I wasn't aware that the Doolittle Raiders were trained right here in Oregon. Man, we got everything here!

The link goes to the official Doolittle Raiders webpage, and is worth looking over.

Of particular note to me in reading their  webpage was that the Japanese in several places aren't referred to as "the Japanese" but as "the enemy."  Not tainted by the political correctness of today you see.

Pendleton Army Airfield

At any rate, Oregon makes an excellent location for training on such a mission. One, because it was far enough away from a major population center so as to cut down the risk of the mission being discovered through espionage The other, it wasn't so remote as to overly draw attention to the operation/training, and they could fly to California and ship out from there.

When we arrived, the security level was such that we weren't allowed inside the base perimeter to see the memorial up close.  I managed to take some pictures of it through the fence as well as some pictures of the airfield where their training took place.

You can see from the map it's just off 395/30/I-84 (not "THE 84" as Californians are want to say). The memorial is over on the west end of the base on the south side.

Lt. Col Doolittle's plane launching off the USS Hornet

I learned additionally from the Raiders' page that, not only had they been discovered by an enemy fishing trawler that was out some 600 miles at sea and radioed to the Japanese that the Americans were there (which the U.S. Navy blew out of the water.  Nice shooting boys) but that they had to either launch 150 miles earlier with the planes not having the fuel then to reach their destinations, or push the Army bombers over the side so they could bring the Navy fighters up on deck to protect the fleet against the enemy, who now knew they were there, and turn around and go home.  They decided to launch.  It was a great risk and sacrifice.  I haven't done anything like the Doolittle raid, nor do I imagine I ever will.  But I do know what it is like when your country calls for your service and you aren't sure if you're going to make it back or not and how you weigh the value of your life, your service, your mission and just have...that moment. 

America is worth fighting for and worth defending.  These men have long been heroes of mine.  It was breathtaking to me to finally see where it began and stand somewhere they had also stood, and to admire their sacrifice, courage, dedication and innovation for their country - for freedom. For us.

If you're in Pendleton, Oregon - swing by and take a look.  It isn't that far off the main track.  If you're a student of military history like I am, it is worth the trip to see in person.

Old Entrance

B25 Static Display & Memorial

The lines on a B25 are just beautiful.....

The airfield where training took place....

Interesting the way things look when you get away from the American Media and our glossy TV screens in our air-conditioned homes.  One of the things that has struck me is how our poorest among us have more opportunities than the poor of other nations.  Maybe our poor don't have a car, but here there are some incredible cars to steal....I remember in the news a homeless man graduating from UCLA a few years back and how he slept in his car and showered in the PE rooms....

At any rate, this is going back a few centuries in time and living style....of course, it would be interesting if our deaf and tongueless citizens were able to make guns by hand in their homes...although as far as the people being undefeatable - um - the US defeated Afghanistan in a couple weeks where the USSR hadn't succeeded in over a few decades....I'm sure the US Military if it wanted to could clear out this area.....they got Osama didn't they?

World's Largest Illegal Gun Market - More amazing video clips are a click away

SURPRISE!

I recently went to Burger King in Aloha, Oregon (Pronounced alo-uh) and had to use the restroom.

I know Burger King's saying is "Have it your way" but this seems more like "Having our way with you." 

This is a straight shot as the door opens right into the dining area.....I was almost surprised that the urinal wasn't sideways so you could see everything hanging out while you're eating and have fantasies of fast food with pubic hair dumped on it from the fry guy in the back who doesn't like you for some reason.

I couldn't really watch this as the woman's tone of her screams just hits a raw nerve reminiscent of too many hysterical women who launched knives or dinner plates at my head as a cop or who just went psycho.

At any rate, TSA flipping out about people filming anything in public is bogus because there's cameras all over in an airport anyways. What difference does it make if a citizen films. 

I think the thing that's annoying about all this is when this stuff happens to you as a citizen, because it is out of the ordinary, and you can't really "prepare" for it - it leaves you running on emotion and stumbling to find your footing.
Here's the article http://www.prisonplanet.com/video-woman-screams-for-help-after-tsa-molestation.html

Okay - so I live in Oregon.  Guess what's in Oregon?

Well...there's Oregon itself...and its stupid communist voting block which breeds here in Portland....

Um, trees.

Rain. 

Oh, um, trees! 

Fresh salmon.

Fresh seafood.

Nike.

 INTEL!

And - my father in law is a computer geek ( a very smart computer geek) who works at - GUESS WHERE?   INTEL!

So - today Intel had an open house and I got to see inside - see a clean room - a fab plant (I don't know all the technical names for it - was pretty focused on the crowds and my kids and the massive number of Asians and East Indians (I only saw one black person there and he was security and looked like he could kick anyone's ass) and the cubicles and such....it was pretty cool.

I realized why I struggle so damned hard being a former engineer and physics major who decides to go into the social sciences.

Because all these social sciences liberal art free thinking bleeding hearts are a bunch of retards when it comes to operating a business and standardizing systems and making a company run.It seems more like at the end of the day "as long as I feel good about myself and I tried or had good intentions then that's all that matters....too bad someone died while I was trying my best....ah well.....nobody loves my job like I do which even though I suck at it it makes me better than everyone which means I don't have to do my job....I'm so effing special nobody understands me...I'm going to file a hurt-feelings-report."  Or my favorite - the "Spin the finger and blame game" for problem solving. 

So, even though I don't work at Intel - the spirit - the feel - the energy - the ESSENCE - of the buildings was one of progress - innovation - development - improvement - progress - organization - sense - order - ingenuity - it was AMAZING!

Perhaps the most amazing thing I saw was THE PROTOTYPE of a 3-D TV.......HOLY BLEEP!  HOLY FRICKING COW Y'ALL!

You know what you see in the movies about 3D TV without the glasses?  I saw one today at Intel!

The man who was so excited to show me the prototype, Wang Yuen (I'm guessing he's from New Jersey originally with a name like that)was VERY excited!   It was soooo refreshing to be around people who loved what they were doing and excited about the new ideas and improvements.  Beyond that - no joke - move your head around in front of the screen and you could see behind the objects that were being shown on the screen!   And it was in High Definition!!!!!

Right now where I work - come up with a new idea and my boss says "you're acting like we're going national...." - or "crap...now what do we have to do?" and hear stupid excuses like....lets just say I swear some of the people who work for our company have IQ's low enough to live where I work rather than working there (I manage developmentally disabled group homes). 

Anyways - it was AMAZING to see the 3D Television - WOW - all that nonsense with the glasses?  Forget it.  You got ripped off.  Never mind it costs like $12,000 for one - at least according to Wang. 

So - photography wasn't allowed at Intel.  So - to take you on a tour of Intel - I'm turning you over to Conan O'Brien for his tour of Intel. (I could have done without the meercats reproducing at one point in it but whatever).

Either way though - it was pretty cool.

Went with the wife & kidlets to Hood River, Oregon to go see the WAAM (Western Antique Aeroplane & Automobile Museum) Link here: http://www.waaamuseum.org/

It was a pretty impressive collection of cars and aircraft!  If I was going to give a critique of the museum - well - everything in there does fly or drive - but - with all these exotic and rare vehicles, having a plaque telling you fun facts about them would have pretty much rounded it out for me.

For example, is this a little known fact?  I don't know - either way - I do now you won't find automobiles in the US produced between 1943 and 1945 because there weren't any manufactured that weren't for wartime use because all automobile industry plants were commandeered by the US Government for war materials manufacturing.  (Yes, WWII started December of 1941 for the US, but in December of 1941 you're going to have your 1942 models out and there were a couple 1941 and 1942 models of vehicles there).

Anyways, I don't know much about a Franklin Automobile - or even a Packard - or why they aren't around or the features of said vehicle.  Mostly I know I was looking at some really exotic cars - but beyond that and the restorative efforts - I didn't know a whole lot.  I *DID* however see *the* hot rod from "American Graffiti" in there (I put a picture in here).

As far as the aircraft go - they had some unique makes and models but - again - more info would be needed.  I'm an aviation enthusiast and know aircraft inside and out until you get to some "odd-ball production-number:8" type variant and I can usually tell what they were working on in terms of development but still.....anyways, here's some pictures - they are all clickable-onable so you can embiggen them (if you like or dare!)

1909 Franklin model D

American Graffiti Hot Rod

And again...

1928 Boeing Model 40C

1929 Graham Paige Model 612

1931 Ford Model A Deluxe Phaeton

1935 Packard Model E-12 Coupe Convertible

1939 Packard Model 626 Sport Coupe (Why do I think that's labeled wrong? 1939? This??? Okay - I'll leave it)

1966 Super Performance MKIII Cobra

A view of some aircraft in the museum

a line of cars

Inside a home-made-submarine in the kiddie section - I actually managed to squeeze my rear end into this thing

Outside of the sub....

 Here's some scenery from the road trip back - I enjoy photographing tunnels because my grandfather was an Italian Stonesmason and worked on many of the bridges and tunnels and other Architecture in the Portland Area.

On SR 14 with train and vehicle next to each other.

The other side from way too far away

Fantastic picture of the Eiffel Tower as you walk into the Men's Room in Wal Mart....I had no idea Wal Mart was so upscale....going to the bathroom was such a....regal experience after seeing that after I walked in.

Went on a drive with the kidlets today.  We've been SIIIICK for a week.  At any rate - today we got out a bit.  We intended to go up to Timothy Lake - but - alas!  There's snow! Still.  I got a new GPS for the van.  Its a Magellan from Costco - paid $80 for it.  The thing I like?  It gives altitude on it.  It's pretty superior to the Mio I have - but then the Mio's like 3 years old - has worked like a champ though.

At any rate, I don't have any pictures of Three Lynx or Ripplebrook - but I did notice some houses up there - looked like someplace I'd want to live.  Though I don't know about work in that area.  About the only thing to do is work on the hydrop projects or head to Estacada and work at Thriftway or Les Schwab or the Lumbermill or something like that. 

TROUT IDENTIFICATION SIGN

So - we diverted to Harriet Lake - never been there before.  I did some shooting with my .380 Bersa - shooting at a lake is a great way to get an idea for the range - at about 700 feet or so I was grouping my shots pretty nice around a stump in the middle of the lake.  There was nobody else there but me and the kidlets.

But as we drove farther on we found Frog Lake - after I found this pipeline along "Pipeline Road" - which was aptly named because there was...A PIPELINE ALONG IT!  Now I have to ask the question - was it named Pipeline Road because there's a pipeline next to it?  Or was it named Pipeline Road before that, and just for ease of location they decided to run the pipeline along it so they could keep the two together?

The pipeline seemed to feed into Frog Lake with a "Reverse Glory Hole" of some sort - but all of this was some project by PGE (Portland General Electric) for the Oak Grove Hydro Electric Project....http://www.flyfishusa.com/about-our-waters/lakes/harriet-lake/harriet-lake.htm

Harriet Lake

Anyways, I don't know what the pipe was doing as it went up the top of a hillside at some point and ended at a tower on a cliff almost - very strange.  Can't figure it out looking on the internet but - here's the pics anyways for now.   You can click on them and they blow up fairly nicely

Clackamas River Oak Grove Fork....

I was aiming at and hitting that FAR stump out there with the .380 Bersas

An American Outhouse from Oregon - for those of you who regularly read from overseas if you're interested....

House #2....whatever that is on the thing - they all have telephone going to them - but I couldn't see inside it does look like there's a valve inside though from the bottom

Rachel trying to hear what's in the pipe

Matthew touching a waterfall

Pipe running off in the distance out from under gravel with handrail accoutrements in distance

Pipe showing its self out from under grass

Pipeline level among green and rust foliage accompanied by snow

REVERSE GLORY HOLE!

CLOSER UP OF REVERSE GLORY HOLE!

Ah....now I get it.....

Harriet Lake Dam seen through scrub ~110 years old....

Pipe meandering up hillside with dirt surroundings

Pipe with a head fake to the right and up more hillside....

One of many "houses" that sat on the pipe....this is number 5....

Apparentlly how the water gets out of Frog Lake....under this thing......and on down the river.....

Close Up Of Le Pipe - on the side is le road that I drove le car on

Nice Place...has a deck....fresh running water....overlooking a giant cliff....no windows but nice place...