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Kennedy Assassination Theories 22 November 1963

Kennedy Assassination Theories

The Warren Commission determined in 1964 that Lee Harvey Oswald acted alone. In the half a century since, polls have never indicated more than 30% of American believe that.

Vincent Bugliosi estimates that 214 different people have been accused in various conspiracies ranging across 42 groups with 82 possible gunmen.

In 1979, the United States House Select Committee on Assassination concluded that a second gunman besides Oswald probably fired at Kennedy. Afterwards, the acoustic evidence it used for this determination was dismissed.

From the beginning there was a rush to cover- up what happened. Discrepancies include the body being taken from Texas back to Washington the same day of the shooting and illegally.

The original autopsy was destroyed. What was thought to be the original, to the right, is one made later. The original photos from the autopsy also went missing.

Kennedy had many enemies, including numerous Americans.

Earlier in 1963, after being arrested in New Orleans, Oswald asked to speak to the FBI. He did, but just a memo that the talk occurred was filed. The FBI never followed up. Why?

Sam Giancana, from the Chicago “Outfit” and Kennedy actually shared a mistress at one point, Judith Campbell Exner. She arranged meetings between Kennedy and Giancana regarding assassinating Castro.

Giancana, and the Outfit, had supposedly helped Kennedy win Chicago, and thus Illinois, in the 1960 election. They felt Kennedy wasn’t living up to his end of the “deal.”

Carlos Marcello, head of the New Orleans mob, wasn’t happy with the Kennedy brothers. Bobbie Kennedy had him deported out of the country and dumped in the middle of Guatemala in 1961. Jack Ruby, who would shoot Oswald, was supposed to be in debt to Marcello.

Kennedy’s Administration had sanctioned the Bay of Pigs and several assassination attempts on Fidel Castro.

Kennedy had faced down the Russians during the Cuban Missile Crisis, forcing their ships to turn back. In return, of course, but little known, we removed our Jupiter missiles from Turkey and Italy.

There are many theories, but none of them quite fit. It seems as if the top level of government would have to be in on the coverup if there was more to it than just Oswald. Why would it do that?

What if the answer were very simple? That there were two ‘gunmen’. And the identity of the 2nd gunman is the reason for the cover-up which began immediately?

The first gunman was, of course, Lee Harvey Oswald.

It’s the second gunman that’s the problem. A Secret Service Agent in the follow car.

The Agent, not part of the normal security detail, was issued a weapon he wasn’t familiar with, an AR-15. Upon hearing the first shot, he jumped to his feet. Just as the car accelerated, also in response to the first shot. Losing his balance, the agent accidentally discharged the weapon. Kennedy had already suffered a wound that would be fatal, but this round was the infamous head shot and has given birth to many of the conspiracy theories.

Could such an accident be admitted? Or was the reality known by those who made the decisions, including the President’s widow, and the decision was made to keep it quiet?

We may never know. But what did Mrs. Kennedy mean when, during the viewing of her husband’s body in the Rotunda, she told Russian Ambassador Mikoyan: “I am sure that Chairman Khrushchev and my husband could have been successful in the search for peace, and they were really striving for that. Now the Chairman must continue the agreed upon endeavor and bring it to completion.”

What was The Kennedy Endeavor? Why was his mistress, Mary Meyer, killed a year later? Why was Khrushchev forced out of power the very next day? What was in Mary Meyer’s diary that disappeared?

A free slideshow on this topic and many others about interesting history, survival, writing and other topics is on my web site at www.bobmayer.com/workshops

The Great Sphinx

The Great Sphinx

Over 4,500 years ago, the Great Sphinx was carved out of a quarry on the Giza Plateau. It has the body of a lion and the head of a man.

It is part of a larger complex with Temples and causeways containing the Giza Pyramids.

It is speculated the head bears the visage of Khafre, the ruler of Egypt who commissioned it. Legend is that Napoleon had a cannon shoot the nose off, but the reality is that it was missing by the time he got there, destroyed by Turks over a hundred years before.

This is how it is imagined to have originally looked.

Between the paws is the “dream stella”, which is inscribed with a story, that Thutmosis, if he cleared the sand from the Sphinx, would become king of Egypt.

Some have claimed that the Sphinx has been weathered by rain. This is open to debate, but climatologists have recently revealed it is possible that for its first 500 years, the weather was much wetter on the Giza Plateau.

While we think we know why the Sphinx was carved and the mighty Pyramids built, there are always possibilities. Especially for a fiction writer.

Area 51: The Sphinx: Dr. Lisa Duncan and Special Forces officer Mike Turcotte know better than anyone that no secret is safe for long—especially one that offers untold power. Case in point: no sooner does Turcotte’s elite Area 51 team uncover a dormant alien ship in earth orbit than a group of alien-human hybrids seizes it and uses its technology to commandeer a satellite array bristling with nuclear missiles. Now they’re demanding that humankind hand over the key to an ancient stash of alien technology…or watch an entire continent be reduced to atomic rubble. Doom seems certain, as the required key is believed lost to the ages—until an anthropologist discovers the first of many clues to its hiding place. As Duncan and Turcotte race to reach the key—and the powerful treasure it can unlock— ahead of their alien foes, the quest leads them deep into a deadly maze within the Great Sphinx of Giza. The prize? Nothing less than the legendary Ark of the Covenant.

A free slideshow on this topic and many others about interesting history, survival, writing and other topics is on my web site at www.bobmayer.com/workshops

The STATEN ISLAND PEACE CONFERENCE almost ended the Revolution in 1776

Staten Island Peace Conference

 Could the Revolution Have Ended in 1776?

Travel back in time to Staten Island, New York on 11 September 1776 A.D. The day Benjamin Franklin and John Adams meet Admiral Lord Howe to discuss the possibility of peace between Britain & the Colonies. There is the slight complication that a few years previously, Benjamin Franklin had left the sister of Admiral Howe with child while visiting England.

This occurred after George Washington was defeated in what would be the biggest battle of the Revolution, on Long Island and forced to withdraw up Manhattan Island. The British would occupy then New York City for the rest of the war. It would become a haven for runaway slaves, including two of George Washingtons’s.

“They met, they talked, they parted. And now nothing remains but to fight it out.” — British report after the Staten Island Peace Conference 11 September 1776

According to history, neither Admiral Howe nor Franklin and Adams, have any real authority from their respective governments to negotiate.

For his 24-hour bubble in time, Time Patrol Agent, Doc arrives prior to the meeting. Doc quickly learns that is not the case. That there is a real possibility of history being changed.

George Washington has just been defeated on Long Island, and his army is being threatened across the Hudson on York (Manhattan) Island.

What if a peace is negotiated? And the Revolution ends in 1776 with the colonies still part of England?

As the peace conference gets underway, Doc must decide how to stop the negotiations and keep our history intact But at what cost?

What of the legend of a ghost in Billopp House, where the meeting was held, on the southwestern corner of Staten Island? The ghost of a servant girl killed by the owner who believed she betrayed him to the Colonists?

This is one of the missions in Nine-Eleven (Time Patrol)

A free slideshow on this topic and many others about interesting history, survival, writing and other topics is on my web site at www.bobmayer.com/workshops

The Classic ROGER’S RULES OF RANGERING which still apply

Rogers Rules

Major Robert Rogers in 1759 wrote Standing Orders, Rogers Rangers, from lessons learned in the first 3 years the Rangers were formed. These are at least 17 rules. Simple rules, but learned at the cost of blood. All SOPs are guidelines.

Standard Operating Procedures (SOP): A step by step procedure written down that delineates how things should be done correctly. They can serve many purposes, but for a survival situation they give you a proper plan of action in the midst of stress. It is too late once an emergency occurs to come up with SOPs.

1. DON’T forget nothing.

2. HAVE your musket clean as a whistle, hatchet scoured, sixty rounds powder and ball, and be ready to march at a minute’s warning.

3. WHEN you’re on the march, act the way you would if you was sneaking up on a deer. See the enemy first.

4. TELL the truth about what you see and what you do. There is an army depending on us for correct information. You can lie all your please when you tell other folks about the Rangers, but don’t never lie to a Ranger or Officer. Ranger Assault at Pointe du Hoc, D-Day

5. DON’T never take a chance you don’t have to.

6. WHEN we’re on the march we march single file, far enough apart so one shot can’t go through two men. With my team, Winter Warfare Training above 10,000 Feet, 10th Special Forces Group (Airborne)

7. IF we strike swamps, or soft ground, we spread out abreast so it’s hard to track us.

8. WHEN we march, we keep moving till dark, so as to give the enemy the least possible chance at us.

9. WHEN we camp, half the party stays awake while the other half sleeps.

One of my Ranger Handbooks is above. Slightly worse for wear.

10. IF we take prisoners, we keep ’em separate till we have had time to examine them, so they can’t cook up a story between ‘em.

11. DON’T ever march home the same way. Take a different route so you won’t be ambushed. 12. NO matter whether we travel in big parties or little ones, each party has to keep a scout 20 yards ahead, 20 yards on each flank, and 20 yards in the rear so the main body can’t be surprised and wiped out.

13. EVERY Night you’ll be told where to meet if surrounded by a superior force. Don’t sit down to eat without posting sentries.

14. DON’T sleep beyond dawn. Dawn’s when the French and Indians attack.

15. DON’T cross a river by a regular ford.

16. IF someone’s trailing you, make a circle, come back onto your own tracks, and ambush the folks that aim to ambush you.

17. DON’T stand up when the enemy’s coming against you. Kneel down, lie down, hide behind a tree. Let the enemy come till he’s almost close enough to touch, then let him have it and jump out and finish him up with your hatchet.

SOPs are an essential part of emergency and survival preparedness.

I also have written about Major Rogers and the execution of Nathan Hale in Equinox (Time Patrol).

A free slideshow on this topic and many others about interesting history, survival, writing and other topics is on my web site at www.bobmayer.com/workshops

THE NEW LONDON SCHOOLHOUSE EXPLOSION

New London

Propane doesn’t smell. It’s odorless in its natural state. But if there is a leak, you smell a nasty odor.

Ever wonder why? It wasn’t always that way. What caused the changed?

It would have been fortuitous if this had been done from the start as more and more buildings began to use propane and gas for heating. But no one thought of doing it until they realized they had to.

Lessons learned that save lives later, Blood Lessons, often come at high cost.

The Facts

On March 18, 1937, a gas leak was sparked, causing an explosion that killed approximately 293 students and teachers at the New London School in New London, Texas. It is still the deadliest school disaster in U.S. History.

THE TIMELINE

1930: Oil discovered in Rusk County

1932: New London Schoolhouse built; the first in Texas to have a football stadium with electric lights. The school board overrules the architect’s recommendation for steam heat, instead installing gas heaters.

1937: Early in the year, the school cancels their natural gas contract and instead taps directly into residue lines from oil derricks.

18 March 1937: Gas that had been leaking in the crawl space under the school explodes.

The Cascading Events

Cascade One

The school board overrode the architect’s plan for heating the school.

The original plan, as drawn up by the architect, called for the school to be heated by a boiler and a steam system. But the school board overrode that and insisted on a gas system in order to save money.

The New London Schoolhouse was located in Rusk County and despite the rest of the country being bogged down in the Great Depression, it was one of the richest areas in the country. Oil fueled the local economy. There were 11 derricks located on school grounds. The school was relatively new, having been built in 1932.

Despite a large amount of money spent on the construction, the decision was made to heat the school with 72 gas heaters, rather than the planned centralized boiler and steam system. The architect warned them that the building wasn’t designed to vent gas fumes, but they proceeded anyway.

Lesson

Experts are just that.

There are actually two problems here wrapped in one. First, is ignoring the original plans for the building. A heating system is integral to such plans and in this case, the building had been designed for steam heat. Switching to multiple gas heaters ignored the basic construction of the building. And ignoring the warning that the building wasn’t designed to vent gas fumes was piled on top of that.

Cascade Two

The school was built on a slope so there was a large dead space underneath it, stretching the entire length of the building.

Add this to cascade one and you begin to see a pattern. Dead space is just that: unused, and often ignored.

Lesson

The term ‘dead space’ is a misnomer. It’s still part of the building. Often, it’s places we don’t look and inspect that problems can build up over time. Extra effort must be made to periodically inspect ‘dead space’ in whatever form it takes.  Out of sight, out of mind, is a precursor for disaster.

Cascade Three

Eventually, school officials canceled the natural gas contract and tapped directly into a residue line from the oilfields.

This was a relatively common thing in the area as propane was considered waste and usually burned off. A problem with this was that the quality of this gas was of varying quality. Also, they had to run a new line into the gas company’s residue line.

This move saved the school $300 a month. While this might seem overly cheap, remember the environment in the country at the time: the Great Depression was ongoing and the mindset was one of frugality.

Lesson

Cost cutting can be one of the most dangerous things in terms of safety.

It’s ironic that one of the richest school districts in the country chose to cut costs this way. But there are two factors playing into this beyond simply saving money.

First, these were oil people. The school’s football team was the Wildcats, for ‘wildcatter’. Almost everyone there was associated with the oil business in one-way or the other.

The second was that the natural gas residue was there for the taking. One can easily imagine the mindset of a school official seeing the bill they were paying for something that ran right by the school and was burned off and wasted and could be tapped into for free.

Cascade Four

The gas company knew the school, and others, were tapping into the residue lines, but turned a blind eye to it.

After all, many of the people working for the company had children at the school.

After the explosion, during the rescue operations, they found a blackboard with a teacher’s note for the day chalked on it: “Oil and natural gas are East Texas’ greatest mineral blessings. Without them this school would not be here and none of us would be here learning our lessons.”

Lesson

Rules exist for a reason.

The residue gas was of questionable quality and was normally burned off. To allow waste product to be used in the school violated protocol and was a shortcut.

Like cost cutting, shortcuts tend to have negative results.

Additionally, because there was no meter on the gas the school was tapping into, no one could tell if the reading was abnormal. Meter readings are a backup way to tell if there is a leak in the system; if the reading is abnormally large, then there is a problem.

None of the people involved in these decisions and actions had bad intentions. In fact, just the opposite. They were trying to do what they thought was the best course of action.

Cascade Five

The connection to the residue gas line was faulty.

Although no one knows exactly how, since it was destroyed, the line had to have developed a leak. Because of the dead space underneath the length of the school, and the fact it wasn’t designed to vent fumes, that large area filled with gas.

Lesson

Cascade events do just that: they cascade.

This was a mechanical failure. They happen. But this failure in conjunction with gas instead of steam heat, dead space, no venting, no meter, and events were now ripe for disaster.

Cascade Six

Students had been complaining about headaches and burning eyes for days.

Since the gas was odorless, the only symptoms were these headaches and burning eyes. It does seem a bit odd that in a community where many people worked in the gas industry, no one took these complaints for what they were.

There were reports that students were in classrooms with the windows open and their jackets on. It’s obvious then that people were aware there was something wrong, but with 72 separate heating units, it would have been easy to ascribe it as a localized problem.

Lesson

Paying attention to the details and then taking action.

In retrospect, even with everything else that went wrong, the physical symptoms were a glaring warning. One of the issues with cascade events is focus. To not just notice a problem, but to focus on it and then not assume it’s just going to go away.

I’ve been guilty of this many times: noticing something isn’t quite right, but having what I call a self-correcting mindset. This is where I shrug off a physical symptom or an anomaly in my environment and just assume it will get better or isn’t important.

Inevitably, it doesn’t without some action being taken.

Cascade Seven

Final Event: DISASTER

A few minutes prior to school being let out, at 3:17 PM, a teacher turned on an electric sander. This caused a spark that sent an arc into the enclosed space where the gas had been building up.

Witnesses say it appeared that the entire building seemed to lift up off the ground and then slam back down. People over four miles away heard the explosion and it was felt for dozens of miles. As an indicator of the force of the explosion, a two-ton slab of concrete was thrown 200 feet away from the building.

Fortunately, the lower grades had already been dismissed for the day. The high school was still in session with about 800 students, but many were not in the building as they were preparing for a sporting event. The exact death toll was never fixed, but is roughly around 300.

Walter Cronkite, on one of his first assignments working for United Press in Dallas, rushed to the school. What he saw caused him to make the quote at the beginning of this section years later, even after covering wars and other disasters: “I did nothing in my studies nor in my life to prepare me for a story of the magnitude of that New London tragedy, nor has any story since that awful day equaled it.”

Classes were resumed within a few weeks of the tragedy. The school was rebuilt within two years; this time with steam heat. The loss was so devastating that those who lived there hardly ever mentioned it again. “If you don’t talk about it, maybe it’s going to go away. Of course, we know it doesn’t.” (Miles Toler, VOA News, http://goo.gl/ITfQ2l). There is a museum now, opened in 1998. It contains telegrams of sympathy, one even from Adolf Hitler; an indication of how far the repercussions of this event spread.

Lesson

There was one major result of this horrific tragedy, which has undoubtedly saved many lives since the event. Less than two months afterward, the Texas Legislature passed a law which required refineries to add a smell to natural gas. Roughly 1.5 pounds of ethyl-mercaptan per 10,000 gallons of propane is the norm. Thus, since propane is heavier than air, any leak will have a lingering odor that is unmistakable.

However, regarding the other cascade events, nothing much was done. The Court of Inquiry noted the design flaw, the swapping out of steam for the gas heaters, the switch to the residue line, the lack of action on the student complaints of headaches and burning eyes, but ultimately held no one accountable. Some families filed lawsuits against the school district, but the cases were dismissed and never came to trial. No individual was ever held liable and no fine was levied.

The official report said that school officials were “average individuals, ignorant or indifferent to the need for precautionary measures, where they cannot, in their lack of knowledge, visualize a danger or a hazard.” (Court of Inquiry, 1937.)

There can hardly be a better way to sum up the purpose of this book than to correct this line.

Summary

This tragedy was the result of well-intentioned people making a mistake. The mistake was compounded by cascade events, as all disasters are.

The most significant problem was never focusing on some of the cascade events, particularly the physical complaints of the students and teachers. Disasters often signal that they are pending in ways we can literally feel, but if we don’t focus on those feelings, we don’t appreciate the warning.

This is excerpted from The Green Beret Guide to Seven Great Disasters I.

A free slideshow on this topic and many others about interesting history, survival, writing and other topics is on my web site at www.bobmayer.com/workshops

What Is Hart Island?

Hart Island

It’s an island off the Bronx in New York City, not far from where I grew up. It’s not very big. Roughly a mile long by a third of a mile wide. Exact acreage is argued: some say its 101 acres and other claim its 131 acres.

I put this map together while researching Hart Island for my book, Hell of a Town.

It’s adjacent to City Island, a small enclave of the Bronx. There is no bridge to Hart Island and no power. A ferry runs from City Island to Hart Island. It’s near Orchard Beach which my family used to visit, and also Pelham Bay Park.

Hart Island was originally occupied by Native Americans of the Siwanoy Tribe. It was purchased by an English physician, Thomas Pell, in 1654, as part of a larger land deal. The island remained in that family for 120 years. In 1774 it was sold several times to a variety of families. There are some records that illegal bare-knuckle fights were held on the island with thousands attending and betting on the outcomes.

The first official use of the island came in 1864 when it was used to train “colored” troops of the 31st Infantry Regiment. Eventually, over 50,000 troopers were trained there.

The island transitioned from training troops to housing Confederate prisoners in November of 1864. 3,413 rebels were held there. 235 died. Interestingly, they were buried in Cypress Hills Cemetery, off-island.

The first recorded burials on the island were indigent Union soldiers during the Civil War. In 1868, New York City bought the island for $75,000. The city began burying the indigent and unclaimed soon after. The first person recorded as buried in the 45 acre plot was Louisa Van Slyke, who had died in Charity Hospital.

Hart Island’s “Potter’s Field” replaced two earlier graveyards the city had been using. Those were located in what are now Washington Square Park and where the main branch of the New York Public Library is located. There are numerous former burial all over New York City, lost in time, including the African Burial Ground, covered in another article.

Frankly, researching these books in the Will Kane series, you don’t want to know how many bodies lie under New York City. In an earlier book I referenced the African Burial ground north of Wall Street. This was because it was forbidden by law for Africans to be buried inside city limits which was then Wall Street, which literally was a wall protecting the city. There is a monument to the African Burial Ground at 290 Broadway.

By 1958 over a half million people had been buried on Hart Island. Other parts of the island were used for different things over the years. A quarantine during the 1870 Yellow Fever Epidemic. A women’s psychiatric hospital. A school for troubled boys. A prison.

An entrepreneur in 1924 proposed building an amusement park in a small tract of land on the island for African-Americans since they were not allowed at Rye Playland or Dobbs Ferry Parks. The city nixed that due to the proximity to prisoners.

In 1956 the military got back in on the act and stationed a battery of Nike Missiles on the island to protect New York City. The launch pads are still there.

The island was closed as a prison in 1966. A drug rehab center, Phoenix House, opened. It closed in 1977 after regular ferry service to the island ceased.

Hart Island primarily became a potters field. In 1985, sixteen bodies infected with HIV were buried on the southern end of the body, away from the other bodies because it was feared even the dead bodies could infect others.

Adults bodies are buried in trenches, the wooden coffins stacked three deep in two rows, totaling 150 per section.

Children and infants are stacked five deep and in rows of twenty with one thousand per section.

Bodies are buried by prisoners from Riker’s Island. Who, despite being on a nearby island, have to be bussed to City Island to take the ferry over. Currently, Hart Island is the largest potter’s field in the United States. It’s estimated over one million people are buried there. Its use has dwindled in the past two decades. Sadly, indigent mothers who lose their baby have signed a paper for a “city burial” not understanding it means Hart Island.

Some who are buried there that we know: Academy Award Winner Bobby Driscoll. T-Bone Slim. Novelist Dawn Powell. And many whose names are lost to history.

Hart Island is now entering a new chapter with the COVID-19 virus. Let us hope it is a brief and short one. Stay safe!

New York City. 1970s. Jack Reacher meets the Equalizer by NY Times Bestselling Author, West Point graduate and former Green Beret One of the top five new series of the year. http://bobmayer.com/fiction/

A free slideshow on this topic and many others about interesting history, survival, writing and other topics is on my web site at www.bobmayer.com/workshops

The First Internet Message Was Sent On 29 October 1969

First Internet Message

In the late 1960’s, scientists face a fundamental question regarding computing. In what direction will the future go? The big corporations, IBM and others, want to build centralized, large computers that people must go to. Others want computers to be smaller and not centralized and be linked together remotely. The link? A thing that will become known as the Internet.

ARPANET: Advanced Research Projects Agency Network. There are two versions why ARPANET was started: 1. To exploit new computer technologies to meet the needs of military command and control against nuclear threats, achieve survivable control of US nuclear forces, and improve military tactical and management decision making. 2. Out of the frustration that there were only a limited number of large, powerful research computers in the country, and that many research investigators, who should have access to them, were geographically separated from them.

Regardless. What we call the Internet would never have happened if ARPANET had failed.

The first message ever sent was from a computer in a lab at UCLA to a computer in a lab at Stanford, on 29 October 1969. The image above is the entire extent of the Internet at the end of 1969 via landline.

The first message consisted of: L O and then the system crashed before the LOGIN could be completed. This also foreshadowed the future of the Internet.

What if none of that first message ever made it? What if ARPANET was destroyed? How would that change history?

Los Angeles, California. 29 October 1969. Scout is in the middle of free love, drugs, and the counter- culture. At UCLA, it is the day the first internet message is sent. And someone doesn’t want that message to be transmitted. Of course, as with many Time Patrol missions, it isn’t that clear cut. Is the birth of the Internet the target? Or is the real target, Scout herself?

What will Scout decide? Will she survive? This mission along with 29 Oct 1929: Black Tuesday 29 Oct 1980: Last test flight of Operation Credible Sport. 29 Oct 999: A Viking raid on an English Monastery 29 Oct 1618: Sir Walter Raleigh heads for the chopping block 29 Oct 1972: Survivors of a plane crash in the Andes struggle to live.

A free slideshow on this topic and many others about interesting history, survival, writing and other topics is on my web site at www.bobmayer.com/workshops

How The United States Declares War– Or Is Supposed To

Declaring War

How does the United States go to war? It’s not as clear cut as many think. And it’s been a while since we’ve done it as laid out in the Constitution.

The last time, as written in the Constitution, War was declared by a joint resolution of Congress and executed by the President was against Rumania (yes, spelled that way) on 4 June 1942.

Article One, Section Eight, of the Constitution declares that “Congress shall have the power to declare War.”. However, it’s not designated exactly how Congress does that. In fact, war isn’t in Section Eight until Clause 11, where it also allows us to hire pirates to attack our enemies. Seriously.

We’ve Declared War that Way 11 Times. The first was 17 June 1812 when we declared was against Great Britain.

On Mexico. 12 May 1846

On Spain. 25 April 1898

On Germany. 6 April 1917

On Austria-Hungary. 7 Dec 1917

On Japan. 8 Dec 1941

On Germany. 11 Dec 1941

On Italy. 11 Dec 1941

On Bulgaria, Hungary and Rumania. 4 June 1942

Korea, Vietnam, Dominican Republic, Grenada (remember those?), Lebanon, Iraq, Afghanistan, etc. etc. were Congress allowing the President to send our troops in harm’s way, which is opposite the way the Founding Fathers intended.

Technically we’re not even at war any more. The “War” in Iraq ended on 28 December 2014. The “War” in Afghanistan ended even earlier, on 15 December 2011.

We are currently are conducting military actions in six countries (that we know of publicly): Afghanistan, Iraq, Pakistan, Somalia, Yemen, and now, Syria. However, the real numbers is in the dozens given the deployment of drones and Special Operations Forces.

U.S. SOF (Special Operations Forces), of which I was a member, are deployed in over 100 countries around the world. The goal is normally to get others to fight a war on the side we desire or defend against aggressors. We also conduct Direct Action and Strategic Recon and some other things.

Carl Von Clausewitz, who by just saying his name makes you a military ‘expert’, stated that: Military Strategy

Above all, military leaders need a strategic goal. Unfortunately, such goals have been nebulous, ever since the last formally declared war: World War II. And thus, we actually have not truly ‘won’ a war. I’m not certain if such a thing is possible in the modern world. With the world remaining intact.

As contained in an unclassified CIA document, the definition of victory in the War on Terror is defined as: Victory against terrorism will not occur as a single, defining moment. It will not be marked by the likes of the surrender ceremony on the deck of the USS Missouri that ended World War II. However, through the sustained effort to compress the scope and capability of terrorist organizations, isolate them regionally, and destroy them within state borders, the United States and its friends and allies will secure a world in which our children can live free from fear and where the threat of terrorist attacks does not define our daily lives. Victory, therefore, will be secured only as long as the United States and the international community maintain their vigilance and work tirelessly to prevent terrorists from inflicting horrors like those of September 11, 2001.

From a military perspective I find the previous definition of winning rather vague and nebulous with no end-game. What must be factored in to our never-ending military endeavors is the military-industrial complex. Has war become so profitable that the United States will be in perpetual war so certain parties can make money? The War on Terror

We hope you’ve found this presentation useful. On The United States and War

A free slideshow on this topic and many others about interesting history, survival, writing and other topics is on my web site at www.bobmayer.com/workshops

Pandemic Day 365. What Has One Year Taught Us?

COVID deaths

A lot and not enough.

We knew a pandemic was inevitable, yet were unprepared. We know many things are inevitable yet prefer to ignore them.

We are now over 530,000 official deaths and the real toll, of course, is much higher. Many have died of COVID but no autopsy was performed. Also, we are experiencing secondary deaths from all the delayed physical check ups and procedures that were put off. The final toll directly and indirectly from COVID-19 will be over 1 million fatalities.

I just looked at my first post on Day 1. I was wrong about a few things: the ripple effect in the supply chain wasn’t very severe. Based on the numbers at that early time, I estimated an outside high chance of close to a million dead. I would revise that number done in the weeks ahead, but I was constantly attacked by people who said I was the man who cried wolf. But the wolf ate more people than any of the positive “just like the flu” fools predicted.

There will be another pandemic and it will be worse. Within the next decade. By the way, COVID will not go away. We will have to get vaccinated yearly for it and the variants from here on out, much like the flu.

We’ve learned that the government can act swiftly and effectively. Unfortunately, for half a million Americans, that action came too late as we were inundated with lies. And we are still are awash in them. I still have people lashing out about masks and vaccines. A large segment of our population, rather than awakening in the face of such a death toll, has withdrawn further into an echo chamber where they repeat what certain people say and then those certain people say “Well, people are saying”. Which is insane.

We are not out of the woods. A lot of people aren’t going to get vaccinated. Which means we will have more waves of deaths. We also don’t know the long-term effects for those who have had COVID-19 and ‘recovered’.

I find the anti-mask crowd particularly vexing. They liken it to other things, but the closest I can come up with is drunk driving. You are not only affecting yourself; you are a threat to others. I plan on wearing a mask for a long time. I will always wear a mask when traveling on a flight from here on out.

Texas went black even though lots of people knew there was a problem. No one did anything. Those who want to deregulate seem to ignore that fact that regulations have a purpose and were often only put in place after good people fought hard for them for the greater good. Did you know that in Texas a chemical storage site does not have to disclose, even to the local first responders who’d have to deal with an accident, what is stored there? Good deal, right?

There will be more storms like those that hit Texas. Are you ready? You are going to see weather extremes wherever you live. Are you ready? At the very least do you have the four basics of survival in your house? Prepared for an extended power outage? Have a grab-n-go bag? Have your car prepared for trouble?

Do you have the right mindset for the future? A can-do, American attitude, combined with knowledge and preparation?

It is never too late to start!

Pandemic Day 365. What Has One Year Taught Us?

A lot and not enough.

We knew a pandemic was inevitable, yet were unprepared. We know many things are inevitable yet prefer to ignore them.

I just looked at my first post on Day 1. I was wrong about a few things: the ripple effect in the supply chain wasn’t very severe. Based on the numbers at that early time, I estimated an outside high chance of close to a million dead. I would revise that number done in the weeks ahead, but I was constantly attacked by people who said I was the man who cried wolf. But the wolf ate more people than any of the positive “just like the flu” fools predicted.

There will be another pandemic and it will be worse. Within the next decade. By the way, COVID will not go away. We will have to get vaccinated yearly for it and the variants from here on out, much like the flu.

We’ve learned that the government can act swiftly and effectively. Unfortunately, for half a million Americans, that action came too late as we were inundated with lies. And we are still are awash in them. I still have people lashing out about masks and vaccines. A large segment of our population, rather than awakening in the face of such a death toll, has withdrawn further into an echo chamber where they repeat what certain people say and then those certain people say “Well, people are saying”. Which is insane.

We are not out of the woods. A lot of people aren’t going to get vaccinated. Which means we will have more waves of deaths. We also don’t know the long-term effects for those who have had COVID-19 and ‘recovered’.

I find the anti-mask crowd particularly vexing. They liken it to other things, but the closest I can come up with is drunk driving. You are not only affecting yourself; you are a threat to others. I plan on wearing a mask for a long time. I will always wear a mask when traveling on a flight from here on out.

Texas went black even though lots of people knew there was a problem. No one did anything. Those who want to deregulate seem to ignore that fact that regulations have a purpose and were often only put in place after good people fought hard for them for the greater good. Did you know that in Texas a chemical storage site does not have to disclose, even to the local first responders who’d have to deal with an accident, what is stored there? Good deal, right?

There will be more storms like those that hit Texas. Are you ready? You are going to see weather extremes wherever you live. Are you ready? At the very least do you have the four basics of survival in your house? Prepared for an extended power outage? Have a grab-n-go bag? Have your car prepared for trouble?

Do you have the right mindset for the future? A can-do, American attitude, combined with knowledge and preparation?

It is never too late to start!

The Green Beret Preparation and Survival Guide.

How to Prevent Getting Lost & What To Do If You Are Lost

Daniel Boone Lost

We can get lost in a variety of ways. I work under Daniel Boone’s precept: “I’ve never been lost, but I will admit to being confused for several weeks.”

While I’ve done a lot of land navigation, both day and night, and spent considerable time working off of maps during training and on deployments, there have been times when I’ve gotten ‘confused’. My experience is that once I got lost, it could easily escalate into something worse, unless I follow some guidelines.

As with all aspects of preparation and survival there are numerous variables. We should be properly prepared before any trip with the correct supplies to keep from getting lost such as GPS with applicable map tiles loaded, paper map backups (including in your car), a compass, signal mirror, whistle, signal panel and more.

Know how to us a map and compass. Remember, a compass can’t tell you which way to go if you don’t have an idea where you are. Your local REI stores runs courses on basic land navigation. There is no substitute for actually getting out there and actually doing it.

A big key is if off road is to know what is your ‘safe’ direction. That’s the direction where you will eventually hit a known line, whether a road, rail-line, river, etcetera which will let you know where you are. Then you also need to know whether to turn left or right on that limit to get to safety.

Have enough food and water for whatever activity you plan, plus a bit extra.

Always have a paper map and compass. You can lose your GPS/phone or the battery might die.

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SHORTS CUT ARE RARELY EVER SHORT

AND CAN BE DEADLY

Let someone know where you’re going. What your plan is. When you expect to be back. An important key is to tell them after what time, without hearing from you, they should notify help. I do this even if just heading out for a bike ride or run. I use Road ID when I go for hikes/bikes/runs where there is cell phone coverage. I check in with my SPOTX when going on longer or overnight trips. If I change plans for any reason, I update my contacts for both.

At a trailhead it pays to leave a note inside your car/truck window, facing out, with information on what your plans on. When you expect to be back. I’ve checked trucks and cars at trailheads and most are unmarked. I know there might be a fear that someone would break in to the car, but weigh that against not making it back?

Fill out wilderness permits and check in at Ranger Stations. Make yourself noticeable. A couple was left behind on a scuba trip because they kept to themselves, didn’t interact with others and no one missed them on the trip back.

I cover what to do if you do get lost in the Survival section of the book.

What To Do If You Get Lost

Should you stay or should you go?

For most situations, it’s best to stay in place.

If you are injured. Don’t exacerbate your injury by moving.

Search and Rescue will start at the last known place you were or where they think you are. Moving could take you out of the likeliest search area. If you’re lost and don’t have a plan, you will get more lost.

LOOK BEHIND YOU WHEN

TRAVELING SO YOU KNOW

THE ROUTE BACK

Search and Rescue is usually free. The reason for that is often these teams are made up of volunteers. More importantly, they don’t want people to hesitate to call. When in doubt, Call 911 because most teams work through the local sheriff’s office. Remember, a text has a better chance getting through than voice if your signal is shaky. Conserve your phone’s battery as much as possible. If you make contact, set up a time to check in so you can turn the phone off in between.

The key rule to follow is STOP:

STOP: As soon as you suspect you are lost immediately STOP. Many people panic and while in that panic make the situation worse. Panic is your greatest threat.

THINK: How did you get here? What landmarks do you remember? Which way did you turn if you left an established trail? What direction? Do not move until you have a specific reason.

OBSERVE: Which direction is north? Do you have boundaries such as a river, mountain range, road, etcetera that you know for certain are in a certain direction?

If you are on a trail or road stay on it. Roads and trails are built to take advantage of the easiest route. While you might think taking a “shortcut” cross-country might save time and distance, it won’t.

As a last resort, follow drainage downhill. Streams run into rivers and there is usually civilization along rivers. However, depending on terrain, this might not be possible. Also, try not to get wet, especially if the temperature will drop, as hypothermia is deadly.

Can you follow your own trail back to the last known spot? Footprints? Broken branches?

PLAN:

Before moving make sure you have a plan. Think the plan through. Are there other options?

If you are not confident in your plan, stay in place.

Don’t move at night. When we were heading toward the Grand Canyon, my wife said she thought people probably fell into it. When we got there, I saw she was right. Anyone who has been on patrol at night can tell stories of the cat eyes on the back of the cap of the patrol member right in front disappearing as they fell off a ledge or cliff.

STOP: As soon as you suspect you are lost immediately STOP. 

Many people panic and make the situation worse.

THINK: How did you get here?  What landmarks do you remember?

Do not move until you have a specific reason.

OBSERVE: Get oriented. Which direction is north?

If you are on a trail or road stay on it.

Roads and trails are built to take advantage of the easiest route.

PLAN: Before moving make sure you have a plan.

Think the plan through. Are there other options?

If you are not confident in your plan, stay in place.

Signal for help: Cell phone. Satellite messenger. Mirror or anything reflective.

The universal distress signal comes in threes: three blasts on a whistle.

Make a smoky fire. Green leaves and grass help. Ruber makes black smoke. The flame at night is a signal. A VS-17 or bright clothing can be used to signal.

To aim a mirror, hold it in the palm of your hand. Extend the other hand with two fingers forming a V in the direction you want to signal. Angle the mirror so that the reflected light passes through the V.

If you must self-rescue:

Rest when you feel tired. Don’t push it too hard so that you become exhausted.

You can’t hike and easily digest food at the same time. Eat and then rest.

Stay hydrated.

Mark your trail as you move, so at the very least, if need be, you can get back to where you started.

WHAT TO TEACH CHILDREN TO DO IF THEY GET LOST:

Make sure your child knows both parent’s full name, phone number and address. Memorizing key phone numbers is a skill all of us need to practice.

Have your child practice calling your phone.

Teach your child how to ask for help. While we emphasize ‘never talk to strangers’ tell them who it is best to ask: police, a mother with a child, a store salesperson with a name tag, a security guard.

Tell them not to go looking for you if they become detached. It is best they stay in place and you find them.

The Green Beret Preparation and Survival Guide newly updated in 2021