Chief Of Staff Prewar Plans And Preparations Introductory

CHAPTER I Introductory
http://www.army.mil/cmh-pg/books/wwii/csppp/ch01.htm

After two decades of neglect, despite known armings in Germany and Japan, the United States Army of 1939, reviving from its low point of 1933, was still weak in numbers, ill equipped by 1939 standards, scattered over a great many posts, and never assembled for true corps maneuvers, partly because it included no complete organization for corps or army troops or their service elements.

Karl R. Bendetson, October 24, 1972

Oral History Interview with Karl R. Bendetson New York City, New York October 24, 1972 Jerry N. Hess
http://www.trumanlibrary.org/oralhist/oral_his.htm
It was during that service in August of 1941, five months before Pearl Harbor, that a crisis event took place in the House of Representatives. The Selective Service Act of August 16, 1940 would expire on August 16, 1941 if not extended by congressional action. The Senate had voted for extension in a relatively close vote. In the House there were great pressures to let the Act die. Most people have probably forgotten how some of the draftees and many others were behaving in those days. Draft cards were publicly burned. There were riots. There was a concerted effort to end the draft. It was a "rehearsal" for the anti-Vietnam demonstrations.

Karl R. Bendetson, October 24, 1972

Oral History Interview with Karl R. Bendetson New York City, New York October 24, 1972 Jerry N. Hess
http://www.trumanlibrary.org/oralhist/oral_his.htm

BENDETSEN: How was it possible that so many officers could harbor and hold such mind-sets? Both we and the Japanese had developed aircraft carriers. How could it escape so many professionals that carrier-borne aircraft could attack Clarke Field in the Philippines? And Pearl Harbor? What did this portend for our forces and our nation?
I have never before related to anyone any of the foregoing, either orally or in writing.

Karl R. Bendetson, November 9, 1972

Oral History Interview with Karl R. Bendetson New York City, New York November 9, 1972 Jerry N. Hess
http://www.trumanlibrary.org/oralhist/oral_his.htm

I think I should introduce at this point for the first time some reference to the establishment of the famous regimental combat team of Japanese-Americans. This idea was born during discussions which I had initiated and held with Mr. McCloy, and he in turn with General Marshall long before I left for England. I had a very deep conviction that the Army should make use of the opportunity to find individuals who wished to give a good account of themselves not only as interpreters for the forces in the Pacific. This was already underway. I was convinced however that an opportunity should be extended to volunteers among the Japanese-American evacuees (the Nisei), to join one of more organized combat units to take part in the campaign in Europe. Karl R. Bendetson

9th Australian Division Versus the Africa Corps

The 9th Australian Division Versus the Africa Corps:
An Infantry Division Against Tanks--Tobruk, Libya, 1941
http://www-cgsc.army.mil/carl/resources/csi/miller/miller.asp
At the time, the Australians' epic stand at Tobruk had a major impact on the war because the Germans suffered a serious and unexpected reversal. The Tobruk garrison demonstrated that the hitherto successful German blitzkrieg tactics could be defeated by resolute men who displayed courage and had the tactical and technical ability to coordinate and maximize the capabilities of their weapons and equipment in the defense.

Musings

David Hicks has bad memories, Carmel Lawrence has no memories.

John Tingle Shooters Party is retiring

John Tingle Shooters Party
While Tingle talks of recent frustrations, he is quick to point out his political victories - six pieces of legislation. "Reasonable regulation of firearm ownership is fine." After 11 years as the lone parliamentary representative of the Shooters Party, is retiring.

Gun ownership in NSW

restrictive firearms laws

"If the laws had worked there would be much less illegal gun crime … we are continuing this perception that if you tighten firearm laws you are going to control firearm crime, even though the opposite is true. Restrictive laws against legitimate ownership and use do nothing to stop gun-related crime because only law-abiding citizens will adhere to laws." The Shooters Party MP John Tingle

Bob Carter: Planet not too hot to handle

Bob Carter: Planet not too hot to handle
"The debate on climate change is over, says Ian Campbell. Claiming to be speaking on behalf of the federal Government, and expressly John Howard, the Environment Minister, according to the front page of this newspaper yesterday, said "he agreed broadly with the contention promoted recently in ... Tim Flannery's book The Weather Makers".
"The minister may be right to assert that the debate on climate change is over. But only in two ways: that contemporary climate change is proceeding in the same manner as known earlier episodes of natural climate change; and that any human-caused global climate signature is buried in the noise of the climate system."
Bob Carter, a former director of the Australian Ocean Drilling Office, is professor of paleoclimatology at James Cook University in Townsville.

Frank Devine: Why the farmer and the fearmongers can't be friends

Why the farmer and the fearmongers can't be friends: Frank Devine
"Tim Flannery's new book The Weather Makers: The History and Future Impact of Climate Change. Flannery disconcerts me when he urges precautionary abandonment of fossil fuels, with global ruination as the cost of not taking the precaution, but allots no costs to the precautionary measures. He would not have flourished as a farmer."

Framework Chapter I - The Problem of Hemisphere Defense

Immediately after the Munich crisis of September 1938, the United States moved toward a new national policy of hemisphere defense. After World War I the American people, influenced by the overwhelming preponderance of friendly naval and military power in western Europe, became increasingly isolationist and increasingly indifferent toward maintaining enough military strength to defend even their own continental and outlying territory against a strong adversary. The rise of aggressive dictatorships in Europe during the pre-World War II decade found the United States Army defend the continental United States, Oahu, and the Panama Canal Zone. The Navy, in the Pacific by Japan's naval expansion and aggressive action in China. Therefore, when President Franklin D. Roosevelt declared, six weeks after the Munich settlement, that "the United States must be prepared to resist attack on the western hemisphere from the North Pole to the South Pole, including all of North America and South America," [1] the Army and Navy were presented with a much bigger mission than they were then prepared to execute.


[1] Report, n.d., written by Maj Gen Henry H. Arnold, of conference at White House, 14 Nov 38, OCS Conf Binder 1, Emergency Measures, 1939-40.

Noel Pearson: Working towards peace and prosperity

Noel Pearson: Working towards peace and prosperity

October 26, 2005
IN mainstream Australia, we have a strong and enviable set of institutions that includes a representative political process, a sound judicial system and a set of national social norms that are egalitarian and encourage innovation and dynamism. But the experience of Cape York indigenous Australians with such institutions can sometimes be radically different from the mainstream, and can impose a high-level constraint on their opportunity to lead a rich and fulfilling life.

The Crisis by Thomas Paine

"The Crisis by Thomas Paine, December 23, 1776, THESE are the times that try men's souls. The summer soldier and the sunshine patriot will, in this crisis, shrink from the service of their country; but he that stands by it now, deserves the love and thanks of man and woman. Tyranny, like hell, is not easily conquered; yet we have this consolation with us, that the harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph. What we obtain too cheap, we esteem too lightly: it is dearness only that gives every thing its value."
This during a crisis for early democracy in what is now the USA, even though the enemy was the then King of Great Britain, and not the world terrorism now faced by ordinary people. Democracy requires effort.

Climate Change

Climate change seems to be caused by the sun, with the solar cycle, ice ages come and go over a long period, maybe man is changing some of the equilibrium, but to me it seems strange to say all climate change is man-made. Or should that should that be person-made?

History D-Day Germany

With Iraq in the headlines, in the past: "D Day: The Landings There was, definitely, a problem of morale. The survivors of the beach crossing, many of whom were experiencing their first enemy fire, had seen heavy losses among their comrades or in neighboring units." (American Forces in Action Series Historical Division War Department Facsimile Reprint, 1984, 1989, 1994 CMH Pub 100-11 Center of Military History United States Army Washington, D.C.)

Then "Early Days of the Occupation, the German surrender, on 9 May 1945" "From the very beginning of the occupation there were problems of border control on both the Soviet and British zonal boundaries as, well as the 'international borders, particularly on the Czechoslovak border." (US ARMY BORDER OPERATIONS IN GERMANY 1945-1983 WILLIAM E. STACY Headquarters US Army, Europe and 7th Army Classified By: Multiple Sources Review: OADR Military History Office GSM 5-1-84)

People seem to forget the problems of the past, and how democracy takes effort to establish.

Foreign Affairs - Iraq: Learning the Lessons of Vietnam - Melvin R. Laird

techcentralstation.com
foreignaffairs.org
Iraq: Learning the Lessons of Vietnam
By Melvin R. Laird

From Foreign Affairs, November/December 2005

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Summary: During Richard Nixon's first term, when I served as secretary of defense, we withdrew most U.S. forces from Vietnam while building up the South's ability to defend itself. The result was a success -- until Congress snatched defeat from the jaws of victory by cutting off funding for our ally in 1975. Washington should follow a similar strategy now, but this time finish the job properly.

MELVIN R. LAIRD was Secretary of Defense from 1969 to 1973, Counselor to the President for Domestic Affairs from 1973 to 1974, and a member of the House of Representatives from 1952 to 1969. He currently serves as Senior Counselor for National and International Affairs at the Reader's Digest Association.

www.foreignaffairs.org is copyright 2002--2005 by the Council on Foreign Relations. All rights reserved.

MSM surprised by Iraq Vote

MSM surprised by Iraq vote, ordinary people are not supposed to decide their future, only the elite are allowed to decide the future, ask the MSM.

Stan - one of the 30 most deadly hurricanes of all time

Stan
Jeff Masters

Stan now ranks as one of the 30 most deadly hurricanes of all time, with over 1500 deaths caused. Stan will proabably far surpass Katrina as the most deadly hurricane of 2005; Katrina's death toll stood at 1242 at last count, with 1003 of the deaths in Louisiana.

Christopher Pearson: Science for believers

The Australian It is clear that Flannery and Kininmonth no longer inhabit the same universe of discourse, to return to my opening metaphor of parallel worlds. Flannery doesn't feel any personal need to defend himself in the public arena. Nor does he feel, as a museum director, that the prestige of the scientific institution he heads obliges him to do so. Instead he is content to plug his book and preach to the converted on Radio National in conversation with Phillip Adams.

In the beginning

So it began