Out and About – Week of April 4th

This month I begin my seventeenth year writing this column. There have been times when I’ve wondered what to write, then an idea pops into my head in the middle of the night, and that idea becomes the beginning of a column. I try my best to keep the columns positive. This can be difficult at times. Sometimes I wonder if it’s worth doing the column, then someone approaches me and lets me know how much the column is appreciated. The words are truly and I thank each and every one of you who take the time to read “Out and About”. I will continue to do what I can to provide everyone with a smile or chuckle. It’s always nice when someone says, “Hmmm…I never knew that”.

My father once told me that if you don’t learn something new everyday, you’ve somehow wasted your time. I learned a lot from my parents and from my brother. Here are four things that I learned from my brother. I know they are true, because my brother would never lead me astray:

You should never pick at your navel (belly-button), because if you undo it, your entire body will fly through the air like an untied balloon.
If you were adopted, you do not have a navel.
When you sneeze, your eyes close automatically during the sneeze. If you were to hold them open during the sneeze, your eyeballs will fly out.
If you stand too close to a campfire, you will wet the bed.
If you don’t have any siblings, you are missing out on a tremendous amount of knowledge.

Thurston Woods Village in Sturgis would like to invite families with children ages 1 to 10 years of age to their annual Community Easter Egg Hunt on Saturday, April 9, Registration begins at 9AM and the staggered hunts will start at 10AM. Everyone should bring a nonperishable food item to be donated to the Salvation Army. They will then be eligible for a grand prize drawing. Plastic eggs will cover the entire area, so bring your own baskets for collecting them.

Thurston Woods Village is located at 307 North Franks Avenue in Sturgis. You may phone them at (269)651-7841 for more information.

I’ve always loved aviation, especially military aircraft. My brother and I once had the privilege of flying in a B-17 Flying Fortress over near Detroit. During my tour in Vietnam, like many Vietnam vets, I was quite familiar with the HU-1 (helicopter utility), better known as the famous Huey. Almost every movie, piece of art, and music related to the Vietnam War includes the Huey helicopter. As a matter of fact, the Huey serves as an important symbol of that time.

The Huey was originally intended to be an air ambulance, however, it was regularly redeveloped to meet more needs during the war. With a variety of models, they carried out multiple roles.

Unarmed Hueys (UH-1A), or slicks, were used as troop transporters, could carry up to six passengers.
The UH-1B was the first to carry M-60 machine guns and rockets.
Huey Gunships, known as “hogs”, included space for M-134 Gatling miniguns.
The Hueys were a favorite of Vietnam Era pilots, because they rode easy, did their job well, and still worked after sustaining an insane amount of damage.

“Ed’s face is rough and rugged. Ed’s wife doesn’t hug Ed” – BURMA SHAVE

See you Out and About!

Submitted by Norm Stutesman