The Beach

Like the elves at the end of the Third Age in middle earth, every summer we feel an irresistible pull towards the shore.

On Saturday morning, we packed up the car, pointed southeast and drove. We arrived at the Wife's family's country estate that afternoon for an evening with the Kid's aunt and uncle. The men-folk grilled an enormous hunk of beef, and the women watched the Kid. A late-day thunderstorm threatened to wash us out, but luckily the only casualties were 2 southern pines by the driveway. A few well-placed cuts with the chain saw and a quick tractor pull made short work of the debris.

We took our leave mid-day on Sunday and arrived in Nags Head, NC that afternoon. I have been making this annual trip with the same group of folks for the past 8 years. We have a crew of 19 this year, sharing a house and parenting duties, all while enjoying the sun, sand and surf.

I'll have some pics of all the young-uns up soon. Right now I'm going to take a nap...

Father's Day

How great was my father's day?

It was that good...

I'm a-walkin'

Yesiree.

Three weeks ago, her walking consisted of taking 2 or 3 steps and sitting down. Now she's completely bi-pedal.

And since you can't really see how cute she is in the video above, here's a picture we took at the park last weekend.

Memorial Day - Part II

My grandfather, a retired chief, lives in a small town in rural Rhode Island. Ever since Noah was a midshipman, he has been participating in the town's Memorial Day parade. To this day, the parade is pure Americana. There are boy scouts, fire trucks, the local marching band, and or course all the local vets turn up. Judging by the number of people watching along the parade route, its safe to assume that pretty much everyone in town attends.

In 2004, I had the distinct privilege to march in that parade alongside my grandfather, my father, my brother-in-law.

It was quite possibly the best day I've ever spent in uniform.

Memorial Day - Part I

2 Weeks ago, I had the opportunity to visit the Cambridge American Cemetery in England. The site was established in 1943 on 30.5 acres of land donated by the University of Cambridge, and is the only WWII American Cemetery in Great Britain. Most of those buried or memorialized there were USAAF aircrew or those lost on the convoys across the Atlantic. More detailed specifics can be found here.

One of the most awe-inspiring elements was a large map of the UK carved into the side of the chapel. On it were marks indicating an American base, be it Army, Air Force or Navy that was used during the course of the second world war.

The interior of the chapel was equally impressive with a ceiling mosaic depicting angels escorting bombers and fighters, along with the following inscription:

IN PROUD AND GRATEFUL MEMORY OF THOSE MEN OF THE UNITED STATES ARMY AIR FORCE WHO FROM THESE FRIENDLY ISLES FLEW THEIR FINAL FLIGHT AND MET THEIR GOD. THEY KNEW NOT THE HOUR THE DAY NOR THE MANNER OF THEIR PASSING. WHEN FAR FROM HOME THEY WERE CALLED TO JOIN THAT HERIOIC BAND OF AIRMEN WHO HAD GONE BEFORE. MAY THEY REST IN PEACE.

There are 3,812 marked graves, but because so many of those lost were aircrew, and sailors, their remains were never recovered. To honor them, the cemetery contains a 472 foot limestone wall with the names of 5,126 listed as missing, lost, or buried at sea. Along the wall are statues depicting a soldier, a sailor, an airman, and a coast guardsman.

The cemetery proper was laid out in a semi-circle with the grave markers forming spokes radiating out from a central flagpole.

It was a humbling experience to walk among those crosses and stars, and to read the names etched onto them. They were not all that different from you and me, except they gave their lives for something far bigger than themselves.

UK Memories

So I’ve been back for a few days now, and have gotten back into the swing of things at home and the office. Only 1500 emails in my inbox when I went back in. That’s what I spent all day Monday doing, if you were interested.

All in all, it was a good trip. Made some new friends, and had a pretty good time. I missed my family terribly, tho. I did what all dads do when they get to the BOQ on the first day of a deployment, det, or TDY assignment: put pictures of the wife and kid in the mirror.

The university town of Cambridge was just down the road from our base, so we spent quite a few nights (OK, almost every night) there sampling the local brewer’s wares. You can call it un-American, but there’s something to be said for warm, flat beer. Especially if it’s good beer. And although much maligned, British food isn’t so bad, as long as it’s Indian, Algerian, Thai, or some other ethnic import. Aside from Fish and Chips or Bangers and Mash, most of the native cuisine is pretty unpalatable. This coming from a guy who will eat just about anything.

Made it into London on Saturday. Saw St. Paul’s cathedral (where Nelson and Wellington are entombed) as well as the Imperial War Museum. Coming from a country where anything over 200 years old is considered “ancient”, being in a city where 500 year old buildings are still in use was a bit astonishing.

Lastly, on a familial note, a bit about a small village a few miles down the road from the base where we stayed. The area of England where we were based is called East Anglia, and is a lot like Nebraska. It’s mostly farmland with a few villages here and there. Why do I mention this? The village is named Ellington. Unfortunately, the only picture I have of it was from the car as we were driving on the A14.

Home

Back from the UK. Got up at 0300 (England time), flew home, and went to bed at 2200 eastern time. If you do the time-zone math, you'll realize that yesterday was an awfully busy 24 hours, and I was awake for all of them.
The trip was good. Saw lots of neat stuff (pics soon) and met some good people.
This was my first "operational" 2 weeks in a few years (the last 2 were schools), so I had the opportunity to spend time with some of the young folks in the service of our nation. These young kids (many under the age of 20) impressed me yet again with their skill and dedication. It happens every time, but it gets me every time. I am immensely proud to serve with all of them.