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1) Editor's Comments:In the United States, November 11th is a holiday known as Veteran's Day. It is a day we set aside to honor men and women in uniform. Originally, November 11th was proclaimed to be Armistice Day by President Woodrow Wilson in 1919. It was declared a national holiday in 1938. The name was changed to Veterans Day in 1954. Well, in honor of Veterans Day, we wanted to share an article about Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. It is lengthy, so we've included a portion here - the full article is included in the online version. As always, if you do have questions, suggestions or ideas, do not hesitate to drop us a note. Rex Gregor Tom Krueger 2) Memories of Armistice Day
I am writing this in hopes that maybe even one Combat Veteran, or his family, might find help from the Veterans Administration's program in solving Combat Post Traumatic Disorder. This article was compiled from conversations I had with a combat veteran who participated in the "Battle of the Bulge" during World War II. I am not sure if I am able to translate his personal feelings into my words, but I too traveled his footsteps with combat experience with another enemy -- and I too have lived with similar memories. "Combat Fatigue" brings back memories we never forget. We want to forget it but we never do. Fifty years later I still wake up in the middle of the night thinking I am diving into a foxhole as mortar shells are dropping all around. It is my hope that this message may reinforce the fact we live in a great country and it is worth fighting for. Here is my friend's story as he told it to me.
We dug in for the night. I sometimes wished I were one of the dead, instead of living another day of hell. I forced myself to eat a cold C-ration and longed for one of my Mother's dinners. Though not hungry, I knew I needed the energy to make it through another day. If only I could get at least a couple of hours of sleep - it felt like I had a hangover. It was useless to try to get sleep because the enemy was continually exchanging gunfire with us, and one of those shots might have my name on it, or one simply marked "to whom it may concern." I couldn't help but wonder if one might be marked with my name. Just thinking of this made it impossible to close my eyes. Each combat and "recon patrol" is supposedly set-up on a rotation basis, but, this can backfire quickly. The platoon leader stumbled into my foxhole to tell me I was to go on a "recon patrol" at 2300 hours. Cleaning my M-1 (rifle) was now a top priority because you wanted to make sure it would fire if needed. Cleaning the rifle had been done so often, I could do it blindfolded -- but the moonlight made it easier. I figured I had been chosen because of my experience, since I had been on five or six night patrols before. It would be a six-man patrol, plus a medic and the Lieutenant. We were going into "no man's land" so I needed to tape my dog tags together so they wouldn't tingle. I put on my ammo belt in case the enemy saw me and I had to shoot my way out. Like all other patrols I had been on - my palms were sweaty and my hands shook. You couldn't help but being fearful. I'd carry only one grenade in my pocket. I left all my personal belongings with my foxhole buddy -- he would know what to do with them if... You had to think about all the little things like tieing down your helmet strap so it wouldn't flap around and make a noise. On my last recon I hadn't tied it down and it had made noise. I was lucky that time. The moon was shinning but the sky was partly overcast so I blackened my face. We assembled at the Company Command Post. The mission? To find if the enemy had tanks in the area, and if so, how many. Without jeopardizing the mission we were to try to bring back a prisoner or two for interrogation. As the Commanding Officer was giving his orders I wondered what in hell am I doing here - I hardly had any sleep for two days and I am dead tired. How much more can I endure physically or mentally? I prayed for help and strength when I heard the Commander say your password for the night is "Play Ball." I could not let my Commander down; I had a job to do and I would do my best. The men at the outpost knew the Patrol was going to come through, but they still challenged us and asked for the password. We moved out in single file into "no man's land" silently moving along at 5 yard intervals -- fearing that any step taken might detonate a land mine or trip a flare wire. I don't remember how far we went, but every minute seemed like a hour. The Lieutenant led us to a dirt road which was our first landmark. Beyond was an open field we needed to traverse. I thanked God that he helped me through the land mines. After crossing the field, it was time to split up and look for any tanks that might be camouflaged or hid in the bushes or among the trees. We were told to keep moving but to keep ourselves under cover as much as possible. The Lieutenant whispered that the mission would not be successful unless everyone got back safely - then as an after thought he whispered - good luck and said he'd see everyone back at the command post in two hours. The territory I was assigned was on the far side of the field along a fence line. I crept along the fence line looking for any sign of enemy guards that might be posted. It looked as though the enemy had moved their front lines out of range of small arms fire. I wondered if I should report this to the Lieutenant - but I didn't have a radio; besides, I didn't know where he was. Here and there I could see some tank tracks, so I knew there had been tanks in the area. Moving along the fence line my eyes began to play tricks on me. I saw a tree that had been hit by an 88 shell and it looked like an enemy soldier standing guard near the stump. I froze with my rifle at the ready in case I needed to fire, waiting to see any movement. On "recon missions" we lived in constant fear of being spotted by an enemy guard. My throat would get dry, and if I might cough, or sneeze, or stumble, or fall, making any noise... anything could happen to alert the enemy. Then and now, I wonder what happened to cause some patrols never to get back. On the far side of the field near a clump of bushes I could see the outline of two poorly camouflaged tanks. As I crept closer, I could hear enemy soldiers talking and laughing. The hatch of the tank was opened. I thought about creeping up close enough to lob a grenade into the hatch, but I knew this would alert the second tank -- I needed to complete my mission without alerting them. I didn't see any other tanks so I decided to work my way back to the command post. A cloud passed in front of the moon, so I decided this would be a good time to cut across the far end of the field and make my way back to the command post. Suddenly as I started across the corner of the field, I heard a noise like somebody running. If it was the enemy, they might be trying to infiltrate our lines and I couldn't take a chance, so I ducked down under the growth along the fence line. I laid low and waited. It was so important to remain still and quiet. I had to urinate and my only option was to wet my pants. A change of underwear was a scarce item in combat and if you could find a creek or a pool of water you'd strip and wash yourself and your underwear. You'd put it back on wet and cold. But this wasn't a one-time thing -- bouts of dysentery would happen all too often. Just one patrol makes a young soldier old in just a few hours. When we were on the front lines, we often had to live like pigs just prodding ahead and attacking the enemy. We needed to do this or they would do the same to us. Often morale would hit rock bottom when we were told that we would have a few days off and then our replacements never arrived or were late in arriving. It was just another day in hell, especially if we were assigned another night of patrol duty. But we learned this was the life of a dogface in combat. I was late getting back to the command post, but I still took a few minutes to offer a prayer and thank God for bringing him back safely. --- When he finished telling me his story, I asked my friend if he had to do it over again - would he, or could he do it again? "If I was needed to save my family, or protect my country, the answer is YES!" This was told to me by a combat soldier who was decorated, and fought in the "Battle of the Bulge" in World War II. Give the gift that will be treasured for generations. 3) Humor for Today: Several ShortThe truth is out there? Does anyone know the URL? 4) November Lawn Care:
Be sure to rake up leaves and debris before snow covers the lawn. If you've done any overseeding this fall, be sure to mow to 1/2 inch ABOVE normal. If your fall has been dry, you can do some watering to prepare for a better spring. If the ground is not frozen, you can establish a new lawn with sod. Temperate Climate: For you folks, everything above applies to you, as well. But you can certainly apply pre-emergent herbicides. Warm Climates: If you haven't fertilized your Bermuda grass, go ahead and apply it. Mow only as needed. Be sure to water if its been dry, especially if you've overseeded with perennial rye grass. You will also want to rake up leaves and debris as needed. Hot Climates: Mow your lawn only as needed. Apply post-emergent broad-leaf weed control as recommended. 5) Increasing Light for Houseplants Naturally:
Of course, during late fall and winter, our houseplants wish they had more light. But consider this, if you keep the foliage clean and dust-free, you'll be increasing the benefits of what light does hit your plant. The easiest method of cleaning houseplant foliage is to set the plant in your bathtub and spray the leaves with lukewarm water. For your smaller plants, you can enclose the pot in a plastic bag (making sure the soil stays where it belongs), and then turn the plant upside down and swish it around in a sinkful of water. Click Image for Our Autumn Gallery 6) Quotes for Today:"He who loses money, loses much; "Snowflakes are one of nature's most fragile things, but just
look what they can do when they stick together." 7) Plant in the Spotlight: Night Jasmine (Cestrum)Most varieties of Jasmine plants are fragrant. Night Jasmine (Cestrum) are extremely fragrant, and as the name tells you, the flowers open at night releasing its beautiful fragrance. They have greenish yellow blossoms, about 1 inch long, which bloom in clusters from time to time throughout the year. The blooms are followed by white berries. It has thin oval leaves which may grow up to 8 inches long. Cestrum species can grow up to 8 feet tall, but they can be kept under 2 feet by periodically pinching off the stem tips. To encourage branching, you can prune some of the old growth once the flowers fade. Cestrums do best in at least four hours of direct sunlight each day, nighttime temperatures of 60° to 65° F., and 70° or higher during the day. You want to keep the soil moist. Also fertilize every three to four months. Don't hesitate to share this one with your friends since it can be propagated by stem cuttings at any time of the year. Click
Here to go to the page with Night Jasmine or visit http://rexseedco.com/hp.htm#cestrum 8) Emoticons:
You would be absolutely amazed at how many of these emoticons people have actually "invented" to represent emotions from giggles to anger. But, they've even gone further to turn symbols and letters into a rose, a duck, or a walrus. Simply tilt your head to the left and take a look at all the emoticons you can find by clicking here, or visit http://www.netlingo.com/smiley.cfm 9) Subscribe/UnsubscribeThis newsletter, the Green Thumb Times, is sent out only to those who have requested a FREE subscription by signing up at http://rexseedco.com or specifically asked to be added PRIVACY: Your email address is held in the strictest of privacy. It is never traded or sold to anyone else. To subscribe to The Green Thumb Times To unsubscribe Rex Gregor, Editor Tom Krueger, Publisher Please feel free to forward The Green Thumb Times to a friend. Rex’s Seedco has searched the world for quality
growers of garden seeds. Many of these farmers bring together ancient
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It
is not unusual that combat veterans have been diagnosed to have a Post
Traumatic Stress Disorder. Unfortunately many have been forced to live
out their lives with memories that they have never forgotten. Because
many did not understand their health problem, they turned to alcohol,
drugs, etc. Some have become workaholics, or found solace in other ways
to live with their past combat experience. Most just plain lived with
an unforgettable memory. Broken marriages are often the end result of
this combat experience and the alcohol related life style traced to
the combat experiences.
Here
are some tips for lawn care this November. Of course, for our readers
in the southern hemisphere, this would apply to you in May.
Last
issue we talked about supplementing your houseplant's need for light
using artificial means. Well, here is an interesting tip on how to do
it naturally.
For
most people who have been around the Internet know what emoticons, but
you might know them better as smileys - these are the sideways happy
faces that people use to make messages more friendly, but also to emphasize
what they are trying to say.