Let us not forget Pearl Harbor

[LexusLover]

Originally Posted by JD Barleycorn

If you want to know Eddie Albert was a bit of a spy before World War II.

The contributions of so many people go unknown and unnoticed, if for no other reason than they are "average" looking folks who blend in to the surroundings.

A physics professor of mine worked on the Manhattan Project and was dropped into France before the fall of Paris, escorted into Paris by the French, spent the night in Madame Curie's lab to gather all the documents related to the German effort to build an atomic bomb, and was hustled out to England the next day.

Watching him and talking to him you would think the most exiting thing he did was throw a paper route in the morning. In a conversation with him regarding On Thermonuclear War he shared the protected letter from FDR thanking him.

[cptjohnstone]

my dad was anAeronautical engineer and tried to join the Navy but Boing said no way and he was stationed in Wichita KS when he married my mom

He got a lot of dirty looks when taking the train from Wichita to OKC

Latter he was transferred to Denver to work on the B29 that dropped the bomb and my mom never knew why they were transferred until this year when she watched the Manhattan Project. I told her it was "Top Secret"

[LexusLover]

Originally Posted by cptjohnstone

... the Manhattan Project. I told her it was "Top Secret"

Now you know how the University of Texas Band drum (the huge one) ... "Big Bertha" ....got to UT...... which I learned in the early 60's.



Some claim it was named after the "howitzer" ...

[Jackie S]

Originally Posted by LexusLover

Now you know how the University of Texas Band drum (the huge one) ... "Big Bertha" ....got to UT...... which I learned in the early 60's.



Some claim it was named after the "howitzer" ...

http://www.worldwar1.com/heritage/bbertha.htm

By the way, where is that mockup of "Little Boy" hanging? Smithsonian??

[WTF]

Originally Posted by LexusLover

The contributions of so many people go unknown and unnoticed, if for no other reason than they are "average" looking folks who blend in to the surroundings.

.

I'm not trying to be a smart ass when I agree with you. In fact for some morbid reason I read the obituaries in the Chronicle almost daily and am amazed at what folks accomplished in their life, not just as it relates to war but there are so many average folks that do so many amazing things.

[Yssup Rider]

Originally Posted by WTF

I'm not trying to be a smart ass when I agree with you. In fact for some morbid reason I read the obituaries in the Chronicle almost daily and am amazed at what folks accomplished in their life, not just as it relates to war but there are so many average folks that do so many amazing things.

That seems to be a symptom. They don't believe you when you argue with them. They don't believe you whenyou agree with them, too.

And Whir-LIE-turd, the duly and truly elected DOTY squeals like a stuck pig regardless.

[LexusLover]

Originally Posted by Yssup Rider

That seems to be a symptom. They don't believe you when you argue with them. They don't believe you when you agree with them, too.

I believe him.

[LexusLover]

Originally Posted by Jackie S

By the way, where is that mockup of "Little Boy" hanging? Smithsonian??

Midland? I was thinking I saw one in the air museum outside of Portland, Oregon.

[LexusLover]

Originally Posted by LexusLover

The contributions of so many people go unknown and unnoticed, if for no other reason than they are "average" looking folks who blend in to the surroundings.

Picked this up ... and if my critical vision is still good that is a female:


Which reminds me of a story from a long time friend who used to fly herself around in a twin Cessna to her various business locations... needless to say 1,000's of hours ... since she flew more than she drove .....she inquired of some of the guys at the "Confederate" Air Force facilities if she could fly one of the vintage multi-engine bombers flown by them ... and they refused her request claiming it would "desecrate" the plane to have a "female" fly it.

Speaking of "unsung" heroes.

[JD Barleycorn]

I don't know if any of you have ever heard of Kelly Freas. He is known for being an illustrator of mostly science fiction novels of the 50s, 60s, 70s, 80s, and on up into the 90s. I saw him at Virginia Beach at a science fiction convention. He was smaller than me, gray haired, and always smiling. He gave a talk about his life and career on stage. He was in World War II in Europe but just said that he "did some work in France". Later, another writer was talking and he brought up Mr. Freas. That work he did in France was to be dropped behind enemy lines and work with the French underground. One part of that "work" was to kill German soldiers silently with a knife usually. There is some debate on this as it is not part of Freas's official biography but the author who said this is a well known historian and writer.

[I B Hankering]

Has anyone heard of Morris "Moe" Berg?

He was a baseball player, a catcher, who played for the Washington Senators (1932–1934), the Cleveland Indians (1934) and the Boston Red Sox (1935–1939).

"A group of All-Stars, including Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, Earl Averill, Charlie Gehringer, Jimmie Foxx and Lefty Gomez, was organized and sent to tour Japan playing exhibitions against a Japanese all-star team. Despite the fact that Berg was a mediocre, third-string catcher, he was invited at the last minute to make the trip."

So you have to ask yourself, "Why was 'Moe' Berg sent in the company of such quality players?"

"Among the items Berg took with him to Japan were a 16-mm Bell and Howell movie camera and a letter from MovietoneNews, a New York City newsreel production company with which Berg had contracted to film the sights of his trip... On November 29, 1934, while the rest of the team was playing in Omiya, Berg went to Saint Luke's Hospital in Tsukiji, ostensibly to visit the daughter of American ambassador Joseph Grew. Instead, Berg sneaked onto the roof of the hospital, one of the tallest buildings in Tokyo, and filmed the city and harbor with his movie camera. He never did see the ambassador's daughter. Back at home, the Indians gave him his unconditional release. Berg continued on to the Philippines, Korea and Moscow."



"Moe" Berg was also an OSS spy.

[LexusLover]

This information I learned from personal experience:

I person I knew well was a public information officer who traveled with crew members on R&R to document their recreational trips ashore and made frequent stops at bridges and other significant infrastructure for group photographs to memorialize their travels overseas upon their return home.

Moe reminded me.

[LexusLover]

This information I learned from personal experience:

Probably won't be found in the History books at the Naval Academy.

[gary5912]

Originally Posted by Jackie S

Several years ago, my Daughter bought me a really nice ball cap with scrambled eggs on the bill, and "Vietnam Veteran" written on the front.

I put it away, I am glad that she is proud of me.

But I have never worn it in public.

Not trying to be a asshole, but are you ashamed of being a Vietnam Veteran, I served with 1st. Bn. 9th Marines at Khe Sanh better known as the

[Jackie S]

Originally Posted by gary5912

Not trying to be a asshole, but are you ashamed of being a Vietnam Veteran, I served with 1st. Bn. 9th Marines at Khe Sanh better known as the

Not ashamed of my service, but ashamed that we wasted so many lives on such a worthless endevour.

I did not ask to be drafted. I did not ask to be sent to a Vietnam. I did not ask to get both of my legs darn near blown off by a trip wire mine.

And you know what, I haven't asked the government for one god damned thing since.

Ever time I look down at my shins and see the scars. Every time I have to warn a lady that what she will see is not pretty. Every time a slight bump results in bleeding because the Army did such a shitty job of grafting. I am reminded of the worthless pieces of shit that sent me, and hundreds of thousands of other young men to a place that we should have never been in the first place.

When I ETSed out, I left it all behind, and got on with the rest of my life.