Just the ticket

We met a most accommodating friendly gent along the highway just west of McDonald, Kansas. It said “Sheriff” on the front of his cap and he told me that he liked the red MAGA hat that I was wearing. Seems he wanted to visit about a little extra speed through his small burg. Sure enough I had missed seeing the speed posting of 50 MPH on the outskirts and didn’t kick off the cruise control from the 65 MPH highway setting. He took the appropriate paperwork and came back with an official notice to send in $143 and sent me on our way. For sure from then on Grannie pointed out every speed limit sign on the rest of our journey. Lesson relearned.

McCook’s American Legion Post did a superb job putting on a Memorial Day service on the appointed day. Graves were decorated and the flags posted on the many many veterans’ graves barely stirred in the slight breeze. The Good Lord smiled with a comfortable temperature to be outside and sunshine poked through a fluffy cloud layer above. Griff Malleck’s timing was perfect in his old WWII T-6 trainer flyby pulling a trail of smoke. McCook native John Rye, Colonel USAF retired, gave a short well researched speech, the 21 gun salute, a tribute to the fallen---it was all there. Made this old Vietnam veteran’s chest swell with pride along with about everyone else in the nice crowd. Life is good and it is well to remember all those who went before us and made it all possible. Proud to be an American.

Good article by Mike Hendricks in his “Mike at Night” column. Mike hit the nail on the head in speaking of the decline in print journalism. Newspapers that we have known to hold communities together all our lives are going through hard times and it is sad to watch. The new world of social media, twenty four hour TV cycle of news and opinion, plus talk radio, are replacing what we used to turn to keep abreast of what is happening in world around us found in the traditional newspaper. Good or bad it makes us uncomfortable as we make our way forward.

Seems that our politicians in Washington are in a fuss and little gets done for the good of our country. The big plan of the Democrats and their allies in the “drive by media” to rid us of President Donald Trump by accusing him of colluding with the Russians didn’t work out so they are bumbling about for another way. Sanctuary cities, nearly uncontrolled illegal immigration, drug cartels in Mexico, illicit drugs coming in, a problem of the homeless living in our cities, oh the list goes on. Now the Democrat party is encouraging a host of presidential candidates wanting to turn our country socialist to follow the good example of Venezuela, Cuba, China, Russia and every other place else where socialism has already failed. ‘Tis a mess. About all we can do is encourage those whom we think are doing right and vote no against the actors of which we disapprove. So get your news from the newspaper, social media, talk radio and 24 hour TV and keep informed.

A week from Thursday, the 6th of June, we will be remembering and celebrating the 75th anniversary of D-Day the successful landing on the European Continent and liberation of Germany. Few of those brave men who did the actual fighting are left but all will live on in our memory. It will be interesting to watch the news coverage of the events taking place in Normandy.

Your old scribe had the privilege of flying the C-47 in my career. We called it the Gooney Bird but in WWII it was the Dakota. In civilian livery it was a DC-3. Wonderful old airplane. So it will be especially interesting to watch the small fleet of those wonderful old aircraft that are currently flying across the ocean to participate in those festivities. They will be dropping paratroopers over Normandy just as was done 75 years ago although without the resistance of the Nazi Army that greeted those in 1944. History reenacted. Wish that I could be there!

That is how I saw it.

Dick Trail