Regiment

The Redcoats are coming to Baltimore -- and City Council members of Irish descent are mounting a charge to block their arrival.The British army troops are part of "Royal Regiments on Parade," a program by 80-odd military musicians on a nationwide tour that includes a performance at the Baltimore Arena Dec. 8.Irish-American council members want the city to cancel a contract with the tour's promoter, contending that the performers are from units that have...

LONDON -- Will the Beefeaters quit the Tower of London? Who will be left to troop the colors? Will there always be an England if no one is left to change the guard at Buckingham Palace?Listening to this week's heated and heavy debate over plans to reduce Britain's armed forces by some 40,000 men, one might have thought that all the flash and glitter, all the tradition and glory accumulated over the years by British arms, was about to be thrown over as a consequence of the peace dividend flowing from the end of the Cold War.The most passionate opponents of the manpower cuts, both inside and outside the House of Commons where the debate was held over two days, were the more ancient regiments, especially the Scottish units, with long traditions and glorious martial histories.

Mark Matthews is mostly blind and hard of hearing, but the 103-year-old former Buffalo Soldier will not let anyone take his picture until he is certain his cavalry hat is on straight. He sits at attention, his chin jutting out, as a friend snaps away.Matthews, who served on the Mexican border in 1912 and in the Pacific during World War II, is to be inducted tonight into Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 160 on Dorsey Road in Glen Burnie. He is the last survivor of the regiments of black soldiers who patrolled the Old West.

The flag rests, tattered edges, deep stains and all, beneath a protective mesh cover and curious eyes. It's a peaceful change of pace for an artifact that, nearly 140 years ago, helped lead hundreds of pioneering Baltimore troops into battle in America's bloodiest war. Recently acquired by the Maryland Historical Society, the 5-by-5 1/2 -foot, handmade silk flag belonged to Baltimore's 4th Regiment, U.S. Colored Troops, one of the Union Army's first units...

Every year since World War II ended, veterans of the 79th Infantry Division have gathered on the last weekend of July to reminisce. Even more than a half-century later, the comradeship established during combat comes back to life."

The Cleveland Browns won the first All-America Football Conference title Dec. 22, 1946, but an incident the day before had a bigger impact on the team that would dominate professional football for the next 10 years.Coach Paul Brown found out that team captain Ed Daniell and two other players had been arrested and charged with disorderly conduct at 2:30 Saturday morning. Receiver Dante Lavelli still remembers what happened as the Browns gathered for their Saturday practice."He canned [Daniell]

On the third day of the Battle of Gettysburg, at Pickett's Charge, two Vermont regiments from Brig. Gen. George J. Stannard's 2nd Vermont Brigade helped break the charge. The 13th and 16th Vermont Infantry Regiments turned toward the exposed Confederate advance and dispensed point-blank fire into Maj. Gen. George E. Pickett's flank, according to George R. Stewart and his book, Pickett's Charge: A microhistory of the final attack at Gettysburg, July 3, 1863, published in 1959. "Now the long months of tedious close-order drill suddenly paid off for the Vermonters," wrote Stewart.

Mike Styczynski of River Hill picked up where he left off at the state cross country championships a few weeks ago, running a meet-record time in the 3,000 meters at the Pangaea International indoor track meet at the 5th Regiment Armory. Styczynski, the state 3A champion in cross country, stepped away from a stellar distance field with about a half-mile to go and churned to a 9: 13.4, just a tenth of a second ahead of the meet's previous best time of 9: 13.5, which was turned in six years ago. It was one of several excellent early season efforts by the hundreds of athletes representing 39 schools from throughout the state, plus a dozen exchange students from Russia being hosted by families from Anne Arundel County.

Col. Wendell W. Wichmann, a highly decorated career Army officer who fought in three wars, died May 22 of renal failure at Lorien Mays Chapel Health Center in Timonium. He was 96. Wendell Willard Wichmann, the son of farmers, was born and raised in Leonard, N.D., where he graduated in 1934 from Minot High School. After earning a bachelor's degree in 1939 from what is now North Dakota State University, he taught math for three years in Waubun, Minn. Because he had attended reserve officers training during his college days and held a reserve officer's commission, he was called to active duty in mid-1941 and sent to Camp Claiborne, La., where he was assigned to Company D, 164th Infantry Regiment.

After a run of 38 years, it's likely that the 5th Regiment Armory in the city will not be available for high school indoor track come December. And, perhaps, the sport is done in the century-old building for good. The Military Department (National Guard) of the State of Maryland announced a few months ago that a long-overdue resurfacing of the armory floor was planned at a cost of $600,000. It is expected to be finished by November. The new surface decided upon is quarry tile, which will last almost indefinitely, but is extremely hard and not conducive to indoor track meets.