The Conservative Cave
Current Events => General Discussion => Topic started by: bijou on June 21, 2011, 09:09:34 AM
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GLOUCESTER—
— James Downey Jr., who survived the infamous Bataan Death March in 1942 and became an inspiration to his family, died Monday. He was 96 years old.
Downey served with the Army's 26th Cavalry Philippine Scouts, a decorated unit that still rode horses into battle in the early days of World War II. Half-Filipino by birth, his mother was of Philippine and Spanish heritage and his father was from Augusta County, a cavalry officer who fought in the Spanish-American War.
News of his death came from family members. ...
read more here (http://www.wtkr.com/news/dp-nws-bataan-death-march-obit-20110620,0,2935352.story)
RIP.
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:taps:
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:taps:
Ditto. He'll show up in Heaven just before the 135th anniversary of Little Bighorn (this Saturday).
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I'm glad I learned as much as I have about WWII directly from several people, relatives of mine and others I had the good fortune to meet and learn from who were in the thick of it like this Gentleman. Lest we forget.
The Imperial Japanese Army was a particularly nasty bunch of cutthroats. The Japanese killed more people in Asia and the Pacific than were killed anywhere else in WWII.
Today the Japanese are working hard to ensure that those facts fade into oblivion. Since the end of WWII subsequent generations of Japanese have been taught, and to this day continue to be taught a very different version of history.
They need to be held to task on this.
http://spice.stanford.edu/docs/134
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God Bless.
I'm sure most of us have seen the movie giving a "glamorized" view of the Bataan Death March.
I cannot imagine what these men went through...I don't think any of us can. I don't know how they survived, or how they managed to maintain any sort of hope of survival.
All I can say about these men, is they were incredible. Heroic courage was needed not only for themselves as individuals, but for the group to keep forging on. To survive years of captivity and unfathomable torture.
It's men like Mr Downey, who felt it their duty - regardless of what that entailed - to sign up to protect the United States and her citizens from enemies near and far.
We can't honor them enough, to thank them for what they did.
I hope we will remember to thank each military person we see, as we go about our daily life, in the grocery, at the gas station, at our kids' school or our church.
Thank them for being willing to stand up and swear to protect us, even if it means sacrificing themself in order to do so.
Without those brave people...we would not have the freedoms and priviledges we often take for granted.
May God watch over them and protect them from harm.
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The history of WWII is replete with example and example of how these men and women addressed very real and very demanding threats on their lives and, by extension, our way of life as freedom-loving Americans.
This man's story is amazing just with the sheer adversity and the personal courage and strength that he experienced and shouldered.
It's worthy of its own thread perhaps, but this man's (http://www.louiezamperini.com/) story is equally amazing and inspiring.
I encourage EVERYBODY to check out the web site, if not the book. I simply could not put the book down. Compelling, powerful, and awesome.
Louie Zamperini is still alive and still motivating others.
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About 35 years ago I worked with a crusty old fart who survived the Bataan Death March. He was permanently disabled and walked with a serious limp.
He was a crusty old fart BEFORE that experience, everyone at the company told me!
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the battling bastards of Bataan - no mama no papa no uncle sam and no one gives a good god damned.
RIP