Category: Note

July 6th is the anniversary of the 1994 Storm King Mountain wildfire that took the lives of 14 firefighters. Weather changes, resulting in 45 mph wind gusts, caused a modest wildfire to erupt into a blazing inferno, which threatened homes in and around the town of Glenwood Springs, Colorado. Firefighters from around the country were called to assist in fighting this wildfire. We will never forget the young men and women who lost their lives battling this fire: Prineville (Oregon) Hotshots: Kathi Beck, Tamera Bickett, Scott Blecha, Levi Brinkley, Douglas Dunbar, Terri Hagen, Bonnie Holtby, Rob Johnson, Jon Kelso Missoula …

As Americans go through the motions of celebrating the remnants of our our once preciously cherished liberty, we are reminded that it is high time to pluck a few chickens and warm up the tar pot. Independence day is also the birthday of Nathaniel Hawthorne (1804-1864) and of General Giuseppe Garibaldi (1807–1882) – JWR o o o The Sixteenth Annual William Howsare Memorial Public Reading of our 1776 Declaration of Independence will take place at 12:00 Noon (EDT) on Tuesday 4 July 2017, in front of the County Courthouse in Marlinton, Pocahontas County, West Virginia. All welcome, phone 304-799-7191 for …

On July 3, 1890, the Idaho Territory became the 43rd state in the Union. July 3rd is also the birthday of both musician Aaron Tippin and of actor Tom Cruise.

On July 2nd, 1937 aviator Amelia Earhart and navigator Fred Noonan disappeared over the Pacific Ocean while attempting to make the first round-the-world flight at the equator.

July 1st, 1863 is the anniversary of the beginning of the Civil War Battle of Gettysburg. o o o California’s draconian gun ban was just blocked by a federal judge, days before it was to take effect! Judge Roger Benitez ruled that the law was likely unconstitutional. This is a temporary injunction to give the courts time to consider the pending lawsuits. o o o Happy 150th Canada Day to all those north of the 49th parallel!

June 30th is the anniversary of the tragic death of 19 hotshots in the Yarnell Hill Fire. (In 2013.) June 30th is also Asteroid Day. This day was chosen because it is the anniversary of the famous Tunguska explosion.

Seed for Security is having a sale. Their Non-GMO Flint Indian Corn is now on sale at 25% off with shipping included. They offer 1/2 Pint, which is Approximately 960 seeds, in a moisture proof Polly pouch with a desiccant. This corn combined with dry beans provides precious complementary protein from your garden. This offer is for a limited time.

June 27th is the 70th birthday of economist Dr. Ravi Batra (born 1943).

June 26th is the birthday of Marine Corps Lt. General Chesty Puller (born 1898, died October 11, 1971). Perhaps America’s finest-ever maverick officer, Puller was part of what JWR calls the Even Greater Generation.

On June 25th, 1876, Native American forces led by Chiefs Crazy Horse and Sitting Bull defeated the U.S. Army troops of Lieutenant Colonel George Armstrong Custer in a bloody battle near southern Montana’s Little Bighorn River. The Battle of Little Bighorn–also called Custer’s Last Stand –marked the most decisive Native American victory and the worst U.S. Army defeat in the long Plains Indian War. While complicated, the generally accepted reason for the battle is that the discovery of gold in South Dakota’s Black Hills in 1875 led to the U.S. government disregarding previous treaty agreements. The gruesome fate of Custer and his …

June 24th the birthday of rifle-toting abolitionist pastor Henry Ward Beecher. (Born 1813, died March 8, 1887.) He and his adherents from his church smuggled so many Sharps rifles to Bleeding Kansas that the Sharps rifles picked up the nickname Beecher’s Bibles. Wikipedia states: Several of his brothers and sisters became well-known educators and activists, most notably Harriet Beecher Stowe, who achieved worldwide fame with her abolitionist novel Uncle Tom’s Cabin. o o o I heard that fellow blogger Commander Zero just had an emergency appendectomy. (His appendix burst.) Please pray for a full, rapid recovery. Some details can be …

On July 23, 1942, The Nazis continued their reprehensible and criminal behavior by making the first selections for the gas chamber at Auschwitz on a train of Jews from Paris. o o o If you’ve been thinking about getting into Ham Radio for emergency communications, this is a good weekend to start. The Annual Field Day starts Saturday and many clubs will set up stations at public parks and locations. Sometimes they even feed the visitors! Check your local paper as most will run a classified ad or have a small write up. Learn, make friends, and most of all, …

During World War II, the U.S. 10th Army overcame the last major pockets of Japanese resistance on Okinawa Island on June 22nd, 1945, ending one of the bloodiest battles of World War II. The same day, Japanese Lieutenant General Mitsuru Ushijima, the commander of Okinawa’s defense, committed suicide with a number of Japanese officers and troops rather than surrender.