More Living History

H/T to Kurt via email for this one.

http://formerspook.blogspot.com/2008/05/last-of-tigers.html

http://www.mysanantonio.com/news/military/stories/MYSA.051008.METRO4BFlyingTigers.3897e91.html

Most people don’t know that Americans were volonteering for WW2 before Pearl Harbor.  Many think it just a Hollywood invention, a bit of propaganda to bolster the image of Americans in that period.  While it certainly has been propagandized, it is still none the less true.

Prior to the attack on Pearl Harbor, Americans were enlisting in the Royal Canadian Armed Forces, the RAF, and in 1940/41, a group volonteered to go help the Chinese against the Japanese under Claire Chennault.  This last group came to be known as the “Flying Tigers.”  They have been immortalized in a John Wayne film, and indirectly on a TV series (Black Sheep Squadron).  They have been enshrined in multiple museums and memorials in the US and China.

The group was recruited after an agreement between the Nationalist Chinese government of Chiang Kai-Chek and FDR.  Pilots, mechanics, and other personel were recruited from both the civilian and military ranks.  They would go to China (through Burma), anf fly P-40 Warhawks against the Japanese.  All on a minimal salary and bonus for each Japanese plane shot down.

In a rather brief period of time, the Flying Tigers made one heck of an impact.  Not only in terms of bolstering the image of Americans abroad, but in terms of combat effectiveness, reputation, and tactical lessons later applied in the war in the Pacific.  They operated for less than a year, yet made an indelible mark on the Chinese and their Japanese opponents.

Despite all this, these guys are only well known to students of WW2 history, their families, and those who served.  Much like the Tuskegee Airmen who came later, they are more often a footnote, rather than a main subject of history.  Despite popular movies, TV shows, and TV movies, they still don’t enter the general consciousness of people when the subject of WW2 comes up. 

These guys were special, in a time when special was the norm.  It’s not called our “greatest generation” for nothing you know.  We need to keep the memories of these guys and gals alive.  Not just for today, but for future generations as well. 

Semper Fi Jim Kean (Small Update)

http://www.thebostonchannel.com/news/16201750/detail.html

While I have no personal connection to Lt.Col. Jim Kean, his passing is just another one of those living bits of history that has now passed us by. 

I did not know Lt.Col. Kean, nor do I know anyone who did.  That does not matter.  He was a soldier, a Marine, and had to command one of the worst possible missions a soldier may be called upon to do.  He was one of the last men out of the US Embassy in Saigon (yes it’s Saigon, not that silly affectation that was put on it after 1975).

The story of those last days is well known, either by having lived through it, or from immediate family, or even just from the History Channel.  It was chaotic.  It was embarassing.  It had moments of great humanity, and some of the lowest facets of human nature.  Yet from all accounts, Colonel Kean maintained his composure, and kept the evacuation going, despite some over whelming conditions. 

The costs of that evacuation could have been much worse than what actually transpired.  Not only in terms of US casualties (4 Marines KIA), but in terms of civilian deaths from those swarming the ad-hoc helipad on the Embassy roof.  Yes, there were plenty of civilian deaths that day.  Most of them trampled to death in the rush to try and get to the Huey’s and Sikorsky’s running from the Embassy to a US Navy Task Force off the coast. 

Through all of that, Jim Kean did not only his duty, his job, but maintained a level of control, that is surprising in such a situation.  It may be a low point in US history, a shameful exodus after abandoning an ally, but what Jim Kean did that day, and during that whole operation, should be properly commended.

Rest in peace.

 

UPDATE:

http://www.fallofsaigon.org

A site dedicated to, and maintained by, the members of the Embassy, Consulate, and Personal Security Detachments in RVN in 1975.  For more information, some truly interesting stories and such not only about the Fall of Saigon itself, but of those who participated in the evacuation, go there and spend some time reading through it all.  It will be worth your time.

More from Zimbabwe

Well, it seems that old Robert Mugabe just can’t do enough to hold on to power.  Having lost the election, not only for parliament, but for his coveted presidency, and having failed to properly rig the electoral outcome, he’s now resorting to tried and true dictatorial tactics. 

I really had planned on waiting to comment more on this, as the story was becoming just “more of the same old same old” with police and military crack downs on the opposition, thugs roaming and beating people, destruction of opposition offices, etc.  But this CNN piece had a line that caught my attention.  Read the whole thing HERE.

The paasage in question is this: “On Wednesday, police arrested Harrison Nkomo, a lawyer who represented New York Times journalist Barry Bearak when Bearak was briefly detained last month, the rights group Human Rights Watch said. Bearak, a Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter based in Johannesburg, South Africa, spent four nights in jail in Zimbabwe on charges of “committing journalism” while covering the election.”

“Committing Journalism” is apparently a crime when covering the elections in Zimbabwe/Rhodesia.  I just had to laugh out loud at that one.  While I wasn’t exactly sorry for a “reporter” for the NY Times, not all of them are agenda driven morons.  Some do still believe in accuracy, honesty, and reporting facts not rumor.  Even so, in this case, I do think that the reporter, Nkomo, was essentially arrested for doing his job.  Of course the Mugabe regime doesn’t want the facts on teh ground in Harare or the rest of the country getting out.  So, it’s only “natural” that “committing journalism” would be a crime.

So now when you hear about how reporters are so “abused” or “mistreated” in the US, look here at Zimbabwe for what that really means.  And remember, thsi is not some right wing regime that’s trouncing on civil liberties and rights.  It’s an old school leftist.  And one who was once the darling of the liberal West.

Reason #8,659 Yankee Fans Suck

http://www.wmur.com/news/16163408/detail.html

 

Only a Yankee fan would take this so far.  And it;s not the first time either.  In years past Yankee fans have stabbed, shot, and otherwise assaulted opposing fans.  If one didn’t know better, one would swear they were English Soccer hooligans. 

Another Bit of History Passes

http://edition.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/europe/05/03/hitler.assassin.ap/index.html

Von Boeselager was the last of those who plotted to kill Hitler in 1944.  He was one of those who, along with the more famous Col. von Satuffenberg, tried to kill Hitler with a bomb in 1944.  This is often referred to as the July 20 Plot.

Von Boeselager provided the explosives for the briefcase bomb Von Stauffenberg used.  As the article states, he was well positioned to acquire them, and do so with out notice.  The real interesting bit, is where he was ordered off an assassination attempt because Himmler would not be at the meeting.

I really need to find the FAZ interview.  I’m sure it will provide a fascinating insight into that era, and those involved in trying to over throw Hitler.

NACBL April NY Mets wrap up

Well, the first month of the NACBL Startomatic league is in the books.  Has been for a couple of weeks now.  Just getting aorund to posting about it.

April was kind to my NY Mets.  We finished at 14-10, good enough for 2nd place in the division, behind the Pittsburgh Pirates.  This is my best start in several years.  Behind the solid arms of Brandon Webb and Jered Weaver, backed up by the dynamic duo of Hideki Okajima (0 runs so far), and Jonathan Papelbon.  The offense has been lead by super rookie Hunter Pence, with veteran help from Kenji Jojihma, Garret Atkins, and Junior Griffey.

Team leaders through the end of April:

AVG: Hunter Pence .362

Runs: Hunter Pence 19

RBI: Garret Atkins 19

HR: Atkins/Pence 6

SB: Pence 4

W: Webb/Weaver 4

L: Livan Hernandez/Jorge de La Rosa 3

SV: Papelbon 6

ERA: Webb 1.42

K: Webb 30

Taking on Rumsfeld

http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1736831-1,00.html

Let me be clear upfront about this.  What Gen. Sanchez says in this article in no way changes my opinion on the war.  I still hold the position that our involvement in Iraq was inevitable.  It was just a matter of when, and under what circumstances.  We were, and still are, more than justified in our actions, under UN Resolutions going back to 1991, and it was still the right thing to do (though I can quibble over the timing).

With that said, this is a highly disturbing excerpt.  I, and just about everyone else, thought Rumsfled was a bit of a controversial choice for SecDef.  He was “old school,” coming out of the immedaite post-Vietnam era under Gerald Ford, and had been “out of it” for several years prior to his appointment.  He also had a “difficult” past relationship with the Penatgon.

But this, if true, and I have little reason to doubt Gen. Sanchez, Rumsfled caused a lot more damage than had been previous thought.  Set aside the memo, and the 2006 situation.  That’s just the last act of this tragedy.  The issue is the climate, and lack of adminstrative over sight and control, not only of the Pentagon, but of the whole Department of Defense.

We are left with two distinct possibilities.  One is that Rumsfled knew excatly what was happening, signed off on it (as he is required to), and tried to cover his ass.  To further that end, he essentially bribed senior Pentagon officials and officers to “play ball,” and back his “I didn’t know” story line.  Unfortunately, this is the most likely scenario.  It gets worse in that Gen. Tommy Franks most likely co-operated in this endeavor to cover his own ass.  They botched the job, mainly to appease political expediency, and we got stuck.

The other, less likely scenario is that Rumsfeld in fact did not know, or was mislead by the CENTCOM staff.  This I find to be unbelievable in an extreme.  The implication would be that the Pentagon, specifically CENTCOM and the JCOS, acted on their own, with no knowledge or input from either the DOD or POTUS.  This is the stuff that conspiracy theorists thrive on.  I cannot subscribe to the idea that Rumsfeld was that ignorant, or stupid, and that the Pentagon staffers were running rogue.  It’s just too far fetched.

In any case, this must be investigated again.  Why again?  Because the Pentagon already did, and refutiated Rumsfeld’s claims, though he embargoed it.  That report, in its entirety needs to be made available to the concerned parties in the administration, and Congress.  It should not be for public consumption.  Why?  Because the public, and thus any enemy, current or potential, cannot gleem any valuable information from said report.  We do need to know the end results, but not all the specifics and details.  That and 99% of the public at large would have no clue of what they’re looking at.

Oh the Irony

Got this from a friend via email (H/T to Kurt):

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/7370903.stm

Tibetan protest flags made in China.  Oh the irony of it!  And the factory manager and workers had “no idea.”  LOL.  They thought they were just “colorful flags?”  I guess the education system in China is lacking after all. 

Well, in part the education system.  The main part is the tight censorship maintained over the news and other media outlets by the Beijing regime.  Which makes this even funnier, in that the internal policing apparatus missed a big one here.  Or maybe it’s just that the capitalist drive over came the totalitarian nature of the communist regime.

History on Cinemax

No, they aren’t doing something new and ground breaking.  Instead, they’re showing a film, a documentary, on a historical event.  I usually skip over the “Reel Life” section on Cinemax on Demand, or HBO’s documentary series.  They tend to be agenda driven pieces, bordering on over simplistic propaganda.  But this entry caught my eye as I cruised for something to watch.

The title alone caught my attention, Nanking.  Just that one word, the name of a city in China.  For those that don’t know (and shame on you if you don’t), Nanking was the capital of Nationalist china before 1938.  It was a cosmopolitain city of several hundred thousand people, located south west of the great port city of Shanghai.  In 1937, under a staged incident, Japan declared war on China.  following up on their land attacks from Manchuria, the Japanese invaded and took Shanghai, then pushed on to Nanking.

In just over three weeks, the Japanese forces pushed from Shanghai to Nanking, routing the Chinese forces before them.  In that time, the Japanese launched some 600+ air raids on Nanking.  Then hit the city with heavy artillery to break through the ancient walls that guarded the city.  What followed after the Japanese occupation was a war crime, a series of attrocities that is now better known as the Rape of Nanking.

In that time, and intrepid, and varied group of Westerners living in Nanking did all they could to save as much of the civilian population as they could.  They ranged from American missionaries to a German manager for Siemens (and Nazi party member).  Thrust into a situation of such insanity and barbarism, they held on tenaciously, each effort at the potential cost of their own lives.

I won’t go into any of the details here.  The film does it so much better. 

The film itself has several aspects.  First is the use of “name” actors to do stage readings of diary entries, letters, and memos from the actual participants.  People such as Jurgen Prochnow, Woody Harrelson, and Muriel Hemmingway lend their talents to the film.  Second is the use of interviews with survivors, and some Japanese participants.  These are truly powerful accounts, and you will find yourself breaking down with the survivors as they tell their stories.  Third is the use of archival footage.  Some comes from news reels, some from Japanese Kwangtung Army documents, some taken by the participants (which were smuggled out at great risk). 

More details can be found here:

http://www.hbo.com/docs/programs/nanking/index.html

http://www.nankingthefilm.com/

 

This is a film very much worth watching.  It is not an easy one to watch, as there are several instances of gruesome acts.  However, for those who wish to understand history, and what can still be called living history, this is worth watching.  Anyone of high school age or older, and especially anyone who wants to know more about WW2 should watch this.

 It’s set to debut on Cinemax Tuesday April 29 at 7PM Eastern and Pacific.  It is also currently available On Demand on Cinemax On Demand.

Ain’t this grand?

Ah, “civilized political discourse.”

http://www.nypost.com/seven/04232008/news/regionalnews/police__bush_basher_smashes_disabled_tee_107782.htm

As if all the corruption issues with the City Council’s “slush fund” wasn’t enough.

Beating up on a diabled girl, just beacuse she happens to like Laura Bush, and for her work with literacy, is just so mature.  I just bet there are at least several “big name” liberal bloggers who are now luading this individual.  Bah.  Hope he gets 3 years at Rikers.