State Guard Association of the United States

The State Guard Association of the United States (SGAUS) is a non-profit organization advocating for the advancement and support of regulated state military forces, as established by state governments under the authority of federal law. The SGAUS encourages the establishment and advancement of regulated state forces through lobbying and affiliation with independent state associations. There were twenty-two independent SGAUS recognized state associations in 2008. State associations are separate entities—typically 501(c)(3) corporations—and are not components of the SGAUS corporation, the SGAUS Foundation, or the respective states. When petitioned, the SGAUS recognizes lawful, state-level associations with twenty-five or more members who are seeking to establish state defense forces.
History of SDFs and SGAUS.
From its founding until the early 1900s, the United States maintained only a minimal army and relied on state militias to supply the majority of its troops. In 1903, the predecessor to the modern-day National Guard was formed to augment the militia and Regular Army with a federally controlled reserve force. In 1933, Congress finalized the split between the National Guard and the state defense forces by mandating that all federally funded soldiers take a dual enlistment/commission and thus enter both the state National Guard and the National Guard of the United States (a branch of the federal reserves). This division forced states to maintain both a National Guard and a state defense force if they desired to have non-federal soldiers. During World War II, much of the National Guard was deployed on federal duty. Many states continued to maintain distinct state militias (some building on ones that never ceased to exist) to defend their own territories and shorelines. In the 1980s, many state defense forces began to be reformed and activated. As a result, the State Defense Force Association of the United States was formed in 1985. The name was later changed in 1993 to the State Guard Association of the United States. As of 2020, the SGAUS has members from eighteen states and territories.
SGAUS Foundation, Inc..
In 2006, the SGAUS Board of Directors created the SGAUS Foundation as an independent 501(c)(3) non-profit organization to focus on education, public awareness, and outreach programs that support the advancement and support of regulated state defense forces. A current list of SGAUS foundation officers can be found on the SGAUS website's Leadership page.
Training and certification programs.
The SGAUS offers various certification programs for its members.
Military Emergency Management Specialist program
The SGAUS Military Emergency Management Specialist (MEMS) program was created in 1998. The program is structured around the Federal Emergency Management Agency's National Incident Management System (NIMS) and Incident Command System (ICS). The MEMS program curriculum includes online Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) NIMS and ICS courses offered free of charge through FEMA's Emergency Management Institute's (EMI) Independent Study Program. In addition to online FEMA courses, students are required to complete operational practicums that incorporate the learning objectives of the online FEMA courses.
The MEMS Academy curricula are based on the idea of developing areas of common knowledge required at different levels of responsibility in emergency response and use accepted, validated courses available throughout the nation. The principle behind the several MEMS curricula is that individuals with Basic MEMS qualification will have operational understanding of the principles of emergency management, including mitigation, preparedness, emergency response and recovery and have knowledge, skills and abilities needed to effectively work within a comprehensive emergency management operation. Those with Senior and Master level qualification will be able to lead and plan incident response efforts of increasing complexity.
Certification in the MEMS program consists of three levels: basic, senior, and master, with traditional military style badges awarded to students upon completion of each level. In addition to the badges, those students who participate in operational missions may be awarded a distinctive flash, which is worn behind the badge.
For a short time, there was a MEMS Command and Staff College operated by the SGAUS. Students who successfully completed this program were awarded the MEMS Command and Staff College Unit Citation.
Chaplain’s School and College
The SGAUS Chaplain School and College provides materials of study, discussion forums, and classroom training related to field of military chaplaincy for state defense force chaplains and chaplain assistants.
Engineer Specialty Qualification Identification Designation (ESQiD)
The SGAUS Engineer Specialty Qualification Identification Program (ESQiD) was created in 2015, to provide state guard forces with a means of identifying soldiers as qualified in those engineering skills needed during state emergencies. The program was structured with the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s National Incident Management Structure (NIMS) and included online Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) NIMS and Independent Course Study (ICS) Courses offered free of charge through FEMA’s Emergency Management Institute (EMI) Independent Study Program.
Prerequisites for entry into the ESQiD Program include active membership in a sponsoring state defense force, medical clearance, completion of SDF Basic Military Training, and completion of the Military Emergency Management Specialist-Basic program.
Engineer Common Skills Training includes Land Navigation, Field Sanitation, Job Site Safety Courses, field communications with SDF utilized communications equipment, and Hazardous materials awareness.
Engineer Specific Skill Training includes completion of several FEMA training courses and SDF training courses based upon the SDF Engineer Unit Mission Essential Training List (METL). Each state develops its own specific Engineer METL and the courses required to qualify an engineer candidate for designation as an Engineer. The Engineer METL is a primary part of the development of the list of qualification training courses designed to produce an Engineer capable of working on typical disasters and emergencies with practical engineering knowledge in that state. The final part of the examination process is a field practicum involving engineering activities in high stress environments, followed by an Oral Review Board. Upon successful completion of all aspects the State Director of Engineer Training approves the award of the Engineer Specialty Qualification Badge, in either Gold or Silver. Each state sets their own standards for use of either the Gold Engineer Badge, the Silver Engineer Badge, or both badges. A black badge is also authorized, for wear on subdued combat uniforms by either holders of the gold or silver badge.
Follow up training is often conducted to keep the Engineer soldier up to date on the latest problem solving solutions. Persons with heavy construction experience such as erecting multi-story buildings, constructing roads and bridges, and so forth, are of great value to the Engineer unit.
Provisional, non-profit, and other volunteer groups.
A limited number of groups have not achieved state recognition as state defense forces and have lingered for years as “provisional” or "non-profit" groups. Past-SGAUS recognition of these groups has generated dissent with some SGAUS members. These groups which are not recognized in their states as SDF's have modeled themselves after regulated state defense forces by assigning ranks, wearing uniforms, and conducting training operations. Groups that identify themselves as “provisional” or "non-profit" included the Florida Defense Forces Association Inc., the District of Columbia Defense Force Association, Inc., the North Carolina State Guard Association, Inc., and the Colorado Defense Force (Provisional). Some non-state recognized groups have found other missions that support their communities.
Legislative efforts.
The organization has supported several legislative efforts related to the establishment or support of state defense forces :


Peter Marshall (entertainer)

Ralph Pierre LaCock (born March 30, 1926), better known by his stage name Peter Marshall, is an American game show host, television and radio personality, singer, and actor. He was the original host of "The Hollywood Squares" from 1966 to 1981 and has almost fifty television, movie, and Broadway credits.
Marshall was given his stage name by John Robert Powers. Powers had chosen the last name Marshall for his sister (who later chose to use Joanne Dru instead), and Peter adopted it early in his career and paired it with an anglicized version of his middle name.
Early life.
Marshall was born Ralph Pierre LaCock on March 30, 1926, to Ralph and Jean LaCock, a show business family, in Huntington, West Virginia. Following his father's suicide when Marshall was ten, he moved to New York City to be with his mother, a costume designer. After he graduated from high school, he was drafted into the Army in 1944 and stationed in Italy. He was originally in the artillery, but was recruited to be a disc jockey at a radio station in Naples. He was discharged in 1946 with the rank of staff sergeant.
His elder sister Joan became the film and television actress known as Joanne Dru. She was best known for her roles in such films as "Red River", "She Wore a Yellow Ribbon", and "All the King's Men".
Early career.
In the 1950s, Marshall earned his living as part of a comedy act with Tommy Noonan, and they appeared in night clubs, on television variety shows, and in films including "Starlift" (1951), "The Rookie" (1959) and "Swingin' Along" (1962). He appeared in the 1958 episode "The Big Hoax" of the syndicated television series "Harbor Command". In 1963, he appeared as Lucy's brother-in-law, Hughie, in "The Lucy Show" episode "Lucy's Sister Pays A Visit".
Career.
"The Hollywood Squares".
Although Marshall occasionally worked in film and television, he could not find regular work in the industry until his friend Morey Amsterdam recommended him to fill in for Bert Parks (who emceed the pilot) as the host of the game show "The Hollywood Squares" in 1966. Though Marshall did not initially want the job, he took it in order to ensure that rival comic Dan Rowan would not get it. He expected to spend 13 weeks as host, then return to Broadway, but ultimately hosted for 15 years and more than 5,000 episodes.
The show had a long run on daytime network TV and in syndication, making Marshall as familiar to viewers as the celebrities who appeared on the show. The easygoing and unflappable Marshall was a perfect foil for the wicked wit of such panelists as Amsterdam and his "Dick Van Dyke Show" castmate Rose Marie, Paul Lynde, Jan Murray, and Wally Cox. "The Hollywood Squares" was canceled by the NBC network in 1980, but production continued in syndication into 1981.
Television.
After the completion of the final run of "The Hollywood Squares" in 1981, Marshall continued working in game shows and playing character roles. He appeared on the game shows "Fantasy" (1982) with cohost Leslie Uggams, "All-Star Blitz" (1985), "Yahtzee" (1988), the "East Hollywood Squares" skit on "In Living Color" (1994), and "Reel to Reel" (1998).
In 1986, he portrayed Bob Kenny, game show host accused of murder of a game show contestant on an episode "To Live and Die on TV" on "Sledge Hammer!".
In 1989, Marshall hosted the unaired pilot for "3rd Degree!" (a Burt & Bert Production in association with Kline & Friends). When the series was picked up for syndication, show producer Bert Convy decided to leave his position as the host of the syndicated edition of "Win, Lose or Draw" and take Marshall's place on "3rd Degree". Marshall filed a lawsuit against Convy for the action, but later dropped it after Convy's diagnosis of terminal brain cancer was made public.
In 2002, he returned to the new version of "The Hollywood Squares" as a panelist during a Game Show Week hosted by Tom Bergeron. Marshall occupied the prestigious center square. For one day that week, Marshall took his old position at the podium to host while Bergeron was the center square.
Radio.
Marshall has been hosting a popular mid-day radio show for more than 15 years on the Music of Your Life syndicated radio network, currently broadcasting on AM, FM, and HD terrestrial radio stations across the United States, and around the world via the Internet here.
Time Life.
Marshall, along with co-host, singer Debby Boone, are featured in a successful infomercial presented by Time Life, the "Music of Your Life Collection". Featuring hit songs from the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s, the infomercial was re-released in 2016 after selling more than a million CDs a few years prior.
Other work.
In 1979, Marshall sang "Back Home Again in Indiana" at the Indianapolis 500.
In 1982, he had a small role in the film adaptation of "Annie" as radio announcer Bert Healy.
In 2002, Marshall published a book about his experiences, "Backstage With The Original Hollywood Square".
In 2009, he appeared on television promoting compact disc hits from the Big Band era, and also hosted a two-hour PBS special, "The Big Band Years". In 2010, Marshall, along with Monty Hall and Wink Martindale, appeared with their wives on a special Game Show Legend version of "The Newlywed Game". The special was hosted by Bob Eubanks; the Martindales won the game.
In 2014, Marshall returned to West Virginia to host four games of "The West Virginia Squares" as part of Charleston's FestivALL. The game, which featured questions about the state's history, included West Virginia notables such as Joyce Dewitt and Landon Murphy.
In 2017, he narrated the Rose Marie documentary film "Wait for Your Laugh".
Theater.
Broadway.
Marshall's Broadway credits include "Skyscraper," "La Cage aux Folles" and "The Music Man".
West End.
In London's 1962 West End production, Marshall appeared in the stage musical "Bye Bye Birdie", a satire on American popular culture in the 1950s inspired by singer Elvis Presley receiving a draft notice into the Army. Marshall played the lead character of Albert Peterson, who writes a song for the pop-singing sensation Conrad Birdie (played by Marty Wilde), opposite Chita Rivera. The production ran for 268 performances.
Personal life.
Marshall is married to his third wife, Laurie Stewart, and has four children and two stepchildren from his previous marriages. He has a home in Palm Desert, California. His son, Pete, is a former Major League Baseball player. The retired first baseman spent nine years playing for the Chicago Cubs and Kansas City Royals.
Awards.
Marshall won the Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Game Show Host four times. In 2006 he received the annual Bill Cullen Award for Lifetime Achievement, from the non-profit organization, Game Show Congress. On October 13, 2007, Marshall was one of the first inductees into the American TV Game Show Hall of Fame in Las Vegas.
In November 2013, Marshall was inducted into the West Virginia Music Hall of Fame. He was introduced by his friend, Nick Clooney.


General der Gebirgstruppe

General der Gebirgstruppe (Literally: General of the Mountain Troops) was a category of German Army three-star, a new example of the traditional German 'General der' rank introduced by the Wehrmacht in 1940, comparable to the NATO grade OF-8.
Rank and rank insignia.
The rank was equivalent to the long established "General der Kavallerie", "General der Artillerie" and "General der Infanterie". The Wehrmacht also introduced "General der Panzertruppe" (armoured troops), "General der Pioniere" (engineers), "General der Fallschirmtruppe" (parachute troops) and "General der Nachrichtentruppe" (communications troops).
Mountain Infantry (Gebirgsjäger) Generals were identifiable by their edelweiss sleeve and cap insignia and the mountain cap (bergmütze) worn instead of the peaked cap of officers from other branches of the Wehrmacht. In October 1942 an order was issued that general officers should have gold piping around the crown of the cap to distinguish them more readily from other ranks.


53rd Brigade (United Kingdom)

The 53rd Brigade was an infantry brigade of the British Army that saw active service in both the First and Second World Wars. In the First World War, the brigade served with 18th (Eastern) Division and during the Second with the 18th Infantry Division.
History.
First World War.
The 53rd Brigade was raised in 1914 during the Great War and was part of the 18th (Eastern) Division. Both the brigade and division were part of Lord Kitchener's New Armies and fought on the Western Front from 1915 to 1918.
Second World War.
After the war, the brigade and the division were disbanded in 1919. However, the brigade was reformed, as the 53rd Infantry Brigade, on 18 September 1939, after the outbreak of the Second World War, in the Territorial Army from the redesignation of the 163rd Infantry Brigade, originally part of the 54th (East Anglian) Infantry Division. The brigade was assigned to the 18th Infantry Division, a duplicate of 54th Division. During the early years of the war the brigade remained with the 18th Division in the United Kingdom, mainly on training duties and on home defence and anticipating a German invasion. However, the invasion never arrived. In late 1941, the brigade was sent, with the rest of 18th Division, overseas, initially to the Middle East but later to Singapore after Japan entered the war in December. The brigade landed first and fought in the short but bitter and violent Battle of Singapore where they were forced to surrender to the Imperial Japanese Army and became prisoners for the next three years, and received extremely harsh and degrading treatment.


290th Infantry Division (Wehrmacht)

The 290th Infantry Division was a German infantry division in World War II. It was formed in Munster Training Area and surrendered to Soviet forces in Courland.
History.
In the winter of 1941 the division was trapped in the Demyansk Pocket along with the 12th, 30th, 32nd and 123rd infantry divisions, and the SS-Division "Totenkopf", as well as RAD, Police, Todt organization and other auxiliary units, for a total of about 90,000 German troops and around 10,000 auxiliaries. Their commander was "General der Infanterie" Walter Graf von Brockdorff-Ahlefeldt, commander of the II. Armeekorps (2nd Army Corps).


26th Armoured Brigade (United Kingdom)

The 26th Armoured Brigade was part of the British Army during the Second World War.
History.
This brigade was converted from the British 1st Motor Machine Gun Brigade on 12 October 1940. It served with British 6th Armoured Division during the North African Campaign and then through the Italian Campaign. During this time it was briefly attached to the British 4th Infantry Division and the British 78th Infantry Division.


Military ranks of Trinidad and Tobago

The Military ranks of Trinidad and Tobago are the military insignia used by the Trinidad and Tobago Defence Force. As a member of the Commonwealth of Nations, Trinidad and Tobago shares a rank structure similar to that of the United Kingdom.
Commissioned officers.
The rank insignia for commissioned officers for the regiment, coast guard and Air Guard respectively.
Enlisted.
The rank insignia for enlisted personnel for the army, coast guard and Air Guard respectively.
Pre 2018 ranks.
Commissioned officers.
The rank insignia for commissioned officers for the regiment, coast guard and Air Guard respectively.
Enlisted.
The rank insignia for enlisted personnel for the army, coast guard and Air Guard respectively.


Panzer Badge

The Panzer Badge () was a World War II military decoration of Nazi Germany awarded to troops in armoured divisions. Before 1 June 1940 it was known as the "Panzerkampfwagenabzeichen".
Creation and eligibility.
Introduced on 20 December 1939, the Panzer Badge was authorized for award to tank crews who had actively participated in three armoured assaults on different days.<br>On 1 June 1940 a bronze version was created for panzer grenadier units equipped with armoured vehicles, as well as other infantry, armoured reconnaissance, armoured signals and medical units serving with Panzer divisions. From 31 December 1942 armoured unit repair teams could receive the silver badge for repairing tanks in combat conditions on three different days.
In June 1943 additional Tank Badges were instituted in both silver and bronze to reward participation in "25", "50", "75" and "100" armoured actions. The number of engagements required for these higher-level badges could be reduced for those with previous long and continuous frontline service or who had received disabling wounds. Only one badge, the highest level received, could be worn.
The authorization of these badges was usually done at regimental or divisional level.
Design and wear.
The badge is oval and consists of a three-quarters front image of a Panzer IV tank, surrounded by an oak wreath and surmounted by the Wehrmacht eagle and swastika. The badge for tank crews is silver in colour, with a bronze finish version for other eligible combatants serving with armoured divisions. The badge, measuring 42mm by 61mm, has a brooch pin and was worn on the left side of the tunic.
The versions for "25" and more engagements are of broadly the same design, but are slightly larger with a small plaque at the base of the wreath bearing the number of actions rewarded. While still issued in silver and bronze, the "25" and "50" silver versions show the tank with a black finish, with both the silver and bronze "75" and "100" badges having a gilded wreath. The "75" and "100" badges are wider, measuring 51mm by 60mm and were struck in a lightweight zinc alloy; ensuring that the larger pin did not pull inconveniently on the tunic.
1957 version.
After an initial ban, the Federal Republic of Germany re-authorized the wear of many World War II military decorations in 1957, including the Panzer Badge. Members of the Bundeswehr could wear the badge, redesigned to remove the eagle and swastika, on the ribbon bar, represented by a small replica of the award on a field grey ribbon.
Luftwaffe version.
Luftwaffe ground troops had been eligible for the Tank Badge from its creation. In November 1944 a special Luftwaffe version was approved, with the same award criteria as the existing badge, including the special awards for "25", "50", "75" and "100" engagements. The design followed the earlier badge, but with the Luftwaffe eagle and swastika replacing the folded-wing Wehrmacht eagle.
While awards of the new badge were authorized, and award certificates issued, there is no evidence that it was actually presented before the end of the war. In 1957 a 'de-nazified' version was approved, this removing the swastika while retaining the Luftwaffe eagle emblem.


Iuka order of battle

The following units and commanders fought in the Battle of Iuka of the American Civil War. Order of battle compiled from the army organization, return of casualties and reports.
Union.
Army of the Mississippi
MG William S. Rosecrans
Army of the West.
MG Sterling Price


26th Landwehr Division (German Empire)

The 26th Landwehr Division ("26. Landwehr-Division") was a unit of the Imperial German Army in World War I.


Body Doubles

The Body Doubles are fictional characters, DC Comics villains created by Andy Lanning, Dan Abnett, and Jackson Guice. They first appeared in "Resurrection Man" #1 (March 1996) before appearing in their own eponymous miniseries with Joe Phillips on art duties.
Fictional character biography.
Bonny Hoffman and Carmen Leno are assassins who work for Requiem, Inc., an agency for hired killers. Bonny, daughter of a crime lord, wants to prove her worth to her father, while Carmen, a former adult film actress, hopes to become a legitimate actress. Both women meet and become assassins and use many types of hi-tech weapons, often concealed in, or disguised as, makeup accessories.
Bonny's uncle Nick hires the Body Doubles for their first job, which brings them into conflict with Resurrection Man. The two later work for a beauty-obsessed alien warrior named Mystress, who wants to use the energies of female superheroes to rejuvenate her appearance, and for whom the Body Doubles kidnap Argent, Power Girl and Deep Blue. The two also try to kill Catwoman during her campaign for mayor of New York City, but they were defeated.
They continue to work for Uncle Nick, murdering assigned victims while pursuing their dreams. The Body Doubles, as of "Villains United" #1, have joined the Secret Society of Super Villains, as well as having aided the Riddler, Fisherman and several other villains in Gotham City in "Infinite Crisis" #1. The group rampages, killing several police officers.
The Body Doubles are members of the new Injustice League, and as such are brought to the Planet Salvation, a distant planet filled with deadly technology used by Amanda Waller as a permanent prison for metahuman and costumed villains, forcing them to behave or die. The Body Doubles use the wounded Hellhound, on the pretense of helping him, as a bait to let their group escape from alien beasts. They end up in the main group saved by Lex Luthor, with which they are returned to Earth.
The Body Doubles were seen among the villains sent to retrieve the Get Out of Hell free card from the Secret Six.
"The New 52".
The Body Doubles appear in the relaunched "Resurrection Man" series. In the new continuity, the two are a sexual couple and, rather than being supervillains, are mercenaries in the employ of an organization that Mitch Shelley (The Resurrection Man) once worked for and which now wants him back to figure out how he returns from the dead. The two have rapid regeneration, able to heal from any injury almost instantly and are shown recovering from electric shocks, broken bones and various physical injuries rapidly. It is implied that they worked with Mitch personally at some point, as they make comments suggesting they knew him fairly well when he worked for the company that employs them though they appear to have disliked him a great deal when working with him.


Battle of Vimy Ridge order of battle

The Battle of Vimy Ridge was a military engagement fought as part of the Battle of Arras, in the Nord-Pas-de-Calais region of France, during the First World War. The main combatants were the Canadian Corps against three divisions of the German Sixth Army. The battle was part of the opening phase of the Battle of Arras, part Nivelle Offensive and took place from 9–12 April 1917. The objective of the Canadian Corps was to take control of the German-held high ground, along an escarpment at the northernmost end of the Arras Offensive. This would ensure that the southern flank could advance without suffering German enfilade fire.
This listing covers Allied Powers and Central Powers formations and units involved in the battle. Although the Canadian side is well studied, historians have had trouble determining the exact dispositions of the German forces and even more trouble assessing the casualties it suffered in the battle. The Canadian Corps suffered 10,602 casualties; 3,598 killed and 7,004 wounded. The German Sixth Army suffered an unknown number of casualties with an approximate 4,000 men becoming prisoners of war.
The significance of the Battle of Vimy Ridge is most strongly felt in Canada. Elsewhere the battle is principally noted as part of the much larger British offensive known as the Battles of Arras 1917. The historical reality of the battle has been reworked and reinterpreted, in a conscious attempt to give purpose and meaning to an event which came to symbolize Canada's coming of age as a nation. The idea that Canada achieved nationhood as a direct result of the experiences of the First World War, is an opinion widely held in military histories of Canada and also regularly appears in general histories. A portion of the former battleground is preserved memorial park and site of the Canadian National Vimy Memorial.
Allied Powers forces.
Canadian Corps commander Lieutenant-General Sir Julian Byng had four attacking divisions, one division of reserves and numerous support units under his command. He was supported to the north by the 24th British Division of I Corps which advanced north of the Souchez river and by the advancing XVII Corps to the south. The 4th Canadian Division was responsible for the northern portion of the advance which included the capture of the highest point of the ridge followed by the heavily defended knoll known as "the Pimple" just north of the town of Givenchy-en-Gohelle. The 3rd Canadian Division was responsible for the narrow central section of the ridge, including the capture of La Folie Farm. The 2nd Canadian Division, which later included an additional brigade from the 5th British Division was directly south of 3rd Canadian Division and entrusted with the capture of the town of Thélus. The 1st Canadian Division was responsible for the broad southern sector of the corps advance and was expected to make the greatest advance in terms distance. Byng also planned for a healthy reserve for contingencies in case additional troops were needed to relieve forward troops, help in consolidating positions or aiding the 4th Canadian Division with the capture of "the Pimple". As a result, the 9th Canadian Brigade, 15th British Brigade and 95th British Brigade were kept in a corps-level reserve.
Central Powers forces.
German Sixth Army commander General Ludwig von Falkenhausen had 20 divisions (plus reserves) responsible for the Cambrai–Lille sector. Vimy Ridge itself was principally defended by the ad hoc formation under the I Bavarian Reserve Corps commander General der Infanterie Karl von Fasbender. A division of , under the VIII Reserve Corps commander General Georg Karl Wichura, was also involved in the front-line defence along the northernmost portion of the ridge.
Three divisions were ultimately responsible for manning the front-line defences opposite the Canadian Corps. The 16th Bavarian Infantry Division was located opposite the town of Souchez and responsible for the defence of the northernmost section of the ridge. The division had been created in January 1917 from existing Bavarian formations and had so far only opposed the Canadian Corps. The 79th Reserve Division was responsible for the defence of the central section, including the highest point of the ridge, Hill 145. The 79th Reserve Division had fought for two years on the Eastern Front and was transferred to the Vimy sector at the end of February 1917. The 1st Bavarian Reserve Division had been in the Arras area since October 1914 and was holding the villages of Thélus, Bailleul and the southern slope of the ridge.


German order of battle for the invasion of Poland

This article details the order of battle of German military units during the invasion of Poland in 1939.
The German army's forces for the invasion of Poland (codename "Fall Weiss," English - "Case White") were divided into Army Group North (consisting of the German 3rd and 4th armies) and Army Group South (consisting of the German 8th, 10th, and 14th armies, and the Slovak Army Group "Bernolak").
Army Group C was on the western border of Germany defending against a potential French attack. This order of battle is for 04:47 on September 1, after which things started to get shuffled.
Oberkommando des Heeres.
"Oberkommando des Heeres" was the High Command of the Heer. It controlled everything related to the Heer: Personnel, Training, Recruitment, Armaments, Transportation, Supplies, Medical Services, etc. An ongoing problem was that each service branch was its own "kingdom" resulting in massive inefficiency.
"Oberbefehlshaber des Heeres" - Generaloberst Walter von Brauchitsch
Heeresgruppe Nord.
"Heeresgruppe Nord" was commanded by Generaloberst Fedor von Bock. Its initial objectives were to capture the "Polish corridor" (4th Army) and drive southwards towards Warsaw from East Prussia (3rd Army).
Army Group Reserve Troops.
Directly subordinated to "Heeresgruppe Nord" were:
3. Armee.
"3. Armee" was commanded by General der Artillerie Georg von Küchler. It was based in East Prussia.
4. Armee.
4. Armee was commanded by General der Artillerie Günther von Kluge. It was based in Western Pomerania.
Heeresgruppe Süd.
Heeresgruppe Süd was commanded by Generaloberst Gerd von Rundstedt. Its initial objective was to drive from Silesia towards Warsaw (by the 8th Army and 10th Army), and to destroy the Polish forces around Kraków (by the 14th Army).
Army Group Reserve Troops.
Directly subordinated to Heeresgruppe Süd were:
8. Armee.
8. Armee was commanded by General der Infanterie Johannes Blaskowitz. It was based in northern Silesia.
10. Armee.
10. Armee was commanded by General der Artillerie Walter von Reichenau. It was based in southern Silesia.
14. Armee.
14. Armee was commanded by Generaloberst Wilhelm List. It was based in Moravia and Slovakia.
Slovak Army "Bernolak".
See Slovak invasion of Poland
Undergoing Organization and Training
Infanterie-Regiment Großdeutschland - Oberstleutnant Hunold von Stockhausen, commanding.
Heeresgruppe C.
Heeresgruppe C was commanded by Char. Generaloberst z.V. Wilhelm Ritter von Leeb. Its only duty was to protect the western border of Germany from any French attacks until stronger units could be sent back from the east. It was accomplished by deception. The units were generally under strength, most of the infantry unit were missing their heavy weapons platoons, and some entire battalions. There was almost no mobility, except for horses and bicycles. Some of the units were headquarters only to give the impression of a larger presence.
Army Group Reserve Troops.
Directly subordinated to "Heeresgruppe C" were:
5. Armee.
"5. Armee" was commanded by General der Infanterie z.V. Curt Liebmann. It was based along the Luxembourg and Belgium border.
1. Armee.
"1. Armee" was commanded by General der Infanterie Erwin von Witzleben. It was based along the French border.
7. Armee.
"7. Armee" - Commanded by General der Artillerie Friedrich Dollmann. It was based along the French border.
Supporting forces.
Luftwaffe.
"Luftwaffe" - Oberbefehlshaber der Luftwaffe Generalfeldmarschall Hermann Göring
Kriegsmarine.
On August 30 the Polish Navy, realizing what was about to happen, sent three destroyers ("Błyskawica", "Grom", and "Burza") to the UK. The group was spotted the 30th in the southern Baltic Sea by U 31 and again, in the Skagerrak, by U 19 on 31 August. Since the war hadn't started they were unmolested. With the destroyers gone some of the ships deployed to the Baltic were recalled and some sent to the North Sea ("Nordsee"). The fleet was in the process of shifting its deployment when the war broke out. Later, the submarines "Orzeł" and "Wilk" also made it to the UK, while the "Sęp", "Ryś" and "Żbik", sought internment in Sweden.
Kriegsmarine - "Oberbefehlshaber der Kriegsmarine" Generaladmiral Erich Raeder
Under Direct Control of "Seekriegsleitung" (Skl)
Marinegruppenkommando West.
"Oberbefehlshaber Marinegruppenkommando West" - Admiral Alfred Saalwächter
Marinegruppenkommando Ost.
Oberbefehlshaber Marinegruppenkommando Ost - Generaladmiral Conrad Albrecht


Sam Edwards

Sam George Edwards (May 26, 1915 – July 28, 2004) was an American actor. His most famous role on television was as banker Bill Anderson on "Little House on the Prairie".
Biography.
Early years.
Born into a show business family, his first role was as a baby in his mother's arms. He appeared on radio in the 1930s in the "Adventures of Sonny and Buddy" one of the first radio serials ever syndicated, and later in "The Edwards Family", a series based on the life of Sam, brother Jack, sister Florida, and his parents, Edna Parks and Jack Edwards Sr. Sam was also an early cast member of one of the first radio soap operas, "One Man's Family".
Military service.
During World War II, Sam was inducted into the Army and ended up serving as part of the morale-building entertainment corps, spending much of the time in the African, European, and India/Burma theater, travelling for a time with Dwight D. Eisenhower and George S. Patton's regiments. He enlisted August 6, 1942 and was discharged November 15, 1945 as a "Buck" Sergeant.
Later years.
Edwards spent much of his retirement travelling the world with his wife of 35 years, Beverly, and attending many Old Time Radio conventions where he participated in recreations of original shows from the 1940s and 1950s, as well as newer scripts. He spent his last 24 years based in Durango, Colorado where he died.
Death.
On July 28, 2004, Edwards died of a heart attack in Durango, Colorado. He was survived by his wife, Beverly Motley Edwards, stepchildren William, Deborah and Linda Edwards, and several grandchildren.
Career.
Radio.
Edwards worked on a variety of radio programs. He co-starred in the comedy "The First Hundred Years" on ABC in 1949 and landed a starring role playing Dexter Franklin opposite Janet Waldo in the long-running "Meet Corliss Archer" series. He also had recurring or cast member roles in radio on "Crime Classics", "Dr. Paul"; "Father Knows Best", "Guiding Light", "Fort Laramie"; "Gunsmoke"; "Dragnet"; "Suspense"; "Escape"; "This Is Your FBI"; "The Six Shooter"; and "Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar".
Film.
Edwards' first major screen role was as Chuck Ramsey in the movie serial version of "Captain Midnight" (1942). From 1949 to 1981, he made several film appearances, with significant roles in "Twelve O'Clock High" (1949), "Operation Pacific" (1951), "Gangbusters" (1954), and supporting roles in "The Beatniks" (1960) and "Suppose They Gave A War and Nobody Came" (1969). He was also seen in "The Absent-Minded Professor" (1961), "Hello, Dolly!" (1969) and "The Postman Always Rings Twice" (1981).
Edwards was also often heard behind animated characters both on film and records. In 1942, he voiced the adult Thumper in the animated classic "Bambi". Later work for Disney was largely on LP Records, including the voices of the Cowardly Lion and Tin Woodman on their Oz series, and as Tigger, and Owl on the Winnie the Pooh records. He voiced the title character of Rod Rocket in an early 1960s educational series, and did some episodes of the cult classic "Jonny Quest". His last work for Disney was as Ollie Owl opposite singer Burl Ives as Sam the Eagle on their long-running America Sings attraction at Disneyland. There were numerous TV and radio commercials as well, both in front of and behind the camera.
Television.
Edwards appeared on many television series starting in the mid-1950s. Most notable of these include many episodes of "Dragnet" and "Gunsmoke" throughout their long runs. He also appeared on over 60 different series, including "The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show", "Straightaway", "The Andy Griffith Show", "Petticoat Junction", "Green Acres", "Mannix", "", "The Streets of San Francisco", "Adam-12", "The Red Skelton Show", "Happy Days", "The Dukes of Hazzard", and even "Days of Our Lives". In 1969 Edwards appeared as Will Frazee on the TV series "The Virginian" in the episode titled "A Woman of Stone."


McDowell Union order of battle

The following United States Army units and commanders fought in the Battle of McDowell of the American Civil War. The Confederate order of battle is listed separately.
Mountain Department.
MG John C. Frémont (not present)
Union Forces Around McDowell.
BG Robert H. Milroy
BG Robert C. Schenck


Russ Meyer

Russell Albion Meyer (March 21, 1922 – September 18, 2004) was an American film director, producer, screenwriter, cinematographer, and editor. He is known primarily for writing and directing a series of successful sexploitation films that featured campy humor, sly satire and large-breasted women, such as "Faster, Pussycat! Kill! Kill!".
Early years.
Russ Meyer was born in San Leandro, California, the son of Lydia Lucinda (Hauck) and William Arthur Meyer, an Oakland police officer. His parents were both of German descent. Meyer's parents divorced soon after he was born, and Meyer was to have virtually no contact with his father during his life. When he was 14 years old, his mother pawned her wedding ring in order to buy him an 8mm film camera. He made a number of amateur films at the age of 15, and served during World War II as a U.S. Army combat cameraman for the 166th Signal Photo Company, ultimately attaining the rank of staff sergeant.
In the Army, Meyer forged his strongest friendships, and he would later ask many of his fellow combat cameramen to work on his films. Much of Meyer's work during World War II can be seen in newsreels and in the film "Patton" (1970).
On his return to civilian life, he was unable to secure cinematography work in Hollywood due to a lack of industry connections. He made industrial films, freelanced as a still photographer for mainstream films (including "Giant"), and became a well known glamour photographer whose work included some of the initial shoots for Hugh Hefner's "Playboy" magazine. Meyer would go on to shoot three "Playboy" centerfolds during the magazine's early years, including one of his then-wife Eve Meyer in 1955. He also shot a pictorial of then-wife Edy Williams in March 1973.
Film career.
Early films.
Meyer was the cinematographer for the 1950 Pete DeCenzie film "French Peep Show", and the 1954 Samuel Newman production, "The Desperate Women", among the few Hollywood films to depict a woman dying from an illegal abortion in pre–"Roe v. Wade" America, the original version of which is believed lost.
"The Immoral Mr. Teas" and "nudie cuties".
His first feature, the naughty comedy "The Immoral Mr. Teas" (1959), cost $24,000 to produce and eventually grossed more than $1 million on the independent/exploitation circuit, ensconcing Meyer as "King of the Nudies." It is considered one of the first nudie cuties.
Russ Meyer was a true auteur who wrote, directed, edited, photographed and distributed all his own films. He was able to finance each new film from the proceeds of the earlier ones, and became very wealthy in the process.
Meyer followed "Teas" with some shorts, "This Is My Body" (1960) and "The Naked Camera", then made a second nudie cutie, "Eve and the Handyman" (1960). This starred Meyer's wife Eve and Anthony-James Ryan, both of whom would be crucial to the production of Meyer's films.
His next features were "Erotica" (1961) and "Wild Gals of the Naked West" (1962). Reception to the latter indicated the market for nudie cuties was drying up, so Meyer decided to change.
He did a documentary, "Europe in the Raw" (1963), and tried a comedy, "Heavenly Bodies!" (1963).
He then directed a version of "Fanny Hill" (1964) in Europe.
"Lorna" and the "Gothic" period.
He followed this with three other similar films, and would call this his "Gothic" period: "Mudhoney" (1965), "Motorpsycho" (1965) and "Faster, Pussycat! Kill! Kill!" (1965).
"Lorna" was very successful commercially, making almost a million dollars. "Mudhoney" was more ambitious, based on a novel, and did not perform as well. "Motorpsycho", about three men terrorising the countryside, was a big hit—so much so Meyer decided to make a film about three bad girls, "Faster Pussycat". "Faster, Pussycat! Kill! Kill!" was commercially underwhelming but would eventually be reclaimed as a cult classic. It has a following all over the world and has inspired countless imitations, music videos and tributes.
Color melodramas – including "Vixen".
Meyer made the popular mockumentary "Mondo Topless" (1966) with the remnants of his production company's assets and made two mildly successful color melodramas: "Common Law Cabin" (1967) and "Good Morning... and Goodbye!" (1967).
Meyer made headlines once again in 1968 with the controversial "Vixen!". Although its lesbian overtones are tame by today's standards, the film—envisaged by Meyer and longtime producer Jim Ryan as a reaction to provocative European art films—grossed millions on a five-figure budget and captured the zeitgeist just as "The Immoral Mr. Teas" had a decade earlier.
He followed it with "Finders Keepers, Lovers Weepers!" (1969), and "Cherry, Harry & Raquel!" (1970), which utilized long montages of the California landscape (replete with anti-marijuana voiceovers) and Uschi Digard dancing in the desert as the film's "lost soul." These plot devices were necessitated after lead actress Linda Ashton left the shoot early, forcing Meyer to compensate for 20 minutes of unshot footage.
20th Century Fox: "Beyond the Valley of the Dolls" and "The Seven Minutes".
Amid the unexpected success of Columbia Pictures' low-budget "Easy Rider", and impressed by Meyer's frugality and profitability, Richard D. Zanuck and David Brown of 20th Century Fox signed Meyer to produce and direct a proposed sequel to "Valley of the Dolls" in 1969, fulfilling his longstanding ambition to direct for a major Hollywood studio. What eventually appeared was "Beyond the Valley of the Dolls" (1970), scripted by "Chicago Sun-Times" film critic and longtime Meyer devotee Roger Ebert. Ebert, who became the first film critic to receive the Pulitzer Prize for Criticism in 1975, would remain a close friend and key artistic collaborator for the remainder of Meyer's life.
The film bears no relation to the novel or film adaptation's continuity, a development necessitated when Jacqueline Susann sued the studio after several drafts of her script were rejected. Many critics perceive the film as perhaps the greatest expression of his intentionally vapid surrealism, with Meyer going so far as to refer to it as his definitive work in several interviews. Others, such as "Variety", saw it "as funny as a burning orphanage and a treat for the emotionally retarded." Contractually stipulated to produce an R-rated film, the brutally violent climax (depicting a decapitation) ensured an X rating (eventually reclassified to NC-17 in 1990). Despite gripes from the director after he attempted to recut the film to include more titillating scenes after the ratings debacle, it still earned $9 million domestically in the United States on a budget of $900,000.
The executives at Fox were delighted with the box office success of "Dolls" and signed a contract with Meyer to make three more films: "The Seven Minutes", from a potboiler by Irving Wallace; "Everything in the Garden" from a play by Edward Albee; and "The Final Steal" from a 1966 novel by Peter George. "We've discovered that he's very talented and cost conscious", said Zanuck. "He can put his finger on the commercial ingredients of a film and do it exceedingly well. We feel he can do more than undress people."
Per his new contract, Meyer then made a faithful adaptation of "The Seven Minutes" (1971). Featuring loquacious courtroom scenes alongside little nudity, the comparatively subdued film was commercially unsuccessful, and his oeuvre would be disowned by the studio for decades after Zanuck and Brown departed to form an independent production company in 1972.
Return to independent film making.
Richard Zanuck, who brought Meyer to Fox, had moved to Warner Bros and there was some talk Meyer would make a film at that studio. However, Meyer would never make a studio film again. He returned to grindhouse-style independent cinema in 1973 with the blaxploitation period piece "Black Snake", which was dismissed by critics and audiences as incoherent.
"Foxy", a proposed vehicle for Edy Williams, was cancelled in the wake of the United States Supreme Court's "Miller v. California" decision in June 1973, which modified its definition of obscenity from that of "utterly without socially redeeming value" to that which lacks "serious literary, artistic, political, or scientific value". His marriage to Williams subsequently disintegrated.
"Those years were very confusing to me", said Meyer. "But instead of rushing off and throwing myself out the window, I was able to psychoanalyze myself and discern what was best for me. I looked myself square in the face and realized I couldn't do everything."
In 1975, he released "Supervixens", a return to the world of big bosoms, square jaws, and the Sonoran Desert that earned $17 million in the United States on a shoestring budget.
Meyer's theatrical career ended with the release of the surreal "Up!" (1976) and 1979's "Beneath the Valley of the Ultra-Vixens", his most sexually graphic films. Film historians and fans have called these last three films "Bustoons" because his use of color and mise en scène recalled larger-than-life pop art settings and cartoonish characters.
In 1977, Malcolm McLaren hired Meyer to direct a film starring The Sex Pistols. Meyer handed the scriptwriting duties over to Ebert, who, in collaboration with McLaren, produced a screenplay entitled 'Who Killed Bambi?' According to Ebert, filming ended after a day and a half when the electricians walked off the set after McLaren was unable to pay them. (McLaren has claimed that the project was scrapped at the behest of the main financier and Meyer's erstwhile employer, 20th Century Fox, whose board of directors considered the prospect of a Meyer production to be untenable and incompatible with the insurgent family values ethos in popular culture.) The project ultimately evolved into "The Great Rock & Roll Swindle".
Later years.
Despite the fact that hardcore pornographic films overtook Meyer's softcore market share, he retired from filmmaking in the late 1970s a very wealthy man. He made a one-off return to filmmaking in 2001 to direct "Russ Meyer's Pandora Peaks", featuring the nude glamour model of the same name. Around the same time, he also participated in "Voluptuous Vixens II", a made-for-video softcore production by "Playboy".
Use of satire.
Russ Meyer was also adept at mocking moral stereotypes and flagrantly lampooning conservative American values. Many of his films feature a narrator who attempts to give the audience a "moral roadmap" of what they are watching. Like his contemporary Terry Southern, Meyer realized that sex—as one of the few common interests among most humans—was a natural vehicle for satirizing values and conventions held by the Greatest Generation. According to Roger Ebert in a commentary recorded for the DVD release of "Beyond the Valley of the Dolls", Meyer continually reiterated that this irreverence was the true secret to his artistic success.
Meyer was also known for his quick wit. While participating with Ebert in a panel discussion at Yale University, he was confronted by an angry woman who accused him of being "nothing but a breast man." His immediate reply: "That's only the half of it."
The Meyer physical archetype.
Russ Meyer's lifelong unabashed fixation on large breasts featured prominently in all his films and is his best-known character trait both as an artist and as a person. His discoveries include Kitten Natividad, Erica Gavin, Lorna Maitland, Tura Satana, and Uschi Digard among many others. The majority of them were naturally large-breasted and he occasionally cast women in their first trimesters of pregnancy as it enhanced their breast size even further.
Rarely were there cosmetically enhanced breasts in any of his films until "Up!" (1976) and "Beneath the Valley of the Ultra-Vixens" (1979). However, by the early 1980s, when surgical advancements had made the gargantuan breasts of Meyer's fantasies a reality, many felt he had started viewing the female body as simply a "tit transportation device" and that his aesthetic vision was no longer attractive or vibrant. Darlene Gray, a natural 36H-22-33 from Great Britain, who appeared in "Mondo Topless" (1966) is said to be Russ Meyer's most busty discovery.
The Russ Meyer female physical archetype is fairly complex to decipher. Firstly, it's not to be confused with today's surgically enhanced Hollywood porn starlets or even slim, naturally endowed actresses. Russ Meyer was almost as much about a shapely 1950s hip-to-waist ratio or "wasp waist" as he was about very large breasts. The six-pack abdominal muscles and built-up squarish appearance of modern Hollywood figures do not mesh with his pin-up aesthetic. Secondly, he required that even his most busty actresses looked good braless; "gravity-defying" and "cantilevered" became two of his favorite expressions.
In his films such as "Vixen!" and "Cherry, Harry & Raquel!", some of the actresses do not have large (by Russ Meyer standards) breasts yet their chests are always accentuated with very clever camera angles and well-constructed bras. Reportedly, Erica Gavin was cast as the lead in "Vixen!" because her "smaller" bust would make the character "more relatable to women."
He went on record numerous times to say that Anita Ekberg was the most beautiful woman he ever photographed and that her 39DD breasts were the biggest in A-list Hollywood history, dwarfing both Jayne Mansfield and Sabrina.Dolly Parton was the only modern Hollywood actress Meyer ever expressed interest in working with.
While he often referred to his actresses as "Junoesque" and "Amazonian", this was probably more in their spirit than their actual physiques" as Meyer rarely cast very tall or symmetrically built actresses with strong legs and large posteriors.
So while the general public could easily perceive Jane Russell or Sophia Loren as "Russ Meyer material", their balanced bodies did not mesh with Meyer's precise aesthetic preferences." And indeed, Meyer said many times that it was Gina Lollobrigida's smaller-breasted figure that he preferred visually over her larger-breasted, taller and bigger-hipped rival, Sophia Loren. Thus, Meyer's oeuvre shows the viewer that while his actresses could easily be described as voluptuous, buxom and curvaceous, it's debatable to some if they were strapping, stately or even statuesque as Meyer readily proclaimed."
The tallest actress Meyer ever cast in a lead was the , slim-hipped, huge-breasted Lorna Maitland (working with whom he admitted he found intimidating). Nearly all the other women he featured were no taller than . Tura Satana's performance as Varla in "Faster, Pussycat! Kill! Kill!" was Meyer's only true portrayal of the large, strong and aggressive Amazonian archetype in the classic visual sense.
Female empowerment.
Film historian and Meyer biographer Jimmy McDonough posits that Russ Meyer's usage of physically and sexually overwhelming female characters places him in his own separate genre. He argues that despite portraying women as sex objects, Meyer nonetheless depicts them as more powerful than men and is therefore an inadvertent feminist filmmaker.
In many of Meyer's films, women eventually defeat men, winning sexual fulfillment as their reward, e.g., Super Vixen ("Supervixens"), Margo Winchester ("Up!") and Lavonia Shedd ("Beneath the Valley of the Ultra-Vixens"). Even in the 1950s and 1960s, his films were sometimes centered on a woman's need and struggle for sexual satisfaction ("Lorna", "Good Morning and... Goodbye!" and "Beneath the Valley of the Ultra-Vixens"). Additionally, Russ Meyer's female characters were often allowed to express anger and violence towards men ("Faster, Pussycat! Kill! Kill!" and "Supervixens").
Yet in his research, McDonough also notes that Meyer's female characters were limited in how powerful they could appear; often the female lead is raped ("Up!" and "Lorna") or brutally murdered ("Beyond the Valley of the Dolls", "Supervixens", "Lorna" and "Blacksnake"). While Russ Meyer may have championed powerful woman characters, he also forced them into violent and terrifying situations, making them prove their physical and mental strength against tremendous odds. He also ensured that women's breasts were at least semi-exposed during these ordeals for comic or erotic effect. Furthermore, according to frequent collaborator and longtime lover Kitten Natividad, Meyer's love of dominant women extended to his personal life, and he was almost always in a tumultuous relationship.
Personal and family life.
During World War II, according to Meyer, he was in a French brothel with Ernest Hemingway who, upon finding out that Meyer was a virgin, offered him the prostitute of his choice. Meyer picked the one with the largest breasts.
Despite his reputation, Meyer never employed the casting couch during his career's peak years, though that shifted during his post-1980 unfinished projects, and rarely had sex with any of his actresses. He had no children, though there were rumored unsuccessful pregnancies with his second wife Edy Williams and last serious girlfriend, Melissa Mounds, who was also found guilty of assaulting him in 1999. There is a long-standing rumor among his closest friends and at least one biographer that he had a son in 1964 with a secret lover who he would refer to only as "Miss Mattress" or "Janet Buxton."
Meyer was very upfront throughout his life about being too selfish to be a father or even a caring partner or husband. Yet he is also said to have been very generous with all his friends and acquaintances, and never isolated friends from one another. Biographers have attributed most of his brutish and eccentric nature to the fact that he was abandoned by his father, an Oakland police officer, and overly coddled by his mother, Lydia, who was married six times. Meyer had a half-sister, Lucinda, who was diagnosed in her 20s with paranoid schizophrenia and was committed to California State mental institutions until her death in 1999. Mental illness ran in his family and was something he secretly feared. During his entire life, Russ Meyer spoke with only the highest reverence for his mother and sister.
Meyer was married to:
Contrary to some accounts, Meyer was never married to Kitten Natividad, his longtime companion and the star of his final two films.
Final years.
Meyer owned the rights to nearly all of his films and spent the majority of the 1980s and 1990s making millions reselling his films on the home video and DVD market. He worked out of his Los Angeles home and usually took telephone orders in person. A major retrospective of his work was given at the British Film Institute which Meyer attended in 1982. The Chicago Film Festival honored his work in 1985 which he also made a personal appearance, and many revival movie houses booked his films for midnight movie marathons.
He also worked obsessively for over a decade on a massive three-volume autobiography, titled "A Clean Breast". Finally printed in 2000, it features numerous excerpts of reviews, clever details of each of his films and countless photos and erotic musings.
Starting in the mid-1990s, Meyer had frequent fits and bouts of memory loss. By 2000, he was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease, and his health and well-being were thereafter looked after by Janice Cowart, his secretary and estate executor. That same year, with no wife or children to claim his wealth, Meyer willed that the majority of his money and estate would be sent to the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in honor of his late mother.
Russ Meyer died at his home in the Hollywood Hills (from complications of pneumonia), on September 18, 2004 at the age of 82. Meyer's grave is located at Stockton Rural Cemetery in San Joaquin County, California.


William Niering

William Albert Niering (1924–1999) was a botanist and internationally recognized wetlands expert, who was Lucretia L. Allyn Professor of Botany at Connecticut College and director of the Connecticut College Arboretum.
Early life and education.
William "Bill" Niering was born in Scotrun, Pennsylvania to George and Emma Everitt Niering. He attended Pennsylvania State University in 1942. His education was interrupted by World War II, when he served in the army from 1942 to 1945; his active service took place in the South Pacific and he attained the rank of staff Sergeant. After the war, he returned to Penn State. There, he received his undergraduate degree in Biology in 1948 and his master's degree in Botany in 1950. He received his PhD in plant ecology from Rutgers University in 1952.
Career.
Niering joined the Connecticut College Botany Department in the fall of 1952.
At Connecticut College, Niering served as the director of the Connecticut College Arboretum from 1965 to 1968, and then from 1969 to 1988. In 1988, he became the Research Director for the Arboretum which he served for eleven years. He was acting President of Connecticut College from August 15 to December 15, 1992. He was a popular teacher and he established long-term vegetation research projects, providing opportunities for students to conduct field work and analyze change in the natural landscape over time. He helped found the Environmental Model Committee in the 1970s, a group of staff, students and faculty that help organize and encourage sustainability efforts at Connecticut College. He was an early proponent of sustainability on campus, helping to institute the first campus-wide recycling program.
His research spanned a variety of ecosystems, from Connecticut's shores and inlands to the islands of the South Pacific to the flora of the Southwest. He was an internationally recognized expert on the ecology of wetlands and tidal marshes. His work contributed to the scientific communities knowledge of the importance that wetlands serve in the environment. His work was instrumental in helping to pass the Connecticut Tidal Wetlands Act (1969) which prevented the loss of wetlands to dredge and filling activities. He also worked on ecological restoration efforts on wetlands in Connecticut and Long Island. He was an authority on vegetation management through controlled burns and herbicide application, which he researched and practiced at the Arboretum. From 1974 to 1977, Niering was a member of the advisory group, North Atlantic Regional Advisory Committee. He contributed to policy statements on urban parks as well as contributed to the planning process of the National Park Service. His scientific contributions spanned over many projects throughout his duration on the Regional Advisory Committee. One study in particular focused on the Pine Barrens of New Jersey. In 1978 Congress designated the Pine Barrens as the Pinelands National Preserve; this would not have been possible without the scientific knowledge of William Niering. In February 1980, the United States Department of the Interior awarded Dr. Niering the title of Honorary Park Ranger. This title came equipped with all the privileges and benefits of being a Park Ranger.
Niering was the editor of the scientific journal "Restoration Ecology" from its beginning in 1993 until his death.
Death.
William Niering died suddenly on August 30, 1999 at the age of 75. He had just addressed the incoming class of students at Connecticut College when he collapsed. On December 4, 2000, the Goshen Cove Natural Area Preserve in Waterford was renamed the William A. Niering Nature Preserve to honor his life and work.


Military ranks of Zambia

The Military ranks of Zambia are the military insignia used by the Zambian Defence Force. Being a member of the Commonwealth of Nations, Zambia shares a rank structure similar to that of the United Kingdom. Zambia is a landlocked country, and does therefore not possess a navy.
Commissioned Officers.
The rank insignia for commissioned officers for the army and air force respectively.
Enlisted.
The rank insignia for enlisted personnel for the army and air force respectively.


33 Engineer Regiment (EOD)

33 Engineer Regiment (EOD&S) is a regiment of the British Army's Royal Engineers. It is based at Carver Barracks, Essex.
Organization.
Today the regiment consists of:


John Bushemi

John A. Bushemi (April 19, 1917 – February 19, 1944) was an American, best known for his service as a World War II combat photographer and filmmaker for the U.S. Army. Bushemi, the son of Sicilian immigrants, was born in Centerville, Iowa, and grew up in Taylorville, Illinois, and Gary, Indiana. He joined the "Gary Post-Tribune" in 1936 as an apprentice photographer and became known for his sports photography. While working at the "Post-Tribune" he earned the nickname of "One Shot" for his abilities to capture moments on film with one click of his camera shutter. Bushemi enlisted in the army in June 1941. After taking basic training at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, he remained there as a staff photographer in its public relations office. In June 1942 Bushemi was reassigned as a staff photographer to "Yank", a weekly magazine for enlisted men, and was based in its editorial office in New York City. In November 1942 Bushemi was transferred to Hawaii, where he and "Yank" correspondent Merle Miller opened its Pacific bureau.
Bushemi covered the Pacific Theater of Operations for "Yank", including the fighting in New Georgia, Munda, Solomon Islands, Makin, Tarawa, and Kwajalein, and was killed in action at Eniwetok in the central Pacific in 1944. Bushemi received a posthumous Bronze Star and a Purple Heart for his military service. Bushemi’s photographs have appeared in "Yank", the "Saturday Evening Post", the "New York Times Magazine", the "Gary Post-Tribune", the "Field Artillery Journal", and in museum and library exhibitions. Among other awards for his photography, Bushemi was inducted into the Indiana Journalism Hall of Fame in 2001.
Early life.
Bushemi was born in Centerville, Iowa, on April 19, 1917. He was the son of Italian immigrants, the seventh of nine children (six boys and three girls). John's father, Pietro Buscemi, was a native of Calascibetta, Sicily, who immigrated to the United States in 1906, while John's mother, Angelina Cariota, arrived in 1909 with Pietro and Angelina’s eldest son, Mario (later called Marion J. Bushemi), and a daughter, Vincenzina (later called Margaret V. Polizzotto). Pietro worked in coal mining in Iowa. In 1925 the family moved to Taylorville, Illinois, where Pietro worked for the Peabody Coal Company. The family surname was Americanized to Bushemi in the early 1930s. In May 1930, the family relocated to Gary, Indiana, where Pietro found employment at U.S. Steel.
As a teen John participated in Golden Gloves boxing tournaments and earned spending money during the Great Depression giving haircuts in the basement of his family's home. Bushemi attended Gary's Lew Wallace High School, but quit school during his junior year to work in the steel mills with his father and brothers. Intending to become a professional photographer, Bushemi used wages from his steel industry job to purchase his first camera. He developed the film in a darkroom set up in the family's home in Gary.
Career.
News photographer.
On June 24, 1936, at age nineteen, Bushemi was hired by the "Gary Post-Tribune" as an apprentice photographer and was best known for his action shots of sporting events. Bushemi's snapshots of sports, breaking news, and crime scenes earned him the nickname of "One Shot" because of his ability to take capture significant moments on film with one click of his camera's shutter. Bushemi's sports photos won awards in contests sponsored by the Indiana Associated Press and the Inland Daily Press Association, but he could also capture quieter settings and nature scenes. Bushemi joined U.S. Army in 1941 and became the inspiration for the "Post-Tribune"'s "Dear Johnny" newsletter, which summarized happenings at home for soldiers who were stationed overseas.
In July 1941 Bushemi was inducted into the U.S. Army at Fort Benjamin Harrison in Indianapolis, Indiana, and took basic training at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. He was appointed to Fort Bragg's public relations office as a staff photographer, where his fellow staff member and close friend was Marion Hargrove, author of "See Here, Private Hargrove" (1942), a bestseller made into a subsequent movie about Hargrove's experiences in the military. Bushemi was included as a principal character in Hargrove's book. Bushemi’s publicity photo of Hargrove appeared on the book's back cover.
Combat photographer.
In June 1942 Bushemi was assigned as a staff photographer to "Yank", a new weekly magazine for the army's enlisted men. Bushemi was first assigned to the "Yank" editorial offices in New York City. While based in New York City, Bushemi shot photographs to illustrate articles on subjects such as women working at the Aberdeen Proving Ground, desert warfare training in California, the World Series, and Hollywood actresses.
In November 1942 Bushemi and staff writer Merle Miller were transferred to Hawaii to open "Yank's" Pacific bureau. While stationed at Waikiki, Bushemi learned the techniques of filmmaking from Colonel Frank Capra, the former Hollywood director. In addition to taking still photographs, Bushemi shot several movies while covering the Pacific War. Bushemi cut and edited the films himself, adding "A One Shot Production" to the beginning of each one. From "Yank"'s base in Hawaii, Bushemi traveled on assignment to New Caledonia, the Fiji Islands, and Australia. Bushemi’s photographs were part of the exhibition "Yank Illustrates the War" held at the Museum of Modern Art in the spring of 1943. Several Bushemi photographs have appeared on the covers of "Yank".
In August 1943 Bushemi covered his first combat assignment in New Georgia in the Solomon Islands with "Yank" correspondent Mack Morriss. Bushemi's photographs were published with Morriss's feature stories in the October 15, November 19, and November 26, 1943, issues of "Yank". Bushemi's next combat assignment, in November 1943, was at Makin and Tarawa in the Gilbert Islands, where he was the only photographer to cover both invasions. Bushemi's article, "Death Battle at Tarawa", appeared in the December 24, 1943, issue of "Yank", after editorial revisions were made in the New York office. Bushemi's photographs at Tarawa didn’t turn out well and were not published; however, "Yank" made extensive use of his photographs from Makin, including a cover photo and in accompanying articles in the December 31, 1943, issue. For his work Bushemi used a Bell and Howell movie camera, a Rolleiflex, and a handheld Speed Graphic, which he often used for combat photos. In January 1944 Bushemi and Miller covered combat during Operation Flintlock at Kwajalein atoll in the Marshall Islands. Bushemi's Marshall Islands photographs, among his last, appeared in the March 10, 1944, issue of "Yank" with Miller's article, "After the Battle of Kwajalein". While boarding a landing craft after the battle, Bushemi broke a finger in his left hand, but refused to return to Honolulu as he anticipated his next combat assignment. Bushemi was covering his fifth battle assignment for "Yank" when he was killed in action on February 19, 1944. Bushemi and Miller had landed on Eniwetok atoll, 350 miles northwest of Kwajalein in the central Pacific, when Bushemi, who was at the front filming and photographing the American landing, was fatally wounded.
Death and legacy.
On February 19, 1944, shrapnel from 60mm enemy mortar shells exploded near a group of journalists and photographers covering the American landing on Eniwetok atoll in the central Pacific. Bushemi was critically wounded in the head, neck, and leg. After combat medics treated Bushemi on Eniwetok, he was transported to the USS "Neville", where he died later that day. His last words to Merle Miller, one of the "Yank" correspondents who covered the Pacific War and was with Bushemi at Eniwetok, were: "Be sure to get those pictures back to the office." Bushemi's military rank at the time of his death was staff sergeant (technician 3rd grade). He was the second of four "Yank" staff photographers killed during the war.
On February 22 a memorial service was held aboard the "Neville" for Bushemi and Lieutenant Kermit Chapman, who was also killed in the fighting at Eniwetok. A telegram notified Bushemi's family of his death on February 29 and a memorial service was held in Gary, Indiana, on March 3, 1944. Bushemi's body was among the 3,000 American servicemen's bodies returned to the U.S. mainland in October 1947. On November 5, 1947, a high requiem mass was held at Saint Mark Church in Gary. Bushemi is buried in Mount Mercy Cemetery in Gary, Indiana.


List of World War II military units of Germany

The List of World War II military units of Germany contains all military units to serve with the armed forces of Germany during World War II.
Major units above corps level are listed here. For smaller units, see List of German corps in World War II and List of German divisions in World War II.
Army Commands ("Oberbefehlshaber").
OB stands for Oberbefehlshaber or Supreme Command
Army Groups.
Armeegruppen.
These were temporary groupings of armies below the formal army group level.


M-class minesweeper (Germany)

The M class were the standard minesweeper () of Nazi Germany's "Kriegsmarine" during World War II. The vessels were the primary force in Germany's harbor defense command and were organized administratively into minesweeper flotillas.
History.
M1915 and M1916.
A total of 36 old units from World War I served in World War II. Some of these were converted to experimental ships, artillery school ships, fleet tenders or R-boat tenders, and 1 (ex-M109) was converted into a survey ship. In 1940, most of these converted vessels were re-designated as minesweepers again.
M1935.
The first series; the M1935 were ordered in the late 1930s to replace worn out World War I vintage boats. These ships proved versatile and seaworthy. The vessels could also undertake convoy escort, anti-submarine warfare and minelaying tasks as well as minesweeping. However, the ships were very expensive and complicated to build, and their oil-fired boilers meant they suffered from the fuel shortages in the later years of the war. A total of 69 ships were built in eight different shipyards, between 1937 and 1941. 34 were lost during the war.
M1940.
Although the M1935 was a very satisfactory vessel, it was complex and expensive to build and a simplified design was put into production in 1941. These ships had coal-fired boilers because of oil shortages. A total of 127 ships were built between 1941 and 1944, and 63 M1940 class ships were sunk during the war.
Four vessels of this type were launched for the Romanian Navy in 1943 as the "Democrația" class. They were built locally from German materials. These Romanian warships had a standard displacement of 543 tons and a full load displacement of 775 tons. They measured 62 meters in length, with a beam of 8.5 meters and a draught of 2.3 meters. Armament consisted of two 88 mm guns plus one twin 37 mm and three single 20 mm anti-aircraft guns, as well as two depth charge throwers. Two-shaft triple-expansion coal engines generated an output of 2,400 hp resulting in a top speed of 17 knots and a range 1,043 nautical miles at that speed. Each of the four vessels ("DB-13", "DB-14", "DB-15" and "DB-16") had a crew of 80. In 1951, their power plants were converted to oil. The four ships were commissioned post-war, between 1953 and 1955.
M1943.
This was a further simplified and slightly enlarged version of the M1940. These ships were designed for pre-fabrication and were produced in four versions:
Only 18 vessels were completed by the time the war ended.
Post-war.
After the end of the war the surviving ships were allocated to the United States, Britain and the Soviet Union.
Many were assigned to the German Mine Sweeping Administration under British control to clear the coast of Northern Europe of mines. Several were later also given to France and Norway, and two to Italy.
Eleven of the ships were returned to Germany in 1956/57 and were recommissioned into the "Bundesmarine".
Fourteen M1940-type minesweepers (known as the "Guadiaro" class) were built for the Spanish Navy in Spanish shipyards. Seven of them were modernised with some help from the US Navy and served in the Spanish Navy for more than thirty years.


3rd Armoured Brigade (United Kingdom)

The 3rd Armoured Brigade, previously the 1st Heavy Armoured Brigade, was an armoured brigade of the British Army that saw service in the Second World War with the 1st Armoured Division and the 2nd Armoured Division in the North African Campaign. The brigade headquarters was disbanded on 11 January 1943.
Order of battle.
The 3rd Armoured Brigade:


Praefectus castrorum

The praefectus castrorum ("camp prefect") was, in the Roman army of the early Empire, the third most senior officer of the Roman legion after the legate ("legatus") and the senior military tribune ("tribunus laticlavius"), both of whom were from the senatorial class. He was responsible for training, equipment procurement and maintenance, and construction of the camp, but he could command the legion when his seniors were absent. The post was usually held a soldier promoted from the centurionate, having already served as a chief centurion ("primus pilus") of a legion, and was therefore open to ordinary citizens. Prefects of this rank, for example Sextus Vibius Gallus, were awarded prizes ("dona") to mark their achievements.