The Patriot Files :: Dedicated to the preservation of military history

It was 15 May 1951 and I was a 1st Lt. assigned to the 12th Sqdn, 18th FBW flying F-51Ds. This was my 44th mission. Assigned as element lead (no. 3) in a flight of four. Flight commander was Capt. AE Rice. His wingman was Lt. Forrest Strange. My wingman was Lt. Luther A. Webb.

Note: by Richard T. Gruber, LtCol (ret), 12th Fighter Bomber Squadron, 18th FBW. 8685 Reads

Task Force Zebra

I was born in Aalborg, Denmark on April 8, 1922 and immigrated to America with my mother and two older brothers Kaj and Poul in 1924. My father, Niels Christian, had come to America the previous year in 1923. After a two week sea and train journey through Ellis Island and Canada, we finally arrived in Chicago where we settled in a Danish neighborhood in the Humboldt Park area. Our family suffered greatly during the depression years but with the help of the Danish community we survived.

Note: by Erik Larsen, Battalion Surgeon, 2nd Battalion, 23rd Regimental Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division 18499 Reads

Battle of Ogdensburg N.Y., February 22nd, 1813

"Sir, In my hasty dispatch of the 22nd Instant I was unable to detail the operations of that day— I now have the honour to acquaint you, for the information of His Excellency The Commander of The Forces, that, immediately on his departure from this post on that morning, I commenced my arrangement for the demonstration he had authorized me to make,

Note: by Lt. Col. George MacDonell. 9121 Reads

Green LT - USMC Version

True story (lots of them about). Was attached to Hq 1/13 near Division HQ at DaNang. LZ overlooked Dai La pass. To the right (northern side) were a bunch of OP's overlooking the area. I had Sgt of the guard one night and our Lt was sitting with me on top of a bunker taking in the evening / morning air. Beautiful clear night - sweating like a dog. About 1 or 2 in the morning a series of about 3 or 4 'flashes' up near the top of the hill.

Note: By Scott Mason 8553 Reads

The Day They Took Beersheba

My grandfather Donald Cameron began his military career in January 1900 when he sailed for South Africa as a trooper in the lst. Australian Horse. His unit was then attached to the Scots-Greys as a part of General French's famous cavalry division and undertook reconnaissance and generally disruptive actions behind the lines of the Boer enemy.

Note: by Richard Cameron 10943 Reads

Chancellorsville, 1863

Saturday, May 2, 1863 A pleasant day, the Rebs ominously silent. We expected an attack early & vigorous. Soon after …. moved from the field & took up a position on the extreme left of the 11th corps. Commenced an advance ab’t. noon.

Note: by Caspar Tyler of the 141st Pennsylvania Infantry. He witnessed the death of his Cousin Logan Tyler as they were beating off the furious attack of Stonewall Jackson. 141st had the misfortune to be stationed right behind Howard's Corps as they gave away under Jackson's relentless attack. 8691 Reads

Diary of Private Charles Robert Bottomley - Part 1

February 15, 1918 -- Left guns at 12 noon for wagon lines. Got a change of tunic and pants.

February 16, 1918 -- Started away on leave from Neun Le Mines. Fritz was shelling station. Had to beat it to Bethune Road down in boxcars and caught the leave train. Arrived in Balounge about nine p.m. Slept in the fish market all night.

9877 Reads

War Memories - part 1

Pearl Harbor occurred about six months after I graduated from High School. I believe we all were aware it would change our lives and the things we believed in but none of us knew how much. It placed restraints on our lives. We wanted to keep on working and enjoying our new found freedom of being out of school and yet we were all moved by feelings of duty to the country and many of my friends joined the service.

Note: by William H. Gieske, 172nd Field Artillery Battalion. 10067 Reads

Tet 68 at Camp Red Ball

I was drafted 3 weeks after graduating from high school and went in the Army in September of 1966. After basic training at Fort Campbell and AIT at Fort Polk, I was sent to Vietnam in March of 1967 with an 11B10 light weapons infantry MOS. My first three weeks in-country were spent in a security platoon on the Bien Hoa air base perimeter.

Note: by Andrew R. Ansenberger, 368th Transportation Company 15706 Reads

The Battle of Tam Quan

During the month of November and the first part of December 1967 there were many indications that the enemy ws building up forces in preparation for the coming Tet Offensive in the Bong Son plains of Binh Din Province. Their major targets would be U.S. and ARVN forces and the major district capitals. Aerial reconnaissance forces of the 1st Cavalry Divisions had found many indications of this to include an enourmous Russian Ship to Shore radio on the beach.

Note: by Rigo Ordaz, 1st Bn (Mech), 50th Infantry 14202 Reads

An Australian At Messines, 1917

France 16th June 1917.
Dear Mother & Father,
Please forgive me for making such a wide gap since I last wrote for truly it has been impossible. Since my last letter of the 2nd, our division has been through the fire and is now resting, resting as victors and as men who have done their bit. I feel at a loss to give an account of myself and of events generally during the past two weeks, for such a poor pen as mine cannot compass the tremendous events the awe-inspiring sights and the terrible ordeals which we have seen and gone through.

Note: by Len Newton, Sapper, 3rd Division Signal Coy, A.I.F. 9028 Reads

Civil War Diary, Feb., 1864 to Jan., 1865

Memarandum of Events of Basil H Messler's term in the U.S. Ser Arrved in Davenport on the 27th day of February. Put up at the Penn. House and took Dinner and then I went to Lieut Walthams Recruiting office and made out My Inlistment papers in Dupicates and then got permistion of a furlow and was examined by Dr Church and pass examination Then got the Agt, to excep them and got an order to go to Camp McClelands. But did not go that evening went to the theater and then returned to the Hotell and took room No 69 in co. with Sergts Grooms & Allsop.

Note: by Basil H. Messler, Mississippi Marine Brigade 17260 Reads

Trucking in Vietnam

A starry night in January 1968, found me on a westbound Trailways Bus somewhere in the Nevada desert. My transistor radio was playing "Hey Jude", and my destination was Vietnam. The first time I had ever heard of Vietnam was in 1965. I was assigned to the 396th Truck Company located at Panzer Karserne in Boeblingen, Germany. Our CO would call us together periodically and brief us about this place called Vietnam.

Note: by Fred Probst, 566th Transportation Company 18478 Reads

Captivity in the Ardennes

I shall never forget the morning of March 28th, 1918, when I watched our trenches and the familiar landmarks disappear under the intense bombardment of hundreds of minenwerfers - those earthquakes in miniature. I watched and waited in a state of mental numbness or apathy, and at last the bit reserved for me hit me in the head. When I took a further interest in matters I was a prisoner.

Note: by Rifleman Victor Denham, London Rifle Brigade 15010 Reads

War Memories - part 2

September 16 I remember crossing the Siegfried line with it's dragon teeth. We had seen pictures of this defensive system for years and now we saw it first hand. With the return of our men from the Red Ball Express we are now back in business. I don't remember details of all the areas we were in when we arrived in Germany. I recall one position shortly after we were in on the outskirts of Aachen. We had an antiaircraft unit of two half-tracks with us. One vehicle had quad fifties in a cockpit like arrangement and the other was a thirty seven mm. with a pair of fifties.

Note: by William H. Gieske, 172nd Field Artillery Battalion. 12362 Reads

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