In 1984, the Patriot system began to replace the Nike Hercules system as the U.S. The AN/MPQ-53 at the heart of the system is known as the "Phased Array Tracking Radar to Intercept on Target," which is a backronym for "Patriot". defense contractor Raytheon and derives its name from the radar component of the weapon system. I don’t know if you can get away with showing the photograph, but it’s a beauty.The MIM-104 Patriot is a surface-to-air missile (SAM) system, the primary such system used by the United States Army and several allied states. Then they got in and drove to the next building on the block - a hotel where they were going to spend their vacation!. A dozen suitcases and a trunk were pushed inside and strapped onto the roof of the car. The car was, parked in front of their apartment building. It reminded me of an episode of the old Abbott & Costello TV series - the boys spent most of the episode loading their belongings into their car, for a carefully planned vacation trip. (Frank could have walked there with the gun in a shopping bag without anyone knowing it!) Of course, I am joking about that part. What I found amusing was the fact that Frank told me that the bank was just a block or two away!. The two security guards from the company that owned the truck stand on either side of him in the picture. (I haven’t ordered my own copy of it yet, but I intend to.) It was a very detailed, elaborate, and carefully orchestrated move, and Frank had the responsibility of seeing to it that the gun was transported carefully. It was taken just before the gun was moved to a bank vault for a few months, while the museum was closed for refurbishing a number of years ago. If you go to the AP photo site (which sells their prints for personal use for between $25-$40), you can find a color photo of the gun resting on a piece of linen in the palms of the hands of Frank Hebblethwaite, the former curator of Ford’s Theatre. Pitts, Chief Clerk of the Judge Advocate General’s Office, poses holding Booth’s derringer: When you look at this picture, I hope it affects you in some way, if only for a minute.Įdwin B. What does he see in its sights? How did he feel when he posed for this? Is the gun like a toy to him? Has he been around it so long that the impact of what it did has worn off? Or is he trying to get into the mindset of the man who pulled the trigger?…” His eye is drawing an imaginary line down its barrel. This item was used to kill the President and this man is holding it centimeters from his face. With or without prompting, he posed himself into an aiming position with it. I’ve seen the gun many times and this specific photo as well, but when I really take the time to see it, this image speaks to me: “This man in the photo chose to hold the gun. Today, I’m putting up a picture of a man holding John Wilkes Booth’s gun. Put it in its proper context as a moment in time, and not just as a graphic on a computer screen. Reflect on the feelings it might draw out of you. Take an actual 60 second long minute, and really look at the image. I invite you to take some time to really see it. So, from time to time, I will be combating this with a simple post of a photograph. Efficiency runs our lives with nary a moment devoted to the mere act of looking closely at anything. They ignore the photographs and pictures, opting instead to race through and finish. Children are so eager to read quickly and efficiently like adults, that they start abandoning the pictures in their stories. As an elementary teacher, I even witness this with my young readers. So often though, we as human beings gloss over visual information quickly. Images contain a life and message all their own. I actively seek out and like to include pictures in as many of my posts as possible. When it comes to researching and writing about the assassination, I am a very visual person.
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