The aircraft carrier USS Doris Miller - And Doris Miller, The Hero

Yesterday, on the day of this year's remembrance of Martin Luther King, Jr., the United States Navy announced that one of the aircraft carriers soon to be built will be named in honor of Doris Miller, a Navy cook who rescued several injured sailors on the USS West Virginia during the 1941 surprise attack on Pearl Harbor.  After helping some crew members escape Miller also rescued the ship's captain.  During the these rescues, bombs were falling, and Japanese planes were constantly strafing ships and firing torpedoes.  Sailor Miller was now a bona fide hero, but he was not finished.  He ran back on board his ship and manned an anti-aircraft gun, which he fired continuously and alone for several minutes, until he ran out of ammunition.  He and the other remaining crew were ordered to abandon ship.  A few minutes later the USS West Virginia went down.

I learned about Doris Miller in the late 1970's when I went to work for the Waco Police Department.  The YMCA gymnasium where police recruits received physical training was named in honor of Doris Miller.  I had never heard of Doris Miller until then, and the first thing I learned about Doris Miller was that he was not a lady.  In fact, Doris Miller was a local boy from Waco, a local football hero of great size and ability.  And, I learned, Doris Miller answered the call for patriots to defend the nation, and the world, during the early days of World War II.  The third thing I learned about Doris Miller was that he was a Black man.  He had been treated the way most Black people were treated in those days - as segregated, second-class citizens.  But, like thousands of other Black men, he answered that patriotic call to duty anyway, to fight for the freedom that he himself did no fully enjoy.

In the Navy, most Black men were given the least preferred assignments, and Miller was no exception.  He was assigned as a mess attendant on the USS West Virginia, but he also received training as an ammunition handler for a fifty-caliber machine nest, as his "battle station" assignment.  The USS West Virginia cruised off toward an exotic location he had most likely never heard of - Pearl Harbor, in the Hawaiian Islands.  This was supposed to be a peaceful assignment in a tropical paradise.  Unknown to most Americans, however, events in Japan were already set in motion, and the peaceful tropical paradise was just an illusion, to be shattered on the morning of 7 December, 1941.

Doris Miller, or "Dorie" as he was known to his companions by this time, survived that fateful day at Pearl Harbor.  After the Pear Harbor attack, Miller was assigned to the USS Indianapolis.  In 1943, Dorie was transferred to the USS Lipscombe Bay, a small type of aircraft carrier known as an escort carrier.  Miller would spend the rest of his days on the Lipscombe Bay.  But Doris Miller's days were numbered.  His ship was attacked on 24 November, 1943.  A Japanese submarine fired a single torpedo, striking the stern of the Lipcombe  Bay, subsequently igniting the bombs on the carrier. Doris Miller and 644 other sailors lost their lives that day.  His body, along with many others, was not recovered.

I commend the Navy for honoring Doris Miller in this way.  Actually another ship, a frigate, was named for Miller and was commissioned in 1973, but I believe it is fitting to name a new aircraft carrier after this larger than life, but largely unsung hero of the War in the Pacific.

Thank you, Dorie, for your service to this country, and for the lives that you saved.  Congratulations to your family and to your memory for the honor that was bestowed on you yesterday.  You are truly an American hero.

Happy 70th Anniversary to the Midland Memorial Hospital Ladies' Auxiliary

Today the Midland Memorial Hospital Auxiliary, the "Pink Ladies" (and "Blue Men"), celebrated the 70th anniversary of their founding.  The organization was formed in 1950 by a group of local doctors' wives (yes, in the fifties the vast majority of doctors were men) who wanted to give back to the community.  In those days, Midland's new hospital had just opened, and  was still not well equipped.  The ladies of the newly-formed auxiliary began the tradition of holding various fundraising events through the year, then purchasing equipment that the hospital needed, but for which no operating funds were available. 

By the 1980's the Ladies' Auxiliary had opened a gift shop that offered gifts and sundries to help make patients and visitors more comfortable while at Midland Memorial, the only hospital in Midland County.  The proceeds from the gift shop, along with other fundraisers, allowed the Ladies' Auxiliary to provide quite substantial gifts to Midland Memorial Hospital.  For instance, in the mid-90's, the Ladies' Auxiliary purchased and donated two fully-equipped mobile intensive care ambulances to MMH.  The latest gift to Midland Memorial, worth over $250,000, includes incubators and other equipment for the Neo-natal Intensive Care Unit scheduled to open later this year.

Kim Modisett, the current Auxiliary Director, noted that, since 1950, the the Ladies' Auxiliary has donated over $11,000,000 worth of medical equipment or facility improvements.  That figure is astounding, but becomes astronomical when the dollar equivalent of volunteer hours worked (approximately $12,000,000) is added to the equation.  Yes, over the years the Ladies' Auxiliary has donated the equivalent of $23,000,000 to Midland Memorial Hospital. 

Congratulations to Kim Modisett and all the ladies (and men) who presently serve, or have served in the past, in the Auxiliary!  Thank you so much for all you have given back to Midland Memorial Hospital and the people of Midland County, Texas!

EOW: Officer Nicholas Reyna, Lubbock Police - Lieutenant Eric Hill, Lubbock Fire Department - January 11, 2020

In what was a double tragedy, the City of Lubbock lost a police officer and a firefighter in one single, terrible second.

Police Officer Nicholas Reyna of the Lubbock Police Department and Lieutenant Eric Hill of the Lubbock Fire Department were both struck and killed by a vehicle while they were engaged in investigating a traffic accident.  While both men were working the first accident scene, a second vehicle crashed nearby.  Officer Reyna and Lieutenant Hill went to the aid of the driver of the second vehicle. 

While these and other officers and firefighters worked the second accident, and with emergency vehicles parked all around, a THIRD vehicle approached the scene.  The driver of that vehicle lost control of his vehicle, which then struck Officer Reyna, Lieutenant Hill, and a second firefighter.  Officer Reyna and Lieutenant Hill both lost their lives at the scene.  The second firefighter survived and is in critical condition at this time.

May the Good Shepherd comfort the families of both of these men, and speed the recovery of the surviving fireman, and may He comfort the police officers and firefighters who lost their brothers in the line of duty. 

On This Day in History, Jacob Rubenstein Died

On this day in 1967, a man named Jacob Rubenstein died in a Dallas hospital.  Only weeks earlier doctors discovered that Rubestein, aka Jack Ruby, the infamous killer of Lee Harvey Oswald, had terminal lung, liver, and brain cancer.

Jack Ruby was a Chicago native, born of Jewish parents.  He was a troubled child who was raised by troubled, abusive parents.  He spent his teenage years gambling on horse races and skipping out of high school.  As a young man he became involved with a local garbage collectors' union that eventually fell under the umbrella of the Teamsters' Union.  Apparently he attracted the attention of a "mob" boss because he was set up as manager of several night clubs and drinking establishments in Dallas, even though he had never lived in Dallas nor did he have any "legitimate" connections in the Dallas area.

Dallas police and the Dallas County sheriff soon became familiar with Jack Ruby, some because they handled him for minor liquor violations, and some because, to curry favor with the police, Ruby provided them with free liquor and dining, AND prostitutes.  The police also believed Ruby had ties to the Mafia due to his sudden appearance in Dallas and his quick rise to manager of so many "mob controlled" drinking establishments.  Still, Ruby was considered only a minor crime figure, and a police buff.  His familiarity (and bribery) of so many police officers opened many doors for Ruby to high police officials, and more importantly, gave Ruby a virtually unlimited pass to the restricted areas of the Dallas Police Department.  Thus Jack Ruby was able to be "the man on the spot" when Lee Harvey Oswald was led out of his cell and through the basement of the Dallas police station.  An armored car was waiting for President Kennedy's killer, but Oswald never made it out of the halls of the police building.  Jack Ruby fired a single shot from his snub-nose revolver, but it was a deadly hit, damaging Oswalds, spleen, stomach, kidney, aorta, and vena cava.  Oswald died only an hour later, in the very same hospital that the President had succumbed to Oswald's bullet.*

One interesting fact I never new about Jack Ruby was that he was actually convicted of murdering Oswald.  I had always thought Ruby died of cancer before his trial.  In fact, Ruby had been in prison since 1964.  But in 1967 the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals reversed Ruby's conviction because (among other things) Ruby's oral confession to Oswald's murder was illegally obtained and should not have been admitted in the original trial.  That seems absurd to me, since a Pulitzer prize winning photograph had captured forever the very moment that Jack Ruby shot Lee Harvey Oswald.  So even with a void confession, the evidence against Ruby was overwhelming.  Ah, but Justice moves in mysterious ways...

So Jack Ruby died on this day in 1967, an innocent man, at least in the eyes of the law, his conviction having been thrown out by the highest criminal court in Texas.  Cancer killed Jack Ruby.  I had always believed that the Mafia had picked Jack Ruby to kill Oswald, since Ruby himself was dying, and thus had nothing to lose, so to speak.  But apparently no one knew Ruby had cancer, perhaps not even Jack Ruby himself.  Or, did he?

*I am not entering the conspiracy debate in this post for purposes of brevity, but I will say that I am a member of the conspiracy theorists who do not believe the "lone gunman theory," a theory which is belied by the multiple directions the President's head flies during the shooting.

This is my first post of the new year.  First of all I would like to wish everyone a happy New Year, not just the first day, but the entire year.  I have not posted for the last month or so of 2019, and I would like to "close out" the 2019 blog year before I move on.

First, I would like to honor several fallen police officers in Texas, all who lost their lives in the line of duty during October and December of 2019:

Deputy Matthew Jones, Falls County Sheriff's Office - EOW 10-11-19  
Deputy Jones was struck by a vehicle while he and the Police Chief of Riesel, TX PD were assisting a stranded motorist during rainy weather.  An approaching vehicle hydroplaned, striking both officers.  The Police Chief was seriously injured but survived the accident.

Sergeant Christopher Brewster, Houston Police - EOW 12-07-19
Sergeant Brewster and other officers responded to a domestic disturbance.  Upon arrival at the residence, police learned that the caller and her abuser had left the home together on foot.  Sergeant Brewster spotted the couple and pulled to the curb.  As he got out of his car the suspect opened fire, hitting the officer several times.  The sergeant was transported to a nearby hospital but passed away a short time later.

Sergeant Kaila Sullivan, Nassau Bay Police (Houston area) - EOW 12-10-19
Sergeant Sullivan and another officer were attempting to arrest a wanted felon during a traffic stop.  The suspect resisted arrest and assaulted both officers.  During the struggle the suspect broke loose from both officers and got into his car.  Instead of simply driving away, he intentionally struck the sergeant with his vehicle, running over her.  He arrested two days later.  Sergeant Sullivan died of her injuries shortly after this incident.

Officer Humberto Meza, Burnet Police Department - EOW 12-20-19
Officer Meza and his canine partner had participated with several other officers in canine training.  During the training Officer Meza began feeling badly and eventually left the event.  The next morning he became unresponsive and his wife called for assistance.  Officer Meza was not revived and passed away due to a heart attack.

Detective Clifton Martinez, San Antonio ISD Police - EOW 12-21-19
Detective Martinez was working off duty a local restaurant on the evening of this incident.  A fight broke out between several restaurant patrons.  The detective got all the parties outside the restaurant, but was attacked by two or more suspects.  He was knocked to the ground.  One or more of the suspects got into a nearby vehicle and ran over the officer while he still lay in the parking lot.

Deputy Bryan Pfluger, San Jacinto Sheriff's Office - EOW 12-21-19
Deputy Pfluger was driving behind another sheriff deputy's vehicle as both were responding to a burglary.  The unit in front of Deputy Pfluger slowed suddenly to make a right turn.  Deputy Pfluger swerved to avoid hitting the other unit, but clipped the vehicle, causing his own patrol unit to flip over.  Deputy Pfluger was ejected from the vehicle, and died from the injuries he sustained due to being ejected.

Deputy Chris Dickerson, Panola County Sheriff's Office - EOW 12-31-19
Deputy Dickerson made a traffic stop at around 2:00 AM near Gary City.  The driver of the other car stepped out of his car and immediately began firing a semi-automatic rifle, striking the deputy six times.  Nearby residents heard the gunfire and investigated.  They found the deputy in the road by his car.  The suspect had already driven away and was subsequently arrested in Shreveport.

May the Good Shepherd continue to comfort the loved ones and friends of these officers, as well as their colleagues.  Several of these officers leave behind young wives and small children.  After all the funerals are done and the honors made, those who are left behind must face life without their police officers, their spouses, their fathers or mothers, their sons or daughters.  May the Good Shepherd continue to help them all.

For me, 2019 proved to be a year of blessings.  My lovely bride and I moved into our new home in September.  Speaking of my lovely bride, she received a professorship at a local university early in the year.  As the year went on, she completed research in connection with her dissertation, wrote the dissertation, got it approved, and, in November, successfully defended it.  On December 14th, she received her hard-earned PhD in Nursing.  I am so proud of her and all she has accomplished over the years.  And we both love our new house.


2020

The new year rolled in pretty quietly in my house.  My lovely bride and I watched several of the college football "bowl games" that were played throughout New Year's Eve, so by 11:00 PM we were both toast (NOT TOASTED) from having watched the grand kids all day and watching all those ball games.  I would not have traded the day for anything.  But my lovely bride and I did not imbibe heavily at all due to caring for the rugrats.  The kids went home and Honey and Poppee hit the sack pretty quickly.  The fireworks did not bother me in the least as I faded off into the land of Nod.

By 8:00 New Year's morning, I had broken several resolutions, one of which was that I would get up early to do some of the other things that I had resolved to do during the new year.  I also missed my meditation period, another resolution I made.  In fact it was after noon when I actually opened my eyes for the day.  I had risen earlier in the morning, pre-dawn, but that was just a for a pit stop, then I was back in the sack.  My lovely bride and I picked up the kids not long after that.  We treasure the time we get to spend with our little grand babies, so it was a treat to get them for another day.  We had a quick lunch, went shopping, then back home.  I played with the kids until I was tired, then I took a break: It was time for the Baylor - Georgia game, the Sugar Bowl.  At least I thought it was going to be a game.  It turned out to be a beat-up on Baylor game.  After the game was over, we got the granddaughter to bed.  The little boy had gone to bed much earlier.  The kids love it when they get to have a "sleep over."  I have to admit, I love it too!

On Jan. 2, I once again broke the above mentioned resolutions, although the children did not let us sleep until noon.  By 9:00 AM both kids were up and "play day" was in full swing.  A little later Honey made breakfast for everyone.  After breakfast...you guessed it...more play day!  I chased the kids around all afternoon, although I noticed that Honey had disappeared.  Turns out she sneaked off for a nap while the children kept me occupied.  The kids stayed with us until after 6:00 PM.  I was tired when Mom and Dad came to get them, but I was sure sorry to see them go.  They were happy to see Mommy and Daddy, and really excited to learn that they were going to visit their little cousins.  So Honey and Poppee got kisses and hugs (from both sets of kids) and they were gone.  And the house was so quiet.  It is always a little sad to see everyone leave, but always so good when they return for another visit, or even a sleep over.

As for as New Year's resolutions, I did actually make a few, and have already broken some of them, but there is one resolution I have not broken.  I would like to share this resolution with you, and encourage you to give it a try...that is, join me in doing this for the next thirty days.  I believe that after the thirty days are up, you will still continue with it, as will I.

The resolution that I am talking about is this: I resolved to write down each morning ten things I am grateful for.  Yes, I know the grammar is not correct, but this is the way most of us talk around here.  Ten things I am grateful for.  This can be anything I happen to think about, even simple things, like having awakened one more day, or having slept in a warm, soft bed overnight.  This simple technique is actually powerful, because, almost unconsciously, you will slowly but surely develop an attitude of gratitude.  With a grateful attitude, the little things and the big things that may have been annoying before, now are less stressful, more manageable, easier to deal with.

The second part of this technique is to write down five things, at the end of the day, that were a blessing to you.  Again, these can be simple things like someone smiled at me, I found a dime on the ground, the grandchildren came to visit, etc.  This is best done around bedtime, because for most of us, this time allows us to slow down and really examine our day, and the blessings we received, the good things that happened, during the day.  Again, this exercise is to help us notice our blessing, appreciate them, and, in doing so, develop that attitude of gratitude

I would like to challenge anyone who reads this to do this exercise, only committing to doing so for thirty days.  You will more than likely really develop the attitude of gratitude, and you will not want to stop this exercise when you reach the thirty day point.  I suspect that most people who try this will end up using this technique for years, or at least consciously realizing and appreciating how blessed they truly are.  I have only done this two days and I am already becoming more aware and appreciative of the blessings in my life.  So please, give it a try.  You have nothing to lose but a small notebook that you need to keep your writing in.  Good luck, and Happy New Year's to everyone.

A Police Officer Convicted Of Murder

In one of the most unusual events in police history, a police officer entered an apartment she believed to be her own, saw a man in "her" apartment, saw the man get up and move in her direction, and fired her weapon, killing this man.  The only problem for this police officer was that she was not in her apartment, the man was not armed, and she did not use less-than-lethal alternatives, nor did she simply back away, set up a perimeter, and call for assistance on her radio or her cell phone.

Amber Guyger, former Dallas Police Officer, made many mistakes on the night she shot Botham Jean, mistakes that a reasonable person in her position most likely would not have made.  More specifically, she made mistakes that a reasonable police officer would not have made, or should not have made.  She went to the wrong apartment.  Yes, the door to the apartment was either unlocked or standing slightly open.  Yes, an open door to one's home is a good indication of burglary.  But, Amber Guyger opened the door and walked into what she thought was her apartment.  She immediately saw a man seated at the dining table, eating ice cream.  Does a burglar sit and eat in a house he has broken into?  Oddly enough, YES, they sometimes do.  BUT...finding a man eating ice cream could also be an opportunity for an officer to pause, take a good look around, and maybe discover that he or she was in the wrong apartment.

As an officer, if I found an open door, I immediately called for back-up.  No, not because I was afraid, but because if the burglar tried to escape, two or more officers were more likely to make the arrest successfully than would be one officer.  Even if I were at my own house and suspected a burglar to be inside, my police training would kick in, and I would follow standard procedure.  Why Amber Guyger did not, we may never know.  Did Botham Jean actually make a threatening move toward Officer Guyger?  We may never know.  But he was unarmed.  That fact alone made this situation a "don't shoot" situation.  Did he get irate that a police officer was suddenly in his home?  More likely, did he become frightened and desperately ask why the officer was in his apartment? 

If Officer Guyger was shouting something like, "what are you doing in my house?!" it would be natural for Botham Jean, or any man, to be both confused and angry.  Perhaps Mr. Jean was shouting for Guyger to get out of HIS house!  And rightfully so.  Amber Guyger said that Mr. Jean moved toward her in a threatening manner, placing her in fear for her life.  At least one crime scene specialist felt that Mr. Jean was found in a "cowering position."

After the shooting, Amber Guyger, in the recording of her 9-1-1 call, stated several times that she would probably lose her job.  Instead of being concerned with aiding Mr. Jean, Amber was worried about her future.  She also delayed physically aiding Mr. Jean for several minutes while on the phone.  Whether Jean would have survived with prompt first aid is questionable since he was shot twice in the chest, but an officer is trained to go from defensive mode to rendering aid immediately, in order to save a person's life, whether or not the person is a criminal offender, and even if that person had just moments before tried to shoot the officer.  That is what a cop is expected to do.

Regardless of what Amber Guyger did or did not do that night, she was responsible for a man's death, in what was clearly unjustifiable shooting, and she was rightly charged with murder.  It was no surprise that she was found guilty.  The real surprise to me is that she was sentenced to only ten years for that murder.  To many people, this sentence (as at least one person said) was "a slap in the face" to the victim and his family.  Others, many of then black, were happy that a white cop was held accountable for shooting an unarmed black man.  While I personally doubt that this incident was racially motivated, others think race played a big part in Officer Guyger's decision to use deadly force rather than less-than-lethal force, or even retreat to a safer area and call for help.  That is a debate that will go on for some time and may never be resolved.

There is one factor that has been overlooked by the media, or at least mostly ignored, and that is whether or not fatigue played a part in Ms. Guyger's mistaken belief that she was in her apartment, and in her decision not to call for help, in violation of standard police practice.  Would she have resorted to less-than-lethal measures if she had been thinking more clearly?  Would this terrible tragedy have happened at all if Ms. Guyger has not worked so many consecutive 12-hour shifts?  If the City of Dallas either required or encouraged Ms. Guyger to work so many hours, does the city government share some responsibility in this tragedy?  I suspect lawyers for the Jean family will pursue this angle in future litigation with the City of Dallas.

Amber Guyger made poor decisions and killed an innocent man.  Regardless of all the speculation, all of the "what ifs," Ms. Guyger committed murder and must pay the price, in this case, ten years in prison.  She received a much more lenient sentence than that which she meted out to Botham Jean.  But what a touching, inspirational moment it was when Botham's brother, Brandt, hugged Ms. Guyger and told her that he forgave her.  No one wants to go to prison, especially not a former police officer, but at least Ms. Guyger's heart can be somewhat lighter, her burden somewhat easier to bear, knowing that Botham Jean's family is able to forgive her.  And, light sentence or not, Ms. Guyger will no doubt relive this scene over and over, throughout her sentence, and probably for the remainder of her life.

May God bless this family that lost their son and brother, and may God also bless and protect Amber Guyger as she faces what may be a cop's worst nightmare, confinement in prison with hundreds of others who hate policemen.

End of Watch: Deputy Sandeep Dhaliwal, Harris County Sheriff's Office, October 27, 2019

On Friday, September 27, Harris County Sheriff's Deputy Sandeep Dhaliwal was shot and killed during a traffic stop that afternoon.  Deputy Dhaliwal was a ten-year veteran with Harris County and was the first Sihk to be hired by the Sheriff's Office.  He leaves behind his wife and three children, as well as his fellow officers with Harris County.

Deputy Dhaliwal had stopped a traffic violator, later found to be a wanted parole violator.  According to officials, there was nothing in the initial contact which indicated the shooter was being uncooperative.  As the deputy returned to his patrol car, the shooter left his own car, ran up behind the officer, and fired into the back of Deputy Dhaliwal's head.  The shooter drove away, but was later apprehended by a lone deputy who confronted the shooter face-to-face.  As usual in this situation, the shooter "meekly surrendered," not wanting to be hurt himself.

As a former police officer, I am aware of a couple of "danger points" in a police officer's career.  These danger points are well-documented.  Obviously the first year is one of the most dangerous for the new officer.  Another danger peak is around the fifth year, when an officer, particularly an officer who has experienced several dangerous events while on duty, may become over confident and cut corners on officer safety.  Finally, there is a documented tendency for officers with ten years or more experience to at times relax somewhat during potentially dangerous situations.

One thing that is difficult for many to understand is that a traffic stop is one of the most dangerous tasks a police officer performs.  A police officer never really knows who he or she is stopping, what that person may have just done, what others in the car may be wanted for, or whether the driver or someone else in the car is waiting for an opportunity to kill the officer, for whatever reason.  Just as in Deputy Dhaliwal's encounter, the "mere traffic law violator" turned out to be a wanted felon.  But for reasons known only to Deputy Dhaliwal, he turned his back on the shooter and began walking toward his patrol car.  This a mistake many an officer has made (myself included) but occasionally an officer pays for this mistake with his life.

This does not relieve the animal who did the shooting from his responsibility for murdering the officer.  Who knows why a criminal chooses to kill an officer to temporarily escape apprehension, when the criminal knows that he will be arrested only hours, or even minutes, after he murders the officer.  But this scenario plays itself out over and over across the United States each year.  A criminal murders an officer because the criminal does not want to go to jail, but then surrenders only a short time later without hurting anyone.  I will never understand this reasoning.

I am honored to lift up Deputy Sandeep Dhaliwal and thank him for his service.  I pray the the Good Shepherd holds this family in His arms, and also comforts the many officers who have lost a brother in blue.

May God bless that Thin Blue Line up yonder, one officer stronger now.