12 Texas Aggie War Heroes

Following on the success of "Texas Aggie Medals of Honor," James R. Woodall now returns with a new book that focuses on the military service by graduates of Texas A&M University from World War I to Vietnam. Of the tens of thousands of Aggies who served in the nation s military, Woodall has selected twelve individuals who stand out as singular examples of bravery and heroism. "Twelve Texas Aggie War Heroes"tells each serviceman s story in a concise, engaging manner. Some subjects, such as Earl Rudder and James Hollingsworth, will be familiar to readers. But Woodall also introduces us to less familiar but no less notable men as well, from A. D. Bruce s march from the trenches of France and the crossing of the Rhine in World War I to Bob Acklen s three tours in Vietnam. In addition to the twelve chapters focusing on these remarkable individuals, Woodall provides an extensive set of appendixes that include the relevant citations for each serviceman as well as larger lists of Aggies who were awarded the Distinguished Service Cross, Navy Cross, or Air Force Cross."

Following on the success of Texas Aggie Medals of Honor, James R. Woodall now returns with a new book that focuses on the military service by graduates of Texas A&M University from World War I to Vietnam. Of the tens of thousands of Aggies who served in the nation’s military, Woodall has selected twelve individuals who stand out as singular examples of bravery and heroism. Twelve Texas Aggie War Heroes tells each serviceman’s story in a concise, engaging manner. Some subjects, such as Earl Rudder and James Hollingsworth, will be familiar to readers. But Woodall also introduces us to less familiar but no less notable men as well, from A. D. Bruce’s march from the trenches of France and the crossing of the Rhine in World War I to Bob Acklen’s three tours in Vietnam. In addition to the twelve chapters focusing on these remarkable individuals, Woodall provides an extensive set of appendixes that include the relevant citations for each serviceman as well as larger lists of Aggies who were awarded the Distinguished Service Cross, Navy Cross, or Air Force Cross.

By any measure, the battles of Bataan and Corregidor were among the most intensely fought and devastating episodes in the World War II Pacific theater. Beginning in early 1942, the Japanese Imperial Army invaded the Philippines in an attempt to control the Pacific region and expand its sphere of influence. The defense and last stand of Filipino and American allied forces marked the largest surrender in their respective military histories. Their efforts slowed the Japanese advance but only at great cost. John A. Adams Jr. provides a new and compelling exploration of these pivotal events by recounting the history of Bataan and Corregidor through the eyes of 89 soldiers and officers who were former students and citizen soldiers from the Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas. All were products of the Corps of Cadets, and indeed no other institution could boast of such a large deployment in the opening of the war. While many words have been written on Bataan and Corregidor, none have taken the approach of collective biography as The Fightin’ Texas Aggie Defenders of Bataan and Corregidor does here. As a result, this book is not only a new contribution to the history of World War II but also stands to be a landmark publication on the history of Texas A&M University.

Across America in the wake of World War I, college football entered a time of prominence, often referred to as a “Golden Era.” This same period saw the origins of many beloved traditions of Texas A&M: cadets became known as “Aggies;” the “Aggie War Hymn” penned by J. V. “Pinky” Wilson ’21 was officially adopted; maroon and white emerged as the sanctioned college colors. And in 1922, a lanky Dallas athlete named E. King Gill stepped up and agreed to be the “12th Man” at a football game that may have been the greatest ever played. Today, the 12th Man tradition is one of the most cherished parts of A&M heritage. The 1922 Dixie Classic, precursor to today’s Cotton Bowl, featured a contest between two championship coaches with strong ties to Texas A&M: D. X. Bible, who led the Aggies from 1916 to 1928, and Centre College’s “Uncle Charlie” Moran, who coached at A&M from 1909 to 1914. Historian John A. Adams Jr. ’73 uncovers enthralling details: the pregame conversation between Bible and E. King Gill that helped place Gill in uniform on the sidelines, the wedding celebration involving the Centre College team at the historic Adolphus Hotel the morning before the game, the diagram of the play the Aggies used to score the game-winning touchdown, and so much more. Sports fans and historians, especially those interested in the early days of American football, will savor the rich, previously unknown details surrounding this storied contest between two renowned coaches and their steadfast squads.

"Aggies of all ages will find it a wonderful read and so will people who are interested in military history, national security or sacrificial service. It is a wonderful book! Don't miss it."--Thomas G. Darling' 54, Major General, USAF (Ret.), Commandant Emeritus

Exposes vastly under-explored topics compared to other media reports and books on Jeffrey Epstein How did Jeffrey Epstein manage to evade justice for decades? Who enabled him and why? Why were legal officials told that Epstein “ belonged to intelligence” and to back off during his first arrest in the mid-2000s? Volume 1 of One Nation Under Blackmail traces the origin of the network behind Jeffrey Epstein and his associates to the merging of organized crime and intelligence networks during World War II and follows their most notable activities through the decades. Various scandals, acts of corruption and other crimes throughout the last several decades of American history, many involving sex blackmail, can be traced back to these same networks, which have subverted and taken control of many of America' s most important institutions for their benefit, and to the detriment of the public.

When their country calls, Texas Aggies go to war. From the Spanish-American War and World War I to Operation Iraqi Freedom, Aggies have been in the forefront of America’s armed forces, producing more officers than any other school outside the service academies. More than 20,000 Texas Aggies served in World War II, for instance, including more than 14,000 as commissioned officers. Trained in leadership and the knowledge required for warfare, Aggies have served with distinction in all branches of the military service. In this first-ever compilation of the impressive war record of Texas Aggies, stories of individual soldiers, airmen, sailors, and marines are displayed with an abundance of statistics, maps, and tables. These narratives include • First-person accounts of Aggie heroism in battle in all the wars in which A&M former students have fought; • The horrific experiences of some of the eighty-seven Aggies who were stationed at Corregidor and Bataan; • The perils of five Aggies who participated in the raid over Tokyo with Jimmie Doolittle; • The heroics of the seven Medal of Honor recipients from Texas A&M during World War II; • James Earl Rudder’s leadership of the Ranger assault at Normandy on D-Day; • Examples of vigorous support and devotion to duty given by Aggies in Korea, Vietnam, and the Middle East. Texas Aggies Go to War celebrates the school’s distinctive Corps of Cadets and its military contributions while honoring the individual sacrifices of its members. Those who fought and those who remember them will find here a comprehensive account of the distinguished war record of this school. This book was initiated and sponsored by a group of former students who provided funding through the Texas A&M Foundation. All proceeds from the book will be used to benefit the Texas A&M Corps of Cadets.

This book features the stories of 200 heroic individuals awarded the Medal of Honor for their distinguished military service while fighting for their country, from the Civil War to the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan. America's Heroes: Medal of Honor Recipients from the Civil War to Afghanistan pays tribute to Americans who have demonstrated uncommon valor in the face of great danger. The Medal of Honor recipients featured in this book all acted heroically to earn this highly coveted award, many of them by risking—or sacrificing—their lives to save the lives of others. The stories of these individuals—chosen to reflect the wide diversity of ethnic and cultural backgrounds, branches of service, and conflicts of the recipients—will broaden readers' understanding and appreciation of the Medal of Honor and the distinguished Americans who have received it. In addition to the gripping stories of these heroic Americans, this unique encyclopedia includes an introduction that chronicles the evolution in the award's significance. The Medal of Honor has changed greatly over the last 150 years, not only in the design of the physical decoration itself, but also in terms of the qualifying criteria for the award's recipients.