Category: Military

Millions of Americans are preparing to celebrate Veteran’s Day on the 11th of November.  On the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month in 1918, an armistice was declared, effectively ending “The Great War” – World War I.This day has been marked ever since, with parades and special ceremonies all across America.

In November 1919, President Wilson proclaimed November 11 as the first commemoration of Armistice Day with the following words:

“To us in America, the reflections of Armistice Day will be filled with solemn pride in the heroism of those who died in the country’s service and with gratitude for the victory, both because of the thing from which it has freed us and because of the opportunity it has given America to show her sympathy with peace and justice in the councils of the nations…”

On November 11, 1921, an unidentified American soldier killed in World War I was buried at Arlington National Cemetery. We call his resting place  the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. Every year the President of the United States places a wreath of flowers at the site.

The United States Congress passed a  resolution on June 4, 1926, with these words:

Whereas it is fitting that the recurring anniversary of this date should be commemorated with thanksgiving and prayer and exercises designed to perpetuate peace through good will and mutual understanding between nations; and

Whereas the legislatures of twenty-seven of our States have already declared November 11 to be a legal holiday: Therefore be it Resolved by the Senate (the House of Representatives concurring), that the President of the United States is requested to issue a proclamation calling upon the officials to display the flag of the United States on all Government buildings on November 11 and inviting the people of the United States to observe the day in schools and churches, or other suitable places, with appropriate ceremonies of friendly relations with all other peoples.

Everyday Americans turn out for local parades, thank the military veterans they know who served in the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, and Coast Guard, fly the Stars and Stripes, and stand proud with hands over hearts when the American anthem, the Star Spangled Banner, plays.

It’s reported that President George Washington once said:

“The willingness with which our young people are likely to serve in any war, no matter how justified, shall be directly proportional to how they perceive the Veterans of earlier wars were treated and appreciated by their nation.”With millions showing disrespect for our flag and to those who bravely fought and gave the ultimate sacrifice, their lives, to protect the citizens of the United States and  freedoms, it is now more important than ever that we celebrate our veterans and we fly our flags proudly.

 

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The United States Highest award for “conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty” is the Congressional Medal of Honor. In over 150 years only 19 men have won it twice.

One of the most legendary two time recipients is Marine Corps Sergeant Major Dan Daly. Here is the remarkable story of how he earned his Medals of Honor.It was in China, 1900. Daly was part of the U.S. Embassy Guard in Peking when the Boxer Rebellion broke out. American diplomatic buildings were about to come under siege. Marine Private Dan Daly volunteered to man a barricade about 100 yards forward of the main line of Marines, a position known as the Tartar Wall. If the Chinese rebels thought one man would be a pushover, they were soon to learn better.Armed with a bolt-action rifle and bayonet, Daly spent the night beating back the attackers.  When more Marines arrived the next morning, they found Daly puffing on a cigarette, surrounded by bodies of the enemy. Marine Corps legend puts the number at around 200.  

Daly’s Medal of Honor citation simply states,

“Daly distinguished himself by meritorious conduct.”

Fourteen years later Gunnery Sergeant Daly would earn his second Medal of Honor serving in Haiti fighting against the Cacos.

While attempting to ford a river at night, his 38-man Marine unit was ambushed from three directions by hundreds of insurgents.  The Marines fought their way across the river, but lost their heavy machine gun in the river. Given the odds, that machine gun meant the difference between life and death. Daly went back into the river, searching for the gun while the enemy surrounded their position.  He returned with gun and ammunition strapped to his back. The Marines split into three teams and attacked.  As one man noted afterward,

“Had one squad failed, not one man of the party would have lived to tell the tale.” A later report stated that Daly “was the most conspicuous figure.” He was awarded his second Medal of Honor. But Daly was not finished being a hero yet. He is probably best remembered within the Marine Corps for bravery in World War I.  In June 1918 at the battle of Belleau Wood, the Marines were pinned down under heavy artillery barrage. The 44 year old Daly, led a counter-attack with a battle cry that has become Marines lore,

“Come on, you sons of Bitches, do you want to live forever?!”

Later in the battle, Daly single-handedly eliminated a machine gun nest armed with his 45 pistol and grenades. In the course of the battle he was wounded three times.

Daly was recommended for a third Medal of Honor, and was ultimately awarded the Distinguished Service Cross, the Navy Cross and France’s Médaille Militaire.

Major General Lejeune, Commandant of the Marine Corps, called him “the outstanding Marine of all time.”

Major General Butler the only other Marine to have earned two Medals of Honor,  called him “The fightinest Marine I ever knew,” and wrote that “it was an object lesson to have served with him.”

Offered promotion several times, Daly once remarked, “I would rather be an outstanding sergeant than just another officer”

U. S.  Marine Sergeant Major Dan Daly stands tall in the history of America.

 

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North Korean troops crossed the 38th Parallel in June 1950. President Harry S Truman ordered the 24th Infantry Division to head to Korea. Among the soldiers of the 24th was Mitchell Red Cloud, a Native American Ho-Chunk (Winnebago Tribe). A Marine veteran of WW II, he was one of Carlson’s Raiders at Guadalcanal, and took a bullet on Okinawa. Discharged after the war, he was back in uniform two years later to serve his country. His actions in Korea would earn him the Medal of Honor.One night Mitchell was at a forward observation post when he spotted the enemy charging from a brush-covered area, less than 100 feet away.  He opened fire with his Browning Automatic Rifle (BAR), and emptied magazine after magazine at point-blank range.

His citation read,

“His accurate and intense fire checked this assault and gained time for the company to consolidate its defense,”.Mitchell was hit twice. A medic applied dressings, and Mitchell resumed firing. He was hit again, but refused aid.“Corporal Red Cloud pulled himself to his feet, and wrapping his arm around a tree, continued his deadly fire again, until he was fatally wounded.”Because of Mitchell’s cover fire, the rest of his Company were able to withdraw to fortified positions. He gave his own life to save many.

And that is the definition of hero.

 

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The man on the 1945 magazine cover above is Fred “Buck” Dungan.  In June of 1944 “Buck” Dungan and his wingman “Scoop” came out of the clouds over Guam, the only American aircraft on the scene. He saw 40 enemy aircraft,  20 bombers and 20 torpedo planes – preparing to land at Japanese-held Orote Field.  More enemy fighters swarmed above them, protecting the aircraft below. With a split-second decision, Buck radioed for the rest of his squadron to return, but then dove his Navy Hellcat in for an attack.   Buck shot down one plane, disabled another comin straight at him. More Hellcats arrived, but Dungan was in a wild fight for his life.  He shot down another adversary, who he says saluted him before going down.One of the enemy pilots later said that the American that dove down on them was “either the most stupid pilot in the world or the bravest.”  

Most bet it was pure bravery. Buck earned the Distinguished Flying Cross that day. Only two weeks later, on July 4th, Buck was deep in it again over another island. There he shot down four enemy aircraft and assisted in sinking a destroyer. During the battle, he took a bad bullet wound but made it back to his carrier. For his actions, he was awarded the Navy Cross and Purple Heart. You can see his Navy Cross, Air Medal, Purple Heart and Distinguished Flying Cross below. And yes, in the middle, that’s the bullet he took in that last wild dogfight of his life. Pictured Right, Buck in later years.

 

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When the chips are down, a man will fight with whatever he has to hand. More than once, what he had was a potato.

Everyone knows about the surprise attack on Pearl Harbor. Not every ship was armed, and not every man on an armed ship had weapon ready.

Hansen was an engineer on the transport ship USS Argonne. He was sleeping on deck next to a store of potatoes, when the attack came,. Not to be left out of the fight, he started throwing potatoes at the Japanese planes as they swooped in low.

“I was trying to whack somebody,” he said.

Jim Underwood was on the hospital ship USS Solace, moored near the battleship USS Arizona, a prime target. Jim was drinking a cup of coffee: “We could see the Japanese planes all the time. One of the battleships fired its 16-inch rifle at a plane. It was a little ridiculous, and didn’t come within a mile of it. We also had one guy who was supposed to be in the brig, but they had him up on deck peeling potatoes, and he was throwing potatoes at the planes – they were that close.” It wasn’t just the sailors throwing potatoes that day. Marine Pfc. James Evans was in his barracks waiting for transport to his guard post. Then he heard a “thump, thump, thump,” and the sergeant yelled, “Get your rifles! We’re being attacked!”  

Several dozen rifles were suddenly firing out the windows, but not everyone had a gun, and those who didn’t were throwing potatoes at the planes. “We were fighting back with everything we had,” Evans said. The potatoes at Pearl Harbor didn’t shoot down any planes or save any ships, but it sure made some feel better. However, Pearl Harbor was not the last time that the Japanese faced the fury of an American flying potato. The Navy destroyer USS O’Bannon was cruising one night in 1943, when it spotted a submarine. The Captain gave the order to ram the sub, but as they drew near,  one of the officers suggested that it might be a mine-laying sub. If it was, the explosion could sink the O’Bannon.

The destroyer swiftly avoided a collision, but the maneuver left the two vessels next to each other. The Japanese sailors reacted by swinging their cannon to attack, but the destroyer was too close to lower its own guns.

American sailors on deck promptly started throwing potatoes from nearby crates, surprising the Japanese. In the dark the submarine sailors thought the potatoes were grenades, and ran to pick them up, tossing them back at the destroyer. This left the sub’s cannon unmanned, and gave the O’Bannon time to maneuver and aim its own cannons to blast the sub’s conning tower.

Those spuds had saved a ship.

 

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President Theodore Roosevelt called Sergeant Henry Johnson one of the “five bravest Americans” of World War I.Johnson and his buddy Needham Roberts were on sentry duty. Their regiment had been assigned to help reinforce the 4th French Army. It was 2 AM in their trench in the Argonne Forrest, when the two men suddenly came under fire from enemy snipers. Then they heard the sound of barbed wire being cut. Grenades were lobbed in both directions, and Roberts was severely wounded by an explosion. Out of grenades, Johnson fired his rifle, but took hits in his hands and face.  Enemy soldiers were now in the trench, at least a dozen.Then his rifle jammed, so Johnson used it as a club, hitting enemy troops until his stock shattered.  He was suddenly hit in the head, and collapsed. Shot multiple times and battered to the ground, Johnson could have quit fighting, but he saw the enemy trying to drag Roberts away as a prisoner.Leaping up, Johnson pulled his knife and charged back into the fray. This was no ordinary knife, but a bolo: thirty inches of sharp, curved blade. The American took down two more of the enemy before he was again shot in the arm.Johnson didn’t falter. Instead, he took out another enemy soldier.  That was enough for the infiltrators, and the ones still moving fled back to their own lines.Johnson had been shot, beaten, stabbed and taken shrapnel from grenades, receiving nearly two dozen serious wounds. For his bravery, he was awarded the highest French Military honor, the Croix Du Guerre. He also earned the nickname, “Black Death.” Johnson was a member of the Harlem Hellfighters, an African American unit from New York. And as it is with so many American soldiers, his son followed him a generation later into World War II, as a member of the Tuskegee Airmen.

 

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Master Sergeant Roy Benavidez was born in Cuero, Texas. He grew up and joined the National Guard, then the US Army. And earned the Medal of Honor by doing the impossible, as you will see. After assignment to 82nd Airborne, Benavidez qualified for Special Forces, also known as Green Berets. He went to Vietnam in 1965, stepped on a mine, and woke up in a hospital, paralyzed from the waist down. He was to be discharged, but on his own he worked himself back to standing and walking, and nine months later was sent back to the States for full recovery and qualifications. In 1968, he returned to Vietnam, and again did the impossible, which earned him the Medal of Honor. Waiting for an assignment, he heard a voice over an operations radio, “Get us out of here!  Get us out of here!”  Benavidez ran to a chopper that was coming in.  When it landed, he unstrapped the door gunner who was slumped over his weapon, and replaced him. It was one of three helicopters that had already tried and failed to extract the team that was under fire. When Benavidez arrived, he realized all the team members were either wounded or dead. He jumped out and ran to the team’s position, getting wounded in his leg, face and head. Still, he took charge of the situation, repositioning the wounded men, directing fire, and helping to load the dead and wounded. Once all the men were loaded, he ran back to recover classified documents. He was then severely wounded in the abdomen and got grenade fragments in his back. At the same time, the helicopter pilot was killed and the chopper crashed. Somehow Benavidez got to the wreckage, helped the wounded out and gathered them into a defensive perimeter. He called in airstrikes and directed fire from helicopter gunships. Trained also as a medic, he administered first aid to the men, and was wounded again doing so. Finally, another chopper landed. Benavidez helped load the wounded, getting clubbed in the jaw by enemy who had come up on him. Fighting his way through, he managed to make a final trip to gather up all classified material, and help the remaining dead and wounded on board. Only then did he board. Later pulled off the helicopter, he was put aside as dead, and was being inserted into a body bag. Blood had dried his eyes shut, and his jaw was injured so he could not speak. One of his buddies made a doctor listen for a heartbeat. Benavidez said, “When I felt that hand on my chest, I made the luckiest shot I ever made in my life.  I spit in the doctor’s face. So the doctor said, ‘I think he’ll make it.’” In the words of Benavidez, “For those who have fought for it, life has a special flavor the protected will never know.”  He went on to say, “I’m proud to be an American; and even prouder that I’ve earned the privilege to wear the Green Beret.  I live by the motto of ‘Duty, Honor, Country.’”

We are so proud of our true American heroes from Texas.

 

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Staff Sergeant Jimmie Howard knew the fight was coming. His 18-man Marine reconnaissance unit was on top of Hill 488 in Vietnam as over 200 enemy soldiers began probing their position.

Howard had enlisted in 1950, had a Silver Star and two Purple Hearts for his actions in the Korean War, so he knew what to do when an enemy attacked. It was 10 o’clock that night when the enemy struck. The Marines pulled back to a 20-yard circle, and began fighting. In the dark, grenades and mortar shells exploded, and tracer rounds filled the air.

The enemy taunted them with, “Marines, you die in an hour.”  Howard’s men just yelled back. The Marines found this funny and began laughing. Howard described it:

“They were shooting at us and when we started laughing… they stopped.  There was complete silence.  I think it had a chilling effect on them.  They must have known we were terribly outnumbered, but here we were laughing at them.”

But soon the fight continued. The Marines were low on ammo, so Howard directed his men to, “Throw rocks.” As his men threw the rocks into the brush and grass, the enemy mistook them for grenades and moved into the open. That way the Marines could make every round count.

It was not until noon the next day that a Marine company closed on the hill.  By the time Staff Sergeant Howard and his men were relieved, they had just eight rounds of ammunition left.

Howard’s men were awarded four Navy Crosses and 13 Silver Stars. Every man earned a Purple Heart. Howard had been shot in the back, could not move his legs, but had continued to fight. He was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor.

If that’s not courageous and heroic, then what is?

 

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Sergeant Alvin York is one of America’s most famous soldiers.  Son of a blacksmith, York was raised on a small farm in Tennessee.  In his own words:

“I used to drink a lot of moonshine. I used to gamble my wages away week after week. I used to stay out late at night. I had a powerful lot of fist fights….”  

But one day,

“I promised my mother that night I would never drink again; I would never smoke or chew again; I would never gamble again; I would never cuss or fight again. And I have never drunk any whiskey, I have never touched cards, I have never smoked or chewed, and I have never fought or rough-housed since that night.”

Then came World War I.  York went to France, landing with the U.S. Army 82nd Division in May 1918.  

Five months later he and 17 other men had just captured some enemy soldiers when they came under heavy fire.

According to York,

“There were about 30 of them. They were commanding us from a hillside less than 30 yards away. They couldn’t miss. And they didn’t!”  

Nine Americans went down:

He continued:

“Those machine guns were spitting fire and cutting down the undergrowth all around me something awful…. I didn’t have time to dodge behind a tree or dive into the brush…. As soon as the machine guns opened fire on me, I began to exchange shots with them…”

“All the time I kept yelling at them to come down. I didn’t want to kill any more than I had to. But it was they or I. And I was giving them the best I had.”

Suddenly six of the enemy jumped out of their trench and charged York.  He pulled out an old automatic pistol and started firing:

“I touched off the sixth man first, then the fifth, then the fourth, then the third, and so on. I wanted them to keep coming. I didn’t want the rear ones to see me touching off the front ones. I was afraid they would drop down and pump a volley into me.”

No western movie has better displayed “cool under fire.”  One of the captured soldiers, a major, had seen enough.  He spoke English, telling York, “If you don’t shoot any more I’ll make them surrender.”  And he did.

That was how eight Americans found themselves with 80 prisoners. They started making their way back through enemy lines, encountering more enemy soldiers on the way.  York had the major order them to surrender, and all but one did:

“I made the major order him to surrender twice. But he wouldn’t. And I had to touch him off. I hated to do it. But I couldn’t afford to take any chances and so I had to let him have it.”

By the time York and his seven men reached American lines they had 132 prisoners. The Army inspected the battlefield later, and the official report said York’s account was accurate, but also said,

“York’s statement tends to underestimate the desperate odds which he overcame.”

York was promoted to sergeant and awarded the Medal of Honor. The government made a lot of fuss about it, but York wrote in his diary that he

“…wanted to get back to my people where I belonged, and the little old mother and the little mountain girl who were waiting.”  And so he did.

Thank you for your service Sergeant.  May we all be as brave and courageous as you and your men when the time comes.

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