Laughing Wolf

Saturday, May 26, 2007

Memorial Day Reposts:  2004 Pt. 2

Originally Published 30 May 2004

Memorial Day 2004

Today is the official day of memory, the day when we memorialize all those who fought to keep America free and safe, most especially those who died. We give ourselves the holiday tomorrow, but today is the day.

What I would like to do for this special day is tell part of the tale of eight brothers, of four in particular. Of the older four brothers, I know that my Uncle Sam fought in the First World War. Yes, I did have a real life Uncle Sam, a wonderful man who was good to me and may well have been the brightest of the eight. My Dad felt he was, and looked up to him, and I will not debate his wisdom this day. I believe Uncle Sam may have flown in that conflict, and I know that he walked away from aviation. That may or may not have something to do with being able to walk away from an event or events, but I am not sure. I think some of the remaining three older brothers may have served in the military, but again I am not sure.

I do know the youngest four served in WWII, and I know none of them lived to see the memorial dedicated.

My Uncle James was in the Army, and Dad occasionally teased him about being a supply sergeant (not his real rank). Dad and his older brother had a bit of competition and something I don’t know how to describe. They loved each other and stood up for each other, but there was a bit of rivalry there as well. Again, I don’t know as much about his service as I really should, especially given that James was one of the rare breed of Army types that served in the Pacific. He got needed supplies to the forward units, going forward to do so. I do know that he had one ship shot out from under him, and that he spent many days in the water. It was there that he picked up an algae that got into his lungs, and was with him until the day he died. That infection probably didn’t help his heart any, but there was nothing that could be done about it.

James narrowly missed having a second ship shot out from under him, when a kamikaze attack came in at the fleet. This was towards the end of the war, and Dad was on another ship nearby. After the battle, Dad asked James if he had seen the plane that was headed for his ship. Indeed he had, and James told Dad he had done his best to dig a foxhole in the deck, up until someone had shot the plane out of the sky. Dad just looked at him and said “You’re Welcome.” You see, my Dad was bodyguard and orderly to Admiral Spruance, and his battle station was often a quad 50 on top of one of the 16-inch gun turrets on the New Jersey. Dad had indeed seen the plane going at the supply ship his brother was on, and shot it out of the sky. Dad could pick on James, and James on Dad, but heavens help anyone else who ever tried.

My Uncle John was in the Pacific as well, but he was Army Air Corp. He was flying bombers, big bombers, and took part in many a raid on Japan. For those with knowledge of history, he flew of Tinian in the latter stages of the war, and was present when the atomic bombs came through. I don’t know very much about him at all, and have no memories of him that I can recall. He lived away from the rest of the family after the war, and he had a tendency to drink. How much the war did or did not play into that I do not know, but his drinking was such that Dad did not feel it wise for me to meet him. Word was that he did well in the war, but I wish I had known more than just a very rare voice on the phone.

John and Dad spent a lot of time and effort letting the family know that Dad was alive at one point. Admiral Spruance used both the Indianapolis and the New Jersey as flagships, and when it came time to take the Hiroshima bomb out, the Admiral and the high command decided on the Indianapolis to transport it, because it was one of the fastest ships in the fleet. When this came up, Dad was home on leave in Georgia, and found himself ordered to get to San Francisco in two days time. He almost made it, and almost got court martialed for not making it, but that is a story for another day. In all the confusion of unloading the bomb at Tinian, the Admiral’s detail was left on the Indianopolis, and were not retrieved until the ship was clearing the harbor. Dad and his small command went over the side on cargo nets onto the Admiral’s barge – and the Indianapolis went to the bottom a few hours later.

All the family knew was that Dad was on the Indianapolis, per those amazing orders, and they did apparently think him dead. Security being what it was, Dad and John could not say things directly, but wrote a LOT of letters with the date writ large and strong emphasis on “Cliff and I had lunch today” and “John and I had supper today” so that the family would know he was alive and okay. It was not the first time something like this was necessary, since in his first hitch in the Corps Dad was the sole survivor of his unit courtesy of a naval gunnery demonstration gone awry.

Uncle Foster was the baby brother to John, Cliff, and James. Like Johh (and Sam) he went into aviation, but Naval aviation was his calling. He flew bombing and torpedo missions against Japan, and had always joked to Dad that if anything happened to him and his crew, that it would probably be the result of his bad navigation. Foster loved Chinese food and apparently was quite interested in Chinese culture. Dad one time remarked when I was quite small, that I liked Chinese food and fried rice as much as had Foster. When I asked about this, he changed the subject and got real quiet for a while, and had some suspicious something get in his eye.

Of the four, Foster was the only one who did not make it home. It was one of the last raids on Japan before Hiroshima and Nagasaki. It was a raid on a well defended port, and his plane went in. Admiral Spruance found out, and had made arrangements for Dad to go talk to Foster’s commanding officer, but movement orders changed and all Dad could do as the ships sailed apart was talk with the man on the radio. Foster made it in and he and his crew apparently put their load in on target. Then or just afterwards, however, it appeared that the plane was struck hard, and that rounds had struck and killed Foster. They suspected this because the plane went into the drink at an angle that was common with a dead pilot slumped over the controls. None of his crew made it out, and it was unknown if they were killed when the plane was riddled, or when it hit. No bodies were ever recovered.

John made it home, went into sales, and apparently did fairly well at it. James made it back and went into politics, becoming tax commissioner for the county where he grew up. He also became National Commander of the American Legion, and during the stumping for that got zinged by Sam and Dad (don’t know if any other brothers were there, but John may have been). They got tired of long winded speechifying and got up and left to go to the bar. Sometime after this, James finally turned around to introduce – a group of empty chairs. He was unamused. Dad and Sam thought it was pretty good and noted that James shortened his speeches after that. The trick James used of drinking ginger ale, sometimes with just a dab of Coke added to make it darker, and acting like it was bourbon and branch while out politicking is one I have used myself. Dad, obviously, made it home too.

A few years ago, business took me to Hawai’i and I had the chance to do some of the standard tourist stuff. I also did one thing that is not too standard, I hired a taxi and went to The Punchbowl.

At first, the guardians there were shirty about the taxi, seems I was supposed to go rent an expensive car to go there, but after I explained what I was doing, and why, they relented. We dismounted the taxi sign off the top of the car, and were allowed on in. The driver took me to a point and waited, telling me not to worry about time or meter, this was something special. I climbed the steps, and I went in and through that place. I walked until I found

this, something concrete to which I could place my hand, something more solid than the memorial plaque in the family plot. Something to which I could link my heart and spirit, so that he and his sacrifice were made real to me in a way I had never known before.

There are pictures I have of John, James, Dad, and Foster. Each with family, friends, spouses, and such. There is one of Foster with his girlfriend (fiancé?), a woman about whom I would very much like to know more, much as I would love to know more about the men in his crew and their families. For I would know the Fosters, the Chances, and all the others who have given so much for so many. The inscription at the bottom of the picture sums it all up for me

Thank you Dad, James, John, Sam, and Foster for your service. Thank you Foster and thank you Foster’s crew, for laying so costly and wonderful sacrifice on the Altar of Freedom. Thank you all who gave your all, so that I and others have the opportunity and the responsibility to live free. May we be as unstinting in our efforts and our sacrifice as you were with yours. Thank you all. I remember you this day.

Go thou, gentle reader, and do likewise. Remember and honor them all.

Memorial Day Reposts:  2004 Pt. 1

Originally Published 26 May 2004

A Memorial Day Post You Must Read

Kleenex alert. Go read this post at Blackfive. To Blackfive, all I have to say is thank you for sharing that.

LW

Memorial Day Reposts:  Memorial Day 2003

Originally Posted 26 May 2003

Memorial Day
Today is not a day of shopping, of frivolous pursuits commercial or otherwise. It is not a day like any other, for today is the day we remember those who paid Freedom’s ultimate price.

We remember and we salute those who served, and those currently serving, in our Nation’s armed forces. For they serve to protect our freedoms from foreign threat. They walk in the dark places of the Earth, they dive deep, and they orbit overhead ever vigilant, ever ready often far from hearth and home.

This day, we must especially remember those who never made it home, back to family and friends. Freedom demands more than eternal vigilance, it demands sacrifice and for it to grow and thrive does indeed call for it to be nurtured with the life blood of patriots. To those patriots, in uniform and out, who gave of themselves so that others could indeed live, we salute you.

Far they fell
Through cold and heat
Silence and clamorous bell
In the end, all too neat
Gold stars on windows tell

Lest we forget the price that is paid so that you and I can speak freely, and live our lives as we think best, go you this day and remember those who also paid. Thank a family by Gold Star marked, for they gave dearly of all they had.

Friday, May 25, 2007

A Slander I Say!

I’ve haven’t been able to ignore all the stuff about Rosie, and noticed a slander that needs to be set right.  I refer to the custom of referring to it as Ro-Ro.  That is a slanderous insult to all the hard-working, productive, and needed roll-on roll-off container ships out there, who are much smaller and more useful than Rosie or her ego/lack-of-intellect.  That is all. 

LW

Friday, May 11, 2007

Does Anyone Know…

Of a high-protein, low-carb, low-fat, low/no cholesterol food/snack that doesn’t taste like dreck?  Just curious…

Thursday, May 10, 2007

Yes, I Am Alive

I even had a physical on Monday to prove it.  More than that, they conclusively proved that I do have a heart.  The good news is that my overall health is good, and that my blood pressure was the lowest it has been (I think) since I moved up here.  Still not at my upper target, but closer than it has been.  Only wrinkle was my cholesterol ratios, which have not budged despite previous efforts.  So, we are upping the exercise, modifying the diet a bit further, and going to see if it will budge without medicine.  Meantime, am slammed at work, at home, at Wolf Park, and with a special project.  More soon. 

LW

Thursday, April 19, 2007

Free Ice Cream vs. Wolf Park 35th

Work is busy, but even busier are all of us getting ready for the Wolf Park 35th anniversary and members weekend.  April 20 is Wolf Park Day in Indiana; a free-admission program Friday evening from 6-10 pm at the historic Lafayette Theatre; and, here is a PDF schedule of events for the weekend. 

NOTE:  This is a member’s only weekend, there is no general admission.  Memberships are not expensive and will get you in to a variety of interesting speakers, presentations, demonstrations, and activities.  You can buy one at the door, and come on into the Park. 

Oh, did I mention the charity auction???  Or that the free-admission event on Friday will feature live jazz as well as a howling contest, stories, and more?  Or that we are doing a special wolf-bison demo on Sunday?  Or that people can win a chance to ride in the truck for the wolf-bison demo, to take part in food prep for the wolves, or other special activities? 

That’s it for now, but there are tons of gravel, acres of mowing, and many other things to get done.  Hope to see you there.

LW

Friday, April 13, 2007

Penn & Teller Take On Gun Control

Just go watch it.  Thanks to Instapundit who found it via David Hardy who found it hosted at Washington Ceasefire. 

Wednesday, April 11, 2007

The Duke Non-Rape Case

There are many learned and well-done words out there, and I will not attempt to match them.  I will say that I am glad that this particular gross miscarriage of justice is exposed and dealt with.  There are many others out there that remain, and it is there where I think the blogosphere can be of great assistance.  For the more eyes that see, and the more light shown, the greater the cause of justice will be served. 

As for the two who have not graduated, and who have had Duke oh-so-magnanimously offer to let them return:  if it were me, I would tell Duke, it’s president, and the large part of its faculty where they could stick—sideways—their precious campus.  Craven and venal are two words that come to mind, along with a host of less pleasant and erudite phrases, for the administration and faculty there.  I do know this:  I will do everything in my power to insure that any of my blood or any for whom I have care or responsibility never set foot there for study or work. 

LW

Yeah, I’ve Been Quiet

Things are busy, and I have been under the weather for almost a week.  What should have been just a cold proved to be a bit more problematic, all the more so in that I was slow in realizing it.  If you are interested in the joys of allergies, read on.  Otherwise, hope to have more free ice cream soon. 

A joy of having allergies is the fact that the body can decide to react to things in very entertaining ways.  In this case, the cold I picked up seems to have triggered an allergic response.  It happens, and comes from the sinuses becoming hypersensitive.  The trigger can be a bad/strong allergen, it can be a mild allergen, or it could just be a simple air molecule that hits the wrong receptor at the wrong time.  The body then decides it is under attack and responds.  Once you realize what is going on, you have to break the cycle to get rid of the allergic response before you can truly begin to treat the cold (or whatever generates the situation).  Otherwise, the body puts almost all of its time, energy, and effort on maintaining the allergic response.  Such is very draining, in all senses of the word.  I was slow in realizing what was happening, so didn’t start to even try to break the cycle until Monday.  That appears to now be done, and I am left with simply trying to beat a regular cold to death.  Still tired, and will take a day or three to bounce back to full energy, but at least now the drain is stopped.  Times like this I miss Ru-Tuss, an atropine based anti-histamine tablet regretably no longer made even in generic form, that did not require giving my papers to the Gestapo, er, DEA as trying to get anything with an effected decongestant seems to require these days.  Right now, any candidate who came out and admitted the huge monetary, regulatory, and freedom cost (and abject failure of) of the so-called War On Drugs would get my attention and most likely my support. 

LW

The Unit:  Beslan Redux

I actually was up and caught The Unit last night.  I do enjoy the show, even with the Hollywood, but oft am not able to stay up for it.  Last night’s show revolved around a Beslan-type situation here in the US.  It is one of the scenarios that I fear, and am almost surprised has not happened yet.  That said, they did a good job with it, though they cleaned it up quite a bit.  The real Beslan had more killed at the start, and the scum that did it did not wait for paradise to sample young virgins.  While I understand why it was not done, I do wish that such shows would show more of the reality that faces us and not pretty it up.  As for those that planned and executed Beslan, I still hope they got buried upside down, rears towards Mecca, and liberally coated in lard…

LW

Thursday, April 05, 2007

The Republic Will Not Stand

Sorry for the lack of free ice cream, but work and life have taken a toll of that rarest of commodities—free time.  Overall, things are going well.  Some good things are afoot at work; some good—if time consuming—things are happening in private life; and, there has been some good news for a few friends that make life extremely bright and warm despite the weather outside. 

Yet, a good time last night was spoiled quite a bit by some commentary that reminds me why I think the Republic will fall—sooner rather than later.  Amidst an otherwise nice conversation, some commentary came up about the (alleged in my book) comic Colbert and his brave attack against the President a year or two ago.  The BDS that came forth was expected, and not a surprise.  What made me feel that my prediction of the fall within ten years was overly optimistic was the realization that none of the Americans at the gathering had even the vaguest concept of respecting the office of the President (or any other, for that matter) if they didn’t like the person holding it.  If that basic concept is indeed lost, then so too is the Republic.  At times like last night, I fear that the clash between the so-called progressives and the individual determinants will be soon and will not be peaceful; and, that in the process, the Great Experiment that is our Republic will fail.  My strongest hope in that regards is that something better can be built instead—but I am not optimistic this morning. 

Sorry, time to go spend some quality time with bright young people who not only believe in a better future, but work hard to make it a reality.  For in such lies the true hope for the future. 

LW

Sunday, March 25, 2007

It’s Never What You Expect…

I know that my working with wolves worries some who know me.  In fact, I think it scares the heck out of some relatives and perhaps a few others.  Yet, the first real attack I’ve had doing said work happened yesterday, and it wasn’t a wolf.  It seems I accidentally stepped into a romantic situation, and the female involved was not happy at all.  It seems she had two males entagled with her, so when I walked in and accidentally interrupted things, she struck at me. 

Female garter snakes are large (many times larger than the males), and can be quite pissy when interrupted in the snake equivalent of a menage au trois.  Thankfully I was wearing my wellies and there was no real damage.  In point of fact, snake porn was recorded and an image can be seen on today’s (Sunday) Wolf Park’s Photos of the Day. 

LW

Saturday, March 24, 2007

Book Review:  Hell’s Gate

The second book David gave me last summer was Hell’s Gate.  It also poses a most interesting question:  what happens when two civilizations, one founded on magic and the other founded on technology (and psi) encounter each other under the worst possible circumstances? 

This collaboration with Linda Evans looks at what does happen, and is simply outstanding.  It is richly textured, with outstanding characters and characterizations, imagery, and all the historical and realistic underpinnings that can take a novel to an even higher level.  It simply is one of the best fiction/action books I have read in some time, with elements of fantasy, science fiction, and historical fiction woven into a delightful tapestry that enthrals, entertains, and even teaches a bit.  The collaboration between David Weber and Linda Evans brings out the best in both, and works on a level I’ve not seen since Jane Lindskold collaborated with the late, great, Roger Zelazny. 

No more, for to get into why I like it so much would spoil.  Simply trust me and go read it, and while you are off doing that, I plan to read the next book in the series.

LW

Friday, March 23, 2007

Book Review:  Off Armageddon Reef

Crossposted at Blackfive. 

A joke of sorts:  How do you tell the difference between a Weber novel and a Ringo novel?  David kills off humanity in large cataclysmic events.  Ringo hunts them down and kills them individually. 

The basic concept of the joke is stolen (thanks David!), but is in some ways not far off the mark.  The question to my mind is who is the more devious about it and has the most fun with it…

That said, David Weber has outdone himself on that and other areas in Off Armageddon Reef.  The book in some ways goes back to some of the plot and underlying concepts in his Empire from the Ashes series.  Indeed, one will find enough similarities that it can cause concern; yet, those would be misplaced.  While part of the plot is very similar to the series, and many names and considerations are similar to the last book in particular, it is not simply a rehash.  Rather, many of the characters have similar names because of historic and philosophical issues and people that underlie the concepts. 

What has been done is the creation of a new universe and a new series that explores a variety of concepts in a new and novel fashion, from religious and military history to gender identity, from the rights of individuals to ways in which power is so often abused by those who find themselves with what appears to be absolute power.  By the end of the book, the major characters are fully fleshed and any concerns about rehash are out with the trash. 

The read is compelling, informative, and fun.  It is still in the bookstores as a hardcover, and I do recommend it—and not just for Weber fans.  As with most Weber books, though it is well grounded in history and philosophy, it also echos the events of today on a level that reminds me very much of the Honor series.  Go check it out.

LW
Who also says “Thanks David!  Sorry it took so long!!”

Content copyright C. Blake Powers and the individual authors. Comments become the property of C. Blake Powers and may be altered, edited, deleted, and used by C. Blake Powers or the individual authors without restriction or recompense.