Remembering Bataan

Editor’s note: In the Human Factor, we profile survivors who have overcome the odds. Confronting a life obstacle — injury, illness or other hardship — they tapped their inner strength and found resilience they didn’t know they possessed. This week we introduce you to 92-year-old Lester Tenney, a survivor of the Bataan Death March during World War II. Tenney went on to become a college professor, write a book and found Care Packages from Home, a nonprofit, volunteer group that sends care packages to U.S. troops.

(CNN) — Seventy-one years have passed since that ninth day of April, 1942, on the Bataan Peninsula in the Philippines, where we witnessed the defeat of a once-proud Army.

It was where Gen. Edward King, commander of all U.S. armed forces on Bataan, told his men,

“We have no further means of organized resistance, we are low on ammunition, have virtually no medical supplies, and our food is all but gone. Our front lines are destroyed and both flanks severely weakened. The situation has become hopeless.”

Then he continued, “If I do not surrender all forces to the Japanese today, Bataan will be known around the world as the greatest slaughter in history.” Continue reading →

On Wednesday, May 1, 2013, Mike (Perimeter Grunt) Stokes and I attended the Rancho Cucamonga High School Rancho Remembers event.  This event brings together high school students and veterans.  The event also serves as an oral history that otherwise the students would never hear.  After being guided to a parking place I was greeted by a student who showed me through a gauntlet of students.  One student approached me and escorted me to a sign-in station and then to my table.

Three students then joined me for the first session. After the opening ceremonies we started on our first session of interviews.  About an hour later there was an intermission and another team of students joined the table for the second session of interviews.

I was totally overwhelmed by the quality of the students and their questions.  There were more than 300 veterans attending and about 1,000 students.  This type of program makes me feel that America is greater than ever.

Continue reading →

Infantry Shut to Women; Do They Want It Open?

Jan 07, 2013

Associated Press| by Pauline Jelinek

WASHINGTON — If or when the Pentagon lets women become infantry troops — the country’s front-line warfighters — how many women will want to?

The answer is probably not many.

Interviews with a dozen female soldiers and Marines showed little interest in the toughest fighting jobs. They believe they’d be unable to do them, even as the Defense Department inches toward changing its rules to allow women in direct ground combat jobs. Continue reading →

Women Break Ground in Combat Roles

Apr 01, 2013

Fayetteville (N.C.) Observer| by Drew Brooks

The question of whether women can serve in Army roles previously restricted to men is being answered on Fort Bragg, where the male-only world of artillery has opened to female soldiers.

Last summer, the 18th Fires Brigade began a pilot program aimed at introducing female officers to what were once all-male units.

The program began even before then-Defense Secretary Leon Panetta announced the repeal of rules against women serving in male-only positions. Continue reading →

Bud Roach with the most interesting man in the world. He said he doesn’t drink beer very often but when he does it is at Tulsa, OK with veterans from C/1/22.

It’s not too late to make a reservation.