The FReeper Foxhole Remembers The Four Chaplains(2/2/1943)

Morning EGC.

Mornin Snippy
I think spring is tryin to come here, it's gonna be 45 today.

Good morning Snippy.

Starr Bumble Bee II : (1988) 85hp Continental C-85; span: (I) 6'6" ( II) 5'6" length: (I) 9'4" ( II) 8'10" v: 180/150/80 range: 30 (3-gal tankage) ceiling: 5,000'. Gross wt ( II): 396#. Claimed as the smallest-ever piloted aircraft and earning a place as such in Guiness Book of Records, production cost $6,500. II crashed after an engine failure on 5/8/88, reported as "totally destroyed," but apparently was restored for display at Pima Air Museum.

What a tearjerker! Thanks, SAM.

Good morning everyone in The FOXHOLE.

A very brave act of these men. Much like the band on the Titanic. Another example of something like this, while in Paris, I visited their military museum. There is a painting of a British troopship sinking about 1870 or so. What had happened was, it was on its way to India from England and had a Scottish unit on board. Also on board were the wives and the children of the men in the unit. Something happened to cause the ship to sink. As it started to go down, the unit was formed up on the deck. This was to make sure the life boats were not rushed and to give a chance for the women and children to make it to the boats first. As the ship sunk under them, not a man broke ranks. That is discipline.

Great tag line buddy.

Thanks for a great thread!

For the work and extreme sacrifice these four men performed, I kinda think that the DSC wasn't good enough for them.

I'm Valin and I may or may not approve of
On This Day In history

Birthdates which occurred on March 24:
1188 Ferrand of Portugal earl of Flanders/son of Sancho I
1441 Ernst I elector of Saxon (1464-86)
1607 Michiel A de Ruyter Dutch Rear Admiral (St Vincent, Dune)
1630 José Saenz d'Aguirre Spanish cardinal
1703 José F de Isla [Francisco de Salazar], Spanish Jesuit/writer
1755 Rufus King framer of US constitution/(Senator-F)
1809 Joseph Liouville St Omer Pas-de-Calais France, discover of transcendental numbers
1814 Galen Clark US, naturalist, discovered Mariposa Grove
1821 [George] Hector Tyndale Brevet Major General (Union volunteers)
1834 John Wesley Powell US, geologist/explorer/ethnologist
1834 William Morris England, designer/craftsman/poet/socialist
1835 Josef Stefan Austria, physicist (Stefan-Boltzmann law)
1855 Andrew W Mellon founder (Mellon Bank)/US Secretary of Treasury
1866 Jack McAuliffe US lightweight boxing champion, hall of famer
1871 Sir Ernest Rutherford nuclear scientist
1874 Harry Houdini [Erik Weisz] Budapest Hungary, magician/escape artist
1874 Luigi Einaudi economist/1st President of Italy (1948-55)
1884 Peter Debye Holland, physical chemist (Nobel 1936)
1885 Charlie Daniels US swimmer (Olympics-4 gold-1904, 08)
1887 Roscoe "Fatty" Arbuckle Smith Center KS, actor (Keystone comedies)
1893 George Sisler baseball hall of fame 1st baseman (257 hits in 1920)
1895 Arthur Murray dancer (Arthur Murray's Dance Party)
1897 Wilhelm Reich Austrian-US psycho analysist (character analysis)
1898 Dorothy Stratton organizer (SPARS-women's branch of US Coast Guard)

1903 Malcolm Muggeridge English writer (Observer of Life)

1906 John Cameron Swayze news correspondant, Timex spokesman (It takes a licking, an keeps on ticking)
1907 Lauris Norstad US General (NATO commander)/CEO (Owens-Corning Fiberglass)
1907 Lucia Chase US ballerina/co-founder (American Ballet Theater)
1909 Clyde Barrow bank robber (of Bonnie & Clyde fame)
1911 Joseph Barbera animator (Hanna-Barbera)
1914 Lilli Palmer Posen Germany, actress (Boys From Brazil, Sebastian)
1919 Lawrence Ferlinghetti author (Coney Island of the Mind)
1922 Dave Appell singer/musician/songwriter (In the Midnight Hour)
1923 Edna Jo Hunter expert on military families & prisoners of war
1924 Norman Fell Philadelphia PA, actor (Mr Roper-3's Company, The End, Graduate)
1930 Steve McQueen Slater MO, actor (Wanted, Dead or Alive, Blob, Bullitt)
1932 Yuri Anatoyevich Ponomaryov Russia, cosmonaut (Soyuz 18 backup)
1943 Jesus Alou baseball outfielder (San Francisco Giants)
1944 Denny McLain baseball pitcher (Detroit Tigers, 31 wins in 1968)
1944 Patti Labelle singer (Phoenix, Tasty, Chameleon)
1947 Mike Kellie rock drummer (Spooky Tooth-It's All About)
1947 Paul McCandless Musician (Torches on the Lake)
1951 Kenneth S Reightler Jr Patuxent MD, Commander USN/astronaut (STS 48, 60)
1954 Robert Carradine Los Angeles CA, actor (Slim-The Cowboys, Wavelength)
1957 Scott J Horowitz Philadelphia PA, PhD/Captain USAF/astronaut (STS 75, 82)
1962 Star Jones attorney/TV hostess (NBC, Inside Edition)
1970 Lara Flynn Boyle Davenport IA, actress (The Practice, The Temp, Twin Peaks)

Deaths which occurred on March 24:
0809 Harun al-Rashid caliph of the Abbasid empire (786-809), dies at 44
1400 Florens Radewijns Dutch priest/leader Modern Devotion, dies
1455 Nicholas V [Tommaso Parentucelli] Italian Pope (1447-55), dies at 57
1471 Sir Thomas Malory author (Le Morte d'Arthur), dies at 55

1603 Elizabeth I Tudor [Maiden Queen] UK queen (1558-1603), dies at 69

1877 Walter Bagehot English economist/critic/banker, dies at 51
1882 Henry Wadsworth Longfellow US poet (Song of Hiawatha), dies at 75
1894 Robert Prescott Stewart composer, dies at 68
1905 Jules Verne sci-fi author (Around the World in 80 Days), dies at 77
1909 John Millington Synge Irish dramatist/playwright/poet, dies at 37
1946 Alexander A Aljechin world chess champion (1927-35, 37-46), dies at 53
1953 Mary [Victoria of Teck] queen of Great Britain/North-Ireland, dies at 86
1969 Joseph Kasavubu President of Congo (1960-65), dies at about 55
1976 Bernard L Montgomery British General, defeated Rommel, dies at 88
1978 Brackett Hamilton Leigh [Douglass], author (Ginger Star), dies at 62
1980 Archbishop Oscar Romero assassinated while conducting mass in San Salvador
1982 Ace Goodman Kansas City MO, comedian (Easy Aces), dies at 83
1984 Sam Jaffe actor (Dr Zorba-Ben Casey), dies of cancer at 93
1990 An Wang computer manufacturer (Wang), dies at 70 from cancer
1990 Ray Goulding comedian (Bob & Ray), dies from kidney failure at 68
1990 Rene Enriquez actor (Hill St Blues), dies from pancreatic cancer at 56
1993 John Hersey Pulitzer prize author (Hiroshima), dies at 78
1995 Joey Long blues/cajun guitarist, dies at 62
1995 Trevor Oswald Ling religious Studies Professor, dies at 75

Reported: MISSING in ACTION

1966 BUSH ROBERT E.---HAMDEN CT.
[REMAINS RETURNED 12/15/88]
1967 ELLISON JOHN C.---LAYTON UT.
1967 HALLBERG ROGER C.---PALO ALTO CA.
1967 PLOWMAN JAMES E.---PEBBLE BEACH CA.
1967 STEWART JACK T.---WASHINGTON DC.
1969 ARROYO-BAEZ GERASINO---MAUNARO PR.
[REMAINS RET 03/85]
1969 BOWERS RICHARD L.---LAKE MILLS WI.
[DIED IN ESCAPE ON CAPTURE DAY]
1970 BORONSKI JOHN A.---WARE MA.
1970 BECERRA RUDY M.---RICHMOND TX.
1970 GANOE BERMAN JR.---BELLEVIEW FL.
1970 HOSKEN JOHN C.---CHAGRIN FALLS OH.
1970 HARNED GARY A.---SPRINGBORO PA.
1970 O'DONNELL MICHAEL D.---SPRINGFIELD IL.
1970 POOL JERRY L.---FREEPORT IL.
1971 BUTCHER JACK M.---ANN ARBOR MI.
[03/28/73 RELEASED BY PL, ALIVE IN 98]
1971 BECKWITH HARRY M.---FLINT MI.

POW / MIA Data & Bios supplied by
the P.O.W. NETWORK. Skidmore, MO. USA.

On this day...
1550 France & England sign Peace of Boulogne
1603 Scottish king James VI becomes King James I of England
1629 1st game law passed in American colonies, by Virginia
1645 Battle at Jankov Bohemia: Sweden beatS Roman Catholic emperor Ferdinand III
1664 Roger Williams is granted a charter to colonize Rhode Island
1721 Johann Sebastian Bach opens his Brandenburgse Concerts
1765 Britain enacts Quartering Act, required colonists to provide temporary housing to British soldiers
1792 Benjamin West (US) becomes president of Royal Academy of London
1801 Aleksandr P Romanov becomes emperor of Russia
1828 Philadelphia & Columbia Railway (1st state owned) authorized
1832 Mormon Joseph Smith beaten, tarred & feathered in Ohio
1837 Canada gives blacks the right to vote
1855 Manhattan Kansas founded as New Boston KS
1860 Clipper Andrew Jackson arrives in San Francisco, 89 days out of New York
1868 Metropolitan Life Insurance Co forms
1878 British frigate Eurydice sunk; 300 lost
1880 Tobacco Growers' Mutual Insurance Company incorporates in Connecticut
1882 German scientist Robert Koch discovers bacillus cause of TB
1883 1st telephone call between New York & Chicago(damn telemarkters)
1887 Oscar Straus appointed 1st Jewish ambassador from US (to Turkey)
1898 1st automobile sold
1906 "Census of the British Empire" shows England rules 1/5 of the world
1910 83ºF highest temperature ever recorded in Cleveland in March
1920 1st US coast guard air station established (Morehead City NC)
1924 Greece becomes a republic
1925 KSL-AM in Salt Lake City UT begins radio transmissions
1930 1st religious services telecast in US (W2XBS, New York NY)
1930 Planet Pluto named
1934 US declares the Philippines to become independent in 1945
1935 Major Bowes' Original Amateur Hour goes national on NBC Radio Network
1937 National Gallery of Art established by Congress
1941 German troops occupy El Agheila Libya
1941 Glenn Miller begins work on his 1st movie for 20th Century Fox
1944 76 Allied officers escape Stalag Luft 3 (Great Escape)
1944 In occupied Rome, Nazis executed more than 300 civilians
1945 Largest one-day airborne drop, 600 transports & 1300 gliders (Operation Varsity)
1947 Congress proposes 2-term limitation on the Presidency
1947 John D Rockefeller Jr donates NYC East River site to the UN
1949 Walter & John Huston become 1st father-and-son team to win Oscars (actor & director of "Treasure of Sierra Madre")
1955 1st seagoing oil drill rig placed in service
1955 British Army patrols withdraw from Belfast after 20 years
1958 Elvis Presley joins the army (serial number 53310761)
1959 Iraq withdraws from the Baghdad Pact
1960 US appeals court rules novel, "Lady Chatterly's Lover", not obscene
1961 New York Senate approves $55M for a baseball stadium at Flushing Meadows
1962 Benny Paret, KO'd in a welterweight title, he dies 10 days later
1962 Mick Jagger & Keith Richards perform as Little Boy Blue & Blue Boys
1964 Kennedy half-dollar issued
1965 US Ranger 9 strikes Moon, 10 miles (16 km) northeast of crater Alphonsus
1966 Selective Service announces college deferments based on performance
1967 University of Michigan holds 1st "Teach-in" after bombing of North Vietnam
1972 Great Britain imposes direct rule over Northern Ireland
1973 "Handsome" Harley Race beats Dory Funk Jr in Kansas City, to become NWA champion
1975 Muhammad Ali TKOs Chuck Wepner in 15 to retain the heavyweight boxing title
1976 Argentine President Isabel Perón deposed by country's military
1978 Wings release "With a Little Luck"
1979 10 rebounds & 10 assists, as the Spartans cruise to a 101-67 by University of Pennsylvania; Michigan State's Earvin "Magic" Johnson registers triple-double 29 points
1980 ABC's nightly Iran Hostage crisis program renamed "Nightline with Ted Koppel"
1981 Colombia drops diplomatic relations with Cuba
1982 US sub Jacksonville collides with a Turkish freighter near Virginia
1986 NASA publishes "Strategy for Safely Returning the Space Shuttle to Flight Status"
1986 Suriname army Captain Etienne Boerenveen arrested for cocaine smuggling
1986 US & Libya clash in Gulf of Sidra Navy-2 Libya-0
1989 Worst US oil spill, Exxon's Valdez spills 11.3 million gallons off Alaska
1991 In liberated Kuwait, banks reopen
1991 Wrestlemania VII in Los Angeles, Hulk Hogan pins Sergeant Slaughter for championship
1994 F-16 collides with C-130 Hercules above AFB in North Carolina,120 die
1997 Australian parliament overturns world's 1st & only euthanasia law
1999 NATO commences air strikes against Yugoslavia with the bombing of Serbian military positions in the Yugoslav province of Kosovo.

Holidays
Note: Some Holidays are only applicable on a given "day of the week"

Laos : Army Day
US : Agriculture Day
US : Chocolate Week (Day 4)
National Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Awareness Month

Religious Observances
Roman Catholic : Commemoration of St Gabriel, patron of postmen, telephone workers

Religious History
1774 Anglican clergyman and hymn writer John Newton wrote in a letter: 'What a mercy it is to be separated in spirit, conversation, and interest from the world that knows not God.'
1818 American statesman Henry Clay wrote: 'All religions united with government are more or less inimical to liberty. All separated from government are compatible with liberty.'
1940 Dr. Samuel Cavert of the Federal Council of the Churches of Christ in America officiated at a Protestant Easter service in New York City. It was the first religious program to be broadcast over television, and was carried by local NBC affiliate TV station W2XBS, in NYC.
1980 El Salvador's leading human rights activist, Archbishop Oscar Romero, 62, was assassinated by a sniper while saying mass in a hospital chapel.
1982 Five congregations in the eastern San Francisco Bay area became the first to declare themselves publicly as sanctuary churches, in an effort to help refugees from Central America establish themselves in the U.S. during political and military unrest in their native countries.

Source: William D. Blake. ALMANAC OF THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH. Minneapolis: Bethany House, 1987.

Thought for the day :
"God made rainy days so gardeners could get the housework done."

Hallmark cards that never made it...
Congratulations on your promotion.
Before you go ...
(inside card)
Will you take the knife from my back?
You'll probably need it again.

New State Slogans...
Alabama: At least we're not Mississippi!

Male Language Patterns...
"That's interesting, dear," REALLY MEANS, "Are you still talking?"

Female Language Patterns...
"Do what you want." REALLY MEANS "You'll pay for this later."

Been to West Point, but never had the chance or time to look at the Chapel.

Neets, however, might have some first hand info about the stained glass windows at the Chapel maybe?
That is, if she's been in the Chapel to see the stained glass windows there..

Neets, You ever get the chance to check out the stained glass windows in teh Chapel at all?

Air Power
Grumman F8F "Bearcat"

Last of the line of piston engined carrier based fighters which Grumman initiated with the FF of 1931, the Grumman FBF Bearcat was designed to be capable of operation from aircraft carriers of all sizes and to serve primarily as an interceptor fighter, a role which demanded excellent manoeuvrability, good low-level performance and a high rate of climb. To achieve these capabilities for the two XF8F-1 prototypes ordered on 27 November 1943, Grumman adopted the big R-2800 Double Wasp that had been used to power the F6F and F7F, but ensured that the smallest and lightest possible airframe was designed toaccommodate the specified armament, armour and fuel.

First flown on 21 August 1944, the XF8F-1 was not only smaller than the US Navy's superb Hellcat, but was also some 20 per cent lighter, resulting in a rate of climb about 30 per cent greater than that of its predecessor. Grumman had more than achieved the specification requirements, but also crowned this by starting delivery of production aircraft in February 1945, only six months after the first flight of the prototype.

A cantilever low-wing monoplane of all-metal construction, the initial F8F-1 had wings which folded at about two thirds span for carrier stowage, retractable tailwheel landing gear, armour, self-sealing fuel tanks and by comparison with prototypes, a very small dorsal fin had been added. Powerplant of these production aircraft was the Pratt & Whitney R-2800-34W and armament comprised four 12.7 mm (0.50 in) machine guns.

Shortly after initiation of the prototype's test programme in 1944, the US Navy placed a contract for 2,023 production F8F-1s, and the first of these began to equip US Navy Squadron VF-19 on 21 May 1945. This squadron, and other early recipients of Bearcats, were still in the process of familiarisation with their new fighters when VJ-Day put an end to World War II. it also cut 1,258 aircraft from Grumman's contract and brought complete cancellation of an additional 1,876 F8M-1 Bearcat fighters contracted from General Motors.

When production ended in May 1949, Grumman had built 1,266 Bearcats: 765 of the F8F-1; 100 of the F8F-1B, which differed by having the four standard machine guns replaced by 20 mm cannon; 36 of the F8F-1N variant equipped as night-fighters; 293 of the FBF-2 with redesigned engine cowling, taller fin and rudder, plus some changes in detail design, and adoption of the 20 mm cannon as standard armament; 12 of the night-fighter F8F-2N; and 60 photo-reconnaissance F8F-2P aircraft, this last version carrying only two 20 mm cannon. In late post-war service, some aireraft were modified to serve in a drone control capacity under the designations F8F-1D or F8F-2D.

By the time production ended, Bearcats were serving with some 24 US Navy squadrons, but all had been withdrawn by late 1952. Some of these, with a modified fuel system, were supplied to the French Armde de l'Air for service in Indo-China under the designation FSF-ID. One-hundred similar F8F-IDs and 29 F8F-1Bs were also supplied to the Thai air force.

A total of 1,265 Bearcats were delivered, including two civilian G.58's. Although too late for wartime service, F8F's served the USN until 1956. The Blue Angels operated Bearcats between 1946 and 1949. France, Thailand and South Vietnam operated surplus USN F8F's.

History

By late 1943, the Grumman F6F Hellcat had entered service with the U.S. Navy in the Pacific and had proved itself more than a match for Japan's Mitsubishi A6M Zero. The Navy realized, however, that an even higher performance design would eventually be needed to replace the Hellcat.

Curtiss and Boeing each submitted designs, designated the XF14C and XF7B respectively, both of which were much larger and heavier than the Hellcat. The Curtiss design was to be powered by a new Lycoming XH-2740-4 24-cylinder, liquid-cooled engine, initially rated at 2,200 hp, but the engine was not produced. A Wright R-3350-16 of 2,300 hp with turbo-supercharger was then fitted in the XF14C-2. Empty weight of the Curtiss was over 10,500 pounds. The Boeing XF8B-1 was powered by a Pratt & Whitney XR-4360-10 28-cylinder, four-row radial of 3,000 hp, then the world's largest aircraft engine, and was even heavier, with an empty weight of over 14,000 lbs.

Grumman, however, favored a lighter and more maneuverable design more like the German Focke Wulf Fw 190, of which a captured example was flown by Grumman test pilot Bob Hall in England. The resulting Grumman design, the XF8F-1, weighed only 7,017 pounds empty and was sometimes described as the smallest airframe built around the most powerful, fully-developed engine, a real "hot rod."

Powered by a Pratt & Whitney R-2800-22W engine, the first Bearcat prototype flew in late August 1944. Besides the P&W R-2800 engine, the design also retained the Hellcat's successful NACA 230 airfoil for the wings. After minor modifications, including the addition of a dorsal fin, the first production F8F-1s began armament tests and carrier qualification trials in early 1945. By May of 1945, the Bearcat was cleared for operational service, with very few flight restrictions over its wide speed range. A total of 654 F8F-1s were delivered, all fitted with the 2,100 hp (1566 kw) R-2800-34W engine.

The Bearcat was the first U.S. Navy fighter to feature a full "bubble" canopy, giving excellent all around vision. It was also fitted with so called "safety wing tips," the outer 40 inches of which were designed to break off cleanly if the wing was overstressed in a dive or other maneuver. After several non-combat incidents where one or both wing tips tore off and the aircraft landed safely, this feature was eliminated from later production Bearcats.

As soon as enough of the new fighters had been produced, two squadrons, VF-18 and VF-19, were equipped with F8F-ls. Their training was expedited in order to get the new fighter into service against Japanese 'kamikaze' suicide attacks in the Pacific. The Bearcat-equipped VF-19 was onboard the carrier USS Langley, enroute across the Pacific, when the war ended on Aug.16, 1945. There is little doubt that if the war had continued, the Bearcat's fantastic climb and acceleration would have been invaluable in combating the kamikaze menace.

The final production Bearcat was the F8F-2, introduced in 1947 with a more powerful R-2800-30W engine of 2,250 hp (1678 kW) and an automatic variable speed supercharger. The greater power required an extra foot to be added to the vertical fin, and F8F-2s carried a heavier armament of four 20 mm cannons. The F8F-2P was a photo-reconnaissance version, fitted with up to three cameras in the fuselage. By 1956, the last Bearcats were taken out of service and stored or scrapped, having been replaced by jets, including Grumman's own F9F Panthers and Cougars.

As a final demonstration of the Bearcat's fantastic climbing ability, an F8F is reported to have set the record for a climb to 10,000 feet from a standing start in 91 seconds. It is said to have held this record for almost three decades, until finally beaten by an F-16 Fighting Falcon. The author witnessed a maximum performance takeoff by a civilian Bearcat in the late 1960s, and the airplane went straight up and out of sight.

The Bearcat was the last, and perhaps the best, piston-engine fighter produced for the U.S Navy, and was a fitting culmination to Grumman's World War II line of splendid "Cats". Even today the Grumman F8F Bearcat is a favourite amongst the Nevada Air Racers owing to its outstanding speed and performance.

Variants
XF8F-1: two prototypes ordered on 27 November 1943.
F8F-1: production model with folding wings.
G.58: designation given to two aircraft built soley as civilian models.
F3M-1: were to be built by General Motors but the wars end saw their cancellation.
F8F-1B: armed with four 20 mm cannon instead of the four 12.7 mm (0.50 in) machine guns.
F8F-1N: 36 aircraft converted as night fighters.
F8F-2: airframe redesign and 20 mm cannon became standard.
F8F-2N: 12 aircraft converted as night fighters.
F8F-2P: 60 photo reconnaisance aircraft with only two 20 mm cannon.
F8F-1D/2D: were designated post war target drone control aircraft. F8F-1D was also the designation given to aircraft sold to the Armee de l'air.

Specifications:
Type: Single Seat Carrier Based Fighter/Interceptor
Design: Grumman Design Team
Manufacturer: Grumman Aircraft Engineering Corporation
Powerplant: One 2,100 hp (1566 kw) Pratt & Whitney R-2800-34W Double Wasp 18-cylinder radial piston engine.
Crew: One
Avionics: None.
History: First flight (XF8F-1) 21 August 1944; first deliveries (F8F-1) February 1945, equipped first naval squardrons 21 May 1945: production ended May 1949.
Operators: USN, (France, Thailand and South Vietnam operated surplus aircraft).

Performance :
Maximum speed: 421 mph (678 km/h) at 19,700 ft (6005 m)
Cruising speed: 163 mph (262 km/h)
Service ceiling: 38,700 ft (11795 m)
Initial climb rate: 4,570 ft (1395 m) per minute.
Range: 1,105 miles (1778 km) with internal fuel stores.

Dimensions:
Wing Span: 35 ft 10 in (10.92 m);
Length: 28 ft 3 in (8.61 m);
Height: 13 ft 10 in (4.22 m);
Wing area: 224 sq ft (22.67 sq m).
Weight: Empty 7,070 lbs (3207 kg) - Maximum take-off weight: 12,947 lbs (5873 kg).

Armaments:
(F8F-1) Four 12.7 mm (0.50 in) machine guns. - (F8F-1B/F8F-2) Four 20 mm cannon
Underwing hardpoints for two 1,000 lbs (454 kg) bombs, or
Four 5 in (127 mm) rocket projectile, or
Two 150 US gallon (568 litre) fuel drop tanks.

All information and photos Copyright of "The Flightline" Aviation Archive and other websites.

A posthumous Special Medal for Heroism, never before given and never to be given again, was authorized by Congress and awarded by the President January 18, 1961. Congress wished to confer the Medal of Honor but was blocked by the stringent requirements which required heroism performed under fire. The special medal was intended to have the same weight and importance as the Medal of Honor.

'Scuse me! Sounds like it was under fire to me.

Howdy ma'am

It sure is quiet around here with Snippy & Sam gone during the day...

Time for some silliness. LOL

Hey did you know John Kerry was in Vietnam?

OH MY G-D IT'S TOO QUIET IN HERE!

(doing his best John Kerry imitation)

Average Democrat Voter

(how fast this thread is moving today)

Heck, I figure just his being an ass is a good enough reason.