RIP Winston

Just a brief break from our usual programming. Yesterday I had to put down my cat "Winston". Just shy of 14 years old the little fella's kidney's finally gave out after a long battle with diabetes, kidney disease, and pancreatitis, that featured a surprisingly quick ending (in exactly one week he went from playing and being himself to complete kidney failure). Now, I am posting this in part because sometimes I think we forget that the blogs we follow feature real people behind them, but there is also another reason more germane to the topics normally found on this website.

First off, eight plus years ago my wife and I adopted Winston from a 57 year old U.S. Navy veteran who lost his own battle; this time with cancer. He had been a friend of our family, and Winston was originally his baby.

Second, as you hopefully have deduced by now, Winston was not a coincidental name. It honors somebody...hint...hint...former PM, MP, Veteran, First Lord of the Admiralty, historian, writer...and so on. If I have to spell it out any further then I should probably just shut this website down. Anyway, and much like his namesake's favorite big gunned dreadnoughts, our Winston was large, feisty, and battleship grey. And just like the passing of the big gun capital ship era that so many of us enjoy reading about he will be missed.

Thank you for indulging me this moment. I recognize in part how ridiculous this is; given that this cat died after a full and happy life that had he been a human was the equivalent to living to age 70 something. Moreover, he did so peacefully, in his home, and with his closest family - unlike so many countless millions of people who suffered and endured unspeakable horrors during the numerous wars that this website chronicles. Next week we will get back to the history and defense topics that you come here for; and for which I greatly appreciate your attention in terms of keeping such important events alive in our collective memory.