I may have fallen off the blog radar for a bit, but I assure you it’s for good reason. Along with our annual IT Hot Topics Conference, wedding planning and customer projects (apparently it’s audit season!), I’ve been working on the content for my contribution to a new Syngress book, Low Tech Hacking. (more…)
No CommentsHi everyone!
I’ve gotten a lot of emails in the past weeks and notes from many friends, colleagues and blog readers. If you didn’t already know, Dave and I are getting married next week. It’s been a crazy couple of months with work projects, book contributions and of course wedding planning.
I’m reaching out today to ask help in finding something. It’s not often I ask for help, but this is something extraordinary and special, and in my opinion warrants tapping in to any resources possible. We’re really going to test social media with this little escapade.
As I mentioned in an old post How I Got Here, my parents are both ex-Navy Intelligence. What you probably don’t know is that my parents are just two in a long line of family military personnel. My Mom’s side of the family is saturated with Navy men and even a Purple Heart recipient. My paternal grandfather was one of the original Edson’s Raiders, and fought in the Solomon Islands and Guadalcanal.
A. J. JABBUSCH
ACTIVITY DURING WWII
MEMBER OF THE FAMED 1ST MARINE RAIDER BATTALION, EDSON’S RAIDERS SINCE FORMATION IN QUANTICO, VIRGINIA. ATTACHED TO THE 2ND MARINE DIVISION AND SAW ACTION AGAINST THE JAPANESE IN THE SOLOMON ISLANDS AND GUADALCANAL.Read more about his WWII travels on page 18 of this edition of “The Raider Patch”
http://www.usmarineraiders.org/pdf/archives/1979%20November.pdf
I never heard much directly from my Papa about WWII. I was too young to know to ask, and I think the experience was gruesome enough he didn’t care to volunteer information to his little blonde granddaughter. Growing up, he always put ketchup on everything…. except steaks… but aside from that, everything else got ketchup. One day I asked him why he put ketchup on eggs (a habit I had already developed from spending summers with him). He casually answered that during the war they were stranded on an island; the Naval supply ships were under fire and couldn’t reach them. Apparently all they had were some canned goods and ketchup, so he and the men ate whatever they could, appropriately slathered in ketchup to “make it palatable.” It wasn’t until many years later that I understood the gravity of that war, and those islands.
Those were rough times and almost no personal affects made it through the war. I don’t have any photos of my grandfather during his service time, and he didn’t keep any of his military paraphernalia.
Imagine my surprise when my Dad and I stumbled upon a USMC public forum where a collector had found one of my grandpa’s WWII packs. I don’t know the correct terminology, but from the collectors notes it looks like it’s a D-ring haversack.
Here’s where I’m soliciting your help. I’ve messaged the owner of the pack, explaining it’s my grandpa’s and making an offer to purchase. He’s a collector and is not keen on parting with this little gem. To him it’s special because it’s from a Marine Raider. To me, and my Dad, it’s special because it’s the ONLY item we’ve found from Papa’s Marine days.
If I can find another pack like this that belonged to a Raider, he’ll be willing to sell or trade the pack. I don’t know anything about these packs or how to look up service records. Apparently he got this one in a surplus buy from a movie house in California. It was just a lucky find!
Now the hunt is on. If you have any words of wisdom, resources, links, or can find a pack, please let me know. We’re willing to buy another pack, and even pay the collector along with the trade. I will be forever indebted to you.
USMC Forum
http://www.usmilitariaforum.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=83513&st=0
I just ask that everyone be respectful and not contact the owner of the pack to try to convince him to sell it. I’ve contacted him already. He’s a collector, he got the pack fair and square, and is not under any obligation to sell it because it came from family. If we can find one to replace it, everyone will be happy!
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6 CommentsStay tuned for the official names and announcements. For now, if you’re in the Triangle area – Raleigh, Durham, Cary, Chapel Hill, Carrboro and Apex – and you’re a g33k like us, please take a minute to give us your opinions on a hackerspace (or spaces) in the area. We’re working on spaces, finances, names and all the fun usual start-up stuff!
Interested in a RDU hackerspace? Please take the Triangle Hackerspace survey. https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/trihack
You can learn more about the group at http://Trianglehackers.com .
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1 CommentHi everyone! I know what you’re going to say; where have I been? Well, the past few months have been a little crazy around here. I’ll fill you in on that later. For now, know that I’m back on the blogging train in a semi-regular fashion.
Several of you have caught me at various conferences and events and asked that I be sure to post links to content I’ve written for other sites. So, here ya’ go.
You can now find regular content of mine on Dark Reading, at their new SMB Security Tech Center and in the Security Views blog column. Here you’ll find articles to help small businesses kick start their security projects and make smart technology decisions. My content will cover all aspects of security, combining experience from the enterprise world on a scale that’s relevant for SMBs.
If there’s a topic on SMB security you’d like to hear about – just let me know!
My first post The Cash Drawer Lock Box and SMB Security can be found at Dark Reading here http://www.darkreading.com/blog/archives/2010/07/the_cash_drawer.html.
Keep visiting the site for regular posts from me, maybe even weekly. I know, you’ll all be shocked if I get back to weekly posts.
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No CommentsI’ve found a new inventive way to keep the boys out of my lab area.
Meet Lab Barbie. Lab Barbie comes in a variety of styles. This photo is of SRX Barbie, beautifully clad in a pink taffeta gown and lovingly enjoying her new Juniper devices. Doesn’t she look smashing!
My friend Shelby sums it up best:
Lab Barbie: PRICELESS
Cost of extremely pink Barbie – $5
Cost of work time placing Barbie in just the right position – $20
Keeping boys out of your highly efficient space – PRICELESS
SRX Barbie: Firewall princess
Look for more Lab Barbie shots as they take their places to defend my development and testing areas.
Please do not confuse Lab Barbie with Security Barbie. They’re different people.
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