Sgt. Reckless

                I recently heard an interesting history lesson that I want to share with you.  The story is about a horse named Reckless, just one of numerous animals that played a part in the wars of the world; however, Reckless was an exceptional horse.  She was originally a race horse, but she was purchased by a Marine for $250.  She became a pack horse during the Korean War and carried weapons, ammunition, and supplies to the Marines. 

During the battle for a location called Outpost Vegas, Reckless made fifty-one trips up and down the hill.  She carried equipment up the hill and wounded soldiers down the hill.  The amazing thing about her accomplishments is that she made the trips by herself through enemy fire.  The Marines brought her home to the United States to “retire” her.  She lived the rest of her life at Camp Pendleton where she died and was buried.  This video tells her amazing story.    

Before You Go

For this Freedom Friday, I want to tell you a story about Dr. Sam Bierstock who is a professional musician and entertainer as well as a physician. Dr. Sam formed a musical group in 1996 called "Dr. Sam and The Managed Care Blues Band." This band uses satire, great music and humor to entertain and has performed in more than forty states and sold many thousands of CDs.

Dr. Sam returned from a cross-country trip and arrived at an airport in Florida at 1:00 A.M. in the summer of 2002. He found his car and arrived at the collection booth. There he wished the attendant a good evening. The elderly attendant gave an angry and resentful reply, "I took two bullets for this country and look what I am doing now!" Dr. Sam drove a few feet while digesting what had just happened. He backed up and said to the attendant, "Sir, I have had a wonderful life in this country, and I want to thank you sincerely for what you did to preserve our way of life in this country." The attendant said nothing in response but began to cry.

Dr. Sam was haunted by his experience and started to think of the members of his family who had served in World War II. "He realized that not only would our entire way of life and system of freedom been destroyed, his parents and grandparents would have been killed, he would never have been born and his children would not exist. The same fate would have been met by virtually all other members of minorities, many religious groups, and the disabled. The personal freedoms that we take so much for granted would have disappeared. `How", he thought, `do you thank someone enough for the existence of your children, and for all of the freedoms and opportunities that we all take so much for granted?' "

Dr. Sam wrote the lyrics to a song called "Before You Go" the very next morning. The words came easily to him because they came from his heart, but he had a difficult time finding the right music. It was not until the summer of 2005 that he was able to find someone to write the music - and that person happened to be a new keyboard player in his band. "Before You Go" was finally recorded.

Dr. Sam was aware that the veterans of World War II were dying at a rate of 1,000 to 2,000 per day, and he wanted this song to reach as many of them as possible before they died. He made the decision to put his recording for free listening on the Internet.

My father-in-law was a veteran of World War II and died before I could send this song to him. Please make sure that every World War II, Korean War, or Vietnam War veteran that you know hears "Before You Go" before their time on this earth is gone.

Korean War

The United Nations was about five years old when the Korean War started even though it was organized to eliminate the need for war among the nations. The Korean War was a great challenge for the United Nations because it was the first war in which it played a major role. The UN was forced into the war because Harry S. Truman sent airplanes and ships to protect South Korean independence. Troops from Communist-ruled North Korea invaded South Korea on June 25, 1950 and started the Korean War. The UN demanded that North Korea withdraw because it was violating international peace. When the Communists refused to obey the demand, the UN requested that the sixteen members send military aide to South Korea. Forty-one countries sent military equipment, food, and other supplies. Ninety percent of the troops, military equipment, and supplies were provided by the United States. North Korea received military equipment from the Soviet Union and had China fighting on their side. The Korean War was one of the bloodiest wars in history with about a million South Korean civilians killed and several million left homeless. About 580,000 UN and South Korean troops and about 1,600,000 Communist troops were killed, wounded, or reported missing. The UN and North Korea signed an armistice agreement on July 27, 1953 to end the Korean War. A permanent peace treaty has never been signed by South Korea and North Korea, and United States military forces are in South Korea to this day in order to discourage a resumption of hostilities between the two Korean countries. A recent problem between the two countries was a ship explosion that South Korea blames on North Korea. The causes of the Korean War began when the Japanese gained control of Korea in 1895 and made it a part of Japan in 1910. When the Allies defeated Japan in World War II (1939-1945), United States and Soviet forces moved into Korea. When the war ended, Soviet troops occupied Korea north of the 38th parallel of north latitude. This is an imaginary line that cuts Korea approximately in half. American troops occupied Korea south of the 38th parallel. The impotency of the United Nations was exhibited again when the UN General Assembly declared in 1947 that elections should be held through Korea to choose one government for the entire country. The Soviet Union was opposed to this idea and would not permit elections in North Korea. The people of South Korea elected a national assembly on May 10, 1948, and set up the government of the Republic of Korea. The Democratic People's Republic of Korea was established on September 9 by North Korean Communists. Both North and South Korea claimed the entire country, and their troops clashed near the border several times between 1948 and 1950. When the United States removed its last troops from Korea in 1949 and indicated in early 1950 that Korea was not in the main U.S. defense line in Asia, the Communists decided the time was right for military action. The North Korean Army had about 135,000 soldiers when it invaded South Korea. Many of those soldiers had fought for China and the Soviet Union during World War II. North Korea also had airplanes, artillery, and tanks. South Korea had about 95,000 soldiers in its army; they also had few planes or heavy guns and no tanks and could put up little resistance to the enemy attack. South Korean and UN forces were about 1,110,000 at greatest strength. Of that number, about 590,000 were South Koreans, 480,000 were Americans, and about 39,000 came from Australia, Belgium, Canada, Colombia, Ethiopia, France, Great Britain, Greece, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, New Zealand, the Philippines, South Africa, Thailand, and Turkey. There were about 260,000 soldiers from North Korea at the peak of the war with another 780,000 soldiers sent from China. A cease-fire was proposed on June 23, 1951, were deadlocked by late April 1952, and resumed on April 26, 1953. An armistice was signed on July 27, 1953, and ended the fighting. A Demilitarized Zone about two and a half miles wide along the final battle line divided the two sides. South Korea gained about 1,500 square miles. Both sides agreed not to increase their military strength/ About 88,559 prisoners were exchanged in September 1953. The United States spent about $67 billion dollars on the war, and all parts of Korea were damaged. Facts for this blog post came from an article by Lloyd C. Gardner in World Book Encyclopedia, Vol. 11, pp 379-384.

Harry S. Truman

Harry S. Truman (1884-1972) was born on May 8, 1884, in Lamar, Missouri, the oldest of three children born to his parents. His first name of Harry was chosen in honor of his uncle, Harrison Young. His middle initial S was chosen instead of a middle name in order that both his grandfather (Solomon Young and Anderson Shippe Truman) could claim he was named for them. The Truman family moved from a farm near Grandview, Missouri, to Independence, Missouri, when Harry was six years old. He attended elementary school and high school in Independence. He started wearing glasses at age eight because of severe nearsightedness. He was so afraid of breaking his glasses and injuring his eyes that he did not join in the rough games of childhood. He spent his time reading and had read the Bible three times by the time he was 13 or 14 as well as all the books in the Independence Public Library. Harry joined the Baptist Church at age 18. Truman's vision was too poor to be accepted at the United States Military Academy at West Point so he briefly attended a business school in Kansas City. Within five years following his high school graduation in 1901, he worked in the mailing room of the Kansas City Star, as a timekeeper for a construction crew for a railroad company, and as a clerk and later as a bookkeeper in two Kansas City banks. He worked on the family farm with his father from 1906 until 1917. Truman was a member of the Missouri National Guard from 1905 to 1911. When the United States entered World War I in 1917, Truman helped organize a field artillery regiment attached to the 35th Division. He became a lieutenant and then was sent to France in 1918. As a captain there he commanded an artillery battery. He was honorably discharged in 1919 and soon joined the Army reserves as a major and then was made colonel. Truman married his childhood sweetheart, Elizabeth "Bess" Virginia Wallace, on June 28, 1919, six weeks after returning home from the war. They were blessed with one daughter, Mary Margaret. Truman lost money in mining and oil investments before World War I. After the war he and a friend opened a men's clothing store that failed during the severe depression beginning in 1921. It took Truman fifteen years, but he paid all the store debts. Truman turned to politics and received help from the Democratic Party boss, "Big Tom" Prendergast, who thought Truman could win votes because of his farm background, war record, and friendly personality. His first political position was as county judge for two years. When he failed to bed re-elected, he decided to attend Kansas City School of Law but did not earn a degree. While serving as presiding county judge, Truman earned a reputation for honesty and efficiency. He was elected to the United States Senate in 1934 and re-elected in 1940. In 1944 Truman was nominated for Vice President on the Democratic ticket with Franklin D. Roosevelt. This would be FDR's fourth term as President, and many people were concerned that he would die in office. Truman served only 83 days as Vice President before he was summoned to the White House by telephone on April 12, 1945. Elinore Roosevelt informed Truman that FDR was dead. That evening Truman took the oath of office at 7:09 P.M. Truman became President in the last weeks of World War II. Germany surrendered on May 7, and Truman proclaimed May 8, his 61st birthday, as V-E Day (Victory in Europe Day). In July Truman traveled to Germany to meet with Winston Churchill and Joseph Stalin. While there he received a secret message that American scientists had tested an atomic bomb successful for the first time. On his way home he ordered American pilots to drop an atomic bomb on Japan. The first bomb fell on Hiroshima on August 6. A second bomb fell on Nagasaki three days later. On August 14, Japan agreed to end the war and on September 2 formally surrendered. The decision to drop an atomic bomb on Japan was one of the most awesome decisions ever considered by one human being. He made that decision in order to bring an end to the war and hopefully to save more lives. Truman had a strong personality and fighting spirit that brought him bitter enemies as well as loyal friends. He was blunt and outspoken and often used strong language against his opposition. His friends loved him because he was straightforward, and his enemies thought he was undignified. Truman faced many serious challenges as President. The United States economy had to reorganize from a wartime to a peacetime basis. Many countries torn by war needed relief programs. A Cold War divided the world between Western nations and Communist subversion and aggression. Truman wanted to extend Roosevelt's New Deal and drew up a program that included authority over the economy, national health insurance, permanent Fair Employment Practices Commission to protect minority rights, public power projects on the Arkansas, Columbia, and Missouri Rivers. The Republican-controlled Congress blocked most of Truman's programs but approved his plan to unify the Armed Forces under a single secretary of defense. Truman's Administration created programs such as the Truman Doctrine,, the Marshall Plan, the Point Four Program, and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). The Truman Doctrine meant international resistance to Communist aggression and guaranteed American aid to free nations resisting Communist propaganda or sabotage. The Marshall Plan (1947) extended the Truman Doctrine. It proposed that the war-damaged nations of Europe join in a program of mutual aid for economic recovery with grants from the United States to assist them. Eighteen countries accepted the Marshall Plan, but the Communist nations rejected it. In the election of 1948, Republicans were poised to win the White House. Liberal Democrats formed the Progressive Party and ran their own candidate. Truman campaigned hard and won one of the biggest upsets in political history. While in the White House, Truman arose early - sometimes as early as 5:30 - to take a walk accompanied by Secret Service agents and media representatives. He sometimes played the piano for visitors and enjoyed Chopin and Mozart. The Truman family spent most evenings in the family living quarters. During the Truman years, the White House received extensive repairs. The Truman family lived at Blair House from 1948 until March 1952. While they were there, two Puerto Rican nationalists tried to invade Blair House to assassinate Truman on November 1, 1950. One Secret Service agent was killed, and another was injured while one gunman was killed and the other captured. The United States, Canada, Great Britain, France and eight other nations signed the North Atlantic Treaty in the spring of 1949, forming the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). This treaty meant that an attack on one member would be considered as an attack on all. Other countries joined later and pooled their armed forces to defend Western Europe. The first supreme commander of NATO forces was General Dwight D. Eisenhower. Communists from North Korea invaded South Korea and started the Korean War on June 25, 1950. The five-year old United Nations demanded North Korea withdraw. On June 27, without UN permission, Truman sent US planes and ships to help save South Korean independence. Congress cheered the announcement, and the UN approved sending troops from other nations on the same day. On June 30 Truman ordered ground troops to South Korea and risked World War III. He later said that this was the hardest decision of his political career. Truman had other problems at home and waged an extensive reform program call the "Fair Deal." This program included civil rights legislation, repeal of the Taft-Hartley Act, a new farm program, federal aid to education, a federal housing program and increases in the Social Security program. Most of his proposals were defeated by Congress. Truman chose not to run for President in the 1952 campaign, saying that he felt no "duty to spend another four years in the White House." He left office on January 20, 1953, and retired to his home in Independence, Missouri. He wrote two volumes of memoirs and continued his active interest in politics and in the Democratic Party. The Harry S. Truman Library, built on funds collected by friends, opened in 1957 and holds Truman's papers and souvenirs. Truman died on December 26, 1972 with severe lung congestion and is buried in Independence in the Truman Library courtyard. Other events in the world of President Truman include: 1) The first fully electronic digital computer was built by engineers in 1946 at the University of Pennsylvania. 2) The phrase "Iron Curtain" was first used by Winston Churchill in 1946 to describe the barrier set up against Western Nations by Communist governments in Eastern Europe. 3) British India was divided into two independent nations - India and Pakistan - in 1947. 4) the first supersonic flight took place in 1947 when U.S. Air Force Captain Charles Yeager flew a Bell-X-1 rocket plane to break the sound barrier. 5) Jackie Robinson joined the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1947 to become the first black baseball player in the major leagues. 6) Israel was founded on May 14, 1948, and the first Arab-Israel war began the next day when Arab nations attacked Israel. 7) Civil war in Greece ended in 1949 with the defeat of Communist-led rebels. 8) the Communist People's Republic of China was founded in 1949. 9) The first nationwide telecast took place in 1951 when Truman made an announcement from San Francisco in 1951. 10) Elizabeth II became queen of Great Britain in 1952. Facts and information for this post came from an article in World Book Encyclopedia, Vol. 19, pp 466-473.

Dwight David Eisenhower

Dwight David Eisenhower (1890-1969) was the leader of the victorious Allied military forces in Europe in World War II. His military career covered more than 30 years before he was elected Commander-in-Chief in 1952. The tall, bald-headed man known as Ike was loved throughout the world. He had a broad grin and a friendly personality that could make almost everyone feel comfortable around him. Ike was organized, thoughtful, and patient, and he thought that good leaders led best by inspiring others to cooperate and to rise to their full potential.

Ike faced many difficult decisions as President. There were widespread investigations because of fear of Communist influence in government. There were bitter disputes caused by new civil rights issues. There were crises in foreign affairs caused by Communist threats in Asia, Africa, and Latin America. The war-time hero who became Commander-in-Chief helped keep peace in the world.

Eisenhower was born October 14, 1890, in Denison, Texas. He was the third of seven sons born to his deeply religious parents. He was named David Dwight Eisenhower but was always called Dwight David Eisenhower. His parents were descendants of German and Swiss immigrants who settled in Pennsylvania in the 1700's. I wonder if his ancestors came to America because of the kindness shown by General George Washington to the captured German Hessian soldiers.

Ike was popular in high school but didn't know what to do after graduation. A friend suggested that he apply to the national military academies where the tuition was free. He received an appointment to the United States Military Academy at West Point, New York. He was respectful of his parent's opposition to war even though he chose a military career.. He played football at West Point but quit the team after injuring his knee In 1915 he graduated 61st in a class of 164 and was commissioned a second lieutenant. He was assigned to Fort Sam Houston near San Antonio, Texas.

While there he met Mamie Geneva Doud (1896-1979) who was visiting from Denver. They started dating and were married on July 1, 1916 - the same day Ike was promoted to first lieutenant. Ike and Mamie had two sons. The oldest, Doud Dwight Eisenhower, died at age 3 of scarlet fever. John Sheldon Doud Eisenhower became an Army officer and diplomat. John's son, David, married Julie Nixon, the youngest daughter of Richard M. Nixon.

During World War I (1914-1918) Ike directed tank training programs at Camp Colt in Gettysburg. Pennsylvania. After the war he served in the Panama Canal Zone on the staff of Brigadier General Fox Conner. With Conner's support, he was selected to attend the Command and General Staff School at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. In 1926 he graduated first in his class of 275 top Army officers to survive the demanding training. He held various positions before becoming an aide in 1933 to General Douglas MacArthur, the Army Chief of Staff, in Washington, D.C.  When MacArthur was stationed in the Philipines in 1935, he took Ike with him. While in the Philipines, Ike took flying lessons and made his first solo flight in 1937 at age 47.

World War II began in 1939, and in 1940 the United States began building up its military in case it was drawn into the war. In 1941 Ike was appointed by the Army to plan the strategy for the Third Army in war games in Louisiana. The "enemy" force included a tank division commanded by Ike's friend George S. Patton, Jr., who also became a World War II hero.

Ike's performance in the brilliant win earned him a promotion to Brigadier General in September 1941. He also caught the attention of the new Army Chief of Staff, General George C. Marshall. After the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor forced the United States to enter World War II, Marshall assigned Ike to Washington, D.C. to serve in the Army's war plans division.

Ike was promoted to Major General in March 1942. In June 1942 he was named commanding general of United States forces in the European Theater of Operations, advancing over numerous senior officers. He became a Lieutenant General in July 1942 and named commander of Allied forces organized to invade North Africa. The invasion began in November 1942 and ended with the retaking of the region from German and Italian forces.

In February 1943 Ike was promoted to the rank of four-star general, then the highest rank in the Army. He organized the Allied invasions of Sicily in July 1943 and of Italy in September 1943. In December 1943 Ike was named supreme commander of the Allied Expeditionary Force in Europe.

The Allies planned to invade Normandy in northern France in early June 1944 by crossing the English Channel. This plan was history's largest seaborne invasion ever. "The success of Operation Overlord depended on low tides and calm seas for the landing boats, and clear skies fore the bombers protecting them. But on June 3, the weather turned bad, with rough seas and heavy clouds. Weather experts told Eisenhower there was a slim chance that the weather would clear up on June 6. If the invasion did not begin that day, it would have to wait two weeks until the next low tide. 
"Eisenhower faced the anguish of decision. He could risk millions of lives on the small chance of good weather, or he could delay the landing and probably lose the vital military element of surprise. On June 5, Eisenhower made his final decision. `OK, let's go!' he ordered. The invasion began early in the morning of June 6, 1944, a day that became known as D.-Day. By nightfall, the Allies had a firm hold on the beaches of Normandy. After 11 more months of bloody fighting, Germany surrendered on May 7, 1945" (Elmo Richardson, World Book Encyclopedia, Vol. 6 [1994], p 150).

Eisenhower received the newly created rank of five-star general in December 1944 and returned to the United States to a hero's welcome in June 1945. He wanted to retire from the military but accepted the position as Army Chief of Staff in November 1945. Ike retired from active military service in 1948, became president of Columbia University in New York City, and wrote a best-selling book about his wartime experiences. He was called back into the military when he became the supreme commander of the newly formed North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) forces in Europe. He was eager for the opportunity to work with the unique international army.

Ike became active in politics as a result of divisions in the country over the Korean War , which started in June 1950. Many Republicans thought the United States should withdraw from the bloody conflict. Ike thought the United States needed to be involved in problems facing the rest of the world in order to live in peace and freedom.

Many Republicans urged Ike to run for President arguing that only he could unite the party's conservative and liberal wings. He was concerned that there had been no Republican presidents for twenty years but would not run against Harry S. Truman. When Truman chose not to run for re-election, Ike retired from the Army - again - without pay or military benefits and became a candidate for the Republican presidential nomination. He was not the leading candidate, but he won the nomination on the first ballot and chose Richard M. Nixon to be the vice presidential candidate. Republicans won the election with 55% of the ballots cast and gained control of both houses of Congress.

Many people admired Ike's experience and integrity and believed he would restore government to its proper role as well as protect against Communism. As President, Ike delegated wide powers to aides. He made each Cabinet officer and White House assistant responsible for an area of government affairs. He chose officials for their strong convictions and managerial abilities. Soon after he became President, the Department of Health, Education and Welfare (now the Department of Health and Human Services) was created, making ten Cabinet positions. Eisenhower and Nixon were elected for a second term in 1956 - by an even greater victory than in 1932.

Ike was the first President prohibited from running for a third term by the 22nd Amendment to the Constitution, which became law in 1951. He left office in January 1961 and retired to his farm in Gettysburg. There he raised cattle and wrote three books of memoirs. He died of heart failure on March 28, 1969, after a series of heart attacks. He was buried in Abilene, where a library with his papers opened for researchers.

Some highlights from the world of President Eisenhower are: 1) "The Korean War ended, after three years of fighting, with the signing of a truce agreement on July 27, 1953; 2) Controlled nuclear energy came into use. The U.S. Navy launched the first nuclear-powered vessel, the submarine Nautilus, in 1954. The first large-scale nuclear power plant began operations in 1956 at Calder Hill in England; 3) Segregated public schools were outlawed by the Supreme Court of the United States in 1954. In a landmark case, Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka, the court ruled that racially segregated schools were unconstitutional; 4) Rock 'n' roll became the leading form of popular music. A band called Bill Haley and His Comets recorded one of the first rock hits, "Rock Around the Clock," in 1955; 5) The merger of the American Federation of Labor (AFL) and the Congress of Industrial Organizations (CIO) in 1955 united the two leading U.S. labor federations; 6) The first polio vaccine, developed by the American medical researcher Jonas E. Salk, was declared safe in 1955; 7) The Vietnam War began in 1957, when Viet Cong guerrillas started to attack the South Vietnamese government; 8) The St. Lawrence Seaway, linking the Atlantic Ocean and Great Lakes, was completed by the United States and Canada in 1959; 9) Fidel Castro took over the government of Cuba in 1959 and soon turned the country into a Communist state; 10) New inventions included the laser, a device that produces a narrow beam of intense light, and xerography, an ink-less copying process perfected by the Xerox Corporation" (Elmo Richardson).

I was not aware of most of these highlights while they were happening. I knew about the labor union merger because my U.S. History teacher hammered into his students the wrongness of this merger. I remember receiving polio vaccine and the fear associated with the disease. I had a good friend who wore a full-length brace on one of his legs from elementary school through high school. I remember seeing him running across the school yard.

The Vietnam War was on the news a lot in my older teens and young married life. I knew several young men who served in Vietnam. I grew to adulthood believing that Eisenhower was a really good President. I remember when he left office and also when he died. He was well-loved and respected by American citizens. My brother-in-law served in the U.S. Navy during the Korean War. He liked Eisenhower so much that he called his beloved little dog Ike.