U.S. Navy Confirms UFOs, Opens Can of Worms

 By JIM PURCELL

Since I was born, more than a half century ago, the notion that UFOs were real would usually draw a smile if not an actual laugh. UFO enthusiasts are considered odd by some, and I am one of those 'some.' Well, I have to swallow some Humble Pie on that one. According to the United States Navy, in a confirmed published report, UFOs are a real thing. And, with that confirmation, it's time for a public conversation.

   I don't know if the UFO believers are wrong about the whole crashed aliens being kept in a bunker, or if they are right. I only bring it up because if that was our first contact with these UFOs then it's a pretty rotten way to start a relationship. And, whatever these things are, a relationship has begun whether we like it or not. 

   It strikes me that if aliens (yes, I said 'aliens') wanted a fight then they would have given us one by now. With that said, I think trying to make contact with these beings is a terrible idea. I can only judge things by human standards, so I may or may not be right about this line of thought. And, if a civilization can create aircraft that can travel in space and in our atmosphere then they are more scientifically advanced than anyone in our world. In human history, when more technically and scientifically advanced cultures came into contact with less advanced civilizations it went very bad for the lesser advanced cultures. 

   Maybe these creatures are better than those of us who are human...I hope so. Who would 'they' contact first? The U.S., the Russians, the Chinese...or some tribe in a rainforest? There is no way to know. This world is woefully unprepared to handle the people born on it. The 'better angels' of humanity are not winning the war for hearts and minds anywhere I am aware of in the world. And...last time I checked....we are a hot minute from nuking ourselves into extinction. 

   Why would aliens politely introduce themselves to us? People in power everywhere are ruled by greed, paranoia, self-interest and a near-total lack of 'doing the right thing.' On the upside, we also have nuclear weapons and people have additionally created biological and chemical agents to kill each other without so much as batting an eye. Not all people are terrible, but most people participating in any form of government anywhere in the world are. The most celebrated of human traits, like kindness, reason, good humor and fairness, among others, are rarely involved with public service (with notble exceptions, of course). 

   So what are people generally good at? Well, people are good at making other people angry. I cannot see how that could possibly help us with relating to an alien civilization. Why should people not seek to make contact with aliens? Well, we might actually contact them and I cannot see how that would help anyone. Maybe these aliens are smart enough to know that about people. Perhaps they keep people at a distance because they know how reckless people are. 

   At some point in the future, it is logical to believe that these flying objects will land and someone will get out: this will create chaos everywhere. Hopefully, one day, people are better and realize that it sends aliens a mixed message when we want to say hello to them, while at the same time preparing to kill other people. Humanity's house is not in order, and it's certainly no time to invite guests over. 

   I know I sound cynical. I do not know if people can ever be more than what they are now. And now -- aliens? I mean...aliens!? Something is clear, though. People have the capacity to change, some people at least. The idea that visitors from another civilization are, in fact, visiting our planet only makes our collective hyrpocracies and bad actions all the more clear. 

   Can people change? I hope so. 

(Jim Purcell is a retired journalist, a veteran of the U.S. Army, and a former clergyman. He resides with his wife in Western North Carolina.)

Navy Chaplain Makes Ultimate Sacrifice For Shipmate

Rentz Is Only Chaplain To Win The Navy Cross During World War II

By JIM PURCELL

In the Book of John (15:13), we are taught, “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.”

 

Commander George Rentz

   On March 1, 1942, U.S. Navy (Chaplain) Commander George S. Rentz gave evidence of his love for his shipmates. Rentz was in the waters of the Pacific Ocean with other sailors, holding onto a float from a destroyed airplane for their very lives.

   Rentz’s ship, the USS Houston, was sunk by a Japanese Navy convoy. The USS Houston and the Australian light cruiser HMAS Perth had just lost the Battle of SundaStrait while the two ships were en route on a mission to Ceylon.

   The battle took place between the islands of Java and Sumatra. After a fierce exchange of fire between the Houston and Perth with superior Japanese forces, the Houston and Perth were responsible for sinking five Japanese ships.

   Rentz was among those wearing a lifejacket. And, the float provided some safety as survivors of the Houston waited for rescue. However, a pontoon for the float was being swamped by overcrowding of survivors.

   Rentz estimated the situation and said, “You men are young. I have lived the major part of my life and I am willing to go.” Ultimately, Rentz gave his lifejacket to Seaman First Class Walter L. Beeson. Beeson would not, initially, take the lifejacket from the chaplain. But, Rentz told Beeson that his heart was failing and he could not last much longer. He then kicked away from the float, into the night, never to be seen again.

   For his actions, Rentz was awarded the Navy Cross Medal, albeit posthumously. Rentz was the only chaplain to win the Navy Cross during World War II.

Rentz Was A Career Naval Officer

   Rentz had served as a naval officer in both World War I and II. He was born in Lebanon, Pennsylvania on July 25, 1882. Like his father before him and his son after him, Rentz graduated from Gettysburg College, with the Class of 1903. He then went on to earn his Master’s of Divinity degree from the PrincetonTheological Seminary, in New Jersey.

   With his classroom education complete, Rentz was ordained as a Presbyterian minister in 1909. Subsequently, he went on to serve in the Presbytery of Northumberland. He also ministered churches in New Jersey and Pennsylvania.

   Rentz married in 1911 and the couple had at least two children.

 

The USS Houston

   However, with the advent of World War I, Rentz felt the call to service. So, in 1917, Rentz was commissioned with the rank of lieutenant junior grade and assigned to the 11th Marine Regiment, which served in France.

   With the conclusion of hostilities, in November, 1918, Rentz remained in the Navy. He went on to serve aboard the USS Florida, USS Wright, USS West Virginia and, finally, the USS Houston. He also served at the Marine Barracks in Port Royal, South Carolina; Naval Air Station Pensacola, in Florida; and Naval Air Station, San Diego, California.

 

The Navy Cross Medal

   Rentz was transferred from the USS Augusta to the USS Houston in 1940, when the Houston became the flagship for the U.S. Asiatic Fleet. By all accounts, Rentz was popular among the crew.

   The USS Houston was a Northampton class cruiser commissioned in 1930. Its armament included: nine 8-inch guns, eight 5-inch guns, two 47mm guns, six quad 40mm guns and twenty 20mm guns. The USS Houston also carried four floatplanes used for observation and reconnaissance. It carried a crew of 109 officers and 676 enlisted.

   At the time of its sinking, the ship’s captain was Captain Albert H. Rooks. Of the crew of the USS Houston, only 368 Navy and Marine personnel survived the sinking, only to be taken prisoner by the Japanese Navy. Sadly, 77 of those POWs died during captivity.

   During the Battle of Makassar Strait in February, 1942, the chaplain moved from position to position on the ship, which was taking fire from the Japanese Navy, encouraging gun crews defending the ship.

   To honor the memory of this fearless man of God, the U.S. Navy commissioned an Oliver Perry class frigate named the USS Rentz (FFG-46). The ship was built and christened during the early 1980s. After 22 years of service, the USS Rentz was decommissioned by the Navy.

 

The USS Rentz

   In his final address as the captain of the USS Rentz, Commander Lance Lantier said, “There is a requirement for ever CO, XO and CMC that comes into a ship to do the absolute best by the ship and by the crew that they can.”

At Gettysburg College

   Another place the memory of George Rentz is remembered fondly is at Gettysburg College, his Alma Mater. During his student days at Gettysburg, he was an Alpha Tau Omega brother, as well as the business manager for The Gettysburgian. In addition, he was the assistant business manager for another college publication, called The Spectrum. Rentz was also on the college’s debate team and was a member of the Philosophy Club.

   Rentz and other graduates of the college who made the ultimate sacrifice are remembered annually in Memorial Day services at the school.

Commander Richard M. Nixon and World War II

LCDR Richard M. Nixon

By JIM PURCELL

Richard M. Nixon (Jan. 19, 1913-April 22, 1994) was the 36th president of the United States. It was the culmination of President Nixon's political career that he would serve as the chief executive of the United States from 1969-1974. 

President Nixon was a breed of president the likes of which is not seen much anymore. He was a successful lawyer, in private life, who was courted by some of the countries leading firms. Yet, at the beginning of World War II (1941-1945), when he was already a government lawyer and could have been exempted from military service, he requested and was granted a commission in the U.S. Naval Reserve as a lieutenant junior grade.

U.S. Navy commander insignia

President Nixon was born in Yorba Linda, California. After completing his bachelor's degree at Whittier College, he went on to attend, and graduate from, the Duke University School of Law, in 1937. While attending Duke, President Nixon did so on a full academic scholarship. Aside from his normal academic life there, President Nixon was elected as president of the Duke Bar Association and inducted into the Order of the Coif.

The future president of the U.S. did apply to the FBI upon his graduation from Duke. However, he never heard back from his letter requesting application. Years later, President Nixon would find out that he was, in fact, hired by the FBI but his appointment was nixed at the last moment by budget cutbacks.

President Nixon married the former Patricia Ryan in 1940, and the couple would go on to have daughters Tricia (b. 1946) and Julie (b. 1948).

In 1937, though, President Nixon was admitted to the California bar. His first job as a lawyer was with the firm of Wingert and Bewley, in his hometown of Whittier. Mostly, President Nixon worked on commercial litigation for local petroleum companies, but he also worked on some corporate matters. President Nixon was evidently successful as a young attorney because, in 1938, he opened up his own branch of Wingert and Bewley in La Habra, California and was made a full partner in the firm by 1939.

U.S. Naval Reserve Lt. Richard M. Nixon

There is some historical controversy about what happened next. Some historical accounts say that President Nixon received an appointment by the Federal Office of Emergency Management, while others offer that President Nixon took a job at the Office of Price Administration. In either case, he is reported to have been in charge of correspondences, which was a job that did not suit President Nixon.

So, with the war gearing up following the attack on Pearl Harbor, on Dec. 7, 1941, President Nixon did what he thought the right thing was, which in his case was to request a commission in the U.S. Naval Reserve. Not only was he employed by the government as an attorney, which could have precluded him from military service, but he was also a Quaker and, as such, could have received a deferment on that basis. He chose to serve his country, as so many others were doing, as it was being thrown head-long into a two-front war, separated by thousands of miles and several continents. This came at a time when, as a successful young lawyer with a new wife, he could have avoided the whole thing altogether.

President Nixon received his commission as a lieutenant junior grade on June 15, 1942 and was assigned as the aide to the commander of  Naval Air Station Ottumwa, Iowa. Though President Nixon excelled at his duties and learned a great deal about the machinations of the Navy, he wanted to get closer to the action of the war. So, President Nixon requested sea duty and, on October 1, 1943 was promoted to the rank of lieutenant and reassigned as the naval passenger control officer for the South Pacific Combat Air Transport Command. This command was vital to the war effort and supported the logistics operations throughout the South Western Pacific Theater.

World War II Victory Medal

The future president dedicated himself to his work and became the officer in charge of the Combat Air Transport Command at Guadalcanal in the Solomons in March, 1944, thereafter at Green Island (a.k.a. Nissan Island), just north of Bougainville. His unit prepared manifests and flight plans for all C-47 aircraft operations and supervised the loading and unloading of aircraft.

For his service, President Nixon was awarded the first of two Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medals he would receive uniform.

In January, 1945, with the tide of the war decidedly turning in favor of the United States and its Allies on all fronts, then-Lt. Nixon was ordered to return to the United States and transferred to the Bureau of Aeronautics Office in Philadelphia. There he helped to negotiate the termination of war contracts for the United States Navy. His efforts were noted and, for the balance of the year, President Nixon traveled around the country negotiating the termination of war contracts. In October, 1945, his efforts were again recognized when President Nixon was promoted to the rank of lieutenant-commander.

President Nixon was very successful in his negotiations and was made an offer by the Navy to remain in uniform and serve as a Regular Navy officer after the war's conclusion .However, the future president turned down the offer and decided to return to private life with the war's end.

U.S. Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal

On October 3, 1947, LCDR Richard M. Nixon departed Active Duty and became an inactive officer in the U.S. Naval Reserve. On June 1, 1953, he was promoted to the rank of commander in the U.S. Naval Reserve, a branch of the military he retired from on June 6, 1966.

What makes a patriot? This is something that can be argued all day long. However, to my view, if it walks like a duck, quacks like a duck and swims like a duck....it must be a duck. President Nixon had no incentive to become a military officer. He was already the partner of a successful law firm and a U.S. Government attorney by the time the war broke out. He had a young wife and a world of promise was set before him. However, like millions of Americans before and since, he took his Oath of Allegiance to serve this nation during times of war. For me, the definition of patriotism means performing acts of citizenship not only when it is convenient, but when it is inconvenient...even dangerous.

World War II Asiatic Campaign Medal

Not many presidents recently have served in the United States Armed Forces, and I think our nation is the poorer for that lack of experience. As someone so integrally involved in the Pacific war effort, President Nixon gained invaluable knowledge of the military and how it works from a first-hand view; experience that would help him later as vice president, under President Dwight D. Eisenhower, and then as president.

Some people remember only the scandals of the Nixon Administration, but not its successes -- some of which can still be seen today. It was President Nixon who opened up China to the West, who ended the terrible Vietnam War, who stood toe-to-toe against Russian aggression around the world and created the foundation of America winning the Cold War. Richard M. Nixon was a man of many parts, and like all of us, some parts were better than others. Still, during the dark days of World War II, it can be said that when his country called, Richard M. Nixon answered.

JOHN HICKMAN: A LIFE LIVED

John Hickman (2014)

By JIM PURCELL

John Hickman passed from the world on January 14, 2017. He was 54 years old. He was a friend of mine, but without me remembering his life -- no one else is going to do it. And, he deserves being remembered.

John was originally from Brick, New Jersey. He attended Brick High School. After he graduated, he joined the United States Navy. He worked on aircraft in the service and was assigned to the USS Enterprise in the early 1980s. He earned the rank of Petty Officer 3rd Class. He did a Med cruise with the Enterprise, and he was aboard her when she performed duty in the Pacific also. He loved the Navy. He was proud to be a sailor.  He wished he stayed in.

But, after his tour, he came back to New Jersey. For a while, he worked as a mechanic for the New Jersey State Police. He liked that well enough but moved on from that after a few years.

Afterward, John held so many jobs -- from courier to sales associate at chain stores to taxi driver and more. John was never really close enough to a lady to get married. But, he searched for the right one throughout his life.

John's beloved USS Enterprise

John did wrestle with sobriety, more accurately the lack of it. He drank and he used drugs. In the end, he overdosed and died. At the time, he was living in Asbury Park, New Jersey: Not a nice place despite its ongoing renewal. It is not the Asbury Park of the 'bad old days' of the 1980s but it is still a haven for drug dealers and the like.

I met John before he moved to Asbury Park, in 2013 when we were both living at the Veterans Haven North, in Glen Gardner. It is a program offered by the New Jersey Dept. of Military and Veterans Affairs. The goal of the place is to act as a rehab for the first 90 days and, thereafter, as a transitional housing facility for homeless vets for up to two years.

John stayed there and worked at the VA New Jersey Health Care System, Lyons Campus, for about a year as a maintenance man. Then, he received his housing subsidy and went to Asbury. Fortunately, he found three sisters who were lost to him. He was adopted. However, a few years ago he reunited with his siblings and their children. He connected with them. Even though it was sometimes stormy, he had family relations. The world was not as alone as it had been. I know he appreciated it.
John loved music, playing his guitar and listening to bands like The Who, Led Zeppelin and Aeorsmith, to name a few. He especially liked that kind of music turned up as loud as it possibly could. John hated disco and could not dance. He was a devotee of The Walking Dead AMC television show. It's how we met at Vet Haven. We were among a small, determined band of loyal viewers who would try and secure a television on Sunday night, which was hard during football season. It was some nice times, though.

Fellow vet Richie Toth and John Hickman jam to Led Zeppelin

We celebrated Thanksgiving and Christmas together two years ago. It was great. We made food, ate and sang some songs after dinner. It is among my most favorite times.

In the end, John could not stay sober for even a morning. He drank throughout the day. He smoked and he treated every night as a party, even when there was no more joy in it for him. He was loud and very grumpy. He didn't care for life that much and he saw no future. He was secure in the feeling he could never -- would never -- quit his addictions. Sadly, this was the end he chose for himself and he would say it often.

John saw many of his friends die from addiction. With each new death he saw it not as a wake up call, but as a premonition of his own. There was no changing his mind and no talking him out of it. I wish it were another way, because he had so much potential -- so much good in him: so much humanity.

John achieved things in his life, though, which were remarkable. He recalled to me once the rolling action of the Enterprise's deck in bad weather. He recalled the hectic flight deck and the camaraderie of the crew he served on. And, he could play his beloved guitar. Anyone who can love music the way he did has not lead a wasted life.

The Who was always on John's playlist

John's addiction pushed people away, though. He pushed people away. This was the fact. No one could have saved him. He was not having it. I remember him because no one else is going to do it. They saw his illness -- and it is an illness -- not the man. Most people could not get through the constant drinking and regular drugging; his dark moods and angry words. It is a shame, there was a lot more than that to him.

As a fellow veteran, John was my brother. I miss him, and miss what he could have been as well. John did not believe in God as much as Fate. I respectfully disagree with him, because I certainly hope he has found the joy and peace he so richly deserves in heaven. He would hate me talking about God and him but it is my hope and prayer.

John's life has ended. I do hope, though, that his story is a cautionary one for people suffering from addiction. I also hope people remember John and his contributions to the world.