Iconic Image 16

Welcome back viewers

This month's Iconic Image is...

The Rescue of Jessica McClure 

Intro

This photo was taken on October 16, 1987. It depicts a group of men holding a baby girl wrapped in bandages while strapped to a spine board. The looks on their faces are a mixture of relief and joy. This image would come to symbolize the dramatic conclusion of a rescue that for two whole days had captured the attention of the whole country. 

Part I

The incident all began on the morning of October 14 in Midland, Texas. An 18-month old toddler named, Jessica McClure was staying at her aunt's daycare center while her parents were at work. While playing in the backyard, Jessica fell through the opening of an 8-inch-wide unused water well pipe. Her aunt heard Jessica crying from the well pipe but could not reach her. She then quickly called 9-1-1. Fireman and police officers arrived on the scene within minutes. They quickly deduced that Jessica had fallen approximately twenty-two feet down the well pipe and could not be pulled free from the surface. The only way to save her was to drill a hole into the ground parallel to the well pipe, somehow cut into the pipe, and pull Jessica free.

The rescuers found that the pipe was surrounded by dense rock that was too thick for jack hammers to drill through. They were forced to use a new digging tool called a, water jet cutter. The water jet cutter uses an extremely high-pressure jet of water (or other abrasive substance) to cut through very hard surfaces at great speed. It is typically used for mining.

The rescuers were able to successfully drill a hole that was three feet in diameter and thirty feet down. They then began to slowly dig a tunnel towards the well pipe. Once the tunnel was completed, they used pneumatic drills to cut into the pipe. Upon peering in they spotted one of Jessica's legs. They then inflated two industrial-type balloons beneath Jessica to prevent her from falling further into the pipe after being pulled free. Once that was done, paramedic Robert O'Donnell attempted to pull Jessica free but was unable to do so. He realized that the girl was stuck in a split with one of her legs pressed against her body. They were forced to dig a bit further to widen the well-pipe. After another hour of digging into the earth, Robert O'Donnell was finally able to inch his way through the tunnel and wrench Jessica free.

Part II

Jessica was then placed on a spine board and hoisted up through the hole. Her head was bandaged and she was carried to an ambulance. As soon as she was visible, the whole crowd erupted in applause. Multiple news anchors (who were reporting live) caught the moment that Baby Jessica finally emerged from the hole. She had been trapped in the well pipe for more 58 hours.

Among the rescuers were hundreds of reporters and photographers. One of them was Scott Shaw of the Odessa American newspaper from Ector County. Like so many others, he kept his camera at the ready for the moment Jessica was rescued. As soon as he noticed Jessica being carried up by a rescuer, he snapped a quick photograph of her being handed to a paramedic.

Epilogue

Jessica McClure was rushed to the hospital where doctors attempted to treat her injuries. Fearing that her right leg had suffered gangrene due to it being pinned against her body for more than 50 hours, doctors used a hyperbaric treatment. In the end, they only had to amputate one of Jessica's toes. Other than that, she made a full recovery from her ordeal. She grew up, got married, and is currently happily living in Texas with three kids. She has no memory of the entire ordeal. The well pipe that she fell into was later sealed off so that no child could ever fall into it ever again.

The picture by Scott Shaw of Jessica's rescue would go on to receive the Pulitzer Prize for Breaking News Photography for the year 1988. Today, the rescue of Jessica McClure is remembered as a remarkable story of survival and incredible courage to saving an innocent child from a tragic death. President Ronald Reagan was quoted as saying, "Everybody in America became godmothers and godfathers of Jessica while this was going on". It is a story that will always deserve to be told.

https://www.upi.com/Archives/1988/03/31/Scott-Shaw-of-the-Odessa-American-said-he-was/9084575787600/

https://www.pennlive.com/nation-world/2019/10/ill-never-forget-her-singing-winnie-the-pooh-the-rescue of-baby-jessica-in-1987.html

https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/baby-jessica-rescued-from-a-well-as-the-world-watches

http://articles.latimes.com/1987-10-17/news/mn-3702_1_jessica-mcclure

Iconic Image 15

Welcome back viewers

This month's Iconic Image is...

The last Barbary Lion

Intro

This photograph was taken from an airplane high above a rocky cliff face in the year 1925. It depicts a male lion walking alone on the sand parallel to the cliff face. The image would become a symbol of tragic loss and lessons that needed to be learned by humanity.

Part I

The African lion is one of the most iconic animals that lives on the continent of Africa. Although there is only one actual species (Panthera Leo) there were a total of seven different sub-species of lions that inhabited the continent of Africa and also Asia. One of them was the Barbary lion (aka: North African lion or Atlas lion).

The Barbary lion was native to the northern coast of Africa (the Barbary Coast). Its range stretched from Egypt all to way to Northern Mali. It was highly prominent in the countries of Tunisia, Algeria, and Morocco. Its main diet included wild boar, Barbary sheep, red deer, and gazelles. A fully grown adult usually measured between seven to eight feet long (males could measure more than nine feet) and weighed more than 600 pounds. The Barbary lion's most notable feature was the male's incredibly long mane. The mane of the male extended from the shoulders all the way to the underbelly and measured between three to eight inches long.

Unfortunately, the Barbary lion's habitat and diet frequently put it in conflict with another species that lived on the Barbary coast: humans. Sometimes, the Barbary lion hunted domesticated cattle and also occasionally attacked humans. Since the times of the Ancient Rome, Barbary lions were often hunted and killed for sport (many of them were used to fight gladiators in the Colosseum). By the 18th century, bounties were being paid for anyone who shot and killed a Barbary lion. This caused the population of lions on the Barbary coast to decline much faster than they could recover.

Part II

The photograph of the Barbary lion taken by a military photographer named, Marcelin Flandrin in the year 1925. Flandrin was flying on the Casablanca-Dakar air route over the Atlas Mountains. As the aircraft he was in passed over a large cliff face, Flandrin noticed something moving down on the sand. He realized to his astonishment, it was a male Barbary lion. By the turn of the 20th century, Barbary lions had become so scarce that nobody had seen one in the wild since the 1890s. Due to the air route of the flight, it is likely that the photograph was taken over the countries of either Morocco or Mali. The lion is casually walking on the sand in complete solitude (its tracks still visible behind it). It is probable that this lion was one of the very last of his kind in the wild. 

Epilogue

This photograph would be the very last to ever be taken that depicts a Barbary lion in the wild. The last recorded shooting of a wild Barbary lion took place in 1942, in the Moroccan part of the Atlas Mountains. And the last known sighting of a Barbary lion in the wild was in the year, 1956 in the Béni Ourtilane District of, Algeria. Since then, there has never been any credible sighting of a Barbary lion in the wild. 

As of today, it is considered extinct in the wild. There are just over 100 subspecies of Barbary lions that are currently living in captivity in zoos. Conservation efforts have been made by scientists to some day reintroduce them to the wild. However, due to their low numbers and probable conflicts with people living in the area, this is unlikely to happen for a very long time.

The image of the last Barbary lion is remembered today as a sad reminder of the tragic loss of an animal species that could have been avoided. It also serves as an inspiration to many conservationists to preserve and protect the environment and the animals that live there. As long as people remember this lesson, other animal species will not suffer the same fate.

https://therevelator.org/barbary-lion-extinct/

https://www.researchgate.net/figure/A-lion-seen-in-the-Atlas-Mountains-during-a-flight-on-the-Casablanca-Dakar-air-route_fig1_236022631

https://www.laprensalatina.com/rabat-zoo-welcomes-five-atlas-lion-cubs-an-endangered-species/

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3616087/

https://www.downtoearth.org.in/interviews/wildlife-biodiversity/-barbary-lion-reintroduction-in-north-africa-is-possible-but-needs-long-term-plans--72961

Iconic Image 14

Welcome back viewers

This month's Iconic Image is...

The Soldier in the Surf

Intro

This photograph was taken on June 6, 1944, by the photographer, Robert Capa. It depicts a young American soldier struggling in the surf while attempting to wade ashore. In the background, there are pieces of wreckage, land obstacles, and bodies floating in the water. The soldier is struggling to find his footing and evade enemy fire while he carries hundreds of pounds of equipment. This image would come symbolize the struggle and courage of American servicemen during the last great invasion of the last great war.

Part I

In June of 1944, the Western Allies were about to launch the greatest sea-born operation in world history. A total of 300,000 American, British, and Canadian soldiers were poised to land at five beaches in the Normandy region of France. These beaches were code-named Gold, Juno, Sword, Omaha, and Utah. The Germans had been deceived by false intelligence that the main Allied attack force would be coming at the port-city of Calais (which was the closest point between France and Great Britain) and had moved the bulk of their forces there. They had only left 50,000 soldiers in the whole Normandy region (and an even smaller number guarding the beaches).

The divisions that would assault the beaches were divided among the Allies. The American 4th and 90th Infantry Divisions would attack Utah Beach. The American 1st and 29th would be assaulting Omaha Beach. The British 50th Infantry would assault Gold Beach. The Canadian 3rd Infantry would attack Juno Beach. And finally, the British 3rd Infantry Division would attack Sword Beach. In addition a small battalion of American Army Rangers would land and scale a 110 foot cliff called, Pointe du Hoc and capture the heavy artillery stationed there. 

Spearheading the attack were thousands of American and British paratroopers. Soldiers from the American 101st and 82nd Airborne Divisions would land a couple miles beyond Omaha and Utah beaches and seize the causeways connecting them inland. They were also ordered to take control and hold bridges that spanned the Merderet and Douvet Rivers. The British 6th Airborne Division was tasked with landing around the French city of Caen and seizing bridges that spanned the Caen Channel and the Orne River. All of this would occur on the morning of June 6, 1944. If all went according to plan, the Allies would gain a secure foothold in Western Europe.

Part II

Most of the beaches were captured within a couple hours and with relatively light casualties. The exception however, was Omaha Beach. Stretching six miles between the small fishing port of Port-en-Bessin and the mouth of the Vire River, Omaha was the largest of the five beaches. It was backed by a seawall that was 10 feet high and surrounded by 30 meter high cliffs that overlooked the beach. And the distance from the shoreline to the seawall was more than 200 yards.

In addition to its natural barriers, Omaha Beach was defended by 7,800 infantry from the German 716th and 352nd Infantry Divisions and elements of the Ostlegionen (Eastern Legion). The defenses included: 8 artillery bunkers, 35 pillboxes, 6 tank turrets, 4 artillery pieces, 18 anti-tank guns, 45 rocket launcher sites, 6 mortar pits, and 85 machine gun nests. The beach was also lined with anti-tank obstacles (nicknamed: Czech hedgehogs) that were meant to slow down and impede enemy advance. These defenses had been strategically placed to inflict a devastating enfilading fire on any attacker. 

When the assault on Omaha Beach began, multiple things went wrong. American tanks were supposed to spearhead the attack. However, as the tanks left their Higgins boats, nearly all of them were swamped by waves in the surf. They had only been designed to handle waves that were up to a foot high. But on D-day, the waves were over six feet high. Of the first 29 tanks that were launched, 27 sank and only 2 made ashore. The two tanks that made it ashore either became stuck in the sand or were knocked out by German artillery. Nearly all of the American infantry in the first wave landed at the wrong points on the beach. And within seconds of disembarking from the landing craft, nearly all of them were either killed or wounded. Those who came in the second and third waves were forced to dive over the sides and into the surf, where many of them drowned.

Part III

Among those to come ashore, were a handful of journalists and photographers. One of them was, Robert Capa. Capa had had previous experience taking combat photos in the Spanish Civil War. When Operation Overlord was scheduled, he was one of only eighteen photographers who were given credentials to cover the invasion. And one of only four that were given permission to land on the beaches with American soldiers.

On June 6, Robert Capa landed nearly 100 yards from Omaha Beach in the first wave of the invasion. He was forced to wade through waist-deep water while carrying three cameras and dodging enemy fire. For the next 90 minutes, Capa dodged enemy fire while taking pictures of American soldiers who were struggling ashore and secure the beachhead. During the attack, he noticed one soldier get hit by gunfire and fall down in the surf. After taking a quick picture, Capa and another man immediately ran over to the wounded soldier and helped him to his feet. Capa then moved him behind a hedgehog to shield him from enemy fire. He then pulled his cameras back out and continued to take photographs. 

Most researchers and historians believe that the soldier in the surf was Private First Class Huston Riley of the 1st Infantry Division (the Big Red One).

Like Capa, Riley had also come ashore in the first attack wave. When his LCVP hit a sandbar, the boatswain lowered the ramp and the soldiers all stumbled into the surf. Riley remembered stepping directly into a deep runnel just beyond the sandbar and sinking into water over his head. In danger of drowning, Riley then activated two life-belt preservers around his waist which bobbed him up to the surface. Unfortunately this made him an easy target for the Germans that were firing from the shore. He was forced to strip off the life preservers and hold them in-front of his chest to make himself a smaller target without being weighed down by his weapons and ammunition. 

As he waded shore, Riley was hit by two bullets which lodged in his back. Just when he thought he was about to be killed, Riley saw two men (another soldier and a man with a camera around his neck) run towards him and pulled him from the water. He then remembered being placed behind a Czech hedgehog and saw the man with the camera continue to take photographs. Due to his testimony being inline with Robert Capa's, it is very likely that the soldier in the photograph is indeed Huston Riley.

Epilogue

Despite suffering more than 3,000 casualties and many setbacks in the assault on Omaha Beach, the American soldiers were able to break through the German defenses. In what was little more than raw courage and valor, small groups of soldiers were able to fight their way through gaps in the fortifications. They then killed or captured nearly all the defenders around the beach and finally established a foothold. These were quickly exploited and weaker defenses around the beach were easily overwhelmed. The Invasion of Normandy would last more than two months. It finally ended on August 30, after the Allies liberated Paris from Nazi occupation.

Although Capa claimed to have taken a total of 106 photographs of the assault of Omaha Beach, a processing accident at the Life magazine photo lab in London destroyed all but 11 of them. The eleven surviving photographs were dubbed, "the Magnificent Eleven" by Life magazine. Robert Capa continued to take photographs for the rest of World War II. On May 25, 1954, he was killed after stepping on a landmine in Vietnam while documenting the First Indochina War. In 1976, he was posthumously inducted into the International Photography Hall of Fame and Museum.

Despite being shot four times at Omaha Beach, Huston Riley survived the attack (two bullets remained lodged in his body for the rest of his life). He later saw combat at the Battle of the Bulge. He was awarded three Purple Hearts during World War II. After the war, he seldom spoke of his combat experience and never sought recognition for being the soldier in the surf. He died on October 2, 2011.

Today, the image of the soldier in the surf is one of the most famous photographs of American soldiers during World War II. It is arguably the most iconic of all images of American servicemen in combat. The photograph (along with the other 10) went on to inspire Steven Spielberg to make his Oscar winning movie, Saving Private Ryan. Like the flag-raising on Iwo Jima (which occurred less than a year later), the Soldier in the Surf depicts the struggle and eventual victory of American servicemen in World War II. It truly does deserve a special place in the history of photography. 

https://time.com/120751/robert-capa-dday-photos/

https://www.mi-reporter.com/news/the-soldier-in-the-surf/

https://www.historynet.com/world-war-ii-who-is-the-face-in-the-surf-in-robert-capas-photo-from-bloody-omaha/

https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/1960/11/first-wave-at-omaha-beach/303365/

Iconic Image 13

Welcome back viewers

This month's Iconic Image is...

The 1st World Series

 

Intro

This photograph was taken in the year, 1903. It shows a large crowd of people walking around on a baseball diamond. They are gathering for a very special game that is about to be played in the city of Boston. Although the identity of the photographer is unknown, this image is of a game that is the third of a special tournament that would bring about an amazing change in American sports, the World Series.

Part I

By the turn of the 20th century the sport of baseball was nothing new to the American public. Although it had been played since the American Civil War there had never been an official tournament for the teams. All of that changed in 1903, when Byron Johnson and Harry Pulliam, (the heads of the American and National leagues) agreed to square off their best teams to an inter-league exhibition game. 

Up until now, the highest winning platform was that league's pennant race. Now the two winners of each pennant race would compete in a best-of-nine series. A commission was formed (National Baseball Commission) to preside over the games. They dubbed the nine game series, the "World Series". And the two teams that would be facing off were, the Pittsburgh Pirates and the Boston Americans.

Part II

Game one of the World Series began on October 1st. The Pittsburgh Pirates won the game 7-3. In this game featured the very first home run in World Series history, when the Pirate's outfielder Jimmy Sebring hit an inside-the-park homer in the top of the seventh inning. The Americans retaliated by winning game 2 (3-0) when outfielder Patsy Dougherty hit two home runs in the first and sixth innings. His second was the very first to sail over the fence (a rarity for the time). The Pirates won both games 3 and 4. 

But in game 5, the Americans' star pitcher (Cy Young) delivered an amazing performance that shut down the Pirates' offense; enabling Boston to win 11-2. From there, the Boston Americans turned the tables. Games 6,7 (where Cy Young once again shut down the Pirates offense), and 8 were all won by the Americans. As a result, the victory of the very first World Series went to Boston (5 to 3).

Part III

The photograph depicted, is an image of the Huntington Avenue Grounds in Boston, Massachusetts. The Huntington Avenue Grounds officially opened in the year 1901. It was built on a former circus lot and was approximately 530 feet (expanded to 635 in 1908) from center field to home plate. The grounds were used from 1901 to the end of the season in 1911. 

In the year 1912, the Huntington Avenue Grounds was demolished as the Americans (now the Red Sox) moved to a new park that had just been built on Boston's Jersey Street (aka: Yawkey Way). This park was named, Fenway Park. And from that point onward, it was the permanent residence of the Boston Red Sox. Today, the Grounds have been incorporated into the Northeastern University College. A plaque and statue of the famous pitcher Cy Young mark the spots where the pitcher's mound and home plate used to be. 

Epilogue

The World Series of 1903 officially concluded on October 13. In 1904, the Americans again emerged victorious in the American League. But when their manager (Jimmy Collins) once again attempted to challenge the National League champion to a World Series championship (the New York Giants), the latter's owner refused to play them against a team from what he considered to be an, "inferior league". Therefore, there was no World Series played in 1904. 

For the 1905 baseball season however, the World Series was brought back once again. For this series, the amount of games was lowered from a best-of-nine series to a best-of-seven series. And this time the New York Giants accepted the challenge of the American League team (the Philadelphia Athletics) and won the series 4 games to 1. Since then, the World Series has been played at end of every single baseball season (except for 1994) to the present day.

The Boston Americans changed their name to the Boston Red Sox at the end of the 1907 baseball season. After moving to the newly constructed Fenway Park in 1912, they won that year's World Series. They would win three more World Series championships in the same decade (1915, 1916, and 1918) before enduring a devastating 86-year winning drought after trading one of their star players (Babe Ruth) to the New York Yankees (the Curse of the Bambino). This drought officially ended when the Red Sox defeated the St. Louis Cardinals the 2004 World Series. Since then, they have won three more championships (2007, 2013, and 2018). In total, they have won nine World Series Championships.

Although they had suffered a humiliating loss to Boston in 1903, the Pittsburgh Pirates returned to win the World Series in the 1909 baseball season. They have won a total of five World Series (1909, 1925, 1960, 1971, and 1979). Unlike the Red Sox, the Pirates have switched home stadiums much more frequently. They currently play at PNC Park on 115 Federal Street.

Despite all of the attention it received in 1903, the very first World Series has largely faded into obscurity. Only two players (Cy Young and Honus Wagner), the managers (Jimmy Collins and Fred Clarke), and two umpires (Tom Connolly and Hank O'Day) were inducted into the baseball Hall of Fame. Most of its other participants are hardly ever mentioned. However, the legacy of the 1903 World Series continues to live on today for those who play the game. Every time a post-season series is held, players and spectators are reminded of how this magnificent series that came to be a major symbol of American sports began. It will likely continue to do so in the future. And as long as the sport of baseball is played, the 1903 World Series  and those who played in it will never truly be forgotten.

https://thisgreatgame.com/1903-baseball-history/

https://www.baseball-almanac.com/ws/yr1903ws.shtml

https://bleacherreport.com/articles/422426-honoring-the-pastime-a-look-at-the-inaugural-1903-world-series

http://www.baseball-almanac.com/stadium/huntington_avenue_baseball_grounds.shtml

Iconic Image 12

Welcome back viewers

This month's Iconic Image is...

Bloody Saturday

Intro

This photograph was taken on August 27, 1937, in the city of Shanghai. It shows a badly injured baby crying while surrounded by debris. This photograph would become a symbol brutality and barbarity during the time of war. It would cause international outrage and horror around the world. It would also come to signify a new type warfare, one that would take the lives of millions of people.

Part I

On August, 13, 1937, the Japanese army launched an attack on the city of Shanghai. The attack began with a ferocious bombing by Japanese planes. Three planes had concentrated their attack on two hotels located on the city's Nanking Road. The attack left thousands of people dead or wounded across the city (most of the dead were unarmed civilians). It was new type of warfare that had just come into practice with the development of bombers. It was called, mass aerial bombing.

The first official incident of mass bombing occurred nearly four months earlier on April 26, 1937, during the Spanish Civil War. That day, the German Luftwaffe launched an attack on the Spanish town of Guernica. This attack (which would become the precursor for the Blitzkrieg) was aimed directly at the town's civilian population. For approximately three hours, the bombers and fighters of the Luftwaffe's Condor Legion dropped hundreds of thousands of incendiary bombs on Guernica. These bombs caused raging fires that reduced the town's structures to rubble. Civilians who attempted to escape were strafed (machine gunned by aircraft). When it was finally over, more than 1,600 (one third of the population) were dead. 

Part II

There were a handful of journalists and photographers who documented the attack on Shanghai. One of them was a photojournalist named, H. S. Wong (AKA: Wang Xiaoting). Wong was shooting footage of Chinese civilians attempting to board a train that was leaving Shanghai, when nearby bombs forced him to dive for cover. When it was over, Wong looked around and saw thousands of dead bodies around the terminal. He later recounted, "It was a horrible sight. Dead and injured lay strewn across the tracks and platform. Limbs lay all over the place. When I stopped to reload my camera, I noticed that my shoes were covered in blood". He estimated of the 1,800 people that were crowded around the terminal, less than 300 survived the attack.

Wong noticed an infant child by the smoldering debris. The child was severely burnt and its clothes had been ripped to shreds. The mangled body of its mother was laying just feet away. Wong quickly snapped a few photographs before taking video footage of the child as it was crying. A few moments later, a man arrived on the scene (presumably the child's father), picked the child up, carried him/her away, and disappeared into a crowd of people.

Part III

Wong quickly developed his photographs and video footage the following day. He then showed them to a Chinese newspaper (China Press). They were then smuggled to an American warship that was departing from Shanghai's harbor. After sailing to the Philippines, the ship then brought the footage to the United States. In mid-September, the footage was first shown in a movie theatre in New York City. Soon after, it began appearing on almost every American television set. By the end of the month, more than 25 million American citizens had seen the footage of the crying baby in Shanghai. The reaction was one of shock, horror, and outrage across the nation. Nebraska senator George Norris called it, "a disgraceful and barbarous act of cruelty by Japan". 

The Japanese government began to receive international condemnation for the bombing of Shanghai. It was quick to declare that the photograph was a staged piece of Chinese propaganda. They even put a bounty of $50,000 on the head of H.S. Wong, who was forced to move into hiding in the city of Hong Kong. Shanghai eventually fell to the Japanese on November 6, 1937. Less than a month later, the Japanese captured the capital city of Nanking and committed a horrific massacre against its population. 

Epilogue

Despite the outrage that was caused by the bombing Shanghai, the United States did very little to stop the latter's army from taking the city and pushing further into China. It wasn't until the Attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, that the United States finally declared war on Japan. Ironically, Japan (and also Germany) would be subjected to the very same mass aerial bombing that they had used before and during the early years of World War II. And both nations would suffer massive casualties directly because of it.

The Allies (chiefly the United States) not only used aerial bombing throughout the whole war, they even introduced a far more devastating method. This method was called, "Carpet bombing" (AKA: saturation bombing). This tactic took the lives of millions of people during World War II and wiped numerous cities and towns off the map. In 1977, carpet bombing of civilian targets was labeled a war crime by the Geneva convention. Unfortunately some nations (namely Russia) still practice the carpet bombing of towns and cities.

Although a bounty had been placed on his head, H.S. Wong survived World War II. He continued to work as a photojournalist until his retirement in 1970. He lived the rest of his life in Taipei (the capital of Taiwan) and passed away on March 9, 1981. Wong never learned the name or gender of the baby that he had photographed in Shanghai. The child's identity and ultimate fate remain unknown to this day. Today, the photograph of the injured baby is considered a tragic symbol of a horrific new type of warfare. It also symbolizes how wars change with new technology and new methods of fighting (often for the worse). It truly deserves its iconic place in the history of photography.

https://rarehistoricalphotos.com/bloody-saturday-a-crying-chinese-baby-amid-the-bombed-out-ruins-of-shanghais-south-railway-station-1937/

https://medium.com/history-through-the-lens/bloody-saturday-1811076e63e0

https://militaryhistorynow.com/2016/04/15/the-shanghai-baby-the-true-story-behind-one-of-historys-most-dramatic-photos/

https://www.pbs.org/treasuresoftheworld/guernica/glevel_1/1_bombing.html 

Iconic Image 11

Welcome back viewers

This month's Iconic Image is...

The Shell Shocked Soldier

Intro

This photograph was taken in the year, 1916. It depicts a lone soldier squatting in a trench. The soldier is gazing into the camera while grinning ear to ear. However, the smile that is on his face is not one of happiness or amusement. It is a smile of complete madness and detachment from reality. One that shows the invisible wounds of war. His eyes are wide open in a state of utter disbelief as he stares at the camera. He has clearly been traumatized by what he has just witnessed. This is a form of post traumatic stress that is called, combat stress reaction (aka: Shell Shock).

Part I

Combat stress reaction has had many different terms since it was first diagnosed. These terms include, "battle fatigue", "bullet wind", "soldier's heart", and "battle neurosis". However, the most commonly used term was the one coined by British psychologist Charles Samuel Myers and the soldiers themselves. The term that he named after the intense bombardments that came to represent World War I, "Shell Shock".

The first cases of shell shock were noticed in the year, 1914. At first it was believed to simply be the after effects of a heavy artillery bombardment (which was very common during World War I). Other people called it a form of cowardice or malingering displayed by soldiers who didn't wish to fight anymore. But by the next year, it became clear that shell shock was something much worse. Soldiers began to show multiple symptoms that included, tremors, vivid nightmares, impaired sight, hearing loss, uncontrollable diarrhea, insomnia, nausea and vomiting, severe anxiety, and hyperventilation. If left untreated, it can lead to suicide or homicide.

Part II

The image of the shell shocked soldier is actually part of a much larger photograph that depicts eight soldiers at work in one of the trenches. The soldier is located in the bottom left corner of the image.

Only two of the men were facing the camera when the shot was taken. It is likely that they just returned from combat and are tending to the wounded. Based on their uniforms it is probable that they are soldiers serving in the British Empire. However, the viewer is unable to tell whether they are British or Canadians (who's uniforms were very similar). It is believed to have been taken during the battle of the Somme river. The person who took the photograph is unknown.

Part III

There have been attempts to discover the soldier's identity. Many historians and researchers believe that the soldier is, Private Robert Lindsay Rogers who served in the 25th Battalion, Canadian Expeditionary Force.

Robert Lindsay Rogers was born on March 9, 1882, in Yarmouth, Nova Scotia. He enlisted in the 40th Battalion of the Canadian Infantry, on April 12, 1915. He saw combat at the battle of Flers-Courcelette (which was primarily fought by Canadians), where is was severely wounded and hospitalized in England. Eleven months later, Rogers will killed-in-action on August 17, 1916, while making a charge against German fortifications. He was 34 years old. Some researchers believe that the photograph depicts him after he witnessed a comrade's death from sniper fire. 

However, this seems to be unlikely since the photograph is generally believed to have been taken in the month of September of that year. If this is true, then Private Rogers could not possibly be the Shell Shocked Soldier since the former was KIA in August. It seems highly improbable that the Shell Shocked Soldier will ever be positively identified and his ultimate fate is unknown.

Epilogue

One of the biggest tragedies of the First World War was how unprepared both sides were for the new weapons that they both introduced on the battlefield. These weapons included: poison gas, airplanes, tanks, machine guns, dreadnought battleships, zeppelins, and massive artillery guns. All of them caused terrible casualties for both sides and left deep scars on the survivors (physically and mentally) that many would never recover from.

World War I was also the first conflict where the psychological wounds of war were officially acknowledged. Unfortunately, many people initially dismissed shell shock as a, "weakness that was not found in good units". As a result, many soldiers who were suffering from shell shock were put on trial and executed for crimes such as cowardice and desertion that was caused by their trauma. After the war, the British government gave posthumous pardons to all who had been executed for committing crimes while suffering from shell shock. 

In time, shell shock became officially referred to as, "combat stress reaction". And since the end of World War I, numerous treatments have been developed to aid servicemen who suffer from the effects of their experiences in war. These treatments have proven to be effective in helping many of them come to terms with their trauma and reenter society without being a danger to themselves or others. Unfortunately, some were never able to recover from their trauma despite all the help they received and continued to suffer from the effects of shell shock for the rest of their lives.

Since it was photographed, the image of the Shell Shocked Soldier has mostly faded from public view. Except for historians and researches, most people do not know of its existance and hardly acknowledge it. However, for those who do know of it, this image is very powerful. It depicts the harsh realities and the after effects that war has on those who witness it. It is very clear that this photograph is one that deserves to be seen by all who wish to better understand that. 

https://rarehistoricalphotos.com/shell-shocked-soldier-1916/

https://www.atchuup.com/shell-shocked-soldier/

https://www.apa.org/monitor/2012/06/shell-shocked

https://steemit.com/history/@mstfdmn/the-horrors-of-western-front-1914-1918-photo-album

http://wartimeheritage.com/storyarchive1/story_courcelette.htm

Hero of the Week 120

Welcome back viewers

This week's hero is...

Elizebeth Smith Friedman

Elizebeth Friedman (Elizebeth Smith) was born on August 26, 1892, in Huntington, Indiana. She was the youngest of nine children who grew up on a farm. In 1915 Elizabeth graduated from Hillsdale College with a major in English literature. Since she was an avid fan of William Shakespeare, she would often visit the famous Newberry Library in Chicago to see an original 1632 edition of Shakespeare's First Folios. Little did she know, that her interest in William Shakespeare would put her on a path toward the subject of code-breaking.

One day when she was visiting the library, Elizebeth met a textile merchant named, George Fabyan. George was looking for researchers who were interested in working on a Shakespeare code-cracking project. After learning of Elizebeth's skills, George invited her back to his estate in Geneva, Illinois. From there, she became a major expert in cracking codes within literature. While she was there, she met a fellow code-breaker named, William Friedman (her future husband). Together they attempted to prove Fabyan's theory that Sir Francis Bacon had been the actual author of Shakespeare's plays (they ended up proving that this was incorrect).

Elizebeth and William Friedman officially married in 1917. Due to their skills in deciphering codes in literature (cryptography), the two were recruited by the US government into the it's very first code-breaking unit during World War I. Their task was to intercept and decipher radio messages from German u-boats. Her skills at recognizing patterns proved to be invaluable to safe-guarding convoys across the Atlantic Ocean. After World War I ended, Elizebeth was hired by the US Coast Guard to help them monitor Prohibition-era smuggling rings. She is credited with cracking more than 12,000 encryptions which resulted 650 criminal prosecutions. However, her greatest feat would occur in 1941, during World War II.

While still working for the Coast Guard, Elizebeth began to intercept cryptic messages from Nazi spies stationed in South America. These messages were used by the Coast Guard to protect Allied convoys from German u-boat attacks. While using analog methods, she successfully broke three Enigma machine codes. By doing this, Elizabeth and her husband exposed a network Nazi informants that were based in the countries of Argentina, Chile, and Bolivia. The exposure of this network caused all three countries to sever diplomatic ties to Nazi Germany and support the Allied forces.

In the aftermath of World War II, Elizebeth Friedman's contributions were largely credited to her husband, William Friedman (who had also cracked codes). She however, never received any major recognition for all the work she had done for the United States. William Friedman passed away on November 12, 1969. Elizebeth eventually retired and spent the rest of her life working in libraries to preserve the achievements that she and her husband had accomplished. She passed away on October 31, 1980. Both she and William are buried in Arlington National Cemetery.

In 1999, Elizebeth Friedman was inducted into the NSA Hall of Honor. In July 2020, the US Coast Guard named a ship after her. Although, she never lived to experience it, Elizebeth Friedman finally received recognition for all she had done for the United States of America. Today, she is remembered as one of the most valuable assets to the American intelligence service.

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/new-pbs-film-tells-story-wwii-codebreaker-elizabeth-friedman-180976759/

https://time.com/5928583/elizebeth-friedman-codebreaker/

Forgotten Battles: Intro

Hello everyone! This year there will be another spin-off to Hero of the Week. This one is called: Forgotten Battles. As its name suggests, this spin-off will cover some of the least-known battles that made a big difference in history (namely American history). It will cover what happened at the engagement, who was victorious, and what happened as a result of its outcome. The spin-off will officially begin in March. Stay Tuned!

Iconic Image 10

Welcome back viewers

This month's Iconic Image is...

The Tank Man

Intro: 

This image was both taken and shot on June 5, 1989. It depicts a young man standing in-front of a large column of tanks in the middle of the road. The man stands his ground with nothing but two shopping bags. This incident was the climax of one of the most monumental protests in human history. What followed would turn it into an international symbol of courage and defiance in the face of tyranny and oppression. And would inspire millions of people around the world.

Part I

On April 15, 1989, thousands of Chinese students crowded into Beijing's Tiananmen Square. They came to protest against government corruption and to demand democratic reforms be implemented into their nation's Constitution. These reforms included, freedom of the press, freedom of speech, freedom of association, social equality, and economic reforms. The students' brazenness touched a nerve within the Chinese public. Within days of their arrival, tens of thousands of people began flooding into Beijing from all over China. They were farmers, journalists, veterans, intellectuals, and construction workers, all demanding more freedom from the Chinese Communist Party. They were seeking reform, not revolution. Unfortunately, the Chinese government did not see it that way.

Unimpressed with the protesters brazenness, the Chinese Premier Li Peng adamantly refused to meet their demands or to even consider negotiating with them. When a protest leader publicly scolded Li on National Television, the latter became enraged and declared martial law on May 20. As a result, thousands of Chinese soldiers entered Beijing and converged on Tiananmen Square. On June 3, the People's Liberation Army demanded all of the protesters leave the square within 24 hours or they would suffer dire consequences. Some heeded the warning, but most stood their ground.

The next day, tanks began arriving to reinforce the Chinese Army. When they noticed that thousands of protesters were still refusing to disperse, they prepared to launch an assault. At 10 PM, the army began a full attack on the unarmed protesters. With fully automatic weapons and live ammunition, the army unleashed an unrelenting volume of fire into the protesters. Hundreds were shot and killed. Thousands were severely injured and tens of thousands were arrested. An unknown number were executed and some are still incarcerated to this day. By the next day, the army was in complete control of the square and the protest was officially over.

Part II

The incident with the Tank Man officially began shortly after noon on June 5. Western journalists and photographers, who were located in the famous Beijing Hotel began filming a column of at least nine tanks that were driving down Beijing's Chang'an Avenue. When they noticed a young man walking towards the column, they immediately trained all of their cameras on him and zoomed in.

The lead tank stopped within yards of the young protester. The man then swung his shopping bag at the tank as if to say, "Get out of my city! You're not wanted here!". The tank then attempted to drive to the right around the man, but the latter quickly stepped back into its path. The tank then reversed and attempted to drive to its left. And once again the protester blocked its path. The tank's engine was then shut off and the protester climbed on top of its turret. He then seemed to exchange words with the soldiers inside the tank before jumping off and standing to the side. The lead tank then attempted to drive onward, only for the protester to jump in-front and block it again. 

About half a minute later, four people ran up to the tanks waving their arms. Two of them grabbed the protester and hustled him to the side of the road and out of the view of the camera. The tanks then continued on their way down Chang'an Avenue. The entire spectacle had lasted just over three minutes.

Part III

One of the journalists who had photographed the incident (Charlie Cole of Newsweek) noticed that men from China's Public Security Bureau (PBS) were watching him from a building adjacent to the Beijing Hotel. Fearing the worst, Cole quickly took his film roll of the Tank Man and placed it in the holding tank of his hotel room's toilet. Ten minutes later, the PBS broke into Cole's room and confiscated his camera (with pictures he had taken from the previous night). Luckily, they did not search the toilet and Cole was able to smuggle the images to the Associated Press.

The identity of the Tank Man has never been verified. Many journalists and photographers believe that he was an ordinary working man who had not participated in the protest at Tiananmen Square but had been so disgusted with the violence that he chose to make a stand. A British tabloid (Sunday Express) initially identified him as a 19 year old student named, Wang Weilin. But this theory has been dismissed by most journalists and also the Chinese government. The latter claimed that they could never find the protester. To this day, the Tank Man's identity remains unknown.

The identity of the four people who took the Tank Man off the street has also been in dispute. Charlie Cole suspected that they were members of the PBS who had arrested the Tank Man and executed him. However, Jan Wong of Canada's The Globe and Mail (who had also witnessed the incident) speculated that the four people were concerned citizens who simply wanted to avoid more bloodshed. She continues to believe that the Tank Man is still alive and living in anonymity.

Epilogue

It is not known how many people were killed in the massacre at Tiananmen Square. The Chinese Red Cross initially reported that the deaths exceeded 2,600 people (protesters and also soldiers). But they quickly retracted this number under government pressure. Their final count was revised to just over 200 deaths. The Chinese government's harsh crackdown of the protest received international condemnation around the world. Memorials for those killed were erected all over Europe and the Americas. None have been erected in China.

A total of five journalists had captured the Tank Man's act of defiance on camera (including Charlie Cole). For his photograph, Cole received the 1989 World Press Photo of the Year award. He continued to work as a photojournalist until his death on September 5, 2019. 

The image of the Tank Man instantly became one of the most famous photographs of all time. The image was featured in music videos, printed on t-shirts, and even inspired writers like Tom Clancy (who mentioned the Tank Man in his book, The Bear and the Dragon). President George Bush Sr personally commended the Tank Man as a great symbol of democracy and restraint.

Although it achieved fame internationally, the photograph of the Tank Man has been heavily censored in China. The image, along with nearly all of the coverage of the Tiananmen Square protest and massacre have never been mentioned in the country publicly. It is possible that the Tank Man himself may not even know about the millions of people he inspired by his incredible act of defiance. 

Despite the censorship, the image of the Tank Man remains one of the most iconic images in the history of photography. In the thirty years since the massacre, it still inspires people around the world. One of the journalists who documented the Tank (Jeff Widener) was quoted as saying, "A lot of people see their trials and tribulations in life summed up in this man. I think the Tank Man represents everyone's challenge in life".

https://www.history.com/news/who-was-the-tank-man-of-tiananmen-square

https://www.cnn.com/interactive/2019/05/world/tiananmen-square-tank-man-cnnphotos/

https://allthatsinteresting.com/tiananmen-square-tank-man

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-china-49684808

Hero of the Week 119

Welcome back viewers

This week's hero is...

Moses Harris

Moses Harris is believed to have come from either the states of South Carolina or Kentucky. Much of his early life is undocumented. Some believe that he was a former slave who escaped to freedom. By the 1820s he was working as a trapper for the Rocky Mountain Fur Company. Through his experience as a trapper, Moses Harris eventually became a mountain man. Little did he know that his life and experiences would help transform the future of the United States of America.

In 1824, Harris was with a group of 26 men who ventured west across the American Continent into what was called, "the Great Divide". Their intention was to scout and plot outposts across the frontier that led to the territory of California. These outposts would be used to hunt game and trade with Native Americans. The next year, Harris began acting as a guide for immigrants that were beginning the long journey to California. Ten years later, he and other mountain men constructed Fort Laramie in the Wyoming territory, present-day Torrington, Wyoming. 

The construction of this fortification would be the beginning of a significant change in American history. In 1839, large groups of American citizens began to immigrate across the Great Divide. Their destinations were, the California and Oregon territories. Henceforth, this route would be forever known as, the "Oregon Trail".

Like many other mountain men, Moses Harris acted as a guide for many of these immigrants. He began in 1836, when he guided the Whitman-Spaulding party to Oregon. By 1841, he had led thousands of immigrants through the territories of Idaho and Nevada to California and Oregon. Three years later, Harris guided more than 500 people from Missouri all the way to Oregon. After a four month journey, this group settled in the Willamette Valley. Harris's knowledge of the trail is widely credited with enabling the wagon trains to arrive without serious incident.

Moses Harris's defining moment came in the year 1845. That year, a wagon train belonging to the Meeks Party had become lost while attempting to cross the high desert. Harris was the only mountain man that was brave enough to venture into the desert to rescue the survivors. He found them and successfully guided them out of the desert and to The Dalles, Oregon. 

Harris continued to guide wagon trains along the Oregon Trail for the rest of his life. He tragically died on May 5, in Independence, Missouri, during the cholera pandemic of 1849. By then, he had successfully guided thousands of immigrants to California and Oregon. Today, his legacy has mostly been forgotten by the American public. Like almost every mountain man who worked on the Oregon Trail, he did so much and received very little in return. Never the less, his work ultimately helped shape the future of the United States. As a direct result, thousands of American settlers were able to make new lives on the West coast of America. His story is definitely one that deserves to be remembered.

MosesHarris_1822.pdf

http://gregnokes.com/2017/04/03/black-harris-northwest-mountain-man-of-mystery/

http://www.mman.us/harrismoses.htm

https://historicoregoncity.org/2019/04/02/black-pioneers-and-settlers/

Brown, Daniel James (2009). The Indifferent Stars Above: The Harrowing Saga of a Donner Party Bride, William Morrow, New York.

Hero of the Week 118

 Welcome back viewers

This week's hero is...

David Bleak

David Bruce Bleak was born on February 27, 1932, in Idaho Falls, Idaho. He grew up working on ranches and railroads (he wasn't very good at school). His time working on the farm turned into a very tall and muscular man. When he enlisted the US Army in 1950, many in his family were concerned that his large size would make him an easy target in combat (Bleak stood six feet five inches tall and weighed 250 pounds). He rose to the rank of a sergeant and became the medic of his squad. Although many soldiers considered him to be a "gentle giant", all of that changed on June 14, 1952.

That day, Sergeant Bleak was with a squad of 20 soldiers from the 40th Infantry Division (Sunburst Division). The squad was probing enemy lines along the 38th Parallel for potential prisoners to capture for interrogation. A handful of Chinese soldiers had been spotted on a sparsely vegetated hill designated, Hill 499. As the squad began to ascend the hill, the Chinese opened fire from hidden positions around 499.

The 20-man squad had walked into a deadly ambush. They found themselves severely outnumbered and receiving fire from three sides. Almost every man was hit within seconds. Sergeant Bleak was the only one who wasn't hit in this burst of fire. He immediately ran to the nearest comrade and provided first aid. He worked his way towards the men in the front (they had been hit the worst). As he began treating the wounded, he was shot at by enemy soldiers from the crest of Hill 499. 

Sergeant Bleak charged the crest and jumped into the enemy trench. Almost immediately a Chinese soldier charged him with a fixed bayonet. He evaded the thrust, grabbed the man's face, and snapped his neck. Another enemy soldier charged him, Bleak grabbed his throat and crushed his larynx (windpipe). When a third enemy soldier came at him, Bleak pulled his trench knife and dimembolwed him. 

After this, Sergeant Bleak immediately returned to his fallen comrades (who were beginning to retreat off the hill). He was able to treat all of the wounded so that they could evacuate. As they were retreating, more of them got hit by Chinese soldiers who had snuck behind them. One man got hit so badly that he could not walk and got left behind in the confusion. Bleak instantly turned around and headed back up Hill 499. 

As he reached his wounded comrade, an enemy bullet shattered one of his legs. However, he ignored the wound and picked up the fallen American. As he was carrying him down, an enemy grenade landed nearby. Bleak dove on top of his comrade and intercepted the blast. He then continued to carry his comrade down the Hill 499. Before he could rejoin the squad, two more Chinese soldiers charged him with bayonets (forcing Bleak to drop his comrade). He once again, evaded the thrusts, grabbed the two soldiers' heads, and smashed them together (crushing their skulls). He then picked up his comrade and carried him down the hill. An airstrike was then called in that obliterated the enemy fortifications of Hill 499.

When it was finally over, all twenty American soldiers had been hit by enemy fire. But directly due to the valor of Sergeant David Bleak, no American lives were lost. He had successfully treated all of the wounded and enabled them to escape the ambush. For his incredible valor on June 14, 1952, he received the Congressional Medal of Honor and the Purple Heart. He was one of only three servicemen from the 40th Infantry Division to receive the medal (and the only survivor).

After being discharged from the Army, David Bleak returned to Idaho where he worked as a rancher and a truck driver. He was an active member of the Mormon Church and seldom spoke of his military service. He died on March 23, 2006, at the age of 74. Today, he is remembered as one of the bravest and heroic soldiers to have ever served in the US Army.

https://www.wearethemighty.com/popular/sgt-bleak-korea-medal-honor/

https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2006-mar-31-me-bleak31-story.html

https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/local/2006/03/27/soldier-david-bleak/d0548ecd-828a-4964-add5-07aec37a825a/