Erin Moran: Oct 18, 1960 - APR 22, 2017

It was very sad to learn that Erin Moran was found dead this past Saturday.  As of this writing authorities believe that Erin died of complications from stage 4 cancer.  Erin, only 56 at the time of her death, was my very favorite character from Happy Days, the comedy starring Ron Howard and Henry Winkler.  Erin was just a young girl when she landed the role of Joanie on Happy Days.  Within a few episodes I was hopelessly in love with Joanie.  Later, when Happy Days ended and Joanie Loves Chachi began its short run, I must confess, I pretended to stand in for Chachi every time he kissed Joanie or even held her hand!  I would say I was lovesick!

After Joanie Loves Chachi was taken off the air, Chachi (Scott Baio) continued acting and singing, and flourished in his various enterprises.  Erin, on the other hand, was seemingly type-cast forever as Joanie.  She received fewer and fewer job offers as the years went by, and not surprisingly, began to suffer from depression.  She and her husband went through many financial difficulties over the years, as well.  Erin spent her final years in poor financial condition, living in a mobile home in Indiana.

Erin Moran, as you can see, was very beautiful even in the later years of her life.  Her friends, including Scott Baio, give very similar accounts of Erin Moran's life after acting.  Although Erin did have a few minor roles in a couple of movies, and make guest appearances on some popular television shows, she never again had a starring role in any movie or TV series.  More than this, Erin never seemed to find contentment or fulfillment in any endeavor outside of acting.  Wherever she belonged, she did not seem to find it in this world.  Scott Baio, Ron Howard, and other members of the Happy Days cast gave their tributes to this beautiful lady.  Ron said, " Such sad news ... I'll always choose to remember you on our show making scenes better, getting laughs and lighting up TV screens..."

That is a fitting way to remember her, and that is the way I choose to remember Erin Moran, as the beautiful young lady who lit up the Happy Days set even in the bright light cast by Howard and by Henry Winkler.  Erin Moran is a beautiful lady and had a beautiful heart.  Cancer took her before her time, and before she found her true place here.  She is now in a better place, free of cancer, free of depression, and now content, no longer searching for that elusive happiness that was not to be hers in this world.

"Joanie" is now truly in peaceful rest, no more mental pain and anguish to torture her.  Erin, you will truly be missed on this vale of tears, and I pray for the Lord's comfort for your husband, your family, all of your loved ones, and all of us who never knew you, but loved and cared for you anyway.
 

April 22, 1836 - Santa Anna Captured Near San Jacinto

On this date in 1836 General Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna was captured hiding in the marshy grass near the San Jacinto River.  The great general, "El Presidente," was so afraid of being captured that he was hiding in some reeds and had commandeered a uniform from one of his enlisted men.  The men who captured Santa Anna did not realize they had captured the great general himself.  As they led their prisoner back to the Texas camp and paraded him through the rest of the captured Mexican soldiers, it was the Mexican soldiers themselves who gave away Santa Anna's secret. 

Even in defeat, the Mexican soldiers were so in awe of their commander-in-chief that they saluted him as he walked by, and many of them said to each other "El Presidente!"  The Texians then realized the prize they had.  Santa Anna was ushered to General Sam Houston, and not a minute too soon.  As more and more Texians realized that Santa Anna had survived the Battle of San Jacinto, they began to shout for his blood.  Some members of the Texas army were almost to the point of lynching Santa Anna to mete out revenge for the slaughter of the men at the Alamo, at Goliad, and a lesser known massacre of Texans at Gonzalez. 

Sam Houston acted quickly both to secure Santa Anna's safety and to make his men realize that, for the moment at least, Santa Anna was of much more value alive.  In fact, holding Santa Anna hostage was critical to the survival of new republic, and even of the little army itself.  Many of the men did not know that more than four thousand more Mexican soldiers were at that moment threatening the very extinction of Texas forces.  Only the flooding of the Brazos and Colorado Rivers, and the capture of Santa Anna, saved the Texas Revolution.

While the huge Mexican army was still held at bay by the floods, Santa Anna was spirited away to Fort Velasco (now Surfside Beach), then was placed on Texas navy ship and sent off to Washington, DC for safekeeping.  While Santa Anna was still at Velasco, he signed the Treaty of Velasco, ending the war and requiring the remaining Mexican forces to retreat south of the Rio Grande.  Although Texas claimed independence, Santa Anna vacated the treaty as soon as he could pen a letter to the Mexican government. 

Although Santa Anna was captured on April 22, 1836 the Battle of San Jacinto was fought a day earlier, on April 21.  The battle, actually more of a rout and massacre, lasted only about eighteen minutes, less than half the time it took for Santa Anna to breach the Alamo defenses a month earlier, and kill all the Texians inside.  Nearly eight hundred Mexicans were killed, and another seven hundred were captured.  Santa Anna, in his contempt of Houston's forces, had ordered that no guards be posted around the Mexican encampment.  The Texas army caught the Mexican forces completely off guard, with many of the Mexican soldiers actually sleeping during their "siesta."  Even great military strategists can blunder when arrogance replaces good judgment.

The significance of the defeat of Santa Anna at San Jacinto was belied by the briefness of that battle.  Texas independence set the stage for several more years of Mexican and Texican military actions against each other, but more importantly, it made inevitable the war between the United States and Mexico a decade later.  Perhaps more profound than that, Texas being admitted to the Union in 1846 was one of several key factors leading to the War Between The States in 1861.

The Battle of San Jacinto had a great impact on Mexico as well, because the terms of the Treaty of Velasco forced Mexico to relinquish its claim on all lands within the 1836 borders of the Mexican state of Texas.  This was a huge blow to Mexico, because at that time the lands of Texas included parts of present day New Mexico, Colorado, Oklahoma, Kansas, and Wyoming, not to mention the huge area of present-day Texas.  Santa Anna held himself to be such importance to Mexico that he could deal away that much of Mexico's territory with just the stroke of a pen.  Santa Anna would again forfeit a great deal of Mexican territory at the conclusion of the United States and Mexico War, with what would later be known as the Gadsden Purchase.  Again, this great loss of territory was a direct result of Santa Anna's capture at San Jacinto and his subsequent signing of the Treaty of Velasco.

So this day, April 22, stands out as another key date in Texas and American history.

 

End Of Watch: Assistant Chief Deputy Clinton Greenwood, Harris County Constable

It is with a heavy heart that I write this post.  Yet another ambush on a police officer, this time in the small city of Baytown.  Assistant Chief Deputy Constable Clinton Greenwood, Harris County Constable's Office - Precinct 3, was murdered outside the Constable Headquarters in the middle of Baytown.  He had just arrived and gotten out of his vehicle.  Apparently the shooter was waiting.  No witnesses at last report.  The constable was able to call for help on his radio.  He was life-flighted to a Houston hospital but died shortly after arriving there.

Deputy Constable Greenwood had over thirty years in law enforcement, and though this murder is senseless and the shooter will hopefully soon get his just reward, Deputy Greenwood was not the type of lawman who would have shirked going to work this morning even though he was in danger.  He would have faced that danger head on if he had been given the chance. Probably the killer knew this and took the coward's approach for his own safety.

Clinton Greenwood served with the Harris County Sheriff's Office and Harris County Constable - Precinct 4 prior to joining the Precinct 3 office.  He also served with the Harris County District Attorney's Office.  He was a graduate of the legendary FBI Law Enforcement Academy.

Along with fellow Peace Officers, Deputy Constable Greenwood leaves behind his wife and several children.  My prayers and thoughts go out to the family and to the police officers who have lost a friend and colleague.

Law Enforcement is a dangerous profession and the work police officers do is not always appreciated.  There are some few bad officers scattered in the profession as well as the good men and women trying to do a tough job.  No Peace Officer deserves to be murdered, whatever the reason someone may think he has.  The flip side of that is that anyone willing to kill an armed police officer is even more willing to kill you or me.  That is why I hope the killer (s) get what he (they) deserve and quickly.

Deputy Constable Greenwood, I thank you for your service and I thank your family for supporting you in your service to us.  And the Thin Blue Line above has grown by one today.