This is the currently the only surviving King Tiger tank in running order. It is usually on display in Saumur (France). I saw it at Militracks 2018 in Overloon (Netherlands).
As a young teen I met a married couple with their past crudely tattooed on their forearms.
He was Austrian, she was Polish. They were the last known survivors of their families but they fully engaged in living every day with joy.
On the same street at Luke AFB was a German Luftwaffe pilot and WWII ace. Like most in the German military he was not a Nazi as that would have barred him from service as an officer.
One day I had visited the delightful Jewish couple and on the walk home the German pilot pulled up in his Gull Wing Mercedes and said "Hop in." Soon we were on roaring down the Black Canyon Highway a-la Tom Cruise. We'd made that run before --- and the turning point was a Coke at under a tree by a little store. On the way home my teen age mind turned to the Jewish couple and I asked about them and the Holocaust:
"What happened?"
"Orders Charles, Orders."
For me it was the spark of realization that permission to hate and social pressure to conform are the building blocks of evil.
Hurrah hurrah, I returned to work yesterday. Postmaster sent me an email about 930PM on Tuesday, saying "Welcome Back to work! Can you come in tomorrow? I had gone to bed early, like 845PM, and was zonked for the night. Saw the email at 715 the following morning and said yup, I'll be there as soon as I can!
You repeat a lie, over and over, and yell it louder and louder, and people fall in.
JWilsonphoto wrote:
Good Morning Laura,
Indeed. Several things amaze me re: that horrific event. The first is that it's possible to get that number people to join inion something that evil, and the second is that anyone, of any ethnicity or culture could ever forget that unthinkable chapter in world history.
You all continue to remind me what wonderful hearts reside here. Certainly our backgrounds and beliefs are varied, as are our political bents, but one thing I would make book on, none of that is as significant as the bond we have formed amongst us, especially curious seeing as how many of us have never laid eyes on each other. I've said it a number of times over the years, airplanes brought us together, but this thread is about so much more than that. Explain to me how it could be that I have a friend who lives in Bahrain, whom I have never laid eyes on, our cultures could not be more different and the world tells us that we should be at extreme odds, but I love this gentleman like a brother and he feels the same. Yes, much more than airplanes afoot here and I personally wouldn't want it any other way.
I am in Seattle on an assignment and made a mini vacation out of it with my wife. Today I had a free day, so I went over to BFI (King County Airport) and some special B-737's took off.
This one, still green, is destined to go to Shandong Airlines in China. Not the greatest weather when it took off, but the clouds started to break off towards the noon hour, and I've got a couple more to share in a later post.
I hope that I don't get investigated for collusion with the Russians (because now there is obviously more evidence on me than there is on President Trump), here are a few shots from yesterday. These were made possible through the efforts of a very gracious team...........
JWilsonphoto wrote:
You all continue to remind me what wonderful hearts reside here. Certainly our backgrounds and beliefs are varied, as are our political bents, but one thing I would make book on, none of that is as significant as the bond we have formed amongst us, especially curious seeing as how many of us have never laid eyes on each other. I've said it a number of times over the years, airplanes brought us together, but this thread is about so much more than that. Explain to me how it could be that I have a friend who lives in Bahrain, whom I have never laid eyes on, our cultures could not be more different and the world tells us that we should be at extreme odds, but I love this gentleman like a brother and he feels the same. Yes, much more than airplanes afoot here and I personally wouldn't want it any other way....Show more →
JW this is so true!
Early this year two of my mid-teen Granddaughters were with us at a dinner when a couple asked to join our table. The girls couldn't quite get their names and they explained they are Iranian. They were slightly reserved at first, then I shared my history at Luke and the many Middle East nations that flight trained there.
The ice broken, the girls were soon fully engaged in conversation with them.
It was wonderful to see my Granddaughters meet the real people behind the western media labels and get a glimpse of the complex reality of their lives.
The freedom to be ourselves --- no matter who we are --- is what has made America a melting pot of heritage and culture. It is a complex, sometimes uncomfortable, and at times even dangerous road, but somehow we must get back to that sense of history.
JWilsonphoto wrote:
You all continue to remind me what wonderful hearts reside here. Certainly our backgrounds and beliefs are varied, as are our political bents, but one thing I would make book on, none of that is as significant as the bond we have formed amongst us, especially curious seeing as how many of us have never laid eyes on each other. I've said it a number of times over the years, airplanes brought us together, but this thread is about so much more than that. Explain to me how it could be that I have a friend who lives in Bahrain, whom I have never laid eyes on, our cultures could not be more different and the world tells us that we should be at extreme odds, but I love this gentleman like a brother and he feels the same. Yes, much more than airplanes afoot here and I personally wouldn't want it any other way....Show more →
We use a common phrase in Arabic which translates to "my tongue is tied in which I cannot reply"
You repeat a lie, over and over, and yell it louder and louder, and people fall in.
My Lady, first, how are you now? How is your hand?
For the discussion, about what happened and happening in this world. I had to shut my eyes (not to see anything) not because of ignorance, but because of heartache. It seems that befriending books (other than history books) is more beneficial to human heart than anything else these days...
BUT, the problem is, another Arabic common phrase "the cat LOVES who suffocates it", I reopen my eyes again and again!
Jim I totally agree with you. There is definitely a bond between the the members here which can only be described as family.
Speaking of family, 8th grade promotion was this week. My daughter Emma was a school ambassador, President of the National Junior Honor Society, made A honor role and received the award for highest GPA for the entire 8th grade class of Hillcrest Middle School! Now on to high school. So proud her!
Anwar, the hand is slowly recovering, I'm back to work, and sweating like crazy in the heat, and today we also had air pollution warnings, so that made it even harder to walk the route. Everything I drank came out as sweat. Tonight, I went to see RBG for a second time.
alawadhi wrote:
My Lady, first, how are you now? How is your hand?
For the discussion, about what happened and happening in this world. I had to shut my eyes (not to see anything) not because of ignorance, but because of heartache. It seems that befriending books (other than history books) is more beneficial to human heart than anything else these days...
BUT, the problem is, another Arabic common phrase "the cat LOVES who suffocates it", I reopen my eyes again and again!
The story of Pan Am "California Clipper's" 1941 flight around the world after Pearl Harbor would be amazing today: given the 1930's level of aviation technology and design it is miraculous.
After the German tank we move to something smaller, made in the USA.
This little M3 Stuart was recovered in Brasil years ago, it's owned by a Swiss private collector who restored it very well and it's a major attraction during events in our area.
The same collector acquired another M3 a few years ago, this one requires more work, but it's an intriguing vehicle since it uses a Guiberson T-1020 diesel radial engine (originally intended for use in aircraft)
