I was surprised to see Old Jim scrutinizing the fine beverage section of the Willow’s formidable wine list- the one in the rugged leather binder. “Special occasion?” I asked as I slid into my customary stool. Jim is normally a strict Budweiser man.
A vodka and tonic with lime appeared in front of me, as if by magic.
Jim wrinkled his brow. “Yeah. Thirty-three years married today. I am going to get Mary something nicer than usual. ” Brett-the-bartender offered to serve as co-conspirator and get whatever he selected and put it on ice so it would be perfect when Mary arrived from the Metro after work. Jim selected a half bottle of Grand Cru, and Brett produced it and nestled in in a bucket of ice.
(Ronny and Steve, aka the Missile Twins, look on as Mary toasts the Amen Corner with a glass of Grand Cru.)
It being a memorable milestone in their life together, and with travel impending for most of us, it was a special occasion indeed.
(Kate Jansen’s marvelous cocoanut layer cake, the perfect entree for an anniversary party.)
Lovely Jamie decided to have cake for dinner, and the generous slice was enough to have some left over to share with Jim. A riotous good time, featuring the Missile Twins, the Green Entreprenuer, Jon-without and TLB ensued.
Now it is morning, and the road calls. You may not be seeing much from me for a few days, but that is the hazard of travel. I swear we will get back to the tantilizing aspects of the conspirators who sought- successfully- to write their own history of the Pacific War, sold the most gifted cryptologist of his generation down the river, and pinned the rose of the Pearl Harbor attack on the lapels of Admiral Husband Kimmel and Lt. Gen. Walter Short. It was worth destroying the professional reputations of two fine officers to protect what Washington was really up to, and beating the Empire of Japan was only part of it. There was another Empire to establish.
I am of a mind that it was the establishment of control over all of Radio Intelligence, breaking the monopoly of the Departments of War and the Navy, and cover up the huge mistake of withholding critical intelligence from the operational commanders in the Pacific, take credit for the victory at Midway, and establish the massive bureaucracy that became the National Security Agency.
But we will see whether the remaining evidence supports it. The conspirators were meticulous in destroying the paper trail, and once they had successfully destroyed Kimmel and Short and Rochefort, and there is not a lot left to work with. But we will see.
If the Civil War records of my great great Grandfather and his brother-in-law, we will be able to wrap up the love story that brought them together through the good offices of Barbara, my great great grandmother. We can then figure out how Patrick became the scourge of Union trains in Georgia and James decided to study war no more in Nashville.
It is going to be an interesting summer. Assuming we get through the weekend, that is. Have a Happy 4th of July, if I don’t talk to you before.
Copyright 2015 Vic Socotra
www.vicsocotra.com
Twitter: @jayare303