This will be a happy holiday season for many people.
The Pueblo crew is home and the astronauts are making staggering marks in the record books.
To any man who served in the military service, the hijacking of an American super secret ship is almost unheard of. But it happened, the crew did not fight until death nor did it scuttle the ship.
They surrendered. There may be more to the story than we know. I'm just dying of curiosity to learn more about it.
I was assigned to a battle station on a ship overseas for several days that required me to dog the hatch (that means lock the door to you landlubbers), sit tight and wait for further instructions on a sound powered telephone.
My battle station was in a security area (below the water line).
It didn't take long to figure out my battle assignment—scuttle ship.
My duty was to remove a certain number of bolts from a certain plate and flood the compartment. There were no instructions on how to survive.
You know, after that I always felt the Navy didn't really need me as much as my enlistment required.
We were all a nervous and shaky crew when one night we were loaded for bear with security gear and intercepted (I'll always remember the number) 19 submarine soundings.
That's the first time in my life never even got tired for 24 straight hours.
The Apollo astronauts are making history like Buck Rogers of yesteryear.
It's a staggering thought to flip on the TV tube and see the picture of the earth transmitted by our boys in space.
It just brings us to the edge of high excitement. Astronauts I suppose, are like test pilots of the winged ships—they are likely to stretch the test a little more each time because they are experts in their fields and they have nerves of steel.
Which means, that the U.S. spacemen are probably bursting with eagerness to fire rockets for the next planet, and the next and the next.
As the man said, Mister, you ain't seen nuthin' yet!
A smiling youngster at a church Christmas program couldn't hold it any longer after his group had finished its part.
He blurted: "Hey, you know, Jesus has a birthday."
Well, gee whiz, Mom. It's the truth . . . Mrs. Chuck Bachinski smiled at her son.
Lafe Williams, former KNCY news director, said he is director of public affairs and publications for Park College at Parkville, Mo., in a Christmas card . . . Allen Holmes, the man who spirited the first reunion of Company B of the National Guard sends greetings . . . and Maj. Earl "Buddy" Webb, who sent along a bright and attractive helicopter pilot's Christmas card, said, "Nebraska City people are still the greatest in the world. Happy Holidays."
Received a card from a relative in Kansas and learned their son was alive and in a hospital with wounds sustained in combat in Vietnam.
The family has had its share.
Three generations of the same family have been in wars. Uncle Henry survived the gases of WWI, his son, Stanton, returned from WWII; another son, Jay, was killed during the Korean war and now a grandson has been hurt in Vietnam.
But the family is thankful. And so are we.
Christmastime has an additional meaning for our house. It means that Millie and I are starting our 19th year of marriage.
Merry Christmas.
From the
House of Beaumonts.