My writings, old and new...

I've been an avid reader since I was 10 and my parents subscribed me to ''Boy's Life''. We lived in a small town without TV for 3 years; my family read as many books as we could! (My wife still occasionally mentions TV shows I've never seen; I think the books I read did me more good!) I'm going to put my opinions of books I've read and especially those I could not finish.

Monday, August 18, 2025

Something to use...

Tuckerization (or tuckerism[1]) is the act of using a person's name in an original story as an in-joke. The term is derived from Wilson Tucker, a pioneering American science fiction writer, fan and fanzine editor, who made a practice of using his friends' names for minor characters in his stories.[2][3] For example, Tucker named a character after Lee Hoffman in his novel The Long Loud Silence, and after Walt Willis in Wild Talent.[4]

Monday, August 11, 2025

Fw: Aboadfrd gteh Support Cruiser





From: Michael Bell <mike_und_kathie@outlook.com>
Sent: Monday, March 17, 2025 7:24 PM
To: mikebell <mikebell@netins.net>
Subject: Aboadfrd gteh Support Cruiser

About the Support Cruiser
In 1975, a Special Unit, that is an experimental unit, the first of the Dodge City class of nuclear powered Support Cruisers rolled off the ways. It was sponsored by the wife of Kansas Senator Robert Dole. The purpose of the boat was (officially) to provide gunfire support to surface units and shore bombardment (the ship had a pair of "five inch fifty fours) as the cannon were called. She was also loaded with anti-submarine sensors and weapons.  The ship had a suite of medium range or IRBM missiles to support anti-ship operations. This Support Cruiser could store ship fuel sufficient that she could support several destroyers for short periods of time.  This ship maintained a surgical hospital worthy of an aircraft carrier.
The designers of this ship remembered the days when British explorers lowered miles of cable in hopes of  finding the bottom depth. The support Cruiser had spaces for removable, specialized, equipment. One experiment was to create a deep water climatology of the ocean. Simply put, the ship would lower a sensor laden cable with pressure, temperature, salinity and light levels. This cable was 10,000 feet long and while it would not reach the medium let alone the deep ocean, it would cover water depths the foreign submarines could operate in. (Sometimes, the Intelligence People regarded US Navy Submarines as enemies.). But there was a major problem: the cable limited the ship's speed to 15 miles an hour.
How could the Support Cruiser trail a 10,000 foot sensor cable when it had to loiter across the ocean at 15 miles an hour (or less).
The Soviets would notice.
There were various reasons given for the birth of this Dodge City Class of Support Cruisers and never once was the real reason mentioned.
The true reason was "The Kindly Old Gentleman" (the infamous Hyman George Rickover his self) wanted a proof of concept of a highly advanced nuclear reactor.
The existing US Navy nuclear powered  Cruisers were rated at 30 knots and the more honest reports gave them top speeds of 35+ knots. "The Kindly Old Gentleman" wanted a Cruiser rated at 40+ knots.
His reactor and propulsion teams gave him his 40+ knots. There were reports of a 400 ft speedboat going by, on the plane, at 45 miles an hour. Mother Navy denied this could be a US ship.
ADM George Rickover smiled (but in private).
The ship was named for a man who had served in the US Navy for decades before "going south": Raffel Semmes!
===
In 1975, Commander Eugene ("Gene") Louis Kellner III was offered command of an experimental nuclear powered Cruiser. Kellner was both delighted and horrified.
Delighted because Command of a Nuke was a step up from the rather ancient Cruiser had commanded.
Horrified because he would have to survive a meeting with ADM Rickover. The odd thing is Rickover conducted a peaceful greeting meeting and there was no apparent downside. The actual downside was the three Master Chiefs who sat behind Rickover giving Kellner the worst cold blooded stares he had ever experienced.
Finally, he was sent out of the room. Rickover looked at his three "Fates" and said "well"?
The three "Fates" conferred and the eldest said "He handled this meeting quite well, mon Capitan, he should do well. (This man had been calling Rickover "mon Capitan" since WW2 and was incorrigible.)
Commander Kellner was called back in.
"We have decided you are suitable for Command of an as yet unnamed nuclear Cruiser. You will have to attend and graduate from my Nuclear Power School. Do so, and both Command and a Masters in Nuclear will be yours.  Do you accept?"
"Sir, Yes Sir!"
"Good! My three Fates  will give you the required paperwork. If you wish to sell your house in San Diego, that can be arranged. If you wish to rent it out, excellent renters can be found. You need not worry about your finances."
"Thank you, Admiral,"
"Dismissed."  Admiral Rickover was busy with his paperwork before Commander Kellner was out the door.
"I am Master Chief Rener," one of the three Narns introduced himself. "We have the paperwork arranged and will be your supporting Personal Support Detachment. Are you accepting these orders, sir?'
"Yes, Sir, Master Chief, I am."
"Excellent sir; one of the bonus of taking this assignment is you will be meritoriously promoted to Captain. The worst element Navy in this damned so called 'Peace Period' is the artificial hold up in Senior Officer Promotions. We have ways to get around this, sir."
The rest of that day was getting his paperwork in order. The orders promoting him to Captain came in around 3 pm.  No one had expected the Senate to work so fast.
CAPTAIN Kellner returned to San Diego, where he was the Senior Officer on the Type Commander Inspector Staff (for Cruisers and Destroyers). The promotion went well, the party was very nice, they rented out their house to a junior Chief Petty Officer who could only afford part of the rent payments. Somehow, money was magically appearing in the monthly payments. The Chief, a Personalman, got the feeling he was suddenly "golden".
He was.
CAPTAIN Kellner and his family moved to a rented house in Mountain Home, Idaho, where he attended Nuclear Power School. There were a number of Military, former Military and retired Police in their housing project. They made excellent neighbors...
When CAPTAIN Kellner graduated with his Masters in Nuclear Power, his neighbors gave him a very nice party. His thesis was concerned with how neutrons could transform theoretically wonderful stainless steel into dangerous materials. His real results were how neutrons could transform possibly inferior metals into metal ideal for nuclear reactors.
The "Kindly Old Gentleman" (ADMIRAL Rickover)  smiled openly for days after he was briefed on this thesis results. He had gotten material sciences research results that would greatly benefit his nuclear programme and all it took was an early promotion for a deserving officer and arranging for this deserving officer to get a Command he deserved!
===
The knowledge that Mother Navy had awarded him command of the USS RAFFEL SEMMES pleased him immensely. Eugene Louis  Kellner had been born and raised in Alabama and Reffel Semmes had been a boyhood hero of his....
===
CAPTAIN and Mrs. Kellner , upon returning to San Diego, moved their family into a hotel and waited for the renters, a Coast Guard couple, to move out.  A cleaning firm they had not known about cleaned their house, made repairs and replaced items they were never told about. Their house was immaculate.
The tine was fast approaching for the event that terrified CAPTAIAN Kellner: the official tour of his ship, the meetings with his XO and  Command Master and finally, meeting his officers.
It went much better than he had feared. His years away from an at sea command had haunted him. His XO had smiled and said "I know you've gotten a bit rusty Skipper but not to worry!  The Operations Officer, the Command Master Chief and I will get you up to speed. However, Sir, I suspect you haven't dropped in ship handling ability."
"Thank you. Our Command Master Chief, is he the one they call 'the Rabbi'."
"Yes, Sir, he is. His real name is John Andrew Semmes. He was an Evangelical Christian before there was such a thing in our 'modern' world. He had problems with an overworked Preacher and felt excluded from the religious life on his ship. His Chief was a  Rabbi and convinced John he could be a Christian and Jewish; he dated the granddaughter of yet another Rabbi and when they got married, this small group worked out his religious affiliations and so BT3 Seemes became BT2 and later a Rabbi. He doesn't push his beliefs."
"I take it 'the Rabbi' has more than 20 years' experience in Engineering?"
"Yes, he does. There have been times when the Chief Engineer has been off the ship and the Main Propulsion Assistant is acting Chief. One time, both were off ship and the remaining officers came to the XO and recommended that 'the Rabbi' should be acting Chief Engineer. He did this calmly and the Engineering Junior Officers told his orders without quibbling. By the way, 'the Rabbi' graduated from Rickover's nuke school in 1960 and taught there in the later 1960s. "
There was a polite knock on the door, then the door opened and 'the Rabbi' walked in.
He glanced around and smiled at the XO and made a little hand gesture with both hands.
"That gesture means 'moving right along', shall we?" The XO stated in a dry voice.
"Really, sir?" The Master Chief replied in an amused tone.
"Captain, may I present the Command Master Chief (CM/C), Boiler Tender Master Chief John Andrew Seemes. Master Chief, may I present our new Captain Eugene Louis Kellner."
"A pleasure to meet you, Captain Kellner. I have heard good things about you."
"My Yeoman brought in coffee the way you like it and coffee cake buttered up the way you like it Master Chief. You do know that much butter is bad for you?"
"Yes, sir, I do. Did I mention that smoking cigars (he called them sea gars`) is what gave General Grant throat cancer. Throat cancer is a very bad thing to have, XO. Has the Surgeon looked down your throat lately?"
The new Captain cleared his throat but said nothing.
'Moving right along then, there are a number of items to brief you on Captain..." and the briefing began with both Executive Officer and Command Master Chief taking turns speaking. Finally, the Captain asked in a slightly perplexed voice 'are there any older messages that I should know about?"
The XO looked at the CM/C  and said "he probably knows of your 'COMMANDING OFFICER AND MASTER CHIEF EYES ONLY' message. Why don't you tell him?"
"Captain Kellner, I will approach this initially as a sea story, with your permission?"
His CO nodded.
"Once upon a time, call it 1957, there was a destroyer which had some serious problems. The CO hid his anger, the XO was Light Commander who was treated with respect despite being the first black XO, the XO's Senior Chief really ran this ship in certain ways. The Weapons Department had a Yeoman First who was quite the writer and editor. This fellow had a son, a five year old son, who called the XO "Uncle XO" when he saw the XO. There were some serious problems which remain; there was a serious crime committed and some of us -ah- some of those folks from that ship  WILL NEVER FORGET AND NEVER FORGIVE them that hurt a family member. But this, Capt. Kellner is just a story, a sea story told over coffee."
CAPT Kellner knew he had heard a true story couched as a myth. He decided to respond in kind.
"So, Master Chief, what became of these people. I assume that folks in stories can age?"
"Indeed they can, my Captain, indeed they can. The Light Commander has become the Vice Admiral commanding 7th fleet, the boy who called his Father's XO "Uncle XO"" is now a junior grade lieutenant and "Uncle XO's" Flag Lieutenant under instruction, the Yeoman first class, is the Flag Lieutenant's Father. There was one person of interest to me. A young Boiler Tender third, who was quite the religious young man, quite the obnoxious young man, got turned sideways with the ship's minister. An old Chief, the Boiler Tender Chief, got this lad straighten, his shipmates reminded him the division was his family and enabled him to heal."
The Master Chief sighed.
"Then, the lad got fully involved in his division. You know how small a destroyer is?  Somehow, he was able to keep track of where the chaplain was and managed to avoid him. It helped he had friends..."  The Command Master Chief smiled gently.
"And were you a BT3 back then Master Chief?"
"Why, I do believe I was, Captain."
"So, to continue with your sea story, how did this BT3 become a Rabbi and what was his future from 1957?"
'It took him about a decade to accomplish what was needed for him to become a Rabbi. He courted a lovely Jewish girl and married. That was the happiest time of his life and both the Jewish woman and her newly Jewish husband are quite happy. He cross trained to quality as a Machinist Mate, which was easy. After all Boiler Tenders and Machinist Mates go to the same training. The 'Kindly Old Gentleman' was looking for a senior enlisted to teach future enlisted students."
The Master Chief smiled a crooked smile.
"I rather liked Admiral Rickover and was the highest ranked student in the history of his programme. Some of the harder elements of your training were my doing, Captain.  By the way, I loved your thesis!"
There was dead silence, as his two officers were not sure what to make of this.
"In reply to Junior's message, we have an Engineman second who could serve well on this 'USS ELBERT  C LEE". I will have to talk with this Lieutenant Michael Henry Anderson-Pierre to see if I feel comfortable about letting one of my lads to go to such an unusual command."
"If we don't agree to send this sailor, Master Chief?"
"Then, XO, he will stay on SEMMES and I will propose a second candidate. However, my intuition tells me this young man is the proper selection."
"What was his name, again?" The XO could appear quite naive when he wanted. The Master Chief had seen such acts for decades.
"We both know, Sir, that I did not tell you his name. I listen very carefully to you, XO, and even more carefully to my Commanding Officer.."
"Perhaps it is time for 'the Rabbi' to leave the room and for the Master Chief to come to the fore?"
"A lovely question, Captain and the Rabbi is out of the room, allowing the Master Chief to speak. The man I refer to is Engineman Second Class William Thomas Nichols."
"He was one of three on my mental list," the XO said.
"Really?"
"No, I just wanted to get a reaction for you."
"Yes, sir, was there any happy news?"
"I received an EYES ONLY message earlier today. The CO of the America thinks he has a candidate for both the Lawyer and the Quartermaster. He said he wants to wait until Michael arrives on AMERICA. Your 'Junior' is enroute to Guam from Hawaii and I have hopes he will bring a Radioman and Electronics Tech home with him."
 "That could fill in our entire card, Captain," the XO commented.
All three smiled.
"On that happy note, how prepared are we for getting underweigh for Honolulu as scheduled?"
"The Division Officers and Department Heads have gone through their checklist multiple times  and say they are ready to go," the XO said.
"I've visited with all the Leading Chiefs and Department Chiefs and told them to make sure their people - especially their problem children - are ready to leave. I did have to tell one Chief that Hono is a civilized country and he need not go out desperately buying books. They are very likely to have his favourite books 'out in the islands'. I did tell the Chaplain's Assistant - our very own 'Librarian' - the limits of the new books he can buy for his personal library - oops- for the ship's library, Sir."
"What is his fixation, now, Master Chief," the XO asked?
"Well, XO, it was Poul Anderson, Robert Heinlein, Frank Herbert, Francis Busby and H. Beam Piper. People have gotten to him about Civil War History and he wants to buy General Grant's autobiography, John Mosby's book, General Lee's autobiography and "Hardtack and Coffee" by John D. Billings. Actually, a couple of the cooks are interested in some the cooking described in Billig's book, sirs, and I suspect this cook wants to have his people try their hands."  The Master Chief sighed.
"What would be on his menu," the CO asked.
"This cook wants to fry bacon, boil sliced potatoes in the bacon fat, boil rice and serve hardtack to be soaked in large cups of coffee. I had to remind him, that anyone eating this would have to drink a lot of orange juice and eat some of those little onions for fear of scurvy."
"Could this 'menu' lead to scurvy?"  The Captain was curious.
"No, sir, all it does is give this cook the chance to cook those onions and he loves to drink excessive amounts of orange juice."          
 "Is there anything else, Master Chief?"
 " Actually, there is sir. I have read your thesis and some parts more than once. Some of my nuke Machinist Mates and a - God help us - a nuke ET (Electronics Technician) had questions I was unable to answer. Think of this as a thesis defense in front of a polite audience, Sir. "                                                                        
The Master Chief left, soon to be going about his Master Chief duties, and the Captain turned to his XO and said "was he serious".
" I'm afraid so, Skipper. Mother Navy sent him to the University of Maryland where he got his BS in mechanical engineering, with a minor in Comparative Religious Studies. After he graduated from 'The Kindly Old Gentleman's' School for Nuke Sailors, he sent him to Naval Postgrad School for a one year Nuclear Engineering Masters. Of course, it requires a meritorious promotion to Chief but what he wants he gets... "
Both just sighed.
The XO's Yeoman knocked and walked in and handed a message form to the XO. The XO read it quickly and spoke:
"This message reads well, Skipper."
The message was "EYES ONLY" and addressed to COMSEVENFLT (Commander 7th Fleet), Captain of USS AMERICA and USS ENGLAND (verify this!). It stated that a strong candidate for the Engineman Position on USS ELBERT C LEE was found and gave the sailor's name. The second paragraph strongly recommended this William <middle name> Nichols be accepted.
'Why don't we meet this EN2 Nichols before I send this message?"
The XO simply smiled and held the door. The Master Chief was waiting for them in the XO's outer office.
"We're going to the Chief Engineer's office",  the XO said to the Command Master Chief.  The Command Master Chief fell in with them.
They went to the Chief Engineer's Office.
"Chief," the XO said, "we have a project that needs a middle level Engineman. the duty will be on an experimental command, actually a modified YP (Yard patrol Craft). This craft will need a skilled Engineman. Since the staff is a Lieutenant in Command, a Senior Chief as his XO and a projected crew of 6.  We need someone who can live in a small family and yet retain military discipline."
"Nichols is waiting outside; shall I send for him".
The XO nodded and the Chief Engineer bellowed through his open office door "send him in".                                          
Engineman Second Class William <mn> Nichols walked in, stood at attention and seemed very out of place.
"I assume you have heard of this special project, Petty Officer Nichols?"
 " Yes, Sir.  The Chief Engineer and the Rabbi told me. I like the idea, XO. "
 "Small number of folks. Seems more a family than division, Sir. It could be fun. Having high grade diesels sounds like fun Sir. I like it Sirs."
"Chief," the XO asked whilst looking at the Chief Engineer.
"if Nichols leaves SEEMES I lose a sailor. If I say no and Petty Officer Nichols stays, I probably lose a sailor when his attitude crashes So, XO, Captain, I prefer to send a good and happy sailor to a command he can be happy at."
"Then, unless any one objects,' the Captain said, ' pack your sea bags Bill. You can probably expect a transfer. On that note, I have a message to send."
Behind them, the Chief Engineer and Command Master Chief were busy calming down the suddenly confused young sailor.
The message was sent Immediate precedence, with the notation requiring a response with the time of receipt of the message. With both the XO and Command Master Chief looking at the Radio Room Clerk, that young and intimated sailor could only say, "we'll will have this out as fast as we can Sir."
The message form was run through an Optical Character Reader, the message then presented on a computer screen and the Section Supervisor as two other radiomen proof read the message.
It was perfect.
The Section Supervisor said to both the XO and Command Master Chief: "Sir, the message went out and we will all you when the receipt comes back".
From 12 to 15 minutes later, all the receipts were back on the ship and at 17 minutes, the XO and CM/c were informed.
A day later, a message came in that a radioman (woman actually) and an Electronics Technician had been found. Their command vouched for them and the Commander, Naval Forces Marianas had spoken to both and approved them,
A message and personal phone call from the Commander Seventh Fleet to the Chief of Enlisted Detailers (the officer who controlled transfers) resulted in transfer orders for both being cut that day. There was no real hurry, however, as they would remain at their current duty stations until the rest of the senior personnel arrived on Guam.
 
===
In meanwhile, LT Anderson-Pierre was gritting his teeth and standing his refresher watches on USS ENGLAND.
HMCS Scott was back in Honolulu initial helping his wife prepare for a mid-year move. Their children whined, botched and drove their parents nearly to distraction. Peace returned when the parents agreed to wait for the summer before moving.
 Staff Sergeant <Name> continued on his errands.
===
Two days later, transfer  orders sending Engineman 2nd Class Nichols to COMSEVENFLT (Commander Seventh Fleet) were received.
A message came from VADM Foote informing CAPT Kellner that he was losing his sailor (EN2 Nichols). He had also ordered a COD (Carrier Onboard Delivery) craft would take both EN2 Nichols and BTCM <name> to the USS AMERICA. There, the Master Chief would evaluate the future crew of the USS ELBERT C LEE . the Vice Admiral intended to be aboard during the same period..
"Why is he going to be aboard?" EN2 asked.
"He wants to see an old friend," the XO said. When the Vice Admiral was the Lieutenant Commander and XO of the <ship name>, the Master Chief was one of his Boiler Tender 3rd Classes. He wants to connect with his past."
 ---
The entire Engineering Department attended Bill Nichol's farewell 973 on-ship party. He got a nice ship's plaque with the dates of his service. They had a cake made by the ship's Baker (who had taken Junior College classes in refined baking) and he was spared the agony of public speaking.
His Leading Petty Officer even carried Nichols' seabag to the ship's van.
Master Chief Seemes was already in the van.
--
They went from the GARVIN to Naval Air Station North Island (sometimes called NAS San Diego) and were allowed to proceed to a waiting room. There, they waited several minutes until a Petty Officer Second Class, wearing a flight suit with PO2 collar insignia, arrived and conferred with the reception desk people. He walked over.
"Good afternoon, Master Chief Seemes, Petty Officer Nichols. I am the Load Master on our Grumman C tack two. (Tack was Navy talk for "dash".)  The desk clerk has verified your identities and orders out to the Big A. The Navigator told me we're fixing to leave at 1400 so both y'all have about an hour to eat some snacks, drink some coffee and use the head. Be sure you use the head! For folks not used to flying in the upper vomit sphere, you don't want too much on your stomach. I can give you Dramamine and the clerks told me they have 'freshly made coffee cake' and 'nice coffee' in the lounge. We have your bags on a cart and after I deliver you to the clerks - the oh so kind clerks - I will haul your goods out."
He paused.
"Any questions, gentlemen?"
There were none.
"Then please examine the cart and verify that all of your luggage is there!"
Both Master Chief and Second Class examined their luggage, looked at the form they'd filled out listing their item, and said "everything is here".
"Excellent," and the Load Master took them to the Clerks, who nodded at him. He went to the cart and hauled it out the main door.
"Here is the Dramamine and if you can take it, please take some. We have coffee cake and butter for it and good coffee. Contrary to what that grumpy Load Master may have suggested, the COD will not be leaving without you!"
"Why does that Load Master seem annoyed with quote the clerks unquote," Nichols asked?
"He was snubbed and treated rudely by clerks when he was an Airman Deuce (an E2 sailor) and isn't much on forgiving. Enjoy your coffee, Dramamine and coffee cake while I check the paperwork. Oh, and grumpy said to use the head. Please do so!"
The two outsiders took their Dramamine, enjoyed their coffee cake and coffee and then waited outside. In the remaining time, five more sailor arrived and were processed and went to the waiting room.
===
A man in flight suit with Lieutenant insignia and Pilot's wings walked in with the load master.
"Good afternoon, gentlemen, I will be your pilot on today's flight to the 'Big A'. We've verified your worldly goods are on the flying machine and even checked the tarmac to make sure we are not leaving anything behind. Your flight crew today will be my Load Master, co-pilot and I. Our Load Master is studying to be a Navigator so we'll see how that works out. My co-pilot will be checking his figurers. Once we get to the boat, all y'all will be greeted and y'all will be taken to wherever. On the other hand, we're going to fly back home tomorrow, rest up and haul a load to another NAS."
He paused and loudly cleared his throat.
"Hit the Head once more Gentlemen. A note for the wise: if the Men's room is full, use the "Male Officer's Head".  Ah, yes, William?"
"Dismissed," the Load Master bellowed.
Save for the Command Master Chief, everyone headed for the "MEN ROOM.
"Master Chief," the pilot commented, "my little speech was to encourage you to use the Officer's Head.  We will be in the air several hours. I've arranged for you to have the nicest seat, even though it may not look like it."
"Thank you, young man, I shall take your advise." With that, the good Master Chief left to perform his duty. [In a manner of speaking.]
 
Slightly more than 15 minutes later, they were walked out to the aircraft. It looked smaller on the outside than on the inside. The Load Master had put a box on the nicest seat and directly his human cargo to seats based hon their apparent weight. Finally, the Pilot who waited outside with the Master Chief lead him in. the Load Master removed his box and the Command Master Chief took his place on the nicest seea. Several in the passengers noted the Pilot leading the MC in and recalled a Bible quote:
'The first shall be last..."
===
The Load Master stood in front of the passengers.
"Master Chief and Gentlemen, I am Load Master, Navigator under instruction and safety person. So, please pay attention. The main exit is the door you came through and we have another exit near the two heads. Don't use that. I'll say that again! Don't use the exit in the ass end of the COD.  Open that door and the entire air plane will flood and you'll be too deep to make it to the surface before running out of air. if we ditch, be patient and follow the Pilot's orders. We have some inflatable rafts and life preservers. The water is too warn to kill you and the sharks are not doing their annual migrations. They are not likely to attack you.' He sighed "We hope! Enough of that happy talk! The flight will be about three hours and the pilot will thump us into the Bird Farm [aircraft carrier].  We have sufficient box lunches for all y'all to have seconds. We don't have carbonated beverages so you'll have to do with bottled water, coffee, black tea and Motts canned orange juice. That Motts is actually better than you may think; it is unusual at least. I regret you will not be able to sleep very well but look on the bright side.  when you're surrounded by dozens of farting, snoring, shipmates tonight you'll fall asleep quickly."
The Load master stopped talking and waited.
"Once we lift off, and the Pilots tell me tis safe to do so, the SEAT BELT light will go off. I'll go to the coffee mess. We have plenty of box lunches. A word of warning! You may feel great now but if we hit turbulence, you won't find that meal so good. In the words of a philosopher you never met:  'But it tasted so good going down. Not so good coming back up!''.
The Load Master gave the cargo space a very careful walk around and inspection. Then, he went to a work station, put on a head set and spoke with the pilots. he advised them their passengers were belted in and he was going to monitor the voice channels. The Pilots told him "to carry on".
The takeoff was smooth, the aircraft well within the limits of their flight plan and the Load Master/Navigator followed their track. After they were "feet wet" or over the Eastern Pacific, the Load Master/Navigator fired up his high frequency transmitter and put both his transmitter and receiver on the frequency designated for him to contact the USS AMERICA,
The co-pilot came back to the Navigation Station, studied his sailor's work and said "Very nice work Willliam. I agree with your projected track. Please sent this information to the boat."
The co-pilot returned to the cockpit, having decided Navigation was in good hands. The Load Master/Navigator felt good and is passengers were impressed.
The callsign for the USS AMERICA was NUSA and his aircraft's callsign was something that daily. This was written on a sheet of paper on his clip. Using the manual he had spent 6 week learning; he began to establish comms with "NUSA".
When he had started learning manual morse with the very short duration sound bursts used at 25 words per minute, he thought he would never learn to copy and worst, learn to send well. Now, when he sent or received, all he heard was letters.  He had become a rarity: a US sailor who could communicate in Morse Code.
He had already become a Ham operator, an Amateur Extra...��
He repr0ted the COD's position and projected arrival time  at the carrier. Some of the old farts thought this verged on treason.
These old men did not realize just how much sound the carrier's we 8 boilers and 8 sets of high and low pressure steam turbines put into the water. Then add in the engine sounds of the carrier battle group 's warships and oiler and various radars and communications transmitters. Plus, consider how visible it all is to satellites and air planes.  Finally, junior sailors and Marines talk too much in bars, etc.
There was nothing this sailor could say that the Soviets didn't already know..
About 45 minutes before their arrival, the Load Master told the CO-pilot he's like to remind the Bird Farm about having reception committees. The co-pilot rolled his eyes and told him to do so. He called the Bird Farm and said he wanted to respectfully remind them his passengers needed the reassurance of knowing they would be greeted.  They may have rolled their eyes but said "all is in order".
He then told his passengers to use the heads and take little brown bags with them. They did so...
The co-pilot came in the cabin. area and gave the "we're landing talk". There were no questions; the first time passengers were nervous. The experienced passengers were nervous...
The landing was smooth (for a landing on the rolling deck) And they were relieved. The COD was put in a spot off the airfield areas.
The reception committees were present and helped get their visitors and possessions where they needed to be...
The aircrew was half way through their "work day". The COD was refueled, the three men used the head, ate a quick hot meal in a little dining room set aside for transition air crews and they left for  NAS North Island with several passengers about two hours after they landed.
===
 
 
===
NOTEs:
LT and CM/C  interview EN2 Nichols and approve him.
 
The 3 sailors, QM1,  LM1 and EN2 meet, hit it off well and both LT and Master Chief approved the three.
VADM Foote, knowing his rank was terrifying, kept his distance.
Those on the carrier are given first class seats in an airline to Guam.
Meet RM3 and ET2.
===
RS arrives on Guam.  Haven't figured what will happen. Maybe test cable with data link to SOSUS station Guam?
They go out on deployment to Japan and go trawling fr.om Japan south.  Have to figure plausible reason to go so slow...
What about a "...a prince need not be religious and ought not to be religious, but is is most inmportant for him to appear to be religious." 
                                                        "Thought on Machiavelli"
                                                                    Leo Strauss
 
 "The Republican Party, while it is wicked and corrupt, is not an assemblage of fools, and while there may be, and doubtlessly are, many foolish and stupid men    who put themselves forward as leaders, the mass of voters in all sections of      this country are tolerably sensible people."
 
                                         Dodge City Democrat December 23, 1883la of yachts going from Japan to Guam and then Honolulu with the USE RAFELKE SEMMES guard dogging the yachts.
 
 whose callsign
 
 
 
Told the
 
 
 gave the safety lecture and reminded everyone that Mother Navy would know where they were and that the wager was warm and they would not die of hypothermia should the Cod fish retrun to the water. He did remind them that sharks were possible 
 
 
 
=============================================
FOOTNOTE/ENDNOTE:  This is wishful thinking. When I served on USS FORRESTAL (CVA-59), we were told that if we wanted a ship's plaque, we had to buy it. If we wanted a little bronze plaque with our name and the dates were were on FORRESTAL, we had to buy it outselves and pay to have it put on. No, the Leading Chief (CTOC Samuel Joeseph Renner, Jr. and Division Officer LCDR Gerald Gavin did not arrange for a farewell cake My departure was me packing my peresonal goods and getting items checked off on a check list. Both Renner and Gavin did shake my hand and wish me well.  My fellow sailors did not go out of their way to say "farewell".  This was in Novemer 1973 and I am still pissed.[1] My only comfort is the knowledge they very likely got the same "fuck it" style of "bye bye" when they left...
 
I have to rename the ship..  I shall call her the William Garvin
 
On second thought, the ship stays RAFFELL SEEMES and the Master Chief gets a name change to Harold Phillip (Phillip) ...I'm not doing so good in renaming my Master Chief. When I got up this morning, I thought of how many name a son "Jesse James" and decided to call him that with "JJ" as his nickname. I quibled about his last name and while watching "The Planets" realized that "Darwin" would be a fine family nsme. 
And there you have it...
Benson
 
LIAM GARVIN)


[1] I reread this the evening of Monday 16 December 2024 and realized I did not give a shit. Too many worst events had gotten in the way.

Friday, August 01, 2025

Poem I Wrote in 2009

I don't want to grow old,
be smelly and cold or
dead and covered with mold

me

Friday, July 11, 2025

Nice boat

This would be a nice boat for a weekend cruise if you had a Captain and crew along with you. The boat really looks sharp!

Wednesday, July 09, 2025

Worth using

gratias tibi ago

This will be worth using in both novels hanging firw.

Friday, July 04, 2025

The Lighthouse One of my three best poems!


Name of the book:  The Lighthouse
          Author:  Michael W. Bell
    Type of book:  poem

    
 
The Lighthouse

I was a child and she was a child in the craigs above the sea. What brought us together, what joined us Was the service required of her and me. Her Father a light tender watching the sea And mine a tower maintainer as would be me In the tower, the gaunt tower sitting In the craigs above the sea. On the bed deck below the light deck overlooking the wreck, the wreck so old, the cat stood guard on the rat so bold who watched the sea toy with the wreck so old. The rat made comments to the cat who spoke To humans who lighted ships daring be bold, who dared the sea for grain, weapons and gold. They met, they dated, they mated, they wed they watched rat watch the sea, the cat watch the rat, they had a daughter. They had a daughter the night that a ship of the dead glided through the beam of the moon. The dog told the cat who told the rat who chattered "They know! They know! They know who today joined to guard the living from the dead; blood red will flow beneath the sea! Just you wait, you'll see the sea alive in death! Her blood did flow, His blood less so, For Queen of the night was she!
He fought the sea,
                 Upon the shell,
                                Upon the shell of the tower.

Hell did come, but heaven did too
The great [progression did come 
Their granddaughter did come
The ancient blood did flow
From sunken ship to shore 
And from the light back to the sea.


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Tuesday, June 24, 2025

Interesting quote from "Revolt in 2100"

Hi – I'm reading "Revolt in 2100" by Robert A. Heinlein and wanted to share this quote with you.

"In essence, a dictator’s strength depends not upon guns but on the faith his people place in him. This had been true of Caesar, of Napoleon, of Hitler, of Stalin. "

Start reading this book for free: http://a.co/i5w7fPk

--------------

Read on the go for free – download Kindle for Android, iOS, PC, Mac and more
http://amzn.to/1r0LubW+



Plague Years

There have been an amazing number of plagues in the past several centuries. There wss one in 1832 which no one spoke of or wrote about. My Grandparents or Parents never mentioned the Spanish Flu to my brothers, cousins or me.

In 50 years people will have forgotten about covid-19:unless it and it's variants become endemic.

Official start

There are a numbrr of places which give the official starts to the Pandemic. I am going to talk about my perspecctived.

In late january 2020 there were news reports of an epidemic in Wuhan China. This souned like a respiratory diseas3 thqt degene4rqtes into pheumonia. i had 2 cases of the flu that went to pneumonia betweeen 1998 and about 2006. i stqart4eed gettingt th eflu shots religiously and that stopeed my getting the flu. I also took pneumonia shots when they were availa le. Before the ccovid-19 I was given a pneuonia shot that proteted againsst the five most common pneuonia virus.

I was calm and figured my flu and pneumonia shots would protecct me from what Trump was already calling covid-19 "China Flu" or the "Kung Flu" or the "Wuhan Virus"

I was wrong!

In February 2020, there were news reports of an epidemic in New York City. there were reports of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) shortages. I remembered having bought two N-95 breathing masks years before. I found them in the garage; they were still in the origional packages. I decided to do a good deed and took them to the loccal hospital to donate them.

The usual entrance was locked and the rooms beyond the doors were dark. there ws a sign instructing visitors togo to a seonddary entrance, whicg]h i did. At tghe end of a corridore was a desk with a young man in his early 20s. I walkd to him and said "I'd like to donate some N-95 masks to you" anh put them on his table.

He replied "we dodn't need them" and pushed them into a garbage can . I had not epected this bllshit and retried the.

'The news says you need these protectiv masks."

"we don't", he replied.

"Fine," I said, "I'll just tak them to the Cancer Centgr" across the streeet."

He immdiately said "We'll take them" anf took them from me.

I guess he realized thee masks were aactually valuable and he did not want to be accused b y his bcoss of turnign away soethg valuabl;. I thought about postiny this onn facbfook but didn't see any point. I would probbly post this transation today.

In late February the news was talking about needing to wear masks, social distance and sanitize surfaces. The Dodge City Distillery was handing out little bottles of alcohol based disinfectants. Kathie told me to give them some money anyway. I got in line and when I was handed a bottle, I asked "are you taking donations?"

The surprised woman blurred out "Yes!"

I gave her what I had and I think it was a $20.

Kathie went by latet, got a bottle and gave them a $20.

Later, there were news reports of the ATF finding out distilleries were giving out booze for free. It seems the tradition is for distilleries to give booze to the state or federal control agencies and they sell it back to the distilleries who then sell it. It took some good lawering to GRT the km to back off!

Disinfectants

Taking masks to hospital mid Feb 2020

Surgery

On 10 March 2020, I arrived at the DodgeCity Hospital to be prepped for Prostate Surgery. After the usual paperwork I was told.

After being discharged from the hospital, Kathie drove mevhome. I sat on my usual chair in the living room and wondered "what now?" I watched some TV and sat drowsy for donevtime. Kathie made dinner and I didn't eat much. I went to bed early.

Since I was under Doctor's orders not to drive, I wondered between living room and bedroom. My recreations included reading, watching TV, dishes and cleaning out the liter boxes. The next week, we wete UT into lockdown as covid-19 was suddenly discovered to be widespread.

My wife watched TV with me and did crossword puzzles She is an extrovert while U am an introvert and the being stuck in the house wore on her much more than it did on me.

I was terrified of going around bother people because we kept hearing the death totals on TV. Sure they were only 1.6% fatal with upwards of 5% very sick but te numbers were staggering! I was lucky and recovered from the Pandemic in Mar h 2020. Kathie sick for about 8 days but has made a full recovery.

During this time, I real II zed I had lost my sense of smell,sense of taste and had almost no appetite. I was not hungry. I did find I would have some hunger at the start of A meal. Generally hunger would stop. I found that if I took teo or motecbites, my stomach would foil and sometimes I would be on the verge of vimiting. So, when the appetites stopped, it was forks down!

I was gradually becoming scared of going outside the house.

I mowed the lawn because thedamn thing kept gtowing! In mid April 2020, m wife asked me if I wanted to go shopping wit het. She planned on going to Mr. G's Liquor for wine and beer (LandShark or Stella Artois) and then to Dillions to pick up A prescription or two.

I put on a nice shirt and combed my hair. I needed a haircut but I see Barber Shops as small and poorly ventilated places that just teem with viruses. Looking shaggy is better than being sick!

Loss of smell, taste and appetite.

Out to Mr Gas and pharmacy; I dressed up.

Out by myself, my driving sucked

In late April 2020 I drove to Dillions to get a preacription. After not driving and still feeling "puny" my driving wss distracted and somewhat dangerous. It took a few more road trips before II "got my mojo back". Before I settled back into my normal driving I thought I was a bitvscarey.

On the way hone, I took my usual shortcut and saw no one outside and no cars in motion. I got to my turnoff and saw two digs casuall lying in the strert. A large rabbit mossed across the street and starting eatting tall grass. There were squirrels casually taking in yhevday. It was like a screen out if the TV series " Earth After People".

Note to the future: Covid-19 was a real Pandemuc. Covid-19 killed a lot of people. Covid-19 was no hoax! Believe this as well: the next Pandemic will happen in the the early 22nd Century or so the virus experts fear. Don't be surprised at the upcoming poor and disorganized tesponse! (The Trump Administration did a poor job of dealing with civic Pandemic. They did try to make be speedy effort at creating and distributing the vaccines however.)

There were a number of times when states ordered Personal Protective Equipment only to have FEMA steal, ah, confenscate it!

Times out to dinner

We did and out from Appleby three times. This was quitea tres!

Going out to dinner:

We went to "Prime On The Nine" for Katie's Birthday in July 2020.

We went to Casey's Downtown for m birthday in August and our 41st Wedding Anniversary in October.

We sent to Wichita several times for me to go to the VA Bob Dole Hospital.

We also went out of town a couple of times for lions events.

POTUS Donald J.* Trump held a number of campaign rallies which featured:

No masks No social distancing No vaccinated people present (theublic did not have access to vaccines or rapid tests) Massive disrespect towards the news media covering these events

*The "J" is John not Jesus

Check appointment dates with VA

Leaving house to !ow yard

Pattern of life in lockdown

Katie's need to be out of house

Several times getting take out from Appleby a

Wearing mask

Losi MN g weight

We both noticed I had lost weight between 10 March 2020 and my km medical appointment in July 2920. Kathie and I were both afraid my Prostate Cancer had met a sized and hungry v cancer caused my weight to drop from 288 pounds to 235 without metryi job g. However both my Urologist and Oncologists assured me my prostate cancer wss benign. The concerns was I'd had covid-19 in March 2020.

Trump Trains

Some odd customs appeared, seemed destined to last and faded away. One of these was the "Trump Train". This was typically made up of pickup trucks with flags. These could be a US flag at the center of the truck tailgate with a Trump Flag or perhaps even the Stars And Bars (s ppl with and without a drawing of a military rifle on that flag). T uh eh would have the Proud Boys (" pb")flag and the "Qanon",** flag.

**" Qanon" is a bizarre social movement that I kackv ppl the words to adequate II describe; it ca job only be read about. Truly, a number of our fellow citizens have buckled under the pressure of the Pandemic and "our President". Truly a number of our fellow citizens have lost their fucking minds<\b>!

Going back to work was svarey! We wore masks, did social distancing a job d stood behind spit shields around places workers could be found. We also checked body temperatures on the fotehead; mine just tested at 97.5 °F

First masks:

Kathie started cutting up old socks to make masks. I came out of the bedroom wearing a jock strap over myvface. She was surprised!

We got several different makes of masks and wore them.

Getting tested.

Blood test for covid antibodies

World wide the Pandemic response has pretty much been A cluster fuck! Countries v that thought they had beaten the Pandemic have seen A recurrence in it. There is an excellent history of the " Spanish Flu" called "Flu" written by $$$ Look it up and study it!

The serious errors committed in the late 1918 - 1920 period have been repeated (i.e. no masking and opening up too soon) and will be when the Pandemic of the latec21st century ambells in.

You'll be surprised and you'll bevsorry!

Back to my story:

We had been in the habit of going out to dinner too often. From fear of crowds we simply stopped. But, we also desired to say "screw the Pandemic" and we risked our health by going out on special occassions.

reddit We went to Prime On The Nine for Kathie's birthday, Mike Casey's "Casey's Cowtown" for my birthday Caseys Cowtown for our Anniversary and several times sinc see We went to the Airport Hilton I. Wichita several time the night before I had an appointment at Bob Dole VA Hospital We went to a nice hotel in Hayes before Lions Conventions

Weapons did take away from Applebys 3 times. Another major effect is I have been totally blocked and can not write anything long. There is an event in November called "write a Novel In A Month". I wrote novels in 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2025, 2016 and collected short stories in 2017, 2018 and 2019 (Hey! A novel is what an author says it is!l)

After about 2 weeks in " lockdown", I was becoming A bit depressed and there were news items on our fellow (military) Vets committing suicide at the rate of 22 A day. I started a novel about avWW2 Sailor driven to almost committing suicide. He is saved by the forces of "Evil".

I could not bear to finish it. The working title was:

" Hell Ain't Half Bad" As an aside, I think a large number of my fellow citizens have lost their fucking minds. Not getting the vaccinations and boosyets, not wearing masks and not socially distancing has not stopped thevcovid-19 Plague!

If we tentatively assume the World Population to be 7.4 billionad nd skill rate of 1.6% world wide we are looking ata"population drop" of some 118,400,000. Of cource, this is a theoretical maximum and hopefully won't happen.

Back to my story:

When I returned to work, it was with mask on. The entrance to my job site had an entrance podium where an IR scanner was used to read people's forehead temperatures. If someone came in without A mask they were offered free masks. Without A mask properly on their faces they simply were not allowed to enter!

Country losing it's fucking mind

an Canon

Mask wearing Plastic spit shields

Waiting for tests

Kathie getting the Plague

Watching 7 pm MSNBC and Rachel

Trump and awful suggestions

BLM and Anteva {sp}

Going to ICT for VA appointments

On the US covid-19 death total exceeded the number of Service members who died in 'Jam (Vietnam War). I had the vague hope Trump would give A sad speech about this but he didn't. He did blather on in a "I love me" speech.

Military and medical resistance to getting vac

My impression and that of a number of others was Trump simply did not cate!

My weight loss and hA1C reduction

Getting asked for first Modetna and second

Katie's first and second Modern

Gigantic Trump Rallies, we which became super spreader events

Resistance to masks and vaccines

People apparently thinking their immune systems and prayer would keep them safe

People going into the open without masks 😷

Masks In wore. Jock Strap. Others.Navy Vet. Lions masks b

Fear from going into places like "Red Beards" coffeevwhile wearing a mask toget coffee and chocolate muffin

Sitting in museum looking outside whilst thinking of the gigantic ball of life and death and how it' UV could be killing the covid-19.

Delta variant and how it is leading to multiple deaths

Going to Lions meeting and de-masking on faith alone 😉.

Story I started and why BBC I guitar it

The kids not getting vaccinated

Wearing masks at the USA-Canada Lions Leadership Forum in Des Moines Iowa 2021

Plans in 2019 whilst on a European Cruise to save up for acruise in March 2021. We even tried planning excursion then the pandemic hit. The Cruise wad cancelked. We did take a "cruise" (in a manner of speaking) whenwe got vaccinated...

😊

I need to put Aunt Noreme's {sp} Coffee Cake Recipe in someplae with a footnte abouthow I like to publish this. Also put the "Andrson Metbod" in.

I wonder if theLions could host A session about writing A Pandemic Journal in remembrance at theLibrary? Who could come up with a suggested outline?

People upset at suggestions they get vaccinated.

Unvaccinated people catching the Delta Cariant, going to hospitals and taking g ICU beds that should have gone to cancer, heart attack, car accident, shooting victims all v because they were convinced not to get cvaccinated!

Tell me again how we have the world's best medical care? If you can not pay for your medicalcare with cash or insurance you are fucked. This does not happen in Canada or the UK or Europe. Why do we tolerate this? Ah, yes, this is the way the Republican d's and their rich supporters like it...

===

11/20/2021: I thought I would never get this Bluetooth Keyboard connrcted! I don't know if I can replicate this feat!

===

11/20/2021

An all too frequent event is occurring in Texas: an active shooter situation in Arlington Texas.

CNN broke in to their regular show to report this event. All that has been reported is this High School is in lockdown and Police from multiple agencies and the ATF "are pouring in'. No casualty reports ATT (at this time).

Texas is a gun loving state so their folks are often fire arms skilled. I fear there will be multiple casualties but we can hope the shooter(s) missed!

The good news is we have had comparativey few such killings this year.

===

The shooter was caught. He turned out to be anv18-year old who got into a fight with one and possibly as many as three boys. He pulled his piece and fired. I won't call his targets " innocent" because when teen aged boys fight in high school then one or more ate likely bullies or gang members. The shooter looks to be a "minority" and thus responding to aggression. No, I am not defending the shootet, I am simply offering a rationale for his "wild west" action.

===

On a happier note, this is the 42nd annivwesary for Kathie and me.

I boughtt flowers for Kathie.

She ordered a cake, whiick I picked up along with Vinallia Ice Creamme. I'm taking left over casserol for lunch.This was our dinner last night.

We went to "Prime On The Nine" which is a fancy restaurant over looking the golf course. We had steaks (Prime Rib), loaded baked potatoes and I had a lager (Stella Artois).

We had cake and vinallia ice creame when we got home.

===

11/20/2021 A Thursday...

On a different subject, Senator Dr. Roger Marshall told his followers that President Biden's recent Presidential Mandate requiring vaccines and mask wearing is unconstitutionsl Marshall finally noted these violate the Tenth Amendment - State's Rights. He was correct. However, if one we're to apply the Tenth widely then I fought if the "War On Drugs" would pass muster. There are other actions taken by the Government that are also suspect.

===

I got the latest flu shot a week or so ago and my wife is getting her's this afternoon.

My second Moderns shot was seven months ago as of 5 October 2021 and my wife's six month wait ended on the same day. We're going to drop by Ford County Medical or our "Moderna Boostet" (i.e. Moderna third) some time next week.)

There are news reports of a drug that can be taken at the first signs of the Pandemic. They supposedly cure the common variants. New variants are coming - this is just a continuination of the current trends - and I suspect that theanti-vaxers will ensure the Pandemic becomes endemic.

There was a time last year when foreign countries would not let US Citizens in because the Pandemc was out of controlin the US of A. That reportedly abated. The persistence of anti-vaxers may well bring a return to this!

===

I will be getting off work about 1:30 pm and will go to Dillions Grocery to buy groceries for dinner tonight (Lazanna).

===

CNN had a quick story this morning. A teaching hospital in Colorado is refusing g transplant surgery to those who test positive or are unvaccinated against covid-19. They said that immune surprise isn't drugs are given to those who receive transplants and this raises their chances of dying from covid-19 by 20 percent. In other words giving the unvaccinated a transplant is a waste of a very valuable organ...

A month or so ago an unvaccinated person went to board a cruise ship for a transatlantic cruise to Europe. She tested positive for covid-19 and was told her ticket was recinded and that she would be refunded the money she had paid.

She would lose the money spent on her plane fare as she could have, should have, been tested before leaving home. Had she "tested positive" back home, she would have been able to get full refunds on plane tickets, hotels and cruise. (This sounds nice and I wonder if the plane fare and hotel reservations would actually have been refunded? I am cynical..🤗 )

She didn't grasp the notion that she would be spreading the virus in every Room she went into. There could be unvaccinated people there or people whose vaccines have not fully kicked in.

There would be no way to tell when she would sicken and have to go to medical. She would need frequent invasive medical exams (temperature and listen to breathing).

The Governor of Florida issued an order forbidding Cruise Companies from banning covid-19 testing positive people. The Cruise Lines said they would stop coming to Florida. The cities standing to lose a lot of money cinvinced the governor to back off!

"Money talks, bullshit walks!" If she got sick then th medical staff would be devoted to her and not to many other passengers.

Bottom line: she was an avoidable catastrophe that was avoided!

11/20/2021 Once again I wonder why so many people believed bullshit aboutvtesting, vaccines, social distancing and staying home. Mass gathering could have been fun but being in hospital lying in bed sick is not fun and dying in an induced coma whilst having the tube of a ventilatio machine in your throat can hardly be called fun.

===

11/20/2021

A numbrr of members of the Armed Forces are refusing to get vaccinated. Real news reports are speaking of members refusing to get vaccinated and commannds apparently are not doing a very good job of finding out why they are refusing. these senior officers and NCOs truly need to find why so they can counter these beliefs. Thet need to do this "sooner rather than later!"

When I went to Navy Boot Camp at Orlando Navy Boot Camp and was in Company 170-70 (company number 170 of year 1970, Company Commander MMC P.G. Smith. "Company Commander" or CC was the Senior Drill Instucctor), we were orderd to take off our shirts, roll up our t-shirt sleves and we were marched in single file between pairs of Medical Corpsman. Each Corpsman had a Gas jet Injector and gave the recruits between them a shot int the closest arm. It was not too bad..

No one was allowed to skip any of these "shots" simply vecause they did not wannt it!

Now, a number of military people are refusing to take the shots. They should simly be ordered to "take the damn shots" or be subject to frequant Quick Response Tests (Q-tip up the nose) and being told tht liberty in foreign lands is curtailed due to that foreign ccuntry not allowing unvaccinated Sailors and Marines ashore or to leave bases oon thir land. (Actually this will probably not be much of a threat since these foreign countries want the money US Military (Cash cows) have too much of,,,.

===

11/20/2021 Kathie and I both went to Fored County Health to get our Moderna B ooster. There was one man ahead of ujs and he said he eas there ort a flu shot. There was a woman and small girl behind us whi apparently was there for a covid-19 shot. It was ridiceoud just how empty the County Health Clinic was...

Later today that gadfly Marjorien Taylor Greene was preaching the US should have a "divorce" beteweern Republian and Democrat states. Yhis is preaching a Civil War, This means she is vilating her Oath of Office4 in which all members of Congrss swear to "protedt and defend the Constitution of the United States of America from all enemies foreign and domestic". Preaching and encouraging such a "divorxe: is treason!

I hope the silly bitch is eventually forgotten!

11/20/2021

Yesterday, the leader of an international organization (I don't recall which and don't care which) said it was "immoral" for people in the US of A to be getting booster shots when so many in poor countries have not gotten initial shots. Somehow, the boosters my wife and I got the day before yesterday could have gone into foreigners instead???

The news talks of vast amounts of vaccations being sent to these foreign nations (e.g. in Africa and both Central and South America). Failures of giving these shots sounds like a supply chain problem at the distant end. There have also been stories of corrupt local officials charging large sums of money for the shots. (I admit these were "older" reports...

So, I finally did some online data searches regarding the "Religious Argument" for not getting vaccibations. It seems that in the early 1950s, two fetuses were voluntarily aborted. Some of this fetal tissue went into creating cell lines which have been essential to vaccine production since.

I was taken aback and realized that in theory, every vaccination shot I have taken was made with the aid of these cells. It is far too late for me to quibble. Life comes from death.

Perhaps MDs, DOs and RNs should save fetuses which died during or after a miscarriage or which were delivered dead. These deceased fetuses could provide new cell lines. Perhaps cells from living persons could be changed into the appropriate cells to rep!ace these "tainted" fetus derived cells? (This would be interesting if true...)

In the mean while, we have a new category in the argument regarding using medical data obtained from "tainted science" or "tainted medicine". I will continue getting vaccinations as needful since I am 70 years old and don't intend to die based on " principles". Still, "they" should replace these cell lines. How am I writing this? I'm seated on a comfortable chair writing on a tablet computer (A Kindle Fire) as the Spirit moves me... ================