On this day in 1931, the Texas Senate passed a resolution calling Louisiana Governor Huey Long a "consummate liar".
Long probably wasn't bothered by the declaration.
If nothing else, I guess it shows that political wackiness is nothing new.
On the same day, three gunmen members of the Purple Gang were killed in Detroit in the Collingwood Manor Massacre.
Depending upon how you calculate it (you can actually start the dates in August), this was the start date for the massive Louisiana Maneuvers, a giant war game fought out by the U.S. Army in Louisiana.
Earlier events in the maneuvers might be regarded as staging. On this day, Phase I of the maneuvers began, with the Red Army under Gen. Lear crossing the Red River near Shreveport and the Blue Army under Gen. Kreuger advancing to meet and repel it.
The massive maneuvers remain a subject of legend and show up in any history of the U.S. Army in World War Two. Their scale was unprecedented for something occurring within the United States, ranging over a large portion of western Louisiana and crossing into Eastern Texas, something rarely noted when they're mentioned.
The maneuvers were designed to test new concepts regarding large formation mobility, with the Army looking a way to fight in a highly mobile war with large formations. The lessons learned caused the formation of 16 armored divisions in World War Two, the concept of large scale mobile warfare having been deemed sound. It also put the spotlight on various officers, some to their advantage and some not. George S. Patton emerged from the maneuvers very much in the limelight. 31, however, of the 42 divisional commanders who participated int he maneuvers would be pushed aside shortly by George S. Marshall to make way for younger officers.
The maneuvers not only tested concepts, but equipment, some faring well and others not. Artillery officers tested the concept of tank destroyers with the result that they seemed to have been proven, even though later war experiences would show the concept lacking. Cavalry fared surprisingly well in the maneuvers, contrary to some expectation. C-Rations were issued to troops in scale for the first time.
He was from Louisiana and had died two days earlier. He was a surprise nomination to the Supreme Court by Grover Cleveland who had twice attempted to nominate New Yorkers before him.
White was Jesuit educated and therefore not surprisingly a Catholic. He's served in the Confederate forces during the Civil War, but in a capacity that's now hopelessly vague. He was taken prisoner near the end of the war. Due to his Confederate service, a statute in Washington D.C. was the subject of protests in August, 2020, even though very little is actually known about his wartime service.
Wonder Bread went on the market on this day in 1941. Personally, I've never been really keen on it, but its an undoubted commercial success.
I want to tell you, Gorsuch; I want to tell you, Kavanaugh. You have released the whirlwind. And you will pay the price. You won’t know what hit you if you go forward with these awful decisionsSchumer apparently didn't know what was going to hit him.
In a statement released by the Supreme Court this afternoon, Roberts – without repeating the names of the justices who were the target of Schumer’s wrath – criticized Schumer’s remarks. “Justices know,” Roberts declared, “that criticism comes with the territory, but threatening statements of this sort from the highest levels of government are not only inappropriate, they are dangerous.” Roberts concluded: “All Members of the Court will continue to do their job, without fear or favor, from whatever quarter.”Rebukes by Supreme Court justices are rare, but this is the second time Roberts has made one. The Press has reported this as "only the second time" but most Chief Justices never issue a rebuke. The first time came when President Trump referred to a Judge as "an Obama judge", which also drew Robert's disapproval.
