Stories and anecdotes from part of my life in 2 British police forces, years in saddles of motorcycles - and other places I've blundered into ©
Monday 30 November 2009
"Right, Taliban, now you've really asked for it ...."
Shapes of things to come
Saturday 28 November 2009
No Planes, No Trains, Just Automobiles
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Wednesday 25 November 2009
CAUTION! Cautioning in progress.
Monday 23 November 2009
"You Can't do THAT with a ping-pong ball....?????"
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Monday 16 November 2009
What is it about the `truth` that is so difficult to swallow?
Saturday 14 November 2009
Old Play - New Words
Friday 13 November 2009
Just felt like this today
Wednesday 11 November 2009
A Case for Zero Tolerance
Tuesday 10 November 2009
Roll up, Roll up, Arrgh Me Hearties
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Monday 9 November 2009
Respect, revulsion and a touch of frost
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Wednesday 4 November 2009
Murder at an Afghan checkpoint
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Monday 2 November 2009
One Less
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Making conversation, I asked him if he'd been in the 101st Airborne or if his son was serving. He said quietly that he had been in the 101st. I thanked him for his service, then asked him when he served,and how many jumps he made.
Quietly and humbly, he said "Well, I guess I signed up in 1941 or so, and was in until sometime in 1944 .. . . " at which point my heart skipped.
At that point, again, very humbly, he said "I made the 5 training jumps at Toccoa, and then jumped into Normandy . . . . do you know where Normandy is?" At this point my heart stopped.
I told him "yes, I know exactly where Normandy is, and I know what D-Day was." At that point he said "I also made a second jump into Holland , into Arnhem ." I was standing with a genuine war hero . . . . and then I realized that it was June, just after the anniversary of D-Day..
I asked Shifty if he was on his way back from France , and he said,"Yes. And it's real sad because, these days, so few of the guys are left, and those that are, lots of them can't make the trip." My heart was in my throat and I didn't know what to say.
I helped Shifty get onto the plane and then realized he was back in Coach while I was in First Class. I sent the flight attendant back to get him and said that I wanted to switch seats. When Shifty came forward, I got up out of the seat and told him I wanted him to have it, that I'd take his in coach.
He said "No, son, you enjoy that seat. Just knowing that there are still some who remember what we did and who still care is enough to make an old man very happy." His eyes were filling up as he said it. And mine are brimming up now as I write this.
Shifty died on June 17, 2009 after fighting cancer.
There was no parade.
No big event in Staples Center .
No wall to wall back to back 24x7 news coverage.
No weeping fans on television.
And that's not right.
Let's give Shifty his own Memorial Service, online, in our own quiet way. Please forward this email to everyone you know. Especially to the veterans.
Rest in peace, Shifty.