WW II Homefront

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          WWII Home Front
This recent Mother"s Day brought to mind what it was like so many years ago. Although only an elementary school kid, I remember it all so very well.

Much has been written about how women took over jobs once held by men, who were gone off to war. Women building aircraft,ships,and other war material.  But there were others like my mother who worked very hard to keep the home fires burning.

When my father went off to war he left a wife and two small children. What all she managed to do, continues to amaze me. We were living in a four room bungalow with an outhouse and empty one car garage. A gravel road ran past our house up to the corner where mother would catch the bus taking her to the school where she taught.

Not only did she teach school, but she also had to clean house, shop, cook meals, do the laundry, and keep the coal fired furnace well fed. About all I did to help her was to chop up wood crates for the furnace, and carry up pails of dirty wash water up the basement steps, and dump the contents on our victory garden. During the winter I would carry my sister on my sled down the road to the house where she was cared for during the day. One other task I really enjoyed was stamping empty tin cans flat,  contributing to the war effort.

I can see it now, my mother and I down in the basement with our coats on, so cold      you could see your breath, feeding the empty furnace.

Mother had a map of Europe on one wall of the living room with a pin where she thought my father was located. After the war he said that often she was correct, in spite of censored letters from him.

I wish now that I had spent some time talking with my mother about those dark war years. This is but a poor tribute to my mother who worked so very hard.

     Aloha
     Grant          

Thefts in Paradise

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         Thefts in Paradise

The night before Easter, Tonto had made a pineapple casserole. I took it down to the empty condo down the hall, which we look after, while its owner is away living in Guam. I opened the door to the refrigerator, and saw that someone had stolen the ham, were planning on having for Easter dinner! We often use this refrigerator for Christmas turkey and other large items.

So we went shopping for a ham Easter morning. We could not figure out who the thief was, until the apartment owner in Guam asked his cleaning lady about the missing ham. She said that she thought that it was left by the people who had last used the apartment. So she took it and gave it away to some people she thought could use it. I should note that she knew that we often talk to her, and Tonto had even washed some towels for her. She could have asked, but all is well. We will in the future write our name all over whatever item we leave. I am glad we discovered the theft before Easter day.

And speaking the theft. Tonto and I were recently in Walmart, and I wanted a can of corned beef from Argentina. You know, the kind of can with the sloping sides, and a key you have to wind around the can to open it. Much to my surprise I found the can of corned beef inside of a clear plastic box. I thought  that it was odd, but that I could probably use the box for something else. I tried to slide the latch to open the box and it didn't budge. When checking out the cashier had to use a special tool to open the box. I can only assume that Walmart had had a number of cans stolen. I wonder too what are they going to do about the great stacks of Spam. I bet Spam is also under threat of theft. We will just have to wait and see what is done.

   Aloha
   Grant  

Two Great Inventions

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        Two Great Inventions
"Caller ID" I am sure we all agree, is a wonderful thing. We can now decide to answer the caller, or not. If the message is important enough, they will leave a message.
It must be difficult for people today to understand, when I tell them that our Lutheran Church was able to start two other churches by using telephone evangelism.

As I now remember, it worked this way. Church members who were interested in participating, were given a script to read.  Telephone numbers following the alphabet, were chosen. Calls were made in the early evening. Persons answering the phone were asked a series of questions such as "Do you belong to a church?" If not, the caller would invite them to a social gathering for discussion and refreshments. After some 200 positive calls, a nucleus say some 50 people would decide to form a new church. Two new churches were born this way. This would clearly be impossible today due to "Caller ID."

The second great invention is the 16 inch high toilet. Much easier to get on and off. After many years of the standard toilet this size is a great relief. (joke intended) I imagine the old standard size toilet was made to help toilet train children.

Here in Hawaii, the Japanese seem to favor a model called a "Toto" toilet. This model remains standard size but with additions such as a heated seat, and features spray, both behind and front. Fairly expensive, but people using the "Toto" toilet seem to really enjoy using it.    
 
    Aloha
    Grant

U. S. Grant

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            U.S. Grant
My given name is Grant, it was my father's middle name, and he was born in Grant's Pass Oregon. The pass in Oregon was named for the famous Civil War general and president of the United States. That is what I want to write about.

I have just finished reading the newly-published biography of U.S. Grant, written by Ron Chernow. I believe  it is one of the best biographies I have ever read. Historians have not been kind with the story of his life. They dwell on the facts of his failed leather business and above all, the fact that he drank, They fail to tell how difficult it was for him to fight off his urge to drink. He often refused to have alcohol served at the White House . He struggled, and most of the time he won the battle.

Grant graduated from West Point, and fought in the Mexican War. He loved Mexico and its people, but disliked having to fight in what he felt was an unjust war.

While still in uniform, he met and fell in love with Julia Dent, of Missouri whose father kept thirty slaves, four of whom belonged to her. She had one cross-eye, but it did not matter to Grant. He father refused permission for a marriage, and the couple remained engaged for four long years.

Grant later resigned his commission, and went to work in his father's leather business. He was a failure in business. One of Grant's failures throughout his life, was that he was always too honest and trusting, and people often took advantage of it.

His early years of struggling came to an abrupt end, with the coming Civil War. Grant and his wife Julia were living in Iiiinois. He reenlisted, and raised a regiment of men.

Space here does not permit, nor do I have the desire to relate all of his victories in the western area of the war, including Vicksburg, Mississippi. The eastern theater of the war was not going well after the Battle of Gettysburg. President Lincoln was having a difficult time finding generals who could win. Grant was summoned and became supreme commander of the Union Army. He sent General Sherman on a  path of destruction south, through Georgia to the sea. Likewise, he sent General Sheridan to lay waste the Shenandoah Valley, depriving the rebels of food and rail transport. General Robert E. Lee was forced to surrender. Grant made use of the telegraph to know what was happening in all the theaters of the war. The four year long Civil was was over, at a cost of 750 thousand dead, and thousands more wounded and maimed.

Grant's popularity was such that he was elected president. He championed civil rights for blacks, with the 14th and 15th  amendments to the Constitution. Southerners were upset with the idea that blacks were now citizens with the right to vote. Black citizens were murdered,lynched, and burned alive. Black schools and churches were also burned. The KKK and the Knights of the White Camilia and other groups terrorized blacks throughout the entire south. Grant sent Union troops to restore order.

The period of Grant's administration  is called the "Gilded Age,"due to the great riches achieved by men, who were often no better than thieves. The discovery of gold,the westward settlement, and the building of railroads all helped to make this possible. Grant lost most all of his money by trusting a business partner.

The was a moment to  draft Grant for a third term, but he declined. His health was failing. His throat was so sore that it hurt him to even swallow water. He had a large growth on the side of his neck. He knew that he was dying, but he wanted to see his memoirs printed and sold, to provide money for his wife. Mark Twain, a friend of Grant published the memoirs. Some few historians claim that some of the writing was written   by Mark Twain, but Twain denied that charges and paid tribute Grant's writing style.

Unable to eat, Grant weighed only ninety pounds when he died. There is the old joke asking who is buried in Grant's tomb. Located in New York city, it is the largest tomb in America.

This is such a great biography, if you are not afraid of a big book. Well worth your time. I was left with the feeling that in spite of the loss of life and property, things in the south remained largely unchanged. The only difference was the end of slavery.

    Aloha
    Grant
 

Site 6

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              Site Six
During WWII, the U.S. Army Air Force built three small airstrips along side of the Colorado River. These airstrips were known simply as Sites five, six, and seven. They were built to train pilots to fly in strong cross-winds, and have places to land in emergencies.

Site Six is no longer an airstrip. Houses have been built over the runway. Site Six has become a popular fishing spot. Located not far from Lake Havasu City, Arizona. All that remains of its former history is a small concrete building with rooms for long ago WWII pilots.

     Aloha
     Grant

Desert Bar

   
      More Letters From Paradise                          Desert Bar

Imagine finding a real bar serving beer and wine, in the middle of the Arizona desert! Seven miles off the main highway, and away from the small town of Parker, there is a real bar! The owner built the structure  only ten feet square. It has since expanded. Water for the bar was carried from Parker in an old fire truck. The owner of the bar is a man of many talents. A welder by trade, he also built what is called the "Holy Church," a steel facade with windows cut out with torch. The building facade is 30 x60 ft. and rests on a concrete slab.

The bar has greatly expanded over the years. Ice chests have been replaced by refrigerators. There are also clean restrooms, and hamburgers are served at the bar. The owner has built a house for himself too on the desert  property. Weekends are always busy with people at the bar, weddings at the "Holy Church" for those wanting to try it for the third or fourth time. And everyone dances on the concrete slab of the "Holy Church."

If you drive to the town of Parker,
Arizona, you might get directions to the desert bar, located seven miles out in the desert.

   Aloha
   Grant

The Strongest Librarian in the World

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    The Strongest Liberian in the World

On the third floor of the Salt Lake City Library  you will find a six foot seven inch man named Josh Hanagadne. He has a Master's Degree in Library Science, and he bends railroad spikes and rolls up frying pans during his breaks. He is also cursed with Tourettes  syndrome.

Tourettes takes many forms. It caused him to beat against his face, shout out suddenly and shake his head. His parents tried everything to help him, including having Botox injected in to is vocal chords, causing him to be unable to talk for two years.

His tics grew worse. But there was hope. He met a retired Air Force Sgt. who was into weight lifting. Josh soon found that he could suppress the tics whole lifting weights. He is not cured, but he can lead a normal life. He is married and has one son.
His story was published in 2013 by Gotham Books.

    Aloha
    Grant

Pounder

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              Pounder
Leonardo Da Vinci drew pictures of gliders. The Wright Brothers built, and flew gliders. The U.S. used gliders to land our troops in Normandy on June 6, 1944. So, we should suppose that there is nothing left to know about gliders. There is something new about gliders, built for food. A glider named "Pounder," is an edible glider with a ten-foot wingspan, that carries a hundred-and-forty-five pounds of food,customized to local cultural tastes. Pounder can be released from a cargo plane sixty miles from its intended drop, and land within twenty-three feet of its target.

Pounder is the brainchild of British aeronautics engineer Nigel Gifford. He intends to replace the wood frame of the glider with food. Hard-baked flour when soaked in water and added to a meal. He is already thinking about vacuum-packed meats for a possible landing gear.

All of the information I stole from "New Yorker" magazine December 18&25 2017 p.68

It is now March 10, 2018 and I felt that  this story was so great, I saved it for all to enjoy.  
        Aloha
        Grant

Pete

                  Pete
His given name was Sidney, but we all knew him as Pete. He would sometimes answer his phone with "Seal World Headquarters."
Pete, like countless other American men, enlisted in the Army, soon after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. I believe that he was under-age too. After Basic Training he was sent to Guadalcanal.

Guadalcanal is an island in the Solomon Islands. The Japanese were building an air strip. The battle for control of the island took place between August 7, 1942 and February 9, 1943. Marines supported by the Army captured the island. This was the start of the Allied offensive in the Pacific.Pete once spoke of seeing trenches full of dead Japanese. His job was to communicate with aircraft. He never said anything more about Guadalcanal. Where he went next, I have no idea.

I do know that he was in Tokyo when the war ended. He was passing a building when he saw the blade of an aircraft propeller on display. There was some writing on it, and Pete assumed it had something to do with aircraft production. He took a fancy to it, and had it shipped home as a war trophy. Many G.I.'s did that in both theaters of the war.

Now I want you to fast forward to just a few years ago, when the new Aviation Museum of the Pacific opened on Ford Island. Pete donated his Japanese propeller blade. He visited the museum only to discover that it was not on display, but was in some guy's office. Pete was very angry, and demanded its return. I saw it in his apartment.

When the war ended Pete remained in what became a separate service,the U.S. Air Force. Pete continued serving during Korea, and Vietnam. What he did I have no clue. He retired as a Chief Master Sergeant.

During his retirement he became fast friends and buddies with retired  Lt.Col. Paul Schmitz. They lived together in the Waipuna condo for some twelve years. When Paul married his second wife Donna, the two continued to be best buddies. The three of them went to Europe, with Pete acting as their driver. Pete said that  one time he  took a wrong turn and they spent fifteen minutes in Switzerland.

 Sometime earlier Pete had purchased a four-seat airplane. He always said it was the worst mistake he had ever made. This was because he either loaned his plane or rented it, and the plane was crashed. Pete was forced to move out of the Waipuna.  He later moved into the Villa on Eaton Square.

Pete and Paul were members of our group  called the "Tribe." Members of our tribe make trips to and from the airport in support of each other. Birthdays and holidays are all celebrated together. Both Pete and Paul were generous, always bringing bottles of champagne. Paul would loan his car, and Pete would often pick up the check when at the Smoke House, the local bar. When Pete broke his ankle for the second time, and was reduced to using a walker, he would insist on throwing it up the steep steps and pull himself up to it. We were always ready to catch him.

His best friend, Paul, came to realize that his health was failing and decided to move in with Helen, his friend from long ago in California.  When Paul moved to California,Pete lost his best buddy. He began hanging out at the Hickham golf course, often three days a week. He was looked after by Bobbie, who worked at the bar.  He felt at home there. He told me that he planned to move to housing at Hickham. And he did just that, and then regretted his move. He said "It was too large to care for." He was making plans to return to the Villa.

Teena and I had Pete over for dinner many times, with Paul for a long time, and also Pat, another friend who lived in Discovery Bay until she moved to Arizona, and then after Paul moved, Pete came by himself.  The two of them could really tell the stories and were very full of fun. Teena and I were in Arizona  and did not learn of his death until our return. We informed members of the "Tribe," and the people at the Smoke House bar.

All of us who knew Pete wish that if golf is played in Heaven, that he will at last make a hole-in-one. Aloha Pete  


   

Courage Kits

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             Courage Kits
Each kit will be filled with a "comfort letter," and photos of family and nonperishable food. Donations of cases of bottled water, flashlights, batteries, duct tape, and Clorox wipes are needed.

These kits are for elementary school children, to be used incase of a nuclear attack from North Korea. Hawaii will do its best to be prepared for such an event.       When the attack siren sounds you have only 12 minutes to find a place to shelter. But Hawaii has no public shelters. We have been told to" shelter in place."

Kids at Kaimuki Middle School were told to get to certain classrooms, close the windows, and turn off the air conditioning. They had also been told about the "pee buckets" they would be using. A directive was sent to teachers to use plastic sheeting, wet cloth and duct tape to seal windows to minimize air contamination.

All of this reminds me too much of the Cold War. Imagine a young teacher trying to tell her students about something you cannot taste,touch,see,or smell. And the temperature outside is 85 degrees,and inside the sealed classroom it would be unbearable

At the beginning of each month a siren sounds, testing the Tsunami Alert System. This coming Friday, December 1st a wailing tone will be added.

   Aloha
   Grant  

Remember Wake Island

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        Remember Wake Island
Living here in Hawaii we are constantly reminded of the attack on Pearl Harbor. But  how many under the age of fifty, remember the battle for Wake Island? Five hours after the attack on Pearl Harbor, Wake Island also underwent an attack by the Japanese.

Wake Island is located in the far-Western part of the Pacific. Over 2000 miles due west of Honolulu. The island became important because Pan American Airway developed it as a refueling and rest stop for its wealthy clients. The aircrafts were huge flying boats, landing and taking off on water. Pan American built a hotel for their  wealthy guests.

The American military also had plans for the island. Fearing the increasing friction between the U.S. and Japan, contractors were busy building an air strip, hospital, and other buildings. Over 1,100 civilian construction workers were trapped on Wake when the war broke out.

Wake Island is an atoll made- up of three small islands grouped around a shallow lagoon that was once the crater of extinct volcano. Wake,the largest of the three, is separated by narrow channels from Wilkes and Peale islands, just to the west. Together they form a rough horseshoe shape. The islands had swarms of rats, but no fresh water. The interior of the islands contained masses of trees and brush. Wake was next in importance to Midway as a base for aircraft, submarines, land-based forces, and fleet facilities. And it was not far from Japan.

Wake was garrisoned by  a force of 510 Marines equipped with three three-inch antiaircraft batteries of four guns each, three five-inch shore batteries of two guns each, two dozen .50 caliber machine guns, and two dozen .30 caliber machine guns. Also, a few old Springfield rifles. And that was all. The arrival of twelve brand-new Grumman F4F  Wildcatfighter planes were a welcome addition to the island's defense.

The attack began with a flight of eighteen bombers which destroyed eight of the Wildcats. When they had finished, the only thing left intact was the runway itself.
Many of the visible structures were in ruins. There were only three flyable planes left.
In spite of bombs from the air, strafing runs, and two landings, this handful of Marines with some of the construction workers, lasted two days longer than did the defenders of the Alamo.

Back in Pearl Harbor Admiral Kimmel dispatched a relief fleet to Wake, but the fleet was ordered back to Pearl as there was a change of command. In other words, the defenders of Wake were screwed. No help would be sent to them.

The commanding officer of Wake Island was Commander Winfield Scott Cunningham USN, and Major James Devereux was commander of the Marine detachment.

During the fourteen day siege the Marines sank one major Japanese ship, heavily damaged several others, and repelled a Japanese invasion. Commander Cunningham,  realizing that there was little hope left, ordered a surrender. The Marines were mad as hell.

The Japanese were so angry having lost so many men, and that there were no women to rape. The captives were harshly treated, and then taken aboard a ship which would carry them to both Japan and China. Some few civilians were kept to rebuild, and then were executed. On the ship five men were selected, blindfolded, and beheaded as a symbolic revenge for having killed so many Japanese soldiers.

The prisoners were to spend the next three and a half years as prisoners and slave laborers. It all came to an end with the Atomic bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, and the Japanese surrender.

The construction company that had hired these civilians, paid wages to those who had managed to survive. Commander Cunningham and Major Devereaux were both promoted. Each man later wrote books about their experience.

Wake Island today maintains the airstrip, but there are no commercial flights and it is simply there for emergencies. The population today is 120 civilians. They have a nine hole golf course, cocktail bar, and  nice housing. Visitors to the island just have government authorization. They are geologists, oceanographers, bureaucrats, film makers, and some of the survivors of the battle. Marine and Navy retirees may travel there free of charge on military aircraft.

What I have written is from the most excellent "Given Up for Dead," by Bill Sloan. Bantam hardcover edition published 2003.

    Aloha
    Grant

Out of this World

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         Out of this World
Information is easily available about the time and direction of the International Space Station, and where it can be seen. We have seen it from our lanai several times.

I recently purchased a new book "Endurance,A Year in Space, A Lifetime of Discovery," by Scott Kelly. In his book he tells all about life  while floating in space. His companions were from Russia,Japan and other European countries.

One of the many problems is physical exercise. It was mandatory to exercise on a treadmill six days a week and at least a couple hours every day. Bone loss is about one per cent per month. Spacemen returning to earth often had broken hip bones.

Another more urgent problem was to keep the two "Seedra" machines working. These machines soak up the CO 2 given off by the crew. If the CO2 levels reach too high, it results in  the difficulty of performing many tasks, and making bad choices. Better to breathe clean air. These machines were often broken, needing repair.

Hand holds are located throughout the station, when a person wants to remain in place. A foot placed around a hand hold, while eating or drinking coffee with a straw from a plastic bag. Scott writes that sleeping while floating is very  nice indeed. And all the urine collected is processed, and becomes drinking water.

The American Space Shuttle was retired some time ago due to a lack of funding. The vehicle taking a three man crew to the space station is aboard a Russian Soyuz spacecraft. This has been safely used many times. The craft has no extra room for anything else. Supplies to the station are carried by a ship called a "Dragon,"built by an American company  called "Space X." A single trip would carry 4,300 lbs.of supplies. Fresh fruit and vegetables (which go bad more quickly than on earth.) Oxygen,spare parts, health care products,experiments, items from home, and so forth.

It is nice to read how everyone all got along. They shared food, celebrate birthdays and holidays while in space. So far over 200 people have visited the space station.

A couple of other things that need to be mentioned. The most dangerous task is a walk in space. A leak-proof clumsy space suit, with gloves like a baseball mitt, requiring delicate working space while traveling at a speed of 17,500 mph. Hand holds required, and a tether to the station. Hours are spent just preparing for the space walk.

Then there is the problem of docking the supply ship to the station requiring the use of a long arm developed by a Canadian company.   Have we become so blasé about space travel? Have we forgotten the moon landing, and the lives that were lost in that historic quest? The International Space Station is working on problems faced by a trip to the planet Mars.

In the nineteen sixties a book "Operating Manual For Spaceship Earth, written by Buckminster Fuller, University of Illinois, created quite a stir. He warned that our planet is a spaceship with limited supplies of food and water. How we used these supplies would determine our fate.
And recently Dr. Stephen Hawking remarked that we may have to travel to Mars, because we are ruining our planet.

Some dark night look up in the sky and you may find something different from all the surrounding stars,shining brightly, it is the International Space Station.

     Aloha
     Grant

Thoroughly Thoreau

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           Throughly Thoreau
For more years than I care to count, I have been a huge fan of the American writer Henry David Thoreau. While I was in the Navy I went with a friend from our ship to try and find the site of Thoreau's cabin on Walden Pond. I returned many years later with my youngest daughter Jessica, to find that a replica of his cabin had been built.

Every American literature book has a section devoted to this writer. Much attention is paid to his book "Walden," which contains his essay on "Civil Disobedience." Both Gandhi and Dr. Martin Luther King read and were greatly influenced by this essay. But what I feel is often overlooked is Thoreau's contribution to understanding nature, and his work for the abolition of slavery. He understood ecology before the word was invented. He kept many journals which were left unpublished until now. He was friends of Emerson,Hawthorne,Louisa May Alcott, and William Lloyd Garrison,publisher of the anti-slavery paper "The Liberator." He was also friends with the ex-slave Frederick Douglas, and John Brown. And he met Walt Whitman while he was doing some survey work in New York.

American literature began with these writers in and around Concord, Massachusetts.This small town was also a hot bed of abolitionists. Thoreau delivered a plea to a large crowd,in support of John Brown,following his attack on Harper's Ferry. Thoreau had helped drive one of the the men involved in the attack, to escape into Canada. Also, when the government passed the Fugitive Slave Act, Thoreau's family hid and helped runaway slaves to escape to Canada.

Thoreau graduated from Harvard with understanding of both ancient Greek and Latin. I don't think it did much for him  in his study of Botany. Few know that his father had a pencil making factory, and that Thoreau made his living after Harvard by surveying. He also made paid lecture tours.  He tried his hand at teaching, but quit after refusing to cane students.

A new book "Thoreau, a life " written by Laura Dassow Walls, published 2017 by The University of Chicago Press, is most excellent. I think this is the book for people who really want to know more about     Thoreau. The author provides us with a complete picture of the man. Thoreau died in 1862, at the age of 44, never having seen the end of slavery.

    Aloha  
    Grant

They Were All Young Girls

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      They Were All Young Girls
Most Americans know that women served as nurses in WWI and WWII. But few people know that during WWII, Soviet girls served in all branches of the military. When Hitler's army invaded Russia in 1941, every patriotic Russian quickly ran to recruiting offices. This included girls as young as 16 years of age. Many lied about their age and were accepted. A whole trainload of girls came from faraway Siberia.

Their introduction into military life was swift, and sometimes brutal. Russian girls all wore their hair in long braids. These were cut off and replaced by a short man's haircut. Shirts,pants, coats, hats, long men's underwear, and American-made boots way too large. Size 10 for a girl's foot requiring a size 5. No feminine  products either.
 
After a few months of training, they became drivers of trucks and tanks,  Some became nurse aids and snipers. During the four years of war, many girls were killed in combat. One 17 year girl received the "Florence Nightingale " award for dragging 147 wounded men to safety. Another young girl sniper was awarded the "Red Star" for having killed 75 Germans.

Tank girls wore canvas pants with padded knees and a helmet. When a tank was hit, the crew was most often on  fire, and the girls pulled them out of the burning tank.

When victory came at long last, the men who had fought, received all the credit. The role played by the female fighters was forgotten. Young girls returning home had a tough time. Young men refused to date them as they had soiled themselves by living with men. They were seen as having lost their feminism charm. They were often called whores.

Things began to change when  a book The "Unwomanly Face of War," by Svetlana Alexievich  was published in 1985. She went on to receive the Nobel Prize for Literature in  2015. She spent years with her tape recorder talking with the old women who were once young girls. The book was translated into English and published  in 2017. Many women had waited years to tell their stories. Others had tried to forget. Many women refused to either wear or have the color red in their homes. It reminded them of so much blood. Some few married younger men, while others lived alone in apartment houses.

The Russians suffered greatly in WWII. One out of every eight people died in the war. See the battles for Leningrad and Stalingrad for examples. How did these young girls find the strength and courage to fight as they did? We may never know the answer.

    Aloha
    Grant    

I Like Hats

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             I Like Hats
I like wearing a hat, and that is not just because I am now bald. The sun here in Hawaii can cause skin cancer. I grew up in Northern Michigan where wearing a hat was necessary in winter, covering your ears too. In summer the hat worn, was a baseball hat. You could shape the bill to a curve of your liking. And this leads me to the fact that I firmly believe that only welders,umpires, and catchers should wear their hat backwards. Otherwise for others to do so, there must be a connection with low I Q.
Here in Hawaii hats are sold having a flat plastic bill. Stupid looking and again I suspect low IQ.

As an enlisted man in the Navy we all(except Chief Petty Officers) wore round white hats. These hats could be shaped by sailors to suit their individual tastes. It bothers me when actors in plays such as "South Pacific," wear their hats simply round and stupid looking. The last hat from my years in the Navy, was eaten by Lake Erie during an afternoon sail.

I mentioned to Teena that I would like to have a soft hat that would protect my ears, and could be rolled up and carried in a pocket. The visiting men and women from Australia who have come to our club to bowl, have just that kind of hat. And low and behold, she returned home recently with just such a hat. The hat also has a lanyard with a wood toggle to help keep it on in the sometimes brisk Trade Winds. She warned me that I should not be wearing it when meeting anybody important.

In Dearborn Michigan there was a small supper club called "Toppers." The club featured good food and a small dance floor with a trio of musicians. The walls were all covered with pictures of people wearing hats. Some famous people and others not at all famous. Alas,"Toppers" was bought by some rich hockey player and the pictures were all replaced by mirrors. Teena and I have fond memories of the place.

    Aloha
    Grant

Rat Lungworm Disease

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        Rat Lungworm Disease
There are a host of diseases found in this part of the Pacific. The most recent disease being talked about is rat lungworm disease. State-wide there are l7 cases so far. It is very hard to diagnose. The symptoms are : severe headache, stiffness of the neck, tingling or painful feeling in the skin or extremities, fever, nausea and vomiting,temporary paralysis of the face, and sensitivity to light.

The disease is carried by rats, snails, and slugs. When larvae carried by slugs and snails get into a person's system, they travel to the brain and form worms that shed antigens, or toxins according to the Hawaii Health Department. When it molts, it sheds antigens and that go into the spinal fluid. There is no known cure. The farmer here who contracted the disease reported that an MRI showed that chunks of his brain had been eaten. He is currently living on painkillers and anti seizure medications.
According to John McHugh, of the Department of Agriculture's Plant Industry Division,
" Rats are the main host for this thing, and the state doesn't have enough resources to control rats throughout the entire state. They are are everywhere on these islands."

People are told to not eat freshwater shrimp, land crabs, frogs, or undercooked snails. Inspect and rinse produce, especially leafy greens in potable water. Boil snails, prawns, crabs and frogs for at least three to five minutes.

I feel that it is also very important to choose eating in a restaurant where the lettuce has been carefully washed. Or better yet, avoid eating salads when dining out. As for me, I am being very careful.

All the above information I stole from our local paper "Star Advertiser" Sunday 10/8/17

   Aloha
   Grant

Essex Disaster

       More Letters From Paradise
           Essex Disaster            
Generations have read and enjoyed the novel "Moby Dick," by Herman Melville. It is a tale about a mad man named Ahab, captain of  of a whale ship in  search of a giant whale that had taken one of his legs on an earlier voyage. Readers may remember that when when the giant whale Moby Dick was found, a battle ensued, and the whale ship was sunk by the whale. Fiction? sure, but I bet that few people know that the idea of a whale sinking a ship was used by Melville in writing "Moby Dick." The ship's name was the Essex,and in 1819 it set sail for a voyage to hunt whales. Fifteen months later in the South Pacific it was rammed twice by an enraged bull whale, and in spite of its four inch thick oak sides, was sunk.The 20-man crew set sail for South America 3,000 miles away in three small boats. Three months later only eight were left alive, the survivors having been forced to eat the bodies of their dead shipmates. The drawing of lots in a survival situation had long been an  accepted custom of the sea.

But all of what I have written could easily been gleaned by a search on the internet. However, if you are really interested you should obtain a copy of "In the Heart of the Sea," by Nathaniel Phrilbrick, published by  Penguin Books. I have neither the time nor the desire to summarize the book. It is a fantastic story.

Whales are not fish, they are among the largest mammals on earth. They have brains five times larger than man. The female whales give birth to their young, nurse and guide them to maturity. Why were these great creatures of the sea hunted? The answer is "oil." Whale oil was used to light homes, street lights, and lubricate machinery. Whale hunting continued until the discovery of oil in Pennsylvania.Today, whale hunting is outlawed by international treaties. But the Japanese continue to hunt, ignoring the ban, under the guise of "research."

Whale hunting was a dangerous, stinking business. Voyages of two or even three years were not uncommon. The ships would not return to port until their ships were filled with barrels of oil.

When a whale was sighted by a man on the top of the mainmast, four boats containing harpoons, lances and yards of rope, were lowered over the ships' side. Men rowed to the whale, and if it went into a dive, they waited until it ran out of air and surfaced, and threw harpoons into the whale. The whale caught by the harpoons began dragging the boats in what was called a "Nantucket Sleigh Ride." When exhausted, the whale fought for its life, and boats were often smashed, with men thrown into the sea. At last when the whale had been killed by lances, the  dead whale was towed back to the ship. Once alongside, large blankets of whale fat were poised aboard and put into large pots where the fat was boiled for its oil.

A sperm whale was most favored, as the head of the whale contained up to five hundred gallons of spermaceti,a clear, high-quality oil that partially solidifies on contact with air. The whale's intestinal tract was searched for a fatty substance called ambergris, which was used to  make perfume and was worth more than its weight in gold.

The deck of the ship would be slippery with oil, blood and vomit. It was said you could smell a whale ship before you could see it. After the whale was stripped of all it s blubber it was cast adrift.

Sailors on these long voyages without seeing whales, would sometimes scratch pictures on whale teeth or bones, than fill in the scratches with ink, which are called "scrimshaw." Very artistic, and much sought after by collectors.

Living here in Hawaii we see Humpback whales every year. They mate, rear their young and then leave for the long trip to Alaska. And by April they are gone. During the time the whales are here, whale watching trips take place daily. Teena and I have made many such trips.

On our neighboring island of Maui there is a place called "Whaler's Village." Go directly up to the second floor where there is a small museum devoted to whaling. All of the items used in hunting are displayed. But of particular interest are the open books kept by ship captains, containing details such as the type of whale and even ink drawings.

I learned not long ago that Melville, who had served on a whaleship, worked in a store here in Honolulu. I plan to see what I can find about this,if there is any information.

I am filled with information but too tired to continue. Search the internet, or even better, read the book I mentioned earlier.

   Aloha,
   Grant

Swastika

      More Letters From Paradise
              Swastika
The hated Nazi symbol is  now often seen among groups of extreme right-wing people and members of the Ku Klux Clan. But free of its Nazi past, the swastika has been used by the Native Americans for centuries. I learned in an archaeology class, its use by ancient Greek pottery makers. During the so-called Geometric period you see swastika bands around the neck of an amphora (storage jar).

My grandfather Beal was an inventor. He invented a vending machine, thermostat, and as he was fond of playing cards, a card game. He named the deck of cards "Swastika." This was before WWII. But with Hitler and its use of the swastika, grandpa changed the name of the game to "Cheyenne." I am looking at a deck of his cards. The deck of cards show the profile of a Native American with a feather headdress. Below there is a tomahawk,arrows, and a string of beads. And below is a swastika. Above and below the name "Cheyenne" is the fact that the game   is a registered trade mark.

The back of the red colored deck we read the words"The Great Home and Social Game" Price 50 Cents Cheyenne Game Co. Adrian,Mich.

Sliding the cards from the pack a swastika is printed on the back of each card, and a sheet of instructions is included. These cards must be very rare. I think I am probably the only person in the family to own a deck. I never learned if grandpa made any money from this invention. I rather doubt it.

Aloha
Grant

 

Navy Blue

      More Letters From Paradise
             Navy Blue        
I am afraid that anyone having read "My Old Ship" was led to believe that my entire time spent in the Navy was aboard a ship. Not so, as the following will clearly show.

I enlisted in the Navy twice, the first time was when I was a junior in high school.The summer of 1954, I attended boot camp at Great Lakes Naval Training Center, not far from Chicago. At the end of summer, my parents separated, and following graduation, I tried to go on active duty. I was told that I had a heart murmur, so I was given an Honorable Discharge.

But it just so happened that one Navy recruiter lived next door to us, and the other Navy recruiter rented an apartment from my grandmother. And guess what? I enlisted for the second time and spent the next four years in the Navy. I think the recruiters had a quota to fill. So I went to boot camp again, this time in the winter.

Following boot camp I was ordered to Naval Air Station Norman, Oklahoma. It was a school for men who were to serve in  Naval aviation. I fabricated an aluminum wing, safety wired a carburetor on an engine, drew weather maps, and a whole lot more.One of the most interesting aspects of the school was when I was wearing a parachute harness, and climbed a tower, only to be dropped into the middle of a swimming pool. The idea was to get out, and swim to a life raft. One other event is that I was taught to start up a F4U Corsair. That type of plane had a huge propeller and a gull-shaped wing which you had to lean out to see anything unless the plane was up and running. This was the carrier based fighter plane used in the Pacific War.

There were locker clubs in Norman where you could change into civilian clothes. For weekend liberty we went to Oklahoma City, which at that time was very dry, only 3.2 alcohol served in bars,unless you belonged to a club, or knew a bootlegger. One time while going up in an elevator in the Hotel Black,the operator (no self-service back then) asked if we sailors would like a drink. We quickly replied and he opened his double breasted jacket and disclosed several brands of booze seen in pockets. Five bucks would get you a half-pint.

My next stop was photo school located in Pensacola, Florida. Naval photographers belong to the aviation branch of the Navy and are often called "airdales." Photo school was a mixture of sailors and marines of both sexes. It made for some great parties. The school was very easy for me as I had worked at two photo studios while still in high school. Interesting assignments and use of various cameras. Pensacola is where Navy pilots train, and is home of the famous stunt flyers the "Blue Angels."

Following graduation from photo school we were able to choose where we would go next. I chose to go to Panama. Why? Simply because how many people go there?

Another sailor and I were the only passengers on a DC6 which was also carrying an airplane engine and cans of hydraulic fluid. We landed at U.S. Naval Station, Coco Solo, Panama Canal Zone. I became the newest member of Fleet Aircraft Service Squadron 105, or simply Fasron 105. This was a company of men who worked everything relating to Naval aircraft. There were two photographers, a guy named Gene Leach from Philadelphia, and me.

Our barracks had screens for walls and parking below. Every night a fog jeep would fill the interior with DDT so dense that you could see a light bulb glow. The chow hall was in the building also. I should mention that of all the branches of military service the Navy chow is noted as being the best. The best food I had in the Navy was at Coco Solo. For example Sunday morning breakfast. "How do you want your steak,"a cook calls ahead of the line.

The photo lab was located with weather men in the control tower. Part of the photo lab was air conditioned. It is hot and humid in Panama, leather would grow mold, and shoes were kept in a hot locker with a light bulb burning.

Our major task was to photograph every ship that was going to transit the canal from the Atlantic. The lab would receive a call telling us the name of the ship and its location, either docked or anchored out in the bay. If it was my turn I would go  to the boathouse and get a boat and a crew. We used all kinds of small boats including PT boats. What a fast wild ride they made. And it was me who told them where they should go for my photos. I felt very important. We were to shoot pictures of each side of the ship and a three-quarter bow and stern shot. As this was the "Cold War," we always took a lot of pictures if it was a Russian ship. I will always remember one British ship loaded with only women heading to Australia and New Zealand seeking husbands. Both world wars had greatly reduced their chances of getting a husband. We circled the ship many times after taking my pictures, and they called, waved, and threw kisses at us. It was all so very sad. We wished them good luck.

One other interesting event was when I went with my boss and a couple of  F.B.I. agents to an Italian cruise ship that was docked in Colon, Panama's largest city on the Atlantic coast. We wore civilian clothes and carried a suitcase containing a tripod and camera. We went to an empty stateroom where the camera was set up and I was given address books and some other stuff. I laid on the floor and turned pages as the photos were taken. When we finished taking our pictures one agent took the film from us and departed. After a time we also left the ship, and the agent took us out for dinner.

Another event which comes to mind is a wedding. My boss knew that I had worked for two wedding studios before I joined the Navy. So I guess that is why he asked me to go with a friend of his and take pictures of a wedding. I agreed to do so, as it meant a trip to a little village in the jungle where the wedding would take place. We had the only car in the village, and it was used to take the bride and groom to the church. People came to the wedding barefoot or on horseback. Women carried jars on their heads. I took a lot of pictures. Music came from guitars and large throwing drums. There were lightbulbs hanging from the ceiling in each one of the four rooms of the little house. Platters of roast pig were served. I remember a picture I took of a  man chewing on a leg of the pig. The father of the bride had managed to buy a case of scotch, and there was a lot of chichi fierce (strong corn) to drink. I got good and drunk and fell asleep to the sound of drumming. My high school Spanish was put to good use as I managed order breakfast the following morning. I no longer have those wedding pictures as they failed to make the trip to Hawaii.

I was having a splendid time in Panama, when somebody way up in the chain of command decided to transfer our squadron to Puerto Rico. We sailed aboard the a WWII Liberty ship  George Goethals (the man who built the Panama Canal.) I think it was a three or four day sail and squadron sailors with families were kept to the forward of the ship. We docked in San Juan and were taken to our new home, Roosevelt Roads, a forlorn base sixty miles from San Juan, consisting of one huge hangar, a couple of barracks, one for a company of Marines, and a small sheet metal sided photo lab. There was also a chow hall, and a single juke box playing the same tunes for two years, and a single pinball machine. Five miles away was the enlisted men's club reached by a bus every so often. You were able to buy a horse for $25.00. These horses had been used to test for malaria. One guy got so drunk one night that he rode his horse into the barracks and tied it up to his bunk.

This was quite a come down from Panama. Boredom and drink became the order of the day. Most times a square table would be filled with bottles before chow time. The only escape was to take a Publico (long distance taxi) into San Juan.

But we did have some things to do. We would develop 16mm film from fighter planes. They would shoot at a target towed by a plane, and wanted to see how well they had been shooting. Our method was as primitive as laughable. The film would be unreeled in the darkroom and thrust into a bucket of developer, and then into another bucket of hypo. a quick rinse and then taken outside and hung by clothes pins on a line. When dry the film would be wound on a reel for showing. We called it the "spaghetti method." We had a bunk with a mosquito net where each night one of us would spend the night just in case of a crash. One night the guy on duty in the hangar sat in a chair and smoked three or four cigarettes and then blew his brains out with his 45 colt revolver. Many pictures taken. There were also plane crashes to cover as well as showing damaged airplane parts. We had a cable across the end of one runway held up by car tires cut in half and attached at each end by long lengths of heavy anchor chain. If a carrier plane  arrived without ability to stop, his tail hook would do the job.

I have failed to mention that the base was built during WWII to house people from England in case of invasion by Hitler's armies. There were many underground bunkers  and the Sea Bees (construction branch of the Navy) were kept busy sprucing up the  base. This was also where the Navy trained its "Frog men," known today as "Seals."

Well, that was pretty much it. I could write about the whore houses in Panama and Puerto Rico but I think I will save it for a novel sometime. My story ends here when I was ordered to report to my ship.

    Aloha
    Grant      
                                 

Remembering My Ship

     More Letters From Paradise
       Remembering My Ship
All of this happened some sixty years ago, and this is how I remember it.

My orders read that I was to report to the U.S.S. Tarawa CV 40 (Essex Class), built in 1945, an aircraft carrier berthed at Quonset Point, Rhode Island. The ship was named for the famous bloody battle fought by the Marines in the Pacific during WWII.

Lugging my seabag I climbed the tower stairs and,  as custom dictates, requested permission to come aboard. When granted, I handed the duty  officer my orders. A sailor from the photo lab was sent for, to escort me to where I would berth and stow my uniforms. Photographers shared a compartment on the 02 or 03 deck in the Island with Xerographers (weathermen). The compartment had a single porthole. Small square lockers for uniforms,  and all around were racks reaching from deck to the overhead. These were canvas sheets laced to pipe frames. Each sleeping place had a thin pad with a white cotton cover that sailors called a "fart sack." These racks were all chained up during the day and were only brought down when the ship's work for the day had ended. I was assigned the top bunk which made me happy as I had to climb over those below me. I soon discovered that the steel beam above me was a perfect place for my wallet and cigarettes. During rough weather you could wrap your arms around one of the chains holding up the rack. In the compartment were a couple of large canvas bags in which everyone tossed his dirty uniforms. Every item of clothing a sailor owned was stenciled with his service number. My number was 4553595. So the clothing returned from the laundry was easily sorted.
 
Next to the sleeping compartment were the showers and toilet. A Navy shower at sea consisted of rules. First turn on  the shower and get wet, then turn it off and soap down. Then rinse, and turn the shower off. While in port you could use as much fresh water as you wanted.

The toilet consisted of a long stainless steel trough about two feet deep with divided seats set above a constantly running stream of water. I was to learn that sometimes as a joke, a wad of paper would be set blazing and sent down the rushing water under those seated. Or as the divided seats were set on pegs, it was easy to lift the seat off the pegs unknown to the guy when trying to sit down.

The photo lab was located on the hanger deck just below the flight deck where planes with their folded wings were tied down to rings in the deck. Sometimes movies would be shown on the hanger deck. During night operations when only red lights were allowed, sometimes a guy would fall into the elevator pit and get hurt. All doors leading outside had a trip lever that shut off all flights when the door was opened. After the door closed the lights again came on. Pilots landing in the dark must only see a row of landing lights. No other lights must be seen.

One other thing before I discuss the photo lab and what it was we did. This was the "Mail Buoy." A really dumb sailor would be convinced that there was a mail buoy way out here in the sea that would have mail that would have to be picked up. The victim  was taken to the fantail (end of the ship) and given a steel helmet, lifejacket, and a long boat hook. He was told that it was his job to hook the mail bag as we passed. Good for a few laughs.

The photo lab as I have said was located on the hanger deck. Inside was an office with desk and chair. And all along one side ran a counter under which guys could put their personal stuff. Above the counter were two port holes. Across the deck on the other side was a refrigerator in which to keep film. Ha! More often it was filled with blocks of cheese, gallon cans of strawberries  and such. The Engineering Officer who wanted his film developed would stop  by for a snack. A couple of other officers did so too. We made a deal with the with the cooks and  bakers, while  guys in the pipe shop made doughnuts with a blowtorch and shared with us. Some bakers wanted to play poker or shoot craps would use one of our darkrooms to play where they wouldn't get caught. Imagine a fresh loaf of bread with a pound of melting butter inside.
But life aboard was not all tea and cookies. The Tarawa was a war ship, at this period of history  called the "Cold War." An American U-2 spy plane was shot down by the Russians, the Russians were placing guided missiles in Cuba, and children in schools were being taught how to duck and cover under their desks in case of a nuclear attack.

The role played by my ship and a sister ship the U.S.S. Wasp was to protect the east coast of America. We would stay out 200 miles which is our territorial limit, and patrol from Halifax Nova Scotia to Mayport, Florida. A period of patrol was thirty days or more, until relieved by the U.S.S. Wasp.

Our task was to discover Russian submarines and if ordered, destroy them. The Tarawa carried a number of S-2F anti-submarine aircraft. These were twin-engine planes carrying sonar buoys and depth charge bombs. When a submarine was located, a pilot would release a number of long sonar buoys. When each buoy landed in the sea, a paper tape would break, holding a spring-loaded antenna that would pop up, and a microphone would descend into the ocean depth. A pattern could surround a sub and then a depth charge would be dropped to kill it.

Pictures of men on the flight deck of a carrier show that men are dressed in different colors. This is so   the captain and flight deck officer always know what is going on. Those wearing yellow are  plane captains and the flight deck officer,  responsible for each aircraft being launched. The color red is fuel and men with black means ordnance. Green is worn by catapult crew with the words "CAT" on the back. They hook the plane to the catapult that will sling the plane to the sky. And those also wearing green are photographers. With the words "PHOTO" on the back.  Depending the weather, both sweaters and tee shirts are worn, with color matching cloth helmets and tight-fitting goggles.

The flight deck and surrounding area was a dangerous place to be. We had a guy new to the photo lab and was assigned to one of our three positions, on the catwalk aft to cover the landings. A catwalk is a steel walkway three feet wide alongside the flight deck with a couple of strands of wire on the side. One plane landing caught a  cable causing it to break and whip around and cut  our guy in the head. He was very lucky, as   some accidents on other ships were very much worse. We visited him in sickbay and he recovered.

The one favored and safe position for photographers was on the 08 level in  a gun tub on the island. One day it was my turn to cover launches. Things were proceeding as usual when all of a sudden there was a huge noise behind me and I watched as a jet (sometimes we carried a few) flew past and went between two other jets making ready to launch, and then went over the side. My camera was a bulky K-20 which carried a roll of film 4 x5 inches wide. To take the picture you had to throw a lever forward and back to cock the camera. Then  pull the trigger to capture the picture. All I remember is cocking and pulling the trigger. The Angel (a helicopter kept ready ) picked  up the pilot, and as there was a hole in the wood flight deck, nothing was left to do. When I returned to the photo lab the chief asked if I got the picture, I said that I thought so. When developed and delivered to the captain, it showed that I had taken four pictures in the excitement of the moment. Everyone was well pleased and it showed why we were there.

And so it was, day after day, on patrol, launching aircraft and bringing them safely aboard. We had just returned from our time at sea when our sister ship the U.S.S. Wasp  berthed across from us, had a large fire in its hangar deck. We watched as body bags were carried ashore. And so just having ended our patrol, it was out to sea again.      
One final note about the different colors worn on the flight deck, The men who wore blue were the ones who with brute strength, pushed the planes into position so the pilot could taxi down the flight deck to the catapult. We called them "plane pushers." Not very nice of us, but accurate.

I have said a lot about launching aircraft, but what about bringing them home? This was the most dangerous job on the flight deck, when planes returning to the ship hope for a safe landing. Rising up from the deck were eleven cables and two barriers of nylon webbing and steel cables. In a normal situation, the plane landing with its tail hook would catch a cable and be brought to a complete stop. If not, the barriers would do the job. When planes were being taken aboard, the arresting gear men, also dressed in green, operated the cables from their place on the catwalk. On the port side on the very edge above the fantail was where the LSO (Landing Signal Officer) stood with two large paddles, threaded with bright ribbons, one for each hand. It was his job to guide the plane in for landing. He would move his paddles to tell the pilot the angle of his plane. If the plane was level, the LSO moved his paddles sharply down telling the pilot he is in position to land. If not, the pilot is waved off and has to go around and try again. The pilot of the plane trusts the LSO's signals because he is also a pilot. If the plane comes too close to him he can dive to a canvas platform and get out of the way.

An aircraft carrier is a floating city with a barber shop, dentist, doctors, ship's store stocked with wristwatches, razors, zippo lighters, candy, and cartons of cigarettes, a buck a carton. The ship is so large that below decks there are arrows on the bulkhead to tell you that you are either going forward or aft. The galley and large mess hall for the crew was located below decks, as well as sleeping compartments for crew. The quarters for the officers was known as "officer's country." The crew of my ship would have numbered 2000, whereas today the larger carriers carry twice as many men.

I was discharged in 1959, and requested permission to go ashore forever. I was a member of the last crew, as it was soon headed to Philadelphia to be scrapped.
History and literature have often shown, that a time spent at sea helped to make a man. And so it was with me.
   Aloha
   Grant