Bomber Mascot Crisis Issue # 5 ~ 07/28/01 ******************************************** ******************************************** Today's comments submitted by: Anna Mae Dyken (Grandma Bomber) Dick Epler (52), Teresa DeVine (64) Deedee Willox (64), Janet Devine (69) Dan Staringer (78) ******************************************** ******************************************** >>From: Anna Mae Dyken (Grandma Bomber) Lyle Dyken (my husband) -- a real Bomber since 1947 -- passed away on February 22 of this year. He showed up in school or any other designated place in support of the Richland Bombers and their mascot (the bomb), and their logo (the atomic plume). If you want to know who had the bumper stickers handed out and the stickers placed around the gym -- well, now you know: it was Mr. Dyken (as all of the kids called him). Lyle was a veteran of World War II and the Korean War -- he remembered Pearl Harbor, the Normandy invasion, the fear of gunshot and mines in Wonsan Harbor, and the Formosa Straits. He knew what it was all about to fight for our country. He knew the true meaning of patriotism and respecting our flag; and yes, the meaning of protecting our community -- along with our school's mascot, the bomb; and the logo, the atomic plume. If any of our school officials or teachers strongly oppose the use of our mascot or our logo, I suggest that they simply keep still or move on. -Anna Mae Dyken (Grandma Bomber) ******************************************** ******************************************** >>From: Dick Epler (52) Historians tell us that we ignore the lessons of history at our peril. What they don't always tell us is that we rarely appreciate history until we've personally experienced it in some significant way. This may be one of the reasons some Bombers wonder why others would want to preserve our heritage by remembering the Atomic Bomb. The obvious answer is that by truly understanding the historical aspects of "The Last Great War" we hope to avoid another. But such "understanding" can take many forms. Those who want to forget the whole thing argue that anything that awakens the hatred of war can't be good, and so they advocate tolerance and understanding as a way to avoid conflict ... and I agree ... to a point, and providing we have the strength to deter aggression. For one of the lessons of war is that there's nothing that preserves the peace quite so well as the prospect of aggression being met with annihilation. War is very much a product of human nature, which seems to have remained a constant over time. We humans often find ourselves wanting what someone else has (in the interests of fairness), and there are two ways to get it: we can earn it, or we can take it. To the extent those who have wealth make it attractive for someone else to take it, conflicts and wars WILL happen. And that is one of the great lessons of war. Some think wars are mostly the product of hate, bigotry, and the like, but I disagree. Hate and bigotry are what keeps wars alive, but they are not the cause of war. Waging war is very expensive and has to be financed. Poor countries can't wage war no matter how much hate their leaders generate. On the other hand, national leaders who want to maintain or increase their power tend to view war, along with other options, as a simple equation that evaluates the gain versus the losses. Time is also a factor. Political pressures from within can cause national leaders to gamble a bit. The U.S. has been known to bomb aspirin factories for just that reason; fortunately the victim was a poor nation. Before a war starts, there are many options for preventing it; once begun, however, there is only one option for ending it: you must destroy the enemy's will to continue. That's how we won WWII, and that's how North Viet Nam won that war with us. In the process, many die, many lose everything and have to start over, but many get rich too. Those are the key lessons of history that we are doomed to repeat if we don't learn them sufficiently well. -Dick Epler (52) - Mt. Vernon, OR ******************************************** ******************************************** >>From: Teresa DeVine Knirck (64) I think we may have a bit of an overreaction going on here. This situation with the bomb removal is about school district policy -- simply said, because school buildings belong to the District and are public places, all modifications to those buildings, including painting, installing, etc. must be approved, and this is usually done by filling out a work order and submitting it. This of course includes gifts -- such as the Day's Pay mural on the outside of the gym. So Dr. Semler is just doing his job as the person hired by the School District to enforce its policies. It is not about Roy either -- he believed he did have the necessary permission. Another issue is union work -- the district's maintenance people, such as plumbers, carpenters, electricians, are union and those of you who also belong to unions understand that there are strict guidelines for union work. As far as I can tell, there is no plan to change the Bomber name or mascot -- that is simply wild rumor. -Teresa DeVine Knirck (64) ******************************************** ******************************************** >>From: Mercedes (Deedee) Willox Loiseau (64) To: Ralph Myrick (51) You said it better than I ever could. I agree with everything in your entry of 7-27-01. And, after seeing the movie Pearl Harbor, I might add that the Japanese were not concerned about women and children being killed in their attack. I'm so sick of politically correct liberals trying to re-write history. War is ugly! No matter how each side kills people, it's ugly. But there will be no peace until the Prince of Peace. Thanks again for your entry. -Mercedes (Deedee) Willox Loiseau (64) ******************************************** ******************************************** >>From: Janet Devine Call (69) I think it's not too difficult to figure out this whole crisis isn't really about approval for the installation of our beloved mascot. Those in the politically-correct camp are a little too zealous about appeasing the likes of foreign delegations and screaming do-gooders. None of us can know what was *really* on the mind of the person who ordered the bomb removed in such a destructive fashion. My rhetorical question is to ask whether they could have the same ideas after reading accounts of atrocities carried out by the Japanese on our Allied soldiers in events such as the Bataan Death March? Read "My Hitch in Hell" by Lester Tenney, a Bataan Death March survivor. I guarantee you will come away with a different perspective on the subject of political correctness. On a side note, I don't ever remember learning in history, government, or social studies classes much more than a few sentences about Richland's place in the events leading up to the mushroom cloud. Do today's teachers do much for enlightening their students about BOTH sides of the end of WWII? If I were a Richland resident, I would want to make sure my School Board was overseeing a comprehensive curriculum on this subject. They seem to be focusing a lot on their image to the outside world. My husband was a teacher at Castle Rock High School a few moons ago, and he couldn't EVER remember any controversy whatsoever about their rocket mascot. While I'm enjoying reading all about this ridiculousness in Richland, let's hope it ends with a whimper and true history reigns to allow the wishes of the current and past Bombers. I'm focusing on the minds of the decision-makers to do the right thing by us!!! I hope they are looking at the BIG PICTURE here! This is a strange lesson we're experiencing! -Janet Devine Call, 1969 Bomber ******************************************** ******************************************** >>From: Dan Staringer (78) I have read, first with concern, then with sadness, the many entries here that strongly support the supposed necessity of dropping the bomb. Many historians have noted with striking evidence that Japan was on the verge of surrender before the bombs were dropped and that the United States knew this. For a very fine summary of the events leading up to Truman's decision to drop the bomb, read <www.doug-long.com/hiroshim.htm> and <www.doug-long.com/hirosh2.htm>. For an extended bibliography about the decision, I refer you to <www.doug-long.com/bibliog.htm>. For those wishing to study the issue, there are many fine references in this bibliography. Conventional wisdom can, in many instances, fail to be accurate after the passing of time. Certainly, primarily in the United States, the decision to drop the bomb is supported as the absolute and only solution to ending the war. The decision to drop the bomb, I believe, had more to do with the Soviet Union's entry into war with Japan and a desire by the US military establishment to end the war through a military solution rather than through negotiated efforts. Japan was sending peace overtures through third parties -- particularly the Soviets -- during the summer of '45. As historian and former Naval officer Martin Sherwin summarized the situation, as communicated in the article noted above, "The choice in the summer of 1945 was not between a conventional invasion or a nuclear war. It was a choice between various forms of diplomacy and warfare." (Martin Sherwin, A World Destroyed, 1987 ed., pg. xxiv). I will not go into more detailed accounts here as the above links can lead you to many books and historical archives that provide much better analysis than I can ever hope to provide in an abbreviated letter. It is very difficult to see an event differently after holding deep-seated opinions for many years. When I was younger, I believed that the bomb was an unconditional good. However, after reading accounts over the years from learned historians and studying the evidence, I have drawn a different conclusion. I don't expect this will change many minds of you who subscribe to this newsletter, but my wish is that it will prompt some of you to dig deeper into the subject matter and give it more thought. -Dan Staringer (78) ******************************************** That's it for today. Keep the faith! Nuke 'em! ******************************************** Send RHS Nickname/Mascot entries to: rhsnickname@richlandbombers.com ********************************************