I received an email recently that questioned why our military people retire on approximately half of their pay after giving their country 20 years of their lives, often under dangerous conditions, while our people in Congress retire with full pay after only 6 years in Congress. It is clear that many people in Congress have little respect for the military and so this is not an inconsistency for them. But for those of us who deal with our military and our veterans, we find this unacceptable. Th...
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It is not a new phenomenon, but the stories putting our military in a bad light seem to be on the rise lately. The media has never had a love affair with our military and tearing down our heroes seems to give them a sense of purpose. Not that they shouldn't publish negative stories, even though they know that they are placing all our other troops in harms way, but how about a few stories about the real side of our people. You have to dig deep into the Internet to find stories like the one abo...
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Well it is that time again. The annual East Coast All Seabee Reunion in Hampton, Va. on February 23-26. Also looking forward to our non Seabee friends who continue to join us from the predecessor Viet Nam Veterans Reunion days. Always look forward to seeing the Chaplain Don Denton and of course the one and only Shadow.  It is always disappointing when old acquaintances can no longer make it for whatever reasons, especially those who have gone on to meet the Commander-in-Chief in the sky. But ...
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I hope that everyone's holidays were joyous and that now we are ready for a prosperous new year.For the military it is a time of great change. Our combat troops are out of Iraq but unfortunately budget cuts may force many of them into civilian life at a time when our workforce is unable to absorb them. I hope that the various initiatives aimed at encouraging businesses to hire veterans are successful. As many of the ads indicate, these people are well trained to meet the challenges of the wor...
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Its 1942 and this kid walks into the Navy Recruiter and joins the Navy to fight in WWII.  Though he is only a skinny kid, the Recruiter assumes he's old enough (he's only 16) and signs him up. Everybody seems to like this kid and because he has been living wherever he can for the last few years, he just wants to get away. He is street tough and it works to his advantage in Boot Camp. The D. I. is trying to drill him out because he is so small but this only makes him more determined and earns ...
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The fun thing about being in North Carolina is talking with all the Good Old Boys and listening to their exploits. I learned about noodling (that's fishing while standing in the water and catching the fish when they swim through your hands, for you northeners) and the fine art of preparing southern foods. I met the guys who left their county when they joined the service. Many went on to bigger things, but many returned to the little towns like White Creek and the slow pace of the back woods. ...
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After a long hiatus, it is good to be back on the road. I am reporting from the Annual Convention of the Seabee Veterans of America in Fayetteville, N. C. It is great to see some old friends and to make some new ones. I have heard some great sstories which I will share with you in the coming days. What is constant at all Seabee functions is a lot of interesting stories and many tall tales and it is difficult to tell the difference. (A fairy tale starts with "Once upon a time",  a Seabee tale ...
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With bad weather on weekends and family activities taking priority, we have taken a hiatus from doing shows, so I have few stories to post. But the Memorial Day weekend gave me the opportunity to take part in several functions honoring our fallen heroes. A service at the local Iwo Jima Memorial, sponsored by the local Marine Corps League chapter, reminded all there of the sacrifices made by those who serve and the ultimate price paid by those who do not return and by there families. A Marine ...
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While I was waiting for my dinner at a restaurant on Cape Cod, I noticed a former Marine rising from a table next to me. I leaned over and thanked him for his service. He came over and began to talk about the Memorial Day weekend and about his service in the WWII. I mentioned how we are thankful for those who sacrificed over our country's history to get us to this day. He mentioned that we should also remember those who came back but came back with serious injuries, like his father. His dad h...
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While in Alabama, I had the opportunity to speak to a Seabee who had spent some time in beautiful scenic Adak, Alaska. I had worked with a guy who had spoke of Adak from his days of serving at a Loran station in the Aleutians, but this information was far more interesting. He cleared up a statement made by Sarah Palin in the last presidential campaign when she said that from Alaska you can see Russia and for which she was highly ridiculed. He indicated that when they traveled to the southern ...
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I have just returned from the MCB 24 Reunion in Huntsville, Al. It was great seeing old friends and making some new ones. This year was a bit different because it coincided with the Battalion family picnic which I and many of the reunion attendees attended. It gave me the opportunity to speak to the Seabees of MCB 24 and get a feel for what its like to be a Bee today. It was also interesting because many of these people work for companies that have been affected by and involved with the destr...
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In Huntsville, Al. This is a beautiful city and a great place for a reunion. But the talk this year has been more about the terrible weather than about anything else. No one here has lost a home or business, but some people have had some damage. Listening to people talk about finding place in the basement as the storms came near and then coming out after and seeing their lawn littered with debris and realizing that it wasn't theirs left them with mixed emotions. Several people lost out buildi...
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I recently did a show in Wakefield, Ma. and had my military pins on the table. These are the pins that have the American flag and the Seabee or the Marine or Army logo together. A lady noticed the pin with the Seabee and remarked that you seldom see Seabee items. I explained that our company was started to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Seabees in 1992. When I asked what unit her husband was in, she answered MCB12. When I told her that we have memorabilia with the NMCB12 logo, she aske...
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Last weekend, I spent a horrible day at the Stormville Antique & Flea Market. Though the weather was miserable, I had an incident that made the day. A young lady was walking by with her father and noticed the tee shirt hanging there with the saying, "Not So Lean, Not So Mean, Still a Marine". She started laughing and pointed it out to her father who is a former Marine and said that she had to get it for him. As he argued that that wasn't him, she only laughed harder till she got a serious loo...
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Last Saturday, I did a show at a Wakefield, Ma.high school. During the afternoon, an lady walked by and noticed the Army pin that was sitting on the table. While she looked at it, I asked who was in the Army and she indicated that she had served as a Nurse in Viet Nam. I listened for a while as she recounted some of her experiences and how she remained a nurse when she left the military. When I asked if she still worked as a Nurse, she indicated that the stress had caused her to leave several...
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Was talking to some family members about the movie Taking Chance last weekend and a guest overheard the conversation and introduced herself as a Marine. As we spoke, I mentioned to her the Marine I had met in the Baltimore area that left a lasting impression on me. She walked into my booth at the Howard County Fairgrounds and walked over to the Marine display and began looking at sport shirts. Noticing the ring on her finger, I asked her if she had a husband in the Marines. She said, "No, I'm...
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I met with several friends recently, most of which are former service people, and was quickly reminded that some things never change. One gentleman is a former Marine, another a Seabee and another was in the Army. The conversation brought back memories of several incidents that have happened at functions over the years. The incident that always comes to mind first happened at Fall River Celebrates America about 10 years ago. A young man who was in great shape with a short haircut walked in an...
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It was great to so many of my friends at this year's East Coast All Seabee Reunion in Hampton, Va. It is always a great opportunity to catch up on what has happened over the last year, get the latest on why some people didn't make it this year and to make some new friends. It is always sad to hear that some of our friends couldn't be there because of ailments, personal setbacks or other family commitments. Conversely, it is exciting to hear about family additions and personal triumphs. As usu...
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I recently did a show in Blackstone, Ma. and re-experienced one of the most disappointing aspects of this business. A gentleman looked into my booth and noticed that I sell a line of Viet Nam Veteran items. He mentioned that he had served in Nam. As we talked, it became quite apparent that he still holds the unwelcome reception that he received when he came home near and dear to his heart. I explained that many others had felt like he does, but decided to display the fact that they served "in...
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On April 16 and 17, I will be at the Military Transport Assoication's Rally in Augusta, New Jersey. Please stop by my booth and see the Army Transportation Corps logo shirts which will be selling for $20.00 each.

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