Texas Aggies Go to War : In Service of Their Country, Expanded Edition [1 ed.] 9781603444101, 9781603440776

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TEXAS AGGIES GO TO WAR

number 104 Centennial Series of the Association of Former Students, Texas A&M University

TEXAS AGGIES GO TO WAR

In Service of Their Country, Expanded Edition Henry C. Dethloff

with john a. adams, jr. Foreword by george h. w. bush Texas A&M University Press College Station

Copyright © 2006 by Texas A&M University Press Manufactured in the United States of America All rights reserved Expanded edition This paper meets the requirements of ansi/niso z39.48–1992 (Permanence of Paper). Binding materials have been chosen for durability. o Unless noted, all illustrations, excluding maps, are courtesy of the Cushing Library, Texas A&M University, College Station. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Dethlo=, Henry C. Texas Aggies go to war : in service of their country / Henry C. Dethlo= with John A. Adams, Jr. ; foreword by George H. W. Bush.—Expanded ed. p. cm.—(Centennial series of the Association of Former Students, Texas A&M University ; no. 104) Includes bibliographical references and index. isbn-13: 978-1-60344-077-6 (pbk. : alk. paper) isbn-10: 1-60344-077-1 (pbk. : alk. paper) 1. Texas A & M University—Alumni and alumnae. 2. Military education—Texas. 3. United States—Armed Forces—Recruiting, enlistment, etc. 4. Texas A & M University—Students. 5. Soldiers—United States. I. Adams, John A., 1951– II. Title. III. Series. u430.t37d48 2008 355.00922764—dc22 2008015457

CONTENTS

List of Maps vi

16 Vietnam: Eye of the Dragon 276

List of Tables vii

17 A Global Commitment 302

Foreword, by George H. W. Bush ix

18 Desert Storm: Iraqi Freedom 318

Preface xi

19 A Tradition of Service:

1 The A&M College of Texas and the Military Tradition 3 2 Cuba Libre: Texas Aggies and the Spanish-American War 11 3 Bordering on War 29 4 Over There 43 5 Between the Wars, 1919–1941 63 6 We’ve Never Been Licked 78 7 Uncle Sam Needs You! 96 8 Counterattack 114 9 North Africa to Italy 135 10 From Normandy to the Gates of Berlin 155 11 War in the Pacific 181

The Civilian Soldier 357 Notable Aggies 363 Appendices a Ranks and Grades (U.S. Armed Services) 369 b Army and Marine Organization: Levels of Command 370 c Air Force Organization: Levels of Command 371 d Navy Organization: Levels of Command 372 e Aircraft Identification and Description 373 f Awards and Decorations 377 g Texas Aggies Who Died in the Military Service of Their Country during World War II 378

12 The Impact of Peace 205 13 The Cold War 223 14 Korea: The Forgotten War 241 15 From Korea to Vietnam: An End and a New Beginning 259

Notes 389 Glossary 429 Index 431

MAPS

Spanish-American War 22 Europe, 1914 33 Americans in World War I, 1917–1918 51 World War II in the Pacific 83 Fall of the Philippines 88 Corregidor Island and Malinta Tunnels, December, 1941 89 War in North Africa 137 Operations in Italy 144 Normandy, June–July, 1944 159 The Ardennes 170 Korean War, 1950–1953 246 Vietnam War, 1965–1973 284 Gulf War, 1990–1991 320 Iraq War 341

TABLES

Table 1. Texas Aggies in the Spanish-American War 27 Table 2. Degrees Granted, 1876–1917 40 Table 3. World War I O