Monday Facts

Monday Facts is a weekly blog party designed to help you meet other bloggers. Tell us about your weekend, or give us some random facts that help us get to know you better!

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Fact:  I have a cold.

Fact:  I have avoided the cold and flu for the last two or three years.

Fact:  I hate being sick. Thank you God for the wife you gave me who will "baby" me the rare times I am sick.

Fact:  I am half-way done typing my first manuscript for Part I of my Gospel-driven Dicipleship Manual. 

Fact:  This is going to take awhile it looks like.

Fact:  After graduating the United States Army Chemical Warfare School in Anniston, AL, I was assigned to a medium duty helicopter squadron stationed at the MCAS New River (NC) called HMM 261. 

Fact:  HMM (Marine Medium Helicopter) 261 was activated April 5th, 1951 at Cherry Point, North Carolina and adopted the name of Bulls."

Fact: During the 1965-66 tour in Viet Nam, the Bulls operated from Danang, Marble Mountain, Chu Lai, and the USS Valley Forge. The squadron continued to fly the H-34 helicopter throughout both tours, and participated in several major offensives including: Operations Starlight, Harvest Moon, Double Eagle, Utah, Nevada, Texas, and Hot Springs. During its 1965-66 tour HMM-261 flew 11,859 combat hours, MEDEVAC-ed 2,315 wounded, flew 38,090 combat sorties, ferried 47,522 troops into battle and expended 32,610 rounds of ammunition. Throughout its three combat tours in Vietnam, many of the units' helicopters were badly shot up while performing medevacs and troop insertion missions; during 1965-1966,its helicopters were hit 273 times with many aircraft destroyed. Squadron members were awarded personal decorations from the Navy Cross on down.

In 1966, the Bulls came home to New River again. During the late 1960s, the squadron accepted their first, brand new CH-46 Sea Knight helicopters. The squadron still flies an updated model of the same helicopter, the CH-46E. Throughout the 1970s, the Bulls participated in various training exercises in the Atlantic, Mediterranean, and Caribbean regions. It was during this time that the squadron added to their nickname and became the "Raging Bulls".

 Fact:  "Righteousness and justice are the foudation of your throne; steadfast love and faithfulness go before you." (Psalms 89:14, ESV)

Fact:  I have established and written my reading goals for 2012. This of course doesn't include the books my best friends send me, or the books I blog for from Thomas Nelson, Multnomah, Banner of Truth Trust, or Tyndale. 

Fact:  Abraham Lincoln once said, "The things I want to know are in books; my best friend is the man who will get me a book I ain't read yet."



 (Do I have any best friends?)

Fact: 

Country preachers

have always been a real hardy bunch

but lately some of my kin folk

like me can't keep down our lunch

I guess its because

I kinda got sick with a danged old cold

I guess I went and broke the family mold

I am very sick

with this blasted cold

although I've tried everthing

it's grown big brassy and bold

stop and think it over

put yourself in my position

if I keep sneezin' and puke all night long

it's a typical prediction

Lordy, I have loved some Nyquil

and I have loved soft tissues

and they both tried to help me

in my misery

when that wife of mine asked me

how did you get yourself in this condition

I said hey sweet thing please just bring

my special prescription

Chorus:

So, don't ask me Gregg

why are you sick?

(Gregg) why do you moan and complain

Why must you curse that doctors name

Stop and think it over

try and put yourself in my unique position

If I am sick and its my nose I pick

It's a family tradition!

(written by Gregg Metcalf, Nov 17, 2011)

(to the tune of Hank Williams, Jr.'s Family Tradition)