The FReeper Foxhole Remembers the 31st RCT at the Chosin Reservoir (Nov. 1950)- Nov. 27th, 2003

Army History Foundation ^ | Matthew J. Seelinger, AHF Research Historian

[SAMWolf]

At about 1300 hours on 28 November, MG Almond flew into the 1/32 perimeter to confer with MacLean and Faith. Seemingly unaware of the crisis at hand, Almond announced that Task Force MacLean would press on with the attack, claiming that the Chinese facing them were nothing more than the remnants of retreating units. He then added, “We’re going all the way to the Yalu. Don’t let a bunch of Chinese laundrymen stop you.” MacLean made no objection to Almond’s order, despite the fact that the task force was in no position to attack. Both Almond and MacLean would later be criticized for their failure of command east of Chosin. Almond never fully appreciated the enemy’s strength, while MacLean failed to give Almond a clear picture of the situation facing his own task force.



At around midnight on 29 November, the CCF 80th Division attacked Task Force MacLean once again. The fighting was savage, often hand to hand. At around 0200, MacLean, still in the 1/32 perimeter, ordered the battalion to withdraw south in the darkness to the 3/31’s perimeter, taking all weapons and wounded with them. The move was to be a temporary one to consolidate forces before attacking, as ordered by Almond, the following day.

After disabling and abandoning several vehicles and loading the wounded into trucks, MacLean, Faith, and the 1/32 began moving south at 0500. Darkness and falling snow made the maneuver difficult, but fortunately, the CCF did not attack. Along the way, the task force gathered up the 31st Heavy Mortar Company, which was located halfway between the 1/32 and 3/31 and had supported the two battalions during the CCF attacks.

By dawn, the battalion reached the 3/31 perimeter, only to find it under heavy enemy attack. Without communications, attempting to enter the perimeter would be an extremely hazardous operation. Furthermore, the Chinese had created a roadblock at a bridge on the road leading into the perimeter. Faith led a party of men that successfully drove the CCF off the bridge and cleared the block. MacLean then came forward in his jeep. He spotted a column of troops whom he believed were his overdue 2/31. The troops within the 3/31 perimeter, however, began firing on the column, much to the dismay of MacLean. The troops were actually Chinese. MacLean, still believing they were American, ran towards them, shouting, “Those are my boys.” He dashed out onto the frozen reservoir towards the perimeter, attempting to stop what he believed was friendly fire. Suddenly, CCF troops concealed near the bridge fired on MacLean, hitting him several times. MacLean’s men watched in horror as an enemy soldier grabbed him and dragged him into the brush.

Looking northeast from middle of Task Forth Faith's Inlet Perimeter position.
The CCF had over-run this position the night of November 27-28. Several American dead, in sleeping bags, lie in the foreground

Unfortunately, there was no time to attempt a rescue of MacLean. Faith had to focus on getting his men into the 3/31 perimeter. With the men crossing the frozen stream on foot and the vehicles with the wounded dashing across the bridge, most of the column made it into the perimeter.

Once in, Faith surveyed the carnage. Hundreds of American and CCF dead littered the ground. The 3/31 had suffered over 300 casualties and its L company had ceased to exist. With MacLean gone, Faith assumed command and did his best to strengthen the perimeter. Marine air controller CPT Stamford also called in for Marine close air support and an airdrop for desperately needed supplies, especially 40mm and .50 caliber ammunition. Faith then sent out search parties to look for MacLean, with no luck. MacLean was declared missing, but later, an American POW stated that MacLean died of wounds on his fourth day of captivity and was buried by fellow POWs. He was the second and final American regimental commander to die in Korea.

On the morning of the 29th, Drake’s 31st Tank Company made another attempt to reach the 3/31 perimeter, only to be driven back to Hudong by CCF troops dug in on Hill 1221. For the remainder of the day the newly designated Task Force Faith remained in position. With nearly 500 wounded, the force was in no position to carry out the attack ordered by Almond. Yet, Faith had no authority to order a withdrawal. The situation was helped somewhat by Marine close air support and an airdrop of supplies, although the drop lacked 40mm and .50 caliber ammunition. A Marine helicopter also flew out some of the most serious wounded. Task Force Faith’s situation, however, remained desperate, particularly since it had still had not established communications with the Marines or the 7th ID HQ.

MG Dave Barr, commander of the 7th ID, flew in by helicopter to bring Faith more bad news. All the units of X Corps, including Task Force Faith, now under operational command of the Marines, were to withdraw. The Marines would provide Faith with air support, but other than that, the men would be on their own. To make matters worse, the task force was burdened with wounded, which would make their withdrawal even more difficult. Furthermore, the 31st’s CP, the 31st Tank Company, and the HQ Battery, 57th FAB, had evacuated Hudong for Hagaru-ri, further isolating Task Force Faith.

Eastern part of Inlet Perimeter, morning November 28, 1950.
Litter parties are gathering American dead killed when the CCF over-ran the position the previous night. Two Chinese dead lie in the foreground.

At about 2000, the CCF launched another attack. While killing large numbers of Chinese, Task Force Faith suffered another 100 casualties. Faith soon concluded his force could not survive another major attack. He summoned his remaining officers and told them to prepare to move out at 1200. The task force, after destroying its artillery, mortars and other equipment, began to move south, carrying 600 wounded in thirty trucks.

With a twin 40mm gun vehicle leading the way, the column began to move at around 1300 hours. It immediately came under fire. Stamford called in Marine air support, but the lead plane’s napalm canisters hit the front of the column, engulfing several soldiers and creating panic throughout the task force.

The situation quickly grew worse. Heavy fire from the flanks killed many of the wounded in the trucks. The fire grew more intense as the column reached Hill 1221, which dominated the surrounding area. At the north base of the hill, the CCF had blown a bridge, forcing a two-hour delay as the lead A/A vehicle had to winch the thirty trucks across a stream. A roadblock then held up the task force, while the CCF troops on the hill kept up their heavy fire. There was only one way to break through: take Hill 1221. Several hundred men charged up the hill, including many of the wounded, some of whom said they preferred to die on the attack than while waiting in the trucks. Despite heavy casualties, the men drove the CCF off most of the hill. Many, however, simply kept going over the hill and down the other side, venturing out onto the frozen reservoir and walking towards Hagaru-ri.

The task force then ran into another block at a hairpin turn. Faith led an assault that cleared the enemy from it. However, he was struck by enemy grenade fragments and mortally wounded. Once Faith was lost the command structure of Task Force Faith collapsed. As the 1/32’s S-1, Robert Jones, described it, “When Faith was hit, the task force ceased to exist.” Faith would later be posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor.

A Battery, 57th Field Artillery Battalion, Inlet Perimeter, November 28, 1950. The CCF over-ran this position the previous night, and American dead are in the foreground, killed in their sleeping bags.

While some such as Jones and Stamford tried to provide leadership, Task Force Faith quickly fell apart. Another roadblock, this one comprised of disabled tanks from the 31st Tank Company and other vehicles, furthered delayed the column. At Twiggae, the CCF had blown another bridge, forcing the column to attempt a risky crossing of a railroad trestle. All the while, the vehicles were under fire. Many men left the trucks to hide or tried to escape over the reservoir. Many died from wounds and exposure, or were captured.

Just north of Hudong, the task force ran into yet another roadblock. This spelled the end for Task Force Faith. The CCF brought heavy fire to bear on the column. CCF troops lobbed grenades and fired rifles into the trucks, killing masses of wounded. Those who could escape ventured out onto the reservoir and began the arduous march to the Marine lines at Hagaru-ri.

During the night of 1-2 December, survivors straggled into the Marine lines. Many came through a sector held by the Marine 1st Motor Transport Battalion. LTC Olin L. Beall, commander of the battalion, led a rescue mission across the ice by jeep, picking up over 300 survivors, many suffering from wounds, frostbite, and shock. In all just over 1,000 survivors reached the Marine lines, and of those, only 385 could be considered able-bodied. The survivors, along with other 7th ID soldiers, were organized into a provisional battalion and attached to the 7th Marines. Known as the 31/7, the battalion participated in the 1st Marine Division’s breakout from Hagaru-ri to the coast beginning on 6 December.

For years afterward, the saga of Task Force MacLean/Faith had been largely ignored. Many believed that the collapse and panic that engulfed the task force had brought great shame to the Army. Upon closer examination, the task force’s role in the Chosin battle proved to be much more noteworthy. Many historians now agree that Task Force MacLean blocked the Chinese drive along the eastern side of Chosin for five days and allowed the Marines along the west side to withdraw into Hagaru-ri. Furthermore, the task force destroyed the CCF 80th Division. In recognition of their bravery, Task Force MacLean/Faith was awarded a Presidential Unit Citation in September 1999.

[SAMWolf]

Unsung Heros of the Korean War
Task Force MacLean/Task Force Faith

On Nov. 27, 1950, X Corps, in what has been called “the most ill-advised and unfortunate operation of the Korean War,” ordered the First Marine Division and the Army’s Task Force MacLean to attack north from their positions west and east of the Chosen Reservoir. The operation was designed to take pressure off Eighth U.S. Army units 50-air-miles to the west, which was under heavy attack from the Chinese Communist Forces (CCF) 130,000 man Thirteenth Army Group, which had just entered the war. Unbeknownst to those ordering the attack, the 120,000-man CCF Ninth Army Group was lying in wait.


Captured 31st Infantry Regiment Standard, on display in the Beijing Korean War Museum

Task Force MacLean, named for the commander of the U.S. Seventh Infantry Division’s 31st Infantry Regiment, Colonel Allan D. “Mac” MacLean, had been formed in mid-November, 1950, to relieve First Marine Division elements east of the Chosin Reservoir. It consisted of the Second and Third Battalions, 31st Infantry Regiment (2/31 and 3/31), and the M-26 Pershing tanks of the regiment’s heavy tank company; the First Battalion, 32d Infantry Regiment (1/32), under the command of Lieutenant Colonel Don C. Faith; the 105-mm dusters from D Battery, 15th Antiaircraft Artillery (Automatic Weapons) Battalion.

By Nov. 27, 1950, the task force had relieved the Fifth Marine Regiment, which joined the rest of the First Marine Division farther north to the west of the reservoir. The force had taken up positions east of the reservoir with Faith’s 1/32 to the north, the 3/31 and two 105-mm batteries farther south and still further south at the village of Hudong, the rear command post and the tank company. The 2/31 and one battery of 105-mm howitzers was lagging far behind and had yet to arrive. Counting 700 attached Republic of Korea (ROK) troops; Task Force MacLean was some 3,200 men strong.

Soon after arriving at Hudong, MacLean had sent his I&R (Intelligence and Reconnaissance) platoon out to scout enemy locations. It disappeared without a trace. That night three CCF divisions struck the Marines west of the reservoir, and the CCF 80th Division struck Task Force MacLean. The battle of Chosin Reservoir had begun. Usually portrayed as a Marine epic, the travail of the Army’s Task Force MacLean has been largely ignored.

“Finally reaching Hudong, they
found that the regimental tank
company, which they believed
would prove to be their salvation,
had already been withdrawn
to Hagaru.”


CCF from 80th Division enter Inlet Perimeter after disorganized 1st Battalion begins breakout. Dead American soldier lies in foreground.

With his task force strung out north to south along the east bank of the reservoir and vulnerable to defeat in detail (having his battalions picked off one at a time), MacLean was hard pressed from the start. The 1/32 had suffered 100 casualties, and the 3/31 had also taken severe losses. The next day, when his tanks attempted to move up in support, they were attacked by Chinese gunners using American 3.5-inch antitank rocket launchers and were forced to retreat. When the CCF resumed the attack on the night of Nov. 28-29, MacLean withdrew 1/32 south into the 3/31 perimeters. In the process MacLean was gunned down and captured (he later died in captivity); and with the 3/31 commander, Lieutenant Colonel William R. Reilly severely wounded, Faith assumed command. Task Force MacLean had become Task Force Faith.

Again the regiment’s tank company at Hudong four miles to the south tried to break through, and again they were repulsed. On Nov. 30, 1950, Faith was ordered to fight his way south to the perimeter at Hagaru at the southern tip of the Chosin Reservoir, then under the command of the First Marine Regiment’s Colonel Lewis B. “Chesty” Puller. Hampered by some 500 wounded and by temperatures that at times reached 35-degrees-below-zero, Faith found his task force surrounded and abandoned. Transferred from Seventh Division to First Marine Division control, they were told by the hard-pressed Marines that they would have to fend for themselves. Under heavy CCF attack again on the night of Nov. 30, Task Force Faith suffered another 100 casualties. Knowing he could not survive another such attack, Faith put his 600 wounded on trucks and began to move south. Attacked not only by CCF mortars and small arms fire, but also by U.S. aircraft that mistakenly dropped napalm on his lead elements, Faith’s column was stopped by a series of CCF roadblocks and Faith himself severely wounded by a Chinese grenade. Finally reaching Hudong, they found that the regimental tank company, which they believed would prove to be their salvation, had already been withdrawn to Hagaru. It was the end of Task Force Faith. In the CCF final assault on the column, Colonel Faith (who was subsequently awarded the Medal of Honor posthumously for his actions during the withdrawal) was killed, as were most of the other wounded. Only 385 of the task force’s 3,200-man force survived.


Task Force Faith Survivors on ice of Chosin Reservoir, 12/1/50

“The fate that overtook Task Force Faith,” wrote Army historian Roy E. Appleman, “was one of the worst disasters for American soldiers in the Korean War.”

Irene L. Mandra

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All the equipment and vehicles of two Infantry Battalions, the 57th Field Artillery Battalion and D Battery 15th AAA AW Battalion were lost in the fighting east of Chosin between November 27 and December 2, 1950. Not a single vehicle, artillery piece, mortar or machine gun of these units was saved. This debacle is in grim contrast to the withdrawal of the gallant Marine Regiments who successfully fought, and broke through, the same enemy, under the same conditions, bringing out most of their equipment and dead, and nearly all their wounded.

The reasons for this disaster, given the obvious heroism of many individual officers and men of 31 RCT, are still debated but must call into question the preparation of 31 RCT by X Corps command, training methods of Army Infantry in general, and command leadership of the US Army. Specifically, as compared to the USMC.


This Chinese photograph shows the Task Force Faith convoy destruction.

1st Marine Division C.O. General O.P. Smith and his battle-hardened Regimental Commanders had deliberately slowed their advance into the Taebecks in spite of demands for haste from X Corps commander Army General Almond. In their view, any advance must always be based on adequate preparation and support. This procedure subsequently allowed the 1st Marine Division to coordinate its infantry, artillery, armor and air units during the fight-out, even preparing a crude air-field at Hagaru-ri for logistical support. Among other activities, this airfield enabled evacuation of over 4,000 wounded and frost-bitten Marines and Soldiers during Dec 2-5. This included more than 1500 7th Division troops, with all 31st RCT survivors unfit for duty. Without the stubborn professional approach of the experienced Marine command staff and its veteran leadership at all fighting levels, the tragedy east of Chosin would have been a much more general disaster too terrible to contemplate.

As one veteran said, "Thank God for the Marines."

Additional Sources:

www.coalitionoffamilies.org
31rct.tripod.com
www.army.mil
www.rt66.com

[SAMWolf]

The following are exclusively the writings of the men of the 31st RCT. Stating details of the battle or their own opinion about the battle at the Chosin Reservoir.

-Since the ARMY RECORDS of the fight at Chosin were stamped "Secret " for 40 yrs, there was much confusion about awards. Back then Washington and politicians didn't want info out on our lack of winter gear, support, bad corps, HQ plans, and most of all, our losses (heads would roll).ER

-Only from RECORDS OBTAINED FROM THE CHINESE did we find that our 2 short handed 1/2 ROK infantry battlions (+ part of an artillery bn & part of an AAA company) outfought the 80 & 81 CCF divisions that were reinforced by other CCF units brought over from the Fusen Reservoir area, for 5 nights and 4 days. After Chosin these CCF divisions were not able to go into combat because we had chewed them up. ER

-I am what's left of 3PLT/K/31ST. Robertson and Francious are the only Chosin men living who saw me in combat. My buddy was Forest Polling. Others in the Platoon I remember are Johnson, Rodriguez, Seaborn, Chavez, King, Margan, Cox, Conforti, Kelly.

-31st I Co
-MEDINA was a medic that was wounded at the big road block but was still treating the wounded (he got a silver star).FS

-LEWIS SHANNON was in a group of 5 or 6 who led me and a large group of wounded from the road block where Col Faith was killed to Hagaru-ri. FS

-Spent most of my time with MAJOR STORMS. Major Storms and I left Chosin in the withdrawal together, and we got separated after a couple miles. Didn't know he was dead until I read the book. DM

-I didn't know that LTC FAITH had moved his unit into ours until after I read East of Chosin. DM

-I saw LTC REILLY lst while he was propped up against one of the buildings after he was wounded, and I was stringing a telephone wire from the switchboard to the Command Post, and he looked up at me and kept his eyes on me while I was doing it. He looked so helpless and that was upsetting to me, I wondered who was running the show. DM

-LTC REILLY was wounded in the legs with MG fire, shrapnel from grenades thrown in the window (3 BN CP), put out of action when a concussion grenade exploded against his forehead. 28 Nov refused to leave his men while they were engaged with ChiCom. Gen Barr had to fly in with an observation plane and order him to let the men put him on. Now deceased, he was one very brave man and we were lucky to have him as BN CO. ER

-31ST I CO TONY MEDINO was killed in a fox hole with me, GORDON LEE, the mail clerk and DOMINICK CATALDO were also in the same hole. GORDON LEE was wounded and made it home, I never saw TONY MEDINO or DOMINICK CATALDO again. ROBERT STAFFORD and TONY MEDINO, left behind or possibly on a truck that did not make it out.MM 31st

-CAPTAIN MARR, I COMPANY commanding officer, my self and TOM J. MORRIS (POW), who was firing a machine gun from the hip. We three were the last men coming out of the chosin reservoir from the 31st RCT. MM 31st

-I remember a statement that Walter Winchell made in 1951. I think was the same chaplain that made the statement about the 7th DIV, he was court marshalled for FALSE STATEMENTS HE MADE AGAINST THE 31st RCT. MM 31st

-When I got bck to the Marine base, a tank commander told us you are lucky we did not open fire on you people. (I had been wounded 2 times and had frozen feet.) I told the Sgt that the war was where we were and why they did not help us get out. The MARINES DID NOT KNOW we were in front of them. MM 31st

-One thing that no one ever points out - if the 7thID men at Chosin had not stayed and held as long as they did the Marines may not have gotten out of that area. More men from the 7TH ID WERE LOST BECAUSE THEY HELD rather than withdrawing to Hagaru sooner as they should of done. Further note that they should have taken to the ice on the reservoir and many more may have gotten out easier. After the withdrawing convoy broke up most of the men that came out went out via the ice. But what may have been is rather late. JN, 57th FA

-No one mentions the fact that there was a FULL MOON. The moon was so bright you could only move when the moon went behind the clouds, or else the Chinese would fire at you. You had to be perfectly still. If you moved, chances are you got hit or killed. WS 31st, I Co

-...Add the snow ending and a FULL MOON to light the area for your final withdrawal, that advantage not so much in your favor but the enemy that controls the night and a final and fatal road block against you. Your lack of adequate ammunition to defend yourself, not alone to aid the column of hundreds of wounded placed in trucks. RV, 57th FA

-In South Korea we had been told about the NORTH KOREANS INFILTRATING OUR LINES wearing American uniforms obtained from captured or killed American soldiers. Just having these ROK's in our area and our uniforms mase us jittery. In the Task Force MacLean Faith area at Chosin it was highly confused situation. In the consolidated perimeter we were forced to defend, all the battalions were mixed together. RV, 57th FA

-One of the safeguards we observed in Korea-as in all wars-was the assigned daily USE OF PASSWORDS, those picked at random and designed to make it difficult for the Koreans or Chinese to pronounce. Examples would be Helter-reply-Skelter; Abraham-reply-Lincoln; Cairo-reply-Egypt, etc. So problems other army divisions had would be multiplied one-third for our division, plus that reality, that we could be more easily infiltrated by North Koreans dressed in acquired army uniforms, by no means a reassuring situation. RV, 57th FA
-INCHON-Here the 7th Division was doing what the Marine command would not do later at Chosin, split two regiments by miles, one heading north, the other heading south, the regiment unable to secure its own flanks. AlmOnd was indeed spreading us thin. RV, 57th FA

-Then I was able to tell them of the very brave men I was priviliged to serve with in Korea; of the CCF EXECUTING THE WOUNDED when NOT ONE pleaded for mercy or showed the CCF and fear. ER, 31st K Co

-But some (ROK's) were valuable without question, as one with our small group after the break-up of the Task Force Faith at Hudong-ni, on the early morning hours of December 2, 1950, many men would die this night. The Korean taking shelter in a hut with some of us survivors went out for assistance and brought back an elderly North Korean couple, they brought us some food and broth-dog soup-the woman making a sling for my injured arm, and provided information of the Chinese in the area, with some of that information the South Korean could point the way around the enemy strongholds onto the ice of the Chosin Reservoir. RV, 57th FA

-Of the 'ICE MARINES' who went up to 11 miles into enemy areas on and around the reservoir ice rescueing 350 severly wounded and bringing them back. ER, 31st K Co

-Of LT COL OLIN BEALE AND PFC RALPH MILTON picking me off the ice (under enemy fire but not a flinch) and giving me a jeep ride to a hospital plane. ER, 31st K Co

-The only problem was reloading with COLD numb hands. Changjin Journal 10/29/00 HB

-CONDITION OF 3BN 31ST TROOPS. (Before Chosin) They had just covered a 140 mile, 2 day, non- stop march through high mountains on PM of 27SEP. The last 11 miles Hagaru-ri to the "Inlet" troops froze in the open back of marine 6X trucks, then climbed the ridge to dig in at dusk. That night the exhausted men at the inlet were 'greeted' by the CCF. ER, 31st K Co

-HOW CHINESE ATTACKED, American positions, came running in mass, spread only a few yards apart, yelling and screaming, "GI surrender," making noise with bugles and whistles, and continued to come, running over their own dead and wounded until they were killed. LS, 31st I Co

-I Company was caught in an ambush when it was moving in pursuit of the enemy at such speed that it could not put out flank guards. LS, 31st I Co

[SAMWolf]

Thanksgiving Proclamations

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THANKSGIVING DAY 1863

By the President of the United States : a Proclamation

...In the midst of a civil war of unequaled magnitude and severity, which has sometimes seemed to foreign states to invite and to provoke their aggression, peace has been preserved with all nations, order has been maintained, the laws have been respected and obeyed, and harmony has prevailed everywhere, except in the theater of military conflict, while that theater has been greatly contracted by the advancing armies and navies of the Union...

...I do therefore invite my fellow-citizens in every part of the United States, and also those who are at sea and those who are sojourning in foreign lands, to set apart and observe the last Thursday of November next as a day of thanksgiving and praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the heavens.

ABRAHAM LINCOLN

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THANKSGIVING DAY 1898

By the President of the United States : a Proclamation

...The skies have been for a time darkened by the cloud of war, but as we were compelled to take up the sword in the cause of humanity we are permitted to rejoice that the conflict has been of brief duration and the losses we have had to mourn, though grievous and important, have been so few, considering the great results accomplished, as to inspire us with gratitude and praise to the Lord of Hosts...

WILLIAM McKINLEY

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THANKSGIVING 1917

By the President of the United States : a Proclamation

It has long been the honored custom of our people to turn in the fruitful autumn of the year in praise and thanksgiving to Almighty God for His many blessings and mercies to us as a nation. That custom we can follow now even in the midst of the tragedy of a world shaken by war and immeasurable disaster, in the midst of sorrow and great peril, because even amidst the darkness that has gathered about us we can see the great blessings God has bestowed upon us, blessings that are better than mere peace of mind and prosperity of enterprise.

WOODROW WILSON

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THANKSGIVING DAY, 1943

By the President of the United States : a Proclamation

God’s help to us has been great in this year of march towards world-wide liberty. In brotherhood with warriors of other United Nations our gallant men have won victories, have freed our homes from fear, have made tyranny tremble, and have laid the foundation for freedom of life in a world which will be free. Our forges and hearths and mills have wrought well; and our weapons have not failed. Our farmers, Victory gardeners, and crop volunteers have gathered and stored a heavy harvest in the barns and bins and cellars. Our total food production for the year is the greatest in the annals of our country...

FRANKLIN D. ROOSEVELT

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THANKSGIVING DAY, 1953

By the President of the United States : a Proclamation

As a Nation much blessed, we feel impelled at harvest time to follow the tradition handed down by our Pilgrim fathers of pausing from our labors for one day to render thanks to Almighty God for His bounties. Now that the year is drawing to a close, once again it is fitting that we incline our thoughts to His mercies and offer to Him our special prayers of gratitude... Especially are we grateful this year for the truce in battle-weary Korea, which gives to anxious men and women throughout the world the hope that there may now be an enduring peace.

DWIGHT D. EISENHOWER

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THANKSGIVING DAY, 1967

By the President of the United States : a Proclamation

...Over the years, we have made Thanksgiving a unique national occasion. Thanking God for His goodness, we thank Him as well for the promise and achievement of America. Our reasons for gratitude are almost without number.... Much as we are grateful for these material and spiritual blessings, we are conscious, in this year, of special sorrows and disappointments. We are engaged in a painful conflict in Asia, which was not of our choosing, and in which we are involved in fidelity to a sacred promise to help a nation which has been the victim of aggression. We are proud of the spirit of our men who are risking their lives on Asian soil. We pray that their sacrifice will be redeemed in an honorable peace and the restoration of a land long torn by war...

LYNDON B. JOHNSON

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THANKSGIVING DAY, 1991

By the President of the United States : a Proclamation

...As we continue the Thanksgiving tradition, a tradition cherished by every generation of Americans, we reflect in a special way on the blessings of the past year. When this Nation and its coalition partners took up arms in a last-resort effort to repel aggression in the Persian Gulf, we were spared the terrible consequences of a long and protracted struggle. Indeed, the millions of people who prayed for a quick end to the fighting saw those prayers answered with a swiftness and certainty that exceeded all expectations. During the past year, we have also witnessed the demise of communism and welcomed millions of courageous people into the community of free nations.

GEORGE BUSH

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THANKSGIVING DAY, 2003

By the President of the United States : a Proclamation

....America is a land of abundance, prosperity, and hope. We must never take for granted the things that make our country great: a firm foundation of freedom, justice, and equality; a belief in democracy and the rule of law; and our fundamental rights to gather, speak, and worship freely.

These liberties do not come without cost. Throughout history, many have sacrificed to preserve our freedoms and to defend peace around the world. Today, the brave men and women of our military continue this noble tradition. These heroes and their loved ones have the gratitude of our Nation.

GEORGE W. BUSH

[SAMWolf]

Veterans for Constitution Restoration is a non-profit, non-partisan educational and grassroots activist organization. The primary area of concern to all VetsCoR members is that our national and local educational systems fall short in teaching students and all American citizens the history and underlying principles on which our Constitutional republic-based system of self-government was founded. VetsCoR members are also very concerned that the Federal government long ago over-stepped its limited authority as clearly specified in the United States Constitution, as well as the Founding Fathers' supporting letters, essays, and other public documents.

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Tribute to a Generation - The memorial will be dedicated on Saturday, May 29, 2004.

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Actively seeking volunteers to provide this valuable service to Veterans and their families.

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[radu]

May everyone have a happy and safe holiday weekend!!

To our troops near and far and to our veterans, we are thankful to you for doing your part in ensuring our Freedom.
radu and hubby - aka Dana and Petey

[SAMWolf]

Morning Radu. Happy Thanksgiving.

[radu]

Duuuuuh! I must need to put myself to bed.....I hit "post" just a tad too soon. LOL!

see #6

[radu]

Good morning, SAM. You're up late.

I hope you and your family have a fantastic day tomorrow, er...later today.

[snippy_about_it]

FALL IN to the FReeper Foxhole!



Good Thursday Morning Everyone



If you would like added to our ping list let us know.

[snippy_about_it]

From the FReeper Foxhole's
SAM & Snippy
~

A Happy and Blessed
Thanksgiving to Everyone!

God Bless America!

[E.G.C.]

Happy Thanksgiving from our house to yours!!!!!

Folks, our local ISP number is down and I'm using and out-of-town number so my trips to the internet will be limited. Thanks for your understanding and indulgence.

[Soaring Feather]

Good morning everyone in THE FOXHOLE!

[Valin]

On this Day In History


Birthdates which occurred on November 27:
1701 Anders Celsius Sweden, scientist, inventor (centigrade temp scale)
1746 Robert Livingston delivered oath of office to George Washington
1804 Sir Julius Benedict Stuttgart Germany, opera composer (Protoghesi)
1809 Frances Anne "Fanny" Kemble England, Shakespearian actress (Juliet)
1857 Sir Charles Scott Sherrington 1932 Nobel Laureate in Medicine & Physiology; author of the classic "The Integrative Action of the Nervous System"; discoverer of Sherrington's Law; coiner of the terms "neuron" and "synapse".
1865 Jose Asuncion Silva Colombia, poet (Nocturno III)
1867 Charles Koechlin Paris France, composer (Jacob Chez Luban)
1874 Chaim Weizmann Israeli statesman (1st President)
1874 Charles A Beard American historian (American Continentalism)
1900 Leon Barzin Brussels Belgium, conductor (NY City Ballet 1948-58)
1901 Ted Husing NYC, sportscaster (Monday Night Fights)
1903 Johnny Blood aka John McNally, early NFL halfback (Green Bay)
1909 James Agee American writer (The African Queen)
1912 David Merrick Broadway producer (Hello Dolly)
1917 "Buffalo" Bob Smith Buffalo NY, TV host (Howdy Doody)
1921 Alexander Dubcek headed Czech Communist Party (1968-69)
1932 Benigno Aquino Jr Philippine opposition leader; assassinated
1937 Gail Sheehy writer (Hustling)
1940 Bruce Lee San Francisco CA, karate star/actor (Green Hornet)
1942 Jimi Hendrix rock guitarist (Jimi Hendrix Experience-Purple Haze)
1944 Eddie Rabbitt Brooklyn, country singer (I Love a Rainy Night)
1945 Barbara Anderson Brooklyn, actress (Eve-Ironside, Mission Impossible)
1951 Jayne Kennedy Wash DC, sportscaster (CBS)/actress (Body & Soul)
1952 James D Wetherbee Flushing NY, Lt Cmdr USN/astronaut (STS-32, sk:46)
1954 Curtis Armstrong actor (Moonlighting)
1954 Patricia McPherson Oak Harbor Wash, actress (Bonnie-Knight Rider)
1957 Caroline Kennedy Schlossberg JFK's daughter
1959 Charlie Burchill rocker (Simple Minds-Breakfast Club)
1960 Ken O'Brien QB (NY Jets)
1962 Calvin Hayes rocker (Johnny Hates Jazz-Turn Back the Clock)
1963 Fisher Stevens Chicago, actor (My Science Project, Short Circuit)
1964 Rebecca Michelle Ferratti Helena Mt, playmate (Jun, 1986)
1964 Robin Simone Givens [Mrs Mike Tyson] NYC, (Darlene-Head of the Class)
1965 Fiachna O'Broanain rocker (Hothouse Flowers-Don't Go)
1976 Jaleel White Los Angeles CA, actor (Steve Urkel-Family Matters)

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Deaths which occurred on November 27:
8 -BC- Horace Latin poet & satirist, dies (birth date unknown)
0511 Clovis, 1st King of France, dies at 45
1680 Athanasius Kircher, German Jesuit/inventor (lantern), dies
1887 U.S. Deputy Marshall Frank Dalton, killed in the line of duty near Fort Smith, Ark.
1934 Baby Face Nelson shot by FBI agents
1953 Eugene O'Neill playwright, dies in Boston at 65
1965 Harry Harvey Sr actor (It's a Man's World), dies at 64
1972 Mahalia Jackson, vocalist (Got Whole World in His Hands), dies at 61
1975 Ross McWhirter Guinness Book of Records keeper, is murdered
1978 George Moscone (San Francisco Mayor) & City Sup Harvey Milk shot by Dan White
1981 Lotte Lenya singer/actress, dies in NY at 83
1984 Percy Norris deputy high commissioner of India, shot dead
1986 Steve Tracy actor (Percival-Little House on the Praire), dies at 61
1988 John Carradine actor, dies at 82 of kidney failure

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Reported: MISSING in ACTION

1968 GURNSEY EARL F.---GEORGETOWN CA.
[RELEASED BY SIHANOUK 01/06/69, DECEASED 29 MAY 82]
1968 STUIFBERGEN GENE PAUL---AUGUSTA MI.

POW / MIA Data & Bios supplied by
the P.O.W. NETWORK. Skidmore, MO. USA.

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On this day...
0043 BC Octavian, Antony and Lepidus form the triumvirate of Rome
399 St Anastasius I begins his reign as Catholic Pope
1095 In Clermont, France, Pope Urbana II makes an appeal for warriors to relieve Jerusalem. He is responding to false rumors of atrocities in the Holy Land.
1759 Town officials in Stratford-upon-Avon, England, evicted the Rev. Francis Gastrell from William Shakespeare’s home after he cut down a 150-year-old tree that had been planted by the famed writer.
1815 Cracow (Poland) declared a free republic
1817 US soldiers attack Florida Indian village, beginning Seminole War
1839 American Statistical Association organizes in Boston
1843 The opera "The Bohemian Girl" is produced (London)
1868 Lieutenant Colonel George A. Custer's 7th Cavalry kills Chief Blackkettle and about 100 Cheyenne (mostly women and children) on the Washita River.
1870 NY Times dubs baseball "The National Game"
1885 Earliest photograph of a meteor shower made
1887 U.S. Deputy Marshall Frank Dalton, brother of the three famous outlaws, is killed in the line of duty near Fort Smith, Ark.
1889 1st permit issued to drive a car through Central Park (Curtis Brady)
1890 1st signal box for San Francisco Police Department goes into operation
1895 Alfred Nobel establishes Nobel Prize
1898 Side-wheeler "Portland" sinks off Cape Cod, 190 die
1901 Army War College established in Washington DC
1903 The opera "Die Heugierigen Frauen" is produced (Munich)
1910 NY's Penn Station opens as world's largest railway terminal
1912 Albanian National Flag adopted
1912 Spanish protectorate in Morocco established
1924 57,000 watch a High School football game in LA
1926 110,000 watch Army & Navy play a 21-all tie
1926 KXL-AM in Portland OR begins radio transmissions
1926 Restoration of Williamsburg, Virginia, begins
1937 Pro-labor musical revue "Pins & Needles" opens, produced by ILGWU
1941 USSR begins a counter offensive causing Germany to retreat
1941 British 13th Army corp reaches Tobruk
1942 French navy at Toulon scuttles ships & subs so Nazis don't take them
1945 Gen George C Marshall named special US envoy to China
1947 Joe DiMaggio wins his 3rd MVP, beating Ted Williams by 1 vote
1951 1st rocket to intercept an airplane, White Sands, NM
1957 Army withdraws from Little Rock AR, after Central HS integration
1954 Alger Hiss, convicted of being a Soviet spy, is freed after 44 months in prison.
1958 USSR abrogates Allied war-time agreements on control of Germany
1960 Gordie Howe becomes 1st NHLer to score 1,000 points
1960 Trailing 38-7 late in 3rd quarter, Buffalo Bills tie Broncos at 38-38
1961 Gordie Howe becomes 1st to play in 1,000 NHL games
1965 1st French satellite launched, France becomes 3rd nation in space
1966 In highest-scoring NFL game, Wash Redskins defeat NY Giants 72-41
1967 Beatles release "Magical Mystery Tour"
1967 Gold pool nations pledge support of $35 per ounce gold price
1967 Charles DeGaulle vetoes Great Britain's entry into the Common Market again.
1970 George Harrison releases 3 album set "All Things Must Pass"
1970 Pope Paul VI wounded in chest during a visit to Philippines by a dagger-wielding Bolivian painter disguised as a priest
1971 Soviet Mars 2 becomes 1st spacecraft to crash land on Mars
1972 Yanks trade Ellis, Torres & Spikes to Indians for Nettles & Moses
1973 Senate votes 92-3 to confirm Gerald R Ford as VP
1975 Fred Lynn became 1st rookie to win the MVP
1980 Soyuz T-3 carries 3 cosmonauts to Salyut 6 space station, launched
1982 5th time Rangers shut-out Islanders 3-0
1983 Colombian Avianca Airlines Boeing 747 crashes in Madrid killing 185
1985 Republic of Ireland gains consultative role in Northern Ireland
1989 Colombian jetliner bombed killing 107
1989 George Harrison releases "Cheer Down" & "Poor Little Girl"
1989 US 63rd manned space mission STS 33 (Discovery 9) returns from space
1990 Britain's conservatives chose John Major to succeed Margaret Thatcher
1991 Undertaker beats Hulk Hogan to become new WWF champ
2000 A day after George W. Bush was certified the winner of Florida's presidential vote, Al Gore laid out his case for letting the courts settle the nation's long-count election.

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Holidays
Note: Some Holidays are only applicable on a given "day of the week"
Paraguay : Flag Day
Burma : National Day
Cuba : Martyrs' Day
Israel : Weizmann Day
Mass : John F Kennedy Day (1963) (Sunday)
Bern Switzerland : Onion Market Day-autumn festival (Monday)
US : Thanksgiving (TODAY)
International Drum Month

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Religious Observances
RC : Commemoration of the Miraculous Medal

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Religious History
1095 In France, Pope Urban II solemnly proclaimed the First Crusade at the Council of Clermont. Urban's twin_purpose was to relieve the pressure by the Seljuk Turks on the Eastern Roman Empire, and to secure free access to Jerusalem for Christian pilgrims.
1755 Land for the first Jewish settlement in America was purchased by Joseph Salvador, who bought 10,000 acres near Fort Ninety_Six, in the southern part of the Carolina Colony.
1862 Birth of Adelaide Pollard, Presbyterian hymnwriter. Plagued with frail health most of her life, she lived the life of a mystic. Of the several hymns she penned, "Have Thine Own Way, Lord" is still popular today.
1950 American missionary martyr Jim Elliot wrote in his journal: 'What gets me into the Kingdom, from Christ's own statement, is not saying "Lord, Lord," but acting "Lord, Lord."'
1953 English Christian apologist C.S. Lewis wrote in a letter: 'Anxiety is not only a pain which we must ask God to assuage but also a weakness we must ask Him to pardon __ for He's told us to take no care for the morrow.'

Source: William D. Blake. ALMANAC OF THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH. Minneapolis: Bethany House, 1987.

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Thought for the day :
"Thanksgiving, after all, is a word of action."

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Question of the day...
Why do people park in driveways and drive on parkways?

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Murphys Law of the day...(Hellrung's Law)
If you wait, it will go away.
(Shevelson's Extension) ...
having done its damage.
(Grelb's Addition) ...
if it was bad, it will be back.

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Astounding fact #9...
Penguins can jump as high as 6 feet in the air.

[snippy_about_it]

Happy Thanksgiving EGC !

[snippy_about_it]

Happy Thanksgiving radu!

[snippy_about_it]

Happy Thanksgiving feather!

[snippy_about_it]

Happy Thanksgiving SAM !

[Soaring Feather]

And to you snippy!

ooooooooo fancy font! I like it!!
I am off to my daughters, see you later!!

[snippy_about_it]

This Thanksgiving, after reading this account of these many lives lost and wounded and such confusion on the battlefield (this was their Thanksgiving), I am reminded to be thankful for these men. Because of them and others I sit here warm and peaceful at home.

Thank you SAM for bringing this important story of sacrifice to the Foxhole on this day.