A traditional "Christmas Letter"

The tradition of sending a Christmas Letter to one’s circle of friends appears to be on the wane, if not on life support, these days. I only get one now, from the very traditional Ed Furey (Thanks, Ed!). But getting Ed’s letter this year made me think about that tradition. And so I decided I would send my Christmas Letter to all of you, who are not only my readers but also a friendship circle.

I’ll start by thanking all of you for being here. There are a few Friends In The Real World here, as well as many in the digital world; in my experience of the internet since getting aboard back in 1997, I’m certain if I met any of you I only know digitally in the Real World, you’d turn out to be friends there, as has been the case with every other digital friend I’ve met in person over the past 24 years. The “real person” comes through over time in ‘net comms, with the only surprise ever being exactly what they look like. So, I’m sure I’m on solid ground here calling you friends.

You all keep me on my toes. Everyone is scalpel sharp, so I have to be sure to bring the “A” game to what goes up here.

Enough flattery (Old Hollywood Rule: “The best flattery is the truth.”)

2021, the year when so much is wrong in so many ways, and the way out does not appear easy, if it can be found at all.

And yet, it appears to be the year my writing “paid off.” At least it seems so from the reviews the books are getting. Being compared to Samuel Eliot Morrison, Herman Wouk, Shelby Foote and J.R.R. Tolkien is a heady brew, very strong, something to only sip by the thimbleful - and then very infrequently.

Having the latest, “Tonkin Gulf Yacht Club,” get listed as “Best Vietnam History of 2021" by the Vietnam Veterans of America was completely-unexpected and deeply appreciated. I actually expected more negativity; but it seems the critics of “MiG Alley” who called it “woke history” for having the temerity to point out that most of the things the U.S. military did there didn’t work, have decided to ignore me. Thank goodness!

It looks like all this can continue. I finally got in to an in-person appointment with my doctor this past summer, and was very happy when he said as I was getting ready to leave, “You’re still my most boring parient.” When my father was my age, that wasn’t the news he was getting.

That news contrasts when I consider my friends no longer here, who departed this year. Admiral Don Shelton, who slipped away five months and seven days after celebrating his own centennial. One of the “originals” of modern naval aviation and a fount of sage advice I shall endeavor to continue to follow. Joe Galloway, truly one of the “greats” of our generation - it was a privilege to hear him call me “my friend” and I was speechless when he told me how much he liked reading the PacificWar Quadrilogy. Don’s passing means that now none of the guys in the Quadrilogy are with us. There’s only one guy left in my circle of friends from that great generation: Al Field, ski trooper, the teacher who opened the door to the life path that led me to this point, here, today.

2021, the year things got worse for my partner. I’ll just say: I hate hate hate hate Parkinson’s!!!!

As regards the world, I’ll continue writing about that in detail. I have to agree with Bill Kristol (never thought I would say that until he revealed his true self in the Time of Trump) when he wrote the other day that the 2020 election was more Dunkirk than D-Day. We’ve survived the great disaster that would have come with a second term for the greatest threat the country has ever faced (including the Civil War). We’re a long way yet from getting to “the end of the beginning.”

So, thank all of you for being here, for being my friends. That fact makes all the bad news bearable…