Looking to the future

We’ve made it to the end of another year! Surprisingly I can’t think of anything witty or pithy to mark the occasion (probably not enough coffee yet), so how about a ship which started as a humble servant but was transformed into the first of its kind for the US Navy?

Collier USS Jupiter at Mare Island, California, United States, 16 Oct 1913

What a difference 9 years, including ~2 years under conversion, and a name change makes!

The now USS Langley being converted to an aircraft carrier at Norfolk Naval Shipyard, 1921

USS Langley (CV-1) Nov 1924

Everyone be safe and have a Happy New Year!

Tennessee Two-fer

Two SOC-3 Seagull aircraft of VO-2B on USS Tennessee’s aft cats 1938

Great shot of a pair of Curtiss SOC Seagulls at rest

Belt-fed Brownings in a bent wing bird

It’s easy as 1-2-3, A-B-C…

Browning M2 installation in the left wing of an F4U-1 Corsair fighter, Aug 11, 1942

Special fireworks delivery – 77 years ago today

PBJ-1 Mitchells of VMB-433 depart Rabaul after a raid 4 July 1945

Candygram for Mongo! Candygram for Mongo!

Happy 4th of July – 89 years ago today

USS Houston flying the four-star flag of Admiral Montgomery M. Taylor off Tsingtao China, 4 July 1933

Happy 4th of July Eve!

(Abandoned) Lily of the (air)field

Kawasaki Ki-48-IIa abandoned at Clark Field Jan 1945

According to Emblems of the Rising Sun: Imperial Japanese Army Air Force Unit Markings 1935-1945 this Lily is from an unknown Chutai of 208 Sentai

Sharing is caring

F4U piloted by Lt.David D. Duncan ripple firing its HVAR rockets at Japanese positions at Okinawa, Japan, Jun 1945

You get a HVAR! And you get a HVAR! And you get a HVAR!

“Why does anyone need an AR-15?”

#truth

CIVILIAN GUNFIGHTER

Author’s photo taken in 2003…

We often hear just such a question from idealistic gun control advocates… you need only ask a Ukrainian right now.

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Woodcraft Turn for Troops 06-07NOV

Turn for Troops: Frequently Asked Questions

• What is Turn for Troops? 
  Turn for Troops is a national initiative started by Woodcraft in 2004 in an effort to bolster the spirits of active duty and rehabilitating military service members. Woodcraft stores across the country host turning events over Veterans Day weekend to assist volunteers in handcrafting wooden writing pens, which are then sent to the troops with personal notes from the turners.  

Hopefully my work commitment this weekend gets cut short and I can get up to the local store on Sunday to get at least one pen turned. I’ll turn more if there’s time and they let me…