Two things to share this morning on events that occurred on this day in another century, one not so far away.

It was the last day of the epic Battle of Midway in 1942. Our pal Mac Showers was attired in wash khakis in the basement of the Pacific Fleet Headquarters. CAPT Eddie Layton, Mac’s boss, had directed the Ensign to camp out next to the pneumatic tube message delivery system (the famous ‘Bunny Tube’) to ensure first reports of the action against the Empire of the Sun could be rapidly provided to Admiral Nimitz.

Considering the gravity if the event, Mac told me he was surprised how few messages were generated. At the fabulous Willow bar many years later, Mac took a sip of his Virgin Mary and looked over at me. He suggested that perhaps the Fleet was busy with something other than keeping Higher Headquarters in the loop.

Two years later, June 6, 1944, it was clear the tide had turned in the Pacific War. An ocean or two away, Uncle Dick rose long before the East Anglia dawn to join his crew to brief and pre-flight his Boeing B-17, the Buzzin’ Betsy. There were a lot of people going to France that morning. Dick’s crew was assigned to strike strategic bridges behind the invasion beaches at Normandy in order to hinder the movement of the German Panzers that would attempt to drive the Allied forces back into the sea.

As Dick struggled to get the heavily-laden bomber into the air, he lost power on one of the four engines. He could have aborted the mission right then in good conscience. He did not. He went on to hit the bridges as assigned. He considered it important on this day so many years ago. There were people counting on him.

And then there is this week’s mess in the swamp. It is really quite remarkable. August Congressional recess is cancelled. There is something about to happen in Singapore that seems to be the start of one those “three guys walk into a bar” stories. This one is quite real, though, and features a surreal summit of a pudgy dictator, a surprise President, and a former sometime transvestite NBA star.

Just when I think this can’t get any stranger, it does. All the other stuff in the squishy mud by the torpid brown Potomac almost seems to make sense.

Almost. Here is the weekly postcard. Having a wonderful time. Wish you were here.

Copyright 2018 Vic Socotra
www.vicsocotra.com