Of all the Engineer units in the United States Army during World War II there was one that stands out the most to historians and engineers alike. The 291st Engineer Combat Battalion was one of the most decorated engineer combat battalions of the United States Army during World War II. With notable success throughout the entirety of the war. However the most notable accomplishments of this unit connect it to two of the most critical battles of the war and has been said to contribute to the overall end and success of the war with those contributions during the Battle of the Bulge and the Battle of Remagen. During World War II the United States Army had multiple branches and units that were critical to the success of the overall war.…
At this point, the Confederate hold on Fort Fisher was untenable. The seaward batteries had been silenced, almost all of the north wall had been captured, and Ames had fortified a bastion within the interior. Terry, however, had concluded to finish the battle that night. Ames, ordered to maintain the offensive, organized a flanking maneuver, sending some of his men to advance outside the land wall, and come up behind the Confederate defenders of the last traverse. Within a few minutes the Confederate defeat was unmistakable.…
James M. McCaffrey, the author of the historical novel “Army of Manifest Destiny: The American Soldier in the Mexican War 1846-1848”, writes about American soldiers during the Mexican-American War. The Mexican-American War was a huge contribution to the history of the United States and what it is today. He describes America’s first foreign war, the Mexican-American War, through the day-to-day experiences of the American soldiers in battle and camps. McCaffrey states “The purpose of the present work, then, is to look at the war from the viewpoint of the common soldier’s experiences. What prompted them to enlist in the first place?…
Assuming command of the 4th Armored Brigade Combat Team (ABCT) is an honor and a privilege. It is truly a humbling opportunity to be selected to command an exceptional unit with a storied history of mission readiness and success. The past few weeks of observing the unit, in addition to, careful analysis of more recent historical documents from Army research organizations such as the Center for Army Lessons Learned (CALL) and Center for Army Leadership (CAL) have provided necessary insight in understanding the unit’s current state of readiness, culture, and organizational structure. However, derived from this insight, it is supposed that the 4th ABCT’s current operating conditions contain numerous culture gaps and friction points between…
¨I don't think I would stay¨ ¨would you?¨ In 1776 the Continental Army was going through a very pugnacious time at the winter camp that was set up at Valley Forge. It wasn't a pleasure to stay at that place at the time, but those people managed to stay alive while being there. In fact, in 1777 up to 2,500 people died due to illness. People didn't have a very good chance of surviving at that time, as a matter of fact, people living at the camp had about 10% chance that they would receive sickness, coupled with wars and fights. In 1776 it wasn't very pleasing to live at the winter camp in Valley Forge.…
Instant association has to be the highest honor an individual cannot be formally given, by that I mean there are many individuals throughout society that are instantly synonymous with a given profession. Individuals who would fit this bill would be Babe Ruth to baseball, John Wayne to acting, Muhammad Ali to Boxing, and then there is those men and women few and far between the have the distinguished honor of serving for the United States. The Individuals include General George Patton, Dwight D. Eisenhower, and George Washington, but easily and sadly forgotten is the single most decorated service member in U.S. military history Lieutenant Audie Murphy. Lieutenant Audie Murphy was a man originating from humble begins in Hunt County, Texas, from…
The American Revolutionary War is very much revered as a “man’s war”. The most recognizable figures from this era were mainly male, however there were several heroines involved in the story of how the United States came to be. Women were often overlooked as viable soldiers, their roles were mostly focused on the upkeep of the base. These jobs included being a laundry maid, waitress, and seamstress for the base residents that could afford it. These roles were neither glamorous nor glorious, and much like the female gender at the time, was looked down upon as unimportant.…
People go through their lives every single day without batting an eye at what is happening behind the scenes. Every government has done something wrong, something atrocious, or even something just plain ridiculous. When people think of a conspiracy they probably go straight for something involving the Nazis or Hitler, but did you know there are conspiracies involving the very United States of America? There are plenty of truths in those conspiracies as well and many of them are more horrifying than any nightmare you could ever have in your life and are like something you would find in a modern horror film, but they are all too real. There have been records of the government committing heinous crimes without even the media knowing, which…
Marine Corps War Memorial Patriotism is often associated with Americans in response to the emotional pride in their nations land, culture, present day achievements, and history. However one's devotion to what they love may come with the dismissal of cynical actions. The remembrance of major events in our lives through memorialization keeps us either sane or feel a sense of unity among our community. Memorials are important to the American people, which are constructed by artists to provide visual and spiritual remembrance of achievements, American progress, uniqueness, and honor. The way we interact with memorials, contribute to the purpose of its creation.…
General Curtis LeMay: “Iron Ass” Grenade The Second World War held the developments as well as progress in technology that came as a result of the lessons learned in the First World War. However, the area with the most improvement was in the effectiveness of airpower. Airpower had previously been used for reconnaissance and photography. It was only towards the end of World War I that the technology to fit planes with guns and artillery was developed so it did not have much strategic effect on the outcome of the war.…
The Good Soldiers by David Finkel is a non-fiction account of the harsh realities of war. After reading this novel, it becomes clear that America as a country is truly blind to not only how difficult it is for soldiers at war to witness the moments in battle, but also the daily activities that maintain their ability to survive. Written with candor by the Washington Post journalist Finkel who spent 8 months with a group of Iraq war soldiers known as the 2-16, his honest and heartbreaking depiction of the trials and tribulations of war and the toll it took on these men both physically and mentally leaves readers heartbroken and emotionally scarred. In the novel, Finkel chooses not to write from the first person perspective even though he witnessed the events take place.…
This is Commanding General of US Army Forces Command, Robert Bruce "Abe" Abrams. He approved charging Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl with desertion. The General; however, did this knowing his career will probably be over. Ouyr coward in our White House is likely plotting how to ruin the General's reputation for upsetting his attempt to whitewash what Bergdahl did.…
At the highest levels, the Commander in Chief and his advisors decide how we will react to global and national events. They plan on a large scale and make preparations to lead the military and civilian sectors through a given situation. At this point the cyclical Operations Process begins trickling down through the various levels of higher leadership and driving the Troop Leading Procedures in lower level leadership. Since the two processes are so intertwined, it is easy to draw parallels between…
Twelve years after leaving the military service, Brigadier General Felix A. Brawner (Ret) on June 10, 2000 of the Scout Ranger fame gave his debut recital in Camp Aguinaldo at the Association of Generals and Flag Officers (AGFO) center. The explanation of General Brawner as to why it was entitled as “No guts, no glory” is simple when a person for the first time that he will perform on stage there is a possibility of trembling because of fear that is not far to happen. But if the person has the guts he will be able to control that fear. Meaning to say a person must develop the guts so that you will be able to project and that glory is singing. The concert was organized by his wife Dr. Rita Brawner who was actively singing in a number of charity…
Memoirs of an Infantry Officer is a book written by Siegfried Sassoon about World War I. This fictional account of Siegfried’s life during and immediately after the war was first published in 1930. Not long after its release, it was renowned as a classic, and it was even more successful than its predecessor, Memoirs of a Fox-Hunting Man--Sassoon’s first book in his trilogy of autobiographical war novels. This particular book, Memoirs of an Infantry Officer covers the period of time from 1915 to 1917; Sassoon’s time on the front line, the Battle of the Somme, his time recovering from wounds and injuries, his protest about the war, and finally ends with him being sent to Craiglockhart.…