Happy Birthday Corps of Engineers

VickieRock Announcement , , ,

Continental Congress authority for a “Chief Engineer for the Army” dates from June 16, 1775. A corps of Engineers for the United States was authorized by the Congress on March 11, 1779.

The Corps of Engineers, as it is known today, came into being on March 16, 1802, when President Jefferson was authorized by Congress to “organize and establish a Corps of Engineers. President Thomas Jefferson played a key role in getting passage of the 1802 legislation. The new Academy was part of his plan to reform the Army and educate a new class of officers who supported his own democratic principles. It also reflected his desire for an Academy not merely military in nature, but designed to produce soldiers also schooled in mathematics and science to serve the Nation in peacetime. Accordingly, he selected Colonel Jonathan Williams – more scientist than professional soldier – as Chief Engineer and the Academy’s first superintendent.

A Corps of Topographical Engineers, authorized on July 4, 1838, was merged with the Corps of Engineers on March 1863.

The Wall

VickieRock Uncategorized

There are 58,267 names now listed on that polished black wall, including those added in 2010.

The names are arranged in the order in which they were taken from us by date and within each date the names are alphabetized. It is hard to believe it is 36 years since the last casualties.

The first known casualty was Richard B. Fitzgibbon, of North Weymouth , Mass. Listed by the U.S. Department of Defense as having been killed on June 8, 1956. His name is listed on the Wall with that of his son, Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Richard B. Fitzgibbon III, who was killed on Sept. 7, 1965.

  • There are 3 sets of fathers and sons on the Wall.
  • There are 31 sets of brothers are on the Wall … thus, 31sets of parents lost 2 of their sons.
  • 39,996 young men whose names are on the Wall were just 22 or younger.
  • 8,283 of those young soldiers were just 19 years old.
  • The largest age group, 33,103, were 18 years old.
  • 12  of those young soldiers on the Wall were 17 years old.
  • 5  of those young soldiers on the Wall were 16 years old.
  • One soldier, PFC Dan Bullock was 15 years old.
  • 997 of those young soldiers were killed on their first day in Vietnam ..
  • 1,448 of those young soldiers were killed on their last day in Vietnam ..
  • 54 of those young soldiers attended Thomas Edison High School in Philadelphia. I wonder why so many from one school.
  • 8 Women are on the Wall. Nursing the wounded.
  • 244 soldiers were awarded the Medal of Honor during the Vietnam War—153 of them are on the Wall.
  • Beallsville, Ohio with a population of 475 lost 6 of her sons.
  • West Virginia had the highest casualty rate per capita in the nation. There are 711 West Virginians on the Wall.
  • The Marines of Morenci – They led some of the scrappiest high school football and basketball teams that the little Arizona copper town of Morenci (pop. 5,058) had ever known and cheered. They enjoyed roaring beer busts. In quieter moments, they rode horses along the Coronado Trail, stalked deer in the Apache National Forest. And in the patriotic camaraderie typical of Morenci’s mining families, the nine graduates of Morenci High enlisted as a group in the Marine Corps. Their service began on Independence Day, 1966. Only 3 returned home.
  • The Buddies of Midvale – LeRoy Tafoya, Jimmy Martinez, Tom Gonzales were all boyhood friends and lived on three consecutive streets in Midvale, Utah on Fifth, Sixth and Seventh avenues. They lived only a few yards apart. They played ball at the adjacent sandlot ball field. And they all went to Vietnam. In a span of 16 dark days in late 1967, all three would be killed. LeRoy was killed on Wednesday, Nov. 22, the fourth anniversary of John F. Kennedy’s assassination. Jimmy died less than 24 hours later on Thanksgiving Day. Tom was shot dead assaulting the enemy on Dec. 7, Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day.
  • The most casualty deaths for a single day was on January 31, 1968 — 245 deaths.
  • The most casualty deaths for a single month was May 1968 — 2,415 casualties were incurred.

For most Americans who read this they will only see the numbers that the Vietnam War created. To those of us who survived the war, and to the families of those who did not, we see the faces, we feel the pain that these numbers created. We are, until we too pass away, haunted with these numbers, because they were our friends, fathers, husbands, wives, sons and daughters. There are no noble wars, just noble warriors.

Fallen Engineers Memorial Unveiled

VickieRock Announcement , , , , , ,

One of the highest priorities of the Army Engineer Association (AEA) is to recognize all Army engineers who have given their lives in the defense of the United States of America.  Equally important is to recognize those engineers who received wounds in combat resulting in the award of the Purple Heart.  AEA is accepting donations for the maintenance of the Memorial Wall for Fallen Engineers unveiled at the Sapper Grove at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri — home of the Army Engineer Regiment — during the ENFORCE 2011 conference.  Click here to learn more about the Memorial Wall.

If you’ll be driving to our next reunion in Branson, MO, the memorial isn’t all that far away.  You might want to take some time to stop by and pay your respects.

Request from Vietnam Vets Memorial Fund

VickieRock Uncategorized

The Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund National Call for Photos is a campaign to collect a photograph for each of the more than 58,000 men and women whose names are inscribed on the Memorial in Washington, DC. Collected pictures will be used in the Education Center at The Wall and can also be found on The Virtual Wall at www.VVMF.ORG. There are 2,663 names on The Wall from Michigan. 2,662 men and 1 woman. To date, they have located photos of more than half of them. Half however, is not enough. Every single name on The Wall deserves to be honored. Every single service member who gave their life deserves to be seen, and to have future generations see them as more than just a name on The Wall.

The Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund is requesting your assistance with this project. Ways that you can spread the word include:

  • Coverage in local media
  •  Publicity in community newsletters and/or websites
  •  Notifying your local veterans groups
  • Encouraging citizens to contact the VVMF to share photos and stories of those they knew who gave their lives in Vietnam. 

 Please contact Lisa Lark, Michigan Call for Photos Coordinator at 313-410-8477 or by email at LisaLark@VVMF.ORG for further information.

Holiday Cards for Military/Veterans

VickieRock Uncategorized

Hope this note finds you doing well! With the holidays upon us I know you are getting ready to send out your holiday cards. It would be great if you could include our military so far away from home and those injured and under care in our hospitals. Here are two addresses for you. The first address goes to the Red Cross who will ship your card overseas. The deadline to send that card is December 3rd — so please don’t wait on that one. The second address goes to an injured member of our military.

Holiday Mail For Heroes
P.O. Box 5456
Capitol Heights, MD 20791-5456

A Recovering American Soldier
c/o Walter Reed National Military Medical Center
8901 Rockville Pike
Bethesda, Maryland 20889

It will make someone’s day for sure!

A Thanksgiving Day Message from VA Secretary Shinseki

VickieRock Uncategorized

Message from the Secretary – Thanksgiving 2011
Washington, DC
November 22, 2011

Thanksgiving is an American tradition that predates the U.S. Constitution by more than 100 years. It is an observance that binds us as Americans no matter our race, religion, or culture. It is a time when we reflect on our many blessings and give thanks for the bounty in our lives.

As individuals, we are thankful for our families, friends, and loved ones. As a Nation, we celebrate the blessings of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, thanks to the men and women who protect and have protected our way of life. We thank them for their service and their sacrifice, and we wish them and their families a blessed Thanksgiving celebration.

In celebrating Thanksgiving this year, let us remember a Thanksgiving in Plymouth, Massachusetts in 1621. One hundred and two colonists were facing a harsh winter and possible starvation. Some would die. Fortunately, Indians of the Wampanoag tribe extended a friendly hand that ensured the colonists survived their first winter in this new land, securing unto themselves the blessings of beginning a new Nation dedicated to the dignity and equality of all who live on this land.

It is a difficult time in this country. Yet, we all have much to be grateful for this Thanksgiving. We are strong as individuals, as families, and as a community.

To all the members of the Department of Veterans Affairs, your families, and our Veterans and their families, I wish you the warmest of Thanksgiving wishes, and thank you all for this wonderful country we share. Happy Thanksgiving!

Eric K. Shinseki

Incoming — by Jack Manick

VickieRock Announcement , , , , , ,

by Jack Manick
Published by (date): AuthorHouse (November 15, 2010)
ISBN: 1452071322/ 978-1452071329
Price: $15.69
Tags: Military Army

 

Synopsis:  1969 was a momentous year for the world and especially America. It was a year when man first set foot on the moon and in an equally amazing feat, the New York Mets won baseballs coveted World Series.While earth shaking events were happening two hundred thousand miles from home or deep within the confines of Shea Stadium, men of every race, education and age group were fighting and dying 12,000 miles from home in Americas most unpopular war, Vietnam. Today, 40 years later, writer, husband and Veteran Jack Manick reaches into his soul and resurrects the fear, tension, foreboding, laughter and terror that he and his fellow “Band of Brothers” felt as they walked the jungles and forests of the Central Highlands of Vietnam in 1969.While in the “Bush”, he carried a pack, a medical aid bag, two knives, three grenades, a rifle, pistol and an unbreakable commitment to save the lives of his fellow soldiers, even at the cost of his own. The story of Jack “Doc” Manick and his fellow soldiers is one of survival…survival in a country laden with malaria, crawling with venomous snakes, scorpions, rats, giant centipedes and tigers and dominated by an enemy determined “Not to lose the War!” The language is as tough as the enemy who fought against him, as unrelenting as the blistering heat of the Dry Season and as depressing as the endless mud and mold of the Monsoon Season. Incoming invites you to lace up your jungle boots and take a walk with Jack through the jungles and the fields of dry grass in the Central Highlands of Vietnam in 1969.

Review by MWSA

2013 Full Battalion Reunion

VickieRock Reunion, Uncategorized

Just a quick note to let you know that Roger and Vickie Rock are looking into planning the next full battalion reunion for June 2013 in Branson, Missouri.  Jack Manick had volunteered to plan one for 2013 in New Jersey … but it was feared that too many folks from the West Coast wouldn’t attend something on the east coast (just like a lot of East Coast folks didn’t attend the reunion in Reno, NV because of the long travel distance).  So, we’ve split the difference and selected Branson, MO, a site in the middle of the country that should provide an opportunity or two for some interesting shows as well.

“A” Company Reunion Date Set

VickieRock Reunion, Uncategorized

It’s the best time of the year in Charleston, South Carolina and preparations for our next reunion are well underway.  Our dates, hotel, and entertainment for the banquet are all set up.  So, set your calendars and start making plans to visit the South Carolina Low Country in October 2012.  Native Charlestonians will tell you that this is the spot where the Ashley and Cooper Rivers come together to form the Atlantic Ocean.

The Vietnam Veterans of A Company, family and friends will meet again near Charleston, South Carolina from October 12-14, 2012.  We’ll be staying in the Charleston-Mt. Pleasant Holiday Inn just a few miles across the Cooper River from downtown Charleston and the Battery.  We’ve blocked out 60 rooms for our group and more can be added as we need them.  Some of the rooms are set up for those of us who will need a little assistance, so let them know when you make your reservations.  All rooms will be $119/night + taxes and parking is included.  The hotel will honor that rate for 3 days before and 3 days after our get-together.  So, don’t hesitate to make your stay a mini-vacation.  Sometime this month, the hotel will open a web site for us through which they can start taking reservations.    We’ll be working with Tony Durbin to keep you posted.

As in Chattanooga, we’ll have a hospitality room set up with our own beverages and snacks as a place to meet informally, make plans for visiting the area, and thell those old war stories yet again (if our wives aren’t listening).  After dinner on Saturday night, e’ll be entertained by the Plantation Singers whose music is particularly identified with South Carolina.  Music from the 60s and 70s will be played by a disc jockey for the rest of the evening for dancing and socializing.

Looking forward to seeing you in Charleston next year — Cliff and Maria Schneider