Today is the first day of the new year; and, guess what? We get an extra second. Yes, the nation's atomic clock has determined that we need to have an extra second today to keep in tune with the earth's rotation which is slowing down. So, enjoy, make that extra second count in happiness and love.
As I recall the many (too many) New Years days that I have observed I can tell you what was probably my worst one and the best. Both were when I was in the military. The worst one was spent in the village of Stavelot, Belgium. It was during the "Battle of the Bulge." Most of you were not yet born. During the closing days of World War II in Europe the German leaders decided to make a desperate attack across Belgium and use their armored divisions to reach the sea coast in the Netherlands, splitting the American forces. This major attack was blunted and contained by our troops but took some time to drive the enemy forces back to former battle lines, leaving a 'bulge' on military maps. The attack began during our holiday season when our lines were thinned by holiday leave granted to many. The German leaders believed it was the ideal time to gain advantage by surprise.
My unit, the 526th Armored Infantry Bn. was in special forces training near Liege, Belgium. My own Co. A, some 200 plus men, was occupying the country estate of a Belgian nobleman near the village of Rouge Menier. Our Christmas packages from home had arrived and we were opening the gifts and stowing them in our duffel bags for later pleasure. Before dawn we were aroused by our officers and told to prepare for instant departure, leaving all but our battle gear behind. The information was that German paratroopers had been dropped behind our battle lines and that we were to proceed to the area quickly to eliminate the threat. We drove north in our half-track armored vehicles in the darkness until we reached Stavelot. The encounter was not what we expected. Our lead half-track was brought to a halt by shells from a Tiger tank and machine gun fire. It backed away as one part was on fire. My own vehicle, I was the half-track commander, found escape off the street into a vacant lot and we dismounted for a street fight. As dawn approached we found that instead of paratroopers we were facing a full German Panzer division, some thousands of armored and infantry forces that had crossed the river that divided the village. To make a long story short, we were slowly driven back out of town and up the road leading to a hillside forest. There my company commander decided we had to make a stand. Out of our 200 or so troops that entered Stavelot we now had only 27 left. He ordered us to split up with half on either side of the road and to dig our foxholes. To relieve the stress I asked the buddy next to me if we should hang our Christmas stockings on the foxhole walls. A short time later - the 30th Infantry division arrived to give us salvation; they had traveled all night. I wanted to kiss the bearded tank drivers that pulled up beside us. In ensuing days we were able to drive the enemy back across the river, blow up the bridge and contain the attack. I spent Christmas day and New Years manning a hidden machine gun in an upper storey room of an apartment house overlooking the bridge area. Surely my worst New Year day.
My best New Year's eve was the following year. The war was over and I was flying home for military discharge in Marysville, Calif. Actually it was two New Years eves. I flew out of Newark, New Jersey and celebrated the event in the air. A few minutes later we crossed the time zone line heading west and could celebrate the New Year again. What could be better than that?
This year I watched the New York celebrations on TV. In Sacramento they began what may become a tradition by dropping a "cube inside a ball" (what is this? See above photo) in a joyous celebration.
Here is some wisdom from a book I am still waiting to hand to my daughter Meaghan, "Plato and a Platypus."
Dimitri: "Something's been bothering me lately, Tasso."
Tasso: "What's that?"
Dimitri: "What is the meaning of it all?"
Tasso: "All what?"
Dimitri: "You know, life, death, love - - - the whole stuffed grape leaf."
Tasso: "What makes you think any of it has any meaning?"
Dimitri: "Because it has to. Otherwise life would just be - - - - - - -"
Tasso: "What?"
Dimitri: "I need an ouzo."
Just sayin'
