A thought from an old guy while having my morning coffee...When an old man dies, it is a whole library which burns.
(P.S...If you like an entry, feel free to leave a comment at the end of the article. If you don't like the entry, well, have a nice day.)
This past weekend, Pam and I were part of a group of volunteers who took 34 Veterans (WWII and Korean War Vets) and their caregivers to Washington DC to see their Memorials. It was a lot of work, but what a rewarding time it was. Each time I do this, I am whiped out for a couple of days, but it is a satisfied tired, if there is such a thing.
While we were gone, it rained a whole bunch around here. The pond came back up to spring levels (it had been down about 4 or 5 inches). There was standing water in the fields all around the place, but everything seemed OK here.
And then along came Tuesday. I got started early cutting the grass. It seemed to be about 4" tall and I had just cut it the previous Thursday. Anyway, when I got around to the back yard, I was cutting down by the pond when I saw "Walter" (a bass) lying out in the middle of the grass, about 6' from the bank. He had been dead for a while -- don't know if a critter got him or one of the hawks in the area. He could also have been exploring the new grassy areas where the high water would normally be and couldn't get back to the normal stuff.
In any event, we sure are going to miss him. Pam would often go down by the edge of the pond, and he would swim up to greet her. She would walk all around the perimeter and he would swim right along beside her. Everyone who ever fished here knew that was Pam's pet fish and if they happened to catch it, they were to take it off the hook and gently put it back in the water.
The last we had caught him was about 3 weeks ago. He weighed in at 4# and 22" long. It was always fun catching him, and he always gave you a good fight. Maybe he knew he would always be put back to fight another day. Anyway, he will be missed.
There are other bass in the pond probably just as big and just as capable of giving young fishermen a good battle. But this one was special -- he was "WALTER."
I don't think this was the last time Walter was caught, but Moriah had a good time reeling him in.
I was actually going through some of my old army stuff here in the war room, and came across these pictures. These were from a trip to Italy when I was a young captain. I am not sure if the whole thing was classified in any way, but I know the reason we were there was pretty important at the time.
Anyway, here are some of the pictures.
Believe it or not, when I was a young captain I actually did look like this. That was about 60# ago.
This is the train station by the airport at Milan. It would be fun to go back some day to see if much has changed.
When we landed in Italy, we really didn't know any of the language and relied on the old "point and guess" method to get from one place to another. It worked out pretty well and the people accommodated us pretty well.
One interesting thing I did remember was seeing this "sign" for a 2nd floor "recruiting station" just across from our hotel.
One of the places we "visited" was the American base at Pisa. After finishing our business, we were able to go see the Leaning Tower.
This was pretty cool, and all the guys had fun climbing the steps. One of our issues to think about was if we could get a radio antenna up there or up on the church roof next door. As flat as the ground was there, we would certainly have had a tremendous range on communications from there.
As we were heading back to the base, our driver asked us if we wanted to go to the beach. None of us had the proper attire for the beach, but he said that wouldn't matter. So off we went -- if only to stand in the sand and look around. Little did we know what kind of beach this was going to be.
The side nearest to us is the "American" side. Swimming suites required. The far side of the dividing wall (the side with all the umbrellas -- and they are there for a reason) was the "European" side. No swimming suites allowed -- in fact, pretty much no clothing at all allowed.
As you can see, it was pretty cold and windy there on the ocean. No customers on either side. One of the guys checked.
Then, we continued on with our "business" and came upon an old deserted collection of buildings. This was called the Mussolini School for Boys. You can Google this and find out more. It was quite a layout.
I have to say, this was quite a trip. I don't know what ever happened to our report, but we got to see some of the more historic sights this country had. I will look around for more of the pictures, because we visited the Port of Livorno, Rome, a number of airports and sea ports (to include Venice), and a number of old fortresses. We also spent time driving their roads. I'll keep looking and see if I can find anything else.
The experience I gained at age 21 would be useful if I were ever 21 again.
I know, I know ... we all know it's summer. In fact, it's now the 4th of July, long past the beginning of the grilling season, neighbor boys little league ball games, golf league, and 2-3 times per week mowing the grass. But since I was such a slug in keeping you informed on what has been going on around here, I thought I would fill you in.
The neighbor boys were over a week ago and did some fishing. Dylan got pretty lucky that evening -- catching one of the big bass in the pond. Carter caught bluegills like they were going out of style, and I believe Jarred caught a crappie. But it was Dylan who came away the big winner.
Dylan went home the big winner for this day, but the fish will have their day.
Later that same week, one of the neighbors went for a ride on an experimental "wing." The pilot is an Air Force full-time technician who lives a couple of miles from here, and the neighbor (Dave) has a Cessna 180 which he keeps in his hanger just down the road. He has a real nice grass strip which he uses all the time. Well, the "wing" came in one night and picked him up. What a beautiful night for flying. I bet that was fun. I'll have to try it some time.
We also welcomed back the hummingbirds. I really enjoy being out back on the deck when I hear them, buzzing like miniature buzz-bombs, darting here and there, chasing each other, or just sitting quietly on the feeders.
We also had some ducks stop by for a visit:
And one of the guys down the road took down his wheat this week. The field was across from our house -- Quinn would have loved to have been here to see it.
Doug would have had a hard time with all the pollen.
Summer is a great time to be here. I have sat out by the fire ring at least 6 times in the past two weeks. It is really nice watching the stars, listening to the fish jump, and the frogs croak. There's also a sense of comfort knowing these guys have my back, over in the cemetery behind the house.
There are 8 Civil War Vets buried out there.
When you can think of yesterday without regret and of tomorrow without fear, you are near contentment.
Each year, the amateur radio community (Ham Radio guys) has a thing called "Field Day." This is an opportunity for the clubs to go out and test their club's equipment by attempt to make as many "contacts" as possible around the country. These contacts can be by "Phone" (talking to another Ham over the radio waves) or by "CW" (the Ham abbreviation for Morse Code). These contacts are made over several different frequencies (15 meters, 20 meters, and 40 meters) because the "bands" (the frequencies) go in and out, depending on weather conditions and time of day.
The objective is to make sure Hams can still talk to other areas of the country should the need arise. In the event of an emergency, when cell towers won't work, land lines won't work and there are no other means of communicating, Ham radio guys are thrown into the mix as the only reliable means of civilian communications over long or short distances. In our case, we are a vital component in the EMA's disaster preparedness contingency planning, working closely with local law enforcement, hospitals and civil agencies.
So what does a "Field Day" look like? Well, check out the pictures below. This is a 24-hour contest that reveals some interesting things about equipment that we would have sworn worked last week!!! It goes like that some times... especially when we are finished with the contest and getting ready to go back to the "house."
One of the things I find myself doing everywhere is cooking.
Our station call for the contest was K8ZUK.
Sherm (KD8FZV) is shown working on the antenna for S.C.A.R.E.S. II.
Joe (KC6NLX) works on getting the equipment in S.C.A.R.E.S. I set up.
Eric (W8EJK) is working Morse Code in S.C.A.R.E.S. I.
Here are a couple of pictures of the gang working the net at night. Grant (N8KZL) on the left is the club president.
We have two communications vehicles, S.C.A.R.E.S. I & II. They are really decked out quite well for this kind of thing and have been used quite extensively in support of various events in Shelby County -- to include parades, and simulations and training events. However, when it comes to the end of the event, there are still some surprises for us, things that just add to our list of things to be prepared for.
Yep, we left the dash lights on in the truck all night and the battery was dead!! Notice the generator mounted on the front of the truck? Well, it has a battery on it. We used it and still had to use the car battery from Joe's Honda.
I used to take my troops to the field all the time, sometimes, according to my superiors, too many times in a year. I found that was the only way I knew for sure if something really worked. I could simulate all I wanted or test something a dozen times in the office, but that wasn't the same as taking it to the field. That really paid big dividends for the unit when they got to Cuba and Iraq and other places where the supply sergeant couldn't just go to Lowe's for a part when something broke down.
The trouble with using experience as a guide is that the final exam often comes first and then the lesson.(Author Unknown)
I know I have been in one of those non-productive writing slumps lately. Sorry.
Let me fill you in on our latest "Veterans to DC" Trip which was held May 20-22. What a great time we had...all 101 of us. There were 8 WWII Vets and 34 Korean War Vets on this our 5th Trip. It seems hard to believe we have done this 5 times already and at this writing are deeply into planning and preparing for Trip #6.
There were a couple of "glitches" in this one. We usually have the Saturday lunch on the Potomac River at the park just beyond the Jefferson Memorial. Well, there had been several days of rain (you remember this spring don't you?) and the tide was in while we were there so the park was closed due to flooded grounds. Well we had to find another place for lunch. Fortunately the bus driver (Larry) and I were both quite familiar with Washington so we quickly decided on the Mall area. We first tried to set up our lunch tables at the Sculpture Park and got run out of there by some local security guys. So we set up on the sidewalk and the Vets and their caregivers ate in the garden area between there and the Museum of Natural History. They were real champs -- we didn't hear any whining or complaining. They saw it as an adventure. Maybe some of the school groups that passed by could have learned ANOTHER lesson from these heroes.
We also had one lady get sick. She was suffering from a sinus infection and she thinks the heat just got to her. We took her back to the hotel and she got a nap and felt much better.
My favorite parts are the ceremonies and visits at the two Memorials -- the Korean War Veterans Memorial and the WWII Memorial. They guys do a great job there during the ceremonies...placing the wreaths and saluting their flag and their comrades durint the playing of Taps.
I had the opportunity to get a picture with some of the WWII guys.
This was quite an honor and I was really glad to be able to share some stories with them, listen to them beam about their service and watch them soak in all the honor that was shown to them. But, just like all the other Vets on all the other trips, whether WWII or Korean War, they continuously said they didn't do anything ... they just did their job and came home.
Well, this certainly was a good time. I am so glad we have such terrific volunteers on the trips. They make everything go so smoothly. There is something about 21 different people, from different walks of life coming together to be able to show so much respect to these heroes. That's the reason I keep doing it -- most of these people wouldn't get a second glance from most people passing them in Wal-Mart or Krogers. Just another "Old man" or "Old woman." But for this one weekend, they are royalty. Everything that isn't important in life is set aside for 72 hours so these people are treated well and shown respect and honor. At the dinner on Tuesday before the trip, they were just 101 strangers, not sure what to expect from each other, not sure if this is really what they wanted to do. On Sunday night when we got back, they were chattering together like they had known each other for their whole lives.
I hope we will have as much good fortune on Trip #6. I know we will discover some interesting things.
Old men's eyes are like old men's memories; they are strongest for things a long way off. (GEORGE ELIOT, Romola)
This past weekend was pretty good for us -- we took a quick weekend trip to NY to see Doug, Danika and Quinn. Gas was sitting at $3.69 when we left Anna, and the news was reporting that the NY prices were hovering around $4.39. Ah, what the heck. These little trips are always fun, and maybe we'll be responsible for reviving the economy. I got 22 mpg going over. Usually get 24, but the traffic that day was pretty heavy. Little did I know that I would drive into 30 mpg sustained winds all the way back to Ohio on Sunday. That was the day the big tornadoes hit the North Carolina area. Well, we only got 17 mpg going home. I have never driven in such heavy winds for such a long time (10 hour drive).
When we got to their apartment on Friday, we spent time helping Quinn paint his new model car. Kinda creative. We let it dry a while and then put the stickers on. He/we really had a good time doing this. He is SO particular in where he wants to put certain colors and stickers. He studied the box to see where they should go and then he told us where he would be putting them.
We went to the Coney Island Beach, but the winds were really blowing and it was really cold, so we drove back to the apartment and played some more with his car and his other toys. We also played a game of concentration, after Quinn read the directions.
On Saturday, we went to the NY Museum of Natural History to see a huge dinosaur exhibit. Very impressive. And how fortunate he is to be exposed to that kind of history and see those kinds of things. Doug and Danika take him to these exhibits, to the aquarium, to the other zoos and things, to the beach -- what a growth experience for a child. He soaks it up like a sponge.
Pam and I got to baby-sit for him (actually, he was in bed already) while D&D went out for dinner. We've wanted to do this, but living so far away (for now?) has prevented it. That's why these trips are special.
And of course, no visit would be complete without some wrestling on the floor.
What a bargain grandchildren are ... we give them our time, and they give us back a million dollars' worth of pleasurable memories.
After reading Parts 1 & 2 of this little series, I'm sure there are some (assuming I have more than a few readers) who probably think that unless you were way out in the sand somewhere at a remote base, you lived pretty well on your tours to Iraq. Well, unless you were living in the Green Zone, not really. Let me show you some of the other side of living there, the early days.
I arrived there shortly after the take-over of Baghdad and the main shooting ended in 2004. In fact, our defense posture was pretty high. We were living in what the Pentagon called "Expeditionary Force Levels." So as I show you a picture of my digs, you will get the idea. If you thought rank had it's own level of living, one higher than the troops, you would be wrong. Below is a picture of my tent, one which I shared with 17 other officers. They had wooden floors and were air conditioned, but that was the standard design for all the tents in all the bases. There was generally a communal shower tent located in the neighborhood -- I think the standard was 1 shower tent for every 20 sleeping tents. They would get pretty crowded at times, but since there were lots of shift workers, the load was eventually spread out over a day.
The ground all over this place was like solid concrete, covered with rocks and little stones. This made it pretty much impossible to walk anywhere around there unless you had your boots on. So if you had to go to the "can" during the night, you had to get dressed in order to walk there or to the shower.
One night, during the nightly mortar attack, one round hit a vehicle about three tents down from ours. If you hadn't been there to hear it, you wouldn't have believed it -- there was no mark on the ground. Other than the vehicle being damaged, and shrapnel holes in the tent (above the sand bags), you wouldn't have even known something happened. I do remember that one of the captains had his PT clothes hanging up inside the tent, and the shrapnel tore them up. He tried to turn them in to supply for a reissue, and the guy there wanted to charge him for it, saying that he thought the officer just tore them up.
The tents were all put in a kind of "tent park" and at times it actually didn't look all that bad.
Early on, the mess tents looked like a big circus tent. Later, they hooked up mobile homes, maybe three on each side of three down the middle where the food was prepared. The ones coming out from the cooking area were where the troops ate. They wanted them spread out a bit to lessen the chance of too many casualties in the event of a hit from a mortar. You may recall that one was actually hit and there were a number of deaths and injuries.
This was our first mess tent. Notice the AC units. They kinda kept the place cooler, but didn't do much to keep the sand out.
Things were pretty much this way for the first year. After that, they started to do more to make the living conditions better. The Army started to move in mobile homes and made 2-4 man trailers the standard. Each unit had its own shower facility which was shared by the men in the trailer. Eventually they were put into trailer parks and the tents were taken down. In fact, when I went back in 2005 on TDY, all the tents were gone. The mess facilities grew and became more comfortable. Internet cafes were built and PXs sprang up all over the place. They even got a Burger King and a couple of coffee shops. None of the Americans were allowed to drink alcohol in Theater, and the Aussies really gave us the business for having "non-alcoholic beer" in the coolers in the mess hall. I guess they didn't notice that none of that stuff ever left the fridge. Eventually they stopped putting it in there.
I could also tell things were changing from a Combat Theater to something else -- the CORPS issued an order that all the CSMs and SGMs would rotate standing guard at the sign-in at the chow halls. If a soldier was too dirty looking or, even worse, had been caught not washing his hands before coming in the mess hall, he was sent out without eating. This all changed when the bad guys resurfaced and we started taking more rounds, and mortars and started to learn about IEDs. Most of the chicken stuff stopped and people got back to soldiering.
They say a reasonable amount 'o fleas is good fer a dog - keeps him from broodin' over bein' a dog, mebbe.(Edward Westcott)
