The FReeper Foxhole Remembers The 100th Battalion/442nd RCT - Feb. 9th, 2003

http://www.ohanamagazine.com/marapr2001/feature.html ^ | Ted T. Tsukiyama

[SAMWolf]

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A Salute to "The One Puka Puka"

Their Japanese ancestry caused them to be unwanted, feared, distrusted and even despised. An expected Japanese invasion of Hawai'i induced their hasty removal from their beloved island home. The Army didn't know what to do with them after 14 months of training, even after their dispatch to North Africa. They were the Army's "orphan outfit," playing "guinea pig" for Japanese Americans in military service. Finally, after assignment to the 34th Division they gained the opportunity to engage in combat as the first and only segregated, all-Japanese infantry unit - the men of the 100th known as "The One Puka Puka."

Soon they earned the reputation as the "Purple Heart Battalion" because it was the most decorated unit of its size and fighting time in battle in World War II. They not only proved that "Americanism is not a matter of race or ancestry" but also won for other Niseis (second generation Japanese) the right to fight for their country.

The true origins of the 100th must trace back to 1909 and 1920 when immigrant Japanese field workers staged a general strike for fair wages and decent working" conditions, which erupted into bitter racial hostility and, denigrated the entire Japanese population to be treated for the next 20 years as an economic, political, and national security threat to Hawaii. Statehood was denied because of its large Japanese population and the questionable loyalty of even the America-born Japanese youth.

On May 29,1942, as the Japanese Navy approached Midway, Chief of Staff Gen. George Marshall ordered that a provisional infantry battalion, consisting of all officers and soldiers of Japanese ancestry in the 298th and 299th Infantry. Both units were sent by water to central U.S. to train as an infantry combat unit.

Within five days, 1,432 Nisei soldiers transferred from the 298th and 299th into the "Hawaiian Provisional Infantry Battalion" and sailed from Honolulu on the SS Maui on June 5, 1942. The War Department activated them into the "100th Infantry Battalion (Separate)"; "separate" meaning not attached to a regiment or any other military unit, literally a military orphan outfit. In spite of such an inauspicious origin, 15 months later it was destined to become the famed and legendary 100th Battalion.

The 100th was sent to Camp McCoy, Wisconsin, to train as an infantry unit. For the next six months they trained rigorously and so well that most men were crosstrained into use of other weapons and equipment. As reports of their superiors training record reached the War Department, the 100th became the subject of rigid and frequent inspections by army brass, "the most inspected unit in the Army". Men of the 100th endured all this with equanimity and intense unit pride, striving to become the finest in the U. S. Army, ever realizing that they "must do better than the average soldier because the eyes of America were on them".


Regimental Color Guard, 442nd RCT Bruyeres, France, 11/12/44

Seven more months of maneuvers at Camp Shelby, Louisiana followed. On August 21, 1943, the 100th sailed from Staten Island on the SS James Parker for North Africa.

On September 2, the 100th received notification it would be assigned to the 133rd Regiment, 34th Division, for a combat role! Morale uplifted, the men of the 100th received the news with cheers. On September 22, 1943, the 100th stormed ashore in an amphibious landing at the Salerno beachhead as part of the 34th "Red Bull" Division. Tough battles, especially at Cassino, marked the harsh and bitter route of the 100th from Salerno to Rome.

For the Cassino battles alone, the 100th suffered 48 killed, 144 wounded and 75 hospitalized for trench foot. The 100th landed at Salerno with over 1,300 personnel, but after Cassino only 521 remained. The "Guinea Pig Battalion" became the "Purple Heart Battalion."


100th Inf. Bn. moving up to the front on a dusty road in Velletria, Italy on May 26, 1944.

Generals who previously shunned this unit of Japanese Americans vied with each other for assignment of the 100th to their commands. Bill Mauldin, famous war correspondent, wrote, "no combat unit in the army could exceed them in loyalty, hard work, courage, and sacrifice." But beyond the widely acclaimed military prowess by numerous generals that fought to get the 100th assigned to them, men of the "One Puka Puka" convincingly proved their point. The July 31, 1944 issue of TIME magazine said:

"From a cautious experiment the Army had received an unexpectedly rich reward. A group of sinewy Oriental soldiers, only one generation removed from a nation that was fighting fanatically against the U.S., was fighting just as fanatically for it. Last week, the War Department wrote "proved" on the experiment. It added a unit citation (for "outstanding performance of duty in action") to the already remarkable collection of medals held by the Japanese-American 100th Battalion."

By war's end the 100th had compiled and contributed an incomparable record of 338 killed in action, 3 Presidential Unit Citation, 1 Congressional Medal of Honor, 24 Distinguished Service Cross, 147 Silver Star (for valor) and 2,173 Bronze Star (for meritorious service), 30 Division Commendation and 1,703 Purple Heart awards and citations.


PFC William Wada of Blanea, Colorado, being congratulated for the Bronze Star Medal by Brig. Gen. Innel. Wada was cited for outstanding and heroic achievement in action.

But the true significance, contribution and legacy left by the "One Puka Puka" is best summarized in this warm tribute and accolade of the 100th by Lyn Crost, wartime correspondent for the Honolulu Star-Bulletin and staunch friend of the 100/442.

"The original 100th Infantry Battalion was the first Japanese American combat unit in the history of the United States. In fulfilling the trust given it, this unique battalion helped erase much of the nation's suspicion of Japanese Americans and cleared the way for thousands of them to join the 100/442 Regimental Combat Team."

But the record of that original 100th Infantry Battalion and what it means in the acceptance of Japanese Americans as loyal citizens of the United States must be remembered. The 100th proved that loyalty to the United States is not a matter of race or ancestry. That "guinea pig battalion" never failed. That is why, with deep indebtedness and undying gratitude, we salute the original "One Puka Puka!"

[SAMWolf]

The 100th Battalion/442nd RCT

When the war began, there was not an all Japanese American combat unit. There were Nisei and some Kibei who were linguists in the Military Intelligence Language School. Some of thse Nisei became the initial group who served in the Pacific Theater as translators with the Military Intelligence Service (MIS). There were about 3,500 Japanese Americans in the military in 1941, but many were discharged. Japanese Americans were classified as 4-F (unfit physically, mentally or morally) or 4-C (unfit due to nationality or ancestry) by the Selective Service.

The first all Japanese American Nisei military unit was the 100th Battalion which was the designation for the unit which was formed from the Japanese Americans who comprised a large part of the Hawaiian National Guard. These Nisei were sent to Camp McCoy, Wisconsin for combat training and later were moved to Camp Shelby, Mississippi for additional training. They adopted the phrase "Remember Pearl Harbor" as their motto.

In 1943, the War Department in need of manpower reverse itself and sent recruiters to the relocation camps asking for volunteers to form a new Japanese American combat unit the 442nd Regimental Combat Team. Volunteers were also accepted from Hawaii where 12,500 men had volunteered. The Nisei volunteers were combined with Japanese Americans still in the military and were sent to Camp Shelby, Mississippi for combat training.

At Camp Shelby, they were formed into the 442nd Infantry Regiment, consisting of three battalions plus support companies, the 522nd Artillery Battalion and the 232nd Combat Engineers. The unit designation was the 442nd Regimental Combat Team and most of its officers were Caucasians. The 442nd chose "Go For Broke", a Hawaiian slang term from the dice game craps. "Go For Broke" meant to risk everything, give everything you have--all or nothing!

While the 442nd was being formed and trained, the 1,432 men of the 100th battalion had entered combat in Italy, September 26, 1943. The Italian campaign bloodied the 100th battalion and it suffered heavy casualties earning it the nickname "Purple Heart Battalion" as it was depleted down to 521 men by 1944. Replacements came from men who had finished training with the 442nd at Camp Shelby.

On June 2, 1944 the 442nd had landed at Naples and pushed to the Anzio beaches. On June 15th the 100th Battalion and the 442nd were merged into a single unit. The 100th battalion became the first battalion of the 442nd because the original first battalion of the 442nd had been used for replacements for the 100th. They were attached to the 133rd Regiment in the 34th Division.

After heavy fighting at Belvedere, Luciana, and Livorno, the 442nd was pulled back for a rest and was presented with a Presidential Unit Citation. After fighting at the Arno River in August, 1944, the 442nd moved to France for an attack in the Vosages Mountains. While in France, the 442nd was detached from the 34th Division and attached to the 36th Division of the Seventh Army. Given the assignment to capture the town of Bruyeres, the 442nd fought a bitter house to house battle and captured over 200 German soldiers.

Their bloodiest battle occured during their rescue of the "Lost Battalion". The First Battalion of the 36th Division had been given the assignment to clear a ridge deep in the Vosages, but had been cut-off by the Germans. The 442nd was ordered to rescue the Texas battalion. For six days the 442nd pressed on with steadily mounting casualties until they finally reached the trapped Texas battalion. Pressing on the 442nd captured the ridge, but the cost was high. The 2,000 men on the casualty list included 140 killed.

In spring, 1945, the 442nd was sent back to Italy. The 442nd was made part of the U.S. 92nd Infantry Division, which also included the all-African American 370th Infantry and the all-white 473rd Infantry. 1 Mounting a diversionary attack in the Appenine Mountains, the 442nd took their assigned objectives cracking ther German defensive line. By May 2, 1945 the war was over in Italy.

The 442nd/100th sustained 9,486 wounded and over 600 killed suffered, the highest casualty rate of any American unit during the war. For their heroism, the men of the 442nd/100th won fifty-two Distinguished Service Crosses, 560 Silver Stars and the Congressional Medal of Honor was awarded posthumously to Pfc Sadao Munemori. The 442nd Regimental Combat Team also won seven coveted Presidential Unit Citations for its performance. The men in the 100th Battalion alone had earned 900 Purple Hearts, thirty-six Silver Stars, twenty-one Bronze Stars, and three Distinguished Service Crosses.

[SAMWolf]

The 442nd Regimental Combat Team
"The Lost Battalion"

During a time when heroic acts were commonplace, one story involving the 442nd RCT stands out as an example of courage and sacrifice in the face of overwhelming odds. Two months after the fighting on Hill 140, the men of the 442nd RCT were transported to eastern France, where they joined forces with the 36th "Texas" Infantry Division, so named because of its origin as the 36th Division, Texas National Guard. Together they took the small French town of Bruyères, located near the German border, and then pushed through the rugged terrain of the surrounding hills. After capturing the small villages of Belmont and then Biffontaine, the soldiers of the 442nd RCT were relieved by other units of the Texas Division and withdrawn to the vicinity of Belmont for a much-deserved rest.

Two days later, however, the Japanese-American soldiers of the 442nd were quickly called to the front lines. The 1st Battalion of the 141st Infantry of the Texas Division was in serious trouble. While advancing along a heavily wooded ridge overlooking a valley, they had been suddenly cut off and surrounded by strong enemy forces. The battalion was in danger of being completely destroyed unless troops could break through German lines. Chosen for this dangerous task were the men of the 442nd RCT.

In complete darkness at four o'clock on the morning of October 27, 1944, the 3rd and 100th Battalions of the 442nd RCT broke camp and marched from Belmont toward the ridge where the 1st Battalion, soon to be dubbed the "Lost Battalion," was pinned down. By 10 a.m. they reached other units of the Texas Division which had been battling the Germans in an unsuccessful effort to break through. For the next two days, the 442nd also had little success, making only slow progress and watching as their casualties mounted

As radio reports from the Lost Battalion spoke of an increasingly desperate situation, the men of the 3rd Battalion, 442nd Infantry, suddenly ran into the main defenses of the Germans, who were dug in and positioned so that maneuver around them was impossible. An attempt was made to breech the German defenses on the left, but the ground was too steep, and the assault was easily beaten back. A platoon of tanks was then brought forward, but it too was forced to halt its advance in the face of concentrated enemy fire.

Normally, heavy artillery would have been brought in to pound the German position, but there was no time for that. The only option was a direct frontal attack. Word was spread in the "Go for Broke" unit to fix bayonets in preparation for an assault through a narrow area leading uphill to the higher ground where the Germans were dug in. The attack was sounded. As men fell, others came forward to take their places. In 30 minutes the Japanese-American soldiers overran a position that would have normally taken at least two days to capture.

Although the German infantry pulled back in retreat, their heavy artillery kept the 442nd from immediately advancing to the Lost Battalion.

"Go for Broke!" a painting in the collection of the Army Center of Military History, Fort McNair, Washington, D.C., depicts the all-Japanese American 442nd Regimental Combat Team assaulting German siege forces in the rescue of "The Lost Battalion," Oct. 27-30, 1944.

S. Don Shimazu, a member of the 442nd's 522nd artillery unit, stated that as he led survey crews carefully through the minefield laid down by German soldiers he saw "so many wounded and dying fellow soldiers.

"There were friends holding their comrades in their arms," said Shimazu.

"I ran into I Company, which at that point only had four guys with a PFC (private first class) -- Clarence Taba -- in charge ... the fighting had been that fierce."

George Oiye, another 522nd forward artillery observer, said the rain, snow, heavy clouds, dark fog and the huge carpet of pine trees overhead made it hard "to tell day from night."

"You couldn't even see your hand in front of your face ... one of the hardest things to describe to a person without military experience or similar combat experience is that feeling ... things were so much in a state of confusion."

It had started to rain. Besides the cold, the nisei soldiers also had to battle trench foot.

By the time I and K companies of the 442nd's 3rd Battalion were forced to dig into the dense forest terrain because of a German counterattack spearheaded by tanks, snow had started to fall.

The 442nd's 100th Battalion was strung out along the 3rd Battalion's right flank. The 2nd Battalion, on the 442nd's left flank, was busy trying to clear out Hill 617.

Facing the brunt of the German counterattack was the 442nd RCT's 3rd battalion. Under a constant barrage of German mortars, rifle fire and artillery, it continued to inch forward on a narrow ridge.

At times German machine gunners would allow the nisei soldiers to advance through the Vosges underbrush only to open fire on the backs of the soldiers after they had passed.

Soldiers sent back through the lines for ammo and other supplies were getting mowed down.

At one point Lt. Col. Alfred Pursall, the 442nd's 3rd Battalion commander, rose from cover and led a charge in a hand-to-hand battle.

It was during this "Banzai Hill" charge that Pvt. Barney Hajiro was recommended for the Medal of Honor after single-handedly destroying two machine-gun nests after getting hit on the cheek, body and forearm. He never got the Medal of Honor and is among the two dozen nisei soldiers whose records are currently under review by the Pentagon for being overlooked.

On Oct. 30, I and K companies made contact with the Texas unit. By then, I company had only eight riflemen left with a sergeant in charge; all others had been killed or wounded.

The same situation was true for K company.

They had lost all their officers and only 17 riflemen survived.

The Lost Battalion, which originally numbered 275, lost 64 soldiers.

For their heroism and sacrifice, the men of the 442nd Regimental Combat Team were proclaimed honorary Texans by the men they rescued. After the war citizens of Bruyères bestowed another honor on them by erecting a small monument near their town. The inscription reads: "To the men of the 442nd Regimental Combat Team, U.S. Army. We affirm a historic truth here—that loyalty to one's country is not modified by racial origins."

[SAMWolf]

'In this bloody confrontation, (the rescue of the Lost battalion) the 442nd lost more than 800 troops to rescue 211 members of the Texan 1st Battalion of the 141st Regiment'

-- 442nd RCT Unit History

[SAMWolf]

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[SAMWolf]

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[SAMWolf]

Thanks, Doughty!

[Jen]

PING to the FReeper Foxhole!

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[Cannon6]

That would be Camp Shelby, Mississippi not Camp Shelby, Louisiana

[cmsgop]

Hero Bump!

[SAMWolf]

Thanks for the correction.

[Jen]

Thanks for bumping through the Foxhole. I'm off to bed now.

[Jen]

Wonderful thread Sam. I learn so much from you and others who post here.

I'm off to bed, but I'll be back later.

[SAMWolf]

Good Night Jen. About to hit the sack myself.

[AndrewC]

A Few Memorials Dedicated to the 442nd RCT

[E.G.C.]

BTTT!!!!!!

[SpookBrat]

Good morning. Thanks for the interesting stories you put up. I have to get ready for church but I hope to get back in here today and finish reading. I'm half done. LOL

[sneakers]

Wow! Thanks for the great tale of heroism! I learn so much from your postings!

[Valin]

On This Day In History


Birthdates which occurred on February 09:
1404 Constantine XI Dragases last Byzantine Emperor
1441 Ali Sjir Neva'i [Fani] Turkish poet/author (Mahbub al-kulub)
1578 Giambattista Andreini Italian playwright/actor (L'adamo)
1579 John Meursius [van Meurs], Dutch historian
1602 Franciscus van de Enden Flemish Jesuit/free thinker/tutor of Spinoza
1607 Abraham Megerle composer
1708 Egidio Romoaldo Duni composer (opéra-comique)
1735 Adriaan Kluit Dutch historian
1741 Henri-Joseph Rigel composer
1744 Amos Bull composer
1756 Karel Blazej Kopriva composer
1771 Daniel Belknap composer
1772 Frans Mikael Franzén Finnish-Swedish poet (Abo)
1773 William Henry Harrison Virginia, (Whigs) 9th President (March 4-April 4, 1841)
1775 Farkas/Wolfgang Bolyai Hungary, mathematician (parallel axiom)
1780 Walenty Karol Kratzer composer
1783 Vasili A Zjukovski Russian folk poet/translator (Homer)
1808 Francesco Gomez da Rocha composer
1814 Samuel Jones Tilden philanthropist for New York Public Library
1822 Charles T Stork Dutch industrialist
1826 John Alexander Logan Major General (Union volunteers), died in 1886
1830 Abdül Aziz Istanbul Ottoman, 32nd sultan of Turkey (1861-76)
1834 Felix Dahn writer
1834 Franz Xaver Witt composer
1846 Wilhelm Maybach German engineer, designer of 1st Mercedes
1853 Sir Leander Starr Jameson PM of South African Cape colony
1853 Leander Starr Jameson PM of South African Cape colony
1854 Aletta [Henriëtte] Jacobs 1st Dutch female physician
1854 Edward Carson 1st Baron Carson, lawyer/leader (Irish Unionist Party)
1857 Johannes T de Visser theologist/Dutch 1st minister of Education
1863 Anthony Hope [Hopkins] London, novelist
1865 Erich von Drygalski German Federal Republic, geographer/glaciologist/Antarctic explorer
1865 Mrs [Beatrice] Patrick Campbell England, actress (Pygmalion, Sean O'Casey's mistress)
1866 George Ade US, journalist/playwright/humorist (Fables in Slang)
1867 Edward Naylor composer
1867 Natsume Sôseki [Natsume Kinnosuke] Japanese author (Kokoro)
1871 Howard T Ricketts US pathologist (studied typhus fever)
1871 Franc S Finzgar Slovenian clergyman/writer (Our Blood)
1874 Amy Lowell US, critic/Imagist poet (Patterns, Sword Blades & Poppy Seed)
1874 Vsevolod Meyerhold Russian theatrical producer/director/actor (Houligan)
1875 Sidney Hugo Nicholson composer
1876 Martin Stixrud Norway, figure skater (Olympics-bronze-1920)
1876 Aloïs Walgrave Flemish writer/pastor (Silent hours)
1879 Carl Natanael Berg composer
1879 Jacques Bainville French historian/essayist/journalist
1882 Thomas Campbell South African cricket wicketkeeper (5 Tests 1909-12)
1884 Frederik Gerretson [Geerten Gossaert], Dutch poet/politician)
1885 Alban Maria Johannes Berg Vienna Austria, a Lulu of a composer!
1887 Henry Zimmerman baseball player (1912-batted .372 with 14 home runs)
1887 Vital Celen Flemish writer (Puppy Love)
1890 Jacobus J P Oud Dutch architect/co-founder (Stijl)
1891 Pietro Nenni Italy, socialist/minister of foreign affairs (1946-47)
1891 Ronald Colman England, 1947 Academy Award actor (Tale of 2 Cities)
1892 Peggy Wood Brooklyn NY, actress (One Life to Live, Mama)
1892 Barend ter Haar Dutch lawyer (Indonesian adat justice)
1897 Sir Charles Edward Kingsford-Smith pioneer Australian aviator
19-- Darren Dalton actor (Chris-Best Times)
1901 Brian Donlevy Portadown Ireland, actor (Barbary Coast, Glass Key, Wake Island, Dangerous Assignment)
1902 Blanche Calloway US vocalist/dancer (12 Clouds of Joy)
1902 Chester H Lauck Allene AR, actor (Dreaming Out Loud, 2 Weeks to Live)
1903 Georg Trexler composer
1906 Gwen Catley British soprano
1907 Aubrey "Dit" Clapper NHL hall of famer (Boston Bruins)
1908 Jackie Fields US, featherweight boxer (Olympics-gold-1924)
1909 Dean Rusk US Secretary of State (1961-69)
1909 Heather Angel Oxford England, actress (Informer, Last of Mohicans)
1909 Carmen Miranda [Maria do Carmo Miranda Da Cunha] Marco de Canavezes Portugal, vocalist/actress (Copacabana, Date With Judy)
1909 Harald Genzmer composer
1909 John Eustace Theodore Brancker lawyer/parliamentarian
1910 Jacques Monod French biochemist
1911 Eustace Wenworth Roskill law lord
1912 Hubert William Dean air armaments specialist
1913 Leo van der Kar masseur/businessman/founder (Sports funds)
1914 Bill (Rhymes with Wreck) Veeck baseball club owner
1914 Ernest Tubb Texas, guitarist/singer (I'm Walking the Floor over You)
1914 Ralph Herman Milwaukee WI, orchestra leader (Circus Time)
1914 Max Manus resistance fighter
1921 B M Ducat-Amos Air Commandant/director (RAF Nursing Service)
1921 Charles Montgomery Monteith publisher
1922 James C "Jim" Laker Bradford England, cricket off spinner
1923 Norman E Shumway Michigan, pioneer cardiac transplant surgeon
1923 Brendan Behan Dublin Ireland, author/poet (Hostage)
1923 Kathryn Grayson North Carolina, vocalist/actress (Anchors Aweigh, Kiss Me Kate)
1924 George Guest British organist
1925 Vic Wertz baseball player
1926 Garret FitzGerald Prime Minister of Ireland
1927 Donald Miller CEO (Scottish Power)
1927 Norman Adams painter/ceramic sculptor
1928 Roger Mudd Washington DC, news anchor (CBS Weekend News, NBC Evening News)
1929 Bill Barrett (Representative-R-NB)
1929 James Mulcro Drew composer
1929 Lennox Butler cricketer (1 Test West Indies vs Australia 1955, 16 & 2-151)
1929 Willem Kersters Flemish composer (Parwati, Gospel Song)
1930 Emil Petrovics composer
1931 Robert Morris sculptor
1931 Xavier Benguerel composer
1933 Countess of Airlie
1933 Jo Ann Prentice LPGA golfer
1933 Justice Johnson
1933 Lord Williams of Elvel
1934 John A Ziegler Jr Grosse Pointe MI, 4th NHL president (1977-92)
1935 Paul Flynn MP
1936 Clive Swift Liverpool, actor (Frenzy, Passage to India)
1937 Brian Wenham media consultant/journalist
1937 Johnny Sayles US vocalist (You Made Me Wiggle)
1939 Barry Mann singer (Who put the Bomp)
1939 Janet Suzman South Africa, actress (Dry White Season, Nuns on the Run)
1940 Brian Bennett London, rock drummer (Shadows)
1940 Ronnie Claire Edwards Oklahoma City OK, actress (Corabeth-Waltons, 8 Seconds, Sweet Bird of Youth)
1940 Smokey Robinson rocker (& Miracles-Tears of Clown)
1941 Sheila James Kuehl politician/actress (Zelda-Dobie Gillis)
1942 Carole King [Klein], Brooklyn NY, pianist/singer (Tapestry)
1942 Peder Lunde Jr Norway, yachtsman (Olympics-gold-1960)
1942 Charlie Morrow composer
1942 Milos Stedron composer
1943 Joe Pesci Newark NJ, actor (Half Nelson, Goodfellas)
1943 Jonny Nilsson Sweden, 10K speed skater (Olympics-gold-1964)
1943 Squire Fridell Oakland CA, actor (Rosetti & Ryan)
1943 Barbara Lewis US vocalist (Hello Stranger)
1943 James King New Orleans LA, basketball player (Olympics-gold-1968)
1943 Ryland Davies tenor
1944 Alice Walker US, novelist (Color Purple, Meridian)
1945 Mia (Maria) Farrow Los Angeles CA, actress (Rosemary's Baby, Purple Rose of Cairo)
1945 Bill Bergey NFLer
1946 Annette Penhaligon
1946 M J H Sterling Vice-Chancellor (Brunel University)
1947 Joe Ely Amarillo TX, country vocalist (Honky Tonk Masquerade)
1947 Major Harris US R&B-singer (Love won't Let me wait)
1949 Judith Light Trenton NJ, (Angela-Who's the Boss, 1 Life to Live)
1949 Bernard Gallacher British golfer
1949 Janet Issaca Ashford writer
1950 Andrew N Meltzoff developmental psychologist
1950 Lloyd Weldon Keasor Pumphrey MD, wrestler (Olympics-silver-1976)
1950 Terry Hawkins theatre administrator
1951 Dennis "Dee Tee" Thomas saxophonist (Kool & the Gang-Celebration)
1951 Jay Inslee (Representative-D-Washington)
1951 Penny Peyser Irvington NY, actress (Rich Man Poor Man, Knots Landing)
1952 Danny White quarterback (Dallas Cowboys)
1953 Andre Sevard NHLer
1953 Antonius GM "Toon" Agterberg Dutch actor (Hunk)
1953 Gary Franks (Representative-R-CT)
1954 Ulrich Walter German Federal Republic, cosmonaut
1955 Charles Shaughnessy London England, actor (Maxwell Sheffield-The Nanny, Shane-Days of our Lives)
1955 Jm J Bullock Casper WY, actor (Monroe-Too Close for Comfort)
1956 Philip Jackson Ford Jr North Carolina, basketball player (Olympics-gold-1976)
1957 Gordon Strachan soccer player
1957 Mohammed Valli Moosa South African leader (UDF)
1958 Alexander "Sandy" W B Lyle Shrewsbury England, PGA golfer (1988 Phoenix Open)
1960 Holly Johnson vocalist (Frankie Goes to Hollywood-Relax)
1960 Peggy A Whitson Mt Ayr IA, PhD/astronaut
1961 John Kruk US baseball 1st baseman (Philadelphia Phillies)
1962 Diego Perez Spain, tennis star
1962 Martin D Lascelles grandson of English princess Mary
1963 Bonnie Levin Miami Beach FL, WPVA volleyballer
1963 Madusa Miceli [Debra Ann], Milan Italy, wrestler (WCW)
1963 Mike Rindel cricketer (N Transvaal opening bat ODI ton vs Pakistan 1995)
1963 Travis Tritt Marietta GA, country vocalist (Country Club)
1964 Rachel Bolan rocker (Skid Row)
1965 David Brandon NFL linebacker (Atlanta Falcons, Atlanta Falcons)
1965 Lennox Lewis London England, Super heavyweight boxer (Olympics-gold-1988)
1966 James "Rachel" Bolan Point Pleasant NJ, rocker (Skid Row-Psycho Love)
1966 Amanda Roocroft opera singer
1967 Kate Golden Beaumont TX, LPGA golfer (1992 Ping/Welch-5th)
1967 Stevon Moore NFL safety (Cleveland Browns, Baltimore Ravens)
1967 Todd Pratt US baseball catcher (Philadelphia Phillies)
1968 Derek Strong NBA forward (Los Angeles Lakers, Orlando Magic)
1968 Marcus Meloan Agana Guam, Canadian Tour golfer (1992 US Amateur Champion)
1968 Paul Claxton Vidalia GA, Nike golfer (NIKE Central Georgia Open-38th)
1969 Jeff Pahukoa NFL guard/tackle (Atlanta Falcons)
1969 Jimmy Smith NFL wide receiver (Jacksonville Jaguars)
1969 Peta Edebone Australian softball outfielder (Olympics-bronze-96)
1969 Thomas Brandl Bad Tolz Germany, hockey forward (Team Germany 1998)
1969 Todd Lyght US football quarterback (St Louis Rams)
1970 Glenn McGrath cricketer (New South Wales & Australian fast bowler 1993-)
1970 Grant Moorhead New Plymouth New Zealand, Australasia golfer
1971 Gonzalo Floyd CFL defensive end (Hamilton Tiger Cats)
1971 Jason Mathews NFL tackle (Indianapolis Colts)
1971 Jim Miller NFL quarterback (Pittsburgh Steelers, Atlanta Falcons, Jaguars)
1971 Ken Felder US baseball outfielder (Milwaukee Brewers)
1971 Pat O'Neill NFL punter/place kicker (New England Patriots)
1971 Sharon Case Detroit MI, actress (Sharon Collins-Young & Restless)
1972 Jason George actor (Michael Bourre-Sunset Beach)
1972 Norbert Rosza Hungarian swimmer (100 meter freestyle record)
1973 Amber Valletta Phoenix AZ, model (Face, House of Style, Bazaar)
1974 Brad Maynard punter (New York Giants)
1974 John Wallace NBA forward (Toronto Raptors)
1974 Orlando Bobo guard (Minnesota Vikings)

---

Deaths which occurred on February 09:
1555 John Hooper deprived Bishop of Gloucester, burnt for heresy
1567 Henry Stuart earl of Darnley/Consort of Mary Queen of Scots, murdered
1583 Jeseph Sanalbo Jewish convert in Rome, burned at stake
1588 Marquis of Santa Cruz Spanish Admiral, dies
1617 Hans Christoph Haiden composer, dies at 44
1640 Murad IV sultan of Turkey (1623-40), dies in Baghdad at 27
1670 Frederik III King of Denmark/Norway (1648-70), dies at 60
1675 Gerard Dou Dutch painter, buried
1740 Vincenz Lubeck composer, dies at 85
1751 Henri F D'Aguesseau Chancellor of France (1717-50), dies at 82
1765 Elisabetta de Gambarini composer, dies at 33
1811 Nevill Maskelyne 5th Astronomer Royal of England (1765-1811), dies
1812 Franz Anton Hoffmeister composer, dies at 57
1817 Franz Wilhelm Tausch composer, dies at 54
1824 Anna K Emmerick/Emmerich German poet, dies at 49
1846 Henry Gally Knight architect/writer, dies
1849 Corneille Vander Planken composer, dies at 76
1860 Edmond Willem van Dam van Isselt Dutch military/liberal politician, dies at 63
1874 Jules Michelet French historian (History of France), dies at 75
1881 Feodor M Dostoevski Russian novelist (Crime & Punishment), dies at 59
1891 Johan B Jongkind Dutch/French painter (Winter View), dies at 71
1906 Paul Laurence Dunbar black dialect poet, dies at 33 in Dayton OH
1916 Hynek Ignac Frantisek Vojacek composer, dies at 90
1916 Jack Barrett cricketer (2 Tests for Australia 1890), dies
1917 Francis Allan cricket bowler (lefty in 1879 Australia-England Test), dies
1918 Emiel van der Straeten [Delrue], Flemish playwright, dies at 30
1924 Nils Kj'r Norwegian playwright (Det Lykkelige Valg), dies at 53
1932 Junnosuke Inouye Japanese minister of Finance, murdered
1935 Karl Nef Swiss musicologist, dies at 61
1936 Jacques Bainville French historian/essayist/journalist, dies at 57
1938 Truby King pioneer of mothercraft, dies
1943 ... Reydons wife of General Reydons, shot to death by resistance
1945 George J L Maduro resistance fighter (Madurodam), dies in Dachau
1945 Jan Bakker resistance fighter, executed at 26
1948 Karl Valentin German comic/writer, dies at 65
1949 Poul Julius Ouscher Schierbeck composer, dies at 60
1952 Norman Douglas essayist/novelist, dies
1957 Miklós Horthy von Nagybanya Hung Admiral/regent (1920-44), dies at 88
1960 Ernst von Dohnanyi US composer, dies at 82
1961 Grigory Levenfish International chess grandmaster from Russia, dies at 70
1964 Willie Bryant singer (Sugar Hill Times), dies at 55
1966 Sophie Tucker Russian/US singer/actress (My Yiddish Mama), dies at 79
1968 Barbara Everest actress (Inquest, Madeleine), dies at 77
1968 Frederik M baron van Asbeck lawyer (League of Nations), dies at 78
1969 [George] Gabby Hayes actor (Albuquerque, Colorado), dies at 83
1969 Manuel Plaza Reyes Chilean marathoner (Olympics-gold 1928), dies at 68
1973 Max Yasgur owner Woodstock-festival farmland, dies at 53
1974 Cees de Lange Dutch conferencier, dies at 60
1975 Constant Burniaux Belgian art historian (L'amour Vivre), dies at 82
1977 Gaus an orangutan who lived to be 59
1977 Denys Amiel French dramatist/playwright (Le mouton noir), dies at 92
1977 Sergei Ilyushin Russian airplane builder (Ilyushin), dies at 82
1978 Kimberly Leach killed by Ted Bundy in Lake City FL at 12
1979 C I J Smith cricket all-rounder (5 Tests for England 1935-37), dies
1980 Antoine Pompe Belgian architect, dies at 106
1981 Bill Haley vocalist (Rock Around Clock), dies of heart attack at 55
1984 Balasaraswathi Indian classical dancer, dies in Madras
1984 Yuri Andropov General Secretary of Soviet Communist Party (1982-84), dies at 69
1993 David Willis British journalist (BBC World Service), dies at 54
1993 Kate Wilkinson actress (Clara-Another World), dies of cancer at 76
1993 Nasrullah Mansoor Afghan guerilla leader/governor of Paktia, dies
1994 Arnold Smith British 1st Secretary-General of Commonwealth (1965-75), dies at 79
1994 Jarmila Novotna Czechoslovakia/US soprano (Madame Butterfly), dies at 86
1994 Louis Kaufman US violinist/conductor (Gone with the Wind), dies at 88
1995 David Wayne [Wayne Mcmeekan], US actor (Dallas), dies at 81
1995 J William Fulbright (Senator-D-AR)/anti-Vietnam War, dies at 89
1996 Adolf Galland General (Luftwaffe), dies at 83
1996 Alistair Cameron Crombie historian of science, dies at 80
1996 Barry Troyna teacher/educational sociologist, dies at 44
1996 Charles Henry "Harry" Urwin trade unionist, dies at 80
1996 Gerald Savory actor playwright/TV producer (3 Weeks), dies at 86
1996 Neil Franklin soccer star, dies at 74
1997 Barry Evans actor (Dr Upton-Dr in the House), dies at 53
1998 Laxness Iceland's Nobel Literature laureate, dies at 95
2002 Princess Margaret sister of Queen Elizabeth II of England, dies from a stroke at 71

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On this day...
1267 Synod of Breslau orders Jews of Silesia to wear special caps
1499 France & Venice sign treaty against Milan
1537 Pope Paul III routes Cardinal Pole to England
1540 The 1st recorded race meet in England (Roodee Fields, Chester)
1554 Battle at London Sir Thomas Wyatt defeated
1574 Louis of Nassau ends siege of Maastricht
1621 Alexander Ludovisi is elected Pope Gregory XV
1667 Treaty of Andrussovo Russia/Poland signs peace treaty
1674 English re-conquer New York from Netherlands
1682 Thomas Otway's "Venice Preserved" premieres in London
1742 British ex-premier Walpole becomes earl of Orford
1744 Battle at Toulon (French/Spanish vs English fleet of Admiral Matthews)
1775 English Parliament declares Massachusetts colony is in rebellion
1788 Austria declares war on Russia
1799 USS Constellation captures French frigate Insurgente off Nevis, West Indies
1801 France & Austrian sign Peace of Lunéville
1807 French Sanhedrin convened by Napoleon
1822 American Indian Society organizes
1825 House of Representatives elects John Quincy Adams 6th US President
1849 Roman Republic declared
1861 Jefferson Davis & Alexander Stephens elected president & Vice President of CSA
1861 Tennessee votes against secession
1861 Confederate Provisional Congress declares all laws under the US Constitution were consistent with constitution of Confederate states
1863 Fire extinguisher patented by Alanson Crane
1867 Nebraska becomes 37th US state
1870 Grant signs the bill establishing Federal Meteorological Service
1871 Federal fish protection office authorized by Congress
1877 US weather service established
1885 1st Japanese arrive in Hawaii
1886 President Cleveland declares a state of emergency in Seattle because of anti-Chinese violence
1891 1st shipment of asparagus arrives in San Francisco from Sacramento
1893 Canal builder De Lesseps & others sentenced to prison for fraud
1893 Verdi's opera "Falstaff" premieres in Milan
1895 1st intercollegiate basketball game (Minnesota Agricultural beats Hamline, 9-3)
1895 Volleyball invented by W G Morgan in Massachusetts
1900 Dwight Davis established a new tennis trophy, the Davis Cup
1904 Japan declares war on Russia
1906 Natal proclaims state of siege in Zulu uprising
1909 1st federal legislation prohibiting narcotics (opium)
1909 1st forestry school is incorporated at Kent OH
1912 US Tennis Association amends rule taking bye away from defending champion
1913 10 Day Tragedy of Mexico-City; 3,000 die
1916 Britain's military service act enforced (conscription)
1916 NL votes down a proposal by Giants, Braves, & Cubs to increase club player limit from 21 to 22 (The Reds want to decrease to 20)
1918 Army chaplain school organized at Fort Monroe VA
1918 Sacha Guitry's "Deburan" premieres in Paris
1920 International treaty recognizes Norwegian sovereignty over Svalbard
1920 Joint Rules Commission bans foreign substances & alterations to baseballs
1922 Snow on Mauna Loa, Hawaii
1922 Italian government of Bonomi falls
1923 Soviet Aeroflot airlines established
1924 Nakhichevan ASSR constituted within Azerbaijan SSR
1925 Haifa Technion (Israel), opens
1925 German Minister Stresemann proposes security treaty with France
1926 Teaching theory of evolution forbidden in Atlanta GA schools
1929 USSR, Estonia, Latvia, Poland & Romania sign Litvinov Pact
1932 America enter Olympics 2-man bobsled competition for 1st time
1932 US airship Columbia crashes during storm (Flushing NY)
1933 -63ºF (-53ºC), Moran WY (state record)
1934 -14.3ºF (-25.8ºC), coldest day in New York City NY
1934 -51ºF (-46ºC), Vanderbilt MI (state record)
1934 Balkan Entente alliance forms (Yugoslavia, Greece, Turkey & Romania)
1935 US female Figure Skating championship won by Maribel Vinson
1935 US male Figure Skating championship won by Robin Lee
1939 Belgian Spaak government falls
1940 Joe Louis beats Arturo Godoy in 15 for heavyweight boxing title
1941 British troops conquer El Agheila
1941 Nazi collaborators destroy pro-Jewish café Alcazar Amsterdam (Alcazar refused to hang "No Entry for Jews" signs in front of cafe)
1942 Daylight Savings War Time goes into effect in US
1942 Philadelphia "Phillies" change nickname (temporarily) to "Phils"
1942 Japanese troops land near Makassar, South Celebes
1943 Japanese evacuate Guadalcanal, epic battle ends
1943 FDR orders minimal 48 hour work week in war industry
1943 German riots at "plutocratenzoontjes", 1,200 in Vught Camp
1943 Nazis arrest Dutch sons of rich parents
1943 NL seeks buyer for Phillies, as owner Gerry Nugent, falls in arrears
1944 U-734/U-238 sunk off Ireland
1945 Germany destroys Ruhrdammen
1945 WAAF-corporal flies along the tail of a Spitfire
1946 Dutch Labor Party (Dutch Social Democratic Party) forms
1947 Bank robber Willie Sutton escapes jail in Philadelphia PA
1948 WLWT TV channel 5 in Cincinnati OH (NBC) begins broadcasting
1950 Senator Joseph McCarthy charges State Dept infested with 205 communists
1951 St Louis Browns sign pitcher Satchel Paige, 45
1953 "The Adventures of Superman" TV series premieres in syndication
1953 General Walter Bedell Smith, USA, ends term as 4th director of CIA Allen W Dulles, becomes acting director of CIA
1953 WNEP TV channel 16 in Scranton Wilkes-Barre, PA (ABC) 1st broadcast
1954 Mario Scelba forms new government in Italy
1955 Dutch 2nd Chamber accepts crematory law
1955 US federations of trade unions merge into AFL/CIO
1956 -5ºF (15ºC) in Sicily
1956 KHPL (now KWNB) TV channel 6 in Hayes Center NB (ABC) 1st broadcast
1956 R Lacoste follows Catroux as premier of Algeria
1959 Coasters's "Charlie Brown" peaks at #2
1960 AFL & NFL agree verbally to a no tampering pact
1961 Joseph Ileo appointed premier of Congo
1962 Jamaica signs agreement to become independent
1962 US performs nuclear test at Nevada Test Site
1963 1st flight of Boeing 727 jet
1963 7th largest snowfall in NYC history (42.4 cm, 16.7")
1964 1st appearance of Beatles on "Ed Sullivan Show" (73.7 million viewers)
1964 GI Joe character created
1964 NYC news anchor Jim Jenson's 1st appearance on WCBS-TV
1964 9th Winter Olympics games close at Innsbruck, Austria
1964 Hanumant Singh scores 105 India vs England on debut at Delhi
1966 Dow-Jones Index hits record 995 points
1968 Rotterdam metro opened by princess Beatrix
1969 World's largest airplane, Boeing 747, makes 1st commercial flight
1969 KGTO TV channel 36 in Fayetteville AR (ABC/NBC) begins broadcasting
1971 Apollo 14 returns to Earth
1971 Quake in San Fernando Valley kills 65 & causes over $½ billion damage
1971 Satchel Paige becomes 1st negro-league player elected to baseball HOF
1971 Probably 1st gay theme TV episode - All in the Family
1972 British government declares state of emergency after month-long miners' strike
1974 "Daddy What If" by Bobby Bare peaks at #41
1974 "The Americans (A Canadian's Opinion)" by Gordon Sinclair peaks at #24
1974 US female Figure Skating championship won by Dorothy Hamill
1974 US male Figure Skating championship won by Gordon McKellen Jr
1975 Soyuz 17 returns to Earth
1975 Sandra Haynie wins LPGA Naples Lely Golf Classic
1976 Oscar Charleston selected to baseball's the Hall of Fame
1978 Ted Bundy kills Kimberly Leach, 12, Lake City FL; later executed
1979 ABC airs "Heroes of Rock N Roll" special
1979 Beginning of James Clavell's novel "Whirlwind"
1979 21st Grammy Awards Just the Way You Are, Taste of Honey
1979 Nigeria amends constitution
1980 Rick Barry, Houston, is 1st in NBA to score 8, 3-point goals in a game
1982 34th NHL All-Star Game Wales beat Campbell 4-2 at Washington
1983 Belgium buys 44 F-16s
1984 "Rink" opens at Martin Beck Theater NYC for 204 performances
1985 Madonna's "Like a Virgin" album goes #1 for 3 weeks
1986 Halley's Comet reaches 30th perihelion (closest approach to Sun)
1986 Marvin Johnson wins record 3rd time, light heavyweight boxing title
1986 36th NBA All-Star Game East beats West 139-132 at Dallas
1986 Haydar Bakr al-Attas appointed President of South Yemen
1986 Patty Sheehan wins LPGA Sarasota Golf Classic
1986 West German team swims world record 4x200 meter freestyle (7:05.17)
1987 Former national security adviser Robert McFarlane attempts suicide
1987 New York Stock Exchange installs ladies restroom in the Exchange Luncheon Club
1988 39th NHL All-Star Game Wales beat Campbell 6-5 (OT) at St Louis
1988 New Hampshire begins a NCAA record 32-game losing streak at home (ends Feb 1991)
1989 Kevin Johnson (Phoenix) ends NBA free throw streak of 57 games
1989 Michael Manley's Socialist Party wins Jamaica parliamentary election
1990 "The Bradys" return to TV for 6 episodes on CBS TV
1990 Galileo flies by Venus
1990 Doina Melinte runs world indoor record 1.5k (4:00:27) & mile (4:17:13)
1990 Namibia's constitution ratified
1991 US Supreme Court agrees to hear Joseph Doherty case
1991 Voters in Lithuania vote for independence
1991 "This Is Ponderous" by 2nu peaks at #46
1991 Johann Olav Koss skates world record 5k (6:41:73)
1991 Terry Norris knocks down Sugar Ray Leonard twice & beats him
1991 Wally Joyner wins record $2.1 million salary arbitration
1992 "2 Shakespearean Actors" closes at Cort Theater NYC after 29 performances
1992 42nd NBA All-Star Game West beats East 153-113 at Orlando
1992 Fastest yodeler-22 tones/15 falsetto in 1 second by Thomas School of Germany
1992 Heike Henkel high jumps female indoor world record (2.07 meters)
1992 Jani Sievinen swims world record 400 meter medley (4:07.10)
1992 Shelley Hamlin wins LPGA Phar-Mor Golf Tournament at Hamlin Inverrary
1993 Army of opium king Khun Sa kills 60 in NE Burma
1994 Israeli minister Shimon Perez signs accord with PLO's Arafat
1995 "Heiress" opens at Cort Theater NYC for 340 performances
1995 Irina Privalova runs female world record 50 meter (5.96 seconds)
1996 WYNY-FM in New York NY changes calls to WKTU-FM
1997 11th American Comedy Award Debbie Reynolds
1997 47th NBA All-Star Game East beats West 132-120 at Cleveland
1997 Fox cartoon series "Simpsons" airs 167th episode the longest-running animated series in cartoon history
1997 Kelly Robbins wins LPGA Diet Dr Pepper National Pro-Am
1997 LG Senior Golf Championship
1997 Mark O'Meara wins Buick golf invitational
1997 Palm Beach National LPGA Pro-Am
1997 Scotty Bowman, is 1st NHL coach to win 1,000 games
1998 6th annual ESPY Awards
1998 Failed assassination attempt on Georgian President Eduard Shevardnadze
2002 XIX Winter Olympics opens in Salt Lake City UT/Québec City

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Holidays
Note: Some Holidays are only applicable on a given "day of the week"

World : Boy Scouts Day (1910) - - - - - ( Sunday )
China : Chinese New Year-The Year of the Rooster (2005/4703)

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Religious Observances
Lebanon : St Maron Day
Methodist : Race Relations Sunday (2nd Sunday in February)
Roman Catholic : Commemoration of St Apollonia, deaconess/martyr
Old Roman Catholic : Commemoration of St Cyril of Alexandria, bishop/confessor/doctor
Roman Catholic : Commemoration of St Miguel Febres Cordero, Ecuadoran monk
Christian : Shrove (Quinquagesima) Sunday

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Religious History
1812 Pioneer missionary Samuel Newell married fellow Congregationalist Harriet Atwood. They afterward sailed for India with Adoniram and Ann Hasseltine Judson. (Harriet Newell and Ann Judson thereby became the first American women commissioned for missionary work abroad.)
1819 Birth of William True Sleeper, New England Congregational clergyman and author of the hymns "Jesus, I Come" and "Ye Must Be Born Again."
1839 Scottish clergyman Robert Murray McCheyne wrote in a letter: 'In spiritual things, this world is all wintertime so long as the Savior is away.'
1930 American pioneer linguist and missionary Frank Laubach wrote in a letter: 'The sense of being led by an unseen hand which takes mine, while another hand reaches ahead and prepares the way, grows upon me daily.'
1948 U.S. Senate Chaplain Peter Marshall prayed: 'We are tempted to despair of our world. Remind us, O Lord, that Thou hast been facing the same thing in all the world since time began.'

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Thought for the day :
"My definition of a free society is a society where it is safe to be unpopular."

[Soaring Feather]

Good Morning Sam

Smiley is good today.

[Pippin]

GOOD MORNING AND HAPPY LORD"S DAY TO EVERYONE!
GOOD MORNING TROOPS!

THIS IS THE DAY THE LORD HAD MADE! LET US REJOICE AND BE GLAD IN IT!

GOD BLESS ALL WHO POST AND LURK ON THIS THREAD!

GOD BLESS OUR MILITARY BOTH PAST AND PRESENT!

GOD BLESS PRESIDENT BUSH AND HIS FAMILY AND CABINET!

GOD BLESS OUR ALLIES AND FRIENDS!

GOD BLESS AMERICA!