Mad John Boyd - A Sunday Sermon

 

Because this is a military blog, we have to ask, have you heard of Colonel "Mad John" Boyd? He was a fighter pilot in the Korean war, flying Sabres, then went on to become a "Top Gun" instructor and more than that, a tactician who wrote on aerial warfare and a strategist whom some liken to Sun Zhu or Clausewitz. Others disagree.

Regardless, he was hated by the military establishment of his day and never made General, doubtless because he called out paper-pushing, careerist, establishment cipher drones for what they were, paper-pushing, careerist, establishment cipher drones.

He had, apparently, a "fork in the road" speech which he invariably delivered to the people who worked with him. You have a choice, you can go this way and get promotion, money and all of that, or you can go that way and do something for your country and Air Force at the expense of preferment. Free will, you see, be somebody or do something:

“And you’re going to have to make a decision about which direction you want to go.” He raised his hand and pointed. “If you go that way you can be somebody. You will have to make compromises and you will have to turn your back on your friends. But you will be a member of the club and you will get promoted and you will get good assignments.” Then Boyd raised his other hand and pointed another direction. “Or you can go that way and you can do something — something for your country and for your Air Force and for yourself. If you decide you want to do something, you may not get promoted and you may not get the good assignments and you certainly will not be a favorite of your superiors. But you won’t have to compromise yourself. You will be true to your friends and to yourself. And your work might make a difference. To be somebody or to do something. In life there is often a roll call. That’s when you will have to make a decision. To be or to do? Which way will you go?”

There you have it, that's the sermon.

Boyd's credited, with others, of transforming the US Military into the force which triumphed on the battleground in the Gulf. No small thing. What would he think about our preparedness today and, more importantly, would such a man even be allowed in the gilded corridors of our beloved Pentagram Pentagon.

Thanks, Wild, for the tip and God Bless,

LSP

Fish On

 

We have choices in life, contrary to Marxist determinism, and such is the beauty of free will. For example, you can sit staring at a screen in slack-jawed trad consternation or you can go fishing. I chose the latter option and pointed the rig at Lake Whitney.

This was once a reef in a vast inland sea

There it was, shining and hazy under a hot Texan sun, but would there be fish and would they bite? I cast off with worms to find out and... nothing, apart from a lazy little Gar who swooped down on my worm, held it in its beak, swam away at leisure for about 60 yards, ate half the worm and dropped the rest. He didn't even run, and who can blame him, it was hot.

Behold Leviathan and the mighty Brazos

Soldiers Bluff being a bust I headed across the dam to try my luck from the pier. Slow going at first but then I spotted them, two stationary Bass on a ledge next to the dam's wall. Off goes the worm, cast a little ahead of the fish, followed by a slow retrieve onto their position. Boom! Strike!

Nice little Drum

A couple of minutes of diving, thrashing, rod double action later up comes a very decent fish. Good fight and back you go, great result. So, send another worm into the depths, untargeted this time, a blind shot and another slow retrieve. And what's this, a tug, and another, hookset! It felt like a Black Drum and sure enough it was, not as cool as a Bass but still, plenty of piscine action.

That complete, it was time to head back to the Compound, mission accomplished. I file this exciting story under "Country Life in Texas."

Tight Lines,

LSP

St. Francis Xavier

 

It's the Feast of St. Francis Xavier today and we marked it by a Mass and some wine and cheese in the church hall afterwards. Such is life and I'm not complaining.

Xavier, in case you didn't know, was a friend of St. Ignatius Loyola and a founding father Jesuit Order. You know, back in the days when the Jesuits burned with fidelity to the Gospel and the Church, the 1500s.

Not content with teaching philosophy at Paris, Xavier sailed to Southern India where he worked tirelessly as a missionary. Conservative estimates say he baptized 30,000 people, others say 100,000, and the churches he founded survive to this day.

Xavier was revered as a saint in his own day because of his remarkable holiness and many miracles. Not least healing, exorcism, and raising the dead. Scoff, if you like, but remember the churches he founded still exist, and, if you're a Christian, never discount Divine Power.

If you do, consider this. When and if you go against God you will be relentlessly destroyed, like Debenhams in the UK. Do not choose that route.

LSP

Friday Fish

Sure, you can be a miserable Marxist Determinist, go right ahead and choose to leave your free-will behind. Or, on the other hand, you can make like a free agent and go fishing on the mighty Brazos. I chose that path.

It was a little slow at first, but that was alright. Patience, LSP, wait for the bite to switch on and enjoy the big birds casting fierce eyes for targets of opportunity. The one above swooped down on a perch I'd hooked, a first for me. Hey, my fish!

Then things started to roll and it was pretty much a fish with every cast, big Bluegill, decent Drum, and a scad of ferocious junior Striper. Back they went to fight again another day. Big fun, I tell you, and a welcome change from watching fauxtrage commies pull down statues.

I mean really, pulling down statues of Christopher Columbus, George Washington, Jefferson and General Lee is going to transform America into a genderless rainbow no-police utopia, and get Biden elected? Really? No, of course not, it's just a dropped-on-head-as-infant Marxist spasm.

Pseudo-Tet aside, I cut out while the catch was good and headed for home, the big Texan sky reflecting off the water of the river. And there it was, good action met tranquility.

Tight lines,

LSP