Quote Originally Posted by RJ View Post
70 come May 6th -- Joined the Corps on May 22 Sixteeen days later and with prior service in the 71st Infantry, NYNG as a 60mm Mortar Gunner. Joined them at 15 years old. Big for my age and I had a charming Irish way about me.
Kentucky Guard at same age in a 105mm How battery...

Also big but rather a glowering Scotch Irish troublemaker. Only in later life did I get to be the jolly and witty icon I am today.

(That last to provide my kids who read this board occasionally an excuse to snort coffee on their keyboards...)

Thanks BTW for your Son's take on the Somali pirates. Knotty prob; hard on shippers but not so much on others. Seems most shippers and the insurance folks -- as well as majority opinions -- are opposed to arming crews or shipping armed guards or military folks aboard; routing away from the area is expensive.

Those suggesting a land campaign there need to apply a little thought to that idea. I doubt most in the World are prepared to accept the huge number of Somali deaths that would occur. Not only are they relatively fearless and terribly vengeful but battling clans and factions will coalesce in seconds to fight any outsider. Add to that they have no compunctions about throwing women and kids in the way to absorb fire. Invader casualties aren't the deterrent...

Pressure of some sort needs to be applied to the elders; they can and will stop it if they deem it advisable but they aren't going to do that until the costs of the Piracy outweigh the benefits to the region as a whole.