Sunday - May 29, 2005
So That Others Might Be Free, Part III



Posted by Ronald Reagan's Ghost

Filed Under: • Military •
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So That Others Might Be Free, Part II
Comprising two related actions, firstly at Chateau-Thierry from 3-4 June and then at Belleau Wood itself from 6-26 June, the Battle of Belleau Wood saw the re-capture by U.S. forces of the wood on the Metz-Paris road taken at the end of May by German Seventh Army forces arriving at the Marne River around Chateau-Thierry and held by four divisions as part of the German Aisne offensive.
Chateau-Thierry formed the tip of the German advance towards Paris, some 50 miles south-west. Defended by U.S. Second and Third Divisions dispatched at the behest of the French by AEF Commander-in-Chief Jack Pershing, the Americans launched a counter-attack on 3-4 June with the assistance of the French Tenth Colonial Division; in a spirited action together they succeeded in pushing the Germans back across the Marne to Jaulgonne.
Rejuvenated by success first at Cantigny (at the end of May) and now at Chateau-Thierry, General Bundy’s Second Division forces followed up Chateau-Thierry two days later with the difficult exercise of capturing Belleau Wood.
Second Division’s Marine Corps, under James Harbord, were tasked with the taking of the wood. This perilous venture involved a murderous trek across an open wheat field, swept from end to end by German machine gun fire, a fact that continues to generate controversy today among some historians.
As a consequence of the open nature of the advance on the wood, casualties on the first day, 6 June, were the highest in Marine Corps history (a dubious record which remained until the capture of Japanese-held Tarawa in November 1943).
Fiercely defended by the Germans, the wood was first taken by the Marines (and Third Infantry Brigade), then ceded back to the Germans - and again taken by the U.S. forces a total of six times before the Germans were finally expelled. Also captured were the nearby villages of Vaux and Bouresche.
The battle ran from 6-26 June and by its end saw U.S. forces suffer 9,777 casualties, of which 1,811 were fatal. The number of German casualties is not known, although some 1,600 troops were taken prisoner. More critically, the combined Chateau-Thierry/Belleau Wood action brought to an end the last major German offensive of the war.
The French name for the wood, Bois Belleau, was subsequently officially renamed Bois de la Brigade de Marine, in honour of the Marine Corps’s tenacity in its re-taking.

Text Courtesy Of: FirstWorldWar.com

Posted by Ronald Reagan's Ghost

Filed Under: • Military •
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So That Others Might Be Free, Part I
Sometimes helping others be free has a very high cost. America’s military heros have always been willing to pay that price. Liberty and freedom never come cheap, no more so today than the cost borne by this nation over a hundred forty years ago on a battlefield in Pensylvania .... not far from where another group of heros, ordinary citizens, gave their lives on September 11, 2001. Remember.
Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent, a new nation, conceived in Liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal.
Now we are engaged in a great civil war, testing whether that nation, or any nation so conceived and so dedicated, can long endure. We are met on a great battle-field of that war. We have come to dedicate a portion of that field, as a final resting place for those who here gave their lives that that nation might live. It is altogether fitting and proper that we should do this.
But, in a larger sense, we can not dedicate—we can not consecrate—we can not hallow—this ground. The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here, have consecrated it, far above our poor power to add or detract. The world will little note, nor long remember what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here. It is for us the living, rather, to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced. It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us—that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion—that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain—that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom—and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.


Posted by Ronald Reagan's Ghost

Filed Under: • Military •
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Just a Short Note.
I’ve been in the wilds of Davenport Iowa this weekend-I’m on a computer at a Hampton Inn-trying to bury the hatchet with my 90 year old grandmother.
It’s been an interesting but not wholly satisfactory experience.
At any rate I’ll be back at “twerp HQ” later today and after checking out what’s new, what’s exciting, and what’s outrageous I’ll have SOMETHING up on my blog later this evening.
That is all.
Posted by Annoying Little Twerp

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Saturday - May 28, 2005
I am a little bit homesick
Well here I am, manning the weekend graveyard shift at BMEWS. The readership for blogs really drops off on the weekends. See the graph below.
My golf game got rained out today, so I spent the afternoon moving my mother’s old clothes out of her closet and into the local Salvation Army store. That was very strange, but I have a place to hang my hat now. What else can one ask for, except a place to hang your hat?
I remembered a lot of the outfits and the occasions associated with them. I should probably go out tonight, just to get myself out of this blue funk I am in, but I am too exhausted. I don’t really know where to go anyway.
It is really strange living in this house. There are so many pictures of me on the wall. I will change my avatar for awhile. I was 14 when this portrait was done.
Update: Well I was feeling a bit morose. I went to “Popeyes” to get supper. I got back to the house, and there were two teenagers sliding down the wet grass on the hill on the opposite side of the street. I yelled out, “What the hell are y’all doing?” The young lady replied, “Nature’s own slip and slide. Would you like to join us?” I thought about it for about a nanosecond and yelled back, “Well why the hell not?”
A tackle on the MacArthur football team.
His girlfriend.
Me! Look at those “man tits”, how disgusting.

Posted by Yellow Dog

Filed Under: • Personal •
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Damned Lawyers
Thanks to Robert…
The United Way realized that it had never received a donation from the city’s most successful lawyer.
So a United Way volunteer paid the lawyer a visit in his lavish office.
The volunteer opened the meeting by saying, “Our research shows that even though your annual income is over a two million dollars, you don’t give a penny to charity. Wouldn’t you like to give something back to your community through the United Way?”
The lawyer thinks for a minute and says, “First, did your research also show you that my mother is dying after a long, painful illness and she has huge medical bills that are far beyond her ability to pay?”
Embarrassed, the United Way rep mumbles, “Uh… no, I didn’t know that.”
“Secondly,” says the lawyer, “my brother, a disabled veteran, is blind and confined to a wheelchair and is unable to support his wife and six children.”
The stricken United Way rep begins to stammer an apology, but is cut off again.
“Thirdly, did your research also show you that my sister’s husband died in a dreadful car accident, leaving her penniless with a mortgage and three children one of whom is disabled and another has learning disabilities requiring an array of private tutors?”The humiliated United Way rep, completely beaten, says, “I’m sorry, I had no idea”
And the lawyer says, “So… if I didn’t give any money to them, what in the hell makes you think I’d ever give any to you?”
A man walks into a bar. He sees a good looking, smartly dressed woman perched on a bar stool. He walks up behind her and says, “Hi there, good looking, how’s it going? “
Having already had a few power drinks, she turns around, faces him, looks him straight in the eye and says, Listen! I’ll screw anybody, anytime, anywhere, your place, my place, front door, back door, it doesn’t matter. I’ve been doing it ever since I got out of college. I just flat ass love it.
Eyes now wide with interest he says, No kidding, I’m a lawyer too! What firm are you with?

Posted by Yellow Dog

Filed Under: • Humor • Judges-Courts-Lawyers •
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This is why there is no more casual Friday

Posted by Yellow Dog

Filed Under: • Miscellaneous •
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Disturbing Medical News

Posted by Yellow Dog

Filed Under: • Health-Medicine • Humor •
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Shoot First and ask questions later
If this guy gets elected we need to nuke Iran immediately.
Tehran, 27 May (AKI) - Hojatolislam Gholam Reza Hasani, a representative of Iran’s supreme spiritual leader, Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei, in Iranian Azerbaijan, has no doubts as to who to vote for in the next presidential elections on 17 June. “You need to vote for Ali Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani,” said Hasani. “This way we will finally be able to have for ourselves the atomic bomb to fairly stand up to Israeli weapons,” said Hasani.

Posted by Yellow Dog

Filed Under: • Insanity •
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French Fried Crook
Here is something to go with the Dick Taters.
GLENS FALLS, N.Y. Police believe an upstate man found suffering from severe burns was injured when he tried to burn off the tracking device attached to his ankle.

Posted by Yellow Dog

Filed Under: • Stoopid-People •
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Some people never give up
I’ll bet you thought that World War II was over. Not for some folks…
Japanese officials arrived on the Philippines island of Mindanao on Friday to unravel the mystery behind two aging men believed to be former imperial army soldiers who have lived in the mountains since the end of World War II.

Posted by Yellow Dog

Filed Under: • War-Stories •
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IN OBSERVANCE OF MEMORIAL DAY
1. How many steps does the guard take during his walk across the tomb of the Unknown Soldier, and why?
21 steps. It alludes to the twenty-one-gun salute, which is the highest honor given any military or foreign dignitary.
2. How long does the Sentinel hesitate after his about face to begin his return walk and does he carry his rifle on the same shoulder all the time, and if not, why not?
He does not execute an about face. He stops on the 21st step, then turns and faces the Tomb for 21 seconds. Then he turns to face back down the mat, changes his weapon to the outside shoulder, counts 21 seconds, then steps off for another 21 step walk down the mat. He faces the Tomb at each end of the 21 step walk for 21 seconds. The Sentinel then repeats this over and over until he is relieved at the Guard Change.
3. Why are his gloves wet?
His gloves are moistened to improve his grip on the rifle.
4. How often are the Guards changed?
The Guard is changed every thirty minutes during the summer (April 1 to Sep 30) and every hour during the winter (Oct 1 to Mar 31). During the hours the cemetery is closed, the guard is changed every 2 hours. The Tomb is guarded, and has been guarded, every minute of every day since 1937.
5. How does the Guard rotation work? Is it an 8 hour shift?
Currently, the Tomb Guards work on a three Relief (team) rotation - 24 hours on, 24 hours off, 24 hours on, 24 hours off, 24 hours on, 96 hours off. However, over the years it has been different. The time off isn’t exactly free time. It takes the average Sentinel 8 hours to prep his/her uniform for the next work day. Additionally, they have Physical Training, Tomb Guard training, and haircuts to complete before the next work day.
6. Is it true they must commit 2 years of life to guard the Tomb, live in a barracks under the tomb, and cannot drink any alcohol on or off duty for the rest of their lives?
No, this is a false rumor. The average tour at the Tomb is about a year. There is NO set time for service there. The Sentinels live either in a barracks on Ft. Myer (the Army post located adjacent to the cemetery) or off base if they like. They do have living quarters under the steps of the amphitheater where they stay during their 24 hour shifts, but when they are off, they are off. And if they are of legal age, they may drink anything they like, except while on duty.
7. Has anyone ever tried to get past the Tomb guards, or attempted to deface the Tomb?
Yes, that is the reason why we now guard the Tomb. In the early 1920’s, there were no guards. People often came to the cemetery in those days for picnics during which time some would actually use the Tomb as a picnic area (probably because of the view). Soon after (1925) civilian guards were posted. In 1926, a military guard was posted during cemetery hours; and on July 1, 1937, this was expanded to the 24-hour watch. Since then, the ceremony has developed throughout the years to what we have today.
ETERNAL REST GRANT UNTO THEM O LORD, AND LET PERPETUAL LIGHT SHINE UPON THEM.
We can be very proud of our young men and women in the service, no matter where or how they serve.
God bless and keep them.
Abstracts from FAQ of Society of Honor Guards, Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.
For more information, visit this website: http://www.tombguard.org

Posted by Tannenberg

Filed Under: • Patriotism •
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Communist Dictator Cooking Show
Isn’t this a little undignified for a Communist despot. What a dickhead. Won’t he ever die? What is this world coming to?
Looking more like a game-show host than a head of state, a jovial Fidel Castro dressed in military uniform and flanked by government ministers went on live television to show millions of Cuban viewers how to use new energy-saving rice steamers and pressure cookers.
Dick Taters
INGREDIENTS:
4 large Idaho Potatoes (8 - 10 ounces each)
1 teaspoon olive oil (optional, for a softer-skinned potato)
1/2 cup reduced fat ("Light") sour cream
pinch nutmeg
salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
milk (as desired, for consistency)
Optional Add-Ins:
2 cups cooked, chopped vegetables
1 cup shredded cheese
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
DIRECTIONS:
Preheat oven to 425° F. Pierce potatoes with a fork several times. Rub potato skins with olive oil if a softer potato skin is desired. Bake potatoes directly on the middle oven rack for 50 - 60 minutes or until they yield to gentle pressure.
While potatoes are still hot (use oven mitt to hold potato), cut them in half lengthwise. Scoop out the interior flesh of the potato into a medium-sized bowl, leaving a shell about 1/4-inch thick all around. Using a potato masher, mash the potato flesh.
Add sour cream and seasonings and mash until smooth, adding a little milk if necessary to make a smooth consistency. Stir in add-ins as desired.
Turn oven to 400° F. Using a spoon, gently fill the potato shells with the potato mixture, mounding it up high. Place filled potatoes on a baking sheet and bake for 18 - 20 minutes or until hot.

Posted by Yellow Dog

Filed Under: • Fine-Dining • International •
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Farewell Austin, Hello Baja Oklahoma
After doing my part to “Keep Austin Weird” since the early 1970’s, I am no longer a resident of that wonderful, quirky, scenic community. I have moved to Irving, Texas. Irving, Texas is stuck onto the upper left hand side of Dallas, Texas, like a sidesaddle on a boar hog. Irving, Texas is the home of the Dallas Cowboys, at least for a couple of more years, until they can build a new stadium out in Arlington and move out to “Theme Park Land.” I think in the interest of truth in advertising, they should be required to change the name of the team when the move it. It should have been the “Irving Cowboys” for the past 30 years, since they moved from the Cotton Bowl. They should call it the “Arlington Cowboys” or the “Six Flags Over Texas Cowboys” when the new stadium is complete and they move out there. If you are not a sports fan, the “Dallas Cowboys” used to be a football team, but now they are mostly known for their cheerleaders.
I live in the Las Colinas area now, by a golf course (Las Colinas Country Club.) I am going to play golf this afternoon, if I can find the box that contains my golf shoes. No more hanging out on Lake Austin. I feel so… Old! I am off to get a newspaper and eat some breakfast. I can’t blog without a newspaper and I haven’t started getting one delivered yet.
Update: I am back from breakfast. Click below to view some pictures of my new neighborhood.

Posted by Yellow Dog

Filed Under: • Personal •
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Not that very many people ever read this far down, but this blog was the creation of Allan Kelly and his friend Vilmar. Vilmar moved on to his own blog some time ago, and Allan ran this place alone until his sudden and unexpected death partway through 2006. We all miss him. A lot. Even though he is gone this site will always still be more than a little bit his. We who are left to carry on the BMEWS tradition owe him a great debt of gratitude, and we hope to be able to pay that back by following his last advice to us all:
It's been a long strange trip without you Skipper, but thanks for pointing us in the right direction and giving us a swift kick in the behind to get us going. Keep lookin' down on us, will ya? Thanks.
- Keep a firm grasp of Right and Wrong
- Stay involved with government on every level and don't let those bastards get away with a thing
- Use every legal means to defend yourself in the event of real internal trouble, and, most importantly:
- Keep talking to each other, whether here or elsewhere
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Oh, and here's some kind of visitor flag counter thingy. Hey, all the cool blogs have one, so I should too. The Visitors Online thingy up at the top doesn't count anything, but it looks neat. It had better, since I paid actual money for it.