A Disturbing Historical Trend!

History avoided becomes history repeated. How often has that phrase been told to you in differing degrees?

Sadly, it tends to repeat when there's a lesson to be learned. Call it karma, call it what you want.

First the good news. If you are a resident of California and don't mind making the commute to Anaheim, Ca. by all means go for it.

Today happens to be a 59th birthday for 'The Happiest Place On Earth' courtesy of Uncle Walt. Disneyland opened its doors this day in 1955. 

This would also explain when texting into the local radio station 103.3 FM ESPN their text number is #71755. I get called 'Rainman' for less.

Unless the rules have changed I seem to recall this date was one where the park stays open for 24 hours, unlimited rides, and a chance to test your mettle on the many rides available. This is the only time Ric Flair would lose the battle to Space Mountain. That's the one piece of good news I can cipher from this date in a historical sense.

Hard to believe it has been 15 years since the passing of JFK Jr when his Piper Saratoga crashed into the Atlantic Waters near Martha's Vineyard. That tragedy along with the Carolyn and Linda Bessette has been a source of discussion with regard to what really happened. 

It was on this date in 1999-a Saturday-that all three networks began to furiously report what was happening on the East Coast.

It was also three years prior when TWA Flight 800 suffered a terrible fate when (according to witness accounts) a fireball was seen going skyward toward the plane and an explosion occurred, killing all aboard near East Moriches, NY.

To say that the FBI and NTSB were far apart in the way they handled this disaster might scream coverup. Up the road at Fenway Park I was watching the television as the Yankees were putting a spanking on the Boston Red Sox. Later friends in the area would describe what they saw. 

I do remember watching file footage of the burning debris underwater on the 11 O'Clock News in Seattle. My mind of course thought back to 9/5/83 with the Korean Airliner #007 and of course what I believe to still be the worst aviation disaster on American soil prior to 9-11-01. Flight 187 flying out of O'Hare Field on 5/25/79. Living North of Chicago at the time that was a very somber Memorial Day Weekend. I had classmates who lost friends that day.

Although 1 day early on the calendar it's also hard to fathom what happened d45 years ago also on the Atlantic Seaboard when America learned about a little place called Chappaquiddick. Near Martha's Vineyard this if course reminds me of an old joke (Ted Kennedy always welcomed Chappaquiddick jokes in later years).  What's the one things the Kennedy's will miss about Martha's Vineyard? The runway.

A party was going on with a bunch of 'Boiler Room Girls' (ladies who had worked very diligiently with the Robert F. Kennedy campaign in 1968). One of the girls, Mary Jo Kopechnie-who once resided in the same city I had: Berkeley Heights NJ-left the party with Ted Kennedy. 

Driving in a darkly lit area of narrow roadways Ted Kennedy managed to drive an Oldsmobile off a bridge and into a tidal channel. He hen left the scene of a vehicle with Kopechne trapped inside the vehicle. The backlash of that scandal cost him a chance at the presidency. The very same weekend we landed on the moon. 

Many questions surrounding the circumstances of this tragedy continue. If social media were what it was then as today one can only imagine what kind of hoops the Kennedy's would have to jump. Many hours passed before the accident and subsequent death were reported. The media sure has a selective memory when choosing to observe the anniversary of the date.

As I type this post incredibly it is happening again. A Malaysian airplane has been shot down in the Ukraine. Again on this date. Again with terrible complications and implications. This is a case that will grow wings over time. Sadly, if you include the disappearance of Flight 370 last March 8th that's 537 passengers dead or missing. 

Tragic.

Interesting to me how weirdly coincidental life can be when tragedy strikes years apart on one given calendar day. It can be said that the last four pieces of history mentioned here are ones that we'd like to forget whereas a trip to Disneyland is indeed a fantasy world of happy for park goers to get awa y and forget for a while.

Here's hoping some good starts to happen on this date in the future.

Over and out in Big D.

Mr. Will