#Siege of Bastogne

[greatworldwar2]

• Jake McNiece

James Elbert "Jake" McNiece was a US Army paratrooper in World War II. Private McNiece was a member of the Filthy Thirteen, an elite demolition unit. McNiece practiced in several operations throughout world war 2 with the 101st Airborne Division.

James McNiece was born on May 24th, 1919, in Maysville, Oklahoma, the ninth of ten children born to Eli Hugh and Rebecca McNiece, and of Irish American and Choctaw descent. During the Depression, the family moved to Ponca City, Oklahoma in 1931. In 1939, he graduated from Ponca City High School and went to work in road construction, and then at the Pine Bluff Arsenal, where he gained experience in the use of explosives. McNiece enlisted for military service on September 1st, 1942. He was assigned to the demolition saboteur section of what was then the 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment. This section became the Filthy Thirteen, first led by Lieutenant Charles Mellen, who was killed in action on June 6th, 1944, during the Invasion of Normandy. Following Mellen's death, Private McNiece became acting leader of the unit. McNiece is iconically recognized by wearing Native American–style "mohawk" and applying war paint to himself and other members of his unit which, excited the public's interest in this unit. The inspiration for this came from McNiece, who was part Choctaw.

McNiece's deliberate disobedience and disrespect during training prevented him from being promoted past Private when most Paratroopers were promoted to Private First Class after 30 days. McNiece would act as section sergeant and first sergeant through various missions. His first sergeant and company commanders knew he was the man the regiment could count on during combat. McNiece went on to make a total of four wartime combat jumps, the first as part of the Invasion of Normandy in 1944. In the same year he jumped as part of Operation Market Garden in the Netherlands. McNiece would see action again at the Siege of Bastogne, part of the larger Battle of the Bulge. During fighting in the Netherlands, he acted as demolition platoon sergeant. He volunteered for pathfinder training, anticipating he would sit out the rest of the war training in England, but his pathfinder stick was called upon to jump into Bastogne to guide in resupply drops. McNiece received a Bronze Star, Purple Heart, and French Legion of Honor medals for his service and deeds during the war.

His last jump was in 1945, near Prüm in Germany. In recognition of his natural leadership abilities, he ended the war as the acting first sergeant for Headquarters Company, 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment. McNiece would be kicked out of the military in February 1946 after fighting with MP’s. In 1949, McNiece returned to live in Ponca City. He began a 28-year career with the United States Postal Service. His first wife Rosita died in 1952 and, a year later, he married Martha Beam Wonders. They had two sons and a daughter and remained married until his death at age 93.

[monstersinthecosmos]

September 6, 1973

Daniel wakes up thinking about the midnight sun thing. 

Half his face is smushed into his pillow, and the sun is in his eyes. In the bleary sleep-fog he reaches towards the window, like he can close the curtains from here, but his hand just meets the empty air. He pulls the blanket up over his head, instead.

It’s nice, sleeping in. It’s been a while since he’s had to wake up in the morning. No boring job. Done with school. But it fills him with uneasiness sometimes. Like he’s missing out on something.

He peeks his head out, arches his neck to see his alarm clock. It’s almost eleven. Oops.

The blanket cave feels good, though. He buries himself again, closes his eyes. Tries to enjoy the warmth as long as he can, before he feels like the air is running out. He thinks he could fall asleep like this, fading more and more as he runs out of oxygen, but he’d be so warm he wouldn’t even worry about it.

His stomach grumbles, though. His eyes open. Sleeping forever is nice but he should get breakfast. Or, by the time he’s moving around maybe it’s lunch. Whatever. Who cares.

There’s no rush as he rolls out of bed. He pops his back, rubs his eyes. Drops the needle onto Paranoid in the record player. Cranks it up to fill his whole apartment as he brushes his teeth, as he walks around looking for clothes to wear. He gets his pants on and forgets to find a shirt, too distracted by the idea to make coffee, and he chews on his toothbrush as he measures out the water, forgetting that he was brushing his teeth until the mint starts to burn. He rinses out in the kitchen sink, goes to put his toothbrush away but finds himself opening the blinds in the living room, forgets to start the percolator.

It all occurs to him as he’s standing over his typewriter, reaching for his cigarettes, realizing he’s half-dressed, that everything is half-done, that his mind is bouncing around like a pinball machine.

“Get your shit together,” he says out loud.

Okay, try again.

He takes a breath. Puts his toothbrush away, wipes his face. Grabs a shirt off the bathroom floor that passes the sniff test. Clicks the percolator on. 

Better, better. Getting there.

The clock says it’s 12:15 now and he’s not sure how an hour passed. 

His stomach grumbles again and he goes back for food. Not a ton to eat, but he can manage toast or something. 

And then what. 

Interviews and notes and tapes wind through his head. He can seem like a rolodex. Each one has a name and a list of tasks. Some he has to file away on his shelf, with the correct labels. Some still need notes for the station. He can drop some off and pick up his originals that they’re done with. And maybe buy some more tapes today. And maybe, and maybe, and maybe–

The mental image is organized. Compartmentalized. It feels good, most of the time, stackling all the tasks like that. A place for everything and everything in its place.

But it’s spinning and spinning and there are just so many fucking tapes on the shelf. So many lives. His eyes sweep across them and he can hear all of them, bits of voices drifting on top of each other, in and out. This one talking about their abusive mom, and the next explaining how a jet engine works, and the next describing how it feels to overdose. A civil rights march, a traumatic surgery, the Siege of Bastogne. And it’s too overwhelming, too cramped in here, too many people for his tiny apartment.

“You should leave,” he says. And the voices shut off. Silent now; even the record ended when he wasn’t listening and he just hears the nearly-imperceptible pitch of the electricity ringing in his ears. And from behind him he hears the percolator’s light click on, and from downstairs someone slams their mailbox shut, and outside a car honks.

Maybe he needs to be outside. But, like, in the quiet. Like that guy was saying yesterday. Not Iceland; that would take too much planning. Maybe Muir Woods or something. It’s a Thursday, maybe there won’t be too many people around. Normal people are at their jobs.

Yeah. Yeah. 

He nods his head. Looks around for his shoes. Remembers to go pour his coffee. Flips the record over and keeps playing it, to give himself some time to eat. 

And it’s easier, a few minutes later. Caffeinated, and on the fresh first hit of the morning smoke.

He shouldn’t panic so much, he’s just not a morning person.

[previous day] | [next day]

[vdgmilitaria]

“What Others Think of the Fourth Armored Division” Souvenir Booklet (July 25, 1945)

Era: World War II

This rare booklet, titled “What Others Think of the Fourth Armored Division,” was published as a souvenir on July 25, 1945. It serves as a testament to the storied combat history of the 4th Armored Division during World War II. This division, often hailed as one of the most effective armored units in the U.S. Army, fought across Europe from the beaches of Normandy to the heart of Germany, leaving an indelible mark on the outcome of the war.

Formation and Early Action:

The 4th Armored Division was activated in April 1941 at Pine Camp, New York. Its first combat deployment came after the D-Day landings, where it quickly established itself as a rapid and effective strike force under the command of Major General John S. Wood. Part of General George S. Patton’s Third Army, the 4th Armored Division played a critical role in the breakout from the Normandy beachhead during Operation Cobra in July 1944, contributing to the collapse of German defenses in France.

Race Across France:

After breaking through German lines in Normandy, the division spearheaded the Third Army’s advance across France, earning its nickname as “Patton’s Best.” It became renowned for its ability to cover large distances quickly, engaging enemy forces with its well-coordinated combination of tanks, infantry, and artillery. The division liberated towns and cut off retreating German forces, a significant achievement in a fast-moving war of maneuver.

Heroic Stand at Bastogne - Battle of the Bulge:

Perhaps the most famous chapter in the 4th Armored Division’s history came during the Battle of the Bulge. In December 1944, as the German Ardennes Offensive pushed into Allied lines, the 101st Airborne Division found itself surrounded at Bastogne, Belgium. The 4th Armored Division, under the command of General Patton’s Third Army, was tasked with breaking through to relieve the besieged paratroopers. On December 26, 1944, the division achieved this, fighting through fierce resistance and enduring harsh winter conditions to break the siege, cementing its place in history as a decisive force in the battle.

The Final Push into Germany:

Following the success at Bastogne, the division continued its relentless advance into Germany. It crossed the Rhine River in March 1945, playing a key role in encircling the Ruhr industrial region and cutting off German forces. The division’s rapid movements contributed to the collapse of German resistance, culminating in the division’s arrival at the Elbe River, where it made contact with Soviet forces in late April 1945.

Legacy and Leadership:

Under the leadership of commanders like Major General John S. Wood and later Major General Hugh Gaffey, the division’s reputation was lauded by both Allied and enemy commanders. This booklet includes letters and comments from notable military leaders, praising the division’s achievements. General Patton himself remarked that no armored division in the world had achieved more than the 4th, famously stating, “There has never been such a superb fighting organization as the 4th Armored Division.”

For collectors and military historians, this booklet offers a remarkable glimpse into the pride and recognition bestowed upon one of World War II’s most formidable fighting units. The Fourth Armored Division’s contributions to the Allied victory were invaluable, and this document serves as both a tribute to their service and a reflection of their enduring legacy in U.S. military history.

[gyunikum]

11 or 47 for one word writing prompts, if you have time on this glorious Monday.

i have my first aid exam for my driving license in two days, but i'm taking a break from watching videos of how to deal with arterial bleeding and broken spines <3

here's an SAS RH and a BOB starter:

11. — siege

The way Tobruk is under siege by Rommel could be best described thus: it's a bloody mess. Literally. There's so much blood, not even the desert can soak it all up. The ancient continent thirsts still. And the heat; even the heat is bloody, and the corpses that cannot be retrieved rot and bloat and liquefy within days because the soil thirsts for everything. Sometimes Jock Lewes dreams of being one of those many corpses out there under the sun, oozing black.

47. — glitter

The snow in Bastogne is different. It's sharp. It's a shrapnel. Back in the bayou Eugene would only hear of snow as some sort of magical powder that glittered like the most precious of gems.

Then he was marched to Bastogne, and the snow is a monster. Each crystal a leech. Merciless, just like the exploding pines and the German artillery.

Snow is awful.

And yet it glitters in the red flare. Soaks up that too.

[wikiuntamed]

On this day in Wikipedia: Wednesday, 23rd August

Welcome, Benvenuta, 你好, أه��ا وسهلا 🤗 What does @Wikipedia say about 23rd August through the years 🏛️📜🗓️?

23rd August 2021 🗓️ : Death - Elizabeth Blackadder Elizabeth Blackadder, Scottish painter and printmaker (b. 1931) "Dame Elizabeth Violet Blackadder, Mrs Houston, (24 September 1931 – 23 August 2021) was a Scottish painter and printmaker. She was the first woman to be elected to both the Royal Scottish Academy and the Royal Academy. In 1962 she began teaching at Edinburgh College of Art where she continued until..."

Image licensed under CC BY 2.0? by Scottish Government

23rd August 2015 🗓️ : Death - Augusta Chiwy Augusta Chiwy, Congolese-Belgian nurse (b. 1921) "Augusta Marie Chiwy (6 June 1921 – 23 August 2015) was a Belgian nurse who served as a volunteer during the Siege of Bastogne in 1944. She worked with U.S. Army physician John Prior and with fellow Belgian nurse Renée Lemaire, treating injured soldiers during the Battle of the Bulge...."

Image by Embassy of the United States in Brussels, Belgium's official Facebook

23rd August 2013 🗓️ : Event - 2013 Palmasola prison riot A riot at the Palmasola prison complex in Santa Cruz, Bolivia kills 31 people. "On August 23, 2013, a prison riot broke out at Palmasola, a maximum-security prison in Santa Cruz, Bolivia. The riot started when members of one cell block attacked a rival gang in another, using propane tanks as flame throwers. Thirty-one people were killed, including an 18-month-old child who was..."

23rd August 1973 🗓️ : Event - Norrmalmstorg robbery A bank robbery gone wrong in Stockholm, Sweden, turns into a hostage crisis; over the next five days the hostages begin to sympathise with their captors, leading to the term "Stockholm syndrome". "The Norrmalmstorg robbery was a bank robbery and hostage crisis best known as the origin of the term Stockholm syndrome. It occurred at the Norrmalmstorg Square in Stockholm, Sweden, in August 1973 and was the first criminal event in Sweden to be covered by live television.Jan-Erik Olsson was a..."

Image licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0? by Tage Olsin

23rd August 1923 🗓️ : Event - Captain (United States O-3) Captain Lowell Smith and Lieutenant John P. Richter perform the first mid-air refueling on De Havilland DH-4B, setting an endurance flight record of 37 hours. "In the United States Army (USA), U.S. Marine Corps (USMC), U.S. Air Force (USAF), and U.S. Space Force (USSF), captain (abbreviated "CPT" in the USA and "Capt" in the USMC, USAF, and USSF) is a company-grade officer rank, with the pay grade of O-3. It ranks above first lieutenant and below major. It..."

23rd August 1819 🗓️ : Death - Oliver Hazard Perry Oliver Hazard Perry, American commander (b. 1785) "Oliver Hazard Perry (August 23, 1785 – August 23, 1819) was an American naval commander, born in South Kingstown, Rhode Island. A prominent member of the Perry family naval dynasty, he was the son of Sarah Wallace Alexander and United States Navy Captain Christopher Raymond Perry, and older brother..."

Image by Jane Stuart

23rd August 🗓️ : Holiday - Umhlanga Day (Eswatini) "Umhlanga [um̩ɬaːŋɡa], or Reed Dance ceremony, is an annual Swazi event that takes place at the end of August or at the beginning of September. In Eswatini, tens of thousands of unmarried and childless Swazi girls and women travel from the various chiefdoms to the Ludzidzini Royal Village to..."

Image by Amada44

[tearsinthemist]

Bastogne is a town in southern Belgium’s Wallonia region. In central Place McAuliffe, a U.S. Sherman tank and a statue of General McAuliffe are reminders of Bastogne’s role during WWII’s Battle of the Bulge. Outside of town, the star-shaped Mardasson Memorial honors the U.S. soldiers who fought in that battle. The nearby Bastogne War Museum traces the events of WWII through interactive displays and reconstructions. ― Google

Thanks guys

[historicalnovelsrus]

Memorial Day Tribute

Most heroes never intended to be one. They were ordinary people who volunteered at personal risk to help others in difficult circumstances.

Did you know John Thompson Prior? I have been reading about the siege of Bastogne, Christmas 1944. The many enormous sacrifices strike me with awe. There was love and humanity even for enemies. Most heroes never intended to be one. They were ordinary people who volunteered at personal risk to help others in difficult circumstances. Some circumstances seem more dramatic than others- but the…

[carbone14]

Brigadier Général Anthony McAuliffe, commandant de la 101e Division aéroportée américaine (Screaming Eagles), avec à sa droite le Lieutenant-colonel Paul A. Danahy, Chief of Staff, et à sa gauche le Lieutenant-colonel Kinnard, commandant de bataillon - Siège de Bastogne - Bataille des Ardennes - Bastogne - Belgique - décembre 1944

Les forces allemandes encerclant la ville de Bastogne, occupée par les éléments de la 101e Division aéroportée américaine, le 22 décembre 1944, le général Heinrich Freiherr von Lüttwitz envoya cet ultimatum à McAuliffe :

« Au Commandant américain de la ville assiégée de Bastogne. L'issue de la guerre est en train de changer. Cette fois-ci, les troupes américaines dans et aux alentours de Bastogne ont été encerclées par des unités allemandes mieux armées. Un nombre supérieur d'unités allemandes ont traversé l'Ourthe près d'Ortheuville, ont pris Marche et atteint Saint-Hubert en traversant Hompré, Sibret et Libramont est aux mains des troupes allemandes. Il existe une seule possibilité de sauver les troupes américaines assiégées de l'annihilation totale : c'est la reddition honorable de la ville assiégée. Une durée de deux heures sera accordée à partir de la remise de cette note, pour vous laisser quelques instants de réflexion. Si cette proposition devait être rejetée, un Corps d'artillerie allemand et six bataillons lourds A.A. se tiennent prêts à annihiler les troupes américaines dans et aux alentours de Bastogne. L'ordre de tirer sera donné immédiatement après ce délai de deux heures. Toutes ces pertes civiles sévères causées par les tirs d'artillerie ne correspondraient pas avec l'humanité américaine bien connue. Le Commandant allemand.»

D'après différents récits, quand McAuliffe fut informé de la demande de reddition allemande, il dit Aw, nuts! (Oh, des clous !). En cherchant à écrire une réponse officielle, le Lieutenant-colonel Kinnard suggéra que cette première remarque résumait bien la situation. Les autres marquèrent leur accord. La réponse officielle tint donc en ces mots :

« Au Commandant allemand, NUTS ! Le Commandant américain. »

Ce message fut tapé et remis par le colonel Harper et le major Jones à la délégation allemande. Harper devait expliquer le sens de cet unique mot aux Allemands (source Wikipédia)

[searchingforacircuitbreaker]

Brigadier General Anthony McAuliffe and his staff gathered inside Bastogne’s Heintz Barracks for Christmas dinner December 25th, 1944. This military barracks served as the Division Main Command Post during the siege of Bastogne, Belgium during World War II.

[hanspanzer]

Speirs comandando en Foy

[theghostwhotumbles]

MEMORIAL

IN THE PACIFIC https://billmichelmore.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/x5vvxs.mp4 Tap bottom right for full screen The Battle of Leyte Gulf in the Philippines  AND IN EUROPE THEY SAVED THE WORD Before and after the the siege of Bastogne. https://billmichelmore.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/tsoc43.mp4 Battleground (1949) Tap bottom right for full screen Battleground, the 1949 World War II…

[silentambassadors]

Repose en paix, Augusta Chiwy.  I wish I could post a beautiful commemorative stamp depicting Ms. Chiwy (“The Forgotten Angel of Bastogne”), but alas, thus far the Belgian Post and USPS have failed me (as too often happens, particularly w/r/t women and/or people of color subjects).  But let’s take a moment to remember Augusta Chiwy, daughter of a Belgian veterinarian and his Congolese wife, who, during the Battle of of the Bulge, worked first with her doctor uncle to aid the soldiers injured as the Nazis advanced, and then volunteered as a nurse with the United States of American Army division stationed there, sometimes even donning an Army uniform to collect wounded soldiers from the battlefield.  The aid station was attacked on Christmas Eve 1944, and despite getting blown through a wall, Nurse Chiwy continued to assist the United States of Americans, and eventually, post-war, worked at a hospital treating spinal injuries, married a Belgian doctor, had two children, and lived in obscurity before her story was uncovered and she was tracked down in a nursing home by Martin King while he was researching for his Voices of the Bulge: Untold Stories from Veterans of the Battle of the Bulge (2011).  Chiwy was subsequently honored by the Belgian government, the United States Department of the Army, and her hometown of Bastogne.  Finally.  She died on this date in 2015 at the age of 94.

Stamp details: Issued on: June 6, 1994 From: Washington, DC SC #2838j

[peonymoss]

Follow the link for a short video clip

[daisyssousa]

"The Siege of Bastogne was an engagement in December 1944 between American and German forces at the Belgian town of Bastogne, as part of the larger Battle of the Bulge.

[...]the Allied commanders considered the Ardennes area to be unsuitable for a large-scale German attack, mainly because of terrain issues. In addition, intelligence reports suggested that the only German divisions stationed in the area were weary, and in the weeks leading up to the assault, no Allied commander saw reason to believe that an attack was imminent. Bastogne, a hub city that commanded several important roads in the area, was defended mainly by the 28th Infantry Division, which had seen continuous fighting from 22 July-19 November, before being assigned to this relatively quiet area. The Allies believed only an infantry division was present opposite the 28th Infantry, and they believed any attack along this sector would be limited in scale. In the town of Bastogne, Belgium, there are seven roads in and seven roads out of the town. These roads were important for the movement of German armor, making Allied retention of the roads imperative. 

On 19 December, the 28th Division command post transferred to Bastogne from Wiltz, a large village to the southeast. At Wiltz, the division put up its last stand; 3rd Battalion of the 110th—supported by armor and artillery—arrived at the city around noon of that day. The 44th Engineer Battalion was set up north of the town, but they were soon overwhelmed and retreated into the city, blowing up a bridge behind them. This small force—numbering no more than 500 in total—held out until the evening, when their position became completely untenable and they retreated to the west. With the 110th Infantry completely destroyed as an effective combat unit, it would be up to the rest of the Allied army to defend Bastogne.”

“The 28th Division has performed one of the greatest feats in the history of the American Army ... Against nine divisions it has held so firmly that the German timetable has been thrown of completely."

[sylvanfreckles]

Okay, I'll admit, I avoided Puppet History because I figured the Professor had a typical squeaky muppet voice and there's only so much I can take (sorry @wearewatcher, but Sesame Street broke me literally decades ago). But I finally broke the ice on it, and hey! Not bad!

But the metalhead in me just wants Puppet History to do a crossover with Sabaton and some of the stories behind their songs. Come on. Little puppet Par or Joakim to tell the story of Alvin York and the charge against the machine gun nests on Hill 223 as told in their song 82nd All The Way?

I'd really love to see a puppet reenactment of the siege of Bastogne in 1944 when the German commander sent a note to the Americans asking for their surrender, and the American general's reply was a single word: "Nuts!" (Screaming Eagles...I live near the home of the 101st Airborne so I hear that one a lot)

BTW it's Christmas, go listen to Christmas Truce.