#5th armored division

[stone-cold-groove]

Peace is America’s most important business! U.S. Army recruitment ad - 1947.

[amarriageoftrueminds]

If The Howlies were real...

I've been thinking about Steve's time during the war, and wondering if anyone has any headcanons about, eg. where he was stationed, how exactly the Howling Commando mission planning went, etc?

In the comics, Steve isn't assigned to the 107 but to the 1st Battalion, 26th Infantry Regiment, 1st Infantry Division (aka the ‘Big Red One’.)

They were part of D-Day landings, on Omaha Beach.

In deleted scenes / clips from the Smithsonian, it’s implied that Steve was also a part of D-Day: 

(That’s General Eisenhower, the Supreme Commander.)

(These landing craft 👆 were only used at D-Day. Although it’s possible this is propaganda footage of a rehearsal.)

If the Howlies had the same set up as the 26th, then Steve and the guys would’ve been stationed in Swanage, Dorset:

(Members of ‘A’ Company 26th Infantry Regiment US Army, billeted at Craigside in the High Street opposite Purbeck House Hotel, Swanage, around 1943 – 44.)

That’s 114 miles south west of Camp Griffiss in Bushy Park, Teddington, where General Eisenhower had his SHAEF HQ, starting from January 1944

(before that his HQ was at No.20 Grosvenor Square, Mayfair, in London -- aka ‘Little America’ or ‘Eisenhower Platz’ -- a couple of miles northwest of Churchill’s War Rooms, which inspired the underground bunker HQ seen in CATFA.)

Thousands of American troops, including the 26th Infantry, started arriving in Dorset in November 1943 -- which is also when Steve arrived in England after rescuing the 107!

While in Dorset, the US troops were largely engaged in rehearsing for Operation Overlord, aka D-Day. 

One such rehearsal was the disastrous Operation Smash, on the 18th April, 1944, which was a live-ammunition practice for beach landings at Normandy. (Disastrous because six men accidentally drowned when their Valentine semi-submersible tank... sank.)

Operation Smash was staged in Studland Bay (that’s 4.5 miles north of Swanage). Present to observe were: Winston Churchill, King George VI, Dwight D. Eisenhower, Field Marshal Bernard Montgomery, and Acting Admiral Louis Mountbatten. They did so from ‘Fort Henry,’ a 90 foot long bunker (built and named by Canadian engineers in 1943 -- so it would’ve been there by the time Steve n’ Co got there -- and it’s still there today!) overlooking the bay. 

The US troops moved on from Swanage in late April 1944, and departed England entirely (from nearby places like Weymouth, Poole Quay, Portland Harbour, etc.) on 5th June 1944. D-Day was on the 6th.

In the deleted scene from Avengers, Steve is clearly shown crossing  the Ludendorff Bridge:

...But this is impossible!

Because that bridge (at Remagen) was only captured on the 7th of March 1945:

(9th Armored Division in Remagen, Germany, recorded 9th March, 1945).

...and Steve had already crashed the Valkyrie 6 days prior!

(So unless that bridge was captured earlier, possibly because of Steve n’ Co., that footage can’t be right! 

CATFA does have a habit of putting the US Army in places they had no business being yet at that time of the war -- i.e. showing the US Army right up at the North of Italy, when in reality the Nazis still held it. 

(In fact, Mussolini’s Nazi puppet republic, the Republic of Salò, was nicknamed after a lake in Brescia... which is 200-ish miles further south than the US Army are shown in November ‘43.)

So I guess it’s possible that Steve & Co really were in Remagen, Germany, and crossing the Ludendorff Bridge before March ‘45! 

Or (perhaps more likely) we’re supposed to read it as some generic bridge in Western Europe, captured on D-Day (a la Pegasus bridge). 

.

Where exactly the Hydra factories were (and thus most Howlie missions) is not categorically stated. However, what Steve says / taking rough guesses from the map we see in Krausberg...

...it looks like the Howlies would’ve had missions in: Italy, France, (then) Czechoslovakia, Poland, and... Greece. 

(The script also mentions Belgium and Russia, which are neither shown on the map nor mentioned. However, there is a shot of them creeping through snowy forests, which looks very much like the Ardennes. That might put them in Belgium as part of the Battle of the Bulge -- which in turn gives us a date that could be the ‘difficult winter’ mentioned in the Smithsonian footage.)

If the Howlies were an active team from say 14th November 1943 -- 1st March 1945 (when Steve went down in the Valkyrie) 

That’s 473 days / or 1 year, 3 months, 15 days / or 15 months, 15 days.

If they had 9 missions total during that time...

6 Hydra factories around Europe

+ 1 winter mission to save over a 1000 men (as mentioned in Smithsonian; could be Battle of the Bulge? 🤔)

+ 1 D-Day mission (possibly including amphibious landings &/or bridge captures)

+ 1 Zola-capture mission, probably somewhere in the Alps. 

+ 1 Valkyrie mission makes 10. 

...That would give them 52.5 days (less than two months) to both plan, travel in and out, and execute each mission. That seems like a pretty tight turnaround, especially if each factory was different enough to warrant a new/fresh plan. 

(One difficulty never mentioned because their raids are relegated to a montage: the fact that Hydra factories appear to be staffed by slave labour. Means the Howlies can’t just bust in guns blazing! Or, at least, I don’t think Steve would stand for it. They’d have to free the workers first, and hopefully they’d be workers both physically capable and willing to join in the fight.)

In the film, they are never shown being back in the UK between these missions,  right up until the last Valkyrie mission in 1945, and dialogue seems to suggest there hasn’t been any personal contact between them and the HQ staff in between. 

(It does seem a bit nuts to be shipping them out and back every time, rather than just keeping them on the continent. Also nuts to be planning their most important Valkyrie mission only the day before. But anyway...) 

In order to take part in D-Day, they had to have been back to England at least once, to receive those highly classified orders and to rehearse (can’t be discussing details of D-Day over radio!) 

Also, they couldn’t have been allowed to go haring off attacking Hydra bases any old where, because it might have been inconvenient for D-Day (ie. if the Nazis increased defenses in certain places just because Captain America had been sighted there recently.)

TPTB could have used the Howlies as a diversion, sending them on dummy missions designed to make the Nazis think D-Day is going to happen somewhere else. I think Greece and Italy would be a great way to convince the Nazis that an invasion will be coming from the south, not the north! They could even have used doubles of the Howlies to throw the Nazis off the scent, as part of the Ghost Army (they did this IRL with Bernard Montgomery!) 

Maybe the SSR would be advised to keep the Howlies’ real missions as far away from Normandy as possible, earlier on, and then the reverse right before D-Day? (ie. damage Hydra’s factories that are nearest to Normandy, close to D-Day, so that they can’t supply weapons and don’t have enough time to rebuild).

Other possibilities: 

If they were not stationed in the UK between missions, and weren’t with the US Army of occupation (because it hadn’t invaded that part of Europe yet) Steve & Co. might have been living undercover in Nazi-occupied territory in the run up to missions against local Hydra bases (in, eg. France and Poland. Chance for Frenchy to get his Maquis on!) Very dangerous, very nerve-wracking, very Inglourious Basterds of them. Also potentially very dangerous for the locals, too, since there would surely be reprisals against them after any successful anti-Hydra attack by Howlies. 

IRL There was a concentration camp called Terezin in Czechoslovakia, near-ish where that one Hydra base is shown. (It’s the one that the Nazis famously filmed a propaganda movie in, after cleaning it up and deporting a bunch of people to Auschwitz to seemingly reduce overcrowded living conditions, to fool the visiting Red Cross.) So Steve and the Howlies might have gone off-mission to go and liberate that; could be that was a source of slave labour for the nearby Hydra factory.  (From a character POV, Terezin was known for having a big artistic culture among the inmates, and surely Steve would feel empathy for those used in propaganda, having been made to do that himself.)

Logically speaking, I would’ve expected that last Hydra base to be in Holland or Denmark -- not Greece -- to complete the ring of bases formed around Germany. 🤔 Maybe even more likely to be Denmark, since the Tesseract (which kicked off the whole Hydra supremacy thing) was discovered in Tønsberg, SE Norway.

[captain-price-unofficially]

Two M4A2 Sherman tanks of the French 5th Armored Division (5e division blindée) knocked out by German hand-held anti-tank weapons in the commune of Issans.

[walkingthroughthisworld]

Three M1A2 Abrams tank belonging to Charlie Company, 2nd Battalion, 5th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division scan for targets during a combined arms live fire exercise with U.S. and Georgian armed forces at Vaziani Training Area, Georgia, Aug. 14, 2018. Noble Partner 2018 is a Georgian Armed Forces and U.S. Army Europe cooperatively-led event improving readiness and interoperability of Georgia, U.S. and other participating nations.

[littleeyesofpallas]

Shihouin[四楓院] Chika[千日]

Shi[四]: "4"

Hou[楓]: "Maple(tree)"

In[院]: "Temple/House(of governmetn)/Institution"

Chi[千]: "1,000"

Ka[日]: "(The)Sun"/"Day"

Given the naming pattern with Yoruichi and Yuushirou reading "Night 1" and "Night 4 Son", it would follow that Chika's name here reads as "1000 Days" or "1000th Day" A curious notion when the Shihouin crest has a moon on it, which was obviously where the night motif in the later heirs came from. Is Chika a blacksheep of the family for not having a night name? Or did the Shihouin change their motif at some point from day/sun to night/moon?

And very noticeably he's wearing what looks like a chinese style of lamellar belt(it's hard to say when there isn't an accompanying suit of armor to go with it) but it evokes to me a lot of Ming dynasty period pieces(or alternatively very anime-ass Romance of the Three Kingdoms designs) and incidentally Journey To The West was written in the Ming Dynasty, and combined with his complexion and his distinctive Xiangyun[祥云]:"auspicious clouds" scarf (and of course my ongoing crackpot theory about there being an unspoken theme of pre-Japanese Buddhism underlying the foundation of Soul Society) makes me think he's specifically Indian but having travelled East across China(or whatever the Soul Society equivalents are)

Izuhara[嚴原] Kinroku[金勒]

Izu[嚴]: "Strict/Stern"

Hara[原]: "Plain/Field/Wilderness"

Kin[金]: "Gold"

Roku[勒]: "Bit/Bridle(like a horse's)"

Makes him sound like a wild stallion type who was only tamed by being bribed with wealth and luxury. At first glance I had pegged him for a cold corporate or medical type, but looking at him again he has a certain yakuza look about him too. Less an overt thug and more a grifter, a penny pincher, a coldblooded loan shark type, and this name seems to vibe with that. It's hard to tell but it looks like he has the archetypal yakuza/laborer bellywarmer like Tetsuzaemon did too.

Shijima[志島] Chikiri[知霧]

Shi[志]: "Will/Resolution/Ambition"

Jima[島]: "Island"

Chi[知]: "Wisdom/jnana"

Kiri[霧]: "Mist/Fog/Haze"

Same root word Shi[志] as in the Shiba family and in Okikiba Genshiro's given name. Weird that all three of these are associated with the water; waves/ripples, islands, and distant waters.

The given name is fun because it seems to describe him as wise but in a hazy way, his wisdom is obscured or unclear; whether that means it's unclear to others, or even to him isn't clear. Either one seems to fit his kind of disheveled appearance.

Now that we can see him properly, he kind of reminds me of Wonderweiss.

Obana[尾花] Danjirou[彈児郎]

O[尾]: "Tail"

Bana[花]: "flower"

Dan[彈]: "Bullet/Pellet/(musket)Ball"

Ji[児]: "newborn baby"

Rou[郎]: "son"

On the one hand the compound [尾花] appears to refer to "(ear of) Japanese pampas grass" which is also known as the Chinese Silver Grass. But it's also part of the compound [鸟尾花] refering to the Crossandra infundibuliformis, the Firecracker Flower. And also [鸢尾花] referring to irises in general. Since, as the 5th division captain, he's not the one with an iris insignia, I'm going to go with the silver grass reference. It does evoke a certain rugged and pastoral landscape that seems to suit the rustic almost hick-ish vibe he has going on.

As for Bullet baby.... I have no idea what to make of it...

Saitou[齊藤] Furofushi[不老不死]

[齊]: "...-Like/as if..."

[藤]: "Wisteria"

[不老]: "No grow old"

[不死]: "No die"

"Wisteria-like" has obvious evocations in her hair color and pigtails. The given name all together is actually a phrase meaning "immortality/perpetual youth." Pretty straight forward.

Shigyou[執行] Nobutsuna[乃武綱]

Shigyou[執行]: "execution/enforcment"/"executive/executor"*

No[乃]: "<possessive indicator>"

Bu[武]: "Military/Martial"

Tsuna[綱]: "Cord/Rope"

*can also refer to a "lead monk performing various tasks in a (buddhist)temple" although his overall appearance is anything but monk-like; certainly there are other captains here that would suit that reading better. So, the "rope or military enforcement."

(The random 3rd division guy with the "Winter Whistle" sword was named Taketsuna[武綱])

Katori[鹿取] Batsuunsai[抜雲齋]

Ka[鹿]: "Deer"

Toribatsu[取抜]: "Drain/Extract"

Un'[雲]: "Cloud"

Sai[齋]: "<indicates a penname>"

Ok, first of all... "Deer Extraction"??? And then her given name is either "Penname: Cloud" or if taken together [雲齋]: "cotten drill" as in the twill weave fabric used for things like khakis?? But that feels like a weird way to go. She is quite bookish looking (i mean... as if she can avoid it in the proximity of Nanao and Risa...) so perhaps she's an author on the side? Hence the penname. But as for the deer collecting... it feels like a weird way to phrase it, but I'm assume it's trying to conjure a disney princess-like scene of her attracting deer to her to show her purity and trustworthiness? Maybe???

Also she has a distinctive, Zhōngguó jié[中國結]: "Chinese knot" ornament at the end of her naginata(?) which wasn't shown in the poster. Although the coloration on this sheet is oddly gold rather than the more typical red. What is probably the most common and recognizable design is the Pán zhǎng jié[盤長結], sometimes called an "endless knot" or "eternal knot" and is used to represent various Buddhist virtues.

[edit]: so i changed the split on the first and last name according to what seems like the confirmed canon, but I stand by "batsuunsai" sounding extremely weird.

Kumoi[久面井] Entetsu[煙鐵]

Ku[久]: "A long time"

Mo[面]: "Face/Mask/Surface"

I[井]: "Well(water source/hole in the ground)"

En'[煙]: "Smoke"

Tetsu[鐵]: "Iron"

He sounds and looks very much like a jailer/torturer, not unlike some vibes Urahara's backstory gave off. Kumoi's zanpakuou is also a Tiěbiān[鐵鞭], a sectioned iron rod, part of a broader family of weapons/tools all called "iron whips."

Interestingly it's the same type of weapon Sui-feng's bankai, Jakuhou Raikouben[雀蜂雷公鞭], is named after.

Outokawa[王途川] Furuoki[雨緒紀]

Ou[王]: "King"

To[途]: "Road/Way"

Kawa[川]: "River"

Furu[雨]: "Rain"

O[緒]: "Cord/String(of an instrument)"

Ki[紀]: "Era/Period(of time)" or "Rule/(Written)Record"

"King's Way River" is a very pompous sounding family name... Interestingly the name Furuoki uses the kanji [雨] for rain, but is pronounced here like furu[降る] which is the verb for "to fall" referring specifically to rain or snow. The "Era of Rain(fall) String." It might be a stretch but I want to interpret that as the lines of rain falling being equated to the string of an instrument, and by proxy comparing the sound of rain fall as music.

But alternatively it could be another play into Kubo's on-again-off-again rain symbolism. Sometimes it's Ichigo's depression, sometimes it's Uryuu's legacy as the last Quincy, sometimes it's Orihime making confusing statements about joining earth and heaven, in direct contradiction to her Tanabata namesake... Is it "The Rule of Rainfall" as in the downpour comes eventually no matter how you run from it? Or as in, heaven and earth are joined eventually if your just wait? Or as in heavens will be clouded over and separated eventually? Or as in, relief comes eventually and even the worst drought can't last forever?

Zenjouji[善定寺] Uhin[有嬪]

Zen'[善]:"Virtue/Goodness/Good deeds

Jou[定]: "certainty/reality/samadhi"

Ji[寺]: "temple"

U[有]: "bhava/becoming/existence"

Hin'[嬪]: "court lady/virtuous woman/concubine"

So I can't quite tell if Kubo's just leaning into the on'yomi here, or if he's specifically aiming for a Chinese reading. I want to say On'yomi, but it is fairly close to the Chinese reading Shàndìngsìyǒ[善定寺] upín[有嬪] it's just the dìng[定] vs jou[定] throwing a wrench in it. And I'm hung up on Jiuhin's name sounding Chinese because with the mandarin style collared shirt and the fact that he has... for some reason two... queue... it all points to a distinctly Chinese influence in the design.

Arguably the face paint could also be pulled erroneously from the broader aesthetic of Chinese opera --as in maybe Kubo was going for a Chinese opera inspired look, but what's here definitely isn't accurate to the style-- but it feels very in line with Kubo's own funky sensibilities either way.

Sakahone[逆骨] Saizou[才藏]

Saka[逆]: "Reverse"

Hone[骨]: "Bone"

Sai[才]:"Talent/Ability"

Zou[藏]: "Hidden"

....the idea that this decrepit old man is named "Reverse Bones" as if he's like that because his bones are just "wrong" is for some reason hilarious and horrifying to me. "Hidden Talent" seems self-explanatory given he looks like he should barely be able to move, let alone fight or kill a person.

[lboogie1906]

General Larry R. Ellis (born June 30, 1946) served as a general in the US military. He was the highest-ranking officer of African ancestry in the Army as of his retirement and was the fourth Black individual to become a four-star general. He was born in Cambridge, Maryland, and attended Morgan State University, where he earned a BS. On February 5, 1969, he became a second lieutenant.

He received his MS in Physical Education from Indiana University. He had an extensive military education, including Infantry Officer Basic courses at Fort Benning, and Infantry Officer Advanced courses. He attended the Armed Forces Staff College and the United States Army War College.

He was stationed in several countries including South Vietnam and South Korea. In Germany, his command assignments were the 1st Armored Division and Brigade Commander, 3rd Infantry Division. His command assignments in the US were Battalion Commander, 5th Infantry Division at Fort Polk, and 82nd Airborne Division at Fort Bragg. He was assigned to the Multinational Division (North) in Bosnia and Herzegovina. He was the Assistant Division Commander of the 2nd Infantry Division in South Korea and the Company Commander of the 101st Airborne Division in South Vietnam.

The second black General to hold the position, he was the Commanding General of the Army Forces Command. He coordinated the deployment of over 500,000 soldiers, as well as the shipment of more than a million tons of equipment. He received many military awards, including the Defense Superior Service Medal, Army Distinguished Service Medal, Vietnam Cross of Gallantry, NATO Medal, and the Bronze Star Medal. He received an Honorary Master of Strategic Studies from the Army War College, an Honorary Doctor of Law from Morgan State University, and the NAACP National Service Award.

He was the CEO and founder of Ellis Services & Solutions Enterprises. He has served on the Board of Directors of SRA, Armed Forces Benefit Association, UNITECH, as well as DHB Industries, Inc. He became the president and CEO of DHB Industries, Inc.

He is married to Jean Williams. They have two daughters. #africanhistory365 #africanexcellence

[pinturas-sgm-tanques]

1945 04  Sherman 76mm E8 5th Armored Division

[victusinveritas]

GI with a local girl in Chartres France - August 1944

Chartres was liberated on August 18, 1944, by the US 5th Infantry and 7th Armored Division belonging to the XX Corps of the 3rd Army

LIFE Magazine Archives - Ralph Morse Photographer WWP-PD

[casbooks]

Books of 2023

Book 74 of 2023

Title: Elite Bastards Authors: Edward L Dvorak ISBN: 9781526789655

Tags: B-52 Stratofortress, FAC, M24 Duster, O-1 Bird Dog, US USA 101st Airborne Division - Screaming Eagles, US USA 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment - Blackhorse, US USA 173rd Airborne Brigade - 4th Bn, US USA 173rd Airborne Brigade - 4th Bn - D Co, US USA 173rd Airborne Brigade - 4th Bn - D Co - 1st Plt, US USA 173rd Airborne Brigade - 4th Bn - D Co - 1st Plt - 1st Sqd, US USA 173rd Airborne Brigade - Sky Soldiers, US USA 17th Cavalry Regiment, US USA 17th Cavalry Regiment - 3/17, US USA 17th Cavalry Regiment - 3/17 - D Troop, US USA 17th Cavalry Regiment - E Troop, US USA 199th Light Infantry Brigade - Redcatchers, US USA 25th ID - Tropic Lightning, US USA 51st Infantry Regiment, US USA 51st Infantry Regiment - F Co (LRP), US USA 51st Infantry Regiment - F Co (LRP) - Team 1/2, US USA 51st Infantry Regiment - F Co (LRP) - Team 1/3, US USA 51st Infantry Regiment - F Co (LRP) - Team 1/5, US USA 51st Infantry Regiment - F Co (LRP) - Team 1/6, US USA 51st Infantry Regiment - F Co (LRP) - Team 1/7, US USA 74th Reconnaissance Airplane Co (RAC), US USA 74th Reconnaissance Airplane Co (RAC) - Aloft, US USA ANG Army National Guard, US USA ANG IN 151st Infantry Regiment, US USA ANG IN 151st Infantry Regiment - D Co (LRP), US USA Combat Trackers - K9, US USA Fort Benning GA, US USA Fort Leonard Wood MO, US USA LRRP Team (Vietnam War), US USA United States Army, US USA USSF 5th SFG, US USA USSF Green Berets, US USA USSF Sgt Maj Mcguire, US USA USSF Special Forces, US USN SEALS, US USN United States Navy, USA AeroScouts, VNM 1968 Tet Offensive (1968) (Vietnam War), VNM Battle of Dak To (1967) (Vietnam War), VNM Bien Hoa, VNM Bien Hoa Air Base (Vietnam War), VNM Bien Hoa Army Base (Vietnam War), VNM Cam Ranh Bay, VNM Camp Lindsey-Lattin (Vietnam War), VNM Central Highlands, VNM Cu Chi, VNM Dak To, VNM Dong Nai River, VNM DRV NVA North Vietnamese Army, VNM DRV VC Viet Cong, VNM Hill 875, VNM II Corps (Vietnam War), VNM III Corps (Vietnam War), VNM Iron Triangle (Vietnam War), VNM LBJ Long Binh Jail - USARVIS US Army Vietnam Installation Stockade (Vietnam War), VNM LBJ Long Binh Jail (Vietnam War), VNM Long Binh Post - Ammunition Depot (Vietnam War), VNM Long Binh Post (Vietnam War), VNM Nha Trang - 5th SFG Recondo School (Vietnam War), VNM Operation Arc Light (1965-1973) (Vietnam War), VNM RVN ARVN Army of the Republic of Vietnam, VNM RVN Chieu Hoi Program/Force 66 - Luc Luong 66 (Vietnam War), VNM Song Be, VNM Tuy Hoa, VNM US MACVSOG (1964-1972) (Vietnam War), VNM US MACVSOG Hatchet Force Teams (Vietnam War), VNM US MACVSOG Road Runner Teams (Vietnam War), VNM US USA 24th Evacuation Hospital - Long Binh (Vietnam War), VNM US USA 6th Convalescent Hospital - Cam Ranh Bay, VNM US USA Cam Ranh Bay - Replacement Depot, VNM US USA II Field Force (1966-1971) (Vietnam War), VNM US USSF 5th SFOB Special Forces Operation Base - Nha Trang, VNM US USSF Mobile Strike Force - MIKE Force (Vietnam War), VNM Vietnam, VNM Vietnam War (1955-1975), VNM Vung Tau, VNM War Zone C (Vietnam War), VNM War Zone D (Vietnam War)

Rating: ★★★ Subject: Books.Military.20th-21st Century.Asia.Vietnam War.Specops.LRRPs

Description: This is the quintessential first-person combat memoir of a special forces soldier at war. Edward Dvorak joined the 173rd Airborne Brigade in Vietnam in the summer of 1967. He then joined Company F, 51st Infantry, Long Range Patrol, Airborne. For Dvorak and his buddies of Company F, LRP, their real training started with the MACV (Military Assistant Command Vietnam) Recondo School at the 5th Special Forces Compound in Nha Trang, South Vietnam. That training culminated with an actual Combat LRP mission. If you lived through the patrol, you graduated. Dvorak would remain with Company F for 19 months going on dozens of combat patrols deep behind enemy lines.

[ariesgamesandminis]

Large restock on Fighting Pirannha Graphics Decals is in and ready to be applied!

Clan Cloud Cobra - Delta Galaxy Clan Coyote Clan Coyote - Alpha Galaxy Clan Coyote - Lambda Galaxy Clan Diamond Sharks - Sigma Galaxy Clan Ghost Bear Clan Ghost Bear - Alpha Galaxy Clan Ghost Bear - Zeta Galaxy Clan Goliath Scorpion - Alpha Galaxy Clan Hells Horses Clan Ice Hellion Clan Ice Hellion - Alpha Galaxy Clan Jade Falcon - Falcon Guards Clan Nova Cat Clan Nova Cat - Sigma Galaxy Clan Smoke Jaguar Clan Smoke Jaguar - Alpha Galaxy Clan Smoke Jaguar - Delta Galaxy Clan Snow Ravens Clan Snow Ravens - Delta Galaxy Clan Steel Viper Clan Steel Vipers - Gamma Galaxy Eridani Light Horse (new) Free Rasalhague Republic - 1st Tyr Free Rasalhague Republic - Gunzburg Eagles Gray Death Legion House Davion - 1st Kathil Uhlans House Davion - 1st Robinson Rangers House Davion - Heavy Guards House Davion - MI6 (Rabid Foxes) House Liao - 4th McCarron's Armored Cavalry House Liao - 4th Tau Ceti Rangers (Old) House Liao - 5th McCarron's Armored Cavalry House Liao - House Dai Da Chi House Steiner Northwind Highlanders (New) Star League Defense Force Word of Blake - 42nd Shadow Division Word of Blake - 44th Shadow Division Word of Blake - 46th Shadow Division Word of Blake - 47th Shadow Division Word of Blake - 48th Shadow Division Word of Blake - 52nd Shadow Division

Letters Alpha - Black Alpha - White Beta - Black Gamma - White Omega - White Zeta - White

[usafphantom2]

Operation Junction City (Feb 21 – May 14, 1967) by Linh Yoshimura Via Flickr: Feb/March 1967 – UH-1 Huey from 173rd AHC "Robin Hoods" (Assault Helicopter Company) deployed in war zone C during Operation Junction city. Operation Junction City (Feb 21 – May 14, 1967) was an Operation to search out and destroy the VC and PAVN in the area; to destroy the Central Office for South Vietnam, the enemy's headquarters in the south; to establish a Special Forces CIDG camp and airfield at Prek Klok from which to monitor enemy movement, conducted by the 1st, 4th, 9th and 25th Infantry Divisions (USA); 3d Brigade, 4th Infantry Division (USA); 196th Infantry Brigade (Light, USA); 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment; 173d Airborne Brigade; Task Force Alpha's 1st and 5th Battalions (VMC); TF Wallace's 35th and 36th Ranger Battalion (ARVN); 3d Battalion (ARVN); 3d Battalion, 1st Cavalry Regiment (ARVN) in War Zone C, Tay Ninh Province and bordering provinces, 70 miles north of Saigon.

[nnn-lll-nnn]

EMERGENCY BROADCASTS.

ORDER OF BATTLE FOR NER. NERIAN ARMED FORCES. ORDER OF BATTLE 1 JULY 8 - 1975 2 ARG. 1RST ARMY. 1rst, 11th, 16th, 27th, 73rd, 92nd, 93rd, 109th, 176th Infantry Divisions. 2nd, 23rd, 24th, 34tyh, 36th, 71rst, 82nd, 88th Armored Divisions. 3rd, 4th, 17th, 82nd, 83rd, 84th, 85th, 86th Artillery Divisions. 7th, 16hth, 18th, 19th, 21rst Air Force Divisions. 2ND ARMY. 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 6th, 12th, 17th, 18th, 22nd, 28th, 34th, 52nd, 72nd, 81rst Infantry Divisions. 3rd, 4th, 5th, 101rst, 111th Armored Divisions. 8th, 11th, 12th, 18th, 22nd, 94th, 102nd Artillery Divisions. 2nd, 4th, 15th, 50th, 90th Air Force Divisions.

./.

LINK TO FOLLOW; HOTEL TANGO TANGO PAPA SIERRA, LOW; FOXTROT, INDIA, LIMA, ECHO, OT OR PERIORD, DDAW, IDNIDIA OSCAR, /BREAK/, FORWARD SLASHES, /RhtuuTSY1Afo , CANNOT PROVIDE PROPER FORMATTED RESPONSE AT THIS TIME, OUT.

./.

STANDBY, MESSAGE FOLWLAS..

./.

ACK HITMAN-3-2; </> Acoustic this is Hitman-3-2 Fire Mission over!&lt;/> ACOUSTIC; </>Hitman-3-2 this is Acoustic standing by for Fire Mission.</> HITMAN-3-2; </>Roger, Grids; FN396582, 6 rounds, 4 guns in effect, Target Number; GK7602 over!</> ACOUSTIC; </>Solid copy Hitman, Message to Observer; FN396582, 6 rounds, 4 guns, Target Number GK7602, splash in six seconds.</> ACOUSTIC; </>Shot, over.</> HITMAN-3-2; </>Shot, out!</> HITMAN-3-2; </>SPLASH OVER!</> ACOUSTIC; </>Splash, out.</> HITMAN-3-2; </>ACOUSTIC, THIS IS HITMAN, ADJUST FIRE SYSTEM AIDED OVER!</> ./. STANDBY

[wreakhavic]

The Most Dangerous game

Part III

It was before sunrise when Marika left for South Rukongai through her usual channels. She knew that part of the Soul Society inside out since she spent over 50 years surviving there. 

Marika entered a well-concealed cave, took off her uniform and underwear there, and hid it under some rocks and branches, then walked around 200 hundred meters more, butt naked, down and into the void until she reached a huge cavern. She cast full incantation kido for concealing reiatsu, stretched her arm holding Zanpakutō in front of her, and said calmly:

-Bankai. Yakedo shita niku wa naoranai kamo shirenai! ("The flesh I burn may never heal!")

The fire lit from the top of the blade and expanded towards Marika. It hugged her and formed ribcage-like armor around her breasts and stomach down to her hips, golden with red color at the top of the bones. Golden scales covered her arms and legs forming parts of the armour. Instead of a helmet, she wore dragon jaws framing her face with long fangs and two horns turned towards the front. She had three scythe-like blades burning with blue flames at each side that she could control with the movement of her hands. 

Marika gathered her strength and unleashed some fiery reiatsu that melted the rocks in front of her, then she started practicing swinging and throwing her blades, flames igniting as she moved.

After an hour or so of practice, Marika started getting tired, sweat evaporating as soon as it appeared on her skin. The cavern was around twice the size it was when she came in that day. Marika smiled with satisfaction through panting. She knew she could melt any material she came in contact with so far, but she was getting better at evaporating - no - evanishing matter from existence.

"I need to abandon this cavern and find a new place to train in soon, or someone may notice a fluctuation of matter and energy…"

Marika cleansed the cavern from her reiatsu and went out through the tunnels to put on the uniform she left. 

"This undressing part will be funny once I do an official demonstration of my bankai - or should I bring an extra uniform, sacrifice the one I’m in, and then leave the bankai state naked?"

Nobody noticed her as she returned to the 5th squad dormitory and snuck back into her bed. She stayed awake some more time, wondering what exactly sparked her interest in Captain Aizen. There was nothing unusual about him approaching her in Soul Academy. After all, all the captains scouted the Academy for exceptional future officers. She asked him, without any trace of humor, if she could become the next captain of the 5th division after his death. The fact that he answered her question seriously and without hesitation was what made her join the 5th squad after all. That’s when she first took note of him. After she joined the 5th squad, nothing sparked her interest in Aizen as a person. She wanted to be professionally close to him so she could gain his trust and climb the ranks, and climb she did - up to the 4th seat. She would often borrow books from Aizen and they would have little chats every time. She was close to Momo, and Momo visited the captain's quarters often -  because of her position as a lieutenant - but it was obvious as well that she was head over heels for him. Marika would sometimes accompany her. Every time Marika met Aizen, she would carefully observe him. That's how she noticed that there was something dangerous about him, and that's what excited her - she thought for herself.

"Is that all…?" Marika was barely awake and able to formulate thoughts "Or do I hope that we are alike… in… some… way…" 

*

Aizen thought it was in his best interest to discover as much as he could about Marika. First thing in the morning he sent Momo away to do chores so that he could go through the 5th squad records and Marika's papers from the Soul Academy and make copies of the material. Aizen noticed it was her birthday only a few days before, and for a moment entertained the thought of what he could have gifted her had they been closer, but quickly forced himself to stay focused on the objective.

The only information he could start with was the fact that she "had wandered around through the South Rukongai for as long as she could remember, stealing and doing odd jobs to survive, living in the slumbers and slowly making her way to the Soul Society”. There were no records of jobs she did before a certain point in time and nothing about her childhood - the orphanage she grew up in or how or when she was admitted to one. He didn’t remember the name of the orphanage if she ever mentioned it.

After a light knock on the door, a man came in.

-Gin. - Aizen nodded.

Gin Ichimaru was under Kyoka Suigetsu and had the appearance of a random officer for everyone else except Aizen.

-Nothing out of the ordinary today, Aizen-sama. Tosen took over for the rest of the day. 

He was referring to the work he had done impersonating Central 46 that morning. 

-Good - Aizen put the last paper from his hands onto a stack in front of him - I've been looking into someone, Gin. I took a special interest in Officer Gato Marika of my squad. She could be a potential problem - or an ally. I sense she is powerful enough to be of use, however, I’m unsure if her loyalty lies with Soul Society itself or if she is here just for her own gain, so there is potential to turn her to our side and use her to our advantage.

-Is this a special project of yours or is there somethin' I can do?

-Nothing's special about it. I want you to dig up more about her. Here are copies of all the records Soul Society has on her - Aizen pointed to a neat stack of paperwork on his desk - Unfortunately, it doesn't point to any specific location from her past, so try to get personally closer to her and find some grounds for further investigation. 

-Okay, understood - Gin picked up papers and glanced at them - Not a lot to work with, I see. But no worries, I will find a way through to her.

Aizen felt slightly uncomfortable hearing Gin's words, even though it was he who proposed it in the first place.

-Very well, Gin. Keep me up to date. We don't have much more time here. 

-I will see to it immediately - Gin nodded in understanding and left the chambers with the papers.

There was a voice in Aizen’s head telling him that he should’ve made this his own little project, but he silenced that voice with cold logic - this was just a potential alliance, that yet played no role in his plan over a hundred years in the making.

Also, about three days passed since he touched himself thinking about Marika. He didn’t make a huge deal out of it. It could have been any woman that poked his imagination like that. It wasn’t something that he often did, so perhaps the need accumulated in him and it just so happened that images of Marika made him want to relieve himself.

Aizen frowned. He didn’t like that he came back to thinking about the time he thought about Marika in the shower simply because that wasn’t, really, a huge deal. Again, he felt his member getting hard, so he jumped from his table and left his office to do something, anything…

***

I hope you enjoyed the new chapter!! I made a huge pause, I know, but I hope the story will get better for it :)

What do you think, would Aizen and Marika make a good pair?

[captain-price-unofficially]

A soldier from the US 5th Armored Division inspects a German Sturmtiger self-propelled gun abandoned near a bridge in Germany, 1945

[walkingthroughthisworld]

Three M1A2 Abrams tank belonging to Charlie Company, 2nd Battalion, 5th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division scan for targets during a combined arms live fire exercise with U.S. and Georgian armed forces at Vaziani Training Area, Georgia, Aug. 14, 2018. Noble Partner 2018 is a Georgian Armed Forces and U.S. Army Europe cooperatively-led event improving readiness and interoperability of Georgia, U.S. and other participating nations.

(via Multinational Live Fire Exercise at Noble Partner 18: US S… | Flickr)

[despair-to-future-arcs]

This is probably around the time where the Remnants stole Junko’s body.

???: Alright then everyone, make sure you guard the location - may sure no Despairs come in while the rest of you wear your gas mask and grab everything! We need to make sure we leave nothing behind!

Future Foundation Members: Yes ma'am!!

*As then armored soldiers rush to the entrance and head to the front as guarding while those wearing gas mask are heading side; carrying various equipment and tools as rushing by Makoto and the others*

Th-Those guys have guns...

Looks like these guys are totally prepared, huh?

*After that a women with blonde hair and red eyes approach the survivors*

Excuse me but are you the survivors; Makoto Naegi, Kyoko Kirigiri, Byakuya Togami, Toko Fukawa, Yasuhiro Hagakure and Aoi Asahina?

Um, ye-yes... that's us, are you one of the heads?

Indeed, Masa Esumi - I'm head of the 5th Division which is in charge of Intelligence, Inquiry, and Counter-Espionage - we came as soon as we could.

Sorry that we didn't arrive sooner, we had to get a lot of things prepare and make sure you all are okay so please come with me as we get you somewhere safe so you can get check over, fed and explain the situation.

Wow you guys got us some food and are going to help us, gee thanks! You all seem like a nice bunch!

Indeed and maybe you can explain the situation along with confirming what Junko Enoshima say is true.

Well of course, will explain everything but I think we first need to make sure you all somewhere safe and back to the foundation so hope you don't mind.

Sorry... it's just that we can't be here for too long, the Despairs are likely going to come here so we need to get you somewhere safe but will fill you in and help you.

I-I see so will be safe then, thank god.

I see then... lead the way Miss. Esumi - I think it be for the best if we try to get somewhere much safer then you can answer our questions.

*As then the 6 survivors follow Masa and headed into one of the trucks*

S-So these are the survivors?

Looks to be the case...

Yeah but anyway, can you both get them fed and check out? I feel we need to make sure all of them are okay.

Pl-Please come with me for any ch-check ups, will be sure to help you all.

Yeah and after that, will explain everything we can.

...

Hm? Something up?

Nothing, just wanted to thank you for helping us...