Attack on Pearl Harbor

Pearl Harbor

On December 7, 1941, on a Sunday morning, aircraft from the Japanese Imperial Navy attacked the U.S. Army and Naval forces stationed in Hawaii. Most notably the attack centered on the naval ships at Pearl Harbor. Over two thousand soldiers and sailors were killed in the surprise attack and several warships were sunk or damaged.

Speaking to a joint session of the U.S. Congress, President Franklin Roosevelt on December 8 called for a declaration of war upon Japan and famously referred to December 7 as "a date that will live in infamy". With the declaration of war by Nazi Germany on December 11 the United States was finally, reluctantly drawn into a world war.

D-Day - 6 June 1944

Landing on the Beach
Today is the 65th anniversary of D-Day, the Allied invasion of Normandy, France during World War II. On this date in 1944 British, American and Canadian army divisions landed on the beaches of Normandy and airborne forces dropped from the skies or landed in glider transports in the countryside. Although German forces knew the invasion was coming, tactical and strategic surprise was achieved.

The German high command delayed their efforts to throw back the invaders into the sea for fear this landing was a ruse with the real invasion coming later to attack the port of Calais. (Calais is only 21 miles from England versus the 110 miles to Normandy). The delay allowed the Allies to gain their foothold on the continent and to ultimately achieve their goal of liberating occupied France and then invade the German homeland. The successful landings at Normandy were the beginning of the defeat of Hitler and the German armies in Western Europe.

General Petraeus Visits the Old North Bridge

The Concord Minuteman
Daniel Chester French

U.S. Army General David Petraeus paid a visit to the Old North Bridge in Concord this morning for a very special occasion - the General and his wife Holly pinned two new gold 2nd Lieutenants bars on the uniform of his son Stephen at the foot of the statue of the Concord Minuteman. Stephen Petraeus is graduating from MIT in Cambridge with a Bachelors degree in Science and with his successful completion of MIT's ROTC program will also be commissioned as a Reserve officer in the U.S. Army.

As the former commanding General in Iraq, General Petraeus is credited with making marked improvements in U.S./Iraqi security operations in the aftermath of that countries invasion by U.S. led forces. He is currently serving as Commander-in-Chief of Central Command (CENTCOM) which is responsible for U.S. military forces in both Iraq and Afghanistan. General Petraeus has been invited to speak at graduation events at both Harvard and MIT this week.

The Real Live Uncle Sam

Uncle Sam

According to tradition this colorful representation of the United States, Uncle Sam, had its beginnings with the life of a Massachusetts man - Samuel Wilson. Sam Wilson was born in Arlington, Mass. (known as Menotomy at the time) on September 10, 1766, making him just eight years old when the fighting took place near his home on April 19, 1775 that marked the beginning of the American Revolution. While still a boy his family moved to Mason, New Hampshire.

It was a later war, the War of 1812, that brought Samuel Wilson his "fame". Sam and his brother had a contract with the government to supply meat to the U.S. Army. The meat was shipped to the army in barrels that were marked with the letters U.S. to show that they belonged to the government. The soldiers at some point began to joke that the letters U.S. actually stood for the supplier of the meat and the name Uncle Sam came into being. The traditional military habit of referring to any item that was government issued (whether stamped U.S. or not) as "belonging to Uncle Sam" was begun.

Many years later political cartoonists began drawing a character representing the U.S.A. who was commonly referred to as Uncle Sam. But Uncle Sam is of course best known for the military recruiting posters of the First and Second World War that show his image with the caption: "Uncle Sam wants you for the U.S. Army". Millions of American servicemen became very familiar with this poster as they volunteered for the U.S. military.

During America's Bicentennial year of 1976 the town of Arlington, Mass. unveiled this monument to Samuel Wilson, the real life genesis for the symbol of our country, Uncle Sam. Theodore Catillo Barbarossa was the artist and sculptor. The monument bears a statue of Samuel Wilson, a graphic depiction of his life and the following inscription at its base:

IN HONOR OF SAMUEL WILSON - A NATIVE SON - BORN NEAR THIS SITE ON SEPTEMBER 10, 1766 - HE BECAME OUR NATIONAL SYMBOL - UNCLE SAM

The Bombing of Dresden

Dresden, 1945

On the night of 13 February 1945 bombers from RAF Bomber Command flew over Dresden, Germany and dropped thousands of pounds of bombs. The next day U.S.A.A.F. bombers continued the bombing raids. In total, four bombing raids were conducted dropping tons of high explosive and incendiary bombs. The mixture of bombs created a firestorm that devastated the city and killed thousands of German civilians.

Exactly how many civilians were killed is the subject of a new study whose results were released today. The purpose of the study was to make an authoritative accounting of the number killed in order to put to rest part of the controversy that has arisen over the Dresden bombings. Since the war there have been claims that have placed the death toll to be between 40,000 and as many as 135,000 civilians killed in the bombing raids. The new study places the death toll to be no more than 25,000, which is still a substantial number.

Even in the midst of the horror and the mass killings of the Second World War, the bombing of Dresden has always been controversial. Dresden was considered the cultural capital of northern Germany and had little or no military value. Also, by February 1945 the war in Europe was almost over and Nazi Germany was clearly in its last days.

Held up against the crimes committed by Hitler's Third Reich, especially the deaths of as many as 11 million civilians in its work and death camps, questions about the necessity and even the morality of the Dresden bombings are pushed into the background. In hindsight and perhaps even at the time, it appears that the decision to go ahead with the bombings and the deliberate manner in which they were conducted, was the wrong decision.

What can be called the deadly equation of war, the costs of a war (which includes the number of deaths) weighed against the results that a country or an alliance can expect to achieve, changes over time. In the Second World War, the nations involved decided that no cost was too high to pay in order to defeat the enemy. As a result, large portions of Europe, Russia and Asia were devastated in the war and millions of combatants and civilians died. In the midst of all that carnage the desire for revenge and to spread the destruction can be a strong motivator in strategic thinking.

American Presidents and the military

President Washington

It is a conflict as old as mankind: humanities desire for peace versus a recognition of what also appears to be a part of man's make-up - an urge and a genius for making war on his fellow man. Democratic nations feel this conflict most keenly as recognizing the rights of the individual is the cornerstone principle of their governments. Autocratic and authoritarian governments will usually put the perceived needs of the state before the needs of individuals.

A reluctance to create a permanent standing Army and Navy was very much a part of the make-up of this country's Founding Generation. They felt that creating such a force would be a threat to their newly won freedoms. But being pragmatists, the Constitution that they created does layout the framework for our national defense. The American President is the Commander-in-Chief of our armed forces, giving a civilian the ultimate authority. Congress is granted the powers of the purse and the power to declare wars.

A slim majority of U.S. Presidents have served in the military, either on active duty or with the militia or National Guard. A surprising number of them held very high rank in the military. Beginning with our first President, General George Washington, Commander of the Continental Army, three U.S. Presidents held the rank of General of the Armies. The other two were U.S. Grant in the Civil War and Dwight Eisenhower in World War Two.

Andrew Jackson the "Hero of New Orleans" and William Henry Harrison both reached the rank of General in the War of 1812. Zachary Taylor fought in the War of 1812 and served as a Brigadier General in the Mexican-American War. Franklin Pierce, Rutherford B. Hayes and James Garfield all held the rank of General in the U.S. Army in the Civil War.

Several other U.S Presidents were also decorated soldiers and war heroes. William Mckinley was wounded in the Civil War. Theodore Roosevelt served as a Colonel with the Rough Riders in the Spanish-American War and was recommended for the Medal of Honor. Harry Truman was a artillery Captain in the First World War. John F. Kennedy was captain of a P.T. Boat and George H. W. Bush was a navy pilot, both in World War II.

At many points in our history having served in the military was a prerequisite for seeking political office. This was especially true after the two major all-inclusive wars of U.S. history - the Civil War and World War Two. Beginning with Harry Truman becoming President in 1945, every U.S. President, except William Clinton, has worn the uniform of the U.S. military. With the ending of conscription (the Draft) in 1973, that run of veterans (1945-1993) in the White House will most likely never be matched again.

Logan International Airport - East Boston, Mass.

Logan Airport
East Boston, Mass.

Boston's Logan International Airport was officially opened on September 8, 1923. Built by the U.S. Army Air Corp, the air field was originally called the Boston Airport. In its first few years it was mostly used by the Massachusetts Air Guard and the Army Air Corp. It remained in Army hands until 1928 when the Massachusetts legislature and then the City of Boston took possession. In 1941, just before the outbreak of World War II, the State of Massachusetts took final ownership. In 1959 MassPort, a quasi-independent state agency, took over operations of the airport.

In 1943 the Mass. legislature passed a bill renaming the airport the General Edward Lawrence Logan airport. Born in Boston, Gen. Logan had served with the 9th Massachusetts Volunteer Militia in the Spanish-American War. Called to active duty again he served with the newly created 26th Infantry division and fought in the first world war. After the war Logan remained with the Mass. National Guard and rose through the ranks until reaching the rank of Major General commanding the 26th (Yankee) Division. Gen. Logan also served on Beacon Hill in the Mass. legislature, as head of the Mass. District Commission (the M.D.C.) and as a Judge of the South Boston District Court. He was a graduate of Boston Latin, Harvard College (class of 1898) and Harvard Law School.

The airport has grown exponentially over the years, both in its overall size, the number of flights and passengers and in the number of airlines. Massport is in the final stages of a multi-year improvement and building program which has led to the completion of new passenger terminals, parking areas, walkways, hotels and roadways. Logan airport is accessible by mass transit and by auto through the Sumner/Callahan and the new Ted Williams tunnels. Those wanting to avoid the tunnels and the tolls may drive in from Revere and East Boston.