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Soldiering This great Nation & Its People

R Lee Ermey (R.I.P) 🇺🇸🎖️The Siege of Firebase Gloria

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All About Guns The Green Machine This great Nation & Its People War

Fetterman Fight 1866 – All men lost.

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All About Guns The Green Machine This great Nation & Its People War

Red Cloud’s War Guns of the Fetterman Fight

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All About Guns This great Nation & Its People War

Joe Hoser In the Smoke ’till I Croak Satrapa

Joe “Hoser” “In the smoke ’till I croak” Satrapa, was a living legend flying fire tankers for Cal Fire, as well as in the fighter community as a formidable F-14 Tomcat, and F-8 Crusader pilot.
Ever since he was a child, Hoser had a true love for guns, and after he earned his wings, he had a choice to be assigned to the F-4, or the F-8. “No guns? What kind of aircraft is this with no guns?” and he immediately chose the “Last Of The Gunfighters” as the Crusader was called at the time by aircrews.
According to the “Satrapa legend” Hoser had earned his call sign one day over the gunnery range. Also known as “Da-hose”, or “D-hose” was flying in trail position in a 4 ship formation of F-8 Crusaders flying over the desert sands.
As the formation was approaching the gunnery range target, Joe jumped out of trail position, cutting off the lead, and began to fire off from two thousand feet up, and one and a half miles out…”hosing” off all his bullets in a single pass. 
His flight leader J.P. O’ Neill told him to return to the airfield at El Centro and the same night O’ Neill had the final say on the incident when he nailed Satrapa: “Lieutenant junior grade Satrapa, for hosing off all his bullets in one pass, will hence forth be known as Hoser. That’ ll be five bucks.”
During the Viet Nam war, “Hoser” earned a reputation as a fearless Crusader pilot. He also became known for his preference to carry over 40 pounds of ordinance with him during his missions. A few hand grenades, and some small automatics in the event he ever had to leave his aircraft over enemy territory.
Another event occurred during the Viet Nam war when “Hoser” was flying his Crusader with another F-8 when his wingman was hit by enemy fire.  As his wingman bailed out of his burning Crusader, the aircraft continued flying straight and level while leaving a black smoking trail.  “Hoser” brought his Crusader back around and set his sights on the pilotless Crusader and blew it out of the sky.  All “Hoser” had to say about that was “A kill is a kill!”
Sometime in the Eighties; Hoser managed to modify a 20MM barrel from the F-14 Gatling gun, by attaching a breach thereby fashioning a formidable homemade weapon. Unfortunately for Hoser, the breach blew up, taking his index finger and right thumb with it. “Hoser” had the doctors remove his right big toe and attach it to his right hand.
Hoser now used his three fingers and big toe to demonstrate he still had the dexterity to operate the trim button on the F-14’s stick. Hoser returned to flight status…but now ordained with the new call sign, “Toeser”
After leaving the Navy, Hoser began a new direction flying Fire Tankers for Cal Fire. It did not take long for Joe to earn a reputation as one hell of a fire attack pilot who cared far more about superior airmanship, than he did about paperwork.. and became known as Joe “In the smoke ’till I croak” Satrapa
 
Sadly, on March 17th 2019…Joe “Hoser” “In the smoke ’till I croak” Satrapa, a true aviation legend….flew West
Following is an excerpt is taken from “Top Gun – The Navy’s Fighter Weapons School” by George Hall
“No dissertation on present-day section tactics, or on naval aviation in general, could be considered complete without a brace of “Hoser” stories.
In the micro world of perhaps 400 Tomcat pilots, a few legendary gonzo maniacs are going to bubble to the surface. Joe “Hoser” Satrapa was already famous in Vietnam as a young and utterly fearless F-8 pilot who regularly carried a good forty pounds of lethal ordnance- leaning toward small automatic weapons and hand grenades- in case he was suddenly compelled to leave his aircraft and carry the battle directly to the little bad guys in the jungle.
Guns were Hoser’s game in the air; he flew the four-gun Crusader – which many Navy pilots still regard as the [deleted] machine of all time- in Southeast Asia, and he’d never been forced to rely totally on missiles like his Navy Phantom cohorts.
After negotiations that would shame the pro football draft, Hoser was dragooned back into the Tomcat front seat as a RAG guns instructor. This, after personal entreaties from the highest levels up and including Secretary of the Navy John Lehman, himself a Reserve naval aviator.
Many active pilots and RIOs well remember Hoser’s delivery of manic harangues to fuzzy-cheeked newcomers from the RAG.
In his patented Yosemite Sam voice he would whip the lads, and invariably himself, into a lethal frenzy: “Pull on the pole till the rivets pop and the RIO pukes! No kill like a guns kill! A Lima up the tailpipe is too good for any Gomer! Close with the miserable Commie [deleted] and put a few rounds of twenty-twenty-mike-mike through his canopy!
If he hits the silk, gun his ass while he swings!” Hoser would then pace the corridor, bumping into hapless petty officers, muttering oaths, trying to re-align his internal INS.
Hoser also knew a thing or two about the element of surprise. During the much-maligned AIMVAL-ACEVAL fighter trials of a decade ago, Hoser was put in a 1 V 1 against a Navy Aggressor flying an F-5.
As the two combatants sat side-by-side on the Nellis runway, awaiting tower clearance for a second takeoff, Hoser looked over at his opponent, reached his hand up over the control panel, and mimicked the cocking of machine guns in a World War I Spad.
A thumbs up came from the other cockpit- guns it would be, the proverbial knife fight in a phone booth, forget the missiles. Both jets blasted off.
In the area, the fighters set up twenty miles apart for a head-on intercept under ground control.
Seven miles from the merge, with closure well over 1000 knots, Hoser called “Fox One” – Sparrow missile away, no chance of a miss. As they flashed past each other, the furious F-5 driver radioed, “What the hell was that all about?” “Sorry.” said Hoser, “lost my head. Let’s set up again. Guns only, I promise.”
Remember Charlie Brown, Lucy, and the football? Again the two fighters streaked towards the pass, again at seven miles Hoser called “Fox One.” The Aggressor was apoplectic; he was also coming up on bingo fuel state, a common situation in the short-legged F-5.
Hoser was first back to the club bar, nursing an end-of-the-day cold one as the flushed Aggressor stomped in. “Hoser, what the hell happened to credibility?” fumed the F-5 jock. Said Hoser, with accompanying thumb gestures, “Credibility is DOWN, kill ratio is UP!”
It’s a popular Top Gun story, and it’s moral isn’t lost on students or teachers. From 1 V 1 to forty-plane furball, expect anything. But never expect your enemy to be a sweet guy.”
– George Hall
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The Green Machine This great Nation & Its People War

The Battle of Lanzerath Ridge – How 18 American Soldiers Stopped the Entire 1st SS Panzer Division

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This great Nation & Its People War

Wake Island Escapers – US Heroes in Japanese Occupied China

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This great Nation & Its People

High Powered Armory full auto M249 M46

I myself would not of put this on Youtube. But hey is still a semi free country, right? Grumpy

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All About Guns The Green Machine This great Nation & Its People War

Machine Guns Of The American Expeditionary Force In World War I by TOM LAEMLEIN

yank_lede_us3-hotchkiss-mg-company-2nd-brigade-mg-battalion-freissy-fra-5-18.jpg

In April 1917, America’s armed forces were barely ready for a border skirmish with Mexican revolutionaries and bandits, much less the full-on slaughterhouse of the First World War. American small arms were excellent with the glaring exception of machine guns, of which the U.S. Army had very few. American military leaders had not yet learned the brutal lesson of the Great War for a new century: that automatic arms dominated the battlefield.


U.S. troops on the Mexican border with the Maxim Machine Gun, Caliber .30, Model of 1904. This was the first rifle-caliber heavy machine gun in U.S. Army service, however none of these guns were used by the AEF in France.

Just 18 months later, the situation had changed dramatically. At the end of World War I, American troops fielded the most complete and powerful set of infantry weapons the world had ever seen. By brave application of the force of arms coupled with our national design and manufacturing ingenuity, the United States transformed from a lesser Allied nation to an international superpower and world leader.


A wartime illustration depicting U.S. troops manning what looks like a cross between a British Vickers and an American Browning M1917 machine gun.

Here are a few of the machine guns in use by the American Expeditionary Force (AEF) in France:

The French “Fusil Mitrailleur Modele 1915 CSRG”, or Automatic Rifle, Model 1915 (Chauchat). Regardless of its official title, American troops called the less-than-reliable Chauchat many names that cannot be repeated here. The most widely manufactured automatic arm of World War I, the Chauchat was a good early concept for an automatic rifle, but quite poorly produced. The AEF used the Chauchat in large numbers, chambered in its original French 8 mm Lebel. Subsequent attempts to chamber the Chauchat in the U.S. .30-‘06 cartridge ended in disaster, with the guns essentially unusable and quickly withdrawn.


U.S. troops training with the French designed and built “Automatic Rifle, Model 1915 (Chauchat).” Widely despised by American troops for its shoddy construction and subsequent unreliability, the “damned, jammed Chauchat” still served American troops throughout the battles of 1918. Three American Chauchat gunners earned the Medal of Honor.

The French Hotchkiss M1914 Machine Gun served as the AEF’s primary heavy machine gun until the Browning M1917 machine gun became available later in 1918. The 8 mm Hotchkiss proved to be accurate, reliable and adaptable. It was initially fed with 24-round metal strips, and later in 1917 an articulated metal belt was adopted. Hotchkiss machine guns were widely used in the burgeoning anti-aircraft role, and were also installed in many of the FT-17 tanks that were operated by the American Tank Corps.


The most common heavy machine gun in the hands of the AEF was the French 8 mm M1914 Hotchkiss. Sturdy, heavy, reliable and adaptable, about 7,000 of them served with American forces in France.

British Automatic Arms: Two American divisions were attached to the British in the Somme area, and thus spent some time using the .303 cal. Lewis Light Machine Gun, the Hotchkiss Portative light machine gun, and the Vickers Machine Gun in combat during 1918.


Marines training at Quantico with a Lewis Gun during 1916. While the Lewis was very popular with the USMC, the Marines’ Lewis guns were taken away and replaced with the less reliable French Chauchat machine rifle.

Browning M1917 .30 cal. Machine Gun: About 1,200 of John Browning’s heavy water-cooled machine guns saw service during the last three months of World War I. Very quickly, the M1917’s reliability, accuracy and rate of fire became legendary. The water-cooled M1917 served with U.S. forces in World War I, between the wars, throughout World War II, the Korean War, until phased out of U.S. service in the late 1950s.


Val Browning (son of the designer, John Moses Browning) test fires one of his father’s incredible designs, the Browning M1917 .30 cal. heavy machine gun. Fielded late in the war, the M1917 nonetheless established a reputation for reliability and accuracy.


These men of the 80th Infantry Division were armed with a Browning M1917 machine gun, which featured a “beer can” flash hider.

Browning Automatic Rifle: John Browning’s genius automatic rifle design only saw service very late in the war, beginning in about mid-September 1918. Regardless, the BAR quickly proved to be the finest light automatic of the war, impressing enemies and allies alike. First World War BAR gunners were initially provided with a special cup-like device, mounted on their cartridge belts, designed to hold the butt of the BAR stock firmly in place and enable the concept of “walking fire.” The walking fire concept proved to be completely impractical, but the BAR went on to be legendary, serving with U.S. forces even into the Vietnam War.


The outstanding Browning Automatic Rifle flanked by the French-built M1915 Chauchat in 8 mm Lebel (right) and the “American M1918 Chauchat” in .30-‘06 (left). Unfortunately for U.S. troops, the BAR did not reach frontline troops until the very end of the war, and the M1918 Chauchat in U.S. .30 cal. was almost completely non-functional.


Val Browning tries out a M1918 Browning Automatic Rifle in the “walking fire” style in France during 1918.

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All About Guns This great Nation & Its People

George Washington’s Guns by EVAN BRUNE

Washington’s Gun

Washington’s Gun

Feb. 22, 2022, marked George Washington’s 290th birthday, and nearly three centuries on, there are still many surviving artifacts that give us some insight into his life and character. From extant accounts and records, it’s not much of a stretch to say that Washington, apart from being our nation’s first president, was also a gun guy.

He accumulated many personal arms, from sporting rifles to hunting fowlers to finely finished flintlock pistols. At the time of his death, Washington had approximately 19 pistols, three rifles, four muskets and nine fowling pieces, according to Milton F. Perry, the former curator of the West Point Museum. Of these guns, few survive into the present day as known, documented arms with a chain of custody stretching back to the great man.

Of those existing examples, one pair of pistols is highlighted in the February 2022 issue of American Rifleman in the story by Mark Sage titled “Washington’s Pistols At West Point” starting on p. 50. Another striking pair of flintlock saddle pistols known to have been in Washington’s possession is the one shown here. The “Washington-Lafayette Pistols” are so-called because they were a gift from the Marquis de Lafayette to Washington during the American Revolution.

These guns, which were profiled by Mark Sage in a previous article can be seen at the Fort Ligonier Museum in Ligonier, Pa.

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All About Guns The Green Machine This great Nation & Its People War

Riflemen On The Front Lines by BILL SHADEL

WWII Illustration

From The June 1944 Issue Of American Rifleman

In peacetime, when we talk of rifle shooting and rifle training and rifle competition, the general public thinks it’s just the hobby of a few—a small-time sport. Even in wartime, it takes time and battle experience to get down to the fundamentals. But now, just as in World War I, we’re learning that riflemen count, and that too much emphasis cannot be placed on their training. For battle riflemen aren’t made in a day, nor even in a few weeks on the range.

Here are some stories you haven’t seen in your daily papers—because these men are not heroes; they’re just good all-around riflemen:

On Mt. Castellone, one day in February, a two-hour Boche barrage heralded an attack by two German battalions on a ridge held by one platoon of one company of one battalion of the 36th Division. Two platoons were sent up to help meet that attack—less than a company, riflemen, with a few ’03 grenade launchers and a supply of grenades for close quarters—against two well-armed German battalions.

Platoon Sergeant H.C. Pruett, of Brownwood, Texas, was in charge of one of those two supporting platoons. The first platoon was already engaged when Pruett arrived. The Jerries had some four hundred yards to cover. Pruett threw his men into the fight as riflemen, in the prone or kneeling position according to each man’s locations. As riflemen, they started picking off Germans. The Boche were coming on in groups of three or four, running, ducking, hitting cover, rising to charge again. Pruett himself knocked down seven out of five different groups, getting one and sometimes two as each group made its short rush forward.

“The guys all around me were doing the same,” Pruett says. “We made ‘em pay for that yardage! But a few finally got up to within about fifty yards of us and we started heavin’ hand grenades.” That was a hot spot for Pruett and he was thankful the ‘03s would still work, for their rifle grenades were effective. “Must have had too much oil on the M1s,” he suggested. But he had some very definite opinions about marksmanship! “It pays off,” he said. “Every man ought to know his rifle, and how to shoot it. Hunting, back home, helped me. I’ve heard a lot of fellows say the same.”

Sergeant J.B. Johnson of Gustine, Texas, put the whole story of marksmanship in a few words when he said, “I don’t want a fellow around me that can’t shoot! He’s no help, and he’s just usin’ up ammunition—which, around these mountains, you can’t carry enough of, or get more!”

Yes, it pays. One hundred and thirty-two dead Germans were found in front of that ridge position. In the three defending platoons, only three men were hit with small-arms fire.