This day is extra. The 29th of February only comes along every 4 years. It is one more day to earn more money or do something special. It defines leap year. Don't waste it.
One of the more affluent members of the family has purchased a "Blu-Ray" DVD player to compliment her HDTV. Apparently "Blu-Ray" won the lottery for HD technology and it will be the standard of the DVD business. I am not familiar with "HDDVD" (the competing company) but I do understand the concept. Years ago in the late 1970's, Beta competed with VHS for dominance in the video tape business. Beta was better by far and our family bought a new unit. It took about 3 days to find out that we couldn't get "tapes" at the video store for BETA, so I exchanged it for a VHS unit. It is called capitalism. VHS destroyed BETA with marketing and "money". It was Sony who lost the BETA wars.
So now Blu-Ray which is the basic software of Sony (and PlayStation) has a victory. You are free to purchase the new HD Blu-Ray technology and be assured that it will serve you for a few years. It is only part of the puzzle however. The signal you receive is only 760p (or is it 720). An improved transmission of 1080p (or is it 1060) is planned for the future. Who cares? The point is that the signal now coming into your home is less than optimal. Then you buy a HDTV with 1080p capability receiving a less than optimal 760p signal. Blu-Ray that comes with 760p transmission capibility (or is it 1080p). Obviously I making a spoof of the whole situation. The truth is that all TV's have a better picture as the transmission of digital HD gets better and better. The question is how much you are willing to spend for this pursuit of perfection. Did I mention you need a special box to receive HD properly from the Cable Company?
Now lets finish off the Blu-Ray technolgoy with the choices of HD DVD's. You can buy a high quality Sony HD DVD player for $400. You can buy a Sony Play Station with HD technolgy which lets you play HD games along with playing HD DVD's you've rented from the store. The Sony Play Station software lets you download HD quality movies from your computer (and the internet) and play them on your HDTV. Same Price, $400. It seems like you'd buy the Play Station because you get so much more but the quality of downloads over the computer has had lots of problems. The family member of which I spoke bought the simple HD DVD Blu-Ray Sony player unit. Somewhere in my training I learned that "complexity eventually brings decay". I think the right choice was made. The Geeks would disagree with me.
So now Grasshoppers, as you receive you tax stimulus (rebate) checks and are encouraged to spend your money to stimulate the economy, you have all the information you need to p--- the money away on Blu-Ray and HD stuff. I think it falls in the category of "want" not "need". You can worry about food for the table and college for the kids later. It is like going to the "poor house" in a Cadillac.
Love,
Dad
This year (2008) represents our 50th anniversary since graduating from High Schoool. Both your Mom and I graduated in the same year. Scholastically she was ranked much higher than I was.
Well we have been contacted by classmates from '58 informing us of the upcoming reunion. We need to "mail-in" personal information along with pictures. Later we will need to send in money to pay for the festivities.
Talk about a dilemma. All the memories are of skinny people along with shared experiences from 50 years ago. Expectation is you return to this era of hard bodies and good looks and everybody will be happy, happy, happy.
The reality is that everybody has changed a lot. "Frompy" physiques, balding heads and a sea of eye-glasses. Maybe even a few canes and wheelchairs.
So you really don't know what you are going to find. Some classmembers are deceased. Some have been married multiple times. They are spread all over the country.
And then the enevitable comparisons of success. Doctors! Lawyers! Professors! World travelers! Admit it! This is the most intimidating part of the reunion. It is a judgement on what you did with your life. Maybe you were the best Mom in the world and raised 5 great kids but that gets little acclaim. So you have to develop the mindset that if you go to the reunion, you'll just look past all the petty career comparisons and enjoy the old friends for what they meant to you in 1958.
Part of me says it would interesting to go back and re-visit 1958 provided the right people show up and part of me says that 50 years have passed and you can't go back.
Going back in time is not always pleasant. The teen years are awkward. There were select cliques of people that could do hurtful things and there were many negative experiences that are best forgotten.
I know what we will do. We will send in our personal information sheets (along with pictures) to get them included in a class booklet. We will send in our money as if we are going to attend. Then sometime in June as we get near the date of the reunion, we will make the decision on whether to go. That is called keeping your options open (of maybe lack of commitment).
I really believe you can't go back. My memories have drifted to being mostly positive. Why not leave my memories alone.
And yet, I have to admit just a little curiosity.
Stay tuned!
Love,
Dad
My mother (Grandma Alice) always said things happen in "threes". I was fortunate enough to win $2 from Grandson Mitchell because I bet the New York Giants would win the Super Bowl! That $2 qualifies as a "windfall".
Then I found out that the government is going to give most tax paying citizens a rebate. Huh? Officially they call it an economic stimulus package. Yep, your mom and I will get a minimum of $300 each and maybe more depending on how they calculate each rebate using the "adjustable gross income" as a guide. So for sure, our household of two will get $600. I feel a little jealous because those of you with families and huge incomes will probably get close to $1200 ($600 each mom and dad) plus a kicker of $300 per child. It almost makes me want to go back in time and have 5 kids at home at the same time (the feeling doesn't last very long). The rebate is based on your 2007 income tax. You must file a return to get the rebate. So here I am again with another windfall (my second). My rules would say I get 10% to piddle away and 90% would go in the bank. Thats what you do with windfalls.
Remember, good things happen in threes. I am now giddy in anticipation of my third windfall. I'm almost inclined to buy a lottery ticket for this weekend. If my mother was right, I stand a pretty good chance of picking the winning number.
Or wait, I just filed my 2007 income taxes. Maybe I made a mistake in calculation and I will get a larger refund than planned! Yeah right.
My problem is anticipating where the next "windfall" will come from. Visions of sugar plums dance in my head.
I do question whether the tax rebate qualifies as a windfall. If I have to pay it back in future taxes, did I really gain anything. As Scarlet O'hara said in Gone With the Wind, "I can't think about that right now, I'll worry about it tomorrow".
Stay Warm,
Love,
Dad
I know that Grandsons Dominic and Mitchell are affectionados of equipment used in any war effort. It brings back memories because my parents had several books during the 1940's that pictured the aircraft of that era. I would always page though the books looking for the fastest aircraft. Remember, there were no jet aircraft during World War II. Most aircraft went slightly over 200 mph with a few fighters as high as 325 mph. Then later in the war, the P-47 Thunderbolt (single engine) came along with a maximum speed of 432 mph at 25,000 feet of altitude. Eventually it was surpassed by the P-51 Mustang (single engine) which peaked out at 437 mph also at 25,000 ft. The P-51 was always my favorite.
The B-17 was called the "flying fortress" and led most of the bombing raids on Germany from England. It was a workhorse of an aircraft. It could carry a big bomb load and had gunnery "bubbles" all over the fuselage. It was also slow and somewhat of a "coffin" because it was an easy target for enemy fighter planes and anti-aircraft fire.
The B-29 came along late in the War and dropped the atomic bombs on Japan. The B-29 was famous for it's range, high altitude capability and payload.
I'd be remiss if I didn't mention the Jeep. It became famous in 1940 as a light, all-wheel drive, off-road vehicle. Over 600,000 Jeeps were produced for both Europe and South Pacific fighting. It was produced by Willys-Overland and later Willys Ford. The later models ended up being pretty reliable. The Jeep name still lives today.
All the equipment used in World War II is too exhaustive to list but below are names that I remember.
Panzer Tanks (German).
Messerschmidt fighter planes (German).
Jap Zeros (Japanese fighters).
English Spitfires (English fighters).
U-Boats (German Subs).
Luger (famous German hand gun).
Bazookas (anti-tank rifles).
M-1 rifles.
PT Boats (fast US "torpedo boats" capable of going fast and dropping torpedos).
Douglas C-47 Skytrain twin engine cargo/troop planes.
I was always intrigued by the story of the battleship USS Indianapolis that was sunk by a submarine on July 30,1945 in the South Pacific. It had 1199 navy personnel on board when it was hit by the torpedos, 900 men made it into the water. The ship was unable to get a message off indicating they were sinking. It took 3 days for help to arrive. 317 men survived. The rest were all eaten by sharks over the 72 hours in the water. The story is told in the movie "Jaws".
Also, Adoph Hitler was developing the atom bomb during War II. He apparently was 6-9 months away from having the final weapon. Thank goodness he never got the "bomb" or we'd all be speaking German.
So you see, there are lots of memories and lots of "things" that are buried in my memory. Our country turned out war machinery faster than at anytime in history. It was key to winning the War.
If there is an interest in more detail about different facets of War, you'll have to let me know. If you have comments, please make them!
Love,
Dad
As I research the saga of World War II it becomes more apparent that my Uncle Bob (Bucky's brother) was in the center of most of the action in the South Pacific. He was flying C-47 aircraft around the South Pacific islands hauling freight and troops to strategic locations.
After the second atomic bomb was dropped on Nagasaki, Japan, in August of 1945, the realization came that the War was ending. Bob had been flying freight missions from Manila to Okinawa as our troops were trying to conquer the island. Troops were being brought in by ships and Bob's squadron needed to fly in "heavy work type equipment".
Gradually Bob's missions switched to carrying important people on his flights (not troops) but people with with rank and authority. His squadron was moved up to the island of Iwo Jima and eventually to a field near Tokyo. After the surrender of Japan, the Japanese were to have their first "face to face" meeting with Americans on the island of le Shima (never heard of it). The Japanese Generals were flown on Japanese military aircraft from Japan to le Shima. Bob recalls being on a flight to Okinawa when he was ordered to take a plane load of world newsmen and reporters to le Shima so they could photograph and report on the meeting. That gave Bob the opportunity to watch the historic meeting.
He then flew many missions to Japan before the signing of the surrender on board the Battleship Missouri in the harbor of Tokyo. There was plenty of time to mingle with the Japanese pending the formal surrender and Bob "was always amazed at the courtesy and friendliness of everyone". There was never a feeling of being in danger.
Bob happened to have a flight out of Japan on Sept. 2, 1945 and his flight plan took him directly over the Battleship Missouri during the formal signing of surrender. Bob said he didn't realize what he was seeing and had to ask others "what the hell is going on on that big battleship in the harbor"?
So you see, my Uncle flew "over the top" of a very historic event. He was there at the end.
I do remember going to the Plymouth train station waiting for the "troop train" from Milwaukee returning military personnel after the War. Most travel in 1945-46 was by train. Standing on the platform waiting for the train was filled with anticipation. You could see the train come around a curve about a mile before it got into Plymouth. It seemed to take forever to traverse that mile. Finally the train would pull into the station (you need to experience the sensation of standing on the platform watching the train and never being sure who or what was really moving). Every family in attendance did a frantic search for their returning loved one as they stepped from the train to the platform.
World War II was over.
Love,
Dad
I have relied on my Uncle Bob's recount of stories about World War II and the Pacific Theater. He had been flying troops and cargo around the south Pacific for several years before my Dad (Bucky) was drafted in late 1944. There was a short "window of time" that both brothers were stationed in the Philippines in 1945.
Bob was the little brother. He was almost 4 years younger than Bucky.
Bob discovered that his older brother, Bucky, was living in a tent city in the Philippines close to where he was assigned. Bob's air carrier group was located north of Manilla. Bob requested a jeep and drove over to the area where Bucky was located. Bob said he searched the tent city to no avail. It was like nobody knew of Bucky's location. Then someone heard that Bob was looking for a guy named "Andrews". Bob was asked "if he meant the guy with the high IQ". Then everybody knew who Bucky was.
Bob said it was the first time he can remember when he felt that he had lost the perception that he was the "little kid brother" and there was a respect from his older brother.
So in the summer of 1945, Bob and Bucky did meet in the Philippines far from the tranquillity of little Plymouth, Wisconsin. It was several months later that our B-29's dropped two atomic bombs on Japan and the War ended.
I am always somewhat reticent to talk about "how intelligent" someone is because it is a relative measure. There was no question that Bucky was a bright guy. His Mom (my Grandma Myrna) allegedly got a letter from the Army indicating he had scored one of the highest scores ever on their intelligence tests. I think those tests helped get him a clerical job rather than an assignment of a "ground trooper".
I'm not sure when the two brothers met again but it probably was after the War and both had returned to Plymouth. Thankfully both got back safely.
The lesson Grasshoppers is that siblings remain connected by family ties no matter where they are in the world. It is a powerful connection.
Love,
Dad
As I research the World War II era, my best family source of information is Bucky's brother, Bob (my Uncle). My Dad has been deceased for over 50 years and I really don't remember any stories about war time. The most I ever got out of my Dad was admittance that he carried a "side arm" while on duty in the Phillipines.
Uncle Bob has relayed several stories to me over the past several years. I had asked "where were you when the atomic bombs were dropped on Japan and it was clear the War was over"? His response follows.
"Several weeks before the bombing at Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Bob's troop carrier squadron had moved to Clark Field, north of Manilla in the Phillipines. There were not enough buildings at Clark Field to house all the officers (all pilots had officer status), so a new tent city was put up. Latrines (thats right, outdoor toilets) were needed and quickly assembled. They were put up along the service road to the new "tent city". Under normal circumstances, officers would have erected their own two holers and would be separate from the enlisted men's twelve holer. Because time and space was a premium, a special 10 holer was built for the squadron to be used by both officers and enlisted men. The latrine was not covered with any roof or shelter because weather was so good this time of year (July, 1945). Because the latrine was located along the entrance road, it could be used by males, females, visitors and natives. The latrine was more than a hole in the ground. It was a wooden structure built to a height of 5 feet. When someone sat on the latrine, his/her head would be 8 feet off the ground. Everybody could see you. There was no front or back to the "john". Natives, both male and female would come along and try to sell things to the airmen doing their thing on the toilet. This became a never forgotten meeting place. Almost everybody lost their shyness and embarassment by necessity. The natives thought the latrines were just a waste of good wood."
Bob remembers being at Clark Field when word came of the atomic bombs detonated in Japan. The War wasn't officially over yet but everyone was shouting "the War is over". Bob's recollection is that when notified that the War was over, he was sitting on top of the open air latrine. How could you forget a moment like that?
I resist with all the "crapper" jokes because it was such a serious moment in history. Oh well!
So if you want to tell stories recounting where you were during historic episodes in history, I challenge you to top Bob's "crapper story". I bet he was completely "relieved" when he heard the news. I couldn't resist.
Love,
Dad
Both war "theaters" were raging. It was 1942 and the Germans were attacking everyone in Europe. The Japanese were steadily occupying key islands in the south Pacific and southeast China.
My Dad's brother Bob (my uncle) spent the summer of 1942 trying to get into the Navy Flying Program apparently to no avail. He then applied to the Air Corps and was accepted in late 1942. So in 1943, Bob spent his time training and getting his Commission and Wings. Bob got his Wings late in 1943. He was assigned to the Pacific and flew DC-3 twin engine cargo planes for most of the war. I think the Air Force modified the DC-3 to make it military friendly and called it the C-47. Bob took his flight training in Texas in the fall of 1943. His girl friend Helene followed him to Texas and they got married in Texas. Helene's parents were not overly thrilled with the marriage taking place in Texas but there was a War going on. It must have been the right decision because this year will be 65 years together.
Later in the War, my Grandpa Chalk along with Grandma Myrna took me to a movie at the local theater. During a 10 minute news update on the screen (I think it was called Movietone News), there were clips of a cargo plane pulling up to a terminal in the South Pacific. The pilot was leaning out the window and waving. Chalk thought that the pilot was his son Bob. So after the feature movie was over, Chalk had the theater owner (Erik Brown) replay the newsclip to see if the pilot was Bob. They must have replayed the clip 4-5 times. It was never conclusive that the pilot was Bob but you could sense the hope, that for a moment, they knew Bob was alive and well.
My Dad, Bucky, entered the war on Nov. 29,1944. By that time there were three kids. My sister Addie would have been 6 months old. Remember, the War ended on both fronts by the end of 1945 so my Dad was coming in at the tail-end of everything. Bucky was sent to the Philippines on June 10,1945. It was August 6,1945 that the B-29 named the Enola Gay dropped the first 20-kiloton atomic bomb on Hiroshima, Japan. A second atomic bomb was dropped August 9, 1945 from a B-29 (Bockscar) on Nagaski, Japan. The Japanese surrendered soon after on board the battleship USS Missouri Sept. 2,1945, The War was over.
I have not found the exact surrender date of Germany but Adolph Hitler commited suicide on April 30,1945 in a bunker in Berlin. The head of the dragon had been cut off and the war was essentially over.
My Dad's discharge paper says he was a clerk-typist and he left the service on Jan 20, 1946. Bucky's tour of duty was approximately 14 months.
I don't know the date of Uncle Bob's discharge but I have to believe it was also early 1946. That means he would have served well over 3 years.
Next time "Memorble Stories".
Love,
Dad
Hitler was ravaging Europe and the war clouds were looming. It has always intrigued me to imagine what it would have been like to be a young man from Plymouth in the late 1930's and early 1940's.
By the way, your Mom was born also in 1940. "Another war baby".
First in the family cast were my Grandpa Chalk and Grandma Myrna, owners of the City Club, who hosted the young military men home on furlough. According to my Uncle Bob, Chalk talked very little about his sons entering the military service. If they were drafted, they had to go. If they enlisted, it was their decision. I'm sure Chalk had the same fear every father would have.
Then there was my Dad. He graduated from high school in 1938 at the age of 18 and his dreams revolved around playing professional baseball. He knew that there was the potential of being drafted but he pursued the baseball career anyway. In 1940, he married my Mom and shortly there after I was born.
Bucky's younger brother Bob was 3 years behind. He graduated from high school in June of 1941. The war against the Germans was beginning to escalate. Bob started attending Lakeland College (north of Sheboygan) in the fall of '41. I don't know if my Dad was going to Lakeland at the same time or not. In those days Lakeland was called the Mission House. Bob's chances of being drafted had to be very high. His sweetheart at that time was Helene Hoffman (she is still his sweetheart).
Mom's Dad (Grandpa George) was 33 years old in 1940. He had two children and was working for Reinhold Hardware in Plymouth. George had volunteered to do Red Cross service in town. During the air raid practice sessions, he had an area of town that he was supposed to walk through looking for casualties if they occurred after a bombing. He assisted in notifying people that failed to turn out lights or pull shades. George never had to enter the service. Besides being "older" at 33, he was married with young children. Later, almost every able bodied man under 40 was elgible for the draft but Reinhold Hardware was declared a "critical supplier" to the war effort and George (because of his needed critical skills) was exempt from the draft.
My Mother (Grandma Alice) was a young bride with one child. I never sensed her fear of Bucky having to go to war but I'm sure it was there.
It was here that things got interesting. On the other side of the world from Germans, the Japanese decided that they wanted to conquer their piece of the world. On Dec. 7, 1941, the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor. Suddenly, there were two war fronts to contend with. It was here that the United States officially declared war on Japan. The threat to the United States was never greater.
The day that the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor was like the aircraft hitting the Twin Towers in New York on 9/11. Everybody remembers where they were. My Uncle Bob said he was in his car in front of Helene's home. He was dropping her off after a date. My Dad never talked about where he was upon hearing about the bombing. Remember there were no TV's. Everything was received by radio with significant time delays.
Now what? You'll have to wait until next time.
Love,
Dad