1 00:00:11,039 --> 00:00:16,680 Speaker 1: This is a Jesse Kelly show. It is the Jesse 2 00:00:16,920 --> 00:00:21,320 Speaker 1: Kelly Show, and we are here. Yes, we will have 3 00:00:21,400 --> 00:00:24,360 Speaker 1: some fun, but we are here to honor the fallen 4 00:00:24,600 --> 00:00:29,960 Speaker 1: today because it is Memorial Day. And as we always 5 00:00:30,040 --> 00:00:32,519 Speaker 1: have done and Lord Willing will always do on the 6 00:00:32,600 --> 00:00:36,479 Speaker 1: Jesse Kelly Show, we do a show today. We do 7 00:00:36,560 --> 00:00:39,120 Speaker 1: a show that is much different than the normal Jesse 8 00:00:39,240 --> 00:00:43,000 Speaker 1: Kelly Show. If you tuned in today to hear anything 9 00:00:43,120 --> 00:00:46,080 Speaker 1: political at all, you might want to just turn it 10 00:00:46,120 --> 00:00:48,959 Speaker 1: off now because there won't be any of that. There 11 00:00:49,000 --> 00:00:52,080 Speaker 1: will be a ton of honoring the fallen. There will 12 00:00:52,080 --> 00:00:53,519 Speaker 1: be a ton of history. 13 00:00:54,120 --> 00:00:55,040 Speaker 2: I will read. 14 00:00:55,000 --> 00:00:57,560 Speaker 1: Names of the fallen you have emailed in. We will 15 00:00:57,600 --> 00:01:01,480 Speaker 1: go over distinguished Service cross stories and Navy cross stories 16 00:01:01,520 --> 00:01:04,640 Speaker 1: and lesion of merits, and we will talk about legends 17 00:01:04,680 --> 00:01:07,440 Speaker 1: who gave their life for this country. They will not 18 00:01:07,520 --> 00:01:11,120 Speaker 1: be politics. There won't be any soundboard fart sounds either. 19 00:01:11,640 --> 00:01:15,440 Speaker 1: We are going to just honor the fallen on this 20 00:01:15,680 --> 00:01:20,520 Speaker 1: Memorial Day. Couple disclaimers before we get going. Not disclaimers. 21 00:01:20,560 --> 00:01:26,440 Speaker 1: Couple fyis I guess I should say veterans today can 22 00:01:26,640 --> 00:01:32,120 Speaker 1: be a very difficult day for you. If you lost 23 00:01:32,520 --> 00:01:37,640 Speaker 1: a brother or sister in arms. If you are struggling today, 24 00:01:39,040 --> 00:01:42,920 Speaker 1: reach out. There are all kinds of phone lines you 25 00:01:42,959 --> 00:01:45,880 Speaker 1: can call if you want to know the Veterans specific line. 26 00:01:45,920 --> 00:01:49,760 Speaker 1: If you're struggling today, dial nine to eight eight and 27 00:01:49,920 --> 00:01:50,760 Speaker 1: press one. 28 00:01:51,240 --> 00:01:52,160 Speaker 2: Reach out. 29 00:01:52,400 --> 00:01:55,800 Speaker 1: You are not alone. You are never alone. If you 30 00:01:55,840 --> 00:01:58,240 Speaker 1: are down and out today, reach out. 31 00:01:58,480 --> 00:02:00,920 Speaker 2: Okay, that is one. Two. 32 00:02:02,080 --> 00:02:05,320 Speaker 1: Remember, just a little reminder to everybody. I hope you 33 00:02:05,360 --> 00:02:07,960 Speaker 1: have enjoyed your day. I hope you're enjoying your day. 34 00:02:08,080 --> 00:02:08,919 Speaker 2: That is good. 35 00:02:09,040 --> 00:02:11,080 Speaker 1: That is what the people who gave their lives to 36 00:02:11,120 --> 00:02:12,760 Speaker 1: this country, that's what they would want. 37 00:02:13,040 --> 00:02:14,840 Speaker 2: As long as you take a moment to honor them, 38 00:02:14,840 --> 00:02:16,040 Speaker 2: they would want you to do that. 39 00:02:16,760 --> 00:02:21,000 Speaker 1: But just the heads up again, today is not Veterans Day. 40 00:02:21,639 --> 00:02:25,360 Speaker 1: It's not First Responder's Day, Police Environment Day, and all 41 00:02:25,400 --> 00:02:28,400 Speaker 1: those who serve day. This is a day to honor 42 00:02:28,440 --> 00:02:31,679 Speaker 1: the fallen and honor the families they left behind. 43 00:02:32,639 --> 00:02:34,280 Speaker 2: Now, before we. 44 00:02:34,240 --> 00:02:37,840 Speaker 1: Get into the Distinguished Service Cross stuff, the different citations 45 00:02:37,840 --> 00:02:39,960 Speaker 1: and things like that, and the history stuff around it, 46 00:02:40,000 --> 00:02:42,600 Speaker 1: we're going to read I'm actually gonna do a World 47 00:02:42,639 --> 00:02:45,440 Speaker 1: War two, and then a Korea and then a Vietnam. 48 00:02:45,880 --> 00:02:49,280 Speaker 1: Let's get to a couple of the names you emailed in, 49 00:02:49,960 --> 00:02:52,120 Speaker 1: just because there's some history around some of this stuff. 50 00:02:53,800 --> 00:03:00,760 Speaker 1: Matt Spangenberg, Colonel John Luther Aaron Bank, founder of the 51 00:03:00,760 --> 00:03:05,240 Speaker 1: Green Berets, Albert Duckett. These are names people have emailed 52 00:03:05,280 --> 00:03:08,480 Speaker 1: into the show. People they want honored. This is World 53 00:03:08,520 --> 00:03:13,720 Speaker 1: War two, kis these next ones? Tanker John Prizwara said 54 00:03:13,720 --> 00:03:17,120 Speaker 1: he died at the Battle of the Bulge. Staff Sergeant 55 00:03:17,160 --> 00:03:22,600 Speaker 1: Howard Harlan, he survived Baton and died on a prisoner ship. Actually, 56 00:03:22,680 --> 00:03:25,280 Speaker 1: let's pause right there. Let's do a little bit of 57 00:03:25,360 --> 00:03:27,680 Speaker 1: history on that before I get into some other stuff 58 00:03:27,680 --> 00:03:33,560 Speaker 1: and some other citation histories there the prison ships. I 59 00:03:33,680 --> 00:03:37,960 Speaker 1: read a book run time, great book called The Forgotten Highlander, 60 00:03:38,600 --> 00:03:42,360 Speaker 1: highly recommended if it's your thing. It takes a little 61 00:03:42,400 --> 00:03:45,120 Speaker 1: while to get going. I'll be honest with you. And 62 00:03:45,200 --> 00:03:48,840 Speaker 1: because the guy is I believe Scottish, it sounds a 63 00:03:48,840 --> 00:03:51,280 Speaker 1: little different. Some of the language uses a little different 64 00:03:51,280 --> 00:03:54,720 Speaker 1: in order. But it's a book about a guy who 65 00:03:54,840 --> 00:03:58,640 Speaker 1: was serving obviously with the British and was taken captive 66 00:03:58,680 --> 00:04:03,000 Speaker 1: in World War Two. And he was taken captive by 67 00:04:03,000 --> 00:04:06,600 Speaker 1: the Japanese. And I'll go over the Baton stuff here 68 00:04:06,600 --> 00:04:08,360 Speaker 1: in just the moment, we'll do a little history on that. 69 00:04:08,400 --> 00:04:09,920 Speaker 1: I hadn't intended to do that, but I figure we 70 00:04:10,000 --> 00:04:12,360 Speaker 1: might as well do that today. But anyway, setting the 71 00:04:12,360 --> 00:04:14,800 Speaker 1: baton stuff aside, we'll come back to this. This guy 72 00:04:15,400 --> 00:04:18,880 Speaker 1: was captured by the Japanese, and in the course of 73 00:04:18,920 --> 00:04:23,240 Speaker 1: his capture, he was put on a train when it 74 00:04:23,320 --> 00:04:25,760 Speaker 1: was over one hundred degrees out and they stuffed so 75 00:04:25,839 --> 00:04:28,640 Speaker 1: many guys in these trains. They would just die of 76 00:04:28,680 --> 00:04:34,160 Speaker 1: suffocation inside of the train. They're all sick, very very 77 00:04:34,279 --> 00:04:37,760 Speaker 1: very sick with disease and trying to do this as 78 00:04:37,800 --> 00:04:43,400 Speaker 1: gently as possible. I mean, coming out the other end sick. 79 00:04:43,720 --> 00:04:47,240 Speaker 1: You can't control it. Kind of sick. Now, picture all 80 00:04:47,320 --> 00:04:51,400 Speaker 1: the men in a sweaty train car being sick like that. 81 00:04:51,480 --> 00:04:53,840 Speaker 1: They're not pulling over for you to use the bathroom. 82 00:04:54,960 --> 00:04:57,400 Speaker 1: Just really really horrible. Okay, So he gets to put 83 00:04:57,440 --> 00:05:00,520 Speaker 1: on this train car. He gets sent to various prison 84 00:05:00,640 --> 00:05:04,839 Speaker 1: camps for various reasons. Remember the Japanese, they were horrible, 85 00:05:04,880 --> 00:05:07,039 Speaker 1: the prisoners of war, all of them, and for the 86 00:05:07,040 --> 00:05:09,080 Speaker 1: most part, the ones that didn't just let out kill 87 00:05:09,240 --> 00:05:11,640 Speaker 1: they just used them all as slave labor. They wanted 88 00:05:11,680 --> 00:05:14,839 Speaker 1: new slave labor. Well, one of the things you'll read 89 00:05:14,880 --> 00:05:16,919 Speaker 1: about if you ever dig into World War two and 90 00:05:17,000 --> 00:05:22,720 Speaker 1: kind of the Pacific area is this railway they were building. 91 00:05:23,080 --> 00:05:27,520 Speaker 1: They were trying to build a new railway. Why, well, 92 00:05:27,560 --> 00:05:31,640 Speaker 1: they wanted to get supplies and to and fro, that's 93 00:05:31,680 --> 00:05:33,880 Speaker 1: what they were trying to do. They were having a 94 00:05:33,920 --> 00:05:37,359 Speaker 1: hard time getting supplies to and fro, especially when you 95 00:05:37,360 --> 00:05:41,280 Speaker 1: get over into that India jungle area. So in the 96 00:05:41,320 --> 00:05:45,880 Speaker 1: Burma area, they'd created something called the Railway of Death 97 00:05:46,040 --> 00:05:49,480 Speaker 1: or the Death Railway. Yeah, no, it sounds intense, and 98 00:05:49,520 --> 00:05:53,000 Speaker 1: it was horrible. The Japanese would have these slave labor 99 00:05:53,120 --> 00:05:55,840 Speaker 1: units and they would make you get up and there 100 00:05:55,880 --> 00:05:58,640 Speaker 1: was remember there was no heavy equipment for these guys. 101 00:05:59,080 --> 00:06:02,400 Speaker 1: The Japanese would have you sit there if even if 102 00:06:02,440 --> 00:06:05,159 Speaker 1: you were so diseased ridden you could hardly walk, they'd 103 00:06:05,200 --> 00:06:07,880 Speaker 1: haul you out to the train where everyone else was digging, 104 00:06:08,080 --> 00:06:10,320 Speaker 1: and they'd throw big rocks beside you and make you 105 00:06:10,360 --> 00:06:12,720 Speaker 1: sit there and sledge hammer the rocks down and break 106 00:06:12,760 --> 00:06:15,160 Speaker 1: the rocks down, even though you couldn't stand. It was 107 00:06:15,560 --> 00:06:19,040 Speaker 1: it's unbelievable how many people died. Okay, So this forgotten 108 00:06:19,080 --> 00:06:22,440 Speaker 1: Highlander guy, he did the train thing, riding on the train. 109 00:06:22,760 --> 00:06:24,440 Speaker 2: Then he built this railway and that. 110 00:06:24,720 --> 00:06:27,440 Speaker 1: So he's been through all these living hells. He's been 111 00:06:27,520 --> 00:06:31,520 Speaker 1: tortured so many times. But the thing he said was 112 00:06:31,600 --> 00:06:35,680 Speaker 1: the worst thing was the hell ships. They were called 113 00:06:35,920 --> 00:06:42,599 Speaker 1: hell ships. They were the Japanese prison ships, and they Honestly, 114 00:06:42,680 --> 00:06:46,520 Speaker 1: it seems for me, I don't do that well with claustrophobia. 115 00:06:47,360 --> 00:06:50,200 Speaker 1: No I don't freak, but I don't do that well 116 00:06:50,200 --> 00:06:54,080 Speaker 1: with it. This sounds like I would rather just die. 117 00:06:54,600 --> 00:06:57,080 Speaker 1: I would rather you kill me. They would take ships, 118 00:06:57,560 --> 00:07:00,200 Speaker 1: they would not put markings on them showing that there 119 00:07:00,200 --> 00:07:03,840 Speaker 1: were prisoners on board. Therefore, our navy and our planes 120 00:07:03,960 --> 00:07:07,080 Speaker 1: would routinely sink our own ships with their own guys 121 00:07:07,080 --> 00:07:10,840 Speaker 1: in them. Anyway, they would have this gigantic metal hold 122 00:07:10,880 --> 00:07:12,720 Speaker 1: in the bottom of the ship. And remember no air 123 00:07:12,720 --> 00:07:15,280 Speaker 1: conditioning here, we're talking the South Pacific. 124 00:07:15,320 --> 00:07:16,120 Speaker 2: It's roasting. 125 00:07:16,720 --> 00:07:20,400 Speaker 1: They would stuff all the men down inside and then 126 00:07:20,680 --> 00:07:23,800 Speaker 1: close the hatch. So it's one hundred and twenty one 127 00:07:23,880 --> 00:07:28,560 Speaker 1: hundred and twenty five degrees. Everyone's disease ridden. It's so 128 00:07:28,760 --> 00:07:32,960 Speaker 1: cramped you can't even sit down. Guys are starting to die, 129 00:07:33,600 --> 00:07:37,000 Speaker 1: dying of disease a combination of disease and heat stroke. 130 00:07:37,400 --> 00:07:42,520 Speaker 1: Guys are routinely losing their minds because picture that environment. Okay, 131 00:07:42,560 --> 00:07:45,760 Speaker 1: you're mashed in there, you're hot, you're sick, everyone's sick, 132 00:07:45,960 --> 00:07:50,560 Speaker 1: everyone's losing control of themselves. Men would routinely lose their minds. 133 00:07:50,720 --> 00:07:56,480 Speaker 1: Men had to kill their friends. Picture this, Your friend 134 00:07:56,560 --> 00:07:59,320 Speaker 1: loses his mind and starts trying to hurt everyone in 135 00:07:59,360 --> 00:08:02,440 Speaker 1: this hold. You and your other friends have to kill 136 00:08:02,480 --> 00:08:05,560 Speaker 1: your friend with your bare hands to stop your friend 137 00:08:05,880 --> 00:08:07,160 Speaker 1: from killing other people. 138 00:08:07,280 --> 00:08:08,160 Speaker 2: How does one. 139 00:08:08,080 --> 00:08:13,720 Speaker 1: Ever get over something like that anyway? So these hellships, 140 00:08:14,120 --> 00:08:16,280 Speaker 1: that's what it was like in a hellship. This forgotten 141 00:08:16,360 --> 00:08:21,640 Speaker 1: Highlander guy said the hellship was worse than everything else, everything, 142 00:08:21,720 --> 00:08:24,960 Speaker 1: the train they're building, the railway, worse than everything, which 143 00:08:25,000 --> 00:08:29,240 Speaker 1: brings me back to this staff Sergeant Howard Harlan survived 144 00:08:29,360 --> 00:08:33,720 Speaker 1: Baton and died on a prisoner ship. Some of the 145 00:08:33,760 --> 00:08:37,160 Speaker 1: most heartbreaking stories I've read, and guys that I really 146 00:08:37,160 --> 00:08:40,719 Speaker 1: want to honor today are Americans who died on these 147 00:08:40,760 --> 00:08:46,320 Speaker 1: hellships because so often they would die. And I don't know, 148 00:08:47,400 --> 00:08:49,360 Speaker 1: I don't know if this is wrong of me, but 149 00:08:49,480 --> 00:08:52,840 Speaker 1: we all, we all kind of assign levels of importance 150 00:08:52,920 --> 00:08:56,320 Speaker 1: or levels of horror or levels of difficulty in our 151 00:08:56,360 --> 00:08:59,480 Speaker 1: own way, in our own mind. But in my mind, 152 00:08:59,840 --> 00:09:03,640 Speaker 1: I think it's so uniquely horrible to have lived through, 153 00:09:04,200 --> 00:09:09,200 Speaker 1: survived a million terrible things during the war, only to 154 00:09:09,360 --> 00:09:13,079 Speaker 1: die on a hell ship. And oftentimes, like I mentioned, 155 00:09:13,080 --> 00:09:16,840 Speaker 1: oftentimes I don't know this guy's exact circumstance. Oftentimes you 156 00:09:17,000 --> 00:09:26,720 Speaker 1: died at American hands or British hands. You survive everything. 157 00:09:26,760 --> 00:09:29,480 Speaker 1: This guy survived Baton, which will go over here in 158 00:09:29,559 --> 00:09:34,320 Speaker 1: just a moment. You survive everything, and then an American 159 00:09:34,360 --> 00:09:38,840 Speaker 1: submarine sees a Japanese ship it'll looked like a merchant 160 00:09:38,920 --> 00:09:42,000 Speaker 1: vessel of some kind or a naval vessel, and you 161 00:09:42,080 --> 00:09:45,360 Speaker 1: fire a torpedo into its side. You're the American submarine, 162 00:09:45,360 --> 00:09:47,760 Speaker 1: and you think you did good, and you find out 163 00:09:47,800 --> 00:09:49,719 Speaker 1: later And this happened to guys, they would find out 164 00:09:49,800 --> 00:09:53,760 Speaker 1: later on. Yeah remember that ship we sunk last week. Yeah, 165 00:09:53,800 --> 00:09:56,560 Speaker 1: there were five hundred American POWs on that ship and 166 00:09:56,559 --> 00:09:57,280 Speaker 1: they're all gone. 167 00:09:57,320 --> 00:09:58,199 Speaker 2: Now take a thing of. 168 00:09:58,160 --> 00:09:59,920 Speaker 1: That level of guilt, even though it's not your fault, 169 00:10:00,320 --> 00:10:03,320 Speaker 1: you have no way of knowing. Think what that's like. 170 00:10:04,080 --> 00:10:09,040 Speaker 1: So these guys to survive all this hell and then 171 00:10:09,160 --> 00:10:12,160 Speaker 1: end up on a prisonership and die on a prisonership 172 00:10:12,200 --> 00:10:15,080 Speaker 1: like Howard Harlan. I think that's something awesome. So we'll 173 00:10:15,080 --> 00:10:18,080 Speaker 1: cover some Baton stuff, read some more names, and then 174 00:10:18,120 --> 00:10:20,720 Speaker 1: we have some World War two two in Europe stuff. 175 00:10:20,760 --> 00:10:23,320 Speaker 1: There's a I don't know if it's a good story, 176 00:10:23,360 --> 00:10:25,520 Speaker 1: a heavy story, but a story about some of our 177 00:10:25,600 --> 00:10:28,199 Speaker 1: fallen And yeah, that's gonna be the show today on 178 00:10:28,240 --> 00:10:35,240 Speaker 1: the Jesse Kelly Show. All right, hang on, Jesse Kelly, Vaccian. 179 00:10:36,600 --> 00:10:40,680 Speaker 1: It is the Jesse Kelly Show on a Memorial Day 180 00:10:40,720 --> 00:10:43,440 Speaker 1: where we are doing a different show today, three hours 181 00:10:43,480 --> 00:10:46,880 Speaker 1: of remembering the falling and talking about the history around it. 182 00:10:46,960 --> 00:10:49,599 Speaker 1: And we're beginning this first hour is gonna kind of 183 00:10:49,640 --> 00:10:52,680 Speaker 1: be World War two centric, and the second hour is 184 00:10:52,720 --> 00:10:55,640 Speaker 1: gonna be Korea centric, and then the third hour is 185 00:10:55,679 --> 00:10:58,640 Speaker 1: gonna be Vietnam centric, and then we're gonna check out 186 00:10:58,720 --> 00:11:00,840 Speaker 1: here and go enjoy the rest of our day with 187 00:11:00,920 --> 00:11:04,240 Speaker 1: our families while remembering the fallen. Now, before we get 188 00:11:04,280 --> 00:11:07,559 Speaker 1: to the European section of World War Two that we're 189 00:11:07,559 --> 00:11:10,000 Speaker 1: going to go through today, I'm going to talk a 190 00:11:10,040 --> 00:11:16,720 Speaker 1: little bit about these prisonerships in Batan. The of the 191 00:11:16,840 --> 00:11:21,440 Speaker 1: Pacific part of the war. I know it's big. It's 192 00:11:21,520 --> 00:11:24,360 Speaker 1: never gotten the same amount of attention the European part 193 00:11:24,400 --> 00:11:29,640 Speaker 1: of the war has gotten. But more specifically, the prisoner 194 00:11:29,720 --> 00:11:35,000 Speaker 1: of war situation in the Pacific never really got the 195 00:11:35,040 --> 00:11:40,319 Speaker 1: attention it should get. It's just the main reason behind 196 00:11:40,360 --> 00:11:42,600 Speaker 1: it is this. Towards the end of the show, we're 197 00:11:42,640 --> 00:11:46,720 Speaker 1: going to read the names of trainees who died while 198 00:11:46,760 --> 00:11:49,319 Speaker 1: in military service, because I have always viewed them as 199 00:11:49,640 --> 00:11:52,200 Speaker 1: being just as heroic as the guy who charges a 200 00:11:52,240 --> 00:11:57,080 Speaker 1: machine gun nest in Vietnam. The prisoner of war portion 201 00:11:57,720 --> 00:12:02,280 Speaker 1: doesn't get the love it gets. One because it's not 202 00:12:02,440 --> 00:12:06,240 Speaker 1: as sexy as charging the machine gun bunker. And two 203 00:12:07,120 --> 00:12:14,400 Speaker 1: because the stories are so sad, and so we tend 204 00:12:14,400 --> 00:12:18,400 Speaker 1: to ignore those things. Not that all battle in battlefield 205 00:12:18,480 --> 00:12:22,079 Speaker 1: death isn't sad. It's all sad. It's all terrible. It's 206 00:12:22,080 --> 00:12:25,440 Speaker 1: a life, a wonderful life that's now gone. But the 207 00:12:25,480 --> 00:12:29,920 Speaker 1: prisoner of war stories, you have these brave warriors, and 208 00:12:30,000 --> 00:12:35,280 Speaker 1: they're these young, strong, fit guys. They train and they're patriotic, 209 00:12:35,679 --> 00:12:38,400 Speaker 1: and they say goodbye to their families, mom, dad, kiss 210 00:12:38,440 --> 00:12:41,000 Speaker 1: your wife goodbye, and they go to fight for America. 211 00:12:41,320 --> 00:12:43,640 Speaker 1: And yes, you know that they might die, and there's 212 00:12:43,640 --> 00:12:46,160 Speaker 1: a chance, you know, the bombs or bullets will get them. 213 00:12:46,400 --> 00:12:49,240 Speaker 1: But still you're gonna picture this young, strong guy in 214 00:12:49,280 --> 00:12:52,120 Speaker 1: your mind charging a hill. Look at Captain America. Go. 215 00:12:52,679 --> 00:12:57,160 Speaker 1: But these Pacific War pow stories end with guys who 216 00:12:57,160 --> 00:13:00,720 Speaker 1: are basically stick figures because they've been star to death, 217 00:13:00,880 --> 00:13:05,840 Speaker 1: dying of disease. One really, really terrible story that I 218 00:13:05,880 --> 00:13:08,520 Speaker 1: will skip most of the details on. I don't want 219 00:13:08,559 --> 00:13:10,600 Speaker 1: to make it too graphic. I'm trying to figure out 220 00:13:10,920 --> 00:13:13,960 Speaker 1: how appropriate, how appropriate it is to make it real, 221 00:13:14,040 --> 00:13:16,400 Speaker 1: but at the same time not getting too graphic about it. 222 00:13:16,800 --> 00:13:17,520 Speaker 2: A guy. 223 00:13:18,760 --> 00:13:22,760 Speaker 1: Was visiting his friend in it was a Japanese pow camp, 224 00:13:23,200 --> 00:13:25,680 Speaker 1: and his friend was in the hospital if you even 225 00:13:25,720 --> 00:13:28,280 Speaker 1: want to call it hospitals. The Japanese did not allow 226 00:13:28,320 --> 00:13:32,280 Speaker 1: Americans to have very many medications or anything. The doctors, 227 00:13:32,320 --> 00:13:35,080 Speaker 1: the guys who would treat our guys, sometimes they would 228 00:13:35,120 --> 00:13:38,160 Speaker 1: just treat them with nothing and help the placebo effect worked. 229 00:13:38,520 --> 00:13:42,959 Speaker 1: Sometimes they were digging through trees and roots and leaves 230 00:13:43,000 --> 00:13:45,840 Speaker 1: like like it's tribal days. It was. That's that's what 231 00:13:46,000 --> 00:13:48,680 Speaker 1: our guys had to resort to. Oftentimes, they had to 232 00:13:48,760 --> 00:13:55,640 Speaker 1: perform surgeries on our guys, including amputations, without any anesthesia 233 00:13:55,720 --> 00:13:58,640 Speaker 1: because there was no anesthesia. So this is this was 234 00:13:58,679 --> 00:14:01,440 Speaker 1: the life in these hospitals anyway. So this guy's visiting 235 00:14:01,440 --> 00:14:07,000 Speaker 1: his friend in the hospital, and his friend has a 236 00:14:07,120 --> 00:14:09,840 Speaker 1: bag that he's kept with him. If I remember a 237 00:14:09,880 --> 00:14:12,840 Speaker 1: picture of his wife and kids. I think his Bible 238 00:14:12,920 --> 00:14:15,040 Speaker 1: was in there, just a couple of little personal effects. 239 00:14:16,040 --> 00:14:19,480 Speaker 1: And he told his buddy, hey, man, I think I'm 240 00:14:19,560 --> 00:14:22,000 Speaker 1: checking out here tonight. I think I'm going to die tonight. 241 00:14:22,640 --> 00:14:25,080 Speaker 1: So just make sure you take that for me, please, 242 00:14:25,120 --> 00:14:28,640 Speaker 1: and get that back to my family. And the guy 243 00:14:28,680 --> 00:14:31,840 Speaker 1: who was watching over his friend then had to roll 244 00:14:31,880 --> 00:14:36,760 Speaker 1: his friend over and clean him up because he had 245 00:14:36,920 --> 00:14:39,960 Speaker 1: severe stomach issues and disease problems going on. He had 246 00:14:40,000 --> 00:14:43,320 Speaker 1: to clean his friend, and as he was cleaning his friend, 247 00:14:43,960 --> 00:14:47,520 Speaker 1: his friend passed away right then and there. We don't 248 00:14:47,640 --> 00:14:52,560 Speaker 1: like telling those stories. You're probably cringing. Maybe you're crying. Look, 249 00:14:52,600 --> 00:14:56,200 Speaker 1: it's all appropriate. We don't pay enough attention to the 250 00:14:56,240 --> 00:15:00,400 Speaker 1: pow portion of it, because that's how they died. They 251 00:15:00,440 --> 00:15:04,000 Speaker 1: died in terrible ways, ways that you wouldn't want your 252 00:15:04,040 --> 00:15:07,560 Speaker 1: parents to find out about. You would tell your buddies, Hey, 253 00:15:07,560 --> 00:15:10,000 Speaker 1: please lie, don't don't tell my mom I died like this. 254 00:15:10,120 --> 00:15:12,480 Speaker 1: She doesn't need she just need that in her mind. 255 00:15:12,960 --> 00:15:16,560 Speaker 1: So these guys who survived Baton, remember we had this 256 00:15:16,720 --> 00:15:22,840 Speaker 1: huge military presence in the Philippines, and there were good troops, 257 00:15:22,840 --> 00:15:25,040 Speaker 1: there were good guys, but it was considered to be 258 00:15:25,920 --> 00:15:29,760 Speaker 1: really the ultimate and cushy assignments, especially if you're a 259 00:15:29,800 --> 00:15:32,280 Speaker 1: young man. Not that it's not hot and doesn't rain 260 00:15:32,320 --> 00:15:35,120 Speaker 1: in the Philippines, but it was considered kind of a 261 00:15:35,200 --> 00:15:37,960 Speaker 1: vacation spot. You can go look at old home videos 262 00:15:38,040 --> 00:15:41,400 Speaker 1: of our troops in the Philippines and they're riding bicycles 263 00:15:41,400 --> 00:15:45,120 Speaker 1: and playing volleyball and drinking beer and chasing Philippine dimes 264 00:15:45,160 --> 00:15:49,200 Speaker 1: around and life's good, and that all of a sudden boom, 265 00:15:49,360 --> 00:15:52,920 Speaker 1: a war breaks out and you find yourself essentially behind 266 00:15:53,120 --> 00:15:57,520 Speaker 1: enemy lines. They ended up crowded in Baton. It's the peninsula. 267 00:15:57,720 --> 00:16:01,080 Speaker 1: The Baton's a peninsula, so they're out and on the peninsula. 268 00:16:01,200 --> 00:16:04,440 Speaker 1: Japanese have them cut off on the peninsula. They then 269 00:16:04,520 --> 00:16:08,360 Speaker 1: are bombing them the Japanese. Now remember it's not just 270 00:16:08,400 --> 00:16:11,320 Speaker 1: that these guys are in this horrific conflict these guys, 271 00:16:11,400 --> 00:16:13,800 Speaker 1: I don't want to call them peacetime troops, that's. 272 00:16:13,640 --> 00:16:14,280 Speaker 2: Not what I mean. 273 00:16:14,600 --> 00:16:17,600 Speaker 1: But they weren't in this mentality that you're about to 274 00:16:17,600 --> 00:16:22,400 Speaker 1: be fighting medieval barbarians. Soon they find themselves capturing monkeys 275 00:16:22,480 --> 00:16:25,800 Speaker 1: and snakes because they're starving to death, trying to eat 276 00:16:25,800 --> 00:16:30,240 Speaker 1: them in the jungle, with the Japanese infiltrating their lines, 277 00:16:30,400 --> 00:16:35,320 Speaker 1: stabbing them at night. They end up starved, racked with disease, 278 00:16:35,480 --> 00:16:40,680 Speaker 1: clothes falling off their bodies. Then they surrendered to the Japanese. 279 00:16:41,080 --> 00:16:43,200 Speaker 1: But this is at the very beginning of the war, 280 00:16:44,160 --> 00:16:47,680 Speaker 1: and we did know some stuff about how the Japanese 281 00:16:47,720 --> 00:16:50,720 Speaker 1: were treating POW's, and we certainly knew some stuff about 282 00:16:50,720 --> 00:16:53,120 Speaker 1: how they were treating the Chinese, but we had no 283 00:16:53,240 --> 00:16:57,040 Speaker 1: idea they were getting ready to march our guys miles 284 00:16:57,120 --> 00:17:00,200 Speaker 1: and miles and miles in the heat and then torture them, 285 00:17:00,240 --> 00:17:02,560 Speaker 1: and then at the end of that they would die, 286 00:17:02,800 --> 00:17:06,800 Speaker 1: oftentimes in the prison camps, die of disease. It was 287 00:17:06,920 --> 00:17:10,920 Speaker 1: just a respect for the respect for the Pacific War powts. 288 00:17:10,920 --> 00:17:13,360 Speaker 1: All right, let's go to the European portion of this 289 00:17:14,000 --> 00:17:17,200 Speaker 1: really quickly got a couple of citations govern more names 290 00:17:17,200 --> 00:17:19,920 Speaker 1: to honor on a Memorial Day version of The Jesse 291 00:17:20,000 --> 00:17:20,480 Speaker 1: Kelly Show. 292 00:17:20,560 --> 00:17:22,600 Speaker 2: It is the Jesse Kelly. 293 00:17:22,320 --> 00:17:25,800 Speaker 1: Show, a Memorial Day version of The Jesse Kelly Show. 294 00:17:25,960 --> 00:17:30,880 Speaker 1: Let's go to the little story. It took place in WinGen. 295 00:17:31,080 --> 00:17:34,679 Speaker 1: I'm probably saying that wrong, Wing in France. Wing in France. 296 00:17:34,760 --> 00:17:38,800 Speaker 1: This is the story kind of centered around Gerald Soper. 297 00:17:39,320 --> 00:17:42,000 Speaker 2: But it's let me explain, okay. 298 00:17:42,040 --> 00:17:45,840 Speaker 1: So it's nineteen forty five, getting late in the war, 299 00:17:45,960 --> 00:17:50,320 Speaker 1: nineteen forty five Germany, and we are busy trying to 300 00:17:50,640 --> 00:17:55,840 Speaker 1: root the Germans out. The Germans they are busy trying 301 00:17:55,880 --> 00:18:01,480 Speaker 1: to infiltrate us, to keep us on our heels. That's 302 00:18:01,480 --> 00:18:03,840 Speaker 1: what the Battle of the Bulge was all about, remember, 303 00:18:03,880 --> 00:18:07,399 Speaker 1: try to break through America's lines, which would screw us 304 00:18:07,400 --> 00:18:10,080 Speaker 1: all up and push us back. That brings us to 305 00:18:10,119 --> 00:18:13,880 Speaker 1: this little place called wing in France. This is a 306 00:18:13,920 --> 00:18:18,840 Speaker 1: town we hold. We nineteen forty five hold this town. 307 00:18:19,200 --> 00:18:23,000 Speaker 2: It's our town. The Germans won it back. 308 00:18:23,040 --> 00:18:25,399 Speaker 1: It's got a railway right above it, It's got a 309 00:18:25,480 --> 00:18:28,760 Speaker 1: ridge line right above it. The Germans won it back. 310 00:18:29,640 --> 00:18:35,800 Speaker 1: The Germans attack, and I need to clarify who was here. 311 00:18:36,640 --> 00:18:42,920 Speaker 1: The American troops who were here were very green. There's 312 00:18:42,960 --> 00:18:44,880 Speaker 1: a mistake that we all make. I know I make 313 00:18:44,960 --> 00:18:48,840 Speaker 1: this mistake whenever we look at American troops in a war, 314 00:18:48,960 --> 00:18:51,280 Speaker 1: especially in older war when we weren't in like World 315 00:18:51,359 --> 00:18:56,400 Speaker 1: War Two, we think about them being experienced troops. Especially 316 00:18:56,600 --> 00:18:59,520 Speaker 1: later in the war. They're all experienced troops, They're all 317 00:18:59,560 --> 00:19:02,880 Speaker 1: World War Two veterans. That's not how it works. There's 318 00:19:02,920 --> 00:19:08,200 Speaker 1: a constant rotation, a constant rotation, especially with America's troops, 319 00:19:08,240 --> 00:19:10,159 Speaker 1: who we would have our guys finish their time and 320 00:19:10,200 --> 00:19:12,960 Speaker 1: they would rotate out, and our guys would get killed 321 00:19:13,040 --> 00:19:15,520 Speaker 1: or get wounded, and they would rotate out. And so 322 00:19:15,680 --> 00:19:18,240 Speaker 1: you were always having if you were an experienced guy 323 00:19:18,280 --> 00:19:21,040 Speaker 1: in a unit, you were always having a brand new 324 00:19:21,119 --> 00:19:25,000 Speaker 1: batch of totally green guys who just don't know what 325 00:19:25,040 --> 00:19:27,840 Speaker 1: they're doing. And you have to on the job train 326 00:19:27,920 --> 00:19:31,040 Speaker 1: them before they get you and everyone else killed. And 327 00:19:31,080 --> 00:19:33,639 Speaker 1: they do get everyone else killed. We'll do Vietnam in 328 00:19:33,680 --> 00:19:35,520 Speaker 1: the last hour. But I was thinking about this story 329 00:19:35,560 --> 00:19:37,800 Speaker 1: I was reading the other day about this guy in 330 00:19:37,880 --> 00:19:42,720 Speaker 1: Vietnam shows up to his unit completely green. He didn't 331 00:19:42,720 --> 00:19:45,320 Speaker 1: know the who's who, the what's what, and they're out 332 00:19:45,359 --> 00:19:48,480 Speaker 1: on patrol and he sees something. I believe it was 333 00:19:48,520 --> 00:19:51,040 Speaker 1: a soda can on the ground out in the jungle, 334 00:19:51,320 --> 00:19:52,600 Speaker 1: which the veterans would know. 335 00:19:53,200 --> 00:19:55,040 Speaker 2: You stay away from something like that. 336 00:19:55,040 --> 00:19:56,879 Speaker 1: That kind of shiny object is the kind of thing 337 00:19:56,920 --> 00:19:59,879 Speaker 1: they would booby trap. He walks right up to it 338 00:20:00,280 --> 00:20:03,040 Speaker 1: and kicks it like it's a football. They were picking 339 00:20:03,080 --> 00:20:06,280 Speaker 1: pieces of him and his friends out of the tree tops. 340 00:20:06,320 --> 00:20:09,240 Speaker 1: It was a booby trapped artillery round they had. Again, 341 00:20:09,560 --> 00:20:11,399 Speaker 1: that's just what happens with the new guys. 342 00:20:11,400 --> 00:20:13,240 Speaker 2: I just knew. They don't know anyway. 343 00:20:13,600 --> 00:20:15,960 Speaker 1: So we have this town in Wing in France, and 344 00:20:16,040 --> 00:20:17,880 Speaker 1: our guys who were there, who had the town, they're 345 00:20:17,960 --> 00:20:23,240 Speaker 1: very green. The Germans. The Germans had some units that 346 00:20:23,359 --> 00:20:27,840 Speaker 1: were extremely highly trained units. They had some mountain units, 347 00:20:27,960 --> 00:20:33,520 Speaker 1: Alpine units, Alpine SS units. These were mountain units that 348 00:20:33,600 --> 00:20:37,240 Speaker 1: were trained better than other units were trained. I don't 349 00:20:37,280 --> 00:20:39,840 Speaker 1: know if you want to call them special forces, but 350 00:20:39,920 --> 00:20:42,719 Speaker 1: they were definitely the toughest of the tough units. Some 351 00:20:42,760 --> 00:20:46,000 Speaker 1: of the best troops in Europe were the German SS, 352 00:20:46,040 --> 00:20:50,520 Speaker 1: the Alpine SS units. Well, these these Alpine SS guys 353 00:20:50,560 --> 00:20:54,040 Speaker 1: do what Alpine SS guys do. They slip in between 354 00:20:54,080 --> 00:20:57,000 Speaker 1: our lines and take the town from us. We essentially 355 00:20:57,080 --> 00:20:59,160 Speaker 1: had to retreat from the town because they took over 356 00:20:59,200 --> 00:21:02,200 Speaker 1: the town. So now the Germans have not only this town, 357 00:21:02,920 --> 00:21:07,360 Speaker 1: they have the ridge line above the town. But wait, 358 00:21:07,440 --> 00:21:10,640 Speaker 1: it actually gets worse. It's really, really, really a big 359 00:21:10,680 --> 00:21:15,159 Speaker 1: deal for strategic purposes that we have this town. We 360 00:21:15,240 --> 00:21:17,360 Speaker 1: can't allow the Germans to have it because if they 361 00:21:17,359 --> 00:21:20,880 Speaker 1: have it, they'll split our forces. We must take it back. 362 00:21:21,760 --> 00:21:25,520 Speaker 1: Now we have a couple things in our favor. Yes, 363 00:21:25,880 --> 00:21:28,879 Speaker 1: these are super stud Germans who took the town, but 364 00:21:29,880 --> 00:21:32,960 Speaker 1: God was watching out for us. Their radios stop working. 365 00:21:33,000 --> 00:21:35,919 Speaker 1: They didn't have any functional radios after they took the town. 366 00:21:36,440 --> 00:21:40,320 Speaker 1: Therefore you can't call in artillery. In fact, they didn't 367 00:21:40,359 --> 00:21:44,040 Speaker 1: find out their commanders didn't find out till days later 368 00:21:44,119 --> 00:21:46,480 Speaker 1: they actually took the town because they couldn't radio back 369 00:21:46,480 --> 00:21:49,399 Speaker 1: and say we took the town. So you have these 370 00:21:49,440 --> 00:21:52,359 Speaker 1: super stud Germans there, but they are cut off. Now 371 00:21:52,400 --> 00:21:56,040 Speaker 1: you have to take them back. In taking them back, 372 00:21:57,320 --> 00:22:00,240 Speaker 1: it's a slog. It's a slog for a variety of reasons. One, 373 00:22:00,440 --> 00:22:03,639 Speaker 1: like I said, our guys were green. Two, it was 374 00:22:03,920 --> 00:22:07,439 Speaker 1: freezing and I mean frigid cold. The Germans were freezing 375 00:22:07,480 --> 00:22:12,240 Speaker 1: to death. We were freezing to death. And the bad 376 00:22:12,359 --> 00:22:16,280 Speaker 1: luck of combat happens this way. Sometimes. During one of 377 00:22:16,280 --> 00:22:19,280 Speaker 1: our assaults to try to take the town back, we 378 00:22:19,440 --> 00:22:22,840 Speaker 1: drove up to them with a Sherman tank. Trying to 379 00:22:22,880 --> 00:22:25,359 Speaker 1: drive up the road in a Sherman tank. The road 380 00:22:25,520 --> 00:22:28,480 Speaker 1: was so iced over. The Sherman tank just simply slid 381 00:22:28,560 --> 00:22:30,040 Speaker 1: off the side of the road and off a bridge, 382 00:22:30,080 --> 00:22:33,080 Speaker 1: just gone. It's just all of that's not glorious in 383 00:22:33,160 --> 00:22:37,000 Speaker 1: bombs and bullets. It's terrible things happen that brings us 384 00:22:37,600 --> 00:22:41,639 Speaker 1: to this, mister Gerald Eve Soper, because this is days 385 00:22:41,640 --> 00:22:44,560 Speaker 1: and days and days. We're attacking this town and attacking 386 00:22:44,560 --> 00:22:48,000 Speaker 1: this town and attacking this town, and guys like Soaper, 387 00:22:49,280 --> 00:22:51,719 Speaker 1: what they have to do is house to house fighting. 388 00:22:52,119 --> 00:22:54,119 Speaker 1: And as I've explained to you before on the show, 389 00:22:54,200 --> 00:22:56,600 Speaker 1: I am the furthest thinging away from an expert on 390 00:22:56,840 --> 00:23:00,880 Speaker 1: urban warfare, urban combat. But we did quite a bit 391 00:23:00,920 --> 00:23:03,200 Speaker 1: of training on that when I was in the Marine, 392 00:23:03,240 --> 00:23:05,239 Speaker 1: so I know a little bit about a little bit, 393 00:23:05,240 --> 00:23:08,520 Speaker 1: all right. I know enough to know it's horrible, and 394 00:23:08,560 --> 00:23:13,760 Speaker 1: it's horrible with training. It's horrible when you're trained. It's 395 00:23:13,840 --> 00:23:19,320 Speaker 1: horrible when you have the necessary equipment, necessary equipment like, oh, 396 00:23:19,400 --> 00:23:22,119 Speaker 1: I don't know, flash bang grenades and things like that 397 00:23:22,160 --> 00:23:25,200 Speaker 1: where you can throw in. These guys don't have house 398 00:23:25,240 --> 00:23:29,600 Speaker 1: to house combat training. They don't They can't do anything 399 00:23:29,600 --> 00:23:33,000 Speaker 1: but kick indoors and start shooting and chuck in grenades 400 00:23:33,720 --> 00:23:39,240 Speaker 1: and so. Soaper, well, here's his Distinguished Service Cross citation. 401 00:23:40,400 --> 00:23:43,800 Speaker 1: The President of the United States of America, authorized by 402 00:23:43,880 --> 00:23:47,480 Speaker 1: Act of Congress July ninth, nineteen eighteen, takes pride in 403 00:23:47,520 --> 00:23:51,919 Speaker 1: presenting the Distinguished Service Cross posthumously to Private first Class 404 00:23:52,000 --> 00:23:56,239 Speaker 1: Gerald E. Soaper, United States Army for extraordinary heroism in 405 00:23:56,280 --> 00:24:00,520 Speaker 1: connection with military operations against an armed enemy while serving 406 00:24:00,520 --> 00:24:03,800 Speaker 1: with Company F two hundred and seventy fourth Infantry Regiment, 407 00:24:04,119 --> 00:24:07,720 Speaker 1: seventieth Infantry Division and action against enemy forces. On the 408 00:24:07,760 --> 00:24:10,960 Speaker 1: seventh of January nineteen forty five, at Wing in France, 409 00:24:11,600 --> 00:24:15,200 Speaker 1: during a daylight attack on the town, intense sniper fire 410 00:24:15,280 --> 00:24:18,960 Speaker 1: and automatic weapons activity halted the advance of Private first 411 00:24:18,960 --> 00:24:23,600 Speaker 1: class Soapers patoon. Disregarding the danger, he voluntarily crawled to 412 00:24:23,680 --> 00:24:27,080 Speaker 1: a basement window from which the enemy was firing and 413 00:24:27,200 --> 00:24:30,600 Speaker 1: hurled a grenade inside. Moving away from the window, he 414 00:24:30,680 --> 00:24:34,200 Speaker 1: was wounded. He then crawled back and tossed another grenade 415 00:24:34,200 --> 00:24:37,000 Speaker 1: through the opening. He was firing his rifle into the 416 00:24:37,040 --> 00:24:40,840 Speaker 1: basement when hit the second time, and died shortly afterwards. 417 00:24:41,080 --> 00:24:44,760 Speaker 1: Private first Class soapers gallant actions and ability to enable 418 00:24:44,880 --> 00:24:47,840 Speaker 1: his platoon to resume the attack and aid in the 419 00:24:47,880 --> 00:24:51,639 Speaker 1: capture of the town. His personal bravery and zealous devotion 420 00:24:51,760 --> 00:24:54,600 Speaker 1: to duty at the cost of his life exemplify the 421 00:24:54,680 --> 00:24:58,399 Speaker 1: highest traditions of military forces of the United States and 422 00:24:58,480 --> 00:25:02,439 Speaker 1: reflect great credit upon himself, the seventieth Infantry Division and 423 00:25:02,480 --> 00:25:07,000 Speaker 1: the United States Army. And you should know that while 424 00:25:07,119 --> 00:25:12,679 Speaker 1: Soaper was there chucking grenades in this basement window, it 425 00:25:12,920 --> 00:25:18,679 Speaker 1: skipped over these details in the citation. But the Germans 426 00:25:18,760 --> 00:25:21,199 Speaker 1: just stuck a rifle out the window and pressed it 427 00:25:21,240 --> 00:25:23,720 Speaker 1: against his chest and shot him twice in the chest 428 00:25:23,760 --> 00:25:28,720 Speaker 1: from point blank range. His friends were so enraged because 429 00:25:28,720 --> 00:25:31,760 Speaker 1: they watched it happen. They ended up taking the house. 430 00:25:31,800 --> 00:25:35,480 Speaker 1: His friends ran up chucking grenades in angry, obviously at 431 00:25:35,480 --> 00:25:38,719 Speaker 1: the death of their friend. But this is a private 432 00:25:38,760 --> 00:25:42,560 Speaker 1: first class. This is the young army guy, a young 433 00:25:42,680 --> 00:25:46,480 Speaker 1: army guy laying there in Europe. He actually one of 434 00:25:46,520 --> 00:25:48,879 Speaker 1: his arms didn't say so in the citation. One of 435 00:25:48,880 --> 00:25:52,399 Speaker 1: his arms was wounded, so like Rambo, he pulled the 436 00:25:52,480 --> 00:25:55,280 Speaker 1: pin of the grenade with his freaking teeth. And let 437 00:25:55,359 --> 00:25:57,240 Speaker 1: me tell you, having pulled the pin on a couple 438 00:25:57,200 --> 00:25:59,600 Speaker 1: of grenades, it ain't easy pulling a pin on a 439 00:25:59,600 --> 00:26:02,840 Speaker 1: grenade with your teeth without ripping your teeth out. But 440 00:26:02,880 --> 00:26:05,040 Speaker 1: this guy did it, and he gave his life for 441 00:26:05,080 --> 00:26:07,600 Speaker 1: his country. And that's the kind of thing we want 442 00:26:07,640 --> 00:26:10,399 Speaker 1: to honor today. That is impressive. In case you're wondering, 443 00:26:10,840 --> 00:26:13,879 Speaker 1: it took days and days and days and days and days. 444 00:26:14,200 --> 00:26:18,240 Speaker 1: We did finally take back wing in France. We took 445 00:26:18,359 --> 00:26:21,399 Speaker 1: some losses, the Germans took even heavier losses. It was 446 00:26:21,440 --> 00:26:23,520 Speaker 1: a brutal battle. We'll finish up with our World War 447 00:26:23,640 --> 00:26:31,240 Speaker 1: two hour next, this is a Jesse Kelly Show. It 448 00:26:31,320 --> 00:26:35,439 Speaker 1: is the Jesse Kelly Show on a Memorial Day, a 449 00:26:35,520 --> 00:26:38,880 Speaker 1: Memorial Day where we will spend three hours and hopefully 450 00:26:38,920 --> 00:26:41,920 Speaker 1: all day honoring the fallen. I do hope you are 451 00:26:42,080 --> 00:26:45,760 Speaker 1: enjoying this day. Remember that's totally okay to enjoy a 452 00:26:45,920 --> 00:26:48,439 Speaker 1: day off. Ain't nothing wrong with that. Just take a 453 00:26:48,480 --> 00:26:51,840 Speaker 1: minute and remember, and again, these are more names you 454 00:26:51,840 --> 00:26:54,320 Speaker 1: have emailed in. These are all World War Two names 455 00:26:54,359 --> 00:27:00,200 Speaker 1: this hour. Major General Maurice Rose, Private first Class Edgar Romeo, Roy, 456 00:27:00,680 --> 00:27:01,960 Speaker 1: Private Robert E. 457 00:27:02,160 --> 00:27:03,000 Speaker 2: Or, Robert R. 458 00:27:03,080 --> 00:27:13,160 Speaker 1: Gruwell, Gilbert Bruckner, Second Lieutenant renfrew A Yerksa, Carlisle Mendez, Pfc. 459 00:27:13,400 --> 00:27:16,320 Speaker 1: Thomas Shooning, Roy Beaver. 460 00:27:16,600 --> 00:27:18,119 Speaker 2: We'll get to some. 461 00:27:18,080 --> 00:27:21,639 Speaker 1: Korea Wars stuff next hour, to a couple more of 462 00:27:21,640 --> 00:27:25,320 Speaker 1: these Distinguished Service Crosses. And I warned you that there 463 00:27:25,320 --> 00:27:29,720 Speaker 1: are a lot of these quote lesser citations, these lesser awards, 464 00:27:29,720 --> 00:27:32,679 Speaker 1: because they're considered lesser or lower than the Medal of Honor. 465 00:27:33,040 --> 00:27:34,520 Speaker 1: You read some of these things, and you read about 466 00:27:34,520 --> 00:27:36,280 Speaker 1: the stories behind some of these things, and you wonder, 467 00:27:36,280 --> 00:27:37,760 Speaker 1: how the heck did this guy not win a medal 468 00:27:37,800 --> 00:27:42,040 Speaker 1: of honor. This one's for Paul Edwin Alexander. The President 469 00:27:42,080 --> 00:27:44,720 Speaker 1: of the United States of America, authorized by Act of 470 00:27:44,760 --> 00:27:48,879 Speaker 1: Congress July ninth, nineteen eighteen, takes pride in presenting the 471 00:27:48,920 --> 00:27:53,560 Speaker 1: Distinguished Service Cross posthumously to Staff Sergeant Paul Edwin Alexander 472 00:27:53,720 --> 00:27:57,199 Speaker 1: the United States Army for extraordinary heroism in connection with 473 00:27:57,280 --> 00:28:01,520 Speaker 1: military operations against an armed enemy while serving with Company G, 474 00:28:02,240 --> 00:28:07,080 Speaker 1: sixtieth Infantry Regiment, ninth Infantry Division, in action against enemy 475 00:28:07,119 --> 00:28:11,400 Speaker 1: forces on the fourteenth of June nineteen forty four, near Normandy, France, 476 00:28:12,280 --> 00:28:14,479 Speaker 1: when his company had been held up for over an 477 00:28:14,560 --> 00:28:17,880 Speaker 1: hour by extremely heavy machine gun fire from an enemy 478 00:28:17,960 --> 00:28:22,000 Speaker 1: strong point, Staff Sergeant Alexander led his squad forward to 479 00:28:22,040 --> 00:28:24,879 Speaker 1: attack the enemy position. As he moved ahead of his 480 00:28:25,000 --> 00:28:28,840 Speaker 1: men across the fire swept terrain, staff Sergeant Alexander was 481 00:28:28,880 --> 00:28:32,639 Speaker 1: seriously wounded, but nevertheless continued to lead his squad and 482 00:28:32,680 --> 00:28:36,560 Speaker 1: direct their attack. He personally threw hand grenades into four 483 00:28:36,680 --> 00:28:41,800 Speaker 1: enemy machine gun positions, completely silencing the guns and inflicting 484 00:28:41,880 --> 00:28:46,520 Speaker 1: numerous casualties on the enemy. Staff Sergeant Alexander's intrepid actions, 485 00:28:46,560 --> 00:28:49,920 Speaker 1: personal bravery, and zealous devotion to duty at the cost 486 00:28:49,960 --> 00:28:53,360 Speaker 1: of his life exemplify the highest traditions of the military 487 00:28:53,400 --> 00:28:56,920 Speaker 1: forces of the United States and reflect great credit upon himself. 488 00:28:57,080 --> 00:29:01,080 Speaker 1: The ninth Infantry Division and the United States Army yield 489 00:29:01,160 --> 00:29:05,560 Speaker 1: in action twenty three years old. This one's for Thomas A. 490 00:29:05,800 --> 00:29:09,800 Speaker 1: Green US Army. The President of the United States of America, 491 00:29:09,880 --> 00:29:13,760 Speaker 1: authorized by Acts of Congress July ninth, nineteen eighteen, takes 492 00:29:13,800 --> 00:29:17,800 Speaker 1: pride in presenting the Distinguished Service Cross posthumously to Staff 493 00:29:17,840 --> 00:29:22,360 Speaker 1: Sergeant Thomas A. Green, United States Army for extraordinary heroism 494 00:29:22,440 --> 00:29:26,280 Speaker 1: in connection with military operations against an armed enemy while 495 00:29:26,360 --> 00:29:29,719 Speaker 1: serving as a medical aid man with the fifteenth Armored 496 00:29:29,720 --> 00:29:34,040 Speaker 1: Infantry Battalion, fifth Armored Division, and action against enemy forces. 497 00:29:34,080 --> 00:29:38,360 Speaker 1: On the eighteenth of September nineteen forty four, in Germany, 498 00:29:39,200 --> 00:29:42,760 Speaker 1: a squad of Armored infantrymen accompanied by a tank was 499 00:29:42,800 --> 00:29:47,160 Speaker 1: assigned the mission of pushing through enemy positions to regain 500 00:29:47,280 --> 00:29:52,080 Speaker 1: contact with the battalion command posts. Staff Sergeant Green, though 501 00:29:52,240 --> 00:29:56,600 Speaker 1: the wounded the previous day, volunteerily accompanied his comrades on 502 00:29:56,640 --> 00:30:00,440 Speaker 1: the dangerous assignment. Near the enemy lines, the tank received 503 00:30:00,440 --> 00:30:04,320 Speaker 1: a direct hit while its crew members were attempting to dismount. 504 00:30:04,680 --> 00:30:09,240 Speaker 1: Two men were seriously wounded. Disregarding heavy artillery, mortar and 505 00:30:09,320 --> 00:30:12,760 Speaker 1: small arms fire placed by the enemy upon the disabled tank, 506 00:30:13,600 --> 00:30:17,880 Speaker 1: staff Sergeant Green advanced unhesitatingly to aid the wounded men. 507 00:30:18,400 --> 00:30:21,120 Speaker 1: He ignored the pleas of his comrades to return to 508 00:30:21,200 --> 00:30:23,880 Speaker 1: the rear when the squad was ordered to withdraw, and 509 00:30:24,000 --> 00:30:27,760 Speaker 1: chose to remain with the men. When intense own enemy 510 00:30:27,760 --> 00:30:31,280 Speaker 1: mortar fire began to fall in the area. Staff Sergeant Green, 511 00:30:31,360 --> 00:30:34,200 Speaker 1: with calm, efficiency, and at the risk of his own life, 512 00:30:34,480 --> 00:30:38,560 Speaker 1: continued to render medical treatment. He was last seen attempting 513 00:30:38,600 --> 00:30:41,520 Speaker 1: to drag his wounded comrades to the safety of a 514 00:30:41,560 --> 00:30:46,520 Speaker 1: nearby ditch. By his display of fearless courage, tenacity of purpose, 515 00:30:46,560 --> 00:30:50,320 Speaker 1: and unflinching devotion to duty, Staff Sergeant Green exemplified the 516 00:30:50,400 --> 00:30:54,040 Speaker 1: highest traditions of military forces of the United States and 517 00:30:54,120 --> 00:30:57,800 Speaker 1: reflected great credit upon himself the fifth Armored Division in 518 00:30:57,840 --> 00:31:01,440 Speaker 1: the United States Army. And you should know this is 519 00:31:01,440 --> 00:31:05,920 Speaker 1: one of those things just trying to put this the 520 00:31:06,000 --> 00:31:07,840 Speaker 1: right way. I'm trying to do all this the right way, 521 00:31:07,880 --> 00:31:11,960 Speaker 1: and I'm sure I won't. But he's listed as killed 522 00:31:12,000 --> 00:31:15,680 Speaker 1: in action and MIA. And you heard it said he 523 00:31:15,880 --> 00:31:26,680 Speaker 1: was last seen artillery mortars, these super super powerful, high 524 00:31:26,760 --> 00:31:34,160 Speaker 1: explosive rounds that are fired oftentimes. Oftentimes the reason somebody 525 00:31:34,320 --> 00:31:38,800 Speaker 1: is listed as MIA missing an action, it's not because 526 00:31:38,840 --> 00:31:41,920 Speaker 1: they were captured and died in a pow camp. That 527 00:31:42,040 --> 00:31:47,120 Speaker 1: actually is the lower percentage of MIAs. Most of the 528 00:31:47,160 --> 00:31:49,720 Speaker 1: time people are listed MIA because they got blown up 529 00:31:49,760 --> 00:31:54,720 Speaker 1: and there's nothing left. And I I'm sorry to put 530 00:31:54,720 --> 00:31:56,120 Speaker 1: it to you that way. I don't know a better 531 00:31:56,160 --> 00:31:59,440 Speaker 1: way to put it. That sounds like that's that's I 532 00:31:59,520 --> 00:32:01,840 Speaker 1: wasn't there. That sounds like the kind of situation we're 533 00:32:01,840 --> 00:32:05,520 Speaker 1: dealing with here where look at Look there are stories 534 00:32:05,880 --> 00:32:09,120 Speaker 1: all over World War One, world War two where if 535 00:32:09,160 --> 00:32:11,800 Speaker 1: you're in there'll be a group of dudes. Forget about 536 00:32:11,840 --> 00:32:14,480 Speaker 1: a dude, There'll be a group. There's twenty dudes, there's 537 00:32:14,480 --> 00:32:18,480 Speaker 1: thirty dudes. There's a platoon. They're sitting around having chow, 538 00:32:18,640 --> 00:32:22,720 Speaker 1: and an artillery round comes in and none of them 539 00:32:22,760 --> 00:32:26,440 Speaker 1: get buried. None of them get listed as KIA, or 540 00:32:26,480 --> 00:32:30,200 Speaker 1: if they do, they're listed later on they're considered MIA. 541 00:32:30,240 --> 00:32:33,960 Speaker 1: Why because even the freaking dog tags are gone. You're 542 00:32:33,960 --> 00:32:36,920 Speaker 1: walking around when you find somebody's foot, what are you 543 00:32:36,960 --> 00:32:40,600 Speaker 1: supposed to do with that? That's I know that's heavy, 544 00:32:40,720 --> 00:32:43,160 Speaker 1: but that's the reality of it. Lots of times when 545 00:32:43,160 --> 00:32:45,080 Speaker 1: you hear MIIA, it's because he got blown up and 546 00:32:45,120 --> 00:32:49,760 Speaker 1: there was nothing left. One more Owen's l kirk Us Army, 547 00:32:50,480 --> 00:32:53,240 Speaker 1: the President of the United States of America, authorized by 548 00:32:53,280 --> 00:32:57,000 Speaker 1: Congress July ninth, nineteen eighteen, takes pride in presenting the 549 00:32:57,080 --> 00:33:02,080 Speaker 1: Distinguished Service Cross posthumously to private first class Owens L. Kirk, 550 00:33:02,200 --> 00:33:06,280 Speaker 1: United States Army for extraordinary heroism in connection with military 551 00:33:06,320 --> 00:33:09,920 Speaker 1: operations against an armed enemy while serving as a medical 552 00:33:09,960 --> 00:33:12,560 Speaker 1: aid man with the one hundred and twentieth Infantry Regiment, 553 00:33:12,880 --> 00:33:16,280 Speaker 1: thirtieth Infantry Division in action against enemy forces on the 554 00:33:16,320 --> 00:33:20,400 Speaker 1: seventh of October nineteen forty four in Germany. Although realizing 555 00:33:20,440 --> 00:33:22,760 Speaker 1: that one aid man had been killed in attempting to 556 00:33:22,760 --> 00:33:25,600 Speaker 1: reach the side of a wounded man, Private first Class 557 00:33:25,720 --> 00:33:30,000 Speaker 1: Kirk heroically undertook the task himself. Despite the warnings of 558 00:33:30,040 --> 00:33:33,880 Speaker 1: his comrades. He moved across the open fire swept ground 559 00:33:33,880 --> 00:33:36,640 Speaker 1: to the fallen soldier. As he knelt in full view 560 00:33:36,640 --> 00:33:39,720 Speaker 1: of the enemy. He was fatally wounded, but continued to 561 00:33:39,840 --> 00:33:44,600 Speaker 1: administer aid to the soldier until darkness and subsequent evacuation, 562 00:33:45,080 --> 00:33:48,040 Speaker 1: and sacrificing his life to save that of another Private 563 00:33:48,040 --> 00:33:51,240 Speaker 1: first class, Kirk typified the highest traditions of the military 564 00:33:51,280 --> 00:33:55,080 Speaker 1: forces of the United States and reflected great credit upon himself. 565 00:33:55,360 --> 00:34:00,120 Speaker 1: The thirtieth Infantry Division in the United States Army is 566 00:34:00,120 --> 00:34:04,160 Speaker 1: World War two for this hour. Next hour will be Korea. 567 00:34:04,760 --> 00:34:05,840 Speaker 2: Hang on b