For Nenny Mae…..

I apologize for the absence.  There has been stuff going down in the Average Mom’s household, as in almost becoming Your Average Single- Mom……however, my best friend in the whole wide world is busting my proverbial balls weekly to update this thing, so…..for you Jen the Hen with love from Meg the Egg.  I present: Do, Dump or Marry The WWII Edition….

DO: Harry Connick Jr. as Sgt, Clay Busby the Tailgunner for the Memphis Belle.  As historically incorrect as this film was, it was the movie that made me first research ANYTHING about history on my own and as a result I became incredibly passionate about history, WWII especially.  His slow southern drawl, amazingly hot version of “Danny Boy” and willingness to help out a friend (even though it resulted in another Allied plane getting shot down) has always left a soft spot in my heart for Harry… but the character in that Hollywood-ized (yea, I just made that word up) film also always spoke to me.  Triumphant over difficult circumstances (not TRULY as difficult as portrayed, after all the Memphis never had much more then a scratch in 25 missions but dudes, any bombing mission, especially in daylight, was very dangerous) but Harry, and Clay, always stuck with me.  However, since he is a actor portraying a real person, I can’t be beholden to him for life.  Though the chance to listen to him sing, even for one night, would be a dream come true….

It’s a bad picture of him in uniform but here’s a better of my HCJ…

Plus, I do LOVE that forties slicked back Vital-is hair, so sexy!!!

DUMP: This seems obvious but I’m going with it anyways…. Joesph Stalin, or Ioseb Besarionis dze Jughashvili.  A tyrant of the worst kind, “Uncle Joe ” (as we sold him  in US propaganda) killed between 3 and 60 million people during his rule, depending on your source.  It’s virtually impossible to have an accurate count but I’m going to go with a WHOLE F*CKIN’ LOT (that’s a historical term…).  Most of them were his own citizens and he definitely killed anyone who stood in his way, friend  or foe.  This, coupled with the Tripartite Pact and Order #270 leaves him on my dump list.  Sorry Joe, but siding with Hitler and killing your own soldiers for surrendering and/or retreating does not put you high on any girls list, no matter how great your Vodka and caviar are.  Just because it was good enough for FDR, doesn’t mean we can forgive that horrendous tyrannical behavior even though your mustache kicks Magnum PI’s mustache’s ass.

MARRY:  I  struggle with this choice as I would either choose Winston Churchill, ’cause I like his style but his war mongering sucked, or my Grandfather, who I believe to be the greatest war hero of all time but…GROSS!  He’s my grandad…I’m just happy he married my grandmother….so, I decided that given all the evidence of who was actually a tremendous war hero/worthy life time partner I decided that my marry would be…………….

Major Richard Winters, Commander of ‘E” Company 2nd Battalion, 506th Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division.  Despite his Hollywood portrayal in “Band of Brothers” as a great and wonderful man and leader, he is also, actually, a great man and leader.  I know, I know….they are hard to find.  During WWII he was involved with, and eventually led, the famous Easy Company through all of the most difficult, strategic and famous battles in Western Europe. Including, but not limited to, the Invasion of Normandy, Operation Market Garden and the taking of Berchtesgaden.  Despite his service to his country in WWII, he also chose to serve our country in the Korean War.  His valor is only supported by his humbleness, saying in an interview in the “Band of Brothers” series when he quoted a passage from a letter he received from Sergeant Mike Ranney, “‘I cherish the memories of a question my grandson asked me the other day when he said, Grandpa, were you a hero in the war?’ Grandpa said ‘No… but I served in a company of heroes…” it brings me to tears just to write it. 

Coming up next on Your Average Mom will NOT be Do, Dump or Marry the Post-War years, as I have laboring over a unit based on such a topic for so many months and I care not to talk about it ever again BUT I will instead be starting from the beginning……DO, Dump or Marry: The Founding Fathers…..sounds revolutionary, doesn’t it