Photos Courtesy American Battle Monuments Commission
“Count your blessings
that they were willing to give, so you can be.”
- John Michael
During WW II, MG G. M. Barnes was the chief of research and development of the US Army’s Ordnance Branch. In that capacity, his unit produced many many weapons to help the United States & the Allies win WW II – from artillery, to armor to hand held weapons, Ordnance delivered.
Another development that has changed the world is that today 17 MAY 1943, some 66 years ago, US Army & the University of Pennsylvania developed the ENIAC, a computer containing 17,468 vacuum tubes.
On December 8, 1941, Franklin D. Roosevelt addressed the UNITED STATES Congress in response to the Japanese invasion of Pearl Harbor of the island of Oahu in Hawaii.
The speech began…. “Yesterday, Dec. 7, 1941 – a date which will live in infamy – the United States of America was suddenly and deliberately attacked by naval and air forces of the Empire of Japan.”
“The United States was at peace with that nation and, at the solicitation of Japan, was still in conversation with the government and its emperor looking toward the maintenance of peace in the Pacific….”
President Roosevelt went on to itemize that other US sovereign soil was also attacked and in the end posed a request to Congress:
“No matter how long it may take us to overcome this premeditated invasion, the American people in their righteous might will win through to absolute victory.I believe I interpret the will of the Congress and of the people when I assert that we will not only defend ourselves to the uttermost, but will make very certain that this form of treachery shall never endanger us again.”
“Hostilities exist. There is no blinking at the fact that that our people, our territory and our interests are in grave danger.”
“With confidence in our armed forces – with the unbounding determination of our people – we will gain the inevitable triumph – so help us God.”
“I ask that the Congress declare that since the unprovoked and dastardly attack by Japan on Sunday, Dec. 7, a state of war has existed between the United States and the Japanese empire.”
On December 7, 1941, Japanese planes attacked the United States Naval Base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii Territory killing more than 2,300 Americans. The U.S.S. Arizona was completely destroyed and the U.S.S. Oklahoma capsized. The attack sank three other ships and damaged many additional vessels. More than 180 aircraft were destroyed.
“… It’s in a Texas rodeo, in a policeman’s badge, in the sound of laughing children, in a political rally, in a newspaper…In all these things, and many more, you’ll find freedom. And freedom is what America means to the world. And to me.”
-Audie L. Murphy, Actor and Most Decorated Combat Soldier of WWII
Over 14 million troops were involved in the world’s second greatest war when the madman of the Nazis attempted to take over the world. It was because of the ingenuity, persistence and drive of the Americans that this evil was overcome. But at what cost?
The photo below shows the field of crosses that show only a part of those who defended the freedoms that most take for granted. What will you sacrifice?
I just finished the book that was sent to me – “A Tale of Two Subs” by Jonathan J. McCullough is an intensive read. I couldn’t put the book down, despite my busy schedule. I found the information presented in such a way that it became a “page turner” for me.
The book tells of the interaction of a pair of sister submarines in WW II and a series of events that occurred fifty-five years ago ending in Novemeber of 1943 in the Pacific.
The author does a great service to this much ironic set of events, while interspersing the lengths that the Allies went to uncover the secret codes of the Japanese and the Germans.
Thumbs Up and thanks for the great insights.
Winston Churchill: “Now this is not the end. It is not even the beginning of the end. But it is, perhaps, the end of the beginning.”
I’ve been doing some research and found this among the WW II archives. If you didn’t know Churchill, despite a rather challenging time in his youth with delivering everyday speech, became one of the most memorable speakers and statesmen.
He like Franklin Delano Roosevelt, Dwight D. Eisenhower, were great leaders at the time. It’s sad we have few to none today of such caliber. Those who might be ascending to the leadership roles are tormented and torn down for their character and ethics.
Among others, a special Thank you to —
COL Robert Friedman USA Ret
SGM Joseph Mancuso USA Ret
SGT William E. Skivington, Jr USA KIA
COL Daniel Patrick Gallagher USA Ret
TEC4 Anthony De Angelis USA Ret
The ENIAC was the first computer! ENIAC stood for Electronic Numerical Integrator And Calculator.
It’s hardly known, but in my research about the guns of the esteemed Presidential Salute Battery of the 3d Infantry Regiment of the US Army – “THE OLD GUARD”, I came across what I believe is the true “Father of Computers” – Major General G. M. Barnes, US Army who was the Chief of the Research and Development of the Army Ordnance Department during WW II and beyond. It was under his leadership that the project was sponsored and led us into the computer age. Think about it, the ENIAC computer was created (with its 19,000 vacuum tubes) to address the complicated calculations of trajectory for firing of cannon and other artillery… from that room-sized behemoth, we now have computers that make life better.
Again the US Army – the Army Research Lab (ARL) has contributed greatly to the world and has gotten little recognition.
I located an old photo in the National Archives that shows the General along with others of the ENIAC Team.
In the photo you will find — Left to Right: J. Presper Eckert, Jr., Chief Engineer; Professor J. G. Brainerd, Supervisor; Sam Feltman, Chief Engineer for Ballistics, Ordnance Department; Captain H. H. Goldstine, Liaison Officer; Dr. J. W. Mauchly, Consulting Engineer; Dean Harold Pender, Moore School of Electrical Engineering, University of Pennsylvania; General G. M. Barnes, Chief of the Ordnance Research and Development Service; Colonel Paul N. Gillon, Chief, Research Branch of the Army Ordnance Research and Development Service.
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