Last month I wrote about the rise of thought, language, and civilization, as well as the beginning of the fall of paper. In the publishing world, such a short essay is referred to as "a piece." Not quite the meaning assigned to the word by shady characters given to hanging around in dark corners. Yet, these individuals who consider themselves powerful just because they can use "their piece" to kill someone, are actually less potent than a well-placed thought, which could become universal. For instance, take Socrates, whom the angered ancient Athenians sought to silence by offering him the choice of either exile or drinking a cup of hemlock. Since Socrates, age 71, didn't see any point in living away from Athens and the Agora, he chose to put an end to his life instead – and drank the hemlock. Today, practically everyone has at least heard of Socrates (a few have actually read his thoughts, set down by his student Plato, since Socrates never penned anything). Now, here's my question. Do you know the names of the Athenians who passed judgment on him?

Last month's "piece," in common with all those I write, was a complete thought. The Greeks used no punctuation (no one had invented any yet), so they just wrote out the words until they had reached the end of their complete thought, which they called a periodos (περίοδος). They signaled the end of the periodos by starting a new line. Gradually, our idea of a complete thought became the sum total of little thoughts, and we invented the sentence to take care of these partial bits of knowledge. Enamored with little thoughts, we decided to place a dot at the end of every sentence, calling it a period. But let's get back to "thought, language and civilization."

By the year 1600, England had achieved its peak in the writing arts, as exemplified by Shakespeare's works. Have you read any Shakespeare lately? Have you waded through his sprinkling of nearly-incomprehensible words? Have you suffered any contumely lately? Have you achieved quietus? Is there a bodkin lurking in your clothing? Have you experienced a happy moiety? Do some of your friends gibber? Take a cursory look at his drama Hamlet and, practically on every page, one or more words will send you dashing to the dictionary.

Shakespeare did not invent the English language, nor did he go out of his way to use difficult words. On the contrary, he simply made use of the wealth of expression that the English language possessed at that time – thereby rescuing it for all time. He wrote his plays in the words of the common people, and through these words the spectators were able to understand the thoughts behind the action. His plays were staged for paying customers who were the "average persons" of Shakespeare's day. They could be quite rowdy, too. If we can't understand Shakespeare today, we only have ourselves to blame, for having forgotten what the words once meant. And for having stopped using them. And for inventing some tasteless (when not inane) words to replace them.

Granted, there isn't much use for a bodkin these days, since our clothing requires none and there are more efficient ways to kill a person. Nor do we need to remember what a mizzenmast might be, since we've largely abandoned building "tall ships" powered by that endless and generous source of energy, the wind. (Though we might come back to that, the way things are going.) Since fashions change, there are no more jerkins or bustles. Only very traditional nuns wear periwinkles. And very few people speak or understand Latin these days, when in Shakespeare's day it was the lingua franca (or common parlance) of Europe.

By studying the few primitive tribes still at hand, scientists have tried to theorize how we got started up the ladder of civilization. Take the Hottentots, for instance, discovered by Germans who called them Hot und Tot Leute because their language sounded to them as being composed almost entirely of the sounds hot and tot (Leute means people). The Dutch, who colonized that part of southern Africa, used their word Hottentot (meaning jabberer), because the natives' language made no sense to them. Never mind that the Hottentots called themselves Khoikhoi (pronounced HoyHoy and meaning "men of men"). Disregarding reason in the years right after the Age of Reason, the European name for these people stuck. This was in the 1700's, the "Age of Enlightenment," yet their actions don't say much for their ability to do linguistic research.

Now let's leap three centuries and face squarely a typical day in 2008. I married a lady, my wife Audrey. Yet, when we go shopping, we are often greeted by young cashiers who ask us, "How are you guys doing today?" Since I won't respond to that, my wife does, and says, "Fine, thank you." Sales people call on the phone at all hours of day and night, greeting me with, "Arthur! How are you doing today?" When I reply, "Sorry, I don't recognize your voice. Would you kindly tell me your name?" Generally, the answer is something like, "Oh, I'm Mr. John Johnson, of Smith, Smith and Smith." If I'm in a bad mood, I might reply sweetly, "And where have we met, Mr. Johnson?" Usually they hang up at this point.

Think of it. A stranger invades my privacy, doesn't know me from Adam, belittles me by calling me by my first name, and reserves the "Mr." for himself. If I'm annoyed enough, sometimes I'll say, "Sorry, you've got it wrong. My name is not Arthur." If brazen enough, the caller then is apt to retort, "What is it, then?" My reply is simple, voiced in hushed tones, "To you, it's Mister, the Mister goes with my last name, and my last name is right there before your eyes, on the list you used to call me." That puts an end to it for sure.

So, all of a sudden, pre-historic cave painting, ancient Egyptians and Greeks, Shakespeare, my dear wife, rude cashiers and anonymous solicitors come together to underscore the Civil  Air Patrol's core value of Respect.

Let us never forget that Respect falls in the same category as Right of way. It is something that you can only give, never take.

Everyone has to be signed into a mission before they participate. It doesn't matter if it is practice, like this weekend, or the real deal. One of the things that dramatically slows down check-in with IMU is the absence of emergency contact information for a member in the IMU database. To solve this problem:

Log into WMU at https://wmu.nat.cap.gov/ using the member button on the main menu.

If you are unfamiliar with the use of the database, click on the "Instructions" button at the bottom left.

If you are a first-time user, you need to create a new account. To do this, read the instructions on how to use WMU, and how to create a new account. Once the system verifies that you are a CAP member, you'll be allowed to create your new account.

NOTE: The User Name and Password for this application are not the same as those you use for e-Services.

Select the Emergency Contact Info button and ensure your emergency contact information is up to date.

Hit the Update buttons for both contact and medical information if you entered new data in either area. The data you enter into WMU will migrate to IMU overnight.

Go to the bottom of the page and hit the Print Form 60 button to get a new Form 60.

This lesson was brought home recently to my youngest son, Jonathan, who serves our country in the Air Force. Jonathan went to purchase a newer car. Since he is about to become a father, he needed a larger vehicle. He had always paid his bills, and thought his credit was good. Wrong! He was denied.

When he called to find out why, he learned that two years before he had co-signed on a loan for a friend, and his “friend” had defaulted on the loan. His friend had left the Air Force and there was no way to contact him. Not only was his friend’s credit ruined, so was my son’s. Fortunately, I was able to co-sign for him, so he got his car - but no satisfaction. Because of his former friend’s record of not paying his bills and “sticking” his friends, the JAG office at my son's base has addressed a letter to the credit bureau.

Whether you are a cadet about to graduate from high school, or a senior member at any stage in your life, the lesson here is simply this: Take with you into the world what you have learned in your life. CAP’s system of honor and integrity will serve you well in whatever choice you make for your future - as a student, serving your country, or in civilian employment. Remember the words of Ecclesiastes and, indeed, remember that what you do today will come back to you tomorrow.

After having retired from the Civil Air Patrol, and changed my mind about it, I am happy to be back as a member and as your chaplain. I am here for you! Regardless of your faith, or even if you do not profess a faith. If you need me, my home number is 817-831-9512. My purpose is not to take the place of your minister, pastor, priest, imam, rabbi, or any other faith leader. But as your CAP chaplain, I am here for you as a person, should you need me. 

"Chaplain Marc"

Old Eddie

It happens every Friday evening, almost without fail, when the sun resembles a giant orange and is starting to dip into the blue ocean. Old Ed comes strolling along the beach to his favorite pier. Clutched in his bony hand is a bucket of shrimp. Ed walks out to the end of the pier, where it seems he almost has the world to himself. The glow of the sun is a golden bronze now.

Everybody's gone, except for a few joggers on the beach. Standing out on the end of the pier, Ed is alone with his thoughts... and his bucket of shrimp.

Before long, however, he is no longer alone. Up in the sky a thousand white dots come screeching and squawking, winging their way toward that lanky frame standing there on the end of the pier. Before long, dozens of seagulls have enveloped him, their wings fluttering and flapping wildly. Ed stands there tossing shrimp to the hungry birds. As he does, if you listen closely, you can hear him say with a smile, "Thank you. Thank you."

In a few short minutes the bucket is empty. But Ed doesn't leave. He stands there lost in thought, as though transported to another time and place. Invariably, one of the gulls lands on his sea-bleached, weather-beaten hat - an old military hat he's been wearing for years.

When he finally turns around and begins to walk back toward the beach, a few of the birds hop along the pier with him until he gets to the stairs, and then they, too, fly away. And old Ed quietly makes his way down to the end of the beach and on home.

If you were sitting there on the pier with your fishing line in the water, Ed might seem like "a funny old duck," as my dad used to say. Or, "a guy that's a sandwich shy of a picnic," as my kids might say. To onlookers, he's just another old codger, lost in his own weird world, feeding the seagulls with a bucket full of shrimp.

To the onlooker, rituals can look either very strange or very empty. They can seem altogether unimportant... maybe even a lot of nonsense. Old folks often do strange things, at least in the eyes of Boomers and Busters. Most of them would probably write Old Ed off, down there in Florida. That's too bad. They'd do well to know him better.

His full name: Eddie Rickenbacker. He was a famous hero back in World War II. On one of his flying missions across the Pacific, he and his seven-member crew went down. Miraculously, all of the men survived, crawled out of their plane, and climbed into a life raft.

Captain Rickenbacker and his crew floated for days on the rough waters of the Pacific. They fought the sun. They fought sharks. Most of all, they fought hunger. By the eighth day their rations ran out. No food. No water.

They were hundreds of miles from land and no one knew where they were. They needed a miracle. That afternoon they had a simple devotional service and prayed for a miracle. They tried to nap. Eddie leaned back and pulled his military cap over his nose. Time dragged. All he could hear was the slap of the waves against the raft.

Suddenly, Eddie felt something land on the top of his cap. It was a seagull!

Old Ed would later describe how he sat perfectly still, planning his next move. With a flash of his hand and a squawk from the gull, he managed to grab it and wring its neck. He tore the feathers off, and he and his starving crew made a meal - a very slight meal for eight men - of it. Then they used the intestines for bait. With it, they caught fish, which gave them food and more bait......and the cycle continued. With that simple survival technique, they were able to endure the rigors of the sea until they were found and rescued. (After 24 days at sea...)

Eddie Rickenbacker lived many years beyond that ordeal, but he never forgot the sacrifice of that first lifesaving seagull. And he never stopped saying, "Thank you." That's why almost every Friday night he would walk to the end of the pier with a bucket full of shrimp and a heart full of gratitude.

[Eddie was an Ace in WW I, a Congressional Medal of Honor recipient, and started Eastern Airlines. He went through his ordeal in the Pacific in October, 1942. Born in 1890, he died in 1973. – Editor]

Max Lucado, " The Eye of the Storm," pp.221, 225-226

Mark you calendars and watch your e-mail InBox for more information – slots will fill up fast!

C/TSgt Aaron Harold has an easy smile, runs like the wind, and displays a talent for detail. Endowed with a keen eye that captures the action, and a caring approach to life, he is not afraid to sense the world around him, observe the people in it, and feel their emotions. In the process, he finds his own.

A good story teller leads the listener or reader to experience an event from the inside, as it were. The ability to share that lived moment with others, who were not there, does not come easily. It takes audacity and strength. Because truth in telling is not the same as glibness. It requires candor and honesty, which are present in this cadet in abundant measure.

He likes sports, people, hard work, people, overcoming obstacles, people, and... oh, yes. People. That's what makes him a great asset to the Group III Newsletter. So I welcome him with pleasure and respect. May he write often, all his life, as he develops in mind and spirit.

AUSTIN-BERGSTROM INT'L AIRPORT, TX – Beautiful, clear skies with a light breeze created ideal conditions for flying at the Group III Orientation Ride weekend.

Nearly 30 cadets rest outside, soaking up the sun, as they eagerly wait for their chance to fly, but the most eager cadets were those who had never done an O-Flight before. Because there were only two CAP airplanes, there was a limit to how many cadets could fly. Fortunately for those anxious first-timers, the pilots agreed to give them the opportunity to fly first. Cadet Airman Darr shares his feelings about his first O-flight, “I was nervous at first, but I had a lot of fun.” Another first-time flyer, Cadet Airman Shannon, was asked how he liked his first O-Flight and he replied with a smiling,” Great! I can’t wait for my next one.” 

1. 2. 3.

[1] The safety briefing. [2] The "grounded" cadets enjoyed alternate activities. Rocket launching was wonderful, and the hovercraft got many takers. [3] In one of the two CAP planes available, Capt. Don Hart is about to take a first-timer on an O'Flight.

The cadets were not the only ones having fun. The participating senior members really enjoyed working with the cadets. Capt. Don Hart, one of the pilots, stated that today had been “a successful day” and that this weekend had presented “great opportunities for both the senior and cadets”.

Because of the limited number of cadets in the air, there were many cadets on the ground who had a lot of free time on their hands. Thankfully, the Apollo Composite Squadron had brought along a few great activities. Some cadets enjoyed sliding around on the hovercraft, while others did some target practice with a compressed air rocket launcher. At one point, the Pegasus Composite Squadron and Apollo Composite Squadron cadets faced-off in an epic game of “Dodge Goddard,” using Goddard model rockets they launched at each other. Nobody won.

Overall, today was considered a success. And the best part is that the event repeats on Sunday. Most of the cadets can’t wait for Sunday to come around.

Group III hosts O-Ride weekend, 5-6 April - Day 2

AUSTIN-BERGSTROM INT'L AIRPORT, TX – With fewer cadets than the day before, the O-Ride weekend continued with everyone eager to take to the sky. Although everyone's spirits were high, the day started off with low cloud levels, keeping the planes on the tarmac. Thankfully, the day gained some momentum as soon as Captain Arthur Woodgate walked in with a surprise. News Channel 8 Austin had agreed to take some footage and interview one or two participants about the O-Ride Weekend. The lucky ones were Cadet Senior Master Sergeant Aaron Harold and Cadet Second Lieutenant Raphael Erie, who answered questions about the event and CAP in general.

Then the photographer said, "I'd like some notes, please." That meant that he wanted someone to speak into the camera so they would have background information to go with the cadets' interviews, and Capt. Woodgate volunteered to do that.

4. 5. 6. 7.