Pearl Harbor Day, Have We Forgotten ?

[FlyingRon]

I was touring the facility with the then education director KT and Margy and noticed the exhibit shown above (The Battle of Ni'ihau). I made a comment about how I don't think the Smithsonian would ever allow use of barbed wire as an exhibit barrier like they had. KT told me to go ahead and touch it. While it appears that the exhibit is separated from the public with barbed wire, the barbs are actually rubber.

The only thing I really regret about visiting that museum is that Margy and KT talked so long, I missed the sign up for the last boat out to the Arizona. On our next trip to Oahu, we did that first (in fact, they had seats available on the next boat out).

The Arizona continues to leak fuel oil. You see small drops of it rise to the surface:

[Airmutt]

When stationed in Hawaii in the early 80s I belonged to the NAS Barbers Point Flying Club. I used to take the T-34 over to Ford Island and shoot touch and go’s. We weren’t allowed to stop but it did offer views of the Arizona and Oklahoma that most didn’t get to see. The superstructure of the Arizona was supposedly dumped on shore to the NW. To my knowledge it was off limits but never did hear what was done with it.

[rwanttaja]

2. Greasy Grass? Why you must mean that Battle of the Little Big Horn! June 25, 1876 (Which is the day the movie "She Wore a Yellow Ribbon" is supposed to start.)

"Battle of the Greasy Grass" is what the Sioux called it...and I think the victors should be allowed to name the battle. :-)

Ron "Custer was wearing an arrow shirt" Wanttaja

[rwanttaja]

3. I wanted Wings. I had not heard the song before, but I recognized the voice of the artist. A LONG time ago, I played some of his songs when I worked as a radio announcer for my college!

Oscar Brand was wonderful. He did albums of service songs for the Air Force ("Wild Blue Yonder"), Army ("Cough"), the Navy ("Every Inch a Sailor"), and the Marines ("Tell It To the Marines). These were all performed as service people would sing them, a very rollicking style. Amazon sells the four-CD set. There was a second Air Force compilation as well.

He also did "Up in the Air," songs for civilian pilots ("Teterboro Tower," "Light Planes on Parade," "The Checklist Song," etc.).

Ron Wanttaja

[CHICAGORANDY]

We've all heard that we need to Remember the Alamo - heard it since I was a tot. But to save my life of now 70 years were it not for Google I could not have told you the siege took place 2/23 - 3/6/1836. It also kinda shocks me sometimes that I served in Vietnam 47!years ago. Crikey - where did those years go?

[FlyingRon]

"Battle of the Greasy Grass" is what the Sioux called it...and I think the victors should be allowed to name the battle. :-)

Ron "Custer was wearing an arrow shirt" Wanttaja

It would be really confusing with the Civil War battlefields. Do naming rights go to the side that won the battle or the entire war?

[FlyingRon]

We've all heard that we need to Remember the Alamo - heard it since I was a tot. But to save my life of now 70 years were it not for Google I could not have told you the siege took place 2/23 - 3/6/1836. It also kinda shocks me sometimes that I served in Vietnam 47!years ago. Crikey - where did those years go?

Only if you were a Texian. The US was not involved in the Alamo. It was a battle between the Mexicans and the Republic of Texas. Remember the Alamo actually, has less to do with the Alamo itself (which was a catastrophic loss for the Texians) but as a rallying cry by Sam Houston prior to the battle of San Jancinto (and alas shouted by Texians committing atrocities committed after the battle).

[rwanttaja]

It would be really confusing with the Civil War battlefields. Do naming rights go to the side that won the battle or the entire war?

Heck, even the victors can't always agree. What we call "World War Two," the Russians call "The Great Patriotic War."

The War Between the States has its own continuing issues. What my family calls "The Civil War," my wife's family refers to "The War of Northern Aggression."

The Federal side named battles after nearby creeks or rivers, while the Confederates named them based on the nearest town.

Ron "Covering my Manassas" Wanttaja

[FlyingRon]

The "War of Northern Aggression" wasn't a contemporary name for it. That invention came from the 1950's and has incredibly racist undertones. It's not as humerous as the other Ron would make it out to be. The "Lost Causers" who set about to revise history after the end of the war tended to adopt the "War Between the States."

[rwanttaja]

The "War of Northern Aggression" wasn't a contemporary name for it. That invention came from the 1950's and has incredibly racist undertones. It's not as humerous as the other Ron would make it out to be. The "Lost Causers" who set about to revise history after the end of the war tended to adopt the "War Between the States."

Like I said, other side of the family. Her parents got out of that environment as early as possible. Two of my wife's grandparents met at a KKK cross burning. Nana came to visit us in Seattle, back in the '90s. We learned not to take her out in public.

Ron "Is 'The Late Unpleasantness' OK?" Wanttaja