The Writer's Life 7/8 - Lest We Forget

The bodies of 36 US Marines have been found on a remote Pacific island more than 70 years after they died in a bloody WW II battle. The remains were discovered after a four-month excavation on Betio Island in Kiribati. The men were killed during the Battle of Tarawa in 1943. While the remains have not been formally identified, they almost certainly include those of Lieutenant Alexander Bonnyman, who posthumously received America's highest military accolade, the Medal of Honor, for conspicuous gallantry. Bonnyman led a series of assaults when Marines stormed the island, finally falling when he attacked a bomb-proof installation that was hampering the advance. A statement on History Flight's website said Bonnyman’s daughters have decided to have his remains interred in a family plot in Knoxville, Tennessee, next to his parents, with a public funeral service planned. Overall, more than 1,000 Americans died at Tarawa, while the entire Japanese garrison of 4,800 was wiped out. The remains will be repatriated this month and identified using a combination of dental records and DNA comparison with surviving relatives. The bodies of several hundred American soldiers still lay in makeshift, unrecorded graves where they were buried after the battle. Efforts will continue to ensure that the bodies are returned home. (From Yahoo News, edited by yours truly.)

Here's an amusing item from the Odd News section at Yahoo. A Canadian parachuted from a flying lawn chair powered by helium balloons. He tied more than 100 to the device, strapped a parachute on his back and set sail over Calgary in a publicity stunt intended to advertise a cleaning-products company. He intend to steer the improvised aerial device over the Calgary Stampede, the city's annual rodeo and festival that attracts over a million visitors, with an eye to parachuting onto the grounds. He was blown off course and jumped into a field nearly 1.2 miles west of his intended destination. He was met by police and arrested. "It was the most fun thing I've ever done," he said. He used a lawn chair purchased at a hardware store and balloons bought online.

Unable to find parking near my usual nook, I again set up shop on Bay Parkway, this time between 83rd & 84th, where the Alternate Side regulation was coming to an end as I arrived. I was able to build the display right beside my car, in case it rained. And I was under a tree, in case the sun re-appeared. It was good strategy, but paid only a small dividend. My thanks to Conspiracy Guy, who bought a thick cook book, the only sale of the session.
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Vic's 3rd Novel: http://tinyurl.com/7e9jty3

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Vic's Rom-Com Screenplay: http://tinyurl.com/kny5llp

Vic's Horror Screenplay: http://tinyurl.com/cyckn3f

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