1781: The Battle of Yorktown
Posted by Dave Thomas on June 22nd, 20061781: The Battle of Yorktown was the climax of the American Revolutionary War
Throughout American history the idea of “never surrender,” even under seemingly insurmountable odds, became ingrained in our national consciousness. It was borne on the battlefield most certainly, and carried forward in our wars. This idea was based partly on the idea that truth, justice, and God were on our side, and partly because we were an independent, freedom-loving people who detested oppression. If the world put forth dictatorships, fascism, Nazism or any sort of totalitarinism, America would fight to make things right, would not forget her friends, and would never surrender.
Never Surrender!
Born: August 13, 1958
Time Magazine reports on the Afghan shepherd that rescued the lone surviving US Navy SEAL from Operation Redwing:
On October 29, 1963, Capt. “Rocky” Versace, 1Lt. “Nick” Rowe, and Sgt. Daniel Pitzer were accompanying a Civilian Irregular Defense Group (CIDG) company on an operation along a canal. The team left the camp at Tan Phu for the village of Le Coeur to roust a small enemy unit that was establishing a command post there. When they reached the village, they found the enemy gone, and pursued them, falling into an ambush at about 1000 hours. The fighting continued until 1800 hours, when reinforcements were sent in to relieve the company. During the fight, Versace, Pitzer and Rowe were all captured.
Medal of Honor Winner: Corporal Tibor “Ted” Rubin
“For extraordinary heroism in connection with military operations against an armed enemy of the United States; as chief of the Maritime Unit, Office of Strategic Services Detachment, United States Armed Forces, in the Middle East, from September 1943 to March 1944, Lieutenant Jack Taylor, USNR, personally commanded fourteen separate sorties to the Greek and Balkan enemy-occupied coasts. This activity was carried out despite intense enemy efforts to prevent any kind of coastal traffic whatsoever. Lieutenant Taylor, through clandestine operations, deserving of the highest commendation and careful planning and skillful navigation effected numerous evacuations of intelligence agents, doctors, nurses, and downed airmen. Tons of arms, ammunition, explosives, and other military supplies were delivered to Marshal Tito and other resistance forces through the efforts of Lieutenant Taylor. For three months, at all times surrounded by enemy forces, and on three occasions forced to flee from enemy searching parties, Lieutenant Taylor and his intelligence team operated in Central Albania and transmitted by clandestine radio important information regarding enemy troop movements, supply dumps, coastal fortifications, anti-aircraft installations and other military intelligence of great value to the Allied forces. Parachuting into enemy territory on the night of 13 October 1944, with a team of three Austrian deserter-volunteers, he had personally trained and briefed, he began a secret intelligence mission to Austria. Handicapped from the very start by failure to their plane to drop radio equipment, living in constant danger of capture, and the physical and mental strain on his men, the courage and energy of Lieutenant Taylor prevailed and throughout the remainder of October and November, the mission collected target intelligence of the highest value to the Allies. On 30 November, the eve of their departure for Italy, the party was captured by the Gestapo. Through four months of imprisonment in Vienna and one month in Mauthausen prison camp, he was subjected to the customary interrogation methods of the Gestapo. During his capture, Lieutenant Taylor injured his left arm seriously. With this handicap and also being forced to exist on starvation rations and work at hard labor, he resisted all attempts to force him to divulge security……the brilliant results of his operations have been an essential aid to the victory of Allied Arms.”
SPOKANE, Wash. — Vernon Baker had to wait more than 50 years to receive his Medal of Honor because of racism. Now the World War II veteran is battling the U.S. government for medical care for a brain tumor.
I was an assistant team leader with Team 1, 2nd Platoon, Bravo Company, 1st Reconnaissance Battalion. It was April 7, 2004, and we were on a movement in Al Anbar province, going through a neighborhood that we knew was unfriendly toward Americans. They always had a lot of IED (improvised explosive device) attacks and ambushes in that neighborhood.
Sometimes NS comes in the form of an Adventurer’s spirit — a spirit nonetheless of a character that is all American even though its course of action follows a “special course of “Force.”