Tag Archives: Army

05

Mar. ’23

Yes I Can

I am a loner. A strong statement but one that is true. I’ve found that staying to myself and keeping my thoughts to myself have taken me further than I thought I would go. Playing one side against the other and simply listening to what is said around me have given me insight into those that pretend they are my friend but is giving hints of attempted manipulation. Some attempts are under the table, softly spoken, and some are outwardly loud. I see them and most of the time I go along with them to meet my own end, but sometimes, when I feel it is necessary, I reject them.

               I was born during segregation and schooled under segregation going to an all-Black school. I used secondhand books with barely a whisper of Blacks mentioned in them. I learned Black history the way most Black people did, orally, the way it has been passed down for generations. As I read the hand-me-down books, I soon learned that much was left out, much was bull, and much was manipulated to the benefit of the White people.

               CRT theorist still does not want the learning of Black history and probably does not want a Black History month in which we tell our children about the accomplishments of Black people nor who they were and are. We were always told that we were incapable of doing anything, but that is untrue. We, as it was said back in the day, were to ‘get back’, meaning ‘get to the back of the bus’. Rosa Parks and others stood against that because they had enough of the BS.

               When I went into the military, I went primarily to beat the draft (I did not want the army, I wanted my own choice). I still could not get into what I wanted but it was still better than what I would have been in the army. I had been on the radio all of my high school years, but the military did not accept Blacks into any part of the communication services, including radio or tv (AFRTN).

               As an air policeman (later as a security policeman and I am not sure what they call it now), I was used as an augment for K-9 but could not formally be a K-9 handler because I was Black (this was whispered to me). I made a promise to myself to do it anyway and four years later I made it (this went well with me being a loner. Just me and my dog doing our thing). I went through much shunning, racial harassment, and I had to fight my way to the top of the K-9 field (I had to do more and know more than the average airman). I even made it to being a First Sergeant in the security field. Low rank equal low pay but I had my pride knowing I and others can do it as Blacks especially when told you can’t do it or that field is closed to you (remember the Tuskegee Airmen?).

               So, we have had the Black History month. With CRT theorist getting a stronger following, how many more Black History months will we have? When or how will people learn the true Black History? When will Black people stop being denied something because of their color? I will always say ‘yes I can’ and I did.

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10

Apr. ’22

War Crimes

Although the United States have tried to do the right thing when in battle, occasionally there is a hic-up, a rogue combatant that does the wrong thing. However, when these things come to light the United States government comes down on them with a heavy hand along with our justice system. War crimes are not tolerated, no matter who commits them. Not so in some other countries and Russia have joined that list.

               Our adversary has done many things that we consider wrong but not bad enough to stop talking to them nor co-operating with them on many projects. To the Russians we are made to be taken advantage of and they have done it to us for many years. When caught the Russians will try anything and everything to bribe their way out of the situation, i.e., they do not like what is being said about them in Ukraine, so they threaten to use nukes, they want oil products paid in rubles, they tell lies, etc.

               The Russian military is not as good as I thought they were. In fact, they have shown me the opposite although I have suspected them not being so good for many years. Every now and then I would hear about planes crashing for no reason or ships sinking and submarines going down and never coming back up. However, I never thought about the military being so untrained as they are. I even thought their commanders were more capable than they are. We can not forget about their logistics and equipment which leave a lot to be desired. They even had a few of their newest and best fighter aircraft shot down by the Ukrainian army.

               Getting back to the war crimes, Russia has denied them and have said there is no proof that it even happened. Well, because of poor equipment we know the truth. Russians use unencrypted communications plus open channel communications to talk to each other. One thing overheard was how to get information from captured Ukrainian forces and civilians and then shoot them in the head. They even talked about raping women and children, then razing the entire city, killing everyone that they can. This is proof that can not be denied. They even say the pictures of mass graves, the dead civilians lying all around for days, even in the middle of the road, is fake (where have I heard that word before) and have banned the media in Russia.

               I learned many good things when I was a kid and one of them was to never fight someone in their own back yard, you will never win. The United States found that out in Viet Nam, Afghanistan, and a few other places. Russia has, or should I say suppose to have, every piece of modern war equipment the world has to offer. The Ukrainians did not have much until the world started helping them with equipment plus teaching them how to use it. The Russians, who started a fight in the Ukrainian’s back yard is moving backward. Now the Russians want to holler about war crimes being committed on them. They are the invaders and should have never invaded but Putin wanted to make Russia larger and thought Ukraine was a pushover. He is responsible for everything that have happened, war crimes and all.

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13

May. ’17

Memberships

I am proud to announce that I have been accepted into the Tuskegee Airman, Howard Baugh Chapter. I will be helping to spread the memory of these fine brave men and to help the chapter grow. It is an honor to give a hand and attempt to educate the younger generation about these men. Not only were they the men depicted in the movie “Red Tails”, but they did so much more. If it were not for them, African-Americans would not be where they are today in the military. Black people have been in every war and conflict that this country ever had. They were even on both sides of the Civil War. Another fact I want to put in…Capt. Howard L. Baugh of the 99th Fighter Squadron earned the Distinguished Flying Cross for his heroism on a mission on 12 May, 1944.

Then the history goes even further than that. Blacks started out in the Revolutionary War up to the present time. Blacks were flying in other countries before they were reluctantly excepted in the USA. Even then, they were given inferior equipment and segregated from the rest of the units. And looking at the movie “Red Tails”, they still did not gain the respect or honors as others, especially when they came back to America.

After World War Two, they were disbanded but some stayed in the Army and, after the Air Force was founded, some crossed over to it. Therefore, there was army and air force veterans that were actual Tuskegee Airmen in World War Two, The Korean War and The Viet Nam War, not counting the smaller conflicts around the world that we as Americans had a part in. Again, I am proud to be apart of them. I will do my best writing for them and speak when and where ever I can. Check them out on the internet http://www.hbc-tai.org

I am still part of the Mighty Pen Project (MPP), check them out on Facebook. I love to occasionally submit a story or two, for whichever class is in session at the time. The writings get dissected, sliced and diced and my heart sinks when there is something wrong that I should have known better. Such is life and a person learn from the mistakes. Therefore, I am happy to report that the Mighty Pen Project is still going strong and is gaining momentum. Let’s bring more aboard.

There is one more thing that have just come up and I will express my opinion in this blog. In other words, I want to vent so I may go on with life. I try to write my blogs, this one and the one with the religious theme, in a way that everyone can understand, both American and non-American. Some people call it “dummy down”. I call it using plain English. What I am referring to is an article I read the other day that used English but I still could not read it without using a dictionary for every third or fourth word. The article used long intricate words that defied the knowledge of the reader. I really don’t think the average PhD. grad could understand what was written. Why use such wording to confuse the average individual? I say this…I will continue to use plain English and if there is something that is not understood, let me know and I will attempt to clarify it. If I continue to confuse people, I am sorry and will try to change for the better.

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05

Mar. ’17

Black History Programs

With February being Black History Month I was a little busy. Actually, the way I feel about it, there should be some way Black History is incorporated into each and every month. There is too much history, up front and much, much more hidden (think about the movie Hidden Figures), that is relevant and should be remembered. I have thought about the direction I wanted to go while writing this particular blog but there are many directions and my mind was mixing them all. I think I have a grasp of it for now.

I did not want to write anything that I have read or heard about. I want to give you personal experiences, experiences that are in line with what I am writing. My mind seem to drift off the main subject and I could write much more than I post. I’ll try to make it short and to the point although it is difficult when writing history or about historical figures. For instance, when I wrote about The Last Graduating Tuskegee Airman, I only wrote about the time before he went into the military up to his graduating as a Tuskegee Airman. If I had written his entire story (I have him telling it to me on an over an hour long digital audio recording).

I was a part of one program where I was portrayed as Sen. Obama and then as President Obama. I read his speech when he was running for president and his farewell speech (I used my radio voice from my radio days). That was a nice program and I was told I did well. The audience was very small and I only counted three Black people in the place. Imperial Plaza have enough Black residents to fill the auditorium yet they come to very few programs and this was about them and for them. Yet, they complain there aren’t any programs for them, etc.

The second program was at the Virginia War Memorial. I was on the stage panel for a discussion plus a question and answer period. There were six of us and among us were Tuskegee Airmen, a woman (Army Retired) whose story would make you think of one of the women in the movie Hidden Figures), Viet Nam and the Iraq era. I can’t tell you who was more interesting, the Tuskegee Airmen or her. My input into the program did not hold a candle to theirs and I could have been listening all day to their stories.

The crowd was small and , here again, there should have been many more. After the panel stories, question and answer period, we went outside for a wreath laying. Franklin Military Academy presented The Colors and I assisted in the wreath laying ceremony. We pledged allegiance to The Flag, a female Franklin Academy Cadet sang the National Anthem and a cadet blew “Taps” on his trumpet. The weather co-operated. PBS was there and it aired the next morning and the papers were there but I did not see the article. All of it was beautiful. I could do this all year, not only during February.

The thing I am sad about is for the young people. Most are not interested in history, especially Black history. They know about some of the famous Black people but they do not know about the small things that were accomplished. Most do not want to know who did what or why. They seldom understand what the conditions and hold backs were. I have even found they have a lot of misconceptions about ancient history, like the Pyramids or the oldest operating library in the world. Things like this are important to me, personally, and it helped shape my mind and all my actions through life. The few that soak up history seem to be better because of it.

All of us on that stage at the Virginia War Memorial was a tiny sample of the history that is sort by historians. It was sad only three of four kids were there to hear about the tiny portion of history from the people that produced it. Yes, I am a part of it although I rarely talk about it. It started with Civil Rights and ended at my retirement from the military.

To those before me and/or accomplished more than I have, thank you. To those that are learning about past history, keep digging. There is a treasure trove to find. And, as I have said before, you will never know who you may be talking to because most will not say unless asked. That person may have a background that would shock you. Keep digging…

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28

Oct. ’16

A Week of Delectation

I am still on cloud nine from all that I have seen, done and went through this week. In a nut shell, I interviewed the last graduating airman from the famed Tuskegee Airmen of Tuskegee, Ala. Myself and Len Rasmusen, with Len driving, went to northern Virginia to meet with (Ret.) Col. Carl Johnson. He was the last to graduate because before his class graduated he had a bout of appendicitis and was hospitalized. When he got out of the hospital, his class had graduated and he was all alone. He was thinking he would be sent home but, instead, he was allowed to finish his training and graduate as the Last Tuskegee Airman.

At 91, he is clear voiced, full of spirit and was eager to talk about his storied career as an Army Officer although he did time in the USAF and the Army National Guard. Through him, I found out about Tuskegee Airmen flying bombers, although it was after WWII. He also flew in Korea and Viet Nam and was posted at the Pentagon, among many other places. Len and I viewed a number of scrapbooks and saw pictures of many people of note, such as Gen. Chappie James as a lieutenant. We were told that he was good friends with Chappie James, because he was his co-pilot, and they remained friends for years.

I have it all recorded so I can refer to it as I write a longer, more precise, work for The MPP (The Mighty Pen Project), the Virginia War Memorial and self-gratification. I love history. Everything about history. I love to dig deeper as I ask the question, why? I don’t mind the research nor do I mind the inevitable self induced trance I fall into.

In the middle of the week Imperial Plaza took us to the new Afro-American Museum, officially entitled, Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture. After lunch in Washington, D.C., we traveled the very short distance to the museum, which was very crowded. A word of caution for anyone that is planning to go there. Go on-line and get tickets first but plan to wait a few months before the tickets will allow entrance. Getting tickets now will allow you entry in April or May although there is a line for people that arrive without a reservation but there is not a guarantee that you will get in that way, even if you wait all day.

There is no way you can view the entire museum in one day so I concentrated on the lower three floors (basement) of the eight floors. I quickly went through most of the displays, not spending too much time on any one thing. I had three hours and almost didn’t make it although three hours seem like a long time but when you are engrossed in the displays, time flies and there is so much.

The thing that bothered me most were not the displays but the kids. Most of the kids were either running through the place, playing with each other or mindlessly texting. The great majority were not interested and, I will make a bet, could not tell you about anything there. What a shame. What a waste.

In that section was a short display on the Tuskegee Airmen and, I noticed, one of the pictures on display was one that I took a photo of from Col. Johnson’s scrapbook. There, on display, is one of the planes that the Tuskegee Airmen flew (The Spirit Of Tuskegee) and a few other pictures. I wish the display had more but you take whatever there is to take. The photos of some of the grotesque hangings done to my people where very haunting to say the least. The display of an actual slave house really show how small they were for the number of people that lived in them, or should I say survived in them. That’s all there was then, survival any way you could.

That was my week and I am overjoyed to have lived it. Col. Johnson and the museum made my entire week and I’m happy for it. Imperial Plaza’s Activity Department get thumbs up for the work in getting tickets, getting us there and getting us back safely. Praises to Kayle, Ron and Jerome.

See you next blog. Don’t forget to check out my other blog, although it will automatically pop up on other sites (twitter, google, etc). The weekend is coming and my wife and I are off again. Our schedule is full and we have a lot of fun and adventures to catch up on. Bye-bye and remember…Be kind to your neighbors and ensure your words are soft and sweet.

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