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Infantrymen were fighters, not writers. In one way we prided ourselves on it; we didn't have time for such pussy stuff. But the fact was infantrymen in Korea came as a rule from the bottom rung of the social and economic ladder. The squads were mostly made up of poor whites, blacks and yellows, a dispensable rainbow, uneducated, with nothing to keep us a step ahead of the point of a bayonet. And if a doughfoot got killed, his parents didn't generally have the education to write and ask why. They'd silently, stoically wear their loss like a sad badge of honor. In Korea, a heroic, dead comrade-in-arms, at home a gold star and a cracked window in a little house on the wrong side of the tracks."
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About Face is a classic in the military biography genre; there is very little "politically correct" in the 40 hour, unabridged Audible version of the book. The truth as seen from the front is the first, and perhaps most costly casualty of political correctness. About Face is practically required reading for everyone in the military, or was, regardless of service. Poor men fighting rich men's wars; there's nothing new under the sun. Just to give you some idea of Hack's credibility as a soldier, here are the highlights of the decorations he was awarded:
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- Distinguished Service Cross (2)
- Silver Star (10)
- Legion of Merit (4)
- Distinguished Flying Cross
- Bronze Star Medal (8) with "V"
- Purple Heart (8)
- Air Medal (34) with "V"
- Army Commendation Medal (4) with "V"
The Distinguished Service Cross is second only to the Medal of Honor, the Silver Star is the third highest award; I'm suprised he didn't fall over if he ever actually wore all this on his uniform. A soldier's soldier if there ever was one.
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Got a late start on the Newsletter today...I wonder why.
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Primal Woods
The dogs went on one of their epic runs early this afternoon, through forest and field alike. It took me an hour and a half to get eyes on them, even with GPS on Lulu's collar. Oh well...got some much needed exercise myself at the same time.
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Kenton lended a couple of young and capable hands to the business of finishing Solar Kiln #01.
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Portable Sawmill Services I was very pleased with how the boards Kenton and I milled served the purpose of siding the kiln. Lesson Learned: We'll go from 1.5" battens to 2" battens on Solar Kiln #02. This coming week we will install the solar collector, that being corrogated greenhouse panels, on the South-facing roof; and, with a bit of luck, we will finish siding the North wall and twin barn doors. After that we have only to finish off the internals; Solar Fans installation, bat insulation in the walls and doors, and inside-siding and black paint. After the outside Boards & Battens have dried in place, the plan is to coat them with Boiled Linseed Oil using an old-fashioned hand-pumped weed sprayer.
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Blueberry Pure Maple Syrup on vanilla icecream; that's a serving suggestion I rank most highly.
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Pure Maple Syrup We shipped of a bottle of the Blueberry Pure Maple Syrup to our Chief Taste Tester, Mike O., and received feedback yesterday. Unfortunatley his description of how good it is on vanilla icecream is not fit to print in this PG-rated Newsletter! Ha! Let's just say it got a hearty stamp of approval. Bottling of more will come early next week, and, I promise, it will be on the shelves by the time you read next week's Newsletter.
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