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About ten years ago the U.S. Army announced they would be changing from a dress green uniform to a blue dress uniform.. That makes no sense to me. The Air Force has a blue uniform...The Navy has a blue uniform.. and even the Marine Corp has a blue uniform. The Army has always been a 'traditional rich' organization and they have returned to one of their traditions.
I served in the Army from 1964 thru 1968 and this is the dress green uniform in effect at that time. This is NOT my uniform and only displayed to show you an example from that time period. It was called a 'forest green' by the logistics people when issued to us that unforgettable day at Fort Leonard Wood. Everyone got two sets of greens, two sets of the summer khaki uniform, and four sets of fatigues (the work or battle uniform).
This photo was taken in November of 1964 at Fort Devens, Massachusetts. That is the fatigue uniform on the left and a set of dress greens on the right. My friend Sherrod Russ had graduated from the code school a month before me and he was shipping out for Europe that particular day.
The Army has decided to return to the 'Pinks and Greens' of World War II era.. That is Sergeant Major of the Army Dan Dailey in the middle, and he is still dressed in the current blue dress uniform. The four others are in the new uniform that will go into full effect in 2020. There are still ongoing discussions about the womens top as seen on the far right. They can't decide if pockets are needed on the top or not. This is a maternity top, should the soldier become pregnant. The regular women's uniform can be seen on the far left.
When Sergeant Major Dailey attended the Army-Navy football game last December 9th he was decked out in the new uniform and looked great. The change back to the World War II look is said to be a tribute to the Great Generation of Americans. Having a father and six uncles who fought in World War II, I think this is a great idea. There has been no word on the work or battle uniform at this time and apparently it will stay the same for the time being.
Count me in as one who endorses the change from blue back to green. It's not the same color as the one I wore in the sixties, but it is one with the name 'Army Green.'
CZ75B 9mm Semi-Automatic
This is a blog on what I consider the best 9mm pistol in the world. I did a lot of investigating back in 2011 when I was in the market for a 9mm and found myself going back to a statement from CZ about their pistols. "The CZ75B is carried by more law enforcement, military, and security forces than any other pistol in the world." Of course the truth behind that statement is CZ failed to put a patent on their pistol when they manufactured it and gun makers around the world immediately copied it. It is the second most copied gun worldwide; only John Browning's model 1911 has more clones.
This is the way it looked when I brought it home on September 21, 2011 and after I gave it a thorough cleaning with some gun scrubber to get the cosmolene off. Only a trip to the gun range would satisfy my curiosity about the statement from CZ and that was an easy problem to cure.
I immediately fell in love with it ! Being a Vietnam Vet, I carried a Browning High Power during my time there, and felt a very familiar feeling with the CZ. It has very little recoil and is as accurate a pistol as I have ever shot. Cleaning a CZ75 is about as easy as could be.
Simply line-up the two hash marks on the slide and frame and then remove the slide-stop pin to allow the slide to glide right off the front of the frame.
The CZ75 field strips down to the frame, slide, recoil spring, and a chrome barrel. I like to remove the grips to gain access to clean the hammer spring at the rear of the grip handle. I had the pistol field stripped in less than 20 seconds, not including the removal of the grips. CZ has offered more models since the introduction of the 75B but they continue to call this particular pistol their 'flagship' model.
One of the strong points of the CZ75 model is the frame rails. They are not just some skimpy inch or so long... they run the entire length of the slide and this is the reason the pistol is so totally accurate...And the rails run on the inside of the frame instead of the outside. You can take a CZ75 and shake the fool out of it and it won't make a sound....it is solid!
I used my CZ75B when I took the qualification test for my 'license to carry' permit and the Texas State Trooper stood behind me while I was shooting. Upon completion he congratulated me on my results and then asked if he could look at my CZ. I let him shoot a magazine full and he was impressed too.
Others probably missed this in the 'Catwoman' movie but I was quick to notice that she also carried a CZ75. If that is not a good endorsement, I don't know what is..
Drawback: The CZ75B weighs over two pounds due to its solid steel construction. Insert a full magazine of 16 rounds and you are lugging some serious weight. Therefore, it is not something you want in a daily carry weapon. CZ has a new model to handle this situation. The entire frame assembly is aluminum and the slide is steel. It also is smaller than the original 75 to attract the conceal carry crowd. The new hammer-fired pistol is a CZ75D Compact PCR. The PCR stands for Police, Czech Republic. Yep, you're correct... I have already ordered one, but I will not be getting rid of my original CZ75B. It remains one of the top Wonder 9mm pistols in the world...and a favorite of mine.
It's that time again in Denison,.. the Fall Festival is a day where Main Street is blocked off and vendors present all kinds of handy stuff or the most delicious food you can find.
But you know me,.. I show up for these type activities just to view the car show that takes place.. and I was NOT disappointed.
First out of the box is a 1966 Chevy Chevelle.. Fairly clean, but check those crossed flags on the front fender... Hard to see from here, but does that say 427?
Yes indeed it is a 427 cubic inch/390 horsepower big block engine from Chevy...and this engine and car combo pretty much ruled the streets in the late 1960's.
A car that I really thought was rare was this 1964 Plymouth Vallient. I have never seen a convertible model of this car..
..and to make it even more rare was the engine in this particular car..
..a slant six cylinder with three two-barrel carburetors.. Surely this was not a package you could order from the factory...but I could be wrong.
I have always loved 1937, 1938, 1939, and 1940 Chevrolet Coupes.. This 1938 was a beauty and sparkled in the mid day sun with a flawless black paint job.
350 Chevrolet engine with air conditioning almost too much for the cramped engine compartment, but it fits to perfection.
Most younger car fans will not recognize this old girl, but it is a 1950 Studebaker convertable. The green paint really looks good on this old car..
Even from the rear the Studebaker looks great. One of the great things about these cars is the motor mounts are the same for Chevrolet;...meaning it is a simple job to insert Chevy engines in these old Studebakers..
Speaking of Studebakers,.. How about this Avanti from Studebaker? Really a super model from 1965 but poor marketing and repair parts doomed it.
This 1939 Ford coupe is a common participant in local shows but always draws attention from car fans. It belongs to a woman and she loves to talk about it.. Car still has its original 85 horsepower flathead V8 engine.
Another of my favs... 1966 Nova Chevy II.. This one has a 327 V8 engine and a 4-speed transmission. Lightweight body means you could smoke the wheels in any gear if so inclined..
Okay,...take your best guess... Turns out to be a 1938 Dodge. Check the small Ram logo at the bottom of the front grille! Nice paint job and really clean throughout.
Another '38 Chevy, but this one is a sedan and not a coupe, and extremely clean. The paint was a somewhat flat maroon and looked great from all sides...
.... including the inside. Check the 4-speed transmission to go with the Chevy V8 engine... Air conditioning was unheard of in 1938.
Several Chevy Camaros were in the show today... This 1969 model was probably the most authentic. That lime green paint was available from the factory in 1969, and so was this..
Chevy put the 283 crankshaft into the 327 block and used pop-up pistons...Bingo! The very powerful 302 engine makes the Camaro Z-28 an instant success..
There was a lot of cars entered, but I will close with this one.. A 1954 Chevy Bel-Air.. I am pretty sure this color was available from the factory in '54 but my Dad had one that was blue with a white top.
235 cubic inches of Chevy Blue Flame power from this straight six-cylinder engine. Really clean engine compartment with just the essentials on the beauty.
The pleated interior was not available in 1954, but the dash is authentic, with the exception of the digital radio.
Thanks to all the participants that brought out their cars and trucks for viewing. The hot sun and high temperatures made things a bit uncomfortable, but at least it didn't rain as the forecasters were predicting... Hope everyone had a good time..
Denison Yellow Jacket Football 2018
August 31 Sherman 16
Denison 41 1-0
September 7 Denison 49
Burleson Centennial 52 1-1
End of Non-District Schedule: Beginning of District Play
September 14 Frisco Lebanon Trail 14
Denison 41 2-1 1-0 *
September 20 Denison 20
Frisco Reedy 45 2-2 1-1 *
September 28 Princeton 20
Denison 45 3-2 2-1 *
October 5 Denison 35
Lake Dallas 52 3-3 2-2 *
October 12 Bye Week/No Game
October 19 Frisco 20
Denison 56 4-3 3-2 *
October 25 Denison 59
Frisco Memorial 14 5-3 4-2 *
November 2 Lovejoy 23
Denison 13 5-4 4-3 *
November 9 Denison 44
Denton Braswell 7 6-4 5-3 *
* = District 7 AAAAA Games
Sting 'em Jackets
Pre-Season Games: Record
August 9th- Dallas 21 0-1
San Francisco 49'ers 24
August 18th- Cincinnati Bengals 21 0-2
Dallas 13
August 26th- Arizona Cardinals 27 0-3
Dallas 3
August 30th- Dallas 6
Houston Texans 14 0-4
Regular Season Games:
Sept 9th- Dallas 8 0-1
Carolina Panthers 16
Sept 16th- New York Giants 13
Dallas 20 1-1
Sept 23rd- Dallas 13
Seattle Seahawks 24 1-2
Sept 30th- Detroit Lions 24
Dallas 26 2-2
Oct 7th- Dallas 16
Houston Texans 19 OT 2-3
Oct 14th- Jacksonville Jaguars 7
Dallas 40 3-3
Oct 21st- Dallas 17
Washington Redskins 20 3-4
Oct 28th- Bye Week (No Game)
Nov 5th- Tennessee Titans 28
Dallas 14 3-5
Nov 11th- Dallas 27
Philadelphia Eagles 20 4-5
Nov 18th- Dallas 22
Atlanta Falcons 19 5-5
Nov 22nd- Washington Redskins 23
Dallas 31 6-5
Nov 29th- New Orleans Saints 10
Dallas 13 7-5
Dec 9th- Philadelphia Eagles 23
Dallas 29 OT 8-5
Dec 16th- Dallas 0
Indianapolis Colts 23 8-6
Dec 23rd- Tampa Bay Buccaneers 20
Dallas 27 9-6
Dec 30th- Dallas 36
New York Giants 35 10-6
Wildcard Round of the Playoffs
Seattle Seahawks 22
Dallas Cowboys 24
Divisional Round of the Playoffs
Dallas Cowboys 22
Los Angeles Rams 30
E N D O F S E A S O N
After years of putting it off, I have decided to attend the class and get my license to carry a firearm. Admittedly, I have carried a gun on occasion in the past but luckily never was caught. As previous postings here on my blog will attest, I have a pretty good collection of firearms, but for one reason or another I have never applied for a license. That will all come to an end on June 23rd.
Today I just wanted to get in some practice as I continue to get acquainted with my newest purchase, a Polish P64 semi-automatic pistol. It is a military surplus pistol that I bought a couple of months back.
The certification test calls for a series of shots from nine feet, twenty-one feet, and forty-five feet. I decided to start with the longest distance right away. I figured if I can hit something from 45 feet, then the closer distances should not be a problem. Logical, huh? I selected the same target they will use in the certification test (Target #17 by Champion) and sent that puppy strolling all the way out to forty-five feet.
Every shot in the X, 10, 9, 8 rings is worth 5 points.. In the 7 ring is worth 4 points, and everything else on the green silhouette is 3 points. On the white edges gets you zip points. You need a total of 170 points out of 250 possible to pass the test. Again, all of these shots came from 45 feet or 15 yards away. I realize it looks pretty good, but I am concerned about the constant striking of the left side of the kill zone. I know I could just use Kentucky windage and aim to the right side of the target, but I plan to let my range buddy try the P64 to determine if its me or the pistol. I plan to use my CZ75B on my test anyway.
While I have you here, let me pass along some info on a new ammunition that I was testing today. I carried my trustee Red Army Standard ammo and also a couple boxes of Fiocchi from Italy. Previously, I have told you how great I think the Red Army ammo is, and again it leaves very little residue for the cleaning process.. But not only is the Fiocchi a dirty ammo; it also gave me four 'failed to feed' issues in the box of fifty.
As of this writing, I have gone through about 300-350 rounds of Red Army Standard without a single issue. The Fiocchi is 95 grains compared to the 93 grain of Red Army, but I don't think that is the problem. Last week I shot 115 grain ammo by Lawman and it was also dirty, but I didn't have a single FTF issue with it. I have cleaned and shined the feed ramp of the P64 to a high sheen. I think I will stick with the Red Army Standard for all of my 9 X 18 needs.
In regards to the 'License to Carry'...I have submitted all paperwork the Texas Department of Public Safety has requested. I had my fingerprints taken by the same lady twice within six months. When I updated my Commercial Driving License, I had to have them taken for the 'Hazardous Materials' endorsement on my license. I first submitted my LTC application back in April, so the CHL-100 form is all I need to complete the process. The CHL-100 is the verification by a licensed instructor that I have gone through the classroom instruction and the actual firing test. Wish me luck.
Editors Note: I passed with flying colors. DPS trooper looked over my shoulder on the firing range and said, "Not bad shooting for an old guy." Scanned and emailed my TLC-100 form as soon as I got home. Should have my license soon.
I am lucky enough to live in an area that has a lot of car enthusiasts and they love to show up and show off. This past Saturday was one of those occasions and the weather was simply super..
When I arrived at the show the first car to demand my attention was this 1932 Ford..
And this beauty was not only super looking on the outside..The top, running boards, and the interior was a very clean tufted leather.
Nice, nice, nice...Just can't overstate how gorgeous this deuce
is. Sign says owned by a local couple but I have never seen it before this show. Rumble seat in the back was also upholstered just as meticulous as the rest of the car.
Being a former owner of a 1955 Chevrolet Bel-Air, I have a fond attraction for that year and model. This is a very good example of how beautiful that car actually is. Chevrolet sold more cars that year than ever before, and it was a record that would not be broken until 1962. The above car was a deep bronze and metallic silver....and look under the hood.
Turbo inducted Corvette power, more than enough to keep up with the traffic. Air conditioned and just remarkable detail in this car.
No,..not the same car, but built by the same guy. The first one can be seen in the lower right hand corner. This one is a hardtop while the first was a sedan. Also Corvette powered and just great workmanship in both cars..
1941 Chevrolet pick-up truck. It also has been updated with a V8 engine and air conditioning. I like the fact he retained the running boards too...but the real eye catcher was the bed of the truck.
Yes, that is oak and it was as beautiful in person as it looks in this photo..
1947 Chevrolet Fleetmaster coupe.. V8 power plus paint and chrome without a blemish. Note the 'frenched' headlights, and the taillights had the same treatment....and check it out inside.
Automatic transmission and a completely custom made dash. Door panels and seats were two-toned just like the paint outside. He even installed seat belts to make it up to date legally. Nice steering wheel too.
What car show is complete without a Model A?.. This 1930 5-window coupe is a good example. Deep metallic silver combined with Henry Ford's beloved black. Chevy V8 makes sure this old codger is not left behind in the traffic flow.
Suede interior on door panels, seats, and headliner. Check key ignition on far left side of the dash.
1946 Chevy coupe.. Check the V8 engine with air conditioner. Very clean and detailed under the hood. Something not a lot of people will notice is the wheels. The center hub has been removed and installed from the backside. This gives the wheel a 'dished' look about it. Very popular back in the 1950's and 60's.
Interior of the '46 coupe.. Leather bucket seats and console. Auto transmission and A/C. I like the way the treatment on the door panels has been carried through to the kick panels.
1937 Ford 2-door sedan...These were very popular hot rods in the 1950's and 60's.. especially the coupes. Outside it looks pretty tame doesn't it? I like the iconic windshield wipers from the top of the glass instead of the bottom,...and those teardrop headlights were the mark of a Ford until 1940.
....and like all good Fords, this one is powered by a Chevy V8 engine. Throw in power-brakes and air conditioning and it makes for a tight squeeze in that tapered engine compartment.
This 1940 Chevy coupe is a local car and it passes by my house fairly frequently, and I never tire of seeing it. That two-tone paint job really screams for your attention. 350 Chevy V8 engine and features all the niceties you would expect...A/C, power brakes, and digital radio.
The interior is fabric instead of leather or Naugahyde, but it still looks great. The dash is all original and I like the wood looking paint job. Great looking ride.
I'll close with this one... a 1937 Chevrolet coupe. It belongs to a Oklahoman, but he is always willing to bring it to Texas to share it with his neighbors. Really a great looking coupe with a terrific paint job. 350 Chevy V8 allows this old timer to show the young whipper-snappers how its done.
The rear end really shows how clean and smooth this car is.. and yes, those are Volkswagen Beetle taillights. Note how the fenders blend in with the body. Back in 1937 Chevy used molding between the fenders and the body..
The interior shows just how great this old coupe is. Basic black dash is accented by the wood-looking panels for the glove box and the instruments. Four speed transmission and leather throughout.. I have seen this car several times and it really is a clean example of hot rodding.
Again, my thanks to all of the car owners that took time to answer my questions and allowing me to drool over their cars. It really is a thrill for me and I get to inform my grandchildren about the great era of the 1950's and 60's. Thanks to you for coming along.
