December 7, 1941


My father's first ship duty after graduation from the Naval Academy in 1939:

The USS West Virginia

Picture 1 under her own power, San Francisco Bay, Ca

Picture 2 the morning of December 7th, The USS West Virginia and the USS Tennessee; the horrible smoke to the right of the USS West Virginia is the USS Arizona, sunk to the harbor floor, split in two, and burning, she is a total loss, ship and crew.

Luckily my Dad wasn't aboard when the bombs fell and the torpedoes struck his ship

He and my mother were just married and lived in downtown Honolulu

He was awakened by the roar of plane engines

Upon looking out the apartment window he realized he was seeing enemy planes bombing the harbor

He immediately went to his ship

She had already sunk to rest on the floor of the harbor

He was missing for three days while the harbor waited for another attack

My mother assisted with helping as best as she could.

Their Polynesian romance in Hawaii ended.

Dad was moved to the USS Pennsylvania which was not severely damaged and set out to sea

Mother returned to her parents home in Hollywood


To me, this is a special day, many, many thoughts.



About 1958 my family is stationed in Hawaii and my dad (still in the Navy) took a small USN boat manned by a couple of sailors and we (dad, two brothers, and me) cruised out to the remains of the USS Arizona. Dad was in his Navy uniform. At the time there was no memorial, just the USS Arizona. The oil slick oozed from inside of the ship and the the gun turrets were above the water. I truly will never forget what I saw under the water. I will never forget the look on my dad's face. It was a tough moment for us all, including the two young sailors.



My dad 1941, front row, 4th from the left. He is 26 years old in this photo. Still a youngster like all of them.

Aye, listen up ya tiki sand diggers, fer all me trusty piratey bucaneers I have a cheat sheet fer sharing...feast yor eyes to this pirate site so's ya can practice to the lore and even shop fer attire. ;-) Ahar!

and thars more pirate stuff to be seen!

This isn't the best looking picture cuz it's very old and it's been scanned but the memories are there! The handsome guy with the tie that looks like me is my dad, the kids on the floor are me (making a face as usual), my "older" cousin, and my older brother...the people on the couch are (L-R) my Grandpa, Aunt Ethyl (she was so funny!!), Grandpa's 2nd wife Stella (Grandma passed away suddenly from a stroke in the 40's), my aunt Rosina and Uncle Hubert, dad's brother. My family and I are visiting Ohio as we drove across country from DC to California (Dad was in the Navy-we moved alot). All the adults (even Grandpa, Stella, and Aunt Ethyl) have a cocktail (like manhattens) and we were all having a really fun time. They even laughed at my goofy kid faces. I think my mother is taking the picture. Grandpa was a great fisherman from Ohio. It about 1960! Only the three kids on the floor are still livin it up.

A Happy Tiki Thanksgiving to my ~loyal tiki sand digger~, Salsa yalsa sista n lua!

Where do the months go? I can't believe that the days just keep marching by. This last weekend was the anniversary of JFK's assasination. I remember it well. Last week was my birthday and the week before was my wife's birthday. Now we approach Thanksgiving. There's been lots of talk about turkey and stuffing but I have been thinking about "thanksgiving". I have so much to be thankful for. I have a great family. I have two very interesting and different children and they are both a chip off the old block. I have a great wife who is the absolute best a guy could ask for. I have great in-laws. I live in a great community. I have really awesome bikes, trains, cars and tools. I have an immense amount of incredible memories including a BFF, friends, people, a sailing trip to Mexico, High school, college, Disneyland trips, navy memories, family memories, trips to Hawaii with loved ones, feats, sightseeing, and the list goes on and on. The next big day for me is December 7th. My parents were there and I'm really thankful that they both lived to tell the story. Check out their story written by me USS West Virginia

circa 1972-73

!Genuine proof I had long hair!

~So was I a genuine hippie, didn't believe in war, believed in love, still do~

Pax Vobiscum

Gimme head with hair

Long beautiful hair

Shining, gleaming,

Streaming, flaxen, waxen

Give me down to there hair

Shoulder length or longer

Here baby, there mama

Everywhere daddy daddy

Hair, hair, hair, hair, hair, hair, hair

Flow it, show it

Long as God can grow it

My hair

So everyone knows, I think, that I grew up being a cowboy as much as I could. Some of the famous ones were my heroes and still are. One was Paul Newman. Have a cowboy moment from youtube. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=31aETl1BESU

sad day...
somebody i love is hurting,
and there's nothing I can do.

Sitting at my desk and just pondering. I have thoughts, many thoughts. Wish I could have been an actor. I like to entertain. I love standing ovations. Many of my tears have been shed at standing ovations for plays I've done. I love plays even when I'm not in them. I'm enchanted when entertained by hard working actors. Theaters embrace me and give me joy. I would love to work at a theater for the arts.
I might have been a cowboy once. I love horses, leather, boots, and the west. I almost feel as if I have ridden horses and camped among the best of cowboys and native Americans. Some of my best heroes are cowboys. Like Michael Landon. I know he wasn't a true cowboy but he was an inspiration to me and as a kid I emulated him. Roy Rogers was one of the best. A cowboy gentleman with a great lady by his side. My favorite movie is "Tombstone". Kurt Russell played Wyatt Earp with true dignity. Watch it sometime, ignore the nonsense and enjoy good acting.
Art deco, I want it in the house and the car. Where's my rat pack bar?
Polynesia, it's always there to please ya.
Friends and friends and more friends, they run with the trends.
Love, there's never enough.
Comfort, everyone needs it.
Give and you shall receive (maybe)
Waste not want not.
Can't wait for another good movie, you know, the ones that make you warm all over and cleanse your eyes of uneeded tears.
It's sad to be alone yet that's when you get the most accomplished, like now.
Mermaids, if only they were real, but it is a good movie with great acting. Maybe my daughter will let me watch it with her.
"Apollo13", dang, this is what is "the right stuff", amazing movie of how it was then. Bravo Tom!
"Man in the Moon" with Reese, I love this movie (not the end). Such a touching movie about young love. Sometimes it really hurts.
Last but not least "Under the Tuscan Sun", touching, soothing, and entertaining with bread, cheese, and a good glass of wine.
Enough, I'm done.
Adios!