My Dad, Arthur had two brothers Melvin and Edward and one sister, Millie. I never met my Uncle Edward because he was killed during WW2. But I knew him through stories my dad would tell me and I know that my Gramma Bertha and Grampa Max thought about him every day.
I always wondered what would have happened if he lived. What would he have been like (My Dad said he was a good kid.) Would have he have married? Would I have more cousins?
American cemetery in Cambridge,England
I found this today and I was able to leave a flower.
USAAF WORLD WAR II
Passenger M/Sgt. Edward Z. M. Gelman Lost
Hometown: Massachusetts
Squadron: 532nd 381st Bomb Group
Service# 11030709
Awards: Bronze Star
Pilot Captain Charles E. Ackerman Lost
Target: Ferry Mission
CASUALTIES NOT LISTED IN MACR
Date Lost: 23-Apr-45
Serial Number: #43-38856
Aircraft Model B-17G
Aircraft Letter:
Aircraft Name:
Location: southern side of North Barrule Isle of Man
Cause: Pilot error, 31 service men lost.
Reports from the time of this crash stated that no combat operations over Germany were planned, so servicemen from nine different units were billeted for a week’s leave to Northern Ireland. The men chosen were the support servicemen, the ground crews, armourers, mechanics and fitters – people who kept the aircraft flying, combat-ready and safe. Some of those men had been on duty since June 1943 and for most this was their first real break. This ferry flight from Ridgewell in Esssex to Nutts Corner in Northern Ireland with a normal crew and a large number of passengers was on course flying in low cloud when it crossed the coast of the Isle of Man. The flight, piloted by Captain Charles E. Ackerman was never to reach its destination. Shortly after the aircraft passed over Glen Mona and Corrany before flying into the steep southern slope of North Barrule about 200ft short of the summit of the hill. The aircraft disintegrated with most of the airframe being consumed by fire. The crash killed all 31 crew and passengers on the aircraft.
The sadness of this tragedy was compounded by the fact that it happened just two weeks before the end of the war.
Boeing B-17G Flying Fortress 43-38856 of the 534th Bombardment Squadron, 381st Bombardment Group, flew into the southern side of North Barrule on the 23rd April 1945.
The aircraft was on a ferry flight from Ridgewell in Esssex to Nutts Corner in Northern Ireland with a normal ferry crew and a large number of passengers. These passengers were additional aircrew and ground crew travelling to Northern Ireland for a short period of leave. The aircraft was on course flying in low cloud when it crossed the coast of the Isle of Man. Shortly after the aircraft passed over Glen Mona and Corrany before flying into the steep southern slope of North Barrule about 200ft short of the summit of the hill. The aircraft disintegrated with most of the airframe being consumed by fire. The crash killed all 31 crew and passengers on the aircraft.
American Cemetery in Cambridge, England
This was the second accident on the island involving a B-17 in less than 10 days, the previous accident also detailed on this site.
The 381st Bomb Group flew B-17 Flying Fortresses from Ridgewell, Essex between June 1943 and April 1945. The Group was awarded two Distinguished Unit Citations, the first for bombing shipyards at Bremen, whilst under heavy attack, on 8 October 1943 and the second was awarded to the 1st Bomb Division as a whole for flying without fighter protection to bomb aircraft factories at Oschersleben on 11 January 1944.
When Adam was 13 we went to England for 3 weeks and we went to visit our Uncle Edward’s grave in Cambridge, England. It was amazing experience. They help you find the grave and then take you there with sand so you can take photos.
“The South Florida Water Management District is directed by nine Governing Board members who set policy for the agency. They reside within the agency’s 16-county region and represent a cross section of interests, including the environment, agriculture, local government, recreation and business. Governing Board members are unpaid citizen volunteers appointed by the Governor and confirmed by the Florida Senate. They generally serve four-year terms.
Kevin Powers
Vice Chair
[Term: 5/2013 – 3/2017]
At-large member for an area that includes St. Lucie, Martin, Palm Beach, Broward, Miami-Dade and Monroe counties.
Occupation: Partner, Indiantown Realty Corp
Professional, Business and Service Affiliations:
•
Director, Stuart Martin County Chamber of Commerce
•
Member, Indiantown Western Martin County Chamber
of Commerce
•
Former Director, United Way of Martin County
Former Vice President and Director, Martin County
Taxpayers Association
–
Former Director, Economic Council of Martin County
Support continued funding to store, clean and move more water south from Lake Okeechobee, rather than having it discharged to tide through our estuary. Recognize that CERP and CEPP projects need to be consistently funded until their completion. Note that all projects help to protect the environment while providing Jobs and Economic benefit to all communities in South Florida.
I wrote that Janeen was kind enough to give him some fish to bring to Tallahassee and he was going speak to some people on our behalf. So for five minutes we were hopeful.
It must must have been quite a trip because he came back and told us that RIck Scott, The legislature and SFWMD was our best friends. So where did the fish go? Did he just say this because some people wanted some for their desk? Did some people take the fish and then say FU to all of us? What happened in Tallahassee?
You can hear it for yourself.
The last meeting I went to I honestly thought I could a glimpse of human being on his and others faces when I asked them what was their plan to stop the discharges. Kevin spoke about being a kid on the Indian River Lagoon and going to Boy Scout Island.
He must have gotten something really good in Tallahassee. Something better than saving our drinking water, saving South Florida from salt water intrusion, recharging the aquifers, stopping the toxic discharges.
He lives here. He can’t even run away from the damage that he has done. And during this whole time he couldn’t call his friends? He couldn’t call his neighbors and say “Hey, this is what the story is. But you know what let’s figure something out. Let’s a find a solution for the pollution!”
I totally understand people having a difference of opinion. But I also expect when people are in charge and there is a problem they find solutions and they don’t play games. We have had nothing but games played. Us. The citizens of Martin County. Your friends and neighbors.
My Dad always told me to be a good friend and neighbor. Here are 10 worse neighbors in movies.
What we need is a good neighbor. Someone who is concerned about us, our economy, our water, our real estate, our welfare.
We need to have a neighbor like Wilson.
or even these guys.
than this guy
Carter Hayes (played by Michael Keaton) moves in to an apartment in a nice townhouse in San Francisco’s Pacific Heights then refuses to pay rent. Not only that, he locks himself in his room and begins to tear the place apart. Then he begins introducing thousands of cockroaches in to the house! His aim? To make the house unlivable so the owners are forced to move out of it and sell it.
And I have to wonder- is this whats happening to us?
Mothers Day Prayer
May the blessing of the Divine
Be an especially bright benediction
Upon mothers everywhere
On your blessed day –
On Mother’s Day!
Funny Mother’s Prayer
Now I lay me down to sleep,
I pray my sanity to keep.
For if some peace I do not find,
I’m pretty sure I’ll lose my mind.
I pray I find a little quiet
Far away from my family’s riot.
May I lie back and not have to think
about what they’re stuffing down the sink.
Or who they’re with, or where they’re at,
or what they’re doing to the cat.
I pray for time all to myself
(did I just hear something fall off the shelf?)
A silent moment for Goodness sake
(was that the window I just heard break!)
Yes now I lay me down to sleep
I pray my wits about me keep
But as I look around I know,
I must’ve lost them long ago.
I feel I need to tackle this any maybe someone somewhere will read it and be able to help someone. The only goodness that comes out of a suicide death of a friend or a family is perhaps one can gain a little knowledge and understanding.
As a spiritual counselor and as psych rn sometimes my views run into each other and I have to figure out how to reconcile things. If you do not agree thats fine but even better if this gives you something to think about and one day it will save a life.
1. When someone kills themselves they are not in their right minds. period end of story. and I differentiate this from someone who is at the end of their life and chooses hospice -that is different. When I come across someone who is in this situation a referral to hospice is appropriate. When I come across someone who I feel is depressed and they want to die then all bets are off. Go get assessed and treated then tell me how you feel.
2. If someone you may think is depressed and they have taken all sorts of antidepressants and non of them work its pretty reasonable to think maybe they are not clinically depressed.
3. Depression is chemical pure and simple. I’m not a proponent of drugs but when people need them they need them.
4. People who are bipolar usually don’t want to be treated because they really enjoy the upswing ( and really who wouldn’t) (and we enjoy the upswing too if your honest about it -its a relief from the other behavor) and many people who are very creative will not seek treatment because they feel they will destroy they’re creativity.
I hate looking back – it doesn’t do you any good to rehash the past – and I know ,yes , sometimes things just get stuck in your head and remain there. There is a way to get rid of all that stuff and no its not drowning your sorrow in alcohol. Its mediation. try it. But first state your case. Write it down and call a friend and say “I’m going to read you this and afterwards I’m never going to mention it again (maybe) but in order to get these ghosts out of my brain I really need you to listen. The first step in moving forward is understanding where you came from, own those feelings, honor them and then get rid of them —adios!
I’m looking back to share my journey because its been an amazing journey. Maybe I didn’t understand at the time what I understand now but I did understand that I needed to move forward. My aha moment didn’t come from any great philosopher or spiritual leader. It came from a dog named Enzo a character in a book that I now call my most favorite book ever. I found it in a Starbucks in Bourne, Mass.
I started to read it at the airport and by the time we were ready to land in West Palm Beach I was finished and I knew everything I needed to move forward.
“your car goes where your eyes go” Denny from the Art of racing in the rain.
If someone told me in 2007 that I would be living in Jensen Beach, working again as a home health nurse, practicing reiki, studying to be a spiritual counselor and a meditation instructor I would have told them they were nuts. Life takes you on the journey you were meant to be on. You just have to let go and enjoy the ride. “Flow” as my friend Victor says. My very best advice is if you are at a fork on the road take the high road. Believe in yourself and believe that this is happening for a reason. You may not know the reason but trust there is a force bigger than you and that if you hang there one day you’ll wake up and say “Oh YA now I get it.” and if your just not ready to do that believe in Yoda.
cyndi lenz 