OUTRAGED SPLEEN OF ZION
BEAUTIFUL, AWESOME POST!
Have a wonderful Memorial Day and thanks for the excellent reminders of what we're celebrating.
Now ENJOY! esp. you, Babba.
Very nice BabbaZee
Thanks guys
I have so much more to do
but I think I need a nap first
An excerpt from my letter to Ireland re: Memorial Day
At mass this morning there was the unusual singing of America the Beautiful and the vigor with which it was sung was spectacular. Considering that the rest of the music is mumbled as though the choir had recently had its mouth filled with Turkish taffy by infidels or black ops from the Episcopalians down the block.
The church bells rang extra long and loud which is no dilemma in that town but I was happy that they weren't followed by adnan screeches of "There is no god but allen and he's a dipshit", or whatever it is they say.
Tomorrow at the cemetery there is a memorial mass being said by the "Bishop Emeritus" for the dead and I will attend-although I have to tell you I am a bit concerned about the "Bishop Emeritus" as I calculate he must be somewhere around 120 years old. (They tell me he looks younger, about 10 minutes younger.) Bishop Methuselah I think he's called. Oh well, we don't want people thinking there was a poor turn out at the Catholic Cemetery now do we? If we can't be nice to one another alive at least we can be polite to the dead. They ask so little and they are cheap to feed. A fifty-pound sack of Purina Cadaver Chow will do you for years on end.
I don't much hold with visiting graves as I prefer people to visit me now, while I am alive and can rebuke them for having neglected me all this time. Once I am dead I shall be much more limited in my ability to remind them of the many sins they have committed against me. Although I am certain that God will reward them well for the slighting of me in any case. I don't like to add that to the list of things He has to do on my behalf that I could do myself if given the opportunity.
Well, I am off now to cook something for dinner and observe my rowdy neighbors who think honoring the fallen includes drinking beer until they themselves have fallen, usually face down. Which in the case of many of them is a wise choice.
Regards to all-
Mrsoc.
Great tribute, Babba.
Have a good Memorial Day, All.
Very well done Babba. BTW, I have had my first posts at Death By 1000 Papercuts. Thanks for your encouragement.
thank you for putting this together, babba dearest. may you have a long, wonderful, restful memorial day, sistah!
you are loved. =)
Bravo Zulu, BabbaZee!
Wow! When you honor our fallen Heroes you go all out!
May you and everyone here have a memoriable Memorial Day!!!
You are all Patriots, and as a Marine friend of mine often says: "one team, one fight!"
Today we honor those who have shown the greatest love a man possibly can, for they died defending and preserving our lives and our Liberty.
We will never forget!
Semper Gratus!
Amnen USS Ben
and Thank YOU !
PAT!
Mazel Tov daddy.
{Blue} like Jazz
One more song for the boys
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c...h?
v=ctVI5baftFo
Carter: Israel possesses 150 nukes
Tells Times Israeli arsenal proves it would be impossible for Iran to develop arsenal in secret. http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Sat...icle%
2FShowFull
THAT MFER!
(IsraelNN.com) Dr. Gerald Finkelstein, who is leading a new archaeological dig in Jerusalem, claims to have discovered the very quarry which supplied stones used thousands of years ago to build Jerusalem's Western Wall, also known as the Kotel.
Pottery from the Herodian period through the destruction of the Second Temple was found at the excavation site. These finds, paired with the type of stone, further suggested the quarry's connection to the construction of the supporting walls surrounding the Temple Mount, including the Kotel.
http://www.israelnationalnews.co...ews.aspx/
126296
Israel possesses something bigger than nukes Jimmy C
And it is not happy with you
More storms in the afternoon..happy daze.
May 26 (Bloomberg) -- China sent troops and police to try to prevent floods threatening more than 700,000 survivors of the country's deadliest earthquake in 32 years in Sichuan province, as weather forecasters said thunderstorms were on the way.
Military engineers carrying dynamite arrived early today at the site of a lake created by landslides that lies 3.2 kilometers (2 miles) from Tangjiashan in Beichuan County, the official Xinhua News Agency reported. Helicopters also dropped men and equipment, it said.
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/
ne...refer=worldwide
Storage
One of the "authorities" given to those willing to use the Name of Jesus in prayer
is power over the storm
Pray for the protection of your home property life and limb under this authority given to you in His name
every time a storm approaches
This method of praying in this situation has never been known to fail.
We often do not get what we "want" because we do not pray for it correctly IMO
(BabbaZee)
In an interview with Sky News in London, former President Jimmy Carter said that after the final primaries on June 3 in South Dakota and Montana, he expects the remaining 210 or so uncommitted superdelegates will announce who they're backing in the Democratic contest, after which Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-NY, will have to exit the race.
"I'm a superdelegate," Carter said. "I think a lot of the superdelegates will make a decision quite, announced quite rapidly, after the final primary on June 3...I have not yet announced publicly, but I think at that point it will be time for her to give it up."
http://blogs.abcnews.com/politic...r-after-
ju.html
{storage!}
OK I am going to work on posts now
BBIAFM
Here's a story that will warm your heart's this Memorial Day. Las Vegas Billionaire, Sheldon Adelson flew 40 wounded vets from Walter Reed to Las Vegas on an all expenses paid trip. Some people still get it. If I ever go back to Vegas, I know which hotel I'm staying at.
http://www.wral.com/news/nationa.../story/2939418/
I also see, that true to form, Google has missed another opportunity to ignore and otherwise dismiss a chance to recognize the men and women in uniform.
I hope those pointy-headed geeks have to work today.
Shit heeled curs, shit eyed swines!
Gone Gone Gone (Done Moved On) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e...h?
v=eYZhjLrSbUw
A short history of Memorial Day, from Ask.com, I no longer have any use for google nor will I in the from here on out.
http://www.usmemorialday.org/bac...g/
backgrnd.html
I think the folks over at google should ponder this quote for a time.
A man who has nothing for which he is willing to fight, nothing which is more important than his own personal safety, is a miserable creature and has no chance of being free unless made and kept so by the exertions of better men than himself.
John Stuart Mill
Jimmy Carter: "We Have Perpetuated Destruction on Iraq Unnecessarily"
Think of this as Jimmy Carter's Memorial Day Message...
General David Petraeus said on Friday that American troop presence in Iraq blunts Iranian influence in the region.
But, Jimmy Carter and Barack Obama want US troops out of Iraq now.
Today Jimmy called for an Iraq troop withdrawal deadline.
http://
gatewaypundit.blogspot.co...erpetuated.html
...And Says Bush Could Be Tried For War Crimes Overseas In The Guardian:
Britain and other European governments should break from the US over the international embargo on Gaza, former US president Jimmy Carter told the Guardian yesterday. Carter, visiting the Welsh border town of Hay for the Guardian literary festival, described the EU's position on the Israeli-Palestinian dispute as "supine" and its failure to criticise the Israeli blockade of Gaza as "embarrassing".
Referring to the possibility of Europe breaking with the US in an interview with the Guardian, he said: "Why not? They're not our vassals. They occupy an equal position with the US."
The blockade on Hamas-ruled Gaza, imposed by the US, EU, UN and Russia - the so-called Quartet - after the organisation's election victory in 2006, was "one of the greatest human rights crimes on Earth," since it meant the "imprisonment of 1.6 million people, 1 million of whom are refugees". "Most families in Gaza are eating only one meal per day. To see Europeans going along with this is embarrassing," Carter said.
http://www.newenglishreview.org/...m/blog_id/
15016
FDOTFLMAO...........Foreign Ministry spokesman, Mohammad-Ali Hosseini, said on Monday that the Canadian government is responsible for gross violations of human rights.
Talking to reporters during his weekly press briefing, he added that the rights of the Canadian natives are exposed to violations of their human rights by the Canadian government for ages.
He made the remarks in response to a question on recent allegations made by Canadian foreign minister on violation of human rights in the Islamic Republic of Iran. ..( No one is hanging from a crane in Canada!) http://www2.irna.ir/en/news/
view...64116135227.htm
TEHRAN, May 26 (MNA) -- The Iranian Society of Cultural Works and Luminaries plans to pay homage to the U.S. Islamologist William Chittick during a ceremony on June 14.
The commemoration is held to appreciate 40 years of Professor Chittick’s efforts on the study of Islam and Iranian culture, the society announced in a press release on Monday.
Chittick, 65, is currently Professor of religious studies at the State University of New York, Stony Brook
http://www.mehrnews.com/en/NewsD...x?
NewsID=690375
Tim McGraw If You're Reading This Tribute to the Soldiers http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u...h?
v=u3bc7mdkyTw ..God bless and keep those that serve..and thank you!
Alan Jackson-Where Were You When the World Stopped Turning http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f...h?
v=fvj6zdWLUuk
A soldier's prayer....
by Gary Jacobson © 2002
Bless our vigilant warriors
Give strength to overcome to valiant saviors
Our sons and daughters, wherever they may be
On land, sky, or sailing the briny sea...
Safeguard those so lonely, so far from home
In times blackened dark, yet adventuresome
Watch over them, our brothers, sisters, where they go
Guide them wisely in times they do not know.
Glorify our warriors' calling
Whom we sent forth, righteous principles guarding
Calling them far from home to distant sod
To serve ever faithful, our country, our God
Whether crouched in wind-swept desert foxholes sandy
Or poised on high mountain’s steep cranny
Steel them, brave men and women, our nation’s pride select
The world depends on them, riding war’s bestial ogre to protect!
Bless our nation’s children, carried courageous into duty
Bearing above all things, compassion for humanity
Keep the light of hope glowing ever bright
Bless might of swords flashing shining right
Honoring always, father, mother, sister, brother
Watching always the backs of one another...
Their lives for a country they love more than life offering
Bastions of our grand liberty protecting
World peace ever seeking!
May hearts of men be truly won
When battle’s finally done.
Buoy up these soldiers, our children, sad and so alone
Feeling need in guilt for things seen and done to atone
Give thine balm of Gilead to ease their pain
Shield their sanity in combat that drives men insane
Bless them that they may look back with pride, and smile
Though multitudes of strifes and hatreds rile.
Fortify in our warriors' hearts, humanity's essence
Be gentle when war takes away their innocence
May intrinsic life values still be their choice elect
Defend them from traumatic stress defect
So as they return home, reaching, searching, to touch the sky
Give them answer to the question, "why?"
So a grateful nation may say to valiant sons and daughters
by noble duty sent
"Well done, my good and faithful servant!"
Troops in China are trying to clear a river blocked during the recent earthquake, amid fears millions could be at risk of flooding.
About 1,800 soldiers took explosives to the newly formed "quake lake" to try to blast away debris, state media said.
The official death toll from the earthquake rose to 65,080 on Monday, with another 23,150 missing.
Safety concerns in the region remain high. On Sunday six people died from the effects of a strong aftershock.
The Chinese authorities say nearly 300,000 homes were wrecked in the aftershock, and more than 1,000 people injured.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-...fic/
7419756.stm
Interesting Facts - Old Guard, Tomb of the Unknown Soldier (I'm not sure who renamed it Tomb of the Unknowns, but I refuse to accept their renaming it)
http://www.ssbn608.org/
sea_stori...tories_tomb.htm
Thank you Babba - a wonderful tribute to those who deserve it so much.
Thank you, again.
BulgarWheat - hey my friend, good morning to you - what you've said about Google goes double for me.
Those sorry assed mofo's.
Good morning BabbaZee.... realwest wanted to tell you how much he loved your posting for Memorial day. But he cant get his computer to post through Haloscan for some reason.
Saudi Arabian woman faces decapitation for being a witch. http://www.vidmax.com/index.php/...ideos/view/
7321
"Everywhere is being destroyed. Why don't we tell the truth. They're wrecking Australia. They're taking us over," she said.
"Why hasn't anyone got any guts? They've got terrorists amongst 'em... They want to be here so they can go and hide in all the farm houses... This town has every nationality... but Muslims do not fit in this town. We are Aussies, OK."
Some of the loudest cheers of the night greeted a speech from a local man in his late 70s.
"Can I just say this without being racist or political?" he said. "In 1983, in the streets of London a parade by Muslims chanted incessantly 'If we can take London, we can take the world'. Don't let them take Camden."
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-...fic/
7416145.stm
America has never lacked for heroes, men and women who exemplify patriotism, honor, duty, and sacrifice. All of us, whether Democrats or Republicans, liberals or conservatives, have members of our family who have devoted time in their lives to our country; we’re all connected to them.
Today we remember those like John Edward Morrissey who gave their lives or their health to protect and defend our nation. They served without hesitation and they gave their all for our nation, regardless of whether we agreed on the fight itself — and regardless of that, we owe them recognition of their honor and courage in serving this nation. Join us in prayer or in thought, and remember to fly the flag as a sign of respect for their sacrifice.
Our deepest thanks go out to them all, and to the families they left behind
http://hotair.com/archives/2008/...day-reflection/
While we whiddle our thumbs, this is what is happening to our financial world-Islamic Sharia-based firms on the rise worldwide http://shariahfinancewatch.wordp...rise-worldwide/
thank you Babba.....may G-d give peace in the hearts too the families of the men and women who gave all.
Morning hayseed
BRASILIA (Reuters) - Twelve South American countries founded a union on Friday aimed at boosting economic integration and political cohesion, but the region's bitter rivalries stymied ambitious plans on defense and trade.
The heads of states signed a treaty that creates the South American Union of Nations, or Unasur, as well as plans for energy, infrastructure and financing projects.
Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva hailed Unasur, which aspires to become like the European Union, as a sign that South America was becoming a "global actor" and said the differences between governments were a sign of vitality.
"The instability some want to see in our continent is a sign of life, especially political life," he said. "There's no democracy without people (protesting) in the streets."
Unasur includes a rotating presidency, biannual meetings of foreign ministers and a parliament in Bolivia, marking progress toward greater unity in a region that is enjoying a period of relative economic stability.
As the major regional power, Brazil has for years been trying to unite South America as a counterbalance to U.S. and European economic interests in the region.
But South America has been strained by political divisions pitting U.S. critics such as Bolivia and Venezuela that favor state intervention in the economy against market-friendly countries like Chile and Colombia, with closer U.S. ties.
The new group falls short of ambitious plans for economic and security integration, including the original intention to merge the South American customs union Mercosur and the Andean Community trading bloc.
Unasur members are Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Paraguay, Peru, Suriname, Uruguay and Venezuela http://www.liveleak.com/view?
i=e...=ef8_1211808434
The memorial mass was somewhat longer than usual and included the reading of a number of names. The Bishop Emeritus is in fact only about 115 years old not 120 as I had thought. The ladies of the rosary society had thoughtfully decorated the adjacent graves with both flags and flowers and the prayers were respectful of the newly dead but not devoid of remembrance of parishioners who had gone before in battles long ago and recent. We were left feeling uplifted and joyful which is what I had hoped for and the mass ended with a final prayer for all who serve and all who care for those who serve.
I was very happy with it because it wasn't maudlin and we were allowed to be proud and hopeful and sad and miss them all at once. That is what I believe they fought for-that we could go on living a normal American life. The parents and the children of the vets and the active duty folks were all represented and acknowledged and afterward stayed and told stories of their loved ones that made people laugh and cry. It was excellent.
But that is only half the way. The next blow will be directed not against Israel, but again to the East. The Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan will be the next victim. Sixty percent of its population are Palestinians and a significant majority in parliament are already Islamists. The rulers of the Hashemite Kingdom are undoubtedly the most educated and enlightened rulers in the region, but they are very vulnerable. If Hamas gets the West Bank, Jordan can easily be swallowed by the bloodthirsty predator, as enlightened German princedoms and liberal cities had been swallowed by Prussia http://www.israelnationalnews.co...ticle.aspx/
7999
Sorry I had to go out
will get to work in a few minutes
Great post Babba, you should leave it at the top all day. Deep spin of the day, Johnny Cash- Ballad of Ira Hayes:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N...h?v=NdNV9JX-
Xi8
Q I think I will leave it at the top you are right
and ya very deep spin thanks I love it
new post up
but it is under this one
Good morning everyone.
A big THANK YOU to our troops. Especially to all who have lost their lives for our freedoms. Past and present.
Get your links..red hot links.
Morning ELE
If you don't hear from me..Might be because my house was blown to another state.
ACLU Victory Allows ‘Iraq Body Count’ Memorial Day Flag Display http://www.breitbart.tv/?p=102283
Auntie Em!
Auntie Em!
Toto I dont think we are in Kansas anymore
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C...h?
v=CB17uWuBrL0
Jimmy give Iran what they want!.......The United States must let Iran know that we want to give them fuel and everything they need for a non-military nuclear program. Twenty-five years ago we cut off trading with Iran. We've got to resume trading to show Iran we are friends."
Carter also criticized President George Bush, saying it was a "serious mistake and terrible departure" from the actions of previous US presidents not to engage with countries with which they differed.
This follows Jimmy's earlier shocking remarks on Israel's nuclear progam and his comments that the US had perpetrated destruction on Iraq.
Jimmy Carter is a huge Barack Obama fan. http://gatewaypundit.blogspot.com/
Obama-Carter 08
Dear Barry:
I try to get along with the people in my neighborhood, but sometimes it can be difficult. Take for example my neighbor "Mahmoud." Last weekend while I was seeding my lawn, he drove back and forth slowly in front of my house "flipping the bird" from his minivan, which is painted with pictures of bloody corpses and mushroom clouds and "welcome 12th Imam." Normally I wouldn't have given it a second thought (I get "fingered" by a lot of the neighbors), but lately I've noticed he has been working on some kind of secret project in his garage with really stinky chemicals. Also, I've been getting these constant annoying 3 AM phone calls threatening to kill my kids.
Frankly, I'm sort of worried about the situation, but even the neighbors I get along with tell me I shouldn't jump to conclusions, and not to make a big deal of it. I don't want to make waves, but I also don't want to end up like the Goldbergs who had their house burned down last week. Am I being too much of a "worry wart"? Please help!
Concerned in Northbrook
http://www.newenglishreview.org/...m/blog_id/
15028
Dear Concerned:
Misunderstanding and mistrust is a two-way street, and it's important to ask yourself: what did I do to create this situation? Without thinking, sometimes the things we do can understandably trigger homicidal rage in our friends and neighbors. Put the shoe on the other foot -- how would you like it if you had a neighbor who was always showing you up with his big gas-guzzling SUV and manicured hedges?
Before things escalate further, you should take the initiative and invite Mahmoud over for coffee and chit chat. No preconditions, and maybe you could bring a pie from Bakers Square. While he is enjoying a delicious slice of Boston Cream, let Mahmoud know that you understand his feelings, and you will do whatever it takes to repair your tattered reputation in the neighborhood. As a show of good faith, why not offer him a few bags of fertilizer and fuel for his lawn mower?
http://www.newenglishreview.org/...m/blog_id/
15028
( Peace talks and other such nonsence)He further underlined the need for supporting the oppressed Palestinian people, saying that support for Palestine is preservation of security in the region, because it is on front line of campaign against Israeli aggression.
"I am sure that the leadership of Syria will vigilantly manage the scene and will never set back from the front line until complete demolition of Tel Aviv regime," Ahmadinejad added.
Turkmani, for his part, underscored the need for expansion of mutual ties between Iran and Syria, saying that they enjoy strategic and historical relations, which are based on concrete principles.
Turning to the common views of the two countries on different issues, he said that the Zionist regime and the US are at stake in the wake of numerous defeats in recent years.
The Syrian minister also referred to the aftermath of the Israeli war on Lebanon in 2006, adding that the Zionist regime seeks to find strategies to get rid of the crippling situation, but it is rather sinking in quagmire.
http://www2.irna.ir/en/news/
view...61075174659.htm
It's All Coming Back To Me Now http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i...h?
v=i_XT7zDuuZg
Praise God
http://www.imeem.com/godssunpent...ove_broke_thru/
Hizbullah secretary-general, Hassan Nasrallah, recorded a speech on video, commemorating eight years since the IDF withdrew from southern Lebanon.
The speech was broadcast to throngs of enthusiastic supports at a gathering in a south Beirut neighborhood on Monday night.
"Today we commemorate 60 years of the Palestinian nakba, the founding of the larcenous entity and also 30 years since the Israeli invasion of south Lebanon in 1978 and the establishment of the occupied security strip which was dismantled as of late," Nasrallah proclaimed.
"We must infer lessons from this for Lebanon and for the entire Arab and Islamic world."
http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Sat...icle%
2FShowFull
Bill opens mouth..bull charges out...........Former President Bill Clinton said that Democrats were more likely to lose in November if his wife Hillary Clinton is not the party’s presidential nominee, and suggested some people were trying to “cover this up” and “push and pressure and bully” superdelegates to make up their minds prematurely.
"I can’t believe it. It is just frantic the way they are trying to push and pressure and bully all these superdelegates to come out,” he said at a South Dakota campaign stop Sunday, in remarks first reported by ABC News. “'Oh, this is so terrible: The people they want her. Oh, this is so terrible: She is winning the general election, and he is not. Oh my goodness, we have to cover this up.'"
http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/
{SONG}
BBL
101st Airborne, 2/503rd. December 12, 1985.
ARMY SUPERIOR UNIT AWARD
Only one award was approved prior to the revision and it went to the 3d Battalion, 502d Infantry, 101st Airborne Division. Nearly 200 of the 248 soldiers that were killed in the plane crash in Gander, Newfoundland, were from the battalion and were on their way home in December 1985 from duty with the Multinational Force and Observers in the Sinai Desert.
http://usmilitary.about.com/od/a...ls/l/
blasua.htm
BASTOGNE: THE CONTEXT OF THE BATTLE
By October 1944, the rapid Allied advance into Germany that followed the breakout from the Normandy beaches had slowed to a crawl. Stiffening German resistance and Allied logistical and communications problems exerted a significant influence on the Allied advance. In the American sector, Lt. Gen. Omar Bradley's 12th Army Group occupied an extended front, with the First and Third Armies along the Siegfried Line and the Ninth Army facing the Roer River. There would be little change in these positions in October and November.
The First Army had an extensive line of defense near Aachen, Germany. Maj. Gen. Troy H. Middleton's VIII Corps occupied that army's southern sector. Its 88-mile front extended from Losheim, Germany, north through eastern Belgium and Luxembourg to where the Our River crosses the Franco-German border. The corps' mission was to defend in place in a relatively quiet sector. There, new divisions could receive a safe indoctrination, and battle-weary ones could rest and reconstitute for future operations. Headquarters, VIII Corps, was located in the small Belgian town of Bastogne. The area around Bastogne was characterized by rugged hills, high plateaus, deep-cut valleys, and restricted road nets. Bastogne itself was the hub for seven roads and a railroad. Both sides understood the significance of that fact .
Upon receiving word of the German's Ardennes offensive, men of the 101st Airborne were given 24 hours notice to move to the Bastogne area in Belgium. This print commemorates the efforts of the Artillery of the 101st in stopping the German offensive cold.
Alarmed by the continuing grave situation in the east, Adolph Hitler saw an opportunity for a decisive offensive in the west as the Allied offensive stalled there. Without complete support from his closest advisers, he directed the launching of a winter offensive against the western Allies through the Aisne-Ardennes sector of the front. The purpose was to recapture the important port of Antwerp while encircling and destroying the 21st Army Group. In so doing, Hitler would turn the fate of the war in Germany's favor. Middleton's VIII Corps, however, was directly astride the main avenue of advance of the Fifth Panzer Army.
Few German officers were privy to the plans for this offensive, called Watch on Rhine. Most Germans thought preparations were for defensive measures until a few days before the attack began. Operating with little insight as to the ultimate objectives of their own units, many commanders had insufficient opportunity for reconnaissance and failed to consider the numerous contingencies that might soon arise. They remained unaware of the tactical implications of their situations, while Hitler's intuition was allowed to prevail.
The Germans, however, had identified Bastogne as a possible point of major difficulty and had considered the control of the vital crossroads through that town to be absolutely necessary to maintain their rear area lines of communication. Hitler had expressly ordered Bastogne's capture, and that mission had been passed through Army Group (Heeresgruppe) and Fifth Army to XLVII Panzer Corps, which would be attacking through the Bastogne sector. Specifically, the corps was to cross the Our River on a wide front, bypass the Clerf sector, take Bastogne, and move to and cross the Meuse River south of Namur. The corps' commander, General Baron Heinrich von Luettwitz, had specifically asked about Bastogne at a conference in Kyllburg prior to the offensive. In the presence of General von Manteuffel, the Fifth Army commander, von Luettwitz was told that Bastogne would definitely have to be taken. Accordingly, in instructions to his subordinates, he stated: "Bastogne must be captured, if necessary from the rear. Otherwise it will be an abscess in the route of advance and tie up too many forces. Bastogne is to be mopped up first, then the bulk of the corps continues its advance."
In light of such specific guidance prior to the operation, it is curious that the Fifth Panzer Army staff did not interpret those instructions the same way. Chief of Staff, Brig. Gen. Carl Wagener, stated, "Bastogne would not necessarily have to be taken but merely encircled. This would avoid any loss of time east of the Maas [Meuse]." The Germans expected that the advance to the Meuse would not be delayed by any attack on Bastogne because both would be accomplished simultaneously. Luettwitz also differed with Fifth Panzer Army about the amount of time it would take his men to reach the Meuse. The Fifth Panzer's staff expected the attack to take four days; the commander of XLVII Panzer Corps thought it would take six days and had doubts about taking Bastogne by the end of the second day as Fifth Army had projected. Luettwitz had good reason to be pessimistic.
In the midst of general confusion about the forthcoming operation, pessimism seemed the order of the day, and vital planning went awry. Luettwitz himself doubted whether the offensive would succeed. The Germans had to achieve surprise, and the Allied air forces somehow had to be neutralized. Hitler would have to deliver both a sufficient quantity of fuel and the 3,000 German aircraft he had promised on 11 December 1944. Perhaps the attacking German columns could reach the Meuse, but without divisions to cover their extended flanks and without adequate bridging equipment, there was little hope that they could push farther.
ORGANIZATION AND DEPLOYMENT OF UNITS
With the attack scheduled for 16 December 1944, there was good reason for German concern. The number of their soldiers available had steadily decreased, most units had not been rested, and all units encountered significant shortages of organic weapons, tanks, trucks, spare parts, ammunition, and fuel. Moreover, there were no plans to capture enemy supplies, and the success of the operation did not hinge on that possibility. German general staffs at all echelons also believed that the enemy had no strategic reserves available on the Continent and that there would be little Allied resistance in the Bastogne area. Both assumptions proved fatally incorrect.
The XLVII Panzer Corps consisted of the 2d Panzer Division, Panzer Lehr Division, and the 26th Volksgrenadier Division, all reinforced by one volks mortar brigade, one volks artillery corps, and the 600th Army Engineer Battalion for bridging purposes. None was at full strength. The 2d Panzer Division had been in the rear area for four weeks to rest and refit. It had only 80 percent of its authorized personnel and equipment, but its commanders were seasoned veterans. One panzergrenadier battalion was on bicycles to save fuel and vehicles. It would be totally unfit for combat in the hilly roads of the rugged Ardennes and ultimately would have to be used only for replacement troops.
The Panzer Lehr Division had just returned from the Saar area. It had 60 percent of its troops, 40 percent of its tanks and tank destroyers, 60 percent of its guns, and 40 percent of its other types of weapons. One tank battalion had no tanks and, thus, was unavailable for the attack. In its place, the division received the 539th Heavy Tank Destroyer Battalion equipped with 30 percent of its authorized Panther tank destroyers. Due to previous battle losses, the 26th Volksgrenadier Division was without one regiment. But the remainder of the division was at full strength and had several seasoned senior commanders. Many subordinate commanders, however, were without previous combat experience, and the division had not been trained in offensive operations. Organizations later assigned to the XLVII Panzer Corps in operations around Bastogne would arrive in poor condition, with strengths ranging from 50 to 70 percent. These included the 9th and 116th Panzer Divisions, the 3d and 15th Panzergrenadier Divisions, and the Führer Begleit (Escort) Brigade.
Following a heavy artillery bombardment at 0500 on 16 December 1944, the Germans launched their offensive, gaining surprise and immediate local successes in all sectors. In the American VIII Corps sector alone, twenty-five German divisions were attacking. They struck and advanced through the veteran, but weary, 28th and 4th Infantry Divisions as well as the green 106th Infantry Division and the equally inexperienced 14th Cavalry Group. Only in the 4th Division sector was action light. The only U.S. corps reserve consisted of an armored combat command and four battalions of combat engineers. Amid much confusion and disorganization in the American units, the Germans advanced steadily, but not as rapidly as they had hoped. Poor roads became overcrowded, and small pockets of determined resistance waged by American infantry and armored units slowed, but did not stop, the German advance. The Allied high command realized that Bastogne was threatened and reserves were needed immediately. Accordingly, on 17 December 1944, the 101st Airborne Division, then in Camp Mourmelon, France, resting and refitting after operations in Holland, was alerted to move to the vicinity of Bastogne. Bastogne, if held, could interrupt lines of communication as the Germans continued their attack westward. But, meanwhile, VIII Corps' defenses were crumbling, and the Germans, who averaged four to eight miles advance on the first day, were within eleven miles of Bastogne. Time had become a critical factor. The race was on!
The 101st Airborne Division, the unit chosen to stem the advance, was a well-trained, veteran outfit. Prior to and during its deployment in Europe, the unit had placed special training emphasis on decentralizing and massing artillery, the repair and operation of enemy equipment, air-ground liaison, signal security, night operations, and defense against mechanized, aerial, and infantry infiltration. Its strength at the time of the alert was 805 officers and 11,035 enlisted men. Incl
Thank You, Babba!
*stands in awed silence*
{SHAKY LOUIE!}
MWAH daddy o
I have storms here
If I disappear and there are no posts today that is why
It is Tuesday btw
In Flanders Fields
In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.
We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fields.
Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.
Hiya Babbaleh, how are you?
I still miss yer smiling punnim.
{SPARROW!}
{PK!}
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