Knowledge Seeker
  • Home
  • Articles

The Battle for Midway (June 4th -7th, 1942)

5/31/2023

 
During WWII, both Japan and the U.S. were listening in on the other's military transmissions via various means. Of course the messages were coded and then when one side figured out that the messages were no longer secure, they'd switch to a different code.

Our Naval Intelligence analysts listening in on Japanese transmissions, kept getting a lot of messages that included the letters R.F. They figured out that it was a place but didn't have a clue where. The concern was that Japan was planning on an attack, but we didn't know the location, so we'd be unprepared.

Then one day an analyst was reviewing reports and noticed a message sent out by a Japanese pilot and he was letting his base know where he was and when he'd land. He said he was passing over R.F. This analyst looked at a map knowing where the Japanese airbase was and took into account the plane's speed and was able to figure out that the only place the Japanese pilot could've been flying over to arrive when he said he would, was Midway Island. A strategic U.S. military base.

He passed the word on to his superiors and the decision was made to send pretty much every naval vessel we had to attack the Japanese. There was concern though that maybe it wasn't Midway being referenced in the pilot's transmission and putting all of our eggs in one basket leaving Hawaii and our west coast exposed, might not be worth the risk. They decided they needed confirmation that it was Midway that was going to be attacked.

So, a spectacular plan was conceived to confirm if Midway was the place or not. The U.S. sent a fake message about problems on Midway's military base such as the water filtration system going down and guess what, not long after the message was sent out, Japan was sending a message about issues Americans were having on R.F. Gotcha! And the rest is some of the most awesome history the world has ever seen. Time to watch Midway again with Charlton Heston, Henry Fonda, James Coburn, Glenn Ford, and Hal Holbrook. They are the A-Team. 
Picture

Is There a Moral Authority?

5/31/2023

 
The numbers are all over the place, but on average, atheists make up around 9% of the U.S. population. Around 83% are believers with 63% being very engaged in their faith. Some things to think about:

1. If you are a Christian and have ever discussed/debated with an atheist, you know that some come across as very angry towards Christians even though there's no legitimate reason for the hatred. Of course this makes it difficult to have a good discussion. 

2. If they were on the right side of the debate, shouldn't after thousands of years, their debate points be more numerous? Shouldn't science have "come around" with its advancements and given them more ammunition to support their disbelief? Just the opposite has happened.

3. I always love when someone is discussing whether God exist, that atheist have such a tough time explaining where morals come from. Why isn't it okay to steal from someone else? Why is it wrong to kill someone who has harmed us in some way?

The reason the Ten Commandments are posted in most courthouses across the country (not in liberal areas), is that it's the foundation for our legal and moral system for society. Don't steal from others, don't kill, don't covet your neighbor's life (which if you do, takes away from counting your own blessings), don't hurt others, don't lie and cheat, etc. Under an atheist' rational, there are no reasons to not do the above. They believe humans are the moral authority. We know how things work out when it's left for people to decide what to do and what not do. Plus, the rules would change depending upon where you lived.

Anyhow, there's a great book called: "I Don't Have Enough Faith to be an Atheist," by Dr. Frank Turek. I had Frank come speak to our employees regarding different topics over the years. There are awesome YouTube clips of Frank that address questions that come up about our faith. He's great at giving Christians the information we need to do a better job explaining and supporting our Christian journey; plus, he's entertaining. By the way, he was a fighter pilot.

The bottom line is that the rationale for our faith significantly exceeds that of those who are not believers. If they were on the winning side, wouldn't people have joined their philosophy in droves? All the science in the world points towards a higher power even though most atheists like to think they're intellectually advanced and follow the science while Christians are naive. That's okay, we know how the story ends. 

Below is a sample of Frank in action. You'll be able to see why he's so awesome in college campuses across the country. He's one of the most intelligent people I've ever known and one of the humblest. 

It's Sickening!

5/30/2023

 
A mob of California teenagers attacked three U.S. Marines on Memorial Day Weekend. Off-duty Marines were enjoying time at the beach Friday when they asked a group of teenagers to stop lighting off fireworks because they and other beachgoers were being hit with debris. The Marines were then jumped and repeatedly stomped on by a mob of up to 40 people.

I don't trust the police in California to do their jobs of finding the people involved and arresting them for assault and in some cases, attempted murder. I think that if a person stomps on someone's head repeatedly that it is attempted murder.

I think it's time for their communities to start their own Guardian Angels Street Force. The citizens need to step up because democrats running city councils and holding spots as mayors, certainly aren't going to do it.

The main problem I see with my plan when it comes to these liberal cities, is that the people trying to do good and protect their communities will be the ones who end up being arrested. It's absolutely crazy!
Picture

Ride On!

5/30/2023

 
Is there a kid alive who grew up in the 60's and 70's who didn't ride a kiddie ride at the grocery store at least once? I was constantly begging my mom for ten cents so I could play cowboy.

These units cost around $898 back in the 50's which is comparable to over $16,000 today. If a grocery store was to get their money back, kids would need to ride on it a total of 160,000 times which of course didn't happen especially since they broke down a good amount of time.

But that's not why these grocery stores bought the rides as it was just a way to bring moms to their stores. Which if you think about, at least where I grew up, there weren't a lot of grocery stores, and most people just went to the one closest to their house regardless of whether they had a ride or not. Back then, parents didn't care as much about what their children wanted as they do today. I grew up in the wonderful days of being told to be seen not heard. Good times. 😎
Picture

We Are Marshall!

5/29/2023

 
In the last game of the season in 1970, Marshall University's Thundering Herd football team (Huntington, WV), was playing the Eastern North Carolina Pirates and they lost the game 17-14 due to a dropped pass in the end zone in the last second of the game. The team wasn't really known for winning so every close game was an exciting game for Marshall's players and fans.

After the game, thirty-seven Marshall football players, most of the coaches, team doctors, the university's athletic director, and 25 team boosters–some of Huntington, West Virginia’s most prominent citizens–who had traveled to North Carolina to cheer on the Thundering Herd, boarded a chartered jet back to Huntington.

The weather was terrible the closer they got to Huntington (keep in mind there wasn't the sophisticated technology we have today, so the pilots had no warning), and they clipped some trees upon descent and the plane crashed killing all passengers on board. It was the town's own J.F.K. moment as people were in shock and it was a huge battle in town to figure out if they should start another football program.

As the university's board met to discuss the matter, thousands of students showed up outside the window of the conference room chanting: "We are Marshall!" again and again. Because of what these students did, the board went ahead and authorized the funds necessary to start the football program back up the following season.

The president of the university called everyone he could think of, mostly Marshall football alumni, trying to get someone to be the head coach but no one wanted the job. It's one thing to slide into a coaching position, it's another to build a program from scratch and knowing that your resume will end up with a lot of losses on it until the program gets where it needs to be years down the road.

A coach from the College of Wooster (Jack Lengyel) called the president of the university and said he'd be willing to take on the head coaching job. He wasn't anything the president of the university had hoped for, but he needed someone and if anything, Jack seemed like the eternal optimist. The president of the university also appreciated what Jack said in that his heart broke for the players and fans and he just wanted to do something to help.

Jack brought together a ragtag group of assistant coaches who were mostly alumni of Marshal's previous football teams. He made one of the coaches his assistant head coach and recruiting specialist and this man was a coach on the team that went down on the plane, but he left after the game that night to do some recruiting. He ended up with severe survivor's guilt. He didn't want to coach football anymore, but Jack convinced him to give him one season to help get the program up and running and he agreed. He also kept to his word and after the next season never coached football again.

Can you imagine trying to recruit football players when undoubtedly the team was going to be terrible? Jack wasn't going to give up and he did a masterful move. At the time, no NCAA team could play freshmen. Jack and the president of the university convinced the NCAA to make an exception because they wouldn't have a football team if they couldn't play with freshmen athletes.

After numerous attempts, the NCAA gave Marshall an exemption. Armed with this, Marshall was able to go out and offer something no other team in the nation could, anyone joining the team right out of high school could play college football immediately. The fact is most college athletes know they won't go pro so what they really want is the chance to not ride the bench and play the sport they love. At the same time, it would give them an opportunity to showcase their talents immediately versus having to deal with grueling football practices and no chance to play. It was a brilliant move on Jack's part.

When it was all said and done, Jack had nine veteran players, a bunch of 18-year-olds when other college teams averaged a player's age of 20 years and eight months as starters, and many walk-ons such as their field goal kicker who was on Marshall's soccer team.

The team struggled coming up with an easy offensive playbook which was necessary because of the lack of experience players had. Jack did the unthinkable and travelled to West Virginia University and asked their head coach for help. This coach, by the name of Bobby Bowden, ended up being one of the greatest college football coaches in history. My wife, Maggie, loved him for what he did for her Florida State Seminoles.

Anyhow, even though Marshall was considered a competitor to WVU, Bobby gave them help through allowing them to use all of their playbooks and review all of the films. While there, Jack noticed something on the players helmets, it was a cross with M.U. on it. He couldn't believe it. Jack found out that besides being an amazing coach, Bobby was even a better Christian leading many players and coaches to Christ.

The team only won a few games that season but in their very first home game since the plane crash, they were playing Xavier and they won the game 15-13 with a last second touchdown. It was like winning the SuperBowl and fans stayed in the stadium hours after the game ended. I'm sure that after all these years any fans who were there considered it their Woodstock moment.

The football team ended up being horrific at first and lost more football games in the 70's than any other team in the nation. Jack left after a few years, but he accomplished what he set out to do because for pretty much the first time, it wasn't wins that mattered as much as it was to bring the spirit back to the campus. His light shone brightly, and it was a spark the college needed. In 1984, Marshall had its first winning record in 20 years and followed this with eight conference championships in a row and two national championships; one with Chad Pennington if you remember.

As long as they're not playing Florida State University, I cheer Marshall on all the time regardless of the sport. What strength of character Huntington, West Virginia has. We are Marshall! 

Below is a picture of a memorial fountain for those who died on that plane in 1970. Six people couldn't be clearly identified, and they were buried at the site with the families' approvals. Every year, at the moment of the crash, the fountain is turned off. How beautiful is that? Over 50 years and those who died are still being honored.  
Picture

Translation

5/29/2023

 
I have a friend who is a Cherokee Indian. I was surprised when he told me the word vegetarian is actually part of their language. I asked him what it meant and he said: "He who hunts badly." 😁

Pain

5/29/2023

 
"Life isn't about waiting for the storm to pass; it's about learning how to dance in the rain." - Vivian Greene

Pain is a large part of our journey because God never promised us a smooth existence. Even Jesus wept. It's okay to cry, we're not being unfaithful to cry tears. We're not saying God can't make something happen to alleviate our pain, we're just saying it's human to grieve and sometimes necessary for growth.

​I read an article one time by Therese Borchard, a senior living chaplain, and what she wrote was beautiful in my opinion: "I see tears as a way that intelligent and sensitive people process the distance between the way we wish things were and how they are. One day the distance won't be so dramatic and there will be less tears. For now, let them fall."

Great Quote

5/29/2023

 
"Inspiration exists, but it has to find you working." - Picasso

Artificial Intelligence

5/29/2023

 
Around 84% of Americans are concerned about the direction of artificial intelligence. That's a lot. The problem is, what can we do about it? With every good invention people find ways to use it for evil. That's the sad truth.
Picture

Some Scary Characters

5/29/2023

 
When were these legends born:
​
1) Frankenstein was created by the English author, Mary Shelley, in 1818, when she was just 20 years old. What she accomplished during that time in history being a female fictional writer, is beyond extraordinary. She was the first J.K. Rowling.

2) Count Dracula was created by the amazing Bram Stoker in 1897. No other fictional character comes close to having as many books, movies, and television shows, written about it than Dracula.

3) There isn't concrete information as to when or where the Werewolf story came from, but it certainly was folklore in Europe in the 1500s. Although no story behind it, a painting that looked like a werewolf (part man and part wolf), was discovered in Greece and determined to be from around 400 B.C.
Picture
<<Previous

    Author: John Mann

    Picture

    Archives

    April 2025
    March 2025
    February 2025
    January 2025
    December 2024
    November 2024
    October 2024
    September 2024
    August 2024
    July 2024
    June 2024
    May 2024
    April 2024
    March 2024
    February 2024
    January 2024
    December 2023
    November 2023
    October 2023
    September 2023
    August 2023
    July 2023
    June 2023
    May 2023
    April 2023
    March 2023
    February 2023
    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012
    October 2012
    September 2012
    August 2012
    July 2012
    June 2012
    May 2012
    April 2012
    March 2012
    February 2012

    RSS Feed

Proudly powered by Weebly