News & Updates
May 17th, the third Saturday in May, is Armed Forces Day. On this day we salute those fine Americans who are currently in our military. The last Monday in May is Memorial Day, the day we honor those who have served our nation and are no longer with us—this is a national holiday. For the record, Veterans Day, November 11th, is when we honor those who are no longer wearing the uniform, but are still with us. Please do celebrate these days and endure that the next generation knows about them and respects them.
As a guy who spent two years as an infantryman in combat in Vietnam, I know how important it is for our military to have competent leaders. And as a West Point grad, I’m delighted that our Secretary of Defense has directed our service academies to end entrance standards based on race, gender, nationality, or anything else but merit. I hope this will be expanded to all branches and all parts of all our military services—and soon.
Military History
On May 16, during the Civil War, Gen Grant fought the Confederates under John Pemberton at Champion Hill and defeated them decisively. The next day he attacked at the Big Black River, and Pemberton fled into Vicksburg with Grant following close behind. The trap was now complete, and Pemberton was stuck in Vicksburg; his forces would hold out until July 4.
In the three weeks since Grant crossed the Mississippi in the campaign to capture Vicksburg, his men marched 180 miles and won five battles. They took nearly 100 Confederate artillery pieces and nearly 6,000 prisoners, all with relatively light losses.
On 19 May 1864, during the Civil War, President Abraham Lincoln wrote to Congressional leader Senator Charles Sumner of Massachusetts proposing that widows and children of soldiers should be given equal treatment regardless of race.
Lincoln shared many of his friend Sumner’s views on civil rights. In an unprecedented move, Lincoln allowed a black woman, the widow of a black Civil War soldier, Major Lionel Booth, to meet with him at the White House. Mary Booth’s husband had been killed by a Confederate sniper. The massacre of African-American Union forces that followed the subsequent fall of the fort was considered one of the most brutal of the Civil War. After speaking with Mrs. Booth privately, Lincoln sat down and wrote a letter of introduction for her to carry to Sumner. The letter said she makes a point widows and children of colored soldiers who fall in our service should receive the same benefit of the provisions given to widows and orphans of white soldiers.
As a result, Senator Sumner influenced Congressional members in 1866 to introduce a resolution to provide for the equal treatment of the dependents of black soldiers. There are no records that Mrs. Booth ever applied for or received a widow’s pension after the bill’s passage.
On 20 May 1801, we sent four warships sent to Mediterranean to protect American commerce form Barbary pirates. And 14 years later, on 20 May 1815, Commodore Stephen Decatur sailed with 10 ships to suppress Mediterranean pirates’ raids on US shipping.
On 20 May 1951, during the Korean War, Air Force Captain James Jabara, 4th Fighter-Interceptor Wing, became the first Korean War ace and the first jet ace in aviation history after downing his fifth MiG. He accomplished this feat in an F-86 Sabre with one hung drop tank.
On 20 May 1969, during the Vietnam War, after 10 days and 10 bloody assaults, Hill 937 in South Vietnam was finally captured by US and South Vietnamese troops. The Americans who fought there cynically dubbed Hill 937 “Hamburger Hill” because the battle and its high casualty rate reminded them of a meat grinder. Located one mile east of the Laotian border, Hill 937 was ordered taken as part of Operation Apache Snow, a mission intended to limit enemy infiltration from Laos that threatened Hue to the northeast and Danang to the southeast. On May 10, following air and artillery strikes, a US-led infantry force launched its first assault on the North Vietnamese stronghold but suffered a high proportion of casualties and fell back. Ten more infantry assaults came during the next 10 days, but the North Vietnamese defenders did not give up until May 20. Almost 100 Americans were killed and over 400 wounded in taking the hill, amounting to a shocking 70% casualty rate. Senator Edward Kennedy of Massachusetts called the operation “senseless and irresponsible” and attacked the military tactics of President Nixon’s administration. His speech was seen as part of a growing public outcry over our military policy in Vietnam. Our military had ordered Hill 937 taken primarily as a diversionary tactic, and on May 28 it was abandoned. North Vietnamese forces eventually returned and re-fortified their original position.
On 23 May 1900, Sergeant William Harvey Carney was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor for his bravery on July 18, 1863, while fighting for the Union cause as a member of the 54th Massachusetts Colored Infantry. He was the first African American to receive the Medal of Honor.
On 30 May 1868, by proclamation of General John Logan of the Grand Army of the Republic, the Union Civil War veterans group, the first major Memorial Day observance was held to honor those who died “in defense of their country during the late rebellion.” Known to some as “Decoration Day,” mourners honored the Civil War dead by decorating their graves with flowers.
By the late 19th century, many communities across the country had begun to celebrate Memorial Day, and after WWI, folks began to honor the dead of all of our wars. In 1971, Congress declared Memorial Day a national holiday to be celebrated the last Monday in May.
COMING UP ON FRONTLINES OF FREEDOM
On the weekend of May 17-18, Gordon Chang will discuss China. Liz Morris will discuss buying things made in America. Thurman Ragsdale from Concerned Veterans for America will share with us, and General Chris Petty will present the Battle of the Month.
And on the weekend of May 24-25, Co-host Skip Coryell will host the show while the Colonel is out goofing off. John Lott, the author of More Guns, Less Crime will be a guest as will Vince Parades. Diane Raver will present the Movie of the Month.
And the show on the weekend of May 31-Jun 1, will be our 18th Anniversary Show.
Ambassador and former DEI Richard Grenell will join us again, as will Metal of Honor recipient Jim McCoughan and General Chris Petty.
~ Humor/Puns ~
Who is a cat’s favorite playwright? William Shakespurr.
Mothers everywhere want their children to give peas a chance.
The railway had a safety problem, but tried to cover its tracks.
The new robotic cuspidor, despite its speed and efficiency, failed to meet my expectorations.
The cardiovascular system is a work of artery, but is also really vein.
I asked the doctor how my check-up went. All he said was, “Get will soon”.
What did the grape say when it got stepped on? Nothing … but it did let out a little whine.
I used to have a fear of hurdles, but I got over it.
An easy jailbreak is a slip of the pen.
The gunslinger woke up in the drunk tank, locked and loaded.
An anesthesiologist is a real knock-out.
The high school music teacher was quite controversial. He told his students to read band books.
I told a pun in civics class. It went down in history.
~ Interesting Quote ~
“Even the death of friends will inspire us as much as their lives……Their memories will be incrusted over with sublime and pleasing thoughts, as their monuments are overgrown with moss.” – Henry David Thoreau –
~ A quote from our Bible ~
Ephesians 5:15-17
See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil.
