It’s time we got past this red verses blue controversy which, in some cases, has deteriorated into nothing but pettiness, and return to the red, white, and blue that has symbolized our country for so long. This time, let’s consider the color white to be a remembrance of the millions of people of all skin colors and faiths who fought, struggled, and endured so that we might grow and prosper as we have.  Don’t let our history be destroyed. Stand up for America.

Dave Thomas

2/19/2026

Fort Worth, Texas is the only city in the world that has its own herd of longhorn cattle. They celebrate the history of the Texas trail herds every day at the Stockyards in Old Fort Worth in the northern part of town. The cattle are kept at a corral there at the Stockyards, and each day at 11:00 AM and 4:00 PM, city employees dressed as cowboys saddle up and perform a cattle drive down the street. The cattle go just a couple of blocks and round the corner and return to the corral. They have done it so many times they could probably do it without the help of any cowboys. Onlookers can stand at the curb to watch, or they can have a seat at an open-air restaurant nearby. It’s a great promotional idea and is fun to watch.

I’ve always thought of the longhorns as being brown in color, but that’s a mistake. They come in many colors, even white with black spots. Every one is different.

An interesting static display of a cattle drive can be seen in Dallas. There are several bronze statues of longhorns coming off a knoll and crossing a water feature. The cattle are 25% larger than life size and are tended by a bronze cowboy on horseback. These bronzes can be seen at Pioneer Plaza in Dallas. Another interesting feature there are bronze plaques embedded in the sidewall featuring the trail brands of the men who bossed the trail drives back in the old days.

Dave Thomas

2/12/2026

At the time, I was an AT3. That’s an Aviation Electronic Technician Third Class. That’s pay grade E4. I was attached to Patrol Squadron Forty-Eight, VP48, and stationed at North Island Naval Air Station in Coronado, California.

There were normally only 2 squadrons of seaplanes at North Island. That made a total of 24 seaplanes there.  I had been checking out the electronics on my plane but had knocked off for lunch and was heading for the hanger where I would be brown bagging it. I was walking down an aisle or lane between two rows of airplanes that were facing each other across this aisle. The aisle was probably 130 or 140 feet wide so as to accommodate a seaplane with 110-foot wingspan being towed through.

 I was walking for a few feet behind a 2^nd Class mechanic that I knew but didn’t care for. I noticed a dog trotting on a line that would intercept us. The dog looked like a pointer but also looked like he was starving as his ribs were showing. The dog trotted up abreast of the 2^nd Class who immediately kicked it. The dog yelped and went down though scrambling to try and regain his balance. I saw red, and, without thinking, advanced a couple of steps and booted that guy square in the ass. He went to his knees but jumped up swearing about all the things he was going to do to me. I told him that if he wanted to kick me like he kicked the dog, he should go for it. He changed his tune and said he would “write me up.” Writing me up would mean a Captain’s Mast which is like a trial with the Skipper for a judge. My record was clean, and I couldn’t afford any bad marks or judgements against me. It could cost me a stripe or a chance to advance to the next pay grade. That worried me.

I spent the next couple of days worrying about the guy writing me up. Fortunately, nothing came of it. I sure learned a lesson about taking action without giving some thought to the consequences.

Dave Thomas

02/05/2026