"Oh, say can you see.." 14 June, 2007 Flag Day

"I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all."

Those of us who went to school here in the States are well familiar with the pledge.
But most of us are unaware of it's history.
It was penned in it's original form as a marketing gimmick to promote the sale of the National Standard in 1892 in honor of the 400th anniversary of Columbus 'discovering' America.

It's author was Francis Bellamy, a Baptist Minister who was also reputed to be a socialist.



It was published in "Youth's Companion" on September the 7th, 1892, and Bellamy meant for it to be recited in 15 seconds or less.
You may be aware that the phrase "One Nation Under God" was added decades later, and there is now a controversy to remove it from the pledge.
This is the version that I recited as a schoolboy, and the one that I will continue to recite.

The proper protocol for reciting the pledge, and reviewing the Stars and Stripes or during the singing of the National Anthem is as follows;

All of those not in uniform are to place their right hands over their hearts, men are to remove their hats and place them over their heart.
Those in uniform are to hold a proper salute for the duration.
Respectful silence is to be observed throughout.

Why and how did the flag get to be a revered symbol of our Nation?

The evolution of the flag can be researched on the Smithsonian Institutes excellent American History Museum web site, www.americanhistory.si.edu/SSB/6_thestory/fs6.html
The web site for Fort McHenry is also a wealth of information.

The 30'x42' Flag that flew over Fort McHenry on 14 September 1814 which inspired Francis Scott Key to write his famous Broadside poem that became our National Anthem has an interesting story of it's own.
The Army commissioned Mary Dickersgill to make two flags for the Fort in the summer of 1813. She was paid $405.90 to make the large flag, and $168.54 for a smaller flag that was to fly on the parade ground inside the fort.
The big flag was so large that she had to spread it out on the floor of a nearby brewery to complete it's construction.

Key penned his poem while being held under 'house arrest' on a British Warship in Baltimore Harbor, during the 25 hour bombardment of the Fort.
After a night of intensive explosions, the Flag was still visible over the ramparts the next morning.
His poem was an immediate success, and was published in 15 major papers.
In later years it was adapted to the tune "To Anacreon in Heaven", a popular ditty originally used as the theme song of a British Gentleman's club that was a music society.
The original McHenry flag remained in the possession of the Fort's commander Lt Col George Armistead for many years. His descendant Lewis was killed fighting for the Confederacy at Gettysburg on 3 July 1863.

If you have the chance to visit Fort McHenry, take the time to view the presentation in the visitor center before entering the Fort proper.
At the end of the media, while the strains of the National Anthem, sung by the Army Chorus echo in the background large curtains slowly part to your right, and a exact replica of the original flag can be seen flying over the Fort. Quite stirring!

The flag is currently undergoing an extensive restoration, as is the American History Museum itself. Both are slated to reopen in 2008.

Tradition has it that the Red stands for valor, White for Liberty and Purity, (there are 13 stripes which stand for the original 13 colonies) and Blue for Justice, Loyalty and Perseverance.
This is not actually in the U.S. Flag code, however.
The actual code and procedures for displaying and observing proper respect for the flag are on the Smithsonian site.

The Flag is but a symbol, but one preserved by the blood of Patriots and worthy of great care and respect.

Too many of them have been draped over the casket's of our fallen warriors to treat it with disregard.

12 June 1987, President Reagan speaks at the Brandenburg Gate

Today marks the twentieth anniversary of President Ronald Wilson Reagan's speech in Berlin at The Brandenburg Gate.
From a man known for his great ability as an orator, this speech ranks as one of his finest.
The challenge to General Secretary Mikhail Gobachev is by far the most well known part of the speech;
"There is one sign the Soviets can make that would be unmistakable, that would advance dramatically the cause of freedom and peace.
General Secretary Gorbachev, if you seek peace, if you seek prosperity for the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe, if you seek liberalization: Come here to this gate! Mr. Gorbachev, open this gate! Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!"
For the full text of the speech, and audio and video downloads go to
www.americanrhetoric. com/mp3clips/politicalspeeches/reaganbrandenburg4346.mp3


For those of you born after 1975, it may be hard to fully appreciate the perils and terrors of the so called Cold War.
Millions of people in the former Soviet Union and their vassal states in Eastern Europe did not find it particularly cold.
A divided Berlin typified the struggle.

I well remember nuclear 'drills' while in elementary school in Hialeah FL during the early sixties, and I also remember convoys of troops rolling through town during October of 1961 during the Cuban Missle Crises. Read "Thirteen Days" by Robert F. Kennedy, or view the excellent movie "The Missles of October" for a feel for that era.

The Marshall plan set in place in the years after WWII guaranteed that Berlin would have a free, Western sector even though the city was in Eastern Germany, the communist side.
Many thousands died in the attempt at escaping imprisonment in East Germany.
The Stazi was the East German intelligence service, and they were very effective and particularly ruthless.
The wall itself went up almost overnight in 1961, and seemed to catch the west by surprise.
For a good Hollywood look at that era check out "The Spy Who Came In From the Cold" starring Richard Burton.


















The phrase "Checkpoint Charlie" became a part of everyday vernacular in the 1960's.


President Reagan was ardently anti-communist, and viewed the liberation of those under Soviet tyranny the most important goal of his administration.

Although intellectual elitists made fun of his statements during the early portion of his first term regarding the fall of communism and the Soviet Union in particular, he soldiered on.
Early attempts at nuclear arms reduction also brought jeers and derision from them.
And when he responded to the Soviet's placing medium range missles in the Eastern bloc by deploying our own Pershing system, alarmists labeled him the most dangerous man on earth.

But his response, along with the ascension to power of Mikhail Gorbachev to the top post of General Secretary of the Soviet Union started the process of change.
When the President walked out of a conference with Gorbachev when he viewed his demands as unreasonable, critics roasted him.
But some months after his Brandenburg speech, Mr. Gorbachev came to Washington on a state visit, and preliminary agreement was reached on the first major nuclear reduction pact in history.

Later, President Reagan visited Moscow on a state visit, an event deemed impossible by his critics.


The agreement was signed, two years later the Soviet Union ceased to exist, and the Iron Curtain came down for good.

Many thousands of brave men and women risked and sacrificed their lives in their own fight for freedom, among them Lech Walesea who led the solidarity movement in Poland.

Their outpouring of affection for Ronald Reagan when he passed in 2004 was genuine and widespread.
The world is indeed a very different place today than it was during my youth.

I wonder what Reagan would think of President Putin's efforts to return to the darkness in Russia today, and indeed what Gorbachev must think?

Once again they proved what reasonable men of good will can accomplish despite the opposition of those who say "It can't be done!"

We all owe them a debt that can never fully be paid.

weekends, empty nests and summertime in the south

Our soldier had a three day weekend drill at Ft Pickett this past weekend, so Queen Felicia and I had the place to ourselves.
Since he is now contracted with the Army/ROTC, he spends most of his Reserve duty with the Platoon LT. learning the ropes for the rapidly approaching time when he will be a newly commissioned "butter bar" 2LT himself.
They experienced training for urban warfare, in particular room by room building clearing tactics. Some of this was live fire, or with live ammo being fired over their heads to add a sense of realism and bring home the serious aspects of their future jobs in the Army.
He thoroughly enjoyed himself, considering this to be valuable training and not the 'busy' work they usually do during weekend drill.

So, even though he is away at school and the Army 10 months or so per year, (and out with his friends most of the rest of his time here at home) this weekend was atypical for the summer months.

What does a young (at least at heart) couple do when they have finished all of their household and yard work beforehand?
Let me clarify that, Felicia still looks young.
Maybe by virtue of being with her so do I, more likely people think I married a really young honey.

Friday we went to a movie, rare for us of late due to the general lousy quality and high price of most flicks. There are a couple of budget houses locally that we frequent but this time we paid the full Monty.

"Oceans 13" was a very enjoyable summer "Pal" movie.
It was light on plot but had continuous action, and was quite funny.
Brad Pitt, George Clooney, Matt Damon (his disguise nose brings the biggest laugh in the picture) Bernie Mac, Ellen Barkin, Andy Garcia, Eliott Gould and a really good comic touch from Al Pacino as the 'bad guy' made me wonder if this was indeed the last of the "Oceans" trilogy.
As you may know the concept is a re-visitation of the famous "Rat Pack" movies of the sixties that featured Sinatra, Davis, Lawford and Dean Martin.
The background music was great, with hints of the big band Vegas music from the original era and some modern pop as well.
The crazy Vegas atmosphere and the allusions to Oprah also brought big laughs.
We heartily recommend it.

Saturday evening was spent with our local AA baseball team, the Carolina Mudcats.
Queen Felicia has finally found a way to enjoy baseball with me.
Watch it from the lap of luxury!
The restaurant at the stadium, Cattails offers a unique dining and game watching experience.
The food is truly gourmet (gourmand?) and allows you to watch the game in air conditioned comfort high above the first base line.
A fixed menu offers a choice of appetizer, salad, entree' and desert, with a pre-selected wine for each course, all for 45.00.
When in the child rearing years this would have been impossible, but now it's payback time for the Queen.
I have to admit, I miss hearing the crack of the bat, the pop of a well placed pitch in the catchers glove and the hoots and razzing from the fans against the opposition.
We did catch the last couple of innings down in the stands, and the home town nine even won this one, with a couple of dingers and a good job of relief pitching to save the win.

This coming father's day weekend however we will be sitting down in the stands with the real folks eating dogs and burgers, with perhaps an adult beverage thrown in to lubricate the tonsils.

You can't have Park Avenue every night!

"Be vewy vewy quiet, I'm hunting wabbits!"

Bunnies. Skads and skads of Bunnies!
Where do they all come from?





Is there a bunny factory, or is it true that they are born preggers?
We are literally overrun with the little stinkers.
And not only are they born 'with bunny', they are also born with a voracious appetite.
And not for the nasty weeds and such that we would like to have eliminated, but for our new plants.

The scene is from my patio at the condo in Scottsdale where I had my sales meeting last fall.
Since they had the only real grass lawn in a 1,000 mile radius, they were inundated with rabbits. I could see almost a dozen from where I sat when I shot this picture.

And the little rodents (Sorry Bugs!) can clear out a cabbage or lettuce patch in one night.
Hippity Hoppity my behind!
They are a real nuisance for the serious gardener.
We seem to be in the wabbit Michelin guide, a five star resort no less.
"Great food and plenty of it, but beware the crazy guy who will chase you around muttering incoherently"

They seem to enjoy taunting us. They will sit there and stare at the dogs when they bark, knowing that they cannot get off of the deck to attack them.
One sat in the back yard last night calmly munching our clover while I mowed.
He didn't move until I headed towards him with the mower, and then he did so with an attitude. I could swear that he mooned me as he hopped into the woods.
"Ah, go soak your head, old guy! You're too slow to catch me!"
Floppsy bunny he isn't, to be sure.
More like in your face bunny.

I am tempted to get the trusty old 20ga out and oil it up.
If I can lay my hands on a copy of "Kill The Wabbit" (to the tune of Wagner's "Flight of the Valkyries" from the classic Bugs Bunny cartoon) I may try some psych/ops against them.
It worked on Manuel Noreiga in Panama.

Felicia is afraid that she will find me sitting under a tree in full camo, channeling Elmer Fudd and muttering "I'll get you, you wascally wabbit! Hahahahahahahahahah....."
I don't think I'd look good in his hat, though.

6 June, 1944, D-Day remembered.

Famous photo of Allied Supreme Commander General Dwight D. Eisenhower addressing troops of the legendary 101st Airborne Screaming Eagles on the Eve of the Invasion.
In the original release of the picture the unit insignia on their sleeves were covered.
General Eisenhower had a brief hand written statement in his pocket accepting full responsibility for the decision to go, should the invasion attempt fail. Thankfully he did not have to use it.

Today marks the sixty third anniversary of the pivotal event of the twentieth century.
Since history isn't taught in most schools like it was in my youth, many of our younger generation do not know the full significance of this event.
They were never taught how much of a hold that pure evil had on the civilized world, and what a relative handful of brave young boys had to do to end the tyranny.

American Paratroopers and Glider troops suffered 2,499 casualties in the invasion, and their British counterparts 1,500.
The action's of the Paratroopers on D-Day are well depicted in the epic 1962 movie "The Longest Day", based on Cornelius Ryan's wonderful book.
D-Day airborne actions are also well represented in segments of "Saving Private Ryan", but are more realistically depicted in the fabulous HBO mini-series "Band of Brothers", which is based on Stephen F. Ambrose's book of the same name.
In particular, watch the extra disc of interviews with the actual survivors of Easy Company.
















American G.I.s in their LCT's awaiting the order to disembark and wade to the beach under heavy German resistance.

The opening sequence of "Saving Private Ryan" will give you some idea of the sheer terror these young boys must have felt. Most of the drivers of the LCT's dropped their ramps well short of where the soldier's were supposed to be disembarked, due to obstacles in the water, German fire and panic after watching many of their comrades blown out of the water.

Actual combat photo from the deck of a LCT.










Most of the film, both still and movie of the invasion was lost forever due to a mistake by the young film technician who over developed it.
Almost 5,000 vessels of various sorts were involved in the initial invasion, including 1,200 combat ships.
Countless thousands of air sorties joined the naval bombardment.
The night sky on June 5-6th was literally filled with gliders and C-47 aircraft carrying American and British Paratroopers.
An estimated 150,000 Allied troops were involved in the first wave of the invasion on D-Day.

The French Resistance had already been given the proper radio code words that the long anticipated invasion was finally on.

Many months of planning and deception to fool the German's as to the actual site of the invasion did not make General Eisenhower rest any easier.
He was the lone man who finally decided late in the evening of June 5th, "Let's GO!"

A very elaborate deception plan was put in place for "Operation Overlord", the official name for the invasion plans.

Hitler and his generals assumed that the Allies would land at the port of Calais, due to it's deep harbor and the fact that it was the most direct route into the Ruhr and the heart of Germany.
Hitler arrogantly called France "Fortress Europa", and tasked his most popular officer Field Marshall Erwin Rommel, the Desert Fox with it's defense.
He went at his job with a vengeance, any attempted landing would extract a horrible cost from the attacking Allied troops.

Eisenhower and his planners played on the German suspicions, and even went so far to create a false Army Group commanded by General George S. Patton, whom the German's assumed would lead the invasion. At that time, Georgie Patton was once again in Ike's doghouse, due to a propensity to shoot off his mouth in public.
Life sized inflatable tanks and aircraft, detailed false radio traffic, and other ruses served to reinforce the deception.

One bit of vital planning could have undone the entire enterprise.
"Operation Phoenix" was the code word for concrete portable docks which were called Mulberry's. They would be needed on the beaches of Normandy for off loading cargo and reinforcements, and also to serve as breakwaters.
Had the Germans discerned their true purpose, they would have adjusted their defenses accordingly and the invasion could very well have failed catastrophically.

But all of the deceptions worked, and Rommel kept his Panzer reserves inland to support a counterattack at Calais.
On the eve of the invasion he went home to Berlin because he had a cold, and it was his wife Lucy's birthday.
He would be dead the following October, forced to take a cyanide pill by the Gestapo for his alleged help in the failed assassination attempt on Hitler's life later that summer.

A young German sentry who came up into one of the bunkers at Pointe De Hoc at 6:00AM on 6 June sent this terse message to the High Command, "They are coming!"


Combat photo of soldiers helping their injured comrade onto Omaha Beach on D-Day.







Estimated Allied casualties for the first two days of the invasion are 10,000, with 3,000 killed in action. Casualty counts were difficult due to the total chaos of the first few days.
Compare that to the furor of 3,000 killed to date in six years of fighting in our current war on terror.

There are many stories of great bravery during the events of the Normandy Invasion.
The second Ranger Battalion, depicted in Saving Private Ryan had to scale the 170 ft cliffs of Pointe De Hoc in order to destroy the heavy guns their intel told them were there.
As it were, the guns had been moved inland, but airborne troops and the Rangers then located and destroyed them.
The German defenders had zeroed their weapons on every square foot of the beaches, particularly at Omaha and Juno beaches, where U.S. and Canadian troops had 3,200 casualties.

Due to a mistake in reading the tides, most of the amphibious tanks never made it to shore.
It was left to the Ranger's and the first wave of troops, mostly from the U.S. 29th Division, 116th Infantry Brigade Combat team to take the cliffs and secure the beach heads.
They were attached to the famous Big Red One, the First Infantry Division.

The 29th was called the "Blue and Gray", due to the fact that a lot of her troops were from National Guard units in VA and MD. Their ancestors had fought against one another in the American Cival War.




The National D-Day Memorial is located in Bedford VA, between Lynchburg and Roanoke because the small farm community lost 25 of it's boys on the first day of the invasion, the highest per capita loss of any community in America.
Total casualties for the 29th were 390 KIA, 511 WIA, and 27 MIA.
The division served until the end of the war, and they were one of the first allied units to meet the Russians at the Elbe River. They were deactivated, but were reinstated as the 29th Infantry Division in 1985.

Allied Commanders still had grave doubts well into the afternoon of D-Day as to the plans success. Had Guderian been allowed to commit his Panzers early on, he may have been able to repulse the invaders, or at least delay them grievously.
But Hitler was asleep, and had left word not to be disturbed under any circumstance.
No German officer dared to act without the Fuhrer's permission.
Field Marshall Rommel was too late in getting back to the front, and soon after was seriously injured and taken out of the War completely when his staff car was strafed by an Allied fighter.

The most massive undertaking in human history hinged on a few random events,
with The Almighty's hand evident throughout.

Total casualties for D-Day are estimated to have exceeded 10,000, with 3,000 of those killed.

The fighting in France continued to be vicious, particularly in the Hedgerow country.
Bitter costly battles still lie ahead, The Hurtgen Forest, The Bulge, Italy and in Germany itself before Hitler took the coward's way out and killed himself, and the German High Command finally surrendered on 8 May 1945.
The war in the Pacific would not end until September of that year.

Total casualties for WWI were 95% military, and 5% civilian.
Casualties for WWII were 67% civilian and 33% military, with Russia alone losing 29 million people! Over six million people were brutally executed in Nazi Concentration camps, which were liberated and witnessed by thousands of Allied troops.

Oh, the evil that men do to one another!

WWII vets are dying at the rate of 1,500 per day.
If you know one, whether he served in combat or not, shake his hand.
Better yet, give him a heartfelt hug.
You and your children are able to live free because of him.

There are many great resources for WWII and D-Day in particular.

"The Longest Day" by Cornelius Ryan, and the movie of the same name.
(John Wayne, what more can one say!)

"Citizen Soldiers" , "The Victors" and "Band of Brothers" by Stephen F. Ambrose.
"Band of Brothers" 10 disc set on HBO video.

A recent made for TV movie, Ike, with Tom Sellick doing a very thoughtful portrayal of the General and former President.

"Patton" starring George C. Scott and Karl Malden.

"Beyond Band of Brothers, War Memoirs of Major Dick Winters" by Major Dick Winters.

Memoirs of Winston S. Churchill, and also of Dwight D. Eisenhower.

"War as I knew It" by Gen George S. Patton.

The memoirs of General Omar Bradley.

Visit the National WWII memorial in our Nations Capital,
The National D-Day memorial in Bedford, VA www. dday.org
The National D-Day museum in New Orleans, LA www.ddaymuseum.org
the Airborne and Special Ops Museum in Fayetteville, NC near Ft Bragg.
(kind of like Disney does WWII, but very well done)

And to read the transcript of President Ronald W. Reagan's speech at the 40th anniversary of D-Day at Pointe De Hoc, go to www.reagan2020.us/speeches/40th_anniversary_of_d-day.asp

For one of America's greatest orators, I feel it was his most magnificent speech, on a par with his speech in Berlin which challenged the Soviets to tear down the wall.

Thank you, members of the Greatest Generation for freeing humanity from evil.
You won't be forgotten.

Batching It.

Bonnie. In a rare quite moment.














Rebel, in a unique moment where he isn't prone.

Csonk, at puppy school.
He's much bigger now.

















Felicia and Ariel are in Ohio visiting with Grandpa and Irene.
I am stuck here in the family manse with three four legged furballs of various states of uselessness.

Rebel leads the pack, sleeping on the glider on the front porch.
He will occasionally open one eye and look at me, and will even more infrequently come up to have his ears scratched. Otherwise he considers his job to be guarding the porch. Asleep.

As I had two extremely long and busy days on Thurs-Friday, Bonnie was visiting with friends at the Canine Hilton. When I picked her up yesterday, she reeked of "Eau de' PePe".
So I was 'privileged' to give her a cut and grooming, and then a bath as soon as we got home.
As Felicia will tell you, her normally hyper personality goes into warp drive after her bath.
Just picture a cross between Taz and a deranged weasel on amphetamines.

I then decided to tackle cleaning my office, a task long overdue.
There was one big stack and a huge bag of old documents that needed gleaning and shredding.
I made it through the stack, but the bag is now in the crawl space.
Out of sight, out of mind as they say!
I had been meaning to remove the old rug which underlay a newer throw rug, as it was a real dirt and mold catcher.
In order to do so, I had to remove everything from the shelves and move all of the furniture.
Said rug is now bundled up and stored in a corner of the garage.
Then I said to myself (quite literally, I was going stir crazy by now!) Self, why don't we rearrange everything to a more Feng Shuei (sic) compliant environment?

By the time I finally finished, it was time to give Bonnie her late evening walk and put her in her cage.
Then it was Csonk's turn. As I had been insanely busy all day he missed his Daddy play time, and was he ever honked to be caged without it!
It was now almost 8 PM, and I still had to shower and go out and scrounge supper.

Footnote, I love to cook, but pretty much refuse to cook just for myself.

My Bill of Fare for the weekend, Steak at Lone Star on Thursday night, Tex-Mex at Pancho's on Friday, Breakfast at the new Waffle House on Sat (the nicest one I had ever eaten in, brand new and clean as a pin)
So what to do on Saturday night for a wild and crazy guy batching it?
In Clayton?
A chain Q and seafood place that opened a few months ago.
We had not tried it out yet, mainly because of a perception that it was just another Eastern Carolina Q joint. (Not my favorite in the genre'. The only thing worse is the mustard based monstrosity they serve in the other Carolina)
I was pleasantly surprised to find that they also served "Calabash" style coastal Carolina Sea food, either fried or broiled. One of my favorites.
Very tasty, and it won't kill you (fried) if you only eat it occasionally.

Today consisted of walking Bonnie, driving through a much needed (2.5") rain, and visiting our favorite chain pasta palace and B&N booksellers for a couple of new tomes and an overpriced but good coffee.
I do have a book monkey on my back, must feed my literary mojo.

Trying to towel off and brush Csonk when he is hyper and wants to play is quite an experience.
Kind of like wrestling a water buffalo.
He finally settled down and tried to watch me in the kitchen, but reminded me of a little kid at bed time who knows he is sleepy but doesn't want to miss any thing.
One eye closes, then the other then they both snap open for a spell.
Both of the brats are now in their cages, I've had something to eat, and will finish the Yankees-Red Sox game after I finish this last line or two.

Come on tomorrow night, when the Queen and the Soldier come home!
This place seems bigger and way too quiet without them!

I'll be thrilled to see them, and Rebel may even open the other eye.

Hilarious hidden camera gem.

A business partner told me today of a very funny video.
Just type Dancing Cadet in your search engine.
A Cadet at the United States Air Force Academy hid a web cam in his room to catch his roomie in one of his patented dance routines. You have to see it to believe it.

The Secretary of Defense even alluded to it when he recently gave the commencement address at the Academy, warning some of the Cadets "not to quit their day jobs"

The kid is destined to be a fighter jock for sure.