OUTRAGE ON THE PARK STRIP

Look at the pictures and share my disgust and outrage. It’s photos of the World War II Memorial on the Park Strip in Anchorage. Look closely, and you’ll see the Memorial is desecrated with the Nazi swastika, the “peace” symbol, and inane words about “world citizenship,” “equal rights,” “justice,” and the statements “everywhere there is war,” “No more War.” And this crap (and I do not apologize for the word) is scribbled between the columns honored names of our American and Alaska military who sacrificed the lives for every one of us and, sadly, also for the vandals among us.  This isn’t “protest.” It’s incredibly heartless vandalism.  

I don’t know how long this stuff has been allowed to remain on the plaque that proclaims, “For Freedom, they gave their lives in World War II, 1941 - 1945.” The words and symbols were certainly there for all to see on Memorial Day. Quite possibly, family members and loved ones of the fallen soldiers - and comrades for some of us - saw the desecration and suffered the same emotions as did I. 

I’m writing an official letter to the Acting Mayor and Mayor-Elect, asking them to take whatever action they can to repair or to replace the plaque. Perhaps our veterans’ organizations could assist.

I could write more. I’m not going to. In all honesty, my emotions could get the best of me, and I might put words into this blog I should not.   

MEMORIAL DAY 2009

Jeremiah French, Sr. my fourth-great-grandfather on my mother’s side of the family, was a soldier in the Revolutionary War. He served in the New Jersey Militia. Not much more is known about Jeremiah except that, after the war that founded our nation, he moved west to the little community Scipio on the Ohio-Indiana border, where he passed away in 1834. My family must have been very proud of Private Jeremiah French, because his surname “French” became the middle name of many of his descendants all the way into the 20th Century. I never understood why so many in my family were honored by the name French (he certainly wasn’t wealthy, and neither famous or infamous). But when I discovered Jeremiah was a Revolutionary War veteran, I think I discovered the reason for his name being honored. Wow!   

Various of my uncles and cousins served in the war the War of 1812, and on the Union side of the Civil War, and in the Spanish-American War, and later World War I and II.  

I was raised by my granddad John Frederick Lynn, a veteran of World War I. He is buried at the Riverside National Cemetery, California. His rank (now obsolete) was “Field Clerk,” which I’m told was in the chain-of-command between a Warrant Officer and Second Lieutenant. He left the Army after World War I. He tried to re-up in the military when World War II came along, but at age 51 the Army told him he was too old. I think the Army made a big mistake. My Granddad Lynn repeatedly told me he should have remained in the Army after World War I. I remembered that during irritations in my own military career, and did remain on active duty.  

My mother, Doris Bertha Lynn was also a US Army veteran, and also buried at Riverside National Cemetery.  She enlisted in the Women’s Army Auxiliary Corps (WAAC) in August 1943, which later became the Women’s Army Corps (WAC). In those days, none of the military was co-ed. After basic training at Ft. Oglethorpe in Georgia, my mother shipped overseas to Casablanca, and then to Bari, Italy where she served as a telephone/telegraph operator with the 15th Air Force. The Nazis were still bombing Italy when she was there.  She told me a friend took her up for an unauthorized ride in a P-38 fighter - and they had to evade unexpected German fighter planes before they could return to base and land. She separated from the Army Air Corps as a Staff Sergeant in 1946.  

I proudly followed in the military footsteps of my family. Enlisted in the Air Force in 1951.  Got my commission in 1953. Served in Vietnam. Retired from the Air Force in 1976. Lots of “adventures.” My military service set the foundation for about everything else I’ve ever done. 

My granddaughter Tiffany Marie Aab is a United States Navy veteran. She served aboard ship, and in Guam. My grandson Josh Niewiadomski is a member of the Utah Army National Guard. With my 19 grandkids, they’ll likely by more future veterans.  I hope so. It’s an honor to be a veteran.  

So, this Memorial Day 2009, I honor and salute all veterans.  I’m proud I have so many military veterans in my family.   

Photos: top Field Clerk John F. Lynn;  Corporal Doris Lynn. Bottom: Army Guardsman John Niewiadomski      

PASSWORDS

I’m about “up to here” with passwords.  Passwords are required for my legislative computer (I don’t care who sees what I write). Then our computer department genies change the passwords every so often for security. The only people this keeps out of my computer is me. But it’s good for the blood pressure medicine industry. 

There’s a plethora of passwords in my life. Passwords are required for my checking and savings accounts (I do care about that). Passwords are needed for Facebook, Flicker, Twitter, the Base Exchange on-line store, for Ancestry.com and my Blog. Passwords are needed for other accounts I’ve probably forgotten about. It’s difficult to keep all the passwords straight, and still be able to think great legislative thoughts. Of course, there are hints for the passwords - but it’s onerous trying to remember which hint goes with which password. Of course, I dasn’t write any of the passwords down. The fact of the matter is, if I did write the passwords down, I probably wouldn’t be able to find them anyway. Only the burglar would be able to find them. 

I just spent 45 minutes of my increasingly limited lifespan with a password retriever woman in Dallas, trying to help me get into one of my password required thingies. After getting through the voice recognition telephone menu (prime topic for another bitchy blog), she also had trouble getting the password to work properly. Nice lady, but talking to her (with periods of being on hold sans music) for 45 minutes hadn’t been on today’s agenda. 

I voted against capital punishment in the House Judiciary Committee. But for anyone who continues messing up my life with password excesses, and telephone voice recognition menus, I might make an exception. Can everyone understand that - without a password?