Every Day is Magic: Ada Limón
In her 2015 collection, Bright Dead Things, a National Book Award finalist for poetry, Ada Limón writes of moving to Kentucky: “Confession: I did not want to live here.” It’s perhaps not a surprising sentiment coming from a coastally oriented person who was raised in Northern California, attended college in Seattle, and then spent over a decade in New York City.
But Limón and her husband, Lucas, have been in Lexington for seven years now and the effects of settling into this place are noticeable in her new book, The Carrying (Milkweed, Aug.). It’s a phenomenally lively and attentive collection replete with the trappings of living a little closer to nature. While Bright Dead Things is marked by a preponderance of light, such as images of fireflies and neon signs, The Carrying features numerous appearances by various trees, birds, and beetles. Limón also demonstrates a greater willingness to be explicit in naming colors, particularly green. “It’s crazy green, the whole book,” she says. “Lexington is the greenest place I’ve ever lived.” Similarly, where in Bright Dead Things, Limón tells a lot of stories and anecdotes, in The Carrying she is very present in her thoughts and experiences.
As it turns out, these shifts in focus have another, altogether unexpected source. While putting Bright Dead Things together, Limón was diagnosed with chronic vestibular neuronitis, which can cause bouts of vertigo. “If I’m really having vertigo, it’s pretty intense and I really have to focus,”
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LEAP Scholars help solidify and strengthen American partnership with Mexican Air Force
“When Mexico wanted to start a security forces career field in its air force, it looked at several countries to assist them. The presence of Language Enabled Airman Program (LEAP) Scholars, who have backgrounds in security forces, was a big factor in Mexico choosing to partner with the U.S. Air Force.
LEAP Scholars provided vital assistance during a visit from a Mexican secretary of defense delegation to Lackland Air Force Base, through real-time translations and cultural understanding. The visit led to a bilateral agreement between Mexico and the United States Air Force, strengthening partnership interoperability. The goal of this agreement is for Mexico to build a Security Forces Career Field in its Air Force…”
Mexican Journalist Granted US Asylum After 15-Year Journey
“Washington —
Emilio Gutierrez Soto came to the National Press Club on Wednesday with a message of gratitude. Press freedom advocates came with a call to action.
The 60-year-old journalist fled with his son to the U.S.-Mexico border in 2008 seeking asylum after receiving death threats because of his reporting on Mexican military corruption.
After 15 years, the Board of Immigration Appeals ruled in favor of Gutierrez Soto.
He still needs to go in front of an immigration judge in March 2024 to receive his asylum papers, but his immigration lawyer said his case has been resolved…”
https://www.voanews.com/a/mexican-journalist-granted-us-asylum-after-15-year-journey/7379094.html
Mexican president defends inclusion of Russian military contingent in Independence parade
“MEXICO CITY (AP) — Mexico’s president on Monday defended the participation of a contingent of Russian soldiers in a military parade over the weekend.
The presence of the Russian contingent in the Independence parade Saturday drew criticism because of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Mexico has condemned the invasion but has adopted a policy of neutrality and has refused to participate in sanctions as it continues to buy 2020-vintage COVID vaccines from Russia…”
https://apnews.com/article/mexico-russia-soldiers-military-parade-6eb8345ba6827282ec40bf33891d6f22
Hispanic Americans in Military Medicine
“…Maria G. Roach served as a flight nurse during WWII with the Army Nurse Corps and received an Air Medal and two Bronze Stars for her actions. Born in Mexico to American parents, Roach grew up in Austin, Texas, where she attended the University of Texas at Austin prior to training as a nurse anesthetist at Charity Hospital in New Orleans, Louisiana. With the onset of WWII, Roach joined the 24th General Hospital at Tulane University and later trained at the School of Air Evacuation at Bowman Field, Kentucky. Once graduated, Roach served as both a pilot and nurse in Africa, India, Italy, and Brazil, completing medical air evacuations. Roach was discharged in 1945 and became a foreign service staff officer in the U.S. foreign service in 1946.,,”
https://www.health.mil/About-MHS/Military-Medical-History/Historical-Timelines/Hispanic
Facts on Latinos in the U.S.
“There were 62.5 million Latinos in the United States in 2021, accounting for approximately 19% of the total U.S. population. In 1980, with a population of 14.8 million, Hispanics made up just 7% of the total U.S. population…”
https://www.pewresearch.org/hispanic/fact-sheet/latinos-in-the-us-fact-sheet/
First Mexican Army NCO graduates U.S. Sergeants Major Academy
“First Sgt. Gerardo Alvarado Flores became the first Mexican Soldier to graduate from the U.S. Army Noncommissioned Officer Leadership Center of Excellence Sergeants Major Academy, June 16, 2023, at Fort Bliss, Texas.
“I’m so glad to see all the international graduates because we never fight alone,” said Sgt. Maj. of the Army Michael Grinston during the ceremony recognizing the Class’s 73 graduates.
Grinston’s statement provided relevance as Alvarado became the first Mexican military graduate of the U.S. Army’s premier NCO professional development school. His graduation highlights the ongoing partnership and training with Mexico…”
https://www.dvidshub.net/news/451428/first-mexican-army-nco-graduates-us-sergeants-major-academy
Meet Joe Molina
“For Joe Molina, role models matter. The second-year MBA student was raised early on by a single mom on the outskirts of San Diego, sandwiched between the beach and the desert. When he was 7, his mom married his stepdad, a Navy SEAL. The family rode dune buggies and camped together in the desert. “My stepdad kind of saved the family,” he says. “He took in two kids and really taught me what kind of father I should be.” Molina joined the military right out of high school, became a decorated Navy SEAL like his stepfather, got married, and had a daughter. At 32 and 27, respectively, he and his wife, Stephanie, enrolled at the University of San Diego, becoming first-generation college graduates…”
Biden administration sending 1,500 more soldiers to Mexico border
“…The troops could arrive by May 10, a Pentagon spokesman told reporters.
The soldiers will perform “non-law enforcement duties” such as data entry and warehouse support, DHS said in an earlier statement, attributing the new deployment to an “anticipated increase in migration” at the southwest US border…”
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2023/5/2/us-plans-to-send-1500-soldiers-to-mexico-border
‘Really proud of our dad’: Family of SSgt Patrick Aguilar presented flag flown over Texas Capitol
“…The veteran was trained as a radio operator. He was transported to England and earned a ribbon as a rifle sharpshooter and carbine expert.
SSgt Aguilar was one of two Mexican Americans in his squadron. He said he never felt any discrimination from his comrades and that they all got along.
That camaraderie was needed in Cherbourg, where the Ninth Air Force was tasked to build an airfield and set up command near the peninsula’s west side. SSgt Aguilar delivered support services to aid squadrons across Europe…”
Fighting on Two Fronts: The Mexican American Soldier Experience in WWII
“An estimated 400,000 Mexican Americans served in the US armed forces during World War II and compared to other ethnic and racial groups in the United States, Mexican Americans served in disproportionately high numbers in frontline combat positions. Despite their efforts and sacrifices for their country during the war, these men continued to face discrimination when they returned from war.
Join the Pritzker Military Museum & Library and authors Carlos Harrison and Dave Gutierrez on Thursday, October 6th from 6-7pm for a conversation moderated by Hernan Fratto, news anchor with Telemundo Chicago as they discuss the role of Mexican American soldiers during World War II, the communities that they came from, and how these men fought, not just in battle, but to be accepted in an American society that remained biased against them even after they returned home as heroes…”
/us/veterans-community-activists-protest-roundabout-fear-changes-to-mexican-american-monument-
“…Community members, veterans and politicians gathered Monday for a 75th anniversary celebration near the 30-foot-high marble monolith , which was dedicated on May 30, 1947. But the relocation plan isn’t the only controversy around the monument. Even its name has long been in dispute . Vietnam War veteran Eddie Morin, 79, says the monument, inscribed with a dedication to veterans of World War II and the Korean and Vietnam wars, is known as the Americans of Mexican Descent Memorial. Morin’s father Raul Morin, a World War II veteran and author , is honored with a plaque, which is located on a separate small triangular plaza, directly south of the monument, across East Cesar E. Chavez Avenue, named “Morin Memorial Square.” “It’s always been about venerating the efforts of…”
Houston to build memorial for Mexican American vet killed by police in 1977
“…The city of Houston and the family of a Mexican American Vietnam War veteran beaten to death by police in May 1977 — a killing that sparked a deadly riot and ushered in police reforms — have agreed on a memorial…”
https://www.yahoo.com/news/houston-build-memorial-mexican-american-171028970.html
How to make Veterans Day more meaningful for Vietnam Vets
“…More than nine million Americans served from Nov. 1, 1955, to May 15, 1975. Six million are still living, but commemorative partners can do more.
“These patriots and their families deserve the nation’s gratitude,” said Phil Waite, chief of strategic engagement for The United States of America Vietnam War Commemoration. “Our partners are the backbone of this national commemoration. We would be privileged to have your organization come alongside us in this noble mission.”…”
https://blogs.va.gov/VAntage/94075/how-to-make-veterans-day-more-meaningful-for-vietnam-vets/
The 13 U.S. service members killed in the Kabul airport attack
“David Espinoza
20, of Rio Bravo, Tex. — On Wednesday, Elizabeth Holguin received a call from her son, who was stationed in Kabul. Before hanging up, he said, “I love you,” she told The Washington Post. That was the last time they ever spoke.
Inspired by the prospect of helping others, Espinoza had always dreamed of being a Marine, his mother said. He enlisted after graduating from high school.
“It was his calling and he died a hero,” Holguin said…”
National museum dedicated to Army debuts on Veterans Day
“FORT BELVOIR, Va. (AP) — A sword from the defense of Fort McHenry in the War of 1812. A stopped wristwatch recovered from the wrecked E-Ring of the Pentagon on the Sept. 11 attacks. The Sherman tank that first broke through enemy lines at the Battle of the Bulge in World War II.
Those are just a few of the artifacts that tell the 245-year story of the nation’s largest and oldest military branch at the new National Museum of the United States Army.
Planning for the museum has been in the works for more than a decade, and construction began in 2017. Early plans called for an opening in late 2019, but delays pushed it back to 2020, and then the pandemic hit. Those delays, though, provided an opportunity for a debut that coincides with Veterans Day…”
https://apnews.com/article/army-museum-national-debut-veterans-day-908c60e2c6ca1d4115806672d4634073
South Bay family mourns Gilbert Polanco, San Quentin guard who died from COVID-19
“…A South Bay family is mourning the loss of a beloved husband, father, veteran and longtime corrections officer. 55-year-old Gilbert Polanco died at a San Jose hospital Sunday morning after a long battle with COVID-19.
“Everything I have is because of him.. all the positivity he brought, all the hard work he’s done,” said daughter Selena Polanco.
She said her dad was an Army Veteran and started working at San Quentin when he was just 21. The novel coronavirus pandemic has caused a mass outbreak inside the prison, 24 inmates have died, 2,000 inmates infected. Selena was worried for her father’s safety.
“I was scared he would get sick and this would happen,” said Polanco.
Gilbert Polanco tested positive for COVID-19 in late June, he was admitted to the hospital on July 2.
Last month, Polanco was on life support in the ICU.
Selena and her mom also contracted the virus and recovered…
On Two Fronts: Latinos & Vietnam | Full Episode
“Examine the Latino experience during a war that placed its heaviest burden on working-class youth and their communities. Framing the documentary are memoirs of two siblings, Everett and Delia Alvarez, who stood on opposite sides of the Vietnam War, one as a POW and the other protesting at home.”
US arrests 600 Mexican cartel members in one of the largest ever raids
“…The cartel is active in major U.S. cities such as Los Angeles, New York, Chicago, Houston and Atlanta, the agencies said. The DOJ and DEA also announced a superseding indictment on charges against Nemesio Ruben Oseguera Cervantes, also known as “El Mencho,” the leader of CJNG, for allegedly continuing criminal enterprise…”
Mexico’s bid to detain El Chapo son ‘a failure of everything’
“…It was a huge embarrassment for the government. They had captured one of the most wanted men in Mexico and, outgunned and overwhelmed by the cartel, they simply turned him back over to his men.
By the following morning, both state and federal government were on damage control.
“This was a failed operation,” Mr Durazo admitted, “a rushed operation.” The police had acted without orders from above and the decision to release Guzmán was only taken to prevent further violence to the civilian population, he argued.
“We are not going to convert Mexico into a greater cemetery than it already is.”…”
Link to article
‘Top Secret’ maps reveal the massive Allied effort behind D-Day
“…The Allied invasion of German-occupied France that began in the early hours of June 6, 1944, was long in the making. By gaining supremacy in the Atlantic in 1943, the Allies had cleared the way for a huge buildup of American troops and equipment in Great Britain. Between January and June 1944, nine million tons of supplies and 800,000 soldiers crossed the Atlantic from the United States to bolster the invasion, designated Operation Overlord…”
Link to article
