My first concern is the talk about having Texas governor Rick Perry run for the Republican nomination for the presidential election of 2012.  I have stated that a while back Mr. Perry tried to issue a governor’s order that would require teen age girls to be vaccinated against the virus that has been implicated in cervical cancer.  I see this attempt by Mr. Perry as “forced medical procedure” by government, which should not be tolerated in the USA.

     I do believe that this election is about honor and integrity.  Honor and integrity is about saying and doing the right thing.  Mr. Perry said and tried to do the wrong thing.  Therefore, in my opinion, Mr. Perry fails to meet the test of honor and integrity.

     Now, why does it matter to me.  Americans are fortunate that they are in control of their own personal destiny.  Even in today’s challenging economic climate individuals can still find a way to provide for themselves.  

     This control of destiny is multidimensional.  Americans have access to early childhood education, such as it is in America.  Americans have access to higher education.  Americans have access to a big economic environment.  Americans have the unencumbered right to vote. 

       There are cynical people who do not believe in the American political system and refuse to vote.  There are people with a vulgar, sarcastic, and bad attitude who think they are better then the rest of us and do not vote.  There emotional people who vote with their misguided compassion.  There are people who vote to profit.

      Then there are people who have a clear understanding of America and American politics.  It is proper to call these people conservatives.  Conservatives understand that for freedom and liberty to exist the power must remain in the hands of the people.

       My interest is because a good thing should not be destroyed by liberal fascism and/or immature people who want others to pay their bills.  Hussein Obama loathes individual success and along with his political cronies wants to make the federal government the comptroller of American’s lives.              

      It is as much a pleasure and privilege to try an build a life in America as it is a hardship.  Success is not guaranteed.  A free person understands the elements in his or her environment that he or she can use to achieve personal success.  In a government controlled system people are only free to choose what government offers them.

     This is limiting and obstructionist.  I remember when I heard that based on a test given to a child the child’s adult career would be chosen for them in Germany.  It is impossible to ascertain from testing children what they should be as adults.  A free person chooses what he or she wants to be in life.

     This is your choice, my American neighbors.  Will you choose a president and congressional representatives that respect the individual freedoms that allow a person to work towards personal success even when failure is a possibility?  Will you choose a president and a congress that believe they know better and will dole out meager offerings?  I’d rather be free to be poor.

      Now, I know a lot of this sounds idealistic.  I have a writting standard of not sounding like I am speaking from Mount High.  Practical utility impresses me.

      However, I do believe that at times a person has to be ultra idealistic.  Looking at the people of Mexico, I have come to the conclusion that collectively the people of Mexico destroyed their country.

       This morning I saw a report from Al Jazeera about the violence in the city of Juarez, Chihuahua, Mexico, which is the border city to the city I live in, El Paso, Texas.  This report made the same statements that Americans are to blame for the dire circumstances of the people of Mexico.

       What is always missing is what I have observed the people of Mexico do in their day to day lives.  It is a common practice for people in Mexico to run through red lights.  It is a common practice for the people of Mexico to bribe law enforcement personnel.  It is a common practice for the people of Mexico to illegally import products into Mexico they plan to sell.

     The truth is I can go on with Mexicans bringing their children to American public schools and Mexicans defrauding American governments to obtain social services.  In the Republican debate of June 13, 2011 Mr. Gingrich said something that troubled me.  Gingrich stated that we were not going to deport 20 million illegal immigrants.  Their attitudes towards law and order are a dangerous threat to American society.  The federal government is morally obligated to deport every last one.

      In the human race there immoral and unethical people and there are people of high standards. A strong and productive society needs to be composed of individuals who hold high standards. It is poor ethics to know of the problem and do nothing to help solve the problem.

       In addition, I do have sympathy for people in dire straights.  However, I know nothing will be accomplished by allowing people to give in to their weaknesses.  For a long time I have been a  proponent of the motivational power of hunger pains. 

      Moreover, I have always been bothered by the statement “we are all created equal”.  The implication is that I am like a murderer and rapist.  However, we are all created equal in a certain respect.  We ,who have a healthy biological system, have the same brain to use in assessing, organizing, and planning.

     We also have the same understanding of right and wrong.  In my opinion, a person does not have to be taught morality.  Life informs us of what is acceptable and what is not acceptable. 

     Therefore, we all have what is necessary to maintain high standards.  Low standards threaten what has been built with personal achievement.  Low standards cannot be tolerated by people who want to live in a peaceful society were they can earn a living. 

       Absent mental and physical barriers every person has to be personally responsible for their lives.  It lacks honor and integrity for politicians to interfere with personal liberties and for politicians to be the reason people do not maintain high standards. 

My objection to Mr. Trump is simple. In my opinion, Mr. Donald Trump has allowed himself to be turned in to a pop-culture caricature. Along with his participation in the media, he has been made in to a joke.

This will result in a great challenge. He will have to over come the image of the bumbling oaf of a CEO as he has been portrayed.

In addition, today on the Rush Limbaugh radio program Mr. Trump revealed something that troubled me. Mr. Trump explained that he made donations to liberals such a Raum Emmanuel because Mr. considered it good business. A true conservative should never make any donations to a democrat. The fact that Mr. Trump did it for the no other reason then profit is of great concern.

I am going to call the American presidential campaign of 2012 as the campaign for High Standards. These high standards are honesty and integrity.

Mr. Trump has done things in the name of profit and attention. As I was researching Mr. Trump I learned that Mr. Trump at one time considered film school. This explains his obvious desire to be loved and revered by Hollywood types.

In my opinion, Mr. Trump was willing to become a pop-culture caricature just to be revered. Mr. Trump was willing to make donations to democrats in expectation of special consideration in his business dealings, in my opinion. This actions suffer in conservative ethics and morality.

What has a man if not his own name? The US has been through a lot in the past 7 political years. People who called them selves republicans have not behaved like republicans. In reality, politicians have been dedicating them selves to speaking well but working bad.

In the final analysis, I have to say the problem is the conservative still sitting on the sidelines. Small government, lower government spending, personal responsibility, self-reliance, marriage, and right to life are good values. In addition, they represent the values that are the back bone of American society.

However, many conservatives refuse to get involved. Being that independents thought it was a good idea to elect Barak Hussein Obama I and not interested in what they are going to do in this next political cycle.

Since 2008 many dedicated conservatives have been involved politically. These conservatives almost stopped Obama-care. They are responsible for the US House of Representatives becoming conservative again.

Therefore, there is substantial conservative involvement. However, we need the rest of you. The stakes are great.

The liberal agenda-driven news media has wasted no time in helping Obama get reelected. I personally suspect that Mr. Trumps poll numbers are the results of the liberal news media attempting to pull another McCain on the conservatives in America. Remember it was the liberal news that build up John McCain and then tore him down to help Obama.

I hope this does not happen again. Politics is a business not fit for man or beast. However, it is a necessary evil.

America, however, does not have to go down the road of Europe and become a fascist socialist state. If enough people of traditional values register to vote and vote, America can be saved.

I fear that the delirium from elect Trump fever has already infected many. During the G.W. Bush’s two elections I started to use the two standards that I am judged by when I apply for a job. These standards are education and experience.

It is reported that Mr. Donald Trump has a bachelor of science with a major in finance and economics. His business experience is extensive in development and construction. My question “what does a man have if not his name” means has a person lived up to his or her standards. I believe Mr. Trump has no problem wanting to be loved by Hollywood or greasing democratic palms to have business success.

I do not consider these standards as high standards. Of all the possible conservative presidential candidates for 2012 Sarah Palin is the only one who meets my high standards. I am also tired of politicians who say one thing and do something else. Of all the things people have said of Sarah Palin, I have not heard any one credibly question her integrity.

Maybe, people of such great integrity are to much for Americans to handle. The liberal news media starts fanning the flames of Trump and people start swooning. A Donald Trump who did not pander to Hollywood or democrats I could maybe support.

This crucial time in American history requires that we all check our integrity and see if we have high standards. How much more time are Americans going to waste with novelty candidates? How many elections more will Americans sit and wait for their marching orders from the liberal news media? I have a brain of my own. I do not need liberal marching orders.

In 2000 and 2004 I said G.W. Bush needed to win to teach the liberal news media that they do not control politics in America. Who knows? Maybe the liberal news media does control American politics.

Well, they only think they control it. Corporate America controls politics in America. This is why I was happy with what Obama said on his speech on the economy. Since Obama got elected he has been trashing Corporate America. On that speech Obama confirmed what Corporate America all ready knows. Obama is coming to carry all of their money away. This desire to blame the rich and tax them to pay of the debt is the end of Obama’s political career.

The liberal news media is not going to loose without putting up a good fight. However, again this is not about democrat or republican politicians. All elections are about pride in ownership and how hard people will work to save what is important to them. I hope America is important to the majority of my conservative American neighbors.

If America is important enough to you that you take pride in ownership, take the time to look at each conservative candidate carefully. Make sure they can be trusted to defend our conservative values. I cannot trust anyone who puts vanity and profit over principle. Sarah Palin is the only conservative I trust to protect and defend the values we share.

Therefore, Obama is psychotic.  He has come back from his vacation with his second breath, even more convinced that healthcare reform is necessary.  He is so convinced that he plans to talk to the nation and congress and put us all in our place.  However, he does not realize that citizen opposition to this reform is real. 

Okay, I over shot my own criticism.  Obama does realize there is opposition.  He is just more interested in being the smartest person in the room and being revered by his fans. It is almost a psychotic vanity.

Some times when I am talking to people about their problems in life, I tell them I am gong to tell you your life.  While they are trying to figure out what I mean I tell them everything about them selves, like when they woke up and what they ate. No, I am not a witch.  Behavior is a great indicator of life style.

Let us analyze Obama’s behavior.  He likes to ridicule his critics.  He likes to blame other people for his failures.  He does not like criticism of any kind, even constructive criticism.  He thinks his laughter is enough to over come criticism. He lacks in understanding of simple concepts like “respect for workers means they will be more motivated to work” and “the necessity to speak with serious and the point blank voice”.  He is more than unprepared for the office he holds and it shows in his mistakes, which he will not acknowledge.

Now, what do all this behaviors tell me about Obama?  He is rather immature.  He is vindictive. He hides from his inferiority with laughter. He thinks he is better than other people.  He will not accept failure even when he is wrong.

In addition, he has been very wrong. Today, America is under her greatest threat from terrorism.  There is great need for strict and serious proactive defense. Mr. Obama’s approach to national security is “unclench your fist and we will extend a hand”.  I would never help my enemy in any way. 

As far as the crucial relationship between business leaders and the America government is concerned, Obama thinks private businesses are just there to be taxed to death.  In fact, even though Obama promised no person earning less than $200,000 would be taxed, we have seen that he was broken this promise.  I think it is laughable that many cooperate America leaders chose to fund Obama’s victory and now they are the ones that are going to be paying the majority of price tag for Obama’s policy initiative.

I would keep laughing accept I know the danger of businesses not investing.  This means fewer jobs.  Fewer jobs means less consumerism, which means less corporate taxes.  In addition, if people are not working who will be paying taxes?

A while ago, I was going to do an economic analysis of the current economic climate.  My foundation was going to be to review all the industries that were in trouble at the end of 2008 and see if there has been any improvement in these industries.  The reason I did not do this analysis in because it is very clear that there has been no improvement and as long as Obama thinks he can spend and tax there will be no improvement.

Bush kept unemployment under 5% for the majority of his presidency and that is taking the attacks of September 11, 2001 in to account.  For seven straight years there were at least 150,000 new jobs created every month. People were so rich during the Bush years that they invested more than they could afford and the bottom fell out.  None of this economic progress was accomplished with government taking over of private industry and higher taxes.

The economic mess people got them selves into was not Bush’s fault.  America does not have a president of corporate America.  The president of the United States is the chief administrator of the country.  These means that his job is to make sure that every federal department is working effectively and efficiently.

Moreover, Tonight many people who think like Rush Limbaugh, Sarah Palin, and me are going to be ridiculed by Obama.  I expect this were Obama will begin.  He will talk about us malcontents, who are angry, and have been fanning the flames of fear because we are racist.  Then he will label us as obstacles to achievement.

He then will sermonize and accuse all of being insensitive to the plight of our brothers who are suffering.  I can hear him bellowing apostle like rhetoric already. 

Then, of course, will come the feel good flowery rhetoric.  All his bullet points for his healthcare reform will be orated here. “In America no American should be denied healthcare because of his or her inability to pay”, he will say as he raises his voice.

This is why suspect Mr. Obama comes to chastise as well insult.  I have no problem with the fact that because I do not pay more taxes there is not more money for SSI, Medicare, food stamps, and all those other social programs.  I am not my brother’s keeper because he is not my keeper.

I have to take care of myself.  He has to take care of him self.  By he and I working, we are contributing the account that will pay for basic government services.  How can Obama, standing in a room of 100 people, say, “ I am taking you 20 to Disneyland and the other 80 are going to have to pay for it”?

I believe the goal in all this healthcare mess was to lower the cost of healthcare.  Wouldn’t freeing healthcare facilities from so much regulation and worthless lawsuits save money in the healthcare industry, which could be passed on to the consumer?  Could tax breaks for institutions offering affordable healthcare services be the incentive for growth in lower cost clinics?  How much would getting people to pay their medical bills lower the cost of healthcare?

None of these ideas have I heard been promoted by Obama.  His idea is basic.  He wants to create a government system that will take over private industry, infringe on the privacy rights of the individual, and cost everyone more than the current system.

Many American people do not want such a system.  The resistance is evident.  However, this president does not seem to care about what many of us think.  Instead, it is more important that he present us as objects of ridicule.

What can be said of a president who will knowingly and willingly insult the people he is suppose to serve?  My first concern when Obama won was if he would govern for all Americans or just those who elected him to office.  Long ago, I got my answer. 

I think it is low form for any president to disregard the opinions and concerns of any citizen.  He was not elected to develop a low opinion of any American.  Our ideas do not make us less of a person.  We do loose rights because we have opinions.  We do not relinquish rights because we voice our opinions.

He was born in the town of Bonham in Fannin County, Texas, on 26 May, 1853. His father, James Hardin, was a Methodist preacher who named his son after the founder of the movement. John, however, never showed any inclination to follow in his father’s footsteps. He had been greatly affected by the sight of returning Confederate soldiers following their defeat in the Civil War, and he was to grow into adulthood in a State under Union occupation. He deeply regretted not being able to fight in the war and developed a visceral life-long hatred of the freed slaves whom he blamed for having brought his State, his Country, to its knees, and it was a case of woe-betide any black man who crossed his path.

His hatred was such that when aged only 15 he challenged a freed slave named Mage, to a wrestling match. For John this was much more than sport and he used uncalled for levels of violence. Severely scratching Mage’s face he refused to end the contest and the two of them had to be physically pulled apart. Furious at his treatment by Hardin, Mage looked for revenge and armed with a club ambushed Hardin the following day. John, declining to fight, simply drew his pistol and shot him dead. He could conceivably have claimed self-defence but instead decided to flee, later saying that, ” to be tried at that time for killing a negro meant certain death at the hands of a Court backed by Northern bayonets. Thus, unwillingly, I became a fugitive not from justice, be it known, but from the injustice and misrule of the people who had subjugated the South.”

After spending some considerable time in hiding, Hardin was discovered and three Union soldiers were dispatched to arrest him. Hardin, however, had been forewarned of their approach by his brother Joe. He set an ambush and taking them by surprise managed to kill all three, emerging from the firefight unscathed. Again forced to flee he re-emerged some four weeks later in the town of Towash, Texas. Though it was certainly not in his nature to do so he now tried to maintain a low profile. This he was unable to do. Whilst playing poker with a man named Jim Bradley, a row broke out over Hardin winning all the hands. Bradley branded Hardin a cheat and threatened to cut him open. Hardin refused to rise to the bait made his excuses and left. But Bradley was not willing to let it lie and fuelled by alcohol followed Hardin into the street. Bradley opened fire but missed. Hardin immediately drew both of his pistols and shot Bradley once in the head and once in the chest. Even at the tender age of 17 Hardin was already an accomplished gunman. Eyewitnesses to the incident described how Hardin had his holsters sewn into his waistcoat with the handles of his pistols pointing inwards, and how he crossed his arms to draw. Hardin later claimed that he found this the fastest way to draw and that he practised it every day.

Hardin now left Texas which was getting too hot for him and moved to Kansas where he worked for a time as a ranchhand. He could not, however, steer clear of violence, and in a dispute involving his employer and a Mexican rancher he found himself unable to stand aside, and what had started out as an argument quickly descended into a fight during which the Mexican fired at Hardin the bullet passing through his hat. The fight was broken up and a truce called but Hardin refused to shake hands. Later that night Hardin sought out the Mexican in town and shot him dead.

Tired of working for a living, Hardin thought he would try his hand at gambling and moved to Abilene in Kansas where the infamous Wild Bill Hickok was sheriff. Hardin, whose own reputation was by now growing fast, was a great admirer of Hickok’s, even though he was a Yankee. The likelihood of trouble between the two was high. Hardin was a wanted man with a bounty on his head and once made aware of this it would have been Hickok’s responsibility to arrest him. But Hickok made no attempt to do so and likewise Hardin treated Hickok with the greatest respect. It was while in Abilene, however, that one of the most famous incidents in Hardin’s life took place. In his hotel room one night and unable to sleep because of another man’s snoring he took out his revolver and fired two shots through the ceiling. Rather than wake his noisy neighbour as was the probable intention the bullets had killed him. Aware that a confrontation with Hickok, whom he had by now befriended, was inevitable he escaped out of the window and across the roof of the hotel, sleeping in a haystack overnight, he stole a horse in the morning and fled Abilene with Hickok’s deputies in hot pursuit. Hardin later wrote, ” they tell so many lies about me. They say I killed six or seven men for snoring. Well it ain’t true. I only killed one man for snoring.”

Having escaped Abilene, Hardin now returned to Texas where he worked as a ranch hand for his cousins, the Clements. It wasn’t long, however, before he became involved in a feud between his cousins ally the Sutton family and their rivals the Taylor’s. It was, as is usually the case, a dispute over money. The Taylor family had sought legal advice and knew they had the law on their side, so they contacted Deputy Marshal Jack Helm to end the dispute. Hardin now decided to take things into his own hands and when Deputy Helm arrived to settle the issue, Hardin shot him dead. Yet again, Hardin was forced to go into hiding. Finally, in January, 1871, the Authorities caught up with him and he was arrested, not as turned out, for the murder of Deputy Helm, but for the killing of one of his pursuers, Marshal L.J Hoffman. Whilst being transferred to Waco to stand trial however, he escaped killing Deputy Jim Smolley in the process.

Hardin, a wanted man, was by now always on the move, suspicious of everyone he met, and in constant fear of his life. His only way of making a living was by gambling or taking what he wanted at the point of a gun. His paranoia acute, he was more dangerous than ever. In August, 1872, he was shot and almost killed in a dispute over a game of poker. Bedridden for months, he decided to give himself up. He wanted, he later said, ” to clear the slate.” He soon changed his mind, however, once he discovered just how many murders they wanted to charge him with. Yet again he made one of those sudden departures with which he was by now well versed. Furious at their failure to apprehend him local Texas Rangers broke into the jail where Hardin’s relatives had been placed under protective custody and lynched his brother Joe and several of his cousins.

Hardin, in the meantime, had fled to Florida, where he lived under the false name Jim Swain; with a bounty on his head, unable to work, deeply suspicious of everyone he met, and increasingly paranoid,  he was more dangerous than ever. Constantly on the move he was finally tracked down by Texas Rangers and arrested on a train bound for Pensacola. Hardin had wanted to shoot it out but his pistols had become entangled in the lining of his waistcoat. At his trial Hardin expected to be sentenced to death but he had by now become something of a Texan folk hero so instead he was sentenced to 20 years in prison of which he served 17. While in prison he studied for and gained a law degree. Upon his release he settled in El Paso where he established his own law practice. Though frequently drunk and prone to violent mood swings it would appear that for a time he prospered. In 1895, he began writing his autobiography.

On 19 August, 1895, a lady friend of Hardin’s was arrested for being drunk and disorderly. Hardin, unable to steer clear of an argument, decided to confront the lawman responsible, John Selman Jr, and a furious row erupted during which Hardin is believed to have threatened Selman’s life. A threat against your life from John Wesley Hardin was not something to be taken lightly. Selman’s father, John Sr, also a lawman reproached Hardin for his behaviour and tried to smooth things over, but Hardin would have none of it, and they traded insults in what was becoming a very public dispute. Later that same evening as Hardin was playing poker in the Acme Saloon, John Selman Sr, walked up to Hardin and shot him through the back of the head. So died one of the most dangerous men to emerge from the Old West, like so many of his victims, murdered in cold blood

We were stationed not more than a twenty-minute bus ride from Juarez Mexico. It’s just across the boarder from El Paso Texas. Jesus, I had always thought El Paso was only in Cowboy stories. But sure enough that’s what the sign said when I got off the plane. As you might expect, Army pay was minimal, a couple of hundred bucks a month and so stretching the dollar was of paramount importance. Therefore Mexico offered a frugal means to explore the rich historical aspects of a foreign country and experience the local customs and culture.

Yea right! We were a bunch of twenty something year olds hell bent for wine women and song however I don’t remember much singing. But it’s true you couldn’t beat the prices; twenty-five cents for a bottle of beer, thirty-five cents for a mixed drink and fifty-two cents for a roasted half chicken dinner with coke. Even on Army pay you could do quite well in Ciudad Juarez.     

That brings me to Carl. He was another draftee doing his time in boredom just like the rest of us. There was nothing unusual about him other than he kept a denim jacket in his footlocker carefully wrapped. These were his “Colors” and they were important to him. It seems our boy Carl envisioned himself as a member of a Chicago Motorcycle Enthusiast Organization named “The Cluchmen”. I had never heard of them at the time but as he defined it, they had a certain affiliation or association with the Hell’s Angels. Now them I have heard of. 

Carl had some good stories, as did we all. These were often related during intoxicated bouts in such wonderful places as: The Cave, The Blue American Club, and The Red Parrot among others. Solid family entertainment establishments all, with a “working staff “ egger to provide comfort for those so far from home (GI’s often need comfort).

Carl’s stories of fun and mischief sometimes bordered on, shall we say, unlawful, insane, dangerous and downright scary business. The general opinion was that these stories were exaggerated and possibly embellished by large quantities of alcohol and drugs. No harm done, by in large Carl was a stand-up guy. Well-mannered, kind to old people and children, the type of guy you might bring home to meet your sister.

One Saturday afternoon a few of us are having a beer down in Juarez at the Indian Club where the girls all wore head bands (Hey, no judgments – My age group all had a thing for Princes Summerfall Winterspring). Outside the sun is hot and the streets are noisy as always but inside it’s cool and quiet. Then, guess who stopped by for a cold one?…….
About thirty Hells Angels bang through the door; boots, chains, beards, Colors and all. The noise level jumps to a gazillion disables immediately. Women run for the back door, the bar tender starts pulling beer bottles out by the handful almost throwing them on the bar and anyone near the front door makes a hasty exit. It was like being in a Marlon Brando Movie. But this was no movie.

Our little group of four is not so lucky. We are seated to the rear away from all doors and windows. I’m thinking, “My weapon is back at the armory but I’m sure these guys brought their own. I hate being the only one in an ax fight without an ax.” Not that there would have been much of a fight given there numbers and size. Some of these guys looked like they eat engine blocks for breakfast.

Then there is Carl. He stands up and is in a dead stare at the Angles. You’ve seen this stare. It’s the same one that a fool gives to a growling Doberman. I immediately start to wonder if our bodies will ever be found. Too late, a few of the Angeles have noticed and are returning the stare. What happened next was fast and without hesitation. There is a Angel right up in front of Carl’s face breathing beer and smoke on him and he immediately reaches behind Carl’s head and crushes him to his chest while yelling, Mother #@*%#@………. He lets him go and kisses the SOB while holding his head between big ugly hands. Carl returns the gesture with a, “How the #@*%#@ are you!” They know each other. I’ll be damned…. and thank you Jesus!

Well, up to the bar the bunch of us go, me checking my pants for wet spots. Introductions all around but I swear I don’t remember any of their names to this day. Learned a few interesting things about various symbols and badges on Angel Colors, whatever modesty I have prevents me from going into that here.

Found out that Angels also respect military service. They all do it or at least they all did it back then. The Marine Corps was apparently full of them. Thank God a few of them saw through Carl’s short hair and civilian dress. I suppose it was not that uncommon for them to run into associates doing there service time. Carl, who could almost pass for the boy next door flips like a switch. Everything changes, facial expressions, posture, even the sound of his voice. Talk about The Three Faces of Eve! Other than a clean shave and the dorky haircut he blended right in.
After a few more beers Carl left with them and we didn’t see him for the rest of the weekend. He got back to base Monday morning none the worse for ware. He was happier than usual for a few weeks after that. I guess he got his fix of the life he had put on hold. As for the rest of us that were with him that day a mental note was made by all not to introduce Carl to our sisters or anyone else’s sister for that mater. 

The next time he came back from leave he brought his bike back with him. Since I had a license and some experience on a big bike he let me ride it a few time. The thing was awesome; Chopped Triumph, Ape Hangers and the chrome and sound to go with it. Talk about riding a thunderbolt. That picture on the side is Carl in his Colors. I have no right to show his face so I cropped it out. I ETS’d (Got out of the Army) before him so I don’t know for sure what he planned to do when he got out. I can only assume he went back to the life he missed so much. I hope he met a nice girl, sold the bike and had a family, never letting his kids have a motorcycle. He was a good friend to me during that time and I can only wish him well.