Diamond Fire XRAY

Day Trip to McAlester, Oklahoma

2012-01-21T19:25:00.009-06:00

Scottish Rite Masonic Center

Old McAlester High School

Saint John The Evangelist Catholic Church
All Saints Episcopal Church

These building were the highlight to our day of antiquing in McAlester, Oklahoma. The Masonic Center was building in 1928 and has the 2nd largest stage in North American. The Kimball Organ has 3100 pipes and is worth a half million dollars. The high school has been turned into a museum for the area. The two churches were just few of that reside on Washington Street. The antique stores in McAlester were all in North McAlester which was the original downtown area. Those stores were a big disappoinment. Shopping was not good today, the only thing I found today was a Thomas Edison bottle in downtown Spiro Oklahoma. A variety store with not much of anything. We had a good trip finding new cities, towns and places.

Claremore Oklahoma

2012-01-15T08:20:00.008-06:00

A fun filled Saturday in Oklahoma. We love exploring the back roads of Oklahoma. Our plan was to visit the Phoenix Expo Center and the Fort Smith Flea Market. While there we found several great item. Dorinda showed me a book " The Arkansas State Guard 1900". A report to the Governor by the Adjutant General includes the time during the Spanish American War. The book was on sale and I jumped on the opportunity to find something this old about the Arkansas National Guard. Dorinda found a couple of things for herself and we had a great start to the day.

Our plan was to drive to Claremore Oklahoma just northeast of Tulsa and do some antique shopping. Claremore did not disappoint. There were quite a few stores in the downtown area. The picture above is of a game we found that we knew would interest my brother in law who is a West Point graduate. We sent them the picture and he immediately responded that he wanted the game. Listed for $90, a little more than I would have paid but we were able to get it for $72. The game is from 1890 and had almost all the pieces.

I found a couple of items from the Saint Louis Worlds Fair and Dorinda bought 5 different ink wells for us to resale. Claremore is the home of Will Rogers but we didn't have time to explore anything about him. That is the next trip.

WHAT

2012-01-04T20:05:00.004-06:00

I've read "The Kite Runner" by Khaled Hosseini. It does have some touchy moments in the book but why would someone want to ban the reading of this great story. The Valley View Arkansas School Board considered this very thing at the last meeting of the board. The Valley View School Board moved Monday evening to take no action to alter a senior AP English class curriculum, which includes the novel. None of the 30 people who attended the meeting spoke in favor of banning the book but a number of people spoke in favor of keeping it.

Thought I was in Arizona

2012-01-03T19:05:00.003-06:00

On the way home from Colorado during the Christmas break the wife volunteers to drive after 4 hours on the road. I take a short nap and it ends up even shorter than I expected. Dorinda wakes me up after about 15 minutes and I think she has taken a wrong turn and we are now in Arizona. We are in the panhandle and discover quite a sight.

State Armory, Manzanola, Colorado

2012-01-01T08:43:00.007-06:00

While driving home from Colorado over the Christmas holiday we decided to take the least traveled route. We have taken the northern route just to get home faster, but we wanted to explore this time. In eastern Colorado we discovered this building in the small town of Manzanola. Manzanola is located in Otero County with a population of 525.

The building is the State Armory, but I have been unable to find out what units have occupied this facility. Nor have I been able to tell what is being done to preserve this building from the decay we see. The building was built in 1921 according to the corner stone.

19 Years Later

2011-11-20T15:51:00.006-06:00

September the 5th 1992 the family went to the Arkansas versus The Citadel football game at Razorback Stadium in Fayetteville. That was the last time Dorinda and I attended a Razorback game together. Arkansas lost 10-3 and led to the firing of the head football coach Jack Crowe. That was 19 years ago and we hoped the jinks would end. Saturday we attended the Arkansas versus Mississippi State Bulldogs game at War Memorial Stadium in Little Rock.

Arkansas played an excellent game with only one turnover and defeated MSU 44-17. This was my second trip to War Memorial Stadium, as the first was on the 15th of July 1966 to hear Peter Noone and Herman's Hermits. My sisters were in love with him and the whole family attended the concert at War Memorial. The Animals with Eric Burdon was the opening act. Quite a show with two big name acts.

The football game was just great. Jinks broken. Bring on LSU.

2011-10-01T20:55:00.004-05:00

Visited the 2011 Fort Smith Air Show today. Saw many acts but my favorite two were pictured above. Matt Younkin of Siloam Springs flew his Twin Beechcraft and amazed the crowd. He father the late Bobby Younkin flew a Learjet over 400 mph and made you think he was flying an F16 or other sleek military aircraft. The Jet School bus was good, but the Air Guard Jet Truck was the best. I believe the announcers stated it would go over 350 mph. The Air Force Thunderbirds thrilled the crowd with the fast and loud show. We were the guest of our son in law Ryan who is a commissioner for the Fort Smith Regional Airport. A really nice day.

2011-09-29T18:50:00.002-05:00

Which team made the 2011 Major League Baseball playoffs. Could it be the team with the bird in the logo? I posted back in April that I hoped the Cardinals would make the playoffs. Well, they did. The team picked to win the World Series this year the Boston Red Sox slumped during September and fell just one game short. The defending World Series Champs the San Francisco Giants had a bad year finishing 8 games behind the Arizona DiamondBacks. The Cardinals made an amazing comeback in September winning 23 of 31 games to finish just ahead of the Atlanta Braves for the Wild Card spot in the National League. So, hopefully the Cardinals will win it all this year.

Minor League

2011-08-21T19:55:00.005-05:00

This weekend we went to our second minor league game of the summer. We watched the Northwest Arkansas Naturals an affiliate of the Kansas City Royals, play the Frisco RoughRiders at Arvest Ballpark in Springdale, Arkansas. The weather was hot like it usually is in August in Arkansas but, not too hot. The game was won by the Naturals 4-0 on really good 5 hit shutout pitching. The Naturals score three runs in the first inning to put the game out of reach. While the game was hot the staff at Arvest took care of the fans passing out hand fans to try and keep the fans cool.

The game was topped off with a giant fireworks show sponsored by local tv station 40/29.

We stayed overnight in Rogers and Saturday morning we drove to Bentonville for the Farmers Market. We also took in the Walton Museum on the square in Bentonville. The Museum sponsored by Wal-Mart has the original home office of Sam Walton as well as his old pickup truck. A really nice visit to Bentonville. We will go back for more.

You Never Know

2011-07-29T21:00:00.005-05:00

This week we made a trip to North Central Oklahoma with the goal of visiting the Cherokee Strip Museum in Perry and Enid Oklahoma. We also planned on visiting a couple of antique stores when we noticed this building. An old National Guard Armory built in 1936 by the WPA. The Works Progress Administration (WPA) was a relief measure established in 1935 by executive order as the Works Progress Administration. The WPA also built an addition to the old armory in Fort Smith that was occupied by the 142d FA. This armory was the home of the 158 FA.

Notice the light fixtures on either side of the doors, were constructed to look like artillery shells. The armory was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1988. Although no longer a National Guard it looks to be in good shape.

Another New Bike

2011-07-07T21:42:00.003-05:00

Riding to work isn't a big deal, the weather is good and it's only 8.2 miles. But, that ride home is pretty tough with the weather we have been having. Today it was 105. Tomorrow I drive to work.

New Hobby

2011-07-03T21:43:00.006-05:00

We have started a new hobby. Neither Dorinda or I have been on a bike since the girls were younger. Like back in the 80's and early 90's. We are trying a new way of exercising and just having fun. We took a trip around the neighborhood for 4.3 miles tonight.

Tornadoes

2011-05-01T14:58:00.005-05:00

Back in 1968 I was looking for a ride home from school. I was a sophomore at Northside and while looking for my ride I heard people talking about a bad storm and how it had hit Greenwood. I have always hated tornadoes since I was a little kid. We grew up in a wood framed house just what a tornado is looking for. If a storm was coming we always went to a neighbors house up the street at 615 North 44th and hid in the basement. The same family still owns the home, the Ruestow family.

Thirteen people died on this day in Greenwood. I remember taking a ride the day after the storm and seeing the destruction this storm did to the little sleepy community to our south. I still hate storms but don't get the sick feeling I did as a kid.

Three Teams

2011-04-23T07:24:00.006-05:00

My family has three teams it follows in Major League baseball. My girls who grew up collecting baseball cards, watching baseball with me, playing softball and have picked a team so different from their father that it is hard to explain. The oldest daughter has picked the Boston Red Sox, I guess because she lives just north of Boston and the other daughter has picked the San Fransico Giants as their favorite teams. I have always been a St Louis Cardinals fan, since the days and nights of listening to Harry Caray on the radio. My grandfather Webster loved the Cardinals too. Not much seperates the teams as far as record goes, St Louis has 11 wins and 9 loses, SF Giants is 10-9 and Boston brings up the rear at 8-11. Boston was picked by many to be the World Series Champs this year but got off to an awful start. Boston probably has the best team with the Giants a close second and the pitching depleted Cardinals (Wainwright)in third. Who will win? I'm hoping the Cardinals, but if not them then the Rangers or the Royals. I'll try and keep track of the season with a weekly post about who's smiling right now.

STL Cards :)
SF Giants :|
Red Sox :(

The Usual

2011-04-19T18:39:00.002-05:00

This is what we expect during the spring months in Arkansas and Oklahoma. At least twice a week we have the threat of storms or actually get the storms. Looks like this storm cell will go south of us, but it may be time to start a little planning for the storm. Pack a bag of clothes and get the survival bag and put it in the safe room. The safe room is the the hall bath room doesn't have any windows and is in the center of the house. I hate storms. Rain is ok, but not wind, hail or tornadoes.

Another Great Day in America

2011-04-18T20:35:00.003-05:00

We no longer has a positive sign that things will get better. Back in the 60's my grandmother told me that Standards and Poor gave their business an excellent credit rating score. Our country can't be seen as good as the old Fletcher's Cleaners. What does our President say about this lowly state we are in? She doesn't trust Standards and Poors ratings, they are politically motivated. Now it will possibility cost more to borrow money for the government and in turn will cost more for individuals to borrow money for cars and homes. We are slipping faster into a situation that we may not recover from for years. Help us Congress, come back to work and begin to fix this crisis. HELP.

Somethings Never Change

2011-04-16T20:36:00.002-05:00

Found this card in a box of old pictures. I guess conservatives were tired of 3 terms of a liberal President. And we think we have it bad, well, we do and it's getting worst everyday. It is time for Change. We have to make changes and bring this country back to fiscal responsibility. Listen up everyone in Congress. Don't add one more penny to the debt. "Cut".

A New Fort Smith Park

2011-03-13T21:01:00.003-05:00

We explored the new Fort Smith park on the east end of Grand Avenue this weekend. The park consists of a walking trail with park benches. It has a couple of access points, the intersection of South 66th Street and Kinkead Avenue and Grand Avenue which has a small parking lot. The South 66th access point doesn't have a parking lot. The trail is within 25 yards of the river in a few places. There is an old boat launch ramp that hasn't been used in years and is no longer accessible. Also a bridge spans an inlet of the Arkansas River.

Cavanaugh Mound

2011-03-13T20:43:00.009-05:00

This weekend we had the opporutnity to do a little public service. We volunteered to help with the restoration of the Cavanaugh Mound in southern Fort Smith. Tim Mulvihill with the UA Fort Smith is in charge of the project. There we about 10 people helping with using a chain saw to removing brush.
Here is a good link about the history of the mound.

http://www.projectpast.org/gvogel/Cavanaugh/Cavanaugh.htm

2011-02-22T18:51:00.003-06:00

Twenty years ago today 2d Battalion went to war after almost 40 years of peace. Firing 102 rounds of Dual Purpose Improvement Conventional Munitions (DPICM) at 7 different targets we became the first National Guard artillery unit to fire rounds at war since the Korean War. I remember sitting back watching the fireworks show as artillery was firing for as far as you could see. Cannon and missiles firing all at the same time. A Time on Target (TOT) mission. The guns were within a couple of hundred years of the berm the Iraqi's had built to keep us out. This was the first of two days of artillery raids we took part in before crossing the berm on G Day.

First Trip to the Gallows

2011-02-14T20:56:00.002-06:00

The first time I saw the Gallows at Fort Smith I was 4 years old. My first memories of my childhood stems from a visit to the opening ceremony of Judge Parkers Courtroom and Gallows. The opening ceremony for the restored courtroom and rebuilt gallows was held on May 26, 1957. I remember walking to the site from my grandparents, Guy and Hazel Webster’s store on Garrison Avenue. They owned the Rightway Cleaners at 514 Garrison Avenue.

The primary reason I remember this day was the trauma of getting separated from my parents and grandparents for a few minutes. There were over a thousand people in attendance and I was scared to death that no one would find me. However, a nice lady saw that I was upset and found my parents. We visited downtown Fort Smith almost weekly when I was a child. We would get on the bus out in front of our house on Kinkead Avenue and ride to Garrison Avenue. The bus route would take us by the historic site and I would day dream about what it must have been like to live during the times of Judge Issac Parker

Old Railroad Trail

2011-01-15T17:15:00.010-06:00

Today the weather was really nice for a change, sunny 55 degrees and no wind, so we went shopping downtown, and then the east side of town. Dorinda has been wanting to explore the Old Railroad trail which is close to the Fort Smith library at the corner of Rogers Avenue and Free Ferry Road. The railroad deserted the rail line years ago and a group of civic minded people decided to make a walking trail out of the old right of way. A nice asphalt walking trail with benches made of old railroad ties.

The trail has a small creek which runs almost the whole link of the trail. On the east side of the creek a rock wall was built.

Railroad ties lines the whole trail which is about a quarter mile long. Of historical note, back in the 60's just south of the trail my sister had an encounter with one of the trains that ran the line, and here is a link to her blog and the story. You will have to cut and paste as I can't get it to work.

http://www.thewideawakecafe.com/index.php?s=train&submit=Search

Year End Walk

2010-12-30T20:19:00.003-06:00

Today while the weather was really nice, 60's, the wife and I took a walk around the Ben Geren Park Bicycle trails. We saw many people taking advantage of the great weather walking, and riding. I'm sure many are getting a head start on a new years resolution. Maybe I am. Lastly we walked over to the old Fort Chaffee amphitheater. The theater has been unused for many years. I remember back in the mid eighties my National Guard unit used the area around the theater for an exercise and I sat and ate my noon meal. In the picture you can see that the Fort Chaffee Redevelopment Authority is rebuilding the theater to better than it ever was.

Train Ride

2010-11-26T07:46:00.006-06:00

We rode the Arkansas & Missouri Railroad this past weekend. This is a picture of the Chester House Inn which was originally built in 1887 and is still operating today.

You never know what you will find. An old dump with cars, refrigerators, washers and dryers and just junk. So sad.

This is car 105 and we rode in car 106. Our trip was from the station in Van Buren north to Winslow. A really nice trip. We had a boxed meal and got our picture taken.

Monte Ne Arkansas

2010-11-14T08:59:00.005-06:00

We took a trip to Northwest Arkansas and visited the famous resort of Coin Harvey, Monte Ne.

This is the only building visible after the building of Beaver Lake in the mid sixties.

I was reminded this morning that my Uncle Eddie (Edwin Mackey) took us to visit Monte Ne before it was flooded by Beaver Lake. That would be before 1965.

New Hardwood Floors

2010-09-26T20:55:00.004-05:00

Out with the tired old looking carpet and, in with the new hardwood floors. The carpet was only five years old, and it really did almost looked new. But, the living room just didn't POP with the carpet. I was the lucky one to make the decision to get the same hardwood floors in the living room as there was in the dinning room and front hallway. It was the right decision. Just like the new furniture we also bought.

Happy Face

2010-09-02T21:52:00.004-05:00

Tonight I cooked supper "Breakfast". I hadn't thought about it but the wife made a comment about the happy face breakfast. A nice cheese, onion, green pepper, and bacon omelet. Not bad for a Thursday night meal. My oldest daughter wanted to know what cooking show I've been watching. None, Well not lately, years ago I watched Justin Wilson cooking show on how to cook omelets.

Streaks

2010-08-26T21:41:00.003-05:00

We had a couple of streaks, one bad and one good. We lost 4 straight, Camden 2-0, Pine Bluff 3-1, Norman, OK 5-4 and Jay Tire for the second time of the year 3-2. Going into the District Tournament we played 10 games without losing, We did tie Jay Tire 0-0 in 11 innings. I did play a little on a road trip to Little Rock and a 16-2 win over Van Buren in our final regular season game. The trip to Little Rock was a lot of fun as we played our two games in a historic place, Fort Roots. Fort Roots is a VA hospital and the patients came out to watch the games. For me Fort Roots means more to me today than it did in the summer of 1970. Fort Roots is were the 142 Field Artillery had its birth. Since I've spent the last 38 years in the 142d you can see why I like Fort Roots. There is a stone craved with 142d very close to the ball field.

We had a great district tournament winning all 5 of our games. We beat Fliteline 2-0in the finals. I was really getting discouraged by this time sitting on the bench every game. This has never happened to me ever and it got to the point of me wanting to quit. But, my grandmother (Frances Fletcher) and my older sister wouldn't let me. I stuck it out and I'm still glad today that I made that decision.

Off to a Fast Start

2010-08-24T21:21:00.004-05:00

The 70 season began with a draft of 21 players onto the two Legion teams, Kerwins and Jay Tire. I got lucky, as lucky as I could be considering I was on the Boys Club Tigers rookie team the previous year. The Tigers were a misfit team of players cut from the Fliteline rookie team. I guess Squeaky knew the name Fletcher since my cousin Gary pitched for him for three years, winning the State in 1968. Squeaky had also played fastpitch softball with and against my dad back in the 50's. My dad was a playing manager and won four Arkansas State Fastpitch title from 1958 to 1961. So, I guess he thought I could help the team. We started the season pretty good with eight wins in 11 games. The season was almost ruined as our catcher Bill Breedlove dislocated his elbow and was unable to play for several weeks. We also endured a four game slump with errors and mistakes. Squeaky didn't know what to do with us, but he did have enough smarts to let Bill Breedlove give us a good chewing out after our loss to Norman Oklahoma. That night was probably the worst game I have ever played. I made several errors, physical and mental. My dad was embarrassed to be seen with me. At least that's what he told me. I blame the terrible play on a overnight church retreat to Lake Fort Smith the night before the game. I stayed up all night and was dog tired. Plus on the way to the game I had a flat tire. Needless to say, I sat the bench for quite some time. Not until the first game of the state tournament did I get to play again.

Kerwins State Champions 1970

2010-08-24T20:18:00.004-05:00

I can't believe it has been 40 years since we won the 1970 American Legion State Champions. This was an amazing feat considering we only had five 18 year old players on the team. Experience usually means everything, but we had the desire to win. Plus the greatest coach alive didn't hurt. The picture back row left to right Coach EB Brown, Bobby Fletcher, Charles Strauser, Steve Haaser, Bill Murphy, Larry "Duke" McDaniels, Ronnie Riable, Bill Breedlove, Coach Squeaky Smith. Front row left to right, Doug Pogue, Nate McDaniel, Merrill Mankin, Jim Harmon, Buzz Naucke, Steve Knight. Bat Boys, Smithy Smith, Kent Brown. I'll tell more about the season later.

Quanah Parker Indian Chief

2010-08-17T20:14:00.005-05:00

Just finished reading this book that is not only about Quanah Parker, but also about the Comanche Indians. Was a very insightful book telling everything you wanted to know and some you didn't want to know about how the Indians lived. I highly recommend this book to anyone that is interested in reading about the plains Indians and what was happening in Texas during the 1840 to 1890's. There are good stories about courageous military men who fought these "wild savages". Men like Philip Henry Sheridan, and Alexander Slidell Mackenzie.

Fish Trip

2010-07-25T18:46:00.005-05:00

We made a trip to Maine while visiting the daughter and son in law in New Hampshire. The wife just loves seafood. I ate one bite. The picture is a crab roll and she just loves lobster rolls. It was a great week in the northeast with great weather. Only thing that could have improved this trip, besides not catching a cold, was getting to see a ball game.

Back to When I was 7

2010-06-15T20:55:00.004-05:00

My grandfather built this scooter for me when I was 7. Papaw Webster was the greatest. I would ride this scooter down the small hill out in front of their house on South R Street. And then ride it like kids do now pushing with one foot to get back to the top. Down I would go again. I spent most of my time outside. This scooter had disappeared for many years until it was discovered in my parents garage. Immediately I took it home and showed my girls what our toys looked like in the 50's. It ended up in the attic and since we just moved it resurfaced.

Air Burst

2010-06-15T07:08:00.006-05:00

Air Burst at different heights makes you wonder "what the heck happened with those rounds". It's not something that is easy to figure out. Could it be one of the five requirements for accurate predicted fire.
1. Accurate target location, We have fired these grids for many years, OK.
2. Accurate firing unit location, Paladin M109A6 with GPS on board, as well as each firing position is surveyed using 4th order survey. OK Our survey guys are good.
3. Accurate weapon and munition information. OK, Not real sure about the N289 Electronic Time fuze. This was the first time we have ever fired these. We were getting to many ground burst.
4. Accurate meteorological(Met)information, We get our MET data from the 142d FiB which uses the new profiler system. OK
5. Accurate computational procedures. Not real sure about this one. The computer software has been known to be wrong in the past.

To sum it up, We still are not sure what caused these erractic bursts. Hmmm,

Saint Barbara Day 2010

2010-03-12T22:26:00.009-06:00

Picture above is SFC Jonathan Smith and his spouse Danna celebrating with a hearty meal.

The 142d Fires Brigade celebrates Saint Barbara day in February of this year. Over 300 attended the celebration this year with a Dining Out. A Dining Out includes the spouse and other guests.

COL Keith Klemmer the 142d Fires Brigade Commander awards Saint Barbara.

Spouses are awarded the Honorable Order of Molly Pitcher. Mary Ludwig Hays was born in 1763 to a German dairy farmer in Pennsylvania. She began her career as a maid to Dr. William Irvine at age 13. She later retired to marry John Casper Mc Cauly, a barber. In 1775 he enlisted in the Colonial Artillery and Mary was there every step of the way. At the Battle of Monmouth she used a pitcher to carry water from a nearby spring to thirsty and dying soldiers, even to her former employer, Dr. Irvine. After her husband was wounded, she took over his cannon. These deeds earned her recognition from George Washington and her nickname, Molly Pitcher.Molly Pitcher was a very brave woman in history.

Saint Barbara, the daughter of a wealthy aristocrat, was tortured and executed after her father discovered she had converted to Christianity. Legend has it that after her father executed her, he was struck down by lightning in divine retribution. Because of this, she soon was regarded as the patron saint in time of danger from thunderstorms, fires and sudden death. She became the patron saint of artillerymen from early on in the development of artillery pieces as early cannons were unreliable, and at times would explode wounding and killing their crews. Saint Barbara was invoked by these early cannoneers in the hope she would protect them from this fate.

Normally our Brigade conducts Saint Barbara Day in November but for the past few years it has ended up in February.

Just an Old Desk

2010-01-31T19:48:00.005-06:00

This small desk is at least 60 years old and maybe more. My Mother and Dad bought this when they were married back in 1950. I remember using this in our little six room house on Kinkead. I have always wanted a desk like this but didn't think I would ever be lucky enough to get one. But, back in 2006 before I deployed Mother said all I had to do was come pick it up. Well, I finally went and picked it up this weekend. My Mother and younger sister had worked on removing the black paint and restoring it to its original condition. I'm going to rely on a professional to make it shine again. The top of the desk was loose and down inside I found a few treasures. Nothing valuable, a 1943 steel penny, an old cracker jack game, a bb, New York Mets sticker or at least part of one, clothes pin, a charm from a box of cracker jacks, two football game cards from the 1959 All American Football game my Dad created and an old brochure for the Clayton House here in Fort Smith. I can't wait to get it refinished and in my den.

Highest Point in Arkansas

2010-01-23T17:16:00.004-06:00

During our weekend stay on Mt Magazine I went geocaching and found my cache up next to the above sign on Signal Hill. Myth has it that this is the highest point in America between the Appalachian and Rocky Mountains. It's not true, there are several places higher.

This picture was taken from our balcony at the Lodge on Mt Magazine about sunset Friday night. This mountain hasn't had a lodge since the 1971 fire which destroyed the 1940 building. The present lodge opened in 2006 and is really nice.
http://www.mountmagazinestatepark.com/lodge-cabin-rest/lodge/

142d FA Band

2010-01-16T19:04:00.005-06:00

The 142d Field Artillery (AEF) had a band during World War I. I don't know much about how they were organized or who commanded them or even if these were regular Soldiers or only performed as Band members. I found this post card on EBAY and couldn't believe my luck of getting to buy such a tremendous find. The 142d arrived in France in September of 1918 but didn't complete the additional training and testing to be able to enter the war before November 11th.

This picture was given to me by Earnest Sloat a member of the 142d FA Band. Mr Sloat served with the 142d during World War 2 and is in both of the bottom pictures. You never know where you will find something as I went to church with Mr Sloat for several years and didn't know anything about him. He just showed up at the armory with this picture and a newspaper article that spread across two pages. I'll have to take a picture of the newspaper which I got framed and put in the Thomas E. Douglas Museum. The above picture was taken in 1937 at Fort Riley, Kansas. The picture says that the band was organized that year.

This picture was taken in January of 1941 just before the departure to Fort Sill and one year of active duty. On this day little did they know that before the one year was up that the Japanese would attack Pearl Harbor and America would be at war. There are several people in both of the bottom pictures. Gene Apple, Du Vall Cantrell, Perry Cochran, John R. Shipley, London Culpepper, Tom Collins and Earnest Sloat. This picture was donated to the museum by Linda Cates the wife of MSG Roger Cates. Someone in her family was in the picture.

Annual Christmas Decorations

2009-12-12T15:58:00.008-06:00

Every year the City of Fort Smith had a Christmas Decoration Contest and our Dad would always provide an entry. Here are three examples. The theme this year was "Let there be Peace on Earth" He hung this between two trees in our front year with a bright spot light shining each night.

This was one of my favorite entries. He recorded us singing Joy to the World and used a speaker to blast our voices to maximize the affect of the entry. The mouths on the characters moved up and down. We loved Peanuts growing up. Daddy always said I was Charlie Brown.

This was the second entry I can remember, probably 1963 or 64. Just black and white paint, glitter and the star was painted silver. I don't remember if he won this contest, but he was always a winner in my mind.

Navy Family Bloodlines

2009-11-27T07:54:00.008-06:00

My great great uncle Fred T Whitmarsh served on the USS Minnesota. Pictured is the menu from the Thanksgiving dinner the same year it ship was commissioned. Fred is the only person in the family that served in the Navy that I know of. The Minnesota was launched on 8 April 1905 and commissioned on 9 March 1907.

The Minnesota's first real action was in December of 1907 as she departed Hampton Roads as part of the "Great White Fleet" which was to served as a deterrent to posibble hostilities in the Pacific. President Theodore Roosevelt aim was to increase the size and strength of the US Navy.

2009-10-24T20:56:00.005-05:00

JOT'EM Down Store, not many people anymore know what the JOT'EM Down Store is and was. Recently I returned to the store after over 40 years of wanting to see what was inside. Back in the 60's we were coming home from Murfressboro, Arkansas after a diamond hunt. My dad remembered listening to the Lum and Abner Show on the radio when he was a kid, so we made the turn at Pencil Bluff and drove the 12 miles to Pine Ridge. The JOT'EM Down Store was closed that day. So, for the past 40 years I have been wanting to see what the draw was. This past weekend the wife and I made that trip to see. The store is nothing but a museum and post office now. I bought my dad a t shirt and sent him a post card from the store. I do remember the radio show when I was a kid too. It was funny, about like watching a tv show like Three's Company. Funny but different. After that stop we drove on to DeGray Lake for a weekend stay. It was a beautiful location.

Arlington Hotel Hot Springs Arkansas

2009-10-05T20:08:00.005-05:00

Back in the day, famous people like Babe Ruth visited the Arlington and the bath houses in Hot Springs Arkansas to get in shape. Babe did this in February of 1926 after he had grow to over 245 pounds during the off season. Mafia kingpins like Al Capone, Frank Costello, and Lucky Luciano made Hot Springs a home for a while. Al Capone maintained a year round suite at the Arlington Hotel. Illegal Gambling ruled Hot Springs beginning in 1927 and only in the 1960's did Governor Winthrop Rockefeller snuff out the gambling.

Hot Springs was well know for Bathhouse row. Many were built in the early part of the 20th century and two are still in operation today. The National Park Service has taken over operations. Recently we stayed two nights at the Arlington for a Training Management Workshop. I believe the rooms were untouched since the Babe or Al Capone times. The Hotel lobby and restaurant were nice but the wife and I couldn't get over how old the rooms looked.

Who's Hands

2009-09-20T15:43:00.006-05:00

I found this elongated cent last night and began to research what the Pan American Exposition was and where it was held. The other day a guy at work made the comment about who's pocket these old coins could have been in. My research told me a great story and really gave me something to think about. The Expo was held in Buffalo, New York in 1901 after much discussion about whether to hold it in Buffalo or at Niagara Falls, New York. Buffalo was the pick because at the time it was the 8th largest city in the United States. The Expo was held from May 1 to November 2, 1901. President William McKinley gave a speech at the Expo on September 5th. The next day he was shot outside the Temple of Music. He died eight days later at the home of John Milburn on Delaware Avenue. Theodore Roosevelt was inaugurated President at the Wilcox House on September 14, 1901. So, this coin could have been owned by someone that was present when President McKinley was shot or when Roosevelt was inaugrated. Makes one think.

Our Good Friend Teddy

2009-08-31T19:44:00.002-05:00

No, I'm not talking about President Roosevelt. I should be, but I'm talking about Edward Kennedy. I only know of one person I would call Teddy. I just love Teddy Roosevelt. Everybody well at least most of the media has been just gushing about EK. I found this article on the American Thinker today and it shows a different light on our boy Teddy. Shows what could have been if he would have gotten his way.
http://www.americanthinker.com/2009/08/kgb_kennedy_the_ted_kennedy_i.html

The Sound of Music

2009-08-19T20:55:00.003-05:00

On our recent trip to Vermont we visited Stowe the home of the Von Trapp Lodge. The Sound of Music was all about the Von Trapp family. Use this link to visit the lodge.

http://www.trappfamily.com/

This link will take you to the 1965 movie about the family in World War II. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0059742/

Fort Ticonderoga

2009-08-11T20:11:00.006-05:00

Fort Ticonderoga is on the southern end of Lake Champlain which fills the border between Vermont and New York. These girls were happy to fill in the picture of the Fort and the Lake.

This is ME on the top of the Fort with some British artillery. The Fort had quite a collection of old British, French, and American artillery. The Fife and Drum corps put on a demonstration firing of a musket and a six pounder.

Custer's Last Home

2009-07-25T07:47:00.007-05:00

This picture is of General George Armstrong Custer last home at Fort Abraham Lincoln in the southwest Dakota's in 1873. The wife and I visited this post this summer and had a great time taking the tour.

Custer had married Elizabeth Clift Bacon in 1864 and she followed him to whatever post he had. She wrote three books about their time on the plains. Boots and Saddles, Life with General Custer in Dakota (1885), Tenting on the Plains (1887), and Following the Guidon (1891).

The original Fort Lincoln was abandon in 1891 and the local population raided the buildings for the wood and whatever else they could find. The Custer house was rebuilt on the original location as well as several other buildings. The state of North Dakota does a great job promoting the park.

Buffaloes and President's

2009-07-21T07:23:00.008-05:00

This past week we took our vacation to the Dakota's. The best part was visiting Mount Rushmore. We took a park ranger led tour. This site is amazing. After visiting the President's we took a drive to Custer State Park and visited the buffaloes and we smelled them before we saw them. They were just like dogs and cats walking across the road and in front of the cars. I tried to talk Dorinda into getting out of the car and take a closer picture, but she wouldn't.

1928 Armory

2009-07-01T20:58:00.003-05:00

The National Guard Armory in Fort Smith was built in 1928. A variety of units have occupied this building on North B Street but, the 142d Field Artillery occupied it more than any other. The above picture was taken in the early 70's and is the front of the building. In 1940 an annex was adding classrooms and a maintenance bay. I served in this armory first visiting in December of 1971 and joining in January 1972 until we moved to the armory on Zero Street, which is now closed also. So this is my third building to have served the 142d Field Artillery. When I found out they were tearing down this old building SSG Adams and SFC Waldrop went down to see if there was anything that we could save. I remember seeing a sand stone plaque in the annex wall commemorating the building of the annex and what units occupied it at the time. We talked to the men demolishing the building and got permission to remove the old stone. When the unit abandon the armory in 1976 fulltimers tried unsuccessfully to remove the stone.
So 30 years later we finally got it.

Ozark Hotel

2009-07-01T20:57:00.004-05:00

This picture was taken in the mid seventies not long before the Ozark Hotel and the National Guard armory were both vacant. The Ozark was demolished first and the armory much later. Once will attending drill next door at the armory we watched the ladies of the evening while they were sun bathing. I don't know what the inside of the Ozark looked like but I always liked the front porch. Down 5th Street was another hotel (Como) that had quite a reputation as another hot spot. Of course down North B street was the famous Miss Laura's. The Ozark is long gone, but the Como Hotel has been saved as an office building and Miss Laura's is on the national historic register.

Silver Dollars

2009-07-01T20:55:00.004-05:00

In the mid fifties the local Army National Guard unit (Btry B 937th FA) in Paris, Arkansas paid each Soldier with Silver Dollars. The local bank, First National Bank of Paris with President Mr. Ross Martin came out to act as the unofficial pay master. Mr Martin is seated in civilian clothes on the left and seems to enjoy paying each Soldier. Battery Commander, Captain Ollie Zeiler also participated as the pay master. CPL Darrel Gattis has his money in hand. The army quit paying with cash in the late seventies to early eighties. They then went to paying with a check, which most Soldiers hated because they now had to go cash the check before spending any of it. Now it's all electronic direct pay.

Annual Training 2009

2009-06-25T21:27:00.003-05:00

Another Annual Training comes to an end with a direct fire of our M109A6 Paladin's. The picture above is several white phosperus rounds exploding. This year we trained at Fort Chaffee, Arkansas for the 33rd time in my 37 years of service. Twice in the late eighties we trained at Camp Atterbury, Indiana and Fort Carson, Colorado. Twice we were deployed and missed out those years. Fort Chaffee hasn't changed much in those 37 years, still using the World War II era barracks and buildings. The training ground hasn't changed much either. We still shoot close to Potato Hill. You can see the base of the hill on the left side of the picture. You can't shoot the hill anymore as it is usually outside our target box. Click on the picture to get a closeup.

Empty Nest

2009-05-10T19:54:00.003-05:00

We now have an empty nest. I don't think they flew away, but who knows. We came home yesterday and the hanging basket was swinging. We must have just missed them.

She's back

2009-05-08T16:57:00.001-05:00

Not long after I post, she returns. I read where the male and female take shifts, male daytime, female night time. So this one is already a single parent child.

Sad Day?

2009-05-08T16:00:00.003-05:00

Mother bird has disappeared. I was off today and haven't seen her all day long. One egg hatched yesterday morning or at least that was the first time we had seen the young one and she sat on the other egg all day until this morning. But after that she is gone.

Still Waiting

2009-04-26T12:58:00.002-05:00

We are still waiting on the new baby birds. She is spending more and more time sitting. Any day now.

New Life

2009-04-20T19:05:00.005-05:00

Yesterday while putting the granddaughters picnic table on the deck I discovered the pictured mother bird sitting in her nest. She had built her nest inside the hanging flower pot.

Inside the nest I found two eggs. Two potential tweedy birds.

Tonight there she was doing her job. Trying to bring the little one's to life. And all this right in front of our wonderful cat.

The Greatest Vacation

2009-04-15T18:21:00.005-05:00

The greatest vacation began in Denver, Colorado. We had our 1993 Plymouth Voyager Mini Van packed full ready to have some fun. After visiting the downtown of Denver, the Denver Mint, Molly Brown's House, the State Capitol, and seeing the brand new ballpark (Coors Field) being constructed we went to Mile High Stadium for a Colorado Rockies baseball game. Dorinda made us sandwiches for our first tailgate party before the game.

Our seats were in the outfield only about a mile away from home plate, but we still really enjoyed the game. Notice the smiles on the faces of those two girls. Baseball was the means by which we always made fun.

Easter

2009-04-11T20:37:00.006-05:00

Easter 1960. Jeanne, Laura Lee, Vicky, Lucy and Gaye in our front yard on Kinkead. Probably getting ready for the annual Easter egg hunt. We always had a good hunt in that yard. We never did mow the grass until after Easter.

One of the earliest Easter's for Meredith. Probably 1982.

This was Easter 1985 at Mema and Pappy's. The girls were always dressed in their finest easter dresses.

The weather must have been a little cool in 1984. Looks like Natalie might have won the hunt with Meredith this year? Not likely.

Thomas E Douglas

2009-04-08T19:04:00.004-05:00

In most cases you must be deceased to have a government building named in your honor. Thomas E Douglas was well deserving of having the National Guard Armory on Zero Street in Fort Smith named for him. He began his career with Battery C in Fort Smith. He mobilized with them in January of 1941 when the Army mobilized almost all National Guard units for one year. Just before the end of the year December 7th (the day that will live in infamy) occurred and the unit was extended like all units and served on active duty until after the end of the Second World War. Major Douglas ended up with 1st Battalion when the 142d was split into two battalions and a brigade headquarters. Major Douglas served as the XO and briefly before the end of the deployment as the Battalion Commander. After the war he moved into the Army Reserve and only came back to the 142d in 1949. He was the Battalion Commander of 2d Battalion as the Korean War began. He received a Bronze Star for both wars and ended his career only because of his death in 1966.

It's Time

2009-04-08T18:23:00.005-05:00

We have served you for over 30 years. Almost 33 years. The armory at 8400 Zero Street will no longer be in the hands of 2d Battalion 142d Field Artillery. I remember moving into this armory in May of 1976. It was dedicated as the Thomas E Douglas National Guard Armory. Thomas E Douglas was the former Commander of 2d Battalion during the Korean War and also became the 142d Field Artillery Group Commander. He died in 1966 while serving as the Commander. I don't know what is going to happen to the building name, but I hope the new owners will continue to use this name. Col Douglas was a Fort Smith boy and worked for a local printing company. I didn't know that I was connected to his family by one of his sisters that taught Sunday School at Calvary Baptist Church in Fort Smith. She was my teacher when I was about 5. I love this building and what it stands for. Many good people (Soldiers) have used this building as a base of operations for many long careers. This will be my third armory. I began my career with the 142d on North B Street in downtown Fort Smith. We seem to be moving further east with each move. Our new building is located on Highway 22 just east of the main gate at Fort Chaffee. So, In a few days we will occupy our new Armed Forces Reserve Center.

Hunts Park

2009-04-05T20:20:00.004-05:00

I spent many summer nights playing baseball and watching baseball at Hunts Park in Fort Smith, Arkansas. The park was owned by the Fort Smith Boys Club now the Fort Smith Boys and Girls Club. I started playing baseball at Hunts Park when I was 13 years old. I played for the Eagles Team which was in the Babe Ruth League. We had a pretty good team, winning more than we lost the three years I played for the Eagles. Our uniforms were Red, White and Blue. I played second base and was a pretty good singles hitter. My final year I made the 15 year old All Star team and played good in a couple of practice games but, we lost both games in the state tournament that was hosted at Hunts Park. Other teams in the league were Midwest Sporting Goods, Junior Deputies, Edwards, and Arkansas Best. Billy Higgins was my coach. His father Clarence Higgins was the Executive Director of the club and was the greatest guy. My brother also played baseball at Hunts Park. So I watched plenty of his games also. My dad played semi pro baseball there before I was born. So Hunts Park has been good to our family. Growing up in a family without much money, my parents would sometimes watch me play from the cemetery next door to the park. Oak Cemetery is where we have several family members buried. My Grand parents Webster and other members of the Whitmarsh family are there. My wife Dorinda also has at least three family members there.

The New Senator from Minnesota

2009-04-02T18:39:00.002-05:00

I met Al Franken at Camp Patriot during a USO event. I had just finished running and decided I needed his autograph. He seemed really tired (jet lag) but he was friendly and happy to be there. I told him I was a conservative but that was ok with him. Not long after this event he put his name into the ring for election.

Looking Back 2

2009-04-02T18:21:00.004-05:00

(Clockwise from the left, Brook Ellis, Me, Bill Koch, Michael Leister, Chief Lindsey, 1LT Bolin, Shawn Mazzaro, Travis Vaughn, Jonathan Smith, unknown, and Brian Harris)

Besides our running group we also had a group that played Bingo. Every Friday or Saturday night we played bingo with about 50 other people. You could win prizes to make it worthwhile. There were always free drinks (coke, pepsi, mountain dew and near beer). We began playing almost the first week after arriving at Camp Patriot. Most of the time the games were held outside at the MWR stage. But during bad weather (rain, too cold, too windy) the games would be moved inside. The prizes were usually local cheap items and gift cards to the local PX. They also had door prizes of free t shirts from local events. We tried not to miss may games. The best players (or the luckiest) were Michael Leister, Brook Ellis, Travis Vaughn and sometimes Jonathan Smith.

Looking Back

2009-04-01T19:57:00.006-05:00

One of the best things about our deployment to Kuwait was the running group we assembled. Our group had 6 or 7 the first time we ran. Our favorite place to run was on the Kuwait Naval Base pier. The route we ran was about 2.7 miles. The pier was about a mile long. Our group grew to about 17 people after the first couple of times we ran. But, that didn't last long, once we stepped up the pace some of the group decided to find another way to exercise. The prime members of the group included Jonathan Smith, Travis Vaughn, Terry Dittmann, and some time members Brian Harris and Michael Leister. The most remarkable member of the group was Jonathan, before we mobbed he weight over 260 pounds and could never pass a PT test. Jonathan got his weight down to around 190-200 pounds and stayed there. He has continued his exercise program and kept that weight off. Travis Vaughn was the fastest member of the group. He was a born runner. I remember the first PT test I saw Travis take right after he completed basic training, his 2 mile time was 10:15. He has slowed over the years but he is down in the 12's. Our running was usually at least three times a week and sometimes 4 or 5. Did the warm weather months we had to run at night. Usually after 7PM. Our group always took part in the Camp Patriot 5K's. There was at least one a month. Summer months the 5k were in the early morning hours and during the winter months they were at 5PM. The best thing about the 5K's were you got a t shirt for running. I only missed one 5K while I was on leave. Terry Dittmann was another overweight runner that struggled to lose weight but was able to reduce his run time from over 25 minutes to in the 17's. He was able to pass a PT test before we departed Kuwait. Running the pier was amazing. During any time of the year the humidity was terrible once you got past the shore and hit the water. I'm posting a couple of pictures of our group that ran the 5k's.

2nd Day

2009-03-30T19:06:00.007-05:00

My career began on an afternoon in the fall of 1971 when my neighbor Mark came over and showed me all the cool equipment he received after joining the Arkansas Army National Guard. I don't remember why Mark joined, but I was 18 and about to lose my Student deferment. I was attending Westark Junior College in Fort Smith. My goal at Westark was to play baseball and nothing else. So in December I went to the local armory downtown to enlist. The Armory had been in the same location on North B Street since 1928 but I had never been to or knew the location of the armory. I took the entrance exam and was ready to take my physical and enlist on Sunday. Sunday morning I got up and was sick. I had to wait until the January drill to get my physical and enlist. January the 9th 1972 as cool as I could, (I wore my Westark letter sweater) I got my physical from the medics, I passed and went downstairs to the admin office to fill out the paper work I remember having to answer a bunch of questions, one that really sounded funny to me was "have I ever been associated with a communist organization in Mena, Arkansas". I enlisted as a Redeye Gunner. CPT Manford Burris took me into the Commander's office to swear me in. I was really impressed. The armory was an old building but it looked like a millon bucks that day. More about the armory in a later post. I made two other drills before I shipped to Fort Ord, California for basic training. My MOS and section changed from Redeye Gunner to Fire Direction without me knowing anything about it. That day in January of 1972 was one of the best days of my life.

Diamond Fire XRAY

2009-03-30T05:56:00.000-05:00

This is just the beginning of me posting about history in the family and my community. I love history and can't wait to post. About the title of the blog, Diamond Fire is the name of my Field Artillery unit. XRAY is my handle for the Operations shop. More about the title later. I have lived in Fort Smith, Arkansas for most of my life and I will tell the story as I know.