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Conference hbahba::cam_sports

Title:Sports 93-96 Archive. No new notes allowed
Notice:Chainsaw's last standSPORTS_97
Moderator:HBAHBA::HAAS
Created:Mon Jan 11 1993
Last Modified:Tue Apr 15 1997
Last Successful Update:Fri Jun 06 1997
Number of topics:302
Total number of notes:117855

169.0. "D-Day Thoughts" by SALEM::TIMMONS (A waist is a terrible thing to mind) Mon Jun 06 1994 12:22

    Watching a lot of programs that dealt with D-Day this past week and
    week-end, I couldn't help but wonder how our world would be if those
    events had either never happened, or had turned out differently.
    
    For instance, how would our lives be if those who died or were maimed
    had survived in whole, while an equal number of survivors had either
    died or been crippled?
    
    Would we have given as much thought to Ted Williams as we do?  Would
    we have experienced Camelot?  Who might have been president in place
    of Ike, or Bush or Ford?
    
    Did we lose someone who might have hit 62 homers in either 154 or
    162 games?  Would Martin Luther King have been just an assistant to an
    older Civil Rights leader?  Would Polio still be a major threat to our
    children, or would someone have invented a vaccine before Dr. Salk did?
    
    Perhaps Frank Sinatra would have been just the opening show for another
    great performer, or Alan Shepard would have been the back-up for a
    different pilot.
     
    Hemingway and Picasso and Neil Simon could have been second-raters to
    others of greater talent.  Michael Jordan and Larry Bird and Magic
    Johnson and Bill Russell and Jerry West may never have been born.  Some
    of you might not have even been a gleam in someone's eye.
    
    I may have grown up without a father or an uncle.  What would my
    father-in-law have accomplished with both legs, instead of having lost 
    one in France a few days after jumping on D-Day?
    
    On the flip side, Jeffrey Damher could have been a copycat to a greater
    evil.  Al Capone may have been considered a punk when compared to a
    unknown gangster.
    
    What language might I be writing in instead of English?  Would any of
    us still be openly worshiping our God or Supreme Being?  Would any of
    us be working in such an industry as we are?
    
    How would my sister's friend, Kathleen White, be different today if her
    father had survived and her mother hadn't had to work scrubbing
    people's kitchen floors to survive and provide for her?  Might she have 
    had any siblings that she doesn't have today?
    
    All of these thoughts hold true for any war or "Police Action" or armed
    conflict.  But, the significance of the 50th anniversary of such an
    enormous event, and the coverage it is receiving, kinda brought it into
    focus for me.
    
    God Bless America
    
    Lee
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169.1CAMONE::WAYAlas poor baldricMon Jun 06 1994 13:2545
Lee, I think that's the longest note I've ever seen you write.  8^)

You pose some awfully good questions, and I've often pondered that on quiet
evenings in the back yard, watching the sun going down, drinking a beer or that
cup of coffee after dinner.The questions for me usually come in relation to my
father, who was half a world away, fighting against the other Axis power.  

On Saturday, I met a group of submarine vets from WWII.  I naturally asked
if any in the group had served on the Spadefish, and one fellow said that
he hadn't, but that he'd been in the Sea of Japan with her.   My dad had
briefly mentioned a wolfpack operation in 1945, where Spadefish, with
8 other boats had entered the Sea of Japan to wreak havoc.   This fellow
had served on the Crevalle.

He asked me if my dad had related how they got into the Sea of Japan,
and that's one thing that I had pried out of my dad one time -- they
entered submerged, through mine fields.  At one point a mine cable scraped
down the entire starboard side of the Spadefish -- so I guess by rights,
I shouldn't be here, because that mine should have detonated....

The cool thing was that my dad had no knowledge of this group of submarine
vets, and through my efforts, I've put him and them in touch with each
other -- kind of an early Father's Day present.



As to D-Day, all I can say is that the beaches and the cliffs of the
American area are imposing today, without all of the anti-invasion
obstacles and gunfire.   To imagine hitting the surf a hundred yards out,
wading ashore, and trying to work your way up the bluffs today would
be difficult.  I'm not sure I could do it.

Add to that equation a pack, a rifle that weighed probably 15 pounds
(but it was and still is a great weapon), and someone shooting artillery
and machine guns at you -- that all tilts the equation out of the realm
of imagination.


I can't come up with any answers for your questions, Lee.  In some
instances, like with Eisenhower's decision to go and not wait two weeks,
hindsight shows it was the right decision, but for most, like the questions
you ask, we'll never know......


'Saw
169.2CSOA1::BACHThey who know nothing, doubt nothing...Mon Jun 06 1994 13:4620
    All Hitler had to do was respond with his two Panzer divisions
    a bit sooner and we would have lost one heckova lot more guys
    and more than likily not taken France.
    
    All it took was a "feeling" by him that Normany was the invasion
    not Calise. 
    
    I thought the best parts of the story was how they set him up with
    the fake Patton army (FUMAC), and the double agent sending wrongful
    information...
    
    Ike and Bradley has some painful moments.
    
    I also liked that fact that those destroyer captains decided to take
    night positions during the day to cover the guys getting creamed on
    Omaha.
    
    Good shows about it, thats fer sure.
    
    Chip_GSH_Bach
169.3CAMONE::WAYAlas poor baldricMon Jun 06 1994 14:0121
>    
>    Ike and Bradley has some painful moments.
>    


Ike carried the following message with him, from June 5th, until
July, in his wallet:



	Our landings in the Cherbourg-Havre area have failed
	to gaine a satisfactory foothold and I have withdrawn
	the troops.  My decision to attack at this time and
	place was based upon the best information available.
	The troops, the air, and the Navy did all that bravery	
	and devotion to duty could do.  If any blame or fault
	attaches to the attempt it is mine alone.



Good thing he never needed to send that one.....
169.4our furherNWD002::JOLMAMAsmoke on the chess boardThu Jun 09 1994 21:114
    How many names are on The Wall because of Clinton's actions during
    the Vietman War?
    
    
169.5not buying what he's sellingFRETZ::HEISERugadanodawonumadjaThu Jun 09 1994 21:2216
    Judging by reactions abroad and in here, every veteran respects the
    office regardless of who's in it.  It also seems that the veterans that
    support who's in it are in the minority.  
    
    He did okay over there, but there definitely were some awkward moments
    for him.  Then there is some  good ole-fashioned propaganda too.  For
    instance, he told some naval crews that he always loved the military,
    watched lots of John Wayne movies, and wanted to be in the military
    too.  Information released just a couple years ago quotes him as saying
    that he loathed the military.
    
    What really took the cake was the political officials knocking U.S. flags
    over at the graves, so the media could film him setting them back up -
    was confirmed by one of our own U.S. Senators.
    
    Mike
169.6Partisan politicas and media gone wild - you fall for it every time...TNPUBS::MCCULLOUGHYou gotta put down the duckie...Thu Jun 09 1994 21:329
|    too.  Information released just a couple years ago quotes him as saying
|    that he loathed the military.
    
|    What really took the cake was the political officials knocking U.S. flags
|    over at the graves, so the media could film him setting them back up -
|    was confirmed by one of our own U.S. Senators.

All HUGE things.  And all things that NO president has ever done before.  
Especially that great 'merican George Busch.
169.7DOCTP::TESSIERFri Jun 10 1994 14:3512
Re.

> How many names are on The Wall because of Clinton's actions during
> the Vietman War?

If you're looking to blame someone for prolonging the war, I suggest
you might try looking at who was in the Oval office at that time rather
than its present occupant.  According to the new Haldeman Diaries,
Henry Kissinger advised Nixon to hold off on the peace settlement,
which was eventually signed in '73, because of the '72 election.

Ken
169.8SALEM::DODAWorkin' on mysteries without any cluesFri Jun 10 1994 14:366
Al least Bush had the decency to make his visit to the Vietnam 
memorial a private one.

Pity the missed photo-op eh?

daryll
169.9SALEM::DODAWorkin' on mysteries without any cluesFri Jun 10 1994 14:406
Re: .7

Of course, you could look at who sent them there in the first 
place. Three hints, red, neck, incompetent.

daryll
169.10HANNAH::ASHEI'm digging your sceneFri Jun 10 1994 14:472
    Gee Mac must really be gone...
    
169.11CAMONE::WAYThe last full measure of devotionFri Jun 10 1994 15:1011
>
>    Gee Mac must really be gone...
>    

Well, I just figure if I let these guys cluster up just a little bit
more, I can take them all out without wasting a lot of ammo.....


;^)


169.12I guess you blame JFK!OLD1S::SYSTEMFri Jun 10 1994 18:094
	RE .9  

	Why would you call Eisenhower a redneck incompetent?
169.13PTOVAX::JACOBFri Jun 10 1994 19:5026
    
>>Well, I just figure if I let these guys cluster up just a little bit
>>more, I can take them all out without wasting a lot of ammo.....
    
    Reminds me of a joke.  (imagine that).
    
    
    This guy buys a new 30.06 rifle and a scope to go on it.  His next door
    neighbor is an expert with guns, and tells him to bring the gun over
    and he'll install the scope and sight it in.  He takes the gun over,
    and while sighting the gun, the neighbor looks over towards the new gun
    owner's house, and says, "Oooh Bill, bad news.  Your wife and the
    milkman are in your living room kissing and hugging, and now he's
    taking your wife's blouse off."
    
    Anguished, Bill hands his friend 2 bullets and says, "Do me a favor,
    shoot my wife in the head with the first bullet, and shoot the milkman
    in the p_nis with the other bullet."
    
    The friend aims the gun and says, "Good news Bill, I only need one
    bullet!!!"
    
    
    
    JaKe
    
169.14MSE1::FRANCUSRangers,Knicks,Mets in '94Fri Jun 10 1994 19:514
    Mac really is gone.
    
    The Crazy Met
    
169.15but it was just as good this time too....CNTROL::CHILDSTemptation is a GunFri Jun 10 1994 19:559
 yup Mac's last day was last friday. Says he's going to get back in to 
 chemistry and come back and blow up all the guys who gave him trouble...

 I told him it would cost him too much money......

 ;^)

 I like the joke Jake but I think you told it before  ;^)
169.16SALEM::DODAWorkin' on mysteries without any cluesFri Jun 10 1994 19:569
                                           

	RE .9  

	>Why would you call Eisenhower a redneck incompetent?

        How many did Eisenhower send over? How many did LBJ?

        daryll
169.17CAMONE::WAYThe last full measure of devotionFri Jun 10 1994 19:596
>    This guy buys a new 30.06 rifle and a scope to go on it.

REAL men use iron sights.....


;^)
169.18CAPNET::LEFEBVREPCBU Asia/Pacific MarketingFri Jun 10 1994 20:003
    Rat on, Saw!
    
    Mark.
169.19GENRAL::WADEFearTheGovernmentWhoFearsYourGunsFri Jun 10 1994 20:234
    
    	Mac's a goner?  No goodbye note?  No nuttin?
    
    Claybone
169.20(8^)*PTOVAX::JACOBFri Jun 10 1994 20:416
    Well, if he's just used the damned iron sight, he woulda been in the
    house and the milkman never woulda stopped by, ya know????
    
    Woulda saved hisself having to clean up all that blood that was spilt.
    
    JaKe
169.21MSE1::FRANCUSRangers,Knicks,Mets in '94Fri Jun 10 1994 20:488
    re: a few back
    
    yeah Mac sent out mail about 3 weeks ago that he was probably gone and
    then last week to confirm.
    
    The Crazy Met
    
    
169.22MSBCS::BRYDIETCM - World's Greatest SandbaggerFri Jun 10 1994 20:5011
    
      Here's a topic commemorating a day when a lot of brave young
     man risked their lives and some lost their lives fighting for
     what they knew was right. We have a total of four replies that
     have anything to do with the topic and the rest are our usual
     rightwing buddies beating us about the face and neck with their
     views (which is only slightly worse than when our leftwing buddies
     do it) and we have someone who obviously has a dog-eared copy
     of "Truly Tasteless Jokes". President Clinton being at Normandy 
     is no more a sacriledge than some of the things being posted
     in here in this topic.
169.23PTOVAX::JACOBFri Jun 10 1994 20:5515
    
    >> do it) and we have someone who obviously has a dog-eared copy
    >> of "Truly Tasteless Jokes". President Clinton being at Normandy 
    
    NOT!!  Never even picked up a copy of it.
    
    Like my putting that joke in here totally defiled all of those who gave
    their lives so the world could live on FREE.  Guess I better call the
    Westinghouse Bridge up the road from the office and reserve a jump time
    for tonight cause now I'm a national disgrace, huh??
    
    Oooday Eeeemay
    
    JaKe
    
169.24FRETZ::HEISERugadanodawonumadjaFri Jun 10 1994 20:562
    Jake was in the Air Force so he earned the right to be tasteless in
    this topic.
169.25PTOVAX::JACOBFri Jun 10 1994 20:5810
    >>Jake was in the Air Force so he earned the right to be tasteless in
    >>this topic.
    
    Minor nit, Air FArce
                    ^
    
    Thank you
    
    JaKe
    
169.26MSE1::FRANCUSRangers,Knicks,Mets in '94Fri Jun 10 1994 20:595
    I tell 'ya it is getting to be real easy to get Tommy going. Add
    JaKester to the list. Good show guy.
    
    The Crazy Met
    
169.27OLD1S::SYSTEMFri Jun 10 1994 21:5910
RE .16

  How do you figure LBJ to be incompetent. More legislation was passed during
his administration than any other President in the countries history. To me that
says the man got the job done. He inherits a war he can't win or back out of.
What would you have done? Maybe we should have elected Barry Goldwater and gone
over an Nuck'm till the glowed!!

 Cadzilla2
169.28MSE1::FRANCUSRangers,Knicks,Mets in '94Fri Jun 10 1994 23:176
    yabbut, Kennedy really started sendinf folks over. LBJ's 1964 campaign
    was partially based on the promise not to escalate in Vietnam and
    played off fears of what Goldwater would do.
    
    The Crazy Met
    
169.29SALEM::DODAWorkin' on mysteries without any cluesMon Jun 13 1994 02:2819
 Yeah, who could forget all that legislation that Lydon got passed 
 during his admin. Tell you what, pick up a history book and see 
 who proposed those wonderful bills and when. See how many of them 
 were written prior to say, November 1961.
 The death of JFK as well as Johnson knack for bribery combined 
 to push through most of the legislation that, when submitted by 
 Kennedy, looked doa.

 30 years later, Johnson's "War on Poverty" could well be the 
 worst piece of legisation ever written, if indeed, he had any 
 part in writing it to begin with.

 Poor Lyndon got a war that he didn't start, so what else was he 
 to do? I would think that sending another few 100,000 boys over 
 would seem to be the worst and last option to all but the simple 
 minded. In that sense, I guess you're right, Lyndon sure was in 
 a bad spot.

 daryll