Today's A Big Day In Ohio

Yesterday, August 28, was my second brother's 78'th birthday. Happy Birthday, Carl Gariety! Here is an Air Force photo of my brother as a young military man. From 1951 to 1955 Carl was in the Air Force and spent his time as a plane navigator in air force tanker planes that refueled B-25s in the air much to my poor mother's consternation. I think he also was a gunner. Carl loved planes and loved flying and I think even considered making a career in the Air Force. However, his love of Ohio and farming won out so Carl returned to Ohio to farm and to work a factory job in Dayton, Ohio. Today Carl can watch his three sons and many grandsons farm Ohio farmland near Russia, Ohio. My fondest memory of Carl occured one day while Carl was still in the Air Force. The crew pilot somehow arranged that a flight schedule could be planned so that each crew member over a period of time could have a flyover over their hometown. Our family received the news of when this would occur and we were ready and waiting. My parents and neighbors were outside with bathtowels to wave at the plane as it made several very low passes over Russia. My sister Mary Ellen and I were in school so we had to get permission from our classroom teachers to go outside to wave. My sister's entire class went outside to wave but my teacher only allowed me to go out and wave. I can remember that that Air Force plane flew so very low that I thought it might hit the church steeple at St. Remy's Catholic Church or a silo on a farm. Carl is turning 78 this weekend. Happy, happy birthday Carl!

Another fellow will also celebrate his birthday in Ohio this weekend. John McCain is now in Dayton, Ohio to announce the name of his running mate and he will celebrate his 72'nd birthday today. So happy birthday to John McCain too.

McCain has picked Governor Palin of Alaska as his running mate. I was expecting him to choose either Tom Ridge or Mitt Romney or Colin Powell. This is a big surprise I think.