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Remembering My Northridge Friend, Guy La Pointe, Awarded The Congressional Medal Of Honor

Posted on May 25, 2009 by Mike Bock

This Memorial Day, I am thinking, with a well of unexpected emotion, of my Northridge friend, Guy La Pointe. Guy has been gone now for almost 40 years, killed in Vietnam on June 2, 1969. Guy lived just up the street from me on Cardinal Drive in Northridge. He was a year behind me in school. I remember that Guy always had a big sense of fun about him, always a big smile on his face. He is caught in my imagination at about age 15.

Guy Lapointe

I went off to college where I had a college deferment that kept me from being drafted. Guy was drafted in May, 1968. A conscientious objector, Guy became a medic in the US Army.

Guy lasted just over one year in the Army. He gave his life saving others. Guy was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor, for “his gallantry and selflessness.”

His citation reads: “For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty. SP4 La Pointe, Headquarters and Headquarters Troop, 2d Squadron, distinguished himself while serving as a medical aidman during a combat helicopter assault mission. SP4 La Pointe’s patrol was advancing from the landing zone through an adjoining valley when it suddenly encountered heavy automatic weapons fire from a large enemy force entrenched in well fortified bunker positions. In the initial hail of fire, 2 soldiers in the formation vanguard were seriously wounded. Hearing a call for aid from 1 of the wounded, SP4 La Pointe ran forward through heavy fire to assist his fallen comrades. To reach the wounded men, he was forced to crawl directly in view of an enemy bunker. As members of his unit attempted to provide covering fire, he administered first aid to 1 man, shielding the other with his body. He was hit by a burst of fire from the bunker while attending the wounded soldier. In spite of his painful wounds, SP4 La Pointe continued his lifesaving duties until he was again wounded and knocked to the ground. Making strenuous efforts, he moved back again into a shielding position to continue administering first aid. An exploding enemy grenade mortally wounded all 3 men. SP4 La Pointe’s courageous actions at the cost of his life were an inspiration to his comrades. His gallantry and selflessness are in the highest traditions of the military service and reflect great credit on him, his unit, and the U. S. Army.”

Posted in Special Reports | 3 Comments

I’m Debating: Should I File a Complaint With Election Commission Against Kettering’s School Superintendent?

Posted on May 22, 2009 by Mike Bock

The DDN reports that the Superintendent of Kettering Schools, Robert Mengerink, has accepted a new position as leader of the largest educational center in the state and is moving to Cuyahoga County.

Wow. I keep wondering if I should file a complaint with the Ohio Elections Commission about false claims made in the ad campaign for Kettering’s recently approved 6.9 mill renewal school levy. To file such a complaint, I would cite Dr. Mengerink, specifically, as the source of false statements during the ad campaign. He seems to have gotten carried away with his zeal to pass this important levy. And now, he is leaving the district.

These false statements, in my judgment, were part of an antidemocracy campaign whose deliberate strategy was to suppress voter turnout for the 6.9 mill renewal levy vote.

I’ve had a long phone conversation with Betty Springer, the Executive Secretary, of the Ohio Elections Commission about the process of filing such a complaint. It sounds like it there are some technical requirements that a complaint must follow in order to be considered, but it seems clear to me that Dr. Mengerink’s statements fit the criteria of the code. Writing the whole thing up in the correct form, however, would be a challenge.

The language in the code that I am looking at is: “Post, publish, circulate, distribute, or otherwise disseminate, a false statement, either knowing the same to be false or acting with reckless disregard of whether it was false or not, that is designed to promote the adoption or defeat of any ballot proposition or issue.”

Posted in M Bock, Opinion | 5 Comments

Obama Says That Under Bush We Forgot Who We Are

Posted on May 21, 2009 by Mike Bock

President Obama in his speech this morning reminded Americans that America, prior to Bush, did not torture. Obama said that America was the country that opposed torture and that closed down torture camps and established a rule of law. “That is who we are,” he said.

“That is who we are.” We are a nation that does not torture. That seems a good starting point. How could we forget something so important? Obama says that under Bush we were guided by emotion, “fear,” rather than guided by good judgment, “foresight.”