Blue Mike, Chap. II - Combat (3 of 5)

These are US Army trucks crossing the treadway (pontoon) bridge across the Rhine river, March 30, 1945.

March 30, 1945 - Weiskirchen, Germany

Blue Mike tells us that "at 1000 Co. M moved on foot to an assembly area in the vicinity of Alsenz. The weather was cloudy with a light rain. At 1100 we loaded on trucks and moved approximately 50 miles via Darmstadt to assembly in the vicinity of Frankfurt. We crossed the Rhine at Oppenheim on the treadway (pontoon) bridge in a smokescreen so there was very little to see except the water, the pontoons and the two tracks the vehicles had to stay on....After General Patton got on the east side he reportedly radioed back to Gen. Bradley, 'We have crossed the Rhine.' Gen. Bradley was totally amazed because logistically he had believed it was impossible for Gen. Patton to advance so rapidly.....The entire 14th Infantry made the crossing of the Rhine river and moved into assembly areas in the vicinity of Frankfurt.

"We closed into billets in the town of Weiskirchen by 1600. After we had gotten settled in our billets and our kitchen truck arrived, we broke out the deer meat [killed earlier that morning]. One of our men had found a big supply of potatoes and onions in the basement of one of our billets...and we had some of the best tasting venison stew you ever tasted.

March 31, 1945 - Weiskirchen, Germany

Blue Mike: "Co. M remained in billets in the town of Weiskirchen, south of Hanau, throughout the day." [I remember being sick that day, from a bad C ration, I suppose.]

April 1, 1945 - Bivouac near Glauberg, Germany

Blue Mike: "...Today is Easter Sunday morning, and the rest of the Army rolls on while we continue to take it easy. If the present pace continues perhaps the war will be over in two weeks....[I remember seeing my first jet plane that day, a German fighter.] At 1700 the 3d Battalion departed by truck and occupied the town of Altenstadt by 2100....Co. M and elements of the 3d Battalion went into the advance march for about seven km after detrucking and occupied a bivouac area near Glauberg after midnight.

April 2, 1945 - Wolf, Germany

Blue Mike: "The regimental attack order on the 6th SS Nord Division was issued at 0500. At 0720 the 3d Battalion reported enemy fire being received from the woods south of Altenstadt. The attack was scheduled at 0900 but by 0800 the attack was postponed until 1000....Co. M was in position at 0915. Lt. Prekker's 3d Mortar Platoon was set and zeroed in on Hill No. 267...At 1000 the artillery and mortar preparation began. As promised in the regimental attack order, the artillery delivered 400 rounds of high explosives and our mortar platoon fired about 90 rounds on the hill. The artillery lifted at 1020 and there was no response from Hill No.267. Immediately we moved into the attack march on the hill. We received no fire while closing on the hill....We occupied the hill and found it had been occupied by a German horse-drawn artillery battery. What we found was not pretty. Five or six enemy killed along with four or five Percheron-type horses destroyed....When the 3d Mortar Platoon occupied Hill No, 267, they found a money wagon...full of German marks..Most of the mortar platoon were a little depressed about our attack on Hill No. 267. They did their job by delivering fire on the hill as ordered. They were depressed because so many horses were killed.

"Following the occupation of Hill No. 267, Co. M continued in the attack march in an easterly direction for about four miles until nightfall where we bivouacked in and around the village of Wolf. [I remember that we emplaced our mortar outside a house and slept inside, six to a bed - two on the mattress, two on the box springs, and two on the bedding. We kept guard on the mortar and ammunition.]

April 3, 1945 - Bivouac near Dudenrod, Germany

Blue Mike: "The weather was clear and cool. The situation has become very fluid. At daybreak we received a report from division intelligence that we should be alert for...fleeing 6th SS Nord troops...Co. M was ordered to hold positions....and to send out foot patrols...The 3d Battalion assignment was the clean-out of woods and towns and to patrol the road networks. Co. M conducted a thorough search of the town of Wolf...Co. M departed Wolf at 1200 on foot and arrived in the town of Dudenrod at 1400, a distance of only two miles....Co. M was bivouacked about one half kilometer southeast of Dudenrod."

April 4, 1945 - Bivouac near Breitenbach, Germany

Blue Mike: "At 0800 Co. M loaded on the first shuttle of QM trucks in Dudenrod for displacement of 16 miles to the 3d Battalion assembly area in Kressenbach, arriving at 1530. The weather was rainy and miserable...Co. M bivouacked one-half kilometer southeast from Breitenbach and two miles east of Kressenbach....The day was cloudy with a slow rain most of the afternoon. We moved into our bivouac area outside the village of Breitenbach about 1700. Our orders were to guard our perimeter and dig in for the night. Foxholes and slit trenches were not the most comfortable places to spend the night in the rain." [I've thought of this night frequently. It was the only night in the rain during our time in combat. I remember that I was to share cover with Pfc Presnell, one of our squad's ammunition bearers, but we could not erect a pup tent because he had burned his wooden tent pegs at Camp Old Gold. So we buttoned our two shelter halves together and pulled them over us to keep the rain off. I remember the occasional automatic weapons firing by other units in their fight with the 6th SS Nord Division. It was not a good night.] Blue Mike continues: "My order was for everyone to keep his head down until daylight unless we were attacked. Fortunately, I was able to bring our company mess truck into our company area for the night, which provided a hot meal before darkness. All of our men were dog-tired after two days of the advance march. To compensate, I placed the company cooks on guard duty for the night. We armed them with all the BARs [Browning Automatic Rifles] we could locate."

April 5, 1945 - Bivouac near Breitenbach, Germany

Blue Mike: "A close screening action was initiated following a report that survivors of the 6th SS Nord Division had been ordered to change into civilian clothes for the purpose of making their escape into Bavaria. All small towns in the regimental area were screened by a house-to-house search, the woods were mopped up and a close control of civilians was established... Co. M, less the 1st MG Platoon, had been ordered to sweep and clear two small villages northwest of Breitenbach at 0800. We completed this assignment by 1000....A system of motor patrols, outposts and listening posts was established for the night as the units buttoned up. Co. M participated in outpost duty up to two km to our front and in motor patrols...At 2030 we were alerted to be prepared to move to the vicinity of Fulda tomorrow morning."

April 6, 1945 - Maberzell, Germany

Blue Mike: We've surely been having some lousy weather lately as it has been cloudy and rainy most of the time. We slept out in the rain night before last, but found a shed and two warehouses for most of our men last night...Co. M and the rest of the 3d Battalion prepared close out its area near Breitenbach for movement forward. At 0600, we were loaded on QM trucks and began the displacement of approximately 25 miles to the general vicinity of Fulda. Our route of march via convoy from Breitenbach was north through Hauswitz and to Hosenfeld where we detrucked at 0830.

Blue Mike: "We deployed and began a sweep of the Forst Grossenluder via Giesel, Neiderrode, Hainbach and on to Maberzell. We had completed a foot march of 13 km or 8 miles in a search and occupy operation. The Forst Grossenluder sweep resulted in the capture of 70 POWs in this mopping-up exercise by the 14th Infantry. A house-to-house search was made in the towns, and the woods in between were thoroughly searched. The weather continues bad with uninterrupted light rain. The road was very muddy. The 2d MG Platoon and the 3d Mortar Platoon were in direct support of the battalion in this sweep. The 1st MG Platoon was still on guard duty at Eberstadt. We made our way into Maberzell, three miles west of Fulda, at nightfall....At 2000 Co. M was billeted in Maberzell for the night. We received word that the 1st MG Platoon would rejoin us tomorrow. At 2200, we received the order to move eastward tomorrow morning. The billeting parties are to be at regimental headquarters in Fulda ready to move promptly at 0600."

April 7, 1945 - Kaltensundheim, Germany

Blue Mike: At 0930, the company loaded on trucks in Maberzell and started the displacement to Kaltensundheim. As was the case in nearly every move forward, the motorized elements of Co. M would drop into the QM truck convoy. We arrived in Kaltensundheim at 1500 after a move of 25 miles. The weather had improved and was starting to clear. The day continued cool, clear and bright. The roads were still muddy but drying....The company was billeted in Kaltensundheim for the night. All of the company's machine-gun-mounted jeeps were active in roving patrols during the afternoon. [I remember being involved in some of these patrols.] and up until near midnight."

April 8, 1945 - Kaltensundheim, Germany

Blue Mike: ..."The company had machine-gun mounted jeep patrols active throughout the day. The weather was crisp and clear....The company remained billeted in Kaltensundheim for the night...We were at our most northerly advance into Germany. From now on, we would be traveling in a south-southeast direction until we met the Russians....We have stayed in houses the last two nights and it was much appreciated. The first night it was raining and last night there was frost on everything."

April 9, 1945 - Dreissigacker, Germany

Blue Mike: "This is the second morning in Kaltensundheim with very little to do....The company continued jeep patrols in the morning. The weather was cool and clear....At 1400 we loaded on trucks and traveled ten miles to Dreissigacker, just outside of Meiningen, arriving at 1500, where we billeted for the night."

April 10, 1945 - Meiningen, Germany

Blue Mike: "The company continued jeep patrols for most of the day. The weather was hazy with one mile visibility in the morning but burned off by noon to four miles visibility. The nights have been clear...At 1830 the company loaded on trucks in Dreissigacker for a two mile ride into Meiningen, arriving at 1900 to relieve elements of the 2d Battalion, 66th Infantry. The 3d Battalion was now in regimental reserve.....We billeted for the night in Meiningen. Again, we were called upon for night patrols in and around the city. At 1855 the 3d Battalion reverted to attachment to XII Corps, relieving 2d Battalion, 66th Infantry, vicinity of Meiningen. This means were are now on call by Corps to handle hot spots. We are now in reserve."

The Cultural Right of Offendedness

I found this article in Albert Mohler's blog.

A new and unprecedented right is now the central focus of legal, procedural, and cultural concern in many corridors--a supposed right not to be offended. The cultural momentum behind this purported "right" is growing fast, and the logic of this movement has taken hold in many universities, legal circles, and interest groups.

The larger world received a rude introduction to the logic of offendedness when riots broke out in many European cities, prompted by a Dutch newspaper's publishing of cartoons that reportedly mocked the Prophet Muhammad. The logic of the riots was that Muslims deserved never to be offended by any insult, real or perceived, directed to their belief system. Unthinking Christians may fall into the same pattern of claiming offendedness whenever we face opposition to our faith or criticism of our beliefs. The risk of being offended is simply part of what it means to live in a diverse culture that honors and celebrates free speech. A right to free speech means a right to offend, otherwise the right would need no protection.

These days, it is the secularists who seem to be most intent on pushing a proposed right never to be offended by confrontation with the Christian Gospel, Christian witness, or Christian speech and symbolism. This motivation lies behind the incessant effort to remove all symbols, representations, references, and images related to Christianity from the public square. The very existence of a large cross, placed on government property as a memorial, outside San Diego, California, has become a major issue in the courts, and now in Congress. Those pressing for the removal of the cross claim that they are offended by the fact that they are forced to see this Christian symbol from time to time.

We should note carefully that this notion of offendedness is highly emotive in character. In other words, those who now claim to be offended are generally speaking of an emotional state that has resulted from some real or perceived insult to their belief system or from contact with someone else's belief system. In this sense, being offended does not necessarily involve any real harm but points instead to the fact that the mere presence of such an argument, image, or symbol evokes an emotional response of offendedness.

The distinguished Christian philosopher Paul Helm addresses this issue in an article published in the Summer 2006 edition of The Salisbury Review, published in Great Britain. As Professor Helm argues, "Historically, being offended has been a very serious matter. To be offended is to be caused to stumble so as to fall, to fail, to apostasize, to be brought down, to be crushed." As evidence for this claim, Professor Helm points to the language of the King James Bible in which Jesus says to his disciples: "And if thy right eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast in to hell" [Matthew 5:29].

Likewise, Jesus also speaks a warning against those who would "offend" the "little ones." As Professor Helm summarizes, "So to 'offend' in this robust sense is to be an agent of destruction. And to be offended is to be placed in desperate straits."

The desperate straits are no longer required in order for an individual or group to claim the emotional status of offendedness. This shift in the meaning of the word and in its cultural usage is subtle but extremely significant.

Offering a rather robust definition of this new usage, Professor Helm describes this new notion of offendedness as "that one is offended when the words and actions of another produce a feeling of hurt, or shame, or humiliation on account of what is said of oneself about one's deepest attachments."

Professor Helm's definition is rather generous, offering more substantial content to this modern notion than may be present in the claims of many persons. Many persons who claim to be offended are speaking merely of the vaguest notion of emotional distaste at what another has said, done, proposed, or presented. This leads to inevitable conflict.

"People have always been upset by insensitivity and negligence, but the profile of offendedness, understood in this modern sense, is being immeasurably heightened," suggests Professor Helm. "The right never to be offended, never to suffer feelings of hurt or shame, is being touted and promoted both by the media and by the government and interest in it is being continually excited." Thus, "Claims to be hurt or shamed are noticed. They are likely to be rewarded."

The very idea of civil society assumes the very real possibility that individuals may at any time be offended by another member of the community. Civilization thrives when individuals and groups seek to minimize unnecessary offendedness, while recognizing that some degree of real or perceived offendedness is the cost the society must pay for the right to enjoy the free exchange of ideas and the freedom to speak one's mind.

Professor Helm is surely right when he argues that the "social value" of offendedness is now increasing. All that is necessary for a claim to be taken seriously is for the claim to be offered. After all, if the essence of the offendedness is an emotional state or response, how can any individual deny that a claimant has been genuinely offended? Professor Helm is right to worry that this will lead to the fracturing of society. "We all hear things we don't like said about people and causes that we are fond of but in the changed social atmosphere we are being encouraged to give public notice if such language offends us. I am now being repeatedly told that I am entitled not to be offended. So--from now on--not offended is what I intend to be. Does this heightening of sensitivity make for social cohesion? Does not such cohesion depend rather on enduring what we don't like, and doing so in an adult way? Does not the glue of civic peace rest on such intangibles as the ability to laugh at oneself, to take a joke about even the deepest things? And is it not a measure of the strength of a person's religion that they tolerate the unpleasant conversation of others? Isn't playing the offendedness card going to result in an enfeebling of the culture, the development of oversensitive and precious members of the 'caring society'? Whatever happened to toleration?"

Given our mandate to share the Gospel and to speak openly and publicly about Jesus Christ and the Christian faith, Christians must understand a particular responsibility to protect free speech and to resist this culture of offendedness that threatens to shut down all public discourse.

Of course, the right for Christians to speak publicly about Jesus Christ necessarily means that adherents of other belief systems will be equally free to present their truth claims in an equally public manner. This is simply the cost of religious liberty.

An interesting witness to this point is Salman Rushdie, the novelist who was once put under a Muslim sentence of death because he had insulted Muslim sensibilities in his novel The Satanic Verses. Mr. Rushdie presents an argument that Christians must take seriously.

"The idea that any kind of free society can be constructed in which people will never be offended or insulted is absurd. So too is the notion that people should have the right to call on the law to defend them against being offended or insulted. A fundamental decision needs to be made: do we want to live in a free society or not? Democracy is not a tea party where people sit around making polite conversation. In democracies people get extremely upset with each other. They argue vehemently against each other's positions," Rushdie insists.

As the novelist continues: "People have the fundamental right to take an argument to the point where somebody is offended by what they say. It is no trick to support the free speech of somebody you agree with or to whose opinion you are indifferent. The defense of free speech begins at the point where people say something you can't stand. If you can't defend their right to say it, then you don't believe in free speech. You only believe in free speech as long as it doesn't get up your nose."

As the Apostle Paul made clear in writing to the Corinthians, the preaching of the Gospel has always been considered offensive by those who reject it. When Paul spoke of the cross as "foolishness" and a "stumbling block" [1 Corinthians 1:23] he was pointing to this very reality--a reality that would lead to his own stoning, flogging, imprisonment, and execution.

At the same time, Paul did not want to offend persons on the basis of anything other than the cross of Christ and the essence of the Christian Gospel. For this reason, he would write to the Corinthians about becoming "all things to all people, that by all means I might save some" [1 Corinthians 9:22].

Without doubt, many Christians manage to be offensive for reasons other than the offense of the Gospel. This is to our shame and to the injury of our Gospel witness. Nevertheless, there is no way for a faithful Christian to avoid offending those who are offended by Jesus Christ and His cross. The truth claims of Christianity, by their very particularity and exclusivity, are inherently offensive to those who would demand some other gospel.

Christians must not only contend for the preservation and protection of free speech--essential for the cause of the Gospel--we must also make certain that we do not fall into the trap of claiming offendedness for ourselves. We must not claim a right not to be offended, even as we must insist that there is no such right and that the social construction of such a right will mean the death of individual liberty, free speech, and the free exchange of ideas.

Once we begin playing the game of offendedness, there is no end to the matter. There simply is no right not to be offended, and we should be offended by the very notion that such a right could exist.

_____________________

This article was first published August 4, 2006. During the month of July, I will be posting new articles and also featuring some articles from the archives I hope you will find helpful. This month requires a different schedule as I spend time with family and do groundwork on upcoming articles, messages, books, and projects. My normal schedule for new articles will resume as August begins.

Children of Sadr City

This is a post from the blog "Healing Iraq" by a dentist named Zeyad..

Monday, October 20, 2008

Children of Sadr City

The Raad brothers, and tens of thousands of children like them in this poor walled-in Shiite Muslim district, have been shaped by war, honed by poverty. They are witnesses to sectarian violence, Shiite militias, angry sermons echoing through mosques, Humvees gurgling through streets and pictures of religious leaders and wanted men hovering on billboards. These children may not know grammar and punctuation, but they know what to do when the bullets come, how to take cover, to hide from the kidnappers, the militants and the soldiers.

Bloodshed and years of unrest are harsh teachers, especially in Sadr City, where 30% of children have quit school, according to a Baghdad human resources office. That estimate is probably low. A United Nations report found that 94% of boys in Iraq attend elementary school, but that drops to 44% by high school. For girls, 81% start elementary school; 31% go on to high school.

More.

# posted by Zeyad : 10/20/2008 09:16:00 PM

Blue Mike, Chap. II - Combat (2 of 5)

This is me in my new "Ike" jacket in June 1945.

March 22, 1945 - Venningen, Germany

Blue Mike reports: At 1200 the attack on a division front was begun....We were on the right flank of the 71st Division which was on the right of the XXI Corps drive to Pirmasens. There was very little resistance as most German troops had escaped to defensive positions east of the Rhine.

"Division intelligence reported mine fields between the towns of Schweix and Venningen out in front of the Siegfried Line. Co. M began the advance at 1200. About one-half mile out of Liederschiedt, we crossed the border between France and Germany. Our first German village was Schweix. We moved by platoon strength. I was with the company Hq staff [including me and most of the 3d Mortar Platoon] group and between Schweix and Venningen, we ran into a mine field. It was an old field, as erosion had uncovered eight or ten of the mines. ... I marked a way through until I felt we were beyond the mines. The rest of the group used my footprints and all got through the field safely. We continued on to Venningen, arriving there at 1630. We had marched a distance of slightly over four miles.

"Our motorized group [on another route] was delayed by numerous road blocks...When they got into Venningen, they saw the gun [a German 88-mm] which presumably was doing the shelling [when we were in Liederschiedt].

March 23, 1945 - Bivouac near Klein-Fischlingen, Germany

Blue Mike: "We are now in Germany. ... We occupied Vinningen yesterday, slept here last night and are waiting on transportation for another move. ... At 1945 we loaded on trucks and half-tracks and began the motor movement, passing through the 'dragon's teeth' and abandoned pill-boxes of the Siegfried Line, to the assembly area in the vicinity of Klein-Fischlingen. Pfc Johnson and others in the mortar platoon rode on the half-tracks. This was his first experience of riding on a half-track. We closed into the assembly area at 2350, after covering a distance of 49 miles, and bivouaced for the night.

March 24, 1945 - Otterstadt, Germany

Blue Mike: "The day was fair and warm with good visibility. We spent the morning sitting around and waiting on transportation.

"At 1600 the company moved by motor to the town of Otterstadt within one and a half miles of the west bank of the Rhine river. We had closed into Otterstadt and had established outpost positions on the west bank of the Rhine by 2200. .. We were billeted in houses, except for outpost personnel."

March 25, 1945 - Otterstadt, Germany

Blue Mike: "Our low temperature last night was 37 degrees F. The Germans...limited their activities to lobbing 88-mm artillery and mortar shells into Otterstadt at random intervals.

"The mortar platoon was zeroed in on an assembly area, assumed to be a mess area, 800 yards deep on the east side....Lt. Stewart had observed with his binoculars that Germans would sneak down to a sunken barge on the east side of the Rhine and return with buckets of water. He arranged with Lt. Prekker to zero one of his mortars on that barge. From then on, every time a Kraut would approach that barge, we would drop an 81 mm mortar round on him.

"At 0900 regimental intelligence reported a German mess line was shelled. The mortar platoon outpost kept a continuous daylight binocular surveillance of the east side of the Rhine. All of the six mortars were zeroed in on various targets of opportunity on that side. This morning we noticed a gathering of Germans in a targeted area. It was obvious this was a mess line. The mortar platoon outpost on the west bank of the Rhine could hear the mess kits rattling as well as watching them with their binoculars, and when the German mess line was full, they gave the order to fire. Within a matter of minutes, the mortar platoon dropped 15 to 20 rounds on the mess line. No doubt some were killed or wounded."

March 27, 1945 - Otterstadt, Germany

Blue Mike: "This was a day of very little activity for Co. M except for manning river bank outposts. The sky was overcast with rain in the morning. We continued to receive occasional 88 mm fire in and around Otterstadt."

March 28, 1945 - Otterstadt, Germany

Blue Mike: "The enemy resistance on the east bank of the river appeared to be weakening. Very little artillery was received in Otterstadt. The weather was overcast and rainy.

"At 1315 orders were received from division for a contemplated move later in the night of March 28. We were to be relieved by the 411th Infantry Regimentof the 103d Division under cover of darkness. ...At 2200 the relief had been completed.

"By 2300 Co. M had assembled in Speyer preparatory for further movement by motors. Later after we had cleared Otterstadt, we learned that the Krauts had made a crossing in force across the Rhine and the 411th Infantry lost quite a few men.

March 29, 1945 - Bivouac near Alsenz, Germany

Blue Mike: "At 0100 we loaded on QM trucks and began a move of 42 miles to an assembly area in Alsenz. Our route of march was Speyer, Dudenhofen, Geinsheim, Lachen, Neustadt, Lambrecht, Weidenthal, Frankenstein, Fischbach, Enkenbach, Winnweiler, Imsweiler, Rockenhausen and on to Alsenz. This move was a roundabout way to get to Frankfurt by going back a considerable distance to the west and north, but it did place us in a favorable reserve position for transfer from the Seventh Army to Patton's Third Army. After many long and irritating delays parked on the side of the road, we closed into Alsenz at 2230. We had covered 42 miles in 20-1/2 hours or an average pace of less than two MPH. We could have walked it in less time if we had the energy.

"Before settling into bivouac we were alerted for a further move tomorrow. We were now assigned to XII Corps, Third Army.

Pitches

This morning I've found some interesting stuff in spot.us about the San Francisco Bay Area. I suggest you check it out.

Great Pacific Garbage Patch:
http://spot.us/pitches/238

Bay Area Toxic Tour:
http://spot.us/pitches/156

School Lunches:

http://spot.us/pitches/170

Remembering the Fallen

Remembering the Fallen
Below is a moving story courtesy of the U.S. Air Force blog, Air Force LIVE. While the media usually covers stories about the fallen heroes, other events sometimes push aside the importance of recognizing the military. Below is a background paragraph about a letter (full text below) that was published in the Washington Post about Lt. Brian Bradshaw, 1st Battalion, 501st Parachute Infantry Regiment, 4th Airborne Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division, who was killed in Afghanistan on June 25. The letter comes from Capt. James Adair and Master Sgt. Paul Riley of the Georgia Air National Guard, who flew Lt. Bradshaw from a forward base to Bagram Air Base for his final flight home.

Full letter by the Guardsmen:

Dear Bradshaw Family,

We were crew members on the C-130 that flew in to pick up Lt. Brian Bradshaw after he was killed. We are Georgia Air National Guardsmen deployed to Afghanistan for Operation Enduring Freedom. We support the front-line troops by flying them food, water, fuel, ammunition and just about anything they need to fight. On occasion we have the privilege to begin the final journey home for our fallen troops. Below are the details to the best of our memory about what happened after Brian’s death.

We landed using night-vision goggles. Because of the blackout conditions, it seemed as if it was the darkest part of the night. As we turned off the runway to position our plane, we saw what appeared to be hundreds of soldiers from Brian’s company standing in formation in the darkness. Once we were parked, members of his unit asked us to shut down our engines. This is not normal operating procedure for that location. We are to keep the aircraft’s power on in case of maintenance or concerns about the hostile environment. The plane has an extremely loud self-contained power unit. Again, we were asked whether there was any way to turn that off for the ceremony that was going to take place. We readily complied after one of our crew members was able to find a power cart nearby. Another aircraft that landed after us was asked to do the same. We were able to shut down and keep lighting in the back of the aircraft, which was the only light in the surrounding area. We configured the back of the plane to receive Brian and hurried off to stand in the formation as he was carried aboard.

Brian’s whole company had marched to the site with their colors flying prior to our arrival. His platoon lined both sides of our aircraft’s ramp while the rest were standing behind them. As the ambulance approached, the formation was called to attention. As Brian passed the formation, members shouted “Present arms” and everyone saluted. The salute was held until he was placed inside the aircraft and then the senior commanders, the sergeant major and the chaplain spoke a few words.

Afterward, we prepared to take off and head back to our base. His death was so sudden that there was no time to complete the paperwork needed to transfer him. We were only given his name, Lt. Brian Bradshaw. With that we accepted the transfer. Members of Brian’s unit approached us and thanked us for coming to get him and helping with the ceremony. They explained what happened and how much his loss was felt. Everyone we talked to spoke well of him - his character, his accomplishments and how well they liked him. Before closing up the back of the aircraft, one of Brian’s men, with tears running down his face, said, “That’s my platoon leader, please take care of him.”

We taxied back on the runway, and, as we began rolling for takeoff, I looked to my right. Brian’s platoon had not moved from where they were standing in the darkness. As we rolled past, his men saluted him one more time; their way to honor him one last time as best they could. We will never forget this.
We completed the short flight back to Bagram Air Base. After landing, we began to gather our things. As they carried Brian to the waiting vehicle, the people in the area, unaware of our mission, stopped what they were doing and snapped to attention. Those of us on the aircraft did the same. Four soldiers who had flown back with us lined the ramp once again and saluted as he passed by. We went back to post-flight duties only after he was driven out of sight.

Later that day, there was another ceremony. It was Bagram’s way to pay tribute. Senior leadership and other personnel from all branches lined the path that Brian was to take to be placed on the airplane flying him out of Afghanistan. A detail of soldiers, with their weapons, lined either side of the ramp just as his platoon did hours before. A band played as he was carried past the formation and onto the waiting aircraft. Again, men and women stood at attention and saluted as Brian passed by. Another service was performed after he was placed on the aircraft.

For one brief moment, the war stopped to honor Lt. Brian Bradshaw. This is the case for all of the fallen in Afghanistan. It is our way of recognizing the sacrifice and loss of our brothers and sisters in arms. Though there may not have been any media coverage, Brian’s death did not go unnoticed. You are not alone with your grief. We mourn Brian’s loss and celebrate his life with you. Brian is a true hero, and he will not be forgotten by those who served with him.

We hope knowing the events that happened after Brian’s death can provide you some comfort.

Sincerely,
Capt. James Adair
Master Sgt. Paul Riley
GA ANG 774 EAS Deployed

Please visit here to read more about Lt. Brian Bradshaw and his fearless service.

Posted byashmccallinFallen HeroesLt. Brian Bradshaw, Soldier Stories, U.S. Air Force
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Today's Update on Calli Nickels

Saturday, July 18, 2009

It is nearing evening on Saturday. We have really been blessed this time. Calli has handled the 4 chemo treatments this time better than any other ones previously. She has slept through alot of it, but hasn't gotten sick, just nauseated and they have handled that pretty successfully. Hopefully we have found a good combination of things to help her through the treatments. We will be leaving sometime after midnight tonight, it will mean late driving, but sleeping in our own beds will be worth it.
A man from our church sent us up pizza on friday evening and she was able to eat some, she also ate breakfast this morning and so between the two she has eaten more than in the last 3 weeks all together.
The plan is for this to be the last chemo prior to surgery, hoping for good enough levels to be able to have surgery on the 3rd of August.
So really I would say it was a great week. I hope that you have had one too.
Take care and God bless,
Becki and Calli

Teenager Nightmares: A Week without Cell Phones

I found this article in gospel.com

Teenager Nightmares: A Week without Cell Phones

The Youth Specialties blog is written by and for youth workers. As someone whose last involvement in youth ministry was attending youth services in high school, I find it a great place to read about the issues youth leaders face today.

In a recent post, Brooklyn Lindsey discusses some of her thoughts on cell phones and youth ministry:

I recently returned from a summer mission trip where we made the unfathomable decision to collect cell phones for an entire week. A few students needed us to help them through the night sweats and uncontrollable shaking, but for the most part, by day two, all was well in the world.

We ended up having a week of deepened relationships, focused conversation, and focused service to others. Students could call their parents from the adult leaders’ cell phones but other than that, they were free…so to speak.

Three days after our trip I found myself in our local college/ young adult ministry setting. We meet in a local coffee bistro with live music and awesome discussion. My husband is the leader, so I love the ministry, 30 Below is something I look forward to every week. However, one thing was really obvious to me after having a week free of technological interruption, everyone around me (dozens of people sitting around tables) sat in this all too familiar conversation with eyes darting every few minutes to their lit up phones. Even if it was to simply “check the time”, we were all there…but not really. I started to wonder if I too, if our phones have become our safety, our fall-out plan.
We’ve all been around someone who can’t stop fidgeting with their phone or some other piece of technology, and I’m sure we’ve all wondered if they were really paying attention or if they were off in another world. It’s interesting to hear of youth ministers physically taking devices from teenagers in an effort to bring about some semblance of normalcy to their lives. Perhaps it’s a discipline we should all practice from time to time.

Do you think technology can keep us from fully experiencing our relationships with people? Or do you think our relationships can be made better through the use of always-on tech? And more importantly, what about your relationship with God? How do those bundles of circuitry help or hinder your connection with God?

By: Chris Salzman. This entry was posted on Friday, July 17th, 2009 at 8:26 am and is filed under Holidays, Technology, Youth Ministry.

Blue Mike, Chap. II - Combat (1 of 5)

Captain W. P. "Pete" Sims,  author of "Blue Mike"

March 12, 1945 - Assenoncourt and Guermange, France

This was the place, the starting place for our 1000-mile journey in combat,the "jumping-off place," the place where I went from "Non-Combat" to "Combat" and was paid $10.00 extra each month, the place where the countdown ended, and the last place to make adjustments between my duffel bag and my field pack. I wouldn't see the duffel bag again until the war was over. I would wear one combat uniform that would get dirtier and dirtier until a shower unit showed up with piles of clean uniforms to rummage through. This was the place where the two parts of the company, the motor movement part and the train movement part, finally got together again, that is, assembled. I calculate that I've travelled about 4,000 miles by car, train, ship, and truck to reach this place, with almost no walking. Just think of the poor Greek and Roman soldiers who would travel similar distances on foot. I use the term "Blue Mike" in this post since that was the simple radio code in WWII for Company M, 3d Battalion, 14th Infantry Regiment. I'll be selective in this post and tell only about what affected me.

The train from Camp Old Gold had stopped in Luneville at 0100. We had traveled 331 miles in 59 hours, or an average speed of 5 mph. At 0730 division sent QM trucks for us. At 0800 we went by truck a distance of 59 kilometers or 37 miles to our assembly area in the town of Assenoncourt, France, arriving at 1300. The motorized section of Co. M had arrived earlier. The town was so small that the 3d Mortar Platoon had to be billeted nearby in Guermange. I remember being in a store room or office on a dairy farm where I found a "Lucky Strike" cigarette package in green. (Remember their motto: 'Lucky Strike green has gone to war'?)

March 13, 1945 - Night March, Weisslingen to Meisenthal, France

According to Blue Mike, at 0800 we turned in all extra clothing and duffel bags for storage to be returned to us at some later date. During the day, equipment was checked and live ammunition was issued for all weapons. All platoon jeeps were loaded with heavy weapons and ammunition preparatory for a move into combat, which seemed imminent. The less we had to carry, the better. From that time on, it was your pack and your rifle [pistol in my case].

Again according to Blue Mike, at 1830 our unmotorized troops loaded onto trucks in Assenoncourt and with company vehicles began a move of 32 miles to the forward area near Weisslingen, France, arriving at 2130. We were on our way to relieve elements of the 100th Division, which had this area pretty well secure before our arrival.

Leaving our vehicles behind, we departed on foot at 2200 on what all were later to call the 'death march,' traveling up the valley to the northeast for a distance of seven miles. This night march seems to have been more of a training exercise than it was a combat necessity. Our top brass was giving us our first taste of a forced march at night under combat conditions.

I was in a group at the tail of the movement that got separated from the rest and spent several hours in a barn with hay in it. The next morning with good daylight we were able to find our way into Meisenthal, where I remember being invited in for coffee by a French family.

Our motor vehicles had been held in Weisslingen and were not brought forward until the next day. The regiment had completed a move of 39 miles under cover of darkness. I remember hearing and seeing flashes of artillery firing during this move.

March 14, 1945 - Meisenthal, France

In the early morning Co. M occupied hasty positions northeast of Meisenthal, France. When our jeeps arrived with our mortars and ammunition at 1100, we emplaced the mortars immediately northeast of Meisenthal with observers on the high ground in each rifle company area. I remember watching US planes attacking Bitche, some six miles to the northeast.

March 15, 1945 - Meisenthal, France

We continued to occupy and fortify our position in what seemed to be a vineyard northeast of Meisenthal, expecting a German counterattack. I remember being on guard duty a few hours at night and hearing a nearby stream that sounded like German soldiers on patrol. The counterattack never materialized. Our mortars were all properly targeted, but we never received the order to fire. The weather continued good.

March 16, 1945 - Bitche, France

At 1130 the company received a warning order to be prepared to move on one hour's notice to Bitche. At 1200 hours the company was pulled back into Meisenthal for a fine steak dinner. Blue Mike reports that I considered it, at the time, possibly our last one. The 3d Platoon and I moved out at 1400. I was riding in our jeep, for a change. We moved into a 'rat race' sweeping operation in the woods south of Bitche on foot, where we spent the night in bivouac, a most unpleasant night. At 0300 we decamped and moved in our jeeps into Bitche, which had been taken the day before by the 100th Division.

March 17, 1945 - Camp de Bitche, France

We moved on through Bitche to Camp de Bitche and dug in our mortars between brick barracks buildings that were part of a French army training camp. Blue Mike says that I was feeling ill and did not enjoy the good food served in the mess that night. As I recall we slept in the buildings near our mortars three nights.

March 18, 1945 - Camp de Bitche, France

Blue Mike reports: "The day dawned cool, clear and bright. The enemy was observed around a pillbox two miles east of Camp de Bitche."

March 19, 1945 - Camp de Bitche, France

Blue Mike reports: "The company continues its defensive mission. Improvement of positions continues. At 1310 the mortar platoon was alerted to fire on selected targets if called, but the order was not sent down. The 3d Battalion is in reserve. It surely was cold last night."

March 20, 1945 - Night March, Camp de Bitche to Liederschiedt, France

Blue Mike reports: "The weather was cool, slightly overcast and with scattered showers. Visibility was good.

"At 1015 our new regimental commanding officer, Col. Carl E. Lundquist reported in, replacing Col. Donald T. Beeler, who had to retire because of medical reasons.

"At 1530 the regiment received telephone orders from division to relieve elements of the 5th Infantry along the line of Ropperviller to Walschbronn.

"At 1630 the company withdrew from defensive positions and assembled in Camp de Bitche. We closed in to the assembly area at 1930 and awaited instructions. The 42d Division was on our right.

"At 2350 the company began a night march of seven miles to relieve 3d Battalion, 5th Infantry.

"Pfc William T. Johnson referred to this move on foot as the 'second death march.' He and others shivered for a few hours before loading up with mortars and ammunition and started the foot movement up a long hill and across a wide open space to a ruined town where they relieved elements of the 5th Infantry." [I remember that the town was a horrible mess, with buildings ruined and with dead animals in the street.]

March 21, 1945 - Liederschiedt, France

Blue Mike reports: "After midnight, the march continued until the relief of the 3d Battalion in Liederschiedt, France, about one mile from Schweix, was completed at 0450. Pfc Johnson moved through fog until reaching town of Liederschiedt at 0400. [I remember meeting a guide from 5th Infantry who led us to our mortar positions.]

"Pfc Johnson noticed that every time a flock of sheep appeared over a hill 1500 yards behind us, we got enemy fire on our position almost invariably. Later, after the shepherd had been picked up by American troops, we learned that he was actually an artillery observer. A flock of white sheep can be seen for miles and serves as a good signal for the enemy to start firing.

"At 2220 we received word that the 71st Division was attached to the XXI Corps with VI Corps on our right. Once again, the 14th Infantry Regiment was on the 'Right of the Line' for the division."

Update on Calli Nickels

THURSDAY, JULY 16, 2009 8:24 PM, EDT

I want to receive Journal update notification e-mails.

Hi,

Well we are back in Atlanta for chemo, they started it at around 6pm so will finish at about 2:30 am. So far she is taking it pretty well.

Yesterday Troy Calli and I went to see the surgeon and make the plan for surgery. Her surgeon felt it best to hold off on surgery till Aug. 3rd to give the arm time to heal a little, and for her to get another round of chemo, due to the break it is the best possible plan for her. We decided on going with a cadavor bone, tendons and ligaments. That should give her the best outcome for success in regaining use with the least long term disabilities. She will have some restrictions and limitations, but this is the best option we felt. Our surgeon is a very confident, kind, straight forward man and we all felt comfortable with our decisions.

Last week was a trial, this week has been a blessing.

The following verse has been proven true over and over to us! God is cool.

Isaiah 40:29

29 He gives power to the weak. He increases the strength of him who has no might.

Have a great week

Becki and Calli