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Posted on 11/27/2003 12:01:14 AM PST by SAMWolf
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 are acknowledged, affirmed and commemorated.
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| Our Mission: The FReeper Foxhole is dedicated to Veterans of our Nation's military forces and to others who are affected in their relationships with Veterans. In the FReeper Foxhole, Veterans or their family members should feel free to address their specific circumstances or whatever issues concern them in an atmosphere of peace, understanding, brotherhood and support. The FReeper Foxhole hopes to share with it's readers an open forum where we can learn about and discuss military history, military news and other topics of concern or interest to our readers be they Veteran's, Current Duty or anyone interested in what we have to offer. If the Foxhole makes someone appreciate, even a little, what others have sacrificed for us, then it has accomplished one of it's missions. We hope the Foxhole in some small way helps us to remember and honor those who came before us.
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Thanksgiving, 1950 When most people think of the Chosin Reservoir, they think about the Marines and Chesty Puller, but there was another unit trapped at the Chosin, the 31st Regimental Combat Team of the US Army 7th Infantry Division, better know as Task Force MaClean. About 3000 American soldiers came. Over 1,000 stayed forever. They fought and died on a 10-mile stretch of frozen, snow-covered dirt road on the east side of the Chosin Reservoir.  In late November 1950, a conclusion to the Korean War appeared to be close at hand. U.S., Republic of Korea (ROK), and various U.N. units had advanced deep into North Korea in an attempt to destroy any remaining North Korean People’s Army (NKPA) units and reunite Korea under one government. Some units had even reached the Yalu River, which separated Korea from Communist China. But just as U.N. forces launched what was hoped to be the final offensive, hundreds of thousands of Communist Chinese soldiers poured into Korea, overwhelming the U.N. troops and completely changing the nature of the war. Fighting in extreme cold and over rugged terrain, the Americans and their allies were forced to retreat south down the Korean peninsula, suffering heavy casualties along the way.  CCF troops prepare to advance and assault the 31st RCT They would virtually destroy 1st Btn, 32nd Infantry Regiment For one U.S. Army unit, the intervention of Chinese Communist Forces (CCF) resulted in absolute disaster. The 31st Regimental Combat Team, better known as Task Force MacLean (later known as Task Force Faith), comprised of elements of the 7th Infantry Division, was virtually annihilated east of the Chosin Reservoir. The experiences of the American soldiers who fought and died in the frigid cold of the Chosin area proved to be some of the most harrowing and tragic in the history of the U.S. Army. In late November 1950, Task Force MacLean and the rest of the 7th Infantry Division were part of the U.S. Army’s X Corps, under the command of MG Edward M. Almond. X Corps had been steadily advancing up the eastern side of the Korean peninsula and was pressing on towards the Yalu. On 24 November, the Eighth Army, under the command of LTG Walton H. Walker, which had been advancing north along the western side of Korea, went on the offensive. GEN Douglas MacArthur, commander of all U.N. forces in Korea, hoped this offensive would finally end the war, hopefully by Christmas. Yet, MacArthur and many on his staff were soon to make one of the worst military intelligence blunders in U.S. Army history. Ignoring reports of contact with CCF troops, MacArthur ordered the Eighth Army and X Corps to push on to the Yalu.  Colonels MacClean and Faith On the night of 25 November, one day after Eighth Army began its offensive, the CCF struck Eighth Army with massive numbers of troops. Thousands of Chinese soldiers, armed with burp guns and grenades, with bugles blaring, swarmed the American positions. Several American units were overrun and destroyed. The CCF onslaught took MacArthur and the U.N. forces completely by surprise and almost instantly changed the tide of the war. Soon, Eighth Army was in full headlong retreat southward. Despite the CCF attack, the X Corps offensive scheduled for 27 November proceeded according to plan. The offensive called for the corps to strike west towards Mupyong, northeast of Kunu in the CCF rear, cut the Chinese supply lines, and possibly envelop the CCF in front of Eighth Army. The attack would be spearheaded by the 1st Marine Division, under the command of MG O.P. Smith, which would advance up the west side of the Chosin Reservoir, with the 7th Infantry Division (led by Task Force MacLean) along the east side of Chosin and the 3rd Infantry Division guarding the Marines’ flanks.  CCF 79th or 80th Division troops in assault on 1st Btn 32nd Infantry Regiment Task Force MacLean, under the command of COL Allan D. “Mac” MacLean, commander of the 31st Infantry Regiment, had been formed in mid-November to relieve elements of the 1st Marine Division east of the Chosin Reservoir. MacLean, a 1930 graduate of West Point, had served as a staff officer in the European Theater during World War II. After the war, he commanded the 32nd Infantry in Japan. Later assigned to Eighth Army’s G-3 section, MacLean served as Walker’s personal “eyes and ears” during the early days of the Korean War. In early November1950, he eagerly accepted command of the 31st Infantry, a unit he had served with in the Philippines early in his career. Task Force MacLean consisted of the following units: the 2nd and 3rd Battalions, 31st Infantry (2/31 and 3/31); the 31st Tank Company; the 1st Battalion, 32nd Infantry (1/32), under the command of LTC Don C. Faith; the 57th Field Artillery Battalion, equipped with 105mm howitzers; and a platoon of eight antiaircraft vehicles (M19s with dual 40mm cannon and M16 quad-.50 halftracks) from D Battery, 15th Antiaircraft Artillery (Automatic Weapons) Battalion. In all, Task Force MacLean numbered about 3,200 men, including 700 ROK soldiers.  On 25 and 26 November, the lead elements of Task Force MacLean, Faith’s 1/32 Infantry, relieved the 5th Marines, which redeployed to join the rest of the 1st Marine Division along the west side of Chosin. However, due to delays with the rest of the task force’s redeployment, the 1/32, which occupied the 5th Marines forwardmost positions, stood alone without artillery support for a full day. Don Faith, commander of the 1/32 Infantry, was considered one of the most promising officers in the Army. The son of a retired brigadier general, he had been handpicked from the Officer Candidate School at Fort Benning by then MG Matthew B. Ridgway to serve as his aide-de-camp. He served with Ridgway throughout Europe and jumped with the 82nd Airborne Division on D-Day. In battle, Faith was considered a virtual clone of Ridgway: intense, fearless, aggressive, and unforgiving of error or caution.  Most of the remaining units that comprised Task Force MacLean arrived on the east side of Chosin on 27 November. MacLean was among the first to arrive and immediately jeeped forward to confer with Faith. He confirmed with Faith that the task force would attack north the following day with whatever forces were on hand and that the 1/32 would spearhead the attack. MacLean positioned forces north to south in their approximate order of arrival: 1/32 Infantry; MacLean’s forward command post (CP); the 31st Heavy Mortar Company; the 3/31 Infantry; A and B Batteries of the 57th FAB; the 57th FAB CP and the eight A/A vehicles; and finally, the 31st Infantry’s headquarters, located in a schoolhouse in the village of Hudong, and the twenty-two tanks of the 31st Tank Company. C Battery, 57th FAB, and the 2/31 Infantry were lagging behind and had not yet left the Pungsan area. Late in the day MacLean ordered the 31st’s Intelligence and Reconnaissance Platoon to scout enemy positions. The platoon was ambushed in the hills around Chosin by CCF troops and every soldier was either killed or captured.  The entire area of the battle, photographed 11/1/50 That night, MacLean laid out his final plans for the next day’s attack with the 7th ID assistant division commander, BG Hank Hodes. He then went forward to finalize them with Faith. While MacLean and Faith remained confident, Task Force MacLean already faced serious problems. In addition to the disappearance of the I&R Platoon, communications between the scattered units were poor at best. There was no time to lay landlines and radio communications were virtually nonexistent. Furthermore, the task force was not in radio contact with the 7th ID HQ at Pungsan or the Marines in Hagaru-ri. The scattered units of Task Force MacLean were dangerously isolated, not only from the rest of the 7th ID and the Marines, but also from each other. Also, unbeknownst to the Marines and Task Force MacLean, massive numbers of CCF troops were preparing to attack the dispersed units of X Corps on the night of the 27th. Three CCF divisions (59th, 79th, and 89th) were to hit the Marines at Yudam-ni and Hagaru-ri, along with the 7th Infantry, 3rd Infantry Division, and farther south. One division (80th) would attack Task Force MacLean. On 27 November, the X Corps offensive began with the 5th and 7th Marines attacking from Yudam-ni along the west side of Chosin. In light of the rugged terrain, bitterly cold weather, logistical problems, and the situation facing Eighth Army, the X Corps offensive, in the words of one historian, “ranks as the most ill-advised and unfortunate operation of the Korean War.” The Marines, reluctant to carry out the attack in the first place, advanced only 1,500 yards before they met stiff CCF resistance and suffered heavy casualties.  Later after dark, in zero-degree weather, the CCF divisions struck. Two divisions hit the 5th and 7th Marines frontally while a third cut the road between Yudam-ni and Hagaru-ri. Elements of another division also struck the 7th Infantry. The situation quickly became desperate for the American forces around Chosin. East of the Chosin Reservoir, the situation was just as chaotic. During the early evening hours, the CCF 80th Division encircled the unsuspecting units of Task Force MacLean. At about 2200, the division attacked out of the darkness, with CCF soldiers blowing bugles and screaming wildly. The isolated units, cut off from each other, fought for their lives. Faith’s 1/32 Infantry was hit first along the noth side of its perimeter. Marine CPT Edward P. Stamford, a forward air controller assigned to the task force, took command of A Company after its commander was killed and also called in Marine air strikes. While Marine aircraft and the troops of the 1/32 inflicted heavy casualties on the CCF troops, the battalion suffered over one hundred casualties.  Elements of the CCF 9th Army are part of the 100,000 Foot Infantry Moving Towards Chosin Several miles south, the situation was similar. The CCF struck the 3/31 Infantry and two batteries of the 57th FAB, overrunning much of their perimeter. Most of the senior officers were killed or wounded. The battle raged on through the night, with the CCF finally withdrawing at dawn for fear of American air attacks. Like the 1/32, the 3/31 and 57th FAB suffered heavy casualties and one of the A/A vehicles was destroyed. Furthermore, the 31st’s medical company was wiped out. Back at the 31st’s rear CP in Hudong, BG Hodes heard heavy gunfire to the north and immediately ascertained something was wrong. He quickly ordered CPT Robert E. Drake to take two platoons of the 31st Tank Company forward to the 3/31 and 1/32 perimeters. Drake’s rescue column, however, soon ran into trouble. Some tanks skidded out of control on the icy road, while others became hopelessly stuck in mud. The column was then attacked by CCF troops with captured American bazookas. Two tanks were knocked out and a wild fight ensued as Chinese swarmed the tanks and attempted to open the hatches. Two more tanks become mired and had to be abandoned. Drake ordered his remaining twelve tanks back to Hudong. Once the tanks returned, Hodes quickly realized Task Force MacLean was in serious trouble. He borrowed one of the tanks and rode to Hagaru-ri to get help.
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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.
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.
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.
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.
www.coalitionoffamilies.org
31rct.tripod.com
www.army.mil
www.rt66.com
| 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 |
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
I hope you and your family have a fantastic day tomorrow, er...later today.
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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.
Good morning everyone in THE FOXHOLE!
ooooooooo fancy font! I like it!!
I am off to my daughters, see you later!!
Thank you SAM for bringing this important story of sacrifice to the Foxhole on this day.
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