Category: Hard Nosed Folks Both Good & Bad

Marine, Medal of Honor Recipient, Reunited with Stolen Weapon

Post author By Grumpy
Post date November 9, 2021
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(You have to be a real asshole not to have a allergy attack with your eyes on this story! Grumpy)

Here’s a story to warm the cockles of your heart…

A historic Colt .45-caliber, semi-automatic pistol stolen more than 30 years ago from a Medal of Honor ~~winner~~ recipient in South Carolina has been returned to its rightful owner.
The gun and owner were reunited after a history buff in Medford, who bought the old handgun in an online auction last month, tracked down the retired Marine whose name is engraved on it.

Pretty cool, huh? I’d guess there’d be some people who would see a weapon like that, engraved with the name of a Medal of Honor recipient and see dollar signs. This guy just saw the right thing to do.

“I knew if I found him and it was his gun, I couldn’t keep it,” said George Berry, 71, who knew little about the history of the gun when he purchased it from an auction house in Pennsylvania.
The story begins when Berry, a retired Navy warrant officer who also served in the Marine Corps, decided this summer to fulfill a lifelong dream of owning one of the historic handguns.
“I’ve always wanted to own a Colt Model 1911 .45 automatic — always wanted one,” he says. “John Wayne had one in every World War II movie I’ve ever seen him in.”
Early in July, he began searching the Internet and discovered that Alderfer Auction, a well-known auction firm in Hatfield, Pa., would be offering three of the Colt .45s in a July 12 auction.
In particular, lot No. 78 caught his eye: “Colt 1911 A1 semi-automatic pistol. Cal. 45. 5″ bbl. SN 0103889. Reblued finish on all metal, plain walnut Colt grips, after-market rear sight, no magazine,” the description read.
“Faint ‘USMC’ stamped on right side of slide, partial ‘United States Property’ wording is visible,” it continued. “The name ‘John J. McGinty USMC’ stamped on left side of slide. Very good.”

You can read John McGinty’s MoH citation here.
The pistol had been reblued, was missing its original sights or grips. It sold for a lot less at the auction than two other .45s. The new owner started searching the Internet to see what he could find out about this fellow whose name was on the pistol. Turns out, John McGinty had been awarded the Medal of Honor, and that very pistol was mentioned in his citation for the Medal.

As he read more about McGinty and his story, he knew he had to locate him to see if he was the same man who once owned the gun. He also wanted to find out how he parted with the pistol, and whether the former Marine wanted it back.
“His medal citation actually mentions the pistol,” Berry observed, referring to the fact the wounded McGinty used it to kill five enemy soldiers attacking his position.
However, Berry did not yet know whether it was the same McGinty associated with his newly acquired pistol. He used the Internet to track down McGinty, 71, in Beaufort, S.C. McGinty had retired from the corps as a captain in October 1976.
The retired Navy warrant officer called the retired Marine Corps officer and asked him if it was his pistol.
“He said, ‘Do you mean 0103889?’ ” Berry recalled, noting McGinty had just recited the gun’s serial number.
That’s when McGinty informed him the pistol had been stolen in 1978 when it was on display along with his uniform and sword. It was the very same pistol McGinty had used in Vietnam to repulse that final assault.

So, John McGinty was reunited with the pistol that saved his life and George Berry, the man who returned it to him refused to take any money for it. It was just the right thing to do.
Read the rest here.

Hard Nosed Folks Both Good & Bad Leadership of the highest kind Soldiering War

Gary Beikirch, Medal of Honor, Vietnam War

Post author By Grumpy
Post date November 9, 2021
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What a Stud is all that I can say about this Great American! Grumpy

Cops Hard Nosed Folks Both Good & Bad

Good Riddance, says I !

How Did Dutch Schultz Get Killed? - Death Photos - The NCS

Dutch Schultz was shot on October 23, 1935, while he was at the Palace Chop House restaurant at 12 East Park Street in Newark, along with Otto Berman, his accountant; Abe Landau, his new chief lieutenant; and his personal bodyguard, Bernard “Lulu” Rosenkrantz.

The machine gunners who mowed down Dutch Schultz and three aids in this Newark restaurant, turned their weapons on the Bronx racketeer as he emerged from door at far end of bar where police are congregated (photo). Berman died first, followed by Landau, then Schultz. Rosenkrantz was the last to die, 29 hours after the shooting.

Murder Inc. hitmen, Mendy Weiss and Charles Workman, carried out the hit with Seymour Schechter waiting in the car as their driver. Under orders, Schechter drove away with Weiss, leaving Workman at the scene to make sure the job was completed. Workman, unhappy with being left behind, filed a grievance with Murder Inc. against Weiss and Schechter. The grievance was upheld and Schechter was killed by Murder Inc.

In 1944, Weiss was executed in the electric chair for another murder. Workman was caught, tried for the murder and spent 23 years in jail. Upon release he went “straight” and got a job as a salesman in the garment district. He died in 1979

Hard Nosed Folks Both Good & Bad Manly Stuff

Here is the youngest and oldest living Medal of Honor recipients taking a picture together. Stolen from The daily Timewaster a great Blog by the way!

Here is Hershel Williams Medal of Honor citation signed by Harry Truman: “For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty as Demolition Sergeant serving with the First Battalion, Twenty-First Marines, Third Marine Division, in action against enemy Japanese forces on Iwo Jima, Volcano Island, 23 February 1945. Quick to volunteer his services when our tanks were maneuvering vainly to open a lane for the infantry through the network of reinforced concrete pillboxes, buried mines and black, volcanic sands, Corporal Williams daringly went forward alone to attempt the reduction of devastating machine-gun fire from the unyielding positions. Covered only by four riflemen, he fought desperately for four hours under terrific enemy small-arms fire and repeatedly returned to his own lines to prepare demolition charges and obtain serviced flame throwers, struggling back, frequently to the rear of hostile emplacements, to wipe out one position after another. On one occasion he daringly mounted a pillbox to insert the nozzle of his flame thrower through the air vent, kill the occupants and silence the gun; on another he grimly charged enemy riflemen who attempted to stop him with bayonets and destroyed them with a burst of flame from his weapon. His unyielding determination and extraordinary heroism in the face of ruthless enemy resistance were directly instrumental in neutralizing one of the most fanatically defended Japanese strong points encountered by his regiment and aided in enabling his company to reach its objective. Corporal Williams’ aggressive fighting spirit and valiant devotion to duty throughout this fiercely contested action sustain and enhance the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service.”

***

Lance Corporal William “Kyle” Carpenter, United States Marine Corps, for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty while serving as an Automatic Rifleman with Company F, 2d Battalion, 9th Marines, Regimental Combat Team 1, 1st Marine Division (Forward), 1 Marine Expeditionary Force (Forward), in Helmand Province, Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom on 21 November 2010. Lance Corporal Carpenter was a member of a platoon-sized coalition force, comprised of two reinforced Marine squads partnered with an Afghan National Army squad. The platoon had established Patrol Base Dakota two days earlier in a small village in the Marjah District in order to disrupt enemy activity and provide security for the local Afghan population. Lance Corporal Carpenter and a fellow Marine were manning a rooftop security position on the perimeter of Patrol Base Dakota when the enemy initiated a daylight attack with hand grenades, one of which landed inside their sandbagged position. Without hesitation, and with complete disregard for his own safety, Lance Corporal Carpenter moved toward the grenade in an attempt to shield his fellow Marine from the deadly blast. When the grenade detonated, his body absorbed the brunt of the blast, severely wounding him, but saving the life of his fellow Marine. By his undaunted courage, bold fighting spirit, and unwavering devotion to duty in the face of almost certain death, Lance Corporal Carpenter reflected great credit upon himself and upheld the highest traditions of the Marine Corps and the United States Naval Service.”

A Victory! Hard Nosed Folks Both Good & Bad I am so grateful!! Manly Stuff One Hell of a Good Fight Our Great Kids Stand & Deliver This great Nation & Its People

Makes one proud to be an American!

Post author By Grumpy
Post date September 12, 2021
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Todd Beamer – A true American hero if ever there was one.

This is the word-for-word transcript of Todd’s phone call reporting the hijacking of Flight 93.

Todd: Hello… Operator…listen to me…I can’t speak very loud. – This is an emergency. I’m a passenger on a United flight to San Francisco.. We have a situation here….Our plane has been hijacked…..can you understand me?

Lisa: (exhaling a deep breath to herself) I understand… Can the hijackers see you talking on the phone?

Todd: No

Lisa: Can you tell me how many hijackers are on the plane?

Todd: There are three that we know of.

Lisa: Can you see any weapons? What kind of weapons do they have?

Todd: Yes…. they don’t have guns….they have knives – they took over the plane with knives.

Lisa: Do you mean…like steak knives?

Todd: No, these are razor knives…like box cutters.

Lisa: Can you tell what country these people are from?

Todd: No…..I don’t know. They sound like they’re from the mid-east.

Lisa: Have they said what they want?

Todd: Someone announced from the cockpit that there was a bomb on board. He said he was the captain and to stay in our seats and stay quiet.

He said that they were meeting these men’s demands and returning to the airport… It was very broken English, and… I’m telling you…it sounded fake!

Lisa: Ok sir, please give me your name.

Todd: My name is Todd Beamer.

Lisa: Ok Todd….my name is Lisa…Do you know your flight number? If you can’t remember, it’s on your ticket.

Todd: It’s United Flight 93.

Lisa: Now Todd, can you try to tell me exactly what happened?

Todd: Two of the hijackers were sitting in first class near the cockpit. A third one was sitting near the back of the coach section. The two up. front got into the cockpit somehow; there was shouting. The third hijacker said he had a bomb. It looks like a bomb. He’s got it tied to his waist with a red belt of some kind.

Lisa: So is the door to the cockpit open?

Todd: No, the hijackers shut it behind them.

Lisa: Has anyone been injured?

Todd: Yes, ..they…they killed one passenger sitting in first class. There’s been lots of shouting. We don’t know if the pilots are dead or alive. A flight attendant told me that the pilot and copilot had been forced from the cockpit and may have been wounded.

Lisa: Where is the 3rd hijacker now Todd?

Todd: He’s near the back of the plane. They forced most of the passengers into first class. There are fourteen of us here in the back. Five are flight attendants. He hasn’t noticed that I slipped into this pantry to get the phone. The guy with the bomb ordered us to sit on the floor in the rear of the plane……….oh Jesus.. Help!

Lisa: Todd….are you ok? Tell me what’s happening!

Todd: Hello…..We’re going down….I think we’re going to crash……Wait – wait a minute. No, we’re leveling off….we’re ok. I think we may be turning around…..That’s it – we changed directions. Do you hear me….we’re flying east again.

Lisa: Ok Todd…. What’s going on with the other passengers?

Todd: Everyone is… really scared. A few passengers with cell phones have made calls to relatives. A guy, Jeremy, was talking to his wife just before the hijacking started. She told him that hijackers had crashed two planes into the World Trade Center……Lisa is that true??

Lisa: Todd…..I have to tell you the truth…..it’s very bad. The World Trade Center is gone. Both of the towers have been destroyed.

Todd: Oh God —help us!

Lisa: A third plane was taken over by terrorists. It crashed into the Pentagon in Washington DC. Our country is under attack….and I’m afraid that your plane may be part of their plan.

Todd: Oh dear God. Dear God…….Lisa, will you do something for me?

Lisa: I’ll try….if I can….Yes.

Todd: I want you to call my wife and my kids for me and tell them what’s happened. Promise me you’ll call..

Lisa: I promise – I’ll call.

Todd: Our home number is 201 353-***3…….You have the same name as my wife…Lisa….We’ve been married for 10 years. She’s pregnant with our 3rd child. Tell her that I love her…….(choking up)..I’ll always love her..(clearing throat) We have two boys.. David, he’s 3 and Andrew, he’s 1…..Tell them……(choking) tell them that their daddy loves them and that he is so proud of them. (clearing throat again) Our baby is due January 12th…..I saw an ultra sound…..it was great….we still don’t know if it’s a girl or a boy………Lisa?

Lisa: (barely able to speak) I’ll tell them, I promise Todd.

Todd: I’m going back to the group—if I can get back I will…

Lisa: Todd, leave this line open…are you still there?……

Lisa: (dials the phone..) Hello, FBI, my name is Lisa Jefferson, I’m a telephone supervisor for GTE. I need to report a terrorist hijacking of a United Airlines Flight 93….Yes I’ll hold.

Goodwin: Hello, this is Agent Goodwin.. I understand you have a hijacking situation?

Lisa: Yes sir, I’ve been talking with a passenger, a Todd Beamer, on Flight 93 who managed to get to an air phone unnoticed.

Goodwin: Where did this flight originate, and what was its destination?

Lisa: The flight left Newark New Jersey at 8 A.M. departing for San Francisco. The hijackers took over the plane shortly after takeoff, and several minutes later the plane changed course – it is now flying east.

Goodwin: Ms. Jefferson…I need to talk to someone aboard that plane. Can you get me thru to the planes phone?

Lisa: I still have that line open sir, I can patch you through on a conference call…hold a mo…..

Todd: Hello Lisa, Lisa are you there?

Lisa: Yes, I’m here. Todd, I made a call to the FBI, Agent Goodwin is on the line and will be talking to you as well.

Todd: The others all know that this isn’t your normal hijacking. Jeremy called his wife again on his cell phone. She told him more about the World Trade Center and all.

Goodwin: Hello Todd. This is Agent Goodwin with the FBI. We have been monitoring your flight. Your plane is on a course for Washington, DC. These terrorists sent two planes into the World Trade Center and one plane into the Pentagon. Our best guess is that they plan to fly your plane into either the White House or the United States Capital Building.

Todd: I understand…hold on……I’ll…….I’ll be back..

Lisa: Mr. Goodwin, how much time do they have before they get to Washington?

Goodwin: Not long ma’am. They changed course over Cleveland; they’re approaching Pittsburgh now. Washington may be twenty minutes away.

Todd: (breathing a little heavier) The plane seems to be changing directions just a little. It’s getting pretty rough up here. The plane is flying real erratic….We’re not going to make it out of here. Listen to me….I want you to hear this….I have talked with the others….we have decided we would not be pawns in these hijackers suicidal plot.

Lisa: Todd, what are you going to do?

Todd: We’ve hatched a plan. Four of us are going to rush the hijacker with the bomb. After we take him out, we’ll break into the cockpit. A stewardess is getting some boiling water to throw on the hijackers at the controls. We’ll get them….and we’ll take them out. Lisa, …..will you do one last thing for me?

Lisa: Yes…What is it?

Todd: Would you pray with me?

They pray: Our father which art in Heaven

Hallowed be thy name,

Thy kingdom come, thy will be done

on earth as it is in heaven.

Give us this day our daily bread,

And forgive us our trespasses

As we forgive our trespassers,

And lead us not into temptation

But deliver us from evil

For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory

Forever…..Amen

The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want…

He makes me to lie down in green pastures

He leads me beside the still waters

He restores my soul

He leads me in paths of righteousness

for His name’s sake

Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death

I will fear no evil, for thou art with me…..

Todd: (softer) God help me…Jesus help me….(clears throat and louder)

Are you guys ready?……..

Let’s Roll.

All About Guns Hard Nosed Folks Both Good & Bad Our Great Kids

One of Seven ‘Skeeter Skelton’ .44 Special Custom Revolvers

Post author By Grumpy
Post date September 10, 2021
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Hard Nosed Folks Both Good & Bad

Otto Skorzeny: The Most Dangerous Man in Europe

Post author By Grumpy
Post date September 2, 2021
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All About Guns Hard Nosed Folks Both Good & Bad

Johnny Ringo’s Colt SAA Up for Auction! by MAX SLOWIK

Post author By Grumpy
Post date August 27, 2021
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The infamous Johnny Ringo’s Colt Single Action Army revolver is up for auction at the Bonhams auction house, and it’s expected to bring in high bids this week. An 1894 Colt, .45-caliber handgun with a 7.25-inch barrel, the gun has a strong provenance tied to the legendary events of old Tombstone, Arizona, following the shootout at the OK Corral.

John Peters Ringo was a standout outlaw often associated with the Cochise County Cowboys, the gang that drew the attention of the Earp brothers along with John “Doc” Holliday. Following the events that lead to the shooting deaths of several Cochise County Cowboy members, Johnny Ringo was found dead with a single shot to the head, holding this revolver.

“Serial no. 222 for 1874, .45 caliber, 7.25-inch barrel with single line address,” reads the auction listing. “Doughnut ejector. US mark on left side of frame (partially defaced), inspectors marks on barrel. Serial number partially visible on frame and trigger guard. Number on cylinder defaced.”

“Condition: Good,” they continue. “Generally no finish with traces of blue on ejector housing balance a brown patina. Toe of left grip missing. Worn grips with no visible inspectors marks. Cylinder possibly replaced. Barrel shortened through wear. A very early martially marked single action.”

While Ringo’s death was ruled a suicide by the presiding Cochise County coroner and sheriff’s office, the revolver appeared unfired with five shots chambered in the cylinder. After his death rumors that he was killed by Wyatt Earp, Doc Holliday or “Buckshot” Frank Leslie started to make the rounds.

The documents of the provenance state “Johnny Ringo, found in his hand in Morse Canyon (mentioned by serial number, containing five cartridges, in inquest document, ‘Statement for the information of the Coroner and Sheriff of Cochise County, A.T.,’ 1882); by descent to Mrs. Prigmore; to Allen Erwin (bill of sale, signed by Erwin and by Mrs. Prigmore’s son Donald Wilson, on her behalf); by descent to Francis Huffstadter (signed Power of Attorney, May 2, 1979; sold European and American Firearms, Sotheby Parke Bernet, Los Angeles, 1980, to Jim and Theresa Earle.”

While reports at the time record that Ringo may have been suicidal, and a heavy drinker, when he was found with his horse, he not only had this revolver, he had also taken off his boots and tied them upside-down to keep out any scorpions or other pests.