President Obama’s Faults

So far every Republican who has announced his or her candidacy for President has blasted President Obama by spewing out a litany of alleged faults. I suppose they do this to demonstrate to the GOP faithful that, as a candidate, they will go after President Obama with fervor. Well, despite all the patently untrue things that the likes of Mitt Romney and Rick Santorum are claiming President Obama has done in the past, is presently doing or will do in the future, they don’t know the half of it. So, before candidates yet to be announced invent more crap about President Obama, let’s set the record straight with the true dirt on the man.

President Obama is a vampire. He sucks blood from his victims and leaves them among the undead. President Obama provided, in the Affordable Health Care Act, that no government paid medical care will be available to a victim of a vampire, thus ensuring that the victim remain among the undead. It’s a plan to get votes, because an undead person does not have to pay taxes, but can still vote if they are registered in Chicago.

President Obama cheats at sports like basketball and golf. When keeping his score, he conveniently forgets a third putt, does not count a mulligan for a shot that landed deep in the rough or out of bounds and ignores duffs. By shaving points, President Obama alleges to shoot in the low 80s, a respectable showing for someone who plays infrequently. Except President Obama is actually a frequent golfer, using his position as President for free golf at military golf courses, the Army/Navy Country Club and other private links around the USA. In basketball, his height is an unfair advantage that he exploits by also being able to jump

President Obama is a wife beater. Michelle Obama is the frequent target of outrageous physical attacks that leave her body bruised and swollen. Fortunately, she is nearly the same size as President Obama and is able to return his onslaughts, blow for blow. Because Michelle has amazing powers of regeneration and healing, the bruises and swelling that his beatings inflict are invisible after an overnight rest. This regenerative power as a vampire victim also qualifies Michelle as one of the X-squad.

President Obama is an alcoholic. He has a pint flask of quadruple distilled vodka hidden in his inside suit coat pocket. From the container a clear plastic tube leads to his lips, so he can take a swig any time he pleases. The tube is disguised as a microphone lead wire that he could plug into a podium amplifier. That’s why he makes so many speeches. The amount of alcohol consumed during a speech depends on how many teleprompters are in front of the podium to hide his sucking motions.

President Obama’s feet stink. The foul odor is produced by copious feet sweating. He refuses to put odor eaters in his shoes, because he believes they interfere with his ability to side-step questions with the agility that a frequent liar requires. Rather than abate the odor, he chooses to perpetuate the myth that he walks on water, a myth spawned by the constant wetness of his shoes and the squishing sound he makes. The first thing Obama does when he goes to the family quarters is wash his feet like in a Muslim ritual.

President Obama misuses Air Force One for his personal pleasure. He is notorious for donning his Air Force One jacket to flaunt his position as President of the United States. He could just as easily tell the pilot to turn up the heat so he would be comfortable in his shirt sleeves. He has even purchased monogrammed bath robes, pajamas, sweaters, socks, slippers, underwear, slacks, sleeping caps, and hoodies for himself, his family and his staff, at a cost of $500 million.

President Obama talks too much. Instead of just listening to the persons whom he contacts during his work day and nodding to confirm his understanding of their communications, he actually replies aloud to them. He feigns courtesy and interest by sharing his ideas on the subjects being discussed. Because of his high intelligence and broad vocabulary, he contributes to conversations extensively. He patiently receives their feedback just as he gives others feedback on their ideas.

If you hear or read of these faults of Obama, remember you saw it here first. I'm going to keep my ear to the ground to learn of other faults of Obama that are as baseless as these. Stay tuned.

I’m tired of hearing that spending cuts can reduce the nation’s debt

I’m tired of Republicans who think they can reduce the deficit and the nation’s indebtedness through spending cuts alone. I believe that the federal government is too big. I believe it has too many employees. I believe its standards and regulations create unnecessary and excessive costs. I believe its programs are ill-designed and thus encourage fraud, waste and abuse. I believe it spends federal dollars on things that are the responsibility of state and local governments. I believe it spends American tax dollars on things that other countries should pay for themselves. I believe that social security payments should be means tested. I believe that Medicare and Medicaid costs should be reduced through greater competition in medical services. I believe that the prescription drug benefit is too generous for both pharmaceutical companies and beneficiaries. I am pretty much open to a lot of ways to reduce federal spending. But, when the money to pay the interest on the federal debt has to be borrowed, which increases the debt; when the country’s population is growing by leaps and bounds from a robust birth rate, lower death rate, and immigration of whatever legality, which requires more government services and thus spending; when our politicians are loath to alienate special constituencies by sharply cutting sacred cows like farm or other business subsidies, which frustrates the idea of reduced government spending; and when many other things can happen or conditions exist that are too many too enumerate or even identify in advance of their occurring, which never-the-less can affect the ability of well-intentioned spending cuts to reduce the annual budget deficit or the national debt, how can anyone with even a smidgen of intelligence maintain that spending cuts alone can solve the federal fiscal problem. We need to ask our conservative congressmen and political powers to get real, Grover Norquist to the contrary not withstanding, and raise taxes. It's time to pay the piper before the piper does his thing.

Banana Bread

What do you do with those overly ripe bananas? If you have a couple of bananas that are showing up with dark spots and are softening so that no one wants to eat them, do you just throw them out? No. You bake some banana bread. Here's how you do it.

Ingredients

Bananas

Sifted all-purpose flour, 1-3/4 cups

Baking powder, 2 teaspoons

Soda, 1/4 teaspoon,

Salt, 1/2 teaspoon

Water, 1 cup and 2 tablespoons

Shortening, 1/3 cup

Sugar, 2/3 cup

Eggs, 2 ea

Instruction

Peel and mash bananas in a bowl with fork or potato masher.

Work shortening in a mixing bowl until cream.

Beat eggs one at a time and add one at a time to shortening.

Beat hard after each egg is added.

Stir dry ingredients and bananas alternatively into mixing bowl.

Pour batter into 5x10 bread pan.

Bake 1 hour 10 minutes at 350 degrees.

I'm Tired of the Attacks on Public Schools

I'm tired of the attacks on public schools, because some people want tax money to be spent on private or parochial school education for their children. We have a great system of public schools in this country. It serves the goal of a democracy where all children receive an education that will prepare them for adult responsibilities. It serves the needs of employers who need an educated workforce that meets defined standards to provide essential workplace skills. It saddens me that public schools are under attack by a phalanx of religious right-wingers who are trying to defund public schools. As I understand it, their plan is to reduce tax support for public schools to the extent that the schools will fail and become so undesirable that most parents will be in favor of vouchers so they can afford to educate their children in parochial, private, and so-called charter schools or by home-schooling. The voucher system has been approved by some state courts as not violating the constitutional prohibition of support of religion by government. The legal reasoning that supports this decision to reduce the scarce tax resources available for public schools is apparently blind to their overall benefits. While it cannot be denied that a quality education can be achieved for some students in some non-public schools, it has not been shown that non-public schools will serve the needs of students from all economic levels and home environments. The public school system, if it has any short-comings, needs strengthening rather than weakening. Parents who want advanced learning for their children should put their talents to work to help improve public schools rather than destroy them. In this modern era, educational requirements are more complex than ever. Parents who want their children to learn about the family's religion should work with their churches to obtain this. Surely, reason will prevail.

Crab Meat and Shrimp Salad

Ingredients

Medium size green pepper, 1 ea
Medium sized onion, 1 ea
Chopped celery, 1 cup
Crab meat flakes 16-1/2 oz can, 1 ea
Shrimp 7 oz can, 1 ea
Bread crumbs buttered, 1 cup
Mayonnaise, 1 cup
Salt, 1/2 teaspoon
Pepper, 1/2 teaspoon
Worcestershire sauce, 1 teaspoon

Instructions

Cut and chop pepper and onion.
Combine ingredients, except crumbs.
Place in individual sea shells or greased casserole.
Sprinkle with crumbs, if baking (350 degrees for 30 minutes).
Omit crumbs when serving cold.

Comment

How many people have a sea shell, like an oyster, to serve as a serving dish? Apparently in days gone by, this was not an unusual way to serve seafood delicacies. Next time I'm in a seafood restaurant, I'm going to order a plate of raw oysters with the proviso that I can take the shells home for use in serving my guests in proper style. I guess they are dishwasher safe.

I'm Tired of the News Media

I’m tired of the news media covering, as serious presidential candidates, celebrities like Donald Trump and Sarah Palin who have only blither and blather to offer, i.e., Sarah’s version of Paul Revere’s ride or The Donald wanting to see Obama’s college transcripts. Admittedly, Sarah was once on the presidential ballot with McCain, but that was an anomaly, the mistake of a man in his dotage. She was chosen to be a running mate by an erratic candidate for the wrong reason, namely to bolster his standing with the Religious Right. One mistake doesn’t mean that another should follow it. Donald Trump is a national figure of dubious notoriety who has used his personal family wealth to elevate his public profile. Even his qualifications as a businessman are questionable. To establish this assertion, I merely need to allude to the hotel that he built a hotel in Las Vegas with no assurance that he could get a casino license from the Nevada Gaming Commission. Trump has the dubious honor of being a hotel owner without a casino in the nation’s gambling mecca. That is not a money-maker by Vegas standards. Neither Palin nor Trump has the credentials for the office of President of the United States, although they possess the minimum constitutional requirements. Palin and Trump pursue publicity for personal aggrandizement, not for the opportunity of public service. So, will the news organizations please quit devoting resources to tailing these side-shows and instead direct their efforts towards a greater understanding of the qualifications and positions of legitimate candidates.

Mincemeat Cake

In my grandmother Rogers recipe box, there are a number of recipes on ruled 3X5 cards. This recipe was ascribed to 'P. Smith'. On the reverse side of the card, 'Margie', my grandmother, was written. I suspect that these 3X5 card recipes were shared at grandmother's church circle or a similar ladies group, which would explain the card's uniformity.

Ingredients

Shortening, 1/2 cup
Sugar, 1-1/3 cups
Eggs, 2 ea
Mincemeat, 1 cup
Cake Flour, 2 cups
Cocoa, 1-1/2 tablespoons
Baking powder, 2 teaspoons
Salt, 1/2 teaspoon
Milk, 1/2 cup
Chopped nuts, 1/3 cup

Instructions

Cream sugar and shortening.
Add eggs, one at a time, beating well.
Add heated mincemeat.
Sift dry ingredients together, add alternatively with milk.
Last, stir in nut meats.
Bake in layers and put together with fudge filling.

Comment

The recipe's surprise is the filling. Actually, any icing will do, with chocolate flavor being my preference. I imagine that this would make a standard size round cake.

I'm Tired of Talking Points

I’m tired of people, left or right, endlessly repeating “talking points” that have little semblance to truth. It seems that a story always gets better from the telling. Talking points become embellished to the point that they become irrefutable dogma. One example is the GOP “talking point” that it would harm the economy if taxes on the wealthiest citizens or most profitable businesses were raised. The slim theory on which this anti-tax assertion is based is that these are the people who create jobs and taxing them more would slow job growth. If this were true, since taxes on this group haven’t been raised, there should be better job growth than we've seen lately. While it may be true that a tax increase that reduces the disposable income of a vast majority of the wage earning populace could adversely affect the economy, it remains to be seen that a tax increase on the income of the wealthiest would do likewise. A significant increase over the past several months in the price of gasoline has had the same effect to reduce the amount of disposable income available for purchases for commodities other than fuel that a general tax increase would have had. The effect of higher gas prices on the economy was not dire, but it probably has slowed the recovery. People have to some extent been able to avoid the effects of higher gas prices on their lifestyles through various means: driving less, opting for lower cost alternatives in other areas of consumption, and reducing savings/increasing debt. So, let’s get off “talking points” and let’s be truthful. Republicans should admit that they oppose increasing taxes on the rich, because they fear it will reduce the campaign contributions they receive from this segment of the electorate and it is contrary to their policy of starving government of tax revenue as a means of shrinking its role in society.

Hermit Cookies

The original hand-writing was so faded I could barely read it. The type of food prepared from the recipe was particularly hard to read. I googled "hermit cookies" and, lo and behold, I hit pay dirt.

Ingredients

Cane sugar, 2 cups
Butter, 3/4 cup
Eggs, 3 ea
Cinnammon, 1 teaspoon
Cloves, 1/2 teaspoon
Nutmeg, 1/2 teaspoon
Nuts, chopped (pecan) or raisins, 1/2 cup
Flour, 2-1/2 cups
Buttermilk, near 1 cup
Soda, 1 teaspoon

Instructions

Cream together shortening and sugar. Add beaten eggs and milk and mix well. Mix and sift flour, spices and baking powder. Add to first mixture and mix well. Add chopped nuts or raisins and mix thoroughly. Drop from teaspoon 2 inches apart on greased pan. Bake in moderate oven (325ºF) 15 to 20 minutes.

I'm tired of right versus left

I’m tired of the politics of right versus left. Of course, the political spectrum is defined as left to right and that’s not going to change. But I’m still tired of the constant battle between the extremists at either end of the range of political interests. It seems like we can’t finish one election without beginning the next. How about a respite between elections when the pols actually work together for the betterment of the country? (If I am naive by espousing this wish, then we need to think seriously about systemic changes to our political structure such as abolishing parties and prohibiting lobbying. I admit both those ideas are naive in themselves, but is there no hope for change? Someone please suggest ways to get us out of this rut of conflict.) As soon as Obama took office, GOP leaders declared they would work to make him a one-term President. After the 2010 election, with electoral gains emboldening them, Republicans increased the fury of their attacks on Obama with the same purpose in mind. We are at this writing 17 months away from the 2012 elections and already the campaign for the office of President is beginning. While the news media sorts through the candidates’ personalities, their inevitable gaffes, and their prior behavior, we will hear little of the debate that should be raging as to the policies which should guide this nation.

Note: This post is the first in a series of posts concerning things about the current state of mostly political things of which I am tired.

Why Blog?

Blogging is an opportunity for me to communicate with others, but who cares what I have to say? Why should anyone read my blog posts? There are much better opinion leaders and expositors of opinion in the mass media, on the Web, and in the so-called "blogosphere" than the poor scribe who posts to this blog. And, when one considers the amount of time and effort required to research and develop a compelling opinion, am I really up to the task? There are no good answers to my questions. So, why bother posting?

Does it matter whether anyone cares about what I offer? I think not. When a post is put out there in cyberspace, it is pretty much on its own to be found by accident or on purpose. There is no guarantee that another person will read it, so it's pretty much just tossed out there in the wind. Can it therefore be that important? I would hope that members of my family would care about what I have to say, but the truth is that they are probably the people least likely to care and to read my blog. They know me and have heard it all before without any signs of being impressed. I guess, if I persist, I might pick up a reader or two or more. But, the fact remains that there are better sources and more illustrious writers.

Does it matter that there may be no compelling reasons for anyone to read my blog? There will be little in the way of facts that can not be found from more expansive and reliable sources. The humor I sometimes muster is pretty bland compared to writer's who excel in this genre. My logic is not always unassailable nor are my opinions the most popular. If I have a reader, it is because a person with too much spare time has found my blog.

Does it matter whether I am up to the task to do a blog? I do not feel that my ability to research an issue or form a cogent opinion has diminished in my retirement, but I have competing interests that prevent me from devoting the time and effort that a significant blog requires. I like to play golf. Notice,I didn't say I was good at golf. I'm not. I dabble at watercolor painting. I read, alternating between fiction and non-fiction. Frankly, I am not that devoted to my blog.

Then, does it matter whether I bother to blog? No, it doesn't. I do, however, like to blog. It gives me the opportunity to vent my frustrations, to relate my experience, and to communicate my thoughts. Being retired is in some ways an isolating experience. You are not associating with others as regularly as you did in the workplace. You have no natural platform to be an opinion leader as you would in a former position of leadership. You are less relevant to those who are still working and rightfully so because you are no longer as well connected with current events. Blogging is a way to overcome the isolation of retirement, even if it is just throwing comments out in cyberspace. So, I continue.

Cardamom Spice Cookies

A fragile, tattered and yellow slip of paper with faded ink bore a recipe for 'Cardemon'. I instinctively knew it was in my grandmother's hand, having seen her handwriting in numerous letters and greeting cards from her. However, I had never heard of Cardemon. So, I googled it and found it under an alternate spelling. In Wikipedia I learned that Cardamom, the Queen of all spices, has a history as old as human race. It is the dried fruit of a herbaceous perennial plant related to the Ginger family. As with a lot of spices it is from the Middle East and is a favorite of Muslims. I tell this so any patriots out there who want to try this cookie will know that they are sharing a delight of the followers of Allah.

Ingredients

Sugar, 2 C.
Milk, 1/8 C.
Butter, 1 C.
Eggs, 3 (Reserve one white to wipe tops of cookies.)
Baking powder, 3 Tsp
Flour, add until batter consistency permits rolling and cutting.
Powdered cardamom, 1 oz.

Bake on greased sheet at 350 degrees.

Cranberry Salad

Old fashioned cranberry salad is a perennial treat. It's an especially good way to use up an excessive amount of cranberries or cranberry sauce that may be on hand after the holiday season.

Ingredients

Fresh cranberries, 1 lb.
Water, 1/2 C.
Sugar, 1-1/2 C.

Mix and cook until cranberries are soft. Remove from heat.

Raspberry Jello, 1 box
Water 1/2 C. boiling

Stir together and add Jello to cranberries.

Chopped celery, 1 C.
Chopped apples, 1 C.
Crushed pineapple, 1 Small Can
Nuts (cook's choice), 1/2 C.

Mix well and chill.

Grandma Rogers added this note at the bottom of the recipe: "You can use 2 cans of cranberry sauce." (if you can't get fresh cranberries). Her husband, John, and she owned a grocery store, so I imagine she had a good idea that sometimes fresh wasn't available.

Dealing with Stupid

Encountering stupidity is not unusual. Wherever you go, stupid acts are often observed. The act may be committed by a motorist, a sales clerk, or other person with whom you cross paths. The question is: How to deal with the 'stupid' factor? Finally, I am at peace with the realization that you can't deal with stupid. Therefore, I know longer attempt to understand stupidity, just to avoid it; and above all to endeavor not be guilty of it myself, like trying to correct it.

So What's New?

News media reports inform us that, due to the death of Osama bin Laden at the hands of America , Al-Qaida has issued a warning to Americans and its NATO allies. Al-Qaida says it will seek revenge by terrorist attacks against us. We'll that's real news you can use. Seems to me that it's business as usual for the wacko jihadists.

Coconut Cookies

This recipe was recorded by Margaret Warren while living in Kalvesta, Kansas. Her husband was a U.S. Army officer stationed at Camp Kinney, Garden City, Kansas, with the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC). It was written on stationary that was printed with the CCC logo. The stationary's logo shows that it was for Company 753, which I believe was busy building shelter belts along western Kansas highways. I hope some of the CCC members got to enjoy the cookies.

Ingredients:
Sugar, 2 cups
Eggs, 3
Shortening, 1 cup
Flavoring (Presumably vanilla)
Flour, 4 cups
Baking powder, 2 tsp
Buttermilk, 1 cup
Baking soda, 1 tsp
Salt, 1/4 tsp
Coconut (Enough for texture)

Instructions:
Beat very vigorously when stirring up. Drop by spoonful to bake on greased sheet in 350 degree oven.

Steamed Carrot Pudding

I am not a cook beyond fixing breakfast or grilling some meat, but I do treasure the recipes in my mother's or grandmother's recipe box. Here's one in Grandmother Rogers hand-writing that she attributes to Lillie Rogers. I'll have to study the Rogers geneaology to know who Lillie was.

Raw carrots, ground: 1 cup
Raw potatoes, ground: 1 cup
Suet, ground: 1 cup
Raisins: 1 cup
Flour: 1-1/2 cup
Sugar: 1 cup
Soda: 1 teaspoon
Salt: 1/2 tsp
Cinnamon: 1 tsp
Nutmeg: 1 tsp
Cloves, ground 1/2 tsp

Mix well
Steam 3 hours
Serve with sauce or whipped cream

Note: The sauce is not identified, but I suspect that it refers to hard sauce, the type that is poured over plum pudding.

Cell Phone Foibles

My Samsung cell phone had a built-in flaw. It would reject a call if either of the ring volume control buttons were touched while the phone was ringing. There was no way to disable the call rejection feature. The exposed ring volume buttons do not require flipping the phone open to reach them, but they are also vulnerable to accidental touches. It is virtually impossible to withdraw the phone from a pocket or phone holster without touching the ultra-sensitive buttons. The genius who designed the feature probably had good intentions, but got poor results.

During the 18 months I had the phone, I became fairly adept at answering it without rejecting a call. But, no one is perfect. I had enough slip-ups, i.e. rejected calls, to make owning the phone something I wanted to end. As soon as I had the phone for the minimum contract time before I was eligible for an "upgrade", I traded it in for a model that hopefully would not have this design flaw. The AT&T agent assured me that the Pantech phone I had chosen would not reject a call when the ring volume controls were touched.

Guess what happened on the first call I received on my new phone. The call wasn't rejected; it was "silenced". I may have touched a damned outside button. I may be caught on a technicality, but the lesson is really a financial one. Make sure when you select a phone that it isn't the cheapest non-Samsung phone you can get.

A Mother's Sea Voyage Log

What to do on a 23-day Atlantic crossing from New York City to Bremerhaven, Germany? Keep a daily log, of course. Margaret Warren, a 38-year old Army officer's wife from a small town in the Kansas Flint Hills with three sons, Robert 12, David 9 and Charles 6, was on her first journey out of the States to make a new home in Occupied Germany where her husband, an Army major had been stationed for the past several months. Christmas would come late this year for the Warren family, but not too soon for Margaret. Here's her diary of the trip, with no mid-voyage entries, presumably because she didn't like to repeat herself:

Friday, December 5, 1947: At 12:30 we were loaded into buses and taken to Staten Island by ferry where we boarded the ship (USS Huddleston). We embarked at 4:00 O’clock. The NY skyline was foggy. We could see Manhattan and the skyscrapers and the Statue of Liberty in the distance. The sea was very calm, but I was sick before dinner, after dinner and at Midnight.

Saturday, December 6, 1947: The boys were sick. I took David to the dispensary for cough medicine. I was beginning to feel better. Everyone else was sick.

Sunday, December 7, 1947: I almost lost my voice. Went to the dispensary for treatment and got nose drops and APCs. Charles went to Sunday school and I went to church. Charles and David were sick, but went to the show. The weather was nice then changeable. Everyone sick.

Monday, December 8, 1947: The sea was rough last night. The boat rocked all night. I slept very little. There were plenty of dishes and furniture rattling this morning. Language class at 11:00 O’clock. Went to the show tonight. David went after seasick medicine this morning. Gave some to Charles too. The boys all OK tonight. Went to bed at 11:00.

Tuesday, December 9, 1947: Went up on deck everyday possible. I saw I Cover Big Town Wednesday and Holiday in Mexico Thursday. We had a strong E-SE wind and made slow time for several days. Played bingo in the afternoon.

Sunday, December 14, 1947: Went to church. Chaplain Cheatum gave the sermon. Went to community sing in the afternoon. Chicken pox broke out on board ship.

Monday, December 15, 1947: A beautiful day. Went to last German class and played bingo in the afternoon. Stayed up for coffee, but didn’t sleep afterwards. Monday night Charles coughed.

[No entries: December 16 through 22]

Tuesday, December 23, 1947: We have had good sailing the last week. I have read “Cannery Row” by John Steinbeck, parts of “My Home Town” by Senator Ford and “Chicken Every Sunday”. Saw a few shows. Everyday the same. I took out “The Building of Jalna” today. Saw Living in a Big Way. Roast duckling (for dinner).

Wednesday, December 24, 1947, The day before Christmas. Played bingo in the afternoon. Went to services at 10 O’clock and turned the clock up an hour and so to bed about 12:30 or so. Everybody celebrated till the wee hours so very little sleep the last 3 nights. Saw the lighthouse at Land’s End, at 9:45 lights of a city.

Thursday, December 25, 1947, Christmas aboard the Huddleston. We were awakened by Bing Crosby singing “Jingle Bells”. After breakfast we all went to the children’s party in the main lounge. Had lunch. A rest. Saw land in the morning. Passed the U.S.A.T. Belgium Victory about 3 P.M. Had a little bourbon before dinner, which helped my stomach ache. Had a wonderful dinner – grapefruit surprise, celery elives, roast turkey, peas, sweet potatoes, cranberry sauce, Waldorf salad, plum pudding with hard sauce and tea. After dinner spent a while in the loungeand then saw Claudette Colbert and Walter Pigeon in The Secret Heart. After the show, we had stopped . Saw the White Cliffs of Dover and lights of Dover. Took on the pilot. The Channel was very choppy. 36 hours to Bremerhaven. So to bed.

A Letter Home from 1944

While looking through a box of old family photos, a yellowed newspaper clipping fell into my lap. Carefully opening the folded souvenir, I found a letter from my father to his mother who lived in King City, Missouri. that the Tri-County News had published under the heading, "Major Bob Warren's Letter Sermonette on Tolerance". After reading it, I saw more than a treatise on tolerance. I saw vignettes about World War II, particularly its effects in Italy. It is reproduced below:

Aug. 23, 1944
Somewhere in Italy

Dear Mother:
Yesterday, Aug. 22, I received a package of letters -- 38 in all. This is the first mail I've had since I left Africa early in July.
I've really seen a lot of this part of the world since I came overseas. I have crossed the Atlantic and crossed and recrossed the Mediterranean. I had a quick look at Sicily -- saw two volcanoes in action, Strombola, off the coast of Sicily, and Mt. Vesuvius. I wandered through the city of Pompeii that has laid buried at the foot of the volcanoes from 72 B.C. until about 1700 A.D., when it was discovered and dug out.
I just saw the havoc caused by war in Naples. The bombing there was surely terrific, and while it has been cleaned up, it still shows the scars of war. Later I visited Cassino, the town destroyed by the Allies. From there we drove through the Anzio beachhead. Words can't describe war. For miles the countryside was battle-torn. Wrecked and burned tanks, guns, trucks and even German aircraft lay in fields where it was destroyed. Occasionally, along the road, you could see plots of ground filled with white crosses of the dead. Death is no respecter of persons. There were Germans, English, Canadians and all. There is something pathetic about a soldier's grave ... just a little mound of earth, his steel helmet resting on the grave, the little white cross at the head that gives his name, rank and serial number... mute testimony that all soldiers do not return. Should I join those lads who sleep along the road, don't grieve for me. That's only a hazard of the game.
I must tell you about Rome. Leaving Southern Italy and entering Rome is almost like coming home. Rome is untouched by war. It is a city of wide avenues, smart shops, modern apartments and well-dressed people. Even their street cars are as modern as those in our capital city.
I stayed at a beautiful hotel, with fine mattresses, tub baths, clean linen and all. We ate in a hotel dining room where the waiters wore white tiuxedos -- and just a few miles away the grim business of war!
I spent two days seeing the sights of ancient Rome. We visited the Catacombs where the early Christians buried their dead and met for worship. We saw St. Peter's and the tomb of St. Peter. Each day at 12:30 p.m., Pope Pius gives a public audience to Allied officers and men in Vatican City. I saw him and received his blessing. I took two rosaries with me. He touched and blessed them. Does that sound strange coming from a Methodist minister's son? I shall keep one and give one as a gift.
You learn tolerance and charity in the army. Even the Mohammedans in Africa, who face the East and pray to Allah, worship God in their own way, and though we don't agree on all points, the Vatican in Rome is the foundation of early Christianity. It was there that the Apostles Paul and Peter were martyred.
I am so glad you are well. I'll be home soon and hurry to see you. Give my regards to Louie Bowman when you see him. Write often, Mother. I certainly enjoy your letters. Give my love to all the family.

Your son,

Robert C. Warren


My father made it home safely, but not until the Fall of 1945, nearly a year later. If you have read this far, I hope you'll agree that the effort he made to tell a story about war was worthwhile. As a youth, I never saw the rosary he wrote about. I imagine he gave both of them away to persons of the Catholic faith. I think Louie Bowman was the publisher of the newspaper, which may have prompted Grandmother Warren to provide the letter for printing.