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Memorial day. My 79 year old Mother is in Washington, DC attending the official dedication of the World War II Veterans Memorial. My father was one of those in the very first wave to hit Omaha Beach, and live to the end of the end of the war.

My own service record is much less dramatic. I joined the US Navy in August 1963, mostly because I had no money for college and felt a technical training in the Navy would be a big help. And it was. In 1963 I had a choice of being drafted in the Army or volunteering for Navy or Air Force. I chose Navy.

So 1963 was Boot Camp, and 1964 and 1965 were two years of intensive schooling for me to become a Data Systems Technician, the Navy term for "computer technician". After that, we were given a paper to list our choices for further deployment. That is to say, did you want a ship on the East Coast or the West Coast? Period.

I chose west coast. Vietnam was still more or less low profile, and I was more interested in being stationed in San Diego, since my Mother and Sister had moved to Los Angeles. So the Navy sent me to Treasure island in San Francisco Bay for two years.

Our main job was trying to keep track of the Soviet sub fleet. Back then, the Soviets had more subs then the rest of the world combined. Subs with missiles and/or torpedoes and/or mines. Especially mines. A huge danger. So we did our best to keep track of the hundreds of subs prowling off the Pacific coast.

After two years we were given that paper to chose our preferred next assignment. I again chose San Diego, and as a result was sent to Norfolk, Virginia to serve on the USS Wright CC-2. There I helped maintain the computer systems used to track Soviet subs off the Atlantic coast.

I again volunteered for San Diego, and was sent to London, to help keep track of Soviet subs prowling :catclock:

around the British Isles.

And finally Dam Neck, Virginia, again keeping track of Soviet subs off the Atlantic coast. And my final two years in the Navy as my alcoholism progressed. I got an HONORABLE DISCHARGE for ten years of service in the Navy at the height of the Vietnam War.

Any questions?

No questions Andrew ... just sincere thanks to you and to all others that served. The only other one I know of off the top of my head is Riverwind.

I did not serve, and would not have been accepted because of a chronic illness.

It's with the greatest respect and gratitude that I say 'Thanks!'

I guess I should toss in some remembered things here, too.

My grandfather served in WW II, as did my father. Many uncles and other relatives also served in the US Military during WW II and many of them saw action, both in the European and Pacific theatres. They were messengers, cooks, 'DUCK' drivers, blacksmiths, front-line infantry and artillary.

Some of them also served in Korea and Viet Nam.

Not all of them came back.

For myself, I enlisted in the USAF three weeks before my Army draft notice appeared in my mailbox during Viet Nam.

I spent some time teaching basic electronics, a couple of years in SAC, laying on top of nuc's to work on my gear in B52F bomb bays, then ended up on a little vacation in the central highlands of a lovely sub-tropical paradise called Viet Nam. I left the USAF as soon as I got back to the 'States.

The base I spent most of my time at in Southeast Asia was overrun less than six months after I left.

I guess I have a family history of military service, but we don't dwell on it. My wife's family has the same sort of family history, but you can also toss in some CIA. That's all I'll say about that.

Today is memorial day, and I ask not that you remember those of us who returned in good shape, but those of us, my brothers in arms, who were greatly damaged or did not return.

One I remember is Dennis (here's a link to why). (http://www.bmezine.com/pierce/08-nipple ... myrea.html)

Take care, and have a safe Memorial day.

Tomas

P.S. I note another "milestone" with this, my 200th post at EA. Guess I don't say much...

Yes, Memorial Day is verry special to me as well.

My father served in the navy in WWI yes world war one. Several other members served in WWII, several on both sides of the family served 25 to 30 years.

I was born and raised in LA, at that time the school system had a winter and summer class. I gradulated in Jan 1965, I had already sighed up for the USAF,

I regristered for the draft on my 18th b-day 2 weeks later I got my draft notice.

I joined the USAF Feburary 15,1965, after basic training I was sent to that part of the world that can only be experienced, Lubbock, Tx. It was a pilot training base and for the next 2 years tryed everyway I could to get transfered. I finally got orders for Okanawa, from there to Thailand, now there is paridice. back to Kadana then to the phillipines Clark air base. While on these trips I did have the luck to stop over at camron bay, sigion, and others. I returned home at the end of Feburary 1968 just in time to go to a furinal of my cousin who was killed in nam. Mike I remember you every year. I have yet to make my pilgramage to the wall in DC but I will. I spent the last 6 months at Edwards AFB in Calif, 62 miles from home. Edwards was interesting but very borning. However I did get to see the SR-71 up close, U2, X15 rocket and the XB70, it was a big white concord looking airplane. As it sat on the runway getting ready to take off, the ground started to shake, the noise level was high and as I watched this big plane slowly moving down the runway and then the nose lifted, I thought to myself this guy is going to crash but his rear wheels came off the ground. I knew he was going to drop out of the sky when I realized that there were two chase planes that were already flying behind him, an B58 and F104 and the XB70 was leaving them behind. What a sight. Memorial Day we had an air show. It started with a U2 take off, where he looked like a big glider then sorred away. We had a KC135 (B707) that was refueling a B52, the final act was the black bird, the SR71 took off went around the field and came back down the runway at about 200 ft, When he got to the grandstand he turned its nose up and we watched as he went out of sight, I finally got my honorable discharge Oct 15th, 1968.

Memoral Day is not a day off from work, a holiday, but a day of refelection, a day to honor those who paid the ultimate price.

May they rest in peace

Thanks Andrew for your fine post and your service to this country .I like Bboy was 4f because of medical problems but i for one thank the people that defend this country and give their lives for us when i feel half dont even respect them for what they are doing for that freedom .

thanks again for all who serve this great sountry.

sag111 (imported) wrote: Wed Jun 02, 2004 3:47 am thanks again for all who serve this great sountry.

Thank you Sag! Not many know this and I'll say it now. I am a veteran... Paratrooper in fact.

So my thanks and "you're welcome's" to all of you that recognized veterans over this holiday and my thanks for those that are still there.

--LT

My four cats love me.

They give me daily presents.

Nice, squishy hairballs.

Yes, despite feeding them IAMS weight control/hairball control dry food, and daily brushing, I still have to deal with hairballs. The cats seem to know the best places to put them, assuring that I will step on them in the dark. If I have no improvement soon, I may try Petromalt or something like that.

Fluffy and Silver are now the most active cats, always rubbing me and wanting to be petted. Max sits on his condo and begs me to come over and pet him. I do, and also allow him to lick my face. For some reason this makes him very happy. Why?

Czarina worries me. She is spending more and more time up in the bedroom Loft, instead of at my computer. Fluffy has more or less taken over the computer area, and Czarina may be in a snit about this.

@@@

Meanwhile, some cash problems have cropped up. Somehow, I overdrew my checking account. Probably bad arithmetic somewhere in my checkbook. The Eye Surgeon wants $244.79 up-front. I get paid this Friday, but rent is due that day. So I have called Mother for a loan of $500 to carry me over to the paycheck of 18 June. On 18 June I hope to mail off payment #24 to the Chapter 13 Trustee, and be 2/3 of the way through. But this is the first time I have had to ask my family for financial help.

Just to rub salt in the wounds, I got another one of those wonderful credit cards offers, this time from Cross Country Bank in Wilmington, DE. This one requires an account origination fee of $100, along with an annual fee of $50. Thanks but no thanks.

Other then the cash flow problem, I have the Post Office paperwork to figure out for my 5 days of sick leave. I need to have FMLA papers signed by both Donna (my physician) and Dr. Dugal. And before I can return to work at 3 PM on Tuesday 15 June, I am expected to show up at the medical department at 2 PM (off the clock) to be checked out and cleared for return to work.

And in the "kicking myself for not thinking about it sooner" Department, I had the pilot light in the apartment gas heater turned off. I had it on all winter "just in case", but after two winters without actually heating the apartment, I have decided to see how much money I save with the pilot off, leaving just the gas stove on. And considering how rarely I use the stove, thanks to the microwave oven, I may turn that off later on.

Andrew (imported) wrote: Thu Jun 03, 2004 5:00 am And in the "kicking myself for not thinking about it sooner" Department, I had the pilot light in the apartment gas heater turned off. I had it on all winter "just in case", but after two winters without actually heating the apartment, I have decided to see how much money I save with the pilot off, leaving just the gas stove on. And considering how rarely I use the stove, thanks to the microwave oven, I may turn that off later on.

Andy,

Look at your gas bill. Find the itemized charges section. Look for the line item for Gas Service, then find the line item for actual gas used. You will see, if I am not mistaken, your service connection charge is over 90% of the cost of having GAS...

The pilot light is really low cost...

Take care,

The thing I haven't been able to figure out, Andrew, is where you learned Latin. I'm sure it isn't required for any Navy MOS, you don't need it to sort the mail, and there isn't any Latin on a Kal Kan label.

I have to compliment you on staying on schedule with your Chapter 13. Still, I guess you must know that most credit experts say a debtor is usually better off, if he simply takes a Chapter 7, gets it over with, and starts rebuilding his credit, instead of doing years of payments in Chapter 13--and, most likely ending up unable to complete the payment schedule. You might consider incorporating, then starting to develop a clean credit record for the corporation, so you'd be able to borrow money via the corporation, if it turns out that you fall out of Chapter 13.

Incidentally, I'm told that it's possible to get regular piecework on the web, doing medical transcription, if you can learn to do it. No idea what training is required, but I don't think a license is needed, and the pay is supposed to work out to over $20 an hour. Maybe a knowledge of Latin would be applicable there.

An Onymus (imported) wrote: Fri Jun 04, 2004 12:49 pm Incidentally, I'm told that it's possible to get regular piecework on the web, doing medical transcription, if you can learn to do it. No idea what training is required, but I don't think a license is needed, and the pay is supposed to work out to over $20 an hour. Maybe a knowledge of Latin would be applicable there.

This has been proven a scam 99% of the time.

_g

An Onymus (imported) wrote: Fri Jun 04, 2004 12:49 pm I have to compliment you on staying on schedule with your Chapter 13. Still, I guess you must know that most credit experts say a debtor is usually better off, if he simply takes a Chapter 7, gets it over with, and starts rebuilding his credit, instead of doing years of payments in Chapter 13--and, most likely ending up unable to complete the payment schedule. You might consider incorporating, then starting to develop a clean credit record for the corporation, so you'd be able to borrow money via the corporation, if it turns out that you fall out of Chapter 13.

I had no choice as far as 7 vs. 13 goes. There is a part in the Bankruptcy Laws that states a Trustee can object to a Chapter 7 IF you have a steady source of income and some "disposable income" after budgeting for :reasonable and necessaey expenses". In such cases, the Trustee files with the court an objection to your Chapter 7 on the grounds of abuse of the system.

And if BARF goes through (the Bankruptcy "reform" Act"), more will be forced into Chapter 13 plans that don't have any chance whatever to succeed. As you might guess, BARF is mostly the work of the Credit Card Companies.

Guardian Angeles,

(Protecting me from despair)

With four feet and fur.

I keep getting e-mails requesting more news about the four cats. Still, I am not sure how the other members of the Newsgroup might react to daily postings. But the cats ARE doing well.

Czarina mostly behaves herself when I am with her, not hissing or swatting at the other cats. The cats have more or less accepted that my bed is neutral territory, and Czarina has learned to behave herself. In return, Fluffy and Silver allow her "first petting rights" in bed.

Max has withdrawn to the top of his cat condo. He expects me to come to him and pert him. He no longer jumps on my bed. I am not sure what is causing this withdrawal. Fluffy and Silver do not hiss or otherwise attack him. Maybe that is the problem. Fluffy and Silver are so closely bonded that they have no room for Max.

Speaking of which, Silver still "nurses" from Fluffy, purring away. Fluffy lies on her side, seems content enough, and even grooms Silver's head. Strange, but harmless, I suppose. It seems to be between consenting adults. I have seen no further attempts by Silver to mount Fluffy. That mighty swat she gave him the last time he tried seems to have been the cat equivalent of "what part of NO do you fail to understand?"

@@@@

Meanwhile, the countdown to my cataract surgery on 8 June proceeds, and I keep trying to remind myself that 19 out of 20 such operations are a success. Yet somehow my alcoholic mind keeps obsessing on that 1/20 that fail. I saw the technician last Thursday, who measured me for my new lens. I saw Dr. Dugel Friday, who assured me all was going well. My mother sent the $500 I needed to pay the eye Doctor up-front, and I hope to pay her back on my next paycheck (18 June)

I was indeed able to get 5 days sick leave from the Post Office. My scheduled days off are Sundays and Mondays, so I am off work from today, 6 June, until 14 June. 15 June I return to work. However, this means I lose 7 and 14 June as overtime days. I was supposed to get my teeth done on 14 June, but am still $400 short there. No problem, we can reschedule for July. I mean, I'm not going on vacation anywhere.

But right now, all is peaceful here in the Cat Harem. Before typing this I cleaned out the litter boxes. The cats understand that this daily routine mean I may be leaving the apartment for 10 hours to go to work. As such, by 2 PM they have settled in. Fluffy and Silver will be on my bed, as they are right now. Max is always on the top of his condo, looking pathetic. Czarina is 7 feet up in The Loft, looking down at all of us regally.

But this is my day off, so I think I will join them for an afternoon nap. Peace be to all.

Andrew,you have my best wishes for a quick, painless recovery! FLO