Monday

Good morning,

Quote of the day:

“Complaining about a problem without offering a solution is whining.”

                                            Anonymous

Jan C. It was nice meeting you again.

I have a friend that has chosen to throw raw corn out behind her house to attract deer so she and her grandchild can watch them. What she is really doing is endangering the deer's lives. Like most other wild mammals they rely on sight, scent and sound to warn them of possible danger. These warning signals are betrayed when they are lured into an area where there is human scent, humans are seen and humans are heard with no apparent danger and food with human scent on it is available. After a short while the deer will be conditioned to associate food with humans and makes them more tame in general. This makes them easy targets when hunting season comes around, not to mention what happens with their natural predators. Wild animals do not have abstract reasoning, the live by instinct and conditioning. Feeding them betrays this. In other words leave them alone, don't be stupid and selfish. Better still, if you want to attract wildlife for your own selfish reasons, go to Alaska, I know this place where there are grizzlies, wolves, big cats, wolverines, badgers and various other predators, go attract them and see what happens when you stop feeding them...they come after you...but they are so cute.

I have to give y’all a little background before I make my point. Since the 16^th century the peoples of Central America and northern South American had been under the heel of the King of Spain via a series of conquistadors (military conquerors). In the early 19^th Century a military hero arose from the populous that was opposed to the tyranny of the Spaniards. He was an aristocratic son of Basque family that had moved to present day Venezuela in about 1750. The Basques originated on the border of Spain and France and are not aligned with either. At an early age he was trained as a military leader and began a series of reprisals against the repressive Spanish military units. His given title contained seven names but he became known as Simon Bolivar. Through a series of successes on the battlefield, he drove the Spanish army out of northern South America. Without the Spanish army to back them up, the Spanish rulers quickly ran for home. He is given credit for liberating Venezuela, Bolivia, Panama, Ecuador, Colombia and Peru providing for their independence. Bolivar died and was buried in a gigantic vault in what is now Caracas, Venezuela…and now to the point.

That past moron president of Venezuela, Hugo Chavez (now deceased) had always said that he was blood kin to Simon Bolivar and he was going to prove it. He ordered the remains of Simon Bolivar to be exhumed (he has been dead since about 1840) so that a sample of Bolivar’s bone marrow could be taken and a DNA comparison be made. How egotistical can you get to dishonor a national hero like Bolivar? It would be like if Barack Obama wanted George Washington’s remains exhumed so a DNA comparison could be made with him to see if they were related. By the way, the country of Venezuela (Hugo Chavez) totally owns Chevron. Keep that in mind the next time you need gas.

I have included two Medal of Honor citations at the end lest we forget the dedication and courage of the American soldier.

                          This Date in History July 21

1861    On this date the first major battle of the War of Northern Aggression (The American Civil War) was fought at a railroad junction near the Virginia town of Manassas which was about 22 miles west of Washington, DC. The Union army had sent General Irvin McDowell and a force of 34,000 ill-trained and ill-equipped militiamen to seek out and subdue a Confederate army known to be nearby. As the Union army was heading toward Manassas civilians fell in line and followed them to watch the Rebs get spanked. The Confederates were led by CSA General P.T.G Beauregard (former superintendent at West Point as was R. E. Lee) commanding a force of 20,000 who were joined by CSA General Joseph Johnston and a force of 9,000 brought in by railroad shortly before the battle. At the outset the Union forces were able to drive back the right flank of the Confederates but Beauregard establish a line of defense on Henry House Hill with a unit of Virginia infantry led by CSA General Thomas J. Jackson anchoring the right flank. The Union army attacked Jackson’s unit and were repulsed several times, Jackson’s men just could not be dislodged. It was at this action that General Jackson gained the nickname of “Stonewall”. Finally the Confederates counter-attacked and the great majority of the Union army broke and ran back toward Washington and literally ran over the civilians watching the action. Before this battle the Union army and politicians thought the Confederates would be easily defeated with a minimum loss of life. After this battle the Union army suffered 3,000 casualties, the Confederates 2,000 both sides realized it was going to be long and bloody conflict.

Here is a Medal of Honor citation:

BORDELON, WILLIAM JAMES

Rank and organization: Staff Sergeant, U.S. Marine Corps. Born: 25 December 1920, San Antonio, Texas.

Citation:

For valorous and gallant conduct above and beyond the call of duty as a member of an assault engineer platoon of the 1st Battalion, 18th Marines, tactically attached to the 2d Marine Division, in action against the Japanese-held atoll of Tarawa in the Gilbert Islands on 20 November 1943. Landing in the assault waves under withering enemy fire which killed all but 4 of the men in his tractor, S/Sgt. Bordelon hurriedly made demolition charges and personally put 2 pillboxes out of action. Hit by enemy machinegun fire just as a charge exploded in his hand while assaulting a third position, he courageously remained in action and, although out of demolition, provided himself with a rifle and furnished fire coverage for a group of men scaling the seawall. Disregarding his own serious condition, he unhesitatingly went to the aid of one of his demolition men, wounded and calling for help in the water, rescuing this man and another who had been hit by enemy fire while attempting to make the rescue. Still refusing first aid for himself, he again made up demolition charges and single-handedly assaulted a fourth Japanese machinegun position but was instantly killed when caught in a final burst of fire from the enemy. S/Sgt. Bordelon's great personal valor during a critical phase of securing the limited beachhead was a contributing factor in the ultimate occupation of the island, and his heroic determination throughout 3 days of violent battle reflects the highest credit upon the U.S. Naval Service. He gallantly gave his life for his country.

Here is another one:

INOUYE, DANIEL K.

Second Lieutenant Daniel K. Inouye distinguished himself by extraordinary heroism in action on 21 April 1945, in the vicinity of San Terenzo, Italy. While attacking a defended ridge guarding an important road junction, Second Lieutenant Inouye skillfully directed his platoon through a hail of automatic weapon and small arms fire, in a swift enveloping movement that resulted in the capture of an artillery and mortar post and brought his men to within 40 yards of the hostile force. Emplaced in bunkers and rock formations, the enemy halted the advance with crossfire from three machine guns. With complete disregard for his personal safety, Second Lieutenant Inouye crawled up the treacherous slope to within five yards of the nearest machine gun and hurled two grenades, destroying the emplacement. Before the enemy could retaliate, he stood up and neutralized a second machine gun nest. Although wounded by a sniper's bullet, he continued to engage other hostile positions at close range until an exploding grenade shattered his right arm. Despite the intense pain, he refused evacuation and continued to direct his platoon until enemy resistance was broken and his men were again deployed in defensive positions. In the attack, 25 enemy soldiers were killed and eight others captured. By his gallant, aggressive tactics and by his indomitable leadership, Second Lieutenant Inouye enabled his platoon to advance through formidable resistance, and was instrumental in the capture of the ridge. Second Lieutenant Inouye's extraordinary heroism and devotion to duty are in keeping with the highest traditions of military service and reflect great credit on him, his unit, and the United States Army.

Lieutenant Inouye was of Japanese ancestry and his parents were interred (imprisoned) during the war. He was born in Hawaii and after the war he became a well respected United States Senator.

Thanks for listening I can hardly wait until tomorrow