This ain't Hell, but you can see it from here

Author: Hondo

  • Two More Are Home

    DPMO has announced the identification of one US MIA from World War II and another US MIA from the Korean War.

    • SSgt. Gerald V. Atkinson, 358th Bomb Squadron, 303rd Bomb Group, Eighth Air Force, US Army Air Forces was lost 10 April 1945 north of Berlin. He was accounted for 20 June 2014. SSgt. Atkinson will be buried with full military honors 16 August 2014 in Chattahoochee, FL.
    • MSG Lawrence O. Jock, A Battery, 955th Field Artillery, 8th US Army, was lost 14 July 1953 in North Korea. He was accounted for 25 June 2014 – appropriately, also the 64th anniversary of the beginning of the Korean War. MSG Jock will be buried with full military honors 1 August 2014 in Malone, NY.

    Welcome home, my elder brothers-in-arms.  Rest in peace.

    . . .

    Over 73,600 US personnel remain unaccounted for from World War II; over 7,890 US personnel remain unaccounted for from the Korean War; and over 1,640 remain unaccounted for in Southeast Asia (SEA).  Comparison of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) from recovered remains against mtDNA from a matrilineal descendant can assist in providing a positive ID for those recovered remains.

    Unfortunately, JPAC has recently reorganized their web site and no longer seems to provide by-name lists of the MIAs for whom there is a need for mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA).  So if you have a relative that is still MIA from World War II, Korea, or SEA – please consider reading this JPAC fact sheet to see if you qualify to submit a mtDNA sample.

    If you qualify to submit a mtDNA sample and have a relative from World War II, Korea, or SEA who is still MIA, please contact JPAC (there is an 866 number on the flier linked above) and see if they already have a mtDNA sample for your missing relative.  If not, please arrange to submit a sample. By submitting a mtDNA sample, you may be able to help identify US remains that have been recovered and repatriated but not yet positively identified.

    Everybody deserves a proper burial.  That’s especially true for those who gave their all while serving this nation.

  • America in an Hour

    Recently, I had a chance to listen to a collection of tunes that I’d not heard in a while. That collection was The Band’s 2000 Greatest Hits compilation CD.

    While listening, an idea finally “clicked” into place.   It’s something I think I realized subconsciously.   But it wasn’t until now that I could finally put it into words.

    The collection is a wonderful description of American life.

    Maybe add Arlo Guthrie’s City of New Orleans if you want a bit more background and/or the sense of things lost due to change.  But even without Guthrie, the set IMO explains much.

    No, it doesn’t cover everything. But it gives a pretty decent overview, IMO – even if heavily weighted towards rural and Southern.

    It’s worth a listen, especially if it’s been a while. So enjoy the links above if you like.

    Damn, those guys were good.

    . . .

    And before I forget:  happy 4th, all.

  • About Berghdal’s “Reintegration” . . . .

    Berghdal has lately been “out and about” as part of his “reintegration”. Well, I guess that’s . . . OK. Sorta. Maybe.

    Bergdahl has been back under US control for nearly a month now. An Army MG has been appointed to investigate his . . . well, let’s just say “unusual” disappearance in Afghanistan.

    So I wonder: how’s that investigation coming? I mean, there aren’t that many soldiers who were members of his unit and were at Berghdal’s location when he disappeared. So even if they’re out of the military, they’ve certainly been contacted by now – right?

    Um, well – not exactly . Seems no one has contacted them yet.

    For some reason, the terms “Tom Sawyer” and “fence” keep coming to mind. But maybe that’s just a coincidence.

  • A Slightly Late Appointment

    Doug Chase was a Vietnam vet.  Unfortunately, in 2011 he became seriously ill.

    He lived in the greater Boston metro area.  Originally, he was being seen by doctors  in Boston.  But the Bedford VAMC was closer, so he tried to move his care to that facility.

    That request was made in 2012.

    Two weeks ago, Chase got a notice from the VA telling him he could schedule an appointment with a primary care physician.  There was just one problem.

    Chase had died in August 2012 – nearly two years ago.

    It gets even better.  When Chase died, his wife applied for VA funeral benefits.  The application was denied – according to his wife, because he’d never been treated at a VA hospital.

    There’s more info at the link.  It’s worth reading – unless you’re having blood pressure or anger-management issues today.

    It’s not a resource problem at the VA, folks.  And it’s not a medical problem, either.

    It’s a priorities, culture, and management problem.

  • Sgt. Raphael Peralta, Revisited

    We’ve discussed Sgt. Rafael Peralta multiple times previously at TAH.  He was KIA in Fallujah, Iraq, in 2004.

    Peralta was initially recommended for the Medal of Honor by his chain-of-command.  That recommendation was ultimately downgraded to the Navy Cross.

    Stars and Stripes recently published an excellent overview of the controversy concerning Peralta’s Medal of Honor recommendation and how it was eventually downgraded to the Navy Cross.  If you’re not familiar with the story – or would just like to see a summary of the issue – the article appears worth the time.

    Rest in peace, Sgt. Peralta.  Regardless of the medal awarded posthumously, it’s clear you were a hero.

  • More “Global Warming” News

    While the northern hemisphere is approaching the height of summer, the southern hemisphere is approaching the depths of winter. Nothing new there.

    “Learned scientists” keep telling us that the planet is overheating – fast. They say that overheating is a threat to the world.

    So, someone please explain this to me.  Why has the average Antarctic ice coverage been observed to be generally increasing since satellite data has been available for same in 1979? If the planet is warming, shouldn’t we be seeing a decrease in Antarctic sea ice?

    And why do we see record Antarctic sea ice coverage today – a record which exceeds the previous measured maximum by more than 12.7%? And why is the global sea ice coverage worldwide today a bit more than 1 million sq km above historical average?

    Ya know, sometimes I swear I think that these “learned scientists” are smoking rope.  Or maybe eating “magic mushroom” pizza.

    But maybe not.  Perhaps they’re just ignoring hard data they don’t like. Or, maybe they’re just fudging data for fiscal for political reasons.

    After all: “global warming” is the cause célèbre du jure.  And nobody seems to be willing to fund anyone saying that the climate is cooling or staying roughly the same – or that we don’t have a clue as to what’s driving the climate in the first place.

  • Another Comes Home, While Another is Buried

    DPMO has announced the identification of another US MIA from World War II.

    Pfc. Randolph Allen, Company F, 2nd Battalion, 2nd Marine Division, USMC, was lost 20 November 1943 on Tarawa. He was accounted for 17 June 2014. He will be buried with full military honors 28 July 2014 in Arlington National Cemetery.

    Welcome home, my elder brother-in-arms. Rest in peace.

    Separately, DPMO has announced funeral arrangements for CPL Cletus R. Lies, who was lost 28 November 1950 near the Chosin Reservoir. CPL Lies will be buried 3 July 2014 in New Rockford, ND. The identification of CPL Lies’ remains was announced by DPMO in December, 2013, and was also previously noted here.

    . . .

    Over 73,600 US personnel remain unaccounted for from World War II; over 7,890 US personnel remain unaccounted for from the Korean War; and over 1,640 remain unaccounted for in Southeast Asia (SEA).  Comparison of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) from recovered remains against mtDNA from a matrilineal descendant can assist in providing a positive ID for those recovered remains.

    Unfortunately, JPAC has recently reorganized their web site and no longer seems to provide by-name lists of the MIAs for whom there is a need for mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA).  So if you have a relative that is still MIA from World War II, Korea, or SEA – please consider reading this JPAC fact sheet to see if you qualify to submit a mtDNA sample.

    If you qualify to submit a mtDNA sample and have a relative from World War II, Korea, or SEA who is still MIA, please contact JPAC (there is an 866 number on the flier linked above) and arrange to submit a sample. By submitting a mtDNA sample, you may be able to help identify US remains that have been recovered and repatriated but not yet positively identified.

    Everybody deserves a proper burial.  That’s especially true for those who gave their all while serving this nation.

  • I Wanna See the Environmental Impact Statement on THIS

    Talk about yer “stank-ass hippies”!  Provided without further comment.

    EPA deals with a stinky situation in Denver