13 minute read
"Retreat, Hell! We Just Got Here" Ken Riege
"Retreat, Hell! We Just Got Here"
By Ken Riege USAF 1985 – 1993
This statement was made famous by then Captain Lloyd Williams of the 51st Company, 2nd Battalion, 5th Marines during the Battle of Belleau Wood on 3 June 1918. A French Colonel had advised Captain Williams to retreat, but this was not going to happen. Sadly though, Captain Williams made the ultimate sacrifice 9 days later during the same battle. He was posthumously promoted to Major.
This battle was not only the turning point of the war, but also established the Marine Corps as the premiere ground fighting force for the United States.
I have written about this battle before because of my connection with the “Battle of Belleau Wood.” My very own grandfather, Pvt. Paul Emerson Riege served with the 17th Company, 1st Battalion/5th Marines and was one of the first Marines to arrive in France in 1917. He would fight in this battle along with many others during WW1, earning two Purple Heart Medals along with the French Croix de Guerre and Forager for being a member of this elite unit. Even today, members of the Marine Corps Units that fought at Belleau Wood are authorized to wear the French Fourragere and you better believe they wear these with great pride and honor. I am so honored to have my grandfather’s medals and decorations on display in my office at the Comfort Suites in Gallup. I am also honored to have several other exhibits that have been presented to me over the years in honor of my grandfather and his service during WW1.
These are some pictures of the displays I have at the Comfort Suites honoring my grandfather and the Battle of Belleau Wood.
Another legendary saying that came from this battle (some say it in use before the battle too) is a badge of honor that the Marine Corps carry to this day and it serves as their nickname. In English it’s “Devil Dogs” but in German it’s “Teufel Hunden.”
This is a picture of a recruitment poster used during WW1 to entice young men to join the Marines.
There are a lot of books written about this battle, but there are two that I always recommend: “Miracle at Belleau Wood, The Birthplace of
the Modern Marine Corps” by Alan Axelrod and “The Bravest Deeds of Men, A Field Guide for the Battle of Belleau Wood” by retired USMC Colonel William Anderson. These two amazing books can be found on Amazon and are worth the read.
The last part I would like to share is the story of the fabled “Devil Dog Fountain” at Belleau Wood.
This moss-banked fountain in the heart of the ancient village of Belleau, France, has become, by a quirk of history, a central symbol in the lore of the U.S. Marine Corps. The iconography of the fountain, of course, greatly predates the arrival of the Marines in 1918. The “bulldog” of the fountain is in fact a bull mastiff, no doubt one of the hunting mastiffs for which the Chateau of Belleau was famous for. It was to this same Chateau of Belleau which Belleau Wood, or Bois de Belleau, belonged by tradition. The cold and pristine water which gushes from the mastiff’s mouth is the “beautiful water,” belle eau, which the village itself was named for. When the Marines took Belleau Wood from the Germans in June 1918, they had just been dubbed “Teufelhunden or Devil Dogs,” by their opponents, a named the Leathernecks quite cheerfully adopted. Almost at once, depictions of fierce helmeted hounds began appearing on recruiting posters and even in the letters of the Marines themselves. And so, it was that when the first Marines entered the shatter, abandoned village of Belleau, begrimed by battle and the unrelenting heat, they must have greeted the sight of this venerable canine with particular delight. For not only, in the wake of their fiercest battle of that time, could they luxuriate in the clear and cooling stream, slaking thirst and swabbing their steaming necks, but in the very act of replenishment, in a ritualistic partaking of restorative water bestowed by the beast, they affirmed, as though with a warrior’s toast of raised aluminum cups and canteens, the newest and hardest-won symbol of the Corps: Teufelhunden – Devil – Dogs – Bulldogs of the Marne.
I am so proud and honored that my very own grandfather, Pvt. Paul Emerson Riege of the 1st Battalion/5th Marines fought in this battle, and I am sure he drank from this fountain. I am also proud and honored to have on display a small bottle of water from this fountain. It was donated by US Marine Corps Captain Javiar Martinez who made the trip in June 2018 for the 100th Anniversary of the Battle of Belleau Wood.
I salute Captain Martinez, Private Riege, and all the brave “Devil Dogs” out there for helping ensure the freedoms that we enjoy today. “Semper Fidelis” This month’s Medal of Honor Quote does not come from the “Medal of Honor Quote” book, but from a double recipient of the Medal of Honor (there are 19 total), Sergeant Major Daniel Joseph Daly. He is reported to have stated to his Marines during this battle: “Come on you sons of bitches, do you want to live forever?” It was also later reported by Major General Smedley Butler (also a double Medal of Honor Recipient) that Sergeant Major Daly was: “The fightin’est Marine I ever knew!”
SAFE TO WORK
May 2020
InformationprovidedbytheGallup McKinley County Chamber ofCommerceinconsultationwith privatebusiness, commercialcleaningexperts,andpublic healthofficialsandreproducedtoreflectGallup/McKinley CountyBusinesses.
Safe Practices and Consumer Confidence
Businesses should aggressively communicate their safe to work practices to their customers. Demonstrating that it is safe to work, safe to shop, and otherwise safe to do business once again will be key in the coming weeks and months.
Again, any phased reopening must be in accordance with sound public health decisions, and with proper safety protocols outlined here and by local and state health departments. More information from the experts and elected leaders may add to or alter these guidelines.
In support of the New Mexico Economic Recovery Council that will advise our Governor, Michelle Lujan Grisham, on strategies for gradually reopening New Mexico businesses in smart, safe, and an effective manner, the Chamber of Commerce stands ready to move our region and state towards economic prowess, while protecting against the spread of Coronavirus. Goals: Back to Work; Keep the curve flat
As the voice of business in Gallup/McKinley County, we advocate for a return to economic activity in accordance with public health and safety and in conjunction with the New Mexico Economic Recovery Council’s strategies. Any business that can have employees work remotely is still encouraged to do so.
The following best practices are drawn from conversations with business owners and local public health officials. Business practices should be implemented in parallel with CDC and local and state Department of Health guidelines.
We urge policymakers at the local and state level to consider businesses that follow this criteria as part of the phased reopening of our economy. These guidelines are not exhaustive, nor do they encompass every industry, but rather represent a robust starting point for how general businesses can operate again safely, while protecting employees and customers.
Best Practices: For General Business, Including Offices and Production or Manufacturing Facilities
1) All on-site workers and customers have their temperatures taken prior to entering the building. Anyone with a fever [99.1 or above] will be denied entry and should return home. Always provide clear communications on your expectations for employees AND leaders to self isolate and stay home if they feel sick.
2) Employees wear approved masks, and safety glasses if needed. Consider providing "sneeze shields" at counters where customer and employee interaction may take place.
3) Breaks and lunches staggered in groups of 5 or less, and break rooms or common areas arranged so individuals are all at least six feet apart. Also consider breaks outdoors.
4) Create staggered or rolling employee work groups that work on different days, or a week on/ week off team. This may slow your daily operations but will prevent “Cross-pollination” between groups and will enable long-term and persistent operations.
5) Every two hours, employees stop working and wipe down their work areas with sanitizing/disinfecting cleaning supplies and wash hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds.
6) Regularly disinfect or sanitize all handles and flat surfaces in common areas, preferably with a substance approved by the EPA for fighting SARS-COV-2. Click here for that list.
7) Weekly on a non-working day or non-working time, disinfect building , emphasizing on high-traffic areas using EPA recommended disinfecting products / bleach or 70% isopropyl solution. We recommend using an established local janitorial service or a commercial quality disinfection system, for example, NoWClean (www.nowclean-nm.com/products.html).
Additional Practices: For Food Service Industries, like restaurants and bars
1) Dining rooms should be sanitized with a sanitizer, bleach water mixture, or other commercial grade sanitizer before service, through-out service by a dedicated employee, and at the end of service. This includes all tables, chairs, door handles and any hard surface touched by the public. 2) Gloves should be provided upon request of the customer. Latex gloves may be provided, but Nitrile or Vinyl gloves should be available for customers with a Latex allergy. It is not required for customers to wear gloves but is strongly encouraged. 3) Masks and gloves shall be worn by all service staff. Gloves must be changed at the time limits set by the local and state health departments. Every 30 minutes is recommended. 4) Non-Signature methods of payment are encouraged. Where signature credit card slips, cash, and checks are used, these should be placed in a clean envelope delivered by the server to limit contact with the customer’s payment method. Checkbooks are not to be used (only single use disposable envelopes that are discarded when customer is finished). Restaurants and food establishments already comply with many sanitation and hygiene regulations. With some simple additions to current practices, dining rooms could begin to safely reopen dependent on public health data.
This is an additional list of recommendations that provides more detail for this industry. Individual establishments should review and make decisions in accordance with their needs and in consultation with local and state health department guidelines.
5) Credit cards should be handled as little as possible. Gloves should be changed frequently by staff handling the payment method. Cards and payment stations shall be sanitized after each use.
6) Kitchen and Service staff shall use gloves when handling ready-to-eat foods and must wash hands frequently and consistently. Guidelines from local and state health departments for safe food handling shall be followed at all times. Gloves are not required for foods that have yet to be cooked but are encouraged. Gloves are not required when handling dough in bakeries, pizza shops, or restaurants where it will be baked before serving to the public. If serving raw cookie dough, that has the potential to be eaten before baking, gloves must be worn while handling it.
7) Service Staff must have temperature taken before the shift and a log should be kept. Thermometers must be no contact or forehead thermometers. Infrared thermometers are acceptable.
8) Gloves should be available inside and outside bathroom doors, so patrons can put on a fresh set of gloves going into the bathroom and coming out of the bathroom. This will help maintain safe hard surface contact.
9) Cups, lids and straws will be available for drinks, but must not be out for the public to take. Paper products must be provided by the restaurant upon request and be kept where the public cannot have access to them. Communal type dispensers (i.e. napkin dispensers) cannot be available to the public. Single use dispensers are acceptable.
10) Plastic flatware must come pre-wrapped. Loose plastic flatware is unacceptable.
11) To go boxes, pizza boxes, paper cups, and any other paper product that touches food, must be treated as food. Any time they are handled, gloves should be worn to prevent bare hand touching, especially in regards to folding pizza boxes.
12) Ice is a ready-to-eat food and must be treated as such. Hands must be gloved when filling ice machines, and masks must be worn. Additional Practices: For Food Service Industries, like restaurants and bars
13) Servers and service staff should submit to COVID-19 testing before being allowed back to work. In the case of a positive test, service staff should follow instructions given by the local health department before being cleared to return to work.
14) Ensure patrons not in the same party are more than six feet apart from one another. This can be accomplished by spacing tables out or by placing patrons at every other table, with the minimum required distance. In restaurants where customers seat themselves, tape should be placed at tables not to be used.
15) Playgrounds in restaurants should remain closed.
16) Restaurants with queues or lines should ensure social distancing procedures with visual or physical markers, and not allow more than 6 people in their waiting area at a time. A list should be kept, and names and numbers taken. Customers should then be asked to wait outside or in their cars. Text messages should be sent when their table is ready.
17) Menus, tables, chairs, salt-shakers, or any other objects used by customers shall be sanitized between each use. Single use paper menus and individually packaged condiments are highly recommended.
18) No more than 6 (six) individuals at any table, and large parties are discouraged.
19) All You Can Eat Buffets should have attendants to serve food. Social distancing should be maintained at all times.
20) Buffet Lines should be sanitized at all times. Single use plates should be used.
21) Table spacing is important at buffet dining rooms and should maintain a six-foot minimum between patrons not in the same party.
22) Buffet queues for payment should have six-foot gaps. A wait list should be made for customers in the event that the restaurant is full, and customers should be asked to wait outside or in their cars. When a table becomes available, customers should be sent a text to alert them that they are ready.
SAFE TO WORK
These guidelines are not exhaustive but offer a valuable starting point for discussing how best to reopen our economy. More information will come out from state and local health departments. We will continue to foster dialogue among businesses, health officials, and elected leaders to ensure we get our businesses and our residents back to work in a safe manner. Please visit our website at www.thegallupchamber.com for ongoing information on these and other practices.
Bill Lee C.E.O.
Sources: For information on Covid Crisis Action Plans visit - http://www.thegallupchamber.com/news/ Multiple state orders researched by our staff on re-opening business “Governor Appoints Economic Recovery Council.” Welcome to NewMexico.gov, 23 Apr. 2020, www.newmexico.gov/2020/04/23/governor-appoints-economic-recovery-council/.
