Great Blunders of WWII: Japan's Mistakes at Midway 7

This is one of a series of movies about blunders made in WWII.  This deals with the Japanese blunders at Midway.  The idea of Midway was a very good idea.  The Americans would have to defend Midway, and Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto was hoping to eliminate the rest of the U.S. Navy in the Pacific.  However his superiors decided to eXpand the operation.  They added an attack on the Aleutians, with the logic the U.S. fleet would have to defend and be more scattered.  The other addition was a sea attack on Port Moresby in Papua New Guinea.  In this way they could threaten Australia.  they committed three carriers to this operation.  Even though in the Battle of Coral Sea which took place as a result, they damaged Yorktown and sunk Lexington, for their own part, one carrier was sunk, another badly damaged, and a third lost most of its planes.  This left only four carriers for Midway.  The Japanese assumed Yorktown had been sunk.  The U.S. had a repaired Yorktown available, as well as Enterprise and Hornet.  Yamamoto felt these carriers were in Hawaii, but had not confirmed this.  However, due to cracking of the Japanese code system, the U.S. knew that Midway was the major focus of the Japanese attack.  The carriers were ready and waiting.  The U.S. also had a landing strip and planes on Midway Island, including high flying B-17 bombers.  The first wave against Midway caused considerable damage, but the run way remained serviceable, and many planes were spared.  As the Japanese prepared for a second assault against Midway, his ships were attacked, and three carriers sunk.  The fourth counter-attacked against Yorktown, causing serious damage.  Eventually Yorktown was sunk by submarine torpedoes.  This fourth carrier was itself counter attacked and destroyed.  The end result, over three thousand Japanese dead, four carriers, and one cruisers sunk, another cruiser damaged.  On the American side over three hundred dead, one carrier lost and one destroyer sunk.

Documentary Review: Haunted History: Tombstone

This is a 2000 presentation from the History Channel, A&E.
In learning about the ghosts of a community, you also learn about the stories behind the ghosts.  Tombstone was a short lived town in terms of its heyday.  Now it is a tourist town living on the history of those few years in the 1880s.  Of course the most famous incident was the Gunfight at the OK Corral.  This set  a group of spirits, some who do not want to go away.  However there were also jilted lovers, one who shot his girlfriend, and then killed himself.  He had worked for nine months making money so as to marry his girl, and when he returned she had a different boy.  She was only 17 at the time.  He thought he had inflicted a mortal wound to the girlfriend, but she recovered.
Another was a jilted lover, who knew her man was having a fling with another woman.  She worked in a show, but would get away and check on her man.  One day she caught the other woman on his lap.  She said, I am going to cut your heart out, and took a knife and attempted to do just that.  She inflicted a mortal wound to the girl, stabbing her in the heart.  There is a boarding house which was for men only.  It still is not advised that women sleep in this residence because of the animosity of the male spirits.  And then finally an opera house, which produces plays today.  They deal with almost daily mischief from the ghostly visitors.  On one occasion a malevelant ghost went after the owner by choking him.  However usually the ghosts are harmless.

Documentary Review: Hitler's Family: In the Shadow of the Dictator (2006)

This is an interesting documentary, because generally not much is known about Hitler's family.  This was by design.  Hitler for the most part wanted the public to only see him.  I had heard rumors Hitler was part Jewish.  However such is not the case.  However, Hitler worried someone might discover he had Jewish blood.  This was on of his greatest fears.  However, there was mental illness in Hitler's family.  His second cousin became a victim of Hitler's euthanasia program for person with mental illness.  His younger sister, Paula, wanted to marry a doctor who was on of those charged with killing mentally ill patients.  Rather than allow the marriage, Hitler had the doctor shipped to the Easter Front where he was captured and died as a POW.  Hitler had three nephews.  Of one he was proud.  Heinz served in the war, and went missing in Russia.  His nephew William (both Heinz and William were from his brother Alois, by two different wives; he was married to both at the same time.) was in England before the war, but returned to Germany to take part in the advantages of your uncle being dictator.  He was an uncouth youth, who used vulgar language with women.  He didn't like work, but threatened his uncle to expose the family secrets if he wasn't provided for.  His uncle complied.  Hitler must of thought William had information about Jewish heritage, but William was talking about the bigamy of his father.  His half-sister Angela used the influence afforded by her relationship to take over the properties of others, who then had to flea.  Another nephew fled with his mother to the United States before the war.  He was used in anti Hitler propaganda, and joined the military.  However, after the war the name Hitler was not an advantage, so he changed his name several times, and his children keep their identity hidden.  Lastly Hitler's niece, Geli, under the control of her uncle (and a rumored incestuous affair) committed suicide.  The suicide was blamed on Hitler.  However there is no real evidence of an illicit relationship.
Quite the family.

Documentary Review: The Hunt for John Wilkes Booth (2007)

John Wilkes Booth shot President Abraham Lincoln April 14, 1965 as part of a plot to kill three prominent men, the President, The Secretary of State William H. Seward, and Vice-President Andrew Johnson.  In the case of Johnson, his attacker, George Atzerodt chickened out.  Lewis Powell was to kill Seward, and he invaded his home and, after his gun failed, made a vicious attempt by stabbing him repeatedly around the face and upper body.  Only a device he was wearing for a previously broken jaw prevented his jugular from being cut.  (Both these men would later be hung for their involvement.)  A third involved party (who was also later hung) was David Herold, who would travel with Booth in his escape, and assist Booth in his efforts.
Booth would not be caught for 12 days.  During this time he would keep a journal (although many pages are missing) as he avoided detection. 
Booth broke the fibula in his leg while when he jumped form the presidential booth to the stage after killing Lincoln.  He needed medical attention, and received this from Dr. Mudd.  They mostly stayed in the swamps, but had days of staying in houses.  Their goal was to cross the Potomac into Virginia.  Most of the search would take place in Booth's are of origin, Maryland, to the north. 
They tried to cross the river by night.  However they were disoriented, and ended up back on the Maryland side.  They were successful with the second crossing, and stayed with the the home of Richard H. Garrett, threatening him by gun point, and saying they were soldiers returning home.  The second night they were suspicious as they avoided the soldiers, so were asked to stay in the barn.  Garret's son locked them in, worrying they might steal their horses. 
Igt was here where the pursuers would find them early in the morning.  Herold would surrender, but Booth wanted to go out in a blaze of glory.  The federals set fire to the barn, and as Booth prepared to fire his weapon, he was shot in the neck by Sergeant Boston Corbett.  He was paralyzed, and would die about three hours later.
Booth had hoped to make himself a hero.  Instead he felt the wrath of the country as he followed the papers and heard form others.  He also learned of the surrender of Joseph E. Johnston, the last remaining Confederate force.  He was on the wrong side of the war.

The above mentioned people where hanged July 7, 1865 along with Mary Surratt, who provided a place at her boarding house for the men to plan their deed.  Others were convicted of conspiracy, including Dr. Mudd, and were sent to prison, but later pardoned by President Johnson in 1869.
Mysteries left of this event, did the get everyone involved?  They could not find evidence to charge President Jefferson Davis with conspiracy.  Did the missing pages of Booth's diary implicate others?

Conspiracy? Lincoln Assassination

This is a presentation from the History Channel.  It has a warning preceding and after the presentation that the information is controversial, and not necessarily true but presented to give people an opportunity to respond. 
Did Lee Harvey Oswald act alone, or was he part of a broader conspiracy?  We know there was some coordination, because Oswald acted with others to decapitate the government.  There were other attacks the same night, against Secretary of State William H. Seward, and the Vice President Andrew Johnson (planned but not carried out). 
In addition to this, evidence of Oswald traveling to Canada, and there meeting members of the Confederate Secret Service, and after returning making a deposit of $1500 into his account, which money could be used to attract others to his plan.
One might say that the Confederacy would not be involved, that war was not made this way at that time.  However, after the Dahlgren affair, where a Union attempt to assassinate Jefferson was discovered, and after the Emancipation Proclamation, Lincoln was deemed as an open target.  
So the arguments are, Oswald acted alone, out of hatred for Lincoln and his own racial bigotry, or he was part of a plot, and some escaped prosecution.  That those working with Oswald were just a local group of near-do-wells.  And those were mopped up with the trials, which looked for further conspirators, including Jefferson Davis, but found no evidence.  The for executed and the other four prosecuted was all involved. 
The other argument is there is evidence pointing to a connection between Oswald and Confederate operatives in Canada who have a direct tie back to the Confederacy.

Documentary Review: Voices of Civil Rights

This is an important presentation from the History Channel.  It is a series of interviews with people we were not particularly famous, but lived through the Civil Rights period, some of whom were actually part of the movement. 
It starts with a section entitled "There Were Two Americas.  It has interviews on both sides of people who lived through segregation.  It was not pretty, because it always meant on group got less.
The Next section "We Took it to Court" tells the story of a family, who wanted to use the library.  The black library did not have a selection of children's books, so they went to the big public library.  The librarian refused to check out books to them.  So the father sued.  The courts ruled in his favor saying that if he paid taxes, then the library should be open to all citizens.  The judge gave them two choices, shut the library, or open it to all.
"School Integration" told the story of this slow but needed change.  Black schools were always farther away, and always had the hand-me-down books, equipment and supplies.  Governor George Wallace (a Democrat by the way) is heard saying integration would never happen.  The interviews of the children who were the first to attend the integrated schools was one of fear, guard you back, and relief when they finally graduated so they didn't have to go back.  It has taken time, but our country is better with integrated schools. 
The struggle of some to assert their basic rights was presented in "Register to Vote."  That people would put up obstacle after obstacle to thwart this right is appalling.  In one case, a group of teachers tried to register, and were delivered a test they would not pass, by a white man who had not made it pass the eighth grade.  In another instance the Klu Klux Klan burnedd out a family where the father was  trying to vote.  The father would succumb to his b urns, but the family lived through the ordeal.  The member of the Klan that testified for the prosecution indicated that he thought he was doing the right thing at the time, protecting the vote for themselves and keeping others from voting.  He had repented, and testified against others of the Klan, after being sentenced to five years.  He was later pardoned.
We start to see some of the actual protests, mostly peaceful in "Marches and Protests."  This included showing water hoses blowing over youth, and dogs viciously biting protestors.  These actions only fueled the fire rather than turning it out.  These people had to stand up for their freedom.

Documentary Review: Lincoln: His Life and Legacy

Volume One: "Lincoln: History in the Making"  This documentary is presented by History Channel.  As such they rely considerably on historical drama, and interview with Abraham Lincoln historians to tell the story. 
It starts with the presentation of a dream, supposedly a dream of President Lincoln of his own assassination, before he was killed.  From there, the tell a rather depressive story about Lincoln's life.
They talk about his very rough childhood, with multiple family deaths including his mother.  Harsh treatment by his father, who basically farmed him out and took his earnings; like many did with slaves.  He eventually escaped taking employment on a river boat.  His first love died from typhoid. 
At several points in the movie it mentions wild rumor and innuendo.  Of course many times it refutes this with other historians, but it still brings up the subject. 
Was Abraham Lincoln gay?  He lived with and slept with a man for five years, Joshua Fry Speed.  Lincoln had a close relationship with this man, as indicated by letter.  Of course, in this day sharing a bed was common and based on economic need rather than sexual orientation. He also shared beds with other men while on the lawyer circuit.
It focuses much on the relationship between he and his wife.  He was engaged to her before, but broke off the engagement and took a tailspin of depression.  However he did recover and they became man and wife.  The documentary contends that Mary Lincoln likely suffered from bipolar disorder.  She could become very angry.  They were both lonely in their marriage.
The movie also presented Lincoln as melancholy during his presidency.  He lost a son, he sent many sons to their deaths.  Never has an American President presided over so much death.  It assumes he must have been bothered.  There were times, when waiting for news of the war, he was subject to anxiety, not being able to sleep.  We see many pictures of Lincoln over the course of his life, and can see the drain the war placed on his person.
The movie also presents the Spiritualism of the first lady.  She also over spent, and at times messed in activity which would be considered illegal today, cooking books and giving contracts to friends. 
This is the first presentation of many in this four DVD set.  However, I am somewhat disappointed in this one as it tends to the macabre and shock.  The actual events I think were likely much different.

Documentary Review: Design for Peace; Victory at Sea

This is the last of 26 episodes produced by NBC.  This episode was first released in 1953.  This episode starts with the introduction of a new age.  First the detonation of an atomic bomb in New Mexico, and then the two in Japan.  At that point the emperor for Japan announced to his people that they were going to stop fighting the war to avoid the annihilation of the Japanese people. This was August 14, 1945. 
The formal surrender took place aboard the USS Missouri on September 2 1945.  Foreign Minister Mamoru Shigimitsu signed the surrender instrument for the emperor of Japan.  General Douglas MacArthur signed the document for allied powers, and Admiral Chester Nimitz for the U.S. 
Before showing pictures of the victory celebration, the documentary showed scenes from the horror of war,I am sure using shots from the previous episodes in the documentary series.  Finally there were images of celebration around the world presented.

Documentary Review: Victory at Sea: The Road to Mandalay

This film was originally produced by NBC News, and first presented in 1953.  It has more recently been released by the History Channel.  
This is a film about the allied effort to build a road through the jungle, going around the Japanese occupation of Burma, Siam, Southeast Asia; to eventually reach China, and get needed supplies to these people before they would be compelled to surrender to the Japanese.  Mandalay is a large city in Burma.  There were people from all over the world taking part in this effort, Australia, U.S., England, New Zealand, Burma, China, Africa, India.  This was a worldwide effort to rescue this people, and turn the tide of the war.  This movie starts with sea resupply, but this resupply had to land in India.  The were still hundreds of miles from where the supplies needed to arrive, through jungle and over the Himalayas.  The first step was to retake enough territory from the Japanese for the building of the rode.  This was then followed by engineers and road builders.  However they did not only build a road, but also a pipeline to supply needed oil.  On several occasions they quote from a Rudyard Kipling poem, "
"Come you back, you British soldier; come you back to Mandalay!" http://whilhelmsthoughts.blogspot.com/2014/05/poetry-i-like-rudyard-kipling-mandalay.html

Documentary Review: **^9/11 Commission History Channel: History Channel

This is a documentary produced by the History Channel of the 9/11 Commission.  However, it is mostly a presentation of what the history channel thinks is important rather than the official version of what happened.  They kept showing the wife of a victim who had passed away in the attack over and over.  She was angry and wanted answers.  However their overuse of one individual made me tire quickly of the entire program. 

The conclusion of the 9/11 report is that we were not expecting planes to be used as missiles and consequently were not vigilant enough in keeping something like this from happening.  Several of the hijackers were known to the CIA, but dropped off the radar shortly before the attack.  Only one person was thwarted by a border agent, other than that it appears all the hijackers were able to do what they wanted in hijacking the planes.  However a late flight, and passenger resistance kept one plane from reaching Washington.  We pretty much were caught with our pants down.  Even though memos had been passed around about a significant threat from Al Qaida, specifics were not forthcoming, and departments did not add two and two together.  Part of this was a lack of communication between agencies and within agencies. 

Lets pray something like this never happens again.

Documentary Review: Underground Railroad: History Channel

This documentary is well done.  It doesn't rely on historical reenactmenty, but research, and lets the story tell itself.  It starts off by pointing to the myths.  The underground railroad was not a railroad and it was not underground.  However it was a network of people helping people who were seeking freedom.  The message was spread through song, such as "Follow the Drinking Gourd" which gave instruction on the trail to follow, the drinking gourd being the big dipper which pointed to the north star. http://whilhelmsthoughts.blogspot.com/2014/03/poetry-i-like-follow-drinking-gourd.html "Swing Low Sweet Chariot" was a song used by Harriet Tubman to warn of danger. "The Gospel Trains A' Coming" would let people know they were preparing to run. 

This film also talks about the people of the under ground railroad.  This is called the first civil rights movement, with white people and black people working together.  Frederick Douglas, a former slave, was an outspoken voice against slavery.  Harriet Tubman was also African American, had fled to freedom, but went back and helped at least 200, many relatives, reach freedom.  She had been beaten by a slave owner when young, which resulted in a seizure disorder.  She bragged of never losing anyone on her "train."
Ripley, OH was a city just north of the Ohio River from Kentucky.  This city was to goal for many fleaing slaves.  John Rankin's home in Ripley was used as a safe house.  Another individual, John Parker, who was a former slave, would cross the river nightly, and search for fleeing slaves to ferry them across the river.  He would take them home, or to the home of John Rankin. 
Anthony Burns had escaped slavery, but as a result of the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850, when he was captured and taken to jail, and tried, his return to slavery was a forgone conclusion.  He was not allowed to talk in his own defense.  In Boston they were near riot with regards to the recapture of Anthony Burns.  The government had to spend almost $100,000 between preventing the riot by hiring guards and the trial.  When he was returned to slavery in Virginia, his owner wold him for $900.  Eventually his freedom was purchased by those in the North. 
Dread Scott had been living free for sometime, and sued for his own freedom.  He felt sure he would win, but when his case was heard by the Supreme Court, which had many members appointed by presidents form slave states, the court ruled against him.  This two cases infuriated citizens of the North.  Roger B, Taney, the Chief Justice presented the outcome, indicating the slaves were property, no people.
Antislavery sentiment in the North was further fostered by a novelist.  Harriet Beecher Stowe wrote "Uncle Tom's Cabin" which was published in 1852.  One abolitionist who put his sentiments into action was John Brown.  John Brown was raised in an abolitionist home, and carried this sentiment.  He hoped to carry the underground railroad to all the slaves, by provoking an uprising.  He was able to take the armory at Harper's Ferry, but the federal government reacted harshly.  Many of Brown's men were killed, and Brown was tried and hung.
It was an important battle of the Civil War which lead to the Emancipation Proclamation and freedom of the slaves.  This was a long time in coming.

Documentary Review: History Chanel: Gettysburg

I thought it must have been me, but this documentary does not start well.  It begins with giving no context, at the railroad cut, and the viewer really doesn’t know what is going on.  I thought maybe my DVD version was missing something; but I have read other reviews which had the same complaint so I guess not.  The History Channel seemed to use this battle to show lots of bloody and gory scenes, while doing a poor job of telling the story.  They focused on the battle through town, as the Union troops pulled back to Cemetery Ridge.  The second day they concentrate on Sickles defense on the Union left.  He had pulled too far forward leaving himself vulnerable.  However it does not mention the far left of the Union line, Chamberlain on Little round Top.   That was a disappointment to me.  They did a better job of explaining Picket’s charge the final day of the battle.  The day started with the largest artillery barrage in history as the confederate artillery tried to chase the Union artillery from the field.  They did not succeed.  The documentary had an excerpt about the Union cannon used, and the shell and shot, and the devastating effect this had on the Confederate attackers.  The Confederate strength was pretty much used up before they reached the Union lines, from facing the artillery barrage across a field of a over a mile.  Just as General Meade did not follow up with the defeated the retreating Confederate Army, this documentary did not follow up well with telling the aftermath of the battle.

Thanksgiving History

In 1621, the Plymouth colonists and Wampanoag Indians shared an autumn harvest feast that is acknowledged today as one of the first Thanksgiving celebrations in the colonies. For more than two centuries, days of thanksgiving were celebrated by individual colonies and states. It wasn't until 1863, in the midst of the Civil War, that President Abraham Lincoln proclaimed a national Thanksgiving Day to be held each November.  (History Chanel)
More than one year we made silly hats out of paper, the boys a black hat and the girls white hats, and one year also made paper buckles for my shoes.  It was part of the Puritan look.  We also made decorations of Native Americans.
But what about fact or fictions:
  http://www.history.com/topics/thanksgiving-quiz
A couple spoilers, domestic turkeys can't fly, but wild turkeys can fly up to 55 miles per hour.
Although Thanksgiving day became a National Holiday when Lincoln was president, previous presidents had proclaimed national days of thanksgiving.