General Pettygree Goes To Emmaus

 General Pettygree Goes to Emmaus

"Padre O'Hara, I am sincerely grateful for the beautiful and hopeful Easter Service over which you presided today. Would that everyone could have heard your remarks about the resurrection of Jesus, his love for all of us and that life does not end for us at death."

"Thank you General Pettygree. Yes, at death, we do not pass into oblivion or non-existence. As one proof of the validity of his messages, his teachings and promises have spread around the world for two millennia and continue doing so to this day. Only truth can last that long."

"Quite so."

"We could partly say, Sir, that the spreading of this good news began about sixty stadia (7 miles) from Jerusalem on the road to Emmaus. There on the day of the resurrection of Jesus, two of his disciples were discussing his trial and execution. They were stricken by his humiliating treatment, the apparent ending of his mission and the utter collapse of hope when a stranger joined them in the evening asking...."

"What are you discussing as you walk along?"

They stopped, looking downcast. One of them, named Cleopas, said to him in reply, "Are you the only visitor to Jerusalem who does not know of the things that have taken place there in these days?"

And he replied to them, "What sort of things?"

They said to him, "The things that happened to Jesus the Nazarene, who was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people, how our chief priests and rulers both handed him over to a sentence of death and crucified him."

"But we were hoping that he would be the one to redeem Israel, and besides all this, it is now the third day since this took place. Some women from our group, however, have astounded us: they were at the tomb early in the morning and did not find his body; they came back and reported that they had indeed seen a vision of angels who announced that he was alive."

"Then some of those with us went to the tomb and found things just as the women had described, but him they did not see."

And he said to them, "Oh, how foolish you are! How slow of heart to believe all that the prophets spoke! Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and enter into his glory?" Then beginning with Moses and all the prophets, he interpreted to them what referred to him in all the Scriptures.

As they approached the village to which they were going, he gave the impression that he was going on farther. But they urged him, "Stay with us, for it is nearly evening and the day is almost over." So he went in to stay with them.

And it happened that, while he was with them at table, he took bread, said the blessing, broke it, and gave it to them.

With that their eyes were opened and they recognized him, but he vanished from their sight. 

Then they said to each other, "Were not our hearts burning within us while he spoke to us on the way and opened the Scriptures to us?" ... "The Lord has truly been raised.... and how he was made known to them in the breaking of bread."

Amazing and wonderful! Believe that Jesus:

Loves you more than you can imagine or understand.

Wants you to know Him more. So...

Reduce distractions, screen time, avoidance and old negative beliefs to do so. Reexamine with an open mind. E.G. In the sciences of astronomy and paleontology, many former convincing beliefs have changed with new facts and thinking. 

Will whisper/inspire you via your new silence, study, Church attendance and through others.

No one needs to be perfect. No one is.

Will show you evidence if you ask. Ask, even if you don't believe or don't want to believe.

Say, Lord, I don't know if you exist, but I truly want to know if you do.  Please show me.

Will forgive anything if you repent. Anything.

Wants you in Heaven for eternity.

IT IS TIME

HE IS WAITING FOR YOU

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Scripture verses are from the 2026 edition of Workbook for Lectors, Gospel Readers, and proclaimers of the Word. Luke 24:13-35.

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2025 MERRY CHRISTMAS

 

O COME ALL YE FAITHFUL

Randall DeBruyn Adaptation

1

Adeste fideles, laeti triumphantes,

venite, venite, in Bethlehem

Natum videte, regem Angelorum.

Venite adoremus, venite adoremus,

venite adoremus, Dominum.

2

Sing choirs of Angels, sing in exultation,

Sing, all ye citizens of heav'n above!

Glory to God, all glory in the highest.

O come, let us adore Him, o come, let us adore Him,

O come, let us adore Him, Christ the Lord.

3

Yea, Lord, we greet thee, born this happy morning,

Jesus, to thee be all glory giv'n;

Word of the Father, now in flesh appearing;

O come, let us adore Him, o come, let us adore Him,

O come, let us adore Him, Christ the Lord.

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Your Invitation to know or know Him better is now. 

A profoundly good idea. It is time.

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For further consideration, see:

https://generalpettygree.blogspot.com/2025/09/gen-pettygrees-crash-landing-battle.html

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PETTYGREE'S OPERATION MAJESTIC

OPERATION MAJESTIC

"There are times Pettygree when tabletop gamers suffer from inertia. Reasons are numerous, but perhaps the most relevant causes today are duties naturally, unstable degrees of health understandably and overdoing modern addictive distractions."

"Quite so Mac. One remedy though is to get out of our chairs to associate with our fellows to move wargame units and throw dice in companionable fun. Otherwise inertia, lethargy and/or indolence, pick what you will, become our jailers."

"Looking forward to activities is the tonic. Planning, painting, organizing and using  our collections in games somehow moves us to action. When absent, inertia abounds."

"So let's give the boys something to look forward to, eh Pettygree? Bill's imagineered Operation Majestic Campaign offers such opportunities."

"Right. If he can pull it off, our chaps will have four games to play in an...."

IMAGINEERED INVASION OF JAPAN

Courtesy: freeworldches.maps.net

Though the planned invasion of Japan thankfully did not occur, we can imagineer doing so. Operation Majestic (formerly Olympic) landings were planned for November 1945 at the bottom of Kyushu, the southernmost major island of Japan. Our adaptation calls for a....

Four Game Operation Majestic Campaign on Kyushu

1. November 1945: Allies have landed and move inland to break the Nambu Line.

2. Air Campaign interdicts Japanese reserves moving south to counterattack.

3. Allies move north into the interior past the city of Kagoshima

4. Japanese secret weapons arrive to turn back the Allies.

Game #1 NOVEMBER 1945

On 1 November 1945 (7 June 2025 for us) American and Australian forces came ashore respectively on Red and Green Beaches. Having learned that defending shorelines was too costly due to Allied naval bombardment, IJA forces deployed inland along our fictional Nambu Line. The mission was to slow the Allies until strong counterattacking forces waiting much deeper inland could intervene.

 At Easy Red Beach....

"Nobody's home Lieutenant. They skedaddled!"

"Okay for now Reynolds. They're up country some for sure."

The wargame Battle of the Nambu Line played on 7 June 2025 resulted in fairly even losses for both sides. However, the IJA elected to withdraw assuming that more Allied units  would appear long before IJA reinforcements could arrive. 

Game #2 NOVEMBER 1945

INTERDICTING IJA REINFORCEMENTS MOVING SOUTH

IJA armored column heads south....

To engage the Allies. 

"Colonel Sasaki! Halt the column."

"Hai, (Yes) General Yamada."

"Sasaki, spread out your tanks. They are too close together if attacked by air."

"Yes I will - immediately, Sir."

Kadena Airfield, Island of Okinawa

Taken by the USA before the end of June 1945, the Island of Okinawa bears approximately 475 miles south of Kyushu. Eight B-17s are taxiing on Kadena Airfield headed for Kyushu to interdict roads and railways to slow the arrival of IJA army units converging on Allied forces moving north from the beaches. (Collection from Lewis S.)

Tentative Game Date: Late July or August 2025.

B-17s supported by USN and Australian escort planes versus the Japanese Air Force.

Game #3 NOVEMBER 1945

THE BIG PUSH NORTH

American GIs cautiously approach a ford north of the Nambu Line

"See anybody Max? I got you covered."

"I don't see nobody. What did you expect Lenny, a greeting committee? said Max. Wave BB forward. She'll flush out any birds across the stream."

"Here she comes," said Lenny.

"With some extra help," offered Max.

Tentative Game Date: October or November 2025.

The armies of both sides collide somewhere on Kyushu.

Game #4 1946

IJA Wonder Weapons Arrive

Chi-Nu Tank Factory, Oita, Kyushu

"So, this is the big one, Sergeant Endo?"

"Hai, Captain Nakamura. Our new 90mm Compression Cannon!"

"With two new Chi-Nus on the rail car behind us fitted with 75mm cannons."

"Well, let's see what she's got. Pull it around to the side of the factory and demonstrate the cannon," ordered Nakamura.

Endo rotated the Chi-Nu as told. After a moment a peculiar crackling humming sound was heard followed by a bright copper colored blast.

"With this we will win the war!," thought Nakamura.

Tentative Game Date: Early 2026.


CLOSING REMARKS

1. Campaigns are tough to see through to completion. Hopefully the absence of map movement, not tracking casualties, offering a variety of different game types and spreading out the games over a period of six months will see completion. Also not everyone needs to be at each game. However, some games could be run twice.

2. We use what we have. All photos are staged to illustrate our adaptation. GI's are from the collection of Chuck The Lucky. All vehicles are from the authors collection.

3. Rules: House rules except for Game #4. There we will use....

Because it has sci-fi stuff fictionally invented after 1945.

4. What is, "Overdoing modern addictive distractions?" One of these is scrolling on electronic screens. My marketing group director has information that the average adult sits before screens 7-8 hours a day wasting their lives. Is this the zombie apocalypse?

5. Your remarks are welcome.

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MERRY CHRISTMAS 2024

 

Baby Jesus!

The reason for the Christmas Season

and the rest of our lives. 

He quietly grew....

Into a carpenter to build a planetary way of life and....

Artwork: His Madonna: T. E. Rosenthal

A fisher of mankind for that way of life

on Earth and eventually in Heaven.

Get to know Him by asking Him about it.

He will be happy to connect with you right where you are regardless of your circumstances. Then, be open to promptings from your own thoughts, information and others. - Be available.

CLOSING REMARK

It is very important to create  daily quiet time  away from distractions and every electronic screen demanding our precious and unrecoverable time. The amount of visual noise we allow permits little, if anything, to get through to us. Did you know the average amount of daily screen time is approximately seven hours for adults and eight hours for minors? 

Also see:

https://www.catholicscomehome.org/

Merry Christmas  Everyone,

Bill P.

A Christian work in progress.

I FLEW IN A B-25

Date: June 29, 2024 (1943)

Location: Truax Field, Madison, Wisconsin (Port Moresby, New Guinea)

Mission: Training and Photo Reconnaissance 

Aircraft: Restored B-25 Medium Bomber (Berlin Express)

Owner: Experimental Aircraft Association (The celebrated EAA)

Photos: Click on them to enlarge.

For my May 1st birthday, my wife Dorothy asked if the unique opportunity to fly in a restored Mitchell Bomber, a lovely North American B-25, interested me. Well, YES! After checking flight schedules, we chose Saturday June 29, 2024 when the aircraft would be under 100 miles from home.  

Isolated on the east side of Madison, WI's Truax Airport is The Wisconsin Aviation Center. Small aircraft use this facility. It sports a restaurant, small gift shop and offices. It you want to learn to fly, apparently this is the place to start.

Inside dozens of people awaited briefings to fly in the EAA's 1929 Ford Tri-Motor and Berlin Express. Crews and handlers were all cheerful and helpful volunteers who love airplanes and flying.

BERLIN EXPRESS

My boarding pass memento with complimentary ear plugs. There are stories of past passengers not wanting the earplugs until in flight. The two engines are prodigiously loud making erratic popping sounds about which we were advised to not worry about. I removed one earplug a few times for seconds only to hear the true sound of the thunderous engines. Each time I reflected on war movies when bomber crews easily exchange quips, orders, etc. There is no way.  

My boarding access point.

Our pilot (left) is an Eastern Airlines pilot who volunteered to fly Berlin Express for fun. Observing both pilots was instructional and fun. Gee, I wish I could learn to fly.

Helpful Tip: Be in the first flight of the day. Reason: Getting the aircraft ready and engines running smoothly adds a lot of extra time inside.

Yours truly sitting forward of amidships on a modern platform fitted with three passenger seats. Below us is the bomb bay.

One must climb over the wing support beam within the fuselage to get here. Being limber is a must. Passengers offered helpful hands to steady us when we walked and crawled about.

Looking aft. Passengers with limited mobility easily sit here. The man dressed in a khaki shirt with headphones was our crew chief. He directed us to handholds such as the yellow bar in the upper left and acted as a traffic controller as passengers moved about the airplane.

Starboard side machine gun.

Machine gun ammunition belt and ammo box.

Radio Set.

Dog tags and uniform coat.

In order to reach the nose, I crawled through an estimated 6'x24"x24" tunnel.  Above me were unseen pilots on a platform. To access the nose you crawl on the stomach or back. If the latter, a long yellow bar above could be used as a handhold to pull forward.

The view was remarkably good. We circled Madison clockwise for about twenty minutes. It was a little windy forward. When leaving, my hat blew off in the tunnel. 

My next stop was the rear of the airplane. This necessitated passing through the entire length of the aircraft climbing over the wing support and other whatsits to arrive at....

Another tunnel. Ahead is a bicycle ish seat for the rear gunner. Note green panels installed so tourists will not hurt themselves. These were not present during the war.

Rear machine guns.

Vertical tail and rudder.

I watched the rudder move a few times. Each time the rudder moved slightly during our gradually banked turns. 

Aft machine gun position.

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CLOSING REMARKS

This was a terrific once in a lifetime experience. Thank you for looking in.

Have you had a similar experience?

LINKS:

B-25 Flights | Fly The B25 | EAA Berlin Express

Tri-Motor Link:

https://www.eaa.org/flight-experiences/fly-the-ford-eaa-ford-tri-motor-airplane-tour

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