A Great and Noble Undertaking at #WIB

A Great and Noble Undertaking at #WIB

QIC: SGT Schultz

Date: June 6, 2019

PAX: Burns, Greenspan, H.O.G., Honey Badger, Huckleberry, Lamp Chop, Little Piggie, Mutton, Offsides, Root (AKA Toot) Canal (WD), SGT Schultz, Tar Heel, Touch Me Not, Van Gogh, Virginia Slim (WB), Von Trapp

16 PAX posted this morning at #WIB to work out our bodies and pay respects to members of the Greatest Generation who sacrificed and achieved so much 75 years ago on June 6, 1944.

This is the second consecutive year that YHC has Q’d on June 6.   I have always been passionate about World War II and the American heroes who served and sacrificed so much in that cataclysmic war.  My grandfather and both his older and younger brothers all served in World War II (with all three serving in the Pacific Theatre).   Tragically, the eldest brother, Brady M. Wood, was killed by a Kamikaze on April 6, 1945, a loss and pain that lingered in our family for a long time, as I personally experienced as a child through my great-grandparents (who lived to be 98 & 100) and my grandfather and his surviving brothers and sister, who all became very emotional whenever Brady came up in discussion.  With D-Day being one of the most important events of that war, I always want to do it justice and recognize and remember the sacrifices that so many young people, many right out of high school, made that day.

WARMARAMA:  A typical medley of SSHs, ISTs, Seal Claps, Overhead Claps, Whirlies with a Clap, Abe Vigodas, Peter Parkers and standing hamstring stretches.

THE THANG:  To commemorate D-Day, my WIB beatdown consisted of a 0.6 mile loop which wound around the buildings encompassing Starbucks/PNC Bank, CVS, Whole Foods, and Five Guys restaurant along Robinhood Road near the intersection with Peacehaven.   Breaking up this loop were six pain stations.  Each pain station was marked by a Weinke upon which was emblazoned the patches/symbols of major U.S. military units involved in the initial invasion on June 6, 1944, along with their major objective (or in the case of the two Airborne Divisions, one of their notable objectives).  At each pain station was one or more exercises.  These pain stations were assaulted in the following order as listed below:

• 1st Infantry Division & 29th Infantry Division:  Omaha Beach — Hand Release Merkins
• 101st Airborne Division:   Carentan (one of its major objectives) —  Burpees
• IX Troop Carrier Command:  C-47 and other aircraft transporting the 82d & 101st Airborne Division paratroopers and gliders  — Wall Sit Jack Reachers
• 82d Airborne Division:  Saint Mere Eglise (one of its major objectives):   Dips & Monkey Humpers
• 2nd & 5th Ranger Battalions:  Point Du Hoc — Rebound Drills & ‘Beat Your Boots’ Squats
• 4th Infantry Division & 90th Infantry Division:  Utah Beach (the 4th ID formed the initial assault wave, with the 90th ID landing in the afternoon of June 6, 1944) — Mike Tysons

During our initial lap, we performed 10 repetitions of each exercise at each pain station.   During each successive lap, 1 additional rep was added, so that 10 reps progressed to 11, etc.   The sole exception to this scheme was at the 101st Airborne Burpee pain station, where the PAX were free to do 10+ reps or alternatively roll dice (however many you chose) and perform that number of Burpees.

We continued this process until 0610 rolled around.

MARY:   Mary was performed democratically, with several PAX calling out assorted abdominal exercises.  YHC was busy grabbing my phone & speaker and setting up the GEN Eisenhower speech and only joined in at the end to call out American Hammers.

NMM:  

• As I had also done last year, I broadcast General Eisenhower’s actual address to all of the Soldiers, Sailors and Airmen involved in the invasion.  It is definitely worth a listen.  It can be found here:
• We then discussed the casualties suffered by many of these units listed above — those killed, who would never have the opportunity to live out their lives,to marry, have children and fulfill their dreams — as well as those forever maimed, both physically and mentally.
• We then listened to a reading of General Eisenhower’s letter that he had prepared in case the invasion failed.  https://www.businessinsider.com/d-day-in-case-of-failure-letter-by-general-eisenhower-2012-6.  Thanks to the courage and dedication of so many young men and women, many of whom never came home, he never had to use it.
• Offsides is looking for Teammates to run the Tuna 200
• Van Gogh encourages all recent FNGs to register on the F3 website.   He advises that Slack is no more.   “Slack is dead.  Long live Slack!”

COT:

• Prayers for Lamb Chop’s grandmother, who suffered a stroke yesterday.  She is doing well, but prayers for a full recovery.
• H.O.G. took us out, giving praise to our Lord for the ability to come out and exercise our bodies on a beautiful June morning, for the fellowship and brotherhood that we enjoy, and praise and thanks for the men and women, who were regular folks just like us, who responded to their Nation’s call and gave everything they had for freedom and liberty, so that we can enjoy all of the rights and benefits that we have today.

Thanks for the keys, Burns!