User:Reedmalloy/sandboxes

Royal Gorge

 * Iron Horses: America's Race to Bring the Railroads West


 * Johnny Tremain

Scaffolding
Nevis Arc FB jumping near Queenstown

Leighton Brewer

 * The June sky, a hemisphere of pearl spun with fine threads
 * Above, was buoyant in the sunbright morning;
 * No bumps at all, and swiftly soared that Spad
 * Up to ten thousand feet in just eight minutes.
 * More sensitive to the joy-stick than a Nieuport:
 * The slightest touch would turn her; but the rudder
 * Smaller and less treacherous than the one
 * He had learned to treat with care at Issoudun
 * —1st Lt. Leighton Brewer
 * 13th Aero Squadron
 * Riders of the Sky (1934)

Rescued
The sections here were dumped without discussion much less consensus from an article (by an editor who tacitly and arbitrarily implies ownership of it) app. because they do not fit conveniently in a "List" article. So, lop 'em off! I want to preserve the victim of this rudeness until I can make an article of it. Putting it back where it began would only result in an edit war.

Corps of Light infantry
The Corps of Light Infantry was a provisional and composite unit of Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War. Primarily used in Washington's Main Army, the corps was formed each campaign season from 1777 through 1781 to perform light infantry duties in support of the line regiments. The British Army in America employed "light infantry" battalions similar to French chasseur and Spanish cazadore battalions, formed as temporary units rather than in permanent formations as in the German jäger battalions. Following the British practice, the Continental Army's corps was organized by consolidating into a temporary formation the individual light infantry companies of the line infantry regiments. Each corps formed at or near the beginning of a campaign, and then was dissolved as its components went into winter quarters with their parent units.

The immediate predecessor of the Corps of Light Infantry was the Provisional Rifle Corps created in early June 1777 and commanded by Col. Daniel Morgan. With 508 expert riflemen in eight companies drawn at large primarily from Pennsylvania (193), Virginia (163), and Maryland (65), the Provisional Rifle Corps performed many of the duties of light infantry. Prior to its raising, the only light infantry available to Washington were a company of chausseurs alloted to Armand's Legion in December 1776, and 200 men authorized to be raised in April 1777 as a partisan force by Col. Casimir Pulaski.

Morgan's Corps saw action during the British retreat from Brunswick, New Jersey, on June 22, and scouted for Howe's movements towards Philadelphia. Unlike the corps of light infantry to follow, it remained a semi-permanent organization, fighting in the battles of Saratoga and Monmouth, after which it was reduced to three companies commanded by Captain Thomas Posey. He was superceded by Major James Parr and Morgan's corps, with "Schott's Rifle Corps" (Capt. Anthony Seilin, one company), accompanied the 1779 Sullivan Expedition as part of its corps of light infantry before their enlistments expired.

Four brigades were detached from the Main Army and assigned to the Sullivan Expedition in May 1779. Sullivan detailed the Pennsylvania brigade of Brig-Gen. Edward Hand, severely understrength because of casualties, illness, and desertions, to act as his corps of light infantry. The Sullivan Expedition's corps of light infantry consisted of the 4th Pennsylvania (Lt-Col. William Butler, 5 companies), 11th Pennsylvania (Lt-Col. Adam Hubley, 6 companies), and German (Major Daniel Burchardt, 3 companies) Regiments, the Rifle Corps (Major James Parr, 4 companies) and two militia companies totaling 70 troops. The light infantry companies of the other brigades acted as line companies during the campaign.

The five light infantry organizations of the Continental Main Army were:

1777: The first of Washington's "corps of light infantry" on the British model was organized to replace the Provisional Rifle Corps, which was detached to Gates during the Saratoga Campaign to act as his light infantry. Maxwell's Light Infantry was formed on August 28, 1777, and commanded by Brig-Gen William Maxwell. Because Continental Army regiments were not authorized permanent light infantry companies, its provisional companies were each formed from drafts of 9 officers and 108 men (including sergeants) from each of the ten brigades present in the field. Maxwell's Light Infantry formed the advanced skirmish line at the Battle of Brandywine, and was brigaded as a reserve with Maxwell's regular New Jersey Brigade during the Battle of Germantown. In December 1777, the corps of light infantry was disbanded.

1778: As a result of its previous performance, Washington recommended to Congress on January 28, 1778, that each regiment or battalion be authorized a light infantry company, to be organized into brigades during campaigns under a brigadier general, and combined with mounted units to form a "flying army." Congress authorized the creation of one light infantry company of 3 officers, 8 non-commissioned officers and musicians, and 53 privates in each battalion of the Main Army on May 27, 1778, but before a permanent reorganization could be accomplished, the second light infantry corps was formed on June 24, after British forces abandoned Philadelphia, to harry their line of retreat and to bring them to battle when Washington pursued. It was commanded by Brig-Gen Charles Scott, and like Maxwell's corps the previous year, drafted provisional companies to fill its ranks. Scott's Light Infantry fought at the Battle of Monmouth. Wright notes that Washington's orders called for an elite unit, composed of "the best men, the most hardy and active marksmen, commanded by good partizan officers."

1779: The permanent light infantry companies authorized in 1778 as part of the reorganization of the army by Baron von Steuben were assigned a minimum required strength of 41 privates and made a part of each line regiment in 1779. They were grouped as the Corps of Light Infantry on June 12, with Brig-Gen Anthony Wayne taking command July 11, and stormed the fortified British position at Stony Point, New York four nights later. Serving until December 5, 1779, the corps was organized into four regiments of two battalions each, totaling 1,350 men:
 * 1st Regiment (Col. Christian Febiger, 2nd Virginia Regiment: six Virginia and two Pennsylvania companies);
 * 2nd Regiment (Col. Richard Butler, 9th Pennsylvania Regiment: four Pennsylvania and four Maryland companies);
 * 3rd Regiment (Col. Return Meigs, 6th Connecticut Regiment: eight Connecticut companies);
 * 4th Regiment (Col. Rufus Putnam: six Massachusetts and two North Carolina companies).

1780: On July 16, 1780, Washington ordered Steuben to organize and train the corps of light infantry as an elite, more permanent and self-sustaining organization. The troops were to be "middle-sized," older than 20 but younger than 30, and veteran campaigners. Steuben personally trained them in the bayonet, noting its successful use at Stony Point, and ordered bayonets constantly fixed, taking away scabbards and belts. On August 1, at Springfield, New Jersey, the Corps of Light Infantry again formed, and on August 7 assigned to the command of the Marquis de LaFayette in the Light Division. At his own expense, Lafayette improved and standardized distinctive uniform items for the light infantry, including short sabers, espontoons, and fusils for the officers; battle flags, brass belt buckles and cap plates, and red-and-black plumed hats (later switched for plumed leather helmets with horsehair crests) for the rank-and-file. The corps was broken up on November 27, 1780. Numbering 2,000 men assigned in companies of 40 men each, the CLI had six battalions organized as two brigades:
 * 1st Brigade (Brig-Gen Enoch Poor)
 * Van Cortlandt's Battalion (Col Philip Van Cortlandt, 2nd New York Regiment: five New York and three New Hampshire companies),
 * Shepard's Battalion (Col William Shepard, 4th Massachusetts Regiment: eight Massachusetts companies),
 * Gimat's Battalion (Lt-Col Jean-Joseph Sourbader de Gimat: eight Massachusetts companies).
 * 2nd Brigade (Brig-Gen Edward Hand),
 * Swift's Battalion (Col Heman Swift, 7th Connecticut Regiment: eight Connecticut companies),
 * Ogden's Battalion (Col Matthias Ogden, 1st New Jersey Regiment: eight New Jersey companies),
 * Stewart's Battalion (Col Walter Stewart, 2nd Pennsylvania Regiment: eight Pennsylvania companies).

1781: On February 17, 1781, the corps was reassembled under LaFayette at Peekskill, New York, and sent to oppose Cornwallis in Virginia. Companies were authorized a strength of 3 officers and 72 enlisted, but with reductions in the size of the regulars, insufficient numbers of acceptable troops limited the companies to 50 men each, nearly all of whom had served in the Light Division the previous year. The corps consisted of three battalions with an approximate total strength of 1,200:
 * Vose's Battalion (Col. Joseph Vose, 1st Massachusetts Regiment: eight Massachusetts companies);
 * Gimat's Battalion (Lt-Col Gimat: five Connecticut, two Massachusetts, and the Rhode Island company);
 * Barber's Battalion (Lt-Col Francis Barber, 1st New Jersey Regiment: two New Jersey, two New Hampshire, and the Canadian Regiment's company).

An additional corps of light infantry, amounting to 400 men, was created on May 17, 1781, in New York by forming provisional light infantry companies, three from Connecticut, three from Massachusetts, and two from New Hampshire. Commanded by Col. Alexander Scammell, it seized Dobbs Ferry, New York and was the vanguard of Washington's march to Yorktown, Virginia in August.

Uniting at Williamsburg, Virginia, on September 24, 1781, both corps were organized again into Lafayette's Light Division of two brigades to lead the advance of the army to Yorktown.


 * 1st Brigade, Brig-Gen Peter Muhlenberg:
 * Vose's Battalion,
 * Gimat's Battalion, and
 * Barber's Battalion.
 * 2nd Brigade, Brig-Gen Moses Hazen:
 * Scammell's provisional corps,
 * Hamilton's Battalion (Lt-Col Alexander Hamilton, two light infantry companies of the New York Line and two provisional companies from Connecticut), and
 * The Canadian Regiment.

Scammell was wounded and taken prisoner on September 29, 1781, and died on October 4th; thus on October 8th, the light infantry companies of his corps were reorganized into two battalions, the first consisting of three New Hampshire, one Massachusetts, and one Connecticut provisional companies (commanded by Lt-Col John Laurens), and the second two Massachusetts companies and two Connecticut companies (commanded by Lt-Col Ebenezer Huntington), giving the brigade three battalions of light infantry, each with four companies of 50 men.


 * JSTOR John W Wright on Light Infantry
 * Wright, Robert K. The Continental Army. Washington, D.C.: Center of Military History, 1983.CHAPTER 6 Professionalism: New Influences From Europe.
 * Wright, Robert K. The Continental Army. Washington, D.C.: Center of Military History, 1983.CHAPTER 6 Professionalism: New Influences From Europe.

mini-sandbox, O'Mara
[[Category:1925 births [[Category:2008 deaths [[Category:American military personnel of the Vietnam War [[Category:Recipients of US Air Force Cross [[Category:Recipients of US Distinguished Flying Cross


 * Obit, Holy Cross Magazine
 * O'Mara
 * O'Mara bio Veteran Tributes
 * PJs in Vietnam url

Oliver O’Mara died July 1, 2008, in Santa Fe, N.M., at 86. An Air Force veteran, Mr. O’Mara had served as a pilot in World War II, the Korean War and the Vietnam War. Upon graduating in 1943 as a flight officer fighter pilot in the Army Air Corps, he flew P-51 Mustangs, Curtiss P-40 Tomahawks and P-47 Thunderbolts on Saipan and Iwo Jima; completing 32 missions during World War II, Mr. O’Mara was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross Air Medal with four Oak Leaf Clusters, the Purple Heart, and two Battle Stars—one for Air Offensive Japan and the other for the Battle of Iwo Jima. Following graduation from the U.S. Air Force Helicopter School at Ellington Air Force Base, Texas, in 1953, he served as a rescue pilot over Korea, flying the Sikorsky H-19 helicopter; he was a recipient of the Sikorsky Flying “S” Rescue Award in 1955. Mr. O’Mara subsequently flew helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft at bases in Texas, Nevada, California, Florida and Japan, before volunteering for duty in Vietnam in 1965; during his military career there, he flew 128 missions—and, in 1969, was awarded the Air Force Cross. Mr. O’Mara completed his final assignment at the Holloman Air Force Base in Alamogordo, N.M.; retiring from the military in 1970 as a lieutenant colonel, he continued working at the base for 15 years, serving as the airfield manager, through Civil Service. Mr. O’Mara had been a member of the Legion of Valor. He is survived by his wife, Ruth; two daughters; two brothers; a sister; six grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren

47th Fighter Squadron, 15th Fighter Group; married 10-3-45 to Ruth H. Slater, St Mark's Catholic Church, Kenosha

O'Mara was RCC of JG36 on 5 Oct 66; JG36 on 6 Feb 67 when he rescued Duane Hackney, survivor of JG05; flew the first night SAR in an HH-3 on 14-15 Dec 66 near Mu Gia.

Father was Oliver Edward "Ollie" O'Mara, former major league SS for the Brooklyn Robins (1914-16; 1918). O'Mara had played AA ball in 1919 and 1920 (32 games) before jumping to an Outlaw League team ("Nash Motors") in Kenosha, WI. Son born in Brooklyn. Grew up in Kenosha, father first ran tavern, then billiards room, then a gambling operation. Ollie eventually fled Kenosha to Vegas 1950 to avoid being called by Kefauver Committee, indicted in 1951 but not arrested until 1966, when all but minor charge dropped, pl. guilty fine of $500.



mini-sandbox, Parr

 * Military Times, Ralph Parr
 * Veteran tributes, Ralph Parr

New sand
General Orders

Frederick Eglin

User:Reedmalloy/Sandbox 3

Perceptions and thoughts

George Grigsby McKnight