The Dictator

The dictator mortar is considered to be one of the largest mortars used in the American Civil War. It's weight was reportedly over 17,000 lbs, and it was estimated to hurl 13 inch projectiles weighing 220 lb around 4,325 to 4,752 yards, or over 2.5 miles! It was cast in 1862, at Fort Pitt, Pittsburgh, but wasn't used until 1864 at the siege of Petersburg. Once there, the dictator became part of "The Petersburg Express", as they built specially designed railroad carts to move the mortars along existing and new additions to the Petersburg railroad. These carts were heavily reinforced so that the mortars could actually be fired from the carts.

Interestingly, even though mortars were extremely effective, and had already been around for hundreds of years, although they hadn't always been common, many on both sides of the conflict felt they were dishonorable weapons, which showed no respect or careful discernment upon whom it was unleashed. In the book, "The Last Citadel: Petersburg, Virginia, June 1864-April 1865", Trudeau discusses how:

"Soldiers on both sides hated the mortars. 'These mortar shells were the most disgusting, low-lived things imaginable,' declared W. W. Blackford, a Confederate engineer. 'There was not a particle of the sense of honor about them; they would go rolling about and prying into the most private places in a sneaking sort of way.' 'Mortar shells fly into the works occasionally,' a Maine soldier confirmed, 'at which times we get out in double-quick time."

While the sentiment of these men is admirable, it is undeniable that mortars have been important implements in war and will most likely continue to be in coming years.

Roy Benavidez

Roy Benavidez and President Reagan Prior to Receiving the Medal of Honor

Master Sergeant Raul (Roy) Benavidez is an incredible example of American heroism and determination. Born near Cuero, Texas in 1935, Benavidez's birth parents had both died of tuberculosis by the time he was 7 years old. After this he and his younger brother moved to El Campo with their grandfather, aunt, uncle and 8 cousins. Roy worked odd jobs while he was living with his aunt and uncle, and eventually dropped out of school at 15 in order to help support the family. When he was about 17 he enlisted in the Texas Army National Guard, and, 3 years later, transferred to Army active duty. Eventually Benavidez began training for the elite Army Special Forces, and became a member of the 5th Special Forces Group and the Studies and Operations Group.

In 1965, Roy was sent to Vietnam, and while there he stepped on a land mine. His injuries were so bad he was sent back to the U.S., and told he would never walk again. While back home he says that he was hurt by the diagnosis, as well as the flag burnings and criticism of the U.S. involvement in Vietnam. So, every night he would get out of his bed, against doctor's orders, and using his elbows and chin would crawl to the window sill by his bed. Once there he would rest his hands on the windowsill and try to raise himself up, by first wiggling his toes, and then feet, and finally, after months of excruciating pain attempting these exercises, he pushed himself up with his feet and legs. In July of 1966, after over a year of hospitalization, Roy walked out of that hospital with his wife at his side, determined to get back to Vietnam.

Roy made it back in January of 1968, despite the pain from his wounds. In May of that year a 12 man Special Forces patrol was out when they were surrounded by a North Vietnamese Battalion. Hearing their radio call for help Benavidez rushed into what would later be called his "6 hours in hell." After a few other attempts to extract the team had previously failed, Benavidez had boarded a returning helicopter to the area in order to help with the extraction. After realizing that most of the patrol was either dead or wounded he directed the helicopter pilot towards a clearing nearby, and jumped from the helicopter armed only with his knife, and a medical bag. From the helicopter he ran approximately 75 meters to the patrol, and was shot in the leg, face, and head while doing so.

Despite these horrific injuries, Roy took charge, reorganizing the teams fire in order to help the landing of an extraction helicopter, and also organized for the moving of the dead and wounded. After throwing smoke signals to direct the aircraft, he carried and dragged half of the wounded men back to the awaiting aircraft. He then ran alongside the helicopter, giving covering fire, as it repositioned to load the other wounded. After this he went to the dead team leader and ensured he brought both him and the classified documents he carried back to the helicopter. While getting the team leader he was shot in the abdomen and was hit by grenade fragments in his back. At the same time the pilot was hit and the helicopter he flew crashed.

Benavidez made his way back to the helicopter and helped save the wounded from the wreckage while also establishing a defensive perimeter. After this he passed around more ammunition and water, strengthening the morale of his troops. He then called in for airstrikes and supporting fire from gunships nearby. Right before another extraction helicopter landed, Benavidez was shot again in the thigh while administering first aid. While carrying a wounded soldier to the helicopter he was clubbed from behind by an enemy soldier. He struggled with his adversary, and got clubbed in the head and arm, but eventually beat the North Vietnamese soldier, and continued loading the wounded. Once he had loaded the wounded he saw 2 soldiers sneaking up on the helicopter from where the door gunner could not see them, and shot them. Benavidez then went back to the area where they were pinned down to ensure no one was left behind. Finally, he made it back to the helicopter and hopped in himself.

When they got back to Loc Ninh, their staging area, Roy was so grievously wounded, the doctors placed him in a body bag. Benavidez was too weak to even say anything to them as they began zipping the bag. But, a friend of Benavidez dragged another doctor over and told him to check on Roy, and when Roy felt the doctors hand on his chest he spit right in his face. It was the only thing he could do to let them know he was still alive!  Because of Roy's actions, the lives of 8 men and were saved, and classified documents were kept out of the enemies hands. He spent over a year recovering from his wounds, and then traveled around telling people his story until he died in 1998. Benavidez wasn't awarded the Medal of Honor until 1981, when one of the men he saved realized Benavidez was still alive and so submitted the necessary eye-witness report for the award. When prompted by the question "Would you do it all again?" Benavidez would reply: "There'll never be enough paper to print the money, nor enough gold in Fort Knox for me, to have to keep me from doing what I did. I'm proud to be an American, and even prouder to earn the privilege to wear the green beret."

Chiune Sugihara: Righteous Among the Nations

Chiune Sugihara

Not even counting the fact he was born on January 1st, 1900,  Chiune Sugihara was a pretty cool guy. Early in his career, Sugihara served as Deputy Foreign Minister in Manchuria, and during his time there converted to Christianity. He soon resigned from his position there in protest against the Japanese treatment of the Chinese there. In 1939, Sugihara was assigned to be the vice-consul of the Japanese Consulate in Lithuania. The Japanese did not entirely trust their German allies to fulfill all their promises, and so Sugihara was supposed to keep an eye on both them and the Russians, with whom Japan had been at war just a little while before. After Soviet Russia occupied Lithuania in 1940, the exiled Jews of Lithuania and Poland searched at all of the consulates for visas in order to travel safely from these war-torn areas filled with anti-Semitic militants. Initially, in order to help these refugees, Sugihara attempted to go through the proper channels and was denied multiple times by his superiors to issue visas for anyone except those with money or visas to a destination after their trip to Japan. In July or August of 1940, after consulting his family, Sugihara began to grant visas on his own, against his superior's will, which was a big no-no in imperial Japan. After speaking to Soviet officials, he secured the Jews the ability to travel through the country via the Trans-Siberian Railway at five times the standard ticket price. Sugihara continued writing these visas, reportedly spending 18 to 20 hours a day working on them, until September 4th when he had to leave his post before the consulate was closed.  Of the thousands of visas he had granted, many were to heads of households, who were thus permitted to take their families with them on a single visa. On the night of their departure he and his wife continued writing these visas, and according to witnesses he continued writing visas on the transit from his hotel to the train and while on the train, throwing the visas out the windows to the crowds of refugees. As the time of his departure neared, he started throwing out blank pieces of paper with the consulate seal and his signature on them for people to write out their own visas later. Right before he left Sugihara stood and said “Please forgive me. I cannot write anymore. I wish you the best.” And as he bowed deeply to the refugees gathered before him, someone exclaimed, “Sugihara! We’ll never forget you. I’ll surely see you again!” Incredibly he never received any reprimand or notice from the Japanese government. Sugihara himself wondered about the reaction to the thousands of visas he issued. Many years later, he recalled, "No one ever said anything about it. I remember thinking that they probably didn't realize how many I actually issued." It is estimated that Sugihara issued 6,000 visas, many of which were family visas and accounted for multiple people. Because of his actions, an estimated 40,000 descendants of the Jews he saved are alive today, and Sugihara received the honorific of "Righteous Among the Nations" from Israel for his bravery in saving these Jews from the certain death and horrors of the holocaust, and I believe the title is well deserved. 

Gadsden Flag

A Rendition of the Gadsden Flag

The Gadsden flag is a true American tradition. It was designed in 1775 by American general and statesman Christopher Gadsden, around the time of the establishment of the American Navy by George Washington. In order to accompany and assist the Navy on their missions of keeping British ships from unloading troops and supplies, the Second Continental Congress also established the first five companies of Marines. These Marines were recruited from Philadelphia, and they painted their drums with the Gadsden flag onto it with the stirring image of the rattlesnake with thirteen rattles and the motto "Don't tread on me." The rattlesnake had been used to represent the American spirit for a while at this point, and I believe Benjamin Franklin puts it best as to why:

"I recollected that her eye excelled in brightness, that of any other animal, and that she has no eye-lids—She may therefore be esteemed an emblem of vigilance.—She never begins an attack, nor, when once engaged, ever surrenders: She is therefore an emblem of magnanimity and true courage.—As if anxious to prevent all pretensions of quarreling with her, the weapons with which nature has furnished her, she conceals in the roof of her mouth, so that, to those who are unacquainted with her, she appears to be a most defenseless animal; and even when those weapons are shown and extended for her defense, they appear weak and contemptible; but their wounds however small, are decisive and fatal:—Conscious of this, she never wounds till she has generously given notice, even to her enemy, and cautioned him against the danger of stepping on her.—Was I wrong, Sir, in thinking this a strong picture of the temper and conduct of America?"

At the time Continental Colonel Gadsden was the representative of his home state of South Carolina and was part of the Marine Committee working on the outfitting of the Navy for their first missions. In December of that year, Gadsden gave the Commander-in-Chief of the Navy, Commodore Esek Hopkins, a Gadsden flag, which the Commodore used as his personal standard on his flagship. Another copy Gadsden sent to the congress of South Carolina, which they received happily. Even though some may usurp this and other symbols from the founding of America, the flag today continues to thrive as a symbol of the American fighting spirit: always vigilant, and always ready to defend herself and her freedom.

How Do You Like the New Theme?

Hi everyone, History Bear here. I just wanted to see if everyone likes the new theme! Also, on the right side bar you may notice a new link to a survey asking you what subjects you might like to be discussed here on the blog, or any suggestions you may have about the blog itself. Please take the time to complete one of these if you have any ideas! Stay tuned for more posts in the near future.
-History Bear

The Battle of Athens

World War II Veterans Firing Upon the Jail

While this title may conjure up images of buff, shirtless dudes yelling "For Sparta!", that doesn't turn out to be quite the case. Athens, although known as a Greek center of great learning and philosophers, is also the name of a nice city in Tennessee. Now in the 1930's and '40's, McMinn county, where Athens is located, became full of political corruption. The sheriff of the county would fix the votes through intimidation tactics, locking in the sheriffs of 1934, '36, '38, '40, '42, and '44. At the same time in this county laws were in place where deputies were payed based on the number of citations they delivered. So, deputies would sometimes pull over buses loaded with people in order to cite and fine them all for drunkenness, just for a buck. As one would imagine this irritated many of the World War II veterans returning home from destroying corrupt governments that ruled their people with iron fists. So, for the August 1946 elections, the veterans created a non-partisan party, the GI Non-Partisan League, in order to combat the evils of the county corruption. During the election, the polls were regularly guarded by 15 deputies, but during the 1946 election 200 deputies guarded the polls, and they began harassing and even beating voters at some locations. Tom Gillespie had it the worst, after submitting his vote he was attacked by the deputies, and while running away, got shot in the back; luckily he survived. After the polls closed, the sheriff and deputies took the ballot boxes back to the jail. This understandably upset the veterans, who rightly believed that they were tampering with the results. So, what do a bunch of young, angry World War II vets who were being beaten and fined do? They get their guns, storm the National Guard armory, grab more guns and ammunition and lay siege to the jailhouse. The reported number of vets varies from several hundred to 2,000 attacking the jail, while 55 deputies defended it. When they arrived, they delivered an ultimatum demanding the ballot boxes. The deputies refused and the veterans began opening fire at the jail. Accounts differ but the shooting probably lasted a few hours, after which someone threw some dynamite at the door and blew it in. This convinced the deputies, some of whom were wounded, to eventually surrender. The GI's established a temporary government and then held elections again. After winning their positions, they instituted reforms placing the max salary of officials at $5,000, and removing the unjust laws of deputies being paid on a per citation basis. The League didn't last long after the overthrow, and the traditional parties soon came back into power, but it will be a long time before we forget about the brave fighters for freedom defending themselves in their own backyards.

Oh the Iron(side)y! Part II

Oliver Cromwell, Lord Protector of the Commonwealth

Now Cromwell was still somewhat unknown to the world, but that would change rather quickly. Because of his position in Parliament, he was given command of a cavalry troop. These well trained and organized troops soon became known throughout as the "Ironsides," the unbeatable cavalry under Cromwell. After the Battle of Marston Moor, Cromwell expanded his command into an army, using his cavalry troops as its foundation. Cromwell began running his army in a revolutionary manner. Officers were promoted based upon merit instead of social position; men were trained thoroughly and equipped well; and all troops were chosen mainly upon their religious convictions and their protestant fervor. This New Model Army, as it was soon called, quickly showed its effectiveness as Cromwell beat back the king's forces, winning significant victories at Edgehill and Naseby. Things appeared to be calming down after the Parliamentarians captured the king and won the First English Civil War. But, Charles I soon escaped and recruited the Scottish army with a promise for church reform leaning towards the Scottish Presbyterian Church. This war did not last long, and the king was soon recaptured in two years' time. This led to the trial of King Charles I for treason, something that had never been done before. Prior to Charles' attempt at defeating the Parliamentarians with the Scots, most of the Parliamentary forces agreed that they were only going to decrease the power of the crown. But, many Parliamentarians felt that the king's pact was an act of treason, and so a Rump Parliament called for his trial. 59 commissioners, or judges, summarily tried and executed the king on the 30th of January 1649, for high treason as a "tyrant, traitor, murderer and public enemy." Parliament then ruled England, at the time one of the few European countries without a monarch, in the form of a Republic, modeled upon Calvin and Knoxs' Presbyterian Church government. However, due to infighting among the various factions of the Parliament, Cromwell felt he must intervene, with the power of the army behind him, and declared himself Lord Protector in 1653. It is interesting to note that as Lord Protector, Cromwell had more power than he would as king, since the power of the monarch had been curtailed throughout the years, while the new position of Lord Protector had no such limitations. Never before nor since has a regular man become so powerful in England. Cromwell led the country for the next five years of his life, until he died in 1658 and was buried in Westminster Abbey.

Now we reach our moment of irony. Cromwell was, above all, a devout Puritan. As such, he abolished all activities that were thought of as sins, causes of sin, or distraction from important things, such as worship and work. This meant that such things as theater, inns, sports, swearing, and inappropriate clothing were all made illegal, under penalty of fines or even imprisonment. Hopefully, you see now why a casino in Las Vegas named after the most powerful English commoner in history seems rather funny.