More Memories

 

"The way you wear your hat
The way you sip your tea
The memory of all that
No no they can't take that away from me"   Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong

    Fitzgerald and Armstrong, in their famous song, celebrate the value of memories. At this age there are many memories on which to reflect.  Among those memories are many from my time in the Marines. For a South Dakota farm boy who'd hardly been away from home the time in the Marines exposed me to a much wider world. While the Marines provided significant challenges it was also a fascinating slice of life and a great learning experience.

    Marines are an amphibious force designed to be deployed from sea to land. Getting from ship to shore is a logistic challenge. Obviously in a battle situation a ship cannot dock, lower the gang plank and allow Marines to walk off. Two methods of disembarking were taught. Situated on an aircraft carrier with helicopters on some occasions we were flown to land. At other times we went over the side of the ship and down rope nets to waiting landing craft. This was physically challenging because we carried a hundred pounds of gear. Additionally the ships rolling and the landing craft's bouncing in the waves added to the difficulty. Immediately dropping the rope when a foot touched the landing craft's deck was imperative. Waiting to drop might mean a drop of several feet as the ship rolled and the landing craft dropped down from a wave.

     There was the time, off the coast of California, fog rolled in just as we entered the landing craft which had no navigational equipment. For eight hours we circled waiting for the fog to lift to the coxswain could see lights on the shore. When we reached shore we were twenty miles from our designated landing site.

      Memories remain!

Takk for alt,

Al

Going down the nets and a fully loaded landing craft, this is a larger one than the one on which we circled 8 hours. It is designed to run to the beach and drop the front ramp as an exit. I once was the first one off and stepped into water over my head becasue we were on a sand bar out from shore...a salt water bath to begin two weeks of field exercises.

Old Folks Home

     The traffic was unusually light as Kaia and I motored to the OFH today. Even crossing Minneapolis I hardly needed to slow below the posted speed limits. A strong west wind gave us excellent gas mileage. With nearly an inch and a half of rain yesterday and unfavorable weather predicted for the week we came early for Thanksgiving.  With unfrozen ground and nice rainfall it will all soak in. It's a great boost for soil moisture, grass and trees. Evaporation is minimal this time of the year.

     There are new neighbors near The Little House. When the occupant fenced his yard I assumed it was for his two dogs. As I drove by it yesterday I saw to other four footed critters both of whom had horns. The previous owner had chickens and now there are mammals!  Any guesses about their make?  When I return I'll get some pictures.

Takk for alt,

Al

         I'm burning the trash with a flame thrower, Okinawa 1962.

Memory

        During our Asian stay in the Marines, 1961-62,  we were ashore a while in Subic Bay, Philippine Islands.  Offered a visit to Corregidor Island I accepted. This island in the mouth of Manila Bay was to protect Manila from invasion. Given modern warfare it didn't work.  It was from Corregidor that General McArthur fled saying "I shall return." 

      Transportation for us was provided on a small navy ship, an oil tanker.  !962 was not all that long after World War II and there was still much battle debris.   There was no electricity in the Malinta Tunnel so we couldn't go much beyond the entrance. Trees showed sixteen years of growth since the end of the battle. Very interesting to visit this battle site.

Takk for alt,

Al

  

                           The entrance to the Malinta Tunnel.

                     Bombed out barracks on Corregidor Island.

Congenial

         It was a delightful weekend with a congenial threesome. All three are peripatetic and were un-phased by days of walking. They reveled in the delight of fields of grass in which to walk and the flight of many pheasants. There was no possibility that I could keep pace with them so I was happy to play chauffer, guide and host.  Josh, from next door, got in the act by brining his world class hamburgers for our dinner last night. Kaia delighted in hunting with them and now she has a well deserved rest.

     A good time was had by all!

Takk for alt,

Al

                                    Sign in an Australian toilet!

Walkers!

        The Minnesota hunters are great walkers which is a boon for pheasant hunting one of who is a marathoner.  Every where they go they have been seeing multiple birds. They love the terrain with it's views.  Isaac, for whom this is his first pheasant hunt, bagged two today. He's likely addicted now.  To top it off Josh, next door, is brining cheeseburgers for us tonight. Life is good!

Talk for alt,

Al

    Since you asked, this is a gun placed on Corregidor Island Manila Harbor designed to protect Manila. 

Opportunities

      Birds there were and none came home with us.  50 degrees, light wind, almost full sun and scattered pheasants. Cold weather would bunch them up. The good news is that there were birds in each field. None are upset about none coming back with us. Kaia is pooped but she had a great time. Imagine running through tall grass that you part with your nose!

    So that's my story and I'm sticking with it!

Takk for alt,

Al

                   No this is not pheasant hunting, I'm trying out my .22 caliber pistol on Okinawa...and no, I couldn't hit anything.

Quiet

        When company leaves the house is very quiet.  Kaia only speaks when someone is at the door, or she thinks someone is there. More company arrives tomorrow so then there will be activity because three guests are coming.

      Looking for the python and tiger pictures yesterday I went past more USMC pictures. Without much original thought today I'll post a couple of them randomly.

Takk for alt

Al

             Riding in a Sikorsky Helicopter like this I took the picture, below, of our ship.

             The USS Princeton, LPH-5, which was converted to a helicopter carrier.

                                             Helicopters parked on the ship's deck.