Rosanne Cash - Tennessee Flat Top Box

The Holy Cross story

It was a beautiful fall day in 1942  just meant for football. Boston College was undefeated, having outscored opponents 249 to 19 and on the way to the Sugar Bowl to play Tulsa for the national championship.  The opponent this  day was little Holy Cross, with a 4-4-1 record.  Then the impossible happened --- Holy Cross won 55-12 in the greatest  upset ever in sports.

The story does not end there,  sadly.  Many fans were celebrating at the Coconut Club when a fire broke out and 492 were burned  or trampled to death.

The entire Holy Cross backfield were officers on the USS Pickens.  A the time I did not understand why they persisted in  boasting  about  beating Boston College.  The only college football team I knew was LSU.

When we were able to  relax on a vacant island we swam and played touch  football  The Holy Cross backs were on the opposite team from I and I continually created problems for them  by crashing into the backfield.  Two of them blocked me on the thighs at the same  time, against the rules but effective because I could barely walk. 

Is war in Israel beginning? Hope not

For the first time in several months a rocket has been fired at Israel.  Most attacks like this do little or no damage but they are usually followed by a revenge assault by Israel that kills numbers of helpless Palestinians.  We are more concerned than the government or the average citizen because Jessica will leave in July to serve as a missionary in Israel.

Rainstorm hits some areas hard

Forty days  and forty nights.  No, the rain has not been falling that long although it seems like it.  Texas and Oklahoma have been hit hard with flooding of record amounts.  Several deaths and missing persons have been reported.  Some of the areas flooded have needed water but not like this.

We can only pray that conditions will soon improve.

Remembering what Memorial Day means

Best wishes for an enjoyable and reverent Memorial Day.

Susan Boyle - How Great Thou Art

Summer on the Pickens 1945

The battle for Okinawa ( to end June  21) was still going on but the early summer was a  period of mostly rest and recreation for the crew of the Pickens.  I have some memory of a couple of visits to vacant islands where we swam and played touch football.  In one game the famed Holy Cross backfield teamed  to hit me and send me limping from the field.

I think it was during this time that I caused general quarters to be called and all of Saipan and Tinian put on alert.  I had picked up on  radar a  plane was coming in without identification.  It may have been during this period that I fell off the ship into a boat and injured my back.  I know it was after Iwo Jima because a stretcher was lowered to pick me up, and I did not want that, having seen wounded Marines brought on board that way.

I  will need to review earlier blogs to  restore my memory of shellback  initiation and our visit to Noumea, New Caladonia.

My blog goes on

I  have not abandoned my blog.  I have not felt well physically and nothing has inspired me to come up with  the way to solve our economy or the nation's defense.

Jen and Jessica have three grandchildren attending a Cub Scout camp-out.They will return tonight.  Mark flew in Friday evening and will join the group of eight who will go to Disney World Monday. 

Stop lying to us!

Obama and Kerry, with their cabal, including some high level military officials, claim we are defeating Isis, even when it is apparent we are losing everywhere.  Isis captured Ramadi and tortured and killed thousands.  Our response was that the defeat was unimportant and  we could re-take the city.  Yeah, like we have recaptured Mosul.

We knew Obama's plan  to  defeat the terrorists was a plan for failure -- or did Obama have a plan?

Bo Steele [HQ]~ Victory In Jesus

Looking ahead to Memorial Day

If you are looking forward to Memorial Day weekend as an early summer vacation, that's all right. Just remember that  Memorial Day has a noble purpose -- to honor those who  gave their lives fighting for our country.

Memorial Day each year comes on the final Monday of May, which this year is May 25.  Years ago  I was in charge of a service on the  courthouse lawn in Homer.  I will never forgot some family members of World Wars one and  two urging me to keep the observance alive.  I hope that will be done.

It is easy to confuse Memorial Day and Veterans Day.  One pays homage to those who gave their lives; the other thanks all veterans for their service.

Redeemed! - Fanny J. Crosby (hymn with words and music)

We are home after Jessica's graduation

We're back!  Home in Louisiana, that is.  Accompanying us are two grandchildren, Lily and Oliver.  They will visit for two weeks before going to Disney World.

Attending  a graduate ceremony is not most people's idea of pleasure but when you have a relative  getting a degree you enjoy a few minutes-- when your daughter's name is called and she   is presented her diploma. Jessica was awarded the Master of Divinity degree in baccalaureate services Saturday.  Services were held in Duke Chapel and lasted from 6:30 to 8:30.

Jessica not only completed three years of academic studies but also served several churches as youth director and held several jobs.   One of her most demanding duties was serving as a hospital chaplain for an entire summer.  She is home for  a few weeks looking forward to being commissioned as a pastor in June and getting ready to go to Israel as a missionary.

How much has Clinton Foundation spent for charity?

My mail yesterday was typical -- a few bills,  ads from jewelry companies, and mostly requests for funds by a variety of organizations.  One request  stood alone -- Food for the Poor included a financial report for the year, showing  that 95 per cent of all funds collected go to feed the poor. Only 5 per cent are spenr in operations.

Every charitable organization should report annually on how  contributions are spent.  We know  funds  differ. Some operate only to meet a tragedy such as the earthquake that hit Nepal;  others meet needs on a permanent basis, such as the March of Dimes and the cancer society.

That brings me to questions about the Clinton Foundation.  How much money  has been  received and where was it spent?  Does it send workers and supplies to help meet the needs  of people  suffering from the Nepal earthquake?

Jessica graduates from Duke Saturday

After three years of academics, four years of summer jobs, service as youth director  for several churches, a week as a hospital chaplain, and sundry other duties,  Jessica will receive a divinity degree from Duke Saturday, May 9.

Jen left early today to assist Jessica as she closes her apartment and gets her furniture, clothes and everything else she owns ready to travel home.  Josh and I will leave from home Friday to arrive in time to  attend graduation.

Do we have leaders anywhere?

Idiots, imbeciles, morons and  malfunctions marched, broke into buildings, robbed, set fires in  Baltimore and got praise from the attorney general, the mayor, and the president.

Meanwhile, ISIS murdered 300 Christians, killed 19 with a exploding car, and attacked a meeting in Garland, Tex.

Where are our leaders?  Still afraid to oppose  terrorists and to enforce laws in this country.

Goodbye, Sarah

After 22 years as a member of the Lowe family, Sarah left us and entered cat heaven.  No longer will visiting grandchildren argue who is to feed her and hold and pet her.  She was given a painless death this morning. Jen nursed her for the last month , but Sarah would no longer eat and could not stand.

About 22 years ago Sarah showed up at our house, hungry and very pregnant.  The young children won over the  parents and she became a permanent resident after we arranged for homes for her kittens.  We relegated Sarah to the outside or the garage although she managed to dart into the house at times.  Sarah was confused; she seemed to think she was a dog and would take a walk with us.  My only real problem I had with   her is that sometimes she would kill a song bird and leave it before the door.