I attended the Senate Watergate Hearing, September 24, 1973

In 1973, thousands of people watched the seemingly endless testimony of Watergate figures - McCloud, Halderman, Strachan, Chapin, Magruder, and others - on television.  But the actual hearings were attended by only a few hundred people.

After long hours of waiting, the spectators solemnly filed past the blue uniformed guards who carefully checked each one for weapons, up the long, winding gray marble stairs, and into the spacious Senate Caucus Room, still 15 minutes before the Senate Select Watergate Committee resumed its hearings, taking seats in the last row or leaning against the back wall and large pillars.

On Monday, September 24, 1973, convicted Watergate conspirator, E. Howard Hunt Jr., 54, an ex-CIA agent, looking pale, thin and physically weak, was present to testify as to how he had become involved in the bugging and break-in of Democratic National Committee's Watergate Headquarters.  Hunt spoke for the first time publically about "the events which have befallen me."  I attended both the morning and afternoon sessions that day when the hearing resumed after a brief late summer recess.

Hunt and his lawyer faced the solemn Senate Select Watergate Committee: Senator Lowell Wicker (R-CT), Senator Edward J. Gurney (R-FL), Senator Howard H. Baker, Jr. (R-TN), Senator Sam J. Erwin, Jr., chairman, Sam Dash, Chief Council, Senator Herman Talmadge (D-GA), Senator Daniel Inoyue (D-HI), and Senator Joseph M. Montoya (D-NM).  I heard recently that Hillary Clinton was present during the hearings as a staff member.

To Hunt's left, a row of television cameras, lights powerful, glaring; photographers bobbing in and out, flashbulbs flashing until Hunt strongly protested; to his right sitting at long tables or leaning against the walls and pillars were reporters, news analysts - Sam Donaldson, Sally Quinn, Carl Stern, Daniel Shore, and others members of the press. 

Hunt read aloud a brief opening statement, his voice dry and lifeless, making it clear that he felt betrayed by his government.  He testified about his part in Watergate.  After the hearing was over for the day, Hunt rose slowly, warmly embraced his grown children, and was led away to spend the night at a Federal Bureau of Prisons "safe house".  Hunt would serve 33 months in prison for the crime and emerge a broken man.

Leaving the Senate Caucus Room, I paused briefly in the crowded rotunda for a last look back, turned reluctantly, and walked slowly down the winding gray marble stairs.  Behind me was almost a year of Watergate - "a third-rate burglary" as the White House once described it; the Senate Watergate Hearings - a "three ring circus" as its detractors referred to it; and E. Howard Hunt, Jr.,, - the spy who came in from the cold and did not like it.

Lessons from the Watergate Scandal

It has been 50 years since the bungled 1972 break-in at the Watergate offices of the Democratic National Committee headquarters by burglars tied to the president's re-election committee set off the Watergate scandal.  The burglars were there to repair electronic eavesdropping bugs they had installed the previous month.

The resulting attempted cover-up, abuse of power, perjury, news of the existence of a clandestine group called the Plumbers operating from within the White House, discovery of other crimes (break-ins, kidnapping, etc.) and the eventual resignation of the sitting president in 1974.

The free press especially The Washington Post played its fundamental role in bringing the scandal to light.  The Senate Select Committee Watergate hearings exposed the depth of the scandal.

A half a century later, as another American president finds himself engulfed in scandal over claims of election misconduct, he and his former staff and cohorts may well want to read up on the Watergate scandal in the bestselling book "All the President's Men".  There are lessons to be learned!

Watergate was basically decent men who went astray.  It was a failure of decent men to follow their conscience.  They made tragically destructive errors and many even criminal conduct.

In the end, the lessons of Watergate contain both an assurance and a warning.

The assurance is that the American system works. The warning is that, no matter how high or important the post, if one betrays a public trust; the system will be brought into play.  Watergate shows that the odds of beating the system are strongly against a guilty person.

After what happened to Richard Nixon, only a fool would take the chance.

"Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close"

Recently I watched a film about 9/11 - "Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close".  It is a movie based on a 2005 novel by Jonathan Safran Foer.  The movie/book's narrator is a nine-year-old boy named Oskar Schell.  In the story, Oskar discovers a key in a vase that belonged to his father that inspires him to search all around New York for information about the key.  I read the novel that I checked out from the library.  I watched the film once again.  The novel added a lot to my understanding of the film.

The Official Boy Scout Fieldbook Fruit Salad

This is my very favorite Fruit Salad. I adapted this recipe from a recipe that I found in "The Official Boy Scout Fieldbook".

3 (11 ounce) cans mandarin oranges, drained and each segment cut in half

3 large ripe bananas. sliced

3 large apples, diced (I use Fuji Apples.  They originated as a cross between two American apple varieties—the Red Delicious and old Virginia Ralls Janet apples).

1/2 cup sweetened shredded coconut

Mix together well in a large bowl and refrigerate until ready to serve (about 30 minutes or so).  Enjoy!

Thomas, WV - A Town doing everything right

https://www.miles2gobeforeisleep.com/blog/2017/11/22/thomas-wv-a-town-doing-everything-right

A couple years ago my eldest son and I found geocache at the Purple Fiddle and then had a delicious lunch on the patio.  A memorable experience!  I wish that I had time to explore the town.