This blog began on April 7, 2008.
It’s been a fun ride since.
At 9:14 AM Eastern today, the following entry came in from one of our regular contributors, Dennis, in response to Reflections On D-Day :
“TW, You’re right about the Marines in the South Pacific. Unlike the Army, in Europe, who handled all of their own logistics, the Navy handled the logistics for the Marines, who were basically the ground combat forces of the Navy. My Dad’s WW2 experiences were sort of unique. Even with bad knees, he was drafted into the Army Air Corps, right after Pearl Harbor. His first month was spent in the hospital for knee surgery, followed by abbreviated basic training while recovering. He was sent to an airbase on New Caledonia in the South Pacific where he served as an aircraft mechanic (was a mechanic prior to being drafted, aircraft skills learned OJT) for the duration, as he called it. As the saying goes, ‘all gave some, some gave all.’”
It was the 20,000th comment on this blog. Dennis will be getting an autographed book as a small prize.
A blog with no commentary is simply one person’s thoughts. Add in the commentary, and you have dialogue and a far more effective exercise in promoting thought and gathering knowledge.
I have all of you to thank for that.
A couple of blog entries here attracted so much useful commentary from readers that they grew into full-length articles, each commentator being quoted for what they contributed to the discussion. Both pieces appeared in my “Ayoob on Firearms” column in Backwoods Home magazine, one on use of guns in extremely cold weather, and one on guns as protection of self and others from venomous snakes. I’m toying with doing the same with this one.
It’s gratifying that in the course of eight years, I’ve seldom had to delete a comment. When it happens, it’s usually someone trashing another individual who commented (I’m fair game, commentators are not), or who couldn’t accept their first warning not to make racist comments, drop F-Bombs, etc. I can still count on the fingers of one hand those I’ve banned, and that was for stuff like death threats, or indications of stark lunacy.
As far as I’m concerned, you guys and gals who comment here MAKE this blog. I humbly thank you all for your participation, and look forward to the next 20,000 comments.
Wow!!!
The topic was dealing with D-Day and those who served and their sacrifices. How ironic is this? The closest I’ve ever came to winning something by chance was the “Draft Lottery of December 1, 1969” ( the very first of its kind ). My birthday was the 4th drawn.
http://www.calledtoservevietnam.com/blog/information-about-the-vietnam-era-draft/the-results-of-the-first-draft-lottery-dec-1-1969/
Thanks, Mas. Your blog is the most informative, professional, and educational of its kind on the net. Thank you and those who contribute their thoughts for making this the first site I go to every morning.
I think I probably speak for all commentators, Mas, when I say that we all owe you a debt of gratitude for your blog and your indulgence in putting up with us!
I’ll agree with Randy, we owe you a dept of gratitude.
I visit this Blog and the comments every time I open my computer!
For me that is a first.
Wow – 20,000!!!
Amazing. I’m new yet I do know that if it wasn’t for all the interesting discussion provided by all the commentators here I may very well have chosen not to comment myself. Thanks to all!
Congratulations to Dennis for taking the time to share his a part of his Dad’s story here with us. Oh, and for getting a signed Mas book… That’s none to shabby in the least! A fine prize.
Cheers, and here is to many more years of a fine weblog!
Thank you for your blog, it’s a continual source of information
My wife’s uncle (we lost him a few years ago) was stationed on a tiny island in the South Pacific. They were performing modifications to a B-29 with absolutely no knowledge of what they were doing or why. On Aug 9th, the Bock’s Car aircrew dropped the second bomb on Nagasaki, effectively ending WWII in the Pacific. His name is on the web site for that mission. Godspeed Robert Haider and all of the thousands of named and unnamed heroes who helped bring this to a close. No apologies, the A-bombs saved millions of Japanese and American lives.
Keep up the good work. I’ve been reading you writing since the 70s. I alway learn something from your thoughts.
Mass, I know this is a little off Topic, But since it will effect you, Me, as well as most of the Commenters of this Blog, so, thought they ought to see it, and Read it, and Remember it, Come this November’s Elections “Pay Back will be a Bitch”!!!
IMPORTANT ACTION INFORMATION FOR NOVEMBER, 2016, VOTE
Medicare at age 76!
If you don’t read this, and do nothing about it, don’t complain when it affects you or your loved ones! This is the second Judge to have read the Obama Care document comments. More highlights of Nancy ‘s “pass it and then find out what’s in the bill”! Show this to everyone nearing the ripe old age of 76. These are just a few of the things that we Senior’s are going to have to deal with which started in 2014. Even far left Democrats will not like these.
MEDICARE AT AGE 76, IMPORTANT PLEASE READ – ANYONE WHO DOUBTS THIS IS TRUE CAN DOWNLOAD THE NEW OBAMA CARE AND LOOK UP THE PAGES MENTIONED. THIS IS JUST THE BEGINNING……………….THIS should be read by everyone, especially important to those over 75……. If you are younger, then it may apply to your parents.
Your hospital Medicare admittance has just changed under Obama Care.
You must be admitted by your primary Physician in order for Medicare to pay for it! If you are admitted by an emergency room doctor, it is treated as outpatient care where hospital costs are not covered. This is only the tip of the iceberg for Obama Care. Just wait to see what else went into effect in 2014.
YOU ARE NOT GOING TO LIKE THIS… At age 76 when you most need it most, you are not eligible for cancer treatment * see page 272. What Nancy Pelosi didn’t want us to know until after the healthcare bill was passed. Remember she said, “We have to pass the Bill so that we can see what’s in it.” Well, here it is.
Obama Care Highlighted by Page Number THE CARE BILL HB 3200 JUDGE KITHIL IS THE 2ND OFFICIAL WHO HAS OUTLINED THESE PARTS OF THE CARE BILL.
Judge KITHIL of Marble Falls, TX – highlighted the most egregious pages of HB3200. Please read this……. especially the reference to pages 58 & 59. JUDGE KITHIL wrote:
Page 50/section 152: The bill will provide insurance to all non-U.S. residents, even if they are here illegally.
Page 58 and 59: The government will have real-time access to an individual’s bank account and will have the authority to make electronic fund transfers from those accounts.
Page 65/section 164: The plan will be subsidized (by the government) for all union members, union retirees and for community organizations (such as the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now – ACORN)
Page 203/line 14-15: The tax imposed under this section will not be treated as a tax. (How could anybody in their right mind come up with that?)
Page 241 and 253: Doctors will all be paid the same regardless of specialty, and the government will set all doctors’ fees.
This is what they do in Sweden too. I know because Alf’s daughter Ann is an OBGYN, and her husband, Thorsten, is a surgeon………
Page 272.
Section 1145: Cancer hospital will ration care according to the patient’s age.
Page 317 and 321: The government will impose a prohibition on hospital expansion; however, communities may petition for an exception.
Page 425, line 4-12: The government mandates advance-care planning consultations. Those on Social Security will be required to attend an “end-of-life planning” seminar every five years. (Death counseling..)
Page 429, line 13-25: The government will specify which doctors can write an end-of-life order.
HAD ENOUGH???? Judge Kithil then goes on to identify: “Finally, it is specifically stated that this bill will not apply to members of Congress.
No wonder they did not see the need to read it….doesn’t apply to them!!!
THE AMERICAN PEOPLE NEED TO STAND UP TO WASHINGTON
I don’t know if we can do anything, but awareness helps.
Winds Of Change!
Warren Buffet is asking each addressee to forward this email to a minimum of twenty people on their address list; in turn ask each of those to do likewise.
At least 20 if you can. It has to stop somewhere.
In three days, most people in The United States of America will have this message.
This is one idea that really should be passed around.
May there be many more years of this. First thing I read of yours was “In the Gravest Extreme” all those years ago. AFAIK, you pioneered the “when to shoot” thread and I am grateful every time I walk out of the house armed.
Always inspiring. Thanks.
Your the best Darlin. Keep hammering out these informative as well as entertaining blogs 🙂
Thanks, Paul Edwards for the wake up call. Mass, the reason that you haven’t had to delete very many posts on this blog stems from the fact-contrary to what the media would like the nation to believe-that the “gun Culture” is not a bunch of uneducated, backwoods smucks but rather people who are thinking, reasoning ADULTS. Adults who try to lead a quiet, safe, and happy life in their own little area of life. Besides, this is a great blog that is enjoyable, fun to read, and keeps us informed on topics we are all interested in and we don’t want to be banned from it for any reason. You do good work, Mass. Keep it up!
First – thanks to Massad Ayoob for beginning and nurturing this column. He continues to set a high bar for himself that he does with everything he does. It is only fitting that Dennis should receive the award as he displays the same decorum and intelligence as Mas. I feel as though I know both of these men and consider it an honor. One more blessing in a totally bles-sed life!
In all sincerity, I want to thank everyone who posts here for expanding my horizons.
Everyone – I know it’s a cliché, but – please, stay safe!
I can’t help but wonder what the current administration’s response would be had they been in office during the years of WWII. Instead of a call to action and all-out declaration of war to confront, fight and, ultimately, defeat the enemy, would they not have called for legislation to ban aircraft carriers citing their use at Pearl Harbor as a clear and present danger to mankind? Of course, there would have been no way to expect the enemy to comply. On D-Day, would they have had the strength of will to commit such numbers of troops to begin the eviction of enemy forces from conquered Europe, or would they have come up with a treaty whereby we actually helped to arm our enemy in the name of world peace? Those relatively few left to us from the “Greatest Generation” must surely be dumbfounded by the present day logic of this administration and I, for one, would agree with them. Thank God for those who saw the danger, accepted the mission and fought the good fight whatever the cost.
I always enjoy your blogs and the commentator’s participation. Even when controversial, it has a positive tone.
Perhaps one day we’ll hear from the Evil Princess!
Keep up the good work and the fight!
20,000? Well, well, well . . . who says you can’t have quantity and quality? 🙂
My Dad was a Platoon Sgt. with 29th ID, in a Telephone Signal Corps Company, stringing phone line’s all over France, from D+1 at Omaha all the way to Germany, before he came home. I never understood why he had such a long and pained look on his face when I told him I was going into the Service (Army & Infantry) until I did some reading. Turns out his Unit in 29th ID had some of the highest sniper caused casualty rate’s of the War, since so many ‘wire guy’s’ were so exposed stringing phone wire on pole’s and tree’s, and had no protection. Your book, and the point’s of view, finally had me realize why my Dad was both so scared, and proud, of me when I went in, and came back. Thank’s ……..
Congrats Dennis, on the win.
Nevada V and Roger W, “missed it by THAT much”.
Thank you Mas, for all your time and energy put into continuing this blog.
Thank us—-thank you for the blog.
Yes, indeed, keep up the good work and stay off piston-powered helicopters, Mas!
TXCOMT
It is off topic but I see from the news that a major mass shooting has just occurred in a Florida nightclub. Early media reports, which always have to be taken with a grain (or maybe a bag) of salt is saying that it was a “lone wolf” shooter with possible links to radical Islam ideology.
No doubt the Hillary camp will be calling for more gun control before the blood is even mopped up. The gun-grabbers live and breathe on these kinds of mass shootings.
Based upon the past history of these things, the killer will probably have had a fairly clean record before the shooting and all the extra “background checks” and new “gun control” laws proposed by the gun-grabbers would have made no more difference than spitting in the ocean. No matter. Facts don’t matter to the gun-grabbers at this point. They are as crazy with their ideology as the Islam extremists are with theirs.
By the way, this will likely turn out to be another case of a mass shooting in a “Gun-Free Zone”.
Florida law says:
(12)(a) A license issued under this section does not authorize any person to openly carry a handgun or carry a concealed weapon or firearm into:
12. Any portion of an establishment licensed to dispense alcoholic beverages for consumption on the premises, which portion of the establishment is primarily devoted to such purpose;
I am assuming that this nightclub sold alcoholic beverages for immediate consumption which would have automatically made it, under Florida Law, A “Gun-Free Zone”. In other words, another good hunting ground for a mass murderer!
TN_MAN,
If I , as a conservative, non-hyphenated American, was actually a bigoted, anti- LGBT, anti-black, person, who wished ill to befall those communities, I would most certainly switch my support to liberal/progressive causes. Those ideologies have done so much harm, yet, for some reason, those communities continue to support those who would enslave them. Self sufficiency is repugnant to a collectivist.
Sadly, those who entered that establishment, did so believing that they would be safe because it was “gun free”. Liberalism is a mental condition that equates a gun-free zone sign as more effective than calling criminal activity a crime.
As could be predicted, the left-wing media is busy “dancing in the blood” of the victims. They are working 24/7 to make sure that this mass murderer gets his full measure of glory so as to inspire future dance parties.
Of course, the usual mistakes are being deliberately made with regard to the firearms so as to support the gun control agenda. The rifle has been repeatedly described as a “weapon of war that should not be owned by citizens” and as an “assault rifle”. Both these descriptions imply that it is a select-fire weapon such as is used by U.S. Troops. It is also described as an “automatic rifle” which implies that it is a fully automatic Class 3 arm. This is Fox News! I hate to think how CNN is describing these firearms.
All this is disinformation. As near as I can determine from their murky reports, the rifle was an ordinary, semi-automatic AR style rifle in .223 caliber. The handgun appears to be a glock 9mm. Probably a Glock 19 but it is hard to be sure based upon the disinformation being put out by the media.
Everything is just as usual. To the left, this incident is nothing more than a Golden Opportunity to push their gun control agenda. America gets attacked by a terrorist and the left’s response is to try to disarm the American Citizen so as to make him or her an even softer target. It is unbelievable!
As certain terrorists seem to be ramping up, the thought strikes me that federal law enforcement should be concentrating on assisting the more local authorities to police up the local backyards, rather than practicing any divide-and-conquer bureaucratic strategies proceeding from a possibly worse-than-negligent executive. The growing wave of mass murder seems to be more of a foreign attack than a civil war. Blanket gun control is actually likely to be a terrorist goal and not conducive to the security and survival of local, loyal Americans. The demolition-sniffing dog is sure to enter a new hey-day no matter what, and if knee-jerk gun control is imposed, those dogs will just be needed more. We would be foolish to go about defenseless. And go sheepdogs!
My Father entered the US Navy, immediately after Pearl Harbor, in early 1942, and since he operated a Construction Company in Coral Gables, and Southern Dade County, Florida, he was sent to OCS, and assigned as a Seabee (Construction Battalion) Officer.
His Unit served in the Pacific Theater of Operation, from 1942, til the end of WW-II, and as they said back then, “Built Roads so Fast, that the Japs used them to try to escape from the US Marines chasing them”!
I know that my dad took quite a few Photos during that time, but never talked about the war, or showed anyone the photos, afterwards? Dad’s Partner in his Civilian Construction Company, was also a survivor of the “Batan Death March”, which he never later spoke of either.
After WW-II I do know that my Father could sip down a full Fifth of his favorite Whiskey, a day, and never stagger, or show any signs of being drunk, but it is what most likely killed him, by 1960, as a still relatively young man, which was likely from all the things he had to do, and what he saw happening around him, during those war years too?
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