WWI Marine Scout Sniper Accuracy - Wow!

[Jim Tarleton]

What are you doing in Bavaria? I have never been to Europe, and I suspect I am missing something. I want to make the battlefield tours someday. I have been comparing the original WWI Lambert coordinate battlefield maps to current Google Earth presentations, and I am amazed how little the French terrain has changed in 90 years.

Those long drives give one time to think.

Jim

[gunner]

Hi Jim,
i am working in Germany smallest car factory where i am responsible for the interieur parts wich we make in fine leather and wood. When you will come to Europe there are many battlefield aerea`s not so far away. You can follow the war`s from Roman Empire to WWII. There is the Limes not so far away from the battlefields of WWI and just around the corner you have relics from WWII. I´ve been at Verdun and you always can see the destroyings from the big mortars and the heavy artillery. They also have a bunker in Verdun where they have the noises of incoming artillery in a dark and sticky room, so that you can get a little feeling of that what they must endure for hours. Or the bunkers in Switzerland. They are masters in camouflage. They camouflaged heavy artillery as barns and suddenly the barns began to move and you see 15cm twins. Or houses with MG`s in it and mountains where they started jets with catapults. But we have also a lot of interresting and peaceful history here. So if you want to make a trip to good old Europe you have to spend a little time to see all these things. And make a trip to Bavaria then i can show you also nice things around Munich. What`s your job in the States?

Regards

Gunner

[Jim Tarleton]

I do research (surprise, surprise!!) on anaerobic thermophilic bacteria, particularly methanogenic bacteria and methanogenesis. Essentially, I produce methane from swine wastes, both manure and production processing waste. I am in the 1st stages of converting a 77 Jeep CJ7 to run on methane (CNG) produced from swine wastes. I call it "Pig Power". It has a 324 ci V8 with Keith Black hyperutectic pistons (high silicon) and a lot of other goodies. So if you see a Jeep blow by you with an old white bearded guy laughing, and an exhaust that smells a little like pig poop, it will be me!

Sounds icky, but its FREE fuel to me!

Bavaria sounds good. I just had a visitor from Slovakia that was getting married for the fifth time (each younger than the previous). He says the Slovakian women look pretty good. Maybe a multi-purpose trip is in order.

Jim

[gunner]

Hi Jim, You really knocked me out with your anaerobic thermophilic....thing. But i hope i can see this car with the white bearded man and smell those well perfumed exhausts ( i can see it in my mind:-) ) Hope to see you on your trip.

Best regards

Gunner

BTW. : We have a pig farm near the town, so you can fill the tank to blow down our streets.

[Jim Tarleton]

I couldn't build a car. The bacteria thing is much more simple than it sounds. Basically, I train bacteria to flourish in environments they normally might not appreciate, like high ammonia environments. Think of it as similar to training horses, or trial and error genetic changes (orchids).

Now you know why I like researching Marines. No smell!

Jim

[gunner]

Jim, i can build the interieur of exclusiv cars but i have no idea of your work. That is why i say everybody is important by his job. I like the research too. But i do it not at marines, except C. Hathcock, Land, Gulbertson and your very good trained reckon forces, i do it at german paratroopers from WWII. Because my grandpa was one of it and in special ops platoon. He never spoke about it , but when you do a persistant research you can find out a lot of his history.

Regards

Gunner

[Jim Tarleton]

Gunner,

Very brave men were on both sides of that fight. I found it interesting that in WWI, my grandfather (167th Infantry) was transported by Vietnamese, whom I would later fight in RVN. My grandfather liked the Vietnamese, and found them "colorful". I had a different opinion, although it has changed over the years. My uncle fought the Chinese in Korea, and one of my very good friends is Chinese. My father fought against your grandfather, but I asked him how he felt about the Germans in general, and he laughed. He said the German soldiers probably felt exactly the same way he did about the war (?).

The wars are over for my grandfather (deceased), me, my uncle (still living), and my dad (still living). Not one of us harbors any ill will towards our old enemies.

Marine Sgt. Arthur R. M. Ganoe probably said it best during WWI's Belleau Woods battle while describing battle preparations for one of the drives into the woods:

"We vowed again to do our very best in the coming fight that the world might see a speedy end of the outrageous clique of men who send to hopeless slaughter the children of their nation for the sake of mere temporal pomp and power and to protect their own rinocerous hides."
I can't imagine a Marine Sergeant being so eloquent, or even being able to spell "rinocerous" correctly. The good Sgt was subsequently wounded in action.

Semper Fi, Gunner,
Jim

[gunner]

Jim, your father got right. My Grandpa said also that the war is a stupid thing that better had been fought between the politicians and the generals and the folks should better talk, sing , dance and laugh together. Great discription from this Sgt. When the distance between us where not so big, i`ll invite you to trink a good glass of beer tonight. You have a good point of view!

Best regards

Gunner

[Jim Tarleton]

The glass of beer sounds good, but I don't drink (anymore). Maybe a cold glass of water?

Take care Gunner.

Jim

[gunner]

Take care Jim.

Gunner