Today was my monthly drill which was also the drill that my promotion became official. The Commander took mercy on me (supposedly) and told me that I didn't need to have a big ceremony for the promotion, just show up with the rank on. So I did. We had the usual morning formation and we had several other soldiers to promote during which I called them up in front of the formation and then read the orders in my best announcer voice. After that, before he sent me on my way the Commander brought my new status to the attention of the assembled unit and they gave me three 'Hooahs' so I didn't escape after all.
Ok, this is worth being grouchy about: Since when is wearing the Soviet hammer and sickle symbol a trendy fashion statement for our teenagers? I've seen a couple of teens recently sporting T-shirts with the communist logo on them. When I see this I see red-and I'm not just referring to the color of the hammer and sickle. The communist movement inflicted almost as much misery and deaths on the world in the 20th century as the Nazis inflicted on Europe. If kids were wearing T-shirts with swastikas on them do we think that the schools and their parents would consider the shirts a harmless fashion statement? Most assuredly not. I saw the border between the west and the east in Europe with the Soviet mandated guard towers, fences, mines, and killer dogs all designed to keep the people captive in the east. As I said to Craig the other day, I didn't spend 3 years in Germany defending civilization against the Soviet hordes just so some punk kid can sport the logo of the 2nd most evil empire in the world in the last several hundred years. Mary spoiled the moment by suggesting that I spent 3 years in Germany sight-seeing and that there wasn't much defending going on. Perhaps, but I would have been ready to defend if called upon. So there.
It is impossible to be grouchy after watching Peter Sellers in "The Pink Panther Strikes Again" which I did tonight and laughed so hard at parts of it that my eyes were watering. After that I am no longer grouchy. At least for the rest of the weekend.
Monday is the day that I get back on the bike for a 2 mile commute to work. Hopefully the knee will do its part in the task and get me from the Glendale train station to work and back without fail.
And lastly I just cannot resist free stuff. Someone found a large carton at drill today filled with expired aircraft survival kits. There were flares, flashlights, sea anchors, shark repellent, whistles, drinking water (expired 1997)...all sorts of cool stuff. Because of the flares and the potential fire hazard if they ignited the carton was hauled off to the fire department for 'disposal' (oh sure, disposal - the city of Los Alamitos is going to be seeing those flares all night on New Years eve) but I managed to grab some stuff before it left. So now I am the proud owner of three aircraft survival packs so if I ever find myself lost at sea I will be prepared.
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I wish I had been there to watch the Pink Panther. I think the hammer and sickle thing has been going on for a while. Or maybe I am just imagining it. For whatever reason, everyone knows the Nazis were bad, but unless you studied hard in history, you don't know about the Communists. Also, you may not have studied European History at all unless you went to college or took the Advanced Placement class in high school. I'd say it is ignorance. Maybe you should be the one to educate them.
ReplyDeleteCongratulations on your promotion, Lt. Col! And congrats on your loot. Maybe it was a promotion present.