The military mission in Libya is proceeding well, and has prevented a major humanitarian catastrophe according to President Obama in his weekly radio address. Please see the following link for more detail.
Defense.gov News Article: Obama: Coalition Mission Succeeding in Libya.
It may seem a little strange to see a discussion of Liz Taylor here, but in addition to all the glamor, and her humanitarian efforts, I remember seeing her at 0-dark-hundred down at ground zero. It was somewhere around 09/14/01, and Liz Taylor shows up in the middle of the night to thank all the soldiers and civilian volunteers for doing what they’re doing, and wishing them to be safe. RIP Liz!
This was the first semi-automatic rifle generally issued to any nation’s infantry, and was used by the United States from World War II until the early part of the Vietnam War. It is still currently in use by drill teams, honor guard. Civilians also like them as a hunting weapon. Although its’ history could be traced back to pre-production in 1916, it went through a lot of trial before been adopted in 1939. Its design issues continued, and changes were made until around 1941. It was successful on the battlefield and General George Patton even called it “the greatest implement of battle ever devised.”
Deadly Trivia – When the clip of the M1 empties, it ejects with a distinctive sound. Japanese and German soldiers began to use the metallic sound to recognize when American troops had to reload, and thus attack.
Visit our flickr site for some more photos.
Led by LTC Ray Mechmann, VCASNY FA, members of the VCA prepare to march down 5th Avenue for the historic 250th annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade. For those of you who may have recorded the event (on NBC), you will also see the VCA marching pass the reviewing stand at approximately 1211 hours.
Don’t forget to join us for the big July 4th Commemoration at Battery Park in a few months. That is the VCA’s biggest event of the year, and it ends with the 51 fun salute to the nation.
See you then
Please join the Veteran Corps of Artillery on Thursday March 17th as it marches down 5th Avenue in celebration of the NYC 250th St. Patrick’s Day Parade. The VCA will provide a Color Guard and other troops beginning at 11AM. Also participating in the parade will be New York’s own “The Fighting 69th”. If you follow this blog, you might remember that the VCA and 69th march together for the commemoration of the “Irish Brigade”, during December. For more information please visit http://nycstpatricksparade.org/
For those of you interested in naval history, please visit the U.S. Naval War College site to review “To Train the Fleet for War: The U.S. Navy Fleet Problems, 1923-1940”. Written by PFC Albert Nofi, the book “Examines in detail, making extensive use of the Naval War College archives, each of the U.S. Navy’s twenty-one “fleet problems” conducted between World Wars I and II, elucidating the patterns that emerged, finding a range of enduring lessons, and suggesting their applicability for future naval warfare.” It has also received “Honorable Mention for the Theodore and Franklin D. Roosevelt Prize in Naval History, 2011”
February 28, 2011 – Frank Woodruff Buckles the last surviving American WWI Veteran dies at the age of 110 in his West Virginia home. 16-year-old CPL Buckles lied about his age (Telling them he was 18) to the Marines and Navy, but they told him to go home. Finally an enterprising Army recruiter signed him on the spot after the CPL said he was 21 🙂 In 1942, he was a civilian, but he was captured by the Japanese when they invaded the Philippines. He spent three and a half years in the Los Baños prison camp. He was rescued on February 23, 1945.
For the full story, please go to defense.gov.
22 February 2011 – Jamaica Armory, NY – The VCA attends the St. Barbara’s feast in support of the 258th FA. St. Barbara is the patron saint of Artillery.
LTC MICHAEL K. HOBLIN, BN/CDR 258th FIELD ARTILLERY cordially invites members of the Veteran Corps of Artillery to attend the Annual Saint Barbara’s Celebration conducted at the New York State Armory 93-05 168th Street, Jamaica, New York, 11433 on Tuesday, February 22, 2011, at 1900 hrs. To reserve your seat at this auspicious event, contact SSGT Roger Levy at e-mail– garyowene6@aol.com. Please see previous memo for payment information.
So says the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff in front of the House Armed Services Committee. Adm. Mike Mullen and SecDef Robert Gates warn that the Defense Department face a crisis if they are forced to operate under a continuing resolution with less money than it needs. The decrease of $23 Billion dollars has forced the services to take “disruptive and sometimes irreversible steps” that make the military less effective than they should be.
What are your thoughts?
For the complete story, please go to defense.gov
