 350 men
1983 6.7 earthquake injures 487 in Coalinga CA
1987 113th Kentucky Derby: Chris McCarron aboard Alysheba wins in 2:03.4
1988 Jackson Pollock's "Search" sold for $4,800,000
1988 Reds manager Pete Rose is suspended for 30 days for pushing an umpire
1990 South Africa & African National Congress open talks to end apartheid
1991 Pope John Paul II's encyclical on Centesimus annus
1992 Yugoslav Army seize Bosnian President Alija Izetbegovic
1994 Dr Kevokian found innocent on assisting suicides
1994 Nelson Mandela claimed victory in the South African elections held in late April.
1995 Serb missiles exploded in the heart of Zagreb, killing six
1997 Police arrest transsexual hooker Atisone Seiuli with Eddie Murphy
1997 "Republic of Texas" security chief Robert Scheidt surrenders
2000 Former nurse Christina Marie Riggs executed by injection in Arkansas for smothering her two young children.
2001 President Bush and Republican congressional leaders clinched a budget deal embracing most of the president's tax and spending goals.
2002 A report on Iraq’s oil sales showed that illegal surcharges allowed Iraq to siphon off large amounts for its war chest. (Oil for Food)
2003 A federal court struck down most of the new campaign finance law's ban on the use of large corporate and union contributions by political parties. However, the Supreme Court later ruled that rooting out corruption, or even the appearance of it, justified limitations on the free speech and free spending of contributors, candidates and political parties
2004 American hostage Thomas Hamill, kidnapped three weeks ago in a terrorist attack on his convoy, was found by U.S. forces south of Tikrit after he escaped from his captors

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Holidays
Note: Some Holidays are only applicable on a given "day of the week"
Antigua, Montserrat, St Christopher, USSR : Labor Day
Bhutan : 3rd King's Birthday
Burma : Peasants' Day
Lesotho : King's Birthday
Zambia : Labour Day (Monday)
New Orleans : McDonogh Day (1850) (Friday)
Brothers and Sisters Day
Baby Day
International Space Day - Started in 2001 by John Glenn
Be Kind to Animals Week Begins
National Raisin Week Begins
Take a Baby to Lunch Day
Foot Health Month

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Religious Observances
Roman Catholic, Lutheran, Anglican : Memorial of St Athanasius, bishop of Alexandria/doctor
Bahá'í : 12th day of Ridván (festival); Jamál 5, 20

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Religious History
1507 Two years after entering the Augustinian monastery at Erfurt, future German reformer Martin Luther, 23, was consecrated a priest. (Luther remained in the order until 1521, when he was excommunicated from the Catholic Church.)
1872 A lectureship was established at Yale Divinity School in memory of American clergyman Lyman Beecher (1775-1863). The lectures were to cover topics on preaching and the work of the Christian ministry.
1922 Birth of missions pioneer Bob Finley. In 1953 he chartered the Christian Aid Mission in Washington, D.C. Today, this evangelical group works in over 40 countries, and is headquartered in Charlottesville, Virginia.
1949 American missionary and martyr Jim Elliot wrote in his journal: 'The man who will not act until he knows all will never act at all.'
1956 The General Conference of the Methodist Church, held in Minneapolis, demanded abolishment of racial segregation in all Methodist churches.

Source: William D. Blake. ALMANAC OF THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH. Minneapolis: Bethany House, 1987.

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Thought for the day :
"Nothing is so simple that it cannot be screwed up."

[The Mayor]

May 2, 2005

The Devil's Soup Bowl

Read:
Matthew 4:1-11

When [the devil] speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it. -John 8:44

Bible In One Year: Psalm 64-66

While my sons-in-law and I were hiking in a state park last summer, we noticed a trail marker that pointed toward something called The Devil's Soup Bowl. Intrigued, we took off for this geologic formation. As we went, we joked about the kind of soup we might find in the bowl.

When we arrived, we discovered it to be a large sunken area of land-something like a deep lake without any water in it. We were rather disappointed to discover that The Devil's Soup Bowl was filled with nothing but trees and weeds.

The Devil's Soup Bowl is the perfect name for a formation that offers something of interest but ends up providing nothing, because the devil is a deceiver. His menu is a bowl of tricks that delivers only empty promises and broken dreams.

Satan began his deceitful work of substituting nothing for something when he tricked Eve in the Garden of Eden, and he has not changed his plan. He tried his deceit on Jesus, but the Lord resisted and "the devil left Him" (Matthew 4:9-11).

So how do you know if you are being offered one of Satan's lies? Test new ideas with Scripture. Consult with people you trust to be godly and wise. And pray.

Don't fall for the devil's bowl of empty lies. -Dave Branon

Satan's a liar, deceiving all men,
Subtly he causes their fall into sin;
But his sly methods we surely can know,
Looking to Jesus wherever we go. -D. De Haan

Satan offers nothing but tricks and deceit.

FOR FURTHER STUDY
What In The World Is Satan Doing?

[SAMWolf]

Morning Snippy and all Foxholers.

Hitting the floor running this morning.

[snippy_about_it]

Good morning AZ.

[snippy_about_it]

The latest Alamo movie was good and it's too bad it got such bad press and didn't stay in the theaters longer. It would have made a good history lesson to the folks without a clue.

[snippy_about_it]

Good morning Aeronaut.

[snippy_about_it]

Thanks EGC. That was a good post, well done.

[snippy_about_it]

Good morning Gail. I've been so busy I have no idea what the weather will be today. Looks cloudy so far but nice temps.