On this date, April 18, 75 years ago, sixteen B-26 Medium Bombers with 5 man crews did what no other Plane this size had ever done. They took off from the deck of the USS Hornet CV-8 and bombed Tokyo, Japan. The raid did little damage but was a huge boost in morale for the American people. Pearl Harbor was fresh in the minds of us all.
One plane landed in The Soviet Union while the remainder crashed in China. All but three crew members made it back to the states although the Russians detained the five that landed there for more than a year.
Jimmy Doolittle was awarded the Medal of Honor and promoted two ranks to Brigadier General......Medicineman!
My blog will attempt to be a source of accurate information on any subject put forward. My approach to any question will come from the conservative, freedom loving,and Christian. My background includes history, medicine and military. Welcome!
Tuesday, April 18, 2017
Thursday, April 6, 2017
100 YEARS.....
Today, April 6, 2017 marks the anniversary of the United States entry into the "War to End All Wars", WWI.
Although it would be months before our troops entered the trenches, the fact that The United States had committed to the fight was a great boost in moral for the British and the French. They had suffered through three years of a stalemate costly in lives as well as resources.
The first American to die in the war happened on April 1st when Chief Boatswains Mate John Eopolucci died in a lifeboat after the ship he was an Armed Guard on was torpedoed off the coast of France. On April 7, our first shot of the war was by a Marine aboard the USS Supply when he fired a shot across the bow of a German motorboat in Apia Harbor, Guam.
American troops did not enter the bloody trench stalemate until November. There they were met by a new form of warfare---Gas! Not yet fitted out with gas masks many suffered serious injuries and learned to combat the Mustard and the Chlorine gases by soaking a cloth in urine.
Space does not allow the "Rest of the story". But it is important to know that in the year we were involved in the "Great War" almost 55,000 Americans were KIA, the last one just one minute after 11:00 Am, November 11, 1918. His name was Pvt. Henry Gunther of A Co. 313th Inf Reg. when he charged a German machine nest. He was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross....Medicneman!
Although it would be months before our troops entered the trenches, the fact that The United States had committed to the fight was a great boost in moral for the British and the French. They had suffered through three years of a stalemate costly in lives as well as resources.
The first American to die in the war happened on April 1st when Chief Boatswains Mate John Eopolucci died in a lifeboat after the ship he was an Armed Guard on was torpedoed off the coast of France. On April 7, our first shot of the war was by a Marine aboard the USS Supply when he fired a shot across the bow of a German motorboat in Apia Harbor, Guam.
American troops did not enter the bloody trench stalemate until November. There they were met by a new form of warfare---Gas! Not yet fitted out with gas masks many suffered serious injuries and learned to combat the Mustard and the Chlorine gases by soaking a cloth in urine.
Space does not allow the "Rest of the story". But it is important to know that in the year we were involved in the "Great War" almost 55,000 Americans were KIA, the last one just one minute after 11:00 Am, November 11, 1918. His name was Pvt. Henry Gunther of A Co. 313th Inf Reg. when he charged a German machine nest. He was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross....Medicneman!
Tuesday, April 4, 2017
"APRIL FOOL"
Any one who was there will tell you the same story------ships, all sizes and kinds, as far as one could see in all directions. 1500 ships and nearly 1000 carrier aircraft ready to support the combined Army and Marine landing forces.
It was the first day of April, 1945 and the invasion of Okinawa was about to start. The invasion was the first to take place on Japanese territory. It would be costly-----to both sides.
The U.S. combined forces numbered some 548,000 while Japan numbered about 130,000. But they were no pushover by anybody's measure, well supplied, well prepared and well dug in, they were fierce defenders. In three months of fighting we suffered some 50,000 casualties. Japanese losses numbered 124,755. The Navy suffered some 350 Kamikazi attacks. These were bomb-laden planes piloted by youngsters taught to take off but not how to land. There job was to pick a ship and fly into same and do great damage.
On a personal note; I had a friend who was Executive Officer on a wooden hull mine sweeper. A small vessel with a small crew and a big job. They were to sweep the waters for mines before the invasion. They would cruise back and forth in ever closer to the beech sweeps to clear the way for the landing. Meanwhile, the enemy was firing at them constantly but, as he said, "We were so small they could never hit us!" April Fool!.......Medicineman!
It was the first day of April, 1945 and the invasion of Okinawa was about to start. The invasion was the first to take place on Japanese territory. It would be costly-----to both sides.
The U.S. combined forces numbered some 548,000 while Japan numbered about 130,000. But they were no pushover by anybody's measure, well supplied, well prepared and well dug in, they were fierce defenders. In three months of fighting we suffered some 50,000 casualties. Japanese losses numbered 124,755. The Navy suffered some 350 Kamikazi attacks. These were bomb-laden planes piloted by youngsters taught to take off but not how to land. There job was to pick a ship and fly into same and do great damage.
On a personal note; I had a friend who was Executive Officer on a wooden hull mine sweeper. A small vessel with a small crew and a big job. They were to sweep the waters for mines before the invasion. They would cruise back and forth in ever closer to the beech sweeps to clear the way for the landing. Meanwhile, the enemy was firing at them constantly but, as he said, "We were so small they could never hit us!" April Fool!.......Medicineman!
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