Oh you had to bring up mules, huh?! Here's some things we have had to say about them in the past!
During the Civil War there was a supposed mule charge that took place at the Battle of Wautatchie Tenn. The story goes that a pack of mules broke loose from the mule handlers (skinners) and charged into the confederate lines, spooking the soldiers. The story goes that General Grant was so impressed with this bravery on the mules part that he wanted to brevet them to horses.
With apologies to Tennyson, here is "The Charge of the Mule Brigade"
Oh you had to bring up mules, huh?! Here's some things we have had to say about them in the past!
Army mules ... you got to love them. After all, despite our increasingly mechanized force, they had a job to fulfill during the war, and they did it biting, kicking, and being generally fractious all the way...... kinda like our combat infantrymen.
Perhaps Rocky can attest to the mulishness of your average combat infantryman.
One wonders if immediately following the successful charge of Grant's Mule Brigade the Confederates did not hurriedly set about forming a Mule Brigade of their own. I can see it now. Ol' Stonewall turns to an aide and says, send in the Mule Brigade against the enemy's left flank..... that should throw 'em back.
I'll just say one thing, we got our supplies up in the mtns. by mule train. Yes everyone did their share and some of them paid the price. War was and still is HELL.......Rocky
I'll just say one thing, we got our supplies up in the mtns. by mule train. Yes everyone did their share and some of them paid the price. War was and still is HELL.......Rocky
I appreciate your comments, but have to say I'm of the opinion that not everyone always did their share. If that were the case there would have been fewer court martials, no black market in the rear areas, and more senior commanders who would have been up in the front lines where the shooting was more often than they were. To me, at least, this makes the CIB all the more important since it signifies (for the most part) that the man who really earned it did his share without any doubt whatsoever.
Here is one of the best descriptions I've seen of what the CIB means to those who really earned it.
In his widely acclaimed book War In A Time Of Peace, David Halberstam comments on the Combat Infantry Badge as follows:
What the military in its codes valued more than anything else was honor; serious military men always knew which of their colleagues had served their time in combat and could be counted on. That was why in private, when they were in uniform among each other, army men often did not display all their ribbons but instead wore the Combat Infantry Badge. It was the army’s true badge of honor, and wearing the CIB without other ribbons—even the Silver or Bronze Star—was part of the culture’s secret language, the way real army men spoke to each other, deliberately understated. It said in effect that the recipient had been there and done it, and for anyone else who had also been there, that was all you needed to know. And if you hadn’t been there, it didn’t matter what you thought.
Of course, this description rightly places me among those whose thoughts on the subject simply do not matter. However, I am more than satisfied (and honored) with just having known such men.
Some WWII Combat Engineers deserve the combat infantry badge. My father, for one, served with the 234 Combat Engineers battling from D+3, Normandy beaches, through Belgium, Holland and finally Germany. When casualties in the regular infantry regiments became high, as the war progressed though Europe, combat engineer battalions were used as infantry. My father went on many of these infantry patrols, attached to the 29th and 30th divisions and was wounded by enemy machine gun fire on the Siegfried line while on a night patrol. Combat engineer companies were moved around and attached to different divisions at different times where they were needed. In addition, when the engineers built many of the bailey bridges, it was under enemy fire. The Germans did not just sit back and watch them build a bridge and welcome them into Germany.
My father is very humble about his service and has just started talking about his experiences at 87 years old. He did not even have his medals until two years ago when he found out he was eligible to get them, he only had the ribbons and never saw the medals all these years. Two years ago, he was awarded the French, Legion of Honor by the French consulate for his participation in the liberation of France.
If the French government can recognize our service men after all these years, then it is time that our government recognize them as well. Many of these guys went through hell and saw things that no one should see or experience. If a soldier can prove he served the required amount of time on the front lines, then they should get the combat infantry badge and be eligible for a bronze star.
Next week a number of delegates will seek justice for Filipino veterans of WWII. What's puzzling is where is the support for American veterans that participated in the same battles?
I was exposed to the injustice several years ago by an 89 year old retired USAF Colonel, a veteran of Bataan and Corregidor. He resided in a nursing home in Tucson, Arizona, and asked for my assistance in the process to receive recognition for his service as an infantryman.
Various AAF units formed the First Provisional Air Corps Regiment, II Corps (PACR). It was lead into battle by Colonel Doane, 31st Infantry Regiment. There are descriptions of the unit’s participation in battles from four sources.
The majority were taken prisoner, killed in action or killed in captivity. Those that survived, and repatriated during 1945, only a small number were processed correctly, and recognized fully for their combat roles. Records reveal the Bronze Star Medal [with] the Combat Infantryman Badge (CIB) were awarded until 2003. Congressman Patrick Kennedy (RI) presented the CIB to a former AAF member of PACR.
A joint agreement on 20 December 1948 by the U.S. Army and USAF authorized all AAF personnel be under the jurisdiction of the USAF regarding awards and decorations. Exception were certain badges including the CIB. The U.S. Army retains sole authority to award the CIB.
AAF veterans and/or next of kin are required to request the CIB through the Army Boards for Correction of Military Records. Currently, the Army Review Boards Agency, Awards and Decorations Branch, Ft. Knox, Kentucky refuse to recognize any AAF veteran the CIB.
Such action is contrary to guidelines, dated 1943, 1944, previous action by the U.S. Army Reserves, and history of recipients they fought along side.
Please note the previous procedure for several AAF units. The document was discovered in a POW's biography.
One distinguished AAF veteran involved leading a group of men into battle was Lt. Colonel William E Dyess. (Dyess AFB, Texas was named after him). Records reveal he was not fully recognized for his combat service. He earned the Bronze Star Medal, Bronze Star Medal (1st Oak Leaf Cluster), and the Combat Infantryman Badge he never received.
Some WWII Combat Engineers deserve the combat infantry badge. My father, for one, served with the 234 Combat Engineers battling from D+3, Normandy beaches, through Belgium, Holland and finally Germany. When casualties in the regular infantry regiments became high, as the war progressed though Europe, combat engineer battalions were used as infantry. My father went on many of these infantry patrols, attached to the 29th and 30th divisions and was wounded by enemy machine gun fire on the Siegfried line while on a night patrol. Combat engineer companies were moved around and attached to different divisions at different times where they were needed. In addition, when the engineers built many of the bailey bridges, it was under enemy fire. The Germans did not just sit back and watch them build a bridge and welcome them into Germany.
My father is very humble about his service and has just started talking about his experiences at 87 years old. He did not even have his medals until two years ago when he found out he was eligible to get them, he only had the ribbons and never saw the medals all these years. Two years ago, he was awarded the French, Legion of Honor by the French consulate for his participation in the liberation of France.
If the French government can recognize our service men after all these years, then it is time that our government recognize them as well. Many of these guys went through hell and saw things that no one should see or experience. If a soldier can prove he served the required amount of time on the front lines, then they should get the combat infantry badge and be eligible for a bronze star.
Interesting this should be re-visited today, for I just got back from the Engineer's Museum at Fort Leonard Wood and have just downloaded all the photos from my camera. Would like to share a few with you, which are related to engineers fighting as infantry.
Note where it states:
"All engineers have the secondary mission to fight as infantry."
Marion J Chard
Proud Daughter of Walter (Monday) Poniedzialek
540th Engineer Combat Regiment, 2833rd Bn, H&S Co, 4th Platoon
There's "No Bridge Too Far"
I will tell you what else combat engineers do that you may not know, they gather intelligence. My father volunteered to go into an enemy occupied town to get engineering drawings of the Albert Canal and Meuse River. The Germans controlled the dams and were using them to flood the land downstream to slow the progress of the allied advance. By getting the engineering drawings from the town, it provided valuable intelligence in accomplishing the mission to cross those obstacles. He was awarded a Certificate of Merit by the Army for his service.
Clearly, combat engineers were on the front lines and in many cases ahead of the infantry and armored divisions. Without the engineers the armored divisions and their supplies would not have been able to advance, since the Germans flooded most of the land and blew the bridges behind them as they retreated.
I am not saying every combat engineer deserves the CIB and Bronze Star, but clearly some do. Maybe the officers sitting at HQ miles behind the line do not but the guys on the front line in active combat for months certainly qualify by any standard.
Marion J Chard
Proud Daughter of Walter (Monday) Poniedzialek
540th Engineer Combat Regiment, 2833rd Bn, H&S Co, 4th Platoon
There's "No Bridge Too Far"
I have contacted several offices of DOD, and continue to wait for a response. I would like to share WD Circular 105. I wish to bring to your attention the basis (or justification) determining the CIB is authorized to any and all U.S. Army personnel that met WD Circular 105, page 2, paragraph IV..Badge. The key word is [any] infantryman.
This guideline applies to all U.S. Army personnel up to 11 May 1944 when WD Circular 186 was adapted.
Obviously, it did not require a combatant to be assigned to an infantry unit and/or possess the MOS of an infantryman.
WD Circular 269 was amended by WD Circular 105. Retroactive award of the Expert and Combat Infantryman badges may be awarded to any infantryman who, on or after 6 December 1941, has established eligibility and been recommended for such award under the provisions of paragraph 2b or paragraph 3.
Would appreciate any response to a simple interpretation.
Robert
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Marion's note - October 19, 2011 - Looks like the Photo Buckets documents are no longer available. Sorry, for I have no control of off-site materials.
