Gunfighter: A Modern Warrior's Life

Book Review: Helmet For My Pillow

 

In 1957 Robert Leckie wrote a memoir of his service as a United States Marine in the Pacific theater, during the Second World War.  The memoir is called “A Helmet for My Pillow”, and it is one of the best books about the war that I have ever read.  Indeed, this book and a couple of others formed the foundatio on which the excellent HBO miniseries "The Pacific" is based.

Leckie enlisted in the Marine Corps immediately after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, and after his basic training and advanced training as a machine gunner, he was assigned to the First Marine Division, and took part in the invasion of Guadalcanal island in  August, 1942.  Bob Leckie, “Lucky” to his comrades, saw not only brutal combat, the likes of which were seen only in the Pacific theater of the war, but also horrible privation.  The Marines of the First Division experienced near-starvation, shortages of ammunition, near-nakedness as their uniforms rotted off of their bodies in the tropical mold and damp, and deadly disease.

Helmet for My Pillow begins with a poem of the same name, and tells of Leckie’s personal experiences, not only in battle, but during the drunken debauchery of Liberty in Australia when the division was relieved from Guadalcanal.  Leckie’s memoir of the war will probably make you laugh at times, when he describes his adventures with his buddies “Runner”, “Hoosier”, “Chuckler”, and others, and will almost certainly bring you to tears in other places.

To tell you the truth, this memoir is short.  Certainly a lot shorter than it could have been, and there are, I think, two reasons for that.  The first reason is that fighting Marines, especially those of that generation tended not to be braggarts.  They knew how tough things were, and were all about getting the job done, and surviving to go home… if they could.  The second reason is that the author was not given to flowery pose.  That isn’t the kind of man that Bob Leckie was, from all I can gather.

The people who fought in the Second World War… people like my father in law, Ted, don’t really spend a lot of time talking about the war, because there wasn’t anything pleasant about it for those that did the real fighting. 

Leckie lead a productive life after the war.  He married and raised a family, working as a reporter for the associated press, and authoring forty books.

If you ever want to know what the fighting Marine was thinking (and doing) in those grim days following Pearl Harbor, read Robert Leckie’s “Helmet For My Pillow”, You won’t be sorry that you did.

Book Review: Losing My Cool by Thomas Chatterton Williams

 

There has never been a time in my life that I believed that there was anything good in the Hip-Hop lifestyle.  I have always believed that Hip-Hop was a destructive force, not only in the lives of black youth in general, but also in the black community as a whole.  I have blogged about it many times, and frequently thought I was more or less alone in my view. 

 

I wasn’t.

 

When TLC book tours invited to participate in a review of Thomas Chatterton Williams’ new book, I was excited from the outset!  The title, Losing My Cool: How a Father’s Love and 15,000 books Beat Hip-Hop Culture immediately grabbed me by the collar and said “read me!”  So, I couldn’t pass it up.

 

Thomas Chatterton Williams spent his youth in an accute identity crisis.  He needed to understand or at least find a place where he fit-in.  As the son of a black father and a white mother, was raised in a mostly-white, middle class area of Scotch Plains, he needed a sense of belonging, and he found it at the local barber shop, and from music videos on Black Entertainment Television.   At an early age, Mr. Williams began his campaign of “keeping it real”. 

 

The big problem facing the author, and so many other young black men and women was this:  He had become convinced by the culture that he had to “keep it real“, It’s that simple.  “Keeping it real” was more important that anything else.  “Keeping it real” meant giving allegiance to hip hop’s filthy grasp.  “Keeping it real” meant subscribing to the nonsensical notion that hip hop culture is synonymous with black culture.  “Keeping it real” meant that a person had to dress a certain way, talk a certain way, and act a certain way… generally speaking, like some sort of thug or prison inmate.

 

Before we start tsk-tsking and shaking our heads, let’s hang on for a second… because young Mr. Williams’ story isn’t one of the demise of another young black man.  It is a story of victory.  The victory of a loving family; the victory of a gentle, caring mother; the victory of a self-educated, steadfast father who believed in education above all things.

 

The author was fortunate to have such a family.  His father’s dedication to learning and insistence that his son study constantly resulted in acceptance to Georgetown University, where the author earned a degree in philosophy.  Not that his time at Georgetown was simplicity in itself.  No, indeed.  While at Georgetown, the author remained involved in the hip hop lifestyle and might have remained immersed in it had he not been exposed to some new friends and new ways of living.

 

At the end of the day, learning and exposure to a better life broke the chains of the hip hop life and allowed the author to be free. 

 

Free.

 

Freedom is important, isn’t it?  As an American, and especially as an African American, I put a lot importance on that word… and so does the author.  Let me share a quote from the book:

 

“Since the dawn of the hip-hop era in the 1970s, black people have become increasingly freer and freer as individuals, with a wider range of possibilities spread out before us now than at any time in our past. Yet the circumstances of our collective life have degenerated in direct contrast to this fact, with a more impoverished vision of what it means to be black today than ever before. If these exciting new circumstances we now find ourselves in, of which our president is the apotheosis, are to mean anything of lasting value, the zeitgeist… is going to have to change…

Will we, at long last, allow ourselves to abandon the instinct to self-sabotage and the narcissistic glorification of our own failure? Will the fact of daily exposure to a black president in turn expose once and for all the lie that is and always has been keeping it real?”

 

Thomas Chatterton Williams is a free man who has a lot on his mind, and I believe we will be hearing a lot more from him.   He writes with feeling and deep passion.  I look forward to hearing what this young man has to say.

Read this book, you will be glad you did.

 

 

Note:   Although I received a complimentary copy of this book from TLC Book Tours, it didn't influence my review... I hope that you know me well enough to know that I don't roll like that.

Book Review: Blackout

Book Review:  Blackout, by Connie Willis

 

The year is 2060, and at Oxford University, a team of historians are studying the Second World War.  This in itself would be quite unremarkable if it weren’t for the fact that these historians weren’t just gathering knowledge from available academic resources, but this is historical study of an entirely different sort.  You see, these historians aren’t just academics, they are adventurers as well.  These historians don’t just write about history, they experience it.  These historians are time travelers!

One of the historians in the story has gone to the area of Dover, posing as an American reporter, to observe the heroes of The Evacuation of Dunkirk, and without intending to, he winds up seeing, and participating in it first-hand.  Another historian has gone undercover as an Irish maid at an English manor to observe the children of war… those evacuees from London, and other larger cities that were under the threat of air raids during The Battle of Britain.  While there, she saves the lives of several children.  Another historian is posing as a shop girl in a London department store, in order to observe the resolve of the people of London as they took shelter during the Blitz.

What those historians learned was important, but not as important as what they eventually found out:  Something was wrong in 2060!  Suddenly, the time travel mechanisms that were supposed to routinely open in order to allow them to either get back home for research or logistics, were no longer operating.  The historians found themselves trapped in 1940 England, one hundred and twenty years from home.

The time travelers were stuck, and all came to the similar conclusion that each should find the other, and perhaps they could use the other historian’s portal back to home… only to find out that all of the portals had failed.

I won’t go into all of the details of the story, because I hope that you will decide to read this book yourselves.  I know that not everyone is into science fiction, but the good thing here is that this story is long on fiction, and rather scanty on the science, so you needn’t be an egghead nor a the kind of person who knows all of the Hugo and Nebula award winners for the past twenty years to like this book.

The author, Connie Willis (who happens to have multiple Hugo's and Nebula's) has done a brilliant job with the story.  The details of England during the early part of the war are great, as is her use of language.  Willis tells the story with great pacing with real feeling.  When I bought this book (via Amazon Kindle… in your face Ipad) I didn’t realize this story would be told in more than one volume, but I am looking forward to the sequel (due out this fall), with great anticipation.

Full marks to Connie Willis, who is my favorite newly discovered author for the year.  I highly recommend this book to anyone who likes adventure, historical novels, science fiction, or just a plain old “good read”.

NOTE:  This review was not solicited, nor was I compensated for writing it... I am just spreading the good news.

The Sacking of Stanley McChrystal

You know, I have lived and worked in Washington, DC since 1986.  I arrived here as a young Marine only twenty two years old.  One thing that I learned very early on is that what you say may come back to bite you in the ass if you aren't careful.  Not that you have to guard your every syllable, but it is prudent to be aware of what you are saying and to whom it is said.

ESPECIALLY WHEN TALKING TO A POLITICIAN OR A JOURNALIST!

Now we have General Stanley McChrystal, who, by any indicator that you care to use is a capable officer and a good commander.  McChrystal, by all accounts has given good, faithful and honorable service to his country.  He is a patriot and he has the best outcomes in his heart and mind for his soldiers and for his civilian  leadership.  I think that General McChrystal is a good man.  I also think that President Obama was right to sack him.

Look, the armed forces of the United States... or of any democracy, MUSTbe committed to the principle of civilian rule and leadership.  This means knowing when to talk and knowing when to be more circumspect about voicing an opinion.  You would think a man of McChrystal's years of experience would have known better.  Apparently not.  What makes this matter worse, is that clearly McChrystal's behavior has gone on long enough beneath the radar, that the members of his staff felt free to copy said behavior and make some of the comments they did. 

This is one of those circumstances that is just plain bad for everyone, but the President had no real choice.  You just can't have a General officer speaking like this and ignore it.

I am sure that a man like General McChrystal will do quite well outside of the Army, since people with drive and energy are prone to success.

Good luck.

"Hey, General... what were you thinking?  Dude, you are SO fired!"

On My Mind This Morning

We have known each other for a long time, haven't we? Some of you have been with me since I started blogging four years ago. In that time I am sure that you have gotten to know a little about me. certainly, we have known each other too long a time for us to try to bullshit each other about anything, right?

Right.

So here I am, keeping it real: I hate ass-kissers. You probably already knew that about me, but I had to tell you again.

Do you know who I hate more than the run-of-the-mill ass-kisser? It is a firearms instructor who is an ass-kisser!

Is there no integrity left? Was your promotion worththe forfeit of respect? 

Is there no courage to tell the boss that he/she has failed to qualify?

I am completely disgusted by someone whom I used to call protege and even friend.

Can you tell that I am having a great morning?

Haiku XXVI (In GERMAN, dude!)

Kennst du mich, wirklich?

Ich bin mit dir ganz verliebt

Mein herz, gebrochen

 

 

 

Here is a translation for those that don't habla the German:

 

Do you really know me?

I am completely in love with you

My heart, broken

 

(No, I don't have a broken heart... I was just free-forming in th car during my lunch break)

The Church Picnic

Have any of you ever been to a church picnic?  I am almost certain that if you are an adult that was raised in one of the mainline protestant denominations, you probably have.  If you haven't, let me tell you how this usually works:  A date will be set, usually around the time that schools are letting out for the summer, and a location will be settled upon.  Now, some churches will hold their picnic in the park and some will do it right there on the church property if they have the space.

Once those things get done, the church service will be organized (and if you are a Lutheran, the service will be a lot like it is on any given Sunday morning inside the sanctuary) ; games are organized, and people will bring food.  Lots of food.  Yes, the church picnic can be a lot of fun... especially if the weather cooperates.

Well, yesterday (I'm writing this on Monday), was our church picnic, and boy let me tell you, we had a good time.  Our "Worship on The Lawn" service was a big success!  There were so many people that we needed nearly twice as many chairs as had been set out (which was easy to remedy, enter Gunfighter and SoccerGirl to carry more folding chairs).  As I said, the service was well-attended; and well-done.  Our pastor delivered a great sermon and was aided in this by the pastor of the Korean congregation that shares or church. 

Of course, you can have a church service without music, but it probably will be a lot less fun, and since Martin Luther was such an advocate of singing during the service, what kind of Lutherans would we be if we didn't follow suit!  So what did we do?  We sang!  We sang lots of songs, from the old standards, to some newer songs, and for some songs we were accompanied by our VERY robust (and very talented) brass ensemble.  We were also treated to a really beautiful hymn sung by our Korean friends.

As if all of these things didn't combine to make a great service, we had the good fortune to have our puppet team assist the pastor in delivering the small children's sermon.  Soccer Girl was beyond thrilled that she was going to be able to get to use her very own puppet (which we bought in Florida when we were there recently).

So the there yo have it, a fine picn... what?  What do you mean "what about the food?"  Well, ok, I'll take a minute to talk about the food.  Dude, there was so much food it wasn't even funny.  Burgers, hot dogs, salads, beans etc.... but the real treat (at least for me) was that some of the Korean members of the congregation prepared that most wonderful of dishes, Bulgogi!  Oh, man, it was so good!  Thinly sliced, tenderized, marinated beef, with a big rice cooker full to the brim, and a great smoky, sweet, slightly hot chili sauce to go with.  TO. DIE. FOR. (especially if you like the Korean food like I do).

I feel that I should mention the desserts, mainly because there were so many brownies and other sweets there, you could have killed two platoons of diabetics.  Lastly, there was Jell-O.  That's right, Jell-O.  As you know from reading this, you can't have a gathering of Lutherans that includes food where someone (or several someones) doesn't bring Jell-O.  Only this time something went... wrong.  Wrong I say because this Jell-O was BLUE!  BLUE, I tell you.  I've never heard of such... Lutherans are supposed to rock the GREEN Jell-O!  How am I going to explain this to Casey?

Anyway, the service was over, we were done eating, and Soccer Girl had gone on the moon-bounce at least twice... once bouncing along with Pastor Meredith (who is a very energetic newlywed young woman of thirty years)... It was finally time to go home.

Good times.  Good times.

Addendum:  I found out last night (wed.) that on average, the attendance at the church picnic hs been around 40 to 50 people... this year, we had over 200!  Woo hoo!

My Summer Reading List

The other day a blogging friend of mine asked this question:  What books are you planning to read this summer.  Well, here is the answer, Kim.  I plan to read at least these few following books over the summer.  The titles are on the covers and a description of each (from their descriptions at Amazon) are beneath each.

With the discovery of another life-sustaining planet light years away, there is hope for a chosen few to leave the soon-to-be submerged Earth. Holle Groundwater is one of the candidates, having been trained for this purpose since childhood, when the ships Ark One and Ark Three were being built. But as Holle prepares to endure life aboard the Ark, she comes to realize that her attempt at escape may be more dangerous than trying to stay afloat on a drowning planet...

 
Three young historians travel from 2060 to early 1940s Britain for firsthand research. As Eileen handles a measles outbreak during the children's evacuation and Polly struggles to work as a London shopgirl, hints of trouble with the time-travel equipment barely register on their radar. Historians aren't supposed to be able to change the course of history, but Mike's actions at Dunkirk may disrupt both the past and the future. Willis uses detail and period language exquisitely well, creating an engaging, exciting tale that cuts off abruptly on the last page.

 
  With The Sword of the Lady, Rudi Mackenzie's destiny was determined. Now he returns to Montival in the Pacific Northwest, where he will face the legions of the Prophet. To achieve victory, Rudi must assemble a coalition of those who had been his enemies a few months before and forge them into an army that will rescue his homeland.

Only then will Rudi be able to come to terms with how the Sword has changed him, as well as the world, and assume his place as Artos, High King of Montival...

(Yes, I know that I said I wasn't going to read it, but, hey, it's vacation, and on my vacation, I read a Harry Turtledove novel.  Don't judge me) 

What if Chamberlain had stood up to Hitler in 1938?  What would the Nazis’ next move have been? And how would the war have unfolded and changed our world?

As armies clash, and as the brave, foolish, and true believers choose sides, new weapons are added to already deadly arsenals and new strategies are plotted to break a growing stalemate. But one question looms over the conflict from West to East: What will it take to bring America into this war?

 

 
The long war between the Empire of Manticore and the Republic of Haven is in its death throes, and the Manties are poised to win. Honor, now a duchess and admiral of the Manticore Empire and one of the few imperial leaders to believe that the Republic's new leadership genuinely wants peace, leads a delegation to the Havenite home system to begin negotiations, but an unknown enemy launches a surprise attack on the Manticoran home worlds while inciting violent encounters between the Manties and the mighty Solarian League. Fans of this venerable space opera will rejoice to see Honor back in action.

The Me Meme

As you may have noticed, I haven't blogged much lately... I just can't seem to find the time.  Hopefully, that will end soon.  In the interim, I have decided that I am going to totally steal a few memes... like this one that I gopt from.... well, someone that I don't know.  Anyway, please to enjoy.

GF

 

1. You’re building your dream house. What’s the one thing that this house absolutely, positively MUST HAVE? (other than the obvious basics of course)
A large shower.  Not one of those teeny-tiny things that most builders put in houses today.  I'm talkin' about a shower big enough for two, with multiple shower heads!

2. What is your dream car?
I don't really think much about cars, to tell the truth.  There are cars that I would enjoy, but you know... eh.

3. What is your favorite website that isn’t a blog?
Huffington Post!

4. iPhone 4 or Droid, which do you want?
Droid (I crave a smart phone of any sort, but as much as I love Apple products, I believe in widening the pool of availability, hence my choice of Droid)

5. When you’re feeling down or lonely or just generally out of sorts, what do you do to cheer yourself up?
Can you say "automatic weapons"?

6. Tell me about something or someone that you love that most people seem to hate.
Scrapple.

7. What do you want to be when you grow up?
A writer.

8. Would you go on a reality show if given the chance?
No... that is publicity/embarrassment that I don't really need.

9. Who was your favorite teacher when you were growing up. (Grade school, Middle School, Jr. High or High School only.)
Mrs Ruth Deusinger.  She was my 12th grade history teacher.  She was the most wonderful teacher that I have ever known, and had a profound effect on my already deep love of history.  That woman was a scholar, and an old-school teacher.  She was the best.

10. You get one pass to do something illegal or immoral. What are you gonna do?
There are a few people on the planet whose elimination would be a blessing.  I could help with that.

11. What were you doing 10 years ago?
In August 2000?  Working. parenting.

12. By this time next year, I ...
hope to be less fat than I am today..

13. Do you think the United States will elect a female President in your lifetime? Do you think this would be a good thing?
Yes, I do... on both counts.  One thing is certain, though, it won't be Hillary Clinton.

14. Which fictional, TV show character you would shag anytime?
Whoever the character is that is played by Christina Hendricks on Mad Men.  Oh. My. GOD!  I would hit that like the Marines hitting the beach at Iwo Jima.

15. What is your greatest pet peeve?
Slowpokes

16. Tell me about your most recent trip of more than 100 miles?
We went to Florida for a wedding.

17. Which do you use more often, the dictionary or the thesaurus?
Thesaurus

18. Do you have a nickname? What is it?
I have a few.  Some of my students call me Darth Vader.  Some of my colleagues call me Yoda, or the gun whisperer.

19. What are you dreading at the moment?
I don't really dread anything.

20. Do you worry that others will judge you from reading some of your answers?

Not at all.  I am beyond the judgement of others.

21. In two words, explain what ended your last relationship.
Immaturity, Inexperience

22. What were you doing this morning at 8am?
Posting this meme to my blog.

23. Do you have any famous relatives?
I don't think so, but my enslaved ancestors lived in the same community as Michele Obama's enslaved ancestors... so, who knows?

24. How many different beverages have you drank today?
I have only had water so far today.

25. What is something you are excited about?
Our summer vacation

26. When was the last time you spoke in front of a large group?
I do that all the time.

27. When you looked at yourself in the mirror today, what was the first thing you thought?
"I've still got it... even though no one gives a shit"

28. What were you doing at midnight last night?
Sleeping

29. What’s a word that you say a lot?
D-bag

30. Who is your worst enemy?
Like I have any enemies.  Everyone loves me.  Well, mostly everyone.

What Do You See When The Demons Come? (reposted)

Hiya.  I wrote this on June 8th, 2009, and since it is a frequent search term that leads lots of people to my blog, I thought I would post it again for those who missed it.

In 1993, Clint Eastwood starred in a movie called "In The Line of Fire", which was about an aging, troubled Secret Service agent, who had failed at the critical moment and could have possibly saved John F. Kennedy from being assasinated. 

The movie goes on to set up another assasination attempt against the current (fictional) President, and this time, the Agent is pitted against a psychotic, CIA-trained killer-gone-rogue, played most awesomely by John Malkovich.

The agent and the assasin develop a strange relationship, in which they communicate with each other telephonically and personally, throughout the movie before the end of the film where....  oh, never mind.  This isn't really a movie review.  I'll just say that you should buy the DVD or get it from NetFlix if you get the chance.  It was nicely done, well-acted, and all of that.

Trust me... you'll like it.

The reason for this post has nothing to do with the movie except for the fact that at one point in the film, Malkovich's Character asks Eastwood:  "What do you see when you're alone the dark and the demons come?"

That is what I want to talk about.

Your demons... mine too.

Demons.  We all have them.  Some are more terrible that others, I suppose... but we all have them.  Now, I'm not talking about bat-winged, harpy-type demons.  I'm not talking about the legions of Hell or anything like that.  I'm talking about your darkest, most secret fears.

What are you afraid of?

For some people, demons might come in the form of emarassment, or failure, or public speaking or... CLOWNS!  and if you are afraid of clowns, dude, I am totally down.  I hate clowns.  I even hated them before I saw Steven King's "It".  While I have never liked clowns, they aren't the thing that terrifies me.  Clowns are scary, weird, and not at all funny or even amusing, but even Pennywise doesn't creep me out to the point of terror.  No, my demons don't come in the form of clowns... indeed, my demons don't even have corporeal form, and yet, I still have them.

Some people see their demons from afar, acknowledging their existence, but never having to do much about them other than work hard to avoid them.  Some people live with their demons right in their faces.  Some people have to deal with their demons in a very personal, daily, in-your-face kind of way.  How awful. 

Some people only see their demons at night, in the short time between going to bed and going to sleep.  That's my time.  That is when they come for me.  That is the time when I do battle for my psyche and my soul.  The thing about my demons is that I always win.  I always will.  On a nightly basis, my demons are slain, usually with my rather large hands around their throats.  Demons are evil, but they always fail to reckon that attacking a warrior is a bad idea... I quake in fear of neither man, animal, nor even my own personal demons.

So, before you ask what my demons are, I will tell you that I choose not to speak their names.  I don't speak their names lest I give them power.  I don't speak their names lest I give someone a handle on my personality... a handle to be manipulated.

Yes, I have demons.  You probably do, too.  How do you live with yours?