A completely different look at platooning
Posted by CarterHayes on Wednesday, May 23rd, 2007 at 1:30 pm
As I was cruising YouTube last week in an effort to distract myself from final exams, I came across the FSN story below.
I hadn't heard of this story at all last summer when the reunion was held at the Dome for Armed Forces Appreciation Day, and I'm wondering if any WGOM readers will be able to shed any more light on it for me. Was anyone in the Nation at the 2006 AFAD game? Does anyone remember hearing about the Twins Platoon back in 1967?
On 28 July 1967 the Twins stood at 36-34 (.514), seven games behind the AL-leading White Sox. The same day, 100+ members of the Twins Platoon took the oath of enlistment in a pre-game ceremony held at Metropolitan Stadium and the Dave Boswell pitched the Twins to a 3-2 win over the Boston Red Sox. The members of Twins Platoon likely didn't have the opportunity to see the '67 Twins finish one game back of Boston that year; basic training and rapid deployment to Vietnam was the order of the day.
I enlisted in the Marines during another Twins pennant race just over 35 years after the members of Twins Platoon. On 20 August 2002 I took the oath at Ft. Snelling with a handful of other Minnesota kids (I was the only Marine recruit); the same day the Twins stood at 75-52 (.591), leading the White Sox by 16.5 games. I was fortunate enough to stick around in Minnesota until the Twins' untimely exit from the ALCS.
A few months later, I was at boot camp in San Diego, learning to idolize the resolve of young men (many from the Twins Platoon) at places like Hue City, Khe Sanh, and Da Nang during the Tet Offensive. I'd like to say that things have changed in those 35+ years; I'm not sure that I can. The Twins are certainly still as exciting, but the present war seems to be turning evermore down the same road Vietnam was in 1967. Still, that's a conversation for another time and place.
The author, Christy Sauro Jr., has a website which includes part of the preface of the the book, but if you've read the book already or, better yet, actually know anyone who was in the Twins Platoon, I'd love to hear about it. A search for "Twins Platoon" Wikipedia doesn't net any results (although I was previously unaware there was a Dusty Kiehlmohr entry). I've put the book on my wish list, but if there is a WGOM reader out there who can give a little feedback to keep me going until payday rolls around, I'm in your debt.
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CH,
I don't have the answer, but know of a good source who may. Stew Thornley has written several books and articles on Minnesota baseball history. I don't have an email address for him, but perhaps another member of the Nation does. You could also try a Google search on his name. Hope this helps.
Is this the same guy, twayn?
That's him, I believe, I've never met Stew, just read a few of his articles.
Hi there.
I'm not sure if you are still interested in learning more about the Twins Platoon, but I can definitely help out in that department. . I know the author and members of the twins platoon because my uncle was Skip Schmidt (referred to in the video RE: Battle of Dai do). . . It's an amazing group of guys, the survivors have had quite a few obstacles to overcome even since returning and if you are interested in learning more, FSN is broadcasting a longer mini-doc about them starting tonight at 9:30 Central time but scheduled to air a few times this summer. Same producer, Trevor Fleck, but completely redone with new interviews, etc... My fiance is the guy who posted the first video on Youtube in the first place. . . The website (www.twinsplatoon.com) is kept up to date regularly - one of its functions to be a tool to attempt to find missing members of the Twins Platoon... There, you can find a forum to ask as many questions as you'd like and hear responses/answers from the marines themselves.... I hope you are able to check it out.