Oh my, get more Kleenex, you’ll need them. This poor soul makes a bad decision and encounters one smart lady store owner.
Didn’t you love his begging for mercy and forgiveness. He’s even asking God to help his poor soul. Tough robber turns into pitiful mess. Too late sucker. Geez, I loved this one.
Originally posted 2020-08-13 15:54:59.
Yes, I just can’t help watching something where the ending sort of chokes me up. Short video, get a Kleenex first.
Ain’t it great? LOL
Originally posted 2020-08-13 08:24:53.
Every now and then I come across a story that has nothing whatsoever to do with the political swamp, or sick society in which we find ourselves. Some move me and make my chest swell. Well here’s one for you jar heads out there. It’s wonderful story that needs no additional words from me! Enjoy, comment, and share.
Bill Knowles Green Valley News & Sun and The Sahuarita Sun
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Off and on during my adult years I have associated with members of the United States Marine Corps and these short interludes have been worthwhile in all respects; most recently I have shared a mutual volunteer chore with a retired member of the Marines, a local guy by the name of Master Gunny Bob Duerden. Another great member of the “Corps.”
For Bob and the rest of our local retired Marines, here is a story about 165 Marines on their way to war!
During the years 1963 to 1971, I had the privilege of managing the flight operation of a 13-plane fleet of Boeing 320C aircraft carrying troops and/or cargo from United State’s shores to SE Asia and the war known as Vietnam. When carrying Marines, our flights progressed from the USMC base at Pendleton, in Southern California, to Honolulu thence to the Marine base in Okinawa and then to Da Nang in Vietnam, where the Marines would board their own helicopters to proceed to their in-country posts.
It was a typical lovely Sunday that we departed Honolulu bound for Okinawa; there were three cockpit crew members , eight cabin flight attendants and 165 members of the USMC in this gold-tailed Boeing 320C Intercontinental jet capable of flying nonstop some 13 hours and more than 6,000 miles.
Over the Pacific Ocean the skies were clear and the ride was smooth … most of our passengers quickly fell asleep. Some seven hours later, a smidgen of light coming up on our tail suggested the arrival of the morning sunrise; I called the first flight attendant to the cockpit and asked about the well-being of the passengers and when she was planning to awaken them for their breakfast.
“We have a small gift for the Marines coming up in 20 minutes but I need them all to be awake.” She answered that she would awaken them now and serve breakfast when I advised her.
During flight planning, before departure from Honolulu, the en route winds and weather suggested a route that took us directly over the islands of Iwo Jima — these islands were deeply etched in the history of the USMC in World War II — and forecast winds would result in a flight faster than the normal for this route.
I called the first flight attendant on the intercom and advised her that I would be making a PA to the passengers in about 10 minutes and that after that please do not serve any beverages until we had passed Iwo Jima. A short time later our weather radar picked up the Iwo Jima Islands on the nose 40 miles ahead; I made the following PA to the passengers: “Gentlemen, I hope that you have been comfortable … we are ahead of schedule and we have a small gift for you this morning … in about 12 minutes we will pass directly over the islands of Iwo Jima where earlier members of your Marines fought so gallantly in World War II. We will circle the islands two ways so that all of you will have a great view of the islands.
The Pacific Ocean six miles below was glassy smooth and deep blue, it was an outstanding morning.
As we started our circle of the islands below, the first flight attendant came into the cockpit saying, “Captain, look back through the cockpit door at the passengers.” She opened wide the cockpit door.
The First Sergeant had every Marine aboard standing up, at attention and these 165 proud warriors were singing the Marines’ Hymn as we passed over these Iwo Jima Islands where so many of their brothers had earlier fallen.
The cabin of the aircraft had taken on all those qualities of a land-based church; I really do not think that, including the cockpit, there was a dry eye aboard this flight, on this morning, so far from home. The hymn from 165 Marine voices reached every nook and cranny of this largest of Boeing aircraft on this peaceful morning … never to be forgotten.
Later arriving at Okinawa , where the Marines would spend a week or so before heading for Da Nang to join their fellow Marines, as our crew descended the steps after the passengers has proceeded us, we heard a great “Thank you, crew” from 165 proud Marines. It was a gratifying moment!
Of 157 flights across the Pacific, that particular trip — with 165 of the nation’s finest – will live forever in the memory of this flight crew member.
Bill Knowles lives in Green Valley.
Thank you Mr. Bill Knowles for such a wonderful story
Originally posted 2020-08-10 12:37:34.
I never make two posts in one day, but today it is a must. Today, a Saturday, started out as any other day in my near 80 years of life. It’s not a weekend to me since retiring, hell every day is a weekend. But then I received some news that struck a dagger into my heart. And I do mean it hit me hard and I have to share it with my followers, many of whom served and will understand how and why this sort of news hits one deep in the soul. For those who may not have been there, please excuse my posting something you may not understand. So simply pass it by if you wish — this is personal
Raiders of Echo 2/1, it is with the heaviest of heart that I inform you of the passing of one helluva Marine with whom we all served in 1966-67. One of whom I owe so much, the best damn Platoon Sergeant anyone could ever ask for regardless of one’s position in the platoon, but especially for me as the plt cmdr. As we all knew and loved him, “Sgt Al” — aka Dennis Alessandrine. He and his son Denny, Jr attended our first reunion.
I just got off the phone with son Denny Jr and his sister JoAnn with whom I frequently communicated in an attempt to get him to come to another reunion. I spoke with Sgt Al just two weeks ago where we spoke of the passing of his lifelong girlfriend, Peanuts as he called her. He missed her terribly. She was in a nursing home with Alzheimer’s, where for the past nine years, he had traveled there to feed her three times a day. Yes, three times a day – EVERYDAY! He never missed a day, which is why he could not attend any of our subsequent reunions. We talked about her as we always did when we had our periodic phone conversations. She passed in March and he was having a rough time getting over it, but was enjoying his grandchildren.
It appears from initial reports Sgt Al died of an apparent heart attack on Thursday at the age of 73. He is to be cremated and the services as now planned will be this coming Thursday in PA.
Sgt Al and I sailed to RVN together, survived our time in hell together, came back together, and remained best friends and brothers since then. I loved him like the brother I never had.
I have so many memories of our time together in RVN, more so than any other members of the company. We looked out for one another and probably saved one another’s life more times than we cared to count. As some of you know who read the book, I somehow became the Skipper’s “Pinch hitter platoon commander.” Anytime we lost a Lt for whatever reason I was sent in to take over. I always requested Sgt Al to come with me, and sometimes the Skipper approved, sometimes not.
I remember so many times when we were setting up to cross a danger area on patrol. Two squads on either side of the crossing point along with guns and mortars, I’d take the third squad and start crossing. Sgt Al always said “Let me take the squad across, we can’t afford to lose you!” I’d laugh and say bullshit, we need you more than me.”
One time as I we were preparing for the cross I was looking for Sgt Al to give him the heads up to take charge of the base of fire squads and I looked up and the crossing squad had already started across with Sgt Al in charge.
That crossing turned live, they drew fire from two directions to their front. The crossing squad hit the deck in the swollen rice paddies and the base of fire squads opened up with a high volume of fire along with the 60 mortars and machine guns. Once fire superiority was achieved I fired a red star cluster, the base of fire squads shifted their fire outboard and the crossing squad fired and maneuvered across the paddy to the treeline and set up a defensive position. We took no casualties and found three dead VC once we all got across.
After setting a PPB and eating a C, Sgt Al stunk to high heaven having laid in a smelly knee deep rice paddy for several minutes. He joked he was not going to demand to take the crossing squad anymore. He lied, he continued to do so every time.
He was from Philly and was fearless, always ready for whatever “Murphy” could possibly throw at us on patrol. He was a hero in my eyes and to the troops as well. I will certainly miss our periodic phone calls.
May God welcome him into heaven with all the pomp and circumstance deserved of a hero! And God bless the entire Alessandrine family and friends. Here are some cherished photos of the brother I never had!
Sgt B and Sgt Al Waiting to be helicoptered into Operation Mississippi
Foreground, Sgt Mize, plt guide, Sgt Al and Sgt B after a patrol
Cpl Pelch (1st Sq Ldr), Sgt B, and Sgt Al
Sgt Al holding a deaffall we discovered on the patrol where I was wounded. Sgt Al led the platoon back to the company.
Sgt Al, I personally believe we made one helluva team, and we shall do so again! God Bless you, we will be together again someday, because We’ll All Die as Marines Brother.
Originally posted 2020-08-08 16:23:06.
Are those Marines in the photo above running to a fight or running away from a fight? Well, Fellow Marines, it appears the current sick societal norms have now finally affected our Corps. Sadly they are running away from a fight — UNBELIEVABLE! I am sickened by the below article, which by the way was sent to me by my bride.
The U.S. Marine Corps (USMC) has a legendary history of bravery and esprit de corps when it comes to defending America’s freedom. From the halls of Montezuma to the shores of Tripoli, the Corps hasn’t shrunk back from meeting any foe of the United States. So it may surprise some to learn that recently the Marines surrendered to a single activist who complained that an instructor at an upcoming seminar on strategy and tactics was a Christian.
The USMC scheduled an annual training for military lawyers earlier this month, at which the Battle of Gettysburg would be discussed. The instructor for one portion of that training was supposed to be Jay Lorenzen, an Air Force veteran who taught for 10 years at the Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colorado.
Lorenzen’s biography, provided to the military lawyers in advance of the training, included references to Christianity, including his affiliation with Campus Crusade for Christ, now known as Cru, and a couple of religious-themed courses he teaches in his spare time. Several of those lawyers complained to Mikey Weinstein, who heads up a secular, anti-Christian group called the Military Religious Freedom Foundation, that Lorenzen was going to teach about religion.
That allegation was false. It didn’t matter.
Weinstein, himself an Air Force veteran, is adamantly opposed to any form of Christian expression within the military, and immediately contacted the USMC to voice his displeasure at Lorenzen’s scheduled appearance at the training, calling Lorenzen a “fundamentalist Christian extremist parachurch official.” Within 64 minutes, according to Weinstein, the USMC informed him that the event had been canceled. It was replaced with an instruction regarding systemic racism within the military.
First Liberty Institute, a public interest law firm specializing in religious liberty, represents and has represented military personnel, including chaplains, who have seen their religious freedom rights unfairly and unconstitutionally curtailed by the various military branches. The legal firm is calling a foul.
Jeremy Dys is the Special Counsel for Litigation and Communications for First Liberty. In an op-ed this week, he explained why the USMC is making a big mistake in this case.
“Let us be very clear: the Marine Corps bravely cancelled a speaker chosen to lead a discussion on the battlefield tactics and leadership lessons of Gettysburg based upon his expertise as a retired military officer and academy professor because that retired officer, in his speaker’s bio, confessed to be religious and associated with a religious organization,” Dys said.
“Such open discrimination against people of faith is unbecoming of our beloved Marine Corps. From Article VI of the U.S. Constitution to cases like Trinity Lutheran to numerous Department of Defense (DOD) policies, the law is clear: the government cannot require a religious test for office, nor insist that religious people be excluded from benefits—like teaching to a class of Marine Corps reservists—because they are religious.”
In a statement furnished to Fox News, the USMC confirmed only that the event had been cancelled when scheduled attendees “raised concerns” about Lorenzen.
When the Marines go into full retreat mode over the issue of religious freedom, it’s time for an explanation and some new direction from the Department of Defense. The treatment of this instructor should not be allowed to stand.
Bullshit, it’s time for some serious discourse by we Marines with some of the so-called leaders of our active Corps. I would expect the retired Generals to be rising up in protest, but then maybe not. There are a few I know personally who will certainly come up on line. They were going to discuss the Battle of Gettysburg, not the resurrection of Jesus. I am seriously sickened by this action. Commandant, where are you taking my Corps?
Originally posted 2020-08-08 11:11:51.
