Memorial Day – 1945

by John Little in Culture

May 26, 2008 · No Comments

They celebrated Memorial Day differently then:

It was a Wednesday, long before Congress changed the holiday to the last Monday of May with the National Holiday Act that took effect in 1971; long before Memorial Day became part of a three-day weekend marking the beginning of summer and a time to go to the lake. The biggest lake of substance was Grand, some 70 miles northeast of Tulsa.

Gasoline was still rationed — most car owners got three gallons a week — but many Tulsans used some of their fuel to take advantage of their middle-of-the-week day off to have picnics at Mohawk Park, to take dips in the Newblock Park swimming pool and to walk through the Woodward Park rose gardens that were blanketed in blooms.

Similar ceremonies were held on Memorial Days 1944 and other years before and after that date, but that 1945 ceremony was special because Germany had surrendered on May 7 and Allied forces were gaining the upper hand in the Pacific, where fighting continued until after the U.S. dropped atomic bombs on Japan on Aug. 6 and 9. The Japanese officially surrendered on Sept. 2 although they had announced surrender plans earlier.

I don’t know if we’ll ever reverse the course of this culture that is mostly concerned with self-indulgence at the expense of all else but gas shortages will probably make a comeback.

Memorial Day: Remembering the Fallen of Lima Company

by John Little in Iraq

May 26, 2008 · No Comments

Memorial Day: Remembering the Fallen of Lima Company

One of the portraits Artist Anita Miller painted of each of the 23 fallen servicemembers from Lima Company. The paintings were unveiled during the Lima Company Memorial ceremony at the Ohio Statehouse in Columbus, Ohio, May 23, 2008.
Defense Dept. photo by Cherie Cullen

limacofamily Memorial Day: Remembering the Fallen of Lima Company

Friends and family members gather to see the life-size portraits of each of the 23 fallen servicemembers from Lima Company painted by artist Anita Miller. The portraits were unveiled during the Lima Company Memorial at the Ohio Statehouse in Columbus, Ohio, May 23, 2008.
Defense Dept. photo by Cherie Cullen

The Ohio Statehouse is hosting the memorial:

The exhibition was created in memory of 22 fallen Marines and a Navy Corpsman from the Lima Company, 3rd Battalion, 25th Marine Regiment, 4th Marine Division who lost their lives while serving in Iraq in 2005. The exhibition will be unveiled in the Ohio Statehouse Rotunda on May 23, 2008 during a private ceremony for the families of the fallen. The exhibition will be on view to the public from May 24 through November 11, 2008. The exhibition will be free and open to the public.

The Ohio-based Marine Reserve unit, once known as “Lucky Lima,” was one of the hardest hit single units in Operation Iraqi Freedom, suffering deaths of 22 Marines and their Navy Corpsman. Created by Columbus artist Anita Miller, the memorial will contain life-sized paintings of each of the 23 fallen heroes. Names and statistics of each of the fallen men, an ever-living candle, boots and space for visitors to leave mementos will be part of this moving memorial installation.

Miller has worked during the last two years to create and paint the memorial. She has created eight painted panels set in an octagon that depict portraits of each of the 23 men who lost their lives in the war.

The Ohio Statehouse grand Rotunda will serve as a solemn place to honor these American service members from May 24, 2008 through July 7, 2008. The exhibition will then be featured in the South Hallway beneath Representatives Hall from July 8 through November 11, 2008.

The exhibition at the Ohio Statehouse will offer thousands of individuals the opportunity to learn about the sacrifices that these fallen servicemen have given our state and nation.

The Fallen Heroes:
Private First Class Christopher R. Dixon
Lance Corporal Christopher P. Lyons
Staff Sergeant Anthony L. Goodwin
Petty Officer 3rd Class Travis Youngblood (Navy Corpsman)
Sergeant Justin F. Hoffman
Staff Sergeant Kendall H. Ivy II
Lance Corporal Nicholas William B. Bloem
Corporal Andre L. Williams
Lance Corporal Grant B. Fraser
Lance Corporal Aaron H. Reed
Lance Corporal Edward A. Schroeder II
Lance Corporal William B. Wightman
Lance Corporal Timothy M. Bell, Jr.
Lance Corporal Eric J. Bernholtz
Corporal Dustin A. Derga
Lance Corporal Nicholas B. Erdy
Lance Corporal Wesley G. Davids
Sergeant David N. Wimberg
Lance Corporal Michael J. Cifuentes
Lance Corporal Christopher J. Dyer
Lance Corporal Jonathan W. Grant
Sergeant David Kenneth J. Kreuter
Lance Corporal Jourdan L. Grez

You can learn more about the memorial at LimaCompanyMemorial.org

Mars Phoenix Lander Sends Back First Images

by John Little in Sci/Tech

May 25, 2008 · No Comments

229891main phx%28new%29 landscape Mars Phoenix Lander Sends Back First Images

Images are streaming back quickly. The terrain appears to be perfectly suited for Phoenix’s mission. Keep an eye on the JPL gallery for more. Color images will come soon according to Twitter updates from the JPL team:

Why black and white? These are engineering images. But don’t worry, I have 12 filters and can do full color pics, too. Be patient!

Images will also be available from the NASA gallery.

Update: 11:22 PM CST:
Here’s one of the first color images:

marscolor Mars Phoenix Lander Sends Back First Images

There’s an even more impressive image here.

Update 10:58 PM CST:
NASA TV will broadcast a press briefing which includes at least one color photo. It starts at 11:00 PM CST.

NASA Mars Phoenix Lander Touchdown Minutes Away – UPDATE – Landing Successful!

by John Little in Sci/Tech, Videos

May 25, 2008 · 1 Comment

One of the coolest and most important space science missions in a long time is in it’s riskiest phase:

The mission of the Phoenix is to analyze the soils and permafrost of Mars’ arctic tundra for signs of life, either past or present.

But first, everyone on the team has to get the lander on the ground — an event dubbed “seven minutes of terror” by the Mars exploration community.

Seven minutes is all it takes for a spacecraft traveling nearly 13,000 mph to hit the Martian atmosphere, slam on the brakes and reach the ground. During that time, onboard computers will be working at a manic pace as the spacecraft deploys its parachute, jettisons its heat shield, extends its three legs, releases the parachute and finally fires its thrusters to bring it down for a soft landing.

“Everything has to go right,” said NASA Associate Administrator Ed Weiler. “You can’t afford any failures.”

It’s risky business. Historically, 55 percent of all Mars missions have ended in failure.

NASA has posted a schedule of touchdown-related events:

229862main phx eventtimes NASA Mars Phoenix Lander Touchdown Minutes Away UPDATE Landing Successful!

You can watch events as they unfold through NASA TV, Twitter, and updates on the mission home page.

Update 9:18 PM CST:
The first images are in! Future updates will appear in new posts.

Update 8:53 PM CST:
Good news continues to roll in from Mars:

I have a positive power charge, so that tells mission control that solar panels have deployed. Images coming down soon.

Update 8:33 PM CST:
More good news from the folks at JPL via Twitter:

I’ve landed on almost perfectly flat terrain. .25-degree tilt! Everything looking good. Waiting to send data to Earth through Odyssey.

We should see the first image within a few minutes.

Update 6:55 PM CST:
All reports seem to indicate a flawless landing. Now we have to see how Phoenix is performing on the ground. Images are expected soon (before 9 PM CST) and I’ll link them when they’re available.

Video: A Child Comments on Hillary Clinton’s RFK Assassination Remarks

by John Little in Politics, Videos

May 24, 2008 · No Comments

This kid lays it out as clearly as any of the big-time pundits. Of course it’s posted by YouTube account Mac4Obama, which clearly indicates bias, but it’s still indicative of how this mess continues to blow up.

Hillary Clinton’s RFK Assassination Remarks – Conservative Blog Roundup

by John Little in Need to Know, Politics

May 24, 2008 · 6 Comments

Hillary can actually find a little sympathy on the right. It kust goes to show you how truly bizarre this race has become.

Little Green Footballs
The ridiculous media hyperventilation over Hillary Clinton’s remark about Robert Kennedy’s assassination is just one more indication of their stunningly over the top bias in favor of Barack Obama.

Outside the Beltway
Yes, it was an impolitic thing to say. And, goodness, you think she’d have learned from Mike Huckabee’s example. But, rather clearly, the context was “Hey, sometimes things happen” rather than “Hey, I’ve got a chance — he could get hisself shot!” There are plenty of reasons to want Hillary Clinton to go away. This, though, isn’t one of them.

Michelle Malkin
Stick a fork in her. She may, at long last, be done.

Stop the ACLU
We all know there is a trail of blood behind the Clintons, and though I only half joke when I say to people that Obama would be stupid to pick Hillary for his VP, as she wouldn’t take long to arrange things so he is taken out of the way, her latest gaffe is a bit scary! Freudian slip? Geez!

Riehl World View
It troubles me greatly that the Left’s response to any figure they don’t like is now to monitor and parse their speech in an attempt to shut them down. Apparently the New Left is having another 1984 moment. It seems the assassinations of a Civil Rights leader, a sitting president and his brother never happened. It’s now a political death sentence to even mention them in passing.

Axis of Right
I think the MSM might try to make this RFK statement made by She Who Must Not Be Named their 2008 Election attempt at another “Dean Scream.” In defense of SWMNBN (shudder), she was just indicating that historically the primaries are still wide open in June and there is no precedent of getting out this early in tight primary races like the one the Dems have this year. Did the MSM pick up that she also mentioned her husband’s campaign along with RFK’s reference? RFK Jr. seems fine with what she said and what she meant so what’s the big deal?

Hot Air
I know this: the Obama campaign will not, under any circumstances, put her on the ticket now. They won’t pay her campaign debt. She will finish her run in Puerto Rico, and then she will simply … go away.

Scrappleface
Sen. Clinton, in an interview aboard her financially-strapped campaign’s flagship Toyota Prius, said, “I’m reminded of the words of John Belushi who asked, ‘Was it over when the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor?’”

Sister Toldjah
Hey, maybe she was trying to float the argument out there to see if people would buy into it before she presented it to the superdelegates.

Jules Crittenden
I’m looking at that vid and seeing tasteless stupidity. It appears to be very much about running into June and not about the regrettable opportunities a prolonged race might hold for the Clinton presidential franchise.

Macsmind
She’s now apologized saying her mind was on Ted Kennedy. Her people said she “was simply referencing her husband in 1992 and Bobby Kennedy in 1968 as historical examples of the nomination process going well into the summer. Any reading beyond that would be inaccurate.” Still it’s notable how the Obama campaign went immediately for the outrage card – it’s ALWAYS about him. Note she didn’t say the “blessed one’s” name, nor was there even the remotest of reference to him.

Oblogatory Anecdotes
Like a vulture, Hillary is staying in the race hoping some unfortunate event knocks Obama out of the race where she can step in. Knowing how many fatal “accidents” and “suicides” have occurred with people associated with the Clinton’s you never know what will happen, but if I was Barack Obama I wouldn’t go any where near Fort Marcy Park.