Life in the Banana Patch

A collection of thoughts and asides about life. And if I think of anything that needs to be mocked, it will show up here.

"If a man is offered a fact which goes against his instincts, he will scrutinize it closely, and unless the evidence is overwhelming, he will refuse to believe it. If, on the other hand, he is offered something which affords a reason for acting in accordance to his instincts, he will accept it even on the slightest evidence. The origin of myths is explained in this way."
--Bertrand Russell

Tuesday, January 04, 2005

I hope everyone had a Happy New Year, and no one drank too much.

Soon it will be time to honor the heroes of "The Greatest Generation" once again. February will see the 60th anniversary of the landing at Iwo Jima. The National Museum of the Pacific War, in Fredericksburg, Texas, will host the official commemoration of the event on February 19-20. On Saturday, there will be a Heroes Parade, where veterans of the campaign will ride along Main Street in WWII era vehicles. Then, out in Doss, Texas, there will be a reenactment of the flag raising on Mt. Suribachi.

I've been reading The Battle for Iwo Jima by Robert Leckie to become familiar with the battle, and it's been a real eye opener for me. Another great book is Flags of our Fathers: Heroes of Iwo Jima by James Bradley. You can get those at Amazon.com by clicking the link on the left.

I hope everyone can get to Fredericksburg to honor the men who risked their lives for our freedom. See you in February!