Weleetka
The murders of Taylor Placker and Skyla Whitaker were really the first big story I ever reported on in my news career. Sure I had worked behind the scenes and coordinated coverage of other big events, but this was a case where I got to be on the scene. I knew it was big, in fact, the first story I did was on the national and international attention the case was generating. However as the years dragged on, I did believe it would be a case that would never be solved.
That is until the OSBI announced they knew the gun that killed the girls. They knew it by the make, model and serial number. Investigators would not say how they knew such detailed information without having the actual gun. I did a story that day, the first real break in the case in more than three years. After it aired, I got a call…a tip to look up the name Kevin Sweat.
Kevin Sweat
There was information in forums, bits and pieces…all clues that seemed to tie together every rumor I had heard during three years of covering the Weleetka murders. Sweat was in jail charged with murdering his fiance, Ashley Taylor. It took time, but I was able to contact the family of Ashley. They were hesitant at first to come forward, worried their information could jeopardize their daughters case. However, as information continued to surface they believed Kevin Sweat’s connection to crime could be forgotten…lost in the details of an unknown murder case.
When I first sat down with Mike and Faye Taylor, they were polite and had everything written out for me. When they first met Kevin, what he was like and why they believed he was connected to the Weleetka case. The outcome of these meetings resulted in a series of stories (Link 1) and (Link 2).
When the OSBI announced they were formally charging Kevin Sweat with the murders of the Weleetka girls, I was relieved. Relieved that nearly two months after the OSBI used every media outlet in the state to belittle my work, I was proven correct. I was relieved that this 3-and-a-half year nightmare was coming to an end for the Placker and Whitaker families. I was also relieved that the Taylors were ultimately vindicated. They too had felt pressure from officials to back off, go away and shut up. They refused. They would not be silenced. If anyone asks me who the heroes are in this case I say Mike and Faye. They didn’t back down when their daughter disappeared, they didn’t stop when investigators told them their daughter’s case was ‘just a missing persons case.’ They dug for the details and confronted the man they believed was guilty and he gave them answers for questions they didn’t ask. Answers they would later share with the OSBI. Answers that ultimately led investigators to question Sweat and get a confession about what happened on that rural road in 2008.
The questions are not over and the answers will come. The questions that remain include when and what did the OSBI know about Kevin Sweat. The director says they knew nothing that would have prevented Ashley Taylor’s death. However based on what Kevin told the Taylors, it appears there could be much more investigators knew. Why did all three of these girls have to die? So many questions.
History…not so long ago
Selah playing the radio
This is a picture from when Selah was only a few months old. At the time, one of her favorite toys was her radio. It’s shaped to look like a little boom box and plays a variety of children’s tunes. What’s interesting to me is that when you turn the dial it actually plays static and the sound of skipping over radio stations. As I watched my little girl play with this, I realized she will likely never know what radio static is or what it’s like to turn a dial to get a radio station. Who knows, she may not even know what a radio station is in the traditional sense.
It go me thinking about all the things she’ll also never know about, things that I grew up playing with or that were a part of my life.
The biggest thing…VHS tapes. It was a big deal that we had a VCR with a remote when I was a kid, but our remote had a cord on it and you loaded the cassette in from the top. It was a big deal at the time. Even now, we have DVDs and I’m sure those are going to seem as ancient to my girl when she is old enough to know better as VHS appear to me now.
Computers are constantly changing and I wonder just what my daughter will be able to do with technology. Will the world look more like the Jetsons?
Will my daughter make fun of me for going to movies in 2D? Will the high-technology 3D movies we see today be ‘oldies’ to her generation?
More importantly, will I be able to keep up with it all? I think I’m doing a pretty good job riding the technology wave. Accepting whatever comes next, reading up on trends…but one day will I be that weird old guy who is trying to be hip by having the latest gadgets? You know who I’m talking about. They are usually really old guys who bought Beta when they first came out because they were a big deal, but now they can’t even spell ‘internet.’ Yet, this same person who was clearly once into tech, has spent years avoiding it…and now has a smartphone. Not that every old person with an iPhone is like this, but there are some who are just way too excited to be on the “world wide web” connecting to the “internets.” I don’t want to be that guy.
Who do I want to be? I want to be that guy who’s not scared by the tech, but not necessarily driven to always have the latest stuff when it comes out. I’d like to always be like I am now. Someone told me that can’t happen…and that eventually I’ll get old. I’m not sure I believe them…but then again that stranger in the mirror laughs at me when I tell him I am the same guy I was in college. What does that old man know anyway.
Dear Selah: Year One
Dear Selah,
This is your daddy writing…you’re actually starting to get the hang of saying ‘dada’…although when you get really excited you sometimes get it backwards saying “ah-dah, ah-dah.” These are the memories I hope I’ll be able to hold onto forever.
Selah's Birthday
Your first year of life went by so fast. It really doesn’t seem that long ago that we were bringing you home from the hospital. Sometimes I laugh at the things your mom and I worried over at first. You are our first…so we might have been a little over protective. However as we have talked to some other parents….we seem pretty mellow. Whatever we did…we must have done something right, because you really are the most wonderful baby. Everyone says so.
We also recently found out you are going to be a big sister. I know you will be a good big sister. I can’t wait to see how you will be able to play with your little brother or sister. The daycare tells us you are very good with the little babies. You also just got two baby dolls for your birthday. It is adorable to see you hold and rock your little babies. You do put the babies in your Halloween pumpkin tote…I’m guessing you won’t do that with the real baby.
I am really trying to be a good dad. I hope you think so…I can only judge by your smile, which we do get to see very often. Your mommy and I hope you will understand though we always want what is best for you and sometimes that means keeping you out of trouble, even when you think you are just playing.
I wonder what you’ll be when you grow up, when you read this. Will you be a good student…will you be a daddy’s girl? Will we be having tea parties or will you be helping me build a tree house? It really is a world of possibilities. I hope you will be happy. I’ve heard parents say that before…but never really understood it until now. Just know that your parents love you very much.
Love,
Daddy
Write Right
If you watch the news, then you probably know the news lingo. They are those highly predictable phrases that seem to pop up in story after story. I had a news director who called it ‘Journalese’ and it was banned in his newsroom. He explained, news stories should be conversational. No one in the real world talks like a journalist. Sure people accept it, and maybe even tolerate it, but few actually like it.
Maybe we use those words because we want to sound smart or sophisticated. I think it’s because we get lazy. I’m as guilty as any other reporter, producer or editor. However, since getting my first lesson in ‘Journalese,’ I have done my best to rid it from my vocabulary and encourage others to do the same. Here are some of the words and phrases I hope everyone calls me out on if they ever hear me say them or see me try to write them. Just say, “Phil, you can do better.”
- Residents – No one says this. Perhaps, “people who live here or there.” Sure it’s more words, but it’s far more conversational.
- Blaze – No fire coverage is complete without someone saying this word. Breaking news…very few people in the real world use this. I know it gets redundant to safe fire over and over again, but unless you’re a prospector from the 1800s who feels the need to reference “blue blazes” you don’t need to include this.
- White Stuff – Snow. No need to explain why my news director banned this word.
- Officials – What officials? Who were they with? Do you know who you talked to? The blanket ‘officials’ is so easy to use and I slip into every so often, but I try to qualify it with ‘fire officials’ or ‘state-department officials’ just to add some sort of context to the word.
- Stable Condition – FYI…dead is the only stable condition.
- “It’s that time of year again” – I had an anchor who refused to say this when I produced. I often would try to slip it in to see if he was reading the scripts. Clichés are fun to write, but in the end, they are so cliché. Write smarter.
Of course there are so many more…add to this list or create your own. News writing shouldn’t be predictable. Writing is an art…use your entire palette. Engage viewers by talking to them, not at them.
Dear Doctor…
I hate going to the doctor. I’m not really sure why. Perhaps it’s because I wasn’t ever the ‘sickly’ child…or maybe because I hate being sick. I was rarely the only who went to the doctor and I think part of that had to do with the fact that I was a boy, raised in a rural community with a ‘walk it off’ mentality. Instead of stitches, I got butterfly bandaids. Don’t get me wrong, this did make me tough and taught me the importance of “whatever doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.” I guess the real reason I hate going to the doctor is doctors.
After moving to Oklahoma, I went to a few different doctors…the quick care clinics were for emergencies and just when I needed something to keep me from dying from whatever bug was going around. I was sick a couple of times and tried to go to one doctor near my house. This guy was a jerk. He was one of those “I went to medical school so I’m better than you” type of doctors. One visit he diagnoses me with some sort of ear infection and explains it to me. No offense…I’m an adult, it’s not my first ear infection, but go ahead and tell me all about it you went to medical school. When explaining it wasn’t enough, he described the components of the ear. Having passed high school and college biology with flying colors, I knew exactly what he was talking about. This wasn’t enough…he pulled down a model of the ear and talked to me like a child. While he was doing this I was contemplating kicking him during the next ‘reflex’ test.
There is no need to talk down to patients. I know you went to medical school. I know you are well read and well studied and know more about medicine than I do…note I didn’t say smarter there. I’m not sure if you’re smarter than me. What I do know is that you think you’re smarter than me. Dr. Carter worked for Integris Family Care…so I will go back to her office and try out her colleagues. Who knows, maybe she chose people to partner with who share her compassion and passion.
I also suffer from severe headaches and have most of my life. He brushed it off and said I was taking too much ibuprofen. I wondered how this could be the case since I didn’t take it that often and had headaches long before I ever took ibuprofen. He again talked to me as a child and explained Pavlov’s dogs to me…about how my body just thought it needed the drug and thus created the headache. He asked no questions about my medical history, or appeared to care at all. Spoiler alert…I did follow his advice and quit taking any medicine for my headaches. Six months later…I was still getting headaches every day.
Enter Dr. Mirela Carter. I went to her out of desperation. I had just found out we were expecting our first child and I wanted a check up. I actually had to postpone the checkup a week because when my appointment was originally scheduled I had a cold and I refused to go to a doctor when I was sick. Dr. Carter gave me a check up and asked if I had any other issues. I reluctantly mentioned my headaches and she listened. You heard that right. The doctor listened. She spoke in a gentle eastern European accent and asked questions. She dismissed the quack’s ibuprofen claims saying the amount I was taking or had taken in the past would in no way create these ‘phantom’ headaches. She had me do some experiments with controlling blood pressure. She was excited when her suggestions would also affect other anxiety issues I was having. It was incredible. Here I found the most amazing doctor. A doctor who cared about her patients. A doctor who listened. A doctor who talked to me, not at me. A doctor who was glad to be there and genuinely excited to be helping people. Why can’t all doctors be like this?
When our baby was born, I asked for her recommendation for a pediatrician…and what do you know? She accepted babies in her family practice! She listened to my concerns about medications and how we wanted to vaccinate. She listened, offered her suggestions and we agreed upon a course of treatment. Life was perfect.
This week I got a letter in the mail saying Dr. Mirela Carter was leaving her practice. I called immediately to see if I could get one last appointment…no such luck. She had already left. She wants to focus on her family and providing rural health care to areas that don’t have good access to doctors. Selfishly I was upset my doctor wanted to run off and play Dr. Quinn on the Oklahoma frontier. However the more I think about it, the more I realize, it’s the only thing she could do. She cares about people. She cares about helping people and while she was helping people in a nice suburb, she could help so many more in parts of the state where they have to travel hours to get quality medical care.
So now I search for a new doctor. One who is smart…and I don’t care if this doctor is smarter than I am, I just want them to listen, to care and to show concern. Isn’t the first oath in medicine to first do no harm? By being a jerk or talking down to people it makes them not want to go to the doctor and that is doing a lot of harm.
So rural Oklahoma…congratulations. You are getting, in my opinion, the best doctor in Oklahoma. If you end up seeing Dr. Carter, tell her she’s missed.
Civility
A lot has been said about the lack of civility these days. I agree, though I don’t think the problem is with politics, politicians or pundits. This is not a political post…though the political rhetoric is a bit intense; I think the real problem with civility is with the populous. What happened to common courtesy?
This weekend was a perfect example. My wife and I went to the Norman Chocolate Festival. We bought tickets for a 12:00-12:30 tasting, though it was 1:00 before we ever got in sight of the door. The horrible planning and execution of the event aside, the people there were nuts! There was a line that went along the vendors and would have moved in an orderly fashion if people hadn’t been cutting, pushing and shoving. I was pushing a stroller with Selah asleep inside. People were pushing past the stroller and in front of me in line. At one point there were 8 people separating my wife and myself. We had just been next to each other. Then they would stop and hold up the line trying to decided between two samples of chocolate. It’s not like their decision would cure cancer…it was a chocolate cupcake. Yes it was a good chocolate cupcake, but after cutting in line, they held it up having almost a theological discussion over which chocolate cupcake to get. The funny thing is…there were two main offenders, they could have gotten one of each and shared.
At this same event one of the vendors was taking pictures. He stepped in front of me and was trying to take a picture so I stopped as to not get in his picture, but he just held is position as I looked at him, waiting for him to take a picture so I could move on. He finally said ‘would you mind getting out of my way?’ What a way to talk to someone. I was trying to stay out of his way, there are easily a dozen different ways to more politely put that request.
Following this example of poor planning and crazy crowds, we went to Sam’s Club. The people were more civil, but the employees were rude. They were restocking shelves, which is understandable…but they kept almost running people over including myself and the baby. They were acting like I was just another obstacle in their way and they didn’t care if they pushed or ran over me with their big pallet moving carts. I actually called the store and talked to the manager about why there was no “excuse me” or apology from these employees. For the manager’s part he was apologetic and said he would go talk to the employees. I understand they have a job to do and it was very busy, but that is no excuse for a lack of common civility.
I was told at Chik-Fil-A employees are required to say “My Pleasure” every time a customer says “Thank You.” I put this to the test. I said “Thank You” to everything, and every time it was met with “My Pleasure.” Side note…this can be a great pick-me-up on a bad day to be treated with such respect. It got me thinking, why don’t we all act like this? Is society so complicated and fast-paced that we no longer need to treat others with respect? I don’t think so. I think the problems we see in every-day life could be made better with just a little civility.
Another example…the carts at the grocery store. I timed it once. I went and got someone’s haphazardly placed cart and took it to the cart corral. It took 30 extra seconds to make the round trip. Not even a minute of my day to make sure someone could park in that parking spot. Thirty seconds to make sure a minimum-wage employee didn’t have to spend more time in the cold tracking down carts? Is it laziness or is it disrespect. I say it’s a bit of both and both have to stop.
Treat others the way you would want to be treated. It’s a lesson we all learned, or should have learned, in kindergarten. The lesson is still true, why can’t we all start saying ‘please’ and ‘thank you’ more? Why can’t we all say ‘My Pleasure’ to someone’s “Thank You?” Or as some of my Australian friends would say a “No Worries” to someone’s “Thank You.” Just something to acknowledge that someone has been polite.
I want to try to be nicer to others. I want to bring civility back to my life. I can only change myself and hope it catches on.
Thanks Dad
The new ceiling fan my dad helped install for the baby's room.
This post is a little late in coming, but we have a baby now, so I get a pass on getting things done for…well how long can I use the ‘new baby’ excuse? Anyway, yes that is a picture of a ceiling fan in the baby’s room. My dad came down a few weeks ago (the same time my mom was staying with us to watch Selah while the babysitter was on vacation) and helped me with several things. The biggest of which was this new ceiling fan and light for Selah’s room. I was looking at it again tonight and realized it what a huge help my parents and my dad have been. I can’t wait for the day when my little girl (and any other future kids) are able to say “Thanks Dad” about something I’ve done for them.
The last visit from my parents also gave me one of those “blow your mind” experiences. We were all sitting in the living room talking, or watching TV, or something and I was holding Selah. Then I looked over and saw my mom and dad watching me hold my little girl. What is that like? I was once as little as my baby and they once held me the same way. What is that like to have that view point? Looking at a grown up, thinking of the child they once were. Boom! Yep that was my mind blowing again.
Selah after rolling over for the first time...just under 4 months old.
I don’t want to be one of those “my baby’s growing up so fast” kind of parents, but Selah just learned to roll over. We’ve got boxes of clothes she’s already outgrown…clothes that at one time seemed so big on her. When I hold her and she looks up at me I try to save a mental image of that face looking up at me. My mind tries to do one of those sitcom flashback montages, where it’s the same shot, but everyone grows up in a series of pictures. Granted I only have 4 months to time lapse through, but I can’t help but think that someday those big brown eyes will be graduating high school and college (and with any luck some post-graduate work that will ensure she has enough money to pay for the good nursing home). How will I look at her then? How will she look at me then? Will she look at me and say “Thanks Dad” or will she, like me, not learn to appreciate her parents until she’s lived on her own for a while? I guess I just have to take time and relish in these moments where she’s all mine and still looks at me with wonder.
She also loves to look at the ceiling fan with wonder. If she could talk I bet she’d say thanks grandma and grandpa for taking time to visit and help out so much.
Oh and this is not to say Keiana’s parents don’t do anything. I could write a novel on all they have helped out with as well…but this one was about my parents. Luckily I have been blessed to have two sets of parents (now grandparents) who love me and my wife. I really could not be luckier.
Tweet-free Christmas
Selah - 3 months old
I am so blessed to have family. Not just my family, but a new family that became mine when I met my wife. I was also blessed to have time to spend with not just one family this Christmas, but both sides. It meant a lot of traveling and since I am paranoid about crime after doing a story about social media and crime I did not tweet for most of the week before and week of Christmas. Don’t worry I saved my more poignant thoughts.
- “Traveling with the baby for the first time ever. This should be easy” (before leaving the house)
- “Traveling with the baby is insane” (after packing the car with the entire nursery)
- “Dallas would be more fun if traffic during the day was as smooth as traffic at night.
- “Never staying anywhere but Comfort Suites again.”
- “Coke + MiniFridge Freezer = Morning Mess”
- “Best Christmas present ever: Father-in-law just told me he would stay up with the baby”
- “Hmmm…everyone wants to hold the baby, but no one wants to change her.”
- “New Rule: If you’re holding the baby, you’re changing the baby. No free cuteness”
- “Had to re-learn how to play the piano…thank goodness for the metronome app.”
- (In car) “Baby and dog both just farted”
- “Baby is only talking to my Grandma and for some reason Grandma can hear the baby and not me when I talk”
- “Price for my mom babysitting a week…letting her show off baby Selah to her entire church. #totallyworthit”
- “Old ladies who think they’re whispering in church aren’t really whispering.”
- “Home again. Already miss family, but glad to be back in my own bed.”
Among the more troubling revelations I learned at home this Christmas…apparently the woman who my parents let babysit me on occasion kept a snake in her house to eat the mice. And apparently there was more than one snake. Very disturbed. Random thought, but I can’t let it go.
Seasons of Love
Yes, this post got started by watching RENT. I like musicals and theatre. Get over it. In another post I might explain how watching and analyzing performing arts can teach you think critically about your own culture. Theatre as a way of knowing. Fascinating discussion.
Back to the real purpose of this post. As I listen to the song, it asks how do you measure time? Perhaps its the song, or the slight chill in the air that reminds me it’s fall and I’m literally transitioning to a new season or perhaps it’s the little girl sleeping in front of me that makes me realize I am entering a new season of love myself.
We all go through seasons of love and would imagine, most of them are very similar. Sure the circumstances are different, but like every Spring, Summer, Fall and Winter our seasons of love are essentially the same.
Life begins as we are totally dependant on others for our survival. The love of a child for their parents is so simple, yet so deep. It’s this dependence on others that helps with the bond between parents and children. This season of love is so subtle that I don’t think any of us realize when we leave it to transition into a new season.
As we grow older, love becomes focused on self. It may take different forms, but let’s face it, as we grow more independent in our teen and young adult years we grow to love ourselves. There’s nothing inherently wrong with self love. I think it’s vital to our growth as individuals. Even at times when I’ve hated myself or my life I still was exhibiting self love. It was about me and I did little to care, really care, about anyone else.
I think the first time I really noticed a season change in my life was when I met my wife. I thought I was doing just fine on my own. Though I will be the first to admit there was something missing. I filled that hole with work and friends and just assumed that was how my life would progress. Then I met Keiana and my world changed. It was as noticeable as the first snowflakes of winter. A beautiful blanket covering up the gloom that comes in late fall. The gloom that no one wants to talk about because we only want to talk about the beauty of the leaves changing and the crisp, cool air. However when the air changes from crisp to just cold, and the leaves have all fallen and the trees are bare there is a need for something to change. That’s when God sends in winter.
I think Winter gets a bad rap. It’s cold, but that just means we need a fire to move close to and hot cocoa to drink. It is a time when we need others more than ever. In my mind, this is the next season of love. I remember the first time I made a major career decision on the basis of ‘we’ instead of ‘me.’ The realization that there is someone else instead of of just self can be shocking. Instead of running from the unknown, I embraced the new season. That embrace was the warmth that protected me from the cold I didn’t know existed. I was walking through a season of life that was growing cold and lonely, but I had ignored the signs that Fall had lost it’s beauty. That’s when I found a world of new beauty in my wife. It was now us against the world…standing together. Two independent people who found strength leaning in, ever so slightly, growing together.
Now the seasons are changing again. This season, is an awakening. Love. Pure love springing from me like the green grass appears from the frost-bitten earth. This little girl brought in the spring of our lives. Children are the rebirth of love. It’s not that love ever left, it’s just God decided we did not have enough love in our lives. We don’t need flowers either. The landscape looks perfect and complete, but when the first daffodils bloom or the spring tulips spread their petals we realize what was missing from the picture.
I don’t know what the next season of love is. At this point I don’t really care. I’m still trying to figure out this new life change. It’s scary, exciting and puzzling all at the same time. Bring it on.
Dear Selah…We Can’t Wait
Dear Selah,
Selah Elizabeth Cross
Someday I hope you’ll read this. I’m sure we’ll have told you most of the stories about your early days, even those before you were born, so many times you will be tired of hearing them. Just in case I wanted to let you know from long before you were born, you were so loved by your mommy and me.
I hope you like your name…we put a lot of thought into choosing it. Your mother wanted a far different name, but that’s because she didn’t grow up in a place where people named cows and didn’t realize it would have been inappropriate. Don’t tell her I told you that.
We went back and forth on names. We knew we wanted something from the Bible and something that had a good meaning. I didn’t want you looking up your name someday and being disappointed. I remember the night we were going through names and I was just reading through a list of names and each of us said ‘yes’ or ‘no’ or just remained indifferent. Then I read “Selah,” and we both paused. A quite appropriate pause because the word means ‘to pause and reflect.’ It was the first name that we both agreed on that wasn’t too popular and sounded as beautiful as we knew you were going to be.
I hope no one is giving you a hard time about how to pronounce the name. We did our research before settling on pronouncing Selah as, SAY-luh. We actually found a website that had native speakers, (your name is Hebrew) and the pronunciation there was very close to SAY-luh, the only different is the accent. We weren’t going to make you go around having to change your accent every time you said your name, so we went with the Americanized version of the pronunciation. I hope you are the only Selah in your class.
As I write this, you are still weeks away from arrival, or you are supposed to be weeks away, and we are still getting ready for your appearance. The room is painted and the crib is put together. I hope you like your ceiling…it took me forever to refinish it. Just know that everything we do is because we love you.
See you soon.
Love,
Daddy
College – Was It Worth It?
A friend of mine recently put out a call for people to talk about their college classes and what classes best prepared them for life in the media. The question got me thinking about my own college experience and how much my world and world view has changed since my time walking the halls at Missouri Southern State University. What amazed me is, while so much has changed, a lot has remained the same. I was never one to be satisfied with just one job and wanted to know how everything worked. My university’s broadcast department was a great fit, because it allowed me to learn everything. I could run an audio board, host my own show, edit, shoot, direct and even learned the basics of master control operations. What frustrates me is hearing so many people saying their college classes did not prepare them for work in the real world. Below is my response to my friend’s question and what I think prepared me the most for a world in journalism.
“The most important thing about any college education, in my opinion, is learning to be a critical thinker. I think this is a skill that has helped me as a journalist more so than any one class.Comm. Law was great, and I agree it has helped keep me safe, although if you leave the state you learn it in, don’t forget to study up. A journalist’s education never ends.My first video production class helped me understand the history of film/tape and editing and I learned how everything works. This has helped me to do anything I want to do. While you can do a live report just by putting a microphone on, if something goes wrong (as it often does) it helps to know why and how a mic works in order to troubleshoot so you can get on the air.As odd as it sounds, I took an Honor’s Theatre Appreciation class that was taught by our Honor’s director that I think helped shape my entire view of the world. That class offered rich discussions and taught me that even the leaders aren’t always correct and it’s OK to disagree with others, what matters most is the conversation.While no one class can prepare you for a world in the media, they all can shape you in to a person that will succeed. I’ve heard all too often, “college didn’t prepare me for the real world.” I tell those people that they didn’t prepare themselves for the real world. You can’t learn how to produce sitting in a classroom, but you can learn how to communicate with others. You cannot really learn how to conduct an interview in a classroom, but there is a class that will teach you communication styles that will let you learn about people and you can use that to get the best responses.Internships are crucial to learning the media world. However, like college classes the internship is only what the intern is willing to put into the process. I was lucky and landed at a small-market station that was short a nightside reporter. Which meant I got to shoot, write, edit and report. I also took the initiative to help the ‘traditional’ journalists understand that website-thing they just got and was responsible for creating content online. Intern should find a void and fill it. In a world of cutbacks there are jobs to do and the only thing stopping you from getting the best work experience is you not asking how you can help. Be willing to make mistakes, you will. What matters most is learning from those who have been there before and not making the same mistakes twice.I will admit, I was a cocky college student, who assumed I would just land my dream job as soon as I walked across the stage and accepted my diploma and other honors. I was wrong. I had the best education possible and I still struggled. I am still struggling to find my perfect position. Am I closer than I was in market 146? Yes. The difference today is that I’ve learned I’m not always right and sometimes, it’s not what’s next that’s important. Most of the time, what’s most important is making the most of where you are right now.”
No Longer Just “Baby”
We are less than 24 hours from finding out the sex of our baby. I am nervous, excited and some other emotions I am not really sure what you would call them.
Finally this will no longer be the baby…this child will be our son or daughter. It makes it all much more real. Not that it is not real, but the kid isn’t growing inside me…it is so hard to fully comprehend what is happening.
I know the science, the reality of it all, I just don’t understand the feelings that are rushing around. I spent much of my life supressing or ignoring feelings and now I am experiencing so many at once. I can only imagine what my beautiful wife is experiencing. All I know is I can’t wait to be able to welcome this new life into the world.
P.S. If anyone is taking bets on the sex of the baby…I get a cut, this kid is going to cost a fortune.
Mark Shannon: Life & Legacy
A sign on the door reads, “Limit Visits to Five Minutes.” It was put up by a loving wife, concerned over the energy her husband is expending meeting friends, family and fans. On this day, we’ll get more than 5 minutes, because he has a lot to say.
Mark Shannon has fought, what conservative Oklahomans would call, the good fight. Regardless of if you agree with his politics, you can’t deny his passion for the cause. For the past four years, his afternoon radio talk show has grown in popularity as he takes on every topic from city hall to Washington politics. Though, his latest fight is one he may not win.
Mark was first diagnosed with cancer in 2000. He fought it twice, each time pushing the disease back into remission. This time, the Leukemia may win. “I’m fighting, but I feel beat,” Shannon says from his hospital bed. He admits to feeling worn out, and who could blame him with everything he’s been through. “I don’t feel like I’m quitting. I feel like I’m doing what God wants me to do and in the end He will decide when it’s time for me to go.”
It’s that faith that speaks volumes. As our interview goes on, you can see his strength fade. Yet, when he speaks of God and the relationship that has carried him through the all this, a renewed vibrancy shines in the face of the man known for his passion and energy on the radio. Mark says his survival so far has been due to a simple plan. “Just put one foot in front of the other and leave to the results up to God and see what He’s got planned for me.”
As we walked through Mark’s past, sharing stories of radio stations, programs and personalities a nurse interrupts the discussion. She say’s she’ll come back. The pause gives my photographer a chance to ask the question I hadn’t found a way to bring up yet, “Are you scared?” No, not scared, “Nervous…what I’m nervous about is pain,” Mark says in a calm voice. He goes on to describe how doctors have told him he shouldn’t feel much pain. “The deal is I’ll probably wear myself down to where I don’t have enough oxygen left, and they’ll put me on something to relax me and I’ll probably just go to sleep.”
Mark’s biggest concern is for his wife. He hates the burden his illness has been for her. She’s not in the room to hear him dote on her. She’s patiently waiting outside, giving Mark time to talk. He jokes, “I think she’ll find a little bit of a break to be away from me…I tend to wear people out.” Though you can tell she’s not yet ready to let him go. In a few minutes she’ll send in the hospital’s PR staff to tell us it’s time to wrap things up. She’s concerned about the growing line of well-wishers and her husband’s now noticeable lack of energy.
Acceptance comes in many forms. Mark Shannon’s acceptance comes with an acknowledgment of the final things he has left to plan. “I want to have a really good funeral. I know that sounds funny, but I want it to be a really joyous celebration.” He talks of plans for music and testimony. Some old-fashioned “teaching and preaching,” as he calls it, something to let his friends and family know death is not the end. “I’m looking forward to Heaven. I don’t how it all works out, but I’m looking forward to the freedom of not having to worry about stuff anymore and the good life so to speak.” He’s given a lot of thought to the subject of Heaven. Don’t expect him to behind a microphone inside the pearly gates. Mark quips, “I’ve added up my rewards and I’ll probably end up working at the 7-11.” It’s a job he’ll be glad to do.
Twitter For Android: The Good, The Bad and The Ugly
I love Twitter, that is no secret. However finding the perfect app to access Twitter on my Android phone has been more of a love-hate relationship. Over the past several months I have tried out several different clients. Each one has potential, but I am unwilling to pay for an app to access a free site. This post is a review of the pros and cons of each of the apps I have used. I hope someone finds it helpful.
TWIDROID (@twidroid)
I will begin with the first app I used. This app offers a basic and a pro version. The basic version is free. Overall, this is a pretty simple app for the casual Twitter user. It offers everything you need to tweet.
Best Feature: Picture upload. I use Twitpic for sharing pictures. I chose Twitpic in the setting menu and when uploading a picture I get a status bar. The only downside to this feature is you cannot compose the tweet while the picture is uploading. However, for someone who likes to see a computer working this is great.
Great Features: I may be wrong, but Twidroid may have been the first client to offer auto-complete when you hit the “@” key to reply to a tweet. This keeps you from having to remember all of you followers user names exactly. The auto-complete comes up as a pop-up box. Some love it, some hate it. I have no strong feelings, but tend to lean away from pop-up anything.
Twitdroid also has a built in website preview. It keep you from opening the browser every time you click on a link and makes browsing links much faster.
Biggest Drawback: For me the user interface of Twidroid is too cluttered. The buttons are on the bottom of the screen and are very close together. I also think the light blue design is a little dull.
I am certain the paid pro version is better, and I can’t fault developers for wanting to make money, but it just won’t be from me (unless you add ads and I click on one by accident).
SEESMIC (@seesmic, @askseesmic)
I switched to Seesmic because the UI was cleaner and the layout worked perfect for me. I have a definite love-hate relationship with this app. Seesmic makes a desktop program for connecting with social media, but I haven’t used it.
Best Feature: By far the best thing Seesmic has going for it is the design team. They interact with users and are very open to suggestions. Almost every update includes major improvements based on user suggestions. If you have a problem with the app, tweet the @seesmic team and you can almost bet someone will tweet you back with a solution or explanation.
Great Features: When uploading pictures you can type while the pic is being uploaded. You are also given a warning if you try to send before the picture is fully uploaded.
Biggest Drawback: There is no auto complete (as of this posting). However if you hit reply to a tweet you are able choose any or all of the user names to include in you reply.
Most Annoying: The only reason I went in search of another Twitter app was because of one major change. Seesmic decided to switch the positions of the “send” and “cancel” buttons. It was not listed on the upgrade announcement. I only noticed after wondering why my tweets never showed up on my timeline. To make such a major change to the UI without so much of a “Hey you might be canceling instead of sending” announcement is, in my opinion, dumb. Seesmic says it was a user suggestion. I suggest more people were upset to find a random switch. Seesmic has been nice about the criticism, but I couldn’t get used to the change and unless it is changed back or there is a major upgrade to include missing features (like auto-complete) I won’t be going back.
TWEETCASTER (by @handmark)
First impressions – loved the “fun” look of the timeline. The “cartoon-esque” bubbles for tweets mixed with the colorful layout makes me feel good about life. Yes, I am easily impressed.
Best Feature: View thread. One of my biggest complaints about Twitter in general is if you or you friends are having a conversation it can be hard to keep up. By clicking the “view thread” option you can see the whole conversation (assuming each person hit reply instead of composing a new tweet).
Great Features: Shake to refresh. I think this is more of a novelty, but it is fun to play with. Just shake your phone (if your phone has motion-sensing technology) and your timeline refreshes.
Auto-complete in the composer is my favorite of all apps. The auto-complete suggestions come up at the bottom of your compose window. This is nice so you don’t have to exit out of a pop up every time you hit the “@” symbol.
Biggest Drawback: One of my friends says the biggest problem is with “bit.ly” support. I don’t use that site much, so that will require more investigation. My biggest complaint is with the app is not being able to easily search for other users. It does have a cool search feature, but unless you know the exact user name or unless someone uses a persons real name with their user name you might not be able to find them. Tweetcaster also has a pro version, so if you use he free app prepare for ads. You can close out of them, but they come back. Yes I know that isn’t much of a complaint, so (Spoiler Alert) it should be pretty easy to tell this is my favorite.
TWICCA (@twicca_en)
This app has a lot of potential and as of this posting it is still in BETA mode.
Best Feature: Image viewing. If you click on a picture link in Twicca it pulls it up as an overlay and does not take you to a separate window. You are also able to see the pic as a whole without having to zoom out or move around.
Great Features: A very clean design and cool UI. This app also allows you to follow threads and let’s you compose while uploading pictures.
Biggest Drawbacks: Unlike every other app, this one (as of this posting) does not auto capitalize the start of sentences. It also fails to add a period if you hit the space bar twice. I am anal-retentive enough to be bothered by this.
Twicca also doesn’t use Twitpic for picture uploads. It uses a site called “yfrog,” which I don’t like as much.
My suggestion?
I am currently using Tweetcaster but use the installed Twicca image viewer. That way, I get the best of both worlds.
What I would love is if someone would create an app that has the fun layout of Tweetcaster, the image viewing of Twicca, the support and power of Seesmic, and the web link preview of Twidroid.
I might be changing again soon if Seesmic makes some upgrades, including allowing me to go back to the send/cancel button setup that my fingers are used to pressing.
I appreciater any feedback, suggestions or additional comments. What are your favorite features?
P.S. This post was composed entirely on my Droid. A lot of typing on a small keyboard. I will fix spelling and grammar errors later.
You Need An Education
There is a lot of talk about education lately and so much of it is coming from people who are so uninformed it’s not even funny. While much of my experience and knowledge of school districts comes from growing up in rural SW Missouri, I believe my points and ideas are transferable to almost any district.
First of all, in Oklahoma people wonder why the Lottery isn’t the fix for schools. I believe the lottery was intended as a supplemental income for education. It was never meant to fully or mostly fund schools. That being said, the lottery has not reached original projections. Lotteries rarely do provide as much money as promised. I am not opposed to state lotteries. I think they are good things if used correctly. It is a voluntary tax on people who are bad at math. I even play occasionally because, let’s face it, sometimes it’s worth a dollar to have a daydream of leaving it all behind. The problem is education budgets are often repeatedly raided because it’s assumed the lottery will fix anything that is stolen. Well guess what? It doesn’t work that way.
In times like these it’s up to everyone to help out. This means coming up with creative solutions to budget problems. The problem here is so many agencies have been living beyond their means for so long. Waste exists in every level of government, I’m sure there are a few departments that are lean and doing the right thing, but you will rarely find an agency that couldn’t find ways to cut costs without cutting people or services.
In education this means working smarter and maybe it means cutting salaries. No not cutting salaries for teachers, they are treated poorly enough, cutting salaries for administrators. Some administrators do a great job, but some are paid far too much money compared to their teachers. When you are making three or four times as your employees and continue to get raises as others are laid off, it is time for you to rethink your life. There is nothing wrong with making money, but making money at the expense of others…well you decide if you could live with yourself.
So many schools are cutting band and choir programs to balance budgets. In my opinion this is the stupidest move of all. Yes our children need to be prepared in math, science and language, but the arts are just as important. No one would say eliminate sports to save money. This is not an anti-sports rant. Sports provide students valuable lessons and teach you things you will not learn in a classroom. However music and art do the same thing for students.
Music can help students learn better in all areas of life. It teaches teamwork and responsibility. Studies have shown that music helps the brain develop better and can make your kids smarter. Why would you want to that away from kids? Not everyone is a musician or an artist, just like not everyone is an athlete. Why discriminate against students who aren’t athletic? When you get right down to it, that is exactly what you are doing by taking away art and music teachers. I would love to see some student file a discrimination lawsuit against districts.
I am not sure if there is a study, but I would almost guarantee that more students who are involved in music and art in high school go on to use that in a career than those who are involved in athletics. In my high school there were two guys on the football team who went on to play in college. Both are still involved in sports in some way, but guess how many people still use music or art? Many more. They are teachers, graphic designers, or other artists. I am not a professional musician, but I still play my instruments. Music gave me the ability to learn so many different things in life and by not focusing on just one extra-curricular it allowed me to be a more rounded person.
It is time for us to look at what is the right thing to do and not what is the easy thing. It is easy to eliminate teachers and increase class sizes. What might be harder is finding new funding sources or making difficult decisions to cut expenses. Lawmakers need to stop monkeying around (I apologize to all monkeys offended by that statement) with education. Fund it. Fund it correctly. Find the waste in other areas of government and get rid of it. Don’t be part of the problem, be part of the solution.
**Disclaimer** I come from a family of teachers who have lived and worked with similar problems for years. One of my sister’s is a music teacher. Music is a part of our lives and I am incredibly thankful for that fact.
Heartbeat
Today was our second doctor’s appointment for the baby. It is still a little surreal for me. I know I am a guy and it is OK to not feel the same level of attachment as Keiana does, but still part of me feels worried that I am not baby crazy.
I have always been a bit of a worrier and tend to keep things bottled up inside. So this visit was so important because it meant we got to hear the baby’s heartbeat. I have known so many people who have had miscarriages and I don’t know why I think those situations will happen to us because it is more likely everything will be just fine.
It has always been my motto to plan and prepare for the worst while hoping for the best. Somewhere along the line I stopped focusing on hope. I have seen so much tragedy, so much pain that hoping for the best is often a luxury I don’t see a lot of people enjoy. I love my job, but meeting people on the worst day of their lives and talking them into sharing in a very public manner sometimes gets to me. Don’t get me wrong, I have seen some very postive things come out of people sharing their pain, but being there…face-to-face with the pain can wear you out.
With all the thoughts of what could go wrong rushing through my mind, I walked into the doctor’s office holding Keiana’s hand. I know she’s been nervous and only wanted to hear the baby’s heart, but all along I have been saying everything was OK and there was nothing to worry about. But there I was, on the edge of the chair, waiting. Waiting to hear sounds of a little life. At first there was nothing…my heart was racing. The nurse was telling us when the baby is this small it can be hard to find them. It only took a minute, but it felt like forever. It felt like my heart skipped a beat when finally….thump, thump, thump. The rapid beat of a baby’s heart.
It was there and, for now, everything is OK. I said a prayer right there in the doctor’s office. A prayer of thanks. A prayer of thanksgiving. A prayer of relief. Don’t tell Keiana, but I teared up a little. While I can not be as connected as mommy is to the life growing inside her, I felt an overwhelming sense of pride and joy. That is my child. That is our baby.
I am sure I am going through the same emotions as every other soon-to-be father, but it is all so overwhelming. Such an incredible experience. It is like nine months of going up the hill of the roller coaster of parenthood.
In other news…if anyone is reading this and wants to get us a baby gift, the baby told me today it would like a new bar-b-que grill. I know weird kid, but it is our first so we should probably get it what it wants.
1/3 Over
Well…a couple of firsts with this post: 1) my first baby post and 2) my first post written using the WordPress app for my Droid phone. I am not sure how I feel about composing a long post on my phone’s keyboard, but I can post from bed, so I guess it is a win.
So, according to another app on my phone, today is the first day of Keiana’s second trimester. It doesn’t feel like any time has gone by. Really it seems like just the other day we found out and then told everyone. There have been some changes, but for the most part many of them have not happened to me. As a consequence I am still a little disconnected from everything. As I have read, it is not uncommon for dads to not feel truly attached until they can hold a newborn baby. I read in one book that at this point the baby is just another item on a checklist. While it is more than that to me, I am focused on getting things ready.
To that end the most important thing I have done these past three months is pray. I have prayed for my beautiful wife’s health and safety. Little things that I never paid much attention to before are demanding my full attention. I have started paying attention to every recall announcement.
My other prayer is for myself. I pray that God prepares me to be a father. However, I don’t want to just be a father, I want to be a dad. I want to be daddy. to be honest, the thought kind of freaks me out. To date, there have been many times when I’ve been presented with two choices and chose the wrong one. To date, those choices have only affected me. Soon those choices will affect a little one’s life. More than ever my prayer is that I listen for and follow the direction God is leading me.
I have started reading books that prepare men for pregnancy. My favorite, (and the only one I’ve purchased so far), is “Dad’s Pregnant Too.” It is full of helpful information, but I don’t think any book can prepare you to be a parent. I did an interview recently with a sociologist who pointed out that “there are a lot of people who have children, but not a lot of parents.” That is so true and I just hope and pray I am ready for what is coming our way.
Of course, perhaps my prayers for the wisdom of Solomon have already been answered. While I have made many mistakes in my life, each one has shaped me into the man I am today. Each turn brought me to Keiana, the absolute love of my life. I am certain I will continue to make mistakes, but with Keiana by my side I know I can accomplish anything. I am so thankful to have a wife who loves me more than any wife has ever loved her husband. I know I don’t deserve her, but I suppose that is the perfect example of God’s grace and mercy. He has given me so much that I don’t deserve. Now I just pray I will be able to be the husband and father God wants me to be.
More to come…this baby is just beginning, and apparently I don’t mind typing long posts on this phone.
A News View
When I first started in news, I realized we tend to have a warped perspective of the world. Maybe it’s the odd hours, maybe it’s the fast pace or maybe it’s the being immersed in the bad news. Whatever the reason when I’m in a conversation with a non-newsie and the name of a town or community is brought up, my mind goes to what story I was there to cover. Most of the time it’s bad; a fire, flood or murder. Sometimes there are good stories; political activism, an inspiring sports team or just a quirky person doing something interesting. Either way, I’m certain it’s not how most people view the world. If you’re interested in testing this theory, find a person who works in news and ask them what they know about your hometown.
I wanted to find a way to convey just how interesting and diverse a life in news is, so after doing a story about a guy who created a cool map…I decided to make my own. It’s a Google map that allows me to place markers at the locations I’ve found myself. Each icon has a description of the story I was there to cover and sometimes my thoughts and reactions to the story or the community. Some icons include pictures or video from the scene.
While there are a lot of bad stories I’ve had to cover, each one has taken me to a different part of Oklahoma. I’ve tried to include positive experiences even with the most negative of stories. I have not included every story I’ve covered since arriving in Oklahoma three years ago, but I’ve tried to hit every town I have visited. I will continue to update this map as I travel to new locations and tell new stories.
To view the map use the embedded link below. You can also find a more permanent location on the “Phil’s Map” page, or go to the “Pages” tab at the top of your screen. It is important to note that the thoughts and views expressed in the icons are my own and do not represent the staff or management of any station or employer.
View Phil’s News in a larger map
Tears for Haiti
Eric Lotz, Haiti National Director - Courtesy: Operation Blessing Int'l
I’m not one to be prone to outbursts of emotion. I don’t cry that often. I work in news…surrounded by bad news all the time. It’s often my job to talk to people on the worst day of their life and get them to share how it felt to lose everything. As a result, I’ve developed a thick skin. Not much bothers me; I can crack jokes at crime scenes and walk away from horrific scenes without too much trouble. Tonight I watched a video from Operation Blessing International about their first day on the ground in Haiti. I cried.
Haiti Quake Response: Day 1 from OB UK on Vimeo.
I’ve seen the pictures and the video coming in from Haiti and it’s horrific. I see the unfiltered, uncensored stuff on the feeds that most TV stations are good enough to edit out. I don’t cry over that, though my heart does break when I see each new scene of destruction. It is in this video that I see and hear from Eric Lotz for the first time in months. I read that he is OK, but to see him surviving and thriving in the middle of one of the worst natural disasters anyone has ever known…well, it was inspiring to say the least. I cried when Eric said he is now switching from ‘survivor mode’ to rescue worker mode. I am so proud to have known this man. I am so proud to call him a friend. I am so humbled to have been ministered to by such a man of God.
Wedding Bells (sans bells)
Well it finally happened, and I’m finally writing about it. I never thought I would ever get married, but then I met the love of my life. Keiana is the most wonderful and patient woman in the world, (she’d have to be to put up with me). We met at Fox 25 and started dating…which led to an engagement…which as you can tell led to our wedding. Here’s the wedding announcement and benefit of working in TV news:
The wedding was in Edmond, Oklahoma where we live. It’s semi-halfway between each of our families. My groomsmen were making fun of me because at rehearsal I handed out what had to be a 10 page packet to everyone in the wedding party. It detailed the ceremony down to the second. I have a producing background and know if you have a good plan, things tend to go better for everyone involved. The plan included step-by-step instructions for every member of the wedding party and crew. No one moved if it wasn’t on the paper. As it turns out, the wedding ceremony was almost flawless. Planning pays off.
The honeymoon was spent aboard a Carnival Cruise to Mexico. As much as I had endorsements…if anyone’s looking for a reasonably priced vacation I couldn’t offer higher praise. The ship was incredible, the staff friendly, the excursions fascinating. We got to tour Mayan ruins, explore a coral reef and eat incredible food. Pictures can be found by clicking here.
Thanks to everyone for their love and support throughout the wedding. Now we need that love, support and prayers as we work to make our marriage a wonderful journey together.
~Phil
Amber Waves of Grain
If you take a trip down almost any rural road in Oklahoma you’ll come across some of the most American stories. On this trip to a small farm north of Enid, Oklahoma I came across some men in love truly in love with the country, only they’re not from this country at all. In fact Steven and Kevin Clarke traveled from across the pond to land in a sea of gold.
I came across this story in a newspaper article a year ago, and held onto with hopes the story would come back around…it did. So we packed up and headed north from the city. We followed the golden wheat fields to Delbert Joyner’s Centennial Farm. Delbert’s family started farming just after the land run in the late 1800s.
Three years ago Delbert was bringing in his harvest a top a classic Massey Ferguson combine. That’s when he saw a car pull up next to the field. Two men stepped out, one started taking pictures. The other man walked right up and got on the combine with Delbert. “It was the best thing that ever happened to me,” Delbert says. You see, it was the red combine with the distinctive white top that caught the Clarke brother’s eye. It was just like the combine they used on their small farm back in Norfolk, England. They were on something of a farming adventure vacation. Two men in love with the land and the machines – just taking in the heartland.
Steven and Kevin Clarke are both farmers, but they seem to have something of an obsession with classic farm equipment. The love affair began, according to Kevin, with a 1972 National Geographic article. It introduced them to wheat harvesting. In 1976, their passion was awakened with a documentary by the BBC. “Yellow Trail From Texas” followed two custom harvesters from Oklahoma. They spent an entire summer cutting wheat from Texas all the way to Canada. The idea of spending six months in the fields was a dream job for the Clarke brothers, but they were too young to join a custom cutting crew. Still they kept the dream alive and a few years ago made the trip to America.
After spotting Delbert on his combine, they asked to return the following year to help him with his harvest. Delbert agreed. Good to their word, the Clarke brothers arrived ready to work. This is their second year helping Delbert fix up his old combines. To them it’s not work, Kevin admits some people may not understand why two farmers would want to spend their vacation working on a farm, “A lot of them think we’re mad, but this is what we love doing so we’re happy.”
The smile on Kevin’s face when he’s sitting on top of the massive machines is enough to make anyone love forget about the city and fall in love with the farm. It’s true happiness found in the hearts of some international visitors in love with America’s fruited plain.
Red Dirt Rebellion
I must admit, my life is pretty tame. I go to work and enjoy relatively quiet hobbies, but I love meeting people who get me in touch with the more wild side of life. Enter the girls of the Red Dirt Rebellion.
The Red Dirt Rebellion is Oklahoma’s only all-female, banked-track roller derby league. If you think you know roller-derby, think again. This isn’t the staged show that was once popular. It’s not even the regular roller derby that is starting to make a comeback. It’s pure adrenaline.
We met Emily Murray at the track. She goes by Suzi Uzi, like the gun, on the track. Once the skates go on all these girls take on a different persona and it’s no-holds barred excitement. You don’t have to be a wild gal to take part, there are nurses, homemakers…even a meteorologist on the track. Suzi explained how they formed the league and how they built the massive track from the ground up. An interesting side-note, the track was dismantled as soon as it was built and sent off to a movie set. The track will be used in an upcoming Drew Barrymore movie called “Whip It,” which is about roller derby.
This was a unique and exciting experience. If you have never seen roller derby or just want to meet some ladies who play hard and know how to have a good time, I recommend checking them out.
On the web: Red Dirt Rebellion
Reunion
Well this post has been a long time coming and since it’s been quite a while since I wrote I thought I would start things back with a story that was a long time in the works.
I recently had the privilege to attend a reunion. It wasn’t high school or college, it was a war reunion. Four decades ago Gary Bain was shot down over Laos. He was leading a bombing raid when he took enemy fire. For the past 40 years Gary has been trying to track down the men responsible for making sure he made it out of Vietnam alive.
Gary tells the story and has pictures on his website “Video Exploers,” but here I will add some of my own observations from the 40-year reunion. To see the story I did on the reunion click here.
You would think 40 years would make memories less vivid. But when the memories come from war, it’s something you’re not likely to forget.
My first experience meeting Gary Bain was pulling up to his house the day of the reunion. He was so excited to see us there and was so excited to be surrounded by the men who saved his life. We talked with Gary first and he told us of the fighter pilots who buzzed his area for nearly three hours after his ejection. He told us of the planes that took enemy fire as they tried to distract enemy soldiers from finding him. Holding back tears, Gary told us of how his co-pilot and best friend Lt. William Ryan didn’t survive to eject. We heard stories of the “Jolly Green Giants,” those massive helicopters that came to the rescue. The “PJ,” or parajumper who was lowered into the combat zone and carried him to safety. Incredible tales, but were the over told? The answer is ‘No.’
After talking with Gary we sat down with Edgar Roy Moore. He was the pilot who flew over Gary for 45 minutes. He said for 40 years he wondered about the fate of that pilot on the ground. Four decades of wondering if he had made a difference. The years passed until one day Roy’s phone rang. “Is this Edgar Roy Moore? Playboy13?,” the voice asked. It was Roy’s roommate from Vietnam, who told him there was someone looking for him. The next day Gary called Roy to say he was the Marine who lay bleeding in the jungle as Playboy13 flew till he was out of fuel, only to refuel in air and return. Roy says that was the first time he was ever able to talk about anything that happened in Vietnam. He hadn’t even told his family about what happened, but out of 330 missions he flew that was the one he remembers. He says it was the best thing he ever did in Vietnam. Roy didn’t hesitate to fly from North Carolina to meet a very thankful Gary Bain.
Next up was Dennis Palmer. He was just 20 years old when he volunteered for special service in the Air Force. He was the PJ on the Jolly Green Giant crew who descended on the long cable to extract downed pilots. “It was a big deal to Gary, but for us it was just another mission,” he said brushing off accolades of heroism. But this was not even supposed to be Palmer’s mission. Another Jolly Green crew was on alert, a mechanical problem forced them back to base. Palmer said he wanted the mission so he didn’t tell the pilot until it was too late to turn back, that the flight engineer had forgotten his gas mask. The crew decided if the gas that was spread to make enemy soldiers sick affect the engineer, the co-pilot would run the winch that lowered Palmer from the helicopter. Palmer remembers seeing his AR-15 rifle hanging by the door, knowing there was hostile fire all around he knew he might need it. He was lowered from the chopper, after 30 feet enemy fire blew out the nose gear putting Palmer in a spiral. He was worried the Jolly Green was going down. That wouldn’t happen this day, the pilot stabilized and Palmer continued his descent into the jungle, it was then he realized he left the rifle on board and had only a hand gun for protection. He remembers running 30 yards to get Gary. They were barely hooked back on the cable when the chopper took off. Palmer received the Silver Star for the mission.
After the war, Dennis Palmer was stationed in Hawaii and served on the Air Force rescue team for the Apollo space capsules. He was in the air helping with the rescue of Apollo 13 pod.
Off camera I talked with the Pilot of Jolly Green 15. Talk about humility. Captain Joe “Pete” Hall did not want much credit for the rescue. He said he was just doing his job. The Jolly Green 15 crew rescued 6 pilots during Vietnam. Gary was the only one to say thanks. The reunion in rural Oklahoma was the first time he had seen his crew since leaving Vietnam.
We also spoke with Maj. John Johnston. He was the forward air controller that day. He picked out targets and assigned Gary to fly the mission over Laos that day. He stayed in the air and on the radio overseeing everything that happened that day. Johnston says it was an absolute miracle that Gary survived the explosion on his plane, survived ejecting too close to the ground and survived the daring rescue. Johnston was on the radio with Gary that day, but never met him in person – until now.
There were so many other soldiers, airmen and Marines involved in Gary’s rescue. To read a first person account of what happened from Gary visit his website by clicking here. He has spent years tracking down the men responsible for saving his life and details every moment of that day.
Incredible men on an incredible mission.
Phil Cross
Books, Covers and Shame
I despise most (if not all) of the so-called “reality” TV. This may seem like an odd position for me to take , since I work at a Fox TV station and American Idol is our bread and butter. I made a good friend while I was at the University of Cambridge, who put it this way; ‘Look at the TV, then look away…THAT’S bloody reality!’ It seemed to have so much more effect and resonance coming from Greg and his thick Australian accent.
Despite my objections, “reality” TV has taken off and people seem to love it. There are so many shows with so many fans, reflecting different segments of society. However almost every show ends the same way. The attractive (or moderately attractive) person with an over-inflated story of making it out of nothing wins. America rallies behind the attractive people, boos the homely characters. I’d like to think this is nothing like real life, but so often we (myself included) still judge people by their looks. Tonight I was sent a clip that makes me feel very humbled. It’s from the British version of American Idol, called Britain’s Got Talent. Here’s the best version I’ve found on YouTube:
All I can say after watching that is, “Wow.” I think anyone watching this will think twice about our own prejudices and preconceived ideas about people based on their appearance, age or socioeconomic condition. I will be watching for more from Susan Boyle, because she proves what true beauty is all about. I think the most telling moments are in the reaction from the judges. Not what they said, but what they didn’t say. It was the expressions. Absolute shock. I think I had the same expression on my face when I watched. I everyone who watches it has the same expression.
Phil
My name is Phil Cross, thanks for stopping by my website. This site contains news and information about my life and work.
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