tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-48444354410004867752023-11-15T08:17:00.212-06:00Booze, Broads and Black OIlRonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15179355135317866802noreply@blogger.comBlogger8125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4844435441000486775.post-85950544859081790982017-10-23T07:28:00.002-05:002017-10-23T07:29:18.841-05:00REMEMBERING<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Looking
out the window, it is still cold and snow covered. Although not
totally snowbound I'm staying indoors to avoid falling as I did a
couple of years ago. Having turned to it takes too damn long to
heal. </b></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Got
an email showing at B-17 returning to England being shot to pieces
from German flak with dead and wounded on board. This got me
thinking of my second cousin, mom's cousin, who was killed over his
fifth mission as a gunner over Vietnam.</b></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>From
there my thoughts returned to the weather and the troops involved in
the Battle of the Bulge. The cold conquered the overall misery of
American troops and two of my uncles who were following General
Patton to relieve Bastone. One lost the use of his leg during this
period.</b></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Another
uncle jumped into north Africa then to Italy via Sicily and fought
and walked to Germany. On the other side of the world another uncle
was flying the Hump as an engineer as a cousin was following
Stillwell out of Burma.</b></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Back
to the cold and misery my great uncle a WWI veteran was back at it in
the Aleutian campaign. </b></span></span></span>
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<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Mom's
brother spent over two years island hopping in the Pacific ending by
being seriously wounded in Okinawa. Dad never left the US probably
due to his age and physical problems but still served from 43 to 45
leaving Mom and home with my two brothers and myself living in a
shack with no electricity, rationed kerosene, no government aid and 1
mile from the nearest store or food stuff. We did have an old pony
and buggy. </b></span></span></span>
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<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>All
of this had a large influence on my decision to never be cold again.</b></span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><br /></b></span></span></span>
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: medium;">©</b><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: small;">RonLynch</span></span></span></span></div>
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Ronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15179355135317866802noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4844435441000486775.post-12008387243085557892017-10-13T16:56:00.001-05:002017-10-13T16:56:10.465-05:00THINGS I SHOULD HAVE WRITTEN ABOUT<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><b>1957</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><b>Boot camp was easier than expected. For me it was a change in that we slept in till 0530 and had nothing to do other than shower, shave, make our bunks and wait to be called to march to breakfast. I remember seeing grits for the first time and had no idea why they were put on a tray rather than in a bowl. </b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><b>Another surprise was meeting people from the south. About half our company was from Mississippi and Louisianna and had never seen snow. They would all volunteer for snow shoveling.</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><b>Another first was seeing a black person other than at a distance such as riding thru a larger city. His name was Robin Sparrow but never heard of after boot camp.</b></span><br />
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<b>©</b>RonLynchRonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15179355135317866802noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4844435441000486775.post-79425377959259806992010-04-24T07:39:00.001-05:002010-04-24T07:41:54.468-05:00<strong><span style="font-size:130%;">ENLARGING MY CARBON FOOTPRINT</span></strong><br /><strong><span style="font-size:130%;"></span></strong><br /><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">Read</span></strong> <a href="http://www.americanthinker.com/2010/04/why_i_am_enlarging_my_carbon_f.html"><strong><span style="color:#000099;">this article in The American Thinker</span></strong></a>Ronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15179355135317866802noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4844435441000486775.post-74326365972996053132008-10-14T09:12:00.002-05:002008-10-14T09:14:39.994-05:00<strong>I received this in an email:</strong><br /><br />Subj: Government Run Bailout??????<br /><br />Back in 1990, the Government seized the Mustang Ranch brothel in Nevada for tax evasion and, as required by law, tried to run it. They failed and it closed. Now we are trusting the economy of our country to a pack of nit-wits who couldn't make money running a whore house and selling booze?Ronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15179355135317866802noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4844435441000486775.post-25035994528575313722008-09-22T20:41:00.002-05:002008-09-22T20:52:23.619-05:00Somewhere in the past few days I heard Sarah <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Palin</span> was unqualified for the Vice Presidency due to her lack of education, B.A. only.<br /><br />Where would this country be if this had been applied to Washington, Franklin, Lincoln, Reagan and the many other patriots who didn't possess the <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">ways</span> or means to <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">continue</span> formal educations? <br /><br />Understanding and working with real people has <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">more importance</span> than sitting in <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">some</span> lecture <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">hall</span> agreeing with some Ph.D who has no real life experience.<br /><br />There once was a Navy saying, <em>"As dangerous as an Ensign with a pen."</em> Most of Sarah's <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">detractors </span>fall into this <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">category</span>. For the uninformed, pens have no erasers.Ronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15179355135317866802noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4844435441000486775.post-85216557510577582802008-08-05T22:05:00.001-05:002008-08-05T22:08:22.392-05:00Similarities to JFK good or bad?<br /><br />How was JFK assigned to Pacific Area? Fraternization with female suspected of being axis agent.<br /><br />How was PT 109, with speed capability of 40 Knots + , run down by Jap Destroyer which could maybe make 32 knots considering injection temperatures and days out of dock? Try using an old farm truck to run over a Corvette in a very large open field with both drivers sober and following orders. Good luck.<br /><br />Explain voter discrepancy of Cook Co., Ill which gave JFK the State of Illinois and the Presidency.<br /><br />Explain the Bay of Pigs, JFK's meeting with Khrushchev and the USSR missiles being placed in Cuba.<br /><br />Experience, leadership and strength of the military bailed him out of this total boo boo.<br /><br />Take a serious look at the build up in Vietnam, during his term. The press was either bought off, duped or so star struck they refused to report.<br /><br />Yes, someone else reminds me of JFK. No real experience except the ability to smile and speak without saying anything.Ronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15179355135317866802noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4844435441000486775.post-85099267250153504632008-08-02T21:17:00.004-05:002008-08-02T21:25:31.504-05:00<strong>By the time I had been aboard ship a couple weeks, </strong><br /><strong>I had learned to not go to sea on a planned voyage </strong><br /><strong>without a full load of fuel.<br /><br />Somewhere, somehow the party of grasshoppers </strong><br /><strong>have failed to learn this. They have proposed universal </strong><br /><strong>health care for many years yet I have heard no plans </strong><br /><strong>to increase the number of doctors, nurses and other </strong><br /><strong>related trades. As I understand, it takes about 10 years </strong><br /><strong>from high </strong><strong>school to being a doctor, longer for different </strong><br /><strong>specialties.<br /><br />Now the magic cure is alternative energy sources which </strong><br /><strong>generate electricity without any plans for a delivery </strong><br /><strong>system. </strong><strong>The grid cannot handle the present load as is </strong><br /><strong>proved by </strong><strong>the black and brown outs caused by weather </strong><br /><strong>conditions.<br /><br />Before believing any of the B.S. put forth by con men or </strong><br /><strong>women, </strong><strong>check their background, associates, friends, </strong><br /><strong>parents </strong><strong>and yes, </strong><strong>their education and accomplishments. </strong><br /><strong>Then look </strong><strong>for the lack </strong><strong>of planning in the proposals.</strong>Ronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15179355135317866802noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4844435441000486775.post-54129086820456629562008-07-17T08:42:00.001-05:002008-07-18T09:09:24.016-05:00<a name="Once I Was A Navyman">Once I Was A Navyman</a><br /><br />I like the Navy. I like standing on deck during a long voyage with sea spray in my face and ocean winds whipping in from everywhere - The feel of the giant steel ship beneath me, it's engines driving against the sea is almost beyond understanding - It’s immense power makes the Navyman feel so insignificant but yet proud to be a small part of this ship - A small part of Her mission.<br /><br />I like the Navy. I like the sound of taps over the ships announcing system, the ringing of the ships bell, the foghorns and strong laughter of Navy men at work. I like the ships of the Navy - nervous darting destroyers, sleek proud cruisers, majestic battle ships, steady solid carriers and silent hidden submarines. I like the workhorse tugboats with their proud Indian names: Iroquois, Apache, Kiawah and Sioux - each stealthy powerful tug safely guiding the warships to safe deep waters from all harbors.<br />I like the historic names of other proud Navy Ships: Midway, Hornet, Princeton, Sea Wolf and Saratoga. The Ozark, Hunley, William R. Rush and Turner, the Missouri, Wichita, Iowa, Arizona and Manchester, as well as The Sullivan’s, Enterprise, Tecumseh, Cole and Nautilus too- all majestic ships of the line - Each ship commanding the respect of all Navymen that have known Her - or were privileged to be a part of Her crew<br /><br />I like the bounce of Navy music and the tempo of a Navy Band, "Liberty Whites", “13 Button Blues”, the rare 72 hour liberty and the spice scent of a foreign port - I like shipmates I've sailed with, worked with, served with or have known: The Gunners Mate from the Iowa cornfields; a Sonarman from the Colorado mountain country; a pal from Cairo, Alabama; an Italian from near Boston; some boogie boarders of California; and of course, a drawling friendly Oklahoma lad that hailed from Muskogee; and a very congenial Engineman from the Tennessee hills.<br /><br />From all parts of the land they came - farms of the Midwest, small towns of New England - the red clay area and small towns of the South - the mountain and high prairie towns of the West - the beachfront towns of the Atlantic, the Pacific and the Gulf - All are American; all are comrades in arms - All are men of the sea and all are men of honor.<br /><br />I like the adventure in my heart when the ship puts out to sea, and I like the electric thrill of sailing home again, with the waving hands of welcome from family and friends, waiting on shore - The extended time at sea drags; the going is rough on occasion. But there's the companionship of robust Navy laughter, the devil-may-care philosophy of the sea. This helps the Navyman - The remembrances of past shipmates fill the mind and restore the memory with images of other ships, other ports, and other cruises long past. Some memories are good, some are not so good, but all are etched in the mind of the Navyman - and most will be there forever.<br /><br />I like the sea, and after a day of work, there is the serenity of the sea at dusk. As white caps dance on the ocean waves, the sunset creates flaming clouds that float in folds over the horizon - as if painted there by a master. The darkness follows soon and is mysterious. The ship’s wake in darkness has a hypnotic effect, with foamy white froth and luminescence that forms never ending patterns in the turbulent waters - I like the lights of the ship in darkness - the masthead lights, the red and green sidelights and stern lights. They cut through the night and appear as a mirror of stars in darkness - There are rough stormy nights, and calm, quiet, still nights where the quiet of the mid-watch allows the ghosts of all the Sailors of the world to stand with you. They are abundant and unreachable, but ever apparent - And there is always the aroma of fresh coffee from the galley.<br /><br />I like the legends of the Navy and the Navymen that created those legends. I like the proud names of Navy Heroes: Halsey, Nimitz, Beach, Farragut, John McCain, Rickover and John Paul Jones. A man can find much in the Navy - comrades in arms, pride in his country - A man can find himself and can revel in this experience.<br /><br />In years to come, when the Sailor is home from the sea, he will still recall with fondness the ocean spray on his face when the sea is angry - There will come a faint aroma of fresh paint in his nostrils, the echo of hearty laughter of the seafaring men who once were close companions - Now landlocked, he will grow wistful of his Navy days, when the seas were the largest part of him and a new port of call was always just over the horizon.<br /><br />Recalling those days and times, he will stand taller and say: "ONCE I WAS A NAVYMAN !”<br /><br />E. A. Hughes, FTCM (SS), USN (Retired)<br />Copyright, 1958, 1978Ronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15179355135317866802noreply@blogger.com1