« I Take Back Everything Mean I've Ever Said | Main | This Was Kind of a Surprise »

June 06, 2007

There's a Couple More Magnificent Military Moments

...associated with this day in June. The Japanese were buggering out of Midway...and then there was this guy. At Belleau Wood. In 1918. Who had something to say.

War Correspondent Roy Floyd Gibbons lay surrounded by the dead, pinned down and terrified. At this critical point, one of the Old Breed Leathernecks leapt to his feet with a curse. Double Medal of Honor awardee from the Boxer Rebellion and Haiti, Gunnery Sergeant Dan Daly swept by. The sergeant, Gibbons reported in his dispatch, swung his bayoneted rifle over his head with a forward sweep, yelling at his men
"Come on, you sons of bitches, do you want to live forever?"
With a roar the survivors in the wheat surged forward and overran the first line of German machine guns in the woods.*

*From "A Fellowship of Valor", Col. Joseph Alexander, USMC, Ret.

Posted by tree hugging sister at June 6, 2007 10:40 AM

Comments

My God. 2 Medals of Honor.

Posted by: Mr. Bingley at June 6, 2007 11:05 AM

"Come on, you sons of bitches, do you want to live forever?"

And they do.

Posted by: Boy Named Sous at June 7, 2007 12:53 AM

Indeed, Sous. Indeed they do.

Posted by: tree hugging sister at June 8, 2007 12:17 PM