Saving Private Ryan

LeRoy Elmer Borgstrom
born April 30, 1914
drafted into the Army on November 7, 1942
served in medical unit of the 361st Infantry, 91st Division
killed in action in Italy on June 22, 1944

Clyde Eugene Borgstrom
born February 15, 1916
enlisted in the Marines on October 14, 1940
killed in action on March 17, 1944
at Guadalcanal, Solomon Islands

Rolon Day Borgstrom
twin born May 5, 1925
drafted into the Army on July 7, 1943
two weeks after High School Graduation
shipped overseas in June 1944 as an aerial gunner
died in England on August 8, 1944
of injuries suffered during a bombing mission
over France and Germany

Rulon Jay Borgstrom
twin born May 5, 1925
drafted into the Army on July 7, 1943
two weeks after High School Graduation
also a gunner on a heavy bomber
killed in action on August 25, 1944
two and a half weeks after his twin brother Rolon

Boyd Carl Borgstrom
born July 21, 1921, in Thatcher, had enlisted on October 14, 1940, with his brother Clyde. Upon news that his fourth brother was missing in action, Boyd was shipped from the South Pacific to Camp LeJeune, North Carolina, where he as discharged on October 7, 1944.

These are the stories of the Borgstrom brothers from the small town of Tremonton, Utah.  

World War II took the lives of many Utahns, but no family in the state sacrificed more for the Allied cause than Alben and Gunda Borgstrom of Thatcher, Box Elder County. Four of the five sons they sent off to battle died within a six-month period during 1944.

"Few families in American history have been called upon to make such a tremendous sacrifice for the cause of freedom and liberty."

May they rest in peace. 

Saving Private Ryan

I have not seen all of Saving Private Ryan.  My stomach can't take the blood, but I have seen enough of the movie to appreciate even more the sacrifice those soldiers made that day on June 6, 1944.

Ten years ago on this exact day Michael and I were visiting France.  While there, on a whirlwind, we decided to visit Normandy. 

We visited the American Cemetery. Neither one of us was prepared for the intense feelings that washed over us the moment we stepped into the cemetery.

It is a sacred place. Much like a church, temple, or synagogue, the American Cemetery demands reverence. Michael and I were overcome with feelings of emotion. My chest felt heavy. Both of us looked at each other, "Do you feel that?"

Row upon row of crosses and Stars of David stretched across the expansive lawn. In the distance, you could hear the waves crash against the shore. Even the birds seemed to chirp a bit quieter as if they also knew reverence was expected.

It was incredible to walk those beaches, the same beaches that were once covered with so much carnage.  Looking out over the Atlantic, I envisioned those scared, brave, young men landing on the beaches.  They sacrificed so much.

All these years later, the beaches are still covered with German bunkers and barbed wire.  I cannot help, but think that a divine hand guided those soldiers through the massive gun fire spilling over them.  I don't know how these American soldiers could have accomplished their mission without help from above?

I am profoundly grateful this Memorial Day for those brave souls, men and women, who have fought valiantly for our country.  I am grateful for today's military.  They are away from home and loved ones.  They forsake their own comfort for mine.  They jeopardize their own lives to keep me and mine safe.  These men and women fight for my freedom.

It is small and most insignificant, but THANK YOU.

****On Wednesday, That's Entertainment will bring you a real life story about Utah's own "Ryan" brothers.

The Brady Bunch Quiz Answers

1. What was the name of the Brady's dog who suddenly disappeared without explanation?  Bonus, if you can name the girl's cat that appeared in the first episode only!



Tiger was the dog's name.  Sadly the dog that portrayed Tiger was hit and killed by a car.  The cat that appeared in one episode was Fluffy.


2.Name the super star athlete who came to visit Bobby after he faked a severe illness.

JoeNamath

3.What actor made a guest appearance as a prospector who locked the Brady's up in a jail cell fearing they were after his gold?

Jim Backus, better known as his role as Thurston Howell III, played the prospector.



4.Marcia was the president of what pop star's fan club?

The Davy Jones fan club.

5.In one episode Peter was proclaimed a hero by his local paper.  What was his heroic act?

Peter saved a young girl at a toy store when a wall she was climbing came unbolted and crashed to the floor.  Peter rescued her just in time.

6.Carol's young cousin came to live with the Brady's in the final season.  What was his name?

Oliver

7.What was Alice's boyfriend's name?  What was his profession?

Sam was a butcher.

8.The Brady kids appeared on a local talent show to raise money for their parents' anniversary. What stage name did they go by?

The Brady's went by the Silver Platter in honor of the silver platter they were trying to buy for their parent's anniversary.  See the t.v. section for their groovy performance!

9.Who ultimately won the driving contest, Greg or Marcia? What was the contest?

Marcia won the driving contest.  The object was to get the closest to the cone without knocking over the egg.  Greg knocked over the egg.  Marcia did not.  And people say women driver's are bad.  Yeah!  Right!  Way to go Marcia!

10.What was Alice's last name?

Alice Nelson

The Brady Bunch Trivia

1.What was the name of the Brady's dog who suddenly disappeared without explanation?  Bonus, if you can name the girl's cat that appeared in the first episode only!

2.Name the super star athlete who came to visit Bobby after he faked a severe illness.

3.What actor made a guest appearance as a prospector who locked the Brady's up in a jail cell fearing they were after his gold?

4.Marcia was the president of what pop star's fan club?

5.In one episode Peter was proclaimed a hero by his local paper.  What was his heroic act?

6.Carol's young cousin came to live with the Brady's in the final season.  What was his name?

7.What was Alice's boyfriend's name?  What was his profession?

8.The Brady kids appeared on a local talent show to raise money for their parents' anniversary. What stage name did they go by?

9.Who ultimately won the driving contest, Greg or Marcia? What was the contest?

10.What was Alice's last name?

The Brady Bunch Quotes

Let's find out how well you did on the quote quiz.

"Porkchops and Applesauce"-Peter Brady



"Something suddenly came up."-Marcia Brady.  This came back to haunt her when soon after she broke her nose and "something suddenly came up" for her intended date.



"Adios Johnny Bravo."-Greg Brady bids farewell to his music agents when he learns they are only interested in his looks, not his voice.  He fits the suit.

"Mom always says not to play ball in the house."-Bobby Brady.  I never understood though why Peter should be the only one to get in trouble.  They were all playing ball in the house, Peter just had the misfortune of knocking over Carol's favorite vase.



"Marcia, Marcia, Marcia"-Jan Brady, who else would it be?



"He's better than a doctor, he's Santa Claus."-Cindy Brady Mom has laryngitis and she is schedule to sing Christmas morning in church.  The mall Santa looked in Cindy's big blue eyes and promised her that mommy would get her voice back.  It turned out to be a real Christmas miracle.

The real trivia will be posted tomorrow. Take The Brady Bunch quiz on Thursday to see how much you really know about the best loved blended family of the 70's.

The Brady Bunch

Who said what?  Each quote below was said by a different Brady child.  Can you put the quote with the right Brady? 

"Porkchops and Applesauce"

"Something suddenly came up."

"Adios Johnny Bravo"

"Mom always says not to play ball in the house."

"Marcia, Marcia, Marcia"

"He's better than a doctor, he's Santa Claus." 

Come back on Wednesday for the correct answers.

*Catch the funny clip I posted on the movie page from The Brady Bunch movie.

Brady Bunch-Interesting Facts

It is hard to believe that The Brady Bunch was never in the top ten for t.v. ratings; yet somehow this show has achieved cult following status.

How well do you know The Brady Bunch? Let's start the week with some interesting facts from behind the scenes.

*464 girls and boys were interviewed by producer Sherwood Schwartz to find out who would act best, as the 6 Brady kids.

*Sherwood Schwartz's technique for auditioning child actors was to set out a bunch of toys on his desk, then during the interview see if the child paid attention to him or was distracted by the toys. If the toys went unheeded, Schwartz knew the child had the concentration needed to work on a television series.

*The theme song (written by show creator Sherwood Schwartz was performed by The Peppermint Trolley Company for the show's first season. For the remaining four seasons, it was was sung by the Brady kids, and re-recorded each year.

*Even though this show stayed on for five seasons, it never was a ratings hit. The highest it ever got was number 34 in the Nielsens, but stayed on the air due to its popularity among children.

*Due to its marginal ratings, the show was never renewed for a whole season until its last season on the air (1973-74). During its first four seasons, it was only renewed for thirteen episodes at a time.

*Sherwood Schwartz originally wanted Gene Hackman for the role of Mike Brady, but Hackman wasn't considered well-known enough at the time.

*Because of difficulties with Robert Reed, Sherwood Schwartz considered the possibility of either hiring a new actor to play Mike Brady or killing off the character altogether, if the series were to be renewed for a sixth season. However, neither idea ever materialized since the show was canceled at the end of its fifth season.

*The major sponsors during the earlier episodes were Cheerios and Mattel Toys.

*The house used for exterior shots, which was normally seen at the beginning of every episode as well as various points throughout the show's run, is at 11222 Dilling St., Studio City, California. Since the series ended, the owners of the home have erected an iron fence, let heavy shrubbery grow to cover much of the front, and have suffered numerous trespassers. They also refused to let producers use the home for exterior shots in the subsequent films in the 1990s.

*Trivia courtesy of ShareTV.

Stop by the t.v. section to see what is arguably the most famous line from The Brady Bunch.

Small Wonder

Turkeys are in abundance when it comes to t.v. programs; My Mother the Car; Mr. Ed; Out of This World; Hee Haw, etc...etc...etc...

My vote for the stupidest show of ALL time is Small Wonder. The program revolves around the Lawson family. The father is an engineer. He has developed a robot that happens to look and act like a ten year old girl. He brings the robot, Vicki, home to live with his family.

Apparently ever single person that has any relation to the family is pathetically stupid. No one questions why Vicki wears the same clothes everyday and why

Vicki....talks...like....a....robot....without....any....voice....inflection.



There must have been slim pickings in the 1985 television schedule.

Does anyone reading this want to cast an alternative vote for the worst show ever?  Please share.

Next week will be fun.  It is time to dedicate an entire week to one television show.  Here are a few clues.  She had three girls with hair of gold; and he was busy with three boys of his own. 

Land of the Lost

Who doesn't think that Sid and Marty Kroft were either on something or simply off their rockers?  Their shows were crazy, ludicrous.  The Krofts were a different breed.  You can't argue with that!

The Land of the Lost is a show I watched every Saturday morning.  I searched numerous clips, but could not find one with decent graphics.  I thought twice about posting this clip because the graphics are not great, not even good; but then I realized they go very well with the show's own disastrous graphics!



P.S. Nothing else in t.v. history has come close to the sleezestack and that lovable Chaka.

Alf

You don't have to wait for Thanksgiving to enjoy some turkey.  It's turkey week at That's Entertainment.

I wonder the intelligence of television executives when programs like ALF make it to air.  The only other reason would be the choice of new television programming that year really sucked!  But what could be worse than a cat eating ant eater looking alien who lives with humans? 

Perhaps the only other alternative was a dog eating elephant looking alien who lives with humans?  My imagination only goes so far.  I can't imagine anything much lamer.



My bigger question is are there any ALF fans out there who are not ashamed to announce to the world that they watched a t.v. show about a cat eating, aardvark-looking, furry, television alien?

Navy SEALs BUD/S

Welcome to  Navy SEALS training.  Your first step to becoming a SEAL is completion of BUD/S.

Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL (BUD/S) training is divided into four phases.

     *Indoctrination
     *Basic Conditioning
     *SCUBA Training
     *Land-warfare Training

BUD/S lasts seven months. Indoctrination is the first five weeks.  It is the time when candidates learn the expectations of  Navy SEALS.  It is a time to contemplate; prepare yourself physically and mentally.

The bulk of the training is conditioning, SCUBA training and land-warfare training.  The duration is eight weeks, eight weeks and nine weeks respectively.  And you thought Disneyland was fun!

Basic conditioning is the phase when most drop-outs occur.  Days are spent punishing your body with running, swimming, calisthenics, and learning small-boat operations.

If you consider yourself a fish in the water, you will certainly enjoy passing the drown proof test with both hands and feet tied. This consists of the following:

     bob for 5 minutes
     float for 5 minutes
     swim 100 meters
     bob for 2 minutes
     do some forward and backward flips
     swim to the bottom of the pool and retrieve object with your teeth
     return to surface and bob 5 more times

You will learn to withstand the elements, including working in 65 degree water.

Hell week is the fourth week of basic conditioning.  You will work five days and five nights with a combined total of four hours of sleep.  Mental faculties will be challenged under severe sleep deprivation.

Congratulations!  You made it through conditioning.  The last two phases of BUD/S are SCUBA and land-warfare.

During land-warfare you will learn intelligence-gathering and structure penetration; long-range reconnaissance and patrolling; close-quarters battle, reaction to sniper attacks; use of "edged" weapons such as knives and other blades; the ability to drive any vehicle with high-speed and evasive driving techniques; and hand-to-hand combat.

Upon completion of the BUD/S program, you are rewarded with the final step in becoming a SEAL, Advanced Navy SEAL Training. 

Upon receipt of the SEAL Trident Pin, you can now officially call yourself a Navy SEAL, but don't expect a lull in activity.  You are now deployed for 12-18 months of even more intensified, specific training. 

You will sacrifice much.  You will be far from home.  You will miss family and loved ones.

There is no way to adequately thank you for putting your life on the line for us!  You are in our prayers!  We say thank you for sacrificing so much.  We say thank you for traveling far from home, family and loved ones.

Thanks to all of you who serve our country!

Navy SEALs

Like a lot of you out there, my curiosity has been peaked this past week about the Navy SEALs. Who are these men? What is so special about them?

I know it is a bit off the subject of That's Entertainment, but the Navy SEALs are interesting and entertaining to me. This week I am exploring the incredible world of the Navy SEALs.

The Navy SEALs are the best of the best. They are trained to work in all types of environments: SEa, Air and Land. The SEALS specialize in getting in and out quickly and without being seen, gathering intelligence, destroying targets, and performing rescues.

It takes over 30 grueling months of training to become a Navy SEAL. These men (women are not admitted into the program) focus on several areas, honing skills to perfection. SEALs candidates are expected to become experts in diving, combat swimming, navigation, demolitions, weapons, and parachuting.

The physical and mental strain require almost superhuman strength. Only 25% of men who begin the training are present for graduation from the program.

The following are mandatory for participation in the SEAL training program:

* be an active-duty member of the U.S. Navy
* be a man
* be 28 or younger (although waivers for 29- and 30-year-olds are possible)
* have good vision -- at least 20/40 in one eye and 20/70 in the other
* be a U.S. citizen
* pass the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery (ASVAB)

* Pass a stringent physical screening test that includes the following:

1. swim 500 yards in 12.5 minutes or less, followed by a 10-minute rest
2. do 42 push-ups in under two minutes, followed by a two-minute rest
3. do 50 sit-ups in under two minutes, followed by a two-minute rest
4. do six pull-ups, followed by a 10-minute rest
5. run 1.5 miles in boots and long pants in less than 11.5 minutes

Candidates are immersed (more like drowned, literally) into the SEAL program with the first phase of training, BUD/S. The infamous HELL WEEK is also part of this phase. Men are purposely deprived of sleep; exposed to potentially dangerous gases; and thrown into any conceivable threat.

Why do these men go through the physical and mental torture?  Each one has his own reasons.  The costs are extraordinary.  They leave their families with no questions asked.  Loved ones live in the shadows, never knowing the mission or whereabouts.  NEVER ASK!  It could very well be the Navy SEAL motto.

Only 1% of American citizens serve in the military.  Of that 1%, almost 2300 are Navy SEALS.  They are a very small number, but they carry a huge burden.  Often the SEALs are the first called upon to protect the country and its citizens.  Anytime, anywhere and by whatever means to accomplish the mission.

Join That's Entertainment on Wednesday when I will reveal the training that is BUD/S.

Real Housewives of New York City

Why Real Housewives of New York City is my favorite Real Wives series!


RAMONA AND HER WIDE, DOE EYES




LUANN MONEY CAN'T BUY YOU CLASS, BUT APPARENTLY MONEY CAN BUY A RECORD DEAL



KELLY'S (LET'S CALL IT LIKE IT IS) CRAZY PERSONNA



ALEX AND HER QUESTIONABLE HUSBAND SIMON

If you watch Real Housewives of New York City, no explanation is required for the above title.  If you are confused refer to before photograph to guess my questionable pause!

SONJA ALL THAT AND A SACK OF POTATOES

Sonja "has a taste for luxury and luxury has a taste for me."  ICK!  I love despising her.

JILL'S OVER THE TOP NEW YORK ACCENT

I will miss Bethenny imitating Jill's accent!

CINDY SHE IS A SINGLE MOM OF TWINS AND HAS MANNISH HANDS

Cindy is new this season.  She runs a discrete business dealing with women's discrete body parts.  Look it up yourself people.  I happened to notice while watching an episode last night that Cindy has very masculine features:  her face and hands.  Just sayin...that's all...not implying anything in the least.

I love my trashy Real Housewives; although I cannot conclude without adding there is NOTHING real about them.

I am a real Utah Housewife.  How about a show on that?  Sleepless nights NOT bar hopping; sweats and p.j.s NOT fashion runways, poop, pee, and throw up.  Take that Orange County, New Jersey, New York, Beverly Hills, Atlanta, Washington D.C. and Miami!

Real Housewives of New Jersey

The Real Housewives of New Jersey begins a new season on May 16.

I am in mourning that crazy, nutty Danielle will not be a part of the cast.  I don't know if things will be as good without her.  No more watching Danielle strut around with her mafia thugs.  I will miss her fresh mouth.  As long as I watch New Jersey, Danielle will never be far from my thoughts. 

CAROLINE

Aren't we all thankful that Caroline will be returning? She is the not so silent head of the family. Her opinion carries a heavy hand with those in her circle.

I do have to wonder though how proud she must be with her son and his entrepreneur spirit? I wish him success with his brainchild, the girlie strip car wash! He may have found an untapped market. Good luck!

JACQUELINE

If I am being honest, I must tell you that I sincerely like Jacqueline; although she seems to get run over by Caroline.

If you remember, Jacqueline's daughter pulled Danielle's hair and started a firestorm of controversy and legal issues. The fun never ends.

Jacqueline is married to Caroline's brother.

TERESA

Sweet, beautiful Teresa has one very important goal in her life.  Teresa only wants her daughter to be more successful in modeling and acting than Danielle's daughter.  Healthy competition, it's a good thing, right?

We were all shocked to learn that Teresa's husband was in actuality a scum bucket.  They are no longer together leaving Teresa to raise her beautiful daughters on her own, but in Real Housewife land I suspect Teresa will not be alone very long.

MELISSA

Newbie Melissa is married to Teresa's brother. That is all I can tell you, oh, and she likes tanning.

KATHY

Kathy is the second newbie.  She is the cousin of Teresa.

Seems like Real Housewives of New Jersey is all about family.  Can't wait for the fireworks to begin!

I have told you two of my three favorite Real Housewives?  Care to guess my number one favorite series?