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From The Mailbag

Two Cents Worth

Although Brig. Gen. John "Blackjack" Pershing has been credited for the event by history, it was actually US Army Col. Alexander Rodgers of the 6th Cavalry who, in 1911, who stopped an Islamic uprising in the Philippines by taking advantage of the theological taboo of the Muslims. Rodgers inaugurated the practice of burying all dead Islamic rebels in a common grave with the carcasses of slaughtered pigs. Islamic religion forbids Muslims to have contact with pork. The tactic Rodgers used on a regular basis was to bury the rebels he executed with pig entrails, which would prevent that Islamist from going to heaven.

Gen. John J. Pershing was in overall command of Rodger's garrison. There had been scores of Islamic terrorist attacks on the predominantly Catholic Filipino population which the Muslims were attempting to overthrow. Pershing ordered Rodgers to put an end to the killing. Rodgers caught 25 Islamic terrorists are ordered 24 of them to dig their own graves. The 25th was forced to watch. Rodger's troops brought in pigs and slaughtered them, rubbing their bullets with the blood and pig fat.

The terrorists, who had heard horror stories about American soldiers dipping their bullets in pigs' blood were about to experience their worst nightmare first hand. The terrorists were terrorized. They were going to be contaminated with pig blood. That meant they couldn't enter Heaven—even if they died as martyrs. Of course, that also meant there would not be 72 virgins waiting for them in hog heaven.

Rodgers ordered the 24—who were forced to dig the mass grave that would be their final resting place—shot. Their bodies were dumped into the mass grave. The 25th terrorist was forced to watch. The pig entrails were unceremoniously poured over the lifeless terrorist corpses. The witness was released and returned to the terrorist camp where he related to his Muslim cohorts what happened to his comrades. What Rodgers did brought an end to Islamic terrorism in the Philippines for the next 50 years. It should be clear to the world that only terrorism will shake the terrorist. If it was done today, what Rodgers did in 1911 would likely result in a court-martial. It just isn't politically-correct.