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!!!
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.)
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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> 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 wrote: