Dear Members and Friends,
As Memorial weekend approaches and we take time to reflect and celebrate upon a family member, a friend and or a patriot we have never met to bring a moment of solitude on their ultimate honor of self-sacrifice for the better good of those they loved, and for those that never knew to set, preserve and grow freedom of a nation that they fought for.
There have been many battles over many things both at home and away that a tremendous amount of lives have been lost over the 240 years of this nation. The causes for the fight for freedom and security of a nation to go into these multitude of battles that scarified American lives range from great leadership to poor leadership decisions based on the merit to protect our way of life and the magnanimous greater protection of mankind. We have formed as the world leader from the participation of our men and women with American grit and ultimate sacrifice of the two World Wars of the last century. We have rallied our best with challenging decisions and ultimate sacrifices of American life to fight in wars and battles to free Korea, to break the Soviet Union and many others to sustain this unwarranted and unwanted world leadership position that was given by sacrifice and the greatness of America in liberating Europe in victory of World War II.
Europe today is thriving in prosperity and wealth as is Japan and Korea from the 16.5 million Americans who served during World War II, and the 419,400 Americans that died during the war and 4.1 Trillion U.S. Tax Dollars from U.S. citizens.
As a direct and desired result of the vast American life and American wealth expended to not just be politically correct in participation but to be the galvanizing enduring force to win the World War, liberating Europe was the American formation of NATO and the creation of new Germany with a new governing constitution.
It has been 68 years of a stabilized Europe that it has thrived in with NATO at its peak of power and influence winning the Cold War in 1989 to break up and defeat the Soviet Union. With the NATO team participation of all of its partners in sustaining security and defense at a high readiness level in capability, exercise and capacity well beyond the mandated NATO two percent of their GDP (Gross Domestic Product) for defense, victory was achieved without the bloodshed or wealth expended of a world war or active war. It was the ultimate victory of NATO and validation of Article 5, all for one and one for all.
That lifetime highlight of NATO led by President Reagan was 18 years ago and NATO has been challenged to stay relevant ever since. In its fame of fortune, NATO choose to purposely expand itself into the newly Eastern European countries under Soviet Rule to swell in its influence while inflaming its beaten foe that drives its flames of aggression today against NATO. Today the Russian embers burn hot and soon forthcoming Montenegro makes NATO 29 nations up from 16 in 1989.
In this flame and fame of 1989 Fortune, NATO and its Europe nations declares peace dividends from its defense spending and commitments that reward its health, wealth and social welfare of its citizens increasingly over the past 28 years. 23 NATO members have chosen not to abide, except for the United Kingdom, Poland, Greece, Estonia and the United States all 23 have chosen to not be responsible to the NATO defense spending requirements and have chosen wealth for wealth over Security.
What is the point of Article 5 and what is the point of NATO if 23 of the 28 don’t abide by their commitments to be a team alliance.
These 23 NATO nations are made up of majority of the wealthiest European Nations with strong growing economies led by Germany, the strongest economy in Europe. With the United States and its taxpayers paying 1.7 percent above the requirement, the United States is subsidizing 23 NATO nations so that they can use this subsidy to make their countries, their social welfare of their people richer which somehow they feel entitled to do.
President Trump addressed this last night in Brussels at NATO (link). Former president Obama addressed this last year to NATO. But most importantly it is all of our American military veterans of both World Wars, all sacrificing some and some sacrificing all, that address this best as we memorialize this weekend. They made America great today.
Among many, First Sargent Marvin Hays is one great one that made America Great that will be memorialized. He made America Great.
He is an American Hero, that served his country and defeated the Germans to free Europe- a first Sargent NCO commander of a Light tank- M25 -Stuart, of the 44th Reconnaissance Squadron attached to the 11th Calvary under the Third Army of general Patton.
In his honor, I visited Herleen Netherlands last week where he was stationed in December of 1944 prior to the battle of the bulge which he fought in and received a citation and post the battle of the bulge in Feb/March 1944 when he led the charge into Germany.
We enjoy the freedoms today in the United States and in Europe today because of men like this that did the tough dirty ugly fight that is not politically correct in today’s world but absolutely necessary to defeat and win for our way of life we enjoy today. God bless him, god love him and he will always inspire on the sacrifice, on the will and on the Grit to be a true American.
Marvin Hays was my hero and a grandfather who adopted me.
44th Cavalry Reconnaissance Squadron
On November 23, 1944 the 44th Cavalry Recon Sq. landed at the Normandy shores and moved to the Rhineland area. The first assignment was to begin aggressive patrols across the Roer River to check enemy movements. For this they bivouacked at the city of Heerlen, the Netherlands. When the Allied offensive resumed after the Battle of the Bulge, the 44th Cavalry Recon Sq. was tasked with covering the flank of XIII Corps during the push from the Roer to the Rhine. Constantly in contact with the enemy, the 11th Cavalry hit the Rhine River on 5 March 1945, having inflicted 487 casualties while taking only 56 themselves. Crossing into the German heartland on 1 April, the 11th Cavalry resumed a flanking screen for XIII Corps. Pushing ahead, virtually cut off from other friendly units and supplies, the 11th scored bold victories as they liberated more than one thousand American POW’s along with several thousand slave-labors from a prison camps. The 11th Cavalry pushed on to the Elbe River, reaching it on 14 April.
Background on Reconnaissance
Reconnaissance in the armored divisions was performed by the armored reconnaissance battalion — in the heavy division — or by the cavalry reconnaissance squadron, mechanized — in the light division. These units were identical, except that the battalion was organized as companies, the squadron as troops (although the light tank unit was a company in both organizations). In addition, each armored regiment had a reconnaissance company and each infantry division a reconnaissance troop (organized the same as below), while each tank battalion had a reconnaissance platoon.
The mechanized cavalry squadrons were organized with three Cavalry Troops, lettered A to C, each equipped with 13 M8 armored cars and jeeps; an Assault Gun Troop, E, with six M8 HMC; a Light Tank Company, F, with 17 M5 Stuart, or later M24, tanks; a Service Company; and an H&H Company. The armored division’s reconnaissance squadron was identical except that it had a fourth Cavalry Troop, D, and the Assault Gun Troop had eight M8 HMC. Infantry divisions each had a single cavalry reconnaissance troop.
MDAA met with NATO earlier this week in Brussels.
