The Questionable Inquiry On U.S. Navy Disclosure

 

Earlier this week June 18, 2023, my cousin Ron asked me about the fate of the deep submergence submarine Titan. My 5-word reply – ...they are dead or lost. Turns out the US Navy strongly suspected the Titan was lost early Sunday, June 18th – and reported this finding in classified messages to top brass and the on-scene Titan search commander. One of CNN's ace gray-haired reporters was seen yesterday seriously asking why it took so long for the US Navy to publicly release their opinion that Titan likely imploded just a couple hours into its descent on the wreck of Titanic.

As background, do a valuable read of the Wikipedia Internet post describing SOSUS. From what I've heard and read from non-military sources, this Wikipedia article seems fairly accurate.

Click HERE to check out the article. 

Thanks to the discovery a few decades past that a cowardly retired US Navy Officer John Walker (died 2014) and his family of spies, the secrets of SOSUS were accurately disclosed and confirmed over time to the USSR. So the valuable classified SOSUS system as then configured in the 1960s+ was considered less useful following the Walker spy-network treason. And with the end of the Cold War (OBTW Washington and the world, the Cold War has never ended), SOSUS information was thought less valuable to military strategic planners... perhaps even unnecessary to some of these star-laden wiz-kids. But who among us believes there is not now an operational SOSUS replacement system (some form of SOSUS upgrade) that provides USA defense managers with accurate data on the position of adversarial submarines. And to that self-important gray-haired CNN reporter – NOW HEAR THIS -- whatever it is that now provides the USA with submarine intelligence is now likely highly classified. Bottom line – it is obvious to a most casual observer that it is this system or sound analysis method(s) that heard the Titan implode. Whatever hardware and software, or physical/virtual assets are employed to discover and evaluate submarine activity at sea is none of the general population's business -- and the ethically deprived inquiry by a CNN "alleged reporter" is dangerously inappropriate.  It seems equally obvious that an average 4th-grade science class will easily understand why the secrecy of such a SONAR system is important in securing the safety and security of the US people.

The decision to release the US Navy's classified position regarding a likely Titan "catastrophic implosion" rose to the level of the Executive Office of the POTUS -- (or hopefully, this better be true!). 

Note: The Titan image inserted at the top of this post is sourced from multiple Google Internet news publications and is likely the public-domain property of the OceanGate firm.

Two first Cousins, Combat Wounded WWI Veterans

The Covert brothers were private soldiers enlisted in June 1917 at the Mohawk Armory, New York State National Guard, Company M, 107th Infantry Regiment, a unit federalized later in 1917 for the duration of WWI as part of the U.S. First Army.  The European Theater battles their regiment engaged in include, but are not limited to, East Paperinghe, Dickenbusch, Bellicourt, and The Hindenburg Line. Charles served in overseas combat duty from May 9, 1918, through December 26, 1918, he was severely wounded in action on October 30, 1918, with a head injury. Charles was declared 40% disabled when Honorably Discharged on February 17, 1919, although Charles did spend the last half of his life in treatment at various VA hospitals. Charles's older brother George served in overseas combat duty from May 9, 1918, through March 9, 1919, he was exposed to gas attacks of an undisclosed nature on September 29, 1918, and was slightly wounded in action on October 5, 1918. He was Honorably Discharged from the Army on April 2, 1919, allegedly with 0% disability. But age 36 George died at home in October 1930 from undisclosed causes. Who can suggest his untimely death was not at least somewhat in part service-connected?

The graves of these two military combat veterans were found at Oak Hill Cemetery, Herkimer, New York, each without American Flags in mid-May 2023. Sadly, military veteran graves lacking an American Flag are a highly unacceptable but not uncommon sight before Memorial Day in these parts -- all it simply takes is a walk through the gravestones in most cemeteries to find them.  The two brothers Covert, both World War I combat wounded veterans are my maternal first cousins, one generation senior (aka 1xRemoved). Private First Class George Earl Covert and Private Charles Ernest Covert finally got their metallic WWI Grave Marker/Flag Holders embedded in a concrete base with fresh-earned American Flags as installed a few days ago.  Thank you for your honorable military service.  Rest In Peace.

 

The Gravesite Of George E. Covert

The Gravesite Of Charles E. Covert 

A Few Readers Might Care About This DNA Test

 

Still proudly 100% European American!  

The results are in dated 6 April 2023 for my third autosomal DNA test with Family Tree DNA (FTDNA).  This test was done to hopefully help with a better definition of where our maternal Great-Great Grandma Caroline (Keirnan) Anderson came from, and it seems Caroline's Irish origins remain possible, but now less probable.  What this new test does is -- fails to disprove Caroline's Irish roots.  But not really surprised to find the new FTDNA results are rather similar to my two other tests done by AncestryDNA and 23andMe DNA.  While each testing firm's DNA origin results are calculated differently under proprietary algorithms, it seems their basic calculation formula is highly similar.  So unfortunately the new test does not help very much with the origin of Grandma Caroline.  Here are the new estimated FTDNA results:

 

The FTDNA "myOrigins" detailed source map:

Note the FTDNA "England, Wales,  and Scotland" totaling an estimated 57% of our origin DNA includes Northeast Ireland, all of Northwestern France, and most of Western Belgium and the Netherlands. This is obviously a different way to present essentially very similar DNA estimates.  Click HERE  to review our two previously presented DNA estimates as calculated by AncestryDNA and 23andMe. 

Two Days Of Fighting -- 23,746 Estimated Casualties

Some folks share a historical interest in U.S. military battles.  The major American Civil War Battles Bull Run, Antietam, Fredericksburg, and Gettysburg are a personal focus since several ancestors were troops doing the Union fighting.  The Battle of Shiloh was known but this struggle was never seriously studied. Below is a summary of some interesting facts presented by the American Battlefield Trust.  These accepted battle facts cause a hollow feeling in the gut -- kind of interesting that Shiloh is declared a union victory when 13,000+ of the official estimated 23,746 casualties are union troops.

A typical example of Civil War Battle causality is the case of our German-born paternal Great-Great Grandfather Corporal William Moegling, late of Company B, 97th Infantry Regiment of New York State Volunteers.  William was with his unit during the major battles of Bull Run, Antietam, and Fredericksburg.  He remains assigned to his regiment in December 1862 at Fredericksburg but was probably then convalescing at a unit field hospital near Belle Plain Landing, Virginia. In early 1863 William was Discharged For Disability from the military. Official records show he suffered a gunshot wound to the right leg during the early morning hours of 17 September 1862 at The Battle of Antietam.  William died at his adopted Utica, New York home in 1869, probably due at least in part to the negative effects of his various Civil War service-connected injuries.  An unknown number of soldiers on both sides of the Civil War died many months and/or years following their military service injuries -- and these men (and some women) were never counted among the official Civil War casualties. 

A union victory at Shiloh! Well, technically true I guess, but when significantly more union troops -- nearly 2,500 more union causalities are lost at Shiloh -- it does cause a rational person to question this "victory."  Any student of the American Civil War knows the projected body count assessment was not a factor in General U.S. Grant's Army tactical planning.  Note: some living highly credentialed statisticians place the likely number of Shiloh battle casualties at more like 27,500+.  These increased casualty numbers are likely valid for all the century-and-a-half-old battle causality calculations experienced during the Civil War.  The generally accepted number is 620,000 total Civil War Union and Rebel army casualties; whereas, the actual causality number may be closer to 850,000.

A Battle of Shiloh summary as copied from the American Battlefield Trust website follows:

Hardin County, Tennessee, April 6 - 7, 1862

The Battle of Shiloh, also known as the Battle of Pittsburg Landing, allowed Union troops to penetrate the Confederate interior. The carnage was unprecedented, with the human toll being the greatest of any war on the American continent up to that date.

How the battle ended:

A Union victory. The South’s defeat at Shiloh ended the Confederacy’s hopes of blocking the Union's advance into Mississippi and doomed the Confederate military initiative in the West. With the loss of their commander, General Albert Sidney Johnston, in battle, Confederate morale plummeted.

Battle in context:

After Major General Ulysses S. Grant's Union victories at Fort Henry and Fort Donelson in February 1862, Confederate General Johnston withdrew from Kentucky and left much of the western and middle of Tennessee to the Federals. This permitted General Grant to push his troops toward Corinth, Mississippi, the strategic intersection of the Mobile and Ohio Railroad and the Memphis and Charleston Railroad and a vital troop and supply conduit for the South. Alerted to the Union army’s position, General Johnston intercepted the Federal troops twenty miles northeast of Corinth at Pittsburg Landing. The encounter proved devastating — not only for its tactical failure but for the extreme number of casualties. After the Battle of Shiloh, both sides realized the magnitude of the conflict, which would be longer and bloodier than they could have imagined.

Click HERE to read more battle details including battlefield maps, see the American Battlefield Trust website.  

Cups Amidst Green Lands

  "Cups Amidst Green Fields"

What beckons us now regarding this game?

Small cups as set out on green fields to be tamed.

Dimpled spheres are oft found so dicey to sink,

wee sum is the goal that has no rotten stink.

Today we shall conquer this rolling green land!

Shall swing our thin sticks as grasped in both hands.

Give exacting and fine proofs to this gallant four-some,

that our links-gaming skills are not now succumbed.

Play thirty-six holes 'tis a happy day's plan!

Finding too many moments in this wretched beach sand.

Eighteen is enough!  Now in water, then woods,

ball slicing and hooking caused scoring not good.

What drives these old Duffers? Sad tallies are great!

On those frequent stout journeys to self-flagellate.

High grass and tough carpet cause grueling concerns,

then in a couple short hours we shall plan our return.

What is it that calls us regarding this game?

Woods, waters, and weather make fit men less sane.

Exercise, fellowship, or try out your new toys?

Rewards at Nineteenth, and nifty play with fond boys.

A golf poem by ex-player DJ Paul

Original version publication date, March 10, 2010

as "Holes Amid Green Fields" 

Edited, enhanced, and re-published by author 1st on 27 Mar 2023; 2nd on 26 Aug 2025.

with the new title "Cups Amidst Green Fields"

Not copyrighted, unaltered free use is granted (without additional permission) to volunteer, non-profit, or not-for-profit educational and/or charitable activity. 

Easy To Play "Things Have Changed" - by Bob Dylan

 

Another fine production by master songwriter, singer, and Nobel laureate Bob Dylan, with credits cited at the bottom of page 3 image.  Free use as compiled here for the non-profit, not-for-profit educational use of amateur and/or beginner guitar and baritone ukulele artists for their practice, their continued learning, and their strumming pleasure.   

To sing and/or play along with Dylan on YouTube, click HERE 

Bob Dylan's song "Things Have Changed" was initially written specifically for inclusion in the outstanding Curtis Hanson film "Wonder Boys" -- starring the film's fine actor Michael Douglas.  The film seems destined to become a future classic.  Michael Chabon's highly praised novel by the same name "Wonder Boys" was skillfully adapted in the screenplay by Steve Kloves.  Director Hanson's film commentary notes with great pleasure that Bob Dylan expressed interest in writing a masterful film-based song.  Bob Dylan also subsequently released a strongly humorous associated video wherein he sings his fine song while artfully employing selected "Wonder Boys" film clips that firmly enhance his final video project. 

Critics may note a few changed words here and there and revisions in three lines done by DJ Paul as published here in Dylan's song "Things Have Changed" - Verse 3 line 8, and Verse 4 lines 6 and 7, revisions believed to more faithfully communicate the accurate presentations in both Chabon's novel and Hanson's film.  Dylan's original written verse 4, lines 6 and 7 are reported here as follows:

Verse 3:

          Line 8 - Puttin' her in a wheelbarrow and wheeling her down the street

Verse 4:

Line 6 - I'm in love with a woman who don't even appeal to me

Line 7 - Mr. Jinx and Miss Lucy, they jumped in the lake

Writer D. Paul's verses 3 and 4 revisions are respectfully tendered as follows:

Verse 3:

          Line 8 - Puttin' her on ah scooter and pushin' her down the street

Verse 4:

Line 6 - I love a married woman who truly appeals to me

Line 7 - It's a tense match game, with very high stakes 

Among The Finest Four Words In Film Dialogue

Personal film studies find some of my favorite four words of motion picture dialogue... and a truer four-word phrase was never uttered.

Directed by John Ford, and starring John Wayne, James Stewart, and Lee Marvin -- this funny scene is a fine part of the 1962 film “The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance.”

Edmond O'Brien's character local newspaper editor Dutton Peabody says ”... give me a drink.” Bartender Jack replies “The bar is closed.”  Peabody later replies “A Beer's Not Drinking!”

The great film barroom scene dialogue actually goes like this:

Dutton Peabody: [during local voting for a territorial convention] “I'll have the usual, Jack.”

Jack the Barman: “The bar is closed, Mister Editor, during voting.”

Dutton Peabody: “Bar's closed?”

Tom Doniphon [John Wayne's character]: “You can blame your lawyer friend. He says that's one of the fundamental laws of democracy. No exception.”

Dutton Peabody: "No exceptions for the working press?  Why that's carrying democracy much too far!   Give me a drink."

Tom Doniphon: “Bar's closed.”

Dutton Peabody: “Just a beer!”

Tom Doniphon: “The bar's closed.”

Dutton Peabody: “A beer's not drinking!”