Neil Young Old Man live in '71

Now I am the Old Man, great song though!

Buddy Poppy

In Flanders Fields


By: Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae, MD (1872-1918)

Canadian Army

In Flanders Fields the poppies blow

Between the crosses row on row,

That mark our place; and in the sky

The larks, still bravely singing, fly

Scarce heard amid the guns below.



We are the Dead. Short days ago

We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,

Loved and were loved, and now we lie

In Flanders fields.



Take up our quarrel with the foe:

To you from failing hands we throw

The torch; be yours to hold it high.

If ye break faith with us who die

We shall not sleep, though poppies grow

In Flanders fields.


In Flanders Fields, was written by Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae, a surgeon attached to the 1st Field Artillery Canadian Army. McCrae wrote the poem while distraught over the death of his former student and fellow surgeon, killed while they were serving together in France in 1915. McCrae himself was killed in action at a later date.

For over 75 years now the Veterans of Foreign Wars has used the red poppy as a memorial flower. Remember if you will, when you see the Veterans seeking donations for their small red flowers, the poppies are all assembled by disabled and needy veterans in VA Hospitals. Any money that is raised through these donations provides compensation to the Veterans who assemble the poppies, provides financial assistance in maintaining state and national veterans' rehabilitation and service programs and partially supports the VFW National Home for orphans and widows of our nations Veterans. That's a lot for a little flower.

So the next time you see my fellow Veterans with their poppies, drop some money in their can and support them. They supported you.

Old Chief Sends, 

Lance Cpl Clark

Lance Corporal  Philip Clark, got a parade today, He got all of NAS Jacksonville lining the street to see his arrival. People lined the sides of the road through all the towns between Jacksonville and Gainesville to show him honor. Lance Corporeal Clark came home today in time for the Memorial day weekend, You see he earned this because he lost his life last week fighting in the Helmand Provence Afghanistan, he was 19 years old and a year out of high school.

This is what Memorial day is all about, to remember these brave Americans who have made the ultimate sacrifice. So don't be like our Commander in Chief and just duck out on the memorial services and go on vacation, try to keep these brave Americans in your thoughts. Remember also the Clark family, this is a memorial day they can never forget.

Old Chief Sends,

John William Finn

At 0545 this morning in San Diego California, we lost John Finn. John Finn was the last surviving medal of honor winner from the December 7, 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor by Japanese forces.


The Citation reads as follows:


For extraordinary heroism, distinguished service, and devotion above and beyond the call of duty. During the first attack by Japanese airplanes on the Naval Air Station, Kanoehe Bay, on 7 December 1941, Lieutenant Finn promptly secured and manned a 50-caliber machine gun mounted on an instruction stand in a completely exposed section of the parking ramp, which was under heavy enemy machine-gun strafing fire. Although painfully wounded many times, he continued to man this gun and to return the enemy's fire vigorously and with telling effect throughout the enemy strafing and bombing attacks and with complete disregard for his own personal safety. It was only by specific orders that he was persuaded to leave his post to seek medical attention. Following first-aid treatment, although obviously suffering much pain and moving with great difficulty, he returned to the squadron area and actively supervised the rearming of returning planes. His extraordinary heroism and conduct in this action were in keeping with the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service.[6]


I was lucky enough to meet John Finn once in Fallon Nevada and remember being in awe of this great American. He earned the medal while serving as a Aviation Ordinance Chief Petty Officer in a PBY Squadron at Kanoehe Bay. He was 101 years old.

Rest in Peace Shipmate, enjoy your new duty station.

Ten Years After live at Woodstock 1969.

Home!

Got home last night, and am so excited I haven't sleep much. Coming home is always exciting as well as an adjustment. Any military member who has ever deployed know this feeling to some extent. I have to adjust to a different things that I have not been used to in a while, but I don't think it is going to be a major problem.

Our family has some busy days ahead, and I am thankful to be home and be a part of it all. I think Robert Louis Stevenson sums it up well in one of my favorite verses.

"Here he lies, where he wants to be.

Home is the Sailor, home from sea, and the hunter home from the hill."

Happy Saturday

Old Chief Sends

1963

May 21,1963 is on of the most important days in my life. I as a young boy, ceased being an only child on that day, and became a big brother as well. My beloved baby sister was born on that day at Crawford W. Long hospital in Atlanta Georgia. That is before they referred to Atlanta as the ATL.

I got to make the trip to Atlanta from our home in Lithia Springs, to pick up our Mother and the brand new baby. A trip to Atlanta in those days was a big deal all in its self, it was something that just didn't happen every day. You had to do things like become a big brother to get to go.I can remember being dressed in Sunday best by my Grandmother, and well briefed on how I was to behave. She also washed my face extra hard least I show signs of jelly from breakfast. She had this way of scubaing my face like the top layer of skin offended her, sometimes she even dampened her handkerchief with spit! Anyway once I had passed Maw Maw's inspection I was loaded into the family car for the long ride into downtown Atlanta, there were no expressways back then. I can remember being amazed by the hospital and even got to see inside the lobby, which seemed like a nice hotel back then, they seem much different now.

My most important memory of that day is when my Mother got into the back seat holding my new sister and sat next to me. I was allowed to hold my new sister in my lap, and in that magical moment it seems I can remember her grinning at me. I guess she knew then she had changed my life. We rode home with mom holding you because there were no car seats for baby's back then.

Sandy, you are the first person I ever got to watch grow up and I have always been very proud of you. I had to learn a lot about life in 1963, but you were the best part of it. From your older brother who has had to make a profession by being the mean one, I love you with all my heart. I hope you have the best birthday ever and many more.

Love,
Scott

Frank Marino & Mahogany Rush - "Johnny B. Goode" 1978

Great White Buffalo

My Blood Brother!

Quicksilver Messenger Service - Fresh Air

Those that I fight I do not hate, those that I guard I do not love.

William Butler Yeats

Funky Times

OK, I have been in a terrible funk as of late and been very neglectful of this blog. I was always told as I was growing up that if you could not say something nice, then don't say any thing at all. Well that's where I am. Depressed by the amazing lack of integrity of some of the people whom I work for. It seems to me that honesty among Naval Officers is no longer a desirable commodity.

Maybe this is how it ends when you have stayed too long. To my retired Brothers, I really miss you guys now, and I can't wait to join you.

I promise to write more, and better posts very soon.

Cheers,

Kent State 1970

40 years ago today, one of the saddest events in our history of a Nation occurred. Members of the Ohio Army National Guard opened fire on a group of Kent State University students, killing four and wounding nine, one who was paralyzed from the chest down.


Students had gathered in a commons area of the campus to protest the United States invasion of Cambodia. Many students and teachers were concerned about being drafted to fight in a war that they strongly opposed.


Varying accounts exist as to why the guardsmen fired their weapons, but the fact remains that 77 Ohio Army National Guard troops from A company, Troop G, fixed bayonets on their weapons and began an advance to disperse the crowd. At some point for what ever reason, the troops faced the crowd of students and fired. 29 of the 77 guardsmen claimed to have fired their weapons, using a total of 67 bullets. The shooting was over in 13 seconds.


One hero of the day was a geology professor Glenn Frank, who pleaded with the students to leave the commons and not give in to violent escalation. He is quoted as saying: "I don't care whether you've never listened to anyone before in your lives. I am begging you right now. If you don't disperse right now, they're going to move in, and it can only be a slaughter. Would you please listen to me? Jesus Christ I don't want to be a part of this." Within twenty minutes the students left the area, the dead and wounded were recovered, and the Guard left the scene. The Nation was forever changed that day.


Once again we have people protesting for what they believe in, but we can never forget the lesson of Kent State 40 years ago. We should not fight ourselves.

Old Chief Sends,

Walking in Memphis

Al Green - Tired Of Being Alone (SoulSchool)

Delta Hwy at Blues Hall Memphis

For all my friends in Millington Tn. Thinking of you, God Speed!

Coral Sea

On 4 May 1942, the Battle of the Coral Sea began, in the waters southwest of the Solomon Islands and eastward from New Guinea. This was the first Naval battle fought at sea where the opposing ships never saw each other. It was also the first battle fought between opposing aircraft carriers.

U.S. Naval forces lost an aircraft carrier USS Lexington, and the USS Yorktown was badly damaged. The U.S. also lost one destroyer, an oilier, 69 aircraft, and 656 American lives.

Tactically, the Japanese claimed victory, but operationally it set them up for failure later the next month at Midway, and also blocked their attempt at invading Port Moresby. Had Port Morseby in New Guinea fell, Australia could have been cut off from the Pacific campaign.

Two months later the Allied forces took advantage of Japan's vulnerability in the South Pacific and launched the Guadalcanal campaign along with the New Guinea campaign. This started our island hopping toward Japan itself, and the end of the Pacific war.

Today we sit and face the battle to save our Gulf of Mexico, from the onset of spreading crude oil. It is heart breaking to see and even harder to stop. My deepest prayers go out to all of you involved in the containment and clean up process. God speed.

Old Chief Sends,

In The Domain Of The Southernmost Moose

It seems like yesterday there were a lot of Moose running around Key West. Not the four legged kind but the fraternal type. I never knew much about the Moose, but as fate would have it sometimes I get surprised by what I learn by coincidence.

This brings us to the point with how the Old Chief gets involved. I was sitting in Schooner Wharf, wasting a hot afternoon after a morning of fishing. Michael McCloud was playing his normal set and I held down my portion of the bar in the shade. A group show up and parks next to me, and after introductions and pleasantries, I learn that they are a Moose lodge from Fort Lauderdale. They had ridden a Greyhound bus of all things down to Key West for the afternoon. The only had about thee hours in town and were making the most of it with their drinking. There was a mistake in their order of a seafood sampler, and they were served a snapper plate instead. I told the lady to let the girls at the bar know there was a mistake and that I was sure they would make things right. They instead took HUGE offence at the mistaken order, the girl at the bar was doing an admirable job of trying to right the situation and I intervened to try and help. It is loud in the bar and with a soft spoken voice sampler did sound a lot like snapper. The dispute was finally resolved and the Moose crew from Lauderdale was content. They finished their food and drink and headed off to Sloppy Joes for their next stop.

Next I was joined by a couple who ordered Mint Juleps in honor of the Kentucky Derby. We struck up a very pleasant conversation, He was ex Navy and we shared experiences. I shared the story of the great seafood sampler altercation, and that is were I learned that my new found friend was a Moose Governor from the great state of North Carolina. He apologised for the behavior of the Moose bus riders, and assured me that was not what they were all about. They then asked me where the Moose lodge was here on the island and I told them, and showed them on their map.

The Key West Moose lodge is right across the street from were I live, so I offered to walk them there. They agreed, so we paid our tabs and off we went to see the Moose. I have never been in a Moose lodge in my life, although I am a life member of the VFW, that is about as close to a fraternal order as I get. What I found inside the Southernmost Moose lodge was friendly people of all backgrounds having fun and fellowship. Cold drinks and food were being served, I must admit it was a pleasant place to hang out and watch the Kentucky Derby. After the race I parted ways with my new found friends, they were off to Mallory square for sun set and I was off to Thai Island for dinner, but I do hope to see them again someday. Here's to you Governor, thanks for my introduction to Moose hospitality.

Widespread Panic - Ribs and Whiskey