Report on the Morale of Forces (1968)
The morale of United States forces involved in the war in Vietnam was consistently high. This condition could be attributed to a belief in the mission of the United States in Vietnam, pride in accomplishing this mission, esprit de corps within units, the one-year tour, and the Rest and Recuperation (R&R) Program.
Reading a Gentleman’s Mail (Philippines, 1898)
To the President of the Rev. Govt., Malolos, from the Director of Public Works, Pineda, Sept. 21, 1898, 10.10 a.m.: Most urgent. Having thoroughly inspected the trenches in this zone, the first, I agree with General Ricarte that we should not construct works near American positions without placing them well back; we should destroy the trenches which are in sight of the Americans, so that they can not occupy them in case of conflict, and at the same time it will remove their suspicions. I await orders….
Prussians vs Doughboys, 1917-1918
“The American army seems to me as fine a collection of individual physical specimens as I have ever seen…But from the standpoint of military discipline it is a mob, pure and simple….”
Principles of Ammunition (1910)
Field Artillery projectiles are either shrapnel or high-explosive shell. Common shell and case-shot may now be considered obsolete.
POW Postscripts (1944)
I have received two broadcasts from the Tokyo radio recently…The comforting part of these two broadcasts is that George has received four letters from me…These messages were read by a Japanese woman announcer and gave George’s serial number, which is the first time that has ever been done. It all sounded authentic but of course one never really knows…
“Parachute Jumping” (1925)
I have been asked many times to describe the sensations one gets when jumping. The first one was a real thrill, but the confidence aroused by the perfect functioning of the chute made any future thrill hard to raise, as one has nothing but anticipation of a pleasant glide to earth…
Night Attack (1991)
In the Sandbox
Moving Out!
Here’s one of those great photos some of us were too chicken to snap when the RPGs came whizzing over the foxhole, and forget about being up there running around with cans of ammo…
Military Trivia and Its Hard Meaning
This trivia question is tailor-made for W. Not because his gray hair says he could have been there but because he reads military history at lunch…
Medal of Honor Citation (1945)
…M/Sgt. Bertoldo withstood the attack of vastly superior forces for more than 48 hours without rest or relief, time after time escaping death only by the slightest margin while killing at least 40 hostile soldiers and wounding many more during his grim battle against the enemy hordes.
Man on the Bull’s Eye (1919)
Observer in the tail of British airship R33, 6 March 1919.
Letter to a Soldier (1863)
DEAR HUSBAND: I seat myself to drop you a few lines to let you know that me and Sally is well as common…
Kamikaze Special Attack Force (1944)
The young eagles of the KAMIKAZE Special Attack force who dare to dash headlong and happily to the destruction of the enemy are waiting anxiously for that plane to fly to the front lines, saying to themselves, I too shall go.
“If Japan and America Fight” (1921)
By looking at the American army, one will come to the conclusion that, in point of discipline and skill in the art of war, the Americans are the worst of all nationalities.
How to Clear a House (Vietnam, 1968)
Prior to entering buildings or rooms of buildings, which are believed to contain enemy, a grenade is thrown in a window or door or some other opening in the building.
Hanging Looters in Mexico (1847)
Will the great body of intelligent, gallant and honorable men who compose this army, tolerate the few miscreants who perpetrate such crimes? Again, the General-in-Chief confidently hopes not. Let then the guilty be promptly seized and brought to condign punishment…
Graff Spee off Montevideo, 17 December 1939
From a postcard still sold on the waterfront in Montevideo.
Getting Artillery Right (1944)
It is unnecessary to tell an experienced foot-slogging dog-face how important artillery support is to him when he needs it. When he runs up against a Jerry strongpoint that is too tough to crack with infantry weapons the proper thing to do is yell for artillery.
Coup and Counter-Counter-Coup (1963)
To counter the communist insurgency, President Diem created the Ranger Forces whose concept took after the French Commandos of the 1949-54 war. His plans initially met with opposition from MAAG [U.S. Military Assistance Advisory Group-Vietnam], which not only suspected a political motive, but objected to the transferring of the most experienced officers and men from established units to the Rangers.
Portrait of a Man Who Fought for Us All (1943)
New Georgia. Pvt. Lloyd Culuck, Co. A, 1st Bn., 172nd Inf, gets chow from a can of Ration B on New Georgia Island, SW Pacific.