An Ounce

The date of the release of this episode is Friday, December 2, 2022. In 5 days, December 7th, it will be 81 years since the attack on Pearl Harbor. This surprise attack was the impetus that pulled the America into World War 2. When considering the history of The United States of America, December 7th, 1941, like September 11, 2001, is a day that can never be forgotten. Within the conflict of World War 2 there are thousands of events – some recorded -some forgotten. Stories of smaller battles, and lesser-known poignant occurrences, from which we have the opportunity to learn.

This is a story of a smaller, ancillary event, which occurred on December 7, 1941. One that many may have never been heard, as it was eclipsed by the enormous catastrophe occurred later that same day, and the worldwide conflict that ensued.

The Ward, was a ship that had been rapidly constructed and commissioned for battle in 1918, during World War 1. It was a 1247 ton ‘Wickes’ class destroyer. The keel of the vessel was laid down on May 15th, and 17 and 1⁄2 days later, on June 1st, the USS Ward was launched at Mare Island, California. A few weeks after that she was outfitted, equipped, and commissioned.

Then about 5 months later, on November 11th, 1918 – The first war to end all wars – was over. By 1921, the USS ward as decommissioned.

This old and obsolete vessel, was recommissioned for service as the probability of the US going to war was increasing. The military needed to be built up dramatically to be ready – so many available retired assets, including the Ward, were pulled back into service.

On January 7th, 1941, the ward was recommissioned and sent to Pearl Harbor, to perform routine patrols around the islands.

Flash forward about 11 months. It was early in the morning of December 7th, 1941.

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I’ve got a familiar story for you. Yes – familiar, but not the one you might be thinking of as you hear the tale.

Back when the rich took time to ‘dress’ for dinner, when no female would ever consider wearing pants, and long before air travel was practical. Back in the glory days of trans-Atlantic travel - there was a ship. A ship built bigger and grander than any other. It was an engineering marvel for it’s time. It could cut through the ocean waters at speeds of up to 30 knots. The ship was over 800 feet long – larger than any other vessel. An absolute miracle of modern know-how and ambition.

This astonishing ship’s maiden voyage was the hot ticket. First class passage was sure to be where the rich and famous would be – traveling in style like never before, on the British luxury liner, from Europe to the United States. With elegant dinning at every meal – and shuffleboard on the upper deck.

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Ever heard the old saying lighting never strikes twice. A phrase, that I suppose, was meant to covey that extraordinary things only happen once. That rare circumstances and happenings just don’t repeat.

And, if you ask the odds makers, they’d likely agree. There are plenty of things that, if they ever do happen, will probably only happen once. In fact, I suspect there are many who would tell you that some things are just never going to happen – not even once. Like Charley Brown will never get to kick that football if Lucy is teeing it up for him.

But, what about lightning? Does it never strike the same thing twice?

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A story told by Maria Jackson, about a family trip to the Redwoods, of California, USA.
Maria briefly recounts the trip, the sights, and the three lessons - or ounces - she and her family took from the experience.
This episode was recorded through Zoom, and some of the audio quality is not up to par. My Apologies - But, the story is worth a listen!

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This is a bonus episode, practical Bit 3, an interview with Wil Becker.
The interview introduces a resource that I think this audience will appreciate.
Wil Becker is promotes books and other media from which we can learn lessons and gain wisdom. In the interview, Wil shares some of his favorite books, and explains why they had an impact on him. He also recounts an experience where he used the kid's animated film, Kung Fu Panda, as a lesson on leadership.
Check Wil out at turningleafs.com .
You can listen to his podcasts, find him on social media, and take advantage of his list of recommended books for self-improvement, positive attitude, and growth. Will provides his unvarnished, straight forward, and useful reviews of books that you might find helpful and interesting to you as well.
I do recommend you connect with Wil's stuff at Turningleafs.com.

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