Folks,

Dux:

The tenderness of your heart is surpassed only by your appetite for good liquor.

I love Christmas and at this time of year it is difficult for me to speak ill of anyone. Having said that I must do so. Forgive me.

As you may remember our son is a surveyor by trade. You may also remember my mentioning that he was (through no fault of his own) injured on the job last summer. Since that time he has been totally disabled and has suffered greatly having undergone several operations, medical procedures and needing constant pain medication.

Today just 6 days before the happy holiday and only 13 days after the birth of his first baby girl, he received a certified 'Christmas card' from his caring employer notifying him of his termination of employment.

He will still receive his workman's compensation check each week. That is only a small percentage of his regular salary. Frankly with a wife and 3 small kids that doesn't go very far. Now he will have no hospitalization insurance. Worst of all he has no job to look forward to going back to when and if he recovers. He has a 50/50 chance of that at best. Yet it meant so much to him to have that as a goal.

I am struggling to control my emotions men. I do not hate or despise his employer. I will not curse them. I am better than that and so is our son. We will try to forgive in the spirit of Christmas but it will be difficult ever to forget.

He was counting on a Christmas bonus this week to buy toys for his kids and was told just a month ago to expect one. Yes, this will be a tough one to forget. His kids are 3 years, 6 years and the girl is just 13 days old. Scrooge lives.

I do not feel like singing "Joy to the World" at the moment but I swear we will celebrate the joy of Christmas in spite of all the Scrooges in the world.

Sorry for the O.T. rant.

MG:

I see you popped in whilst I was typing. A mid-air close shave, eh? Did you notice if Olga was using a plane or her usual broomstick? ')

What lousy timing chosen by your son's employer, JRT. Not that there is ever a good time for such news, but it is hard to imagine a worse time.

I hope a ray of light will soon be shining through the tunnel.


Olga, if it indeed was her, had changed the broomstick with a car, passing other motorists on a narrow section of road with very poor visibility; blind turns, hills, that sort of thing.

Each year the turns take their toll. Perhaps it is Olga's lair, her crests and hills. When it is late fall and early spring a mist often hangs over the area. Folklore tells us of an old woman living in the bog; "mosekonen". I wonder if this "mosekonen" is really Olga?

As I was motoring quietly to dispersal this morning I found this dark car heading towards me, in my lane, and I had to throw anchor rather suddenly in order to avoid a collision.

I could almost hear the manical laughter from the other car, as it disappeared behind me.

Folks,

MG:

"mosekonen"? Wasn't she supposed to be a brewer of beer in one of Anderson's lesser known Fairy tales?

It may not be Olga living in that bog however it might be her distant cousin. You use an anchor to help negotiate tight turns? Great idea. I find an old concrete block attached to the rear passenger seat works wonders when I have a "backseat driver" to deal with. Just throw it out and say Bye, bye.

McG,

This means that she must still be in the area then? I had heard that she was backing up her lend-lease Soviet pilots pay with a little crop spraying using raw piggy waste from Farmer Dobbins.

Mind you....such an aroma would be an improvement. But watch out for that specially imported Po2 with her conquests stencilled under the cockpit...and don't accept any chance of a joy-ride!

JRT,

I'll say it for you. They would be fully aware of the consequences of that notice and how disappointing it would be to an employee. The fact is that they couldn't care less and in my book are nothing but a bunch of twatters.

I sincerely hope that there is an upturn in fortune for the lad and that the little lassie is doing well. Our sincere good wishes to him, his wife, and the family.

Folks,

Dux:

Thank you for your sincere thoughts and your appreciated good wishes. Things look a bit grim right now but Christmas is several days away and Christmas above all days of the year has a way of working its miracles.

I'm told Olga has given many a man a "joy ride" one way or another and few they were amongst those who lived that were man enough to ask for another.

Folks,

Dux:

I finally received "The Most Dangerous Enemy" by Stephen Bungay today. It is soft cover and about 500 pages with lots of interesting photos and maps. Some of the photos I had not seen before and that surprises me since I've been reading about WW2 since I was 10.

I've read a few dozen pages and I find it is well written and interesting. Having read so many books on the subject it is with pleasant surprise that one finds something fresh. I notice there is a "then and now" photo of our "pal" Bob Doe.

Thanks for the tip.

Will you make the Christmas deadline or will I be getting that tenner by post? You don't remember betting a tenner? Actually what you said was It'll fly by Christmas Day or I'll give you a tenner JRT. SNAFU was there and he will back me up, ask him.

What's that you say? SNAFU is MIA and I know it? Hmmmm. He is missing at that. I guess you'll just have to take my word for it then....

MG:

Stupid me. We just bought some Lego blocks for our grand kids this week and until now I did not know they were a product of Denmark. Imagine that.

I understand the name 'Lego' is a contraction of the Danish words for 'Play Nice' or something like that? I learn something new every day.

True JRT, Lego was invented here. I had lots of Lego stuff when I was a lad. There's even a themepark in a place in Jutland called Billund, with Lego miniatures of Mt. Rushmore, a Western-style city where the kids can dig for gold a much more.

Actually I didn't know about the origin of the word Lego, but it fits nicely since leg means playing and god means good.

It remains to be seen if my Hurricane squadron will be called into action during the christmas days, if so I will post the results of any matches in the skies over Britain. It would appear that my services are also required Over Flanders Fields these days

Soldiers, Sailors Airmen and Marines

Please be advised PO SNAFU swam into Dover at 0700 today. Aside from being wrinkled like a prune with a disposition to match he is in good condition. He will be returned to his squadron straight away.

Hello fellows!

I should say first that I appreciate your efforts searching the channel for me.

Do me a favor will you, next time I am reported missing. If you chaps are going to wait until after lunch to begin looking for me just call it in to the Germans.

JR2, thanks so much for sending the well done Christmas card AND the APB. I very much appreciate your concern and did not intend to worry anyone. As life often does, events dictate severe shifts in priorities. I wont go into to much detail but the problems relate to my 83 year old mother. Her vision and finances are failing and my sister and I have all responsibility for her well being. We've had a time trying to do the best for our mom. While not resolved, we have gotten far enough to have time to catch up.

So which of you pirates has the most victories since I've been out? Who drank the most pints? Who threw up the most? Who spent the most time in the town jail? Who has the most ladies? Who lost the most money in the weekly card games? Who lost rank and privilage? Who has the most holes in their Spit? Who....who smells of Olga's favorite perfume?

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to all the fine boys of HWH squadron.

Knew you'd make it back for Christmas!

I locked up your kit because Jolly Roger and Old Dux were starting to split it up, amongst themselves!

Olga will be over shortly with the key.

What can I say, ... the poor girl was completely devastated when you went missing ....

Happy Holdidays boys.

Folks,

MG:

I am over joyed to hear from SNAFU however first let me say that I am delighted to hear you say that I knew something about Denmark that you did not know. We also have several Lego theme parks here in the US. There is one in California and one that I have visited myself in the center of the huge Mall of America up in Minneapolis.

SNAFU:

What can I say? Isn't it odd how much you can care about someone that you have never actually met? We were all very worried about you. You have never been missing this long before. When even my e-mails were not answered even though I knew they had been received, I knew something serious was afoot and I began to really worry. One's imagination can conjure up terrible things.

Thank's for posting. In our delight that you have escaped to fight again let us not forget your troubles. I am sorry to hear of your mother's difficulties. I went through something similar with both my Grandmother and my Mother. If I can help in any way I will. If just typing to someone who has been there and cares will help, then you have my e-mail address. We wish the most joyous of holidays for you and all your lovely ladies "R", "B" and "N".

I want you to know that contrary to what you may have been told one of us who hales from Denmark and who will nevertheless remain anonymous made an attempt to remove certain 'valuables' from your personal footlocker. They were thwarted in this attempt by a heroic intervention on the part of myself and Dux. We have found everything except your radio and that Rolex and your gold ring. I don't think there was any money in your wallet was there?

Olga was worried sick when she was told you were missing. I know you will want some private time alone together now that you are back so Dux and I managed a 24-hour holiday pass apiece from the CO. As you know, Olga carries every social disease known to man plus a few more so anything you get from her at Christmas is a gift that will keep on giving. Have fun.

Dux:

That Bungay book has not disappointed.

Not to put too fine a point on it mate but unless, unlike me, you somehow missed that world-wide broadcast from King's College this morning, tomorrow is Christmas Day. It will be coming four or five hours sooner for you than for us. We therefore will be looking forward to photos of that worthy craft of yours in the air very soon indeed.

MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE!