USA Deaths From Covid-19




Deaths - Covid-19 Much Worse than Seasonal Flu
Covid-19 as of of 29 Feb to 25 May 2020 - 3 Months102,107
Influenza and pneumonia - Average Year - 12 Months55,672






War and/or DiseaseYearsDeaths
Flu 1918 Would be 2,146,491 todays population1918--19675,000
World War II1941–45291,557
American Civil War US Disease & Other1861–65250,000
American Civil War Confederate Disease1861–65165,000
World War I - All, disease, etc includes flu1917--18116,516
American Civil War US Combat1861–65111,000
Covid-19 Deaths Through:May 27, 2020102,107
American Civil War Confederate Combat1861–6595,000
World War I - Disease mostly Spanish Flu1917--1863,114
Vietnam War - All - accidents, disease etc1955–7558,220
World War I - Combat1917–1853,402
Vietnam War - Combat1955–7547,424
Covid-19 Deaths Through:Apr 18, 202037,175
Korean War1950–5333,686
American Revolutionary War1775–838,000
Iraq War2003–113,836
911Sep 11, 20012,977
War of 18121812–152,260
War in Afghanistan2001–present1,833
Mexican–American War1846–491,733
First Covid-19 Death in USFeb 29, 20201





Memorial Day



 
Our Military Officers Association of America - Sarasota Chapter normally commemorates Memorial Day by marching in the parade in downtown Sarasota and distributing boxes for people to send to our troops serving in Afghanistan. Covid-19 has stopped the parade this year but not our memories and our thoughts honoring the men and women who died while serving in the U.S. military. 

Memorial Day occurs on the last Monday of May each year. In 2020 it occurs on Monday, May 25.

Originally known as Decoration Day, it originated in the years following the Civil War and became an official federal holiday in 1971. Many Americans observe Memorial Day by visiting cemeteries or memorials, holding family gatherings and participating in parades. Unofficially, it marks the beginning of the summer season.


Early Observances of Memorial Day

The Civil War, which ended in the spring of 1865, claimed more lives than any conflict in U.S. history and required the establishment of the country’s first national cemeteries. By the late 1860s, Americans in various towns and cities had begun holding springtime tributes to these countless fallen soldiers, decorating their graves with flowers and reciting prayers.


On May 5, 1868, General John A. Logan, leader of an organization for Northern Civil War veterans, called for a nationwide day of remembrance later that month. “The 30th of May, 1868, is designated for the purpose of strewing with flowers, or otherwise decorating the graves of comrades who died in defense of their country during the late rebellion, and whose bodies now lie in almost every city, village and hamlet churchyard in the land,” he proclaimed.

The date of Decoration Day, as he called it, was chosen because it wasn’t the anniversary of any particular battle.

On the first Decoration Day, General James Garfield made a speech at Arlington National Cemetery, and 5,000 participants decorated the graves of the 20,000 Union and Confederate soldiers buried there.

Many Northern states held similar commemorative events and reprised the tradition in subsequent years; by 1890 each one had made Decoration Day an official state holiday. Southern states, on the other hand, continued to honor their dead on separate days until after World War I.

History of Memorial Day

Memorial Day, as Decoration Day gradually came to be known, originally honored only those lost while fighting in the Civil War. But during World War I the United States found itself embroiled in another major conflict, and the holiday evolved to commemorate American military personnel who died in all wars, including World War IIThe Vietnam WarThe Korean War and the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

For decades, Memorial Day continued to be observed on May 30, the date Logan had selected for the first Decoration Day. But in 1968 Congress passed the Uniform Monday Holiday Act, which established Memorial Day as the last Monday in May in order to create a three-day weekend for federal employees; the change went into effect in 1971. The same law also declared Memorial Day a federal holiday.

Cities and towns across the United States host Memorial Day parades each year, often incorporating military personnel and members of veterans’ organizations. Some of the largest parades take place in ChicagoNew York and Washington, D.C.

Americans also observe Memorial Day by visiting cemeteries and memorials. Some people wear a red poppy in remembrance of those fallen in war—a tradition that began with a World War I poem. On a less somber note, many people take weekend trips or throw parties and barbecues on the holiday, perhaps because Memorial Day weekend—the long weekend comprising the Saturday and Sunday before Memorial Day and Memorial Day itself—unofficially marks the beginning of summer.



Memorial Day Parade 2019















More info on Blog                        sarasotamoaa.us

Somewhere, Over the Rainbow



May 22, 2020 taken from our home window in Lakewood Ranch, Florida


In The Arena by Mike Curry





Mike Curry 







I endured the grueling selection process to become a United States Marine Corps infantry officer. I led long-range reconnaissance teams into the enemy occupied jungles of Vietnam. I served as a Peace Corps volunteer, living and working in a foreign country and in an alien culture.

None of that prepared me for what I experienced as an inner city school principal contending with violence, guns, gangs, physical and sexual abuse while implementing court ordered desegregation. If it were a movie, it would be R rated. But it wasn't a movie. It happened. This is my story. It is an entertaining, sometimes intense, story filled with humor, idealism, adventure, and poignancy.

In the words of Teddy Roosevelt, I was a man "in the arena."

"....The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood....." Theodore Roosevelt.

Click to Order the Book


ttps://www.amazon.com/Arena-Mike-Curry/dp/1646540468/ref=mp_s_a_1_4?dchild=1&keywords=in+the+arena+curry&qid=1588900793&s=books&sr=1-4






IN THE ARENA 

BY MIKE CURRY 
SYNOPSIS 

A significant portion of the book relates Curry’s experience in OCS and his tour in Vietnam as an infantry platoon commander, first with the 7th Marines and then in 1st Recon Bn.

Curry also writes about the 1965 Watts Riot, the six years he lived in Jamaica as a Peace Corps Volunteer/teacher and the 31 years he served as a principal in an inner city school system dealing with gangs, guns, drugs, physical and sexual abuse, and some pretty unruly kids. There is a short detour while mobilized for Desert Storm describing his experience attending Jump School as a 49-year-old member of the 20th Special Forces.

The story is filled with humor, idealism, adventure, and poignancy. It is an entertaining, sometimes intense, story.
_______________________________________________

"In the Arena" Book Review May 21, 2020

Great story of the life of Mike Curry. He seved in Vietnam as an infantry officer with 7th Marines and with 1st Reconnaisance Battalion, 1st Marine Division with fascinating stories about leading small patrols with frequent engagements. After Vietnam he and his wife joined the Peace Corps in Jamaica.

He earned a Doctorate in Education and spent 31 years in inner city schools in Birmingham, Alabama. He also went back into the National Guard, mobilized for Desert Storm and completed jump school at the age of 49. I went to Marine Corps OCS and Basic School with Mike Curry and most of the other Marines in the photos in 1968-69 at Quantico, Virginia. Mike has led a very interesting life.

Fascinating story. I strongly recommend it. In the words of Teddy Roosevelt, He was a man "in the arena."

I went to Marine Corps OCS and the Basic School at Quantico, VA with Mike in 1968-69. His book is a great companion piece to the book written by Mike Hodgins, also from our Basic School Class and who wrote another great book about 1st Recon Battalion.

Semper Fi


Craig Hullinger





Reluctant Warrior - Mike Hodgins




Great book about Vietnam by Mike Hodgins. Mike was in 1st Reconnaisance Battalion, 1st Marine Division, Danang. He tells some riveting stories about small unit patrols deep in enemy territory. The stories about emergency extracts and capturing enemy soldiers are amazing.  I  strongly recommend the book.


Mike was a Marine Corps OCS and Basic School Hotel Company 8-69 Classmate. His book is a great companion piece to the book written by Mike Curry, also from our Basic School Class and who wrote another great book about 1st Recon Battalion.



Semper Fi



Craig Hullinger


_______________

"ONE OF THE BEST VIETNAM WAR STORIES I'VE EVER READ, one damn good, compelling read. It's almost something out of a Clancy novel, yet it's true. The best thing I can say about it is I didn't want it to end."
--Col. David Hackworth, New York Times bestselling author of About Face


Click to order the book

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B004G8OXVE/ref=rdr_kindle_ext_tmb


A Little Ray of Sunshine May 21, 2020


My Favorite Planning Quotes

Things I have learned as a City Planner and Marine and Boy Scout and in Sunday School.
Don't worry, be happy.  

Why Plan, when you can react?


As you climb the ladder of success, don't forget who helped you.

Any road will do when you don't know where you are going.

This too shall pass.

Get it done.

Think!

Think positive.

Life has its ups and downs.

It will get better.

The Seven "P's" Of Planning  - Preliminary Prior Planning Prevents Pitiful Poor Performance

Positive Mental Attitude is a Force Multiplier.

Don't make mountains out of mole hills.

What good does getting depressed do?

Dive right in.

Take bite size projects and finish them.

Make a decision and stick with it.

The longest journey begins with a single step.

Excuses are like belly buttons, everyone has one.

If anything can go wrong, it will.


If it ain't broke don't fix it.

         But a stitch in time saves nine.

Run spiell chek.

Travel more.

Eat Less.

If it tastes good, spit it out.

Keep plugging away.

Swing for the Fences but try not to strike out.

Stuff happens.

Just do it.

Can do easy.

Criticism, like sewage, runs down hill.

Fools rush in where angels fear to tread.

Damn the Torpedos, Full speed Ahead!

When in danger, when in doubt, run in circles, scream and shout.

7 "P's" - Preliminary Prior Planning Prevents Pitiful Poor Performance.

"We spend precious hours fearing the inevitable. It would be wise to use that time adoring our families, cherishing our friends, and living our lives!"  Mary Angelou

Be Prepared.

Do a good turn daily.

Good guidelines then and now - A Scout is Trustworthy, Loyal, Helpful, Friendly, Courteous, Kind, Obedient, Cheerful, Thrifty, Brave, Clean, and Reverent.

On your Honor, Do your Best, Do Your Duty, For God and Your Country.

Leave your campground better than you found it.

Leave your community better than you found it.

If like many planners you are disorganized, find someone who is organized to help you.

Checklists help but the are not the bible.

A Plan is Not the Bible

Search for the Win / Win.

Developers are important to your community.

Seek and Ye Shall Find.

Planning, like life, has its ups and downs.

It will get better / It's got to get better / I hope it gets better.

Brevity is Beautiful.

KISS - Keep it Short and Sweet.

Short Plans are Best.

Your long plan should have a short summary.

Don't make mountains out of mole hills.

Life can be a can of worms.

Publish or perish.


The longest journey starts with a single step. 

Keep plugging away.

Muddle through.

Take bite size projects and finish them.

Make a decision and stick with it.

Keep your eye on the ball.

Planning does not equal procrastination.


Current Trends May Not Forecast the Future.


If I don't know the answer I will make something up.

Keep your friends.

Don't be a workaholic.

How many people on their deathbed say, "Gosh, I wished I had worked more?"

The Few, the Proud, The Marines.

The Few, the Careful, The Planners.

Building consensus among governments and people is like herding Cats.

Show me which way the people are going and I will lead them.

Planning Chicago's third airport is like bathing an elephant - it is big, difficult, and you can definitely get hurt.

Excuses are like belly buttons, everyone has one.

Grant me the COURAGE to change what should be changed; the SERENITY to accept what cannot be changed; and the WISDOM to know the difference.

We will all hang together or all hang separately.

Don't sweat the small stuff.

But pay attention to details - other people are.

Let criticism roll off your back.

Do what your boss tells you unless it is illegal or immoral.

Flee Fornification, or, Don't get caught.

Don't Ask, Don't Tell.

Most of your life is none of their business.

Socrates was a famous Greek Philosopher. Like many planners, he was always telling people what do do..............  They poisoned him.



When you take a job, you are issued some marbles. Each time there is a problem one marble is taken away. No new marbles are ever added for any reason.  After a while, you lose your marbles.


When in danger, when in doubt, run in circles, scream and shout.

Hostile public hearings are stressful but they seldom shoot real bullets.

The Planner is like the Marine Point Man - he leads from the front, gets shot at often, and sometimes gets dinged.

When it absolutely, positively has to be destroyed overnight - Call 911-Marines.

Great Leadership enables the Marines to get American teenagers up at 0500 hours, work out, stay clean and neat and organized, and Charge Machine Guns, all for minimum wage.

Yea though I walk through the Valley of the Shadow of Death, I will fear no evil, because I am a US Marine and there for the baddest guy in the valley.

To err is human, to forgive divine - neither of which is Marine policy.

The height of windy braggadocio obnoxiousness - a Marine from the Windy City.

Stop me before I Plan again.



ACDC - Acronym Code Decode Center

FUBIJAR - Flip You Buddy, I'm Just A Reserve

FUBIJAC - Flip You Buddy, I'm Just A Consultant

FUBAR - Flipped Up Beyond All Recognition 

WITAWTAW - Where There's a Will, There's a Way

PANE - People Against Nearly Everything

NIMBY - Not In My Back Yard

NIMTOF - Not In My Term Of Office

BANANA  Build Absolutely Nothing Anywhere Near Anybody

REMF - Rear Echelon MF

SUCKS - Snarky Unfair Churlish Kid Stuff




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