Blue Angels

And yet again another military related post from me. Last weekend, my girlfriend and I traveled to Pensacola, Fl to stay with some friends and also go see the Navy Blue Angels Flight Demonstration Team. To describe these pilots and the platforms they operate can be defined in one word: intense! These guys were absolutely unbelievable. Their high octane performance leaves you on the edge of your seat the whole performance. You could watch them everyday and it would not get old. This visit was really special to me because Pensacola was my last duty station. Make the drive to Pensacola and check out the Blue Angels. Their website is http://www.blueangels.navy.mil/

Mississippi Armed Forces Museum

I am sorry but it is another post about a War Museum for me. I frequent these exhibits because I am a war vet and I also enjoy antiquity and when you put those two together you get War Museums. The most recent one that I have visited was the Mississippi Armed Forces Museum here at Camp Shelby. This museum does not just concentrate on one war but all wars from the 19th century forward. The very interesting part of this exhibit is it concentrates on Mississippi war veterans and it also has a Medal of Honor exhibit. Once again this Museum is right down the road from you and your cheating yourself out of something special if you do not attend. For info and directions go to: http://www.armedforcesmuseum.us/Pages/Main.html

National World War II Museum

Last time I was in New Orleans, my girlfriend and myself visited the National World War II Museum. I was blown away by the detail and effort that the curators of the museum put into this. With two different exhibits dedicated to the Pacific and European theaters. The exhibit gives a new perspective on the war because of the artifacts and detail. The most interesting aspect to me was how they showed the war's impact here in America. If you have not visited this exhibit, treat yourself and make the short trip to New Orleans. For information and directions visit: http://www.nationalww2museum.org/

South Mississippi Mule Pull

Often I am amazed at how country my family and friends are. My parents are members of the South Mississippi Mule and Horse Association. That's right. A group that is dedicated to mules and horses. I thought to myself, when I heard about this, only does this happen in Mississippi. I have been to a couple of these events called Mule Pulls. This is where weighted sleds are hooked up to a mule or two mules and they see who can pull the most weight. It is actually fun to see the mammoth creatures work together with their trainer who is shouting all sorts of commands. The Mule Pulls also have a variety of entertainment. A petting zoo for the kids, concerts, great food, etc... After being a witness to this spectacle, I am not ashamed of being country. Mules and Horses, great food and southern hospitality and fellowship is country. It is Mississippi. Visit the groups website at http://www.smmha.com/.

Special Collections

I really enjoyed our trip to the Special Collections section of the McCain Library for a couple of significant reasons. The first being that I am a huge fan of historical artifacts and history in general. It is amazing how much life has changed over the years and it is special to be able to actually hold some of the things that someone else made or journey into someone else's thoughts that was formulated so many years ago. I also enjoyed the Special Collections because of some of the Political Artifacts. I was fascinated with the Sen. Theodore Bilbo archives. The old Civil War letters were very interesting also and are personal to me with me being a war vet because I can compare and contrast things that I experienced with things that they experienced many years ago. Visit the Special Collections website at www.lib.usm.edu/spcol.

Museum of Southern Heritage

A couple days ago I went to a very interesting cultural exhibit, here in Hattiesburg, called the Calico Mall. It is nothing more than an antique store but the things that I found in there definitely enlightened me. I found several old Hattiesburg newspapers from WW1 and books that were from the early 20th century. I ended up staying there for 3 hours looking through the 3 levels of antiquity that they had. A lot of the items they have is breath taking. This little flea market is our little Museum of Southern Heritage. Visit the Calico Mall website at http://www.calicomall.com/.