Veterans Day.

[Big Frank]

Remember military veterans of the United States Armed Forces, and of Commonwealth member states on Remembrance Day. Major hostilities of World War I were formally ended at the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month of 1918 when the Armistice with Germany went into effect.

[alfsauve]

Thank you, brothers, for your service.

[Diamondback]

From this 4-F who didn't get the chance to serve, thanks to all who did so honorably.

[Big Frank]

705th Maintenance Battalion, Fort Polk, LA, and 123rd Maintenance Battalion, Illesheim, Bavaria, Germany.

n 1962, Fort Polk began converting to both basic training and an advanced individual training (AIT) center. A small portion of Fort Polk is filled with dense, jungle-like vegetation, so this, along with Louisiana's heat, humidity and precipitation (similar to southeast Asia) helped commanders acclimatize new infantry soldiers in preparation for combat in Vietnam. This training area became known as Tigerland. For the next 12 years, more soldiers were shipped to Vietnam from Fort Polk than from any other American training base. For many, Fort Polk was the only stateside Army post they saw before assignment overseas. Many soldiers reported to basic training at Fort Polk and stayed on post for infantry training at Tigerland before being assigned to infantry line companies in Vietnam.

In October 1974, Fort Polk became the new home of the 5th Infantry Division (Mechanized), and basic training and AIT started being phased out. Fort Polk changed from a Continental Army Command (CONARC) post in July 1975 and became a Forces Command (FORSCOM) member. In the spring of 1976, the Infantry Training Center at Fort Polk closed its doors and ceased operations. The final chapter of the Vietnam War ended for Fort Polk.[5] The Combat Engineer Battalion of the 588th lived on North Fort Polk, Louisiana.

In 1993, the Joint Readiness Training Center moved from Fort Chaffee, Arkansas, to Fort Polk, and once again, the post was called on to prepare soldiers for conflict. Each year, JRTC typically conducts several rotations for units about to deploy. During the 1990s, Fort Polk based soldiers deployed to Haiti, Southwest Asia, Suriname, Panama, Bosnia, and other locations.

On 13 June 2023, Fort Polk was renamed to honor Sergeant William Henry Johnson (1892-1929), a World War I veteran from the New York National Guard unit known as the "Harlem Hellfighters". It was previously named for Leonidas Polk, a Confederate general. Johnson was one of the first Americans to receive the French "Croix de Guerre". He was posthumously awarded the Purple Heart, the Distinguished Service Cross, and the Medal of Honor. It was one of the U.S. Army installations named for Confederate soldiers recommended for renaming by the Congressional Naming Commission. On January 5, 2023, William A. LaPlante, the US under-secretary of defense for acquisition and sustainment (USD (A&S)), directed the full implementation of the recommendations of the Naming Commission, DoD-wide.

The 705th Maintenance Battalion became the 705th Support Battalion. Then the division was inactivated for the final time on 24 November 1992, and reflagged as the U.S. 2nd Armored Division as part of the post-Cold War drawdown of U.S. forces. The 2nd Armored Division moved from Fort Polk to Fort Hood in 1993, with the majority of the 5th Division's equipment.

On 10 June 2025, it was announced that the base name would be reverted back to Fort Polk and renamed in honor of four star Gen. James H. Polk (1911-1992), who, over his career from 1933 to 1971, earned the Army Distinguished Service Medal, Silver Star, and Bronze Star from the United States, and the Croix de Guerre and Legion of Honor from France, as well as several honors bestowed after his retirement, such as the German Badge of Honour of the Bundeswehr.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/5th_Infantry_Division_(United_States)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fort_Polk

Due to reorganization of support units in the early 1980's, the 123rd Maintenance Battalion was inactivated on 15 December 1984. On 1 May 1987, the battalion was reorganized, redesignated, and reactivated as the 123rd Main Support Battalion and in December 1990, deployed and served with distinction in support of the 1st Armored Division during Desert Storm. Upon return from Southwest Asia, the Battalion inactivated on 22 November 1991 at Monteith Barracks-Feurth, Germany. On 8 January 1992, the 123rd Main Support Battalion was again reactivated.

In June 2007, the 123rd Main Support Battalion was inactivated as part of the transformation of the 1st Armored Division to the US Army's modular force structure and the departure of the Division from Europe to the United States. It was intended to reorganized and redesignated as the 123rd Brigade Support Battalion, the organic support battalion as part of the Division's 4th Brigade Combat Team, but by 2010, the official website of the 1st Armored Division was still showing the Brigade's support battalion as the 121st Brigade Support Battalion.

In the late 2000s, the 1st Armored Division began transformation to the modular force structure. As a result, various assets previously held at division level were made organic to the newly reorganized and redesignated brigade combat teams. In addition, the divisions gained a fourth brigade combat team. As a result, the Division Support Command and its subordinate units were inactivated. The 123rd Main Support Battalion was inactivated in June 2007. The intent was to reorganize, redesignate, and reactivate the unit as the 123rd Brigade Support Battalion, the brigade support battalion of the 4th Brigade Combat Team, 1st Armored Division. However, as of 2010, the official website was still showing the 121st Brigade Support Battalion as the support battalion for the 4th Brigade Combat Team, indicating that the planned reflag had not occured.

In 2005, the Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) commission decided to move the 1st Armored Division to Fort Bliss, Texas no later than 2012. As part of then Army-wide transformation, several division units were deactivated or converted to other units. The division's colors were officially moved from Germany to Fort Bliss on 13 May 2011. On 25 June 2013, Army force restructuring plans were announced.

Illesheim, founded 1283 AD, is a municipality in the district of Neustadt (Aisch)-Bad Windsheim in Bavaria in Germany. It lies 6 kilometers west of Bad Windsheim. This small town adjoins the northwestern edge of the U.S. Army's Storck Barracks and the Illesheim AAF, a U.S. Army helicopter airfield. The airfield previously belonged to the Luftwaffe until its capture in 1945.

A document from 741 proves for the first time the existence of the town, then called Uuinidesheim. The name changed to "Windsheim" by linguistic development, meaning "the home of the wind". Bad Windsheim is a historic town in Bavaria, Germany with a population of more than 12,000. It lies in the district Neustadt an der Aisch-Bad Windsheim, west of Nuremberg. In the Holy Roman Empire, Windsheim held the rank of Imperial City (until 1802). Since 1810 Windsheim is part of Bavaria. In 1961, it became a spa town and has since been called "Bad Windsheim". Bad is the German word for bath, so spa towns have bad in the name. 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1st_Armored_Division_(United_States)

[Big Frank]

I went to Texas Roadhouse yesterday and picked up a voucher (from 11am-2pm) for a free entree at a later date until, 5/31/25. There were signs saying pull in here for your voucher, and people directing traffic into 2 lanes, and handing them out. It was easy to find because the military tuck parked in the lot nearest by the road. It was a model I wasn't familiar with. I believe it was one of the Family of Medium Tactical Vehicles (FMTV) that the army adopted in 1996. The marine corp adopted the Medium Tactical Vehicle Replacement (MTVR) 5 years later. I've never seen one of those anywhere. As the sergeant gave me a voucher I said it was a good looking truck, and that and we had a lot of Deuce and a Halfs when I was in the army. Then I took off without holding up the line. The new trucks look tough, and are because they're held together with Huck Bolts, which is a whole other topic.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Family_of_Medium_Tactical_Vehicles

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Medium_Tactical_Vehicle_Replacement

From there I went to Red Robbin, which I thought was farther east, but was slightly west, almost straight across the street. I had a free Tavern Burger and 2 orders of steak fries, with an Ocean Blue Patron Margarita. I asked my waitress what the blue stuff was and she said Blue Curaçao. That's all it took to talk me into it.   It's made with Silver Patrón Tequila, Cointreau, pineapple juice, coconut, agave and lime juice topped with a float of Blue Curaçao. It tasted more like a piña colada than a margarita, which would be okay if you liked piña coladas and not margaritas. It didn't have the pineapple garnish shown in the picture, it was more white on the bottom, not yellow, and the Curaçao was only swirled in a little which made it look better IMO. If I read the menu first I would have chosen something better, like a Tropical Mai Tai, Sand In Your Shorts, Long Island Iced Tea, or Old Fashioned. Now I know those are all available and won't make the same mistake again. I already signed up for rewards and can get a FREE appetizer with a $10 purchase by 12/04/2025.

I didn't know it but there's a 5 Guys directly across the street, sandwiched in between a Potbelly Sandwich shop and T-Mobile experience shop, right next to Texas Roadhouse. I'll have to try 5 Guys someday. I never heard of Potbelly and I'm curious about it too. After I ate at Red Robin I went to Freakin Unbelievable Burgers and got $6.99 off a meal to go. I got a Deep Fried Pickle Burger with 2 patties of single source Angus beef, Deep Fried Pickles, Alabama White Sauce, Cheddar, Red Onion, Lettuce and Tomato. And a side of Freakin’ Fries, and a Pumpkin Cheesecake Blast. On the way home, I stopped at Great Clips and got a voucher for a free haircut, god until December 5th. I just wasn't ready to get my hair cut Tuesday. By the time I got around to eating the cheesecake blast it was a shake with pieces of cheesecake in it, but it was still good. The burger sat in the fridge over 12 hours before I warmed it up, and was still as about good as the Red Robin single burger was fresh.

One thing you lean in the military is; Never turn down an opportunity to eat, sleep or use the bathroom. You never know when you'll get another chance. And if you can get a free meal, that's even better. Certainly better than the army sticking you out in the woods and forgetting about you for a few days before they feed you. After I was married I knew I had to change that saying a little. Never turn down an opportunity to eat, sleep, use the bathroom or have sex. You never know when you'll get another chance.

[Sponsor]

[Big Frank]

I didn't want to start a new thread just for this, but maybe I should have. Instead of welding the new army trucks together, they're bolted and Huck Bolted together. It's faster, safer, simpler, and more cost-effective than welding. Really cool technology from Howmet Aerospace. This would be great for building metal bridges, instead of bolting or welding them together.

https://www.hfsindustrial.com/us/huck



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BnKCDXYCjX8


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1EWy4efQOAk


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N7SEzgkcAN4


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-kIIQSVEVhk

[Rastus]

Interesting.  I knew about the issues with torque and bolts.  Equipment designers will take this into account.  And that's why you have to torque nuts sequentially to try to even it out.  Now initially a single bolt may carry a substantially higher load but over time the bolt, unless severely over tightened, will relax a bit and other bolts will begin to share additional load. 

Welding isn't dangerous.  Welding is hazardous but those hazards are easily addressed in most situations.  For things that spend a lifetime not being disassembled and reassembled throughout their useful life it's going to be hard to replace welding as being cheaper and more durable for an entire life cycle but where bolts make sense it may be a good option.

I like the Huck thing but in applications where you regularly and routinely need to break and remake bolt fasteners I definitely prefer the current designs that take the torque makeup and overall fastening into account.  I can see it now....1/2 the bolts being eliminated in a car with Huck fasteners guarantees expensive maintenance in the future because dealerships will charge more for it.  And if you want to do it at home....home ownership of the equipment to Huck and the replacement of everyday "inexpensive" torque wrenches will cost a lot of money.  I noticed the quick take on installation...it looked like they used hydraulics to power their tool.  So they need a lot of force (which hydraulics provides) to power the tool which is OK but pneumatics at very high pressures is way hazardous and to mitigate that will require larger heavier tools to used lower pressure pneumatic systems  Maybe electrical will work too but I didn't see any of those tools.

[Big Frank]

Huck has hydraulic, pneumatic, and cordless electric tools to do the job. And it's more to replace welding and other permanent fastening methods, not things things that need to be unbolted. Like truck frames, for example. The Huck Range Force pairs industry-leading performance with superior reliability. Huck's latest advancement in battery-powered installation tooling is the only battery tool on the market with electronically adjustable pull force for installation of pintail-less lockbolts.

https://www.hfsindustrial.com/us/battery.html

[Diamondback]

Can't speak to there, but the Potbelly near Boeing Renton makes good sandwiches. Unfortunately, that's the only one in the area and getting there from where I am is an "all day and overnight in a hotel" excursion when you don't drive.

[Big Frank]

Like most things around Flint, Potbelly isn't far from my house. Only 2 1/2 miles. That's the good thing about living on the west side of Flint. The majority of new businesses I'm aware in the county open in Flint twp, which is only a mile away. Most of the city is residential, industrial, or someplace you wouldn't want to open a business, but the township still has opportunities. I just checked the menu and the sandwiches sound good. Soups, salads, and shakes, too.