Tag Archives: History

Posted on

LSCO Ready

Organizing and Equipping for Airborne Medical Care in World War II

by

Late September, 1944—Nijmegen

Medical personnel shuffled litters in and out. Outside the doors, the courtyard teemed with humanity. Clusters of aid-men loitered in anticipation of the jeeps, which were operated by their casualty collecting detachments. Like foraging ants they traversed the division area, to and from the regimental aid stations, and they would return direct to the imposing walls of the seminary. The seminary looked like an institution of classical learning, if nothing else for the blanket of vines which clung in patches to the dull brick construction. It was the most suitable location they could find for a division hospital. Mostly because of its size.

Had one of the early developers of the American airborne been able to peer into the future and see this sight, it would have surpassed all comprehension. The scale, the efficiency were beyond anything they envisioned, which wasn’t much. If casualty care in Nijmegen could be considered near seamless, it was not a product of the vision of early airborne developers in the US Army.

It was a gradual acceleration to the display of efficiency on the grounds of the Nijmegen seminary. But the only question that mattered is did it work?

Based in Fort Liberty, North Carolina, the chorus represents the 19,000 Army soldiers that serve in the 82nd Airborne Division. (Staff Sgt. Javier Orona/Army)
Posted on

Oblique Victory

Ancient Battles with Modern Relevance, Pt IV

by

The opening years of the Second Punic War were disastrous for Rome. Hannibal rampaged undeterred throughout Italy, capturing cities and laying waste to every army that challenged him. It came to the point that the Romans brought a massive force to bear. This army, despite outnumbering him nearly 2:1, was annihilated near the small town of Cannae. The war, started to ensure Carthaginian supremacy, seemed to be nearing its conclusion. Rather than admitting defeat, Rome fought on for years. They eventually defeated Carthage and became the undisputed rulers of the Mediterranean world. How were they able to win a war against such an unstoppable opponent? They were never able to stop Hannibal in Italy, so what hope did they have of winning the war? 

Posted on

Adapt and Innovate

Ancient Battles with Modern Relevance, Pt II

by

With only 40,000 men, Alexander the Great invaded the kingdom of Persia. One after another, larger Persian armies fell before him.. Alexander’s army seized Anatolia, Palestine, Egypt, Mesopotamia, Bactria, and even to the edge of India. As king of Macedon, he conquered the ancient world, campaigning outside of Greece for nearly 13 years. Prior to Alexander, Macedon was merely a backwater territory north of Greece. Warring neighbors to the south, and internal strife and raids, left them weak. All of this made their rise to power, ability to subdue and unite the Greek city states, and conquest of Persia all the more incredible. What changed in so short a time to fully upset the balance of power?

Posted on

Hannibal’s Failure

Ancient Battles with Modern Relevance, Pt I

by

With the thunder of elephants, Hannibal Barca descended out of the Italian Alps to wage his war on the Roman Republic early in the winter of 218 BC. Behind his elephants marched an army of African mercenaries, Spanish tribesmen, and Gaelic warriors. His assault caught the world off guard, as the Alps were seen as an impenetrable barrier, especially during the winter. The unexpected assault caught the Romans off-guard and would lead to a series of terrible Roman defeats. Yet Hannibal, who remain undefeated for the next 16 years, ultimately loses his war. The question at hand is “why?”

An 18th-century print of Hannibal’s forces in 210 BC. (Hulton)

Posted on

The Rock at Lookout Mountain

by

On November 24, 155 years ago, a force of Union Soldiers gained redemption they never felt they needed. The Army of the Cumberland (AOC) was an outfit comprised mostly of Ohio and Kentucky units with a smattering of other mid-westerners. It’s fellow western army, the Army of the Tennessee, was composed mostly of Soldiers from Illinois and Iowa. Both were tough outfits with capable subordinate leaders. While neither gets the same acclaim of the Army of the Potomac, they are prideful units. Never was this better demonstrated than at Lookout Mountain where the Rock of Chickamauga, just two months after devastating defeat, kicked the Confederacy in the teeth and planted Old Glory at the summit.