Quite the Tale About History, Treasure and Scientific Achievement

I just finished a book that was a New York Times best seller almost 20 years ago, Ship of Gold in the Deep Blue Sea.

In 1857, the steamship SS Central America in a hurricane sank in 7,200 feet of water  160 miles off the coast of South Carolina. Before the Panama Canal, travelers from California bound for the east coast would take a ship to Panama, cross the isthmus and board another ship at Colón on the Caribbean side for the trip up to the east coast. In addition to the passengers carrying a small fortune in gold from their times in the California gold fields, the ship was carrying tons of gold coins minted in San Francisco and gold ingots to the east coast banks.

Book Review – Dead Wake: The Last Crossing of the Lusitania

Teaching history has always been a difficult task. I would say that the people – professors or writers, who can do this right is a very small minority.

“Doing it right” is more than just reciting names and dates.  It involves taking the people, whether considered historical or simply ancillary, and bringing them to life in the eyes of the reader or student. One not only has to bring the people back to life, but show the circumstances of the times that they were in. Each is equally important.

Her final voyage: Navy’s first super-carrier USS Forrestal begins journey to the scrapyard after being sold for ONE CENT

Having served in Independence and Ranger, this does tug at the heart strings a bit. I did serve in those years with men who were aboard Forrestal during the tragedy of 1967.

The Navy has paid one cent under a contract to have the 60-year-old vessel dismantled by All Star Metals in the Gulf port of Brownsville.

The decommissioned aircraft carrier Ex-USS Forrestal, pictured in 2010, is now on its final voyage to the scrap heap in Texas

Tugboat Alex McAllister pushes the USS Forrestal into the Delaware River on the aircraft carrier’s final voyage from Navy Shipyard in south Philadelphia

The times are indeed a changin……………………………

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2551771/Scrapped-penny-USS-Forr-estal-Navys-supercarrier-begins-final-voyage-scrapyard.html#ixzz2sRPB09tQ

A “simple” aircraft change? You tell me.

Yup–bloody skid marks, guts on the strut. But not a real problem. Two maintenance techs are already on the ramp, flashlights in hand, meaning they’d just done a close-up inspection of an engine. One is shaking his head. Crap.

This is the regular world………………..A pilot downs a jet. Flak……………………………

How Do You Name an Aircraft Carrier? | The Daily Planet

Interesting piece……………………………………………..”Which brings us to carriers. The Navy’s first carrier (a converted collier), the USSLangley, was named for aviation pioneer Samuel P. Langley, the inventor of theAerodrome, and the third Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution. When the Navy was compelled to stop building battle cruisers after 1923, Secretary of the Navy Edwin Denby decided that new construction aircraft carriers (CVs) should be named after “historic Naval Vessels or battles” (think Lexington, Saratoga,Ranger, Yorktown, Enterprise, Wasp, andHornet). Once World War II began, the convention was modified to “famous old ships and important battles of our history and present world war”—and includedIndependence-class light fleet carriers (CVLs).”

How Do You Name an Aircraft Carrier? | The Daily Planet.

 

CubDriver

From a fellow Lexican comes this from his blog RUMBEAR CHRONICLES. Thank you, Charles Mellor for this.

That is an awesome picture BTW!

Dual 1,000th ‘Traps’ Achieved Aboard USS Nimitz

From the Navy Website. I am proud that one of these Aviators, Cmdr. Robert Loughran is the Commanding Officer of VFA-147, The Argonauts! I served in the Argonauts when they were VA-147 operating the venerable and dependable LTV A-7E Corsair II. The tradition remains. It is one of only three commands that I served in that still is in service……………………………………..

1,000 traps is a big deal. Bank on it. Ask some of our Lexicans that are Aviators and NFOs about that.

Dual 1,000th ‘Traps’ Achieved Aboard USS Nimitz.

via Dual 1,000th ‘Traps’ Achieved Aboard USS Nimitz.

http://www.kansas.com/2013/03/11/2711367/white-house-kapaun-to-get-medal.html

Trying this again. The link did not get up on the first try.

Father Kapaun is going to receive the MOH posthumously from the President. Kansas will be happy. This has been a long time coming.

The most iconic photo of Father Kapaun. It was taken Oct. 7, 1950, less than a month before he was taken prisoner. In the photo, Kapaun celebrates Mass using the hood of his jeep as an altar. Kneeling is Kapaun’s assistant, Patrick J. Schuler, who was with him the night he was captured. Courtesy of Raymond Skeehan Col. R. A. Skeehan

 

[XBradTC] I don’t know why WordPress hates ORPO1, but apparently, it does. Here’s a link to one news story of the good father...

Heard in the clear

This one was the latest from America’s Sergeant Major today.

Got some really good lines in it. Really good lines…………….

As has been said before, you can’t make this up at all.

“Today’s final offering was found posted above a urinal in one of Cleveland’s finest establishments:”

So for a good read and a really good laugh, hit the link above and go see for yourself.

Castra Praetoria: High Ground

Courtesy of America’s Sergeant Major. This is a good one folks.

The Journey Home is an Uphill Battle

Kanani over at the Kitchen Dispatch is one of the lead ninjas getting the word out on this great film (yes I’ve seen it, awesome!). Kanani describes it best:

“High Ground ties in with the warrior resiliency programs used to address combat stress and trauma, as well as the aftermath of war.  But I think there’s a difference: this is showing people doing something, not just a list of things to watch for. I think it could lead to a good discussion about self care, a great discussion about the scientific studies being done that prove movement and breath combined with talk therapy surpass the limiting treatment to the usual two modalities (medication and talk therapy).   We have a chance to help this and future generations of veterans with the aftermath of war in ways that were unimaginable in the past. High Ground is part of it, and it does not mask the very substantial trauma that the men and women went through, while also showing them experience small victories along the way.”