The Alamo

[soup82]

Just finished reading The Alamo by John Myers Myers. Written in 1948. Great book. Personal favorite section is -

"David Crocket and his Tennesseans, charged with the defense of the court, were trapped in the open for their death fight. Some may have tried to reach the chapel, and one or two may have succeeded before its doors were of necessity barred. Crocket himself, however, evidently attempted to gain the southern barracks but got no farther than the eastern end of it. Unable to attain a haven, he and a few others had huddled together to kill while they could.
Kill they did, too. The world has scarcely seen a more powerful tribe than the first forest-born generation of trans-Appalachian frontiersmen. The Tennesseans bashed, slashed, smashed, crushed, stamped and rent apart the squads upon squads that came at them. Crockett and two of his men were reported to have been found in a heap with seventeen dead Mexicans."

End of the Alamo battle after 12 days. ~185 dead defenders. ~1600 dead from Santa Anna's army of 6000. Unknown number of wounded. Santa Anna's force was destroyed as a fighting force and had to be reorganized before resuming operations. The time spent taking the Alamo allowed the Texan rebel government time to organize and put an army together, that later defeated Santa Anna at San Jacinto.

Remember the Alamo,

Patrick LaRocque

[TMU]

As a native Texan born and raised just outside Houston, I take great pride in saying that 06 Mar 1836 is indeed a very sacred day to a great many residents of the State of Texas. Since the beginning of recorded history, there have only been a select few occasions where men have fought as courageously as did the garrison of Texans at the Alamo. These men, Col. William Travis, James Bowie, Davy Crockett, and the 180 other militiamen who fought under their command, all knew they were going to die. But, not a single one of them chose to desert his post. Not many people know this, but when Col. Travis drew his famous "line in the sand" and asked for all who were willing to stand and fight to join him, EVERY MAN stepped over that line and stayed to the end. As a matter of fact, Jim Bowie was so sick that he could not even get out of bed; several other soldiers had to carry him, bed and all, across that line. Even as sick as he was, when his body was recovered, it was still surrounded by a room full of dead Mexicans. One only need to read Col. Travis' desperate letter written to Gen. Sam Houston to get a feel for the situation inside the Alamo. The man who delivered that letter, Capt. Dickinson, actually returned to the Alamo the next day, having to fight his way back in, just so he could stand fast and fight next to his men.

There are a lot of people in this country who have absolutely no idea what kinds of sacrifices were made so that they could have the right to condemn that with which they do not agree. I may not like or agree with the things others say, but I will stand up and fight for their right to say it. I just believe that if they took the time to learn the legacy of those who fought and died before them in places like the Alamo, Bunker Hill, Bull Run (both sides, North & South), the Argonne Forest, Normandy, Guadalcanal, Korea, Vietnam, as well as a long list of other places, these people might not be so quick to condemn.

[TMU]

Actually, I made a mistake in my previous post. It was James Bonham, not Captain Dickinson who delivered Col. Travis' letter to Gen. Houston, and then returned to the Alamo to fight. Sorry for the mistake!

"American by birth, Texan by the grace of God!"

[E19]

Just wondering what this thread has to do with SF?

[TMU]

Good question, E19. Didn't mean to digress; I apologize.

[Spec Ops Planner]

This thread has everything to do with Special Forces and Special Operations.
The kind of dedication found at the Alamo is the same kind shown by SOF today. October 3-4, 1993 will be remembered be remembered in the same mannner as March 6, 1836.

[LRSC Grunt]

Ya....and if you mexicans fuck wid us again, well kick your ass!!!(not meant as a racist comment)

Interesting fact, did you know that when both Texas and the US united to form one nation(notice how I didnt use the word "annex" http://www.specialoperations.com/ubboard/wink.gif I hate that word) the US recognized the texas constitution which states that texas has the ability to leave the union at any time without retrobution. If bush does not win......I wish..... Just kidding


[This message has been edited by LRSC Grunt (edited 11-02-2000).]

[Daredevil]

Not to start anything but all states should technically have the right to leave the union. The Constitution says that a State delegates it's powers to the Federal government, not surrenders it. In fact, Secession was taught as a State right at West Point all the way up until 1848. Of course when some states sought to exercise that power bad things happened.

[soup82]

There was one man who left during the line in the sand episode. His name was Louis Rose, a former mercenary under Napoleon, Basically he was a mercenary who didn't see any need to stay for no discernable profit. Travis didn't pull any punches and the men knew what they were up against. Most of those who fought and died at the Alamo were not Texans, either by birth or moving there. They came for the fight.

As to what it has to do with SF, well, the list is pretty long. Right off the bat, DE OPPRESSO LIBER pretty much applies to this fight/campaign/rebellion. Pick up a good book, read the whole story leading up to the fight and its aftermath and then ask yourself the question again. How about what a small group of determined men can do against a hugely superior force. I also believe we trace our heritage as fighting men back to these frontiersmen, both in their attitudes and capabilities. A lot of the people fighting there were the sons of Revolutionary war veterans. It's a damn good study in military tactics, both good and bad. It's a study in politics, and how the infighting and dis-organization of the rebel government and their military doomed the men at the Alamo from any hope of rescue. It's a study in dedication in the face of certain death. Couriers rode in and out at will and the men of the Alamo could have run away at any time, up until two to three days before the end. They didn't and if that isn't something that's pertinent to SF, flame away.

Patrick LaRocque

[TMU]

Soup82:

Yes, you are correct about Louis Rose. I forgot that he chose not to stay. I guess he's the original "Yellow Rose of Texas."

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Do all you can . . . then do one more!