A few days later than its anniversary. What also was recalled in unusual circumstances was the recollection of another date in history discussed in .a coffee shop recently. Another unusual point in significant time: 8:00 am Sunday December 7th. Sitting Space-A on a C-141 ready for take off at Hickham AFB Hawaii. It hit me hard when I woke up to the significance of the date. I looked at my watch. It was a few minutes before 8am.
The aircraft was ready for take off but was sitting ready for longer than normal. Then I knew why. Certainly the pilot know and that certainty would soon be proved. At 8:00 am the trembling power of the jets was increased to a roar of full power that must have been applied against braked wheels released.
I have told that story to a few, maybe expressing my memory of it now in the framework of my life links to its significance then as now as many other dates and places have so recently.
Bridges have a significance in my life. I stood at the Lexington Concord Bridge. Crossed the bridge dividing North from South Vietnam in 1996. A bridge intended to be crossed in the other direction when I was in Danang 1966-67. I was at the Bridge too Far on a Bike and Barge tour several years ago.
The Bridge Over the River Kai was another bridge made into a movie in 1957. I was 14 years old. It seems that a few movies have had tremendous influence on the course of my life. The impact and message of the movie came dramatically at the end.
At Standing Rock those on the other side and who they were and what they stood there for was wrong. Some on the other side realized it. Others might never see it. Who they were affiliated with rose suspicion. Perhaps without true cause. Their affiliation is intended to be mysterious. I had learned that.
This link from a previous blog entry. May have some factual basis might be a mis-judgment on that basis.
https://2dollarjefferson.blogspot.com/2016/12/palantir-team-rubicon-standing-rock.html
Another link:
https://2dollarjefferson.blogspot.com/2016/12/standing-rock-tiger-swan-trump-private.html
Another Bridge. A Peace Bridge.
Meeting for coffee this time. I name the meeting place. It is a cold day in hell that I will not go there this morning.
27 November 2017:
A year ago I stood at Standing Rock. Today I received an email "A Year Ago You Made A Choice" reminding me of that stand. Thinking in retrospect today about its meaning to me and the compulsion to go made a connection to something deeply buried within myself that I had not realized before.
I wrote this in a prior post 13 November 2014 to honor courage that I greatly admired and was inspired to emulate in my navy career.
In the Michener book "Centennial" the fictional Indian Chief Lame Beaver drove a stake into the ground outside a rival tribe's camp one morning waking the camp and its leader. Then he tied his leg to the stake with a tether. He stood his ground and shouted out his presence. Their was no retreat. His tribe was behind him in the bushes. It would defend his stand. He challenged the rival Chief (bad guy called Rude Water) to count coup upon him.
That is courage and conviction of leadership. It calls upon personal courageous leadership action and support of those who lead courageous action.
I read "Centennial" in 1976. I happened to be crossing the state line into Colorado at about midnight, July 4th 1976. One of strange Time/Place coincidences in my life ranking with beginning a take off roll at Hickam AFB bound for Australia on a Sunday morning at exactly 8:00 am on a 7th day in December.
The mental picture of fictional Lame Beaver standing his ground is related to Lakota Indian tradition.
"Lakota Sash Bearer, 1848
by Z.S. Liang
“In a society that honored warfare
as life’s central activity, to be chosen as a sash bearer for the
Lakota Nation was considered a great honor, reserved only for one who
had proven his courage and bravery in battle,” explains, Z.S. Liang.
“Bravery was always stressed and was considered one of the greatest
virtues among all of the Plains Tribes.”
Sash-wearers were members of the
Miwa‘tani or Mandan Society. The owl feather headdress was unique to
this tribal fraternity and is associated with an owl-being that
appeared in a vision of the founder. The wearers of the "society
sashes" took on the obligation to stake themselves down to the ground
with their sash during a desperate battle. They would fight in that
spot untill they were killed or until a fellow society member released
them. This warrior has fastened his sash to the earth with a spear and
he is positioned in the middle of the battlefield where he will fight to
victory or death, encouraging his brothers to stand against their
enemy."
More about Lakota Sash Bearers at this link.
"Sash bearers carried into battle a picket pin and rope to stake themselves to the ground and fight until released by comrades or killed by enemies."
The navy has its battle image traditions. Chosen images are often on display in the quarters, offices or captain's cabin of Senior Officers. If I had not retired and made Captain I would have chosen an image expressing the Lakota tradition. It is another strange circumstance in my life that I chose to stand with the Lokota at Standing Rock. Even stranger that I had not until today thought of the connection between an admired image from 1976 of Lame Beaver standing his ground and my presence defending Lakota at Standing Rock.
While the Sash bearer staked himself out it was a call to comrades to the bravery of comrades to come forward and protect him.
I am immensely proud of having defended Lakota warriors standing their ground in the tradition of Lakota Nation sash bearers. The greatest battle honor of Standing Rock goes to them where they stood tied to to the ground in honor of their land and its waters.
Veterans Service Corps has driven their stake in the ground. I salute them and stand in support of their leadership courage.
No comments:
Post a Comment