{"id":28494,"date":"2014-12-16T20:12:56","date_gmt":"2014-12-17T01:12:56","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/?p=28494"},"modified":"2014-12-16T20:13:08","modified_gmt":"2014-12-17T01:13:08","slug":"the-daily-gouge-archive-monday-december-15th-2014","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/?p=28494","title":{"rendered":"The Daily Gouge Archive, Monday, December 15th, 2014"},"content":{"rendered":"

It’s Monday, December 15th, 2014…but<\/strong>\u00a0before we begin, courtesy of Balls Cotton, an intriguing bit of history\u00a0<\/strong>which clearly demonstrates with the powers-that-be, even when it comes to crowning heroes, it’s not about the truth, but the narrative:<\/strong><\/p>\n

Memphis Belle vs. Hot Stuff: How history came to celebrate the wrong WWII airplane<\/span><\/b><\/span><\/h1>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"B-17<\/a><\/p>\n

If you’ve seen the 1990 film “Memphis Belle,” you know the story of the B-17 and her trusty crew, the first heavy bomber of World War II to complete 25 missions and return home.\u00a0<\/span>It’s a stirring tale and the movie included an all-star cast. Only problem is, it isn’t true.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Memphis Belle was not the first to complete the required number of missions. In fact, she may have been the third<\/em><\/span>.\u00a0<\/strong><\/span><\/span>Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University Professor William Waldock, an accident investigator and “aviation archaeologist,” has studied the history and explained why that myth has persisted Wednesday night at ERAU’s Davis Learning Center as part of the school’s Aviation History series.<\/p>\n

Once an aircrew wrapped up 25 missions, the War Department, predecessor to the Department of Defense, would bring the bomber home and have the plane and crew do a nationwide promotional tour to sell war bonds to fund the war effort, Waldock said.\u00a0<\/span>But Memphis Belle was beaten to the punch by another B-17, six days earlier.<\/span> It was named “Hell’s Angels,” Waldock said, and “there was a little bit of concern about promoting ‘Hell’s Angels’ and trying to promote war bonds with it.”<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

\"B-17-Hells-Angels\"<\/a><\/p>\n

That airplane is listed in some publications as the first to complete 25 missions.\u00a0<\/span>“But that’s not right, either,” Waldock said. The very first was a B-24 named “Hot Stuff,” he said.<\/span>\u00a0<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

“Hot Stuff flew her 25th mission on the 7th of February, 1943. It’s well-documented. That was three-and-a-half months before Memphis Belle,” he said. “So how come we haven’t heard of her?<\/strong><\/span> Why isn’t she in the movies? Why isn’t the crew the famous folks?”\u00a0<\/span>The answer, Waldock said, is because the B-24 crashed and was destroyed, and this is where the story takes a strange turn<\/em><\/span>.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Hot Stuff was set to return to the U.S. on May 3, 1943. But first, the plane was set for an “inspection tour” of Iceland with a VIP aboard: Lt. Gen. Frank Andrews, the commander of all U.S. forces in the European Theatre.\u00a0<\/span>Andrews, an experienced, instrument-rated pilot, bumped the normal co-pilot off the plane and flew in his place. Also aboard were Andrews’ staff and four clergymen, who bumped five other crewmen.<\/p>\n

“There are plenty of anecdotal sources that say the real purpose of General Andrews’ travel was that he was going back to Washington, D.C., to be blessed by Congress and the president, awarded his fourth star, and formally named Supreme Allied Commander in Europe,” Waldock said.\u00a0<\/span>But he didn’t make it. The plane skipped a scheduled stop at which the crew would have learned the weather at their destination in Iceland was miserable, with zero visibility. And the aircraft’s radio was apparently not working.<\/p>\n

\"image004\"<\/p>\n

Because the B-24’s commander was a captain and the co-pilot was a three-star general, it’s likely that Andrews was making the decisions, Waldock said.<\/strong><\/span>\u00a0<\/span>The plane made it to their destination airfield, but couldn’t land, and headed for another airfield. It, too, was socked in, so Andrews decided to turn back to the original field. The plane climbed to 900 feet, and, slightly off course, Hot Stuff crashed into a 1,100-foot mountain.<\/strong> <\/span>Fourteen of the 15 people aboard were killed.<\/p>\n

U.S. officials, hoping to divert attention from the crash and death of a high-ranking military official<\/span>, decided to promote Memphis Belle as the first airplane to complete 25 missions and sent the crew on the promotional tour, Waldock said<\/em>.\u00a0<\/span><\/strong><\/span>After Andrews’ death, Dwight D. Eisenhower was named Supreme Allied Commander, and went on to become president. In 1948, the base for the president’s airplane was named after Andrews.<\/p>\n

And the rest, as they say, is history; or at least, history as the powers-that-be wanted<\/em><\/span> it recorded!<\/strong><\/p>\n

Oh, speaking of the powers-that-be’s political narrative outweighing the immutable value of all-important\u00a0truth, why is it when a Black<\/em> thug<\/em><\/span>…<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"hart-markale-deandre-1\"<\/a><\/p>\n

…kills an unarmed Black man<\/em><\/span>, in cold blood<\/span><\/em>…<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"ripjakellmitchell\"<\/a><\/p>\n

…these<\/em><\/span> three race-baiting shysters…<\/b><\/p>\n

\"obama_holder_sharpton_ap_1\"<\/a><\/p>\n

…are nowhere to be found?!? \u00a0Okay, the question was rhetorical.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Now, here’s The Gouge!\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

First up, the great\u00a0<\/strong>Victor Davis Hanson details who really<\/em><\/span> drives the engine of American productivity:<\/strong><\/p>\n

The Other America<\/span><\/span><\/a><\/h1>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"Government-assistance\"<\/a><\/p>\n

“…In such a depressing American landscape, why is the United States doing pretty well? Put simply, millions of quiet, determined Americans get up every morning and tune out the incompetence and corruption of their government<\/em><\/span>.<\/strong><\/span> They simply ignore destructive fads of popular culture. They have no time for the demagoguery of their politicians and the divisive rhetoric of social activists. Instead, these quiet Americans simply go to work, pursue their own talents, excel at what they do, and seek to take care of their families.\u00a0<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

…America is not saved by our elected officials, bureaucrats, celebrities and partisan activists.<\/strong><\/span> Instead, just a few million hardworking Americans in key areas — a natural meritocracy of all races, classes and backgrounds — ignore the daily hype and chaos, remain innovative and productive, and dazzle the world.\u00a0<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

The silent few of a forgotten America have given the entire country an astonishing standard of living that is quite inexplicable.”<\/p>\n

Truth be known, i<\/b>t’s been that way…<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"Concord<\/p>\n

…from the very birth of the Republic!<\/strong><\/p>\n

So why oh why<\/em><\/span> is the party supposed<\/em><\/span> to be championing those footing The Obamao’s bills continuing to fund Liberalism’s myriad failures?!? \u00a0Keith Koffler offers one theory:<\/strong><\/p>\n

GOP Leadership Allied with Obama on Spending Bill Dems Oppose<\/span><\/span><\/a><\/h1>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"th\"<\/a><\/p>\n

“…Now, when did Obama start worrying about government shutdowns and the economy? I\u2019ll tell you what he\u2019s worried about. He\u2019s worried about his Hawaii Christmas vacation.<\/p>\n

Budget fights have mucked up a couple of his trips, forcing him to leave late and even one year return midway through and probably miss some golf. (Don\u2019t worry, he went all the way back to Hawaii to finish the vacation, at taxpayer\u2019s expense.) But during the seventh year of his presidency, when he\u2019s already imagining himself spending his afternoons watching soap operas, this is just not gonna happen.<\/p>\n

You think I\u2019m kidding? Let me tell you the other<\/em><\/span> half of this equation:\u00a0Boehner likes his golf too<\/em><\/span>.<\/span> Members of Congress hate<\/em><\/span> to be in Washington during Christmas. They need five weeks offaround holiday time, just like\u00a0average Americans.<\/em><\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Koffler concludes with the crux of the matter:<\/strong><\/p>\n

“…And Republicans will miss a chance to have a showdown with\u00a0Obama over his amnesty fiat at the moment he is weakest<\/em><\/span> \u2013 tired, sick of it, and hoping to get away to\u00a0palm trees and paradise on earth<\/em><\/span>.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Oh, and instead of waiting until January to pass this monstrosity, when Republicans will be in charge of both the House and the Senate, America gets a full year of funding prescribed in part by the Senate\u2019s vanquished Democrats<\/em><\/span>.<\/strong><\/span>“<\/p>\n

And with only one more year<\/em><\/span> to recover from the MSM’s inevitably negative coverage before the 2016 election!<\/b><\/p>\n