Spring 2015 Newsletter

Transcription

Spring 2015
March 21, 2015
USS BRISTOL DD 857
VETERANS ASSOCIATION
PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE
In This Issue:
Shipmates:
The Wall…………………Page 1
Boy, this has been some winter, especially here in Northeast
Pennsylvania…One for the record books.
I bet everyone has
stories that we can share at the reunion.
Phrases We Use………..Page 2
Nine Crucial Tips May Save
Your Life…………………Page 3
Bob Lang Remembers..Page 4
Bristol Photos………….Page 5
Diesel Boats Forever….Page 6
As per our organizational meeting in Branson, it was voted on to
go to Baltimore, Maryland for our 18th reunion.
We will be staying at the Holiday Inn – Inner Harbor, 301 W.
Lombard Street in downtown Baltimore 21201. As noted in our
previous newsletter, the dates will be Monday through Thursday,
October 19th 20th, 21st and 22nd.
More information will be
forthcoming as soon as The Reunion Brat sends us the tour
information that they are working on.
US Navy Diesel-Electric
Submarines…………….Page 6
Paul Ratcliffe
A Different Christmas
Poem……………………Page 8
The Wall Contributed by
This certainly ranks up there
with the greatest stories ever
told or flights ever
made……………………Page 9
A little history most people will
never know.
1956. His name is listed on the Wall
with that of his son, Marine Corps
Lance Cpl. Richard B. Fitzgibbon
III, who was killed
on Sept. 7, 1965.
Interesting Veterans Statistics off
the Vietnam Memorial Wall.
There are three sets of fathers and
sons on the Wall.
Snippets……………….Page 11
There are 58,267 names now
listed on that polished black
wall, including those added in
2010.
39,996 on the Wall were just 22 or
younger.
The names are arranged in the
order in which they were taken
from us by date and within each
date the names are alphabetized.
It is hard to believe it is 57 years
since the first-casualty.
The largest age group, 33,103 were
18 years old.
12 soldiers on the Wall were 17
years old.
Crabby Old Woman…Page 12
Mysterious Vietnam War
Memorial………………Page 12
Chaplain Captain Kapuan
Medal of Honor………Page 13
Signs…………………..Page 15
Humor in Uniform……Page 16
Charlie Weaver
The first known casualty was
Richard B. Fitzgibbon, of North
Weymouth, Mass. Listed by the
U.S. Department of Defense as
having been killed on June 8,
Editor: Ed Lynch [email protected]
8,283 were just 19 years old.
5 soldiers on the Wall were 16 years
old.
One soldier, PFC Dan Bullock was
15 years old.
997 soldiers were killed on their
first day in Vietnam ..
1
Spring 2015
1,448 soldiers were killed on their
last day in Vietnam ..
31 sets of brothers are on the Wall.
Thirty one sets of parents lost two of
their sons.
54 soldiers attended Thomas Edison
High School in Philadelphia . I
wonder why so many from one
school.
8 Women are on the Wall, Nursing
the wounded.
244 soldiers were awarded the
Medal of Honor during the Vietnam
War; 153 of them are on the Wall.
Beallsville, Ohio with a population
of 475 lost 6 of her sons.
West Virginia had the highest
casualty rate per capita in the nation.
There are 711 West Virginians on
the Wall.
The Marines of Morenci: They led
some of the scrappiest high school
football and basketball teams that
the little Arizona copper town of
Morenci (pop. 5,058) had ever
known and cheered. They enjoyed
roaring beer busts. In quieter
moments, they rode horses along the
Coronado Trail, stalked deer in the
Apache National Forest . And in the
patriotic camaraderie typical of
Morenci's mining families, the nine
graduates of Morenci High enlisted
as a group in the Marine Corps.
Their service began on
Independence Day, 1966. Only 3
returned home.
The Buddies of Midvale: LeRoy
Tafoya, Jimmy Martinez, Tom
Gonzales were all boyhood friends
and lived on three consecutive
streets in Midvale, Utah on Fifth,
Sixth and Seventh avenues. They
lived only a few yards apart. They
played ball at the adjacent sandlot
ball field. And they all went to
Vietnam. In a span of 16 dark days
in late 1967, all three would be
killed. LeRoy was killed on
Wednesday, Nov. 22, the fourth
March 21, 2015
anniversary of John F. Kennedy's
assassination. Jimmy died less than
24 hours later on Thanksgiving Day.
Tom was shot dead assaulting the
enemy on Dec. 7, Pearl Harbor
Remembrance Day.
The most casualty deaths for a
single day was on January 31, 1968
~ 245 deaths.
The most casualty deaths for a
single month was May 1968 - 2,415
casualties were incurred.
……………………………………
We use these words and
phrases every day! But do
you know how they came
into being? Contributed by Paul
Tamburella
A SHOT OF WHISKEY:
In the old west a .45 cartridge for a
six-gun cost 12 cents, so did a glass
of whiskey. If a cowhand was low
on cash he would often give the
bartender a cartridge in exchange for
a drink. This became known as a
"shot" of whiskey.
THE WHOLE NINE YARDS:
American fighter planes in WW2
had machine guns that were fed by a
belt of cartridges. The average plane
held belts that were 27 feet (9 yards)
long. If the pilot used up all his
ammo he was said to have given it
the whole nine yards.
BUYING THE FARM:
This is synonymous with dying.
During WW1 soldiers were given
life insurance policies worth $5,000.
This was about the price of an
average farm so if you died you
'bought the farm' for your survivors.
IRON CLAD CONTRACT:
This came about from the ironclad
ships of the Civil War. It meant
something so strong it could not be
broken.
COBWEB:
The Old English word for 'spider'
was "cob".
PASSING THE BUCK/THE BUCK
STOPS HERE:
Most men in the early west carried a
jack knife made by the Buck knife
company. When playing poker it as
common to place one of these Buck
knives in front of the dealer so that everyone
knew who he was. When it was time
for a new dealer, the deck of cards
and the knife were given to the new
dealer. If this person didn't want to
deal he would 'pass the buck' to the
next player. If that player accepted
then 'the buck stopped there'.
RIFF RAFF: The Mississippi River
was the main way of traveling from
north to south. Riverboats carried
passengers and freight but they were
expensive so most people used rafts.
Everything had the right of way
over rafts which were considered
cheap. The steering oar on the rafts
was called a "riff" and this
transposed into riff-raff, meaning
low class.
SHIP STATE ROOMS: Traveling
by steamboat was considered the
height of comfort. Passenger cabins on the boats were not
numbered. Instead they were named
after states. To this day cabins on
ships are called staterooms.
SLEEP TIGHT: Early beds were
made with a wooden frame. Ropes
were tied across the frame in a crisscross pattern. A straw mattress was
then put on top of the ropes. Over
time the ropes stretched, causing the
bed to sag. The owner would then
tighten the ropes to get a better
night's sleep.
SHOWBOAT: These were floating
theaters built on a barge that was
pushed by a steamboat. These
played small town along the
Mississippi River. Unlike the boat
shown in the movie "Showboat"
these did not have an engine. They
were gaudy and attention grabbing
which is why we say someone who
is being the life of the party is
'showboating'.
2
Spring 2015
OVER A BARREL: In the days
before CPR, a drowning victim
would be placed face down over a
barrel and the barrel would be rolled
back and forth in a effort to empty
the lungs of water. It was rarely
effective. If you are over a barrel
you are in deep trouble.
……………………………………
9 Crucial Tips Written By A
Cop. This Might Save
Someone's Life.
Everyone should take
5 minutes to read this.
It may save your life
or a loved one's life.
In daylight hours,
refresh yourself of
these things to do in
an emergency
situation... This is for
you, and for you to
share with your wife,
your children, &
everyone you know.
After reading these 9
crucial tips, forward
them to someone you
care about. It never hurts to be
careful in this crazy world we live
in.
1. Tip from Tae Kwon Do: The
elbow is the strongest point on your
body. If you are close enough to use
it, do!
2. Learned this from a tourist guide
in New Orleans. If a robber asks for
your wallet and/or purse, DO NOT
HAND IT TO HIM. Toss it away
from you....chances are that he is
more interested in your wallet and/
or purse than you, and he will go for
the wallet/purse. RUN LIKE MAD
IN THE OTHER DIRECTION!
3. If you are ever thrown into the
trunk of a car, kick out the back tail
lights and stick your arm out the
hole and start waving like crazy. The
driver won't see you, but everybody
else will. This has saved lives.
4. Women have a tendency to get
into their cars after shopping, eating,
working, etc., and just sit (doing
their checkbook, or making a list,
etc. DON'T DO THIS!) The
March 21, 2015
predator will be watching you, and
this is the perfect opportunity for
him to get in on the passenger side,
put a gun to your head, and tell you
where to go. AS SOON AS YOU
GET INTO YOUR CAR, LOCK
THE DOORS AND LEAVE.
a. If someone is in the car with a
gun to your head DO NOT DRIVE
OFF, repeat: DO NOT DRIVE
OFF! Instead gun the engine and
speed into anything, wrecking the
car. Your Air Bag will save you. If
the person is in the back seat they
will get the worst of it. As soon as
the car crashes bail out and run. It is
better than having them find your
body in a remote location.
5. A few notes about getting into
your car in a parking lot, or parking
garage:
a. Be aware: look around you, look
into your car, at the passenger side
floor, and in the back seat.
b. If you are parked next to a big
van, enter your car from the
passenger door. Most serial killers
attack their victims by pulling them
into their vans while the women are
attempting to get into their cars.
c. Look at the car parked on the
driver's side of your vehicle, and the
passenger side. If a male is sitting
alone in the seat nearest your car,
you may want to walk back into the
mall, or work, and get a guard/
policeman to walk you back out.
IT IS ALWAYS BETTER TO BE
SAFE THAN SORRY. (And better
paranoid than dead.)
6. ALWAYS take the elevator
instead of the stairs. (Stairwells are
horrible places to be alone and the
perfect crime spot. This is especially
true at NIGHT!)
7. If the predator has a gun and you
are not under his control, ALWAYS
RUN! The predator will only hit you
(a running target) 4 in 100 times;
And even then, it most likely WILL
NOT be a vital organ. RUN,
Preferably in a zig-zag pattern!
8. As women, we are always trying
to be sympathetic:
STOP. It may get you
raped, or killed. Ted
Bundy, the serial
killer, was a goodlooking, welleducated man, who
ALWAYS played on
the sympathies of
unsuspecting women.
He walked with a
cane, or a limp, and
often asked "for help"
into his vehicle or
with his vehicle,
which is when he
abducted his next
victim.
9. Another Safety Point: Someone
just told me that her friend heard a
crying baby on her porch the night
before last, and she called the police
because it was late and she thought
it was weird. The police told her
"Whatever you do, DO NOT open
the door."
The lady then said that it sounded
like the baby had crawled near a
window, and she was worried that it
would crawl to the street and get run
over. The policeman said, "We
already have a unit on the way,
whatever you do, DO NOT open the
door." He told her that they think a
serial killer has a baby's cry
recorded and uses it to coax women
out of their homes thinking that
someone dropped off a baby. He
said they have not verified it, but
have had several calls by women
saying that they hear baby's cries
outside their doors when they're
home alone at night.
………………………………. 3
Spring 2015
March 21, 2015
Bob Lang Remembers
The Jeep
I'm guessing it was late
Spring, 1946, when we
sailed to the Mid-East for
the first time after coming
back from the Pacific and
joined the Atlantic Fleet. I
figured it was the Officers
who decided to take a jeep
with us. So, one was hoisted
aboard by crane and lashed
to the fantail. Now, my
thinking was no one gave
any thought as to how this
jeep was going to get ashore.
Two of the signalmen agreed with
my thinking.
The first night out we ran into 30-35
ft. waves, with the ship pitching and
rolling with them. Along with this
action several depth charges came
out of the port-side rack and were
rolling all over the fantail. The
Captain ordered those loose depth
charges to be retrieved. I was sitting
on the port flag bag with
the signalmen and watching the
guys from my division trying to get
them back into the rack. The
Captain came back to where we
were, and stated " I sure hope they
are able to get those charges back
to where they belong ". As he started
to walk forward, the forward fire
room lifted safeties, and you know
what that sounds like. The Captain
was so startled he looked like he
went 4 ft. into the air. That explosive
sound probably made him believe he
lost half of his ship. We laughed like
crazy at his reaction. Soon, he
realized what had made the sound.
About one half hour later all
charges were back in the rack.
The country we headed to was Italy
and the port was Naples. I remember
the saying (See Naples and die).
When we were entering, all we
could see was hundreds of various
sizes of ships and boats that were
sunk, and their masts protruding out
of the water. Even the "NeptunisRex was sunk to the second deck
level. It could not sink any further,
depth of the water was too shallow.
My thought to the saying was (Sure,
the sight of it would kill you). We
tied up to a destroyer tender.
After that we headed to the Bay of
Alexandroupolis where we were
involved in the presentation of 4
WW II submarines to Greece. ( I
will describe what happened there in
a later story)
As I remember, the next port of call
was Trieste, Yuogaslavia. There we
tied up to a dock. I will describe in
detail to explain what happens. The
sides of this dock were ringed with
bollards interposed in a wood block
1&1/2 ft. high, and 2 ft. wide. This
played an important role in the
incident. Now the bright idea of how
to get the jeep ashore. At this time
the deck was level with the top of
the blocks described. The deck crew
obtained two long boards from
damage control. They took down the
netting forward of the port rack,
placed the boards to equal the width
of the jeep tires. They planned to
slowly move the jeep on the boards
towards the dock. Now, here is
when it really gets crazy. From the
fantail to the dock there is about 5 ft.
over the water, due to the screw
guards. I don't recall who drove the
jeep, but he sure had the good sense
to put it into 4W. He started out
slowly but as the boards started
to bend and slide as he got about 2
ft. from the dock with the front
wheels, I believe he suspected there
soon would be no support
under the wheels. So he
furiously gunned it as fast
as he could. What happened
next is absolutely
unbelievable. The board
under the left wheels shot
across the fantail like a
torpedo. Fortunately the
board under the right
wheels, although slipping,
didn't shoot out, but came
very close to not resting on
the dock. That front right
tire spinning so fast caught
the top of the block just as
the board slipped out lifting
the jeep and propelling it
over the block, almost in mid-air. At
that same time, for a split second the
left front wheel was spinning in
mid-air, but finally it also caught the
block. Next, we don't know how the
driver prevented the jeep, going fast,
from bouncing over the block on the
other side of the dock and plunging
into the water, but he did.
We had all believed that the jeep
was surely going to end upside
down going into the water. In order
to explain a comparison, I remember
an old "Roadrunner cartoon" where
he ran past the edge of a cliff, but
instead of falling, his feet spinning
so fast, managed to get back on the
cliff. I'm not sure how they got the
jeep back on board, because when
we returned to the ship the tide
had changed and we noticed a 7 ft.
drop in the level. Even the gangway
was steep.
In conclusion, if that block with the
sharp edge had not been there the
jeep would have been in the water.
I hope you enjoy this story written
as I had remembered it from many
years ago. I don't believe there is
any record of it, because it would
have made the 2nd division deck
crew look very bad if that jeep had
ended in the water.
After that incident everybody on the
fantail was laughing so hard it
brought tears to their eyes. It was
really very funny, almost like the
cartoon I described.
4
Spring 2015
USS Bristol Operating
with USS America CVA66
During America’s
Shakedown 1965
Bristol coming along port side for
refueling operation.
Remember
when America said “Blow back
complete.” Well it wasn’t and when
the forward starboard side refueling
coupling disengaged, a couple of
hundred gallons of #6 navy special
fuel oil washed down our starboard
side. I watched this all happening
on the bridge while holding a
plexiglass board for the OOD
showing: Course, Speed, Distance
from fueling vessel. I just had to
plug all that info in with a grease
pencil.
Here’s a photo of the high line
operation as viewed from the hangar
deck of America.
March 21, 2015
Photo above shows Bristol being
viewed from starboard side of
hangar deck.
Below Bristol pulls away from
America after refueling from port
side aft (their blind side). Captain
Butler wanted to show those fly
boys how fast a tin can can go. We
did manage to break a lot of light
bulbs.
Here’s an UNREP evolution with a
“reefer”.
A couple of photos of the Great
Lakes Cruise Jul - Aug 1965.
Photo below shows us in Welland
Canal, St Lawrence Seaway
Here s “shot” of Bristol plane
guarding America. Photo taken
from America’s “island”.
Bristol changing station to port of
America.
Here’s Bristol on the way to
Montreal. Do you remember the big
navy ball the RCN gave us in
Quebec?
I remember going on
Shore Patrol with LCDR Carr.
What a great guy! Bristol coming along side to
starboard
5
Spring 2015
Diesel Boats Forever !
Contributed by Charlie Weaver
The Diving Alarm Ballet
As I pass between the controller
men, the oogah, oogah, "Dive!",
“Dive!" comes over the speakers
and they leap to their sticks and
rheostats. The engines shut down
air lever is hit, rheostats spun down,
sticks are thrown, as the ballet
begins. Generator electricity wanes
as the huge storage batteries are
called on for power. Sticks pulled to
new positions and rheostats spun
back up to keep the motors turning.
The flurry of intense activity over,
minor adjustments made and times
logged while listening, always for
the sound of water doing something
it shouldn't.
As I walk forward at the same time
into the engine room, the two men
in each one do the shutdown dance.
Th r o ttles ar e s lap p ed d o w n ,
hydraulic levers pulled to the closed
position to shut exhaust valves and
drains opened by the throttle man.
As his oiler spins the inboard
exhaust valves the 32 1/2 turns to
shut it,either the oiler or the throttle
man (depending on who is closer)
will have yanked the pin holding the
great intake air valve open so it falls
shut with a loud clang. His inboard
exhaust valves shut, the oilier drops
below to secure the sea valves that
allow the seawater to cool the
engines. Then, the throttle man
checks everything secure one more
time.
In the control room, the other area
of great activity on a dive, lookouts
almost free fall to their diving
stations on the bow or stern planes.
Quickly the bow planes man rigs out
his planes and both he and the stern
planesman set their charges to the
prescribed angles for the dive.
Arriving soon after the planesmen,
the OOD, now the diving officer,
gives the ordered depth to reach and
the angle to do it. Then he checks
that all is well and will watch the
planesmen to learn if the trim needs
changing.
March 21, 2015
The Chief of the Watch having
closed the huge main air induction
valve, will watch the Christmas Tree
to see that all hull openings are
closed. Green Board !
Then he pulls the vents to flood the
main ballast tanks and watches the
depth to signal the auxiliary man on
the air manifold when to blow
negative tank to the mark to stop our
descent into the depths.
The manifold operator will hammer
open the valve and then close off the
roaring rush of compressed air, as
needed. By this time, the trim
manifold operator will have arrived
from the engine room. After
climbing over the stern planesman
he will be ready to pump and flood
seawater to the tanks. This will trim
up the boat to neutral buoyancy.
In the conn, the helmsman will have
rung up standard speed so the boat
will be driven under by the screws
(In the navy, screws = propellers.)
The QM of the watch will dog the
conning tower hatch when the OOD,
the last man down from the bridge,
pulls the lanyard to close it.
There is no music to guide this
dance except calm orders given and
acknowledged. Started in a flurry of
activity, it will end by winding down
quietly to a state of relaxed
vigilance by men practiced and
confident of themselves and each
other. They have done this many
times, this graceful and awkward
descent into the depths. They do it
as fast as is safely possible. This is
where they belong, with many feet
of sea hiding the strong steel of the
hull. Men asleep in bunks halfawakened by the raucous alarm and
noisy ballet, drift back to deep sleep,
confident they are at home where
they should be.
but the overall defense budget
required to build those submarines is
headed south. How should it square
this circle?
The answer is that the Navy should
procure a fleet of diesel-powered
subs. Not only are diesels cheaper
than nuclear-powered subs, but they
have the advantage of being better
platforms for many of the tasks the
Navy faces today.
The demand for attack submarines is
both quantitative and qualitative.
Over the past two decades, for
example, China has added more
than 40 new submarines. Although
they are not equivalent to ours, they
still need to be tracked - and that
takes numbers. Meanwhile, the list
of actual and potential submarine
missions, including close-in
intelligence, surveillance and
reconnaissance, special operations,
and blockade and mining, continues
to grow.
These growing operational demands
are coupled with the exigencies of
new undersea requirements. In
addition to the deep-sea dives and
prolonged blue-water missions that
became the staple of submarine
operations during the Cold War,
there are a number of scenarios
today that are focused on the littoral
areas, the green water within 100
miles of land, be they in the strait of
Hormuz or Malacca, off the shores
of Taiwan or in the South China Sea.
U.S. Navy Needs Diesel
Submarines Defense
It is these missions that often favor
diesel submarines. Diesel subs are
smaller, stealthier and more
maneuverable in tight spaces than
nuclear submarines. For example,
unlike a nuclear submarine's power
plant, a diesel's primary engine can
be turned off when submerged,
reducing noise emission. Indeed,
unlike a nuclear-powered
submarine, a modern diesel can hide
on the ocean's floor, deadly silent,
while monitoring whatever passes
over and around it.
The U.S. Navy faces a fundamental
dilemma: It needs more submarines,
And with the advent of Air
Independent Propulsion (AIP)
technology, today's diesel subs can
remain submerged for weeks at a
……………………………………..
News, 12 June 2011, Gary
Schmitt
6
Spring 2015
March 21, 2015
t i m e .
W h e n
deployed
to bases in
the Far
East or
Middle
East, the
range and
reach of
today's
A I P equipped
diesels
would put
them well
within
striking
distance of
critical
c h o k e
points.
And, using
the recent
sale price
o
f
Germany's
Type 212 subs to Turkey as a point
of reference - approximately $500
million versus the $2 billion for a
Virginia-class nuclear attack
submarine - the Navy would be able
to ramp up submarine production
without breaking the bank.
The U.S. Navy is not ignorant of the
advantages of diesel subs. Time and
again, American naval crews have
struggled to detect their dieselelectric "foes" at sea. Over the past
two years, for example, Peruvian
and Chilean diesels have made life
extremely tough for the U.S. in
naval exercises.
Nor is this new; in a joint training
exercise in 2005, a Swedish AIPoutfitted Götland-class sub scored a
"strike" on the carrier Ronald
Reagan. And, most famously, in
2006 a Chinese Song-class diesel
submarine surfaced undetected
within striking distance of the
carrier Kitty Hawk off Japanese
waters.
Building diesel submarines in the
U.S. has other advantages as well.
There is a growing global market for
diesel submarines among allies and
partners and it's work U.S. shipyards
certainly could use. In addition,
having diesels in the fleet provides
an in-house training tool for antisubmarine warfare efforts against
other nations' diesels. It is useful to
remember that Russia and China
have successfully incorporated both
diesel and nuclear submarines into
their force structure.
Of course, the U.S. Navy has been
dead set against building anything
but nuclear-powered submarines for
a half-century now. Indeed, one
reason the offer of a sale of eight
diesel submarines to Taiwan made
by President George W. Bush in
2001 has never gotten off the ground
is because the Navy brass has feared
that any diesel construction in the
U.S., even if strictly for foreign
sales, might open the door to
Congress asking, "Why not for our
own fleet?"
In addition to the decades-old,
Rickover-induced inertia, the new
excuse for not building diesels is the
claim that the missions that diesels
might usefully perform can be
handled with unmanned underwater
vehicles (UUVs). Why build a new
class of submarine when UUVs
attached to nuclear submarines can
carry out those tasks?
But while UUVs are a promising
idea, "promising" is the key here.
Significant questions pertaining to
speed, payload, sensors and
communication remain.
In what was billed as Defense
Secretary Robert Gates' valedictory
policy speech at the American
Enterprise Institute on May 24, he
noted that "more and more money is
consumed by fewer and fewer
platforms," and that, in the future,
the department's "guiding principle
must be to develop technology and
field weapons that are affordable,
versatile, and relevant to the most
likely and lethal threats in the
decades to come."
That's a spot-on assessment as to
why the U.S. Navy needs diesel
submarines.
Gary Schmitt, director of the
advanced strategic studies program
at the American Enterprise Institute
(AEI), and Richard Cleary, research
assistant for the AEI's Program on
Advanced Strategic Studies. 7
Spring 2015
"A
DIFFERENT
CHRISTMAS POEM"
Charlie Weaver sent me a link to
a You Tube presentation of this
poem. Those of you who do not
have internet access may want
to visit your public library and
view this video. Here are the
words of the poem:
The embers glowed softly, and in
their dim light,
I gazed round the room and I
cherished the sight.
My wife was asleep, her head on my
chest,
My daughter beside me, angelic in
rest.
Outside the snow fell, a blanket of
white,
Transforming the yard to a winter
delight.
The sparkling lights in the tree I
believe,
Completed the magic that was
Christmas Eve.
My eyelids were heavy, my
breathing was deep,
Secure and surrounded by love I
would sleep.
In perfect contentment, or so it
would seem,
So I slumbered, perhaps I started to
dream.
The sound wasn't loud, and it wasn't
too near,
But I opened my eyes when it
tickled my ear.
Perhaps just a cough, I didn't quite
know, Then the
Sure sound of footsteps outside in
the snow.
My soul gave a tremble, I struggled
to hear,
And I crept to the door just to see
who was near.
Standing out in the cold and the dark
of the night,
A lone figure stood his face weary
and tight.
A soldier, I puzzled, some twenty
years old,
Perhaps a Marine, huddled here in
the cold.
Alone in the dark, he looked up and
smiled,
Standing watch over me, and my
wife and my child.
March 21, 2015
What are you doing?" I asked
without fear,
"Come in this moment, it's freezing
out here!
Put down your pack; brush the snow
from your sleeve,
You should be at home on a cold
Christmas Eve!"
For barely a moment I saw his eyes
shift,
Away from the cold and the snow
blown in drifts...
To the window that danced with a
warm fire's light
Then he sighed and he said "It's
really all right,
I'm out here by choice. I'm here
every night."
It's my duty to stand at the front of
the line,
That separates you from the darkest
of times.
No one had to ask or beg or implore
me,
I'm proud to stand here like my
fathers before me.
My Gramps died at 'Pearl on a day
in December,"
Then he sighed, "That's a Christmas
'Gram always remembers."
My dad stood his watch in the
jungles of 'Nam',
And now it is my turn and so, here I
am.
I've not seen my own son in more
than a while,
But my wife sends me pictures; he's
sure got her smile.
Then he bent and he carefully pulled
from his bag,
The red, white, and blue... an
American flag.
I can live through the cold and the
being alone,
Away from my family, my house
and my home.
I can stand at my post through the
rain and the sleet,
I can sleep in a foxhole with little to
eat.
I can carry the weight of killing
another,
Or lay down my life with my sister
and brother...
Who stand at the front against any
and all,
To ensure for all time that this flag
will not fall."
"So go back inside," he said, "harbor
no fright,
Your family is waiting and I'll be all
right."
"But isn't there something I can do,
at the least,
"Give you money," I asked, "or
prepare you a feast?
It seems all too little for all that,
you've done,
For being away from your wife and
your son."
Then his eye welled a tear that held
no regret,
"Just tell us you love us, and never
forget.
To fight for our rights back at home
while we're gone,
To stand your own watch, no matter
how long.
For when we come home, either
standing or dead,
To know you remember we fought
and we bled.
Is payment enough, and with that we
will trust,
That we mattered to you as you
mattered to us."
Author: Unknown
This is the You Tube link:
Click here: A Different
Christmas Poem - YouTube
8
Spring 2015
March 21, 2015
This certainly ranks up
there with the greatest
stories ever told or flights
ever made.
Contributed by
when the plane turned and all the
control cables were severed, except
one single elevator cable still
worked, and the aircraft
miraculously still flew!
Vinnie Sillaro
The tail gunner was trapped because
there was no floor connecting the
tail to the rest of the plane. The
waist and tail gunners used parts of
the German fighter and their own
parachute harnesses in an attempt to
keep the tail from ripping off and
In 1943 a
mid-air collision on
February 1, 1943, between a B-17
and a German fighter over the Tunis
dock area, became the subject of one
of the most famous photographs of
WW II. An enemy fighter attacking
a 97th Bomb Group formation went
out of control, probably with a
wounded pilot, then continued its
crashing descent into the rear of the
fuselage of a Fortress named "All
American", piloted by Lt. Kendrick
R. Bragg, of the 414th Bomb
Squadron. When it struck, the
fighter broke apart, but left some
pieces in the B-17. The left
horizontal stabilizer of the Fortress
and left elevator were completely
torn away. The two right engines
were out and one on the left had a
serious oil pump leak. The vertical
fin and the rudder had been
damaged, the fuselage had been cut
almost completely through
connected only at two small parts of
the frame, and the radios, electrical
and oxygen systems were damaged.
There was also a hole in the top that
was over 16 feet long and 4 feet
wide at its widest; the split in the
fuselage went all the way to the top
gunner's turret.
Although the tail actually bounced
and swayed in the wind and twisted
the two sides of the fuselage from
splitting apart.
While the crew was trying to keep
the bomber from coming apart, the
pilot continued on his bomb run and
released his bombs over the target.
When the bomb bay doors were
opened, the wind turbulence was so
great that it blew one of the waist
gunners into the broken tail section.
It took several minutes and four
crew members to pass him ropes
from parachutes and haul him back
into the forward part of the plane.
When they tried to do the same for
the tail gunner, the tail began
flapping so hard that it began to
break off. The weight of the gunner
was adding some stability to the tail
section, so he went back to his
position.
The turn back toward
England had to be very slow to keep
the tail from twisting off. They
actually covered almost 70 miles to
make the turn home. The bomber
was so badly damaged that it was
losing altitude and speed and was
soon alone in the sky.
For a brief time, two more Me-109
German fighters attacked theAll
American. Despite the extensive
damage, all of the machine gunners
were able to respond to these attacks
and soon drove off the fighters. The
two waist gunners stood up with
their heads sticking out through
thehole in the top of the fuselage to
aim and fire their machine guns. The
tail gunner had to shoot in short
9
Spring 2015
March 21, 2015
This old bird had done its job and
brought the entire crew home
uninjured.
bursts because the recoil was
actually causing the plane to turn.
he would stay with the plane to land
it.
Allied P-51 fighters intercepted the
All American as it crossed over the
Channel and took one of the pictures
shown. They also radioed to the
base describing that the appendage
was waving like a fish tail and that
the plane would not make it and to
send out boats to rescue the crew
when they bailed out.
Two and a half hours after being hit,
the aircraft made its final turn to line
up with the runway while it was still
over 40 miles away. It descended
into an emergency landing and a
normal roll-out on its landing gear.
The fighters stayed with the
Fortress, taking hand signals from
Lt. Bragg and relaying them to the
base. Lt. Bragg signaled that 5
parachutes and the spare had been
"used" so five of the crew could not
bail out. He made the decision that
if they could not bail out safely, then
When the ambulance pulled
alongside, it was waved off because
not a single member of the crew had
been injured. No one could believe
that the aircraft could still fly in
such a condition. The Fortress sat
placidly until the crew all exited
through the door in the fuselage and
the tail gunner had climbed down a
ladder, at which time the entire rear
section of the aircraft collapsed.
10
Spring 2015
Snippets:
Ed..once again a great issue..I don't
know where you find the time to
organize the resources which
contribute such outstanding articles
a n d p i c t u re s . I m u s t a d m i t ,
sometimes I am tempted to skip
ahead ..but this issue ..ON THE
FINAL PAGE has a great picture of
DesDiv 122..just part of DesRon.
When Cdr DK O'Connor was
Bristol's skipper (1952-53) the
Squadron CO was Capt Draper
K a u f m a n n . T h e s e t w o w e re
classmates at the Academy ... one
kept his nose clean rising to great
heights, the other while a great ship
handler and mentor had problems,
limiting his rise in rank .. In any
event, there was no love lost
between the two, and D K delighted
in demonstrating the Bristol's speed
and ,maneuverability..at the expense
(wagers between skippers) of the
DesDiv companions.
Guns Lincoln .1952-55 Lt USNR
“The Truth about the
Vietnam War”
Bruce Herschensohn
Decades back, in late 1972, South
Vietnam and the United States were
winning the Vietnam War decisively
by every conceivable measure.
That's not just my view. That was
the view of our enemy, the North
Vietnamese government officials.
Vi c t o r y w a s a p p a r e n t w h e n
President Nixon ordered the U.S.
Air Force to bomb industrial and
military targets in Hanoi, North Viet
Nam's capital city, and in Haiphong,
its major port city, and we would
stop the bombing if the North
Vietnamese would attend the Paris
Peace Talks that they had left earlier.
The North Vietnamese did go back
to the Paris Peace talks, and we did
stop the bombing as promised.
On January the 23rd, 1973,
President Nixon gave a speech to
the nation on primetime television
March 21, 2015
announcing that the Paris Peace
Accords had been initialed by the
United States, South Vietnam, North
Vietnam, the Viet Cong, and the
Accords would be signed on the
27th. What the United States and
South Vietnam received in those
accords was victory. At the White
House, it was called "VV Day,"
"Victory in Vietnam Day."
The U.S. backed up that victory
with a simple pledge within the
Paris Peace Accords saying: should
the South require any military
hardware to defend itself against any
North Vietnam aggression we would
provide replacement aid to the South
on a piece-by- piece, one-to-one
replacement, meaning a bullet for a
bullet; a helicopter for a helicopter,
for all things lost - replacement. The
advance of communist tyranny had
been halted by those accords.
Then it all came apart. And It
happened this way: In August of the
following year, 1974, President
Nixon resigned his office as a result
of what became known as
"Watergate."
Three months after his resignation
came the November congressional
elections and within them the
Democrats won a landslide victory
for the new Congress and many of
the members used their new
majority to de-fund the military aid
the U.S. had promised, piece for
piece, breaking the commitment that
we made to the South Vietnamese in
Paris to provide whatever military
hardware the South Vietnamese
needed in case of aggression from
the North. Put simply and
accurately, a majority of Democrats
of the 94th Congress did not keep
the word of the United States.
On April the 10th of 1975, President
Gerald Ford appealed directly to
those members of the congress in an
evening Joint Session, televised to
the nation. In that speech he literally
begged the Congress to keep the
word of the United States. But as
President Ford delivered his speech,
many of the members of the
Congress walked out of the
chamber. Many of them had an
investment in America's failure in
Vietnam. They had participated in
demonstrations against the war for
many years. They wouldn't give the
aid.
On April the 30th South Vietnam
surrendered and Re¬education
Camps were constructed, and the
phenomenon of the Boat People
began. If the South Vietnamese had
received the arms that the United
States promised them would the
result have been different?
It
already had been different. The
North Vietnamese leaders admitted
that they were testing the new
President, Gerald Ford, and they
took one village after another, then
cities, then provinces and our only
response was to go back on our
word.
The U.S. did not re-supply the South
Vietnamese as we had promised. It
was then that the North Vietnamese
knew they were on the road to South
Vietnam's capital city, Saigon, that
would soon be renamed Ho Chi
Minh City.
Former Arkansas Senator William
Fulbright, who had been the
Chairman of the Senate Foreign
Relations Committee made a public
statement about the surrender of
South Vietnam. He said this, "I am
no more distressed than I would be
about Arkansas losing a football
game to Texas." The U.S. knew that
North Vietnam would violate the
accords and so we planned for it.
What we did not know was that our
own Congress would violate the
accords. And violate them, of all
things, on behalf of the North
Vietnamese.
This article contributed by Charlie
Weaver:
Correction: From Bob Lang
ED, You might have mixed up an Email, referred from me about a
collision with an Italian Freighter in
1959, with someone else. In that
year I was a Penna. State Police
Officer, and no longer in the Navy.
BOB. 11
Spring 2015
March 21, 2015
I'll tell you who I am .. .. .. As I sit
here so still,
There is now a stone .. . .. where I
once had a heart.
As I do at your bidding, .. .. .. as I
eat at your will.
But inside this old carcass .. .. .. a
young girl still dwells,
I'm a small girl of Ten . .. . with a
father and mother,
And now and again .. .. .. my
battered heart swells.
Brothers and sisters .. .. .. who love
one another.
I remember the joys .. .. .. I
remember the pain.
A young girl of Sixteen .. .. .. with
wings on her feet.
And I'm loving and living .. .. .. life
over again.
Dreaming that soon now .. .. .. a
lover she'll meet.
I think of the years, all too few .. .. ..
gone too fast.
A bride soon at Twenty .. .. .. my
heart gives a leap.
And accept the stark fact .. .. . that
nothing can last.
Remembering, the vows .. .. .. that I
promised to keep.
So open your eyes, people .. .. ..
open and see.
At Twenty-Five, now .. .. .. I have
young of my own.
Not a crabby old woman .. .. .. look
closer .. .. .. see ME!!
Who need me to guide .. .. .. a
secure happy home.
Remember this poem when you next
meet an older person who
Crabby Old Lady
A woman of Thirty . .. .. My young
now grown fast,
you might brush aside without
looking at the young soul within.
What do you see nurses? . .. . What
do you see?
Bound to each other .. .. .. With ties
that should last.
We will all, one day, be there, too!
What are you thinking .. .. .. when
you're looking at me?
At Forty, my young sons .. .. .. have
grown and are gone,
A crabby old lady .. .. not very wise,
But my man is beside me . .. . to see
I don't mourn.
Crabby Old Woman This
article contributed by Gary Hults
When an old woman died in the
geriatric ward of a nursing home in
Moosomin, Saskatchewan, it was
believed that she had nothing left of
any value. Later, when the nurses
were going through her meager
possessions, they found this poem.
Its quality and content so impressed
the staff that copies were made and
distributed to every nurse in the
hospital. One nurse took her copy to
Alberta . The old woman's sole
bequest to posterity has since
appeared in the Christmas edition of
the News Magazine of the St. Louis
Association for Mental Health. A
slide presentation has also been
made based on his simple, but
eloquent, poem. And this little old
woman, with nothing left to give to
the world, is now the author of this
'anonymous' poem winging across
the Internet.
Uncertain of habit .. .. .. with
faraway eyes?
Who dribbles her food .. .. .. and
makes no reply.
When you say in a loud voice .. .. ..
'I do wish you'd try!'
Who seems not to notice .. .. .. the
things that you do.
And forever is losing .. A sock or
shoe?
Who, resisting or not .. .. .. lets you
do as you will,
With bathing and feeding .. .. .. a
long day to fill?
Is that what you're thinking? .. .. .. Is
that what you see?
Then open your eyes, nurse .. . ..
you're not looking at me.
At Fifty, once more, .. .. .. babies
play 'round my knee,
Again, we know children .. .. .. My
husband and me.
PLEASE SHARE THIS POEM
The best and most beautiful things
of this world can’t be seen or
touched. They must be felt by the
heart.
Mysterious Vietnam
Memorial
Dark days are upon me .. .. .. my
husband's now dead.
I look at the future .. .. .. and
shudder with dread.
For my young are all rearing .. .. ..
young of their own.
And I think of the years .. .. . and the
love that I've known.
I'm now an old woman .. . .. and
nature is cruel.
'Tis jest to make old age .. .. .. look
like a fool.
The body, it crumbles .. .. .. grace
and vigor depart.
Wow! This is stunning!
Its a Soldiers Memorial, a tribute to
all soldiers and allies who fell in
Vietnam dating back to 1945, built
by some dedicated Vietnam veterans
at their own expense and who wish
to remain anonymous.
12
Spring 2015
Its rumored that ashes of Vietnam
vets have been scattered there.
“A Vietnam Vet somehow used a
chopper to sneak the pieces in. If
anyone knows
the true story,
I’d love to
hear it.“
“Cycle ride
from Tomichi
Creek off of
Highway 50
n e a r
Gunnison, CO
up to the
Continental
Divide, where
we found this
war memorial
tucked away in
seclusion. You
won’t find it on
any maps. An
old local at the
T o m i c h i
Trading Post
said the Park
Rangers keepit
off maps…the
story is that a
Vi e t n a m Ve t
Map location +38°17’31.44″,
somehow used a
-106°22’17.04, the Soldierstone chopper to sneak
the pieces in. If
anyone knows the
The Vietnamese proverb ("Ai bao
true story, I’d love to hear it.”
Troi Khong co mat") is engraved on
one of the memorial foot stones - Its
Editors Note:
an old Buddhist proverb to a non
I copied this last piece from
Christian God and interpreted would
“American Military News”. Ray
mean "God has eyes, He sees and
Storey also contributed to this
He knows". (There are many
article.
translations to this)
……………………………………..
This video was taken by some dirt
bike riders along the continental
Chaplain Captain Kapuan
divide in Colorado, who stumbled
upon a Vietnam memorial in the
MOHContributed by Ray Storey
woods. Whoever did it, put a lot of
time and money into it. Evidently
Chaplain Emil J. Kapaun, while
hunters and possibly some Vets must
assigned to Headquarters Company,
be aware of it as there are numerous
8th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Cavalry
7.62, 30.06 rounds and good luck
Division, distinguished himself by
coins on the ledges between the
extraordinary heroism, patriotism,
stones. Who built it and how did it
and selfless service between Nov.
get there? In the middle of nowhere!
1-2, 1950. During the Battle of
Unsan, Kapaun was serving with the
h t t p : / / w w w. y o u t u b e . c o m /
3rd Battalion of the 8th Cavalry
watch_popup?v=axhZ0Tx2L4U
Regiment. As Chinese Communist
forces encircled the battalion,
Kapaun moved fearlessly from
March 21, 2015
foxhole to foxhole under direct
enemy fire in order to provide
comfort and reassurance to the
outnumbered Soldiers. He
repeatedly exposed himself to
enemy fire to recover wounded men,
dragging them to safety. When he
couldn't drag them, he dug shallow
trenches to shield them from enemy
fire. As Chinese forces closed in,
Kapaun rejected several chances to
escape, instead volunteering to stay
behind and care for the wounded.
He was taken as a prisoner of war
by Chinese forces on Nov. 2, 1950.
After he was captured, Kapaun and
other prisoners were marched for
several days northward toward
prisoner-of-war camps. During the
march Kapaun led by example in
caring for injured Soldiers, refusing
to take a break from carrying the
stretchers of the wounded while
encouraging others to do their part.
Once inside the dismal prison
camps, Kapaun risked his life by
sneaking around the camp after
dark, foraging for food, caring for
the sick, and encouraging his fellow
Soldiers to sustain their faith and
their humanity. On at least one
occasion, he was brutally punished
for his disobedience, being forced to
sit outside in subzero weather
without any garments. When the
Chinese instituted a mandatory reeducation program, Kapaun
patiently and politely rejected every
theory put forth by the instructors.
Later, Kapaun openly flouted his
captors by conducting a sunrise
service on Easter morning, 1951.
When Kapaun began to suffer from
the physical toll of his captivity, the
Chinese transferred him to a filthy,
unheated hospital where he died
alone. As he was being carried to the
hospital, he asked God's forgiveness
for his captors, and made his fellow
prisoners promise to keep their faith.
Chaplain Kapaun died in captivity
on May 23, 1951.
Chaplain Emil J. Kapaun repeatedly
risked his own life to save the lives
of hundreds of fellow Americans.
His extraordinary courage, faith and
leadership inspired thousands of
prisoners to survive hellish
conditions, resist enemy
13
Spring 2015
indoctrination, and retain their faith
in God and country. His actions
reflect the utmost credit upon him,
the 1st Cavalry
Division, and the
United States Army.
March 21, 2015
rites and providing first aid until
medics arrived, he said.
WASHINGTON, D.C.
(Army News Service,
July 31, 2013) -- Two
Korean War prisoners
of war recently recalled
the heroism of Medal
of Honor recipient
Chaplain (Capt.) Emil
J. Kapaun, who gave
his life while helping
others survive the harsh
conditions of captivity.
the people, as many as you could,
going. He was material in that," said
Dowe, then a first lieutenant.
Ramirez had
b e e n
baptized by
Kapaun in
July 1950 in
Korea. He
met up again
with the
chaplain on
the death
march.
"He was
carrying a
Soldier on
his back. I
think he
carried him
for about
two or three
miles and
then
I
relieved
him," said
Ramirez, of
Houston,
Te x a s . " I
looked at
him and he
looked very
tired."
Former POWs Mike
Dowe and Joe Ramirez
were in the nation's
capital, July 26, to
attend events
surrounding the
Photo Credit: Lisa Ferdinando, ARNEWS
2 3 8 t h
A photo of Medal of Honor recipient Chaplain (Capt.) Emil J. Kapaun is on
anniversary of
the
Army
display at a memorial service honoring the Korea War priest who died a
Chaplain Corps.
prisoner of war in May 1951. M.aj. Gen. Donald Rutherford, U.S. Army
The events
chief of chaplains, is speaking in the background, at the event at Joint
included a
Base Myer-Henderson Hall, Va., July 26, 2013
memorial service
for Kapaun, who
died a prisoner of
With artillery and bullets coming in
war in May 1951.
from all directions, Ramirez, then a
KAPAUN INSTILLS HOPE IN
corporal, remembered thinking
Both Ramirez and Dowe said
PRISON CAMPS
"God, the Lord, is watching
Kapaun was fearless in his efforts to
over him."
defy his captors, boost spirits, and
Dowe and Ramirez said the
minister to and protect Soldiers,
conditions were terrible at
DEATH MARCH
many of whom were wounded, sick
the camps, men were
or dying.
ill and starving to
After they were
death, and diseases
captured, Soldiers
As communist Chinese forces
were rampant.
were forced on a
encircled the 3rd Battalion of the 8th
Te m p e r a t u r e s
death march north
Cavalry Regiment during the Battle
were
sub-zero.
to the prison
of Unsan in November 1950,
camps. Those who
Kapaun seemed to dodge bullets on
Kapaun, they said,
dropped out were shot
the battlefield while aiding Soldiers,
did
everything he
dead by the Chinese,
Ramirez said.
could
to bring hope to
Dowe said.
the Soldiers. He put his
Bullets were "flying everywhere,"
life at risk to sneak
It is on a march where
he said.
around the camp and
Dowe first met Kapaun,
secure extra food for
as they were carrying
But despite the danger, Kapaun was
the starving Soldiers.
wounded on stretchers.
in the line of fire carrying the
He washed the clothes
wounded back, administering last
of the dead and gave
"It was imperative to keep
them to the men who
14
Spring 2015
were freezing.
"There were people dying every
night there. He would minister to
them," said Dowe. "One person I
knew in particular virtually came
back to life to receive the last rites
and he baptized him."
Prisoners lived in camps in three
valleys, from November 1950 to
January 1951, Dowe said.
"In the valley that (Kapaun) lived in,
the death rate was about one-third
what it was in the other two, just
because of the way he instilled a
spirit of cooperation, will to live,
and resistance to the enemy," he
said.
"He was just an ordinary guy. He
would shun any recognition of
himself," Dowe said.
Both Dowe and Ramirez said
Kapaun did everything he could to
make sure others around him were
cared for.
"Father would get up in the
morning, ahead of everybody else,
in 20-below zero, start a fire and
heat water and then come around
saying 'hot coffee,'" said Dowe, who
lives in both Spring, Texas, and New
York, N.Y.
IRRITATING THEIR CAPTORS
"The Chinese just couldn't put up
with the image that he created of
resistance to them: the spirit of
confidence of a free man dedicated
to his country and his religion," said
Dowe.
When Kapaun fell ill, the Chinese
had an excuse to separate him from
the other prisoners. They brought
him to the "death house," which
Dowe described as a tiny, ten-foot
by ten-foot building with "nothing
in it but bugs and vermin."
"He said 'don't worry about me,
Mike. You guys take it easy. I'm
going to where I always wanted to
March 21, 2015
go. When I get there, I'll say a
prayer for you,'" Dowe recalled.
"To this day, I have him in my
heart," he said.
The Chinese already didn't provide
much for prisoners, Dowe said.
They provided even less for those
living out their last days on earth in
the "death house."
There is a You Tube video that you
may find interesting:
http://
youtu.be/AZuPrQBSDCs
"They didn't feed him and anyone
who went in there was within 24-48
hours of dying -- so they killed him.
They just couldn't stand him," said
Dowe. "He was a martyr. He did
more to raise the spirit of GIs and
everybody, sneaking out around the
camps and helping everybody he
could."
Signs Contributed by Ray Storey
……………………………………..
It was May 23, 1951, when Kapaun
passed on.
"We got word, everybody felt very
bad because he was a man that gave
us encouragement so that we would
come back," said Ramirez.
Dowe and Ramirez, who were both
captured in November 1950 and
held prisoners of war for nearly
three years, said the memory of
Kapaun helped them survive.
The bravery, resolve and strength of
the chaplain resonate with Soldiers
today, Dowe said.
"I think it's so important to pass on
the legacy of Father Kapaun to the
Chaplains Corps, to the chaplains,
and to Americans in general. That's
why I think the Medal of Honor was
so important," Dowe said.
Dowe, who lobbied over the
decades for Kapaun to receive the
Medal of Honor, said he really
can't encapsulate the whole story
of Kapaun in words.
"I can't do Father justice," Dowe
said. "There are stories about him
that just go on and on."
Ramirez, who still has his
baptismal certificate, said he looks
at an album of Kapaun photos
every day.
15
Spring 2015
March 21, 2015
play the piano at Officer's Club
happy hours, so here I am."
The barkeep wasn't too sure about
this doubtful looking old guy, but it
had been quite a while since he had
a piano player and business was
falling off. So, why not give him a
try.
The seedy pilot staggered his way
over to the piano while several
patrons snickered. By the time he
was into his third bar of music,
every voice was silenced.
What followed was a rhapsody of
soaring music unlike anything heard
in the bar before. When he finished
there wasn't a dry eye in the place.
Humor In Uniform
Contributed by SSG Joe Zager
Exactly who is Jack Schitt?
For some time many of us have
wondered just who is Jack Schitt?
We find ourselves at a loss when
someone says, 'You don't know Jack
Schitt!' Well, thanks to genealogy
efforts, you can now respond in an
intellectual way. Jack Schitt is the
only son of Awe Schitt. Awe Schitt
was married to O. Schitt, the
fertilizer magnate, and owner o
fNeedeep N. Schitt, Inc. they had
one son, Jack. In turn, Jack Schitt
married Noe Schitt. the deeply
religious couple produced six
children: Holie Schitt, Giva Schitt,
Fulla Schitt,Bull Schitt, and the
twins Deep Schitt and Dip Schitt.
Against her parents' objections,
Deep Schitt married Dumb Schitt, a
high school dropout. After being
married 15 years, Jack and Noe
Schitt divorced. Noe Schitt later
married Ted Sherlock, and because
her kids were living with them, she
wanted to keep her previous
name.She was then known as Noe
Schitt-Sherlock. Meanwhile, Dip
Schitt married Loda Schitt, and they
produced a son with a rather
nervous disposition who was nick-
named Chicken Schitt. Two of the
other six children, Fulla Schitt and
Giva Schitt, were inseparable
throughout childhood and
subsequently married the Happens
brothers in a dual ceremony. The
wedding announcement in the
newspaper announced the SchittHappens nuptials.
The SchittHappens children were Dawg, Byrd,
and Horse. Bull Schitt, the prodigal
son, left home to tour the world.
He recently returned from Italy with
his new Italian bride, Pisa Schitt.
Now when someone says, 'you don't
know Jack Schitt,' you can correct
them.
…………………………………………..
THE PIANO PLAYER:
A ragged, old, derelict shuffled into
a down and dirty bar. Stinking of
whiskey and cigarettes, his hands
shook as he took the "Piano Player
Wanted" sign from the window and
handed it to the bartender.
"I'd like to apply for the job," he
said. "I was an F-4 driver, flying off
carriers back in 'Nam , but when
they retired the Phantom all the
thrill was gone, and soon they
cashed me in as well. I learned to
The bartender took the old fighter
pilot a beer and asked him the name
of the song he had just played.
It's called "Drop your Skivvies,
Baby, I'm Going Balls To The Wall
For You" he said. After a long pull
from the beer, leaving it empty, he
said "I wrote it myself."
The bartender and the crowd winced
at the title, but the piano player just
went on into a knee-slapping, handclapping bit of ragtime that had the
place jumping. After he finished, the
fighter pilot acknowledged the
applause, downed a second
proffered mug, and told the crowd
the song was called, "Big Boobs
Make My Afterburner Light."
He then launched into another
mesmerizing song and everyone in
the room was enthralled. He
announced that it was the latest
rendition of his song, "Spread 'em
Baby, It's Foggy Out Tonight and I
Need To See The Centerline",
excused himself and headed for the
john.
When he came out the bartender
went over to him and said, "Hey, fly
boy, the job is yours; but, do you
know your fly is open and your
pecker is hanging out?"
"Know
it?", the old fighter pilot replied,
"Hell, I wrote it.
16
Spring 2015
March 21, 2015
The Catholic Chaplain’s
Assistant’s Gasoline
patient, she decided not to wait and
walked back to her car.
Staff Sergeant Anne Murray was out
making her rounds visiting hospital
bound patients when she ran out of
gas. As luck would have it, a Texaco
Gasoline station was just a block
away.
She looked for something in her car
that she could fill with gas and
spotted the bedpan she was taking to
the patient. Always resourceful,
Staff Sergeant Murray carried the
bedpan to the station, filled it with
gasoline, and carried the full bedpan
back to her car.
She walked to the station to borrow
a gas can and buy some gas. The
attendant told her that the only gas
can he owned had been loaned out,
but she could wait until it was
returned. Since Staff Sergeant
Murray was on the way to see a
As she was pouring the gas into her
tank, two soldiers, who were
Baptists, watched from across the
street ... One of them turned to the
other and said,"If it starts, I'm
turning Catholic.!”
…………………………………….
Breakfast In Bed
While serving as a New Jersey
National Guard Combat Medic, I
had the good fortune of providing
medical support for the training of
Armor Scouts. These students were
not rookies. These guys were either
“Straight Leg” Infantry or
“Mechanized” Infantry soldiers
whose unit were downsized at the
end of Operation Desert Storm.
The soldiers for whom we provided
support were not kids either. Some
of these guys were in their forties.
The worse thing with which we had
17
Spring 2015
to deal was cuts, shapes, and ticks.
The two of us medics had a hummer
ambulance. We were not actually
part of the training, but deployed
nearby to the training to render
immediate medical assistance, if
required.
Part of the training schedule
included a night operation where the
students practiced driving their
March 21, 2015
The army has these devices called
mermite
cans. They are double
insulated cans, which are filled with
boiling water. Then inserts with the
chow are placed in the water.
Brian and Billy served us “breakfast
in bed”. In order for us to get the
breakfast at 0600. someone had to
do the eggs, bacon, etc. at “0 dark
30”. Then Brian and Bill had to
load the marmite cans on a vehicle
use mess kits. We used paper plates
and plastic dinnerware.
…………………………………….
DPS & THE JUGGLER
A Texas State trooper pulled a car
over on I-35 about 2 miles south of
Waco Texas. When the trooper
asked the driver why he was
speeding, the driver said he was a
Magician and Juggler and was on
his way to Austin Texas to do a
show for the Shrine Circus. He
didn't want to be late.
hummers in the dark without
headlights. We didn’t have to do it
but followed at a distance over hill
and dale.
Then, once all the
students passed that scenario, they
set up a Tactical Bivouac. We just
sat off at a safe distance waiting for
the OPFOR (Opposing Forces) to
“attack”. That exercise lasted to
around 0100. The training ended for
the night and everyone went to bed.
We slept in the patient compartment
of the ambulance while the students
slept on the ground in their sleeping
bags. It gets pretty cold at night in
Ft Dix in April. It’s like being in the
desert, warm during the day but
frigid at night.
About 0600, my partner and I heard
banging on the back door of the
ambulance. It was Brian Henfey
and his partner delivering hot rations
to the 18 students, just as many
instructors, and us. What a pleasant
surprise!
Breakfast consisted of
scrambled eggs, bacon, sausages
and toast. Now you might ask how
hot was the meal. It was very warm.
The trooper told the driver he was
fascinated by juggling and said if
the driver would do a little juggling
for him then he wouldn't give him a
ticket. He told the trooper he had
sent his equipment ahead and didn't
have anything to juggle.
and drive from Sea Girt, NJ to the
tactical area some 30 miles away.
Traveling down from Sea Girt to Ft
Dix wouldn’t take that long maybe
1/2 an hour. But, navigating in the
dark in the tactical areas of Ft Dis is
another matter.
There were not GPS devices back in
those days. Brian and Bill were
given a grid coordinate on the Ft
Dix Special map and told when to
be there with the chow. It was a
really a pleasant surprise waking up
to two guys who really took care of
us. We did have MREs but the hot
breakfast hit the spot. Oh! I forgot.
They also brought coffee. We didn’t
The trooper said he had some flares
in the trunk and asked if he could
juggle them. The juggler said he
could, so the trooper got 5 flares, lit
them and handed them to him.
While the man was juggling, a car
pulled in behind the State Troopers
car. A drunken good old boy from
central Texas got out, watched the
performance, then went over to the
Trooper's car, opened the rear door
and got in. The trooper observed
him and went over to the State car,
opened the door asking the drunk
what he thought he was doing.
The drunk replied, “You might as
well take my ass to jail, cause there
ain't no way I can pass that test.”
……………………………….
18
Spring 2015
Hurricanes
March 21, 2015
Contributed by Ed
Obituary
Lynch
Bristol survived Hurricane Betsy
1965 enroute to San Juan PR
Motor whaleboat torn from davits
and penetrating deck house at the
post office.
Sunset that same day. Tin Can in
the distance is USS John R Pierce
DD753. Below entrance to San
Juan PR Harbor. Sunken freighter.
TONY 'FLAPJACK' CRISAFULLI
June 27, 1938 - January 19, 2015
On Monday January 19th the stock
price of the parent company of
Luksusowa vodka fell sharply on the
news of Tony Crisafulli's passing.
The company Board was called to
an emergency meeting to deal with
the upcoming drop in demand and to
mourn the passing of their greatest
customer. Throughout his life,
whether as a senior Airman in the
US Air Force, a supply chain
management professional, or even
as a school bus driver in his retired
years; Tony created many fond
memories for fellow servicemen,
colleagues, students and families.
After his retirement to North
Carolina he pursued some of his
many hobbies including fishing,
gardening, exterior holiday lighting,
and sending daily joke emails to
family and friends (mostly the latter
- ALL IN CAPS usually). Perhaps
most important to Tony, second only
to showering his family with
unconditional love, was educating
people on the dangers not
participating in governmentwhether through personally
engaging conversation or calling
every local talk radio host within
100 miles of Wilmington, NC.
Tony also asked that upon his
passing, in lieu of flowers, loved
ones and friends donate to The
Wounded Warrior Project.
……………………………………
A P o e m t o a Ve t e r a n
Contributed by John Siegfried
He was getting old and paunchy,
And his hair was falling fast,
And he sat around the Legion,
Telling stories of the past.
Of a war that he once fought in, And
the deeds that he had done,
In his exploits with his buddies;
They were heroes, every one.
And 'tho sometimes to his
neighbors, His tales became a joke,
All his buddies listened quietly, for
they knew where of he spoke.
But we'll hear his tales no longer,
For ol' Joe has passed away,
And the world's a little poorer, for a
Veteran died today.
He won't be mourned by many, Just
his children and his wife.
For he lived an ordinary, very quiet
sort of life.
He held a job and raised a family,
Going quietly on his way;
And the world won't note his
passing, 'Tho a Veteran died today.
When politicians leave this earth,
Their bodies lie in state,
While thousands note their passing,
And proclaim that they were great.
Papers tell of their life stories, from
the time that they were young,
But the passing of a Veteran goes
unnoticed, and unsung,
It's the Nation's greatest contribution
To the welfare of our land,
Some jerk who breaks his promise,
And cons his fellow man?
Or the ordinary fellow, who in times
of war and strife,
Goes off to serve his country and
offers up his life?
The politician's stipend, and the
style in which he lives,
Are often disproportionate, to the
service that he gives.
While the ordinary Veteran, who
offered up his all,
Is paid off with a medal, and
perhaps a pension, small.
It is not the politicians, with their
compromise and ploys,
Who won for us the freedom, that
our country now enjoys.
Should you find yourself in danger,
With your enemies at hand,
Would you really want some copout, With his ever-waffling stand?
19
Spring 2015
Or would you want a veteran, his
home, his country, his kin,
Just a common veteran, who would
fight until the end.
He was just a common veteran, and
his ranks are growing thin,
But his presence should remind us,
We may need his likes again.
March 21, 2015
For when countries are in conflict,
We find the Veteran's part,
Is to clean up all the troubles that
the politicians start.
him is so powerful that even now
people find themselves misting up at
the sight of his face or the sound of
his voice. But for all these years, Glenn has
had a hero of his own, someone who
he has seen display endless courage
of a different kind: played. John -- the future Marine fighter
pilot, the future test-pilot ace, the
future astronaut -- was pure gold
from the start. He would end up
having what it took to rise to the
absolute pinnacle of American
regard during the space race;
imagine what it meant to be the
young John Glenn in the small
confines of New Concord . Three-sport varsity athlete, most
a d m i r e d b o y i n t o w n , M r.
Everything. Annie Castor was bright, was
caring, was talented, was generous
of spirit. But she could talk only
with the most excruciating of
difficulty. It Haunted her. Her stuttering was so severe that it
was categorized as an "85%"
disability -- 85% of the time, she
could not manage to make words
come out. When she tried to recite a poem in
elementary school, she was laughed
at. She was not able to speak on the
telephone. She could not have a
regular conversation with a friend. If we cannot do him honor, while
he's here to hear the praise,
Then at least let's give him homage,
At the ending of his days.
Perhaps just a simple headline, in
the paper that might say:
"OUR COUNTRY IS IN
MOURNING, A VETERAN DIED
TODAY.”
……………………………………..
Honoring All Who Served
Let us pray
Please God…
Grant them courage,
when times are bleak.
Grant them strength,
when they feel week.
Grant them comfort,
when they feel all alone.
And most of all God,
Please bring them all
home.We will never forget…
………………………………
Contributed by SSG Joe Zager,
USA, Ret Annie Glenn. They have been married for 71
years. He is 93; she turned 95 on Friday. This weekend there has been news
coverage of the 50th anniversary of
Glenn's flight into orbit. We are
being reminded that, half a century
down the line, he remains America 's
unforgettable hero. He has never really bought that. Because the heroism he most
cherishes is of a sort that is seldom
cheered. It belongs to the person he
has known longer than he has
known anyone else in the world. For half a century, the world has
applauded John Glenn as a heartstirring American hero. He lifted the
nation's spirits when, as one of the
original Mercury 7 astronauts, he
was blasted alone into orbit around
the Earth; the enduring affection for
John Glenn and Annie Castor first
knew each other when -- literally -they shared a playpen. In New Concord, Ohio, his parents
and hers were friends. When the
families got together, their children
The victory of Annie Glenn, Wife of John Glenn.
And John Glenn loved her. Even as a boy he was wise enough
to understand that people who could
not see past her stutter were missing
out on knowing a rare and
wonderful girl. They married on April 6, 1943. As a
military wife, she found that life as
she and John moved around the
country could be quite hurtful. She
has written: "I can remember some
very painful experiences -especially the ridicule." In department stores, she would
wander unfamiliar aisles trying to
find the right section, embarrassed
to attempt to ask the salesclerks for
help. In taxis, she would have to write
requests to the driver, because she
20
Spring 2015
couldn't speak the destination out
loud. In restaurants, she would point
to the items on the menu. A fine musician, Annie, in every
community where she and John
moved, would play the organ in
church as a way to make new
friends. She and John had two
children; she has written: "Can you
imagine living in the modern world
and being afraid to use the
telephone? 'Hello' used to be so hard
for me to say. I worried that my
children would be injured and need
a doctor. Could I somehow find the
words to get the information across
on the phone?"
John, as a Marine aviator, flew 59
combat missions in World War II
and 90 during the Korean War.
Every time he was deployed, he and
Annie said goodbye the same way.
His last words to her before leaving
were: "I'm just going down to the corner
store to get a pack of gum." And, with just the two of them there,
she was able to always reply: "Don't
be long." On that February day in 1962 when
the world held its breath and the
Atlas rocket was about to propel
him toward space, those were their
words, once again. And in 1998,
when, at 77, he went back to space
aboard the shuttle Discovery, it was
an understandably tense time for
them. What if something happened
to end their life together?
She knew what he would say to her
before boarding the shuttle. He did
-- and this time he gave her a
present to hold onto: A pack of gum.
March 21, 2015
program she and John hoped would
help her. She traveled there to enroll
and to give it her best effort. The
miracle she and John had always
waited for at last, as miracles will
do, arrived. At age 53, she was able
to talk fluidly, and not in brief,
anxiety-ridden, agonizing bursts. John has said that on the first day he
heard her speak to him with
confidence and clarity, he dropped
to his knees to offer a prayer of gratitude. He has written: "I saw Annie's
perseverance and strength through
the years and it just made me admire
her and love her even more." He has
heard roaring ovations in countries
around the globe for his own valor,
but his awe is reserved for Annie,
and what she accomplished: "I don't
know if I would have had the
courage." Her voice is so clear and steady now
that she regularly gives public talks.
If you are lucky enough to know the
Glenn’s, the sight and sound of them
bantering and joking with each other
and playfully finishing each others'
sentences is something that warms
you and makes you thankful just to
be in the same room. She carried it in a pocket next to her
heart until he was safely home. Many times in her life she attempted
various treatments to cure her
stutter. None worked. But in 1973, she found a doctor in
Virginia who ran an intensive
But if you ever find yourself at an
event where the Glenn’s are
appearing, and you want to see
someone so brimming with pride
and love that you may feel your own
tears start to well up, wait until the
moment that Annie stands to say a
few words to the audience. And as she begins, take a look at her
husband's eyes.
……………………………….
Exactly 72 years ago this
month - February, 1943 - the
all-Japanese American
442nd Regimental Combat
Team was activated. The men of
this unit were in a unique position.
As Japanese Americans, they had
the opportunity to serve their nation,
but were often a point of contention
among the U.S. military and society
while the war in the Pacific
progressed. Japanese American
civilians were also in a similar
position, leading to the creation of
Japanese internment camps. Meet
two Americans impacted by the
cultural effects of the war with
Japan: Terry Shima of the 442nd
Regimental Combat Team, and
Mary Murakami, internee at Camp
Topaz. You might not have any
recollection of the names, however
they are ones you will want to
remember. Shima's battles in out and
of combat and the experience of
Mary Murakami and her family are
stories you won't soon forget.
Monday will be the anniversary of
the Mercury space shot, and once
again people will remember, and
will speak of the heroism of Glenn
the astronaut. Editor: Ed Lynch [email protected]
Terry Shima of the 442nd
Regimental Combat Team,
which would become the most
decorated unit for its size in
21
Spring 2015
March 21, 2015
U.S. history, was drafted in
1944. Shima, like many of his
comrades, was defending his
nation despite the
mistreatment of Japanese
American civilians like
Murakami. While some of
these men were defending
their country, their families
were simultaneously being
sent to internment camps.
Despite the cultural
contention dwelling within
American society, the men of
the 442nd continued to defend
their nation, refusing to step
down in protest. And though
many questioned the loyalty
of Japanese Americans like
Shima and Murakami, their
determination to prove their
allegiance is a testament to the
power of the American spirit.
oral history project about Terry
Shima and Mary Murakami.
Terry Shima and other veterans like
him are the backbone of our great
country. The loyalty of citizens like
Mary Murakami reminds us that
America is a place for change,
opportunity, and equality. It is the
fortitude and courage of these
individuals that have built our
nation. It is crucial that the stories of
veterans and civilians be passed on
for generations to come and the
American Veterans Centers sets out
to do just that. The American
Veterans Center works rigorously to
guard the legacies and honor the
sacrifices of all American veterans.
By doing this, we ensure that these
extraordinary people and firsthand
accounts of history will never be
forgotten.
It's an early Wednesday morning,
and a Sailor wipes a drip of sweat
from his forehead as he finishes up
maintenance on the amphibious
assault ship USS Boxer (LHD 4).
His standard issued hard hat helps
protect him from anything that
might fall on his head, but it's not
helping with the heat of the San
Diego summer. He works diligently,
ensuring that he still has time to go
clean the spaces he is responsible
for before he hears every Sailor's
favorite words: liberty call.
Want to hear the rest of both Shima
and Murakami's experiences within
the U.S. Army and American
society? Follow this link to watch
the American Veteran Center's
We look forward to sharing more
stories like Shima's and Murakami's
with you in the future. Be on the
lookout for more oral history
projects to come featuring more
American heroes such as PFC Willie
Woods.
……………………………………
Rope Yarn Wednesday
USS Boxer Enjoys an Old Tradition
5 November 2014 By Mass
Communication Specialist 3rd Class
Robert R. Sanchez, USS Boxer
Public Affairs
Brown brings an old Navy tradition,
originally known as Rope Yarn
Sunday, to Boxer.
"Rope Yarn is a tradition that the
Navy has where the commanding
officer can give time off," said
Senior Chief Navy Counselor Mark
Rush, from Louisville, Kentucky. "It
started during the times when Navy
ships used sails. The Sailors would
break out rope yarn to mend their
clothes and hammocks."
Sailors would get the yarn they had
to make ropes while underway.
Short on resources, they used it as
thread to mend clothes and
hammocks, added Rush.
The tradition was a break
from usual chores at sea, and
was nicknamed "Rope Yarn
Sunday." After sailing ships
were no longer used by the
Navy, Rope Yarn Wednesday
became free afternoons
Sailors would use to attend
to personal errands.
The words sound even better when
called 4.5 hours earlier than normal.
Capt. Wayne Brown, Boxer's
commanding officer, has made a
deal with his crew. If the crew is
caught up on all work, all
maintenance, and can keep the ship's
cleanliness up to standards, then on
Wednesday he will allow the crew to
enjoy a half day to take care of
personal business.
"I didn't even know what
Rope Yarn was until the captain
announced it," said Operations
Specialist Seaman Dino Rodriguez,
from Fresno, California. "I was glad
to find out we were getting off work
early because it meant more time to
get everything done so I'll have
more free time on the weekends to
play with my son and help out my
wife."
Boxer Sailors must continue to work
hard and keep up expectations in
order to continue to enjoy this
privilege.
"I would advise the crew to make
sure their work is done and spaces
are clean," said Rush. "The ship's
cleanliness is a big thing. If the
commanding officer knows that our
ship is clean and squared away, it
will be more likely that we can
continue to enjoy Rope Yarn.”
…………………………………….
22
Spring 2015
Burial at Sea
by LtCol George Goodson,
USMC (Ret) Contributed by
Charlie Weaver
In my 76th year, the events of my
life appear to me, from time to time,
as a series of vignettes. Some were
significant; most were trivial...
War is the seminal event in the life
of everyone that has endured it.
Though I fought in Korea and the
Dominican Republic and was
wounded there, Vietnam was my
war.
Now 42 years have passed and,
thankfully, I rarely think of those
days in Cambodia , Laos , and the
panhandle of North Vietnam where
small teams of Americans and
Montangards fought much larger
elements of the North Vietnamese
Army. Instead I see vignettes: some
exotic, some mundane:
*The smell of Nuc Mam.
*The heat, dust, and humidity.
*The blue exhaust of cycles
clogging the streets.
*Elephants moving silently through
the tall grass.
*Hard eyes behind the servile smiles
of the villagers.
*Standing on a mountain in Laos
and hearing a tiger roar.
*A young girl squeezing my hand as
my medic delivered her baby.
*The flowing Ao Dais of the young
women biking down Tran Hung
Dao.
*My two years as Casualty
Notification Officer in North
Carolina , Virginia , and Maryland .
It was late 1967. I had just returned
after 18 months in Vietnam .
Casualties were increasing. I moved
my family from Indianapolis to
Norfolk , rented a house, enrolled
my children in their fifth or sixth
new school, and bought a second
car.
A week later, I put on my uniform
and drove 10 miles to Little Creek,
March 21, 2015
Virginia. I hesitated before entering
my new office. Appearance is
important to career Marines. I was
no longer, if ever, a poster Marine. I
had returned from my third tour in
Vietnam only 30 days before. At
5'9", I now weighed 128 pounds - 37
pounds below my normal weight.
My uniforms fit ludicrously, my
skin was yellow from malaria
medication, and I think I had a
twitch or two.
I straightened my shoulders, walked
into the office, looked at the
nameplate on a Staff Sergeant's desk
and said, "Sergeant Jolly, I'm
Lieutenant Colonel Goodson. Here
are my orders and my Qualification
Jacket."
Sergeant Jolly stood, looked
carefully at me, took my orders,
stuck out his hand; we shook and he
asked, "How long were you there,
Colonel?" I replied "18 months this
time." Jolly breathed, you must be a
slow learner Colonel." I smiled.
Jolly said, "Colonel, I'll show you to
your office and bring in the Sergeant
Major. I said, "No, let's just go
straight to his office." Jolly nodded,
hesitated, and lowered his voice,
"Colonel, the Sergeant Major. He's
been in this job two years. He's
packed pretty tight. I'm worried
about him." I nodded.
Jolly escorted me into the Sergeant
Major's office. "Sergeant Major, this
is Colonel Goodson, the new
Commanding Office. The Sergeant
Major stood, extended his hand and
said, "Good to see you again,
Colonel." I responded, "Hello Walt,
how are you?" Jolly looked at me,
raised an eyebrow, walked out, and
closed the door.
I sat down with the Sergeant Major.
We had the obligatory cup of coffee
and talked about mutual
acquaintances. Walt's stress was
palpable. Finally, I said, "Walt,
what's the h-ll's wrong?" He turned
his chair, looked out the window
and said, "George, you're going to
wish you were back in Nam before
you leave here. I've been in the
Marine Corps since 1939. I was in
the Pacific 36 months, Korea for 14
months, and Vietnam for 12
months... Now I come here to bury
these kids. I'm putting my letter in. I
can't take it anymore." I said, "OK
Walt. If that's what you want, I'll
endorse your request for retirement
and do what I can to push it through
Headquarters Marine Corps."
Sergeant Major Walt Xxxxx retired
12 weeks later. He had been a good
Marine for 28 years, but he had seen
too much death and too much
suffering. He was used up.
Over the next 16 months, I made 28
death notifications, conducted 28
military funerals, and made 30
notifications to the families of
Marines that were severely wounded
or missing in action. Most of the
details of those casualty
notifications have now, thankfully,
faded from memory. Four, however,
remain.
MY FIRST NOTIFICATION
My third or fourth day in Norfolk , I
was notified of the death of a 19
year old Marine. This notification
came by telephone from
Headquarters Marine Corps. The
information detailed:
*Name, rank, and serial number.
*Name, address, and phone number
of next of kin.
*Date of and limited details about
the Marine's death.
*Approximate date the body would
arrive at the Norfolk Naval Air
Station.
*A strong recommendation on
whether the casket should be opened
or closed.
The boy's family lived over the
border in North Carolina , about 60
miles away... I drove there in a
Marine Corps staff car. Crossing the
state line into North Carolina , I
stopped at a small country store /
service station / Post Office. I went
in to ask directions.
23
Spring 2015
Three people were in the store.. A
man and woman approached the
small Post Office window. The man
held a package. The Storeowner
walked up and addressed them by
name, "Hello John. Good morning
Mrs. Cooper."
I was stunned. My casualty's nextof-kin's name was John Cooper!
I hesitated, then stepped forward
and said, "I beg your pardon. Are
you Mr. and Mrs. John Cooper of
(address.)
The father looked at me-I was in
uniform - and then, shaking, bent at
the waist, he vomited. His wife
looked horrified at him and then at
me. Understanding came into her
eyes and she collapsed in slow
motion. I think I caught her before
she hit the floor.
The owner took a bottle of whiskey
out of a drawer and handed it to Mr.
Cooper who drank. I answered their
questions for a few minutes. Then I
drove them home in my staff car.
The storeowner locked the store and
followed in their truck. We stayed an
hour or so until the family began
arriving.
I returned the storeowner to his
business. He thanked me and said,
"Mister, I wouldn't have your job for
a million dollars." I shook his hand
and said; "Neither would I."
I vaguely remember the drive back
to Norfolk . Violating about five
Marine Corps regulations, I drove
the staff car straight to my house. I
sat with my family while they ate
dinner, went into the den, closed the
door, and sat there all night, alone.
My Marines steered clear of me for
days. I had made my first death
notification.
THE FUNERALS
We e k s p a s s e d w i t h m o r e
notifications and more funerals. I
borrowed Marines from the local
Marine Corps Reserve and taught
them to conduct a military funeral:
March 21, 2015
how to carry a casket, how to fire
the volleys and how to fold the flag.
When I presented the flag to the
mother, wife, or father, I always
said, "All Marines share in your
grief." I had been instructed to say,
"On behalf of a grateful nation...." I
didn't think the nation was grateful,
so I didn't say that.
Sometimes, my emotions got the
best of me and I couldn't speak.
When that happened, I just handed
them the flag and touched a
shoulder. They would look at me
and nod. Once a mother said to me,
"I'm so sorry you have this terrible
job." My eyes filled with tears and I
leaned over and kissed her.
ANOTHER NOTIFICATION
Six weeks after my first notification,
I had another. This was a young
PFC. I drove to his mother's house.
As always, I was in uniform and
driving a Marine Corps staff car. I
parked in front of the house, took a
deep breath, and walked towards the
house. Suddenly the door flew open,
a middle-aged woman rushed out.
She looked at me and ran across the
yard, screaming "NO! NO! NO!
NO!"
I hesitated. Neighbors came out. I
ran to her, grabbed her, and
whispered stupid things to reassure
her. She collapsed. I picked her up
and carried her into the house..
Eight or nine neighbors followed.
Ten or fifteen later, the father came
in followed by ambulance
personnel. I have no recollection of
leaving.
The funeral took place about two
weeks later. We went through the
drill. The mother never looked at
me. The father looked at me once
and shook his head sadly.
ANOTHER NOTIFICATION
One morning, as I walked in the
office, the phone was ringing.
Sergeant Jolly held the phone up and
said, "You've got another one,
Colonel." I nodded, walked into my
office, picked up the phone, took
notes, thanked the officer making
the call, I have no idea why, and
hung up. Jolly, who had listened,
came in with a special Telephone
Directory that translates telephone
numbers into the person's address
and place of employment.
The father of this casualty was a
Longshoreman. He lived a mile
from my office. I called the
Longshoreman's Union Office and
asked for the Business Manager. He
answered the phone, I told him who
I was, and asked for the father's
schedule.
The Business Manager asked, "Is it
his son?" I said nothing. After a
moment, he said, in a low voice,
"Tom is at home today." I said,
"Don't call him. I'll take care of
that." The Business Manager said,
"Aye, Aye Sir," and then explained,
"Tom and I were Marines in WWII."
I got in my staff car and drove to the
house. I was in uniform. I knocked
and a woman in her early forties
answered the door. I saw instantly
that she was clueless. I asked, "Is
Mr. Smith home?" She smiled
pleasantly and responded, "Yes, but
he's eating breakfast now. Can you
come back later?" I said, "I'm sorry.
It's important. I need to see him
now."
She nodded, stepped back into the
beach house and said, "Tom, it's for
you."
A moment later, a ruddy man in his
late forties, appeared at the door. He
looked at me, turned absolutely pale,
steadied himself, and said, "Jesus
Christ man, he's only been there
three weeks!"
Months passed. More notifications
and more funerals. Then one day
while I was running, Sergeant Jolly
stepped outside the building and
gave a loud whistle, two fingers in
his mouth... I never could do that…
and held an imaginary phone to his
ear.
24
Spring 2015
Another call from Headquarters
Marine Corps. I took notes, said,
"Got it." and hung up. I had stopped
saying "Thank You" long ago.
Jolly, "Where?"
Me, "Eastern Shore of Maryland .
The father is a retired Chief Petty
Officer. His brother will accompany
the body back from Vietnam ..."
Jolly shook his head slowly,
straightened, and then said, "This
time of day, it'll take three hours to
get there and back. I'll call the Naval
Air Station and borrow a helicopter.
And I'll have Captain Tolliver get
one of his men to meet you and
drive you to the Chief's home."
He did, and 40 minutes later, I was
knocking on the father's door. He
opened the door, looked at me, then
looked at the Marine standing at
parade rest beside the car, and
asked, "Which one of my boys was
it, Colonel?"
I stayed a couple of hours, gave him
all the information, my office and
home phone number and told him to
call me, anytime.
He called me that evening about
2300 (11:00PM). "I've gone through
my boy's papers and found his will.
He asked to be buried at sea. Can
you make that happen?" I said, "Yes
I can, Chief. I can and I will."
My wife who had been listening
said, "Can you do that?" I told her,
"I have no idea. But I'm going to
break my ass trying."
I called Lieutenant General Alpha
Bowser, Commanding General,
Fleet Marine Force Atlantic, at
home about 2330, explained the
situation, and asked, "General, can
you get me a quick appointment
with the Admiral at Atlantic Fleet
Headquarters?" General Bowser
said," George, you be there
tomorrow at 0900. He will see you.
I was and the Admiral did. He said
coldly, "How can the Navy help the
March 21, 2015
Marine Corps, Colonel." I told him
the story. He turned to his Chief of
Staff and said, "Which is the
sharpest destroyer in port?" The
Chief of Staff responded with a
name.
The Admiral called the ship,
"Captain, you're going to do a burial
at sea. You'll report to a Marine
Lieutenant Colonel Goodson until
this mission is completed..."
He hung up, looked at me, and said,
"The next time you need a ship,
Colonel, call me. You don't have to
sic Al Bowser on my ass." I
responded, "Aye Aye, Sir" and got
the h-ll out of his office.
I went to the ship and met with the
Captain, Executive Officer, and the
Senior Chief. Sergeant Jolly and I
trained the ship's crew for four days.
Then Jolly raised a question none of
us had thought of. He said, "These
government caskets are air tight.
How do we keep it from floating?"
All the high priced help including
me sat there looking dumb. Then the
Senior Chief stood and said, "Come
on Jolly. I know a bar where the
retired guys from World War II hang
out."
They returned a couple of hours
later, slightly the worst for wear, and
said, "It's simple; we cut four 12"
holes in the outer shell of the casket
on each side and insert 300 lbs of
lead in the foot end of the casket.
We can handle that, no sweat."
The day arrived. The ship and the
sailors looked razor sharp. General
Bowser, the Admiral, a US Senator,
and a Navy Band were on board.
The sealed casket was brought
aboard and taken below for
modification. The ship got
underway to the 12-fathom depth.
played "Eternal Father Strong to
Save." The casket was raised
slightly at the head and it slid into
the sea.
The heavy casket plunged straight
down about six feet. The incoming
water collided with the air pockets
in the outer shell. The casket
stopped abruptly, rose straight out of
the water about three feet, stopped,
and slowly slipped back into the sea.
The air bubbles rising from the
sinking casket sparkled in the in the
sunlight as the casket disappeared
from sight forever....
The next morning I called a personal
friend, Lieutenant General Oscar
Peatross, at Headquarters Marine
Corps and said, "General, get me out
of here. I can't take this anymore." I
was transferred two weeks later.
I was a good Marine but, after 17
years, I had seen too much death
and too much suffering. I was used
up.
Vacating the house, my family and I
drove to the office in a two-car
convoy. I said my goodbyes.
Sergeant Jolly walked out with me.
He waved at my family, looked at
me with tears in his eyes, came to
attention, saluted, and said, "Well
Done, Colonel. Well Done."
I felt as if I had received the Medal
of Honor!
…………………………………….
Master Chief Carl Brashear
The sun was hot. The ocean flat.
The casket was brought aft and
placed on a catafalque. The Chaplin
spoke. The volleys were fired. The
flag was removed, folded, and I
gave it to the father. The band
25
Spring 2015
Remember the movie “Men of
Honor”? Master Chief Brasher was
my instructor in First Class Diving
School. One helluva Man!
…………………………………….
Sack Lunches Contributed by
David “Guns” Lincoln
I put my carry-on in the luggage
compartment and sat down in my
assigned seat. It was going to be a
long flight. 'I'm glad I have a good
book to read. Perhaps I will get a
short nap,' I thought.
March 21, 2015
asked, 'Which do you like best beef or chicken?'
'Chicken,' I
replied, wondering why she asked.
She turned and went to the front of
plane, returning a minute later with
a dinner plate from first class. 'This
is your thanks.'
seventy-five dollars. 'It will take
you some time to reach the base. It
will be about time for a
sandwich. God Bless You.'
Ten young men left that flight
feeling the love and respect of their
fellow travelers.
After we finished eating, I went
again to the back of the plane,
heading for the rest room. A man
stopped me. 'I saw what you did. I
want to be part of it. Here, take
this.' He handed me twenty-five
dollars.
As I walked briskly to my car, I
whispered a prayer for their safe
return. These soldiers were giving
their all for our country. I could only
give them a couple of meals. It
seemed so little...
After flying for about an hour, an
announcement was made that sack
lunches were available for five
dollars. It would be several hours
before we reached the east, and I
quickly decided a lunch would help
pass the time...
Soon after I returned to my seat, I
saw the Flight Captain coming down
the aisle, looking at the aisle
numbers as he walked, I hoped he
was not looking for me, but noticed
he was looking at the numbers only
on my side of the plane. When he
got to my
row he stopped, smiled, held out his
hand and said, 'I want to shake your
hand.' Quickly unfastening my
seatbelt I stood and took the
Captain's hand. With a booming
voice he said, 'I was a soldier and I
was a military pilot. Once, someone
bought me
a lunch. It was an act of kindness I
never forgot.' I was embarrassed
when applause was heard from all of
the passengers.
As I reached for my wallet, I
overheard a soldier ask his buddy if
he planned to buy lunch. 'No, that
seems like a lot of money for just a
sack lunch. Probably wouldn't be
worth five bucks. I'll wait till we get
to base.’ His friend agreed.
Later I walked to the front of the
plane so I could stretch my legs. A
man who was seated about six rows
in front of me reached out his hand,
wanting to shake mine. He left
another twenty-five dollars in my
palm.
I looked around at the other soldiers.
None were buying lunch. I walked
to the back of the plane and handed
the flight attendant a fifty dollar bill.
'Take a lunch to all those soldiers.'
She grabbed my arms and squeezed
tightly. Her eyes wet with
tears, she thanked me. 'My son was
a soldier in Iraq; it's almost like you
are doing it for him.'
When we landed I gathered my
belongings and started to
deplane. Waiting just inside the
airplane door was a man
who stopped me, put something in
my shirt pocket, turned, and walked
away without saying a word.
Another twenty-five dollars!
Just before take-off, a line of
soldiers came down the aisle and
filled all the vacant seats, totally
surrounding me. I decided to start a
conversation.
'Where are you
headed?' I asked the soldier seated
nearest to me. 'Petawawa. We'll
be there for two weeks for special
training, and then we're being
deployed to Afghanistan
Picking up ten sacks, she headed up
the aisle to where the soldiers were
seated. She stopped at my seat and
Upon entering the terminal, I saw
the soldiers gathering for their trip
to the base. I walked over to them
and handed them
A veteran is someone who, at one
point in his life, wrote a blank check
made payable to 'citizens of United
States / Canada' for an amount of 'up
to and including my life.’ That is
Honor, and there are way too many
people in this country who no longer
understand it.’
Editor’sNote: “Guns” Lincoln is a
Pease Greeter.
He and other
volunteers meet and greet arriving
and departing soldiers, sailors,
marines, and airmen going and
coming to the war zones. Our sonin-law appreciated the welcome
when he returned from Afghanistan
over a year ago.
……………………………………
I Know They Are Not
Talking About Me Contributed
by Charlie Weaver
Editor’s Note:
Charlie will be
having knee replacement surgery
when he has about 40 more pounds
to lose. 26
Spring 2015
Train Ride for the Troops
Here's a 'today' story that occurred
3 weeks ago ~ The idea started last
Christmas, when Bennett and Vivian
Levin were overwhelmed by
sadness
while listening to radio
reports of injured American troops.
"We have to
let them know we
care," Vivian told Bennett. So they
organized a trip to bring soldiers
from Walter Reed Army Medical
Center and Bethesda Naval
Hospital to the annual Army-Navy
football game in Philly, on Dec. 3.
The cool part is, they created their
own train line to do it. Yes, there
are
people in this country who
actually own real trains.
Bennett Levin - native Philly guy,
self-made millionaire and irascible
former L&I commish - is one of
them. He owns three luxury rail
cars.Think
mahogany paneling,
plush seating and white-linen dining
areas. He also has
two
locomotives, which he stores at his
Juniata Park train yard.
One car,
the elegant Pennsylvania , carried
John F. Kennedy to the Army-Navy
game in 1961 and '62. Later, it
carried his brother Bobby's body to
D.C. for
burial. "That's a lot of
history for one car," says Bennett.
He and Vivian wanted to revive a
tradition that endured from 1936 to
1975, during which trains carried
Army-Navy spectators around the
country
directly to the stadium
where the annual game is played.
The Levins could think of no better
passengers to reinstate the
ceremonial ride than the wounded
men and women recovering at
Walter Reed in D.C. and Bethesda ,
in Maryland . "We wanted to give
them a first-class experience," says
Bennett. "Gourmet meals on board,
private transportation from the train
to the stadium, perfect seats - real
hero treatment."
Through the Army War College
Foundation, of which he is a
trustee,
Bennett met with Walter
Reed's commanding general, who
March 21, 2015
loved the idea. But Bennett had
some ground rules first, all designed
to keep the focus on the
troops
alone:
so they could take more Marines,"
says Levin, choking up at the
memory.
Bennett's an emotional guy, so he
was worried about how he'd react to
meeting the 88 troops and guests at
D.C.'s Union Station, where the trip
originated. Some GIs were missing
limbs. Others were wheelchairbound or accompanied by medical
personnel for the day. "They made it
easy to be with
them," he says.
"They were all smiles on the ride to
Philly. Not an ounce
of self-pity
from any of them. They're so full of
life and determination."
No press on the trip, lest the
soldiers' day of pampering devolve
into a media circus.
No politicians either, because, says
Bennett, "I didn't want some idiot
making this trip into a campaign
photo op."
And no Pentagon suits on board,
otherwise the soldiers would be too
busy saluting superiors to relax.
The general agreed to the
conditions, and Bennett realized he
had a problem on his hands. "I had
to actually make this thing happen,"
he laughs.
At the stadium, the troops reveled
in the game, recalls Bennett. Not
even
Army's loss to Navy could
deflate the group's rollicking mood.
Over the next months, he recruited
owners of 15 other sumptuous rail
cars
from around the country these people tend to know each
other - into lending their vehicles
for the day. The name of their
temporary train? The Liberty
Limited.
Afterward, it was back to the train
and yet another gourmet meal heroes
get hungry, says Levin before returning to Walter Reed and
Bethesda. "The day was
spectacular," says Levin. "It was all
about these kids. It was awesome
to be part of it."
Amtrak volunteered to transport
the cars to D.C. - where they'd be
coupled together for the round-trip
ride to Philly - then back to their
owners later.
Conrail offered to service the
Liberty while it was in Philly. And
SEPTA
drivers would bus the
disabled soldiers 200 yards from the
train track to the football stadium
for the game. A benefactor from the
War College ponied up 100 seats to
the game - on the 50-yard line and lunch in a hospitality suite.
And corporate donors filled, for free
and without asking for publicity,
goodie bags for attendees:
From
Woolrich, stadium blankets. From
Wal-Mart, digital cameras.
From
Nikon, field glasses. From GEAR,
down jackets.
There was booty not just for the
soldiers, but for their guests, too,
since each was allowed to bring a
friend or family member. The
Marines declined the offer. "They
voted not to take guests with them,
The most poignant moment for the
Levins was when 11 Marines
hugged them goodbye, then sang
them the Marine Hymn on the
platform at Union Station. "One of
the guys was blind, but he said, 'I
can't see you, but man, you must
be beautiful!' " says Bennett. "I got a
lump so big in my throat, I couldn't
even answer him."
It's been three weeks, but the
Levins and their guests are still
feeling
the day's love. "My
Christmas came early," says Levin,
who is Jewish and who loves the
Christmas season. "I can't describe
the feeling in the air." Maybe it is
hope.
As one guest wrote in a thank-you
note to Bennett and Vivian, "The
fond
memories generated last
Saturday will sustain us all whatever the future may bring."
God bless the Levins.
the troops, every one. And bless
27
Spring 2015
Did you know this about
9-11? Contributed by Paul Arel
After flight 77 hit the pentagon on
9/11,the following happened a
chaplain, who happened to be
assigned to the Pentagon, told of an
incident that happened right after
Flight 77 hit the Pentagon on 9/11.
A daycare facility inside the
Pentagon had many children,
including infants who were in heavy
cribs. The daycare supervisor,
looking at all the children they
needed to evacuate, was in a panic
over what they could do. There
were many children, mostly
toddlers, as well as the infants that
would need to be taken out with the
cribs. There was no time to try to
bundle them into carriers and
strollers.
Just then a young Marine came
running into the center and asked
what they needed. After hearing
what the center director was trying
to do, he ran back out into the
hallway and disappeared. The
director thought, "Well, here we are,
on our own." About 2 minutes later,
that Marine returned with 40 other
Marines in tow. Each of them
grabbed a crib with a child, and the
rest started gathering up toddlers.
The director and her staff then
helped them take all the children out
of the center and down toward the
park nears the Potomac . Once they
got about 3/4 of a mile outside the
building, the Marines stopped in the
park, and then did a fabulous thing they formed a circle with the cribs,
which were quite sturdy and heavy,
like the covered wagons in the Old
West. Inside this circle of cribs,
they put the toddlers, to keep them
from wandering off. Outside this
circle were the 40 Marines, forming
a perimeter around the children and
waiting for instructions. There they
remained until the parents could be
notified and come get their children.
The chaplain then said, "I don't
think any of us saw nor heard of this
on any of the news stories of the
day. It was an incredible story of our
March 21, 2015
men there.” There wasn't a dry eye
in the room.
The thought of those Marines and
what they did and how fast they
reacted; could we expect any less
from them? It was one of the most
touching stories from the Pentagon.
It's the Military, not the politicians
that ensure our right to life, liberty,
and the pursuit of happiness. It's the
Military who salutes the flag, who
serves beneath the flag, and whose
coffin is draped by the flag.
………………………………
Philip Cavuto Honors the
Memory of His Buddy from
his book A Rumor of War
While serving in a staff position in
Vietnam, Cavuto was responsible
for detailing the casualty reports that
he received from the field. One of
the casualties was Walter Levy with
whom he served in Quantico, VA,
while in Infantry Officers basic
course.
Cavuto and Levy both failed the
Land Navigation exercise.
The
following is an excerpt of the retake:
The next week , he was back in the
woods with the rest of us failures,
taking the course over. But I had to
admire his determination to do the
right thing as it was supposed to be
done. It was typical of him. I think
it was fidelity to standards that
killed him. Badly wounded in the
legs, he did not have to endanger
himself by trying to rescue the
corpsman. He could have stayed
under cover without any loss of
honor, but they had drilled into our
heads that a marine never left his
wounded exposed to enemy fire. We
never left our wounded on the
battlefield. We brought them off, out
of danger and into safety, even if we
had to risk our own lives to do it.
That was one of the standards we
were expected to uphold. I knew I
could not have done what Levy had
done. Pulling himself up on his
wounded legs, he had tried to save
the corpsman, not knowing that the
man was beyond saving. And he
had probably done it as he had
everything else—naturally, and
because he thought it was the right
thing to do.
If you want to read a memoir about
the horrible conditions our brothers
endured in Vietnam, read this book.
Caveat wrote it ten years after the
war ended for the US.
……………………………………..
USS MASON DE 529
BATH, Maine (NNS) -- When the
Navy commissions its newest
guided-missile destroyer, USS
Mason (DDG 87), April 12, it will
commemorate not only the ship's
namesakes, but also the
accomplishments of the crew of the
previous ship to bear the name.
The ship is named for John Young
Mason, Secretary of the Navy
d u r i n g t h e Ty l e r a n d P o l k
administrations, and for
distinguished flying cross awardee
Ensign Newton Henry Mason, who
died in aerial combat during World
War II's Battle of Coral Sea.
But, the ship also inherits the legacy
of the previous USS Mason (DE
529)-- the first Navy ship with a
predominately African-American
crew.
Most Americans have heard of the
Buffalo Soldiers and the Tuskegee
Airmen, and the bravery and
dedication to service they
represented at times when many
Americans were denied the
opportunity to serve their country
because of the color of their skin.
What many people don't know is
that, like the 9th and 10th Cavalry
regiments and the 332nd Fighter
Group and the 477th Bombardment
Group, the second USS Mason (DE
529) was another military unit in
which an all African-American crew
distinguished themselves in the face
of steep odds and a determined
enemy.
Laid down at Boston Navy Yard in
October 1943, the second Mason
28
Spring 2015
March 21, 2015
was sponsored by Mrs. David
Mason, mother of Ensign Mason,
and commissioned March 20, 1944.
Lt. Cmdr. William Blackford was
the commissioning commanding
officer. The ship went on to serve as
a convoy escort in the Atlantic
throughout the remainder of World
War II.
immediately to assist the remainder
of the convoy.
But the ship made history just
coming out of the yard as the only
U.S. Navy destroyer at that time to
be manned with an all black enlisted
crew. This was the first time that
black Americans were permitted to
be trained and serve in Navy career
fields other than cooks and
stewards. One hundred sixty black
Sailors were enrolled in all fields of
operational and technical training,
and manned the
ship
at
commissioning.
"We were there to prove ourselves,"
said Lorenzo A. Dufau, another
Mason veteran. "It's wonderful to
know I played a small role in giving
others opportunity."
"I just wanted to
get in the Navy
with all those
ships," said
Gordon
D.
Buchanan, a
veteran of Mason
(DE 529). "All I
wanted was to go
to sea. I didn't know what blacks
were doing at sea, I just wanted to
join and fight for my country. I am a
patriot."
Although known as "Eleanor's
Folly" for Eleanor Roosevelt's
introduction of the idea for an allblack crew, Mason served with
distinction.
During the worst North Atlantic
storm of the century, the 290-foot
long Mason was serving as escort to
a convoy of merchant ships bound
for England. The strength of the
storm forced the convoy to break up,
and Mason was chosen to escort a
section of ships to their destination.
With land in sight, Mason's deck
split, threatening the structural
integrity of the ship. Emergency
repairs were made quickly and
efficiently, and Mason returned
Mason's crew had accomplished
what the Atlanta Daily Press
described on the day of the ship's
commissioning as an, "opportunity
to show the world that they are
capable."
For saving their ship and continuing
their mission, the Mason crew was
recommended for commendations
by their captain and the convoy
commander. The commendations
were never
awarded.
At the end
of the war,
M a s o n
w a s
assigned
as
a
training
s h i p
operating
f r o m
Miami, but the crew had proven
what many denied: an AfricanAmerican crew could do the same
jobs just as well as an all white
crew.
In the post-war demobilization, the
ship was decommissioned and sold
for scrap in 1947 - the same year
President Harry S. Truman signed
executive order 9981, officially
desegregating the armed forces.
Through the efforts of Mason's
veterans and author Mary Pat Kelly,
the ship's story has been chronicled
in the book "Proudly We Served."
Their persistence in telling the story
paid off in 1994, when President
Clinton awarded the long overdue
commendation to 67 surviving crew
members.
Four years later, Secretary of the
Navy John H. Dalton made official
his decision to name an Arleigh
Burke destroyer "Mason," marking
the contributions of USS Mason
(DE 529) and her crew to the fight
for equality and desegregation in the
Navy's ranks.
Although Mason's crew became
dispersed throughout the Navy and
America, the hardships of times past
have paved the way for times
present. Today, most Sailors agree,
the only limitations put on any
Sailor are the limitations they put
upon themselves; the "sky" is the
limit.
Still, the accomplishments of the
Sailors of elder Mason are not lost
on the crew of the newest Mason.
As they prepare their ship for life in
the Navy, they are proud to be a part
of the rich history that comes when
they proudly bear their uniforms.
"I am a product of America's
growing process," said Lt. j.g. Mical
K. Crumbly. "In the military, there
continues to be encouragement and
guidance for every member to reach
his or her full potential regardless of
race, color or creed."
No matter what the cost, it would
seem Mason Sailors of all
generations agree that being positive
and letting goals take precedence
over discrimination is what makes
reaching those goals so rewarding.
"It's what a person does that makes
history, and we, as a crew, and I, as
an African-American Sailor, feel
great about the job we're all doing,"
said Seaman Apprentice Imani
Wilson. "If I have a hard or long
day, I just think back to the crew of
the previous Mason and it makes me
want to achieve more."
Editor’s Note:
February was Black History Month.
This is just one example of our
brothers who were treated unfairly
and who still did the right thing.
……………………………………..
29
Spring 2015
March 21, 2015
Contributed by Vinnie Sillaro
Who is Jack Schitt……Page 16
JFK'S Secretary of State, Dean
Rusk, was in France in the early 60's
when DeGaulle decided to pull out
of NATO. DeGaulle said he wanted
all US military out of France as soon
as possible. Rusk responded "Does that include
those who are buried here?"
You could have heard a pin drop ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Piano Player……..Page 16
If You Marry an Irish
Girl…………………….Page 17
The Catholic Chaplain’s
Assistant’s Gasoline…Page 17
Breakfast in Bed……..Page 17
DPS and the Juggler..Page 18
Obit Tony Crisafulli.…Page 19
A Poem to a Veteran..Page 19
Honoring All Who
Served………………..Page 20
Victory of Annie
Glenn…………………Page 20
Rope Yarn Wednesday…………
Page 22
Burial At Sea………..Page 22
Master Chief Carl
Brashear……………..Page 25
Sack Lunches……….Page 26
I Know They Are Not Talking
About Me……………Page 26
Train Ride For the
Troops……………….Page 27
Did You Know About
This………………….Page 28
Philip Cavuto Honors Buddy’s
Memory……………..Page 28
USS Mason DE 529 Page 28
Without hesitating, the British
Admiral replied,
'Maybe it's
because the Brit's, Canadians,
Aussie's, South Africans, and
Americans arranged it so you
wouldn't have to speak German.'
You could have heard a pin drop. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
There was a conference in France
where a number of international
engineers were taking part,
including French and American.
During a break, one of the French
engineers came back into the room
saying 'Have you heard the latest
dumb stunt Bush has done? He has
sent an aircraft carrier to Indonesia
to help the tsunami victims. What
does he intend to do, bomb them?' Hurricanes……………Page 19
442d Regt Combat
Team………………….Page 21
chatting away in English as they
sipped their drinks but a French
admiral suddenly complained that,
whereas Europeans learn many
languages, the English learn only
English. He then asked, 'Why is it
that we always have to speak
English in these conferences rather
than speaking French?' Ever wonder what happens
when you forget history or
are nationally arrogant?
In This Issue
Continued:
AND THIS STORY FITS RIGHT
IN WITH THE ABOVE... Robert Whiting, an elderly
gentleman of 83, arrived in Paris by
plane. At French Customs, he took a
few minutes to locate his passport in
his carry on. "You have been to
France before, monsieur?" the
customs officer asked sarcastically.
A Boeing engineer stood up and
replied quietly: 'Our carriers have
three hospitals on board that can
treat several hundred people; they
are nuclear powered and can supply
Emergency electrical power to shore
facilities; they have three cafeterias
with the capacity to feed 3,000
people three meals a day,
They can produce several thousand
gallons of fresh water from sea
water each day, and they carry half a
dozen helicopters for use in
transporting victims and injured to
and from their flight deck. We have
eleven such ships; how many does
France have?'
You could have heard a pin drop.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A Royal Navy Admiral was
attending a naval conference that
included Admirals from the U.S. ,
English, Canadian, Australian and
French Navies. At a cocktail
reception, he found himself standing
with a large group of Officers that
included personnel from most of
those countries. Everyone was
Mr. Whiting admitted that he had
been to France previously.
"Then you should know enough to
have your passport ready."
The Englishman said, 'The last time
I was here, I didn't have to show
it.."
"Impossible. You English always
have to show your passports on
arrival in France !"
The English senior gave the
Frenchman a long hard look. Then
he quietly explained, ''Well, when I came ashore at Gold
Beach on D-Day in 1944 to help
liberate this country, I couldn't find a
single Frenchman to show a
passport to."
You could have heard a pin drop.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Hope to see you in
Baltimore!
30

Spring 2015 Newsletter

Transcription

Similar documents

Don`t Shop At Verizon Wireless

SMARTWebMove makes PCS moves easier

69th Doolittle Raider`s Reunion Flyer

World War I Group Presentations

Proceeds go to support NJROTC scholarships and the Port

Issue 49 Oct 2014 From the Editor

EXCLUSIVE SAVINGS FROM VERIZON WIRELESS.

- GTMaritime

Spring 2013

exclusive savings from verizon wireless.