We sure miss that smile, Miss Lucy

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10 Dec 23 - It has been two years since the family lost Miss Lucy (Lucy Lollis Daw). I will never forget her stunning smile when she visited my office; I teased her that I wanted to use that smile for advertising.  As my father's wife, she provided him with the companionship he deserved; that Carolina Girl  endeared herself to anyone who met her.  Her integration into our family was seamless; my father made a great decision to ask her to marry him.  Her infectious laughter and ebullience was matched only by her love for her family in South Carolina, especially her daughter.  Despite the loss of two sons, Miss Lucy's faith in God was unshaken; she knew she would see them again.  

I looked forward to Miss Lucy's visits to my office; I took those opportunities to get her feedback on the rapidly increasing challenges presented by the China Virus. Several patients had contracted the virus and health officials were scrambling to update their ever-changing guidelines.  I valued Miss Lucy's observations as she shared so many of the traits my mother had.  They both listened carefully to concerns I had with the same motherly countenance.  I always felt better after these conversations with this delightful lady. She was empathetic to my concerns for my children and their safety, with mandatory shutdowns looming and so forth; more significantly, she would give me assurances my father was doing well. 

Most importantly, Miss Lucy loved my father as much as anyone in the family. I could see in my father's eyes his love for her, also.  God bless you, Miss Lucy; we will always miss you.    

https://www.tributearchive.com/obituaries/23358258/frances-lucille-lucy-daw

Dylan was a happy baby, delaying his first steps, like his father and big sister, until he was fourteen months old.  I remember my mother admonishing me to stop carrying Kara all the time; I was hindering those first steps.  I would reply that I guarantee she would walk into Kindergarten just fine.  I miss that big smile of my mother; it would have been a welcome admonishment for my carrying Dylan the same way. The tragic loss of Dylan's grandmother just before his birth would be followed by another, even more profound, tragedy four years later.

Big Ridge Elementary provided great support for Kara when her mother passed; Dylan's teachers were equally supportive of him.  Remembering the excitement of Kara's first day at Kindergarten with her proud mother and father, Dylan's first day found just the boys at this significant event.  Nevertheless, I was happy as Dylan seemed content and his teacher was very nice. 

Dylan's first grade brought back proud memories of my firstborn; he acquired reading skills similar to Kris'. Kris could read at a high level at four years old and could spell anything. Dylan clearly exhibited a similar God given ability to see and remember virtually any word he encountered in his reading. His teacher, Mrs. Lyons, indicated to me at our parent - teacher conferences her recognition of Dylan's abilities.  Those abilities were verified with his first grade STAR reading report.  

 Again, I played the Banty Rooster for the following days. Always remembering my beloved wife's last request:  "Love them for the both of us...", I thanked her for her help with her little boy.  The rather nice trophy that accompanied his vanquishing of the competitors on that Big Ridge Elementary School stage, with hundreds watching, assumes a prominent place on the fireplace mantle. 

Biden and Mayorkas (Cuban revolutionary): "The border is secure."

While scolding Israel, who is fighting a most serious threat to their very existence (let's not forget they are God's chosen people...), Biden has refused to protect our military forces abroad as well as our nation's own border sovereignty. (Future Demoncrats after amnesty and given the right to vote.  President Eisenhower rounded up these trespassers and deported them. What a novel idea.)  When the Biden's pentagon spokesperson (another DEI appointee - has she ever deployed or even performed one pushup?) diminishes the seriousness of injuries to our military and civilian personnel, due to Iran's deliberate attacks on US forces, providing acronyms to the press such as referring to traumatic brain injuries as "TBI" shows her (and her boss') blatant disregard for our military.

Pray for Israel and our country.

 Further, this idiot may have done well on a ship, but he had no business being on a Patrol Craft Fast, also known as Swift Boat.  

The Navy operated shallow water (brown water operations) missions to interdict Viet Cong supply lines and ammunition transportation.  One evening, their vessel came under enemy fire and Lurch panicked.

  Although this was routine  (that's one of the reasons they are "swift"), he wasn't an infantry officer who never panics.  Further, he had no experience with the M203A grenade launcher affixed to his M16A1 .  (Pictured is the M4 carbine.)

 My first time with the M16A1 rifle version of this 40mm grenade launcher was at Fort Reilly in 1975 as part of the LDAC.  

Nice weapon; it opens doors easily.  My favorite weapon, however, that summer at the home of the First Infantry Division was the  M61A1 Vulcan. 

 Technically a cannon due to its 20mm round, the Vulcan can provide 2000 rounds per minute on its lowest setting and up to 6000 rounds per minute on its highest. Only a cadet, however, I was limited to about a thousand rounds sent downrange a mile or so , adding more damage to those abandoned refrigerators.  

The exhilaration provided by those few seconds, commanding that much kinetic energy, more than made up for the grueling four hours in the sawdust pit earlier in the day.  Hand-to-hand combat under that hot Kansas sun provided necessary training for infantry forces, but, admittedly, only the first hour or so was fun. 

The Navy's version is the Phalanx CIWS (SEE-wiz), providing incredible close-in weapon system protection against incoming threats.

In 1984, while I was deployed on the DMZ, US soldiers discovered a newly constructed North Korean tunnel.  Although a relatively common occurrence, this tunnel was huge, capable of small vehicle traffic or a launching point for a battalion of NKPA soldiers.

 With the fact that the NKPA had five million soldiers against ten thousand Second Infantry soldiers, it was decided that a small detachment could effectively defend this tunnel, while more permanent remedies were planned, utilizing the Vulcan. 

 As with all our conflicts, the United States military had Geneva Convention restraints, with the enemy never being constrained by such.  One must wonder how many of those, who effectively tied the hands of the soldiers risking their lives in defense of their country, had any combat experience. 

 I can remember as a young cadet at UTC, incredulous, after one of the rules I learned was not to shoot at enemy medical supplies being dropped intermingled with paratroopers.  Perfect targets, descending enemy airborne infantry provide an effective measure to quickly remove them from the battlefield.  If a medical supply drop is hampered by kinetic energy meant for the paratrooper in the drop, there is a violation.

Further, who had the power to decide how the enemy is removed from the battlefield?  Civilian politicians, in their feckless efforts to make themselves feel good by making something humane which inherently is not, forget the universal rule:  The Enemy didn't sign this wonderful pie-in-the-sky agreement. 

 Consequently, untold numbers of casualties are taken by The Good Guys, while our enemies laugh.

  These never-having-served politicians' verdict:  The Vulcan is such a perfect killing machine that it must not be used on the enemy. (?)(!)  Consequently, US Forces were not allowed to man the Vulcan, as the Geneva Convention ruled it was not to be used as an antipersonnel weapon. Unincumbered by these arbitrary and capricious rules, ROK soldiers (KATUSA) were there to take care of business.  The tunnel was destroyed, but the Vulcan was there, just in case. 

   Maybe one should be placed at our southern border.

 Just saying.                                                         

 
Now Lurch, in his panic, grabbed a weapon, the M16 / grenade launcher M203A and proceeded to engage the enemy who were hidden along the river's banks.

  Cowering behind the gunwale, he blindly emptied his magazine, with no effect on the enemy still firing rounds in the Swift Boat's direction. 

 Lurch then resorted to the real kinetic round and fired a grenade in the enemy's general direction.  

This Yale grad, allegedly commissioned via Marine Corps ROTC, fearing for his life and crouching as close to the deck as he could, was apparently unaware that the grenade exits UNDER the M16's barrel.  Consequently, the 40mm round bounced off the gunwale, sending a few paint chips flying.  Lucky that's all that happened. 

 Army reports at that time detailed how Lurch ran to his commander, showing him the scraped skin for which no treatment was required.  When his commander informed him there was no way he would recommend Lurch Kerry for a Purple Heart, he stormed out of his office.

  I hope someone showed this traitor real Purple Heart recipients, missing limbs, eyes and different body parts.

Lieutenant Lurch Kerry bellyached to his daddy; he was eventually awarded THREE Purple Hearts!  Further, how did he receive a Bronze and Silver Star?  Wow!  And in only four months.

  What a disgrace; he has no pride.  Final vengeance will be had by You Know Who.

In a similar vein, how did Beau Biden, a JAG officer, receive a Bronze Star?

  May God bless him, but JAG officers are enemies of the soldier.  Obama sent more than 200 to the Middle East to ensure US soldiers didn't violate the enemy's rights.  

As an example, there were numerous unfavorable personnel actions taken against soldiers who killed enemy snipers who discarded their weapon as they exited their sniper's roost.  

Fighter-bombers would fly sorties and return to base, their bomb racks full, as Obama and the incessant State Department interferences with military operations precluded bombing ISIS convoys, as the drivers were not considered combatants. 

 The Demoncrats relish the destruction of the once-feared US military.

By the way, this vermin, wallowing in the filth of leftist ideals (or maybe he thought Jane Fonda was hot in Barbarella...), made a public display of his tossing of these precious medals into the Potomac.  An encapsulation of the incredible disdain the Demoncrats have for the military.

  https://nypost.com/2004/04/26/tale-of-tape-shows-kerry-did-toss-medals/