Thursday, April 28, 2005

Stacking the Kitty


Found this last night and yelled at Mikey to come and see.

We used to play this game with our Kitty, but we called it "Stacking the Kitty." In our version, we'd see how high we could balance stuff on him, carefully stacking assorted lightweight items until the whole pile fell over.

Didn't take pictures, though--didn't want any evidence that could be used against us.

(Link via Czeltic Girl, where I also found the Silly Sleeping Pose Olympics)

Still pouring

Bob lost his job this morning. I'm too drained to feel much about it yet. I'm sure he'll be by shortly and I'll remind him that a guy as broke as he is doesn't have the luxury of a smart mouth but, honestly, I wish he would just stay home today. I need a day off, badly.

Had both girls yesterday, and all three of us were sobbing by noon. Then their mom was three hours late picking them up.

Been worried about Cathy and not feeling very chatty. I hear her diagnosis was changed to an actual aneurysm; Sherri's posting updates on her blog, so go there for more info.

Tuesday, April 26, 2005

When it rains, it pours


Jenny's baby's in the hospital, too. The same one as Cathy, so that's one small mercy.

It's Piper's asthma; she couldn't get any air yesterday, so she's in the pediatric ICU.

Cathy's still camped out in the critical care section of the ER, because there are still no beds available in ICU.

Monday, April 25, 2005

Cathy's in the hospital


They think she might have a pulmonary embolism, which is serious, so everybody needs to pray.

Sherri took off work and went back up there; you can call her or Mom on their cell phones for updates.

UPDATE - 8:30pm: Not an embolism after all; it's a tear in the lining of her aorta. Still in the emergency room, waiting for a bed in ICU--can you believe it? She's been at the hospital since about 5:00 this morning.

Read about her condition here, if you want. I kind of wish I hadn't. It is very serious.

Just pray as hard as you can.

Margie's blog


is not margie.blogspot.com, unless there are aspects of her personality that have never before been revealed to us.

So, Marge, your user name is not "Margie." That's why your password never did turn up in your mailbox. It isn't "Marge" or "Margie" with your numbers after it, either, or "Margieblog" or "Margiesblog." Couldn't think of anything else to try.

Sorry I couldn't be more help. Let us know when you get it figured out.

Chris & Sherri have been showered


And a fine time was had by all.

They did forget to add this item to their registry, though, so if you know anyone who hasn't picked out a gift yet...

Wednesday, April 20, 2005

Subversive diapers


Brittany's nappies have a colorful band of zoo animals printed across the front; the rest is decorated with little green lines of verse. And what do you think those verses might be? Nursery rhymes? Children's songs? Nope. Try John Lennon:

Imagine all the people
living life in peace...
Isn't that cool? I love it.

Tuesday, April 19, 2005

I'm being humped


by Bridgie's dog.

Off! Quit that!

Gyaaah--and it's a girl dog, too.

Why don't you go find something else to do? Please?

Oh, finally. She laid down.

This dog will not eat the food Bridge left for her. She chowed on leftover spaghetti sauce yesterday and ate some bacon and the filling out of a chicken cannelloni today.

Oh, for Pete's sake--she's whimpering.

What? What is it?

She's being very needy right now. Anyway, she's got these funny little fringes on her toes that remind me of the Grinch...

Would you quit humping me, please? Oh, that is it.

She's cooling off in the backyard for a bit. Anyway, these fringes, they're cute and her nose is real pointy, too, so she kinda looks like a little Grinch dog:

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She's cute when she does her business, too; she doesn't quite manage a hike or a squat. It's sort of a half-hike with a twist.

Monday, April 18, 2005

Things that made me laugh


during my last spin through the blogroll:

Finslippy's pot roast recipe

Dooce's plumbing problem

Go read.

Bridgie's in Cancun


so I'm watching her little doggie this week. Missy's a fuzzy gray terrier mix, and a cuddler. She's having a timeout in the backyard right now because she had a barking fit right after I put Brittany down for a nap, but mostly she's been pretty good.

Saturday, April 16, 2005

Strollin'


Pausing for a cute break in front of the spirea hedge:

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The stroller's been stored in our garage for a couple of months; I just brought it outside two days ago because the weather's been so nice. Brittany sits in it and smiles and claps at everything while I bird-watch, and we take walks around the yard--it rolls great on the grass.

So, of course, Bob asked if he could take the stroller home yesterday. I said, "Sure, it's yours. Take it." Inwardly, though, I was like, "No! No! Don't take it away from us! We were having so much fun!"

I gotta go shopping--need a stroller of my own and more challenging toys for Brittany. She's already bored with the ones she has.

Friday, April 15, 2005

Finally figured out why


the flash doesn't work when I take still photos with my video camera.

It's because I don't have the optional flash attachment.

Duh!

Birdie love


Oh, my--I feel like such a voyeur. Watched my sparrows doing the wild thing this morning. It just seems naughtier somehow through binoculars.

I'm pretty sure they're house sparrows. Almost certain. I could be wrong.

Birding: Fledgling efforts


Finally got some binoculars for my birthday, but the pair Mikey picked out are so powerful that I can't focus on anything in my yard. I can see what's going on in the neighbors' trees just fine, though. Sherri loaned me a little bitty pair that's perfect for viewing within the yard, so I've been getting to know my birds and enjoying myself immensely.

There's a pair of (I think) sparrows that live in the top right hole of my purple martin house (it's a 12-holer), and a black or blue-black bird that lives in the top left--too small to be a crow. There's a huge granddaddy bluejay living here that looks as big as a crow. Saw a robin today, and watched a squirrel cavort about and then drape itself across a branch in such a cute way that I ran to get the camera. Got one shot before it took off, but the picture came out too dark.

I think I need a more comprehensive bird identification book (sorry, Bridgie). And a 35mm camera with a telephoto lens--I just can't get the pictures I want with digital.

15th mission: Royan


Exchanged e-mails with B-17 navigator Marshall Stelzriede a few years ago, and he told me:

It is really amazing that your dad could have flown 15 missions in 30 days. That was a mission every other day. It took me five months to do 25, and that was really exhausting...

Daddy's last combat mission, just a few weeks before his 19th birthday:

It was yesterday's target but today's weaponry was new--for the first time the Air Force used napalm. The armorers obviously had trouble with these "new fangled" bombs for pilot Peder Larsen recorded: "New petroleum bombs were put into the planes and were leaking! Flew ship #777 out to the Channel and was instructed to drop them from 300 feet"... -- Snetterton Falcons

[T]he bomb load consisted of some P-51 wing tanks filled with napalm with an igniting device. Emitting fumes that even penetrated the crew's oxygen masks, the bomb bay doors were opened slightly to allow the fluid napalm to go out into the slip stream. One can conjecture that the personnel responsible for filling these tank did not take into consideration that by filling the tanks to the brim at ground level, the fluid would expand at altitude and over flow... -- GG Greenwood, 351st Bomb Squadron

1,278 Eighth Air Force heavy bombers attack fortifications, strong points, gun emplacements, and flak positions at Bordeaux, Royan, and other German defensive positions remaining along the French Atlantic coast. One B-24 is lost. The Royan mission is of interest in that it involves the first and only operational use of napalm bombs by Eighth Air Force heavy-bomber units. The results are negligible, and plans to drop more napalm from heavy bombers are canceled. -- 354th Fighter Group

A total of (54) 75-Gallon and (154) 85-Gallon canisters of Napalm was dropped along with (156) 100 pounders to act as a diffuser for the Napalm. Results of the mission were most satisfactory though the new weapons were noted to have very unpredictable falling tangent ballistics... -- 392nd Bomb Group

<***WARNING: POLITICAL CONTENT!!!***> This next bit is by Howard Zinn, historian and anti-war activist, who was a bombardier on a B-17 crew; follow the links at your own risk:

The raid on Royan was an even more difficult experience for me as I thought about it later. It was a situation where the war was just about over, a few months before the end of the war. We thought we weren't going to fly any more missions, because we had already overrun France, taken most of Germany, there was virtually nothing left to bomb, and everybody knew the war was going to be over in a few weeks. We were awakened at one in the morning, the usual waking up time if you're going to fly at six. It's not like in the movies where you leap out of bed into the cockpit, rev up the engines and you're off. Five boring hours of listening to briefings, getting your equipment, putting on your electrically heated suit, going to the bombardiers' briefing, the officers' briefing, going to eat and deciding whether you eat square eggs or round eggs. They briefed us and told us we were going to bomb this little town on the Atlantic coast near Bordeaux, a town called Royan. They showed it to us on the map. Nobody asked why. You don't ask questions at briefings....It wasn't until later, when I did research into it after the war, that I realized that it was twelve hundred heavy bombers going over against two or three thousand German soldiers. But they told us in the briefing, You're going to carry a different time of bomb in the bomb bay. Not the usual demolition bomb. You're going to carry canisters, long cylinders of jellied gasoline. It didn't mean anything to us, except we knew jellied gasoline would ignite...

After the war, Daddy was stationed in Occupied Germany through 1945 and 1946, but I haven't done much research on that part of his service yet.

Thursday, April 14, 2005

14th mission: Royan


Daddy's next-to-last mission--they hit Royan two days in a row:

It was an early wakeup at 0030 for an 0200 briefing which led to take-off at 0425 for the long over-the-water haul down the French Atlantic coast to end these last desperate pockets of resistance near the massive gun emplacements in the Bordeaux area. All three air divisions woke British civilians with the drone and roar of over 1,000 four-engined bombers. Assembly, unlike the old days, was made over France. Royan was a town situated on the mouth of the River Gironde in which a stubborn German garrison was still holding out thus preventing the Allies from use of the port of Bordeaux. All A/C carried fragmentation bombs and strike photos were only fair to good. No losses. -- Snetterton Falcons

The target assigned on this mission was one of the most unusual types ever given to the 14th Combat Wing. Enemy ‘pockets of resistance’ were still prevalent in various parts of France and on this date a gun emplacement on the Giraud Estuary, just north of Bordeaux, was slated for attack. The bombing formations were unusual, as well, with six ship squadrons flying in waves across the target. Also, since enemy fighter reaction was not anticipated this late in the war for a mission to be flown almost entirely over friendly territory, .50 caliber machine guns and ammunition were not loaded and most Waist Gunners did not fly with their crews...A tragic accident occurred on take-off to one of the 578th aircrews - the last 392nd crew to be killed-in-action in combat during World War II. The aircraft, # 446 (R-Bar), piloted by Lieutenant Charles Warner crashed just after breaking ground in the pre-dawn take-off. He, and (6) others of his crew were killed in the crash but (1) Gunner survived, having been thrown clear of the burning bomber after impact on the northeast end of Runway 05. The cause of the crash was attributed to the loss of two engines on the left side just as the ship was breaking ground on take-off. Tower observers saw the pilots vainly struggling to keep the crippled Liberator in the air and gain some altitude, but the left wing would not come up and the bomber crashed in an open field, bursting into flames immediately. This grim tragedy was a somber spectacle for the remaining (26) crews which took off over the crashed bomber’s site to continue the mission... -- 392nd Bomb Group

April 14, 1945 was the number 5. We bombed gun batteries at St. Palais. That is down in southern France. The Germans had about 100,000 men down there and they had the entrance to the Harbor at Bordeaux. We had a bomb load of small frags. Boy oh boy, we really plastered that place. When we got over the target, it looked like it was raining bombs. We didn't see any fighters or get any flak. We flew over Paris on the way down so we didn't see the city. We passed over LaHarve and it was really tore up. It has so many bomb craters that it looked like it had the smallpox. That was a pretty nice mission, but as far as I'm concerned none of them are milk runs...You have to fly level and straight no matter how thick the flak is. Brother, it gives you a creepy feeling to see a wall of flak in front of you and you know you have to fly through it. You just sit there and hope to hell you don't get knocked off... -- Sgt Madison Parker, 486th Bomb Group

Wednesday, April 13, 2005

Mourning doves


Sherri said she could hear doves when we sat on my back porch last night. I saw these in the yard today:

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Monday, April 11, 2005

Birthday flowers


Made our annual trek to Grandpa's Greenthumb yesterday. Got a couple of hydrangeas to replace the ones Mikey pre-emergented to death, and a miniature rosebush to replace one I accidentally yanked up while weeding. Geraniums and asparagus fern for my big patio pot, and some lantana.

Didn't find much I wanted, really. Still need forsythia and a flat of something or other and a couple of packets of seeds to fill in some empty spots, and then I should be all set for the year.

Oh, yeah--snuck out last week and bought some different colors of irises--blue, pink and yellow--and some echinacea. And a packet of zinnia seeds.

Got everything planted already and Mikey mowed and edged this weekend, so the yard's lookin' pretty darn good.

Just me & Sis


Kayla started back at her old day care last week, so I'm only watching the baby now. Haven't mentioned it before because it kinda hurt my feelings--her mom just announced it one morning without any discussion.

Hope it wasn't a comment on the care Kayla was getting here. Surely not. I won't deny she's a handful but--surely not.

It's not all bad--my days are calmer and pass more quickly now. Gave Brittany-Boo her breakfast this morning and then a bath, then we played, and now she's down for her nap. And, for the next hour or two, a little quiet time just for me--which simply doesn't happen when her sister's here, because I can never get them both to sleep at the same time.

13th mission: Donauworth


This was Daddy's last flight over Germany, though he still had two more missions to go:

Another milk run for participating crews and a bombing under ideal conditions for bombardiers. The 108 Fortresses of the 45CBW dropped 321 tons and thus left another massive space in Hitler's diminishing logistical network. -- Snetterton Falcons

We bombed airfields at Ingolstadt, Germany. We had a 6000-pound load of G.P. bombs. There was very little flak and none of it was close. Boy we sure bombed the hell out of that place. From the best I could see, we really did a neat job. Bombs scattered up and down the runways and several of the hangers got direct hits. We flew over several large cities. One of them was Brussels . It is sure a pretty place. We saw a lot of towns that were completely destroyed and miles of country that was a solid bomb crater and shell holes. It was a pretty long drag. We were up 7 hours and 15 minutes. -- Sgt Madison Parker, 486th Bomb Group

On April, 11 1945, the 357th FG was on an escort mission to Donauworth. After they were released from escort duty, they went looking for trouble and a few found it. They looked in on the Prague/Ruzyne Aerodrome, home of over 100 ME 262 jets. In spite of very intense light flak, they destroyed two ME262s, two JU88s and a big FW200. Three 364th pilots were shot down by flak during the strafing. Lts Monahan, Muller and Snedecker. I believe Lt. Irving Snedecker was the only survivor...On his first pass across the airfield, there was a loud bang, a jolt to his Mustang and he saw his prop going off across the field. A 20MM shell had hit the prop hub taking the prop with it. He managed to land the crippled plane inside the Aerodrome perimeter fence. The plane broke in two behind the cockpit in the process. Quickly getting out of the wreck, he sat on the ground a safe distance from it and lit a cigarette, thinking it might be his last one for a while. Told me it was a lonesome feeling watching the group leave for home... -- 364th Fighter Group

Sunday, April 10, 2005

12th mission: Burg-bei-Magdeburg


The Burg Bei airfield, long suspected of harboring jets, was successfully bombed. Three A/C had major flak damage and a dozen others returned more severely riddled. -- Snetterton Falcons

After the unit had been operating for almost a month, the Allies learned that their nighttime nemeses in Komando Welter were based at an airfield outside Magdeburg, and a special strike was laid on the airfield for Easter Sunday, April 10, 1945. As Czypionka remembers, "I had flown operations the night before and had slept in. I awoke when I heard the alarm but was told that the bombers were going somewhere else-- not near us. I went back to sleep; then came the second alarm. The bombers were closer, so I got up." He packed all his gear in boxes that he placed near the barracks wall and then reported to the unit on the airfield. "Everyone had gone, and all the airplanes but one had been taken into the woods, so I went up in a 262 to see what was happening. I got chased by some Mustangs; then I saw a huge formation off in the distance, which I later discovered was a balloon on the loose. I landed and went to report it. The ground crew tried to pull the airplane into the woods, but they pulled too fast and tore off the nosewheel, so the plane was sitting there when the Americans arrived." The raid consisted of three waves of bombers. "It seemed to go on forever: it was the most terrifying experience of my life." -- Flight Journal

Just after our bombers hit targets about 10 to 15 jets started to come through. Our boys were ready for them and in the mad scramble that followed five twin jets were destroyed and two damaged. Some of the blow jobs were caught at altitude and chased to the deck, another was caught trying to land, another was shot down and crashed in the heart of Berlin... -- 20th Fighter Group

We were hit badly on the I.P. The hydraulic line below the Co-Pilots feet was cut in two, spewing hydraulic fluid and fire all over Willems who wasn't wearing his goggles. The instant that I saw the fire and Willems leaving his seat I heard Robbie give the order to bail out. I reached down and picked up my parachute just as Willems went by me knocking my parachute out of my hands. I picked it up again and followed Willems to the nose escape hatch. When I got there Willems had opened the escape hatch door and was squatting over it .I yelled at him to get out so the rest of us could and he moved over. I noticed that the fire was no longer on him and when he moved over I also noticed that the fire was no longer in the cabin. I returned to the flight deck and Robbie was still at the controls. I shouted, "Do you still want us to bail out?" He shook his head no and I got on the interphone. Mottola had, while waiting for the other gunners to leave the ship, hooked up on the interphone and heard me yell, Robbie says NOT to bail out. Fortunately, Mottola was able to stop them and no one left the plane. We went over the target on two engines far below our group and dropped our bombs with the other bombs as they fell around us. It was a miracle that we weren't hit. After getting rid of the bombs we were still losing altitude and Robbie told us to throw out anything that we could find to lighten the plane... -- Lyman R Huffman, Jr, 832nd Bomb Squadron

The flak was plenty heavy. It started coming up when we started the bomb run. They had our range and boy they were not shooting for fun. Flak was busting all over us. A ship in front of us got an engine knocked out and he left the formation with it on fire. We moved up and took his position. A big burst of flak busted under us, just below my right window. All I could see was a big sheet of red flame and it tossed our ship around like a matchstick. I thought for a minute that my turret was blown lose from the ship. We got 3 holes in the nose and a few in the wings. I don't see how we got by. I think we lost 3 ships. In spite of the flak, they said we did a good job. When flak starts bursting close to your ship, it sounds like hail on a tin roof. We were up 7 hours and 30 minutes. She was pretty rough. It was the kind that makes air crewmembers get religion. Boy, I was trying to crawl up into my little flak helmet, just anything for a little protection. -- Sgt Madison Parker, 486th Bomb Group

B-17G 44-6820 E/C Missing in Action Brandenburg, flak. Crashed Brandenburg, Germany. Aircraft received a direct flak hit following bombs away. Aircraft started smoking and headed for the ground in a manner that developed into a spiral. It exploded on impact. Nine chutes were seen but it was also observed that ground defences were firing at the parachuting men. With 18BS. Pilot: Roscher. Missing Air Crew Report # 14198. 2 Evaded, 7 Prisoner of War. -- 34th Bomb Group

Friday, April 08, 2005

11th mission: Grafenwohr


If you've been reading daily mission details from the USAAF chronology, the April page is here--scroll down to find the date you want.

The rapid deterioration of German defenses was illustrated today when intervalometer troubles aboard the lead A/C resulted in three runs over the target with impunity. Not too long ago such lingering over a target would have earned German flak operators medals galore. But this target, an Ordnance Depot, was destroyed without consequences. The group's 38 A/C put a telling dent in Germany's remaining ammunition supply. -- Snetterton Falcons

One thousand one hundred thirteen Eighth Air Force B-17s and B-24s attack munitions plants, munitions dumps, marshalling yards, a jet factory, and several airdromes. Nine B-17s and one of 763 VIII Fighter Command escorts and scouts are lost. Approximately 620 9th Air Division bombers attack an oil depot, an oil refinery, a communications center, a marshalling yard, and city areas at eight locations... -- 354th FG

Thirty seven aircraft led by Major Krieger took off and bombed a locomotive works at Stendahl, near Hanover, Germany. Bombing was by instruments, PFF, with fair results. Flak was meager but accurate. Lt Adelmeyer’s aircraft caught fire and exploded near Kassel, while on withdrawal. His ship was seen to crash into a large building which was set on fire. Three chutes were seen to open but were fired on from a wood by automatic fire. Two crew members were later reported safe and uninjured and they subsequently returned to base... -- 381st BG Medical Detachment

No fighter interception but flak was HEAVY and ACCURATE. We received 12 holes in plane. Upholstery in pilot's cockpit and engineers station was torn all to pieces when an oxygen bottle was hit and exploded. Robbie, Willems and I were COVERED with asbestos insulation and strips of the upholstery. We all looked comical and we all had a good laugh when we had time to look at each other. We had cotton in our eyes, mouth and face. We thought for a moment that we were going down. We lost three ships from our group and one from another that was flying with us. Five chutes came out of one plane, one was afire. Flight time was 8 hours and 55 minutes. We were flying Aircraft 931. I guess they will have to make some repairs before she can fly again. -- Lyman R Huffman, Jr, 832 BS, 486th BG

Thursday, April 07, 2005

10th mission: Kaltenkirchen


Sixty years ago today, Daddy was somewhere in the middle of this:

Today the Leftwaffe seemed to utter its last gasp and give up the ghost. In a final desperate operation, the Germans dispatched 130 prop-jobs and more than 50 jets. And today's operation would register the last claim of the 96th gunners for E/A. Of most interest was the first and last appearance of the German kamikazes. Sonderkommando Elbe was dedicated to ramming bombers... -- Snetterton Falcons

Over 1,300 bombers and almost 850 fighters were launched by the USAAF for this mission, and their presence was reported quickly, via the remaining communication links, to the headquarters of Fliegerkorps (AirCorps) at Treuenbrietzen. The assembly of the force would not have been the first sign of an imminent attack. Throughout the morning the Luftwaffe would have been intercepting both the signals of the Eighth Air Force units in England and also the reports from the weather and route scouts already airborne in advance of the main force. Although the targets could not yet be forecast with any accuracy, these initial warnings were common indicators of large formations, indicators which the Luftwaffe had a great deal of experience in interpreting. This activity was enough to persuade Oberst Hajo Herrmann to issue an order which placed the Schulungslehrgang 'Elbe' force on standby... -- Adrian Weir, Last Flight of the Luftwaffe

I looked to my right just as a diving Me 109 swooshed by so close that we bounced from the shock wave. Inexplicably, the pilot had not fired at us nor was he at his gun-sight aiming at some one below - he was looking at me. We stared at each other for a fleeting moment then he was gone. He crashed into Lieutenant Arthur Calder’s Candy’s Dandy in the squadron below; they exploded and everyone died. Up and down the line, Elbe pilots were crashing into other bombers...Caarraash! The nose yawed left, we skidded right and the plane waggled like a dog shaking water off itself. Instinctively Carl and I kicked hard right rudder -- both pedals disappeared under the instrument panel then returned to dangle uselessly; the control columns were violently jerking back and forth, the number one engine was streaming white smoke, and all the radios including the intercom were dead. We had no way to ascertain the crew’s condition or to get their damage assessments. However, like the stubborn old war-horse unwilling to give up the fight, E-Z Goin’ seemed to still want to fly, so we stabilized the rocking and rolling with the ailerons and hung on... -- Hank Cervantes, Air Force Museum

Tuesday, April 05, 2005

Monday, April 04, 2005

First rosebuds of the year


On Chicago Peace and Golden Showers. Thought I killed Honor last year, but now it's growing back from the roots. Have to wait until it blooms to see if it survived the ordeal all right.

My redbud tree is in full bloom, the spiraea hedge is getting whiter by the day, and the irises have been both bountiful and gorgeous. Got little purple violets blooming and big purple buds on one of my clematis vines (the other sent up new shoots instead), and my little azalea is fixin' to turn hot pink.

Got a lot of weeding done yesterday and moved some things from here to there, making empty spaces to be filled after my annual birthday spree at my favorite greenhouse.

Sunday, April 03, 2005

9th mission: Kiel


Daddy didn't know it at the time, but he was more than halfway through with his bombing missions. The air war over Europe would end in less than two weeks:

German submarine construction had just about been forgotten. But lately it became obvious that the German fleet was a menace once more. Newer technology made U-boats larger, faster and radar-proof. Moreover, they were able to fire on Allied convoys without visual sightings. Revolutionary snorkel equipment kept them under water longer and they were now raising hell in the Channel once again. Today's planners took advantage of Double Summertime. The strike was scheduled for 1715 but, even so, the bombers could return just before dusk. Thirty-five of the 38 dispatched were effective. Although the inbound journey was impeded by 8/10s undercast and thick contrails, the skies cleared over the target area. Smokepots were of little help because strike photos showed that an airfield was hit 3 miles north of the MPI and that a trail of well-placed bombs led through the eastern part of the city into the torpedo boat section and the harbor. The harbor was crowded with shipping. But flak was accurate and tracking and a new German technique, firing from floating flak barges--in this case, 12 of them--took a toll. Each barge had been mounted with two .88mm guns. Lt Charles McFarland's 339th Ractup, 43-38871, was hit and tried for Sweden. The plane, the last official 96th MIA, eventually landed safely at Bultofa. The crew were soon repatriated and even the plane was returned to the USAAF. Flak caused major damage to four other planes and minor damage to nine. -- Snetterton Falcons

Target: U-boat sub pens, 100 guns at this target. Inaccurate flak, bombed by instruments. Jets attacked some of the formations. Load: 6 1,000 pound bombs. -- Harvey K Wingard, 350th BS, 100th BG

Target, Unusual as it is the "Admiral Sheer" heavy cruiser at the dock area at Kiel, Germany. Bomb load was six 1,000 Ib, bombs dropped from 25000 ft, Flak was moderate. We flew aircraft no. 931. -- Lyman R Huffman, Jr, 832 BS, 486th BG

The motor minesweeper YMS-71 is sunk by a mine off Borneo. The destroyer USS Sproston (DD-577) is damaged by a dive bomber; the escort carrier USS Wake Island (CVE-65) and high-speed minesweeper USS Hambleton (DMS-20) by suicide plane; and LST 554 by storm, all in the Okinawa area. The German submarines U-1221, U-2542 and U-3505 are sunk by Army aircraft at Kiel, Germany. -- America at War

Saturday, April 02, 2005

A treasure trove


Out of the blue, just got a package in the mail full of newspaper clippings:

I don't know if you will enjoy reading about all of this, but I thought you might. Some history, some up-to-date stuff, and a lot of funny, sad and morbid.

My mom's the coolest.

First, some bad news: Uncle Rich had surgery for prostate cancer. No word yet if he has to have chemo. What a lousy year for him--being shipped out to Iraq, then the hurricane, and now this. We'll be praying that he gets through it just fine.

Been flipping through this packet and I'm just delighted. Let's see--some history, some politics, some WWII heroes, some spiritual pieces, the Amanda Bateman murder (no, Ma--I never pick up hitchhikers), ooh--more politics...

So Margie's a Red Hat? She needs to see Mikey--he's got lots of Red Hat stuff.

An autographed photo of Paul James, the Gardener Guy, playing a grass guitar.

An obituary for the doctor who delivered me almost 43 years ago, God bless him. He was 81 and had delivered over 7,000 babies.

Anyway, lots of stuff in here I can use for my blog. Thanks, Mom!

Friday, April 01, 2005

Earthbound


Remember when Daddy used to load us into the station wagon and park us next to the airport to watch the planes take off and land? I remember getting all excited when we spotted certain ones, so we could yell out "BI Bluie!" or "BI Reddie!" or "BI Brownie!"

I never put two and two together back then, but I guess Daddy was probably thinking about his own flying days when he'd take us out there. I must have caught the flying bug from him, because I've always been fascinated by it. I used to think about taking flying lessons someday, but now I'm content to just be a passenger, being taken away to anywhere that isn't here. I love the mobility that flying allows: being able to step on a plane in one place and step off somewhere else a few hours later -- far, far away.

Mikey, however, hates flying. I haven't been able to get him to set foot on a plane since 9/11, and he recently admitted that he doesn't think he ever will again. So, I guess I'm grounded. My wings have been clipped.

(**sigh**)

Oh, well -- he makes my life happy enough in other ways that I ought to be able to live without air travel. He did say that if I can find one of these giving rides somewhere nearby, I can go--even though it costs about $500 for a 30-minute flight--because he knows what it means to me.

Problem is, only a few of them are still airworthy, so I'm not sure when that will ever happen.

Dang, I sure miss flying. I feel like I've been stuck in one place for an awful long time.