re: A memorium in pictures to the fallen, to the boys who don’t come home.

Good job OP

Images from the pacific....

Loyce Edward Deen, an Aviation Machinist Mate 2nd Class, USNR, was a gunner on a TBM Avenger.

On November 5, 1944, Deen's squadron participated in a raid on Manila where his plane was hit multiple times by anti-aircraft fire while attacking a Japanese cruiser.

Deen was killed. The Avenger's pilot, Lt Robert Cosgrove, managed to return to his carrier, the USS Essex.

Both Deen and the plane had been shot up so badly that it was decided to leave him in it.

It is the only time in U.S. Navy history (and probably U.S. military history) that an aviator was buried in his aircraft after being killed in action.

LINK

Lest we forget....

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ItzMe1972

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I've never seen that video. Was very moving.

So this is what you have narrowed your countrymen who have sacrificed for you to sit at your keyboard. A one paragraph synopsis of nearly 250 yrs, no if, and's or but's. I pity judgmental folks like you.

You can post it bud. This one is free for all. It’s already been paid for

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I spent 33 years and four months in active military service and during that period I spent most of my time as a high class muscle man for Big Business, for Wall Street and the bankers.

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Smedley Butler was a great Marine, but the ignorant use of his very time specific and anecdotal quotes by pseudo intellectuals and conspiracy theorists, esp as internet memes has become flat out silly.

First of all, he operated during the first phase of US extra-continental expansion. One thing he, and his eager memers, leave out is that many of the Latin American nations the US invaded or interfered in at the time came from a request of one or more parties within those nations.

Another indication of his own narrow view is his complete lack of economic literacy. War often hurts more industries than it helps. Sure, the banana wars he was involved in in central America helped American fruit companies and arms dealers, but it hurt so many other aspects of trade and commerce. The US and UK were major trade partners with Germany prior to both world wars and that hurt many businesses.

When understood as a man, with his own set of circumstances and of his own time, Butler is indeed "woke."

Those who apply his anecdotal and time specific circumstances for his views are simply agenda driven ignoramuses.

Smedley Butler- great Marine. Brave citizen. Great man. Free thinker.

People who quote Butler and apply to modern or other circumstances?




ETA: The US military, like that of the British one before it, has overwhelmingly been a force of human progress and the creation of security for the majority of the world.
A "racket" for the good of humanity if you will.

RIP Sgt. Mark Schmauss and his fellow cremembers aboard Spirit 03




This post was from Jan 31 2014:

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0635 hrs. marked the 23rd anniversary of the shooting-down of a 16th Special Operations Squadron AC-130H Spectre gunship, with the call-sign “Spirit 03.” It happened twelve days into Operation Desert Storm during the Battle of Khafji, a battle to stop Iraqi mechanized and armored divisions from moving south from Kuwait to cross the border into Saudi Arabia near a Saudi town named Khafji.

As part of a decisive demonstration of air power over ground forces, three AC-130 Spectre gunships joined the battle to provide air-to-ground fire and close air support. As the last of the three AC-130s still on station early on the morning of January 31, and about to end its mission, Spirit 03 “received a call from the Marines – they needed an enemy missile battery destroyed.

Despite the risk of anti-aircraft artillery fire, and the greater danger of the morning sun casting light on the circling gunship, the crew of ‘Spirit 03’ chose to remain and destroy the position requested.” “Spirit 03” did what it had been asked to do, it destroyed the target designated by the Marines who were under fire, but that action came at a heavy cost. An SA-7 “Grail” man-portable surface-to-air missile was fired by the Iraqis at the now in-the-early-morning-light-visible AC-130 in the sky over Khafji.

“The missile found its target and at 0635 hours the aircraft sent out a “mayday” distress call and then crashed into the waters of the Persian Gulf,” according to SpecialOperations.com. All 14 crewmembers were killed. The loss of the crew of “Spirit 03” was the largest single loss by any Air Force unit during Operation Desert Storm.

The bravery and dedication of Spectre resulted in the destruction of 21 enemy fuel trucks, 10 armored personnel carriers, and 2 antiaircraft artillery sites during the Battle of Khafji. The crew of Spirit 03 was awarded the Silver Star and Purple Heart medals. The actions of the aircrews played a decisive role in the retaking of Khafji and its subsequent control for the duration of hostilities.

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LINK



ETA: downvote? wtf?

To your uncle, may he be feasting in Valhalla.