PzLdr History Facts

[PzLdr]

See "PzLdr History Facts" Archive, p.15

[PzLdr]

He was the founding father of the Rolling Stones. He could play virtually anything he picked up: dulcimer, lute, sitar, xylophone. And he died on this date in 1969.

Brian Jones began to lose influence in the band he founded when they began to move toward mainstream Rock, and away from pure blues. Compounding that problem, when the manager, Andrew Loog Oldham pressured Mick Jagger and Keith Richard to start writing the band's material, he was further marginalized. But it was his lifestyle that killed him.

Brian Jones had several out of wedlock children in the early 60s, when he was barely out of his own teens. His abuse of illegal drugs and legal alcohol were legendary. And if increasingly affected his membership in the band. If he showed up at all, he was increasingly late. Many times if he did show up, he was too high to play. And his conviction for drug use cost him entry into the United States, and the band a U.S. tour.

So in early June, 1969, Jagger and Richard fired Brian Jones from the rolling Stones, with both sides concocting the usual 'musical differences', 'wants to follow his own path' BS, to cover it up.

Three weeks later, Brian Jones was found on the bottom of his swimming pool, dead, probably ass a result of a drowning while under the influence. Jones was 27 years old.

Two years later, another rocker was found dead in a body of water, in this case a bathtub in Paris. He was also 27. His name was Jim Morrison.

Morrison had risen to fame, and notoriety as the lead singer, poet/'lizard king' of the rock band the Doors [although contrary to popular belief, he didn't write "Light My Fire", guitarist Robby Krieger did]. Morrison mixed prodigious amounts of alcohol with his various drugs of choice, and his conduct onstage became more bizarre, culminating in an arrest for exposing himself to an audience.

By 1971, Morrison had abandoned the band and decamped to Paris, possibly with an eye on a writing career. Instead, two years after Jones' death, he was found in the bathtub, with his death ruled the result of a heart attack, despite the failure of the authorities to conduct an autopsy. They should have. The odds that drugs contributed to Morrison's passing are more than minimal.

[PzLdr]

1776: The UNITED STATES DECLARES ITS INDEPENDENCE

The Continental Congress unanimously declares its independence from the British Empire via the Thomas Jefferson authored "Declaration of Independence. The vote comes over a year after military hostilities  had commenced at Lexington and Concord, and after efforts at reconciliation, including a letter and a list of grievances had been rejected by George III. Some eleven years later, Britain will recognize the independence of its former colonies, after the defeat of the British Army.



1826: THE DEATHS OF JOHN ADAMS AND THOMAS JEFFERSON

See "PzLdr History Facts" Archive, p.15



1863: VICKSBURG SURRENDERS

See "PzLdr History Facts" Archive, p.4

[PzLdr]

See "PzLdr History Facts" Archive, p.15

[PzLdr]

1940: THE BATTLE OF BRITAIN BEGINS:

Most folks think the Battle of Britain began with DER ADLERTAG, in August, 1940. They'd be wrong. It opened on this day, in 1940, when the Luftwaffe began intense bombing of British shipping, both civilian and military, in the English Channel. Flying Ju 87 Stukas, Donier 'Flying Pencils, as well as He-111s [and fighter escort Me 109s and 110s] from newly acquired bases in France and the Lowlands, the Germans launched sweeps and targeted attacks along the entire Channel, with devastating results, with the Stukas being particularly effective. within a few weeks, the channel was closed to British shipping.

1943: OPERATION 'HUSKY': THE INVASION OF SICILY

The theater commander was Eisenhower. The Army Commanders were Bernard Law Montgomery and George S. Patton, Jr. One of Patton's Corps commanders was Omar Bradley. By the time the campaign ended, Sicily was taken, Patton beat Montgomery to Messina, Mussolini was overthrown, Patton was relieved of command, and would serve under Bradley in France, the American loathing of Montgomery would increase, and the large proportion of German and Italian troops in Sicily would escape to the mainland - with the vast bulk of their equipment. Oh yeah, did I mention Lucky Luciano had a hand [hidden from the public, but a hand] in the victory?

The planning for Sicily came about for two reasons, both Churchillian. Churchill was fixed on invading Italy, the so-called "Soft underbelly of Europe". The Americans, led by George Marshall wanted to invade northern France. But Churchill decided on the indirect approach. He argued the Allies had an Army group sitting in North Africa after the Axis surrender in Tunisia, so why not use them to invade Sicily [for airbases]. FDR agreed.

Monty handled the planning, giving his 8th Army the southeastern landing beaches with the shortest route to the ultimate objective, Messina, while putting the U.S. 7th Army on the southern beaches, to act as a flank guard for 8th Army. That did NOT make any of the Americans happy, especially when after landing, and after Monty ran into German resistance, he took the major U.S. supply road, and the main axis of advance of IId Corps [Bradley], away from the Americans.

Patton was livid [so was Bradley], but Patton decided to sweep northwest, take Palermo, and then head east, along Sicily's north shore,
to Messina. And Patton had an advantage. He knew of trails and goat tracks courtesy of one Charles, "Lucky" Luciano, imprisoned Mafia boss of New York [and probably America], who had ordered both the american and Sicilian Mafia to help the U.S. Army. Both did.

So while Monty labored up Sicily's east coast, between the sea and Mt. Aetna, Patton cut loose, and blitzed up to Palermo. Sso far so good. But Patton became fixated on beating Monty to Messina, so fixated he undertook risky operations that cost possibly more lives than they should, angering not only Bradley, but officers like Lucian Truscott. Patton didn't care. He was so focused on Monty [and vice versa], neither noticed the Germans successfully ferry over 100,000 men and their equipment through Messina to the Italian mailand. So when Patton beat Montgomery into Messina, it was to a town bereft of Germans, or Italian troops.

Beating Montgomery to Messina did Patton no good. The famous slapping incident, at a field hospital, nearly ended his career [The Germans couldn't believe that it could]. As it was, Patton never rose higher than Army command. Brasdley did. But one thing they did share was an intense dislike of Montgomery and the way he  operated. That club would grow to include Eisenhower, and most of SHAEF. But that all lay ahead, and far from the dust, malaria, and volcanoes of Sicily.

[PzLdr]

See "PzLdr History Facts" Archive, p.4

[PzLdr]

See "PzLdr History Facts" Archive, p. 15, 'A Grab Bag for July 14th'

[PzLdr]

See "PzLdr History Facts" Archive, p. 15, "A GRAB BAG FOR JULY 14TH"

[PzLdr]

See "PzLdr History Facts" Archive, p.15, "A GRAB BAG FOR JULY 14TH"

[PzLdr]

See "PzLdr History Facts" Archive, p 15. 'A GRAB BAG FOR JULY 14TH'

[PzLdr]

[This might be considered a vanity piece. That's not my intent. and if it annoys or offends, my apologies]

My father was an extraordinary man in ordinary circumstances. Born in New Bedford, Massachusetts, he was raised in Portugal [my grandparents went back. He was physically abused as a child by his father. his education ended in something like the third grade. My grandfather worked him like a farm animal. And during the Depression, he put Pop on a boat and sent him back to the country of his birth without so much as a by your leave, a country Pop knew nothing about, a country whose language he couldn't speak.

Times were tough, but Pop survived. He worked in the CCC camps. He became a semi-professional boxer [He quit after his fourth fight, when someone knocked him out for a change]. He was a short order cook. He taught himself whatever skill he needed for a job.

And then, in 1940, he joined the Army. It was steady work, and steady pay. And moreover, my father, somewhere along the journey, had developed a deep, abiding love for his country that anchored him for the rest of his life [He thought 'America, Love It or Leave It' gave folks too many choices].

And on a June morning, in 1944, Pop and a few thousand of his friends walked ashore on Utah Beach and started their part of the invasion of France. 

Like most veterans, my Pop told hilarious war stories. The bad memories either got a brief line [being the first ground troops into St. Mere Eglaise, the Battle of the Huertgen Forest], or were never mentioned at all. But he made it through to the other side.

Discharged from the service, my Pop became a trolley, then bus mechanic. How? He learned by watching. As with many things in his life, he taught himself.

He taught himself how to be a husband and father, too. He never treated me the way his father treated him. He supported me where he could, he counseled me when he could. He stood by me through it all. He wasn't Ozzy Nelson, or the Beaver's Dad. He was better.

As we both aged, we got to share things, our military service, our love for Yankees baseball, our love of dogs. We would talk about almost everything, from the infield fly rule, to plate tectonics; whatever he came up with. And Pop was funny. He raised me to be a cynic, saying that if I was people would never disappoint me. they might pleasantly surprise me, but never disappoint me

Pop had a stroke in 1996. And with my Mom in the throes of dementia, I took over the day to day of our family [I built a house for the three of us]. And Pop let me run things, even though I tried to include him in the decision making. We had four good years together in that house. And then the bugle sounded recall for PFC Joseph Ribeiro, and we lost him.

The memories are still as vivid as when they were made, the conversations, the things we did together. Pop left us 17 years ago. I miss him still.

[PzLdr]

See "PzLdr History Facts" Archive, p. 16

[PzLdr]

Today is the birthday of one of the GREATEST Rock 'N Roll dudes of all time, Hall of Famer Dion DiMucci, of Dion and the Belmonts and solo career fame. The man who did "I Wonder Why", Teenager In Love", Runaround Sue", "Drip Drop", "Little Diane", "Ruby Baby", "Where or When"/ "That's My Desire", and "The Wanderer". They guy who patented "Bronx Blues". Or, to put it another way...YO!

[PzLdr]

See "PzLdr History Facts" Archive, p. 5

[PzLdr]

He connived to get the command from Joseph E. Johnston, and succeeded [not that it took much effort, Jefferson Davis loathed Johnston - and vice versa]. But having gotten it, he had to demonstrate his willingness to abandon retreat for attack. And at Peach Ttree Creek, outside Atlanta, that's just what he did.

The plan was, in a sense, a replay of Lee's opening of the Seven Days - attack a separated portion of Sherman's Army, and destroy it. the plan was solid, the execution was not. and Hood was no Lee. More importantly, George Thomas was no McClellan.

The Confederate deployment was slow, and the Union response wasn't. So Hood's attack went in against an entrenched Federal line, being rapidly reinforced. The result was that his Army met a Union force of roughly equal size. and because of the delay in deployment, his Army attacked in a series of attacks, by division.

The result was that at the end of the day, Thomas was across the Creek, and Hood was up it. And despite his losses, Hood would press on in a series of attacks that moved from northeast of Atlanta's outskirts to the southwest and eventually south southeast, a total of five battles.

And when it was over, Hood had to evacuate Atlanta, being unable to stop Sherman from cutting his last line of supply [He'd lost too many troops]. And Joe Johnston probably had a small smile on his face.