Hiroshima

As Patrick over at Born Again Redneck reminds us, today is the 62nd anniversary of the A-Bomb.

It certainly was a tragic event. But it was also a necessary event.

My father, then a very young Marine, took part in the invasion of Iwo Jima. He has never talked about the battle to this day, other than explain that some of his wounds occurred during that awful battle.

By 6 August 1945, he had already been issued his winter gear for the invasion of Japan. The Marines were actively training for an invasion, expected to start in November (Operation Downfall). Military planners expected 50,000 - 100,000 soldiers/marines to be killed in the initial invasion, and about 400,000 wounded. They expected the fighting to continue for years (remember, Japanese soldiers were still coming out of jungles and surrendering in the 1990s).

Dad, and the Marines waiting to invade Japan, expected the invasion to be much worse than any planner let on.

On 15 February 1945, 30,000 Marines invaded Iwo Jima, a 7.5 square mile island, about 700 miles from Tokyo. These Marines faced approximately 23,000 Japanese military/naval personnel.

To make a long, gruesome story short, the island wasn't declared secure until 26 March. 25% of the Marines died in combat. 86% of the Marines were either killed or wounded. That's 26,000 casualties out of 30,000 men.

The Japanese soldiers fought to the death, literally almost to the last man. Out of 23,000 personnel, only 200 Japanese surrendered and survived.

Now take those odds and place them on the Japanese defending the homeland. And not just trained soldiers, sailors and airmen. They'd face civilians, including women and children. And if those civilians, regardless of their effectiveness as a fighting force, would not surrender - that means they'd be killed down to the last person.

Don't forget that during the invasion of Okinawa (March - June 1945), the US took more than 72,000 casualties, including 12,500 killed. The Japanese lost 66,000 soldiers killed, and civilians on the islands committed mass suicides rather than surrender. In fact, over 140,000 civilians died, most from suicide.

So was the A-Bomb a terrible thing? No question. It was awful. But there is no doubt an invasion of Japan would have produced more Japanese casualties than the A-bomb dropping.

Finally, to all those who say Japan was going to surrender anyway, remember this: it took 2 atomic bombs, PLUS the Soviet Union's declaration of war against Japan, to finally make Japan surrender.

One Small Step For Man...

JFK set the timetable. Put a man on the moon within the decade.

July 20, 1969 - it happened.

It is an interesting date. People who lived before the moon walk are still amazed by it. People born after the date tend to think, "Yeah, I guess that's cool, but it's a little ho-hum. Hand me my IPOD, will ya?"

It is still one of the greatest engineering achievements of all human history - in spite of the silly conspiracy theories. Speaking of conspiracy theories - how come the same people who think the moon landing never happened believe that Stonehenge was built by aliens from outer space? Just curious. Anyways, I digress.

So, in honor of one of the coolest events (to date) in history, enjoy these.
All pictures © NASA, except the New York Times paper, which is © NYT






The 2Valuable (borrowed) Photographic History of Apollo 11

Launched - July 16, 1969 at 13:32:00 UTC

Lunar Landing - July 20, 1969 at 20:17:40 UTC


Landed on Earth - July 24, 1969 at 16:15:35 UTC

Crew

Neil Armstrong, commander

Edwin "Buzz" Aldrin, lunar module pilot (who retired as a Colonel)

Michael Collins, command module pilot (who retired as a Major General)

Best Catchphrases:
"Houston, Tranquility Base here. The Eagle has landed."

"That's one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind."

And still on the moon, the lunar module, with this plaque:

The Prophet Jeremiah

This fragment is a receipt for payment made by a figure in the Old Testament.

© Ian Jones/London Telegraph

From the London Telegraph

Michael Jursa made what has been called the most important find in Biblical archaeology for 100 years - a discovery that supports the view that the historical books of the Old Testament are based on fact.

Searching for Babylonian financial accounts among the tablets, Prof Jursa suddenly came across a name he half remembered - Nabu-sharrussu-ukin, described there in a hand 2,500 years old, as "the chief eunuch" of Nebuchadnezzar II, king of Babylon.

Prof Jursa, an Assyriologist, checked the Old Testament and there in chapter 39 of the Book of Jeremiah, he found, spelled differently, the same name - Nebo-Sarsekim.

Nebo-Sarsekim, according to Jeremiah, was Nebuchadnezzar II's "chief officer" and was with him at the siege of Jerusalem in 587 BC, when the Babylonians overran the city.

The small tablet, the size of "a packet of 10 cigarettes" according to Irving Finkel, a British Museum expert, is a bill of receipt acknowledging Nabu-sharrussu-ukin's payment of 0.75 kg of gold to a temple in Babylon.

The tablet is dated to the 10th year of the reign of Nebuchadnezzar II, 595BC, 12 years before the siege of Jerusalem.

[...]

"This is a fantastic discovery, a world-class find," Dr Finkel said yesterday. "If Nebo-Sarsekim existed, which other lesser figures in the Old Testament existed? A throwaway detail in the Old Testament turns out to be accurate and true. I think that it means that the whole of the narrative [of Jeremiah] takes on a new kind of power."

Cuneiform is the oldest known form of writing and was commonly used in the Middle East between 3,200 BC and the second century AD. It was created by pressing a wedge-shaped instrument, usually a cut reed, into moist clay.

The full translation of the tablet reads: (Regarding) 1.5 minas (0.75 kg) of gold, the property of Nabu-sharrussu-ukin, the chief eunuch, which he sent via Arad-Banitu the eunuch to [the temple] Esangila: Arad-Banitu has delivered [it] to Esangila. In the presence of Bel-usat, son of Alpaya, the royal bodyguard, [and of] Nadin, son of Marduk-zer-ibni. Month XI, day 18, year 10 [of] Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon.

Herod the Great's Tomb Found

Maybe it isn't as exciting to the American Media as Paris Hilton's upcoming 45 days in the slammer, but archaeologists have discovered King Herod's tomb in the ruins of Herodium in modern-day Gush Etzion, south of Jerusalem and north of Hebron.

A view of Herodium from the air.
Photo Copyright Arutz Sheva

Herod the Great is most famous for slaying the male babies 2 years old and under around Bethlehem. This forced Joseph, Mary, and Jesus to flee to Egypt until Herod the Great died (Matthew 2). His son, Herod Antipas, was the ruler during Jesus crucifixion (Luke 23) and resurrection. According to Acts 12, his grandson, Herod Agrippa I, killed the Apostle James (Yakov) and imprisoned Peter (Kefa) who was subsequently freed during an angelic visitation.

map copyright BBC

According to Arutz Sheva,

Herod was the Roman-appointed king of Judea from 37 to 4 BCE. He was renowned for his many monumental building projects, including the expansion of the Second Temple in Jerusalem, the palace at Masada, and the Herodium complex, 15 kilometers south of Jerusalem. The Herodium, Herod's final resting place, is among the most outstanding of his building projects. Prof. Netzer has led archaeological digs there since 1972, and the "exposure of the king's tomb here becomes the climax of this site’s research," Netzer said.

The coffin was found broken into pieces, and Prof. Netzer explained that it was likely broken some 70 years after the unpopular king's death, during the Jewish rebellion. Herod had also been known for his cruelty, killing his wife and children, among other perceived opponents.

The Herodium is famous for the well-known mountain-top structure comprising a palace, a fortress and a monument. The excavations on the slope of that mountain, where the tomb was found, began in August 2006. The expedition, on behalf of the Institute of Archaeology of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, was conducted by Prof. Netzer, together with Yaakov Kalman and Ro'i Porat.

The approach to the burial site was via a monumental flight of stairs 6.5 meters wide, leading to the hillside; the stairs were especially constructed for the funeral procession. Herod died in Jericho, but left instructions to be buried in the area known as the Herodium.

The mausoleum itself was almost totally dismantled in ancient times, but part of its well-built podium remains. Spread among the ruins are pieces of a large, unique coffin, nearly 2.5 meters (over 8 feet) made of a Jerusalemite reddish limestone, decorated by rosettes. The sarcophagus (coffin) had a triangular cover, which was decorated on its sides. Only very few similar sarcophagi are known in the country, and can be found only in elaborate tombs such as the famous one at the King’s Tomb on Salah a-Din Street in eastern Jerusalem. Although no inscriptions have been found yet at Herodium, archaeologists are hopeful that some might yet be found.

Wild Goose Chase
The search for Herod’s tomb, which began actively 30 years ago, focused until last year on Lower Herodium, which includes an area built especially for the king's funeral and burial. However, atop the Herod-era ruins was a large complex of Byzantine structures that took many years to dig out first.

Finally, Herod's Tomb Estate was dug. Though two monumental buildings and a large ritual bath (mikveh) were found, as well as a large route (350 meters long and 30 meters wide) that had been prepared for the funeral, no sign of the burial place itself was found.

The expedition then started to search for it on the slope of the hill, where it was finally found. Prof. Netzer emphasizes that there seems to be no doubt that the king's initial intention was to be buried in the estate. Herod later changed his mind, however, asking to be buried within the artificial cone which gave the hill of Herodium its current volcano-shape.

Josephus Leaves Out Detail
The main historical source of the Second Temple’s days, the historian Josephus Flavius, described the site of Herodium in detail, as well as the funeral - but left out the detail of the burial having taken place on the hillside instead of in the Tomb Estate.

A complex of tunnels from the days of Bar-Kokhba within the Herodium mount was opened to the public in the 1980's. The archaeological excavations at the site, which stopped in 1987, were renewed 10 years later and continued until 2000, and after a second break, were renewed at the end of 2005.

Rattlesnake Time

When I was a kid, the phone company replaced a phone pole right by our house. When they yanked the old pole out of the ground, there were rattlesnakes there in the pit! In Detroit! And I wasn't born in 1911 or some time when this would be typical.

I understood as a kid that Detroit may have a lot of faults, but rattlesnakes were not one of them. I'd never seen a live and up-close rattlesnake before - anywhere, let alone Detroit.

This memory flashed across my mind when I saw today's lead story in the Detroit Free Press by my favorite Free Press columnist, Mike Wendland (a certified good guy in 2Valuable's book):

Michigan is snake species' favorite locale, but don't be rattled

This photo is copyright Regina H. Boone/Detroit Free Press

Nowadays they are found further out from the city, especially in the counties on Detroit's northern border.

It's rattlesnake season in Michigan.

If you live near wetlands in southeastern Michigan, you probably have Eastern Massasauga rattlesnakes nearby. They're just waking up from winter. And they can be cranky.

Massasaugas are in danger of extinction in every state, except Michigan. There are so many here that Purdue University researchers are trying to figure out why.

"There are thousands and thousands of them around southeastern Michigan," Dr. Bruce A. Kingsbury, director of Indiana-Purdue University's Center for Reptile and Amphibian Conservation and Management in Ft. Wayne, Ind., said last week. "It's probably the last stronghold for the Eastern Massasauga rattlesnake."

Of course, with any interesting article, government has to get in the way and tick you off.

It's a misdemeanor in Michigan to kill one, punishable by up to 90 days in jail and a $500 fine.

A misdemeanor to kill a snake? Gee, that's good to know, although I don't really expect to run into another rattlesnake in Detroit - at least one that isn't a metaphor.

Side Note:
During the War of 1812,more soldiers died from rattlesnake bites on the march up from Northern Ohio to Detroit than died from actual fighting trying to keep Detroit in American hands.

American General William Hull, a hero in the Revolutionary War, eventually surrendered Detroit to British forces. The US won it back before the end of the war.

Beware The Ides of March

From The History Channel:

44 BC: The Ides of March

Gaius Julius Caesar, dictator of Rome, is stabbed to death in the Roman Senate house by 60 conspirators led by Marcus Junius Brutus and Gaius Cassius Longinus.

Caesar, born into the Julii, an ancient but not particularly distinguished Roman aristocratic family, began his political career in 78 B.C. as a prosecutor for the anti-patrician Popular Party. He won influence in the party for his reformist ideas and oratorical skills, and aided Roman imperial efforts by raising a private army to combat the king of Pontus in 74 B.C. He was an ally of Pompey, the recognized head of the Popular Party, and essentially took over this position after Pompey left Rome in 67 B.C. to become commander of Roman forces in the east.

In 63 B.C., Caesar was elected pontifex maximus, or "high priest," allegedly by heavy bribes. Two years later, he was made governor of Farther Spain and in 64 B.C. returned to Rome, ambitious for the office of consul. The consulship, essentially the highest office in the Roman Republic, was shared by two politicians on an annual basis. Consuls commanded the army, presided over the Senate and executed its decrees, and represented the state in foreign affairs. Caesar formed a political alliance--the so-called First Triumvirate--with Pompey and Marcus Licinius Crassus, the wealthiest man in Rome, and in 59 B.C. was elected consul. Although generally opposed by the majority of the Roman Senate, Caesar's land reforms won him popularity with many Romans.

In 58 B.C., Caesar was given four Roman legions in Cisalpine Gaul and Illyricum, and during the next decade demonstrated brilliant military talents as he expanded the Roman Empire and his reputation. Among other achievements, Caesar conquered all of Gaul, made the first Roman inroads into Britain, and won devoted supporters in his legions. However, his successes also aroused Pompey's jealousy, leading to the collapse of their political alliance in 53 B.C.

The Roman Senate supported Pompey and asked Caesar to give up his army, which he refused to do. In January 49 B.C., Caesar led his legions across the Rubicon River from Cisalpine Gaul to Italy, thus declaring war against Pompey and his forces. Caesar made early gains in the subsequent civil war, defeating Pompey's army in Italy and Spain, but was later forced into retreat in Greece. In August 48 B.C., with Pompey in pursuit, Caesar paused near Pharsalus, setting up camp at a strategic location. When Pompey's senatorial forces fell upon Caesar's smaller army, they were entirely routed, and Pompey fled to Egypt, where he was assassinated by an officer of the Egyptian king.

Caesar was subsequently appointed Roman consul and dictator, but before settling in Rome he traveled around the empire for several years and consolidated his rule. In 45 B.C., he returned to Rome and was made dictator for life. As sole Roman ruler, Caesar launched ambitious programs of reform within the empire. The most lasting of these was his establishment of the Julian calendar, which, with the exception of a slight modification and adjustment in the 16th century, remains in use today. He also planned new imperial expansions in central Europe and to the east. In the midst of these vast designs, he was assassinated on March 15, 44 B.C., by a group of conspirators who believed that his death would lead to the restoration of the Roman Republic. However, the result of the "Ides of March" was to plunge Rome into a fresh round of civil wars, out of which Octavian, Caesar's grand-nephew, would emerge as Augustus, the first Roman emperor, destroying the republic forever.

Long-Secret Archive of Nazi Records to be Opened

Millions of secret files on concentration camps and their victims are likely to be opened by the end of the year.

Representatives of the eleven nations that comprise the governing commission of the International Tracing Service voted on Thursday to begin the process to publicize the papers, AP reports. The Service controls between 30 and 50 million pages of Holocaust documentation...

The files, stored in Bad Arolsen, Germany, have been used since the 1950s to help locate missing persons or uncover the fate of people who disappeared during the Third Reich. Later, the files were also used to validate claims for compensation. Only personnel of the Tracing Service, an arm of the International Committee of the Red Cross, has had access to the files, which fill 16 miles of gray metal filing cabinets and cardboard binders in six buildings.

Wasn't Adolph Hitler a big believer in gun control? Hmmm. 16 miles of filing cabinets? 50 million pages of documentation? And some people charge the Second Amendment is "anachronistic"? Tell that to the Jewish Germans of the 1930s and 40s.

History in the Making

The anti-gunners and anti-self defense people like to perpetuate the stereotype that all gun owners are Rambo-wannabes. We aren't. In fact, most gun owners I know are Annie Oakley wannabes. And who wouldn't? She is certainly one of the best shots in American History.

If you are "lucky" enough to live in the Detroit area, you can see Annie in person - well, actually, her historian twin, Charlotte Austin.

It was about six or seven years ago, she said, when she decided to compete in a fast-draw competition at the Double OO Riders Association's annual picnic in Davisburg.

Austin hadn't handled a gun before, and since she is left-handed, a holster had to be jury-rigged for her. She was shown how to shoot and fan the gun just before she climbed on a wagon, shot, jumped and screamed. She eventually won, beating out the men.

Shortly after that, Austin, who lives in Plymouth and is a member of the Plymouth Historical Society, met Jack Leeds of Novi, who videotapes meetings and events at the Plymouth Historical Museum.

The pair came up with the idea of dressing like 19th-Century sharpshooter Annie Oakley and Oakley's marksman husband, Frank Butler, offering historical presentations to community groups, schools and fairs. They call themselves the Visiting Historians.

The couple travels the state and often is joined by Austin's sister, Eileen Fagan of Novi, who portrays Cattle Kate, as well as Austin's friend Jane Pence of Kalkaska who portrays Calamity Jane.

Pretty cool. I wonder how many publik skuulz keep her away because of zero-tolerance policies?

In addition to Oakley and Butler, Austin and Leeds portray other people from the 1830s to the 1920s. They study the history of a particular town and wear historically accurate clothing. And if the occasion calls for it, Austin will bring her two Arabian horses.

"If I'm asked, I'll do it," she said.

Can she do a Mae West? For historical purposes only, of course.

More than Pyramids

Egypt was in the news this spring: Killings in Alexandria on Good Friday, suicide bombings in Sinai resorts after Easter, and democracy marches in Cairo in May.

But that isn't the whole story. If you come to Egypt, you'll encounter all the usual images: pyramids, sphinxes, one very long river bounded by desert, camels, the gold and glitter of King Tut's famous treasure. But you may also learn of the power of ancient Egyptian religion.

You might know about Mesopotamian religion with its human sacrifice and male and female temple prostitution. But Egyptian religion, the other religion of the Bible, was very different. Human sacrifice was rare and not reported much at all after 3000 b.c. Temple prostitution didn't exist. Nor did God command the Israelites to destroy the Egyptians as he did the child-sacrificing Mesopotamians.

Read the rest of the story at World Magazine's website.
photo © World Magazine

Natan Sharansky Spearheads Movement To Save Temple Mount Artifacts

From One Jerusalem:

NO BULLDOZING THE TEMPLE MOUNT

Dear Friend of Jerusalem,

For a decade, Muslim religious authorities have participated in the destruction and elimination of precious Jewish and Christian artifacts on the site of Solomon's Temple, the Temple Mount in Jerusalem.

Help us preserve the Temple Mount!

The destruction continues to this day. Thousands of tons of earth, containing archaeological evidence dating back to the period of the Temple of Solomon, were discarded. Among the 'rubble' were ancient seals from a Priestly family, inscribed pottery fragments in Ancient Hebrew, Alter screens and broken columns from a fourth century Byzantine Church.

Since the year 2000, the Muslim religious authority – the Waqf – has blocked all archaeological oversight of the Temple Mount. Instead, the Waqf is constructing Mosques on these sacred sites of Jews and Christians.

One Jerusalem recently met with renowned Israeli archaeologists and discussed the extent of the damage. The facts are astounding. We urge you to sign the following Temple Mount Petition. The petition will be presented to President George Bush and Prime Minister Ehud Olmert. One Jerusalem Chairman Natan Sharansky has already gathered a great deal of media attention, when he announced the petition through major blog circuits.

Please sign this important petition (just 2-clicks!) and encourage others to do so as well.

Allen Roth
President, One Jerusalem

Sign the petition here.






photo © One Jerusalem

Navy finds long-lost World War II submarine

photo © maritimequest.com

The US Navy says a wreck found at the bottom of the Gulf of Thailand appears to be the long-lost submarine, the USS Lagarto.


A British diver, Jamie MacLeod, located the wreck in May 2005 in 225 feet of water. MacLeod said "It looks to me like it's intact and it's sitting upright on the bottom in very clear water, so you can get a good idea of what it looks like, Everything is still on it all the armaments, the brass navigation lights. It's beautiful."

Navy divers on Friday completed a six-day survey of the wreckage site. They took photos and video of the 311-foot, 9-inch submarine for further analysis by naval archeologists.

The divers found twin 5-inch gun mounts on the forward and rear parts of the ship -- a feature believed to be unique to the Lagarto.

They also saw the word "Manitowoc" displayed on the submarine's propeller, providing a connection to the Manitowoc, Wis., shipyard that built the Lagarto in the 1940s.

Eighty-six sailors died when the Lagarto sank in May 1945. The Japanese minelayer Hatsutaka reported dropping depth charges and sinking a U.S. sub in the area, though it was never known what ship it destroyed.

The Navy sent its divers to examine the ship to provide the sailors' families with some answers after a British professional shipwreck diver last year found what looked like the Lagarto, said Lt. Cmdr. Jeff Davis, a spokesman for the U.S. Pacific Fleet Submarine Force.

When the Lagarto was lost in 1945 she took 86 men with her, they remain on Eternal patrol.



patch photo © bluejacket.comwreck photo © thaiwreckdiver.com

FBI Still Looking For Jimmy Hoffa

One of the things I remember as a kid growing up in Michigan was the mysterious disappearance of Jimmy Hoffa. The former leader of the Teamsters was last seen in 1975 at a restaurant in Bloomfield Township, Michigan. Apparently the FBI had a good lead recently on the remains of Jimmy Hoffa.

Over the years, the Feds always tear up something around Michigan, looking for Hoffa's remains. Of course, there are the rumors that he was buried out-of-state, like underneath Giants Stadium in New York.

In May 2004, authorities ripped up the floorboards of a Detroit home where Frank Sheeran, a one-time Hoffa ally, had claimed he shot Hoffa to death. But no evidence related to the infamous, unsolved killing was found.

Sheeran's claim was included in a book published months after he died in 2003 at age 83...A New Jersey mob hit man who died in March reportedly made a similar deathbed claim.

Richard "The Iceman" Kuklinski gave author Philip Carlo what he claimed were graphic details of Hoffa's killing, The Record of Bergen County, N.J., reported.

"The Ice Man: Confessions of a Mafia Contract Killer" is scheduled for release in July.

The FBI was digging up spots on a horse farm in Milford Township, about 30 miles outside of Detroit.

Deb Koskovich, 52, said one of her neighbors told her after she moved next door to the farm in 1985 that Hoffa was buried there.

"He laughed and we laughed and that was the end of that," said Koskovich, adding that she would be surprised if Hoffa's remains were found. "I never thought about it again until today."

Tags: Jimmy Hoffa

New Findings in the John the Baptist Cave

photo © 2006 Netscape

Back in 2004, archaeologists discovered a cave they believe John the Baptist used for anointing his disciples.

A couple of years down the road, and they think they have some new information on the cave, known as the Suba Cave.

The cave includes a huge cistern with 28 steps that lead to an underground pool of water. Some 250,000 pottery shards were also found and are presumed to be remnants of small water jugs used in the Christian baptismal ritual performed by the fiery New Testament preacher. Wall carvings etched into the cave tell John's life story; they were likely made by monks in the fourth or fifth century. In addition, a stone was found in the cave that researchers believe was used for ceremonial foot washing.

This may be, but there were many places all over Israel where people could perform Mikveh - the Jewish ceremony that is the foundation for the Christian rite of Baptism. Plus, as the New Testament records, John the Baptist (in Hebrew, "the Immerser") wasn't afraid to hold his Mikvehs out in the open - as in the Gospel recording of Jesus' baptism.

But I digress...

Led by University of North Carolina at Charlotte archaeologist James D. Tabor, the team believes the site dates to the time of the prophet Isaiah in the 7th century B.C. and may include a second, still unexcavated cave. In early 2006, the team uncovered an outside corridor leading to what appears to be another cave. The corridor was filled with deposits that date to the Iron Age--within 100 years of the site's original construction--and leads directly into the steep hillside. Tabor says it now looks as if this is some huge complex.

All in all, it is a quick read and very interesting - if you like Biblical Archaeology - even if it contains one of the worst "no kidding" endings in the history of articles:

Tabor speculates that if John the Baptist did use this cave for baptisms, he may have chosen it because it has some kind of special significance to him and his followers.

Wow. No kidding?

Tags: Bible , Archaeology

History Lesson and the Immigration Problem

There is a lot of buzz regarding the immigration issue.

I just found an interesting historical anecdote that may help smooth over some of these angry feelings people are experiencing. After all, the better we know each other, the less likely we are to feel threatened, right? That's what Hillary said, anyway, and she wouldn't tell lies, would she?

Most people don't know that back in 1912, Hellmann's mayonnaise was manufactured in England. In fact, the Titanic was carrying 12,000 jars of the condiment scheduled for delivery in Vera Cruz, Mexico, which was to be the next port of call for the great ship after its stop in New York.

This would have been the largest single shipment of mayonnaise ever delivered to Mexico. But as we know, the great ship did not make it to New York. The ship hit an iceberg and sank, and the cargo was forever lost.

The people of Mexico, who were crazy about mayonnaise, and were eagerly awaiting its delivery, were disconsolate at the loss. Their anguish was so great, that they declared a National Day of Mourning, which they still observe to this day.

The National Day of Mourning occurs each year on May 5th and is known, of course, as Sinko de Mayo.

Sorry, I don't know who gets credit. It came from an email that was forwarded ad naseum.

Fishing, Anyone?

Photo: AP Photo/Greek Culture Ministry

I've had the (dis)pleasure of catching many things when I go fishing (other than fish, that is). Besides catching cold several times, I've caught storm debris, miscellaneous trash, and once I even caught a badly rusted eye hook. But I never caught anything like this. It is a 3-foot high statue of a horseback soldier, discovered by a Greek fisherman in the Aegean Sea. He turned it over to the Greek Culture Ministry.

(Yeah, it looks like a cruddy piece of encrusted bronze to me, too - but the AP swears that it is a horseman statue - and they couldn't be wrong, could they? Don't answer that.)

What was it doing in the sea? The Associated Press reports that it was part of the cargo of an ancient ship that sank in the area. This part of the sea is dotted with ancient shipwrecks.

WARNING: BAD PUN AHEAD
This kind of fishing can net big rewards. In 1995, another fisherman found a large statue that is now on display at the National Archaeological Museum in Athens. He was paid a $558,000 reward.

Tags: archaeology

Remembering John Paul II

It seems amazing that one year has passed since John Paul II died.

While I am not a Catholic, I admired the man, his charisma, and his genuine love for people. Growing up in a highly Catholic neighborhood, he was the only Pope I really remembered. I remember his trips two trips to the Detroit area as more exciting than when Presidents would visit.

There is something intangible about men like John Paul II. Something in them reaches out beyond religious borders and captivates people. It is a rare trait, and a powerful trait when used for good, as John Paul did for his 26 years as Pope.

There was something else appealing about him, something very human about him. Something that, even though he was the Pope, at the same time made him "one of us." The man faced Nazi oppression, even working in a forced-labor camp. He later faced down the Communist Party worldwide, as a Cardinal in Krakow and later as Pope. He was a man who met scary challenges and left the world remarkably better off as a result.

He was a good man and his successor, Pope Benedict XVI, seems like a good man too.

The Other D-Day

• The men of Company E (2nd Battalion, 28th Regiment, 5th Marine Division) raise the flag on Mr. Suribachi.

The five Marines: Michael Strank, Rene Gagnon, Ira Hayes, Frankline Sousey and Harlon Block. The Navy Corpman was John Bradley. Only Hayes, Gagnon, and Bradley survived the battle.

Image copyright of Joe Rosenthal / Associated Press

Sixty-one years ago, America's "other D-Day" began. The Invasion of Iwo Jima.

It started at 02:00 on February 19 as battleships began unloading on the island fortifications, followed up by about attacks from almost 100 bombers... then back to the battleships.

At 8:30, the first Marines began their amphibious assault. In total, 30,000 Marines would be involved in the attack.

Many people don't understand why we fought this battle. Iwo Jima is just a piece of rock almost halfway between Saipan and Tokyo - about 700 miles from each location. It is a dinky island, measuring 7.5 square miles. Why waste lives over it? Especially so close to the end of the war?

The answers are simple - this was February, 1945. Germany didn't surrender until May, 1945. No one knew V-J was coming; they didn't know about the atomic bomb. When Admiral Nimitz began preliminary planning for the invasion, the objectives were:

1. Turn Iwo Jima into a base used to attack the Japanese home islands - perfect for the new B-29 long-range bomber;
2. Conduct search operations of the approaches to the Japanese home islands (remember - the military and naval powers expected to invade Japan... they didn't know about the A-bomb);
3. Protect US bases in the Marianas;
4. Cover US naval forces;
5. Provide fighter escorts for long-range operations.
   

Iwo Jima would also serve as an airbase to land crippled B-29's. These bombers were now flying from the Marianas and hitting the Japanese mainland. The island also served as an early warning system, notifying the mainland when B-29's were in the air. US control of the island would end that problem.

Even though the US had bombed Iwo Jima for months prior to the invasion, the bombing did little good. There were between 21,000 and 23,000 Japanese naval and military personnel on the island at the time of the invasion, protected by a network of caves and tunnels - more than 11 miles of tunnels. Bombing did little good to destroy the vast network of pillboxes and artillery, all aimed to kill large groupings of Marines with a bold strategy: Japanese artillery was to remain silent during the expected prelanding bombardment, so they wouldn't disclose their positions to the Americans. Upon landing, the Americans were not to encounter any opposition on the beaches. Once American forces advanced inland about 1/4 mile, they would be taken out with concentrated automatic weapons fire and artillery.

Japanese positions were, by order, to be defended to the death; a "come and get me" strategy that would cost the lives of thousands of Marines. Japanese leadership didn't want any large scale counterattacks, withdrawals, nor banzai charges, as they didn't anticipate this would kill as many Americans.

The Marines entered a killing zone much worse than they expected. The battle raged for over one month. Two flags were raised on Mt. Suribachi, the highest point on the island. The second of these was immortalized in the Joe Rosenthal photograph as five Marines and a Navy Corpsman raised the Stars and Stripes using a waterpipe for a flagpole. That image is now synonomous with the bravery of the USMC. Three of these men died later in battle.

Of the Congressional Medals of Honor given to World War II Marines, over 25% were awarded to Marines for their actions during this battle.

Iwo Jima was declared secure on March 26, 1945. The US had 26,000 casualties including the loss of 6,821 brave men. Only 200 Japanese survived.

Imagine what these men went through. There was almost a 25% chance that any Marine would be killed during the invasion. About 85% of the force was wounded or killed.

Marines of any era, we salute you. Veterans, we salute you too. Thank you for serving so bravely and protecting us regardless of the cost.

The USMC War Memorial in Virginia.

Tags: World War 2 , Marine Corps , Iwo Jima , History