CHICKENS OF KEY WEST…..THE STORY

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Good morning world!

I feel great this morning. Slept well. The best in ten days. Even my back feels good. I suspect that is why I slept better and am vitalized this morning.

I am into my 26th year of Key West. First as a tourist. Then as a regular vacationer. Then as a home owner. And now for eight years as a full time resident. In all that time, I have been under the impression that the chickens roaming the streets were the result of a City Commission folly.

As the story was told to me early on, the City fathers imported a number of chickens to add to the local color. The politicians did not realize that chickens are sensuous beings and propagate. I think the gestation period is 28 days. Soon the chicken population was and continues to be out of control.

A new story has come to my attention as to the source of the chickens. This one has to do with Cuban immigration. In  the 1950s, many Cubans escaped Castro’s revolution. They came to Key West to work in the booming cigar industry.

They brought with them chickens. For meat and eggs. And for cockfighting.

Over time, many of the chickens escaped or were released. The supermarkets became larger. It was cheaper and easier to buy chicken and eggs at the market.

Chickens have no known predators in Key West. Now generations later, they still roam Key West streets. Running freely here and there.

More Beatles lore.

This morning’s Key West Citizen, in its Florida Keys History section, reported that during and following the Beatles visit at the Key Wester Motel, people wanted to buy anything the Beatles had touched or used. Including the pool water they swam in.

Did my blog talk radio show last night. Tuesday Talk with Key West Lou. Most of the show involved income inequality. Seems to have been well received based on the post show comments.

Some of the facts exposed included net worth. Since 2007, the average net worth of most Americans has dropped 43 percent.

There was another time when Americans were faced with a 1 percent / 99 percent situation. In 1928, one year before the Great Depression.

Another interesting tidbit involved a babysitter’s pay. A babysitter’s average hourly nationally is almost twice the national minimum wage. More than that in Key West from what Lisa tells me. She pays $20 an hour for a babysitter.

KONK Life hits the stands at 5 this afternoon. I have an extended article in this week’s publication titled Income Inequality. Take the time to read it. You will the column interesting and revealing.

Enjoy your day!

 

 

BEATLES AND KEY WEST

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There was a time…..Yes, the Beatles came to Key West…..By accident…..Not planned.

The year 1964. The Beatles were flying to Jacksonville to do a show. Hurricane Dora was on its way to Jacksonville, also. The Beatles plane was diverted to Key West.

The exact day, I am not certain. Today’s Key West Citizen suggests 9/9. I searched the internet a bit. I came up with 9/10 and 9/11 also. Some articles suggest the Beatles were here a couple of days. Others, merely overnight. One of the articles has them arriving around 3 in the morning.

I suspect the Beatles were in Key West more than 24 hours. They broke loose!

They were staying at was then the Key Wester Motel. Gone now, replaced by a Hyatt facility. The Beatles at some point found the Key Wester bar. They took their instruments and played and sang for hours. Word spread they were in town. Other musicians showed up after their work day ended and played with them.

The articles are consistent that the Beatles did a bit of drinking. They became inebriated. One of them is described as having made love to the toilet bowl. Something most of us have experienced on one occasion or another.

Whatever, the Beatles enjoyed Key West. The locals enjoyed the Beatles.

It was fortunate their plane bypassed Jacksonville. Dora hit Jacksonville hard. Five dead and over $2 million in damage.

I have not mentioned JJ in ages. A friend. Formerly a bartender at the Chart Room. JJ now bartends at the Galleon. JJ’s wife’s picture is in the Key West Citizen today. Ann Jonas. She is Citizen of the Day. The brief article mentions that she and JJ will be celebrating their fifth wedding anniversary this week. Congratulations! I only met Ann once. JJ obviously many times. He always spoke of Ann as if he were deeply in love. Obviously he was and is.

Turtles in the news again. Sharks, also. Our friends and foes in the sea.

There was a recent newspaper article concerning the two. A world wide study was completed. Apparently man has been killing off too many sharks. Sharks kill turtles. With fewer sharks, the turtle population has over grown.

Turtles eat seagrass. Sharks do not. Little fish live and eat in and off the seagrass. In some areas such as Bermuda, the seagrass is down to nothing. The turtles responsible. Scientists are trying to figure out a way to diminish the turtle population.

It does not appear there is a similar problem in Key West. Our seagrass is in full bloom. Our ocean conservation people are interested in protecting both sharks and turtles. We even have a Turtle Hospital in Marathon.

Since the study was world wide, does it have any validity as regards Key West and the rest of the Keys? I don’t know. Perhaps. I am sure some of our ocean people will be playing close attention to the situation over the next several years. In the meantime, there is no plan to kill a portion of the turtle population. I hope there never is.

Scotland votes soon re independence. The people will vote. They want to disconnect from the United Kingdom/England.

The southern states wanted to and did the same thing in the U.S. back in 1860-1. State legislatures voted to secede. Lincoln stood up to them. The Civil War occurred. You know the rest.

Re Scotland, the people are voting as opposed to their elected representatives. Does it make a difference? Will the Queen and Parliament stand by and permit the secession? It seems like everyone is waiting for the vote to take place before taking a public position on the issue.

My back problem has returned, though not as bad.

Because of my back, I have been late with certain of my writings. I did not do my KONK Life column which publishes tomorrow till Sunday. The article is titled Income Inequality.

My blog talk radio show is this evening. I did not get to preparation till yesterday. Spent all day working on tonight’s show. A significant portion will concern income inequality. The reason is there are so many interesting sidelights to the issue. Some pieces of information most of us might not have known.

Join me this evening. I guarantee you will enjoy the show. Nine my time. Tuesday Talk with Key West Lou.  www.blogtalkradio.com/key-west-lou.

Enjoy your day!

GERALDINE E. WEIGAND

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Life is strange. Relationships occur. Then end for no particular reason. A time comes when one would like to renew the relationship and it is too late. Death has interfered.

Geraldine E. Weigand was a high school classmate. Back then, she was known as Geraldine “Gerry” Houlihan. High school was 1949-1953. Utica Catholic Academy in Utica, NY.

Gerry was born with a physical defect. She was hunch backed. Very much so. Only on one side which made her look more strange. Her head was lowered and a bit to the side. She stood less than five feet. Considerably. Not a particularly attractive girl.

Always with a smile and a cheery hello, however.

I had no particular relationship with her. I would say hello and she would respond. We never conversed further.

She was generally ignored by her other classmates, except for two who became her close friends. They were not physically attractive either.

I never saw Gerry again. I did hear from her however some 6-8 years ago. Out of the blue, I received an e mail from her.  How she found me, I do not recall. I was living in Key West as a resident. She was now living near Buffalo. I suspect she came across the blog.

Her e mail was cheerful. I responded. An instantaneous relationship developed. It was as if we had been close friends forever. We continued e mailing for a couple of years. Sometimes once or twice a week. Sometimes not for two months. An occasional telephone call.

Gerry had written a book. She self published it. She mailed me a copy. A Thorn With Every Rose. Published in 1997. It was the story of her life from day one. Honest, bold and frank. She was aware she did not look like others. She was cognizant that people avoided her. Whatever, there was a smile in every word she wrote. The glass was always half full. An amazing individual!

She wanted a family. To be a mother, grandmother, etc. She found Adam. They married. Adam had children from a previous marriage. Gerry had her family! Even grandchildren as time went on.

Gerry’s book to me bore a brief note: Louis, I am happy we have connected again after almost half a century. Hope you enjoy my book – and let’s keep in touch…..Gerry Weigand 2/16/01.

I have a ton of books sitting around the house. I am from the old school. I still enjoy having the hard copy in my hand rather than reading a book on the tablet. Once a book is read however, it is of no use. I am a pack rat, however. I never get rid of anything. That is why there are piles of books everywhere.

Yesterday, I was looking for a book that someone gave me a couple of years ago and which I had never read. It was time. While looking for the book, I came across the book Gerry had sent me in 2001. Holding the book once again brought back memories of our relationship which developed some fifty years after first meeting.

I cannot recall why we stopped e mailing or telephoning. That is the way life is, I guess. We just stopped. Finding her book was a reminder to renew the relationship.

I went to the internet to search for her. Her email address and phone number were long gone. What I found made me sad. Very sad. I found her obituary posted by a West Seneca, NY undertaker. Gerry had died “…..after a long illness” April 24, 2009.

I shed a tear for this lovely brave woman. I felt bad that I had not continued communicating, though I would blame her also.

I plan on rereading Gerry’s book. This time will be different. I am a sentimental at heart. A tear or two will be shed.

Enjoy your day!

 

 

CHICKENS / IGUANAS, NO…..DUCKS, YES

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Chickens and iguanas abound in Key west. Ducks a bit rare. I ran into a family of ducks yesterday.

I was driving on Grinnell. All of a sudden, ducks appeared crossing the street. A mother duck and five ducklings. All in a straight line, mother leading. I beeped the horn. They ignored me. I stopped and beeped the horn again. Still no reaction. The mother led her brood across the street as if she had not a care in the world.

Chickens and iguanas on the other hand run like hell to get out of the way.

I have been cleaning house a bit. Came across a brand new easel. It was a gift some dozen years ago when I decided I would return to painting. Something I had done for two years in the early 1960’s. By the time the easel arrived, I had painted a few canvases and decided whatever talent I thought I had was non existent. The easel never got used.

Granddaughter Ally is 9. She is into painting. One of her recent birthday gifts was a very good set of paints and brushes. She recently did a small painting of the ocean and a boat which she gave me. I was impressed. Yesterday, Ally stopped over. I made her day. I gave her the easel.

Last week, I stopped at Ben Franklin and bought her a pallet. This week I plan to sit with her a bit and show her how to mix colors with white and explain why.

The pool is fixed and filled. Some pea soup. Pool groom came over and shocked it. Should be crystal clear in a day or two.

Spent most of the afternoon yesterday watching golf and college football.

Last night was dinner at Roostica with Keith and Jennifer. Two interesting young people. Hard workers. We had a good time. Roostica also gave me an opportunity to treat my back medicinally with several gins. I do not drink at home.

Daytime was spent with the heating pad as often as possible. Last night the gins. My back was ok when I hit the bed. I slept well. Woke with no back pain.

I have had a bad back for years. I have learned that back ache/spasms come on suddenly and leave just as suddenly. I hope the present episode is behind me.

If the problem returns, I will take the advice of the many who wrote and recommended ice. I am not yet ready to take the advice of those who said see a doctor. I can be hard headed.

Enjoy your Sunday!

A MIXTURE

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There is much I wish to share this morning. Ergo, the title A Mixture.

My back! No better. In fact, worse. It started up again yesterday morning. I am taking pills. Gone to a heating pad. Last night, I said screw it! I had been in for several days. I decided to go out and have a few gins. I figured gin would take care of the pain.

After the first two at Don’s Place, the pain was gone. I had one or two more to make sure. Then to Tavern ‘n  Town for dinner. And a couple more medicinal gins. I know. Too much. Especially when driving.

Whatever, I was painless till two this morning. I woke with big time pain. Lower back around to the front. Down the side of my left leg to the knee. My hip was especially sore.

I was not going to drink in the middle of the night. Popped some Motron and got out the heating pad. The heating pad is almost instantaneous relief. However when the pad is turned off, the pain returns equally as fast.

I continue to hurt this morning. I have the heating pad propped between my lower back and the chair. Great! However, I can only take so much. I am beginning to cook my back end!

Don’s Place was not my first stop. It was Bottle Cap. ML is running for Fantasy Feat Queen. I support her. I had not attended one of her fund raising events yet. I decided to do so last night. At Bottle Cap.

There was a fund raiser. Not for ML, however. The Shriners were having a party. I knew no one. Smiled, said hello, and left without even having a drink.

Then to Don’s Place. Two fast pain relievers as previously indicated. Sat with Joanie, Jimmy and John. Stayed quite a while enjoying their company. Michael was bartending.

Football season has arrived. Much of the bar talk concerned football. With a little bocce thrown in. John had picked 12 out of 14 college winners last week. He asked my thoughts for this week. I told him with a 12 out of 14 record, you need no help from me!

Don fixed the air conditioning in the bar. What a relief! Thank you, Donald!

Tavern ‘n Town was quiet. Very few people. I was glad. Last month it was packed every time I went. I sat a the bar, spread out the newspapers and had some more pain killing medicine.

Mike Emerson was entertaining. Great music! I was humming to myself as he was playing. Manager Judy there. She did double duty last night. Played bartender and then returned to the floor as manager. She changes her clothes in between.

I never went out on the back deck this week. I should have. When I stepped outside yesterday, the pool was only about one third full. A leak! The man who fixes pool leaks came. He has been doing it for thirty years. He wears the black diving suit which also keeps him warm. Uses air tanks. The leak was in the deep end and he had to go underwater.

I am refilling the pool now. I am going to have a hell of a water bill this month!

There is a new U.S. Navy vessel in Key West for the weekend. It is the USS Winston S. Churchill. A guided missile destroyer. Over 200 sailors aboard. All will be on liberty in Key West. Enjoy, guys!

I read a front page article in the Key West Citizen this morning that disturbs me. Apparently birds nest in rooftops of commercial buildings in Key West. Probably all over the United States. Probably all over the world.

The law is that if a roof is under repair and a nest is discovered, construction must stop. Most of the birds are a protected species. A mid keys biologist wants Key West to adopt an ordinance requiring the contractor to check first before construction begins.

An example of over government. I was an environmental attorney. Protect water and air. I had no problem with that. However when it came to protecting some species of small animal, fish or vermin, I drew the line. As protection of this nature generally increases the cost of doing business dramatically, I was opposed. Everything in life should be a balance.

Back to Ferguson, Missouri for a moment. I listened to Attorney General Holder’s report to the nation this week. I was not impressed. His office  is examining the situation and the Ferguson police department in general for civil rights violations. There needs to be a federal investigation of the shooting itself. I do not trust the local authorities. On the other hand, I am not sure the federal government has jurisdiction to investigate the shooting as an isolated incident.

The US Post Office announced it is making price cuts. Significant ones. Hopefully to increase business. Fed Ex and UPS are upset. I use Fed Ex. However the price of doing business with them has risen to the point that it is burdensome. US postal authorities have come up with a good idea. A pleasure to see the price of a service/commodity go down instead of up.

I spent more time yesterday researching income inequality. Sounds boring. Not. I am excited and cannot wait to share with you what I have discovered in next week’s KONK Life column.

I said at the beginning this blog would be a mixture. It is. It is also longer than usual. For which I apologize.

Enjoy your day!

JOAN RIVERS…..AU REVOIR

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My yesterday was nothing. My back continued to control my life. I did get out briefly. One of my heart pill bottles was empty. Drove to Walgreen. Getting in and out of the car a very painful experience. Decided to have lunch in the area. A cheeseburger at 5 Guys.

The rest of the day was spent at home. Even skipped bocce. Later in the evening, my back seemed to be getting better. I think it is. Slept well. The pain now comes and goes. I have been up two hours this morning and no pain till ten minutes ago. Then it hit! I am breathless as I write.

Spoke with Keith this morning. We won the first game, lost the next two.

Joan Rivers is gone. Sad. I enjoyed her comedy. She and Don Rickles were and are two of my favorites. I never met Rivers. However as most people, I saw her live several times across the country.

One of those times was 20 years ago. I was spending a weekend at the Jersey shore home of my cousins John and Lois Ernst. Lois said Rivers was appearing at the New Jersey amphitheater on the Garden State Parkway. Lets go!

We had no tickets. It was 3 in the afternoon.

No problem.

Joan Rivers and my cousin Lois met in the mid 1950’s in New York City. When both were struggling kids just out of college. They were buddies with several other young ladies who were trying to make it also. They met daily at a place either in New York’s East Side or the Village.

Both made it. Cousin Lois became the biggest ad person in New York. For more than 30 years, her advertising agency was it.

Five hours later, I was sitting in the eighth row first seat on the middle aisle. I was impressed!

Rivers initially sought to become a serious actress. In the late 1950s, she appeared in a short run of the play Driftwood. Rivers played a lesbian who had a crush on another unknown. Barbara Streisand.

Key West has its own Joan Rivers. Randy Roberts! The best of the best! Drag Queen and impersonator. Randy has been doing Joan Rivers for more than 20 years. Tastefully. He is Joan! Randy continues to appear several nights a week upstairs at La Te Da. A show worth seeing.

As a final note, I want to talk about apples. The ones you buy in the supermarket. The big beautiful red ones.

A couple of months ago, I shared a little experiment I had performed. Six months earlier I purchased some apples at Publix. I took one and left it in the refrigerator fruit bin for six months. Then took it out, cut it up and ate it. It was as if the apple had been purchased that day. Firm. White inside. Tasty. Juicy. Still bright red. I said at the time it must be those super duper chemicals they shoot into the seeds. GMOs.

The apple struck a chord. Several people told me I was crazy. The apple would have grown soft and discolor, probably not be edible.

I read an article on the internet yesterday relative to apples. It said that in 50 supermarket chains in the U.S., the apples we buy are 14 months or older.

Enjoy your day!

NO BACK RELIEF

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This is the 3rd or 4th day. The back discomfort does not ease up. The pain takes my breath away. I woke this morning, no pain. A half hour later, I am breathing heavy.

My back kept me from doing anything yesterday. Could not sit, could not stand. Always looking for a comfortable position. As a result, I have nothing significant to report.

I did research further my KONK Life column for next week. It will have to do with income inequality. I plan on writing the column around Proverbs 22:7…..The rich rules over the poor. And the borrower becomes the lender’s slave.

Bocce tonight. Unless I experience massive improvement, I doubt I will be able to play. I plan on attending. I need to get out and can use a few drinks.

Two nights ago Turner Classics ran the first talking movie. The Jazz singer. 1927. Starred Al Jolson

I had never seen the movie. It was exciting and interesting to watch. Exciting because it was a first. Interesting because of the way it was filmed.

I assumed Jolson would sing. I was correct. I assumed all characters would talk. I was wrong.

The only talking was the singing and an opening overture. Otherwise, the movie was a silent film. I wonder why the studio did not do the whole thing talking. Whatever, it kicked talking movies into gear. Soon thereafter, all were talk. The era of the silent film died.

It has been ages since I mentioned the book I wrote. The World Upside Down. For those of you new to this blog and for those of you who might not yet have purchased the book, I recommend it to you. The book is a series of essays having to do with political and social commentary. Louis on his soap box.

The World Upside Down is available on amazon.com and barnesandnoble.com.

Enjoy your day! Pain free!

ANTS IN THE COFFEE POT

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Live on a sub tropical island like Key West and inevitably you will run into all kinds of bugs, insects and other creatures. Recall last week. It was a rock lizard who had taken up residence in my home.

This week it is ants. The tiny tiny small ones. Almost invisible to the naked eye. They are in my Keurig coffee maker. The one that uses small K-cups.

Five or six days ago, I noticed the ants swimming around in side water holder on the unit. Ugh! The thought immediately occurred that I might have drunk some in the previous 24 hours.

My problem. These little ants are impossible to get out of the Keurig machine. Everything has been done. Anna washed everything three times. No help. I finally placed the water unit in the dishwasher. That did it for the water unit! Ants gone.

The ants still are in the main unit. The part I cannot put in the dishwasher. There are fewer, but still there. I went to TERRO two days ago. The best ant killer in the keys! Not this time.

There are not nor have there been ants on the kitchen cupboard on which the coffee machine rests. Only on and in the machine itself.

I am at wit’s end. Guess I will be throwing out the coffee maker and buying a new one.

I have also been suffering withdrawals symptoms. No coffee, no caffeine.

My blog talk radio show Tuesday Talk with Key West Lou went well last night. I finalized the show during the day. Added a section on Steven Sotloff who had been beheaded earlier in the day.

Only six subjects covered. All heavy.

Post show comments indicate the topics were equally liked/enjoyed. First time. Another first time was no one disagreed with me. A big first time!

Dinner at Roostica before the show. Two pieces of Italian sausage. Delicious! Ran into Ray Sigsimondi. A good guy. He came to Key west about the time I bought my home here 16 years ago. He plays a mean electric guitar. I miss his playing with Larry Smith on occasion at the Wine Galley.

The Key West Citizen had a heart warming front page story this morning.. It concerned Julie Johnson who was in Key West for several hours. She was traveling through on a cruise ship. Julie is 46 and blind since birth. Her friends were going to take a bike tour around Key West. She wanted to go, also. She found bicycle provider Lloyd Mager. He provided a tandem bicycle as the solution. Lloyd drove and Julie had the back seat. She pedaled along and took in the sounds and smells of Key West.

Lloyd makes stops so the tourists can enjoy first hand many of the special delicacies Key West has to offer. Julie got to enjoy key limes, sea grapes, touching a turtle and animals. Everything everyone else on the tour was doing.

God bless Julie! God bless even more Lloyd Mager who was here in Key West and knew exactly what to do to make Julie’s experience the pleasure it was.

My back, my back, my back! What a pain! Spasm! It is causing my shoulder to hurt because of the strange movements I make. Especially in bed.

Enjoy your day!

FOREVER FAMOUS

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I went to Smathers Beach yesterday morning. Not to sun or swim. To attend the plaque dedication in Diana Nyad’s honor. A good sized crowd present.

Last year, Diana swam from Cuba to Key West. Without the aid of a shark cage! The swim itself a  first ever feat. She did it at age 64. Another feat.

A plaque was dedicated honoring her and the event. In addition to the plaque, Diana was made an honorary Conch. A bigger tribute than the plaque!

My blog talk radio show tonight. Tuesday Talk with Key West Lou. Join me for a fast moving interesting half hour. www.blogtalkradio.com/key-west-lou. Nine my time.

Topics tonight include the question why the U.S. bombed Somalia over the weekend instead of Syria, a police officer who believed he did not have to follow the Constitution in making arrests because he claimed Obama was not following it, personal data of thousands of Homeland Security personnel hacked, an exploration of whether the U.S. is becoming a third world country, U.S. Tripoli abandoned embassy pool being used by jihadist militants for fun and pleasure, Monsanto and American justice, Russia/China gas line construction  begins, Berlin trying to build one church to house 3 religions: Christians, Muslims, and Jews. Plus more.

It was mid sunday afternoon yesterday. What to do? Decided to take Robert and Ally to No Name Pub for a late lunch. They love the place! They were not home. At the beach.

Decided to go alone. I had visions of a Philly cheese steak sandwich. They make the best!

It was the car top down and my baseball cap on backwards.

I enjoyed the sandwich. Sat at the bar. Chatted with people around me. A typical Florida Keys time in a back woods bar.

Bad sleeping night! My back started up again. Could not get comfortable. Caused me to place too much strain on the injured shoulder when I turned.

Enjoy your day!

FDR…..COMMANDER IN CHIEF

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Enjoyed Sunday dinner at Roositca last night. The spaghetti special which includes a salad, three huge meatballs, two huge sausage links, and great bread for $14. A buy! I ate all the meat. Little of the pasta. Too much food for me.

The place was packed. A gold mine!

Guy de Boer came in with a big party. He stopped to talk with me. I asked about his sister Dawn who I had never met. However, we are friends via the internet. She lives somewhere in north Florida and edits my weekly KONK Life column. Guy said she is here with me. I want to meet her, I said.

Off we went to her table. We were both overjoyed to have finally met each other in the flesh. Dawn is a lovely person in every respect.

When I eat alone, I bring something to read. Generally, a newspaper or my tablet. Last night, it was the FDR book The Mantle Of Command I have been reading. I finished it while dining.

A great book! One of the best historical novels I have read. It covers a small time frame during World War II. Eleven months. From December 7th to the following November when the Allies successfully landed in North Africa in what was known as Operation Torch.

The book was written by Nigel Hamilton. Published this year. Would make a great movie!

The novel shows a side of Roosevelt not before seen. He was a hard ass do it my way leader. Forget the generals and admirals, he was the commander in chief. He conducted himself accordingly. Rarely did he have to pull rank. He was a smoothie who manipulated and turned people to his way of thinking.

Many tried to manipulate him, stand up to him. Each failed. Churchill, Marshall, MacArthur, and Stimson were no match. They opposed him, fought him. Went behind his back. None prevailed, whatever the issue.

Hamilton had some intimate relationships that assisted in writing the book.. While a student at Cambridge, Hamilton resided with Churchill’s parents. Hamilton spent hours discussing Churchill with his quasi grandfather Field Marshall Bernard Montgomery. He also spent considerable time interviewing people who knew Churchill intimately. Churchill is a major figure in the book after Roosevelt.

This is the first book written from the perspective of Roosevelt as a controlling commander in chief. Not only of his generals and admirals, but also world leaders.

As he was to all Presidents he served under, MacArthur was a pain in the ass. Nevertheless a military genius. FDR kept him in line waiting for the American Pacific war to begin.

One thing reported about MacArthur in the book bothered me. Corregidor was about to fall. MacArthur would soon be ordered to Australia. The Philippine people and American troops were being brutalized by the Japanese.

Within days of MacArthur leaving and the Philippines falling into Japanese hands, the Philippine government gave MacArthur $500,000 which MacArthur was able to secure and get out of the Philippines. A sort of legal payment. The Philippine government was always rewarding people who helped them. This was the first time MacArthur was so rewarded.

Roosevelt was not happy about the payment and its acceptance. He kept quiet, however. He needed MacArthur for another day. The payment remained secret until 1979 when it first came to public light.

The payment did not appear proper in and of it self. It also did not look correct when men were dying in droves. Keep in mind Bataan and Corregidor.

There is a contrast. Eisenhower served under MacArthur in the Philippines from 1936 to 1939. He was a major at the time and acted as MacArthur’s chief of staff. Eisenhower was offered $60,000 from the Philippine government at roughly the same time as MacArthur received the $500,000. Eisenhower turned down the $60,000. He did not consider it in good taste.

Read the book. An interesting eye opener.

Enjoy the last day of your Labor Day weekend!