Winston Churchill Born

Winston S. Churchill
(1874-1965)

Sir Winston Spencer Churchill was born on November 30, 1874 at Blenheim Palace, the home built for his famous ancestor the 1st Duke of Marlborough, John Churchill, who led an allied victory against the French at the Battle of Blenheim in 1704. As the future Prime Minister of Great Britain, Winston Churchill would lead his nation to win even greater battles, first in the Battle of Britain and later in the ultimate defeat of Germany and Japan in World War II.

Winston Churchill was a soldier, journalist, writer, politician, historian and even an artist. A brilliant orator and a man of genius, he made many grave mistakes in his career but he was instrumental in keeping Great Britain and its Empire in the fight against Hitler's Germany in the early years of the Second World War when a Nazi victory seemed certain. When the United States finally declared war against the Axis powers (Germany, Japan, Italy) in December of 1941 Churchill knew that although the fighting was far from over, the war was all but won.

Throughout his life Churchill was a fervent supporter of the British Empire. As a soldier and a journalist he fought on the North-West frontier of India and took part in the Sudan expedition that culminated in the Battle of Omdurman in 1898. He was taken prisoner in the Boer War and escaped to write about his exploits. During the First World War he fought again as an officer on the Western Front.

Following in his fathers footsteps, Lord Randolph Churchill, he became a member of Parliament. He was First Lord of the Admiralty in both World Wars before becoming Prime Minister in 1940. He served as Prime Minister from 1940-1945 and again in 1951-1955.

Upon his death in 1965, Sir Winston S. Churchill was given an official state funeral, an honor generally reserved for royalty in Great Britain.

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.

Semper Fidelis

Today is the Marines Corps Birthday. On November 10, 1775 the Second Continental Congress authorized the raising of two battalions of Continental Marines. Tradition has it that Captain Samuel Nicholas began the first recruiting drive at Tun Tavern in Philadelphia.

The U.S. Marines have fought with distinction in all of the nations wars but in modern times their reputation was cemented by their actions at Belleau Wood in World War One and in the Pacific theatre of World War Two. The bloody actions on Guadalcanal, Tarawa and most famously the fighting and the raising of the flag over Iwo Jima have ingrained the memory of their sacrifice in the minds of the American people. Semper Fi!

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.

Remembering the Veteran on Memorial Day

"The Supreme Sacrifice"
Oak Grove Cemetery
230 Playstead Road
Medford, Mass.

This statute of an American Doughboy, entitled "The Supreme Sacrifice", is dedicated to those Americans from Medford who lost their lives in the First World War. The soldier is holding his arms out as in the manner of a cross and is looking up towards the sky. Unlike most statues of this kind the soldier is not holding a weapon. The statues creator, Emilius R. Ciampa (1896-1996) was born in Italy but grew up in Boston's North End.

The bronze statue overlooks the headstones of the Medford Veterans of that long ago war, arranged in neat rows with American flags marking every grave. All of our Veterans of the First World War are gone now, just as in the not too distant future, all of the Veterans of the Second World War will also be gone. That last great war in Europe ended in May 0f 1945 and we owe the men and women who fought in those wars and have kept the peace since then a great debt. Especially those who made the supreme sacrifice.

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.

Great Battlefield Tour

Virginia Monument
Gettysburg Battlefield
Gettysburg, Penn.

An article on MSNBC.com yesterday titled Great Battlefield Tours by Joe Yogerst of Forbes Traveler was almost certainly written with an eye towards students of military history as well as travelers looking for new destinations. In a short but well-written piece Joe Yogerst gives a brief overview of some of the worlds great battles. A slide show accompanying the article lists several more famous battles. This has always been an interest of mine - traveling to view important battlefields, as well as visiting old forts and castles.

The article begins with a description of the Battles of Saratoga from the American Revolution. From there the list goes on to the Battle of Hastings, Waterloo, the battle to conquer the capital of the Aztec Empire by Cortes, two battles at Poitiers, France and the greatest battle ever fought on U.S. soil - Gettysburg. All good choices for such a short list.

The slide show covers these battles and goes on to list the Battle for Normandy (France), the attack on Pearl Harbor (Hawaii), Culloden (Scotland) and out of the ancient world, the city of Troy in Turkey. This particular list appears to be more for the tourist and world traveler than just exclusively for the history buff. But given the natural beauty of those locations, I have no objection at all to visiting any of them. In future posts I will discuss many of these battles and provide my own list for a great battlefield tour.

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.

Great Britain dominates Olympics - Summer of 1908

1908 Summer Olympics
White City Stadium
London, England

This week, with the XXIX Summer Olympics taking place in Beijing, China I thought I might take a look back to a hundred years ago to the 1908 Summer Olympics. Held at the newly built White City Stadium in London the IV Olympiad was originally scheduled to take place in Rome. When Mt. Vesuvius erupted in 1906, it became necessary to find a new location and London, England was chosen.

The 1908 Summer Olympics are considered the most controversial of the modern era but from today's perspective much of the controversy seems, to me at least, to be "tempests in a teapot".

What I find to be most interesting, however, about those games are a couple of things. First of all is the absolute dominance of Great Britain in these Olympics. Great Britain won an amazing total of 146 gold (56), silver (51) and bronze (39) medals. Its nearest competitor, the U.S., won a total of 47 (23 gold). Fielding athletes from England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland, Great Britain decisively won more medals than the rest of the competition, much of which was drawn from more populated nations. Being the host nation is perhaps an advantage to winning in the Olympics, but certainly not to this degree of success.

Looking at the list of participants in the games is also interesting. This Olympics could have been called the "Games of Empires". Starting with the host nation, England, the center of the British Empire, there were 21 other nations participating. Included among those nations are France (French Empire), Germany (German Empire), Turkey (Ottoman Empire), Austria (Austrian-Hungarian Empire) and Russia (Russian Empire). The only Empires of the time that are missing from this list, that I know of, are the Chinese and Japanese Empires.

This was the last days of Empire for Germany, Turkey, Austria and Russia. The defeat of the Central Powers in World War One in 1918 and the Russian Revolution of 1917 spelled the end of their Empires. The last Chinese Emperor was deposed in 1912 and Japan lost its Empire at the end of World War II in 1945. France and Great Britain gave up their dreams of Empire in the aftermath of World War II when their former colonies gained their own independence.

In 1908, during those Summer Olympics, the British Empire was at its peak. The nightmare of the world war that was to break out in August of 1914 was still in the unseen future. What a different world that must have been. How different a world it would be if that "War to end all Wars" had never taken place.

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.

The King's Own, British 4th Regiment

British 4th Regiment
"The King's Own"

Starting with the first organization of the Army in the mid-17th century and continuing to this day, the British Army is built upon its regimental system. The British soldier takes great pride in the traditions and the history of his regiment. Being one of the senior regiments makes the King's Own regimental history read like the history of Great Britain itself.

After threats were made against its possession of Tangier's it was decided in England more troops were needed to protect the port. Companies were raised in London and Plymouth, England and what was to become known as the Fourth Regiment or the King's Own was born on the 13 of July 1680. Once training was complete the companies were merged and sent to North Africa. This was just the first of what was to be many deployments overseas for the King's Own.

With the decline of the Spanish Empire and Britain's eclipse of the Dutch trading empire, England found itself in a world wide contest with France. A New France was created in Canada and British colonies were established in North America. Trading partnerships and posts were started in India. Colonization of the spice and sugar islands of the Caribbean was begun.

Beginning in the 18th and continuing into the early 19th century, several major wars were fought with France. This was also the time period when the first British Empire reached its height. The job of policing and maintaining that empire fell to Britain's Navy and its comparatively small, but professional Army. Serving under many Kings and Queens and many more leaders of Parliament, the King's Own carried its banner and the Kings colors all over the globe. A partial list of the battles fought by the 4th Regiment and the battle honors won, include: Gibraltar, Culloden, Guadeloupe, Martinique, Havana, Lexington and Concord, Bunker Hill, Brooklyn, Brandywine, St. Lucia, Corunna, Badajoz, Salamanca, San Sebastian, Washington, New Orleans and Waterloo.

The King's Own continued its illustrious history with fighting in South Africa against both the Zulus and the Boers. During the two World Wars the King's Own was much expanded and its battalions were involved in every theatre of battle.

During the 1950s the British Army went through yet another of its many reorganizations. A decision was reached to shrink the number of existing Regiments. In 1959 the King's Own lost its own identity and was merged with another regiment to become the King's Own Royal Border Regiment.

The King's Own was in existence for some 279 years and had in fact outlasted the Empire for which it fought so hard to create. There is an old song, dating back to the First World War, that is titled, "There will always be an England". Although not the oldest or the most well known of British Regiments, for as long as England maintains its own identity, the sacrifices made and the honors won by the King's Own will be a part of that heritage.