Wednesday, 30 July 2008
 

Today's 1,000 words
Contributed by Bill Faith

Contributed by Bill Faith on July 30, 2008 at 12:28 AM in Caring about our troops, Obamanation, Politics | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack


Friday, 11 July 2008
 

If I die before you wake (Updated and bumped)
Contributed by Bill Faith

[Originally posted 2007-04-12]

Bob Prinselaar emails:

This will touch your heart. Sure brought back some memories.

http://www.flashdemo.net/gallery/wake/index.htm

Bob

***

Retried grunt and Blue Star Father Jim Gardner dropped by to let me know that If I Die Before You Wake was recorded by Dustin Evans, who unfortunately is not given credit at the link Bob sent. In the process of cross-checking that info I ran across this YouTube video which I know you'll enjoy:

Contributed by Bill Faith on July 11, 2008 at 12:14 AM in Bob Prinselaar, Caring about our troops, The American Warrior | Permalink | Comments (25) | TrackBack


Monday, 07 July 2008
 

Show Your Gratitude
Contributed by Russ Vaughn

You’re standing in line waiting for your flight to begin boarding as the arriving passengers debark. Suddenly one, two or perhaps a dozen or more military personnel come out off the plane and pass by you. You want to jump over there and shake their hands and tell them, “Thank you,” but it just seems so awkward. You don’t want to look like some grandstanding showboat.

Or you’re sitting in a restaurant and a family group with a young uniformed warrior is shown to a table near you. You think, “I ought to get up and go over there and express my thanks but if everyone in here did that those poor folks would never get to eat their food.”

It’s a situation most of us have been faced with and most of us have shared the uncertainty of what is the best, least interruptive way of showing our young warriors our gratitude for their service. Well, Americans are the most creative, innovative people on earth and some very thoughtful American has come up with an excellent solution to this quandary:

http://www.gratitudecampaign.org/shortmovie.php

It could not be simpler and it is a quiet, wonderfully unobtrusive way to demonstrate our solidarity with our armed forces and their mission. Even for those Democrats who are always loudly proclaiming they support the troops but not the mission (in the real life of the military, a ludicrous contention) it is a way to give a hand to those you think you support.

This is a practice all Americans literally should take to heart immediately.

Contributed by Russ Vaughn on July 7, 2008 at 12:38 AM in Caring about our troops, Russ Vaughn | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBack


Saturday, 31 May 2008
 

The Whine of Haughty Elitism
Contributed by Russ Vaughn

In an unbelievably elitist column in the Chicago Tribune column, Garrison Keillor shows very clearly the contempt with which many liberals hold mainstream America. Inconvenienced by having to wait for a veterans’ motorcycle parade to pass (on a street that had been closed off for their event) so that he could cross their route to visit the National Gallery, Keillor had this to say:

You don't quite see the connection between that and these fat men with ponytails on Harleys. After hearing a few thousand bikes go by, you think maybe we could airlift these gentlemen to Baghdad to show their support of the troops in a more tangible way. It took 20 minutes until a gap appeared and then a mob of us pedestrians flooded across the street and the parade of bikes had to stop for us, and on we went to show our patriotism by looking at exhibits at the Smithsonian or, in my case, hiking around the National Gallery, which, after you've watched a few thousand Harleys pass, seems like an outpost of civilization.

There stood Renoir's ballerina in pale blue chiffon and Monet's children in the garden of sunflowers. And Mary Cassatt's "The Boating Party," which I stood and stared at for a long time. A lady in a white bonnet sits in a green sailboat, holding a contented baby in pink, as a man rows the boat toward a distant shore. (Perhaps the boat is becalmed.) The man wears a navy blue shirt, he is preoccupied with his rowing, and the lady looks wan and mildly anxious, as well a mother should be. The baby is looking dreamily over the gunwales. Is the man a hired hand or is he the husband and father?

A work of art can lift you up from the mishmash of life, the weight of the unintelligible world, and the situations where vulgarity squats on you like an enormous toad and won't get off. You stroll down past the World War II Memorial, which looks like something ordered out of a catalog, a bland insult to the memory of all who served, and thousands of motorcycles roar by disturbing the Sabbath, and it depresses you for hours.

Poor baby, had to stand there and wait while all these fat men with ponytails demonstrated their support of our troops in the field. Do you suppose it might have occurred to this snotty jerk that many of those riders had once been lean and wiry with white sidewall haircuts when they were in uniform serving their country, many of them in combat? As far as the WWII memorial which he also desecrates as a bland insult, I can personally testify from having taken my octogenarian father-in-law there, it is certainly not perceived as such by the veterans in whose honor it was built. 

But, then, poor, put upon Garrison did finally get his chance to stand before great works of art and muse about the people depicted in them, people obviously of far greater consequence to his sensitivities than the real people outside on their motorcycles whose past service and personal sacrifices make it possible for pretentious twits like him to stand in national art galleries and rhapsodize inanely. I do think Keillor’s imagery regarding vulgarity and squatting toads is apt: I’ve always thought that over-sized head of his with those bulging eyes behind thick glasses had a rather toad-like aspect. And in this situation it looks like that squatting toad just dumped something rather smelly down Mr. Keillor’s stiff, snooty neck.

Russ Vaughn, Vietnam Veteran

Contributed by Russ Vaughn on May 31, 2008 at 08:31 PM in Caring about our troops, Russ Vaughn, Unclear on the concept | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBack


Thursday, 08 May 2008
 

A new must-read blog in the right side of the sphere
Contributed by Bill Faith

Email from friend and fellow proud Veteran-American George "Rurik" Mellinger:

I've got a new project. Col. Harry Riley over at the Eagles UP! website commissioned me to take the job of Managing Editor for that website's new blog. We call it The Talon, and you can find it here  http://talon.eaglesup.us/. I've gathered together a number of contributors, each of us contributing a weekly column. We've almost reached the blog's second week, and I'm ready to start bragging about it. Come see what we've been doing, So far we've got two pages of posts, but I think there may be something for everyone. I invite everyone to come pay us a visit.

Bookmark it people, for it is excellent. Go there often.

George, we have out-of-town company and I have a major head cold but I'll get our sidebar modified as soon as I can.

Contributed by Bill Faith on May 8, 2008 at 08:22 PM in Caring about our troops, National Defense | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack


Monday, 10 March 2008
 

Just be there!
Contributed by Bill Faith

Via email from William "1stCav" Page:

From Dan in NY...

PLEASE FORWARD THIS ALERT TO EVERYONE YOU KNOW

Fighting the Insurgency at Home
Action Alert

Who:    Gathering of Eagles, Eagles Up!, Rolling Thunder, and more!
What:    Eagles Muster to denounce Winter Soldier II
Where:  Washington, DC and Silver Springs, MD
When:  Friday and Saturday, March 14 and 15

Have you had it with the left wing organizations demeaning and slandering our troops at every opportunity?  Has the escalation in attacks against our recruiters across the nation, which progressed to the bombing of the Recruiter Station in Times Square last week, alerted you to the fact that we are fighting a REAL INSURGENCY in this country?

In NY City this weekend we held a rally in support of our troops and our recruiters in Times Square.  You can read my after action report here:

http://tinyurl.com/yv34lr

This morning I discover the cretins from Iraq Veterans Against the War (IVAW), who are running their program to slander and defame this generation of American Warriors in the same fashion as their guiding lights from the old VVAW did to our Vietnam Veterans, noticed our display of patriotism in Times Square.

Their response:

You are going to eat it if unless you cease and desist from your planned "events".

Their earlier comment on the bombing of the Times Square Recruiter Station was:

Fuck recruiters.

I don't know about you, but it gets my Irish up when someone can, in effect, condone and endorse domestic terrorism against our troops and then threaten more against anyone who supports the troops.

Up until now I have wanted to protest their planned defamation of our warriors at the Labor College in Silver Springs, Maryland, but work requirements were going to restrict my travel only to the Saturday Rally and March in DC.  Now, wild horses couldn't keep me away on Friday.

I condemn in the strongest language the willful terrorist enabling of the AFL-CIO for allowing this group to use the Labor College for their planned seditious  blackballing of our American Troops. 

I strongly recommend that anyone with a union card and patriotism join us in a mass burning of union cards outside the university gates on Friday to demonstrate to the fat labor bosses what we think of their collaboration. 

I demand that any media organization planning to cover the IVAW lie fest explicitly  include in their reports the above IVAW quotes to demonstrate IVAWs true level of support for our troops.
I demand that any media organization who runs anything on the IVAW propaganda campaign specifically use the DUPES process outlined here: http://tinyurl.com/2lmmqq   to perform their due diligence on anything the IVAW may claim.

The agenda for Friday, March 14th is:

Truth Challenge against IVAW Winter Soldier II
National Labor College
10000 New Hampshire Avenue
New Hampshire Ave and Powder Mill Road
Silver Spring, Maryland 20903
Map Link: http://tinyurl.com/3attuz
Starting 8am, All Day

The agenda for Friday Night, March 14th is:

Support our Wounded and counter Code Pink
Walter Reed Army Medical Center
6900 Georgia Ave.
Georgia Ave and Elder Street
Washington DC 20307
Map Link: http://tinyurl.com/257qwf
From 7pm until the Troop Bus returns from dinner

The agenda for Saturday, March 15th is:

Eagles Muster and March
Washington Monument
15th St NW south of Constitution Ave
Map Link:  http://tinyurl.com/2jw8wq
From 10am.  March at 1pm to Capital

Bring your flags, signs, banners, whistles, cowbells, megaphones and anything else you think will be required to get our message across.  Never again will one generation of warriors abandon another!

Never Again!

www.eaglesup.us/

***

I just realized this information is also posted here on the GOE site.

See also: A bomb threat against the Gathering of Eagles

***

Promoted from the comments:

I have just learned of this. I figured Old War Dogs was a good place to post it. Pittsburgh Anarchists Plan Violent Take Over of Military Recruiting Station on March 19th! - Velvet Hammer

Contributed by Bill Faith on March 10, 2008 at 04:22 PM in Caring about our troops, Eagles Muster, William "1stCav" Page | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBack


Wednesday, 20 February 2008
 

Response to Dr. Gutman
Contributed by Russ Vaughn

My recent listing of the symptoms of Chronic Warrior Syndrome on this site and American Thinker elicited a higher than usual number of responses, all favorable except for the Marine who chided me for not including a symptom that is becoming epidemic: the uncontrollable impulse to put a boot up the ass of any civilian who gives you a big friendly grin and says, “Hi, I’m a reporter for…”

One insightful response came from someone who knows syndromes and liberals well, Laura Gutman, MD, an associate clinical professor of pediatrics, who happens to be a Navy veteran of the Vietnam era and a present day conservative warrior operating behind enemy lines in the hostile environment of a major American university. Dr. Gutman had this to say:

Dear Mr. Vaughn,

THANK you so much for your thoughts.  As you say, how is it possible that such an obvious insight has been obscured for so long?  It is an astounding reflection on our “therapeutic” culture that these Chronic Warrior Traits, traits which all sane civilizations recognize to be solid gold and the core of national strength, are instead mutated into a pathology. 

I wonder if you served with my husband, Robert Gutman, who was at the Da Nang hospital intermittently from 1966 through 1968.  I had the amazing good fortune to be able to serve at NAMRU-2 in Taipei at the same time, so we were much of the time together.  As with all who serve in the military, it was life-transforming in every positive way.  For me, that was not a surprise because I was/am an Army Brat, and always feel most at home when I happen to drive onto an Army base.  The air is different, and everything is as it should be.

These days I occasionally try to explain to friends why I feel responsible for the future of the nation.  Why am I a hawk?  I live in an intensely academic town, maximally liberal, and descriptions fall flat when I mention that it is up to us to remember that nations can fail, that an active military defense is often preemptive, that patriotism is essential and has to be taught to our children, that being liked by other nations is not my highest aspiration for this nation, that civil rights are best when the accompanying responsibilities are accepted and very clear, that we need to strengthen our leaders, that defense of the nation is a core value, or that not all cultures are equal (I really do think that cannibalism is inferior).  It is with the very greatest gratitude that I think of the time I had as a military child and with the Navy as an adult, and I have drawn on the habits of those years all my life.  I wish my friends were as lucky, and believe that their lives are the lesser for not having the experiences of being responsible for, literally, the well-being of our nation.

Thank you again,  Laura T. Gutman, M.D.

I responded to Dr. Gutman:

Dr. Gutman, thanks for your response. I never made it as far north as Da Nang. However, I do very much share that feeling you describe upon entering a military installation. I have spent more than 30 years marketing medical products to the military nationwide and overseas, to the extent that I feel I am still very much a part of that community even though my own active duty ended forty years ago. I still do some occasional consulting and attend some military medical conferences and I always feel better when I'm among these young warriors we have today. I was at the special operations medical conference in Tampa back in December, and I can tell you, the young doctors, PA's, nurses, medics and corpsmen I met there are an incredible resource our nation can be very proud of. They are fit, sharp, smart and totally dedicated as are so many of our modern warrior class. Many old soldiers like to think that the troops of their time were superior to what we have now. Having visited places like Fort Bragg, Fort Benning, Fort Campbell, Fort Hood, Camp Lejeune, Camp Pendleton, San Diego and Pensacola in the past year, I can tell you, those old soldiers are badly mistaken. We are fielding the fittest, best-educated and best-trained warriors this country has ever produced. Every time I'm among them, I come away proud and impressed.

I also am very impressed with your comments. Thanks again for writing and thanks for serving. And thanks most of all for continuing to serve behind enemy lines. I'll bet you'd have made a great paratrooper.

Russ Vaughn

Contributed by Russ Vaughn on February 20, 2008 at 12:31 PM in Caring about our troops, Russ Vaughn | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack


Thursday, 31 January 2008
 

Be There!
Contributed by Bill Faith

Thank you William Page for the information and the image.

Contributed by Bill Faith on January 31, 2008 at 04:40 PM in Caring about our troops, Eagles Muster | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack


Monday, 28 January 2008
 

A Nation’s Honor Flight
Contributed by Russ Vaughn

Think of it this way: there’s a terrible epidemic raging which is taking 1200 American lives every day; no cure exists but there is a palliative treatment available which makes the passing of these thousands much less painful, affording them a way to go to their graves with a sense of fulfillment, a sense that, yes, they really did make a difference. Knowing this, would you want to see more of these 36,000 Americans who are dying every month have access to such palliation to ease their passing? 

Of course you would and there is a way you can. These legions of dying are our WWII veterans, most, like my father-in-law, are now octogenarians, very fortunate octogenarians to be sure, who share the good fortune of having lived through the cataclysmic world events of the 1940’s where hundreds of thousands of their brothers gave up their lives to defend our world against fascism.

And they are among you, these dying survivors. You don’t see them as much any more as you once did, walking through Wal-Mart or sitting in the Legion hall with those brightly festooned baseball caps that proudly proclaimed their membership in that brotherhood of Americans who put their lives on hold and went off to exotic foreign shores to do the right thing. I love those caps and the men who wear them. They provide a foundation for the pride I feel in wearing my own Vietnam veteran caps. As the young would put it nowadays: been there, Dude, got the T-shirt.

So no, you don’t see them as much now because so many of them are enfeebled, confined to moving about in wheel chairs, or for far too many, confined to their beds, whether in their homes or in the many facilities that shelter our old. Oxygen devices anchor many of them to their beds or favorite recliners, limiting their range to that which is essential.

There is a common symptom of this epidemic shared by far too many of these old warriors: they have never seen the memorial erected in their honor on the National Mall in Washington D.C., more than fifty years after their service and sacrifice. As is so often and so sadly true, we Americans belatedly got around to building a memorial to the deserving, and a truly beautiful memorial it is, its circular design and generous use of water and fountains poignantly evoking the global, transoceanic theaters of war in which they served. I was there with my father-in-law on a gorgeous summer day a few weeks after it opened and I can assure you, as taxpayers, this time we got our money’s worth, although most of the construction costs came from private donations.

I said you could help and you can. Honor Flight, an organization created by an inspired physicians assistant working in a Veterans’ Affairs clinic, who recognized that far too many of these old veterans simply could not afford to make the trip to Washington to receive the thanks of their nation. That PA, retired Air Force captain, Earl Morse, has managed to scrabble together sufficient donations and volunteer assistance to transport more than 7,000 of these veterans to their long overdue memorial, cost free, affording them an opportunity to bask finally in the warmth of our nation’s gratitude before they leave us. Having been there with my own Dad, I assure you that as you move through the various campaign areas of the memorial, seeing and listening to the almost joyous camaraderie of these old warriors you quickly realize that this is a far better form of thanks than handing a sobbing widow a carefully folded flag with a murmured, “With the thanks of a grateful nation.”

Please, go to their website http://www.honorflight.org/ and give them what you can, money of course, but also your time. Volunteer some time to make this program grow. Start a local chapter, serve as an escort or simply spread the word. Most of these old warriors are not Internet savvy and have no idea such an organization exists. And they don’t live in environments where it is likely they will ever hear of Honor Flight unless we all make an effort to take it to them.

Remember, you won’t have to do it forever: we’re losing them at the rate of 1200 a day.

Editor's note: See also Take Them There and Flight to honor Bay Area veterans.

Contributed by Russ Vaughn on January 28, 2008 at 01:52 PM in Caring about our troops, Russ Vaughn | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBack


Monday, 21 January 2008
 

Another site you should be familiar with
Contributed by Bill Faith

I took my own damned sweet time getting it finished but I want to make sure those of you who care about our troops know about the site I created for Marsha Burks Megehee, whose work has appeared on Old War Dogs on occasion.

With John McCain starting to look like a serious contender you're going to start hearing a lot more about our Viet Nam War POWs. What you won't hear as much about, except on the blogs, is the POWs Nixon left behind in '73 and the fact that Senator McCain knows about them and has been perfectly content to ignore the issue. I personally admire the man John McCain was 35 years ago but not the man he turned into in office and if Fred Thompson drops out of the race for the Republican Nomination I'll choose one of the other contenders to lend my support to

Contributed by Bill Faith on January 21, 2008 at 06:28 PM in Caring about our troops, Viet Nam | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack


Thursday, 17 January 2008
 

Walter Reed revelations spawned Warrior Transition units
Contributed by Bill Faith

I'm still doing most of my blogging at Bill's Bites but Russ Vaughn thinks everyone should read this and I agree with him.

Contributed by Bill Faith on January 17, 2008 at 10:47 PM in Caring about our troops | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack


Tuesday, 03 July 2007
 

Happy Birthday America and President Bush
Contributed by Bill Faith

Gold Star Mother Debbie Lee emails:

I sit at my keyboard reflecting on the celebrations ahead, the birthday of America and of our President just a few days away. I know that this year will be different than any other 4th of July. I have always been a patriot and understand that our freedom has been purchased by the sacrifice of many, some who paid the ultimate price. This year I don’t just acknowledge and understand that, I personally know the sacrifice, the depth of the pain and the priceless cost of our freedom. My son Marc Alan Lee gave all for our freedom. He was the first Navy Seal killed in Iraq Aug 2, 2006.

I remember last 4th of July watching the spectacular fireworks lighting up the darkness of the evening sky. I remember the thunderous noise that each different explosion made and I wondered if this was like the sounds of war that Marc was hearing in Ramadi. I remember thinking how blessed I was to be celebrating the wonderful country that I lived in and the freedom that I have, knowing that my son, could be at that very moment in the midst of a firefight that could be producing the same sights and sounds. That firefight could be lighting up the dark sky where Marc was defending the freedoms I was experiencing. That firefight could be requiring the lives of any one of our troops who were willing if necessary to give the ultimate sacrifice for me, for my family, for the country they stood proudly for and swore their allegiance to defend. I remember crying at the thought of my baby all 6’0” of him, now a Navy Seal with muscles bulging and six pack abs, a perfect picture of intimidating strength and courage running into battle, not away from it. He was “One of the elite of the elite” as President Bush would later tell me. I remember missing him so and longing for the day he would return home.

We heard on Aug 2nd that Marc would be coming home but the news was not joyful, as Marc would be returning home in a flag draped casket. Marc was buried Aug 12th in San Diego at Fort RoseCrans with a 21 gun salute and full military honors.  The honor and respect that was paid to him that day by the Seal community was like none I had ever seen. We also had a Memorial Service in Hood River, Oregon where we were from. My Congressman Greg Walden showed such concern, sympathy and support for our family’s loss. He spoke at Marc’s Memorial service in Oregon paying tribute and honor to Marc‘s sacrifice. In one of our conversations I had shared that even though we had experienced such deep sorrow and loss that I still believed in what we were doing over there. That I still supported our troops, Our President and his stand against the War on Terror and that maybe because of my son‘s sacrifice I would have the privilege of one day meeting him.

I received a phone call a few weeks later that Congressman Greg Walden would be having dinner with The President that Wednesday and would hand deliver a letter to the President for me, sharing my thoughts and my desire to meet him and thank him personally. The same night that my letter was delivered, President Bush hand wrote a letter that shared his deep sorrow, his deep respect for Marc and shared how I had lifted his spirit. He said he would be honored to meet me. In October President Bush’s Office called and arranged for me to meet him on his stop in Phoenix. The next few days after the phone call were filled with so many thoughts and questions. What to wear, what to say, do you greet him with a hug or a handshake? The day before our meeting I gathered a Seal Team 3 hat, a Seal Trident pin, and a copy of Marc with his platoon in Iraq. I also brought a copy of one of Marc’s amazing emails home just before July 4th that I have now labeled his “Glory letter.” I had decided that even though I wanted to hug him that it probably wouldn’t be proper and that if I didn’t want security tackling me to the ground and my picture on the National Enquire, I should greet him with a handshake. My son Kristofer and his wife Naomi also live in Phoenix so they escorted me that morning to what would be a lifetime memory.

President Bush spoke at a fundraiser for Rick Renzi and then we were escorted to a room they had prepared for us to meet The President. When we walked in there was a small couch and 2 chairs arranged in a “U.” I sat on the couch thinking that no matter where he sat I would be close. My son suggested that He and Naomi sit on the couch since there were two of them. I guess that makes sense, but I wouldn’t be as close to The President. As I sat in the chair about 8 feet away from the empty chair I couldn’t believe how childish I was acting that I wouldn’t be close. I mean hello…I’m going to be in the same room as The President who is arranging his schedule to meet me. They have pastries, juices and coffee prepared for us, but who can eat at a time like this? A few minutes later his secret service lead him into the room. We stand and step toward him. Before I can even lift my hand to shake his, he reaches out his arms to hugs me and with tears in his eyes he says, “I am so sorry for your loss.” His secret service had left us alone in the room. There were no cameras in the room and these tears where not for a “Photo Op.” These tears came from a man who sincerely carried the burden and loss for my son Marc and for every other brave man and woman who had laid down their lives.

After I introduced him to my son and daughter-in-law we sat down. President Bush walked over to the empty chair, looked at it and then back at me and as he slid the heavy chair across the floor said, “This is where I want to sit, next to a heroes Mom.” He pulled the chair within 2 inches of mine and sat down. I chuckled inside as I remembered the previous conversation I had with myself as to seating arrangements. President Bush then picked up my hand and held it and sincerely asked how I was doing. He reminded me I would need to rely on my faith during a time like this. I shared that I am experiencing the amazing strength and hope that God is giving me in the midst of this deep sorrow and grief!  We talked about Marc and his character that caused him to willingly give up his life to save his buddies. We talked about our family and the challenges of being a single parent and shared some great memories of Marc. I shared about my newly adopted Seal sons and the amazing support from the Seal community. We talked about my commitment to use my voice to make a difference in America to support our troops. I gave him the Seal Team 3 hat, the Seal Trident and the picture of Marc and his platoon. I asked if I made copies of the Platoon picture for each one of my newly adopted sons would he sign one to each one of them. He called Jared in and asked him to “get me the “special address” where important mail goes.” That made me fell pretty special!

We visited a little longer and then he signed pictures we had brought. As we were ready to depart he had his White House photographer come in and take pictures. He shared how much he loves the Seals and that they are the “Elite of the Elite,” and brought in the Seal who always travels with him. As he was leaving he gave me another hug and looked straight into my eyes and slowly and with deep sincerity and conviction told me “Your son’s sacrifice will not be in vain.”

After the President left, we all just sat back down in amazement as to what had just taken place. Now, I could use some coffee and a pastry. We tried to figure out how long it had been and we guessed about 15 or 20 minutes. Later we were to learn from his staff that it had been 35 minutes. It felt as though I had just spent 35 minutes in my living room with family and friends, comfortable and relaxed. One of my first thoughts about the President was what a humble, genuine, sincere man he was. Not once did he look at his watch, or act like he had another care in the world. This was The President of the United States and we had his undivided attention. You knew that he deeply carried the sacrifice of each one of these brave men and women. It was obvious the depth of his compassion and that he truly loved America and wanted to defend and protect her. His motives are genuine and pure.

I feel that President Bush has been unfairly attacked by the Main Stream Media and I wanted America to know the character of the man who I have come to know. A man of faith whose character is steadfast, loyal, compassionate, sincere, humble, truthful and genuine. I am honored that President Bush was the Commander in Chief of my son and our Nation during this extremely difficult time. Do I think President Bush is perfect? No way! He will be the first to humbly admit that he isn’t perfect. I’m not perfect and I’m sure that you aren’t either. Although… I have met those who think their perfect??? Do I worship President Bush? The only one I worship is the one who sacrificed His life on the Cross so that we could be free for eternity. Do I agree on everything with President Bush? No, we were on opposite sides on the Immigration bill. Do you agree with everything that anybody does 100%? Do you give up on them just because they think differently on some things than you do? President Bush is celebrating his Birthday on July 6th and I can’t think of a better gift to give him than to tell America of my experiences meeting him and his noble character. I am so proud of President Bush, his dedication to serving America and continuing to stand up for her, to protect her and her citizens.

Happy Birthday President Bush! May God continue to bless you!

Happy Birthday America and thank you to everyone who has fought to keep America free and One nation under God!

God Bless America,

Debbie Lee

In Memory of Marc Alan Lee,
My “Mighty Warrior”
KIA 8-2-06

Contributed by Bill Faith on July 3, 2007 at 09:47 PM in Caring about our troops, Patriotism | Permalink | Comments (3) | TrackBack


Saturday, 30 June 2007
 

Independence Day
Contributed by The Gray Dog

This year, as the death throes of the Shamnesty Bill still rattle, I would like for everyone to simply consider a phrase that has become as trite as “thank you for your service.”  It’s a phrase I had come to detest until I considered it in a more appropriate context.  Like Rurik’s brilliant recasting of hyphenated citizenship which allowed us to proudly proclaim ourselves Proud Veteran-Americans, I now lay claim on behalf of all Veteran-Americans, that phrase which is rightfully ours:

'Nuff said!

Contributed by The Gray Dog on June 30, 2007 at 11:41 AM in Caring about our troops, Current Affairs, Patriotism, The Gray Dog | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBack


Wednesday, 20 June 2007
 

CH!CKEN SH!T
Contributed by The Gray Dog

The Gray Dog’s Note: The following is inspired by a flurry of links I found in my email today, courtesy of Rurik, and today’s post, “I Guess Our Only Leaders Now Are In Uniform,” at one of my favorite BLOGS, Seaspook’s Rants.

I am not pretentious enough to believe I am an authority on all matters military. I certainly have no expertise or specific knowledge which would allow me to formulate judgments about our top command structure as it pertains to such characteristics as leadership, strategic thinking or performance. I can only offer my less than expert opinions based upon anecdotal reporting and my less than perfect ability to gauge character based upon observing someone on a television screen. Having never let personal limitations prevent me from opining in the past, I am loathe to begin now, so here goes:

FIRE ROBERT GATES NOW!!

How in the hell can we expect this man to prosecute a global war on terror if he doesn’t have the stomach to mix it up with Carl Levin. Of course I’m referring to Gate’s feckless decision to withdraw Peter Pace’s re-nomination for Chairman of the Joint Chiefs last week because Sen. Levin, D-MI, threatened that the confirmation process for Pace would be contentious. What an absolute crock. I wouldn’t be surprised to learn that Gates asked Levin for his pick to replace Pace.

Continue Reading "CH!CKEN SH!T"

Contributed by The Gray Dog on June 20, 2007 at 07:03 PM in Caring about our troops, Current Affairs, G W Bush, Politics, The Gray Dog, US Marine Corps, US Navy, War? What war? | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack


Tuesday, 19 June 2007
 

RE: "Death by a Thousand..."
Contributed by The Gray Dog

I know I haven’t contributed as prolifically in the past few months to the BLOGS I am a member of, as is my normal wont to do.  Not only was I suffering from a serious case of the mopes (otherwise known in the Gray Dog household as the “poor me(s)”,) but I also fell victim to a severe bout of writer’s block, a malady for which I’m sure more than a few visitors to any of these otherwise respectable sites would like to be revisited upon me soon.

Yeah, I know, I haven’t exactly been a beacon of optimism and positive thinking since returning to the saddle in the past week or two.  No, instead I’ve been whining and taking a lot of pot shots at Bush. (BTW, y’all ought to give it a try. I’ve found that thumpin’ ole ‘W’ is easier than swatting a watermelon with an ironing board. No wonder the Dhimmiwits have been piling on for so long.)  But, I digress.

The point I’m trying to get around to is that I feel for and empathize with zero ponsdorf in his latest missive, “Death By a Thousand Cuts: or Just Vote Democratic,”  where he takes the position that we could and should hurry the inevitable demise of the U.S. by voting for Democrats next year.  What is the aim of his strategy?

Continue reading RE: "Death by a Thousand..."

***

Webmaster's note: The above link doesn't seem to be working right now, possibly due to some sort of technical glitch. If it doesn't work for you please click here instead.

Gray Dog's Note: Some times my paws just hit the wrong keys. Thanks Bill! All links are now AOK.

Contributed by The Gray Dog on June 19, 2007 at 02:06 PM in Caring about our troops, Current Affairs, Decision '08, Politics, The Gray Dog | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack


Wednesday, 30 May 2007
 

2007.05.30 Patriotism in America Roundup
Contributed by Bill Faith

Two great ones ones you don't want to miss: From Kit Jarell: "In the Company of the Brave" (go read it) and from Palmetto Silver, "The Silence and the Thunder" (below the fold.)

The Silence and the Thunder
Palmetto Silver

It was blistering hot and muggy. Moisture oozed from every pore in my face and the face of everyone else in that crowd. We stood on the steps facing the Tomb. It holds the bones of men who gave their lives in service to their country and whose names are known only to God. Their identities will never be known to man. We who sat were young, old, of various heritage and many languages. Some came from far away, some from the city just over the bridge. Our differences were there for all to see and yet one compelling component bound us together as one. The silence. It rolled over everyone who approached the steps and took their place in the crowd. It carried to restless children who though hot and tired were compelled by the solemnity to watch in utter quietness. Babies in strollers only let out a brief, muted wail as though even they in their infancy knew that they were in the presence of greatness. The silence deepened as the guards began their honored ritual of change. The click of their heels sounded like gunshot in the backdrop of silence. The crowd moved not, spoke not, it seemed almost breathed not. The silence was one of awe-filled respect. There laid men who had shared their lifeblood and had given their all. We in the crowd seemed to know of our mere mortality in the face of such greatness. They deserved our silence, as words could not define their sacrifice, their courage, their commitment. Talking would have been noise, denigrating and demeaning. The tombs said it all. In utter silence, we watched as the guards completed their march. Respect could ask no less.

It was still beastly as I stood on the bridge and in the distance saw the bright lights of the cavalry. They came preceded by those who have sworn to enforce the law. They came with a rumble, with a roar, with a thundering reminder that we owe those men and women who go off to service our thanks, our commitment and our remembrance of them always. They came in wave upon wave, bikes with leather-clad drivers who carried the flame of those who have fallen and those for whom there has been no accounting. They came with a rumble, a thunder, a roar to remind us that freedom is never free, that duty often means death, and that we as a nation have our liberties today because of those who have sacrificed their own. They rode with honor, with pride, with purpose. They rode with a mission. And in the thunder I heard the respect and honor that the pipes cried to communicate." Let us never forget", they roared. "Let us honor those who have served" they called to a seemingly indifferent nation. "Let us respect our flag, our country, our heritage and our people". Rolling Thunder, rumbling to shake the conscience of a people that seems so easily to forget those who have given their blood and on whose backs this country has been built.

Then I saw them up close and personal. These men had been there. They saw the jungles; they heard the bombs, they served their country. They still have the memories and weep as they walk the Wall. They know the stories of those names forever etched in stone….who they were and how they died. As I watched on that sweltering day, I saw clearly heroes among us. Beneath the gray of the hair and aging of the flesh, I saw the steel, the resolve, the mettle of real men. I saw the strength of character that had caused them to give their personal liberty for their country. I saw a certain confidence, maybe yes, even a swagger in their walk. They know who they are; they know what they are. They know what they did not do and what they did do. They know their own and they are proud. I saw handshakes, hugs, and nods. There was an unspoken communication that those of us on the outside cannot share….only those who are part of that brotherhood can understand. They are the vets and they are proud. In addition, perhaps what in my mind came to be the most amazing paradox was that though their own fellow citizens, their own society mocked, scorned and spit upon many of them, they are still the vanguard of the colors. They honor the flag and they know the meaning of liberty. Wounds are still there but they move beyond to the enduring legacy they know they have left. Theirs is a legacy of character, of strength, of sacrifice. In their gathering, they prove the great fiber of the country. We have become the nation that we are because of men who gave and asked nothing in return. We are a nation with protected freedoms because of the Unknown Soldier, the wounded soldier, the POW, the one still unaccounted for and who perhaps will remain ever in obscurity, and the vet who lives and works and moves incognito among us.

In the silence, let us ponder and with thunder, let us remember.

God bless America.

Contributed by Bill Faith on May 30, 2007 at 10:50 AM in Caring about our troops, Gathering of Eagles, Palmetto Silver | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack


Monday, 28 May 2007
 

Winners and Losers
Contributed by J D

J. D. Pendry

“O beautiful for heroes proved,
in liberating strife,
Who more than self their country loved,
And mercy more than life…”
- O Beautiful for Spacious Skies, Katharine L Bates, 1904

Small American flags dotted the cemetery, each of them marking the resting place of a Veteran. The cemetery caretakers place them there. A small, solitary flag is all that marked some graves. Maybe their visitors would come later in the day.

Each time I take in that scene I cannot help but wonder, without Americans such as these “who more than self their country loved”, where might we be today? Or, what might we be? Their sacrifices throughout our history have allowed us to live free and prosper. They are winners, “heroes proved”, all of them. They were winners when winning mattered.

Read the rest:

Contributed by J D on May 28, 2007 at 04:23 PM in Caring about our troops, J D Pendry, Memorial Day | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack


Saturday, 26 May 2007
 

Three for a long weekend
Contributed by Bill Faith

Read 'em in order. One today, one tomorrow and one Monday maybe.

Contributed by Bill Faith on May 26, 2007 at 12:17 AM in Caring about our troops, Memorial Day | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack


Thursday, 24 May 2007
 

Decoration Day
Contributed by J D

J. D. Pendry

We still call it Decoration Day here in Wild Wonderful. Many of us will visit a cemetery this weekend and pay our respects to those who have stood final muster and answered their last recall. I’ll visit my Father, WWII Navy Veteran Hudson Grey Pendry. Most of our youngsters don’t know about this special day and what it represents. Take the opportunity this weekend to forget politicians and their antics. Instead, take time to visit a cemetery and reserve some time in your mind and heart for people who truly deserve our thoughts. Take time to educate a youngster about Memorial Day. Tell them why we must remember the Men and Women who have sacrificed so that we can remain a free nation.

As you remember those who’ve served and sacrificed, take a moment and a knee and give thanks for those who are serving and sacrificing now.

Please have a safe Memorial Day Weekend.

Franklin Roosevelt's D-Day Prayer

June 6, 1944

My fellow Americans: Last night, when I spoke with you about the fall of Rome, I knew at that moment that troops of the United States and our allies were crossing the Channel in another and greater operation. It has come to pass with success thus far.

And so, in this poignant hour, I ask you to join with me in prayer:

Almighty God: Our sons, pride of our Nation, this day have set upon a mighty endeavor, a struggle to preserve our Republic, our religion, and our civilization, and to set free a suffering humanity.

Lead them straight and true; give strength to their arms, stoutness to their hearts, steadfastness in their faith. They will need Thy blessings. Their road will be long and hard. For the enemy is strong.

He may hurl back our forces. Success may not come with rushing speed, but we shall return again and again; and we know that by Thy grace, and by the righteousness of our cause, our sons will triumph.

They will be sore tried, by night and by day, without rest-until the victory is won. The darkness will be rent by noise and flame. Men's souls will be shaken with the violences of war.

For these men are lately drawn from the ways of peace. They fight not for the lust of conquest. They fight to end conquest. They fight to liberate. They fight to let justice arise, and tolerance and good will among all Thy people. They yearn but for the end of battle, for their return to the haven of home.

Some will never return. Embrace these, Father, and receive them, Thy heroic servants, into Thy kingdom.

And for us at home -- fathers, mothers, children, wives, sisters, and brothers of brave men overseas -- whose thoughts and prayers are ever with them--help us, Almighty God, to rededicate ourselves in renewed faith in Thee in this hour of great sacrifice.

Many people have urged that I call the Nation into a single day of special prayer. But because the road is long and the desire is great, I ask that our people devote themselves in a continuance of prayer. As we rise to each new day, and again when each day is spent, let words of prayer be on our lips, invoking Thy help to our efforts.

Give us strength, too -- strength in our daily tasks, to redouble the contributions we make in the physical and the material support of our armed forces. And let our hearts be stout, to wait out the long travail, to bear sorrows that may come, to impart our courage unto our sons wheresoever they may be.

And, O Lord, give us Faith.

Give us Faith in Thee; Faith in our sons; Faith in each other; Faith in our united crusade. Let not the keenness of our spirit ever be dulled. Let not the impacts of temporary events, of temporal matters of but fleeting moment let not these deter us in our unconquerable purpose.

With Thy blessing, we shall prevail over the unholy forces of our enemy. Help us to conquer the apostles of greed and racial arrogancies. Lead us to the saving of our country, and with our sister Nations into a world unity that will spell a sure peace a peace invulnerable to the schemings of unworthy men.

And a peace that will let all of men live in freedom, reaping the just rewards of their honest toil.

Thy will be done, Almighty God.

Amen.

Contributed by J D on May 24, 2007 at 07:00 PM in Caring about our troops, J D Pendry, Memorial Day, Patriotism | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBack

Coming Monday: The National Memorial Day Parade
Contributed by Bill Faith

Click the image to learn all about it and check out the way cool photo gallery. (Hat tip: Michelle Malkin)

Contributed by Bill Faith on May 24, 2007 at 04:07 PM in Caring about our troops, Memorial Day, Patriotism | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack


Friday, 18 May 2007
 

Cheers on Corridor Three
Contributed by Bill Faith

Just read it. Just. Read. It. (H/T: B5)

Contributed by Bill Faith on May 18, 2007 at 08:06 PM in Caring about our troops | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack

"I'm Already Home"
Contributed by Bill Faith

Read OIF vet C J Grisham's posts here and here for background.  Thank you GSM Debbie Lee for making sure I knew about them.

Contributed by Bill Faith on May 18, 2007 at 06:42 PM in Caring about our troops, Music, The American Warrior, Video | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack


Wednesday, 09 May 2007
 

2007.05.09 Dem Perfidy // Islamism Delenda Est Roundup
Contributed by Bill Faith

See previous: 2007.05.08 Dem Perfidy // Islamism Delenda Est Roundup

Halfway down the road to hell,
In a shady meadow green,
Are the souls of all dead troopers camped
Near a good old-time canteen.
And this eternal resting place
Is known as Fiddler’s Green.
-Author Unknown (via Sgt Hook)

And there shall our warriors rejoice at the sight as the Dhimmicrats parade by in chains on the way to their eternal reward.

Below the fold, newest items at the top: 

  • US Embassy Attacked During Cheney Visit
  • Tenet’s Tim Time
  • Bush Would Veto Democrats' New Iraq Bill
  • Does the LA Times know about the Fort Dix Six?
  • The John Doe at Circuit City
  • Jersey Jihadists, open borders, and the thanks we get
  • A Little Competence Would Be Nice
  • Democrats Move Closer To De-Funding
  • Some other good early morning reads
  • The political tornado in Greensburg
  • KS Gov tries her hand at disaster chasing
    Video added: Dingy Harry joins in after gov is debunked

Democrats Move Closer To De-Funding
Ed Morrissey

The Democrats have moved closer to using their actual Constitutional power to defund the Iraq war in a compromise bill being floated in the House. In the new supplemental, funding for the troops in Iraq would only be unconditional for two months. After that, it would cease entirely unless the Iraqis passed an oil revenue sharing plan and other restructuring bills that have not progressed as planned:

A House Democratic proposal introduced yesterday that would give President Bush half of the money he has requested for the war effort, with a vote in July on whether to approve the rest, hinges on progress in meeting political benchmarks that Iraq has thus far found difficult to achieve....

One concession has to be made, which is that the Democrats have finally started to work within their Constitutional authority. Prior plans used elaborate ruses to force the President to end the war by juggling troop requirements and the like, all of which infringed on his authority as commander-in-chief of the armed forces. Hillary Clinton has begun to pursue an equally noxious violation of the Constitution by attempting to revoke the original authorization for the war, which she and other Democrats claim the President could not veto. It would amount to a diktat by the legislative branch, one about which the Supreme Court would have to squelch its laughter before throwing it out with great force. ...

I hope when the mushroom clouds eventually start rising above the U.S. Reid, Pelosi and Murtha are together so they have a couple of minutes to congratulate each other on how well they handled the war just before they die. Three would be OK. Anything longer is more than they deserve.

***

Don't miss Ed's follow-up post here.

Continue reading "2007.05.09 Dem Perfidy // Islamism Delenda Est Roundup"

Contributed by Bill Faith on May 9, 2007 at 12:01 PM in Caring about our troops, Dem Dumbness, Dem Perfidy, Iran, Iraq, Islamism Delenda Est | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack


Saturday, 05 May 2007
 

Over There
Contributed by Bill Faith

Kit Jarrell writes:

I am performing this song at GOE II on May 26th, and this is the second in my series of videos for GOE. I will be making the song available for download as well. Please feel free to share this video as much as you like. I hope it encourages people to attend the event, and to become active in their communities. ...


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iYt8Em-omj0

I've embedded Kit's video to make it convenient to watch but do click that link right under it when you're done and check out some of the other videos on the "Related" list; there are several good ones there.

Bonus: Don't miss "Welcome Home" at Viper's Vietnam Veterans Page.

Contributed by Bill Faith on May 5, 2007 at 01:57 PM in Caring about our troops, Gathering of Eagles | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBack


Wednesday, 02 May 2007
 

The END of Military Blogging?
Update: Russ Vaughn sample letter to your congresscritters

Contributed by Bill Faith

Army crack down on bloggers
Michelle Malkin

Stupid! Stupid! Stupid! Via Noah Shachtman:

The U.S. Army has ordered soldiers to stop posting to blogs or sending personal e-mail messages, without first clearing the content with a superior officer, Wired News has learned. The directive, issued April 19, is the sharpest restriction on troops' online activities since the start of the Iraq war. And it could mean the end of military blogs, observers say.

Military officials have been wrestling for years with how to handle troops who publish blogs. Officers have weighed the need for wartime discretion against the opportunities for the public to personally connect with some of the most effective advocates for the operations in Afghanistan and Iraq -- the troops themselves. The secret-keepers have generally won the argument, and the once-permissive atmosphere has slowly grown more tightly regulated. Soldier-bloggers have dropped offline as a result.

The new rules (.pdf) obtained by Wired News require a commander be consulted before every blog update.

Bottom line from Matt at Blackfive: ...

As the saying goes, there's a right way, a wrong way, and the Army a wrong way. I can't improve on Blackfive's post so I won't try. Read it.

***

Ed Morrissey comments here.

***

I just received this sample letter from Russ Vaughn, which he and I both hope you'll modify as appropriate and send to your Congressional representatives:

Dear Senator/Congressman,

I have just become aware of the military’s new restrictive policy on soldier weblogs (milblogs) with the reason for this policy being given that it is in the interest of operational security. While I am all for the highest degree of vigilance in matters of OPSEC, I feel that the new policy is heavy-handed and counterproductive for the following reasons:

1)  Every website created by any service person is readily available for routine scrutiny by military monitoring agencies. At the first sign of misuse, the military has the capability to block the offending site and deal appropriately with its owner.

2)  Milblogs are the 21st Century’s letters home from the war, a means of communicating from the combat zone with family and friends that far exceeds the capabilities, in both time and content, of previous wars. They are a definite morale-builder, both with serving troops and the folks back home keeping tabs on their loved ones.

3)  Milblogs are tools for training and orientation from those who are there now to those who will be. Such exchanges can be highly beneficial for those deploying to combat for the first time. Such “pearls’ from the trigger-pullers to those yet untested can make the transition much easier and perhaps safer for the new warriors.

4)  Under such prohibition, only the dutiful soldiers will be affected. The disgruntled and disobedient will evade this restriction and find ways to use such internet podiums to spew their harsh criticisms. Only one view, that most favorable to the military, will be stifled.

5)  Last but not least, those affected by this restriction on freedom of speech are precisely those who are placing their lives on the line to preserve that very freedom. To deny them that right unnecessarily as is now being done with this new policy sends a very wrong message to the world about our true commitment to our Bill of Rights.

If a soldier wants to have a weblog, fine, let him or her do so after first signing a DoD agreement, making him keenly aware of the consequences of OPSEC violations and the and the penalties that attach to them. By signing that agreement he automatically registers with a central registry, maintained by a DoD agency with the responsibility to routinely monitor content of all milblogs owned by active duty personnel.

I’m not asking for official action here, simply a heads-up call from your office to your connections in the Pentagon to suggest they not throw out the baby with the bath water.

Sincerely,

Russ Vaughn
101st Airborne Division, Vietnam 65-66
Registered Voter in Your State/District

***

Michelle has a great link-rich follow-up to her earlier post here.  (Thanks for the link, Michelle.)

Contributed by Bill Faith on May 2, 2007 at 02:16 PM in Caring about our troops, The American Warrior, US Army | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBack

2007.05.02 Dem Perfidy // Islamism Delenda Est Roundup
Contributed by Bill Faith

See previous: 2007.05.01 Dem Perfidy // Islamism Delenda Est Roundup

Below the fold:

  • No safe way for U.S. to leave Iraq, experts warn
  • Debutantes of Defeat
  • House Fails to Override Bush Veto of Iraq War Spending Bill
  • Even A Liberal Notices: Democrats Are
    "Illiterate" And Willfully, Cynically Blind About Iraq
  • The mask slips in Palestine
  • Now What?
  • Freed UK sailors back in the Persian Gulf
  • If It’s Not Lost, How Can We Win?
  • If Entering Iraq Was a Mistake, Leaving Is Worse
  • Bush Keeps Vow to Veto War Funding Bill
  • The 'new' Democrats and the war
  • They Are Not Serious. They Are Not Patriotic.

***

Another Grunt’s Rant on Iraq
Jules Crittenden

George Bush vetoed the surrender bill with a pen given to him by the father of Marine Cpl. Dustin Derga, killed in Anbar May 8, 2005. Robert Derga wanted him to use the pen to veto that bill, and called to make sure he was going to do it.

Larry Gwin, former XO of 2/7 Cav, veteran of the Ia Drang battles of 1965 and author of “Baptism, A Vietnam Memoir,” is very familiar with death in war. He has not been a great fan of this war but has stated all along that once troops are committed, the nation must be behind them to the end. He circulated the following among some friends the other day and said I could run it. The Democratic-controlled Congress is giving Gwin a flashback. I’m guessing he’s not the only one:   

Another Grunt’s Rant on Iraq

Am I wrong, or am I wrong?  It looks like there’s going to be a Constitutional crisis on the war in Iraq –  a showdown between Congress and the President. Congress has voted to tie military funding to a timetable for withdrawal, and the President has vowed to veto their bill.  That will put the burden back on Congress to reconsider legislation that will fund the war, i.e. support the troops, and if they refuse, the Defense Department’s budget is going to take a hit.

The Democrats insist that what they’re doing is obeying the will of the people, as demonstrated by the November elections that gave them a majority in both houses.  What a crock that is!  There never was any referendum on the war– just a straight election for representatives in the House and Senate, some of whom supported the war, and some of whom didn’t.  It seems to me that the Democrats, who have a majority in both houses of Congress for the first time since 1994, now think they can ram a surrender down our throats in the name of the people, even though there has never been a specific referendum on making a stand or withdrawing in Iraq.  So, who is right?

We’ll see. ...

What the Democrats are doing is akin to what we did in Vietnam by signing a peace agreement with the North Vietnamese, tantamount to bailing out on our allies’ without their concurrence, then departing with absolutely no intention of ever coming back, no matter what the North Vietnamese did. Congress also cut off financial support for South Vietnam after our departure.  And sure as hell, as soon as we left, the North Vietnamese attacked south in full force, and for two more years, the two sides pounded each other until the more determined North, supported by Russia and China, won the war.  And we veterans here at home who had fought and seen so many of our buddies die over there, had to keep our mouths shut and just take it.

And we felt the shame of defeat.  Not a defeat we’d suffered, but a defeat of our national will.  And that enraged me and made me feel ashamed.  It took me more than forty years to get over it, and I still simmer when I think about it.

And we’re going to do it again, thanks to the Democrats in Congress. ...

Read the whole thing and don't forget to follow the links to learn more about the gentleman who wrote it.

Continue reading "2007.05.02 Dem Perfidy // Islamism Delenda Est Roundup"

Contributed by Bill Faith on May 2, 2007 at 12:52 AM in Caring about our troops, Dem Dumbness, Dem Perfidy, Iraq, Islamism Delenda Est | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack


Sunday, 29 April 2007
 

Who Won Harry?
Contributed by J D

In this war, as it was in Vietnam, Americans will not know battlefield defeat. American politicians, at least of your brand Harry, own it, live it, long for it every day that you walk into your Congressional office to collect the people's money and revel in your own inflated self-image. Unfortunately, politicians rarely suffer because of the defeat they work so hard to achieve. It is the Soldiers and their families, not the politicians who suffer, but no one pretends that you care about that.

Read the rest:

Contributed by J D on April 29, 2007 at 05:18 PM in Caring about our troops, Dem Dumbness, Dem Perfidy, Iraq, Islamism Delenda Est, J D Pendry | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBack

2007.04.29 Dem Perfidy // Islamism Delenda Est Roundup
Contributed by Bill Faith

See previous: 2007.04.28 Dem Perfidy // Islamism Delenda Est Roundup

Deadlocked War Funding Bill May Halt Troop Carriers 

CAMP FALLUJAH, Iraq —  The armored carrier has a grim black slash across its side, burn marks on the door and a web of cracks along the window.

Like most of the Mine Resistant, Ambush Protected (MRAP) vehicles in Anbar province, this one has been hit as many as three times by enemy fire and bomb blasts. Yet, to date, no American troops have died while riding in one.

But efforts to buy thousands more carriers — each costing about $1 million — could be delayed if the White House and Congress do not resolve their deadlock over a $124.2 billion war spending bill.

About $3 billion for the vehicles is tied up in the legislation. The spending plan has stalled because of a dispute over provisions that would set a timetable for the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq. ...

Joe Katzman has an excellent related post here.

Bottom line: Replacing HMMWVs with MRAP's saves American lives. The Army and Marines are waiting for money to replace a bunch of 'em. They don't have it yet because the Surrendercrats are playing political games instead of taking care of the troops.

It is my fervent and heartfelt hope that when the jihadis finally manage to nuke DC Harry Reid, Nancy Pelosi, and Mad Jack Murtha are just far enough from Ground Zero to see the flash and have a split second to realize what happened before the shock front arrives and liquefies their bodies. Catching the three of them somewhere on the left coast for a moonbat convention would be even better, of course.

Update after a night's sleep and some time to surf the web a little: I don't really want the Three Ratateers to die in the initial blast. I'd much prefer they die slow lingering deaths trapped in the rubble, preferably under the same rubble pile so they have time to congratulate each other on how well they managed the war. (No, Bill isn't "off his meds again." I'm not wishing any worse fate for the Ratateers than will be suffered by thousands of others if they succeed in implementing their proposed policies.)

Below the fold (newest items at the top):

  • Rice: 'Slam dunk' comment didn't lead to war
  • Officers: Ex-CIA chief Tenet a 'failed' leader
  • Scheuer: Don't Buy Tenet
  • A Basic Tenet of Public Life...
  • Meet the Press: Harry Reid's Plan for America
  • Top general: U.S. needs a bigger Army faster
  • Video: Murtha suggests impeachment
    if President doesn’t “compromise”
  • Good News In Anbar
  • Saudi’d Straight
  • And then what?
  • Terrorists Ecstatic With Democrats' Debate
  • 1st Assault Accordians, Advance to Rear!
  • "If Osama bin Laden stood up and said 'Here's my timetable for withdrawing from Iraq'...
  • "I'm ready for my fatwa"
  • US aircrews show Taliban no mercy
  • Certified Madness
  • Winners And Losers
  • Forgive My Unstiff Upper Lip
  • Another big fish in Iraq? 

Continue reading "2007.04.29 Dem Perfidy // Islamism Delenda Est Roundup

Contributed by Bill Faith on April 29, 2007 at 01:06 AM in Afghanistan, Caring about our troops, Dem Dumbness, Dem Perfidy, Iran, Iraq, Islamism Delenda Est, Mad Jack Murtha | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack


Saturday, 28 April 2007
 

2007.04.28 Dem Perfidy // Islamism Delenda Est Roundup
Contributed by Bill Faith

See previous: 2007.04.27 Dem Perfidy // Islamism Delenda Est Roundup

Omar Has A Question
By haystack

Our great friends Omar and Mohammed want to know just exactly WHY the Democrats (and SOME Republicans) think:

My life and the lives of twenty-five other million Iraqis are evidently not worth trying for.

The full text of his article is over at Pajamas Media, and he genuinely wants to understand how it is our anti-war crowd has come to the conclusion that:

It’s not worth it.Time to leave. ....

Below the fold (newest items at the top):

  • Get ready for "failure day"
  • The White Feather Postcard Campaign
  • Jack Murtha says: United States soldiers are liars!
  • "Who Controls the Past Controls the Future..."

Continue reading "2007.04.28 Dem Perfidy // Islamism Delenda Est Roundup "

Contributed by Bill Faith on April 28, 2007 at 06:03 PM in Caring about our troops, Dem Perfidy, Iraq, Islamism Delenda Est | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBack


Tuesday, 24 April 2007
 

2007.04.24 Dem Perfidy // Islamism Delenda Est Roundup
Contributed by Bill Faith

See previous: 2007.04.23 Dem Perfidy // Islamism Delenda Est Roundup

"In less than six months time, Senator Reid has gone from pledging full funding for the military, then full funding with conditions, and then a cut-off of funding. Three positions in five months on the most important foreign policy question facing the nation and our troops. Indeed last week, he said the war is already lost, and the timetable legislation that he is now pursuing would guarantee defeat."  --- Vice President Dick Cheney

Below the fold:

  • Baghdad Dispatch: The Wall
  • Video: Dick Cheney vs. Harry Reid
  • Video: Reid sez Bush’s “attack dog” Dick Cheney out to get him, Democratic congress
  • Cheney: Democrats Are Defeatists About Iraq
  • Reid Has No Honesty at All
  • Harry Reid, Please Phone Home
  • War Supplemental Now Includes Minimum-Wage Increase?
  • Video: Reid vows not to believe Petraeus if he reports progress in Iraq
  • Reid's bloody hands
  • Mullah Dadullah and hundreds of Taliban 'surrounded in southern Afghanistan'
  • We'll only lose in Iraq if the Democrats inflict the defeat
  • What Would It Take for Joe Lieberman to Fire Harry Reid?

Continue reading "2007.04.24 Dem Perfidy // Islamism Delenda Est Roundup"

Contributed by Bill Faith on April 24, 2007 at 01:46 PM in Caring about our troops, Dem Dumbness, Dem Perfidy, Iraq, Islamism Delenda Est | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack