Jason's BLOG: 5/31/09

6.06.2009

V27

While looking for some good B-29 images for my computer desktop background, I came across this one (shrunk down from HUGE size to something more manageable for the blog). These are B-29's accompanied by P-51's and they are on their way home - see the tail of the V-25 plane.

It caught my attention because these are B-29's from the 73rd Bomb Wing. My grandfather flew in the 499th group and in particular, flew the V-26 plane. I sent a copy of this image off to him last night and here is the note I got back this morning:

Jason,
Thanks for the B-29 picture. I have seen several paintings of 29's but not this one.

Interesting part is, I flew this airplane on April 11th, 1945 on a weather check to Korea. My little diary said, we took off at 6AM and flew at 31,000ft, and landed at Guam. Probably bad weather at Saipan. We had credit for a combat mission for this trip.

June 6, 1944-D Day Europe. We were in Salina, doing our training in B-17's. We had not received our 29's for our trip to combat.

Your history lessons for the day,

Love,

Gramps

If you are interested in B-29's, their history and the men that flew them, you can find just about everything you need to know over at Sally Ann's site B-29 Superfortress Then and Now

While at that site this morning, I found a great spreadsheet on her site listing all the groups of the 73rd, info on the tail codes, nicknames of the planes, their final disposition and more.

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6.04.2009

What is the dealio with Chicago?

The United States Court of Appeals for the 7th Circuit in Chicago ruled that they are "bound by earlier Supreme Court decisions which held the Second Amendment applies only to federal laws".

The article continues with this little gem:

Judge Frank Easterbrook said that "the Constitution establishes a federal republic where local differences are to be cherished as elements of liberty rather than extirpated in order to produce a single, nationally applicable rule."

I am sure glad that we can "cherish" slavery and that Amendment XIII doesn't really apply if any particular state thinks slavery is A-OK - we need to respect those local differences! And that whole women voting thing? We don't really "cherish" that one either so scratch Amendment XIX. Freedom of speech? That whole bit shouldn't really apply to some parts of the country. Need I go on?

We will all be tracking the NRA v Chicago, 08-1497 case pretty close - it seems so obvious to us what the Second Amendment means as well as all the other Amendments, so I sure hope those guys and gals in the black robes get this one right.

If you haven't signed up, you can join the NRA for free