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AMERICAN PATRIOT THE FABLED TEAM THAT GOT
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THE MYSTERIOUS ISLAND
STRANGE START TO THE
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AMERICA’S CONDIMENT OF CHOICE
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QUOTE OF THE WEEK
THIS WEEK IN AMERICAN HISTORY
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THE FABLED TEAM THAT GOT BIN LADEN
The death of Osama bin Laden, which triggered last week’s nationwide celebration, depended upon an effective combination of political, intelligence and military talent for its smashing success. There is much praise to go around. But the actual team that got the job done were the Navy SEAL commandos who killed the most-wanted man in the world during a firefight in his Pakistani hideout. And as the fog of war lifts, we now know that the lead was taken by the elite, ultra-secretive Navy SEAL Team Six, among the best-trained special forces on the planet. 4 AMERICAN PATRIOT
As the world knows by now, the daring operation featured U.S. helicopters flying from Afghani bases into the heavily fortified villa of a Pakistani resort town where bin Laden was suspected to be hiding. In an astonishingly short 40 minutes, the SEALS stormed the villa, defeated resistance, killed bin Laden and four others, gathered information to identify the body, scooped up a rich trove of computer data, blew up a helicopter which had malfunctioned, and were out before anyone on the outside could react. There were no casualties and, part of the reason it was a textbook performance, is that the team reportedly trained on a life-sized replica of the compound built in a remote part of Afghanistan. For reasons of safety and tradition, Navy SEAL Team Six won't confirm it carried out the attack, but it is widely understood to have done so.
The Navy SEALS acronym is derived from the capacity to operate at sea, in the air, and on land. There are an estimated 2,500 active duty SEALS and they are rumored to have conducted missions in upwards of 30 countries, with their portfolio expanded greatly by the war on terror, and the Iraq, Afghanistan and Libya conflicts. The SEALS originated during the Second World War when the military recognized the need for someone to reconnoiter landing beaches, note obstacles and defenses, and ultimately guide the landing forces in. Since then, the group has been deployed in every major American field of battle as well as innumerable counter-terrorism raids. Navy SEAL Team Six is the elite of the elite. It is made up of only a few hundred personnel based Virginia. Over the past three years, SEAL
Team Six has raided targets outside war zones like Yemen and Somalia, though the bulk of the unit’s current missions are in Afghanistan. The unit is overseen by the Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC), which also oversees the Army's Delta Force. SEAL Team Six is called upon to cooperate with the CIA so often that is sometimes called the CIA's “Praetorian Guard.” Members of the team are “black” operatives. That is, they exist outside military protocol, engage in operations that are highly classified, and often operate in gray areas of international law. Records of their operations are rarely, if ever, kept. The development of SeAl team Six was in direct response to the failed attempt in 1980 by the Carter Administration to rescue the American hostages in Iran. That debacle showed the need for a dedicated, elite, secretive counter-terrorist team. SeAl team Six poaches top operatives from other SEAL units and trains them with an intensity that is legendary. the attrition rate is said to be extremely high.
These days, the role of the Navy SEALs and the Delta Force, has expanded. They are trained to gather evidence at the scene, as well as to attack, target, kill or capture targets. This role was demonstrated during the bin Laden raid, where the team gathered extensive forensic and DNA evidence, and other scrubbed the compound for data that U.S. law enforcement and intelligence departments can utilize. PRESIDENT OBAMA HONORS SEAL TEAM SIX FORMER TEAM MEMBER DISCUSSES NEW MEMOIR
ALCATRAZ THE MYSTERIOUS ISLAND
Once a penitentiary for the most notorious criminals, Alcatraz Island will always hold a certain mystique for the American public. The small island is located in the San Francisco Bay, 1.5 miles off the coast of the city, and is naturally isolated because of the strong and hazardous currents in the area. 6 AMERICAN PATRIOT
Alcatraz was the first site for a lighthouse on the West Coast. Later, during the Civil War, the isolated island became a natural place for a prison. As more Americans moved West, the prison on Alcatraz Island continued to be overseen by the military, and its facilities extensively developed and expanded. During World War I, extreme antiwar critics the war were placed there. In 1933, the U.S. Department of Justice took over the prison from the military and made it a civilian site. It became the stuff of legend, as the famous and infamous were incarcerated there, and tall tales of prison life and attempted escapes worked their way into the American popular culture. This included “The Birdman of Alcatraz,” an incredibly violent lifer who was the subject of books and a popular movie starring Burt Lancaster.
certain governmental policies regarding their tribes. Ultimately, the occupation prompted
Perhaps the most notable prisoner to walk
Richard Nixon to establish a new policy of self-
through the gates of Alcatraz was Al Capone.
determination for the tribes.
Capone was a famed American mobster. He committed the classic Prohibition-era crimes
In 1976, the island was declared a National
such as smuggling and bootlegging liquor as
Landmark, and it became an official National
well as more invasive crimes. The quintessen-
Park in 1993. It has since been discovered that
tial Chicago gangster was caught in 1932—
the island contains rare flora and fauna. Con-
on tax evasion charges rather than murder and
servancy organizations are working to preserve
mayhem — and delivered to Alcatraz in 1934.
this amazing habitat. Visitors can now visit the island and enjoy both the human history and
Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy decided to
the natural history that has shaped Alcatraz.
close the prison in 1963 and the island became more-or-less deserted. In 1969, a group of Native
THE OFFICIAL NATIONAL PARK PAGE
Americans from several tribes came together
WATCH THE BIRDMAN OF ALCATRAZ MOVIE TRAILER
to occupy the now-symbolic island to protest
AMERICAN PATRIOT 7
The most dangerous animals in the forest don’t live there.
ONLY YOU CAN PR E VE N T W I L D FIRE S. w w w. s m o k e y b e a r. c o m
STRANGE START TO THE SMITHSONIAN When the English scientist James Smithson died in 1829, he had never visited the United States. However, his will had a peculiar note at the bottom; Smithson penned into his last testament that if his nephew died with no heirs, his entire estate would go to “the United States of America, to found at Washington, under the name of the Smithsonian Institution, an Establishment for the increase and diffusion of knowledge.� As fate would have it, his nephew did, indeed, die without an heir.
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Smithson was a renowned British mineralogist and chemist. In 1802, he disproved the scientific opinion that zinc carbonates were real carbonate minerals. When he died, he left over $500,000 in gold, his large mineral collection, and his personal scientific notes and library. President Andrew Jackson sent diplomat Richard Rush to collect the items from England. It took eight years for America to decide what to do with the fortune. Suggestions included a library, a national university, or an astronomical observatory. However, the notion of a national museum took on momentum and, finally, on August 10, 1846, President James K. Polk signed into law the act establishing the Smithsonian Institution. 137 million objects, artwork, and scientific Joseph Henry, a famed American physicist was
specimens for America’s benefit. Approximately
the first director (Secretary) of the Smithsonian.
30 million people now visit the Smithsonian
He had helped to create the telegraph, electric
annually.
motor, and telephone with his nuanced discoveries about electricity. Henry organized the con-
The Smithsonian continues to expand to this day
struction of the Smithsonian Institution building
incorporating the forever growing American
on the National Mall. It was soon nicknamed “the
culture. The newest of the 19 museums is the
Castle” due to its crenulated architectural style.
National Museum of African American History and Culture. The building is scheduled to open
Henry’s vision was for an institution solely ded-
in 2015, and currently the exhibitions are located
icated to science. It was not to be. Over time, the
on the second floor of the National Museum of
Smithsonian came to house various governmen-
American History. Not a bad legacy for James
tal collections, and has grown to include 19
Smithson, who never even saw the United States.
museums and galleries. It is affiliated with 168 other museums nationwide, and houses over
SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION WEBSITE
AMERICAN PATRIOT 9
AMERICA’S CONDIMENT OF CHOICE 10 AMERICAN PATRIOT
Ketchup has been declared America’s favorite condiment; studies show that ketchup is found in 97% of American kitchens. Americans consumes an average of three bottles of ketchup per person per year. President Reagan’s Department of Agriculture even designated ketchup as a vegetable in school lunches. The idea for ketchup is said to have originated in China, inspired by age-old Chinese oyster sauce. In the 17th century, Dutch and British seamen brought back a salty fish sauce called “ketsiap” from China. It was more related to soy or oyster sauce than what we know as ketchup today. Variations quickly developed all over the Western World. In 1690 the word “catchup” appeared in print to refer to the sauce and in 1711 “ketchup.” The first recipe for the condiment was published in Elizabeth Smith’s The Compleat Housewife in 1727. This recipe for ketchup included shallots, vinegar, and anchovies. The first known sale of bottled ketchup was in 1837. A New England farmer sold bottled ketchup for 33 cents. By 183, Jonas Yerk had mastered the ketchup trade and was selling ketchup in quart and pint sized bottles. In 1872, H.J. Heinz added ketchup to their line of pickled products. Before Heinz standardized the tomato paste we know now, ketchup was made with many ingredients like mushrooms and anchovies. Over the years ketchup grew in popularity nationwide. By 1907, Heinz produced 12 million bottles of ketchup every year. Now, Heinz sells over 650 million bottles of ketchup worldwide per year and 11 billion single-serve packets every year.
Until recently, Ketchup did not have a standardized name. Manufacturers who were looking to distinguish their ketchup brand called ketchup everything from catsup to cackchop to kutpuck. All were tomato-based products, but only three major ketchup brands stood out from the crowd and survived the overload of ketchup brands. Now ketchup is commonly spelled either catsup or ketchup. Since the origin of ketchup products, Americans cannot imagine a burger and fries without a dollop of ketchup. The most ketchup is sold in the summer to go along with barbecues and outdoor picnics, but the sweet and sour ketchup taste is in demand all year long. HOMEMADE SPICY KETCHUP RECIPE
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BROWN V. BOARD OF ED LIBERTY, EQUALITY AND PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS
May 17, 1954 changed the course of American history. On this day, the Supreme Court ruled that “separate educational facilities are inherently unequal.” The Court had been debating Brown vs. the Board of Education case for almost three years when the unanimous decision was announced.
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Prior to this announcement, race relations in the United States had been characterized by racial segregation. America had largely been operating under the ruling from Plessy v. Ferguson, which said as long as separate facilities were equal, then segregation did not contravene the Fourteenth Amendment promise of due process and equal protection under the law. The Brown v. Board of Education was first filed in Topeka KS by thirteen Topeka parents on behalf of their children. In actuality, five cases of similar natures were combined under the heading of the case. The details were complex, but the challenge was simple: can separate schools ever be equal schools. Chief Justice Earl Warren presided over the court in 1951 when the case was first brought to the court. The judges deliberated back and forth discussing issues of incomplete assimilation and the lack of desegregation legislation. They were unable to decide on the case, and asked to rehear it in 1953. After listening to the case again, Justice Warren called together his justices and made the simple argument: the only reason to uphold segregated
schools would be if they still truly believed in inferiority and superiority of races. Almost all the justices were convinced, and the vote came down as a unanimous 9-0. The decision stated that even if the segregated facilities were exactly equal on the surface, there was still a psychological disadvantage to segregated environments. Of course, not everyone immediately accepted or followed the court ruling. There was a lot of backlash over the decision. Perhaps the most infamous incident was Alabama’s Governor George Wallace standing in the door at the University of Alabama and personally blocking the enrollment of Black students. He moved aside only when the National Guard forced him to, under orders from President John F. Kennedy. Despite these setbacks, the case moved America forward. In the end, the case not only impacted education, but also helped advance the Civil Rights movement in America. Students were integrated into schools across the country. This helped foster what experts believe is a new generational acceptance and tolerance. PBS SPECIAL ON THE SUPREME COURT WITH A FEATURE ON BROWN VS. BOARD OF EDUCATION AMERICAN PATRIOT 13
QUOTE OF THE WEEK
“I worked night and day for twelve years to prevent the war, but I could not. The North was mad and blind, and would not let us govern ourselves, and so the war came.” —JEFFERSON DAVIS President of the Confederacy during the U.S. Civil War, Jefferson Davis was captured trying to flee to Texas as Richmond, VA, the southern capital, fell to the Union Army. He was imprisoned for two years, then wrote his memoirs, and died in New Orleans. His body now rests in Richmond. Controversy surrounds his capture: Union eyewitnesses claim he was dressed as a woman while trying to escape; his wife explained that he was sick and weary, and wearing her shawl to help keep him warm.
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THIS WEEK IN
AMERICAN HISTORY
1869.The Transcontinental Railroad Arguably the greatest event in American transportation history took place on May 10 at Promontory UT. The Union Pacific tracks joined those of the Central Pacific Railroad to create a truly transcontinental railroad. The connection of the Central Pacific and the Union Pacific bridged the 2000 miles to the Missouri River, and the four to six months time taken by the overland pioneers was reduced to six days. At once, the Pacific States were transformed and a deeper sense of unity prevailed. A transcontinental railroad had been dreamed of as early as 1836. Leland Stanford is generally credited with starting the enterprise. He was aided by C.P. Huntington, Mark Hopkins and Charles Crocker, all California businessmen. PHOTO OF THE DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR MARKER
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