The quote actually belongs to Army LTG George S Patton, responding to a reporter during World War II, who asked about his “pearl handled” revolver.
However, it’s the first thing I thought of when I ran across this photo taken in June, 1953 of USAF SSgt Billy Davisson standing guard at the entrance to the Headquarters facilities of the Strategic Air Command, Offutt Air Force Base, Omaha, Nebraska.
WASHINGTON – The U.S. Army plans to open the National Museum of the United States Army on Veterans Day, November 11, 2020. Building construction and exhibit installations are now complete, and the museum is ready to open its doors to the public for the first time.
The National Museum of the U.S. Army, located on a publicly accessible area of Fort Belvoir, Virginia, will be the first and only museum to tell the entire history of the U.S. Army since its establishment in 1775.
“The U.S. Army and the American Soldier forged the birth of our nation,” said Secretary of the Army, Ryan D. McCarthy. “The National Army Museum will be a place for members of the total Army family to gather and share their stories, while also creating an opportunity for visitors to connect with our nation’s history through the eyes and voices of individual Soldiers.”
The museum’s Experiential Learning Center will provide visitors of all ages a unique opportunity to participate in hands-on, educational and team-building activities in the areas of geography, science, technology, engineering and math.
“The museum is stunning, and it is an honor to present this history in a way that shows the connection between the American Soldier, the U.S. Army and the nation,” said the museum’s director, Ms. Tammy E. Call.
The museum will open with enhanced health and safety measures for visitors. Free, timed-entry tickets are required to manage visitor capacity and provide an optimal experience to visitors.
“We have worked hard to ensure the safety of our staff and visitors, and we are excited to open the doors of this long-awaited national museum,” added Call.
The museum is a joint effort between the U.S. Army and the Army Historical Foundation, a non-profit organization. The AHF constructed the building through private funds, and the U.S. Army provided the infrastructure, roads, utilities and exhibit work that transformed the building into a museum. The Army owns and operates the museum, and the AHF manages retail, catering and special events.
“The Army is people. They are our greatest strength and our most important weapon system,” said the Chief of Staff of the Army, Gen. James C. McConville. “The National Museum of the United States Army is designed to tell the compelling and heroic stories of our people and take visitors on an exciting journey through the history of the U.S. Army as told through the American Soldiers’ point of view.”
The opening will be preceded by a small ceremony that will be livestreamed to encourage people around the world to participate in this historic moment. A link to the livestream will be posted on the museum’s website and social channels as soon as it’s available. For more information, please visit www.theNMUSA.org.
For inquiries on the National Army Museum, its holdings, site, tours and tickets, please contact the National Museum of the U.S. Army Public Affairs, Ms. Susan Smullen, susan.l.fazakerley-smullen.civ@mail.mil, (202) 246-1610.
Yesterday and today October 3rd and 4th is the Day of the Rangers, Battle of Mogadishu or better known as Blackhawk Down. Task Force Ranger was tasked with conducting a raid to capture two lieutenants of a Somali warlord. Task Force Ranger was made of members of C squadron of the 1st Special Forces Group Detachment Delta and B company of 3rd Ranger Battalion, Task Force 160 Special Operation Aviation Regiment, SEALs from Naval Special Warfare Development Group and Air Force Pararescuemen and Combat Controllers from the 24th Special Tactics Squadron. They were transported to the target by ground and helicopters. The mission should have only taken about an hour. They inserted around 1350 local time, from the start they found themselves under heavy fire. When two Black Hawk helicopters were shot down (the first being around 1620 local) it quickly went from a snatch and grab to a rescue and recovery. A long ground battle to place and the U.S. forces were heavily outnumbered. By the time the last Troops made it to safety at a UN base it was around 0640 local on the 4th.
While leaving the last crash site, a group of Rangers and Delta operators led by SSG John R. Dycus realized that there wasn’t enough room in the vehicles for them and they were forced to move out on foot to a rendezvous point on National Street but they ended up going all the way back to the UN Base. This is known as the Mogadishu Mile. They think it was anywhere from 3.5 to 4 miles.
Casualties included 19 dead American soldiers and 73 wounded, with Malaysian forces suffering one death and seven wounded, and Pakistani forces suffering one death and two injuries. There were between 315 and 2,000 Somali casualties. Two Medals of Honor were posthumously awarded to MSG Gary Gordan and SFC Randy Shughart for their actions on the ground to protect one of the pilots (Mike Durant) and the crash site.
1st SFOD-D
MSG Gary Gordon Killed defending the crew of Super Six-Four Medal of Honor
SFC Randy Shughart Killed defending the crew of Super Six-Four Medal of Honor
SSG Daniel Busch Crashed on Super Six-One, died from wounds received defending the downed crew Silver Star
SFC Earl Fillmore Killed moving to the first crash site Silver Star
SFC Matt Rierson Killed on October 6, 1993 by a mortar which landed just outside the hangar Silver Star
MSG Tim “Griz” Martin Died from wounds received on the Lost Convoy Silver Star and Purple Heart
3rd Ranger Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment
CPL Jamie Smith Died of wounds with the pinned-down force around crash site one Bronze Star with Valor Device and Oak leaf cluster, Purple Heart
SPC James Cavaco Killed on the Lost Convoy Bronze Star with Valor Device
SGT Casey Joyce Killed on the Lost Convoy Bronze Star with Valor Device
PFC Richard “Alphabet” Kowalewski Killed on the Lost Convoy Bronze Star with Valor Device
SGT Dominick Pilla Killed on Struecker’s convoy Bronze Star with Valor Device
SGT Lorenzo Ruiz Killed on the Lost Convoy Bronze Star with Valor Device
160th SOAR (Nightstalkers)
SSG William Cleveland Crew chief on Super Six-Four-killed Silver Star, Bronze Star, Air Medal with Valor Device
SSG Thomas Field Crew chief on Super Six-Four-killed Silver Star, Bronze Star, Air Medal with Valor Device
CW4 Raymond Frank Copilot of Super Six-Four-killed Silver Star, Air Medal with Valor Device
CW3 Clifton “Elvis” Wolcott Pilot of Super Six-One and died in crash Distinguished Flying Cross, Bronze Star, Air Medal with Valor Device
CW2 Donovan “Bull” Briley Copilot of Super Six-One and died in crash Distinguished Flying Cross, Bronze Star, Air Medal with Valor Device
2nd Battalion 14th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade 10th Mountain Division
SGT Cornell Houston Killed on the rescue convoy Bronze Star with Valor Device, de Fleury Medal
PFC James Martin Killed on the rescue convoy Purple Heart
Special Operations Association Virtual Reunion (SOAR) XLIV is taking place 19-22 October via Zoom. The SOA is second in size only to the Special Forces Association when it comes to Special Forces members, but SOA is open to a wider audience.
Because the reunion is virtual, there are no fees and it’s been opened up to all Special Forces members & Veterans, and those interested in MACV-SOG history.
Several events will be of interest to many of of you. The Plei Me Webinar, the SF Authors Book talk, vendor tables, the POW/MIA presentation, MOH Video presentation on SGM Thomas “Patrick” Payne, the SOA Video History Project update, and, of course, hospitality rooms where you can socialize with your friends.
Everyday marks an anniversary of a significant event in American military history, but today stands out among them.
On this date in 1993, US service members were engaged in what is now known as the Battle of Mogadishu. A joint organization was formed named ” TF Ranger” to deploy to Mogadishu, Somalia in support of a UN-led humanitarian mission. Already having conducted operations for some time, on 3 October they raided the city’s Olympic Hotel in order to capture key leaders of the Aidid Militia.
Unfortunately, during the exfil portion of the raid, a battle ensued which claimed the lives of 18 Americans and wounded another 73. Additionally, CW3 Michael Durant was captured by the Aideed militia. Fortunately, Durant was later repatriated and went on to retire from the 160th.
Of the men killed that day, two would be awarded the Medal of Honor, Delta Operators Gary Gordon and Randy Shughart, for their selfless efforts to protect Durant after his aircraft, callsign Super 64, was shot down.
If you are unfamiliar with the events, one of the best accounts of the battle is contained in the book, “Blackhawk Down” by author Mark Bowden. Much of the information was serialized prior to the book’s publication in the Philadelphia Enquirer. Later this was made into a movie bearing the same name.
Please take a moment to remember these men and their sacrifice.
Additionally, the 75th Ranger Regiment was created on this day in 1984, with the stand up of its 3rd Battalion. Thirty-five years later, the Ranger Regiment boasts boasts five battalions of some of the most elite warriors on the face of our planet.
Here is the story, in founder Håkan Spuhr’s own words:
I never liked the G3, it has always been awkward to handle, never really thought about why, but it’s an ergonomical disaster!
Anyway, I do have a G3 in my collection and for some reason in 2012 I just stood and played with it. I realized the stock is way too long and that is the result of the G3 cheekbone chruncher!
That is the stockhump that smashes your face in the prone firing position. The reason they made the hump was the mistake in using a low profile ironsight!
If they had used high sights like the M16, the G3 would never been the ergonomic disaster it became!
You can easily see on users that the original stock absolutely sucks and is far too long as most users use the so-called rookiegrip, supporthand on magazine.
That is the body’s own reaction when LOP is too long to put the support hand further back.
I had a German wooden stock, so I put that on the bandsaw, shortened it 5-7 cm and cut the cheekpiece off. I then crudely glued on a wooden piece and belt sanded it very rough.
I called a friend and we met at the range. We were both immediately very satisfied with the handling of the gun.
When I got back home I machined an adapter so I could install a std AR15 buffertube and a magpul stock to the gun.
But as the major malfunction on the G3 is the hump, I had to place the buffertube as high as possible to kill the hump!
The negative thing was there was no space for the buffer anymore, so I made a simple rubber buffer.
We shot quite a lot with it and shared a movie so people could see the effect of a good stock placement.
In 2015-2016 the Swedish Defence Force got interested and they started a tender that we won, and I think it’s rather amazing that I got them to realize the problem and then delivered the solution.
But in the tender it was a MUST criteria that the original buffer should be used, and that was really annoying as I was short on time and had to design an all new stock that housed the buffer. But with cheekpiece and buttplate way higher.
The result was adopted and a few years later the Portuguese Marines followed and so did the German Federal Police on their MP5s.
I think it was a success, but of course one can always argue that it should be a folder instead. Thing is, when a gun is upgraded, the cost must be held low in order to get adopted.
Gold Star Mother’s and Family Day is observed on the last Sunday in September. Also known as National Gold Star Mother’s Day, it honors the mothers and families of fallen military service members. The observance began during World War I and was created to recognize and honor those who have lost a son or daughter who served our country in the Armed Forces. On June 23, 1936, a joint congressional resolution designated the last Sunday in September as Gold Star Mother’s Day and proclaimed annually by each president.
The history of National Gold Star Mother’s Day and their families begins with the U.S. entering WW1. An Army Captain Robert L. Queasier, whose two sons were serving on the front-line, created what is now called the Service Flag. The flag was displayed (normally hung in a window) with a blue star to represent a child serving in the military during times of war or hostilities. The flag quickly became the unofficial symbol of someone in the family in the service.
A Gold Star Family is the immediate family member of a fallen service member who died while serving in a time of conflict. A Gold Star Family can display a Gold Star Service Flag for service members who were killed or died, while serving in the Armed Forces, from causes other than dishonorable. The number of gold stars on the flag corresponds to with the number of individuals who were killed or died. A gold star is placed over the blue star on a Blue Star Service Flag so that the blue forms a border and creates Gold Star Service Flag. The U.S. Department of Defense also issues Gold Star lapel pins to immediate family members of a fallen service member of the military. These pins can be worn by spouses, parents, and children of service members killed in the line of duty and contain a gold star on a purple circular background.
The Women’s Committee of the Council of National Defenses ask President Wilson to authorize that mothers who had lost a child who served in the war could wear a traditional black mourning armband with a gold gilt star in 1918. This approval led to the tradition of a gold star covering the blue star on the Service flag to show that the service member had passed. It’s is also believed that Wilson coined the term “Gold Star Mother.”
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.” I believe this is also true when it comes to our veterans and families of the fallen. There are many groups and organization out there that help the family’s, but nothing will replace the fallen service member. But being involved with the family and helping those organizations is an amazing way to stay connected to your brothers and sisters that are gone.
Later this week on Tuesday the 29th is St Michaels day. In the Christian, Jewish and Islamic he is known for leading gods’ arms against satan. He is not really a saint but an archangel. In medieval Christianity he was made a patron saint of chivalry, now he is considered the patron saint of Law Enforcement, Military and Paramedics (technically medics also have/ lean towards St Luke and St Albert). Please take a minute or two on Tuesday and say thank you for having people that will do those jobs. Even if it is just saying it in your mind to yourself.
