Visitors to Endcliffe Park, a small green space on the west side of the UK city of Sheffield, might come across a curious monument. It begins with a large, permanent American flag. Then, they'll notice several trees surrounding a large boulder. Flags representing the United States Air Force, small wooden crosses, and other tokens of appreciation flanking that boulder, which bears plaques and, often, ten photos of World War II-era airmen.
Those airmen, 1st Lt. John Kriegshauser, 2nd Lt. Lyle Curtis, 2nd Lt. John Humphrey, 2nd Lt. Melchor Hernandez, Staff Sgt. Harry Estabrooks, Staff Sgt. Bob Mayfield, Sgt. Charles Tuttle, Tech. Sgt. Malcolm Williams, Sgt. Vito Ambrosio and Sgt. Maurice Robbins fought to die on that spot in 1944 because the alternative was much, much worse.
On February 22, 1944, the B-17 Flying Fortress, dubbed "Mi Amigo," was sent on a bombing mission on an airfield in Nazi-occupied Denmark. The target air base was obscured by fog when the planes were supposed to go over the target, and German fighters shot down three of the formation's bombers. Luftwaffe fighters also heavily damaged the Mi Amigo, and despite dropping its 4,000 pounds of bombs into the North Sea on its way home, it would still struggle to return to its base.
By the time the Mi Amigo flew over Sheffield, its engines were failing, and it, along with its ten-man crew, were headed for a hard landing. But there was hope: Lt. Kriegshauser, the pilot, saw an open area, a large field in Endcliffe Park, where they might be put down and maybe even survive. Sheffield is a larger city, so there weren't a lot of options for a clean touchdown.
As they approached the field, they saw a terrifying sight. There were children playing soccer on the field, right where the B-17 was trying to land. Instead of continuing onto the field and risking the children's lives, 
the pilot was able to deftly adjust course, crash-landing the plane into a wooded area. Firefighters rushed to the scene but took over an hour to put out the blaze. All ten members of the Mi Amigo crew died in the crash, but none of the children playing nearby were hurt.
Kriegshauser was posthumously awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross for his quick thinking and skills in the cockpit. In 1969, the citizens of Sheffield commemorated the deeds of those airmen. They planted ten scarlet oak trees in their honor and held a small ceremony on the site where the boulder stands, a ceremony that has been repeated annually ever since.
Everyday Europeans have never forgotten the sacrifices of American men and women in defense or liberation of their countries. Just as the French and Dutch take care of American war dead in their respective countries, so too, do the citizens of Sheffield, one of the United Kingdom's most working-class cities. A local man, Tony Foulds, witnessed the crash as a young boy and has maintained the monument ever since - for more than 75 years.
The Mexican War was one of the United States' shortest wars, and it's a conflict that often goes overlooked in American history books. But it was one that literally shaped the country and its future in so many ways. It added more than half a million square miles to the United States, from the Rio Grande to the Pacific Ocean, establishing a southern border and creating a territory that truly spread from sea to shining sea.
It was also where many future commanders of the American Civil War would cut their teeth in the art of war, applying what they learned from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point. These notables included Thomas J. "Stonewall" Jackson, George G. Meade, George McClellan, George Pickett, Joseph E. Johnston, Braxton Bragg, Robert E. Lee and Ulysses S. Grant.
At the start of the war, the Mexican claimed its border with Texas was the Nueces River, while the U.S. upheld the Texas claim that the border was the Rio Grande. Both sides knew that Americans entering the strip in between, an area of 150 miles, would likely trigger a clash. That's exactly what happened on April 25, 1846. Congress declared war on Mexico at the request of President James K. Polk on May 13, 1846, and moved forces into the large Mexican territories of Nuevo Mexico and Alta California, which is today the American Southwest.
Gen. Zachary Taylor rushed to the border at the head of 2,400 men and twice defeated Mexican forces despite being outnumbered and far from his supply lines, first at Palo Alto and then at Resaca de la Palma. His victories forced the Mexican Army under Gen. José Mariano Arista out of Texas and back across the Rio Grande. He pushed further into Mexico, capturing Monterrey by the end of September.
Since the war plan for invading central Mexico involved capturing Veracruz on the Gulf Coast and moving inland to Mexico City, Polk ordered Taylor to stay put after capturing Monterrey. He also ordered his general to send all the veteran regular forces under his command to assist Gen. Winfield Scott in that effort. So Taylor was left with a force of fewer than 5,000 men, mostly untested volunteers.
While the United States readied its plans, Mexico called up an old favorite to come out of exile and lead the country through this war. Gen. Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna, deposed and exiled after losing Texas and control of several other Mexican states in a disputed government, returned to command Mexico's Army. He knew about the planned landing, but instead of reinforcing the strategically vital port of Veracruz, he marched on Taylor's force, which was now camped at Saltillo. He wanted to take advantage of the Americans' inferior numbers.
Santa Anna would march north along a main road with more than 21,000 troops in January 1847, but the winter was one of the worst Mexico had ever seen. By the time he engaged Gen. Taylor, he would only have slightly more than 15,000 with which to attack. They met at La Angostura ("the narrow place"), roughly a mile south of Hacienda San Juan de la Buena Vista. There, the main road passed through a narrow valley which was intersected by several ravines and arroyos (dry creek beds), where the Americans set up their defense.
On February 22, Santa Anna sent his surgeon to Taylor to ask for his surrender, to which Taylor replied, "Tell Santa Anna to go to Hell!"
The attack began that day, which just happened to be George Washington's birthday. The Mexicans led with a feint on the American right flank, but the main attack was to come on the left flank, where Santa Anna hoped to crush the Americans and roll up the entire Army. Mexican cavalry was supposed to capture Buena Vista and cut off any hope of retreat. But when the Mexicans moved to flank them, the Americans just extended their lines and moved to higher ground, preventing the Mexicans from rolling up their left flank.
As darkness fell the first night, the shooting stopped. In the morning, the Mexican cavalry did succeed in breaking through American lines and moving on to Buena Vista. When they arrived, however, they didn't find Taylor's supplies; they found the hacienda heavily defended by American troops and a relief column of American cavalry. Meanwhile, Santa Anna renewed the main attack, throwing his overwhelming numbers at the Americans, who poured fire into their ranks.
Though outnumbered, the Americans were in a much better state to fight. Santa Anna launched his attack after marching 35 miles. To make matters worse, they used old flintlock Brown Bess muskets Britain had sold them after the Napoleonic Wars. The Americans were also using flintlock muskets, but theirs were newer and made with better quality. Despite their faults, the Mexican Army did such impressive work of navigating the ravines and assaulting the high ground that some American officers stood in awe of their efforts. At one point, Taylor even believed he'd been "whipped" but was determined to inflict as much damage as he could.
What saved the Americans was Santa Anna himself. He might have won the battle had he launched another attack or fought another day. He still outmanned the Americans at Buena Vista. But he believed his Army was on the verge of collapse from hunger (which was true; they had no provisions), so he marched them away on the night of February 23, 1847. Taylor, his proverbial eye blackened, didn't pursue.
To this day, Mexico believes it won the Battle of Buena Vista and cites its captured American flags and arms as evidence of that victory. The Americans laid siege to Veracruz shortly after, capturing the city on March 29. Taylor's perceived victory back home, against overwhelming odds, captured the imaginations of Americans and totally overshadowed Scott's victory at Veracruz, which would help Taylor be elected president a few years later.
Santa Anna's problems feeding his Army plagued him for the rest of the war. Mexico City fell to the Americans in September 1847. In October, Santa Anna's Army dissolved as it began foraging for food, and the general had fought his last battle. The peace forced on Mexico in 1848 shaped the United States but also upended the balance between slave and free states, moving the country a step closer to civil war.
After reading many of the Reflections of other veterans, I rediscovered how much my service time impacted my life. It helped me remember the people and places I served with and the friendships I made that still exist. I am in touch with several people who became lifelong friends while in the USAF.
Sgt Tom Duffy US Air Force Veteran
Served 1968-1972
Though legendary American veterans may live forever in our hearts, no one truly lives forever. There will always be a last survivor, and of the estimated 4.7 million Americans who served in the First World War, West Virginia's Frank Buckles was the last American witness to the horrors of the Western Front. Buckles died on February 27, 2011, but it was after a long, extraordinarily eventful life – and World War I was just the beginning.
Buckles was born into a long line of veterans on February 1, 1901. He said his ancestors had served in the American Revolution and the Civil War. So, it should have been no surprise that a young Frank Buckles attempted to enlist to go to war just a few months after the United States declared war on Germany in 1917. He was rejected by the Marine Corps and the Navy for physical issues, but the Army felt so good about the young man that they accepted the lie that he was older than 16.
Anxious to get to the front, he volunteered as an ambulance driver. He was on his way to join the American Expeditionary Force in Europe aboard the RMS Carpathia by December of that year. He would serve in England, then France, driving wounded allied troops in those ambulances until the war's end in November 1918. He then marched several German prisoners of war back to Germany. He was discharged in 1919 but didn't make it home until 1920.
Upon returning home, he went to business school in Oklahoma City, where he once attended a reception and met none other than his World War I commander, Gen. John J. Pershing. After graduating, he began working in shipping, which took him all over the world, including South Africa, the Pacific Islands, and even back to Germany. It was there, Buckles later said, that he saw Nazi antisemitism, fear of Adolf Hitler's power, and Jesse Owens win a gold medal at the 1936 Berlin Olympics. He even claimed to have bumped into the Führer himself in a hotel stairway.
When the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor in 1941, Buckles happened to be in the Philippines on business. Japanese troops struck the Philippines on the same day as Pearl Harbor, but he didn't flee from the islands. The image of starving civilians (especially children) he'd experienced in World War I Europe inspired him to stay and help distribute food in Manila. When Japanese troops captured the islands, they also captured Frank Buckles, and he spent the rest of World War II in the Los Baños prisoner of war camp with other American men.
Battling starvation, atrophy, and the effects of malnutrition, he helped his fellow Americans, civilians, and GIs alike, survive whenever possible. He learned a little Japanese and was allowed to grow vegetables on the camp's grounds. He augmented the children's diets while leading the group in WWI-era Army calisthenics he'd grown to love so much. On February 23, 1945, his camp was liberated by the Allies, and he returned to the United States.
He met his future wife, Audrey, in 1946. The two would be married until she died in 1999. They spent the rest of their lives at Gap View Farm near Charles Town, West Virginia. It was there they also had their only child. In 2009, at 108 years old, Buckles became the oldest person to testify before Congress, advocating for a national World War I Memorial on par with the grandeur of the other monuments in the capital. At the time, he was trying to get the District of Columbia's WWI monument upgraded to a national monument and perhaps upgraded or restored to some kind of grandeur. He even met with then-President George W. Bush about it.
Of course, that's not what happened. After a drive to pass legislation to create a National World War I Memorial, a design competition, and some fundraising, a new National World War I Memorial was created in Washington, D.C., in the former site of Pershing Park. In April 2021, the American flag was raised over the memorial for the first time. Sadly, Frank Buckles had died a decade prior, at age 110.
When activated at Marine Corps Base San Diego in Feb 1941 to succeed its forebear, the 2nd Marine Brigade (est. 1936), our 2nd Marine Division, "The Silent Second," consisted of the 2nd, 6th, and 8th Marine infantry regiments; 10th Marines, an artillery regiment; engineer, medical, service, and tank battalions; and transport, signal, chemical, and antiaircraft machine gun companies. During WWII, the 2nd Marine Division (HQ) participated in the Pacific Theater of Operations, including combat and other action at Guadalcanal, Solomon Islands, Tarawa, Gilbert Islands, Saipan, Peleliu, Tinian, Cape Gloucester, Okinawa and Nagasaki (less than a month after the atomic weapon detonation there). Also, in WWII, two Seabee battalions were posted to the 2nd MARDIV; the 18th Naval Construction Battalion (NCB) was assigned to the 18th Marines as the third Battalion of the regiment. 
The Division did not take part in a major action again until 1958 when elements participated in US intervention during the initial involvement in Lebanon. Its units helped reinforce Guantánamo Bay during the Cuban Missile Crisis in 1962 and landed in the Dominican Republic in 1965 as part of Operation Power Pack. Other peacekeeping operations carried out by the Division include being part of the Multi-National Peacekeeping Force in Lebanon from August 1982 until February 1984. The Division took the loss of 238 Marines and Sailors along with three attached US Army personnel during the 1983 Beirut barracks bombing - the monument in their memory at Lejeune says, "They came in peace." Toward the end of the 1980s, Division Marines participated in the Operation Cause invasion of Panama. As of 2024, the 2nd Marine Division is composed of Headquarters Battalion; 2nd, 6th, and 10th Marine Regiments; the 2nd Assault Amphibian Battalion; 2nd Combat Engineer Battalion; 2nd Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion; and the 2nd Reconnaissance Battalion. Between the Banana Wars (ca. 1898-1934) and the War Against the Islamic State (starting 2013), the 2nd MARDIV has technically or literally been active in twelve wars, including approximately sixty-one different named operations. It has had fifty-eight Commanders thus far and has been based at Camp Lejeune, NC, for over eighty years. While the Division was new in 1941, "Second Division" was no new name in Marine Corps history. In WWI, a brigade of Marines served in the US Army 2nd Division, AEF, with Marine officer Maj. Gen. John A. Lejeune as commanding general. Marines TWS lists 3,137 members who have served with this storied unit whose motto is "Follow Me."
This Division records its current purpose as follows:
"The mission of the 2d Marine Division (2d MARDIV) is to generate, train, and certify forces to conduct expeditionary operations in support of II Marine Expeditionary Force (II MEF) campaign objectives and crisis response tasking. On order, 2d MARDIV will plan and execute Division-level ground combat element operations as part of a Marine Air-Ground Task Force or Naval Expeditionary Force." Between the lines of such statements, one might imagine the complete roster of Marines ever serving under their emblem and names of the fallen, wounded, and missing throughout the course of decades and dozens of dull duty or intense combat operations. Every unit designation ultimately consists of lineage and history. Lineage usually includes numbers and identifying terms understandable to those familiar with the branch-specific jargon. History, however, encompasses the names of people, the places they were, the exploits of their organization, and the struggles, tragedies, and triumphs fully known only to them. Taken together, lineage and history
form an unfathomable picture of the 2nd Marine Division and every other assignment, from lone sentry outside the wire to expeditionary forces landing on windswept sands of lands distant and foreign in every possible sense. At Tarawa, the Division suffered more than 3,200 casualties. 
At Guadalcanal, the total number of Marines killed was 1,152, along with 2,799 wounded and 55 listed as missing. Marine aviation losses were 55 dead, with 127 wounded and 85 missing. Japanese losses during that same campaign were approximately 14,800 killed or missing in action, while another 9,000 died of wounds and disease. About 1,000 enemy troops were taken prisoner, and more than 600 enemy planes and pilots were destroyed. Marines of the III Amphibious Corps, which included the 2nd MARDIV, counted 16,507 battle casualties, with 2,779 of those killed and 13,609 wounded on Okinawa. The 2nd Division had gone through one of the most intense 72 hours of combat in the history of island warfare at Tarawa, with unit casualties including nearly a thousand dead. The Saipan operation seven months later again took a heavy toll on them, with 5,000 wounded and 1,300 dead.
The battle for control of Iwo Jima lasted 36 days. The final death toll among Marines was 5,931 killed in action, died of wounds or missing in action, and presumed dead; more than twice as many Marines as had been killed in all of WWI. 1,394 Marines gave their lives in Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom. The 2nd Marine Division was deployed to Camp Fallujah, Iraq, as the II Marine Expeditionary Force (II MEF) headquarters in January 2005. It had participated in ground actions during Kosovo, Haiti, Bosnia, Liberia, Dominican Republic, Grenada and Somalia.
Numerous books have been dedicated to the 2nd Marine Division, including such titles as: "Bloody Tarawa…"; "Follow Me!..."; "For God and Country…"; "Heritage Years…"; "Landing in Hell…"; "Returned …" and "Faithful Warriors." In addition, there are a number of films about or including them, such as: "With the Marines at Tarawa,"; "The Great War,"; "The Pacific War in Color," and "Sands of Iwo Jima," as well as several produced by Marine Corps University, Marine Corps Heritage Foundation, 2nd Marine Division Association and the Division itself. It would not be entirely incorrect to state that the number of USMC, federal, state, and local memorials, monuments, and burial sites for, including or related to this Division are practically countless domestically and overseas.
Today's Marine Corps includes four Divisions, 1st through 4th. Assigned under the 2nd Marine Division are the 2nd, 6th and 10th Regiments. The 2nd infantry regiment (est. 1901) comprises the following infantry battalions and one company: Headquarters Company 2nd Marines; 1st Battalion, 2nd Marines; 2nd Battalion, 2nd Marines; 3rd Battalion, 2nd Marines and 2nd Battalion, 8th Marines. The 6th infantry regiment (est. 1917) consists of four (five during War) infantry battalions and one company: Headquarters Company 6th Marines; 1st Battalion, 6th Marines; 2nd Battalion, 6th Marines; 3rd Battalion, 6th Marines, 1st Battalion, 8th Marines; and 2nd Battalion 9th Marines (during wartime only, when activated). The 10th Marine Regiment (est. 1914) is an artillery regiment composed of Headquarters Battery, 10th Marines; 1st Battalion, 10th Marines; 2nd Battalion, 10th Marines; 3rd Battalion, 10th Marines (disbanded on April 26, 2013); 4th Battalion, 10th Marines (was disbanded); and 5th Battalion, 10th Marines (disbanded on June 1, 2012). Formerly of the 2nd MARDIV, the 8th Marine Regiment (est. 1917) was decommissioned on January 28, 2021. It comprised three infantry battalions and one company: Headquarters Company 8th Marines; 1st Battalion, 8th Marines; 2nd Battalion, 8th Marines; and 3rd Battalion, 8th Marines.
This unit's honors include:
Presidential Unit Citation Streamer - World War II, Tarawa
China Service Streamer
American Defense Service Streamer with one Bronze Star
European-Africa-Middle Eastern Campaign Streamer
Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Streamer with one Silver Star and Two Bronze Stars
World War II Victory Streamer
Navy Occupation Service Streamer with Asia and European Clasps
National Defense Service Streamer with one Bronze Star
Marine Corps Expeditionary Streamer
Armed Forces Expeditionary Streamers with Two Bronze Stars
Navy Unit Commendation Streamer for Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm
Southwest Asia Streamer with Three Bronze Stars
Although OPSEC protects specifications, the current activity of the 2nd Marine Division may be included in their general summary of excerpts as follows: "The Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) is the smallest of the MAGTFs and comprises about 2,200 Marines and Sailors. Its major elements are the Command Element (CE), the Ground Combat Element (GCE), the Aviation Combat Element (ACE), and the Logistics Combat Element (LCE). The CE comprises the commanding officer and supporting staff - about 200 Marines and Sailors. It provides the overall command and control essential for effective planning and execution of operations and synchronizes the actions of each element within the MEU. Skill sets falling under the command element include administration, intelligence, operations, logistics and embarkation, communications, legal and public affairs. The GCE is built around an infantry battalion and provides the overland combat power for the MEU. Assets inherent within the standard infantry battalion include medium and heavy machine guns, mortars, combined anti-armor teams, and scout snipers. While assigned to the MEU, the unit, designated a Battalion Landing Team, is reinforced with light armored reconnaissance vehicles, tanks, artillery, combat engineers, and assault amphibian vehicles.
The ACE is a composite squadron that provides the MEU medium to heavy lift capability, assault support, and close air support (CAS). Its assets include MV-22 Osprey tilt-rotor aircraft or CH-46 Sea Knight medium lift helicopters, CH-53E Super Stallion heavy lift helicopters, AH-1 Super Cobra helicopter gunships, UH-1 Huey utility helicopters, and AV-8B Harrier jump jets. With a force strength of approximately 500, the ACE includes air traffic control, aircraft maintenance/support, and aviation logistics/supply capabilities.
The LCE, about 250 Marines and Sailors strong, provides combat support such as supply, maintenance, transportation, explosive ordnance disposal, military police, water production and distribution, engineering, medical and dental services, fuel storage and distribution, and other services to the deployed MEU. The LCE allows the MEU to support itself for 15 days in austere expeditionary environments."
I want to thank you for this wonderful website. I was very reflective yesterday, and reading his Reflections that he had written helped me. It was just like hearing my husband talk again.
Sylvia Camp, Widow of
A recent article in a Veteran-focused publication had the headline, "Did you know many of your benefits have an expiration date?" It gave the misleading impression to many that the benefits they have earned from military service could evaporate or disappear. This is inaccurate.
The most popular Veteran benefits have no expiration date. As I explain below, you can apply at any point and are not time-bound.
For these benefits, there are important dates to remember. However, if you miss those dates, you will be inconvenienced, but these benefits are still available to you, providing you qualify.
Let's start with the three most popular benefits:
• Disability Compensation
• Home Loan Guaranty
• Education/GI Bill
Disability compensation is a tax-free monthly payment based on an injury or disability that occurred during service. A Veteran completes an application, referred to as a claim. Accompanying this claim is information about one's service and medical conditions. VA evaluates the claim and grants or denies benefits.
A disability compensation claim can be filed as early as 180 days prior to completion of active duty and throughout the remainder of a Veteran's life. In short, there is no expiration date for disability compensation. Many Veterans file multiple claims throughout their life as new conditions are identified or previously identified conditions worsen. This is called a claim for an increase; there is no limit on how often this can be done.
There are two important dates to keep in mind relative to disability compensation. The first concerns the Intent to File. In advance of actually applying for disability compensation, you can complete an Intent to File form. This tells the VA you will file in the next year and preserves the effective day (i.e., the date on which benefits will begin). For example, a Veteran completes an Intent to File form establishing February 1, 2024, as his/her effective date. After collecting all the needed information and forms, benefits are granted on December 1, 2024. The first payment would include a retroactive payment reflecting payment from February 1.
If you fail to submit an application in one year, the effective date identified by the Intent to File is lost. You are still eligible to possibly receive benefits, but your effective date is changed to a more current date.
Another date becomes important if you decide to appeal your disability compensation decision. You may appeal that decision if you believe your claim was denied inappropriately or if too low a benefit was awarded. Importantly, you have one year from the date of that decision to appeal. If you miss that date, you will have to file another claim. Again, your eligibility for benefits doesn't expire; the process will be longer.
Home Loan Guaranty allows Veterans to purchase a home with no money down. This is a tremendous advantage over our civilian counterparts, who must save for a downpayment prior to purchasing a home. Subject to restrictions, this can be used to purchase a mobile home or farm residence.
There is no time restriction on this benefit. It can be used repeatedly by Veterans as they move and purchase new homes.
Education/GI Bill. Honorable military service provides a powerful education benefit often referred to as the GI Bill. Serve for three years and earn four years of free college. It can also be used for high-tech apprenticeships, advanced Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math training, and credentials and certificates.
In 2017, a new law, often called the Forever GI Bill, was introduced. If your service ended on or after January 1, 2013, this benefit will never expire – hence the name.
One area where the article had it right involves the education benefit if your service ended prior to January 1, 2013. If your service ended prior to being eligible for the Forever GI Bill, you may qualify for the Post 9/11 GI Bill or Montgomery GI Bill for active duty or reservists. Each of these has an expiration date, so check those dates carefully at VA.gov.
Veterans benefits are an important part of the rewards for military service. As you can see, however, there are many benefits, and each has its own rules and processes. The best time to learn about your benefits is well before applying for them. In this way, you can understand and access them most appropriately for your pursuit of the American Dream.
Paul R. Lawrence, Ph.D., served as Under Secretary of Benefits at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs from May 2018 to January 2021. He is the author of "Veterans Benefits for You: Get what You Deserve," available from Amazon.
On December 7, 1941, naval and air forces of the Empire of Japan infamously struck the U.S. Navy and other strategic sites at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. The attack was so perfectly planned and executed that such an attack not only seemed obvious in the aftermath of the war, it led to a conspiracy theory that President Franklin Roosevelt knew how and when the Japanese would strike at Hawaii. That same theory says he allowed the attack to happen so the U.S. could enter World War II.
The truth is that t
he United States did not know how the Japanese would attack Pearl Harbor because the Japanese fleet used the same plan the U.S. Navy developed in February of 1932.
American war planners had long believed a war with the Japanese was almost inevitable. After Japan stunned the world by soundly defeating Russia in 1905, the United States decided it needed a plan in case it came to blows with the emerging Japanese Empire. After World War I, the Army and Navy created "War Plan Orange," which predicted American bases in the Philippines and Guam would be blockaded by Japan. The U.S. fleet would defend the West Coast and Panama Canal while it fully manned its ships, but this plan did not account for naval innovations, the most critical of which was naval aviation.
When it came time for the Army and Navy to conduct an actual wargame against a "militaristic Asian island nation in 1932, Rear Adm. Harry Yarnell was tasked with creating a Japanese attack plan that would test the defenses of Pearl Harbor. Yarnell was unique among U.S. Navy flag officers because he was actually a qualified naval aviator who had commanded the USS Saratoga, one of the first purpose-built carriers in the U.S. fleet.
By the time he was tasked with attacking Pearl Harbor, he had already been in the Navy for nearly 40 years and had served in two wars. He not only knew how to attack Pearl Harbor, he knew how the Japanese would do it. In 1932, the U.S. Navy was still focused on battleships as central to naval fleets, 
while carriers were expendable scouts. Most importantly, he'd done his homework, famously noting that Japan "started operations by attacking before a declaration of war."
On Sunday, February 7, 1932, 152 aircraft from carriers USS Lexington and USS Saratoga struck Pearl Harbor from the north-northeast. They hit the airfields first, then followed those with attacks on the vessels in Battleship Row, using sacks of flour to simulate dropped bombs. He achieved total surprise, wrecked the airfields and capital ships, and was declared the winner of the exercise.
For a while, anyway.
The Army and Navy protested the win, crying foul because they believed Yarnell's attack plan amounted to cheating (as if the enemy always plays by the rules). They complained that Yarnell had attacked on Sunday, which was "inappropriate." The brass at Pearl Harbor also complained that the direction of his attack mimicked friendly planes returning from the mainland United States and (stunningly) that Asian men
"lacked sufficient hand-eye coordination for low-level precision bombing." With pressure from the War Department, the decision was reversed, and the battleship admirals at Pearl were declared the winners.
Though the New York Times reported on the outcome of the war game, the fact that the "Japanese" attackers were never found, and the War Department's subsequent reversed decision, nothing was done to step up the island's defenses.
In 1938, another exercise was held to test Pearl Harbor. This time, Adm. Ernest King used the same strategy, achieving surprise and a temporary victory, complete with the same result – a reversed decision for using "unfair" means. Since those exercises were widely reported in Japan, it's no wonder the Japanese used the same plan for its actual surprise attack.
I am grateful to the creators of "TogetherWeServed.com" for this platform. This platform is the most advanced and organized medium that allows veterans to capture and chronologize their military service. It also provides a forum for veterans to research lost battle buddies and re-establish connections. Thanks so much for creating and maintaining this platform.
Major James C. Camel, US Army Veteran
Served 1987-2006
During the 2011 Swift Boat Sailors Association reunion in San Antonio, Texas, we received some information during the business meeting that had every sailor there on the edge of their seat. A Swift Boat would be coming home to San Diego! That great news was shared, at this point, more than a decade ago, and I can recall with clarity the loud applause that broke out in the conference room. Other than those directly involved in obtaining the Patrol Craft Fast, I don't think the sailors in that room ever believed we would be on a ready-to-get-underway Swift Boat again. SBS A members Dave Bradley, Virg Erwin, and Don Farrell visited Malta in 2010. Of the 2 Swift Boats, PCF's 813 and 816 that had been transferred to Malta in 1971, one, PCF 816 would return to the United States where, at the Maritime Museum of San Diego, it would eventually become a memorial to Malta and U.S. Swift Boat Sailors.
By way of Patrol Craft Fast background, on February 1, 1965, a US Naval Advisory Group, serving as a subsidiary of the Military Assistance Command Vietnam (MACV), compiled a document entitled 'Naval Craft Requirements in a Counter Insurgency Environment.' That report, subsequent to the research of crew boats being used to support oil rigs in the Gulf of Mexico, ultimately proved to be the catalyst for the development of 'Swift Boats.' Sewart Seacraft of Berwick, Louisiana, was the manufacturer. Of the 193 Patrol Craft Fast that were built, 110 saw duty in Vietnam and at two training bases in California. The other 83 boats were either sold or, in some cases, given to countries that supported the United States.
The first Swift Boats arrived in Vietnam in October 1965. Their blue water mission was to stop the infiltration of arms and supplies by sea from the north to coastal Communist base camps in South Vietnam. The effort was dubbed Operation Market Time and involved a coordinated effort of Swift Boats, Coast Guard Cutters, and other forces patrolling roughly 1,500 miles of coastline from the Demilitarized Zone in the north to the Cambodian border in the south. On February 29, 1968, 4 trawlers tried to supply Communist forces in South Vietnam after Phase 1 of the Tet Offensive. Three of the trawlers were destroyed by Operation Market Time forces. The 4th trawler, while in international waters, headed back to China. That was followed by approximately 15 months of no trawler activity. Supplies were then exclusively transported south down the Ho Chi Minh Trail or north from a Cambodian port. In the fall of 1968, Swift Boats were reassigned to support Patrol Boat River (PBRs) and other forces in the brown water rivers and canals of South Vietnam. Throughout the blue and brown water days, gunfire support, troop extractions and related special operations were also on the Swift Boats' many tasks. Boarding and searching boats for contraband was also on their virtually endless 'to-do' list.
In 1971, The United States Navy donated two Swift Boats that had been used for training at the Naval Amphibious Base in Coronado, and since 1969, the Naval Inshore Operations Training Center at Vallejo in the San Francisco Bay area to the newly formed government in the nation of Malta. On January 16, 1971, PCF's 813 and 816, Swifts that had been upgraded for heavy weather, were loaded aboard the USS Wood County (LST 1178) at Little Creek, Virginia. Underway on January 19 for Malta, the Wood County arrived at Valletta's Grand Harbour on February 6. At that time, Dr. George Borg Oliver was still the Prime Minister. During the transfer ceremony to the Armed Forces of Malta, the Swift Boats' designations were changed to C23 and C24 on April 5, 1971, by the US Ambassador to Malta, Mr. J C Pritzalff. Those initial Malta designations were ultimately changed to P23 (PCF 813) and P24 (PCF 816). On September 7, 1984, tragedy struck C23. 7 of the 8 Maltese onboard, including five servicemen and two policemen, died during an accident when illegal fireworks were seized the day before and set to be dumped off Comino, an intended 'feet wet' location, exploded on the bow. Filfla was an alternative dump site near the limits of Dingli Cliffs. Private Emmanuel Mountsin was the only survivor. The Maritime Museum of San Diego has a display that honors those who lost their lives. On September 7, 2014, the 30th anniversary of the loss of 'The Magnificent 7,' a memorial was held underway on PCF 816 in San Diego Harbor with Maltese dignitaries and their guests aboard. It featured a one-bell service, and a wreath was placed in Glorietta Bay.
Both Malta Swift Boats were decommissioned with the arrival of 4 new Austal class patrol boats. While operating in Malta, they were part of that country's Maritime Squadron. For nearly 40 years, they functioned as Coast Guard vessels involved in rescuing those fleeing North Africa and enforcing fishing rights. In 2010, they were placed into retirement. Vanessa Frazier, Malta's Minister of Defense, donated one of them, PCF 816, to the Maritime Museum of San Diego Museum for $1.00. The then San Diego bound Swift Boat was transferred to a Maersk container ship and arrived in Norfolk, Virginia. It was subsequently placed on a unique truck/trailer rig. At 14 feet wide, 16 feet high, and 43,000 pounds, it took a highly skilled driver to bring her back to San Diego for a warm 'welcome home' reception. The rig's driver, Kit Copeland, was honored at the 2013 SBSA reunion.
Transporting P24 to San Diego involved the coordination of several organizations. Obtaining the required permits, implementing road closures in several states, and calculating the clearances of underpasses were part of the cross-country logistics. August of 2012 saw the return of PCF 816 to San Diego, and full-scale restoration was soon underway with SBSA volunteers among those that went through, I'm sure, several 55-gallon drums of elbow grease. The initial restoration took place in Chula Vista, CA, from early January 2013 through April 2013. There was still a significant amount of work to be done when PCF 816 was back at the Maritime Museum of San Diego. The crew responsible for that wide variety of tasks went with the highly appropriate 'The Dirty Boat Guys' as their name. Based on the restoration photos I've seen, they couldn't have picked a better name. Those involved in a lot of the 'dirty work' included Bob Bolger, R.A. Bond, Bob Brown, Terry Boone, Dave Bradley, Virg Erwin, Don Farrell, David Hansen, Rich Hollman, Former Congressman Duncan Hunter, Fred Kaulhold, Gary Liedorff, Tom Matyn, Richard O'Mara Tony Snesko, James Steffes, Stanley Williams and Dewey Williams. The work was done at the Marine Group Works in nearby Chula Vista, California. The Maritime Museum of San Diego supervised the project. After being certified by the US Coast Guard to carry visitors while moored at the Museum and underway, PCF 816 was placed on exhibit with narrated tours on the bay detailing Swift Boat history in Vietnam and Malta given by SBSA members and docents who volunteer. Much to the delight of those who attended the 2013 Swift Boat Sailors Association reunion, PCF 816 was ready to be out on the bay for them to have their first Swift Boat ride in decades. In 2018, PCF 816 was designated as a National Historic Landmark.
The latest 'haul-out' for maintenance and repairs took place on January 18, 2022, and shipyard work ran until February 4, 2022. Once again, the tasks accomplished literally covered everything involved in keeping a Swift Boat many decades old up and running and looking in 'like-new' condition. It was not an easy task for a Patrol Craft Fast that served two nations. One of the projects involved using sound-deadening covering applied to the engine room and hatch covers. Additionally, after sanding the hull, the next order of business was to power wash the sides, followed by a complete wipe-down using rags soaked in acetone. Finally, before painting, the waterline was taped. When it was all said and done, the San Diego Swift Boat looked like the original construction had been completed earlier in the day.
P23 is displayed at the Armed Forces of Malta Maritime Squadron's Haywharf base. Between them, P23 and P24 provided more than 80 years of service in their new country.
During the 2013 SBSA reunion, my wife Cathy had her first Swift Boat cruise; for me, it was my first since 1969. As each page has fallen off the calendar, I have frequently looked back at my time in the Navy, and that Swift Boat ride brought me back 44 years. If Swift Boats are not in a class by themselves, I'm confident it wouldn't require significant time to take attendance.
Tom Edwards would like to thank fellow Swift Boat Sailors Association members Bob Barnett, Bob Bolger, Dave Bradley, and Bob Brown for being 'All hands on deck' in getting this article underway and his wife Cathy for her computer assistance. Hand salute to all those involved in getting P24 to San Diego and the subsequent restoration and maintenance work. PCF 816 has proven to be a significant and historic addition to the Maritime Museum of San Diego.
During the 2023 Vietnam Veterans Day event in Forest Lake, Minnesota, I had the pleasure of being the featured speaker. I shared some of my experiences as a Swift Boat maintenance and repair electrician in An Thoi from 1968 to 1969. One of those memories, in particular, stands out. Among the members of the maintenance and repair teams, we all got along very well. As a crew, we were tighter than a hat band. I spent the majority of my career in the spacecraft business. A lot of what I needed to know I learned while working on Swift Boats. In both cases, for example, failure was not an option. The next Swift Boat Sailors Association reunion will be in San Diego in April 2024. Cathy and I look forward to spending time with a first-class crew.
As the son of a military officer who grew up in an always-moving military household, it makes total sense that Tom Williams would also grow up to be a military officer. His adoptive father was U.S. Air Force Maj. Carl Williams, but young Tom was destined for the Marine Corps and for the Vietnam War.
"Doorsteps of Hell" is the first book in Tom Williams' autobiographical "Heart of a Marine" series and covers his early years and his first tour in Vietnam. He pulls no punches in his thoughts or descriptions of events. The result is an honest narrative that covers not just Vietnam War combat but the trials and struggles of being an infantry Marine out in the jungle. It also details the camaraderie and leadership so central to being a Marine.
Growing up as a military child, Tom traveled the world, picking up a propensity for languages and a love for military life. When Carl retired, and the family settled down in Georgia, Tom went off to North Georgia College and the United States Marine Corps. His first stop was Quantico, Virginia, for Officer Candidate School (OCS) and Basic School, where he became an infantry officer and a leader of Marines. His next stop was High-Intensity Language Training (HILT) for Vietnamese – his journey was taking him to Vietnam.
He would serve two combat tours in Vietnam, the first as a newly-minted infantry lieutenant in 1969. During his second tour, he was much saltier. Then, as a Captain, he was embedded with a South Vietnamese O-1 Bird Dog squadron, in which he fought the 1972 Easter Offensive.
Tom Williams gave 29 years of his life in service to his country as a United States Marine. His service took him to Lebanon, Europe, and Headquarters, Marine Corps. He would still be in the Corps during the 1990-1991 Gulf War. Retirement didn't mean an end to service, either. He would continue as a civilian in Saudi Arabia and Afghanistan.
Anyone interested in the Vietnam War will find the "Heart of a Marine" series to be an engaging personal story. For Vietnam veterans, it might evoke some old memories and feelings long forgotten or maybe inspire them to write their own personal recollections of their time in the war.
Buy "Doorsteps of Hell" and the other books in Tom Williams' autobiographical series at his online store, HeartOfAMarineSeries.com. It's available as an ebook or in hardcover and paperback, starting at $7.50.
Those airmen, 1st Lt. John Kriegshauser, 2nd Lt. Lyle Curtis, 2nd Lt. John Humphrey, 2nd Lt. Melchor Hernandez, Staff Sgt. Harry Estabrooks, Staff Sgt. Bob Mayfield, Sgt. Charles Tuttle, Tech. Sgt. Malcolm Williams, Sgt. Vito Ambrosio and Sgt. Maurice Robbins fought to die on that spot in 1944 because the alternative was much, much worse. 
the pilot was able to deftly adjust course, crash-landing the plane into a wooded area. Firefighters rushed to the scene but took over an hour to put out the blaze. All ten members of the Mi Amigo crew died in the crash, but none of the children playing nearby were hurt. 
It was also where many future commanders of the American Civil War would cut their teeth in the art of war, applying what they learned from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point. These notables included Thomas J. "Stonewall" Jackson, George G. Meade, George McClellan, George Pickett, Joseph E. Johnston, Braxton Bragg, Robert E. Lee and Ulysses S. Grant. 
Santa Anna would march north along a main road with more than 21,000 troops in January 1847, but the winter was one of the worst Mexico had ever seen. By the time he engaged Gen. Taylor, he would only have slightly more than 15,000 with which to attack. They met at La Angostura ("the narrow place"), roughly a mile south of Hacienda San Juan de la Buena Vista. There, the main road passed through a narrow valley which was intersected by several ravines and arroyos (dry creek beds), where the Americans set up their defense. 
Buckles was born into a long line of veterans on February 1, 1901. He said his ancestors had served in the American Revolution and the Civil War. So, it should have been no surprise that a young Frank Buckles attempted to enlist to go to war just a few months after the United States declared war on Germany in 1917. He was rejected by the Marine Corps and the Navy for physical issues, but the Army felt so good about the young man that they accepted the lie that he was older than 16. 
Battling starvation, atrophy, and the effects of malnutrition, he helped his fellow Americans, civilians, and GIs alike, survive whenever possible. He learned a little Japanese and was allowed to grow vegetables on the camp's grounds. He augmented the children's diets while leading the group in WWI-era Army calisthenics he'd grown to love so much. On February 23, 1945, his camp was liberated by the Allies, and he returned to the United States. 
The Division did not take part in a major action again until 1958 when elements participated in US intervention during the initial involvement in Lebanon. Its units helped reinforce Guantánamo Bay during the Cuban Missile Crisis in 1962 and landed in the Dominican Republic in 1965 as part of Operation Power Pack. Other peacekeeping operations carried out by the Division include being part of the Multi-National Peacekeeping Force in Lebanon from August 1982 until February 1984. The Division took the loss of 238 Marines and Sailors along with three attached US Army personnel during the 1983 Beirut barracks bombing - the monument in their memory at Lejeune says, "They came in peace." Toward the end of the 1980s, Division Marines participated in the Operation Cause invasion of Panama. As of 2024, the 2nd Marine Division is composed of Headquarters Battalion; 2nd, 6th, and 10th Marine Regiments; the 2nd Assault Amphibian Battalion; 2nd Combat Engineer Battalion; 2nd Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion; and the 2nd Reconnaissance Battalion. Between the Banana Wars (ca. 1898-1934) and the War Against the Islamic State (starting 2013), the 2nd MARDIV has technically or literally been active in twelve wars, including approximately sixty-one different named operations. It has had fifty-eight Commanders thus far and has been based at Camp Lejeune, NC, for over eighty years. While the Division was new in 1941, "Second Division" was no new name in Marine Corps history. In WWI, a brigade of Marines served in the US Army 2nd Division, AEF, with Marine officer Maj. Gen. John A. Lejeune as commanding general. Marines TWS lists 3,137 members who have served with this storied unit whose motto is "Follow Me."
At Guadalcanal, the total number of Marines killed was 1,152, along with 2,799 wounded and 55 listed as missing. Marine aviation losses were 55 dead, with 127 wounded and 85 missing. Japanese losses during that same campaign were approximately 14,800 killed or missing in action, while another 9,000 died of wounds and disease. About 1,000 enemy troops were taken prisoner, and more than 600 enemy planes and pilots were destroyed. Marines of the III Amphibious Corps, which included the 2nd MARDIV, counted 16,507 battle casualties, with 2,779 of those killed and 13,609 wounded on Okinawa. The 2nd Division had gone through one of the most intense 72 hours of combat in the history of island warfare at Tarawa, with unit casualties including nearly a thousand dead. The Saipan operation seven months later again took a heavy toll on them, with 5,000 wounded and 1,300 dead. 
This unit's honors include:
The most popular Veteran benefits have no expiration date. As I explain below, you can apply at any point and are not time-bound.
There are two important dates to keep in mind relative to disability compensation. The first concerns the Intent to File. In advance of actually applying for disability compensation, you can complete an Intent to File form. This tells the VA you will file in the next year and preserves the effective day (i.e., the date on which benefits will begin). For example, a Veteran completes an Intent to File form establishing February 1, 2024, as his/her effective date. After collecting all the needed information and forms, benefits are granted on December 1, 2024. The first payment would include a retroactive payment reflecting payment from February 1. 
Home Loan Guaranty allows Veterans to purchase a home with no money down. This is a tremendous advantage over our civilian counterparts, who must save for a downpayment prior to purchasing a home. Subject to restrictions, this can be used to purchase a mobile home or farm residence.
he United States did not know how the Japanese would attack Pearl Harbor because the Japanese fleet used the same plan the U.S. Navy developed in February of 1932. 
while carriers were expendable scouts. Most importantly, he'd done his homework, famously noting that Japan "started operations by attacking before a declaration of war." 
"lacked sufficient hand-eye coordination for low-level precision bombing." With pressure from the War Department, the decision was reversed, and the battleship admirals at Pearl were declared the winners. 
By way of Patrol Craft Fast background, on February 1, 1965, a US Naval Advisory Group, serving as a subsidiary of the Military Assistance Command Vietnam (MACV), compiled a document entitled 'Naval Craft Requirements in a Counter Insurgency Environment.' That report, subsequent to the research of crew boats being used to support oil rigs in the Gulf of Mexico, ultimately proved to be the catalyst for the development of 'Swift Boats.' Sewart Seacraft of Berwick, Louisiana, was the manufacturer. Of the 193 Patrol Craft Fast that were built, 110 saw duty in Vietnam and at two training bases in California. The other 83 boats were either sold or, in some cases, given to countries that supported the United States. 
In 1971, The United States Navy donated two Swift Boats that had been used for training at the Naval Amphibious Base in Coronado, and since 1969, the Naval Inshore Operations Training Center at Vallejo in the San Francisco Bay area to the newly formed government in the nation of Malta. On January 16, 1971, PCF's 813 and 816, Swifts that had been upgraded for heavy weather, were loaded aboard the USS Wood County (LST 1178) at Little Creek, Virginia. Underway on January 19 for Malta, the Wood County arrived at Valletta's Grand Harbour on February 6. At that time, Dr. George Borg Oliver was still the Prime Minister. During the transfer ceremony to the Armed Forces of Malta, the Swift Boats' designations were changed to C23 and C24 on April 5, 1971, by the US Ambassador to Malta, Mr. J C Pritzalff. Those initial Malta designations were ultimately changed to P23 (PCF 813) and P24 (PCF 816). On September 7, 1984, tragedy struck C23. 7 of the 8 Maltese onboard, including five servicemen and two policemen, died during an accident when illegal fireworks were seized the day before and set to be dumped off Comino, an intended 'feet wet' location, exploded on the bow. Filfla was an alternative dump site near the limits of Dingli Cliffs. Private Emmanuel Mountsin was the only survivor. The Maritime Museum of San Diego has a display that honors those who lost their lives. On September 7, 2014, the 30th anniversary of the loss of 'The Magnificent 7,' a memorial was held underway on PCF 816 in San Diego Harbor with Maltese dignitaries and their guests aboard. It featured a one-bell service, and a wreath was placed in Glorietta Bay.
Transporting P24 to San Diego involved the coordination of several organizations. Obtaining the required permits, implementing road closures in several states, and calculating the clearances of underpasses were part of the cross-country logistics. August of 2012 saw the return of PCF 816 to San Diego, and full-scale restoration was soon underway with SBSA volunteers among those that went through, I'm sure, several 55-gallon drums of elbow grease. The initial restoration took place in Chula Vista, CA, from early January 2013 through April 2013. There was still a significant amount of work to be done when PCF 816 was back at the Maritime Museum of San Diego. The crew responsible for that wide variety of tasks went with the highly appropriate 'The Dirty Boat Guys' as their name. Based on the restoration photos I've seen, they couldn't have picked a better name. Those involved in a lot of the 'dirty work' included Bob Bolger, R.A. Bond, Bob Brown, Terry Boone, Dave Bradley, Virg Erwin, Don Farrell, David Hansen, Rich Hollman, Former Congressman Duncan Hunter, Fred Kaulhold, Gary Liedorff, Tom Matyn, Richard O'Mara Tony Snesko, James Steffes, Stanley Williams and Dewey Williams. The work was done at the Marine Group Works in nearby Chula Vista, California. The Maritime Museum of San Diego supervised the project. After being certified by the US Coast Guard to carry visitors while moored at the Museum and underway, PCF 816 was placed on exhibit with narrated tours on the bay detailing Swift Boat history in Vietnam and Malta given by SBSA members and docents who volunteer. Much to the delight of those who attended the 2013 Swift Boat Sailors Association reunion, PCF 816 was ready to be out on the bay for them to have their first Swift Boat ride in decades. In 2018, PCF 816 was designated as a National Historic Landmark. 
During the 2013 SBSA reunion, my wife Cathy had her first Swift Boat cruise; for me, it was my first since 1969. As each page has fallen off the calendar, I have frequently looked back at my time in the Navy, and that Swift Boat ride brought me back 44 years. If Swift Boats are not in a class by themselves, I'm confident it wouldn't require significant time to take attendance.
As the son of a military officer who grew up in an always-moving military household, it makes total sense that Tom Williams would also grow up to be a military officer. His adoptive father was U.S. Air Force Maj. Carl Williams, but young Tom was destined for the Marine Corps and for the Vietnam War.
Tom Williams gave 29 years of his life in service to his country as a United States Marine. His service took him to Lebanon, Europe, and Headquarters, Marine Corps. He would still be in the Corps during the 1990-1991 Gulf War. Retirement didn't mean an end to service, either. He would continue as a civilian in Saudi Arabia and Afghanistan.