Old Dan Tucker

Old Dan Tucker was a mountain man

Washed his face in a frying pan

Combed his hair with a wagon wheel

Died of a toothache in his heel

Get out th’way for Old Dan Tucker

He’s too late to get his supper

Supper’s over and breakfast cookin’

Old Dan Tucker just stands there lookin’.

–traditional folk song

Hell’s Half-Acre

“On 31 January 1944, the 93rd and 95th Evacuation Hospitals opened for business in the new hospital compound [at the beachhead in Anzio, Italy].  They joined the 56th Evacuation Hospital, which had been accepting patients there since 1300 on 30 January.  By 0100 on 1 February, the 56th Evac had admitted 1,129 patients.  The hospital area stretched over a half acre of flat, open land and in a matter of days would be christened ‘Hell’s Half-Acre’ by patients and hospital personnel alike.  All throughout February and on through March and April, the hospital area would be continuously shelled and bombed; the wounded would be rewounded, and many doctors, nurses, corpsmen, technicians, and other hospital personnel would be wounded or lose their lives.  No other hospitals in World War II took more bombings and shellings, or suffered as many injuries and deaths within their staffs of doctors, nurses and enlisted men, as well as re-injuries of patients, than the hospitals on the Anzio beachhead.”

– from “And If I Perish:  Frontline U.S. Army Nurses in World War II”, Evelyn M. Monahan and Rosemary Neidel-Greenlee

On This Date in 1775

…Patrick Henry proclaimed, “Give me liberty or give me death!”

Eventually, of course, he got both.

***

text of Patrick Henry’s speech