this month IN HISTORY
Marching Orders BY » Mickey Dunaway
T
hese monthly columns can go hundreds of ways, and that is what makes researching and writing them so much fun. With “march” in the title this time, I thought I would look this month at significant military events in March. BTW: In an ordinary year, February, March, and November all start on the same day of the week. In a leap year, it is January, April, and July.
3-1-1713
The siege and destruction of Fort Neoheroka began during the Tuscarora War in North Carolina. Attacked by a colonial force from South Carolina. Wouldn’t you know it!
historic Tuskegee Institute, too, where Dr. George Washington Carver taught and did his famous research into peanuts.
3-8-1944
USAAF heavy bombers raid Berlin for a second time. About 10 percent of the 580 bombers were lost despite the escort of 800 fighters. So likely was the loss of bombers over Germany that crews were rotated out after ten missions. A good movie depicting the bravery of these crews is “Twelve O’Clock High” with Gregory Peck.
President Lincoln nominated Ulysses S. Grant to the rank of lieutenant general in March 1864.
Medal of Honor. When his unit was attacked In the Battle of Guildford by a North Vietnamese Courthouse, North Carolina, battalion near Polei Doc, he British General Cornwallis ran through the hail of enemy achieves a Pyrrhic victory fire to encounter several enemy over the American forces. 3-10-1864 at close range. He killed the Interestingly, a Pyrrhic President Lincoln enemy but was severely injured victory is so costly to the nominates Ulysses when blown from his feet by a victors that it is tantamount S. Grant to the rank of grenade. Despite his injury, he lieutenant general. And thus, to a defeat. After Guilford went on to destroy an enemy Courthouse, Cornwallis he became the commander machinegun position. Upon abandoned his campaign of all Union forces. learning his commander and to control the Carolinas. Before his appointment, only artillery forward observer George Washington had held had been killed, he assumed this rank. To this point, Lincoln 3-18-1970 command of the company. The U.S. postal strike of had made many mistakes Ignoring his injury and 1970 begins. It lasted for two refusing medical evacuation, with his generals, but on March 1, 1864, to use a mixed weeks. Army and National McNerney stayed with his unit Guard called out to stop it. metaphor, he hit a home run! until the next day when the Does cause one to wonder new commander arrived. how the average citizen could 3-7-1942 tell they were on strike?! First group of Tuskegee 3-29-1971 Airman graduate Army Lt. William L. 3-22-1967 Just off I-85, the Town of Calley Jr. was convicted Tuskegee, Alabama, hosts The 1st Sgt. David McNerney’s of murdering at least 22 actions on his day earned Vietnamese civilians in the Tuskegee Airmen National him the Congressional Historic Site. Be sure to visit 1968 My Lai massacre. 18 LimitlessMagOnline.com | March 2021
3-15-1781
“Word of Honor” by Nelson DeMille is an excellent novel that uses the uncovering of a situation similar to My Lai years after the event as the plot of this intriguing story. --------------------------------O war, thou son of hell, Whom angry heavens do make their minister. Henry IV, pt. 2, 5.2 --------------------------------This quote is the epigram from my novel of the Civil War, Angry Heavens: Struggles of a Confederate Surgeon. With a new administration in Washington, all citizens must find ways of support so that we never become Ministers of Angry Heavens. Let us individually show other individuals by word and deed that we have affirmatively have the respect for the role that government must play in a civilized society.
