Glen Taylor was a singing cowboy who worked as a country musician, construction worker, on sheet metal and as a carpenter.

He ran for Congress and lost in 1938, 1940, 1942, 1954 and 1956.

But he won a seat in the Senate in 1944 as a progressive democrat from Idaho. He was also the Progressive Party’s nominee for vice president in 1948.

He lost in his party’s 1950 primary after being called a communist.

In his farewell address for his one Senate term he described his political approach: “At one time, I stated on the floor of the Senate that I was going to vote my convictions, as though I never expected to come back. All I can say now is that I did vote my convictions and I did not come back.”

An observation true for today!

Veterans Day is a reminder of both the sacrifices and service of those who serve on active duty and the home front. These two vignettes capture courage in battle and the parallel commitment given by those praying for safe return to family.

Courage in Battle

Last week the New York Times reported the deep sea location of a destroyer escort sunk during the battle of Leyte Gulf in October, 1944.

While the article was about the technology used in discovery, the context of the battle was also summarized.

It prompted me to look up a fuller account, found here.

Two facts stand out from this description:

1. The American task force, Taffy 3, was completely outgunned by the Japanese. “Just after sunrise on 25 October, Rear Admiral Clifton A. F. Sprague’s TG 77.4.3—call sign “Taffy 3”—the northwesterly-most task unit, made up of six small escort carriers, three destroyers, and four destroyer escorts, was stunned to confront four Japanese battleships (among them Yamato with her 18-inch main guns), six heavy cruisers, two light cruisers, and 11 destroyers.”
2. So what did the Americans do in this naval mismatch? They attacked, again and again, launching three separate sea and air assaults during the morning long battle. “At this point, with the exception of John C. Butler, the escorts had expended all of their torpedoes. Given the dispositions of the two forces, it was also questionable if an advantageous firing position was even still possible. The destroyers and destroyer escorts had to resort to darting attacks at the Japanese cruisers while firing their guns, zig-zagging back and forth between the carriers and the enemy. Smoke screens partially shielded Sprague’s carriers, but the escorts were hit hard, yet remained underway and able to fight. “

And the outcome of this battle even with the loss of five ships and hundreds of lives was:

“The initiative, aggressiveness, and outright heroism demonstrated by Taffy 3, combined with determined U.S. naval air attacks, limited Japanese situational awareness, and pure dumb luck, the Americans had stymied Vice Admiral Kurita’s intent to destroy General Douglas MacArthur’s U.S. landing forces in the Leyte Gulf.”

Sam Cox, a retired Navy rear admiral and director of the Naval History and Heritage Command states in the Times article that as the U.S.S. Johnston DD 557 was sinking, the crew of a Japanese destroyer saluted the vessel.

“They didn’t think Americans had that kind of bravery,” he said, “so that surprised them.”

Serving at Home with Devotion and Courage

The most important event while on board a ship at sea was mail call. During the Vietnam War, deployments away from home ports, would extend for months. While away, there was no contact possible with home except letters. Military families serve along with their active duty kin. My wife wrote this letter while living “on the economy” in Hayama, Japan with our 15 month old daughter, Lara. Windham County, LST 1170, was supporting a Navy Seal and Vietnamese ranger outpost called Solid Anchor on the Cau Mau peninsula at the very tip of Vietnam. As Supply Officer, I paid the Seal Unit and their US support with military pay certificates (MPC), transported oven roasted turkey dinners to the base on Christmas and ran a ship’s store outlet selling boom boxes, current cassette tapes and geedunk (snacks). Mail deliveries aboard ship were by helicopter from Saigon on an irregular schedule.

February 2, 1971

Dearest:

It’s a “burr-freezing” morning as Lara and I say. Imagine her clinching her little fists and scrunching up her cute face and trying to shiver. That’s what it’s like. The thermometer has been in the mid-twenties at night, in the forties during the day. So it isn’t really cold but it sure feels it without any heat. . .

Even if June 1 is the beginning of a year unaccompanied tour, I’ll have a 90 day grace period so I can stay here and have our new baby and go back to the states 6 weeks later. In that way you may be able to see and hug the baby. If the ship isn’t in you may be able to take a little leave. The CO sounds like a compassionate guy. . .

Both Cindy and Margie (wives of shipmates) got mention in their letters that you were caught at Solid Anchor during the last mortar attack and that one American had been wounded but they didn’t know if it was you. I told than I had already heard from you and that you were only suffering from a mosquito attack. Please be careful. . .

Lara has just started another one of her biweekly colds so we have to stay in for a couple of days. I can’t figure out what I’m doing wrong—except maybe chilling her but it’s all her fault. She is the one that wants to stay out and won’t leave her mittens on. . .I’ll be glad when winter is over!

Mom sent me three more Montessori books so I’ve been reading–that’s why I haven’t written in a few days. . . Will write again tomorrow.

Love and Kisses, MA

This year marks the 500^th anniversary of the death of Leonardo da Vinci. To mark this event a new exhibition of the artist’s works has opened at the Louvre in Paris, France.

Many of the artist’s most important drawings and sketches are in the show, except one. As reported in the Washington Post’s review:

“Only one major episode of Leonardo’s life isn’t covered in depth: the story of the enormous bronze equestrian statue made for his patron Ludovico Sforza, the clay model of which was supposedly blown apart by French soldiers after they stormed Milan in 1499.”

Grand Rapids, Michigan and Leonardo da Vinci

Few can travel to Paris to see this exhibit. However, Americans do have the opportunity to see the “one major episode” not in the exhibit.

Leonardo’s horse, constructed from his drawings, now stands in the Meijer Gardens and Sculpture Park in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

The story of how the largest sculpture ever envisioned in Europe came to this location is told in my blog:

Leonardo’s Horse: A Vision Outlasting Its Creator

Be brief. Be brilliant. Be seated.

“The disturbing word bandied about this year so far is comparability.” It came up in President Bush’s plan for solving the S&L mess-to make the NCUSIF accounting comparable to those other funds. . .Comparability is also echoed in the phrase, “bank envy”, the desire of some credit union people to enjoy more of the powers of banks. . . this comparability stems from a kind of inferiority complex. Those who embrace the notion believe that by becoming more comparable we are somehow elevating ourselves. In fact, the opposite is true. Credit unions are different. There were set up to be different and should remain different. They are different because we put the emphasis on the people we serve. Our strength is that we help people.”

(Ed Callahan July 1989)

Many credit unions find their web site is in a state of constant makeover, or expansion. Often these changes are internally generated. Sometimes external consultants are used.

Canada’s largest credit union is redoing its opening web pages. Want to help? Just visit their beta site and click on the feedback link.

The draft design is a powerful statement, as is, of the credit union difference. But it goes a step further and asks the members to give their insight.

Question: When was the last time you asked your members to contribute to a development project in your credit union?

I recently received the following comment from Doug Fecher, CEO of Wright-Patt Credit Union reflecting on celebrating another year of experiences. Or as he opens his remarks: “knowing that we know a whole lot less than we did just a few years ago.”

His reflection is a reminder of a leader’s influence as a mentor, whether intended or not.

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I remember my first boss in credit unions – a former Ohio State All American who played for Woody Hayes, won a Rose Bowl and national championship with the Buckeyes in 1954, and played for the Steelers for a year or two until he blew out his knees (before they knew how to fix them). Bill came home a local hero for his success on the football field so they made him manager of the local credit union.

I’m starting to understand what Bill must have thought about us young kids as we went at our jobs like we knew it all. Of course he’d forgotten more than we knew about credit unions and the business of running them. His genius was in letting us make our mistakes so that we’d come to know what he did: that none of us is as smart as we think we are. Of course he would never let us make a serious mistake, and he went about it in a way in which none of us really knew how much he was teaching us. I remember him growling at us (he always growled even when he was being nice … I think it was the football player in him). “I don’t care what you do, just do something even if it’s wrong!” (I removed the expletives he used about every third word.)

Sitting still was never Bill’s style … Moving the ball down the field was his way, even if every once in a while you’d get thrown for a loss.

I think about Bill every so often, and especially as each year goes by. He played the part of a dumb football player pretty well … dumb as a fox. The man taught me more than I ever gave him credit for and I only started realizing that a few years ago.

Some days I think that’s the way people look at me, as if our business is starting to pass me by. And it makes me smile.

– Doug Fecher, CEO Wright-Patt Credit Union