The Association for all Military Officers
Companion Bulletin- May 2012
Where has the year gone? It is already May, and this is our final newsletter and dinner meeting for the organizational year. Or will it be the final FINAL? (More concerning this question later in my comments). Last month, we learned from City Parks and Recreation Department representatives about the current status and future plans for our three monuments that had adorned Waterloo Park for at least a couple of decades. We also received an overview of the project that caused the closing of Waterloo Park and the displacement of the monuments. It was comforting to hear from Parks and Recreation representatives Bunny Bennett and Rey Hernandez the current care and the future plans for placing the monuments in Veterans Pocket Park. This park will be dedicated to War Memorials. A significant point for us to keep in mind from the presentation is that the restoration of the monuments is pending the passage of a Bond, yet to be proposed. So, Companions, stay tuned. I know that Bunny and Rey have been totally committed to working with us to ensure that our interests and concerns are adequately addressed. This month we are honored to have BG Sanders, Texas Army National Guard join us to share some of his recent experiences from a recent deployment, as well as current activities taking place at Camp Mabry. We are in store for a real treat, so mark your calendars now to attend the 10 May 2012 dinner meeting. Now back to the earlier question…Will this be the final dinner meeting for our chapter? Hopefully, not! BUT, it could very well be a significant turning point for the chapter. Needless to say, in order to maintain a viable organization, we must have the components to maintain its functionality and viability. |
Last month, our attendance was down and significantly below the contractually
required minimum (primarily due to tax season). Also, our membership is
declining. Most significantly, the nomination committee submitted a negative
report for next years' required officer candidates. The committee spokesmen did
provide an oral assessment of the chapter and offered suggestions to address our
current challenge. Among the suggestions were: (1) Merging with another chapter;
(2) change meeting location; (3) change meeting time; (4) any combination of the
previous; or (4) dissolve the chapter. | I will call a Board meeting before our May dinner meeting to discuss these and other suggestions. The Board's recommendations will be brought to the May meeting for general membership's vote and adoption. In the meantime, your comments and suggestions to any of the officers or me are welcomed by phone or email. A very special "thank you" to all companions who stepped forward to help meet our YLC challenge this year. Kudos to Companion Anderson for his efforts in concert with our Treasurer, Companion McVeigh. This leads me to say it has been a real pleasure and honor to have served as your commander. I deeply appreciate the overwhelming commitment and support from the current officers: Companions Anderson, Dean, Eagan, Howard and McVeigh, as well as past chapter officers. I equally appreciate the interest and support of ALL actively participating and morally supporting companions. An extra special thanks to all of the Companions' spouses and guests! I am looking forward to receiving your input and seeing you on 10 May 2012. Have a happy and cool summer! ---COL Leon Holland, USA (Ret.) |
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MOWW Scripture and Commentary May 2012, Chaplain Ernie Dean Trusting in the Lord God strengthens those who are weak and tired. Even those who are young grow weak; young men can fall exhausted. But those who trust in the Lord for help will find their strength renewed. They will rise on wings like eagles; they will run and not get weary; they will walk and not grow weak (Isaiah 40:29-31) As faithful people, we believe God knows us, our needs, our hopes, our strengths, our weaknesses-all about us! Furthermore, we believe God cares about us with an abiding and deep sense of love. This is a holy relationship, often referred to as covenant, "God is our God and we are God's people." What a blessing for our lives when we hold to this trust relationship. We live more maturely, avoiding being held captive by jealousies, addictions, pride, unhealthy lifestyles, or anything else that drags us down and away from complete devotion to God's rule in our lives. We can rise to the level of God's expectations for all humankind when our thoughts, purpose, and actions are consistent with the picture we can draw of God from scriptural references.But, we have to come to the Bible in a prayerful manner. The Bible cannot remain an unknown or alien source. Prayer cannot be just a once-in-a-while endeavor. We can resolve to devote time and effort to becoming closer to God, the source of all goodness, meeting |
Men’s shampoos aren’t that different from any other shampoo. As long as men can find a fragrance they like – or one that’s fragrance-free – they really don’t need the special bottle. It doesn't matter if the bottle is gray or pink. The ingredients are often the same for men and women. But what about the price? Marketing companies want you to believe that men need manly shampoos, but a study by the marketing firm Integer shows 50 percent of men lather up every morning with their wife’s shampoo. Are the other half missing out on a manly scalp? Or are all shampoos basically the same? If you look closely at men’s and women’s shampoos, you’ll see they’re not much different. Both contain similar ingredients and offer similar benefits. The only real difference is the scent. Well, that and the cost. |
Chapter
Officers
| Schedule: 1830-1900 - Social 1900-1905 - Invocation & Salutes 1905-1945 - Dinner 1945-2000 - Break 2000-2045 - Program 2045-2100 - Adjourn. Next Meeting. May 10 at the Holiday Inn for: $ 20. Please join us to hear |
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Benjamin O. Davis, Jr. was born in 1912 to Benjamin O. Davis, Sr., an Army
officer who would go on to become the Army's first African-American general.
When the young Davis went on a flight as a teenager with a barnstorming pilot in
Washington, D.C., he became hooked on flying. But it would be another 16 years
before he would pin on his pilot wings. At West Poin, Davis graduated 35th
in his class out of 278, and pinned on second lieutenant as one of only two line
officers in the Army - his Dad being the other. He was assigned to an
all-black 24th Infantry Regiment, one of the old Buffalo Soldier regiments.
Davis was next assigned to the Tuskegee Institute in Alabama. In 1941, Davis was assigned to the first training class at Tuskegee Army Air Field and earned his pilot's wings in early 1942 as one of five black officers to complete the course. He retired from active duty in 1970 as a lieutenant general. After his retirement, Davis continued serving in government, overseeing the development of airport security and highway safety as the Assistant Secretary of Transportation for Environment, Safety and Consumer Affairs. In 1998, President Bill Clinton promoted Davis to four-star rank and on July 4, 2002, he passed away at the age of 89. He was buried with full honors at Arlington National Cemetery. |
One of the oldest pieces of advice to avoid getting duped by false information
is to resist believing everything you read. This might be especially true on the
Internet, where anybody can play expert and the pressure to break genuine news
often leaves little time for fact-checking, even by reputable sources. Web
sites to check: http://www.factcheck.org/ http://www.politifact.com/ http://www.infoplease.com/ http://www.snopes.com/ Student Veterans of America has shut down chapters at 40 for-profit colleges after discovering that many of the groups were memberless fronts used to promote the schools as “veteran friendly.” Michael Dakduk, executive director of SVA, said the action came after a routine review of organization procedures uncovered a pattern of problems with the for-profit chapters. Numerous chapters were founded with a faculty member as the main point of contact, he said, instead of a student veteran. Those chapters were found to have no actual student members, and the SVA brand was being used by the schools’ marketing departments in recruiting efforts. “SVA will not allow institutions of higher learning, whether for-profit or not, to use the name Student Veterans of America for the sole benefit of the institution,” he said. |
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Battle of Batann Fighting valiantly, the United States Armed Forces in the Far Fast (USAFFE),
led by General Douglas MacArthur, was thrown back by the implacable
advance or the enemy. Retreat to Bataan became inevitable. On the Bataan
peninsula the defending forces, following War Plan Orange-3, regrouped for
a last stand. Delaying actions were fought to permit withdrawal to Bataan, the bloodiest of which was fought by the 11th and 21st Divisions on the Porac-Guagua line. The 26th Cavalry Regiment protected the west flank of the 21st Division. As the entire USAFFE struggled from south and north toward the Layac junction, the only approach to Bataan, the delaying forces held their line on open and unprepared ground. From 1 January to 5 January they stood fast against massive enemy aerial and artillery bombardment, concentrated tank attacks and banzai charges. Casualties on both sides were heavy. The first defensive in Bataan was the Hermosa-Dinalupihan line, where on 6 January 1942 the 71st Division, the American 31st Infantry Regiment and the 26th Cavalry Regiment fought off the pursuing enemy. The aim of War Plan Orange-3 was to delay the invading enemy forces until the US Navy could gather together it's Pacific Fleet and sail to the Philippines, on the way dealing with the Japanese Fleet. But there was no US Navy fleet to gather together, for it now rested on the bottom of Pearl Harbor. The main battle position of the USAFFE, the Abucay-Morong line, was attacked along its eastern flank on 9 January, but the 5th Regimental Combat Team, reinforced by the 57th Infantry of the 21st Division repulsed the attack. |
| On 14 January the Japanese attacked the boundary of the 41st
and 51st Divisions. The 43rd Infantry, holding the left lank of the 41st
Division, which was reinforced by the 23rd Infantry, 21st Division sharply
refused its flank. The 51st Infantry, holding the right flank of the 51st
Division, withdrew creating a gap through which the enemy advanced to the
Salian River. But a patrol of the 21st division discovered the enemy, and
elements of the Division rushed to the Salian River valley where after a
savage fight, they repulsed the enemy. Farther to the west the enemy
surprised and routed the 53rd Infantry. Penetrating deep behind the main
battle position along the Abo-Abo River valley, the enemy advance was held
up by combined elements of the 21st Division of the II reserve, the 31st
and the 51st Division of the Bani-Guirol forest area. The American 31st Infantry and the 45thInfantry, Philippine Scouts, succeeded in partially restoring the abandoned line of the 51st Division. On 15 January the Morong sector, defended by the 1st Regular Division, reinforced, came under heavy bombardment. But the line held. A few days later, the enemy penetrated through a huge gap in the Silangan-Natib area and established a roadblock on the Mauban ridge, thus cutting off the 1st Regular Division from the rear area. Gravely threatened, elements of the 71st and 91st Divisions and the 2nd Regiment repeatedly attacked the roadblock but failed to dislodge the enemy. Although the II Corps Sector had prevented a similar envelopment in the Salian River battle, the I Corps position was now untenable. The Abucay-Morong tine was abandoned on 24 January. The Orion-Bagac line was established two clays later. Again in a desperate attempt to outflank the I Corps, the enemy landed crack units on the west coast of southern Bataan. The aim was to outflank and to isolate the frontline units from headquarters and supplies. There were three ferocious battles in the I.apiay-Longoskawayan Points area, fought from 23 to 29 January; in Quinawan-Aglaloma Points area, fought from 23 January to 8 February; and Silaiim-Anyasan Points, fought from 27 January to 13 February. Of the 2,000 enemy troops committed to these battles, only 34 wounded soldiers returned to their lines. On 27 January enemy troops were discovered in the rear of the Orion-Bagac line, the Tuol River valley behind the 11th Regular Division and in the Gogo-Cotar River valley behind the 1st Regular Division. The series of engagements to eliminate these enemy salients became known as the Battle of the Pockets, fought from 27 January through 17 February. Of the 2,000 Japanese troops committed to this battle, only 377 were reported to have escaped. After the battles of the points, pockets and Trail 2, which were brilliant triumphs of the USAFFE, the enemy withdrew to regroup their forces and to wait for reinforcements. Meanwhile, on 12 March, General MacArthur, his family and some staff officers of the USAFFE left on four PT boats for Mindanao, from where they were flown to Australia. MacArthur's departure marked the end of the USAFFE on 22 March. The defending army was renamed United States Forces in the Philippines (USFIP), under the command of Lieutenant General Jonathan M. Wainwright. The Japanese High Command reinforced Homma's 14th Imperial Japanese Army, and toward the end of March the enemy struck. The entire Orion-Bagac line was subjected to vicious artillery and aerial bombardment, turning the Mount Samat area into an inferno. The forest was set on fire, men were buried alive in their foxholes and every inch of the ground was covered by enemy fire. The dust flames and smoke darkened the mountain. The USAFFE artillery, which had backed the defenders, was immobilized At 1500 hours, the enemy infantry, spearheaded by tanks which rolled over the bodies of the dead and living Filipino defenders, broke through the main line of resistance of the 41st Infantry at Trail 29. Along Trail 6, the enemy infantry, also spearheaded by tanks, crashed through the main line of resistance of the 21st Infantry. By nightfall the enemy had penetrated about 1,500 yards behind the main line of resistance of the 41st infantry, 1,000 yards behind the 23rd infantry. On 4 April the enemy infantry attacked the 23rd Infantry crashing through the line along Trail 4. The enemy swerved toward the east and struck the flank of the 22nd Infantry. By night time the enemy had penetrated 1,000 yards beyond the main battle position of the 23rd Infantry. By the 6th of April Mount Samat was surrounded. But the 21st Division, reforming its line to resemble a horseshoe, still held the slopes of the mountain. The battle of Mount Samat was called the most vicious encounter of the second battle of Bataan. The night before the surrender, a series of earthquakes rocked Bataan, two of which were of nature's making. In the morning heavy rain fell. Then the sun shone. On 9 April 1942, at high noon, Major General Edward P. King, Jr., senior American officer on the battle-torn peninsula surrendered the Bataan forces. The infamous Death March began. |