The spirit of the Doolittle Raiders lives on.

Well done!

The COLONEL

Hooah!

The Colonel

Colonel's Pick

http://www.realmilitaryflix.com/public/801.cfm

The Siege of Leningrad was one of the longest and most destructive sieges in modern history and caused over 2 million casualties on all sides of the battle.

On January 27, 1944, Soviet Marshal Georgi Zhukov led a two-week Red Army offensive to defeat the German forces and break the siege.

See a rare film of German troops battling a Russian T-34 tank in the second half of this short film from the frontlines of WWII: Colonel's Pick

The COLONEL

Carter's first executive order as U.S. president granted an unconditional pardon to all Vietnam era draft evaders who did not take part in an act of force or violence.

Today, in 2009, let's remember the brave men who DID NOT evade, but who stood up and shouldered the responsibility of defending the Nation and its interests. Let's remember the brave men and women who had the courage and commitment to answer the call of duty.

As a result, my pick for today is dedicated to the Vietnam Veteran -- the Soldiers, Sailors, Marines, Airmen and Coast Guardsmen who served.

Hooah! … and if you know a Vietnam veteran, thank him/her for their selfless service.

The Colonel

Colonel's Pick

Tanks played a vital role in the fighting.

My picks for this week are tank films: See the M26 and M4 tanks in action and how tankers prepared their tanks for operation in snow and ice in these extraordinary historic films.

Hooah!

The Colonel

M24 TANK

M4 TANK

SNOW TRACKS

See this video, my pick of the week, of an M1A1 Abrams Gunner in Desert Storm as he gives a candid interview before the attacking into Iraqi occupied Kuwait.

Good hunting!

The Colonel

M1A1 Abrams Tank Gunner

In the waning weeks of 1989, the days of Manuel Noriega as dictator of Panama were coming to a close. "General Noriega's reckless threats and attacks upon Americans in Panama created an imminent danger to the 35,000 American citizens in Panama. As President, I have no higher obligation than to safeguard the lives of American citizens…. And that is why I directed our armed forces…to bring General Noriega to justice in the United States. I contacted the bipartisan leadership of Congress last night and informed them of this decision." President George Herbert Walker Bush.

The military action in Panama started at 1 a.m. Panama time December 20, 1989. The fighting lasted from December 20 to December 24, 1989.

Colin Powell, Chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff at the Pentagon, said: "We will chase him and we will find him…He's demonstrated an incredible ability to survive catastrophe, but we shall see over time whether he survives this one."

The operation was conducted as a campaign with limited military objectives. Joint Task Force South (JTFSO) objectives in PLAN 90-2 were to: Protect U.S. lives and key sites and facilities, capture and deliver Noriega to competent authority, neutralize Panamanian Defense Forces (PDF), neutralize PDF command and control, support establishment of a U.S.-recognized government in Panama, and then restructure the PDF. Major military operations continued to December 24, 1989. All 27 objectives related to the Panamanian Defense Force were completed on D-Day: December 20, 1989. U.S. casualties were 24 dead and 325 were wounded (WIA). The Panamanian military loyal to Noriega lost 205 dead.

Noriega tried to evade U.S. Forces but finally surrendered on January 3, 1990. He remains in a U.S. prison to this day.

The Colonel's Pick: Operation Just Cause: The Combat Camera This short film tells it all and depicts the events with some excellent day and night time combat photography.

Operation Just Cause: The Combat Camera

On 16 December 1944 the Germans started their Ardennes Offensive which came to be called the Battle of the Bulge. The desperate fighting across Belgium and Luxembourg occurred during the coldest, snowiest weather "in memory" in the Ardennes Forest.

Over a million men, 500,000 Germans, 600,000 Americans and 55,000 British soldiers were engaged in mortal combat. The German attack consisted of 3 German armies, 10 corps, the equivalent of 29 divisions. Eventually, 3 American armies, 6 corps, the equivalent of 31 divisions and the equivalent of 3 British divisions as well as contingents of Belgian, Canadian and French troops fought off the German assault.

The Battle of the Bulge was the largest land battle in American military history and the costliest in US casualties during WWII.

This week, remember the Battle of the Bulge by watching several great flicks shown below.

The Colonel

Improvised Allied Infantry Weapons Improvised Allied Infantry Weapons

THE BATTLE OF THE BULGE THE BATTLE OF THE BULGE

See also this BIG PICTURE film about the 84th Infantry Division in the Battle of the Bulge Colonel's Pick

This film will take you back to a time that rivals the challenges of today. As we are a Nation at war, this film is worth your time to watch and remember.

The Colonel

Fellow Americans Fellow Americans

Happy Thanksgiving -- especially to all our Troops in harm's way.

Last Thursday, Thanksgiving Day, Army General Ray Odierno, the commanding general of Multi-National Force, Iraq, visited troops at Camp Ramadi. At Camp Ramadi, Odierno greeted Marines of 2nd Battalion, 9th Marine Regiment and Soldiers with Task Force Ramadi. He thanked the Marines and Soldiers and said: "Many people all over the United States are thankful for a lot of things but I'll tell you one thing, they're thankful for you and the job you do.

"It's a different world in Iraq now than it was 18 months or even a year ago," Odierno said. "What you need to do now is stay focused on what you're doing, take care of your battle buddies, maintain standards and don't get complacent."

To remember that there are Soldiers, Marines, Sailors and Airmen standing watch today on the borders of freedom, here is my top pick for the week. HOOAH!

The Colonel

US Foot Patrol in Baqubah, Iraq US Foot Patrol in Baqubah, Iraq

NAVY SEAL EXTRACTIONMH 47's Chinook a>

One of the more significant meetings held in a Philadelphia tavern in November 1775 was the founding of the United States Marine Corps. A committee of the Continental Congress met at Tun Tavern to draft a resolution calling for two battalions of Marines able to fight for independence at sea and on shore. The resolution that officially formed the Continental Maries was approved on November 10, 1775:

"Resolved, That two Battalions of marines be raised, consisting of one Colonel, two Lieutenant Colonels, two Majors, and other officers as usual in other regiments; and that they consist of an equal number of privates with other battalions; that particular care be taken, that no persons be appointed to office, or enlisted into said Battalions, but such as are good seamen, or so acquainted with maritime affairs as to be able to serve to advantage by sea when required: that they be enlisted and commissioned to serve for and during the present war between Great Britain and the colonies, unless dismissed by order of Congress: that they be distinguished by the names of the first and second battalions of American Marines, and that they be considered part of the number which the continental Army before Boston is ordered to consist of." As the first order of business, Samuel Nicholas became Commandant of the newly formed Marines. Tun Tavern's owner and popular patriot, Robert Mullan, became his first captain and recruiter. They began gathering support and were ready for action by early 1776.

Tun Tavern no longer exists, and its original location is now occupied by Interstate 95. The National Museum of the Marine Corps in Quantico, Virginia contains a Tun Tavern-themed restaurant.

Each year, the Marine Corps marks November 10th with a celebration of the brave spirit which compelled these men and thousands since to defend the Nation as United States Marines.

Ooorah! and Semper Fi Devil Dogs!

The Colonel

US Marines in Action in Iraq US Marines in Action in Iraq

Mussolini's march on Rome in the last days of October 1922, forced King Emanuel to surrender power. As a result, Mussolini became the Prime Minister of Italy in 1922. With driving leadership and force of personality, Mussolini turned the Italian culture on its head. In 1922, Italy was a democratic constitutional monarchy, but by November 1922 Italy was headed toward a totally different future.

Benito Mussolini (1883--1945) was an Italian politician who led the National Fascist Party and was a key figure in the creation of Fascism. Mussolini's brand of Italian fascism used strong appeals to nationalism, corporatism, nationalization of the vital industries, expansionism, the promises of social progress and anti-communism to gain popular support.

Mussolini promised the people food, jobs, social justice and peace. He promised to leaven the society. He promised a new way called fascism. He said that fascism "should more appropriately be called Corporatism because it is a merger of state and corporate power."

What could the average Italian citizen do? Many offered complete support. Everything had to be changed and Mussolini gave them what they wanted.

Mussolini centralized all the elements of national power, became the Supreme Leader of the Fascist party and then began forging a new Roman Empire.

The Italians rallied to his cause. In his heart, Mussolini believed that the "truth is that men are tired of liberty." The citizens of Italy proved him right.

He saw the rise of Italian and German fascism as unstoppable. He said: "Democracy is talking itself to death. The people do not know what they want; they do not know what is the best for them. There is too much foolishness, too much lost motion. I have stopped the talk and the nonsense. I am a man of action. Democracy is beautiful in theory; in practice it is a fallacy. You in America will see that some day."

Mussolini maintained power though popular appeal. In the beginning, he was wildly popular with the people. Propaganda, intimidation and force helped keep the citizenry in line. Newspapers, books, radio broadcasts, films and education kept the nation "on message" and became his tools of control.

As long as he was winning, the people backed him. At the height of his popularity, Mussolini drove Italy to wars of conquest and an alliance with Adolf Hitler's Nazi (fascist) Germany.

It took the utter defeat and surrender of the Italian military in World War II, and thousands of dead, to bring an end to Mussolini's imperial dreams. In April 1945, just before the Allied armies reached Milan, Italy, Mussolini and his mistress Clara Petacci, were captured by Italian Communist partisans, shot and hung upside down in the town square.

The lesson: If government is to stay a servant of the people, not the master, then there must be a predominance of citizens who want freedom more than security and comfort.

The Colonel

Note: See Captured Italian Newsreel Number 52 for Mussolini's view of Italy.

Mussolini's italyMussolini's Italy

Hard at work to weed out al-0Queda, our military is having major success in Iraq. The number two man, Abu Qaswarah was killed in an Oct. 5 raid in the northern Iraq city of Mosul. Four other insurgents also were killed in the attack on a building serving as an al-Qaida command and control center. Abu Qaswarah had ties to senior al-Qaida leaders in Pakistan and Afghanistan and his death is a major setback to those trying to disrupt the evolving government of Iraq and those who wish to kill U.S. and Coalition forces.

Security continues to improve in Iraq and the surge of U.S. and Coalition forces has had a very positive result. As a result of the surge, Al-Qaida's influence in Iraq has significantly weakened. In Baghdad, for instance, violent attacks have dropped by 90 percent.

Due to the success of the surge, five U.S. brigade combat teams have left Iraq and another 8,000 U.S. troops are slated to leave by the end of January 2009. We are in the Long War against these terrorists. The job isn't finished in Iraq, and there will be tough days ahead as there are in any war, but the trend is moving in the right direction.

Colonel Bull Simons, a legend in the special operations community, once said: "History teaches that when you become indifferent and lose the will to fight someone who has the will to fight will take over."

Having just returned from a trip to Afghanistan, I can report to you that our troops have the will. THEY will not lose this fight. Our Soldiers, Marines, Airmen and Sailors are serving with professionalism and pride. Many told me that they know that they are keeping America safe by forcing the enemy to fight overseas and far away from our homeland.

The selfless service of these warriors is something that every American should be proud of.

Keep up the fire!

The Colonel

Check out this film:

US ARMY in Action in Iraq US ARMY in Action in Iraq

During the first ten days of September 2008, I observed units from the 101st Airborne Division, a proud unit of the New York Army National Guard and met many others from units in our Army, Marines, Navy and Air Force in Afghanistan. Everyone I met, without exception, displayed a high level of professionalism, dedication and pride in their role in Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF).

Their morale is extraordinary, especially if you consider that many of these warriors have made multiple deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan and many are on 15 month tours.

The Army has longer tours in Afghanistan and Iraq than any of the other services. Fifteen months is a long time to be away from family, home and country. I know from my own experience that separations like these from family and friends are very difficult, but the fact that so many of our Soldiers handle this so well is nothing short of remarkable. We owe them all a great debt of gratitude and respect for their sacrifice.

At Bagram Airfield I had the honor to visit with some of our wounded Soldiers. One Soldier, Sergeant Mac, as I will call him for security reasons, was wounded when the Taliban/Al Qaeda enemy ambushed his armored HMMWV (High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle) the day before. A rocket propelled grenade (RPG) hit his HMMWV wounding Mac in the leg and peppering his drive with shrapnel. Mac had the most serious injury of the two.

We talked for quite a while. He told me about the firefight. After the RPG exploded the enemy peppered his vehicle with rifle and machine gun fire. His HMMWV was immobilized by the RPG strike and became an easy target. Bullets pummeled his HMMWV. He told me how he had been more worried about his driver than himself and how he had pushed his driver down to protect him from the enemy fire. While this was happening, the rest of his unit reacted to the ambush, won the fight and drove off the enemy. Mac didn't know how many enemy were killed. He and his wounded driver -- the only friendly casualties of the fight -- where soon given first aid by their buddies and, after a short while, Mac and his driver were MEDEVACed to Bagram Airfield Hospital.

During our talk, Mac never complained. He had no regrets. He was happy his driver was not seriously wounded. He told me he wanted to return back to his unit, to get back to the fight, and hoped the doctors could patch him up quickly.

His wounds, however, would require months of treatment and Mac was scheduled for evacuation to Germany. One of Mac's doctors, a very caring and professional Air Force Lt. Col., told me that Mac's leg wound would heal, but it might take a year.

As you read this, brave Soldiers like Mac are walking point for us in Afghanistan and Iraq. Let's keep them in our thoughts and prayers.

The Colonel

Check out this film that shows operations at Bagram Air Base, Afghanistan.

BAGRAM AIR BASE AFGHANISTAN BAGRAM AIR BASE AFGHANISTAN

The German General Staff planned to start the attack before a formal declaration of war to throw the Polish forces off guard and to delay any support for Poland from France or Great Britain. The plan envisioned the rapid encirclement of the Polish Army, which was expected to form a linear defense to hold the Germans back from the Polish border.

The Poles were brave and fought heroically, but were outclassed in equipment, training and leadership. They fought at the pace of the First World War, while the Germans were trying something altogether new -- what came to be known as Blitzkrieg.

The lessons of the first campaign of WWII are still important today. Warfare is a dynamic affair. Intelligent adversaries will usually seek new ways to wage war.

A few weeks ago, the Russians moved into Georgia in the Caucasus, and won the initial round in a campaign that they hope will end in the neutralization, or eventual Russification of Georgia. Although the campaigns of 1939 and 2008 are different, there are striking similarities and lessons learned that keen students of military affairs should note.

Tomorrow, I depart for ten day trip to Afghanistan to visit US and NATO troops. I will also accompany WWII hero James Megellas. "Maggie" as he is called by his friends, is 95 years young and wants to do his part to encourage our troops. It is an honor to be by his side.

I will send further postings as possible from Afghanistan. Until then, remember that understanding the past is a vital part of comprehending today.

The Colonel

Today, the Department of Defense POW/Missing Personnel Office (DPMO) announced that the remains of a U.S. serviceman, missing from World War II, have been identified and will be returned to his family for burial with full military honors. He is 2nd Lt. Howard C. Enoch Jr., U.S. Army Air Forces, of Marion, Ky. He will be buried on Sep. 22 in Arlington National Cemetery near Washington, D.C. Representatives from the Army met with Enoch's next-of-kin to explain the recovery and identification process and to coordinate interment with military honors on behalf of the Secretary of the Army. On March 19, 1945, Enoch was the pilot of a P-51D Mustang that crashed while engaging enemy aircraft about 20 miles east of Leipzig, near the village of Doberschütz, Germany. His remains were not recovered at the time, and Soviet occupation of eastern Germany precluded his recovery immediately after the war. In 2004, a team from the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command (JPAC) surveyed a possible P-51 crash site near Doberschütz. The team found aircraft wreckage. In 2006, another JPAC team excavated the site and recovered human remains and aircraft wreckage. Among other forensic identification tools and circumstantial evidence, scientists from JPAC and the Armed Forces DNA Identification Laboratory also used mitochondrial DNA in the identification of Enoch's remains.

General Patton once said: "We ought not morn the men who have died. Rather, we should thank God that such men lived."

In honor of 2d LT Enoch, who flew P-51s, see the Real Military Flix film, A History of the Army Air Corps in WWII.

The Colonel

The Kuwaiti Army was unprepared and taken by surprise. A short air battle ensued between Kuwaiti and Iraqi forces, but the Iraqis soon dominated the air and ground.

Iraqi tanks attacked soon attacked Dasman Palace, the Kuwaiti royal residence. The Emir of Kuwait, Jaber Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah fled into the Saudi desert, but his private guard and his younger half brother, Sheikh Fahad Al-Ahmed Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, stayed behind to defend their home. Sheikh Al-Sabah was shot and killed and his body was placed in front of an Iraqi tank and run over. By early afternoon on August 2, 1990, Iraqi troops controlled most of Kuwait City centre. Heavy fighting continued into the evening at Shuwaikh, the main Kuwaiti Army barracks north of Kuwait City, but the battle for Iraq was largely over with the Iraqis the victors. Iraqi forces also landed on Bubiyan and Warba islands. Early reports suggested that between 100 and 200 people were killed during the invasion,

Kuwaitis were stunned by the invasion. Some attempted to escape to Saudi Arabia but with Iraqi tanks controlling the roads, most were forced to remain in Kuwait.

The brutal occupation of Kuwait by the Iraqi Army had just begun. 1,082 Kuwaiti civilians were murdered by Saddam's Army during the occupation. Having served in Kuwait, I know the Kuwaitis who lived through the terrible occupation will never forget.

It would not be until February 27, 1991 that Coalition forces would reenter Kuwait City and liberate the city while the U.S. 1st Armored Division fought battle of Medina Ridge and destroyed much of the Iraqi Republican Guard in Iraq.

The Colonel

The reason for this cold-blooded order was the result of the horrendous but victorious conclusion of the Kursk Salient battle that had been raging since July 5, 1943.

In early July 1943, the German battle lines contained a bulge that was over a hundred miles long and 80 miles deep. The Soviets were massing forces in this bulge and Hitler intended to destroy them in one massive pincer attack.

Massive is an understatement.

The Germans assembled two large armies for the Battle of Kursk: Army Group Center at the north of the bulge, led by Generaloberst Walter Model consisting of three Panzer (tank) corps, and Generaloberst Hermann Hoth's 4th Army with some of the best German tanks ever made in the south. In all, the Germans would unleash 17 Panzer divisions with their best and newest tanks against the Red Army's defenses at Kursk -- a plan the Germans code-named Operation Citadel. The total German force consisted of 2,700 tanks, 800,000 infantry and roughly 2,100 aircraft.

The Soviets, however, anticipated the German attack and prepared a web-like antitank defense in great depth. They also held back a powerful tank reserve to counterattack. To stop the German drive the Red Army massed 3,600 tanks, 20,000 guns, 1,300,000 infantry and supporting troops and roughly 2,700 aircraft.

Operation Citadel started on July 5 and as the Germans smashed against the Red Army's elaborate defenses the fighting was some of the most bitter and desperate in the history of warfare. By July 22 the Germans admitted defeat and withdrew west as fast as possible.

German casualties during the Battle of Kursk in the period 5 to 20 July 1943 were listed between 50,000 and 57,000 men and 300 tanks while Russian casualties were reported at a staggering 180,000 men and 1,600 tanks.

Kursk was a turning point in WWII and the end of the Nazi dream of victory on the Russian Front. From this day on, the Red Army advanced steadily toward Berlin, finally taking the German Capital and ending the war in Europe in May 1945.

But on July 27, 1943, that final victory was still many months away and even though the Russians won at Kursk, the Red Army's casualties were so horrendous that on July 27, 1943, Stalin felt the need to issue Order 227 that would result in the immediate execution by NKVD (Soviet Security Police) firing squads of any Red Army soldier who hesitated to obey orders.

And now you know what happened today in military history in 1943.

RECOMMENDED: Watch the 10 minute 1943 German film (1215) which sets the scene from the German point of view for 1943. The last segment of this film shows combat actions on the Russian front as German infantry is resupplied from a JU52 transport aircraft.

The Colonel

The operation was code named HUSKY. Eisenhower was supreme commander of the Allied invasion force. British General Bernard L. Montgomery commanded the Eighth Army and Lieutenant General George S. Patton, commanded the US Seventh Army.

For "Blood and Guts" Patton, the invasion was something that he had trained his entire life to be a part of. His 7th Army landed at the bay of Gela, fought off daunting Axis counterattacks and drove the enemy back. Italian units fought poorly against the Americans and many melted away. The Germans gave much stiffer resistance. In a few weeks, Patton's tanks had raced north, captured the ancient city of Palermo, then drove along the north coast road to capture the vital port of Messina and cut off the Axis escape. In spite of Patton's efforts and the British advance to the south, the Germans under an able, one-armed general named Hans Hube were able to evacuate 40,000 men, 10,000 vehicles and tons of supplies.

The ground attack to defeat the Italian and German troops in Sicily took 38 days. At the end of the Battle for Sicily, Fascist Italy lay on the brink of surrender. If the Germans had not moved swiftly to disarm much of the Italian army and occupy Italy, the Allies might have taken all of Italy as well. This possibility, however, was not to be and the Germans fought the Allies in Italy until 1945.

But on 10 July, 1943, all that was in the future and it took brave soldiers, led by men like General George S. Patton, to make victory in Sicily a reality. Operation Husky was a vital step on the way to Berlin and it all happened 65 years ago today.

The Colonel

They stand guard for you and me. Their selfless service is even more poignant today, on the 4th of July, the anniversary of American Independence.

They are standing guard for the concept for under which we you and I live: The idea of Individual Liberty.

Individual Liberty…. This is an idea that is relatively new in the history of mankind and even today is not realized in many places on the planet. Since the dawn of civilization, most men and women have lived under kings, emperors or dictators. Authoritarianism has ruled, while individual liberty has been rare.

It was only 232 years ago on July 4, 1776, that Americans dramatically changed this by declaring independence from Great Britain and founding a Nation based on the moral principle of individual rights. It is only recently, if you consider the long line of human struggles, that a significant portion of the human population has lived with the blessing of individual rights supported by the rule of law.

The Declaration of Independence that our Founding Fathers affirmed on this day is one of the greatest documents ever devised and one that Americans should not take for granted.

But it took more than a declaration to secure the unalienable rights of "Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness." Our ancestors had to fight to win these freedoms. They had to overcome insurmountable odds to establish these rights.

They believed, as Sam Adams so eloquently said: "If ye love wealth greater than liberty, the tranquility of servitude better than the animating contest for freedom, go home and leave us in peace. We seek not your council nor your arms. Crouch down and lick the hand that feeds you, and may posterity forget that ye were our countrymen."

Today, too many Americans take the struggle for Liberty for granted. In our entertainment drenched society the shrill howls of tyranny seem to be distant and irrelevant.

But as Ronald Reagan once said, "Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction."

Independence Day, therefore, is a time to remember the spirit and soul of the Nation. It is a time to be thankful that our Ancestors had the courage to stand and fight for liberation from the hands of tyranny.

It is also a time to honor those who guard our freedoms today: The men and women of our Armed Forces who guard our Nation and preserve our freedom.

"Thus may the 4th of July, that glorious and ever memorable day, be celebrated through America, by the sons of freedom, from age to age till time shall be no more." Virginia Gazette, July 18, 1777

Have a blessed and safe Independence Day!

The Colonel

To learn more: Watch A Motion Picture History of the Korean War Film :1148

The Colonel

The scale of this invasion is staggering and the goal of Hitler's surprise attack was just as gargantuan -- the complete annihilation of Soviet Russia.

The initial phases of the operation lasted several months as German and Axis forces smashed every Russian defense and counterattack. In spite of their early victories, the Germans soon realized that they had underestimated the Russians as the Soviet forces refused to quit no matter how high their casualties.

As the summer turned to fall the rains came and then the snow, but the Germans continued to push towards Moscow. Then, in early December, with the spires of the Kremlin nearly in sight, the Russian counteroffensive forced the German and Axis forces back to new defensive line miles to the west.

Barbarossa, the largest combined arms invasion in history, failed but the fighting in Russia continued and the death toll on both sides was horrific with German and Axis losses somewhere over 5 million and the Russians losing more than 20 million. Four years later it was Russian tanks that entered Berlin in 1945 and ended the war against Nazi Germany.

For a look at 1941, the year Operation Barbarossa began, check out Film :1333 THE WAR 1941 -- 1944

The Colonel