Maybe its Worth Blogging After All...

Yesterday was Day 4 on the Eagle Scout project we have going on at the Naval Air Museum and a conversation I had there that afternoon has made me reconsider my previous thoughts on blogging.

During our lunch break I was speaking with the mother of our Eagle Scout candidate and she mentioned to me that she had come across my blog while doing an internet search on the museum.  She said that she found my earlier posting on the museum to be most informative and especially touching since I was trying to relate the history of NAS Barbers Point and our aircraft.  Anyway, we got to talking about my blogging and she encouraged me to consider making a blog dedicated to the Naval Air Museum so that we could share both the story of NAS Barbers Point and the goings-on at the museum.

Talking to her about my blog gave me pause and also reminded me about how effective the internet can be in connecting people to each other, being that I didn't really think that anyone outside of my COM 201 class would even know that my blog existed.  I also must admit though, that it felt good to know that someone outside of COM 201 did find my blog and felt that there was value in it.

Maybe I should reconsider and continue to blog like she suggested...

Food for thought...

Some Thoughts on Blogging...

Greetings Blog,

Well, we are in the last month of the spring semester so everything is starting to converge together...meaning I've been trying to keep ahead with assignments and so don't really have anything exciting to post today!

That being said though, I figured that now would be just as good a time as any post some of my thoughts on my blogging experience thus far.

Firstly, as I sort of alluded to with my very first posting, I never saw myself as actually doing a blog at all.  I never was the type to keep a diary or scrapbook or the likes and although I do enjoy writing, I wouldn't say that I'm  much of a creative writer or storyteller; my writing style is more analytic.  Also, I'm a fairly reserved person, I don't like to perform or act, can't sing well, don't dance, etc. and I value my privacy.  No one should have the impression that I'm painfully shy or a recluse by any means, I guess what I'm trying to say is that while I know I have things that are worth saying and things that are worth sharing; I simply don't feel the need to just open up and tell those things to everyone in the world.

I suppose maybe I'm just old fashioned or whatever, but it just seems to me that discretion and dignity is becoming a thing of the past.  When did it become so important for everyone to know all the minute details of your everyday life?  When did it become necessary to comment on everything, especially when so many of those comments are irrelevant, vulgar, or callous?  Why do we as a society sudden feel that the spotlight is all that matters?  Of course we could go on and on about these things, but in a cynical way it doesn't matter seeing as I'm sure these words have been said before...then again that's the evolution of communication in action!

On the plus side, I must admit that blogging has been a insightful experience for me in that I can certainly now appreciate the efforts that bloggers must put in to ensure that their posts are current, informative, and/or entertaining.  With the "convenience" of the internet, people forget that very real effort must go into endeavors on the web whether it be a blog, vlog, or video.  The fact that people actually make their living through internet publications attests that there is more this realm of media than meets the eye.

If anything, blogging has given me an incentive to bite the bullet and finally get an I-Phone.  Its hard to blog without having a camera handy and I am convinced that my posts would be much more spontaneous and thus far more entertaining than they would be otherwise.

We shall see...

Curating and Photos...

Along with doing living history, I also volunteer and am curator at the Naval Air Museum Barbers Point, located at the former Naval Air Station Barbers Point in Kapolei.  I became involved with NAMBP about 5 years or so ago and in that time I have had some of the most rewarding and not to mention wacky experiences of my life; simply due to the fact that I was there on the right day at the right time.

The museum has been around since 1999 when NAS Barbers Point was finally shuttered after 58 years of service.  The mission of NAMBP is to preserve the history of the base and thus far, we have a collection of 11 aircraft which are representative of types which flew out of NAS Barbers Point in the Cold War years.

Out of all the aircraft in the collection, our flagship would have to be our P-3A Orion "Alphie" which has been the focus of our attention this year.  "Alphie" was retired from service at NAS Barbers Point and was left on the flight line when the base closed.  She last flew with the unit VPU-2 "The Wizards" which relocated to and now operates from MCAS Kaneohe.  "Alphie" is the largest aircraft we have and is symbolic of NAS Barbers Point because back in its day the P-3 Orion would have been a ubiquitous sight on the flight line and in the air space about the base.

"Alphie" from the rear showing the MAD (Magnetic Anomaly Detector) Boom or "stinger" at the tail, which would have been used to help detect submarines during patrols.  While the purpose of the Orion is anti-submarine warfare and maritime patrol, "Alphie" is unique in that she is a non-standard Orion owing to her service with VPU-2.  While with the "Wizards" she was a part of "special projects" read the testing and evaluation of top secret equipment and other related secret squirrel activities.

As part of our push to restore "Alphie" to presentable condition, we have partnered with a Boy Scout to refurbish the interior of "Alphie" for his Eagle Scout Project.  He and his volunteers have put in 3 day so far on just the cockpit alone, but the results speak volumes about the effort involved.

Looking towards the cockpit from the center of the plane.

Inside the cockpit.  The pilot (or aircraft commander) sits on the left and the copilot on the right.  All the gray areas on the consoles and floor were just repainted.

Close-up of the center console, note the pre-digital "steam guages" and analogue switches.  No high-speed "glass cockpit" here!  Again, all the gray you see was repainted after the instruments were removed and area carefully covered and masked.

View of the copilots station.

 View of the aircraft commanders station.

Even after going on for over 10 years now, NAMBP is still just a fledgling, grass-roots organization.  I myself refer to us as a rebel or guerilla museum, being that we are still largely unknown.  Despite the challenges though, there is still satisfaction to be found in the little victories we achieve here and there, and I think that this Eagle Scout Project is the perfect example of what a small group of dedicated amateurs can do.  When the work is complete, "Alphie" at least on the inside, will actually look better than an operational Navy P-3, quite the achievement considering that we are using spray paint and office carpeting, and on a shoestring budget too!

Being involved in projects like "Alphie" is why I enjoy giving my spare time to NAMBP, and despite the stress and challenges which inevitably arise; there is no greater satisfaction than knowing at the end of the day that the work you put in rivals or even beats that of the professionals.

I'm Still Here...

Greetings all,

Had a rough couple of weeks...missed making the deadline for my fifth blog entry last week having overextended myself somewhat in meeting prior obligations and then I got sick...

Oh, well at least Spring Break is here so all is not lost, just set back a little.

Am helping out with an Eagle Scout project at the moment, today was day three.  Got home about an hour ago...very tired, but satisfied with contributing a full days work (make that weekend) to a good cause.

Just wanted to make a brief posting to say I'm still here...will try to make up for the lapse later this week.

Out for now, going to go to bed!

The Benefits of Re-enacting...

It's been another busy weekend, so again just a short post today...

Having re-enacting and living history as hobbies opens the door to a plethora of experiences, all of them unique and some of them completely unexpected.  Over the past few years I have had the opportunity to do the following among other things-

• I have ridden in and driven jeeps, 2 1/2 ton and 5 ton trucks, as well as armored vehicles.
• Have shot a variety of vintage military rifles.
• Have towed aircraft and helicopters.
• Worked on machine guns (non-functioning).
• Worked on 500-lb. bombs (non-explosive dummies).
• Acted as ground crew for visiting C-130 Hercules and P-3 Orion aircraft.
• Have handled artifacts recovered from aircraft crash sites.
• Acted as an advisor and extra for a photo shoot and short film.

And the awesome part about doing all these things, is that I did not have to go anyplace to do them!  I had all these experiences right here on Oahu; and it certainly goes to show that you don't always have to go far to be able to do exciting things- adventure can be had in your own "back yard".

If anything, I'm hoping that it will help my resume in the near future...we'll see!

I will try to make it a point to post more pics, I haven't quite picked up the habit of always carrying a camera with me just yet.

Out for now...

Some Brief Thoughts on Re-enacting...

Having a pretty busy weekend, so just a short post today...

Tips on Re-enacting-

1. Be respectful to the uniform that you wear and always conduct yourself appropriately.  
2. Be historically accurate and knowledgeable.
3. Practice good grooming (i.e. correct haircut) and dress (i.e. shined boots, clean uniform).
4. Remember to tell the human story behind your historical impression.
5. Connect your historical impression to a unit with local ties (i.e. in Hawaii we have the 25th Infantry Division of the US Army at Schofield Barracks).
6. Maintain a professional, military bearing while in uniform.

Lastly, and this is just a personal opinion of mine; try to avoid focusing exclusively on the "elite" forces, such as airborne, Rangers, Special Forces/Green Berets, Marine Force Recon, Delta Force, and Navy SEAL's.  While these units are certainly most deserving of recognition and do indeed execute some of the most dangerous missions, I cannot help but feel that people lavish a little too much attention on them at times; and in my mind this leads to the attitude that "only special forces matter" and "only special forces can make a difference".  Always remember that it is the rank-and-file troops and support personnel who shoulder the larger burden of carrying out operations and without them, the military simply could not function; the special forces included!  In short, give the "everyman" soldiers their due as well.

Why History?

Alright, time to get started...

After considering my options over this past week, I thought I'd dedicate my blog to highlighting my interest in history and my hobby of doing Military Living History/Re-enacting.

My fascination with history goes back to my childhood and is thanks in large part to the TV series Reading Rainbow with Levar Burton.  I could and did literally spend hours watching that show (contrary to popular belief, TV can be good for your brain...you just need to choose the right shows to watch!)  and aside from a love of reading, it piqued my interest and exposed me to a wide range of subjects and by the time I was in school; I had already studied ancient Egypt, medieval knights, and the Titanic amongst other things.



 As I got older, I came to understand just what it was about history which captivated me and I think it has to do with simple the fact that so much about our world and ourselves can be gleaned by studying it.  When people think "history" it conjures up thoughts about the past, and images of places far away persons long dead.  Others may see "history" as something of little relevance to them or to the present, being that history is so often presented as being so grand in scale and happenstance that it seems to have little bearing on our immediate lives and circumstances.  In short, people may simply say "History is boring, and why should I care?  What does it have to do with me?"  Well, I say its has everything to do with you because it is people who make history and ultimately, the study of history is the study of human nature; being that history has, is, and will always be made by the actions of people.  While we may know the how, history tells us the why and it is by this same token that my hobby of historical re-enacting comes in.

My interest in doing re-enacting goes back to when I was in the Boy Scouts.  I remember reading an article in Boys Life about Civil War re-enactments and was immediately taken with the thought of what it must be like to experience an event like that where you are literally taken back in time and are immersed in those events and places.  This is where the "living" in Living History comes from, in that you are not just playing a bit part, but rather you seek to become the part in its entirety and as such you become privy to a wealth of knowledge and experience which can only be obatained and appreciated from doing it for real.

 



More on this later...