USS Enterprise

This is a time warp piece back to the days of old back in World War II. I happen to love the History Channel and today they had a non stop running of Battle 360 and it covered the battles that the carrier U.S.S. Enterprise encountered in the Pacific against the Japanese during WWII. If there was ever a symbol more worthy of the American people it was this ship against the original Axis.

Those guys went through hell more than once. If you are reading this and you are a veteran of the Enterprise then God bless your heart my friend. Holy crap! From battle after battle the Grey Ghost just wouldn’t give up and at one point she was the only surviving carrier the US Navy had during the Pacific Campaign of WWII. If there is anything that comes close to defining the road trip to hell and back, then these guys can explain it all with graphic personal first hand details.

The Enterprise encountered the best the Japanese had to give and beat them back time and time again. That is a tribute to the American spirit of the time and a testimony that many should hear. These men refused to give up and they gave it their all to defend what was right and wrong in the world. Even against overwhelming force they stood and fought and persevered. It was an amazing time and in it we can all take a serious lesson in our lives today. Regardless of all the crap thrown at you at any point in your life, somebody faced a much more dire set of circumstances than we will ever think possible, and they survived to tell the world about it.

Times are tough but times are changing for the better. Things are starting to turn around in the banking industry, stocks and confidence in them shows that. Housing starts are starting to turn the corner and the refinancing of existing homes is turning a page for the better.

Now is the time for people to stop listening to the doom and gloom media and think that it is actually possible that America can survive and get past the current economic crisis. While everyone on the news is spouting more gloom and doom you don’t hear crap about the success stories during this difficult time. Something like General Motors saying that they believe that they will be okay after bankruptcy court. Or the fact that many people able to purchase an existing home from the distressed real-estate market will be launching into home repairs, renovations, upgrades, and out right rebuilds of the existing homes all across America. Then of course it is a must to mention all the folks that still have a job, still pay their bills and pay their mortgages on time as well.

All is not lost, the ship that is the American economy is still able to tread water and make headway. We just can’t barrel ahead at 25 knots and we all need to accept the fact that we have to fix the ship and know that our battle in this economic crisis only acceptable outcome is victory. Just like in WWII, we can fix this and make it seaworthy once more to make her ready for battle on the frontline again. But we can do better. We can make her torpedo proof, make her capable of defending herself, and we can make her survive the long fight ahead of us all. All that we have to do is give her a crew worthy of the sacrifice.

Thank you Enterprise and all that served on her then and now for your courage and your service. Your history and your ship earned a respect unequaled by many and wothy of many more tributes. I just hope that the America of today can live up to your courage in the face of total aniliation and see that survival is possible and you can come back to fight another day.

Papamoka

Revolutionary War and Washington

After watching the History Channel for most of the day on the events following George Washington during the Revolutionary war I am burned out on information. It was interesting to see that George Washington was not a perfect human being but in all respects a General running a rag tag army of civilians. What really amazed me was his ability to keep an army together after one brutal winter after another and still come out with a fighting force each spring. To be honest with you, I was shocked to see how hard the troops in the Revolutionary War had it and the conditions they survived to fight another day.

One thing I was not aware of watching this all day long documentary was the fact that Washington faced so many crisis that seemed to pile one on top of the other but he still managed to control the situation even when it came to mutiny. Did you know that he ordered the trial and firing squad for mutineer soldiers that left in mass to confront the Continental Congress? I sure as hell didn’t! After the firing squad event where several people were shot to death for their actions in the mutiny there was no more talk or actions of abandoning the cause for liberty.

I was amazed to see that at any point in time Washington could have lost the war but his sense of perseverance and survival transcended the British desire to track him down. While the army of King George sat fat and happy Washington evolved into a man that saw that the battles could not be won on European tactics.

Make no mistake about it, George Washington was a great military leader in the sense of military objectives. Were he running for office today he would never have a chance in one million life times of being elected. Washington made hard decisions that I’m sure he had to think long and hard on and politics was always at the back of his mind with the Continental Congress forever on his mind. With the funds for his dysfunctional army at the mercy of the Congress his hands were tied. Their wishes and orders were his military duty to follow.

Washington did not win the Revolutionary War on his own, many other brilliant minds of the day contributed to the eventual result and it was a war of attrition. General Green of Rhode Island contributed greatly to the end of the war with his attrition battles with Lord Cornwallis. As he tracked through the countryside of the Carolina’s he moved his opponent too far from his supplies and thus manipulated him into a dead lock eventually at York Town. With the help of France and all of the diplomatic work Ben Franklin had been doing the siege of the city began with Cornwallis trapped. No escape from land, no escape from sea.

One of the things that surprised me was to learn how many slaves of African decent were participants in the Revolutionary War. Mind you the British used the freedom angle as well and many slaves in the south ran from their owners to the English army to enlist for the sake of freedom. Many more from northern states were signing up to fight even though Washington banned the use of slaves and blacks as soldiers at the beginning of the conflict. Later on in the war he simply ignored the order and the Congress because he needed the men to fight.

Having watched this series on the History Channel I am wiser and more informed on what America is really about. The suffering that all of the people faced in uniform during the Revolutionary War was horrid. How they actually won the war was indeed a gift from God. I thank God and all that gave the ultimate sacrifice to allow me to write these very words. Call it freedom of the press as a blogger or freedom of Speech, either way, Washington made the things we have all fought for generations possible to make America the place to live and prosper. Only in America is a phase that is to common on these shores of Liberty.

I'm not sure if the History Channel has a video you can view on line but I provided a link to get the video just for giggles. I'm new to being a history buff and this one all day long series has impressed me to no end. Just when I thought I was up on American history, the History Channel proved me wrong.

Papamoka