For anyone who might have missed it, or perhaps who might be interested in watching it, the CBC News coverage of this year's Remembrance Day ceremony from Ottawa, Ontario is being archived here on YouTube.

Notably, a number of the interviews in this year's coverage are with Korean War veterans, honouring those from this country who served as part of the UN forces on the Korean Peninsula from 1950 to 1953.

Best wishes to those on both sides of the Canada/U.S. border, and elsewhere in the world, who are marking this year's Remembrance/Veterans' Day.

By Steve Cole (Stevecole) on Saturday, November 11, 2023 - 12:29 pm: Edit

ADB honors our veterans on this special day

By Ken Kazinski (Kjkazinski) on Thursday, December 07, 2023 - 03:08 pm: Edit

Today is Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day. I found it sad my local Chase and US Bank branches did not have their flags at half-mast. Even worse is when I went in and let them know the flag was supposed to be at half-mast from Sunup to dusk and they asked why.

By Steve Petrick (Petrick) on Thursday, December 07, 2023 - 05:19 pm: Edit

Where we had lunch they had a remembrance of sorts. One I did not recall other than the year it was in. They were celebrating the "End of Prohibition." But, no, not Pearl Harbor (which would not have been celebrated in any case).

AMC was commemorating the event with old movies (which I had seen before and was not interested in watching this morning). I sort of dipped in for a few moments, recognized what was playing and the switched it off. "Bataan," "Back to Bataan," and "Air Force." I am sure they played other movies after these, but as I said, I only dropped in and had to come here to work.

One of the other channels was running "The Truth about Pearl Harbor" but I am afraid I let that slide.

By Mike Grafton (Mike_Grafton) on Friday, December 08, 2023 - 07:40 am: Edit

My dad used to have the entire 28 zillion volume report on Pearl Harbor, that Congress released after their investigation, in his study.

https://www.senate.gov/about/powers-procedures/investigations/pearl-harbor.htm

By Paul Howard (Raven) on Sunday, December 31, 2023 - 01:22 pm: Edit

It's the 80th Anniversary of D-Day next year (2024).... and a couple of the veternas have had birthdays (100 and 102) recently and have been on the 'news'.

Just how many D-Day Veterans (on both sides) will remain for this anniversary?

Health permittind, will it be the last one (which I might have said for the 75th) Anniversary that survivors will be able to make the journey?

Might not be much diference between a 100+ year old and a 105+ year old, but no doubt those small differences will begin to tell.

By Ryan Opel (Ryan) on Tuesday, January 02, 2024 - 01:40 am: Edit

The youngest D-Day vet is at least 97, maybe 96. (Underage enlistment.)

As of Veterans Day 2023 their were 119,000 US WW2 living. Remember, the official end date for WW2 service is 31 December 1946. A 18 year old who enlisted on 31 December just turned 91.

By Paul Howard (Raven) on Tuesday, January 02, 2024 - 03:07 am: Edit

Ryan

Didn't know the US went up to 31/12/1946 (which would make them 95, assuming they was 18 and not sneaking in at 16??)

Due to the longer time period, that does mean there are alot more Veterans than I thought though.

On ages - I would bet alot of 16 year olds sneaked into the Navy - so Day Vererans would be a minimum of 95 currently (or 96 on 6/62024).

I suppose it's not impossible for some 15 year olds to have joined with older brothers - but their service record would be based on their incorrect fake older age too?!? (Late War, I would guess the chance a recuitment officer turning a blind eye, reduced, but afew drinks here and a signarure thre.... who knows?)

No dount there are several thousand UK, Commonwealth (who would have simialr travel issues), French and Germans veterans - plus some from the 119,000 - but how many are capable are traveling to Normandy?

It would be good for the world to rememmber the few in person (as they get fewer), one last time.

By Mike Grafton (Mike_Grafton) on Tuesday, January 02, 2024 - 07:56 am: Edit

I saw a video by a former Delta Sergeant Major telling how he jumped with some D day veterans. He was explaining how he HATES static line jumps...

John McPhee (aka Shrek, aka the Sheriff of Baghdad) is a hoot.

By Steve Cole (Stevecole) on Tuesday, January 02, 2024 - 02:19 pm: Edit

Found something in a book I had never read about D-Day and Normandy.

There was an option to drop the British 1st Airborne south of Caen on 11 June or later as part of one of Monty's endless attempts to take the city, but the air people refused to do it because every German anti-aircraft gun in France was placed around Caen and such a drop would have endured massive casualties.

The book has also convinced me to let Monty off the hook for his failure to take Caen on D-Day. With the 21st Panzer there and the British tanks assigned the task stuck in traffic there was no way Patton himself could have taken Caen. Even landing a stronger force on Sword would not have helped because of the traffic congestion on the beach.

I can still blame him for his endless failures in Northwest Europe (multiple failures to take Caen, the failure at Falaise, the failure to close the Seine pocket, the failure to trap the 15th Army, the failure at Arnhem, the overbloated Rhine crossing that came in 3rd place to much less elaborate US crossings, pushing the Germans out of the Ardennes instead of trapping them in it). Monty's time in France was one endless failure, but D-Day/Caen was not his fault.

By Jeff Wile (Jswile) on Monday, January 22, 2024 - 09:45 pm: Edit

Youtube had a video clip posted today, noting the status of CVN-80, built in New Port News , VA. ingalls ship building.

Eleventh ship of the name to be built for service in the United States Navy, Third ship of the name to be an Aircraft Carrier.

U.S.S. Enterprise.

Trivia:
30,000+ pounds of steel used in the construction of CVN-80 was recycled from CVN-65. Reportedly, 15,000 more pounds from the same source to be used.

It should be noted, that in the book “the Big E”, by Stafford observed that metal salvaged from CV-6 was like wise recycled, into construction of CVN-65, though no actual amount listed.

4 port holes, salvaged from CV-6 are to be installed into CVN-80.

Nice gesture.

By Jeff Wile (Jswile) on Tuesday, March 05, 2024 - 09:45 pm: Edit

U.S.S. Texas was refloated this morning from the floating dry dock that she has occupied for more than a year.

Blister (a.k.a. Anti torpedo bulges) tanks were removed, cleaned of residue resin foam that had been used to reduce the rate of rust during a previous dry docking decades earlier, (note:some controversy as there are critics that claim the foam actually worsened the case, rather than reduced the amount of rust the ship experienced.)

Freshly painted as she appeared in World War 2, Pacific ocean service, late war period.

The Texas was moved by tugs to an adjacent dock at the ship yard where repairs to the ships super structure will continue.

I believe that the ship has had 18 months of repairs to date, and estimates regarding the remaining repairs should require vary depending on what source consulted.

There is a minority feeling that the ship should be restored to an original state, often as she appeared at the end of WW2.

The ship’s propellers and shafts were removed decades ago, and the rudder positioned at a 3 degree angle to port, to assist in towing the ship.


Not very many States have their own name sake battleship memorial, Texas has the oldest. One state , when its name sake battleship was scrapped, purchased selected bits, including several of their-ships sixteen inch naval rifles for use in a park, memorial.

I think the State of Texas is doing a fine job in maintaining the battleship for posterity.

By A David Merritt (Adm) on Wednesday, March 06, 2024 - 04:19 am: Edit

Restoring USS Texas to her original configuration would be pre-WWI with casement guns and no AA, nor radar, amoungst many other changes. By the end of WWII she had been massively rebuilt from her original configuration.

By Vincent Solfronk (Vsolfronk) on Wednesday, March 06, 2024 - 05:29 pm: Edit

We have the U.S.S. Alabama (BB-60) in Mobile. It has been a long time since I have been on her.

By Randy Green (Hollywood750) on Wednesday, March 06, 2024 - 09:34 pm: Edit

Me too, Vincent, me too. But every time I cross the bow when I'm traveling on I-10, I can almost visualize the smoke and fury of those 16-inch guns firing.

By Jeff Wile (Jswile) on Thursday, March 07, 2024 - 05:17 am: Edit

I once visited the U.S.S. Massachusetts. Battleship cove.

The below decks tour featured a section that had been repaired from a hit by a French Battleship 15 inch Armor Piecing shell fired during the invasion of Northern Africa, 1942.

I think it is a good thing to preserve the nations history so that future citizens can learn from such exhibits.

By Mike Erickson (Mike_Erickson) on Thursday, March 07, 2024 - 01:27 pm: Edit

I've been to Battleship Cove in Fall River, Massachusetts to see U.S.S. Massachusetts a couple of times. One time years ago my son and I got to sleep over on the ship as part of a cub scout trip, and also got to eat a couple of meals and have an extended tour. Really, really interesting to get a sense for how the crew lived.

One thing in particular that was fascinating to me was the tour of the fire control spaces. It was explained to us that Big Mamie had had one of her analog computers (not run with electrical circuits, but mechanical gears and switches) removed and installed in one of the Iowa class Battleships during modernization in the 80s. There was a system of optical prisms that could be pointed at a ranged target, and based upon the calibrated distance and angles and other dialed in factors, the analog computer would run the calculations to get the main gun to be pointed in just the right direction and at just the right angle. All analog, vintage 1940s technology.

I was impressed!

--Mike

By Douglas Lampert (Dlampert) on Thursday, March 07, 2024 - 01:51 pm: Edit

My father once told me that the first computer he ever worked on was a mechanical analogue system.

Note that old cash registers are mechanical digital systems.

By Mike Grafton (Mike_Grafton) on Friday, March 08, 2024 - 07:48 am: Edit

I remember mechanical adding machines.

Richard Feynman, when he worked om the Manhattan Project, among other hijinks fixed everyone's adding machines. And picked the locks on the filing cabinets with the nuclear secrets.

Everyone should read his autobiography "Surely you must be joking Mr Feynman."

By Carl-Magnus Carlsson (Hardcore) on Friday, March 08, 2024 - 02:06 pm: Edit

well, with the space on a BB they had it easy. Analog systems in aircraft had to be small.
You may have heard of the Focke-wulf 190, but have you heard of its Kommandogerät?
Analog engine control, probably the first. The pilot only needed to worry about the pressing the on/off button and push the throttle forward. Fuel mixture, magnet control, air pressure, propeller pitch etc. All fully automatic. Amazing.

By John M. Williams (Jay) on Monday, April 01, 2024 - 09:08 pm: Edit

Lou Conter, the last surviving member of the U.S.S. Arizona's crew at Pearl Harbor, died earlier today at age 102. He was one of only 335 who survived the explosion when her magazine detonated.

By Mike Erickson (Mike_Erickson) on Monday, April 01, 2024 - 10:43 pm: Edit

I wonder if Lt Cdr Conter will have his remains placed underwater at the Arizona site? I know many of the other survivors have chosen that, and I believe they all have the option to do so.

May he rest in peace.

--Mike

By Alan De Salvio (Alandwork) on Tuesday, April 02, 2024 - 12:05 pm: Edit

He will not - the navy has interred every sailor that will stay with the Arizona (according to the Navy). He will be buried in California next to his wife.

By Jeff Wile (Jswile) on Tuesday, April 16, 2024 - 12:09 pm: Edit

You tube has a link for a old Pat Boone movie:

“All HandsOn Deck.”

The first couple of minutes opening credits is a series of oblique and broadside views of then (1950’s) current navy ships, Gearing Class Destroyer, Cleveland class Light Cruiser, heavy cruiser (but I didn’t recognize what class) and a tender (Destroyer perhaps, but that is only a guess).

Also a couple of landscape shots of a California ship yard (long beach, may be?) two Essex class carriers and dozens of other warships in the view.

Anyway, its a standard Rom-Com, set on LST 1096.

Worth a look if you have an interest in late WW2 warships and early cold war ships and equipment.

By Jessica Orsini (Jessica_Orsini) on Tuesday, April 16, 2024 - 03:46 pm: Edit

Jeff: the heavy cruisers are USS Rochester (Oregon City-class) and USS Los Angeles (Baltimore-class). The destroyer tender is Dixie-class, likely USS Piedmont.