🎖️ 50 year old Marine recruit, Chuck Norris, and more

Good morning,

So a few weeks ago I opened up the newsletter talking about the Chinese balloons that were taken out, it was released this week that it cost a total of $4m to shoot them down!

I will make sure on my sons birthday he doesn’t let go of his balloon, although if he sees a fighter jet blowing it up, it will make his year! Anyway moving on...

On this day in 1942

Julia Flikke of the Nurse Corps becomes the first woman colonel in the U.S. Army. During World War I, Flikke served as a nurse in France and became the Chief Nurse of the American Expeditionary Forces. She continued to serve in the Army Nurse Corps during the interwar period and in World War II, where she helped to establish nursing services in Africa, Europe, and the Pacific.

In recognition of her exceptional service, Flikke was promoted to the rank of colonel in 1943, becoming the first woman in the history of the U.S. Army to hold that rank in the Nurse Corps. She retired from the Army in 1947 and died on August 21, 1977, at the age of 93.

In todays newsletter we honor…

Paul Douglas

He became the oldest recruit in the history of the United States Marine Corps during WWII. How old was he and what happened? Read on to find out ⬇️

Pvt. Paul Douglas, age 50, preforms a rifle inspection with his drill instructor aboard Marine Corps Recruit Depot

He joined boot camp at 50 years old (I am 43 and the thought of going through training again sends a shiver down my spine). Despite his age, Douglas was determined to meet the requirements for enlistment, which included passing a physical exam.

“I found myself able to take the strenuous boot camp training without asking for a moment’s time out and without visiting the sick bay,” Douglas later wrote about his experiences.

Performs rifle qualification

After enlisting in the Marine Corps, Paul Douglas was initially assigned to the personnel classification section at Parris Island. However, he was not satisfied with the prospect of spending the rest of the war writing training manuals.

With the assistance of his friend Frank Knox, who was serving as Navy Secretary at the time, Douglas was able to become an infantry officer. In just seven

months, he was commissioned as a captain and shipped out to the Pacific to fight in some of the war's most brutal battles.

Pistol qualification at Parris Island in 1942

He was eventually awarded the Bronze Star for his actions helping Marines, and he also received two Purple Hearts. Following his second combat injury, Douglas spent 14 months in hospitals and left the Marine Corps in 1946 as a lieutenant colonel.

He died in 1976 aged 84.

Celebrities that served

Chuck Norris served in the United States Air Force from 1958 to 1962, attaining the rank of Airman First Class. During his service, he was stationed in South Korea, where he worked as a military policeman.

His younger brother, Aaron Norris, also served in the military. He served in the United States Army from 1962 to 1968, attaining the rank of Sergeant.

Thanks for your service Chuck.

Remembering a WWII Paratrooper

A US paratrooper who participated in the 1944 D-Day invasion with the 101st Aiborne Division, and lived to reenact the famed World War II landing 75 years later, died last November aged 101.

In the night of June 5, 1944, Rice strapped himself with 110 pounds (50 kilograms) of weapons and supplies and joined his 9,000 comrades on a night time flight across the English Channel into Nazi-occupied Normandy.

"We did a lot of damage. People were killed, artillery pock marks, stained glass windows destroyed," said Rice, who became a history teacher in California after the war.

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From our YouTube Channel

Check out our YouTube Channel which tells the story about a CIA agent saved after a prison was over run.

In the news this week

So each week I share news stories that I found interesting and I hope you do to.

Did you know, The US had a Ghost Army in WWII?

The United States Ghost Army was a secret unit during World War II, whose primary mission was to deceive and mislead the enemy. Comprised of a group of artists, designers, and sound engineers.

They used inflatable tanks and other vehicles to create the illusion of large armoured units, and strategically placed speakers to play the sounds of tanks and artillery to simulate a full-scale military operation.

The deception was so effective that it convinced the Germans to divert their forces away from other areas of the front line, giving the Allies a crucial advantage in the battle.

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Have a great week and speak soon,

Rob 🫡