Rusty Saber: History often has hidden details

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Regular Rusty readers know I'm a history buff. Serious historical studies interest me, as do little-known historical events. The latter leads to what may become a semi-regular feature: Rusty fractured history. It will become a feature unless this introductory column causes readers to rebel and try to string me up.|ret||ret||tab|

The June 6, 1944, D-Day invasion of World War II German-occupied Europe is arguably the greatest military operation in history, the magnitude of which boggles the mind. Considering the German defense, the so-called "impregnable front" along Hitler's Atlantic front, one wonders how the Allied invaders broke through. Huge concrete bunkers lined the coast, gigantic coastal guns were aimed at the sea and 300,000 German troops were lying in wait. Field Marshal Erwin Rommel, the German military hero, was in charge of defending the continent. In Time-Life's "The Second Front," photos of the defenses appeared to be, as the name implies, impregnable. Why the allied victory? Here comes Rusty fractured history: The Allies didn't know it, but their victory was guaranteed. The aforementioned book provides the key to victory. As a morale booster and as a reward for passing a rigorous inspection, Rommel distributed to off-duty German soldiers pay attention here 100 accordions. That's right, 100 accordions! On page 53, two soldiers are pictured playing accordions atop a camouflaged bunker! There you have it: The best reward and morale booster the Germans were able to come up with was to arm 100 soldiers with accordions. The rest of the troops apparently had to listen. How could an army be expected to put up much of fight after that? Now you know how the war was won. We have accordions to thank. |ret||ret||tab|

We all know Abraham Lincoln supposedly said in a speech: "You can fool all of the people some of the time; you can even fool some of the people all of the time; but you can't fool all of the people all of the time." The problem is there's no proof that he ever actually said it. It doesn't appear in any of his writings or in any known newspaper reports on Lincoln's speeches.|ret||ret||tab|

Warning, another Rusty fractured history is coming: An unknown (until now) Lincoln propensity was to speak before thinking when being interviewed by the press. In one such encounter, Lincoln was asked about his nickname, Honest Abe. The reporter asked: "Are you really honest, Abe?" Lincoln blithely answered: "No, but so what? I've been able to fool all of the people all of the time."|ret||ret||tab|

Well, Lincoln's spin doctors had to act fast to remove the president's foot from his mouth and get a spin to the newspapers before his goof could make it into print. They came up with the memorable and more politically correct statement about how many people can be fooled.|ret||ret||tab|

Sentenced to be hanged by the British, Nathan Hale said, "I only regret that I have but one life to give for my country." Trouble is, no one reported having heard him say it. Truth be told, the best we can come up with is a report from a newspaper article written months after the hanging, reporting that Hale, "made a sensible and spirited speech " Somewhere along the way, the memorable line became a part of history. Rusty fractured history to the rescue: when the British court sentenced Hale, he screeched at the top of his lungs "You'll never make this travesty stick! I will tie this up in appeals for years to come! When I win and am free, I will sue the knickers off you bunch of limeys for false arrest!" Before he could say anything else, the British took him out and hanged him.|ret||ret||tab|

We all know it was the plow and American farmers that turned the nation's heartland into the breadbasket for the world. We also know that John Deere's name was and is associated with plows and other farm implements. You probably don't know about Deere's failed plow wash business. His idea was to create a chain of plow washes similar to today's car washes. Although far ahead of its time, the venture failed. However, Deere's marketing slogan for the business lives on today and is often used as a threat, "I'll clean your plow for you!"|ret||ret||tab|

Rusty fractured history, indeed.|ret||ret||tab|

|bold_on|(Joe McAdoo is former chairman of the communication department at Drury University and a Springfield public relations consultant.)[[In-content Ad]]