United Airlines Flight 93. You Too Now Belong To The Ages

United Airlines 93

Edward M Stanton Lincoln Secretary to Lincoln is attributed with saying on Lincoln’s death ‘Now he belongs to the ages’ . These words themselves have become synonymous with any act worthy of remembrance.

And so the passengers and crew of United Airlines Flight 93 on the 11th September 2001 have earned this memorial. We cannot be sure of the exact sequence of events in analytical detail. We can be certain in the time preceding the crash the passengers were aware this was not one single event and that something dramatic was unfolding. The realisation was dawning that there would be no flying to somewhere unexpected and suffering the hostage experience. People were beginning to understand passivity would not be rewarded.

The last messages are well-known, and ‘let’s roll’ has become set into the lexicon of other heroic words. There are then sounds, cries, shouts, chaos before the final descent into immortality.  

Coverage of the events of 11th September 2001 USA understandably focused on New York and The Pentagon Washington. What took place on United Airlines Flight 93 in relative terms gradually filtered out to the public.

We cannot doubt the commitment of the hijackers of United Airlines Flight 93 that day, they were certain of their own fate. What they had not taken into account was the spontaneous reaction of a group of ordinary untrained civilians who aware of what was unfolding were not prepared to play the role allotted to them in those plans. The hijackers had not taken into account another style of commitment, they had not expected what any good military officer of experience could have told them, in extreme conditions even the least trained, least expected can do the unexpected.

The evidence indicates that two National Guard pilots were on their way to do possibly the unthinkable, their own lives written off. Unlike in the films or books aircraft do not fly unerringly straight to the target, particularly in a situation where all proverbial hell is breaking loose, so they did not ‘lock onto the target after a tense pause’. We will never know how that drama would have played out.

We do know United Airlines Flight 93 crashed far from whatever target the hijackers had in mind. The USA will forever be in debt to those passengers.

United Airlines 93 memorial

 

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Memorial Day

Some mildly profane words; borrowed from those who were ‘there’.

They may have volunteered out of patriotism, or for the ‘adventure’. They may have been told by the Government they were ‘required’. They may started out as ‘ordinary’ folk; they may have been ‘screw-ups’; they may have been downright annoying; they may have been ‘nasty pieces of work’; they may have been tough; they may have spent their time being scared or ‘bitching’.

They may have been killed, died of injuries, disease, accident or ‘dumb luck’. They may have survived and lived or are living out the war in a loop.

 

Malmedy MassacreMalmedy December 1944

EyewitnessWWII-03._V389839563_Normandy 1944

‘Somewhere and Somewhen in Korea’Korean War 2

In Vietnam

C rations

 ‘Boy, you sure get offered some shitty choices,’ a Marine once said to me, and I couldn’t help but feel that what he really meant was that you didn’t get offered any at all. Specifically, he was just talking about a couple of C-ration cans, ‘dinner,’ but considering his young life……..Vietnam 1 …….you couldn’t blame him for thinking that if he knew one thing for sure, it was that there was no one anywhere who cared less about what he wanted.…Extract from Michael Herr’s ‘Dispatches’ 

And still it goes on 

21st US Amry 4 21st US Army 721st USA Army 221st USA Army

And for some it never stops

21st US Army 5

No one composes laments quite like the Scots; this songs was written for the 51st (Highland Division) as they left Sicily in 1943- there are several versions song in broad dialects and are difficult to follow without study- this version by the Clancy Brothers was angelized for general consumption. The message is universal for all soldiers leaving a warzone. One mild profanity from the original song and not here here but worth a mention:

‘Poor biddy (bloody) bastards are weary’

Some might feel uncomfortable about what may be seen as a celebration of war. This is no celebration; this is a remembrance for those who witnessed, heard, smelt and felt the weakness of flesh when fed on by metal, flame and explosion.

Normandy (2)

Maybe if all the national cemeteries were like this, there might be less …’next wars’ 

Just for Marketing and Giggles – The Controversially Aggressive Approach

Portrait Angry older man screaming on white background

WHAT’S THE MATTER WITH THE LOT OF YOU!!

Laughing Guy

You’re just gonna love this, aren’t you folks?

shy-man-party

Words fail me.

Portrait Angry older man screaming on white background

Listen to me willya! This book has been out for one month, there’s been a advertising campaign and still you an’t buying it!! WHAT’S THE MATTER WITH YOU PEOPLE?????  Ohhhhhhh I know what it’s all about. All those social media types with their Youth Orientation and what is ….’Trending’, so anyone who is not in the right profiles gets ignored. It’s just like what happens to me, Pete and Burt when we asked the Town Council if we could play our Kazoo renditioning of ‘The Star Spangled Banner’ on the 4th July three years back, and they turned us down because it might have been seen as ‘disrespectful’……. HA!…Disrespectful! They just didn’t want three old guys strutting their stuff that’s all! And don’t think we haven’t noticed they have not replaced that old omnibus of Dick Tracy cartoons in the town library which they removed because ‘they’ said it was in need of repair….HA!! What AND happened to the ‘Smokey Stover’ collection???….They still won’t answer that question!!    I tell ya, it’s a pretty sorry state when an ordinary guy who’s lived an ordinary life, not making a fuss or being on ‘Reality TV’ can’t get his book noticed…Just ‘because’. You take Burt, who spent ten years researching  and writing up a three volume commentary on the History of Pot Roast and did anyone take it up? Did they…Huh? I mean, it’s POT ROAST for pity’s sakes, y’ can’t get more patriotic or basic roots of culture  than POT ROAST!!!  And then you can’t get anything controversial  published unless you’re already well known or some sorta wacko that a bunch of TV executives found. Me an’ Pete collaborated on two volumes being critical of folk of high profile irrespective of politics, gender, race, religion or which baseball team they followed titled ‘And Here’s Another Idiot’ followed up by ‘It’s You Stupid Lot that Make Them Wealthy’. I mean how controversial can you get? But did anyone give us a sniff! Did they? Hah! Nnnnooo because in their eyes we were 70 year old nobodies, with no profile or ‘Twitter’ accounts! I tell ya, it’s The Living In A  Stacked Deck scenario all over again!!! 

PuzzledErr…Excuse me. But…err…What’s the book, and have you read it? 

Doffing a hat

Oh I can help you there young lady.

Of Patchwork Warriors It’s on that Kindle device  

Portrait Angry older man screaming on white background

I was gettin’ there! I was gettin’ there!!!    Laughing and pointing

Just catching his breath…That’s all

Portrait Angry older man screaming on white background

I heard that Charlie Smerhoffer! You and your stupid easy going attitude! Well, let me tell you, when ‘they’ come and take away all those Short Story collection you read at the Library and replace them with ‘Controversial’ drivel written by any yahoo who’s got a PROFILE and a bank account inversely proportional to the size of their brain then don’t come moaning to me about it!! 

Pondering twoI’ve read all the posts on this topic and I’m still none the wiser. 

Confused person on Brexit

Yeah, I printed them out and collected them in a binder. It still didn’t help.

Portrait Angry older man screaming on white background

THAT’S BECAUSE YOU SHOULD BE BUYING AND READING THE BOOK!!!!

Vintage engraving of a victorian era professor or schoolmaster reading a book.

But you see, my dear sir, there is an inherent flaw in your argument. For surely the whole purpose of these whimsical marketing endeavours is to raise the profile of the work in question and thus encourage the individual to purchase a copy. Thus by your last statement you have created a contradiction in that, if a person were to purchase a copy of the said volume, then there would be  no need to read the marketing. Ergo your previous comment is void of any substantial meaning.

Little girl sticking tongue out. PNG - JPG and vector EPS (infin

Naaah! Stop being mean to Gramps!

YEAH!!!!

Wives and lovers exasperated-11451246Oh great. Another marketing classic.

Haughty response 4

Awww don’t worry, I’m sure Ms Blue Collar is on hand to save the day.

Meanwhile……

ITALY-FRANCE-WEATHER-FEATURE

Pondering oneNo sales since the 21st of Feb then? 

WIN_20201130_14_37_57_Pro‘Come what come may,
Time and the hour runs through the roughest day….’

Furtive…Uh-oh that don’t sound regular.

WIN_20201130_14_37_57_Pro

 

‘If it were done when ’tis done, then ’twere well . It were done quickly’

worried-manQuoting Shakespeare’s MacBeth…to himself….That will not end well.

WIN_20201130_14_37_57_ProBear like I must fight the course.’

Pondering oneYou might want to miss the next post folks….

Just for Marketing and Giggles- The Bandwagon Advertising Approach

Just for Marketing and Giggles- The Advertising (Emotional Appeal ploy) Approach

Just for Marketing and Giggles – The Greek Tragedy Approach

shy-man-party

No sales. The last acceptance was on the 4th and that was free.

WIN_20201130_14_37_57_Pro

Aye, I know. Oft have I walked these desolate roads, with naught but the chill winds of The Realty of Low Profile to accompany me. Ah, who cans’t I blame but myself for this fate?

Pondering oneMaybe it’s time you did the unthinkable and sent it off to an agent or publisher? Just saying. Y’know?

Nay, nay and thrice NAY! For they would not understand the many nuances and sub-text and would pour ignorant scorn upon the workHamlet 2

Vintage engraving of a victorian era professor or schoolmaster reading a book.

It would seem to me your approaches are either very plebeian or shockingly drenched in self-indulgence. I would suggest a Classical Theme be given to this venture. Underscore the Tragedy of the entire enterprise, in viewing, quite frankly the folly of the whole enterprise the audience would be curious as to the nature of this work and thus one…or …two may be inclined to purchase a copy. The obvious choice would be the Greek playwrights such as Sophocles…..

Laughing Guy       

He’s gotta point ya’ know. I got just the set-up for you. First I give you the Greek Tragedy Chorus.

Electra and the Chorus bearing vessels for libation on the tomb of Agamemnon illustration from The Choephori by Aeschylus (c525-c456 BC) c1830-40 - (MeisterDrucke-161368)  . 

Oh woe. Oh woe. The sales are slow.

Oh woe. Oh woe. Why, we do not know.

Oh woe. Oh woe. Ashes we doth throw.

Oh woe. Oh woe. Oh woe.

Then the Maid of Tragedy  Electra:

Electra in Portrait

Thou hast said nothing unlooked-for; I well knew that thou wouldst reject what I proffered. Well! I must do this deed with mine own hand, and alone; for assuredly I will not leave it void.

Of Patchwork WarriorsOf Patchwork Warriors (Fourth Edition): (Being Vol.1 of the Precipice Dominions) eBook: Llewellyn, R J: Amazon.co.uk: Kindle Store

 

Electra in Portrait

My resolve is not new, but long since fixed.         

                                                                Don’t you just love that girl and her cool quotes

Procession of the chorus - Scanned 1882 Engraving

 

Tragic. Yet heroic.

The fellow is very stoic

Let us hope he does not get choleric

WIN_20201130_14_37_57_ProI think we’ll just leave it to Vox Populi 

Vintage engraving of a victorian era professor or schoolmaster reading a book.

Wrong civilisation dear boy 

                                                                            An’t those dames sweet…Hoch-cha-cha

Unit2_Lesson2Just buy the blessed thing will you and make this all stop.

Just for Marketing and Giggles- The British Approach

Just for Marketing and Giggles – The Good Ol’ Hard Sell Approach.

13th February 2021. A Day That Will Live in Infamy

weeping-statue-of-liberty

Happy republican elephant. PNG - JPG and vector EPS (infinitely

Oh, don’t fuss so, it’s only a scrap of paper.

 

 

 

Republican Presidents

So it’s come to this. We are so sorry USA.

Malmedy Massacre

Malmedy 1944. They died for …..this??? Trump impeachment: Senate falls short of majority needed to convict – BBC News

God may forgive you Republicans, I sure as Hell won’t!!

The Worst of All Possible Outcomes…

When a nation is Undecided, this equates with Divided, which equates with Conflict, which is waiting to lead the Willing down a long, smoke thick road, the ending of which none of those Willing ever comprehended.

Whatever the result of the 2020 Presidential Election will be, it will leave a vast number of angry, disaffected folk who in turn will voice their anger and in turn will be turned on by the victors and they in turn will turn on the victors, and so forth.

That which began in the late 1970s as a simmering background which folk could work with yet eventually flared up as the 21st Century looked upon a USA made tinder dry by the winds of division and somewhere came the spark.

Then with the spark came the fire and all things nightmarish in a Democracy became possible, and The People forgot ‘The Union There is Strength’

I give you two quotes

Matthew 12: 25  But Jesus knew their thoughts, and said to them: “Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation, and every city or house divided against itself will not stand”

From The Second Coming by Y B Yates: ‘Things fall apart: The centre cannot hold’

There is no joy in being right when your concerns and evaluations as to the gloomier, more worrying political possibilities come to fruition. I want to be wrong about the USA’s future, I want to be seen as the alarmist who got carried away by reading far, far too much history of the military sort. Thus I make myself a hostage to fortune by using a quote from William Pitt the Younger Prime Minister 1804-1806 when on hearing the news of Napoleon’s victory at the battle of Austerlitz in 1805 and making a comment on the possible domination by France of Mainland Europe:

‘Roll up that map it will not be wanted these ten years’ ….. only I use a different map

And who knows how long a time scale?

And if I am wrong, we can all look back and laugh……Right folks?……Laugh?……Yes?……..Please…..

Dignity…At All Times Dignity (Or how to deal with a writing idea being by Chance & Fate…torpedoed)

Gallery

Foreword….. Take this seriously or with a snigger I don’t mind. Though actually the event has happened to me….. this year…….no kiddin’ I swear on a pile of Brandon Sanderson & Joe Abercrombie books I was not even aware of … Continue reading

Lamentations

On setting up my new blog I resolved the contents would be Writing, The Whole Writing and Nothing But The Writing. I would keep politics out of it.

This day 13th December 2019 the results of the UK General Election have broken my intention, just this once.

Now, it is an acknowledged fact (in my lexicon) that whereas no one can sing hymns or psalms like The Welsh when it comes to laments no one comes close to the Scots, thus for this day I have borrowed the following: