USS PUEBLO

50 years ago an act of piracy was committed against the United States when on January 23, 1968 the USS Pueblo was attacked and captured by North Korean forces.  She was a small spy ship sailing in International waters off the coast of North Korea monitoring radio signals.
The Pueblo  was commissioned in WWII and recommissioned in 1966 with a crew of 83 and the skipper Cmd. Lloyd Bucher.  Bucher had little choice but to surrender, being lightly armed and not a fighting ship.  82 crewmen and Cmdr. Bucher surrendered (one man was killed in the attack).
The crew was paraded in the streets, imprisoned, tortured and made to sign statements of guilt and sign false statements.
The Vietnam war was in full swing and filled the news media.  Little was made of the Pueblo and her crew.
The USS Pueblo now sits in the Pothong river near the Victorious Fatherland Liberation War Museum.  This happened under the tyrant Kim Il-sung, grandfather of the new boss Kim Jong-un.  "The apple doesn't fall very far from the tree".....Medicineman!  

SCHOOL SHOOTINGS

I just left the living room muttering, "Idiots-Idiots".  TV people who call themselves Journalists should put their brain in gear before opening their mouth.  They quickly attack the inanimate object that cannot do ANYTHING unless a human picks it up but that object, the gun, is the villain.  In this case, as in most, many errors were made.  The FBI knew about this young man and failed to notify authorities in Florida.  Would it have made a difference?  Maybe!  If the teachers or principal or other trained  employee were armed, would it have made a difference?  If the students were taught to, instead of cowering in a closet, fight back by distracting the shooter with missiles, such as books, chairs, phones, glassware, anything to make the shooter lose his concentration, would it make a difference?  There were courageous teachers that took the bullet for their kids and, yes some would be shot if they fought back but my guess is that the number would certainly be less.  Think about it!
The rifle used is always an "Assault Rifle", even though it was an AR hunting rifle, firing one shot with the pull of the trigger while an Assault rifle is a machine gun.
The President and his wife visited the injured in the hospital on Friday and spoke of his sorrow for the families of those killed.  I am sure that it helped a little but it will not fix the problem.  Only when we as a country, understand that "bad things happen to good people", and the inanimate object is not the problem but the "Perp" is the one that must be punished will we see that light at the end of the tunnel!....Medicineman!

SOCIALIST/COMMUNIST

At the end of the "War to End All Wars", WWI, the Russian Czar was overthrown and a Republic was formed.  The Communists quickly took over and destroyed the Republic before it even got started.  Between the wars Russia became a dictatorship and the destruction of the economy and the murder of millions of Russians under Stalin resulted.
Was it intended to be that way?  I doubt it, but it was bound to happen!
In the recent election candidate Bernie Sanders called himself "A Democratic Socialist".   Is there such a thing?  Can there be such a thing? No, and here is why.
First of all Socialism has to offer something in exchange for support.  Something like a wage for everyone, a home for everyone, equal pay for all, insurance for all, etc, etc.
What was Bernie offering in his campaign?  Free college for everyone who wanted it.  Healthcare for all.  One should not have to do without needed services just because they could not pay.  It all sounds great and many people, especially the young, bought into the idea.
But the problem is that as soon as people find out that they can have part of what you have they quit striving and take yours instead.  As soon as people find out they can vote themselves a portion of what is yours the country is doomed!
It all started when Adam and Eve got kicked out of the garden and man has been finding ways to destroy himself ever since!...Medicineman!  

IWO REVISITED

It has been 73 years since U.S. Marines landed on this "pork chop" shaped volcanic island just 200 miles from Japan.
The war was coming to the end and plans were being made for the invasion of Japan and we needed the two airstrips on Iwo for a safe haven for B-29's returning from bombing runs on Japan.
The Navy fired tons of shells and carrier planes dropped equal tons of bombs on the island to soften the enemy before the assault that was to capture the island in ten days.  But the enemy was underground and mostly survived the shells and bombs.  Instead of ten days the fight raged until March 26.
The Japanese had placed some 18,500 troops on the island with orders to defend to the death.  And they spent some 18,000 men doing just that.  Under General Holland "Howling Mad" Smith we suffered some 26,000 killed and wounded.
In a special ceremony the Island was returned to Japan in the late 1980's and a Memorial was built there to commemorate the terrible struggle that went on there for that tiny piece of volcanic ash....Medicineman!

WE THE PEOPLE

"It may be laid down as a primary position, and the basis of our system, that every Citizen who enjoys the protection of a Free Government, owes not only a proportion of his property, but even of his personal services to the defense of it."  George Washington.
These words were spoken to a people who had just suffered through a war with the powerful British Empire and bore the scars of that war and now were building this nation.
The American people have not had to defend their land since the Civil War, 150 years ago.  Americans have fought on foreign soil many times since but, unless we count the balloon bombs from Japan and the saboteurs of WWII, not on our own soil.
Our country's great struggles to build and defend this Republic are not taught in schools anymore.  The results are two or three generations of Americans that have no concept of what Washington is talking about in his message.  And look where that has taken us----what a pity!   Medicineman!

"ONCE UPOIN A TIME-----IN THE LAND THAT NEVER WAS"

For a year now our public servants (using the term loosely) have been spending our money at an alarming rate chasing a mirage hoping to find something, anything they can hang their hat on that they can use to prosecute the President.  Many back there would even like to impeach him.  Can't say that I blame them.  After all Trump has upset their apple-cart and turned topsy-turvy the way business is conducted in "The Swamp".
Now I am certainly for truth in politics just as I am truth in advertising, truth in school, truth in church and truth in the home.  But, I cannot believe that in a solid year of digging nothing has come to light about Putin's involvement in our election process.  Enough already!.......Medicineman!

BIRDS OF WAR

The United States was a little late to the "Big War", although we were there to end it.  But Americans had been fighting in that war almost from the beginning.
The flying machine was just catching the interest of the world when the Austria-Hungarian Archduke and his wife were assassinated to light the fuse of WWI. 
Young Americans, eager to fly, joined Canada and France in their efforts to build a Flying Force.  Early on that force was for observation of the enemy forces in order to move ground troops into battle position.  The first shots at and from the enemy plane were mostly from a hand gun, a duel in the air.  Then came the fitting of machine guns and the aerobatics and the emergence of "Aces" of the air.
February 1st 1918 marks the formation of the U.S. Army Air Service and by the war's end there were 45 squadrons with 740 planes and 800 pilots........Medicineman!