Last year we had highs in the 90s on Memorial day and the days proceeding and after were records or near record high temps for Michigan for the end of May. Not so much this year as many locations from Grand Rapids to the north haven’t hit 80° yet. I am sure we will see temps in the 80s flirting with 90 this year, however nothing like we saw in last years heat waves.
The weather hasn’t been very cooperative for outdoor festivities this weekend – we will continue to see showers later total into tonight.
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Below is my post from Memorial Day last year in regards to my father-in-law:
Thanks to all of you who have served or are servicing in the armed forces. The greatest generation, those who served in WW2 are fading away as are the memories their minds contained of the horrors of war on a large scale. My father-in-law (who passed a few years ago) was one of the Ghost Mountain boys – he was in the Red Arrow Division of the Army. He liked talking about his ‘adventures’ in New Guinea – he never spoke of the horrors or how miserable the Papua campaign was – he just considered it his duty. He was wounded on the Kapa Kapa trail.
I have spoken to other service men and Red Arrow members who were in that campaign and read the book ‘The Ghost Mountain Boys’ written by James Campbell (I conversed with James via email a couple years ago). The battles and conditions they suffered were horrendous.
Ghost Mountain is the name given by US Army servicemen in 1942 to a mountain in the Owen Stanley Range in the South East of Papua New Guinea, also known locally as ‘Suwemalla’ or more officially as ‘Mt. Obree’. Ghost Mountain rises to 3,080 metres (10,100 ft).
In October 1942, the US Army’s first intended offensive operation in the Pacific Campaign of the Second World War was across the Kapa Kapa Trail. Members of the US Army’s 2nd Battalion, 126th Regiment, 32nd Red Arrow Division were ordered to flank the Japanese in a 130 miles (209 km) march on foot across the Owen Stanley Range, including crossing near Ghost Mountain, considerably east of the more well-known Kokoda Track.
The Kapa Kapa trail across the Owen Stanley divide was a ‘dank and eerie place, rougher and more precipitous’ than the Kokoda Track on which the Australians and Japanese were then fighting.
| “ | Immense ridges, or “razorbacks,” followed each other in succession like the teeth of a saw. As a rule, the only way the troops could get up these ridges, which were steeper than along the Kokoda Trail, was either on hands and knees, or by cutting steps into them with ax and machete. To rest, the men simply leaned forward, holding on to vines and roots in order to keep themselves from slipping down the mountainside. | ” |
Ghost Mountain earned its name from the eerie phosphorescent glow given off at night by moss-covered trees in the forests on its slopes. The mountain also claimed the lives of a number of US 5th Air Force air crews during the conflict, and a civilian aircraft since then.
We owe a debt of gratitude to those who serve in our armed services and those who gave their lives in service to their country. I received my draft card in 1973 when there were still draft boards, figuring I would be going to Vietnam after I graduated high school. I never had to serve as many of my friends did a year or two before me because the war in Vietnam was drawing to a close. One of my friends served as a Huey gunner and later a pilot in Vietnam.
Seven Day Forecast
Pollen Forecast
Happy Memorial Day. We attended a parade & service at the park.
Thank you to all those served and those still protecting us!!! Also a HUGE thank you family to those soldiers who have fought and fight for us.
Perfect day for our outdoor party today! Made it up to 77 and the rain held off till about the time everyone was leaving. Just what we don’t need, more rain. First time ever I managed to get the lawn mower stuck this morning because the yard is just soft, wet mud.
Below normal temps! This will be 5 months in a row! What an incredible pattern!
Sure don’t feel like summer in the upper peninsula temps only in the 40’s today .. Around our neck of the woods what a difference makes in a year low 70’s feels great outside …INDY!!
Here are some midday temperatures from the UP Houghton 40, Copper Harbor 45, Marquette 46, Sault Ste Marie 48 Macinac Island 48. Not a great Memorial Day in Michigan’s UP
Slim
Pretty cold for the last week of May …INDY!!
Hey all! Happy Memorial Day, and a huge thank you to everyone who has and still is serving. Without you we would not have everything we have today.
Haven’t been able to post in a while. Don’t need to bother with details, just have had a lot of things to deal with the past few weeks.
Minus the ridiculous amounts of rain, we have had some incredible weather lately. Watching the sun set the past few nights has been just perfect. Mild and clear skies, couldn’t ask for anything better.
We were up in Bay City yesterday and while MBS only reports 2.85″ of rain vs the 5.00″ in our area they sure do have a lot of flooding in the SE part of town. And the Saginaw river is very high
Slim
The below normal temp pattern keeps rocking! Incredible!
He says as we have our 5th day in a row above average. Certainly wasn’t below normal Saturday. Crazy humid and 83, not pleasant working 14 hours in it.
Happy Memorial Day. Freedom is not free.
I hope everyone is having the best possible Memorial day weekend. It is now party cloudy with a temperature of 65. We went up to Bay City yesterday and boy is it wet up there. A lot of standing water and the rivers are high in their banks.
Slim