Jimmy Buffett R. I. P.

G. Gordon Liddy R.I.P.

G. Gordon Liddy died today at age 90. He wrote a book, the title at least, should be read by every American:
"When I was a kid, this was a free country"
Rest in peace, Gordon.

Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Dead at 87 R.I.P.

This quote the guy from Frostbite Falls, "This time for sure!"

A Little Bonus Saturday Night Music: RIP Gambler

Legendary country singer Kenny Rogers dies at 81

Orson Bean R.I.P.

Actor Orson Bean, Andrew Breitbart’s father-in-law, was struck by two cars and killed on Friday in Los Angeles as he was crossing the street. He was 91.

A really funny, terribly decent guy. Rest in peace.

Kookie, Kookie, Lend the Coroner Your Comb!

Edd Brynes, star of 77 Sunset Strip died in Santa Monica Wednesday. He was 87.

R.I.P. Kookie!

René Auberjonois R.I.P.

I just got an email from my daughter, letting me know that René Auberjonois had passed away.

His roles were many and varied. He played Father Mulcahey in the original M*A*S*H movie. He played Chef Louie in the Little Mermaid, he played the character Clayton Endicott on Benson, and the changeling Odo on Deep Space Nine. Plus numerous guest roles on series like NCIS.

My brief encounter with him was back in 1968, before he made it big. He played the title role in the ACT production of "Charley's Aunt", in San Francisco. I had just seen the production with my high school drama class, and we had some time to ourselves before the next production we were going to see. Back then, you could let a high school kid roam the streets of San Francisco without a chaperone, without the fear of bodily harm or a lawsuit.

I ran into René briefly, as he was humping costumes between one theater and another. I told him I'd seen and enjoyed his performance and he was very warm and cordial.

He seemed to be a really decent guy. He will be missed. Rest in peace.

John Donne, on the Passing of John McCain

No man is an island entire of itself
Every man is a piece of the continent
A part of the main
If a clod be washed away by the sea
Europe is the less
As well as if a promontory were
As well as if a manor of thy friend's
Or of thine own were
Any man's death diminishes me
Because I am involved in mankind
And therefore never send to know for whom the bell tolls; 
It tolls for thee

'Sweet Home Alabama' co-writer, Guitarist Ed King Dead at 68

Former Lynyrd Skynyrd guitarist and 'Sweet Home Alabama' co-writer Ed King dead at 68 - R.I.P.

Clint Walker, R.I.P.

I just heard that Clint Walker passed away. He was a large part of my childhood, looking forward to the adventures of Cheyenne Body Bodie.

Walker's daughter Valerie Walker tells The Associated Press that her father died Monday of congestive heart failure at a hospital in Grass Valley, California at age 91.

I'll share one little anecdote that you probably won't see anywhere else. I was watching the old Tonight show, with Pat Boone guest hosting for Johnny Carson. One of his guests was Clint Walker. Pat brought up the fact that Clint had been in a near fatal skiing accident, where he was impaled with a ski pole. Pat, an avid evangelical, was pressing Clint to tell the audience of some near death experience, a bright light or some such, and Clint, looking somewhat uncomfortable with the line of questioning, responded with stone faced, monosyllabic answers, mostly "no". Pat, not receiving the kind of response he had hoped for finally moved on.

Whether his experience was just too highly personal to share on national television, or founded on a different theology or cosmology, Clint wasn't going to play Pat's game. He was a giant of a man...6'6" with a 48" chest. He cast a very large shadow. Gone at 91. RIP, Clint.

In Memoriam: Dwight David Darcy, Killed Sept. 11, 2001

I hope you never get tired of hearing this. As a part of Project 2996, I wrote about an individual I never met. I had never even heard his name. I only knew him as a part of a group: The people who perished on 9/11/2001.

He was not a very imposing man, from his picture. I imagine you could pass him on the street and not think twice about it. Just like many of us. But, Dwight, if I may be so familiar, had already lived through one World Trade Center attack before that fateful day.
He was there in 1993 when the WTC was bombed the first time. It made him a little jumpy. Sudden loud noises would startle him. For years, his wife, Veronica said, "Every time there was a bang, he would jump." But that did not deter him from returning to work.

Dwight was raising two sons, Kieran and Ryan, with his wife, living in Bronxville, N.Y., a little village about fifteen miles north of midtown Manhattan, home to about 6,500 people.

He was a Senior Attorney at the Port Authority of NY and NJ. He'd been with the Port Authority for 25 years. He was 55 at the time of the attack. A few years older than I was then. A decade or so younger than I am now.

He served on the parish board of the St. Joseph's Roman Catholic Church in Bronxville. He loved opera. He and his wife were frequent attendees at performances at the Met and the City Opera. He was a member of the New York Athletic Club.

He had a brother, Keith T. Darcy of Pound Ridge, NY, and a sister, Joan D. Sorgi of Darien, CT. who survived him, as well as an aunt, Claire Menagh of Manhattan, an uncle, George Kindermann of New London, NH, and several nieces and nephews.

A family man, with familial ties to other families. Much like you and I.

Here's what another 2,996 blogger said about Dwight:

Dwight was a Bronx native, graduated from Fordham Prep, Fordham University, and the Fordham University School of Law. He began his legal career as an Assistant D.A. in the Bronx in 1971, and joined the Port Authority in 1977. While at the Port Authority, Dwight specialized in labor relations, serving for many years as the Head of the Labor Relations Division.

Dwight was very active in charitable works in New York City. He served as president of the Catholic Big Brothers of NY, as well as, the president of the Parish Council of St. Joseph's Church in Bronxville. Dwight was also voted a life member of the Society of the Friendly Sons of St. Patrick of NY, and made an affiliate member of the Marist Brothers for his many years of service on the board of Mt. St. Michael Academy in the Bronx.

WHAT WAS DWIGHT LIKE?

"We kind of grew up together at the authority," said his friend and colleague Jeffery Green, the general counsel for the authority's legal team, made of up 75 lawyers. "He was very calm and logical and had a good sense of humor," Green said.

Outside of work, Darcy followed his favorite sports teams: The New York Yankees, the New York Giants and college basketball teams, Green said. "He was a devoted father and sports fan. He was a very big Yankee and Giants football fan. I would see him at the games."

Darcy had a way of winning people over. "Everyone who met him liked him. He took pride in his work and his family. He was a really good individual," Green said.

I received an email from someone who knew Dwight. They had this to say:

I first met Mr. Darcy in 1968. I was a Freshman at Mt. St. Michael Academy, a private Marist (Catholic) High School in the Bronx, NY. Although he had a Law degree, Dwight Darcy started his working life as an English teacher at the “Mount”. I had him for English 1 that year. I was very interested in history, and Mr. Darcy made it a point, during his lectures, to not only teach the fine points of English Grammar and Composition, but also expounded on American and World History, to which he added a large dose of Morals and Ethics. I was always fascinated by the breadth and depth of his knowledge, and made it a point to have discussions with him on these topics, even outside of class hours. He was an excellent role model, and I considered him an inspiration and mentor. He was a dynamic and dedicated teacher, and he had a profound effect on me. He is one of the few teachers I ever had, that I truly remember with fondness.

When I heard that he left teaching to practice law for the Port Authority, I knew that he was really following his true love, which he considered the true arena of human interaction. But I knew that future students would lose the opportunity to meet a truly remarkable person.

On 9-11, I was overwhelmingly heartbroken to learn that he did not survive the attack. It seemed like a horribly cruel injustice. Here was a man who was so kind, so dynamic, so profound, and so cognizant of the needs of others, who was caught up, with so many unfortunate others, in the effects of incredible madness and evil, and the result an overwhelming hatred of all mankind. I really could not believe it had actually happened. But I remember him with honor and respect, and with a deep sense of loss.

I hope this helps in illustrating the truly excellent person that he was.

Michael Cutrera

Dwight went to work September 11th, 2001, like he had on many other mornings, I would imagine, not dreaming of the horror and chaos that would await him. He worked on the 66th floor of the North tower. According to a co-worker, he'd had surgery on his foot several weeks before and was still in a cast. It would have made it difficult for him to take the stairs to flee the building.

He died at the hands of terrorists who did not care that Dwight was president of the Catholic Big Brothers of NY, where he helped disadvantaged youths. They did not care about the grieving widow and sons he would leave behind. The brother and sister, aunt and uncle left with a sense of terrible loss. The friends and acquaintances who would miss his kind words and encouragement. His death was not meaningless, because there is still meaning even when evil men commit evil deeds. His death was tragic in that it cut him off from whatever productive years he had left , the communion he spent with family and friends and the good deeds he would have done had he lived.

And though I never met Mr. Darcy, I mourn for him and grieve with his family. The craven cowardice of those who would commit war by attacking defenseless civilians has not gone unavenged. Many of those who sowed the wind on 9/11 have reaped the whirlwind.

But, vengeance can never restore loss. What was taken from Dwight Darcy's family can never be replaced. Nor that of the 2,995 other families who lost loved ones on that day.

But, we can remember them. We can hold them in our hearts. And we can vow that so much as is in our power, it will never happen again.

Our hearts go out to the family of Dwight Darcy today. I hope that in some small way I have captured a bit of his essence to share. Our hearts are with you this day.
Rest in peace, Mr. Darcy.


"Profiles in Grief" of The New York Times
Paid notice NYT
A Step in the Right Direction

Medal of Honor Recipient Colonel Leo K. Thorsness, R.I.P.

Lieutenant Colonel Leo K. Thorsness
I am saddened to announce that Lt. Col. Thorsness has passed away at the age of 85.

His Citation:

For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty. As pilot of an F- 105 aircraft, Lt. Col. Thorsness was on a surface-to-air missile suppression mission over North Vietnam. Lt. Col. Thorsness and his wingman attacked and silenced a surface-to-air missile site with air-to-ground missiles, and then destroyed a second surface-to-air missile site with bombs.

In tile attack on the second missile site, Lt. Col. Thorsness' wingman was shot down by intensive antiaircraft fire, and the 2 crewmembers abandoned their aircraft. Lt. Col. Thorsness circled the descending parachutes to keep the crewmembers in sight and relay their position to the Search and Rescue Center. During this maneuver, a MIG-17 was sighted in the area. Lt. Col. Thorsness immediately initiated an attack and destroyed the MIG. Because his aircraft was low on fuel, he was forced to depart the area in search of a tanker.

Upon being advised that 2 helicopters were orbiting over the downed crew's position and that there were hostile MlGs in the area posing a serious threat to the helicopters, Lt. Col. Thorsness, despite his low fuel condition, decided to return alone through a hostile environment of surface-to-air missile and antiaircraft defenses to the downed crew's position. As he approached the area, he spotted 4 MIG-17 aircraft and immediately initiated an attack on the MlGs, damaging 1 and driving the others away from the rescue scene. When it became apparent that an aircraft in the area was critically low on fuel and the crew would have to abandon the aircraft unless they could reach a tanker, Lt. Col. Thorsness, although critically short on fuel himself, helped to avert further possible loss of life and a friendly aircraft by recovering at a forward operating base, thus allowing the aircraft in emergency fuel condition to refuel safely.

Lt. Col. Thorsness' extraordinary heroism, self-sacrifice, and personal bravery involving conspicuous risk of life were in the highest traditions of the military service, and have reflected great credit upon himself and the U.S. Air Force.

Lt. Col. Thorsness: We humbly salute you and thank you for your service. Rest in Peace.



Hat tip Home of Heroes

There are seventy four living MoH recipients today. Their names and their stories should not be forgotten. My mission is to honor one of those heroes here each week, and salute them for their courage and sacrifice. In the words of John Fitzgerald Kennedy:

“A nation reveals itself not only by the men it produces, but also by the men it honors; the men it remembers.”

Captain Apollo, R.I.P.

Richard Hatch, the original Captain Apollo of Battlestar Galactica has died at the age of 71, of pancreatic cancer.
Rest in peace, Captain!

Meet Al Muller!

The following is not political and may be given to some rambling, so if I start to lose you, jump down to the last couple paragraphs. That's where the big payoff is!

Al Muller passed away last week at the age of 84. He'd spent about a half a century teaching and contributing to the local theater community, from high school shows, to the community college stage and Stockton Civic theater. Mostly flamboyant musicals. Click the link for more.

His resume is lengthy, I won't try to reproduce it here. His energy was boundless and his enthusiasm infectious. He was a good husband, father to five daughters, mentor to many and a good man.

I knew "Uncle Al" when I took some classes from him at Delta College. I had been bitten by the drama bug in junior high school, took classes and appeared in a number of high school productions. I was continuing my studies in the dramatic arts when I met Al. I took his classes and he directed a number of plays I was in.

I suppose, because he had a larger talent pool to draw from, the roles I got in college were not as prominent as those I had in high school A couple were memorable. In West Side Story, I was cast as Lieutenant Schrank, the character Simon Oakland played in the movie. I believe Al cast me for two, maybe three reasons:

1) I was tall (6'3") and had to play an adult while all my peers were playing teen-aged hoodlums.
2) It was not a singing part!

More memorable to me was when he cast me in Mame. I played Mame's banker...an adult with no singing part. (You know, I'm starting to see a trend here!) Who doesn't remember Auntie Mame's banker?? It was a brief, transitional role. The curtain drops, and moments later, the banker steps out with a brief exposition, thus furthering the story, while behind the curtain, actors change costumes, stage hands set up for the next scene.

But after I was cast, I had some reservations about one of the lines. Didn't know if I could say it. It contained, shall we say, some less than delicate language. I went to Al with my concerns. Now, I guess he could have said, "Well, if you can't read the line as it is written, then we'll get somebody who can!"

But that wasn't his style. He sat down with me and we discussed it. Just one line from a minor character, but people weren't minor to Uncle Al. I can't recall exactly what he said to convince me, but it must have worked, because I was there every night saying it. Probably something along the line of 'it wasn't really taking the Lord's name in vain, but more of a bowdlerized version'. Punctuation, as it were, as noted in the Brief History of Profanity.

You've heard, "There are no small parts, only small actors"? Looking back at my "small part", it seems a little strange. The curtain comes down, I step in front of it, holding what appears to be a telegram, and immediately get hit with a spotlight...couldn't see a soul in the audience if I'd tried! I broke the news to the audience, in my angry banker voice, that Mame's husband had died..."fell off a goddamn Alp!", turned on my heel and walk offstage.

That's it. I don't think I was seen again until the curtain call, but for that brief moment, every eye in the theater was on me. No scenery to distract, no fellow cast members...just me and my phony telegram was all there was to see. I didn't think about it that way at the time. Might have scared the spit out of me! (See? I told you I'd ramble!)

This was back in the early seventies. I saw Al a few times off and on since then, at Civic Theater performances, where he was either directing or supporting the person who was. I do remember attending one cast party at his house, along with scores of other people.

I last saw Mr. Muller in 2013, where his family and San Joaquin Delta college were honoring him by naming one of the theaters after him, reception to follow. A brief video of the ceremony can be found below. People flew in literally from coast to coast to be there to honor him. I listened to the speakers, Al included, but I really didn't remember much of what was said until I reviewed the video. During the reception, we ate, chatted with a few college friends, and, as expected, people were lined up to talk to Al and congratulate him.

I figured he had a lot closer friends and acquaintances than I, so I hung back and waited until there were only a few people queued up. When it was my turn, his face lit up with a smile, and unprompted, he called me by name. It had to have been over thirty years since I attended his classes or tread the boards with his actors, but he remembered me. We had a nice chat. Forgive me, I can't remember about what, after congratulating him for a well deserved honor.

We spoke for a bit and he asked me if I was back in town. I said I was, and he expressed a desire to get together for lunch some time. You could tell he was sincere, and not just a "Let's do lunch" kind of thing. I, too, thought that would be great, so we shook hands and yet somehow life got in the way. One thing after another, the way it has a habit of doing. In retrospect, I wish I'd said something like "How about Tuesday 12:00? You pick the spot and I'll buy! Or is Thursday better?"

But I didn't. Tempus fugit. That was the last time I saw him. He was a great guy and a good man,  almost a force of nature to be reckoned with. Many people will miss him. I doubt we'll see the likes of such a man again. Sometimes I'll say on Mother's Day or Father's day "Love 'em while you've got 'em". The very same applies to friends. Trust me.

Rest in peace, Mr. Muller.

An online guestbook in the Stockton Record can be found here.

Medal of Honor Recipient Chaplain Charlie Liteky, RIP

Chaplain (Capt.) Angelo J. Liteky
Sadly, Chaplain Liteky has passed away in the last week. His citation is below

Citation:

Chaplain Liteky distinguished himself by exceptional heroism while serving with Company A, 4th Battalion, 12th Infantry, 199th Light Infantry Brigade. He was participating in a search and destroy operation when Company A came under intense fire from a battalion size enemy force. 

Momentarily stunned from the immediate encounter that ensued, the men hugged the ground for cover. Observing 2 wounded men, Chaplain Liteky moved to within 15 meters of an enemy machinegun position to reach them, placing himself between the enemy and the wounded men. When there was a brief respite in the fighting, he managed to drag them to the relative safety of the landing zone. Inspired by his courageous actions, the company rallied and began placing a heavy volume of fire upon the enemy's positions. 

In a magnificent display of courage and leadership, Chaplain Liteky began moving upright through the enemy fire, administering last rites to the dying and evacuating the wounded. Noticing another trapped and seriously wounded man, Chaplain Liteky crawled to his aid. Realizing that the wounded man was too heavy to carry, he rolled on his back, placed the man on his chest and through sheer determination and fortitude crawled back to the landing zone using his elbows and heels to push himself along. pausing for breath momentarily, he returned to the action and came upon a man entangled in the dense, thorny underbrush. Once more intense enemy fire was directed at him, but Chaplain Liteky stood his ground and calmly broke the vines and carried the man to the landing zone for evacuation. On several occasions when the landing zone was under small arms and rocket fire, Chaplain Liteky stood up in the face of hostile fire and personally directed the medivac helicopters into and out of the area. 

With the wounded safely evacuated, Chaplain Liteky returned to the perimeter, constantly encouraging and inspiring the men. Upon the unit's relief on the morning of 7 December 1967, it was discovered that despite painful wounds in the neck and foot, Chaplain Liteky had personally carried over 20 men to the landing zone for evacuation during the savage fighting. 

Through his indomitable inspiration and heroic actions, Chaplain Liteky saved the lives of a number of his comrades and enabled the company to repulse the enemy. Chaplain Liteky's actions reflect great credit upon himself and were in keeping with the highest traditions of the U.S. Army.

Chaplain Liteky: We humbly salute you and thank you for your service. Rest in peace.





There are seventy seven living MoH recipients today. Their names and their stories should not be forgotten. These posts are to honor one of those heroes here each week, and salute them for their courage and sacrifice. In the words of John Fitzgerald Kennedy:

“A nation reveals itself not only by the men it produces, but also by the men it honors; the men it remembers.”

Miguel Ferrer, R.I.P.

Actor Miguel Ferrer passed away yesterday at the age of 61. He had not been looking well lately on his appearances on NCIS Los Angeles. Our prayers to his family and friends. Rest in peace.

Medal of Honor Recipient Richard Pittman R.I.P.

Richard Pittman, Medal of Honor recipient, has passed away at the age of 71.




Sergeant Richard A. Pittman

Here is his citation:

For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty. While Company 1 was conducting an operation along the axis of a narrow jungle trail, the leading company elements suffered numerous casualties when they suddenly came under heavy fire from a well concealed and numerically superior enemy force.

Hearing the engaged marines' calls for more firepower, Sgt. Pittman quickly exchanged his rifle for a machinegun and several belts of ammunition, left the relative safety of his platoon, and unhesitatingly rushed forward to aid his comrades. Taken under intense enemy small-arms fire at point blank range during his advance, he returned the fire, silencing the enemy position. As Sgt. Pittman continued to forge forward to aid members of the leading platoon, he again came under heavy fire from 2 automatic weapons which he promptly destroyed.

Learning that there were additional wounded marines 50 yards further along the trail, he braved a withering hail of enemy mortar and small-arms fire to continue onward. As he reached the position where the leading marines had fallen, he was suddenly confronted with a bold frontal attack by 30 to 40 enemy. Totally disregarding his safety, he calmly established a position in the middle of the trail and raked the advancing enemy with devastating machinegun fire. His weapon rendered ineffective, he picked up an enemy submachinegun and, together with a pistol seized from a fallen comrade, continued his lethal fire until the enemy force had withdrawn. Having exhausted his ammunition except for a grenade which he hurled at the enemy, he then rejoined his platoon.

Sgt. Pittman's daring initiative, bold fighting spirit and selfless devotion to duty inflicted many enemy casualties, disrupted the enemy attack and saved the lives of many of his wounded comrades. His personal valor at grave risk to himself reflects the highest credit upon himself, the Marine Corps, and the U.S. Naval Service.

Sgt. Pittman: We humbly salute you, thank you for your service, and may you rest in peace..

Gloria DeHaven, R.I.P.

Ms. Gloria de Haven passed away this Saturday at age 91. She was our Vintage Babe of the Week* July 3, 2014
(*a.k.a. Rule Five Thursday)


















Rest in peace, Ms. DeHaven.

British Actor Alan Rickman Dead at 69

British actor Alan Rickman, know for deliciously evil bad guy roles in Die Hard and Quigley Down Under, comedic roles as in Galaxy Quest, an execrable Kevin Costner Robin Hood movie, and most recently the corridors of Hogwarts, has passed away at age 69, apparently of cancer.

I, for one, shall miss his incomparable sneer. Rest in peace, Mr. Rickman.

Leornard Nimoy, R I P at 83

"Occupy StarFleet"
Forevermore associated with the iconic, ever logical Mr. Spock of Star Trek fame, Leonard Nimoy, 83, succumbed to end-stage chronic obstructive pulmonary disease according to his wife.

Rest Long and Prosper