Dedicated to the men (the Blackhawks and Phantomhawks) of the 225th Surveillance Airplane Company, a company of Grumman OV-1 Mohawk aircraft, who served their country in Vietnam. (The background photo of PH 13 was taken by SP5 Darragh somewhere over RVN in late 1969.)
Friday, December 25, 2020
Merry Christmas!
Thursday, November 26, 2020
Tuesday, October 13, 2020
Taking A Break!
I want to let you know that I have decided to take a break from writing on this blog. My reasoning is because of the last half year of our several national difficulties we have all involuntarily been a part, not the least of which is the isolation caused by the Covid-19 pandemic and the contentious election campaigning that we will continue to experience at least through November 3rd (have you voted yet?).
I am keeping my mailing list up-to-date and I tentatively plan on resuming the “225th Observer” in the New Year. In the meantime, please stay safe!
Saturday, July 25, 2020
Shut-In Gazette #08
Friday, June 19, 2020
The Shut-In Gazette #07
Anyway, on to more cheerful things...my friend Barb Michieli sent three wonderful items that I'm including this time around...
First is a belated birthday wish for the US Army!
Next is the new look for the Army:
Also from Barb...And most of us are old enough to remember Francis Gary Powers and the U2. I remember clearly that I was in the 7th grade at Highland Junior High in Mr. Farrell's class when we got the news that he was shot down over the Soviet Union. I also remember that while we were on the runway at Anderson AFB in Guam on my way to (or maybe coming back from) R&R I looked out my window of the passenger jet we were on and saw a U2 take off literally straight up in to the air. What a sight! Click on this link for an article on the Dragon Lady.
I hope all is well with you and yours! Stay safe!
Thursday, June 11, 2020
DEROS + 18,227
SP5 Darragh in early 1970 |
My son Tim and me at the Udvar-Hazy National Air Museum in 2017 |
Then I met my pilot at the revetment. We did whatever preflight stuff we did in those days and I got into the Mohawk’s right seat. More pre-takeoff stuff and then off into the wild black yonder (remember that I got up at zero-dark thirty). As I remember it was a pretty normal flight-follow mission. I listened for the other aircraft as they called on and off their targets, all the time hoping that each individual mission radioed that they were indeed off each of their low level runs.
The sun had finally come up and it was gonna be another hot and humid day in the Republic of Vietnam. As we headed southeast towards the South China Sea, I radioed to CPT Larry Stallard, who was piloting another mission, to say goodbye a final time and quote a Bible verse I had memorized since we had met several months earlier. He and I became friends when he took me under his wing and we had had some Bible study together. I had learned Philippians chapter 4 verse 13 (“I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me”) during that time together.
Then my pilot, a Warrant Officer named George Drago, banked our aircraft and we were off to Cam Ranh Bay. But that wasn’t our destination yet!
You see, when pilots DEROSed from the 225th, they usually left the unit in a Mohawk after they had made a very low pass over the company area. But I was not a pilot; I had been with the Blackhawks/Phantomhawks since February 1968 and it was now 11 June 1970, so after 28 continuous months with the same outfit I wanted a low pass also! Mr. Drago knew this so he was going to oblige!
As we headed out over the beautiful multi-shaded azure waters of the South China Sea we climbed to I don’t know how many thousands of feet. Then, at the top of our climb he dropped the nose and a pad of paper and the maps I had on the dash board just floated in mid-air! In the wind shield all I could see was the bright blue expanse of the ocean. Then in the distance our target appeared…a pure white radome.
As the globe began to get really big really fast, Drago began to pull out of the dive and we zoomed right over the top of the radome, really close, and climbed rapidly climbed again. I don’t know how many Gs were pressing my body onto that oh-so-comfortable Martin Baker election seat I had been on since the flight began several hours earlier, but it was amazing feeling! I had gotten my low pass!
Next stop Cam Ranh Air Force Base! As we got close we were cleared for landing, and we set down on the gigantic 10,000 foot runway and taxied to the base passenger terminal. I remember that there was a brand new blue and white PanAm 747 in the parking area, and boy did our OV-1 look tiny!
We opened our cockpit doors, got down out of our aircraft, and pulled my luggage out of one of the cargo bays. We said our goodbyes, I saluted Mr. Drago and off I went to begin processing out of Vietnam.
I was on my way home and out of the Army. June 11, 1970. That was fifty years ago today!
Monday, May 25, 2020
The Shut-In Gazette #06
Another week has passed and we've mowed our lawns, planted more flowers and watched more TV than should ever be allowed. And have just about finished another holiday weekend in this awful pandemic.
Please take a moment to remember our friends who gave their lives in the service to their country while serving with us in the 225th Aviation Company in Vietnam.
Saturday, May 16, 2020
The Shut-In Gazette #05
This week I've linked three military stories that I thought you would enjoy. Just click on the appropriate links to get to them.
The first is a video story that I found on the BBC online service about the USS Nevada. (Note there may be a brief Windows commercial at the beginning of the video.) https://www.bbc.com/news/av/world-us-canada-52684890/world-war-two-us-navy-ship-discovered-in-pacific-ocean
Friday, May 8, 2020
The Shut-In Gazette #04
As Karin and I were watching TV last evening it occurred to me that even though we didn’t make our trip to Baja California this spring as had been our habit for the past few years, we had actually been traveling to a lot of other places in this great nation and around the world using our television machine instead of one of those parked 737s.
Where have we gone you ask? Well, one of our favorite places is to the zoo! Yes, I said the Zoo. But not just any zoo, specifically the Bronx Zoo. Every week we see what goes on behind the scenes and how some of these amazing creations of our Lord’s are cared for everyday. They even had a show specifically about what has happened during this pandemic around the two tigers and several lions were treated after they were diagnosed with the covid-19 virus. For a while we have also gone to one of our favorite places, the San Diego Zoo and Safari Park, until we ran out of episodes.
As we continue on our armchair adventure, eventually we end up in Columbus, Ohio, at the famous Columbus Zoo. Then heading southeast we arrive in the town where my Basic Training Buddy Taylor Davis lives…Tampa. National Geographic channel has a new series called Secrets of the Zoo: Tampa. Go north into Georgia and we will see you at the Aquarium in Atlanta (on Animal Planet).
As we continue to travel thousands of miles in our very own and very safe recliners, we have ended up in Cheshire, UK at the Chester Zoo. Their TV show Secret Life of the Zoo is produced in England and shown on Animal Planet in the US. This zoo’s mission is to be a major force in conserving biodiversity worldwide. It’s a wonder place to stop on the zoo tour. Then from England we go to Australia and visit Taronga Zoo Sydney (Australia’s largest zoo). It’s wonderful to see so many people really concerned about conserving wildlife!
Karin and I also like traveling to other places and historical times by sitting in front of our 48” screen. Some of our favorites are England where we find Call the Midwife, Silent Witness and the brand new Masterpiece series World on Fire. When you find you have some extra time to just veg in front of the boob tube, check out some of these wonderful shows.
I’ll continue sharing our adventures with you next time in the Shut-In Gazette.
Tuesday, April 28, 2020
The Shut-In Gazette #03
Well, of course I was about one brick short, so I had to go back and get another one. I went early (about 6:15am) to avoid the going to Disneyland again and walked right in. I got my brick and, after taking a shower in Purell, got back in the car and drove home. As I turned into the entrance drive to our community I noted some big dogs in the road; I slowed dow and they suddenly became deer instead of Great Danes! There were seven of them lazily munching on the grass and some of the other ornamental shrubbery. What a fun sight at 6:45am! Isn't the Lord great to provide these guys for us to enjoy!
Here are a couple of gems from Barb Michieli with whom I worked at Seattle Children' Hospital...
My Coast Guard friend Dave Pitkin sent this video of "Jimmy Buffett's Take on Coronavirus". Dave and I met for the first time while I was on R&R in Honolulu in 1969 and we were reunited because of the internet several years ago.
My neighbor Dan Batman periodically feeds me interesting pictures and cartoons. Here's one that he sent me a few days ago:
Thursday, April 23, 2020
The Shut-In Gazette #02
Sure, I know you probably have Netflix or Prime Video to fill your time, but set aside a couple of minutes to take a look at the lists and video links below that our friends have sent me to share with you...
Jim Taylor sent this amazing video of a Jeep On Ice:
George Drago sent this of an Emergency Airdrop:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=reBhp2sD6GE
Tony Chapa sent this list that is a result of the Covid-19 Recession":
The recession has hit everybody really hard. My neighbor got a pre-declined credit card in the mail.
CEO's are now playing miniature golf.
Exxon-Mobil laid off 25 Congressmen.
If the bank returns your check marked "Insufficient Funds," you call them and ask if they meant you or them.
McDonald's is selling the 1/4 ouncer.
Parents in Beverly Hills fired their nannies and learned their children's names.
A truckload of Americans was caught sneaking into Mexico.
A picture is now only worth 200 words.
The Treasure Island casino in Las Vegas is now managed by Somali pirates.
And, finally...
I was so depressed last night thinking about the economy, wars, jobs, my savings, Social Security, retirement funds, etc., I called the Suicide Hotline. I got a call center in Pakistan, and when I told them I was suicidal, they got all excited, and asked if I could drive a truck.
On a more serious note...Barb Michieli sent this about Different Perspectives on the Coronavirus Pandemic:
WE ARE NOT IN THE SAME BOAT
I heard that we are all in the same boat, but it's not like that. We are in the same storm, but not in the same boat. Your ship could be shipwrecked and mine might not be. Or vice versa.
For some, quarantine is optimal. A moment of reflection, of re-connection, easy in flip flops, with a cocktail or coffee. For others, this is a desperate financial and family crisis.
For some that live alone they're facing endless loneliness. While for others it is peace, rest and time with their mother, father, sons and daughters.
With the $600 weekly increase in unemployment some are bringing in more money to their households than they were working. Others are working more hours for less money due to pay cuts or loss in sales.
Some families of 4 just received $3400 from the stimulus while other families of 4 saw $0.
Some were concerned about getting a certain candy for Easter while others were concerned if there would be enough bread, milk and eggs for the weekend.
Some want to go back to work because they don't qualify for unemployment and are running out of money. Others want to kill those who break the quarantine.
Some are home spending 2-3 hours/day helping their child with online schooling while others are spending 2-3 hours/day to educate their children on top of a 10-12 hour workday.
Some have experienced the near death of the virus, some have already lost someone from it and some are not sure if their loved ones are going to make it. Others don't believe this is a big deal.
Some have faith in God and expect miracles during this 2020. Others say the worst is yet to come.
So, friends, we are not in the same boat. We are going through a time when our perceptions and needs are completely different.
Each of us will emerge, in our own way, from this storm. It is very important to see beyond what is seen at first glance. Not just looking, actually seeing.
We are all on different ships during this storm experiencing a very different journey.
~ Author unknown
I received this from Steve Sachs...It's about "Old Glory":
https://raulrubiera.smugmug.com/RaulRubieraPhotography/RRP-Final-Images/2020/Evangelo-Morris-Old-Glory/i-zWkvH7G/A
Saturday, April 18, 2020
The Shut-In Gazette #01
In light of all this history, I was thinking of a way to report on the pandemic without being snarky or morbid (and believe me that I have plenty to be snarky about!) As I was trying to go to sleep last night I thought that I should start an ongoing column called the Shut-In Gazette. Over the past couple of weeks several of you have sent me some very clever items that I will include in this and subsequent columns. Thanks! and keep them coming!!!
From my friend and former colleague at Seattle Children's Hospital Barb Michieli MAJ US Army Retired:
- I used to spin that toilet paper like I was on Wheel of Fortune. Now I turn it like I'm cracking a safe.
- I need to practice social-distancing from the refrigerator.
- I still haven't decided where to go for Easter – The Living Room or The Bedroom.
- Every few days try your jeans on just to make sure they fit. Wearing pajamas all the time will have you believe all is well in the kingdom.
- I don't think anyone expected that when we changed the clocks we'd go from Standard Time to the Twilight Zone.
- This morning I saw a neighbor talking to her cat. It was obvious she thought her cat understood her. I came into my house and told my dog . . . we laughed a lot.
- Quarantine Day 5: I went to this restaurant called THE KITCHEN. You have to gather all the ingredients and make your own meal. I have no clue how this place is still in business.
- My body has absorbed so much soap and disinfectant lately that when I pee it cleans the toilet.
- I'm so excited – it's time to take out the garbage. What should I wear?
- I hope the weather is good tomorrow for my trip to Puerto Backyarda. I'm getting tired of Los Livingroom.
- Classified Ad: Single man with toilet paper seeks woman with hand sanitizer for good clean fun.
- Day 5 of Homeschooling: My child just said "I hope I don't have the same teacher next year". I'm offended.
- Better 6 feet apart than 6 feet under!
From our friend Larry Stallard, former CPT US Army and Mohawk Driver in RVN:
"This is what I need instead of our 'traditional Alexa'."
And from our friend George Drago, also a Mohawk Driver in RVN: This is entitled "What Sex Are Computers?"
Monday, March 16, 2020
DoD Stop Movement Travel Restrictions
Sunday, March 15, 2020
Army and Air Force Come Together To Serve
Camp Lewis USO dining room |
"Chef" Ed Logan, USAF Ret. |
Tuesday, March 3, 2020
A New Virus...
Friday, February 21, 2020
Anxiety
PTSD (Posttraumatic Stress Disorder) isn’t listed in the Mayo list above, but it is also a psychiatric disorder; I have two Vietnam veteran friends who are both still dealing with PTSD after more than half a century after coming home from the war zone. I am one of those fortunate guys who escaped the long-term ravages of PTSD, but I suffered some minor effects of it right after I got home.
However, in the fall of 1993 I was diagnosed with chronic depression. I don’t believe that this was due to PTSD but, rather, it’s a hereditary disorder caused by a chemical deficiency in my brain. This is a very long story that I’ll share with you in the future, but suffice it to say that I had a physician who understood how serious depression was, correct diagnosed it, and prescribed both medication (which I still regularly take each evening) and some cognitive learning strategies which helped me immeasurably.
In the not-too-far-distant past mental illness was regarded by many to be a condition or disorder that people did not talk about, except with a counsellor or doctor. It certainly wasn’t’ discussed in a family setting. We have been involved in ongoing discussions with our youngest son Tim about his efforts dealing with anxiety. He has gotten help, and he wrote an article in Medium.com about his own struggle. He gave me permission to publish it on The 225th Observer because I thought someone out there might find it useful. It’s below in its entirety.
An Anxious Designer by Tim Darragh
How anxiety has recharged my creativity and career.
I’ve struggled with anxiety my entire life, and working as a designer comes with a unique amount of stress and pressure. Designers are expected to be innovative and creative. We are pressured to work long hours and prioritize work over life. For me, these stresses have sometimes snowballed into anxious thoughts. It wasn’t until recently that I accepted and addressed my anxiety disorder, and it has changed my world view as a designer.
Anxiety is the second most common mental disorder. The NIH estimate that 31.1% of American adults have experienced an anxiety disorder at some point in their lives. Even though most adults experience anxiety, the cruelty of it is how isolated it makes people feel. Anxiety makes you feel under siege by your own thoughts and physical reactions to those thoughts.
Three years ago I accepted a role at a digital agency on the other side of the country. For the past 10 years, I had cut my teeth at agencies and I finally felt like I had “made it”. From day one, I was able to work on some great projects and pitches. I did see one red flag, but I accepted it as my own ignorance of the office and company culture.
As the months passed, my workload slowly increased. I was the only designer in the office that did the role that I was hired for. This made me feel extremely isolated and I found myself having small anxiety attacks while at work. I’d start to hyperventilate, and my stomach would churn. Because of this inadvertent isolation, I was not accepted professionally or personally at work. It was clear to me that the role I was hired for was largely invalid. This was rocket fuel for my anxiety.
Before I knew it, the majority of my work was with teams in other offices, and it was rare that I had any tasks on projects within the office I sat in. This bothered me. I saw work going on around me, yet I wasn’t able to be part of it. The feeling of isolation grew. I found myself feeling hyper observant of my environment and my coworkers. I started to question everything happening around me. What are they all working on? What is that meeting about? Am I missing out? Did I do something wrong? These anxious thoughts became more frequent and eventually manifested themselves as weekly, then daily, anxiety attacks. I was under siege by my own thoughts and physical reactions.
My family has a history of anxiety and depression so I was somewhat familiar with what was happening to me, but I didn’t know what to do about it. Should I see a doctor? What can a doctor do to improve my work environment? Why was this happening to me? What did I do wrong to deserve this? I felt alone, stuck, and in doubt of our decision to move across the country.
I’ve learned the hard way that designers have little to no job stability within agencies. Layoffs are common, and designers are always the first to be let go. The day before my birthday, I was called into a meeting room with my supervisor and an HR person. I was told that my role was no longer going to be a capability that the agency will support. I needed to pack up and leave. Not the best birthday gift, but I can honestly say I was happy about it. I felt like a weight had been lifted off my shoulders.
The next few weeks and months were terrible. Literally the day after I was shown the exit door I started my job hunt. That’s all I did… I was entirely focused on my job search and networking. It was all I thought about. I was determined to land a job ASAP.
What I didn’t know was that I was running on fumes. Over the past three years, I had worked so hard and avoided taking care of my physical and mental self. To top things off, I caught the flu for the first time in a decade. The flu progressed into pneumonia. Depression and anxiety followed. To me every small issue felt like an accelerating disaster in slow motion.
Everything came to a head when our elderly cat had a health scare. I was concerned and frustrated for our cat. I was angry that she was sick at that exact moment. I remember thinking that I honestly wanted her to pass– for her own comfort and mine. Was I a horrible person to think that? What if she passed? Could I make that decision? What if she got better? What if I got a job? What if we had to move again? What if…?
Eventually I realized I needed help. Yes, something is wrong with me. I shouldn’t feel like every small problem was a major issue that I couldn’t handle. I made an appointment with my doctor. I was prescribed medication and group therapy. I had to focus on myself, and I had to work hard to get better.
Group therapy has been eye opening. I’ve learned that anxiety is a natural survival reaction to stressful situations– we all know it as our fight-or-flight response. When our brain kicks into fight-or-flight mode, our bodies start producing cortisol, the same chemical that is coursing through my body when I’m having an anxiety attack. The difference for me is that my body has lost its ability to effectively regulate cortisol. I’ve been fight-or-flighting for years! Through group therapy I’ve felt support and community. Everyone has experienced anxiety at some moment in their life. Anxiety is normal.
I’ve also realized that for the entirety of my adult life, I’ve tied my identity as a designer directly to my self identity. I’ve always been shy, and being a designer is cool. By extension people might think I’m cool. For me, each time I’ve been laid-off has put my self identity into question because my career is sent into flux. I needed to reprogram my brain. Yes, my career just hit another speed bump, but my self value should not be dependent on that. I needed to learn to think practically about my own thoughts and disconnect my own self value with the success of my career. I needed to learn to accept that sometimes work is just work. Yes, I work as a designer, but I am much more than that.
One afternoon, a good friend (and talented web developer) of mine told me that he knows that I have a great technical mind, and that I am much more than just a designer. He said that I could very easily be a web or app developer. This was astonishing to me! I had never thought of myself as anything but a designer. I felt like another weight was lifted off of my shoulders and I finally had some alternative pathways for my creative and career goals.
My struggle with anxiety has helped me to realize that I am larger than the job that I have or the projects I work on. My value comes from my experience. I can direct my career and shape my life in the way I want it to be. I no longer feel cornered by my career or my skills. I feel renewed and excited about what the future holds for my creative career.
I’m not sure if I’ll ever get to the point where I don’t have anxiety and I don’t need medication. Only time will tell. Right now, I’m doing good (which is great). What I’ve learned is to be mindful of how I calculate my self value. Our culture increasingly puts pressure on being creative and unique, and being a designer is in some ways the perfect illustration of that idea. So for me, working as a designer will always be a large part of my life, but now it doesn’t have to be the largest or most important part.
Anxiety coping skills & resources:
- Simply learning about anxiety has helped me a ton. Knowledge is powerful. Generalized Anxiety — Mayo Clinic
- I shared how I feel and my thoughts with my friends and family.
- Journaling is a good outlet. It helps me to acknowledge and let go of whatever is bothering me. I prefer writing in a notebook, but there is apps out there like Day One.
- I use the Headspace App for mindfulness & meditation. There are many other apps such as Calm, Balance, and 10% Happier.
- Distracting myself is ok. I will watch Netflix or a movie. If I’m well enough, reading a book really helps me. I recently got a library card, and there are tons of free audio books and movies to borrow.
- Side projects for myself are important. I’m not talking about freelance or side hustles. For instance, this article has been a personal side project. I’m creating this for you and for myself.
Friday, February 14, 2020
Duffle Bag Diaries
Fifty-three years ago this June I met Taylor H. Davis as we began our mutual yet individual journeys through three year careers in Uncle Sam's Army. The place was North Fort Lewis (now JBLM) and the occasion was BCT (Basic Combat Training), an unbelievably terrible but somehow beneficial eight weeks in our young lives.
Anyway, over the past half-century my fellow BCT bunkmate and I have managed to keep in contact with each other. Below is an email Taylor recently sent me to share with you all. Enjoy!