Military History Went Up In Smoke

Sunday evening I told my husband that I was going to work on getting information on my Dad`s military history this week. On Monday afternoon I started my search, and was very upset to find the following posting on the National Archives website:

What is devastating about this post is that 80% of the Army records were destroyed in this fire, and they cover the years my Dad served in WWII. I will still try to get his records in hopes that maybe they are the lucky 20% that survived. In the picture above you can see the sentence, under the box, that says there were no duplicate copies nor were there microfilms made of these records.

The post does go on to say that they have been trying to recreate the lost and damaged information. The preservation team has been dealing with records that have been burned, waterlogged and have had to go through mold remediation. They have had about 40 years to work on it, so maybe I will have a little luck and be able to get some information from their hard work.

Today is the 70th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz. The Russian soldiers that liberated Auschwitz hold a special place in history. How sad would it be if the military records no longer existed for the family members of soldiers that may have played very important roles in the American`s liberation of camps like Dachau. The Americans were responsible for the liberation of several camps, and these soldier`s records may have been lost forever. There are so many Americans that came home from WWII and did not share their stories. They saw unbelievable human devastation and lived in a generation that just did not talk about their experiences, thoughts and feelings. The loss of these records will  make it impossible for these soldier`s ancestors to ever learn of their experiences.

My Dad enlisted at the end of the war, and he told a story that after his basic training he was sent home for a short period of time due to complications during the birth of my oldest sister. His unit was shipped out overseas, and he told us that they all lost their lives soon after their deployment. When he reported back to to the base he was sent to the Aleutian Islands to serve until the end of the war. I would love to be able to verify this story by tracking his original unit and the one he finally joined. Due to the damaged files I may never get the answers I am looking for. It may have all gone up in a puff of smoke.

Mission San Antonio: Part 2

The second mission we visited in San Antonio was Mission San Francisco de la Espada (Mission Saint Francis of the Sword).

Map of the Mission San Francisco de la Espanda.

Espada had several locations in east Texas before it settled on the current location along the San Antonio River on March 5, 1731. This site became a merging of cultures that had to overcome language, values and faith differences. The Missionaries took the Coahuiltecan (kwa-weel-teken) people (a collective name for many small bands of Indians that lived in southern Texas adjacent to Mexico) and over a 50 year period taught these hunter and gatherers the principals of farming, ranching, architecture, blacksmithing, loom weaving, spinning and masonry. Espada was the only San Antonio mission that actually made bricks and tiles in the mission.

These are the ruins of the Indian quarters to the left of the Mission`s entrance.

The Coalhuiltecans were fighting famine, diseases, and enemy tribes on their own, so they chose the protection and plentiful food supply of the mission. These people embraced the Spanish life and Christianity. In 1794, Espanda started the transformation to a church-based community. Also, at this time the mission was impoverished, and there were only 15 families left that received land and shared equipment and supplies from the mission. In 1826, the Comanches raided the cornfields and killed the livestock, and that same year a kitchen fire destroyed most of the buildings. The chapel survived and people continued to make Espada their home. Today the church still serves as the heart of the community and mission descendants still worship there.

The above ruins were the granary in 1762 and was converted to a church in 1773-76. The existing church below was built in 1740 and the bell tower was added in the 1780s.

There is currently work being done to preserve the chapel.

Daily training and tasks were accomplished to the timing of the missions bells in the tower.

The Mission`s Acequia System was essential for the success of the survival of the missions crops. Because of the sparse rainfall in the San Antonio region there had to be a irrigation system put into place to make farming successful. The missionaries and natives created a seven gravity flow ditch system called acequias. Five dams and several aqueducts along the San Antonio River supplied a constant flow of river water into the system. The 15 mile system irrigated about 3500 acres of land.

The water moved through this aqueduct by gravity.

The acesquia system in Espanda is the best preserved, and the oldest Spanish aqueduct in the United States. The aqueduct was completed in 1745 and still diverts river water via the Espanda Aqueduct, using gravity and floodgates, to fields for irrigation, bathing and washing for farms today.

This is a picture of the water flowing over the canal bridge pictured below. There was also a creek running under the canal bridge.

This was such a successful system, and is in great shape for being over 250 years old.

Stay tuned for Mission San Antonio part 3. Are you learning anything?

Mission San Antonio Part 1

Road trip to San Antonio!  My husband and I love to be tourists and since we were going to Austin for a race, we decided to spend a few days in San Antonio. This city is one of Texas` most famous tourist spots. Remember the Alamo?  Well we will never forget it! We went to see this historic site right after we checked into the hotel. This is such a significant site in the road to Texas becoming part of the United States.

The missions on the San Antonio River were built in the 1700`s and forms the largest concentration of Catholic missions in North America. The Spanish explorers from New Spain (Mexico) traveled north across the Rio Grande in search of riches. As they traveled east they encountered the Tejas Indians for whom Texas was named. When the dream of riches faded the Spanish concentrated on spreading the Catholic faith among the frontier Indians.  The Missions were both an agent of the church and the Mexican government by converting the the Indians, and by pushing the empire northward.

The Alamo was originally built on the Rio Grande, but later moved to the San Antonio River due to threats by the French in Louisiana.

Mission San Antonio de Valero "The Alamo"

The Alamo (Mission San Antonio de Valero) was the first mission on the San Antonio River. It was founded in 1718 and is most famous for the Battle of the Alamo in February and March of 1836. President Antonio Santa Anna led the Mexican army to the Alamo and embarked on a 13 day battle that killed all of the Texan defenders. These defenders included the famous Davy Crockett. The cruelty of Santa Anna inspired many Texas settlers to join the Texan army and fight for independence. The Texans defeated the Mexican Army at the Battle of San Jacinto on April 21, 1836 and ended the revolution.

The bodies of the Alamo Heroes were moved and buried in a tomb in the Cathedral of San Fernando. 

The above picture shows the apartments at the Alamo where the Indians lived. The natives in the area  that were taken in by the Friers of the mission, were not only converted spiritually, but were given clothes, taught how to farm, and how to fight to help defend the mission from other tribes that were not as friendly, or interested in becoming a part of the mission.

San Antonio is also famous for the river walk. The river walk is like a canal system that goes through the city that is beautifully landscaped, littered with cool bridges, inhabited by many wonderful restaurants, shops, hotels, and taxi/tour boats.  We took the boat tour at night and loved it. Then, the next day we walked the entire river walk and were able to take pictures of all the spots they told us about on the boat tour.

This is just one of the views on the river walk where you can see a restaurant in the background.

The landscaping along the river walk is breathtaking in many areas. We took the boat tour in the evening and it was really beautiful to see the city all lit up while on the water.

The picture above shows a tour boat or water taxi. It was a great way to see and learn about the city. We were told that the river was designed with dams and locks so that they can drain the river and clean it of all the sunglasses, flip flops and other items that are dropped into the river. They do this maintenance in January of odd numbered years.

After the flood in 1921, you could see the water line on the old buildings along the river walk, the tree in the wall above started to grow after that flood.

We checked out of the hotel at 2pm and wanted to do the mission tour before we left for Austin. Now there are five missions on the tour including the Alamo. Since we had already seen the Alamo, we had four to go. The only problem was that they all close at 5pm and we had to drive about 17 miles to get to the first one. So we had four Missions to see, and also an Aqueduct to visit. Talk about your quick tour.

I will do a few more blogs on the missions, because the pictures are so wonderful and I want to be able to share as many as I can with you.

The Night Before Christmas

It's the night before Christmas, and all through the house

All creatures are stirring, but thank goodness no mouse

The stockings are laying on the mantel with care

The tree is all lit with a beautiful glare

The Toddler is bathed and put into his bed

While visions of sugar cookies dance in his head

His Mommy in her PJs and Daddy in his cap

Are recovering from football and an afternoon nap

When out in the yard there arouse such a clatter

We jumped from our seats to see what was the matter

Away to the door we flew like a plane

Stepping on a race car and a little toy train

The moon in the sky was giving a glow

Highlighting the men in the yard far below

When what to my wondering eyes should appear

But Papa and his sons each holding a beer

All ready to assemble the large present tonight

For the Toddler, from Santa, it must look just right

More rapid than eagles his instructions he yelled

And the boys all pitched in, but their beers they still held

Screwdrivers are needed, both Phillips and flat

A hammer, some pliers, and no more than that

Tab A in Slot B it is all coming together

Someone get out your iPad and check on the weather

As dry leaves that before wild Texas storms fly

The weather is holding, not a cloud in the sky

So back to their work in the glow of the moon

An evening that feels like Indiana in June

And then in a twinkling I heard in the yard

The reading of instruction from one little card

The boys were all working to finish in time

Building a fun play yard for baby to climb

The shape like a school bus with a slide in the back

Wheels that can be turned all in yellow and black

The horn gives a beep and the engine a roar

He can pull out the stop sign or open the door

They spoke not a word but went straight to their work 

Screwed in the last screw and then turned with a jerk

Then laying the hammer beside of the hose

They finished the present and to their feet they all rose

They came in the house and the team wet their whistle

Then cleaned up their mess with the handy new Bissell

But I heard them exclaim as they turned out the lights

Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good night!

Holiday Traditions

Every family has their Holiday traditions and just because we are in an apartment this Christmas I am determined to keep the few traditions I can this year.

The tradition of the kids waiting at the top of the stairs on Christmas morning is long past. Although it was a tradition passed down from my childhood I am not sure that it will make  it to the next generation. After all it does require stairs and a two story home, of which my children have none.

We started a new tradition two years ago where we do a gift exchange with our immediate family. This gift exchange has a theme each year. The first year the theme was "As Seen on TV" so we had to buy our person a gift that was labeled "As seen on TV". That year was great for my husband and I because we actually had an "As seen on TV" store in the shopping mall in Virginia. The second year was a funny T-shirt gift, and this year is fun slippers. I cannot wait to see how creative everyone is this year.

Another tradition we have is the making of sugar cutout cookies. I make the cookies, and the whole family ices and decorates them. We have been decorating cookies at Christmas for almost 30 years. It is one of my favorite traditions because, as with any tradition, I get to spend time with everyone. I look forward to sharing this tradition with my Grandchildren.

The next tradition I do for me. I have watched the movie "Scrooge" on Christmas Eve and "It's A Wonderful Life" on Christmas Day for as long as I can remember. I know it has to have been at least 30 years, because we use to have an old VHS tape of "Scrooge" and it was recorded in California. We lived in California in the early 80's. It is fun for me to watch the movies with my grown kids, because they know all the words and songs, and they make me laugh when they recite all the familiar phrases with their own accent and spin.

I am sure there will be a time when my kids will tire (some may have already) of making cookies and watching these old movies, but I hope that as they get older and start their own traditions they realize how important these silly little traditions are to me. They are a reminder of  Christmases past. A time when they were little and loved to ice snowman cookies purple by mixing all the colors of icing together. They would make blue Christmas trees and dump a handful of sprinkles on it making it by far the ugliest and most delicious Christmas tree cookie ever, lol. These cookies were never shared outside the family, but were eaten by their creators and makers of memories.

After all isn't that what traditions are all about, the process of making family memories?

 I wish you all Happy Holidays and in the words of Tiny Tim, "God Bless us Everyone"!

Pokey Donkey

I hate auto correct! I just got a new iPhone and after a few weeks I could not take it any longer, so I had to turn off auto correct.

It is one thing for your phone to not recognize a word, and make suggestions of words you may want to use instead, but auto correct changes it for you. So, I was texting and typed in lol and my Droid decided I meant AOL, so it just changed it. Maybe it didn't think the text I received was funny enough for me to laugh out loud. I am very careful about reading my text before sending them, and when I would put the lol at the end of the text it would change after I pushed send.

Using my new iPhone,  I was sending a text to my husband. I typed "No problem love ya", and auto correct changed it to "No problem love us". I do" love us", but that was not what I wanted to say. So, each time auto correct changes my ending I have to send a second text correcting auto correct. Am I the only one that sees how crazy and time consuming this is?

I cannot tell you how many times I had to correct auto correct. Bikes! Oops, Yikes!

You really have to be careful to look texts over when you have auto correct, before you hit send. My son has had the name Veronica changed to Erotica. Imagine how that text may have been received. My family always sends their corrected text with the words "stupid auto correct". It is a good thing we have unlimited texts, because auto correct is making us double our efforts.

My favorite auto correct is the one from my son that changed okey dokey to pokey donkey. So,  we will use pokey donkey instead of okey dokey from now on, AOL.

Love us! 

Footwear at the Races

My husband and I went to Austin Halloween weekend to the US Formula 1 race. Now, if you were to ask me if this was a race I would have picked to go see, the answer would be no. My husband became a huge race fan while living in Indiana for over 26 years, and having season tickets to the Indy 500 every year, the whole family has jumped on the bandwagon. Our 3 kids have been going to Indy Car races since they were very young, and my boys still meet my husband in Indianapolis every May for the 500. My husband is also up every Sunday morning listening to the current Formula 1 race.
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These were our seats at the race. I used my panorama mode on my phone. 

The track for this race is called "Circuit of the Americas". This is a beautiful facility out in the middle of nowhere. The area is dry and very dusty, as most of Texas is, and the track is also very hilly. To walk from our seats to the main grand stand is like a mountain climb. There is a trail or walkway that goes all around the track, and it is a great workout getting from one place to another. There were some workers cheering everyone on and telling them to pump their arms to get up some of the hills. They were so funny and I would have laughed with them if I could have caught my breath.
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This was the smallest hill you had to climb at this track

As with many sporting events there are women and men who just do not get the appropriate clothing and shoes to wear. We were at a Dallas Stars hockey game last month and there were some women there with skin tight, sleeveless, very short dresses with stiletto heels. Now if you have ever been to a hockey game you know it is very cold, and most people wear jerseys or heavy sportswear. Who are these people trying to impress? Just plain silliness.

Now, I am concerned about this woman's choice of footwear, if you can`t see she is wearing sandals, but she is also using a diaper bag as a purse. I watched her walk into the track, and she did not have a baby with her. Maybe she is on to something here, you can sit on the changing pad, and have plenty of storage inside. Or, maybe the baby is inside the bag. That maybe the only thing they let you bring into the track in your purse.

So, back to the races. We were sitting in the grass on Sunday, next to the walkway staying cool, before we had to go sit in the stands to bake. While I was sitting there, I was people watching, and just kept watching the shoes people were wearing. Now many of these people were walking on gravel and dirt walkways that were long and hilly. What shoes would you be wearing?

These were my sensible shoes.

This woman is wearing a boot with a heel that is too high to be walking around this track and if you look at her left foot it is even twisted a bit as she is standing. She should have used her companion as an example for the appropriate footwear to wear to a race.
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Flip Flops are for the beach, not the races. I cannot tell you how many flip flop people have to stop to get the rocks out of their "shoes". Ouch!

Slides are great shoes, but not at the races. Between the heel and the missing back they are a recipe for walking nightmare. Twisted ankle and rocks in your shoes. Yikes!

More boots that have way too high of a heel to be walking around this track. The guy looks like he is wearing Sperrys, at over $80 a pair. Comfortable choice but you hope no one spills something on them.

This boot is hard to see, I was trying to be discreet with my picture taking, but if you look behind the gym shoes you will see the pointy black and white toed red boot. The boots are awesome, and were probably very expensive, but they do not belong in the rocks, dirt and hills.

Last is my favorite cowboy boot. Now we are in Texas, and these are fun boots and probably expensive, and don`t even get me started on wearing white pants. Maybe wear these boots to a restaurant, bar, or a mall,  Why ruin them, or the white pants at a race track?

Enough about shoes, gotta run!