The fire started when a rocket fired accidentally across the flight deck from one bomb-laden aircraft to another, spilling jet fuel over the deck.
Soon several 1,000 pound bombs were engulfed in flames and began "cooking off," explosions that blew huge holes in the deck and created a firestorm below decks as fuel poured in and spread the fire.
When the fire was finally extinguished, the USS Forrestal (CVA-59), the nation's first supercarrier, was a crippled warship. Worse, 134 men were dead.
This happened off the coast of Vietnam in 1967 and could have easily killed pilot John McCain, the future senator and presidential candidate. It was one of the worst naval disasters since World War II.
Author Gregory A. Freeman tells this story in his 2002 book, Sailors to the End. It's a moving story if not a happy one, packed with the gripping details of heroism under extraordinarily dangerous and uncertain conditions.
We think we have some understanding of this story, having served on the Forrestal some years after the disastrous fire. Reading Freeman's account brought back the memories of those days, when we watched in awe as the Forrestal launched and recovered aircraft with precision all day and night, in good weather and bad.
We knew the carrier was dangerous then, but until we read about the 1967 fire, we had no idea how dangerous it really was.
Freeman should also be commended for his identification of the safety and supply problems that led to this tragedy. In its zeal to deliver bigger bombs on North Vietnam, the Johnson Administration made crucial decisions that cost 134 sailors their lives.
This is a lesson worth remembering.
Note: For more on Freeman and his books, including Sailors, click here.
Tuesday, August 30, 2011
Monday, August 29, 2011
The Incredible Shrinking Tea Party: More Bad Numbers for Hysterical Conservative Whiners
Yes, they are noisy. Yes, they capture the headlines, not to mention the heart and soul of the once-proud Republican Party.
But the Tea Party popularity is waning, according to a recent poll. In fact, the new numbers show the Tea(t) Party with an unfavorable rating at 46 percent. Only 28 percent of those polled viewed the Tea party favorably.
Even Tea Party favorite Michele Bachmann is slipping in the polls, in part because of another conservative darling, Texas Gov. Rick Perry.
Speaking of Perry, he was in Tulsa today, raising cash and accepting the endorsement of Sen. Jim Inhofe. Given Inhofe's dismal standing in the reality-based world outside of the Sooner state, his endorsement will result in more votes for President Obama. Good work, Jim!
The Tea Party polling details are here.
But the Tea Party popularity is waning, according to a recent poll. In fact, the new numbers show the Tea(t) Party with an unfavorable rating at 46 percent. Only 28 percent of those polled viewed the Tea party favorably.
Even Tea Party favorite Michele Bachmann is slipping in the polls, in part because of another conservative darling, Texas Gov. Rick Perry.
Speaking of Perry, he was in Tulsa today, raising cash and accepting the endorsement of Sen. Jim Inhofe. Given Inhofe's dismal standing in the reality-based world outside of the Sooner state, his endorsement will result in more votes for President Obama. Good work, Jim!
The Tea Party polling details are here.
Sunday, August 28, 2011
Friday, August 26, 2011
So Great! Gawker Ranking Puts Oklahoma in the Pits
The Sooner state did not rise to the top of the heap in the cheeky state rankings devised by the folks at Gawker, a cheekier-than-thou website based in New York City.
No, sports fans, us Okies live on The Prairie, which is not a compliment. Our landscape, the Gawker folks helpfully point out, is just plain sh***y.
But, hey, Tulsa comes off better than the rest of the state. We are home to Hanson, after all, which is a compliment.
The Gawker profile also highlights State Rep. Sally Kern, one the nation's greatest homophobes. She's one of the reasons Oklahoma ranks so low.
In any case, we didn't come in last, which is something. Read all about it here.
No, sports fans, us Okies live on The Prairie, which is not a compliment. Our landscape, the Gawker folks helpfully point out, is just plain sh***y.
But, hey, Tulsa comes off better than the rest of the state. We are home to Hanson, after all, which is a compliment.
The Gawker profile also highlights State Rep. Sally Kern, one the nation's greatest homophobes. She's one of the reasons Oklahoma ranks so low.
In any case, we didn't come in last, which is something. Read all about it here.
Thursday, August 25, 2011
Tuesday, August 23, 2011
Jim Inhofe's Climate Fantasies Meet Reality: More Science (and Ridicule) for Oklahoma Senator
Why bother with science when you can make up your own "fake" facts?
We are referring to former Tulsa mayor (alas) and current U.S. senator, Jim Inhofe, the same Jim Inhofe who claims that global warming and climate change are hoaxes. Too bad Inhofe's politically motivated wishful thinking keeps getting knocked down by actual science. (Example: here)
The record heat wave in the Sooner state this summer isn't helping—Oklahoma's heat has been off the charts.
As Sooners know all too well, it's been well over 100 degrees for days on end this summer in many Oklahoma towns and cities, causing major headaches for Oklahoma's agricultural sector. In plainer language, the excessive heat has wilted the crops.
Meanwhile, Sen. Inhofe is still certain that he's right and all the climate scientists with their fancy charts and computers and statistical trends and stuff are so wrong. In fact, Inhofe's anti-science attitude has become increasingly embarrassing, as we document here.
***
P.S.—Oklahoma Gov. Mary Fallin earlier this summer asked Oklahomans to pray for rain, as if we—the good people of the Sooner state—could simply petition the Lord for relief and, presto, He would deliver life-giving rain to His Chosen People.
We probably need to brush up on our theology, but we don't think this is how God works.
We are referring to former Tulsa mayor (alas) and current U.S. senator, Jim Inhofe, the same Jim Inhofe who claims that global warming and climate change are hoaxes. Too bad Inhofe's politically motivated wishful thinking keeps getting knocked down by actual science. (Example: here)
The record heat wave in the Sooner state this summer isn't helping—Oklahoma's heat has been off the charts.
As Sooners know all too well, it's been well over 100 degrees for days on end this summer in many Oklahoma towns and cities, causing major headaches for Oklahoma's agricultural sector. In plainer language, the excessive heat has wilted the crops.
Meanwhile, Sen. Inhofe is still certain that he's right and all the climate scientists with their fancy charts and computers and statistical trends and stuff are so wrong. In fact, Inhofe's anti-science attitude has become increasingly embarrassing, as we document here.
***
P.S.—Oklahoma Gov. Mary Fallin earlier this summer asked Oklahomans to pray for rain, as if we—the good people of the Sooner state—could simply petition the Lord for relief and, presto, He would deliver life-giving rain to His Chosen People.
We probably need to brush up on our theology, but we don't think this is how God works.
Monday, August 22, 2011
Friday, August 19, 2011
Wednesday, August 17, 2011
Birthermania Lives! Thanks to WorldNetDaily's Conpiracy Theory, Airman Flakes Out
You just can't stamp out a good (read: nutty) conspiracy theory.
For the True Believers, no amount of evidence or facts is ever enough. They are always right, of course, and all the other conspirators and their so-called evidence are always wrong.
Thus we have the sad spectacle of an Air Force staff sergeant buying the "birther" conspiracy that Barack Obama isn't really president because, you know, he was born in Kenya and is a Muslim and a Marxist and all that. Same ole, same ole.
How does he know? Why it was on the Internet, of course, always a totally reliable source of The Truth. Oh, and there's WorldNetDaily, home of a number of whacked out conspiracy theories, including "birtherism."
The link, with the sergeant's video, is here.
For the True Believers, no amount of evidence or facts is ever enough. They are always right, of course, and all the other conspirators and their so-called evidence are always wrong.
Thus we have the sad spectacle of an Air Force staff sergeant buying the "birther" conspiracy that Barack Obama isn't really president because, you know, he was born in Kenya and is a Muslim and a Marxist and all that. Same ole, same ole.
How does he know? Why it was on the Internet, of course, always a totally reliable source of The Truth. Oh, and there's WorldNetDaily, home of a number of whacked out conspiracy theories, including "birtherism."
The link, with the sergeant's video, is here.
Duh! Muskogee Phoenix Headline Misses the News
The AltTulsa gang was checking the Oklahoma headlines today and we came across this "winner" on the Muskogee Phoenix website:
And what, pray tell, did he speak about? That might be worth reporting.
Beyond the usual "government is out of control blah, blah, blah," there was this: Coburn said won't be running for senate again when his term expires in 2016.
Oh, there's some news. Too bad the Phoenix missed it.
Coburn speaks during Town Hall meetingReally? Sen. Tom Coburn spoke at his own meeting? Wow! Who woulda thunk it?
And what, pray tell, did he speak about? That might be worth reporting.
Beyond the usual "government is out of control blah, blah, blah," there was this: Coburn said won't be running for senate again when his term expires in 2016.
Oh, there's some news. Too bad the Phoenix missed it.
Tuesday, August 16, 2011
Good News for Downtown Tulsa: Aloft Hotel under Construction in Old City Hall
Downtown Tulsa is a work in progress. Now, finally, after decades of demolition and neglect, some exciting new developments are coming back to the city center.
AT recently reported on a new grocery store coming to downtown. Cam's Grocery is scheduled to open later this year.
In addition, Blake Ewing, owner of Joe Momma's Pizza downtown, is planning a new grocery downtown.
Thanks to the Tulsa World, we see that the Aloft Hotel is making strides in the conversion of Tulsa's old city hall to a luxury downtown hotel, one convenient to the BOK Center. As we say, it's an exciting development for downtown Tulsa and another step in the revitalization of downtown.
A link to the Tulsa World story is here.
AT recently reported on a new grocery store coming to downtown. Cam's Grocery is scheduled to open later this year.
In addition, Blake Ewing, owner of Joe Momma's Pizza downtown, is planning a new grocery downtown.
Thanks to the Tulsa World, we see that the Aloft Hotel is making strides in the conversion of Tulsa's old city hall to a luxury downtown hotel, one convenient to the BOK Center. As we say, it's an exciting development for downtown Tulsa and another step in the revitalization of downtown.
A link to the Tulsa World story is here.
Wednesday, August 10, 2011
Rep. Sullivan Speaks: Surprise! He Blames Obama
Rep. John Sullivan is nothing if not partisan. Whenever he opens his mouth, he bashes everyone to the left of Attila the Hun.
So naturally Sullivan couldn't make nice about the Republican-created debt ceiling crisis, one that resulted in a U.S. credit downgrade by the credit rating agency Standard & Poor's.
To hear Sullivan tell it, it's all Obama's fault—no mention of House Speaker John Boehner or the Tea Party gang who orchestrated the entire mess.
According to Sullivan, the downgrade is "a clear signal that President Obama and his economic team are in way over their heads when it comes to the economy."
Actually, no. That assessment doesn't even square with the S&P statement on the credit downgrade, which pointed out that partisanship and a failure to raise revenues were a continuing problem in Washington.
The president—not Republican leader Boehner and certainly not the Tea Party "hostage takers"—turned out to be the adult in the room during the debt limit negotiations, as recent polls have made clear.
The polls also show that Congress's approval ratings have sunk to a historic low. Here in T-town, it's clear why those approval numbers are so low.
So naturally Sullivan couldn't make nice about the Republican-created debt ceiling crisis, one that resulted in a U.S. credit downgrade by the credit rating agency Standard & Poor's.
To hear Sullivan tell it, it's all Obama's fault—no mention of House Speaker John Boehner or the Tea Party gang who orchestrated the entire mess.
According to Sullivan, the downgrade is "a clear signal that President Obama and his economic team are in way over their heads when it comes to the economy."
Actually, no. That assessment doesn't even square with the S&P statement on the credit downgrade, which pointed out that partisanship and a failure to raise revenues were a continuing problem in Washington.
The president—not Republican leader Boehner and certainly not the Tea Party "hostage takers"—turned out to be the adult in the room during the debt limit negotiations, as recent polls have made clear.
The polls also show that Congress's approval ratings have sunk to a historic low. Here in T-town, it's clear why those approval numbers are so low.
Tuesday, August 9, 2011
Monday, August 8, 2011
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