Echoes of a Loss

“Two days after she learned that a roadside bomb had blown up her husband’s Humvee in Afghanistan, Dena Yllescas began typing her first blog post for family in Nebraska.  Her daughters — ages 7 years and 9 months — were asleep. Friends, who had rushed over with casseroles and cigarettes, had gone home. The 29-year-old…

A Christmas Homily

Christmas comes at a time of year where we, perforce, count our blessings, tally our losses and generally reflect on the year past.  We find this action common across national boundaries and racial divides and, all too commonly, it ends there.  The accountant’s take of the past year and if the blessings outweigh the losses,…

The Solomons Campaign: The Battle of Santa Cruz (III)

Staggered, Bloodied but Unbowed After the morning’s attacks Enterprise had suffered significant damage, but still able to put up a fight defensively and conduct air ops.  The number two elevator, aft most on the flightdeck, was temporarily stuck in the down position, leaving a large, square hole just forward of the arresting gear.  Forward, just aft…

About that Global Warming Deal (II). . .

The wintry apocalypse has arrived in the nation’s capitol and its environs: (as of 1200L EDT) Locally: 12-13″ and we’re only half-way through the event (forecast 20-24″).  Having been in NoVA/DC for previous events (12-15″ at the time) I can predict with fair certainty that Monday will be an utter mess traffic-wise.  I know I’m…

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The Solomons Campaign: Battle of Santa Cruz (II)

Overnight: 25-26 October During the night, crews on the Hornet positioned aircraft on the flightdeck if the prospects of a night strike by moonlight made themselves present.  In the meantime, PBY Catalina’s, using the first crude airborne radar sets, continued to try to locate the Japanese fleet in the darkness.  Shortly after midnight, one PBY…

Milblogs: EMCON ALFA

Joining the milblogsphere through 18 Dec: On Wednesday 16 December 2009, many milblogs — including This Ain’t Hell, From My Position, Blackfive, Miss Ladybug, Boston Maggie, Grim’s Hall, and those participating in the Wednesday Hero program — are going silent for the day. Some are choosing to go silent for a longer period of time….