Dec 23d 1944 "Battle of the Bulge" - An entire U.S. Armored Division was retreating from the Germans in the Ardennes Forest when a sergeant in a tank destroyer spotted an American digging a foxhole. The G.I. - PFC Martin, 325th Glider Infantry Regiment - looked up and asked, "Are you looking for a safe place?"

"Yeah," answered the tanker.

"Well buddy," he drawled, "just pull your vehicle behind me . . .

.

SUN TZU: THE ART OF FIGHTING WITHOUT FIGHTING

When putting together the team, my current employer stated two prerquisites: prior service on a Special Forces Operational Detachment ‘Alpha’, and a working knowledge of the principles of Sun Tzu. When I began studying Sun Tzu - as a private in the 82d Airborne - the connection between this ancient general's philosophy and the modern corporate world mystified me. Nowadays it makes so much sense; the battlefield changes from forests and mountains and deserts to the corporate meeting rooms; swords and rifles are laid down for computers and . . . well, we still have use for firearms, but only for when we are physically defending corporate lives and property. - Sean Linnane


If the goal of the kingdom (or in this case, the corporation) is to survive and prosper, then what is the goal of its strategy? Sun Tzu offers this advice:

“Your aim must be to take All-under-Heaven intact. Thus your troops are not worn out and your gains will be complete. This is the art of offensive strategy.”


This is the over-arching principle of the great Chinese philosopher-general; the greatest victory is the one you win without having to fire a shot, i.e, you are so well-prepared on the pathway to war, that your enemy declines combat.




The great warrior / philosopher Bruce Lee describes his style as “the Art of Fighting Without Fighting” - that is, to achieve one’s objective without undue cost, or self-destruction.

D-DAY - Fact & Fiction

Omaha Beach, 6 June 1944



Remember the opening scene in "Saving Private Ryan" where the officer takes over the beach breakout?



That really happened, and the guy's name was Brigadier General Norm Cota.




In World War II, (then Colonel) Cota was involved in the successful North African invasion Operation Torch. Next, he was instrumental in the conceptual planning for Operation Husky, the allied invasion of Sicily. Promoted to Brigadier General, he served as the United States adviser to the Combined Operations Division in the UK to observe and supervise the preparations for the seaborne invasion of France, Operation Overlord.

During the planning phases, BG Cota adamantly opposed daylight landings, believing pre-dawn landings would stand a better chance of success. Made Assistant Division commander of the 29th Infantry Division, slated to land on Omaha Beach, Cota pleaded for a night time assault; he did not get his way. Despite his protests, with time running out and a run of bad weather, the Allied high command had little choice.

Most D-Day commanders assured their men that the Germans would be annihilated by the Allies' pre-assault bombardments, and that the defenders were outnumbered, inexperienced and demoralized. All of these assessments were revoltingly inaccurate. On the afternoon of June 5 Cota gave one of the few accurate estimates to the soldiers of the 29th Infantry Division:

". . . The little discrepancies that we tried to correct (in amphibious training) are going to be magnified and are going to give way to incidents that you might at first view as chaotic. The air and naval bombardment and the artillery support are reassuring. But you're going to find confusion. The landing craft aren't going in on schedule and people are going to be landed in the wrong place. Some won't be landed at all. The enemy will to some degree prevent our gaining 'lodgement.' But we must improvise, carry on, not lose our heads."

Despite his unique foresight, even Cota underestimated the utter carnage that awaited V Corps (the 29th and 1st Infantry Divisions) on Omaha beach on the morning of 6 June, 1944.


BLOODY OMAHA

Cota landed with a part of the 116th Infantry Regiment of the 29th Division, in the second wave, approximately one hour after H-Hour, on the Omaha sector known as Dog White. His boat came under heavy machinegun and mortar fire; when the ramp went down three soldiers were killed immediately.


Dead U.S. soldiers at the waterline, Omaha Beach, 6 June 1944


Cota was one of the highest ranking officers on the beach that day. He is famous for personally directing the attack, motivating the shell-shocked, pinned-down survivors into action, and opening one of the first vehicle exits off the beach. Two famous quotes are attributed to him during this time:

Encountering Max Schneider, commander of the 5th Ranger Battalion, Cota asked “What outfit is this?” Someone yelled "5th Rangers!" Cota replied “Well, goddamn it then, Rangers, lead the way!”.

"Rangers lead the way" became the motto of the 75th Ranger Regiment.


Robert Mitchum portrayed BG Cota in The Longest Day

Cota is also quoted as saying to his troops, "Gentlemen, we are being killed on the beaches. Let us go inland and be killed." In the 1962 film The Longest Day, Cota renders the similar encouragement. However, historical evidence suggests these words were actually said by Colonel George A. Taylor: "There are only two kinds of people who are staying on this beach: those who are already dead and those that are gonna'die. Now get off your butts, you're the fight'in 29th!"

Killed in Action, Omaha Beach, 6 June 1944

Cota received the Distinguished Service Cross for his heroism on Omaha Beach. In 2004 a movement arose to have the Army reconsider upgrading Cota's decoration to the Medal of Honor.

Both Gen. Cota and his high commanding officer, Dwight D. Eisenhower knew one another from early West Point Days while playing football. They remained good friends.


*********************************************************************


Matt Damon as the fictitious Private James Francis Ryan

Although the story for the search for Private Ryan is fictional, there was a real paratrooper in the 101st Airborne Division whose family apparently suffered the loss of three out of four sons in combat in a short period of time.


Sergeant "Fritz" Niland, 3rd Bn, 501st Parachute Infantry Regt, 101st Airborne Division

Sergeant Frederick "Fritz" Niland was a member of the 101st Airborne's 501st Parachute Infantry Regiment, and was one of those that made the drop into Normandy on June 6, 1944. He landed southwest of Carentan in Raffoville, and he was eventually able to make it back to his unit on his own.

Niland's three brothers served in other units; Technical Sergeant Robert Niland was a paratrooper in the 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 82nd Airborne Division, Lieutenant Preston Niland served in the 22nd Infantry Regiment, 4th Infantry Division, and Technical Sergeant Edward Niland was a pilot in the Army Air Force.


B-25 Mitchell in flight


Edward had been reported missing over Burma in the Pacific Theater on May 16, 1944. His B-25 had been shot down and he was reported as MIA and presumed killed. Robert was killed on D-Day at Neuville-au-Plain. Preston was killed on June 7th in the vicinity of Utah Beach.


Neuville-au-Plain, approx 3 miles north of Ste Mere Eglise (first town liberated in France, 6 June 1944)

Unlike the fictional Ryan, however, there was no need to send out a rescue mission to find Sergeant Niland. When Father Francis L. Sampson, chaplain of the 501st, learned that two of Niland's brothers were dead, and that a third was presumed dead, he began the paperwork necessary to send Niland home.


Soldiers of the 90th Inf Div linking up with 82d Airborne Division "All American" paratroopers in the Cretteville-Baupte sector of Normandy; June, 1944


Niland remained with his unit for some time, but once the paperwork cleared he was forced to return to the States, where he served in New York as an MP for the rest of the war.

Fortunately for the Niland family, Edward Niland had not been killed, but had spent almost an entire year in a Japanese prisoner of war camp before being rescued by British forces.


Thanks, Veterans.



.

M561 GAMA GOAT

Somewhere deep in the Pine Barrens of New Jersey . . . IT LIVES ! ! !






The Gama Goat is a six-wheel-drive semi-amphibious off-road vehicle originally developed for use by the US Military for the war in Vietnam - it is no longer in service. Infamous for its articulated body, which allowed it to travel over exceptionally rough terrain and for the unique four wheel steering arrangement with the front and rear wheels turning in opposite directions, "The Goat" as it was referred to by GI's required almost daily maintenance.

The vehicle's name comes from two sources; "Gama" from the name of the inventor of its powered articulated joint, Roger Gamount, and "Goat" for its mountain goat-like off-road ability. Its military designation is M561, 6x6 tactical 1.5-ton truck. There was also an ambulance version known as the M792.
















Some 15,000 Gama Goats were built at a cost of US$8,000 each; this was considered quite high at the time. While the Gama Goat had exceptional off-road ability, its quirky steering made it hard to handle on pavement, and it tended to founder in amphibious operations. Production was halted after the original contract expired. This is somewhat ironic, as some claim problems with "The Goat's" performance were largely due to cost-cutting modifications made at the request of the U.S. Army. "The Goat" is prized amongst military vehicle collectors because it is so unusual and in short supply.


Talk about Last of the Few . . .







The Heart and Soul of The Goat - the Infamous Powered Articulated Joint.










When I was in the 82D Airborne, these beasts infested the Division and were almost universally despised for the amount of heavy maintenance they required. I was almost taken aback at the feelings of joy and happiness this Goat evoked when I encountered it today. Nobody said a word as I popped open the engine compartment for a look at the 3-cylinder, 2-stroke Detroit Diesel engine - the owner of the body shop this thing is parked in front of is probably used to ex-GI's drooling all over his Goat. This baby's last depot overhaul was in '89, and has civilian registration dated 2006

- S.L.

DOUBLETAPPER

DOUBLETAPPER is a Friend of STORMBRINGER. He serves in the IDF; I served in Israel 1984-1986 (US Army 82d Airborne, Multinational Force & Observers, Sinai). It was the proudest episode of my career, what a great honor to be an American soldier in the Holy Land.



ISRAEL FACTS
تنسيق-ا

I get lots of emails from readers asking about Israel.

What it's like to live here, Israel's history, the Arab-Israeli conflict, dealing with Islamic terrorists on a daily basis, how it feels to serve as a reserve officer in the IDF, what it's like to live in the only democracy in the Middle East, etc.

I always try to email back with answers and sometimes post the information here.

Here are some undisputed facts about Israel that may help you understand what we deal with.

1. Israel became a nation in 1312 B.C.E., two thousand years before the rise of Islam.

2. Arab refugees in Israel began identifying themselves as part of a Palestinian people in 1967, two decades after the establishment of the modern State of Israel.

3. Since the Jewish conquest in 1272 B.C.E. the Jews have had dominion over the land for one thousand years with a continuous presence in the land for the past 3,300 years.

4. The only Arab dominion since the conquest in 635 C.E. lasted no more than 22 years.

5. For over 3,300 years, Jerusalem has been the Jewish capital. Jerusalem has never been the capital of any Arab or Muslim entity. Even when the Jordanians occupied Jerusalem, from 1948 until 1967, they never sought to make it their capital, and Arab leaders did not come to visit.

6. Jerusalem is mentioned over 700 times in Old Testament, the Jewish Holy Scriptures. Jerusalem is not mentioned once in the Koran, ever.

7. King David founded the city of Jerusalem. Mohammed never came to Jerusalem.

8. Jews pray facing Jerusalem. Muslims pray with their backs toward Jerusalem.

9. Arab and Jewish Refugees: In 1948 the Arab refugees were encouraged to leave Israel by Arab leaders promising to purge the land of Jews. Sixty-eight percent left without ever seeing an Israeli soldier.

10. Since 1948, over 630,000 Jewish refugees were forced to flee from Arab lands due to Arab brutality, persecution and pogroms.

11. The number of Arab refugees who left Israel in 1948 is estimated to be around 630,000.

12. Arab refugees were INTENTIONALLY not absorbed or integrated into the Arab lands to which they fled, despite the vast Arab territory. Out of the 100,000,000 refugees since World War II, theirs is the only refugee group in the world that has never been absorbed or integrated into their own peoples' lands. Jewish refugees were completely absorbed into Israel, a country no larger than the state of New Jersey.

13. The Arab - Israeli Conflict: The Arabs are represented by eight separate nations, not including the self named Palestinians. There is only one Jewish nation. The Arab nations initiated all five wars and lost. Israel defended itself each time and won.

14. The PLO's Charter, and the PA's constitution still calls for the destruction of the State of Israel.

15. Under Jordanian rule, Jewish holy sites were desecrated and the Jews were denied access to places of worship. Under Israeli rule, all Muslim and Christian sites have been preserved and made accessible to people of all faiths.

16. Of the 175 UN Security Council resolutions passed before 1990; there were 97 directed against Israel.

17. Of the 690 UN General Assembly resolutions voted on before 1990, 429 were directed against Israel.

18. The UN was silent while 58 Jerusalem Synagogues were destroyed by the Jordanians.

19. The UN was silent while the Jordanians systematically desecrated the ancient Jewish cemetery on the Mount of Olives.

20. The UN was silent while the Jordanians enforced an apartheid-like policy of preventing Jews from visiting the Temple Mount and the Western Wall.

Let me know if you have any questions.


Originally posted on DOUBLETAPPER 14 June 2009: