The List 7365
To All
Good Monday Morning November 24, 2025 . Well it is sunny and cool this morning with clear skies and is supposed to heat up to 69 this this afternoon. The next few days are forecast to climb to 80 by Wednesday and then start dropping again. Thursday is supposed to be cloudy and 74 for our Thanksgiving.
Well I had to drop off my Granddaughter's FJ at the mechanic and then pick up a Wallmart run. And since we were there go into WALLMART and pick up a few more things. I did not expect to see so few folks there.
|Regards
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Thanks to Al,
Al never misses a Monday
Monday Morning Thoughts for Thanksgiving
Reasons to be thankful…
• If you woke up this morning with more health than illness...you are more blessed than the million who will not survive this week.
• If you have never experienced the danger of battle, the loneliness of imprisonment, the Agony of torture, or the pangs of starvation ..you are ahead of 500 million people in the world.
• If you can attend a church meeting without fear of harassment, arrest, torture, or death...you are more blessed than three billion people in the world.
• If you have food in the refrigerator, clothes on your back, a roof overhead and a place to sleep...you are richer than 75%of this world.
• If you have money in the bank, in your wallet, and spare change in a dish someplace ... you are among the top 8%of the world's wealthy.
• If your parents are still alive and still married ... you are very rare, even in the United States and Canada.
• If you can read this message, you just received a double blessing in that someone was thinking of you, and furthermore, you are more blessed than over two billion people in the world that cannot read at all.
I am thankful:
• For the wife who says it's hot dogs tonight, because she is home with me, and not out with someone else.
• For the husband who is on the sofa being a couch potato, because he is home with me and not out at the bars.
• For the teenager who is complaining about doing dishes because it means she is at home, not on the streets.
• For the taxes I pay because it means I am employed.
• For the mess to clean after a party because it means I have been surrounded by friends.
• For the clothes that fit a little too snug because it means I have enough to eat.
• For my shadow that watches me work because it means I am out in the sunshine For a lawn that needs mowing, windows that need cleaning, and gutters that need fixing because it means I have a home.
• For all the complaining I hear about the government because it means we have freedom of speech.
• For the parking spot I find at the far end of the parking lot because it means I am capable of walking and I have been blessed with transportation.
• For my huge heating bill because it means I am warm.
• For the lady behind me in church who sings off key because it means I can hear.
• For the pile of laundry and ironing because it means I have clothes to wear.
• For weariness and aching muscles at the end of the day because it means I have been capable of working hard.
• For the alarm that goes off in the early morning hours because it means I am alive.
• And finally, for too much e-mail because it means I have friends who are thinking of me.
One day, a poor boy who was selling goods from door to door to pay his way through school, found he had only one thin dime left, and he was hungry.
He decided he would ask for a meal at the next house. However, he lost his nerve when a lovely young woman opened the door.
Instead of a meal he asked for a drink of water! She thought he looked hungry so brought him a large glass of milk. He drank it so slowly, and then asked, How much do I owe you?"
You don't owe me anything," she replied. "Mother has taught us never to accept pay for a kindness."
He said ... "Then I thank you from my heart."
As Howard Kelly left that house, he not only felt stronger physically, but his faith in God and man was strong also. He had been ready to give up and quit.
Many years later that same young woman became critically ill. The local doctors were baffled. They finally sent her to the big city, where they called in specialists to study her rare disease.
Dr. Howard Kelly was called in for the consultation. When he heard the name of the town she came from, a strange light filled his eyes.
Immediately he rose and went down the hall of the hospital to her room.
Dressed in his doctor's gown he went in to see her. He recognized her at once.
He went back to the consultation room determined to do his best to save her life. From that day he gave special attention to her case.
After a long struggle, the battle was won.
Dr. Kelly requested the business office to pass the final bill to him for approval. He looked at it, then wrote something on the edge, and the bill was sent to her room. She feared to open it, for she was sure it would take the rest of her life to pay for it all. Finally she looked, and something caught her attention on the side of the bill. She read these words...
"Paid in full with one glass of milk"
(Signed) Dr. Howard Kelly.
My screen gets out of focus every year when I read this one….skip
I was at the corner grocery store buying some early potatoes... I noticed a small boy, delicate of bone and feature, ragged but clean, hungrily apprising a basket of freshly picked green peas. I paid for my potatoes but was also drawn to the display of fresh green peas. I am a pushover for creamed peas and new potatoes.
Pondering the peas, I couldn't help overhearing the conversation between Mr. Miller (the store owner) and the ragged boy next to me. "Hello Barry, how are you today?"
"H'lo, Mr. Miller. Fine, thank ya. Jus' admirin' them peas. They sure look good."
"They are good, Barry. How's your Ma?"
"Fine. Gittin' stronger alla' time."
"Good. Anything I can help you with?"
"No, Sir. Jus' admirin' them peas."
"Would you like to take some home?" asked Mr. Miller.
"No, Sir. Got nuthin' to pay for 'em with."
"Well, what have you to trade me for some of those peas?"
"All I got's my prize marble here."
"Is that right? Let me see it" said Miller.
"Here 'tis. She's a dandy."
"I can see that. Hmm mmm, only thing is this one is blue and I sort of go for red. Do you have a red one like this at home?" the store owner asked.
"Not zackley but almost."
"Tell you what. Take this sack of peas home with you and next trip this way let me look at that red marble," Mr. Miller told the boy.
"Sure will. Thanks Mr. Miller."
Mrs. Miller, who had been standing nearby, came over to help me. With a smile she said, "There are two other boys like him in our community, all three are in very poor circumstances. Jim just loves to bargain with them for peas, apples, tomatoes, or whatever. When they come back with their red marbles, and they always do, he decides he doesn't like red after all and he sends them home with a bag of produce for a green marble or an orange one, when they come on their next trip to the store."
I left the store smiling to myself, impressed with this man. A short time later I moved to Colorado, but I never forgot the story of this man, the boys, and their bartering for marbles.
Several years went by, each more rapid than the previous one. Just recently I had occasion to visit some old friends in that Idaho community and while I was there learned that Mr. Miller had died. They were having his visitation that evening and knowing my friends wanted to go, I agreed to accompany them. Upon arrival at the mortuary we fell into line to meet the relatives of the deceased and to offer whatever words of comfort we could.
Ahead of us in line were three young men. One was in an army uniform and the other two wore nice haircuts, dark suits and white shirts...all very professional looking. They approached Mrs. Miller, standing composed and smiling by her husband's casket. Each of the young men hugged her, kissed her on the cheek, spoke briefly with her and moved on to the casket. Her misty light blue eyes followed them as, one by one; each young man stopped briefly and placed his own warm hand over the cold pale hand in the e casket. Each left the mortuary awkwardly, wiping his eyes.
Our turn came to meet Mrs. Miller. I told her who I was and reminded her of the story from those many years ago and what she had told me about her husband's bartering for marbles. With her eyes glistening, she took my hand and led me to the casket. "Those three young men who just left were the boys I told you about. They just told me how they appreciated the things Jim 'traded' them. Now, at last, when Jim could not change his mind about color or size...they came to pay their debt. We've never had a great deal of the wealth of this world, but right now, Jim would consider himself the richest man in Idaho..."
With loving gentleness she lifted the lifeless fingers of her deceased husband. Resting underneath were three exquisitely shined red marbles.
And now for my perennial favorite...
Something for Stevie (Author unknown)
I tried not to be biased in hiring a handicapped person, but his placement counselor assured me that he would be a good, reliable busboy. I had never had a mentally handicapped employee, and I wasn't sure I wanted one. I wasn't sure how my customers would react to Stevie. He was short, a little dumpy, and had the smooth facial features and thick-tongued speech of Down syndrome.
I wasn't worried about most of my trucker customers because truckers don't generally care who buses tables as long as the meat loaf platter is good and the pies are homemade.
The four-wheeler drivers were the ones who concerned me; the mouthy college kids traveling to school; the yuppie snobs who secretly polish their silverware with their napkins for fear of catching some dreaded "truck stop germ;" the pairs of white-shirted business men on expense accounts who think every truck stop waitress wants to be flirted with.
I knew those people would be uncomfortable around Stevie so I closely watched him for the first few weeks. I shouldn't have worried. After the first week, Stevie had my staff wrapped around his stubby little finger, and within a month my truck regulars had adopted him as their official truck stop mascot. After that, I really didn't care what the rest of the customers thought of him.
He was like a 21-year-old in blue jeans and Nikes, eager to laugh and eager to please, but fierce in his attention to his duties. Every salt and pepper shaker was exactly in its place, not a bread crumb or coffee spill was visible when Stevie got done with the table. Our only problem was convincing him to wait to clean a table until after the customers were finished. He would hover in the background, shifting his weight from one foot to the other, scanning the dining room until a table was empty. Then he would scurry to the empty table and carefully bus the dishes and glasses onto a cart and meticulously wipe the table up with a practiced flourish of his rag. If he thought a customer was watching, his brow would pucker with added concentration. He took pride in doing his job exactly right, and you had to love how hard he tried to please each and every person he met.
Over time, we learned that he lived with his mother, a widow who was disabled after repeated surgeries for cancer. They lived on their Social Security benefits in public housing two miles from the truck stop. Their social worker, who stopped to check on him every so often, admitted they had fallen between the cracks. Money was tight, and what I paid him was probably the difference between them being able to live together and Stevie being sent to a group home.
That's why the restaurant was a gloomy place that morning last August, the first morning in three years that Stevie had missed work. He was at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester getting a new valve or something put in his heart. His social worker said that people with Down syndrome often had heart problems at an early age so this wasn't unexpected, and there was a good chance he would come through the surgery in good shape and be back at work in a few months.
A ripple of excitement ran through the staff later that morning when word came that he was out of surgery, in recovery and doing fine. Frannie, my head waitress, let out a war whoop and did a little dance in the aisle when she heard the good news. Belle Ringer, one of our regular trucker customers, stared at the sight of the 50-year-old grandmother of four doing a victory shimmy beside his table. Frannie blushed, smoothed her apron and shot Belle Ringer a withering look.
He grinned. "OK, Frannie, what was that all about?" he asked.
"We just got word that Stevie is out of surgery and going to be okay."
"I was wondering where he was. I had a new joke to tell him. What was the surgery about?"
Frannie quickly told Belle Ringer and the other two drivers sitting at his booth about Stevie's surgery, then sighed. "Yeah, I'm glad he is going to be OK," she said, "but I don't know how he and his mom are going to handle all the bills. From what I hear, they're barely getting by as it is."
Belle Ringer nodded thoughtfully, and Frannie hurried off to wait on the rest of her tables. Since I hadn't had time to round up a busboy to replace Stevie and really didn't want to replace him, the girls were busing their own tables that day until we decided what to do.
After the morning rush, Frannie walked into my office. She had a couple of paper napkins in her hand a funny look on her face.
"What's up?" I asked.
"I didn't get that table where Belle Ringer and his friends were sitting cleared off after they left, and Pony Pete and Tony Tipper were sitting there when I got back to clean it off," she said. "This was folded and tucked under a coffee cup," She handed the napkin to me, and three twenty-dollar bills fell onto my desk when I opened it. On the outside, in big, bold letters, was printed "Something for Stevie".
"Pony Pete asked me what that was all about," she said, "so I told him about Stevie and his mom and everything, and Pete looked at Tony and Tony looked at Pete, and they ended up giving me this." She handed me another paper napkin that had "Something for Stevie" scrawled on its outside. Two $50 bills were tucked within its folds. Frannie looked at me with wet, shiny eyes, shook her head and said simply "truckers."
That was three months ago. Today is Thanksgiving, the first day Stevie is supposed to be back to work. His placement worker said he's been counting the days until the doctor said he could work, and it didn't matter at all that it was a holiday. He called 10 times in the past week, making sure we knew he was coming, fearful that we had forgotten him or that his job was in jeopardy.
I arranged to have his mother bring him to work, met them in the parking lot, and invited them both to celebrate his day back. Stevie was thinner and paler, but couldn't stop grinning as he pushed through the doors and headed for the back room where his apron and busing cart were waiting.
"Hold up there, Stevie, not so fast," I said. I took him and his mother by their arms.
"Work can wait for a minute. To celebrate your coming back, breakfast for you and your mother is on me." I led them toward a large corner booth at the rear of the room. I could feel and hear the rest of the staff following behind as we marched through the dining room. Glancing over my shoulder, I saw booth after booth of grinning truckers empty and join the procession. We stopped in front of the big table. Its surface was covered with coffee cups, saucers and dinner plates, all sitting slightly crooked on dozens of folded paper napkins.
"First thing you have to do, Stevie, is clean up this mess," I said. I tried to sound stern.
Stevie looked at me, and then at his mother, then pulled out one of the napkins. It had "Something for Stevie" printed on the outside. As he picked it up, two $10 bills fell onto the table. Stevie stared at the money, then at all the napkins peeking from beneath the tableware, each with his name printed or scrawled on it.
I turned to his mother. "There's more than $10,000 in cash and checks on that table, all from truckers and trucking companies that heard about your problems. Happy Thanksgiving."
Well, it got real noisy about that time, with everybody hollering and shouting, and there were a few tears, as well. But you know what's funny? While everybody else was busy shaking hands and hugging each other, Stevie, with a big, big smile on his face, was busy clearing all the cups and dishes from the table.
Best worker I ever hired.
Wishing you much for which to be thankful,
Al
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This day in Naval and Marine Corps History (thanks to NHHC)
Here is a link to the NHHC website: https://www.history.navy.mil/. Go here to see the director's corner for all 93 H-Grams.
November 24
1862 During the Civil War, the screw steam gunboat Monticello destroys two Confederate salt works near Little River, N.C., while the screw steam gunboat Sagamore captures two British blockade runners, schooner Agnes and sloop Ellen, in Indian River, Fla.
1877 While en route to Cuba to collect scientific information, the screw steam gunboat Huron wrecks in a storm near Nag's Head, N.C. The crew attempts to free their ship but it soon heels over, killing 98 officers and men.
1943 Japanese submarine I-175 sinks USS Liscome Bay (CVE 56) southeast of Makin Island. Though 272 of her crew are rescued, she loses 55 officers and 591 enlisted men, including Navy Cross recipient Cook 3rd Class Doris Miller.
1943 USS Nautilus (SS 168) and USS Gansevoort (DD 608) shell Japanese positions on Abemama Atoll, Gilbert Islands.
1964 USS Princeton (LPH 5) completes seven days of humanitarian relief delivering 1,300 tons of supplies to the Quang Tri, Quang Ngai, and Binh Dinh provinces of South Vietnam which suffered damage from typhoon and floods.
1991 The United States returns Subic Bay Naval Base to the control of the Philippines. Subic Bay had been an important point for the resupply of Naval vessels.
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This Day in World History November 24
1542 The English defeat the Scots at the Battle of Solway Moss in England.
1859 Charles Darwin publishes The Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection, or The Preservation of Favored Races in the Struggle for Life. The first printing of 1,250 copies sells out in a single day. |See more below….
1863 In the Battle Above the Clouds, Union Maj. Gen. Joseph Hooker's forces take Lookout Mountain, near Chattanooga, Tennessee.
1864 Kit Carson and his 1st Cavalry, New Mexico Volunteers, attack a camp of Kiowa Indians in the First Battle of Adobe Walls.
1874 Joseph Glidden receives a patent for barbed wire.
1902 The first Congress of Professional Photographers convenes in Paris.
1912 Austria denounces Serbian gains in the Balkans; Russia and France back Serbia while Italy and Germany back Austria.
1927 Federal officials battle 1,200 inmates after prisoners in Folsom Prison revolt.
1938 Mexico seizes oil land adjacent to Texas.
1939 In Czechoslovakia, the Gestapo execute 120 students who are accused of anti-Nazi plotting.
1944 American B-29s flying from Saipan bomb Tokyo.
1949 The Iron and Steel Act nationalizes the steel industry in Britain.
1950 UN troops begin an assault into the rest of North Korea, hoping to end the Korean War by Christmas.
1961 The United Nations adopts bans on nuclear arms over American protests.
1963 Jack Ruby fatally shoots the accused assassin of President Kennedy, Lee Harvey Oswald, in the garage of the Dallas Police Department.
1977 Greece announces the discovery of the tomb of King Philip II, father of Alexander the Great.
1979 The United States admits that thousands of troops in Vietnam were exposed to the toxic Agent Orange.
1992 US Congress passes the Brady Bill requiring a 5-day waiting period for handgun sales; the bill is named for Pres. Ronald Reagan's press secretary who was left partially paralyzed by a bullet during an assassination attempt on Reagan.
1995 Ireland votes 50.28% to 49.72% to end its 70-year-old ban on divorce.
2012 A fire at a clothing factory in Dhaka, Bangladesh, kills over 110 people.
1859: "Origin of Species" is published
On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection, a groundbreaking scientific work by British naturalist Charles Darwin, is published in England on November 24, 1859. Darwin's theory argued that organisms gradually evolve through a process he called "natural selection." In natural selection, organisms with genetic variations that suit their environment tend to propagate more descendants than organisms of the same species that lack the variation, thus influencing the overall genetic makeup of the species.
Darwin, who was influenced by the work of French naturalist Jean-Baptiste de Lamarck and the English economist Thomas Malthus, acquired most of the evidence for his theory during a five-year surveying expedition aboard the HMS Beagle in the 1830s. Visiting such diverse places as the Galapagos Islands and New Zealand, Darwin acquired an intimate knowledge of the flora, fauna, and geology of many lands. This information, along with his studies in variation and interbreeding after returning to England, proved invaluable in the development of his theory of organic evolution.
The Origins of Man
Genetic analysis helps to decipher the mysteries of human evolution.
4:16m watch
The idea of organic evolution was not new. It had been suggested earlier by, among others, Darwin's grandfather Erasmus Darwin, a distinguished English scientist, and Lamarck, who in the early 19th century drew the first evolutionary diagram—a ladder leading from one-celled organisms to man. However, it was not until Darwin that science presented a practical explanation for the phenomenon of evolution.
Darwin had formulated his theory of natural selection by 1844, but he was wary to reveal his thesis to the public because it so obviously contradicted the biblical account of creation. In 1858, with Darwin still remaining silent about his findings, the British naturalist Alfred Russel Wallace independently published a paper that essentially summarized his theory. Darwin and Wallace gave a joint lecture on evolution before the Linnean Society of London in July 1858, and Darwin prepared On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection for publication.
Published on November 24, 1859, Origin of Species sold out immediately. Most scientists quickly embraced the theory that solved so many puzzles of biological science, but orthodox Christians condemned the work as heresy. Controversy over Darwin's ideas deepened with the publication of The Descent of Man, and Selection in Relation to Sex (1871), in which he presented evidence of man's evolution from apes.
By the time of Darwin's death in 1882, his theory of evolution was generally accepted. In honor of his scientific work, he was buried in Westminster Abbey beside kings, queens, and other illustrious figures from British history. Subsequent developments in genetics and molecular biology led to modifications in accepted evolutionary theory, but Darwin's ideas remain central to the field.
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Thanks to the Bear. We will always have the url for you to search items in Rolling Thunder
OPERATION ROLLING THUNDER …
. rollingthunderremembered.com .
Thanks to Micro
From Vietnam Air Losses site for ..November 24
24-Nov: https://www.vietnamairlosses.com/loss.php?id=2402
This following work accounts for every fixed wing loss of the Vietnam War and you can use it to read more about the losses in The Bear's Daily account. Even better it allows you to add your updated information to the work to update for history…skip
Vietnam Air Losses Access Chris Hobson and Dave Lovelady's work at: https://www.VietnamAirLosses.com.
This is a list of all Helicopter Pilots Who Died in the Vietnam War . Listed by last name and has other info https://www.vhpa.org/KIA/KIAINDEX.HTM
MOAA - Wall of Faces Now Includes Photos of All Service members Killed in the Vietnam War
The site works, find anyone you knew in "search" feature.
https://www.vvmf.org/Wall-of-Faces/ )
By: Kipp Hanley
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Watching "You Bet your life" on our old Crosley small black and white TV was a treat. You never knew what was coming. Skip
Thanks to Boysie ...
Groucho Marx Quotes
"I've had a perfectly wonderful evening. But this wasn't it."
"Anyone who says he can see through women is missing a lot."
"I never forget a face, but in your case I'll be glad to make an exception."
"We in the industry know that behind every successful screenwriter stands a woman. And behind her stands his wife."
"It isn't necessary to have relatives in Kansas City in order to be unhappy"
"She got her good looks from her father. He's a plastic surgeon."
"Military justice is to justice what military music is to music"
"Remember men you are fighting for the ladies honour, which is probably more than she ever did."
In a restaurant to a waitress: "Do you have frogs legs or do you always walk like that..."
"He may look like an idiot and talk like an idiot but don't let that fool you. He really is an idiot"
"Money frees you from doing things you dislike. Since I dislike doing nearly everything, money is handy"
"I don't have a photograph, but you can have my footprints. They're upstairs in my socks"
"You've got the brain of a four-year-old boy, and I'll bet he was glad to get rid of it"
"My mother loved children -- she would have given anything if I had been one"
"Ice Water? Get some Onions - that'll make your eyes water!"
"I don't care to belong to a club that accepts people like me as members"
"Who are you going to believe, me or your own eyes?"
"Time flies like an arrow. Fruit flies like a banana"
"While hunting in Africa, I shot an elephant in my pajamas. How an elephant got into my pajamas I'll never know"
"I was married by a judge. I should have asked for a jury"
"The secret of life is honesty and fair dealing. If you can fake that, you've got it made."
"I must say that I find television very educational. The minute somebody turns it on, I go to the library and read a book"
"Room service? Send up a larger room"
"Either he's dead or my watch has stopped"
"From the moment I picked up your book until I laid it down, I was convulsed with laughter. Some day I intend reading it"
"As soon as I get through with you, you'll have a clear case for divorce and so will my wife"
"Outside of a dog, a book is man's best friend. Inside of a dog, it's too dark to read"
"Marriage is the chief cause of divorce."
"In America you can go on the air and kid the politicians, and the politicians can go on the air and kid the people"
"If I held you any closer I would be on the other side of you"
Man: "I would like to say goodby to your wife". Groucho: "Me too"
"Quote me as saying I was mis-quoted"
"Age is not a particularly interesting subject. Anyone can get old. All you have to do is live long enough"
"The husband who wants a happy marriage should learn to keep his mouth shut and his checkbook open"
"A child of five would understand this. Send someone to fetch a child of five"
Marilyn Monroe: "What can I do for you?". Groucho: "What a silly question!!!"
"Good sex is like good Bridge. If you don't have a good partner, you'd better have a good hand."
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. Thanks to Barrett
Mayflower, in American colonial history, the ship that carried the Pilgrims from England to Plymouth, Massachusetts, where they established the first permanent New England colony in 1620. Although no detailed description of the original vessel exists, marine archaeologists estimate that the square-rigged sailing ship weighed about 180 tons and measured 90 feet (27 metres) long. In addition, some sources suggest that the Mayflower was constructed in Harwich, England, shortly before English merchant Christopher Jones purchased the vessel in 1608.
What happened to the Mayflower after Plymouth?
Some of the Pilgrims were brought from Holland on the Speedwell, a smaller vessel that accompanied the Mayflower on its initial departure from Southampton, England, on August 15, 1620. When the Speedwell proved unseaworthy and was twice forced to return to port, the Mayflower set out alone from Plymouth, England, on September 16, after taking on some of the smaller ship's passengers and supplies. Among the Mayflower's most-distinguished voyagers were William Bradford and Captain Myles Standish.
Mayflower II
The Mayflower II, a replica of the Mayflower.
Chartered by a group of English merchants called the London Adventurers, the Mayflower was prevented by rough seas and storms from reaching the territory that had been granted in Virginia (a region then conceived of as much larger than the present-day U.S. state of Virginia, at the time including the Mayflower's original destination in the area of the Hudson River in what is now New York state). Instead, after a 66-day voyage, it first landed November 21 on Cape Cod at what is now Provincetown, Massachusetts, and the day after Christmas it deposited its 102 settlers nearby at the site of Plymouth. Before going ashore at Plymouth, Pilgrim leaders (including Bradford and William Brewster) drafted the Mayflower Compact, a brief 200-word document that was the first framework of government written and enacted in the territory that would later become the United States of America. The ship remained in port until the following April, when it left for England. The true fate of the vessel remains unknown; however, some historians argue that the Mayflower was scrapped for its timber, which was then used in the construction of a barn in Jordans, Buckinghamshire, England. In 1957 the historic voyage of the Mayflower was commemorated when a replica of the original ship was built in England and sailed to Massachusetts in 53 days
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Thanks to Interesting Facts
National animals
Scotland's national animal is the unicorn.
America has the eagle, England has the lion, and Scotland has the unicorn. And while the horned mythological creature may not actually exist, the traits it represents certainly do: Purity, independence, and an untamable spirit are all qualities Scotland has long cherished. Unicorns appeared on the country's coat of arms starting in the 12th century, and were officially adopted as Scotland's national animal by King Robert I in the late 14th century. For many years, the coat of arms included two of the legendary beings, but in 1603 one was replaced by a lion to mark the Union of the Crowns. Fittingly for the then-newly united England and Scotland, folklore had long depicted the two creatures as butting heads to determine which one was truly the "king of beasts."
Scottish kings also displayed that fighting spirit, which may be why unicorns were generally depicted in Scottish heraldry as wearing gold chains — only the land's mighty monarchs could tame them. Unicorns remain popular in Scotland to this day, with renditions found on palaces, universities, castles, and even Scotland's oldest surviving wooden warship.
Royals used to test their food for poison with faux-unicorn horns.
Neither unicorns nor their horns are real, but that hasn't stopped people from attributing mystical properties to them for centuries. One case in point: European nobility circa the Middle Ages, who used so-called unicorn horns (also known as alicorn) to determine whether or not the meal they were about to consume had been poisoned. The "horns" were actually narwhal tusks in most cases, and were believed to sweat or change color if poison had been detected. Rhinoceros and walrus horns were also used — and all of these stand-ins could cost 10 times their weight in gold. Belief in their powers was widespread for centuries, with no less a monarch than Queen Elizabeth I being a devotee.
6 Countries With Unusual National Animals
Did you know there are at least eight countries around the world with an eagle as their national animal? There's only one country, however, that honors the Dodo bird. From mythical creatures to religious representations, here are six countries where a strange or unusual beast is a national symbol.
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Mauritius: Dodo Bird
Mauritius, a tiny island nation east of Madagascar, was once home to the famed dodo bird. First seen in the early 1500s by Portuguese sailors, the dodo likely died out by the end of the following century. While the large, flightless, and ever-so-strange bird has been extinct for many years, Mauritius still honors its memory. Images of the dodo are found throughout the country — on the coat of arms, in tourist shops, and on government stamps. There's even a full skeleton of the creature at the Natural History Museum of Mauritius, one of just a few such skeletons in the world.
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China: Red-Crowned Crane
China's national bird, the red-crowned crane, also happens to be one of the rarest cranes in the world. Named for the patch of red skin at the very top of its head, the omnivorous bird feasts on grasses and plants in addition to fish, crustaceans, and amphibians. Unfortunately, the bird's population has been threatened by habitat loss. But since the red-crowned crane is synonymous with good luck, loyalty, and longevity, it is fiercely loved and protected by the Chinese people, as well as international conservation groups.
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Bhutan: Takin
Bhutan's national animal, the takin, is sometimes called a goat antelope, although it has more in common with wild sheep. Their powerful bodies and nimble legs help the creatures traverse the mountainous country, which is located in the Himalayas. According to legend, the shaggy creature was created by a Tibetan saint named Lama Drukpa Kunley, who arrived in Bhutan around the 15th century. Asked to perform a miracle, he rearranged the bones from his lunch of cow and goat meat so that the goat's head was atop the cow's carcass. With a snap of his fingers, the strange animal came to life. Today, although its population is vulnerable, the takin can still be found grazing in higher elevations of the country's northwest and far northeast.
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Belize: Baird's Tapir
Although it may look a little like an anteater, Baird's tapir is more closely related to a rhinoceros. The largest land animal native to Central America is surprisingly agile, however. It can swim in rivers, climb up steep embankments, and walk for miles in search of food. As an herbivore, it dines on grasses, aquatic plants, leaves, and fruits native to Belize. Its long, flexible snout and flat teeth make it easy to forage for hard-packed snacks, like twigs and nuts. Although the nocturnal animal is partial to nighttime ranging, it can sometimes be spotted in natural forest preserves throughout Belize.
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Papua New Guinea: Dugong
The dugong, the national animal of Papua New Guinea, is cousins with the freshwater manatee. Often called a "sea cow," this large, gentle creature can be found grazing on seagrass in bays, mangroves, and reefs. Dugongs have long played an important role in the lives of native Papua New Guineans, as the marine animal has been hunted for its hide, meat, and oil for centuries. Today, dugongs are protected by the nation, with the exception of traditional hunting.
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Pakistan: Markhor
The markhor is a large, wild goat that lives in the Himalayas of Pakistan, as well as the neighboring countries of India, Afghanistan, and Turkestan. As the national animal of Pakistan, markhors are recognized as a protective symbol of the nation. In fact, the word "markhor" means "snake-eater" in Persian, which may refer to the goat's ability to crush snakes with its large hooves or the animal's serpentine horns. Unfortunately, this species is critically endangered — they're often poached for their beautiful horns, which are believed to have healing purposes in certain traditional medicines.
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This Day in U S Military History
24 November
1943 – The USS Liscome Bay is torpedoed near Tarawa and sinks, killing 650 men.
1944– 111 U.S. B-29 Superfortress bombers raid Tokyo for the first time since Capt. Jimmy Doolittle's raid in 1942. Their target: the Nakajima aircraft engine works. Fall 1944 saw the sustained strategic bombing of Japan. It began with a reconnaissance flight over Tokyo by Tokyo Rose, a Superfortress B-29 bomber piloted by Capt. Ralph D. Steakley, who grabbed over 700 photographs of the bomb sites in 35 minutes. Next, starting the first week of November, came a string of B-29 raids, dropping hundreds of tons of high explosives on Iwo Jima, in order to keep the Japanese fighters stationed there on the ground and useless for a counteroffensive. Then came Tokyo. The awesome raid, composed of 111 Superfortress four-engine bombers, was led by Gen. Emmett "Rosie" O'Donnell, piloting Dauntless Dotty. Press cameramen on site captured the takeoffs of the first mass raid on the Japanese capital ever for posterity. Unfortunately, even with the use of radar, overcast skies and bad weather proved an insurmountable obstacle at 30,000 feet: Despite the barrage of bombs that were dropped, fewer than 50 hit the main target, the Nakajima Aircraft Works, doing little damage. The upside was that at such a great height, the B-29s were protected from counter-attack; only one was shot down. One Distinguished Flying Cross was awarded as a result of the raid. It went to Captain Steakley.
1963 – At 12:20 p.m., in the basement of the Dallas police station, Lee Harvey Oswald, the alleged assassin of President John F. Kennedy, is shot to death by Jack Ruby, a Dallas strip club owner. On November 22, President Kennedy was fatally shot while riding in an open-car motorcade through the streets of downtown Dallas. Less than an hour after the shooting, Lee Harvey Oswald killed a policeman who questioned him on the street. Thirty minutes after that, he was arrested in a movie theater by police. Oswald was formally arraigned on November 23 for the murders of President Kennedy and Officer J.D. Tippit. On November 24, Oswald was brought to the basement of the Dallas police headquarters on his way to a more secure county jail. A crowd of police and press with live television cameras rolling gathered to witness his departure. As Oswald came into the room, Jack Ruby emerged from the crowd and fatally wounded him with a single shot from a concealed .38 revolver. Ruby, who was immediately detained, claimed that rage at Kennedy's murder was the motive for his action. Some called him a hero, but he was nonetheless charged with first-degree murder. Jack Ruby, originally known as Jacob Rubenstein, operated strip joints and dance halls in Dallas and had minor connections to organized crime. He also had a relationship with a number of Dallas policemen, which amounted to various favors in exchange for leniency in their monitoring of his establishments. He features prominently in Kennedy-assassination theories, and many believe he killed Oswald to keep him from revealing a larger conspiracy. In his trial, Ruby denied the allegation and pleaded innocent on the grounds that his great grief over Kennedy's murder had caused him to suffer "psychomotor epilepsy" and shoot Oswald unconsciously. The jury found him guilty of the "murder with malice" of Oswald and sentenced him to die. In October 1966, the Texas Court of Appeals reversed the decision on the grounds of improper admission of testimony and the fact that Ruby could not have received a fair trial in Dallas at the time. In January 1967, while awaiting a new trial, to be held in Wichita Falls, Ruby died of lung cancer in a Dallas hospital. The official Warren Commission report of 1964 concluded that neither Oswald nor Ruby were part of a larger conspiracy, either domestic or international, to assassinate President Kennedy. Despite its seemingly firm conclusions, the report failed to silence conspiracy theories surrounding the event, and in 1978 the House Select Committee on Assassinations concluded in a preliminary report that Kennedy was "probably assassinated as a result of a conspiracy" that may have involved multiple shooters and organized crime. The committee's findings, as with those of the Warren Commission, continue to be widely disputed.
1965 – U.S. casualty statistics reflect the intensified fighting in the Ia Drang Valley and other parts of the Central Highlands. In their first significant contacts, U.S. forces and North Vietnamese regulars fought a series of major battles in the Highlands that led to high casualties for both sides. A record 240 American soldiers were killed and another 470 were wounded during the previous week. These figures were a portent of things to come–U.S. and North Vietnamese forces began to engage each other on a regular basis shortly thereafter.
1985– The hijacking of an Egypt Air jetliner parked on the ground in Malta ended violently as Egyptian commandos stormed the plane. Fifty-eight people died in the raid, in addition to two others killed by the hijackers. Ali Rezaq of the Abu Nidal terrorist group was imprisoned in Malta for 7 years and then released. The US FBI apprehended him in Nigeria in 1993 and he was convicted by a US federal jury in 1996 and sentenced to life in prison.
Medal of Honor Citations for Actions Taken This Day
KAPPESSER, PETER
Rank and organization: Private, Company B, 149th New York Infantry. Place and date: At Lookout Mountain, Tenn., 24 November 1863. Entered service at: Syracuse, N.Y. Birth: Germany. Date of issue: 28 June 1865. Citation: Capture of Confederate flag (Bragg's army).
KIGGINS, JOHN
Rank and organization: Sergeant, Company D, 149th New York Infantry. Place and date: At Lookout Mountain, Tenn., 24 November 1863. Entered service at: Syracuse, N.Y. Birth: Syracuse, N.Y. Date of issue: 12 January 1892. Citation: Waved the colors to save the lives of the men who were being fired upon by their own batteries, and thereby drew upon himself a concentrated fire from the enemy.
POTTER, NORMAN F.
Rank and organization: First Sergeant, Company E, 149th New York Infantry. Place and date: At Lookout Mountain, Tenn., 24 November 1863. Entered service at: Pompey, N.Y. Birth: Pompey, N.Y. Date of issue: 24 June 1865. Citation: Capture of flag (Bragg's army).
WILLIAMS, ANTONIO
Rank and organization: Seaman, U.S. Navy. Born: 1825, Malta. Citation: For courage and fidelity displayed in the loss of the U.S.S. Huron, 24 November 1877.
*KNIGHT, NOAH O.
Rank and organization: Private First Class, U.S. Army, Company F, 7th Infantry Regiment, 3d Infantry Division. Place and date: Near Kowang-San, Korea, 23 and 24 November 1951. Entered service at: Jefferson, S.C. Born: 27 October 1929, Chesterfield County, S.C. G.O. No.: 2, 7 January 1953. Citation: Pfc. Knight, a member of Company F, distinguished himself by conspicuous gallantry and indomitable courage above and beyond the call of duty in action against the enemy. He occupied a key position in the defense perimeter when waves of enemy troops passed through their own artillery and mortar concentrations and charged the company position. Two direct hits from an enemy emplacement demolished his bunker and wounded him. Disregarding personal safety, he moved to a shallow depression for a better firing vantage. Unable to deliver effective fire from his defilade position, he left his shelter, moved through heavy fire in full view of the enemy and, firing into the ranks of the relentless assailants, inflicted numerous casualties, momentarily stemming the attack. Later during another vicious onslaught, he observed an enemy squad infiltrating the position and, counterattacking, killed or wounded the entire group. Expending the last of his ammunition, he discovered 3 enemy soldiers entering the friendly position with demolition charges. Realizing the explosives would enable the enemy to exploit the breach, he fearlessly rushed forward and disabled 2 assailants with the butt of his rifle when the third exploded a demolition charge killing the 3 enemy soldiers and mortally wounding Pfc. Knight. Pfc. Knight's supreme sacrifice and consummate devotion to duty reflect lasting glory on himself and uphold the noble traditions of the military service.
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AMERICAN AEROSPACE EVENTS for November 24, FIRSTS, LASTS, AND SIGNIFICANT ACCOMPLISHMENTS. THANKS TO HAROLD "PHIL" MYERS CHIEF HISTORIAN AIR FORCE INTELLIGENCE, SURVEILLANCE, AND RECONNAISSANCE AGENCY
24 November
1930: Ruth Nichols left Mineola in a Lockheed Vega airplane and flew to California. Mechanical troubles, however, grounded her plane several times and kept her from reaching Burbank until 1 December. Still, her 16-hour, 59-minute, 30-second flight time set a new east-west, cross county record for women. (24)
1944: From the Marianas, 88 B-29s flew the first very heavy bomb strike from the Marianas Islands on Tokyo and the Japanese home islands. The XXI Bomber Command, under the leadership of Brig Gen Haywood S. Hansell, Jr., conducted this attack as its first mission. (21)
1947: White Sands Proving Ground launched the first live Aerobee rocket to 190,000 feet. (12) (26)
1950: KOREAN WAR. B-29s attacked N. Korean communications, supply centers, and bridges over the Yalu River, while Fifth Air Force fighters intensified its close air support missions. FEAF Combat Cargo Command aircraft dropped ammunition to front-line troops. (28)
1951: In night operations, the 98 BW bombed Taechon airfield, the marshalling yard at Tongchon and flew five close support sorties; 307 BW bombed marshalling yard at Hambusong-ji; and 19 BG bombed Namsi airfield, the Hoeyang highway bridge, and the marshalling yards at Munchon and Hambusong-ji. (28)
1956: Operation QUICK KICK. For 2 days, 4 B-52s from the 93 BMW at Castle AFB and 4 B-52s from the 42 BMW at Limestone AFB flew a nonstop flight around the North American perimeter. One 93 BMW bomber, flown by Lt Col Marcus L. Hill, Jr., covered the 13,500 miles from Castle to Baltimore in 31 hours 30 minutes with four KC-97 inflight refuelings. (1)
1959: The X-18 tiltwing airplane, a C-122 modified by Hiller Aircraft Corporation to investigate VTOL operations for cargo aircraft, completed its first flight at Edwards AFB. (3)
1969: The USAF announced that the Arnold Engineering and Development Center had completed testing on the TF-39, 41,000-pound thrust turbofan engine, destined for the C-5A Galaxy.
1970: North American Rockwell pilot Edward A. Gillespie flew a modified T-2C with a supercritical wing configuration at Columbus. The wing promised to delay transonic separation, buffeting, and other undesirable aerodynamic phenomena to give aircraft greater flexibility at supersonic speeds.
1974: President Gerald R. Ford and General Secretary Leonid I. Brezhnev signed the Strategic Arms Limitation accord. This agreement limited the deployment of strategic delivery vehicles and Multiple Independently Targetable Reentry Vehicles (MIRVs). (6)
1975: Operation DEEP FREEZE. A C-141 crew from Travis AFB airlifted 100 penguins from McMurdo Station, Antarctica, to Miramar, Calif. (18)
1981: Boeing Aerospace Company held a rollout ceremony for its first full-scale production ALCM in Seattle. (12)
1987: A B-1B successfully launched an ALCM for the first time. (16) (26)
2004: The AFFTC supported Burt Rutan's Virgin Atlantic Global Flyer, a unique aircraft built by Scaled Composites in Mojave, Calif., to make the first solo nonstop, non-refueled flight around the world. AFFTC provided personnel, airspace and runway use. The overloaded jet needed the entire length of the Edwards runway for a safe takeoff. (3)
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Thanks to Shadow….
AFTERMATH
From a couple of comments I received… I think I need to expound on my criticism of the
Flag Community from those days… and to clarify… I was not saying the war was unwinnable…
Quite the contrary… I think it could have been won in nine months to a year
if we'd done in the beginning what we did in the end… Bomb the living shit out of
them… Take out the industrial centers, the bridges and dikes, blockade the coast and
mine the harbors. Which is exactly what Adm. U.S. Grant Sharpe, CINCPAC…
advocated doing back in 1965! Read his book!
Now for my anger… I'll give three examples, one Marine, one Navy and one Army… Of
true leadership in the military and how doing the right thing… saved a lot of lives and
money.
In the 1950's… the Navy was trying to develop an aircraft called the F7U-3 Cutlass. The
"Gutless Cutlass"… as it became known… was arguably two things… if nothing else…
First, it was perhaps the most beautiful aircraft of its' era… way ahead of its' time… with
twin tails and two after-burning engines. It had a huge wing and high nose and was
simply beautiful. Second, it was also the worst piece of shit jet airplane… that ever went
into production. The Navy, realizing that they had the "Mother of all Turkeys" on their
hands… decided that they would pawn this piece of crap… off on the Marine Corps.
Marion Carl… WW II Ace and national hero… besides being a world famous test pilot
and record holder… got wind of this and stormed the Pentagon… He basically threatened
to resign on the Pentagon steps if the Navy persisted in trying to shove this "killer plane"
off on the Marine Corps… and tell the whole world what a piece of crap this plane was.
The Navy knew Carl was a man of principal… and would do exactly what he said he
would… They folded. The Cutlass has the dubious distinction of being the only aircraft I
am aware of… to be flown direct from the factory… to be relegated to monument status
in various communities and bases around the country… brand new airplanes became
monuments at various VFW's and gate guards at some bases. Carl's direct and sincere
threat… saved countless Marine pilots' lives.
One of the most revered Admirals in Naval Aviation… was Adm. Tom Connelly. He was
Chief of Naval Aviation during McNamara's first years. McNamara's pet project in those
days was the F-111. He wanted the Air Force and the Navy… to both operate this aircraft.
Conventional wisdom dictates that it isn't hard to convert an aircraft designed for carrier
use to land base use… but it is almost impossible to go the other way without disastrous
results. Mr. Strange knew he was smarter than the rest of the world and insisted that the
Navy embrace the aircraft anyway. As predicted, it was a total failure. The Navy version
was so over-weight and underpowered… it was like the Cutlass reincarnate.
But that was just one of the problems it had. McNamara continued to press for the
program and absolutely forbid anyone in the Navy from saying critical things about it.
During one of the Senate Armed Service's Committee meetings… McNamara was asked
by Senator John Stennis… if the rumors of problems with the F-111B (the Navy version)
were true. McNamara said that the only major problem would be solved with the
development of a new… higher thrust… engine… soon to be delivered (a bald faced lie).
Stennis was a cagey old poll… He knew McNamara was full of shit. He looked back and
saw Adm. Connelly in the audience and asked McNamara if he could call the Admiral
forward to address the question… McNamara supposedly glared at Connelly and then
Stennis and finally said sure… Connelly came forward and sat down next to McNamara.
Stennis then asked the question again… "Admiral, you are the head of Naval Aviation… I
want your personal opinion… Do you think these new higher thrust engines will make
this aircraft suitable for carrier operations"?
Connelly looked the Senator right in the eye… and said the following… "Senator, with
all due respect… There is not enough thrust… in all of Christendom… to make that
aircraft suitable for carrier operations"! The audience gasped out loud… McNamara
turned beat red… and shortly left the room. Connelly was asked (told) to retire as soon as
he got back to the Pentagon… but his honesty and courageous stand… saved the lives of
many men and a program that was a disaster in the making.
Gen. John Singlaub… Commander of U. S. Forces in South Korea… went public and
repudiated policy being formulated by President Jimmy Carter (another illustrious
product of the Naval Academy and the most incompetent president of our lifetime).
President Carter wanted to pull all US troops from the Korean Peninsula. Singlaub
rightly… and publicly stated this was a policy of disaster… if we pulled out, the North
Korean's would surely invade the south once again and all of Korea would be
Communist… mitigating the entire Korean War… and upsetting the entire balance of
power in the orient. Now Singlaub was fired by Carter… for doing this… but it started
the debate and forced Carter to re-consider… as a result, South Korea is still free today
and the North, while still a threat to world peace, is at least held at bay. Too bad our
General in the Canal Zone was not as brave.
My point about all this… is that here were three men… who when confronted with policy
being driven by the civilian sector of government… that they knew was a disaster waiting
to happen… They stepped up to the bar… put their careers on the line… and said, "Yo
basta"! (Enough!)… and they succeeded in stopping those programs and policy's dead in
their tracks… and saved countless lives and money in the process. It cost them their
careers… but that was a small price to pay in exchange for the lives saved.
If just one of the members of the Joint Chief's of Staff, during the Vietnam years… had
shown the same commitment and courage as any of these three men… I believe in my
heart of hearts… that the out come of our dirty little war would have been dramatically
different. The national debate could have been shifted from anti-war… to a debate about
the prosecution of the war. The public would have been better informed and even the
average Joe Six Pack… would have seen what a disaster it was and would have
demanded that we either do it right… or get the hell out.
Instead they (the Admirals and Generals) remained silent… and day after day… sent you
and me… and our brothers into harm's way… in a half-hearted effort to fight a war that
they knew… we could not possibly win in the manner it was being fought. They sat on
their thrones in the Pentagon… out of harm's way… and not a single one of them had the
courage or fortitude… to come clean with the American people… or the "Men of
Honor"… that they commanded. They were and are… a national disgrace as far as I'm
concerned. Perhaps even more so… than the politicians they were lackeys for.
One last anecdotal event… When Hartley was killed… after arriving back at Alpha's
perimeter… a young PFC... I didn't even know his name… came up to me and asked
with tears in his eyes, "What about the Lieutenant"? I looked at this guy and said, "He's
not coming back". He was devastated… his shoulders slopped and he turned away,
sobbing.
In total frustration, I wrenched my helmet off and threw it as hard as I could. Westerman
saw this and grabbed me… pulled me into a tent and starts bracing me up… "Listen
goddammit… Don't you ever fly off the handle like that again… these other folks look
up to you and you're setting a bad example". I said, "Colonel, this whole thing was
fucked up". He then said something that has stuck in my craw for decades… "Listen you
little son of a bitch… You think you're so smart… But there are people who are a whole
lot smarter than you or me… who are running this thing… and they have the big
picture… If you knew what the big picture was… then you'd know why we do the things
we do… and quit second guessing everything that happens… Now get a hold of
yourself"!
Ten years later… when all the memoir's came out… and the truth was finally told…
Even Blackjack would have to admit… that they… were more fucked up… than this 21
year old… could have ever imagined!
Now I'm not relating this for some form of self-glorification… or some ego trip… I'm
just trying to explain that if we in the field… young men in our late teens and early
twenties could see the folly of what we were doing… What the fuck were those men in
the Pentagon thinking? I can forgive Blackjack for what he did… but I can never forgive
the assholes at the top… If there is blame to be laid… You need look no further than at
the top… the JCS and the various service chiefs… They are the one's who failed us…
and America and the Vietnamese people.
I got sidetracked here today… but I thought I needed to clarify the last segment a little
more.
Later, Shadow
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