Phillip Lomblo, R.I.P.

Just before this most recent Memorial Day your loyal Peasant
made a sorrowful discovery, one whose timing was quite fitting
for this day of remembrance for our departed fellow Americans
who served and sacrificed for us in our military. A dear friend,
fellow conservative activist, and a helluva patriot, Phillip Lomblo,
passed away several years ago, and after many inquiries as to
where he was and how he could be contacted your persistent
Peasant bit the bullet and searched some obituary listings; I deeply
regret to say that it was there that I found my friend.

I met Phillip when I was employed by an international advertising/
marketing firm in their Milwaukee office back in my corporate days,
Phillip having joined some time after I did and joined me in the
department that I was working in. We became fast friends, and spent
a hearty amount of time together after hours talking about our shared
politics, our religious faiths --- he was an Anglican; most unusual for
someone of Italian nationality or ancestry! Phillip liked to say
that the Anglicans are actually more catholic than the Catholics;
I playfully disputed that, bringing up the Anglican Church's origins;
being founded and established by a self-serving English king
who didn't like being told "No" by anyone, not even by the Pope.
But Phillip Lomblo (his family name was Lombloghini but shortened it
after coming to the United States) was an outstanding American,
a true gentleman, and a man of God who did the best he could to be
what our Heavenly Father wants us to be. A high school football star,
Phillip enlisted in the Army and saw action in the Vietnam War
as an paratrooper in the renown 101st Airborne unit, a/k/a
The Screaming Eagles. Sleeping in rice paddies, fighting in jungles,
earning and receiving medals for heroism, and rising to the rank
of First Sergeant, Phillip Lomblo came home and embarked upon
a career in law enforcement. Serving as a police officer in
Indianapolis and Wauwatosa, Wisconsin (in my neck of the Wisconsin
woods) Phillip dealt with all kinds, and I mean ALL kinds.
He told me of the time he was called to handle a domestic disturbance
and dealt with a woman who was so angry that she took off in her car,
necessitating pursuit. And, by the by, she just happened to be
buck naked. After a few years on the force in Wauwatosa, and a battle
with cancer which took away his once-muscular physique but not
his life (Phillip was double-damn tough and a damn tough out!).
he decided to try some less demanding work, and along the way he
wound up where I was working. I shall always treasure the day he
came to our company and our department, to be a fellow Marketing
Research Associate. I left the company in a dispute I had regarding
some ethical qualms I had with what I was expected to do for one
particular client firm, and Phillip backed me 100%. He told me of
a company he previously worked for where, like the one we were
employed by, once had a positive and even fun work environment,
only to turn into a dark and dreary, gut-grinding, soul-sucking,
integrity-crushing house of pain and suffering. Having been through
it before, Phillip told me to "do what you have to do", and
said that he'd miss me at the office but to stick to my values.
An indispensable ally as well as a loyal friend, that was Phillip.

We stayed in touch for a time after my departure from that firm,
and got together whenever we could. Sadly, neither of us knew
how much time would remain for us to keep connected. And we
both got so busy with the "busyness" of life that we failed to
stay in contact, a common malady which afflicts so many people
in our workaday world, an old and familiar lament.
Such are the vicissitudes of life.

Phillip moved to Florida later on to be with his daughter and other
family members, as he was divorced and wanted to be near to his
closest relations for his golden years. He spent the rest of his earthly
life with them before accepting our Lord's invitation to share His
heavenly home and hospitality. Although I am sad to know that I
will not be able to further enjoy his cheerful company, his stories
of his war experiences and police tales, his take on the latest
political news, and his cheering me up when I needed a boost,
I have the comfort of knowing that Phillip is but a prayer away.
God rest you, Phil. It was a privilege and a pleasure to have known
you even for barely the blink of an eye in this world, and I look
forward to getting together again with you when I, too, am invited
to partake of our Lord's heavenly hospitality. Oh, the stories we'll
each have to share!

One final note: Phillip told me of his having written his account of
his years in Vietnam, that he had completed his manuscript and was
searching for a publisher to publish and market his book. Sadly, he
never found a willing publisher; may his family, in a loving tribute
to Phillip, take up the effort and work to get his story out. It will
be a great read for people who enjoy an autobiography with
excitement and color, and certainly for Americans who want to
read about an American who loved his country and served,
rather than denigrated her. Not an anti-hero but an authentic hero,
a hero who lived an authentically American life. Well done,
my grand friend. Requiescat in Pace.


MEM

Thoughts on Memorial Day

Memorial Day is returning to us, and with it the thrill
of picnics, parties, and parades. And why not? This day
is a holiday in which many people (including your
favorite Peasant), and likely some of you, my fantastic
readers, will have the day off to be with family and
friends engaging in the aforementioned activities
or just gathering at the home of a friend or relation
to enjoy each other's company.

But all the while, let us not forget who made this special
day possible, and in fact are whom the day is all about:
the Americans who fought and died for our country in
the uniforms of our military --- Army, Navy, Marines,
Air Force, Coast Guard, and, even though they are not
officially a branch of our military, the Merchant Marines
(whom, however, can be an auxiliary to the United
States Navy in wartime). We Americans pride ourselves
as being citizens of a free, strong, and prosperous nation
and rightfully so, but we must never forget who paid the
price to establish and to preserve our nation as such.
As your faithful Peasant has long acknowledged,
freedom isn't free; freedom costs. However, freedom is
not a luxury but an important necessity.


MEM

Remembering Two Great Entertainers

Your frazzled Peasant apologizes again to you, my grand readers,
for not having a new post for you this week, the second time in
three weeks. But I shall make it up to you, and in this way:

This week we lost two great entertainers, Doris Day and
Tim Conway. Doris was, of course, the wholesome, beautiful
blonde singer and actress best known for singing what many
consider to be her signature song, "Que Sera Sera" (Whatever
Will Be Will Be), and WWII favorite "Sentimental Journey";
Tim was the master of deadpan humor who appeared in situation
comedies, comedy movies, and The Carol Burnett Show where
he often stole the show with his brand of mirth. Well, The Peasant
has for you these links for you to enjoy these wonderful entertainers
at their very best. This is both a loving tribute to them as well as
an opportunity to inject some laughter and joy into your day.

Here are the links:

Doris Day  https://youtu.be/SdhAfMor9BM

Tim Conway   https://youtu.be/9IUSM4EKcRI

Your busy bee of a Peasant shall return to you very soon!
In the meantime, enjoy these lovely videos of Doris Day,
who took us on a Sentimental Journey and has now gone
on The Ultimate Journey, and Tim Conway, who is busy
making heaven even more joyful and merry!

Thank you all!


MEM

Lt. Col. Richard E. Cole, R.I.P.

The last member of the great US Army Air Corps crews that
Colonel James Doolittle led which turned around the fortunes
of the United States' efforts in the early years of WWII,
when directly after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor
Japan won several battles on land and sea against our
forces, Lieutenant Colonel Richard E. Cole went to join
his comrades for the Great Final Reunion, having attained
the grand advanced age of 103.

As Colonel Doolittle's co-pilot, Cole was part of 16 Army
Air Corps volunteers whose mission was to fly from the
aircraft carrier USS Hornet to Tokyo and bomb Japan's
capital city, thereby striking a mighty blow against
Imperial Japan and forcing them to shift their attention
away from the Philippines and the rest of the Pacific
Theatre of War. Doolittle, Cole, and the courageous
volunteers flew 600 miles to execute their lightening raid
which had come to be known as "30 seconds over Tokyo"
(Hollywood later made a movie with that very title to
honor Doolittle and his men for their heroic feat), after
which they had to crash-land their planes in China and
do what they could to make their way to safety.

Although the raid had little significance in terms of
strategic benefit, it did much to boost the heretofore
sagging morale of both the armed forces and civilians.
From the late 1940s to 2013, Colonel Doolittle and his
brave volunteers met every year in reunion to celebrate
their feat and the U.S. victory in that war in which it was
a part; now they shall have all of eternity to reunite,
to remember, and to enjoy the most perfect peace after
enduring the a most hellish war. Rest well, gentlemen.
You shall always have the gratitude and prayers of
your fellow Americans through the years and
the generations.


MEM

In Need of a Little Time Off

Friends, so much has been happening with your busy Peasant
of late that I have no post for you this week. I shall, of course,
do better next week for you. Good things have been happening
of late; I was hired for a wonderful job, I sang as a featured guest
on Saint Patrick's Day at a show hosted by a wonderful Irish
pub/restaurant in Milwaukee at the invitation of a dear friend
who put together a great new band and were playing that night
--- and I was well-received! The audience loved my rendition
of The Wild Colonial Boy. One of the band members bought
me a drink, and many members of the audience came up to me
and said that they never heard that song sung quite the way I sang
it (it was an especially dynamic and energetic interpretation,
I can tell you!), all this after I was invited to sing onstage by
another band at another pub earlier in the day. And I've been weeks
making a performance space in my apartment for when I host some 
Chuck Ward Celtic Song Circle sessions and have a featured artist,
perhaps a musician, perhaps ... myself! So much going on, so much
to do, so much to plan and to enact. And so much energy being spent
(but all for great things!).

Not to worry though; your faithful Peasant shall return next week and
we'll get down to business again with the latest political and economic
news. Thank you, my great and gracious readers for your under-
standing and indulgence! You're the very best!


MEM