ALL FALL DOWN

Blog number 403 **** 04 August, 2010

See, you learn things from television. Not like in school where you learn a bunch of things that aren't true. That's an exaggeration, but there is a little bit of truth there. Trust me. In fact, trust me when I tell you to trust me. I'll make it worth your while. Trust me.

I was watching "Pawn Stars" and this guy brought in a WW II flame thrower that was used mostly against those darn Japs in the Pacific war. I knew by watching documentaries and reading books that the life expectancy of a flame thrower operator was between twenty minutes to an hour once he started using his weapon against the enemy. The Japs hated flame throwers, and with good reason. I always imagined they were looking for guys with two tanks on their back, but in Pawn Stars the expert said it wasn't hard for the Japs to kill a flame thrower operator. All they had to do was to look to where the flame was coming from. I had never thought of that, but it made perfect sense, and it made the operator's job seem even more dangerous to me. Just imagine yourself using a flame thrower on a cave and knowing that anyone with a rifle who saw the flame could very easily pick you off, and pick you off they would, as you would be the most valuable target around.

I don't know whether these guys were volunteers or chosen, but I am pretty sure they were chosen. Armies are and were not known for having democratic principles.