"The family is more sacred than the state." (Pope Pius XI)

.....Let me just say a few unsolicited words about my family: I have four wonderful, intelligent, sensitive children, and four very accomplished grandchildren.  Robin, my eldest had a highly honorable military career, retiring as a Lt. Colonel. She has held some very important jobs; at one point she worked as an assistant Secretary of Labor. When she retired she was appointed by Gov. Jeb Bush as Executive Director of the Florida Dep't. of Veteran Affairs.  When George Bush was President he summoned her to Washington to serve in his cabinet as the director of all the national cemeteries in the country.  Robin's brother, Joel, had a distinguished career in the CIA & after he retired, he became Vice President of a software company; he's as bright as a star.  Then, there are my twins: Bobby Lou & Bonny Sue.  Bobby is a crack salesman of Harley Davidson bikes.  (That's bikes, not "crack"). Bonny has had a dog grooming shop in California for over 20 years. I love all of them dearly and equally...well, maybe not equally...that's not possible according to the latest issue of Time Magazine.  I suppose I have a favorite, but that changes from time to time, accordingly.

.....Now, about the grandchildren. There are also four of them: Bonny's Sean, Bobby's Katrina, & Joel & Barbara's Adam & Hannah. Three of them have a college degree, and each of them has distinguished themselves in their chosen careers. Katrina is a Navy petty officer and she works on jet engines.  Sean and Adam are artists and Hannah is a professional photographer.  Unfortunately, and sadly, they all grew up elsewhere than Florida and we never had a really healthy chance to get to know each other.  Consequently, they don't know their grandparents very well.  In spite of that situation, they are grandchildren and, naturally, we love them.  And another blessing is that my children have bonded, and each sibling is proud of and loves every other sibling.  Not many families can say that. Mine can.  The Rosses are at the very top of every and any 10 best list, and that includes Unca Phil and Cuzzin Ruthie. (Also RH+ & me).

"Sir, is it OK if I just leave now?"

FIRST COMBAT MISSION

(Bay of Biscay)

Flying along at two hundred ten

     High in the clear cold air,

Don't look like much from the ground

     But were you ever there?

I'll tell you just how you would feel

     Or what your thoughts would be

With just the sky above and

     Below, the roaring sea.

You're looking out your plexy hatch

     Watching the props spin through,

You think, "What if they konk out now?"

     Good Lord, "What would I do?"

You look down at the roaring sea,

     The waves are ten feet high,

I hear you say, "This ain't the place

     For a guy my age to die."

Just then, the plane begins to dive

     Your heart, it skips a beat--

Your stomach winds up in your throat;

     Your ass flies off your seat.

The plane pulls up just off the sea,

     You sink right to the deck.

Your legs are made of rubber and

     You think you broke your neck.

You're now again at level flight,

     You sit relaxed and sigh.

Who was that guy who one time said,

     "It was a cinch to fly?"

(Written by Ed Trybala, Radioman VPB 111)

If This is the New World, send me to a different planet.

.....Back again.  Sorry it's been a while...medical issues for both me and RH+.  I'm still having problems with the sore on my heel which is painful if someone touches it or if it comes into contact with anything...like a mattress, and that's why I need to have two pillows under my knees at night.  I saw my doctor at the wound care center on Wednesday, and he wanted me back on hyperbarics every day.  I told him "no way".  I did make an appointment for three times a week.  This time I won't need Val to drive me...I can drive myself which, for me, is a huge step forward.  I even drove to the VA last week.  Rho's problem is a different story.  She suffers from parathyroidism and needs surgery which she is very antsy to get it over with.  She does need to go back to Hollywood for an ultra sound test on her thyroid so that the doctor can see how to operate.  She needs to feel better, have more energy and an improved appetite; perhaps surgery will help.


.....The progeny and I have been having a bitter debate via email lately as to what is proper manners in matters of proper wear to trendy restaurants...or any restaurant for that matter.  My claim is that t-shirts and tank tops are OK for dining at Wendy's, MacDonalds, Burger King, Shake & Bake, and IHOP...but not for a fine restaurant.
We had a vote and  most all voted that t-shirts and tank tops were perfectly OK...It's a new generation, and they live differently, and blah, blah, blah.  My claim is that every generation needs to learn good manners and civility.  JR sent me a photo claiming that Simon Cowell was at a "trendy" restaurant wearing a t-shirt.  To me, it had little or no resemblance to that TV moderator, and his "t-shirt" had long sleeves, and it appeared that he was in the men's room, and perhaps he had his meals sent in.  He really needed a good tailor to shorten his pants for they were hanging over his shoes like a circus tent.  In other words he was dressed like a slob.  But I suppose JR thought it was a fine outfit and appropriate for a man of his stature.  The only positive vote I got was from Rhoda.  Oh...maybe Cuzzin Ruthie and Unca Phil might have a viewpoint??

B24 Liberators in Battle Mode. Courage was a Requirement.

.....This was the second time the U-271 had encountered an aircraft of VB103, although the result of the previous action was rather different.  On June 24th, 1943 a PB4Y-1 encountered U-271 on the surface about 700 miles northeast of Argentia, Newfoundland.  This was VB103's base at the time.  As the aircraft attacked the submarine turned hard to port and opened fire at about 800 yards range.  The B24 which was approaching from astern was hit, strikes being seen in the cockpit and the nose area. Nevertheless, the crew managed to drop four depth charges before the aircraft crashed into the sea in flames about a mile from the sub.  The 10 crew members perished instantly, being the first casualties suffered by VB-103, but not the first suffered by my squadron VB-110.

.....Some facts about the B24 Liberator; 19,256 were made by Vultee, Ford Motor Company, Douglas Aircraft and North American Aircraft between 1939 and 1945.  More were made and flown than any other four engine bomber in WWII.  A fully armed and comat-ready B24 had a crew of 10.  Its gross weight when loaded was greater than 60,000 lbs.  It had four movable turrets, each with two 50 calibre machine guns and two .50s in the waist, a total of ten. It was powered by four 1,200 horsepower Pratt & Whitney radial piston engines and had a maximum speed of 303 mph.  It carried 2,750 gallons of fuel and had a flight duration of 1,500 miles.

.....The bomb load was usually ten 500 pound bombs or five 1,000 pounders.  Depth charges were used when in the anti-submarine role.  Liberators are recorded as having dropped over 630,000 tons of bombs.  It's operating environment was between 18,000 and 28,000 feet.  It was not pressurised or heated; crewmen wore oxygen masks on high altitude missions and were exposed to temperatures that reached -30 degrees F and below.  

.....I trust that I have given my readers a good account of my aircraft and of the battle dangers we faced.  Our missions almost always lasted 11 0r 12 hours. But I was 18 and invincible.

U-271 built by the Bremer Vulcan-Vegersacker Werft.

.....After having been asked several times over the years by several people to describe action in WWII that resulted in my receiving 11 Air Medals and two Distinguished Flying Crosses, I've relented a couple of times already on this blog, and for me  suffering from PTSD (battle fatigue)it is very difficult to recount events and battles that happened to me and my crew. I am also reluctant to do so for fear of being viewed as a "hero" when the only heroes are those who never came back. I truly believe   this. However, for the sake of history, I will write of one event eerily similar to one or more of my own experiences--and of others in FAW7, VB110.

.....A PB4Y-1 (B24 Liberator)named "The Bloody Miracle" of VB-103, Fleet Air Wing 7, found the U-Boat U-271 on the surface in the Atlantic,east of Limerick, Ireland. The boat carried a crew of 51 and was captained by Kapitanleutnant Curt Barleben, 34 years old and a native of Oldenburg who had captained U-271 since the boat was commissioned in 1942.  Based presently at Brest* in France it was operating as part of the Hinein Wolfpack and had yet to experience success. 

.....The Liberator was flying at 800 feet to rendezvous with an American convoy approaching the south coast of England when the U-Boat was seen. Diving steeply and turning, the aircraft closed on the submarine, receiving some damage from defensive fire.  At about 500 yards, the bomb bay doors were opened and six depth charges dropped as the plane flew over the boat at a harrowing 50 feet, the depth charges straddling the submarine with three falling near to the port side.  The fourth fell so close to the port side as to almost hit the submarine while the fifth and sixth fell to the starboard. The charges had been set to detonate at 30 feet and the sub seemed to be almost lifted clear of the water as they exploded.


.....U-271 began to slip beneath the waves and being unsure if the sub was fatally damaged, two sonobouys* were dropped.  When a positive contact was made, a Mk.24 Zombie aerial mine was dropped, the reply coming a few seconds later as a massive explosion indicated that the Zombie had found its target.  The area was searched for survivors without success. When I learned of this event it saddened me for the death of about 50 German sailors. The fact is that after boot camp, I never asked to become a combat aircrewman. My object was to be a desk clerk, (I took typing, bookkeeping, and stenography in high school)but since there were no schools open for clerks, and since I loathed washing pots in the mess hall, I agreed to go to the real war; the rest is history.


*(A sonobouy is a device with a microphone and a parachute inside of it so when dropped the chute opens and when the sonobouy hits the ocean the microphone drops below the surface and a crewman tuned to the sonobouy frequency with earphones he can hear whether or not the sub has been destroyed or its position)


*(One Liberator was named "Brest or Bust" by its crew).

"Hence! home you idle creatures get you home!" (Julius Caesar)

.....Good news; son Bobby and new girlfriend, Michelle arrived for a brief visit on Labor Day and today until 5:30.  Yesterday went for a drive through "Lion Country Safari".  It was quite expensive, even with our coupon of $6 off for each one in the car.  We were supposed to see lions, but I didn't see one; they were lolling in the shade of a large boxlike construction and hardly visible.  I saw one rhinoceros and one hippo.  Then there were a lot of different animals I can't name with large horns; an ostrich or two, a few zebras and a couple of giraffes.  I thought the whole thing was a huge waste of my meager funds.  Rho and I had gone to this place about 20 years ago, and as I recall it was a more satisfying experience. Of course, back then I was able to walk and we took in some of the other exhibits featuring animals such as monkeys; then we went on a paddle boat ride and had lunch in the restaurant.  Fortunately, our guests were fascinated and Bobby took a picture of everything with his camera.  We left the fair grounds about 5:30 and went straight to dine at the Chinese Kingdom Buffet which they thoroughly enjoyed.  Michelle thought she would taste every morsel in the place!

.....Today, the two youngsters came here about 12:30pm and we all went to the bagel place for brunch. Michelle opined that she was hankerin' for some lox and cream cheese on a bagel, and so that is what she ordered.  After lunch we went across the road to Home Depot and bought some corner molding to protect the corners on our walls.  My scooter made a couple of nicks on them when I was locomoting with it.  Now, I use the walker exclusively.  Other chores for Bobby while we had him here was to turn over the mattress in our bedroom, to adjust an a/c vent in the den so the cold air would not blow on Rho's neck while she worked at her desk.  He also fixed some problems I was having with my computer.  Bobby is very adept at computer tech.  He brought a beautiful laptop here, but had some problems because we don't have wi-fi.  The two left for the airport about 5:30 which would give them sufficient time to return the rental car and have a bite to eat before their 8:15 flight on Spirit Airlines.  It was really a joy and a blast to have them here; they are so young.

Phil, my friend forever; he can do no wrong."

.....It's been a while since there has been a comment to this blog from a loyal reader whose name is Phil.  But do not be fooled by that name; he is of royal blood but lately a little under the weather to be bothered with blogs; and that is understandable since I had the same aversion several months ago.  Right now, I too, am confronted by one of the remaining issues I have to deal with every day--and that is the sore behind my heal whose pain I keep battling.  The sore has become even smaller than a dime, but the pain persists and who knows what will become of it?  I can use my walker without pain because the  sore does not interfere with my walking.  And today I am going to walk to the Theatre Arts class where I act like a judge on "America Has Talent".  

.....I have not been to Hyperbarics for a month now, but my ears are still stuffed from the experience.  I believe I will have to find an ENT doctor who may be able to clear me up, because when I talk it feels like I'm in a tunnel.  O, yes--something good to mention is the new chair which Rh+ urged me to buy.  It's one of those reclining chairs which also goes down to where it helps you to get up.  It's in our living room and great for watching TV.  Problem with it is that it's too easy to fall asleep on it, therefore one can miss NCIS.


Well, I'm back from the Acting class.  I did two readings; the first was "Send in the clowns" The idea was to act out the song without singing it.  The second reading was a monolog about a guy who reminisces about his mother.  Both readings wowed the group.  There will be an "inhouse" show next March and I'd like to perform in it, but I don't think the walker would go over.  When I was growing up in the Bronx I always dreamed about being an actor, but I wound up being an English teacher--but I did a  lot of "acting" in that position.