... from Rabbit Hash are in -- and have been since the 5th -- I just forgot to check the site! Uh oh!! Did you remember??
According to news reports, an estimated 215% of local registered and unregistered voters "swarmed" the polls before they finally closed on election night.
Although Travis, the lone cat, had been leading the race going into the final hours, Lucy Lou - a gorgeous border collie - won by a landslide, with Toby (Michael's favorite, I think) coming in 2nd, Travis 3rd, and Higgins (the donkey, my personal favorite) falling to 4th.
The one and only human in the race received no more votes than I last reported on 11/2 and conceded early.
I'm just going to have to try and save this post in my "Funny Things, Jokes" file for a day when I'm feeling a little 'down'. I'll betcha it won't be there forever!
Monday, November 10, 2008
Reflections
It's pouring down rain outside. From where I'm sitting, I can hear the wind blowing and drops hitting the roof and windows ... a perfect day for reflecting - leaning back, thinking, and remembering - reading other folks' blogs and enjoying, letting my imagination wander as I read what they've written. I'd like to share with you just a few of the many thoughts that have gone through my mind in the past hour or so.
Tammy, whose blogsite Sunshine Cottage focuses mainly on religion and family, has always been interested in history. Her latest post talks about a Civil War reenactment that her husband recently participated in, and she briefly discusses their reasons for wanting to continue remembering that part of history. I concur with all of what she said.
She didn't go into a whole lot of detail and included only one photograph, which allowed my mind to wander freely ... I was thinking about my many trips to Atlanta and my stays in a campground on Kennessaw Mountain, where I saw a lot of historical markers and read about some of the many battles during the Civil War in that area -- about my visit to Shiloh during the week one September and the eeriness of being one of the few visitors there and almost being able to actually see and hear the battle -- about the struggles for Texas' independence from Mexico - The Alamo, Goliad, San Jacinto.
I was reminded of the importance of not forgetting the past. I don't mean that we should dwell in it, but I think it's imperative that, particularly in this day and age of instant worldwide interaction and connectivity, we all retain our individual sense of self and place in history - our own very rich and distinct cultural heritage.
I went on from there to Michael's latest entry, Haunting Myself, a poem I found particularly lovely.
He's kind of a dreamer and questioner, and while reading this I was reminded of the beautiful love story in the movie "Somewhere in Time" (Christopher Reeve, I think, and I forget who played the female lead - I'd have to look it up) -- of the elusiveness of dreams, of trying to capture and retain a fleeting thought, event, moment, or feeling.
I checked out Polimom's blog, and was pleased to note that she'd included a photograph taken on one of her walks through George Bush Park in far west Houston. She's fast becoming known for her skills with the camera and all its various attachments and lenses.
That post reminded me of Steven's blog, which is here there and everywhere, but almost always in the pursuit of loveliness and beauty. And, when he finds something he considers absolutely delightful, he writes about it and includes a photograph or two. What I find delightful about his blog is his almost childlike reaction to what he sees and discovers, like he's seeing something really fascinating for the very first time and just can't wait to share it with everyone! I find his enthusiasm contagious.
I've had a very good start to my day. Hope you have!
Tammy, whose blogsite Sunshine Cottage focuses mainly on religion and family, has always been interested in history. Her latest post talks about a Civil War reenactment that her husband recently participated in, and she briefly discusses their reasons for wanting to continue remembering that part of history. I concur with all of what she said.
She didn't go into a whole lot of detail and included only one photograph, which allowed my mind to wander freely ... I was thinking about my many trips to Atlanta and my stays in a campground on Kennessaw Mountain, where I saw a lot of historical markers and read about some of the many battles during the Civil War in that area -- about my visit to Shiloh during the week one September and the eeriness of being one of the few visitors there and almost being able to actually see and hear the battle -- about the struggles for Texas' independence from Mexico - The Alamo, Goliad, San Jacinto.
I was reminded of the importance of not forgetting the past. I don't mean that we should dwell in it, but I think it's imperative that, particularly in this day and age of instant worldwide interaction and connectivity, we all retain our individual sense of self and place in history - our own very rich and distinct cultural heritage.
I went on from there to Michael's latest entry, Haunting Myself, a poem I found particularly lovely.
He's kind of a dreamer and questioner, and while reading this I was reminded of the beautiful love story in the movie "Somewhere in Time" (Christopher Reeve, I think, and I forget who played the female lead - I'd have to look it up) -- of the elusiveness of dreams, of trying to capture and retain a fleeting thought, event, moment, or feeling.
I checked out Polimom's blog, and was pleased to note that she'd included a photograph taken on one of her walks through George Bush Park in far west Houston. She's fast becoming known for her skills with the camera and all its various attachments and lenses.
That post reminded me of Steven's blog, which is here there and everywhere, but almost always in the pursuit of loveliness and beauty. And, when he finds something he considers absolutely delightful, he writes about it and includes a photograph or two. What I find delightful about his blog is his almost childlike reaction to what he sees and discovers, like he's seeing something really fascinating for the very first time and just can't wait to share it with everyone! I find his enthusiasm contagious.
I've had a very good start to my day. Hope you have!
Sunday, November 9, 2008
More bits & pieces
What a week this last one was!
There was the election -- "There was an election?" you ask. "My goodness, I had no idea. Why didn't someone tell me?!?"
I thought about "My week so far", published just three days ago -- seems like last year! --, which included the fact that I hadn't gotten a very good night's sleep the night before due to a lot of extraneous noises.
I'm hoping that this will not become a common occurrence -- that of going to bed and then waking up somewhere between one and three hours later. Alas, such was the case again last night.
However, I will make every attempt possible to make this a coherent post.
No Charles Osgood recap this morning. I tried to stay awake to watch his program, but was unable to do so, and I have no earthly idea what it was all about. Sorry!
Have some interesting (and surprising) news to report in re the status of my passport application. Remember how I went on and on about the whole ridiculous process in this post?
Well, a couple of days ago I received in the mail a very official-looking envelope (only a 'teeny tiny touch' bulky) bearing the notice "OFFICIAL BUSINESS".
I thought, "OK, he alerted me to the possibility that I might have to do some research and provide more detailed explanations to some of the questions he asked. Go ahead, Goldenrod. Open it, and find out the worst."
And so I did. I opened it. Inside was my original (notarized) birth certificate, along with a card that said, "Your passport application has been approved & your passport has been issued."
I ****** near fainted, and I am not the fainting type!
Anyway, I now have a valid passport and nowhere to go. Is that 'wild' or what?!?
In this post I first told all of you of my interest in going to Korea to teach English in their 4-week winter program. I was pretty excited about the possibility, as a matter of fact!
I am SO qualified for this. I made my first inquiry online* -- BTW, my confidence in online applications has been greatly diminished!!!!! -- October 3rd ... followed up with the Korean embassy here in Houston a few days later (think I reported that contact in a blogpost) ... sent another e-mail directly this past week (and yes, they are still advertising for teachers!!??!!) ... tried their direct phone line (no answer).
There are only three reasons I can think of why I haven't heard back from them, even though their ad promises that 'someone will contact you within three days' ... ... 1) Applications/e-mails were never received. (NONE of them?!?) 2) I didn't include my 'resume'. (*DD tells me that one must include a separate resume even tho all of the info has already been included in the application itself. Makes no sense to me, folks!) 3) I am too old to be considered for the position. (Well, there's not one thing I can do to alter my age. Not a single thing. If age were to be a consideration, I think that should have been mentioned in their ad.)
I'll probably make another attempt this coming week. However, I am feeling more and more like I am (perhaps) being saved 'from a fate worse than death' here. I don't know what else to say about it. I really don't.
PS. Forgot to mention (at least, I don't think I did!) that I've never had a passport, never applied for one before, etc. Remember those two photos I moaned and groaned about not that long back? Well, the photo that appears in my just-issued passport actually is kind of 'age-forgiving' and I look like someone has just told me a good joke, but I'm trying not to guffaw. I wonder what it might have looked like if the pic had been taken by a 'professional' -- Craig, for example? (Probably would have been "too hot to handle".) lol
BTW, whatever happened to the second one I had to give them??
There was the election -- "There was an election?" you ask. "My goodness, I had no idea. Why didn't someone tell me?!?"
I thought about "My week so far", published just three days ago -- seems like last year! --, which included the fact that I hadn't gotten a very good night's sleep the night before due to a lot of extraneous noises.
I'm hoping that this will not become a common occurrence -- that of going to bed and then waking up somewhere between one and three hours later. Alas, such was the case again last night.
However, I will make every attempt possible to make this a coherent post.
No Charles Osgood recap this morning. I tried to stay awake to watch his program, but was unable to do so, and I have no earthly idea what it was all about. Sorry!
Have some interesting (and surprising) news to report in re the status of my passport application. Remember how I went on and on about the whole ridiculous process in this post?
Well, a couple of days ago I received in the mail a very official-looking envelope (only a 'teeny tiny touch' bulky) bearing the notice "OFFICIAL BUSINESS".
I thought, "OK, he alerted me to the possibility that I might have to do some research and provide more detailed explanations to some of the questions he asked. Go ahead, Goldenrod. Open it, and find out the worst."
And so I did. I opened it. Inside was my original (notarized) birth certificate, along with a card that said, "Your passport application has been approved & your passport has been issued."
I ****** near fainted, and I am not the fainting type!
Anyway, I now have a valid passport and nowhere to go. Is that 'wild' or what?!?
In this post I first told all of you of my interest in going to Korea to teach English in their 4-week winter program. I was pretty excited about the possibility, as a matter of fact!
I am SO qualified for this. I made my first inquiry online* -- BTW, my confidence in online applications has been greatly diminished!!!!! -- October 3rd ... followed up with the Korean embassy here in Houston a few days later (think I reported that contact in a blogpost) ... sent another e-mail directly this past week (and yes, they are still advertising for teachers!!??!!) ... tried their direct phone line (no answer).
There are only three reasons I can think of why I haven't heard back from them, even though their ad promises that 'someone will contact you within three days' ... ... 1) Applications/e-mails were never received. (NONE of them?!?) 2) I didn't include my 'resume'. (*DD tells me that one must include a separate resume even tho all of the info has already been included in the application itself. Makes no sense to me, folks!) 3) I am too old to be considered for the position. (Well, there's not one thing I can do to alter my age. Not a single thing. If age were to be a consideration, I think that should have been mentioned in their ad.)
I'll probably make another attempt this coming week. However, I am feeling more and more like I am (perhaps) being saved 'from a fate worse than death' here. I don't know what else to say about it. I really don't.
PS. Forgot to mention (at least, I don't think I did!) that I've never had a passport, never applied for one before, etc. Remember those two photos I moaned and groaned about not that long back? Well, the photo that appears in my just-issued passport actually is kind of 'age-forgiving' and I look like someone has just told me a good joke, but I'm trying not to guffaw. I wonder what it might have looked like if the pic had been taken by a 'professional' -- Craig, for example? (Probably would have been "too hot to handle".) lol
BTW, whatever happened to the second one I had to give them??
Saturday, November 8, 2008
Bizarre coincidences
Some sources have been comparing President-elect Obama to John F. Kennedy, citing his youth and the Illinois connection, and suggesting a new 'Camelot' in Washington with his two children and a wife who certainly does remind one of Jacqueline.
For a most bizarre set of coincidences, have a gander at those below. I was aware of some of them, but nowhere near all.
Abraham Lincoln was elected to Congress in 1846.
John F. Kennedy was elected to Congress in 1946.
Abraham Lincoln was elected President in 1860.
John F. Kennedy was elected President in 1960.
Both men were particularly concerned about civil rights.
Both of their wives lost children while living in the White House.
Both Presidents were shot on a Friday.
Both Presidents were shot in the head.
Lincoln's secretary was named Kennedy.
Kennedy's secretary was named Lincoln.
Both were assassinated by Southerners.
Both were succeeded by Southerners named Johnson.
Andrew Johnson, who succeeded Lincoln, was born in 1808.
Lyndon Johnson, who succeeded Kennedy, was born in 1908.
John Wilkes Booth, who assassinated Lincoln, was born in 1839.
Lee Harvey Oswald, who assassinated Kennedy, was born in 1939.
Both assassins were known by all three of their names.
Both names are composed of a total of fifteen letters.
Lincoln was shot in a theater named 'Ford'.
Kennedy was shot in a Lincoln made by Ford.
Lincoln was shot in a theater. His assassin ran and hid in a warehouse.
Kennedy was shot from a warehouse. His assassin ran and hid in a theater.
Both Booth and Oswald were shot before their trials.
A week before Lincoln was shot, he was in Monroe, Maryland.
A week before Kennedy was shot, he visited Marilyn Monroe.
For a most bizarre set of coincidences, have a gander at those below. I was aware of some of them, but nowhere near all.
Abraham Lincoln was elected to Congress in 1846.
John F. Kennedy was elected to Congress in 1946.
Abraham Lincoln was elected President in 1860.
John F. Kennedy was elected President in 1960.
Both men were particularly concerned about civil rights.
Both of their wives lost children while living in the White House.
Both Presidents were shot on a Friday.
Both Presidents were shot in the head.
Lincoln's secretary was named Kennedy.
Kennedy's secretary was named Lincoln.
Both were assassinated by Southerners.
Both were succeeded by Southerners named Johnson.
Andrew Johnson, who succeeded Lincoln, was born in 1808.
Lyndon Johnson, who succeeded Kennedy, was born in 1908.
John Wilkes Booth, who assassinated Lincoln, was born in 1839.
Lee Harvey Oswald, who assassinated Kennedy, was born in 1939.
Both assassins were known by all three of their names.
Both names are composed of a total of fifteen letters.
Lincoln was shot in a theater named 'Ford'.
Kennedy was shot in a Lincoln made by Ford.
Lincoln was shot in a theater. His assassin ran and hid in a warehouse.
Kennedy was shot from a warehouse. His assassin ran and hid in a theater.
Both Booth and Oswald were shot before their trials.
A week before Lincoln was shot, he was in Monroe, Maryland.
A week before Kennedy was shot, he visited Marilyn Monroe.
Friday, November 7, 2008
"President Obama"
Every time I look at a site that shows photograph after photograph after photograph of Barack Obama with the caption "President Obama", I cringe -- literally, I cringe!
I think all y'all probably know that I was not an Obama supporter. I was not a McCain supporter, either, which makes almost no sense whatsoever!
When I went to the polls to vote Tuesday -- and I did, altho I didn't want to! -- I had just a terrible time deciding who the devil I was going to vote for for President of the United States. I'm not kidding you here, I had a gawdawful time!
Once I checked that little box, tho, the rest was easy!!
I left the polling place feeling as tho I had 'done my duty'. That's about it. And, oh yes, I felt a great deal of pride in myself that I had done my civic duty in spite of how I felt about the candidates in general.
What I really want to carp about today is calling Barack Obama 'President' before he is!!!
He is, in actuality, the "President-elect" and is scheduled to be sworn in in January ... then you can justifiably call him "President Obama."
Please do not 'jinx' him by calling him 'President' before then ... PLEASE!!
I guess it's some of what little I have of a superstitious nature (and I do have some, obviously) coming out.
Possibly one of the most flagrant examples that keeps coming to mind (nothing whatsoever to do with politics, aren't you glad?) is when Purdue was playing SMU (football) in the late 60's, I think. Purdue was ranked very close to the top nationally, if not #1, and the 'homeboys' were gloating over Purdue's wide lead in the first half. "Well, this game is all but over" type of crap. Purdue lost, and continued on to have a mediocre season.
Similarly with the Oilers (and I have yet to write about my rabid years as a diehard Oilers' fan) ... remember the game in Buffalo? Oh, my!
I sincerely hope that Barack Obama continues to pursue as tenaciously (when inaugurated as President of the United States) his stated goals as when he was running for the highest office in our land.
I think all y'all probably know that I was not an Obama supporter. I was not a McCain supporter, either, which makes almost no sense whatsoever!
When I went to the polls to vote Tuesday -- and I did, altho I didn't want to! -- I had just a terrible time deciding who the devil I was going to vote for for President of the United States. I'm not kidding you here, I had a gawdawful time!
Once I checked that little box, tho, the rest was easy!!
I left the polling place feeling as tho I had 'done my duty'. That's about it. And, oh yes, I felt a great deal of pride in myself that I had done my civic duty in spite of how I felt about the candidates in general.
What I really want to carp about today is calling Barack Obama 'President' before he is!!!
He is, in actuality, the "President-elect" and is scheduled to be sworn in in January ... then you can justifiably call him "President Obama."
Please do not 'jinx' him by calling him 'President' before then ... PLEASE!!
I guess it's some of what little I have of a superstitious nature (and I do have some, obviously) coming out.
Possibly one of the most flagrant examples that keeps coming to mind (nothing whatsoever to do with politics, aren't you glad?) is when Purdue was playing SMU (football) in the late 60's, I think. Purdue was ranked very close to the top nationally, if not #1, and the 'homeboys' were gloating over Purdue's wide lead in the first half. "Well, this game is all but over" type of crap. Purdue lost, and continued on to have a mediocre season.
Similarly with the Oilers (and I have yet to write about my rabid years as a diehard Oilers' fan) ... remember the game in Buffalo? Oh, my!
I sincerely hope that Barack Obama continues to pursue as tenaciously (when inaugurated as President of the United States) his stated goals as when he was running for the highest office in our land.
Thursday, November 6, 2008
My week so far ...
... has been 'scattered', to say the very least!
On Monday morning, I received a call from one of my old-timey cancer patient customers, telling me he was arriving at Houston Hobby AP later that day, and could I possibly pick him up?
Well, of course I could, and I stopped by Kroger's 'on the way' to pick up a bunch of grape salad (for me) and a smaller container for him, which he loves but usually can't ingest because of upcoming or just completed tests.
It was so wonderful to see him again! Tall (6'1" or so), thin, and smiling as always, he presented me with a hardback copy of Nelson DeMille's latest tome (674 pages altogether), The Gate House.
There was a kind of peculiar look in his eyes as he handed me the book, so I asked, "Have you read this yet?"
[He and I have had many discussions over the years about books, hobbies, etc., and he has previously given me other hardback books that were downright gifts, but I just knew that this presentation was different!]
"No," he replied. "I'll need you to return it to me when I come back in February."
I'm on page 50, folks ... only 600+ more to go, and let me tell you, it's great!
I had a most peculiar night (just passed), sleeping-wise. I hit the pillow after 1:00 this morning, and woke up -- somewhat fitfully -- about two and a half hours later.
Siren noises, emergency/large vehicles backing up, etc. ... noises that shouldn't have been there, but were. My subconscious kept trying to incorporate them into a dream and failed.
I had to get up to see if there was anything extraordinary going on outside.
I peered through the blinds and could see several emergency vehicles, including fire trucks and an ambulance. I knew that I was not dreaming. This was actually occurring.
I unlocked the front door and walked up the street (perhaps half a block) ... could see three fire trucks, but no more ambulances at that time, thank goodness! ... saw water coming out of firemen's hoses onto a house (not one of the townhouses) that couldn't have been more than a block from me.
There was a fellow sitting in an idling pickup truck in our 'common driveway'. I asked, "What's going on?"
He showed me pictures that he had taken earlier of an absolutely raging fire! Can't believe I slept through almost the whole thing, but I did.
I don't like fires (unless I set them, as in a fireplace). I don't know the residents of that house, but it's been totalled. Terrible!
Too close for 'comfort'. All fires are abominable, imo, unless they're deliberately and carefully set, but this one really hit kind of close to home!
On Monday morning, I received a call from one of my old-timey cancer patient customers, telling me he was arriving at Houston Hobby AP later that day, and could I possibly pick him up?
Well, of course I could, and I stopped by Kroger's 'on the way' to pick up a bunch of grape salad (for me) and a smaller container for him, which he loves but usually can't ingest because of upcoming or just completed tests.
It was so wonderful to see him again! Tall (6'1" or so), thin, and smiling as always, he presented me with a hardback copy of Nelson DeMille's latest tome (674 pages altogether), The Gate House.
There was a kind of peculiar look in his eyes as he handed me the book, so I asked, "Have you read this yet?"
[He and I have had many discussions over the years about books, hobbies, etc., and he has previously given me other hardback books that were downright gifts, but I just knew that this presentation was different!]
"No," he replied. "I'll need you to return it to me when I come back in February."
I'm on page 50, folks ... only 600+ more to go, and let me tell you, it's great!
I had a most peculiar night (just passed), sleeping-wise. I hit the pillow after 1:00 this morning, and woke up -- somewhat fitfully -- about two and a half hours later.
Siren noises, emergency/large vehicles backing up, etc. ... noises that shouldn't have been there, but were. My subconscious kept trying to incorporate them into a dream and failed.
I had to get up to see if there was anything extraordinary going on outside.
I peered through the blinds and could see several emergency vehicles, including fire trucks and an ambulance. I knew that I was not dreaming. This was actually occurring.
I unlocked the front door and walked up the street (perhaps half a block) ... could see three fire trucks, but no more ambulances at that time, thank goodness! ... saw water coming out of firemen's hoses onto a house (not one of the townhouses) that couldn't have been more than a block from me.
There was a fellow sitting in an idling pickup truck in our 'common driveway'. I asked, "What's going on?"
He showed me pictures that he had taken earlier of an absolutely raging fire! Can't believe I slept through almost the whole thing, but I did.
I don't like fires (unless I set them, as in a fireplace). I don't know the residents of that house, but it's been totalled. Terrible!
Too close for 'comfort'. All fires are abominable, imo, unless they're deliberately and carefully set, but this one really hit kind of close to home!
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
Medal of Honor
The highest honor that can be bestowed, there have been less than 3,500 awarded since the Medal of Honor's inception during the Civil War.
I watched a gut-wrenching, awe-inspiring, and very moving 90-minute presentation by PBS this evening that chronicled in detail a few of the recipients' stories. Some of the little more than a handful who are still with us appeared in personal interviews with their thoughts interspersed throughout the hour and a half program.
Here are just a few of their stories ... ...
Hershel Williams - 5'6" - turned down twice by the Marines - on Iwo Jima, was asked by his commanding officer if he thought he could man a flame thrower (all of those who had previously been manning flame throwers were dead) and destroy some pillboxes that the enemy was using to great advantage - he couldn't remember what he replied, but was later told that he'd said, "I'll try" ("That sounds like something I might say," he later acknowledged) - was 'escorted' by several men who were trying to protect him from being hit (when he got to the first pillbox, he discovered that he was all alone) - managed single-handedly to destroy seven (7!) pillboxes, using a total of six flame-throwers in all - asked where he'd gotten the other flame throwers, he replied, "I guess I must have kept going back down and getting another" (he really couldn't remember)
Mike Thornton - Navy SEAL - went back to get his severely wounded commanding officer (presumed dead and subsequently abandoned) - on the way back to the beach, found another comrade who'd been wounded and carried the two into the water - flotation of the other two was accomplished by the second one draping his arms around Thornton's neck and supporting the other who was unable to do anything to assist himself - two hours later, they were found and rescued by a search boat
Paul Smith - a career soldier (platoon sergeant, I believe) - died at Bagdad International Airport while staving off the enemy manning a 50-caliber machine gun mounted atop an armored vehicle (the previous gunner had been killed) - story told by the driver of the vehicle, whom Smith kept shouting at to "Get down!"
John Finn - Pearl Harbor - in charge of gun placements and ammunition - had futilely argued to have gun mounts constructed at the airfield - drove to the airfield the morning of the attack, dragged a large caliber gun out of a destroyed airplane, temporarily mounted it on a pile of lumber and began firing at as many incoming Japanese aircraft as he could 'bear on'
Tibor Rubin - Hungarian - initially rejected because he couldn't speak English very well - a Jew - concentration camp - freed by Allies - vowed to come to America and try to repay this country - was called upon to defend a hill all by himself (commanding officer actually said, "Get the funny talking son of a bitch") - left on top of the hill with lots of grenades and two guns - spent the night praying to God, Moses, Allah, Buddha, and everyone else he could think of in addition to spreading his weaponry around - "I have to make them think there are a lot of people up here" - attack by North Koreans came at 4am - miraculously, he held the hill for twenty-four hours
Alvin York - pacifist - declined the conscientious objector status achieved for him by his family's pastor "because my ancestors told me to go fight" - down to his last six bullets - six men coming at him - he shot the 6th one, then the 5th, then the 4th, etc. - said later, "It's like hunting turkeys. You don't want the first ones to know that the back ones are going down."
So many wonderful quotes, including a lot of humor, by these men. I couldn't take notes fast enough, I apologize, but here are three more ... ...
"I seen it was gonna be a bad day."
"My good looks are gone."
"What better place to die than in the arms of your comrades?"
None consider themselves 'heroes' and all who still wear the Medal of Honor wear it with pride for all those who didn't survive. Seventeen have received the Medal of Honor twice! (I can't even imagine such a possibility.)
The word 'fear' came up again and again. One said, "Fear can save your life, but you can't let it control you." "My anger became so great that I forgot to be afraid," said another.
Seventy-five medics in all have received the Medal of Honor, five chaplains, and included in this illustrious group of Medal of Honor recipients is an African-American soldier in the Civil War who took up a downed flag bearer's banner (dropping his own weapon in the process) before it could hit the ground.
Only one woman - a doctor - Mary Edwards Walker - Civil War - wore trousers underneath her skirt and was heavily criticized - made many trips to the Confederate side to treat wounded - believed amputation was a last resort - captured by the South and paraded throughout the streets of Richmond as a laughing stock - Medal rescinded years later because she was 'only' a civilian, but refused to give it up (in fact, she wore it every day for the rest of her life, or so the story goes)
I kept waiting for Audie Murphy's name and story to come up. It never did. He was one of my childhood heroes. I had always heard that he was the most decorated soldier of World War II. I thought, "What if he wasn't one of the most decorated?"
And so I went looking (on the internet, of course!) -- and yes, he was the 'most decorated'. There are so many websites that you can delve into at your leisure. It's incredible, actually! I'll get you started with one or two reference sites below, and then you can begin to lose yourself in many many many many hours of history.
As with life, the Medal of Honor's history is not without its negative side. I have chosen not to include detailed accounts of the one that was returned, nor the one whose recipient spent the vast majority of the rest of his life criticizing the United States for its 'imperialism'.
I chose, instead, to describe positives. That is the way in which I try to approach life. I am not always successful, but I try.
I am proud to be an American, and am even more proud of myself that I took the opportunity to vote yesterday! (And no, I did not write my own name in.)
This site has a few of the many stories of valor and was linked from pbs.org.
This one has the number of Medal of Honor recipients listed by 'conflict'. You will notice a huge discrepancy between the numbers issued during the Civil War (over 1500, nearly half of the total) and all of those afterwards. The explanation given, as I recall, was that soldiers who were willing to re-enlist were offered the Medal of Honor as an enticement.
I watched a gut-wrenching, awe-inspiring, and very moving 90-minute presentation by PBS this evening that chronicled in detail a few of the recipients' stories. Some of the little more than a handful who are still with us appeared in personal interviews with their thoughts interspersed throughout the hour and a half program.
Here are just a few of their stories ... ...
Hershel Williams - 5'6" - turned down twice by the Marines - on Iwo Jima, was asked by his commanding officer if he thought he could man a flame thrower (all of those who had previously been manning flame throwers were dead) and destroy some pillboxes that the enemy was using to great advantage - he couldn't remember what he replied, but was later told that he'd said, "I'll try" ("That sounds like something I might say," he later acknowledged) - was 'escorted' by several men who were trying to protect him from being hit (when he got to the first pillbox, he discovered that he was all alone) - managed single-handedly to destroy seven (7!) pillboxes, using a total of six flame-throwers in all - asked where he'd gotten the other flame throwers, he replied, "I guess I must have kept going back down and getting another" (he really couldn't remember)
Mike Thornton - Navy SEAL - went back to get his severely wounded commanding officer (presumed dead and subsequently abandoned) - on the way back to the beach, found another comrade who'd been wounded and carried the two into the water - flotation of the other two was accomplished by the second one draping his arms around Thornton's neck and supporting the other who was unable to do anything to assist himself - two hours later, they were found and rescued by a search boat
Paul Smith - a career soldier (platoon sergeant, I believe) - died at Bagdad International Airport while staving off the enemy manning a 50-caliber machine gun mounted atop an armored vehicle (the previous gunner had been killed) - story told by the driver of the vehicle, whom Smith kept shouting at to "Get down!"
John Finn - Pearl Harbor - in charge of gun placements and ammunition - had futilely argued to have gun mounts constructed at the airfield - drove to the airfield the morning of the attack, dragged a large caliber gun out of a destroyed airplane, temporarily mounted it on a pile of lumber and began firing at as many incoming Japanese aircraft as he could 'bear on'
Tibor Rubin - Hungarian - initially rejected because he couldn't speak English very well - a Jew - concentration camp - freed by Allies - vowed to come to America and try to repay this country - was called upon to defend a hill all by himself (commanding officer actually said, "Get the funny talking son of a bitch") - left on top of the hill with lots of grenades and two guns - spent the night praying to God, Moses, Allah, Buddha, and everyone else he could think of in addition to spreading his weaponry around - "I have to make them think there are a lot of people up here" - attack by North Koreans came at 4am - miraculously, he held the hill for twenty-four hours
Alvin York - pacifist - declined the conscientious objector status achieved for him by his family's pastor "because my ancestors told me to go fight" - down to his last six bullets - six men coming at him - he shot the 6th one, then the 5th, then the 4th, etc. - said later, "It's like hunting turkeys. You don't want the first ones to know that the back ones are going down."
So many wonderful quotes, including a lot of humor, by these men. I couldn't take notes fast enough, I apologize, but here are three more ... ...
"I seen it was gonna be a bad day."
"My good looks are gone."
"What better place to die than in the arms of your comrades?"
None consider themselves 'heroes' and all who still wear the Medal of Honor wear it with pride for all those who didn't survive. Seventeen have received the Medal of Honor twice! (I can't even imagine such a possibility.)
The word 'fear' came up again and again. One said, "Fear can save your life, but you can't let it control you." "My anger became so great that I forgot to be afraid," said another.
Seventy-five medics in all have received the Medal of Honor, five chaplains, and included in this illustrious group of Medal of Honor recipients is an African-American soldier in the Civil War who took up a downed flag bearer's banner (dropping his own weapon in the process) before it could hit the ground.
Only one woman - a doctor - Mary Edwards Walker - Civil War - wore trousers underneath her skirt and was heavily criticized - made many trips to the Confederate side to treat wounded - believed amputation was a last resort - captured by the South and paraded throughout the streets of Richmond as a laughing stock - Medal rescinded years later because she was 'only' a civilian, but refused to give it up (in fact, she wore it every day for the rest of her life, or so the story goes)
I kept waiting for Audie Murphy's name and story to come up. It never did. He was one of my childhood heroes. I had always heard that he was the most decorated soldier of World War II. I thought, "What if he wasn't one of the most decorated?"
And so I went looking (on the internet, of course!) -- and yes, he was the 'most decorated'. There are so many websites that you can delve into at your leisure. It's incredible, actually! I'll get you started with one or two reference sites below, and then you can begin to lose yourself in many many many many hours of history.
As with life, the Medal of Honor's history is not without its negative side. I have chosen not to include detailed accounts of the one that was returned, nor the one whose recipient spent the vast majority of the rest of his life criticizing the United States for its 'imperialism'.
I chose, instead, to describe positives. That is the way in which I try to approach life. I am not always successful, but I try.
I am proud to be an American, and am even more proud of myself that I took the opportunity to vote yesterday! (And no, I did not write my own name in.)
This site has a few of the many stories of valor and was linked from pbs.org.
This one has the number of Medal of Honor recipients listed by 'conflict'. You will notice a huge discrepancy between the numbers issued during the Civil War (over 1500, nearly half of the total) and all of those afterwards. The explanation given, as I recall, was that soldiers who were willing to re-enlist were offered the Medal of Honor as an enticement.
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