Dude was 52 years old when the ACW ended and a 2nd LT?
Give me a mind-blowing history fact
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Harriet Tubman was alive at the same time as both Thomas Jefferson and Ronald Reagan. The USA overlapped with the Holy Roman Empire for about 30 years.
— John Ellis (@Jellis581) August 15, 2024
I assume a battlefield promotion (which was pretty common), but no clue when he actually enlisted during the war. Commissions were also given during the war for helping raise units/soldiers, so maybe he got a platoon/squadron of folks to enlist so he was given the commission (see: Daniel Sickles).JABQ04 said:
Dude was 52 years old when the ACW ended and a 2nd LT?
Somewhat interestingly, it was his great great granddaughter who had the tombstone restored after it was run over, apparently.
Yeah. Get all that but a 52 year old junior officer? 52 year old enlisted dude who gets a battlefield commission? Dude was old.
SIAP
Speaking of the Falklands, there was a post on the politics board that referenced it as "What about when nato member UK attacked Argentinians fighting for freedom/independence?" This was I guess done to justify the Russian invasion of Ukraine and the threat they were facing from NATO.jwoodmd said:
The British nuclear sub had quite a year in 1982. She became the first nuclear powered submarine to sink an enemy warship (in the Falklands War). Later that year, using special pincer/cutters she stole a Soviet towed sonar array and recovered it in order to learn its secrets (especially, if it came from Western tech that was stolen). Had the British sub been discovered trying to cut away the Soviet sonar array it would have been considered an act of war.
HMS Conqueror was a Churchill-class nuclear-powered attack submarine and one of the most powerful ships in the Royal Navy in the 1980s. During the Falklands War she sank the Argentine Navy light cruiser ARA General Belgrano] when it was determined the ship posed a threat to the Royal Navy task force steaming south to retake the Falkland Islands. The sinking was only the second sinking by submarine torpedo since the Second World War and first by a nuclear powered submarine.
Just two months later, the nuclear-powered Conqueror was nine thousand miles away, in the Barents Sea. She had been outfitted with an unusual set of tools: a pair of remote-controlled heavy steel cutting blades and television cameras. All in the interest of stealing a top secret Russian towed sonar array.
I'm pretty sure article 5 was never invoked by the UK correct? I thought the US invoking it for Afghanistan was the only time.
Oh the politics board Russian and Chinese propagandists who absolutely love to stir up trouble. Yes, the US was the first to get article 5 NATO backing because of 9/11. I guess the UK could have asked for NATO assistance in the Falklands but the US also has protection treaties with the Americas going way back to the Madison Doctrine and strong Spain and Portugal relationships with Argentina, Brazil, etc. so it would have been messy. And I think the UK wanted to show "we can handle this ourselves" - however, both the US and UK acknowledged the US was supplying massive intelligence information to the UK. But, it would be hard not to given how intertwined the US and UK intelligence agencies were and still are.Aggie1205 said:Speaking of the Falklands, there was a post on the politics board that referenced it as "What about when nato member UK attacked Argentinians fighting for freedom/independence?" This was I guess done to justify the Russian invasion of Ukraine and the threat they were facing from NATO.jwoodmd said:
The British nuclear sub had quite a year in 1982. She became the first nuclear powered submarine to sink an enemy warship (in the Falklands War). Later that year, using special pincer/cutters she stole a Soviet towed sonar array and recovered it in order to learn its secrets (especially, if it came from Western tech that was stolen). Had the British sub been discovered trying to cut away the Soviet sonar array it would have been considered an act of war.
HMS Conqueror was a Churchill-class nuclear-powered attack submarine and one of the most powerful ships in the Royal Navy in the 1980s. During the Falklands War she sank the Argentine Navy light cruiser ARA General Belgrano] when it was determined the ship posed a threat to the Royal Navy task force steaming south to retake the Falkland Islands. The sinking was only the second sinking by submarine torpedo since the Second World War and first by a nuclear powered submarine.
Just two months later, the nuclear-powered Conqueror was nine thousand miles away, in the Barents Sea. She had been outfitted with an unusual set of tools: a pair of remote-controlled heavy steel cutting blades and television cameras. All in the interest of stealing a top secret Russian towed sonar array.
I'm pretty sure article 5 was never invoked by the UK correct? I thought the US invoking it for Afghanistan was the only time.
More than 300 people are known to have died on Mount Everest, with an estimated 200 bodies remaining on the mountain.
That has always been crazy to me.....and they don't even know who all the bodies are - they just call them "Blue jacket guy" or "Green boots guy"
AgRyan04 said:
That has always been crazy to me.....and they don't even know who all the bodies are - they just call them "Blue jacket guy" or "Green boots guy"
If I were that shoe brand's marketer, that picture would be used in promotional material everywhere. Koflach: boots made to last (more than) a lifetime
Tsewang Paljor
Known as "Green Boots", this body is believed to be that of the Head Constable of the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), who died in a 1996 blizzard along with two colleagues.
Known as "Green Boots", this body is believed to be that of the Head Constable of the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), who died in a 1996 blizzard along with two colleagues.
The last (British) survivor of Rorke's Drift (vs. Zulu's, in 1879), Frank Bourne, died on VE Day in 1945. He declined a commission after the battle, being the 8th son and his family being poor.
But, he did get a 10 pound annuity. Nice.
But, he did get a 10 pound annuity. Nice.
The Boyd Massacre was part of a very unfortunate series of events started by the severe punishment of a "ship's boy" for refusing to do his duties. The boy was a Maori chieftain's son.
Mustard Gas was the deadliest gas of the Great War. It was so horrifying that the Geneva Protocol of 1925 declared it an illegal weapon.
Ironically, it was discovered in 1942 that the active ingredient of the gas could reverse some types of lymphatic cancer.
Ironically, it was discovered in 1942 that the active ingredient of the gas could reverse some types of lymphatic cancer.
Wasn't a ship full of mustard gas hit off the beach at Anzio by a German radio guided bomb?
ETA I guess I could look it up myself.
And I did.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/SS_John_Harvey
ETA I guess I could look it up myself.
And I did.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/SS_John_Harvey
The first US shots in WWII were taken by the USS Ward on the morning of December 7th 1941 when the crew noticed a Japanese mini sub attempting to sneak into Pearl Harbor. The Ward, under the command of LCDR William Outerbridge, successfully sunk the sub killing its two crew members.
Three years later, to the day, Outerbridge who was now in command of the USS O'Brien had to sink the Ward at the Battle of Leyte Gulf after the Ward had been heavily damaged by kamikaze attacks.
If already mentioned I apologize… this is a long thread.
Three years later, to the day, Outerbridge who was now in command of the USS O'Brien had to sink the Ward at the Battle of Leyte Gulf after the Ward had been heavily damaged by kamikaze attacks.
If already mentioned I apologize… this is a long thread.
Pretty incredible story. Hans Jonathan, a black man in Iceland in the early 1800's.
https://www.damninteresting.com/a-trail-gone-cold/
Unlocked shorter NYT piece on the story:
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/04/14/world/europe/denmark-iceland-slavery-hans-jonathan.html
https://www.damninteresting.com/a-trail-gone-cold/
Unlocked shorter NYT piece on the story:
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/04/14/world/europe/denmark-iceland-slavery-hans-jonathan.html
Quote:
DeCode published a study this year that takes advantage of Iceland's highly homogeneous gene pool, its remarkably thorough genealogical records, and Hans Jonathan's unique place in the country's history.
Researchers identified some 780 living descendants of Hans Jonathan, took DNA samples from 182 of them, and isolated snippets that were characteristically African, and could only have come from him. They said they were able to reconstruct 38 percent of his mother's genome, and trace it to parts of West Africa.
"It is certainly of interest how bits and pieces of an African genome are found in genomes of current Icelanders," Mr. Stefansson said.
Some Icelanders knew of Hans Jonathan already, but many of his descendants, who are spread among several countries, lived most of their lives unaware that they had an ancestor who was a black slave.
Among them was Kirsten Pflomm, a communications manager from Connecticut, who did an online search of her own name 15 years ago, and found herself and entire family listed on a website written in Icelandic. She contacted the site's administrator and learned the dramatic story of her five-times-great-grandfather.
"I clearly look very white," she said. "So I can't claim to ever have experienced anything" resembling racism.
Firebombings over Germany in WWII. The British and American air forces shifted bombings from industrial to population targets. It is said the bombings were so devastating and complete, sometimes it created its own weather system of super-hot air and winds that were too fast to escape from. One could hear the crackling of fires and the gushes of wind. Anyone who was in the open were incinerated instantaneously. The bodies found were stacked up like cords of wood. Occupying a bomb shelter was no guarantee of survival. Sometimes they turned into ovens.
Japan too. Tokyo in particular was heavily firebombed during WW2.
late in the war Germany developed a task force with the aim of using planes to ram American bombers called Sonderkommando Elbe.
Its sole mission took place on 7 April 1945, when a force of 180 Bf 109s managed to ram 15 Allied bombers, downing eight of them
Its sole mission took place on 7 April 1945, when a force of 180 Bf 109s managed to ram 15 Allied bombers, downing eight of them
The Allied bombing campaign is a good example of preparing for wars in the inter-war periods. Sometimes nations get it right, sometimes they get it wrong. The doctrine of unescorted bombers resulted thousands of bombers and tens of thousands of airmen lost. I believe around 6,000 and 60,000 respectively. The Marines got it right when they said they would conduct amphibious operations.
Firebombing of Tokyo (Operation Meetinghouse?) killed more people (~100,000) than either of the Hiroshima or Nagasaki nuclear attacks.
Joseph W. Briggs, postmaster of Cleveland during the Civil War, was disheartened by the post office being a place of grief. In those days, people had to go to the post office to get their mail. As the Civil War went on more and more widows and mothers were finding out that their husbands or sons had died in the war either by a letter from their relative's comrades, by a letter from the War Department or the return of their letters to the dead child or husband. Naturally, the women often broke down in the post office. To end these sad interludes, Briggs instituted home delivery of mail and why we have it today.
A couple of condensed stories from "Unexplained Mysteries of World War II" by William Brewer
Pearl Harbor
At the time that the attack on Pearl Harbor began, there were about 50 civilian doctors attending a lecture in Honolulu about war surgery being presented by Dr. John Moorhead. Upon news of the ongoing attack, the doctors rushed to Tripler Army Hospital to help the wounded
Lost Dog Tag
Eugene Brissey jumped into France in August, 1944. Upon landing, he had lost his dog tags, and feared that he would be killed and then placed in a grave marked "unknown".
37 years later, Colette Saeys, who lived inland from the French Rivera, was taking her yard when she uncovered the dog tags of Eugene Brissey. She put them in an envelope and placed the dog tags in a drawer.
Another 8 years later, there was a knock on Colette's door by two Americans, one of which was Eugene Brissey. She gave him back the dog tags he had lost 45 years earlier.
Pearl Harbor
At the time that the attack on Pearl Harbor began, there were about 50 civilian doctors attending a lecture in Honolulu about war surgery being presented by Dr. John Moorhead. Upon news of the ongoing attack, the doctors rushed to Tripler Army Hospital to help the wounded
Lost Dog Tag
Eugene Brissey jumped into France in August, 1944. Upon landing, he had lost his dog tags, and feared that he would be killed and then placed in a grave marked "unknown".
37 years later, Colette Saeys, who lived inland from the French Rivera, was taking her yard when she uncovered the dog tags of Eugene Brissey. She put them in an envelope and placed the dog tags in a drawer.
Another 8 years later, there was a knock on Colette's door by two Americans, one of which was Eugene Brissey. She gave him back the dog tags he had lost 45 years earlier.
The basis of the name Siamese Twins came from the famous twins Chang and Eng Bunker. Born in 1811 in Siam, they were a rarity in that most Siamese twins died. A Scottish merchant named Hunter "discovered" the boys in 1824 and he signed a contract with the boys and their mother for a five year tour of the US. But the five year tour became a 10 year tour. When the tour ended in 1834, the boys, now men, settled near Mt Airy, NC (later to be the inspiration for Mayberry of Andy Griffith fame). They married two sisters and raised families together.
Chang, on the right in the photo, fell in love with the sister on the right, Adelaide, and Eng, although not necessarily in love with the other sister, married her for the utmost Victorian propriety possible. They invested $10K in a farm in NC and lived off the interest of the remaining $60K from their touring days. Together the men fathered 21 children.
Eventually the odd marriage arrangement caused problems but not necessarily the way you would have imagined. Eventually the two sisters could not stand to be around each other. So a second house was built and the two men alternated weeks at the houses.
The Bunkers purchased slaves to run their farm and though not considered white men, their wealth helped them attain some of the rights of white men. When the Civil War came, they threw their support behind the Confederacy (although they voted Whig, while that party survived, and voted for John Bell in the 1860 election). The farm sold its produce to the Confederate government and two of the sons (one from each father) served in the Confederate Army. Eng's son Stephen and Chang's son Christopher both joined Co. I of the 37th VA Cavalry Battalion. Stephen was wounded on 3 September 1864 near Winchester, VA and Christopher was captured and imprisoned at Camp Chase, OH.
The war ruined the Bunkers financially and they decided to return to touring. But there was no interest in the north where their Confederate fealty and slave ownership was resented. So they went to Europe. On the voyage home Chang had a stroke and died, Eng died a few hours later. They are buried together in the White Plains Baptist Church grounds in Mt. Airy.
Chang, on the right in the photo, fell in love with the sister on the right, Adelaide, and Eng, although not necessarily in love with the other sister, married her for the utmost Victorian propriety possible. They invested $10K in a farm in NC and lived off the interest of the remaining $60K from their touring days. Together the men fathered 21 children.
Eventually the odd marriage arrangement caused problems but not necessarily the way you would have imagined. Eventually the two sisters could not stand to be around each other. So a second house was built and the two men alternated weeks at the houses.
The Bunkers purchased slaves to run their farm and though not considered white men, their wealth helped them attain some of the rights of white men. When the Civil War came, they threw their support behind the Confederacy (although they voted Whig, while that party survived, and voted for John Bell in the 1860 election). The farm sold its produce to the Confederate government and two of the sons (one from each father) served in the Confederate Army. Eng's son Stephen and Chang's son Christopher both joined Co. I of the 37th VA Cavalry Battalion. Stephen was wounded on 3 September 1864 near Winchester, VA and Christopher was captured and imprisoned at Camp Chase, OH.
The war ruined the Bunkers financially and they decided to return to touring. But there was no interest in the north where their Confederate fealty and slave ownership was resented. So they went to Europe. On the voyage home Chang had a stroke and died, Eng died a few hours later. They are buried together in the White Plains Baptist Church grounds in Mt. Airy.
Correct me if I'm wrong but the first time the majority of states allowed the popular vote to determine their electoral votes was in 1824.
If you say you hate the state of politics in this nation and you don't get involved in it, you obviously don't hate the state of politics in this nation.
I thought it was before that with the 12th amendment.
I believe the 12th just relates to the functioning/voting process of the electoral college and not the process of each or any states means of electing the electors that they send to the electoral college from their respective state.BQ78 said:
I thought it was before that with the 12th amendment.
Stephen Hopkins was a settler recruited by the Virginia company to settle in Jamestown and his ship the sea venture was shipwrecked on Bermuda (inspiration for Shakespeare's tempest). While in Bermuda he tried to set up a free society separate from the company men and was sentenced to death (and pardoned). After being rescued and sent to Jamestown he returned to England only to come back on the Mayflower on which he helped to author the mayflower compact which over 100 years later would serve as a basis for the constitution
'Tis but a scratch.
The USS New Orleans had her bow and first turret blown off by a Japanese torpedo at the Battle of Tassafaronga.
Damage control parties managed to repair the ship enough to sail to Tulagi Harbor near daybreak on 1 December.
The crew camouflaged their ship from air attack, jury-rigged a bow of coconut logs, and worked clearing away wreckage. Eleven days later, New Orleans sailed backwards, to avoid sinking, some 2,000 miles to Sydney, Australia, arriving on 24 December.
At Sydney, the damaged propeller was replaced and other repairs were made including the installation of a temporary stub bow. On 7 March 1943, she left Sydney for Puget Sound Navy Yard, sailing backward for another 7700 miles where a new bow was fitted with the use of Minneapolis' No. 2 Turret.
The USS New Orleans had her bow and first turret blown off by a Japanese torpedo at the Battle of Tassafaronga.
Damage control parties managed to repair the ship enough to sail to Tulagi Harbor near daybreak on 1 December.
The crew camouflaged their ship from air attack, jury-rigged a bow of coconut logs, and worked clearing away wreckage. Eleven days later, New Orleans sailed backwards, to avoid sinking, some 2,000 miles to Sydney, Australia, arriving on 24 December.
At Sydney, the damaged propeller was replaced and other repairs were made including the installation of a temporary stub bow. On 7 March 1943, she left Sydney for Puget Sound Navy Yard, sailing backward for another 7700 miles where a new bow was fitted with the use of Minneapolis' No. 2 Turret.
That's awesome. I've heard of this before, but never really dug into it. Presumably, part of the repair work was to reverse the direction of the screws to enable it to sail backwards.
She was also at Pearl Harbor, and the battle of the Coral Sea. Pretty remarkable story, especially that it was the uninterrupted power supply that enabled her to survive Tassafaronga battle damage, yet at Pearl Harbor her shore-based supply was cut off very quickly and was the primary problem she faced.
Bow being replaced in Puget Sound:
Overview:
Fun (or not) follow on facts; Tassafaronga was an embarrassment for the US Navy. The task force commander, Carlton Wright, was inept and was relieved because of this. The Japanese commander Tanaka inflicted major damage on a much superior US force which had all the advantages going into battle (but waited 4 minutes too long to open fire).
Northampton was lost and three other cruisers very nearly lost and knocked out of the theater for months. The USS Minneapolis bow from the same battle lies at the bottom to this day of the Tulagi harbor, part of a strangely extensive collection of severed New Orleans class bows lying around.
Bow being replaced in Puget Sound:
Overview:
Fun (or not) follow on facts; Tassafaronga was an embarrassment for the US Navy. The task force commander, Carlton Wright, was inept and was relieved because of this. The Japanese commander Tanaka inflicted major damage on a much superior US force which had all the advantages going into battle (but waited 4 minutes too long to open fire).
Northampton was lost and three other cruisers very nearly lost and knocked out of the theater for months. The USS Minneapolis bow from the same battle lies at the bottom to this day of the Tulagi harbor, part of a strangely extensive collection of severed New Orleans class bows lying around.
Pilots who flew planes with nuclear weapons were issued eye patches. The logic being the flash from their (or other's) bombs would flash blind them. So they covered one eye with the patch, then if they got flash blinded, they could switch it over and have one good eye to fly with.
a few sources:
https://collections.rafmuseum.org.uk/collection/object/object-467900/
https://www.airandspaceforces.com/PDF/MagazineArchive/Magazine%20Documents/2017/October%202017/1017_Lowery_Nukes.pdf
a few sources:
https://collections.rafmuseum.org.uk/collection/object/object-467900/
https://www.airandspaceforces.com/PDF/MagazineArchive/Magazine%20Documents/2017/October%202017/1017_Lowery_Nukes.pdf
In my day the eye patches were for the non-pilot crew members and the pilots got goggles like welders wear. Plus they had flash curtains that covered the cockpit glass. Pilots with eye patches didn't last too long.
BQ78 said:
IPilots with eye patches didn't last too long.
Why? Could they not hit their taaaaaaaaaarrrrrrrreeggggggets?
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