Trav's Thoughts

We're meeting our Top 20 tonight.  Not only do we find out the names of the 10 gals and 10 guys who will dance for our votes to become America's Favorite Dancer in Season 10, but we get to see them dance choreographed routines in their own styles...and nobody gets eliminated.

Emmy nominated Cat Deeley is stunning in sparkly short outfit that shows off the beautiful LEGSSES to breathtaking effect.  Hair and makeup = gorgeous.

Nigel Lythgoe, Mary Murphy, Adam Shankman, tWitch Boss, and Mia Michaels give the news to final 33 dancers to get through Vegas week, while Nigel, Mary, and Adam preside over a night of no pressure dancing from our Top 20.

Pam and I are just going to sit back and enjoy.  I just might bring you a few encores from these performances.  For now, here's our Top 20.  For reasons I don't quite understand, SYTYCD didn't bother to update the main website with the cast photographs, or any bios.  So I put down what I could find.  I'll fill out missing details next week.

Alan Bersten, Ballroom
Brittany Cherry, Ballroom
Mackenzie Dustman, 18 year old Contemporary dancer
Hayley Erbert, 18 year old Contemporary dancer
Carlos Garland, Contemporary
Nico Greetham, 18 year old Contemporary dancer
Jasmine Harper, 19 year old Contemporary  dancer
Dorian "BluPrint" Hector, 19 year old Animator
Curtis Holland, 18 year old Tap dancer
Jenna Johnson, 18 year old Ballroom dancer
Alexis Juliano, 18 year old Tap dancer
Paul Karmiryan, 21 year old Ballroom dancer
Tucker Knox, 22 year old Contemporary dancer
Jasmine Mason, 19 year old Contemporary dancer
Malece Miller, 19 year old Contemporary dancer
Maria Spears, 19 year old Hip Hop dancer
Du-Shaunt "Fik-Shun" Stegall, 18 year old Hip Hop dancer
Aaron Turner, Tap
Amy Yakima, 19 year old Contemporary dancer
Jade Zuberi. 21 year old Animator

I'll be honest.  This cast doesn't blow my dress up.  Well, it wouldn't if I wore dresses.  But there are some very intriguing kids in this group with tons of potential.  And I do mean kids...did you notice how many teenagers there are?  And the rest are in their early 20s. 

I kind of like it when no one jumps right out and grabs my vote.  That means I can sit back and watch them all grow.

So let's do that, eh?  Tune in next week when this top 20 competes for votes.

The Continental Army was established 14 June 1775, by resolution of the Continental Congress.  It's purpose was to coordinate military actions against the British during the Revolutionary War.  The first Commander-in-Chief of the army was General George Washington, and he remained so throughout the war.

After the war, the Continental Army was decommissioned in favor of a peace time armed force subject to civilian congressional control.  There were many proposals for the scale, strength, and composition of such a standing army.  Ultimately each state was levied for 700 men with enlistments of one year, formed into 8 infantry companies and 2 artillery companies, with a system of levies against each state to maintain unit cohesion and strength.

The United States Army was thus established on 3 June 1784.  The Army has expanded and solidified over the last 238 years since 1775.  It is the largest and oldest branch of the American military establishment, with 561,437 active duty personnel and 566,364 Reserve and National Guard personnel as reported in 2012.

The US Army is responsible for all land-based military operations undertaken by direction of Congress, supported by active duty and reserve troops.

In the 1990s, the Army adopted the 7 Army Values of LDRSHIP - Loyalty, Duty, Respect, Selfless Service, Honor, Integrity, and Personal Courage.

The US Army has seen action in the Revolutionary War, Indian Wars, War of 1812, Mexican-American War, Utah War, American Civil War, Spanish-American War, Philippine-American War, Banana Wars, Boxer Rebellion, Border War, World War I, allied intervention in the Russian Civil War, World War II, Korean Conflict, occupation of the Dominican Republic, Vietnam, Invasions of Grenada and Panama, Gulf War, Somali Civil War, Kosovo, Afghanistan, and Iraq.

The current Secretary of the Army is the Honorable John Michael McHugh.  The Army Chief of Staff is General Raymond T Odierno.  The Vice Chief of Staff is General John F Campbell.  Sergeant Major of the Army is SMA Raymond F Chandler.



I am the Infantry. I am my country's strength in war. Her deterrent in peace. I am the heart of the fight -- wherever, whenever. I carry America's faith and honor against her enemies. Never will I fail my country's trust. Always I fight on -- through the foe to the objective, to triumph over all. If necessary, I fight to my death. By my steadfast courage, I have won two hundred years of freedom. I yield not -- to weakness, to hunger, to cowardice, to fatigue, to superior odds, for I am mentally tough, physically strong, and morally straight. I forsake not -- my country, my mission, my comrades, my sacred duty. I am relentless. I am always there, now and forever. I AM THE INFANTRY! FOLLOW ME!

Set 178 is all about bright shiny melodies that make me smile.

Happy Friday gang!





Bad To Me, written by John Lennon, released by Billy J Kramer with The Dakotas in 1963

I'm Telling You Now, written by Freddie Garrity/Mitch Murray, released by Freddie and the Dreamers in 1963

Have I the Right, written by Ken Howard/Alan Blaikley, released by The Honeycombs in 1964

You Were On My Mind, written by Sylvia Tyson, released by We Five in 1965

Turn Down Day, written by David Blume, released by The Cyrkle in 1966

Tomorrow is Flag Day. 

My post last year was a repeat of my post from 2011, which was a repeat of my post from 2010, which was a repeat of my 2009 post for Flag Day.  Since it still says everything I want to say, mainly because it's full of outstanding quotes that others have said, I shall repeat myself repeating myself, with honor and respect to my flag and my country.

So it comes again.  Time to commemorate my first date with Pam.  Seven years ago today.  I guess you might get tired of reading it over and over again.

Not us.

I remember it like it's happening now.  I first posted the story back on 21 February 2007.  Now I consider it a tradition to post it every year on 11 June as a remembrance of our first date in 2006.

And I'll tell you again, it really did happen just like this.  Perhaps I make it a little more romantic with the way I tell it, but this is what happened and how it happened. Sometimes life really is a fairy tale.

It occurs to me that I've been posting original stories and some of my favorite music and answering memes, but haven't really posted all that much about myself lately. I guess I've revealed a few things in Thursday 13 and in other memes. And I've referred to my special lady here and there.

Those of you who know me from Soul Patrol know about me and Pam. Some even know the story of how we met. It was at the gym last May. She made a crack about what a lightweight I was while I was doing leg presses. And she thumped me on the back of the head. When she found out about my knee injury playing football, she was a little contrite - but only a little. She wonders why I haven't done something about my knees in the 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 years since it happened. But that's a story for another day.

We often used the same trainer. But she likes to cycle train, and I prefer straight weights. So we didn't really work out together, just at the same time. After a couple weeks of small talk, I finally decided to ask her out. And she agreed to have dinner with me.

She was so intriguing. All business at the gym. That's where I was meeting her the night of our first date. I was a little bit late getting there because of a last minute thing at work. So she’d already warmed up and was into her cycles. During a 30 second rest she nodded her head at me. So I nodded back and started my own drill. You’d never know we were having dinner afterward.

She finished her work out before I did of course. I was working on lat rows – she walked passed me as I was setting the weight down and thumped me on the back of the head, and grinned over her shoulder as she walked to the locker room. That little head thump has become a recurring thing in our relationship. It makes me smile now, but on that night I finished my lat rows to snickers from everybody around me.

When I packed my kit that morning, I'd forgotten my electric shaver. So after I showered I decided against shaving – I really don’t like regular razors. She was chatting with some people in the lobby when I walked out of the locker room. She had her back to me and I couldn't help but stand there a minute and admire. She's got great curves. I walked up behind her and put my hand gently on her back, and asked if she was ready to go. She smiled and said goodbye to her friends.

That touch - exhilarating.

I put my bag in the car. She pays for a locker, so all she had was her handbag. The restaurant is only a few blocks from the gym – it was rainy that night, so I started to get the umbrella from the back seat, but she said not to bother. She's lived in the Seattle area a long time and the weather is what it is. Never really stops her from doing what she wants to do. I'm still adjusting.

I left the umbrella and I offered her my arm, she looped hers casually around mine, and we walked to the restaurant. It was a little muggy - this was June in the pacific northwest - but it didn’t rain or even drizzle, although the promise was in air. We walked slowly, just chatting. Touching her and being touched by her. . .absolutely electrifying.

(BTW – Her dress was pale yellow, straight cut with thin straps and a flowing skirt. For awhile, peeps on the message board called her my yellow dress lady. She had on flat shoes for walking. She’s not quite as tall as I am – she has to tilt her head a little to look me in the eye. Not much make-up; very natural looking. She’s got great curves, did I mention that?)

Earlier in the day I had cruised by a sidewalk florist and paid for a yellow rose. As we walked by, I nodded to the florist and plucked the rose, never breaking stride. That was a hit. Her face lights up when she smiles. Our reservation was for 7pm, and we were a little early so we sat at the bar. I had JD on the rocks; she had the house white. Again we just chatted – how was your day kind of stuff, you know? I said something inane, and she put her hand on my wrist. She had this way of smiling, and reaching for her glass, and taking a sip, and keeping her eyes on mine over the rim of the glass.

The atmosphere in this restaurant is really something – the tables aren’t close together, and you never notice the wait staff. There are small candle lamps on the tables, and very fine flatware. Our table was sort of in the center of the dining area, but it felt like we were enclosed and alone. It’s a good thing I already knew what I was going to order, because I couldn’t stop looking at her. And she wasn’t looking away from me, except to glance at the menu a couple of times.

She closed the menu finally and asked me to suggest something. I offered a couple of choices and she settled on the pasta primavera with penne in garlic & oregano, and I had pumpkin stuffed ravioli. Neither one of us really wanted to drink all that much more, so we each just ordered a glass of the house merlot. This place serves fantastic bread with olive oil, and I prepared a slice for her.

Our fingers kept touching while we were waiting for the meal. It was very comfortable – we talked a little, then we were quiet, and it wasn’t awkward at all. We found out the things you find out about each other – favorite color, music likes & dislikes, favorite television shows. When the waiter brought our dinner, I realized that I’d been holding her hand across the table for some time. Before she pulled her hand back, her thumb caressed the back of my hand, and then she squeezed my fingers.

During dinner we had an animated discussion about football – she’s a Seahawk fan and I’m a Raider fan. She knows the game – she knows the history, too. And she wouldn’t let me get away with any of my old Raider laments. But I wouldn’t let her whine about the officiating in the Super Bowl, either. Did I mention she has a great laugh?

She had her hooks in me real deep by then, and I don’t really know how it happened. I didn't have any complaints then, and I don't now. She's still got me hooked.

We weren't interested in dessert. As we were leaving the restaurant, naturally it had started to rain. Not a drizzle, but a downpour. I looked sideways at her, because it had been her idea to leave my umbrella in the car. She just shrugged. It’s really not fair when a beautiful woman shrugs like that. Women already have enough power – but that extra weapon, even used innocently. . .

I borrowed an umbrella from the restaurant. As I opened it, I raised my arm over her shoulder and she walked close to me. Touching her again, and being touched by her. . .we walked slowly back to my car. She lives downtown, just a few blocks from the gym. It was still raining hard so I drove her home.

There’s a small cutaway curb and an awning in front of her building. We stood under the awning for a few minutes, listening to the rain splash around us. She thanked me for a wonderful evening and I asked if we could do it again soon. She was standing very close to me. And then she leaned toward me, with her hands on my shoulders, and our lips met. My arms circled her waist.

All she had to do was tug a little and I would have gone upstairs and it would have been her idea and I would have done whatever she wanted me to do, and a few things she didn’t know she wanted me to do but wanted me to repeat as many times as possible.

Instead, she stepped back. I took her hands in mine and kissed her once more, and we said good night.

Best first date ever. And last first date I ever want.

The restaurant from that first night isn't open anymore.  We're headed home after work for some fresh fruit salad and a night of Vegas callbacks for SYTYCD.

Happy Anniversary my Lady, my Love, my Life.

We've got a little anniversary coming up next Tuesday.  Pam and I have decided to go a little silly, a little sappy, and a little unconventional for our pre-anniversary Set.

It's crushes!  And not just any crushes.  It's our ultimate crushes from when we were kids.

Now you know my ultimate is Valerie Bertinelli, but she didn't sing.  So I've gone with one of my next best as an alternate.  Pam's ultimate crush needs no such alteration.  The problem there was choosing only 2 songs.

She couldn't choose 2, so she got 3, cause that's just the kind of guy I am.

Happy weekend gang!





Sweet & Innocent, written by Billy Sherrill/Rick Hall, released by Donny Osmond in 1971

Go Away Little Girl, written by Gerry Goffin/Carole King, released by Donny Osmond in 1971

Puppy Love, written by Paul Anka, released by Donny Osmond in 1972

Paper Roses, written by Fred Spielman/Janice Torre, released by Marie Osmond in 1973

Deep Purple, written by Peter DuRose, released by Donny & Marie in 1975

And a bonus...just cause I can!

Yo-Yo, written by Joe South, released by The Osmonds in 1971.  This performance is from The Flip Wilson show, 16 Sept 1971.

Congratulations to my niece, who graduated from 8th grade last night. 

Today is the 69th commemoration of the Allied invasion of the Normandy beaches on 6 June 1944.  I've written before about these events.

• In 2008 I wrote about US Army E Company, 506th Regiment, 101st Airborne Division
• In 2009 I wrote about the diversity of the combined Allied effort
• In 2010 I wrote about US Army 2nd Raider Battalion
• In 2011 I wrote about the British 6th Airborne Division
• In 2012 I wrote about the Omaha Beach assault by elements of 1st and 29th Divisions of US Army V Corps supported by 5th Ranger Battalion and 5th Engineer Special Brigade

I could write whole essays about each of the things the Allies did to deceive and misdirect Germany, but I'm just going to give you a very brief sketch about deception and spy craft.

The build up to the invasion of Hitler's Fortress Europe included more than a million troops from 12 different nations and nearly 7,000 vessels from 8 different navies.  That's a lot to keep secret across a 21 mile channel.

In fact, you can't keep it secret.  You can only spread it out, train for it, and do your best to keep the enemy off balance.  The plan to do that was called Operation Fortitude.  It involved many strategies in both the north and south of England, designed to mislead the Nazis into thinking that the Allies intended to invade through Norway and Calais.

The strategy relied on creating fake units and the illusion of more ready divisions than were actually available, controlled leaks of disinformation, wireless traffic on frequencies the Allies knew the Germans had broken, false information communicated through double agents, and the conspicuous presence of well known allied commanders in phony staging areas.  It also helped that the Germans had no airborne reconnaissance presence.  They couldn't fly over and verify what was real and what wasn't, so Hitler relied on a vast intelligence apparatus that was compromised in many respects.

British counter intelligence operations ensured that there were no German agents operating in England that were not known and controlled.  Any information they fed to the Nazi high command was given specifically to them, and purposely designed to make Hitler believe that Normandy was the feint and the northern invasion route through Norway and across to Calais was the true threat.

Fictional 1st Army Group Patch

It wasn't possible to hide the invasion.  The Germans knew it had to come and the Allies had to prepare for it.  Through the use of dummy vehicles and extra building construction, plus increased traffic over wireless radios, the Allies were able to help create the illusion for the Germans that troop build ups were focused on two army groups that were poised to invade across the Pas de Calais, the shortest route across the Channel to France.  

In addition, the British had broken German High Command codes, so they could monitor communications to see how well the deceptions were working.  They could tweak and reinforce what they were doing to keep Nazi eyes where they wanted them.

The deception of Operation Fortitude was one of the most successful intelligence operations of World War II.  It thoroughly fooled Hitler and his High Command into reinforcing the defenses in Calais.  That didn't mean that the Normandy beaches were undefended.  We know how costly it was for the Allies to get onto the beaches and then move inland to begin what would become the eventual defeat of Germany.  Roughly 130,000 to 156,000 Allied troops landed on 6 June 1944, with as many as 12,000 casualties on that first day.

So the Germans knew that an invasion was coming.  Allied deception and spy craft kept the location secret and the timing nearly so, such that the Nazi defenses were heaviest in the wrong place.  On D+1, the Allies were lodged on the beaches and moving inland.

On D+305, Germany signed the instrument of surrender and the war in Europe came to an end.


It is also my grandfather's 89th birthday today.  He lied about his age in 1940 so he could go to sea as a Merchant Marine.  Happy Birthday Grandpa!

Re-posting from 2011 and 2012

Tomorrow is the 45th commemoration of the assassination of Robert F Kennedy, who was shot in the kitchen of the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles, just past midnight on 4/5 June 1968, after finishing a speech.  Senator Kennedy had just won the 1968 California Democratic Presidential primary.  He survived through the day and died during the morning of 6 June.

It isn't clear whether Senator Kennedy would have gone on to to win the Democratic nomination for President of the United States.  It seems conceivable.  He won the California primary by 5%, but prior to that he had lost the Oregon primary and indicated he would likely drop out of the race if he lost in California.

It is clear that the Democratic Party lost momentum after the assassination.  The country was in turmoil.  Political radicalism was rampant.  Protests against the war in Vietnam were becoming increasingly more virulent and violent.

I do not know how the world would have been different.  Indeed, I cannot know if the world would have been a better place or a worse one if Senator Kennedy had survived and gone on to win the general election in November.

I believe it would have been better.  I believe Robert Kennedy had the ability to unite a country torn by vehement attitudes about Vietnam, civil rights, and a cultural divide between the Greatest Generation that won World War II and an anti-establishment generation of Baby Boomers looking to make their own way.

But I was only 4 years old in 1968.  My belief that things would have been better is washed through the eddies of the 45 years I've lived in and learned about the world since that horrible day.

In his eulogy for his brother, Edward Kennedy said,

My brother need not be idealized, or enlarged in death beyond what he was in life; to be remembered simply as a good and decent man, who saw wrong and tried to right it, saw suffering and tried to heal it, saw war and tried to stop it.  Those of us who loved him and who take him to his rest today, pray that what he was to us and what he wished for others will some day come to pass for all the world.

As he said many times, in many parts of this nation, to those he touched and who sought to touch him:  "Some men see things as they are and say why.  I dream things that never were and say why not".

We can all make a difference in the world.   We have the power to choose a smile over a frown, to hold a door open, to give back some of what we take.

If you've visited here for any length of time, you know it's important to me to commemorate certain dates and events in history.  The first part of June has many of those kinds of dates and events.

From 4 June through 7 June 1942, the battle for Midway Atoll devastated the Japanese fleet and proved that the reach of American air power on board aircraft carriers was the way to begin the long process of dislodging the Japanese from the Pacific.  If the Japanese campaign to invade Midway had succeeded, they would have been able to threaten US holdings in the Pacific right up to the west coast.

If you are so inclined, you may read my previous posts on the subject.

• 7 June 2009 about several American heroes of the battle
• 7 June 2010 about USS Hornet, USS Yorktown, and USS Enterprise
• 2 June 2011 about Midway's land based air defense
• 4 June 2012 about Admirals Nimitz and Spruance 

The fighter and dive bomber squadrons from USS Hornet, USS Enterprise, and USS Yorktown get a lot of well deserved ink for the role they played in sinking the 4 Japanese carriers at Midway.  Today I'd like to tell you the names of the other US ships that made up Task Forces 16 and 17, because aircraft carriers don't go to war without a lot of support.

Light cruiser, USS Atlanta

US cruisers played a vital role in WWII, both in anti-aircraft defense and against surface ships.  US destroyers were critical screening vessels against submarines, and also proved important in anti-aircraft defense.

Destroyer, USS Warden

I know lists of ships don't seem very interesting, but I pay tribute to them here because it's easy to get caught up in the audacity of the Air Group squadrons while overlooking the scope of the battle.  Midway proved the kind of damage carrier based aircraft could inflict.  But while their fighters and dive bombers were out sinking Japanese carriers, US carriers were relying heavily on the defensive screens provide by cruisers and destroyers.

Rear Admiral Ray Spruance (1886-1969) commanded Task Force 16, first on station to defend Midway.  The carriers USS Enterprise and USS Hornet were the centerpieces with their Air Groups.

Rear Admiral Thomas Kinkaid (1888-1972) commanded the cruiser screen of TF 16, which consisted of

• USS Atlanta - commissioned 24 December 1941, she was sunk 13 November 1942 during the battle of Guadalcanal.
• USS Minneapolis - commissioned 19 May 1934, she earned 17 battle stars in WWII, and accepted the Japanese surrender of Korea on 9 September 1945.  She was scrapped in 1959.
• USS New Orleans - commissioned 15 February 1934,  she earned 17 battle stars in WWII.  She was scrapped in 1959.
• USS Northampton - commissioned 17 May 1930, she was sunk on 30 November 1942 during the battle of Tassafaronga.  She earned 6 battle stars in WWII.
• USS Pensacola - commissioned 6 February 1928, she earned 13 battle stars in WWII.  She was sunk as a target vessel in 1948.
• USS Vincennes - commissioned 24 February 1937, she was sunk during the battle off Savo Island on 9 August 1942.  She earned 2 battle stars in WWII.

Captain Alexander R Early commanded the destroyer screen of TF 16, which consisted of

• USS Phelps - commissioned 26 November 1936, she earned 12 battle stars in WWII.  She was scrapped in 1947.
• USS Warden - commissioned 15 January 1935, she was sunk on 12 January 1943.  She Earned 4 battle stars in WWII.
• USS Monaghan - commissioned 19 April 1935, she foundered in a typhoon on 18 December 1944.  She earned 12 battle stars in WWII.
• USS Aylwin - commissioned 1 March 1935, she earned 13 battle stars in WWII.  She was scrapped in 1946.
• USS Balch - commissioned 20 October 1936, she earned 6 battle stars in WWII.  She was scrapped in 1946.
• USS Conyngham - commissioned 4 November 1936, she earned 14 battle stars in WWII.  She was used during the atomic weapons tests at Bikini Atol in 1946, and was sunk in 1948.
• USS Benham - commissioned 2 February 1939, she was sunk on 15 November 1942 during the battle of Guadalcanal.  She earned 5 battle stars in WWII.
• USS Ellet - commissioned 17 February 1939, she earned 10 battle stars in WWII.  She was sold in 1947.
• USS Maury - commissioned 5 August 1938, she earned 16 battle stars in WWII.  She was scrapped in 1946.

Four oilers were attached to TF 16.

• USS Cimarron - commissioned 20 March 1939, she earned 10 battle stars in WWII.  She was sold for scrap in 1969 after earning 7 battle stars in Korea and 4 campaign stars in Vietnam.
• USS Platte - commissioned 8 July 1939, she earned 11 battle stars in WWII.  She was sold for scrap in 1971 after earning 6 battle stars in Korea and 8 campaign stars in Vietnam.
• USS Dewey - commissioned 4 October 1934, she earned 13 battle stars in WWII.  She was sold for scrap in 1946.
• USS Monssen - commissioned 14 March 1941, she was sunk on 13 November 1942 during the battle of Guadalcanal.  She earned 4 battle stars in WWII.

Rear Admiral Frank Jack Fletcher (1885-1973) commanded Task Force 17 from USS Yorktown.  Yorktown's Air Group included elements of the Air Group from USS Saratoga.

Rear Admiral William W Smith commanded the cruiser screen of TF 17, which consisted of

• USS Astoria - commissioned 28 April 1934, she was sunk on 9 August 1942 during action off Savo Island.  She earned 3 battle stars during WWII.
• USS Portland - commissioned 23 February 1933, she earned 16 battle stars during WWII.  She was sold for scrap in 1959. 

Captain Gilbert C Hoover (1894-1980) commanded the destroyer screen of TF 17, which consisted of

• USS Hammann - commissioned 11 August 1939, she was sunk by a Japanese submarine on 6 June 1942.  She earned 2 battle stars in WWII.
• USS Anderson - commissioned 19 May 1939, she earned 10 battle stars in WWII.  She was sunk during atomic weapons tests at Bikini Atoll in 1946.
• USS Gwin - commissioned 15 January 1941, she was sunk on 13 July 1943 during the battle of Kolombangara.  She earned 5 battle stars in WWII.
• USS Hughes - commissioned 21 September 1939, she earned 14 battle stars in WWII.  She was sunk as a target ship in 1948.
• USS Morris - commissioned 5 March 1940, she earned 15 battle stars in WWII.  She was sold for scrap in 1947.
• USS Russell - commissioned 3 November 1939, she earned 16 battle stars in WWII.  She was scrapped in 1947.

There were three submarine task groups involved at Midway under the operational command of Rear Admiral Robert H English (1888-1943).

Task Group 7.1 included

• USS Cachalot - commissioned 1 December 1933, she earned 3 battle stars in WWII.  She was sold for scrap in 1947.
• USS Flying Fish - commissioned 10 December 1941, she earned 12 battle stars in WWII.  She was sold for scrap in 1959.
• USS Tambor - commissioned 3 June 1940, she earned 11 battle stars in WWII.  She was sold for scrap in 1959.
• USS Trout - commissioned 15 November 1940, she was lost northwest of the Philippines in February 1944.  She earned 11 battle stars in WWII.
• USS Grayling - commissioned 1 March 1941, she was lost near Manilla in September 1943.  She earned 6 battle stars in WWII.
• USS Nautilus - commissioned 1 July 1930, she earned 14 battle stars and a Presidential Unit Citation in WWII.  She was for scrap in 1945.
• USS Grouper - commissioned 12 February 1942, she earned 10 battle stars in WWII.  She was sold for scrap in 1970.
• USS Dolphin - commissioned 1 June 1932, she earned 2 battle stars in WWII.  She was sold for scrap in 1946.
• USS Gato - commissioned 31 December 1941, she earned 13 battle stars and a Presidential Unit Citation in WWII.  She was sold for scrap in 1960.
• USS Cuttlefish - commissioned 8 June 1934, she earned 2 battle stars for WWII.  She was sold for scrap in 1947.
• USS Gudgeon - commissioned 21 April 1941, she was lost off the Maug Islands in April 1944.  She earned 11 battle stars and a Presidential Unit Citation in WWII.
• USS Grenadier - commissioned 1 May 1941, she was damaged by Japanese aircraft in April 1943 near Panang and scuttled.  She earned 4 battle stars in WWII.

Task Group 7.2 included

• USS Narwhal - commissioned 15 May 1930, she earned 15 battle stars in WWII.  She was sold for scrap in 1945.
• USS Plunger - commissioned 19 November 1936, she earned 14 battle stars in WWII.  She was sold for scrap in 1956.
• USS Trigger - commissioned 31 January 1942, she was sunk in March 1945 in the East China Sea.  She earned 11 battle stars and a Presidential Unit Citation in WWII.

Task Group 7.3 included

• USS Tarpon - commissioned 12 March 1936, she earned 7 battle stars in WWII.  She was sold for scrap but foundered and sank off Cape Hatteras in 1957.
• USS Finback - commissioned 31 January 1942, she earned 13 battle stars in WWII.  She was sold for scrap in 1959.
• USS Pike - commissioned 2 December 1935, she earned 4 battle stars in WWII.  She was sold for scrap in 1957.
• USS Growler - commissioned 20 March 1942, she was sunk in November 1944 west of the Philippines.  She earned 8 battle stars in WWII.

Submarine, USS Gato

The music of Todd Rundgren was in my head this week, so I thought I'd get it out in a Set.  The fifth track combines Mr Rundgren's talents as a producer with the iconic voice of Meatloaf, for one of the great rock anthems of the 1970s.

Have a great weekend gang!





Hello It's Me, originally released in 1968 and again in 1973

I Saw the Light, released in 1971

Can We Still Be Friends, released in 1978

Bang on the Drum All Day, released in 1983

Paradise by the Dashboard Light, written by Jim Steinman, released by Meatloaf in 1977