"Search & destroy" photo by Mike Marcellino, TET Offensive, Vietnam War, 1968, on a mission with the 23rd South Vietnamese Rangers and U. S. Army 23rd Artillery forward observers.
I don't know of the war experience of Narosky, or how he came to write this, but the
quote is true.
Today is Veterans Day, November 11, 2011. There hasn't been a calendar day like this since November 11, 1911, before the outbreak of World War I.
Our Veterans Day began as the moment fighting ceased in World War I, 11am, November 11, 1918. This moment in our history has become known as Veterans Day in America.
This makes today's Veterans Day the calendar moment of 11-11-11-11, the eleventh hour of the eleventh day in the eleventh month in the year two thousand and eleven. You can take this to the craps tables in Las Vegas, but it hasn't brought peace. We are still fighting in Afghanistan and maintain troops in Iraq and all over the world.
"Courage is fear holding on a minute longer." -George S. Patton, general, U. S. Army, WWII
U. S. Army Soldiers of the 101st Airborne patrol a mountainous village in the rugged Spira mountains in Khost province, along the Afghan-Pakistan Borde. (Photo David Furst / AFP / Getty Images)
I found this photo on an interesting website started in 1984 to help soldiers from World War II, both Americans and Germans locate the places where they fought. It's called the US Veterans Contact point and Information Center and was founded in Malmedy, Belgium. Here's the link to the website for a further look at an interesting project. (Malmedy is well know as the site of the massacre of 71 unarmed U. S. troops by German troops during the Battle of the Bulge in World War II.)
Oddly, there hasn't been a date like this for a century, since November 11, 1911. Since then Americans, patriots, if you will, have fought, died and been wounded in two world wars and wars in Korea, Vietnam, Iraq and Afghanistan, as well as excursions into Grenada and Panama, not to mention countless other military interventions. Here is the link to the Wikipedia timeline of United States military operations since 1776:
While the sacrifice of American soldiers, sailors, marines and airmen, should be honored in deed every day of the year, the list of U. S. military operations is enough to choke a horse.
We, as a nation, must ask ourselves, to what end? What are we fighting, dying and being maimed for? Where is the peace?
Some day we should swap our M-16s for shovels and see if that brings peace.
"As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest
appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them." -John
Fitzgerald Kennedy
"My Girls" photo by Mike Marcellino, 1968, Vietnam War
Finally, we invite your to listen to our lyrical poetry song recording, "The Walls of Fire," an ode to the sacrifice by American troops from the Civil War to Afghanistan. There's a music player right up top. If you'd like to "like" us on our Facebook music page here's the link.
Photos Remix Taipei baseball team's new New Era cap (Hatclub.com) (top), cheering Taiwanese baseball fans (st1na.wordpress.com) and Taiwan Metro (axiomdisplay.com)
"Taipei subway," a new single released
Lyrics and vocal: Mike Marcellino Music composition: Tomas Texino
Taipei subway marks the 8th single record released in the past year by Mike Marcellino and his band. This latest in a series of avant-garde recordings fusing poetry, "It's our first full band sound. I just wanted to be up there beating the drums this one," Mike said, about the new record. "It's also pretty far out, stranger than fiction kind of stuff." The music composition includes acoustic bass, drumkit, acoustic slide guitar, crunch electric guitar, piano and synthwhirl.
You may listen to our new song either on our ReverbNation music site using this link, or the music player at the top of my blog. We also encourage you to "like" us on our Facebook Musician/Band Page, as well as become a fan here. There's a music player on our Facebook page too. ReverbNation music website Facebook Musician/Band Page
A story of "Taipei subway" - baseball, music and human rights
I wrote "Taipei subway," in 2007 and recorded it with Split Pea/ce, my first band, in Cleveland the next year. Abe Olvido, a multi-media artist, who liked to create music, was the other half of Split Pea/ce and we performed at clubs and events in Cleveland until 2009.
The song is an offbeat look at Taipei, Taiwan spawned by my wanderings in the city taking a break from a human rights mission I undertook in 1987. I, along with a representative of former U. S. Attorney General Ramsey Clark, a liberal activist, and an official of a world Christian church group, accompanied a liberal opposition politician on his return to Taiwan. Dr Hong Chi-chang was in exile in the United States for his opposition to the oppression and martial law in Taiwan, the longest in world history. Our mission proved to be successful as the Dr. Hong wasn't killed or jailed but was put on trial. Tens of thousands of Taiwanese greeted the opposition leader at the airport, after some tense moments when authorities boarded our plane. As we were landing I would see hundreds of troops, riot police and armored vehicles on the runway. Since that time, human rights and democracy have progressed and the tension between Taiwan and China have diminished. I was asked to go on the mission by the Taiwanese leaders in the U. S. who were fighting for human rights and democracy in their home country.
I had first encountered the very active Taiwanese community in Cleveland while I worked as an aide to former Congressman Louis Stokes in 1984 specializing in human rights issues. For four years we worked to end marshal martial law and advance human rights and democracy in Taiwan. Martial law was ended in 1987 but was replaced with a repressive National Security Law by the regime still influenced by Chiang Kai-shek, the nationalist Chinese leader. Chiang had fled Communist China after World War II to Taiwan, an island off the coast, set up the Republic of China and killed 30,000 Taiwanese intellectuals, educators and artists. Reform began in 1988 and in 2000 an opposition party candidate won the nation's first free election.
As I'm working on a new recording of "Taipei subway," I dusted it off (edited) to share with you.
Taipei subway
By Mike Marcellino
Another day, night
another mission.
Underground.
White bright light -
Two guys, guitars
singing.
Where?
Taipei subway.
Another day, night
underground.
White bright light -
Pictures
in dark
4 color corners
4 color
4 color.
Taipei subway
twins.
Another day, night
underground.
White bright lights.
White bright lights -
They weren’t
supposed to be
there.
Somewhere.
Anywhere;
Early commuters,
appearing
in a tunnel
of white tile walls.
On another mission.
Sent by God,
the old Taiwanese man said.
Taipei subway.
Taipei subway
twins.
Down below
runways filled with troops,
tanks, fire trucks
rows and rows of riot police
rigid
behind their plastic shields.
Tense moments, without warning;
authorities in plain clothes
board our jet from Tokyo.
Chaos in customs
tens of thousands,
cheering throngs
greeting him,
me, shooting pictures
in a scene
from Lord Jim.
Another day, night
underground.
White bright lights -
Taipei subway,
subway.
Two guys, guitars
singing.
Where?
There.
Nowhere.
Taipei subway
to a night game
of the The Taipei Subway Twins
4 color,
4 color,
4 color.
The Walls of Fire: story behind the song
by Mike Marcellino
Here's one of my favorite photographs I took while serving as a U. S. Army correspondent and photojournalist in the Vietnam War. I like it because it's so pastoral, a far cry from the horror of war.
Recently I wrote a poem about the sacrifices of American troops from the Civil War to Vietnam and the gulf wars and we recorded the song, "The Walls of Fire."
Mike Marcellino took this photo with a Pentax 35 mm camera on search and destroy mission with the 33rd South Vietnamese Rangers and United States Army forward observers of the U.S. Army 23rd Artillery Group in the Iron Triangle during the Vietnam War in 1968.
The mission occurred during The TET Offensive, a surprise attack by North Vietnamese regular and VC troops throughout South Vietnam. The enemy attack began on January 31, breaking the Vietnamese New Year's holiday cease fire. TET was the heaviest fighting of the war. With heavy U. S. casualties and scenes of the VC taking over the American Embassy in Saigon (for a few hours), TET was the turning point in growing opposition to the war by the American people. TET was was a complete military victory for U. S. troops, nearly eliminating all of the Viet Cong forces. North Vietnamese troops took over the fight. After the signing of a peace treaty in Paris the United States withdrew its forces in 1973. The North Vietnam defeated the South Vietnam in 1975 and Vietnam was reunified.
For his reporting on the mission, the Rangers presented Mike with a captured Viet Cong flag during a formal ceremony. More than 40 years later, he still has the flag. (Copyright by Mike Marcellino)
To listen here's the link (or there's a music player on the top of his blog)
The walls of fire
grow higher, higher
pools of blood
carnage
bodies of brothers
touching
rock cliffs and open fields -
Hornet’s Nest at Shiloh
Devil’s Den, Gettysburg.
The walls of fire
grow higher, higher
pools of blood
carnage
bodies of brothers
touching
sea to shining sea -
lost in the Argonne Forest
face down on beaches at Normandy
frozen by the waters of Chosin Reservoir.
The walls of fire
grow higher, higher
pools of blood
carnage
bodies of brothers
touching
paddies, highlands -
Nui Ba Dinh, the Black Virgin Mountain
the Ashau Valley
along the perimeter of Khe Sanh.
The walls of fire
grow higher, higher
pools of blood, carnage
bodies of brothers
touching
empty deserts
filled with giant rising suns -
Fallujah rooftops
unknown streets of Sadr City
barren mountains, caves of Tora Bora.
The walls of fire
grow higher, still higher
pools of blood
carnage
bodies of brothers
touching.
The walls of fire copyright by Mike Marcellino 2009
Well, time flies. I've been publishing this blog, "The Point of the Whole Thing," since May 2009. Stories. Poetry. Music. Photography. We now have several thousands regular readers. I appreciate that a lot.
So, to reward you and future readers, I've redesigned the Blogger blog with a new fresh, clean look, a lot of white space. I like white space. New features include a Readers' Poll that will change every week or two. The first poll asks you to pick your favorite of our poetry song recordings.
Also new on the redesigned blog is a direct link to our Facebook Musician/band Page, affectionately named, "Mike Marcellino." All you have to do is click on "like" on the widget at the top of the blog, or do it when you get to the page.
By liking our band you get to listen to our music for free. Soon we're offer downloads of tracks and an album of songs for a small fee. The page has a music player (free to listen just "like" the page) and a link to this blog. Joining the page also helps our band progress (we're now #19 on the folk music chart in New York City). If we're going to make it in the music world we need a lot of listeners.
The site remake is continuing so expect more new stuff.
A Texas crossing
takes all of three days,
nights of stars
the brightness of being
on a road to desolation
the dry dirt land
West of the Pecos.
Dropping down
from Texarkana
past Abilene,
Sweetwater
and Big Spring
through 500 miles
of no man's land
named for
an Apache chief -
the Chihuahua desert
of mesquite
bobcats, rattle snakes
and scorpions
cowboys call vinegaroons
on a road to desolation
the dry dirt land
along the Rio Grande
West of the Pecos.
Biting winds
uncover
the ghosts
of Lillie Langtry,
mistress of
the Price of Wales
and her fondest admirer
Judge Roy Bean
along the Rio Grande
a place heaven deserted
on a road to desolation
the dry dirt land
West of the Pecos.
The ghost of Gary Cooper
rode up in a Cutlas Supreme
a critter unknown to Roy Bean.
Standing before the bar,
the Langtry Saloon,
named after the judge's sweetheart,
a British actress known as Jersey Lily.
No six shooter in my hand
the hanging judge
sentenced me to roam forever
in this God forsaken
West Texas land
a place heaven deserted
on a road to desolation
the dry dirt land
West of the Pecos.
Copyright 2011 Mike Marcellino
To listen to "West of the Pecos" you may use the music player on the top of this page or go to Mike's music site on Reverbnation (free & no registration required but you may become a fan and there's a lot of new music on the site)
Here's some interesting photos of Roy Bean, Lillie Langtry, and Langtry, Texas today.
They say that each day 100,000 people visit the old home of Judge Roy Bean. About 13 people live in Langtry.
Walter Brennan plays Judge Roy Bean and Gary Cooper is a cowboy trying to talk the judge out of hanging him in the 1940 film, The Westerner. Brennan won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor. Neat black and white classic!
Lillie Langtry, sweetheart of Judge Roy Bean, though they never met. Her friends Oscar Wild suggested she become an actress. Born on the Jersey Islands off the coast of England, she was an amazing character and quite beautiful. She also raced horses. For more about her here's Lillie's website
"You Will Be My Ain True Love" is a song written and performed by Sting and Alison Krauss from the 2003 film Cold Mountain The song was nominated for an Academy Award, a Grammy Award and Golden Globe Award for Best Original Song.
America's wars: Struggle for our national conscience By Mike Marcellino
The last in a Memorial Day series on war in music, words and images
Doc and The Lady perform "Ashokan Farewell" at Cowboy Poetry in Elko, Nevada in 2009. This haunting and beautiful song, written by Jay Unger in 1982, was the opening music in Ken Burn's remarkable PBS television mini-series "The Civil War."
(An interesting note: the annual Cowboy Poetry Festival was in the news this spring because politicians argued over the nation's $14 trillion debt while the festival is funded by the National Endowment for the Humanities. Some Republican leaders want to eliminate federal funding of many of the government's program that help fun the arts, including music and Public Television. It's a sign we as a nation are in serious trouble when our leaders want to take away our music and other art and humanities programs.)
The Civil War, 1861-65, counting both Union and Confederate deaths, was the bloodiest war as far as American deaths in our nation's history. There were a total of 625,000 deaths, more than the 405,399 American troops who died in battle or otherwise in World War II. The Civil War saved the union and set the wheels turning to abolish slavery, though our nation still struggles to achieve equality. World War II saved the world from oppression and dictatorship and halted the Nazi slaughter and extermination of 20 million people, including six million Jews. World War II claimed the lives of 73 million people. There were many opportunities for nations, including the United States, to stop Hitler and the Nazis but nothing was done.
When I checked with the U. S. Department of Defense data on U. S. military deaths in the nation's wars, they identified the Vietnam War as "the Vietnam Conflict." As a Vietnam veteran I wish DOC would finally change its terminology and admit Vietnam was a war. A total of more 58,000 American troops died in that war, in battle and otherwise.
Search and Destroy, Vietnam War, TET Offensive, 1968, photo by Mike Marcellino
Here is "The Walls of Fire," Mike Marcellino's poetry music ode to the sacrifice of American soldiers form the Civil War to Afghanistan -
The United States could have talked to Ho Chi Minh, leader of the Vietnamese nationalist movement, after World War II but we didn't. Minh had used much of the American Declaration of Independence in framing the Vietnamese Declaration of Independence. To learn more about the Vietnam War, including its origins and the history of the Vietnamese people who had defeated the Chinese as well in the 15th Century, read, Fire in the Lakeby Frances Fitzgerald in 1972). Instead we bankrolled the French war in Indochina against Minh's Việt Minh defeated the French at Dien Bien Phu in 1954. American government officials, including President Eisenhower would late admit that the Vietnam War was about protecting U. S. interests in the raw materials in Southeast Asia. Eisenhower said if Vietnam fell other counties would fall to communism like dominoes. Later, President Eisenhower, who as an Army general led the U. S. forces to victory in World War II, warned the American people of the danger of the growing power of the industrial-military complex in the United States.
"My Girls" Vietnam War, 1968
Photo by Mike Marcellino, copyright 2011
To date the war in Afghanistan has claimed the lives of 1,219 American troops in battle and otherwise. In the various Gulf wars since 9-11 in 2001, we've lost a total of 4,847 troops. We still have 50,000 American troops in Iraq and 100,000 in Afghanistan.
Here is the latest U. S. soldier to die in battle in the war in Afghanistan as identified in a news release from the U. S. Department of Defense. I couldn't help noticing that Army Specialist Adam Hamilton, 22, was from Kent, Ohio, scene of May 4,, 1970 shootings of students on the Kent State University campus by Ohio National Guard troops. The National Guard soldiers were called in to the campus by then Governor James Rhodes in response to student demonstrations against the Vietnam War. Four students were killed, nine wounded, one of whom suffered permanent paralysis.
U.S. Department of Defense Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense (Public Affairs) News Release
The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Enduring Freedom.
Spc. Adam S. Hamilton, 22, of Kent, Ohio, died May 28 in Haji Ruf, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when enemy forces attacked his unit with an improvised explosive device. He was assigned to the 4th Squadron, 4th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division, Fort Riley, Kan.
For more information, the media may contact the Fort Riley public affairs office at 785-240-1893, 785-239-3033, or after hours at 785-210-8867.
As Memorial Day 2011 nears and end, I leave you with this powerful song, "Ohio," written by Canadian folk rock singer Neil Young. It was probably the best known anti-war song and deals with the shootings at Kent State. Here's Crosby, Still, Nash and Young and "Ohio." It reached #14 on the Billboard Hot 100.
Part 2 of a series on Memorial Day in words, music and pictures
Brothers in Arms
You might wonder why I selected a song by a British rock band as my favorite song relating to the Vietnam War. Music was exploding in 1967 and 1968 while I served in the U. S. Army in Vietnam. "Brothers in Army" isn't even about the Vietnam War, not even an American war, not even a big war.
"Brothers in Arms" was written in 1985 by Dire Straits' leader singer and guitarist Mark Knopfler about the Falkland War between the UK and Argentina. The war in 1982 was over possession of the Falkland Islands off the coast of Argentina..
The casualties were relatively small, the British lost 255 soldiers while Argentina lost 649. More than 58,000 American soldiers were killed in the Vietnam War along with millions of South Vietnamese, Viet Cong and North Vietnamese troops and Vietnamese civilians. But to loved ones of those lost in war, numbers mean nothing.
I, along with many of my comrades who survived the Vietnam War, adopted "Brothers in Arms." For me it best expressions my lasting remembrance of my fellow soldiers, especially those who did not come home. An album of the same name was the number one album in the UK in 1985.
In 2007 Knopfler rerecorded "Brothers in Arms" with all the proceeds going to British veterans of the Falkland Island War suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Bravo Mark! Some American musicians ought to follow your example and record music to benefit all those U. S. veterans suffering from PTSD, as well as physical wound.
I invite you to listen to this beautiful and haunting song and the moving artwork on the video.
While I have written poems, or songs, about my experiences in the Vietnam War, I am sharing with you a piece I wrote a few nights ago, "We interrupt this broadcast.." Reading it you may not think it has to do with Vietnam or Memorial Day, but it does. But it puts those traumatic events in context, context of the tragedy and inhumanity of war and killing, the choice between war and peace, and the current state of our planet, and direction we are headed in the United States and around the world. The context is not good and it doesn't look promising.
We have more wars, environmental degradation, violence in our community, lack of opportunity for the poor and middle class for education, jobs and health care, increasing poverty, especially among children and injustice. More and more Americans, whether conservative or liberal, have given up on politics and our leaders. This is understandable considering the vast majority of our elected officials, especially at the national level, are just interested in being reelected and their own selfish interests and beliefs.
We interrupt this broadcast
We interrupt this broadcast
by Mike Marcellino
TV, PTSD
It's killing us -
You and Me.
What happened to our world?
Are our leader’s watchin
too much TV?
Using it
against you and me?
TV, PTSD
It's killing us -
You and Me
More and more
earthquakes
between six and eight.
magnitude.
Arctic's melting,away
dead pools in the oceans.
Magnetic north
be in Russia soon.
Mass extinction
by humans, they say.
TV, PTSD
It's killing us -
You and Me
Sounds like a cheer
but they're no leaders
today.
No Martin,
John, Bobby
no Gandhi
or Che.
I heard
crossing the campus -
they shot Kennedy.
For days we sat glued to TV.
We could still remember
Howdy Doody
and Mama.
TV, PTSD
It's killing us, -
You and Me
Was sixty-nine
our last rally?
A million or more
marched
against war
that cold, sunny day in DC.
Next May in Ohio
students shot dead
sticking flowers in rifles,
going to class at Kent State.
By the end of Vietnam
we lost 58,000
and now I wonder
where they are
and everyone is
on Memorial Day.
TV, PTSD
It's killing us -
You and Me.
Shoot the fray
capture words
get the story
on the border
in wooded jungles,
carry your wounds
to candlelight vigils.
TV, PTSD
It's killing us -
You and Me.
Magnetic fields
before 9-11.
Conspiracy theories
towers to heaven.
The revolution''s begun
in the streets of Jordan,
in the clouds,
without leaders.
TV, PTSD
It's killing us -
You and Me.
Where is Zapata?
We're putting the Civil War
in the wrong century.
Get up!
Apocalypse Now's on TV.
We interrupt this broadcast
to bring you the news.
The Revolution has begun.
If you don't believe it
check out YouTube
and Facebook
and turn off the TV.
Copyright 2011 by Mike Marcellino
Fortunate Son
A music video of another of my favorite Vietnam War songs, "Fortunate Son," written by American rock singer John Fogerty and recorded by Creedence Clearwater Revival in 1969.
It is #99 of Rollings Stone's 500 Greatest Songs. I share the lyrics because they are so true in that the burden of fighting the Vietnam War, and all wars for that matter, was on the poor and working class. (This was especially true in the Vietnam War in that students in college could be deferred from serving as long as they were in school.)
"Fortunate Son" by Creedence Clearwater Revival with some interesting Vietnam War images, produced by Hard Rain Productions
Finally, here is my poetry song, "The Walls of Fire" an ode to American soldiers' sacrifice from the Civil War to Afghanistan. (Just click on the link to access the music player, or go to the player at the top of the blog.)
To listen to "The Walls of Fire" just click on this link to my Facebook Musician/Band page. You're welcome to share our music and like our band page!)
Search and Destroy, Vietnam War, TET Offensive, 1968
photo by Mike Marcellino, copyright 2011
Make 'memorial day' universal and end the wars
by Mike Marcellno
First part of a series on Memorial Day
Memorial Day in America is five days away. All of us should observe its meaning in some way, lasting all year round. Maybe there should also be a universal Memorial Day that every nation observes.
Sometimes, some of the best stories happen by accident. Today, as I thought of a song I wrote and recorded, "The Walls of Fire," an ode to American soldiers' sacrifice from the Civil War to Afghanistan, I went on You Tube to take a break. Listening to one of my favorite bands, The Clash, do "I Fought the Law and the Law Won," music that helps me shake loose, up popped on the screen "No Man's Land (Berlin, Germany).
Well, "No Man's Land" is a song about the carnage in World War I, written and sung by Eric Bogle, a Scottish folk singer songwriter who immigrated to Australia. I was surprised that Bogle was joined in singing the song by a German singer. I have not yet discovered his name.
You see and hear the senseless killing, dying, slaughter, suffering in the music and music videos I will share with you from today through Memorial Day in America, Monday, May 30th. I will also try and discover with your help the other "Memorial Days" in countries around the world.
And, yes, I will suggest that the people of the world create a universal day to honor those who sacrificed their lives, but also to see in our hearts and minds that this destruction of humanity should be ended. Only the people of the world can do it. Why? Because it is the people of the world, not the leaders, who die in these wars. I know that first hand as a Vietnam veteran. I never forget the 58,000 American troops killed in Vietnam along with millions of Vietnamese.
As a student of history, a military veteran and someone who will never give up the idea that peace is possible, I wrote, recorded and perform on occasion, "The Walls of Fire."
I will share "No Man's Land" in a later segment of this series, but first here is another song written by Eric Bogle, "And the Band Played Waltzing Matilda (1972)," even better known and often covered, by the likes of Joan Baez, among others. The song is about the slaughter of Australian troops trying to storm the battlements of the Turkish army in World War I in Gallipoli, also the title of an award winning Australian film, directed by Peter Weir in 1981, starring Mel Gibson, Mark Lee and Bill Kerr. I highly recommend it. It won best film award by the Australian Film Institute, was nominated for a Golden Globe for Best Foreign film and should have won an Oscar.
At Gallipoli, in this single campaign, battle deaths on both sides totaled a staggering 130,784.
Some people viewed the song as relating to the Vietnam War, which ended after 10 years of fighting in 1975 (U. S. combat forces pulled out in 1973.)
"Waltzing Matilda" is an old bush ballad known as Australia's unofficial national anthem. It was written in 1895 by poet and nationalist Banjo Patterson.
Here is Eric's version of "And the Band Played Waltzing Matilda." The video is moving and seems to have been done by a Canadian as there are Canadian troops shown near the end. And, if you like, you may listen to "The Walls of Fire" in the music player on top of this page and visit our avant-garde poetry music band on ReverbNation. Our band yesterday reached #46 among the Hot Folk Artists in the world, to a great extent due to the song of American soldiers in wars for the past 150 years, as we mark the anniversary of bloodiest of all our wars, the Civil War, brother fighting against brother. Of course, if we are going to have peace we must end the inhumanity that breeds war.
'
"And the Band Played Waltzing Matilda" by Eric Bogle
Eric, 66, performed this spring at the Australian Folk Festival.
As I believe that music makes the world go round, music of war and peace, sacrifice and memorial days will be motivation for words and actions.
As I dearly love the music of Joan Baez and respect her activism for peace and justice, here is her version of "And the Band Played Waltzing Matilda." In 1995 I had the pleasure to chat with her on a beautiful evening outdoors at the Cuyahoga Valley Folk Festival south of Cleveland. I've included a photo I took of a young girl in the Vietnam War, which I gave to Baez on that occasion. I welcomed her to Cleveland on behalf of the city as I was then an aide to the mayor.
I need some help here. Well, some advice. Right away.
I have only 12 hours to go. I'm back in the waves at night noon today. So, please do not forsake me.
Yesterday, the water was so beautiful -aqua and glassy. So what if the waves were only a foot or so and the water was still a bit chilly, maybe 66 degrees. I plunged it. Started body surfing. It was wonderful.
Except now my left ear is plugged. Tried jumping on my left foot and clapping over my ear. Tried Holding my nose and blowing hard.
It's still plugged and I want to go surfing tomorrow not to the doctors. No offense but I hate going to doctors. (I already have eye surgery starring me in the face next month. Ha! Not seeing worth a damn I can handle, not surfing, sucks.)
Also it will probably take me who knows how long to get an appointment at the VA clinic (Not like it's a shrapnel or bullet wound.)
I haven't done an Internet search yet (but will).
Thought I'd give my Facebook friends a try. I can't be the first person to get an ear plugged swirling around in a wave.
In any case I am going surfing tomorrow. At least I won't see or hear the sharks.
Hey, even if I get no response I have written something. So much for writers block. Sun block?
If somebody gives me a remedy that works I will send you a signed, limited edition CD, "Notebook Writer."
Hey, if nothing else, listen to my music. Here's the link. ReverbNation
Try "Bondi beach" - a song about surfing the third most shark infested waters in the world while running away from the Vietnam War.
I'll never learn. Oh, well, Surf's up!
Mike Marcellino
Big waves, Bondi Beach, Australia
There's a music player on top of this page, or for a real adventure go to my music site on ReverbNation -
