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The Last To Know | Part Three

The Last To Know Masterlist

John Brady x Pilot!Female Reader

The 100th should be nearing the end of its training, receiving its certification for overseas combat. However, as you and Brady both know - man plans, god laughs. Obstacles, however, sometimes present hidden opportunities for connection.

Warnings: MAJOR Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe, Original Characters, Plane Crashes, Minor Original Character Death, Vomit, Era Typical Sexism/Misogyny, Alcohol Consumption, Tobacco Smoking, Canon Typical Violence, Language, Enemies to Lovers, Weapons of War, Inevitable Musical and Flying Inaccuracies, Inevitable Historical and Military Inaccuracies, Mature/Explicit Themes - 18+ ONLY.

Author's Note: This story contains an alternate universe where women have been allowed to fly in combat with the USAAF - in a very limited experiment. Reader is a trumpet player. Brief references to Reader's family and backstory. This is a work of fiction based off the portrayal by the actors in the Apple TV+ series. I hold nothing but respect for the real life individuals referenced within.

Word Count: 6135

-------------------------

December 1942

“Any news?” Thornton asked as she sank down into the empty chair opposite you.

Shaking your head, you lowered your eyes to the faintly steaming mug cupped between your hands, trying to calm the hopeful race of your heart. You had thought, in vain, she might be bearing word of Brady’s crew. “No Ma’am.”

She hummed in disappointment, settling back in her seat as she tossed her cap onto the tabletop, carelessness betraying her fatigue. In all honestly, you should be in bed. You, Thornton, and every other person loitering around the Officer’s Club this late on Christmas Eve.

“Well, Merry Christmas, Lieutenant.” She murmured, straightening her jacket as you took a slow slip of your drink.

Correction – this early on Christmas morning.

“You, too.” You sighed, the pair of you offering tight-lipped nods to Matthews, the barman on duty, as he delivered a cup of coffee for Thornton without prompting.

The forecast that afternoon had been clear skies, no reason to doubt the practice missions slated for the 418th. Not until the planes began returning within an hour or two of take off, bearing reports of abysmal weather – little to no visibility, high winds, heavy snow. All but one plane had returned by sundown.

It was not unheard of for things to go awry during training. Plenty of statistics outlined the dangers of just learning how to fly a B-17, never mind taking it into combat. But this would be the first for the 100th.

As to what you were doing here, participating in this vigil – that was certainly more complicated. A question you were not entirely equipped to answer. All you knew is that you had found it impossible to consider turning in the for night with the status of his entire crew unknown. Croz had proven himself a humble gentleman, Hambone more of an enigma, while Hoerr seemed polite enough – holding doors for any lady who crossed his path, no matter what her occupation.

Perhaps it was the question mark that hung over the fate of those ten men that left you feeling so unsettled, seeking the company of the likeminded in the brightly lit, uncharacteristically quiet Club. The sound of the door closing lifted your, and everyone else’s, head, your heart leaping into your throat as Flescher stepped into view. The entire crowd seemed to hold its collective breath, waiting on the 418th’s CO to speak, until Bucky sidled up behind him grinning broadly.

“Crash landed in Wyoming, all ten of ‘em are shaken up but fine.” Egan crowed, basking in the cheer of delight that went up from the collected officers.

Exhaling in relief, you sank lower in your chair, taking a deep sip to finish your drink as Matthews was quickly put to service pouring celebratory shots.

“That’s my cue.” You nodded to Thornton, standing wearily, feeling suddenly fatigued as the nervous worry that had been keeping you awake rapidly leeched from your body.

“Not staying to celebrate?” She quirked an eyebrow.

“I’m already up way past my bedtime, Ma’am. Merry Christmas.” You repeated with a nod, setting your empty mug on the return cart before sliding around the perimeter of the room to avoid getting ensnared in any raucous celebrations.

The night air was cold, sending your hands diving into the fleece-lined pockets of your jacket, breath misting from your lips as you made your way back to barracks. Getting ready as quietly as possible, adding a few more pieces of wood to the stoves before shuffling towards your bed, you turned to the rack beside yours as Lionheart whispered your name.

“Yeah?” You replied just as quietly.

“What’s the word?”

“Safe in Wyoming.”

“Mmm that’s good.” She murmured, voice laden with sleep as she turned over, falling still as she was soon unconscious once more.

Sliding onto your mattress and pulling the blankets right up to your chin, you swallowed tightly as you found yourself wholeheartedly in agreement. It was good that they were safe. Every single one of them. Even that irksome Brady.

They were back on base within two days, a new plane arriving for them just one day after that – war production had vastly improved, even in the last two months. They returned to a Group in the midst of packing up to move to yet another base, another phase of training.

Sioux City, Iowa was your next home, located at the convergence of the states of Iowa, South Dakota, and Nebraska. Arriving the very first day of 1943, the only warmth was in the greeting from the local ground crew, the 100th’s having split off to Kearney, Nebraska to receive their next phase of training separately. The temperature was all of nine degrees, the cold of the wind gnawing at any exposing skin and laying down thick sheets of ice on the runways.

Despite hygiene regulations requiring space between beds, everyone in the barracks found it a great deal warmer to sleep as close to one another as possible, cots pushed together, huddled under as many blankets as could be found, some even resorting to their high-altitude gear to get comfortable. The deep freeze held Iowa tight in its grasp and did not let go for the first week of January. Aircraft engines refused to start, more than a few personnel were injured due to slips and falls on the treacherous ice lurking beneath skiffs of powdery snow or deceptively coloured as black as innocuous concrete.

The 100th found itself grounded at the mercy of mother nature, the vast majority of your colleagues revelling in the proximity to the city and its numerous USO dances. You, yourself, found the lull in activity and purpose tedious.

Burying your nose into the fleecy collar of your flight jacket after yet another failed attempt at a practice mission, you parted ways with your frostbitten crew. The invitation to spend another afternoon in the women’s make-shift club poring over the haul of fashion magazines Nita had procured on her trip off base make your stomach turn and you eagerly pointed your toes towards the hangar to see what the boys in the ground crew were up to. While you might not be able to get up into the air today, you could at least spend time with experienced technicians and perhaps learn a thing or two.

Pulling open the heavy man-door, you stepped into the slightly warmer space where the sounds of repair and idle chatter bounced off the metal roof and walls. There were a few other officers in attendance, most likely longing to be in the air, same as you, but stuck here on the frozen plains with nothing better to do than watch the men in grease-stained coveralls dissemble engines and work on the guts of the machines they normally flew in.

There was one man, off to the side, with several open cans of paint, carefully working on some nose art on a rather spotless looking aircraft. Raising a curious eyebrow as you found painting to be a rather optimistic endeavour in these temperatures, you found your feet carrying you in his direction, peering over at the tail number. ‘42-300071’ you noted with a slight huff. Brady’s new plane, of course. At the sarcastic exhale, the unfamiliar man looked up to you quickly and you stepped closer to address him properly.

“Pretty sure you’ve got the lettering wrong there, Sergeant.” Your lips twitched playfully, watching him pale nervously as his eyes darted back to the three-quarters finished ‘Skipper.’

“M…Ma’am?” He squeaked out nervously, drawing the attention of several passers-by.

“That should most definitely read ‘Brady’s Crash Wagon.’” A grin snuck its way onto your lips as the hangar erupted with laughter, a rather perturbed John Brady stalking around the nose of the plane to eye you in annoyance.

Sinking your teeth into your lower lip, lest you burst out laughing, you could not help but notice that his cap was pulled low on his head, pushing his ears out slightly, giving him the appearance of an overgrown field mouse. Raising a shoulder in a half-shrug of nonchalance, you continued on your way towards an engine stripped of its parts, crouching down to watch the technician hard at work on one of the gears – a tiny yet integral piece.

“You’re a real cut-up, Bo Peep.” Egan beamed, clapping you on the shoulder playfully, driving that laugh that had been stubbornly hovering in the back of your throat past the barrier of your lips as you straightened to face him. You could not help but notice the faint-hearted laugh he produced, the fact that the expression did not quite reach his eyes.

“You ok, Major?” You murmured, referring to him by his recently promoted rank.

His eyes met yours, studying you for a moment before he nodded and offered a wink. “Just fine, Bo Peep. Stay warm, huh?” He patted your shoulder again before moving along, leaving you alone with your confusion and growing sense of unease.

A glance back over your shoulder at the flushed face of Brady, surrounded by his bright-faced comrades as they watched the final touches being put on the nose of his plane provided no insights. Bucky’s uncharacteristic moment of solemnity became did not become more understandable until Thornton cornered you a few days later with the news that Wing was reticent to certify the 100th for overseas combat. The lack of flying days here in Iowa, combined with the limited planes available at the outset in Washington, capped off with the disorderly transition from base to base – including one particular crew’s detour to Minneapolis to send a message via wrench dropped out of a machine gun port…well it had all raised a lot of doubts in the minds of your superiors.

“How bad are we talking here?” You murmured, leaning in closer as a few girls filtered by towards the showers. “A complete failure of the experiment?” Your throat clenched painfully around the words, feeling more than a little queasy at the thought that after months of hard work, you might be packing it up to head home anyway.

“Dutch doesn’t foresee it being quite so dire, just promise me you’ll keep your nose clean, Lieutenant. We’ve been perfect thus far, now we must be simply flawless.”

“Understood, Ma’am.” You nodded quickly, parting with a sharp salute, hurrying toward the Mess Hall to dig into some breakfast.

The warmth on the breeze, a sudden turn in the weather, was a hopeful sign and one that did allow you all to get back into the air. Your efforts to arrange Deep in the Heart of Texas for the 280th’s band to play for Thornton on her birthday, in honor of her home state, also proved an excellent distraction. While the vast majority of officers had absconded off base for one of the ubiquitous USO dances, you had taken up residence in the corner of the Officer’s Club, taking the record player hostage as the Ladies Club did not have one on this base. With your one purchased copy of the score, and multiple handwritten versions spread out on the table before you, Matthews groaned as you set the needle on the outside of the record to play the song yet again, wanting to read through the clarinet part you had just written out.

“I’m so sorry, I promise I’ll buy another drink in a moment and improve your sales for the night.” You glanced back over your shoulder at him apologetically, startled to meet the blue eyes of Brady, leaning up against the bar.

“Whatever you say, Lieutenant.” Matthews huffed good naturedly and you jerked your focus back to the task at hand as the voice of Bing Crosby, playing significantly quieter than usual, still managed to fill the basically empty club as your eyes traced along your penciled in notes.

As the song came to end, you lifted the needle, the tuneless scratching of vinyl ceasing, as you tapped your pencil against your lower lip in thought. The arrangement seemed fine in all honesty, but fine was most definitely not what you were aiming for with your birthday tribute to the inspiration for your entire squadron. Pulling the score for the trumpets closer you exhaled heavily, once again debating about which instrument ought to be carrying the melody in the second verse when a voice startled you from behind.

“Saxophones ought to be stepping out there.” Brady murmured thoughtfully, ice clinking against the side of his glass as he took a sip.

Shoulders stiffening nearly to your ears, you glared down at the page before you. “Of course you would say that; you spend all your spare time with a reed in your mouth.”

Huffing a little, he settled down, completely uninvited, in the chair to your left. “Look here, horn lady,” his annoyingly elegant finger jabbed into the sheet music, “you’re overlooking a powerful and impactful instrument that would add dimension to this section.”

Wrenching your eyes from his insistent digit to his stubbornly set face, his jaw jutting slightly forward, you began to regret referring to his mouth earlier as your eyes were tempted to drift there. “You forget that I only have two to rely upon.” You countered quickly, trying to distract yourself.

“Only takes one good saxophone to steal the show.” He replied with a minute smirk, slowly sipping his drink and making you grit your teeth before pulling the scores together.

Using your eraser, you made his suggested changes for the second verse, putting the saxophones in the spotlight and the clarinets on harmony, before setting it all in front of him. “You listen, I’ve stared at this far too long.”

Standing quickly, you set the song to play once more before stalking over to the bar, intent on fetching the drink from Matthews as promised. Assuming the lean Brady had occupied a few minutes prior, you were pleasantly surprised to see him still sat at the table, diligently reviewing the music before him as the song played. Paying and tipping Matthews handsomely as you accepted your beverage, your lips parted in surprise as Brady went to the lengths of setting the song to play again.

“Christ almighty, there are two of you now.” Matthews groaned bitterly and you shot him yet another apologetic grimace.

“Sorry, Matthews.”

“Whatever, just…I’ll be in the back doing stock if anyone needs me.” He sighed dramatically, tossing his towel over his shoulder and disappearing through the doorway behind the bar.

Returning to the table slowly, you swallowed to find Brady jotting down his thoughts on the back of a spare sheet. Resuming your seat carefully, so as not to disturb him, you froze slightly as he suddenly turned his gaze to you.

“It’s a fair start–” He began and so did your struggle to actually listen to the rest of what he had to say rather than immediately fight back defensively.

Though it utterly galled you to admit it, he made numerous good points. You had heard he was a professional musician, had done his degree in music, played with Bunny Berrigan. Hell, you had seen and heard him play yourself at that holiday concert. And his acumen was showing here again, right now. Swallowing your pride, as much as it painfully scraped its way down your throat, you forced yourself to take his advice, to make the changes. Until it came to your substitution for the claps during the refrain.

“I say keep them with the horns, but don’t play these notes, actually clap – you’ll get the audience to join in.”

Your pencil halted in place above your score, head jerking up to look at him. “You’d reduce us to percussion.” You said flatly, tone dripping with disbelief.

Sighing impatiently, he leaned back in his chair crossing his arms. “Fine, someone needs to clap. Your bandleader?”

Raising both your eyebrows, a laugh of disbelief escaped you. “Keever?! Oh that’s rich she’d…” your voice trailed off as you imagined her displeasure. How annoyed she would be at such a lowly job and yet how easily explainable it would be. A dark grin of delight tugged at your lips, and you nodded firmly, grabbing the clarinet score and making a special note, just for Keever.

“Once more, to be sure?” He asked around the pipe now clenched in his teeth, and you nodded firmly, laying the parts at an angle between the pair of you as he set up the record to play one more time, the heavy thud of a box being dropped on the bar sounding from behind you.

The pair of you glanced back to see Matthews disappearing back into the stockroom, muttering unintelligibly under his breath, before turning back to look over your handiwork, nodding along quietly as the song played before you leaned back with a sigh of relief.

“That’s it.” Brady nodded, turning off the record player, curls of smoke trailing from his lips.

Nodding as you finished the dregs of your drink with one deep swallow, you moved to assemble your papers into order, blinking as he held out the record for you to tuck away into its sleeve. Not quite capable of offering words of thanks to the man, you opted instead to provide a deep nod of gratitude, packing it away and heading out for the night.

The band had a week and a half to perfect the piece, using every available moment to practice. The unfinished pool, construction halted for the winter, proved to be the perfect space to keep the endeavour secret – though both yourself and Keever found it much harder to explained prolonged absences to Thornton. After one too many close calls, and one rather intense exchange involving a remarkable amount of perspiration for January in Iowa, you found it necessary to employ the assistance of Egan to keep her off the scent. The man proved more than eager and up to the task at distracting her with inane drabble or outright chaos as the situation warranted.

He was with her right now, distracting her with some meeting along with Dutch, Cleven, Kidd, Flescher, Alkire…at least you were desperately trying to convince yourself that was all it was – and not the dire news you had been praying would not come to pass. Andie shouted your name, drawing your eyes from the blur of music stanzas in front of you to where your Co-pilot was setting down a large slab cake with the assistance of Lionheart.

“Here??” She called again and you gave her the thumbs up through the clouds of balloons and streamers – the decorations having reached astronomic proportions under Bucky’s insistence.

Turning back to warming up, your attention was once again snagged by actions on the floor as Dutch hurried in with Cleven, sliding his blunt fingers into his mouth and giving a sharp whistle. “She’s two minutes out! Places!”

There were times when you questioned the military training of the members of the 100th, but this was not one of them. With surprising efficiency, all of those gathered, including the enlisted women with special permission to enter the Officer’s Club for the evening, quieted down and assembled along the sides of the room emptied of furniture to allow for the extra bodies. You barely registered the opening of the door before a great cheer when up, Keever turning to the band expectantly. Holding the opening note of Happy Birthday for a few beats until the crowd took the cue, she signalled with a bob of her head to proceed with the rest of the tune, the band playing as the crowd eagerly sang to the blushing woman as Bucky guided her to the over-sized cake on the bar.

There were more cheers, which then tripled in volume once she blew out the candles and then, at last, came time for your surprise. Taking a moment to wipe the sweat from your palms onto your olive drab skirt while the attention of the crowd was elsewhere, you took a steadying breath as Keever turned back to begin Deep in the Heart of Texas. As you had assumed, there had been a great deal of push back from her regarding the refrain claps, but you had done an admirable job selling her importance of that role as bandleader. And watching her eyes light up upon taking in the force with which the crowd executed those claps along with her convinced you that it had been worth it.

Damn that John Brady.

Shuffling from the bandstand to thunderous applause at the end of the song, you smiled to Matthews gratefully as he cued up the record player, revellers taking to the dancefloor as you moved to find your instrument case to pack up.

“Lieutenant.” Thornton’s voice cut through the din as her hand landed on your shoulder with a squeeze. Turning to face her warmly, your eyes widened as she pulled you close in a warm embrace. “Thank you.” She said emphatically in your ear.

Pulling back with a quizzical look on your face, she cracked a small smile.

“Egan.” She clarified and you shook your head with a smirk, feeling the expression leech away as her face fell solemn.

“Ma’am?”

“It’s not dissolution but…more training. A month at least.” She leaned in, confirming that the meeting had, in fact, not been a ruse.

Setting your mouth into a grim line, you exhaled deeply through your nose, nodding once to show you had heard her even if you did not fully understand the reasoning. Parting from you with one final squeeze of your shoulder, you turned to wend your way through the raucous crowd, punching the door open into the frigid night, forgetting all about your case. You were about ten steps away from the building when you heard Brady calling your name.

Turning back sharply, you saw him jogging over to you, trumpet case in hand. “It was good.”

Snagging it from him roughly, you gulped. “Not good enough.”

“What are you talking about?” He tilted his head, acutely resembling a bewildered puppy.

Casting your eyes around the desolate exterior of the building and finding only the ghosts of your exhales hanging in the air, you swallowed. “We’re not getting certification.”

His gaze hardened. “Your scores are perfect.” He muttered, tone soured by what you could only assume was envy.

Brady’s reply wrung a bitter laugh from your aching chest. “I could turn water into wine, Brady, and they would say it’s because I can’t make beer. Besides, they’re not going to certify one crew, one squadron even. It’s the whole Group or nothing.”

“Damn.” He grunted. “Do you know how long?”

“A month, at least. Just pray it’s not in this desolate ice field.” You shook your head, leaving him alone in the freezing night.

It was not. At least not for the 418th and 280th. Two days after Thornton’s tainted birthday celebrations, you were on the move once again, to Boise, Idaho. The semi-arid conditions there brought a return temperatures in the forties and regular training flights without the same biting cold of Iowa. It did little to lift the spirits of the splintered squadrons, the 349th, 350th, and 351st scattered hither and yon, the entire Group’s future feeling utterly precarious despite Thorntons assurances that it would not be a permanent separation.

Certain men, of whom Pratt was the most vocal, were more than happy to lay the blame at the feet of the women of the 280th, but in comparison, both on paper and in the air, your squadron was unquestionably outperforming any other as the calendar turned first to February and then onto March. Temperatures rose, the spring rains came to the Treasure Valley, and Blakely married his Sioux City sweetheart, shipped in by train for the occasion accompanied by Hambone’s wife.

You had been learning more than just their names during this prolonged period of training in exile, finding that not only had the weather thawed but so too had some of their reticence to interact with the ladies of the 280th as equals. That was, of course, not to say that things did not remain frosty between you and Brady – no, that friction would most likely never resolve, but perhaps the pair of you might be able to function as colleagues.

March 29 dawned warm and remarkably humid, sending your eyes suspiciously skyward to assess the seemingly innocent clouds scudding along briskly in the stiff breeze. Halting your steps on your way to the Mess Hall, you planted your hands on your hips and furrowed your brow, doing your best to ignore the way Andie was snickering at you.

“You trying to give Stormy a run for his money?”

Shaking your head with a sigh, mostly at yourself, you put one foot in front of the other to continue onward toward breakfast. “Weather’s off, that’s all.” You shrugged and held the door open for her to make up for delaying her meal.

With a nod of thanks she stepped into the Officer’s Mess, usually filled with a mix of familiar and unfamiliar faces here in Idaho. In a way it had been a blessing your squadron had been sent along with another – it limited the number of unpleasant encounters with each new Group rotation, watching some other bunch of men making their way through training more expediently than the 100th also had the added benefit of forging deeper bonds between your two squadrons. The Mess was quieter today, however, the members of the 393rd Bomb Group off on an early morning mission. They would surely be moving on next week and the question on everyone’s mind was, would you also get that chance?

It had been a cramped stay, with no spare buildings for the women to make their own club, no time or space for the band to practice. The desire to get certified and get into combat was searing inside everyone by now, it was just a matter of convincing Wing that you were truly ready. Bellies full, crews were assembled and loaded onto transport trucks after the briefing. Dual squadron bombing run without ordinance was the order of the day, but you found your eyes narrowing in on the clouds beginning to grow vertically over the valley as the heat of the day increased under the influence of the sun.

“If the weather allows…” You muttered under your breath to yourself as you jumped off the truck in front of your plane, which the girls had lovingly named ‘Ice Box’ thanks to the cold temperatures you all endured while flying inside it.

“Ok, Stormy.” Andie sassed, happy to assure you she had overheard your pessimism before she slid aboard, making you roll your eyes as you followed.

You wished you had not been right. In fact, there were a lot of things you wished went differently that day.

Take off was rough, the plane buffeted by cross winds and turbulence that had even the seasoned members of your crew questioning the wisdom of their generous breakfast. After much discussion between Blakely and Thornton, the squadrons pushed higher to try and find a smoother altitude above the clouds. The problem was the clouds only continued to bubble and boil higher and higher into the stratosphere, seeming to chase your aircraft.

Glancing out the small window to your left, you frowned as there was no friendly flat-top to these clouds, apparently nothing to limit their towering heights. Listening to nothing other than the sound of your own exhales echoing harshly against the rubber of your mask, you bit off a curse and made the decision to call the lead plane of your squadron to express your concern about the obvious storm clouds.

“Zoot Suit three to Zoot Suit lead.”

“Go ahead.” Came Thornton’s reply, tone perfectly even.

“I’m thinking these storm clouds are more dangerous than they look.”

“Zoot Suit three, same conversation occurring in our cockpit, standby.”

Exhaling slowly, both relieved that she agreed and yet tension increasing now that your sense of apprehension was validated, you nearly missed the bolt of lightning that jumped from one cloud to another in front of the nose of your plane. The thunder, however, was inescapable, the airframe of your B-17 rattling with the proximity of it.

“Well!” Andie huffed. “Think that oughta convince her.”

You were about to reply when a forceful updraft caught the underside of the left wing, driving the plane towards the underside of Biddick’s fort above you, cockeyed, but at such an acute angle you were increasingly at risk of stalling out and sliding backward into the 280th’s formation behind you.

“Shit.” You hissed before barking out to the crew. “Hold on!”

Grasping the throttles, you split the right backward and the left forward, trying to drive the left wing downward as you pulled on the yoke to bank clear of any other planes. The engines whined at the sudden and disparate demands, but thankfully complied, the aircraft spiralling down and away from causing any harm to those around you. Gritting your teeth against the force of the turn, you fought to level out once you had dropped clear, shooting Andie a grateful look as her hand joined yours on the throttle and you pulled on the yokes together.

Chest heaving as you fought to catch your breath, the adrenaline was still singing through your veins as Thornton’s voice came through your headset.

“Zoot Suit lead to Zoot Suit three, everything all right down there?”

“Levelled out now, yes Ma’am.” Your voice was embarrassingly thin but nevertheless audible.

“Zoot Suit lead to all Zoot Suit pilots, Charlie, Delta, Eight, Niner, Alpha, Echo.”

Heaving a sight of relief as she called out the scrub code for your squadron, you remained at your lower altitude, watching the 280th peel off and descend before moving to join their tail as they headed back to base.

“Red Meat lead to all Read Meat pilots, following suit.” Came Blakely’s call shortly after was very validating to hear, though the derisive snort emanating from Pratt made your grip tighten painfully on the controls.

“One dumb girl can’t control her plane and we have to scrub?” He remarked snidely across all the channels, making your blood boil.

“Red Meat six, you have been given the order to scrub, you will turn that plane around or I will take it up with Flescher the moment we land.”

Instinctively looking over your shoulder told you nothing, nothing visible but empty sky from your vantage point, but from the sounds of it, Pratt was continuing on along the mission route, through the thickening clouds and almost persistent thunder.

“Coward…” Was the last transmission, a cruel barb that made your very skin crawl as you would have happily defied that label being applied to any person in the air at the moment, even if it cost you your life.

No further arguments exchanged, you were left the assume that Pratt had complied. Rain opened up, an obscuring curtain of water that nearly hid the runway from view. Mercifully, you were not the first to land, relying on those that found the ground safely before you to help guide you out of the unfriendly sky. Taxiing to your hardstand, you were in the process of removing your flying helmet when Pratt’s plane, being batted about in the wind as though it was crafted of paper, made your breath catch in your throat. Lightning tore through the sky once more, that clouds having since coalesced into one solid wall of black behind him, making the mighty flying fortress appear small.

The sight of an updraft snagging his plane, an occurrence not dissimilar to that which you and your crew had narrowly escaped, sent your heart plummeting, your eyes sliding shut in resignation as the aircraft was thrown helplessly higher into the sky before arcing viciously towards the ground. The resulting cacophonous boom of the explosion, distinct from thunder, had the ladies still sheltering inside the bomber crying out in terror.

“Who was it?”

“Oh god we gotta go help them!”

“No one coulda survived that…”

Yanking the helmet the rest of the way off your head to remove the headset from your ears, you pressed your thumb between your eyebrows to fight off the intense wave of nausea threatening you. The bitter taste of bile was in the back of your throat, creeping higher, and you struggled to take calming breaths as the storm continued to rage outside.

There was not a kind bone in that man’s body, but you had not wished him death. Not even after he accused you of incompetence, nor each and everyone of you of cowardice. Wrenching the sliding window of the cockpit open you stuck your head out the side to lose the remnants of your breakfast, warm rain pelting your face in the process, washing away the evidence.

Retreating back to your seat, you looked to Andie startled as she held out a handkerchief, by some miracle keeping all commentary to herself for once. Quickly drying your face, you tucked it into your pocket with a nod of thanks before wending your way back toward the hatch, coaxing the wide-eyed, shocked girls from the plane and into the covered crew truck to be ferried back to the briefing hut.

That interrogation felt a lot less like practice, Dutch making a beeline for your table and leaning in closely to listen in on your description of the evasive action you had taken, followed by your crew’s collective description of the crash.

The entire room felt muted, everyone’s voices lowered, hushed, like you were already attending the funerals of those eleven men – Pratt’s crew and their experienced observer – who had fallen out of the sky trying to land in the storm.

Maybe if Pratt had turned around when Blakely ordered, he could have beaten the brunt of it. Or maybe there had been nothing that he could have done.

You were starting to feel sick again, excessive perspiration accumulating beneath your flight suit, driving you to open it halfway. Rising quickly to your feet as soon as you were dismissed, you stepped outside desperately to gulp in the fresh air, finding it smelling sweet and feeling cool now that the storm had passed, taking all the humidity with it.

“Bo-peep!” Blakely called out and you turned to see him standing off to the side with a few pilots from the 418th, sharing matches to light their preferred delivery methods for their precious tobacco.

Swallowing hesitantly as he waved you over, you took another life-saving breath of restorative air before moving to join them, more than a little curious at the invitation.

“What did you do before all this?” He asked, pulling a cigarette from behind his ear to light once the book of matches reached him.

Furrowing your brows slightly as you looked from him to Biddick, then Brady, it slowly dawned on you that this was some odd form of acceptance into the group. Tucking the piece of gum you had been fervently chewing to overcome the taste of vomit into your cheek, you shrugged.

“Crop-dusting, mostly, odd jobs in the winter.”

His brown eyes widened slightly as he exhaled a thick cloud of smoke up and away from you. “You flew before joining up.” It was not a question, more of an ‘aha!’ statement.

Nodding slowly, you tucked your thumbs into the corners of your pockets. “Almost two years.”

“How’d you get out of that updraft?” Brady’s blunt question cut through Blakely’s moment of revelation, drawing all eyes onto him.

His fingers were tightly grasping the bowl of his pipe, eyes fix firmly on you.

“Yeah, you didn’t even clip the lady beside you, spin out, stall, nothin’.” Biddick shook his head in disbelief.

Bowing your head slightly under the intense scrutiny and praise, you shrugged humbly before taking a breath, trying to remember what you had even done. It had all been instinct. “Split the throttles to overcome the punch to the left wing, took her down in a sharp turn, then Andie and I levelled her out together.” You spoke slowly as each motion came back to you.

“Well, hell, you be sure to tell me anytime I need to stay away from a cloud alright?” Blakely smirked and you laughed softly in surprise.

“Will do.” You nodded in return.

You felt comfort in the sudden levity, in the grins they sent your way, the claps they landed on your shoulder. You had earned their respect, even if it had taken nearly five months, and it meant a lot.

Even if Brady was staring at you silently with his striking blue eyes, his pipe clenched between his teeth.

-------------------------

The Last To Know Masterlist

Tag list: @luminouslywriting, @dustofbrokenheart, @precious-little-scoundrel, @beingalive1, @phyllisthefirst, @bcon24, @louzello

[pommedepersephone]

Managing Post Election: Basic Personal Preparedness

As a family who moves frequently, with a US government job that has us living overseas, I am used to being prepared for all contingencies. Given that many of us will be very vulnerable under the incoming administration, I am sharing my advice for getting prepared.

Make sure all your IDs are up to date.

This includes a copy of your social security card, birth certificate, and any licenses related to marriage. Don't have a driver’s license? Get your Real ID from the DMV. And if you don't have one, go get your passport, now.

For those who do not have US citizenship, the National Immigration Law Center has resources related to obtaining IDs, and much more.

Visit your medical provider.

Get a copy of your medical records, your prescriptions, etc. Make sure your vaccinations are up to date. If you use birth control consider stocking up - or switch to an IUD that does not require refills. If you have an IUD that should be replaced in the next four years, see if you can do so now.

Sadly, access to affordable sexual healthcare is nowhere near universal in the US as it is, and it is about to get worse. I will be looking for good resource lists on this very topic next.

Look at your finances.

If you don't have good record keeping in place, consider spending a bit of time to set that up. FEMA's Emergency Financial First Aid Kit (EFFAK) is a great place to start.

There is every chance that we are going to see increased market volatility, major changes in interest rates and tariffs, etc. If you are in any position to, pay down your debt as you can. If you have unavoidable major purchases pending, consider making them now.

What next?

Please note, this is in no way exhaustive, and I plan to do a few more of these posts for folks who might find them useful. I am not an expert, but I do have experience working in human services and I am a mean researcher. Leveraging our respective skills to support each other is how we survive and thrive.

[icemavs]

long distance

Bradley gets off the ship and misses Jake. (2.1k, explicit, ao3)

The first thing Bradley did when he heard they would be pulling into port in Japan in a few hours was step out on the flight deck to take a huge breath of the fresh air. The sun was warm on his face and Bradley could feel the life coming back to his body. He hadn’t flown since the day before they made a pit stop in Guam and he was feeling antsy. The weather was nasty nearly the whole trip and the seas were rough but it wasn’t anything he wasn’t used to. This wasn’t his first trip across the Pacific. The Abraham Lincoln carrier strike group would only be in the western Pacific for a couple months, but it felt like a lifetime whenever he was away from home. 

Now that they were close to civilization again, Bradley turned his cell service back on. Most of his family knew not to text him to blow up his phone once it was back on, but he had a couple messages from both Ice and Mav, just updates on how the new TOPGUN class was going mostly. In addition to those, there were a few from Phoenix and Javy, as well as a whole long string of messages from Jake. He scrolled through those from Ice, Mav, Phoenix, and Javy, but he decided to save Jake’s for his hotel room. Instead he opted to send Jake a selfie with the Tokyo skyline in the background. Immediately, Bradley’s phone buzzed with a message from Jake that simply read FUCK and Bradley smiled to himself. Exactly the reaction he was expecting. 

“Yo! Rooster, let’s go!” Fanboy yelled from the door to the living quarters area. Bradley turned on his heel and bid the Tokyo skyline farewell for the moment. They would have to go gather their flight gear and collection of uniforms to be able to stay in their hotel for a few days. Getting to leave the ship and staying in an off base hotel for a few days was one of his favorite perks of being a fighter pilot. He had put his time in as an enlisted kid, staying in barracks on land and in the junior enlisted quarters while on the ship, so he was going to take advantage of all the comfy beds he could. 

It was always a thrash to get off the ship, but going from the aircrew quarters to the rental cars was definitely his least favorite part of a deployment. Carrying his bags and his helmet bag along the narrow staircases was a pain in the ass. It would make him think about his first deployment with Jake and how they would arm wrestle the night before they stopped in port for who had to carry personal bags and who had to carry helmet bags. The last time they did it, it ended in a little more than just arm wrestling. Bradley sighed at the memory and couldn’t get to his rental car fast enough. 

Bradley, Fanboy, and the other pilots reached their set of cars and tossed keys around until someone finally had enough and got in the driver's seat. Bradley took his place in the backseat of a van among some bags and backpacks while Fanboy, Omaha, and Harvard chatted mindlessly in the front of the vehicle. He pulled out his phone to reply to Jake’s latest text and felt a heat creeping up his cheeks. The time zone difference was going to be a bitch, but if Jake was going to send Bradley messages like that, he could make it work. 

Jake was already asleep by the time Bradly finally collapsed in his bed. Now that he was finally laying down, he could feel just how tired his body was from the time spent on the carrier. The first night back on land always made him restless, especially when he never really had to change his sleep schedule. Being on the ship meant he could just go with the flow and be awake or asleep to meet crew rest so they could do take off and landing certifications. Since becoming TOPGUN instructors after their near-death mission, Bradley and Jake didn’t have to go underway as often as when they were with active squadrons, but every once in a while they would have to travel overseas to help out some of the other squadrons not stationed state-side. He enjoyed the work, getting to pass on all his knowledge to so many pilots. He also got to meet a lot of cool people in the Navy, Marines, and even the Air Force, despite them not flying any of the same fighter jets. 

Bradley pulled out his laptop to check some emails before deciding to finally scroll through all of Jake’s messages. They were mostly about how much Jake missed him, a few about how annoying some of the current TOPGUN class pilots were being, but a select few were some suggestive messages that let Bradley know he made the right decision in waiting to get to his hotel room to open them. 

“I can’t believe I have to get myself off for a whole month while you’re underway.”

“God, I miss your mouth so much. And other things.” 

“Fucking myself open on my fingers and pretending it’s you.” 

“But it’s nowhere near close to the real thing.” 

Bradley kept scrolling through all the messages, telling himself to go to the messages from other people and reply to let them know he was in Tokyo, but he couldn’t get himself to look away from Jake’s texts. 

Ever since the two had become serious, more than just quick hookups in the showers after a sortie or drunk makeout sessions in the bar bathroom, they were inseparable. Jake’s lease was up on his apartment, so he had moved in with Bradley and they were going on six months with no issues. They worked together, often teaching the same lessons together, throwing in ample “so-to-speaks” that made the class laugh but made Bradley hot under the collar. Sometimes even just the sound of Jake’s voice over the radios while in the cockpit was enough to get Bradley half hard. Not only was their relationship incredibly physical, Bradley also was at the point where he found himself unable to stop thinking about Jake in the most domestic of ways. Smiling to himself when he saw Jake making eggs in the morning, his heart tightening when he thought about how this was his life now. How much he loved it and how much he loved Jake. They hadn’t said it to each other yet, unspoken understanding being enough for now, but Bradley knew when he got home from this deployment he wouldn’t be able to keep himself from blurting it out. 

As he kept scrolling back and forth between all of Jake’s messages, Bradley palmed his half hard erection through his boxers. He glanced at the time on his phone and sighed. If he didn’t shower now it would get to be late and he had to be up early, and he could finish what he’d started while he was in there. 

He threw his phone down and rolled himself off the bed, still getting his legs underneath him. Bradley turned the water on and stripped quickly, standing naked in front of the mirror while the water warmed up. He had never thought much about how he looked until Jake. Jake would constantly tell him he was perfect, that he was the hottest person he’d ever seen, and how he couldn’t believe Bradley was his. Bradley would just tell Jake the same, and it was true. Jake was incredibly beautiful and Bradley could never understand how he pulled Jake. As he stared at himself in the mirror, Bradley ran his hands over his chest and stomach, wishing they were Jake’s strong, capable hands. He gave his dick a small tug before finally stepping into the shower. 

The water was warm and relaxed his muscles. He let it run over his head and wet his hair but his hands still roamed over his own body. He started something back out on the bed and he wasn’t about to let a pesky thing like washing his hair get in the way of that quite yet. Bradley turned around to let the spray hit his back for a moment while he finally got his hand on his nearly fully hard cock. He let out a soft groan and worked his hand slowly up and down. Because he was facing away from the shower head, his hand was a little dry but he enjoyed the roughness for the moment. It was how Jake would do it, anyway.

Finally, Bradley turned back toward the spray and sped his hand up. He imagined Jake under him on his knees, eyes looking up at him full of hope and the need to please Bradley. Bradley’s other hand wandered back to his chest and started to play with one of his nipples. He let out a long, quiet moan, still with it enough to remember he was in a hotel and probably had neighbors. With the water mixed with precome that was now coating his hand, the slide got easier and he increased his speed. 

“Fuck,” he gasped out between quick breaths. Even though it was only in his head, it was like he could feel the heat of Jake’s mouth around him, the slick glide of his tongue along the underside of his cock, right along the vein that ran there. “Oh, God, Jake, please,” Bradey breathed out.

His hand that was not on his cock was grabbing handfuls of his chest, massaging the muscle and digging his nails in. It was easy to imagine Jake reaching up from his spot on the floor while he kept one hand working Bradley’s cock. He had done it more than once before, it was one of Bradley’s favorite things. 

Bradley thought about reaching his free hand back around to open himself up, but as his hand worked, his breaths continued to get quicker and the rest of his body caught up with the fatigue of the trip overseas. He felt himself tipping closer to the edge and started to feel fuzzy around the edges. 

Quiet, quick breaths turned to soft, gasping moans of pleasure and Bradley worked his hand quickly over his cock, stripping it like it was his last lifeline. Bradley’s thoughts were of Jake as he painted the floor of the shower. His orgasm hit him hard, two weeks on the ship when all he could think about was his incredibly hot boyfriend but not being able to do anything about it was torture. 

Once his bearings returned to him, Bradley finished up his shower by washing his body and splashing water on his face. His breathing had slowed back to a normal tempo and his hands stopped their wandering around his body, finally letting his cock come to rest heavily between his legs, still softening. It didn’t take him long to finish his shower but he didn’t want to leave the warmth of the shower. 

After reluctantly shutting off the water, Bradley stepped out into the steamy bathroom and wrapped a towel around himself. He gave a quick thought to the fact that Jake would be waking up soon and the messages he could send when they were awake at the same time. His dick twitched slightly but he elected to ignore it for the time being. The scratch of the towel on his skin made for a welcome distraction from how horny he still was and he finished getting ready for bed. 

Bradley was settled in bed, the TV glowing and giving him some soft background noise. It was turned to some late night Japanese sports analysis show, but he wasn’t paying attention. He finally decided to scroll through the rest of his messages from Ice and Mav. There wasn’t anything super important for him to respond to right away, but he shot off a text to the both of them to let him know they made it to Tokyo. It was nearing six in the morning at home, so the replies of “Thanks for letting us know” came through quickly. After texting Nat to let her know the same, Bradley finally opened up his messages with Jake again. He concocted a message to let him know just how his shower had gone, and he waited eagerly for Jake to wake up while he scrolled mindlessly through social media. 

About 45 minutes later, Bradley’s phone buzzed where it sat on the bed next to him and he smiled when he saw the message was from Jake. Instead of texting him back, he hit the call button and put the phone to his ear. 

“Good morning, baby,” Bradley said when Jake answered the phone in a sleepy voice. “How did you sleep?”

“Mmm, it was fine,” Jake replied. “But by the sounds of your voice, and the texts you sent me, my morning is about to get a lot better.”

[ancientstone]

On the 4th July 2024 the UK will hold a General Election

What does this mean?

On the 4th July 2024, the UK will go to the polls. Each constituency (an electoral area) will get to chose between a number of local candidates (MPs), each representing one of the political parties, such as the Conservatives, Labour, Liberal Democrats, etc.

When all the ballots have been counted, the person with the most will be elected, meaning that person's party will hold that constituency. Once every constituency winner is announced (or if there's a landslide for a party which the others cannot hope to beat) that political party wins the general election, and the person in charge of that party becomes Prime Minster.

In the last General Election, the turnout was 67.3% across the UK.

Who gets to vote?

To vote in the General Election, you must be one of the following (information taken directly from here):

be registered to vote

be 18 or over on the day of the election (‘polling day’)

be a British, Irish or qualifying Commonwealth citizen

be resident at an address in the UK or living abroad and registered as an overseas voter

not be legally excluded from voting

Registering to Vote

You can register to vote here.

You can check if you're registered by going here.

According to the website, while registering, "You’ll be asked for your National Insurance number (but you can still register if you do not have one). After you’ve registered, your name and address will appear on the electoral register."

There is also an option to register to vote anonymously "if you're concerned about your name and address appearing on the electoral register for safety reasons." The link to that page is here.

You can register to vote by post by going here and printing out the forms.

If you would like a step-by-step guide to registering to vote, here is a page that has a pdf doing just that. It is also available in Welsh.

Photo ID

We now need to show a photo ID when turning up to the polls.

Here is a list of valid forms of photo ID.

Make sure you give yourself plenty of time to get a valid ID, otherwise you will be turned away from the polling station.

If you vote by proxy, you need to "take your own ID when you go to vote on someone else’s behalf. You do not need to take theirs."

According to the website, "The name on your ID must match your name on the electoral register. If it does not, you’ll need to:

register to vote again with your new details

take a document with you to vote that proves you’ve changed your name (for example, a marriage certificate)

Small differences do not matter. For example, if your ID says ‘Jim Smith’ instead of ‘James Smith’.

If you do not have a type of photo ID that allows you to vote, you can apply for a Voter Authority Certificate."

You need to apply to vote by post

You can apply here.

You need to be registered before applying.

To apply you need:

"The address where you are registered to vote

Your National Insurance number or other identity documents, e.g. a passport

the specific date of the election or referendum you want to make a postal vote, if you only want a one-off postal vote

You’ll also need to upload a photo of your handwritten signature in black ink on plain white paper.

If you cannot provide a signature or one that always looks the same, you may be able to apply for a postal vote signature waiver within the service.

You might be asked for extra documents to identify you."

The linked page has an option for downloading an application form to send in by post.

Resources

BBC breakdown of General Elections

BBC boundary changes to constituencies

An overview of the political parties

BBC News page for current politics

How many MPs are in which parties

General info around voting, elections, boundary changes, etc.

TL;DR

On the 4th July 2024 the UK votes for the next political party in charge.

You need to register to vote.

You need to take a photo ID with you.

You need to apply to vote by post.

The rest of the world is welcome to share this! Also feel free to add extra resources and information!

[spawksstuff]

De's Military Service

The National Archives and Records Administration is a great website for military records, especially old ones. Some have been digitized and some have not (and some were burned in a fire in 1973, presumably what happened to my great grandfather's records). I was searching for the two training films De was a part of besides "A Time To Kill" (I am determined to find them!) and decided to see if his record was on there, and sure enough it was. Even though it's a public website, I still blacked out De's Serial Number (his SSN was already blacked out) although I don't think anyone could do anything with it since its been so long and as he had no children, any potential VA benefits wouldn't be a factor today or in the future.

Draft Registration:

This address is right on the beach. His employer is "Cooper Arms" which is down the block from the residence address. Cooper Arms is where he got his elevator job. I don't know if this is before or after he crashed in their basement. He's 21 here, so this is sometime in 1941. Notice the signature on the bottom. The clerk most likely made him put in "Jackson" since that was his "official" name. Blue, Blonde, light complexion, and 150 lbs.

10 March 1943 Long Beach Press Telegram

The newspaper article where De got on the bus to go to Basic. (Mentioned in "From Sawdust to Stardust"). (Article was saved in my "military" folder instead of "newspapers", which is why it wasn't posted before.)

Payroll RAAF, Roswell NM 30 Apr 44

I don't know why this was included in his record, but I love finding records like this so I included it.

Going from left to right, 3 Mar 43 (date drafted). 0 is Years of Service (it's weird in the military: if you're in, but below 2 years, you're still considered having 0 years of service until you hit that 2 year mark, at least on pay records). With the comment under his name, it appears De stopped an allotment in February, and they are now reimbursing him for taking it after he wanted it stopped. If the codes are the same as today, an "F" Allotment is to a charity or emergency assistance fund. Blacked out is his Serial Number. The 6.60 is for an "N" Allotment which is life insurance. 3.75 is for "Class A pay reservations" which is a war bond as far as I can tell. 1.50 is for "Government Laundry."

In the second picture, I could not decode what the 10.35 was for (T/A). So he was due 65.65, but they collected the 1.50, leaving him with 64.15. He signed (with "Jackson" now) saying he received that money.

Separation 28 Jan 1946 -

After VE and VJ day, the First Motion Picture Unit was shut down and some of the unit was sent to Colorado to wait for their separation orders.

Separation Qualification Record

Lists his military jobs, basic information, and a summary of military occupations, which would likely have been useful for returning GIs to get a job doing something similar to what they did in the service, for example, radio technicians, communications, etc. The address on Normandie is where he and Carolyn started renting right before they got married.

Page 2 (Backpage), Military Education, Civilian Education and occupations. Again all of this would be helpful for returning GIs.

Honorable Discharge Certificate

WD AGO Form 53-55 - Official Separation Form

Basic information. Same address on Normandie as above. Blue eyes, but now Brown hair and weight is 165 (Guess 3 meals a day and all the PT helped him out 😂 Or Carolyn made him some good food 🤣). No. Depend-1, this is number of dependents, being spouse or children, or even at this time parents as the rules were more lax on supporting your parents.

Block 21 Civilian Occupation "Checker" - I'm unsure about this but according to "From Sawdust to Stardust" De told them he was an "entertainer." Box 35 is Immunizations, which continues in Box 55. I'm surprised by how late he got these. Perhaps the Army gave priority to those going overseas first and then the rest got them. Nowadays you get the majority at Basic Training if you don't already have them.

Served 2 years, 10 months, and 13 days, and was a Private First Class upon discharge. Reason for separation is basically "surplus." Pay Data was his final pay plus some travel money, and his insurance continued for another month.

Block 34, right thumb print. Box 55 Remarks: the continued immunizations. Inactive service is while he was waiting to board the bus to Basic, (the time between when he was notified he was drafted and the day he officially was).

The "6 Days lost" is throwing me. Usually "Days lost" means you weren't able to work because you made a bad choice (like you're hungover, or you did something incredibly stupid and hurt yourself, causing hospitalization, or you didn't show up for most of your shift) but I can't see De being too hungover to work or not showing up. However, there is the story of him, George Reeves, and another soldier getting lost in Colorado, pushed a car into the nearby town, and when they couldn't get the hotel owner to open up, they broke in and slept on the floor. They were drunk after drinking a bottle of bourbon trying to stay warm. The sheriff came by and took them to jail for the night. There's also the story of George Reeves getting recognized in Colorado at a hotel and decided not to spend the night because he got mobbed (De was with him). A sheriff pulled them over for something and decided to put them in jail for the night. I don't know if these two stories are the same or not, one was in the book and one was in a newspaper article, but if it made them late or made them miss a shift, that would count as being absent, (but not AWOL, which would have been much more serious). Also I don't know if the furlough time was considered "lost time". It's possible all of this was and it added up to the 6 days.

The 4 Discharge Emblems were pins issued to be worn on the uniform once someone was discharged. Since there was a clothing shortage, service members were authorized to wear their uniforms even after they were discharged (mostly while traveling home). The Discharge Emblem proved that they weren't away from their unit, that they were allowed to be wherever they were. ASR score was a rating given to service members to list who got discharge papers first.

De signed and he was now a Veteran and a civilian. Back to Carolyn at Normandie and Paramount.

[killed-by-choice]

Denise Holmes, 24 (USA 1970)

California’s early legalization of abortion was hazardous to young Californians and their mothers, but the damage wasn’t limited to those living in the state. Travelers from across the country— or even those from overseas— were also killed by “safe and legal” abortion.

Denise Joy Holmes was an Australian citizen living in Texas. She was planning to go home for the holidays with a stop on the way. On December 21, she was checked into Avalon Hospital in Los Angeles, California.

Despite the name, Avalon Hospital was an abortion facility. It was a chain location owned by Edward “Fast Eddie” Allred, the owner and founder of Family Planning Associates. His abortion corporation and owned facilities are responsible for at least 18 client deaths.

Thanks to Allred and Avalon, Denise never made it home for Christmas or saw her family again. She was pronounced dead by Allred himself at 5:00 PM that day. She was only 24 years old.

An autopsy was performed and confirmed that the abortion killed her. Denise suffered an amniotic fluid embolism, but it wasn’t just amniotic fluid. Pieces of her dead baby had been left inside of her, as shown by the pieces of fetal bone marrow found in her lungs.

After Denise’s autopsy, her body was cremated and the ashes sent to her grieving family. Her remains were buried 3 days after Christmas.

After killing Denise, Allred was welcomed into the National Abortion Federation. He was widely known for his 5-minute abortions, which were in fact reckless and caused severe internal injuries in many cases.

Denise Holmes was the first known abortion client to be killed by Allred’s facilities. She was nowhere close to the last. Others include 16-year-old Patricia “Patty” Chacon, Mary Pena, Josefina Garcia, 13-year-old Deanna Bell, 17-year-old Laniece Dorsey, Joyce Ortenzio, 19-year-old Tami Suematsu, Susan Levy, 18-year-old Christine Mora, Kimberly K. Neil, Chanelle Bryant, Ta Tanisha Wesson, Maria Leho, 16-year-old Nakia Jorden, Maria Rodriguez, Emmeko Reed and Kenniah Epps. In addition to all of the abortion clients, Barbara Plenger also died after an FPA facility’s IUD insertion caused an infected abscess that was eventually lethal.

Los Angeles Death Certificate 55459 (Affadavit 702792)

"California, County Birth and Death Records, 1800-1994", database with images, Denise J Holmes, 1970 Document 55459 page 56

"California Death Index, 1940-1997," database, Denise J Holmes, 21 Dec 1970; Department of Public Health Services, Sacramento.

"California, Los Angeles, Angelus-Rosedale Cemetery/Crematory Records, 1884-2002", database, Denise Joy Holmes, 1970.

[mariacallous]

For the third time since December, House Speaker Mike Johnson has failed to wrangle support for reauthorizing a critical US surveillance program, raising questions about the future of a law that compels certain businesses to wiretap foreigners on the government’s behalf.

Johnson lost 19 Republicans on Tuesday in a procedural vote that traditionally falls along party lines. Republicans control the House of Representatives but only by a razor-thin margin. The failed vote comes just hours after former US president Donald Trump ordered Republicans to “Kill FISA” in a 2 am post on Truth Social, referring to the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, under which the program is authorized.

The Section 702 surveillance program, which targets foreigners overseas while sweeping up a large amount of US communications as well, is set to sunset on April 19. The program was extended by four months in late December following Johnson’s first failed attempt to hold a vote.

Congressional sources tell WIRED they have no idea what the next steps will be.

The program itself will carry on into the next year, regardless of whether Johnson manages to muster up another vote in the next week. Congress does not directly authorize the surveillance. Instead, it allows the US intelligence services to seek “certifications” from a secret surveillance court on a yearly basis.

The Justice Department applied for new certifications in February. Last week, it announced they’d been approved by the court. The government’s power to issue new directives under the program without Congress’s approval, however, remains in question.

The certifications, which are required only due to the “incidental” collection of US calls, generally permit the program’s use in cases involving terrorism, cybercrime, and weapons proliferation. US intelligence officials have also touted the program as crucial in combating the flood of fentanyl-related substances entering the US from overseas.

The program remains controversial due to a laundry list of abuses committed primarily at the Federal Bureau of Investigation, which maintains a database that holds a portion of the raw data collected under 702.

Although the government says it only “targets” foreigners, it has acknowledged collecting a large amount of US communications in the process. (The actual amount, it says, is impossible to calculate.) Nevertheless, it claims that once those communications are in the government’s possession, it is constitutional for federal agents to review those wiretaps without a warrant.

An unlikely coalition of progressives and conservative lawmakers formed last year in a push to end these warrantless searches, many of the Republicans involved vocal critics of the FBI following its misuse of FISA to target a Trump campaign staffer in 2016. (The 702 program, which is only one part of FISA, was not implicated in that particular controversy.)

Privacy experts have criticized proposed changes to the Section 702 program championed by members of the House Intelligence Committee, as well as Johnson, who had previously voted in favor of a warrant requirement despite now opposing it.

“It seems Congressional leadership needs to be reminded that these privacy protections are overwhelmingly popular,” says Sean Vitka, policy director at Demand Progress, a civil liberties–focused nonprofit. “Surveillance reformers remain willing and able to do that.”

A group of attorneys—among the few to ever present arguments before the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court—said in a statement on Tuesday that an amendment offered up by the Intel committee risked dramatically increasing the number of US businesses forced to cooperate with the program.

Declassified filings released by the FISA court last year revealed that the FBI had misused the 702 program more than 278,000 times, including, as reported by The Washington Post, against “crime victims, January 6 riot suspects, people arrested at protests after the policing killing of George Floyd in 2020 and—in one case—19,000 donors to a congressional candidate.”

James Czerniawaski, a senior policy analyst at Americans for Prosperity, a Washington, DC, think tank pushing for changes to Section 702, says that despite recognizing its value, it remained a “troubled program” in need of “significant and meaningful reforms.”

“The outcome of today was completely avoidable,” he says, “but it requires the Intelligence Community and its allies to recognize that its days of unaccountable and unconditional spying on Americans are over.”

[thaivisanews]

Thailand SMART Visa

Thailand's ambition to transform its economy into a high-tech hub has led to the creation of the SMART Visa program. Launched in 2020, this visa aims to attract skilled professionals, investors, and entrepreneurs across ten targeted industries deemed crucial for the nation's growth. Let's delve deeper into the intricacies of the SMART Visa program and explore its various facets.

Tailored Categories for Specific Needs

The SMART Visa caters to a diverse range of individuals by offering four distinct categories:

SMART Talent (T) Visa: This category targets highly skilled professionals with expertise in fields like robotics, aviation, and digital technology. Applicants must possess a minimum monthly salary of 100,000 baht (approximately $3,000 USD) and have their work experience endorsed by a relevant government agency within the Strategic Talent Center (STC) network. This visa offers a maximum four-year stay with the possibility of renewal.

SMART Business (B) Visa: This category focuses on attracting business executives and investors. Applicants can qualify by demonstrating a minimum investment in a Thai company or a minimum annual income derived from overseas. Unlike the T visa, the B visa doesn't require specific industry expertise but offers a shorter maximum stay of two years, also renewable.

SMART Startup (S) Visa: This visa is ideal for entrepreneurs seeking to establish or join a startup in Thailand. Applicants can qualify by having a stake in a registered Thai startup or participating in an approved accelerator or incubator program. The S visa offers flexible stay durations of 6 months, 1 year, or 2 years, depending on the specific circumstances.

SMART Family (F) Visa: Spouses and children of SMART Visa holders can apply for the F visa, allowing them to accompany the main visa holder and reside in Thailand for the duration of the primary visa's validity. This eliminates the need for dependents to obtain separate visas, simplifying the relocation process.

Beyond Long Stays: Unveiling the SMART Visa Advantage

The SMART Visa goes beyond just offering extended stays. Here's a breakdown of some of its key benefits:

Fast-Track Immigration: SMART Visa holders benefit from expedited immigration services at designated Thai airports, saving valuable time upon arrival.

Work Permit Exemption: The T visa and, in some cases, the B visa exempt holders from the need to obtain a separate work permit, streamlining the employment process. Spouses with F visas may also be eligible to work without a separate work permit.

Tax Incentives: SMART Visa holders in certain categories might be eligible for tax benefits such as reduced personal income tax rates or exemptions on imported equipment for business ventures.

Multiple Re-Entry: Unlike some Thai visas, the SMART Visa allows for multiple entries and exits throughout its validity period, offering greater travel flexibility.

Eligibility Nuances and the Application Process

The eligibility requirements for each SMART Visa category can be nuanced. It's crucial to consult with a Thai immigration lawyer to determine the most suitable category and ensure you meet all the specific criteria. Here's a simplified overview of the application process:

Category Selection: Identify the SMART Visa category that best aligns with your goals and qualifications (Talent, Business, Startup, or Family).

Documentation Gathering: Compile the necessary documents as per your chosen category, which may include academic certificates, employment contracts, business plans, or financial statements.

Endorsement (if applicable): For the T visa, endorsement from a relevant STC agency is mandatory. This involves submitting your application and qualifications to the designated agency for review and approval.

Application Submission: Applications are typically submitted through the Thailand Board of Investment (BOI) or a designated embassy or consulate.

The Legal Landscape: Considerations and Potential Challenges

While the SMART Visa program offers exciting prospects, some factors require careful consideration:

Industry Specificity: The T visa's focus on targeted industries might exclude skilled professionals in other sectors.

Work Permit Exemptions: The work permit exemption associated with certain SMART Visas might not apply to all job roles within a company. Consulting with an immigration lawyer is crucial to navigate this complexity.

Evolving Regulations: The SMART Visa program is relatively new, and regulations might evolve over time. Staying updated with the latest requirements is essential.

Conclusion

The SMART Visa program presents a compelling opportunity for skilled professionals, entrepreneurs, and their families seeking to establish themselves in Thailand's dynamic economy. By understanding the intricacies of each category, its benefits, and the application process, individuals can leverage this program to chart a successful course in the Land of Smiles. Remember, seeking expert legal advice can ensure a smooth application process and maximize your chances of securing a SMART Visa.

[alazyparallelworld]

SO YOU'RE IN A CRISIS

these resources are US centric. i don't know enough about overseas support, and this list is mostly complied from experienced hardship.

also, bc these are from my personal experiences, they pivot around my states of longterm residency. i've tried my best to provide general resources and use unspecific enough terminology. if you need help navigating resources (eligibility, applications, etc) in your state, my DMs are open and i would be happy to help.

eternal WIP. i am sure i've forgotten something. rbs are welcomed n appreciated. questions/corrections/etc should go in my DMs.

department of human services / department of social and health services | applicable to: low-income

housing (most applicable for eviction-notice crisis, NOT homeless or housed situations. there are still programs for unprovided/unsafe shelter emergencies, but they vary wildly. please DM me for more info.)

food (food stamps which bring a wide variety of benefits on their own, meal plans, etc)

cash (washington residents: if you qualify for SSI* you can receive cash assistance. other states: whether or not it is provided in your state, and the qualifier i.e needy families/food assistance, varies. please DM me for more info, whether or not you are a resident of washington.)

medical (public insurance, as well as other services i.e delivered meds, caregiving. please DM me for more caregiver-specific info.)

transportation (gas vouchers, necessary/medical transportation, discount on bus fare)

education: see etc below, as the most beneficial support will come from social workers.

child support: see etc below, as most beneficial support will come from social workers.

cellular (lifeline/ACP, a federal program in which you can acquire a fully paid smartphone or discount on wifi. you can transfer the wifi benefit to another internet provider)

etc: social workers are in-house, who can provide many services i.e housing situation, mental health support, job opportunities, applying for SSI, pretty much anything. if they cannot help you, they should transfer you to another worker who can, or provide you with another resource. through my social worker is how i got my housing paid. if you are on medicaid and/or food stamps, those benefits open a wide door to other benefits - this is how you qualify for lifeline/ACP, discounted amazon prime, etc.

*disability. to receive disability YOU CANNOT BE EMPLOYED FULLTIME. what follows is, almost always, automatic rejection. part-time is still susceptible to automatic rejection. do not turn to a lawyer for help; ask a social worker for help with the specifics of your situation. however, even if you are employed full/part-time, it is still beneficial to apply for SSI as this provides an earlier 'date of onset,' and is extremely helpful for a potential future claim. this is true in all states, AFAIK.

job corps | applicable to: low-income, 16-24 (24 maximum, unless in extraordinary circumstances)

housing (boarding rooms; roommate situation heavily varies)

food (3 meals a day, everyday, and vending machines)

medical (wellness center, staffed with nurses and doctor(s) - can provide medication and therapy)

transportation (drivers' license, will give rides to workplaces*)

education (GED, alternative HS diploma, training and certifications)

child support: dependent on center, alternative boarding for mothers* and their children

cellular: dependent on center, free 24/7 wifi is provided.

etc: there are significant drawbacks to job corps, which are very dependent on center-to-center. as it is federal property, no drugs or alcohol usage is permitted on campus. when arriving and returning to JC, campus security will administer a breathalyzer test. it is a 'ZT'/zero tolerance - you will be expelled if drug/alcohol usage is discovered. there's also a 'cash stipend,' but i don't know the exact amount or the frequency. when i went to JC ('17-'18) it was $20 biweekly, increased to $30 after ~12-16 months of enrollment. i was told that it has increased to $50, still biweekly. there is A Social Worker Lite upon graduation. they will check up with you, and for a time, will support you in finding stability. this includes housing and education. *IME, you cannot have a job and then enroll to job corps. but if you are employed while in job corps, they will provide transport. **IME, fathers/second parent/partners, cannot board with the mother or children. at my JC, the alternative boarding was only applicable to the biological parents - but in couples, the bio father would be boarded in the men's section.

community college / open admission colleges

near-universal acceptance rate, and some provide boarding. my CC provided holiday housing, including summertime. some CCs provide medication and therapy. there are opt-in meal plans, which are a part of your tuition. however, if you are under the age of 25 and applying for financial aid, you will need to have your parents' relevant tax records. even in extraordinary circumstances such as estrangement, the separation needs to be in legal documents and may be rejected anyway. and in the event that you are financially independent, some colleges will still require your parents' taxes.

food stamps and public insurance/medicaid

as mentioned before, these two are such qualifiers for OTHER benefits, they get their own separate piece. generally speaking, when filling an application for one resource on your state's website, there's an option to apply for others. TANF, medical caregiving, etc… save time and tick that option. if you're worried about 'fucking up' your application, see if your department has a social worker.

EBT discounts amazon prime, and your EBT card can be used in orders with EBT-eligible items. there's also a splinter called 'amazon fresh,' but that's only provided in some areas. if you receive EBT and/or medicaid, you qualify for lifeline/ACP. lifeline/ACP is a federal program, nationwide. sometimes other resources, i.e housing, transportation, and child support, can be locked behind receiving EBT and/or medicaid. wildly varies on state, situation, and the resource in question.

what medicaid covers… wildly varies on your state and situation. however, if you are need of an assistive device or treatment (a brace, cane, wheelchair, shower chair, physical therapy, medically necessary transportation, medical marijuana) ask your PCP for a prescription or referral. every time. avoid using money on what your PCP can provide - and these prescriptions are highly useful documents in SSI applications. your states' medicaid should cover most of these services - and talk to your routed insurance in the case of a denial. i'm aware this section is bulky and difficult to parse; please DM me if you need help understanding. this is a complex topic.

rent assistance

your local salvation army may pay for up to three months of rent. you can only ask for this assistance once a year. as aforementioned, your local housing authority / DSHS/DHS also can provide rent assistance. your state probably has its own program(s), which have different requirements, i.e income or age.

section 8/public housing | low-income, legally disabled/recipient of SSI

the application for section 8 is so daunting, i didn't do it independently. i had my social worker help me. i would heavily advise you do the same. section 8 housing is basically a waitlist for discounted/free housing, whether it be apartments or full houses. it is... extremely complicated. my advice is to apply for section 8, well before any significant financial changes. if your income goes up, you will have to reapply. i would suggest, if you are applying for SSI, to do both of these applications at the same time. there is a slim, but still possible, chance that you will get public housing before SSI.

emergency housing/unsheltered

some hotels/motels will offer temporary room, moreso if social worker requests it. you can google and find out what hotels/motels near you offer these services, and ask your social worker to contact them. your social worker may even provide transportation to the hotel/motel. i am Professional Enough that i was able to acquire a room for two strangers. (a small misunderstanding, as i was mistaken for a social worker. i rectified this mistake as soon as i realized - do not pretend to be a social worker. they will ask 'what company you're with,' and your name and contact information. lying is a very good way to get blacklisted.) this is an outlier, but if you're well-versed enough, you could do this yourself. get in contact with your local housing authority (what its called here) AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. there is a massive waitlist for unsheltered people; it is easier and faster to acquire shelter when you're still in the eviction/about to be kicked out bubble. whether or not they can help you is usually, IME, more dependent on your age than your income. work fast, keep steady contact.

domestic violence

in certain states, survivors of DV can have their voter registration removed from public access. this 2020 PDF lists the eligibility for each state. AFAIK, when applying for your voter registration, this is not a mandated question. you will have ask the relevant programs for your address to be private.

most applications for food stamps/insurance/housing/etc will ask if you are a survivor of DV. this has an increase of your cases' 'priority,' especially for housing. this applies to both fleeing and survivor situations.

furniture, clothing, laundry vouchers, hygiene products, household necessities | low-income, new residents

contact your local charities and/or relevant local nonprofit organizations. while there are online sites (i.e freegeek for electronics) these are very hit-and-miss. your local charities are more likely to have stock. several nonprofits offer vouchers for off-site laundry units, and sometimes for children hygiene products. furniture and other household appliances tend to ship directly to your home. for clothes and household necessities, you'll probably have to go to the office for pick-up. IME, clothes can be picked up any time at community closets, while i've had to schedule appointments to pick up bleach, tissues, etc. hygiene products are high-demand, low-supply. diapers are the 'worst offender' for low stock.

animal support

online grants for vet payment/assistance either are very specific, or have very long waitlists. most of the time, these grants apply to service animal canines (not emotional support, nor felines, or other animals) and/or serious conditions that already have a diagnoses - they won't pay for preliminary visits, bloodwork, etc. if your animal needs to be fixed, there are coupons for the procedure. you will have to se what vet accepts that specific coupon or not. for food, i would recommend, if you are financially able, to have a chewy subscription. this saves a lot of money in the long run - amazon's subscribe & save is an alternative, but not as cost-effective for high-quality food, IMO. your local charities/nonprofits may provide animal food.

[hapump]

留服学历认证,教留服认证,提升学历 #留学生学历认证 #大学文凭 #学历文凭

Academic certification for overseas service, certification for teaching overseas service, promotion of academic qualifications, academic certification for foreign students, university diploma, academic diploma

[anroverseasind]

ANR Overseas offers reliable Certificate Apostille services in India, ensuring a swift and efficient process for authenticating your important documents. ANR Overseas specializes in providing hassle-free Apostille services for certificates and documents. Our exceptional performance record reflects our commitment to timely and efficient processing. Trust our team to handle the Apostillation process seamlessly, ensuring your documents are authenticated without any delays.

[mordcore]

the EU has strict laws about data safety and privacy that applies to all companies doing business in the EU :D

but they decided to make exceptions for american companies and let them send our data overseas D:

but only if they are certified to be safe! i can't find out what the criteria for cetification are but.. you can trust the certification because the EU said so! :D

as for the american national intelligence agencies, they're allowed to take the data if it is conssidered "reasonable" D:

but they established a court called the Data Protection Review Court which can review the usa national intelligence activities and order them to delete data if they rule that it was not justified to get! :D

but the court is an american court and thus subject to american corruption and the political power of the nsa and cia to do whatever the fuck they want. D:

(also not like an order to delete data would bother them much since they can just lie and say that they did. not like anyone can actually check.)

basically: DSGVO is very nice but it won't help you if the company is american. or uses american services, such as google, for account creation for example. which most apps do. :/

[studyvisaexpert]

Top 3 In-demand Careers in Canada: Affordable DLI Programs for Overseas Students

The top 3 highly demanded jobs throughout Canada are Mechanical Engineers, Human Resource Managers, and Developers as per Randstad. It is a Consulting and Employment Agency Firm having 60-plus years of experience in the industry.  

Suitably, it can be anticipated that overseas students arriving in Canada can be inclined towards pursuing study programs that will equip them to get ready for careers in these highly demanded fields. You can avail of guidance and counseling from the Best Overseas Education Consultants in India for better insights to plan your studies in Canada.

So with the aim of assisting overseas students in their pursuit of achieving their objective, we have here compiled the top 3 DLIs - Designated Learning Institutions. These institutions offer affordable study programs to assist overseas students in establishing their careers in the highly demanded three employment sectors in Canada.

You must note here that the below comparison is based only on the tuition fees from the institutions and does not include the complete fees (Health/dental, Student services, Recreational, etc). Unless specified, the estimates for tuition fees are for 2023-2024 and in CAD.

For compiling the below lists, we have compared the highly popular DLI in every Province in Canada as per the QS 2023 World University Rankings. The comparison of the DLIs was crucial as these Canadian educational institutions have been authorized by the Government of Canada to accept overseas students. By studying at these establishments overseas student graduates can get the PGWP - Post-Graduation Work Permit.  

Job # 1: Developers

The first place in the list of Randstad's top 10 jobs in Canada trending in 2023 has been occupied by Developers. These code and design programs according to the needs of users: from Business Accounting Programs to Smartphone Apps to Operating Systems.

Usually, individuals in this role have a Computer Science background. All the ten DLIs assessed for the list offer programs in Computer Science. The most affordable are offered by U-Manitoba, Memorial, and UPEI.

(Note that only general estimates are offered by Memorial regarding tuition instead of program-specific costs inclusive of overseas students.)

1.   UPEI – A full year of tuition fees for Undergraduate Overseas Students is projected to be $6, 570  for Faculty of Science Programs

2.   Memorial – The tuition fees for overseas students is estimated at $20,000

3.   U-Manitoba - Undergraduate Overseas Students are required to pay tuition fees of $20,400 annually for the Science Program

The DLIs with highly expensive programs are:

·         McGill: $58,158.90 annually approximately for the Bachelor of Science program

·         UOT - $60,510 annually approximately for the Bachelor of Computer Science program

Job # 2: Human Resources Managers

The second highly demanded job in Canada according to Randstad is HR Managers. Generally, individuals in these roles supervise the human resource functions of a company inclusive of hiring and workforce management.

Again, all the DLIs assessed offer a study program related to HR. However, a few institutions offer a complete 4-year Undergraduate Program while others provide Certification Programs with a duration of less than 12 months.

Nevertheless, the most affordable programs in HR for overseas students are at:

1.   Dalhousie: $3,135*

2.   UOT: $6,051**

3.   UPEI - $6,570 yearly tuition

* HR Management Certificate Program at Dalhousie is inclusive of 3 courses each having duration of 12 weeks

** Estimations for a half fee for the course are offered by UOT for their Certificate Program in Human Resources Management

The DLIs with highly expensive programs in HR are:

·         UBC – annual tuition fee for overseas undergraduate students is $58,153.50 for Bachelor of Commerce program students

·         McGill - annual tuition fee for overseas undergraduate students is $65,604.30 for Bachelor of Commerce program students

Job # 3: Mechanical Engineers

The third highly demanded job in Canada according to Randstad is Mechanical Engineers. Individuals in these roles develop and design machines that resolve human issues find ways to automate and control manufacturing systems and resolve diverse environmental issues.

The most affordable programs in Mechanical Engineering for overseas students are found at the following institutions in Canada that have been listed along with the respective tuition fees estimates:

1.   UPEI - $6,750

2.   Memorial: $20,000

3.   UNB: $22,297; for overseas students studying Engineering program

The DLIs with highly expensive programs in Engineering are:

·   McGill: $59,654.40 annually approximately for the Bachelor of Engineering program

·   UOT - $65,410 annually approximately for the Bachelor of Engineering and Applied Science program

So this was a brief comparison of the DLIs/educational institutions in Canada with the most affordable tuition fees for the top 3 highly demanded occupations.If you wish to enroll in any of the top 3 highly demanded career study programs in Canada, contact Study Visa the Best Study Abroad Consultant in India.

[scj-seouljames]

The 113th Graduation Ceremony of the Shincheonji Zion Christian Mission Center

It was last winter!

There was a graduation ceremony at the Shincheonji Zion Christian Mission Center to produce 100,000 graduates, the largest in the world as a Christian educational institution.

The Zion Christian Mission Center, a free Bible education institution of the Shincheonji Church of Jesus, held the 113th Graduation Ceremony of the Zion Christian Mission Center at Daegu Stadium on the 20th.

A total of 106,186 students graduated on that day which makes it largest graduation in the world as a theological education institution.

On this day, the number of people attending the graduation ceremony on site was limited to 80,000 for people’s safety, and it has been broadcast live on YouTube and also worldwide in nine languages. Thus, 300,000 people attended the graduation ceremony online and offline.

As there were many concerns about safety issues recently, the graduation ceremony was thoroughly prepared against incidents.

The Shincheonji Church of Jesus said, 

"We have prepared the graduation ceremony with safety as a top priority,” and, “We will establish a network with the local government to prepare against incidents by checking and maintaining quarantine, safety, traffic, and order several times in advance, and we will operate a monitoring station with the police, fire department, Daegu city, and safety-related officials of Suseong-gu Office on-site. 

In addition, "The church itself deployed 14,000 safety personnel to maintain order inside and outside the venue, and we had them enter and leave for four hours to prevent people from crowding," they said. "In case of an accident, 180 medical staff and four ambulances are also on standby. Emergency rescue training was conducted for all the safety personnel, and all graduates also watched emergency rescue videos. We emphasize that this graduation ceremony is especially safe", they explained.

The graduation ceremony was held with the opening ceremony in the first part and the graduation ceremony in the second part.

In the first part, starting with a praise service, there were congratulatory speeches and a representative prayer, followed by a commemorative speech by Chairman Lee Man-hee.

The second part broadcast videos of graduation ceremonies overseas and then included congratulatory performances; a congratulatory speech by Tan Young-jin, president of the Zion Christian Mission Center; the awarding of certificates; moving the tassels; a commencement speech; and special performances.

The number of pastors among the graduates of the 113th graduation ceremony was a significant increase compared to the previous graduation ceremony, including 37 in Korea and 485 overseas for a total of 522 pastors who graduated.

The key is related to the environment of online lectures due to COVID-19.

Due to the nature of online classes, the number of pastors and theology students has increased, as the environment where students can take classes without being aware of people's attention has been created.

While the elementary and intermediate level course for Revelation was released on YouTube during the COVID-19 pandemic, the pastors who watched the seminar videos were not aware of people’s attention, and they could attend the Bible lectures online. This is the reason for the increase in the number of graduating pastors.

In fact, Heo, who made the commencement speech as the representative of the graduates in Korea at the graduation ceremony on that day, is an incumbent pastor whose family has been pastors for two generations.

Being a pastor for 20 years, he confessed as follows.

"In the theology school, I only learned traditional theology, but I didn't know much about the Book of Revelation. Taking away difficult content, I have taught only God’s words that are easy to convey to the congregation members. I repent that I was a sinner who added to or subtracted from the word of God," he said, "I put down all my knowledge and came forward to the truth. I learned the true theology that led me to heaven, not man's commandments, and graduated. I am grateful that God gave me a chance to live," he said.

In addition, D-Jackson, a pastor from India who was the representative of overseas graduates, changed the name of his theological seminary to “Hepto Zion Christian Mission Center” and signed an MOU after receiving an online Bible lecture at Shincheonji Church of Jesus in October last year.

Currently, the head pastors of two churches belonging to this denomination and 294 of their congregation members have completed the whole course at the Zion Christian Mission Center and were listed on that day as graduates of the 113th graduating class.

Meanwhile, the Shincheonji Church of Jesus focused on contributing to the revitalization of the local economy and coexisting with local residents by holding its first large-scale face-to-face event in Daegu since the COVID-19 pandemic.

The transportation of 100,000 people, the staff accommodation, meals, etc... It was a practical help to the local people by putting effort to carry out all consumption activities in that region.

In addition, after the Itaewon disaster, we contemplated whether to hold the event itself, but considering the contract situation with local companies, the event was held by focusing on safety as much as possible based on the know-how of holding a large-scale event.

For more information, please visit: https://www.youtube.com/@ShincheonjiChurch_en