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991d44b Anna Chapman was born Anna Vasil'yevna Kushchyenko, in Volgograd, formally Stalingrad, Russia, an important Russian industrial city. During the Battle of Stalingrad in World War II, the city became famous for its resistance against the German Army. As a matter of personal history, I had an uncle, by marriage that was killed in this battle. Many historians consider the battle of Stalingrad the largest and bloodiest battle in the history of w.. spies russia Captain Hank Bracker The Exciting Story of Cuba
4db52c4 From the Bridge" by Captain Hank Bracker Behind "The Exciting Story of Cuba" It was on a rainy evening in January of 2013, after Captain Hank and his wife Ursula returned by ship from a cruise in the Mediterranean, that Captain Hank was pondering on how to market his book, Seawater One. Some years prior he had published the book "Suppressed I Rise." But lacking a good marketing plan the book floundered. Locally it was well received and the .. Captain Hank Bracker
cd48fcc Santiago de Cuba santiago cuban-history cuba Captain Hank Bracker
f643577 On June 12, 1775 the Rhode Island Assembly commissioned armed ships to fight the British Navy. That Fall on October 13, 1775 the Second Continual Congress established the United States Navy marking this date as the Navy's official birthday. The first United States naval vessel was the USS Ganges, built in Philadelphia as a merchant vessel. She was bought by the US Navy, fitted out with 24 guns for a crew of 220 men, and commissioned on 24 .. naval-history Captain Hank Bracker
91320bd In 1821, the United States government sent Dr. Eli Ayres to West Africa to buy, on what was known as the "Pepper Coast," land that could be used as a colony for relocated slaves from America. He sailed to the location on the Mesurado River aboard the naval schooner USS Alligator, commanded by Lieutenant Robert Stockton. When they arrived, Stockton forced the sale of some land at gunpoint, from a local tribal chief named King Peter. Soon af.. slavery history liberia west-africa Captain Hank Bracker "Seawater Two...."
e3793ad For some politics has become a battle ground that allows them to vent their frustrations, while at the same time hide behind the anonymity of the social media. For others it has become a weapon to overwhelm their opponents by the weight of the number of comments sent to the originator of the blog or article. Fair or not, this method of cyber warfare works and could possibly change the course of history. A continuance of this cyber activity .. current-events Captain Hank Bracker The Exciting Story of Cuba
7e42364 During the first century ravens or crows were often taken on board "Viking Knarr's," to be released thinking that they would fly in the direction of land. The lookout would observe the direction the birds flew in, so that the navigator could follow their course. Since the crow's nest is high from the vessel's center of gravity it is subject to violent motion in relatively calm or moderate seas. Any amount of movement of the ship is amplifie.. sea-stories Captain Hank Bracker "Seawater One...."
dfeda81 Flotsam seastories west-africa Captain Hank Bracker "Seawater Two...."
52d337f From The Bridge" by Captain Hank Bracker Mundane Happenings Life is just packed with "Mundane Happenings!" It's the mundane happenings that usually take the most time and they always seem to interfere, just about when you want to do something really important. Let's start with mundane things that are routine, like doing the dishes and taking out the garbage. The list for a single person might be a little less involved or complicated but it .. history informative Captain Hank Bracker
4c2896e It was to be the longest flight I had ever made in my young life and one of the most interesting. Having always been interested in the magic of aviation I knew that the DC-6B, I boarded was an approximately 75 seat, trans-ocean, Pan Am Clipper. It would also be the last long distance propeller driven commercial airliner. The only difference between it and the DC-6A was that it didn't have a large cargo door in its side, and it was also appr.. sea-stories social-history Captain Hank Bracker "Seawater Two...."
b2d6fc9 One of the more useful things I learned as a midshipman at Maine Maritime Academy were the names of the seven masts of a seven masted schooner. When I mentioned to the 600 people in attendance at a Homecoming event that my degree was a BS in Marlinspike Seamanship no one laughed, leaving me in the embarrassing position of having to explain that actually I had a Bachelor of Marine Science degree. Later looking into a mirror I convinced mysel.. sea-stories ships Captain Hank Bracker "Seawater One...."
939d6e5 The Caribbean is still an exciting destination. I have been to just about every notable island surrounding this sea and have yet to be bored. Some of the islands are administered by other countries like Saint Martin; some are independent countries such as Cuba, Haiti and the Dominican Republic. The languages differ from island to island and include English, French, Spanish, Dutch Haitian Creole and Papiamento although English is understood .. dominican-republic seastories Captain Hank Bracker "Seawater One...."
da80ed5 Being constantly active made time fly, and so it didn't take long before the day of departure came. It was January 4, 1953, and with the last of everything we needed aboard, we set sail just as many did before us. We were among those that continued the tradition of... "they that go down to the sea in ships" and we were very aware that this tradition rested on our shoulders. maine-maritime-academy maritime-history Captain Hank Bracker "Seawater One...."
47adbe9 Santiago de Cuba has the Antonio Maceo Airport (MUCU/SCU), which was home to the Cuban Revolutionary Armed Forces. Shown in the photo is a Cuban Mig 21 inside the VT-45 hanger. Santiago de Cuba had 12 of these Russian built fighters situated at the San Antonio de los Banos Airfield in Cuba. Now the airport is essentially a turboprop hub, however it can also accommodate mid-sized jet aircraft. There are about twenty international flights eac.. history military-aviation cuban-history cuba Captain Hank Bracker
1275ce2 Despite the differences in their ages, I still thought of them as adventurous girls. It never occurred to me that they might be related, that is until I heard Connie refer to Rita as "Mom"?? Now at least I knew their names, but the relationship confused me.... They acted more like friends and equals, than mother and daughter. Didn't I detect flirtation in Connie's comments, and didn't Rita give me the eye? As we walked through this typical .. Captain Hank Bracker "Seawater One...."
1cff849 Mario Garcia Menocal was born on December 17, 1866, in the town of Jaguey, located southeast of Havana in the Matanzas Province of Cuba. As a young man, he was a partisan in Cuba's fight for independence and he later became a prominent conservative politician. Menocal was elected to the presidency of Cuba in 1912 and assumed the office in 1913. During his administration, he strongly supported business and corporations, as he had promised in.. cornell-university cuban-president cuban-history Captain Hank Bracker "The Exciting Story of Cuba"
9819e92 Catawamteak," meaning "the great landing," is what the Abenaki Indians called the early settlement that became Rockland, Maine. Thomaston and Rockland can be bypassed by Route 90, an eight-mile shortcut which I frequently used as a midshipman, but our bus stayed on the main road and stopped to let passengers on and off in both places. At one time Rockland was part of Thomaston, called East Thomaston, but the two towns have long since separa.. history-of-maine maine-maritime-academy rockland sea-stories maine Captain Hank Bracker "Salty & Saucy Maine"
32a4c8c I know that many people including our President insist that it be called the Christmas Season. I'll be the first in line to say that it works for me however that's not what it is. We hint at its coming on Halloween when the little tykes take over wandering the neighborhood begging for candy and coins. In this day and age the idea of children wandering the streets threatening people with "Trick or Treat!" just isn't a good idea. In most case.. diving-for-the-cross festive-days holiday-season Captain Hank Bracker
b3569bb Investigations revealed that two Venezuelan nationals, Freddy Lugo and Hernan Ricardo Lozano, who had been employed by Luis Posada Carriles, planted the bombs that destroyed a Cuban airliner. The men admitted to the crime and confessed that they were acting under Luis Posada's orders. During the ensuing investigation, explosives, weapons and a radio transmitter were discovered at Posada's private detective agency, in Venezuela. Posada was a.. cuban-revolution cuban-history mma panama venezuela cia Captain Hank Bracker "The Exciting Story of Cuba"
23527d9 A Most Dangerous Hurricane Columbus was aware of dangerous weather indicators that were frequently a threat in the Caribbean during the summer months. Although the barometer had not yet been invented, there were definitely other telltale signs of an approaching hurricane. Had the governor who detested Columbus, listened to his advice and given him some leeway, he could have saved the convoy that was being readied for a return trans-Atlantic.. columbus cuban-history hispanic-history captain-hank-bracker caribbean Captain Hank Bracker
0665c6e With the decline of the United States as the world's leader, I find it important to look around our globe for intelligent people who have the depth of understanding that could perhaps chart a way to the future. One such person is Bernard-Henri Levy a French philosopher who was born in Beni Saf, French Algeria on November 5, 1948. . The Boston Globe has said that he is "perhaps the most prominent intellectual in France today." Although his p.. inspirational-life intelligence phlosophy words-to-inspire-you musings quotes-on-life Captain Hank Bracker "Salty & Saucy Maine"
44b7f14 In 1934, strongman Fulgencio Batista forced President Grau's resignation. Then in 1940, Grau lost his bid for the Presidency to his adversary Batista. Four years later in 1944, he did win the election and took office for a four-year term starting on October 10th. After Grau won the election and was the President elect, Batista still in office, blatantly attacked the National Treasury, leaving the cupboards bare by the time Grau was actually.. lansky luciano mob mafia Captain Hank Bracker
945765a Although his log entries do not speak of America per se, a chart created by Admiral Zheng was used to make a detailed map of the world. A copy of this map, drawn in 1763, was found in a second-hand bookshop and was offered as evidence that Zheng's fleet was the first to discover America. At the age of 61, Admiral Zheng died aboard ship and befittingly was buried at sea. chinese-history captain-hank-bracker world-history explorers cuba maps Captain Hank Bracker "The Exciting Story of Cuba"
4a4c6d0 The M/S Saint Louis was a German passenger liner owned by the Hamburg-America Line. She was best known for her voyage in 1939, in which her Captain Gustav Schroder attempted to find homes for her passengers. On May 13, 1939, just prior to the Second World War, 937 German-Jewish refugees boarded the ship in the hopes of escaping persecution and the holocaust that was to follow. Although the passengers had previously purchased legal Visas, th.. nautical-history german-history refugees Captain Hank Bracker
778c3f8 On September 28, 1870, after heavy bombardment, during the Siege of Strasbourg, the French were forced to surrender the heavily fortified fortress. The Municipal Library housed in the Dominican church, with its unique collection of medieval manuscripts, rare Renaissance books and historical artifacts were destroyed by fire, as were many other Gothic buildings in the city center. Of the population of 150,000 people, over 600 were left dead a.. wwii-history women-s-strength refugees Captain Hank Bracker
59d0ea5 In the way of a reflection of my family and friends I mused at the number of people that I encountered during the past 85 years. Everyone here has played an important part but there have been others, many of whom have now passed across the horizon of life, however the purpose of my reminiscing is to share happy thoughts while at the same time take a peek into the future. I can look back to those first few glimpses of my life and find my gra.. inspirational german-language mma-captain-hank-bracker world-war-2 speech Captain Hank Bracker "Seawater One"
3a0e9f0 Leaving West Africa was bitter sweet. I had made friends the most of which I would never see again. I was seen as an adult in Liberia and for the first time in my life I was accepted as a grown-up. In fact I was given responsibilities I could never have expected had I remained in the United States. As the captain of a coastal vessel I had the same duties as the captain of any ship, large or small and the decisions I made affected the lives .. seawater-three ship-handling mma maritime-history sea-stories Captain Hank Bracker "Salty & Saucy Maine"
9524192 This magnificent city that I only knew from photographs had been devastated. The infamous submarine bunkers had been bombed, and the bunkers that survived were later dynamited. I could understand this, but why civilian houses had also been leveled and set afire by incendiary bombs was beyond me. Each British Lancaster bomber delivered up to 8,000 pounds of bomb loads each night, with as many as 1,000 bombers over the target on a given night.. b-24 hamburg herman-goring lancasters operation-gomorrah german-history mma-captain-hank-bracker world-war-ii Captain Hank Bracker "Seawater One"
daf8765 The SS Deutschland was one of a group of four ships that included the SS Albert Ballin, on which my father had originally come to the United States. The other two were the SS Hamburg, and the SS New York. The Deutschland was launched during the Roaring Twenties on April 28, 1923, at the Blohm and Voss shipyard along the Elbe River in Hamburg. Nearly a year later after sea trials, she inaugurated her regular run to New York City. captain-hank-bracker german-history mma maritime-history sea-stories Captain Hank Bracker "Seawater One"
bdc609d Durban has the largest Indian population outside of India! The Afro-Indian Culture that ensued has become a strong influence on the people of South Africa who have adopted many of the Indian traditions. This is especially true of how food is prepared! Of course rice is the preferred carb and considered a stable with most meals. curry cusine food-preparation mma south-africa Captain Hank Bracker "Seawater One"
d197df9 Discharging cargo in the ports along the coast of South Africa went faster than loading it, but from Durban up to Dar es Salaam, hoping to save a little time not to mention port costs, we frequently did both at the same time, in these quaint little harbors along the coast, By now some of these ports had become old hat to me and so I volunteered to stay aboard. This way I could make some overtime pay by covering for some of the other mates,.. dar-es-salaam mosquitoes sexy-humor mma-captain-hank-bracker sea-stories Captain Hank "Seawater Three"
8846809 On November 2, 1899, eight members of the United States Navy were awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor for extraordinary heroism and service beyond the call of duty. On the night of June 2, 1898, they had volunteered to scuttle the collier USS Merrimac, with the intention of blocking the entry channel to Santiago de Cuba. On orders of Rear Admiral William T. Sampson, who was in command, their intention was to trap Spanish Admiral Cerver.. maritime-history medal-of-honor us-naval-history Captain Hank Bracker The Exciting Story of Cuba
d488c62 Hollywood was called Tinseltown for a reason and I was caught up in its glitter. My friend Ken seemed to know everyone and once took me to the NBC Studios in Burbank, where he introduced me to Steve Allen. "Steverino," as he was known by friends, must have thought that I wanted to get into show business and promised that if I applied myself, I would go places. I hadn't really given show business much thought, but it sounded good to me. Howe.. steve-allen sea-stories hollywood Captain Hank Bracker "Seawater One...."
9377dd3 The MS City of New York commanded by Captain George T. Sullivan, maintained a regular schedule between New York City and Cape Town, South Africa until the onset of World War II when on March 29, 1942 she was attacked off the coast of Cape Hatteras, North Carolina by the German submarine U-160 commanded by Kapitanleutnant Georg Lassen. The torpedo struck the MS City of New York at the waterline under the ship's bridge instantly disabling her.. mma-captain-hank-bracker sinking-ship u-boats world-war-ii ships Captain Hank "Seawater Three"
75a52c2 In 1522, the country now known as Venezuela was colonized by Spain. Venezuela declared independence from Colombia In 1830. During the 19th and most of the 20th centuries Venezuela was ruled by caudillos or military strongmen. In the 1950's, Venezuela became a good example of a Latin American Country, ruled by a benevolent dictator on the very far right. This automatically made Venezuela our ally and thus received huge grants from us. Presid.. south-american-history venezuela Captain Hank Bracker "Salty & Saucy Maine"
bb12891 From the Bridge" by Captain Hank Bracker Pebbles, Rocks & Mountains Rocks can be formed in many different ways and are found in just about every corner of our planet, the Moon, up in space and who knows where else. Now pebbles are the mini-me's of rocks and generally are about one to three inches in size. Geologists will tell you that they are about 5 millimeters in diameter, but who's counting? In fact there are two beaches that are made u.. Captain Hank Bracker
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