Bulletin Board

Here is the story of the Battle of Antietam.

Antietam resulted in nine times as many Americans killed or wounded (23,000 soldiers) as took place on June 6, 1944--D-day, the so-called "longest day" of World War II.* Also consider that more soldiers were killed and wounded at the Battle of Antietam than the deaths of all Americans in the Revolutionary War, War of 1812, Mexican War, and Spanish-American War combined.

Read this Battle of Antietam

It must have been an awesome scene!

Submitted by Warren Mooers

Flag Made of Flowers!

Between the field where the flag is planted there are 9+ miles of flower fields that go all the way to the Ocean. The flowers are grown by seed companies. It's a beautiful place close to Vandenberg AFB.

Checkout the dimensions of the flag. The 2002 Floral Flag is 740 feet long and 390 feet wide and maintains the proper Flag dimensions as described in Executive Order #10834.

This Flag covers 6.65 acres and is the first Floral Flag to be planted with 5 pointed stars comprised of White Larkspur.

Each star is 24 feet in diameter; Each stripe is 30 feet wide.

This Flag is estimated to contain more than 400,000 Larkspur plants with 4-5 flower stems each for a total of more than 2 million flowers.

You can drive by this flag on V Street, south of Ocean Ave. in Lompoc, CA.

Photo courtesy of Bill Morson

"LET ME LIVE UNTIL…….."
Today, dear Lord, I’m 80 and there’s much I haven’t done,
I hope, dear Lord, you’ll let me live, until I’m 81

But then, if I haven’t finished all I want to do,
Would you let me stay awhile, until I’m 82.

So many places I want to go, so very much to see.
Do you think that you could manage, to make it 83.

The world is changing very fast, there’s just so much in store,
I’d like it very much to live until I’m 84.

And if by then I’m still alive,
I’d like to stay till 85.

More planes will be up in the air, so I’d really like to stick.
And see what happens to the world, when I’m 86

I know dear Lord, it’s much to ask, (and it must be nice in heaven)
But I certainly would like to stay, until I’m 87.

I know by then I won’t be fast, and sometimes will be late,
But it truly would be pleasant, to be here at 88.

I will have seen so many things and had a wonderful time,
So I’m sure that I’ll be willing, to leave at 89……..maybe.

Mark Corcoran

Submitted by another good friend, DON TRACY - shipmate, U.S.S. Harry Lee