Happy Birthday Glamour Girl

(Photo copyright © by KC Powers 2006-2007)

My oldest daughter, Glamour Girl, just turned six! Not quite the "D + 80" milestone of nine, but she's growing up. I think she's the most like me out of the kids, in that her personality is a mass of contradictions. For instance, she loves the ballet and dances like a sprite, but is the first one to grab a cardboard tube and start kicking butt when the boys want to play "ninjas".

When she was a baby she couldn't stand me. Glamour Girl only had eyes for Mommy and would scream if I held her. She wouldn't stop until Household Six took over. This made it difficult for Mom to do stuff like take a shower (I guess it didn't help that I stood outside the bathroom with her hysterical baby to motivate Mommy to move with a purpose). Now, she's always right with me when I'm home, telling me she loves me. Glamour Girl, you're the light of life. Love, Daddy

He IS an American Hero, but...

Dwight D. Eisenhower is my hero. I use that word with all due consideration of the weight of its meaning. I consciously try to emulate him in my professional life, keep a photo of him (standing with my Grandfather. How cool is THAT!?) on the wall in my office, and read anything about him that I can get into my two hands. So, when I saw Michael Korda's new book Ike: An American Hero on sale at Barnes and Noble earlier this week I grabbed it no questions asked. Unfortunately, I'm starting to think I should have asked a question or two.

The footnotes make reference to several other published biographies about Eisenhower, with few references to available documents or other primary sources. This may seem like a small thing, but when I read a biography I'm looking for the author's analysis of the historical record, not a rehash of the work of other researchers. More distressing, however, is the apparent fact that Korda didn't thoroughly read the secondary works he cites as sources. I've noticed two errors in his telling of the facts of Ike's career so far in my reading. In Korda's defense, both of these errors are perpetuated by other biographers as well, but that defense only goes so far. Korda repeatedly cites Carlo D'Este's superior book Eisenhower: A Soldier's Life as a source, and D'Este not only avoids the errors repeated by Korda, he devotes considerable space in his endnotes to debunking them, discussing their origins and listing his sources. Korda's lapse makes me wonder what other oversights are in his book. I admire his effort (I haven't written a book), but find the finished product lacking.

I'll finish the book though. It's about Ike!

Punctuation, Birthdays and D + 80

My wife (hereafter referred to in Army shorthand as Household 6) recommended that I add an exclamation point to the blogs title, as in "Let's Go!" She has a point as it is a rallying cry and source of inspiration for those privileged to have served, or those now serving, in the 325th Airborne Infantry Regiment . It's supposed to motivate you, and paratrooper motivation is ALL CAPS! All that being said, I am throwing caution to the wind and opting not to take Household 6's advice. My reason for doing so stems directly from why I named this blog "Let's Go" in the first place. When I post here, I invariably think of Dave. He lived his life out loud, skydiving, skiing, dog sledding, you name it he did it. But while Dave was a man of action, and an Airborne Ranger to his core, his intensity came from a source deep within him. Dave isn't a primal scream of "Let's Go!" He's an unblinking stare into your eyes when it's time to execute, motivating you with a quiet nod and the terse statement, "Let's Go."

All this talk about punctuation is now making me think of my son. He's a huge fan of Schoolhouse Rock, especially the song about interjections ("show excitement/or emotion..."). He would wholeheartedly support the adoption of the exclamation point as the capstone of this site. He's nine now. We celebrated his birthday this past weekend with about 30 of his closest friends with a party complete with a treasure hunt around the house and yard. I'd like to think that a good time was had by all, but I know he had fun. Being a soldier and a self-styled amateur historian, I find it interesting that he shares his birthday with the anniversary of the liberation of Paris in August of 1944. I can see my bride's eyes rolling at that last sentence. Bear with me here, because I'm trying to make what is, for me, a heartfelt observation of how I feel about my boy growing up. The Allies liberated Paris on what was known as D + 80 (ie, 80 days after the 6 June D-Day landings). Historians of the Normandy campaign basically agree that D + 80 marked the end of the campaign. The Allies had a long way to go to win, but a milestone had been reached. It was time for a new phase. I feel like this particular birthday was my son's D + 80. As a nine year old, he's halfway to adulthood. This is the last year his age will be recorded with one digit. He's growing and starting to shape his personality: a geography whiz, a budding golfer, a ninja turtle fanatic, and an unabashed patriot who loves America enough to trick or treat dressed as the US Capitol Building. This birthday was his D + 80. There's a long way to go, but he's reached a milestone. Happy Birthday Son. I love you.

"You should have a blog."

I should? More than one person has mentioned blogging to me, but I never felt that anyone would be interested in what I have to say. I'm not sure that the people who recommended blogging to me were interested in what I have to say. My wife has an awesome blog ( The Cabbage Patch ). My sister blogs too ( In For a Penny ). Reading their posts made me aware of the fact that blogging isn't about being interesting to others, but chronicling your own journey. It's an interactive journal where you can record what's important to you, but gain insights from others as well. I want to do that too. I should have a blog.

So why Let's Go?

The phrase reminds me of two of my heroes, General Dwight D. Eisenhower and Major David G. Taylor. When Eisenhower served as the Supreme Commander of the Allied Expeditionary Force poised for the D-Day invasion in June of 1944, terrible storms placed the operation's timetable in jeopardy. The fate of over two million troops hung on the choice between delaying the operation to wait for better weather, or taking advantage of a small break in the skies to launch the assault as planned. General Eisenhower opted for action and announced his decision to proceed with the simple phrase, "Okay, let's go."

Let's Go also reminds me of my friend Dave Taylor. Let's Go is the motto of the unit to which we were both assigned when we met many years ago. Over time Dave proved to be the best kind of friend, one who would tell you when you were screwing up, regardless of the fallout. He became part of our family. Dave died in Iraq on 22 October 2006. Let's Go is dedicated to his memory.