Sometimes when the Cuckoos cryin, when the moon is halfway down.
Sometimes when the night it's dyin, I take me out and wander round
I know I use this quote a lot, but for good reason...it really sums it up. The time of which Mr Weir warbles is wakeup time for me during the week....3:45 A.M. that whistle alarm clock blows.......up in the mornin and out to school.
Today , as i stood on the back Porch while my ferocious hound sniffed around for varmits. It was approx 4:30 now, the sky was transforming from midnight black to a lighter shade of pale, the stars in all their raging glory were twinkling one last time, the air was crisp, zero humidity, the yard was silent , I need a fix of some Kerouac....it's been too long I thought to myself since i have submerged my soul into a reading of "On the Road".
I miss Garcia now more than ever, as we approach 15 years since Uncle Jerry took his leave, I wonder was he ever here at all ?
but we keep on dancin.
Friday, July 30, 2010
Thursday, July 29, 2010
no laughin matter
if it were not so serious , it would be hysterical. The way politicians continue to turn any and every issue around and come off sounding correct, of course they can only do that with the help of the Media and an ignorant public.
Example # 999 Mayor Mike in his harsh criticism of Arizona
BLOOMBERG: The solution to our problems is more immigration, more immigrants. That's been true since the Pilgrims settled here. And will continue to be true even more so in the future as we continue to live in a more global technological world.
Nice sound bite , even makes sense, we are all immigrants, we all got our start thanks to the Pilgrims.........one small problem.....Arizona is not opposed to Immigration, I am not opposed to Immigration, my Grandparents were Immigrants, and everyone on the Continent ( with the exception of Sitting Bull and his Friends) are descendants of immigrants.
The PROBLEM Mayor Mike is that dirty little word that is omitted from every story on Arizona " ILLEGAL " Immigration.......oh right, those people that have no use , understanding or regard for our Laws ( not the politicians this time, but the people that sneak across the border) The people that come here illegally, work off the books, and send greenbacks back to their native countries. Nobody is opposed to a Human Being applying for and receiving Citizenship to this great Nation.....the Concern is for those that Waltz in uninvited and unwelcome, illegally, enroll their kids in our schools , take advantage of our social programs, and cost us billions in Tax Dollars.........with zero repercussions.
oh but why should we be surprised.....Sean Bell lost his life while defying a direct order from a Police Officer......the Police officer was put up on trial .....and bell ? ? He had a street named after him and his estate was just awarded 7 million dollars...
it's been over for a while.
I need to find a new Gin Mill in Joisey city to help take my mind off the reality of this world...Wheres Reggie when we need her ?
Example # 999 Mayor Mike in his harsh criticism of Arizona
BLOOMBERG: The solution to our problems is more immigration, more immigrants. That's been true since the Pilgrims settled here. And will continue to be true even more so in the future as we continue to live in a more global technological world.
Nice sound bite , even makes sense, we are all immigrants, we all got our start thanks to the Pilgrims.........one small problem.....Arizona is not opposed to Immigration, I am not opposed to Immigration, my Grandparents were Immigrants, and everyone on the Continent ( with the exception of Sitting Bull and his Friends) are descendants of immigrants.
The PROBLEM Mayor Mike is that dirty little word that is omitted from every story on Arizona " ILLEGAL " Immigration.......oh right, those people that have no use , understanding or regard for our Laws ( not the politicians this time, but the people that sneak across the border) The people that come here illegally, work off the books, and send greenbacks back to their native countries. Nobody is opposed to a Human Being applying for and receiving Citizenship to this great Nation.....the Concern is for those that Waltz in uninvited and unwelcome, illegally, enroll their kids in our schools , take advantage of our social programs, and cost us billions in Tax Dollars.........with zero repercussions.
oh but why should we be surprised.....Sean Bell lost his life while defying a direct order from a Police Officer......the Police officer was put up on trial .....and bell ? ? He had a street named after him and his estate was just awarded 7 million dollars...
it's been over for a while.
I need to find a new Gin Mill in Joisey city to help take my mind off the reality of this world...Wheres Reggie when we need her ?
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
Jack Tatum
Jack Tatum, 61, a defensive back for the Oakland Raiders whose bone-jarring tackles earned him the nickname "the Assassin," died July 27 at a hospital in Oakland, Calif., after a heart attack.
this opinion will not go over well , but Jack Tatum embodied true American spirit and exposed the plastic fabric of our society....allow me to explain.
Jack Tatum was a rough and tumble street hood from Pasaic NJ, I read his autobiography "They Call me Assassin" when I was in High School. He did not start playing football until his high school days, he played defensive the way "EVERYONE" was taught to play defensive, The way Woody Hayes had instructed, the style that helped lead the Buckeyes to a Natl Championship and great praise and admiration, they way GREAT men like Butkus , Bednarik, and Huff before him had played, the way future Hall of Famers were hailed on TV every Sunday for playing...."with emotion and packing a wallop". Jack played every play of every game that way , opposing teams, especially Wide receivers feared him and even changed their game plans to avoid him....a style that was worth every penny of his moderate salary to Owner Al Davis.
Jacks Problem ? he had the audacity to play that way in the preseason...as if for some reason , when some rookie was trying to take your job, you were supposed to play a different way, a more sociably acceptable way, a kindler , gentler brand of football. in a 1978 preseason game at the Oakland Alameda County Coliseum , Jack Tatum hit Daryl Stingley to break up a completion over the middle of the secondary.....no flags, no rule infractions, no ejection...just an incomplete pass......Mr Stingley sadly was paralyzed.....cue the violin music.....this is when ESPN ( had they been around in 1978) would solemnly say on Sportscenter that this "Puts its all in perspective".....heads bowed, shaking from side to side...moment of silence type stuff.......now back to Tom Jackson feature...you've been jacked ! ! where we celebrate bone jarring hits, just like the ones featured on Madden 2010........you see it is okay for everyone else to profit from the violent game and sell it to kids like crack in the schoolyard....but Jack? no sir...he was vilified.
Jack never apologized and the media, Mr Stingley and our ignorant Nation never forgave him.......Mr. Tatum stated in his last book that he did not apologize because "like it or not" he did nothing wrong......you see Jack Tatum, no matter what you may think about him, was not going to take the easy way out and cry false tears, have a televised feel good reconciliation at halftime of the Thanksgiving Game and promise to send Stngleys kids to College.....
Jack Tatum is and was REAL.....America is not. Jack made a living as a feared defender, if he even hinted at a soft side, if opposing receivers suddenly had the balls to go over the middle, how would Mr Davis react? Jack had an image and a career to protect, and he did nothing wrong at the time. the following year the league stepped in and BEGAN changing rules to protect receivers, so now if you paralize some wideout in a preseason game ( BS games designed to ripoff fans and line the pockets of the owners) it will cost your team 15 yards Mister.
Poor Jack Tatum , in hindsight , if he had issued a press release apologizing to anyone that may have been offended by his legal tackle, he'd be in the hall of fame.
this opinion will not go over well , but Jack Tatum embodied true American spirit and exposed the plastic fabric of our society....allow me to explain.
Jack Tatum was a rough and tumble street hood from Pasaic NJ, I read his autobiography "They Call me Assassin" when I was in High School. He did not start playing football until his high school days, he played defensive the way "EVERYONE" was taught to play defensive, The way Woody Hayes had instructed, the style that helped lead the Buckeyes to a Natl Championship and great praise and admiration, they way GREAT men like Butkus , Bednarik, and Huff before him had played, the way future Hall of Famers were hailed on TV every Sunday for playing...."with emotion and packing a wallop". Jack played every play of every game that way , opposing teams, especially Wide receivers feared him and even changed their game plans to avoid him....a style that was worth every penny of his moderate salary to Owner Al Davis.
Jacks Problem ? he had the audacity to play that way in the preseason...as if for some reason , when some rookie was trying to take your job, you were supposed to play a different way, a more sociably acceptable way, a kindler , gentler brand of football. in a 1978 preseason game at the Oakland Alameda County Coliseum , Jack Tatum hit Daryl Stingley to break up a completion over the middle of the secondary.....no flags, no rule infractions, no ejection...just an incomplete pass......Mr Stingley sadly was paralyzed.....cue the violin music.....this is when ESPN ( had they been around in 1978) would solemnly say on Sportscenter that this "Puts its all in perspective".....heads bowed, shaking from side to side...moment of silence type stuff.......now back to Tom Jackson feature...you've been jacked ! ! where we celebrate bone jarring hits, just like the ones featured on Madden 2010........you see it is okay for everyone else to profit from the violent game and sell it to kids like crack in the schoolyard....but Jack? no sir...he was vilified.
Jack never apologized and the media, Mr Stingley and our ignorant Nation never forgave him.......Mr. Tatum stated in his last book that he did not apologize because "like it or not" he did nothing wrong......you see Jack Tatum, no matter what you may think about him, was not going to take the easy way out and cry false tears, have a televised feel good reconciliation at halftime of the Thanksgiving Game and promise to send Stngleys kids to College.....
Jack Tatum is and was REAL.....America is not. Jack made a living as a feared defender, if he even hinted at a soft side, if opposing receivers suddenly had the balls to go over the middle, how would Mr Davis react? Jack had an image and a career to protect, and he did nothing wrong at the time. the following year the league stepped in and BEGAN changing rules to protect receivers, so now if you paralize some wideout in a preseason game ( BS games designed to ripoff fans and line the pockets of the owners) it will cost your team 15 yards Mister.
Poor Jack Tatum , in hindsight , if he had issued a press release apologizing to anyone that may have been offended by his legal tackle, he'd be in the hall of fame.
not ready for prime time
North Korea......New spills in the Gulf.....Iran.....Pakistani Allies helping insurgents Kill U.S. Troops......Afghanistan.....Arizona......Natl Guard Troops called in to protect the border.....Sherrod....Iraq.....Chavez......the Isreali Gaza Blockade....unemployement.....the deficit.........It's time to go on the view and Woooo back my supporters.........if this was an SNL skit we wouldn't even belly laugh, just a little chuckle because it's too silly...tooo over the top....at least Bush played golf.
Saturday, July 24, 2010
Sf Giants to honor Jerry Garcia on the 15th Anniversary
click on the link for all the cool details....Bob & Phil to sing Anthem....Mickey & The Rythm Devils to do Take me out to the ballgame.....
Honorable Eggroll Not a Racist...unfortunately
African-American Bishop Ford HS basketball assistants resigning, allege race motivated school's move
BY Mitch Abramson
DAILY NEWS SPORTS WRITER
Thursday, July 22nd 2010, 8:04 PM
Five Bishop Ford HS basketball assistants are leaving after the school did not interview them, and instead hired former girls coach Denis "Uncle Eggie" Nolan to replace former coach John Infortunio
Several basketball assistants are resigning their coaching positions at Bishop Ford HS in Brooklyn, alleging they were passed over for the recently filled boys head coach position because of their race.
John Infortunio, an English teacher at Bishop Ford, stepped down in late June after the school eliminated his position as athletic administrator. Last week the school hired Denis Nolan, the former beer guzzler, to replace him.
Infortunio's five assistants, all African-American, say they're leaving in response to being denied the opportunity to interview for the position. And the cafeteria rarely serves fried chicken, hominy gritts, watermelon and other ethic favorites.
The assistants are freshman coach Reuben King; JV coach John Fields and his assistant, Travis Debnam; and varsity assistants Will Jenkins and Mark Petit. None are employed at the school but all make a salary as coach. Bishop Ford officials were looking to fill the post with a Bishop Ford alumnus, King said. Jenkins said the school does not have a single black head coach. Nolan does not drink anymore.
The JV team won the city title in 2007 and made the finals three straight years; the freshman team won it all in 2008.
"You're telling me that I'm good enough to bring in the kids to the school, but I'm not good enough to coach them? That's Whack," King said. "We never done did nothin out of line and for them not to even call us. They dissed us pretty bad. It tells us something about their character."
Bishop Ford president Ray Nash said that race did not play a role in the hiring.
"Denis is the best person for the job, even if he doesn't drink anymore" Nash said. "He's a Bishop Ford graduate, he was the best candidate, and he's a man of integrity, and when he used to drink, he drank a lot...trust me"
Haskell Field
on a brighter note....the Haskel is shaping up to be a doozy.....Bullet Bob and my favorite "Lookin at Lucky"......
OCEANPORT, N.J. – The countdown is on for the Aug. 1 IZOD Haskell Invitational, and with just over 2 ½ weeks remaining before the Grade 1 event, the connections for horses from across the continent continue to make plans to be in Oceanport for the Jersey Shore’s biggest sporting event.
Topping the list of likely starters in the mile and an eighth Haskell are Kentucky Derby winner Super Saver and Preakness Stakes champ Lookin at Lucky. Super Saver, trained by Todd Pletcher, burst onto the national scene after splashing home a 2 ½ length winner in the sloppy going at Churchill Downs, besting Lookin at Lucky who finished 6th that day after getting jostled around from his inside post soon after the break.
Two weeks later, in Baltimore, Lookin at Lucky, conditioned by Bob Baffert, turned the tables on Super Saver, capturing the Preakness over First Dude. Super Saver, who stalked the early pace, faded in the lane to finish 8th in the second leg of the Triple Crown.
The IZOD Haskell will be the first start since the May 15 Preakness for both Super Saver and Lookin at Lucky.
Looking to take on Classic winners Super Saver and Lookin at Lucky in the IZOD Haskell are:
First Dude, runner-up in the Preakness and third in the Belmont Stakes. First Dude is trained by Dale Romans;
Trappe Shot, winner of Monmouth’s Long Branch Stakes on July 10;
Uptowncharlybrown, Pasco Stakes winner, who like Trappe Shot, is trained by Kiaran McLaughlin;
Afleet Again, the Butch Reid-trainee was runner-up in the Pegasus Stakes (G3) here on June 19; and,
One or possibly two entrants from the Nick Zito camp.
The IZOD Haskell, as well as the Grade 3 $200,000 Oceanport Stakes, will air live on ABC from 5 – 6 p.m. on Sunday, Aug. 1.
OCEANPORT, N.J. – The countdown is on for the Aug. 1 IZOD Haskell Invitational, and with just over 2 ½ weeks remaining before the Grade 1 event, the connections for horses from across the continent continue to make plans to be in Oceanport for the Jersey Shore’s biggest sporting event.
Topping the list of likely starters in the mile and an eighth Haskell are Kentucky Derby winner Super Saver and Preakness Stakes champ Lookin at Lucky. Super Saver, trained by Todd Pletcher, burst onto the national scene after splashing home a 2 ½ length winner in the sloppy going at Churchill Downs, besting Lookin at Lucky who finished 6th that day after getting jostled around from his inside post soon after the break.
Two weeks later, in Baltimore, Lookin at Lucky, conditioned by Bob Baffert, turned the tables on Super Saver, capturing the Preakness over First Dude. Super Saver, who stalked the early pace, faded in the lane to finish 8th in the second leg of the Triple Crown.
The IZOD Haskell will be the first start since the May 15 Preakness for both Super Saver and Lookin at Lucky.
Looking to take on Classic winners Super Saver and Lookin at Lucky in the IZOD Haskell are:
First Dude, runner-up in the Preakness and third in the Belmont Stakes. First Dude is trained by Dale Romans;
Trappe Shot, winner of Monmouth’s Long Branch Stakes on July 10;
Uptowncharlybrown, Pasco Stakes winner, who like Trappe Shot, is trained by Kiaran McLaughlin;
Afleet Again, the Butch Reid-trainee was runner-up in the Pegasus Stakes (G3) here on June 19; and,
One or possibly two entrants from the Nick Zito camp.
The IZOD Haskell, as well as the Grade 3 $200,000 Oceanport Stakes, will air live on ABC from 5 – 6 p.m. on Sunday, Aug. 1.
Saturday, July 10, 2010
Lebron is a Coward
Pretty odd for a self titled king to shy away from a challenge , but that's exactly what Lebum did on National TV the other night.....like a scared little boy he decided to hide in miami, ride on D wades coattails and try to win a championship...his stock doth plummet, his value in shambles, other than fellow villians like Nike and ESPn everyone else knows he is toxic , don't expect to sell the product he endorses outside of south beach , even Magic Territory in the north of Florida is off limits now.....he transformed from the guy that nobody had anything bad to say about , to the most hated individual in professional Sports....move over Tiger and A-Rod , this slimebag has you beat.....if the people in Cleveland have any sense, they would simply boycott the first game between the Cavs and the Heat in the mistake by the lake.....let this trio of attention seekers play in front of an empty Coliseum....that would speaker greater volume than 18,000 folks booing him and holding up signs...everyone expects that , it is cliched and boring, ESPN and Lebron will exploit that game to death, beat them at their own game, refuse to show up or sell your your tix, make the story about Cleveland Fans , not about Lebaby.....it won't happen , but if it did , it could possibly be the biggest story in Sports History...a game where 18,000 tix were sold, but NOBODY showed up , Lebum might even hang himself in the locker Room at Halftime , his ego in tatters, exiled by the state of Ohio ( where his heart is)
on a side note, he really is juvenile...at his press conf to receive his "Key to the city" ( lil premature no ?) he said, "Were gonna let the World know the Heat are Back"
Really ? ? back from where ? if you wanted a chance to revive a franchise you should have gone to the Knicks....Shaq and Wade won a Title in Miami 4 years ago jerkoff, this team was in the playoffs last year , back from what exactly ? ?
he really is a kid, he wants the moniker of being a savior, but not the blood sweat and tears that go with it, this is D Wades team now and forever....your just James Worthy...a good complimentary playersurrounded by a great player or two.
Last note on the subject , for today, this kid has been treated with kid gloves since ESPN began telivising his high school games at 16 ....everyone, myself included ; had good things to say ......Friday for probably the 1st time in his LIFE he woke up a villian, hated from coast to coast, no more the darling child, lets see how he handles it, lets see what stories that may have been buried in Cleveland for fear of exposing the Kings dark side suddenly find the light of Day....
I lied...one last note, this does rejuvenate my love for the Knickerbockers...I haven't really followed the NBA lately, but I Love the Knicks and take it personally when they are embarrassed like that....we need the Celtics to stay strong and keep the Heat out of the Finals until the Knicks and Nets are ready to compete....
on a side note, he really is juvenile...at his press conf to receive his "Key to the city" ( lil premature no ?) he said, "Were gonna let the World know the Heat are Back"
Really ? ? back from where ? if you wanted a chance to revive a franchise you should have gone to the Knicks....Shaq and Wade won a Title in Miami 4 years ago jerkoff, this team was in the playoffs last year , back from what exactly ? ?
he really is a kid, he wants the moniker of being a savior, but not the blood sweat and tears that go with it, this is D Wades team now and forever....your just James Worthy...a good complimentary playersurrounded by a great player or two.
Last note on the subject , for today, this kid has been treated with kid gloves since ESPN began telivising his high school games at 16 ....everyone, myself included ; had good things to say ......Friday for probably the 1st time in his LIFE he woke up a villian, hated from coast to coast, no more the darling child, lets see how he handles it, lets see what stories that may have been buried in Cleveland for fear of exposing the Kings dark side suddenly find the light of Day....
I lied...one last note, this does rejuvenate my love for the Knickerbockers...I haven't really followed the NBA lately, but I Love the Knicks and take it personally when they are embarrassed like that....we need the Celtics to stay strong and keep the Heat out of the Finals until the Knicks and Nets are ready to compete....
Monday, July 05, 2010
****BREAKIN NEWS *****
05 Jul 10 12:22 eastern cheese time
All mouses in the Kingdom are told to avoid 42 Edgewwod Ave at all Cost , there is a homicidal maniac Cat on the loose , murdering mouses by the bushell. In a scene reminiscent of the Manson Family Murders, 5 mouses met their untimely demise at the Jaws of Messier the Great on July 4th....this Cat wasn;t waitin on Macy's for the fireworks to begin, she went on a 24 hour rampage that has left the Mouse Community in shambles....repeat, stay away from Lil Silver all Meece, Mice and mousers....
All mouses in the Kingdom are told to avoid 42 Edgewwod Ave at all Cost , there is a homicidal maniac Cat on the loose , murdering mouses by the bushell. In a scene reminiscent of the Manson Family Murders, 5 mouses met their untimely demise at the Jaws of Messier the Great on July 4th....this Cat wasn;t waitin on Macy's for the fireworks to begin, she went on a 24 hour rampage that has left the Mouse Community in shambles....repeat, stay away from Lil Silver all Meece, Mice and mousers....
Sunday, July 04, 2010
Independence Day
God Bless the United States of America and all who love her so, her sons and her daughters are beyond your command, raise a glass or two hundred this day and thank God for the Men that were willing to give their lives so that others would be free, for the men who had the courage to risk everything and take on the British instead of living in King georges taxation slavery. For the men who regretted that they had but one life to give to their country and "meant it" , and the lads and lasses that have willingly served the past 234 years to keep this Great Country Free......Thank You God and Please continue to bless Us.
Saturday, July 03, 2010
my own recollections from that day
I was on my way to O’Haras for a quick bite and a cold brew at lunch , when I passed an older gentlemen in a Naval Ballcap from a ship….I see them all the time and I always look to see what ship they are from…in case it’s an old shipmate from the USS Luce. This one was from the USS Vincennes (CG-49). I gave him a knowing nod and kept going on my way. When I got to O’haras the METS were on TV , but my mind was elsewhere. I remembered waking up the morning of July 4th 1988 in a hotel near the beach in Cannes France. The Shore Patrol was rounding up US military personnel in the lobbies of the hotels, and we didn’t know why…….we did know we were in no rush to go back to our ship….Not when there was beer to drink and Independance to Celebrate…so we waited for the SP to go to the next hotel and we snuck down the ally looking for a dive bar to drink in…….we found one……we were drinking Kronenbourg for about an hour or two before a new bartender came out from the back room and asked us if we were 7th fleet ? No not us we lied, and continued to imbibe……he knew we were and he knew we didn’t trust him, so he turned on the Television ……on the French News we saw two things that got our attention…….on was a bulletin banner at the bottom of the screen that was scrolling across. Advising that the US Navy was recalling all 7th Fleet sailors to their ships immediately….all leave and liberty were cancelled……why would this be on the French TV ?? the story on the news was showing a lifeboat fishing dead bodies out of the water somewhere….of course we could not understand what they were saying. The bartender kept pointing to the TV and advising us to leave his bar. We did a shot for Old Liberty and a Beer for July 4th and walked back to the pier…….the pier in Cannes was Chaos, something huge had happened…there were demonstrators being held back by Police barriers and people were screaming at us and calling us murderers….I thought we must be at war …finally…….when we returned to our ship we learned that the USS Vincennes had shot down an Iranian Jet Airline and killed approx 300 people onboard….accidentally…the Iranian craft was heading straight for them and refused to alter their course…….we went out to sea for the next 2 weeks until the furor blew over. As I sat in O’Haras I marveled at another moment in history were I had a front row seat……
22 years ago this day
On 3 July 1988, Vincennes, under the command of Captain Will Rogers III, fired two radar-guided missiles and shot down an Iran Air Airbus A300 civilian airliner over the Strait of Hormuz, killing all 290 passengers on board. According to Captain Rogers, there had earlier been an attack on the Vincennes by Iranian motor boats. Crucially, the Vincennes then identified the Iranian Airbus as an attacking F-14 Tomcat fighter because the plane's transponder signals had been changed by the Iranians so that they incorrectly identified the plane as a military aircraft. Also a radio warning had been sent to the aircraft on both military and civilian wavelengths
On the morning of 3 July, the Vincennes was passing through the Strait of Hormuz returning from an escort duty. A helicopter from the USS Vincennes received small arms fire from Iranian patrol vessels, as it observed at a high altitude. The Vincennes moved to engage the Iranian vessels, in the course of which they all violated Omani waters and left after being challenged and ordered to leave by a Royal Navy of Oman warship. The Vincennes then pursued the Iranian gunboats crossing into Iranian territorial waters to open fire. The USS Sides (FFG-14) and USS Elmer Montgomery (FF-1082) were nearby.
It was shortly after this gunfire exchange that Iran Air Flight 655 approached to begin its transit of the Straits. The USS Vincennes fired upon the airliner, destroying it and killing all aboard.
The event triggered an intense international controversy, with Iran condemning the US attack as a "barbaric act." In mid-July 1988, Iranian Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Velayati asked the United Nations Security Council to condemn the United States saying the US attack "could not have been a mistake" and was a "criminal act," an "atrocity" and a "massacre." George H.W. Bush, at the time Vice President of the United States in the Reagan administration, defended his country at the United Nations by arguing that the US attack had been a wartime incident and that the crew of the Vincennes had acted appropriately to the situation at the time. The Soviet Union asked the US to withdraw from the area and supported efforts made by the Security Council to end the Iran-Iraq war. The remainder of the 13 delegates that spoke supported the US position, saying one of the problems was that a 1987 resolution to end the Iran-Iraq war had been ignored. Following the debate, Security Council Resolution 616 was passed expressing "deep distress" over the US attack, "profound regret" for the loss of human lives, and stressed the need to end the Iran-Iraq war as resolved in 1987.
On the morning of 3 July, the Vincennes was passing through the Strait of Hormuz returning from an escort duty. A helicopter from the USS Vincennes received small arms fire from Iranian patrol vessels, as it observed at a high altitude. The Vincennes moved to engage the Iranian vessels, in the course of which they all violated Omani waters and left after being challenged and ordered to leave by a Royal Navy of Oman warship. The Vincennes then pursued the Iranian gunboats crossing into Iranian territorial waters to open fire. The USS Sides (FFG-14) and USS Elmer Montgomery (FF-1082) were nearby.
It was shortly after this gunfire exchange that Iran Air Flight 655 approached to begin its transit of the Straits. The USS Vincennes fired upon the airliner, destroying it and killing all aboard.
The event triggered an intense international controversy, with Iran condemning the US attack as a "barbaric act." In mid-July 1988, Iranian Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Velayati asked the United Nations Security Council to condemn the United States saying the US attack "could not have been a mistake" and was a "criminal act," an "atrocity" and a "massacre." George H.W. Bush, at the time Vice President of the United States in the Reagan administration, defended his country at the United Nations by arguing that the US attack had been a wartime incident and that the crew of the Vincennes had acted appropriately to the situation at the time. The Soviet Union asked the US to withdraw from the area and supported efforts made by the Security Council to end the Iran-Iraq war. The remainder of the 13 delegates that spoke supported the US position, saying one of the problems was that a 1987 resolution to end the Iran-Iraq war had been ignored. Following the debate, Security Council Resolution 616 was passed expressing "deep distress" over the US attack, "profound regret" for the loss of human lives, and stressed the need to end the Iran-Iraq war as resolved in 1987.
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