Austin, Texas Chapter
The Association for all Military Officers
Companion
Bulletin-April
2008
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Companions, Our March meeting was something very special. First, we had the pleasure of our Region VIII Commander, Colonel Clifford D. Way of Dallas who was making his yearly visit. Colonel Way was properly impressed when we inducted our newest member, Companion Ernest Dean, into the Military Order of the World Wars. Lt Col Dean is our brand new Chapter Chaplain. Then, at the request of Companion Stanley Bullard, newly promoted Colonel Jeanne Arnold gave us a detailed picture of the involvement of the Texas National Guard in the other armed forces of the United States. It was obvious to us all that our National Guard units are of higher efficiency and prestige than we perhaps had previously thought due to their repetitive deployment to the middle east theater of combat operations. The measured use of high caliber, motivated soldiers, properly lead in a hostile environment tends to make outstanding combat veterans was Colonel Arnold's bottom line. We were pleased to have Mickie Burrill, Peggy Holland and Lois Howard with us again, as they had been under the weather in February. | Lois Howard was surprised
by a bouquet of beautiful flowers, from Pat and Rudy Rudy, to welcome her return
to our midst. We were honored to have Mrs. Virginia Holt as the guest of Companion Bullard and Mrs. Flo Kerr as the guest of Colonel Wes Lokken. Companion Bullock has asked me to present a program on the First Cavalry Division (Airmobile)'s adventures in Viet Nam during its second of 7 ½ years in that combat theater of operations. This was an experimental organization that depended on helicopters for virtually all transportation and fought in the mountains and plains with equally high efficiency. While I had experience with truck towed and self-propelled artillery, the new, light weight M-102 howitzer was an amazing new weapon that exceeded our expectations. I was again surprised at the huge comfort station called "Sin City" right next to the 1st Cav's huge base camp. But wait, to hear more you must come to our 10 April meeting at the Holiday Inn Northwest. The social gathering is at 1830 hours. Come early and bring a new member. Andrew J. McVeigh III |
Schedule:
| Meeting. April
10th
2008 Holiday Inn Northwest (Mopac & Hwy 183) The cost for the evening is $18.00. If you are not called by 9 April, contact Andrew McVeigh at 261-6272 When you lose, don't lose the lesson. |
A loving atmosphere in your home is so important.
Do all you can to create a tranquil, harmonious home.
| Chapter Officers Commander - COL McVeigh 1st Vice Cmdr. - MAJ Bullard Adjutant - Patricia Eagan Treasurer - CAPT Burrill Chaplain - LtC Ernest Dean Youth Leadership Conference Coordinator - LTC Tom Anderson ROTC Coordinator - Col Leon Holland Austin Chapter Website and Newsletter If you have items, contact LTC Howard 848-0285 or e-mail: jr99howard@austin.rr.com |
| Shia vs Sunni Ali is the central figure at the origin of the Shia / Sunni split which occurred in the decades immediately following the death of the Prophet in 632. Sunnis regard Ali as the fourth and last of the "rightly guided caliphs" (successors to Mohammed (pbuh) as leader of the Muslims) following on from Abu Bakr 632-634, Umar 634-644 and Uthman 644-656. Shias feel that Ali should have been the first caliph and that the caliphate should pass down only to direct descendants of Mohammed (pbuh) via Ali and Fatima, They often refer to themselves as ahl al bayt or "people of the house" [of the prophet]. When Uthman was murdered while at prayer, Ali finally succeeded to the caliphate. Ali was, however, opposed by Aisha, wife of the Prophet (pbuh) and daughter of Abu Bakr, who accused him of being lax in bringing Uthman's killers to justice. After Ali's army defeated Aisha's forces at the Battle of the Camel in 656, she apologized to Ali and was allowed to return to her home in Madinah where she withdrew from public life. |
However, Ali was not able to overcome the forces of Mu'awiya Ummayad, Uthman's cousin and governor of Damascus, who also refused to recognize him until Uthman's killers had been apprehended. At the Battle of Suffin Mu'awiya's soldiers stuck verses of the Quran onto the ends of their spears with the result that Ali's pious supporters refused to fight them. Ali was forced to seek a compromise with Mu'awiya, but this so shocked some of his die-hard supporters who regarded it as a betrayal that he was struck down by one of his own men in 661.
Mu'awiya declared himself caliph. Ali's elder son Hassan accepted a pension in return for not pursuing his claim to the caliphate. He died within a year, allegedly poisoned. Ali's younger son Hussein agreed to put his claim to the caliphate on hold until Mu'awiya's eath. |
| However, when Mu'awiya finally died in 680, his son Yazid usurped the caliphate. Hussein led an army against Yazid but, hopelessly outnumbered, he and his men were slaughtered at the Battle of Karbala (in modern day Iraq). Hussein's infant son, Ali, survived so the line continued. Yazid formed the hereditary Ummayad dynasty. The division between the Shia and what came to be known as the Sunni was set. An opportunity for Muslim unity arose in the 750's CE. In 750 except for a few who managed to flee to Spain, almost the entire Ummayad aristocracy was wiped out following the Battle of Zab in Egypt in a revolt led by Abu Al Abbass al-Saffah and aided by considerable Shia support. It was envisaged that the Shia spiritual leader Jafar As-Siddiq, great-grandson of Hussein be installed as Caliph. But when Abbass died in 754, this arrangement had not yet been finalised and Abbas' son Al Mansur murdered Jafar, seized the caliphate for himself and founded the Baghdad-based Abbassid dynasty which prevailed until the sack of Baghdad by the Mongols in 1258. From Islam For Today. |
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Program Andrew J. McVeigh will discuss the life and times of an Artillery officer. Trust in God but lock your car. |
Staff Meeting If you would like to receive the newsletter earlier, send me your email to jr99howard@austin.rr.com |
| Speakers Bio Andrew J. McVeigh 15Dec54 - 30Apr58; 1Sep59 - 31Jul 86. During my 30 years, 3 months and 15 days of active Federal Service (10 1/2 years of which was overseas), I commanded at Battery, Company, Battalion and Brigade levels, was an Artillery Battalion S-3 in combat (Vietnam); the Division Artillery Executive Officer of the 2d Infantry and 1st Cavalry Divisions; the Deputy Commander, 7th U.S. Corps Artillery; graduated from the Army War College, and had three Pentagon tours. My awards include: 2-LOMs, 1-BSM, 3-MSMs, 4-AMs, 4-ACMs (1-Valor)(1-Heroism), Army Achievement Medal, Good Conduct Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal, Overseas Service Ribbon with Numeral 2, German Iron Cross (Silver Award), Vietnamese Cross of Gallantry with Palm, Meritorious Unit Commendation, U.S. Army General Staff Badge, U.S. Senior Parachutist Badge and the German Basic Parachutist Badge He has been the president of The Mayfair dance Club, Lake Travis Lions Club, Austin Knife and Fork Club,MOAA, and MOWW. He was a District and Unit Boy Scout Commissioner and has received the BSA Silver Beaver award and two District Awards of Merit. |
| Famous Battles
ARBELA, 331 B.C.
Having conquered the western third of the Persian Empire, Alexander the Great of Macedonia marched with 47,000 veteran troops into Mesopotamia (modern Iraq) in 331 B.C. There, Darius III, the Persian king, with 250,000 soldiers, awaited the Macedonian's arrival. Darius had encamped on a carefully chosen battlefield, a wide plain 20 mi. north of the village of Arbela. On Sept. 30, the Macedonians arrived at the heights to the north of the Persian camp. Alexander surveyed the enemy camp and decided to attack the next morning. He ordered his soldiers to eat and sleep well, while he, himself, consulted his personal soothsayer, then went to bed early. The next morning, when Alexander formed his battle line, he realized that the long Persian line overlapped both flanks of his short front. With his flanks thus exposed, Alexander, for the first time in his career, held back a second line of reserves. Also, he decided to attack at an angle, advancing his west (right) flank while holding back his east (left) flank, thereby limiting the battle to a reduced area. On the west flank, a tremendous cavalry battle developed, with neither side gaining the advantage. On the east flank, the Macedonians were slowly losing ground to the Persians. Then, without orders, a unit of Persian cavalry galloped to the aid of their comrades on the west flank. They left a hole in the center of the Persian line, which Alexander quickly noticed. Leading his elite, personal cavalry, the Companions, Alexander charged into the gap and cut the Persian army in half. Standing in his chariot watching the Macedonians advance toward him, Darius began to lose his nerve. When his chariot driver was killed by a javelin, Darius panicked, mounted the nearest horse, and deserted his army. With Alexander rampaging through their center, and with their own king fleeing to safety, the Persians turned and ran, their army routed. The Persians lost between 40,000 and 90,000 men, while Macedonian casualties were only 100 to 500. Darius succeeded in escaping to Bactria (modern Afghanistan), but he was murdered there by his own governor, Bessus. Although Alexander fought eight more years, consolidating his victory and invading India, Arbela was his most decisive battle. At Arbela, the Persian army had been destroyed, and with it the Persian Empire. |
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Deep Thoughts ......by Dennis Miller
One tequila, two tequila, three tequila, floor. |