Author: Janet McKee

I currently wear many hats. My interests are genealogy, history, reading, knitting, and more. I now live in an assisted living retirement community.

USS Cod (SS 224)

~ Janet McKee ~ 1 Comment

Brave men!

GP's avatarPacific Paratrooper

U.S.S.Cod(SS 224), was launched on March 21, 1943. under the command of CDR James C. Dempsey, USN. Dempsey had already won fame by sinking the first Japanese destroyer lost in the war while in command of a tiny, World War I-era submarine.

It was onCod‘s third patrol, Dempsey’s last in command, thatCodfought her biggest battle. Tracking a massive Japanese convoy heading for Subic Bay in the Philippines on the night of May 10, 1944,Codmaneuvered into firing position just after sunrise.Codfired three of her four stern tubes at the Japanese destroyer,IJN Karukaya,before unloading all six of her bow tubes at two columns of cargo ships and troop transports. Dempsey watched as the first torpedo exploded under the destroyer’s bridge after a short, 26 second run. Both smoke stacks collapsed and dozens of enemy sailors (watching for submarines) were tossed high…

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La Storia della Famiglia Rizzi in Cloz

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For a study in genealogy.

allenrizzi's avatarallenrizzi

Origini del Cognome Rizzi

(Questo è il più popolare dei miei blog. Si prega di lasciare i vostri commenti.)

Rizzi è uno dei cognomi più comuni in Cloz. Comunque, la famiglia ha le sue radici fuori della Val di Non.

Il cognome Rizzi (Ritz nel latino) originalmente descrisse una persona con capelli ricci. Rizzi letteralmente voule dire “uno con capelli ricci.” Il cognome ha potuto sviluppare simultaneamente in molte parti diverse di Italia incluso le aree latine e tedesche del Tyrol Meridionale.

Si ha congetturato che il cognome Rizzi probabilmente originato a Venezia tra gli anni 800-1100. Prima di approssimativamente 1100, persone furono sapute da solamente loro nome di battesimo. Cognomi furono sviluppati per distinguere persone diverse che avevano lo stesso nome. Come gli anni avanzarono, “sopranomi” fu aggiunto per distinguere famiglie che condivisero un cognome comune ma non fu riferito direttamente. Persone col cognome Rizzi emigrò probabilmente nordovest di…

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New York City Vintage Photographs Part IV

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Jeff Groves's avatarInch High Guy

NYC_31A Douglas DC-3 of The Great Silver Fleet over Manhattan before the war. The DC-3 is a classic design, adapted as the primary air transport type of the U.S. and Allied services under a wide variety of designations. Many still fly today.

NYC_32_submarine-USS-Nautilus-New-York-Harbor-1958A fireboat welcomes the USS Nautilus (SSN-571) to New York Harbor in 1958. Nautilus was the world’s first nuclear powered submarine, and the first submarine to travel submerged to the North Pole under the arctic ice sheet.

NYC_33_uss_plungerAnother submarine from a different era, USS Plunger (SS-2) underway off the Brooklyn Naval Yard. In September 1905 Theodore Roosevelt became the first U.S. President to submerge in a submarine aboard Plunger. In 1909 she was commanded by Ensign Chester Nimitz, who would rise to the rank of Fleet Admiral in the Second World War.

NYC_34_Y1B17_06_RAA Y1B-17 flies over New York with Manhattan in the background. The US Army Air Corps…

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I Could Not Put It Down

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I have just finished reading a fascinating book – The Sisters The Saga of the Mitford Family, by Mary S. Lovell. This book was published 20 years ago so the subject matter is becoming of less and less interest to today’s reading public. And even when it came out most of the population probably had never heard of the Mitford sisters. So it is now a historical account of a famous family in the early part of the 20th century. And you are probably age 70+ if you have ever heard of the Mitford sisters.

Family Fun

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How old is this photo?

The child squirming in her mother’s arms is now 16 years old and studying to be a nurse in Seattle Washington.

Photo take in Dublin Ireland in 2004 From left to right: Husband Ian, son Andrew, son James, daughter-in-law Susan, granddaughter Caitlin

Black Cats Matter

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My very first cat was black with a white front. Oh how I loved “Whiskers”.

allenrizzi's avatarallenrizzi

I live in a world of cats. High in the Italian Alps, my home is also the abode of many feral cats. Ten years ago, our cat population was 22. These were all “forest cats” who were largely left to fend for themselves during our harsh winters. Like typical Americans, we adopted them all.

Most all of these cats were gray. But the grandmother of them all was a black Manx. She is still alive at almost 15 years, a very tidy sum for a wild cat. We call her “Black Mama.” She is matriarch of most of our entire cat world.

Of all her offspring, our favorite was a gray female we called “Cione” (ciccione means fatty in Italian.) She trusted us the most and was a frequent visitor in our house. She was smarter than most and knew the value of a warm bed and hand-fed sausage. She…

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Writer’s Block

~ Janet McKee ~ 1 Comment
This black cat has his eyes on you.

I have subjects I want to write about, but my problem is getting the pictures to accompany my thoughts. The pictures are either in my camera or somewhere in this computer under lock and key!!

That is the reason for posting this picture totally unrelated to the title for this entry.

Pacific Paratrooper Book Library – YTD

~ Janet McKee ~ 1 Comment

GP's avatarPacific Paratrooper

I was originally planning to include this bibliography of sorts at the end of this blog, but I did ask what books, Gabrielle, over at gehistorian had, so that site now wants to see mine.  My library is always growing, so I’m certain there will be more added to this along the way.

First shelf

WWII: A Tribute in Art and Literature – Time/Life
Return to the Philippines – Time/Life Books
The Pacific War Remembered – John Mason Jr.
Veterans of the VFW Pictorial History – Volumes 2 & 4
Movie Lot to Beachhead – Look
US Army Paratroopers 1943-45 – Gordon Rottman
Five Came Back – Mark Harris
Surviving the Sword – Brian MacArthur
Going Home to Glory – David Eisenhower
Combat Pacific – Don Cogdon
The Last Great Victory – Stanley Weintraub
The Rising Sun – John Toland
Rakassans – Gen. E.M. Flanagan
The Pacific War – Saburo…

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Power Plant Pigeons Wars Continue

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Plant Electrician's avatarPower Plant Men

The 86th “Rest Of” Power Plant Post

Originally posted 11/22/2014

Power Plant Pigeons actually believe that the entire reason Power Plants were built in the first place was to provide new rent-free Pigeon roosts for Power Plant Pigeons.  Large lakes are placed alongside the Power Plant so that the pigeons can spend their days frolicking away in the immense Pigeon Bird Bath supplied by the electric company.  Fields of grain are planted throughout the power plant realm in order to provide a nutritional diet to Power Plant Pigeons.  Even men with bright yellow hardhats are supplied for pigeons to fly over and target practice their Power Plant Pigeon Poop dropping skills by aiming at the bright hardhat dots below.

One Power Plant Pigeon One Power Plant Pigeon

I wrote about the pursuit to remove Power Plant Pigeons from the Power Plant Realm two years ago when I wrote the post “Poison Pill for…

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