The Graying Warriors are getting more scarce

WWI, the first world war, it was called. The Great War. The war to end all wars. Men fought. Men died. A lot of men, a lot of Americans, had their lives taken from them (I hate that phrase "they gave their lives...")while defending their country.

The war to end all wars was followed a couple dozen years later by another world war, WWII. Admittedly, the United States leaders, in my humble opinion, buried their heads in the sand, refusing to recognize the threat of the rapidly advancing nazi army as it marched across Europe. We failed to act even knowing what oppressive acts of depravity were occuring to literally millions of civilians.

When we finally entered this second world war, it was only because of that infamous sneak attack on our most western outpost, Pearl Harbor, on the territory of Hawaii. Once we were in the fight, though, the young men of that day fought tooth and nail to bring an end to the nazi forces. Using modern weapons of that era, along with some leftover weapons from the first war, our men took on the enemy and killed them. By air, by sea, and by land, U.S. warriors stood tall.

For several hundred years, armed forces have utilized marksmen, those men who are "real good" with rifles, to not only kill, but to instill fear in the enemy. They are collectively known as snipers. We have all heard about them, they're a specialized group of highly trained, well disciplined fighters who can seek out and destroy individual enemies from hundreds of yards away. There have been a number of confirmed kills from more than a mile.

In WWII, snipers were typically equipped with the old 1903 Springfield. Some had the semi-automatic M-1 rifles. Both fired a heavy bullet. Its civilian equivalent is caliber 30-06. Many say, and I agree, that the Springfield is one of the most accurate military rifles ever. The "03A3" that I once owned, was a fine rifle, solid and accurate.

Not too long ago, a distinguished sniper from WWII days was awarded a special honor. He was given a ball cap. And, a gun. At 86, a modern day sniper team wanted to see what the old guy was made of. The attached video 'bout says it all. Take a few minutes and check it out. Can he still get the job done?
http://www.wimp.com/veteransniper/

Dancing Star...back to the drawing board

Got another lesson last week. Getting another Wednesday night. If you're just tuning in, I have graciously accepted an invitation to subject myself to all of the ridicule imagineable. I am dancing to raise money for the Onslow (NC) Women's Center. A worthy cause, for sure. The Center operates a shelter, a safe haven, if you will, for female victims of domestic abuse.

I, along with some very distinguished folks in Jacksonville, will be dancing our little toes off, seeking contributions for the shelter. Each participant will have two dances, and we'll strut our stuff at a gala at the Jacksonville Country Club on 13 October. Tickets for that event are $50 each.

And, you can go on line to make a donation, if you choose. Each of us is trying to raise at least a grand. www.onslowwc.org/raefordandkaitlyn will take you to "my" page, and you can contribute there. Thanks to those who have already done so.

Now, to the nitty gritty. My "partner" is an instructor. That is part of my saving grace. She's a pro, and I'm counting on that to make me look good. Actually, if I want to be totally honest, I'm counting on her looking so good that you won't even notice me!!!! Ok, I fessed up. "She" is Kaitlyn, and not only is she a professional instructor, she's a professional belly dancer. And, she's darn good.

I'll be talking with Kaitlyn, soon, on my morning talk show, Live and Local on Thunder Country 96.3.

Thank you, in advance, for your consideration.
www.onslowwc.org/raefordandkaitlyn

I'm Learning to Dance, and my instructor is a professional Belly Dancer!

Another lesson, and my teacher, Kaitlyn, is a great liar. She said I am "doing great". And, she did it with a straight face. Or, maybe she's right, and I am getting better.

For my third lesson, it was a day to learn how to move my feet, backside and arms at the same time, making them go in the prescribed directions, just as Kaitlyn wanted.

I felt pretty good, after 90 minutes, until I discovered that I was less than half way through the song! But, it's a start. And, with a lot of luck, and a lot of between-lessons coaching by my wife and granddaughter, I might even look pretty decent when I next see Kaitlyn. With lots of practice, and a lot of persistence, and a few OTC pain pills for sore muscles that haven't been utilized in a few decades, Kaitlyn will be pleasantly pleased. I'm counting on that.

Check out this style!!!!

This is for a good cause. The Dancing Stars of Jacksonville (NC) is coming to the Jacksonville Country Club on 13 October. Tickets are $50 each. It's for a great cause, the Onslow Women's Center. They support a shelter for battered women in the area, a safe haven for vicitms of domestic abuse. You can also support the center by logging onto www.onslowwc.org/raefordandkaitlyn and make an online donation. I'm shooting for at least a grand, and your support will be greatly appreciated.

Dancing Fool

Well, I'm the "fool" part of that title, for sure. But, with any luck, I'll be the dancer by mid October.

The Onslow (NC) Women's Shelter is raising money to support their safe haven for battered women. Yes, I know, men get battered, too, but they generally have better "escape" resources than do women.

What I'm doing now is outright solicting for a good cause. And, I'm subjecting this old fool's body to some interesting maneuvering in order to convince folks to cough up some bucks. Go to www.onslowwc.org/raefordandkaitlyn to get more info and to make a donation.

Now, for the dancing thingie. I have been partnered with a nice lady. And she knows her stuff, let me tell you. Forget about me on the dance floor. Kaitlyn, my partner, will be the shining star on this team. She's a pro, an instructor, a belly dancer.

(Pause for gut busting laughter)

Get it out of your system. I am gonna look good on the floor. With help from my wife (she's been a dancer since we first met more than a half century ago) and Kaitlyn, how could I be anything but good?

I'll be posting pictures here and on www.thundercountryonline.com in the coming days and weeks. All of this leads up to the Big Event, Dancing Stars of Jacksonville (NC) on 13 October. It will be held at the Jacksonville Country Club, and you might want to get your tickets sooner than later.

For now, go to the web site, and reach deep into your pockets. The Onslow Women's Shelter will thank you.

An e-mail buddy sent me one of those nostalgia-oriented emails. The kind that makes us (old fools) reflect back to what we perceived as a much nicer time. Those yester-years, where everything was ahhh, so cool. The days of almost innocense, where having a weapon on the school grounds meant you had brought your slingshot from home. A time when our milk was DELIVERED by a milkman to our door, and it came in a glass bottle.
The good old days.
But, were they actually so good?
Taking the bad and comparing it to the good...well, you decide.

 

Unfortunately, back then, we had only 2 or 3 TV channels to watch.

Fortunately, we didn't need more because we were playing outside, or hunting, or fishing, or just walking in the woods, or down the street to see a friend, or...in my case...talking on my ham radio to people all over the world.

Unfortunately, we didn't have cell phones in case of an emergency.

Fortunately, because we didn't have cell phones, there were fewer emergencies. Maybe because there was no texting while driving.

Unfortunately, we didn't have burglar alarms and codes to remember.

Fortunately, we could leave our doors unlocked and the only non-family visitors were friends or neighbors who didn't need to knock.

Unfortunately, we didn't have computers and the internet.
Fortunately, we had paper and pencils, encyclopedias, and newspapers. And, we could actually read and write.

Fortunately, it's a long way to the sewer.

Unfortunately, we have come a long way.