True Red and Blue:

Since the 2000 presidential election, the media has distinguished Americans by color, through election maps depicting red states as Republican and blue states as Democrat. With the passing of the 2008 election and America's economic challenges, now is a great time to remember what those colors really represent. From day one, our veterans have fought for both colors. In 1776 the Continental Congress defined red as "hardiness and valor" and blue as "vigilance, perseverance and justice." Hardiness means stamina-perseverance on steroids.

 

 That is exactly what Navy SEAL Marc Alan Lee displayed during the war's biggest battle in Ramadi, Iraq, on Aug. 2, 2006. After a two-hour firefight the SEALs faced their greatest endurance challenge: a buddy was down. Deciding he had not yet begun to fight, Mr. Lee singlehandedly stood up and shot more than 100 rounds of ammunition so team members could rescue the wounded SEAL from a rooftop. "Three times that day Marc stood in the direct line of fire to defend his buddies, for you, for me, for this nation. Marc was a young man who selflessly gave his life because he valued others' lives more important than his own," proud mom Debbie Lee declared. Mr. Lee's unwillingness to give up against such red-hot odds embodies the spirit of America's first Naval hero - a revolutionary "Navy SEAL" 

 Captain John Paul Jones desperately wanted to take the fight to the enemy. He got his chance in 1779, when he used an American warship, the Bonhomme Richard, to harass British trade ships along Scotland's coast. On September 23, Jones became embroiled in a fight with a British warship, the Serapis. No sooner had the battle begun, than the Serapis called on Jones to surrender. Shocked, Jones looked up. His ship's flag was missing, the sign for surrender. Suspecting a cowardly sailor had yanked it down, Jones responded to his missing colors with true blue vigilance.

 

"Surrender, I have not yet begun to fight!" Jones cried. Soon he rammed his ship into the enemy's side. Starboard to starboard, the ships became entangled. "My situation was really deplorable; the Bonhomme Richard received various shots under water ... My treacherous master-at-arms let loose all my prisoners without my knowledge, and my prospects became gloomy indeed," Jones recalled. He refused to quit. Jones ordered his sharpshooters to pinpoint British sailors on the Serapis' deck. Defeated, the British surrendered their colors. His ship sank, but Jones won. He recalled simply, "I would not, however, give up the point." Vigilance and valor characterize veterans of all wars, which Veterans Day celebrates. And in 1944, an Army colonel displayed Jones' Navy blue courage.

 

Lt. Col. Rogers was training soldiers at Cebu, Philippines, in May 1942, when the Japanese forced him to surrender the island. Although imprisoned physically, Mr. Rogers did not give up his command of 750 fellow prisoners. "He continually interceded with cruel Japanese authorities to alleviate his men's suffering at the risk of his own life," Betty Rogers Bryant explained about her father's sense of justice. Then the Japanese transferred the POWs to a Hell ship. "The terrible conditions in the bottom of this ship were unbearable. Men were dying and going crazy. The Japanese closed the hatch covers over the hold and the men were suffocating. There were only a few portholes and the men took turns trying to get air. Dad gave up his turn for his men in worse shape," described Mrs. Bryant, noting that her father demanded the Japanese remove the hatch covers.

 

An American submarine blasted the Hell ship on September 7, 1944. "They had no idea Americans were aboard and thought they were only torpedoing a Japanese freighter. Eighty-two of the 750 survived and swam to shore. The Filipinos hid them until the U.S.S Narwhal rescued them," Mrs. Bryant detailed. Rogers died, but those who survived heralded his passionate courage.

 

The timing of Veterans Day allows us to set aside election maps and remember the true meaning of our nation's colors. Americans need the example of their veterans right now. We need red's hardiness to personally navigate the challenges of a volatile economy. We need blue's perseverance to finish the job in Iraq. We need the president and members of Congress to make strong decisions for the greater good and not their self-interests.

 

Most importantly, we need red and blue for the white stars in our lives: our children. The Continental Congress defined white as "purity and innocence." Nothing represents innocence better than children, the hope of tomorrow. Because our veterans fought for their children's future, we enjoy liberty today. They deserve our thanks this Veterans Day.

Jane Hampton Cook is the author of Stories of Faith and Courage from the Revolutionary War.

Winter recreation is a great time of year. We enjoy ice fishing, sledding, snowmobiling, and cross country skiing to name a few.  I felt it was appropriate to talk about ice safety.

Ice on ponds, rivers, and lakes can be affected by many things. The strength and the thickness of the ice must be known before any activity by you or a family member takes place on it. Safety is of paramount importance. 

The rule of thumb for ice safety is as follows: 

• 2 inches of new clear ice is ok for walking on.
• 4 inches of new clear ice is ok to spend time fishing on.
• 5 inches of new clear ice is ok to snowmobile on.
• 8-13 inches of new clear ice is ok to drive a vehicle on.

REMEMBER – RIVER ICE IS USUALLY 15 – 20 PERCENT WEAKER THAN POND OR LAKE ICE. 

Slush is a danger sign. It indicates that the ice is no longer freezing from the bottom and indicates it is weak and or deteriorating.

Temperatures, precipitation (snow, sleet, rain) are all factors that affect the strength of the ice. 

Never check the ice alone or try to rescue a victim of an ice failure. Why?  Because you could end up going from rescuer to victim very quickly. If you fall through the ice, try to climb out toward the direct you came from. You know the ice was strong up to that point.

In closing, be aware that ice thickness and strength can vary from location to location. By following the few safety tips you can be safer and enjoy the many winter activities in our great outdoors.

 

HOW TO INSTALL A HOME SECURITY SYSTEM:

1. Go to a second-hand store and buy a pair of men's used size 14-16 work boots.

2. Place them on your front porch, along with several empty beer cans, a copy of Guns & Ammo magazine and several NRA magazines.

3. Put a few giant dog dishes next to the boots and magazine.

4. Leave a note on your door that reads: Hey Bubba, Big Jim, Duke and Slim, I went to the gun shop for more ammunition. Don't mess with the pit bulls -- they attacked the mailman this morning and messed him up real bad. I don't think Killer took part in it but it was hard to tell from all the blood.

PS - I locked all four of 'em in the house. Better wait outside.

(Anything is worth a try. The political canvas persons did not even ring the bell!)

You are on patrol and the radio cracks alive. The dispatcher gives you an assignment “plane crash about 1-2 miles east of McKinley Marina, no further information available.” Moments later the cell phone rings and your Coast Guard counterparts relay to you the same information. Your heart starts pounding, your senses awaken, and you and your partner plot your course and speed to the area of the crash.


Minutes pass and you get an update the plane was a small private jet with an unknown number of passengers aboard. As you race to the scene you and your partner use every sense available. Your eyes are scanning the horizon with the powerful binoculars on board. You look for something out of the ordinary, a glimmer on the water, a flailing arm signaling for help, debris on the surface, and the smell of Jet A, anything.

You and your partner silently glance at each other. Words are not necessary. You both know the realities of a jet crashing into the water. You know in your heart of hearts death comes instantly to those in a crash of this type. But the hope of survivors is always in the back of your mind. You say a prayer to God for hope and faith because in the measureless realm of time we know how brief is our earthly life, yet how momentous and eternal are its issues.

About 20 minutes have passed. You and your partner have found ground zero and discover before you Jet fuel sheen on the water. You and the Coast Guard work as a team and conduct grid searches to look for survivors. Your senses are heightened to their max because you are now in a very lethal situation.

The men and woman of the Milwaukee Police Department Harbor Patrol are well trained, hard working, dedicated professionals. They put their life on the line in the defense of others. Their area of responsibility (AOR) covers 948 square miles of Lake Michigan. They conduct about 175 Search and Rescues (SARS) each year in the nastiest of weather conditions. Without local security there is no national security.

They are mentally and emotionally committed to the task at hand. They stand between right and wrong on the behalf of society and make that commitment and significant sacrifices in terms of family, time and stress of seeing things no one should have to see. But they are willing to do it day in and day out.

Their training has taught them proven methods of search under heavy adversity. They use an uncompromising system of practical proven techniques with intense mental conditioning. The minutes have become hours. Reality is about to set in.

You notice debris on the surface. Upholstery, foam, bits of clothing, feet, hands, limbs. Before you is the shocking reality and aftermath of a horrific jet crash.

For a moment your mind wanders and you wonder about the final moments of terror those persons must have felt before they crashed. You shudder, shake it off, and get back to your task at hand. The inevitable is now a reality. Your search will now become a recovery. For the next several hours you collect whatever can be found. Tomorrow will come quickly.

You head home and cope with it in your own way. The images, sights and smells forever etched in your memory. But, you can look into the mirror and say job well done. I did everything possible, I never gave up.

You know that you were loyal to your convictions and know that a trustful faith is greater than knowledge and that without faith in God, the suffering and trials in life would be unbearable. You hug your kids good night, snuggle up to your wife, kiss her good night, and wake up the next morning and do it all over again.


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Don recently retired from the Milwaukee Police Department. Prior to his retirement he was in charge of the Milwaukee Police Department Harbor Patrol. He was responsible for the training and selection of those members involved in this operation. This story is his own and his perception of what it would have been like on the lake this past week.