Welcoming Returning Vets at Port of Entry

Tommy, Et Al

Kevin Baker always has topical, interesting thigs to say. That's why I check his blogspot frequently.

Tonite (well maybe a little bit earlier), he quoted Rudyard Kiplings "TOMMMY" and followed it up with a short video of newly minted Vets returning from ... presumably ... The Sandbox.

I loved it, and I'm pretty sure you will too.

But three is a point to be made: when we returned from RVN, we never walked into an airport to receive this kind of ..l.. I don't know; let's call it ADULATION.

Because my flight on 20 September, 1969 landed at Oakland, CA. around 5pm, by the time we got into a civilian airport to catch a (civilian) ride home, it was after 11pm. Nobody watched us walk through the door, and frankly I'm just as happy; we had all HEARD about people harassing returning veterans, but we were spared this.


Instead, we were greeted with stolid indifference.

By the time I got to SF International Airport (I didn't understand the geography, nor did I know how to see when the next flight 'home' ..... to Oregon .... was scheduled, I arrived to discover that:

The next flight was at least 12 hours away
There were no provisions suitable to find a room for returning vets over night
There WAS a USO shelter ... but it was completely filled

All of these situations were endurable; I found a couch and made it mine for the next 12 hours. When the morning 'commute' flight to Oregon was available, I was among the first in line.

I know I've told this story before, but I was impressed that the Stews upgraded my seat to First Class, and asked what they could do to make my flight more memorable.

As it was a "Red Eye Special", early morning version, they couldn't offer me a drink.

MY Second choice: Chocolate cake, which they COULD (and did) provide. That was the sweetest thing I had swallowed after a year of accepting unworkable orders from .

clue-less brass. I wasn't really in the mood for Chocalte Cake, but they had it and I choked it all down

.... after we arrived at PDS, the stews were lined up to say goodby, and thank me for my service. I had no clue that anyone noticed up to this point, so it was with gratitude that I thanked them

This is not a "Baby Burner" story, only a moment to explain that air crews understood what we had gone through.

And if the video is to believed, many other people feel this way too; that we should have immediate short-term recognition of what American Soldiers do for their country, after a tour "overseas".

I loved the video. I hope you do, to..
x

Courtesy at Sea

I know this is an old, OLD joke but it's so old I had forgotten the punchline.

Very well done. Don't know who made the video, but it's wonderfully well done.





H/T to G-Man

HP Printer Technical Support

Sorry, folks, I have no knowledge or experience which qualifies me to comment on the technical reliability of HP printer/copier/fax/whatever hardware.

However, this soldier is obviously not impressed.




May I add that I am not all that impressed with his combat skills? He's got this very nice, very expensive high-tech full-auto rifle/Machine Gun, and he can't hit a big-assed printer from 20 feet away in his first two bursts?

Dude, you are spending WAY too much time in the office, and WAY too much time whining .... and WAY not enough time on the range or in the field!

One can't help wondering how much of the problems are related to the hardware, vs how much are related to operator error.

That question applies to problems with both the HP and the MG.

Memorial Day!

I plan to be busy later today, and perhaps tomorrow ... so please accept this as the Official Geek Memorial Day tribute to our service members today , tomorrow, and yesterday.


Please include in your thoughts Sgt. Paul Phillips, my mother's brother, who lost his life in the Massacre at Malmady in WWII.

PS: I have been dealing unsuccessfully with Insomnia for several years. This has been another such day ... I haven't been able to sleep for the past 24 hours, so if my friends AJ and KJ notice I'm not present at the annual Memorial Day Usual Suspects BBQ .... please understand I'm probably safe at home, asleep in my bed.

Or my chair, in front of this computer.