Author: Zero Ponsdorf

A pal of ours offers this story via FB. Needs little amplification me thinks. Made me smile and tear up at the same time.

http://www.people.com/article/boy-tumor-tanks-fort-benning

 

About this time in 1965 I was on my way to the Gulf of Tonkin aboard the USS England DLG-22. I was an 18 year old E-4 “seeing the world” curtesy of Uncle Sam.

The England was a “Double-ended” missle ship with missle launchers (Terrier anti-aircraft) fore and aft, and the only guns we had were 3 inch anti-aircraft mounts roughly amidships although we did have several Ma-Deuce rail mounted machine guns during this cruise. We also usually operated with WWII tin-can with the usual 5 inch mounts.  It was our “shotgun” escort for some adventures over the next few months. We also did Plane Guard for various  carriers as well.

My memory being what it is the attached piece of paper does come in handy.  Add that I ran into a Navy carrier pilot from VN at the grocery store today here on Pine Island that stirred memories and you get to read this post.

During this trip we got fired on by shore batteries on occassion and we had to react to various threatening small craft, etc, but this isn’t intended to be exactly a “War Story”.  More like an old movie “flash back” that I get to post about – with documentation. (Grin)

And during later trips things were much the same, but by then it was just our job.

In the terrible and very real horror of events in Paris we have gained what might be Our “Call to Arms”.  Mind you there will be those using “Paris” in confusing, silly, and troubling ways.  It was still them horrible gun things that killed folks even if explosives were used here and there.

Curious fact is Islamist must simply bring us to a point that just stupifies our own left wing folks, not that any of either lot would admit it.

Somewhere there is a struggle taking place that must be both ugly and entertaining.  That is the only way I can picture it. Others may see what I cannot.

Our own left wing appears to readily include gays, anti-gun, and a variety of racial identities seems willing to include Islamists to further thier agendas. I don’t get it.

“Paris” and/or Europe in general have been blessed with the precursors that will – emphatically – be part of our future.

So, what can we do here?

We can save any potential bloodshed by simply embracing Islam sooner rather than later. Do be careful out there though. The Shia has a different view than the Sunni and they DO kill each other?

The old Boy Scout motto “Be Prepared” offers me simple solace.  Might even include guns?

Preface: I’ve been accused of being paranoid, even by shrinks, but that’s for another time. Also I’ve always wanted to be thought of as eccentric, but I am NOT a millionaire so just NUTS is what I get called.

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I think I’ve found my Presidential candidate folks. He has it all!

“The ‘doomsday’ weapon that could wipe out 90% of Americans: Eccentric tech millionaire and presidential candidate John McAfee says country is ‘ill prepared’ for electromagnetic attacks”

In case you don’t have the time or inclination to read the whole article I’ll offer one more quote to demonstrate his empathy for a cause most here feel strongly about:

“But if it is then surely weighing the possible deaths of 90% of our citizens due to cyber warfare against gun violence which causes fewer deaths per year than traffic accidents, seems that possibly our president is suffering an acid flashback rather than myself.”

Doesn’t that pique your interest?

Now, EMP weapons do constitute a very real threat. However, he might be exaggerating the fallout a bit.  Or maybe not? Mr McAfee make an almost cogent argument methinks. BUT he didn’t mentions aliens once in this piece so I kinda doubt his sincerity.

He does have one attribute that sets him apart from the field, and that alone makes him MY candidate if he shows up on my ballot next year.

He ain’t gonna be trying to court voters with clear half-truths and BS. He is what he is and that makes him MY candidate. A President that uses deception as readily as a thief or one that is “eccentric” but honestly eccentric? There it is.

 

 

Since nobody else has mentioned it I gotta wonder if there is a level of embarrassment involved?

West Point Pillow fight turns nasty.

WEST POINT, N.Y. — An annual freshman pillow fight at the U.S. Military Academy turned bloody this year when cadets swung pillowcases packed with hard objects, injuring 30 cadets, according to a newspaper report Saturday.

Two dozen cadets suffered concussions in the Aug. 20 bedding melee, though all have since returned to duty, West Point spokesman Lt. Col. Christopher Kasker told The New York Times for a story published Saturday.

I didn’t know about this annual event myself. It is apparently intended to “to build camaraderie after a grueling summer of training for the rigors of West Point“.

So I won’t dismiss a concussion as trivial, but this IS West point. In the new liberal Army I could see such an event as a celebration for “female” Ranger graduates and the like.

None of the sources readily found offer information about the genesis of this “annual event”.  Mind you – I’m not ready to make fun of our military traditions, but a Pillow Fight” to build camaraderie raises questions… fun questions.

I’ve been giggling here on Pine Island just waiting for for Jonn to post about this. I wonder what kind of event his Army offered after becoming Airborne qualified.  The mind boggles at the possibilities.

Weigh in if any of you ever used a pillow fight to build camaraderie?????

I rarely check in to FB, thus I missed this post yesterday on  the Lt General Hal Moore page.

 

 

 

 

I didn’t get there until January 1966 so Ia Drang was already history of a sort. From off-shore the battles were simply lights in the nighttime sky on occasion. That and listening to some aircrew member our chopper had picked up talking about where he’d been when he got shot down.

I’ve watched the movie as I suspect many here have. Some of us share the Vietnam Service Award, but the only memories we can actually share are those of coming home.

I could stretch this out, but with Jonn’s indulgence I’ll leave this fairly short.

History ignored has a funny way of repeating itself so reminders serve a purpose for those few who pay attention.

The capture effect is a real RF technical phenomenon – via Wiki: “The capture effect is defined as the complete suppression of the weaker signal at the receiver limiter (if it has one) where the weaker signal is not amplified, but attenuated. When both signals are nearly equal in strength, or are fading independently, the receiver may switch from one to the other and exhibit picket fencing.

I suspect that a reasoned case can be made that many (most?), humans exhibit the same sort of unintentional filtering.

One clear example would easily be the LGBT lot. They should be figuratively on the front lines when dealing with Islam. Perhaps I should be PC and have said RADICAL Islam, but as I understand it Islam has no/zero/nil room for gays at any level. Goats… shrug.

Younger Internet/Phone Junkies would also be targeted methinks.

My motive for bringing this up is simple. My muse has left me, or maybe just wandered off – I’m old. I used to be able to scan various news sources and find at least one thing that spurred a giggle or something interesting to me. Now all I get is some combination of annoyed and confused.

So the next time you think that some A’Hole is wrong, or full of s*it; Just remember The Capture Effect.

There… Don’t that make you feel better?