(Willow Restaurant and Bar, Arlington, VA.) Mac was intent about the Winds messages. I had not meant to get into it, since it was an intellectual fight of long standing for a lot of people who are no longer alive, It was always in the background during the war, part of the long battle between […]

(USS Nevada entering dry dock, 18 Feb 1942 near the 14th Naval District HQ and CIU/Station HYPO. Official Navy Photo.)   My ears perked up. “So you went to work for him?” I made a note on the napkin in front of me, nearly knocking over the wineglass, which was wedged against the plates and […]

(Back of Mac’s first Navy ID card, Iowa City, Pay Entry Base Date 15 Aug 1940. Photo at Willow, Socotra) The wine was chill in the dimness of the Willow Bar. They turn the lights down at 5:15 each afternoon to encourage the enthusiasm of the regulars. The pork spring rolls from the neighborhood restaurant […]

The amount of classified information released over the last week by the helpful people at Wikileaks is breathtaking. In fact, the whole thing laves me breathless.   Three days ago, the website posted over 91,000 reports written by soldiers and intelligence officers describing what the site calls “lethal actions” involving US Forces in Afghanistan between […]

(Lieutenant Thomas Wheat Swearing in some New Fish. Photo courtesy t3.gstatic.com)   I recall the day with a sort of vague cotton wool memory. It was in Detroit, at the Military Entrance Processing Center, and a disengaged Petty Officer handled me after the young Lieutenant had me raise my right hand and recite some words. […]

(The disaster in progress. Photo Socotra)   I could not help myself. I overslept and could not even get to the Times with all the crazy summer stuff going on. My fingers twitched on the keypad and …   Dammit, I did it again. I curse this addiction to the written word. There are other […]

(A little behind on the garden this year. Photo Socotra)   I identified several more projects I doubt that I will do, and eventually we dined on a meal with sufficient carbs to get J.P. down the narrow valley roads in the morning, and sat on the back deck as the light faded.   I […]

(The Polish National Team, L-R: Blues Brother, Socotra, Mikhail, Butterfly Man. photo by Jeremy) I knew the problem had begun in the Balkans; all the problems of modern times do. I did not realize how significant the long shadow of the Battle of Vienna was going to be on this placid but stifling season.   […]

  You can always complain about the weather- that is our inalienable right, like complaining is in the Service. At times like this, Brooks Brothers shirt plastered with sweat against the black leather seat of the Hubrismobile, it is tempting to slip into a reverie about climate change.   My pal Muhammed has been bitching […]

  There are a whole bunch o good reasons why the memo came down saying that I could no comment on it. You know what I am talking about, though I am not talking.   I thought it was a fairly reasonable bit of coverage, probably something the public ought to be aware of, but […]