We remember Roberto Clemente (1934-72)

Roberto Clemente was killed in a plane crash many years ago:

"On December 31, 1972, an airplane chartered by the professional baseball player Roberto Clemente to bring food and other relief supplies to survivors of a recent earthquake in Nicaragua crashes shortly after takeoff from San Juan, Puerto Rico.

Five people were killed in the crash, including Clemente, whose body was never recovered."

Like most of you, I was shocked to hear the news.       

Clemente hit .317 and got # 3,000 on his last at-bat of the 1972 season.   He was the MVP of the 1971 World Series and hit .318 in the postseason.

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1972: President Harry Truman died in Missouri

We remember that Pres Truman died on this day in 1972.  He was the 33rd president of the US and one of the most consequential figures of the 20th century.

VP Harry Truman became president when President Roosevelt died in April 1945.  As President, he faced some huge challenges in Europe and Japan, such as dropping two atomic bombs in Japan.  It was a tough decision but it ended the war.

President Truman was elected on his own in 1948 but his second term was very tough, from economic problems to the war in Korea.  As a consequence, he left the presidency with very low approval ratings and was succeeded by the very popular President Eisenhower.

Today, we think of President Truman as a decisive and strong president.  His legacy gets stronger and stronger with time.  He made decisions and that was his greatest asset.

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"Mary had a baby" by Mary Hopkin........

Mary Hopkin was 18 years old when she recorded "Those were the days"!

It was one of the biggest hits in pop music history.

She has a beautiful voice and recorded many songs many Christmases ago!

Here is "Mary had a baby":

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"Virgin Mary had a little baby

Oh, Glory Hallelujah

Oh Pretty little baby

Glory be to the newborn king

what will you name that pretty little baby

Oh, Glory Hallelujah

Oh pretty little baby

Glory be to the newborn king

some call him David

Think I'll call him Jesus

Oh Glory Hallelujah’

Oh Think I’ll call him Jesus

Glory to the newborn king

Some call him Jesus

Think I’ll call him Savior

Oh Glory Hallelujah’

Oh Think we’ll call him Savior

Glory be to the newborn King

My name is Mary

and I’m going to have a baby

Oh Glory Hallelujah

Jesus save my little baby

From a life of suffering"

MERRY CHRISTMAS.....FELIZ NAVIDAD....HAVE A NICE DAY WITH YOUR FAMILY

MERRY CHRISTMAS.....FELIZ NAVIDAD.... 

HAVE A NICE DAY WITH YOUR FAMILY.......

 Guest:  Frank Burke, author, businessman and contributor to American Thinker......we will look back at our Christmas experiences........is Christmas too commercial?   wasn't Christmas declared a federal holiday........plus Frank's annual message.......plus a few other stories..........

 

1972: Immaculate reception and Franco Harris

The AFL and NFL merged in 1970.   The Pittsburgh Steelers, Baltimore Colts and Cleveland Browns moved to the AFC.     

The first big game of the new post-merger era took place on this day in 1972:     

The historic play took place during the semifinal playoff game of the American Football Conference (AFC), in Pittsburgh. Ken Stabler of the Raiders scored a touchdown with 73 seconds left in the game, putting Oakland up 7-6. Things looked dark for the Steelers, a struggling franchise that had finished 31 of the previous 39 seasons with a losing record. Bradshaw’s pass, launched from the Steelers’ 40-yard-line, was intended for halfback Frenchy Fuqua. 

When the Raiders safety Jack Tatum collided with Fuqua at Oakland’s 35-yard-line, the ball bounced backwards in a huge arc for a total of seven yards, where Harris scooped it up before it hit the ground and ran 42 yards into the end zone."

The victory put the Steelers on the football map.   They won 4 Super Bowls in the 1970's and became one of the greatest teams in NFL history. 

It all started with a crazy play in an AFC playoff game.

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1972: Operation Linebacker had the communists running for their lives

By Election Day 1972, most U.S. troops were out of Vietnam.  The election results had confirmed that most Americans were supportive of the Nixon approach.

President Nixon had two objectives: first, get North Vietnam to agree to ending the conflict and arrange for the release of POW’s.

Like good communists, North Vietnam decided to play games with secretary of state Henry Kissinger.  The North Vietnamese decided to delay the accords and play games with international opinion.

President Nixon had enough and decided to send a Christmas greeting to North Vietnam.  It was called Operation Linebacker II.  We call it the Christmas bombing of 1972:

President Nixon initiated the full-scale bombing campaign against North Vietnam on December 18, when the North Vietnamese – who walked out of the peace talks in Paris – refused an ultimatum from Nixon to return to the negotiating table.  

During the 11 days of the operation, 700 B-52 sorties and more than 1,000 fighter-bomber sorties dropped an estimated 20,000 tons of bombs, mostly over the densely populated area between Hanoi and Haiphong. 

President Nixon was vilified at home and abroad for ordering the “Christmas bombing,” but on December 28, the North Vietnamese did agree to return to the talks in Paris. When the negotiators met again in early January, they quickly arrived at a settlement. 

The Paris Peace Accords were signed on January 23 and a ceasefire went into effect five days later. 

Naturally, President Nixon was called every name on the book, from war criminal to Hitler to whatever else the left could come up with.

However, the bombing worked, and the accord was signed, ending the war and recognizing South Vietnam.

Also, a timetable for releasing POWs was accepted.  They started coming home in March.  That was also awesome – to watch those men get out of the planes and greet their families.

Operation Linebacker was a great name, and it clearly stymied the communists’ offense.  It was fun to watch a U.S. president exercise power and get results.  Unfortunately, Vietnam was lost later, when the Democrats pulled the plug.

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December 1972: Apollo 17 and the last mission to the moon

On December 19 1972, Apollo 17 turned out to be the last NASA lunar mission:

"The Apollo lunar-landing program ends on December 19, 1972, when the last three astronauts to travel to the moon splash down safely in the Pacific Ocean. Apollo 17 had lifted off from Cape Canaveral, Florida, 10 days before."

Who would have believed that years ago?  I certainly did not!

The moon landing program was one of our greatest accomplishments.  

First, we beat the USSR to the moon.   By the way, that was no small feat considering the the Soviets had an early start with Sputnik in 1957.

Second, we expanded technology and showed the world that the US was indeed a superpower.  NASA's scientists and engineers gave us computers, calculators and paved the way for what we have today.

Will we go back to the moon?  I don't know for sure.  However, it is hard to believe that we spent the 1960's committed to a lunar program and then just pulled the plug.

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We remember Emily Dickinson (1830-1886)

We used to read her poetry in school.      Emily Dickinson was born on this day years ago in Amherst, Massachusetts.  She wrote 1775 poems but only 7 were published in her lifetime.

One of my English teachers loved her work and would give us a full share of her poetry to read.    Glad that she did!

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December 10, 1898: The Treaty of Paris

We remember today The Treaty of Paris signed in 1898.    It concluded the short Spanish American War of the same year.

The Spanish Empire came to an end: Puerto Rico and Guam were lost, the Philippines Islands were bought for $20 million, and Cuba became a US protectorate until independence in 1902.

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The 1972 Nixon model

This week in 1972, President Nixon was reelected in a huge landslide.  He put together one of the greatest election victories of all time.  He got 61% of the popular vote, beating Senator George McGovern by 18 million votes.  Add 520 electoral votes to the story and you have the textbook definition of a wipeout.

Who predicted that?  I was there and don’t remember anyone predicting that a year before.

Why should President Trump’s team look at that election?  I see some interesting similarities:

1) 1971 polls projected a very tight race: Nixon 43 vs Muskie 39.   As we know now, Senator Edmund Muskie never made it and President Nixon won big.

2) Senator McGovern did not have a issue.  In other words, the anti-war candidate ran against a war that was practically over on election day.   

3) The Democrat convention was a circus and nominee Senator McGovern did not deliver his acceptance speech until after midnight.  I saw it, but most people probably didn’t.  Who watches acceptance speeches at 3 a.m. ET?

So what can we learn?   

First, all the polls are worthless.  President Nixon was vulnerable against Senator Muskie or Senator Hubert Humphrey.  However, he ran against Senator McGovern, a nice man but not much more.  

In other words, let’s wait until the Democrats actually have a candidate.  President Trump may run against Senator Elizabeth Warren, the lady who can’t explain her numbers.  The Dallas Morning News called it right:  Elizabeth Warren’s health care math is a populist dream — and fiscal nightmare.

As in 1972, the Democrats may nominate an unelectable nominee!

Second, results matter.  Nixon put up results, such as ending the war that got him elected. President Trump has results in the form of a growing economy.

Last but not least, the 2020 convention could be a huge circus like the 1972 gathering that showed the country a side of America that President Nixon could run against.

My guess is that President Trump (corrected) won’t get 61% of the vote or 520 electoral votes.  Nevertheless, he will run for re-election with a strong economy.  It will be difficult for Americans to buy a message of “doom” when their eyes are seeing something else.

I’m sure that there a lot of smart people at the Trump 2020 offices.  I hope that they go back and read the 1972 Nixon strategy.

PS: You can listen to my show (Canto Talk) and follow me on Twitter.

1972: Nixon reelected in landslide!

In 1968, Richard Nixon was elected with 42% of the popular vote in a very divisive presidential election.    In 1972, President Nixon enjoyed one of the greatest landslides of all time.    He got 61% of the popular vote beating Senator McGovern by 18 million votes.     

The campaign was dominated by the war in Vietnam.  However, President Nixon withdrew most of the troops and the war not the issue that the Democrats expected.    Also, Senator McGovern was branded as a liberal and flopped in most of the country.

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1956: We can not forget what happened in Hungary many years ago

The Cold War is over. The USSR is the answer to a trivia question.  We call them Russia now.

Nevertheless, an amazing thing happened in Hungary this week in 1956. It started with simple protests and then students, workers, and even some soldiers demanded more freedom.

The Soviet tanks eventually crushed the rebellion and the dream was not realized until 1989.

However, we can never forget what the brave citizens of Hungary did this week in 1956. They stood up to communism and we can not forget their bravery.

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We remember the October 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis with Frank Burke

Guest: Frank Burke, businessman, author...........we discussed the October 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis..........I shared some of my personal memories in my book "Cubanos in Wisconsin" linked below.

click to listen:

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We remember Bonnie Parker (1910-1934)

Bonnie and Clyde were killed in 1934.  Today, we remember that Bonnie was born on this day in 1910.      I saw this new book and plan to check it out.....

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1972: Clemente and # 3,000

The great Roberto Clemente got # 3,000 on this day in 1972.   It turned out to be his last major league hit and at-bat because he died in a plane crash 3 months later.  

I recall reading about # 3,000 the next day in the sports pages.  

Sadly, I recall hearing about that plane crash too.  It was a shock!

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1960: A visitor to the UN became an issue in the presidential election

(My new American Thinker post)
A post from 2016......

President Obama, and other world leaders, will be making their visits and speaking before the UN.     

In 2007, Hugo Chavez of Venezuela came and caused quite a controversy calling President Bush ‘the devil”. Not long ago, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, the leader of Iran came to New York and said some rather bizarre things.

By mid-September 1960, the Nixon-Kennedy campaign was underway. Everyone was talking about the debates around the corner. And both candidates were talking about a visitor to the UN.  

Cuba’s Fidel Castro arrived in New York on September 18, 1960:

“In September 1960, Castro led a delegation to New York City to address the United Nations General Assembly. He and his entourage caused an immediate sensation by deciding to stay at the Theresa Hotel in Harlem. While there, Castro met with a number of African-American leaders, including Malcolm X from the Nation of Islam and the poet Langston Hughes.

On September 26, Castro delivered a blistering attack on what he termed American “aggression” and “imperialism.”

For over four hours, Castro lambasted U.S. policy toward Cuba and other nations in Latin America, Asia, and Africa. The United States, he declared, had “decreed the destruction” of his revolutionary government.

Castro’s visit and lengthy public denunciation marked the final breaking point in relations between the U.S. and Cuba.

In January 1961, the Eisenhower administration severed all diplomatic relations with Cuba.”

Cuba also became a hot topic in the Kennedy-Nixon debates. Kennedy took a very tough posture toward Castro and criticized the Eisenhower policy. I recall that my parents, and many Cubans, followed these debates with keen interest. Cuba had never seen such an important issue in a U.S. presidential election.

Unfortunately, President Kennedy did not support the men of Brigade 2506 at the Bay of Pigs. It turned into a huge victory for the Castro regime and the invasion was followed by severe repression against anti-Castro Cubans on the island.

The Missile Crisis followed 18 months later!

My guess is that no one years ago thought that the bearded Cuban would become such a headache for the winner of the election.

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Munich 1972 and the Israeli Olympic team members

Let’s take a break from current events and remember how the unexpected will always make its way on the front pages.

On Labor Day 1972, President Nixon looked like a man headed for re-election.  At the same time, I am not sure that people were predicting a 49-state sweep or winning the popular vote by 22 points.

Then something happened at the Olympics, and the world watched those horrific scenes from the Olympics in Munich: 9 Israeli hostages, 5 terrorists, and one German policeman were killed.

How much did this incident impact the 1972 election?  It’s hard to say, but it put experience and foreign policy in the minds of voters.  It was similar to that Beslan school shooting in 2004 in another presidential election.

Munich reminded us that terrorists knew no limits — not even young athletes in the Olympics.  It was the beginning of massive terror attacks, such as 9-11 here in the U.S.

Most of all, it reminded us that you never know what can happen in the last 60 days before an election.

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We remember Jesse James 1847-1882

We remember Jesse James who was born on this day in 1847.

Jesse and his brother robbed banks and trains.     They stole over $200,000 and killed a lot of innocent people. 

I saw in a documentary that Jesse James robbed banks and trains because he never accepted the South’s defeat in The Civil War.     

James became a folk hero after his death. 

P.S.  You can listen to my show.  If you like our posts, please look for ”Donate” on the right column of the blog page.

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"Cuba" & Trio Matamoros!

Trio Matamoros was formed in the 1920's by the legendary Miguel Matamoros, a great Cuban singer and composer. (His partners were Rafael Cueto and Siro Rodríguez)

Over their career, they recorded many songs.   They are one of my favorite Cuban groups.

This is "Son de la loma", a wonderful tune to remember their wonderful contribution to Cuban music.

P.S.  You can listen to my show.  If you like our posts, please look for ”Donate” on the right column of the blog page.

2013: Let's meet Nilda Cepero, Cuban American author & poet..

2013: Let's meet Nilda Cepero, Cuban American author & poet...click to listen... https://t.co/BSrvyGx7nh

— Silvio Canto, Jr. (@SCantojr) August 7, 2017

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Remembering Rick Huxley of The Dave Clark 5

We remember Rick Huxley who was born in the UK on this day in 1940. He died in 2013 at age 72. 

Looking back, The Dave Clark Fiive were one of the biggest rock groups of what was called "The British invasion".

I was a big fan and loved their sound.     

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We remember Bob Dole (1923-2021)

We remember Bob Dole who was born in Russell, Kansas, on this day in 1923.  He died in 2021.

Dole was a congressman, the 1976 VP nominee with President Ford, a very successful US Senator and the 1996 GOP candidate for president.     He was also a decorated soldier and this is his story.

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July 19, 1960: Juan Marichal's debut was a 2-hit 1-0 victory over Phillies

  

The great Juan Marichal, inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1982, made his major league debut with style in 1960.  He retired the first 19 batters, and carried a no-hitter two outs into the eighth inning.   It was a 2-0 complete game vistory, 12 Ks and just 1 walk.     

He finished his rookie season: 6-2 with a 2.66 ERA.  

Juan's first game was a sign of things to come:  243-142 and a career ERA of 2.89.  Marichal threw 52 shutouts; 10-time All-Star and was the game’s MVP in 1965. 

Without question, the greatest Latino pitcher ever!    

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A word about The Rolling Stones!

The Beatles were the greatest rock band.  Unfortunately, they broke up in 1970 and we've been playing old stuff ever since. 

McCartney had a great solo career. Lennon did OK and was killed just as he was coming back to the charts.  Harrison and Starr had limited solo careers.

The Rolling Stones are a different story. They are still going.

Mick Jagger, Keith Richards and Charlie Watts are still in the band. Bill Wyman retired a couple of years ago. Brian Jones died in 1969. He was replaced by Ron Wood and Mick Taylor.

Bottom line: The Rolling Stones are the longest running band of the rock era.

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July 4, 1939: Lou Gehrig said goodbye to baseball

Along with Independence Day, we celebrate another anniversary on July 4: Lou Gehrig's farewell speech.  

Starting in 1925, Lou played in 2,130 consecutive games. His career numbers were awesome: A .340 batting average, 494 HR, 1888 RBI in 2,164 games.  Along the way, he drove 100 home runs in 13 straight seasons, led the AL in HR four times, RBI five times, on-base percentage five times and batting average once.  Lou finished among the league’s top three hitters in batting average seven times and eight 200-plus hit seasons.

Gehrig took himself out of the line-up early in the 1939 season and headed to the Mayo Clinic for a check-up.  Sadly, the baseball world learned of his advanced state of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis(ALS), also known as Motor Neurone Disease(MND) or what many also call today "Lou Gehrig's disease."

He did not play again and was honored at Yankee Stadium on this day in 1939.  His farewell speech spoke volumes about the man, his integrity and love for the game:  

"Fans, for the past two weeks you have been reading about a bad break. Yet today I consider myself the luckiest man on the face of the earth. I have been in ball parks for seventeen years and have never received anything but kindness and encouragement from you fans.

“When you look around, wouldn’t you consider it a privilege to associate yourself with such a fine looking men as they’re standing in uniform in this ballpark today? Sure, I'm lucky. Who wouldn't consider it an honor to have known Jacob Ruppert? Also, the builder of baseball's greatest empire, Ed Barrow? To have spent six years with that wonderful little fellow, Miller Huggins? Then to have spent the next nine years with that outstanding leader, that smart student of psychology, the best manager in baseball today, Joe McCarthy? Sure, I'm lucky.

"When the New York Giants, a team you would give your right arm to beat, and vice versa, sends you a gift -- that's something. When everybody down to the groundskeepers and those boys in white coats remember you with trophies -- that's something. When you have a wonderful mother-in-law who takes sides with you in squabbles with her own daughter -- that's something. When you have a father and a mother who work all their lives so you can have an education and build your body -- it's a blessing. When you have a wife who has been a tower of strength and shown more courage than you dreamed existed -- that's the finest I know.

"So I close in saying that I might have been given a bad break, but I’ve got an awful lot to live for. Thank you."

Amazing for a man who knew he was dying.  He died in 1941 at age 37.

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