Comments for Militaria, kewl stuff, 1 ea.

Militaria, kewl stuff, 1 ea.

2005-10-06T13:36:00Z

I see that the SCOTUS kerfuffle and the right-wing's bizarre melt-down (does the Left *ever* get this hissy in it's intramurals?) has driven the war from the media. Add to that the OPSEC restrictions on the deployed milblogs making them less compelling, and I see the milbloggers are sinking slowly in the Ecosystem, as Miers, et.al, sucks up the linkage. Greyhawk bucks the trend.

I've not taken a stand on Miers. I'm slowly, painfully learning that my sense of politics, etc goes beyond 'tin ear'. Besides that, I can't compete with the stuff that Cassie puts out, so what-the-heck, at the moment, why bother? I'll watch and wait for the hearings.

Flip side, I don't feel near as compelled any more, either. Hence the return to more root-like stuff from the past, and even if the linkage is drying up, the visits aren't, so we're not driving everyone away, even if we can't get Dusty to stick his nose in anywhere, lately.

So - as I noted before, the List of Arms at Argghhh! has been essentially frozen due to budget considerations... but we can still squeeze out a shekel or two for the 'other stuff' I like.

Arriving yesterday - a French M15 Adrian helmet. The French were the first to put steel pots on their soldier's heads, and many US troops wore them (mostly the black troops we had serving with the French) instead of the Brody-style pie-plate helmet from WWI we're generally used to seeing. Both those photo links are from this excellent website of WWI photos. I've got several flavors of Adrian brain-buckets, but not an early version, with the riveted skirt and plaited leather chin strap. One of the interesting things the French did after the war was provide veterans with a brass plate that could be riveted to the helmet on the visor that said, in french, "Soldier of the Great War, 1914-1918." I finally got one, on eBay in an auction where the normal collectors were absent so it was affordable. This particular veteran was, I'd guess, Catholic. The Crucifix is not standard equipment. The flaming bomb is the symbol of the Infantry.

Two other things are interesting about this helmet - the corrugated aluminum ring that is part of the sweat band, between the band the and helmet shell, and the fact that this is a tiny helmet. I have a huge melon, so all helmets, even the custom-made kevlar I was issued, look small on this head... but this one must be the absolute smallest sized one. I'd post a pic of it sitting on top of my head, but I'd get sued by someone who busted a gut laughing...

Comment from Justthisguy on 2005-10-07

2005-10-08T03:52:40Z

There are obviously no flies on Chief(ret.)Bill.

Comment from AFSister on 2005-10-07

2005-10-07T19:18:17Z

Waitaminute.... Are you telling me that there are *still* uncorrupted zoomies around here? WHERE? I don't see any! oh. zombies. nevermind....

Comment from cw4(ret)billt on 2005-10-07

2005-10-07T12:29:21Z

"...how do zombies manage to walk around...uncorrupted for as long as they are reputed to do?" Well, for one thing, they avoid this blog when certain Denizennes throw a chandelier soir�e...

Comment from Justthisguy on 2005-10-07

2005-10-07T06:03:42Z

'specially seeing that it's at least a hundred years old. Owhell, I should know better than to try to cross wits with you. Though I must say, maggots are often beneficial in debriding wounds in live folks. There might be a serious scientifico-spiritual object of study, here. If maggots eat dead folks, how do zombies manage to walk around uneaten and uncorrupted for as long as they are reputed to do? Should we try to find out if zombies are attended by more, or fewer, flies, than other dead folks?

Comment from Justthisguy on 2005-10-07

2005-10-07T05:40:49Z

Ow! I shoulda seen that one coming!

Comment from J.M. Heinrichs on 2005-10-07

2005-10-07T05:37:32Z

Okay: two maggots were fighting in dead Earnest ... Cheers

Comment from Justthisguy on 2005-10-07

2005-10-07T05:06:35Z

Try to be a bit more earnest, Capt. H. I know that you have it in you.

Comment from J.M. Heinrichs on 2005-10-06

2005-10-07T04:25:15Z

Cassie: "I don't comment much because I don't have anything worthwhile to contribute." Doesn't stop me, why should it stop you? Oh, a helmet named after our ex-Governor-General? Neat-o! Cheers

Comment from Justthisguy on 2005-10-06

2005-10-07T03:53:07Z

Yup, militaria are always cool and froody, whether or not they go boom. They're, well, so *earnest*. That helmet's a prime example of that. Anyone who'd preserve the hat, and decorate it both officially and personally, was obviously a very earnest fellow. Definition of "earnest", Webster's New Twentieth Century Dictionary, Second Edition: 1. serious and intense; not joking or playful; zealous and sincere; deeply convinced; as, *earnest* in prayer; an *earnest* appeal. 2. intent; fixed. ... 3. serious; important; not trivial....

Comment from MyssiAnn on 2005-10-06

2005-10-06T22:25:37Z

Yes, what Cassandra and April said. I have to say that I like the helmet though. Nice find. :-)

Comment from Boquisucio on 2005-10-06

2005-10-06T17:32:00Z

In my opinion, other than the Picklehauber, the funkiest looking helmet of the period is the Portuguese Fluted Helmet Thanx Boss

Comment from April on 2005-10-06

2005-10-06T15:14:41Z

Yeah, second that emotion, Cassandra. Not having any military experience myself, I just find this stuff interesting and sometimes fun.

Comment from Cassandra on 2005-10-06

2005-10-06T14:32:19Z

FWIW, I like what you do, John. I don't comment much because I don't have anything worthwhile to contribute. I just read and learn. That's nice for me.