The father of CCT

            I was honored to attend the memorial for the father of CCT.

Chief Master Sergeant Alcide “Bull” Sylvio Benni 15 Oct 1921-16 Apr 2015.  He arrived at Ellis Island in 1930 and joined the Army ten years later.  He was captured by the Japanese 7 Apr 1942 in the Philippines.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hc2m7Av3L5U

            After internment as a POW he was repatriated, joined the 82^nd Airborne attended Pathfinder school and worked hard to make sure American forces would not again surrender.  He transferred the USAF and founded the unit that would become Combat Control and later Special Tactics. 

            He lived a full life after the military, he played saxophone and cooked up Italian cuisine with fixings from his garden.  I met his granddaughter, his brother, his daughter and her husband.  The Chaplin played and sang hymnals including ‘Amazing Grace’, ‘How Great Thou Art’, and ‘When the Saints Go Marching In’.  They invited people to speak and I said a few words.

            “The Battling Bastards of Bataan, no mama, no papa no Uncle Sam; I did not know the Chief personally.  He founded a unit that gathers all the bastards, orphans and mutants and organizes them to defend this nation.  My wife is from the Philippines.  The impact of one man ripples throughout the world.  We stand on the shoulders of giants.”

            It was evident that he feared God and loved his country.  After the family left I went back and knocked out memorial push ups.  The best leaders inspire one to try your hardest.  We will defend our kin to the death.  My brother from another mother still stands at the gates of hell keeping this country safe.  Many have fallen, more will rise.

I have lived the easy life.  Uncle Sam did not abandon me.  The Chief formed a team that grew.  I used to tie a knot in the string at the back of my beret for my fallen brothers to remind me of them.  It was an added bonus that it pissed the first sergeants in division off.  I quit tying knots at number twenty one. 

The experience as POW slave labor in the mines eclipses any hardship I can fathom.  I thank God that he lived.  At one time I wondered why my team leader was such a hard ass; later I understood that it was because he loved me. 

MLK day

            Many people can quote the start of his most famous speech “I have a dream…” but few people can tell you what his dream was.

            Last month on MLK day I flew with one of my good friends to Carthage, NC where we ate at the Pic N’ Pig.  He read one of the plaques which told of the story of  James McConnel who died in battle during World War one.  JP read it in French since that is where he was born. 

            The second plaque is written in Chinese and tells of Robert Upchurch who served and died as one of the Flying Tigers.  My second student of the day is from China.  I look forward to the day when I can call him my friend. 

            The ideas expressed in the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence ring as true today as the day they were written.  The blood of people paying for the fruition of those dreams has been spilled in many battles.  French blood supporting the rebellious colonies, Chinese blood against an invading force and American blood mixed in with both.  Our civil war was the bloodiest.  I long for peace and weep for my fallen comrades and thank God that I live in a country that states upfront “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”  The color of your skin does not matter; blood is red, what matters is how you live. 

            Live the dream.  Dream big. 

Advice

            Smokers gotta smoke, dogs gotta poop, old men gotta pee.  Police your butts, watch your step, don’t eat the yeller snow.

Redneck paradise

The first step in building a redneck paradise is to post the colors.

I love living in a swamp in Harnett County.

I get to watch aluminum cans of whoop ass bring black-hearted devils in baggy pants to Sicily, Normandy and Salerno drop zones. 

The perfect hot chocolate

When I was in the depths of cancer treatment everything tasted like cardboard and kerosene.  By the grace of God I live and breath additional blessings are the wonderful senses that we have one of which is taste.  After a hard cold day on the range a sweet cup of hot chocolate is amazing.  In my quest to live life to the fullest I have been experimenting with different formulas.  Store bought coco is good, there are many kinds.  In an effort to avoid a diabetic coma we sampled diet and sugar free products.  My tastes are eclectic and somewhat strange.  My current masterpiece contains coffee, cinnamon, coco power, vanilla and a touch of vanilla soothed with milk and honey.  I like it a lot!  My lovely daughter said it tasted like the Guinness of hot chocolate.  She did not mean it as a complement. 

            The addition of marshmallows is the topping that makes the drink.  I am not sure if the liquid is but the pallet upon which the marshmallows dance and play but they make even the most basic coco taste GOOD.  The Irish in me wants to add Bailey’s and or something stronger. 

            Have fun with your taste buds.  My favorite drink still is a tall cool glass of water.

Good advice

Drink more water
Be quiet
pray
listen
sing, dance and laugh while you do your chores


Now if I can just do that

Daddy what would you do

  While on the lake fishing my children asked me "Daddy what would you do if the boat capsized and we were all drowning?"
  
  "I'd jump in and save Mom, swim her to shore, run a hot shower for her, get her a clean dry change of clothes.  Then I would probably make her a hot bowl of New England clam chowder and perhaps a sandwich.  Do you think she might like some cheese and crackers?  What about a hot chocolate?  But, your momma would probably make me save y'all first."

Both my kids know how to swim. 

So does my wife. 

We wear floatation.