the obituary of Robert D. Ray: “Many were concerned that the refugees would take jobs from Americans and fail to assimilate.” Kevin Petersen observes that Thinh Huynh took a job that not many want, “and I assure you that, with his massive Ram truck, can of Copenhagen dip, and penchant for country music, he assimilated.” He further says, “I am sure that Governor Ray would have liked to hear stories such as this.”


Finally, Kevin sent me this brief video, about CSM Huynh and one other member of the 82nd Airborne — a man from an earlier generation. CSM Tadeusz (Ted) Gaweda was born in 1933. Ten years later, he and his family were forced into a German labor camp. They were liberated by American GIs. CSM Gaweda wentFormer Ireland scrumhalf Peter Stringer has retired from rugby to bring down the curtain on a decorated professional career spanning two decades.

Stringer’s 20-year odyssey began with Munster in 1998 and he went on to make 230 appearances for the province, encompassing their Heineken Cup triumphs of 2006 and 2008

The 40-year-old also won 98 caps for Ireland over an 11-year period that reached its zenith with the 2009 Grand Slam, forming a highly-effective half-back combination with Ronan O’Gara.



More latterly he completed spells at Saracens, Newcastle, Bath, Sale and Worcester in the English Premiership.

“From the age of five all I ever dreamed of doing was playing rugby,” Stringer said in a statement released on his Twitter account.

“I cannot describe how it feels to have lived that dream for nearly all