Here's a link that James Hennessey sent to me. This is a section from that site called Military Factory. This section features infantry weapons, tanks, aircraft and miscellaneous items for the United States, Germany, Japan, Italy, Great Britain, and the Soviet Union during WWII.

http://www.militaryfactory.com/worldwar2/weapons.asp

:pdt40:

We've had this on here before, but it will now have a permanent spot. Thank you Rocky for reminding me once again. A great commercial from Anheuser-Busch.

The following text was copied from the Department of Defense's website:

America Supports You: Anheuser-Busch Extends Military Tribute

American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, Jan. 5, 2006 – A tribute program that provided free admission to Anheuser-Busch theme parks to more than 900,000 members of U.S. and coalition armed forces and their families has been extended through 2006, company officials announced.

Anheuser-Busch launched "Here's to the Heroes" in February 2005 to acknowledge the service of military men and women and the sacrifices made by their families, officials said.

"It is gratifying to all of us at Anheuser-Busch that so many members of our armed forces took advantage of this program and honored us with a visit," said Keith M. Kasen, chairman and president of Busch Entertainment Corp., the family entertainment division of Anheuser-Busch. "This is a difficult time for our men and women in uniform, and we are honored to give them something back."

The program provides a single day's free admission to any one SeaWorld or Busch Gardens park, Sesame Place, Adventure Island or Water Country USA for the servicemember and as many as three of his or her direct dependents.

Any active duty, active reserve or Ready Reserve servicemember or National Guardsman is entitled to free admission under the program. He or she need only register, either online at www.herosalute.com or in the entrance plaza of a participating park, and show a Defense Department photo ID.

Also included in the offer are members of foreign military forces serving in the coalitions in Iraq or Afghanistan or in the United States attached to American units for training.

Inactive, standby and retired reserve members, military retirees, U.S. Merchant Marine and civilian DoD employees are ineligible for the program.

The program "is one small way we can acknowledge and thank the soldiers, sailors, Marines, airmen and Coast Guardsmen whose service helps to preserve the freedom and safety of every American," Kasen said. "It's important to all of us at Anheuser-Busch that we show our gratitude to the men and women of our armed forces and their families for the sacrifices they make on our behalf."

Here's to the Heroes is the fourth tribute to military personnel offered by Anheuser-Busch since Yellow Ribbon Summer welcomed servicemembers home from the Gulf War in 1991. More than 3 million people have visited Anheuser- Busch Adventure Parks free under these programs.

The company has supported the military for more than 150 years, and in 2005 launched the Here's to the Heroes Tour, which allowed everyday Americans to record video messages of support and thanks for the men and women of the U.S. military. The Heroes Tour traveled more than 29,000 miles to towns and events across America from April through December, collecting messages from more than 11,000 Americans. With the help of the Defense Department's "America Supports You" program, the messages were aired on American Forces Radio and Television Service on U.S. military bases in more than 177 countries and on 150 bases in the United States throughout 2005.

Three Anheuser-Busch parks -- SeaWorld Orlando, Busch Gardens Tampa Bay and SeaWorld San Diego -- operate year-round. The company's remaining parks are seasonal, with varying opening dates this spring. Each park's operating schedule is available online.

The company's other U.S. theme parks are Busch Gardens Williamsburg, SeaWorld San Antonio, Discovery Cove in Orlando, Sesame Place near Philadelphia, Water Country USA in Williamsburg and Adventure Island in Tampa.

(From an Anheuser-Busch news release.)

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Also found a great site called, America Supports You. Check it out! It includes musical and video tributes too.

http://www.americasupportsyou.mil/americas...syou/index.aspx

Just got this book on Ebay for $19.00 in Like New Condition -

Atlas of World War II - Over 160 Detailed Battle and Campaign Maps by Jordan, David; Wiest, Andrew

UK: Silverdale, 2004. 256 pages. Index. "A comprehensive visual guide to this complex conflict. Plots the exact course of the land, sea and air campaigns in fine detail, enabling the reader to trace the ebb and flow of the fortunes of both sides. Over 160 full-colour maps." - from dust jacket. ISBN: 1845090357. Hard Cover. Over 12" - 15" tall. Atlas of World War II - Over 160 Detailed Battle and Campaign Maps.

Recently my WWII buddy Richard Feist, said his daughter had brought one home for him and he loved it. I had to get one. When I saw the cover I realized that when I had attended one of the 101st Meetings in Farmington, MI, one of they guys there had brought it along to show us. It was great and I was jealous!

The maps are just superb. Can't wait to get it. Another fine acquistion from EBAY!

Attached Files

  AtlasOfWWII.jpg (Size: 37.81 KB / Downloads: 0)

This is the first instalment of 'Marions Boy's' Photos.

Marion's note: I have created a PDF file from Moose's file, so everyone will be able to open it too. Some folks might not have Word, so here ya go!

Easy_company_boys.doc

Easy_company_boys.pdf

Attached Files

  Easy_company_boys.doc (Size: 1.26 MB / Downloads: 0)
  Easy_company_boys.pdf (Size: 427.5 KB / Downloads: 0)

Sappers battle to be best of best

Story and photos by Christian DeLuca, GUIDON staff

First place team, Lt. Colby Krug and Staff Sgt. Erasmo Flores, 66th Engineer Company, Schofield Barracks, Hawaii prepare to detonate explosives.

The 3rd annual Best Sapper Competition lived up to its name last week, when mental and physical exhaustion took its toll on seven of the 13 two-man teams, leaving only six to cross the finish line -- and one to be named best Sapper team.

Staff Sgt. Erasmo Flores and Lt. Colby Krug, 66th Engineer Company, Schofield Barracks Hawaii, took top honors in the grueling three-day event that tested the combat engineer skills of participants, while subjecting them to substantial physical strain.

The "Tropic Lightning" team, who also placed last year, said they came back to the competition for just one reason.

"To win it," Flores and Krug said.

"We had to come back and win it," Flores added.

The team said the competition seemed to be a little tougher than what they remembered from last year.

"There seemed to be more hills, more stress and strain," Flores said. "It was intense. It was a great competition."

During the awards brunch, Maj. Gen. William McCoy Jr., Maneuver Support Center and Fort Leonard Wood commanding general, said all the participants should consider themselves winners.

"I'm tremendously proud of the competitors," McCoy said. "To go through what we put you through these past couple of days, you should all be proud of yourselves individually."

Sgt. Gordon Paulson, 66th En. Co., was on another team from Hawaii. He said nothing he has done before compares to the Best Sapper Competition.

"I've been through a lot of training," he said. "I think this is the toughest thing I've done in my life."

Lt. Col. John Edborg, 577th Engineer Bn., commander said the competition allows Sappers to test their skills and will, while increasing their sense of esprit de corps.

"They go nonstop. They compete for approximately 58 hours and cover about 50 miles. They go through a number of events that test their combat engineer skills as well as their infantry skills," he said. "By the end of the event, they will have learned a lot about what they can do as an individual; what they can do as a team, and just how good their training has been."

The winning team will be presented with a bust of Ret. Lt. Gen. Robert Flowers, former chief of engineers, during Engineer Regimental Week later this month.

And the winners are

1st place: Lt. Colby Krug & Staff Sgt. Erasmo Flores, 66th Engineer Company, Schofield Barracks, Hawaii

2nd place: Capt. John Evangelista & Capt. Jason Winkelman, 554th Engineer Bn.

3rd place: Lt. Mark Gillman & Sgt. Gordon Paulson, 66th Engineer Company, Schofield Barracks, Hawaii

The events

• Physical fitness assessment

• 17 mile land navigation

• MOUT breach

• Knots proficiency

• AN/PSS-12 proficiency

• Grenade course

• Demo calculation exam

• Poncho raft swim

• Prussik climb and rappel

• 16-mile road march

• Foreign mine ID & 9-line IED report

• Weapons assembly

• Timber cutting station

• Weapons range course

• Steel cutting

• CLS & 9 line report

• Counterforce charge

• 9-mile run with multiple mystery events

http://www.flw-guidon.com/news/sappers0510.html