Friday

                           Musings and History

Quote of the day,

“Park all the planes in tight circles so they can be more easily guarded. The biggest threat to us is sabotage.”

                       US Army General Walter Short, Hawaii, 1941

General Short was responsible for the United States Army Air force planes being decimated by the Japanese at Pearl Harbor even though Washington experts had told him that an airborne attack by the Japanese from the sea was likely if not imminent. By the way, the Japanese naval task force was well on its way to Hawaii by December 2, 1941.

               This Date in History  December 2

1777 Legend has it that a woman named Lydia Darrah overheard British General William Howe planning a surprise attack on US General George Washington at Whitemarsh, New Jersey. Originally General Howe had his headquarters across the street from the Darrah home. The problem was that Howe’s house did not have a room big enough for a meeting of all his staff. So Howe commandeered the upstairs office in the Darrah house for his staff meetings. Little did he know that Lydia was taking notes. When she learned of the planned surprise attack she sewed a note inside of one her aprons and asked for permission to go to a flour mill just across the lines. While there she gave her note to a Patriot officer named James Craig and he got the note to Washington. When Howe and his troops arrived at Whitemarsh he found Washington and his troops dug in and ready. After three days of inconclusive skirmishing, Howe said “To hell with it” and went back to New York. The CIA holds Lydia Darrah in high esteem as being on of the first spies in American history.

1985 John Gotti cements his position as the head of the Gambino Crime family in New York. He did it the honorable way. He knew that the present Godfather Paul “Big Paul” Castellano and his driver Thomas “Fat Tommy” Biliotti were going to Sparks Steak House for dinner. Gotti had three assassins waiting and Paul and Tommy were gunned down on the sidewalk in a hailstorm of gunfire. Gotti got to his position with the Gambino family by ruling over the Howard Beach area of New York with an iron hand. John was a nappy dresser. He wore expensive suits and got $300 haircuts. He was taken to trial several times but always was able to beat the wrap and gained the nickname “The Teflon Don”. His luck ran out in 1994 when he was convicted on a RICO charge and was given life. He was sent to the Federal prison in Springfield, Missouri where he died of throat cancer in 2002.

1859 In Charles Town, Virginia John Brown is hanged. Brown was born in Connecticut in 1800.and became a violent anti-slavery advocate. This guy did not fool around. He would kill at the drop of a hat if he even thought you were an advocate of slavery. What brought Brown to the gallows was his raid on the US armory at Harper’s Ferry, Virginia. He had intentions of capturing the armaments there and distributing them to the slaves that he was positive would come to his side when they found out about the raid. The problem was that the slaves in the immediate community did not know of the raid and he had no way to haul artillery. US Colonel Robert E. Lee and Captain J.E.B. Stuart and a brigade of Marines were sent to re-capture the Arsenal. Lee, Stuart and the Marines had little trouble in suppressing Brown and his motley crew. There were songs written about Brown and his bravery and dedication to the “cause”. Not in my opinion. He was a terrorist that got what he deserved no matter how dedicated.

Births and deaths:

1981 The queen of white trash Brittany Spears is born. She said “One of the perks of being famous is that you get to go abroad, like to Canada.”

1990 US Composer Aaron Copeland dies. He said “As long as human spirit thrives on this planet, music in some living form will accompany and sustain it and give it expressive meaning.”

I suppose all of you remember when the USS Cole was attacked by a terrorist bomber while it was taking on fuel in Yemen. The following is who the ship is named for.

The President of the United States takes pride in presenting the MEDAL OF HONOR posthumously to

SERGEANT DARRELL S. COLE

UNITED STATES MARINE CORPS RESERVE

for service as set forth in the following CITATION:

For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty while serving as Leader of a Machine-gun Section of Company B, First Battalion, Twenty-Third Marines, Fourth Marine Division, in action against enemy Japanese forces during the assault on Iwo Jima in the Volcano Islands, 19 February 1945. Assailed by a tremendous volume of small-arms, mortar and artillery fire as he advanced with one squad of his section in the initial assault wave, Sergeant Cole boldly led his men up the sloping beach toward Airfield Number One despite the blanketing curtain of flying shrapnel and, personally destroying with hand grenades two hostile emplacements which menaced the progress of his unit, continued to move forward until a merciless barrage of fire emanating from three Japanese pillboxes halted the advance. Instantly placing his one remaining machine gun in action, he delivered a shattering fusillade and succeeded in silencing the nearest and most threatening emplacement before his weapon jammed and the enemy, reopening fire with knee mortars and grenades, pinned down his unit for the second time. Shrewdly gauging the tactical situation and evolving a daring plan of counterattack, Sergeant Cole, armed solely with a pistol and one grenade, coolly advanced alone to the hostile pillboxes. Hurling his one grenade at the enemy in sudden, swift attack, he quickly withdrew, returned to his own lines for additional grenades and again advanced, attacked, and withdrew. With enemy guns still active, he ran the gauntlet of slashing fire a third time to complete the total destruction of the Japanese strong point and the annihilation of the defending garrison in this final assault. Although instantly killed by an enemy grenade as he returned to his squad, Sergeant Cole had eliminated a formidable Japanese position, thereby enabling his company to storm the remaining fortifications, continue the advance and seize the objective. By his dauntless initiative, unfaltering courage and indomitable determination during a critical period of action, Sergeant Cole served as an inspiration to his comrades, and his stouthearted leadership in the face of almost certain death sustained and enhanced the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service. He gallantly gave his life for his country.

               Thanks for listening I can hardly wait until tomorrow