Comments appreciated.  I don’t want to see this community end.  I don’t think any of us do.

WE the undersigned; Friends, Acquaintances, Shipmates, Classmates, Regulars, and Lurkers, do hereby agree that:

WHEREAS the blog NEPTUNUS LEX has brought us all great joy over the years; AND

WHEREAS the loss of CAPT CARROLL LEFON, USN (RET) has made the world a lesser place; AND

WHEREAS in an effort to maintain his legacy, agree to the following;

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED by The Readership of Neptunus Lex that:

1. We the loyal readers and followers will do everything in our ability to maintain an archive of Lex’s posts, comments and links;
2. To the extent possible, join together in person in remembrance of Lex on or about March 6^th each year hence;
3. If needed, establish a financial vehicle for the collection and distribution of contributed funds as the LeFon family deems appropriate;
4. We agree to hold ourselves to the standard of integrity, honor, commitment, humility, and civility as set by Lex.

So say we all…

The first item is books.  Not just any books, mind you, but good quality, worthwhile reads.  We’ve got $4.99 paperback novels coming out our ears here, and the MWR & USO tents are filled to bursting with any manner of Tom Clancy, John Grisham and Danielle Steele books.  No, what I’m looking for are some of the more classy varieties of literary works.  I’ve seen the response whenever Lex asks for reading recommendations, and that’s the sort of things I would like to have to fill the shelves of the Resiliency Center I’m in the process of putting together.  History, war, biographies, classics – you know what I’m talking about, because I’ve seen the 100+ posts in response to Lex’s queries.  Send one or several – all will be appreciated.  I may read a few myself as I find time, but my hope is to leave them here for the edification not only of my soldiers, but to those who will follow in our footsteps.

The second item is a little more personal.  I’ve recently discovered a latent affinity for decent cigars – this dreadful pastime having gone unrequited these many years due to the fact that my wife refuses to kiss me if I stink of cigar smoke.  No small motivation, that.  So, I resign myself to the occasional stogie – maybe at a military ball or someone’s wedding.  But now, with there being no one here to kiss (or to deny the same), I’ve rediscovered the joy of sitting out by the flightline a few evenings a week, watching the sun go down and burning wood scraps on our makeshift grill/fireplace while trading stories with my soldiers.  I have a buddy with a large, mostly empty humidor, who, while happy to share with his chaplain, would no doubt rather that I procure my own smokes, since we’re gonna be here for awhile.

So!  All of that to say that if you want to send something out here that will enhance the quality of life for those who are forward deployed, those are the things I would recommend at present.  Send one or t’other – or both, as the spirit moves you.  And in return – should you desire it – I will happily send you one of our unit patches, which was designed by yours truly.  For we are Task Force Liberty, and most of the unit hails from Rhode Island.  The red & white stripes represent the Sons of Liberty, and the snake and “Join or Die” motto are both pre-Revolutionary War symbols and statements.  The burning ship at the bottom represents the HMS Gaspée - a British schooner burned off the coast of Rhode Island by the Sons of Liberty in an event that led up to the American Revolution.  The hawk and bull skull at the top represent units from the 1-126th AVN Bn “Blackhawks” and the 2-147th AVN Bn “Red Bulls” who make up our Task Force.

Any and all donations can be sent to the following address:

CH(CPT) Dave Harvey

1-126th Aviation Task Force

APO AE 09330

Note:  The patches come in both full-color & subdued versions.  Please state which one you would prefer and provide a return address.  Thanks!

Dearest creature in creation,
Study English pronunciation.
I will teach you in my verse
Sounds like corpse, corps, horse, and worse.

I will keep you, Suzy, busy,
Make your head with heat grow dizzy.
Tear in eye, your dress will tear.
So shall I! Oh hear my prayer.

Just compare heart, beard, and heard,
Dies and diet, lord and word,
Sword and sward, retain and Britain.
(Mind the latter, how it’s written.)

Now I surely will not plague you
With such words as plaque and ague.

But be careful how you speak:
Say break and steak, but bleak and streak;
Cloven, oven, how and low,
Script, receipt, show, poem, and toe.

Hear me say, devoid of trickery,
Daughter, laughter, and Terpsichore,
Typhoid, measles, topsails, aisles,
Exiles, similes, and reviles;
Scholar, vicar, and cigar,
Solar, mica, war and far;
One, anemone, Balmoral,

Kitchen, lichen, laundry, laurel;
Gertrude, German, wind and mind,
Scene, Melpomene, mankind.

Billet does not rhyme with ballet,
Bouquet, wallet, mallet, chalet.
Blood and flood are not like food,
Nor is mould like should and would.

Viscous, viscount, load and broad,
Toward, to forward, to reward.

And your pronunciation’s OK
When you correctly say croquet,
Rounded, wounded, grieve and sieve,
Friend and fiend, alive and live.

GO AHEAD. FINISH IT. IF YOU DARE

Graduation Ceremony, Great Lakes 

There were 13 Divisions, with 952 Sailors, one of whom was mine. My son David decided he was going to join the military when he was 8 years old.  It’s been a long trip, and his mind changed a few times about just what to do, but he’s in and happy.  Next stop, Nuclear Power School in Goose Creek , South Carolina.

New Sailor, New Sailor’s Dad and New Sailor’s Biggest Fan, PO2 Big Sister.

There’s a year and a half or so of tough schooling ahead for our fine young man, but he’s up to the challenge.  When he’s done with school his first duty preference is to be a Nuclear Machinist Mate on Fast Attack Submarines.  Long time from now, but all fingers and toes are crossed.

Attending David’s graduation were his Father; Idaho Joe, Mother,;Mrs. Idaho Joe, Sister; Po2 Big Sister, Girlfriend, Paternal Grandfather and Maternal Grandmother and two cousins.  Since any graduate is only allowed four confirmed guests plus any active duty military, three of the family had to wait outside until the hall was filled.  Luckily everyone got in and witnessed our wonderful son and grandson’s triumph.

An interesting note is David left for Boot Camp just before his 17th Birthday this year.  His Grandfather, also David, joined the Navy 60 years earlier, at the age of 17,  and was a Machinist Mate on a Destroyer during the Korean War.  And August 26th was his Grandparents 50th wedding Anniversary, may my blessed Mother Rest in Peace.

David flew to Charleston on Saturday the 27th, just behind Hurricane Irene. He’s settled in and started his first classes.  The kid has done us proud.

Strangely, I find the music to be rather fitting.

I’m not much for tooting my own horn, but in the past 7 years or so that I’ve been following this blog, I’ve come to think of y’all as sort of a virtual circle of friends, some of whom I’ve even had the pleasure to meet. And, since many of you know the trials & tribulations I’ve gone through in the last several years (like a certain motorcycle accident), I thought it would be appropriate to share with you some recent news that has given us at Chez Harvey great joy:

This past Thursday I was interviewed by the accession board for the California Army National Guard and was unanimously approved for immediate accession as full-fledged Chaplain!

I have already been assigned to the “Blackjack” 1st Battalion, 160th Infantry Regiment up in LA, and am preparing to deploy with them sometime in 2012.

I want to thank y’all for all of your kind thoughts, prayers, and well wishes that you’ve sent my way over the past years – God is always faithful, or as I like to put it, ADONAI IS SEMPER FI!

If you’re so inclined, feel free to head over to my blog at http://www.adonaisemperfi.blogspot.com/ for more thoughts and news about what’s been going on with me. Who knows? You might even find something inspiring!