Three weeks after receiving the petition of an interracial couple the Cherokee General Council passed an act outlawing marriage between "negro slaves and Indians, or whites".
Frankly, I can see why they'd outlaw the one against whites, given the oppression they'd face, but slaves was a bit much.
Last edition.
John P. Lucas was relieved as the commander of VI Corps due to the ongoing problems at Anzio. Perhaps ironically, he had been critical of plans for the operation, Operation Shingle.
Lt. Jack C. Montgomery, a Cherokee, performed the actions that would cause him to be awarded the Medal of Honor.
For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at risk of life above and beyond the call of duty on February 22, 1944, near Padiglione, Italy. Two hours before daybreak a strong force of enemy infantry established themselves in 3 echelons at 50 yards, 100 yards, and 300 yards, respectively, in front of the rifle platoons commanded by 1st Lt. Montgomery. The closest position, consisting of 4 machineguns and 1 mortar, threatened the immediate security of the platoon position. Seizing an M1 rifle and several hand grenades, 1st Lt. Montgomery crawled up a ditch to within hand grenade range of the enemy. Then climbing boldly onto a little mound, he fired his rifle and threw his grenades so accurately that he killed 8 of the enemy and captured the remaining 4. Returning to his platoon, he called for artillery fire on a house, in and around which he suspected that the majority of the enemy had entrenched themselves. Arming himself with a carbine, he proceeded along the shallow ditch, as withering fire from the riflemen and machinegunners in the second position was concentrated on him. He attacked this position with such fury that 7 of the enemy surrendered to him, and both machineguns were silenced. Three German dead were found in the vicinity later that morning. 1st Lt. Montgomery continued boldly toward the house, 300 yards from his platoon position. It was now daylight, and the enemy observation was excellent across the flat open terrain which led to 1st Lt. Montgomery's objective. When the artillery barrage had lifted, 1st Lt. Montgomery ran fearlessly toward the strongly defended position. As the enemy started streaming out of the house, 1st Lt. Montgomery, unafraid of treacherous snipers, exposed himself daringly to assemble the surrendering enemy and send them to the rear. His fearless, aggressive, and intrepid actions that morning, accounted for a total of 11 enemy dead, 32 prisoners, and an unknown number of wounded. That night, while aiding an adjacent unit to repulse a counterattack, he was struck by mortar fragments and seriously wounded. The selflessness and courage exhibited by 1st Lt. Montgomery in alone attacking 3 strong enemy positions inspired his men to a degree beyond estimation.
He passed away in 2002 in his native Oklahoma at the age of 84.
The VIII Bomber Command became the 8th Air Force, as Big Week carried on.
Nijmegen was bombed by the U.S. Army Air Force by mistake, killing 200 civilians. Dense fog caused the error.
A Dominican monastery in Zagred was hit in bombing. Eight theology students died in the incident. Archbishop of Zagreb Aloysius Stepinac sent a letter to the British ambassador to the Holy See in response.
The Red Army took Krivoy Rog. The Germans wisely withdrew from the city rather than be encircled, wisdom that Hitler hadn't always allowed it to display in the face of Soviet offenses. 3/4s of Soviet Territory had now been retaken by the Red Army.
In an example of realpolitik, Churchill stated in the House of Commons that he supported Soviet border demands and that the UK had not guaranteed the Polish border.
French poet and Resistance member Robert Desnos was arrested in Paris. He would die in June 1945 shortly after being liberated from a concentration camp.
British lead Greek resistance fighters derailed a troop train in the Tempe Valley and killed 400 German troops.
The US landed forces on Parry Island on the Eniwetok Atoll. There is fierce Japanese resistance.
As Sarah Sundin notes, Eniwetok Atoll was pre-war Japanese territory, having been taken by the Japanese from the Germans in 1914. Interestingly, the Japanese had not really bothered to administer the island until World War Two, leaving it up to locals to govern the islands themselves for the most part.
The Germans had administered it as a colony from 1885 to 1914.
The I-37 sank the British tanker British Chivalry in the Indian Ocean and then surfaced and fired on the survivors. It's commander, Nakagawa Hajimi was found guilty of war crimes for this incident in 1948. He'd be sentenced ti eight years hard labor, of which he served six.
In 1978, it was revealed that Nakagawa had also been responsible for the sinking of the Australian hospital ship Centaur in April 1943.
