Subdeacon Joe
-
Posts
51,436 -
Joined
-
Last visited
-
Days Won
604
Content Type
Profiles
Forums
Events
Posts posted by Subdeacon Joe
-
-
Quote
A review of the Army's immediate capabilities convinced the President that the Marine Corps would have to furnish theinitial occupation force for Iceland. Since all Marines, bothregular and reserve, were volunteers, there were no geographical restrictions on their use. On 5 June, Roosevelt directedthe Chief of Naval Operations (CNO), Ainiral Harold R. Stark, to have a Marine brigade ready to sail in 15 days' time. The organization of this brigade was facilitated by the fact thata reinforced infantry regiment slated for expeditionary duty was at that moment en route from the west coast to the east. At this time the Marine Corps was heavily committed to aprogram of organizing, equipping, and training two divisions,one on each coast. Since infantry regiments of both divisionswere still forming, they were considerably understrength, andit had been necessary to reinforce the east coast's 1st MarineDivision when it was tabbed for a major role in a proposed landing operation. On 24 May, the Commandant drew on the 2ndMarine Division at Camp Elliott, California, for the necessaryregiment, and Colonel Leo D. Hermle's 6th Marines (Reinforced)was selected "for temporary shore duty beyond the seas." (13) The regiment was brought up to full strength by substantial drafts from the 2d and 8th Marines, (14) and on 28 May it joinedits assigned reinforcing artillery, tank, and service elements.Six days after he received his orders, Colonel Hermle had hiscommand combat loaded; the ships, three large transports and four destroyer transports, sailed from San Diego on 31 May. When it had embarked, this regiment had orders to reportto the Commanding General, I Corps (Provisional), FMF, AtlanticFleet. At that time, its most probable mission appeared to beeither the seizure of Martinique or the occupation of the 3 Azores. Momentous events, however, were developing in Europe, and these served to change the whole pattern of the war, as well as the mission of the regiment. Both British and knerican intelligence indicated that Hitler was getting ready to attack Russia, and soon. Such an event would automatically cancel any immediate threat to Gibraltar and render the Azores venture pointless. President Roosevelt, in fact, ordered a suspension of planning for the Azores operation on 7 June, while preparations for the movement to Iceland proceeded apace. While the 6th Marines' convoy was still in the Pacific heading for the Panama Canal, the wheels were set in motion to complete the organization of the projected brigade. One other major unit, the 5th Defense Battalion at Parris Island, was designated for duty in Iceland; its commanding officer, Colonel Lloyd L. Leech, flew to Washington on 7 June for a two-day round of briefing and reports. The battalion.s antiaircraft guns and gunners were what was wanted, so when the order assign..- ing the 5th Defense to I Corps (Provisional) was published on 10 June the 5-inch Artillery Group was shown as being detached. In addition to the 6th Marines (Reinforced) and the 5th Defense Battalion (less 5-inch Artillery Group), the budding brigade received a company of engineers, a chemical platoon, and a platoon of scout cars from the 1st Marine Division at New River. The port for the hurried assembly of ships, materiel, and men was Charleston, S. C. The men of the 5th Defense Battalion had some inkling of their probable area of employment; Colonel Leech's warning order phoned from Washington on the 8th had directed that special attention be paid to provision of warm clothing. On board the 6th Marines' transports, however, speculation was rife that the regiment was heading for the Caribbean, perhaps for Guantanamo Bay, but more popular was the rumored destination of Martinique. When the convoy turned north after clearing the canal, passed the western end of Cuba, and headed for Charleston most of the "scuttlebutt" still held out for a tropical objective. Needless to say, the issue of winter clothing after the regiment arrived at Charleston on 15 June came as a real "shocker." The severely limited time to assemble arid load out the Iceland force made this cold weather gear "the darndest collection of winter clothing ever assembled;" (15) there were bits and pieces of everything. On the day following the arrival of the 6th Marines in Charleston the 1st Marine Brigade (Provisional) was formally organized; its commander was Brigadier General John Marston. The troop list included: Brigade Headquarters Platoon Brigade Band 6th Marines 5th Defense Battalion (less 5-inch Artillery Group) 2d Battalion, 10th Marines 4 Company A, 2d Tank Battalion (less 3d Platoon) Company A, 2d Medical Battalion Company C, 1st Engineer Battalion 1st Platoon, Company A, 2d Service Battalion 3d Platoon, 1st Scout Company Chemical Platoon
-
1
-
1
-
-
Essentially no different than finding pieces of shell in shelled tree nuts, a cherry pit in a cherry pie or a can of cherry pie filling (a couple of times backin the 1960s my dad managed to get a cherry pit in a store bought apple pie), or a small pebble in a bag of dried beans.
My favorite....an olive that hasn't been pitted in a jar of pitted olives.
-
3
-
-
2 minutes ago, Boggus Deal #64218 said:
No need to apologize to me, my friend. I’m pretty sure we’re on the same page! I’m tired of giving up rights and never getting anything in return.
You are correct, though. The silent majority has been too silent about stuff like this. Maybe we need to start being more outspoken. Possibly we have a government that will listen for the next four years…Thou hast struck the mark!
This is why I've taken Stalin's General Order 227 to heart on this:
Not one step back.
It's always, "Just one more law!" Or when too many people comply with the law there are screams about "exploiting loopholes" and then making compliaence with the law illegal. The California "bullet button" is a prime example of that.
-
1
-
1
-
-
13 hours ago, John Kloehr said:
Anyway, I just saw the number "83" for this one a bit ago and that it was a record beating the previous record from 2023. By some measure and definition.
That's the number I saw in a CNN article yesterday. Kind of surprised me because usually CNN takes the highest possible number. Local news this morning said that there have been close to 200 school shootings this year.
-
3
-
-
-
I was looking for information on the USMC Norway Expedition, 1940 (Force Primrose) and came across
QuoteAs Pearl Harbor was being attacked, 203 United States Marines in northern China were surrounded and captured by the Japanese. They spent from that day until mid September of 1945 as prisoners of war. This site is dedicated to the gathering of information on the experiences of those North China Marines. To this day there are children who know little or nothing about their father's years as POW slave labor for the Japanese. The information is presented here both to honor those men and to allow family members to research the history of members of that unit.
A major goal is to trace the specific POW camp sequence for each individual North China Marine captured in Chinwangtao, Peking, and Tientsin and provide descriptions of those camps. Many of the pages on this site also include information on Wake Marines and civilians.
QuoteThe United States Marines in North China(a brief review)US Marines served in China at various times and places from the days of the Boxer Rebellion of 1900. During the 1920's and 30's Marines were stationed at the American Embassy in Peking (Beijing). They were the Embassy Guard Detachment. In 1938 a unit was sent from Peking to Tientsin (Tianjin) to take over legation guard duty from the Army. A still smaller detachment was sent to Fort Holcomb at Chinwangtao (Qinhuangdao), about 140 miles northeast of Tientsin. This was the seaport through which all shipping for the embassy and the Marines had to travel. In the late 1930's the Embassy Guard Detachment in Peking consisted of about 300 men, the Legation Guard Detachment in Tientsin about 200 men, with about 20 men at Chinwangtao. (Spellings of Chinese cities are from that time period, not current usage.) In 1937 the Japanese invaded and conquered much of eastern China. While Japan controlled this area of China, various military units of other nations remained. The British, French, and Italians also kept forces in Peking. In November of 1941 the 1200 men of the US Fourth Marines in Shanghai were withdrawn and sent to the Philippines. This left only the men of the North China Marines in Peking, Tientsin, and Chinwangtao, by then totalling only 203 men. They were to depart China on the 10th of December, 1941. In preparation for this move all but their personal gear and weapons had been crated and sent to Chinwangtao to be loaded aboard ship for the move to the Philippines.
On the morning of 8 December 1941 (7 Dec stateside time) each of the units woke to find themselves surrounded. At Peking the Japanese had mortars and machine guns mounted on the Tartar Wall bordering the US compound. Given the number of Japanese, the number of Marines, the lack of weapons, and the distance to any friendly forces, Colonel William Ashurst had no choice but to surrender. Col Ashurst surrendered under the impression the Japanese would abide by the Boxer Protocol of 1901, which, it was assumed, contained a clause granting diplomatic status to the Marines. This meant they would be repatriated with the diplomats at the embassy in Peking and the consulate in Tientsin. (No documents seem to actually have had such a clause. This belief in a repatriation clause may have prevented a mass escape while enroute to Shanghai. See Escapes and Deaths page. Some sources say repatriation of military guard units was the norm at this time and that some nation's guard units actually were repatriated. The five men of the 4th Marines still closing up business in Shanghai were repatriated from Woosung in June 1942-McBrayer book page 97.) Upon surrender, the small unit at Chinwangtao was sent to join the men in Tientsin. (There were 140 men in Peking, 48 in Tientsin, and 15 in Chinwangtao. The total of 203 men included a 14 man Navy medical detachment consisting of 3 officers and 11 enlisted men.) The Marines in Peking were kept in their compound until 10 January 1942, at which time they also were sent to Tientsin. In late January the entire group of 203 Marines was sent by train to the Prisoner of War camp at Woosung, outside Shanghai. They joined there the approximately 1100 Marines and civilians captured earlier on Wake Island.
-
3
-
-
11 hours ago, watab kid said:
i missed this one and ive been catchin ,most these days , it sounds like a great one ,
1 hour ago, Rye Miles #13621 said:Never saw this, looks interesting.😎
Very good, in my opinion. There's a flavor of "Goodbye Mr. Chips" to it. Mr. Keller, I think gave a good description of the message in this episode.
That's one nice thing about Twilight Zone, just about every episode has a social message, but it doesn't beat you over the head with it and scream it in your face.-
1
-
-
-
-
40 minutes ago, Alpo said:
When you first hear "a million kids", that sounds like a lot.
But there's what -3 billion people on this planet? So 1 million is 1/3 of 1/10 of 1%.
Big whoop.
More like 8,000,0000,000 people.
-
1
-
-
18 minutes ago, Alpo said:
Although, I have a little trouble believing that a second grader knows how to spell ignorant retards. But then, he apparently does not know how to capitalize either the first word in a sentence or the proper noun I. "i'm a second grader and i think..."
That seems to be the style for online with those under 40.
I think because so much is posted from phones now.
-
2
-
1
-
-
19 hours ago, Dapper Dave said:
Legalize lutefisk!
Sorry, never actually had it, but lefse and futtingmon were popular in Grandma's house. Not sure about the spelling on the last one, a fried sugared desert "cookie". Grandpa always called lefse "limp Norwegian dishrags". Since his parents came from Oslo, I suppose he had the right.
I love 'em.
These?
https://northwildkitchen.com/fattigmann-poor-man-cookies/
-
1
-
-
-
-
1
-
2
-
2
-
-
Found on FB:
"H.M.S.GANGES, boy’s training establishment, I joined one month after my fifteenth birthday 1958.
The mast is one hundred and forty two feet tall, on the second day of training, the first two were being shown around and kit issue, we had to climb up to the first platform through the lubbers hole and down the other side. As you can see we got better and better and some boys became “button boys” that’s the guy standing at the top. The last part was the worst you had to shin up the last part get hold of the lightning conductor and swing your leg round to sit on the button and then stand up. In my time the guy that did that, on ceremonial occasions received a half crown, twelve and a half pence, from the captain."
-
1
-
1
-
-
1 hour ago, Alpo said:
That is IN THE HALL OF THE MOUNTAIN KING, isn't it?
Give the man a kewpie doll!
-
1
-
-
https://www.iwm.org.uk/memorials/item/memorial/8393
A memorial sculpture in glass which lines the route to the entrance of the American Air Museum, Duxford. The sculpture comprises 52 panels engraved with the outlines of aircraft, one for each plane missing in action in operations flown by American air forces from Britain during the Second World War. Depicted are 7,031 aircraft, displayed by Air Force groups or group. The actual scale of the aircraft in the sculpture is 1:240.
https://museumsandheritage.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/Optimised_IWM_SITE_DUX_001557_tif.jpg
-
1
-
5
-
-
9 minutes ago, Forty Rod SASS 3935 said:
An old man (older than I am, I think) told her to "watch out.
Methuselah was there?
-
1
-
3
-
-
"
The saddest episode of *The Twilight Zone* I’ve ever watched is undoubtedly **“The Changing of the Guard.”** It’s not just sad—it’s hauntingly beautiful, a testament to the enduring power of influence and the fragility of human purpose.The story opens with the unassuming figure of Professor Fowler, portrayed by the masterful Donald Pleasence. His face is etched with years of gentle wisdom, and his demeanor is one of quiet dignity. Fowler has spent a lifetime teaching poetry and literature at a boys’ prep school. The scene is immediately set with the weight of his years: his tattered lesson books, his worn-down spectacles, the rhythm of his measured voice carrying verses of Tennyson and Keats into a classroom of young men.The moment of heartbreak comes swiftly. Fowler, anticipating another year of guiding young minds, is called into the headmaster’s office. There, he learns that the school has decided to retire him. No warnings, no discussion—just a perfunctory announcement that his time has passed. Fowler’s protests are muted, his voice breaking as he attempts to argue his worth. The headmaster, though kind, is firm: the decision is final. For Fowler, this is more than the loss of a job; it’s the erasure of his identity, his life’s meaning slipping away like sand through his fingers.As the snow begins to fall outside, Fowler returns to his modest home, drowning in despair. He sees himself as obsolete, a relic in a world that has moved on. His teaching, he believes, has been futile. The boys he taught, the words he imparted, all seem to have vanished into the ether. Alone with his thoughts, Fowler’s despair grows darker. He retrieves a pistol, contemplating the finality of his failure.It’s then that the bells of the school chime, impossibly loud in the still night. Drawn by the sound, Fowler returns to his classroom. What follows is one of the most moving sequences in television history. The classroom, dark and empty moments before, is now illuminated with an eerie glow. In front of him stand the ghostly figures of his former students—not as boys, but as the men they became. They are soldiers, doctors, writers, and humanitarians. One by one, they speak, their voices carrying the weight of eternity.Each of these spectral figures recounts how Fowler’s teaching shaped their lives, how his words gave them courage in moments of doubt and inspired them to rise above their challenges. One recalls how Fowler’s lessons on poetry gave him the strength to face death on the battlefield. Another speaks of how his words lit a path during a time of despair. The teacher, who moments ago saw his life as meaningless, is overcome with emotion. Tears stream down his face as he listens to his students—not students, but legacies of his life’s work—affirm his profound impact on the world.By the end of the episode, Fowler’s despair has transformed into a quiet, humbled joy. He realizes that his life, though modest, has been anything but meaningless. As the ghostly figures fade away, Fowler stands in his classroom, the same room where he has spent decades, but now with a renewed sense of purpose. He leaves, walking into the snowy night with a newfound acceptance of his place in the world.“The Changing of the Guard” is not just a story about a man confronting his mortality; it’s a story about legacy, the unseen ripples of influence, and the profound impact one person can have without ever knowing it. It’s a tale that lingers, leaving you with a bittersweet ache—a reminder that even in our darkest moments, there may be truths about our worth that we cannot yet see. The sadness of the episode lies not in its ending, but in the poignant realization that Fowler needed ghosts to understand what was always true: that he mattered deeply, and always had."
We never know what little thing we do or say may change someone's life.
-
6
-
3
-
-
-
Like the Earth/Moon pair.
-
1
-
-
1 hour ago, Trailrider #896 said:
The best thing was to ask Jacki Cochran how to fly the "widowmaker". That's what Hap Arnold did.
That was more of of a psychological operation than training. And it was the 2nd time he used her for that kind of thing.
The first time was her proposal to set up the Women's Airforce Service Pilots when she found out that men were hesitant to fly Lend-Lease bombers to England. "If a woman can do it ... "
Same thing with the B-26. It got the reputation of being a widow maker and men didn't want to fly it. Well, heck! Get Jackie trained up on it and have her give demonstrations across the country. (snort, scratch groin) "Heck fahr! Iffen a little bitty woman kin fly it it's gotta be a piece of cake for a real man to fly!"
And somewhat the same with the B-29. The problems with the engines overheating and catching fire had the men not wanting to fly them. In comes Jackie and some other WASPs and after a few flights in which women were able to deal with overheating problems the men couldn't admit that they couldn't deal with it.
-
1
-
-
55 minutes ago, Pat Riot said:
I am wondering if this whole thing isn’t a flipping publicity stunt for some movie or show.
Or Picatinny testing something.
-
1
-
-
20 minutes ago, Chantry said:
I seem to recall a criminal case where the defendant used Biden's recommendation in his defense. I didn't remember that working well for the defendant.
Yeah, it didn't play well in court.
https://youtu.be/u3uhUSwakYI?si=tE-LBeNPDmO8161q
-
2
-
And the beat drones on and on!
in SASS Wire Saloon
Posted
Clear picture of the drones