Broadside Blog - Military Times

When veterans retire

You’ve probably seen similar versions of this floating around the internet. Mike, a Navy vet, sent this one to me. You’ll like it.

When Veterans Retire

When a good Military Veteran leaves the “job” and retires to a better life, many are jealous, some are pleased and yet others, who may have already retired, wonder. We wonder if he knows what they are leaving behind, because we already know. We know, for example, that after a lifetime of camaraderie that few experience, it will remain as a longing for those past times. We know that in the Military life there is a fellowship which lasts long after the uniforms are hung up in the back of the closet. We know even if he throws them away, they will be on him with every step and breath that remains in his life. We also know how the very bearing of the man speaks of what he was and in his heart still is.

These are the burdens of the job. You will still look at people suspiciously, still see what others do not see or choose to ignore and always will look at the rest of the Military world with a respect for what they do; only grown in a lifetime of knowing. Never think for one moment you are escaping from that life. You are only escaping the “job” and merely being allowed to leave “active” duty.

So what I wish for you is that whenever you ease into retirement, in your heart you never forget for one moment that “Blessed are the Peacemakers for they shall be called children of God,” and you are still a member of the greatest fraternity the world has ever known.

Civilian Friends vs. Veteran Friends

CIVILIAN FRIENDS: Get upset if you’re too busy to talk to them for a week.

VETERAN FRIENDS: Are glad to see you after years, and will happily carry on the same conversation you were having the last time you met.

CIVILIAN FRIENDS: Have never seen you cry.

VETERAN FRIENDS: Have cried with you.

CIVILIAN FRIENDS: Borrow your stuff for a few days then give it back.

VETERAN FRIENDS: Keep your stuff so long they forget it’s yours.

CIVILIAN FRIENDS: Know a few things about you.

VETERAN FRIENDS: Could write a book with direct quotes from you.

CIVILIAN FRIENDS: Will leave you behind if that’s what the crowd is doing.

VETERAN FRIENDS: Will kick the ass of the crowd that left you behind.

CIVILIAN FRIENDS: Are for a while.

VETERAN FRIENDS: Are for life.

CIVILIAN FRIENDS: Have shared a few experiences…

VETERAN FRIENDS: Have shared a lifetime of experiences no citizen could ever dream of…

CIVILIAN FRIENDS: Will take your drink away when they think you’ve had enough.

VETERAN FRIENDS: Will look at you stumbling all over the place and say, “You better drink the rest of that before you spill it!!” Then carry you home safely and put you to bed…

Battle Hymn of the Republic

My mom sent this to me. According to the website, it is an audio of four high school choirs singing the Battle Hymn. Give it a listen (click here).

When engineers get bored

This was sent to me by Jack, an Army vet. There are some people in this world with entirely too much time on their hands. Click on the image.

(USDA)

Caption Contest - May 8, 2008

What’s the caption? Send us your ideas by midnight Tuesday - the winner gets free stuff!

Caption Contest winner - May 1

Are you sure these are the washers and not the torpedo tubes?

Winning caption by Michael Zeiber

The Battle of Coral Sea (May 4 - May 8, 1942)

(US Navy)

Coral Sea - the battle that always seems to be overlooked. If the Battle of Midway is the Homecoming Queen in historical circles, Coral Sea is the girl next door.

But students of the war in the Pacific will tell you that the Battle of Coral Sea was the strategic turning point for Japanese expansion.

The United States, still reeling from the attack on Pearl Harbor five months earlier, had yet to meet the full force of the Japanese navy in a major battle. The only real victory - Doolittle’s Raid - was largely symbolic.

Conversely, Japanese advances in the Pacific continued unchecked. By early May, the Imperial forces had set their sights on the islands on the perimeter of the Coral Sea. A victory could drive Australia out of the war, and establish bases for future expansion. To the Australians, the risk of invasion was very real (Sea Power Centre of Australia).

“The Japanese operation included two seaborne invasion forces, a minor one targeting Tulagi, in the Southern Solomons, and the main one aimed at Port Moresby. These would be supported by land-based airpower from bases to the north and by two naval forces containing a small aircraft carrier, several cruisers, seaplane tenders and gunboats. More distant cover would be provided by the big aircraft carriers Shokaku and Zuikaku with their escorting cruisers and destroyers.” (Naval Historical Center)

(Encarta)

But the American intelligence effort was beginning to bear fruit, and the U.S. Navy swung into action.

“The U.S. Navy, tipped off to the enemy plans by superior communications intelligence, countered with two of its own carriers, plus cruisers (including two from the Australian Navy), destroyers, submarines, land-based bombers and patrol seaplanes.” (Naval Historical Center)

American forces were under the command of RADM Jack Fletcher. His goal was to interrupt both landings and check the Japanese advances. To do so, he would have to confront the Japanese carriers - the first carrier vs carrier action of the war.

The Japanese invasion of Tulagi began on May 3rd. Notified of the event by Australian coast watchers on Santa Isabel Island, Fletcher sent YORKTOWN to disrupt it. Although the Americans inflicted severe damage to the landing forces and escorts, the Imperial forces got a foothold and began to build a small naval base.

The real battle began on May 7 and continued through the 8th. In a precursor to the Battle of Midway a month later, search planes from both sides tried to locate the other. On the first day, secondary targets were located and incorrectly identified by both sides. Consequently, the Americans lost the oiler Neosho (AO-23) and her escort USS Sims (DD-409); the Japanese lost the light carrier Shoho, incorrectly identified as one of the two major carriers by American scout planes (Naval Historical Center).

On the 8th, the carriers found each other. Attacking almost simultaneously, Shokaku and YORKTOWN took major damage and were forced to return to port for repairs (YORKTOWN returned to fight at Midway after a miraculous repair in Pearl Harbor - see The unsung heroes of Midway). LEXINGTON was badly damaged and eventually sunk by American torpedos. Zuikaku was undamaged, but lost a significant number of aircraft.

In the end, the Japanese abandoned their invasion of Port Moresby, but maintained a foothold on Tulagi (which would be critical to their eventual move to Guadalcanal).

Stategically, Coral Sea not only stopped the inexorable march of Japan’s expansion, but also forced the removal of two premier carriers from the theater, setting the stage for the Allied victory in the Battle of Midway a month later.

For an excellent summary on the Battle of Coral Sea, see The Seapower Centre Australia website and, of course, the website of the Naval Historical Center.

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Experience

(NASA)

Two glorious days.

Two days of boasts and claims of supremecy, that’s what we had.

The ship had pulled into Japan, and in order to get a full appreciation of the local culture, the entire wardroom treated itself to a genuine Japanese dinner. There were waitresses dressed up in the traditional kimonos, tables were set low to the ground, and there was a lot of sake to keep us merry. It was a wonderful dinner, and we returned to the ship happy and full.

But we brought some visitors back with us. Visitors in the form of microscopic organisms that hitched a ride inside our intestinal tracts.

The next day, they began to drop. One by one, each of the officers fell victim to a nasty form of food poisoning, incapacitating them all, even the Captain. Something to do with fertilizer and unwashed vegetables.

But not me or my roomie.

We felt fine, and found ourselves with the run of the wardroom pantry. The coffee pot was never empty, and lacking competition, we scored the choicest pieces of meat and piled the potatoes high.

To say we were empathetic to the plight of the other officers would be … well, a stretch. With glee we opened stateroom doors and bragged about our iron stomachs, and how REAL men with REAL testosterone could conquer any bugs the Japanese could throw at us. For two days, we were kings. As we dug into our piles of chile con carne that night, we laughed and basked in the glory of being invincible.

It all stopped on day three. As I neared my stateroom, I knew something was amiss - the evidence was all over the bulkheads. Tentatively I followed the trail of chile con carne to the head, and there was my roomie, hunched over and looking like death.

I might have taken the chance to declare victory as last man standing if there was time. But the scene was more than my body could stand, and in an instant I joined the ranks of the stricken.

It’s hard to say what made the next two days more miserable - the food poisoning or the jibes we had to endure from the (now recovered) wardroom members.

As we sailed out of port, and as much as my stomach cramps would allow, I reflected on the lessons of our visit.

Be compassionate to those who are suffering.
Treat others as you would have them treat you.
Hubris is an evil bedfellow.

Also, experience becomes wisdom when it is used.

So I learned something, and the next time I visit Japan I’ll be wiser.

I’ll eat at McDonalds.

The adventures of BM1 Walls

I received this classic story from BM1 (ret) Brian Walls. I enjoyed it so much that I thought I’d share it (he said it was OK).

When I was a young Sailor, I once went on leave, and having a great time didn’t want to go back once it was over. So, like the brilliant Boatswain Mate I was, I decided to ahh, “extend” my own leave.

Soooo, while I was gone, the ship had moved up its schedule, and gone down to West Palm Beach, Florida for some R and R before deploying to the Middle East (unbeknownst to me). So on top of being u/a I had missed ship’s movement as well. Upon my return, I was of course flabbergasted at this turn of events. So I checked myself in to the OOD at Navsta Norfolk. I told them I had forgotten my leave papers at home and to my surprise (at least that much was true), the ship was gone when I returned! So they checked me in, and for the next few days I was assigned mundane tasks and given liberty about noon everyday (beat the hell out of what I would have received had I been more forthwith).

Anyway, at my subsequent Captain’s Mast, as I stood before the CO while he reviewed my service jacket, he asked me why I had been u/a. He was still looking at my service jacket as he asked me this question, and not at me. Standing at full attention and staring straight ahead, I replied:

“Because sir, I was having a good time and didn’t want to come back.”

At this point, he raised his eyes over his horn rimmed glasses that sat on the end of his nose, and looked at me for the first time. Now as you know, when you stand Captain’s Mast your Division Officer, CPO, Master at Arms, and others are standing on the bridge with you. They were all trying not to laugh, and taking note of this, the Captain replied: “Despite some here, I am not amused.” (I really wasn’t trying to be funny, just truthful.) As I was told long before, that would be my best line of defense should I ever find myself at mast (it was my first time).

In the end he did go easy on me, considering my offences. 1/2 months pay for 1 month, 30/30, no bust. It’s funny now, but it wasn’t then.

After 20 years in the Navy, I got a million stories. Maybe that’s why I never made Chief… Keep up the good work, you bring a smile to a lot of weary Sailors.

So do you, Boats. Thanks for the great story!