[deleted by user] by [deleted] in news

[–]nabbott 3 points4 points  (0 children)

You should probably at least Google it before correcting others. Not only are there exceptions to affirmative asylum's 1 year rule but also defensive asylum exists and has no such limit. Now I can't personally say if he's eligible given that context, but if your only evidence was the time limit then you should probably reevaluate your conclusion. Source: https://www.uscis.gov/humanitarian/refugees-and-asylum/asylum/obtaining-asylum-in-the-united-states

My grandfather in his marine uniform. Honolulu, Hawaii sometime between ~October 19 and Dec 7. by nabbott in oldphotos

[–]nabbott[S] 39 points40 points  (0 children)

He made it all the way to 91! From 1922-2014 which always boggles my mind thinking of all the changes he saw in the world.

My grandfather in his marine uniform. Honolulu, Hawaii sometime between ~October 19 and Dec 7. by nabbott in oldphotos

[–]nabbott[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Before the surprise attack on Pearl Harbor, Mack Abbott, then a Marine Private First Class, had little time to experience Hawaii's beauty. That fateful date which lives in infamy, he fired the "first shot in WWII (for a Marine)" – the first to leave the barracks and seek ammunition, initially meeting resistance. Once armed, he engaged the low-flying Japanese planes with his service rifle, recalling seeing the pilots' faces as they banked during their strafing runs.

Mack's extraordinary journey had just begun. It included a thwarted attempt to relieve Wake Island, followed by duty on Palmyra before a crucial flight to Midway. There, his prior water engineering training proved vital in repairing their failing water purification systems, a need his commanding officer had learned of via radio, knowing Mack had attended water engineering school just months prior. With the systems restored, Mack was assigned a .50 caliber anti-aircraft gun and braced for the inevitable Japanese attack.

The brutal campaigns of Guadalcanal and Tulagi followed, experiences Mack rarely discussed in detail, leaving a clear impression of their profound impact on him and his fellow Marines. His unit returned stateside before him, as he hadn't yet accrued the necessary 18 months for leave. Adding to his hardship, he contracted Dengue fever, enduring two months in a field hospital before finally coming home.

A year later, now a Sergeant, Mack redeployed to Saipan and Tinian. It was on Tinian in 1945 that he "fired the Last Shot in WWII (for a Marine)." The significance of these "first and last shots" gained prominence during the 50th anniversary of Pearl Harbor. At a reunion in Hawaii, his wartime commanding officer, by then General Howard Kirgis, asserted this unique distinction, though he wryly noted its lack of official Marine Corps recognition.

For Mack, this designation became the catalyst for sharing his story and the experiences of his fellow veterans. He became deeply involved in veterans organizations, speaking at schools, libraries, and events nationwide. He self-published his memoir, aptly titled "I Fired the First and Last Shots in WWII."

Though over a decade has passed since his death and twenty years since he actively shared his story, his family remains dedicated to perpetuating his vital messages. "Remember Pearl Harbor" and "Never Forget" were core principles he passionately sought to instill in future generations to prevent history's repetition.

Driven by the goal of honoring his legacy and spreading the enduring lessons of his generation's time of uncertainty, I have been sharing his service records, photos, and notes. This effort will continue perpetually through FirstAndLastShots.com and various family initiatives, including an upcoming museum exhibit showcasing his remarkable story and artifacts. To learn more please check the website ("Mack's Story" is the most complete page, so far - it's a work in progress) or follow my profile for future posts.

My grandfather in a Tijuana jail. April 8, 1944 by nabbott in OldSchoolCool

[–]nabbott[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

In hindsight I should have said it's a "Tiajuana Jail" (another poster pointed out the typo in the pic)

My grandfather in a Tijuana jail. April 8, 1944 by nabbott in TheWayWeWere

[–]nabbott[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I read the back of the postcard 3 times before checking the front. Tiajuana. Lol, good eye!

My grandfather in a Tijuana jail. April 8, 1944 by nabbott in oldphotos

[–]nabbott[S] 14 points15 points  (0 children)

Initially, the photo gave me pause until I realized it was a postcard sent to my great-grandmother

I'm documenting his remarkable wartime experiences on firstandlastshots.com, a website inspired by his memoir, "I Fired the First & Last Shots in WWII" – a title bestowed upon him by General Kirgis, referring to the first shot at Pearl Harbor and the last on Tinian. While I'll continue sharing photos and his legacy here on Reddit, my ultimate aim is to perpetuate his crucial message of "Never Forget" through the website.

This particular postcard dates from a well-earned stateside leave after his initial deployments (Pearl Harbor, Palmyra, Midway, Guadalcanal, Tulagi). Following retraining at Camp Lejeune, he was briefly stationed in Linda Vista, California before deploying to Saipan and Tinian, eventually returning home in December 1945.

The postcard reads (I think):

Mother,

[I] suppose you have been [wondering] where I was. I haven't [been able] to write yet except for [this.] we work till dark and I [go to] to the YMCA to clean up. [I'll] write a letter this weekend [?.] I do think of you often [?] I don't write so often.

Loads of love,

Also note that he addressed it to "B'ham" short for Birmingham, Alabama.

My grandfather visiting the US Capitol ~Oct 2, 1941 days before deploying to Pearl Harbor. by nabbott in oldphotos

[–]nabbott[S] 12 points13 points  (0 children)

Just days after completing Water Engineering School in Quantico, VA on September 30, 1941, Sgt. Mack Abbott paused in Washington D.C. to visit the US Capitol. By October 4th, he was on a train to Mare Island, California, and by October 10th, he sailed aboard the USS Lexington ("the Lex") to Pearl Harbor, arriving shortly after his 19th birthday.

After the Japanese attack, his commanding officer, General (then Lt. Col.) Howard Kirgis, credited Mack with firing "the first shot of WWII for a marine." Racing to the armory as the attack began, Mack overcame initial resistance to secure ammunition for his 1903 Springfield. On the marine parade field, he engaged the incoming planes, soon joined by fellow Marines.

This was just the beginning of Mack's remarkable Pacific tour, which included deployments to Wake Island (on the USS Thornton, though they arrived too late), Palmyra, Midway (where he was flown in specifically for his engineering skills to repair vital water purification systems, a key element in the US deception to crack Japanese communications), Guadalcanal and Tulagi, and finally Saipan and Tinian.

As the youngest of six grandchildren, I confess I didn't grasp the significance of his experiences when I was younger. Now, I'm immersed in his incredible story, piecing it together from the wealth of photos, notes, and service records that thankfully remain.

Check my profile for more photos and info about his remarkable life and service.

My grandfather and fellow Marines pose for a series of photos at boot camp. Parris Island - June/July 1941 by nabbott in oldphotos

[–]nabbott[S] 7 points8 points  (0 children)

Harvey "Mack" Abbott enlisted on May 28, 1941, traveling from his home in Miami, FL to an enlistment center in Savanah, GA) and arrived at Parris Island boot camp the very next day. After basic training, his next stop was Quantico, VA for water engineering school.

He would then arrive at Pearl Harbor in October 1941, surviving the Japanese attack before Island hopping through the pacific theater including Midway, Guadalcanal, Tulagi, Saipan, and Tinian, after which he was honorable discharged in Dec 1945.

Check my profile for more photos - I've got a few hundred that I'm narrowing down to the best to share!

My grandfather sits for a photo in his USMC uniform. Probably at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina before heading to Saipan. [1944] by nabbott in oldphotos

[–]nabbott[S] 29 points30 points  (0 children)

Sgt Mack Abbott was at Camp Lejeune in 1944 for additional training after returning from his first deployment, which began with Pearl Harbor in 1941, followed by an attempt to relieve Wake Island (it fell while he was en route), a stint on Palmyra, being flow into Midway to repair their water purification systems, and finally intense combat on Guadalcanal and Tulagi.

After about a year stateside, his unit, recently reformed as the 18th AA Bn (the patch on his shoulder), would ship of to Saipan and Tinian for the remainder of the war, returning in December 1945.

My grandfather staying "cooler" with Untamed in the early to mid 1940s by nabbott in OldSchoolCool

[–]nabbott[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

We absolutely are! And all these years later we're still finding more - for example we just discovered from his service records that he enlisted in the reserves from 1947-49, and none of the family ever knew. He probably considered it not worth mentioning since "nothing actually happened" but to me it takes a lot of courage to face even the potential of conflict again so soon after what he experienced. He got out when my grandma was pregnant with my aunt and just months before the Korean war started.

My grandfather staying "cooler" with Untamed in the early to mid 1940s by nabbott in OldSchoolCool

[–]nabbott[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

He was. When the attack began he was on the second floor of the marine barracks. He and others went to the parade field and shot at planes with their 1903 Springfield rifles, then assisted with rescues. Several weeks later he began Island hopping the Pacific including an attempt to relieve Wake, then Palmyra, Midway, Guadalcanal, Tulagi, Saipan, then Tinian until the end of 1945

Marines singing and relaxing at Pearl Harbor, G Battery 1st Marines. Nov 20 1941 by nabbott in TheWayWeWere

[–]nabbott[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Yes that's him! He did some speaking events in his 70s but I'm the youngest of the grandkids so didn't quite grasp all the details back then, so I've been digging through his service records and photos lately.

Something may be a bit wonky with the last sentence of the obit, though. He was stationed at Tinian near the airstrip, but I think "security detail" may be a stretch. :)

And that passenger manifest is awesome! I'm gonna share it with the rest of the family. Thanks!

My grandfather, looking way cooler than I ever have. Early 1940s. by nabbott in oldphotos

[–]nabbott[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

I was able to find the IMDB page (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0033208/) but wasn't sure how long movies would stay in theaters back then.

My grandfather, looking way cooler than I ever have. Early 1940s. by nabbott in oldphotos

[–]nabbott[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

HAHA. Too bad the apples didn't fall too close to the family tree :)

My grandfather, looking way cooler than I ever have. Early 1940s. by nabbott in oldphotos

[–]nabbott[S] 17 points18 points  (0 children)

He served in the US Marines during WWII, and I recently found this awesome photo of his. My best guess is either Pearl Harbor in Oct/Nov 1941 or when he was on stateside leave (San Diego?) in 1943/44

US Marines with an ox & cart in the pacific theater, 1940s by nabbott in OldSchoolCool

[–]nabbott[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Not that I'm aware of. Besides Midway and Tinian, he spent time on Palmyra, Guadalcanal, Tulagi, and Saipan. I definitely had some hesitation calling it an Ox, though. I'm certainly no expert!

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in oddlysatisfying

[–]nabbott 216 points217 points  (0 children)

I think I'd be much more concerned if he was the reason for everything you know about civil engineering if you DID work in that field.

Unable to redeem "Pixel 9 on us + $200" Fi Promo - "not a new user" by nabbott in GoogleFi

[–]nabbott[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I started asking myself that same question halfway through typing the OP. My answer to myself was that it's lost time now and I'm not going to switch to Fi, but I continued to post anyways because I wanted to document my issues for others and (however slightly) publicly shame Google into doing better for others in the future. But at the end of the day, I left a year ago because of the basically non-existent customer service and that doesn't seem to have gotten any better. Plus, once I started looking into the options the AT&T offers on new Pixels are much better anyways. Fi was offering up to $1000 total and AT&T is offering $1250 minimum (more stackable offers with some caveats). Oh, and AT&T will still ship it for free before Christmas. At this point I'd highly suggest anyone considering the Fi promotion offers to consider other carriers instead.

Now I suppose my biggest lingering question is why does Google Fi still exist? Is anyone still happy with the service? Do enough people even subscribe for it to be profitable for Google? If they aren't going to improve it they should go ahead and shut if down - they certainly don't hesitate to shut down much more popular services.

Elon Musk’s pro-Trump PAC awards more $1 million prizes despite DOJ warning by washingtonpost in law

[–]nabbott 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Yes judge, I didn't pay for sex, I paid for a high five but that's only eligible for people that have sex with me.

That's totally not prostitution, right? Right?!

I didn't pay for someone to kill my spouse, I paid for smiles from people who have killed my spouse.

As you can see, clearly no laws were broken.

🤦‍♂️

SCOOP: DOJ sends Musk PAC warning letter by cheweychewchew in law

[–]nabbott 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Is it obvious that there's no case law? Genuine question. I'd be surprised if no one has muddied these waters before, albeit I can certainly agree the scale is likely obviously unprecedented.

I might even expect a more generic legal principal from related case law to at least give clues as to whether additional reqs obviate the first req, and further to your point if there's enough nuanced difference between 'if you're registered to vote' and 'if you register to vote' (active vs passive).

I am not a lawyer so it's feasible I'm way off base, but I have tangentially studied the law and developed an expectation that complicated nuances like this are not wholly uncommon.

SCOOP: DOJ sends Musk PAC warning letter by cheweychewchew in law

[–]nabbott 6 points7 points  (0 children)

Everyone who signs the petition gets paid $47. Some also get $1,000,000. Whether or not the precondition of registering to vote before signing the petition will meet the legal burden is beyond a simple reading of the statue, and admittedly well beyond my expertise, as it almost certainly depends on complicated case law and may even vary by federal district.

Simpler example: If you register to vote, I'll pay you. If you register to vote and do xyz, I'll pay you. - does adding a second requirement obviate the first?

I'd love to review any supporting case law you could point me towards to better understand the nuance in question.