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jimnyc
08-21-2014, 06:29 AM
Merlin, aka Ben, is our new Honorary Staff Member.

Ben was a member who became a staff member on our old hangout. He was former United States Army, who retired as Chief Warrant Officer in 1994.

Somehow he found us in 2004 and quickly became a board favorite, with his great posts and his passion for his religion. Unfortunately, we soon found out he was battling leukemia. Even then, he would come onto the board when he could and keep us updated with how he is doing. He left us far too soon on September 11th, 2005.

It doesn't matter what prompted me to make this change, or add this now. Ben won't be forgotten. His remembrance is back with a black ribbon at the top of the board (which will be replaced with a better one) as well as if you look at forum leaders, you will see he is rightfully back at his place as a moderator.

RIP, Ben :salute:

CSM
08-21-2014, 07:58 AM
Great call!

NightTrain
08-21-2014, 09:00 AM
He was a great guy.

Gunny
08-21-2014, 11:35 AM
Excellent call.:salute:

hjmick
08-21-2014, 01:02 PM
I know exactly why you made this change, and I know why you did it now.


I almost said something to you the other day...


I applaud you for it. I never knew the guy, but I knew by the tribute that he must have been respected. Good to see the ribbon again...

Gunny
08-21-2014, 01:15 PM
I know exactly why you made this change, and I know why you did it now.


I almost said something to you the other day...


I applaud you for it. I never knew the guy, but I knew by the tribute that he must have been respected. Good to see the ribbon again...

He was exactly what he claimed to be. A CAS pilot. He'd swoop in on the unsuspecting and nail their asses to the ground and just leave them there trying to figure out what just happened. I never wanted to argue with him, and you know me ... I'll argue with a broomstick.:laugh: He knew his stuff.

I'm glad he is honored here by people that respected him. Kudos to Jim.

Abbey Marie
08-21-2014, 02:04 PM
Wish we had been on staff at the same time.

Kathianne
08-21-2014, 10:05 PM
Merlin was a remarkable man. I was blessed to know him that short time.

Jeff
08-22-2014, 12:01 AM
All Class IMO !!!

SassyLady
08-22-2014, 02:41 AM
I remember when you changed everything. I like this one better than the old one. Do you have a image of some type of what it looked like before the tribute?

jimnyc
08-22-2014, 07:54 AM
I remember when you changed everything. I like this one better than the old one. Do you have a image of some type of what it looked like before the tribute?

Yes, we went through several header images back then, and the ribbon went through a few of them. Those saved styles and images are right next to me on my external hard drive, the one that is inaccessible due to hardware failure. :(

BUT - I think we can use the "wayback machine" to look at the site over time...

Front page of site in 2003, the beginning, and it went to a plain html page before you made it to the forums:

http://web.archive.org/web/20030902011137/http://www.usmessageboard.com/

October 1st of 2004. A new entry page:

http://web.archive.org/web/20041001053922/http://www.usmessageboard.com/

November 10th of 2005:

http://web.archive.org/web/20050809011929/http://www.usmessageboard.com/

The actual forums, and the first banner to have the ribbon:

http://web.archive.org/web/20051107084639/http://www.usmessageboard.com/forums/

Added images:

http://web.archive.org/web/20060613000502/http://www.usmessageboard.com/forums/

Certainly nothing to brag about back then. A simple forum, basic images, a banner for a header with the memorial for Ben, bland colors.... but it worked for us. :)

jimnyc
08-22-2014, 07:57 AM
Front page of site in 2003, the beginning, and it went to a plain html page before you made it to the forums:

http://web.archive.org/web/20030902011137/http://www.usmessageboard.com/


Good times! I think our co-founder "Creek" wrote the text for the page. But even funnier, look at the image found at the very bottom:

http://i.imgur.com/vzhsUTw.gif

That doesn't even exist, he just made that crap up too! LOL His weird stuff worked though, at least in the beginning. Not sure how he did it, but he found a way to get a lot of visitors, for that time anyway, right from day one.

jimnyc
08-22-2014, 08:03 AM
He was exactly what he claimed to be. A CAS pilot. He'd swoop in on the unsuspecting and nail their asses to the ground and just leave them there trying to figure out what just happened. I never wanted to argue with him, and you know me ... I'll argue with a broomstick.:laugh: He knew his stuff.

I'm glad he is honored here by people that respected him. Kudos to Jim.

I honestly had not known that it had disappeared off of the internet. A fellow veteran of his made me aware. That same soldier, a Marine, told me that he felt the ribbon should not be forgotten, and that it should follow those who honor and knew him. I agreed.

:salute:

NightTrain
08-22-2014, 08:32 AM
Hey, I was Special Guest Speaker back in '03! :thumb:

Some of the hype really cracked me up... especially the Freedom Of Speech Award. We won that prize year after year!

jimnyc
08-22-2014, 08:36 AM
Hey, I was Special Guest Speaker back in '03! :thumb:

Some of the hype really cracked me up... especially the Freedom Of Speech Award. We won that prize year after year!

Well, I don't think anyone else was nominated, we eliminated the competition by simply giving ourselves the award! LOL

You weren't very savvy back then. Hillary gets like $250,000 per speech, while I don't think we gave you jack shit!! :laugh:

NightTrain
08-22-2014, 08:48 AM
Well, I don't think anyone else was nominated, we eliminated the competition by simply giving ourselves the award! LOL

I did notice a distinct lack of competition for that particular award. Far be it from me to question the process.

What was really amusing is that there wasn't ever a person that questioned that award. We got attacked for just about everything else but that one was so blatant that no one ever questioned it... even though we were getting wave after wave of rabid liberals from all over the world.


You weren't very savvy back then. Hillary gets like $250,000 per speech, while I don't think we gave you jack shit!! :laugh:

I'll have to bring this to my incompetent billing manager's attention. Fucker was probably drunk, if I know him.

Gunny
08-22-2014, 05:10 PM
Well, I don't think anyone else was nominated, we eliminated the competition by simply giving ourselves the award! LOL

You weren't very savvy back then. Hillary gets like $250,000 per speech, while I don't think we gave you jack shit!! :laugh:

OMG! LMAO! :laugh:

Drummond
08-22-2014, 08:43 PM
I don't know him. But the accolades Merlin has been getting here are impressive ! On the strength of them, I have to say I'm looking forward to his future presence here.

Best wishes, Merlin !

Kathianne
08-22-2014, 10:05 PM
I don't know him. But the accolades Merlin has been getting here are impressive ! On the strength of them, I have to say I'm looking forward to his future presence here.

Best wishes, Merlin !


Merlin died, before there was Debate Policy. He was on USMB when Jim owned it for a short while. He was unique.

Kathianne
08-22-2014, 10:15 PM
A typical Merlin post:


NUCULAR SAID:<article>
<aside>
Yeah but when people use the same reasoning regarding Catholic Church and the pedophile priests most of the people on this board don't buy it.

</aside>
Let's stay on topic and quit hijacking the thread, please.

And you too,
Manu
GotZoom
Archangel
Hobbit

BAD POSTERS!!!! Bad! Bad! http://www.usmessageboard.com/styles/smilies/slap.gif
</article>




Another:


<article>
Was going to post this in the humor forum, but the got to thinking . . . . . .


They keep talking about drafting a Constitution for Iraq.

Why don't we just give them ours?

It was written by a lot of really smart guys!

It's worked for over 200 years and we're not using it anymore.
</article>


http://www.usmessageboard.com/styles/default/xenforo/clear.png (http://www.usmessageboard.com/posts/322156/rate?rating=1&_xfToken=401%2C1408763342%2C4b0fb4aeaa9128fe19159b c74cf6b85087c25051)
http://www.usmessageboard.com/styles/default/xenforo/clear.png (http://www.usmessageboard.com/posts/322156/rate?rating=2&_xfToken=401%2C1408763342%2C4b0fb4aeaa9128fe19159b c74cf6b85087c25051)
http://www.usmessageboard.com/styles/default/xenforo/clear.png (http://www.usmessageboard.com/posts/322156/rate?rating=3&_xfToken=401%2C1408763342%2C4b0fb4aeaa9128fe19159b c74cf6b85087c25051)










Last post of HIS I can find, it was about Bush, Aug. 30, 2005:


MALLY SAID:<article>
<aside>
Merlin I am not insulting anyone. Sorry. But when I see this kind of stuff it just supports my opinion. I just cant see how when you see stuff like that you can still support the man. It just baffles me.

</aside>

You're entitled to your opinions. I too am not pleased regarding many aspects of this President's performance. However, you will find that you get along a lot better on this board if you include a substantial degree of specificity in your posts. Your opening post amounted to little more than grafitti because the only thing you did was belittle the President and criticize other members for supporting him.

If you want others to take your posts seriously, document those particular areas in which you find shortcomings and provide links as appropriate. We've heard all of the "Bush is a liar" or "Bush is stupid" crap that we can stand and we'd like it to go away.
</article>




Oct. 8, 2005

under Merlin's moniker, his wife wrote:


DMP SAID:<aside>
ugh... http://www.usmessageboard.com/styles/default/xenforo/clear.png

This hits hard; Somebody let Ben's wife know she and her family are in our prayers and hearts.

http://www.usmessageboard.com/styles/default/xenforo/clear.png

</aside>
I found the message line tonight and have been here crying and smiling.I am so touched at all the wonderful things people had to say about Ben. He was a special person and after 34 years with him, there is a tremendous void. He enjoyed all the time that he spent with his message friends. I would love to know where the photo was found. I don't think I have seen it before and love it. Thank you for caring for my husband.
Rita (Mrs. Ben)

She'd been responding to this, posted 9/11/2005:


<article>
I received a message from Merlin1047's wife, Rita, this evening.
Ben passed away 9/11.
Tho't all of you would want to know.
He will be sorely missed.
</article>


http://www.usmessageboard.com/styles/default/xenforo/clear.png (http://www.usmessageboard.com/posts/330411/rate?rating=1&_xfToken=401%2C1408763669%2Cf105d95911828fdf625bdf f745241230e889bd9b)
http://www.usmessageboard.com/styles/default/xenforo/clear.png (http://www.usmessageboard.com/posts/330411/rate?rating=2&_xfToken=401%2C1408763669%2Cf105d95911828fdf625bdf f745241230e889bd9b)
http://www.usmessageboard.com/styles/default/xenforo/clear.png (http://www.usmessageboard.com/posts/330411/rate?rating=3&_xfToken=401%2C1408763669%2Cf105d95911828fdf625bdf f745241230e889bd9b)

jimnyc
08-23-2014, 06:25 AM
Excellent find, Kath! Lots of memories in the thread you point out. Also where Darin made the banner! Look at some of the names from back then.

Joz
Karlmarx
me
Mr. P
Fmr Jarhead
No1toVote4
Annie
Gotzoom
Shattered
dmp
Abbey
5stringJeff
Joan - My Mom!
archangel
CSM
jimmyeatworld
Dilloduck
manu1959
kurtsprincess
Bonnie
musicman
Nato Air
-Cp
fuzzykitten99
Screamingeagle
Pegwinn
Avatar4321
and then Merlin1047 makes a post, which was his wife actually... :(

jimnyc
08-23-2014, 06:35 AM
3500 posts exactly, the last being from his wife. Not a ton by today's message board standards, but an awful lot for what this man was dealing with.

http://i.imgur.com/rJyPWgj.jpg

Gunny
08-23-2014, 07:23 AM
Excellent find, Kath! Lots of memories in the thread you point out. Also where Darin made the banner! Look at some of the names from back then.

Joz
Karlmarx
me
Mr. P
Fmr Jarhead
No1toVote4
Annie
Gotzoom
Shattered
dmp
Abbey
5stringJeff
Joan - My Mom!
archangel
CSM
jimmyeatworld
Dilloduck
manu1959
kurtsprincess
Bonnie
musicman
Nato Air
-Cp
fuzzykitten99
Screamingeagle
Pegwinn
Avatar4321
and then Merlin1047 makes a post, which was his wife actually... :(

I'm not sure if I need therapy or not. I recognize every one of those names. :bang3:

Abbey Marie
08-23-2014, 09:00 AM
Some fine, fine people there that I miss. Now I feel sad.

jimnyc
08-23-2014, 09:07 AM
Some fine, fine people there that I miss. Now I feel sad.

Yup, same here. I didn't even know that my Mom had posted until I found and reread the thread again.