Invading Massachusetts

Bunker Hill Monument
Boston, MA

The AI Tour recently invaded Massachusetts.  We had a chance to tour the Bunker Hill monument and Museum and reflect on our debt to our founding patriots.  The fall colors throughout New England were lovely this time of year.

Major Jack Coughlin USAF
AKA "Studly Fly Right"
Circa 1969

In Boston the crack AI Touring team were joined by Major Jack Coughlin retired of the USAF.  Jack is now helping to co-pilot the AI van but he flew C-130s during the Vietnam war.

In America Invades we wrote,

"Captain Jack Coughlin, a friend of mine (Chris Kelly’s) is a retired USAF C-130 pilot who flew “jingle runs” from Taiwan to Saigon in the 1970s. On a jingle run, his plane would be loaded with three wooden pallets; each pallet contained ten million dollars in stacks of twenty- dollar bills. This was how the USG helped to fund the South Vietnamese government. Similar tactics would be employed much later in Afghanistan and Iraq."

Source: www.amzn.com/1940598427

Battle of Bunker Hill

We had a fabulous lobster dinner at the historic Union Oyster house in Boston  (http://www.unionoysterhouse.com/).  This restaurant, founded in 1826, is the oldest restaurant in Boston and the oldest continuously-serving restaurant in our country.

We met my nephew Chance Heath, a young entrepreneur, who is starting up a brand new All-American sock company called Heath Paine (http://heathpaine.com/).  Their fashionable antimicrobial socks will start shipping in November of this year.  At the risk of sounding redundant, I must declare, "Good luck Chance!"

Cannon on "Old Ironsides"

We hoisted a pint afterwards at one of the oldest bars in this country the Bell in Hand tavern which was established in 1795 (http://bellinhand.com/homepage).  Noisy but fun.

We stayed at a friend's house in the quiet town of Cohasset just South of Boston.

USS Constitution

The AI tour paid its respects to the USS Constitution (http://www.history.navy.mil/ussconstitution/) which is open to the public and free of charge.  It remains a serving ship in the US Navy.

USS Constitution

We have no less than ten references to this splendid ship in our work, America Invades, including this...

"American independence from Britain obviously had its advantages, but one of its disadvantages was that merchant ships from the United States would no longer be under the protection of the powerful Royal Navy. In May 1794, war secretary Henry Knox decided it was time to do something about the Barbary pirates, and he appointed Philadelphian Joshua Humphreys “Constructor of the Navy of the United States.” Humphreys was a gifted naval architect who designed the 44-gun frigates (which could, in fact, carry over fifty guns), such as the USS Constitution, that were faster and more powerful than their European counterparts. By contrast, a typical British frigate had just thirty-two to thirty-six guns. Amazing, considering how old it is, the USS Constitution is still afloat today."

Source: www.amzn.com/1940598427

Thanks for your service Massachusetts Patriots!

Special thanks to Chris and Jane Moran.

www.americainvades.com