On June 9, 1931 the first rocket powered aircraft design was patented by Dr. Robert Goddard. (Goddard is seen in the photo above with the first liquid fueled rocket he constructed and tested in March, 1926.)
Dr. Robert Hutchings Goddard is considered the father of modern rocket propulsion. NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, was established in his name on May 1, 1959. You can rely on mistletoetom.com to share stories of history and heroes. For more about NASA and the work of Dr. Goddard visit: https://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/about/history/dr_goddard.html
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June 8, 2018
Veterans History Project: Robert Patrick “Rocky” Bleier Mistletoe Enterprises LLC and Victory & Valor are proud to advocate for the Library of Congress Veterans History Project. Today, we will tell a little more about it and feature one of the thousands of military veterans whose service history has been documented and preserved for posterity: Robert Patrick Bleier, United States Army. You may have heard of him as “Rocky” Bleier, a Viet Nam veteran and All-Pro running back starring with the Pittsburgh Steelers. Bleier began his pro football career with Pittsburgh starting in 1968. His football career was interrupted from 1968-1969 while serving with the Army in Viet Nam. In combat, Bleier sustained a serious wound to his leg for which he earned the Bronze Star and Purple Heart. After many months of rehab and recovery, he returned to the Steelers and played a key role to help them win four Super Bowl championships between 1971-1980. His story is preserved in the Veterans History Project. As I have mentioned previously, Mistletoe Enterprises organized as a business in October 2017. Long prior to that date, Victory & Valor first appeared in print in February 2007. On pages 18 & 19 of that premier issue, Victory & Valor saluted the Library of Congress Veterans History Project with a pledge to promote it in every issue. Mistletoe Enterprises and Victory & Valor will always honor that promise. Our mission is to educate others by spreading cheer and telling the stories of heroes from all walks of life. We value education, history, truth, and heroic acts. And the Veterans History Project is one way to share such stories. And to bring these stories to you, we do a lot of research. I mean a LOT of research! The Library of Congress, the National Archives, Presidential Libraries and Museums, and a long list of other public domains hold a treasure trove of historic material that we can utilize in our mission to educate others – especially our younger generation. Rocky Bleier’s story is among that treasure. Robert Patrick Bleier got his nickname “Rocky” when he was just a toddler in Appleton, Wisconsin. Growing up there, he excelled at football and basketball. He went on to play college ball at Notre Dame, was part of the National Champion team during his junior year in 1966 and was named captain in his senior year. Pittsburgh drafted him in the 16th round of the NFL draft in January 1968. He appeared in ten games for the Steelers his rookie year of 1968, carrying the ball 6 times totaling 39 yards. In December 1968, the Army drafted him. After training, he was shipped to Vietnam in May 1969. He was assigned to the 31st Infantry Regiment, 196th Infantry Brigade at Chu Lai, Vietnam. He earned the rank of Specialist Four and served as a squad grenadier. While on patrol on August 20 in Heip Duc, he was shot in the left thigh. On the ground, an exploding grenade sent shrapnel into his lower right leg and foot. There was little likelihood of playing football again. But Rocky Bleier did not quit. After several surgeries he was discharged from the Army in the summer of 1970. He returned to the Steelers and was placed on the injured reserve list. He hobbled. He was underweight. He still could not move without pain. But he continued to rehabilitate and workout to regain strength and form. In December 1971, he returned to the field for the Steelers. The rest of the story is told by four Super Bowl rings and a post football career of motivating others by sharing his story. Rocky Bleier served our country with honor and distinction. Now he serves others with inspiration. That is the heart of a champion. That is why we bring his story to you from Victory & Valor. And that is why we promote the Library of Congress Veterans History Project. They are stories of heroes. For more information about the Veterans History Project visit: http://memory.loc.gov/diglib/vhp/bib/loc.natlib.afc2001001.106914 Have a good weekend! See you back here Monday! June 6, 2018 Mistletoe Enterprises LLC and Victory & Valor tell the stories of heroes from all walks of life to educate our younger generation. We dedicate this day to remember the sacrifices, large and small, of the Greatest Generation, more than 160,000 of whom participated in the largest amphibious military operation in history: Operation Overlord. June 6, 1944: D-Day. During my time in the Air Force, I spent a couple years in West Germany. My base was in the Eiffel Region near the town of Prum: a few kilometers east of the Belgian border, about 20 kilometers northeast of the Luxembourg border. This region has many tall forested hills with towns and villages in the valleys below. It was a key area during World War II – particularly during the Battle of the Bulge. Many remnants of the German tank traps can still be found. And even today, pieces and parts of WWII equipment turn up in the forests and fields of the region. I was in Europe from 1984-1986. During that time, the 40th Anniversary of D-Day was celebrated. Luxembourg truly celebrated the anniversary of their liberation. Many more of the people who lived through the events of World War II were still alive in the 80’s, and their memories were still vivid. More than any other people of Europe, in my humble opinion, the people of Luxembourg loved and appreciated the Americans who fought to liberate them. But, I regret that I never visited northern France. My father had fought during the fall of 1944 through May 1945 in Northern France, the Rhineland, and the Central European campaigns. He had arrived in France on September 7, 1944 at Cherbourg. The D-Day invasion was the pivotal operation that made the liberation of Europe possible. And Cherbourg was a strategic necessity for the Allies to carry the battle forward. Cherbourg would give the Allies a deep-water port from which tanks, trucks, fuels and supplies could be delivered to the
Sometimes it is difficult to relate to geographic and historical references without having some perspective. The distance from Cherbourg, France across the English Channel to the southern shores of England is about 85 miles. That day, the sea was rugged. From one source to the next, figures vary. But the most common numbers indicate these things: more than 5000 ships, boats, and transports were filled with Allied personnel; the forces consisted of about 58,000 American soldiers and 15,000 airborne troops; there were about 14,000 Canadians; and there were about 73,000 British soldiers. Tens of thousands of men crossing the Channel. Many would never see another sunrise. The coastal targets were roughly a 50-mile-long stretch of beaches between Cherbourg and Le Havre given the operational names Utah, Omaha, Gold, Juno, and Sword, from west to east. The British and Canadiens attacked the three eastern-most targets. The Americans took the task of securing the western-most objectives nearest Cherbourg: they sent about 23,000 troops to Utah Beach, closest to Cherbourg. Casualties were relatively light. The larger contingent of about 34,000 Americans, most from the 1st Infantry Division, landed at Omaha Beach. Omaha was slightly further from Cherbourg, but it was essential to seal off the southeast end of the Cherbourg Peninsula. The Omaha Beach was also the most heavily defended. All four of the Medals of Honor awarded for actions on D-Day were members of the 1st Infantry Division. They were Brigadier General Teddy Roosevelt, Jr.; 1st Lieutenant Jimmy W. Montieth, Jr. (Killed In Action); Tech 5 John J. Pinder, Jr. (Killed In Action); and Private Carlton W. Barrett. The Americans at Omaha Beach endured the most casualties of all the forces on D-Day. Perspective: on many Sunday afternoons during the fall, when the Detroit Lions play at Ford Field in front of a capacity crowd of about 65,000 fans… imagine slightly more than half of them jumping off landing craft at Omaha. And an entire section of about 2000 men never returning. Then take about 2/3 of the people left in the stands and send them to the Utah Beach… and 200 of them never return. Of the airborne 15,000 troops another 2000 were lost. The seats at Ford Field would be practically empty. In all about 4500 American servicemen perished in action on D-Day. But their efforts and sacrifices changed the course of history. Their courage and selflessness towards a higher cause is their eternal legacy. We remember their sacrifices today. And we honor them. Mistletoe Enterprises LLC and Victory & Valor will always work to tell the stories of heroes from the past so that future generations will learn and grow. There are many wonderful sources from which to learn more about the history of D-Day and World War II. Here are a few good ones: https://www.army.mil/d-day/history.html http://nationalww2museum.org/index.html http://www.americaslibrary.gov/jb/wwii/jb_wwii_dday_1.html http://www.loc.gov/vets/stories/onthebeach.html We’ll see you again Friday. On June 5, 1944 General Dwight D. Eisenhower drafted a letter in the event the next day’s D-Day invasion of Normandy were to fail. Operation Overlord would be the largest amphibious assault in history.
Meanwhile, in the Pacific theatre, United States Marine Corps Lieutenant General Holland “Howling Mad” Smith, regarded as “the Father of amphibious warfare”, departed Pearl Harbor enroute to lead the American 2nd Marine Division, the 4th Marine Division, and the Army’s 27th Infantry Division in the Battle of Saipan. You can always visit mistletoetom.com for stories about heroes. For more information about the military service of President Eisenhower visit: https://eisenhower.archives.gov/all_about_ike/army_years.html For more information about the Battle of Saipan and General Holland Smith visit: https://www.history.navy.mil/our-collections/photography/us-people/s/general-holland-m-smith.html June 4, 2018
Happy Monday! Thanks to our readers, the past two weeks of website and social media activity at Mistletoe Enterprises has resulted in the longest stretch of sustained growth since the formation of the business last October! The combination of website posts, Facebook posts, and blog posts has attracted more views and comments – and positive feedback – than at any other time. That warrants a big: THANK YOU TO OUR FOLLOWERS! Believe me: I’m aware that some celebrities and well-known entities can attract more attention in an hour with a post than Mistletoe Enterprises has gathered in seven months. But Mistletoe Enterprises is new; we’re growing; and we are on our mission. In business courses much attention is placed on a business’s need to establish a vision, a mission, goals and objectives, a strategy to reach those goals, and a plan that supports all those elements. Being a career military man, those words are familiar, and I also know that many of those elements seem synonymous. But there are some differences. The emphasis I am addressing today is our mission: Mistletoe Enterprises is in the business of educating others by spreading cheer and telling the stories of heroes from all walks of life. We address that mission every day by taking steps to accomplish it. Our goals are to attract more readers in support of the mission. The strategies we use are the larger framework we use to reach more readers – via maintenance of the website and Facebook posts - to accomplish the daily mission. But the mission is fundamental to everything we do. As our loyal followers might expect, this is a point where I often go to etymology! After all, no column by Tom Davis would be complete without an etymological lesson! The etymology of the word “mission” can be traced to the Latin word “missio” which is “an act of sending, a dispatching.” There is also a connection derived from the Gothic phrase “in maidjan” which means “to give, to bestow.” Our mission, then, is to send out and give educational content by spreading cheer and telling stories of heroes. We are sending a message – every day. At the end of every day for the past two weeks, I’ve felt the satisfaction that is derived from hearing “Mission Accomplished.” But every morning brings another day with the same mission ahead. I will work every day to accomplish the mission of Mistletoe Enterprises and Victory & Valor. And I invite you to continue to follow us here, helping us as we “send out” our educational content and “give and bestow” our stories of heroes to inspire others. Indeed, Mistletoe Enterprises is small. But we’re growing. We’re sowing seeds (and beans!) to help others grow. And we’re glad you’re following us. We hope you’ll spread the word and share these posts to encourage others to follow too. I’ll be back here Wednesday! Hope you’ll be back as well! June 1, 2018Mistletoe Enterprises and Victory & Valor spread cheer throughout the year and tell stories of heroes from all walks of life. Today’s blog is a reprint of a piece I wrote in March 2017. It’s dedicated to my Mom… she is now 94 years old and truly heroic! I hope you enjoy…
This one is dedicated to my Mom: Gerry. It's also for my friends in Alpena, in Nebraska, and those who are big fans of MSU, as well. All my life, I have marveled at how my Mom has always been able to encounter strangers and engage with them in wonderful conversations! Many of Mom's nurse co-workers and friends often remarked how Mom was loved by her patients because of her gift for conversation. The patients were total strangers, and yet Mom found a knack for finding a common thread that brought their worlds closer together. Whether the conversation meandered from the neighborhood they both knew, the workplace they may have shared, the common friends they might have known, or a distant relative they might have had in common... Mom knew that finding a common denominator always proved: It's a small world. So, I went to a Fish Fry at the local VFW (Post 671, Dewitt, Michigan) earlier this evening. A typical Friday during Lent, the hall was crowded, but there were two empty tables. I sat down at a table that had six chairs left. And a few minutes later, a couple elderly gents wandered my way and, simultaneous to me motioning them to take a seat at my table, one of them asked if they might sit down. Of course! Larry and Tom began to tell me that they go to lots of Fish Fry's in the area. Saint Jude's in Dewitt is pretty good, they said. Hubbardston is the best, but get there early because it's packed like sardines, according to Tom. Larry was the elder of the two, in his mid to late 70's. Tom was in his early sixties. Both have been retired for about ten years. Tom retired from GM. Larry started to tell me about where he had worked, but the waitress interrupted when she came to take their tickets. The two of them went to get their drinks and dinner rolls. Larry moved a little slowly and mentioned his arthritis was acting up. But he got his drink and returned to the table. Larry asked me if I was a member at this post. I said yes; I had joined here after I retired in 2006. Larry said that neither of them were military, although Larry had been involved with ROTC at some point in the early 60's. He asked me about what I'd done since retiring. I explained that I published an educational magazine for a couple years, then when the economy took a downturn I worked in retail for a while, but eventually returned to work in aviation at the airport, and now I am back in school full-time. I had thought about going to the MSU program, but they have a fifth year in their education program, so I'll be at Ferris State here in Lansing. "Wow!", Larry said. He asked what I was studying, and I told him Elementary Education. "Good. Kids need role models," he said. And he added that his daughter is in a master’s program at MSU, and she'd be joining them at the fish fry soon. The fish was pretty good. It was fried pollock. Tom remarked that Hubbardston has baked cod, but they charge a little bit more. Then Tom asked me where I had been stationed while in the military. I went through the main list: Indiana, Germany, Texas, Battle Creek, Camp Grayling, and Alpena. Larry's eyes opened up wide and he grew a big smile: "You lived in Alpena! Oh, I know some people from there!" And then, as if all the arthritis had left him completely, with a broad smile, animated gestures, and excited tone, Larry began to recall stories from fifty-some years ago like it was yesterday. "Tom," he began, "do you know the name Smolinski?" "YES! Blondie Smolinski was the county clerk up in Alpena for as long as I lived there, " I said. "Well that's a different Smolinski. But have you ever heard of Mark Smolinski?" I shook my head, no. But I know that Smolinski name for sure. "How about Bob Devaney?" "Boy, I know that name too." I said. But I can't tell you why I know it! Larry said, "He was a high school football coach in Alpena way long ago. From there, he went on to be an assistant coach at MSU. He eventually worked for Duffy Daugherty! Then he took a job at Wyoming. Smolinski - from Alpena, he was my buddy - played for him at Wyoming, and then Smolinski went on to play in the NFL for Baltimore Colts in the early 60's and the New York Jets during the late 60's. He won the championship while playing with both teams!" I told him I was going to have to look that up when I got home. (I looked it up! It's true!) But there was more. Devaney didn't stay at Wyoming. Larry said that in the early 60's, Devaney was hired by Nebraska to coach their struggling team. Devaney rebuilt that team and revamped the program. He restored success at Nebraska. They had to add seats to the stadium because of the success! He ended up taking them to a National Championship. And eventually when Devaney left, he handed the program over to one of his assistants: Tom Osborne. (I researched this one when I got home, too. Devaney's record during his 11 seasons at Nebraska was 101 - 20 - 2. He led them to eight Big 8 Championships and two National Titles in 1970 and 1971.) Larry was beaming, telling those stories. Devaney and Smolinski were from Alpena. I had lived there. Larry knew them, and he knew how to make the connection. Just like my Mom. It was the best fish fry I've ever been to. TGIF! Have a great weekend! |
AuthorTom Davis is the owner of Mistletoe Enterprises LLC. He also publishes and distributes the Victory & Valor Flyer, it tells the stories of heroes from all walks of life. Archives
December 2018
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