Interesting Veterans Statistics off the Vietnam Memorial Wall
"Carved on these walls is the story of America , of a continuing quest to preserve both Democracy and decency, and to protect a national treasure that we call the American dream." ~President George Bush
SOMETHING to think about - Most of the surviving Parents are now Deceased.
There are 58,267 names now listed on that polished black wall, including those added in 2010.
The names are arranged in the order in which they were taken from us by date and within each date the names are alphabetized. It is hard to believe it is 36 years since the last casualties.
Beginning at the apex on panel 1E and going out to the end of the East wall, appearing to recede into the earth (numbered 70E - May 25, 1968), then resuming at the end of the West wall, as the wall emerges from the earth (numbered 70W - continuing May 25, 1968) and ending with a date in 1975. Thus the war's beginning and end meet. The war is complete, coming full circle, yet broken by the earth that bounds the angle's open side and contained within the earth itself.
The first known casualty was Richard B. Fitzgibbon, of North Weymouth , Mass. Listed by the U.S. Department of Defense as having been killed on June 8, 1956. His name is listed on the Wall with that of his son, Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Richard B. Fitzgibbon III, who was killed on Sept. 7, 1965.
There are three sets of fathers and sons on the Wall.
39,996 on the Wall were just 22 or younger.
8,283 were just 19 years old.
The largest age group, 33,103 were 18 years old.
12 soldiers on the Wall were 17 years old.
5 soldiers on the Wall were 16 years old.
One soldier, PFC Dan Bullock was 15 years old.
997 soldiers were killed on their first day in Vietnam .
1,448 soldiers were killed on their last day in Vietnam .
31 sets of brothers are on the Wall.
Thirty one sets of parents lost two of their sons.
54 soldiers on attended Thomas Edison High School in
Philadelphia . I wonder why so many from one school.
8 Women are on the Wall. Nursing the wounded.
244 soldiers were awarded the Medal of Honor during the Vietnam
War; 153 of them are on the Wall.
Beallsville , Ohio with a population of 475 lost 6 of her sons.
West Virginia had the highest casualty rate per capita in the nation.
There are 711 West Virginians on the Wall.
The Marines of Morenci - They led some of the scrappiest high
school football and basketball teams that the little Arizona copper
town of Morenci (pop. 5,058) had ever known and cheered. They
enjoyed roaring beer busts. In quieter moments, they rode horses
along the Coronado Trail, stalked deer in the Apache National
Forest. And in the patriotic camaraderie typical of Morenci's mining
families, the nine graduates of Morenci High enlisted as a group in
the Marine Corps. Their service began on Independence Day, 1966.
Only 3 returned home.
The Buddies of Midvale - LeRoy Tafoya, Jimmy Martinez, Tom
Gonzales were all boyhood friends and lived on three consecutive
streets in Midvale, Utah on Fifth, Sixth and Seventh avenues. They
lived only a few yards apart. They played ball at the adjacent sandlot
ball field. And they all went to Vietnam . In a span of 16 dark days in
late 1967, all three would be killed. LeRoy was killed on
Wednesday, Nov. 22, the fourth anniversary of John F. Kennedy's
assassination. Jimmy died less than 24 hours later on Thanksgiving
Day. Tom was shot dead assaulting the enemy on Dec. 7, Pearl
Harbor Remembrance Day.
The most casualty deaths for a single day was on January 31, 1968 ~
245 deaths.
The most casualty deaths for a single month was May 1968 - 2,415
casualties were incurred.
For most Americans who read this they will only see the numbers that the Vietnam War created. To those of us who survived the war, and to the families of those who did not, we see the faces, we feel the pain that these numbers created. We are, until we too pass away, haunted with these numbers, because they were our friends, fathers, husbands, wives, sons and daughters. There are no noble wars, just noble warriors.
Friday, November 11, 2011
Problem solved . . .
My husband has a day off so no quilting today. We always seem to be on the run when he is home catching up on errands and projects. I'm very okay with the break from sewing as my current quilting project has been fighting me all week. Just yesterday, I figured out what I wanted and where I wanted to go on completing my scrap quilt so was calm of heart today knowing I would have a feasible starting place tomorrow.
The current project is, of course, a scrap quilt. I cut out strips of leftover fabric, one and one-half inch wide and sewed them together at a diagonal. I alternated borders on each square between a dark blue fabric and a lighter blue, patterned one. That's when I got stuck! What next? I finally took the remainder of the fabric strips and sewed them together, side by side and will use them to extend the length and width of the quilt while providing the border.
Our temperate day is cooling down quickly as the clouds are making an appearance. We have a chance of rain so I'm thinking that tomorrow will be good for staying home and sewing. My husband works so my sewing time won't take away from his plans. Not that he minds me sewing, but he works such long hours, we like to spend what time we can together . . . even if it is fighting our way through the grocery stores or Walmart!
I got half the border concept in place on the quilt, yesterday, and hope to get the long sides done tomorrow. I will post a picture when the whole project is presentable!
The current project is, of course, a scrap quilt. I cut out strips of leftover fabric, one and one-half inch wide and sewed them together at a diagonal. I alternated borders on each square between a dark blue fabric and a lighter blue, patterned one. That's when I got stuck! What next? I finally took the remainder of the fabric strips and sewed them together, side by side and will use them to extend the length and width of the quilt while providing the border.
Our temperate day is cooling down quickly as the clouds are making an appearance. We have a chance of rain so I'm thinking that tomorrow will be good for staying home and sewing. My husband works so my sewing time won't take away from his plans. Not that he minds me sewing, but he works such long hours, we like to spend what time we can together . . . even if it is fighting our way through the grocery stores or Walmart!
I got half the border concept in place on the quilt, yesterday, and hope to get the long sides done tomorrow. I will post a picture when the whole project is presentable!
Spicy Cut Out Cookies
Although cut-out sugar cookies are popular during the holidays, I like to spice up the cut-out cookies with this recipe. Also, the golden color makes the icing stand out whether you opt for colorful with sprinkles or white icing outlines.
Spicy Cut Out Cookies
2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon cinnamon
1 ½ teaspoons allspice
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon ginger
½ teaspoon cloves
½ teaspoon ground anise seed
3/4 cups softened butter
1 1/4 cups packed, brown sugar
1 large egg
1 tablespoon milk
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 teaspoon orange extract
1 teaspoon grated orange zest
Combine the dry ingredients and set aside. Cream the butter and sugar until fluffy. Add egg, milk, extracts, and zest and mix well. Mix in dry ingredients to form dough. Wrap dough and refrigerate over night.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease baking sheets.
On lightly-floured board, roll out dough to 1/4 inch thick and cut out with desired cookie cutters. Place on prepared baking sheets and bake until cookies are golden around the edges, approximately six to eight minutes. These cookies tend to burn easily! Cool on wire rack. Makes about 6 dozen cookies, depending on size of cookie cutters.
Spicy Cut Out Cookies
2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon cinnamon
1 ½ teaspoons allspice
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon ginger
½ teaspoon cloves
½ teaspoon ground anise seed
3/4 cups softened butter
1 1/4 cups packed, brown sugar
1 large egg
1 tablespoon milk
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 teaspoon orange extract
1 teaspoon grated orange zest
Combine the dry ingredients and set aside. Cream the butter and sugar until fluffy. Add egg, milk, extracts, and zest and mix well. Mix in dry ingredients to form dough. Wrap dough and refrigerate over night.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease baking sheets.
On lightly-floured board, roll out dough to 1/4 inch thick and cut out with desired cookie cutters. Place on prepared baking sheets and bake until cookies are golden around the edges, approximately six to eight minutes. These cookies tend to burn easily! Cool on wire rack. Makes about 6 dozen cookies, depending on size of cookie cutters.
A Great Viewpoint . . .
"Good judgment comes from experience, and often experience comes
from bad judgment." -- Rita
Mae Brown
Sadly interesting . . .
After observing too many extraordinary ministers at Mass mishandling the purification of the chalices for the Precious Blood, I mentioned to my husband about my distress and why doesn't the bishop remedy this situation. To my surprise, he said America had been granted a three-year Indult allowing lay people to do this but it expired in 2005. When the American Bishops requested an extension of the Indult, Pope Benedict declined the request.
I was talking to some parishioners, who are also extraordinary ministers, about this situation. They had just been to a huge event/training session for extraordinary ministers and their take from the bishop's instruction was that they were to continue doing the purification of the vessels and the priest were no longer permitted to do so. This didn't sound correct to me.
Another person said that Rome leaves it up to the bishops on these matters and that didn't sound line steering one, Catholic, universal Church, either. In fact, one of the extraordinary ministers said he didn't know what all the fuss was about. He said he had been informed by every priest he met, over the years, that the only reason for the purification of the chalice, etc. by the priest was to give the congregation a little more time to pray after Communion.
I did a little research on the subject and found this link:
http://www.adoremus.org/1106ExtraordinaryMinisters.html
It sure doesn't sanction the way our bishop is allowing things to be done. I have to wonder about this kind of attitude. Naturally, our bishop demands and deserves respect but how do we cope with this when his example seems to be a disregard for the word from Rome?
I was talking to some parishioners, who are also extraordinary ministers, about this situation. They had just been to a huge event/training session for extraordinary ministers and their take from the bishop's instruction was that they were to continue doing the purification of the vessels and the priest were no longer permitted to do so. This didn't sound correct to me.
Another person said that Rome leaves it up to the bishops on these matters and that didn't sound line steering one, Catholic, universal Church, either. In fact, one of the extraordinary ministers said he didn't know what all the fuss was about. He said he had been informed by every priest he met, over the years, that the only reason for the purification of the chalice, etc. by the priest was to give the congregation a little more time to pray after Communion.
I did a little research on the subject and found this link:
http://www.adoremus.org/1106ExtraordinaryMinisters.html
It sure doesn't sanction the way our bishop is allowing things to be done. I have to wonder about this kind of attitude. Naturally, our bishop demands and deserves respect but how do we cope with this when his example seems to be a disregard for the word from Rome?
People forget the way to real success . . .
Do
not pray for easy lives. Pray to be stronger men! Do not pray for tasks equal to
your powers. Pray for power equal to your tasks.
- Phillips Brooks
Candy Bar Fudge
Just found this recipe by Rachel Ray. I like a great many of her recipes because she makes good food easy to do. This one is great as it leaves you open to all sorts of substitutions in order to make each batch of this easy fudge really your own recipe!
Candy Bar Fudge (http://www.rachaelraymag.com/recipes/rachael-ray-magazine-recipe-search/fast-recipes/candy-bar-fudge)
Ingredients
1 ½ cups crushed candy bar (like Butterfinger)
2 ½ cups semisweet chocolate chips
1 can (14 oz.) condensed milk
½ cup peanuts
Directions:
Line 8-inch square pan with parchment, leaving overhang; sprinkle with 1/2 cup candy. Melt chips in condensed milk over low heat. Add nuts and candy. Pour into pan; chill. Cut into squares.
Ideas . . .
I’m just imagining different ways to make this recipe with using peanut butter chips, white chocolate chips, dried fruit, various types of nuts, etc.
Candy Bar Fudge (http://www.rachaelraymag.com/recipes/rachael-ray-magazine-recipe-search/fast-recipes/candy-bar-fudge)
Ingredients
1 ½ cups crushed candy bar (like Butterfinger)
2 ½ cups semisweet chocolate chips
1 can (14 oz.) condensed milk
½ cup peanuts
Directions:
Line 8-inch square pan with parchment, leaving overhang; sprinkle with 1/2 cup candy. Melt chips in condensed milk over low heat. Add nuts and candy. Pour into pan; chill. Cut into squares.
Ideas . . .
I’m just imagining different ways to make this recipe with using peanut butter chips, white chocolate chips, dried fruit, various types of nuts, etc.
Failure only happens when we don't try . . .
"The greater danger for most of
us is not
that our aim is too high and we miss it,
but that it is too low and we reach it."- Michelangelo
that our aim is too high and we miss it,
but that it is too low and we reach it."- Michelangelo
Remembering Veterans Day . . .
Here is a brief history of how this day of rememberance came into being:
http://www.va.gov/opa/vetsday/vetdayhistory.asp
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