pylon's New Writeups

Les Invalides (place)

2004-06-15T06:25:26Z

Introduction

The Hôtel des Invalides (pronounced Oh-tel days-In-vah-leeds) is not only one of the best tourist sites in Paris, but also one of the finest works of architecture in the city of lights. Les Invalides, as is it referred to in short, can be found, appropriately enough, on the Esplanade des Invalides in the 7th arrondisement of Paris. (Paris is divided into 20 such administrative distrcits). Invalides is impressive the minute you set foot on the beautifully manicured front lawn.

So what is this Invalides?

"Okay, so what is this thing?" I hear you asking. It was created at the will of King Louis XIV of France as a convalescence home for injured soldiers of their Army. It was the first of its kind in Europe. Injured Army veterans were a bit of a problem at the time, as (due to various injuries from battle or service) they couldn't get work or make a living. They relied…

United States Air Force Rank Insignia (thing)

2003-07-03T22:30:43Z

Military insignia is an outward sign of an individual's rank. Military rank is a badge of leadership, command, and determines whom has authority over others. The rank structure is a ladder system, which means that one ascends in rank and gains leadership, responsibility, and authority. The insignia that represents the rank is a symbol designed to immediately identify the rank of someone without ambiguity. Insignia allows the level of authority and responsibility of an uniformed airman to be determined quickly and easily. All branches of the United States Armed Forces use rank insignia, but with different appearance and regulations for wear and location.

Generally one doesn't ascend in rank because they are performing well at the level of their current rank. A promotion indicates that the airman or officer is, rather, performing at a level commensurate with a higher rank, and are therefore deserving of it. The promotions also tend to get slower as one rises in rank. It…

United States Army Rank Insignia (thing)

2003-04-21T02:39:14Z

United States Army Rank Insignia

Military insignia is an outward sign of an individual's rank. Military rank is a badge of leadership, command, and determines whom has authority over others. The rank structure is a ladder system, which means that one ascends in rank and gains leadership, responsibility, and authority. The insignia that represents the rank is a symbol designed to immediately identify the rank of someone without ambiguity. All branches of the United States Armed Forces use rank insignia, but with different appearance and regulations for wear and location. The United States Army, as the oldest branch of the US military, thus has the longest history and heritage of military rank.

Insignia for rank dates back to the early armies of Europe, in which almost anything may have been used as a symbol of a person's power or position, from swords to horses. In the United States, the tradition of rank insignia dates back to the first American soldiers during…

Purple Heart (thing)

2003-03-13T00:53:25Z

The Purple Heart is a military decoration in the United States Armed Forces for soldiers, sailors, airmen, and marines who are wounded while engaging enemy forces. The Purple Heart is also not only the oldest American military decoration, but the oldest military decoration in the world that is still in use.

History

The history of the medal dates back to the American Revolution and General George Washington. Washington believed in his beloved country, and in the men that served it. During the Revolutionary War, Washington would award valor in soldiers with a battlefield commission or a promotion in rank. In 1782, the Continental Congress ordered him to stop doing this, as there was no money to pay officers and barely any to pay soldiers. Without this manner of reward for his soldiers, Washington set about to create a decoration to honor exceptional military merit.

August 7, 1782, Washington wrote into his…

United States Navy Jack (thing)

2003-02-24T04:12:43Z

Background - What's a Jack?

There are two naval jacks in use by the United States Navy. The jack is a flag flown at the bow of every navy warship. It is not the same as the national ensign (commonly known as just "The US Flag"). The purpose of the jack is to identify that the ship belongs to the Navy. Any ship of a country's origin can fly the National ensign (which is the US Flag), whether is be a private craft, merchant vessel, or warship. The jack is strictly a naval flag, rich in tradition and symbolism. On a properly equipped ship, the jack is flown from, very appropriately, the jackstaff. The tradition of flying a "jack" representing the Navy dates back to the 15th century with the British Royal Navy.

The First US Navy Jack

The original jack that is held in tradition to be one of the first jacks flown on ships of the US Navy during the War for Independence. The design of this jack is thirteen horizontal, alternating red and white…

Wolfgang Lüth (person)

2003-01-16T20:05:47Z

"It is the duty of every captain to have faith in his men; he must want to have faith in them, even if they have disappointed him at one time or another."
- Kapitän zur See Wolfgang Lüth - der große Jager (the great hunter)

Wolfgang Lüth was the single most successful U-Boat commander in history. His record of sunken ships, his extremely long war patrol, revolutionary ideas for managing his crew, his knack for leadership, and his untimely death put Herr Lüth into the spotlight for history.

Early History and Training

Wolfgang Lüth was born on October 15, 1913 in Riga, Latvia. Lüth was studying law, but in April 1933 at the ripe age of 19, he decided to join the German Kriegsmarine. He underwent the standard three months of training as a Seekadett aboard the training ship Gorch Fock. The annual intake of officers in the German Navy were known as "crews", and Lüth was a member of Crew 33 (for 1933).

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