The Historic US Army Forts

Posted on November 30, 2021 by John Michael

The Historic US Army Forts!  Part I

Over the past two decades, John Michael has immersed himself in the study of the US military, specifically the US ARMY. Today’s ARMY is a far cry from what was a hundred years ago.  As the United States population pushed west, many US Army posts emerged to provide protection and safety to what was once wilderness and danger.  John Michael is the author of books that chronicle the history of two of these forts = Fort Myer and Fort Lesley J. McNair.  Many other authors have seen the value in documenting and chronicling this unique military history.  So without further rambling, here is the first installment of books for your personal library shelf or as gifts for someone special.

Intrigued by the past?  Need a great collection of books for your library or kindle?  Then there are several selections to choose from

Historic US Army Forts

Fort Bridger (Images of America)

by Ephriam D. Dickson III (Author), Mark J. Nelson (Author)

ABOUT THE BOOK:

The history of Fort Bridger represents a microcosm of the development of the American West. Situated in an area initially inhabited by the Shoshone people, Fort Bridger was established during a transitional phase between the fur-trade era and the period of western migration. The fort became one of the most important supply points along the nation’s western trail network. Later, the post served as a bastion of civilization as one of a number of western military posts. Soldiers at the fort protected not only the lives and property of its local citizenry but also the emerging transportation and communication advancements of a nation. Following the Army’s departure, a small settlement emerged at Fort Bridger, using buildings and materials from the old military garrison. Today, the fort and town remain active, in part as a respite for travelers just as it had been more than 150 years ago.

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Historic US Army Forts - Fort Lawton

Fort Lawton (Images of America) 

by Jack W. Jaunal

ABOUT THE BOOK:

Fort Lawton was established to provide protection for the navy yard built at Bremerton in 1891 as well the cities along Puget Sound and the commerce generated by them. The development of Fort Lawton was encouraged by civic leaders in Seattle for economic reasons and to curb lawlessness. Although intended primarily as an infantry post, the first soldiers to arrive on July 26, 1901, were artillerymen. One year later, this artillery installation, the Puget Sound Harbor Defense Command, was moved to Fort Worden and the first infantry soldiers arrived in Fort Lawton. It remained an infantry post throughout most of its years, and Seattle’s hopes for a major military installation were not to be realized.

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Historic US Army Forts

Fort Benning (Images of America)

by Kenneth H. Thomas Jr. (Author), Deputy to the Commanding General Don Sando (Foreword)

ABOUT THE BOOK:

Established outside Columbus, Georgia, in October 1918 by the United States Army as Camp Benning, the base was moved to its permanent location, nine miles south, in June 1919. In 1922, the post was made permanent and was named Fort Benning. Created as the new location of The Infantry School of Arms, Fort Benning became the training post for many of the country’s future leaders, as well as a major part of the military experience for hundreds of thousands of American soldiers.

The post’s current size, more than 180,000 acres, has long made it recognized as one of the largest infantry bases in the world. Named for Gen. Henry L. Benning of Columbus, the installation has had a major impact on the economic and social life of nearby Columbus. Images of America: Fort Benning features vintage photographs and postcards, mostly from 1918 to 1978, showcasing the first 60 years of the base’s 85-year history. Included are scenes of the temporary encampment on Macon Road and the early wooden encampment on the Main Post. The permanent buildup from the late 1920s to the early 1940s is shown in photographs of The Infantry School, the Officers’ Club, Main Post Chapel, Doughboy Stadium, Gowdy Field, the Jump Towers, Lawson Field, the Cuartel Barracks, and the officers’ quarters, as well as Riverside, the Commandant’s Home, formerly the Bussey Plantation. Activities and events include military reviews, visits of presidents, and the National Infantry Museum’s dedication. Generals who served there and are featured include Bradley, Eisenhower, Marshall, and Patton. This centennial edition features a new foreword by Don Sando, deputy to the commanding general.

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Historic US Army Forts

Fort Robinson (Images of America) 

by Ephriam D. Dickson III

ABOUT THE BOOK:

Established in northwestern Nebraska in 1874, Fort Robinson served as a military post for nearly 75 years, playing a critical role in the settlement of the West. From here, soldiers marched out to participate in the Great Sioux War of 1876-1877. The famous Oglala leader Crazy Horse was killed at the post. In 1878, Dull Knife’s band of Northern Cheyenne attempted to escape the post, resulting in more than 64 deaths. Troops from Fort Robinson were also sent to the Pine Ridge Agency during the Ghost Dance fervor in 1890, the last of the armed conflicts with the Lakota. The arrival of the railroad at Fort Robinson initiated a new role for the post in the 20th century. Between 1885 and 1907, Fort Robinson was home to the 9th and 10th Cavalry, the famous buffalo soldiers. In 1919, Fort Robinson became a remount depot where horses and mules were purchased and conditioned to be issued to the army. During World War II, Fort Robinson included a German POW internment camp and the site of the army’s largest war dog reception and training center. The fort closed in 1948 and was made a state park in 1972.

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Historic US Army Forts

Fort Carson (Images of America) 

by Angela Thaden Hahn (Author), Joseph E. Berg (Author)

ABOUT THE BOOK:

Army scout Kit Carson rode the Southwest in many capacities. He served and retired in Colorado, and so Fort Carson is appropriately named. On land once traversed by Lt. Zebulon Pike, Camp Carson was constructed almost overnight under the watchful eye of Pres. Franklin Roosevelt and with the approval of the neighbors in Colorado Springs. Since its creation, the post has been the home and training grounds for thousands of soldiers who have fought in all wars from World War II to the current war on terror. Fort Carson continues to be a valuable asset to the community economically and in its generosity with resources when a local need arises.

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Historic US Army Forts

Fort Monmouth (Images of America)

by Wendy A. Rejan (Author)

ABOUT THE BOOK:

The U.S. Army established Fort Monmouth in June 1917, just a few months after Congress declared war on Germany. It initially served as a signal training camp for the First and Second Reserve Telegraph Battalions. The first camp, on the grounds of the old Monmouth Park racetrack, was named Camp Little Silver. The army renamed the camp Fort Monmouth in 1925 to honor the brave Americans who died at the Revolutionary War battle of Monmouth Courthouse a few miles away in Freehold. For almost a century, the dedicated military and civilian personnel of the fort have made groundbreaking advances in developing, fielding, and sustaining communications and electronics systems. These breakthroughs have included the development of radar in 1937, bouncing the first electronic signals off of the moon in 1946, and producing the first communications satellite in 1958.

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Camp Glenn (Images of America)

by Susan Charboneau Holland (Author)

ABOUT THE BOOK:

In 1906, the North Carolina state legislature established Camp Glenn as the permanent summer training camp for the North Carolina National Guard. The camp’s chosen site, located three miles west of Morehead City, was ideally situated on a sandy stretch of a firm, high, and well-drained land overlooking Bogue Sound. A large parade ground adjoined the camp, and it was level as a floor and could accommodate the entire North Carolina National Guard. Although it was first established as a target practice field, in later years, the camp became the first US Coast Guard air station and later a US Navy base. Camp Glenn was the mobilization site for National Guard troops sent to the Mexican border during the 1916 Punitive Expedition against Pancho Villa led by Gen. John J. “Black Jack” Pershing. Citizen soldiers who trained at Camp Glenn also fought in World Wars I and II protecting North Carolina’s coastline and battling for the United States in Europe.

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Camp Rucker During World War II (AL) (Images of America)

by James L. Noles Jr. (Author)

ABOUT THE BOOK:

The story of Camp Rucker, Alabama, during the Second World War, illustrates the colossal effort of a quiet nation to shake off its peaceful slumber and mobilize for total war. Camp Rucker’s role in that mighty endeavor is told in these pages through vintage photographs from Fort Rucker’s Army Aviation Museum. Select passages from the War Department’s 1944 pamphlet Army Life complement these images to give a unique glimpse at the life of a U.S. Army training camp during World War II and the men and women who trained there. Today, Camp Rucker is known as Fort Rucker and is home to the United States Army Aviation Center. In 1941, however, it was simply a vast acreage of pine trees, scrub oak, and sub-marginal farmland. But following the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, the War Department decided to carve out a training camp in this southeastern corner of Alabama. By the spring of 1942, the first freshly mobilized units had entered its gates. In the following three years, Camp Rucker trained thousands of Army soldiers, WACs, and nurses. Many of these young Americans were destined for the battlefields of the Pacific and Europe.

LITTLE KNOWN FACT: ARMY ONE,  The Presidential Helicopter was first on mission for the President!

ARMY ONE THE PRESIDENT'S HELICOPTER

ARMY ONE — THE PRESIDENT’S HELICOPTER

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Camp Forrest (Images of America)

by Elizabeth Taylor (Author)

ABOUT THE BOOK:

It was a self-sustaining city where over 70,000 soldiers were stationed and approximately 12,000 civilians were employed throughout World War II. In 1942, the camp transitioned to an enemy alien internment camp and was one of the first civilian internment camps in the United States. By the middle of 1943, it had transitioned into a POW camp and housed primarily German and Italian prisoners. After the war ended, the base was decommissioned and dismantled in 1946. In 1951, the area was recommissioned and expanded into the US Air Force’s Arnold Engineering Development Complex. Few remains of this important World War II facility exist today; however, the images within provide a glimpse into the effects and realities of a global war on American soil.

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Fort Meade: Peacekeeper of the Black Hills (Images of America)

by Roberta Sago (Author), Lee Stroschine (Author)

ABOUT THE BOOK:

The gold rush of 1876 brought many miners to the Black Hills. After the defeat of Lt. Col. George Custer at the Battle of Little Big Horn in June 1876, miners, concerned about attacks from the Lakota, requested protection from the US Army. However, it was not until 1878 that a military fort, Fort Meade, was established in the area for the protection of the settlers in the Black Hills. Fort Meade is located near Bear Butte and present-day Sturgis, South Dakota. From the home of the 7th Cavalry to hosting Civilian Conservation Corps camp during the Depression to housing German prisoners of war during World War II, Fort Meade kept the peace on the Northern Great Plains for 66 years. Fort Meade then transitioned into a Veterans Administration hospital and a regional training institute for the South Dakota National Guard.

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Historic US Army Forts  PART II  – !

Click on the link ABOVE for another fine selection of books for your reading pleasure and historical knowledge

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Mueller Pro-Series 8 Blade Vegetable Slicer

Posted on November 11, 2021 by John Michael

MUELLER AUSTRIA

Mueller Austria is an outstanding brand that provides inexpensive kitchen gadgets and home appliances that are all very popular and highly rated by consumers. Mueller products are well-known for their sturdy construction and long-lasting use.

Mueller Pro-Series 8 Blade Vegetable Slicer,

Onion Mincer Chopper, Vegetable Chopper, Cutter, Dicer, Egg Slicer with Container

                                           A MUST HAVE KITCHEN ACCESSORY     

About this item

  • Unmatched Quality – Chop, Dice, Slice or Grate with our newest Multi Chopper and Slicer by Mueller! This functional kitchen gadget will alleviate your prep time to just a couple of minutes. Manufactured with top-notch materials like stainless steel blades and food-grade material, it will without a doubt improve your health.
  • 8 Diverse Blades – Three different sized chopper blades and 5 interchangeable blades for slicing, julienne, grating & shredding offer the functionality of multiple kitchen tools in just one, highly versatile, kitchen gadget. The high-quality stainless-steel blades will create perfectly chopped onions, tomatoes, and peppers for salsa, or shred an entire cabbage for coleslaw in no time.
  • Innovative Design – Free-up countertop space with the Food Container. Use the Food Holder while cutting small vegetables and fruits. This prevents food from slipping while slicing it. It also makes it clean, safe, and easy to work with. No more hassles of washing and wiping. Dismantle it and just put it in the dishwasher. Cleans easily in minutes with the complementary scrubbing fork. Its compact size allows you to store it almost anywhere.
  • Improves Your Health And Saves Time – Busy lifestyles make us fall into the fast-food trap. It can take a lot of time and effort to dice, chop and slice the ingredients of the desired dish. Do not despair. Our multi-functional tool makes this process less time-consuming making it easier to add vegetables to your meals. That being said, you’re less likely to reach for unhealthy options. From now on, enjoy having more time for your family without missing out on any of the important nutrition.
  • Live Customer Care – Talk to us via our toll-free number or live chat, not by email like our competitors. Mueller believes in making life easier, better, and more enjoyable in all that we do. In the unlikely event that you don’t love your Chopper/Slicer, we will give you a replacement or a full refund. Our unparalleled 24/7 live telephone customer support is ready and waiting to assist with anything you need!

 

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Fort Bragg – Throckmorton Library Visit II

Posted on October 23, 2021 by John Michael

Fort Bragg – Throckmorton Library Visit II

Fort Bragg – Throckmorton Library Visit II

Fort Lesley J McNair to Fort Bragg!

It was only a few months ago when John Michael delivered a briefing about Fort Myer – Images of America – Fort Myer.  Based on the outstanding turnout for the first event, he was asked to return for a second time to present about Fort Lesley J. McNair … the third-oldest active US Army post.  Especially of interest was:

  • The Defense of Washington DC
  • The significant contribution during the Civil War
  • The tragic explosion and loss of life when it was known as Washington Arsenal
  • The location where the Lincoln assassination conspirators were
    • incarcerated,
    • tried, and
    • hanged
  • (Mary Surratt was the first female hanged by the Federal government)
  • National Defense University
  • National War College

The Washington Arsenal Explosion:

Civil War Disaster in the Capital 

Paperback

by Brian Bergin (Author), Erin Bergin Voorheis (Editor), Michael R. Ph.D. Fritsch (Afterword), Steve Hammond (Foreword)

ABOUT THE BOOK:

In 1864, residents of Washington, D.C., mourned together at the largest funeral the district had ever seen. In the midst of the Civil War, the poor Irish neighborhood of the Island lost twenty-one mothers, sisters, and daughters. On June 17, dangerous working conditions and a series of unfortunate events led to the deadly explosion of a Federal arsenal at Fort McNair, where the young women made cartridges to assist the war effort. In the wake of the horrific event, a monument was erected at Congressional Cemetery to honor those who were lost. Author Brian Bergin similarly memorializes these women through his book, detailing the poor working conditions, the investigation into the avoidable events leading to the tragedy, and the reaction of a community already battered by the Civil War.

An Identity Crisis or What’s in a Name?

Fort Lesley J McNair over time had seven different names to accommodate the role that the installation played during that time. It wasn’t until 1948 that the current name was agreed upon to honor the commander of ground forces during World War II, LTG Lesley J. McNair.  He established a new doctrine in training soldiers and it was implemented first on the post that currently bears his name.  He met a tragic end to his life when he and others on the ground were subject to bombing by friendly fire in Operation Cobra.

McNair was later posthumously promoted from LTG to GEN.

General Lesley J. McNair:

Unsung Architect of the U. S. Army

(Modern War Studies (Hardcover))

ABOUT THE BOOK:

George C. Marshall once called him “the brains of the army.” And yet General Lesley J. McNair (1883-1944), a man so instrumental to America’s military preparedness and Army modernization, remains little known today, his papers purportedly lost, destroyed by his wife in her grief at his death in Normandy. This book, the product of an abiding interest and painstaking research, restores the general Army Magazine calls one of “Marshall’s forgotten men” to his rightful place in American military history. Because McNair contributed so substantially to America’s war preparedness, this first complete account of his extensive and varied career also leads to a reevaluation of U.S. Army effectiveness during WWII.

Born halfway between the Civil War and the dawn of the twentieth century, Lesley McNair–“Whitey” by his classmates for his blond hair–graduated 11th of 124 in West Point’s class of 1904 and rose slowly through the ranks like all officers in the early twentieth century. He was 31 when World War I erupted, 34 and a junior officer when American troops prepared to join the fight. It was during this time, and in the interwar period that followed the end of World War I, that McNair’s considerable influence on Army doctrine and training, equipment development, unit organization, and combined arms fighting methods developed. By looking at the whole of McNair’s career–not just his service in WWII as chief of staff, General Headquarters, 1940-1942, and then as commander, Army Ground Forces, 1942-1944–Calhoun reassesses the evolution and extent of that influence during the war, as well as McNair’s, and the Army’s, wartime performance. This in-depth study tracks the significantly positive impact of McNair’s efforts in several critical areas: advanced officer education; modernization, military innovation, and technological development; the field-testing of doctrine; streamlining and pooling of assets for necessary efficiency; arduous and realistic combat training; combined arms tactics; and an increasingly mechanized and mobile force.

Because McNair served primarily in staff roles throughout his career and did not command combat formations during WWII, his contribution has never received the attention given to more public–and publicized–military exploits. In its detail and scope, this first full military biography reveals the unique and valuable perspective McNair’s generalship offers for the serious student of military history and leadership.

John Michael Brings Fort Lesley J McNair to Fort Bragg

Fort Bragg – Home to 82d Airborne Division

In its early days, the post began as Camp Bragg on Sept. 4, 1918, as an artillery training center. Home of the AIRBORNE, the 82d Division with its associated battalions are the major residents of Fort Bragg.  The XVIIIth Airborne Corps and Special Forces Command are also garrisoned on the post.

Strike and Hold:

A Memoir of the 82nd Airborne

in World War II 

Hardcover – July 1, 2000

by T Moffatt Burriss

This fast-moving memoir of T. Moffatt Burriss shows his extraordinary role as a platoon leader and company commander with the 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment in Europe and North Africa during World War II. He saw a great deal of combat on Sicily, at Salerno, on Anzio Beach, in Holland during Operation Market Garden, and during the drive into Germany. This book portrays World War II as seen vividly through the eyes of the young American citizen-soldier.

Fort Bragg – Home to US Army Special Forces

Derived from the basis of the Office of Strategic Services (OSS) in World War II,  the Regiment has evolved into the most elite forces in the United States military.  Recognized by a visit in 1961 by President John F Kennedy at McKellar’s Pond behind McKellar’s Lodge on Fort Bragg.  It was the first time that JFK saw them outfitted with their “Green Berets”.  The meeting was a backchannel event arranged by then BG William P. Yarborough and his classmate from West Point,  MG Chester V. Clifton, who was Kennedy’s military aide.

Getting approval for the beret, presidential approval that is, was the visible outcome of the historic event, but the most important was the increased allocation of funds to evolve the Special Forces into what they have become – “the elite force of the military – The Silent Professionals”

The Quiet Professional:

Major Richard J. Meadows

of the U.S. Army Special Forces

(American Warrior Series) Paperback

John Michael Brings Fort Myer to Fort Bragg

by Alan Hoe (Author), Peter J. Schoomaker USA (Ret.) (Foreword)

About the Book:

Major Richard J. “Dick” Meadows is renowned in military circles as a key figure in the development of the U.S. Army Special Operations. A highly decorated war veteran of the engagements in Korea and Vietnam, Meadows was instrumental in the founding of the U.S. Delta Force and hostage rescue force. Although he officially retired in 1977, Meadows could never leave the army behind, and he went undercover in the clandestine operations to free American hostages from Iran in 1980.

The Quiet Professional: Major Richard J. Meadows of the U.S. Army Special Forces is the only biography of this exemplary soldier’s life. Military historian Alan Hoe offers unique insight into Meadows, having served alongside him in 1960. The Quiet Professional is an insider’s account that gives a human face to U.S. military strategy during the cold war. Major Meadows often claimed that he never achieved anything significant; The Quiet Professional proves otherwise, showcasing one of the great military minds of twentieth-century America.

 

OSS

Wild Bill Donovan:

The Spymaster

Who Created the OSS

and Modern American Espionage 

Paperback

John Michael Brings Fort Myer to Fort Bragg

by Douglas Waller (Author)

About the Book:

“Entertaining history…Donovan was a combination of bold innovator and imprudent rule bender, which made him not only a remarkable wartime leader but also an extraordinary figure in American history” (The New York Times Book Review).

He was one of America’s most exciting and secretive generals—the man Franklin Roosevelt made his top spy in World War II. A mythic figure whose legacy is still intensely debated, “Wild Bill” Donovan was director of the Office of Strategic Services (the country’s first national intelligence agency) and the father of today’s CIA. Donovan introduced the nation to the dark arts of covert warfare on a scale it had never seen before. Now, veteran journalist Douglas Waller has mined government and private archives throughout the United States and England, drawn on thousands of pages of recently declassified documents, and interviewed scores of Donovan’s relatives, friends, and associates to produce a riveting biography of one of the most powerful men in modern espionage.

Wild Bill Donovan reads like an action-packed spy thriller, with stories of daring young men and women in the OSS sneaking behind enemy lines for sabotage, breaking into Washington embassies to steal secrets, plotting to topple Adolf Hitler, and suffering brutal torture or death when they were captured by the Gestapo. It is also a tale of political intrigue, of infighting at the highest levels of government, of powerful men pitted against one another.

Separating fact from fiction, Waller investigates the successes and the occasional spectacular failures of Donovan’s intelligence career. It makes for a gripping and revealing portrait of this most controversial spymaster.

BUY THE BOOK

OVER 200 HISTORICAL IMAGES, MAPS & ILLUSTRATIONS

The book, Images of America – Fort Lesley J. McNair contains over two hundred historical photographs, images, and illustrations that chronicle the two hundred plus years of history among the acres of this US Army Post.

The book “Images of America – Fort Lesley J McNair”  is “a walk down memory lane” as one reader called it after he turned the last page.  Go beyond

Images of America – Fort Lesley J. McNairLesley J. McNair augment the website and read more of the history with your own copy – BUY THE BOOK offers the opportunity to get either a personalized & autographed copy from the author or purchase the book from one of the major resellers.

BUY SOME OMAHA STEAKS

YUMMY …  STEAKS!!!

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BUFFALO SOLDIERS IN ALASKA

Posted on October 15, 2021 by John Michael

BUFFALO SOLDIERS IN ALASKA??

When one hears or sees the words “Buffalo Soldiers”  visions of black cavalry soldiers mounted on their horses in pursuit of Indians into the western United States. Those visions are about to be expanded because in reality there were more than cavalry. several infantry regiments were Buffalo Soldiers in the United States Army that most people have forgotten. Again a mostly unknown fact is that Fort Myer welcomed the Buffalo Soldiers twice.   Major General Guy Vernor Henry brought the 9th Cavalry to Fort Myer in 1891.  The 10th Cavalry  Squadron K, Machine Gun Troop was stationed at Fort Myer from 1930 until 1949.

What units were buffalo soldiers in?

The units were identified as the 9th and 10th cavalry and the 38th, 39th, 40th, and 41st infantry regiments. The four infantry regiments were later reorganized to form the 24th and 25th infantry regiments. These fighting men represented the first Black professional soldiers in a peacetime army.

Company L of the 24th Infantry Heads to Dyea, Alaska Territory

In May of 1899, the United States Army sent Buffalo Soldiers, the black soldiers of Company L of the 24th Infantry, to Dyea, Alaska Territory. The Klondike Gold Rush had brought hordes of gold rushers up the Lynn Canal to the tiny ports at Dyea and Skagway. The two lawless boomtowns sprang out of nowhere, and the Army sent troops to bring order.

National Park Service Chronicles

Buffalo soldiers in Alaska
It was the NPS that provides insight into the Alaska occupation which became the Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park.  For the Buffalo Soldiers of the 24t Infantry Regiment, Company L remained on duty for three years.  The fifty men kept the peace while the Gold Rush was ongoing.
Buffalo soldiers in Alaska

SOMEONE SHOULD WRITE A BOOK!

Someone did!

Noted author Brian G. Shellum who wrote the book  —

Black Officer in a Buffalo Soldier Regiment: The Military Career of Charles Young  and several more books, wrote the recently available,  Buffalo Soldiers in Alaska

BUY THE BOOK

‘

Buffalo Soldiers in Alaska:

Company L,

Twenty-Fourth Infantry

Paperback – November 1, 2021

ABOUT THE BOOK:

The town of Skagway was born in 1897 after its population quintupled in under a year due to the Klondike gold rush. Balanced on the edge of anarchy, the U.S. Army stationed Company L, a unit of Buffalo Soldiers, there near the end of the gold rush. Buffalo Soldiers in Alaska tells the story of these African American soldiers who kept the peace during a volatile period in America’s resource-rich North. It is a fascinating tale that features white officers and Black soldiers safeguarding U.S. territory, supporting the civil authorities, protecting Native Americans, fighting natural disasters, and serving proudly in America’s last frontier.

Despite the discipline and contributions of soldiers who served honorably, Skagway exhibited the era’s persistent racism and maintained a clear color line. However, these Black Regulars carried out their complex and sometimes contradictory mission with a combination of professionalism and restraint that earned the grudging respect of the independently-minded citizens of Alaska. The company used the popular sport of baseball to connect with the white citizens of Skagway and in the process gained some measure of acceptance. Though the soldiers left little trace in Skagway, a few remained after their enlistments and achieved success and recognition after settling in other parts of Alaska.

OmahaSteaks.com, Inc.

OMAHA STEAKS

YUMMY …  STEAKS!!!

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THE GREEN BERET DIAMOND ANNIVERSARY

Posted on October 12, 2021 by John Michael

WHAT AN ANNIVERSARY!

It is the sixtieth anniversary of the “official” green beret!  Mind you,  not of the Special Forces, because everyone knows that they began on 19 June 1952.  And the soldiers began wearing the green beret in 1954.  So what we are talking about is that historic meeting between President John F. Kennedy and General William P. Yarborough held some sixty years ago on 12 October 1961 at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. The backchannel meeting was arranged by General Chester V. Clifton, who was Kennedy’s military aide, and General Yarborough (known to many as “General Y”).  The outcome of that historic meeting designated the green beret as the only presidential authorized headgear in the United States military, but more importantly, secured the funding to evolve the Special Forces into the formidable “tip of the spear” that they have become.

President John F. Kennedy meets General William P. Yarborough as General Chester V. Clifton looks on

To Be a U.S. Army Green Beret 

Paperback – July 28, 2005

About the book:

The Green Berets’ motto is “Liberate the Oppressed,” and it takes extremely capable and highly trained individuals to carry out their operations in the world’s most dangerous and unforgiving locales. They operate behind enemy lines, sometimes for months at a time, are trained to work in all climates and cultures, and have a “no surrender” will of spirit if ever taken prisoner. This book provides an insider’s view of what it takes to become a member of the Army’s Special Forces, the elite Green Berets. It describes the skills they learn and equipment and tactics used to engage in unconventional warfare, foreign internal defense, direct action, special reconnaissance, anti-terrorism missions, information operations, and counter-proliferation.

A Statue in Commemoration

Standing in front of the John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Center and School is a statue commissioned by Ross Perot who had a strong appreciation of the Special Forces since a team of retired operators led by retired United States Army Special Forces Colonel Arthur D. “Bull” Simons rescued his employees from Iran in 1979.

“A symbol of excellence, a badge of courage, a mark of distinction in the fight for freedom.” -President Kennedy on the Green Berets, April 11, 1962

 

After an impressive capabilities demonstration by General Yarborough and his “Green Berets,” the Commander in Chief sent a message to the General which read in part:

The challenge of this old but new form of operations is a real one and I know that you and the members of your Command will carry on for us and the free world in a manner which is both worthy and inspiring. I am sure that the Green Beret will be a mark of distinction in the trying times ahead.

Soon after, the president authorized the “Green Beret” as the official headgear for all US Army Special Forces and these Unconventional Warriors were thereafter and ever known as “The Green Berets.”

The president further showed his unfailing support for Special Forces in publishing an official White House Memorandum to the US Army dated April 11, 1962, which stated in part that “The Green Beret is again becoming a symbol of excellence, a badge of courage, a mark of distinction in the fight for freedom.”

A Few Fitting Remembrances

It was 30 September 2005, General Yarborough was honored by those he led over the years with a bust that was unveiled at the Airborne and Special Operations Museum in Fayetteville, North Carolina. The life-sized bronze bust was crafted by sculptor Zenos Frudakis John Michael was one of the only photographers at the event and captured the image on this page.  Later that day he spent a few hours with the General at his home.

It was the second visit to General Yarborough’s home when John Michael spotted a collage hanging on the wall in the general’s office.  A commemoration of the meeting with JFK autographed by the President!  It’s a key artifact in Special Forces history…

Own a Piece of Special Forces History

John Michael got permission to scan the collage which hung for decades out of sight… he has since created a greeting card and a notecard for sale.  Fill in the form below to contact John Michael or more information

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Fort Sumter and Fort Moultrie National Historical Park

Posted on September 27, 2021 by John Michael

Have you been to Fort Sumter and Fort Moultrie National Historical Park?

Defending Charleston Since 1776

Fort Sumter and Fort Moultrie National Historic Park are named after two significant figures of the Revolutionary War from South Carolina. Today marks the anniversary of the death of one of the two, William Moultrie, who died on September 27, 1805, in Charlestown, SC.
In late June 1776, nine British warships attacked the sand and palmetto log fortification that Moultrie’s unit was building on Sullivan’s Island. With a few hundred soldiers and about 30 cannons, Moultrie’s command bravely faced the powerful Royal Navy. The fort’s palmetto log and sand walls absorbed most of the British fire and suffered little damage. After a long day of combat, the British fleet was defeated in a decisive patriot victory. A week later the Declaration of Independence was officially adopted by the Continental Congress.
William Moultrie had a political and military career that lasted for over forty years. He rose to the rank of Major General in the Continental Army and ultimately served two terms as Governor of South Carolina. He achieved wealth through owning a rice plantation and over 200 enslaved people. He is buried on the grounds of Fort Moultrie only a few hundred yards from the site of the battle that made him famous.
William Moultrie's grave
Courtesy of the National Park Service

The Guardian of Charleston Harbor

Fort Moutrie

Fort Moutrie

William Moultrie

 

The “Fighting Gamecock” of the Revolution.

THOMAS SUMTER

THOMAS SUMTER

Lest we not forget about who is honored by Fort Sumter, but nonetheless than Thomas Sumter who began as a soldier in the Virginia colony militia and later a Brigadier General in the South Carolina militia.
Fort Moultrie Sally Port at Fort Sumter and Fort Moultrie National Historical Park

Fort Moultrie Sally Port Suffered Bombardment During the Civil War

 

Sally Port of Fort Moultrie, SC

Current Sally Port of Fort Moultrie, SC

The Big Guns:

Civil War Siege, Seacoast,

and Naval Cannon

Hardcover – January 1, 1997

Post Civil War Armament

The U.S. Army modernized Fort Moultrie in the 1870s with new weapons and deep concrete bunkers. Weapons of this period included 15-inch and 10-inch Rodman guns (380 and 250 mm), which were smoothbores, and 8-inch converted rifles, lined down from 10-inch Rodmans.  An example of a Rodman gun is below:

FORT-MOULTRIE-RODMAN-GUNFORT MOULTRIE RODMAN GUN

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Images of America – Fort Myer is a pictorial chronicle of the first one hundred years of history containing over two hundred photographs, maps, and images.  Beginning in the 1860s and carrying through the 1960s it provides a viewimages of america fort myer of what was over time.

An autographed copy of the book can be purchased at BUY THE BOOK.

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How Biden Broke NATO

Posted on August 21, 2021 by John Michael

Chaotic Afghan withdrawal has shocked and angered U.S. allies.

WSJ Opinion: The Taliban’s Victory After Biden’s Retreat

WSJ Opinion: The Taliban's Victory After Biden's Retreat

WSJ Opinion: The Taliban’s Victory After Biden’s Retreat
As thousands attempt to flee Taliban rule, Joe Biden tries to duck responsibility for his calamitous withdrawal from Afghanistan. Images: AP/Getty Images Composite: Mark Kelly

By

Remember when candidate Joe Biden said America “needs a leader the world respects”? Apparently, President Biden forgot. Of the many consequences of his misbegotten Afghanistan withdrawal, one of the more serious is the way it has damaged America’s relationships with its allies, especially in Europe.

Afghanistan was an operation of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, and America’s NATO allies have invested significant blood and treasure in the conflict. That includes tens of thousands of troops over 20 years, more than 1,100 of whom were killed, and billions of dollars spent on the military operation and reconstruction effort.

This was a fulfillment of their obligations after the Sept. 11 terror attack led to the first invocation of the mutual self-defense clause in NATO’s founding treaty. European allies also have a stake in preventing a nation of nearly 40 million people from collapsing into a failed state that could trigger more mass migration to Europe or become a new breeding ground for terrorism.

Yet everything about Mr. Biden’s Afghan withdrawal has been a slap to those allies. They didn’t want the U.S. to leave, but he did. The botched execution has left them scrambling to airlift out thousands of their citizens and thousands of more Afghan translators and others who assisted each nation’s war effort.

TO READ THE FULL STORY ON THE WALL STREET JOURNAL

Biden

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Images of America – Fort Myer is a pictorial chronicle of the first one hundred years of history containing over two hundred photographs, maps, and images.  Beginning in the 1860s and carrying through the 1960s it provides a viewimages of america fort myer of what was over time.

An autographed copy of the book can be purchased at BUY THE BOOK.

OmahaSteaks.com, Inc.

OMAHA STEAKS

YUMMY …  STEAKS!!!

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Afghanistan: The error of withdrawal

Posted on August 20, 2021 by John Michael

Those who have never fought for the colours they fly should be careful about criticising those who have.

Tom Tugendhat

MP Tom Tugendhat

Like many veterans, this last week has been one that has seen me struggle through anger, grief and rage. The feeling of abandonment, not just of a country but of the sacrifice that my friends made. I’ve been to funerals from Poole to Dunblane; I’ve watched good men go into the earth, taking with them a part of me and a part of us all. And this week has torn open those wounds, left them raw, left us all hurting. I know it’s not just soldiers. I know aid workers and diplomats who feel the same way. I know journalists who’ve been the witnesses to our country in its heroic effort to save people from the most horrific fates.

This isn’t just about us. The mission in Afghanistan wasn’t a British mission, it was a Nato mission. It was a recognition that globalisation has changed us all. The phone calls that I am still receiving, the text messages that I have been answering, putting people in touch with our people in Afghanistan, reminds us that we are connected. Afghanistan is not a faraway country about which we know little. It is part of the main. That connection links us also to our European partners, to our neighbours and our international friends.

And so it is with great sadness that I now criticise one of them. Because I was never prouder than when I was decorated by the 82nd Airborne after the capture of Musa Qala. It was a huge privilege to be recognised by such an extraordinary unit in combat. To see their commander-in-chief call into question the courage of men I fought with — to claim that they ran. It is shameful.

Those who have never fought for the colours they fly should be careful about criticising those who have. Because what we have done, in these last few days, is we’ve demonstrated that it’s not armies that win wars. Armies can get tactical victories and operational victories that can hold a line. They can just about make room for peace, make room for people like us, parliamentarians, to talk, to compromise, to listen. It’s nations that make war. Nations endure. Nations mobilise and muster. Nations determine and have patience.

Here we have demonstrated, sadly, that we, the West — the United Kingdom — do not have patience. Now, this is a harsh lesson for all of us and if we are not careful it could be a very, very difficult lesson for our allies. And it doesn’t need to be. We can set out a vision, a clearly articulated vision, for reinvigorating a European-Nato partnership, to make sure we are not dependent on a single ally, on the decision of a single leader, but that we can work together with Japan and Australia, with France and Germany, with partners large and small, and make sure we hold the line together.

We know that patience wins. We know it because we have achieved it, we know it because we have delivered it. The Cold War was won with patience. Cyprus is at peace with patience. South Korea, with more than ten times the number of troops that America had in Afghanistan, is prosperous through patience.

So let’s stop talking about ‘forever wars’, let’s recognise that forever peace is not bought cheaply — it is hard. It is bought through determination and the will to endure. The tragedy of Afghanistan is that we are swapping that patient achievement for a second fire and a second war.

Now we need to turn our attention to those who are in desperate need, to supporting the UNHCR, the World Food Programme and so many other organisations who can do so much for people in the region. Yes to support refugees, though it’s unnecessary to get into the political auction of numbers. We just need to get people out. So I leave with one image. In the year that I was privileged to be the adviser to the governor of Helmand province, we opened girls’ schools. The joy it gave parents, seeing their little girl going to school, was extraordinary. I didn’t understand it until I took my own daughters to school about a year ago. There was a lot of crying when she first went in, but I got over it.

But there is a second image that I must leave you with and it is a harder one. But I am afraid it is one I think we must all remember. The second image is one that the forever war that has just reignited could lead to. It is the image of a man whose name I will never know carrying a child who had died hours earlier, carrying this child into our base and begging for help. There was nothing we could do. It was over. This is what defeat looks like: when you no longer have a choice of how to help. This doesn’t need to be defeat — but at the moment, it damn well feels like it.

This is an edited transcript of a speech given by Tom Tugendhat to the House of Commons on August 18, 2021.

WRITTEN BY MP Tom Tugendhat

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Product Review: Everlasting Comfort Automatic Hand Soap Dispenser

Posted on July 31, 2021 by John Michael

Tired of the Clutter

And the mess … I decided to explore how  I could neaterize my small kitchen.  The area above the sink was an eyesore and challenging to navigate.  Something had to be done and quick!  It looked like the photo below

Everlasting Comfort Automatic Soap Dispenser

What a Cluttered Mess!!!

I headed to search Amazon for soap dispensers.  And after careful consideration, I focused on Everlasting Comfort’s Automatic Hand Soap Dispenser, 17oz – No Drip Touchless, Adjustable Soap Output.

Everlasting Comfort Automatic Hand Soap Dispenser

The Solution in a Box by Everlasting Comfort – Automatic Hand Soap Dispenser

This is what I bought from Amazon.  No drips, No spills, and completely automatic.

Ease of Setup and Use

The dispenser was neatly packaged in a secure box and was easily set up. (Remember to have four [4] AA-size batteries ready to insert into the bottom of the unit  “before you put the soap into the reservoir”)

Everlasting Comfort Automatic Hand Soap Dispenser

With the Everlasting Comfort Automatic Hand Soap Dispenser in Place – Clutter is GONE!

I love the way it works and the kitchen looks a whole lot better with the brilliant new addition

Get Your Own Automatic Hand Soap Dispenser!

Everlasting Comfort

Automatic Hand Soap Dispenser,

17oz – No Drip Touchless, Adjustable Soap Output

PLEASE NOTE:  I AM AN AMAZON ASSOCIATE AND IF YOU DECIDE TO PURCHASE THIS WONDERFUL SOAP DISPENSER, AMAZON WILL PROVIDE ME A SMALL COMMISSION THAT I WILL PROBABLY USE TO PURCHASE SOAP REFILLS FOR THE DISPENSER.  LET ME THANK YOU IN ADVANCE

BUY THE BOOK

Images of America – Fort Myer is a pictorial chronicle of the first one hundred years of history containing over two hundred photographs, maps, and images.  Beginning in the 1860s and carrying through the 1960s it provides a viewimages of america fort myer of what was over time.

An autographed copy of the book can be purchased at BUY THE BOOK.

OmahaSteaks.com, Inc.

OMAHA STEAKS

YUMMY …  STEAKS!!!

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Throwback Thursday – 06 MAY 2021

Posted on May 6, 2021 by John Michael

 

Remembering a Mentor, Friend, and a Defender of Freedom

When I began my militarization,  I was blessed to meet and begin a mentoring and friendship that lasted nearly fourteen years.  The connection began when I was called upon to photograph the final honors at Arlington National Cemetery – primarily of fallen Special Forces veterans.  Colonel Norton, known to most as “Charlie” (there’s only one person who I know of who refers to him as “Charles” !), orchestrated an ongoing protocol of Chapter XI of the Special Forces Association.  Each fallen Special Forces veteran, who is interred in Arlington National Cemetery, has a cadre of Special Forces veterans attending and supporting the final honors ceremony.

Initially, my time spent with the colonel was to select photos to be included in the Special Forces Association’s publication called “The Drop”.  It was definitely “quality time” learning about the US Army and insights into his service to the United States over the three-plus decades of his life.  During this time I was awarded honorary membership to Chapter XI by then chapter president LTC Wallace “Wally” Johnson.  I don’t know if Colonel Norton had anything to do with it, but I surmise he did.

As the years passed and my involvement with the US Army expanded to include the 3d Infantry Regiment – “The Old Guard”,  US Army Band – “Pershing’s Own”, The Golden Knights, and more,  the colonel was a resource who was extremely valuable especially when it came to designing a notecard for the 14th Infantry regiment, and even when it came to writing my first book, “Images of America – Fort Myer“.

DISTINGUISHED MEMBER OF THE SPECIAL FORCES REGIMENT

COLONEL CHARLES W. NORTON, JR.

COLONEL CHARLES W. NORTON, JR.

Inducted April 2011

DE OPPRESSO LIBER


HIGHLIGHTS OF COLONEL NORTON’S SERVICE

COL Charles  W. Norton, Jr. enlisted in the Army in 1944 and was assigned to the Persian Gulf Command (Iran) where he earned his commission. After the war, he returned to Maine, working with the National Guard, before volunteering for airborne and then a newly created organization Special Forces. 

He completed training as the honor graduate in the second class and was part of the nucleus of 10th Special Forces Group (Airborne) (10th SFG(A)) which moved to Bad Toelz, Germany Volunteering for service in Korea, he was one of approximately 50 SF personnel deployed to the 8240th Army Unit, the only unit active in unconventional warfare operations at the time. Norton was assigned to the UN Partisan Infantry Forces – Korea (UNPIFK), a guerilla force, consisting displaced of North Koreans responsible for conducting coastal raiding and intelligence-gathering operations; sabotage of enemy lines of communication; recovering UN personnel; and hit-and-run missions.

Norton’s post-Korea assignments included service with the 77th SFG(A); as a detachment commander in the 10th SFG(A) under Colonel Aaron Bank; and as an instructor on intelligence gathering techniques at the UW Department, U.S. Army Special Warfare School. In 1962-63, CPT Norton, assigned to 1st SFG(A), was made the first full-tour commander of the resident Detachment SF in Korea. He was instrumental in assisting the TON Korean Army in developing its burgeoning special operations capabilities and standing up a Special Forces type unit.

In 1965, following a tour with 1st Armored Division, Norton returned to Special Forces, deployed to the Republic of Vietnam, and was assigned to the Studies and Observation Group commander (SOG) as of Forward Operating Base (FOB) 2, replacing MAJ Larry Thorne who had been lost as part of a reconnaissance team (RT). Norton expanded the program, establishing two FOBs at Khe Sanh and Dak To and further strengthening the structure and support mechanisms required for successful cross-border reconnaissance programs. Often serving as both operations and launch officer as well as the on-scene commander for most insertions and recoveries, he directed the equipping, training, briefing, deployment, and recovery of multiple RTs, flying daily with one or more Forward Air Controller (FAC) reconnaissance flights, maintaining radio contact with deployed RTs. He, upon seeing enemy activity unseen by RTs on the ground, frequently found himself directing RTs to exfiltration sites simultaneous to coordinating complex fire missions by RVNAF, US Army, and USAF aircraft in order to cover the extractions. During his last months as FOB commander, before assuming duties as XO for Command Control Central (CCC), he built up Kontom’s support facilities, including barracks, mess hall, and dispensary.

Norton returned stateside, attending the U.S. Army Command and General Staff School, with a follow-on assignment as the sole instructor in UW and airborne operations at the Armed  Forces Staff College. During this time, he also attended Park College, graduating Magna cum  laude. In 1969, returning to Vietnam, he served first as the executive officer of the 5th SFG(A), and later as an infantry battalion commander to the 14th Infantry, 24th Infantry Division.

After his tour in Vietnam, Norton was made the UW Branch Chief, and, later the Special Operations Division chief to the Army’s Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations, representing the Army staff on significant joint actions pertaining to special operations. After a course in the Finnish language, he was assigned as the Army attaché in Finland before returning to Fort Bragg as commander of the 7th SFG(A). He then assumed the position of deputy commander of the U.S. Army JFK Center for Military Assistance (now the U.S. Army Special Operations Command). In that position, he ensured the maintenance of the 7th SFG(A) as an active group. He also actively revived the historical connection with the First Special Service Force (FSSF), a joint U.S.Canadian commando World War II unit that provides SF its lineage as well as its regimental insignia. FTX Maple Leaf, done in concert with the Canadian Army in 1979, evolved into Menton Day, an annual celebration held alternately each December in the United States and Petawawa, Canada.

Retiring in 1981, Norton, in his short speech said, “Thirty-five years … Was it worth it?.. Hell, yes!” He continued his association with Special Forces as a member, later president, and now as president emeritus of the Special Forces Association Chapter XI, in Washington, DC. He established procedures ensuring all interments of Special Forces (active-duty, retired, officer, or enlisted) at Arlington National Cemetery are attended by chapter members. Additionally, he serves as liaison with the First Special Service Force Association, attending their annual reunions. During the late 80s and 90s, Norton assisted the Finnish government and the Joint Recovery Task Force to find MAJ Larry Thorne’s remains. Successful, the task force found bone fragments from the crash site in 1999 which analysis would prove to belong to Thorne. MAJ Larry Thorne’s remains were interred in Arlington National Cemetery in 2003.

Norton’s awards and decorations include the Combat Infantryman’s Badge, three Legions of Merit, two Bronze Star Medals, one Bronze Star Medal with valor device, the Joint Service Commendation Medal, seven Air Medals, the Vietnamese Cross of Gallantry with gold and silver stars, the Army General Staff Identification Badge, the Excellence in Competition Badge (rifle), the Good Conduct Medal (three awards), the Order of the Knights of the Finnish White, the U.S. Army Parachutist Badge and 11 service medals.

Chosen Soldier: The Making of a Special Forces Warrior

BUY THE BOOK

Images of America – Fort Myer is a pictorial chronicle of the first one hundred years of history containing over two hundred photographs, maps, and images.  Beginning in the 1860s and carrying through the 1960s it provides a viewimages of america fort myer of what was over time. An autographed copy of the book can be purchased at BUY THE BOOK. OmahaSteaks.com, Inc.

OMAHA STEAKS

YUMMY …  STEAKS!!!

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