I will occasionally forget an item when I go to the grocery store. I often forget where I set my glasses. And I can never remember where where I put the remote. But, I do remember what I was doing forty years ago today.

I mentioned several days ago that during the late 60’s I would spend a week each summer at Camp Sandy Hill in North East, Maryland. I was there in late July the summer of 1969; making crafts, horseback riding, swimming, and eating in the mess hall. In the evening we would have a program in The Lodge with singing and skits and a devotional. Then it was back to the cabins and lights out. For a week we would have a great time without computers, video games, or even TV.

Forty years ago tonight they made an exception.

Some time after we had gone back to our cabins we were all brought back to The Lodge. There was a black and white television with rabbit ears sitting up front. We were served popcorn and “bug juice” while we watched history. Along with all the other campers and staff I watched Neil Armstrong descend the ladder of the Lunar Module and take “one small step.”

I’m sure that my memories of that moment are influenced by the dozens of times I’ve seen that footage over the years, but the rest of what I remember about that night only replays in my own mind. I can recall the position of the TV and where I was sitting (about a third of the way back, on the right).

Like many of my generation, I grew up with the space program. Every blast off to every splash down was followed.

I don’t have any great point to make, certainly no political one. I’m not writing this to make a case for continued space exploration, or to discuss the technology we gained as we explored space. In fact the only reason to write this is to remember a time that was powerfully memorable and unforgettably pleasant. That’s a legacy you may not hear much about in other coverage today. I’ve enjoyed the look back. If you’re old enough to remember, I hope that you have good memories too.

Share your thoughts in the comments.

Ahhh, humor. It’s been around for ever. The oldest according to academic researchers:

“Something which has never occurred since time immemorial; a young woman did not fart in her husband’s lap.”

The double entendre isn’t new either, as this one from 10th century Britain shows:

“What hangs at a man’s thigh and wants to poke the hole that it’s often poked before? A key.”

Laugh today. You’ll be glad you did.

Over 130,000 troops came by landing craft and parachute. Many made the ultimate sacrifice. Their courage and sacrifice deserve our remembrance.

Brian of Liberty Pundit wrote on his Iowa Voice blog last year, “It’s sad, but inevitable, I guess. What 300+ Japanese aircraft couldn’t do, time surely will.”

It has been 66 years since that “date which will live in infamy” and fewer survivors are able to attend each annual memorial service. Still, many of those who are able will mark this day.

The USS Pennsylvania was among the last ships hit by Japanese bombs 66 years ago as it was dry-docked and not sitting in Battleship Row. The vessel escaped with moderate damage and set sail again after being repaired. Even so, 15 men aboard were killed and 38 men were wounded. Fourteen were judged missing in action.

The casualties added to the overall Pearl Harbor attack toll of 2,388 dead and 1,178 wounded. The shocking assault thrust the United States into World War II.

[...]

This year, survivors and their family members are dedicating a new memorial for the USS Oklahoma, which lost 429 sailors and Marines—the second greatest loss of life among any of the battleships in Pearl Harbor.

About 18 of the estimated 90 living survivors who were aboard the USS Oklahoma were expected to join Oklahoma Gov. Brad Henry and other dignitaries for the dedication of the $1.2 million memorial.

: – )

More Birthday wishes at ScrappleFace

Help me fix the car and get back on the road!

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fine folks have donated $. $ is still needed. Thanks!

Scott Ott is always a great read. His satire always matches my own thoughts on a wide range of topics. Such is the case today with his post Obama Blames Katrina Survivors for Shattered Faith

Related, a caption contest at the Jawa Report.

No coffee can be good in the mouth that does not first send a sweet offering of odour to the nostrils. ~ Henry Ward Beecher

Happy 2nd Blogiversary to
Psycmeistr’s Ice Palace

Although most people, driven by advertisers, refer to the third Monday in February as Presidents Day, today is (officially) Washington’s Birthday. Those of you in my age range remember celebrating Washington and Lincoln’s birthdays on their actual birthday, with Valentines Day sandwiched in between. I remember there being a heavy use of silhouette as classroom decorations.

Of course Washington’s real birthday is Thursday, the 22nd. It will be the 275th anniversary of his birth. Blue Crab Boulevard points to a story in the Washington Post about the state of Maryland obtaining the, “original, handwritten speech that George Washington delivered when he resigned his commission in 1783.” Let me quote the final paragraph:

Having now finished the work assigned me, I retire from the great theatre of action, — and bidding an affectionate {a final} farewell to this August body, under whose orders I have so long acted, I here offer {today deliver?} my Commission, and take my {ultimate} leave of all the employments of public life.

See the BCB post for a link to a pdf file of the document.

Let me offer two of my favorite George Washington quotes:

How soon we forget history… Government is not reason. Government is not eloquence. It is force. And, like fire, it is a dangerous servant and a fearful master.

and

If we desire to avoid insult, we must be able to repel it; if we desire to secure peace, one of the most powerful instruments of our rising prosperity, it must be known, that we are at all times ready for War.

I caught this interesting bit as I was watching the coverage of Gerald Ford’s memorial service — 40% of the current U.S. population wasn’t even born when President Ford was in office.

The first cup is for the guest, the second for enjoyment, the third for the sword. ~ An old Arabic saying

Blue Crab Boulevard (Gaius) Gerald R. Ford, 1913-2006 – Rest In Peace

I’m proud that I voted for him when he ran for (re) election against Jimmy Carter.

Leaning Straight Up (Karl) RIP Gerald Ford

He will not be remembered as the greatest, the worst, the most inspiring or the most uninspiring, but despite his relative ambiguity, and almost obscurity, he will always be remembered, and that is a greater legacy in its own right.

Captain’s Quarters (Ed Morrissey) Gerald Ford Passes

Gerald Ford may have been at the center of more than one controversy, but he left with his reputation as an honest man more or less intact. Unlike Jimmy Carter, he never felt the need to campaign for affection or respect; it came to him naturally. He did an admirable job leading the nation during one of the worst times in our history.

My fellow Americans, our long national nightmare is over. ~ President Gerald R. Ford

I woke up this morning to the sad news that President Gerald R. Ford passed away late yesterday afternoon.

The nation’s 38th president, and the only one not elected to the office or the vice presidency, died at his desert home at 6:45 p.m. Tuesday.

“His life was filled with love of God, his family and his country,” his wife, Betty, said in a statement.

Ford was the longest living former president, surpassing Ronald Reagan, who died in June 2004, by more than a month.

President Ford is mostly remembered as the only president who was not elected to the office.

A Michigan Republican elected to Congress 13 times before becoming the first appointed vice president in 1973 after Spiro Agnew left amid scandal, Ford was Nixon’s hand-picked successor, a man of much political experience who had never run on a national ticket. He was as open and straightforward as Nixon was tightly controlled and conspiratorial.

He took office moments after Nixon resigned in disgrace over Watergate and went into exile.

“My fellow Americans,” Ford said, “our long national nightmare is over. Our Constitution works. Our great republic is a government of laws and not of men. Here the people rule.”

And, true to his reputation as unassuming Jerry, he added: “I am acutely aware that you have not elected me as your president by your ballots. So I ask you to confirm me with your prayers.”

He was the first president I voted for, when he ran for a full term in 1976.

President Bush issued this statement:

Laura and I are greatly saddened by the passing of former President Gerald R. Ford.

President Ford was a great American who gave many years of dedicated service to our country. On August 9, 1974, after a long career in the House of Representatives and service as Vice President, he assumed the Presidency in an hour of national turmoil and division. With his quiet integrity, common sense, and kind instincts, President Ford helped heal our land and restore public confidence in the Presidency.

The American people will always admire Gerald Ford’s devotion to duty, his personal character, and the honorable conduct of his administration. We mourn the loss of such a leader, and our 38th President will always have a special place in our Nation’s memory. On behalf of all Americans, Laura and I offer our deepest sympathies to Betty Ford and all of President Ford’s family. Our thoughts and prayers will be with them in the hours and days ahead.

I echo those sentiments.

Let me close this with another quote from President Ford:

“A government big enough to give you everything you want is a government big enough to take from you everything you have.”

If it wasn’t for coffee, I’d have no discernible personality at all. ~ David Letterman

Blue Crab Boulevard (Gaius) Two Words For David Duke — “Frankly, one hopes David Duke stays in Iran with his new pal, Mahmoud. Because he’d really be happier there with a like-minded cretin with poor hygiene.”

Don Surber German reaction to Holocaust deniers — “If any good comes out of the Holocaust denial convention in Iran, it is that my favorite Ostie stepped up to the plate to tell the world, in no uncertain terms, the Holocaust happened — and never again.”

Captain’s Quarters (Ed Morrissey) Iranian Provocation — “The end of the two-day Holocaust denial convention in Teheran gave Mahmoud Ahmadinejad one last opportunity to provoke the Israelis, and he did not allow it to pass unfulfilled. In language that has become too familiar from Iran, Ahmadinejad repeated his assertion that Israel would not long survive:”

My Contribution:

Making coffee has become the great compromise of the decade. It’s the only thing “real” men do that doesn’t seem to threaten their masculinity. ~ Erma Bombeck

Petifog DAY OF INFAMY — “We all know the story – the history – the tragedy – the anger – the pain – the human losses and the sad, yet necessary final results.”

Iowa Voice (Brian) Last Reunion For Pearl Harbor Survivors — “It’s sad, but inevitable, I guess. What 300+ Japanese aircraft couldn’t do, time surely will.” [Brian, you will be greatly missed. Jim]

Blue Crab Boulevard (Gaius) Final Task — “On December 7th, 1941, the American battleship USS Arizona (BB-39) was hit by a Japanese bomb and sunk at her moorings in Pearl Harbor. 1,177 of the 1,400 men aboard the ship perished in the attack. Most of those men’s remains are still on board the sunken remains of the ship. The US Navy considers the fallen to be buried at sea and the wreck to be a tomb and therefore not to be disturbed.”

TMH’s Bacon Bits (The MaryHunter) Remember Pearl Harbor — “Remember Pearl Harbor and everything for which it stands. Especially in the face of the Global War on Terrorism.”

I’ll add more links to Pearl Harbor posts later today.