Carry On

  I just finished reading a detailed account of the Bellerophon-a 74 gun British Navy  man-o-war, and the  sea battles she was involved in.
  My great grandfather John Huntingford was an officer  on a British Navy man-o-war. I know from accounts by my aunt he had been in two wars in China sailing up rivers, had rounded both capes, had talked about Sugerloaf Mountain in Brazil, was called Mr.- which meant he was an officer as the ships carpenter, and had said the worst weather he had seen was in the Straits of Juan de Fuca. After I finished reading the above book I understood my great grandfathers life in detail and what he had been through in war and on the sea. My belief that he was a great seaman and warrior was confirmed.
  I also understood why I have always loved the sea and why I am a natural warrior. They are traits that come from my great grandfather. Footnote.
  In spite of the above new found knowledge of my great grandfather I still had one unresolved question about him.
  I know from talking to my friend who is retired from the British Royal Navy as a naval seal and McCurdy-industrialist and historian, my great grandfather jumped ship in Victoria B. C. My family denies this but my friend says he has no doubt he jumped ship and actually admires him for this. Recently he told me they must have really done my great grandfather wrong for him to jump ship because he was an officer as the ships carpenter and he should have been treated better than anyone on the ship. Ever since he said that I have been asking myself why they treated him thus.
  I now know the answer and my friend confirms my conclusions.
  England was taking opium from its colony of India and selling it in China in return for tea. This would have been the main source of wealth for England.
  The Chinese population was continually on opiates and not working because of their addiction to opium. Finally the emperor of China closed all of China's ports to English ships to keep the opium out of China. England fought two wars over this with China which my great grandfather would have been in and which he would have been against. He would have spoken out that it was wrong what England was doing making drug addicts of the Chinese people and destroying China.This was the reason for his harsh treatment and jumping ship and homesteading in America.
  He was elected county commissioner in Jefferson County, Washington. He spoke out against his three fellow commissioners wanting to take kickbacks on the new courthouse under construction and wanting to use inferior bricks from a Saint Louis company. This was organized crime and corrupt politicians-the 'Third Level', he went up against. He was sucessful and to this day it stands as a national historic sight in Port Townsend, Washington because quality bricks were used. His name is on the cornerstone although he was not elected again. Later he was elected as judge of Jefferson County because of his reputation for honesty.
  Today as this blog documents week after week I am standing up against organized crime and the 'Third Level' and the drug scourge which is now destroying this country just like the drug scourge my great grandfather stood against was destroying China.
  My great grandfather as I said was a great seaman and warrior and I am humbled to know his traits have passed to me and I can carry on as a seaman and warrior in the tradition of my great grandfather.
  Out of all the many relatives I have my great grandfathers most treasured possession- his sea chest. His spirit is always with me.

  Captain Bill Schweizer, U.S.M.M., missionary

Footnote: Behavioral psychology has established that  inherited genes play a significant role in our behavior.

Note:
  I would be remiss if I didn't mention my father who instilled in me my initial love for the sea and built me my first sailboat.
  He  was a career federal civil servant like Thomas Wales, only working for the Internal Revenue Service.
  He was the lead witness in the trial of Dave Beck-the original organizer of the International Teamsters Union who used murder as an organizing weapon. The U.S. Attorney credited my father with setting the tone for the trial which resulted in this organized crime figure going to federal prison.
  Not surprisingly most people in Seattle considered him wrongly convicted and he became a folk hero.
  The U.S. Attorney who put together the prosecution was from Tacoma as was my father-my home town.
  My father also like my great grandfather has been an example to follow relating to organized crime.