Via Warships 1 comes this Navy Times article interviewing the last of the survivors of the USS Panay, a US Gunboat that was sunk by IJN forces as she attempted to evacuate refugees from Nanking...at the time the Japanese were descending upon that unhappy city.

Despite the loss of US life and the unspeakable atrocities being committed the US ultimately let the incident drop, accepting a monetary settlement for the lives of the US sailors. This figured heavily in Japanese (mis)calculations of Americas willingness to fight some years later.

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January 1944, a US destroyer lay at anchor in  a  a fierce blizzard off Long Island. Suddenly the USS Turner was wracked by a massive explosion....


With the ship sinking rapidly, the weather worsening, visibility terrible and water so cold that survival time was measured in minutes the only thing standing between the survivors and a frigid watery death were 2 Coast Guard patrol boats, the courage and skill of their crews and an experimental contraption held together with canvas, steel tubes and a prayer.

Read the whole story in this excellent post at SteelJaw Scribe.

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Baldilocks is back from hiatus and has been posting for several days on an emerging calamity that I had missed.

A disputed election in Kenya has exploded into violence. Baldilocks has roundups here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, and here. On a related note Captain Ed brings word of a possible resolution, facilitated by the intervention of US Assistant Secretary of State Jendai E. Frazer who seems to have gotten a tentative power sharing agreement on the table.

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The Republican debate was the best thus far, much more substantive than past ones.

I still like Thompson the best by far.

I think he did very well in the debate despite (and in a way because of) the fact that he seemed to say the fewest words. He was to the point, direct and intelligent.

OTOH, Romney had his best night ever. He came off very well when the others pounced on him. Paul also gave his best performance yet though it served to underscored his problems on foreign policy.

Various other views here here and here.


I liked the bit at the end where the Dems and Republicans schmoozed for a bit.

Thus far the Dem debate seems to be rather less substantive

Note though that Edwards is doing the best by far (10:33pm) ...I disagree with him on most every substantive point but he is making the most substantive and specific arguments. Edwards is making the best populist arguments since the '30s. He most accurately and sincerely extols the vengeance and resentment based policies of the Democrats. He makes very good, often heartwrenching observations (IMHO judiciously avoiding any correct conclusions). He is quite likable.

Obama is likable, persuasive and seems to have large well hidden blank spots that are alarming.

Peron Clinton is still an amazing synthesis of rage, a sense of entitlement and disdain. She is no less an advocate of intrusive nannyism than Edwards but comes off as more elitist...imperious in her disdain for...pretty much all of us.


Richardson is the biggest disappointment of the lot. I'd thought he would be the most reasonable of the group.  He's pandering to the nutroots.
His comment about the Russian nukes being confirmed to be in terrorists hands is the bombshell (!) of the night if true.

It is ending as I type this...None of the Dems on stage was willing to admit the surge had had any beneficial effect. Reality based community my ass.

UPDATE:
Big roundup of links to roundups here.
UPDATE2: Rand Simberg has more here.

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So..I'm watching the debates and Richardson says that terrorists ALREADY have nukes?!!

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This program has had several problems ranging from the lead ship being damaged by Hurricane Katrina to nigh unbelievable cost overruns to serious design issues. However many of the problems  have reportedly been corrected and those lessons are to be well applied to the later ships of the class.  I sincerely hope this is the case.

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One of the most respected of the actual MilBloggers, Major Andrew Olmstead, was killed in the line of duty yesterday. His final post is here.

The Major led from the front.

Via everybody....

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This is the first of two weeks of active duty.

Blogging will of course be sporadic over the next few days.

In the meantime, here is something to think about.

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I hope  you all have a happy and prosperous 2008! 
UPDATE: Congratulations Brendan Loy!!


more...

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