Posting to the blog site by myself have slowed down recently, and will continue to be slow for a few more weeks. I’m in the midst of a big writing / research project which will be done around the Christmas holidays.
British Army Horses Traveling
The Army have decided to reward their loyal horses with an off-duty trip to Blackpool.
Household Cavalry arrives in the Middle East. Read Article Here.
Joey the War Horse
War Horse by Michael Morpurgo is a novel of the horse at war, told in the first person from the perspective of the horse. Orginally published in 1982, the book has been republished as the theatrical version has become a major hit on the London stage. Though it is written for children and young adults, it is a moving and emotional story that will appeal to adults as well –especially those who have a special affinity for horses. It is a short book that can be read in an evening, but still conveys a full and satisfying story. Though the book takes place in the midst of World War I, its central theme is that the best of man can be evoked, even in difficult circumstances, by the simple goodness found in horses.
Morpurgo does an outstanding job drawing you into the world as seen by Joey, the part thoroughbred English farm horse who finds himself in the British cavalry in 1914. For the next four years Joey experiences all the roles of the war horse: cavalry mount, ambulance team, and artillery horse. He also meets and befriends people and horses on all sides of the war: Germans, British, and French. One of the secrets of War Horse, I believe, is that Joey is a believable horse. Morpurgo gives Joey just enough awareness and voice to allow him to tell his story, but not so much that he becomes a cartoon of the horse. Though the author gives voice to Joey’s thoughts, those thoughts are mostly about what is important to a horse: food, the weather, water, other horses, fear, excitement, and did I say food? Morpurgo captures the fact that Joey is aware of humans and their world, and can distinguish and values the difference between different people. Thus, the horse knows who is kind, who cares, and who does not –and responds to that treatment.
Michael Morpurgo is one of Great Britain’s top Children’s book authors. He has written over 100 books aimed at young readers. He is not a military historian but he relied on detailed interviews with World War I veterans to bring authenticity to Joey’s story. The major military themes in the book are accurate: the difficulty of cavalry attacking wire, the role of artillery teams, the functioning of the veterinary service, and the fate of horses at the end of the war. Morpurgo also demonstrates a solid understanding of horse care, training, and breeds. I was particularly impressed with his mention of the Hanovarians and Haflingers in the German artillery service.
War Horse is an enjoyable and touching afternoon’s read, expertly written for the adult and child. It conveys the essential goodness of animals and horses in particular, and demonstrates how they bring out the best in men even in the middle of the horror of war. Like all good war fiction, War Horse is essentially an anti-war story. It reminds me again of my own conclusion after writing my non-fiction work on war horses: the best thing man has ever done for horses is develop technology to the point that the horse no longer has to participate in war.
War horse was the runner up for the best Children’s book award in Great Britain, the Whitbread Award, and has been turned into a hugely successful play in the London theater. It is scheduled to begin playing in New York in 2011. I highly recommend the book and the play –though the latter is only by reputation.
The above quick clip is the trailer for the play. The below clip describes the horse puppeteering required to make the play work. Its technically fascinating and definately a show I would travel to see!
New Horse on Board!
The “Bit of Heaven Farm” horse herd has a new addition in the form of a 3 (almost 4) year old Hafling gelding named “Hans.” We were fortunate enough to stumble upon Hans as we were looking for a steady school horse for hacking around the farm and maybe hill topping with the fox hunt. We think we have hit gold!
As many of you know, the Haflinger is a small horse breed that originates in the Tyrolean Alps. My Mom remembers these horses living at the farm next door in Süd Tyrol in the 1930s. The breed is still in use with the Austrian and German armies as a mountain supply horse (see previous blog on German army ”tragtier”). Hans stands right about 14 hands and has the typical type coloring (chestnut (light golden brown) with flaxen mane and tail) of the breed. The cold blood influence in the breed is obvious in his very sturdy musculature, big head and big feet. That influence makes him a great hacking horse. The kids are not intimidated because of his short size and very calm disposition. Still, he can be ridden by an adult because of his powerful build.
Hans is broken to both driving (competitive carriage driving) and riding. We plan to teach him the basics of the English riding disciplines (dressage, jumping), but to use him mostly for hacking around the property, teaching kids, and maybe hill topping with the hunt. We may, someday, put him back into driving as well, but not in the short term. He is incredibly calm and friendly. We are looking forward to many years of fun and companionship with him!
Book Review: Bullets and Bolos
Bullets and Bolos: Fifteen Years in the Philippine Islands Fighting Insurgents with the Philippine Constabulary. John R. White. St. Petersburg, FL: Hailer Publishing, 2007 (originally published New York: Century Company, 1928), 348 pages, $29.99.
Bullets and Bolos is the story of one American’s experience during fifteen years (1901-1916) as an officer of the Philippine Constabulary. John White’s narrative is a fast paced, interesting and insightful read about how a former American soldier adapts to the challenge of leading foreign indigenous troops in combat. It almost reads like a novel, but is full of intelligent insights and wisdom regarding an important and complex aspect of counterinsurgency.
John White’s story begins when he joins the Philippine Constabulary after his service with the U.S. volunteers during the Spanish American War. As that war evolves into the Philippine Insurrection, the army mustered the volunteers out. White elected to muster out in the Philippines and seek service with the growing U.S. civil service. He first worked as a civilian clerk for the army commissary, but then enlisted as an inspector in the new Philippine indigenous police force –the constabulary. White describes the highlights of his next fifteen years service commanding Filipino constables as they track and fight insurgents, bandits, and Muslim warriors through swamps, jungle, mountains, and even at sea. White quickly proved himself to be an exceptionally effective leader, and a string of promotions and more challenging assignments took him to the rank of constabulary colonel and district supervisor.
Intuitive Decision Making and Military History
One of the recent popular books that delves into the subject of critical and creative thinking is Malcolm Gladwell’s best selling Blink: The Power of Thinking Without Thinking. This book y is a fairly in depth discussion of intuitive decision making. What is interesting is that I was not expecting Gladwell to talk about the military, but he does. The following is an excerpt from the book:
“Of all the interviews I conducted while researching Blink, the one that made the most lasting impression on me was my interview with General Paul Van Riper –the hero (or villain) of the Pentagon’s Millennium Challenge war game…. I remember being surprised when he took me on a tour of his house by the number of books in his study. In retrospect, of course, that’s a silly thing to find surprising. Why shouldn’t a Marine Corps general have as many books as an English professor? I suppose that I had blithely assumed that generals were people who charged around and “did” things; that they were men of action, men of the moment. But one of the things that Van Riper taught me was that being able to act intelligently and instinctively in the moment is possible only after a long and rigorous course of education and experience. Van Riper beat Blue Team because of what he had learned about waging war in the jungles of Vietnam. And he also beat Blue Team because of what he had learned in that library of his. Van Riper was a student of military history.”
What Galdwell is implying is that a foundation of intuitive decision making –thinking without thinking –is study and preparation, and for the military professional a major component of that study is military history. Now to just get the senior military leadership to buy the concept.
Organizational Culture and Creating Phase IV Competence
The below paper is a historical reflection on one of the factors I believe contributed to the success of post-conflict operations during and after World War II. Obviously there is not a direct link to Phase IV operations in either Iraq or Afghanistan. However, I think recognizing that a) the U.S. Army did a very good job with the post WWII occupation and military government missions, and 2) that it was no accident, but rather was largely a function of very smart army officers recognizing the requirement, understanding the scope and demensions of the task, and then putting resources, talent, and time toward mission accomplishment. The paper doesn’t suggest how to conduct current Phase IV operations or how to ensure we address them adequently in the future. However, by highlighting that WWII success was a function of operational expereince, professional military education, and mentoring, it suggests what preconditions might need to exist for the U.S. Army to better understand and execute Phase IV operations in the future.
Occupation Army: Institutional Culture and Successful U.S. Occupation Operations in WWII
The successful post-World War II economic revitalization and political transformation of both 
Germany and Japan are virtually without precedent in the history of warfare. However, almost no agreement exists regarding the credit for these successes. The historiography assigns credit to a variety of factors ranging from the unique character of the German and Japanese people, to the brilliance of General MacArthur, to the magnanimous of the Marshall Plan. This paper will argue that one of the major reasons for the success of post-conflict operations after World War II was an institutional culture within the U.S. Army that recognized and accepted the absolute criticality of effective post-combat operations to strategic success. U.S. Army leaders understood that the measure of long-term battlefield success was the ability of the U.S. to shape a favorable post-conflict political environment, and that the army had a vital if not central role in that effort. This understanding was the result of eighty years of institutional experience in which post-conflict operations and related tasks were an accepted mission. The army’s history helped foster a culture wherein leaders like Marshall, MacArthur, and Eisenhower placed priority, devoted robust resources, and conducted detailed planning for the occupation of Germany and Japan. .
The U.S. Army that entered World War II had a distinct culture, which the regular army officer corps most dramatically represented. The army’s organizational culture evolved from several factors. The army’s history was a strong influence on the culture. Also, the interpersonal relationships between army officers and their mentors, friends, and family which ensured that the history was passed from generation to generation was a critical factor. Another factor that effected the culture was the professional education and operational experiences of army officers, particularly in the interwar years. Examining the careers of three key figures in World War II military occupation operations, George Marshall, Dwight Eisenhower, and Douglas MacArthur, demonstrates how the components of institutional culture combined to contribute to the success of Army occupation operations in Germany and Japan during and after World War II.
Read the Rest of the Paper Here.
Book review of two pretty good general works on the important general officers of the occupation era: “Not the President’s Men.”
Book Review: Moroland
Moroland, 1899-1906. America’s First Attempt to Transform an Islamic Society, by Robert A. Fulton (Bend, OR: Tumalo Creek Press, 2007), 417.
Moroland by Robert A. Fulton is a comprehensive examination of American policy toward and military operations against the Moros of the southern Philippine Islands from 1899 to 1906. Fulton very effectively covers policies, politics, and military operations. What emerges from his work is a fascinating tale of brilliance and opportunities lost. It is a must read volume for anyone interested in a host of contemporary issues including counterinsurgency, clash of cultures, Islamic warrior societies, and nation-building.
First German Army Award for Bravery in 64 Years!
The German army has reinstated an award for bravery for soldiers of the Bundeswehr. It is the first award for bravery for German soldiers since the end of World War II. Though traditionalist will lament the break with the 130 year German tradition of the Iron Cross, I believe the “Cross of Honor for Bravery,” the Ehrenkreuz der Bundeswehr für Tapferkeit, is a good compromise. A cross of any kind links it strongly to the German military tradition without linking it to the baggage of the German Military in WWII.
As the article below indicates, 35 German soldiers have been killed in Afghanistan, and many more wounded. As I understand it, the Germans do not yet have the equivelant of a purple heart or wounds badge. Something I’m sure their veterans organizations are working on.
Sixty-one percent of the German population is against their operations in Afghanistan. The population is generally against anything that shows support for the military. Germany is a very pacifist country. In speaking to many allied military officers I have often heard it said that they envy the status and appreciation the American military receives from the American people. They think we’re pretty lucky. I agree with them –we’re pretty fortunate to be American Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, and Marines.
Everybody Loves the B-17 –including me.
"Mission Completed" by Robert Taylor
I ran across this article the other day. It describes a typical local airshow B-17 fly in and I thought I would share some thoughts on why I love Fying Fortresses.
My earliest memories of the Flying Fortress are from around 1963 when my father bought and built for me the old Revelle 1:72 scale Memphis Belle kit. That model hung from my bedroom light fixture for the next 10 years at a variety of homes at the bases the USAF sent us to: Ramstein AFB, Wiesbaden AFB, Lindsey Air Station, Langley AFB, Andrews AFB, Hof Air Station, and finally back to Ramstein; which is the last place I remember seeing it. It was a classic kit and I may have to build it again sometime just for old times sake. I have the 1:48 scale Monogram kit, and someday I want to build it, all out with every super-detail I can squeeze into it. The problem will be –how do you display something that big?
The next time the “Fort” made an impression on me was the old TV series “Twelve O’Clock High.” Not the movie –I didn’t see that until much later. I had the phrase “Pilot to Bomadier” burned into my brain. The series still is good solid action adventure circa 1964. The novel by Bernie Lay, and then the movie with Gregory Peck as General Savage, are even better, but I didn’t discover them until much later.
In junior high school the very first “big” adult military history book I ever read was the Martin Caiden classic Flying Forts. I still have that ballentine paperback –its now over 35 years old with the cover taped on. It started me on my serious interest in military history. Through my high school years I read everything Caiden wrote, and almost everything published in the ballentine paper back war series.
After college my interest in the 8th Air Force and B-17s continued. I bought and read the really good classics: 8th Air Force War Diary, The Mighty Eighth, and Flying Fortress by Jablonski. The more you read on the 8th Air Force , the B-17s, the air battles, and the pilots and crews, the more you want to read. The whole thing is like a cult that I’m not sure is replicated by any other facet of World War II or even in military history. The B-17 is the subject of art models, books, TV shows, movies, and even action figures!
My last experience personal experience, other than reading the article mentioned above, with the B-17 was about two years ago. It was a saturday afternoon and I was working on fence posts on my farm in Kansas. All of a sudden I heard this deep throated roar of radial engines… very low. Well, I immediately recognized it from dozens of documentaries, TV shows, and movies as the sound of four 1200 hp Wright Cyclone GR-1820-65 radial engines of aB-17. Looking up, I instantly spotted a G model B-17 flying at about 1000 feet –low and slow. It was sureal. A B-17 over my patures in the middle of Kansas in 2007! Timewarp?? No… unfortunately. It was flying demonstration rides for the Amelia Earhart air show in Atcheson Kansas (her hometown) about 20 miles north of my farm. Still…it was super cool and a memory I won’t ever forget.
Winter's Welcom by Robert Taylor
The B-17 and I have a connection. Its not flying or a combat connection. Not even a history connection. Probably its mostly emotional and sentimental –it has to a lot to do with life as well as war birds. But its a connection none-the-less, and I enjoy it. I’m sure thousands, if not tens of thousands of others, have similar feelings 
"Chuckie" of the Vintage Flying Museum in Fort Worth TX
