Wednesday

Good morning,

Quote of the day:

“I moved to New York City for my health. I am very paranoid and New York is the only place where all my fears are justified.”

                                                  Jessica Baker

Several years ago there was a man in Columbia, South Carolina name Maurice Bessinger. This entrepreneur concocted a very tasty mustard base barbecue sauce and eventually he had three barbecue restaurants in the Columbia area. His barbecue sauce became so popular that it was on the shelves in large supermarket chains. Maurice had a Confederate flag flying over his main store in Columbia. Eventually the supermarkets asked him to take down the flag and he refused so they took his barbecue sauce off their shelves. Maurice said that he would do whatever he wanted on his property and he did not really need the money from the sauce sales in the markets anyway. I am with Maurice on this one, y'all. Everyone has the right to put anything they want on their own property, especially commercial ones. If you are offended by it, don't go to his place of business and/or don't look at it. I am up to my eyeballs with that crap of being “politically correct”. I will not discuss the meaning of the Confederate flag because it means different things to different people and every person has a right their opinion. By the way, Maurice has since gone to that great barbecue pit in the sky.

Crazy as Hell

Chapter 12

Chuck Pitman landed at the Superdome construction site and contacted the police. The Chief of Police wanted him to lift an armored car to the roof but the car weighed about 13,000 pounds and his helicopter would only lift 5,000 pounds. It was decided that five volunteer sharpshooters would be lifted over the roof in an attempt to kill Essex. Pitman loaded the shooters, lifted them very close to the roof and Essex ran out of the cubicle, got off a couple of shots and dashed back in. The shooters showered the cubicle with semi-automatic weapons fire for an extended period to no avail. Pitman had to go back and land so the shooters could get more ammo two more times but no one could figure out where Essex was going to not be hit. They finally figured out that Essex was climbing a vertical water pipe that was inside the cubicle. Finally Pitman maneuvered the helicopter near the roof one more time and Essex ran out got off a couple of shots and as usual dashed back in. Pitman moved away from the roof and dropped behind a nearby building. He waited about two minutes then popped back up and turned on the searchlight. He caught Essex illuminated in the open about 30 feet from the cubicle and all five of the sharpshooters and everyone else with a firearm opened fire and Essex went down in an avalanche of lead. There were over 200 bullet wounds in what was left of Mark Essex...the nightmare was over. By the way, Chuck Pitman was awarded an official letter of appreciation from the city of New Orleans and a letter of commendation from the Marine Corps.

In recognition of Veterans Day, here is a Medal of Honor citation given to Colonel Raymond Davis who led the unit that rescued “Chesty” Puller and his troops in Korea.

Medal of Honor

DAVIS, RAYMOND G.

Rank and organization: Lieutenant Colonel, U.S. Marine Corps

Commanding officer, 1st Battalion, 7th Marines, 1st Marine Division (Rein.). Place and date: Vicinity Hagaru-ri, Korea,

December 1950. Entered service at: Atlanta, Ga. Born: 13 January, 1915 in Fitzgerald, Ga.

Citation:

 
For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty as commanding officer of the 1st Battalion, in action against enemy aggressor forces. Although keenly aware that the operation involved breaking through a surrounding enemy and advancing 8 miles along primitive icy trails in the bitter cold with every passage disputed by a savage and determined foe, Lt. Col. Davis boldly led his battalion into the attack in a daring attempt to relieve a beleaguered rifle company and to seize, hold, and defend a vital mountain pass controlling the only route available for 2 Marine regiments in danger of being cut off by numerically superior hostile forces during their re-deployment to the port of Hungnam. When the battalion immediately encountered strong opposition from entrenched enemy forces commanding high ground in the path of the advance, he promptly spearheaded his unit in a fierce attack up the steep, ice-covered slopes in the face of withering fire and, personally leading the assault groups in a hand-to-hand encounter, drove the hostile troops from their positions, rested his men, and reconnoitered the area under enemy fire to determine the best route for continuing the mission. Always in the thick of the fighting Lt. Col. Davis led his battalion over 3 successive ridges in the deep snow in continuous attacks against the enemy and, constantly inspiring and encouraging his men throughout the night, brought his unit to a point within 1,500 yards of the surrounded rifle company by daybreak. Although knocked to the ground when a shell fragment struck his helmet and 2 bullets pierced his clothing, he arose and fought his way forward at the head of his men until he reached the isolated Marines. On the following morning, he bravely led his battalion in securing the vital mountain pass from a strongly entrenched and numerically superior hostile force, carrying all his wounded with him, including 22 litter cases and numerous ambulatory patients. Despite repeated savage and heavy assaults by the enemy, he stubbornly held the vital terrain until the 2 regiments of the division had deployed through the pass and, on the morning of 4 December, led his battalion into Hagaru-ri intact. By his superb leadership, outstanding courage, and brilliant tactical ability, Lt. Col. Davis was directly instrumental in saving the beleaguered rifle company from complete annihilation and enabled the 2 Marine regiments to escape possible destruction. His valiant devotion to duty and unyielding fighting spirit in the face of almost insurmountable odds enhance and sustain the highest traditions of the U.S. Naval Service.

This Date in History November 12

1775 Earlier in 1774 the American colonies sent a document to King George III called “The Olive Branch” proposal written by John Dickinson. The proposal was directed to the King specifically and stated the colony’s unhappiness with the different laws and taxes levied upon them by Parliament. The scent of war was heavy in the colonies and several important men in the colonies, including John Dickinson, would travel almost any avenue to avoid war with Great Britain. They wanted to make sure that the King knew what Parliament was doing to them before any warlike action was taken. The proposal essentially kissed King George’s ass in the hopes of not inflaming him. Well, King George not only did not read the proposal, he did not even open the envelope. This told the colonies that King George was in agreement and complicit with whatever Parliament was dishing out. Upon receiving the notification that King George did not even open the envelope, a letter was written to John Adams on this date stating: “Let us separate, they are unworthy to be our Brethren. Let us renounce them and instead of supplications for their happiness and prosperity, let us beseech the almighty to blast their councils (Parliament) and bring naught to all of their devices (laws and taxes).” This person was obviously very pissed. The letter was written by John Adam’s wife Abigail. The next year the Declaration of Independence was written and among other things said this about King George: “The history of the present king of Great Britain is a history of injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment of absolute tyranny over these states.” So our forefathers in the span of one year went from kissing George’s ass to calling him a tyrant. There is little question that this document did indeed inflame King George but our ancestors in their wisdom, told King George III to kiss their ass.

1864 Earlier US General William T. Sherman had arrived in Atlanta, Georgia after a torturous running battle with the Confederates coming south from Chattanooga, Tennessee. On this date Sherman orders the destruction of anything that could be useful to the Confederate Army. During the trip down from Chattanooga, Sherman had accumulated a large store of supplies captured from the Confederates. Sherman decided to set up a large supply dump in Atlanta and destroy everything else. He then split his army and sent US General George Thomas backtracking to make sure that what was left of the Confederate army commanded by CSA General John Bell Hood did not try to cut off his supply line coming down from the north. This move assured Sherman that he could continue south and destroy what ended up being 37% of consumables in the state of Georgia and hastened the end to the tragedy known as the American Civil War, The War between the States or The War of Northern Aggression.

1867 After almost a decade of battles with the Cheyenne and the Sioux Indians of the Great Plains, not to mention the Civil War, the US military held a conference at Fort Laramie, Wyoming to try to work out a peace agreement with Indians. There had been unspeakable atrocities on both sides and the American public was fed up with the bloodletting both on the plains and during the Civil War. The US military chose to abandon their policy of an “aggressive military solution” to the “Indian problem” and called in several Sioux leaders for a pow-wow. The negotiations bore fruit when the American military decided to abandon their forts on the Bozeman Trail through Montana which was a major sore spot with the Sioux and Cheyenne, Chief Red Cloud in particular. Well, as usual the US military reneged on their promise to provide several Cheyenne tribes with guns and the Cheyenne showed their anger by slaughtering 15 people in Kansas and raping five women. The US military saw that peace was impossible and in 1868 began ramping up for war with the Sioux and Cheyenne. The US military agreed to treaty after treaty with the Sioux and Cheyenne among other tribes and broke each and every one of them. If ever there was a black mark on this great nation it is the treatment of the Native Americans. We came within a gnat’s ass of complete genocide.

2001 Almost two months to the day after the destruction of the World Trade Center an American Airline Airbus 300 with 265 people aboard departed runway 31 at New York’s JFK airport bound for the Dominican Republic. Before takeoff a Japan Airline Boeing 747 had departed ahead of the Airbus. After reaching 13,000 feet the Airbus suddenly fell almost vertically into a Rockaway, New York neighborhood killing all aboard and many on the ground. The immediate thought that it was an act of terrorism. But the FAA/National Aviation Safety Org. recovered the cockpit voice recorder and the so-called “black box” and determined the following: Even though the correct takeoff distance (4 miles) between two “heavy” aircraft was maintained, the wake turbulence behind the Japan Airline 747 was sufficient to cause an upset to the aircraft behind. In a “heavy” (300,000 pounds or heavier) aircraft there are horizontal “tornadoes” (wake turbulence) coming off the wingtips. The heavier the aircraft the more intense the wake turbulence. The pilot and co-pilot of the American Airline Airbus felt a slight shudder and then a large dive and then a severe climb and over compensated and tore the tail section off the aircraft. In fact, the tail section fell into Rockaway Bay. After that, the Airbus fell like a rock. When I was an air traffic controller, we received a lot of instructions on how to deal with “heavies”. Even if all the procedures are followed, there can still be a chance of an upset if the atmospheric conditions are exactly right. That is what happened here.

Born today:

1908 US Supreme Court Justice Harry Blackmun. When asked to describe the Supreme Court he said “We’re all eccentrics. We’re nine prima donnas.” Hey Harry, tell us something we don’t know.

1929 US actress Grace Kelly. She said “The freedom OF the press works in such a way that there is not much freedom FROM it.” I personally fed up with the press spoon feeding us what they want us to know and nothing else. This horse is not a clone, my mind is sharp, clear and individualistic and not easily fooled. OK, I am off my soapbox now.

Died today:

1865 English writer Elizabeth Gaskell. She said “Sometimes one likes a fool for their folly, better than wise people for their wisdom.” It would be nice to know people with a little of both, a sense of humor is a gift.

1989 Spanish communist leader Delores Ibarurri. She said “It is better to be the widow of a hero that the wife of a coward.” I would think it would depend on how much money they make.

Thanks for listening I can hardly wait until tomorrow