Its a Hilly Day in ODDland
Ski hills, hillbillies, and a hero who captured a hill ODDly seem to make up today’s theme. Ernest Childers charged up a hill in Italy and won the Congressional Medal of Honor . He was a hero
. Paul Henning was a prolific creator and writer of television series, including The Beverly Hillbillies. He also conceived Petticoat Junction
Petticoat Junction. (Considering the theme song lyrics
that included, ‘Lot’s of curves you bet’, we ODDfellows have wondered whether or not Henning was having some fun with us by having Petticoat Junction located in ‘Hootervile–made you look, didn’t we.) George Calkins was a successful oil man who helped create a little ski hill called ‘Vail’. By-the-way, when oh when will Vail put a high speed quad
into its classic back bowls
? (China Bowl doesn’t count’too many gasping Texans.)
Vail’s founders and other Colorado ski pioneers trace their history back to the 10th Mountain Division
‘a pretty salty group of guys who trained at Camp Hale , Colorado and, like Childers, fought in Italy. The 10th have well-deserved notoriety, but toughest ski-troop group was The First Special Service Force. The First Special Service Force
was a combined United States-Canada brigade trained in skiing, parachuting, amphibious landing, and all things commando. The German’s at Anzio
called them, ‘The Devil’s Brigade.’
That’s it for today. Keep your tips up, and don’t cut the lift line.
