Unlike Bill, 40 years ago the most exciting thing that happened to me was at the Commander's New Year's Day reception the Auld Soldier and his Lady hosted for the officers and wives of the battalion he had just assumed command of in Augsburg, Germany, after his return from Vietnam. I've told that story elsewhere.
Generally, good riddance to this year and this decade (even if there really is a year left in it). While there have been good things - Andy marrying Ashes and the two of them begetting Miles, this decade also cost me the Auld Soldier and his Lady. Yin balances yang, yadda yadda yadda.
Fooey.
The blog has been fun, and certainly life is different as a result, but there's been plenty of yang to go with that yin, too...
Fooey again.
So, it's apt that I use this post to kick the old year out the door with pictures of stacked arms, as Og left a request in comments for how to do that, since they apparently want to literally stack arms for the end of the year.
Of course, in order to do that, so did I.
Heh. The challenge was finding three arms of the same type that had stacking swivels... thank heaven's for the Lee Enfield!
A picture's worth a thousand words, Og.
But, it so happens I have the words, too, if you need them. From the June, 1953 edition of Field Manual 22-5, Drill and Ceremonies. Yeah, I have a copy of FM 22-5 from that era. Good thing, too. We don't do that arms stacking thing much anymore. Admittedly, it was hard to scan.
So, here ya go. Page 1 Page 2
A safe and Happy New Year to you and Beth, and to everyone else who comes here.
In some ways we have gone bacwards. The 21st Century Somali pirate is the 19th Century Barbary pirate.
All the best from beyond the maple barrier and Happy New Year!
Alan
For me personally, this Decade has been a good for nothing waste of 10 good years. It started good, though; as I had a good four-year run in its begining. Ever since, however, I'd rather forget it as a whole.
Ever since the basic trainees started getting issued rifles from the start of training, in early 2005, they've stacked them every morning on the PT field before beginning their regulation 30 jerks.
All that is old, is new again.
I have learned, laughed, got pissed, been saddened, and always enjoyed.
The last 10 have been up and down. The next ten maybe not so much up.
Who knows. If I knew, damn I'd be rich.
In the case of the SMLE, they are piling swivels, not stacking swivels. Us colonials have piles, not stacks (insert mandatory bum joke here). Unfortunately they stopped even cutting the notch for the swivel in the later SMLE nosecaps, so I could probably get 3 together, but not many more. Here is the pukka British way of piling - seems very similar.
P.s. I try to spell French words phonetically, in English, just to be annoying.