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On May 28th, 1918, 2nd Battalion, 5th Marines of the 4th Marine Brigade were sent to help in the Belleau Wood sector. As they were approaching they were met by the French Commander of the troops that were already there who advised Marine Colonel Wendell C. Neville that the discreet thing to do was retreat. Neville's reply was a characteristic "Retreat Hell! We just got here!" They stayed and drove the numerically superior Germans out of Belleau Wood and other strong holds. It was here that the ferocious fighting that the Marines displayed caused the Germans to start referring to the Marines as "Teufelhunden", which means, "Devil Dogs".

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.

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

Iraq Homecoming Tips

~ Thanks to our Veterans still serving, at home and abroad. ~ Freepmail to Ragtime Cowgirl | 2/09/04 | FRiend in the USAF

PDN members and fans. We hope you will consider this simple act of patriotism worth passing on or taking up as a project in your own back yard. In summary:

Who They Are: Operation: Stitches Of Love was started by the Mothers of two United States Marines stationed in Iraq.

What They Are Doing: We are gathering 12.5"x12.5" quilt squares from across the country and assembling the largest quilt ever produced. When completed we will take the quilt from state to state and gather even more squares.

Why They Are Doing This: We are building this quilt to rally support for the Coalition Forces in Iraq and to show the service members that they are not forgotten. We want the world to know Nothing will ever break the stitches that bind us together as a country.

Ideas to start a local project:

Obtain enough Red, White and Blue material (cloth) for a 12.5 x 12.5 quilt square.
If you have someone in your family that sews, make it a weekend project and invite neighbors to join you.

Consider this tribute as a project for your civic group, scouts, church or townhall group.

Locate an elementary school with an after school program in your neighborhood or locate an after school program in your neighborhood not attached to a school and ask if you could volunteer one or two afternoons and create some squares with the kids.

Invite some VFW posts to share your project in honor of their post.

Send us webmaster@patriotwatch.com for digital photos of in progress and finished project for various websites, OIFII.com and the media.

PDN is making this appeal in support of Operation: Stitches Of Love
Media Contact: Deborah Johns (916) 716-2749
Volunteers & Alternate Media: PDN (916) 448-1636

Your friends at PDN

UPDATED THROUGH APRIL 2004

The FReeper Foxhole. America's History. America's Soul

Click on Hagar for
"The FReeper Foxhole Compiled List of Daily Threads"

"Retreat Hell! We just got here!"

I love that quote. Thanks for profiling the Major today. Good read.

Here's a link you might find interesting, Sam: http://www.whiskeycreekpress.com/bestsellers.shtml.

My novel, Elective Decisions, has been released by the Creek Press. It is a political thriller with a conservative angle. It can be viewed at http://www.whiskeycreekpress.com/bestsellers.shtml. You can take a peek at the cover and read a couple of sample chapters at the site. This might be of interest to your listeners as many of them read fiction, but rarely get it from a conservative perspective. Thank you for taking the time to read this e-mail. Here is a short synopsis of the novel.

Chris Davis

“Chris Smith desperately needs this last job for an extravagant retirement; he might just die trying.” Chris Smith, a retired U.S. Army sniper, is now a paid mercenary. Growing up poor, he longs for the wealth he never had as a child. An opportunity arises for him to retire to a lavish lifestyle. This chance pits him against Joe, an old high school foe, running for President of the United States. Chris’s high school friend, Mark Fields, is a journalist seeking an anchor position on network news. His ambition gets him a job as Joe’s campaign manager, and his natural curiosity to get to the truth places him in the line of fire. Hereford Turley, a retired U.S. Army Sergeant Major, hates the changes in the new Army. His obsession and prejudices have led him to Chris Smith. He is forced to take drastic actions to try to prevent the inevitable future. All three men find themselves making ambitious decisions. Over a few months, they will meet each other in a head on collision involving a political conspiracy.

US Marine Corps: Belleau Wood, June 1-26, 1918

The battle showed the main players in the war that the US was determined to fight; as such, it was a psychological demonstration of intent to the German, British, and French that a new kid had arrived to take over the block.

To quote Ludendorff:

The tremendous superabundance of pent-up, untapped, nervous energy which America’s fresh troops brought into the fray more than balanced the weakness of their allies who were exhausted.

~~~

"Devil Dogs"

In the Belleau Wood fighting in 1918, the Germans received a thorough indoctrination in the fighting ability of the Marines. Fighting through supposedly impenetrable woods and capturing supposedly untakeable terrain, the persistent attacks, delivered with unbelievable courage soon had the Germans calling Marines "teufelhunden," referring to the fierce fighting dogs of legendary origin.

~~~

Belleau Wood still "Retreat Hell" despite French squeamishness.

Belleau Wood Unknown

Belleau Wood

Marine Corps assistant commandant Gen. Michael J. Williams drinks from the Belleau Wood fountain following a Memorial Day ceremony on Sunday. Legend has that a Marine who drinks from the fountain, whose bull mastiff shape led to the Marines adopting the bulldog as a mascot, will live an extra 20 years.

Marines honor fallen comrades at memorial to Belleau Wood battle

USS BELLEAU WOOD, OFF THE COAST OF OKINAWA, Japan (Aug. 12, 1999) -- A 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) Marine fires his MP-5 machine gun with pinpoint accuracy during weapons handling drills on the hangar deck elevator. The Marines and Sailors of the 31st MEU will be training in Amphibious Ready Group Exercises (ARGEX) and Special Operations Capable qualification Exercises (SOCEX) during August. (Official USMC photo by Sgt. Art Geahr)

My grandparents had a stereo viewer and a cigar box of such cards.

B-52 Bomb Bay

In May of 94 we went to Commencement of the U.S. Naval Academy Class of 94 at the Navy and Marine Stadium--which has the battles on the walls--including Belleau Wood.

At the air show at Andrews a rainstorm came up suddenly and we dashed for the open bomb bay of the B-52 on display.

We stood inside here until the storm subsided--obviously the Buff's bomb bay can carry nuclear and conventional bombs and missiles as well as potent metaphors.

~~~

As they were approaching they were met by the French Commander of the troops that were already there who advised Marine Colonel Wendell C. Neville that the discreet thing to do was retreat.

Neville's reply was a characteristic "Retreat Hell! We just got here!"