Unca Darrell

MAY 31 / On this Memorial Day, lets . . .

. . . remember and honor those who lost their lives defending America and think too of those who came home. Here are excerpts from letters by John D. Hancock to his wife Edna. He was a supply sergeant for the 62nd Armored Field Artillery Battalion, which landed in Morocco in November 1942, fought in Tunisia and Sicily, then landed in France on D-Day.

As we pick up the story in August 1944, the 62nd is still in the Normandy region, now mercifully (though temporarily) past the hard fighting. The last action was August 13-14 in Domfront, where the soldiers may have seen the ruins of the eleventh-century Chateau of Domfront. Now they have stopped to inspect and repair their M-7 self-propelled artillery vehicles and other equipment.   

August 25, 1944, France. We have passed through some beautiful little towns with very old churches and what seems to be parts of old ancient buildings. The dirt has something in it that burns the skin and eyes. . . .

People seem to stand along the roads waving to passing convoys, throwing flowers and fruit. It is hard to determine whether it is the soldiers themselves or the generous amounts of candy, cigarettes, and rations they throw out. However, most seem to be reserved and proud.

Yellow jackets are plenty thick and one just got me on the jaw.

In early September, the 62nd passed through Belgium (Hasselt) on its way to Holland (Maastricht). The advance was slowed by lack of gasoline. 

MAY 30 / God and man at West Point

MY SUNDAY SCHOOL class has a member who graduated from West Point, other members with military experience or with relatives now in the armed services, and . . .

MAY 29 / First, contribute some money to a good cause. Then . . .

. . . explain this:

MAY 28 / Rand Paul's problem is . . .

. . . not that Rand Paul is a racist but that Rand Paul is a libertarian, and . . .

MAY 27 / When the Chronicle is not running . . .

. . . editorials calling for more civility in politics, it runs columns by Paul Krugman calling folks who disagree with the Chronicle and Mr. Krugman . . . 

MAY 26 / Bo Byers: husband, father, military veteran, Christian, newspaperman

 

BO BYERS has died. He was a great newspaper reporter and an even better man.

Mr. Byers was a contemporary and a friend of Felton E. West, Jr., to whom "Unca D" is dedicated.

I worked alongside Mr. Byers in Austin for a few years, but don't have any good war stories to add to those in his Chronicle obituary. (Check the comments.) I just remember his professionalism, his decency, and his kindness.

Here's an essay by Mr. Byers from the Austin American-Statesman, March 29, 209.

"It saddens me to see the probable disappearance of printed newspapers within the next ten years, if not sooner. I just like to have a newspaper in my hands."

Other obits here and here and here.

For the to-do list: Find a copy of Born to Be a Reporter.  

MAY 26 / The Chronicle danced a merry jig last week . . .

. . . over news that a Democrat had won John Murtha's old congressional seat in Pennsylvania. Not mentioned, however, was . . .

MAY 25 / Defining America

IN THE 21st century, we are defined not by our borders but by our bonds.

MAY 24 / Transcript, Sheila Jackson Lee's "dishonor" statement

MR. SPEAKER, over the last two days, human beings who happen to be members of Congress have been called the n-word, have been spat on. Just recently . . .

MAY 23 / Read this: Melanie Phillips on civilization and religion

LOPEZ: What does a self-described "agnostic" care about God?