A Maverick Spoke But No One Listened

“…a date which will live in infamy…”

President Franklin Roosevelt opened his speech requesting a declaration of war vote from Congress against the Empire of Japan with those words, words more closely associated with FDR than any others he had ever spoken during his tenure as President.

Roosevelt made that speech before Congress on December 8, 1941, the day after Japan’s infamous attack against military installations on the island of Oahu…an attack that had been predicted by at least one officer in the United States Navy as early as the end of March, 1941.

That officer’s name was then-Captain Ellis Zacharias, a man who knew of whence he spoke.

Zacharias, you see, had twice been posted as Naval Attache in Japan during his two tours of service as an intelligence officer; during his time there, Zacharias developed numerous contacts within the Japanese military and intelligence community, most of whom regarded the young officer with great respect for having learned their native language and becoming fluent in it. Captain Zacharias, a skilled poker player, had on occasion played cards with the man who would one day conceive and develop attack plans for Pearl Harbor.

That Japanese officer was Isoroku Yamamoto, a man who would become the Empire’s most beloved war hero.

Captain Zacharias also tasked himself with learning as much as he could about Japanese culture and its military mindset, a project that would culminate in a meeting with Admiral Husband Kimmel, Commander-in-Chief of the United States Navy’s Pacific Fleet, a full nine months prior to the unannounced attack that would have completely decimated America’s Pacific sea power had the aircraft carriers Lexington, Enterprise and Saratoga been in port.

During that meeting, Captain Zacharias told Kimmel that rising tensions between the United States and the expansionist Japanese Empire would precipitate a surprise attack on Pearl Harbor “…on a weekend, probably on a Sunday morning…” by using carrier-based aircraft positioned north of the Hawaiian Islands because of the prevailing winds. Zacharias expanded on his theory by telling CINCPAC Kimmel that the attack could be prevented by conducting daily patrols using aircraft and fleet vessels out to a distance of 500 miles from the islands; Kimmel’s response that it would be an impossible task due to manpower and resource limitations caused Zacharias to respond: “Well, Admiral, you’d better get them because that is what is coming.”

Nine months later, as Captain Zacharias steamed into Pearl Harbor as commander of the heavy cruiser USS Salt Lake City the day after the attack, the profound destruction that greeted him was no surprise. In addition to Admiral Kimmel, Zacharias had also warned a staff member of then-Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Harold Stark in November, 1941, that an attack on Pearl Harbor was imminent. However, based on Zacharias’ perceived maverick attitude amongst naval hierarchy, his warnings fell on deaf ears.

Ellis Zacharias would go on to earn commendations and battle stars for the ships he commanded during the war, in part prompting his promotion to Rear Admiral upon his retirement from the Navy in 1946. His aspiration to the office of Director of Naval Intelligence, however, was never met, having been passed over for that position due in part to his ‘loose cannon’ reputation amongst Navy brass because of, among other things, the revelation of warnings he’d issued prior to December 7^th, 1941.

As in the business world, you can’t make your superiors look inept and expect a promotion.

Ellis Zacharias died in West Springfield, New Hampshire, due to complications after suffering a heart attack, on June 27, 1961. He is interred at Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia.

                           

Rear Admiral Ellis Zacharias

We Must Be Vigilant

I wanted to wait a couple of days before broaching this topic, which in retrospect turned out to be a good idea.

I wanted facts, not rumors and innuendos.

Abdul Artan, a Somali-born student at Ohio State, intentionally rammed his car into a crowd of students outside the school's engineering building Monday, then exited and started slashing them with a butcher's knife. In all, eleven students and one OSU professor were injured before Artan was shot and killed by a campus police officer. None of those injured in Artan's attack sustained life-threatening injuries; two of the victims underwent surgery to repair orthopedic damage caused by Artan's vehicle.

What's missing in this story? There is means, in this case Artan's car and large knife; there is opportunity, that being a crowd of students and instructors standing on a sidwalk, exposed and in the open; there is intent, as illustrated by Artan driving over a curb to complete the act of inflicting harm.

Where is the motive? What would drive this young man to harm total strangers?

Islam.

Before anyone accuses me of being an 'Islamophobe', I'd like to point out a few things. First, a 'phobia' is having an unreasonable fear of something. I don't fear Islam; I fear the cause-and-effect of radical Islam. Secondly, nowhere in the first part of this post did I mention the words 'Islam' or 'Muslim', yet this incident would not have happened without them. Artan said so in a Facebook post just minutes before his attack.

'...if you want us Muslims to stop carrying lone wolf attacks, then make peace with Dawla in al sham...by Allah, we will not let you sleep...you will not celebrate or enjoy any holiday...'

Dawla in al sham. Who are they?

They're the peace-loving members of ISIS...you know, those guys who rape, torture and sell non-Muslim women; drown, hang, burn alive and cut heads off non-Muslims. They are also the tolerant, peaceful people who throw gay men off the roofs of tall buildings for being homosexual. ISIS also kills othe Muslims for not being Muslim enough.

Yeah, those guys. We're supposed to make peace with them.

I don't think they know what the word means.

Artan's attack, in terms of actual infliction of damage, was a failure; however, in terms of propaganda, he hit a home run. Radical Islam has claimed his actions as their own, an attack they will use to recruit and inspire other fringe-radical Muslims here in the United States. We must be prepared.

We must pray for peace in our land...but we must also be prepared to defend her.

'50s In The Rear-View...

As today dawned, so did my foray into the world of being a sexagenarian.

On reflection of the past five decades in my life I realized several things, chief among them being how much our world has changed.

I remember when school lunch boxes were metal, along with highway construction traffic barrels,  and seat belt laws didn't exits...nor did car seats for kids. I remember our home phone being on a party line...meaning we shared the line with several other families in our neighborhood.

I remember getting on the school bus and being greeted by the driver, Jerry, who always seemed to be smoking a cigarette. I remember my first grade school, Raemelton, conducting bomb drills during the Cuban missile crisis. Not tornado drills, but bomb drills...as in 'nuclear'.

I remember being in class at Raemelton when the principal announced over the loudspeaker that President Kennedy had been assassinated. I remember several teachers crying, too. I also remember being upset that television coverage of the Kennedy assassination preempted Saturday morning cartoons. No Huckleberry Hound or Deputy Dawg for me that morning.

I remember Dad teaching me how to box with boxing gloves when I was six years old...and nailing him square in the nose when he wasn't looking, he being on his knees in our living room as he gave me instruction. I also remember the wild ride to Mansfield General Hospital when I ripped my hand open trying to climb onto the garage roof that same year, Dad behind the wheel, horn blaring at every intersection. The surgeon, Dr. Myron Reed, told Mom and Dad he'd stopped counting sutures at number sixty while repairing the damage. I also remember going to his office to have the stitches removed several weeks later, the Doc smoking a cigar as he worked.

I remember watching Walter Cronkite delivering the evening news on TV, always commenting somewhere along the way about the war in Viet Nam. I also remember his closing line at the end of every broadcast...."and that's the way it is, (insert date)...". I also remember watching live coverage of the 1968 Democratic Convention riots in Chicago, where thousands of anti-war protesters clashed with police in the streets. Today's anti-Trump protests pale in comparison ( thankfully ).

I remember when people were ashamed to be on welfare or public assistance; now, two generations later, for some it has become a way of life. I remember abortion being illegal, the Cold War dominating the news, the Rolling Stones being banned from the Ed Sullivan Show for song lyrics; I remember when patriotism was a thing to be proud of and those who burned our flag reviled in the media for it. I remember a girl wearing a paper dress to Mifflin School in sixth grade...and it promptly getting torn. Female students having to call a parent for a change of clothes because their skirts were too short. Corporal punishment administered by teachers when a student misbehaved. I remember when we carried our books by hand; no book bags or back packs. I NEVER remember school shootings happening when I was growing up, and seemingly every home having a firearm.

I remember going 'Trick-or-Treating' with my sister Joyce...without our parents... and it being dark outside as we did so, because no one feared for the safety of kids in our neighborhood back then. I remember kids riding bikes without wearing helmets, toy guns that didn't have orange-tipped barrels and being able to buy a Hershey bar for ten cents.

I remember gasoline being a dollar per gallon, when $500 was more than enough for a week-long vacation as we traveled out West...by car. I also remember sleeping at night along the highway in our brand-new 1962 Chevy Bel-Aire station wagon somewhere in New Mexico near Albuquerque, and seeing the Grand Canyon during that trip.

When I was growing up, we weren't wealthy in terms of possessions and money by any stretch of the imagination, but our family never went hungry, we always had clean clothes and a roof over our heads. There were plenty of kids my age in our neighborhood, we had woods behind the house that had a creek running through it and parents looked out for not only their own kids but every kid their children played with.

It was a happy life, a childhood I'm thankful for.

Here's hoping the next sixty years are just as happy.

A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To Columbus...

Friday, I had my yearly check-up with my cancer/kidney surgeon in Columbus. All is well for another year.

However, just as Stacy and I were walking into the lobby of his office my cell phone rings; it was an unusual call.

It was Representative Mark Romanchuk's office.

I met Mark a few years back while working a football game at Lexington High School before I retired. Mark was making his initial foray into politics and was out meeting people as part of his campaign. He and I chatted for a few minutes and I found Mark to be a pretty affable, friendly guy; he got my vote that year, and has every election since.

A few weeks ago I emailed Rep. Romanchuk's office about the growing heroin overdose problem we are facing, expressing my frustration over heroin traffickers receiving probation on a first conviction even though they may have knowingly/unknowingly caused a death which law enforcement couldn't charge them with. People die because of this drug, mainly because in recent years its been 'cut' with other, more potent drugs. A user can lose his/her life the very first time they ingest heroin, and traffickers getting mere probation on a first offense is unacceptable.

First offenders can get prison time if there are enhancing qualifications, such as selling within a thousand feet of a school zone, in the presence of juveniles, selling bulk amounts or possessing a firearm during the transaction; many times this is the case but most offenses are not. Along with the email I included the post I wrote about attacking the traffickers with harsher sentences.

I couldn't stay on the phone long last Friday, but I did call back yesterday and spoke to his legislative aide, Beth Florence. I learned that Mark is currently formulating legislation to address the issue of heroin trafficking and enhancing penalties for trafficking convictions, which pleased me greatly; he also scheduled a meeting with me in a few weeks to explain the framework of proposed legislation.

Being personally affected by opiate abuse has made me passionate on this issue; I am not a Great Crusader on too many things but this is one of them. If you, too, feel strongly about opiate addiction and stronger sentencing guidelines for convicted traffickers, I urge you to contact your legislators and express your concerns and views.

I'd also like to say that my beliefs are not an indictment of our judges, probation or judicial systems; most of those involved are very good at what they do in spite of the difficulties they face; I just want them to have a sharper sword with which to dispense justice through our legal process.

Another Episode of 'What Were They Thinking?'

You're a burglar; you've got your black mask, clothes and gloves on. You're carrying a flashlight, screwdriver and a wrench.

Your target? A jewelry store, inside of which riches await you. You park your car on a suburban side street and walk to the store's back door. You pry away at the door but, try as you might, it won't budge. Frustrated and in a state of despair, you trek back to you vehicle while deciding what to do next.

Just as you're about to enter your car, you notice something alarming: you parked in front of a house that has exterior security cameras! The jewelry store owner will most certainly see the damage you caused to his door, and now a homeowner has your car on camera! What if the police obtain the security video? They'll identify your car as having been in the area! So, you do the only (il)logical thing....

Eric Michael Stevens of North Charleston, SC, who has a history of burglary arrests and convictions, was taken into custody by NCPD early yesterday, marched out to police by the armed homeowner whose house Stevens had broken into. It seems Stevens, in an effort to enter the home and destroy the security video recorder, had pried open a bedroom window and climbed inside...falling onto the bed where the homeowner had been sleeping. However, hearing the noises at his window, the homeowner pulled his gun out of a drawer and was waiting for Stevens.

After firing a shot at Stevens and then holding him at gunpoint, the citizen called police, who arrived to find Stevens being marched out of the house by its armed occupant.

Stevens was charged with first-degree burglary of the home, attempted burglary of the jewelry store and possession of burglary tools, all of which are felonies.

It is unknown if the security cameras caught footage of Stevens or his car.

Eric Stevens

Social Justice or Stupidity?

Oberlin.

Ever been through it? If you haven't, Oberlin is a sleepy little town of just over eight thousand residents and a hair under 5 square miles in size, located in Lorain County southwest of Cleveland.

It is also home to Oberlin College.

On the ninth of November a student from the college was in a small 'Mom and Pop' store close to campus, Gibson's Market. It's a family-owned business which has been in existence for decades, due mainly to the college's student/customers. The student, 19-year-old Jonathan Aladin, decided to buy a bottle of wine, which in itself would have been illegal since he's not twenty-one; an additional problem was, Aladin had concealed two other bottles of wine under his shirt in an attempt to steal them. The clerk told Aladin that he knew there were concealed wine bottles under his shirt and, as the clerk attempted to take Aladin's picture with his cell phone, the suspect slapped it away, causing it to strike the clerk in the face.

The clerk came around the counter and attempted to stop Aladin from leaving with the shoplifted  wine; Aladin threw the bottles to the floor, began struggling with and striking clerk Allyn Gibson, the owner's son, managed to break away and flee across the street, where two female Oberlin students were waiting. Gibson chased Aladin and was then assaulted by all three students. As Oberlin police arrived, they observed Aladin on top of Gibson, punching and kicking him; the two females were also still engaged in assaulting the victim.

Jonathan Aladin was arrested for robbery, which was a result of using physical force while committing a theft offense. Robbery is a felony. The two female students were also charged with assaulting Allyn Gibson, a misdemeanor offense.

A simple case, right?

Not so, according to the Oberlin Student Union. Several other students were apparently in the area outside the store and witnessed Allyn Gibson chase Jonathan Aladin across the street. It was Gibson, they say, who was the aggressor, never mind the beatdown Aladin and the two women were administering or what had occurred inside the store. They claim Aladin was just a victim of racial profiling because he is a black man, that Gibson had no right to stop Aladin for the theft from his family's store.

Since the afternoon of November ninth, the Oberlin College Black Student Union and their sympathizers have been protesting outside Gibson's Bakery and Market, holding signs and chanting slogans denouncing Gibson's as being racist.

Gibson's cashier Trey James had this to say about the incident: "The guy got caught stealing and got arrested for it. It was a pretty clear-cut case. If you shoplift, you get prosecuted, regardless of your orientation, race, background, political viewpoint or anything else."

Trey James is himself a black man. He gets it.

The Oberlin students protesting still today do not, choosing rather to play the 'race card' without knowing the facts or the law. According to a source out of Oberlin...and this is mind-blowing to me...the protesting students are getting class credit for missing class to protest.

Unbelievable.

I am seriously considering making a trip to Gibson's Bakery and Market this coming week, just to buy something from them as a show of support. Included in that purchase will be, of course,...

...a donut.

The Aftermath

I do believe that Hillary Clinton finally understands what difference, at this point, it makes.

Donald Trump's shocking victory in the presidential election, one which virtually no major news network deemed possible ( aside from Fox News ), has this country's LibLeft spinning, crying out to the heavens, "how could this happen??!!"

It's very simple, if you think about it: America is fed up.

Fed up with the Obamacare fiasco, which announced 25% rate hikes two weeks ago. Fed up with our border floodgates being cranked wide open. Fed up with a twenty trillion dollar ( and rising ) national debt. Fed up with the presidentially-encouraged influx of Islamic refugees who in no way can be 'vetted' by the Department of Homeland Security. Fed up with eight years of circumvention of Congressional powers via executive orders from Obama's office, blatantly telling America that he would enact his decrees "...with or without Congress...". Fed up with the Clinton Syndicate, otherwise known as a 'foundation', which accepts enormous foreign donations of cash supposedly to be used for humanitarian reasons; Bill and Hillary's daughter's wedding was paid for using funds from the Clinton Foundation, as well as paying the newlyweds' expenses for the next ten years.

All that is just the tip of the crooked crony iceberg we've endured for the last eight years.

And now, just this evening, I read that some college mid-terms were postponed due to students being so distraught over election results that they just couldn't bear the effort of taking an exam. Another university has activated crisis counseling for its collegiate cream puffs because they can't handle the reality of a national presidential election that didn't quite turn out the way they wanted.

Donald Trump said and did many things during his campaign I didn't agree with; I said before that he wasn't even my THIRD choice as a presidential Republican candidate but there was no way I wanted Hillary Rodham Clinton leading this country further down the path to socialism/globalization.

On another note, U-Haul's business should soon be picking up, what with all the celebrity threats to leave the United States if Trump was elected. Now that it's happened, I'll gladly stand at the border and wave goodbye to them.

But we all know they will never leave.

 Just ask Alec Baldwin.