Maybe, but it sticks out to me. It is as obvioius as a big, red, carbunkle.
FM CNO WASHINGTON DC//N00//
TO NAVADMIN
UNCLAS PERSONAL FOR FLAG OFFICERS, COMMANDERS, COMMANDING OFFICERS,AND OFFICERS IN CHARGE FROM ADMIRAL ROUGHEAD //N00000//
NAVADMIN 010/10
MSGID/GENADMIN/CNO WASHINGTON DC/N00/JAN//
SUBJ/PERSONAL FOR - BICENTENNIAL OF THE WAR OF 1812 AND THE STAR-SPANGLED BANNER//
RMKS/1. THE APPROACHING BICENTENNIAL COMMEMORATION OF THE WAR OF 1812 AND THE STAR-SPANGLED BANNER PROVIDE AN OPPORTUNITY TO CELEBRATE THE AMERICAN SPIRIT AND UNITY THAT PROTECTED OUR YOUNG NATION AT A CRITICAL POINT IN HISTORY.
2. DURING WHAT SOME HAVE CALLED "AMERICA'S SECOND WAR FOR INDEPENDENCE," THE METTLE OF OUR FLEDGLING NAVY WAS TESTED IN COMBAT - ESTABLISHING A WARRIOR ETHOS THAT REMAINS SECOND TO NONE. FROM THE LEGENDARY USS CONSTITUTION - HMS GUERRIERE ENGAGEMENT WHERE CONSTITUTION EARNED HER NICKNAME "OLD IRONSIDES," TO THE BRILLIANT TACTICS OF CAPTAIN THOMAS MCDONOUGH THAT SECURED VICTORY AT THE BATTLE OF LAKE CHAMPLAIN, THE UNITED STATES NAVY FACED OFF WITH THE BRITISH EMPIRE, THE GREATEST NAVAL POWER IN THE WORLD AT THE TIME, AND PREVAILED.
3. THE UNITED STATES NAVY AND SEVERAL PARTNERS WILL HOST A SERIES OF BICENTENNIAL COMMEMORATION EVENTS IN KEY CITIES ALONG THE EASTERN SEABOARD, CANADA, AND THE GREAT LAKES REGION. ALSO, OUR MAJOR FLEET WEEKS, NAVY WEEKS, AND UNITED STATES NAVY MUSEUMS WILL PROVIDE A NATION-WIDE COMMEMORATION OF THE BICENTENNIAL IN 2012.
4. IN THAT SPIRIT, I DIRECT THE FOLLOWING ACTIONS:
A. NAVY HISTORY AND HERITAGE COMMAND (NHHC): LEAD A CORE TEAM, SUPPORTED WITH REPRESENTATIVES FROM USFF, CNIC, CNATRA, OCNR, CHINFO, CNRC, AND ADDITIONAL COMMANDS AS REQUIRED TO DEVELOP THE WAR OF 1812 PROGRAM, AND DEVELOP THE 1812 COMMEMORATION OPORDER.
B. CORE TEAM: DEVELOP A UNIFIED THEME AND MESSAGE FOR THE COMMEMORATION OF THE WAR OF 1812. ALL 2012 FLEET WEEKS, NAVY WEEKS, AND NAVY MUSEUMS SPECIAL EXHIBITS SHOULD PROMOTE THE UNIFIED THEME ACROSS THE NATION.
C. USFF: THE CORE TEAM WILL TURN OVER THE WAR OF 1812 OPORDER TO USFF FOR EXECUTION IN 2012.
5. AS THE PAST CONTINUES TO INFORM THE PRESENT AND GUIDES US TO THE FUTURE, THE WAR OF 1812 CELEBRATION WILL COMMEMORATE OUR RICH HISTORY AND HERITAGE, POSITIVELY INFLUENCE THE MILLIONS OF AMERICANS WHO COME TO SEE US, AND SHOWCASE AND DEMONSTRATE THE CAPABILITIES OF TODAY'S NAVY.
6. RELEASED BY ADMIRAL G. ROUGHEAD, CHIEF OF NAVAL OPERATIONS.//
Does this flag help?
I know it isn't as spiffy as our Ethos, and it sends the wrong message to our merchant marine in pirate-filled waters, but still. Its only at Annapolis and all. You know - 1812, James Lawrence, Oliver Hazard Perry, Battle of Lake Erie - all that jazz?
.... and while I am being grumpy - why don't we have at least a DDG named after Lawrence?
Hat tip AT1.
FM CNO WASHINGTON DC//N00//
TO NAVADMIN
UNCLAS PERSONAL FOR FLAG OFFICERS, COMMANDERS, COMMANDING OFFICERS,AND OFFICERS IN CHARGE FROM ADMIRAL ROUGHEAD //N00000//
NAVADMIN 010/10
MSGID/GENADMIN/CNO WASHINGTON DC/N00/JAN//
SUBJ/PERSONAL FOR - BICENTENNIAL OF THE WAR OF 1812 AND THE STAR-SPANGLED BANNER//
RMKS/1. THE APPROACHING BICENTENNIAL COMMEMORATION OF THE WAR OF 1812 AND THE STAR-SPANGLED BANNER PROVIDE AN OPPORTUNITY TO CELEBRATE THE AMERICAN SPIRIT AND UNITY THAT PROTECTED OUR YOUNG NATION AT A CRITICAL POINT IN HISTORY.
2. DURING WHAT SOME HAVE CALLED "AMERICA'S SECOND WAR FOR INDEPENDENCE," THE METTLE OF OUR FLEDGLING NAVY WAS TESTED IN COMBAT - ESTABLISHING A WARRIOR ETHOS THAT REMAINS SECOND TO NONE. FROM THE LEGENDARY USS CONSTITUTION - HMS GUERRIERE ENGAGEMENT WHERE CONSTITUTION EARNED HER NICKNAME "OLD IRONSIDES," TO THE BRILLIANT TACTICS OF CAPTAIN THOMAS MCDONOUGH THAT SECURED VICTORY AT THE BATTLE OF LAKE CHAMPLAIN, THE UNITED STATES NAVY FACED OFF WITH THE BRITISH EMPIRE, THE GREATEST NAVAL POWER IN THE WORLD AT THE TIME, AND PREVAILED.
3. THE UNITED STATES NAVY AND SEVERAL PARTNERS WILL HOST A SERIES OF BICENTENNIAL COMMEMORATION EVENTS IN KEY CITIES ALONG THE EASTERN SEABOARD, CANADA, AND THE GREAT LAKES REGION. ALSO, OUR MAJOR FLEET WEEKS, NAVY WEEKS, AND UNITED STATES NAVY MUSEUMS WILL PROVIDE A NATION-WIDE COMMEMORATION OF THE BICENTENNIAL IN 2012.
4. IN THAT SPIRIT, I DIRECT THE FOLLOWING ACTIONS:
A. NAVY HISTORY AND HERITAGE COMMAND (NHHC): LEAD A CORE TEAM, SUPPORTED WITH REPRESENTATIVES FROM USFF, CNIC, CNATRA, OCNR, CHINFO, CNRC, AND ADDITIONAL COMMANDS AS REQUIRED TO DEVELOP THE WAR OF 1812 PROGRAM, AND DEVELOP THE 1812 COMMEMORATION OPORDER.
B. CORE TEAM: DEVELOP A UNIFIED THEME AND MESSAGE FOR THE COMMEMORATION OF THE WAR OF 1812. ALL 2012 FLEET WEEKS, NAVY WEEKS, AND NAVY MUSEUMS SPECIAL EXHIBITS SHOULD PROMOTE THE UNIFIED THEME ACROSS THE NATION.
C. USFF: THE CORE TEAM WILL TURN OVER THE WAR OF 1812 OPORDER TO USFF FOR EXECUTION IN 2012.
5. AS THE PAST CONTINUES TO INFORM THE PRESENT AND GUIDES US TO THE FUTURE, THE WAR OF 1812 CELEBRATION WILL COMMEMORATE OUR RICH HISTORY AND HERITAGE, POSITIVELY INFLUENCE THE MILLIONS OF AMERICANS WHO COME TO SEE US, AND SHOWCASE AND DEMONSTRATE THE CAPABILITIES OF TODAY'S NAVY.
6. RELEASED BY ADMIRAL G. ROUGHEAD, CHIEF OF NAVAL OPERATIONS.//
Does this flag help?
I know it isn't as spiffy as our Ethos, and it sends the wrong message to our merchant marine in pirate-filled waters, but still. Its only at Annapolis and all. You know - 1812, James Lawrence, Oliver Hazard Perry, Battle of Lake Erie - all that jazz?
Good googly moogly - once again, can we get one of our Navy-sponsored history PhDs on the CNO's Staff to clear these messages?
.... and while I am being grumpy - why don't we have at least a DDG named after Lawrence?
Hat tip AT1.
21 comments:
My guess would be because he took CHESAPEAKE out to fight SHANNON when the CHESAPEAKE was in no material condition to go into battle, and a dissaffected crew. The crew's enlistement had ended on May 20, and they had had thier prize money held up in court. When those who remained were paid off by Lawrence out his own pocket, ( he gets points for that ), they decided to stay, and he filled out the crew with recruited forigen sailors, and sailors from CONSTITUTION.
CHESAPEAKE was in poor condition, having just come in from an extended cruise on April 9, and needed refitting. Lawrence decided that he was going to chase SHANNON away from Boston, and set out to do so, despite crew and ship deficencies.
HMS SHANNON, under Captian Broke, had a primitive fire control system, Broke having had compass arcs painted at each gun station, and a pelorus set up admidships, so he could concentrate his fire. Broke had a daily 3 hour gun drill as well. This was reflected in SHANNON hitting CHESAPEAKE 362 times, while the larger CHESAPEAKE hit SHANNON only 258.
Lawrence lost his ship to a combination of overconfidence, and an enemy who was far more prepared than he was. Nontheless, we named 2 brigs, 2 DDs, and a DDG after him.
Joins the list of those who post before signing in. That is my post just below
There will be Warrior Ethos, because I say there will! (and I use this term more than a GS12 Uses Business Case Analysis and Lean Six Sigma!)
I sent a "tickle reminder" to the USFF staff last year about NOT forgetting the men buried at Deadman's Island, Halifax, Nova Scotia.
Of course, for any staff to maintain a three year corporate memory??? Yeah, I figure that ain't gonna work out so good.
We'll see...1812 is a big deal up North too!
CDR,
what is wrong with the message? I guess I may be missing something...
Nice use of the carbuncle. According to wikipedia, "<span>Carbuncles usually must drain before they will heal." Draw your own inferences.</span>
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carbuncle
I'm with Jim Dolbow on this one, not seeing a problem with CNO telling his subordinates to come up with an appropriate plan. Putting NHHC in charge is the right thing to do.
A whole class of ships was named after Perry ;)
well, the best message of 1812 is that if you lose control of sea, enemy can show up in your capital and demolish it...
Another lesson of 1812 is to think through the decision to go to war (we declared war on the British, not vice veras). The so-called "War Hawks" mostly hailed from the inland states and they showed no particular willingness to fund the military during the Jefferson administration. The Jefferson administration had previously cut the Navy greatly and cancelled Federalist plans to construct a small fleet of ships-of-the-line. Had those ships been available, the the subsequent British blockade of our coast would have been far more difficult for them and perhaps the impressment of believed-to-be-former RN sailors from our merchant ships would not have happened inthe first place. Of course, had the Army had its act more together things might gone better on land ;) .
The other lesson is that even if you lose your capital, it is hard for a predominantly maritime state to decisively defeat a continental-size opponent. Took the Brits 20+ years against Napoleon, and they had allies in Europe.
Anthony,
I'd also add that America had a very difficult time because we hand no distict chain of command. Politicians were showing up and trying to change plans, push troops, reverse deployment orders, etc. The War of 1812 was a STRONG reminder of the need for a solid, well-trained, well disciplined regular army as the core for military expansion in time of war.
We had a tiny military, spread all over the country, and as a result, when we called out the militia, they showed up as individual companies, with little training in working together, and varying allegiances to their officers, since most were elected to their rank by the soliders themselves.
Share...share....
On the other side of coin continental power lacking fleet is powerless against overseas enemy with strong fleet - as Brits showed against Bonaparte and later Hitler.
Regrettably, it was probably one of those "Navy-sponsored PhDs" who drafted this message.
Interestingly enough, the performance of the Navy was one of the few bright spots in the War of 1812. BTW, a great fictional account of the CONSTITUTION/JAVA and CHESAPEAKE/SHANNON engagements can be found in <span>The Fortunes of War</span>, the 6th book in the Aubrey/Maturin series.
When I was up in Newport we referred to the first ship in the class as the "Oh Help me Please" due to her continuing material problems.
Waste of time, money, and steaming hours...
Oh, yeah, C-dore. In the novel, at least, Lawrence and Aubrey got along right well. Broke was indeed a gunnery nerd, a very earnest type. Chesapeake was also famously an unlucky ship, going back to that incident with Leopard. (which led to the duel which killed Decatur)
A1T,
That's absolutely true too. One of the reasons why the Navy did well throughout the war was that it had a core of officers and sailors, and fighting experience gained against the Barbary Pirates etc.
It's worth remembering that prior to WWII (and even then to some extent), this was a somewhat common experience in our wars. There was a lot of disorder at the start of the Civil War, the Spanish American War and even WWI. Lincoln's achievement as C-in-C during the Civil War is all the more very impressive considering that he had to deal with the sort of problems you mentioned too.
I wouldn't gripe too much about the message. At least we're remembering the War.
Why no USS James Lawrence? Maybe because some people would confuse her with USS William P Lawrence (DDG 110)? (Just a guess.) That shouldn't be an excuse though. http://www.register.surfor.navy.mil/sandbox/ddg110/default.aspx
C14,
There was a passage in the book where Aubrey, reflecting on the outcome of the Constitution/Java engagement, remembered that Nelson had once told him, "Never mind maneuvers, always go straight at them." Aubrey concluded that whereas Nelson's advice was sound when dealing with the French and the Spanish, he might have had some other ideas if he was fighting the Americans!
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