Good morning!!!!

[Kyle_in_Tex]

Happy birthday Big G!

 

[RoyJackson]

2016-05-16,0323

36 right now...maybe some snow showers this morning. The high is predicted to be 55 today.

 

[Eric Salop]

{As told by Eric's Dad}
Good morning gentlemen. I can well understand why some of your relatives did not want to talk about the war. Neither did I for a long time. Once my son grew up, it was only fair to share with him some of the events, as he'd heard plenty from my dreams. Anyway, who could resist when he would take me up to the Spangled bull pub and buy me a pint of best bitter ?


1941
"When Italy came into the war things began to change gradually. The Italian Navy closed the Mediterranean to our shipping and nothing was getting through. Provisions started to become short, the fodder for the horses began to get desperate. Other cavalry units were disbanded and regular units like the Royal Scots Greys and 21st Lancers had to go for training to become armoured units in the Tank Corps. Rumours went around every week that we would be the next to lose our horses but actually we were the very last to do so. Maybe one point in our favour was the fact that the son of Lord Halifax, the Minister for War, was in our unit and he influenced his father in order for us to retain our horses for as long as possible. I shall never know the reason but unfortunately Halifax's son was killed at Alamein, he was a very good officer.


Our last encounter on horseback was just before the invasion of Syria. When Germany invaded France in WW2, some high ranking officials sided with the Germans, Karal was one of the worst and the French Colonial countries became our enemy, hence the reason for invading Syria. My troop, which consisted of 4 Vickers machine guns and 45 men, were sent to a small Jewish settlement on the Syrian border. It was called Matullar. At night we crossed into Syria to spot any gun emplacements and to see if the land was suitable for lorries and armoured vehicles to operate successfully. As all this was supposed to be secret we were not allowed to leave camp so after 6 weeks we were getting a little bored and wondered just when the invasion was going to happen or not. One night, after we had been on the Golan Heights scouting, we ran into some French (Druse) Cavalry. We were only about a 1/2 mile from the border so it was a case of drawing swords and making a dash for it, which we did, and all 12 of us got away without a shot being fired. I think the sight of drawn swords made them too scared to do anything. This was the final action of British horsed cavalry. It was a good job we didn't have far to go as the poor horses were out of condition owing to lack of proper fodder."

 

[Eric Salop]

{As told by Eric's Dad}



Just outside Swada was an old French fortress. It was heavily guarded by Legionnaires, Vichy troops who were our enemy. Our regiment was given the task of taking it by force. The fort was on a hill, a long gradual slope and rocky terrain led up. Our orders were to make a just before dawn gallop up the hill, 3 men were to dismount while a fourth held the horses and took cover. These gangs of 3 would storm the fort. During the night the fort was to be bombed by the RAF and artillery was put in place to give covering fire. As we took up our positions 2 hours before dawn orders came through for all forward troops to stand fast and just after dawn we were pulled out of positions. Syria had surrendered and there was a ceasefire. Boy was that a relief. Later we took over the fort from the Legionnaires and allowed them to march out with a regiment of Druze cavalry. The RAF bombing had done little in the way of damage, the walls were bristling with Hotchkiss machine guns, a Belgian gun. If we had tried to storm the fort it would have been a suicide charge.

Within a couple of months we said goodbye to our horses.

 

[Thall303]

Thank you Eric, and your father as well for preserving and telling of his and others service and sacrifice in defense of freedom.

Two years ago we lost my father in law of 45 years, at the age of 90.

He was one of the two greatest men I have ever known, the other being my father, also of the "Greatest Generation "

My father in law was a very young farm boy who had never been out of his home county before joining the army and spending the next two years of his young life in the South Pacific fighting the Japanese, island to island.

God bless your father and men like him who gave so much to the world and then came home to become productive, loving husbands and fathers.

 

[Ed of all trades]

Good morning all 33 here this morning and calling for wide spread frost, Lot of gardeners will be working hard to save their plants and many will loose them. Going to 64, highs in the 50's and 60's for the next week. Spent the day resting and sleeping and eating yesterday. Feel better this am and plan to mow with the X310 today. Hope to not do much more than that. Lime seems to be kicking in the last few days. Good reason to take it easy.

Thanks again Eric, Many good men never made it home to tell their stories, I'm glad to hear your dad's. Can't even get my mind to accept what war must be like. Hope I never really do. Thanks to your dad and all like him who have served their countries in the fight to keep freedom. We owe all who served more than we can say. Ed

 

[Ed of all trades]

Eric enjoying your Dad's story, Dad and Uncle never did really open up about WWII experience Uncle served on destroyer, found out when he recognized and model I was building(Japanese fighter), Dad no fighting but was part of occupation force in Europe.
:

My uncle was on a destroyer in the war as well. Only thing I ever heard him say was that the waves-swells were so big that when you were in the bottom of them you could not see any of the other ships in the group they were in, but when you were on top of a swell you could see a bunch of them. He did say he was a cook and if you dropped an egg shell in the pot of scrambled eggs you did not worry about it, you just mixed it up and cooked it. His older brother went into the army and sent a letter to him saying go into the navy, that way you will have a bed and not have to sleep on the cold ground. His first cousin did the same for his younger brothers. Ed

 

[txdon]

Eric, I like the way your father tells stories. Very realistic like a normal person would think instead of the army movies seen on tv. I too had an Uncle who served in WWII but never wanted to talk about it according to my Dad. He was sent to fight Germany (he spoke German and English) where just two generations before his family migrated from, cousins fighting cousins. We learned, after the Berlin wall came, down that some of our WWII German cousins were captured and sent to Texas prison camps as POWs.

 

[daugen]

A bright good Monday morning to all.
Cool temps out, in the mid 40's going to low 70's today. Another lovely day.
I got a great deal done on the CC renovation yesterday, fun to put the starter gen back on, had to look at the wires several times to make
sure things were going back on the right post; not good to reverse them. Wires had taken such a set after 48 years, they just dropped back into place. Heavy gauge wire, saw no reason to replace. Painted the hood white and did a terrible job, turned it over to find half hardened runs...groan. So I may be doing a little sanding and then I may not; looks nice from ten feet away...the hood was a welded dented wreck to begin with; not going for prizes here. I did spend a lot of time going over all the lube points, put thirty pumps of grease in the steering tube bottom and nothing came out. Hmmmm, well there's plenty in there now and the whole steering linkage spins with zero effort, slick as goose poop.

My little can of DeOxit came in Friday and it will be put to use on the electrical connections.

need to get some organic bug spray today or the eggplants will continue to be munched

 

[ronjhall]

Drinking first cup of coffee. 34° with clear skies this morning. Heading to 64° with sunny skies. Yesterdays family get together went very well. Glad we do not do this to often. No major plans today.
Eric, good story, keep them coming. My dad was in WWI. Never talked about it. When WWII came around his story was about going in to reenlist. All the young men in line called him a old man. He was not allowed to reenlist. He was a engineer at a tank manufacturing plant.
Txdon, glad your spider bite is being taken care of.
Good Morning All.

 

[Buppies]

40 chilly degrees this morning high of 66 later more rain on way tonight and tomorrow

Eric really enjoy your stories, my dad fought in the European theater France going into Germany where he was wounded and spent 9 months in English hospital then three months in Georgia hospital. When the battle of the bulge started he was right in the middle of it although he never really said much about it. The army said he was 75 percent disabled but you never would have known. As others have said they were the greatest generation

 

[Buppies]

TxDon glad your spider bite is on the mend nasty boogers they are

 

[Ed of all trades]

Thought I would share this. Yesterday morning I looked out in the back yard and saw the neighbor Charley's cat looking at something in our garden. The cats name is socks so when my wife got up I told her charlies socks were in the back yard looking at our garden. It took me a little to figure out why she laughed at me. Ed

 

[Thomas]

35F cloudy mid 50's for high.
Patches of snow here and there from last night,should melt by mid day.
Dr. appointment hope for another load of wood to stack until than couple putter jobs.

Enjoy the day all.

 

[Ed of all trades]

Drew
Just had a great idea!!! That yellow paint would look great on your Jag. Do you have enough left over to paint the car too? If you did I am sure it would really turn heads. Ed

 

[wngsprd]

38 going to 64 and another sunny one.

Change oil in mower and finish mowing today.

Change oil in tractor and bush hog driest field.

Great birthday party for my mom in Virginia Beach yesterday...18 of us...children, grandchildren, great grand children...wish all could have come.

Gary, hope you had a happy birthday!

 

[daugen]

Ed, my very first new car in 1971, a Toyota Corolla Coupe in Suntan Yellow. Tan bucket seats with four on the floor. Just got my first job out of college and
that Toyota back then was remarkably different from American cars. At least it wasn't called Mellow Yellow. Those were the days...
And that was my last yellow car...
but thanks for the idea. I'd prefer not to be noticed, not to make a social statement, not to do anything but just have a fun comfortable car. For not much money.
Now my brother's 2015 ZO6 in bright yellow, oh yeah.
Now remember I've never seen or driven this car. But when my car nut buddy said there was no question about getting shoved back in one's seat, well....that's likely all my fused neck is going to be happy with anyway. No more banging shifts...sigh.

oh to get a little rubber in second gear...
even a little chirp.
Life is good.

 

[daugen]

Billy, good luck with the new truck. A few more buttons and functions to learn I'm sure.
There's a guy who just got given a free new one for driving a first gen Tundra for one million miles.
With good service and an undercoated body, those trucks will last forever. Almost.
But then so will an F150. The fact your old one racked up so many miles shows you took good care of it.
To go further is usually poor ROI, unless you are a dedicated high miler.
And now you have a super reliable vehicle for a long time.
And likely a safer vehicle with more air bags.
Which now have the newer ignitors so you aren't killed by air bag shrapnel.
Which makes buying a twelve year old car a little worrisome. Those Takata air bag recalls are increasing to huge numbers.
Sure makes you want to not hit something even more...

 

[farmer2009]

48 this morning and headed to 63 today.

Separated a load of calves and culled heifers out yesterday. Will haul them to stockyards today. Then go pickup the calf I had slaughtered. Will make a full day.

 

[Ed of all trades]

Ed, my very first new car in 1971, a Toyota Corolla Coupe in Suntan Yellow. Tan bucket seats with four on the floor. Just got my first job out of college and
that Toyota back then was remarkably different from American cars. At least it wasn't called Mellow Yellow. Those were the days...
And that was my last yellow car...
but thanks for the idea. I'd prefer not to be noticed, not to make a social statement, not to do anything but just have a fun comfortable car. For not much money.
Now my brother's 2015 ZO6 in bright yellow, oh yeah.
Now remember I've never seen or driven this car. But when my car nut buddy said there was no question about getting shoved back in one's seat, well....that's likely all my fused neck is going to be happy with anyway. No more banging shifts...sigh.

oh to get a little rubber in second gear...
even a little chirp.
Life is good.

Well, it was just an idea.:laughing: Ed