This pic was taken on the morning of November 9th. I am standing in front of the Veterans Wall of respect in our home. There are photos from the Veterans in our family. My late father Gus, and my late father-in-law Jerry, along with my Step father-in-law John and myself. I love that array of photos. I often pause there to look at them. But on this week especially , they all have a special place in my heart and in my soul. In the photos we are all so young.

And speaking of young.

I was on my way out the door to attend the Marston Elementary School Veterans Day Assembly where I was to be the guest speaker. I had just come off of doing the same speech the day before in Massachusetts where I spoke at a school that my nephew's wife teaches. I must say, that it has been a few years since I've done this.

But truth be told, I know how to talk with the kids. Being Commander for 13 years I had many opportunities to speak with kids throughout my whole time as the leader of the local Veterans Post in town. The music teacher "Gus" always puts on a great show for us veterans. It's filled with music and poems. The latter of which are some of the most thoughtful and sincere writings from the 3rd, 4th, and 5th graders. Really heartwarming words from the youth of the seacoast. I know I can speak for all of us old vets today that we all look forward to Marston's Veterans Day assembly.

I'll spare you the details of my speech and only cover the main message. I used the metaphor of the Boston Red Sox and The New England Patriots by telling the kids that it's NOT just the stars who make a difference in winning championships. It's the whole team and the coaches and managers who make it all work. And using that theme I tied in the Military being the same. That we all had a job to do to help the team out. And the team that all the branches of the military make up is...BAM! The UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. Or "USA" for short. And I end my speech by having the kids chant USA louder and louder until the roof starts to shake. It's all in good fun.

We had to literally run out the door of Marston to zip down to Foxboro Mass where we are to be honored by Robert Kraft and his family at Gillette Stadium. Mr Kraft is the owner of the New England Patriots. Suffice it to say, it was quite the honor. This is a photo of me being pinned by Andre Tippett the former Patriots Linebacker, as Major General Peter Alyward, and Robert Kraft look on. It was major General Alyward who contacted me via my dear friend and fellow Surfer Cliff Pappas in Hawaii.

General Alyward was on vacation when he met Cliff and they both got to talking, and the one thing led to another with Cliffy telling the General about me back here in NH and the things I do for veterans. Well, turns out that Peter was in charge of this ceremony where the Kraft family wanted to honor 50 Vietnam veterans for the 50th anniversary of the Vietnam war.

So a BIG Mahalo to you Cliff Pappas it was amazing to say the least.



The Kraft family does so much for the communities in New England. And the NFL was having November be the Military month. It was all really quite humbling and overwhelming. I will never forget for as I long as I live the night that the New England Patriots won their first Super Bowl. Robert Kraft said to the whole world that was watching "We Are All Patriots!" To put the nation ahead of his team and coaches spoke volumes as to what kind of man he truly is. This was right on the heels of September 11th, 2001. He put our country first, and it will go down in the history of sports, as the single most important speech ever given at a Championship game.

This photo of me shaking hands with Robert Kraft is a photo that I will cherish forever. And my kids and grandkids will have this long after I gone from this earth. Thank you Mr Kraft and the whole New England Patriots organization.



I loved the fact that he was wearing sneakers. He's just a kid at heart.

And the very next day. The SWELL of the Year Hit on the MARINE CORPS BIRTHDAY. November 10th, 2018. Oh My God!

I drove by these flags on the way to the beach that afternoon.



Look at this wave. It's easily double overhead and breaking top to bottom.



Same with this baby. It was in a word. SPECTACULAR! And I shot 90% video. So yeah, I'm pretty sure I got the goods.



It's also a day that my son Mackey won't forget for quite sometime. He broke two boards completely in half. And he broke them consecutively. It was crazy.
I have both of those waves on video. But it was that heavy.

Then later that night we held our Birthday celebration for the local Seacoast Marines here in Hampton. It was a day that will go down in the history of Northern New England as one of the BEST DAYS ever! I mean EVER!




"Surfing, Marines, and ALL Veterans Heals All Wounds."

This week's ED's Corner is just a surf scene that happens all the time. Only most of us surf photogs wouldn't think about shooting something like this. Not Ed. He always had an eye for the unusual.
The guy with his hands up appears to have just kicked out of a wave and is claiming a barrel, or he's hooting the wave that's about to break. In either case, it's a typical surf scene, that could be playing out anywhere in the world. I also included a photo of Ed in Nam from 1968. I miss talking to him about Nam.
Photo by Ed O'Connell
*Click the photo above to see a larger version of Ed's Pic.

Now for Some Local, National and International News
The fires in California have been heartbreaking to watch. Just absolutely heartbreaking. With 31 dead so far and some 200 people missing, it's just incredible to watch on the news. And you know that some of those homes were homes of surfers. I mean it's Malibu. Yeah I know it's the rich and famous but lets be honest, surfers come from all walks of life. I'm praying for them all. Surfers and non surfers.



This photo has been circulating around the Internet. It looks like the end of the world. Fires burning to the sea. And those hot Santa Ana winds just blowing these flames across houses and ranches with no end in sight.

And speaking of Hot Blowing winds...



The midterms on TUESDAY NOVEMBER 6th, 2018?
Came in the form of a BIG BLUE WAVE! Oh Boy...things are gonna get interesting now.

*Click on the photo above to see a larger version

(Above) The walk down the beach was intimidating. Mackey V takes it all in.
Saturday November 10th, 2018. Photo by RALPH
*Click on the photo above to see the whole gallery



(Above) Jared Veltsos gets a clean one with a clear exit.
Saturday November 10th, 2018. Photo by RALPH
*Click on the photo above to see the whole gallery





(Above) Thom hay checks out the first of two boards that Max broke
completely in half. Saturday November 10th, 2018. Photo by RALPH
*Click on the photo above to see the whole gallery





(Above) The waves were hissing and spitting the whole time I was there.
Saturday November 10th, 2018. Photo by RALPH
*Click on the photo above to see the whole gallery

(Above) Kody Grondin was down the beach picking wave after wave.
Saturday November 10th, 2018. Photo by RALPH
*Click on the photo above to see the whole gallery

(Above) Thats Perry Reynolds slotted out on the reef.
Sunday November 4th, 2018. Photo by RALPH
*Click on the photo above to see the whole gallery




(Above) OK you REALLY need to see this whole ride of Pev's. It's ridiculous. Look at this gallery on an actual computer. Put that I-phone down and LOOK.
Sunday November 4th, 2018. Photo by RALPH
*Click on the photo above to see the whole gallery



(Above) The pure essence of surfing is the "glide". Finding that sweet
spot and just letting the board do what the board was made to do.
Kenny Linseman doing just that. Sunday November 4th, 2018.
Photo by RALPH *Click on the photo above to see the whole gallery




(Above) This is Bill Morrissey. He's dead center on the peak, and he's dead center on getting back up and fighting another round. Keep paddling Bill.
Sunday November 4th, 2018. Photo by RALPH
*Click on the photo above to see the whole gallery




(Above) This is Erica Nardone. The funny thing is, I had no idea this was Erica until I got back to my studio and saw the pic enlarged in my monitor. She and Bill were sharing some fun waves out there. Sunday November 4th, 2018. Photo by RALPH *Click on the photo above to see the whole gallery