Thursday, April 30, 2009

Brother Jeff Janca's timely reminder

From Bracket
tville's First Baptist Church

Month of May Birthdays really Rock!

Happy Birthday to:

Abigail Janca
Robin/Trevor Pevehouse
Ronnie Hall
Shannon Gammill
Ron Winburn
Rhonda Marquardt
Darlene Laws
Amanda Simmons
Paul Kluzek
Harmony Pettet
Bill Ford
Donna Schuster
Madeleine Ducharme
Bailee Fisher
Samantha Sheedy
Sherry Holloway


¡Cumpleaños Feliz! Happy Birthday! Everyone....:)

Brackettville, Texas:

Frontier Baptist Church reminds us all



"God is as Good as His Word"

&


"Weather Report: The Son is Shining"



Tip of the Hat to: Pastor Ned Sitzes!

"Why Can't Non - Catholics Partake in the Eucharist?"


"St. Paul's warning about receiving the Eucharist improperly should give all Christians cause for reflection: Therefore whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord unworthily will have to answer for the body and blood of the Lord. A person should examine himself, and so eat the bread and drink the cup. For anyone who eats and drinks without discerning the body, eats and drinks judgment on himself (1 Cor 11:27 - 29).

"In light of this and other scriptural passages, the Church obliges Catholics to make sure they are properly disposed to receive the Eucharist before approaching the altar.

"For example, they must not receive Holy Communion in a state of mortal sin (see Does the Bible Distinguish Between Mortal and Venial Sins? B - 3).

"But there are other dispositions necessary as well.

"Those who deny that the Eucharist is truly the Body and Blood of Christ [as many so - called American Catholic priests and deacons do, even here locally, whenever they publicly deny the Divinity of Jesus Christ Himself -- whether through explicit words or whether through explicit actions!], believing it to be just a symbol, should also refrain from receiving Communion.

"To use the apostle's words, they would be eating and drinking without discerning the body properly, placing themselves in danger of judgment.

"This is one reason why non - Catholics, protestants in particular, should not partake in the Eucharist in a Catholic church: They typically deny that it is truly Christ's Body and Blood.

"But the Church insists that even Protestants who believe what the Catholic Church teaches about the Eucharist should not normally approach the Catholic altar for Communion.

"The reason for this restriction is suggested by other words from St. Paul: The cup of blessing that we bless, is it not a participation [or fellowship] in the blood of Christ? The bread that we break, is it not a participation [fellowship] in the body of Christ? Because the loaf of bread is one, we, though many, are one body, for we all partake of the one loaf. [1 Cor 10 : 16 - 17 ].

"The Eucharist thus signifies a oneness in faith, life, and worship among those who partake of it.

"So reception of the Eucharist by those separated from the Catholic Church is in a sense dishonest.

"It implies a unity that does not yet exist.

"A few exceptions are allowed for pastoral reasons in extraordinary situations; see the Catechism of the Catholic Church [CCC] 1401.

"In the meantime, the Church urges us to pray fervently that all Christians might finally attain to the unity of faith and knowledge of the Son of God ( Eph 4:13) ."

"RELATED SCRIPTURE -- Texts cited: 1 Cor 10:16 - 17; 11: 27 - 29 . Eph 4:13.

"General: Ps 133: 1 - 3. Jn 18: 20 - 23. 1 Cor 1:10 . Eph 4:1-6 . Phil 2: 1 - 2.

"CATECHISM OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH [CCC] -- CCC 805 . CCC 838 . CCC 1396 . CCC 1398 - 1401."

Wednesday, April 29, 2009

"Collection Racket"

"The arresting frequency of parish embezzlement"

"Father's minding the parish till, but who's minding Father?"


It's not just Brackettville's St. Mary Magdalene's Catholic Parish anymore...

where our own so - called $ random account balance entry fluctuations $ seem to be running $30 to $60 thousand a year...



Adapted from the May 2009 issue of U.S. Catholic. Article is by journalist Robert McClory.


"If the pastor had not stepped down, the embezzlement might have continued indefinitely.

"But when Father Brian Lisowski , pastor of St. Bede the Venerable, a large parish on Chicago's Southwest Side, resigned in 2004, the Sunday Mass collection suddenly ballooned by more than $2,500 a week.

"A police investigation indicated Lisowski had stolen about $1.1 million during his five - year tenure.

"Father William Stenzel, who replaced Lisowski as pastor at St. Bede's says No one suspected a thing.

"The collection had been kept Sunday nights in a large basket in the rectory where Lisowski had helped himself to cash (never checks [except for five $100 money orders + one envelope w/$100.00 cash in Brackettville, in Oct/Nov of 2007, huh?! :) ] ), squirreling his spoils away in a secret safe in his bedroom.

"On Monday mornings the remaining contents in the basket were carefully counted and dutifully recorded by parish volunteers [ here at St. MM by the Parish Finance Committee ] and then picked up by an armored car...

"The former chief financial officer of the Cleveland diocese was found guilty in federal court of netting $750,000 in diocesan money through an elaborate kickback scheme in which he illegally steered $17.5 million in accounting and computer business to an associate.

"The diocese's legal counsel and the bishop denied having any idea of the scheme."


she had been dealing with mental issues...


"The bookkeeper of a parish in Longboat Key, Florida was arrested and charged with stealing some $330,000 from the church for personal use.

"Parishioners described her as your stereotypical sweet church lady.

"Her lawyer said she had been dealing with mental issues.

"Prosecutor's in Kaua'i, Hawaii were preparing opening statements for the trial of a parish volunteer [Finance Committee, or what, exactly??!!] charged with misappropriating more than $85,000.

"Instead of depositing counted and stamped checks from Sunday Masses in the parish bank account -- one of her duties -- she allegedly deposited them in the account of a Catholic social club, of which she was a treasurer..."


Wake - up, St. M.M.!

Thanks to our local system, this last example may be the best clue yet!


Tuesday, April 28, 2009

"Why Can't Non Catholics Partake in the Eucharist?"


Part I.



Preliminary Note:

Part II of this projected two - part posting will be posted separately from what we're dealing with here.

And that posting will indeed be adapted directly from the actual article itself.

The one designated Insert T - 2 that can be found in Sister Nora's Charismatic Group's New Catholic Answer Bible and which has a lot to say, but!

It can not be expected to also cover the subject of what we've calling here the Archdiocese of San Antonio's Doctrine of the Holy Communion Wafer as a Psychiatric Placebo, inasmuch as Archbishop José H. Gómez does appear to allow the practice -- at least in Brackettille, Texas -- at St. Mary Magdalene's Catholic Parish.

Yet, we might be permitted to at least suggest that the two issues are in some sense related:

One
is the actual title of this posting Why Can't Non - Catholics Partake in the Eucharist?

And then Two might be Why Does Archbishop Gómez Allow His Priests and Deacons to Give Certain Totally Unprepared Children Holy Communion as a Psychiatric Placebo?

This posting will concern itself strictly with the second issue:


"Why Does Archbishop Gómez Allow His Priests and Deacons to Give Certain Totally Unprepared Children Holy Communion as a Psychiatric Placebo?"


How it works!


Here locally children with normal parents make both their First Confession and First Communion; however, only after much study and practice of their Catholic religion by such dedicated teachers as we all know so well.

For example: the lucky 27 or so youngsters who did both at St. Mary Magdalen's within the last two weeks or so, albeit only after the necessary preparation, can be considered to be really lucky.

Why?

Because there's another kind of parent involved here these days.

And, moreover, because of that apparently terminal mixture of toxic wastes called spiritual and moral necrosis by author Penelope Johnson that appear to have infected a high percentage of the American Catholic clergy, this parent is forever guaranteed preferential treatment as a special case.

For the supposed spiritual benefit of the wretched parent, and of the children, Holy Communion is "temporarily" redefined in vague terms of a free - wheeling Pastoral Theology to the point that It amounts to no more than some sort of a Psychiatric Placebo.

An example locally would be any of those so - called White Magic demonic - spirit worshiping parents who really do act as though they themselves don't give the proverbial flying flip for their own children's spiritual welfare.

And this is how this particular issue works:

Here in Brackettville, Texas, any such White Magic demonic - spirit worshiping male parent (and it has to be a male!) with a proven track record for sociopathic behavior backed up with a lifetime criminal record to match is free to tell any St. Mary Magdalene's Catholic Parish priest or deacon or maybe even a dean or two, and most certainly a bishop, in so many words: Hey! *u**c you and the horse you rode in on! I'm bringing my kids to Holy Communion today at Saturday's Mass, and they'll still go study religion tomorrow with the nearest Jehovah Witness Kingdom Hall. I don't really give a *u**c*k what you say!


This is particularly interesting to me right here and now, as I've come to notice how these same kids seem to quickly pick up the parent's attitude of *u* c*k you towards all and sundry, and go on, I guess, to think like : Wow! Dig me! I can do that too!

You see?

Unhappily. the kids thus imagine that what works so well for dear old dad when he threatens the servile and and all but groveling priests and deacons of Saint Mary Magdalene's will work for them, too, when they try it with Non- Catholic Christians (or for that matter anybody else with at least half a brain period and no discernible exterior practice of religion. :) ) in the local school district.

It doesn't.

Period...

And then what?

All of a sudden the parent just might really cross over the line, decide he's being "persecuted," and make ready to "defend himself" with a loaded gun.

But!

We know that could never happen here in Brackettville, now, don't we... :)

Monday, April 27, 2009

Jesuit magazine AMERICA has some good news!


From the issue of April 20 - 27, 2009.

"As many as 150,000 new or returning Catholics are expected to join or return to the Catholic Church in 2009 in the United States.

"Many of them will do so in parishes across the country during the Easter Vigil on April 11."

Humm ... well, let's see. That's an average of between 7 and 8 per parish in the roughly 19,000 Catholic parishes across the 'ole U.S.A..

Masquerade Prom 2009 was a big hit!


Indispensable original source proving all this?

Besides our very own visual - sighting of a somewhat mysteriously masqueraded Bianca Look - Alike and her Nice Young Man knocking 'em dead in his psychedelic pink and blue cachucha and shades whizzing by the back garden of our duplex on Riordan St. at 8:05 p.m. that same Saturday night in one awesome white pick - up truck??!! :)

It is this caption of two equally fine young people in The Brackett News, Thursday, April 23, 2009:

"Brackett High School Senior Ms. Samantha Moore and her escort, Mr. Nathan Garcia, of Uvalde, ready themselves for the Masquerade Prom 2009.

"The prom was held at the Kinney County Civic Center."

You bet! And it's great young people like all these that give us all so much hope for tomorrow -- you'd better believe it!

Ten Permanent Deacon - Training Dream Team Candidates for Archbishop Gómez's June 2009 - June 2014 Ordination Program:

The official Little Green Men From Mars First - Round Draft!



And, in no particular order, here they are, their indispensable wives naturally enough included:


Don Antonio y Doña Saria Ramón

Mr. and Mrs. Jerry and Janie DeHoyos

Mr. and Mrs. César and Rosa Cantu.

Mr. and Mrs. Duke and Mary Meek.

Mr. and Mrs. John "Jack" and Ruth Tate.


There you have it!

St. Mary Magdalene's Catholic Parish, Brackettville, Texas 78832.

Altar Server Show - up Honor Roll.



Saturday, April 25, 2009. 5:30 p.m. Mass. TEAM Mr. Raúl Rivas & Mr. Johnny López. TEAM MOMS Raúl: Nora; Johnny: Mary.

Sunday, April 26, 2009. 10:30 a.m. Mass. TEAM Mr. Garón Rueda. TEAM MOM: Yolanda.

"[H]is last words to Hitler were, You just don't understand the American cowboy..."


Adapted from the SMITHSONIAN magazine, May 2009. Article by James Conway: California Dreamin'.

"Helmuth Deetjen, the son of a deacon in Bremen, Germany, and a Norwegian mother, arrived in Big Sur sometime around 1936, where he bought 60 acres in Castro Canyon and built a small compound that included a house, antiques store and inn.

"A student of music, philosophy, art and politics, Deetjen had attended Germany's University of Heidelberg, where one of his classmates was an art student named Adolf Hitler.

"Deetjen claimed that his last words to Hitler were, You just don't understand the American cowboy, and fled Europe because he knew what Hitler was capable of.

"Deetjen imported a quirky combination of sophistication and hominess to Big Sur, reflected in his quaint Scandinavia - style cottages, constructed of native hardwood."


Saturday, April 25, 2009

UTEP: "Students choose Muñoz as SGA leader"

Mr. Carlos M. Silva and Mr. Jesús Martinez have the UTEP Propsector's front page story!



Tuesday, April 21, 2009.

¡Adelante, caballeros!

"Mr. Alex Muñoz received 944 votes in the 2009 Student Government Association presidential race, casting the majority over his run - off opponent Ms. Nicolette Eggemeyer, who received 739.

"Mr. Muñoz said, Now, the pressure of the elections is off, and I'm ready to work.

"The final word hasn't been said because the Supreme Court needs to hear two pending cases before he can assume the position."

Oh, cool! Oh, wow! ¡Oh guau! :)

¡Ora, UTEP!

¡Ora, MEChA!

¡Adelante, Destino!

Respeto las pocas armas que todavía se quedan disponsibles en la zona de libre comercio:

Compra las, antes que Obama se les quite hasta la última pistolota!"



Eagle Pass' Rick's Guns and Knives nearby the Public Library is still belting out this all - important public service message on Radio KXMU


♫ "La RANCHERITA DEL AIRE" ♪


A nice young lady answering this company's phone last night when we called shyly admitted to being the wife of the same fine young man belting out the public service message original!

Way to go, guys!

BHS Class of 2009's Ms. Katie Braesicke & Ms. Paige Bealefeld credit influential teachers Mrs. Robinette and Mrs. Becky


Of Mrs. Robinette, we're told by Ms. Braesicke herself that "she was the epitome of an ideal teacher. I will never forget how wonderful she was to me."

Meanwhile, Ms. Bealefield credits "One of my freshman teachers, Mrs. Becky."

Way to go, ladies!

Good luck on your careers.

Adapted from: The Brackett News. Thursday, April 23, 2009.

Friday, April 24, 2009

Medal of Honor winner Private First Class Gary W. Martini, USMC. K.I.A.

"For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty."



Stouthearted and indomitable, Pfc. Martini unhesitatingly yielded his life to save 2 of his comrades...


Note one:

A Marine private first class was an E - 2.

Note two:


The phrase used in the official document -- elements of company F -- translates as the 8 rifle squads on hand for the developing battle, plus their weapons attachments.

These 8 rifle squads, then, were out of the 9 total available on the Foxtrot Co. Roster.

It was they who were committed to the frontal assault, reinforced with such miscellaneous tag - a - longs as your proverbial "cooks, clerks and candle stick makers" -- be they one - o - six crewmen, etc. -- or whoever had volunteered to go along for the ride.

In fact. as I seem to recall, our intrepid, hardworking and very quiet and - keep - to - himself cook was later credited with helping save the lives of several badly wounded Marines.

NOW, HIS STORY!

(adapted from this online source: "Medal of Honor Winners Vietnam M - Z")

"MARTINI, GARY W.

"Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty.

"On 21 April 1967, during Operation UNION elements of Company F, 2d Battalion, 1st Marines, 1st Marine Division conducting offensive operations at Binh Son, encountered a firmly entrenched enemy force and immediately deployed to engage them.

"The Marines in Pfc. Martini's platoon assaulted across an open rice paddy to within 20 meters of the enemy trench line where they were suddenly struck by hand grenades, intense small arms, automatic weapons, and mortar fire.

"The enemy onslaught killed 14 and wounded 18 Marines, pinning the remainder of the platoon down behind a low paddy dike.

"In the face of imminent danger, Pfc. Martini immediately crawled over the dike to a forward open area within 15 meters of the enemy position where, continuously exposed to the hostile fire, he hurled hand grenades, killing several of the enemy.

"Crawling back through the intense fire, he rejoined his platoon which had moved to the relative safety of a trench line.

"From this position he observed several of his wounded comrades lying helpless in the fire - swept paddy.

"Although he knew that 1 man had [already] been killed attempting to assist the wounded, Pfc. Martini raced through the open area and dragged a comrade back to a friendly position.

"In spite of a serious wound received during this first daring rescue, he again braved the unrelenting fury of the enemy fire to aid another companion lying wounded only 20 meters in front of the enemy trench line.

"As he reached the fallen Marine, he received a mortal wound, but disregarding his own condition, he began to drag the Marine toward his platoon's position.

"Observing men from his unit attempting to leave the security of their position to aid him, [and] concerned only for their safety, he called to them to remain under cover, and through a final supreme effort, moved his injured comrade to where he could be pulled to safety, before he fell, succumbing to his wounds.

"Stouthearted and indomitable, Pfc. Martini unhesitatingly yielded his life to save 2 of his comrades and insure the safety of the remainder of his platoon.

"His outstanding courage, valiant fighting spirit and selfless devotion to duty reflected the highest credit upon himself, the Marine Corps, and the United States Naval Service.

"He gallantly gave his life for his country."


Battle of Binh Son I post completed! :)

see earlier post...

Thursday, April 23, 2009

"Eli -- who Scripture records was of sufficient bulk that he could have benefited from the Atkins diet (1 Sm 4:18) -- fell over broke his neck and died"


the sons of Eli were worthless men; they had no regard for the Lord (1 Sm 2:12).


Today: The Moral of the Story!


Jesus said:

"Beware of false prophets (Mt 7:15)"
not "Beware of false churches."




See today's add - on way, way below...


This is a free - wheeling adaptation of a thought - provoking article by a convert to Real - Deal Catholicism, Mr. Tommy Akin of This Rock magazine, May - June 2009.

Here he lays one on us, whether we're RCIA candidates in Brackettville, Texas, or Leroy New York, or wherever we're currently at, so to speak!

And, guess what? The sort of liturgical monkey - shines we've grown used to here with the so - called American Catholic Church have a long, long, history!

Furthermore, it ain't stretching our credibility any too much to see that Mr. Jimmy Akin is using ELI is a prototype for many an American - Catholic Bishop today, and and his equally worthless sons as prototypes for all too many American - Catholic rank and file clergy.

But!

And this is a very important but!

So what?

He seems to be telling us, 'cause we've still got to keep our eye on Number One, and Number One here folks is Jesus Christ and the Church Jesus established for all time.

As Mr. Akin assures us:

"Look, don't do it!

"Don't make the mistake of turning over your happiness before God to someone else.

"You don't have to do that.

"You may tell yourself, I just can't stand the way this Mass is being celebrated [and folks, that attitude can cover anything -- from someone's personal reaction to St. Pius X Church in San Antonio's ancient Roman Catholic Latin Mass to someone else's reaction to our very own St. Mary Magdalene's indoor trash - burning Palo Mayombe / New Age para - liturgical mitote, o.k.?] but you're wrong.

"[Some people] may become so embittered that they poison their own spiritual lives, depriving themselves of the peace Christ means for them to have, even in the midst of adversity.

"They may declare themselves unable to go to this priest for confession, and they may give up going to the sacraments altogether.

"They may adopt an attitude that prevents them from entering into a spirit of worship in any liturgy by any priest.

"
People say that they can't stand something when they know full well they can.

"They're simply trying to rationalize a decision they want to make by telling themselves that they don't have any choice."

You do have a choice...

"You do have a choice.

"You have a choice how you will react to what someone else is doing.

"You can choose to react in a way that mourns whatever offense has been committed yet leaves your spiritual peace intact.

"Or you may choose to react in a way that poisons your spiritual life and robs you of the peace God wants you to have."

But it's still your choice...

"But it's still your choice.

"You can't control what another person is going to do.

"But you can control how you choose to react."

¡Adelante, Jimmy!



Now, back to today's little story!


"Don't Let Problems in the Church Steal Your Peace"

People say they can't stand something when they know full well that they can...



"Take a moment with me to cast your mind back over the centuries and ponder two incidents from the history of ancient Israel.

"The first [and the only one we're dealing with here and now, folks!] took place just over 1,000 B.C.

"It is a story well worth your while to pull out your Bible and read, and it is found in the first four chapters of First Samuel.

"At the time, the high priest of Israel was a man named Eli, who had several sons.

"According to the custom of the time, the high priest's sons served as the priests at Israel's national sanctuary.

"Unfortunately, the sons of Eli were worthless men; they had no regard for the Lord (1 Sm 2:12).

"They abused their office as priests in a variety of ways, three of which are recorded for us in this chapter:

"They took more than their share of the meat from the animals that were brought to the sanctuary as sacrifices (13 - 14) -- the ancient equivalent of stealing from the collection plate.

"They often took their portion at the wrong time during the sacrifice (15 - 16) -- the ancient equivalent of rearranging the liturgy to suit their own tastes.

"And they lay with the women who served at the entrance to the tent of meeting (22) -- the ancient equivalent of having affairs with the church secretaries.

"As priest, Eli's sons were lazy, selfish louts who were unworthy of the sacred office that had been conferred upon them.

"As their superior, their father [an ancient prototype for a modern American - Catholic bishop? :) ] rebuked them but ineffectually, and he allowed them to continue in their ministry as priests.

"As the prophet [I'd guess Samuel, no?] declared to Eli beforehand, disaster fell upon his house.

"Among other misfortunes, two of his sons, Hophni and Phinehas, died on the same day.

"When it came to pass, Eli -- who Scripture curiously records was of sufficient bulk that he could have benefited from the Atkins diet (1 Sm 4:18) -- fell over, broke his neck, and died."


Wow! ¡Guau!


So there is, and there is always! -- room for optimism in situations like we Roman Catholics are facing in America today!


Now! For the moral of the story...


"Stay in the Boat"


"Surprising a sit may seem, this passage was especially meaningful to me when I was in the process of becoming Catholic.

"Why?

"Because it was easy for critics of the Church to point to real or supposed examples of abuses in the Church, by priests or other leaders of the Church either in its past or in its present.

"With this Bible story firmly in mind, I avoided the distraction these critics sought to offer.

"While it was certainly true that you will know them by their fruits (Mt 7:20), this was a test that applied to individual teachers, not to overall theological systems.

"Jesus even began this warning by saying, Beware of false prophets (Mt 7:15) not Beware of false churches.

"The emphasis was on the teachers, not the system they represented.

"The case of Eli made this all the more apparent to me since, had I been a pagan in the time of Eli and had I judged the truth of God's religion by the performance of the priests of the day, I would have remained a pagan and missed the true religion.."

A good read!

Wednesday, April 22, 2009

¡Ay qué pesadilla, qué terrible büey! :)


"Sanar tu Arbol Genealógico" por P. John H. Hampsch, C.M.F.


¡Ya viene otro coco, espanto -- o tal vez mejor dicho -- nomás que otro ñgangulero, palero, mayombero!


"Healing Your Family Tree, Now Available in Spanish."



"Are you not feeling well spiritually, emotionally, or physically?

"Rev. John Hampsch, C.M.F., suggests that you review your family tree.

"Father Hampsch argues that much of what ails us is due to what he calls miniature original sin.

"The author guides you through a healing process to clean up the effects of sin in your life that result from the sins of past generations.

"It is a fascinating question - and- answer explanation of an engrossing subject.

"It contains a special genogram page for diagramming your family tree."

Order #7641 English ISBN: 1 - 57918 - 108 - 2 Price: $12.95

Order #7641S Spanish ISBN: 1 - 57918 - 289 - 5 Price: $12.95


Order TOLL - FREE 1 - 800 - 647 - 9882. American Catholic Shineola Publications dba "Queenship Publishing Company"

For whatever it's worth -- and to save your money! -- you can easily check what the Roman Catholic Church teaches on this business of the effects of sin in your life that result from the sins of past generations.

And, guess what?

This morning we'll use Brother Jeff Janca's King James Bible to do so, and why not?

Most any Christian Bible can easily slap down any clown like this one calling himself "Fr. John H. Hampsch, C.M.F."

Exactly why the oldest and most derailed and fanatical members of St. Mary Magdalene's Catholic Parish Charismatic Group still insist that their younger and more cerebral members all but grovel over his and similar books by Wicca - oriented American Catholic authors, is, I guess!

Just one of those mysteries of iniquity that we hear about from time to time.

Anyway, check it out:

"John 9:1 - 41 A MAN BORN BLIND RECEIVES SIGHT

9:2 "Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?"

This wasn't some ignorant question by any means, as we can be sure these disciples would have been observant Jews, and thus aware of Exodus 20:50 when God tells His Chosen People that He is a jealous God and willing to be inflicting punishment for their fathers' wickedness on the children of those who hate me down to the third and fourth generation.

Jesus' answer can be seen just by reading it your very own self, in most any Bible you choose! :)

Tuesday, April 21, 2009

April 21, 2009: the 42nd anniversary of the Battle of Binh Son I


A hearty Semper Fi! to all us of that dwindling band of survivors of Old Fox 2/1 a.k.a. THE BIG OUTFIT -- all of us 'ole clowns from so far, far away and so long, long ago!

Tom Singleton
and Harry Morris and Tomás Hinojosa and Nolen and The Cook and Cooper and "Hank" Bradley and Boursa and Smitty and Ronnie Couture and James Moran and Cpl Forrest K. Dowdy and Sergeant Otis Lovejoy and Ernie Stemsgar and Christopher Dennis Olivia and Huedilla Cundiffe and Dale T - Bone Richardson, and Rosario Carmelo Busceme and Lance Corporal Pittman and Corporal Campbell and Brown and "Andy" Anderson and Corporal Fortune and USN Hospital Corpsman 2nd Class Gesh plus our Canadian buddy, Woodie, from Prince Rupert, I think it was: all you fine fellows still more or less alive and breathing?

Ronnie,
I'll never know why those Marine combat engineers who were tracking you guys with their M - 14s didn't just go ahead and and nail you and the other two -- or was it actually three? -- Marines plus your improvised Vietnamese civilian stretcher crew as you emerged from the scrub jungle that lay 150 to more than 200 meters or so to the east side of Hill 185, Nui Loc Son, with the wounded First Platoon machine gunner, Braddon, and that deceptively quiet Puerto Rican Lance Corporal from New York City's mean streets.

Like we told that book writer when he interviewed us by phone in December of 1992:

"Hell, I'll never know how I could have possibly known [at that distance] that it was Ronnie or who knows who?

"I just did!

"And I yelled out: Hey, don't shoot! That's Ronnie Couture!"

Ronnie, that's when you waved us forward and we were able to get your firsthand account of what had just transpired within the past hour or so in the battle proper...


Now, here's wiki:


"From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia:.Operation Union. Part of the Vietnam War. Date: April 21 - May 16, 1967. Location: Que Son Valley, South Vietnam. Result. U.S. victory. Belligerents. United States vs. North Vietnam.

"Operation Union was a military operation conducted by the United States Marine Corps during the Vietnam War.

"It was a search and destroy mission in the Que Son Valley carried by the Ist Marine Regiment.

"The object of the operation was the 2nd Division of the People's Army of Vietnam (PAVN, often in U.S. sources North Vietnamese Army or NVA).

"Launched on April 21, 1967 the operation ended May 16."

"Background

"The
Que Son Valley is located along the border of Quang Nam and Quang Tin provinces.

"Populous and rice - rich, the valley was viewed as one of the keys to controlling South Vietnam's five northern provinces by the communists and by early 1967 at least two regiments [like maybe the 3rd and the 21st?] of the 2nd Division of the PAVN had been infiltrated into the area...

"Since mid - January 1967 Foxtrot Company, a reinforced company of the 2nd Battalion 1st Marines (F/2/1), had manned an out post atop Nui Loc Son (Loc Son Mountain), which dominated the southern Que Son Valley.

"Although the Communist forces operating in the valley did not initially take much notice of the Marines, on April 15, 1967, the Foxtrot company commander advised Colonel Emil Radics, the commander of the 1st Marine Regiment, that the enemy units appeared to be preparing for an all - out assault on the outpost [Hill 185].

"Radics developed a plan for a multi - battalion assault and sweep aimed at clearing PAVN units from the vicinity of the mountain.

"The plan was approved as Operation Union by Major General Herman Nickerson, the commanding general of the 1st Marine Division, on April 20 and was put into action the following morning..."

Boy and howdy!

It was indeed: put into action the following morning...:)

To Be Continued!

Here we go!

"Operation

"Acting as bait, Foxtrot Company was ordered to leave its outpost [on top Hill 185 -- Nui Loc Son a.k.a. Mount Michael Foxtrot. heh, heh, heh!] to sweep toward Binh Son, the nearest enemy - held village complex.

"Contact with PAVN elements began around 7 a.m., shortly developing into a full battle.

"The Marine company was soon pinned down in a tree line near Binh Son, thereby fixing the PAVN forces who were soon subjected to a withering air and artillery bombardment.

"This allowed Foxtrot Company to attack into Binh Son as the 3rd Battalion 1st Marines (3/1), arrived to support them via a helicopter assault.

"The main body of the 3/1 fought into the village to join Foxtrot in engaging the enemy while other elements of the battalion landed from helicopters east of the battlefield to block the enemy's most likely escape route.

"During the afternoon, United States Army 175 mm self - propelled artillery and Marine 105 mm howitzers established separate firebases near the battlefield, and that evening the 1st Battalion 1st Marines (1/1) landed atop Nui Loc Son.

"Outcome

"By the morning of April 22 the PAVN had been driven out of Binh Son and withdrew to the north.

"From that time until the end of Operation Union on May 14 the PAVN was hotly pursued by the Marines and the 1st ARVN Ranger Group in a series of bitter engagements that were costly to both sides.

"The PAVN 21st Regiment [Duh?! So, where does all this leave Fox 2/1's nemesis, the PAVN/NVA 3rd Regiment, then?] sustained hundreds of casualties and was left unfit for combat.

"It is believed that Operation Union, together with the succeeding Operation Union II, inflicted over three thousand casualties on the PAVN.

"Although the Communists had lost ground around Nui Loc Son they remained in firm control of much of the rest of the Que Son Valley and were steadily reinforced."The 5th Marine Regiment also sustained over 300 casualties and the entire regiment received the Presidential Unit Citation (USN) awarded by President Lyndon Johnson."On May 26, the 5th Marines, which had assumed control of the latter stages of Operation Union, kicked off Operation Union II."