Cool Old War Stories

[roguemocha]

I’m pretty sure, if in remember college correctly, Ghengis Khan and the Mongols would show up outside your city. In consecutive days:

Put down a bunch tents but the biggest would be white, meaning surrender now and you all live.

Then a black tent, signifying men are all dead but we'll let the women and children live.

Finally, a red tent meaning you’re all dead now.

Actually, pretty sure that’s where Tiger got his Sunday red from or maybe I just want it to be.

What are some other “cool” (I know nothing is cool about war) stories that aren’t super grim or involve seven pages of what granddaddy told you.

 

[CatPhight_rivals65113]

July 2nd, 1863 Little Round Top, Gettysburg, PA.

Heard this ghost story from a park ranger when I was a kid...

Ghost of George Washington & the 20th Maine

 

[roguemocha]

Another one is the Battle of the Bulge. So many wild stories from that. As in, Major Winters (I know it’s HBO but some dudes for sure did this), shaving his face in 10 degrees out of melted snow.

I mean, come on that’s crazy. You have mortar fire coming in, possibly tanks and infantry and you’re thinking well I was instructed to be shaven every day I could be.

 

[CatPhight_rivals65113]

Another one is the Battle of the Bulge. So many wild stories from that. As in, Major Winters (I know it’s HBO but some dudes for sure did this), shaving his face in 10 degrees out of melted snow.

I mean, come on that’s crazy. You have mortar fire coming in, possibly tanks and infantry and you’re thinking well I was instructed to be shaven every day I could be.

Captain Nixon emptying Herman Goering's liquor vault is epic... [laughing]

 

[BC_Wader]

Captain Nixon emptying Herman Goering's liquor vault is epic... [laughing]

My PawPaw was 101st Glider division. Our Family has A LOT of Eagles Nest memorabilia. A story Mom told us was that he had sent home a case of Cognac that came from there. He didn't drink liquor but when he got home he wanted a drink of that stuff. Hell, it was WELL deserved! Too bad my MawMaw gave them away because she knew he didn't drink nor did she. OOF!!! Colossal mistake there.

 

[chroix]

Tariq ibn Zayid invaded and conquered Spain with 10,000 men. When they landed on the shore he had them burn the boats and famously said, “behind you is the sea, before you, the enemy. You have left now only the hope of your courage and your constancy.” They proceeded to conquer the entire Iberian peninsula. Still considered one of the classic examples of total commitment more than a thousand years later.

 

[roguemocha]

Tariq ibn Zayid invaded and conquered Spain with 10,000 men. When they landed on the shore he had them burn the boats and famously said, “behind you is the sea, before you, the enemy. You have left now only the hope of your courage and your constancy.” They proceeded to conquer the entire Iberian peninsula. Still considered one of the classic examples of total commitment more than a thousand years later.

In 1519, Hernan Cortes did the same thing when arriving in Central America. Two years later 600 men had conquered the entire Aztec nation.

 

[WildcatFan1982]

At Kitty Hawk in 1903, Charles Lindbergh flew it 15 miles on a thimbleful of corn oil. Single-handedly won us the Civil War, it did.

 

[OnUK]

The first and mainly only true Naval battle in WW1 between the British and German fleets. Dan Carlin goes over all of it during the WW1 podcast. World changed a lot based on that battle.

 

[CatPhight_rivals65113]

The first and mainly only true Naval battle in WW1 between the British and German fleets. Dan Carlin goes over all of it during the WW1 podcast. World changed a lot based on that battle.

I think I'd have rather taken my chances on a ship in WWI as opposed to the trenches...

Years ago I remember running across "Stubby" at the Smithsonian, the actual taxidermied mascot of United States 102nd...very cool story if you've never heard it. I believe he's still on display at the American History Museum in D.C. https://www.si.edu/object/nmah_439710

 

[CatPhight_rivals65113]

Another wild WWI story is the German assault on the Osowiec Fortress aka The Attack of the Dead Men

 

[RunninRichie]

Another one is the Battle of the Bulge. So many wild stories from that. As in, Major Winters (I know it’s HBO but some dudes for sure did this), shaving his face in 10 degrees out of melted snow.

I mean, come on that’s crazy. You have mortar fire coming in, possibly tanks and infantry and you’re thinking well I was instructed to be shaven every day I could be.

Great granddad was at the bulge. Said your boots would split open from the cold and you had to walk behind the tank exhausts to keep from freezing to death.

 

[CatPhight_rivals65113]

Great granddad was at the bulge.

So was a great uncle of mine.

Supposedly he went into search a barn somewhere in Germany, not long before the armistice was signed with Germany, and shot a young woman dead, who pulled a gun on him.

I never met him but our family said he was never right after that and died young from grief, wondering if he had to kill her or not. PTSD before anyone really knew what it was :/

 

[RunninRichie]

My GGG uncle was with Nathan Bedford Forrest at the battle of parker's crossroads in the 8thTN Cavalry. Forrest who was outnumbered in the battle by 3:1 ordered his men to ''charge em both ways''. They busted through the union trap and escaped over the TN river.

 

[RunninRichie]

So was a great uncle of mine.

Supposedly he went into search a barn somewhere in Germany, not long before the armistice was signed with Germany, and shot a young woman dead, who pulled a gun on him.

I never met him but our family said he was never right after that and died young from grief, wondering if he had to kill her or not. PTSD before anyone really knew what it was :/

My dad said an old uncle he called ''uncle Kenneth'' told him stories of the bulge. He went into a cave with a flamethrower, chasing German soldiers, he shot a burst of flames into what he thought was a nest of German soldiers. Turns out it was a family of civilians hiding from the battle. He screamed every night my dad said.

 

[CatPhight_rivals65113]

My GGG uncle was with Nathan Bedford Forrest at the battle of parker's crossroads in the 8thTN Cavalry. Forrest who was outnumbered in the battle by 3:1 ordered his men to ''charge em both ways''. They busted through the union trap and escaped over the TN river.

I've read some crazy stories about NBF...galloped mistakenly right into the wrong cavalry encampment and rather than yielding, fought his way out covered with saber slashes all over his uniform but no wounds. Calvary pistols were notoriously inaccurate, which is why he was able to escape, and why troops were eventually trained to fight dismounted, especially when they had carbines.

Mosby was another one, he plucked a Union generals hat off his head and slapped him in the ***...the General asked for the sentry, who were CSA, to arrest him. [laughing]

Mosby's most famous raid occurred in March of 1863, inside Union lines at Fairfax County Courthouse, when he captured Brigadier General Edwin H. Stoughton. Mosby found Stoughton asleep in bed. Awakening the General with a slap to the rear, Mosby asked "Do you know Mosby, General?" The General replied "Yes! Have you got the rascal?" "No," said Mosby. "He's got you!"
[laughing]

 

[CastleRubric]

Always liked the Christmas observance / ceasefire stories fm WW1

The US losing every ground battle -but winning nearly every (?) naval battle of 1812 was weird

The GD Korean War never being put formally to rest is remarkable too

 

[roguemocha]

I’m pretty sure, if in remember college correctly, Ghengis Khan and the Mongols would show up outside your city. In consecutive days:

Put down a bunch tents but the biggest would be white, meaning surrender now and you all live.

Then a black tent, signifying men are all dead but we'll let the women and children live.

Finally, a red tent meaning you’re all dead now.

Actually, pretty sure that’s where Tiger got his Sunday red from or maybe I just want it to be.

What are some other “cool” (I know nothing is cool about war) stories that aren’t super grim or involve seven pages of what granddaddy told you.

**** if @CastleRubric likes it it must be true, dude knows everything

 

[CatPhight_rivals65113]

Always liked the Christmas observance / ceasefire stories fm WW1

The US losing every ground battle -but winning nearly every (?) naval battle of 1812 was weird

The GD Korean War never being put formally to rest is remarkable too

Washington's Christmas observance of 1776 turned out to be epic...not so much for the Hessian mercenaries [laughing]

 

[berniecarbo]

Another one is the Battle of the Bulge. So many wild stories from that. As in, Major Winters (I know it’s HBO but some dudes for sure did this), shaving his face in 10 degrees out of melted snow.

I mean, come on that’s crazy. You have mortar fire coming in, possibly tanks and infantry and you’re thinking well I was instructed to be shaven every day I could be.

Actually you kinda sorta get used to it when it is constant incoming. My first night in Viet Nam, we flew in on a Flying Tiger (an interesting story in itself if you have never heard of them). We landed amongst the flashes of light and vibrations caused by rockets exploding. They herded us into a huge quonset hut that looked like a basketball court with bleachers on one side. They told us to get comfortable as we would be spending the night there. This was about ten at night and we were the first plane load of the night. The rockets came in till daybreak, sometimes seconds apart, other times every minute or so. At first they came as attention getting shocks, but after an hour or so, you didn't really pay attention to them. It was just background noise. There was no place to go and no where to hide, so you just dealt with it.

 

[RunninRichie]

I've read some crazy stories about NBF...galloped mistakenly right into the wrong cavalry encampment and rather than yielding, fought his way out covered with saber slashes all over his uniform but no wounds. Calvary pistols were notoriously inaccurate, which is why he was able to escape, and why troops were eventually trained to fight dismounted, especially when they had carbines.

Mosby was another one, he plucked a Union generals hat off his head and slapped him in the ***...the General asked for the sentry, who were CSA, to arrest him. [laughing]

Mosby's most famous raid occurred in March of 1863, inside Union lines at Fairfax County Courthouse, when he captured Brigadier General Edwin H. Stoughton. Mosby found Stoughton asleep in bed. Awakening the General with a slap to the rear, Mosby asked "Do you know Mosby, General?" The General replied "Yes! Have you got the rascal?" "No," said Mosby. "He's got you!"
[laughing]

Forrest is said to have killed 9 union soldiers.

 

[CatPhight_rivals65113]

Forrest is said to have killed 9 union soldiers.

Forrest, Stuart, Mosby and Morgan literally ran circles around the Union army until attrition set in...the South blockaded, simply couldn't replace it's losses, while the Union mined a seemingly endless supply of recruits in northern harbors, fresh off the boat from Ireland, for not much more than the cost of a meal.

 

[CC_332_rivals113783]

One of my favorite stories is about Stephen Decatur during the Barbury Wars. His brother (who was also in that war) was wrongly killed by a pirate and Decatur dropped what he was doing to avenge his brother. Found the dude's ship and boarded, and the guy was supposedly a big MFer. Physically fought with him on the deck for several minutes, finally killing him.

Stephen Decatur Personally Fights And Kills An Enemy Captain

Later, leads an expedition to destroy a captured ship (USS Philadelphia). He and a crew of guys silently slip into the Tripoli harbor, fight and defeat the crew, burn the ship, and then leave. Dude was the definition of a badass.

This raid was one of the America’s first overseas military operations

 

[CastleRubric]

**** if @CastleRubric likes it it must be true, dude knows everything

Haaa---shhheeiiit, honkey-tonk

I do love history though

The most amazing thing about the really BIG wars is the enormous industrial commitment needed to sustain but also -- Maintaining the belief among your troops and communities that the war is winnable and sensical

The average human being doesn't entertain plans to ramp up industrial levels of slaughter & destruction -- but TRUTHFULLY -- I believe it's a very small percentage of key 'leaders' who drive such wars into reality

Anywho -

Honorable mention for old war stories ---
Check out the two Japanese wars against Korea

Theres an EXCELLENT Korean-made war movie called i Think -- "The Admiral of Currents"

Highly recommended for a whole new context of conflicts

Takes place in the 16th century I think & the invading Japanese forces are perfectly rendered with samurai , ninja & admiral uniforms etc

Koreans resorted to gorilla warfare - use of IEDs against incoming ships - under dog wins the day

Thats a very real rivalry that often gets overlooked

Japan vs S Korea (N Korea too i guess)

 

[sg24_]

My dad said an old uncle he called ''uncle Kenneth'' told him stories of the bulge. He went into a cave with a flamethrower, chasing German soldiers, he shot a burst of flames into what he thought was a nest of German soldiers. Turns out it was a family of civilians hiding from the battle. He screamed every night my dad said.

dang.

The son of coworker fought in both Afghanistan and Iraq. I am not sure which location but had a group of children hurl grenades at them. They had to respond. One of the children throwing grenades got scared and didn't throw his. My coworker's son saw the grenade go off on the 8-year-old. When her son returned back from his tour, he still is not the same. He has been in continuous treatment.

 

[MdWIldcat55]

Here's one that always stuck in my head since I read it in more than one book on the Civil War.

A boy grows up in central Pennsylvania in the 1850s wanting to have a military career. When he gets into his teens, his family sends him south to a military academy in Virginia to study - I think VMI, where Stonewall Jackson is a professor. When the Civil War breaks out, this young man, now about 20, has made so many friends in Virginia, and come to love the way of life in the south, so he joins the Confederate Army.

A couple years later, he is with Robert E. Lee's Army of Northern Virginia as it invades Pennsylvania, and makes its way up near the town of Gettysburg. This young man is part of an attack on a hill outside the town, where he is killed. The Hill was Culp's Hill, owned by the young man's family. His name is Wesley Culp, and he died attacking the farm of his family where he grew up.

One more brief one from the same battle:

Samuel Wilkeson is a war correspondent traveling with the union army when it collides with the Confederates at Gettysburg. Wilkeson's son is a soldier in the Yankee army. After the second day of the battle, Wilkeson finds his way to his son's unit, only to discover the boy has been killed. He actually finds his son's body right after the youth died of his wounds.

Wilkeson writes an impassioned story about his son's death, which is published in the Times -- and seen by President Lincoln. Many scholars feel Lincoln was "inspired" by the piece, as there are a few similar passages that make their way into the Famous Gettysburg Address.

https://housedivided.dickinson.edu/.../06/11/teaching-the-story-of-bayard-wilkeson/

 

[berniecarbo]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flying_Tigers

First American Volunteer Group of the Republic of China Air Force formed from American military volunteers to fight the Japanese invasion of China in 1941. Later became part of the USAF. They went on to other things, including flying troops to Viet Nam. Pappy Boyington of the Black Sheep TV show was a Flying Tiger.

 

[WildcatFan1982]

Washington's Christmas observance of 1776 turned out to be epic...not so much for the Hessian mercenaries [laughing]

I was shocked at how big that painting is. When I was at the Met I asked one of the guides where it was and he sort of laughed at me. He pointed and oh look it's a gigantic painting that takes up the entire wall.

 

[berniecarbo]

At DaNang, we shared a portion of the perimeter with Korean marines. A commotion arose at the point where our perimeters met. I was in charge of a Security Alert Team that night. Our job was to patrol our area checking on guard posts and being available as quick back up for anyone needing help. They sent us to the Korean post where the commotion was to find out what was going on. They had caught a prostitute trying to sneak through the fence.

We used slap flares at night to light up areas of concern. They would light up two football fields like broad daylight for a couple of minutes. They were tubes where you would remove one end and place it over the other end, point it in the direction you wanted and slap the covered end with the palm of your hand. The Koreans had placed the flare in her female parts and set it off. You could hear the most awful sounds you could dream up in a nightmare. On a quiet night, I can still hear them more than fifty years later. She was burning to death from the inside.

 

[CatPhight_rivals65113]

I was shocked at how big that painting is. When I was at the Met I asked one of the guides where it was and he sort of laughed at me. He pointed and oh look it's a gigantic painting that takes up the entire wall.

Something else that's really big and even cooler is the flag that flew over Baltimore Harbor in 1812 - Francis Scott Key's inspiration. It has it's own area in the Smithsonian, now under ultra dark blue light to slow the rate of deterioration.

 

[WildcatFan1982]

yep I got to see that in DC. And went to the National Archive to see the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution.

 

[CatPhight_rivals65113]

Here's one that always stuck in my head since I read it in more than one book on the Civil War.

A boy grows up in central Pennsylvania in the 1850s wanting to have a military career. When he gets into his teens, his family sends him south to a military academy in Virginia to study - I think VMI, where Stonewall Jackson is a professor. When the Civil War breaks out, this young man, now about 20, has made so many friends in Virginia, and come to love the way of life in the south, so he joins the Confederate Army.

A couple years later, he is with Robert E. Lee's Army of Northern Virginia as it invades Pennsylvania, and makes its way up near the town of Gettysburg. This young man is part of an attack on a hill outside the town, where he is killed. The Hill was Culp's Hill, owned by the young man's family. His name is Wesley Culp, and he died attacking the farm of his family where he grew up.

One more brief one from the same battle:

Samuel Wilkeson is a war correspondent traveling with the union army when it collides with the Confederates at Gettysburg. Wilkeson's son is a soldier in the Yankee army. After the second day of the battle, Wilkeson finds his way to his son's unit, only to discover the boy has been killed. He actually finds his son's body right after the youth died of his wounds.

Wilkeson writes an impassioned story about his son's death, which is published in the Times -- and seen by President Lincoln. Many scholars feel Lincoln was "inspired" by the piece, as there are a few similar passages that make their way into the Famous Gettysburg Address.

https://housedivided.dickinson.edu/.../06/11/teaching-the-story-of-bayard-wilkeson/

The McClean family from Virginia have a similar tale.

In April, 1861, their home was partially destroyed in Manassas, Virginia by a Union cannonade targeting the HQ's CSA Genl Beauregard, during the very first battle of the war (Bull Run aka First Manassas).

Wilbur McClean afterwards wanted nothing more to do with the war, so he moved his family south so they could avoid the conflict entirely and live in peace, in a tiny rural area called Appomattox, Virginia.

Flash forward 4 years to April, 1865 - Lee now pushed south and thoroughly surrounded, visits Grant to seek terms of surrender. They meet in the Union commandeered home, owned by none other than Wilbur McClean.

Afterwards their home was looted for souvenirs and ransacked by the Union Army - Ol' Wilbur had been screwed again.

McClean's were at the very beginning and then the very end of the war, at least in the eastern theater.

Astronomical odds.

 

[RunninRichie]

Two of my GGGG grandfather's were at Shiloh. In the 6thKY infantry CSA and 28thTN Infantry CSA. On the battlefield there's a pond. It's said that during the 2 days of battle it turned blood red.
Another civil war relative was doctor William F Gaines. Who's land was fought over in the battle of ''Gaines mill''. Union officers came into his home and stole his cigars and said he wouldn't be needing them anymore. He got the last laugh as he would end up burying those officers when Hood counterattacked and won the battle.

 

[JumperJack]

At DaNang, we shared a portion of the perimeter with Korean marines. A commotion arose at the point where our perimeters met. I was in charge of a Security Alert Team that night. Our job was to patrol our area checking on guard posts and being available as quick back up for anyone needing help. They sent us to the Korean post where the commotion was to find out what was going on. They had caught a prostitute trying to sneak through the fence.

We used slap flares at night to light up areas of concern. They would light up two football fields like broad daylight for a couple of minutes. They were tubes where you would remove one end and place it over the other end, point it in the direction you wanted and slap the covered end with the palm of your hand. The Koreans had placed the flare in her female parts and set it off. You could hear the most awful sounds you could dream up in a nightmare. On a quiet night, I can still hear them more than fifty years later. She was burning to death from the inside.

 

[CatPhight_rivals65113]

Gettysburg 75th Reunion 1938

Shaking hands over the stonewall at the copse of trees, the 1863 converging point for Pickett's Charge.

150,000 attendees, included 1,800 of the approximately 8,000 still living vets and FDR.
Some veterans died on the way there, some passed away while at the event and others on their way home.

 

[RunninRichie]

Gettysburg 75th Reunion 1938

Shaking hands over the stonewall at the copse of trees, the 1863 converging point for Pickett's Charge.

150,000 attendees, included 1,800 of the approximately 8,000 still living vets and FDR.
Some veterans died on the way there, some passed away while at the event and others on their way home.

Had a bunch of third cousins at Gettysburg from NC. A 2nd cousin on my moms side was there in the 47thNC. He was in Pickett;s charge and survived. Captured at falling rivers/spring July 13th. Spent the rest of the war at Point Lookout Maryland. He was 21 years old when he advanced through those 2 miles of open field. With union artillery and musket fire wailing down on him.

 

[CatPhight_rivals65113]

Had a bunch of third cousins at Gettysburg from NC. A 2nd cousin on my moms side was there in the 47thNC. He was in Pickett;s charge and survived. Captured at falling rivers/spring July 13th. Spent the rest of the war at Point Lookout Maryland. He was 21 years old when he advanced through those 2 miles of open field. With union artillery and musket fire wailing down on him.

Were they in Pettigrew's Brigade?

Another interesting read, and there are a few books on it is, "One Continous Fight" is about the rear guard action of the CSA and the retreat back over the flooded Potomac. I'm thinking NC regiments played a pivotal role in delaying the main body of the Union army advance, until they could throw together enough pontoons to get the ANV safely back into Virginia.

 

[RunninRichie]

Were they in Pettigrew's Brigade?

Another interesting read, and there are a few books on it is, "One Continous Fight" is about the rear guard action of the CSA and the retreat back over the flooded Potomac. I'm thinking NC regiments played a pivotal role in delaying the main body of the Union army advance, until they could throw together enough pontoons to get the ANV safely back into Virginia.

Yes. He was captured during that retreat back across the Potomac. They were in the 23rd, 26th, 47th, and 5th NC.

 

[Anon1660081258]

In 1519, Hernan Cortes did the same thing when arriving in Central America. Two years later 600 men had conquered the entire Aztec nation.

With a big assist from the introduction of novel diseases into the population.

 

[Anon1660081258]

At DaNang, we shared a portion of the perimeter with Korean marines. A commotion arose at the point where our perimeters met. I was in charge of a Security Alert Team that night. Our job was to patrol our area checking on guard posts and being available as quick back up for anyone needing help. They sent us to the Korean post where the commotion was to find out what was going on. They had caught a prostitute trying to sneak through the fence.

We used slap flares at night to light up areas of concern. They would light up two football fields like broad daylight for a couple of minutes. They were tubes where you would remove one end and place it over the other end, point it in the direction you wanted and slap the covered end with the palm of your hand. The Koreans had placed the flare in her female parts and set it off. You could hear the most awful sounds you could dream up in a nightmare. On a quiet night, I can still hear them more than fifty years later. She was burning to death from the inside.

That's not a war story. That's a crime story.