A Christmas to Remember

Christmas 2008 has now passed and we are moving into 2009 with a hope and prayer that God will bless this country, our leaders, and our people.

My family and I traveled to Tucson, Arizona where we had four generations come together for a festive time. Lots of card playing and reminiscing. Even more simple enjoyment of time together. Cheryl and I are proud of Ali and Erica for being great travelers. Mercifully, we did not encountertoo much in the way of delays.

Cheryl and Ali (left) and Erica (right) Daddy Dave with Ali (right) and Erica (center)

It is always wonderful to see Grandma Arlene and Grandpa George. They are both getting on in years, but they are still going. I certainly cherish the times that I get to reflect with Grandpa George on his time in the Army during WWII. He was in the 317th Regiment of the 180th infantry, 3rd Army in the European Theater of Operations (ETO). While he does not speak much about his experiences, I do get little glimpses into his experience each time that we meet. The rigors and terror that he faced while in France seep slowly out of a memory repressed. As a military historian, I cannot resist pushing just a bit for more information. Some of it has been forgotten, some better left unsaid. Perhaps what I admire most about George and Arlene is their home-spun simplicity. Life is certainly hard for them at their age, but they retain that dignity of a time that is seemingly in the past, not to be carried on by those of us who have not been tested by the traumatic events of their youth.

At right is the newest addition to our family. This is Cinderella (Cindy). She is an 11-week old pure-bred Maltese. We lost our Mollie two years ago and did not want to get another dog for a long time. Lately we have been anxious to find another little darling and we found her right here in Bentonville. She is still getting used to us and she DOES NOT like to take walks yet.

During a year when things of historic proportions took place (economic crisis, the election of Barak Obama, etc.) We as a family fared pretty well. We are blessed with pretty good health and job stability. The girls are terrific. God is good.

In closing, I say that one of the best events of the year was the birth (actually 12/28/07) of Stacy and Mike's beautiful twins, Ian and Jillian. What else could be better than an expanding family.

God Bless All! Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.

Current economic crisis and politics

The current election is certainly an interesting one. The economic situation has turned things on their head and it has probably given Senator Obama the election because it takes the primary strong-point of the Republicans, foreign policy, away. While McCain may have some reasonable ideas regarding the economy, he seems unable to articulate them in a way that gains him any additional support beyond his base. I would be surprised if this election is close after all.

As one may recall, the president/party in the White House at the time of financial problems usually takes the blame, whether or not their policies actually caused the problem. In the case of the current crisis, years of encouraging lenders to grant loans to high-risk borrowers have come back to haunt the banking industry, particularly Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. During the last 15 years or so, there have been regular efforts on the part of the Democratic Party to assist lower income individuals in getting home loans. This has been against the council of numerous economists who were not enthusiastic about the housing boom that was created. Remember, booms tend to bust over time. Hear that? That was the sound of a bust! Republicans are certainly not without dirty hands in this, but their issues tend to deal more with deregulation efforts. Many GOP members did warn that Fannie and Freddie were going to be unstable if lending practices were not closely observed. Those calls were poo-poo'd as unfriendly to lower class borrowers. Now the government has had to step in to rescue these institutions as substantial taxpayer expense.

The current stock market instability is very scary but probably temporary. What may prolong it is the insistance on the part of government to interfere too much. It has also gone global because we are such a major force in the economies of the world. Willingness on the part of individual countries to stabilize their situations will play a role in the length of the crisis. Some may not play along with the rest of the crowd for nationalist reasons. Should that occur, things could drag on longer.

Market "panics" are a part of our economic history. Panics over banking and speculation have taken place as early as 1819 and reemerged periodically every twenty years or so. This convinces some that the markets are cyclical; the classic theory of economics. During the early phase of the Great Depression, many in the U.S. government believed this to be the case. In the 1932 election, Hoover took a drubbing from FDR because the latter promised CHANGE from the "failed policies" of the Republicans. Whether it was Republican policies or not, poor Hoover, only in office for a few months when the Crash occurred, took the blame and was unable to climb out from under the economic crisis of his day. Now here we are with a new major crisis and a party to blame. Astute voters will note that Congress has been dominated by the Democrats for the last two years, but because of an unfortunate vendetta against Bush, they allowed themselves to lose focus on their agenda. This Congress faces unprecedented low approval because of their lack of action on the things that they promised to fix. I have been saying for some time (at least five years!) that partisanship from BOTH parties has stalled progress for the American people. NOW is the time to break that practice. I am not convinced that EITHER candidate for president is truly willing to do what must be done - true bipartisan efforts. Despite claims otherwise, McCain is a proven agent of bipartisan action. But Congress will play a far more important role in breaking the partisan chains. The President MUST lead us in that direction. The Congress will have to bring that spirit forward for REAL change to occur.

Iran and Nukes

Make no mistake about it. Iran is a problem that we created a long time ago. Our support of the Shah of Iran was similar to what American leaders have done in other parts of the world before and after the Iranian Revolution. The issue has generally come down to our support of an autocratic government for fear that a radical government would emerge. Yet our support of a strongman has frequently led to unrest because of the economic gap between the few who run a nation and the masses that have little control over their lives, economically or socially. This brings us to Iran. Shah Reza Pahlavi represented the modern, wealthy side of Iranian society. The poorer masses resented their position and turned to fundamentalist Islamists who decried the Westernization of Iran and called for a return to traditional Muslim ways. The denizens of the streets of Teheran and elsewhere were a prime audience for revolutionary rhetoric. The odd thing is, we were taken by surprise by this. Jimmy Carter was president at the time and certainly accountable for much of this, but the coddling of the Shah pre-existed our greatest ex-president.

So now we face a sabre-rattling Iranian government that hates the U.S. and looks for street cred in the Middle East by calling us the Great Satin and threatening the annihilation of Israel. Iranian nuclear ambitions are well known. How far they really are in their program is hard to say, but the most out-spoken anti-American state in the region seems bent on getting the bomb. Logic should dictate to Iranian leaders that a nuclear attack on U.S. interests would yield nothing but their own destruction. That is, of course if we have political and military leaders in place who are willing to go all the way if necessary. If a small-scale terrorist attack using a nuclear device should take place, the sources for that weapon would be a limited family of nations that already have the technology, or one who is anxious to join the clan.

Will we see the first modern instance in which nuclear weapons are used in hostilities. The U.S. bears the distinction of being the only nation as yet to do so. Will Iran ultimately take such a step. The results of elections in November could narrow Iran's options. But don't expect Israel to sit idle while Iran plots her demise.

Should teachers indoctrinate or educate?

As another school year comes to a close, I realize how much I will miss (most!) of my students. Being a teacher has wonderful intrinsic benefits, the best of which is the relationship that we build with our students. But I am deeply troubled by the knowledge that there are teachers, certainly some on my own campus, that use their power and position as a teacher to indoctrinate students to their own political and/or religious viewpoints. One such teacher at BHS has a reputation of freely speaking about his own views and blasting any student brave enough to speak in defense of a contrary position. Some have even reported that they are graded lower on assignments because of their own views or beliefs. If this is true (yes, students have been known to exaggerate) then this behavior by the teacher is, in my opinion, an actionable offense. It is one thing to speak of one's own beliefs if it is relative to the subject at hand and is clearly stated as one's point of view. It is quite another to enforce a belief system in class and bully students into conforming to it.

D-Day Remembered

June 6th always makes me deeply ponder the events of that day in 1944. Having visited the beaches of Normandy and the beautiful lands of Northern France on three occasions, I can appreciate the grounds unto which our allied forces landed 64 years ago. Being there without the guns of war raging naturally fails to provide one with the true sense of what happened on that day, but seeing the terrain and viewing the surf adds dimension to the visions that one conjures up about the events of that day. The deep shell craters of Pointe du Hoc testify to the violence of the day. The mostly submerged remnants of the Mulberry Harbor at Arromanches testify to the ingenuity of the allied planners who sought to overcome the logistical obstacles of not possessing a secured port. Towns and villages such as St. Mere Eglise and Port en Bessin contain visual clues of the fighting that took place, whether the evidence be once destroyed but now rebuilt structures or abandoned Axis defense positions that now house the ghosts of soldiers frightened but determined in the face of the greatest amphibious assault in warfare up to that time. For the few who were there on that day, my romantic musings of Normandy mean little when compared to the overwhelming visual stimuli that bombarded them on June 6, 1944.

I have had the opportunity and honor to accompany a small band of American students to visit Normandy on three separate occassions (2004, 2005, and 2007). Admittedly, there was a mix of interest in what happened there. Some of the students were fully engaged and eager to learn more throughout the 10-day visit. Others were more focused upon the shallow, temporary thrill of a trip to Europe. While the former were hanging on every detail available from guides and museum exhibits, the latter took cat naps to make up for the lost sleep sacrificed during the prior night as they conjured up ways to entertain themselves in ways no doubt contrary to the rules.

Perhaps the great equalizer for most of the students as the visit to the American Cemetary. Even the least interested in the true message of the trip had to come to grips with the magnitude of over 9,000 graves of Americans killed during the Normandy campaign. This immaculately manicured piece of hallowed ground has a powerful effect upon those who cast eyes upon it. It is for this reason that our benefactor, the late Mr. George Billingsly of Bella Vista, Arkansas established an endowment to provide eight students and two faculty sponsors from Bentonville High School in Bentonville, Arkansas an annual opportunity to travel to France to see the sites of the last true global war. He did not want Hollywood to dictate what would become the memories of that war. Even if only eight individuals at a time, he wanted some of our youth to have first-hand views of the sites of a truly great struggle, the outcome of which provided them with freedoms that we usually take for granted today. This generous gift has resulted in the planting of seeds. Eight seeds are sown each year. Some will germinate and grow, flowering into the passing of the story to others. This is how we keep the story alive. Although our veterans of the struggle pass on daily, we still have chances to speak to them, to learn, and to honor them. No matter how humble or mundane their contribution may have been at Normandy or anywhere else in the conflict known here as World War Two, we as a people must remember their deeds and enjoy the benefits that they sacrificed time, youth or life to provide.

Photographs property of David Chapman

Bad Weather in NWA

We had some crazy weather here in Northwest Arkansas. My neighbor lost his trampoline in 70 mile-an-hour straight line winds. I think it went through someone's fence a few houses away. Auntie Em, Auntie Em!

This area has certainly seen its share of heavy storms. We thought the windows were going to blow in this time. Fortunately, the only damage we had was a torn screen on a rear window. The lawn furniture was blown all over the place, but at least it stayed in our yard.

All of us are safe, though a young girl in Siloam Springs died when a tree crashed through her home and crushed her in her bedroom. It makes one thankful for life, health, and a merciful Lord to whom we can lift all praises.

Thinking about Lies and Misstatements

What is that old adage about politicians? You know that they are lying when their lips are moving. Knowing this to be sadly true, why would I bristle at Senator Clinton's response to the revelation that she fabricated the Tuzla, Bosnia tarmac experience? I suppose what gets me most is that it was not a misstatement. An example of misspeaking would be for her to say that she landed in Sarajevo instead of Tuzla. But to "clearly" remember being under fire and not participating in a welcoming ceremony that was in fact filmed by a network news camera is pretty clearly a lie. The good Senator made statements in explanation such as that she was tired from the campaign or that she had been to 80 countries and was mixed up. She said that she is human and made a mistake. I wonder how many of the 80 trips involved running for cover from sniper fire. Surely not too many (if any). One could reason that it wouldn't be too difficult to keep incidents such as she described straight in the mind.

"I went to 80 countries, you know. I gave contemporaneous accounts, I wrote about a lot of this in my book. You know, I think that, a minor blip, you know, if I said something that, you know, I say a lot of things - millions of words a day - so if I misspoke, that was just a misstatement," she said.

That is pretty profound! You know?

First Lady Laura Bush visited my classroom in February of 2004. The steps that were taken for her security in a domestic setting were impressive. Every part of the visit was planned in advance to minimize any possible risk to the First Lady. My classroom was scoured by security personnel. The police and Secret Service presence was massive...and she was visiting a High School in Arkansas, not a hot zone in a war-torn country. If the military had even the slightest concern that Mrs. Clinton would be in danger, my impression, based on experience with Mrs. Bush, is that they would not have allowed her to be in the line of fire. As I write, several figures from the military are expressing outrage about Senator Clinton's misstatement. Naturally, the implication of her story is that the military failed to secure the airport at Tuzla. When the potential commander-in-chief sullies the reputations of the officers in charge so easily, that could make for a tense relationship.

Enough rambling from me. I am disappointed that she came to the point to where she told the Bosnia story so many times that she actually believes it. It would still be told from stop to campaign stop if the evidence of her lack of veracity were not preserved on CBS video. I hope that the old adage about lying politicians is a lie, and that, my friends, is the truth.

Easter Sunday

It is Easter Sunday, 2008. The girls enjoyed their egg hunt, but it was a bit cold outside here in NW Arkansas. I can't wait for the warmer weather to return. We had some warm weather while in San Antonio last week, but it was still not the way I like it.



By the way, I played golf with Mike on Thursday. I pretty much played like I hadn't been on a course in a while (which is true!). I still had some good holes. We were in the flight path of Randolph AFB, so I got to see a lot of aircraft that day. I did have one very cool experience while in San Antonio that was not family related. Mike took me on base and he got me into a T-1 simulator. I flew a couple of sorties. I tried for a long time to hook up with a tanker in flight, but I was repeatedly over-correcting and had to come back in for another attempt. I got close on several attempts, but never really did the deed. I had mixed results on my landings. I did a lot of bouncing on my first landing but nailed the second. Granted, Mike was in the right seat and handled some of the things that I forgot, but I guess I did okay. I really wish I had learned to fly when I was younger. Now I have heart issues that preclude me from getting a pilot's license. No worries.



My brother lives in Virginia Beach, VA and sees navy aircraft all the time. I think that he enjoys living in a military town, even though he is not in the service himself. He sends me pictures of ships and aircraft often. Living here in NWA, we don't have a lot of big airshows nearby. I would travel a long way to get a chance to fly in a B-17. There are not many left in flying condition, let alone available for public flights. I greatly admire the crews of the bombers that flew in the Second World War. The Allies lost a lot of aircrews in the European and Pacific theaters, but most in the European Theater of Operations. Like anyone who was never actually there, I can only imagine the range of emotions that ran through the crew of a bomber on a combat mission. I think that I would have served honorably, but I also believe that I would have felt a lot of anxiety about the possibilities.



God bless you all today and always. On this day on which remember the risen Savior, let us also take a moment to remember those who fought and died for our country so that we might enjoy the freedoms they served to protect.

Back from San Antonio

I returned yesterday from a trip to San Antonio, Texas to visit my wife's sister and her newly expanded family. Stacy and Mike are the proud parents of twins. After a very long wait for the Lord's timing, they finally have the children that they have wanted for so long. Ian and Jillian are beautiful babies and they couldn't have better parents!

While on my trip, I had the opportunity to visit Randolph Air Force Base. To my great surprise, I found that the legacy of the Tuskegee Airmen lives on in the 99th Flying Training Squadron. For information on this distinguished group of airmen, visit the RAFB website. As a fitting tribute to these gallant African-American pilots, the 99th Flying Training Squadron maintains a museum exhibit in the halls of the squadron offices. I found the fact that the 99th lives on to be a fine way of recognizing the history of the squadron. Today's 99th even sports the characteristic red tail of the legendary Tuskegee Airmen. Thanks to the U.S. Airforce for their pride in their heritage. In the photo above left, a T-1A Jayhawk flies over downtown San Antonio. The aircraft is assigned to the 99th Flying Training Squadron at Randolph Air Force Base, Texas. (U.S. Air Force photo/Lt. Col. Russell Hopkinson)

Classes at BHS have been on Spring Break and we return to classes on Monday. I hope everyone has had a relaxing break. As for me, I did.