Yes, I am a veteran and proud of it. And a lifelong Dem, and proud of that too.
I know this is dKos and whatever your feelings may be for the military I think you’ll agree with me that we need someone to keep watch while the rest of us sleep. We’ve found a need for this force since 1775.
Anyway, I’ve had it with Rump and I thought you may like to check out some pics of US Territories in the Pacific and a British territory in the Indian Ocean. I spent 20 years in the Navy as a pilot, first watching out for Soviet subs and later as a transport pilot. This trip was around 1990 and began in Alameda, CA., to Hawaii, Wake Island, Guam, Philippines, Diego Garcia, Okinawa, Atsugi (Tokyo), Midway Island, Hawaii, and home.
This was flown in a Navy C9B (DC-9-30), like an MD-80. In 2012 the Navy switched over to the 737(C-40). The airlines just don’t fly where we need to move sailors and marines.
The Pacific is vast, 3x the size of the Atlantic, we had to check the winds closely.
First up: Wake Island.
Wake was a US Territory from the 1800’s, no one else wanted it. It is an Atoll spec in the middle of the Pacific. When ships ran on coal it became a coal depository, then Pan Am used it for a gas station for the Clipper in the 1930’s. Prior to WWII we put about 500 USMC there as its position became more strategic. Japan invaded on 11 Dec 1941 and got repulsed then succeeded on 23 Dec 1941. Japan held the island throughout the war. Today it is an emergency airport manned by 80 civilians and administered by the USAF.
Next week: Guam
Vote Vets.