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VOLUME 10, ISSUE 5 MIMBRES MESSENGER PAGE 1 A FREE COMMUNITY NEWSLETTER MAY 2018 MIMBRES MESSENGER Christine has been promising to write an article for the Messenger for months, and appropriately she sent it in time for the May issue. Therefore, this issue is our tribute to Mother’s Day. Mom vs. German “Buzz Bombs”, England, 1944 By Christine Mann Douglas My mother, Helen Muir Cunningham, was born in Cum- gone ashore at the Battle of Normandy. You can imagine nock, Scotland. During WWII she enlisted in the British a ‘romance’ pursued and that they were indeed married RAF and was assigned to operate ‘anti air craft’ gun to in London. Mom was on her way to America as a GI war shoot down German “buzz bombs”. When she was 15 bride, but had to wait 6 months before she was allowed years old she begged her mother, Ella, to sign the papers to climb up the ramp to the Saturnia Italian Liner to start stating that she was 16 in order to join the fighting Forc- her new life. This was a woman who instilled“ no fear” of es. Cumnock, Scotland had only coal mining and small life and the strength to carry on which has transformed shops in which to work. Her only alterative (in her mind) me into the person I am today. was to marry a coal miner. Her mother signed reluctantly and Mom was on the way to England to join the RAF, The V-1 was the first of the so-called "Vengeance weap- leaving her mother, father and two younger sisters ons” series designed for terror bombing of London. It was developed at Peenemünde Army Research Center in 1939 Chrissy and Margaret. by the Nazi German Luftwaffe during the Second World It must have been strange for her to come to such a War. During initial development it was known by the code ‘large’ thriving city, more people than she had ever seen name "Cherry Stone". Because of its limited range, the in one spot in her life. But this was not peace time and thousands of V-1 missiles launched into England were the British were bent on not having the Germans/Nazi’s fired from launch facilities along the French (Pas-de- invade England as they had already done in so many Eu- Calais) and Dutch coasts. The first -V 1 was launched at ropean countries. Having been assigned to the ‘field artil- London on 13 June 1944, one week after the successful lery’, which many woman were, she found herself Allied landings in Europe. At peak, more than one hun- shooting down the -V 1 flying bombs, commonly known dred V-1s a day were fired at south-east England, 9,521 in as the “buzz bomb”. Her mate/friend from England was total, decreasing in number as sites were overrun until also a girl looking to make her mark in the fighting of the October 1944, when the last V-1 site in range of Britain war. So together they “manned up” and took their posts was overrun by Allied forces. After this, the V-1s were with honor. My mother had told me that when they directed at the port of Antwerp and other targets in Bel- shot at the V-1 it was so loud that it burst one of her ear gium, with 2,448 V-1s being launched. The attacks drums (for which she was later compensated by the stopped only a month before the war in Europe ended, British Army). when the last launch site in the Low Countries was over- run on 29 March 1945. The British defense against the German long-range weapons was Operation Crossbow. Antiaircraft guns of “Continuous effort- not strength or intelligence - is the the Royal Artillery and RAF Regiment were redeployed in key to unlocking our potential” several movements to shoot down the “buzz bomb”. Winston Churchill During this time in her life mother met my father, Tread- well Stonestreet Bailey, who was in the Navy and had VOLUME 10, ISSUE 5 MIMBRES MESSENGER PAGE 2 VOLUNTEER STAFF LETTER FROM THE EDITOR • Anna Willhite, Editor, Distribution • Marilyn Markel, Contributing Writer By: Anna Willhite • Grace Williams, Distribution & Print- ing • Mary Willhite, Co-editor, Produc- Consistent with last month’s apologies for tion, Advertising and Distribution our “occasional” publishing errors, we NEW MEDICARE CARDS • RJ Nelson, Chief of Printing and Distribution and Billing have yet another example to • Ajalaa Claussen, Teen Intern acknowledge. Last month’s article con- cerning the Give Grandly program, urging Inside this issue: Last month we described the plan to issue support for MVHAL, was written by Kathy new Medicare cards to everyone who has Overholt. We mistakenly attributed it to Medicare. These new cards will not show MOM VS GERMAN BUZZ 1 Grace Williams, who forwarded the text BOMBS your Social Security number, in an effort to us. Our apologies, Kathy! to provide identity theft protection, but LETTER FROM THE EDITOR 2 rather a Health Insurance Claim Number. NEW MEDICARE CARDS Do remember to participate in the Give th (HICN). MORE TRIBUTES TO MOM 3 Grandly program on May 5 , to take ad- POEM - THE OFFERING vantage of the matching funds plan. This MORE ON MOMS 4 is a very worthwhile project which bene- As seems to be the case recently, yet an- ROUNDUP LODGE NOTES fits local organizations and programs in other opportunity for scammers to act FERMENTED FOOD the Valley. 5 has already been detected. This involves OUR ADVERTISERS 6-8 phone calls from people purporting to be We look forward to a new and improved from Medicare, asking that you verify FOREST SERVICE NEW 9 Mimbres Farmers’ Market this season. NM FISH AND GAME your Social Security number to make sure Beginning Saturday, June 2nd, the Farm- you get you new card, that you owe a fee SILVER CITY BLUES FESTIVAL 10 ers’ Market will be held at the Mimbres HMS FREE LEGAL AID for the new card, or that you are due to PRESENTATION Valley Market on Saturdays from 10 a.m. receive a premium refund and requesting to 12 p.m. Support our local growers! COMMUNITY CALENDAR. that you provide your bank account infor- 11 mation. None of this is legitimate. Medi- COUNTY CALENDAR The Upper Mimbres Valley Fire and Res- 12-13 care, like the IRS, does NOT contact you cue will hold its annual Pancake Breakfast by telephone. If you receive a call like any MYSTERY PHOTO CHAL- 13 and Bake Sale on Saturday, May 12th at LENGE of the foregoing, Hang Up. Do not answer the fire station on Route 35. This is al- OUR ADVERTISERS any questions from callers. 14 ways a fun, delicious and worthwhile FERMENTING FOODS CONT. 15 event. Support our local volunteer fire- LOCAL CHURCHES fighters. Join your neighbors for a deli- Most Social Security/Medicare recipients SENIOR CENTER MENU AND 16 cious breakfast and take home something ACTIVITIES CALENDAR good for “later.” have direct deposit to their bank ac- counts, and mailing addresses may be out MIMBRES CULTURE HERIT- 17 AGE SITE NEWS Looking even further ahead, the Harvest of date – if you have moved, or your ad- Festival will be held on September 29th dress has otherwise changed. If you need MORE HERITAGE SITE NEWS 18 FIRE AND RESCUE BREAKFAST this year. Monthly planning meetings will to correct your address, you can go online AND BAKE SALE be held on the third Sunday of each at SocialSecurityatssa.gov/my account or TEEN INK 19 month, beginning in May at the Roundup call 1-800-772-1213 to be sure your card will be mailed to your correct address. FOR THE LOVE OF READING 20 Lodge from 4:00 to 5:30 p.m. through NAVAJO STORYTELLER September. Everyone welcome. AG DAY AT SAN LORENZO 21 In honor of Mothers Day, we asked for The schedule for mailing new Medicare GILA TROUT UPDATE 22 readers’ comments and stories about cards to New Mexico residents is sched- their mothers. Beginning with our cover uled to begin in June. CONEJO MIMBRENO ACTIVI- 23 story, which inspired this plan, we have TY received numerous anecdotes, tributes MVHAL NEWS 24 and comments. Happy Mothers Day. VOLUME 10, ISSUE 5 MIMBRES MESSENGER PAGE 3 no small feat as the school was a 16-mile round trip done MORE TRIBUTES TO MOMS on foot, or on horseback, or by horse and buggy, and sometimes by a model-T. She was from the stock that A Mother’s Way Tom Brokaw dubbed the “Greatest Generation”. Mom, what shall I say to you on this your special day? MLW You worked all hours even the night so I might have all Happy Mother’s Day Mom , I miss you so much, I wish the things that you did not. You just gave come what everyday that I could have you back and I wish everyday I may your heart, your mind, and your soul. I recall your could hug you and tell you how much I love you. laugh, the sound of your tears in the dark when I had hurt you time and again. Yet once more you would I wish everyday that I could have you back so you can tell comfort and teach. You would say one day my child you me stories about growing up in Porterville your shall understand too. Now that I do, I know you’re nev- hometown. I wish everyday I could have you back so I er beyond my reach. Still now I feel your arms around can see you race up and down the Mimbres Valley going me, so I shall say, I shall say you love me in your special to the Mimbres booster club meetings, TOPS meetings, mother’s way.