The FReeper Foxhole Profiles The Navy Corpsman - February 8th, 2004

see educational sources

[snippy_about_it]

Lord,

Keep our Troops forever in Your care

Give them victory over the enemy...

Grant them a safe and swift return...

Bless those who mourn the lost.
.

FReepers from the Foxhole join in prayer
for all those serving their country at this time.


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U.S. Military History, Current Events and Veterans Issues

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Navy Corpsman



The Evolution of the Hospital Corps

CORPSMAN!- That is a cry that has echoed throughout the years. It is a cry of pain, of fear and of suffering. In response to that call have come a group of men and women armed primarily with the weapons of compassion. With their bandages, medicines and often with their own lives, they fought to save the lives of those who called for them. The sacrifices made by these men have grown into a legacy for others to follow.

The Hospital Corps as an organized unit of the Medical Department of the Navy did not exist until it was created by an act of congress on June 17, 1898. However, there have always been men tasked with the duty of caring for their less fortunate shipmates. The first enlisted man on record assigned this duty was John Wall, who signed as a loblolly boy on June 1, 1798 for the Frigate Constellation.

From the formation of the Navy in 1775, it was necessary to provide for the care of the sick and injured. That portion of the ship assigned for that care was designated the sick berth or sick bay. The main deck guns were separated by bracing structures and the space occupied by each gun was known as a bay. Some of the spaces in the forward part of the ship were not occupied by guns and it became custom to set aside one of them for use by the sick. The sick were removed to this part of the ship with their hammocks and bedding. During battle, however, another compartment came to be used. It was below the waterline for protection from shot and shell. The compartment was called the cockpit. It was located below the gun deck in the living space for junior officers in the area of the mainmast.



The first ships were manned with a ship's Surgeon and a Surgeon's Mate, the latter was an appointed officer with the status of a warrant officer. During this period there were apparently no enlisted men trained in the care of the sick and injured. It was common practice to assign as required a number of the least necessary of the crew to assist the Surgeon and the Surgeon's Mate. These men were landsmen or worn out seamen who kept the cockpit scrupulously clean, well fumigated and sprinkled with vinegar. They were sometimes referred to as waisters as the cockpit was located in the waist of the ship.

Seeing to the physical well being of the crew was the job of the Ship's Surgeon. He inspected the men as they came on board and helped fight the sailor's real enemy - disease. With the assistance of the Surgeon's Mate, he tended to the men in sickbay, visiting them at least twice a day as set froth in the regulations. The illnesses on board ship were basically routine, so were the methods of treatment. Medicinals were designed to counteract the patient's symptoms chiefly by purging the body of whatever was thought to have caused the disease. In times of battle he moved his operations below to the cockpit.

For the seriously wounded, the prognosis was grim. The best estimate is that one third of those wounded died. Life onboard the wooden ships was hard. Each morning the Surgeon or one of his mates held sick call where the seamen were permitted to report their complaints. When the frigates put to sea they carried ninety-six pounds of epsom salts in the medical stores. This remedy was freely dispensed to discourage seamen from reporting sick. There were few malingerers, for no grog was issued to men whose names were on the binnacle list. In fact, rather than stand the risk of having their grog stopped, many sailors would endure genuine illnesses and broken bones.



The sickbay beds differed from the standard issue hammocks. They were swinging cots, braced with spreaders at each end and supporting a hair mattress. They were only occupied by the very ill, although extremely cold weather sometimes made the warmth and comfort of sickbay more inviting than the grog issue, and at these times sailors came down with Cape Horn Fever, a condition that lasted until the weather became warmer and the spars less icy, when it miraculously disappeared. The hospital stores included quantities of wines, tea, soup, lemon and lime juices. Oatmeal or porridge was the principal item of diet for the sick.

The two real enemies to health were scurvy and dampness. The former due to lack of fresh vegetables and the diet of salt meat. Dampness caused colds, pneumonia, consumption and rheumatism.

An act of Congress approved March 2, 1799, provided: A convenient place shall be set aside for the sick and hurt men to which they are to be removed - and some of the crew shall be appointed to attend them and keep the place clean. Loblolly boy was the title designating the man or boy first specifically detailed to assist in the care of the sick and injured. The name was derived from the porridge served to the sick and wounded in the British Navy. The loblolly boy was originally a boy or seamen who was not able to perform arduous duties of handling sail or similar work. The first official use of the title Loblolly boy was in the Naval Regulations of 1814.



On June 16, 1861, in accordance with a General Order, the title of loblolly boy was replaced by that of male nurse. They were assigned one nurse per 100 men in the crew.

In 1873, the title male nurse was changed to that of bayman.

On many ships no permanent operating room was provided, and in lieu thereof a space near the sick bay was utilized and enclosed with a canvas screen. The dispensary was small, but adequate for dispensing and office work combined.

The location of the sick bay was uncomfortable at sea, especially during a storm, and very noisy when the ship weighed anchor, the noise being deafening as the anchor chains passed through the hawse pipes. The noise from the saluting battery was another great annoyance to the sick, as this battery was located on the gun deck directly above the sick bay. The sick bay has been gradually moved aft until now it is about midships on the gun deck, which location is considered an ideal one.



June 18, 1898 brought the act of Congress which established the Hospital corps. The act made provision for 25 Pharmacists with rank, pay and privileges of Warrant Officers, to be appointed by the Secretary of the Navy and removable at his discretion, and as many Hospital Stewards, Hospital Apprentices First Class and hospital Apprentices as in the judgment of the Secretary of the Navy were necessary and that it should be attached permanently to the Medical Department of the Navy.

The Hospital Steward was ranked as a Chief Petty Officer. He was identified with a silver Geneva Cross. The Hospital Apprentice First Class wore a red Geneva Cross between a single red chevron and the spread eagle. The Hospital Apprentice wore only a red cross on his left arm.

The relationship between the Hospital Corps and the U.S. Marines was established in 1898, when Hospital Corpsmen were assigned to the Marine corps Expeditionary Battalion which landed at Guantanamo Bay during the Spanish-American War.

On July 19, 1901, the Hospital Corps had it's first Medal of Honor winner, Hospital Apprentice Robert Stanley. The citation read: For distinguished conduct in the presence of the enemy in volunteering and carrying messages under fire at Peking, China, 12 July 1900.

In August 1902, the first Hospital Corps Training School was opened at the Naval Hospital, Portsmouth, Virginia for the purpose of providing uniform and systematic training for the new personnel entering the Hospital Corps. The graduates of this school saw their first duty under fire with the Marines in Haiti.

From the period of WWI to WWII, the Hospital Corps became one of the outstanding corps of the military service. More schools were provided, qualifications for advancement in rate were raised, and a high degree of technical skill and knowledge was demonstrated by all members of the corps.



During WWI there were 94 temporary commissioned and warrant officers; and 16,000 enlisted men in the Hospital corps. the reputation of the Hospital Corps for performance of duty during WWI, especially in the field with the Marine Corps was greatly enhanced. The Hospital Corps was the most highly decorated Navy unit, and the only Navy unit priviliged to wear the French Fourragere. Hospital Corpsmen received 2 Medal of Honor, 55 Navy Crosses, 31 Distinguished Service Medals and 460 other major awards and citations. In all, 16 Hospital Corpsmen were killed in action.

In WWII, Corpsmen served on every front. Corpsmen were at the forefront of virtually every invasion and were involved in every action at sea. During the Battle of Iwo Jima, casualties among Hospital Corpsmen were proportionately higher than among the Marines. By 1945, the Hospital Corps reached a record figure of 140,000 officers and enlisted men.



Of the 15 Navymen awarded the Medal of Honor during WWII, 7 were Hospital Corpsmen and 4 of those received the medal for action on Iwo Jima. The Hospital Corpsmen also received 67 Navy Crosses, 464 Silver Stars and 820 other major awards. 889 Hospital Corpsmen gave their lives during WWII to save others.

The valor and courage of the Corpsmen throughout the conflict prompted Secretary of the Navy James Forrestal to bestow a special well done commendation in 1945 to the Hospital Corps: ....that others might live, your fellow Corpsmen have given their lives; 889 of them killed or mortally wounded. Others died as heroically from diseases they were trying to combat. In all the Corps casualty list contains 1724 names, an honor role of special distinction because none among them bore arms....The Hospital Corpsmen saved lives on all beaches that the Marines stormed....You Corpsmen performed foxhole surgery while shell fragments clipped your clothing, shattered the plasma bottles from which you poured new life into the wounded, and sniper's bullets were aimed at the brassards on your arms.

No other individual corps, before or since has been so singled out and honored.



On January 22, 1943, women were first enlisted into the Hopsital Corps. On January 12, 1944, the first Hospital Corps School for WAVES was commissioned at the U.S, Naval Hospital, Bethesda, Maryland. The first class consisted of 230 enlisted women.

When the Korean conflict started in the summer of 1950, Corpsmen again served in the field with the Marines. Expanding to a strength of 30,000 members, the Corps added another brilliant chapter to its history. Schools at Camp Pendleton and camp LeJeune were established to train Corpsmen in the principles of field medicine. Upon graduation they were assigned to Fleet Marine Force units. During Korea, Corpsmen received 5 Medals of Honor, and 107 were killed in action. Perhaps the ultimate tribute was said by Lieutenant General Lewis B. "Chesty" Puller, U.S.M.C, who said: ....You guys are the Marine's doctors; There's no better in the business than a Navy Corpsman....



With the escalation of the Vietnam conflict between 1963 and 1975, Corpsmen were called to serve in Southeast Asia. Hospital Corpsmen truly felt the brunt of the Vietnam conflict. 628 were killed in action and another 3,353 were wounded in action. Awards for gallantry and intrepidity in action included 3 Medals of Honor, 29 Navy Crosses, 127 Silver Stars, 2 Legions of Merit, 290 Bronze Stars and 4,563 Purple Hearts.


MedevacDongHa1966

Since the fall of Saigon in April 1975 Hospital Corpsmen have continued to serve in many hot spots around the world. During the recovery of the SS Mayaguez, 68 casualties were sustained, of which 4 were Hospital Corpsmen. Then, during the attempted rescue of hostages in Iran, a Battalion Landing Team with it's 65 Corpsmen, a surgical team and a surgical support team were poised 52 miles off the coast waiting to assist the rescue operation. 15 Hospital Corpsmen were killed in the line of duty when the Marine Barracks in Beirut, Lebanon was bombed by terrorists. Finally, Corpsmen were present at sea and ashore when the United States took military action in Grenada, Panama and especially during Desert Shield/Storm.



Wherever you find the Navy, wherever you find the Marine Corps, there you will find the Hospital Corpsman. In times of peace, he or she toils unceasingly, day and night, providing quality health care to numerous beneficiaries. In times of war, he is on the beaches with the Marines, is employed in amphibious operations, in transportation of the wounded by air, on the battlefield, on all types of ships, submarines, aircraft and landing craft.



In short, whenever medical care may be required, the Hospital Corpsman is there, not only willing but prepared to serve his country and his fellow man above and beyond the call of duty.

Excerpted from an article written by then HMCM George B. Lusk, CMC, Naval Hospital Camp Pendleton

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FReeper Foxhole Armed Services Links

[snippy_about_it]

A Marines Tribute to Corpsmen

Corpsman Up !!!



The ideal squad is 13 men and a Corpsman. The Corpsman is a Navy enlisted man who has medical training and is skilled enough to get you and what ever pieces that were left of you back to a hospital. Although he's a Navy man, he has the respect of the Marines and is thought of as one of them and is known to everyone as Doc.

He's the one that responds to the call Corpsman up! He is the one who'll run to you when you've taken one in the chest, the wind is knocked out of you and you're trying your damn best to move so the people behind you know you're still alive, yet not so much as to have Charlie pump more rounds into you.



He is there when there is complete chaos: automatic rifle fire, hand grenades exploding, M-79 rounds being lobbed into the brush a few meters in front of you and more noise than anyone ever hoped to make on the fourth of July. When it seems like you have been laying there for ever, he is the one that has exposed himself to enemy fire to run up to you to scream in your ear, WHERE ARE YOU HIT!!! If you're lucky, you can point to the place because you sure as hell can't talk. You're gasping for air because it's leaking out your lung like a tire with a hole in it. You're trying to stay out of shock and feel like your whole body is on fire. You're wrenching with pain. And bullets bounce all around your head and body because they are now trying to kill you and the Doc.



For some strange reason, God knows where the courage comes from, the Corpsman seems immune to or oblivious of all that is going on around you. His only focus is you. In the movies a guy gets hit once and that's about it, in Vietnam, there wasn't any limit to the number of times in one fire fight you could be hit. Hell, you could get hit a dozen or more times if someone possessed little else to do but try to nail your young butt. It should be easy for you to see how panic and fear can work on a guy that has been wounded and is basically helpless and the people keep shooting at him (it's not fair). Fear that every round that just misses you means the next one won't. And lying helpless and unable to move or breath can cause a panic that does it's damnedest to conquer your soul and leave you pissing all over yourself in fear.

The corpsman yells for a medevac to be called. One is called by a good radioman while someone else is calling in a fire mission that may take twenty minutes before the first round comes in. A lot can happen in twenty minutes, your whole outfit could be wiped out. If the ambush is big enough and you're caught in a cross fire it could take a lot less than twenty minutes.



The action is hot, bullets burn your skin. They get close enough to feel without actually hitting you and that's close. The dirt and sand are red hot as bullets kick it in your face. You think, God that was close!! Please God just get me out of this one. I promise to be good from now on!! Suddenly, someone is dragging you by your collar or some piece of clothing, you're not sure what is going on but you do know that the pain is bringing you close to unconsciousness, your whole body is shaking uncontrollably, your chest has a hissing sound coming from where you think your lung is, it's spouting air and filling up with this warm substance that makes it harder to breath, you're sure that blood is now filling your lung up to the point of collapsing. Fear and panic is gone and replaced with shear terror and shock.

Yet this Navy guy keeps miraculously dragging your body towards safety, while half the enemy force are trying to nail him. Mother Up! You hear through your fog, you know another one of your friends has just taken a hit and could possibly be worse than you are. Coming screams the Doc. He tells someone to keep pressure on the rag covering your chest and not to take his hand off of it. He turns and heads in the direction of the last caller, while the enemy continues to do their best to nail him before he can reach his next casualty.



Maybe this is why we considered the corpsman to be one of us, although they never went through boot camp at Paris Island or San Diego, they were Marines at heart, and damn good ones. Only a fool or a hero would leave a place of safety to throw his body in harms way for someone he may not even know. I never met a Corpsman that I thought was a fool. To me a hero does things that his logical mind is telling him not to do. His logical mind says to stay put, get further down, but above all don't get up and go where someone else just got shot!

The hero ignores what his mind is telling him and goes forward in the face of the enemy fire. His only thought is to get to the guy that has called for help. He will get to him!! He may get shot himself but he will not let that guy die by himself. Sometimes they aren't alive when he gets there, but he's there and exposed to the same fire that killed the man he came to rescue.

He goes from wounded to wounded doing what he can to save their lives, doing what he can to give them a little more time. Time to get them back to an aid station where they may be saved. Let me be point man any day over being a corpsman in a Marine infantry outfit. At least I can take cover and return fire.



The Corpsman is special. The Navy offers a lot of other programs that are a hell of a lot less dangerous. Corpsmen knew going in that they will be placed in harms way. They knew that they would be assigned to the heaviest fighting areas in Vietnam, yet they volunteer anyway. They cared about human suffering and wanted to do all in their power to aid, and were willing to give their lives to their calling.


A twentieth century Angel of Mercy treats the wounds of a Private of H Company, 2nd Battalion, Fifth Marine Regiment, during Operation Hue City. Photo taken 02/06/1968. (National Archives)

Check out the Wall, you'll find a lot of corpsman on that wall. They gave their all. Many of us, who were fortunate enough to return home, did so because of their unselfish acts of heroism. In many cases they did so without any medals or rewards except the personal feeling of having done their job and done it well. Because of them, thousands of Marines today can greet each other and say welcome home.

When you go to see the Wall, a tribute dedicated to the Vietnam Serviceman who paid the ultimate price for their country, you will see a statute dedicated to the grunts. You will see an area dedicated to the nurses who served their country. What you won't see is a tribute to the Corpsman. A tribute to the men who risked their lives by exposing themselves to tremendous enemy fire, by running, by crawling, and by inching their way into the thickest of the thick of fighting, to answer a call for help. They sacrificed their safety to save others lives.

I wonder why there are no special honors awarded to these individuals. These men who prevented so many of us here today from having our names on the Wall.


Medivac Gunship Vietnam 1966

There is a place where a statue could and should be placed. A statue of a single individual, loaded down with his medical gear. A statue representing those that were always ready and willing to give their lives in the hopes that they might save a life. Corpsman are a special and distinct breed of men who stand out proud and strong. Their everyday acts of bravery and heroism deserve to be recognized by their brothers in arms. They gallantly served, and were unselfishly willing to give their all. Because of them, many of us were given the opportunity to make a difference in the world.



There may never be a statute in honor the Corpsman who served our country so well. And who were so important to the Marines in the field. Statute or not, I would like to personally salute you and to say to you: Semper Fi. Marine, as the title is well earned, and the honor long overdue.

Thank you for your willingness of service, and self sacrifice, so that many like myself today are able to say, welcome home Doc, a job well done.

By: Bob Hingston and Carl King
UNITED STATES MARINES 1968-1969
Hotel Company 1st Plt. 2nd. Bn. 1st. Marines, 1st Marine Division.

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Today's Educational Sources and suggestions for further reading:
www.vnh.org/HospitalCorpsman14295/14295_ind.pdf
www.bluejacket.com
www.thirdmarines.net

[snippy_about_it]

Corpsman;

Usually a young, long-haired, bearded Marine-hatin' sailor with certain medical skills, who will go through the very gates of hell to get to a wounded Marine.

[snippy_about_it]

Lives of Many Depend on Navy Corpsmen

"I solemnly pledge myself before God and these witnesses to practice faithfully all of my duties as a member of the Hospital Corps."

When a graduate of the U.S. Navy's Basic Hospital Corps School walks across the stage to receive his diploma, he says these words. They're part of the Hospital Corps' pledge and an important foreshadow of the kind of dedication and high morals required of those who enter into its service.

"I hold the care of the sick and injured to be a privilege and a sacred trust and will assist the Medical Officer with loyalty and honesty.

I will not knowingly permit harm to come to any patient."

Hospital corpsmen belong to a rare society. As members of the Navy's only enlisted corps, corpsmen serve in only one capacity – to provide medical care to the sick and injured. That's their mission, their focus and their passion.

Over the years, corpsmen have served on the battlefield, rendering comfort and life-saving medical treatment, many times during the heat of combat. Corpsmen appear throughout the history of American warfare, serving on battlefields in Europe, Asia and the South Pacific.

And wherever they've gone, hospital corpsmen have done so with valor and uncommon courage, from Mt. Suribachi to the deserts of Southern Iraq. Many have given their own lives while saving those of others.

"I will not partake of nor administer any unauthorized medication.

I will hold all personal matters pertaining to the private lives of patients in strict confidence."

Being a corpsman isn't for those lacking moral conviction and strength. It's for men and women who understand that what comes first is the patient's welfare. And that maintaining good character is an important component of the hospital corps' tradition.

Not that some haven't stumbled and fallen. It's happened before and will doubtless happen again. Corpsmen are only human at best. But the job they do is superhuman, particularly in times of war.

"I dedicate my heart, mind, and strength to the work before me.

I shall do all within my power to show in myself an example of all that is honorable and good throughout my naval career."

In 1966, a young HM3 named Robert Ingram found himself administering to those wounded during a battle in which 1 st Battalion, 7th Marines engaged the North Vietnamese.

During the ensuing firefight, Ingram sustained a shot through the hand while working over an injured Marine. After treating him, he aided two more Marines and was shot in the knee.

Limping over to other Marine casualties, a Viet Cong soldier surprised Ingram and fired a round into his face. The bullet entered under his eye, traveled through his sinus cavity and came to rest under the hinge of his jaw. Ingram shot and killed his assailant and continued to drag himself to the next injured Marine.

While tending to other wounded, Ingram was shot yet a fourth time. This bullet entered his lower torso. He continued to administer first aid until his injuries caused him to move back to a friendly position.

Ingram tried to refuse medical evacuation, asking that others be moved first. Forced aboard a helicopter, he was so gravely wounded that his fellow corpsmen thought him to be dead. Thirty-two years later, Ingram received the Congressional Medal of Honor for his service that day in 1966.

Corpsmen practiced their battle skills in a competition aboard Camp Lejeune recently. Like HM3 Ingram. they know that one day the lives of many may depend on their readiness, their willingness and their ability to serve during combat.

And, as always, they intend to be ready for it.

© 2003 Carole Moore

[snippy_about_it]

FALL IN to the FReeper Foxhole!



Good Sunday Morning Everyone

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

[E.G.C.]

Good morning, Snippy and everyone at the Freeper Foxhole.

We had a great HS B-Ball homecoming Friday night. Both our boys and girls teams won.

It wasn't so much fun at the Great Plains Coliseum in Lawton though, A HS B-ball doubleheader between Lawton High and Lawton Ike was interrupted in the boys game with 1:59 in third quater by a fight in the stands. It escalated to the point they had to call in the police. They used mace to break up the fight and the coliseum was evacuated and the game delayed for 10 minutes. It resumed without any spectators.

Not the proudest of moments for the Lawton Public Schools.

The weather's been nice the last few days but it's supposed to be windy today. Upper 50's forecast.

OU and Texas play in NCAA Basketball down in Austin at Noon on CBS.

How are things where you are?

[snippy_about_it]

Good morning EGC. Was the fight between kids or parents?

[Aeronaut]

Good morning Snippy. Yesterday was the biggest plane that ever flew, today the smallest.

El Chuparosa (The Hummingbird) built by Ray Hegy. 13' wingspan, 14' length.

[Valin]

On This Day In History


Birthdates which occurred on February 08:
412 St Proclus patriarch of Constantinople
1291 Afonso IV King of Portugal (1325-57)
1577 Robert Burton writer, Anglican clergyman (Anatomy of Melancholy)
1612 Samuel Butler England, poet/satirist (Hudibras) (baptized)
1795 Friedlieb F Runge German chemist (Chinoline)
1811 Edwin Denison Morgan Secretary of War (Confederacy), dies in 1883
1817 Richard Stoddert Ewell Lieutenant General (Confederate Army), dies in 1872
1820 William Tecumseh Sherman Major General (Union Army), dies in 1891 (War is hell)
1824 Barnard Elliot Bee Brigadier General (Confederate Army), died in 1861
1828 Jules Verne France, pioneered sci-fi (From the Earth to the Moon)
1878 Martin Buber German/Israeli philosopher/theologist (Ich und Du)
1883 Joseph A Schumpeter Austria/US economist/minister of finance
1886 Charlie Ruggles Los Angeles CA, actor (The Ruggles, Aesop-Bullwinkle Show)
1895 King Vidor director (War & Peace, Stella Dallas)
1905 Truman Bradley Missouri, TV host (Science Fiction Theater)
1913 Betty Field Boston MA, actress (Kings Row, Bus Stop)
1913 John Grandy British Royal Air Force-marshal
1920 Lana Turner Wallace ID, actress (Survivors, Falcon Crest)
1924 Audrey Meadows Wu Chang China, actress (Alice-Honeymooners)
1925 Jack Lemmon Boston MA, actor (Days of Wine & Roses, Missing)
1931 James Dean Marion IN, stage/film actor (Giant, Rebel Without a Cause)
1933 Jack Larson Los Angeles CA, actor (Jimmy Olsen-Superman)
1940 Nick Nolte Omaha NB, actor (Under Fire, Lorenzo's Oil, Teachers, 48 Hours, North Dallas 40)
1942 Terry Melcher Rip Chords, Doris Day's son
1944 Jim Capaldi rocker (Traffic)
1948 Dan Seals McCamey TX, vocalist (England Dan & John Ford Coley-I'd Really Love to See You Tonight, Nights Are Forever Without You, Meet Me in Montana)
1952 Nancy Lord Libertarian Vice-President candidate (1992)
1955 Ethan Phillips actor (Neelix-Star Trek Voyager)
1955 Jim "the Anvil" Neidhart wrestler (WWF/WCW/NJPW/CWFI/Calgary)
1955 John Grisham writer (Client, Firm, Pelican Brief)
1958 Barry Miller New York NY, actor (Joe & Sons, Szysznyk)
1960 Dino Ciccarelli Ontario, NHL right wing (Minnesota North Stars, Washington Capitals)

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Deaths which occurred on February 08:
1124 Stefanus of Thiers/Muret founder of order of Grammond/saint, dies
1245 Johannes de Rupella/de la Rochelle French theologist, dies
1587 Mary Stuart Queen of Scots (1560-87), beheaded at 44
1676 Aleksei M Romanov Czar of Russia, dies at 46
1725 Peter I "the Great" Romanov czar of Russia (1682-1725), dies at 52
1740 Clement XII [Lorenzo Corsini], blind Pope (1730-40), dies at 87
1874 David F Strauss German theologist, dies at 66
1924 Gee John US mobster (1st executed in gas chamber-Nevada), dies
1932 Vincent "Mad Dog" Coll mobster, killed by Dutch Schultz gang
1956 Connie Mack baseball manager (Philadelphia A's, 1901-50), dies at 93
1957 John Von Neumann astronomer, dies at 53
1959 William J "Wild Bill" Donovan Office Strategic Services, dies at 76
1963 Abdul Karim Kassem PM of Iraq (58-63), assassinated in Baghdad at 48
1974 Fritz Zwicky Swiss/US astronomer (supernova), dies at 75
1987 Harriet MacGibbon actress (Mrs Drysdale-Beverly Hillbillies), dies
1990 Del Shannon Coopersville MI, rock vocalist (Runaway), shoots self at 55
1995 B G Hooghoudt radio-telescope builder (Dwingeloo/Westerbork), dies at 70
1995 William Fulbright, US politician, dies

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Reported: MISSING in ACTION

1968 CHENOWETH ROBERT P.---PORTLAND OR.
[03/16/73 RELEASED BY PRG, ALIVE AND WELL IN 1997]
1968 GEORGE JAMES E.---FORT WORTH TX.
1968 HAMMOND DENNIS W.---DETROIT MI.
1968 LENKER MICHAEL R.---ROCKFORD IL
[03/16/73 RELEASED BY PRG, ALIVE IN 98]
1968 LAPHAM ROBERT G.--- MARSHALL MI.
1968 PURCELL BENJAMIN H.---COLUMBUS GA.
[03/27/73 RELEASED BY PRG, (AUTHOR LOVE AND DUTY)ALIVE AND WELL 98
1968 ROSE JOSEPH III---MORGANTOWN WV.
[03/05/73 RELEASED BY PRG, ALIVE IN 98]
1968 ZAWTOCKI JOSEPH S. JR.---UTICA NY.
[REMAINS RETURNED 08/14/85]
1968 ZIEGLER ROY E.
[03/73 RELEASED BY PRG, ALIVE IN 98]
1969 CLARK THOMAS E.---EMPORIUM PA.
1969 FRITZ JOHN J. JR.---WILLIAMSTOWN NJ.
[02/12/73 RELEASED BY PRG INJURED]
1969 KALIL TANOS E.
[06/69 DIC ON PRG LIST]
1969 MAC PHAIL DON A.---CHELMSFORD MA.
[03/16/73 RELEASED BY PRG, ALIVE IN 1998]
1969 NEWINGHAM JAMES A.
[02/12/73 RELEASED BY PRG]
1969 WILKINS CALVIN WAYNE---WACO TX.
1971 STEWART PAUL C.---BEUENA PARK CA.

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

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On this day...
0421 Flavius Constantine becomes emperor Constantine III of West Roman empire
1587 Mary, Queen of Scots beheaded
1601 Earl Robert Devereux of Essex armies draws into London
1622 King James I disbands the English parliament
1672 Isaac Newton reads 1st optics paper before Royal Society in London
1690 French & Indian troops set Schenectady settlement New York on fire
1743 Comet C/1743 C1 approaches within 0.0390 astronomical units (AUs) of Earth
1744 French/Spanish fleet leaves Toulon
1775 Leidse University 400th anniversary dinner
1802 Simon Willard patents banjo clock
1807 Napoleon defeats Russians in battle of Eylau
1809 Franz I of Austria declares war on France
1837 1st Vice President chosen by the Senate, Richard Johnson (Van Buren administration)
1861 Confederate States of America organizes in Montgomery AL
1862 Battle of Roanoke Island NC, Federals gain control of Pamlico Sound
1865 1st black major in US army, Martin Robinson Delany
1883 Louis Waterman begins experiments to invent the fountain pen
1887 Dawes Act passed (Indians living apart from tribe granted citizenship)
1887 Aurora Ski Club of Red Wing MN became the 1st US ski club
1894 Enforcement Act repealed, making it easier to disenfranchise blacks
1895 Tchaikovsky/Petipa's "Swan Lake" premieres in Petersburg
1896 Western Conference forms of Midwestern U, later renamed Big 10 Conference
1898 John Ames Sherman patents 1st envelope folding & gumming machine (Massachusetts)
1904 Outbreak of hostilities in Russo-Japanese war
1905 Cyclone hit Tahiti & adjacent islands, killing some 10,000 people
1910 Boy Scouts of America incorporated & chartered (William D Boyce-Chicago)
1911 US helps overthrow President Miguel Dávila of Honduras
1912 1st eastbound US transcontinental flight lands in Jacksonville FL
1915 "Birth of a Nation" opens at Clune's Auditorium in Los Angeles CA
1918 "Stars & Stripes", weekly US armed forces newspaper, 1st published
1920 Swiss men vote against women's suffrage
1922 Radio arrives in the White House
1923 Coal mine explosion at Dawson NM kills 120
1924 1st coast-to-coast radio hookup General John Joseph Carty speech in Chicago
1925 Marcus Garvey enters federal prison in Atlanta GA
1926 Walt Disney Studios is formed
1926 German Reichstag decides to apply for League of Nations membership
1928 1st transatlantic TV image received, Hartsdale NY
1928 Scottish inventor J Blaird demonstrates color-TV
1930 "Happy Days Are Here Again" by Benny Mereoff hits #1
1933 -23ºF (-31ºC), Seminole TX (state record)
1933 1st flight of all-metal Boeing 247
1934 Export-Import Bank organizes in Washington DC
1936 1st ski jumping tournament, Red Wing MN
1936 Pandit Jawaharlal follows Gandhi as chairman of India Congress Party
1942 Congress advises FDR that, Americans of Japanese descent should be locked up en masse so they wouldn't oppose the US war effort
1943 Red Army recaptures Kursk
1944 1st black reporter accredited to the White House, Harry McAlpin
1946 Premier Salazar of Portugal forbids opposition parties
1948 5th Winter Olympics games close at St Moritz, Switzerland
1949 Hungarian Cardinal Mindszenty sentenced to life in prison
1955 Malenkov resigns as USSR premier, Bulganin replaces him
1957 San Francisco Public Library's bookmobile initiated in front of City Hall
1960 Boston Celtic Bill Russell becomes 1st NBAer with 50 rebounds (51)
1963 AFL's Dallas Texans become Kansas City Chiefs
1965 Supremes release "Stop In the Name of Love"
1968 Officers kill 3 students demonstrating in South Carolina State (Orangeburg)
1969 Meteorite weighing over 1 ton falls in Chihuahua, México
1969 Last edition of Saturday Evening Post
1971 Pedro Morales beats Ivan Koloff in New York, to become WWF wrestling champion
1971 South Vietnamese troops invade Laos
1973 Senate names 7 members to investigate Watergate scandal
1974 "Good Times" debuts on CBS TV
1975 1800 Unification church couples' wed in Korea
1977 Earthquake in San Francisco CA, at 5.0, strongest since 1966
1978 Crown Prince Sad Abdallah al-Salim Al Sabah becomes PM of Kuwait
1983 Champion thoroughbred Shergar kidnapped in Ireland; never found Lloyds of London pays $10.6 million insurance
1983 Eric Peters sets transatlantic sailboat record (E-W)-46 days
1983 Baseball orders Mickey Mantle to sever ties with Claridge Casino
1985 Bruce Morris, Marshall University, makes a 92' 5¼" basketball shot
1985 Opposition leader Kim Dae Jung returns to South-Korea
1986 5' 7" Spud Webb of Atlanta Hawks wins NBA Slam Dunk Competition
1989 5 cm of snow falls in outskirts of Los Angeles
1990 "60 Minutes" commentator Andy Rooney suspended by CBS for racial remarks attributed to him by a gay magazine
1992 Ulysses spacecraft passes Jupiter
1993 GM sues NBC, alleging that "Dateline NBC" program had rigged 2 car-truck crashes to show that 1973-87 GM pickups were prone to fires

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Holidays
Note: Some Holidays are only applicable on a given "day of the week"

Iraq : Ramadan Revolution
Norway : Narvik Sun Pageant Day
World : Boy Scouts Day (1910) (Sunday)
US : New Idea Week Begins
US : Future Homemakers of America Hero Week Begins
Great American Pies Month

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Religious Observances
Christian : Feast of Bl Jacoba (Bl Jacqueline)
Methodist : Race Relations Sunday (2nd Sunday in February)
Roman Catholic : Commemoration of St John of Matha, confessor/ransomer of captives
Roman Catholic : Memorial of St Jerome Emiliani (opt)

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Religious History
1693 The College of William and Mary was founded in Williamsburg, Virginia for the purpose of educating Anglican clergyman. After Harvard, it is the second oldest institution of higher learning in America.
1744 Colonial missionary to the American Indians, David Brainerd wrote in his journal: 'I find that both mind and body are quickly tired with intenseness and fervor in the things of God. Oh that I could be as incessant as angels in devotion and spiritual fervor.'
1851 Death of Alexander Haldane, 83. In 1797 he founded the Society for Propagating the Gospel at Home, after discovering that the Church of Scotland was as little interested in home missions as it was in foreign missions.
1865 Birth of Lewis E. Jones, American YMCA director. Jones was also a writer of hymns, and his most enduring contribution (which he both wrote and composed) was "Power in the Blood."
1950 American missionary and martyr Jim Elliot wrote in his journal: 'Sin in a Christian makes God seem distant, deaf. In the body, sin saps animation, as cancer. In the soul, sin stifles the affections; as corrosion in the spirit, sin solidifies the attitudes, as a callous.'

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

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Thought for the day :
"Every happening, great and small, is a parable whereby God speaks to us, and the art of life is to get the message."

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Question of the day...
What do people in China call their good plates?

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Murphys Law of the day...
You never run out of things that can go wrong.

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Amazing Fact #29,784...
The ashes of the average cremated person weigh nine pounds.

[snippy_about_it]

Good morning Aeronaut. That's so cute. Do you know what size engine was used to fly it?

[Aeronaut]

Do you know what size engine was used to fly it?

A Continental C-65

[E.G.C.]

Apparently, this was a gang-related incident. Fomr the news reports I saw it was between a boy and a girl. They were both taken into custody.

[The Mayor]

As long as he sought the Lord, God made him prosper. —2 Chronicles 26:5

You won't get indigestion by swallowing your pride

[snippy_about_it]

1956 Connie Mack baseball manager (Philadelphia A's, 1901-50), dies at 93

A personal favorite of mine.

The Tall Tactician

Cornelius Alexander McGillicuddy, known as Connie Mack, the "Tall Tactician" of major league baseball, was born on December 22, 1862 in East Brookfield, Massachusetts. Ramrod-straight and a string bean of a man at 6'1" and 150 pounds, Mack was a professional baseball player prior to serving as manager and team executive for 53 years.

Fifty of those years, from 1901 through the 1950 season, were spent as owner-manager of the Philadelphia Athletics. The A's won nine American League championships and five World Series under the management of this beloved and respected baseball legend. In 1937, Mack was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame.


Connie Mack
The Grand Olde Man of Baseball
Manager: Philadelphia Athletics
1901 to 1950

[snippy_about_it]

Good morning Mayor.

[SAMWolf]

Good Morning Snippy. Excellent thread, I can't ever remember a Marine having anything bad to say about a Corpsman.'

[SAMWolf]

Anywhere, Anytime

God has a way of directing our lives.
In the Navy Hospital Corps, his love surely thrives.

I don't know why we were chosen for the medical field.
But, God's reasons were soon revealed.

Compassion and strength that we never knew we possessed,
Was given to us by God, so the way to heal could be accessed.

He chose both men and women to serve,
Then gave us what it takes and a lot of nerve.

The Navy Corpsman can express his innermost feelings,
Like when he holds a sick baby in his arms and his love is so revealing.

Where does the courage come from, a Corpsman will never boast.
He will never back down when his comrades need him the most.

The Navy Corpsman does not fear the mud and the grime.
He is ready to go Anywhere, Anytime.

How can he charge into adversity and face certain death ?
With nothing but his-unit one and a prayer on his breath.

A Corpsman's responsibility is great, but his charges he will protect.
He will look after the sick and dying and never neglect.

When he is finally alone and there is no one to know,
The tears in his eyes will finally show.

What is on the Corpsman's mind is between him and his God.
It will never be revealed, no matter where on earth he will trod.

On judgement day, God will probably say, Corpsman Up! your place has been reserved.
For all the deeds you did while on earth, your heavenly reward is well deserved.

O.W.(Smokey)Cleveland

[snippy_about_it]

Oh dear Matt. Do you know we have all been sick lately, me, SAM, benfeather and radu with the flu of some type. You must have come in here and got it from us. :-)

We are finally getting over ours but it took a couple weeks. Get lots of rest, sleep and drink lots of fluids.

Get well soon.

[snippy_about_it]

Anywhere, Anytime.

Awwww. This is beautiful Sam. Thank you.

[Soaring Feather]

Good Sunday morning to everyone in the FOXHOLE!