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| January 5, 2024 |
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Ignoring
Clint Eastwood's advice in "Dirty Harry" that
opinions, like certain body parts, are best kept to
yourself.
We Get Letters Lots and Lots of Letters |
Recently, I told subscribers to my website and
newsletter that, after 20 years or so of doing this, I'm
taking some time off. How much? Depends. Sorry, a word we
seniors try not to use. (Not getting my periodic
newsletter? Send me an email and tell me and I'll get you on
the mailing list.)
But, I still find myself scouring the internet
looking for interesting articles and websites. I thought I
knew a lot about my favorite topic, World War II, but late
last night, I learned I didn't know as much as I thought.
Did you know about this?
Soldiers
fighting on Ramree Island in 1945 faced a more treacherous
foe than any human enemy-the saltwater crocodile. A
strategic battle for control of the isle, located just north
of Rangoon, Burma, resulted in crocodile attacks on Japanese
troops in a mangrove swamp. The exact number of men killed
by crocodiles remains a mystery, but British survivors of
the battle estimated that about 1,000 Japanese were attacked
by the giant reptiles.
From the article:
The
swamp that Duff recalled was a mangrove forest. Such swamps
are natural habitats for saltwater crocodiles, which thrive
in coastal environments and use ocean currents to travel. “Salties”
are unique in their ability to survive for long periods
without food, and opportunistically prey on creatures that
stray into their environment. The crocodiles will eat prey
dead or alive, swallowing victims whole whenever possible.
They can grow up to 20 feet long and have been known to
attack large animals, including bulls. The saltwater
crocodile is alleged to have the strongest bite pressure of
any living animal. According to the Australian Reptile Park
in Sydney, an adult saltwater crocodile “will eat
almost anything that comes too close.”
Everglades
National Park in Southern Florida has saltwater
crocodiles living in mangrove forest swamps, similar to what
is found on Ramree Island in Burma. That's about 150 miles
or so from where I am now in the motorhome, parked at
the
Seminole Indian casino in Immokalee, where they offer
3 days of free RV parking with free electricity, hoping, of
course, that you'll venture inside and lose a bundle playing
the one-armed bandits or at the gaming tables.
I
was thinking about going down to the Everglades to check
things out. They say those crocodile are a lot more
dangerous than the alligators, often twice the size, up to
20' long and weighing up to 2,000 pounds, crocs will lay in
wait just below the water and come right out almost
instantly to grab you. Australia reports about a thousand
deaths a year from these critters.
Maybe going to
Seaworld would be safer, or that miniature golf course I
passed on the way here. I read an article this week that
Americans, on average,
abandon
their "New Year's Resolutions" within 3 months,
some within 3 days.
I may be back updating my
aviation website sooner than I planned.
Please
visit
my
travel blog to learn more about my life on the road.
Global
Air Aviation Referral Service
I welcome
responses, and will be glad to post them here. Email your
remarks to
ron@global-air.com |
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