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Context is everything

November 27, 2005 | | Comments (14)

Remember this?

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No problem if you don't--John was the only one to get really excited about it. And it *is* a Lange Morser--and here it is in context (which is what gave John the chuckle in the comments).

To the victors belong the spoils. Pretty much every military organization in the world agrees with that, judging by some of the items you see on military bases.

Like this, f'r instance.

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Cast in the days when a gun was also a work of art, which is probably the reason so many are now souvenirs. This one's Spanish. The year's not visible, but it's 1755.

And it was taken in battle by American forces.

Hmmmmm. Wonder who'll beat John to the type (that shouldn't be hard, unless he happens to be staying up late) and I wonder who'll guess closest to which war was its last...

Oh, yeah--the "context" pic will give you a chuckle. And when John finishes googling every Western Hemispherical war since Eric the Red bumped heads with the skraelings...heh.

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14 Comments

By John of Argghhh! on November 27, 2005 8:09 AM
The context, smarta$$, is I Corps Headquarters at Fort Lewis. BTDTGTT-S,UIAARTCTC*. Plllpppppt!
 
By John of Argghhh! on November 27, 2005 8:16 AM
*Been There Done That, Got The T-Shirt, Used It As A Rag To Clean The Collection.
 
By John of Argghhh! on November 27, 2005 10:43 AM
And since no one has jumped on this... 24 pdr, prolly one of the guns from the defenses of Manila (I *know* the Water Battery had guns of this type) captured during the SpanAm War. Am I close?
 
By cw4(ret)billt on November 27, 2005 11:31 AM
S-C-O-R-E!!! Heh. I'll post the other pix (including a decent one of the plaque) later. Nice work! Although, judging by the time-spacing in the comments, google must've given you a brazillion hits for "Spanish 24-pounders scarfed up by the US Army"...
 
By Big Mary 26 Charlie on November 27, 2005 11:53 AM
Us guys in blue suits like olde gonnes too. I first thought this looked like the gun outside the CINCLANTFLEET headquarters in Norfolk. However, I seem to recall that it is an iron gun, much to the disappointment of Uncle Sam's Misguided Children denied the opportunity to polish massive brass things in their spare time.
 
By John of Argghhh! on November 27, 2005 12:00 PM
In your case, John, that's rather an understatement, ain't it?
 
By Martin Morehouse on November 27, 2005 10:20 PM
Would the Lange Morser be located at Camp Withycombe? That's where the Oregon Military Museum was, the last time I heard. They have quite a story about collecting exhibits, something about an overloaded 5/4 ton truck.
 
By Heartless Libertarian on November 28, 2005 12:04 AM
"Lange Morser?" There's a gun with my name on it? Crap, and I was just worried about a bullet with my name on it. And every time I see that big brass gun, I wonder who the poor bastard is who has to Brasso the thing...
 
By cw4billt on November 28, 2005 12:53 AM
Martin - Yup--go straight through the main gate of Camp Wythecombe or Withycombe or however they spell it and hang a left at the Sherman.
 
By John of Argghhh! on November 28, 2005 4:36 AM
Heh. Every time I see them, I grumble about removing the markings... two historic guns outside the Fort Sill Officer's Club are technically not historic anymore - they polished the markings to invisibility. But I understand. Colonels, Generals, First Sergeants and Sergeants Major simply can't stand the thought of brass not being shiny. That, or they bury it under thick, gooey coats of paint.
 
By CavDude on November 28, 2005 9:13 AM
What's stranger is that there are two more of the shiny Spanish guns (except they're not shiny) outside the main gate of the municipal stadium in Port Townsend, WA...
 
By cw4(ret)billt on November 28, 2005 11:16 AM
I guess the Olympia crew returned for 'em, then...
 
By Boquisucio on November 28, 2005 8:26 PM
Whaaat? NO CAPSQUARES!!!!! No Seņor. Gweee no nieed no stinkin CAP-ESQUARE SEŅOR.
 
By John of Argghhh! on November 28, 2005 9:32 PM
No capsquares is not unusual among the heavy guns, Boq. Had this discussion before with JTG...
 
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