Operation Paperclip – A Reference Point

I think I mentioned in a prior post, when I wrote “The War Within”, it was supposed to be  a romance novel. Well, that didn’t happen. Obviously.

Research began with that which I needed to feel comfortable writing about the military service of my main character’s husband. I started with the internet. One thing led to another, and soon I had opened a can of worms.

Then down the rabbit hole I went. I’m still there. My head is still spinning from the information I found. Some people call me a conspiracy theorist because I continue to discuss the  manipulation and criminal activity of not only the American government, but governments and NGO’s across the world too.

One of the resources I used when writing “The War Within” was “Operation Paperclip” written by Annie Jacobsen.

“Operation Paperclip” was one of the many covert operations hidden within the Intelligence community and the military complex. It was what began the mind control programs on American soil. In addition to many other experiments on human subjects.

Annie Jacobsen goes into great detail about what the CIA tried to brush off as a “conspiracy theory”. She showed how the American government brought to the States all the German scientist after World War II, who should have been tried under the Nuremberg Trials or were tried and released. Originally, the operation was called Operation Overcast but it became more commonly known as Operation Paperclip.

The scientists were brought to the USA for many reasons. Some specialized in aerodynamics and rocketry. Others worked specifically with weapons and chemical reactions technology and medicine. All these scientists were secretly brought to the States, along with their families. This without State Department review or approval. Approval would never have been granted because of the association of these scientists  to Hitler’s Third Reich, many who were considered war criminals.

Almost 500 scientists were deployed to White Sands Proving Ground, Fort Bliss in New Mexico. Others were sent to Texas and Huntsville, Alabama to work with the guided missiles program which later became NASA.

Annie Jacobsen, through many hours of interviews, and after reviewing the archives, and reviewing files made available through the Freedom of Information Act, along with other archived government documents, has compiled a work that is eye opening and informative.

Anyone who wishes to know more about the crimes committed by governments and other institutes within the States, should read “Operation Paperclip”. It was quite helpful to me while I wrote “The War Within”.

Another Voice Another Vote

The citizens of the United States of America are empowered with rights that could move mountains. Such rights should cause us to race to the polls and vote. Unfortunately, not everyone takes this right seriously.

In recent years we have seen a vast change in how we view politics. This blog is not going to be infused with politics in any form. I can’t mention voting without mentioning the elephant in the room. It is the reason we vote. I believe it is also the reason we are see an increased interest in voting and the voting process.

There is a long history of suffrage in this country. One equal to that of the vote. The topic has shaken up the masses at different times in history.

The first vote took place within hours of the landing of the Jamestown voyagers on April 26, 1607, according to their calendar. It was the first attempt at voting on American soil. It was also the beginning of corruption. The commanders of 105 colonialists of Williamsburg unsealed a box containing a list of seven men picked in England who would be the colony’s council. They would select one of the seven as president.

We all remember Captain John Smith. They denied him a seat initially on suspicion of concealing a mutiny. Because they eliminated John Smith from the vote, that left six men, less than six percent of the population, to take part in the choice for president. Six men were the voice for the 105 colonists. Ninety-nine voices remained silent, choked out by the king’s rule.

This country has come a long way from colonial Williamsburg. We have suffered many growing pains. In the early years, they allowed only wealthy white men to vote. Male landowners controlled the interest of the population. Eventually, that changed, and it allowed all white males to vote.

In 1870 they granted the African American male population the right to vote through the fifteenth amendment. Many things didn’t change for this demographic, but it was the beginning of change. It would be almost a hundred years before the civil rights movement would cause a greater change.

We went through the woman’s suffrage movement. This movement broke down the barriers that had, for centuries, snuffed out the voice of women. They finally gave women the right to vote on August 18, 1920, when Congress ratified the nineteenth amendment.

The United States is a melting pot of ethnicity. “Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, the wretched refuse of your teeming shore. Send these, the homeless, tempest-tossed to me, I lift my lamp beside the golden door!” (Statue of Liberty). This country welcomes the masses, through its gates (by means of citizenship). In welcoming them we give them the right to be a voice for themselves as well as for the country.

I hope each one of you finds the time today to make your voice heard.

Photo by Element5 Digital on Unsplash

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A Very Cold Night! Especially for the Homeless

 I sit here tonight in my warm house, listening to the wind blow just outside my window. I know quite well, it’s cold out there. Just before settling in to write this blog, I looked at the thermometer, which reads a negative 4 degrees!

Now I sit here typing as I listen to the wind. I can’t help but think of the people that may be out on the street. I don’t mean people that are out for an evening of frolic and fun. I’m thinking of the homeless right now. I can’t help but worry about those that have no shelter when the weather is like this. If you think about those who are cold tonight if you put yourself in their shoes…

I pull the thin parka around me as my muscles tense up, my body’s reaction to the cold. My jaw gets tight as I try to keep my teeth from chattering while the wind whips through the street. It creeps in behind my neck, forcing its way down my back. I reach up and lift the collar of the coat, stretching it to reach my exposed ears as the cold air burns through my flesh. I’m torn between protecting my cold ears with the jacket and the desire to push my hands deep into the pockets to keep them warm. It’s no use. There is no relief. The cold is too much.

I continue walking, hoping to find shelter from the cold wind. My face is burning now from the cold air. My nose is running. I reach up to wipe away what has dripped off the tip of my nose. I have to laugh as I realize ice has collected just there. I keep going if for no other reason than to keep my blood moving. If I don’t stand still, if I keep walking, my blood will continue to work its way through my body, keeping me, well not warm, but alive. I turn as the passing car interrupts my thoughts. They don’t even notice me. They look right through me as if I’m not standing here freezing. I’m not surprised. I see that all the time.

I’ve now reached the alley I’m hoping will at least shelter me from the wind. I lean against the brick as I slide down that wall and sit, curled up, hoping I can produce enough heat to keep my blood moving. My teeth are chattering again. My joints are getting stiff. Maybe I shouldn’t sit still.

I’m really tired. I need to rest for a little while; then, I’ll get up and move around some. I sit quietly with my thin jacket wrapped tightly around me. I can hear the noise of the night floating away. I can see my breath, so I must still be alive. It’s getting colder. I’m so tired. My eyelids are getting heavy. I force them open and look around one more time.

I see no one; I only hear voices as they slowly drift off into the night.

My feet are tingling. Maybe it’s warming up. My neck hurts, I need to straighten up. Instead, I lean over and lay down, curling up tighter into a ball. I think my breathing is getting shallow. No, I’m just tired. I can’t stay awake; I don’t want to stay awake. If I sleep, I won’t feel the cold. I don’t want to be cold anymore. I’ll rest for a while. It’s okay, just for a few min….

The image above is the life of a young girl freezing in an alley. Will she wake up and walk to stay alive? Or will she freeze there curled up in a ball against that brick wall? You won’t know because this is where the vision ends.

Her story is the story of many homeless people in this country that fight to stay alive during the long winter months. Each of singularly may not be able to do away with the reality that is portrayed in this short vision. But collectively, we can make a difference.

Please take a few minutes this winter to locate a shelter in your area and donate what you can to help those in need of a warm place to stay during the frigid winter months.

Sandbox

When my girls were children they spent hours outside. Usually playing in the sandbox under the swing set, I built for them. I often think about those simple days gone by. This poem was a way to remember the good old days.

Sand Box

I look out my back window

At where you used to play

I smile as I remember

All the sunny days

I recall your laughter

As I’d sit and watch you play

In the sandbox that I built for you

Where you’d want to spend the day

At times the sand became a tower

And then it would be gone

Only to become a creation

That came from your precious mind

No matter what you built or made

I loved to watch you play

In the sandbox that I built for you

Those were special days

You’ve since grown up

And moved away

But the memories they remain

The sandbox that I built for you

Will never be the same