My father-in-law, may he rest in peace, was born and raised in a place called Bessarabia. Part of it is modern Maldus, other in Ukraine. He spent 6 years in the Soviet Red Army and deserted (he said defected) in June 1945 from where his unit was based near Vienna. Ultimately, he made his way to the U.S. and that is a story until itself. However, every time I visited my girlfriend/fiancée and now wife’s parents’ home, out would come the bottle of vodka and an a 4-ounce glass. It would be filled to about a ¼ inch of the top and we would toast. First to the United States of America. Down the hatch, all 8 ounces. And, then to my relationship with his daughter who became my lovely bride, now of 56+ years. A refill and then drink it in one gulp. My head would be swimming for the next hour. When we announced our engagement, we sat at their kitchen table and finished a bottle of vodka. Don’t ask me what happened next because I don’t remember. At our wedding, more of the same. Thankfully, the hotel where we spent our first night was only a few blocks away from the wedding reception location. I’m amazed we didn’t wind up against a pole or a wall. Each visit after we were married, the process was the same. I never got used to it and he never seemed affected by the booze!!! Marc Liebman https://www.marcliebman.com https://www.facebook.com/marcliebmanauthor/ https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC_sDoFQM5wupNaCeGIvKL1g From: Mike Brattland <mgbrattland@gerlecreek.com> Date: Tuesday, March 17, 2026 at 12:07 AM To: Tom Ford <tom4rd@earthlink.net>, 'Harold Brattland' <habrattland@arvig.net> Cc: "helobubbas@helobubbas.com" <helobubbas@helobubbas.com> Subject: [Helobubbas] Re: Army Liaison to Ukraine The Chinese Navy is much the same. In September of 1980, Antrim visited Shanghi, China for 5 days. On one of our days the North China Sea Fleet hosted about 125 sailors and officers to a 7 course meal at their Naval Station on the Yangzi River where besides the food they served a particular wine or what they called wine, but what was really pure moonshine alcohol right out of of a southern still which had a very high alcohol rating. The officers were forewarned as were the enlisted, but after we left the majority of sailors were in a very sorry state, stumbling drunk to say the least and basically incapitated…..it was pretty vile stuff…..mgb CDR Mike Brattland, USN (Ret.) mgbrattland@gerlecreek.com<mailto:mgbrattland@gerlecreek.com> mgbrattland@brattland.org<mailto:mgbrattland@brattland.org> Admin/Moderator SanDiegoCarGuys List & Calendar of Events sandiegocarguys@brattland.org<mailto:sandiegocarguys@brattland.org> 619 454-0496 ’38 Willys 2 Dr Sedan Webmaster for www.brattland.org<http://www.brattland.org/> www.overthehillgang.com<http://www.overthehillgang.com/> www.overdrivehotrodnews.com<http://www.overdrivehotrodnews.com/> www.gerlecreek.org<http://www.gerlecreek.org/> www.helobubbas.com<http://www.helobubbas.com/> www.prowlers.org<http://www.prowlers.org/> www.gerlecreek.com<http://www.gerlecreek.com/> www.ford6vcarburetion.com<http://www.ford6vcarburetion.com/> www.westcoastwillysclub.com<http://www.westcoastwillysclub.com/> www.nssha.org<http://www.nssha.org/> www.nhahistoricalsociety.org<http://www.nhahistoricalsociety.org/> https://sh60fhoas.nhahistoricalsociety.org/ From: Tom <tom4rd@earthlink.net> Sent: Monday, March 16, 2026 7:40 PM To: Harold Brattland <habrattland@arvig.net> Cc: helobubbas@helobubbas.com Subject: [Helobubbas] Re: Army Liaison to Ukraine Drinking too much at an official event in Ukraine. That’s normal. Been there done that 🙌. As US Advisor to UA Navy in Sevastopol 2005-8. Leaving secret documents on a train. That’s bullshit😡 A 2-star commanding 300 people. That’s BS too! Just my 2-cents Sent from my iPhone On Mar 16, 2026, at 17:48, Harold Brattland <habrattland@arvig.net<mailto:habrattland@arvig.net>> wrote: So where was the Generals Aide?? Someone has to lay off the booze while in an official visit! On 3/16/2026 13:19, mgbrattland@gerlecreek.com<mailto:mgbrattland@gerlecreek.com> wrote: https://www.militarytimes.com/news/your-military/2026/03/16/army-general-lef... _______________________________________________ Helobubbas mailing list -- helobubbas@helobubbas.com<mailto:helobubbas@helobubbas.com> To unsubscribe send an email to helobubbas-leave@helobubbas.com<mailto:helobubbas-leave@helobubbas.com> -- _______________________________________________ Helobubbas mailing list -- helobubbas@helobubbas.com<mailto:helobubbas@helobubbas.com> To unsubscribe send an email to helobubbas-leave@helobubbas.com<mailto:helobubbas-leave@helobubbas.com>