Background Briefing

(Click to embiggen, or chase the link)
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So JB sent me this excellent graphic (above) a couple of weeks ago, and as I'm feeling extraordinarily lazy on this Friday afternoon (as I write) I decided to use the graphic in order to provide you, dear readers, with a bit of background on the armies of Napoléon's time.

(You there, in the back, wake up, this material WILL BE on the final exam. JK)

Anyhoo, much as it is today, military units in Napoléon's time consisted of a number of building blocks, from the individual soldier all the way up to an entire army, everything is, ya know, organized. I mean it's what makes an army credible and efficient. Well, that and the training the soldiers receive and how well they are taken care of (food, clothing, housing, medical care, etc. Oh yes, and pay, how could I forget pay?).

The basic tactical unit for the infantry was the battalion, for the cavalry it was the squadron, and for the artillery it was the battery. Organizations and uniforms tended to change over time, sometimes at the sovereign's whim, but most often due to practical necessity.

For instance, as noted above, French infantry battalions consisted of nine companies of 100 to 120 men per company. That's the 1805 table of organization, by the time of the Waterloo campaign, the number of companies per battalion had been reduced to six. This is what happens when you lose a lot of officers and non-commissioned-officers in combat. The invasion of Russia crippled the Grande Armée¹, the disastrous campaigns of 1813 and 1814 didn't help matters. The French were on the defensive and were eventually pushed back inside the borders of France and the Emperor was forced to abdicate.

So the battalions of the Waterloo campaign were smaller than those of earlier campaigns. The number of men per company did remain more or less the same.

If you'd like a more exhaustive view of Napoléon and his army (now don't all rush at once) you can chase this link, but beware, I've spent many hours over there, going down one rathole after another.

Now what, you may ask, has caused me to dial things back a bit on this series? Well, here's one answer ...

My character in Sengoku Dynasty² standing on the porch of his beach house.

My character in Sengoku Dynasty standing on the beach in front of his house.

I mean y'all knew I played computer games, right? And not to belabor the point, I am, ya know, retired and now have time to indulge myself with such things.

I'll get back to my Napoleonic "What If" series on Tuesday, I've got to figure out how to have the French win one battle which was actually a draw, of sorts, (Quatre Bras) and to make the victory at Ligny even bigger than it was. Because Napoléon didn't destroy the Prussians at Ligny, they got away and lived to fight another day, at Waterloo itself.

So until then, keep your powder dry and your nose to the wind.

¹ The Grand Army, usually what the Emperor called his main army up until it was practically destroyed in 1812, in Russia.

² Great game, for those who partake in such things, it's available on Steam, a fine purveyor of computer games. I've spent a lot of time (and money) over there, didn't feel either was wasted. YMMV

A Life well lived - Col Bud Day MOH

 

 

 

This is a rerun, but it's also one of my favorite ones.  The only Medal of Honor recipient I've ever met in person.  I think you'll like this story as well as gain a large amount of respect for the Vietnam POW's.  I know I did.

 

So...There I was.*  Late Fall 1979, second year of the second worst president ever, going through F-4 training at Luke AFB outside Phoenix AZ.  I'm the Student Duty Officer, a position of almost supreme authority in an RTU squadron (RTU-Replacement Training Unit).  I, and I alone, am responsible for answering the telephone.  "XXX Fighter Squadron, Lt juvat speaking, how may I help you sir?"  

 

The first launch is in the process of successfully committing aviation.  Very few people are in the squadron building.  There is, of course, a Duty Officer present, somewhere, in case the hot line from the Supervisor of Flying calls.  (The SOF is in the Tower, to handle any emergencies that arise.  Lots of fun.  Nothing to do, but read the paper and ostensibly supervise the Tower Crew.  Never needed to do anything with them when I became a SOF.  Each crew was led by a senior NCO, at least a Tech Sgt, mostly a Master Sgt.  Professional's all.  Nope, the SOF was there for emergencies,  as in the first person hung should something bad happen.  Usually not the last, but definitely the first.  Anyhoo, back to the story.)

Where was I?  Oh...Duty Officer.  Yep, there's an IP or IWSO somewhere in the building that I can get to handle any questions I can't answer for the SOF, such as  "Who's flying front seat in Killer 02? "

"That would be 2Lt Shmuckatelly, Sir"

"Oh, Lord! Not Shmuckatelly!"

"Yes, Sir"

See...Supreme Authority.  I can bring combat seasoned Field Grade Fighter Pilots to tears.  I can also do that when I'm flying, but that's another story for another time.

Oh, and the Squadron Commander and/or the Ops Officer are present in their office.

I do NOT want to involve them.

Now, usually, there is a Duty NCO present also.  That person actually runs the Duty Desk. However, at this point, that person (rank anywhere between  Airman First Class E-3 and Staff Sergeant E-5) is off taking care of some other task, such as assisting with the next day's schedule.  Any bonehead 2Lt can answer a phone and scream for help if needed, right?

I'm settling in with a cup of coffee and a Dash 1 (light reading, it's the bible for Pilots AKA the Aircraft Flight Manual. How systems work.  Checklists, Emergency Procedures.)  I am within a couple of days of graduating and being officially a fighter pilot (which is different than Fighter Pilot, one's an AFSC (Air Force Specialty Code, lets the peronnel folks know what your qualifications are) the other's an attitude).

As I said, I'm sitting there by my lonesome when I hear the front door open.  I look up and there's an OLD man walking in.  White hair, glasses,  wearing an overcoat, but there's something about him, an air of authority, perhaps.  Something.

Now, while others may disagree, I'm not stupid.  I err on the side of caution.

Standing up, I say "Welcome to XXX Squadron, Sir, I'm Lt juvat, How may I help you?" 

"Hello, Lt, I'm here to see your Commander" he says as he walks up to the duty desk while taking off his overcoat (had to have been raining out as it's never actually cold in Phoenix).

As he gets to the desk, he sticks out his hand and as I'm reaching to shake it, I see his lapel pin.  Very small bar, painted light blue with five stars on it.

"I'm Col Bud Day"  

Now, This was before the internet and only a few years after Vietnam.  I knew who he was, that he'd been a POW and that bad things had happened to POWs.  But, it wasn't until a few years later, that I learned just how much of a hero he was.

Source

That's what I want to share with you.  Back when I first posted this story, Sarge was posting on the folks on the masthead and Col Day's Medal of Honor Citation was included.  Folks, that Citation doesn't even begin to describe how he earned that Medal.

I just finished re-re-reading (no misspelling there, this was at least my third time through) American Patriot by Robert Coram.  I highly recommend it.  If you do read it though, have a box of kleenex and a stiff drink handy .

An interesting story from the book was a flight he had in the F-84 in England.  He was recovering to base when the engine exploded and he was forced to eject.  The Air Force had just developed new parachutes specifically for jet fighters.  Previous versions, designed for prop airplanes, could not sustain ejection at jet speeds.  However, the bands that kept the parachute intact at high speed, did not allow the parachute to deploy at low speed and low altitude.  Col Day ejected at about 300' and the chute failed to open.  He miraculously survived the fall.  As he regained consciousness, the flight surgeon said "Obviously, God has something planned for you."    Which stuck with him and got him through a lot of the turmoils in his life.

When he was shot down in Vietnam, he was almost immediately captured.  However, he managed to escape and make it back to South Vietnam, evading capture for 3 weeks.  He managed to make it to within a couple of miles of a Marine base before stumbling into a VC patrol setting up for an ambush.  Surprising them, he attempted to run, but was shot and recaptured.

This was the event that  went "Above and Beyond".

Col Day's Citation:

On 26 August 1967, Colonel Day was forced to eject from his aircraft over North Vietnam when it was hit by ground fire. His right arm was broken in 3 places, and his left knee was badly sprained. He was immediately captured by hostile forces and taken to a prison camp where he was interrogated and severely tortured.

After causing the guards to relax their vigilance, Col. Day escaped into the jungle and began the trek toward South Vietnam. Despite injuries inflicted by fragments of a bomb or rocket, he continued southward surviving only on a few berries and uncooked frogs.

He successfully evaded enemy patrols and reached the Bến Hải River, where he encountered U.S. artillery barrages. With the aid of a bamboo log float, Col. Day swam across the river and entered the demilitarized zone. Due to delirium, he lost his sense of direction and wandered aimlessly for several days.

After several unsuccessful attempts to signal U.S. aircraft, he was ambushed and recaptured by the Viet Cong, sustaining gunshot wounds to his left hand and thigh. He was returned to the prison from which he had escaped and later was moved to Hanoi after giving his captors false information to questions put before him.

Physically, Col. Day was totally debilitated and unable to perform even the simplest task for himself. Despite his many injuries, he continued to offer maximum resistance.

His personal bravery in the face of deadly enemy pressure was significant in saving the lives of fellow aviators who were still flying against the enemy. Col. Day's conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty are in keeping with the highest traditions of the U.S. Air Force and reflect great credit upon himself and the U.S. Armed Forces

Seems a little tame for a Medal of Honor citation.  But I'll explain why I think that was a little later.

In any case, he is carried to Hanoi where he's imprisoned in Hoa Loa, AKA the Hanoi Hilton, where he will spend the next 5 1/2 years under the kind, compassionate care of the North Vietnamese. (Satire intended.)

Reading this next part of the book is difficult.  "I don't know that I could have handled that..." ran through my mind many times.  His first "quiz" was part information gathering, but mostly punishment for having escaped and embarrassing the North Vietnamese and they nearly killed him during it.

Returned to his cell, he is nursed back to health kept alive, by a B-57 Pilot shot down at about the same time.  The B-57 pilot was also quizzed, but somehow is not as badly injured as Col Day.  The quizzing continues and Col Day over time loses feeling in his hands, cannot hear out of his right ear, has had his shoulders disjointed several times.  Through all of this the only information he has given them are false names of his fellow pilots, using the names of second rate movie actors and such.

His cellmate is not badly hurt and in fact is released in February of '68.  Col Day, while grateful to him for helping him survive, does not speak highly of him throughout the remainder of his book.

Things go downhill after the Tet Offensive and from June of '69 through October, Col Day goes through hell.  Probably literally.  He is "quizzed" every day.  These quizzes were even more brutal than usual.  Stripped, he was whipped with a fan belt.  The two North Vietnamese doing this would spring from the opposite side of the cell and run at him while swinging the fan belt, thereby maximizing the force on his body.  This would go on until he was unconscious.  They would allow him to regain consciousness, then begin again.  Sometimes two or three times a day.  For three months.  His wounds were so great that he still had welts and lesions 3 years later when the POWs came home.

For his successful protection of information that might have given "aid and comfort" to the enemy, Col Day would be  awarded the Air Force Cross. His citation:

The Air Force Cross is presented to George Everett Day, Colonel, United States Air Force, for extraordinary heroism in military operations against an opposing armed force as a Prisoner of War in North Vietnam from 16 July 1969 to 14 October 1969. During this period, Colonel Day was subjected to maximum punishment and torture by Vietnamese guards to obtain a detailed confession of escape plans, policies, and orders of the American senior ranking officer in the camp, and the communications methods used by the Americans interned in the camp. Colonel Day withstood this punishment and gave nothing of value to the Vietnamese, although he sustained many injuries and open wounds to his body. Through his extraordinary heroism and willpower, in the face of the enemy, Colonel Day reflected the highest credit upon himself and the United States Air Force.

Again, somewhat banal of a citation for the Air Force's second highest award for valor.

Anyhow, He attributes his survival to his mantra "Return with Honor" and the no chute ejection and the thought that God had a plan for him.  At this point, he believes that plan involves his leadership of the fellow POWs.  Which he does admirably until '73.

But, finally, LBJ is replaced.  Nixon has had enough of North Vietnamese BS and orders Linebacker 2.  I challenge anyone to read the book, get to the part where the bombs are going off all over and the POWs are singing the Star Spangled Banner, and remain dry eyed. I can't.

Shortly, thereafter, the POWs are repatriated based on date of shoot down.

Col Day reunited with his wife, Doris.  Yes really!

Col Day is in the third installment along with his former cellmate and friend John McCain.  While they disagreed on politics, they remained lifelong friends.

I thought it spoke well of the man, that while President Ford officially awarded Col Day the Medal of Honor, he later asked President Nixon to re-award it to him as a gesture of thanks that he had "bombed them out of prison".

Col Day manages to fool the flight surgeons into putting him back on flight status with 31 waivers and flies the F-4 as the Vice Wing Commander hoping to eventually take over the wing.  However, whilst in Korea during that war, he had landed his F-84 at an F-86 base and run afoul of the F-86 Squadron Commander, Maj Robert Dixon.

Dixon would go on to become a 4 Star and the Commander of Tactical Air Command and had stated "none of those neurotic POWs will ever become Wing Commanders in TAC" and that he was "tired of them riding the POW horse".    What a guy jerk!  I also believe there was probably a bit of influence attempted to interfere with Col Day's Medal of Honor award and citation.  (Full disclosure: My Dad also ran afoul of Dixon while assigned at Nellis, Dad's last station. No, I don't have any respect for that SOB Dixon.)

Col Day realizes that his USAF career is at an end and retires in 1977.  He becomes a lawyer in Florida and still has that feeling that "God has a plan for him".  He's quite successful, and after Billy Jeff is elected,  reads a magazine article saying retired military no longer receives free medical care.

When I saw the man, that morning in the squadron, chronologically he was 67,  he looked and walked like he was 80.  Suffice it to say, he had health issues.  He decides to sue the US government and wins.  This is a multi-billion dollar change in the budget,  Billie Jeff had already appropriated that money that had been moved out of health care and was well into spending it.  The Government appealed but Col Day won.

Col Day was not finished, and continued pushing and Tricare for Life was added.  Tricare for Life (as I am beginning to find out) pays for the difference between what medicare pays and the bill, less deductible etc.

Source

Clearly, God did have a plan for Col Day's life.  He executed that plan quite well.  He passed away in July of 2013 and was posthumously promoted to Brigadier General in March of '18.

Just to clarify. in 2013, Barry O was president. In 2018, Donald Trump was President. Just a coincidence I’m sure!

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I have a lot of respect for a lot of people I know or have read about.  Col Day is # 1 on the list.  I think you can see why that is.

 

Rest in Peace, Warrior!

Opposing Windmills

The Windmill at Naveau - Napoléon's Command Post
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"Sire?" Berthier was loathe to interrupt the Emperor's scan of the battlefield before them, but interrupt he must.

Napoléon snapped his glass shut then turned with a grin to his chief of staff, "This had better be good news, Berthier. From what I can see, the old Prussian only has two corps on the field."

Berthier handed the Emperor a piece of paper, "Sire, good news indeed. This a message from Maréchal Davout. He has the bulk of Reille's corps in position and intends to attack before the sun goes down. He hopes to have the crossroads at Quatre Bras before the morning."

"This is most excellent news, will we know ..."

Napoléon paused as his trained ear heard what sounded like cannon fire, "Do you hear that, Ruty?"

Général de Division Charles-Étienne-François Ruty, commanding the artillery of the Armée du Nord, nodded and said, "I do, Sire, three distinct reports followed by what you hear now."

The distant rumble of artillery fire could be heard distinctly in the direction of the left wing under Davout. Everyone paused and listened, then the Emperor spoke.

"Ruty, begin your bombardment of those Prussians displayed on the slopes across the way. Soult, prepare to launch your assault when Ruty judges the enemy sufficiently softened up. Vandamme to go in between Wagnelée and St. Amand, Gérard to go straight in at Ligny."

"Général Grouchy¹, I want your cavalry prepared to come in hard on the heels of the infantry. I shall batter them with my guns, fix them with my infantry, then cut them to red ribbons with your horsemen."

Turning to see where Ney had got to, the Emperor saw him coming up the stairs of the mill, more red faced than usual. Napoléon had expected him before now.

"Ney! Glad you could join us."

Maréchal Ney stopped and glared at his Emperor, "My apologies, Sire, Mouton's damned train is blocking the road back to Charleroi. I'm late because I was hurrying your Guard to this place. Look, there!"

Napoléon's temper seemed on the verge of exploding, then he saw what Le Rougeaud was gesturing at, the main body of the Imperial Guard Chasseurs à Pied² were deploying behind the mill. Not far behind were the Grenadiers à Pied³ and the Guard artillery.

"Well done, Ney. It seems you have recaptured the fire which has driven you since you were a sergeant of hussars."

"Shall I order the Guard artillery to join the main battery?" Ney asked.

"Discuss that with Général Ruty, but I think yes, the line would benefit from having the Guard 12-pounders⁴ in action. Now go, make it happen!"

Blücher's CP was at the Brye windmill, Napoléon's CP was at the Naveau windmill
(Both circled in blue above)
Source

"Verdammt! Where is Thielmann? Without him we cannot hold here."

Blücher's chief of staff, Gneisenau answered, "I have sent multiple messengers to hurry III Corps along. It seems that a bridge in Namur was sabotaged, which started a fire and General von Thielmann had to direct his men around that city. Might I remind you, Herr Generalfeldmarschall, it is too late to withdraw, Bonaparte is over there with the bulk of his army and ..."

The discussion was interrupted by a young cavalry officer on a horse which had been hard ridden, "Herr General, the lead elements of III Corps have reached Mazy, five kilometers to the southeast of Sombreffe!"

Gneisenau looked worried, before he could speak the old field marshal spoke, "Very well, we shall fight them here. We must hold until Thielmann can throw his weight onto our left flank."

As those words came out of his mouth, the French artillery began firing.

¹ In this timeline Napoléon has not yet given Grouchy a marshal's baton. The name is pronounced "groo-she," not as the word is pronounced in English.

² Literally "hunters on foot," the light infantry of the Imperial Guard

³ Literally "grenadiers on foot," the heavy infantry of the Imperial Guard. It's worth noting that the Guard also had Chasseurs à Cheval and Grenadiers à Cheval, light and heavy cavalry respectively.

⁴ Field artillery were designated by the weight of their shot, the standard cannon of the day were 8 and 9-pounders. Horse artillery, where the entire battery was mounted, were lighter still, sometimes as light as 4-pounders.

Dealing with Local Gummint!

 First....Don't if at all possible.  Second...Don't trust 'em.  Third, keep a copy of every piece of  paperwork they give you and, even more important, every one you send those jerks, because they keep their copy until your corpse is 10,000 years gone. Unless they lose it, then that's YOUR fault.

Just sayin'.

So, juvat, where did this theory come to fruition.

Y'all know that Halloween afternoon last year I had an AFib incident. My heart was beating very irregularly and blood wasn't being pushed to areas of my body that reIied on it.  In my case it was the brain, I blacked out and lost control of my truck which had the cruise control on at 75MPH (the posted speed limit).  It went off the side of the road into a ravine and hit a rock.  I've mentioned my respect for Ford trucks and that respect was reinforced. Upon hitting the rock, the engine compartment was crushed almost all the way to the firewall..  However, the rest of my F-150 was intact, thankfully including the passenger compartment.  The truck was, of course, totaled,  but the Missus and I were ok, not great.  I had a couple of cracked vertebrae in my neck and my sternum was pretty well broken.  Still hurts a bit it does.  Mrs J had a few bruises across her chest where the seat belt forcibly stopped her forward motion.  I also had mine on, but it didn't stop me before I hit the steering column, hence the injuries.

But...We live on.

Around the 1st of June, AKA about 10 weeks ago, I got a letter from the DMV that said I could resume driving as soon as they received a letter from my Doctor saying my condition was good enough.  So, I did.  I sent that in and started driving again.  That was June 9th.

This week, I got a messaged from the DMV saying that I was prohibited from driving as I hadn't submitted the proper paper work.

Whiskey Tango Fox Oscar!

I sent those weinies copies of the paperwork the first week in June when they requested it.  I've been driving since then without any problems whatsoever.  NOW, they send me a message saying I have to come and testify at their office?

Yankee Golf Tango  Bravo Sierra Mike! 

So, I'm back to being chauffeured by Mrs J until this gets resolved.  Not happy! Neither she nor I.

November Sierra, Sherlock! 

We shall see what we shall see!

You may have detected a very small, minute amount of irritation in this blog post vis a vis, state gummint. If so, you are very astute. My recommendation, every interaction you have with them, keep every piece of paper, and a copy of every piece of paper you give them in a very safe place.  It's not a guarantee of victory, but it least reduces the chance of defeat. 

Sorry for the rant! 

Peace out y'all! 

 

 

 

Old Friends, Now Enemies

Le maréchal Davout sur le champ de bataille.¹
Jacques Onfroy de Bréville dit OB (PD)

Maréchal Davout adjusted his spectacles after having handed his glass to an aide. He was sure that the troops occupying the village ahead, Frasnes according to his map, were Dutchmen. Nassauers to be more precise. All he had on hand at the moment were four squadrons of the Guard Red Lancers. Oddly enough, that unit, originally raised for the Dutch Guard, when it was part of France, still had a few Dutchmen in their ranks. He wasn't worried about their loyalty. They were fanatically devoted to Napoléon.

"Nassauers, Sir. From what I can see, they have no flank support," the aide spoke, confirming the Marshal's observation.

Turning to de Colbert, the commander of the lancer regiment, he pointed to the village ahead and spoke, "Flank them de Colbert, send one squadron right up the middle. I don't think they mean to hold this far forward."

"Sir!" de Colbert turned his mount and went to join his men.

"How far back is Reille?"

"No more than an hour, Sir."

Davout pulled his watch from his waistcoat, consulted it, then looked at the angle of the sun above the horizon. "I make it to be six of the clock, François, we have at least four more hours of light at this time of year. Send someone back to get Reille to move his ass."

Lieutenant François Bessette, wrote a message and handed it to one of the junior aides, who set off at once.

"I don't like this, Sir." Sergeant Schoneveld was nervous as he and his officer watched the French cavalry begin to ride to either side of the village.

"They're just cavalry, Schoneveld, we're safe among these buildings." 1e Luitenant Wilhelm Höelschen admonished his senior non-commissioned officer.

"Do you reckon they're alone, Sir? I'd bet my next years' pay that there are infantry coming up the road from Charleroi, a lot of infantry. And those aren't just any cavalry, Sir. Those are Guard lancers, you can see their Polish caps."

At that point Höelschen started to get a little nervous. There was nothing behind them until you got to Quatre Bras, some four kilometers north along the main road to Brussels.

"Alright, let's fall back, quickly now, Bijleveld's battery is covering the road at Le Balcan farm, the rest of the battalion is there as well. I think that is what Bonaparte wants us to do. This time, I'll oblige the man."

Source

After the Nassauers had been hustled back out of Frasnes, Davout sat on his horse, looking north as the first unit of Général de Division Reille's II Corps began marching past. Beside him was the commander of Reille's 1st Brigade of the 5th Division, Général de Brigade Baron Pierre-Antoine Husson.

"According to my map, Quatre Bras would be an excellent spot for Monsieur Wellington to stop us. But my scouts tell me that the crossroads is only held by a smattering of Dutchmen and Belgians, we probably know some of them." Davout's harsh laugh sparked a memory for Husson.

"Brave men, Sir. This area once belonged to France."

"And it will again, if we maneuver carefully and hit the enemy hard. Ah, there is Reille."

Davout nodded in the direction of a mounted general officer surrounded by members of his staff as they left the road and approached Davout's position. It was indeed Général de Division Comte Honoré Charles Reille.

"It's about time, Reille. The sun will set in a couple of hours, I want the crossroads at Quatre Bras before then. Get your men to move faster."

"They're exhausted, Sir, they've been marching since early this morning."

"They can rest once we have the crossroads, and not a moment before. Now move them, Reille, build a fire under your brigade commanders."

Reille's face didn't betray what he was thinking, but he knew that Davout was right.

Source

Davout, Reille, and Reille's division and brigade commanders were gathered around a table in the kitchen of a farm on the main road. Someone had mentioned that it was owned by the Delsot family, none of whom were around, no doubt they had fled when the Emperor's army had crossed the border.

Davout pointed to the rough map his engineer had prepared, "We need to take these three places before we can seize the crossroads, and we must be quick about it, les anglais won't look to Mons once the Dutchmen report our men moving on Quatre Bras. Two infantry corps and a cavalry division tend to get attention. To the west is this farm, Grand Pierrepont I'm told. In the center is the farm of Gemioncourt, and in the east is the village of Piraumont. It's swampy on that flank so I don't want to make a major effort there, screening those positions off should be enough."

Reille leaned over the map and pointed at the forest behind Grand Pierrepont, "There must be light infantry in those woods, that's where I'd put my lights if I was defending the crossroads."

Davout nodded, "You have at least 7,000 light troops in your corps, yes?"

"Sir, I have five regiments of infanterie légère², the 1st, 2nd, 4th, 11th, and 12th, thirteen battalions all told. There are a solid core of veterans in each battalion, most of the men have at least two campaigns, Leipzig and the battle for France in '14. Some have been with the eagles since Austerlitz. They are hungry for revenge."

Davout nodded again, "Use your infanterie légère to clear this wood," pointing at the Bois de Bossu³ on the map, "Once you've cleared the wood, have your men put pressure on whoever is holding the crossroads. Also, have them prepare to hold the wood against any forces coming down from Brussels or over from Nivelles."

Reille's chief of staff was busy preparing the orders to launch the light infantry on their mission so he almost missed what Davout said next.

"The Emperor has promised me Kellermann's III Cavalry Corps, they are still well back on the road to France. But I want a heavy attack launched on Gemioncourt, once that farm is cleared we should be able to attack the crossroads directly."

Reille looked at his chief of staff, "III Cavalry Corps is composed of heavy cavalry, nearly 4,000 sabers. Our biggest division is the 6th, that of Prince Jérôme, at nearly 8,000 men it's nearly twice the size of the other divisions, he has some very good regiments in his outfit. We'll use him to hit Gemioncourt, once that falls, we'll push on up the road, provided we can have the support of Kellermann's heavies."

Davout nodded yet again, "You shall have them."

Turning to his own chief of staff he said, "Send a message to Comte d'Erlon⁴, have him gather his corps around Frasnes, have him detach one division to march here. The remainder must be prepared to either join us at Quatre Bras, or march to the Emperor's aid in the direction of Marbais. From there he can either fall on Blücher's right flank, should the Prussians choose to stand there, or come in on Wellington's left flank at Quatre Bras."

Jérôme Bonaparte spoke up, "You speak of Wellington as if he is on the field, my brother, who I talked to last night, said that the English commander is still in Brussels. We're facing Dutchmen and Belgians here. I do not see a problem with us taking the crossroads. Comte d'Erlon should move towards Marbais immediately. At least that is my opinion."

Everyone looked at the Emperor's brother, the one time King of Westphalia, a corps commander in Russia, now a division commander, rather a long fall everyone thought but never mentioned in the Prince's presence.

Général de Division Baron Gilbert Bachelu, commanding Reille's 5th Division, spoke up, "My Prince, many of those Dutchmen and Belgians marched under our banners in the past. They learned their trade from your brother, the Emperor. I wouldn't look down on their abilities."

Prince Jérôme shook his head, "I still say we shall sweep them from the field tomorrow."

Davout interrupted, "Tomorrow, my Prince? You misunderstand me, we march immediately. I want to present the crossroads of Quatre Bras to the Emperor this very day. The signal to march will be three cannon shot. Is everyone clear?"

Those present nodded, then left to prepare their commands.

Davout checked his time piece once more, a half past seven, the sun would set in an hour. But at this time of year, the twilight lingered nearly another hour after that. He might not seize the crossroads tonight, but he would drive the enemy out of their forward positions, giving him the advantage should he need to continue the fight on the morrow.

He paused for a moment and turned to an aide, "Matthieu, today is the 15th, yes?"

"Yes Sir, Thursday, the 15th of June."

He nodded, today, or tomorrow, might go down in history as the day the Empire was saved. Only time would tell.

¹ Marshal Davout on the battlefield.

² Light infantry.

³ Bossu Wood.

⁴ Général de Division Comte Jean-Baptiste Drouet d'Erlon, commander of I Corps.

Neel Kearby MOH

Col Neel Kearby

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OK, this is another Medal of Honor recipient, Neel Kearby. We've been reading about Bomber crews lately and that's also an extreme exhibition of courage. However, this time the hero was a fighter pilot and did combat in WWII in the Pacific. In addition, he's a Texan born and raised. The only down tic in his record is he attended one of the University of Texas campuses. Boo! A&M or Tech, Yay! Ahh Well! He joined the Army Air Corps in 1937 and earned his wings at Randolph AFB and Kelly AFB both in the San Antonio area. So...He's a Texan!

When WWII broke out, he was in command of a fighter squadron (called Pursuit Squadrons at the time) to protect the Panama Canal using P-39 Airacobras. Not an overly good aircraft, better ones would be coming soon. In October 1942 he took command of the 348th fighter group and trained them to fly the P-47 Thunderbolt.

The group was deployed to Australia and then further deployed to New Guinea where they started fighting the Japanese.

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On October 11 1943, Col Kearby lead a 4 ship of P-47 and overflew Wewak Airfield on the north side of New Guinea. Some 40 Japanese fighters were airborne. He and his flight engaged the fighters. The video below will describe some of their tactics. He and his wingmen used their advantage against the Japanese disadvantage. He was higher than the Japanese could fly. His flight would dive from above, shooting from above ,then pull up and climb out and do it again. Kearby himself shot down 6 aircraft on this flight, making him an Ace. In all a total of 9 Japanese were shot down in this engagement. General George Kenney recommended Col Kirby for the Medal of Honor.

On March 5, 1944 he is on a Combat Air Patrol (AKA looking for bad guy aircraft and shooting them down). He has 21 Japanese airplanes that he had shot down on his record. Again they're in the vicinity of the Japanese held airfield at Wewak. He spots 3 Japanese fighter and attacks them. Shooting at one he doesn't get enough hits to bring it down, so reattacks. On doing so, other Japanese fighters attack him and shot him down. According to the local population, he successfully bailed out, got tangled up in his parachute in a tree and died from bullet wounds from the attack.

His remains were recovered and identified in 1947 and were transferred to the United States and he was reburied at Sparkman-Hillcrest Memorial Park Cemetery in 1949.

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Rest in Peace, Warrior!

A gift from the Citizens of Arlington TX

Victory	Date	Location	Aircraft	Notes on claim
1	09/04/43	Hopoi	Betty	First aerial victory claim.
2	09/04/43	Hopoi	Oscar	Second aerial victory claim.
3	09/14/43	Malahang	Dinah	Third aerial victory claim.
4	10/11/43	Boram Airfield	Zeke [sic Oscar]	Fourth aerial victory claim.
5	10/11/43	Boram	Zeke [sic Oscar]	Fifth aerial victory claim, became an "ace"
6	10/11/43	Boram	Hap [sic Oscar]	Sixth aerial victory claim.
7	10/11/43	Boram	Hap [sic Oscar]	Seventh aerial victory claim.
8	10/11/43	Boram	Ki-61 Tony	Eighth aerial victory claim.
9	10/11/43	Boram	Ki-61 Tony	Ninth aerial victory claim.
10	10/16/43	Wewak	Zeke	Tenth aerial victory claim.
11	10/19/43	Wewak	F1M2 Pete	Eleventh aerial victory claim.
12	10/19/43	Wewak	F1M2 Pete	Twelfth aerial victory claim.
13	12/03/43	Wewak	Zeke [sic Oscar]	Thirteenth aerial victory claim.
14	12/03/43	Wewak	Zeke [sic Oscar]	Fourteenth aerial victory claim.
15	12/03/43	Wewak	Zeke [sic Oscar]	Fifteenth aerial victory claim.
	12/07/43	Boram Airfield	Ki-61 Tony	Claimed as damaged.
16	12/22/43	Wewak	Zeke [sic Oscar]	Sixteenth aerial victory claim.
17	12/23/43	Dagua Airfield	Ki-61 Tony	Seventeenth aerial victory claim.
18	01/03/44	Wewak	Ki-21 Sally [sic]	Eighteenth aerial victory claim.
19	01/03/44	Wewak	Zeke [sic Oscar]	Nineteenth aerial victory claim.
20	01/09/44	Wewak Harbor	Ki-61 Tony	Twenty aerial victory claim.
21	01/09/44	Wewak Harbor	Ki-61 Tony	Twenty-first aerial victory claim.
	02/27/44	Cape Hoskins	Ki-21 Sally	Claimed as damaged.
22	03/05/44	Wewak	Nell [sic Ki-48 Lily]	Twenty-second aerial victory claim.

P-47 from LtCol Kirby's Group

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Col Kearby's Citation

For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity above and beyond the call of duty in action with the enemy, Col. Kearby volunteered to lead a flight of 4 fighters to reconnoiter the strongly defended enemy base at Wewak. Having observed enemy installations and reinforcements at 4 airfields, and secured important tactical information, he saw an enemy fighter below him, made a diving attack and shot it down in flames. The small formation then sighted approximately 12 enemy bombers accompanied by 36 fighters. Although his mission had been completed, his fuel was running low, and the numerical odds were 12 to 1, he gave the signal to attack. Diving into the midst of the enemy airplanes he shot down 3 in quick succession. Observing 1 of his comrades with 2 enemy fighters in pursuit, he destroyed both enemy aircraft. The enemy broke off in large numbers to make a multiple attack on his airplane but despite his peril he made one more pass before seeking cloud protection. Coming into the clear, he called his flight together and led them to a friendly base. Col. Kearby brought down 6 enemy aircraft in this action, undertaken with superb daring after his mission was completed

Sources

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neel_E._Kearby

https://www.nationalmuseum.af.mil/Visit/Museum-Exhibits/Fact-Sheets/Display/Article/196209/col-neel-e-kearby-pacific-thunderbolt-ace/

Pics https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/9805/neel-ernest-kearby#view-photo=25749823

Aerial Victories https://pacificwrecks.com/people/veterans/kearby/index.html

Home town celebration. https://www.arlingtontx.gov/News-Articles/2025/November/A-Look-Back-Remembering-Local-Medal-of-Honor-Recipient-Neel-Kearby