WQPT QUAD CITIES PBS
Arsenal History Minutes | The Battle of the Meuse-Argonne | WQPT
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- Arsenal History Minutes | The Battle of the Meuse-Argonne | WQPT
- Date posted
- 8 years ago
- Description
- In late September 1918, American forces amassed along the western front in France to participate in a set of simultaneous Allied offensives against the weary German Army. The goal was to break the Hindenburg line. In the American sector General John J. Pershing commanded the attack-- the largest American-run offensive of World War I. In order to reach their objective, the Americans had to fight through the dense Argonne Forest. The confused battle in the Argonne led to the famed “lost battalion.” The Lost Battalion became separated and surround by German forces for 6 days before being rescued. In that week almost 200 men were killed and another 200 missing or taken prisoner out of a starting force of 554. This battle also witnessed the heroic actions of Corporal Alvin York who captured 132 Germans. The Americans finally cleared the Argonne forest by 31 October and then would advance nearly more 20 miles before the signing of the Armistice on 11 November. The Battle of the Meu...
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- Arsenal History Minutes | First American Tank produced at Rock Island Arsenal | WQPT
- Date posted
- 8 years ago
- Description
- During World War I a new type of weaponry- the tank- made its mark on the battlefield. Even though they had not been decisive during the war, most nations realized tanks were a significant new weapon. This recognition resulted in British-American Joint endeavor to produce the improved Mark VIII tank also known as the “Liberty” or “International” tank. The Mark VIII design had several innovations over its predecessors, particularly a separate engine compartment that vastly improved Soldier conditions and safety. In the spring of 1919, the Rock Island Arsenal received its largest order to date the production of 100 Mark VIII tanks. In this joint effort Britain produced the armor, and the United States concentrated on the engine and other mechanical parts. The United States decided to utilize the namesake V12 “Liberty” engine. The role of the Rock Island Arsenal was mainly assembly; however many of the British parts had to be modified or completely recast to properly fit...
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- Let's Explore with Mr. Scott | Leaf Sounds
- Date posted
- 9 years ago
- Description
- Leaf Sounds Episode
Black Hawk State Historic Site, Rock Island
Leaves come in all shapes and sizes, but do they make sounds? In this episode, Mr. Scott encourages you to explore the leaves around you and make grass whistle while you visit places like Black Hawk State Historic Site in Rock Island
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- Let's Explore with Mr. Scott | Nature Bracelet
- Date posted
- 9 years ago
- Description
- Nature Bracelet Episode
Black Hawk State Historic Site, Rock Island
It doesn’t take much to create a beautiful nature bracelet when you visit places like the Black Hawk State Historic Site! In this episode, Mr. Scott shows how you can turn a simple piece of tape into an amazing nature bracelet with things you can find all around you.
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- Let's Explore with Mr. Scott | Ground Exploration
- Date posted
- 9 years ago
- Description
- Ground Exploration Episode
Gildea’s Pocket Park, Davenport
There are so many exciting things you can find on the ground when you’re at a park like Gildea’s Pocket Park in Davenport! In this episode, Mr. Scott finds all sorts of interesting things in just a handful of pea gravel! Use the sorting tray in your exploration kit to sort all the amazing treasures you find!
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- Let's Explore with Mr. Scott | Insect Count
- Date posted
- 9 years ago
- Description
- Insect Count Episode
Vander Veer Botanical Park, Davenport
Insects are everywhere you look, but there are way to many for just one person to count - unless you choose a single plant and count the insects that land on it. In this episode, Mr. Scott visits Vander Veer Botanical Park and counts the number of butterflies and other insects that land on a plant.
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- Let's Explore with Mr. Scott | Non-Traditional Measurement
- Date posted
- 9 years ago
- Description
- Non-Traditional Measurement Episode
Vander Veer Botanical Park, Davenport
In this episode, Mr. Scott shows how you can use traditional measuring tools (like a tape measure) or non-traditional items (like cicada shells, your hands, and even your own feet) to measure all sorts of things while you’re at places like Vander Veer Botanical Park in Davenport. You could use anything in your exploration kit as a unit of measure!
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- Arsenal History Minutes | First American Tank Attack September 1918 | WQPT
- Date posted
- 9 years ago
- Description
- September 1918 the United States Army Expeditionary Forces in France began their first independent campaign against the Germans. Almost a year earlier the AEF commander, General John J. Pershing had been so impressed with the British use of tanks at the Battle of Cambrai that he had directed the creation of an American tank corps to support the A-E-F.
In November, 1917, newly-promoted Major George S. Patton Jr. established a tank school at Langres, France, where two tank battalions were formed and trained on French light tanks and the much larger British Mark V. On 12 September, 1918, as part of the A-E-F’s St Mihiel campaign, these battalions began the first-ever American tank battle.
Although the reviews were somewhat mixed because of the number of tanks that bogged down or suffered mechanical breakdowns, the unsupported, and unexpected, "cavalry-style" attack caught the Germans by surprise and allowed the Americans to gain the initiative. The attack demonstrated t...
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- Arsenal History Minutes | Geronimo’s Final Surrender | WQPT
- Date posted
- 9 years ago
- Description
- On September 4, 1886, after 30 years of intermittent warfare, Apache Chief Geronimo surrendered to General Nelson Miles at Skeleton Canyon, Arizona.
Geronimo had surrendered and escaped twice before, most recently March 27, 1886 in Sonora, Mexico, after surrendering to General George Crook. While being led to Fort Bowie, Arizona, Geronimo and a small band of followers escaped into the Sierra Madras Mountains.
Following the March escape, Nelson replaced Crook, and with his force of 5,000 Soldiers and 500 Apache scouts, relentlessly tracked the holdouts. By September Geronimo was leading a depleted band of 38 exhausted Apaches who had been forced to cover up to 80 miles a day to evade their pursuers.
Upon surrendering to Nelson, Geronimo was assured that, after an indefinite exile in Florida, they would be allowed to return to Arizona. The promise was never kept. Instead they were sent Florida then Alabama. Eventually, in 1894, those remaining were transferred to Fort ...
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- Arsenal History Minutes | Battle of Bad Axe/BlackHawk | WQPT
- Date posted
- 9 years ago
- Description
- On the first and second of August 1832 the battle of Bad Axe was fought between American forces and Black Hawk’s band of Sauk and Fox followers. On 1 August, Blackhawk and his group were attempting to cross the Mississippi river from Wisconsin to Iowa. As they were preparing canoes for the crossing the steamboat Warrior arrived. Black Hawk attempted to surrender, but Soldiers on Warrior opened fire. This engagement left some 23 dead Sauk. During the night, Blackhawk proposed moving north, but most of his followers disagreed and opted to again try to cross the Mississippi. Black Hawk and some 20 warriors turned north, leaving the main band. On 2 August, the American ground forces came upon the remaining band and engaged them. Warrior also returned to the battle. The Americans shot at anything that moved- women, children and the elderly included. In the end, over 250 Indians died at the scene and over 150 more the next several days. Black Hawk surrendered a few weeks later. Mo...
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- Arsenal History Minutes | Invasion of Sicily-Operation Husky| WQPT
- Date posted
- 9 years ago
- Description
- On 9 July 1943, a joint force of British, Canadian, and US soldiers began the invasion of Sicily, also known as Operation Husky. Taking Sicily was a required step before the September invasion of Italy. The Germans were fooled as to the Sicily invasion, in large part due to a deception plan where false documents were placed on a dead man dressed as a British Officer and dumped along the coast of Spain. The false plan was found and forwarded to the Germans. Operation Husky consisted of 150,000 soldiers, 3,000 ships and 4,000 aircraft. Italian Army resistance folded quickly after Mussolini’s arrest on 24 July, but Nazi forces fell back into the interior and fought fiercely in the mountains. While British Commander Bernard Montgomery pushed slowly up the eastern coast towards Messina, George Patton’s American forces raced northwest to Palermo and then back east to Messina beating the British by a few hours on 16 August. Meanwhile the Germans managed to evacuate over 100,000 tro...
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- Arsenal History Minutes | Guantanamo Bay Cuba | WQPT
- Date posted
- 9 years ago
- Description
- The US base at Guantanamo Bay is often in the news these days, raising the question: Why is there an American base in Cuba? During the Spanish-American War in 1898, a battalion of U.S. Marines w Cuban guerilla allies occupied the strategically important bay. In 1903, as part of the Cuban-American Treaty it was agreed that the United States would lease a 45 Sq. mile naval station for $2000 a year. While the U.S. still writes a check every year for $4,085, Cuba has not cashed the check since the Castro regime took over in 1959. The Cuban government continues to protest the American presence. Guantanamo was at times a player in the Cold War. In February 1964 Castro decided to cut off water and supplies to the naval base, which forced the base to become self-sufficient. The border between Cuba and the base is named the “Cactus Curtain” and once was the second largest minefield in the world. Guantanamo fulfilled an important role in the early 1990s processing over 80,000 Cuban a...
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- Arsenal History Minutes | First American WWII Bombing | WQPT
- Date posted
- 9 years ago
- Description
- June 12, 1942 marked the first American bombing against Nazi occupied Europe. On that day 12 US B-24 Bombers attacked oil refineries at Ploesti, Romania. Ploesti was a main oil production hub supplying Germany and continued to be a target until almost the end of the war. The unit that conducted the raid flew from Egypt. The unit was originally en route to China with the mission of bombing Japan. However, the Soviet Union asked the U.S. and Great Brittan for help in disrupting the German 1942 attacks into Russia. The mission did not result in a large destructive impact on the refineries due to inexperienced crew, the small number of aircraft involved and bomb delivery methods. This raid showed a need for more bombers and improved targeting. Also, the raid was an indicator of the losses the Army Air Corps bombers would take for the rest of the war. Of the 12 aircraft, only 7 arrived back safely. From June 1942 until June 1945 over 40,000 crew members were killed or captured and over...
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- Arsenal History Minutes | Reagan’s Berlin Wall speech 1987 | WQPT
- Date posted
- 9 years ago
- Description
- “Mr Gorbachev.. open this gate…” On June 12, 1987, in an effort to have General Secretary Mikhail Gorbachev move forward in negotiations about reducing nuclear arsenals, President Ronald Reagan publically challenged Gorbachev in a speech in front of the Brandenburg Gate and Berlin Wall separating East and West Berlin. Negotiations to reduce nuclear arsenals had started in November 1985. No agreement was made, but they two sides continued to negotiate. In September 1986, after negotiations had stalled, Gorbachev asked to personally meet with Reagan to try and reach an agreement. When they met in October 1986 discussion again faltered over Russian concerns about the Strategic Defense Initiative. Eight months later, Reagan made his famous plea for peace and nuclear arms reduction in front of the Berlin wall. “Mr Gorbachev, tear down this wall!” Just six months later in December 1987, Gorbachev and Reagan signed an agreement for both sides to eliminate all their intermediate...
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- Arsenal History Minutes | The M20 “Superbazooka” | WQPT
- Date posted
- 9 years ago
- Description
- On 30 June 1950 President Harry S. Truman ordered U.S. troops to South Korea after North Korea invaded over the 38th parallel. The North Korean Army; supplied with Soviet T-34 tanks, had early success against U.S. anti-tank efforts. U.S. WWII era bazookas were nearly useless against the T-34’s thick armor. The Rock Island Arsenal was producing the new M20 3.5-inch “superbazooka” when the war started. While not quite yet done, Rock island Arsenal responded and sent its first shipment of M20’s just 13 days after the start of the conflict. Rock Island Arsenal produced 750 “superbazookas” over the next year. The M20 was superior to its predecessor in several respects: the improved warhead could penetrate double the armor of the WWII model; it was easier to handle in the field due to a two-piece assembly; and an improved sight increased accuracy and range. The efforts of Rock Island Arsenal once again gave American soldiers a critical edge in order to complete their mission...
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- Arsenal History Minute | The Lewis and Clark expedition | WQPT
- Date posted
- 9 years ago
- Description
- The purchase of the Louisiana Territory from France in July 1803 acquired land west of the Mississippi for the young United States. The new land was uncharted so President Jefferson sent Meriweather Lewis and William Clark to discover a water route to the Pacific. Lewis and Clark led a group of 33 volunteers during the expedition. Their task included documenting wildlife and fauna, cartography, and to learn about the Native Americans living along the route. The expedition began near modern St. Charles, Missouri in May 1804. Lewis and Clark reached the Pacific Ocean in November 1805 and returned as heroes to St. Louis in September 1806. The only death enroute was Sgt. Charles Floyd who passed from appendicitis, near Sioux City in August 1804. In January 1805 while wintering with the Mandan Indians near modern Bismarck ND Lewis and Clark hired a trapper named Toussaint Charbonneau to guide them further west. More importantly Charbonneau’s wife, Sacagawea of the Shoshone tribe, co...
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- Arsenal History Minute | Telodynamic Power system of RIA Arsenal | WQPT
- Date posted
- 9 years ago
- Description
- The Rock Island Arsenal has always needed energy to utilize shops to their full potential. However, in the 1870’s electrical power was not an option and another technique had to be implemented. Hydropower from the Mississippi River would be the answer. The 3rd Commander of the Arsenal Major Daniel Flagler built a system that had not previously been used in the United States. The Telodynamic System transported mechanical power over distances by using water to rotate turbines. The power from the turbines are transferred through gears to a 15 foot drive wheel, from this large wheel a continuous cable extended north to towers behind the shops. Wheels on these towers then transmitted the energy to the shops with wires that turned an overhead drive shaft. The overhead shaft powered individual machines with a clutch-drive system. The shops utilized the Telodynamic power for the first time in February 1879. The system was replaced by electricity after 1900. Learn more about the history...
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- Arsenal History Minutes | First .30 caliber machine gun | WQPT
- Date posted
- 9 years ago
- Description
- In 1936 the Army assigned Rock Island Arsenal the mission to develop and produce an air cooled .30 Caliber machine gun based on John Browning designs. This had initially been a mission of the Springfield Armory but Rock Island had better facilities. The arsenal had a massive stock of water cooled .30 cal machine guns from the First World War, and had already been improving that model. The Arsenal immediately began developing prototypes and experimenting with designs on how to produce a reliable, long lasting air cooled machine gun. In early Fall 1941, the Army approved the Rock Island produced M1919A4. The new .30 cal could be used both by infantry and cavalry units with flexible and fixed models. The M1919A4 eventually became the most popular .30 caliber machine gun in the War. The Rock Island Arsenal produced roughly 85,000 .30 caliber machine guns by the end of the war, with most of the work being accomplished by women ordnance workers. Nearly 193 million belt links for the ammu...
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- Arsenal History Minutes | 1776 Continental Navy captures 1st British warship | WQPT
- Date posted
- 9 years ago
- Description
- On 7 April 1776, a year after the shots heard around the world were fired at Lexington to begin the Revolutionary War and months before the Declaration of Independence, the USS Lexington, an 86 foot ship named after that first battle, slipped past the British Blockade on the Delaware River. The Lexington, commanded by Captain John Barry, soon encountered the British Sloop Edward and engaged in a fierce fight that lasted more than an hour. The Lexington inflicted so much damage on the Edward the British ship was forced to “strike her colors” and surrender. In this action the Continental Navy had captured its first British warship and the Lexington gave the Americans a sorely needed morale boost. By the end of the war the Lexington, under several different Captains, captured 14 more British ships. Her most famous Captain, John Barry, would go on to have a prolific military career. In February 1797 President George Washington promoted him to Commodore, which made him the first comm...
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- Arsenal History Minutes | The Iraq War | WQPT
- Date posted
- 9 years ago
- Description
- On 24 February 1991 coalition forces began the ground portion of Operation Desert Storm against Saddam Hussein’s Iraqi Army. The ground offensive was preceded by a month-long air campaign in which over 100,000 sorties eliminated the Iraqi command. On the first day of the offensive U.S. led coalition forces raced towards Kuwait City capturing thousands of Iraqi Soldiers. On the 2nd day of battle the Coalition kept pushing through Iraqi forces forcing a massive retreat. The Iraqis struck back with SCUD missile attacks that hit an American barracks killing 28 soldiers. As the Iraqi Army retreated, they conducted a scorched earth policy and burned over 700 oil wells. On the third day, the large tank battle of 73 Easting occurred resulting in a dramatic U.S. victory over Iraqi armor units. Later in the day, allied air forces destroyed over 2000 vehicles. Ground combat lasted approximately 100 hours before President George H.W. Bush declared a ceasefire on 28 Feb 1991.
WQPT is a Publ...
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- Arsenal History Minutes | Gettysburg Address | WQPT
- Date posted
- 9 years ago
- Description
- “Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent a new nation conceived in liberty…” On November 19th 1863, President Abraham Lincoln delivered The Gettysburg Address, one of the greatest speeches in American history. The address took less than two minutes to convey, but it was a poignant and integral part of identifying the importance of the battle for the preservation of the Union. The address also looked to the future where the human loss would help create and era of greater human equality. The Battle of Gettysburg that occurred July 1st through 3rd, 1863 still ranks as the deadliest battle on American soil with over 7,000 deaths and over 44,000 wounded or missing between the Union and Confederate forces. For Lincoln it was imperative to convey to the Northern public that the lives of these soldiers were not wasted and the people must remain vigilant in maintaining the union and human rights. “we here highly resolve that these dead shall not h...
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- Arsenal History Minutes | Birth of the Marines | WQPT
- Date posted
- 9 years ago
- Description
- On the tenth of November 1775, in the early stages of the American Revolutionary War, the 2nd Continental Congress sanctioned 2 battalions of Marines to serve in conjunction with the newly formed Continental Navy. The intended function of the marines, were to be proficient in naval combat, maritime skills, as well as standard land combat. The first amphibious landing took place on March 2nd 1776 when 234 Marines captured Fort Montague and Fort Nassau. The initial success of the Battle of Nassau by the marines was indicative of the success to follow. In 1798, the Marine uniform changed to dark blue to symbolize the relationship with the navy and with large leather collars, prompting the common nickname of leathernecks, this is still tradition today with the dress blues. After a brief dissolution of the Corps in 1783, the Marines were recommissioned in 1794. In 1805 during the First Barbary War Marines took the city of Derne, in Tripoli. That kind of mission success continued into the ...
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- Arsenal History Minutes | U.S. Troops in Somalia | WQPT
- Date posted
- 9 years ago
- Description
- In the early 1990’s, East Africa endured one of the worst droughts of the 20th century. In Somalia the drought coincided with extensive clan-based fighting after longtime leader Mohammed Siad Barre was deposed. This led to economic instability and mass starvation. After international humanitarian groups began to ship food to Somalia, the different clans stole food and also worked to prevent distribution to rival clans. The U.N began peacekeeping missions in August 1992 but were unable to calm the situation enough to allow distribution of food. On 4 December 1992 President George H.W. Bush ordered 28,000 troops in. By May 1993 food was being routinely distributed and most US forces were withdrawn in early June. However, just a week later other UN peacekeepers were ambushed and massacred. The US returned with Special Operations and began to hunt down the rival warlords. The end result was failure. After the Blackhawk Down incident in October, all US forces were removed. Soma...
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- Arsenal History Minutes | RIA-Confederate POW Camp | WQPT
- Date posted
- 9 years ago
- Description
- In the summer of 1863 the US government decided to build a prisoner of war camp on Rock Island. On 3 December the first shipment of 488 Confederate POWs arrived at the Rock Island Prison Barracks. These Confederate soldiers had been captured at the battle of Lookout Mountain in Chattanooga 8 days prior. The arrival of the rebels caused a stir in surrounding communities with hundreds gathering in -25 degree temperatures to get a glimpse of the enemy soldiers. The earliest months posed the greatest risks for the POW’s facing extreme cold with little winter gear, and contagious diseases. Almost 100 POWs were found to be infected with small pox when they arrived. By spring over 700 POWs and 17 guards were dead, primarily from disease. In February 1864 the Army Surgeon General investigated and then built quarantine areas and a prison hospital. By the time the camp closed in July 1865 over 12,000 POWs moved through the camp with over 1,800 prisoner deaths. The white marble graves...
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- Arsenal History Minutes | Cuban Relations | WQPT
- Date posted
- 9 years ago
- Description
- On 3 January 1961 the U.S. severed diplomatic relations with Cuba by withdrawing formal recognition and closing the U.S. embassy in Havana. Actions by the new leader of Cuba, Fidel Castro, drove the U.S. to isolate Cuba. Castro took power by overthrowing Fulgencio Batista who was a corrupt dictator. After Castro seized power in February 1959, he immediately began seizing land and spreading it amongst the lower class. But, he also nationalized businesses including privately owned sugar companies. Castro’s actions prompted the U.S. to impose sanctions. The U.S. embargo included not selling arms or oil and prohibited buying Cuban sugar. In February 1960 Castro signed an agreement making the Soviet Union its primary trade partner. In March 1960, a weapons freighter exploded in Havana harbor killing over 75 workers. Castro accused the U.S of sabotage. Soon after President Eisenhower authorized a force of Cuban refugees to overthrow Castro in what would become the failed Bay of Pigs ...
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- Arsenal History Minutes | Spanish Flu | WQPT
- Date posted
- 9 years ago
- Description
- On 16 April 1917, the United States formally joined the “war to end all wars.” The U.S. began a massive mobilization effort to fight against the Germans in the infamous trenches of the Western Front, however the American military would also have to fight an invisible enemy, the influenza outbreak of 1918-1919 also known as the Spanish Flu.
The first reported case of the Spanish flu occurred 11 March 1918 when Private Albert Gitchell arrived at the hospital with symptoms, and within hours over 100 soldiers were reporting with the same ailments. A particular trait of the Spanish flu was its effect of the age demographic of 20-50 where it caused the greatest of the loss. The epidemic spread amongst soldiers in the muddy trenches and would reach all over the world. The Influenza pandemic was responsible 675,000 deaths in the U.S and for approximately 1/3 of the 8-10 million military deaths during the Great War. Commander of the Rock Island Arsenal Colonel Leroy T. Hillman had h...
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- Arsenal History Minutes | Operation Iraqi Freedom | WQPT
- Date posted
- 9 years ago
- Description
- On 17 March 2003, President George W. Bush provided an ultimatum to Iraq, “Saddam Hussein and his sons must leave Iraq within 48 hours. Their refusal to do so will result in military conflict commenced at a time of our choosing.” Hussein’s refusal to vacate the country prompted the military invasion of Iraq on 20 March 2003.
Operation Iraqi Freedom began when coalition forces employed a air “Shock and Awe” campaign that destroyed the Iraqi ability to command and control its forces. On the ground, Coalition forces, mainly assembled in Kuwait, attacked North on both sides of the Tigris River. A key objective was to seize oil wells to prevent the burning of oil as Iraq had done in Operation Desert Storm. On 24 March 2003 a massive sandstorm hampered the ground campaign but allowed coalition air power to destroy Iraqi resistance due to an Iraqi false sense of security in the zero visibility storm. The Coalition fought substantial battles at Nasiriya, Najaf, Basra, and...
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- Arsenal History Minutes | The Arsenal and the French 75mm gun. 1918 | WQPT
- Date posted
- 9 years ago
- Description
- The United States formally joined World War I in April 1918. Having observed the war since 1914, the American Army realized it needed better and more artillery. The best field gun in the war was the French 75mm Model 1897. The French 75 showcased a new hydro-pneumatic recoil system that allowed the gun to fire accurately and rapidly. In January 1918 the French authorized transfer of technical drawings to the US. Rock Island Arsenal was authorized to build the recoil in a top secret operation, but faced numerous obstacles. After converting the drawings from metric to English measurement, they still had to modify many of the parts to enable mass production. Only a few dozen total were manufactured by the end of the war, with many more produced after 1918. The 75 was just one of many wartime projects that demonstrate the engineering and technical expertise of the Arsenal workforce. This summer the RIA and Putnam Museums will be co-hosting an exhibit titled: An Arsenal of Innovation...
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- Arsenal History Minutes | John Brown's Raid | WQPT
- Date posted
- 9 years ago
- Description
- On October, 16th 1859 abolitionist John Brown attacked the arsenal at Harpers Ferry, Virginia in what would be the culmination of his efforts to abolish slavery. Brown had previously led anti-slavery factions during the Bleeding Kansas conflict in 1856. Brown hoped to instigate a slave uprising with Harpers Ferry as the both the headquarters and the supply point for weapons. Brown garnered the support of 21 men, (16 white men, and 5 black) to attack the Arsenal. On 16 October the band captured the Arsenal and several hostages. However, no slaves joined the revolt. The next day local militia forced Brown to retreat to a small engine house while the President ordered Colonel Robert E Lee to end the situation. On 18 October Lee’s forces stormed the engine house and ended the rebellion in about 3 minutes. Brown was captured and hanged on December 2, 1859. Despite the swift justice, Southerners now had dread fear of a slave revolt while abolitionist Northerners saw Brown almost as ...
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- Arsenal History Minutes | Peace Time Draft 1940 | WQPT
- Date posted
- 9 years ago
- Description
- In the summer of 1940 World War II in Europe and the Pacific was in full swing. France was defeated in June; in July Japan occupied French Indochina. President Franklin D Roosevelt, who had tried to maintain US neutrality while supporting the democracies under threat, began to act more aggressively. In September 1940, a full 14 months before Pearle harbor Roosevelt signed the first peacetime draft law in American history. The bill required all males 21-36 years old to register. While passing a bill, Congress still imposed some of their non-interventionist ideas- the term of service was limited to 12 months and service members had to remain in the Western Hemisphere or US possessions overseas. Only 900,000 could be on active duty at one time. In June 1940 FDR had started to federalize National Guard units for training. The draft allowed him to man those units to get the most out of the training. In August 1941 Congress passed and extension by only one vote. Within another 4 m...
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- Arsenal History Minutes | Fall of Atlanta- 2 September 1864 | WQPT
- Date posted
- 9 years ago
- Description
- In April 1864 Union General Tecumseh Sherman was ordered to take Atlanta, known as the Entryway to the South. From early May until mid July the Confederate forces were commanded by General Joe Johnston. The armies clashed at battles such as of Rescaca, New Hope Church, and Kennesaw Mountain. In mid-July Johnston was replaced by General John Hood, a much more aggressive commander. However, Hood’s over-aggressiveness allowed Sherman to inflict more casualties and speed up the pace. During the campaign the Mayor of Atlanta wrote to Sherman asking him to spare the city. Sherman made a famous reply: “You cannot qualify war in harsher terms than I will. War is cruelty, and you cannot refine it. I know I had no hand in making this war, and I know I will make more sacrifices to-day than any of you to secure peace." In late August, Sherman slipped around Atlanta and cut the rail lines supplying the city. This forced Hood to evacuate Atlanta. Hood burned the city, a famous scene in ...
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- Arsenal History Minutes | August 1972 Vietnam | WQPT
- Date posted
- 9 years ago
- Description
- In August 1972 the last ground combat unit boarded planes and departed the Republic of South Vietnam. This day marked the end of, what had been to that time, the United States’ longest war. Well, not really. The Paris Peace Accords were not signed until January 1973 with the final US service men leaving in the next month. The departure of the 3rd Battalion, 21st Infantry Regiment in August 1972 was, however, a key point in the US withdrawal.. From a high of 549,000 Americans on the ground, the departure of the unit in August left fewer than 45,000 soldiers in Vietnam. Those remaining were advisors, guards, logisticians, and technicians- not combat units. This was the result of a several year effort to turn the war over to the South Vietnamese by training them and then letting them take the lead in combat operations. By mid 1972 American ground combat patrols had ceased. The final units out had been guarding DaNang Airbase. In the fall of 1972 vastly increased American air o...
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- Arsenal History Minutes | George Davenport Murdered | WQPT
- Date posted
- 9 years ago
- Description
- George Davenport is often credited as the first permanent American settler in the area we call the Quad Cities. He arrived at Rock Island in the summer of 1816 working as a supplier to the Army at Fort Armstrong. By 1818 he was a full time trader with the local tribes and – as a result -became very wealthy. Eventually he became a land developer, postmaster, rapids pilot, and founder of cities.
On the 4th of July 1845 the Davenport family planned to go to the Independence Day celebration in Rock Island. However, Davenport fell ill and stayed home alone. Robbers in search of a reputed $20,000 kept at the house were surprised to find anyone home. They shot him in the leg, demanded the safe combination, and beat him so badly he died the next day. One of the men was known to Davenport and he was able to identify him and describe the others before he died, solving his own murder. The robbers got around $600… and a hanging for three of the criminals.
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- Arsenal History Minutes | The Battles of Gettysburg and Vicksburg | WQPT
- Date posted
- 9 years ago
- Description
- July 1864 was a turning point in the Civil War.
In the East Robert E Lee had launched an invasion of the North on June 3rd. His movement into Maryland and Pennsylvania forced the US Army south of Washington DC to react, moving northwest to find Lee and keep the Army between the Confederates and the capital. But on July 1st the two armies clashed at Gettysburg starting a three-day battle culminating in a decisive defeat of the Confederates on July 3rd.
In the West the Vicksburg campaign was much slower to develop. Since December 1862 Ulysses S Grant had been maneuvering to capture the last Confederate stronghold on the Mississippi river. Grant laid siege to Vicksburg in mid-May 1863 and on July 4th the city surrendered. With Vicksburg lost - the Union controlled the entire Mississippi and split the Confederacy.
The two victories a day apart dealt a one-two punch that gave the Union the upper hand for the remainder of the war.
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- Arsenal History Minutes | General Rodman’s Death and Funeral | WQPT
- Date posted
- 9 years ago
- Description
- In 1865 Brigadier General Thomas Rodman was assigned to Rock Island Arsenal and charged with building a manufacturing plant – a “Grand National Arsenal.” He soon designed the stone shops and began construction in 1866. In 1870 he began construction of the magnificent commanding officer’s quarters on the Arsenal. Rodman died on the Arsenal in June 1871.
Reports from the day note that Rodman worked himself into exhaustion and was ill for more than three months before his death. This means that he continued a work pattern demonstrated throughout his career where he was known to work over twelve hours a day, seven days a week.
In addition to being a superb engineer, groundbreaking scientist, and expansive architect, Rodman appears to have been someone whom others appreciated. His predecessor had difficult relations with the local communities. However, after 6 years in the area over 1,000 mourners came to Rodman’s funeral, held in Quarters One, including work...
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- Arsenal History Minutes | The Battle of Midway | WQPT
- Date posted
- 9 years ago
- Description
- 7 December 1941 saw the surprise Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. The attack was intended to cripple the US Pacific fleet for a year or more. However, just six months later the fleet inflicted a devastating loss on the Japanese Navy.
After Pearl Harbor the Navy rapidly concentrated aircraft carriers in the Pacific. The US sought out the Japanese fleet knowing that destroying the carriers meant the Japanese would not be able to defend the Pacific. At the same time the Japanese sough a way to destroy the US carriers so they could maintain control of the Pacific. The Japanese attempted to set a naval ambush, but one enterprising intelligence officer deciphered the plan allowing the American’s to spring a trap near Midway Island. On 4 June in a near run battle the Americans suddenly caught the Japanese carriers without air cover. Soon four Japanese carriers were sunk to the loss of just one US carrier. With this victory the US established parity with the Japanese fleet ...
- Title
- Arsenal History Minutes | Birth of naval Aviation- USN orders its first airplane | WQPT
- Date posted
- 9 years ago
- Description
- May 1911 saw the official birth of US Naval Aviation when Captain W. I. Chambers purchased the first two Navy bi-planes. The Navy had seriously thought about use of aircraft in support of naval operations for only 1-2 years before the purchase.
In 1910, after the Army bought their first planes from the Wright Brothers, Captain Chambers became convinced that the Navy could use airplanes. He was unable to convince the Wrights to attempt to fly a plane off a ship and then turned to the Glen Curtiss, who made the first ever ship-launched flight in November 1910. anuary 1911 was a critical month. On the 18th the first plane landed on a ship. The next day Navy Pilot #1 was licensed. On 26 January Curtiss made the first pontoon plane landing next to a ship and then took off from the water the next morning.
Based on these successes, the Navy allowed three more officers to take lessons and approved buying the first Navy airplanes. Progress was rapid after that with the fir...
- Title
- Arsenal History Minutes | May 1816 Construction on Fort Armstrong begins | WQPT
- Date posted
- 9 years ago
- Description
- After the War of 1812 ended, the Unites States determined to cement its hold on the upper Mississippi River by creating a series of forts. Rock Island had been identified as a desirable place for a fort by Zebulon Pike in 1805 due to its position on the Rock Island Rapids and its proximity to the Sac and Meskwaki tribes. Black Hawk’s support of the British in the War of 1812 made that recommendation appear even more powerful.
Brigadier General Thomas Smith arrived at Rock Island in early May 1816 and chose the western tip of the island as the construction site for a fort. From this site U.S. troops could control the river, protect American fur traders and settlers; and keep open a line of communication and commerce to other posts further up river.
Fort Armstrong was the beginning of the Quad Cities area, provided security for settlers on both sides of the river, and later the administrative and logistics center of the Blackhawk War of 1832. The fort was abandoned af...
- Title
- Stories of Service | Nathan/Annie Cox | WQPT
- Date posted
- 9 years ago
- Description
- Stories of Service | Nathan/Annie Cox | WQPT
WQPT is a Public Media Service of Western Illinois University
WQPT - Quad Cities PBS
3300 River Drive Suite 108, Moline, Illinois 61265
Phone: 309-764-2400
Fax: 309-764-2410
Email: wqpt@wiu.edu
Website: www.wqpt.org
Closed Captioning Coordinator - Amanda Bergeson
- Title
- Stories of Service | Stephen Blake | WQPT
- Date posted
- 9 years ago
- Description
- Stories of Service I Stephen Blake | WQPT
WQPT is a Public Media Service of Western Illinois University
WQPT - Quad Cities PBS
3300 River Drive Suite 108, Moline, Illinois 61265
Phone: 309-764-2400
- Title
- Stories of Service | Marvin Strum | WQPT
- Date posted
- 9 years ago
- Description
- Stories of Service I Marvin Strum | WQPT
WQPT is a Public Media Service of Western Illinois University
WQPT - Quad Cities PBS
3300 River Drive Suite 108, Moline, Illinois 61265
Phone: 309-764-2400
- Title
- Stories of Service | Jackie Inman | WQPT
- Date posted
- 9 years ago
- Description
- Stories of Service | Jackie Inman
WQPT is a Public Media Service of Western Illinois University
WQPT - Quad Cities PBS
3300 River Drive Suite 108, Moline, Illinois 61265
Phone: 309-764-2400
Fax: 309-764-2410
Email: wqpt@wiu.edu
Website: www.wqpt.org
Closed Captioning Coordinator - Amanda Bergeson
- Title
- Stories of Service | Julie Johnson | WQPT
- Date posted
- 9 years ago
- Description
- Stories of Service | Julie Johnson | WQPT
WQPT is a Public Media Service of Western Illinois University
WQPT - Quad Cities PBS
3300 River Drive Suite 108, Moline, Illinois 61265
Phone: 309-764-2400
Fax: 309-764-2410
Email: wqpt@wiu.edu
Website: www.wqpt.org
Closed Captioning Coordinator - Amanda Bergeson
- Title
- Stories of Service | Alan Wilson | WQPT
- Date posted
- 9 years ago
- Description
- Stories of Service | Alan Wilson
WQPT is a Public Media Service of Western Illinois University
WQPT - Quad Cities PBS
3300 River Drive Suite 108, Moline, Illinois 61265
Phone: 309-764-2400
Fax: 309-764-2410
Email: wqpt@wiu.edu
Website: www.wqpt.org
Closed Captioning Coordinator - Amanda Bergeson
- Title
- Stories of Service | Chris Thodos | WQPT
- Date posted
- 9 years ago
- Description
- Stories of Service | Chris Thodos
WQPT is a Public Media Service of Western Illinois University
WQPT - Quad Cities PBS
3300 River Drive Suite 108, Moline, Illinois 61265
Phone: 309-764-2400
Fax: 309-764-2410
Email: wqpt@wiu.edu
Website: www.wqpt.org
Closed Captioning Coordinator - Amanda Bergeson
- Title
- Stories of Service I Barney Young | WQPT
- Date posted
- 9 years ago
- Description
- Stories of Service I Brian Layer | WQPT
WQPT is a Public Media Service of Western Illinois University
WQPT - Quad Cities PBS
3300 River Drive Suite 108, Moline, Illinois 61265
Phone: 309-764-2400
Fax: 309-764-2410
Email: wqpt@wiu.edu
Website: www.wqpt.org
Closed Captioning Coordinator - Amanda Bergeson
- Title
- Stories of Service I Brian Layer | WQPT
- Date posted
- 10 years ago
- Description
- Stories of Service I Brian Layer | WQPT
WQPT is a Public Media Service of Western Illinois University
WQPT - Quad Cities PBS
3300 River Drive Suite 108, Moline, Illinois 61265
Phone: 309-764-2400
Fax: 309-764-2410
Email: wqpt@wiu.edu
Website: www.wqpt.org
Closed Captioning Coordinator - Amanda Bergeson
- Title
- Stories of Service | Steve Whan | WQPT
- Date posted
- 10 years ago
- Description
- Stories of Service | Steve Whan
WQPT is a Public Media Service of Western Illinois University
WQPT - Quad Cities PBS
3300 River Drive Suite 108, Moline, Illinois 61265
Phone: 309-764-2400
Fax: 309-764-2410
Email: wqpt@wiu.edu
Website: www.wqpt.org
Closed Captioning Coordinator - Amanda Bergeson
- Title
- Stories of Service | Joshua Ryan Brown | WQPT
- Date posted
- 10 years ago
- Description
- Stories of Service | Joshua Ryan Brown | WQPT
WQPT is a Public Media Service of Western Illinois University
WQPT - Quad Cities PBS
3300 River Drive Suite 108, Moline, Illinois 61265
Phone: 309-764-2400
Fax: 309-764-2410
Email: wqpt@wiu.edu
Website: www.wqpt.org
Closed Captioning Coordinator - Amanda Bergeson
- Title
- Stories of Service | Mark Hunt | WQPT
- Date posted
- 10 years ago
- Description
- Stories of Service | (Mark Hunt)
WQPT is a Public Media Service of Western Illinois University
WQPT - Quad Cities PBS
3300 River Drive Suite 108, Moline, Illinois 61265
Phone: 309-764-2400
Fax: 309-764-2410
Email: wqpt@wiu.edu
Website: www.wqpt.org
Closed Captioning Coordinator - Amanda Bergeson