tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7684531976778247960.post6530419363349814944..comments2024-03-19T04:42:23.871-07:00Comments on Chant du Départ: I Hate to Break It to You...OldAFSargehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15935839956936191547noreply@blogger.comBlogger25125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7684531976778247960.post-64025449807589577542018-05-06T15:47:57.803-07:002018-05-06T15:47:57.803-07:00I thought so. :)I thought so. :)OldAFSargehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15935839956936191547noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7684531976778247960.post-32679258073605280402018-05-06T15:11:12.929-07:002018-05-06T15:11:12.929-07:00Hey Sarge, this FNG is pretty good. Hey Sarge, this FNG is pretty good. Tunahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04930237104692982421noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7684531976778247960.post-53194163653691602342018-05-05T20:00:23.865-07:002018-05-05T20:00:23.865-07:00Thanks. I enjoy your site and your escape from so...Thanks. I enjoy your site and your escape from socialism. Still wished your wife had let you get the SpeedQueens, but you can't get everything. Glad your car is doing well in Colorado, too.<br /><br />It was probably the most formative 3 years of my life. Something about living on an island where over 4,300 people died in just three days.<br /><br />Not to mention the total friggin awesomeness of watching working Anti-Ballistic Missiles hit inert but actual re-entry warheads. What a rush!Beanshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15293778848879361153noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7684531976778247960.post-1490820620678388542018-05-05T18:53:54.995-07:002018-05-05T18:53:54.995-07:00Welcome!
I mostly lurk, but comment once in a whi...Welcome!<br /><br />I mostly lurk, but comment once in a while.<br /><br />I've known many people who worked and lived on Kwaj, but have never heard about it from somebody who spent time there as a kid.<br /><br />Really looking forward to reading more.drjimhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05647484115197408897noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7684531976778247960.post-91695904045126089912018-05-05T18:27:37.838-07:002018-05-05T18:27:37.838-07:00Well, I feel we enjoyed the experience more than s...Well, I feel we enjoyed the experience more than served the experience. But I get your point. Military spouses, especially, serve, or don't, and that can make or break a military career, whether Officer, Warrant or Enlisted.<br /><br />Kids follow the parents in saneness and behavior (for the most part.) Good parents raise good kids. Broken parent, not so much. And with TDY or other away assignments, the spouse especially needs to be a sane and stable adult. Unfortunately, too often the home adult isn't.<br /><br />The best explanation of military wives, at least the good ones, is in John Ringo's book "Claws that Catch." He explains the whole 'wife's club' thingy in ways I never understood.Beanshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15293778848879361153noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7684531976778247960.post-75117037644373188422018-05-05T15:34:05.300-07:002018-05-05T15:34:05.300-07:00Dependants serve, they just don't get paid for...Dependants serve, they just don't get paid for it. And sometimes they are not in the line of fire. Sometimes they are. Yet again, good enough for me.<br /><br />Paul L. QuandtAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7684531976778247960.post-14170143725175907332018-05-05T14:20:40.125-07:002018-05-05T14:20:40.125-07:00She served. Good enough for me.She served. Good enough for me.Beanshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15293778848879361153noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7684531976778247960.post-7214818226897345732018-05-05T14:16:06.621-07:002018-05-05T14:16:06.621-07:00Ok OAFS, the header doesn't specifically say t...Ok OAFS, the header doesn't specifically say that LUSH is retired. But it can be read that way as easily as the other way. Again, I say, who cares? It's your blog and any way you want it to read is ok with me and likely not a problem with anyone else.<br /><br />PLQAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7684531976778247960.post-85964088086213691992018-05-05T14:08:17.440-07:002018-05-05T14:08:17.440-07:00So OAFS has to change the header to reflect a non-...So OAFS has to change the header to reflect a non-veteran. As I understand it, LUSH didn't actually retire, so the header isn't strictly accurate anyway. Who cares? Certainly not I ( or is it me? ). The more the merrier, says I. After all, you write well ( if not entirely grammatically correct [ the editor in me, dontchaknow ]) and always have interesting things to say. To my mind, that is far more important than whether or not you were in uniform.<br /><br />Paul Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7684531976778247960.post-59190060391669722282018-05-05T13:07:07.076-07:002018-05-05T13:07:07.076-07:00Oh, and Truk has less radioactive ships than Kwaja...Oh, and Truk has less radioactive ships than Kwajalein Atoll has, by one. One very interesting ship. Very Interesting...Beanshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15293778848879361153noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7684531976778247960.post-53923575205964544872018-05-05T13:05:23.596-07:002018-05-05T13:05:23.596-07:00Thank you, sir. I feel kinda like a piker because...Thank you, sir. I feel kinda like a piker because you all and the missing LUSH have all served this country. I am just a slightly crazed observer to military fun.<br /><br />Plastics, yeah, plastics. If they would just pump the damned oil and nat gas off of my 1/3rd of 1/5th of 1/64th of an acre of land in Louisiana, well, I'd be set for LIFE! Darned it! (Hey, in the 40s and 50s, that 1/5th of 1/64th paid like $10,000 a year in royalties. Now? It pays for the taxes. Darned it.<br /><br />I am glad you've enjoyed my commentary. I know my weird perspective can be off-putting (especially in person where I can't edit myself quick enough) so the fact that people seem to like me here is nice.<br /><br />Next post from me is going to be different... Beanshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15293778848879361153noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7684531976778247960.post-71192529133914029022018-05-05T12:15:47.825-07:002018-05-05T12:15:47.825-07:00Well, welcome aboard. As Sarge has already brough...Well, welcome aboard. As Sarge has already brought up wages and benefits, I, as your financial consultant will explain the pay rate around here. That will be Naught, divided by the amount of effort the post required ,times (1-square root of 1). As your financial adviser, I'd advise you to invest in.....<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eaCHH5D74Fs" rel="nofollow">"Plastics"</a><br /><br />So...you've got that going for you. <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X48G7Y0VWW4" rel="nofollow">Gunga...La gungala.</a><br /><br />Seriously, I've enjoyed your commentary and am looking forward to future posts.juvathttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09096708575138552532noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7684531976778247960.post-7097684798043545662018-05-05T11:22:57.140-07:002018-05-05T11:22:57.140-07:00Thanks, Paul. But I don't need my place in th...Thanks, Paul. But I don't need my place in the header, as I am just a dependant, not an actual veteran.<br /><br />So far all the A/V work has been from our host, the noble OldAFSarge (I keep on wanting to abbreviate it as OAFS, but that just doesn't seem right, not knowing whether he is clumsy or not.) Now that Blogger finally recognizes me (Blogger does not like Outlook, I will have to try my hand at powerpointing my own presentations.<br /><br />Kwajalein was my one overseas experience. Was born at Holloman AFB, I think I was at Kirkland AFB, then Vandenberg AFB, then Kwaj. I would have loved to have my father based in Alaska or Germany. That would have been really great (snow and ice and no tropical plants - Alaska, great food and german stuff - Germany.) One of my friends grew up in Japan, Korea, Iceland, Germany, Spain, and then finally Florida, so I'm really jealous of their experience.<br /><br />And once was enough to convince me that for all the evils of this country of mine, we stand head and shoulders above everyone else for just about everything, freedom, size of living spaces, size of vehicles, availability of foods (seriously, 6 different brands of milk, each in at least 3 different varieties, all in one store. I love America!) Kwaj (the island) was totally 1st world, with a touch of colonial outpost, while the 'native' island, Ebeye, was definitely upscale 3rd world (no offense to the Marshallese, and they have cleaned things up, but anytime lots of people living in poverty are crowded into a small location, well, that's 3rd worldish. Not having any sort of industry or business prospects definitely restricts their ability to raise their worldness, unfortunately.)<br /><br />Beanshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15293778848879361153noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7684531976778247960.post-36858946079119362832018-05-05T11:08:47.758-07:002018-05-05T11:08:47.758-07:00Oh, yeah, staff puke all the way! Yay!
Hey, it w...Oh, yeah, staff puke all the way! Yay!<br /><br />Hey, it was actually great. Beautiful place to fish, sail, motorboat, snorkel or scuba, fly kites (constant sea breezes). Lots of history for the history buff. Lots of neat things to get involved in. You just have to be careful. I'm sure the risk of waterlogged explosives has gone down in the 40+ years since I've been there.<br /><br />Lots of sunken ships to dive on and such. Really pretty fish and coral. (Watch the BBC shows "Planet Earth" with David Attenborough, especially the ones dealing with oceans, to see how beautiful it could be.) On a good day the visibility in the lagoon could easily be over 100'<br /><br />But to visit, like do the tourist thing, you have to get tons of permissions from various governments. Not totally impossible, but just inconveniently improbable.<br /><br />But there are lots of tourist charters to Truk Lagoon. Even prettier volcanic islands (think miniature Hawaii, except without all the annoying Hawaiians.) And lots more wrecks, and gun positions, and less off-limit areas. Just don't do like Jacques Cousteau did and move Japanese bones without Japanese permission as the Japanese are very touchy about their war dead.Beanshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15293778848879361153noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7684531976778247960.post-75760928325528249602018-05-05T10:59:32.355-07:002018-05-05T10:59:32.355-07:00It was a great time (70 to 73) to be there. The h...It was a great time (70 to 73) to be there. The height of the ABM testing. Don't know the Sandholms, but contactors were definitely there. Next duplex NE of our quarters was one of the head Raytheon contractors (I think Raytheon.) The ones who made the phased array radar units (which Kwaj atoll had two, one on Kwaj itself and the other one on Meck, where the ABMs were launched from.<br /><br />Coincidentally, the head contractor and his wife were my foster grand-parents for my confirmation (a Catholic rite of passage) and introduced me to God's own perfect food - LASAGNA!Beanshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15293778848879361153noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7684531976778247960.post-80347904924495062992018-05-05T10:54:30.963-07:002018-05-05T10:54:30.963-07:00Well, consider the John Wayne movie "Conquero...Well, consider the John Wayne movie "Conqueror." Which was filmed in the fallout area, supposedly a 'safe' area. The list of deaths due to cancer from those on the set is, well, stupendous. Including the Duke himself.<br /><br />Some of the things we did after we knew what was not safe just astounds me, in a horror-filled HP Lovecraftian way.Beanshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15293778848879361153noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7684531976778247960.post-89958246746738951672018-05-05T10:14:11.562-07:002018-05-05T10:14:11.562-07:00I'm on it Paul.
(Damn! You don't miss a t...I'm on it Paul.<br /><br />(Damn! You don't miss a thing do you?)OldAFSargehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15935839956936191547noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7684531976778247960.post-697838702753216262018-05-05T09:31:22.506-07:002018-05-05T09:31:22.506-07:00Oh yeah, military medicine.
Ever wonder what ha...Oh yeah, military medicine. <br /><br />Ever wonder what happens to ex-football rejects in the Army? Special Forces? Lifting tanks one handed? No. They become medical orderlies at Kwajalein and are assigned to hold down small children while the nurse or doctor scrubs the coral sand wound with a friggin fingernail brush to get all the chunky coral goodness out so there won't be a life-threatening attack of gangrene in 2-3 days (yes, seen that green pussy ooziness in another kid, what a horror story) all done not under any anesthetic at all (I guess they figured pain is education.) They know they are done debriding when they strike bone or get to the other side. <br /><br />I think they used 3 or 4 mongo orderlies on the adults, but the adults usually got some sort of local or general, or were boozed up (which I guess qualifies as a general.)<br /><br />Thus, HELL - The Hospital as mentioned in the above article.Beanshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15293778848879361153noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7684531976778247960.post-82163566870207578202018-05-05T09:25:27.111-07:002018-05-05T09:25:27.111-07:00Unfortunately, I was the younger brother and was a...Unfortunately, I was the younger brother and was a meat puppet for my older siblings. Island life was different. No TV at all (VCRs just getting sold in 1973 when we left.) Lots of restricted places. <br /><br />And the one time I did something bad and went to run away (like the stories and tv always show you) I packed some sandwiches, got two blocks down the road and went, "Darned, I'm on an ISLAND." Went home and accepted punishment. You can tell that I was still young, because otherwise I would have said something on the lines of, "GAWSHDARNEDIT, I'm on a mothaf$%#er ISLAND!" as the curse gene was latent in me until around 13yoa, way too late to use appropriately to situations on my beloved Kwaj.Beanshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15293778848879361153noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7684531976778247960.post-35574269045722794482018-05-05T07:42:53.280-07:002018-05-05T07:42:53.280-07:00So, I got to the first clip and, 20 minutes and fi...So, I got to the first clip and, 20 minutes and five clips later, I read on only to discover that you are trying out as a Monty Python writer ( in case they ever make a come-back ). <br /><br />Really, it's just envy because I never got to go to such neat places. Only Alaska during the Korean War and Italy during the cold war ( 50 miles NORTH of the MLR, in case the Russians and their friends ever decided to take their tanks on a drive to Rome ). I didn't get to play with such interesting and fun critters.<br /><br />Anyway, welcome to the club of Chant writers.<br /><br />OAFS, you are going the have to change the header again ( unless you are going to continue to have Andrew post under your byline.) ( Bet you thought you snuck that one by, huh. )<br /><br />Thanks for the post.<br />Paul L. QuandtAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7684531976778247960.post-91626030291887820142018-05-05T07:27:07.779-07:002018-05-05T07:27:07.779-07:00See what you've gotten yourself into Andrew? Y...See what you've gotten yourself into Andrew? You're no longer one of the crew, hurling insults at the staff, baying at the moon and running amok in the berthing spaces.<br /><br />Now you're with the rest of us aft, enticing targets for the sharpshooters in the enemy's fighting tops and, and...<br /><br />Yes, I get carried away. But another excellent post, made me laugh, made me never want to visit Kwajalein, which I'm sure has its charms.OldAFSargehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15935839956936191547noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7684531976778247960.post-70578615826066960332018-05-05T06:09:31.380-07:002018-05-05T06:09:31.380-07:00Oooooh. The FNG! I'll have a pint of Strengt...Oooooh. The FNG! I'll have a pint of Strength and a tumbler of Courage. Leave your credit card with the bartender. No, no. Not the one that's maxed out. The one you save for emergencies that has nothing on it and no limit. We'll let you know when you can have it back.<br /><br />Now, about your time in Kwaj. My next door neighbors went out there about the same time. The father worked for a defense contractor and was sent to work on a radar installation, and the family went with him. Last name was Sandholm.WaywardSailornoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7684531976778247960.post-55107189517599898152018-05-05T05:49:26.989-07:002018-05-05T05:49:26.989-07:00Sounds like a place to have a younger brother, to ...Sounds like a place to have a younger brother, to double dog dare. Umm, fun.Jim b.https://www.blogger.com/profile/06586320752813748542noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7684531976778247960.post-44898789692685501592018-05-05T05:44:43.514-07:002018-05-05T05:44:43.514-07:00Ah, the many joys of growing up a military junior....Ah, the many joys of growing up a military junior. Always being the new kid on the block because you moved every two or three years. The awkwardness of having to answer the question "where are you from?" The joys of military medicine (which was actually pretty good, but I still have a huge scar from Army doctors at Tripler going on a safari looking for my appendix at age 11.) Welcome to our motley crew.Davehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15482185271178889753noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7684531976778247960.post-13574487310529087732018-05-05T05:02:43.261-07:002018-05-05T05:02:43.261-07:00Welcome aboard.
Of course there is no hazing, but ...Welcome aboard.<br />Of course there is no hazing, but I do need you to get the keys to the steam chest.<br /><br />I read a book written by one of the soldiers stationed in the Pacific during the open air test days. He makes it clear that there were way more oops than ever mentioned in the media.<br /><br />Looking forward to your posts.<br /><br /><br />John in Phillyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16196033252818387245noreply@blogger.com