Steve Imbesi, one of my scuba diving buddies, sent me this Christmas poem a year or two ago. It circulates via email around this time every year, usually incorrectly attributed. It’s a wonderful poem by Michael Marks that deserves another read by us all.

A SOLDIER’S CHRISTMAS by Michael Marks

The embers glowed softly and, in their dim light,
I gazed round the room and I cherished the sight.
My wife was asleep, her head on my chest,
my daughter beside me, angelic in rest.

Outside the snow fell, a blanket of white
transforming the yard to a winter delight.
The sparkling lights in the tree, I believe,
completed the magic that was Christmas Eve.

My eyelids were heavy, my breathing was deep,
secure and surrounded by love I would sleep
in perfect contentment, or so it would seem.
So I slumbered, perhaps I started to dream. …

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“…a date which will live in infamy…”. And today we remember. If you’ve not visited the Memorial at Pearl Harbor and stood above the sunken tomb that was the USS Arizona to pay tribute to the men who lost their lives aboard her on that fateful day 66 years ago today, it should certainly be near the top your list of important things to do. It’s a reverent, almost spiritual experience you will long remember.

You may not realize that, every year, the ranks of veterans who lived through that horrific day grows thinner. They are old men now. Their memories are still tinged with the sadness that comes from the realization that soon they will all be gone and, as with other landmarks in American history like Gettysburg and Antietam, it will be up to the rest of us to keep the remembrances alive and never, ever forget what happened on that impossibly beautiful Sunday morning when the world turned upside down and changed all of us forever.

0755, 7 December, 1941.

Air Raid Pearl Harbor. This is no drill.

John Renn sent me a series of photos a couple years ago taken during and immediately following the air raid on Pearl Harbor in December 1941. I’d not seen them before and posted them on my AFP web site. I’m linking to them here as a reminder of the death and devastation that wakened “the sleeping giant” and caused Congress, the following day, to declare war against the Empire of Japan. The war lasted nearly four years and was indeed costly by every measure. But it taught us that, when our cause is just and we possess the will to fight, we will be victorious. We must never forget.

Janet put together this nicely produced tribute video. It’s about five minutes long. Take the time to watch it. And remember.

One day during the last few weeks (it’s all a blur) while Dawn and I were picking up mail at the Royal Oaks Post Office in Sacramento, we noticed a rental truck unloading packages and a news camera taping. We were in a bit of a rush, but I quickly snapped the five images below (click to enlarge) with Dawn’s iPhone and managed to get off one question before we had to shoot back to the office. The packages, they told me, were “for our troops.” I’d hoped to find out more after the fact but so far I’ve come up empty. So, if anyone knows the details - which troops, which theater, organizers - please let me know and I’ll post a follow-up.

In any event, isn’t it nice to know that Americans, despite our political differences, still find it in our hearts to remember and support our troops abroad? It’s part of our culture, part of what makes us Americans and binds us together. And it made me proud.

Before the day is over, I want to thank one more veteran for her sacrifice and military service. I’ve known her for a long time and know first hand how proud she was to serve her country.

She joined the U.S. Navy after high school over the objections of her father, who wanted her to finish college before considering military service, and spent five long years away from home as a cryptographer stationed in Adak, Alaska, Pearl Harbor and at sea. She held a Top Secret security clearance and handled Top Secret intelligence on a daily basis, the same kind of sensitive classified data that landed John Walker Jr. in federal prison for selling to the Soviets.

She spent months at sea, often shadowed for days by Russian ships. She became highly proficient with 9mm handguns, M-14s and M-16s, consistently taking top honors in shooting competitions. And for a time she worked in a military correctional institute in direct contact with prisoners.

Like all our deployed service men and women, she was sometimes homesick. But she was dedicated and did her job proudly and well.

Today she sometimes jokes about her Navy days - I think all vets do that from time to time - but what she was doing was serious and necessary. This Navy veteran, this woman I’m so very proud of, if you haven’t already guessed, is my daughter. Strong, determined and now with a family of her own, she continues to make me proud. Thank you, Shannon. Happy Veterans Day.

This column has made the rounds over the years since it was first penned in 1993 by Chicago Tribune columnist Mike Royko (1932-1997), but it’s just as poignant today. And while I didn’t always agree with him, I think Mike was right on target here.

I just phoned six friends and asked them what they will be doing on Monday.

They all said the same thing: working.

Me, too.

There is something else we share. We are all military veterans.

And there is a third thing we have in common. We are not employees of the federal government, state government, county government, municipal government, the Postal Service, the courts, banks, or S & Ls, and we don’t teach school.

If we did, we would be among the many millions of people who will spend Monday goofing off.

Which is why it is about time Congress revised the ridiculous terms of Veterans Day as a national holiday.

The purpose of Veterans Day is to honor all veterans.

So how does this country honor them?

By letting the veterans, the majority of whom work in the private sector, spend the day at their jobs so they can pay taxes that permit millions of non-veterans to get paid for doing nothing.

As my friend Harry put it:

“First I went through basic training. Then infantry school. Then I got on a crowded, stinking troop ship that took 23 days to get from San Francisco to Japan. We went through a storm that had 90 percent of the guys on the ship throwing up for a week.

“Then I rode a beat-up transport plane from Japan to Korea, and it almost went down in the drink. I think the pilot was drunk.

“When I got to Korea, I was lucky. The war ended seven months after I got there, and I didn’t kill anybody and nobody killed me.

“But it was still a miserable experience. Then when my tour was over, I got on another troop ship and it took 21 stinking days to cross the Pacific.

“When I got home on leave, one of the older guys at the neighborhood bar — he was a World War II vet — told me I was a ——head because we didn’t win, we only got a tie.

“So now on Veterans Day I get up in the morning and go down to the office and work.

“You know what my nephew does? He sleeps in. That’s because he works for the state.

“And do you know what he did during the Vietnam War? He ducked the draft by getting a job teaching at an inner-city school.

“Now, is that a raw deal or what?”

Of course that’s a raw deal. So I propose that the members of Congress revise Veterans Day to provide the following:

- All veterans — and only veterans — should have the day off from work. It doesn’t matter if they were combat heroes or stateside clerk-typists.

- Anybody who went through basic training and was awakened before dawn by a red-neck drill sergeant who bellowed: “Drop your whatsis and grab your socks and fall out on the road,” is entitled.

- Those veterans who wish to march in parades, make speeches or listen to speeches can do so. But for those who don’t, all local gambling laws should be suspended for the day to permit vets to gather in taverns, pull a couple of tables together and spend the day playing poker, blackjack, craps, drinking and telling lewd lies about lewd experiences with lewd women. All bar prices should be rolled back to enlisted men’s club prices, Officers can pay the going rate, the stiffs.

- All anti-smoking laws will be suspended for Veterans Day. The same hold for all misdemeanor laws pertaining to disorderly conduct, non-felonious brawling, leering, gawking and any other gross and disgusting public behavior that does not harm another individual.

- It will be a treasonable offense for any spouse or live-in girlfriend (or boyfriend, if it applies) to utter the dreaded words: “What time will you be home tonight?”

- Anyone caught posing as a veteran will be required to eat a triple portion of chipped beef on toast, with Spam on the side, and spend the day watching a chaplain present a color-slide presentation on the horrors of VD.

- Regardless of how high his office, no politician who had the opportunity to serve in the military, but didn’t, will be allowed to make a patriotic speech, appear on TV, or poke his nose out of his office for the entire day.

Any politician who defies this ban will be required to spend 12 hours wearing headphones and listening to tapes of President Clinton explaining his deferments.

Now, deal the cards and pass the tequila.

Mike Royko

Amen, Mike. And for the record, just about every veteran I know is working today, too!

Whether or not you have today off, I hope you take a minute to thank the veterans you know for their service. And if you’re a veteran yourself: Thank you.

Formerly called Armistice Day, Veterans Day is the day America commemorates the contributions of those who have served in its military. It falls on the anniversary of the signing of the Armistice that ended the First World War. All major hostilities of World War I were formally ended at the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month of 1918 with the German signing of the Armistice. The day is celebrated elsewhere in the world as Remembrance Day.

Today we salute America’s 25 million living Veterans and join the rest of the nation in remembering their sacrifice and thank them for their service to our country. There will be parades, including one in downtown Sacramento and, at 11:00AM, the parade will stop where it stands, Taps will be played, and all will observe two minutes of silence.

Take two minutes… It’s a pittance of time.

Here’s another tribute to our veterans, this one apparently by a student at Kuna High School for a Veterans Day assembly…

As a veteran of the Viet Nam War, I am proud to stand beside the brave men and women that now serve and have served our country in time of need. To all our veterans, thank you. The Republic is well served. And as long as we find men and women willing to do the hard, dirty work - there will be a Republic.

Today marks the 232nd anniversary of our U.S. Marine Corps Larry P. sent this nicely done PowerPoint slideshow to honor their proud heritage (requires MS PowerPoint):

To the Few. The Proud. The United States Marine Corps. Semper Fi.

The SU-35 is the prototype for the SU-37, a super-maneuverable thrust vectoring Russian fighter. Two Lyulka AL-37FU vectored-thrust afterburning turbofans (30,855 lb thrust each) give the aircraft it’s extreme flight characteristics. Amazing!

Thanks Michael!

It’s been six years. Perhaps the emotions you experienced that day - terror, disbelief, anger - have faded. Perhaps you think that day is a horrible part of our history to be filed away. It’s not. The enemy is reforming and will strike again. The war against evil is now and forever a part of our lives. We must be vigilant. We must use all means to defeat the enemy or he will surely defeat us. That is the nature of war. And make no mistake - we are at war.

We must remember the act of war that brought us here. Take a few moments to watch this video. Do you remember that day? Were you angry? Are you still angry?

We are Americans. We honor our dead and we give aid and comfort to those who have suffered. But then we return to the battlefield to engage and defeat the aggressor. He is still there, plotting, planning to attack again. The war is not over…

Remember those who perished that day. Say a prayer for those who carry on without them. Never forget.

During World War II, the Army Corps of Engineers needed to hide the Lockheed Burbank Aircraft Plant to protect it from possible Japanese air attacks. They covered it with camouflage netting and trompe l’oeil to make it look like a rural subdivision from the air. As this series of 9 photographs illustrates, the ruse was quite effective, allowing workers to carry out their daily routines without fear of becoming targets…

Tip o’ the hat to Davey!

These are purportedly photographs (click to enlarge) of the worlds largest helicopter, sighted on the tarmac in Dease Lake, B.C., a couple weeks ago. It was apparently being used to move mining equipment and cargo to Galore Creek, a new mine in that area. Called the Utsky and owned by a Russian company, the behemoth chopper couldn’t land at the unpaved air strip at Bob Quinn Lake (its rotor wash blows 12-inch rocks around like leaves!) so it had to land at Dease Lake until the landing site north of Bob Quinn could be inspected. It’s probably bigger than anything ever seen at the Dease Lake Airport, including the terminal building!

Stats (unverified):

• Russian crew of 6 (2 pilots, 1 navigator, 2 engineers (mechanics), 1 cargo person)

• Carries 75 troops

• Consumes 2000 litres of fuel per hour

• Range: 580 km

• Rental rate: $30,000/hr

• Length: 40 metres

• Rotor: 8 blades, each about 2 feet wide

Thanks Davey!

A great demonstration of low level “on the deck” flying from Michael D. The aircraft is a French Air Force Mirage F1. There’s some debate over where and why, but we can all agree it’s a fun ride! The music is “The Champions,” by Era, on the album “The Mass.” Works well with this video… Not available on iTunes.

YEE HAW! Have a great weekend, all!

Today’s “fly-by” shows the new Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter. The first production flight was December 15, 2006 and it is expected to be in full deployment by 2014. Its huge engine produces 43,000 pounds of thrust giving it supersonic capability, yet it’s capable of a short takeoff using only 400 feet of runway at a take off speed of just 80 m.p.h. If that’s not enough, it’s a hover craft capable of vertical takeoff and landing! All that and stealth, too!

You might also enjoy this video report on the progress of the F-35 program for the first quarter of 2007. These are exciting times in military aviation history!

Michael sent this nice collection of 40 aviation images ranging from commercial to military to aerobatic. I extracted them from the Powerpoint file so they could be posted here. Click on the image below to view them all (Click  any image to enlarge.)