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D.A.D.T. – R.I.P. ~~
In the year 1867, the Marquess of Queensberry published some rules concerning the sport of boxing. I am told that the fellow who has the title of marquess ranks below a duke and above an earl in the British peerage. The rules contained the essentials of good sportsmanship. There was to be no hitting when…
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CAPTAIN BELL’S INNATE DECENCY
This is an essay about my military career which ended about 65 years ago. The essay will necessarily record the incompetence of the United States Army but at the same time will celebrate the decency of one commissioned officer. This essay is being recorded at this time prior to my brain delivering a “don’t answer”…
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AMERICAN MILITARY MUSIC
In 1970, a book written by Robert Sherrill was published with the title, “Military Justice is to Justice as Military Music is to Music.” More than anything else, Robert Sherrill had few things complimentary about justice in the American military system. As a matter of fact, he excoriated what is called the justice system in…
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ABIDING CONCLUSIONS
The title to this essay is a very practical one. The “abiding” part has to do with some thoughts that have remained in my brain for the better part of 80 years. The “conclusion” part has to do with these statements which allow no room for debate. And, finally, you will be surprised to know…
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MORE ON THE MOTHER TONGUE
Whenever I dictate an essay about language, I specifically mean English, which always recalls the words of Sven Lernevall who observed, “The English language is a very rich one.” I will try to add three words that will increase its richness. Two of them are of modern vintage. The third one goes back to my…
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FURTHER THOUGHTS ON THE MATRICULATION OF SERGEANT CARR
In this mailing, there is a report on the matriculation of Sergeant Carr as he spoke to the 23 members of Class 4B at the Glenwood School in Millburn/Short Hills. When the festivities were done and I had said nearly all that I could say, I retired to write the teacher, the volunteer parent, and…
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THE MATRICULATION OF SERGEANT CARR, ARMY OF THE UNITED STATES
Those of you who read these essays carefully may recall an incident dating to January of 1936. At that time, I entered high school. The Clayton Missouri public school system offered a course in high school in preparation for those who were going on to college. When I was asked if college were in my…
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A MATTER OF INTROSPECTION
These lines are being dictated on a Sunday, September 11, 2011. This of course is the tenth anniversary of the destruction of the World Trade Center and the attack on the Pentagon. Further, it also marks the anniversary of American Flight 93 that was downed in Shanksville, Pennsylvania in a heroic action by the passengers. …
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SPRECHEN SIE DEUTSCH?
Under ordinary circumstances, a visit to a physician in a non-emergency situation would not qualify as a reason for writing an essay. Certainly that is true on a morning when we learned that Muammar Gaddafi, the Libyan dictator, seems to have met his demise. But in this case, my visit with the learned cardiologist Andrew…
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TERROR, COMPASSION AND HOPE
Those of you who parse these pages of Ezra’s Essays will recall the name of Sven Lernevall. Mr. Lernevall is an accomplished fellow who speaks his native tongue of Swedish. Also he and his wife Ella speak flawless English. Interestingly, the accent that he brings to the English language is of the American variety. I…