I'm new here and have had a lot of trouble getting the mechanics of this site down. It will come, but I wonder if I'm just too old to deal with it.
Some mild English from my local B&M
- Thread starter Carl
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Help Support Brothers of Briar:
Amazing! It seems that this old fogey has finally crossed the threshold of participation.
I live in western SC, and have been a lurker here for about a year. I enjoy the conversation and the information from you guys. Hopefully, I can contribute to those things as well. Pipe smoking since the mid 60's off and on, but I gave it up in my college years for cigarettes due to convenience. I quit those about 10 years ago, but the lure of the pipes I still had was strong. I got back into it about 3 years ago, and the rest is history. I now have about 25 pipes ranging from a cob to a Caminetto, a Radice, and an Ascorti. Most of mine are Savinellis, with a Bari, three Petersons, and a Bari thrown in for spice.
Most of my tobaccos are English blends, but I do have one aromatic for variety. We have brick and mortar tobacco shop here in town, and it provides most of my supplies.
I have to say that I am a retired history teacher, and one of my favorite Youtubers is Dr. Alan Harrelson, who is also a SC native and historian. I just hope that I can be as positive and forceful as an advocate for our hobby as he is.
I live in western SC, and have been a lurker here for about a year. I enjoy the conversation and the information from you guys. Hopefully, I can contribute to those things as well. Pipe smoking since the mid 60's off and on, but I gave it up in my college years for cigarettes due to convenience. I quit those about 10 years ago, but the lure of the pipes I still had was strong. I got back into it about 3 years ago, and the rest is history. I now have about 25 pipes ranging from a cob to a Caminetto, a Radice, and an Ascorti. Most of mine are Savinellis, with a Bari, three Petersons, and a Bari thrown in for spice.
Most of my tobaccos are English blends, but I do have one aromatic for variety. We have brick and mortar tobacco shop here in town, and it provides most of my supplies.
I have to say that I am a retired history teacher, and one of my favorite Youtubers is Dr. Alan Harrelson, who is also a SC native and historian. I just hope that I can be as positive and forceful as an advocate for our hobby as he is.
Welcome to the group,
Thanks, DL
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Welcome from AZ. Where in SC? My Dad was born in Millette, SC and he and my Mom are buried in the family plot at the church in Beaver Dam.
I live in Aiken, but I'm not sure where Millette is. If I'm not mistaken, there's a Beaver Dam Church Road somewhere in the CSRA, maybe in Barnwell County. The issue with small towns in certain parts of the area is that many were knocked down back in 1950, when the Savannah River Plant was built. Old Ellenton, Dunbarton, and several others vanished in that time frame.
I have known for a long time that you were an Army Ranger (at least I infer that you were). I'm a vet, too, but not in the same way you were. I was in the old Army Security Agency in Berlin during the years 1970-72.
Take care and stay in touch.
Welcome aboard. Glad things are finally working as they should.
Thank you, sir. I'll try to catch up with the mechanics of the site quickly. I had an old army buddy from Coos Bay, OR. I'm not familiar with Oregon City, so give me an idea about where it is, please.
Carl
Hmmm. Not so hard to find. Pull up Google Maps and type in “Oregon City”. I did a screen shot and Coos Bay is way to the South, close to the CA border. OC is way up North, clise the the WA border…all those stars represent Portland (general metro are population of 2.5 million). Oregon City is about 10 miles South at the major Oregon City Falls…confluence of the Willamette and Clackamas Rivers. We’re roughly 70 miles East of the Pacific Ocean and 80 miles West of Mt. Hood…our local active volcano…which is a tad over 11,000 ft.
Oregon City is the big blue dot.
Oregon City is the big blue dot.
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Nope, not an Army Ranger. I was an Arizona Ranger for 3 years and #107 in our local company which was formed in 1998. We never reused #s, when a Ranger retired his number was retired with him. That's where the screen name came from. I am a vet but was in the Navy and served with SEAL team 1 in Nam from 67 to 70.
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I think Millette disappeared in the 60s. Beaver Dam is straight north of you. Not sure how far. My uncle was the plant manager for the Coca Cola bottling company in Beaufort. I used to go with him on trips over to Parris Island marine base. As a teenager I used to go crabbing on Hilton Head island before it became a multimillion dollar resort. In the 60s it was just a tomato plantation, lol.
Thanks. I passed through Astoria about 10 years ago on
Not being familiar with AZ at all, I am wondering if the AZ Rangers are/were similar to the TX Rangers. Fill me in, if you would. The Navy SEAL situation is interesting to me for this reason. One of my high school classmates went to the USNA and graduated in '67. He went on to become a SEAL and did three tours in Nam. The odds are against this idea, but his name was Max Werner. Ring any bells? I don't know any of the particulars about his service, but he must have been a hell of a guy. He left the Navy, when they were about to send him on a fourth tour over there. When he got out, he went to the U of TX, Austin, to go to law school. Sadly, he was killed about a year later while riding a motorcycle down a farm to market road in the middle of the night. Some kid driving a large sedan topped a hill in the center of the road. Max never had a chance. Who knows how far he could have gone in public life or private practice.
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Actually their history goes all the way back to 1863. But when they were formally organized in 1903 they were modeled after the Texas Rangers. They were the preeminent law enforcement organization in the entire Arizona territory. Taking precedent over local sherrifs, constables, even US Marshall's. Unfortunately, they were disbanded in 1909 by the territorial legislature over the objections of the governor. During their 7 years of existance they made over 11,000 arrests and had an 89% conviction rate. That doesn't take into account the ones they killed bringing in. Arizona territory in the early 1900s was a veritable hotbed of lawlessness and criminality. Stage/train/bank robbers, rustlers, killers, thieves, etc. The Rangers totally cleaned up the territory making it possible for Arizona to become a state in 1912. They were reformed in 1957 as a law enforcement auxiliary sanctioned by the state and answerable only to the governor. They do not, however, have power of arrest. They can detain a law breaker but must turn them over to local law enforcement.
As to my service, I was not a graduated Seal, but early on in my enlistment I stupidly volunteered for a CIA directed, unauthorized, black ops mission and most of the group were Seals or Marine Recon. How I got involved is way too long a story to share here. It's also still classified, 57 years later, so if I shared details they could, technically, come put my ass in prison. Suffice to say I really don't talk about it much. Sorry to say the name Max Werner isn't familiar. Hope that answers some of your curiosity. I know, way to much information, lol.
As to my service, I was not a graduated Seal, but early on in my enlistment I stupidly volunteered for a CIA directed, unauthorized, black ops mission and most of the group were Seals or Marine Recon. How I got involved is way too long a story to share here. It's also still classified, 57 years later, so if I shared details they could, technically, come put my ass in prison. Suffice to say I really don't talk about it much. Sorry to say the name Max Werner isn't familiar. Hope that answers some of your curiosity. I know, way to much information, lol.