NewDispatchJulyAugust_2011 (8 pg)

July//August 2011
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Sgt. Major’s Desk
“ Talent hits a target no one else can hit.
Genius hits a target
No one else can see.”
Arthur Schopenhauer
Upcoming Events
July 3-Pops Concert
San Angelo Riverstage
July 4-Artillery Salutes
Fort Concho
July 23-National Cowboy Day
Fort Concho
August ???
September 9-10—Cowboy Symposium
Lubbock-Texas
Our newsletter took July “ off “ and I had hoped
the next time we published we could report some
more normal temperatures and a little rain…………
no such luck. Indeed, the heat and drought have
just tightened their grip. Still, we are conducting
programs; we host visitors on a daily basis and
staff, volunteers and “ troops “ cover activities and
events home and away. Our thanks to the 1800s
baseball players and the fort’s Buffalo Soldiers
who participated in several events at the “Last
Frontier ‘ weekend in Morton, Texas, in late
June. Air conditioned history remains in the
Quartermaster with our “ Linedrives and Lipstick
“ display, “ The History of Women’s Baseball.”
Drop by Tuesday—Saturday, 10-4 and Sunday,
1.30-4.30. Last day is August 11. Our thanks to
the Fort Concho Cavalry and the Concho Cowboy Company for their work at the National Cowboy Day event of July 23. We had about 100 attend and participate. And our compliments to
chuck wagon cook Dorothy Douthit for her fine
food and fiddling. August is one of our few quiet
months, so no major events or “ campaigns “ to
report. We will host an event Saturday night, August 27, in our courtyard at Barracks 5//6 for
West Texas veterans in conjunction with several
area agencies. Details to be e-mailed to unit commanders in early August. We will take a small
crew to the National Cowboy Symposium in Lubbock on September 9-10 and we have National
Museum Day on September 24. Reminder:
Texas Forts Day, aka Forts Muster, will occur on
Friday-Saturday, May 11-12, 2012. Mark your
campaign calendars now for this Fort Worth
Event. ( continued on page 2 )
( continued from page 1) Upcoming School of the Piece for artillery training set at Fort Concho on
Friday-Sunday, October 21-23;contact Chris Morgan at 325-657-4443; details to follow. And we
close with two pieces of sad news: First we extend our sympathies to the Friends of Fort McKavett
with the passing of Col (ret ) Richard McTaggart, the first president of that support group. The
Colonel served out nation with distinction in World War II, Korea, Vietnam and among his experiences was travelling by camel while on assignment in Afghanistan in the early 1970s. It was noted in
is obituary that he thought the camels that visited Fort McKavett and other sites recently “ were
much friendlier!” Lyda Williams, staff guide at Fort Concho from 1976 to 1995, passed away in late
July in San Angelo days short of her 94th birthday. Lyda was among the “ Ladies of the Barracks “
who adopted me when I came to Fort Concho as a young staffer in 1982. She with Ricky, Hallie,
Sybil and Norma entertained and educated thousands of quests over the years. She loved people
and she loved her job, and that is about the best it gets in life. She will be missed.
ATTENTION ALL COMMANDS: A School of the Piece is slated for October 21-23. A
quick check of the records indicate many of us need to update our status. All RedLegs and
anyone with an interest in blackpowder artillery should come to this course. It is relatively
painless and the information and the certificate will come in handy. Even if Artillery is not
your thing, the safety aspect of the course will help ALL impressions get more out of what
they do. Who knows, you may turn to the dark side.
Ray Olachia, Native American educator and re-enactor went to the Great Father on July 24. Ray
suffered from kidney aliments for many years. Services will be held Saturday morning at the First
Baptist Church on Yaupon Street in Lake Jackson, Texas. Ray covered many events here, especially
Christmas at Old Fort Concho and many events throughout the region. Ray was a good man and
will be missed. Cards and such can be sent to his wife Carol Ann at 236 Sleepy Hollow, Lake Jackson, Texas 77566.
Chicken Cordon Bleu
6 skinless, boneless Chicken Breasts
Pound chicken breasts if they are too thick. Place a slice of cheese
6 slices Swiss Cheese
and ham on each breast within 1/2 inch of the edges. Fold the
6 slices Ham
edges of the chicken over the filling and secure with toothpicks.
3 tablespoons all-purpose Flour
Mix the flour and paprika in a small bowl and coat the chicken breasts.
1 teaspoon Paprika
Heat the butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat and cook the
6 tablespoons Butter
chicken until browned on all sides. Add the wine and bouillon. Reduce
1/2 cup dry White Wine
heat to low, cover and simmer for 30 minutes until chicken is no
1 teaspoon Chicken bouillon granules pink and juices run clear. Remove the toothpicks and transfer the
1 tablespoon Cornstarch
breasts to a warm platter. Blend the cornstarch with the cream in a
1 cup heavy Whipping Cream
small bowl and whisk slowly into the skillet. Cook, stirring until
thickened and pour over the chicken.
Pops Concert, July 3, 2011
Santa Rita Parade, July 4, 2011
USAF Change of Command-17th Training Wing-Goodfellow AFB-June 23, 2011
Capt Morgan, Sgt Cook, Pvt K Walker, Corp Worsham, Pvt D Walker, Pvt Harding, Pvt Johnson
Bizarre State Laws ( Still on the books )
Texas—In Galveston, it is illegal to have a camel run loose in the street.
Arkansas—It is against the law to mispronounce the state name.
Kentucky—By law, you must shower at least once a year.
Virginia—It is illegal to tickle a women.
Missouri—A man must have a permit to shave.
Texas—It is still a hanging offense to steal cattle.
Colorado—A pet cat, if loose outside must have a tail light.
Tennessee— It is against the law to drive a car while asleep.
North Carolina—It is against the law for cats and dogs to fight.
Washington—It is illegal to carry a concealed weapon over 6 feet in length.
Arizona—It is illegal to walk through a hotel lobby with spurs on.
Massachusetts—It is against the law to put tomatoes in clam chowder.
Pennsylvania—Men can’t purchase alcohol without permission from their wives.
Alaska—No giving alcohol to the moose.
California—It is illegal to set a mouse trap without a hunting license.
Strange Facts and Figures
There are 18 different animal shapes in the Animal Cracker Zoo.
Tablecloths were originally intended to serve as towels for dinner quest to wipe their hands on.
Tipping at restaurants in Iceland is considered very rude.
An estimated 14 million “ junk “ telephone calls are made every day in the United States.
A “ jiffy “ is an actual unit of time for 1/100th of a second.
During your lifetime, you will consume about 60,000 pounds of food.
Recycling one glass jar, saves enough energy to watch TV for 3 hours.
There are over 58 million dogs in the US.
In 1880s England, pants was considered a dirty word.
Smelling bananas and green apples will help you lose weight.
According to Genesis 1:20-22, the chicken came before the egg. ( Now that we have that cleared up )
Our calendar repeats itself every 400 years. ( Up until 2012...lol )
LSD was legal in California until 1967.
Monaco’s national orchestra is bigger than its army.
M&Ms were developed so soldiers could eat chocolate without getting sticky fingers.
The US has more bagpipe bands than Scotland.
There have been over 2,036 nuclear bomb explosions since WW II.
The largest man made structure on earth is Fishkill, the garbage dump on Staten Island, New York.
Stephen Spielberg directed the first episode of Columbo.
Charlie Chaplin once took third place at a Charlie Chaplin look alike contest.
The population of the world can fit into the boundaries of the state of Texas.
This month in History: July 1, 1898– Teddy Roosevelt and his Rough Riders charge up San
Juan Hill. July 2, 1901—Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid rob a train of $40,000 at Wagner,
Montana. July 3, 1886—Karl Benz drives first automobile in Germany. July 4, 1884—Statue of Liberty presented to the US by France. July 5, 1871-Trial against Kiowa Chiefs Satanta and Big Tree
begins. July 6, 1908—Robert Peary’s expedition sails from New York City and heads to the North
Pole. July 7, 1898—US annexes Hawaii. July 8, 1889—Wall Street Journal begins publication. July
9, 1893—Dr. Daniel Hale Williams performs first successful open heart surgery without anesthesia.
July 10, 1890—Wyoming becomes 44th state, first with women suffrage. July 11, 1892—US Patent
Office says J W Swan, rather than Thomas Edison invented the electric light carbon for the incandescent lamp. July 12, 1909—16th Amendment approved, power to tax incomes. July 13, 1898—
Guglielmo Marconi patents radio. July 14, 1914— Dr. Robert Goddard granted a patent for the first
liquid-fueled rocket. July 15, 1893—Commodore Perry arrives in Japan. July 16, 1920—China joins
the League of Nations. July 17, 1898—Spanish-American War; Spaniards surrender to US troops at
Santiago, Cuba. July 18, 1925—Adolf Hitler publishes Mein Kampf. July 19, 1918—Washington
catcher Eddie Ainsworth applies for deferment from the draft; Secretary of War, Newton D Baker
rules baseball players are not draft exempt. July 20, 1917—WWI draft lottery held, #258 is first
drawn. July 21, 1904—After 13 years, the 4,607 mile Trans-Siberian Railway is completed. July 22,
1893—Katharine Lee Bates writes “ America the Beautiful “ in Colorado. July 23, 1903—Ford Motor Company sells its first Model A. July 24, 1870—First Trans-America rail service begins. July 25,
1898—US troops land and occupy Puerto Rico at Guanica Bay. July 26, 1928—Gene Tunney
TKOs Tom Heeney in 11 rounds to win heavyweight boxing title. July 27, 1888—Phillip Pratt unveils first electric automobile. July 28, 1900—Hamburger created by Louis Lassing in Connecticut.
July 29, 1907—Sir Robert Baden-Powell forms the Boy Scouts in England. July 30, 1898—Will
Keith Kellogg invents Corn Flakes. July 31, 1893—Henry Perky patents Shredded Wheat.
Scamper says: We are the unlucky led by the unqualified to
do the unnecessary for the undeserving.
This month in History:August 1, 1966—Charles Whitman climbs the University of Texas
Tower and kills 13 and wounds 31. August 2, 1962—NASA civilian test pilot Joseph A Walker takes
the X-15 to 106,928 feet altitude. August 3, 1967—45,000 soldiers sent to Viet-Nam. August 4,
1960—Rocket propelled USAAF research aircraft sets record of 2,150 mph. August 5, 1961—Ice
Harbor Dam, Washington State, sets record with 118 degrees. August 6, 1962—Jamaica becomes
independent after 300 years of British rule. August 7, 1961—Cosmonaut Gherman Titov circles
Earth for a full day in Vostok II. August 8, 1963—Kingsmen release “ Louie, Louie and radio stations label it obscene. August 9, 1969—Manson family commit Tate-LaBianca murders. August 10,
1960—Discoverer 13 launched into orbit. August 11, 1968—Satchel Paige, 62, needing 158 days on a
major league payroll to qualify for a pension, is signed by the Braves. August 12, 1960—Echo I, 1st
communications satellite is launched into orbit. August 13, 1961—Construction on the Berlin Wall
in East Germany begins. August 14, 1968—Jimmy Ellis beats Floyd Patterson in 15 rounds to win
the heavyweight boxing title. August 15, 1969—Woodstock Music and Arts Fair opens in upstate
New York ( Max Yasgurs Dairy Farm ) August 16, 1965—American Football League awards first
expansion franchise to the Miami Dolphins. August 17, 1962—Beatles replace Pete Best with Ringo
Starr. August 18, 1961—Construction of Berlin Wall completed. August 19, 1960—Sputnik V carries
2 dogs and 3 mice into orbit. They are all recovered alive. August 20, 1968—650,000 Warsaw Pact
troops invade Czechoslovakia. August 21, 1967—Ken Harrelson becomes baseball’s first free agent.
August 22, 1963—NASA civilian test pilot Joe Walker takes the X-15 to 67 mile altitude. August 23,
1966—Lunar Orbiter I takes first photograph of earth from the moon. August 24, 1960—Vostok,
Antarctica records a record —127 degrees Fahrenheit. August 25, 1960—American Football League
starts to put players names on the back of jerseys. August 26, 1957—The Soviets announce successful test launch of intercontinental ballistic missile. August 27, 1962—Mariner II launched, first probe
to fly to Venus. August 28, 1967—Boston signs first free agent Ken Harrelson for $75,000 bonus.
August 29, 1962—United States U-2 flights see SAM launch pads in Cuba. August 30, 1969—
120,000 attend Texas International Pop Festival. August 31, 1962—Trinidad and Tobago gain independence from Britain.
Starr Carbine
In January of 1858, Ebenezer Starr submitted his design for a single shot breech loading rifle to the
Washington Armory for evaluation. During testing, the rifle was noted to have no misfires and its
accuracy was considered to be better than average. Testers commented that if the gas seal could be
improved, the weapon would be better than its rival, the Sharps Carbine. A patent was granted for
the Starr in September of 1858 and the rifle was adopted as the Model 1858 Starr Carbine. Unlike
other notable carbines of the era ( Smith, Gallagher ) the Starr had a fixed barrel and a movable twopiece breechblock. A design similar to the Sharps Carbine. The Starr had a longer receiver and a
distinctive web between the tail of the breech lever
and the underside of the butt. Early Starrs used a
linen or paper cartridge which in itself had no gassealing ability, but because a sliding wedge forced the
front face of the breechblock tightly against the face
of the barrel, the design controlled gas leakage quite
well as long as the contact surfaces were kept clean.
The Starr could also fire cartridges designed for the
Sharps. Between 1861 and 1864, over 20,000 were
produced by the Starr Arms Company of Yonkers,
New York. The Starr had a caliber of .54 with a
weight of 7 pounds and an overall length of 37
inches. In 1865, 3,000 Starrs were ordered chambered to
fire metallic cartridges. This version of the Starr could fire
the Spencer cartridge and had a redesigned hammer and
breechblock. These proved to be quite successful and an
additional 2,000 were ordered. Although the Starr had
proven itself during the Civil War ( 5th largest supplier of
carbines ), it was not successful in the US Army trials
board of late 1865 and no further carbines were ordered.
With no government contracts, Starr could not compete
with manufactures like Winchester, Sharps and Colt and
the company closed its doors in 1867.
Fort Concho Museum
Non Profit Org.
U.S. Postage
Paid
San Angelo, Texas
Permit No. 60
National Historic Landmark
630 South Oakes
San Angelo, Texas 76903
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Questions and comments can be directed to the above personnel by calling Fort
Concho at —325-657-4443 or 325-657-4444.
E-mail—livinghistory@fortconcho.com//WEB:: www.fortconcho.com
The Fort Concho Dispatch may also be viewed on our website.\
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Sic Semper Tyrannis
Robert Bluthardt……….….Sgt.Major//Director
Christopher Morgan….…Staff Liaison//Ordnance//Quartermaster//Infantry
Paul Cook……………………..…Staff Liaison//Buffalo Soldiers//Stable Sgt.
Cory Robinson…………….…Staff Liaison//Cavalry//Baseball
Gregg Hector…………….......Bugler//Artillery
Cynthia Bishop……………...Staff Liaison//Schoolmarm//Laundress
Jim Kerbow…..….….…..…... 1stSgt//Company F, 16th
Rick Brown…………….….….. 1stSgt//Company A, 10th
Lee Campbell……………….…1st Sgt//Company D, 4th