TheList 7395

The List 7395

To All

Good Wednesday Morning December 24, 2025 . The weather guessers are now predicting rain starting around noon and getting around   1.5 inches  today and looking at 4 days of rain through Saturday. I hope you all have a great Christmas with your families. You have about 12 or 16 hours left to shop. Good Luck and Merry Christmas. There are a few items in here from last year and a couple new ones. I hope it helps to get you in the Christmas Spirit.

.Regards

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.HAGD 

 

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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 94 H-Grams. 

December 24

1814—The Treaty of Ghent ends the War of 1812. Great Britain agrees to relinquish claims to the Northwest Territory, and both countries pledge to work toward ending the slave trade. America, in turn, gains influence as a foreign power.

1941—The Arcadia Conference takes place in Washington, D.C., between President Franklin D. Roosevelt and British Prime Minister Winston Churchill, establishing the Combined Chiefs of Staff and the eventual 26 nations forming the United Nations for Allied war planning against Germany.

1943—USS Griswold (DE 7) sinks Japanese submarine, I-39, off Koli Point, Guadalcanal.

1943—USS Schenck (DD 159) sinks German submarine, U 645. Previously, U-645 sank two American merchant vessels: Frederick Douglass and Yorkmar.

1943—USS Leary (DD 158) is torpedoed and sunk by U-275 and U-382, 585 miles west-northwest of Cape Finisterre, Spain.

1950—Under cover of naval gunfire support, Task Force 90 completes a 14-day evacuation of 100,000 troops and equipment and 91,000 refugees from Hungnam, North Korea during the Korean War. 

 

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Today in World History: December 24

 

1638   The Ottomans under Murad IV recapture Baghdad from Safavid Persia.

1812   Joel Barlow, aged 58, American poet and lawyer, dies from exposure near Vilna, Poland, during Napoleon's retreat from Moscow. Barlow was on a diplomatic mission to the emperor for President Madison.

1814   A treaty of peace between the United States and Great Britain, ending the War of 1812, is signed at Ghent, Belgium. The news does not reach the United States until two weeks later (after the decisive American victory at New Orleans).

1861   The USS Gem of the Sea destroys the British blockade runner Prince of Wales off the coast at Georgetown, S.C.

1862   A Christmas present arrives a day early for the Federal troops at Columbus, Kentucky, in the way of artillery on board the USS New Era.

1914   Over 577,000 Allied soldiers are to spend Christmas as prisoners in Germany.

1917   The Kaiser warns Russia that he will use "iron fist" and "shining sword" if peace is spurned.

1943   General Dwight D. Eisenhower is appointed the Allied Supreme Commander, even though almost everyone believed the position would go to American Chief of Staff George C. Marshall.

1947   An estimated 20,000 communists, led by guerrilla General Markos Vafthiades proclaim the Free Greek Government in northern Greece. They issue a call to arms to establish the regime throughout the nation.

1956   African Americans defy a city law in Tallahassee, Florida, and occupy front bus seats.

1963   New York's Idlewild Airport is renamed JFK Airport in honor of the murdered President Kennedy.

1964   The U.S. headquarters in Saigon is hit by a bomb killing two officers.

1966   A Soviet research vehicle soft-lands on the moon.

1967   The Greek Junta frees ex-Premier Papandreou.

1968   The first pictures of an Earth-rise over the moon are seen as the crew of Apollo 8 orbits the moon.

1970   Nine GIs are killed and nine are wounded by friendly fire in Vietnam.

1972   Hanoi bars all peace talks with the United States until U.S. air raids over North Vietnam stop.

1974   An oil tanker's spill pollutes 1,600 square miles of Japan's Inland Sea.

1974   Cyclone Tracy devastates Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia, destroying more than 70 percent of the city's buildings, including 80 percent of its houses.

1979…. On December 24, 1979, the Soviet Union invades Afghanistan, under the pretext of upholding the Soviet-Afghan Friendship Treaty of 1978.

As midnight approached, the Soviets organized a massive military airlift into Kabul, involving an estimated 280 transport aircraft and three divisions of almost 8,500 men each. Within a few days, the Soviets had secured Kabul, deploying a special assault unit against Tajberg Palace. Elements of the Afghan army loyal to Hafizullah Amin put up a fierce, but brief resistance.

On December 27, Babrak Karmal, exiled leader of the Parcham faction of the Marxist People's Democratic Party of Afghanistan (PDPA), was installed as Afghanistan's new head of government, and Soviet ground forces entered Afghanistan from the north.

The Soviets, however, were met with fierce resistance when they ventured out of their strongholds into the countryside. Resistance fighters, called mujahidin, saw the Christian or atheist Soviets controlling Afghanistan as a defilement of Islam as well as of their traditional culture.

2005   Chad declares a state of war against Sudan in the wake of the Dec. 18 attack on the town of Adre, in which approximately 100 people were killed.

 

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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 ..December 24

24-Dec:  https://www.vietnamairlosses.com/loss.php?id=3084

 

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The Christmas Bombing    Night Seven

FROM: Joe C.

"On Night Seven, thirty B-52s, all flown by U-Tapao crews, bombed railroad yards well away from Hanoi's defenses.  Once again 7th Air Force chaffers laid down a chaff blanket, and this time the B-52s dropped chaff in their small post-target turn to further disrupt North Vietnamese defenses – a useful tactic but one that had been previously forbidden by SAC, apparently because the chaff was difficult to load into a B-52." [Quoted from The Eleven Days of Christmas by Marshall L Michel III, p. 183]

Losses:  One A-7D [POW] and one A-7E [KIA]

Hear!  Hear!

 

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Two stories of Christmas to share with your families.

Skip

 

The Christmas Story in Bethlehem

"And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a from Caesar Augustus, that all his empire should be taxed. This same taxing was when Cryenius was governor of Syria. And all went to be taxed, everyone in his own city.

"And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem; (because he was of the house and lineage of David,) to be taxed, with Mary his espoused wife, she being great with child.

"And so it was, that while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered. And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger, because there was none to give room for them in the inns.

"And there were in the same country, shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flocks by night. And lo, an angel of the Lord appeared unto them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them; and they were sore afraid.

"But the angel said unto them fear not, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day, in the city of David, a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this is the way you shall find the babe, he is wrapped in swaddling clothes, and is lying in a manger.

"And suddenly there was with the angel, a multitude of the heavenly host, praising God, and saying, glory to God in the highest; and on earth, peace; goodwill to men.

 "And it came to pass, when the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, let us now go, even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord has made known unto us. And they came with haste, and found Mary and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger.

"And when they had seen, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child. All they who heard it, wondered at those things which were told them by the shepherds; but Mary kept all these things and pondered them in her heart.

"And the shepherds returned glorifying and praising God for all the things which they had heard and seen, as they were manifested unto them" (Luke 2:1–20).

"Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem, saying, where is the child that is born, the Messiah of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east, and have come to worship him.

"When Herod the king had heard of the child, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. And when he had gathered all the chief priests, and scribes of the people together, he demanded of them, saying, where is the place that is written of by the prophets, in which Christ should be born? For he greatly feared, yet he believed not the prophets.

"And they said unto him, it is written by the prophets, that he should be born in Bethlehem of Judea, for thus have they said, the word of the Lord came unto us, saying, and thou Bethlehem, which lieth in the land of Judea, in thee shall be born a prince, which art not the least among the princes of Judea; for out of thee shall come the Messiah who shall save my people Israel.

"Then Herod, when he had called the wise men privily, inquired of them diligently what time the star appeared. And he sent them to Bethlehem, and said, go and search diligently for the young child; and when ye have found the child, bring me word again, that I may come and worship him also.

"When they had heard the king, they departed; and lo, the star which they saw in the east, went before them, until it came and stood over where the young child was. When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy.

"And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child, with Mary his mother, and fell down and worshiped him. And when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts; gold, and frankincense, and myrrh.

"And being warned of God in a dream that they should not return to Herod, they departed into their own country another way.

"And when they were departed, behold, the angel of the Lord, appeared to Joseph in a vision, saying, arise and take the young child and his mother, and flee into Egypt, and tarry thou there until I bring thee word; for Herod will seek the young child to destroy him.

"And then he arose, and took the young child, and the child's mother, by night, and departed into Egypt; and was there until the death of Herod, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord, by the prophet, saying, out of Egypt have I called my Son" (Matthew 3:1–15).

 

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'Twas the Night Before Christmas

 

'Twas The Night Before Christmas, when all through the house

Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse;

The stockings were hung by the chimney with care,

In hopes that St. Nicholas soon would be there;

The children were nestled all snug in their beds,

While visions of sugar-plums danced in their heads;

And mamma in her 'kerchief, and I in my cap,

Had just settled down for a long winter's nap,

When out on the lawn there arose such a clatter,

I sprang from the bed to see what was the matter.

Away to the window I flew like a flash,

Tore open the shutters and threw up the sash.

The moon on the breast of the new-fallen snow

Gave the lustre of mid-day to objects below,

When, what to my wondering eyes should appear,

But a miniature sleigh, and eight tiny reindeer,

With a little old driver, so lively and quick,

I knew in a moment it must be St. Nick.

More rapid than eagles his coursers they came,

And he whistled, and shouted, and called them by name;

"Now, Dasher! now, Dancer! now, Prancer and Vixen!

On, Comet! on Cupid! on, Donder and Blitzen!

To the top of the porch! to the top of the wall!

Now dash away! dash away! dash away all!"

As dry leaves that before the wild hurricane fly,

When they meet with an obstacle, mount to the sky,

So up to the house-top the coursers they flew,

With the sleigh full of toys,  and St. Nicholas too.

And then, in a twinkling, I heard on the roof

The prancing and pawing of each little hoof.

As I drew in my hand, and was turning around,

Down the chimney St. Nicholas came with a bound.

He was dressed all in fur, from his head to his foot,

And his clothes were all tarnished with ashes and soot;

A bundle of toys he had flung on his back,

And he looked like a peddler just opening his pack.

His eyes -- how they twinkled!  his dimples how merry!

His cheeks were like roses, his nose like a cherry!

His droll little mouth was drawn up like a bow,

And the beard of his chin was as white as the snow;

The stump of a pipe he held tight in his teeth,

And the smoke it encircled  his head like a wreath;

He had a broad face  and a little round belly,

That shook, when he laughed like a bowlful of jelly.

He was chubby and plump, a right jolly old elf,

And I laughed when I saw him, in spite of myself;

A wink of his eye and a twist of his head,

Soon gave me to know I had nothing to dread;

He spoke not a word, but went straight to his work,

And filled all the stockings; then turned with a jerk,

And laying his finger aside of his nose,

And giving a nod, up the chimney he rose;

He sprang to his sleigh, to his team gave a whistle,

And away they all flew like the down of a thistle.

But I heard him exclaim, ere he drove out of sight,

"Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good-night."

 

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Thanks to Newell

24 Dec 24

 

Family and Friends,

 

Here's a story lodged in our pioneer past, with a message that still sings nearly a century-and-a-half later.  Especially today, an anniversary day, Christmas Eve, 2024.

Newell

CHRISTMAS EVE, 1881

By Rian B. Anderson

 

Pa never had much compassion for the lazy or those who squandered their means and then never had enough for the necessities. But for those who were genuinely in need, his heart was as big as all outdoors. It was from him that I learned the greatest joy in life comes from giving, not from receiving.

It was Christmas Eve 1881. I was fifteen years old and feeling like the world had caved in on me because there just hadn't been enough money to buy me the rifle that I'd wanted for Christmas. We did the chores early that night for some reason. I just figured Pa wanted a little extra time so we could read in the Bible.

After supper was over, I took my boots off and stretched out in front of the fireplace and waited for Pa to get down the old Bible. I was still feeling sorry for myself and, to be honest, I wasn't in much of a mood to read Scriptures. But Pa didn't get the Bible, instead he bundled up again and went outside. I couldn't figure it out because we had already done all the chores. I didn't worry about it long though, I was too busy wallowing in self-pity. Soon Pa came back in. It was a cold clear night out and there was ice in his beard. "Come on, Matt," he said. "Bundle up good, it's cold out tonight." I was really upset then. Not only wasn't I getting the rifle for Christmas, now Pa was dragging me out in the cold, and for no earthly reason that I could see. We'd already done all the chores, and I couldn't think of anything else that needed doing, especially not on a night like this. But I knew Pa was not very patient at one dragging one's feet when he'd told them to do something, so I got up and put my boots back on and got my cap, coat, and mittens. Ma gave me a mysterious smile as I opened the door to leave the house. Something was up, but I didn't know what.

Outside, I became even more dismayed. There in front of the house was the work team, already hitched to the big sled. Whatever it was we were going to do wasn't going to be a short, quick, little job. I could tell. We never hitched up this sled unless we were going to haul a big load. Pa was already up on the seat, reins in hand. I reluctantly climbed up beside him. The cold was already biting at me. I wasn't happy. When I was on, Pa pulled the sled around the house and stopped in front of the woodshed. He got off and I followed. "I think we'll put on the high sideboards," he said. "Here, help me." The high sideboards! It had been a bigger job than I wanted to do with just the low sideboards on, but whatever it was we were going to do would be a lot bigger with the high side boards on.

After we had exchanged the sideboards, Pa went into the woodshed and came out with an armload of wood – the wood I'd spent all summer hauling down from the mountain, and then all Fall sawing into blocks and splitting. What was he doing? Finally I said something. "Pa," I asked, "what are you doing?" "You been by the Widow Jensen's lately?" he asked. The Widow Jensen lived about two miles down the road. Her husband had died a year or so before and left her with three children, the oldest being eight. Sure, I'd been by, but so what? Yeah," I said, "Why?"

"I rode by just today," Pa said. "Little Jakey was out digging around in the woodpile trying to find a few chips. They're out of wood, Matt." That was all he said and then he turned and went back into the woodshed for another armload of wood. I followed him. We loaded the sled so high that I began to wonder if the horses would be able to pull it. Finally, Pa called a halt to our loading, then we went to the smoke house and Pa took down a big ham and a side of bacon. He handed them to me and told me to put them in the sled and wait. When he returned, he was carrying a sack of flour over his right shoulder and a smaller sack of something in his left hand. "What's in the little sack?" I asked. Shoes, they're out of shoes. Little Jakey just had gunny sacks wrapped around his feet when he was out in the woodpile this morning. I got the children a little candy too. It just wouldn't be Christmas without a little candy."

We rode the two miles to Widow Jensen's pretty much in silence. I tried to think through what Pa was doing. We didn't have much by worldly standards. Of course, we did have a big woodpile, though most of what was left now was still in the form of logs that I would have to saw into blocks and split before we could use it. We also had meat and flour, so we could spare that, but I knew we didn't have any money, so why was Pa buying them shoes and candy? Really, why was he doing any of this? Widow Jensen had closer neighbors than us; it shouldn't have been our concern.

We came in from the blind side of the Jensen house and unloaded the wood as quietly as possible, then we took the meat and flour and shoes to the door. We knocked. The door opened a crack and a timid voice said, "Who is it?" "Lucas Miles, Ma'am, and my son, Matt, could we come in for a bit?"

Widow Jensen opened the door and let us in. She had a blanket wrapped around her shoulders. The children were wrapped in another and were sitting in front of the fireplace by a very small fire that hardly gave off any heat at all. Widow Jensen fumbled with a match and finally lit the lamp.

"We brought you a few things, Ma'am," Pa said and set down the sack of flour. I put the meat on the table. Then Pa handed her the sack that had the shoes in it. She opened it hesitantly and took the shoes out one pair at a time. There was a pair for her and one for each of the children – sturdy shoes, the best, shoes that would last. I watched her carefully. She bit her lower lip to keep it from trembling and then tears filled her eyes and started running down her cheeks. She looked up at Pa like she wanted to say something, but it wouldn't come out.

"We brought a load of wood too, Ma'am," Pa said. He turned to me and said, "Matt, go bring in enough to last awhile. Let's get that fire up to size and heat this place up." I wasn't the same person when I went back out to bring in the wood. I had a big lump in my throat and as much as I hate to admit it, there were tears in my eyes too. In my mind I kept seeing those three kids huddled around the fireplace and their mother standing there with tears running down her cheeks with so much gratitude in her heart that she couldn't speak.

My heart swelled within me and a joy that I'd never known before, filled my soul. I had given at Christmas many times before, but never when it had made so much difference. I could see we were literally saving the lives of these people.

I soon had the fire blazing and everyone's spirits soared. The kids started giggling when Pa handed them each a piece of candy and Widow Jensen looked on with a smile that probably hadn't crossed her face for a long time. She finally turned to us. "God bless you," she said. "I know the Lord has sent you. The children and I have been praying that he would send one of his angels to spare us."

In spite of myself, the lump returned to my throat and the tears welled up in my eyes again. I'd never thought of Pa in those exact terms before, but after Widow Jensen mentioned it I could see that it was probably true. I was sure that a better man than Pa had never walked the earth. I started remembering all the times he had gone out of his way for Ma and me, and many others. The list seemed endless as I thought on it. Pa insisted that everyone try on the shoes before we left. I was amazed when they all fit and I wondered how he had known what sizes to get. Then I guessed that if he was on an errand for the Lord that the Lord would make sure he got the right sizes.

Tears were running down Widow Jensen's face again when we stood up to leave. Pa took each of the kids in his big arms and gave them a hug. They clung to him and didn't want us to go. I could see that they missed their Pa, and I was glad that I still had mine. At the door Pa turned to Widow Jensen and said, "The Mrs. wanted me to invite you and the children over for Christmas dinner tomorrow. The turkey will be more than the three of us can eat, and a man can get cantankerous if he has to eat turkey for too many meals. We'll be by to get you about eleven. It'll be nice to have some little ones around again. Matt, here, hasn't been little for quite a spell." I was the youngest. My two brothers and two sisters had all married and had moved away.

Widow Jensen nodded and said, "Thank you, Brother Miles. I don't have to say, May the Lord bless you, I know for certain that He will."

Out on the sled I felt a warmth that came from deep within and I didn't even notice the cold. When we had gone a ways, Pa turned to me and said, "Matt, I want you to know something. Your ma and me have been tucking a little money away here and there all year so we could buy that rifle for you, but we didn't have quite enough. Then yesterday a man who owed me a little money from years back came by to make things square. Your ma and me were real excited, thinking that now we could get you that rifle, and I started into town this morning to do just that, but on the way I saw little Jakey out scratching in the woodpile with his feet wrapped in those gunny sacks and I knew what I had to do. Son, I spent the money for shoes and a little candy for those children. I hope you understand."

I understood, and my eyes became wet with tears again. I understood very well, and I was so glad Pa had done it. Now the rifle seemed very low on my list of priorities. Pa had given me a lot more. He had given me the look on Widow Jensen's face and the radiant smiles of her three children.

For the rest of my life, whenever I saw any of the Jensens, or split a block of wood, I remembered, and remembering brought back that same joy I felt riding home beside Pa that night. Pa had given me much more than a rifle that night, he had given me the best Christmas of my life.

 

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Thanks to Brett

The NY Times - The Morning: Wind farms

Good morning. President Trump announced a new class of Navy warships that would be named for himself. CBS is in turmoil after its top editor, Bari Weiss, pulled a "60 Minutes" segment. And Jim Beam is shutting down its main distillery for all of next year, as the whiskey market is struggling.

Before we get to that, though, I'd like to turn your attention to wind farms and what they say about the Trump administration.

 

Off the coast of Rhode Island. Lucy Lu for The New York Times

Without evidence

President Trump doesn't like wind farms. Never has. He thinks they're ugly. He calls them inefficient and expensive. Years ago, he failed to stop the construction of one that's visible from one of his golf courses in Scotland. He was apoplectic about it. He told a Scottish politician on Twitter in 2014 that "the windmill hovering over hole 14 is disgusting & inappropriate."

On his first day in office this year, Trump stopped new wind projects on public lands and waters. A judge called that order "arbitrary" and said it violated federal law. Still, Trump persevered. Yesterday his administration said it would halt leases for five wind farms under construction off the East Coast, virtually gutting the offshore wind industry in the United States. The projects were "expected to power more than 2.5 million homes and businesses," my colleagues Maxine Joselow and Lisa Friedman report.

Perhaps in order not to appear arbitrary, Doug Burgum, the secretary of the interior, said that the decision "addresses emerging national security risks, including the rapid evolution of the relevant adversary technologies, and the vulnerabilities created by large-scale offshore wind projects with proximity near our East Coast population centers."

Based on what evidence? The Pentagon has produced classified reports, Burgum said, and the Energy Department has found that wind farms could interfere with radar systems.

Is this true? Military studies have indeed shown that offshore wind turbines could disrupt radar, Lisa told me. But they concluded that the risk could be offset with planning. A spokesman for one of the wind farms said it had worked "in close coordination with the military." He pointed out that his project's two pilot turbines had been operating for five years with no impact on national security.

It is not the first time the administration has justified a new policy — one it wanted to impose quickly without fretting over legal and regulatory procedures — with a broad claim. It just asserts there's a problem.

 

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Thanks to Interesting Facts

Why Swedes watch Donald Duck cartoons at Christmas

Disney devotees may be familiar with the 1958 Donald Duck Christmas special From All of Us to All of You, but they probably haven't seen it as many times as the average Swede. The special first aired in Sweden at 3 p.m. on December 24, 1959, and celebrating Christmas Eve with the temperamental waterfowl quickly became one of the country's signature holiday traditions. Known in Sweden as Kalle Anka och hans vänner önskar God Jul (which translates to Donald Duck and His Friends Wish You a Merry Christmas), the special airs on SVT1, the main public television channel, and is presented by a host playing Walt Disney. It's also slightly different each year, as a contractual obligation requires SVT1 to include a snippet from the Mouse House's latest film. If you're wondering how Kalle Anka became so popular in the first place, it's partially explained by the fact that Sweden had only two TV channels at the time, and Christmas was the only time Swedes could get a dose of Disney. Traditions have a way of sticking, and Kalle Anka is frequently the most-watched program of the year — 40% of the country tunes in during an average year, and in 1997 more than half the population did. They also tend to do so sans distractions: In 2016, cellphone data usage dropped by 28% while the show was on.

By the Numbers

Total Donald Duck cartoons

128

Year Donald Duck made his debut in The Wise Little Hen

1934

Population of Sweden

10.6 million

Years that voice actor Clarence Nash portrayed Donald Duck

51

DID YOU KNOW?

Donald Duck has a middle name.

It's Fauntleroy, as revealed in 1942's Donald Gets Drafted. The name has rarely been alluded to outside of that wartime short, and its origins have been a matter of speculation ever since. The most popular theory has always been that it traces back to Frances Hodgson Burnett's 1886 book Little Lord Fauntleroy, as the name itself refers to a suit quite similar to the one worn by Donald, and the eponymous character is something of a spoiled brat. At an April 9, 1941, meeting about Donald Gets Drafted, Walt Disney himself suggested that Donald's draft paper say "something funny." Harry Reeves, one of the writers in attendance, suggested "Swansdown" as the cartoon duck's middle name, which wasn't up to snuff for Disney: "It ought to be some dopey, silly name," he responded. Donald's eventual middle name fit the bill, much to the chagrin of anyone actually named Fauntleroy.

 

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Thanks to Newell

Skip,

 

The following is submitted for THE LIST consideration.  I realize it is not a Christmas-themed submittal, but I thought its universal message worthy of thought during a holiday season wherein we are supposed to be thinking kindly of others over self.

 

Newell

 

 

Family and Friends,

 

"Rip" Serhan, a long-time friend and long-ago fighter squadron-mate, in response to receiving "The Candy Bomber" sent me a wonderfully written narrative, titled: "Mike Riley, The Long-Haul Truck Driver."  It's a commonsense testament to the working professions that bedrock our nation's strength and success.  It champions the blue-collar men and women whose daily contributions are fundamental to our America's enviable socio-economic living standards.  And it correctly chastens undue white-collar snobbery.

 

It's a well-deserved compliment for the hard-working builders, maintainers, suppliers and repairers of America's material existence.

 

Newell

 

The original common-sense author of

"Mike Riley, The Long-Haul Truck Driver"

 is unknown.

 

The elite school's male greeter, in the three-thousand-dollar suit, glanced at my hands before he even looked at my face.

"Our maintenance office is down the hall," he said politely. "Is it an air conditioning issue?"

I knew exactly what he saw.

Knuckles scarred from decades of wrench work.

Hands thick from turning bolts in freezing truck stops.

A permanent line of grease beneath my nails that even my best scrubbing can't erase.

I looked at his hands—smooth, manicured, topped off with a heavy gold watch.

"No, sir," I said, my voice a little too loud for the pristine high-school library.  "I'm here for Career Day.  I'm Jason's father."

He blinked, gave a stiff smile, but his eyes said what he didn't:  You?  Really?

My name is Mike Riley.  I'm 58 years old.  I've been a long-haul truck driver for thirty years.  I'm a widower, a veteran, and a dad who tries his best.  My son Jason attends this polished suburban school where everything smells like new textbooks and wealth.

This was Sarah's school — my late wife.  She taught here, loved here, lived here.  After she passed, the school created a scholarship in her name.

So, when Jason told his teacher I was a "logistics and supply chain specialist," and that I should speak at Career Day, I felt like appearing was a way of honoring her.

I parked my old F-150 between a luxury SUV and a spotless German sedan.  I walked in wearing my best jeans, a fresh flannel, and boots I'd shined twice.

Inside the library, the lineup of presenters read like a magazine cover.

Dr. Chen, a neurosurgeon.  He opened with a futuristic video on brain mapping.

Mr. Davies, the finance dad with the gold watch, followed with stock charts and phrases like "leveraging capital" and "Q4 positioning."

Jason sat in the back row, shoulders hunched, perhaps wishing he could disappear.

Then the principal touched my arm.  "Mr. Riley? You're next."

I walked to the front with nothing but my own voice.  No slides.  No videos.  Just the truth.

"Good morning," I began.  "My name is Mike Riley.  I'm not a doctor or an investor.  I didn't finish college.  I'm a truck driver."

Murmurs among the students.  Curious glances.  A few raised eyebrows.

"My son calls me a logistics expert.  Which, I guess, means I drive a very big truck a very long way.  And I figure I'm here to explain why that matters."

I turned to Dr. Chen.

"What you do saves lives.  But the tools you use — every circuit, every wire, every plastic casing — those didn't appear out of thin air.  Someone packed them in a crate.  Someone loaded that crate on a truck.  Someone drove it across the country."

Then I nodded toward the finance dad.

"And sir, those numbers you showed?  They represent real things—food, medicine, steel, supplies.  This country doesn't run on unlimited Wi-Fi and spreadsheets.  It runs on wheels.  On people willing to travel thousands of miles so the shelves stay full and the hospital's supplies stay stocked."

The restless room grew still.

"In March 2020," I said, "when everything shut down, America stayed home.  America did puzzles.  America baked bread.  But drivers were told to keep going.  It felt like I was the only person on the highway some days.  I delivered 40,000 pounds of toilet paper once.  My dispatcher cried on the phone because her own mom couldn't find any.  You can't Zoom a bag of flour.  You can't download hand soap."

Students leaned forward with sincere interest.  Teachers nodded their heads in their validation.

"Two winters ago, I was hauling insulin across Wyoming.  A blizzard shut the interstate.  I sat in that cab for three days — twenty below zero — listening to the hum of the refrigeration unit.  If that unit died, so did the medicine.  I wasn't thinking about the cost.  I was thinking about the family waiting for it."

I scanned the room.  Jason was proudly sitting up straight now.

A student wearing a "Future CEO" shirt raised his hand.

"Sir, …don't you regret not going to college?  Because my dad has said jobs like yours mean people didn't have other choices."

The room froze.

I smiled gently.  "Son, when the lights go out, you call a lineman, not a business professor.  When the pipes burst, you don't reach for a textbook — you call a plumber.  And when you walk into a store expecting food on the shelf, you're relying on farmers, factory workers, warehouse crews, dispatchers, and drivers like me."

I paused.

"Those careers aren't fallbacks.  They're a modern nation's foundations."

A voice spoke from the back.  Quiet at first.

"My mom's a dispatcher."

A skinny kid stood up, his eyes shining with pride.

"She works nights.  Holidays.  She's the one who finds drivers when hospitals need supplies.  People yell at her all the time when packages are late, but she keeps going."  He paused a moment.  Looked around at his fellow students and declared, "She isn't less important than anyone else."

He looked directly at the CEO-shirt kid.

"She's a hero."  Then he pointed at me.  "And so is he."

The room fell silent.  Then applause.  Actual gushing heartfelt applause.

Jason walked up and stood beside me.  He didn't speak — he just put his arm around me.  And that was enough.

Later, on the drive home, he finally admitted, "Dad, I had no idea about what you've done out there."

"It's just the job," I said.

"No," he whispered. "It's so much more."

 

 

Here's America's inescapable socio-economic truth:

This country isn't held up by titles or corner offices.  It's held aloft by callused hands, tired feet, and people who show up in storms, in shutdowns, in the middle of the night when no one else can.

Those blue-collar professionals are not the backup plan.

They are our nation's spine.

So, next time you ask a young person what they want to be, don't just say, "Where are you going to college?"

Try asking, "What do you want to build?  What do you want to keep running? What will you help carry?"

And if that kid replies, "I want to weld."

Or, "I want to fix engines."

Or, "I want to deliver supplies."

Or, "I want to drive trucks like my dad;"

look them in the eye and say,

"Our country will need you.  In fact, we're going to be depending on you and your chosen profession."

 

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Thanks to 1440

A Holly Jolly Tally

About 88% of Americans will celebrate Christmas tomorrow, driving holiday sales expected to top $1T for the first time. Parents are spending an average of $521 per child—up 13% from 2024.

More than 122 million travelers are hitting the roads and skies between Dec. 20 and Jan. 1, a 2.2% increase over last year's record of 119.7 million. Fourteen states have a high chance of a white Christmas, defined as at least 1 inch of snow by 7 am. Many households display trees averaging 7 feet tall, and Americans consume about 240 million cups of creamy, nutmeg-spiced eggnog each year. Nearly one-third of all charitable giving happens in December, with 10% occurring in the final three days.

And then there's Santa. To reach an estimated 238 million homes worldwide in 34 hours, he must visit 7 million per hour—116,667 per minute or 1,944 per second. Track him here and explore the Christmas science that might make it possible.

 

 

Economy Tops Expectations

The US economy grew at the fastest annual pace in two years in the third quarter of the year, according to delayed government data released yesterday.

The nation's gross domestic product—or the value of all the goods and services it produced—rose at a stronger-than-expected annual rate of 4.3% in the July-to-September period. The figure is above economists' forecasts of 3% and the 3.8% growth in the prior quarter.

Consumer spending, which accounts for roughly 70% of overall economic activity, rose at a 3.5% annualized rate, up from 2.5% in the April-to-June period, helping to fuel the stronger output. US exports expanded 8.8%, while imports, which subtract from the GDP, fell 4.7%. Government spending increased 2.2%, and investment in intellectual property, including artificial intelligence, grew 5.4%. See all data here.

The total US GDP is roughly $31T..

 

 

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24 December

This Day in U S Military History

1814 – The Treaty of Peace and Amity between His Britannic Majesty and the United States of America is signed by British and American representatives at Ghent, Belgium, ending the War of 1812. By terms of the treaty, all conquered territory was to be returned, and commissions were planned to settle the boundary of the United States and Canada. In June 1812, the United States declared war against Great Britain in reaction to three issues: the British economic blockade of France, the induction of thousands of neutral American seamen into the British Royal Navy against their will, and the British support of hostile Indian tribes along the Great Lakes frontier. A faction of Congress, made up mostly of western and southern congressmen, had been advocating the declaration of war for several years. These "War Hawks," as they were known, hoped that war with Britain, which was preoccupied with its struggle against Napoleonic France, would result in U.S. territorial gains in Canada and British-protected Florida. In the months following the U.S. declaration of war, American forces launched a three-point invasion of Canada, all of which were repulsed. At sea, however, the United States was more successful, and the USS Constitution and other American frigates won a series of victories over British warships. In 1813, American forces won several key victories in the Great Lakes region, but Britain regained control of the sea and blockaded the eastern seaboard. In 1814, with the downfall of Napoleon, the British were able to allocate more military resources to the American war, and Washington, D.C., fell to the British in August. In Washington, British troops burned the White House, the Capitol, and other buildings in retaliation for the earlier burning of government buildings in Canada by U.S. soldiers. The British soon retreated, however, and Fort McHenry in Baltimore harbor withstood a massive British bombardment and inspired Francis Scott Key to pen the "Star-Spangled Banner." On September 11, 1814, the tide of the war turned when Thomas Macdonough's American naval force won a decisive victory at the Battle of Plattsburg Bay on Lake Champlain. A large British army under Sir George Prevost was thus forced to abandon its invasion of the U.S. northeast and retreat to Canada. The American victory on Lake Champlain led to the conclusion of U.S.-British peace negotiations in Belgium, and on December 24, 1814, the Treaty of Ghent was signed, ending the war. Although the treaty said nothing about two of the key issues that started the war–the rights of neutral U.S. vessels and the impressment of U.S. sailors–it did open up the Great Lakes region to American expansion and was hailed as a diplomatic victory in the United States. News of the treaty took almost two months to cross the Atlantic, and British forces were not informed of the end of hostilities in time to end their drive against the mouth of the Mississippi River. On January 8, 1815, a large British army attacked New Orleans and was decimated by an inferior American force under General Andrew Jackson in the most spectacular U.S. victory of the war. The American public heard of the Battle of New Orleans and the Treaty of Ghent at approximately the same time, fostering a greater sentiment of self-confidence and shared identity throughout the young republic.

1826 – The Eggnog Riot at the United States Military Academy begins that night, wrapping up the following morning. The Eggnog Riot, sometimes known as the Grog Mutiny, was a riot that took place at the United States Military Academy in West Point, New York, on 24–25 December 1826. It was caused by a drunken Christmas Day party in the North Barracks of the Academy. Two days prior to the incident, a large quantity of whiskey was smuggled into the academy to make eggnog for the party, giving the riot its name. The riot eventually involved more than one-third of the cadets by the time it ceased on Christmas morning. A subsequent investigation by Academy officials resulted in the implication of seventy cadets and the court-martialing of twenty of them and one enlisted soldier. Among the participants in the riot—though he was not court-martialed—was future Confederate States President Jefferson Davis.

1944 – The German Ardennes offensive is exhausted by the end of the day. The furthest advance has been achieved by elements of the German 5th Panzer Army. The 2nd Panzer Division has reached the outskirts of Dinant with the 116th Panzer Division on the right flank near Hotten and the Panzer Lehr Division on the left flank to the west of St. Hubert. American forces in Bastogne continue to resist; some 260 Allied transports drop supplies to the defenders. Allied fighter-bombers fly over 600 sorties in the Ardennes.

1955 – NORAD Tracks Santa for the first time in what will become an annual Christmas Eve tradition. The program began in 1955, when a Sears department store placed an advertisement in a Colorado Springs newspaper which told children that they could telephone Santa Claus and included a number for them to call. However, the telephone number printed was misprinted and calls instead came through to Colorado Springs' Continental Air Defense Command (CONAD) Center. Colonel Harry Shoup, who was on duty that night, told his staff to give all children who called in a "current location" for Santa Claus. A tradition began which continued when the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) replaced CONAD in 1958. Today, NORAD relies on volunteers to make the program possible. Each volunteer handles about forty telephone calls per hour, and the team typically handles more than 12,000 e-mails and more than 70,000 telephone calls from more than two hundred countries and territories. Most of these contacts happen during the twenty-five hours from 2 a.m. on December 24 until 3 a.m. MST on December 25. Volunteers include NORAD military and civilian personnel.

1968 – The 3 Apollo 8 astronauts (James A. Lovell, William Anders and Frank Borman), orbiting the moon, read passages from the Old Testament Book of Genesis during a Christmas Eve television broadcast. The first pictures of an Earth-rise over the Moon are seen as the crew of Apollo 8 orbits the moon.

1972 – Hanoi barred all peace talks with the U.S. until the air raids are stopped.

1972 – Comedian Bob Hope gives what he says is his last Christmas show to U.S. servicemen in Saigon. Hope was a comedian and star of stage, radio, television, and over 50 feature films. Hope was one of many Hollywood stars who followed the tradition of travelling overseas to entertain American troops stationed abroad. The 1972 show marked Hope's ninth consecutive Christmas appearance in Vietnam. Hope endorsed President Nixon's bombing of North Vietnam to force it to accept U.S. peace terms, and received South Vietnam's highest civilian medal for his "anti-communist zeal." Although some antiwar protesters criticized Hope for supporting government policies in Vietnam, the comedian said he believed it was his responsibility to lift spirits by entertaining the troops. 

USS Midway had come off the line and sailed down to Singapore during the bombing halt and Bob Hope gave a great show on board. He really was a great guy. I had been to his house in Los Angeles which was quite a place. He was really down to earth….skip

 

Medal of Honor Citations for Actions Taken This Day

 

BIDDLE, MELVIN E.

Rank and organization: Private First Class, U.S. Army, Company B, 517th Parachute Infantry Regiment. Place and date: Near Soy, Belgium, 23-24 December 1944. Entered service at: Anderson, Ind. Birth: Daleville, Ind. G.O. No.. 95, 30 October 1945. Citation: He displayed conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action against the enemy near Soy, Belgium, on 23 and 24 December 1944. Serving as lead scout during an attack to relieve the enemy-encircled town of Hotton, he aggressively penetrated a densely wooded area, advanced 400 yards until he came within range of intense enemy rifle fire, and within 20 yards of enemy positions killed 3 snipers with unerring marksmanship. Courageously continuing his advance an additional 200 yards, he discovered a hostile machinegun position and dispatched its 2 occupants. He then located the approximate position of a well-concealed enemy machinegun nest, and crawling forward threw hand grenades which killed two Germans and fatally wounded a third. After signaling his company to advance, he entered a determined line of enemy defense, coolly and deliberately shifted his position, and shot 3 more enemy soldiers. Undaunted by enemy fire, he crawled within 20 yards of a machinegun nest, tossed his last hand grenade into the position, and after the explosion charged the emplacement firing his rifle. When night fell, he scouted enemy positions alone for several hours and returned with valuable information which enabled our attacking infantry and armor to knock out 2 enemy tanks. At daybreak he again led the advance and, when flanking elements were pinned down by enemy fire, without hesitation made his way toward a hostile machinegun position and from a distance of 50 yards killed the crew and 2 supporting riflemen. The remainder of the enemy, finding themselves without automatic weapon support, fled panic stricken. Pfc. Biddle's intrepid courage and superb daring during his 20-hour action enabled his battalion to break the enemy grasp on Hotton with a minimum of casualties.

*BURR, ELMER J.

Rank and organization: First Sergeant, U.S. Army, Company 1, 127th Infantry, 32d Infantry Division. Place and date: Buna, New Guinea, 24 December 1942. Entered service at: Menasha, Wis. Birth: Neenah, Wis. G.O. No.: 66, 11 Oct. 1943. Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action above and beyond the call of duty. During an attack near Buna, New Guinea, on 24 December 1942, 1st Sgt. Burr saw an enemy grenade strike near his company commander. Instantly and with heroic self-sacrifice he threw himself upon it, smothering the explosion with his body. 1st Sgt. Burr thus gave his life in saving that of his commander.

*CASTLE, FREDERICK W. (Air Mission)

Rank and organization: Brigadier General. Assistant Commander, 4th Bomber Wing, U.S. Army Air Corps. Place and date: Germany, 24 December 1944. Entered service at: Mountain Lake, N.J. Born: 14 October 1908, Manila P.I. G.O. No. 22, 28 February 1947. Citation: He was air commander and leader of more than 2,000 heavy bombers in a strike against German airfields on 24 December 1944. En route to the target, the failure of 1 engine forced him to relinquish his place at the head of the formation. In order not to endanger friendly troops on the ground below, he refused to jettison his bombs to gain speed maneuverability. His lagging, unescorted aircraft became the target of numerous enemy fighters which ripped the left wing with cannon shells. set the oxygen system afire, and wounded 2 members of the crew. Repeated attacks started fires in 2 engines, leaving the Flying Fortress in imminent danger of exploding. Realizing the hopelessness of the situation, the bail-out order was given. Without regard for his personal safety he gallantly remained alone at the controls to afford all other crewmembers an opportunity to escape. Still another attack exploded gasoline tanks in the right wing, and the bomber plunged earthward. carrying Gen. Castle to his death. His intrepidity and willing sacrifice of his life to save members of the crew were in keeping with the highest traditions of the military service.

*GRUENNERT, KENNETH E.

Rank and organization: Sergeant, U.S. Army, Company L, 127th Infantry, 32d Infantry Division. Place and date: Near Buna, New Guinea, 24 December 1942. Entered service at: Helenville, Wis. Birth: Helenville, Wis. G.O. No.: 66, 11 October 1943. Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action above and beyond the call of duty. On 24 December 1942, near Buna, New Guinea, Sgt. Gruennert was second in command of a platoon with a mission to drive through the enemy lines to the beach 600 yards ahead. Within 150 yards of the objective, the platoon encountered 2 hostile pillboxes. Sgt. Gruennert advanced alone on the first and put it out of action with hand grenades and rifle fire, killing 3 of the enemy. Seriously wounded in the shoulder, he bandaged his wound under cover of the pillbox, refusing to withdraw to the aid station and leave his men. He then, with undiminished daring, and under extremely heavy fire, attacked the second pillbox. As he neared it he threw grenades which forced the enemy out where they were easy targets for his platoon. Before the leading elements of his platoon could reach him he was shot by enemy snipers. His inspiring valor cleared the way for his platoon which was the first to attain the beach in this successful effort to split the enemy position.

*KEFURT, GUS

Rank and organization: Staff Sergeant, U.S. Army, Company K, 15th Infantry, 3d Infantry Division. Place and date: Near Bennwihr, France, 23-24 December 1944. Entered service at: Youngstown, Ohio. Birth: Greenville, Pa. Citation: He distinguished himself by conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity above and beyond the call of duty on 23 and 24 December 1944, near Bennwihr, France. Early in the attack S/Sgt. Kefurt jumped through an opening in a wall to be confronted by about 15 Germans. Although outnumbered he opened fire, killing 10 and capturing the others. During a seesaw battle which developed he effectively adjusted artillery fire on an enemy tank close to his position although exposed to small arms fire. When night fell he maintained a 3-man outpost in the center of the town in the middle of the German positions and successfully fought off several hostile patrols attempting to penetrate our lines. Assuming command of his platoon the following morning he led it in hand-to-hand fighting through the town until blocked by a tank. Using rifle grenades he forced surrender of its crew and some supporting infantry. He then continued his attack from house to house against heavy machinegun and rifle fire. Advancing against a strongpoint that was holding up the company, his platoon was subjected to a strong counterattack and infiltration to its rear. Suffering heavy casualties in their exposed position the men remained there due to S/Sgt. Kefurt's personal example of bravery, determination and leadership. He constantly exposed himself to fire by going from man to man to direct fire. During this time he killed approximately 15 of the enemy at close range. Although severely wounded in the leg he refused first aid and immediately resumed fighting. When the forces to his rear were pushed back 3 hours later, he refused to be evacuated, but, during several more counterattacks moved painfully about under intense small arms and mortar fire, stiffening the resistance of his platoon by encouraging individual men and by his own fire until he was killed. As a result of S/Sgt. Kefurt's gallantry the position was maintained.

 

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AMERICAN AEROSPACE EVENTS for December 24, FIRSTS, LASTS, AND SIGNIFICANT ACCOMPLISHMENTS. THANKS TO HAROLD "PHIL" MYERS CHIEF HISTORIAN AIR FORCE INTELLIGENCE, SURVEILLANCE, AND RECONNAISSANCE AGENCY

24 December

1943: Eighth Air Force sent 670 B-17s and B-24s to make the first major assault on German V-weapon sites at Pas de Calais. (4) (2)

 1944: MEDAL OF HONOR. Brig Gen Frederick W. Castle led some 2,000 heavy bombers against German airfields. On the way, an engine failed and his unescorted B-17 became a target to enemy fighters. After his bomber sustained serious damage, he ordered the crew to bail out while he remained at the controls. Another enemy attack caused the right wing gas tanks to explode, and the bomber crashed with the General still inside. For this sacrifice, Castle received the Medal of Honor. (4)

1950: KOREAN WAR. While X Corps evacuated Hungnam by sea, USAF B-26s and U.S. Navy gunfire held the enemy at bay during the night as the last ships departed. The 3d Air Rescue Squadron flew 35 liberated prisoners of war from enemy territory. (28)

1951: KOREAN WAR. In a typical nighttime mission, B-29s from the 98th Bomb Wing cratered the runway at Taechon Airfield and bombed the railroad bridge at Sinanju. (28)

1972: Military Airlift Command aircraft began airlifting relief supplies into Managua, Nicaragua, after an earthquake virtually destroyed the city on 23 December. In the first two days, C-5 and C-141 aircraft unloaded more than 2,000,000 pounds of found, water, medical supplies, and emergency heavy equipment. The USAF ordered the M-X missile program to start in FY1977 with an emphasis on air and ground mobile basing. (6)

1982: Through 30 December, the Military Airlift Command moved 87 tons of supplies to aid earthquake victims in the Yemen Arab Republic. (2) 1995: A 16th Airlift Squadron aircrew from Charleston AFB, S. C., became the first to land a C-141 at Tuzla Airfield in Bosnia late on Christmas Eve to deliver two pallets, three vehicles, and 29 passengers, including 20 people from the 823d Red Horse Squadron at Hurlburt Field, Fla. (18)

 

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