Stamps I'd like to see...

Considering that I rarely even bother looking at new issues, much less
collect them, it's odd that I keep thinking of stamps I'd like to see. Here
are three stamps that I think should be issued:

VIETNAM K-9 CORPS

These dogs (most were German Shepherds, I believe) were an important adjunct
to U.S. Army operations in Vietnam, and were used in much the same way as
police dogs are used. Many died in combat operations, and all, sadly, were
simply abandoned*when the U.S. pulled out of Vietnam; their handlers were
not allowed to take them home or in some cases simply could not them home.

The bond between dogs and humans can be as strong as any bond between
humans; some of the veterans who were dog handlers have never recovered from
the trauma of having to leave their canine buddies behind. I think the dogs
and their handlers deserve a stamp, and I'm not the only person who thinks
so. See http://landofpuregold.com/stamp.htm.

FOREST FIRE HEROES

Two pilots of an Electra II "water bomber" died last week when their
aircraft failed to pull out of a dive over a fire south-central British
Columbia. They join a long list of young men who have died in similar
circumstances. The list includes many smokejumpers who leap from aircraft in
the most hazardous conditions imagineable, parachute to the burning ground,
and then spend the next hours or days fighting forest fires. It's hard,
dirty labor. To quote from a web page I found: "A smokejumper's job
description might read: Squelch forest fires by parachuting into them
wearing 40 pounds of gear. Operations require days of primitive camping in
hot, smoky areas. Rewards include near-death experiences, extreme sleep
deprivation, broken bones and more interesting injuries, and knowing you're
the world's best defense against forest fires." Many smokejumpers are
usually college students earning tuition.

When I was much younger, my life was saved by two smokejumpers. See my web
page, "I survived a plane crash in New Mexico's Black Range," at
http://www.ingraham.ca/bob/crash.html.

I believe there was a Smokey the Bear stamp once, but I don't think there's
ever been a stamp honoring these particular firefighters. There should be.

U.S. ARMY MEDICS AND NAVY CORPSMEN

OK, my interest is personal. I was a corpsman in Vietnam. We carried
sidearms (I personally couldn't have hit the side of barn with my .45), but
our real weapons were basic knowledge human physiology and field first aid.
I don't think I managed to save anyone's life before I myself was wounded,
but like to think that the Marines I served with felt a bit safer with me
around.

As far as I know, no U.S. stamp has ever been issuing honoring medics and
corpsman who died in service to their country, and there have been many. I
went to Hospital Corps School in San Diego in 1963, and there was a wall in
the admin building filled with scores of photographs of corpsmen who had
died in combat in previous wars.*At that time, we didn't have an inkling of
what lay ahead of us in Vietnam. By the time that war ended, another 2,048
medics and corpsmen had died in combat.

I know of only one stamp honoring corpsmen; that was one of a set issued by
Italy before the Second World War. I think it's way past time for the U.S.
to honor its combat medics and corpsmen.

How about you? What stamps would you like to see?

Bob Ingraham*

Lest anyone be confused, I am *not* the Bob Ingram who won the Congressional
Medal of Honor for his bravery in Vietnam.

These all sound worthy to me, although the U.S. semi-postal of the
firefighters at the World Trade Center may "fill the bill" for CSAC when it
comes to your forest firefighter idea---at least in *their* minds.

I made one pitch a few years ago---got a nice form letter thanking me for my
suggestion and that was as far as it got---to honor U.S. adventurer and
novelist Richard Halliburton (whose books were a tremendous inspiration to
me) on the 100th anniversary of his birth.

He probably packed more living into his 39 short years than most people
could hope to do in multiple lifetimes and wrote absolutely white knuckle
accounts of his exploits, plus some darn good travelogue-type accounts of
his overseas bicycle tours.

Maybe we can get an adventurer series going, and honor him that way.

By the way, a nice, short synopsis of Halliburton can be found here (though
the books referenced are by no means the only ones he authored):

http://www.classicadventurebooks.com/Halliburton.htm

Mike

On Mon, 28 Jul 2003 22:27:39 GMT, Bob Ingraham
wrote:

VIETNAM K-9 CORPS

These dogs (most were German Shepherds, I believe) were an important adjunct
to U.S. Army operations in Vietnam, and were used in much the same way as
police dogs are used. Many died in combat operations, and all, sadly, were
simply abandoned*when the U.S. pulled out of Vietnam; their handlers were
not allowed to take them home or in some cases simply could not them home.

The bond between dogs and humans can be as strong as any bond between
humans; some of the veterans who were dog handlers have never recovered from
the trauma of having to leave their canine buddies behind. I think the dogs
and their handlers deserve a stamp, and I'm not the only person who thinks
so. See http://landofpuregold.com/stamp.htm.

That had to be one of the dumbest rules the military could've made up.
Sheesh - more than likely those dogs saved many a military person's
life, amongst helping out in other areas.

I would've been ****ed thoroughly if I wasn't given the chance to take
my buddy home with me.

What do expect from Nixon et al, eh?

Our canine buddies deserve a stamp.

Tracy Barber

I made one pitch a few years ago---got a nice form letter thanking me for my
suggestion and that was as far as it got---to honor U.S. adventurer and
novelist Richard Halliburton (whose books were a tremendous inspiration to
me) on the 100th anniversary of his birth.

He probably packed more living into his 39 short years than most people
could hope to do in multiple lifetimes and wrote absolutely white knuckle
accounts of his exploits, plus some darn good travelogue-type accounts of
his overseas bicycle tours.

Maybe we can get an adventurer series going, and honor him that way.

By the way, a nice, short synopsis of Halliburton can be found here (though
the books referenced are by no means the only ones he authored):

http://www.classicadventurebooks.com/Halliburton.htm

Mike

Richard Halliburton was also my inspiration to become a great world
explorer. OK. A world explorer. OK. An explorer. OK. I went a few places,
mainly at the behest of the U.S. Navy. But I always *thought* of myself as a
Richard Halliburton. He did some cool things. I believe he holds the record
as the smallest "craft" ever to go through a Panama Canal lock (he swam).

Whenever I see a Chinese junk (there is a very old and tired one in False
Creek here in Vancouver) I think of Halliburton, because his last adventure
involved crossing the Pacific solo in a junk, but he disappeared.

Now, having said all this, there might be more to the Halliburton saga. I
have or heard somewhere, a long time ago, that Halliburton was a world-class
con man as well as an adventurer, and that he was a lot better at inventing
adventures than actually doing them. If that's incorrect, then I apologize
for the libel. If it is correct, then he certainly does not deserve a stamp.
Does anyone know about this aspect of his life? Is there is any truth to it?

Bob

"Bob Ingraham" wrote in message
...


I believe he holds the record
as the smallest "craft" ever to go through a Panama Canal lock (he swam).
I
have or heard somewhere, a long time ago, that Halliburton was a
world-class
con man as well as an adventurer, and that he was a lot better at
inventing
adventures than actually doing them. If that's incorrect, then I apologize
for the libel. If it is correct, then he certainly does not deserve a
stamp.
Does anyone know about this aspect of his life? Is there is any truth to
it?

Bob


Bob:

According to the biography I found he

http://www.elysiumplayground.com/hal.../biography.htm

Halliburton may have on occasion resorted to exaggeration and in some cases,
fabrication, in the course of his travels. But outside of trying to get
some extra hype by orchestrating a rumor that he had died while trying to
swim the Hellespont in 1925, I have not located any other specifics. While
some of his exploits were foolhardy, they were certainly real.

And I remember the same as you about him swimming the Panama Canal in 1928.
He paid the lowest toll ever---36 cents---for his "tonnage" of 140 pounds!

Mike

Well we left a lot of loyal and honorable Viet Namese to their fate, an
event that is a stain on our honor that will long remain.
..
Charlie Jensen


Live right,
Eat right,
Exercise ... ... ... Die anyway !

Did he not have to acquire a plank and register to as a craft, affixing
a flag to the stern then swimming using it as a surfboard would be used
?


Live right,
Eat right,
Exercise ... ... ... Die anyway !