For the past 12 years, my wife and I have driven up to upstate New York to my brother-in-laws home to celebrate the 4th (Sam Sparks Birthday by the way). They do a 'circle of fire' thing, they live on a lake. Every one on the lake fires off fire works and mortors at midnight.
My brother-in-law gets the best of fire works around, because he can. On the first year I was up there celebrating, my brother-in-law and all of his friends were afraid of lighting the fire works. They are all Dentist, and afraid that a small unexpected explosion would ruin there carreies if there fingers got dismemberd. So I was asked to lite the fuses to the motors. Been my job ever since. My knick name is the 'Commander' (though I never held such a rank in the military, but was a Mortor Platoon Leader in the Army after a short stinch as an Infantry Platoon Leader). Looking forward to the fire works again this year!
How do you all celebrate the 4th?
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13 comments:
Ric,It's-almost-impossible-to-bring-fireworks-to-Guam-short-of-being"searched"I-remember-the-days-when-someone-would-smuggle-them-from-Japan.What-a-sight.Fantastic-as-I-remember.Better-than-4th-of-July-Fireworks-to-me.Up-close-and-personal.In-other-words"Hit-the-Ground!!!":)
Oh, I forgot to mention, I was the only stupid one willing to lite them fire works. The true nick name the gave me was 'Kamikazi Commander', forgot to mention that part.
You can buy anything you want in Dothan AL, if you can stand going to Alabama. It's 100 miles or so from here.
A true American celebration. Food, beer and blowing stuff up. What could be better.
Well, thats where I got suckered into it all, Doug. They loaded me up with a lot of cheep beer and eats, and then gave me the lighter and said "lite the fuses, all the fuses Commander". They all knew that I use to blow and shoot things up in the Army, thats how this whole family tradition started with my inlaws. Now I'm stuck with it, being Kamikaze Commander Ric.
Joanna, I dont remember seeing any fire works on Guam. But when I lived in Hawaii they were all over the place!
Let's-ask-Matheewww.?If-he-remembers-those-fireworks-back-in-the-day.Or-Alice-if-she-logs-on:)
Heck yea man! Jo, your mom used to bring firecrackers back from Japan and my dad did a couple times. I remember one time in particular Sam and I decided to blow up this huge hornets nest in the Clevelands yard on one of their Plumeria trees and Sam taped like 30 firecrackers to the end of a stick and twisted all the fuses together. Well he lit the fuse and stuck the whole thing BEHIND the nest and BOOM! Because he stuck it behind it blew all the bees on us! A couple of budding rocket scientists (morons).hahahaha
Heck yea man! Jo, your mom used to bring firecrackers back from Japan and my dad did a couple times. I remember one time in particular Sam and I decided to blow up this huge hornets nest in the Clevelands yard on one of their Plumeria trees and Sam taped like 30 firecrackers to the end of a stick and twisted all the fuses together. Well he lit the fuse and stuck the whole thing BEHIND the nest and BOOM! Because he stuck it behind it blew all the bees on us! A couple of budding rocket scientists (morons).hahahaha
Like Ric said, I don't remember any real fireworks in all the time I was there. But, it didn't have to be 4th of July to blow things up. Model rockets engines were the best for that. I do remember fire crackers, but the best was at the Larson's. This was probably not the best for a budding young Coast Guard Chief. Your dad got the flair gun from your boat and shot flares into to the night sky.
Mat,I-knew-you'd-remember...of-all-people:)That-was-cool-to-hear-you-two-blew-up-the-bees-nest.Those-darn-critters,stung-me-and-DeanBoy-on-a-regular-basis.Even-in-Merizo.Where-you-there?:)
Ric, in our family, it can't be the 4th without brautwerst and beer, a tradition we grew up with in Northern Wisconsin. I have to work on the 4th at the hospital but then Chelsea and I are going to a big block party they have here called the "Red, White and Boom." I've volunteered to work a booth where we are registering people to vote.
Mat, come to think of it, I remember Mrs. Sparks bringing the fire works back from Japan too. W(What a side busines she could have had back then...selling fire works). Back then, it must have been a lot easier to get things through customs.
Cindy, you had to bring up 'brautwerst', thats all I ate while stationed in Germany. Haven't had a good one since. I can still taste them now! ;)
Ric,in-Malojloj,there's-a-stand-that-sells-those.The-ownwer-used-to-run-Tumon-Bay-Daily-He-was-a-chef-at-the-Hilton.Now,his-business-is-blooming.Anyone-from-Guam-Know-his-Name?:)Bratwurst's.Oh-and-Bad-Company-will-be-here-for-Indepence-Day!!!
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