It has been a while since I gave you an update on Peggy the Heron. First of all here is a photo of Peggy taken by my wife in our backyard.

She is happy and healthy. Here is another taken on a walk on Monday morning. The sunrise made everything a golden color. As you can see, Peggy is up to her old trick of getting fish from those, who are fishing. I saw that she was given several pieces, so it did pay off.

Peggy has taken to perching on the chimneys of various houses in the neighborhood. I guess she has an advantaged view from up there.

Here is one taken in the morning.

Here is one taken at dusk. Yes, the neighbor’s house is pink.

Here is another in the morning.

Here is the last photo. It was taken yesterday catching Peggy as she was approaching the Gulf.

All the photos were taking within a two-week period so you can tell Peggy gets around.

I recently went to Detroit to participate in the memorial service for my Uncle, Jim. He was the last of three siblings and died suddenly at the age of ninety-four after a life that included lots of love, some heartbreak, and mostly good health. This post is not about his passing but rather a reminder of the kind of people that his generation represented.

Uncle Jim was a pilot in World War II. He joined the army after Pearl Harbor even though he had a wife and little boy at home. When asked why he joined his response was simple, “I have some talent that should be useful.” He was also only twenty years old. This first photo is Uncle Jim in high school. The dedication on the photo is to his sister, my mother.

He was a swimmer, football player, and played a pretty mean game of golf. He married his high school sweetheart and then the war came along. Here is a photo of him, his wife, Maxine and their son Jimmy taken after he finished flight and air combat school.

He was transferred to the European theater. Here is a photo of him overseas.

Uncle Jim flew thirty missions in support of the war in Europe. He was certified to fly the B25 bomber, the P51 Mustang, and the P38 Lightning. His favorite was the P38 lightning since it was so fast and maneuverable.

Here is a photo montage of all three.

 

 

 

 

 

 

His assignment on these thirty-three missions was to fly an unarmed airplane (Called the F-5 version of the P38) and take pictures of the enemy locations for later targeting. He often laughed about how he posed a real danger to enemy aircraft and ground gunners with his cameras and his .45 caliber sidearm. He was fortunate to be able to out maneuver various threats and still return with the photos needed.  I always wondered about the courage it took completing these missions knowing there would be no way to protect himself. He did say that he relied on his training and the speed of his airplane to keep him safe.

Here is a picture of Uncle Jim’s Photo Reconnaissance Unit patch (The 34th Photo Reconnaissance Squadron)

Here are the medals he earned during his service (He also received the Good Conduct Medal but he felt everyone got one of those.)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Also, a poem written by  Tom McGuire about the “Recon Joes” as people like my Uncle were named.

To: Photo-Recon Joe
By: Tom McGuire

Of all the Air Force pilots that I most deeply admire,
I give my top-notch vote to Photo-Recon Joe
Who goes it alone, unarmed, and braves the enemy’s fire
By taking crucial photos which spell doom to the Axis foe.

Ahead of his Lightning’s sound, his F‑5 zips in at tree-top level;
Too late they hear him coming, now he’s already gone past
A flashing form, a blast of wind, the Fork-Tail Devil,
His photos taken, speeds home, no higher than a mast.

On lists of fighter aces, his name is never placed,
And sadly, he’s soon forgotten after the war has ended,
But war historians know that priceless F‑5 photos based
The Normandy invasion so air, sea, and land attacks all blended.

“Unescorted, unarmed, and unafraid” Joe wings his gutsy way
Into the lethal Axis Reich, where death waits in that murky air.
But he presses on, he shoots his films, and dearly earns his pay
By these “dicing,” flack-filled missions that only he would dare.

So now I raise a grateful toast to Photo-Recon Joe,
And, Joe, I also bow to you-and believe me, I bow low.

Here is a photo of my uncle taken after his eighty-fifth birthday.

Thank you for all you’ve done, Uncle. You did more than required.

 

It has been a while since I have updated Peggy the Heron’s status. For those not familiar with Peggy, she is a Blue Heron and has one injured leg. None of the rescue folks have been able to catch her and so for the last couple of years, she is one of our neighbors. I am happy to report Peggy is dong well. She is still giving the sad limp to fishermen and collecting fish in the process. Here is a photo of her on the beach.

Another taken last December in the water. There is a fisherman off camera, and she is asking him for a sample. She can only use one leg to stand.

Here is a photo of her taken from our backyard.  As you can imagine, she also enjoys the benefits of pond life. The photo is a little blurred because I tried to do a close up with my iPhone. My old man hands couldn’t hold the phone steady enough, but you can get the idea.

Here is a better shot showing the pond and Peggy.

So as you can see, Peggy has branched out from Gulf fishing to include pond fishing. She usually spends the mornings on the beach and afternoons in our yard. We are alway glad to see her. She looks great and is doing well.

 

All looks good for the launch of Our Justice the third book in the John J. Cannon Trilogy. The book has been proofed for the last time and ready to go. I will be launching the e-book edition first with a pre-order period. I expect the launch announcement will be on Tuesday, September 6th. The preorder period will run to September 23rd and on that day the paper edition will be launched as well.

The volunteer information will go out on Friday the 2nd but I don’t expect any support until after the sixth.

Thanks in advance for all your help.

 

One step is closer to publishing Our Justice. I am waiting for the paper proof so that I can finalize the Paper version. I have decided to put both the e-book and paper version on a pre-sell basis.(My first time doing so)  A pre-sell will give folks time to get the message and book a copy in advance. The actual ship date will be October 1st, and I will be hitting “publish” on the 12th of September. Most of my media support starts on October 1st and the blog tours anytime after the 12th.

Speaking of blog tours, I want to thank everyone who volunteered. I have confirmed all of you and the material will arrive the 6th of September.

As I promised, I’m sending this one more reminder. If you would like to help out, please send an e-mail to me at johnhowell (dot) wave (at) gmail.com.

Thanks to all.

Here is a photo taken from the beach of an upscale neighborhood named Cinnamon Shore. The day was a little overcast, and this picture was snapped at about 8:00 am while walking the dogs.

Why would I  take a photo of a neighborhood you ask? I just had to provide some context for the next shot. You see I find flip-flops on the beach all the time. I can never guess why folks leave one flip-flop. I make up stories in my mind that usually involve a couple who have had too much to drink. “Oh dear I dropped my flip-flop,” is a piece of imagined dialog. “Aw let it go. We’ll get another pair,” is the made up response.

Usually, the flip-flops are from places like Old Navy or Wal-Mart, so I can see the reluctance to go back for it. (I have, in my imagination, these folks in the back of a pick-up truck on another beer run to town.) So, I was quite surprised to spot this in front of Cinnamon Shore.

This photo is a Tory Burch sandal. I can hear it now, “Oh dear I dropped my Tory Burch sandal.” The reply, “Don’t worry darling we are late for the Smythes reception and no time to go back. I’ll get you a new pair at Neiman’s next week.” I see this couple in a custom golf cart making their way off the beach while trying to juggle two crystal flutes of Cristal champagne and a black labrador.