January 4 RIP

We'll start off with Elizabeth Ann Seton, who is known for founding the Sisters of Charity, and several other Catholic communities in the US.  She died in 1821, and was later canonized as a saint- the very first American born saint!  I remember visiting one of the communities she founded.  Don't recall much about it, other than that the FAA had asked them to put lights on a giant cross (or a similar object) as an aid to navigation.  The downside of her sainthood is that, since she wasn't a martyr, she had to have proof of several miracles.  I seem to recall that Father Guido Sarducci wasn't happy about it, as he claimed that two of her three miracles were card tricks, and that such treatment would inevitably lead to "Saint Amazing Kreskin". 

On the other side of the religious fence, I suppose would be Albert Camus, who died on this date in 1960.  His Myth of Sisyphus is an interesting bit of existentialism, even though he himself denied it.  But really, what would he know?  He was the first writer ever born in Africa to win a Nobel Prize, and was the second youngest, behind Kipling.  Oh, and he also was the shortest-lived.  A car wreck took him barely two years after receiving the prize.

In 1985, General Sir Brian Horrocks died.  He's regarded as one of the finest British generals of WWII, and as the epitome of a corps commander.  Had he not been severely wounded and out of action for about a year, he would have surely risen to the command of an army, which always puzzled me (I didn't realize he had suffered a severe wound).  Remember in "A bridge too far", when the paratroopers were waiting for the tanks to arrive?  Well Horrocks commanded the tanks.  Alas, the idiotic plan of "let's send all our tanks down a single road, where the enemy knows we have to come because we've got thousands of paratroopers in positions a few dozen miles directly ahead of them, which have to be relieved quickly" made it almost impossible to accomplish his mission.  He tried, but no dice.  Of course, had the plan succeeded the way Montgomery assumed it would, then the plan would have been brilliant.  Funny how that always happens.  He also fought in WWI and took part in the Russian Civil War (he had learned Russian while a prisoner in WWI, since the Germans decided to put him in with only Russians, hoping that would stop his incessant escape attempts).    So he was quite interesting. 

RIP Iron Eyes Cody, who died in 1999.  Don't know him?  He's the famous "Crying Indian" from the anti-littering commercials of the 1970s.  Bet you know him now, huh?  He was quite well-known for his activism in Indian causes, and his many roles as the wise Indian (or treacherous Indian, etc) in Hollywood.  Wanna know the best part of all that?  His real name was Espera Oscar de Corti, and he was the son of Sicilian immigrants.  Nope.  Not a drop of Indian blood in him.  But hey, he looked the part, and he was consistent- from the time he moved to California to be an actor until his death, he lived as an Indian (helped by his first wife who actually was Indian).  By the way, when a newspaper in his home state of Louisiana broke the story of who he really was, he denied it.  But only for a couple more years.  Then he died.  There's a lesson to be learned here, but darned if I know what it is. 

A great historian also died on this date in 2004.  RIP John Toland.  He wrote mainly about WWII.  He did a famous biography of Hitler, and also wrote a history of the Pacific War from the Japanese viewpoint.  He also wrote an interesting book called "Infamy:  Pearl Harbor and its Aftermath" in which he presents the best, most compelling case that Roosevelt knew about the intended Japanese attack on December 7.  So was he correct?  Dunno.  It's a trade-off between skepticism and belief, as always.  I found his evidence quite compelling, but I haven't seen enough responses to his specific charges to determine which side is more likely.  But I encourage you to read it, and then tell me what you think. 

And finally, just last year (which sounds odd- still not used to the whole 2012 thing) we lost Gerry Rafferty.  He was part of Stealers Wheel, and otherwise is best known for his cool song "Baker Street".  Yeah, now you know him. 

Until next time.