Ghost Army Report

    They ghost army United States army tactical deception (which means a thing that deceives) unit in World War Two officially known as the 23^rd special troops. The 1,100 man was giving a unique mission within the army to impersonate other U.S army to deceive the enemy. From a few weeks after D Day (D Day is the date of the allied landing in France) when they landed in France until the end of the war they put on a traveling road show using inflatable tanks sound trucks phony radio transmissions and playacting. They staged over 20 battlefield deceptions, often operating very close to the front lines. Their mission was kept secret until 1996, and elements of it remained classified.

      Inspiration for the unit came from the British who had used similar techniques on a smaller scale at the battle of El Alamein. The unit had beginnings at Camp Forrest, Tennessee at was fully formed at pine camp NY (which is now fort drum)  before sailing in England in early May 1944. In England they were based near Stratford and some troops participated in operation Fortitude the British simulation of a landing force designated for the Pas de Calais. Some troops went to Normandy two weeks after D Day were they simulated a fake Mulberry harbor at nights with lights to draw German fire away from the real ones. Next the full force assisted in bottling up the German defenders of Brest by simulating a larger force then was actually encircling them. As the allied army’s moved east so did the 23^rd and it eventually was mostly based out of luxemore where it engaged in deceptions of the Ruhr river positions along the Maginot line, Hurtgen forest, and finally a major crossing of the Rhine to draw German troops away from the actual sites.

         Ghost soldiers were encouraged to use their brains and talent to mislead deceived and befuddle the German Army. Many were recruited from art schools advertising agencies and other venues that encourage creative thinking. In civilian life ghost soldiers had been artists, actors, set designers, and engineers. Although the 23rd Headquarters Special Troops consisted of only 1,100 soldiers, the contingent used inflatable tanks and artillery, fake aircraft and giant speakers broadcasting the sounds of men and artillery to make the Germans think it was upwards of a two division 30,000 man force. The unit's elaborate ruses helped deflect German units from the locations of larger allied combat units. The unit consisted of the 406^th combat engineers. The 603rd Camouflage Engineers, the 3132 Signal Service Company Special and the Signal Company Special.

       To add to the mix of techniques, the unit often employed theatrical effects to supplement the other deceptions. Collectively called "atmosphere", this included simulating actual units deployed elsewhere by sewing on their divisional patches, painting appropriate unit designators on vehicles and having the companies deployed as if they were regimental headquarters units. Trucks would be driven in looping convoys with just two troops in the seats near the tailgate to simulate a truck full of infantry under the canvas cover. Military police would deploy at cross roads wearing appropriate divisional insignia and some officers would simulate divisional generals and staff officers visiting towns where enemy agents were likely to see them. A few actual tanks and artillery pieces were occasionally assigned to the unit to make the dummies in the distance seem more realistic.

History Of Mothers Day

(Basics)The holiday Mother’s Day was first celebrated in 1908, when a girl named Anna Jarvis had held a memorial for her mother in Grafton West Virginia. The she began a campaign to make Mother’s Day a recognized holiday in the United States of America. She was successful in 1914, but she was very disappointed when it became commercialized in the 1920’s. Her holiday was adopted by other countries and now it is celebrated all over the world. In the tradition people give their mother’s or parental figures a card, gift or a remembrance toward their mother’s. Various observances honoring mothers existed in America during the 1870’s and the 1880s but these never had resonance (resonance means the ability to evoke or suggest images, memories and emotions) far from the local level. Anna Jarvis had never mentioned Julia Ward Howe’s attempts in the 1870’s to establish a “Mother’s Day for Peace” neither any connection to the protestant school celebrations that include “Children’s Day” amongst others. Neither did she mention the tradition festival “Mothering Sunday” but always said that the creation was hers alone. In 12 Anna Jarvis trademarked the phrases “Second Sunday of May” and Mother’s Day” and created the Mothers Day International Association she specifically noted  “Mother’s” should be a singular possessive noun for each family to honor their mother not a plural possessive noun commemorating(which means to serve as a memorial to) every mother in the entire world. This is also the spelling used by the u.s. president Woodrow Wilson in the law making of the official holiday in the United States of America by the U.S. Congress in relevant (which means closely connected or appropriate to the matter at hand) bills, and by various U.S. presidents in their proclamations (which means the public or official announcement of such a matter) concerning “Mother’s Day”.

(What Dates And what Countries Celebrate Mothers Day)Norway celebrates it on the second Sunday of February. Georgia celebrates it on March 3^rd. countries celebrate on March 8^th are Afghanistan, Albania, Armenia, Russia, Romania, Belarus, Laos, Bulgaria, Kosovo, Montenegro, Seribia, and lots of other countries. Fourth Sunday of lent are Ireland, United Kingdom and Nigeria. March 21^st Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Oman, Libya, Qatar, Yemen, United Irab Emirates, and many more. Second Sunday of May America (of course), Australia, Brazil, India, Iceland, Canada, Chile, Finland, Germany, Greece, Hong Kong, Denmark, Italy, Japan, New Zealand, Pakistan,  Peru, Puerto Rico, Switzerland, Turkey, Ukraine, Vietnam, Jamacia, and many more. Last Sunday of May France, Algeria, and some other countries.

(Religion)In the Roman Catholic Church, the holiday is strongly associated with revering the Virgin Mary. In many Catholic homes, families have a special shrine devoted to the Blessed Virgin Mary. In many Eastern Catholic and Eastern Orthodox Churches, a special prayer service is held in honor of the Theotokos Virgin Mary. In Hindu tradition Mother's Day is called "Mata Tirtha Aunshi" or "Mother Pilgrimage fortnight", and is celebrated in countries with a Hindu population, especially in Nepal. The holiday is observed on the new moon day in the month of Baisakh, i.e., April/May. This celebration is based on Hindu religion and it pre-dates the creation of the Western-inspired holiday by at least a few centuries

(P.S. HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY MOMMY! LOVE YOU)

 

Anna Jarvis (Above)

Sir Ranulph Fiennes

(Basics)Sir Ranulph Fiennes was born in 1944 on March seventh; His real name is Sir Ranulph Twisleton-Wykeham-Fiennes, 3rd Baronet. He is a British adventurer and he holds (endurance) records, he is also a prolific explorer. He served in the British army for eight years, and he also had a period which he did counter insurgency service while attached to the army of Sultanate of Oman. A while later he took on a lot of different expeditions and he was the first person to visit the north and south poles (which is really cool) by surface (this means he walked on Antarctica on his own feet I believe). In the year of 2009 in May (at an age of 65) he climbed Mount Everest. After that the book of world records said he was the world’s greatest (living) explorer. Fiennes has written numerous books about hs army survise and his expeditions as well as a book defending Robert Falcon Scott from modern revisionists.

(Early life) Fiennes was born on 7 March 1944, in Berkshire, shortly after the death of his father, Lieutenant-Colonel Sir Ranulph Twisleton-Wykeham-Fiennes, commanding the Royal Scots Greys, who died of wounds on 24 November 1943. His mother was Audrey Joan, younger daughter of Sir Percy Newson, BT (baronet I know weird word). Fiennes inherited his father's baronetcy, becoming the 3rd Baronet of Banbury, at his birth. Fiennes is the third cousin of actors Joseph and Ralph Fiennes and is a distant cousin to the Family. After the war he and his mother moved to South Africa (he lived there until he was twelve then he went to Sandroyd School and later he joined the British army).

(His career as an adventurer) Fiennes has been an adventurer since the 1960’s; He has led expedition up the white Nile on a hovercraft in 1969 and on Norway’s Jostdalsbreen Glacier in 1970. One notable trek was the Transglobe expedition that he had under took 1979 and 1982 when he had two fellow members of 21 SAS, Oliver Shepard and Charles R burton, journeyed around the world on its polar axis, using surface transport only(nobody else has ever done so by any route before or since). As a part of the Transglobe expedition Fiennes and Burton completed the Northwest Passage. They left tuktoyattuk on the 26 of July in 1981, in an eighteen foot Boston whaler and reached Tanquary Fiord on 31 August 1981. Their journey was the first open boat transit from West to East and covered around 3,000 miles (2,600 nautical miles or 4,800 km) taking a route through Dolphin and Union Strait following the South coast of Victoria Island and King William Island, North to Resolute Bay via Franklin Strait and Peel Sound, around the South and East coasts of Devon Island, through Hell Gate and across Norwegian Bay to Eureka, Greely Bay and the head of Tanquary Fiord. Once they reached tanquary ford they had to trek (which I think means walk not sure I am going to look it up) one hundred and fifty miles (trek does mean walk by the way) traveling to Lake Hazen to alert before setting up there camp sight. Then in 1992 Sir Ranulph Fiennes led another expedition that had discovered what may be an outpost of the lost city of Iram in Oman. Later that year he had joined a nutrition specialist Doctor Mike Stroud to become the first to cross the Antarctic continent unsupported (yikes!) they had taken ninety three days. A further attempt to walk the south pole solo (which means by his self just to clear it up) in aid of Breast Cancer Charity, had been unsuccessful (which mean it did not go successful) due to a Kidney Stone attack he had had he had to be saved from this operation.

Space Shuttle Discovery

Two days ago I saw the space shuttle discovery. It was really cool, we actually got to see it fly over my house but my mom was a second late on seeing it. I am going to tell you a little about what I know and some other facts.

First off it does not look that beat up cause well they restored it is although humongous. Space Shuttle Discovery is one of the retired orbiters of the Space Shuttle program of NASA, the space agency of the United States, and was operational from its maiden flight, STS 41 D on August thirtyish, 1984, until its final landing during STS 133 on March 9, 2011. Discovery has flown more than any other spacecraft having completed 39 successful missions in over twenty seven years of service.

In 1984, Discovery became the third operational orbiter following Columbia and Challenger, and made its final touchdown at Kennedy Space Center on March 9, 2011 at 10:57:17 CST, having spent a cumulative total of almost a full year in space. Discovery has performed both research and International Space Station (I.S..S.) assembly missions. Discovery also flew the Hubble Space Telescope into orbit. Discovery was the first operational shuttle to be retired, followed by Endeavour and then Atlantis.

By its last mission, Discovery had flown 149 million miles (two hundred thirty eight million km) in thirty nine missions, completed 5,830 orbits, and spent 365 days in orbit in over twenty seven years. Discovery is the Orbiter Fleet leader, having flown more flights than any other Orbiter Shuttle in the fleet, including four in 1985 alone. Discovery flew all three "return to flight" missions after the Challenger and Columbia disasters: STS-26 in 1988, STS 114 in 2005, and STS 121 in 2006. Discovery flew the antepenultimate mission of the Space Shuttle program, STS 133, having launched on February twenty fourth, 2011. Endeavour flew STS 134 and Atlantis performed STS 135, NASA's last Space Shuttle mission. On February twenty fourth, 2011, Space Shuttle Discovery launched from Kennedy Space Center's Launch Complex 39 A to begin its final orbital flight.

It was carried for its very last mission into Virginia by this huge plane or jet thing. It is now in the nation air and space museum in Virginia.

NASA offered Discovery to the Smithsonian Institution's National Air and Space Museum for public display and preservation, after a month long decontamination process, as part of the national collection. Discovery replaced Enterprise in the Smithsonian's display at the Steven F. Udvar Hazy Center in Virginia. Discovery was transported to Washington Dulles International Airport on April 17, 2012, and was transferred to the Udvar Hazy on April 19 where a formal welcome ceremony was held. Afterwards, at around 5: 30 pm, Discovery was rolled to its "final wheels stop" in the Udvar Hazy Center. To this day, it is being displayed like it’s just landed from space. It is as really neat space craft, the engines are huge and well it is really long I am so happy that I got to see it.

discovery(top)

other thing flying it to Va(bottom)

Enola Gay

The Enola Gay is a really interesting plane; it was in the national air and space museum we went to yesterday. I am going to tell you a little about what I learned and some interesting history I found in the internet.

The Enola Gay, was built by the Glenn L. Martin Company (which is now named the  Lockheed Martin) at its Bellevue, Nebraska plant, located at what is now known as Offutt Air Force Base. The bomber was one of 15 B 29”s with the Silver plate modifications necessary to deliver atomic weapons. These modifications included an extensively modified bomb bay with pneumatic doors and British bomb attachment and release systems, reversible pitch propellers that gave more braking power on landing, improved engines with fuel injection and better cooling, and the removal of protective armor and gun turrets.  

Enola Gay was personally selected by Colonel Paul W. Tibbett’s, Jr., the commander of the five-hundred and ninth  Composite Group, on 9 May 1945, while still on the assembly line. The aircraft was accepted by the United States Army Air Forces (U.S.A.A.F.) on 18 May 1945 and assigned to the three hundred ninety third Bombardment Squadron, Heavy, and Five hundred and ninth Composite Groups. Crew B 9, commanded by Captain Robert A. Lewis, took delivery of the bomber and flew it from Omaha to the Five hundred and ninth base at Wendover Army Air Field, Utah, on 14 June 1945.(it is cool that the army selected this one of fifteenth aircrafts to use it was cool in the museum it is very shiny and you can still see the name “Enola Gay” on the side of it.

Thirteen days later, the aircraft left Wendover for Guam, where it received a bomb-bay modification, and flew to North Field, Tinian, on 6 July. It was initially given the Victor (squadron-assigned identification) number  twelve, but on the first of August, was given the circle R tail markings of the 6th Bombardment Group as a security measure and had its Victor number changed to eighty-two to avoid misidentification with actual 6th Bombardment Group aircraft. During July, the bomber made eight practice or training flights, and flew two missions, on twenty-fourth and twenty sixth July, to drop pumpkin bombs on industrial targets at Kobe and Nagoya. Enola Gay was used on thirty-first July on a rehearsal flight for the actual mission.

The partially assembled Little Boy gun-type nuclear weapon L-11 was contained inside a 41-inch (100 cm) x 47-inch (120 cm) x 138 inch (350 cm) wooden crate weighing 10,000 pounds (4,500 kg) that was secured to the deck of the USS Indianapolis. Unlike the six Uranium-235 target discs, which were later flown to Tinian on three separate aircraft arriving 28 and 29 July, the assembled projectile with the nine Uranium-235 rings installed was shipped in a single lead-lined steel container weighing 300 pounds (140 kg) that was securely locked to brackets welded to the deck of Captain Charles B. McVay III's quarters. Both the L-11 and projectile were dropped off at Tinian on 26 July 1945.