Time for a serious update

I have finished the 2nd edition draft of Broomsticks to Battlefields and am now in the process of scrubbing it.  Afterwards, I have a few folks who will peer review it for me before I send it off to Bob Babcock & Deeds Publishing.

Just two weeks ago, I began research for my third book, the cadets of PMC in World War II.  I traveled to the Normandy Beaches for about 10 days, with a special interest in establishing some contacts there and locating where some of our PMC brothers fought and died.

MAJ Richard O'Malley, PMC '38, known as the "Iron Major" of the 12th Infantry, 4ID died on 16 July.  You can read much more about him here:  http://pennsylvaniamilitarycollege.org/iron-major/  While I am at it, Ron Romanowicz has done a wonderful job in a PMC Remembrance page.  You can check it out here:  PMC Remembrance .  I was able to find the major's grave at the American Cemetery @ Omaha Beach.

His brother, Thomas O’Malley, was killed on D-Day 6 June off Utah beach when the LSD (Duplex Drive) he DD tank was in was struck by enemy fire.  He is buried in Cambridge, England.

So here is the dilemma.  How to narrow the list of cadets down to a manageable size.  If I research and write about them all, that would be a piece well over 1,000 pages.  How do I cut it down?  Those that died in the war?  Still too large a number.  Those that died in combat? A more manageable number but still an extremely large book (400+ pages I would suppose).  Branches?  Most were Army, but all branches were represented.  How about by awards? Which awards for bravery? You can see my dilemma, I am sure.  Any suggests would be greatly appreciated.

I had the distinct pleasure be being accompanied on this trip by Jim Timmerman (SGM-R) and good friend.

 
Also met Jean Paul Pitou, a local historian who has done a good bit of work on O'Malley and with his family.

A few last pictures from Normandy.

Pegasus Bridge

Pointe du Hoc

Omaha Beach at low tide, kinda cool to walk in my father's footsteps 70 years later.

 

 

 

 

 

Life Has Been a Blur...

Well, not much accomplished since my last post other than working, traveling, and damaging my rotator cuff.  This Saturday, I will begin in earnest my work on the second edition of Broomsticks to Battlefields and plan to have it out no later than 1 September.  Sorry for the delay.

Day Two Almost in the Books

I didn't attend one Civil war session today as none were really offered.  I did however, thoroughly enjoy the day so far.  The first session I attended was The War of 1812: Insights on generalship and the Operation Art in 1814.  Few even remember that we are celebrating the 200 anniversary of that war.  Most interesting presenter was Steve Rauch, Cyber Center of Excellence historian. He is a personal friend I mine as Jim Timmerman and I used to work for him capturing the history of GWOT for the Signal Corps.  He spoke on the war in Georgia something I was not aware of.

Second sessions was Intelligence in WWII and I ran into Lori Tagg, MI school historian from ft. Huachuca.  I worked for her producing historical documentaries for the past 2 years.  Most interesting talk was about Intelligence (or perhaps the lack there of) in Operation Market Garden.  I fully agree that Monty and he crew developed tunnel vision and relied too much on a single source for intel, Ultra. 

Third session dealt with Memory, Victory, and Defeat.  Curious thing, deja vous actually, for some reason one presenter was delivering his same presentation form a year or two ago about Misconceptions About the Tuskegee Airmen. Why?

Final session dealt with the evolution of amphibious warfare.  Serhat Guvenc from Kadir Has University, did a wonderful presentation on the Turkish invasion of Cyprus in 1974.  I was interested to hear how daylight savings time on Cyprus and the lack thereof in Turkey effected the operation.  Douglas Nacsh of the Marine Corps University did a good job of presenting the evolution of amphibious warfare in the Pacific, something I always ask my WWII students about.

Tonight is the annual dinner and the speaker will be GEN Anthony Zinni (RET). Should be a good time.

One session early tomorrow and then it is off to the airport.

Here we go Again!

It's seems only fitting and proper a begin this blog anew while I am at the Society for Military History Annual Conference, here in Kansas City, MO.  I try to attend this every year and it has never disappointed, this year is no exception.

Started last night with a wonderful reception at the WWI Museum.

 

Today, I attended four sessions .  The first, the most relevant to my Broomsticks to Battlefield Research:  Violence on the Civil War.  A bit of a misnomer, as the presenters spoke to Sherman's Bummers and the concept of cowards during the war.  Ann Sarah Rubin from the Univ. of Maryland presented a segment of her research entitled: A Delightful and Unmolested Trip across the Country.  Her research seems to indicate Sherman's Bummers were proud of the role they played in ending the war.  In addition, there was a distinct difference in how they treated the Southern civilian population.  If you left your property, accord to her, then the bummers felt all your goods were fair game.  If not, if you stayed then only those items of military significance were taken (horses, etc.).

The second: Battlefield Cowardice,Violence, and Memory in the ACW was given by Lesley J. Gordon from the University of Akron, was quite interesting considering use mentioned the 2nd Texas (see earlier posts and pictures). BANG!  Immediate connection.  One of my goals in the second edition, is to update my research concerning Robinett. She and I talked afterwards and will be talking some more in the coming month. 

Second session was Military Thought in the Napoleonic Era. Quite interesting.  The presenters all were well prepared and I came away thinking about the difference between doctrine and regulations and experience vs training.

The third session I attended was Other Fronts During WWI.  Good stuff: France in the Middle East, Riga.  Take aways?  The German Way of War, great staff work, that is mobile, flanking rapid warfare.  Joint Ops shone at Riga between air and land forces.  All good stuff.

Final sessions was interesting on a number of levels. The 7 member panel was from the Turkish Army war College and discussed the Battle of Gallipoli in WWI from the Ottoman Empire viewpoint (they won). 

All in all, a wonderful start to the conference. Can't wait for tomorrow!

Keep History Alive
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Well, the news is in.  Uncle Samuel is giving me back some of MY money.  How nice.  Next book is in the planning stages.  DAM, Robinett, and David Vickers (unpublished) all rolled into one.  Target date for publication is July 1st 2014.