Air Farce
By Duane Bowman
(With apologies to our USAF Comrades)
Nothing But the Best for Our Troops
by Duane Bowman (with text by Mike Denton)
Meals for troops in the field have always been problematic. In earlier centuries, dried, or salt cured beef and pork with a variety of beans, somme very hard break and whatever the troops could forage from the immediate vicinity were what comprised rations. No doubt the ‘C’ rations of WWII and beyond were an improvement. While I hear more recent vets do not have a really high opinion of the culinary quality of today’s MREs, I expect they are something of an improvement as well.
Navy sailors of prior generations lived mostly on that same salt meat, beans, hard tack bread and oatmeal, sometimes supplemented with fresh meat and vegetables/fruit early in a voyage. Fortunately, those of us who served in the 20th century, when refrigeration became available aboard ship, fared considerably better.
Haze Gray and Underway!
by Commander Duane Bowman
The Chief is always right
A Brand New Newsletter Feature!
Who knew we had a resident cartoonist in our midst ?
Commander Duane Bowman provided us with this effort for the current issue and promises it will be the first, but not the last. We look forward to his future efforts. He’s promised your editor a Navy cartoon.
Thanks Duane!
Sr. Vice Commander Duane Bowman Scores Reagan Sketches
This past holiday season, I was very fortunate to obtain these two fabulous prints from renowned artist Michael Gerald Reagan . The Seahawks print is signed by the artist, all the players and Pete Gross’s wife Beverly. I won the “John Wayne” print from a fun contest that Michael put together. They will hang proudly in my art room!
Memorial Day at Edmonds Veterans Plaza
Local veterans gathered at Edmonds’ Veterans Plaza Monday afternoon to honor their fallen comrades in a short ceremony.
Ron Clyborne, a Vietnam veteran, spoke about the efforts to create the memorial plaza dedicated to veterans, starting with a vision nine years ago followed by planning, fundraising and construction. Edmonds’ Veterans Plaza officially opened on Memorial Day 2017.
In her remarks, Edmonds City Council President and U.S. Air Force veteran Vivian Olson pointed to the myriad heroes giving back to Edmonds every day through arts, charities and service. She also spoke about the fragility of democracy, underscored by the current conflict in Ukraine.
Edmonds Mayor Mike Nelson offered thanks to those attending for their service.
At the end of the event, Vietnam veterans Mike Reagan — founder of the Fallen Heroes Project — and Duane Bowman distributed pins to families of those veterans whose loved ones came home from Vietnam, and buttons to those Vietnam vets who served when called to duty.
