• Friday, June 18th, 2010
I recommend you spend some time here. I admire Dottie’s work very much. She is quite an asset to our community. Check it out.
Category: Historical
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Tag-Archive for ◊ Historical ◊
• Wednesday, November 11th, 2009
Seen above is my dad on October 18 1950 with the motor pool of his company, the 14th Explosive Ordnance Disposal Squad. They are in Japan prior to deploying to Korea for bomb disposal duty as part of the US Army support for the Marines. My dad is fourth from the left in the top row. Seen here as a young man of 18, he’s now 77, and living in Redding along with my mom Pauline.
According to my dad, only 5 of these soldiers seen here survived the “forgotten” war in Korea, with its 54,229 US killed in action. See The Battle of Chosin Reservoir. Click on the image to see a larger view of these young men. Today is a day to consider the faces of those soldiers, and the lives not lived. It’s a big photo, so may require patience to load.
He’s not one to talk about it much. I try to imagine disarming weaponry in the freezing cold on the border of China. I guess I can understand not wanting to dwell on it.
Thanks Dad. Thanks to all veterans.
Category: Historical
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• Friday, September 11th, 2009
Our hearts go out to the families of those killed in the 9/11 attack.
This photo of Karry and me in New York is on my desk. It’s a daily reminder that every time you kiss or hug a loved one goodbye for even the most mundane separation, it may turn out to be the last time.
Category: Historical, Opinion, Photography
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• Wednesday, January 14th, 2009
I posted a very rare short video of a day at the races in either 1962 or ‘63 at the Redding Dragstrip in Redding. It’s fascinating to see what it looked like back then. The video appears to a be a dub of an 8mm film titled “Drag Day”, and made by the Sparman family. Shot in “Sparmascope” no less. Really fun to watch:
Our great thanks to the Sparmans for preserving this bit of our history about 45 years ago. I am tracking down another one like this that is also very interesting, and hope to post it soon. If you have any old movies or videos of the Redding Dragstrip, I’d appreciate hearing from you. As of now, it looks like our dragstrip is the oldest continuously operating drag racing facility in California. Redding has always been a big car town, and these images reveal a glimpse of our past.
As an aside, I run the website for the Redding Dragstrip, since a neighbor found out I had the ability, and their previous web person bowed out. It’s been a lot of fun, and I’ve met lots of nice folks. You can view that website HERE.
Category: Fun, Historical, Informational, Video
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• Monday, January 12th, 2009
I snapped this photo of an Ultralight flying past my house yesterday. I was reminded of an old photo I saw of the first airplane that landed in Redding, almost exactly 100 years earlier in 1909.
An interesting resemblance between the two aircraft, and the spirit of their pilots. Photo courtesy of Shasta Historical Society. Consider joining us.
Category: Fun, Historical, Photography
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