DAILY CHRONICLE #15 VOL 5HOWARD'S DAILY CHRONICLE

HOWARD’S DAILY CHRONICLE

NUMBER 15 VOL 5

DECEMBER 15^TH 2007

WEATHER; COOL, MED HUMIDITY, 43 DEGREES

DOWN TO 10 DAYS AND COUNTING!

MOM HAD TO GO TO COMMERCE WITH SHANNON TO RETURN HER (SHANNONS) BOOKS SINCE SHE HAD TO DROP OUT OF SCHOOL LAST MONTH BECAUSE OF THE STRESS OF THE DRIVE AND TRYING TO RAISE KONNER! MOM WENT TO BE COMPANY BECAUSE IT’S A PRETTY LONG DRIVE FOR ONE PERSON.

I WENT AND GOT MY HAIR CUT AND THEN WENT WINDOW SHOPPING TO FIND MOM SOME LITTLE GIFT SO SHE WOULD HAVE SOMETHING TO OPEN ON CHRISTMAS MORNING! WE GAVE OURSELVES THE NEW HEATER FOR CHRISTMAS BUT IT’S NOT THE SAME IF THERE ISN’T A PERSONEL GIFT FROM ME TO HER! I WON’T TELL YOU WHAT I GOT TODAY BUT IT’S JUST ONE AND I STILL HAVE TO FIND ANOTHER ONE! WHEN I GOT HOME MOM AND SHANNON WERE GONE TO PICK UP HALEY JO. I WAS GOING TO WORK ON DECORATING THE TREE THIS AFTERNOON BUT I WALKED ALL OVER HOME DEPOT, WAL MART, TARGET, KOHLS, LOWES AND SEARS AND MY OLD LEGS SCREAMED SET DOWN WHICH I DID!

AFTER WE FINISH THE TREE TOMORROW I’M GOING TO HOBBY LOBBY FOR A SPECIAL GIFT AND IF THEY DON’T HAVE IT I’LL ORDER IT ON LINE FOR AFTER CHRISTMAS!

I JUST LOOKED AT THE MOST FANTASTIC SET OF PICTURES TAKEN OF “FLEET WEEK” IN SAN FRANCISCO THIS YEAR. THE MAIN ATTRACTION WERE THE “BLUE ANGLES” FLYING AT 700 MPH 20 FEET OFF THE WATER IT WAS ABSOLUTELY BREATH TAKING! WE WENT TO ALLIANCE AIRPORT LAST SEPTEMBER AND WATCHED THEM PERFORM BUT THIS IS REALLY MORE OF A SHOW! THE PHOTOGRAPHER ALSO INCLUDES BEAUTIFUL PICTURES OF WWII BOMBERS LANDING AT AN AIRPORT SOMEWHERE NEAR SAN FRANCISCO. IT INCLUDED THE B-17, B-24, B-25 IN DIFFERENT STAGES OF THE LANDING SEQUENCE, I MEAN SO CLOSE IT LOOKED LIKE YOU COULD REACH OUT AND TOUCH THEM AND READ ALL THE PRINTING ON THE UNDERSIDE OF THE WINGS AND FUSELAGE! REALLY GOOD!

HERE’S A LITTLE SOMETHING FOR ALL THOSE WHO HAVE WONDERED WHERE THE “DOG TAG” GOT IT’S  NAME;

THE HISTORY OF THE MILITARY

“DOG TAG”

SOMETIME BETWEEN THE END OF THE FIRST WORLD WAR AND THE START OF THE SECOND WORLD WAR IT BECAME A COMMON PRACTICE TO REFER TO THE NEW ARMY RECRUITS AS “DOG FACES”; MAINLY BECAUSE AFTER ARRIVING AT A BASIC TRAINING CAMP, HAVING THEIR HAIR SHAVED OFF, ISSUED CLOTHING THAT RARELY FIT, AND THEN STUFFED INTO AN OPEN BAY BARRACKS WITH A HUNDRED OTHER MEN THEY HAD NEVER SEEN BEFORE. AFTER ALL THIS IT’S NO WONDER THEY HAD A WHIPPED PUPPY DOG LOOK ON THEIR FACES, THUS THE TERM “DOG FACE’.

THEN SOME TOUGH “DRILL INSTRUCTOR” WITH NOTHING BETTER TO DO DECIDED TO CALL THE “MILITARY IDENTIFICATION TAG” A “DOG TAG” BECAUSE IT TAGGED THE RECRUIT WITH HIS NAME, SERIAL NO., RELIGION AND BLOOD TYPE.

THESE TAGS HAD TWO SHAPES, THEY WERE BOTH RECTANGULAR AND ROUNDED ON EACH END WITH A SMALL HOLE IN ONE END FOR THE CHAIN, ONE HAD A NOTCH IN THE END OPPOSITE THE CHAIN HOLE, THIS NOTCHED TAG WAS USED IN THE EVENT OF DEATH, IT WAS WEDGED BETWEEN THE UPPER AND LOWER JAW (IF POSSIBLE) HOLDING THE MOUTH OPEN FOR TWO REASONS, FIRST, SO A MEDIC WOULD NOT WASTE TIME ON A DEAD BODY, SECOND. IT MADE IT HARDER FOR ANYONE WANTING TO CHANGE IDENTITY (THIS HAPPENED).

THE OTHER TAG WAS ON A SMALL CHAIN APPROXIMATELY FOUR INCHES LONG, THIS WAS HUNG ON THE BIG RIGHT TOE (IF POSSIBLE) AFTER REMOVING THE BOOTS.

IT WAS A COMMON PRACTICE TO REMOVE THE BOOTS, WEAPONS AND AMMUNITION SO THE ENEMY COULDN’T USE THEM AGAINST OUT FORCES. IF YOU STOP AND THINK ABOUT IT, A MAN CAN GET ALONG IN A COMBAT SITUATION WITHOUT A LOT OF THINGS, BUT NOT PROTECTION FOR HIS FEET, SOME SORT OF WEAPON, AND AMMUNITION.

NOW YOU KNOW WHY THE MILITARY I.D. TAG IS CALLED A;

“DOG TAG”

THAT’S “30” FOR THIS ISSUE.

HOWARD