Engineers

[Spanish Marshal]

Dear Colleagues:

Since 1805, today May 30th, in the Spanish Army, is the patron saint of the engineers/combat sappers .

Today I want to congratulate all my engineer comrades that are on duty,(in Irak, Afganisthan, Bosnia, Kosovo, etc); or that at some time in their life they have lived the Engineer. I also want to send a special greeting to all those old soldiers that have been engineers along the history.

   Felicidades a todos, Compañeros

     Spanish Marshal
     

[US Scout]

Bvt Lt Col Spanish Marshal,

I started my military career as an engineer but never realized there was a patron saint.  Thank you for letting us know that today is the Engineer's Day.

US Scout
GAF, Commanding

[Four-Eyed Buck]

My Dad was in the 19th Army Engineers in WW II. Served in N.Africa, Sicily, and Italy.........Buck

[St. George]

Engineers are 'blessed' with a couple of Patron Saints - Ferdinand III of Castile - for the Spanish Engineers - Saint Patrick and Saint Barbera for Military Engineers in a 'shared' way...

In fact - they even have a sacred hymn that I heard at the 'O Club' at Fort Leonard Wood, when I was learning a bit 'more' about demolitions.

As I remember it - the words go something like this:

'The Engineers have hairy ears,
They live in caves and ditches.

They...'

There's more - something to do with 'britches' and 'rocks' and 'hardiness'...

Vaya,

Scouts Out!

[Old Top]

St George,

As haveing one of  MOS that is engineers I think that I remember that "hymn" from Ft Leonard Wood.

Old Top

[Books OToole]

Saint Barbara is the patron saint of Artillerists.

I love the sound of artillery in the morning, It sounds like victory.

Michael "Books" Tatham
Capt. 5th Kansas Battery
Acting Arty. Commander, Dept. of Missouri

[St. George]

'And' Saint Barbara is 'shared' by Military Engineers and a whole host of others...

Her imprisonment led to her association with towers, then the construction and maintenance of them, then to their military uses - hence, Engineers.
The lightning that avenged her murder led to asking her protection against fire and lightning, and her patronage of firefighters, etc.
Her association with things military and with death that falls from the sky led to her patronage of all things related to Artillery, and her image graced powder magazines and arsenals for years.

Patronage:

against death by artillery; against explosions; against fire; against impenitence; against lightning; against mine collapse; against storms; ammunition magazines; ammunition workers; architects; armourers; Artillery; Artillerymen; boatmen; bomb technicians; brass workers; brewers; builders; carpenters; construction workers; dying people; explosives workers; fire; fire prevention; firefighters; fireworks; fireworks manufacturers; fortifications; founders; geologists; gravediggers; gunners; hatmakers; hatters; lightning; mariners; martyrs; masons; mathematicians; military engineers; milliners; miners; ordnance workers; prisoners; safety from storms; sailors; saltpetre workers; Santa Barbara, California; smelters; stone masons; stonecutters; storms; sudden death; Syria; tilers; Toa Alto, Puerto Rico; warehouses; watermen

St. Patrick - as the patron saint of engineers, is credited with fostering the development of arts and crafts and introducing the knowledge of the use of lime as mortar in Ireland.
He is also responsible for the initial construction of clay churches in Ireland in the 5th century A.D. Another of St. Patrick's achievements was teaching the Irish to build arches of lime mortar instead of dry masonry.
These beginnings of ceramic work developed into organized crafts, and that's how St. Patrick became the patron saint of ceramic engineers, as well.

King Saint Ferdinand III of Castile - is the patron saint of persons in authority (rulers, governors, magistrates, etc.)--a result of his wise appointments; the poor and prisoners (over whom such persons rule); engineers (a result of his technical military skills), and the Spanish army.


Vaya,

Scouts Out!