Harry Truman in World War One
Veterans Day is one week from now so Balladeer’s Blog is presenting another look at World War One since November 11th marks the date that war ended.
HARRY S TRUMAN, CAPTAIN OF BATTERY D – This future Senator, future Vice President and future President is credited with one of my favorite quotes: “There’s nothing new in the world except the history you don’t know.”
That Show-Me State Seneca was in charge of Artillery Battery D, a hard-fighting unit that was often deployed well forward, in the heart of the action. During the Meuse-Argonne Offensive in 1918 Truman’s Battery D provided fire in support of the young George Patton’s tank brigade. “Captain Harry’s” boys engaged German field guns, eliminating and forcing the abandonment of enemy batteries at a noteworthy rate. Continue reading
Balladeer’s Blog’s recent examination of the myths of Bellona Island and Rennell Island has been pretty popular. Here is a look at the god Kaitahitahi. FOR THE FULL LIST OF BEL-REN GODS CLICK 
DOUBLE OVERTIME DYNAMITE – The SANTA BARBARA CITY COLLEGE VAQUEROS played host to the CITRUS COLLEGE OWLS in a game for the ages. The Vaqueros trailed the Owls 7-0 in the 1st Quarter and 14-10 at Halftime. The 3rd Quarter ended with Citrus College on top 28-17 but Santa Barbara City College came back to force Overtime with a 31-31 tie to end Regulation. The teams exchanged TDs in the 1st OT but in the 2nd the Vaqueros’ Carlos Benitez returned a blocked PAT for 2 points, cutting it to a 44-40 Owl lead. From there a TD run made it a 46-44 SBCC win. 
With Veterans Day fast approaching Balladeer’s Blog takes a look at some more World War One history since that conflict gets much less attention than World War Two. 
FRANK LUKE – This 21 year old copper miner from Arizona managed 18 kills in 17 days before meeting his own end. In addition to shooting down enemy planes Frank Luke specialized in bringing down the much tougher targets: lighter than air craft. Pilots had to thread their way through relentless anti-aircraft fire AND rockets to accomplish a kill on such craft, making it sort of the fighter pilot equivalent of stealing bases in baseball. 
RANGERS TOPPLE THE APACHES – The unranked KILGORE COLLEGE RANGERS took the field against the number 8 team in the nation – the TYLER COLLEGE APACHES. The Rangers trailed the visiting Apaches 10-0 to end the 1st Quarter but pulled to within 16-14 by Halftime. After the break Kilgore College took control, ultimately upsetting Tyler College in a 50-29 rout. 
WHEN RANKED TEAMS CLASH – The number 11 COFFEYVILLE COLLEGE RED RAVENS traveled to face the 17th ranked DODGE CITY COLLEGE CONQUISTADORS in a Jayhawk Conference showdown. The Red Ravens seized a 14-6 1st Quarter lead and expanded that to a 24-12 advantage by the midpoint. The 3rd Quarter ended with Coffeyville College clinging to a 24-19 edge over the Conquistadors. In the end the Red Ravens prevailed 31-26. 
THE GALLOWS MAN – This is another neglected American horror legend which has been presented in many different versions over the years. Ralph Sutherland was born in 1702 in either New York City or a town near the Catskills, depending on the version. 
THE DEAD PIT (1989) – This horror film was the directorial debut of the very prolific director Brett Leonard. While not a four-star movie The Dead Pit is enjoyable enough for the Halloween Season and should certainly appeal to anyone into 1980s horror flicks. This movie’s hybrid of zombie elements and slasher elements is both its charm AND the reason behind its love-it-or-hate-it status. 
I. Jacques Morand – Roughly 300 years ago Jacques Morand was in love with Genevieve Parent. Unfortunately for him Genevieve decided to join a convent. When Morand could not change her mind through pleading he turned to threats, which drew warnings from Genevieve’s father and brothers. 
From 1979 to this calendar year the movies in this under-appreciated horror franchise forever changed the way we look at funeral homes. And funeral home directors. And Roman Numerals for that matter. For better or worse writer/director Don Coscarelli never sold out, never let the sinister Tall Man become an outer-space joke like Jason Voorhees or a Borscht-Belt Charles Manson like Freddy Krueger. (And it’s hard to believe the first Phantasm was rated X for violence in 1979.) 
