Tuesday

Good morning,

Quote of the day,

In early December 1941 he said “Put all the planes in tight circles so they can be more easily guarded. The biggest threat to us is sabotage.”

                        US Army General Walter Short

General Short was responsible for the United States Army Air Force planes being decimated by the Japanese at Pearl Harbor even though Washington experts had told him that an airborne attack by the Japanese from the sea was likely if not imminent. By the way, the Japanese naval task force was well on its way to Hawaii by December 2, 1941.

Down in Columbia, SC some really intelligent thief decided to hold up five different places near an area known as “Vista” which is in downtown Columbia. Every place he robbed had a security camera so the cops had a montage of pictures of him from a variety of angles. He was arrested within five days and taken to the James Abbot Detention Center. After a few days he was sent to the Alvin Greene Center for Unparalleled Stupidity. By the way, here is a message to the thief “The pictures of you are ready.”

Very soon after the invention of silver and gold coins unscrupulous people would shave a tiny amount off the edges and save it up until they had enough to sell. This problem was solved by Sir Isaac Newton. In addition to giving us the basic laws of motion, gravity and integral calculus he became the Chancellor of the Exchequer which is the equivalent of the Treasurer of England. One of his problems was “clipping” which is what shaving the edges of silver and gold coins was called. Sir Isaac decided that serrations of the edges of coins of the realm would prevent clipping. He decreed that if any of the serrations were not in tact, the coin no longer would have a monetary value and would just be scrap metal in addition to a criminal sentence for the clipper. That method of coinage found its way over to the colonies and to this day our dimes, quarters, 50 cent pieces, silver dollars and our rare gold coins have serrated edges. Thanks to you Sir Isaac.

Some of y’all will remember the saga of Garinger High School in Charlotte, NC. At first there was a gang fight at a football game that took a SWAT team to break it up…then there was a fight in front of the school before class that also took a SWAT team to stop. Later a student walked out of the high school and fired a couple of rounds from a pistol and then walked back in. What they have up there is a failure to communicate. A police baton swiftly struck across shins and kneecaps speaks volumes…behind the ear is even more explanatory.

Five months ago a woman gave birth to a normal boy in Romania. What makes this peculiar is that the mother was 5’-3” and weighed 428 pounds. Enormously grotesque images come to mind. First is the conception and second is the delivery. She died a couple of days later from a heart attack. I am not going any further with this one.

This Date in History   December 2

1864 One of the finest CSA field officers is killed when an artillery shell exploded near his position in the Petersburg, Virginia fortifications. General Archibald Gracie was born in New York City in 1832. His family was wealthy and sent him to Germany to be educated and then he came back and attended West Point. After graduating he moved to Mobile, Alabama to run one of his father’s businesses. It was during this time in the City of Azaleas that he became enamored with the mystique of the Deep South. When the Civil War broke out Gracie offered his services to the Confederacy. He was assigned to the army of CSA General Kirby Smith and served with distinction in Smith’s invasion of Kentucky. After this he was promoted to Brigadier General. He fought at Chickamauga and Chattanooga. He and his brigade joined with the CSA army led by CSA General James Longstreet in his attack on Knoxville, Tennessee. Even though he was wounded at the Battle of Bean’s Bridge, he followed General Longstreet back into Virginia to join General Robert E. Lee at Petersburg. It was Gracie’s brigade that turned back US General Benjamin Butler’s attack on the Confederate flank at Drewry’s Bluff. After this action he was recommended for a promotion to Major General but he was killed before it was confirmed. The US requested a special truce to bring Gracie’s body through the lines. He is buried in New York City.

1777 Legend has it that a woman named Lydia Darrah overheard British General William Howe planning a surprise attack on US General George Washington at Whitemarsh, New Jersey. Originally General Howe had his headquarters across the street from the Darrah home. The problem was that Howe’s house did not have a room big enough for a meeting of all his staff. So Howe commandeered the upstairs office in the Darrah house for his staff meetings. Little did he know that Lydia was taking notes. When she learned of the planned surprise attack she sewed a note inside of one her aprons and asked for permission to go to a flour mill just across the lines. While there she gave her note to a Patriot officer named James Craig and he got the note to Washington. When Howe and his troops arrived at Whitemarsh he found Washington and his troops dug in and ready. After three days of inconclusive skirmishing, Howe said “To hell with it” and went back to New York. The CIA holds Lydia Darrah in high esteem as being on of the first spies in American history.

1985 John Gotti cemented his position as the head of the Gambino Crime family in New York and he did it the honorable way. He knew that the present Godfather Paul “Big Paul” Castellano and his driver Thomas “Fat Tommy” Biliotti were going to Sparks Steak House in Manhattan for dinner. Gotti had three assassins waiting and Paul and Tommy were gunned down on the sidewalk. Gotti got to his position with the Gambino family by ruling over the Howard Beach area of New York with an iron hand. John was a snappy dresser. He wore expensive silk suits and got $300 haircuts. He was taken to trial several times but always was able to beat the wrap and gained the nickname “The Teflon Don”. His luck ran out in 1994 when he was convicted on a RICO charge and was given life. He was sent to the Federal prison in Springfield, Missouri where he died of throat cancer in 2002.

1859 In Charles Town, Virginia John Brown is hanged. Brown was born in Connecticut in 1800 and became a violent anti-slavery advocate. This guy did not fool around. He would kill at the drop of a hat if he even thought you were an advocate of slavery. What brought Brown to the gallows was his raid on the US armory at Harper’s Ferry, Virginia. He had intentions of capturing the armaments there and distributing them to the slaves that he was positive would come to his side when they found out about the raid. The problem was that the slaves in the immediate community did not know of the raid and Brown stupidly had no way to haul artillery. US Colonel Robert E. Lee and Captain J.E.B. Stuart and a brigade of Marines were sent to re-capture the arsenal. Lee, Stuart and the Marines had little trouble in suppressing Brown and his motley crew. There were songs written about Brown and his bravery and dedication to the “cause”. Not in my opinion. He committed treason and was a terrorist that got what he deserved no matter how dedicated. I personally do not believe he thought he could mount a successful armed uprising being he gave zero forethought to the logistical problems involved....or maybe he did and thought God would arrive and strike down the iniquitous ones, superior trained manpower and superior armament be damned...he and his brethren paid for that ignorance with their lives.

Births and deaths:

1859 French impressionist George Seurat is born. He said “Painting is the act of making a surface holy.”

1924 American General/politician and king of double talk Alexander Haig is born. He said “It is not a lie, it is a terminological inexactitude.”

1981 The queen of the innocent ones Brittany Spears is born. She said “One of the perks of being famous is that you get to go abroad, like to Canada.” She left out Mississippi and Georgia...she is a Louisiana girl.

1990 US Composer Aaron Copeland died. He said “As long as human spirit thrives on this planet, music in some living form will accompany and sustain it and give it expressive meaning.”

I suppose all of you remember when the USS Cole was attacked by a terrorist bomber while it was taking on fuel in Yemen. The following is who the ship is named for.

The President of the United States takes pride in presenting the MEDAL OF HONOR posthumously to

SERGEANT DARRELL S. COLE

UNITED STATES MARINE CORPS RESERVE

for service as set forth in the following CITATION:

For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty while serving as Leader of a Machine-gun Section of Company B, First Battalion, Twenty-Third Marines, Fourth Marine Division, in action against enemy Japanese forces during the assault on Iwo Jima in the Volcano Islands, 19 February 1945. Assailed by a tremendous volume of small-arms, mortar and artillery fire as he advanced with one squad of his section in the initial assault wave, Sergeant Cole boldly led his men up the sloping beach toward Airfield Number One despite the blanketing curtain of flying shrapnel and, personally destroying with hand grenades two hostile emplacements which menaced the progress of his unit, continued to move forward until a merciless barrage of fire emanating from three Japanese pillboxes halted the advance. Instantly placing his one remaining machine gun in action, he delivered a shattering fusillade and succeeded in silencing the nearest and most threatening emplacement before his weapon jammed and the enemy, reopening fire with knee mortars and grenades, pinned down his unit for the second time. Shrewdly gauging the tactical situation and evolving a daring plan of counterattack, Sergeant Cole, armed solely with a pistol and one grenade, coolly advanced alone to the hostile pillboxes. Hurling his one grenade at the enemy in sudden, swift attack, he quickly withdrew, returned to his own lines for additional grenades and again advanced, attacked, and withdrew. With enemy guns still active, he ran the gauntlet of slashing fire a third time to complete the total destruction of the Japanese strong point and the annihilation of the defending garrison in this final assault. Although instantly killed by an enemy grenade as he returned to his squad, Sergeant Cole had eliminated a formidable Japanese position, thereby enabling his company to storm the remaining fortifications, continue the advance and seize the objective. By his dauntless initiative, unfaltering courage and indomitable determination during a critical period of action, Sergeant Cole served as an inspiration to his comrades, and his stouthearted leadership in the face of almost certain death sustained and enhanced the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service. He gallantly gave his life for his country.

Where do we find such men?

Thanks for listening I can hardly wait until tomorrow