Veterans...Get the hell in here now!

On June 28, 2005, while behind enemy lines east of Asadabad in the Hindu Kush of Afghanistan, a four-man Navy SEAL team was conducting a reconnaissance mission at the altitude of approximately 10,000 feet.

The SEALs, Lt. Michael P. Murphy, Gunner’s Mate 2nd Class Danny Dietz, Sonar Technician 2nd Class Matthew Axelson and Hospital Corpsman 2nd Class Marcus Luttrell, were scouting Ahmad Shah—a terrorist in his mid-30s who grew up in the adjacent mountains just to the south. Shah led a guerrilla group known to locals as the “Mountain Tigers” that had aligned with the Taliban and other militant groups close to the Pakistani border.

A firefight erupted between the four SEALs, who were outnumbered by more than 50 anti-coalition militia. Despite the intensity of the firefight and suffering grave gunshot wounds himself, Murphy is credited with risking his own life to save the lives of his teammates.

Murphy’s “undaunted courage, intrepid fighting spirit, and inspirational devotion to his men in the face of certain death” was the impetus behind Murphy being able to relay the position of his unit, an act that ultimately led to the rescue of Luttrell and the recovery of the remains of the three who were killed in the battle.

An MH-47 Chinook helicopter, with eight additional SEALs and eight Army Night Stalkers aboard, was sent in as part of an extraction mission to pull out the four embattled SEALs.

As the Chinook raced to the battle, a rocket-propelled grenade struck the helicopter, killing all 16 men aboard.

On the ground and nearly out of ammunition, the four SEALs—Murphy, Luttrell, Dietz and Axelson—continued the fight. By the end of the two-hour gunfight, Murphy, Axelson, and Dietz had been killed. An estimated 35 Taliban were also dead.

“The Naval Special Warfare (NSW) community will forever remember June 28, 2005 and the heroic efforts and
sacrifices of our special operators. We hold with reverence the ultimate sacrifice that they made while engaged in that fierce firefight on the front lines of the global war on terrorism NSW (GWOT).”

Luttrell’s perspective would later be retold in the book “Lone Survivor” and a movie of the same name. Luttrell later received the Navy Cross, which was also awarded posthumously to Dietz and Axelson. Murphy was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor.

The list of those lost that day are as follows:

Navy SEALs
SEAL Delivery Vehicle Team 1, Pearl Harbor, Hawaii.
Lt. (SEAL) Michael P. Murphy, 29, of Patchogue, N.Y.
Sonar Technician (Surface) 2nd Class (SEAL) Matthew G. Axelson, 29, of Cupertino, Calif.
Machinist Mate 2nd Class (SEAL) Eric S. Patton, 22, of Boulder City, Nev.
Senior Chief Information Systems Technician (SEAL) Daniel R. Healy, 36, of Exeter, N.H.
Quartermaster 2nd Class (SEAL) James Suh, 28, of Deerfield Beach, Fla.

SEAL Delivery Vehicle Team 2, Virginia Beach, Va.
Gunner’s Mate 2nd Class (SEAL) Danny P. Dietz, 25, of Littleton, Colo.

SEAL Team 10, Virginia Beach, Va.
Chief Fire Controlman (SEAL) Jacques J. Fontan, 36, of New Orleans, La.
Lt. Cmdr. (SEAL) Erik S. Kristensen, 33, of San Diego, Calif.
Electronics Technician 1st Class (SEAL) Jeffery A. Lucas, 33, of Corbett, Ore.
Lt. (SEAL) Michael M. McGreevy Jr., 30, of Portville, N.Y.
Hospital Corpsman 1st Class (SEAL) Jeffrey S. Taylor, 30, of Midway, W.Va.


Army Night Stalkers
3rd Battalion, 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (Airborne), Hunter Army Air Field, Ga.
Staff Sgt. Shamus O. Goare, 29, of Danville, Ohio.
Chief Warrant Officer Corey J. Goodnature, 35, of Clarks Grove, Minn.
Sgt. Kip A. Jacoby, 21, of Pompano Beach, Fla.
Sgt. 1st Class Marcus V. Muralles, 33, of Shelbyville, Ind.
Maj. Stephen C. Reich, 34, of Washington Depot, Conn.
Sgt. 1st Class Michael L. Russell, 31, of Stafford, Va.
Chief Warrant Officer Chris J. Scherkenbach, 40, of Jacksonville, Fla.

HQ Company, 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (Airborne), Fort Campbell, Ky.
Master Sgt. James W. Ponder III, 36, of Franklin, Tenn.

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OPERATION RED WINGS – The (Mis)Information Aftermath

BarnBuster said:

Today in Military History:

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On June 25, 1950, the Korean War began when some 75,000 soldiers from the North Korean People’s Army poured across the 38th parallel, the boundary between the Soviet-backed Democratic People’s Republic of Korea to the north and the pro-Western Republic of Korea to the south. This invasion was the first military action of the Cold War. By July, American troops had entered the war on South Korea’s behalf. As far as American officials were concerned, it was a war against the forces of international communism itself. After some early back-and-forth across the 38th parallel, the fighting stalled and casualties mounted with nothing to show for them. Meanwhile, American officials worked anxiously to fashion some sort of armistice with the North Koreans. The alternative, they feared, would be a wider war with Russia and China–or even, as some warned, World War III. Finally, in July 1953, the Korean War came to an end. In all, some 5 million soldiers and civilians lost their lives during the war. The Korean peninsula is still divided today.

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Uncle Bobby, the famous bank robber in the wife's family fought in the Korean War. Folks say he turned out like he did because of the war, but family says he was always that way.

BarnBuster said:

Today in Military History:

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The Battle of Brandy Station, also called the Battle of Fleetwood Hill, was the largest predominantly cavalry engagement of the American Civil War, as well as the largest ever to take place on American soil. It was fought on June 9, 1863, around Brandy Station, Virginia, at the beginning of the Gettysburg Campaign by the Union cavalry under Maj. Gen. Alfred Pleasonton against Maj. Gen. J.E.B. Stuart's Confederate cavalry.

Union commander Pleasonton launched a surprise dawn attack on Stuart's cavalry at Brandy Station. After an all-day fight in which fortunes changed repeatedly, the Federals retired without discovering Gen. Robert E. Lee's infantry camped near Culpeper. This battle marked the end of the Confederate cavalry's dominance in the East. From this point in the war, the Federal cavalry gained strength and confidence.

Union casualties were 907 (69 killed, 352 wounded, and 486 missing, primarily captured); Confederate losses totaled 523. Some 20,500 men were engaged in this, the largest predominantly cavalry battle to take place during the war.

Stuart argued that the battle was a Confederate victory since he held the field at the end of the day and had repelled Pleasonton's attack. The Southern press was generally negative about the outcome. The Richmond Enquirer wrote that "Gen. Stuart has suffered no little in public estimation by the late enterprises of the enemy." The Richmond Examiner described Stuart's command as "puffed up cavalry," that suffered the "consequences of negligence and bad management."

Subordinate officers criticized Pleasonton for not aggressively defeating Stuart at Brandy Station. Maj. Gen. Hooker had ordered Pleasonton to "disperse and destroy" the Confederate cavalry near Culpeper, but Pleasonton claimed that he had only been ordered to make a "reconnaissance in force toward Culpeper," thus rationalizing his actions.

For the first time in the Civil War, Union cavalry matched the Confederate horsemen in skill and determination. Stuart falling victim to two surprise attacks, which cavalry was supposed to prevent, foreshadowed other embarrassments ahead for him in the Gettysburg campaign.

Prelude to Gettysburg: The Battle of Brandy Station - Gettysburg National Military Park (U.S. National Park Service)

www.nps.gov

The Battle of Brandy Station - Essential Civil War Curriculum

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I deer hunt there every year. We have a hunting lease there and in Culpeper. You can still find musket balls pretty easily after a heavy rain in a fresh tilled field in certain areas of Culpeper from where they were encamped. My buddy has mason jars full of them. Lots of history up around there. Good deer hunting now too.

injinji said:

Uncle Bobby, the famous bank robber in the wife's family fought in the Korean War. Folks say he turned out like he did because of the war, but family says he was always that way.

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My dad was on Pork Chop Hill with the 7th ID as a .30 cal machine gunner when the armistice was signed. He had only been there 10 months so he didn't have to pull his full year and was lucky because Pork Chop was a nasty place to be stationed then. Not that anywhere was good. The Korean War Memorial in DC is really a good one to visit if you have a chance. It's across the mall from the Vietnam Memorial.

FirstCavApache64 said:

My dad was on Pork Chop Hill with the 7th ID as a .30 cal machine gunner when the armistice was signed. He had only been there 10 months so he didn't have to pull his full year and was lucky because Pork Chop was a nasty place to be stationed then. Not that anywhere was good. The Korean War Memorial in DC is really a good one to visit if you have a chance. It's across the mall from the Vietnam Memorial.

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My Dad spent a year in Da Nang - I have his journal he kept. The nickname for that place was very appropriate.
He was a Korean war vet as well.

GreatwhiteNorth said:

My Dad spent a year in Da Nang - I have his journal he kept. The nickname for that place was very appropriate.
He was a Korean war vet as well.

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Vietnam was a mess. My Uncle did the equivalent of 4 tours over there. He went over right after graduation from West Point as a green Liutenant and came home wanting to go back. So he joined the newly formed Special Forces and trained to be a Ranger and Green Beret. Then he spent 3 years in the Northern part of the country training Montagnard rebels and guerilla fighting VC units with them in small units. He's a little wacky to say the least. I lost a cousin over there as well. It was a horrible place to have to fight a war. Glad your dad made it home safely. His journal must be a real treasure.

I just posted about Woody, RIP

BarnBuster said:

I just posted about Woody, RIP

Hershel Williams, a Hero in the Battle for Iwo Jima, Dies at 98 (Published 2022)

He was the last of the 27 Marines and Navy servicemen who received Medals of Honor in the 36-day fight for the Japanese island.

www.nytimes.com

Congresswoman calls for legislation allowing Woody Williams to lie in state

Rep. Miller posted a statement again Wednesday following Williams' death.

www.wtap.com

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If you ever see someone wearing that top ribbon ya better stand the FU(K up and salute!

Oops.
I had wondered where this had gone as have not heard about the outcome for quite some time.
Edit: Link is safe - it's an MSN article.

GreatwhiteNorth said:

If you ever see someone wearing that top ribbon ya better stand the FU(K up and salute!

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I've had the honor to meet a MOH recipient once. He was an Army medic in Vietnam. He spoke to our graduation class at Ft Sam Houston. I believe he died years ago. There was a air about him, you could tell we went thru some sh*t.

I've wondered how Capt. Brett Crozier has faired, can never find anything current on him or assignment. His last Linked in notation:

Director, Naval Aviation ReadinessDirector, Naval Aviation Readiness
Commander, Naval Air Force, PacificCommander, Naval Air Force, PacificApr 2020 - Mar 2022 · 2 yrsApr 2020 - Mar 2022 · 2 yrsSan Diego, CaliforniaSan Diego, California

• Responsible for the funding and scheduling of 11 aircraft carriers and 170 Naval Aviation Squadrons to include the execution and management of a $7.9B program that resources the operations and maintenance of all Naval Aviation forces across the globe.

but nothing after that

doublejj said:

I've had the honor to meet a MOH recipient once. He was an Army medic in Vietnam. He spoke to our graduation class at Ft Sam Houston. I believe he died years ago. There was a air about him, you could tell we went thru some sh*t.

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I got to meet one as well in the atrium of the exchange on Scott AFB - I don't recall his name, but I made sure I shook his hand and told him he was greatly appreciated.

You normally don't get to meet them in person as most are awarded posthumously.

Today in Military History:


At 7:30 a.m on July 1, 1916, the British launch a massive offensive against German forces in the Somme River region of France. The Battle of the Somme, which took place from July to November 1916, began as an Allied offensive against German forces on the Western Front and turned into one of the most bitter and costly battles of World War I.

British forces suffered more than 57,000 casualties—including more than 19,000 soldiers killed—on the first day of the battle alone, making it the single most disastrous day in that nation’s military history. By the time the Battle of the Somme (sometimes called the First Battle of the Somme) ended nearly five months later, more than 3 million soldiers on both sides had fought in the battle, and more than 1 million had been killed or wounded.

Prior to the attack, the Allies launched a week-long heavy artillery bombardment, using some 1.75 million shells, which aimed to cut the barbed wire guarding German defenses and destroy the enemy’s positions. On the morning of July 1, 11 divisions of the British 4th Army (many of them volunteer soldiers going into battle for the first time) began advancing on a 15-mile front north of the Somme. At the same time, five French divisions advanced on an eight-mile front to the south, where the German defenses were weaker.

Allied leaders had been confident the bombardment would damage German defenses enough so that their troops could easily advance. But the barbed wire remained intact in many places, and the German positions, many of which were deep underground, were stronger than anticipated. Along the line, German machine gun and rifle fire cut down thousands of the attacking British troops, many of them caught in no man’s land.

Some 19,240 British soldiers were killed and more than 38,000 wounded by the end of that first day—almost as many casualties as British forces suffered when the Allies lost the battle for France during World War II (May-June 1940), including prisoners.

Trench Warfare & War of Attrition
Other British and French forces had more success to the south, these gains were limited compared to the devastating losses sustained on that first day of battle. But Haig was determined to press on with the offensive, and over the next two weeks the British launched a series of smaller attacks on the German line, putting increasing pressure on the Germans and forcing them to divert some weapons and soldiers from Verdun.

Early on the morning of July 15, British troops launched another artillery barrage followed by a massive attack, this time on Bazentin Ridge, in the northern part of the Somme. The assault took the Germans by surprise, and the British were able to advance some 6,000 yards into enemy territory, occupying the village of Longueval. But any small advance continued to come at the expense of heavy casualties, with the Germans losing 160,000 soldiers and the British and French more than 200,000 by the end of July.

Near the end of August, with German morale running low due to lost ground both on the Somme and at Verdun, Germany’s General Erich von Falkenhayn was replaced by Paul von Hindenburg and Erich Ludendorff. The command change marked a change in German strategy: They would build a new defensive line behind the Somme front, conceding territory but allowing them to inflict even more casualties on the advancing Allied troops.

Tanks Join the Battle
On September 15, during an attack at Flers Courcelette, the British artillery barrage was followed by an advance of 12 divisions of soldiers accompanied by 48 Mark I tanks, making their first-ever appearance on the battlefield. But the tanks were still early in their development stages, and many of them broke down before making it to the front line. Though the British were able to advance some 1.5 miles, they sustained some 29,000 casualties and fell short of a true breakthrough.

As October began, bad weather stymied another Allied attack, with soldiers struggling to cross muddy terrain under fierce fire from German artillery and fighter planes. The Allies made their final advance of the battle in mid-November, attacking the German positions in the Ancre River valley. With the arrival of true winter weather, Haig finally called the offensive to a halt on November 18, ending the battle of attrition on the Somme, at least until the following year. Over 141 days, the British had advanced just seven miles, and had failed to break the German line.

Legacy of the Battle of the Somme
More than anything else, the Battle of the Somme—and especially its devastating first day—would be remembered as the epitome of the brutal and seemingly senseless carnage that characterized trench warfare during World War I. British officers, especially Haig, would be criticized for continuing the offensive in spite of such devastating losses.

Many of the British soldiers who fought at the Somme had volunteered for army service in 1914 and 1915 and saw combat for the first time in the battle. Many were members of so-called Pals battalions, or units that were made up of friends, relatives and neighbors in the same community. In one poignant example of a community’s loss, some 720 men from the 11th East Lancashire battalion (known as the Accrington Pals) fought on July 1 at the Somme; 584 were killed or wounded.

Despite its failure, the Allied offensive at the Somme did inflict serious damage on German positions in France, spurring the Germans to strategically retreat to the Hindenburg Line in March 1917 rather than continue battling over the same land that spring.

Though the exact number is disputed, German losses by the end of the Battle of the Somme probably exceeded Britain’s, with some 450,000 soldiers lost compared with 420,000 on the British side. The surviving British forces had also gained valuable experience, which would later help them achieve victory on the Western Front.

Today in Military History:


The three-day Battle of Gettysburg began on July 1, 1863. It proved to be a turning point in the Civil War.

As measured by the number of troops engaged, the first day ranks as the 23rd biggest battle of the war. It began as an engagement between units of the Army of Northern Virginia under Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee and the Army of the Potomac under Union Maj. Gen. George Meade. Before the sun had set, it had escalated into a major battle — one that culminated in the outnumbered and defeated Union forces retreating to high ground south of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. About one quarter of Meade’s army, some 22,000 men, and one third of Lee’s army, roughly 27,000, joined in that day’s struggle.

In September of the previous year, Lee had ventured north into Maryland where, at Antietam, the bloodiest single day of the Civil War occurred. Although that battle was judged to be a draw, Lee’s invasion was turned back.

Emboldened by his subsequent victory at Chancellorsville, Virginia, Lee decided to once again invade the North. After emerging victorious at Gettysburg, Lee had hoped to strike at Harrisburg and Philadelphia, with the eventual goal of breaking the Union’s will to fight.

On June 30, Union Gen. John Buford had taken possession of Seminary Ridge west of Gettysburg. On July 1, Gen. George Reynolds arrived with the First Corps to assist Buford. Reynolds opened the battle but was struck by a bullet and killed before noon. His death set the tone for the day. While the first day of the clash proved to be a Confederate victory, by the following day the tide turned irrevocably in the Union’s favor.

The primitive nature of Civil War medicine, both in its intellectual underpinnings and in its practice in the armies, meant that many wounds and illnesses were unnecessarily fatal. Our modern conception of casualties includes those who have been psychologically damaged by warfare. This distinction did not exist during the Civil War. Soldiers suffering from what we would now recognize as post-traumatic stress disorder were uncatalogued and uncared for.

The Battle of Gettysburg left approximately 7,000 corpses in the fields around the town. Family members had to come to the battlefield to find their loved ones in the carnage. The blazingly hot July sun further complicated the unprecedented challenges of burying the dead, usually in shallow (12-18 inched deep) graves and trenches. Apart from the human carnage, some 5,000 horses and mules died in the battle. They, too, had to be collected and burned in great pyres, leaving a stench that hung over the area for weeks.



(Many of the Medal’s issuance’s were for picking up the fallen colors (Flag) and advancing thru heavy sustained rifle and cannon fire. The Flag was an important and reverent rallying symbol for open field charging troops. Sharpshooters on both sides targeted Standard Bearers before officers. bb) During the American Civil War, as in earlier conflicts, the flags of a combat unit (its "colors") held a special significance. They had a spiritual value; they embodied the very "soul" of the unit. Protecting a unit's flag from capture was paramount; losing one to the enemy was considered disgraceful . There were practical reasons for the flags as well, as the regimental flags marked the position of the unit during battle. The smoke and confusion of battle often scattered participants across the field. The flag served as a visual rallying point for soldiers and also marked the area where to attack the enemy. Carrying the colors for the regiment was the greatest honor for a soldier. Generally the flag bearers were selected or elected to their position by the men and officers of the unit. As one Union Colonel told his men, “the colors bear the same relation to the soldier as honesty and integrity do to manhood. It is the guiding star to victory. When in the smoke and din of battle the voice of the officer is drown by the roar of artillery, the true soldier turns his eye to the colors that he may not stray too far from it, and while it floats is conscious of his right and strength. Take it… guard it as you would the honor of the mother, wife or friend you left behind.”

Union
3,155 killed
14,529 wounded
5,365 missing & captured

Confederate
3,903 killed
18,735 wounded
5,425 missing & captured

happy 4th friends

Happy 4th