US Military History Throughout The Years

Short bits of history you know and some you may not!

• The ROE Changes: Saturday, June 26, 1965 – General Westmoreland, the senior commander of US forces in Vietnam, is given authority to commit US troops to battle. This authority is decided upon times when it is deemed necessary to strengthen Government of Vietnam forces, the allied South Vietnamese. This allowed Gen Westmoreland to put America finally on the offensive, before this American troops were limited to defensive actions around their airbases and other areas held by the US.
• Jubilee Day: Monday, June 19, 1865 – Freedom Day, Jubilee Day, Liberation Day. All alternate names for the now official holiday Juneteenth. This day is remembered as the day slaves finally heard that they were free in Texas after the end of the Civil War. In Galveston, General Granger would read the Federal orders ending slavery. Due to the distance of Texas from the rest of the Union and the low number of Union troops in the area, enforcement of the Emancipation Proclamation had been slow and inconsistent. Celebrations of this day can be traced back to 1866 and they would grow across the South, typically centered around celebratory festivals. Currently it is not a National Holiday but within 47 States it is a recognized holiday.
• Not Worth a Continental: Thursday, June 22, 1775 – Just as Colonial Leaders began to lead troops into battle during the Revolutionary War they encountered a problem, they had no money to fund a war. Several European countries supported the Patriots early on with loans, but debt was quickly growing. As a result the Continental Congress authorized the printing of some $2-3 million bills of credit. With no legitimate backing for value the bills worth quickly skyrocketed with inflation. The phrase “not worth a Continental” quickly came about and America would resist changing back to paper currency till the Civil War. A recent study estimated that the war cost the newly born US around the equivalent of $2.4 billion in todays dollars.
• Shots Fired: Monday, June 22, 1942 – The Imperial Japanese submarine I-25 fired 17 rounds from their 14 cm deck gun at Ft. Stevens, on the west coast of the US mainland. The Civil War era fort sat along the mouth of the Columbia River in Oregon. The short shelling caused little damage to the surrounding area, with no rounds damaging the fort. The submarine would evade responding American aircraft after the attack. After escaping the I-25 would resume operations across the Pacific Ocean, finally being sank in September 1943. This attack along with others would only increase American support for the Internment of Japanese people living in America.

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