[R-390] 9-11, My Great Shame
Gregory W. Moore
[email protected]
Thu, 11 Sep 2003 22:52:17 -0400
GE, Bernice and Al,
Thanks so much for your elequent words on the second anniversary of
the worst attack on American or Canadian soil
since 7 Dec 1941. Rest assured that this ham and Navy Mars Op
appreciates the sacrifices that Canadians have made in
all the major conflicts which have occurred in the last Century.
I know that there is some internal turmoil existing today in the
Canadian Government, and that a lot of law-abiding
Canadian citizens are now technicially criminals for attempting to
excercize a right which we have enjoyed since our
founders wrote the Second Amendment to our Constitution. We are still
not out of danger in regards to that issue, nor are we out of danger
regarding the ongoing assault on all items of military origin, including
our humble R-390's. There are those who would enjoy confiscating
ANYTHING of military origin, and reducing same to managable scrap. Each
year, when the Defense Appropriation Bills are introduced into our House
of Representatives, and Senate (Equivalent to your Parliament), we have to
work quickly and determinedly to get the destructive language removed
from these bills.
Some months ago, I had opportunity to go aboard, one last time, my
last ship, the best Carrier ever to sail the 7 Seas,
the USS America (CV-66/CVA-66). I have had the pleasure of serving on
her as both an enlisted man (RM2) and later as an Officer. I naturally
gravitated immediately to main comm, radio central, and also prowled the
various other radio spaces, admittedly with larcenous intent --hi--...
Unfortunately, due to certain executive orders by a former president,
whose name I will not type, for he does not deserve one iota of respect
or memory, having brought shame on the Office by certain assignations
conducted in the "holy of holies", the Oval Office. ('nuff said, I think
you can figure this out).
Anyway, when entering main comm, I was greeted by the sight of 3
R-1051's which had been reduced to mangled aluminum and dangling wire by
means of a fire axe. All the front panel knobs were broken off, and the
point of the fire axe had been strongly inserted in each of the
frequency readout windows. Under these destroyed R-1051's, there were 3
AN/URA-17's which had been similarly destroyed, with the first axe blow
thru the CRT. Without going into detail, there were also some
M28 teletypes destroyed, but the worst, which brought rather misty
vision to this R390 lunatic, was a once pristine 390, reduced to almost
unrecognizability by the same fire axes, the modules chopped free of the
chassis, and destroyed. The Veeder-Root counter had been subjected to a
particulary vicious attack, again with the pick end of a fire axe.
There was absolutely nothing to be saved, or preserved, from any of the
units I have spoken about.
I feel proud when I see the web site of the HMCS Haida, which is
being restored to her former glory, with a complete and operational
radio suite. At least, I felt, our Canadian brothers care about their
history. FWIW, I served 2 1/2 years at
NAVCOMMSTA Argentia, Nfld. Those years were among the most enjoyable in
my life, including the crazy 90 mile runs up the (then) dirt road to the
TCH, at breakneck speeds, in any weather, helped somewhat by the
judicious use of spirits --hi--.
I managed to visit the St. Johns location where the first tenative
"S" was recieved by Marconi himself, as well as Cape Race, Gander, and
other sites of historic importance.
Please accept my thanks for your caring and outpouring of feeling on
this day, when the unthinkable, and totally improbable by the standards
of several years ago, did indeed prove not only thinkable, and probable,
but were carried out with an eerie
precision and hatred which could only be compared to the Kamakaze
attacks in the final days of WWII.
Forget what your Prime Minister did, or didn't do. The "prepared
statements" which ooze out of every politicians office, regardless of
their Country, Position, or Party, mean exactly 0.000 . What is
important is the feelings of the RESIDENTS of
the country, and you have shown exactly what one would expect, an
outpouring of condolences. Again, Thanks Much for your elequent
statement. Your Country has suffered some major problems itself, this
year, with the SARS epidemic, but in true
Canadian fashion, you carried on, and saved the day (I would expect
nothing less).
Don't be discouraged by what any government official spouts, they do
have well paid speechwriters to churn out the
propaganda, and the 'handlers" and "Damage Controllers" to pour oil on
the occasional scandal until, like in Orwell's
1984, the news disappears, and the persons become doubleplusungood
unpersons--hi--
At any rate, thanks much, you have at least one person "down south" who
appreciates your sentiments.
73 es God Bless de Greg Moore WA3IVX /NNN0BVN
Upper Darby, PA USA
PS... your statement should be written "non illegiti carborundum"
--hi--- and you don't have to * anything out
Bernice & Al wrote:
>To All,
>
>I have been mulling over if It would be appropriate to offer my condolences
>to the citizens of the United States and to the families of those that
>perished in that great tragedy of two years ago today.
>
>I have great shame this day. The Prime Minister of Canada did not
>participate in not one of the many 9-11 ceremonies that were held across
>this country of mine. He saw fit to send the Deputy Prime Minister to a
>Ceremony at the North Dakota/Manitoba border. This was a joint U.S. Canadian
>event. In our Nations capital various ceremonies were held. The only
>Canadian Government presence were Government Ministers. Our Prime Minister
>expressed his condolences via a press release that I heard on one of our
>local talk radio shows. The host was berating the Prime Minister for his
>total lack of care. I suppose the families of the 24 Canadians that perished
>were impressed by the press release. BTW the Prime Minister does have good
>speech writers.
>
>What I am trying to get across is that myself and the vast majority
>Canadians are ashamed. Will the U.S. citizen again be disappointed by it's
>northern neighbour's continued lack of support. I have a son that lives in
>Pennsylvania who is in the process of becoming a U.S. citizen, first cousins
>that were born in California, Aunts and Uncles who have lived in your
>country for 65 years. Two great, great Uncles fought in your
>Civil War and remained in the U.S. My wife has Aunts and Uncles in the
>states also. My family like many other Canadians have very close ties to the
>United States. I hope that you can appreciate our regrets over the
>insensitivity of our Prime Minister. Thank the powers that be that by the
>end of this year he will no longer be our leader.
>
>I decided this evening that I, as patriotic and caring Canadian, must offer
>my condolences to all Americans in their time of grief. Remember that good
>shall prevail. May the families of those that perished be strong and may
>their grief be handled with dignity and courage. May the those that caused
>all those deaths see the insanity of their actions and that their goals will
>not be achieved with the sword. The word is the true strength in mankind,
>but this must not be seen as a sign of weakness. Those that do be aware. May
>the families of the 24 Canadians who perished accept these words also.
>
>Al VE2TAS
>
>PS: Don't let the b........ds get you/us down.
>
>
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>
>
>
--
"All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing."
--Edmund Burke
Greg Moore NNN0BVN PA
U.S. Navy-Marine Corps Military Affiliate Radio System (MARS)
Official Pennsylvania Area Website:
http://pages.prodigy.net/nnn0fbk/mars.htm
Official Northeast Area Website:
http://www.navymars.org/northeast/index.htm
Navy-Marine Corps MARS: Proudly Serving Those Who Serve."
E-Mail (MARS) [email protected]
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