Bug Out Bag Items
Your bug out bag Items must be carefully selected. The biggest mistake people make when they make their bug out bag is adding too much weight and overestimating how much energy it will take to carry a heavy pack. Hiking ten miles is hard enough on its own much less with a 70-80 lb pack […]
Preparedness Notes for Saturday — August 28, 2021
August 28, 1833: Slavery was abolished throughout the British Empire. — SurvivalBlog Writing Contest Today we present another entry for Round 96 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prizes for this round include: First Prize: The photovoltaic power specialists at Quantum Harvest LLC are providing a store-wide 10% off coupon. Depending on the model […]
Review of Joe Dolio’s Tactical Wisdom, by Jack Lawson
Editor’s Introductory Note: This review was authored by Jack Lawson, author of the two-volume The Civil Defense Manual. Rarely does a book or series of books catch my attention like the Tactical Wisdom series. It could have been authored by my alter ego. The author, Joe Dolio, has created what I consider a must-read companion […]
Navy Seabee Veterans Sets Date for 2022 Military Ball
When Ed Crenshaw of Orlando, Florida graduated from high school in 1968, the Vietnam War was raging. He considered going to college, but instead enlisted in the U.S. Navy.
He signed up in August at age 17, turned 18 in November, married his sweetheart in February and left 10 days later for boot camp. Then it was off to Jacksonville for 23 weeks of aviation electrician training.
“My first choice had been construction battalion,” he said. “My intention was to be a naval electrician, so I put in for that in 1969. I didn’t get my first choice, but aviation electrician was my second choice.”
Ed had hoped his enlistment would keep him out of Vietnam, but he ended up serving three tours of duty there before being discharged. On his first night in Da Nang, a mortar attack occurred. It was a wakeup call for a rookie sailor. Welcome to Vietnam.
Flight Deck Danger
In his first tour of duty, Ed was assigned to an aircraft carrier – the USS Ranger – off the coast of Vietnam. He spent his second and third tours on the USS Enterprise. Learning he could earn an extra $100 a month, he volunteered for trouble shooting duty on the flight deck.
“We were flying missions 16 to 18 hours a day,” he said. “I didn’t know it at the time, but working on the flight deck of an aircraft carrier is one of the most dangerous jobs in the world.”
In between tours, Ed was stationed on Whidbey Island north of Seattle, Washington. He was honorably discharged in 1973. After returning to Orlando from the service, he entered the reserve program with a construction battalion outfit there.
He also used his G.I. Bill to earn a paralegal degree from Valencia Community College and a criminal justice degree from Columbia College. Eventually he became an investigator with the Orlando Utilities Commission and then a manager.
During a six-month break from the Commission, he served with the Orange County Sheriff’s Department as a court deputy.
Launching a Local Chapter
In 1999, Ed retired and moved to Young Harris, Georgia. That’s where his chapter of the Navy Seabee Veterans of America (NSVA) is located.
Ed had joined the national organization in the 1980s and was due to become president of the state chapter when he left Florida.
“We went a long time without having an Island here in Young Harris,” Ed said. “But in 2014 a couple of other Seabees and I started an Island. We put an ad in the paper for a meeting we were having, and we got 12 new members right away.”
Seabee chapters are called islands. This goes back to World War II. Due to operational security, the Seabees were not allowed to disclose their locations, so when corresponding they would list their location as Island X. When the SVA was established, it was decided to call the chapters Islands.
Attendance Doubles for Military Ball
Ed’s Island X-3 chapter held its 6th annual Military Ball for all branch services and civilians in March 2021 at the Ridges Resort in Young Harris, Georgia. The main speaker was retired Commander Mike Streckert.
“Locally we don’t have enough Seabees for a full military function, so we invited all military branches and veterans and opened it up to civilians,” Ed said.
“We had a very good turnout. A total of 143 people signed up and all but three came. Last year we only had 65 because that’s when COVID was really starting to ramp up.
“An ROTC group from a local Christian high school presented the colors for us. The St. Andrews pipe and drum corps played Amazing Grace and all the military branch songs. It was a great time with good fellowship.”
4Patriots Donates Products for Event
4Patriots donated a number of items for door prizes and the silent auction. Including a Patriot Power Cell, HaloXT flashlight, 72-Hour Survival Food Kit, Firebolt Waterproof Tactical Arc Lighter & Flashlight, and First Aid Kit.
“4Patriots products were very well received and we made over $2,000 from our auctions,” Ed said. “They were most appreciated. If it weren’t for the people and organizations who donate, we’d be in the hole.
“The money allowed us to comp the tickets and food for the high school kids and their leaders, as well as the bagpipers.
“The rest will go into scholarships for local kids, including trade schools which keeps with the Seabee tradition. We help vets and kids, and contribute to civic projects. We help repair plumbing, build wheelchair ramps and do general lawn maintenance here as a thank you to the city for allowing us to use a building for our meetings.”
Crenshaw Is Island Commander
Ed said his local chapter is up to about 30 members now. “Which is remarkable because this is a small mountain town. In March we celebrated the 79th anniversary of the Seabees and the 75th anniversary of the veterans organization.
The next Military Ball fundraiser will be held March 5, 2022.
“As Commander of the Island, “I do a little bit of everything. I conduct the monthly meetings, write and send the emails, stay on top of everything, get speakers to come in, and turn in the required information to the national organization.”
Even though “Seabee” is spelled S-E-A-B-E-E, the name actually comes from the letters C and B, which stand for construction battalions.
Their motto is: “With compassion for others. We Build – We Fight for Peace and Freedom.” More than 325,000 men served in the Seabees during World War II.
An inscription on the Navy Seabee Memorial at Arlington National Cemetery sums up what the Seabees have done – and continue to do – for America. It reads: “With willing hearts and skillful hands, the difficult we do at once. The impossible takes a bit longer.”
9 Skills For When SHTF You Should Be Learning
Are you ready for anything that’s to come? A practical prepper would equip himself with survival skills for SHTF situations. Here’s how you can, too. RELATED: 377 Survival Hacks And Skills You Should Know Essential Survival Skills for SHTF Scenarios 1. Cooking While this is not a skill that impresses most survivalists or finds its way […]
Honor Flights Take U.S. Veterans to Sacred Memorials in Nation’s Capital
Every once in a while, somebody comes up with an idea that is so great, people ask, “Why didn’t I think of that?”
The Honor Flight is one of those incredible ideas. And it has taken off, soared to new heights, stuck the landing and disembarked to a raucous celebration.
Established in 2005, the Honor Flight Network is a non-profit organization that flies U.S. military veterans from across the country to Washington, D.C. – free of charge. There they spend three days visiting the memorials dedicated to the wars in which they fought, as well as many others.
Sites seen along this tour include Arlington National Cemetery, the World War II Memorial, the Air Force Memorial, the Navy Memorial, the Marine Corps War Memorial, the Korean War Veterans Memorial, the Vietnam Veterans Memorial and others.
Program began in 2005
The program started off humbly, with six small planes flying 12 veterans to Washington, D.C. in May 2005. But it became so popular so quickly that soon commercial jets were being used to transport the large number of veterans expressing interest in it.
Approximately 244,000 veterans have been flown to the nation’s capital for this purpose over the past 16 years.
Honor Flights typically transport between 25 and 100 veterans and volunteer guardians to D.C. The cost of about $25,000 to $100,000 per flight is covered by donations, as well as what the airlines contribute.
Originating from across the country, the flights land at one of three airports: Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport and Washington Dulles International Airport.
Heroes’ Welcome, a subgroup of the Honor Flight Network, conducts welcoming ceremonies at the airports. After landing in Washington, the veterans are escorted by their guardians to hotels and then to the various memorials over several days.
Hoping to resume flights in fall
A regional Honor Flight chapter based in Colorado Springs, Colorado plans to resume its periodic flights this September, following a hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Honor Flight SoCo Chapter President Pat Novak can hardly wait.
“We’re very much looking forward to returning to the flights, and so are the veterans,” said Pat, who served in the U.S. Air Force for 32 years, including active duty, the National Guard and the Reserves.
Pat was stationed in Germany, served two tours each in Korea and the Middle East, and also spent some time in Central America.
“We’ve really missed it. I get calls every day from veterans who have gone and those who want to go for the first time. Our veterans and their families are our biggest supporters.”
Southwest Airlines gets ‘on board’
Pat said the Colorado Springs hub was reorganized right before COVID, but several of them picked it back up in 2020.
“We have five members on the board and a bunch of volunteers,” Pat said. “We have many forward thinkers that honor the World War II veterans, and look forward to the new generation of Vietnam veterans.
“More and more women are also getting involved, which is great, and we’re trying to get Gulf War veterans as guardians.
“Southwest Airlines has been wonderful to us. They go all out to make the veterans feel special. It’s fun to get on the plane when they know we’re coming. They know how to work with the veterans. Sometimes the flight attendants will even wear red lipstick and give them kisses on the cheek.”
‘I was that guy’
There are countless details that go into organizing an Honor Flight. It begins with veterans filling out an application. Generally speaking, veterans who are able to fly can go. They range in age from their 60s into their 90s.
“We meet a week before the flight to D.C. to go over the agenda and give them their shirts, hats, jackets and a lot of information.” Pat said. “We meet at a hotel the night before our flight and serve breakfast in the morning. Then we bus them to the Denver airport.
“They get a warm greeting when they reach our nation’s capital and we go to a couple of memorials, such as the U.S. Marine Corps War Memorial and the Dutch Carillon.
“Then in the morning we start at the Lincoln Memorial and proceed to the World War II Memorial, the Vietnam Wall and, of course, Arlington Cemetery. The Arlington National Cemetery staff treat us great and give us access to the VIP area at the Tomb of the Unknown. We also visit various gravesites.
“The closer we get to the World War II memorial, the quieter it gets. The brothers and sisters we remember. The fathers, grandfathers that fought against unbelievable odds. These veterans came back, changed clothes and were working in offices and factories a week later.
“Afterwards, we take a short walk to the Korean War Memorial, where they first see the 19 statues, and you’ll hear them say things like, ‘I was that guy’ or ‘I carried that M14 rifle.’
“This is a multi-generational memorial. They have all seen the hollowness of the faces, the true and absolute fatigue. These veterans are the ‘forgotten.’ They went back to work and most never knew they were gone. The Guardians are also struck by this memorial. Especially how personal it is.
“After spending some time there, we walk over to the Vietnam Memorial. For some, it’s a very slow walk. Almost hesitantly. This memorial puts names to those killed. These veterans also never had a ‘homecoming.’
“Almost every person on the flight will have a story. ‘My neighbor, Frank, had a boy killed in Vietnam,’ or ‘I was in the hospital and remember the eyes of the nurse before they operated on me.’ And then again, there are the comrades. We need to remember to respect these veterans and the ones who paid the ultimate price every single day.
“The next day we visit the Smithsonian Institution, the Air Museum and the Navy Museum. This puts together the stories, experiences, friends and deeds they and others had done. This day is lighter, each veteran feeling the camaraderie they knew in another lifetime.”
Serving brothers and sisters
What made Pat decide to get involved with Honor Flight? A love for other veterans and a strong belief that they deserve better than what they get.
“My uncle was a World War II Marine who committed suicide after suffering from decades of PTSD,” Pat said. “I knew what it was at the time, but people in general didn’t understand combat stress. They thought you could just shake it off and move on.
“Both of my sons have served in the military and they understand it as well. Both are part of the ‘Order of the Purple Heart.’ They and their friends volunteered and continued to go back even after getting wounded. I am in constant contact with many other veterans also.
“So what really gets me up in the morning is serving our veterans. Serving our brothers and sisters, treating them like they should be treated and maintaining relationships with the veterans’ families after we get back home from the flights.
“Many of these veterans have never been properly thanked by the community, so that’s what I want to do for them.”
Banquet raises over $18,000
In June 2021, Honor Flight SoCo conducted a fundraising banquet attended by 160 people. They raised more than $18,000, which will be used to send veterans and their guardians on the next Honor Flight.
“People hear our message and they help out if they can,” Pat said. “But what really strikes a chord is when they hear the veterans talk about how important it is for them to be able to visit or re-visit these memorials.
“For a vast majority of the veterans who go, it’s their first time seeing these memorials. Most of them had to immediately start working as soon as they returned from their service, and they never had the time or resources to go.
“I can’t emphasize enough how important it is for veterans to make this trip. Many of them think that nobody has the same feelings they do, but we show them that people care by the way they are treated by their guardians. There’s a metamorphosis that goes on with both the veterans and nonveterans alike.”
4Patriots contributed several auction items for the fundraiser. Including four Patriot Power Cells, a 72-Hour Survival Food Kit, a HaloXT Tactical Flashlight and a Patriot Pure Personal Water Filter.
“The 4Patriots products did really well in the auction,” Pat said. “It’s obvious they are high-quality products and we got more than what they market for. Those products created a bidding war on their box, so we really appreciate your donations.”
Every donation helps
Those wishing to make a donation to the Honor Flight SoCo chapter may do so by visiting HonorFlightSoCo.net and clicking on “Donate.”
“The cost for a flight is $1,000 for each veteran and another $1,000 for each guardian, so every donation helps,” Pat said. “From all the volunteers, including me, to the Guardians, all of our donations go to getting these veterans to D.C. so they can see their memorials.”
Those funds cover:
- A pre-flight luncheon with an information booklet for both the veteran and guardian
- Honor Flight shirts and other Honor Flight wear (veterans receive jackets, ponchos, hats, etc.)
- Bus transportation to Denver, in D.C. and back home again
- Airfare from Denver International Airport to D.C.
- All meals
- A memory book of their specific mission
- Wheelchairs and walkers as needed
“It’s difficult to describe how much these trips mean to the people who so faithfully served their country so that we can have the freedoms we have,” Pat said. “We live by our motto: ‘We have an obligation to the soldier that did not come home. To honor the veteran who did.’”
Survival Gardening: The Most Vital Prep – Part 1, by T.J. Dixon
Many of us would regard someone with one year of freeze-dried food as a good example of someone who is prepared. They are ready to ride out the storm when a major Without Rule of Law (WROL) scenario comes along. The issue then becomes, what happens after that first year? Even if they escape mob […]
Preparedness Notes for Sunday — June 13, 2021
On June 13, 1777, Marquis de Lafayette landed in the fledgling United States. — SurvivalBlog Writing Contest Today we present another entry for Round 95 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prizes for this round include: First Prize: The photovoltaic power specialists at Quantum Harvest LLC are providing a store-wide 10% off coupon. Depending […]
You Know You Need an Emergency Radio… But Which One?
You’ve received a few emails from me in the past about emergency weather radios. The purpose was to tell you how important it is to have one handy. That’s why these radios are included in just about every bug-out bag list you’ve ever seen.
Based on how many of you have purchased the 4Patriots Liberty Band Emergency Solar Radio, I assume you don’t need any more convincing.
You realize that extreme weather is becoming more frequent and more violent. And you know weather forecasters are predicting more hurricanes and more tornados this year than usual.
So, I’m not going to waste your time trying to convince you to add one to your survival stockpile. But if you haven’t done so yet, I do want to provide some tips on what to look for in an emergency radio. Because there are many choices out there.
Say yes to NOAA
The first thing you should do when it comes time to selecting an emergency radio is make sure it’s a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) weather radio.
Having access to critical information is key to surviving in any emergency. With a NOAA weather radio, you’re certain to receive timely information about weather threats in your area. Including evacuation routes and other breaking news.
These radios broadcast official National Weather Service warnings, watches, forecasts and other hazard information 24/7. If you program your county’s six-digit code into it, a loud alarm will sound when dangerous weather approaches.
Some of these weather radios allow you to choose which particular alerts you want to receive. And which you don’t.
Plenty of charging options
OK, now you’re set with weather alerts. Is there anything else you need in an emergency radio? Yes, plenty.
Let’s start with how to keep it charged. A dead emergency radio is useless, so don’t choose one that gives you only one or two options.
You want a radio with a powerful battery inside. But you also want other ways to charge it.
Including plugging it into an outlet, exposing the radio’s solar panel to the sun and cranking it up by hand.
Power bank with a flashlight
Any of those options will keep your emergency radio charged. But you also want to have a radio that can “share the wealth.”
You may find yourself in a position where you need to charge your cellphone. Or a tablet, e-reader, camera, flashlight, cooling fan or another item. Select an emergency radio that can do all that.
There’s no guarantee you’ll have daylight when a weather emergency interrupts your life.
You may need to light your path. So, make sure your radio includes a bright flashlight.
Light, compact and durable… with extras
Other features you want in an emergency radio are just as practical. For example, you don’t want one that’s heavy. It would be a burden to carry in your hand or in a bag.
You also want a radio that’s compact yet durable. One that can take a few dings without getting damaged. And what about some extras the average person might not think about?
Choose an emergency radio that includes a sturdy metal clip so you can attach it to a backpack or belt loop. Select one that has a charging indicator so you always know how much juice it has. Pick one with an earphone jack so you can listen discreetly.
Finally, you want an emergency radio that’s priced right. If for no other reason than so you can buy several of them. For your home and vehicle, and even as gifts for loved ones.
My recommendation is…
The emergency radio I’m recommending will not be a surprise. I let the cat out of the bag back in the second paragraph.
And it might be difficult to believe, but every feature I mentioned as being important in an emergency radio is included in one radio – the 4Patriots Liberty Band Emergency Solar Radio.
Of course, this is not a coincidence. We started with the end in mind with this product. We made sure this tactical information hub features NOAA weather alerts, with seven 24/7 weather channels and AM/FM and shortwave radio.
We insisted it include an LCD display clock with alarm and an ultra-bright flashlight.
We made it lightweight with the ability to recharge with the power of the sun.
We added a hand crank for emergency starting. We even made sure that it could power up other devices when you need them most. Including your cellphone.
I feel like we’ve made the 4Patriots Liberty Band Emergency Solar Radio as desirable as we possibly can. But if you need any extra incentive, how’s this?
If you purchase three of them, I’ll knock a small amount off the price of each unit, provide you with free shipping, and toss in a few bonuses. Including a free Patriot Power Cell, a free 72-Hour Survival Food Kit and a free $25 gift certificate.
How to Choose Most Efficient Tactical Battle Belts
Battle belts are as important as guns. Soldiers wouldn’t be caught dead without wearing one in combat. But whether you are a combatant or an ordinary civilian, this tactical gear can also be useful in your everyday war for survival. RELATED: Are You Tactical or Tacti-cool? What Do You Need A Battle Belt For? Designed […]
