War stories...

[Wannabe]

Wow! I am truly impressed. That is the kind of people that made America Great.
Bob

[Polly Goodnight]

I know much too little about the First World War. [/url]

A few days ago, the centennial of the battle of the Somme was observed. Hideous battle, within the first hour 20 000 British troops laid dead.... http://www.history.com/topics/world-...e-of-the-somme

Of interest of how this affected the psychic of the Brits, on the eve of the D Day landing, Churchill comments to his wife that by time she awakes in the morning, 20 000 men may have been killed....obvious he was fearful of another repeat of the Somme...

[Mike]

Another MOH winner, this time in Afghanistan.

Again, be sure to watch the video as well as read the text.

Clint Romesha became a legend in 2009 after he led the charge against a monstrous Taliban attack in Afghanistan, rallying his fellow soldiers to regain control of their camp after it had been overrun by more than 300 insurgents. In 2013, President Obama presented him with the Medal of Honor for his actions in that battle.

In an interview with Fox News, the 34-year-old veteran vividly recalled his comrades’ battle cry: "We're going to take this bitch back!"

SOURCE

[Truckman]

I've had some good book recommendations lately...Independent Voter suggested "Bury Us Upside Down," which I reviewed earlier...Phillbo said "Into the Mouth of the Cat" would be a good read, which was a gross understatement...My review of it is here...Keep the suggestions coming, people......Ben

[Truckman]

More on Capt. Sijan's ordeal below...What isn't shown in the video, but is covered extensively in the book, is the methods he used to survive, then successfully evade capture in the jungle...How his story was eventually pieced together, independently confirmed, documented and preserved for telling is also covered in the book......Ben

[wacojoe]

The saga of the USS Indianapolis —

http://edition.cnn.com/2016/07/29/us...g-anniversary/

[Truckman]

The saga of the USS Indianapolis —

I didn't know of the upcoming movie, Joe, I'll keep an eye out for it...Several years ago (and I can't remember where) I saw a man in a crowd wearing a jacket and a cap embroidered with "USS Indianapolis"...He was with two younger guys I took to be grandsons, and looked really feeble...I asked if he was one of the survivors, and he nodded...He clearly wasn't up to talking, but he did return my salute...

Captain McVay got a raw deal IMO...I just hope the knowledge that he helped bring the war to an early close brought him some solace......Ben

[wacojoe]

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/arti...ift-Paras.html

[Truckman]

Helluva story, Joe...I found this follow-up story in Wikipedia......Ben

[wacojoe]

Helluva story, Joe...I found this follow-up story in Wikipedia......Ben

I think the only part of the Wiki entry concerned with the article I posted was this —

"...ISAF forces had previously occupied the town, until a controversial withdrawal in late 2006..."

[Truckman]

I think the only part of the Wiki entry concerned with the article I posted was this —

"...ISAF forces had previously occupied the town, until a controversial withdrawal in late 2006..."

Exactly...I'd like to know why the coverup for ten years, since the soldiers involved were told to shut up...

Serving soldiers have been banned from participating and the Government has refused access to factual information.

But it looks like the ones who left the military are talking to the documentary producer...This is worth following......Ben

[wacojoe]

Where was the air cover? A gunship or warthog would have had a field day.

[Truckman]

Where was the air cover? A gunship would have had a field day.

That seems to be one of the burning questions begging for an answer...The British government is apparently doing their best to keep a lid on the story, even knowing they can't do it forever...Are they waiting for someone important enough with provable culpability to die, so they can pin it on the dead guy?...

If the Brits take ultimate blame for the fiasco, where was NATO?...They were at the helm of the ISAF at that time, did a rogue commander order them in, then abandon them?...Or was somebody up the food chain so incompetent to think that a few dozen men can easily defeat a force of hundreds without adequate support?...

To paraphrase Adm. Chester Nimitz, "Where was, repeat, where was NATO support, the world wonders?"...And those who know were ordered to silence......Ben

[wacojoe]

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-18183099

A new movie is being filmed now based on this WWII episode when Czech nationalists assassinated a particularly heinous Nazi fiend enraging Hitler.

[Truckman]

A new movie is being filmed now based on this WWII episode when Czech nationalists assassinated a particularly heinous Nazi fiend enraging Hitler.

Joe, I've read quite a bit of that incident, most of it gruesome...

The Czech villages of Lidice and Lezaky - based on flawed intelligence reports linking them to the parachutists - were razed and their inhabitants shot or sent to the camps. Another 15,000 people met the same fate.

After the inhabitants were murdered, Hitler ordered every structure to be dynamited and bulldozed, not leaving a stick standing...Curiously, some of the children were spared and sent to live with the families of Nazi fanatics where they were to be raised to be good little Bundists ready to lay down their lives for their Fuhrer...

I'll look forward to the movie......Ben