One of my favorite aircraft, one with a history unique unto itself, is moving a little closer to home turf for Truckman...Well, not just for me, but you know what I mean..."Texas Raiders" was the name applied to this particular B-17G after its acquisition by CAF, the Commemorative Air Force (formerly known as the Confederate Air Force)...Of the more than 12,000 B-17's sent to battle during WWII, only eleven survive as flightworthy today, and "Texas Raiders" was among the first to be chosen for restoration nearly fifty years ago...
One of the last to be constructed during its manufacturing period, built by Douglas Aircraft Company under license by its designer, Boeing, it was assigned to the US Navy as a PB-1W...Its history can be read here...Its military duty, which included service as the very first AWACS airframe, and subsequent retirement was followed by a civilian career in photographic mapping of the Alaskan wilderness...
Its golden years in retirement now find it providing enjoyment, thrills and nostalgia for new generations of airshow attendees and history buffs who get to hear the roar of the mighty Pratt & Whitney radial engines, and see it become airborne again...I count myself lucky to have seen three of the remaining flying museums, and perhaps the day will come when I can hitch a ride on one...As this one (and don't tell the others, but it's my favorite) moves a little closer to home, maybe I'll get to visit it more often...
Incidentally, when CAF made its formal name change several years ago, many people became upset...I was not one of them, as I saw the change in its true light...It was done to reduce divisiveness, and attract more positive attention to the preservation of history...I put it in the same category as MLK Jr. Day which coincides with Confederate Heroes Day which happen to fall on the same day in Texas...People are welcome to celebrate either as history never changes, only its interpretation, or misinterpretation...
It has been brought to Truckman's attention that there are still some internet challenged students struggling to learn of the causes and effects of our way of living in these modern times...Those readers with disobedient eyeballs that strain at tiny print were heartened to learn of the large print version of the World Wide Web (CTRL key + mouse wheel) thereby opening a whole new vista of wonderment to an information-starved cyber-public...
However, there are always some holdouts in every era who refuse to take the steps necessary to enter a new century...Some, like Truckman's Mom, feel more comfortable safely tucked away in a previous millenium where new things stay out of reach, and therefore can't snicker at her when she steps toward a new learning curve...But these people are also depriving themselves of the benefits of the knowledge Truckman is willing to impart to the masses...
For those students teetering on the brink between centuries, Truckman Publishing (a wholly owned subsidiary of Truckman Worldwide Enterprises) announces a breakthrough in education as the first in a planned series of old-fashioned, printed-on-paper and stuck-between-hardcovers books are now rolling off the presses, ready to jump onto your bookshelves where you keep bronzed baby shoes and framed photos of family members no one will recognize in a hundred years because you didn't write any information on the back...Truckman, recognizing his duty to pass down his wisdom to future generations, offers this service as a parergon to his other available blogs and video channel...
It is to be noted that information configured for the internet does not transfer easily from your computer screen to a piece of paper...The handy clickable links found in these blogs just won't work on the printed page no matter how hard you tap them...Truckman was obliged to spend many hours re-writing his articles into a form which translates easily from paper to brain...As in all high quality textbooks, this volume also contains a glossary of terms plus an index located at the back of the book...
For those wondering whether an e-book version will be offered, there are no plans for it as you can easily read the blogs instead at no charge...A proof copy of this collectors quality first edition is on its way to Truckman's doorstep for inspection and approval by our Quality Assurance Division...This article will be updated at that time, and eager buyers may order dozens of copies as Christmas presents for their families, or convenient doorstops and paperweights...
Please be advised that this library-quality volume of priceless prose, does carry a small nominal fee to offset the costs of publication, and to finance the lavish lifestyle to which Truckman would like to become accustomed...Those cheapskates and economically disadvantaged students who wish to continue using Truckman's invaluable web-based information services are invited to do so...
You're welcome...
No, we're not talking about a letter from the IRS, or any ex-girlfriend's lawyer...Today's topic concerns the letter "H"...In doing my periodic inventory of articles I've written (I have to make sure none of them escaped), I find quite a few topics centered around the letter "H"...Naturally Herr Hitler figures prominently considering my interest in WWII...
History in general is a common topic here...Health gets a few write-ups too, although I can't point to my own as exemplary...Even my admittedly odd sense of Humor figures into a few of my topics...Add to these Handguns, Honor, Heredity, High courts, etc.; well, you see where I'm going with this...
I also discuss Heart to some extent, and not only in a Healthwise fashion...Heart also describes a combination of courage and decision, the kind that we never know we possess until the moment comes when it defines us...Few of us even know whether we have it in quantity or quality until the time arrives to show our cards...
My congressman, Kevin Brady, who represents me and his other constituents in Washington DC, had his moment a few years ago during an occasion which brought back memories of my own earlier days...Those who know me know that I do not attempt to hide my abuse of alcohol when I was a much younger man...Many of us bear this cross to varying extents, and willingly or not, we accept its consequences...
When I read of Congressman Brady's moment of truth, I took particular interest remembering my own reactions when faced with the same encounter...My own experiences with lawmen who found my condition behind the wheel to be unsafe ended as I knew they must...Inevitably, the law comes out on top, and, knowing this, I complied with whatever was required of me by the law's representatives, accepting the consequences of my actions...
My own experiences ended long before DUI became the seriously taken subject which it rightly has...Congressman Brady's dilemma on the other hand, was compounded not only by increased public awareness of the problem of impaired driving, but also the attending publicity he must have known would result from media coverage of an elected official...
In following the story in the news, I found that Congressman Brady at no time attempted to shirk his responsibility by hiding behind his office, or claiming any special privileges as I have seen many other public figures do in similar situations...From the moment he faced a lawman at the side of the road, he complied fully with what was expected of him, later stating he would accept the decision of any court which heard his case, even if the result was detrimental to his career...
Other high-profile officials might have, and have in many cases, tried every trick available to avoid responsibility...To his great credit, and the credit of those whom he represents, my congressman stood in the harsh light of reality, accepting the court's decisions, then returned to the job for which we hired him...Those who know me, also know of my belief in limiting the terms of those we elect to office...But when a shining example of everyday heroism steps forth, an exception is made in my mind...
Obviously others share my estimation of Congressman Brady, as he has continued his career in Washington, now chairing the House Ways and Means Committee, directing the budgetary requirements of our nation...He also is known as a champion of the welfare of veterans, seeing to it that our needs are addressed even in an ever-increasing workload of those medical professionals attending to those of us in need...
Yes, Heroism is one of those "H" words, just as Heart is...Congressman Brady, by his actions and demeanor, has earned my trust, and continues to have my support at the polls regardless of my stance on term limits...Hardiness is another trait of which he must be in possession; otherwise, 20 years of service as my Congressman in the meatgrinder of Washington politics might have reduced a stack of tough cordwood into sawdust...I'll see him again at fundraisers and ceremonies, and no doubt he won't recognize my face, but may see in my eyes that glint of recognition from one who has been there with him...
"H" also stands for Height, and having stood in close proximity to him at various local fundraisers and swearing-in ceremonies, I suspect, at my height of 6'4", I may have a slight advantage over him in a game of basketball, but considering the amount of Heart he displays in everyday life, he stands tall in my estimation...Like many other Texans of whom we native born folks know and approve, Kevin Brady wasn't born in Texas, but he got here as quick as he could...
We expect he'll stick around for a while...We need his kind...
As a way of marking my 100th article for this blog, I decided to note a few of the changes and continuations I have witnessed in this 21st century...Being resistant to change as usual, I have finally become accustomed to referencing the correct numbering when marking the date on checks and other documents...Being a relative newcomer to the computing world, I prepared for the Y2K event as best as possible, and was relieved to find it a non-event after all...
Booting from office a President who concentrated more on prurient rather than presidential interests, was an inspiring way to begin another hundred, but unfortunately the even worse spectre of his avaricious wife as President haunted the political world for some time...Fortunately for America and the world, that evil genie may be back in the bottle for good...Many (but not this writer) may have forgotten her attempt to commandeer a seventh of the US economy by her mysterious "plan" to which she would not allow details to be released...
One thing positive may be said for the above mentioned pair; they were two of the best gun salespersons in history, and were partly the reason I left a 35 year career in auto repair for the firearms industry, first as a part-time business, then full time co-owning our county's largest gun store and first indoor shooting range...The fear they put in the minds of the public, some of whom had never even considered owning guns, drove firearms sales to record heights...
Their successor ushered in a new and brighter era to the gun industry by indicating he would not sign an extension of the onerous, and curiously mis-named, federal "assault weapon" ban allowing it to die in unpitied agony thanks to the almost unknown sunset provision written into the law by Congress...This spurred new sales as ten round magazines were reduced to paperweights and doorstops, while standard capacity magazines and accessories such as folding stocks and flash hiders boomed...Naturally, those who had invested heavily in "pre-ban" guns and magazines were crestfallen to watch the value of such items plummet...
On a less cheerful note, I allowed my trusting and generous nature to be taken advantage of by a corrupt and malevolent spirit who, while my attention was centered on my new business, steered me through a marriage and subsequent divorce, thereby reducing the chances of fulfilling many retirement plans...During this time I was lulled by false promises into giving up two vehicles and a comfortable home, to be replaced by mountainous debt and a lasting regret...
But all ended on a positive note, as a lesson was learned, although a costly one...Recently I donated some clothing to one of my favorite charities, and told the nice lady writing the receipt that the coat I was donating had a curse on it...She stopped writing and looked up, but I explained to her the coat was one I had worn at my wedding, however the curse had been lifted in divorce court...
Other lessons were learned admittedly late concerning business, and whom to trust as well as whom to avoid...It is doubtful whether I will break retirement to begin any new commercial ventures, but if so, I can only pray that memory won't let me down...
I have learned that lamenting past mistakes is non-productive, and the only sensible direction in life is forward...It is hoped that the lessons learned so far in this century will be of benefit in whatever time I am allotted towards the next...
I just finished my umpteenth re-reading of this timeless classic and as usual there were new bits of info I've either forgotten or overlooked...Even the first edition, published in 1947, contained research and tables that are timely to any shooter or gun enthusiast at any level...My copy is the second printing of the third edition, which includes all his thoughts and revisions made before his death in 1963...
Julian S. Hatcher was a pioneer in the establishment of ballistic data gathering methods and forensic firearms research long before forensics came to be a commonly used word...Never a seeker after personal glory, his aim was always the furtherment of his profession, whether in a military sense, or in the civilian applications to which his research took him...
Following his honors commencement from the US Naval Academy (yes, Annapolis), he completed a voluntary move from the Navy to the US Army for assignment to a coastal artillery regiment...His 37 year active-duty military career, culminating in retirement as a Major General, was marked with great success, beginning notably with his establishment of the Army's first machine gun school where countless lives have been saved simply by learning the proper purpose and techniques in the deployment of automatic weapons...
His book (and his many other publications) are invaluable whether the reader is furthering scientific knowledge concerning exterior ballistics; beginning or continuing an interest in handloading and ammunition production; or the history of military arms and their safe use (or, in some cases, unsafe and disastrous misuse)...My most recent reference to this masterpiece was in refreshing my knowledge of accidents involving firearm and ammunition failure due to excessive pressure...It's worth noting that Hatcher was not only a career soldier, author and investigator, but also a trained engineer...His skills in the latter field are obvious in all his writings...
Also worth noting is the atmosphere Hatcher created for his readers in that those wishing to learn in a scientific manner may do so without finding the political misdirection found in other articles which concern gun safety...His discussions illustrate many events from pre- and post-production of military rifles to munitions storage magazine explosions, with emphasis on their causation, effect and prevention...The photographs and diagrams included in his book are all from his own files, and might have been lost to history otherwise...
He not only knew many of the legendary names of the shooting world, but shared information with each of them...I would love to have been a fly on the wall during his meetings with Townsend Whelen, Melvin Johnson or John Garand (whose surname incidentally is consistently mispronounced even by knowledgeable people)...The expertise and experience passed back and forth during those meetings would be a priceless education for the fortunate observer...
General Hatcher was a meticulous researcher who wanted his findings to represent the absolute truth no matter how trivial the topic...I think I always find something new because every time I pick up my copy, I'm looking for something in particular and then wind up reading about something else that caught my eye...At any rate, I highly recommend it for the bookshelf of anyone who has an interest in shooting, handloading, guns in general or military history...
In the interest of promoting the general health and longevity of my readership here, I thought it might be beneficial to share some of the secrets of how I maintain this physique under the punishing schedule and torturous demands of semi-public life...It is my belief that a healthy diet is the key to successful living, and an explanation of what I permit to be ingested into myself might be of help to others...
I've discussed my doctors in another article, and crediting them with my advancement to my current age, I will share their dietary advice...My doctor who originally diagnosed my diabetes recommended I avoid all obvious sugars, and food which might be prepared with sugar...Since he always followed my advice for maintenance of his vehicles, I adhered to his recommendations also...I switched to sugar-free drinks and foods which led to better glucose numbers at subsequent checkups, although the improvement could not be sustained in later years...I have yet to figure out why sugar-free products carry a higher price tag in the grocery stores when an ingredient is being left out, but I notice now that if I accidentally eat or drink a sugared product, it has a distinctly nasty taste...
Subsequently as I became the patient of new doctors after a move to my current location, I got new advice on healthy eating...My cardiologist said don't eat red meat because it turns into cholesterol, and my endocrinologist advised don't eat white foods such as bread or potatoes because they become sugars...I've never understood color discrimination anyway, but I humored both of them by cooking the red beef and pork until it turns brown, then toasting bread and frying potatoes until golden...I hope they are both satisfied...
Additionally I eat enough bread and potatoes with every meal to absorb any cholesterol that escaped the cooking purification ritual...I've been told also to make sure I get enough greens, and therefore order all my cheeseburgers (nature's perfect food) with pickles and lettuce, insuring a healthy balance...Jalapenos accomplish the same purpose on my pizza...
Breakfast is said to be the most important meal of the day, so I start every morning (after my pot of black Folger's coffee) with three large eggs, scrambled with shredded cheddar and a handful of jalapenos in a few drops of canola oil; five thick-sliced pieces of maple-smoked bacon fried crisp; 12 tater tots (baked to a golden brown) and a glass of orange juice...Alternatively, I may substitute a quarter pound of pan fried deer sausage (annual contributions from my nephews' hunting trips) for the bacon...At one time I drank copious amounts of grapefruit juice also until my cardiologist pointed out that it negated the medicines he prescribed; since then I abstained...
Another benefit may be derived from the application of a mild peppersauce on my eggs, burritos and tamales...In my experience, all my Hispanic friends who habitually enjoy spicy food seem to experience fewer stomach troubles...Apparently this preventative medicine works as I have never had a stomach ulcer...
My personal favorite is Trappey's Red Devil, but I generally buy Louisiana Brand instead because of its availability in quart bottles in grocery stores at a considerable savings in price...The only thing similar in restaurants is Tabasco which to my palate has a distinctly unpleasant metallic taste...An exception to that rule is Firehouse Subs which displays a wide variety of hot sauces including my preferences...
As with all medical advice, mine should be taken in moderation if at all...Your mileage may vary...For an inexplicable reason, I've grown hungry now...Time for supper...
My friend, Larry LeBlanc, who wrote numerous articles mentioning the gun store I formerly co-owned, reminded me with a recent column that I was remiss in my intentions to write a followup article to my earlier tirade concerning the misuse of words commonly thought of as "gun talk"...
Your attention is turned today to the common Hollywood error of having a character misuse the words "clip" and "bullet" when said character is represented as having the experience and knowledge needed to use the terms correctly as they apply to firearms...Network newsreaders are seen daily committing the same mistake, thereby exposing their ignorance to the viewing public, and diminishing their already tenuous hold on credibility...
For those few uninitiated among the readership, a clip is a small grooved metallic accessory used to store rounds of ammunition until the need arises to load a magazine...A magazine is an ammunition storage device used to feed individual rounds of ammunition into the firing chamber of a firearm...The magazine may be detachable for quick reloads such as in this author's beloved .45's, or it may be permanently fixed to the firearm such as in the case of the Mauser Model C96 or the Soviet designed SKS rifle...
Expanding the definition to military use, General Julian Hatcher, in his classic work, "Hatcher's Notebook," also referred to a magazine as the protective storage facility for rounds of munitions designed for artillery use...In Army usage, a magazine refers to the reinforced bunker used to store artillery rounds until use...Naval magazines store munitions in a similar facility onboard ship...Hatcher's book is a standard reference which will be reviewed by this author at a future time...
A bullet is a component of a round of ammunition, more accurately described as the projectile which is pushed from the muzzle of the firearm after the trigger has been depressed...The bullet, together with the attending primer, propellant (or powder) and sometimes lubricant, when combined into a cartridge case (or shell) becomes a round of ammunition...Therefore it is incorrect to speak of a "clip loaded with bullets" when one wishes to indicate a "magazine loaded with ammunition"...
None of this would be a real problem were it not for the spillover into real life, as unknowing viewers of such Hollywood and TV atrociousness erroneously take it for granted that screenwriters, actors and newsreaders couldn't possibly be stupid enough to allow such gross misusage of words into their professional airings if they were not verified as being proper nomenclature...Too much TV is how I often explained to myself how grown adults could walk into my gun store, and ask for one thing when they meant something entirely different, and then exhibit confusion when I handed them what they asked for...
Additionally, I've become quite civilized since my separation from active service, even though I still understand the reasoning behind the often quoted rant used by drill sergeants everywhere...However, I don't think I'm quite the stickler Gunnery Sergeant Hartman was as he led a barracks drill chanting, "This is my rifle, this is my gun!"...
The online Merriam-Webster Dictionary lists one definition of "blitz" as "a fast intensive nonmilitary campaign or attack"...The attack on Truckman and his beloved truck recently was certainly fast, intensive and decidedly nonmilitary, although being unplanned, it in no way qualified as a campaign...The incident unfolded as Truckman, having completed his afternoon errands, was on his way home with his supper, and, having entered the freeway service road after dutifully checking for oncoming traffic, was impacted from the rear by a careless and errant driver...
The culprit, obviously hoping to flee the scene in his damaged older Chevrolet truck, sped away with all possible haste, but failed to take into account the mighty and powerful Dodge/Cummins driven by the determined Truckman, and was quickly overtaken...Apparently, seeing the quickly approaching behemoth in his rearview mirror with smoke pouring from the exhaust stacks caused the offender to decide capitulation was his better option, and he exited into a shopping center parking lot...
As was confirmed by Truckman's later research, the offender's behavior indicated that he was no stranger to negligent collision incidents...With a breath smelling strongly of alcohol, the driver immediately exited his vehicle and excitedly began to spew excuses, apologies and even accusations, but to his credit did inquire whether Truckman had incurred any injuries...After being asked for his driver's license and Texas insurance card, he instead deployed his defensive tactic of promising to pay for the damage in cash, then attempting to minimize the seriousness of the accident he had caused...
At this point another vehicle driven by a stunningly gorgeous young lady entered the scene...The driver stated she had witnessed the collision from the beginning, and offered her help as a witness...Momentarily taken aback by her beauty and charm, Truckman thanked her, asking her to stay and returned his attention to the nervous miscreant...By this time his actions indicated he would have done just about anything to be allowed to exit the scene before police were involved...Alternately assuring Truckman of his intention to pay, repeatedly showing his USMC tattoo to garner sympathy for his service as a veteran, and hinting that Truckman was at fault anyway (a laughable accusation itself), he was crestfallen when Truckman took out his cellphone and called the police dispatch number from his speed dial index...
Upon arrival, the police officer quickly assessed the non-injury accident, and obtained driver's licenses and insurance cards from both parties, with Truckman additionally offering his CHL...The other driver was found to have no valid insurance just as Truckman suspected...The officer obtained information and a witness statement from the delightful young lady who was still kindly waiting to offer her help...Her description of the incident offered information of which Truckman was unaware since the attack had come from the rear...
She was thanked and told by the officer she could leave the scene, and Truckman's ID cards were returned to him, being informed he should get in touch with his own insurance company for initiation of a claim...The officer then thanked Truckman for his calm and courteous handling of the incident, and indicated his attention would then be turned to a thorough investigation of the offending driver including his vehicle condition, lack of required insurance and the reason for his reeking breath...
Unfortunately, the enchanting young witness left the scene before Truckman could offer her a sit-down dinner in gratitude for her kindness, but perhaps she'll see this article and respond in the comment section below...Equally unfortunate was the cold temperature of Truckman's supper by the time he got home with it...
NOTE: This article will be updated frequently with progress reports and any additional information...Please feel free to check again using this link...
UPDATE: The enchantress was made aware of
the written article in Truckman's blog, but no mention was made of dinner, and
Truckman continues to dine alone...
UPDATE: Photos of the incident are now available for viewing at this link...
UPDATE: Truckman's insurance provider has assured him that the mighty Dodge/Cummins will be repaired to its pre-injury condition...
UPDATE: Truckman's search of jail records showed the offending driver was not arrested...Therefore the assumption might be made that enough alcohol content had been sweated from his system to reduce his B/A index reading to an acceptable legal level...
UPDATE: 1/16/2017...The truck has been placed in the capable hands of Cory Scott at Kustom Werx near Oak Ridge North...Options were discussed, and repairs will proceed...
UPDATE: 1/19/2017...Truckman obtained a copy of the police accident report...The accident was described accurately...The statement from the comely young witness was recorded...The driver who struck Truckman's vehicle wisely admitted the fault was his...The officer noted the presence of alcohol on the suspect's breath...A field sobriety test was conducted, the results of which showed he was not impaired enough to be cited for DWI...The driver was cited for unsafe lane change, no insurance and invalid driver's license...His vehicle was towed and impounded...In Truckman's estimation, any repair estimate exceeding $12.00 would total the offending driver's vehicle...It is suggested for the safety of all that he invest in a bus pass...
UPDATE: 1/24/2017...New pictures were taken today and posted at the above picture link...An adjuster from Traveler's Insurance Company has agreed to examine the damage, and write an estimate Tuesday, 1/31/2017, 19 days after the initial claim...
UPDATE: 1/25/2017...Another adjuster from the same insurance company has agreed to examine the damage tomorrow, 1/26/2017...
UPDATE: 1/26/2017...Damage was inspected by an insurance representative, and an estimate was written...Only two areas of contention...Discussion continues...Repairs are underway...
UPDATE: 1/29/2017...Areas of contention with insurance were solved...Work continues at Kustom Werx Paint & Body Shop...
UPDATE: 1/31/2017...Truckman's concerns obviously made their way up the food chain with his insurance company, who delegated yet another representative to call him, verifying that all details, including contentious ones, were handled to his satisfaction...Upon hearing an affirmative answer, she further assured him the check for the repairs in the full amount was being mailed that day...To her credit, she also asked for verification that Truckman did not need a rental car provided...
UPDATE: 2/15/2017...The truck was inspected today, and no flaws were found in the paint or body work...The only thing missing is the rear bumper which, being a custom piece, was special ordered from Tough Country...New pics were added to the picture blog...
UPDATE: 3/2/2017...The bumper arrived at Kustom Werx yesterday, and was installed...I picked up the truck today, and paid my part of the bill...While it was there, I contracted with Cory to replace the hail-dimpled hood and hazy headlights, plus debadge and re-finish the entire truck...
He and his crew outdid themselves, and it looks mirror-smooth in black...The only flaw I can find is a small gap between the surface of the tailgate and the marker light under the latch...Neither were replaced, and neither Cory nor I can explain it as the tailgate is perfectly straight and smooth. and fits flush in the box...For all I know it may have always been there unnoticed...
I won't worry about it...If it weren't for my eagle-eyed nephew, it would have gone unnoticed from now on...I'm really happy with the debadged appearance; it just looks cleaner...I'm very pleased with the results, and, as I already knew I would, I'll recommend Cory's work to anyone...Pics will be updated when pollen season is over...
It's been a very long time since I dealt with an insurance company for any reason...This was also my first claim ever with Traveler's...The only fault I can nitpick is the long wait between the initial claim and first inspection by an adjuster for an estimate...After that, service was fast and fair, payment was swift...The inevitable supplement was approved and paid promptly...If the cost of premiums stays competitive, they'll have my future business...
FINAL UPDATE: 3/18/2017...A fix has been found for the unexplained gap behind the tailgate lamp...All is well...
Longtime reader(s) of Truckman's efforts to further the knowledge of humankind while the opportunity still exists have noticed his insertion of clickable links in the many articles he has chosen to publish...It has been noted that clicking these links will not always lead the reader to evidence supporting Truckman's viewpoints and conclusions...In many cases, the links will lead one to essays designed to augment an entirely different opinion...
In an effort to forestall confusion, all students should be aware that Truckman includes these links as incentive to further reading, and not necessarily to shore up his own thoughts, which are said to stand alone as unique...Careful study of the thoughts and ideas from Truckman, for which this blog is titled, will show that his interpretations and conceptions of events may not always be agreed with by other scholars, but they are consistently and always those of Truckman...
Those wishing to read further before agreeing that Truckman's writing carries the weight of validity, are encouraged to use the links provided for comparison...Those willing to just take his word for it may enjoy the benefits of enlightenment sooner than others...
Reporting a broken link may be done through the always functional "Contact Truckman" link in the side column of each page...
Ostkrieg translates literally from German as "east war" or "war in the east"..."Ostkrieg: Hitler's War of Extermination in the East" is an extensive analysis of the war waged between Nazi Germany's Wehrmacht and Soviet Russia's Red Army during WWII...Author Stephen Fritz explains in his book's preface that the story is told more from the German viewpoint than any other, but correlating military efforts with political aims, business interests, prevailing racial distortions and the willingness of the German population to accept the consequences...
Selecting a beginning date for World War II can vary depending on whose ox was being gored...The majority of the German people were content to accept the Nazi regime's view that the First World War never really ended, and saw it as a continuation of hostilities which was interrupted by what they termed as the "November Criminals" before they could gain victory...The French, always willing to surrender to anyone on a "first come, first served" basis, have no actual starting date to mark since they were squabbling among themselves for the privilege of raising the first white flag...
A more memorable date for them would be June 22, 1940 when they surrendered, capitulated, and joined forces with the Axis Powers and became the Wehrmacht's shoeshine brigade...Citizens of Luxembourg, Belgium and the Netherlands went to sleep one night in May 1940, and awakened to find themselves occupied by German divisions...Dutch forces put up a valiant defense before they were forced to surrender to superior numbers...The peaceful yet gutsy Luxembourgers have had their ups and downs over the centuries, and are accustomed to passerby armies using their land as a thoroughfare to and from battle...They understand their strategic importance in much the same way as Switzerland...
Belgium's weakling King Leopold III quickly caved in although his military staff urged him to flee and establish a government in exile...The heavily reinforced Fort Eben-Emael was quickly taken from the Belgian Army by a handful of German airborne commandos led by a Sergeant...After a short sightseeing tour of Paris, and making sure the trees were properly pruned to let his Nazi hordes march in the shade, Hitler turned his attention to the main goal he had written of so much in Mein Kampf, the bountiful resources and killing fields of Soviet Russia...
The thoroughness of Mr. Fritz in his research did allow me to glean one new outlook for myself...I had hitherto thought of Hitler's longtime habit of pointing his ambitious underlings in a general direction, but on separate paths, then inviting detailed plans which he either approved or sent back for modification, to be a result of his inherent laziness, or his paranoiac fear of being overshadowed as the creator of original thoughts, of which both theories could gain credibility...But I can understand now after the author's explanation of the diligent study, and final analysis of the feasibility of negotiations with Russia (Ribbentrop's Eurasian bloc conception), the Naval Staff's plan to control the Mediterranean, and the talks with both Franco's Spain and his new collaborators, Vichy France, his decision to boldly attack Soviet Russia represented the most potential gain for the least possible risk of failure...
Operation Barbarossa was the military undoing of Hitler...Up to the point where he turned on his allies at the time, the Soviets, his armies had nothing but success in battle...He thought he was a military genius and couldn't be defeated, but his real secret was that he was a rank amateur who did everything unconventionally and took victories mostly by the element of surprise...Any first-year student of the Napoleonic wars could have told him to attack Russia in the spring, not when he could expect his forces to be mired in the mud at the beginning of October...
At the onset of the march to Moscow, the Russian peasants welcomed the invading Germans as their saviors from the slavery of Stalin...The Wehrmacht generals tried to persuade Hitler to feed the Russian peasants who would have been glad to help the German Army defeat Stalinism...Instead Hitler ordered them to take every scrap of food away from the non-Germans and kill as many as possible...Many of the Wehrmacht officers were not willing to indiscriminately order the deaths of civilians, prompting Hitler to send in the Waffen SS with their Einsatzgruppen to do the job...They went into that job with a willingness that bordered on enthusiasm...
When it was obvious his forces were stalled and should withdraw, he ordered them to fight to the last man, thereby ensuring the destruction of his most valuable and battle-hardened armies...At their next advance, they had to rely on green, inexperienced battalions, guaranteeing another defeat...This was the turning point of the European war as the Wehrmacht was on the defensive from then until its surrender...
I have mixed feelings about the author's style and composition of thoughts when reading this book...His approach to the subject from the differing angles of military, political, economic and ideological standpoints is unique, but generates some confusion in moving from one to another...A clearer separation may have been beneficial, and for me, makes the decision to study this era as seen from the viewpoints of many authors seem a wise choice...
As I moved from one chapter to the next, I began to be grateful that the book's scope was limited to the war on the Eastern Front...Without taking away from the author's factual thoroughness, painstaking and accredited research, and his generous acknowledgement of the summation of other authors such as Ian Kershaw and William Shirer, I would recommend students begin their studies with this book, rather than a later time...
If any relatives from the family from which Adolf Hitler stemmed are still living, it is unlikely they will ever seek publicity or even acknowledge the relationship...Probably no other bloodline in history, other than that of Jesus of Nazareth, could generate more imaginative interest than that of Hitler...The origins of the family have been postulated, suggested, alleged, investigated proven and disproven, and yet remain rooted more in guesswork today than ever...The most recent DNA studies using the most scientific methods available leave the issue clouded...
His place in history as the epitome of villainy remains assured, even as conclusive evidence of his final moments, and time and place of his demise waits veiled in mystery and doubt...Films and televised documentaries fuel the flame with each showing, bringing more speculation to the argument over whether he died as most historians believe in his underground Berlin bunker, or escaped to live in hiding in a South American jungle...
Since even the recovery and final resting place of his earthly remains cannot be factually ascertained, the truth may elude the quest for some time...What is certain is that the only people who ever knew the exact truth were the ones who were there, and they may have had good reason to lie...
Rochus Misch was present in the underground bunker where Hitler and his new bride were said to have met their end...His assignment in the SS Fuehrer Escort Command in personal service to Adolf Hitler could only result if his fanaticism to the Nazi cause, and his worship of his Fuehrer had been accepted beyond question...His role in the bunker is often discounted as merely servitude until it is realized he wouldn't have been chosen for duty unless he was expected to do absolutely anything to carry out Hitler's wishes...
I believe that in light of Misch's known personal oath of loyalty, and his recruitment as a sober, obedient and not easily shaken personal protector of the Nazi dictator, he would have stood by his original testimony even unto death...Mine is an improvable theory just as all others from those who weren't there...
The most interesting lately published book on the subject, and one which I briefly reviewed earlier, is "Grey Wolf," in which authors Simon Dunstan and Gerrard Williams offered their theory of Hitler's escape from the bunker, and the resulting cover stories left behind...An interesting and readable book, it leaves little in the way of irrefutable evidence other than heavily redacted CIA and FBI memos...
In connection with this article's subject, the authors allege the Hitlers were parents to two children both conceived out of wedlock...Ursula (called Uschi) joined her parents in Patagonia in September 1945...She was said to be born New Year's Eve, 1938 in San Remo, Italy...The birth was hidden, and Eva's absence was explained away...The second live birth (Eva was said to have had three pregnancies with Hitler) produced another daughter...The authors allege that Eva left Hitler taking the children in 1954, having become disillusioned with her hidden life...
If true, the Hitler bloodline could have been extended and even expanded through the two daughters, but there may have been even more illegitimate children...Hitler was said to have had a torrid love affair with Tilly Fleischer whose daughter Giselle claimed claimed she was Hitler's daughter...The dictator, who famously stated he was married to Germany and faithful only to her, may have had any number of out-of-wedlock children who have carried his genetic code forward...
But this is all speculative, just as in the well acted film, "The Boys From Brazil," which posed the supposition of Hitler clones manufactured by the diabolical Dr. Josef Mengele, being nurtured and raised under the same conditions as the mad dictator in order to someday bring forth a new Reich...Not at all the product of speculation is the dilemma which has long faced the known descendants of his bloodline...
Adolf Hitler's half-brother, Alois Hitler Jr., a Berlin bartender during the Nazi regime, fathered three sons, and his half-sister, Angela Raubal, who served as his housekeeper, gave birth to two sons...In 2013, the five known extant great-nephews of Adolf Hitler were said to have entered into a pact to end the bloodline by fathering no children...The existence of this deliberate pact has been disputed by the Wikipedia article on Hitler's family......
One nephew, born William Patrick Hitler (later wisely changed to Stuart-Houston) served in the US Navy during WWII, having emigrated to America following a failed attempt at blackmail against his more famous uncle...Jean-Marie Loret, Hitler's illegitimate son from his days as a soldier on the front in WWI, served in the French Army against the Wehrmacht in WWII...Being only half French, the unproven charges of collaboration with the Gestapo could be argued either way...
Angela's daughter, Geli, Adolf Hitler's niece, had no children either from her incestuous relationship with her uncle, or any of her other sexual adventures...Her death, which occurred either by the hand of Hitler, or with his tacit approval even though it was ruled a suicide by Hitler's future Gestapo chief, precluded any further opportunities for child-bearing...
Even if an exact duplicate, genetically proven to be identical to Adolf Hitler were to surface today, it does not necessarily follow that he (or even she) would be pre-disposed to resurrect and continue the Nazi ideology...Such a person would have to know the results from the previous effort, and would also know how many students of history would line up to end such a career before it even began...
As I composed my thoughts in the third installment of my review of William Shirer's "The Nightmare Years," I began to speculate how events might have unfolded had Adolf Hitler's massive gamble of 1936 in the Rhineland backfired...Originally writing this as a sidenote paragraph, I decided it could stand alone as its own subject...
The terms of the Treaty of Versailles which decreed the Rhineland as a demilitarized zone had been in effect 17 years when Hitler made his decision to enter it with German armed forces...The General Staff balked at such a plan as rearmament had barely gotten underway in the wake of a devastating war followed by a restrictive treaty...Hitler's Minister of Defense, Field Marshal Werner von Blomberg, had already argued that the French Army vastly outnumbered the Reichswehr, and possessed far more effective armament...His contention was that Germany could not be ready for such an action before 1940...
Hitler's military operations lapdog, General Alfred Jodl, testified at the Nuremberg trials that France's divisional strength, in both infantry and artillery, could have allowed them to advance on German units with superior numbers from multiple points as soon as the first German boot came down in the Rhineland, and scattered them like a flock of chickens...Even as much outward confidence as Hitler showed to his doubtful advisors, the weekend incursion was a nailbiting, sleepless weekend for him...
Up to this point, the German march into the Rhineland for the purpose of military occupation was the biggest risk of Hitler's political career...Everything he had planned for his entire life hinged on the success or failure of this one military incursion, the failure of which would have forced his humiliating resignation as Chancellor of Germany before he had a chance to order the deaths of millions of people...
And if his risky gamble had not paid off; if the German Army battalions had been forced to turn tail and run for the border; what might have happened?...What effects would this turn have had on events and people, not only in Europe, but in the rest of the world?...
~~~
Hitler, feeling the heat from those who had been prepared to march with him in unearned victory, might have retired to his birthplace in Austria, which would have still existed as a sovereign state...He would then have had time to write the third volume of his masterwork of madness, Mein Kampf, unread copies of which would become paperweights for boxes of old letters in the attics of his surviving relatives who received them as birthday gifts from him...
Some cronies such as the sycophantic Rudolf Hess would have stayed with him, others like the sinister Reinhard Heydrich might have contracted for his death for having interrupted his brilliant criminal career...Some Reichswehr generals would have fallen on their swords, others would have persevered...
Desperately needing the adulation of crowds, and wanting to provide gainful employment to his loyal toadlings in order to keep them close, the former Fuehrer might have emigrated together with his following to Argentina where he could have established the Institute of Modern Totalitarianism...Fledgling dictators such as Juan Peron and Augusto Pinochet could have learned their craft at the feet of the master with accredited courses in monolithic principles...Goebbels, Goring and Himmler would have gained full tenure as professors...
Jewish business people and their families would have returned to Germany, but hesitantly, and with a new-found militancy against future outrages...Krystallnacht had not yet occurred at this time, but other atrocities abounded, brought on and encouraged by the Nazi regime...Their own nationalist urges might have been rekindled with the craving to end their rootless wanderings, and establish a centralized defense against persecution...
Zionists would not have received the massive US support in their establishment of Israel, but would have had millions more Jews alive to fight the battle...The dust might have even settled on a more peaceful and stable mideast as the militant factions would not have received the backing of outside powers...Grand Mufti al Banna would have remained a seething would-be caliph, but would never have received Nazi support...Haj Amin al-Husseini would not have been dubbed the Islamic Fuehrer...
Winston Churchill would not have become PM, but would have been re-elected to Parliament, and written a series of mostly obscure history books known only to academics...A complacent Neville Chamberlain and his successors would allow Stalin's Red Army to invade Poland and occupy the Baltic and Balkan lands...Western allies would eventually re-arm and enlist the aid of a democratically governed Germany to protect Scandinavian countries from Soviet expansion...
William Shirer might have returned to the US and become a sportswriter and novelist, although his enthusiasm for winter sports may have become somewhat diminished...He and Ed Murrow might have invented teletype-based horse race betting together instead of the network radio news teams for which they became famous...
France would have continued to change governments every few months until another Napoleon surfaced...Charles DeGaulle would have retired from politics and established a chain of "tall-and-arrogant" men's stores based in Paris...Jerry Lewis films would still have been inexplicably popular throughout France...
King Leopold III of Belgium may have found other dictators to admire, perhaps in South America, but likely would have lived out his days in comfort at Laeken, and been remembered more favorably in his obituary...Fort Eben Emael might have become an underground tennis and swimming resort with a luxury hotel and casino built over it...Or it might have become a world-class observatory used for astronomical research...
The Japanese would still have attacked Pearl Harbor, but would have fought a two-front war against the US and Russia...The Soviet Union would have waited until America reduced the Japanese threat considerably before entering the war as an ally of the Anglo-American coalition...The war would only have ended after massive loss of lives, and after Japan's emperor-god sought sanctuary with the Americans to prevent capture by the Russians...Japan would eventually become a Soviet outpost awaiting war with China, while Hirohito would live out his days in exile in San Francisco writing his memoirs and contributing free-verse poetry to The New Yorker...
The newly formed United Nations would have divided influence over Pacific assets with the USA taking control over the Philippines and the islands of Micronesia and Polynesia...America would have ceded controlling influence over Southeast Asia and the Indian Ocean to the British, who would have thrown the whining French a bone by allowing them to form their colony in Vietnam, eventually causing the Vietnam War exactly as it happened...
The best nuclear scientists would not have fled Europe and gathered in America to produce the atomic bomb...The bomb would have eventually been built, but not in time to end WWII at the cost of millions more lives...The Thyssen and Krupp families would have merged efforts earlier and developed efficient methods of delivering nuclear power, and would today be an industrial and engineering giant along the lines of Halliburton/KBR...Albert Speer might have gained fame as an architect with the firm...
Mussolini would have had his butt handed to him in Greece, and the Italian monarchy would have been restored after Mussolini's forced resignation, only to fall to Communism...Observant Marxists would have noticed that although Italians are weak in both military and political arenas, it would make more sense to take the country bloodlessly...A Molotovian mind would have created a scenario allowing communist takeover while the Italians, like their French counterparts, would have been content to have focused their attention on whoever promised the most wine and sex...
Franco's bid for power in Spain would have been doomed by the lack of support from Germany and Italy...Democratic Socialism would have been the prevailing political entity with the royal Spanish family still enthroned as figureheads, just as in England...The nation would become known as a center for tourism and banking...
Franklin Roosevelt would have stayed in office until his death, but the extended Pacific war would have cost Truman an elected term...President Dewey would not have sought a second term after bringing WWII to an end, preferring instead a new and beckoning career in Hollywood as an actor where he would not have been urged to shave his mustache, a move which would have puzzled actor, Ronald Reagan...
Dewey would have endorsed the candidacy of his Vice President, Dwight Eisenhower, who had been forced to retire from his Army career as a Colonel after leaking General Douglas MacArthur's plans to run for Emperor of the United States...Eisenhower's administration would have been marked by the successful construction of the interstate highway system, and the establishment of golf as the national sport...
~~~
Second-guessing the belligerents in a war already concluded is a time-honored and favorite pastime for those of us among the armchair generals and amateur historians, but it also offers value in mapping out strategies for future wars...And yes, there will always be a future war on the horizon, the victors in which will be those who paid attention to the lessons of history...
All it would have taken to alter the annals of the human journey through time was a Frenchman with possession of a backbone in a leadership role to direct France's already standing army to rout the Germans back over the Rhine...Alas, anthropologists have been unable to produce evidence of the existence of a French vertebrate with the capacity to maintain command since William the Conqueror had the gaul [misspelling and pun intentional] to establish the Papist kingdom of England by force...
But then latter-day retired gun dealers would have had to find something else to write of in their unnoticed blogs..."For the want of a nail"...
