Around Livermore: A downtown walk and Veterans Day

From Mercury News: Around Livermore: A downtown walk and Veterans Day

Saturday evening downtown was still warm but there was a cool breeze. Here it is late October and people were enjoying their downtown, outdoors.

My wife and I decided to take in a new Italian restaurant, Milano Joe's, and as we sat enjoying our meal outside we people watched. People strolled by in twos, threes and more. Some were walking with a purpose; others were just enjoying the evening and people watching like us.

Hot rods were abundant as were motorcycles. It reminded me of the days of cruising in high school, but as a friend once put it, this type of cruising is "for the Mondavi crowd." That it was.

It was quiet, except for the occasional loud muffler and traffic was bumper-to-bumper, like cruising, but without the thousands who used to descend on First Street. Still, the number of people was impressive and all seemed to be enjoying themselves.

After our meal we strolled with the crowds a bit and enjoyed the sights. Young couples with babies in strollers, older couples walking hand-in-hand, children watching the colored water spouts at Lizzie Fountain, a man playing a guitar nearby. All of that and much more were happening Saturday night.

Our downtown has certainly become the go-to place in town and the valley. Soon the weather will be cooler and the rains will return. So before that happens, take in a meal at any one of the many restaurants downtown that offer sidewalk dining. The food is good and the show is free.

Afterwards, you can enjoy a coffee at Pete's Coffee or Starbuck's downtown or a dessert at First Treats Yogurts or Nestles' Tollhouse Cafe, or at any of the many other restaurants downtown. From Anita's Mexican Restaurant to Zephyr Grill, downtown Livermore has dining for all tastes and budgets. Talk an evening walk downtown sometime, you won't be disappointed.

VETERANS DAY PLANS: The Las Positas College Veterans First Program, the Student Veterans Organization, the LPC Library History Department and a host of other campus organizations are hosting two remarkable talks for LPC's fourth annual Veterans Day observance. This will be held the day before Veterans Day, on Thursday, Nov. 10.

At 8 a.m., the Student Veterans Organization will present an American flag to the college that flew over a forward operating base in Afghanistan.

At 10:30 am, the first speaker will be Maggie Gee, who was one of the original Women's Air Service Pilots during World War II. She was also only one of two Chinese-American women who flew for the WASPS.

The WASPS were instrumental in getting aircraft from the factories to air bases and ports for shipping them overseas to combat zones. Several of these female pilots were killed in these flights and in working as test pilots for new aircraft being built to fight the Japanese and Germans in the war.

At noon, the speakers will be former Lt. LeRoy Gillead and retired Lt. Col. Harold Hoskins Jr., who served with the famous Tuskegee Airmen, the all-black 332nd Fighter Group and the 447th Bomber Group in World War II. Due to the segregation of the armed forces, blacks were regulated to mainly service duty. The Tuskegee Airmen unit was an Army Air Force experiment that was successful beyond anyone's dream.

At 5 p.m, the day will end with the traditional sounding of "Taps."

The talks are free to the public and will be held in the Mertes Center for the Arts at the college.

For more information, call Todd Steffan at 925-424-1571.

Unleaded Swift fuel tested in radial engine

From AOPA online: Unleaded Swift fuel tested in radial engine

An unmodified Pratt & Whitney R-2800 Double Wasp engine running on Swift Enterprises’ high-octane unleaded fuel 100SF showed no signs of knock in an informal round of testing, Purdue Research Park announced Oct. 25.

High-powered radial engines, designed to run on 115/145-octane fuel, present a significant challenge to any developer of an unleaded fuel. These engines already must run on reduced power settings on today’s lower-octane 100LL, and losing the knock protection provided by lead could further shrink their operating margins. The testing was part of an effort to prove that the fuel can meet the needs of engines that demand high-octane fuel, like the radial-engine aircraft that play an especially critical role in transporting people and supplies in Alaska—a question that Swift Vice President of Renewable Fuels Jon Ziulkowski said frequently arises during meetings with industry.

“Everybody says, ‘Yeah, but will it work in a radial engine?’” he said. Now, the company can say, "Yes," he added.
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“It turns out it’s at least as good as 100LL."

A&P mechanics at Anderson Aeromotive Inc. conducted testing over three days in Grangeville, Idaho, operating at 115- to 145-octane takeoff power settings with no sign of engine knock, Purdue Research Park said. The R-2800 burned more than 100 gallons of 100SF, which produced a higher detonation threshold than 100LL, the business incubation complex added.

Norman Koerner, president of TriCap International Inc., organized the testing at Anderson Aeromotive, an outfit with significant radial engine experience, Purdue Research Park noted in a news release. Texas-based TriCap provides consulting and management services for aircraft modification, specializing in high-performance piston aircraft such as the Douglas A-26 and DC-3 and the Lockheed PV-2.

Swift’s fuel will undergo another, more extensive, formal round of radial engine testing in 2012, the release noted. Ziulkowski said Swift expects to conduct those tests in the demanding environment of Alaska, running the fuel on an aircraft there and measuring such performance parameters as detonation and resistance to detonation, compatibility with the engine, and cold-weather performance.

The testing also will explore the possibility of operating at higher power settings than on 100LL because of 100SF’s slightly higher octane, Ziulkowski said. “To an air carrier in Alaska, that makes all the difference,” he said.

Koerner said in the news release that the testing will help pave the way for legacy aircraft to continue to provide essential services.

"Additionally, 100SF will be able to power the heritage aircraft that are indispensable in preserving the history of World War II,” Koerner said. “I think it's the right thing to do, so let's 'keep 'em flying!'"

Outfits from 1950s inspire this year’s party season

From the Aberdeen City Council: Outfits from 1950s inspire this year’s party season
As the party season nears an exhibition of elegant ball gowns and glittering cocktail dresses will open on Saturday 29 October at Provost Skene's House, Aberdeen.

Jingle Bell Rock 1950s Partywear highlights the story of fashion and how it changed dramatically after World War II.

Christian Dior, a relatively unknown French designer, introduced his first major couture collection in February 1947 which featured designs that were in complete contrast to the austere clothing worn during the war years.

The style was coined the 'New Look' by Carmel Snow, the editor-in-chief of Harper's Bazaar, and was characterised by soft shoulders, a wasp-waist and extravagant full-flowing skirts. Masses of fabric, in some cases up to 40 metres, were used to create the skirt of one dress. Finishing touches such as lace trims, sequins, beads and embroidery was added to garments to create a glamorous and opulent finish.

With the end of clothes rationing in 1949 the early 1950s saw a revival of femininity and a demand for dresses to suit every occasion from picnics and luncheons to cocktail parties and balls.

The 1950s also saw growth in the ready-to-wear industry and the use of man-made materials, which meant that luxurious looking garments could be produced at a fraction of the cost giving ordinary women the opportunity to buy designer inspired evening wear.

This was also the decade of the cocktail hour; before dinner it became popular to relax with a Martini or Manhattan. Cocktail parties became a fashionable way to entertain friends and the correct outfit was required in the form of cocktail dresses and lounge suits.

Fashion from this period was feminine, figure-hugging and glamorous and there was no better time to show off the latest trends than in the festive season when dances and parties were in full swing.

Aberdeen City Council, Museums and Galleries, curator (decorative art) Kate Gillespie, said: "With the party season fast approaching, get into the festive mood by visiting this display of sparkling ball gowns, cocktail dresses and accessories.

"Fashion from the 1950s was feminine, figure-hugging and glamorous and designers still frequently use this decade as a source of inspiration for the outfits we see on the catwalks and on the high street today."

The exhibition runs until 07 January 2012.

Provost Skene's House
Guestrow (between Broad Street and Flourmill Lane)
Opening times Monday – Saturday 10am – 5pm
Closed Sunday
Admission free
www.aagm.co.uk

Antonio Cassese, War Crimes Law Expert, Dies at 74

From : Antonio Cassese, War Crimes Law Expert, Dies at 74
Antonio Cassese, a prominent Italian jurist who helped found two international war-crimes tribunals and who was often described as the chief architect of modern international criminal justice, died early Saturday at his home in Florence, Italy. He was 74.

His death came after a long battle with cancer, his wife, Sylvia, said.

In books, law journals and decisions from the bench, Judge Cassese expanded the body of international law that had lain mostly dormant since the trials at Nuremberg and Tokyo after World War II.

A professor of law in Florence and Oxford early in his career, in 1993 he became the first president of the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia, a court established by the United Nations to deal with war crimes in the Balkans in the 1990s.

He proved to be something of a maverick among normally discreet justices. Invariably affable but outspoken, he prodded fellow lawyers and Western governments into providing more support for the fledgling tribunal. And he played a central role in defining rules that would guide it and that have since served as a model for other tribunals and courts.

Among his early decisions, seen as controversial at the time but widely accepted since, were several that changed basic precepts of international criminal law. One was that war crimes could be punished not only in wars between nations, but also in conflicts within a particular country. In another, he wrote that even if there was no war going on, massacres, torture and other atrocities committed by governments or groups could be found to be crimes against humanity and punished accordingly.

“Perhaps more than any other person, Antonio Cassese was both the visionary and the architect of international criminal justice,” said Theodor Meron, an American judge who will take over next month as president of the Yugoslavia tribunal.

Most recently, Mr. Cassese was president of the Special Tribunal for Lebanon, created by the United Nations to try those accused of killing Lebanon’s former prime minister Rafik Hariri and 22 others. He stepped down as president two weeks ago, as his health was failing.

Over the years, Mr. Cassese became a familiar figure in The Hague, where several international courts are based. He was often seen riding his bicycle, and he was popular with colleagues for his wit and personal modesty, as well as his erudition.

Claude Jorda, a former judge from France at the Yugoslavia tribunal, recalled that when Mr. Cassese arrived in The Hague, he was a great legal scholar, with no idea what it meant to be a judge. “But he did know that the new tribunal was the one and perhaps only chance to make international justice work,” Judge Jorda said, adding, “Failure was unthinkable to him.”

Stephen J. Rapp, the United States ambassador for war crimes and a former international prosecutor who knew Mr. Cassese for many years, said, “Everywhere that he served, Judge Cassese was the energetic force that overcame inertia, caution and resistance in order to work for justice for the victims of the most serious crimes known to humankind.”

Born Jan. 1, 1937, in Atripalda, a town in a poor region of southern Italy, he had hoped to study philosophy or sociology but instead opted for law. He said his father, whom he once described as an impecunious civil servant, urged him to pursue a more secure career. A bonus was that he was offered free board and lodging at the University of Pisa if he studied law.

In an essay called “Soliloquy,” a personal history, he wrote that he initially found it difficult to learn the hard discipline and the rigorous logic of law. But eventually he became known for scholarly work ranging from numerous essays to books including “The Tokyo Trial and Beyond: Reflections of a Peacemonger,” based on his conversations with a Dutch judge, B. V. A. Roling.

He was editor in chief of the more than 1,000-page “Oxford Companion to International Criminal Justice” and founded the Journal of International Criminal Justice, which became a prestigious forum for debate.

He insisted on the need for continuous debate because international law was gradually emerging, and as such, reflecting the common conscience of mankind. But he said it was vital to remain skeptical about harsh laws. “Laws may and should be improved if they are not up to reality,” he said frequently.

To remind himself, he kept these words from Bertolt Brecht, the German playwright and poet, on his office wall in The Hague: “I am by nature a man who is difficult to control. I reject with outrage any authority that does not rest on my respect. And I regard laws only as provisional and changeable proposals for regulating human intercourse.”

He won numerous awards for his work, including the the 2009 Erasmus Prize in the Netherlands. He used the prize money to help law students publish their papers.

He is survived by his wife and their son and daughter and two grandchildren.

In 2004, Mr. Cassese headed the United Nations Commission of Inquiry on Darfur, which led the Security Council to ask the International Criminal Court to open a criminal investigation of the reported large-scale crimes against civilians. The court eventually issued an arrest warrant for several officials from Sudan, including the country’s president, Omar Hassan al-Bashir.

Mr. Cassese could be critical of fellow judges whom he thought lazy or inefficient. In a 2006 report on the Special Court for Sierra Leone, he charted the number of hours the judges were working and said that they were taking too many breaks.

Patricia M. Wald, a former federal judge in the Unites States, who was an appeals judge on the Yugoslavia tribunal, recalled the time that her appeals panel overturned a judgment and acquitted four defendants convicted by a bench that included Mr. Cassese.

“He was most gracious about it afterwards, and even invited me to write for his law journal,” Judge Wald said. She added that he turned his knowledge into concrete action that became the bedrock for several international courts.

“There are moments in history when one individual can make a great difference, and he was such a man,” Judge Wald said.

World War II comes alive at weekend re-enactment at Fort Mott State Park

Members of the 9th Division World War II Historical Preservation Society during this weekend's re-enactment at Fort Mott State Park in Pennsville Township.

From NJ.com: World War II comes alive at weekend re-enactment at Fort Mott State Park
PENNSVILLE TWP. — The 9th Division World War II Historical Preservation Society held a living history event here at Fort Mott State Park this weekend.

The event, titled “Dug In! Holding the Line,” gave spectators a first hand look at interactive displays as well as tactics and equipment used by World War II soldiers.

“We are portraying a unit on the front line, what they call a ‘dug-in unit’,” said 9th Division re-enactor Matt Carroll.

During the event, re-enactors portraying GI’s held the line along the Rhine River (the Delaware River in Fort Mott’s case) as the Allied Armies looked to cross the river and take the war deeper into German territory.

The focus of the event held Saturday and Sunday was to demonstrate the procedures and techniques that American troops used when digging in to secure a beachhead from enemy forces and in preparing to cross a river during an invasion.

Re-enactors were dressed head to toe in World War II uniforms. The scene was portrayed as realistic as possible, down to the rations the soldiers ate for lunch to the cigarettes they smoked.

Stark realism was also provided by way of machine gun fire and rifle grenade rounds.

Carroll, who resides in Burlington City, was a History major in college. He said a lot of the volunteers who participate in the re-enactments do so because they have strong family ties to World War II.

“It’s about keeping the tradition alive,” Carroll said. “Unlike Revolutionary War re-enactors, we can interview the veterans and know exactly what they did and how they acted when they served.”

9th Division Re-enactor Chris Barebo, of Emmas, Pa., said one of reasons he participates is because of the bond that is created among the group.

“I won’t liken it to the guys that really served, but the bond we have is far beyond any of the friendships I have back at home,” Barebo said.

Though the 9th Division World War II Historical Preservation Society does conduct public demonstrations, Carroll said it is not their main function.

“We like to go to veteran World War II reunions and actually set up the equipment for them and they get a kick out of it,” Carroll said.

Re-enactor Dave Mitchell said the joy he gets from the demonstrations is when veterans approach the unit and thank them for what they do.

“It’s a lot more rewarding because you have the veterans coming up and thanking you for honoring what they have done,” said Mitchell. “There are too many people these days who don’t remember the history and it’s important to keep it alive because without history you don’t know where you came from.”

Mitchell said often times veterans who see the demonstrations start to share stories with the re-enactors as well.

“Even some veterans who have never spoken about the war,” he said.

For more information on the 9th Division World War II Historical Preservation Society please visit www.9thdivision.com.

Living history programs provided by Fort Mott State Park are free to the public.

If you have any questions or would like more information on upcoming events, contact Fort Mott State Park at (856) 935-3218

World War II pilot remembered in France

Frrom Gaston Gazette, NC: World War II pilot remembered in France

After her brother was killed while piloting a plane in World War II, 6-year-old Patricia Ross held onto what little memory she had of him through the decades.

She relied heavily on old photographs and accounts that her parents and older relatives passed along, though even they were told little about the circumstances of his death.

Only this year did Ross come to realize how well regarded Lt. Ferris Suttle’s name is among an entire city in northern France, where residents there have established a memorial in his honor. And during a recent trip overseas to attend the monument’s dedication, she was finally able to meet many of the people who — like her — have refused to let her brother’s legacy die.

“It was the most awesome thing in the world,” said Ross, a resident of Gastonia, her voice welling with emotion Thursday. “It was as if my brother’s presence was right there with us.”

Suttle was born and raised in Lancaster, S.C. But several of his kin now live in Gaston County, including his sister, and her sons, Tom Ross, 49, a Gastonia insurance agent, and Jamie Ross of Dallas.

The cenotaph that honors Suttle features a stone base, mounted with a propeller from his plane that French historians uncovered last year from the field where he crashed in 1944. The blade has given residents there a tangible artifact to place with the name they have revered for so many years. It is now the focal point of a newly named square that commemorates Suttle for saving their city from German destruction before his death.

A hero’s sacrifice

Ferris Suttle, one of five children, was an adventurous teenager who joined the Army Air Corps to fulfill his dream of piloting a P-51 Mustang. He was paired with the 359th Fighter Group Association, 369th Squadron.

On Aug. 28, 1944, his team was charged with taking out a convoy of German trucks and trains that were carrying munitions and field guns toward the city of Dombasle-sur-Meurthe, France, near the borders of Germany and Switzerland. Suttle flew low, strafed the convoy and destroyed it. But after he failed to return to formation with his squadron, his superiors learned his plane had crashed, killing him.

In 1965, Ross and her mother received a letter from a French villager who had witnessed the crash and wanted to share what he knew of it. He traveled here to meet them in 1972 and shared an eyewitness account of Suttle’s heroism.

After destroying most of the convoy, Suttle had attempted a second pass. But when the tail of his plane clipped a tall cypress tree, he was ejected and killed instantly. Suttle’s mother gained comfort from learning her son had not suffered, and that a priest and grateful villagers had conducted a burial service. His gravesite was adorned with flowers afterward.

Last year, Char Baldridge, a group historian for the 359th Fighter Group Association, was contacted by Gerard Louis, a World War II historian and resident of Dombasle-sur-Meurthe. Louis’ friend Jacky Guillaume had found a P-51 propeller in a meadow near the town of Luneville years ago, and working with Baldridge, they soon realized it belonged to Suttle’s plane.

The Frenchmen began making plans to incorporate the propeller into a memorial. With Baldridge’s help, they made contact with Pat Ross and her brother, Phillip Suttle of Ecuador, and invited them to attend the recent dedication.

“These gentleman are very thankful to this day of what America did for them and their freedom,” said Baldridge.

Undying appreciation

Ross traveled to the dedication ceremony last month with her brother, a cousin, a niece and several other relatives. Guillaume first escorted them to the field where Suttle’s plane had crashed, and explained what he had witnessed of the convoy attack as a wide-eyed, 13-year-old boy.

While they were there, another 83-year-old villager approached them. He told Ross he has a daughter who lives in Sanford, N.C. And he described running with others to recover Suttle that day in 1944, helping to wrap his bloodied body in his parachute and carrying it to the local morgue on a cart.

The man produced a rusted hose clamp he had recovered from the battered aircraft.

“He said, ‘I’ve had this for 67 years, since I was 16 years old. And I want you to have it,’” said Ross. “I thought that was the most wonderful gesture.”

Another villager who was 9 years old in 1944 pulled a folded, dog-eared piece of paper from his pocket and showed it to Ross. The copy of her brother’s death certificate was further proof of how much the townspeople there appreciated what he had done.

Ross visited the cemetery where Suttle was first buried, before the Army later relocated his remains to the nearby Lorraine American Cemetery. Guillaume told them that German soldiers in the area had told nearby townspeople they were not allowed to come to his initial funeral. But they turned out in full force anyway.

“There was nothing the Germans could do to stop them,” said Ross. “I just thought that was so remarkable.”

The dedication of the new memorial took place in a section of the town now known as Ferris Square. It was held as part of several annual liberation ceremonies, which included attendants in period military uniforms, and authentic World War II vehicles. Ross and her family members were honored guests throughout their time there.

Ross said she is proud and grateful that her brother’s sacrifice continues to mean so much to townspeople in northern France.

“It was the trip of a lifetime,” she said. “It was a huge event. You could not have asked for people to be nicer or more appreciative.”

Augusta (SC)-area World War II veterans tell their stories in movie

From The Augusta, South Carolina Chronicle: Augusta-area World War II veterans tell their stories in movie
An estimated 740 World War II veterans die every day, taking with them irreplaceable firsthand memories of events from our history books.

In the ongoing effort to stem that loss, more than 700 stories have been collected by Augusta-Richmond County Historical Society volunteers in the past four years. The World War II accounts range from larger-than-life figures who flew under the Eiffel Tower to Pearl Harbor wives who watched in disbelief as Japanese planes passed overhead.

A fraction of those stories have been collected into a roughly 70-minute movie called War Stories, which will be shown on Oct. 30 at Aiken Community Playhouse.

“It’s been a labor of love, really,” said Fred Gehle, one of the core team of volunteers who have coordinated and recorded the interviews since 2007.

In an interview about their work, a copy of which is stored in the Library of Congress, Gehle and three others talked about the challenges of working with old soldiers who would often rather not remember the things they’ve seen and done. Many of the stories are grim, but there also plenty of positive notes sprinkled in.

Jan Hicks, a retired major general and now the head of upper school of Augusta Preparatory Day School, said one of her favorite interviews was with a member of the French Resistance. His parents long assumed that he had been killed but, on the day Paris was liberated, he rode a tank to his parents’ home.

“It was a year before I could tell that story without crying,” said Hicks, a former commanding general of Fort Gordon.

Another memorable character for Hicks was an Army Air corpsman who flew his plane underneath the Eiffel Tower.

Some stories put a human face on the enemy. Bill Tilt remembers a soldier who worked alongside a German prisoner of war to rebuild a French port. The German soldier asked the Americans to tell his mother he was OK if they passed through his hometown.

The American soldier later got the chance to do just that, Tilt said.

Thurman Slusser, of North Augusta, is one of the veterans interviewed. He said he was overcome by the tropical beauty of Oahu when he arrived on the Hawaiian island in October 1941.

“They call it paradise for the simple reason it was,” said Slusser, at the time a fresh-faced teenager from Pennsylvania recently drafted into the Army.

Two months of paradise became hell the morning of Dec. 7, 1941. Slusser was at Schofield Barracks when he heard planes flying overhead. It was a familiar sound, but any notion it was a Marine Corps training run was quickly disabused when he saw the Rising Sun emblem.

One plane flew so low, Slusser could see the Japanese pilot through the open canopy.

“It was devastating. You felt completely defeated,” said Slusser.

When Tilt volunteered to help with the project, it was on the condition he could partner with his longtime friend, Stan Schrader. Both have a military background and combat experience in Vietnam, which goes a long way toward helping veterans feel comfortable.

Reluctance to speak is common. One Battle of the Bulge veteran refused to talk about combat, and it took the combined experience of Schrader and Tilt to stretch the interview to the 30 minutes required for the Library of Congress. Other times, the veterans opened up for the first time in 60 years, Hicks said.

Schrader has found that any reluctance to speak is usually conquered with some gentle coaxing.

“I tell them, ‘You’re the only who knows your story,’ ” Schrader said.