LIGHTS OUT. Minor Glitch or Something Sinister?

You're sitting home, reading or peacefully watching TV, and the power goes off. Oh, well, it happens, huh? I know, occasional interruptions in utility service DO occur. No reason to get excited, right?

Well, here lately, I'm no longer so sure. Since I retired from Peace Officering a few years back, I pay less attention to crime reporting thah I used to. But reports of home invasion robberies have been catching my eye recently. Just the other night, one of the 10 o'clock TV news shows pointed out some common factors in a lengthy series of violent home invasions. Not near all, but a growing number of these offenses entail the robbers cutting power and telephone lines before entering the residences.

I'm not writing about "several" or "a series of" incidents. I did an on-line search, and I find dozens, and perhaps hundreds, of such incidents in this area in the past several months. Part of the trouble keeping track is that the local metropolitan area is comprised of dozens of independent municipalities. News stories are usually reported with a specific reference to the particular town or city in which they took place. Yes, the area-wide chamber of commerce and certain governmental agencies lump population and business surveys together into "Metro Fort Worth," or "Greater Dallas," or better still, the "DFW Metroplex." which comprises all of Tarrant and Dallas counties, and some or all of the ten adjacent, or nearly so, counties. The US Gov't 2007 population estimate of this 'Plex is some 6.7 million.

"Well," you may say, "that's a lot of people, and there's bound to be more crime in such an area." Maybe, but there's also the idea that while such a populace gives rise to more violent criminals, it also provides a very fertile hunting ground for however many there are. It also means that a given gang of thugs, usually three to six, need only drive for fifteen minutes to be in an entirely different jurisdiction. Police communications are much better than they were when I was a rookie cop, but it still takes time for bulletins to be circulated.

Enough of this demographics stuff. Let's return to the action.

This line-cutting strategy stuff makes sense. If a house occupant hears someone breaking in, the first impulse for most is to call 9-1-1 for police assistance. And, if the lights are off, there will be a certain amount of disorientation, moving around in the dark.

A robbery crew making a dynamic entry, sometimes equipped with head lights and/or weapon-mounted lights, and totally prepared for the situation they created, will have the upper hand. They have often gathered intelligence about the targeted residence, knowing the number of occupants and possibly their placement in the household.

You might think that well-informed robbers would limit their incursions to affluent families in well-to-do neighborhoods. It seems, though, that fully as many home invasions take place in middle-class areas, and even in very modest surroundings. Many of the TV news tapes depict mobile home parks and lower income apartment buildings as their settings.

It may be an over-simplification, but I can see at least a partial means of dealing with this epidemic of violence. It may not work for everyone, but Beloved Bride and I have discussed it, and here's my personal plan. The instant the lights go out, TASK ONE is to get hold of a firearm. This will be done before looking out the window to see if the power outage is neighborhood-wide, or much more limited. Second, firearm, flashlight, and cell phone are taken to our "keep" area. Use of lights will be kept to a minimum. We keep a careful listening watch for what the dogs do. THEN, we'll check to see if this is happenstance or evil design.

There. As simple as that. Our plan impinges on no one else. No non-guilty person is endangered in any way. If the power outage turns out to be innocent, no one need even know of the preventive measures we took.

And what will BB and I do if a home invasion DOES ensue? Well, we have a couple of plans for THAT, too. What works for us might not work for you. But I really believe that everything up to this point WILL work for anyone at all. It's strictly up to you, whether or not you choose to plan it out ahead of time.

Best,
JPG

SAN JACINTO DAY

Today is the anniversary of the Battle of San Jacinto. It was a skirmish of rather short duration, but it turned out to be one of the major events in the development of the United States as we know it today.

I've written of this battle on a couple of prior occasions. I've thought to revise it somewhat for this year, but I really can't come up with anything significantly better than what I wrote a year ago. If you're at all interested in Texas history, or in the United States' Manifest Destiny, you might want to take a look.

My Beloved Bride shares my affection for the history of Our Part of the World, and she often makes mention on her blog about landmark dates and events. Her installment for this year is rather short, referencing her 2008 blog entry, which was one of her best. In it, she mentions school field trips to The Battlefield, and the still-stunning monument.

Best to all

JPG

Texas Independence Day

By 1 March 1836, the siege of the small Texian force at the Alamo was well under way. Travis had sent out his famous “Victory or Death” message on 24 February.

The first state government of Texas was the so-called "Permanent Council,“ organized at San Felipe in October 1935. They wanted to do little, and actually accomplished less still. They elected a temporary president, established a plan for a postal system, commissioned some privateers to control the Mexican Navy on the Gulf of Mexico, and authorized a representative to go (try to) borrow $100,000 in the United States. They then dissolved on 3 November, due to the convening of a general consultation.

The first order of business was to quibble over the nature of the brewing war and how to conduct it. The main issue was, were the Anglo-Texans ready to fight in defense of their rights as Mexican citizens under the Constitution of 1824, or to become independent from a corrupt Mexico?
This general consultation created the provisional government, with Henry Smith as Governor. San Houston of Tennessee was appointed Commander in chief of the army, such as it was, but had no funds to pay for an army. Little else of note was accomplished by the time the consultation was adjourned on 14 November.

The Provisional Government met in early January 1836 and debated endlessly about goals, ways and means, and who would be responsible for what. Unable to raise a quorum with authority to do anything definitive, the government, in effect, dissolved in chaos.

In the meanwhile, certain elements of the fledgling Texas Army were in the field. Governor Smith told Houston to try to organize the forces at Goliad. At the same time, Smith sent Buck Travis to Bexar to assist Colonel Neill in command of the Alamo. It was not known that Santa Anna was already on his way with the main force of the Mexican Army to subdue the rebellious Texians once and for all.

We have seen how matters progressed at Bexar. Travis and Bowie as co-commanders prepared the Alamo for an eventual fight, while Neill departed on family business in mid-February. On 23 February, the Mexican Army arrived at Bexar, and it became clear just how tenuous the Texian position really was.

In the meantime, the Convention of 1836 was held at Washington-on-the-Brazos. Fifty delegates, representing every settlement in Texas, had been elected on 1 February. Discussions, plans, and coalitions were undoubtedly started immediately thereafter. The convention opened on 1 March, with news of the situation at the Alamo waiting for them. Many delegates wanted to immediately recess or adjourn and march en mass to lift the siege.

George Childress led a committee to draft a Declaration of Independence. A draft was submitted the very next day, making it clear that Childress had been at work on the document well before arriving at the convention. It was largely based upon the writings of Thomas Jefferson and John Locke, and much of the language may be seen to draw from the United States Declaration of Independence. The declaration was immediately adopted with no debate at all. Thereby, on 2 March 1836, the Republic of Texas was established.

Convention delegates at once set about drawing up a Constitution. Early on 6 March, Travis’s final appeal for aid, dated 3 March, arrived. Again, sentiment was for closing down the convention to march to the Alamo. Houston convinced them to continue work on the constitution, while he rushed to Gonzales to assume command of volunteers gathering there. Soon after his arrival, word arrived that the Alamo had fallen and that Santa Anna would again be on the move.

Word traveled to Washington-on-the Brazos that the Alamo defenders were no more. It became clear in due course, though, that the delay of Santa Anna there had given this vital breathing space to the Convention. Texas was now an independent republic and had a constitution in place. Shaky as it would be, a new nation was now a fact. Six weeks later, on the boggy ground of the San Jacinto plain, Texas would become a world power. The way was now paved for the alliance of Texas with the United States, and in a startlingly short time, the USA would sprawl clear across North America.

The Alamo 173 Years Ago

I'm glad I got an e-mail from friend phlegmfatale today. She mentioned her current day's topic, and also today’s blog entry by Robert at BLACKFORK blog. The two remind us that this date, in 1836, was when the Mexican tyrant Santa Anna began his siege of the Mission San Antonia de Valero at Bexar. That secularized church complex is better known to posterity simply as The Alamo. The town, Bexar, is now the city of San Antonio.
The Alamo chapel, unfinished facade, as it appeared in the 1830s and 1840s.



The major points in this story are fairly well known.
The mission-fortress was garrisoned by Colonels Bowie and Travis, co-commanding between 180 and 250 soldiers of the new Texas Army and volunteers. In late February, they were besieged by the Mexican Predient/General/Dictator Antonio de Padua María Severino López de Santa Anna y Pérez de Lebrón and some 2400 of his soldiers. The siege ended on 6 March when the walls were overrun and the defenders were all killed. The delay of the Mexican advance allowed the provisional Texas government time to write and sign a formal Texas Declaration of Independence.

Historian Lon Tinkle (1906 -- 1980) wrote the definitive popular history of this battle in 1958, entitled Thirteen Days to Glory: The Siege of the Alamo.

The battle has been studied and documented more or less regularly ever since the ashes cooled. Curiously, though, the majority of the longer, published works have been works of fiction. Mr. Tinkle‘s book was only the second full length factual study of the siege. Not all the information is undisputed. Distinguished Dallas book critic A. C. Greene, wrote that Tinkle’s book "gives the essence of the Alamo story without attempting to exhaust history's explanation", and "is more revealing of the minds and wills that were behind the fateful decision to stay on to death" than other, later treatments of the battle.

The book is still widely available and is well worth the reading.

I was at first tempted to try to recount all the high points of the siege, so far as they are known. As a voracious reader and proudly chauvinistic Texan, I have been reading all I can find on this topic for almost as long as I’ve been able to read. I know the various points of view, the controversies, the sometimes acrimonious disputes as to this point or that about the battle. For instance, it is well known and documented, but frequently glossed over, that, but for a massive and overt act of insubordination, the properly designated “Shrine of Texas Liberty” would likely have crumbled into gravel, noted only in passing as an early landmark from the days of revolution. Working on the best information available at the time, Sam Houston, military commander of Texas forces, ordered Colonel James Bowie to destroy the fortifications and to spike or carry away the artillery. Instead, Bowie, with Col. James Neill, decided to hold in place, to engage the Mexican forces for as long as possible.

While I have sufficient reference works on hand to make a pretty good job of such a recounting, I must confess that I would be doing little more than rehashing the work of better scholars than I. I have no newly located papers, letters, journals, or other sources. While well-read on the topic, I’ve made no independent studies of this already well-researched stretch of history and folklore. This being the case, I’ll content myself with recognizing the significance of certain dates for the next couple of weeks, as a reminder to all of us that there were, indeed, giants in the land in those days.

JPG


Modern appearance of the Alamo Chapel
Probably during the 1850s, while being used by the US Army, the Alamo was greatly repaired. The campanulate, or bell-shaped facade, was added to the front wall of the chapel. Until that time, the front had never been finished, and no roof had been placed.

LATE ADDITION: Since writing the above, I note that Robert at Blackfork has written another blog installment. In it, he gives much of the detail that I would have inserted over the next few days. He was first, and I’ll defer to him. Nice work, Robert.

Amusing Anecdote: Street Robbery??

Apparently this has been going around since last month but I just read it for the first time, sent along by MattG. If it’s not true, it ought to be.

Reported to have been posted in Craig’s List Personals in January 2009:

To the Guy Who Mugged Me Downtown (Downtown, Savannah )

I was the white guy with the black Burrberry jacket that you demanded I hand over shortly after you pulled the knife on me and my girlfriend. You also asked for my girlfriend's purse and earrings. I hope you somehow come across this message. I'd like to apologize.

I didn't expect you to crap your pants when I drew my pistol after you took my jacket. Truth is, I was wearing the jacket for a reason that evening, and it wasn't that cold outside. You see, my girlfriend had just bought me that Kimber 1911 .45 ACP pistol for Christmas, and we had just picked up a shoulder holster for it that evening. Beautiful pistol, eh? It's a very intimidating weapon when pointed at your head, isn't it?

I know it probably wasn't a great deal of fun walking back to wherever you'd come from with that brown sludge flopping about in your pants. I'm sure it was even worse since you also ended up leaving your shoes, cellphone, and wallet with me. I couldn't have you calling up any of your buddies to come help you try to mug us again. I took the liberty of calling your mother, or "Momma" as you had her listed in your cell, and explaining to her your situation. I also bought myself some gas on your card. I gave your shoes to one of the homeless guys over by Vinnie Van Go Go's, along with all of the cash in your wallet, then I threw the wallet itself in a dumpster.

I called a bunch of phone sex numbers from your cell. They'll be on your bill in case you'd like to know which ones. Alltel recently shut down the line, and I've only had the phone for a little over a day now, so I don't know what's going on with that. I hope they haven't permanently cut off your service. I was about to make some threatening phone calls to the DA's office with it. Oh well.

I'd like to apologize for not killing you, and instead making you walk back home humiliated. I'm hoping that you'll reconsider your choice of path in life. Next time you might not be so lucky. If you read this message, email me and we'll do lunch.

Peace! -
Alex

Snopes.com, the rumor/urban legend researcher site, classifies the story as UNDETERMINED. If it was indeed ever posted on Craig’s List, it has been removed. Also, the story’s origin has been claimed in at least a half dozen cities.

There IS a popular pizza place called Vinnie Van Go Go's in Savannah. That’s the extent of my research into the matter. The only claim I make is that it really made ME smile.

JPG

Anniversary -- First U. S. Military Aerial Shoot Down

On this date in 1918, Stephen W. Thompson (March 20, 1894 -- October 9, 1977) was the first person in the U. S. Military to shoot down an enemy aicraft.

When the United States entered World War I in April 1917, Thompson was a senior student in electrical engineering at the University of Missouri. The school announced that seniors who joined the military before graduation would receive their diplomas in June. He enlisted in the Army and was first assigned to the Coast Artillery but soon applied for duty in the

Air Service.

He went to France in September 1917 and was assigned to the United States 1st Aero Squadron as an observer. On February 5, 1918, while visiting a nearby French bombardment squadron, Lieutenant Thompson was invited to fly on a raid over Saarbrücken, Germany, in place of a French observer who was taken ill.

The squadron of Breguet 14B bombers was attacked by Albatros D.III fighters, and Thompson shot one of them down in the first aerial victory by the U.S. military. He was awarded the French Croix de Guerre with Palm for the action.

Thompson was assigned to the new 12th Aero Squadron, and on July 28 he was in another memorable battle. While artillery spotting, his Salmson airplane was attacked by four Fokker D.VIIs of the former Richthofen Flying Circus, then under the command of Hermann Göring. Thompson shot down two enemy planes before his own plane was shot down by the famous German ace Erich Löwenhardt. Thompson's pilot, Lt. John C. Miller, was able to land the Salmson inside friendly lines before he died of a bullet wound in the stomach. Thompson received a bullet in the leg and, before friendly troops arrived, dug out the bullet with a pocket knife.


The young engineer was apparently an enthusiastic and talented warrior. Thompson intentionally sought out combat in company with the French allies before his own squadron was operational. He managed three kills of first-line German fighter planes. His weapons in both fights were twin .303 Lewis guns on Scarff ring mounts, with rather primitive ring sights. He was stoic enough to perform auto-surgery under adverse conditions.

After the war Thompson worked for several years as an engineer at

McCook Field, later renamed Wright-Patterson Air Force Base. He then became a high school mathematics teacher. In 1940 he received a United States Patent for a tailless flying wing. He taught preflight and meteorology during WWII.

Stephen Thompson died in Dayton, Ohio in 1977, aged 83 years.

(It is noted that the first American to shoot down an enemy aircraft was Kiffin Rockwell of South Carolina. On May 18 1916, he shot down a German aircraft over the

Alsace battlefield, for which he was awarded the Medaille Militaire and the Croix de Guerre. Rockwell was a member of the French army when this happened, and the U.S. was not yet a belligerent in the War.)

Browning Firearms Design Meme

John Moses Browning
21 OR 23 January 1855-- 26 November 1926

Without doubt, John M. Browning was the foremost designer of firearms, ever, in the entire world, bar none. There are several others who made extremely significant contributions to firearms design and production, but this is THE prolific “Big Gun” of shootin’ design.

Proper birthday homage has been paid to JMB by several other, more eloquent gun bloggers. One of the foremost has been my friend Tamara. She lists JMB’s designs, including only those which were commercial successes.:

By way of tribute to JMB, I propose a sort-of meme for real firearms enthusiasts, collectors, acquisitors, and tinkerers only. Take Tam’s list below and see which of the grand ole guy’s brain children you have. Better, add more detail: Embolden or put a + (plus sign) by those you currently own. Put an asterisk (*) next to those you HAVE HAD but don’t currently. (So many are financially unable to keep ALL the neat guns they’ve had. There was a period that I could only own them sequentially and had to sell or trade off some in order to obtain others.)

Single Shot Rifles:
Winchester 1885

Bolt-action Rifles:
Winchester 1900

Lever-action Rifles:
Winchester 1886
*Winchester 1892
+Winchester 1894
+Winchester 1895

Slide-action Rifles:
Winchester 1890

Recoil-operated Semi-automatic Rifles:
Remington Model 8 and 81

Blowback-operated Semi-automatic Rifles:
Browning .22 Semiauto

Double-barrel Shotguns:
Browning Superposed

Lever-action Shotguns:
Winchester 1887

Slide-action Shotguns:
*Winchester 1897
Remington Model 17 (later the Ithaca 37)
*Stevens 520

Recoil-operated Semi-automatic Shotguns:
*Browning Auto 5 / Remington Model 11 (+ Rem 11-48 revision of same action)

Blowback-operated Semi-automatic Pistols:
FN M1900
+Colt 1903/1908 Pocket Hammerless
FN 1906 Vest Pocket/Colt 1908 Vest Pocket
*FN 1910
*Colt Woodsman (+Browning Buckmark is a direct descendant)

Recoil-operated Semi-automatic Pistols
Colt 1902
Colt 1903 Pocket Hammer
+U.S. M1911
+FN G.P. 35

Gas-operated Machine Guns:
Colt M1895
U.S. M1918 BAR

Recoil-Operated Machine Guns:
U.S. M1917/M1919
U.S. M2 Heavy Machine Gun

Automatic Machine Cannon:

Colt-Browning 37mm

If you’ve read this far, chances are you like guns pretty well, and you are hereby
tagged. If you do play the game, please insert a comment or drop me an e-mail.

JPG