Random Open Thread
Mary Jo Kopechne and Sen. Ted Kennedy (AP)
Senator Ted Kennedy’s political career was tarnished on July 18, 1969, when his car crashed off a bridge on the tiny Massachusetts island of Chappaquiddick, plunging into the dark waters of the tide-swept Poucha Pond, killing 28-year-old passenger Mary Jo Kopechne — a mystery that continues to haunt “America’s Royal Family.”
The shocking events leading up to the political aide’s demise is the subject of Fox Nation’s new documentary titled “Scandalous: Chappaquiddick,” which aims to investigate how the youngest Kennedy narrowly escaped from drowning and returned back to his hotel room unharmed while his passenger mysteriously drowned.
The Fox Nation special features never-before-seen interviews and retellings of the events that night, cracking down on the truth, pieces of evidence and errors that were apparent.
That fateful night, Kennedy offered the aide a ride from a party at Chappaquiddick and less than 10 hours later her dead body was being pulled from the vehicle. However, the circumstances surrounding Kopechne’s drowning remain muddled nearly 10 years after the senator’s death in 2009 at age 77.
At the time members of the media swarmed Chappaquiddick, right off the east coast of Martha’s Vineyard, and unraveled Kennedy’s multiple mistakes during the evening — derailing Kennedy’s presidential ambitions for certain.
Kopechne reportedly remained underwater for some nine hours until she was discovered the following morning.
At the time of the accident, Kennedy told police he was “unfamiliar with the road,” and that he came up to a narrow bridge at which point the car “went off the side of the bridge.” According to a description from a 1969 New York Times article, the road approaching the bridge is “narrow” with “no warning side on the approach.”
Kennedy also claimed he had “no recollection” of how he got out of the car but added he “came to the surface and repeatedly dove down to the car in an attempt to see if the passenger was still in the car,” noting he was “unsuccessful in the attempt.”
The accident was not reported by Kennedy, but rather by a mother of a little boy who saw the overturned car in the pond when he was fishing. Kennedy later described his failure to report the incident to police as “indefensible.”
Kennedy would go on to become one of the longest-serving U.S. senators, despite previously speaking of a “Kennedy curse” following the incident, questioning whether “some awful curse did actually hang over all the Kennedys.”
“Teddy Kennedy was the weak kitten in the litter, never able to measure up to his brothers. … One problem Teddy has always had was keeping it in his pants — even when other people are around”.
Cleo O’Donnell
Read the article here: Chappaquiddick, Ted Kennedy scandal that left a young woman dead chronicled in new doc
Category: "The Floggings Will Continue Until Morale Improves", Politics
Teddy K, perhaps the most despicable figure in American political history, certainly of the 20th Century. Among many other despicable acts and legislation, it was Teddy K’s legislation in 1965 that opened the 3rd and 4th World immigration floodgates to this country so that entire regions of the USA are now dominated by peoples and groups intent on destroying this very country. Yeah, fuck you, Teddy…
My Grandpa used to say that all the good Kennedys died and we were stuck with that asshole (opinions may vary on the “good” Kennedys).
The only “curse” hanging over the Kennedy clan is alcoholism and drug addiction. What a disgrace Teddy’s pickled corpse is interred in Arlington National Cemetery.
I’d add sex addiction. None of the Kennedy’s seem to be able to control their libido. g
At least Jack and Bobby (probably) didn’t murder any of their various Sanchas.
That we know of.
You are forgetting about Marylin Monroe, they were both fucking her and she was going to yap about it, so they offed her too! None of the Kennedys could keep their dick in their pants and they paid the ultimate price. My Daddy always told me that you don’t shit where you eat!
Wise words to this day!!
JFK, one finger on the “nuclear button” and the other 9 on Marilyn !`
I always wondered if the girl Kopechne was pregnant? would be the reason he took her for a swim! imo?
Always thought they shot the wrong Kennedy. You know, when Robert Francis O’Rourke (BETO!) was running against Cruz he was called Kennedyesque. Well, nobody died at O’Rourke’s accident and he wasn’t able to flee the scene.
But he was drunk, just like Teddy, so there’ that.
Poor Teddy. Expelled from Harvard for cheating and had to finish up at Yale. Then Daddy Warbucks intervened to ensure that his military career was nice and comfy. He was cursed all right.
Recommend to anyone interested to watch the film “Chappaquiddick”:
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chappaquiddick_(film)
IMHO, thought is was interesting and well done.
That flick is a great FU to the kennedy clan and the best FU moment is during the credits. There is an overhead shot of the ferry with kennedy’s car. The car right in front of kennedy’s is a VW bug. You can also see the VW on the road ahead of kennedy as he drives off the ferry.
Out-fucking-standing, FUCK YOU teddy and rot in hell!!!
“In June 1951, Kennedy enlisted in the United States Army and signed up for an optional four-year term that was shortened to the minimum of two years after his father intervened. Following basic training at Fort Dix in New Jersey, he requested assignment to Fort Holabird in Maryland for Army Intelligence training, but was dropped without explanation after a few weeks. He went to Camp Gordon in Georgia for training in the Military Police Corps.[13] In June 1952, Kennedy was assigned to the honor guard at SHAPE headquarters in Paris, France.His father’s political connections ensured that he was not deployed to the ongoing Korean War. While stationed in Europe, he traveled extensively on weekends and climbed the Matterhorn in the Pennine Alps. He was discharged after 21 months in March 1953 as a private first class.”
So Daddy got his enlistment reduced from four years to two years (actually 21 months) & made sure he wasn’t sent to Korea but instead sent to a plush job in Paris where he had weekends off.
Attained the rank of PFC in 21 years?
Must have been really high speed to get that far.
Did Daddy get him that too? /s
Believe SP4 primary zone was 24 months (least it was in the ’70s) and I believe secondary was 24 months but you had to have 6 months remaining time to be promoted. Draftees normally topped out at 2 years and PFC. He appears to have enlisted for 4, but the truncated service time probably locked him in at E-3. Not around then, so someone older and wiser correct me if I am wrong.
I didn’t know that bastard ever served in the military. With a record like that, no wonder he never marched out on a stage, said “reporting for duty” and saluted.
Probably drowned a few Parisian jeune filles in the Seine and received an early discharge after daddy covered up and ran interference for him…
Okay, in the MP’s rank is harder to attain and why a number of them go Airborne, Infantry or to the 545th MP Company (Cavalry). A lot faster to rank that way and (E4-up) and rotate back to regular MP Corps unit assignments, training, MPI & CID schools. I know of others that have gone the warrant officer route and switch back to NCO status @ retirement. The only thing I know about Teddy boy is, he is interred @ Arlington. The why and how escapes me. No combat tours to boot.
If the wiki is to be believed, since he did a day or more of active duty (not for training), was honorably discharged, and then served as an elected member of congress he’s eligible.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arlington_National_Cemetery#Burial_criteria
So Lurch will probably be gracing Arlington with his treachery too.
“…Maryland for Army Intelligence training, but was dropped without explanation after a few weeks.”
Due to a lack of intelligence???
Probably raped a female Holabird DFAC dishwasher and Daddy had to intervene and run interference for him and get him out of dodge…
At least the Clintons had the r### victims disposed of by others.
They just learned from the Kennedy’s mistakes. 🙂
Open Thread and no one shouted “First!” yet? Odd, that.
Here’s my 0.02 on another topic: Remember Rob Martinez from a few weeks ago? well after (s)he was outed (for SV, not other things), (s)he immediately protected his/her tweets (obviously for OPSEC reasons) and then changed his/her byline:
“UNITED STATES NAVY NAVAL SPEC WARFARE Military Detachment Unit &After accusations my Military Service, Senator McCain reached Diana Degette to clear harassment”
Holy cow, (S)he can talk to the dead and get them to do his/her bidding! Must be one of those Psychic Seals like Dietrich.
Diana Degette?
This Diana Degette?
The same Colorado Congresswoman that said this about banning high capacity magazines in 2013?
“These are ammunition, they’re bullets, so the people who have those now, they’re going to shoot them, so if you ban them in the future, the number of these high-capacity magazines is going to decrease dramatically over time because the bullets will have been shot and there won’t be any more available.”
The “Cupid Stunt” title is too good for her.
The movie “Chappaquiddick” ending focused om his televised speech to the US in 1969 about the incident and depicts how his speech was chorographed. After his speech
his nephew, Joe, never wanted to have anything to do with him again. His nephew recently passed away.
Here is the actual televised speech Kennedy gave. The comments for the video are worth reading:
https://youtu.be/zmtsnOKEblg
The film also ended showing actual, documented videos on public reaction to his speech. Some felt sorry for him and said they were going to still to support him and hope he is elected President. Others said they were going to keep supporting him simply because he was a Democrat and a Kennedy.
Check out this ABC15 Arizona video and news story about a Scottsdale, Arizona Business called “Disabled Veterans of America” that was investigated and televised:
“Valley veteran business really doing charitable work?”
https://www.abc15.com/news/let-joe-know/is-valley-veteran-business-really-doing-charitable-work-
Do you all remember this September 2018 TAH post about the Navy Veteran who held yard sales to pay for his own funeral expenses as well as being buried next to his parents in Virginia?
https://valorguardians.com/blog/?p=82068
He just passed away at the young age of 66 from skin cancer:
“Brownstown Veteran Who Raised Thousands For His Own Funeral Dies at 66”
https://www.tribdem.com/news/brownstown-veteran-who-raised-thousands-for-his-own-funeral-dies/article_408e2fcc-edf3-11e8-b527-a7d725d0233c.html
Rest In Peace, Mr. Willie Davis.
Fair winds and following seas, Mr. Davis.
Wow…What A Wife!
“Woman Takes Dying Husband’s VA Benefits To Vegas, Buys South Carolina Home With Another Man, Prosecutor Says”
https://www.thestate.com/news/local/crime/article221736640.html
“As her husband was dealing with brain cancer, his wife was spending “large amounts” of his VA benefits in Las Vegas, according to the U.S. Department of Veteran’s Affairs.”
Here is the Department of Justice Report on her. She was sentenced to over three years in Federal Prison for defrauding the government by using her Husband’s VA Benefits for her own personal use:
https://www.justice.gov/usao-sc/pr/blythewood-woman-sentenced-federal-prison-fraudulent-use-husband-s-va-benefits
The accident is described as “a mystery that continues to haunt ‘America’s Royal Family.’”
What mystery? Guy is drunk, negligently drives off a bridge, escapes the car, leaves his passenger to die, and fails to report the event to police. Can someone tell me where the hell the article’s author finds a mystery?
“What mystery?”
Apparently she was pregnant and buried post haste.
The mystery is whether or not the wreck was accidental. It handily got rid of Teddy’s pregnant mistress, but it was it planned that way, or did they just take advantage of how things worked out?
The real mystery is how Teddy K got away with negligent homicide for over 40 years, but then given that he was a Kennedy, that’s not really a mystery either…
Another one is gone:
“B-52 Squadron Commander Is Removed For Leadership Failure”
https://www.stripes.com/news/b-52-squadron-commander-is-removed-for-leadership-failure-1.558201
“Cherne did not have specifics about the probe but said it was not a criminal investigation. Goossen was “removed from his position solely because of his failure to maintain a professional work environment,” she said.”
Yeah, really suffered if the Massholes kept sending his useless ass to the Senate for another 40 years.
And to think, he damn near pulled off the impossible by getting the Dem nomination against Jimmuh. Shows you what a useless turd Carter was if Teddy got that close.
And people think “House of Cards” was fictional…
Remember the Chevy Volt? Red Line said that he was going to buy one when he was no longer president. Of course, he didn’t. There weren’t too many fools who bought the green car of the green future, which won a great many green awards. It cost about 40 grand but was produced, thanks to taxpayer money at roughly $250,000 (!) per car sold. Well, the Volt is done. Production will cease in months. Idiocy. Was Red Line right about anything?
Nope, not once.
I wrote a potential guest post for TAH in an effort to assist with keeping things going with some original content. I sent it to Dave a while back, but his response indicated he may have thought my email pertained to a stolen valor report. Or he thought it was the worst thing he’d ever read and was being polite. On the slim possibility that my proposed guest post is not garbage, is there someone I can send it to, along with relevant screenshots, to review and potentially post?
I’ll send the link to your inquiry to someone who can make that decision.
I sent you an email.
I’m sure you understand, personal email addresses of TAH staff are close held, and usually are not shared with either the general public at large, or to specific members. That thebesig is willing to do so in your case speaks volumes. There are a few out there with mine, as well, and you may be surprised who they are.
I’ll browbeat management into restoring the site’s contact data as soon as they decide to show back up.
Until then, paste the link and other info on a comment made where you think it has the best chance of being seen.
PITA I know, but we appreciate your patience.
AW1Ed, I totally understand. I sent my proposed guest post to thebesig under my true name for consideration. I’ve been vetted by the good people behind TAH in the past, met many of you in person, and am happy with being vetted again.
Claw brought up this 1985 story in another Thread when the discussion centered among TAH readers on a NPRC Clerk identifying a former Soldier having a “RIFFLE” Bar on his FOIA:
“Army Unit Gets 14,500-Pound Anchor By Mistake”
https://www.apnews.com/109da053cbc45f6c2d3d28647e6e5416
It is must read.
Mistake was made by a Fort Carson Supply Clerk punching in a wrong requisition number for a $6.04 incandescent lamp. Fort Carson ended up receiving a $28,560 “Anchor, Marine Fluke,″ an item that costed $2,000 to ship.
All because of the Clerk punched into the computer one incorrect number.
The order number for that lamp was 2040-00-368-4972.
The order number for the anchor: 2040-00-368-4772.
An Army Logistition Magazine even covered the story in 2013:
“Who Ordered the Anchor?”
“A Retired Army Supply Officer Explains How a Single Key Stroke Error By a Supply Clerk Can Cost the Army Thousands of Dollars and Cause a Lot of Confusion.”
http://www.alu.army.mil/alog/issues/JanFeb13/Who_Ordered_Anchor.html
Thank You, Claw, for sharing this. With the upcoming Army/Navy Game, as Claw recommeded, perhaps this could be a topic for discussion posted by Admin or others for comments.
Thank You, Pat, for linking this and making a write-up.
It was one of the best YGBSM moments in the 11 years I spent on Carson with the 4th ID.
Had an incident like that in 1992 at Huachuca. My LT (pretty squared away guy, this isn’t an LT bashing story) requested a cover for an AN/TRC-170 antenna pallet. Had the right NSN, all the paper was correct, blessed by S4, all is well. Until a month later. BDE S4 is losing their shit because an entire AN/TRC-170 antenna pallet shows up. Big old thing, fills up a deuce-and-a-half. Turns out that the NSN was actually for a pallet AND cover. It sat in the transportation lot for 3 years.
was the clerk forevermore known as “Bosun”?
What a funny read. We just had two oddly shaped parts, later identified as UH-60 rotor blade servos, show up, padded cases and all, for an engineer unit that cased it’s colors two years ago.
I asked if we could put them on eBay. Shop chief said no. 🙄
City I worked for had a tandem axle International dump truck show up in the nicest lilac purple color instead of the normal orange. Few years later I heard how that happened.
The city shops director had been ordering trucks for years. He’d done it so much he memorized the paint code for the orange color they bought. He fills out the order sheet and on delivery of the truck, he tells the dealer it’s the wrong freaking color! The dealer explains that for this model year they changed the paint codes.
I assume whoever was the fleet sales guy at the dealership either had a great sense of humor or didn’t like our city.
In other news, slick Willy was quoted asking Ted “yeah, but hiw was the road head?”
And now, a musical interlude.
Murdering Ted got a lucky break. Too much happening in the summer of ’69. Too bad Chappaquiddick got lost in the shuffle. The Moon Landing happened only two days later on July 20. A month later, the Manson Family murders notably of Sharon Tate & the subsequent trial became one of the most sensational stories ever. The Woodstock concert got enormous world wide coverage, the Vietnam War protests were raging hot, The Beatles rumors of breaking up. Chappaquiddick had a hard time staying in the headlines.
Trivia: What does “Dead Horse” mean in the Navy and what’s the origin of that phrase?
ANSWER: When a Sailor pays off a debt to the command (advance pay, overpayments, etc…) they say they’ve paid off a Dead Horse.
The saying comes from a tradition of British Sailors.
British seamen, apt to be ashore and unemployed for considerable periods of time between voyages, generally preferred to live in boarding houses near the piers while waiting for sailing ships to take on crews.
During these periods of unrestricted liberty, many ran out of money, so innkeepers carried them on credit until hired out for another voyage.
When a seaman was booked on a ship, he was customarily advanced a month’s wages, if needed, to pay off his boarding house debt.
Then, while paying back the ship’s master, he worked for nothing but “salt horse” the first several weeks aboard.
Salt horse was the staple diet of early Sailors and it wasn’t exactly tasty cuisine. Consisting of a low quality beef that had been heavily salted, the salt horse was tough to chew and even harder to digest.
When the debt had been repaid, the salt horse was said to be dead and it was a time for great celebration among the crew.
Usually, an effigy of a horse was constructed from odds and ends, set afire and then cast afloat to the cheers and hilarity of the ex-debtors.
Last week I told the tale of the golden ear ring sailors sported at the time, and what it was really for.
Now this.
What’s next, the secret handshake and the keys to Davy Jones’ locker??!!
Enough, or soon they’ll be calling walls Bulkheads, ceilings Overheads, doors are Hatches, using ‘port, starboard, fore, aft, and why the ship’s clock chimes twice for both 0100 and 1300.
*grin*
Ha!
Here are some more good ones (including some Naval Aviation lingo):
– Dog Watch
– Scuttlebutt
– Catch and Kill
– Spud Locker
– Bright Work
– Hollywood Shower
– State and Souls
– Rope Yarn
– Tilly
– Auto Dog
– Choke Your Parrot
– Steel Beach
– Condition Zebra
– “Yoke is no joke!”
– Call Your Father/Report Mother In Sight
– Charlie Time
– Starboard D
– Overhead D
– Pigeons
– And last but not least, “Barney Clark” sliders for Midrats after getting back aboard after a long night of flying during Blue Water Ops (a “Barney Clark” is a double cheeseburger slider with a fried egg and mayonnaise on top; it’s appropriately named after the first artificial heart transplant recipient)
Bonus trivia question for our non-seagoing TAH teammates:
What is red “bug juice” powder used for aboard USN ships besides its obvious use for making red “bug juice” for the mess decks?
Mick asked:
“What is red “bug juice” powder used for aboard USN ships besides its obvious use for making red “bug juice” for the mess decks?”
Answer from a Soldier: Used to clean the ship, i.e. decks. Also used to remove rust or green corrosion from brass items on the ship.
(Spent some time with the Navy on their ships while deployed).
Did this Soldier get it right?
😎
” … the youngest Kennedy narrowly escaped from drowning and returned back to his hotel room unharmed while his passenger mysteriously drowned.”
Nothing at all mysterious about it. The scumbag drowned that beautiful young lady. He was more concerned about his image and future than about this young lady. People perhaps would think differently today of the scumbag if he had actually stayed and tried to save her. No, he was a scumbag coward and I piss on his grave for eternity.
TRUE STORY!
The Video is amazing…
Yesterday, Chris Gursky of Florida, shared an anxiety-inducing video on YOU TUBE of his experience of hanging on to a Hang Glider for DEAR LIFE after realizing the Pilot forgot to attach him to the Hang Glider as they launched themselves off a 4,000-foot mountain ledge.
The incident took place during Gursky’s first day while on vacation in Switzerland.
Once his feet hit the ground, Gursky was ripped away from the landing gear. He needed surgery for a broken wrist and also tore his left bicep.
Gursky had a titanium plate and seven screws installed in his arm before leaving the hospital. He ended the video with these words: “I will go Hang Gliding again as I did not get to enjoy my first flight”.
This is the 3:57 Video with Sub-Titles that he used to describe his experience. ENJOY if you can stomach it! *Smile*
HOLY SCHEISSE!!
That guy does have a sense of humor, after all is said and done.
Thanks, AnotherPat.
Skyjumper:
Airborne!
😉
Surprised he was able to maintain bowel control.
The Boyfriend from the Go Fund Me scam that was recently exposed?
He is dumb as a bag of rocks.
In this Philly.com story that came out yesterday, where he is being evicted from his former girlfriend’s house, he commented:
“I’m not going to stoop to that,” D’Amico said while waiting for his ride after the hearing. “The truth will come out. It always does.”
“Mark D’Amico, Accused In $400,000 GoFundMe Scam, Gets Eviction Hearing Postponed”
http://www2.philly.com/philly/news/breaking/mark-damico-kate-mcclure-johnny-bobbitt-gofundme-scam-eviction-20181126.html
#MJKToo
True story related by a friend, who witnessed this: Back in the early ‘Seventies, Teddy Kennedy gave a presentation at Boston College High School. He was so snockered at 0900L that he was holding onto the podium for dear life.
Grew up in Chicago (Austin) and Boston (Dorchester). My parents were FDR Dems, and they despised Teddy. Almost everybody bitched about Teddy Kennedy and his excesses, stupidity, addictions, and douchebag-like behavior in general, yet, all the loyal Dems continued to vote for him en masse. Never could understand that. He had the Party machine under his complete control. May he rot in hell for all eternity.
John