When a Twenty Year Old Took the Surrender of the German High Command - The Incredible Story of Lieutenant Colonel Hector Mendieta
- Jun 6, 2019
- 41 min read
Updated: 4 days ago
"They all came out like robots, staring straight ahead. Only Goehring was in uniform, and he was in his dress whites. No one made eye contact with us, they all knew, they all had to know….the grim faces they made out of innocent people were on their conscience.’’
Mendieta on taking the surrender of the Third Reich
When was the last time you met a veteran who served in WWII, Korea, and Vietnam? By 2015, almost seventy-five years had passed since WWII began. If the youngest soldier enlisted at eighteen in 1945, that veteran would be approaching 90. By 2025, a decade later, the youngest veteran who joined the US Armed Forces at the end of WWII will be close to 100 years old. If you're lucky enough to see one of these men in their distinctive blue caps, it's worth taking a moment to thank them. You might not have another chance in a few short years.
I met World War II hero Lt. Col Hector Mendieta on August 8, 2015. I was at the collision center after a minor car accident when he came in. There's something about military men that I can often recognize. As soon as he sat down, this humble man seemed open to a brief conversation—or so he thought. "Sir, did you serve our country?’’ I asked.
"Why yes, not a day goes by that I don’t think about the days we fought in that war.’’ I assumed he meant WWII, not knowing he also fought in Korea and Vietnam.
At that moment, a spark ignited within me—a strong curiosity to discover the stories woven into his past. His eyes brightened with gratitude, and a wide smile appeared as he realized someone was genuinely interested in his journey.
Mendieta graduated from Bruni High School at sixteen. Two years into his college studies, President Roosevelt sent a message to the university allowing ROTC students to graduate with an officer's commission and rank. Technically, at nineteen, he had already graduated from college! "I am an Aggie, a Texas A&M Aggie, you better believe it. I know I live in Austin, but I'll root for my Aggies every time!" He shared that he served with the 1326 Engineer General Service Regiment, an all-black general service regiment at Camp Clairborne. After graduating Officer Candidate School, at just 19 years and 200 days, Mendieta was among the youngest, becoming one of three soldiers to rise to the rank of platoon leader and Second Lieutenant during the tumultuous days of World War II.
'"...My family had proudly served in World War I and World War II. It was always a great source of pride to be able to say that I was fighting for America.''
Lieutenant Hector Mendieta was part of the Aggie Corps of Engineers, originating from modest roots in Bruni, Texas, located in Webb County. His family relocated several times, living in other small Texas towns such as Uvalde, Eagle Pass, and Del Rio. History often weaves together unexpected individuals, locations, and events in the most unforeseen moments. It was during one of these instances that I found myself deeply involved. This is the tale of Hector Mendieta, primarily in his own words. I simply offer the historical framework and context for a clearer understanding of the event. Beyond that, this stands as rare firsthand, primary-source evidence, and it is one of the greatest stories you've never heard.
THE INTERVIEW - A BEHIND-THE-SCENES LOOK AT HOW LTC MENDIETA AND I MET AND THE HISTORICAL METHOD I TOOK IN THE INTERVIEW PROCESS
History often puts the most unexpected of people, places, and events together in the least obvious of moments. This would become one of those moments. Here is the tale of Hector Mendieta and how he witnessed one of the most captivating events of World War II.
The more he remembered, the more memories came flooding back. I started to reflect on how unfortunate it is that we neither know nor show interest in speaking to these heroes who were ready to sacrifice their lives for the country. They are the last of a vanishing generation: resilient, determined, committed. Lt. Col. Mendieta was a leader who led from the front, renowned for his fighting spirit and stamina.
Because of his age and the injuries he sustained in Vietnam, he can only speak for twenty to thirty minutes at a time. The interview was conducted over several visits. I found every reason to care for the man, and the stories we uncovered from his untold narrative could make an epic film.
Immersive historians discover ways to present stories in a relatable manner. I encouraged him to engage all five senses when recalling events he hadn't discussed in years. He mentioned the unforgettable smell of the barracks, which triggered a wave of memories he hadn't considered in a long time.
In this passage, you will hear Mendietta speak about the smell and how long that has lingered with him. Smell is the most powerful and reliable sense. I met with him three times, along with several phone conversations, and he never regarded his contributions to the USA as more or less significant than any other soldier's. Unlike some soldiers we've supported, he had a strong support network, including three sons, Vince Mendieta (US ARMY), Maj. Michael Mendieta (USMC), and three daughters, Barbara, Laura, and Janice, most of whom married into military families themselves.
After his career ended, he turned his attention to environmental issues and began working with the Texas Department of Health Municipal Solid Waste Program. "I witnessed extreme poverty and people living in squalor. When I saw a chance to make some changes in my home state, I seized it." He continued, "I had seen the devastating impact of war on people's lives and knew I could help make a positive difference."
The 1940s were arguably the most pivotal years of our modern era. The war's extensive consequences are still evident today. We fought against two major tyrannies and emerged victorious, liberating thousands who faced daily torture and death.
He was a unique soldier who served in both the European and Pacific theaters and was given a rare opportunity to contribute to the war by constructing the prison that would hold the surrendering German High Command. He stood just inches away from them, accepting their surrender and guiding them to the prison he had built. In just three days, he accomplished a mission that would leave him with lifelong memories...
The Setting
In August 1944, Allied Troops arrived in Paris. Germany was forced to retreat from Paris, something Hitler grew infuriated with. He ordered the German troops to set the city ablaze rather than hand it over to the Allied forces.
Hitler desperately questioned his Generals, ‘’Is Paris Burning yet?’’ The German Führer wanted every square block of Paris reduced to ashes. At a meeting of military leaders, he gave an unconditional command: "You are ordered not to retreat from Paris until the city is razed to the ground," To make sure they understood the order, Hitler slammed his fist on the table and shouted, "ALL of it!"
Hitler, The Military Failure
Hitler's lack of military experience made him a very poor general over the armed forces. Repeated losses on the battlefield and endlessly short supply lines saw German losses mount. By 1944, everyone other than Hitler knew Germany was going to lose.
Disregarding Hitler's command, many German soldiers surrendered to French civilian resisters. Some were caught by allied forces. Others fled before being caught, and a few made it back to Germany, where their fate would end up worse than those who were imprisoned in France.
The Germans surrendered in Paris. It was the beginning of the last act of the German rule in France. Paris threw itself into an orgy of celebration and was liberated the following day. Following that, Charles de Gaulle arrived in the city to claim victory in a proud moment for the French.
Meanwhile, as de Gaulle claimed the credit, the Allies continued to press the fight. They crossed the River Seine and chased the Germans. But the Allies were running into problems delivering supplies.
The fleeing Germans trashed the French ports, and that meant that Allied supplies had to be brought through the beaches of Normandy and across treacherous ground. Supplies, including fuel, were greatly restricted.
Having lost France, Germany turned its attention to England with even more focus. Part of Germany's plan with regard to England was to send a ‘’flying bomb’’ with a one-ton warhead on its mission to destroy Britain. The British had no answer. These V2 rockets rained on defenseless citizens for six months. But it was because of the British resolve that the morale remained as high as it did. The ongoing destruction that these bombs caused in much of London. Morale in Britain remained unbroken.
EUROPE'S DIRE SITUATION AT THE TIME OF MENDIETA'S ARRIVAL
On September 3rd, 1944, the Allies arrived in Belgium and found Antwerp still intact. This discovery seemed to finally provide a solution to the logistical challenges that had consistently troubled them.
The Failure of Operation Barbarossa; Germany Betrays Russia
Even without attacking Russia, Germany would not have won the war. Their supplies were critically low, and the Allies were making daily advances. However, by choosing to betray Russia, Germany accelerated the war's end, committing an act so severe that it made the Russians appear honorable.
By all accounts, Hitler did not trust Stalin. The "Non-Aggression Pact" between Germany and Russia left both nations uneasy. Hitler could not manage a war on multiple fronts. In 1940, he believed he would dominate Western Europe long enough to eventually turn against Russia. Conquering Russia would elevate Germany to a superpower status comparable to the United States. He saw Russia's vast spaces and resources as the key to Germany's rise. Ignoring his generals' advice, he invaded Russia, naming it Operation ‘Barbarossa,’ one of history's greatest blunders.
Stalin refused to consider the possibility of Hitler's betrayal. Despite a fragile peace between them, Stalin dismissed Churchill's MI-5 intelligence warning of a German turn on Russia. His general mistrust would be his downfall. In terms of brutality, Stalin was as bloodthirsty as his German counterpart. Had they remained allies, their combined forces could have unleashed unimaginable terror.
In theory, Russia was still an ally of Hitler, and Stalin wanted to maintain that status. However, Hitler had other plans and needed to secure his southern flank. When pro-Nazi governments in Yugoslavia and Greece were overthrown, it threatened to destabilize Germany. He swiftly invaded Yugoslavia and Greece, and by December 1941, both countries were subdued. Romania, Bulgaria, and Hungary were allied with Germany in their animosity towards the Soviets. With thirty-three German divisions, Yugoslavia fell in just six days.
Nevertheless, Hitler proceeded with the invasion.
The Captured Masses
The German forces captured 5,000,000 Soviet prisoners of war, who were denied the protections of the Geneva Conventions. Most of them did not survive. The Nazis intentionally starved 3.1 million of these prisoners as part of a "Hunger Plan" aimed at reducing the Eastern European population to make room for ethnic Germans.
Unexpected Alliances
Long-standing hostility toward the Russians led to an unexpected welcome for the Germans in areas like Ukraine and Bulgaria. Minsk fell quickly, resulting in the capture of 30,000 prisoners. After Hitler's betrayal, Stalin remained out of sight for nearly a week. Britain took this chance to send emissaries to Russia to negotiate an agreement. Deputy Secretary Molotov signed the pact with Stalin standing expressionless behind him. Although Britain's ability to assist the Russians was limited beyond propaganda, their efforts were effective.
A Miscalculation of Epic Proportions
Subsequently, the Nazis focused on securing their northern borders. Hitler's generals remained silent when he revealed his plans for Russia, as no one dared to oppose him. This was a critical miscalculation by Hitler, leading to his greatest defeat.
The Siege of Leningrad
In early July 1941, over 300,000 Russians were surrounded. The Germans seemed to have calculated correctly. By July 22nd, they were near Leningrad. However, the Russians resisted and continued to do so throughout much of the autumn. Stalin was concerned that the Japanese might unexpectedly attack the Siberian front.
Reinforcements and Resilience
Japan, preparing for war in the Pacific, assured Stalin they would not attack Siberia. This allowed 30,000 new and well-trained Russian troops to reinforce crucial cities like Moscow. German forces were only nineteen miles from Red Square. Although winter had stalled Hitler, he believed spring would be more favorable.
In His Own Words...
"I was able to fool people into thinking I was older than I was because my mother didn’t want to babysit me while my older brother went to school. So, she passed me off as a twin to my brother Herbert. It got so I could get through school a lot faster. All the way through school, my brother and I were inseparable. He, like myself, got a letter from the President saying that if he agreed to serve, he’d get additional years of schooling for free. We were already juniors at Texas A&M when he got drafted anyway, so he didn’t finish school. They sent him to Hawaii. What a guy, right? I was called in, and because I was ROTC at the time, I knew I would make it in as an officer.
31 years, three wars, and you retire as a Lieutenant Colonel. You could hardly imagine a better career in the United States Army. The Army isn't about you as an individual. The Army isn't about making sure you're comfortable.
On March 23, 1943, I was called into service. We were sent to Camp Roberts for basic training. We were sent to Officer Candidate School. You go through a lot of basic training, often two and three of the same training in a day, and then you are given mental exams too. In our ninth week, it was discovered we had been sent to the WRONG camp! We should have been sent to Camp Abbott and so we essentially lost nine weeks. They sent us to Abbott, where we had to start all over again. And that quite possibly separated us from many of the other regiments. We were a tight group and we knew how to be tough…and believe me, we would need every bit of it.
By November, I was sent to OCS training, and then BACK to A&M. In 1943, we felt like we were losing the war in America. Every day you’d pick up the newspaper, and it detailed another loss, another loss of life. The maps showed how we were being pushed around Europe, the Pacific, everywhere.
I was in the 1326 Regiment, reporting to Lt. Col. Frank Lilack. He was a professor at Johns Hopkins, a really impressive man. We were builders and rebuilders. Everywhere we went, we were repairing busted roads or building others that would support the weight of our tanks. We built guardrails to keep the jeeps from sliding off the roads because, in the cold, they would get slushy and you had to get the most out of your tires.
One afternoon in February of 1942, we were building a hospital and a road that would allow ambulances easy access. We had built the road out several miles to a T-section with other roads that were being built by other National Guardsmen. You get the idea that there were many facets to the war other than the strategy of battle. Without roads, we couldn’t advance supplies, men, or even military supplies themselves. Without hospitals and makeshift prisons, we couldn’t get our men taken care of, and we wouldn’t have a logistical overview to ensure that we could move freely with captured prisoners.
Meeting Patton
It was a balmy type of day, warm and humid but cooling rapidly under an overcast sky. It seemed to get darker and colder as the evening fell. It was approaching darkness when a Three-Star Jeep drove past and the silence caught us all off guard. It was a driver and George Patton, who reached over and leaned on the horn. ‘’Get out my way!..... Now!’’ The asphalt was still smoldering and setting into place and I wasn’t about to let anyone pass right now.
I rushed to the front to intercept him, knowing that this was not going to end well for one of us. But Patton’s jeep would get stuck in the asphalt and his ass would be stuck and then I would be watching the rest of the war from inside the brig!
I had to be the one to tell the General to wait. I held my hand up and looked his driver right in the eye. I was far too afraid to look at Patton the same way! ‘’Let me through, now!’’ He ordered. ‘’I can’t do that Sir. The asphalt would swallow your jeep and it isn’t ready!’’ Patton was always in a hurry. I don’t think anyone saw him sit still, but that is why we respected him so much.
I remember being surprised that he didn’t travel with more detail around him. There were two jeeps – his and a jeep behind his that had a driver and two machine-gunners. Patton never realized the risk or the danger he was in, and if he did, he never showed it to anyone. He wanted to be seen as ‘one of the guys’ but he also wanted to be seen as ‘’the leader of one of the guys.’’ It seemed that Patton lived by no law other than his own.
"Hand me the canteen,’’ Patton demanded of his driver. The driver reached for one, and Patton barked,"No, not that one, the OTHER one.’’ The driver dug under the seat, pulling out a few papers and other discarded items, and pulled what he called, "a magic canteen", from the floors well worn interior. Patton's grip around the lid of the canteen was so tight that I could see the veins in his hands bulging. He finally worked it enough to get it open and then he took a swig. "Ahhh, a good shot of whiskey keeps a man’s temper down.’’ While I would have loved to drink with the General, I didn’t offer. I nodded, then waited and wondered how good whiskey could be if it has been under the seat, covered with garbage, and in the elements. But for the moment, Patton and that canteen were the best of friends! Know what I mean?
I had a Captain pull up beside me. It was Captain William Thomas of the 59th Army Air Corps. Although he seemed to come from nowhere, he was very aware of the road building, and he told me very quietly that the asphalt was cooling a bit. Patton overheard this. You can see that this was good news for the impatient General. "When will it be ready? I need to go!’’
Captain Thomas was unconcerned with rank. ‘Sir, it will take some time. Believe me, we know what we are doing. It seems as if I have paved almost the entire state of Georgia, it will be ready when I say it is ready. We're paving landing strips, too. ’’
"Oh wow!’’ I thought Captain Thomas was cooked right there. Patton scowled but seemed to accept it, making out with his best friend, that canteen full of whiskey. Well, it wasn't full of whiskey when he got done with it, that's for sure.
Fortunately, Patton waited. We distracted him with the suggestion that he could turn around and grab a bite to eat. He drove back the way he came, and we didn’t see him for several hours, and by that time, the road was ready.
Meanwhile, the British had gone into Norway in 1941, and they landed without the Germans firing a shot. There was a German trawler floating on the water that was seized by the British. Now their objective was to blow up the ‘fish-oil’ factories, which had been transformed into glycerin factories. That’s an explosive chemical! The Brits really surprised the Germans, and several of the British soldiers couldn’t resist using the post office to write Hitler themselves, asking him, "Where were all these Germans you said were here?’’
The ‘’Enigma Machine’’ captured in Norway. This was among the first ones adopted by the ‘’Reichsmarine’’ (German Naval Forces)
Norwegian Turncoats
The commanders rounded up several dozen Norwegian collaborators and two hundred Germans. Every one of our allies it seemed, had German sympathizers and even acrive agents. But the Norswegian's surprised me. The few they could send were the first ones willing to charge out into gunfire. They were usually very brave.
Finding the Engima
We also captured a German "Enigma" machine. This gave the Brits mastery over the seas that the Germans would never recapture. These were just raids into Norway, but they convinced Hitler to keep a quarter of a million troops in Norway that could have been used elsewhere. It was blunder after blunder for Hitler. Every so often, the British and Americans would send an elite crack group to undermine the Germans. Early on they made it hard on the Germans, but as effective as they were, commando raids were not enough to stop the Nazis.
It took a clandestine operation that we found out about in drips and drops throughout the war. They were called the SOE (Special Operations Executive), and they were mighty tough. We could seldom decide what direction to move, but for whatever reason, I was always invited into the "think-tank." As for the SOE, they were very secretive and they worked alongside the Resistance Movement. Their agents and equipment were flown in with top-secret clearance as the increasingly larger resistance movement began to expand. The work of SOE soldiers was perilous and life was short.
Radio Croadcast Clues
We found out that messages were cleverly passed on through broadcasts. These not only fanned out the resistance movement, but they helped to uncover Nazi agents. Whether it was in Norway, Denmark, or France, there were undercover agents. And these men had a prisoner-of-war camp to maintain, and the population was growing.
They then picked up 2,000 Norwegian volunteers to fight with the Brits. As I was saying these were reliable people. Well, accept for the ones working with the germans. Overall, this tactic worked all over Europe. Then they would get the people free of Hitler, and they would end up fighting for them! The Norwegians and Germans fought at Maloy in Norway and there were more turncoats found. The British took more prisoners - some of them were relatively high-ranking officials.
Giving you the background here helps you understand why it is important to have a plan for what you do AFTER a country begins losing a war. The prisons grow and grow, and more and more resources are needed to take care of them. Do you think the Koreans wanted to take POWs? Well, for the most part, the only place I knew that enjoyed taking prisoners was Germany. They enjoyed torturing soldiers, civilians, and anyone with a handicap.
I never questioned what our role was. When we found ourselves in Europe, we were put to work with the Army National Guard with the specific purpose of building roads, train tracks, supply depots, and prisons. As the war was coming to an end, more and more POWs were under our control.
How Drugs Fueled the Nazi Armies
In December of 1944, Germany made their last desperate gasp. No one expected it. Man, they were on something. When I say they were "on something," I am talking about drugs. They were racing non-stop, and with fewer men, the same ones were having to fight 18 hours a day. We didn't know this of course, Instead we believed they had many more men than they actually had. I think it was some type of speed or highly concentrated caffeine. We'd capture their prisoners and their eyes would be stuck in a wide-open position. Still, they had been surrendering unit by unit in Belgium when we got our first real look at what these bastards did to unarmed civilians. You didn't have a good idea of what would happen from one day to the next. Things happened so fast. We moved out of France and turned toward southern Germany. As we passed through some of the towns of France, we saw such a pitiful sight. Women and children were shot at point-blank range. We saw survivors scrounging for bread, and the smell was enough to make anyone ill.
It was the final months of the war, and it seemed obvious that the everyday German soldier lost his will to fight. More and more, they surrendered. Some of these Germans were disguised as civilians, sometimes wearing the clothes of the civilians they killed. We dealt with them extra special. Let's just say, they weren't there to see the end.
In February of 1945, we destroyed Dresden. We probably had no need to, but we did it anyway. The city was largely reduced to embers anyway, and we took care of what was left. En route to Berlin, all of the bridges from Holland southward were taken out. All but one - Remagen Bridge. Much to our surprise, the Nazis forgot one bridge, and we were on our way to Berlin. We heard later that Hitler executed the German unit that left the Remagen Bridge open for business.
The Smell of War
In 1945, Germany finally surrendered. We sure didn’t feel the war was over. You ask me what it smelled like. Well, that’s the thing you never forget. War has a very distinct smell. Let’s start with the fuel, diesel. It was everywhere. There wasn't a gas station anywhere. The jeeps carried drums of fuel and they often leaked.
Of course, back then everyone smoked. Not these nice flavored ciggerettes that you get today, but the acrid kind. You couldn't get away from it, so you just joined in. I smoked for years after the war, but i am glad I stopped now.
The smell of rotting food, sweat, and even stronger cigar smoke permeated the air. You were lucky if you got to shower once a week in those conditions. Even worse was the smell of burned buildings, charred earth. It never leaves your memory.
But the worst of all, and the memory that never leaves you, is the smell of death. Germans and English and Americans, everyone smelled the same in death. It is so distinctive that there is no mistaking it. I wish I could forget it, but I don't know how I would even begin. It is the worst of all memories for me. Seeing them dead didn't affect me as much as smelling them. I could avert my eyes but not my nose. Just talking about it with you now is, well, you know...
As for Berlin, it was a mess. It was still smoldering. We bombed the holy-hell out of the city in the days before the invasion. Refugees, women and children, the elderly, streamed out of the city for miles, some falling dead from exhaustion. They would be finding bodies for months after the war was over.
The Biggest Shock of My Life
This all set the stage for my single biggest moment in my military career.
I was called into the office of my Commanding Officer. I was told that I was to be in charge of a top-secret mission taking a school and hotel and to turn into a make-shift prison and interrogation center for the newly surrendered Nazi high-command. I looked over my shoulder to make sure he wasn't talking to someone else, someone more senior than I was. My heart pounded and I think my legs were shaking. Then, bringing back to earth, he set a reality upon me that seemed impossible to fulfill. "…you will have just 72 hours, he said, and it has to be done to perfection.’’ This was known at the time as No 74, Combined Services Detailed Interroation Centre. That's a lot to remember. Some of us tried sounding out the anaycronym, and it came out to something like "Sis-Dik" and naturally, that took on a whole new meaning. It was my first real exposure to the British. I could listen to them talk all day long. Down in the valley, that kind of English wouldn't be clearly understood. Our commanding officer, was working with the Brits to build an interrogation center and needed to repurpose a building in order to do this. It was to be built in Bad Nenndorf, Luxembourg, and I was to report directly to the battalion commander.
Wow, what a huge responsibility. I had all of three days to get this in order. Well, nothing is impossible – nothing. When you have a good team of guys alongside you, everyone has the same mission. It makes things easier. Of course, I wasn't just younger than most of them were, but I LOOKED younger. I looked like I was fourteen or so! I was lucky because I was well connected, and the supply depot at Arlon was great about getting us things like barbed wire and electrical supplies. Another depot was great at pulling in lumber and building pontoons so that we could quickly transport the things we needed to transport.
We got everything together in about three days, and before I knew it I had a bunch of fighter planes circling overhead, escorting a convoy of the German High Command into our camp. We cut those hotel room doors in half so we could keep the lower half of the door locked at all times and keep the prisoners in their cells. The next step was to install steel rods in the windows to keep the Germans from escaping through the windows.
Within three days, we had that compound all finished up. All of the high command was there except for the top dog, who’d killed himself. I believe his name was Himmler. Sometimes I remember better than others (laughs). My platoon was the only American unit that knew what was going on there.
It was an extremely classified mission. I soon found out why this was the case. There were a lot of lower ranking gestapo taken with the high-ranking officers. They were held in solitary confinement, which I thought was a waste of space, but this was done for reasons above my rank to decide. There were even women among them, including one whom the German officers called "The Beast."
EDITOR'S NOTE: "The Beast of Belsen" or the "Hyena." This may have been Irma Grese, one of the women who oversaw the female population at Bergen-Belsen. If she was there, it was for a breif stay. She was a high-profile criminal, known for her practice of having soldiers snat the arms of women who crossed her path. She ordered amputations, would shower them in freezing weather, and took pleasure in starving them to death. There is no record of her being interrogated there, but it may have been a transfer location while she was on her way to the British 11th amrmored division headquarters. She was hung in December 1945.
Converting a School into a Prison
Among the things we had to do was to build tightly wound barbed wire and cyclone-fencing, booby-traps, posts, and various other electrical devices. We were up around the clock, transforming the landscape, building huge post-holes, fortifying walls, building a make-shift interrogation center and prison processing center. We had to build machine-gun nests and towers in each corner of the hotel. Wow, what a whirlwind of activities! We utilized a makeshift playground as a place for the prisoners to get a little exercise, but not one of them knew that it would be the same courtyard where they would be hanged.
The cells were barely 6x9 and were reinforced with lead doors. The only light they were allowed to see was a small bulb that was shined through the door. We didn't have the time to rewire the place and it wouldn't have been safe to do so anyway. Too many things can go wrong there. The rooms were dank places. We wanted this to be a prison after-all.
My First Exposure to Psychological Operations
I remember this now that I am thinking about it. We had an Army psychologist, oh, I can’t remember his name now. (Gustave Gilbert) Once they were shipped to Nuremberg to face trial, he was tasked with giving IQ exams to the prisoners. He did many tests, and there were penalties for not taking part in them.
Well, Arthur Seyss-Inquart came away with the highest score. His eyes were all over the place, constantly scanning, looking. It totally stood in contrast to the rest of them, who stared straight ahead. When he was sentenced to die, he actually seemed happy about it. He did not want to die in prison after many years. I wondered how many of them felt that way once they were sentenced.
It was said that in the days before his hanging, he had a Christian conversion. You never know what to really believe, and I thought the conversion was really something, especially how he came across at first. He was the last one who was hanged, but I never got the full story about him. I just know he brought with him a lot of fury.
As promised, on the morning of the fourth day, a number of airplanes began to circle overhead and there was a load of tension and activity. These planes were loud and they were everywhere. The show of overwhelming superiority was not incidental.
Then, sentries and Military Police began to line up on the sides of the streets, and sharpshooters took their places in the buildings nearby. More and more military officials and high-ranking officers began to show up.
Soon, jeeps with machine guns began arriving at the same time. They lined the streets, and things grew very tense. I wasn’t sure what to expect. Given the amount of military preparedness I was witnessing, I thought for sure there was an ambush on the way. None of the men with me felt at ease – not at all.
A Soldier's Moment of Self-Awareness
It dawned on me that I wasn’t cleaned up for this. I had been driving hard, three straight days with little to no rest. I was really smelly, you know. I didn’t smoke back then, but I reeked so bad that I smoked a cigar to try to make myself smell better! That’s how bad I thought I stunk.
So now it begins --- One by one, this convoy of military vehicles arrives with the German high command and various sympathizers from Norway, Sweden, France, and Italy were brought in. At first, we were rushed to line up to receive them. It was eerie, really eerie.
The vehicles came to a stop in front of the prison. It was very quiet now - very quiet, with the exception of the sound of planes flying in a large circle over the area. In typical German order, the high command steps out of their vehicles. Some of them were cuffed, others were not. It seemed to me that the sympathizers were the ones who were chained, whereas the German officers were not. But there were so many, you couldn’t actually be sure.
Everyone lined up. They all came out like robots, staring straight ahead. Only Goering was in uniform and he was in his dress whites. It was told to me that Goering was hand-picked by Hitler to negotiate on behalf of Germany after the surrender. Hitler told very few that he was going to commit suicide, and his loyalty to Goering was very evident. No one made eye contact with us, they all knew, they all had to know… the grim faces they made out of innocent people were on their conscience…''
Staring the Enemy Down
Roll-call was really something. They lined up in front of me. I looked at every one of them. They were men of precision and direction. Many years later, after I matured some, part of me felt a little sorry for them too – it seemed like none of them intended to be there. But you know how it is, loyalty to Hitler was not an option. But the fact that not one of them stood up for what was right made them all cowards to me. But then I realize that every last one of them would have already taken me out had they the chance to do so, and I am sure we did the right thing.
They lined up and stood before our own military command. I didn’t discern any emotions or any real feelings. There was no sense of regret or acknowledgment of wrongdoing. The Germans of the Second World War were as much about killing those who weren't like them as they were winning the war. These were cold and calculating men.
At this moment, they remained completely silent, but no matter how wounded or weak, they remained with precision in a perfect line, and soon followed me and my men directly to their temporary prison.
My heart raced, and I made sure to put my two Jewish soldiers in the direct receiving line. It wasn’t much, but I felt a little of vindication that I am sure they did. When it was over and the doors finally closed, I glanced over to them and they were weeping on one another’s shoulders.
There was a particular scent of acrid tobacco amongst the German High Command that at the time I didn’t understand. I was later told that they didn’t have access to good tobacco and so they made their own out of improvised herbs. One can imagine what it was.
These are the Prisoners of War and Members of the Third Reich who Lt. Mendietta helped to incarcerate. At the center, in his dress whites, Herman Goering
I received quite a bit of recognition for pulling this off, but my platoon of thirty-nine men really made it happen. There was a bit of a lull in the days immediately after the surrender, but just as I got to feeling the job was done, I was off to Japan. The war may have ended for the Germans, but it sure didn’t end for me.
As a side note for this, the prison was a bad place in the years to come. The British were also a part of the continuation of the prison after we built it. They practiced a different kind of interrogation that involved torture. Hell, it wasn't supposed to be a picnic, but perhaps the Brits took it a bit too far. There were war crimes committed by the British and ultimately the prison was closed down.
It is a surprise to many that women were often in uniform in World War II. I became friends with one of the women of the Army Air Corps. There were women pilots who trained the the men pilots. In fact, here’s something you don’t know. Cornelia Fort had been giving a civilian lesson over Hawaii on December 7th, 1941. She became the first pilot to engage the Japanese Navy.
This is the Berlin Prison as it stands today. We examined its layout and design, transforming a school into a temporary detention facility. Within these walls were some of the world’s most ruthless killers, along with traitors who collaborated with the Germans during the war. Notice the floor, which remains from the original prison. Later, the Germans repurposed the prison as an infamous detention center for Communists, Political Prisoners, and Russian KGB agents. They enhanced the watchtower and added electric fences as well.
This is a real memory for me. It is taken just outside Berlin, in Karlshorst, and it is where the German High Command surrendered. I had no idea that I was a part of such a significant moment in history.
Going to the Pacific Paradise
Almost at once, we were sent to the Pacific. Even after serving in Germany and in the rest of Europe, these men were ready to go and ready to help us win the war. No one thought of themselves, at least as far as I could see.
By now, I was entrusted with great responsibility. I was too young, too inexperienced to even know to be scared. I took two regiments, 5,000 troops, and we ended up in the Caroline Islands. I even had an all-black platoon underneath me. No one else wanted them, but I did. America had some ways to go with regard to integrating the forces. But to be honest, no one, white or black, seemed to be bothered at all.
We set sail for the open sea and for the entire journey, it was just us. There wasn’t another ship within sight! The guys were taking some well-deserved R&R while on the trip.
But during that time, the commanding officers all met and there we discussed our invasion plans for Japan. We were going to select certain beaches, because unlike Normandy, the coastline of Japan is a suicide trap of inland jetties and tough terrain. We were estimating very high casualties and that was a heavy load to bear when I would peek out and see the men laughing and playing cards on deck. Seemed to me like many of them weren’t coming home, and there was a good chance I wasn’t going to come home either.
Once we got to the islands, we had to take turns there, but it was so nice. There wasn’t much there but you can imagine – we didn’t care. There were a few baseball diamonds, volleyball courts, pretty beaches, and lots of beer! Oh boy, did that ever taste good to us.
We were there for three weeks and the tranquility was badly needed. Then, one morning, I woke up at sunrise. And there, as far as the eye could see, ships. All kinds of ships. Through my binoculars, I could see they were American, Australian, British, Indian, and even Irish. It was the most amazing thing I did see, ships in all four directions. Well, the party is over now!
We had drawn up plans to invade Japan and how this was all going to go down, and when. The range of dates for our invasion was September 15, 1945 – September 30, 1945. It was going to require precision timing by Naval and Marine forces of multiple nations, and then air support from American and Australian forces. As soon as we would map out and solve one problem, we would create two more. Furthermore, there was a lot of competition and ego amongst the military commanders. This was going to be one of the largest invasions- surpassing even D-Day.
There was a lot of different opinions. "Operation Downfall’’ was going to invade the Japanese home islands in June. As the meeting with Truman broke up, the atomic bomb had yet to even be tested. We were going to invade and blockade the country. We knew that the Japs were very brutal – especially in China, where they carried out massacres he Chinese would never forget.
For some reason, I was always in the quarters where these complex plans were drawn up. I felt proud that I got to see such things, but until now, I had no one I could tell! For instance, believing that these orders had come from Truman himself, we drew up ultimatums for their surrender, but we didn’t expect them to throw the white flag. Their Navy was decimated by then but you could never count them out.
Japan's Mistakes at Pearl Harbor
But there were several mistakes the Japanese made in 1941. They errantly believed that we would respond as they would, feeling humiliated and ashamed, you know. Some thought we would be too ashamed to even fight back.
Secondly, the fleet that they destroyed did not include key components, including aircraft carriers. While the Japanese seemed to celebrate the sneak-attack, Admiral Yamamoto was worried. He alone seemed to understand that the Americans would take it on the chin and then keep it going.
By 1942, the Japanese had almost the entire Southern Pacific. Any island they could capture, they captured. There was no getting around it. We had to have an unconditional surrender from Japan, and we would have to do it, island by island. The Japanese government, beginning with Hirohito, needed to surrender to end the fight. And when we talked amongst ourselves about it, we just didn’t see that happening.
While we were still in Europe, 3 or 4 Aircraft Carriers, 54 Warships and 19,000 soldiers sought to take back Guadalcanal. The attack was a brilliant success and caught the Japanese by surprise. Despite our success, you could see how Japanese soldiers would rather die before surrendering. They simply did not quit. When they ran out of bullets, they threw stones!
How Guadalcanal Pushed the Decision to Use the Atomic Bomb
The cost of American lives at Guadalcanal would be a foretelling of what a mainland invasion would look like. As we discussed what we were going to be doing, we were made all too aware of that fight on that little island. We had rocky beaches and volcanic soil in the Solomon Islands.
But we won – and it was the first defeat of Japanese soldiers in the Pacific. Oh, and the ego’s of our leadership…..Nimitiz and MacArthur were bitter enemies and each wanted to take credit for the invasion of Japan.
In November of 1943, a disastrous and pyrrhic victory was won. Why was this a bad thing? The answer is that the losses we absorbed and the brutality that the guys met made this such a personal war. We were successful at Tenaru. The Imperial 17TH Armed Forces of Japan put up a hell of a fight. Only seventeen out of five thousand Japanese soldiers survived. We lost over a thousand marines, and it was God awful. And such losses would be a familiar pattern for us, and we would have a hard time believing what we were hearing.
There is an interesting thing about this battle which one of the soldiers shared with me. The Japanese held all the key positions. It would be that way in almost every island in the Pacific that we fought over. With a positional advantage, they decided to attack our men at night! This was not a smart move, and the only thing that was surprising is that they did it at all. There was no need to risk everything. After all, it was up to us to take the fight to them!
What’s more is that the Japanese didn’t even try to outflank us. They came straight at us, a frontal assault, at nighttime, from advantageous positions. It couldn’t have happened any better for the Americans, for with Japan’s now weakened defenses, we were able to sneak in behind them and assume a superior position! Crazy! But one thing did emerge – what unpredictable actions would the Japs take if we were to invade the actual country?
New Guinea fell, and in January 1945, MacArthur took back the Philippines while Nimitz set his sights on Iwo Jima. For seventy straight days, Naval vessels bombed Iwo Jima relentlessly. Iwo Jima was strategically important for the Japanese for it gave them advance warning of incoming enemy fighters. It was a first line of defense.
The Japanese hunkered down in a bevy of underground tunnels. Carnage and death were all over the slopes. Although we were supported by constant naval and aerial bombing, we couldn’t gain a real foothold for some time. I heard some incredible stories regarding that invasion, all the while, we were setting forth a plan to invade Japan. Hell, if they could hold us off on these little islands, we began to wonder, ‘what will it be like when we hit the mainland?’’
I lost several close friends in Iwo Jima and never had the chance to say a proper goodbye. It was horrible to see the caskets just keep on coming. In February 1945, Iwo Jima fell to the proud and heroic Marines who lifted that flag on Mt. Suribachi in a picture worth a thousand words.
Lives seemed so expendable. They really did.
The Land of Misinformation and False Bravado
But it was crucial to us too. It’s less than seven hundred miles from Japan. The men were told it would be an easy invasion. The first lesson became clear – the landings were unopposed, but the counter-attack was ferocious. They let us land, and without opposing bullets, some of the men slowed down, taking it easy. Our landing began to lose form and it got congested. They planned on letting us land and then swallowed us from behind, leaving a real bad mess. On that first day, we lost so many men.
By the end of the first day, 2,500 US Marines were dead. But by the end of the fourth day, the iconic image of the war and the flag was raised over the highest peak. The brutality of war was pure annihilation. Our men saw firsthand the labyrinth of caves that required us to burn them out. 21,000 Americans died on an eight-mile island. Iwo Jima stood out to our leadership just what we might face in Tokyo.
As we planned for an all-out invasion of Japan, more and more trepidation overtook our discussions. I had heard that we decided to conventionally bomb Japan. One of my pilot friends described what it looked like as a rain of fire falling from the skies. For nearly three hours, we dropped some 1500 tons in a target area of ten square miles.
Our leadership became more extreme in the way they viewed the war. Curtis LeMay wanted to repeatedly bomb Tokyo and blockade them, hoping to agitate the population into rebellion. The Japanese High Command seemed unmoved by the suffering of the people, while in America, there was no hurry to invade Japan. It was thought that they would capitulate, but no one knew when.
American High-Command Considers the Use of Poison Gas
By now, I was a fixture who observed high-level meetings. I was seldom asked my opinion, nor did I even have one. I was taking it all in, knowing that they trusted everyone in that room. Each of the highest ranking officers agreed we could not afford to wait much longer.
My job was to rebuild roads and pave airstrips for our airplanes. Here I was, trying to figure out a logistical nightmare. Now I was having to do it with fewer and fewer resources. We could get supplies to our men, but we couldn’t get supplies to the men until the roads were built first! Typical Army. But they liked me because no matter what they told me to do, I did it. I made no excuses, and never said no. I just didn’t always do things in the way they wanted. But I didn't care, because what matters at the end of the day is whether it got done or not!
As I said, I got results. One of my COs told me, "Lt. Mendietta, I like you because no matter what I tell you to do – you do it. But you sure don’t listen to me when I tell you how to do it. Either way, you never complain and you get it done!’’
While I was at Texas A&M, I was introduced to a type of warfare I had only read about. It was a nightmare really, and none of us wanted any part of it. This was top-secret at the time and would remain so for some time after the war’s conclusion. Whatever we were discussing at the time, suddenly everything came to a standstill. "Poison Gas!’’ said one of the Lt. Generals at the table. Everything fell silent as the discussion very seriously made its way around the room.
It was discussed as to whether we could use poison gas on the Japanese. As I mentioned, I had specialized training in Chemical Warfare, and you need not be a genius to figure out that we were now looking at whatever alternatives we had. Training began on Chemical Weapons Warfare. We discussed the use of poisonous gas, and we listed Japanese targets. The Japanese were vicious, and no one felt much compassion for them. Every major city was to be hit. Mustard Gas was to be used in Tokyo because it adheres to wood. We were now knee-deep in it.
We estimated that eight or nine million people would die in Japan. We envisioned the panic that it would cause, and we were moving that direction. The Japanese had considered, as we would find out much later, that in 1944 they were hoping FDR would lose the election so they could arrange a better deal. Roosevelt wanted to end the war and was willing to use any weapons at our disposal, including gas.
There were different kinds of gasses that were being discussed. Chlorine was the least expensive. Victims could not be touched or bandaged, let-alone comforted. It had awful long-term effects that we were only now able to discover. World War I Veterans were suffering from serious cancers due to its alkylating properties. I wasn’t a fan of using it on civilians.
I could imagine kids and old people alike, each with no stake in the matter of war, suffering as a result. I suppose it was wrong of me at the time, but whenever I would catch myself feeling that way, I would remember the brutality shown to our boys by the Japanese and it seemed to justify why I felt the way I felt. ‘’Damn them all.’’ -- it was all I could think.
The Huntsville Mustard Gas Arsenal produced more gas in five months. 79,000 drums of mustard-gas were produced and the plans were submitted to General Porter for approval. I was seeing a lot of problems with this attack because of the affect it might have on our own men.
Operation X - The Plan to Invade Japan
The plan to use mustard gas was not well known to many people. I learned that we had an agreement not to use these weapons unless they were used on us, but it seemed like we were now looking to change this. In February 1945, General Marshall outlined his plan for invasion. It would be a full-out invasion, and we were to make a two-pronged attack. Consider how much planning Normandy took and multiply it by ten, and then you have what we were facing in the invasion of Japan. (Operation X-Day)
The date for this invasion would be November 1st, 1945. The densely wooded and volcanic terrain and those deep ravines of Kyushu couldn’t have been more different than what we saw in Europe. The islands in Japan were almost impossible to navigate. The scale of this invasion would take us to Tokyo by March of 1946.
MacArthur wanted 250,000 combat troops and 700,000 men. You can bet my regiment was to be a part of that. You have to understand – MacArthur was a student of military history, but almost because of that, he was way too conventional. He read every Civil War and World War I book there was. He saw it like a chessboard.
The Japanese were brutal in the mutilation they inflicted on American GIs. The stories made me madder than hell. The Japanese dug into the hillside and jungle and changed tactics. There were tunnels criss-crossing the whole damn island. It was horrible trying to deal with their ferocity. Now we are beginning to question just how we can pull off an invasion. Okinawa was a game-changer and caused us to rethink the way we were going to prosecute the war.
In Okinawa, you can see Kama-Kazi pilots. They were clearly losing the war and thought there was no reason to try to survive. You couldn’t take prisoners in Okinawa. We had no prisons for POWs, so every prisoner that the guys caught, they executed them. It wasn’t open for debate. 107,000 Japanese troops and civilians were dead, and only 109 survived.
On the American side, the scale of the casualties on land and sea tipped us off as to what would happen in an invasion of Japan. 50,000 casualties were our own hell. You cannot imagine, even the stench when we were there, was overwhelming.
The willingness for the Japanese to suffer through anything, to die and take others out in the process, seemed to force our hand with regards to Weapons of Mass Destruction.
Okinawa had the worst air. It completely reeked. There were bodies still being discovered there when we arrived. Although we killed 500,000 Japanese, it accounted for under 10% of their total army. Four million in Japan alone, and they DON’T give up!
This is what we were up against in the Pacific. The odds were stacked against us, and the longer we fought there, the more obvious it would become that we could not sustain a military invasion of Japan.
When it came to the final battle at Okinawa, a ferocious civilian attack on the Americans was forthcoming. The Japanese seemed to believe that American resolve would be destroyed if more and more lives were lost. The battle for Okinawa was still raging even when we arrived.
One of the first to understand that an invasion would not work was Admiral Nimitz. Naturally, we heard the gossip about MaCarthur and Nimitz. It didn't matter that much, but to a man, none of us wanted a land invasion, and Mimitz was the first to realize how futile and costly it would be. So natrually, we took his side. Not that it meant a darn thing to him, but to us, it did!
The Unknown Peril of Invading Japan
We were told that any discussion of the invasion of Japan was not going to happen, but we were preparing for it anyway. There needed to be an alternative to the invasion. Nimitz didn’t even disclose this to Truman. We wondered if he was going to attack or leave us high and dry.
By the time we were sent to Okinawa, the war in the Pacific was in full swing. We were to await further orders and to continue making preparations for the land invasion. My job was to make sure we had provisions and weapons for the men. We mapped out areas that were going to need pontoon bridges and roads finished. The amount of espionage we had to do in order understand the layout of the terrain and to know where we would build roads. We had begun building out deadlines and some exact details when something unexpected happened.
At some point, President Truman met with the Joint Chiefs of Staff. He wanted to know what kind of numbers we were looking at with a land invasion. The last thing Truman wanted was to take troops fresh off their European victory would suddenly have to move them back out to the Pacific. But those spring and summer months were brutal.
The Navy put out realistic numbers, but the Army Chief of Staff, General Marshall, told Truman it would cost 30000 lives altogether. The Army seemed absolutely devoted to a land invasion, and his enthusiasm for the invasion was obvious. I was preparing for it, but not entirely sure which way we were going to go. I just believed I was going to get there.
How The Japanese Found Out About Hiroshima
Fortunately for me, without anyone knowing it, we dropped a destructive new weapon on Hiroshima, the home of the Japanese Imperial Fleet. The way we found out was really crazy. Our guys were always listening to Japaese radio. It was a way to find out which cities would be more vulnerable to invasion. Their command would call for a rolll call of every major city and outpost. They did this every day, twice a day. Well, they tried Hiroshima, and got nothing but radio static. They tried again adn again, but bothing came back. So they noted it, and went on to the other cities as usual. This went along just fine, until they got back to Hiroshima, and they still got no reply.
We were listening to this with great interest. Two hours passed, and the Japanese were about to call out again. Although feint, we could hear the roll call. Again, they went through city by city, outpost by outpost. Again, to Hiroshima, and no reply. Just static. The Japanese command grew agitated, demanding that the radio operated be severely punished for his carelessness. Soon, a call interrupted their communications. From Tokyo, it ws loud and clear. A major bombing attack had happened without warning. There was no sight of the planes that were needed to do so much destruction. No one heard anything, but some noted a single large plane flying overhead.
The Japanese - at that moment, realized their worst nightmre had come true. America has built and detonated an Atomic Bomb in war.
Once we heard this, it was a matter of time! We celebrated. Expecting an immediate Japanese surrender, we were surprised when it didn't come. It seemed unlikely we had another one of these, but there was certainly no land invasion coming. We threw the Ace of Spades on the table, and now we had to play that hand. Another bomb would be needed. Just three days later, Nagasaki was hit, and that was finally too much for the Japanese to suffer through.
Well, that's my story. I hoep you weren't bored. You didn't SEEM bored, that is for sure. I would love to tell you all about Korea and Vietnam. You will need a couple of more notebooks for that! Also, I would love to fill you in on things I forgot - if you'd like to come again in a couple of weeks. I would really enjoy that."
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Hector Homer Mendieta passed away at the age of 94 just ten days after this interview. He spent his last few years dedicated to improving municipal landfill sites and was recognized for his efforts to improve the environment.
Robert Bluestein is a Dual-Degreed Historian and established author of a wide variety of different subjects. He has written articles for ‘Civil War Times’’ as well as ‘’’Bleacher Report’’ and has covered a diverse array of topics from Historical Methodology to Baseball’s Dead-Ball Era.
Credits
‘’Baseball Players Who Were Good Despite Themselves’’ http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1574899-baseball-players-who-were-good-despite-themselves-by-robert-bluestein
’Baseball Players Who Were Good Despite Themselves’’ http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1543669-top-10-dumbest-moments-in-baseball-history
‘’Houston Astros Greatest Players At Each Position’’ http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1429356-astros-greatest-all-time-roster-at-each-position
‘’Rethinking the Steroid Era’’ http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1427770-rethinking-the-steroid-era-and-the-hall-of-fame-for-bonds-clemens-and-sosa
‘’The Twenty Most Obscure ‘’First’s’’ in Baseball History’’ http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1411064-the-20-most-obscure-firsts-in-baseball
‘’The Blueprint for How To Destroy a Franchise in Just Seven Years’’ http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1402330-the-astros-blueprint-for-how-to-destroy-a-franchise-in-seven-years
‘’Boston Red Sox Facts That Are Truly Fascinating’’ http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1402330-the-astros-blueprint-for-how-to-destroy-a-franchise-in-seven-years
‘’Five Reasons You Cannot blame Mike Shanahan for RG-III’s Injury’’ http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1473861-five-reasons-you-cant-blame-mike-shanahan-for-rg3s-serious-injury
‘’Wake Up In Five Years: Who Is Still Standing?’’ (A Look at the Future of Cloud) https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/waking-up-five-years-who-still-standing-robert-bluestein?trk=prof-post
‘’The Dangers of Deviating from Your Business Plan’’
‘’Awkaken the Genius Within’’
‘’How to Use Social Media to Generate Sales’’
Civil War Times
‘’Understanding Manassas, A New Look at the Battlefield’’
August 1989
‘’The Winning General At Gettysburg and Who No One Knows His Name’’
October 1989
The Bio-Evolutionary Biology Journal (BMC)
‘’What We Can Learn About Each of the Five Great Extinction Events’’
March 1992
The University of Houston Historical Review
“Deified or Vilified? The Impact of Christopher Columbus’’
September 1992
Reprinted by University of Texas Press, October 1992
Reprinted by Stanford Historical Journal, October 1992
Other Published Articles
The Price of Independence – The Cost of Maintaining Freedom
An Open Letter to Students of History
The Top Ten Mistakes History Teachers Make
A Failed Presidency or a Dynamic Legacy – A Historical Look at President Obama
The First Hand Account of Apollo-11, Memories of a Five Year Old
My Trip to Africa and Why We Should Care
What Baseball’s All-Star Game Teaches Me About Life
My Notes from 9-11, A Bitter Reminder
What is ‘’Radical’’ in Politics and Where Did The Term Come From?
The Overcomers – The Story of Eugene Shackleton
Dollars for Counter Terror, The Immigration Reform Bill, and How This All Fits Together
Thoughts on the Oil Slick in the Gulf of Mexico – The BP Disaster and How It Will Effect Drilling in the Gulf
The Renaming of Everything Confederate
Eyewitness to History: Where were you When President Nixon Resigned?
Baseball: The Real Casualties of the Steroid War
The Newtown Tragedy and Where We Go From Here
Hugo Chavez: If Climate Were a Bank, US Would Have Saved It
Why I Love Baseball
How to Properly Pet Your Dog
Bob Feller: My Discussion With A War Hero and Hall of Famer
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