|
|
Joined: Sep 2001
Posts: 6,296
Carpal Tunnel
|
OP
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Sep 2001
Posts: 6,296 |
I think it was Emerson who wrote something to the effect that "Evil is good becoming." Out of war occasionally comes movement toward the good. A topic of interest to me, at least, involves military equipment that promotes the practical. One such bit of equipment from WWII was the Bailey Bridge. Here are a few points of interest about that bridge and the site from which I gleaned the information: Donald Bailey was an obscure civil servant in the British War Office. Who, as an engineering, hobby, tinkered with model bridges and their assembly. One day he presented an off-the-wall idea to his chiefs.
The scheme showed some merit so he was encouraged to explore it further. Once accepted, it had to take a low priority on the very busy productions lines thus was not available in quantities until early 1944 when the build up for attack on the mainland was at its height. And: The experiences of a single engineering battalion of approximately 600 men with Mr Bailey's bridge may be typical. In support of General George S. Patton's Third Army, there were many occasions to appreciate its merits during the construction of 41 such bridges totaling 4812 feet (almost a mile!)...my dad was in the Army Corps of Engineers under Gen. Patton, and Dad has described his work with the very swift construction of Bailey bridges. Also, I thought you might be interested in this historical pont: Unlike our country Europe is laced with many small deeply incised streams carrying swift flowing water too deep to wade. Their earliest recorded passages were by the Romans of before Christ as they colonized the area. Masters of masonry (from whence the Order of Masons), the builders of these bridges became so highly regarded that participants were granted salvation. It became a work for God and the chief consul of Rome was given the titled of "Pontiff" from pont, or bridge, meaning chief bridge builder- a term still in use.http://www.150th.com/rivers/bailey.htmThere are many engineering feats that are noteworthy and not destructive that could be discussed here before Veterans' Day, if anyone's interested. WW
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 13,858
Carpal Tunnel
|
|
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 13,858 |
1.The Honorable Discharge ("Ruptured Duck") Lapel Pin ...
... Questions? Email: Ruptured Duck Inquiry. Telephone: 1-310-532-0634
10am to 3pm Pacific Time Zone, Monday through Friday. ...
http://members.aol.com/dischargecert/duck.htm
More Results From: members.aol.com
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Sep 2001
Posts: 6,296
Carpal Tunnel
|
|
OP
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Sep 2001
Posts: 6,296 |
wwh: I'll look into ordering one of those for my dad.
But why "ruptured"?
WW
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 13,858
Carpal Tunnel
|
|
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 13,858 |
All GI's enjoyed being cynical. They were not thrilled by any goddam pin. Same reason I traded my Good Conduct medal to an Aussie for his beatup campaign hat.The pin was I think of an eagle with some kind of ribbon holding its gut together. At one point the shoulder of my blouse featured a wreath that got labelled the "Golden Toilet Seat".
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 3,467
Carpal Tunnel
|
|
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 3,467 |
DubDub:
Thanks for the vehicle on which to post this. I ran across the term "blood chit" recently and was considering starting a thread about them.
A blood chit is a piece of fabric or paper that has an American flag on it and a promise in several languages to make a payment to the person who helps the aviator carrying it in any way, primarily used to help "buy" repatriation after being shot down behind enemy lines.
The interesting thing about this is that the first use was by British pilots in Afghanistan during WW I.
TEd the First
TEd
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Nov 2000
Posts: 3,146
Carpal Tunnel
|
|
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Nov 2000
Posts: 3,146 |
Which brings back to mind the Israeli joke that came out of the Six Day War - what does an Israeli pilot's survival kit consist of? A fez, a pork chop and a clip-on foreskin. Brought back to me by a Jewish friend who went and kibbitzed in Israel for a couple of years after we left school. He's now a top thoracic surgeon.
The idiot also known as Capfka ...
|
|
|
|
Forums16
Topics13,913
Posts229,412
Members9,182
| |
Most Online3,341
Dec 9th, 2011
|
|
|
0 members (),
907
guests, and
3
robots. |
|
Key:
Admin,
Global Mod,
Mod
|
|
|
|
