If You, Like Me, Know History-

What does this most remind you of?


Hope and change, with the new "Presidential Seal" in the background.
Heil Obama!

A Truly Scary Thought:

There's already a woman just slightly more than a heartbeat away from the Presidency, and that woman is Nancy Pelosi.
God, please keep GWB and Cheney healthy for a little more than a month!

The market closed lower than my post below indicates. When all was sorted out at the end of the day, the Dow Jones average closed down almost 800 points...
A record number, but not a record percentage. I just rechecked, and the DJ average is actually up for the day at this point.
Strange.

And Rodolfo, my warning was for anyone reading the blog.
If you read my old posts, you got the benefit of my questionably valuable opinion.

Bail Out!

I'm thinking "Bailout" has two meanings...
Sometimes I wish I could just "Bail Out" of this machine and let it continue on it's perilous journey by itself.

I watched Fox News with terrified interest as the vote was tallied in the House of Representatives. It was obvious from the start that if the issue was gonna pass, it would be a squeaker. When it didn't pass I watched with equally fearful interest as the Dow Jones average tumbled 700+ points, then recovered to just under a 600 point loss. I kept thinking about a friend at work that just retired, and wondered if he now thinks that was such a good idea. I'm glad now to have the option to continue working as necessary to put more funds in my retirement account, although we all have to be wondering how our individual companies will fare with the fallout from this shakeup, don't we?

So now the finger pointing begins.
George Bush is at fault.
Both houses of Congress are at fault.
Greedy people are at fault, although if others had been doin' their jobs, greedy folks could not have taken advantage of this situation as they have.

I'm most amazed at our Congress.
Democrats are in control and could have passed this bill on their own had it not been such a stinker. It's funny to see those same democrats begging for others to join George Bush to get this monstrosity passed...
I thought GWB was an idiot- that no one in their right mind should follow him?
Yet now we hear Democrats blaming republicans for not following ChimpHitlerBush's lead.
Thank GOD for House Republicans!

And Barney Frank!
Chairman of a committee that should have stopped all this nonsense two years ago, yet he's up to his eyeballs in this corruption.
And of course there are lots of others to blame in both political parties.
THROW THE BUMS OUT !

It's gonna be interesting to watch this unfold...
We find ourselves here in Destin, Florida wondering if we'll be able to buy gas to make our way home:
Will it be available?
Will we be able to afford it, even if it is available?

There will be ramifications to all this we cannot yet foresee.
But many of us have seen it coming for some time and have been warning others.
Did you start buying your Gold coins yet?
It may be a little late for that.

Destin, September 2008

We arrived late Friday night.
With a few hours sleep under our belts we drove to Pensacola to pick up my Mother, then picked up Big Bubba at the Pensacola airport. Mom will stay a couple days... that's as long as she wants to be away from her cat. Big Bubba will be here through Saturday morning.

This is a great time of year to be in the Florida panhandle. Days are in the mid-80's, nights in the low 60 degree range. There is no rain in the forecast for this week.

There is an obvious sign of our present economic troubles...
On our way to the grocery this evening, I counted 8 "For Sale" signs on condos in less than one mile, more than I've ever seen. Some of these units are new, bought by speculators at the top of the market a couple years ago. It may be YEARS before the market returns to that lofty range.

None of that matters to us though.
I have a meeting to attend here next Saturday after Big Bubba is on his way home. We have almost a week to enjoy the quiet time together here...
Kids are all in school, renters are scarce. No lines at restaurants, no traffic on the streets.
Perfect weather for sitting on the beach.
Wish you were here.

Lipstick On A Pig

"I told them they don't have to make me look good," Webb says. "They just have to make me look like Sarah Palin."

Well...
I have a news flash for you Ms. Webb...
You'll need hours of work by a real "makeup artist" to even come close. (And have you looked in the mirror at your extra avoirdupois?)
Do these people really think being unnecessarily nasty will win votes for Obama?

18 Wheels Of Anxiety

"Man, those lights are bright."

I hadn't noticed those brilliant blue-white lights on a tractor-trailer before. Now here they were, on an 18-wheeler coming up fast in my rear view mirror.
"Wow, he's comin' on really fast!"

It's pre-dawn and I'm on my way to work on a two-lane State highway.
My mirror begins to fill with truck grill, and I'm worried enough about the approach speed that I speed up a little, just in case.
Then he's on the binders, and the truck rapidly recedes in my mirror.
"Good. Maybe he's turning off."

Nope.
Here he comes again, and now he has more of my attention than I'd like to devote to something BEHIND me.
He crosses the double yellow no passing line, stays there for several seconds, then recovers to the right lane so quickly he overshoots and his right wheels leave the roadway momentarily. He recovers to the roadway just before he hits several mailboxes.

Cell phone. 911. Send.
"911, State your emergency."
"I'm being followed by an 18 wheeler that is using both lanes of a two-lane highway."
"Are you on highway *** just East of ****ville?"
"Yes Ma'am."
"You're the second caller about this guy. Standby."

I hear radio traffic in the background over the phone.
She relays my position to someone over the radio and gets a "10-4".

"What are you driving, sir?"
I tell her, and she relays that information to the Deputy.
"Is he still behind you, or did he turn off at "********** trucking?"
Wow. She knows EXACTLY where I am! Cell phone coverage?
"No, he's still behind me."
She also relays that information.

"You should see a Sheriff's Durango on your left, and an unmarked city unit on your right."
And there they are, just as advertised.
The Visibar lights up as the Durango pulls in behind him.
He pulls to the right side of the road so quickly I once again fear he's out of control, but brings the rig to a halt safely.

Drunk?
Tired/sleepy?
Diabetic problems?
I wish I knew the end of this story.

San Antonio- Why You Should Go

Let me start by admitting I'm not an expert on San Antonio.
Having said that, I'm sure of one thing...
If you go to San Antonio and do nothing other than go to the Alamo and the Riverwalk, you'll be glad you took the trouble.

This was my second visit to the Alamo. I first went in 1968 when touring the Alamo included a real-live guide. At that time our guide expressed my first thoughts:
"Most people come and the first thing they say is, 'It's smaller than I expected' ".
It really is.
It's a tiny church. But the ground those that died defending there was much larger... including much of what is now San Antonio shops across "Alamo Street".

This time I forked over $5 and rented an MP3 player to take a self-guided tour, and learned much more than I did back in 1968.
I'm still moved to tears thinking about 189 men, challenged by a 27 year old Col. Travis to consider whether they wanted to ever see their families again... or stay and defend that indefensible church and mission ground. Those 189 men knew there were 6,000 Mexican soldiers at their doorstep... the most advanced and formidable Army in the Western hemisphere, yet they stayed, knowing their fate.
That courageous action not only allowed Texas eventually to be free, it meant the eventual defeat of a great Army that could have had an affect on a fledgling United States of America.
Who amongst us today has that kind of courage?
God Bless them all.


Did you know the Alamo and surrounding grounds were almost bulldozed in the name of "progress"? You can thank a ballsy lady by the name of Adina de Zavala when you visit the Alamo, because if not for her, there would be no Alamo to visit!

And the Riverwalk-
I first walked the Riverwalk, or what would become today's Riverwalk, when I visited the site of the Hemisfair in San Antonio in 1968.
It will remind you somewhat of Venice, Italy, in that river taxis ply the water, with tour groups learning more about San Antonio, or folks just trying to get from their hotel to a riverside cafe for a great dinner. The Riverwalk is truly a magic place at night, and I cannot describe the atmosphere effectively here.
Let me just say this:
GO.
You won't be disappointed.

Winding Down From Ike

Home last night at 8:30 P.M. or so, and the reception from Sara Jean and Lucy was extraordinary. Bein' away from home more than a week does have a few benefits! Maybe I should find some reason to leave my girls alone more often?

Working at something this intense for a week leaves you drained. Work, travel to/from work, eat a little, (mostly MRE's and their blue collar cousins, "Heater Meals"), sleep... that seems to be all there was time for. Strange room, strange bed, strange flying area... I was even flying a BK117 that I wasn't familiar with, and there are dozens of differences in each of the aircraft that make it stressful trying to get the job done properly. Having to coordinate flying in a "Restricted" area with hundreds of other aircraft zooming around trying to do their thing... all the stress mounts up after a while. I was ready to come home. I worry a little about others... some pilots came straight from Hurricane Gustav relief to assist with Hurricane Ike. I don't know how they can do it.

Things are winding down in Galveston and Houston. Slowly but surely, electricity is being restored. When homeowners are allowed to return to their properties, I think we'll hear the majority of those homes have serious water damage, and many that appear undamaged will still be torn down due to mold/mud or structural damage. Galveston will be YEARS returning to normal.

We are on our way to Indianapolis today to visit friends and attend an Irish Festival there.
A wrap-up on my "IKE week" will have to wait until I've had time to take a deep breath and recover.
Thanks again everyone for your comments and kind thoughts.

In My Own Bed

I'm safely home... and worn out.
I'll be back later.

Galveston Update

Typing this at Brazoria County, TX airport, on our way to the UTMB hospital at Galveston again.
The hospital is adjacent to the harbor. Several shrimp boats made their way into the harbor just before the storm, hoping to offload their full loads of shrimp at the shrimp processing plant there. They ended up having to bug out before offloading, and that cargo is now emitting an odor into a fairly warm Texas atmosphere that can be smelled for miles... it's VERY uncomfortable at the hospital and those nearby neighborhoods. The plant itself is also without power, and whatever shrimp might have been there before they evacuated is also rotting.
UGH.

But it has been heartening watching how relief workers handle storm victims. "Meals, Ready-to-eat" are available to everyone, in addition to water, if you have a container to carry it. Chaplains hover around to provide spiritual support to whoever might need it. Although we are all tired, everyone has the attitude that we need to make the situation better, not worse, so we all smile, shrug our shoulders, and carry on.

This is my last day here... I have to be in Indianapolis for an event on Saturday, so I'm hoping to be there Friday night. I'm scheduled to be on the silver bird tomorrow.

I'll update ya as I can.

Update from Galveston:
Some interesting stuff here.

Dateline: Galveston

Two different worlds-
My company is housing us in the Hyatt Hotel on the Riverwalk in San Antonio.
I am literally on the ramp to the Emergency Room in Galveston as I type this post, using a new Dell computer placed here by the U.S. ARMY, one of six on a table right outside the ER door. There are also eight telephones that anyone can use... unlimited long-distance to anywhere in the U.S.
The ARMY team is working on the hospital radios to give them the ability to talk with incoming ambulances. What a transition... to go from the rich appointments of the Hyatt, to peeing in a port-a-potty here at the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston, because the toilets in the hospital don't yet work properly.

Yesterday I flew several federal V.I.P.'s around Galveston Island, to include Dr. Julie Gerberding, administrator of the Center for Disease Control. It was neat meeting her...
another of those folks you've seen enough on TV that you know them and feel you should be able to walk up and say hello.
Today I'm on standby to fly more federal officials to survey the area. I have no word on who might be coming, but I sit prepared to do what is necessary. President Bush flew by in Marine 1 earlier, and there was a rumor goin' around he might show up here in person.

Yesterday I carried my first patient out of here.
When you think of the boneheads that failed to protect themselves by not evacuating, don't be too quick to judge.
Lemme tell you his story.

A 37 year old man, he had just bought the nicest car he had ever owned. With some pride he drove it to Galveston to pick up his 68 year old Mother and take her to higher ground.
She was having none of it. She had been through storms before, and she wasn't leaving her home to get caught in a traffic jam, only to have her house looted before she could return. So he shrugged his shoulders and made the decision to stay and protect her.

By the time the eye of the hurricane rolled over Galveston, they both realized what a mistake they had made. There was 3 feet of water in the living room, and the house had been partially floated/moved off its foundation. Our patient took advantage of the eye's lull and used the extension cord from the vacuum to lash he and his Mother so they couldn't be washed apart in the coming "second act". When the eye passed and the winds started again, the house fell apart around them. They took refuge in the strongest part of the house, the front porch. They spent the rest of the storm there... battered by rain and the surge of water for several hours, wondering if they would survive the night.

This man had had three minor heart attacks before, and this hospital is unable to do more than first aid right now. He had to be transported.
We flew him to Houston Executive airport, took him off the helicopter and loaded him aboard a Fixed Wing Ambulance, and he was on his way to Dallas for the care he needed.

Want human interest?
This man lost his car, and IKE had also taken most of his clothing. On board the helicopter we had T-Shirts with our company logo and we gave him one... the start of his totally new wardrobe.

Flying around Galveston, it's interesting to see what has been damaged and what hasn't. New construction obviously fared better than old, and homes closer to the water are all damaged in some way. New construction methods really ARE working.

To those who have commented below... DM, and Nec... thank you.
And TWD... thanks for your comments too. We'll cut the young man some slack...
I gotta think he really is worth a dialogue.

More later folks, and I have much to share with you.

Hurry Up And Wait

Once again I'm borrowing time on someone else's computer. I've decided I'll soon be investing in one of these new "mini" laptops, probably the one just being marketed by Dell.

I don't know why it wasn't obvious...
We're down here because of extreme weather, brought about by geography and environmental conditions. Why did I think once IKE was on the move we'd be able to fly around the clock to lend a helping hand?
We're dealing with several big bureaucracies and their individual chains-of-command to be tasked with moving a patient. The procedure itself takes hours, then we have to deal with weather, being able to complete the flight during normal hours required by Federal Aviation Regulations, and the amount of light available if we'll be flying into an area with tall, unlit towers.

So far, the extent of my duties has been to preflight, be briefed on mission and mission changes, then eat breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks in between. We are now eating ONLY because we are bored to tears.

There are thunderstorms in Houston and Galveston. It makes ya want to pull your hair out, knowing there are patients needing our help that we cannot fly because of factors totally beyond our control.
I WANT TO SCREAM.

I've been here four days and have yet to help a soul. This afternoon, (Sunday), looks ugly, and I'll probably run out of F.A.R. required duty time before it clears enough for us to head that way. Then comes that boogey man again... darkness.
Thank God for ground ambulances... I bet those folks are working their tushies off.
There are 15 medical helicopters on this ramp, Lord. Give us weather to do our jobs, please.

I'm taking pictures to share with you later.
I'll update ya when I can.

Runnin' Like The Coward I Am!

I didn't even get a chance to transport ONE patient!

My counterpart flew the aircraft back to our base of operations late last night. By the time I received the necessary briefings and had preflighted, management decided we needed to bug out to protect these big dollar machines. Eight helicopters took off for shelter... four to Del Rio, Texas, and four to Junction City, Texas. I was in the Del Rio contingent.

So here I sit, typing on a borrowed computer... (believe it or not I convinced the motel manager to let me use her machine. I'm in her office alone, and could cause terrible mischief if I wanted!)
God Bless her for being a good samaritan.

Now we wait.
Wait for Ike to do whatever damage he's gonna do, then we'll come in behind him and try to provide whatever help we can.
In the meantime, the weather is fine here in Del Rio right now. The beer is cold. The enchiladas, refried beans and spanish rice are wonderful.

Wish you were here!

Ike, Yikes!

A quicky...
I'm safely in San Antonio, Mom. I can't tell you that personally if you don't answer your phone!

Fourteen helicopters here doin' the job. Tonight (Thursday) looks flyable all night long. Weather should not be a factor, so the only glitch is flying in an unfamiliar area.
Tomorrow night though... ?

Talking with guys that have done this job before brought up something I hadn't considered...
When the power goes out, all those tall "airplane grabbers" will be unlit.
Think I'll start bein' chicken?
You bet!

More when I can.
Thank you all so much for the kind words.
Right now they're indicating Galveston/Houston.
Bad.

Greybeard's Excellent Adventure

Bim, Bam, Boom!
No sooner had I gotten to work tonight than my lead pilot asked:
"Wanta go to Texas?"
"When?"
"Tomorrow."

So I'll be flying the pressurized "silver bus with wings" tomorrow afternoon to Dallas, then connect to San Antonio where my rotary-winged steed should await me. In Alamo town, crew and helicopter will wait and see what IKE has in store for Texas' Gulf Coast.
If necessary, we'll move patients from coastal hospitals inland to safety, and do other jobs as needed.

I initially thought about taking the laptop with me, but tomorrow I may literally be sleeping on an ARMY cot in a gymnasium, and security may be an issue. If I can, I'll hijack someone else's computer and update you as possible.

I'll be fine.
Pray for Gulf Coasters.
IKE looks like a real troublemaker.

Obama- Friend of Bill

From ABC News:



It is my sincere hope to one day get face to face with this man.
He, like John Kerry, and so many other anti-war folks I have mentioned before, is responsible for MILLIONS of deaths.

Pacifica Radio... PWNED!

This is a little over 9 minutes long.
If you're an Obama supporter, don't waste your time.
If you're a fan of Pitbulls with lipstick, you'll laugh out loud at "puppets" being embarrassed by Senator Mike Gravel.



HT: Q and O

"Lipstick On A Pig"

From a comment at YouTube about Obama's latest gaffe:

"Obama will be elected President when pigs with lipstick fly!"

Gotta love it.

Long Term Health Care

Young folks...
You may want to skip this one.

My lovely wife and I just got off the phone after talking for over an hour.
I've applied for a long-term health care policy, and an RN from who-knows-where called and asked us personal health questions you can't even imagine. I've been carrying seriously ill patients to tertiary care centers for 22 years, and I AIN'T NEVER HEARD of summa the things she asked about!

And MAN!
Beyond finding out I'm actively employed as a commercial pilot, do we STILL need to ask some of these questions?!!
"Do you use a motorized device instead of walking in your daily activities?"
Yes, sweetheart!
I drive my "hover-round" out to the helicopter and my paramedic helps me up into the cockpit.

She's on a recorded line, so I'm sure they review and make sure all the questions are asked and properly answered. Still... we are slaves to our technology, aren't we?

I'm 61. Sara Jean is 51. I've been considering long-term health care for several years now, but it always seemed too expensive, and the industry was so new there were lots of questions about what we really needed in the way of benefits...
Payments for health procedures, and particularly housing during rehab or long term nursing facilities.

This one seems reasonable and adequate. If issued with no glitches, it will cost $150 monthly, but will pay various bills into the hundreds of thousands of dollars if needed. We've seen enough tragedy in our lives over the last several months, I finally decided to pull the trigger and get coverage for both of us.

Still, it's a complicated, uncomfortable mess.
If you're interested in any of this, say so in the comments.
When I know even more details on this plan, I'll share.

Paranormal Believer?

If you are a believer in things paranormal, (which I sorta am),
you MUST go here and read the first comment to John's post.
Wow.

Added later:
Brian's website is here.

Marx-Dudek

Added later:
A.K. Marx-Dudek, unlike C.K. "Dexter" Haven, is a female.

Some of you may have read the exchange between me and A.K. Marx-Dudek in a post below. It pays, obviously, when having a discussion with someone, to take a look at their blog, (if they're motivated to have one, R!), and get a feeling for their beliefs and world cares. I did that with A.K.M-D's blog... but initially I didn't dig deep enough.
The blog I checked was a "Blogger" blog. I finally woke up enough to see he has moved his "Blogger" blog to new digs... he now blogs here.

One of the things we had pounded into us during OCS was to pay "attention to detail, Candidate!" So I sometimes have alarm bells go off for no good reason. But the name "Marx" as part of such a strange name jangled the jingle in the back of my head. He's obviously intelligent and articulate... and I absolutely HATE it when people stop by and aren't moved enough to comment, so I'm pleased even when someone disagrees but says my words moved them to action, which Marx-Dudek did.

But checking out his new blog verified that sometimes you need to pay attention to your gut... even if it's just setting off tiny alarms.
Read far enough into his new blog and you'll notice something interesting...
Marx-Dudek is a Marxist. A gen-U-wine, bona-fide, idealist.

He's still intelligent. He's still articulate. At his heart, he may be a nice guy.
Some would have said the same thing about Karl Marx or
Vladimir I. Lenin.

So here's the deal, folks. We have been told our Candidate Obama has Marxist tendencies. That seems to be validated by the fact that someone like Marx-Dudek from Holland thinks Obama is who we in the U.S. should be voting for. So Marxists love Obama? Surprise, surprise, surprise!

Please, please, please M-D...
Come back now and tell us more about why Obama is our best choice.
I promise not to harangue you ever again.

Hey Steven!

When you write/link to stuff like this, I LOVE YOU MAN!
(I mean, like a brother, ya know?)

Ready To Smile?

Then go here.

Funner, And Funner, And FUNNER!

TalkLeft started a poll to see who could come closest to guessing how many days Sarah Palin would last before being forced off the republican ticket.

On the other hand, Oliver Willis says republicans are now sorry she's not at the top of the ticket, rather than in the V.P. slot!

Sarahcuda has lefties rattled.
Bad.
REAL bad.

(Change is coming!)

Dear Mr. Obama,

Two minutes.
Watch it all:

It's A Grand Old Flag!

Ouch!
Are these people REALLY that stupid?
(I'm frightened of the answer to that question.)

Missing Pieces

I've known her for 21 years.
I've known him for 20.
I saw him just two days ago. We talked of meeting for dinner.

They went to a movie then came home.
They argued. Neighbors heard it.
She and her 13 year old daughter went to the car.
She forgot her cell phone and went back to the house to grab it.
The daughter heard one shot, then another.
Both... gone.

Why?

40,000,000!

Negative ads work...
In an unintended way this time.

"Can you hear me now?"

Sarah Palin?

She's got a funny name... Palin.
What kinda name is that?

And she sure as heck doesn't look like all the Presidents on those dollar bills, does she?

DID YOU SEE THAT SPEECH?!!!
And can you read that T-shirt? ;>)

The Diddy Retort!

Word!
This video is a response to one published by "P-Diddy".
I won't trouble you with that video, because frankly I don't care "Diddly" about "Diddy" or what he thinks.
He's not even from my universe.

This guy is more my speed:

Back "Home" to Ft. Knox

Why do I have this desire? Is it universal?
Ft. Knox is special to me. Conscripted in 1966, I went through ARMY Basic Training there. I returned in 1967 and completed Officer Candidate's School.
After Viet Nam and a three year stint teaching Vietnamese to fly Hueys, I returned to Ft. Knox in '72 for the Armor Officer's Advanced Course. It's a big, lovely old Post, and the fact that I spent some of the most important/turbulent moments of my life there endears it to me.

Other than stopping at Godman Army Airfield once to refuel, I've not been to Ft. Knox since 1973. I've wanted to go back for a long time... to see how it's changed, and to see what remains of my past.

We were meeting friends there. We stopped off at the Patton Museum and walked around the exhibits until our friends arrived, then left to drive by the Bullion Depository you see above and check in at the visitor's quarters.

When I was last at Ft. Knox it was an open post. There were guards at the main gate, but they would flag you through as you approached. That's all changed. Everyone entering now stops and shows ID, and is asked what business they have on Post.

This visit we were housed in Yeoman Hall, a red brick structure with white columns at the entrance, built in 1937 and since modernized. It was beautiful, outside and in.

We ate South of Ft. Knox at Elizabethtown, then returned and searched for the area where I attended Basic Training. Those old WWII Oak barracks are long gone. The whole area is grown over with scrub trees, and the only indication the barracks were ever there is the "company streets" that poke out of the scrub and intersect with the main road. Those all-wood barracks were fire hazards. While I was in Basic we were required to have one soldier on "fire guard" all night. At lights out, one soldier would walk the barracks for an hour, then wake another to walk for an hour. This would continue from 10 P.M. until Reveille at 5 A.M. for the entire two months we were in Basic Training. I'm sure the ARMY was glad to be rid of the liability when they tore them down. I have heard rumors that when the contract to tear them down was let, a company did the job for free... they were solid oak and the lumber was worth enough to make doing it free worthwhile.
But the memories flow...
There is where the bank of 20 pay phones used to stand... and there is where the mess hall used to be. All gone, leaving a sad spot at my core. I wish I had taken pictures.

We returned to Yeoman Hall and adjourned to the patio for adult beverages and conversation. It's a beautiful summer evening.
BOOM, BOOM in the distance and I'm surprised... Saturday night and someone is on the tank firing range? Maybe a Reserve unit? It's an oddly comforting sound to me, and I'm glad my guests get to hear it.

We wake the next morning and share the continental breakfast. After checking out, it's off to pursue another of my memories... Otter Creek Park.
The weekend I graduated OCS and became a 2nd Lieutenant, we stayed in the Park in a cabin on a bluff high above the Ohio river. I remembered the view there as breathtaking, and on arrival we were not disappointed. Rental cabins are located on a bluff several hundred feet above a bend in the Ohio, overlooking farmland on the Indiana side of the river. From this point you are so high the view is most like you are flying. We all decide we must return later to rent a cabin.

I'm still missing one of my "ticket punches" for this trip...
I wanted to see where I lived during OCS. I've forgotten exactly where it was on Post. I had hoped that while driving around I might get a feeling of being close and homing into the location but so far, no luck. I ask some folks about things I remember... a swimming pool on one side, a baseball diamond on another.
"No, I think they filled that swimming pool with dirt some years ago" is one answer. In that case, they've torn that building down too. That seems odd, because like Yeoman Hall, it was a solid, brick structure.

It's time to go home. We drive to the Post gas station to fill up, then say our good-byes. But on the way to refuel I notice some U-shaped buildings exactly like my OCS barracks and point them out to Sara Jean. Our guests drive off in one direction, we go in another.
Later, on the road home while SJ is dozing, I grab the Ft. Knox map and start reviewing it. I notice the U-shaped buildings on the way to the gas station are depicted on the map exactly as they would look from above... U-shaped. I search the map for more of those and find one with an adjacent swimming pool. There is a baseball diamond on the other side! I wake Sara Jean with my exclamation... "AHA!!"
At this point we're almost an hour down the road, so going there will have to wait for our next visit. But there will be a "next visit"!

So back to my initial question...
Why do I have this desire to reach out and touch these places again? Most of us seem to have it... that's the reason for reunions, old school banquets, and things like tours to old battlegrounds.
Now I'm excited about going back to Ft. Knox to walk the area where I went to OCS.
What causes this need?