Operation Just Cause ...for as long as it takes
by Marilyn Grote
I met Buck because I am a part of the Adoption Team. He requested to adopt a POW/MIA and then requested to adopt all the POW/MIA(s) from one state and then another state and another one.
Buck sent me the URL for his Web Site and I was very impressed with the job he has done and the caring and effort he has put in each web page to honor the POW/MIA(s) and bring them all back home.
Buck uses Web TV to do all his pages and I have to admit I am clueless as to what is involved with that process. Buck agreed to do the article and I hope we managed to shed some light on the work that he does using Web TV.
The Moonduster Chronicles is proud to introduce you to Buck:
How did you become involved in the POW/MIA issue?
Well - it all started back in early 98-99 when my wife brought home this thing called Web TV. I looked at it and was not to trilled about it as a computer. I was playing around on the Internet and was searching for military sites when I ran into a site that simply made me stop in place and just think, I was crying as I was viewing Chuck “Doc's” Military Pages. I send him an email and ask if I could join his mailing list and explained to him that I was new to the Internet.
What lead you to Operation Just Cause and the adoption of your first POW/MIA?
I was so inspired by Doc's MIA(s) and his pages that I hired a man to build me a military web site, because I knew nothing abought HTML and building a web site. We worked on this site and stayed in touch with Doc the whole time while building it. The URL for my first site is: Buckskin's Web Site
http://www.geocities.com/Yosemite/Falls/1411
This site was made on a computer and I was thrilled to have it. I had this burning desire to still do my own web site. So I begun to ask about Web TV and the capabilities of building web sites and the answer was NO - it cannot be done. I found out and have to say that you can build a web site using Web TV.
After you adopted your first POW/MIA what did you do to get the information about him out to the public?
I really am not sure how to answer this question. What I did was send the URL of my site to all my friends, and they replied to me with their questions. I have also written to my public officials.
How many POW/MIA(s) have you adopted and where are they from?
I have adopted a total of 305 POW/MIA(s). I currently have 62 from my home state of Indiana, 39 from the state of Alabama, and 204 from the state of California. I have not completed adding them all to my site but will continue to add them as I have the time to do so until I get the job finished. I am planning to finally add all of the USA POW/MIA(s). I like to call them “My Heros” because they gave us their ALL and this country has not brought them back home...How sad!
What system do you use to put up your Web Pages?
I use a Web Tv Plus Unit, I started out with the Web Classic.
Most of us use PC computers for our web pages, can you tell us the difference in using Web TV?
I am not sure what the difference is because I have never used a computer to make a web site. I have only used Web TV. I do think from what I been told that it is the same. I can only think of one thing that I must add for computers to view my site. I have to have 2 files for every page of my site - frames for computers and non frames for Web TV. I do not understand why but I do know it has some thing to do with browsers, this is something that has bothered me for awhile. I think the main difference is that I can not save my web site to a hard drive so if my site ever goes down or I should say if Angelfire crashes I will have lost my entire site, and I will have to rebuild it from scratch. This really bothered me because I could never remember all that I have thus far. Recently a friend saved my site on his server which has eliminated the main problem I have with Web TV.
What problems did you encounter using Web TV for your web site?
Learning how to do frames on pages when I can not view any of those pages. I can do them now with still some small problems. If you are ever on your computer and see mistakes anywhere on my site please let me know and I shall try to fix them.
What advice would you give to other Web TV users to use in putting up a web page?
The first thing is go get a book called “HTML for Dummies”. It is a very good book and will be worth the money spent. You will find it to be a very big help with using HTML. I also like to say if you need help ask me by sending me an email and I shall try to help you as much as I can. I have only been doing this myself for a 7 months so I am very new to this but willing to help.
What have you learned to be the tricks in putting up a great Web TV page?
Oh my, I like to know that answer my self. I have been told I have a great site and to be honest with you, I only wish it could be great. You can build a web site very easy and very fast and it will look like junk. I have learned one trick of the trade and that is to “Take Your Time”. Always check to see if you made a mistake and if something could be wrong. Then go back and correct the problem and make it look right. It is your site so you can take all the time you need. I have learned so many things I cannot mention them all. One that I do want to share is to download HTML, frames, and graphics to your web shell and that plus the help of others will create a very nice web site.
Approximately how long does it take to put up a page using Web TV and do you think most people could master the details of putting up their own web pages?
I can now put a page up in a few minuets. Yes any one on Web TV can build a web site using Angelfire or the others that are available. As far as mastering it – well I have not mastered it yet but I do think that
in time I will have it down very solid.
You can create a web site pretty easy using just HTML, but if you are like me that is not good enough. I had to learn how to do frames and that was a challenge to create something and not be able to view it. I like to say you can put a web site up in no time at all but I have worked 8-10 hrs a day on it, and still have a ways to go. Just the thought of placing MIA's on my site has inspired me so that I really do not care how long it takes. I will never complete my site I want it to be a ongoing item for me. I have ideas for my next addition to my site already after I complete all the MIA'S...
What are your future plans for your involvement in the POW/MIA issue and your web site?
To include all the POW/MIA(s) from the USA.. I also like to add a slide show of the Wall but I do not think I will ever be able to afford to go to Washington to visit the Wall, and have a motel room, and the rest of the things that coincide with that type of vacation. I also want to add a link on various POW/MIA things – links to write to your congressmen and the president -- things of this nature, but I think it is kind of early for that on my site.
Comments:
In closing I would like to say thanks to the OJC Adoption Team for all their help and for sending me my Heros. Thank you to a man who has inspire me, not only to get involved with the POW/MIA(s) but trying to have a wonderful place for Veterans to come home to and feel welcome. Someday I would love to meet in person Chuck “Doc” Stewart...what an inspirational man he is. I must say it has been an honor to know him through the Internet. With out his help and his love for this worthy cause my site would have never came in to reality. I also like to say that I have only built this web site for fun, and I really enjoy doing it. It has taught me so many things about our military men, this county, and the Vietnam Conflict. I can look back and tell my self that I have really loved doing this, it kind of takes me to the war as if I was there personally. Buck's email address: buckskins-1@webtv.net
Buck's URL: Our Military Site
