We Built It Blog by Larry Jacob

As I write this, the Omicron Variant is spreading like wildfire, and many people are nervous. Some are even on the verge of panicking. Most of the COVID-related news is dire. As I wrote in my last blog, the first case of Omicron in the US was detected on December 1, and in just 20 days the CDC is reporting that it has become the most dominant strain in the country. 20 days!

Some salient points regarding Omicron courtesy of the CDC (unless otherwise indicated):

1. The Omicron variant now accounts for some 73% of new COVID cases.
2. The White House and multiple news sources are predicting that we are in for a “hard winter.”
3. According to the the World Health Organization Omicron cases are now doubling every 1 1/2 to three days.
4. The US is trying to ramp up testing, but there is a shortage of testing kits. In many areas those seeking to be tested have been subjected to long lines of more than two hours.
5. Currently, about 1.8 million vaccine doses are being administered daily.
6. According to Johns Hopkins University the US is averaging about 127,000 new cases per day, which is a substantial increase over the 70,000 average as recently as November. Currently, the US is averaging about 1,300 COVID deaths per day, which is a 12% increase in just one month.
7. Jonathan Reiner, CNN medical analyst, reported that Omicron is “as contagious as measles, and that’s about the most contagious virus that we’ve seen.”
8. Currently, across the country over 69,000 persons are hospitalized with COVID, and many hospitals are at their limits. According to the Department of Health and Human Services this is 40% higher than just one month ago. Across the country, beds in intensive care units are 78% full. In addition, some hospitals are facing a shortage of qualified medical support staff due to mandatory terminations resulting from vaccination mandates.
9. Unvaccinated persons are 10 times more likely to contract the virus and 20 times more likely to die from it. Health professionals and political leaders are urging the unvaccinated to get vaccinated.
10. Appearing on Face the Nation this past Sunday Dr. Frances Collins, the outgoing director of the National Institute of Health, strongly urged people who have not gotten “boosted” to do so asap. About 61% of the population is fully vaccinated, and about 1/3 of them have been “boosted.”
11. Some universities, notably Princeton, NYU and Cornell, have re-instituted remote learning.
12. Some Broadway shows, such as Hamilton, have begun to cancel performances.
13. The NFL and the NBA are being forced to deal with postponements due to a high incidence of positive test results among players.

CONCLUSION

Amid all this gloom and doom Americans need reassurance from their leaders. As I said, many are anxious and afraid. Some are on the verge of panic. After two years we seem to be no better off than we were at the outset. To them, the high degree of contagion with the Omicron strain is producing visions of the so-called “Black Death” plague of the 14th century. At this time, they desperately need their elected leaders to demonstrate a positive outlook, encouragement and provide assurances that we will get through this.

Instead, President Biden’s speech today preached gloom and doom. He came across as defensive. He reiterated what some media outlets have predicted as a long, hard winter. We wanted optimism, and he gave us pessimism.

He took no responsibility for not being prepared for the Omicron COVID surge, the shortage of testing kits, and the shortage of hospital staff, which we know is attributable, in large part, to his ill-advised vaccine mandates. He attacked the unvaccinated as somehow “unamerican.” He blamed them for all of the above bad developments and lectured them that it was their “patriotic duty” to get vaccinated.

He failed to even mention certain positives, such as:

1. Worldometer, which tracks such things, has reported the overall fatality rate in the US to be about 1 1/2%. And, those statistics are likely inflated by the early period when we didn’t know how to treat the virus.
2. Although Omicron has been shown to be highly transmissible the death rate has been much lower than that from the other strains. In other words, so far many people are getting sick and being hospitalized but relatively few are dying. This key fact has been underreported by the media as well. Most have been getting a mild case of flu-like symptoms and are recovering quickly, especially if they are fully vaccinated. Some medical professionals have maintained that following such recovery one’s body could be left with a residue of antibodies that would provide protection prospectively.
3. The vaccinated have a death rate of a fraction of 1%. No deaths are “acceptable”, but that compares favorably with the death rate from the flu.
4. There are a variety of treatments, such as monoclonal antibodies and drugs such as Remdesivir, which have been successful when applied early.

In times of stress and anxiety we need to rely on our leaders to provide strength, positivity, reassurance and inspiration. We need to be united, not divided. We need to be told that although things look bad now, if we pull together we will get through this. Think of FDR’s “fireside chats” during the Great Depression or his famous speech after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. Think of Bush 43’s inspirational speeches after the “9/11” attack. We needed Biden to provide that today. Instead what we got was gloom and doom, and a failure of leadership. He seemed to be more focused on deflecting blame than solving the problem. I was not surprised. Were you?

The new COVID Omicron Variant has much of the world in a panic. Just when we thought we had a handle on COVID up pops a new variant.

According to multiple reports, what is scary about Omicron is its high level of transmissibility. It was only identified as a new variant in late November, and it has been spreading twice as fast as the Delta variant. In the US the first documented case appeared in CA on December 1, and already it has spread to some 30 states. Early data has been incomplete and, at times contradictory. For example, the CDC has reported that approximately 3% of COVID cases are of the Omicron strain. However, Jeremy Luban, a virus expert at the U Mass Chan Medical School puts the number at 15%. In any case, the Delta variant is still the predominant strain extant.

Dr. Jacob Lemieux, an infectious disease expert at Mass General Hospital, has reported that the variant has been spreading “faster than than the most pessimistic predictions among medical experts.” He added, “it seems to be happening every place at once.”

AOL News reported that during the past week there were an average of 118,000 new infections per day. According to Lemieux hospitals and medical staff, which were already stressed by high amount of Delta cases, are being overwhelmed.

The only saving grace is that so far Omicron appears to be less lethal than Delta. However, medical experts caution that it is still early. It is not clear whether that is due to the strain, itself, or because so many people have already been vaccinated. According to Dr. Rochelle Walensky, Director of the CDC “more than 200 million” Americans are fully vaccinated against COVID. Moreover, some 60% of seniors, the most vulnerable group, are triple-vaccinated. Most medical experts, including Drs. Walensky and Anthony Fauci, agree that vaccines have been providing “some protection” against the new variant. This opinion is supported by anecdotal evidence.

CONCLUSION

In my opinion, we are going to have to learn to live with this virus for many years, if not permanently. I predict that every so often a new strain will come along. This sounds scary, and maybe it is to some people. But, in my view, this scenario is not much different than the seasonal flu, which we have learned to live with. Students of history know that, prior to the advent of antibiotics the flu was a very deadly disease with a much higher fatality rate than that of COVID. Entire families would often catch it from each other and die within weeks of each other. Not to be morbid, but one can see the sad, poignant record of this on tombstones in old cemeteries.. There was no prevention, no cure. You either caught it or you didn’t, often purely by chance. You either died from it or your body fought it off and you recovered. Often, the result was arbitrary, without rhyme or reason.

Personally, I see no need to panic. As I said, the evidence has shown that those who are fully vaccinated, follow the recommended medical protocols, and are in generally good health should live their lives without fear. Even if you get COVID the fatality rate has been roughly 2%, and that includes the unvaccinated and at-risk groups. At this point, the medical community knows a lot more about treatment than it did when the pandemic started. Plus, many therapeutic options are now available that have been effective against the disease.

Some medical experts have been advocating to pump the brakes on Christmas holiday gatherings. Furthermore, many people are still afraid to travel. Some people have not visited family or friends, eaten in restaurants, gone for routine medical tests or treatments, or attended sporting events or the theatre in two years. In my view, that is no way to live. Don’t listen to the bloviating, know-nothing “experts” on tv. Many of them don’t know any more than you do.

In addition, many of them don’t even follow their own rules. We have seen several examples of politicians and other prominent people, eating in restaurants without wearing a mask or adhering to social distancing protocols. It’s “rules for thee, but not for me.” Furthermore, would someone please explain to me why our leaders impose draconian restrictions on us and then turn around and let hundreds of thousands of unvaccinated illegal migrants enter the US without being tested or vaccinated? On what planet does that make any sense?

The hell with that! Aren’t you sick and tired of being told what to do by people who are dumber and have less common sense than you do? I am. This is America. Sometimes, our leaders seem to forget that and need to be reminded of that fact. I say, unless, you have a debilitating underlying medical condition or a compromised immune system get out and live your life. If you have any doubts consult your doctor.

In all likelihood, many of you have never heard of Bob Dole, or if you have, you have only a vague notion of his accomplishments. In point of fact, Dole, who passed away last week at the age of 98, led a very interesting, accomplished, productive and fulfilling life. Read on and be edified.

Robert Joseph Dole was born on July 22, 1923 in Russell, KS. His father ran a small creamery; his mother was a homemaker. Dole graduated Russell High School in 1941. He was a star athlete, excelling in football, track and basketball. He was particularly outstanding in basketball, so much so that Phog Allen, the legendary Kansas University basketball coach, recruited him to play for the team (Unless you are a rabid college basketball fan you probably never heard of Phog Allen. He played under the legendary James Naismith, who literally invented the game, and he won 746 games in his coaching career. Do you know the derivation of his unusual nickname? See below.)

Dole also played on the KU track and football teams. One of his teammates on the football team was Bud Adams who later made a fortune in oil and became the owner of the NFL’s Tennessee Titans franchise.

Okay, enough trivia. In 1942 Dole enlisted in the US Army. While fighting near Bologna, Italy he suffered a very serious injury that nearly killed him. A German shell struck him in the upper back and right arm. It shattered his collarbone and part of his spine. In Dole’s words, “I lay face down in the dirt. I could not see or move my arms. I thought they were missing.” Dole nearly died then and there. All his mates could do was give him massive amounts of morphine, which they did, get him to a hospital asap, and hope for the best. Dole was paralyzed from the neck down, suffered blood clots, a severe infection and a 109 degree fever. Massive amounts of penicillin did not help. Finally, the doctors gave him streptomycin, which was an experimental drug at the time. That worked, but then Dole had to undergo seven surgeries and an extended period of physical therapy. Finally, he had to deal with the mental and emotional aspects of his condition. Eventually, he came to realize he had to “focus … on what [he] had left and what [he] could do with it rather than complaining [of] what had been lost.” Ultimately, he recovered, but he suffered from a lack of mobility in his right arm, which required him to learn to write with his left hand, and numbness in his left arm.

After his recovery and discharge Dole completed his education and then practiced law in the Russell area. In 1950 he commenced his political career by winning election to the Kansas House of Representatives. In 1969 he entered the US Senate where he served for some 30 years. Though a Republican from a conservative state he generally exhibited a moderate voting record. For example, he co-authored a bill with the liberal George McGovern to make food stamps more accessible. In 1982 the NY Times described him as “changing from ‘hard-line conservative’ to ‘mainstream Republicanism.’ “

Dole ran for a spot on the national ticket several times during the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s. In 1976 he was the GOP nominee for vp under Gerald Ford. In 1980 and 1988 he ran for the GOP presidential nomination and lost to Ronald Reagan and Bush 41, respectively. He finally won the nomination in 1994, but he lost to Bill Clinton, largely due to a booming economy. Quiz question #2 : Who was Dole’s running mate? See below.

Dole enjoyed a long, varied and fruitful post-political career For instance, he became a tv spokesman for products such as Viagra, Visa, and Pepsi. He appeared on tv shows such as Larry King Live and 60 Minutes. He played himself on Saturday Night Live and Suddenly Susan. He became a registered lobbyist. He wrote several books including a humorous one in which he ranked several presidents according to their sense of humor.

CONCLUSION

Dole was awarded numerous medals and awards including the Congressional Gold Medal, the Presidential Medal of Freedom, and the Presidential Citizens Medal. In addition, he was the recipient of several honorary degrees.

Dole was married twice. His first wife was Phyllis Holden whom he met at a VA hospital where he was recuperating from his wartime injuries. They had one daughter. They divorced in 1972. He married his second wife, Elizabeth, in 1975. Elizabeth was a prominent politician in her own right. She served as a US Senator from North Carolina and held various offices in the Nixon, Reagan and Bush 41 Administrations. They did not have any children.

In his later years Dole suffered through various health issues. For example, he had surgery for prostate cancer in 1991. He had a hip replacement, an abdominal aortic aneurysm, an elevated heart rate, knee surgery, pneumonia, and low blood pressure. Finally, in February 2021 he was diagnosed with stage 4 lung cancer, which ultimately killed him.

Dole passed away on December 5, 2021 at the ripe old age of 98. Rest in peace, Bob. You led a long, productive life. Your courage and determination in overcoming various physical, emotional and health issues was an inspiration to us all. You will be sorely missed.

Quiz # 1 answer: It was due to his booming “fog-horn” voice.

Quiz #2 answer: Jack Kemp

Tuesday,  December 7, will mark the 80th anniversary of one of the most heinous, despicable acts in modern history – Japan’s sneak attack at Pearl Harbor.  In 1994 Congress designated December 7 as Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day as a way to remember and pay homage to the 2,400 US military and civilian personnel who were killed and 1,800 wounded in the attack.  The day is not a federal holiday, but flags are flown at half mast and many organizations hold special ceremonies.   

Each year thousands of people flock to the Pearl Harbor National Memorial and Visitors’ Center to pay their respects. In recognition of the COVID virus, this year all visitors to the Center over the age of two will be required to wear masks within the confines of the Center, both inside the buildings and outside on the grounds.

The highlight of the commemoration will be a Pearl Harbor Memorial Parade. Appropriately, the theme of the parade will be “remembering our past while celebrating that once bitter enemies can become friends and allies.” In point of fact, that accurately characterizes the relationship between the US and Japan for the 80 years or more.

As President FDR forecast, December 7, 1941 is truly a date that has lived in infamy.  It is one of those dates we can never forget.  It is burned into our very souls.

Mention that date to a person of a certain age and their reaction will be akin to later generations’ reaction to November 22, 1963 or September 11, 2001.  Most any person over the age of five on those dates remembers where he was, what he was doing and how he felt when he heard the news.  Those are dates that had a profound effect on our lives both individually and collectively.

On December 6, 1941 America was still working its way out of the Great Depression, which began in 1929 with the stock market crash.  Unemployment was at 9.9%, not good, but a significant improvement from the peak of 25% in 1932.  Americans were not thinking about war.  After all, we had just fought the “Great War,” (aka, the “war to end wars”).  Sure, there was a war waging in Europe, but we were not involved directly.  We had no boots on the ground, and we had a vast ocean between us and them.  Most Americans were focused on their own lives, not on world events. America was in full isolationist mode.  All that was about to change suddenly, violently, tragically and irrevocably.

We all know what happened on December 7, 1941.  We know that the Japanese executed a devastating surprise attack on our naval base at Pearl Harbor that precipitated our involvement in WWII.  Approximately, 2,800 lives were lost, civilian as well as military, along with most of our Pacific Fleet and airplanes.  America switched immediately from peacetime mode to wartime mode.  Patriotism and nationalism abounded.  The “greatest generation” was on the march.

As we all know, America recovered to win the war after four years of intense and costly fighting.  There is no need for me to rehash those events.  The Pacific War has been the subject of numerous books, movies, and tv productions.  The central theme of this blog will focus on the events that led up to the war with Japan.

Every war has its immediate cause and its underlying causes. The attack on Pearl Harbor was the immediate cause. But, what were the underlying causes? What would make Japan start a war that it had virtually no chance of winning? Glad you asked. Read on.

Many, if not most, historians maintain that the US actually provoked Japan into starting the war, although we did not intend for them to devastate our naval fleet in the fashion they did.  Over the course of the 1930’s we took various actions that, in reality, left Japan no choice, to wit:

1. The US was providing assistance to the Chinese who were at war with Japan.  This included providing airplane pilots, armaments and other supplies and materials. Japan had been at war with China since the 1930’s.  Its extreme brutality was exemplified by the Nanking Massacre, aka the Rape of Nanking, which began in December 1937.  In a six-week period over 300,000 Chinese civilians were murdered, and there was widespread raping and looting.  This shocking brutality was a portent of the Pacific War.

2. Along with the British and the Dutch the US military was actively planning prospective military operations against the Japanese in the Far East to counter its aggression.

3. Japan had few natural resources of its own; it needed to import raw materials, such as coal, iron, oil, rubber and bauxite, from the US and other countries in Southeast Asia to fuel its burgeoning industries.  In the late 1930’s the US began to severely limit its access to these materials by enforcing sanctions, limits and embargoes.  This aided the British and the Dutch, who were concerned about Japan’s aggressive behavior in the Far East, but it provoked the Japanese.

4. Thus, one can view the attack on Pearl Harbor, not as an isolated event, but rather, as the last act in a long line of connected ones.

Many historians believe that FDR provoked Japan intentionally, because he wanted to go to war against the Axis Powers, and the American people were decidedly against doing so. Before you scoff at that notion, consider that we have fought other wars following provocations that may or may not have been fabricated. For example:

1. The Spanish-American War in 1898 began when the battleship, Maine was blown up in Havana harbor under mysterious circumstances. 75% of her crew was killed. “Remember the Maine” became the signature battle cry of that war.  There is evidence that suggests that the Maine was not blown up by the Spanish, but may have blown up by accident or been sabotaged to provide a pretext for us to enter that war.

2. The legal basis for commencing the Vietnam War was the Gulf of Tonkin incidents of August 2 and 4, 1964. A US destroyer, the USS Maddox, exchanged fire with North Vietnamese torpedo boats in the Gulf, which is off the coast of Vietnam. As a result, Congress passed the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution, which authorized President Johnson to assist any Southeast Asian country that was being jeopardized by “communist aggression.”  Johnson was only too eager to do so.  It was later determined that some key facts, such as who fired first, are in dispute.

3. President Bush, 43, “sold” the Iraq War to the American people by asserting there was “proof” that Iraq possessed “weapons of mass destruction.” Such weapons have never been found.

So, if FDR did, in fact, goad Japan into attacking us so that we could enter the war against the Axis Powers, it would not have been the only time the US Government used that tactic. In the 1950’s the renowned historian Harry Elmer Barnes (who, ironically, later lost much of his credibility by becoming a vociferous denier of the Holocaust) published a series of essays describing the various ways in which the US Government goaded the Japanese into starting a war it could not win and manipulated American public opinion.  After the war, Secretary of War Henry Stimson admitted that “we needed the Japanese to commit the first overt act.”

Most historians agree that even the Japanese leadership in the 1930’s knew it could not win a prolonged war with the US. They realized that the US was vastly superior in terms of men, material and resources, and eventually, it would wear down the Japanese.  That, in fact, is precisely what happened.

In 1941 the die was cast when a more militant, nationalistic government came into power headed by Emperor Hirohito and Prime Minister Hideki Tojo.  They spent several months planning the pre-emptive strike. In his best selling book, “Killing the Rising Sun,” Bill O’Reilly denoted that the Japanese sought to imbed spies into the Hawaiian civilian population to gather intelligence.  O’Reilly quoted one senior officer who found out that his Japanese gardener was actually a colonel in the Japanese army.

Many historians believe that the Japanese hierarchy was emboldened, in part, by the successful surprise attack on the Russians in 1905 led by then-Admiral Tojo during the Russo-Japanese War. It had worked once; why not again? Their intention was to neutralize American naval power in the Pacific so that it would be unable to block Japan’s aggression in Southeast Asia. They determined that Sunday would be the best day of the week to attack. They also weighed the advantages and disadvantages of attacking the fleet in the harbor or at sea before settling on the attack in the harbor. Although the battleships were “sitting ducks” in the more shallow harbor, Admiral Chester Nimitz pointed out later that one crucial advantage to the US was that we were able to raze several of them later and return them to active duty.

Despite its years of provocations, the US was ill-prepared for an attack. In addition, we had failed to confront the Japanese directly earlier when they could have been dealt with more easily. So, instead of fighting a small war in the 1930s we ended up fighting a world war just a few years later.

One could argue that there were strong parallels between then and our more recent history with respect to various terrorist groups operating in the Middle East and elsewhere. Once again, we failed to deal with the problem when it was manageable (the beginnings of ISIS); once again most of the country was very reluctant to get involved in “other people’s problems (Syria and Iraq);” and, we are now embroiled in the more costly aftermath (conflicts, refugees, and a likely nuclear-capable Iranian).  History, when ignored, does tend to repeat itself.

CONCLUSION

Ultimately, the Japanese underestimated the US. Their leaders knew we were in isolationist mode. They did not think we had the “stomach” to fight a prolonged, brutal war.  Also, they knew we would be fighting the Germans and Italians as well. Furthermore, they figured that with our Pacific Fleet decimated, if not destroyed, we would be unable or unwilling to counter their aggression in the Far East.  The Far East was their end game for reasons discussed above; they were not interested in attacking the US mainland, although much of the US civilian population feared that they would.

Obviously, the Japanese misjudged us.  They were not the first enemy to do so, and, in all likelihood, they will not be the last.

Below please find a list of what I consider to be significant historical events that occurred during the month of November.

11/1 – All Hallows Day, aka All Saints Day. Many of us observe the day before this holiday as Halloween. 
11/1/1848 – The first women’s medical school opened in Boston, MA. It was founded by a Mr. Samuel Gregory and “boasted” twelve students. In 1874 it became part of the Boston University School of Medicine, becoming one of the first co-ed medical schools.  According to the Association of American Medical Colleges, today, women comprise approximately 1/2 of all medical students.
11/1/1950 – President Harry S Truman, whom many historians consider to have been one of our greatest and underrated presidents, survived an assassination attempt by two members of a Puerto Rican nationalist movement.
11/2/1962 – President Kennedy announced that all Soviet missiles in Cuba were being dismantled and their installations destroyed, thus signaling the end of the Cuban Missile Crisis. On 11/20 he announced that the dismantling of all said missile sites had been completed. Unbeknownst to the general public, that crisis was probably the closest we ever came to nuclear war.
11/3/1948 – The Chicago Tribune published its famous, or infamous, headline “Dewey Defeats Truman,” arguably, the most embarrassing headline ever.
11/4/1862 – Richard Gatling patented his first rapid-firing machine gun, which utilized rotating barrels to load, fire and extract the spent cartridges. The gun bares his name.
11/4/1942 – In the battle generally considered to be one of the turning points of WWII (along with Stalingrad and Midway) the British defeated the Germans at El Alamein (North Africa).
11/7/1811 – General (and future president) William Henry Harrison defeated the Shawnee Indians in the Battle of Tippecanoe Creek, which was located in present-day Indiana. The battle gave rise to the chief slogan of Harrison’s presidential campaign – “Tippecanoe and Tyler too.”
11/7/1885 – Canada’s first transcontinental railroad was completed, opening up the western part of the country to settlement.
11/7/1962 – Former Vice President Richard Nixon, having lost the California gubernatorial election decisively to Edmund Brown gave his famous farewell speech to reporters, telling them they “wouldn’t have Nixon to kick around anymore, because, gentlemen this is my last press conference.” As we know, Nixon made a comeback in 1968 narrowly defeating Hubert Humphrey for the presidency.
11/8/1895 – Wilhelm Roentgen discovered the electromagnetic ray, aka, X-rays.
11/8/1942 – The Allies landed successfully in North Africa (Operation Torch).
11/9&10/1938 – All over Germany Nazis terrorized Jews, burning, pillaging and vandalizing synagogues, homes and businesses in what became known infamously as Kristallnacht.
11/10/1775 – The Marine Corps was established as part of the Navy.
11/10/1871 – Explorer Henry Stanley finds Dr. Livingston after a two-year search. There is doubt that he actually uttered the attributed phrase “Dr. Livingston, I presume.”
11/11/1973 – Egypt and Israel signed a momentous cease-fire accord sponsored by the US.
11/13/1927 – The Holland Tunnel, the first underwater tunnel built in the US, which is named not for the country, but for Clifford Holland, the engineer who designed and led the construction of the project, opened connecting NYC and NJ.
11/13/1956 – The Supreme Court declared racial segregation on public buses to be unconstitutional.
11/15/1864 – Union soldiers, under the command of General William Sherman, burned much of the City of Atlanta.
11/17/1869 – The Suez Canal opened after taking 10+ years to complete.
11/19/1863 – President Abraham Lincoln delivered the famous Gettysburg Address.
11/20/1789 – NJ became the first state to ratify the Bill of Rights.
11/20/1945 – The Nuremberg War Crimes Trials began. Twenty-four former leaders of Nazi Germany were tried for various war crimes.
11/22/1963 – President John F. Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas by Lee Harvey Oswald who, in turn, was later assassinated by Jack Ruby. Hours later, Lyndon Johnson was sworn in as president while on board Air Force One.
11/28/1520 – Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan rounded the southern tip of South America, passing through what is now known as the Strait of Magellan, crossing from the Atlantic to the Pacific Oceans.

In addition, the following notables, who made significant contributions to society, were born during November:

Daniel Boone (frontiersman) – 11/2/1734; President James K. Polk (11th President) – 11/2/1795; Will Rogers (humorist) – 11/4/1879; Walter Cronkite (tv anchor/journalist) – 11/4/1916; John Philip Sousa (musical conductor) – 11/6/1854; James Naismith (inventor of basketball) – 11/6/1861; Marie Curie (chemist who discovered radium) – 11/7/1867; Billy Graham (evangelist) – 11/7/1918; Edmund Halley (astronomer/mathematician who discovered Halley’s Comet) – 11/8/1656; Christiaan Barnard (pioneer of heart transplant operations) – 11/8/1922; Richard Burton (actor) – 11/10/1925; George Patton (WWII General) – 11/11/1885; Auguste Rodin (sculptor of “The Thinker,” among others) – 11/12/1840; Elizabeth Cady Stanton (suffragist) – 11/12/1815; Grace Kelly (actress/princess) – 11/12/1929; Louis Brandeis (Supreme Court justice) – 11/13/1856; Robert Louis Stevenson (author) – 11/13/1850; Robert Fulton (inventor of the steamboat) – 11/14/1765; Claude Monet (pioneered impressionist painting) – 11/14/1840; Jawaharlal Nehru (India’s first Prime Minister) – 11/14/1889; Louis Daguerre (invented daguerreotype process of developing photographs) – 11/18/1789; James A. Garfield (20th President) – 11/19/1831; Indira Gandhi (Indian Prime Minister) – 11/19/1917; Edwin Hubble (astronomer for whom the Hubble Space Telescope is named) – 11/20/1889; Robert Kennedy (JFK’s brother, Attorney General and US Senator from NY) – 11/20/1925; Charles De Gaulle (French WWII hero and president of France) – 11/22/1890; Franklyn Pierce (14th President) – 11/23/1804; William (Billy the Kid) Bonney (notorious outlaw – 11/23/1859; William Henry Platt (aka Boris Karloff) (famed horror movie star) – 11/23/1887; Zachary Taylor (12th President) – 11/24/1784; Andrew Carnegie (financier and philanthropist) – 11/25/1835; John Harvard (founder of Harvard University in 1636) – 11/26/1607; Anders Celsius (invented Celsius, aka centigrade, temperature scale) – 11/27/1701; Chaim Weizmann (Israeli statesman) – 11/27/1874; Samuel Clemens, aka Mark Twain, (author) – 11/30/1835; Winston Churchill (British Prime Minister during WWII) – 11/30/1874.

The COVID virus has been extant for nearly a year (longer if one counts the time that it existed in China unbeknownst to us). Ever since we became aware of it our leaders have been struggling to keep it under control. In the last year we have been subjected to travel bans, quarantines, and dogmatic and arbitrary rules and policies promulgated by our political leaders who often did not follow their own edicts. Each state has handled the pandemic differently, which has resulted in confusion, fear and resentment. In many cases, it seems that the guiding principle has been “rules for thee, but not for me.”

In order to combat the virus we have sacrificed much in our personal lives. For example, we agreed to isolate ourselves from friends and family. We agreed to avoid, or at least curtail, all public gatherings, such as schools, sporting events, and cultural events. Elderly care facilities became virtual petri dishes for the virus. Many of us lost elderly friends and relatives due to the stupidity, arrogance and ignorance of our political leaders, in some cases without a “last visit” to say good-bye. We allowed our schools to be closed. The resulting long-term physical, economic, medical, and social damage to our children is, I believe, incalculable and will manifest itself in various ways prospectively. For all intents and purposes we shut down our economy, which had been, by some measurements, the most robust ever. Many people lost their jobs and businesses.

Know-nothing blowhards on the news constantly fed us contradictory and inaccurate information, which confused and scared us. We were told to wear a mask and social distance. Most, but not all, of us agreed to do so. The mask policy was confusing and contradictory and seemed to change daily. Wear a mask, don’t wear a mask, wear two masks.

We were promised a vaccine was being developed that would eliminate the virus once and for all. But, when the vaccines became available they quickly became politicized. For instance, Pfizer withheld the announcement of its vaccine, which was the first one, until one day after the 2020 election. Why? We know why.

Additionally, many of our leaders (mostly Dems) derided and debunked it in advance as “Trump’s vaccine” and said it was not to be “trusted.” Biden and Harris campaigned vigorously against it. They ignored the fact that three separate vaccines were being developed independently by three different highly reputable pharmaceutical companies. They acted as if Trump had personally concocted a “witches brew” in a cauldron in his basement. Once they got elected they changed their tune. In a startling reversal, they have been pushing a vaccine mandate. Too late. A large portion of Americans, likely influenced by their campaign rhetoric, have elected to eschew the vaccines in some cases at the cost of their jobs and pensions. Even today, some 40% of Americans have not been vaccinated despite the evidence that it it is effective in protecting against the disease or, at least mitigating, its effects. (Some, but not most, of them have valid medical or religious reasons.)

So what is the current status? The following information has been gleaned from a variety of sources, including, among others, the CDC, webmd, the “Our World in Data” website, Johns Hopkins Hospital, and the NY Times

1. As I write this, there have been 386,000 COVID-related fatalities in the US in 2021 compared to 377,883 in 2020. This is despite the fact that 70% of Americans are partially vaccinated, and 59% are fully vaccinated.
2. New cases have been averaging 94,000 per day. Furthermore, one in six cases have presented with “serious” problems.
3. The aforementioned sharp increase in fatalities has occurred despite the fact that over the past year we have learned to detect the virus early and we have developed a variety of effective treatment protocols and drugs, such as remdesivir.
4. The recovery rate has been between 97% and 99.75% depending on the age and general health of the patient.

How can that be? It doesn’t make sense. Fatalities should be lower, not higher. I have heard many theories (and you probably have as well), but I have concluded that no one really knows for sure. Most of the “experts” one sees on tv or read in the newspapers don’t have the foggiest notion of what they are talking about. They contradict themselves and each other.

So, below please find my theories, which, despite my lack of a medical degree, I maintain are as good as anyone’s:

1. Some people are becoming lackadaisical with respect to wearing masks and social distancing.
2. Having been cooped up for the better part of a year many people have been out and about going to malls, eating at restaurants and gathering at parties, weddings, sporting events, concerts and the like. (I don’t blame them. There is evidence that isolation does not protect one against contracting the virus, so people figure they might as well live their lives.)
3. The unvaccinated are skewing the statistics. The CDC has reported that unvaccinated persons are twice as likely to require hospitalization and seven times more likely to die from the disease.
4. The most significant contributor, however, is the Biden Administration’s policy of permitting illegals to enter the US without being tested for COVID. Then, they are compounding the folly by transporting them all over the country. This makes no sense, except politically, and is among the most inane policies I have ever seen.

CONCLUSION

Joe Biden was elected, in large part, because the public perceived he would be better equipped to battle COVID than President Trump. By any measurement he has been an abject failure (in addition to his failure in other areas, which I have documented, in detail, in previous blogs). The best proof of that is that his approval rating has remained consistently at an historic low of 41%.

It has been reported that President Biden is planning to institute a travel ban with respect to various African countries to combat the new Omicron Variant. I agree with the concept, but I consider it contradictory with his aforementioned policy regarding migrants. Also, I find it ironic that he called President Trump a racist for doing the same thing. Does this mean that Biden is a racist? Just kidding. Maybe.

In addition, it has been reported that Biden is seeking to reinstitute Trump’s “remain in Mexico” policy for illegals, providing he can get the Mexican government to agree. Good idea. Now, maybe he can also resume building the wall and reopen the Keystone Pipeline. I won’t hold my breath for those, however.

In my view, COVID will be with us for a long time. We may have to learn to live with it, like the flu. Viruses are known for mutating. Indeed, we have already seen several variants in just one year. Furthermore, in the words of Dr. William Schaffner, an infectious disease expert based at Vanderbilt University, we “still have much to learn about [the disease].” In my view, the best defense against it is to maintain a robust general health. Don’t be surprised if we end up getting additional booster shots periodically in the future.

Be prudent, and stay safe.

On Thursday, November 25, we will celebrate Thanksgiving. All things considered, Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday. I love the food, the football, and the four-day weekend. What I don’t like is the traffic. In my experience, regardless of which day and what time you travel, you can’t avoid the traffic snarls. You just have to hope (or pray) for the best. (I have found you can mitigate traffic delays by relying on a good GPS, such as Waze.)

Traditionally, TG is a time when extended families gather together to celebrate in large groups. People travel to spend the holiday with relatives that they only see a few times a year. They endure congestion on the roads and long lines and crowds at airports, bus terminals and train stations. Many people have Friday, Monday and part of Wednesday off from work, and they are able to make a mini-vacation out of the holiday.

It appears that 2021 will mark a return to normalcy. For example, Paula Twidale, SVP for AAA Travel, opined that in 2021 “… travel is once again high on the list for Americans.” In addition, AAA has projected that some 53 million Americans will be travelling for the TG holiday, including approximately 48 million by auto. These totals would approach normal, pre-pandemic levels and would represent an 80% increase over 2020 when many Americans opted to stay home due to concerns over COVID.

If you must travel, it will behoove you to follow common sense guidelines, such as:

1. Book your reservations early.
2. Avoid travelling during peak periods .
3. Arrive at the airport or train station early.
4. Hope for the best, but prepare for the worst.

Amid all this holiday cheer there was a sobering event. Many of you have seen news reports of a weapon being discharged a few days ago in Hartsfield Airport in Atlanta. The NY Times and multiple other news outlets reported it was accidental. Nevertheless, the incident caused widespread panic in the airport and led to substantial delays. Obviously, this was not what we need on the eve of the busiest travel period of the year with many people already on edge, but that’s life in 2021.

As we enjoy the holiday, few of us will stop to think of its origins and meaning. What are they? Why is it celebrated at this time of the year? Read on for the answers.

Thanksgiving is a national holiday originally celebrated to give thanks for the year’s harvest. It has strong religious and cultural roots. Most people are aware that Thanksgiving is celebrated in the US (4th Thursday in November) and Canada (2nd Monday in October), but few of us are aware that variations of it are observed in other countries as well. In these other countries the holiday has a different meaning and purpose.

For example, in Grenada it is celebrated on October 25, and it marks the date on which the US invaded the island in 1983 in response to the removal and execution of Grenada’s then Prime Minister, Maurice Bishop. Liberia celebrates the holiday on the first Thursday of November, a tradition that was originated by freed American slaves that were transported there. In the Netherlands a Thanksgiving Day service is held on the morning of the US holiday. Its purpose is to commemorate the traditions of the Pilgrims, who resided in the city of Leiden for several years prior to their emigration to the New World. Japan celebrates a “Labor Thanksgiving Day” on November 23 to commemorate labor and production. It has its roots in the period of American occupation after WWII.

Like many of our customs and traditions, Thanksgiving is rooted in English traditions. These date from the English Reformation in the 16th century and the reign of King Henry VIII. Apparently, the Protestant clergy had determined that events of misfortune or good fortune were attributable to God. Thus, unexpected disasters, such as droughts, floods or plagues, were followed by “Days of Fasting.” On the other hand, fortuitous events, such as a good harvest or the defeat of the Spanish Armada in 1588, which actually was largely attributable to storms off the English coast, were to be celebrated by “giving thanks” to Him.

The origin of the Canadian holiday is uncertain, but it is most commonly attributed to the English explorer Martin Frobisher. He had been exploring Northern Canada seeking the infamous and elusive Northwest Passage to Asia. He wanted to give thanks for his party having survived the numerous storms and icebergs it had encountered on the long journey from England. Today, Thanksgiving is celebrated as a statutory holiday in most jurisdictions of Canada.

Most people trace the American Thanksgiving holiday to 1621 in present-day Massachusetts (although some claim that there were earlier celebrations by the Spaniards in present-day Florida circa 1565 and in the colony of Virginia circa 1610). The Pilgrims and Puritans living in MA had enjoyed a bountiful harvest that year and wanted to give thanks. Their harvest had been partly attributable to assistance from Native Americans, so they invited them to share in their celebration. Records indicate that there were 90 Native Americans and 25 colonists in attendance. The actual date is uncertain, but it is believed to have been between September 21 and November 11.

Prior to 1942, Thanksgiving was not celebrated as an official national holiday. Rather, it was celebrated periodically by proclamation. For example, during the Revolutionary War the Continental Congress established days of “prayer, humiliation and thanksgiving” each year. In 1777 George Washington proclaimed a day of Thanksgiving to celebrate the colonists’ victory at Saratoga. Following independence, various Presidents continued the practice of issuing proclamations periodically.

In 1863 President Lincoln proclaimed a national “Thanksgiving Day” to be celebrated on the last Thursday of November. Historians believe that his action was prompted by a series of editorials written by Sarah Josepha Hale, a writer and editor of some renown. (She wrote the popular nursery rhyme, “Mary Had a Little Lamb.”).

The practice of annual Presidential Proclamations continued until 1939. That year, FDR broke the tradition. November had five Thursdays that year instead of the usual four. FDR figured that if the holiday were celebrated on the 4th Thursday it would provide a much-needed boost to the economy by enabling merchants to sell more goods before Christmas. (Even then, Thanksgiving was the unofficial start of the Christmas holiday shopping season.) Typically, this action precipitated a spat between the GOP and Dems in Congress. GOP congressmen viewed it as an insult to President Lincoln and continued to consider the last Thursday to be the holiday, so there were two Thanksgiving celebrations in 1939, 1940 and 1941, a “Democrat” one on the 4th Thursday and a “Republican” one on the last Thursday. The individual states split the dates (only in America!).

Finally, in 1941 everyone got in sync. On December 26, 1941 FDR signed a bill into law that decreed that Thanksgiving would be celebrated on the 4th Thursday of November, a practice that has continued to this day.

Beginning in 1947, the National Turkey Federation has presented a live turkey to the President. Over the years it has become customary for the President to grant a “pardon” to the turkey. This year, President Biden is expected to continue the tradition.

CONCLUSION

Many businesses are closed on Friday as well, which has had the effect, as noted above, of expanding the holiday into a four-day weekend. Similarly, many employees of companies that are open for business on that day take a vacation day or “floating holiday.”

The Friday after the holiday is known as “Black Friday.” It is one of the busiest shopping days of the year and signals the beginning of the Christmas shopping season. Many retail stores open early and offer sales. Some even stay open on Thanksgiving. Many shoppers love this and camp out overnight (oblivious to the threats of precipitation or cold weather); others deride it as a “fool’s errand.”

Saturday is known as “Small Business Saturday,” which is an attempt to encourage patronage of small businesses. Some credit card companies have been offering cardholders “points” for patronizing certain small businesses. The Monday after the holiday is known as “Cyber Monday,” which encourages shopping on-line. The Tuesday after is called “Giving Tuesday” to encourage donations to the needy. The holiday is a prime time for charity. Many communities have food and clothing drives to collect items for distribution to the poor.

Many cities hold parades. The traditional Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade will be back to normal (almost). It features celebrities, high school marching bands, and floats with specific themes, such as Broadway shows and cartoon characters. The last float is traditionally one of Santa Claus, which symbolizes the beginning of the Christmas season. The only concession to COVID will be the absence of kids under 12 years old riding on floats. This will be the 95th iteration of the parade, and for many families it remains a longstanding tradition in which multi-generations attend together. Other examples of cities that normally hold parades include Detroit, Philadelphia, St. Louis, Plymouth, MA, and Houston. Sometimes, bad weather, such as high winds, puts a damper on the festivities.

Football fans will be able to enjoy traditional high school and college games, and the NFL will televise three games on TD beginning at 12:30 pm and lasting until nearly midnight. The NFL has staged a football game on Thanksgiving Day every year since 1934. At first, there was only one, which was hosted by the Detroit Lions. In recent years there have been three. Many sports fans consider this to be the best holiday of the year – food, family, friends and football. What could be better?

So, now that you are “experts” on Thanksgiving, relax and enjoy the holiday. In particular, take a minute to give thanks that through a fortuitous twist of fate, you were born in this country.

Few people in history are so recognizable that with the mere mention of their initials one instantly knows about whom you are talking. Such is the case with John Fitzgerald Kennedy, the 35th President of the United States. He flashed across our lives like a comet, brilliant but brief. He was only president for 1,000 days before he was assassinated, yet, even today, people remember him and recognize his name.

Monday, November 22, will mark the 58th anniversary of his assassination. Almost anyone over the age of 70 remembers vividly where they were and what they were doing when they first heard of it. For example, I, a freshman in college, was walking to a history class. (Yes, I did attend classes, even on a Friday afternoon.) I heard some other students talking about the President having been shot. I wasn’t sure I had heard correctly, but unfortunately, I had.

What was strange about the whole incident was the lack of reliable information. It wasn’t like today when news is known and disseminated instantaneously. It might be hard for you youngsters to believe, but there was no Facebook, no Twitter, no cell phones, no internet.

Communication between New York, where, at the time, all media communications were centered, and Dallas was sketchy. Even worse, Dealey Square, the site of the assassination, was not close to the addresses of the network news’ Dallas offices. Reporters on the scene had to communicate by public telephone, when they could find one. Often, competing reporters ended up sharing telephones. Information was incomplete and contradictory.

Eventually, however, we found out the horrible news. No one will ever forget the grim look on venerable CBS anchor Walter Cronkite’s face as he removed his glasses, stared into the camera, and told a shocked, confused and scared nation that the President was dead. When we heard it from “Uncle Walter,” we knew it was true.

The purpose of this blog is not to relate the details of the day’s events, nor do I wish to get bogged down in the various conspiracy theories, some of which persist to this day. Many books have been written on the subject, and I can’t possibly cover these topics in a short blog. Suffice to say, it was a surreal experience. Many emotions swirled through my head – disbelief, denial, fear and uncertainty. Who did it? Why? Was it a single gunman or a conspiracy? Was it part of a larger plot? Would we go to war? These and other questions came to mind.

Most everyone was glued to their television sets for days while events played out – Lyndon Johnson sworn in as the 36th President of the US on Airforce 1, Jackie Kennedy standing beside him still in shock and wearing the blood and brain-stained pink suit she had been wearing in the limo (which, she had refused to remove, declaring “I want them to see what they have done”), Lee Harvey Oswald arrested, Oswald shot live on national tv while under police escort (How in the world did Jack Ruby get access to that corridor, anyway?), JKF’s funeral procession, the “riderless” horse, young John Jr’s salute. The assassinations of Martin Luther King and Robert F. Kennedy followed soon after. It was a time of chaos and uncertainty, the end of innocence.

JFK had won the Presidency by the narrowest of margins over Vice President Richard Nixon. He had received 49.7% of the popular vote to Nixon’s 49.5% and won several states by the slimmest of margins. In that relatively primitive era of communications the end result was not known until the next morning. In the wee hours, the networks “called” CA for JFK which finally made him the winner. (Ironically, Nixon ended up winning CA after all the absentee ballots were counted.) Many people, including a 15 year-old girl in Berwick, Pa., caught up in the drama, stayed up all night to await the results.

JFK was young, handsome, bright, vibrant, dynamic, scion of a famous and wealthy family, and a war hero. He and his beautiful, glamorous wife, Jackie, seemed like American royalty to many Americans. He gave us hope and optimism. In the eyes of his supporters he was the one to transform America. During his inaugural address he uttered the famous line that symbolized the great hope that he would lead us to “A New Frontier,” as his campaign had promised (“Ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country.”). Unfortunately, today, many people espouse the opposite philosophy.

JFK got off to a rocky start with the Bay of Pigs fiasco. But, he seemed to make up for it when he faced down the Russians and Premier Nikita Khrushchev in the Cuban Missile Crisis. Most of us did not realize how close we had come to nuclear war, but in the end Kennedy won that round and showed he was learning on the job. His administration was dubbed “Camelot” after the description of the mythical King Arthur’s court.

Unfortunately, Kennedy made a lot of powerful enemies. Many Republicans thought he had “stolen” the election (shades of 2020). Indeed, there had been whispers about voting irregularities, notably in Chicago, but, in the end nothing came of that – no media exposes, no court challenges. Yes, times have certainly changed.

Many conservatives thought he was too soft on communism and too aggressive on civil rights issues. He had made powerful enemies among organized crime and at the FBI and CIA, among others. Fidel Castro hated him for the Bay of Pigs attack. On the other hand, many Cuban ex-Pats thought he had betrayed them by failing to intervene militarily to support the invasion when it fell apart. All in all, he had a plethora of powerful enemies with the motive, means, opportunity and funds to plan and execute a Presidential assassination and cover-up. In retrospect, one should not have been surprised.

CONCLUSION

A favorite speculation has been how American and world history would have been different had JFK not been assassinated. Would he have pulled us out of Viet Nam as has been speculated? If so, would there have been an antiwar movement in the 60’s with the attendant protests, turmoil and violence? Would MLK and RFK still have been assassinated? Would the civil rights movement have progressed differently, more peacefully? We will never know. There have been many books written about this topic, including one by Stephen King called “11/22/63” about a fictional time traveler who journeys back to 1963 to try to prevent the assassination, which makes fascinating “what if” reading.

Through it all, a cloud of conspiracy still hangs over the assassination 50+ years later. Books have been written and movies produced dealing with the conspiracy theories. Did Oswald act alone? Was he tied to the KGB or the CIA? How did Ruby get close enough to kill Oswald from point-blank range? Was there an accomplice on the grassy knoll? Why was Ruby killed in prison? What of the roles, if any, of mobsters, like Sam Giancana, Head of the Chicago mob, and Carlos Marcello, Head of the New Orleans mob, as well as the CIA, the FBI, the Russians, and/or Castro? Were the Warren Commission’s findings accurate or part of a cover-up?

At this time, as we mark the passage of another anniversary of JFK’s assassination, we are reminded that these issues, and others, have still not been resolved to many Americans’ satisfaction. As time passes, it seems they probably never will be.

For you readers of a certain age, what are your memories of the assassination and its aftermath? Where were you when you heard the awful news? I would like to know.

The latest polls show that President Biden’s approval rating is historically low and sinking fast. For example, the most recent ABC/NY Post poll reported that only 41% of respondents approve of his performance. Perhaps, of greater concern for Dems and their supporters is that the same poll disclosed that if the 2022 congressional elections were to be held today voters would favor the GOP candidate over the Dem candidate 51 – 41%. Bye-bye- House and Senate majorities.

These results are not surprising to me or anyone else who has been paying attention. The real shocker, at least to me, is the 41% who still approve of Biden’s performance to date. I wonder, who are these people? I would love to know the basis upon which they are continuing to support the president. The situation is getting so obviously dire that even many of Biden’s allies in the media are unable to cover for him any more. The empirical evidence is plainly there for anyone and everyone to see. Anyone who buys food, fills their gas tank, heats their home, buys clothes, or orders Christmas gifts, which is virtually everyone, can’t help but see it.

Are they unaware that we slinked out of Afghanistan with our tail between our legs? Are they not aware that we abandoned hundreds, if not thousands, of Americans and “friendlies” who supported us to a fate of torture and death at the hands of the Afghani extremists? Are they unaware that in our hasty and disorganized retreat we abandoned some $80 billion of the most modern and sophisticated weaponry we had? Are they unaware of the increasing boldness of our enemies, such as China, Russia and Iran and the unease and mistrust of our allies, all of whom perceive Biden’s weakness? Did they not see him dozing off at the climate change meetings? Are they unaware of the mess he has made of our economy? Do they not see video evidence of thousands of illegal migrants pouring across our non-existent southern border every day in a steady, unrelenting flood?

So back to my question. Who are the 41%? I have a theory, an opinion. I call them the “whatever” people. They go about their daily lives in a bubble, a bubble of denial. Regardless of what occurs in the world around them they remain unengaged. Inflation? Food shortages? Higher gas prices? Supply chain interruptions? Ho hum. Don’t bother me with all that triviality. I’m busy with my Facebook and Instagram accounts or playing “Call of Duty.” on my iphone. Their attitude is “whatever.” Let someone else deal with it.

Many of these people are so oblivious and tuned out to real life they don’t know basic things like the name of the vice president or when we fought the Revolutionary War. They don’t keep up with the news, have no interest in it, except maybe for the gossip columns or sports. Again, it simply does not concern them. They don’t appreciate that they won the big “birth lottery.” They had the fortune to have been born in the US, rather than one of the many “hell holes” around the world.

CONCLUSION

So, what will get these people to engage in real life? What will get them to focus on the real problems of the world and be interested in solutions? Your guess is as good as mine. Probably, when things get so bad that they simply cannot be ignored any longer. I don’t know when that will be, but I can tell you in my view we are heading in that direction and more rapidly than you might think.

This year, Veterans Day will be celebrated on Thursday, November 11.  The holiday is always celebrated on the same date unless it falls on a Sunday, in which case it is celebrated on Monday, November 12.  This is a day on which we celebrate our living veterans as opposed to Memorial Day, which is reserved for those who gave their lives for our country.

Federal offices will be closed, but state and local offices and other businesses may remain open.  There will be no mail; most banks and schools will be closed; but the financial markets will be open.  Many restaurants and golf courses offer special deals for veterans.  Last year, because of COVID, most normal celebrations, such as parades, were cancelled, or at least muted. This year, as I write this, many of those celebrations are expected to return.

Many of you have requested a quiz.  So, here it is, and in honor of Veterans Day it has a military theme. Good luck and no peeking at the internet. No consulting “Alexa” or “Siri.”

1. Who was the US president during the first war against the Barbary Pirates? (a) George Washington, (b) John Adams, (c) Thomas Jefferson, (d James Monroe

2. The WWI battle that inspired the poem “In Flanders Field” took place in (a) Ardennes, (b) Charleroi, (c) Gallipoli, (d) Ypres

3. Each of the following presidents had been renowned generals, EXCEPT: a) Teddy Roosevelt, (b) Andrew Jackson, (c) Zachary Taylor, (d) Franklyn Pierce

4. “Pickett’s Charge” was the turning point of what Civil War battle? (a) Bull Run, (b) Manassas, (c) Gettysburg, (d) Fredericksburg

5. The “Shot Heard ‘Round the World” refers to which Revolutionary War battle? (a) Boston, (b) Lexington, (c) Concord, (d) NY

6. Tripoli, the stronghold of the Barbary Pirates, was located in what present-day country? (a) Libya, (b) Algeria, (c) Tunisia, (d)Egypt

7. The Alamo is located in which city? (a) Houston, (b) San Antonio, (c) Austin, (d) Galveston

8. The US fought the Gulf War against (a) Iran, (b) Syria, (c) Kuwait, (d) Iraq

9. Who said “Damn the torpedoes; full speed ahead.” (a) David Farragut, (b) John Paul Jones, (c) Ethan Allen, (d) Jonathan Eli

10. Which war resulted in the highest number of casualties? (a) WWI, (b) WWII, (c) Korean War, (d) Civil War

11. Fort Sumter is located in which state? (a) North Carolina, (b) South Carolina, (c) Georgia, (d) Alabama

12. Custer’s Last Stand took place in which modern-day state? (a) North Dakota, (b) South Dakota, (c) Montana, (d) Idaho

13. Each of the following was a WWII battle in the Pacific theatre, EXCEPT (a) El Alamein, (b) Guadalcanal, (c) Okinawa, (d) Midway

14. Who was the US President during WWI? (a) Teddy Roosevelt, (b) Woodrow Wilson, (c) William Howard Taft, (d) Warren Harding

15. When General Douglas MacArthur said “I shall return,” to which country was he referring? (a) Australia, (b) New Guinea, (c) Guam, (d) Philippines

16. The Korean War began in (1) 1949, (b) 1950, (c) 1951, (d) 1952

17. Who was president during the Spanish-American War? (a) Grover Cleveland, (b) James Garfield, (c) Rutherford B. Hayes, (d) William McKinley

18. Where is Mt. Suribachi? (a) Iwo Jima, (b) Okinawa, (c) Tarawa, (d) Japan

19. Where is Vicksburg? (a) Alabama, (b) Louisiana, (c) Missouri, (d) Mississippi

20. When was the Veterans Administration founded? (a) 1870, (b) 1930, (c) 1950, (d) 1972

ANSWERS: 1. c; 2. d; 3. a; 4. c; 5. c; 6. a; 7. b; 8. d; 9. a; 10. d; (more than all the other wars combined. 11. b; 12. c; 13. a; 14. b; 15. d; 16. b; 17. d. 18. a; 19. d; 20. b.

Well, there you have it. Tell me how you did, good or (as my grandson used to say) not so good.