Something... and Half of Something

October 28, 2010

Valour IT ~ The Few - The Loud - The Marines!

Today is the first day of this year's Valour IT Fundraiser and once again, I'm raising my voice with the Marine Corps Fundraising Team, for Project Valour-IT.

What is Project Valour IT? Well, first you get the background... the story behind Valour-IT:

Project Valour-IT began when Captain Charles "Chuck" Ziegenfuss was wounded by an IED while serving as commander of a tank company in Iraq in June 2005.

During his deployment he kept a blog. Captivating writing, insightful stories of his experiences, and his self-deprecating humor won him many loyal readers. After he was wounded, his wife continued his blog, keeping his readers informed of his condition.

As he began to recover, CPT Ziegenfuss wanted to return to writing his blog, but serious hand injuries hampered his typing. When a loyal and generous reader gave him a copy of the Dragon Naturally Speaking Preferred software, other readers began to realize how important such software could be to CPT Ziegenfuss' fellow wounded soldiers and started cast about for a way to get it to them.

A fellow who writes under the pseudonym FbL contacted Captain Ziegenfuss and the two realized they shared a vision of creating libraries of laptops with voice-controlled software that could be brought to the bedsides of wounded soldiers whose injuries prevented them from operating a standard computer. FbL contacted Soldiers' Angels, who offered to help develop the project, and Project Valour-IT was born.

When I made this post in July of 2005, my goal was to cheer up Chuck as he recovered from wounds he received while defending our freedom in Iraq. Yes, it's the same Chuck, and many of you sent cards and letters to him during his stay at Walter Reed. I thank you for that. But, our work is not done yet. Now I'm asking you to help Valour-IT.

Project Valour-IT accepts donations of any amount to supply the "libraries" of laptops at major medical centers and gifts to individuals, but has also added the option of an individual or organization directly sponsoring a wounded soldier by completely funding the cost of a laptop and continuing to provide him or her with personal support and encouragement throughout recovery. Thanks to the efforts of the Military Order of the Purple Heart, Valour-IT is also able to reach patients in VA hospitals who would benefit from a Valour-IT laptop.

Every cent raised for Project Valour-IT goes directly to the purchase and shipment of voice-activated laptops for wounded servicemembers.

Project Valour-IT is a simple idea with profound impact. It's grateful Americans, providing laptops with voice-activated software for severely wounded troops. Project Valour-IT offers a way for us to tell them we have not forgotten their sacrifices, and that is truly priceless. In many, many ways what we are trying to do is reconnect them to the world; remind them that they are not alone. That they still have something to contribute, that they are still a vital part of this nation, and that even though they may have lost parts of themselves that they can never recover, though they may temporarily be feeling hopeless, helpless, even alone, they aren't.

Someone remembers. Someone still cares. And when they get out of the hospital, America will find a way for them to rejoin the community and be useful again. For a wounded vet facing traumatic and painful injuries, that knowledge alone is beyond price.

Please dig deep. You cannot know the value of the hope your small contributions can bring to those who have already given so much on our behalf.

If you wish to donate, use this link, where you'll find many options to make it easy.

Soldiers' Angels has been designated a 501(c)(3) non-profit charity by the IRS. Donations are tax-deductible and may be eligible for matching funds from donors' employers (ask your employer). Be sure to consult your tax advisor for further information.

Tell your friends, family and neighbors about Valour-IT, challenge your co-workers or employer to match donations, consider involving clubs, churches, or charitable organizations. If you have any contacts in the media, local or national newspapers, radio, TV, whatever, whoever, however, spread the word!

I know I can count on your support for this, just hit that link so the Marine Corps Team gets credit! and... Thank you!

Because, yes, there's a good bit of good-natured interservice rivalry fun in the interests of raising some money for a good cause, but at the end of the day what really matters is not which team you support, but that you find it in your hearts to support a worthwhile cause. Because our wounded vets have given more in the service of our country than most of us will ever be able to repay.

If you were wondering why I choose the Marine Corps Fundraising Team every year, well, I love tanks, and I love fighter jets, and I love those great big ships and subs, but in the end, I joined the Marines Fundraising Team because of the Marine you see right there, down on one knee...

He served in Korea, as Infantry, in the Military Police and he was a proud member of the Marines' Drum and Bugle Corps.

And he just happens to be my Dad! Handsome, isn't he? Of course he is, that's why they let him be a Marine! and I bet you thought it was a coincidence that Marines are always so darn good looking!

I'm proud of my Dad, and I'm proud of each of every one of our troops serving in the United States Military, whether it's the Army, Navy, Air Force or the Marines. These brave men and women deserve our support, and Project Valour-IT is a great way to say Thank You!

Posted by LindaSoG at 02:30 PM | Comments (7) | TrackBack

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November 11, 2009

To those who served:

Thank you.

"A man must know his destiny… if he does not recognize it, then he is lost. By this I mean, once, twice, or at the very most, three times, fate will reach out and tap a man on the shoulder… if he has the imagination, he will turn around and fate will point out to him what fork in the road he should take, if he has the guts, he will take it." - General George S. Patton, Jr.

Veterans' Day will come and go
Quicker than the blink of an eye
But memories of heroes present and past
Will never, ever die.
The youth of today, do you understand?
The price brave men did pay
To preserve the freedom we enjoy
Each and every day.

They were called to duty, and so they went
Not knowing what was to be
Many came home, some never did
They sacrificed so we could be free.

How lonely some must have felt
How scared some had to be
They paid the bill with their own blood
What a great cost to be free.

The heroes of our country
Are the ones who paved the way
For freedom and the many rights
That we enjoy today.

Next time, young folks, you pass someone
Who may be old and gray
Remember — thanks to him or her
You have your freedom today.

by Holly Rulli

November 11 is also General Patton's Birthday, but we never seem to remember that. Below is the famous "Patton Prayer" sent to the men of the Third Army December 8, 1944:

"Almighty and most merciful Father, we humbly beseech Thee, of Thy great goodness, to restrain these immoderate rains with which we have had to contend. Grant us fair weather for Battle. Graciously hearken to us as soldiers who call Thee that, armed with Thy power, we may advance from victory to victory, and crush the oppression and wickedness of our enemies, and establish Thy justice among men and nations. Amen."

Amen.

Thank you for protecting this great Country of ours, and for protecting my personal freedom. I am forever grateful.

Posted by LindaSoG at 06:43 AM | Comments (5)

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October 26, 2009

Valour IT ~ The Few - The Loud - The Marines!

Today is the first day of this year's fundraiser and I'm raising my voice with the Marine Corps Fundraising Team, for Project Valour-IT.

What is Project Valour IT? Well, first you get the background... the story behind Valour-IT:

Project Valour-IT began when Captain Charles "Chuck" Ziegenfuss was wounded by an IED while serving as commander of a tank company in Iraq in June 2005.

During his deployment he kept a blog. Captivating writing, insightful stories of his experiences, and his self-deprecating humor won him many loyal readers. After he was wounded, his wife continued his blog, keeping his readers informed of his condition.

As he began to recover, CPT Ziegenfuss wanted to return to writing his blog, but serious hand injuries hampered his typing. When a loyal and generous reader gave him a copy of the Dragon Naturally Speaking Preferred software, other readers began to realize how important such software could be to CPT Ziegenfuss' fellow wounded soldiers and started cast about for a way to get it to them.

A fellow who writes under the pseudonym FbL contacted Captain Ziegenfuss and the two realized they shared a vision of creating libraries of laptops with voice-controlled software that could be brought to the bedsides of wounded soldiers whose injuries prevented them from operating a standard computer. FbL contacted Soldiers' Angels, who offered to help develop the project, and Project Valour-IT was born.

When I made this post in July of 2005, my goal was to cheer up Chuck as he recovered from wounds he received while defending our freedom in Iraq. Yes, it's the same Chuck, and many of you sent cards and letters to him during his stay at Walter Reed. I thank you for that. But, our work is not done yet. Now I'm asking you to help Valour-IT.

Project Valour-IT accepts donations of any amount to supply the "libraries" of laptops at major medical centers and gifts to individuals, but has also added the option of an individual or organization directly sponsoring a wounded soldier by completely funding the cost of a laptop and continuing to provide him or her with personal support and encouragement throughout recovery. Thanks to the efforts of the Military Order of the Purple Heart, Valour-IT is also able to reach patients in VA hospitals who would benefit from a Valour-IT laptop.

Every cent raised for Project Valour-IT goes directly to the purchase and shipment of voice-activated laptops for wounded servicemembers.

Project Valour-IT is a simple idea with profound impact. It's grateful Americans, providing laptops with voice-activated software for severely wounded troops. Project Valour-IT offers a way for us to tell them we have not forgotten their sacrifices, and that is truly priceless. In many, many ways what we are trying to do is reconnect them to the world; remind them that they are not alone. That they still have something to contribute, that they are still a vital part of this nation, and that even though they may have lost parts of themselves that they can never recover, though they may temporarily be feeling hopeless, helpless, even alone, they aren't.

Someone remembers. Someone still cares. And when they get out of the hospital, America will find a way for them to rejoin the community and be useful again. For a wounded vet facing traumatic and painful injuries, that knowledge alone is beyond price.

Please dig deep. You cannot know the value of the hope your small contributions can bring to those who have already given so much on our behalf.

If you wish to donate, you can use the button below or this link, or send a check (with MARINES in all caps on it!) to:

Soldiers' Angels
Project Valour-IT Fund
1792 E. Washington Blvd
Pasadena, CA 91104

Soldiers' Angels has been designated a 501(c)(3) non-profit charity by the IRS. Donations are tax-deductible and may be eligible for matching funds from donors' employers (ask your employer). Be sure to consult your tax advisor for further information.

Tell your friends, family and neighbors about Valour-IT, challenge your co-workers or employer to match donations, consider involving clubs, churches, or charitable organizations. If you have any contacts in the media, local or national newspapers, radio, TV, whatever, whoever, however, spread the word!

I know I can count on your support for this, just hit the button so the Marine Corps Team gets credit! and... Thank you!

Yes, there's a good bit of good-natured interservice rivalry fun in the interests of raising some money for a good cause, but at the end of the day what really matters is not which team you support, but that you find it in your hearts to support a worthwhile cause. Because our wounded vets have given more in the service of our country than most of us will ever be able to repay.

If you were wondering why I choose the Marine Corps Fundraising Team every year, well, I love tanks, and I love fighter jets, and I love those great big ships and subs, but in the end, I joined the Marines Fundraising Team because of the Marine you see right there, down on one knee...

He served in Korea, as Infantry, in the Military Police and he was a proud member of the Marines' Drum and Bugle Corps.

And he just happens to be my Dad! Handsome, isn't he? Of course he is, that's why they let him be a Marine! and I bet you thought it was a coincidence that Marines are always so darn good looking!

I'm proud of my Dad, and I'm proud of each of every one of our troops serving in the United States Military, whether it's the Army, Navy, Air Force or the Marines. These brave men and women deserve our support, and Project Valour-IT is a great way to say Thank You!

Finally, if you're a blogger, join a team, any team will do. However, if you join the Marine Team, there are privileges... you get a link here, that's right, a link right here along with these other fine Marine Team Members:

The Few... The Loud.. THE MARINES!

Posted by LindaSoG at 07:37 AM | Comments (7)

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September 16, 2009

A Promise Kept

It was a promise neither man would have wanted to keep. Yesterday the funeral of a Black Watch soldier killed in Afghanistan took a bizarre turn when his best friend arrived in a bright green dress and pink leg warmers to honour a pact that the two of them had made.

Private Kevin Elliott and his friend, Barry Delaney, had agreed that whoever survived the other should wear a dress to the dead man’s funeral. Mr Delaney duly fulfilled the pledge as a tribute to Private Elliott, who was killed aged 24 while on foot patrol in the southern province of Helmand on August 31.

Mr Delaney wept on his knees at the graveside in Dundee as shots were fired during the military funeral. His dress plans are believed to have been known about in advance by other mourners.

Private Elliott’s other friends wore Black Watch tartan ribbon pins with the words “Kevin Elliott Our Hero”. His young cousins wore T-shirts emblazoned with his photograph. His army colleagues wore their regimental uniforms and carried his coffin, which was draped in a saltire. Earlier, hundreds of mourners had lined the route outside St Mary’s church in the city centre, clapping as the funeral cortège left for the cemetery.

During the church service, Private Elliott’s father said that he could not remember being anything but proud of his son.

Sandy Elliott said: “Kevin was a grandson, a brother, a nephew, an uncle and a cousin, but more than anything he was our son. And although some things he did annoyed us, I can’t remember being anything but proud of him.

“The saddest day of our lives was hearing he had died — something no parent wants to hear. But for 24 years Kevin brought joy to our lives.”

Private Elliott, who also leaves behind his mother, Maggie, brothers Craig and Thomas, and sisters Kirsty and Natasha, had been ready to leave the Army but decided to follow his comrades to Afghanistan at the eleventh hour. He was killed alongside Sergeant Stuart Millar, 40, whose funeral will be held in his home city of Inverness tomorrow.

The Ministry of Defence yesterday named a soldier who was killed in Afghanistan on Sunday. Kingsman Jason Dunn-Bridgeman, 20, of 2nd Battalion The Duke of Lancaster’s Regiment, died fighting in the Babaji district of Helmand province.

Kingsman Dunn-Bridgeman’s commanding officer, Lieutenant-Colonel Robbie Boyd, said that England and the battalion had “lost a lion” with his death.

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I think I will carry this in my heart to the end of my days. What a brave and honorable young man, a true and loyal friend. May G-d watch over you, and give comfort to you and the family of Private Elliot, and ease the pain of your loss.

Posted by LindaSoG at 10:34 PM | Comments (6) | TrackBack

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September 13, 2009

Reason # 84746363859

Why I adore Annoyed White Male:

It was a small thing for me to spend an afternoon should to shoulder with veterans and their families to face down a bunch of America and military-hating Leftists, but I finally got to do something real to show my support.

... because they hate this place so much, they have twice before staged protests against it. They have every right to peaceably do so.

But not today, during a 9/11 memorial. Anyone that would do such a thing is dog shit.

AWM answered the call from the National Gathering of Eagles and stood side by side with them against not only the Code Pinkos, but also the IVAW, World Can’t Wait, Veterans for Peace, Chester County Peace Brigade, Bill Perry’s minions (Winter Soldier testifier) and assorted smaller groups in defense of the Army’s cutting edge recruiting station at Franklin Mills Mall in Northeast Philadelphia.

So I went and stood with dozens of tough old guys who had been in Viet Nam, Korea, Iraq, Afghanistan, and all over the world risking their lives and loosing friends to prevent the dog shit from making it into that center. These were men that had been there. I was not worthy to hold their tattered denim vests. But for a moment I was one of them. I needed to be there, I who had never served as they have, to let them know I'm on their side, now and forever. They shook my hand and welcomed me among them.

The full story, pictures, and video are posted here, don't miss any of it.

Posted by LindaSoG at 10:11 AM | Comments (3) | TrackBack

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September 06, 2009

I read every word

I found it fascinating...

I've read I don't know how many letters home from soldiers from WWII. This is very very different.

G-d Bless our Troops.

Posted by LindaSoG at 10:16 AM | Comments (2) | TrackBack

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August 13, 2009

If you're in Philly...

Received via email from the National Gathering of Eagles

CALLING ALL VETERANS AND TROOP SUPPORTERS.

On 12 September the Army Experience Center, http://www.thearmyexperience.com/, the Army’s cutting edge recruiting station at Franklin Mills Mall in Northeast Philadelphia, will be the target of Code Pink, IVAW, World Can’t Wait, Veterans for Peace, Chester County Peace Brigade, Bill Perry’s minions (Winter Soldier testifier) and assorted smaller groups. The A.E.C. has reached out to the veteran’s community of the region to ask for support. Support they will get, even if I have to stand alone; although I know I will not be standing alone. The antis have promised to shut down the A.E.C. by infiltrating it and then provoking mass arrests. This must not stand! We have all promised that never again will one generation of veterans abandon another. Only the vilest of creatures would seek to disrupt a 9/11 commemoration, while attacking our men and women in uniform. They must know this we will not take.

This is where we must make our stand. Bring flags and signs of support for our military. Details are below and attached is what these people truly think of those of us who have served; plus the words of one of the organizers, Bill Perry who admits he let his unit be ambushed while serving in Vietnam; then testified to since discredited war crimes committed by that same unit.

Only we will be allowed entry to the A.E.C. After our show of support there will be a ceremony commemorating the losses we suffered on 9/11. There will also be food and drinks provided by the Army and all the interactive effects will be open to us. I know many people are heading to D.C. for the Tea Party protests that day, so please pass this to anyone in the region who could help with support, but please keep it off the public pages so as not to give the other side much notice. All veterans, of every service and every era, as well as patriotic troop supporters are invited.

When: 1215hrs 12 September, 2009
Where: Franklin Mills Mall Red Entrance
1455 Franklin Mills Cir
Philadelphia , PA 19154

We are coordinating with area veteran’s motorcycle clubs for an entrance after the main body has reached the Red Entrance with flags and signs. Hopefully, the main body will draw the attention of the antis and be caught unawares as the bikes come in behind them. Classic hammer and anvil for you infantry types. If anyone is approached by the soldiers from the A.E.C. please reference *****. This will help prevent any of the other side from masquerading as one of the good guys to cause trouble.

Thanks much. Manchu.

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If you're planning on attending, send me a note and I'll let you know the reference to use if you're approached by soldiers from A.E.C. I'm not posting it here - loose lips, yannow? -- Linda.

Posted by LindaSoG at 12:28 AM | Comments (4)

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August 05, 2009

Thanks Don!

Posted by LindaSoG at 07:11 AM | Comments (0)

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July 26, 2009

Dang, I hate to miss it

The Gun Blogger Rendezvous in Reno is coming up in September, I wish I could go. Since I can't go, I did the next best thing, I coughed up the cash to enter into the Raffle for this:

That's ParaUSA's new GI Expert entry-level 1911. Purty, ain't it? The tickets are $10.00, and the raffle is being run by Soldiers Angels, to benefit Project Valour-IT. It's a great gun, and it's a great way to support our troops who have been injured in combat and desperately need your help. You don't need to be at the Rendezvous to win the Raffle, but you do need to prove you can legally own that baby.

if you're inclined to buy a ticket, you can do so by clicking here. Even if you don't win, it's $10 well spent.

Posted by LindaSoG at 09:09 PM | Comments (3)

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May 31, 2009

From across the pond

Back in March, we watched in wonder as the Brits stood up to the moslem bastards who protested a parade in honor of the returning 2nd Battalion The Royal Anglian Regiment, known as the Poachers. They've toured Iraq twice in two years. As the soldiers reached Luton Town Hall... the moslems interrupted the parade, holding signs that said "Butchers of Basra," and called the soldiers "babykillers" and "murderers."

The Brits stood up for the troops and ran the moslem cowards right off the streets. It was a proud moment.

But things in Luton are escalating, and it should come as no surprise. It seems to be a rallying point for radical islam and terror. One of the "militants" convicted of plotting to blow up the Bluewater shopping centre in Essex in 2007 came from Luton and the 7/7 London bombers congregated at Luton station before heading to King's Cross. There are claims of four Muslims from Luton who died fighting for the Taliban in Afghanistan, and two who have traveled to Gaza to be suicide bombers in Israel.

Since the parade in March and the anti-troop protest, one of the moselms who taunted the returning soldiers has had the windows of his home smashed, and his car set on fire. The words 'Scum' and 'Get out' have been daubed on his walls. Now he's under 24 hour police protection, along with his sister and and his parents. Threatening letters have been sent a local mosque and just after midnight on May 5, Luton's Islamic Centre was torched; a firebomb hurled through a window.

Just last week, the people of Luton had their own protest, against the moslem extremists, a "peaceful" protest that quickly turned violent:

Nine people have been arrested after hundreds of anti-Islamist protesters clashed with police yesterday.

The streets of Luton descended into violence after demonstrators, many hiding their faces behind balaclavas, brandished England flags and chanted at officers.

A group called March for England was said to have organised the rally as a peaceful protest against Muslim extremists. They were joined by a local group United People of Luton.

During the protest, the mob, which included teenagers and women, held banners with slogans such as 'No Sharia Law in the UK' and 'Respect our Troops'.

Some protesters wore masks with the horned face of Sayful Islam, a local hardline political agitator who led Muslim demonstrators in an anti-war protest during the Royal Anglian Regiment's homecoming parade in Luton in March.

Groups of young men in balaclavas and England shirts chanted outside the city centre and one balacava-clad protester held a Rottweiler on a chain, while others clashed with police in riot gear.

One Asian man was hit across the face with a banner and left with a bloody nose.

A spokesman for United People of Luton, Wayne King, said many people in Luton were concerned and annoyed that the Muslim community in the town had not taken steps to deal with Sayful Islam's 'hate-filled preachings'.

The 24-year-old, who wore a T-shirt with the words 'No surrender to Al-Qaeda' on it, said: 'We decided enough was enough after the soldiers got heckled as they marched through the town centre by the Muslim extremists.

'Our community has been racially attacked for the last 10 years.

'A mosque in the town got set on fire a few weeks ago and it made national news but churches in Luton are regularly being set fire to.

'We want laws brought in to stop preachers of hate operating here.'

Luton town centre was busy at the time of the riot with shoppers enjoying the sunshine.

Many of those who joined in the march had been drinking in town centre pubs.

Later on, overhead, a police helicopter monitored the movement of the mob which at one point appeared to be making in the direction of Bury Park, an area of Luton where many of the town's Asian population live.

The police believe the protest was organized and run by skinheads, and while they were certainly in attendance, they were not the only attendees. The claim that most of the attendees were men from the pubs doesn't wash either, not with the reports that there were many women and teens in attendance. I don't understand why the authorities refuse to admit that the average person is sick and tired of extremist moslems any more than I understand why they refuse to call moslems moslem and insist on calling them asians.

But we're not quite done with the news from Luton. There has been yet another interesting development:

Extremists behind anti-war protest driven off the streets by moderate Muslims

The Muslim community turned on extremists in their midst yesterday, telling them they were 'sick and tired' of their behaviour.

The angry confrontation came in Luton, where anti-Islamist protesters brandished England flags last Sunday, before clashing with police.

The latest violence erupted as arguments raged between fellow Muslims shortly after Friday morning prayers in the Bury Park area of the town.

As the radical Muslims began to set up their stall, they were surrounded by a crowd shouting 'we don't want you here' and 'move on, move on'.

So., We have a group of moslems from the firebombed mosque chasing off the other group of moslems who protested the return of the troops.

Farasat Latif, of the Islamic Centre in Luton, which was firebombed after the protest against the soldiers, said moderate members of his community took action because police had failed to move the group on.

He said the extremists, who follow the militant group led by Sheikh Omar Bakri Muhammed, had fuelled feelings against the Muslim community which led to a march last Sunday in Luton which was disrupted by white, right-wing extremists.

Mr Latif said: 'We have been fighting these Muslim extremists for you. They represent nobody but themselves.
'The community decided to move them on because the police won't. We have asked them, but they did nothing.

'I don't know if they will be back. We have been the victims twice over - from the stupidity of Muslim extremists who metaphorically pour petrol and fan the flames of the right-wing extremists.

'This was a peaceful demonstration and we hope they get the message that the law-abiding community is sick and tired of them.'

Well. Where have you been Mr. Latif, all this time? Why did you not speak out sooner? And where were you on July 8, 2005?

After the attack on your mosque, an attack in which no one died, you said "We strongly condemn this violent Islamaphobic attack on our mosque."

After the attack on July 7, 2005, an attack in which 56 people were killed and 700 injured, you said people were "sickened" at what had happened. You also said there was anger that a conclusion had been jumped to that the attack was carried out by al-Qaida. "We should keep an open mind," you said. An open mind to what? That maybe some Amish folks did the bombing?

You know, there's nothing like having your mosque firebombed to get you "fired up," and you sure sounded fired up today. But, other than your actions today, where and when exactly have you been fighting radical moslem extremists? You make that claim, but there is nothing to back it up.

In fact, don't some of your friends and associates agree with the jihadists? You've admited to that, and to sharing some of their doctrines in your mosque, which is after all, a Ghuraaba mosque that bases its teachings on Saudi doctrine.

Somehow, I think Latif's problem is not with what Sayful Islam is saying, it's that he's saying it out there in the streets where too many people hear it and Latif doesn't like paying the price.

I don't believe in moderate moslems, and this publicity stunt by Latif and his cohorts leaves me cold. I don't trust it, and I see a wolf trying to hide in sheep's clothing.

As for the skinheads, well, they may fight the moslems today, but I will never forget that once upon a time, their master aligned himself with the islamists to kill Jews. They are not welcome in my foxhole. In this case, the enemy of my enemy is still my enemy.

But to the good folks of Luton who stood against the moslem radicals, good on ya.

Posted by LindaSoG at 07:18 PM | Comments (3)

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May 25, 2009

Memorial Day

In honor of Memorial Day, I'm asking you to help Vetsville Cease Fire House keep it's doors open at least a little longer.

Shelter for Vets in Danger of Closing

Founder Chris Noel said Wednesday the shelter may not survive through the rest of this turbulent year. She held a fundraising luncheon at The Ritz-Carlton in January that left her in debt.

Noel said she'll need $25,000 through the end of the year to pay for utilities and to maintain the shelter that vets have called home over the past decade at 291 NE 19th Ave.

"My prayer to God is, 'If you still want me to do this, please make it happen. If you want me to keep doing this, please help me,'" she said. "'If you don't want me to then I know you'll close the door.'"

Noel, 67, an avid veterans' advocate from West Palm Beach, ran a radio show on Armed Forces Radio from 1966 to 1971 and even traveled to Vietnam to boost troop morale. She began opening shelters in 1993 in Riviera Beach and West Palm Beach before branching off into Boynton Beach.

Today, the south county shelter is the only one that remains. It's a place where there is food, clothing, clean showers, a garden, fruit trees and companionship for veterans. They've also enjoyed pet therapy from cats and dogs and even a docile dove and rooster that co-existed with the four-legged creatures.

"It becomes their home while they're there," Noel said. "So they feel stabilized."

It's a small slice of paradise for Don Marlowe, a 74-year-old who joined the Army in 1956 and served for almost 20 years. He's lived in Vetsville for the past 10 years, he said.

"I'm going to stay here till it's closed and I don't know what the rest of the men are going to do," said Marlowe, one of about a half dozen residents.

Among them is a Vietnam veteran who has deformities on his back and was exposed to Agent Orange, an herbicide used in Vietnam that proved deadly and caused birth defects, Marlowe said.

Send the price of a package of hot dogs if that's all you got, but give a little something, please. It would mean another month off the streets for a veteran and that matters, it matters a lot. If we can help Chris keep the doors open a little longer, maybe she can raise the necessary money to keep Vetsville open for the rest of the year, and beyond.

You can mail your check directly to

Vetsville Cease Fire House
291 NE 19th Avenue
Boynton Beach, FL 33435

Thank you. and enjoy your Holiday.

Posted by LindaSoG at 09:41 AM | Comments (0)

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May 13, 2009

Sliding down that slipperly slope

excerpt from a letter to the president...

The rest of the letter is, in a word, stunning. Run over to Rodger's, follow the link and read it.

Funny but, based on 0bama's own comments, I don't think our waterboarded troops need wait even a moment to bring such a class action suit for torture, they surely could do so based on 0bama's statements right now. What a circus of a trial that would be, with President 0bama as the star witness for the prosecution, along with all of the distinguished democrats from congress. How compelling it would be for the jury to hear such weighty testimony on whether or not waterboarding is torture.

You know, if this were a movie, it would be one of those asinine comedies where the class clown gets elected by promising to outlaw suits and ties, give everyone three day weekends, and free popcorn at the movies and then manages to almost destroy the world and at the end, you applaud when the "president" gets impeached and as the credits roll, he gets pissed on by a poodle at his new job as the town dog catcher.

Unfortunately, this is real life. We have the class clown in office, and it's getting worse every day.

I hope you're getting prepared.

Posted by LindaSoG at 06:37 PM | Comments (2)

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April 25, 2009

We lost another WWII Vet today

I've always loved Bea Arthur. She passed away early this morning, cancer. She will be missed.

During World War II Bea volunteered for the U.S. Marine Corps, becoming one of its first female recruits.

Thank you Bea, for everything. Rest in Peace.

Posted by LindaSoG at 06:54 PM | Comments (2)

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March 04, 2009

Presented without commentary

None needed.

Thanks Rodg.

Posted by LindaSoG at 08:23 PM | Comments (3)

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February 13, 2009

Today's Lying Liar

is political wanna be Val Kilmer, who is contemplating a run for governor of New Mexico and who dissed Vietnam Veterans while qualifying his experience in an interview with Esquire Magazine:

[Klosterman]: You mean you think you literally had the same experience as Doc Holliday?

Kilmer: Oh, sure. It's not like I believed that I shot somebody, but I absolutely know what it feels like to pull the trigger and take someone's life.

[Klosterman:] You understand how it feels to shoot someone as much as a person who has actually committed a murder?

[Kilmer] I understand it more. It's an actor's job. A guy who's lived through the horror of Vietnam has not spent his life preparing his mind for it. He's some punk. Most guys were borderline criminal or poor, and that's why they got sent to Vietnam. It was all the poor, wretched kids who got beat up by their dads, guys who didn't get on the football team, couldn't finagle a scholarship. They didn't have the emotional equipment to handle that experience. But this is what an actor trains to do. I can more effectively represent that kid in Vietnam than a guy who was there.

and then... he denied saying it...

"In response to the recently quoted interview regarding the Vietnam veterans:

I have read the interview and I certainly did not say those things.

The writer was elaborating and not able to accept the intent of empathy, and sympathy that an actor has for all human beings and the human condition.

My father served proudly in WW2 and I have never uttered a single word of disrespect to any armed servicemen anywhere ever.

I sincerely apologize for causing any discomfort to any vets and would not have pursued a line of thought that could have been turned into such an ugly version of a simple rule in acting.

You are justifiably offended, as I was when I read the supposed quotes.

I have travelled to Iraq, interviewed, and filmed on behalf of the men and women in the field and have met with some of our great retired generals. One of the greats that I had the privilege to know was Admiral Noel Gyler, a true hero, as was Colonel Gavin, whose family I was adopted by, and even asked to write his eulogy.

Sincerely,
Val Kilmer"

So. That's nice, except he did say those things. Oh yes, he most certainly did. You see, the entire interview, including his statement, has been tape recorded for prosperity...

The quotes attributed to Mr. Kilmer in Mr. Klosterman’s story are absolutely accurate. The interview was recorded and every quote used in the story was checked by our research department to insure that it was printed precisely as spoken.

It should be noted Mr. Kilmer did not dispute the validity of the quotations when the article was first published four years ago, nor did he dispute them when the article was reprinted in Mr. Klosterman’s fourth book, nor did he dispute them when the story appeared in Ira Glass’s anthology The New Kings of Nonfiction.

Sincerely,

David Granger
Editor in Chief
Esquire

Oh well. All that's left is the Shaggy Defense.

Honey came in and she caught me red-handed
Creeping with the girl next door
Picture this, we were both butt naked,
banging on the bathroom floor

How could I forget that I had
Given her an extra key
All this time she was standing there
She never took her eyes off me

~ ~ ~

To be a true player you have to know how to play
If she say a night, convince her say a day
Never admit to a word when she say makes a claim
And you tell her baby no way

But she caught me on the counter
(It wasn't me)
Saw me bangin' on the sofa
(It wasn't me)
I even had her in the shower
(It wasn't me)
She even caught me on camera
(It wasn't me)

She saw the marks on my shoulder
(It wasn't me)
Heard the words that I told her
(It wasn't me)
Heard the scream get louder
(It wasn't me)
She stayed until it was over

Honey came in and she caught me red-handed
Creeping with the girl next door
Picture this, we were both butt naked,
banging on the bathroom floor

I had tried to keep her
From what she was about to see
Why should she believe me
When I told her it wasn't me

I don't think it worked for Shaggy either.

Fuck you Val Kilmer.

Posted by LindaSoG at 01:15 PM | Comments (3)

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December 28, 2008

Reason #838126327458354934509

why I love, and I mean LOVE the United States Marine Corps can be found right here, at Chuck's place.

Get'cher butt over there.

Posted by LindaSoG at 07:02 PM | Comments (3)

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December 20, 2008

Today's Military Moment

Just for the fun of it:

Posted by LindaSoG at 08:55 PM | Comments (1)

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December 13, 2008

Dammit. No more Onion here. Ever.

I ain't laughing today, not at the Onion. and in fact, I won't watch another thing they put out, ever again. Don't tip me to them, kay?

Why? Well, because of this:

Satire and comedy have its place and serve its purpose, but that place and purpose is never to mock and humilate our troops and I will not support or tolerate such things from anyone under any circumstances, in any format. What the Onion has done here is no less than shameful, I'm horrified at the thought that our wounded warriors and their loved ones will see this mockery of all they believe in, this mockery of their courage, their dedication to their vows, their bravery and their honor.

I'm done with the Onion. I'll make one last visit to the site to see who their advertisers are, and then, I'll avoid those companies and products as well.

UPDATE: Interestingly, it seems the Onion may have reconsidered the message in this video, perhaps after reading letters like this one from Charles Ziegenfuss, as it seems that the Onion removed the video from its main site and from its youtube page, however, my direct embed link and other direct embed links are still active.

Posted by LindaSoG at 09:07 PM | Comments (11)

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November 16, 2008

Valour-IT - The Few ~ The Loud ~ The Marines!

Okay, I'm a little late this time, but from today thru November 27th I'm raising my voice with the Marine Corps Fundraising Team, for Project Valour-IT.

What is Project Valour IT? Well, first you get the background... the story behind Valour-IT:

Project Valour-IT began when Captain Charles "Chuck" Ziegenfuss was wounded by an IED while serving as commander of a tank company in Iraq in June 2005.

During his deployment he kept a blog. Captivating writing, insightful stories of his experiences, and his self-deprecating humor won him many loyal readers. After he was wounded, his wife continued his blog, keeping his readers informed of his condition.

As he began to recover, CPT Ziegenfuss wanted to return to writing his blog, but serious hand injuries hampered his typing. When a loyal and generous reader gave him a copy of the Dragon Naturally Speaking Preferred software, other readers began to realize how important such software could be to CPT Ziegenfuss' fellow wounded soldiers and started cast about for a way to get it to them.

A fellow who writes under the pseudonym FbL contacted Captain Ziegenfuss and the two realized they shared a vision of creating libraries of laptops with voice-controlled software that could be brought to the bedsides of wounded soldiers whose injuries prevented them from operating a standard computer. FbL contacted Soldiers' Angels, who offered to help develop the project, and Project Valour-IT was born.

When I made this post in July of 2005, my goal was to cheer up Chuck as he recovered from wounds he received while defending our freedom in Iraq. Yes, it's the same Chuck, and many of you sent cards and letters to him during his stay at Walter Reed. I thank you for that. But, our work is not done yet. Now I'm asking you to help Valour-IT.

Project Valour-IT accepts donations of any amount to supply the "libraries" of laptops at major medical centers and gifts to individuals, but has also added the option of an individual or organization directly sponsoring a wounded soldier by completely funding the cost of a laptop and continuing to provide him or her with personal support and encouragement throughout recovery. Thanks to the efforts of the Military Order of the Purple Heart, Valour-IT is also able to reach patients in VA hospitals who would benefit from a Valour-IT laptop.

Every cent raised for Project Valour-IT goes directly to the purchase and shipment of voice-activated laptops for wounded servicemembers.

Project Valour-IT is a simple idea with profound impact. It's grateful Americans, providing laptops with voice-activated software for severely wounded troops. Project Valour-IT offers a way for us to tell them we have not forgotten their sacrifices, and that is truly priceless. In many, many ways what we are trying to do is reconnect them to the world; remind them that they are not alone. That they still have something to contribute, that they are still a vital part of this nation, and that even though they may have lost parts of themselves that they can never recover, though they may temporarily be feeling hopeless, helpless, even alone, they aren't.

Someone remembers. Someone still cares. And when they get out of the hospital, America will find a way for them to rejoin the community and be useful again. For a wounded vet facing traumatic and painful injuries, that knowledge alone is beyond price.

Please dig deep. You cannot know the value of the hope your small contributions can bring to those who have already given so much on our behalf.

If you wish to donate, you can use the button below or this link, or send a check (with MARINES in all caps on it!) to:

Soldiers' Angels
Project Valour-IT Fund
1792 E. Washington Blvd
Pasadena, Ca 91104

If you're a blogger, join a team, any team will do. Tell your friends, family and neighbors about Valour-IT, challenge your co-workers or employer to match donations, consider involving clubs, churches, or charitable organizations. If you have any contacts in the media, local or national newspapers, radio, TV, whatever, whoever, however, spread the word!

I know I can count on your support for this, just hit the button so the Marine Corps Team gets credit! and... Thank you! (If the button looks screwy - and says "click here for demands - don't click it - read the paragraph below and use the link there).

{Note: At the moment, it seems the Coast Guard Team thought it would be fun to hijack everyone's donate button to get their team more donations (not funny), sadly though, first everyone's buttons went completely blank and no one could donate at all and now the end result is that all they've really done is make it harder for people to donate to a really worthy cause.

So. If the button looks screwy, click here to: Donate to the Marine Corps Team.

Yes, there's a good bit of good-natured interservice rivalry fun in the interests of raising some money for a good cause, but at the end of the day what really matters is not which team you support, but that you find it in your hearts to support a worthwhile cause. Because our wounded vets have given more in the service of our country than most of us will ever be able to repay.

If you were wondering why I choose the Marine Corps Fundraising Team every year, well, I love tanks, and I love fighter jets, and I love those great big ships and subs, but in the end, I joined the Marines Fundraising Team because of the Marine you see right there, down on one knee...

He served in Korea, as Infantry, in the Military Police and he was a proud member of the Marines' Drum and Bugle Corps.

And he just happens to be my Dad! Handsome, isn't he? Of course he is, that's why they let him be a Marine! and I bet you thought it was a coincidence that Marines are always so darn good looking!

I'm proud of my Dad, and I'm proud of each of every one of our troops serving in the United States Military, whether it's the Army, Navy, Air Force or the Marines. These brave men and women deserve our support, and Project Valour-IT is a great way to say Thank You!

Posted by LindaSoG at 07:23 AM | Comments (4)

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November 11, 2008

Meet Pvt. Kevin T. Flanagan

Pvt. Kevin T. Flanagan joined the Army in January 2006 and arrived at Fort Drum that May. He is a fire support specialist with the 1-32 Infantry Battalion, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division. He was in Afghanistan from May 2006 to June 2007.

Pvt. Kevin T. Flanagan was charged with third-degree assault, a misdemeanor, the result of Sunday morning melee that left a Barack Obama supporter "gravely injured." Yes, you read that right.

According to police, officers arrived at the Pizza Pub restaurant, 141 W. Bridge St., at 3:02 a.m. Sunday and found Moreno, 19, a junior at the State University College at Oswego, lying near a parked car.

Moreno was taken by ambulance to the college and was then flown by helicopter to University Hospital.

According to a witness in the restaurant, the fight began when patrons began arguing about Obama's presidential election.

About 12 people, including several soldiers, took the argument outside and the fight broke out, according to a restaurant waitress who declined to give her name.

"It was all over the new president," the waitress said.

Police said no weapons were involved in the fight.

Pvt. Kevin T. Flanagan is being charged with third-degree assault for beating the piss out of a Obama supporter. I have to say, I could certainly understand how such a thing could happen, I know I have been tempted to do the same myself, many times.

Still, Moreno has equal responsibility for whatever happened, he willing "took it outside," obviously with the intention of fighting and obviously with the belief that he was going to emerge the winner. Just another punk who never learned the lesson that you should never let your mouth write a check that your ass can't cover. All it took was one punch and fight was over, one punch. Unfortunately, Moreno first hit his head on a car on his way to the pavement. Ended up with big ole well-deserved owie. Guess his Obama muscles didn't do him much good.

Now, I don't know if Pvt. Flanagan is guilty of assault, but I do know that Pvt. Flanagan put himself in harm's way in service to the United States of America and to protect my personal freedom. He has proven himself to be a man willing to protect America from her enemies, both foreign and domestic. I would like to say thank you.

The last information I obtained, he's still in jail, he hasn't raised the $5,000 bail. So, tomorrow morning, I'm going to make a few phone calls and see what I can do to help Pvt. Flanagan, either with bail or with his legal bills. Lord knows, with my medical bills, I ain't got much, but maybe I can work a few extra hours for him. It's the least I could do.

Let me know if you would like to do the same and I'll pass along any information I obtain.

Syracuse Post-Standard
NY Post

Posted by LindaSoG at 07:20 PM | Comments (8)

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October 23, 2008

They came in Peace

Twenty-five years ago today, Hezbullah, under what is believed to be the direct orders of Iran, made their largest and most successful attack against America.

"Their loss is not in vain and we will not break faith with them in the tasks we have ahead... We did not know they would be the first casualties -- among the first -- in the war on terrorism" - Lt. Gen. Jan C. Huly, USMC

In Lebanon, we have some 1,600 Marines, part of a multinational force that's trying to help the people of Lebanon restore order and stability to that troubled land. Our Marines are assigned to the south of the city of Beirut, near the only airport operating in Lebanon. Just a mile or so to the north is the Italian contingent and not far from them, the French and a company of British soldiers.

This past Sunday, at 22 minutes after 6 Beirut time, with dawn just breaking a truck, looking like a lot of other vehicles in the city, approached the airport on a busy, main road. There was nothing in its appearance to suggest it was any different than the trucks or cars that were normally seen on and around the airport. But this one was different. At the wheel was a young man on a suicide mission.

The truck carried some 2,000 pounds of explosives, but there was no way our Marine guards could know this. Their first warning that something was wrong came when the truck crashed through a series of barriers, including a chain-link fence and barbed wire entanglements. The guards opened fire, but it was too late. The truck smashed through the doors of the headquarters building in which our Marines were sleeping and instantly exploded. The four-story concrete building collapsed in a pile of rubble.

More than 200 of the sleeping men were killed in that one hideous, insane attack. Many others suffered injury and are hospitalized here or in Europe. This was not the end of the horror. At almost the same instant, another vehicle on a suicide and murder mission crashed into the headquarters of the French peacekeeping force, an eight-story building, destroying it and killing more than 50 French soldiers.

President Ronald Reagan, 27th Oct. 1983,

Our Marines on sentry duty had their ammunition clips in their pockets. There were no barriers around the barracks, other than a bit of wood and plaster. When the bomb blew, the building was lifted off its foundation. When it came down, it collapsed in a heap of cinder blocks, plaster, and dust. All told, 241 Americans lost their lives in the blast. It was the worst day for the Marines since the battle of Iwo Jima and the worst day for the US military since the first day of the Tet Offensive in Viet Nam.

25 years have come and gone. Our first duty is to remember.

If you have a minute, visit the Beirut Veterans Organization, and lend your support to the Beirut Stamp Initiative.

Thank you Kevin.

Posted by LindaSoG at 08:56 PM | Comments (2)

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July 10, 2008

Spreading the Cheer

This showed up in my email (thanks Sarge!)... and it put a big old smile on my face:

I think about the men and women of the United States Military, and what they face every single day to protect my freedom, and everything I am facing pales in comparison.

If you liked it as much as I did, then go tell them!

Posted by LindaSoG at 09:24 PM | Comments (1)

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July 04, 2008

Defining Patriotism

Happy Birthday America!! USA! USA!! USA!!!

Posted by LindaSoG at 08:17 AM | Comments (2)

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Happy Fourth of July

Oh, Say, can you see, by the dawn's early light,
What so proudly we hailed at the twilight's last gleaming,
Whose broad stripes and bright stars through the perilous fight,
O'er the ramparts we watched were so gallantly streaming?
And the rockets' red glare, the bombs bursting in air,
Gave proof thro' the night that our flag was still there.
Oh, say does that star-spangled banner yet wave
O'er the land of the free, and the home of the brave!

On the shore, dimly seen thro' the mists of the deep,
Where the foe's haughty host in dread silence reposes,
What is that which the breeze o'er the towering steep,
As it fitfully blows, half conceals, half discloses?
Now it catches the gleam of the morning's first beam,
In full glory reflected, now shines on the stream.
'Tis the star-spangled banner; oh, long may it wave
O'er the land of the free, and the home of the brave!

And where is that band who so vauntingly swore
That the havoc of war and the battle's confusion
A home and a country should leave us no more?
Their blood has washed out their foul footsteps' pollution.
No refuge could save the hireling and slave
From the terror of flight, or the gloom of the grave:
And the star-spangled banner in triumph doth wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave!

Oh, thus be it ever when freemen shall stand
Between their loved homes and the war's desolation;
Blest with victory and peace, may the heaven-rescued land
Praise the power that hath made and preserved us a nation!
Then conquer we must, when our cause it is just,
And this be our motto: "In God is our trust!"
And the star-spangled banner in triumph doth wave,
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave!

Francis Scott Key

Posted by LindaSoG at 07:59 AM | Comments (0)

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June 19, 2008

I loved him then

and I love him now!

Parody, yes, but a good one and I'm happy to have a reason to post it.

Okay, back to the article. I was somewhat struck by this:

Last January McCain said that the president was “ very badly served by both the vice president and, most of all, the secretary of defense.”

“John said some nasty things about me the other day, and then next time he saw me, ran over to me and apologized,” Cheney said in an ABC News interview in February. “Maybe he’ll apologize to Rumsfeld.”

Aw. Ran over and apologized, did he? Nothing says hypocrite and panderer quite like an apology made in private for an attack made in public. Maybe McCain will apologize to Rumsfield, or... maybe he already has. In private.

Some of McCain’s colleagues in the Senate said they believe Rumsfeld will eventually support the GOP candidate. “He will be for him in due time,” Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.) said. ... Rumsfeld’s vote will be for McCain, Thune surmised, because “he cares about the country’s national security.”

Yeah sure, McCain really really cares about the country's national security, you can tell by his plan to close GITMO because after all, closing GITMO and bringing terrorists here into the United States prison system will do so much for the country's national security. Sure, why not give these hardened and experienced terrorists a captive audience made up of angry, violent, hate-filled American citizens and the opportunity to recruit and train and initiate them into Jihad. It will only make us safer, right?

If Obama was advocating this plan you'd say he was pro-terrorist, and I would agree with you. So...

Uh oh. There appears to be quite a few similarities between the two.

And... while we are on the subject, even though we have those hardened and experienced terrorists in custody, if John McCain is in charge, you can be sure that we'll never know who their terrorist friends are, and where those terrorist friends are, and we'll never know what those terrorists are planning, because we won't interrogate the terrorists we catch with any amount of aggression. McCain's policy of "pretty please" won't make us safer and sooner or later, those terrorists are going to get lucky again, and kill a bunch of innocent Americans.

UPDATE:

Republican John McCain vowed today that if he's president, Osama bin Laden will be either killed in combat or executed.

That little gem is posted on John's website. Sure, Johnny boy knows how to get him, all ya gotta do is just say "pretty please" to the next terrorist we catch and he'll tell us where to find bin Laden! Silly old George Bush just wasn't asking nice.

Gah! I despise that man more every day.

Posted by LindaSoG at 07:30 AM | Comments (4)

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June 12, 2008

Bastards!

But then again, what else is there to expect from the french?

The beech trees of Saint Pierre de Varengeville-Duclair forest bore a poignant testimony to the D-Day landings for more than six decades. Thousands of American soldiers stationed there after the liberation of Normandy spent their spare hours with a knife or bayonet creating a lasting reminder of their presence.

Although the trees grew and the graffiti swelled and twisted, this most peculiar memory of one of the 20th century’s defining moments remained visible - until now. Amid bureaucratic indifference and a dispute between officials and the forest owner, most of the trees have been felled, chopped up and turned into paper.

Claude Quétel, a French historian and Second World War specialist, was horrified when he discovered what he called a catastrophe and a shameless act. “It is a typically French failing to wipe out the traces of the past,” he told The Times.

The trees surrounded land in the heart of Saint Pierre de Varengeville-Duclair forest, near Rouen in Normandy, which was once home to a US army camp named after the Twenty Grand brand of cigarettes. It was one of nine cigarette camps - along with Pall Mall, Old Gold, Philip Morris, Chesterfield, Lucky Strike, Home Run, Wings and Herbert Tareyton - used by troops needing treatment or waiting to be sent elsewhere. They were places of calm between the D-Day landings and the Ardennes, the Siegfried Line or the Pacific.

Camp Twenty Grand, set up in September 1944 and closed in February 1946, had tents for 20,000 US soldiers as well as a few hundred German prisoners. Some of the Americans stayed weeks, others months, bringing chocolate, fruit and parties to a French population emerging from the rigour of Nazi occupation.

------------

Gah! I spit on the french, and all their generations, yesterday, today, and into the future.

Posted by LindaSoG at 07:08 PM | Comments (3)

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May 26, 2008

Reveille

Posted by LindaSoG at 12:32 PM | Comments (7)

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May 25, 2008

In Memory

of the Fallen:

Please don't wish me, or anyone else, a "happy" Memorial Day. Memorial Day is a day for somber remembrance of the brave men and women who were killed in action defending this great Nation and the freedom of every man, woman and child throughout the world.

If you're "celebrating" with a backyard barbeque, take a moment and lift a glass, have a moment of silence, in their honor, remember the sacrifice made for you, and pray for the comfort of their loved ones left behind.

Loved ones like Kristen Nelson.

Posted by LindaSoG at 09:41 AM | Comments (4)

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May 23, 2008

Quote of the Day

“The taint of unlawful command influence started from the inception of the investigation, when high-ranking Pentagon officials decided to make LtCol Chessani a political scapegoat to appease a liberal anti-war press and politicians. This ill-conceived prosecution has resulted in the removal of one of America’s most effective combat commanders in Iraq by the Marine Corps’ own standards. Although nothing can undo the harm caused to our Nation and to LtCol Chessani and his family, this ruling gives us hope that the military justice system will rise above the politics that fomented this prosecution and allow LtCol Chessani, who devoted more than 20 years to the Marine Corps and to the defense of our Nation, to get on with his life.”

Yep. The Military Judge found evidence of unlawful command influence in the Haditha prosection. Ya hear that John Murtha?

It's not over, but it will be soon. 30 months after Time Magazine published terrorist propaganda as news, the cases against three of the four Marines charged in the Haditha incident have already been dismissed, LtCol Chessani will be next. In a perfect world, we would then see those who invented this story indicted, including Time Magazine and yes, including John Murtha. I suppose its too much to hope for.

Posted by LindaSoG at 06:24 AM | Comments (3)

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May 12, 2008

Great Words from a Great Man

I give you an excerpt from the speech given to the cadets of the U.S. Military Academy by General of the Army Douglas MacArthur upon his acceptance of the Sylvanus Thayer Award 46 years ago today, on 12 May 1962:

Full Text can be found on the Tribute to the General I did many many years ago, back when this silly weblog was a silly website.

Posted by LindaSoG at 12:42 PM | Comments (4)

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April 22, 2008

Reason #948387532

Why I love the Marines:

It was filmed in Fallujah, Iraq and it kinda makes ya feel good all over don't it?

I spotted that at Theodore's World and shamelessly stole it to post here. Thanks Wild Thing, that was wonderful.

Posted by LindaSoG at 09:23 PM | Comments (1)

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April 04, 2008

Reason # 84762654

why I love the Marines:

heh.

(I found it at Denny's)

Posted by LindaSoG at 05:56 AM | Comments (4)

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March 30, 2008

Sgt Keith Matthew "Matt" Maupin

On April 9, 2004, terrorists kidnapped then PFC Keith "Matt" Maupin, assigned to the Army Reserve 724th Transportation Company, when his convoy of fuel trucks was ambushed while enroute from Camp Anaconda to Baghdad International Airport. He had been in Iraq for six weeks.

A week later, Al Jazeera aired a video that included Maupin giving his name, rank and serial number, indicating that he was being held by a group known as the "Sharp Sword Against the Enemies of God and His Prophet". The group indicated that they would be willing to trade Maupin for prisoners being held by the U.S.

Two months later, another video showed a man in desert camouflage, sitting in front of a hole in the ground. The man, identified as Maupin, was shown only from the back...and then, apparently, was shot in the head. A statement released with the video claimed that Maupin had been killed because the U.S. refused to negotiate the release of Iraqi prisoners.

The figure sitting in the dirt was only shown from behind, so there was no proof that it was Maupin. Despite thousands of tips, an Arabic-language commercial aired several hundred times in Iraq, and a $200,000 reward for the return or recovery of Maupin, the trail grew cold. Matt was not considered “missing in action” and he was not considered a “prisoner of war” either. He was just… gone. We hoped... and we prayed.... and we waited...

And now, almost four years later, Matt Maupin is coming home:

His resting place shall be in the Garden of Eden.
Therefore, the Master of mercy will care for him
under the protection of His wings for all time
And bind his soul in the bond of everlasting life.
God is his inheritance and he will rest in peace
and let us say Amen.

Maupins Confirm D-N-A is from Body of Son, Missing Soldier Matt Maupin

(UNION TOWNSHIP, OH) -- Keith Maupin confirmed this afternoon that the remains of his son, Matt Maupin, have been identified by the army in Iraq.

In a statement Keith said "We are proud of the continued efforts of the military and the army to return Matt to us. We must now work on efforts to return Matt.'

"Please keep the military and our family in your prayers."

Carolyn Maupin, Matt's mother said, "Thanks to everyone for their prayers and continued strength of the family."

"It hurts after four years of hope and this is what happens it is like a let down for me and I'm trying to get thru that right now."

"Pray. This is going to be very difficult and stay by our side in support."

Keith says that the family was informed this afternoon about 1p-m by a three star general. The body was identified by the D-N-A remains.

Please, take a moment today, visit Matt's parents' website, sign the guestbook, and let his family know that you care.

Posted by LindaSoG at 08:05 PM | Comments (4)

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February 22, 2008

We are doomed

if this man ever becomes Commander in Chief:

Ohfercryingoutloud.

Posted by LindaSoG at 02:13 PM | Comments (6)

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February 21, 2008

USA! USA!! USA!!!

Go Navy!

Posted by LindaSoG at 12:08 AM | Comments (2)

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January 24, 2008

Presidential Decision Directive #25

What happens when the President of the United States decides to ignore the Constitution, ignore Congress, ignore statutory law, and send America's sons and daughters into a military setting under the authority and the command of a foreign entity?

Ask SPC Michael G. New:

On August 21, 1995, my seniors in the U.S. Army chain of command informed me that my unit and I would soon be ordered to significantly alter our uniform by sewing a United Nations patch on my right shoulder and wearing the blue beret and/or helmet of the U.N. These are important insignia. If they were unimportant, then I would not have been threatened with courts-martial, imprisonment, or less than dishonorable discharge when I expressed my reservations about wearing them. I interpret the wearing of a uniform, or the accoutrements of a uniform, as a sign of allegiance and faithfulness to the authority or power so signified, or which issues that uniform. I am an American citizen who was recruited for and voluntarily joined the U.S. Army to serve as an American soldier. I am not a citizen of the United Nations. I am not a United Nations Fighting Person. I have never taken an oath to the United Nations, but I have taken the required oath to support and defend the Constitution of the United States.

I am not trying to avoid a difficult or dangerous assignment or to get out of the Army. I served in Kuwait last year and have offered to serve anywhere in the world, in my American uniform, in my capacity as a U.S. Army medic under American command and U.S. Constitutional protections. I have worked diligently to be a good soldier. I have previously been offered a "Green to Gold" program to an Army Commission, and I am still seriously considering that offer. In order to avoid controversy, or to avoid placing the Army in a bad light, I have requested a transfer to a unit that is not required to wear the U.N. uniform. I was told that such is not possible, and I was even reluctantly willing to accept an honorable discharge, and I was willing to sadly and reluctantly withdraw from the U.S. Army quietly. However, I will not wear a U.N. uniform or serve under U.N. command, and I will strongly contest any discharge that is less than honorable.

I simply cannot understand the legal basis of the Army order to change my uniform against my oath of enlistment, against my conscience and against my will. Despite my requests for information up my chain of command, my questions about the lawfulness of such an order or about how my allegiance can be transferred without my approval have gone unanswered.

My chain of command has directed me to study the history and objectives of the U.N. My knowledge of, and my research into the United Nations, (which continues even as I prepare this statement), indicates to me that the U.N. Charter is based upon manmade principles which are incompatible with the Constitution of the United States, and the U.N.'s authority and principles are diametrically opposed to the founding documents of my country. The more I study the U.N. history and American history, the more incompatible they appear to me.

My studies indicate to me that there are those who would see my country assimilated or brought under the authority of the United Nations, which I interpret to mean a corresponding loss of sovereignty, which is a departure from our Founding Principles and a loss of independence for all Americans. Boutros-Ghali, for example, has written, "The time of absolute and exclusive sovereignty has passed." (1992, An Agenda for Peace) I should expect EVERY American soldier to be concerned about serving under such a Secretary General.

I believe that the Constitution is the fundamental law of America, and if there is any ambiguity or conflict with treaty or international agreement or organization that the U.S. Constitution would prevail. My oath is to the Constitution. I cannot find any reference to the United Nations in that oath. That oath includes a statement that is more than a passing reference to God Almighty, it is a prayer, "...so help me God." It is no secret that our nation is founded upon Biblical principles. {~" ) Our Founders reflected this fact in their speeches, correspondence and documents from the Mayflower Compact to the Declaration of Independence, and other more recent documents, all of which recognize certain rights such as life, liberty and property as being bestowed from Above, and as, therefore, "unalienable." I believe I will lose something precious and more valuable than the U.N. can possibly grant me, by surrendering my status as an American fighting man.

Without a response from the Army about the legality of any orders to become a U.N. soldier, I do not intend to surrender my status as an American soldier to wear the uniform of a foreign power. If you wish to convene a courts-martial and send me to jail for standing upon my oath as an American soldier and for defending my wearing the American Army uniform, and its historic significance, then I cannot prevent that action, and I will accept it as a price I am willing to pay, rather than submit to an order to obey or render allegiance to any foreign power, including the United Nations.

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"I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; and that I will obey the orders of the President of the United States and the orders of the officers appointed over me, according to regulations and the Uniform Code of Military Justice. So help me God."

Powerful words, clear and consise, it is the oath Michael New took to defend the constitution of the United States. An oath so many brave and honorable men and women have taken with pride, determination, courage and honor.

It was not, and is not, an oath to server under the command of the United Nations or any other foreign entity.

Michael was told the order to wear the UN uniform was lawful because,"The President says so, therefore it is." But nobody provided a legitimate, legal or rational basis for the order. Eventually, a battalion briefing about the deployment offered the justification that, "We wear the U.N. uniform because it looks fabulous."

SPC Michael G. New refused. He refused to discard the uniform of the United States Army and to don the uniform of a foreign entity.

Today is the anniversary of his court-martial. The panel of seven, including three officers, returned a "guilty" verdict on charge of disobedience. They denied the Army's request for a prison term and Dishonorable Discharge, giving Michael a "Bad Conduct" Discharge instead.

"Right is right, and wrong is wrong. They can argue until the end of time, but I will never serve the United Nations." - Michael G. New

A decade of fighting, Michael's appeals have all been denied, and today, the conviction stands. In December of 2005, Judge Paul Friedman upheld the military's conviction, ruling that the U.S. military can force its personnel to wear the blue beret of the United Nations and serve under the world body's command.

That decision stands today.

But... its not over. President Clinton's Decision Directive #25 to place American troops under a foreign command is now 13 years old and eligble for declassification. In August of 2007, Michael New requested just that. Why? Well, it could mean a reversal.

Does it matter? Hell yes, it matters, especially since America could very well be facing another Clinton Presidency. What happened to Michael New could very well happen again, to our troops in uniform today.

American Troops should not be forced to serve under a foreign power. I pray Michael is successful.

Want to help? There's more here.

Posted by LindaSoG at 11:30 AM | Comments (3)

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January 19, 2008

Where do we get such men?

A wounded Navy Seal puts this on his hospital door.

I found it at SondraK

Posted by LindaSoG at 08:56 PM | Comments (2)

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January 08, 2008

In Memory of the King

Elvis Presley
January 8, 1935 – August 16, 1977

G.I. Blues

Happy Birthday Elvis. You still have the power to melt my heart.

Posted by LindaSoG at 06:16 AM | Comments (2)

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January 05, 2008

In Memory of Andrew Olmsted

Posted by LindaSoG at 06:05 PM | Comments (1)

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January 02, 2008

Reason #8674367395

Why We Win:

but wait... there's more:

I love a bit of war pr0n with my coffee. Ha! The numb nuts never saw it coming... fire raining down from the heavens, justice, swift and sure. Our troops are kicking ass and taking no prisoners, and that my friends, is just how I like it.

Posted by LindaSoG at 07:09 AM | Comments (4)

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December 12, 2007

There are many ways to skin a cat!

Much ado is being made of the Military's policy of returning mail that is addressed to "Any Soldier." Its a shame, but such are the times we live in. I support that decision, and not just because some jihadi may decide to send a little anthrax for Christmas.

There are moonbats out there who think one way to fight the war is to demoralize our troops, and I don't want anyone getting a "dear baby killer" letter from the wackos. An outrage, yes, but it has happened, just google Joshua Sparling and you'll see how the left supports the troops.

The end result is that anything addressed to "Any Soldier" has to be vetted for the safety and well being of our troops. Its just one more thing we have to deal with.

But do not doubt, we are dealing with it.

Good people will always find a way accomplish a goal.

So. Here's a tip I received from Wollfe:

"With the support of the Department of Defense, Walter Reed Army Medical Center and with help from Pitney Bowes Government Solutions, the American Red Cross will collect, review and disseminate holiday greeting cards to wounded military personnel. For security reasons, the Red Cross will only be able to accept holiday cards, not packages. Red Cross volunteers will receive and bundle the cards to be shipped by Pitney Bowes Government Solutions. Then, Red Cross volunteers at military medical facilities will distribute the cards to patients and their families in time for the holidays."

Address your Cards or Letters to:

We Support You During Your Recovery!
c/o American Red Cross
PO Box 419
Savage, MD 20763-0419

If you hurry, you might be in time for the Holidays.

But that's not all.

Landstuhl Regional Medical Center, located in Germany, is usually the first actual military hospital wounded soldiers are taken to after they've been evacuated from the Middle East. Sometimes, they are further evacuated stateside after a few weeks, and sometimes they return to duty.

Thanks to Pastoral Services, you can send a card or a letter to a wounded soldier at Landstuhl, and they will make sure your letter or card gets to a soldier. Its probably too late for Holiday greetings but better late than never!

US Army Hospital
attn: MCEUL/Pastoral Services
CMR 402
APO AE 09180

These services are generally overwhelmed during the holidays, please remember, our troops need your support 365 days a year. These addresses are always good. Why not make it a monthly thing, or even better, a weekly thing. Its a good habit to get into.

Posted by LindaSoG at 07:15 AM | Comments (1)

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November 27, 2007

Of course the Democrats support veterans

just not American Veterans!

A recent Veterans' Affairs Committee meeting took an unusual twist, ...

First, the Veterans' Committee took away benefits from some very deserving American veterans. Second, the committee gave benefits to veterans of another country who don't live in the United States, and never have lived in this country or been American citizens.

... the Filipino Veterans Equity Act of 2007 (H.R. 760)... will provide benefits to Filipino World War II veterans.

These veterans were members of the Philippines military. They fought in the Pacific Theater, presumably on behalf of their native country.

They are citizens of the Philippines and not U.S. citizens. While these Filipino troops may have fought bravely, side-by-side, with American soldiers, they should be looking to the Philippines for veterans' benefits.

If signed into law, it would provide full veterans' status to World War II era Filipino soldiers and even their survivors.

This would include pay for service related disabilities, survivor pay for service-connected deaths, as well as pensions and death benefits.

Those who are living in the Philippines, and are not U.S. citizens, would receive $6,000 to $8,400. Low-income widows would receive $3,600.

Oh... but there's more. Of course, there's more.

Because of House PAYGO rules, any new entitlement spending (such as the Filipino Veterans Equity Act) must be funded by either a corresponding cut in existing spending or matching revenue gains.

In this case, the Democrats on the Veterans Committee voted to save nearly $1 billion by eliminating a $2,200 special monthly payment to veterans who are less than 100 percent disabled, but 60 percent or greater disabled.

We can stop this thing. If you care about our Veterans, the time to raise your voice is now, while this atrocity is still in Committee. Click here, call, email, fax the Committee members.

You can also thank VA Committee Chairman Bob Filner, D-California for sponsoring this outrage. Phone: (202) 225-8045; Fax: (202) 225-9073.

Spread the word!

Posted by LindaSoG at 12:59 PM | Comments (4)

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November 11, 2007

Thank You!

"A man must know his destiny… if he does not recognize it, then he is lost. By this I mean, once, twice, or at the very most, three times, fate will reach out and tap a man on the shoulder… if he has the imagination, he will turn around and fate will point out to him what fork in the road he should take, if he has the guts, he will take it." - General George S. Patton, Jr.

Veterans' Day will come and go
Quicker than the blink of an eye
But memories of heroes present and past
Will never, ever die.
The youth of today, do you understand?
The price brave men did pay
To preserve the freedom we enjoy
Each and every day.

They were called to duty, and so they went
Not knowing what was to be
Many came home, some never did
They sacrificed so we could be free.

How lonely some must have felt
How scared some had to be
They paid the bill with their own blood
What a great cost to be free.

The heroes of our country
Are the ones who paved the way
For freedom and the many rights
That we enjoy today.

Next time, young folks, you pass someone
Who may be old and gray
Remember — thanks to him or her
You have your freedom today.

Support our President, support our troops
Support our country, too
As they go fighting for what is right
For freedom the price is due.

by Holly Rulli

November 11 is also General Patton's Birthday, but we never seem to remember that. Below is the famous "Patton Prayer" sent to the men of the Third Army December 8, 1944:

"Almighty and most merciful Father, we humbly beseech Thee, of Thy great goodness, to restrain these immoderate rains with which we have had to contend. Grant us fair weather for Battle. Graciously hearken to us as soldiers who call Thee that, armed with Thy power, we may advance from victory to victory, and crush the oppression and wickedness of our enemies, and establish Thy justice among men and nations. Amen."

Amen.

Today is the last day of the Valour-IT Fundraise and yes, the Marines Team is still doing well...

We're beating the AirForce and the Navy:

But the Army is beating the Marines...

Please, show our troops you care!

Posted by LindaSoG at 07:28 AM | Comments (5)

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November 10, 2007

Happy Birthday!

'Twas winter time in Quantico in nineteen-twenty-two,
The slum was pretty rough that night, and all the men felt blue;
The hail and sleet, with ghostly feet beat on the bunkhouse dome,
Some men doped out their time to do, while others thought of home.

Then from the starless night, there slipped in through the bunkhouse door,
An old top sergeant that no man had ever seen before;
The hoar frost glistened in his hair, his eyes like star shells shone,
A gnarled mustache hid half his face, and he was skin and bone.

He sat down near the glowing stove and warmed his fleshless hands,
The chill of death was in his breath, like thunder his commands;
His voice was hollow, like the tone of one who’d long been dead,
And when he spoke, the silence broke, and this is what he said:

“Pipe down, all you devil-whelps, and snap out of your dreams,
And a tale I’ll tell of heaven and hell, and the Devil-Dog Marines;
Just Captain Jimmy Bones, M.C., their skipper wrote his name,
He was a fiend for fighting, he had no care for fame.”

“Have never seen so fierce a man on land, nor sky , nor sea,
He had a scar for every war, and fought in ninety-three;
When he was riled, he had an eye that drilled a hole through men,
He spoke but once, and no man asked him how, nor why, nor when.”

“Now Jimmy was the headpiece of a hundred brave Gyrenes,
He used to have a whole lot more who died from eating beans;
But them what ate the chow and lived, they sure were hard-boiled guys,
They flicked the bullets off their coats just like so many flies.”

The old top sergeant’s voice grew low, and at its ghostly gloom,
Men shivered, and the vermin crawled upon the bunkhouse broom;
He stuffed a live coal in his pipe, and deeply did inhale,
He blew the smoke clean through the roof, and then resumed his tale.

“They say the devil made him mean when he was in the skies,
And filled them all so full of hell it shone out through their eyes;
Then old St. Peter found the bunch, and gave them souls of white,
But hell still boiled up in them, and they couldn’t else but fight.”

“So Peter had to can old Nick, and when to earth he fell,
He got himself a steady job recruiting souls for hell;
Well, Peter stamped Marines ‘OK,’ and marked them all first class,
‘Cause all that ever scared ‘em was to see a looking-glass.”

“Now some they come from Texas sand, so they was full of grit,
And some was from Montana plains where they’d been roughing it;
Some more they come from old New York, and wore a Bowery frown,
Then some which was the toughest came from good old Frisco town.”

"Old Jimmy Bones shoved off for France in nineteen-seventeen,
And shipped across the toughest crew the world had ever seen;
Each man had ‘First to Fight,’ tattooed across his chest, in black,
And right betwixt his shoulder blades, ‘Watch out, we’re coming back!’”

“Them hundred Devil Dogs sure was a bold and daring crew,
They bit the soles right off their shoes whenever they’d want a chew;
There wasn’t one among that bunch of those U.S. Marines
Who couldn’t spit three fathoms deep, and sink three submarines.”

“And when it came to shooting guns, why, say, them men were there,
They’d shave a man a mile away, and never miss a hair;
They’d trim the eyebrows off a lark, a- soarin’ in the sky,
Or shoot the points off shooting stars, as long as they had an eye.”

“They cruised on all the seven seas and rationed on hard tack,
They fought their way around the world and half to hell and back;
They fought in every war there was, clean up to Vera Cruz,
The only things they hadn’t fought was huns, and too much booze.”

“Now Jimmie Bones reached France OK with that all-furious crew,
And everyone turned round to say, ‘No savvy parley-vous;’
The French girls grabbed them by their hands, and washed their necks with tears,
The French men slapped them on their backs, and yelled them deaf with cheers.”

"Then Jimmy made a speech, and said, ‘I hear you got a war,
Around here somewheres hereabout, and that’s what we’re here for;
But all I got to say is this. Enjoy it while you can,
I’m going to clean up Germany If I lose every man."

“The Germans learned that Jimmie Bones had crossed the sea to fight,
And when they got that awful news, their feet turned cold with fright;
And when they lamped that roughneck crew from off an aeroplane,
It nearly knocked ‘em for a goal, and some went plumb insane.”

“Said they, ‘What is this thing, Marines? If they had said before,
They had such Devil Dogs as these, there wouldn’t be no war;’
So that is how they got their name of ‘Devil Dog’ Marines,
And ever since, they’ve chased the Dutch dachshund clean off the scenes.”

The old top sergeant rolled his eyes, as if to recollect,
And where he let his fierce glance fall, it scorched six feet of deck;
Said he, “No man has ever lived that crossed old Jimmy Bones,
He had the power that lifted men, Or dragged kings down from thrones.”

"A general of the allies looked out through his periscope,
And seen ten million German huns a-coming on the lope;
He bit his short mustache and said, ‘We’re in an awful stew,
We’ve only got a million men. It looks like they’ll break through.’”

“Then, Jimmy Bones piped up and said, ‘You didn’t count Marines,
I’ve got some hell-dogs that’ll chew the spikes right off their beans;
‘Cause numbers don’t mean nothing to my well-behaving crew,
Why, they ain’t been to school enough to count the men they slew.’”

“The general said, ‘You win, my man. Go take your wild Marines,
And form a scouting party just to double up the scenes;’
Then Jimmy Bones saluted stiff, and to the general said,
‘We’ll break through to Berlin, sir, If we don’t, we’ll come back dead.’”

“With that, he yelled, ‘Outside, Marines, and snap out of your hop,
We’re going out to gather up that German lemon crop;
And if I see one of you men so much as leave a rind,
You’ll rate the brig ‘till kingdom come, and sixty dollars fine.’”

“The hundred Devil Dogs fell out, and then they all fell in,
And each one closed a gap in ranks by shaving up his chin;
The chief cook turned up missing when the time for counting come,
But he was cooking shrapnel up to make the crew some slum.”

“Then Jimmy Bones, he gave a talk, to all his men, he said,
‘We’re shipping out on heavy seas with reefs and shoals ahead;
But all I got to say is this, remember you’re Marines,
Cause water settles everything, and that’s what our name means.”

"He marched ‘em up on company front, in quick and double-time,
He marched ‘em in a riot squad and in a skirmish line;
He ran ‘em in a platoon rush, and then by single squad;
And each advance ten thousand huns stretched out and hit the sod.”

"He mowed ‘em down with Browning guns, and with their Springfield gats,
And them they couldn’t get that way they stuck with bayonets;
And when it came to trenches they just shoved the banks all in,
And tons of huns were swallowed up, and never lived again.”

“The Germans shot a bunch of bombs of dead limburger cheese,
But all it did to Jimmy’s men was make them cough and sneeze;
Then Jimmy lit a strong cigar from off a passing shell,
Three million huns got one good whiff, and died of that vile smell.”

“The hundred Devil Dogs shoved on, their eyes flashed liquid fire,
Which melted guns and cannons up just like they were lead wire;
They kicked about a million huns into the River Marne,
And if they drowned, or sunk, or swam, they didn’t give a darn.”

“The Germans thought that judgment day had come to take its tolls,
They got the jula in their knees, and trembled in their souls;
And when they saw those Devil Dogs, and heard their awful yell,
They knew their judgment day had come, and they were picked for hell.”

“So, what was left threw up their mitts, and hollered ‘kamerad,’
But Jimmy’s men thought that was Dutch for talk profaning God;
So they stuck their bayonets right through them anyhow,
And buzzards came down from the sky and ate ‘em up for chow.”

“Now Kaiser bill and Hindenburg was in a game of craps,
He staked his royal crown against a box of ginger snaps;
Old Hindy won the crown and said, ‘This ain’t no good to me,
I’d sooner have a bite to eat than all of Germany’”

“Said Kaiser Bill, ‘I’ll tell you what. You lend ten marks to me,
I’ll pay you back in a month or two with French indemnity.’
Said Hindy, ‘Where’d you get that stuff. Do you see any green on me?
I bought myself some Liberty Bonds from Mrs. Liberty.’”

“Just then the crown prince busted in and said, ‘Oh papa dear;
I see some wild men coming who will wreck this joint, I fear;
I’ll shoot a long-range shot at them, and if they still persist,
Then I’ll take about a million men and slap them on the wrist.’”

“The Kaiser took a peek out from a half-raised window blind,
And seen a hundred Devil Dogs a-swimming across the Rhine;
The river was a-running blood, From all the men they slew,
And every time they’d duck their heads, they’d drink a quart or two.”

“The Kaiser’s hair stood up on end and turned from black to white,
And when he spied old Jimmy Bones, his blood ran cold with fright;
He grabbed the prince’s hand and said, ‘Don’t fool with that wild Yank,
He’ll fill you full of bullet holes where Papa used to spank.’”

“‘What ho the guard!’ Cried Kaiser Bill. ‘There ain't no guard no more,’
Said Hindenburg, ‘The guard was shot out there by the palace door;’
‘Where is my ally Gott?’ yelled Bill. 'Von Gott, he ain’t at home,’
Said Hindenburg, ‘The Gott you had was in your crazy dome.’”

“The Kaiser’s eyes stuck out a mile. ‘What shall I do?’ said he,
‘I’ll save myself and my six brave sons. To hell with Germany;’
Said Hindenburg, ‘It went to hell long time before this thing,
Ten million huns that you sent there are waiting for their king.’”

“The outside palace door crashed in. There was a mighty roar,
‘Thank gott,” said Hindenburg, ‘I’ll see that mush of yours no more;’
With that he grabbed his gat and blew the brains out of his head,
And Kaiser Bill knowed then and there he meant just what he said.”

“The Kaiser beat it for the door and flung it open wide,
And there he met Jimmy Bones a’coming just outside;
Behind him were his Devil Dogs with gleaming bayonets,
And Kaiser Bill knowed they had come to get a whole world’s bets.”

“Then Jimmy gave him just one look that turned his gizzard pale,
And made him wish that he had spent his life in some nice jail;
Said Jimmie Bones, ‘So you’re the cur that kicked up all this row,
You’ve got about an hour to live, so don’t give us no gow!’”

“The Kaiser’s nerve went over the hill. His brow dripped bloody sweat,
He got down on his knees and cried and got the carpet wet;
His teeth, they rattled, just like dice do in a game of craps,
And every word that Jimmy spoke was like a note of taps.”

“Then Jimmy Bones drawed out his gat, and then he tossed it by,
Said, ‘you ain’t fit enough to live, and not that fit to die;
You’ve served the devil all your life, but now you’ll work for me,’
And then he thought of things to do. Jim Bones can think of three.”

“‘You’ll stand a guard of twenty hours around the Arctic zones,
With fifteen minutes out to thaw the marrow in your bones;
And every hour throughout the night you’ll answer reveille,
And every twenty years or so, you’ll rate a liberty.’”

“‘And all you’ll have to drink is German blood you’ve shed,
And when you’re hungry, you will gnaw the bones of German dead;
You’ll do a jolt in eighty-four for ten or twenty years,
And under a hard-boiled non-com you’ll shed your dying tears.’”

“Then Jimmy stopped, and silence filled the gloomy castle hall,
The Kaiser rose and tried to speak, then fell against the wall;
Said he, ‘I thought the devil was a mean and ugly guy,
But you’ve got Satan cheated with one look out of your eye.’”

“Said Jimmy Bones, ‘Now that ain’t all I’m gonna leave you do,
Them things is just light duty, but there’s heavy duty too!’
The Kaiser throwed up both his mitts. ‘You win!’ That’s all he said,
He gave a yell that was heard in hell, and then fell over dead.”

The old top sergeant paused awhile to see if some would doubt,
He sneezed a sneeze, the stoves grew cold, the window panes fell out;
He rolled himself a cigarette from sweepings off the floor,
And lit it with his flaming eye, and then resumed once more.

“Now German spies sent work to France that Jimmy Bones was dead,
And all his hundred Devil Dogs was slaughtered too, they said;
The women weeped a lot of weeps. The men felt pretty bad,
And all of them were mourning cause the shock it hit ‘em bad.”

“The cook was boiling coffee up from a piece of dried-out meat,
Said he, ‘If they is dead or not they’ll be back here to eat;
The world has never seen the time Marines have met defeat,
They would have gone to hell to cut off Kaiser Bill’s retreat.’”

“A sentry sighted Jimmy’s men a’coming over the hill,
And dragging on behind them what was left of Kaiser Bill;
And when they reached old Paris, they were met with yells and cheers,
And showers of gold enough to last ‘em all a thousand years.”

“They hung a million medals on old Jimmy and his crew,
And when they took ‘em off they had a barrel full or two;
And ever after that each lived just like a millionaire,
They never answered reveille, or heard a bugle blare.”

“And all they did was bunk fatigue from then, forever more,
And when they died, they went above and knocked on heaven’s door;
Old Peter came down to the porch and hollered, ‘Halt! Who’s there?’
“United States Marines,” said Jim. First here, and everywhere’”

"So Peter let the whole bunch in along with Captain Jim,
And each one grabbed himself a harp, and sung the Marine hymn;
And ever after that each stood his guard on heaven’s green,
And nary a German has got past the brave U.S. Marine.”

The old top sergeant heaved a sigh that raised the bunkhouse roof,
And those who sat too close to him were blown ten feet aloof;
He cut the sling from off a gun and took a three-foot chew,
And where he spat, the floor gave way, and hell came boiling through.

Then from the fiery pit there rose a corporal of the guard,
His face was sunk, his flesh was iron, his look was twice as hard;
Said he, “The detail’s still intact around the brimstone floods,
The devil’s peeling onions and the Kaiser’s peeling spuds.”

The old top kicker knit his brow, said he, “All right, that’s well!
But when you’ve finished with that job they’ll start to coal up hell;
And if them billion tons ain’t in before they shut an eye,
I’ll run ‘em up ‘fore Jimmy Bones, and let them tell him why.”

The corporal turned and leaped head on down through that fiery mass,
The floor closed up, the bunkhouse swayed with clouds of molten mass.
The top arose, the lights went out, Taps sounded, came the rain,
A chill swept through the room and he was never seen again.

A true Marine Corps classic, “Captain Jimmy Bones And His Devil-Dog Marines” originally appeared in an early forties edition of “Leatherneck Magazine."

Now... what better way to say Thank you...

Posted by LindaSoG at 11:24 AM | Comments (4)

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November 05, 2007

Project Valour-IT - Go Marines!

I see hundreds of them on the road and in parking lots every day. All different colors and designs. Some yellow, some red, white and blue, some a combination. They all say the same thing. There is a yellow one on the back of my truck right now.

Support the Troops.

A fine notion, and one that America has not truly embraced since WWII. There were plenty of troops to support in-between now and then. I attended Support the Troops rallies during Desert Storm, including one on Biscayne Boulevard in Downtown Miami. Now the only rallies we see there are the anti-war rallies run by socialist/communists who consider America to be the enemy.

But, there are all those magnets. All those people who claim to support the troops. Spend your $5.00, stick it on the back of your vehicle and go on your merry way, doing all the day to day things in your life made possible by those very same troops.

What if... what if you met one of those troops face to face. One of those troops who spent several nights sleeping in a hollow in the sand, like those pictures you saw last year in your email? One of those troops who took Baghdad from Saddam's Army in less time than it took Reno to massacre the Branch Davidians? One of those troops who went door to door in Fallujah, under fire by terrorists. One of those troops who fired back, protecting himself, his unit, and yes, protecting you in the process. One of those troops who were running a supply convoy and ran into an I.E.D. One of those troops who took part in one of these IPOs? What if that troop had been injured?

Would you show him your magnet?

Project Valour-IT, in memory of SFC William V. Ziegenfuss, provides voice-controlled software and laptop computers to wounded Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Marines recovering from hand and arm injuries or amputations at major military medical centers. Operating laptops by speaking into a microphone, our wounded heroes are able to send and receive messages from friends and loved ones, surf the 'Net, and communicate with buddies still in the field without having to press a key or move a mouse. The experience of CPT Charles "Chuck" Ziegenfuss, a partner in the project who suffered hand wounds while serving in Iraq, illustrates how important this voice-controlled software can be to a wounded servicemember's recovery.

Many of my readers will remember when I made my Let's Cheer Up Chuck post in July of 2005. My goal at that time was to cheer up Chuck as he recovered from wounds he received while defending our freedom in Iraq. Many of you sent cards and letters to Chuck during his stay at Walter Reed and I thank you for that.

But there are other brave troops like Chuck who need our help, and they deserve the very best that America has to offer. Will they get it? I hope so, and I am sure you hope so too. But, like the magnets on the back of all those cars, hope is not going to do much to support these who have done their very best to protect our Freedom, and this Country.

I urge you to do a little more then just hope. Please help. Put your money where your heart is. Send the price of a magnet if that's all you can afford. But send something.

MARINE CORPS UPDATE:

The Marines Team is doing well...

We're beating the AirForce and the Navy:

But the Army is beating the Marines...

So, today I hit up the office, and I'm passing some flyers around the building. Why not do the same?

Our Team Leader, Holly Aho, is auctioning off some hand-made jewelry and Christmas is coming.... there are more auctions here and the money gets donated!

and... Special thanks to the Marine Corps Team:

Soldiers Angel - Holly Aho; The American Princess; Fuzzilicious Thinking; Gazing at the Flag; Michelle Malkin; A Blog For All; ThreatsWatch.org; Soldiers' Angels Germany;America's North Shore Journal; Stix Blog; The Dan Lee Report;Bookworm Room; Semper Gratus!; Gunz Up; Bilskirnir - Thor's Hall; Quality Weenie; GruntDoc; She Who Waits; docweaselblog; Not Ready for My Burqua; North Star Liberty; Random Thoughts; Freedom Dogs; Cao's blog; Sister Toldjah; Flobbergobber; Meep's Livejournal; IMAO; Gazizza; A Lovely Infidel; The American Pundit; Weird,Strange, or Crazy Auctions; What...?; Java Zen:Thinking Out Loud; To Tame the Wild Beastie; A Jester Unemployed; EckerNet.Com; Fatekisminy; Anti-Strib; Hugh Hewitt; http://www.myspace.com/unclemo665; Shadowscope; Something and Half of Something; Ogre's Politics and Views; PC Free Zone; Anti-Strib; A Swift Kick & A Band-Aid; The Median Sib; Political inSecurity; W. Thomas Smith Jr.; Drunken Wisdom; Is this Life?; American and Proud; Thismink.com; From the Halls to the Shores.

A fine group of people and fine buncha bloggers. Visit them!

Posted by LindaSoG at 06:47 AM | Comments (3)

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November 04, 2007

Thank you Art Carney

Today, on your birthday, I would like to thank you for the laughs... and thank you for protecting my freedom!

For those of you who didn't know... Art Carney was drafted into the Army in 1943 and in 1944, he took part in the D-Day landing at Normandy. A piece of mortar shrapnel shattered his right leg, leaving him with a leg three-quarters of an inch shorter than the other and a lifelong limp. He was awarded the Purple Heart.

Art Carney was a funny guy, and a Hero!

Posted by LindaSoG at 01:38 PM | Comments (2)

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October 31, 2007

Valour-IT - The Few ~ The Loud ~ The Marines!

From October 29th until November 11th I'm raising my voice with the Marine Corps fundraising team, for Project Valour-IT.

What is Project Valour IT? Well, first you get the background... the story behind Valour-IT:

Project Valour-IT began when Captain Charles "Chuck" Ziegenfuss was wounded by an IED while serving as commander of a tank company in Iraq in June 2005.

During his deployment he kept a blog. Captivating writing, insightful stories of his experiences, and his self-deprecating humor won him many loyal readers. After he was wounded, his wife continued his blog, keeping his readers informed of his condition.

As he began to recover, CPT Ziegenfuss wanted to return to writing his blog, but serious hand injuries hampered his typing. When a loyal and generous reader gave him a copy of the Dragon Naturally Speaking Preferred software, other readers began to realize how important such software could be to CPT Ziegenfuss' fellow wounded soldiers and started cast about for a way to get it to them.

A fellow who writes under the pseudonym FbL contacted Captain Ziegenfuss and the two realized they shared a vision of creating libraries of laptops with voice-controlled software that could be brought to the bedsides of wounded soldiers whose injuries prevented them from operating a standard computer. FbL contacted Soldiers' Angels, who offered to help develop the project, and Project Valour-IT was born.

When I made this post in July of 2005, my goal was to cheer up Chuck as he recovered from wounds he received while defending our freedom in Iraq. Yes, its the same Chuck, and many of you sent cards and letters to him during his stay at Walter Reed. I thank you for that. But, our work is not done yet. Now I'm asking you to help Valour-IT.

Project Valour-IT accepts donations of any amount to supply the "libraries" of laptops at major medical centers and gifts to individuals, but has also added the option of an individual or organization directly sponsoring a wounded soldier by completely funding the cost of a laptop and continuing to provide him or her with personal support and encouragement throughout recovery. Thanks to the efforts of the Military Order of the Purple Heart, Valour-IT is also able to reach patients in VA hospitals who would benefit from a Valour-IT laptop.

Every cent raised for Project Valour-IT goes directly to the purchase and shipment of voice-activated laptops for wounded servicemembers. As of October 2006, Valour-IT has distributed nearly 600 laptops to severely wounded Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Marines across the country.

Project Valour-IT is a simple idea with profound impact. It's grateful Americans, providing laptops with voice-activated software for severely wounded troops. Project Valour-IT offers a way for us to tell them we have not forgotten their sacrifices, and that is truly priceless. In many, many ways what we are trying to do is reconnect them to the world; remind them that they are not alone. That they still have something to contribute, that they are still a vital part of this nation, and that even though they may have lost parts of themselves that they can never recover, though they may temporarily be feeling hopeless, helpless, even alone, they aren't.

Someone remembers. Someone still cares. And when they get out of the hospital, America will find a way for them to rejoin the community and be useful again. For a wounded vet facing traumatic and painful injuries, that knowledge alone is beyond price.

Please dig deep. You cannot know the value of the hope your small contributions can bring to those who have already given so much on our behalf.

If you wish to donate, you can use the button below or the one in my sidebar, or send a check (with MARINES in all caps on it!) to:

Soldiers' Angels
Project Valour-IT Fund
1792 E. Washington Blvd
Pasadena, Ca 91104

If you're a blogger, join a team, any team will do. Tell your friends, family and neighbors about Valour-IT, challenge your co-workers or employer to match donations, consider involving clubs, churches, or charitable organizations. If you have any contacts in the media, local or national newspapers, radio, TV, whatever, whoever, however, spread the word!

I know I can count on your support for this, just hit the button so my team gets credit! and... Thank you!

Yes, there's a good bit of good-natured interservice rivalry fun in the interests of raising some money for a good cause, but at the end of the day what really matters is not which team you support, but that you find it in your hearts to support a worthwhile cause. Because our wounded vets have given more in the service of our country than most of us will ever be able to repay.

If you were wondering why I chose the Marines Fundraising Team, well, I love tanks, and I love fighter jets, and I love those great big ships and subs, but in the end, I joined the Marines Fundraising Team because of the Marine you see right there, down on one knee...

He served in Korea, as Infantry, in the Military Police and he was a proud member of the Marines' Drum and Bugle Corps.

And he just happens to be my Dad! Handsome, isn't he? Of course he is, that's why they let him be a Marine! and I bet you thought it was a coincidence that Marines are so darn good looking!

I'm proud of my Dad, and I'm proud of each of every one of our troops serving in the United States Military, whether its the Army, Navy, Air Force or the Marines. These brave men and women deserve our support, and Project Valour-IT is a great way to say Thank You!

Posted by LindaSoG at 06:18 AM | Comments (4)

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October 28, 2007

Hearts and Minds

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
RELEASE No. 20071026-01
October 26, 2007

Iraqi Army at Besmaya Installation Support San Diego Fire Victims
By U.S. Army Sgt 1st Class Charlene Sipperly
Multi-National Security Transition Command – Iraq Public Affairs

BAGHDAD, Iraq — Members of the Iraqi Army in Besmaya collected a donation for the San Diego, Calif., fire victims Thursday night at the Besmaya Range Complex in a moving ceremony to support Besmaya's San Diego residents.

Iraqi Army Col. Abbass, the commander of the complex, presented a gift of $1,000 to U.S. Army Col. Darel Maxfield, Besmaya Range Complex officer in charge, Multi-National Security Transition Command Iraq, to send to the fire victims in California.

The money was collected from Iraqi officers and enlisted soldiers in Besmaya. In a speech given during the presentation, Col. Abbass stated that he and the Iraqi soldiers were connected with the American people in many ways, and they will not forget the help that the American government has given the Iraqi people. Abbass was honored to participate by sending a simple fund of $1,000 to the American people in San Diego, to lower the suffering felt by the tragedy.

That is awesome! Just awesome!

Hat tips: OpFor, by way of And Still I Persist (who reminds us that the average pay in the Iraqi Army is about $300 a month), by way of Wollfe.

Posted by LindaSoG at 10:11 PM | Comments (8)

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October 19, 2007

Oh the horror!

If you like pictures of American Troops torturing innocent Iraqi children... you'll love this site. Here's a sample:

There's lots more "torture" to be seen... so run along now and enjoy...

H/T and smooches to my friend Wollfe, who made my day with that one!

Posted by LindaSoG at 06:33 AM | Comments (2)

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October 15, 2007

Brothers in Battle

Many of you will remember HBO's "Band of Brothers" miniseries which told the story of members of 101st Airborne Division. The miniseries did honor to those brave troops, and now, two surviving members have written a book about their experience called "Brothers in Battle: Best of Friends," which was recently published by the Berkley Publishing Group.

I just read an article about it, and I wasn't halfway through before my blood pressure went up and a cold, dark anger ran through me. It wasn't the article itself, that was well written, and summed up the book admirably. It was this quote from the publisher that got me ticked off.

And the book comes at just the right time, says Berkley's Natalee Rosenstein. "It's a period of time when we're all looking for real heroes," she said.

There's never a wrong time to do honor to this Nation's heroes, no matter which war they fought in, but that statement implies that there are no heroes to be found during this period of time, during this war.

Whatever period of time you're talking about Natalee, it ain't this one, and whoever "we" is, it ain't me.

There is no shortgage of real heroes from this period of time and you don't have to look far to find them:

Air Force Staff Sgt. Joshua J. Abrahamson
Army 3rd Armored Cavalry
Marine Corps 1st Lt. Elliott L. Ackerman
Marine Corps Sgt. Jarred L. Adams
Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Christopher S. Adlesperger
Air Force Staff Sgt. Edward B. Albietz
Army Spc. Jose Alvarez
Army Special Forces Maj. Jason L. Amerine
Marine Corps 1st Sgt. Paul T. Archie
Army Pfc. James J. Arellano
Army National Guard Capt. Joel Arends
Navy Petty Officer 2nd Class Matthew G. Axelson
Army Cpl. Nathaniel S. Baughman
Navy Lt. Cmdr. Benito E. Baylosis
Air Force Capt. Johnathan E. Bennett
Army National Guard Sgt. Robert Betterton
Air Force Staff Sgt. Timothy Bishop
Army Sgt. 1st Class Raymond E. Bittinger
Marine Corps 1st Lt. Stephen J. Boada
Army Reserve Maj. Derek P. Bonaldo
Navy Lt. Bryan Boudreaux
Former Army Spc. Teresa Broadwell
Coast Guard Petty Officer 3rd Class Nathan B. Bruckenthal
Army Reserve Staff Sgt. Joseph P. Buhain
Army Master Sgt. Richard Burnette
Marine Corps Capt. Alfred L. Butler IV
Marine Corps Reserve Cpl. Mark A. Camp
Air Force Maj. Kim N. Campbell
Army National Guard Sgt. 1st Class Kevin Carpenter
Air Force Tech. Sgt. John A. Chapman
Marine Corps Maj. William D. Chesarek Jr.
Marine Corps Capt. Brian R. Chontosh
Army Reserve Spc. Jeremy Church
Navy Chief Petty Officer Brian Cissell
Army Col. James H. Coffman Jr.
Marine Corps Sgt. Willie L. Copeland III
Marine Corps Reserve Cpl. Todd J. Corbin
Army National Guard Capt. Matthew W. Cousins
Air Force Staff Sgt. Earl I. Covel
Air Force Senior Airman Jason D. Cunningham
Army Master Sgt. Tracy L. Cutler
Navy Senior Chief Petty Officer Reginald Dean
Navy Petty Officer 2nd Class Alan P. Dementer
Marine Corps Lt. Col. Todd S. Desgrosseilliers
Navy Petty Officer 2nd Class Danny P. Dietz
Marine Corps Maj. Frank Diorio
Army Sgt. Maj. William J. Doherty
Marine Corps Cpl. Jason L. Dunham
Marine Corps Maj. Armando Espinoza
Air National Guard Tech. Sgt. Michael Frady
Army Reserve Capt. Brian S. Freeman
Marine Corps Sgt. Jason A. Gagliano
Army Reserve Sgt. Ryan Gallucci
Air Force Chief Master Sgt. John Gebhardt
Air Force Maj. Matthew R. Glover
Army Capt. Brennan S. Goltry
Army Special Forces Sgt. 1st Class B. Charles Good
Navy Reserve Capt. Matthew C. Gratton
Army National Guard Pfc. Justin Hair
Army National Guard Sgt. 1st Class Max Hamlin
Former Army Reserve Chief Warrant Officer 3 Karl Hannan
Army Reserve 1st Sgt. Karen Henderson
Army National Guard Sgt. Leigh Ann Hester
Army Chief Warrant Officer 3 Lori Hill
Air National Guard Maj. Pat Houtman
Marine Corps Reserve Sgt. Jeff Hunter
Army National Guard Spc. Cheryl Ivanov
Marine Corps Sgt. Maj. Bradley A. Kasal
Air Force Master Sgt. Michael L. Keehan III
Air Force Senior Airman Phillip M. King
Army Staff Sgt. Shane M. Koele
Army Spc. Kraig Lemme
Navy Petty Officer 3rd Class Nathaniel R. Leoncio
Army National Guard Sgt. Nathaniel ‘Brad’ Lindsey
Air Force 1st Lt. Brian Lomax
Former Navy Petty Officer 1st Class Marcus Luttrell
Air Force Chief Master Sgt. Kevin Lynn
Army National Guard Staff Sgt. Chad Malmberg
Army Reserve Maj. Christopher Matson
Army National Guard 1st Lt. Michael McCarty
Marine Corps Sgt. Aubrey L. McDade Jr.
Army National Guard Spc. Christopher Merchant
Army National Guard Sgt. Jason I. Mike
Army Special Forces Master Sgt. David Miles
Marine Corps Reserve Sgt. Luke Miller
Former Marine Corps Sgt. Robert J. Mitchell Jr.
Army National Guard Chief Warrant Officer 2 Marcus Moore
Army National Guard Staff Sgt. Timothy F. Nein
Army National Guard Warrant Officer 3 Austin Norris
Marine Corps Reserve Staff Sgt. Kent Padmore
Army Staff Sgt. William Thomas Payne
Army National Guard Capt. Brian J. Pipkin
Air Force Capt. Craig D. Prather
Army National Guard Sgt. Joseph E. Proctor
Army Special Forces Master Sgt. Anthony S. Pryor
Former Army National Guard Spc. Ashley Pullen
Army Spc. Gregory Pushkin
Army Spc. Ignacio Ramirez
Army Reserve Staff Sgt. Martin K. Richburg
Army Sgt. Tommy Rieman
Army National Guard Staff Sgt. Joshua P. Roller
Army Sgt. Michael Row
Navy Petty Officer 2nd Class Juan M. Rubio
Army National Guard 1st Lt. Matthew Salo
Army Sgt. Micheaux M. Sanders
Army Special Forces Master Sgt. Sarun Sar
Navy Petty Officer 1st Class Bradley Sapp
Former Marine Corps Capt. Jason P. Schauble
Air Force Senior Airman Adam P. Servais
Air Force Tech. Sgt. Michael Shropshire
Navy Lt. Brian Skubin
Army National Guard Sgt. Keith L. Smette
Army Sgt. 1st Class Paul R. Smith
Army National Guard Maj. Scott H. Southworth
Army National Guard Chief Warrant Officer 4 Robert Stacy
Army National Guard Sgt. 1st Class Chad M. Stephens
Army Col. Michael E. Stout
Air National Guard Master Sgt. Henry Stroisch
Navy Senior Chief Petty Officer Jason D. Taggart
Army Reserve Sgt. Ryan Taylor
Navy Chief Petty Officer James R. Theriault
Army National Guard 1st Lt. David Tiedeman
Army Spc. Anthony Tonasket
Army National Guard Sgt. Seth Randell Trahan
Former Air Force Airman 1st Class Charity Lee Trueblood
Army National Guard Staff Sgt. Jo Turner
Arkansas Army National Guard Capt. John Vanlandingham
Coast Guard Petty Officer Sarah A. Vega
Air Force Reserve Sr. Master Sgt. Paul S. Veresko
Marine Corps Staff Sgt. Anthony L. Viggiani
Army Cpl. Clinton A. Warrick
Air National Guard Tech. Sgt. Kevin Whalen
Air National Guard Master Sgt. Letitia Whitaker
Army National Guard Chief Warrant Officer William White
Army Staff Sgt. Jeremy Wilzcek
Marine Corps Sgt. Chadwick L. Winegar
Army Lt. Col. Brian E. Winski
Air Force Maj. Keith M. Wolak
Marine Corps Sgt. Jeremiah Workman
Army Maj. Ryan L. Worthan
Army Special Forces Staff Sgt. Jonathan A. Zapien
Army National Guard Staff Sgt. Matthew W. Zedwick
Marine Corps Maj. Douglas A. Zembiec

Shame on you Natalee, for using the publishing of this book to insult today's heroes who have given their all for this Country and for your freedom.

Posted by LindaSoG at 05:59 AM | Comments (4)

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September 30, 2007

From way back when

when Hollywood knew right from wrong:

I found it at Head Noises.

Posted by LindaSoG at 04:12 PM | Comments (1)

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September 28, 2007

Gotcha!

Probably not a Marine:

A Marine would have held his ground.

Posted by LindaSoG at 07:20 AM | Comments (2)

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September 20, 2007

Lake Worth Prefers Pets to Vets

UPDATE: Its the City of Lake Worth, not the County of Palm Beach. My apologies for the error.

Yeah, you read that right. Palm Beach Lake Worth has cancelled its Annual Veterans Day Parade due to "budget cuts."

"We just don't have the money," Commissioner Jo-Ann Golden said. "It's a bad time to do this, when we have soldiers overseas, but we just don't have the money available."

But you do have the money available Jo-Ann, you'd just rather spend it on a Pet Parade.

"As difficult as it may sound, when you're cutting 40 positions and 22 people, that makes it hard to justify funding a parade," -- Mayor Jeff Clemens

Hard to justify a parade for our Veterans, but not so hard to justify a Boat Parade, or a crafts festival or a street painting festival. You can justify squeezing the cash reserves to fund "Bonfires on the Beach" without any problem, but there's no room in the budget for a parade in honor of the Veterans who fought for your freedom?

Obviously, you have your priorities.

Near as I can tell, this is unprecedented and Palm Beach County Lake Worth now bears the distinction of being the first and only county city in the United States of America to cancel a Veterans Day Parade.

Posted by LindaSoG at 07:10 AM | Comments (7)

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September 15, 2007

Make no mistake

Look. Look closely at that picture and ask yourself, what kind of person would do such a thing?

What you see in that picture is the result of contempt for the United States of America, and contempt not only for the men and women who gave their lives serving this Country, but contempt for those who serve today.

Think about the soldier in your life, I know there is one. If its not a Veteran of wars past, its a soldier serving now. Its your son, your daughter, your father, your mother, your aunt or your uncle, or your cousins, its your neighbor's kid, or your child's former schoolmate, the kid who used to deliver your paper, the girl who used to babysit your children. Everyone knows someone who has served, or is serving now.

Imagine if that was the name of your soldier beneath those marks of contempt.

Look at that picture and tell me, do you share the contempt? Do you condone the contempt?

What you see in that picture is the result of the twisted and demented ideology of the party of Nancy Pelosi, Harry Reid, John Murtha and Hillary Clinton. The people who continue to elect Ted Kennedy and John Kerry. They say they are anti-war but what they are is anti-America. And as you can see, they hate our troops.

If you're a democrat, then this what you stand for, this is the ideology of what you support. Make no mistake about it. This is the true face of the democrats, and the only face of the democrats, because there is no such thing as a moderate democrat, no such thing as a middle of the road democrat, no such thing as an extremist democrat. In the end, there is no difference between extremely pregnant and moderately pregnant. You are what you are. In the end, they are only democrats and this outrage, this insult to our Nation and the men and women who serve is what they stand for. If you support them, then their ideology is your ideology.

Posted by LindaSoG at 09:33 PM | Comments (2)

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August 30, 2007

Ghost Army

It is a story of deception, showmanship, art and ingenuity kept secret for nearly 50 years.

In June of 1944, an exceptional U.S. Army unit went into action in Normandy. Its weapons included hundreds of inflatable tanks and a one-of-a-kind collection of soud effects records, and it carried out its battlefield mission without firing a shot. The unit was officially called the 23rd Headquarters Special Troops, but it was known to its men as The Ghost Army.

The mission of this top-secret unit was to create a “traveling road show” to deceive the Germans about the location and strength of American troops on battlefields across Europe. From Normandy to the Rhine, they staged 20 battlefield deceptions, employing an array of inflatables (tanks, trucks, jeeps, airplanes), sound trucks, phony radio transmissions and even playacting to fool the enemy. Like actors in a repertory theater, the men of the 23rd had to ask themselves with each mission: “Who are we this week? What’s our story?” Then they would put on a show, with the Nazis as their audience.

"It's amazing... the fakery we were able to perpetrate upon the enemy."

That's just amazing! I can't wait to see this film.

Posted by LindaSoG at 05:26 AM | Comments (1)

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August 29, 2007

In case you were wondering

What the Mainstream Media doesn't want you to see:

I support our Troops, I support their mission. You can't have one without the other.

Posted by LindaSoG at 07:04 AM | Comments (2)

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August 20, 2007

Up and Over Rock Star!

Gene Simmons supports our troops and he does it really well. That said... he really should avoid the obstacle course.

That was really fun. What a good sport he is!

Posted by LindaSoG at 05:46 AM | Comments (1)

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August 16, 2007

In Memory of the King

Elvis Presley
January 8, 1935 – August 16, 1977

G.I. Blues

It's hard to believe its been 30 years.

Posted by LindaSoG at 06:05 AM | Comments (2)

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August 07, 2007

Today's Not News

Beauchamp Recants - admits exaggerations and falsehoods

If any of you would like to send scott a little note about his writings...

PFC Scott Beauchamp
A Co. 1 18 Infantry, 2nd BCT, 1st ID
Camp Buehring
APO, AE 09330

or... for those of you who are interested in instant gratification:

stb5g5@hotmail.com

Posted by LindaSoG at 06:40 AM | Comments (7)

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August 02, 2007

Reason # 95847348596

Why I love the Marines!

Dayum! He sure nailed it! That was awesome!

USA! USA!! USA!!!

Posted by LindaSoG at 07:22 AM | Comments (9)

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August 01, 2007

Today's assignment...

Vote for Christian Bagge!

In June of 2006, Staff Sargeant Christian Bagge astounded us all when he went for a run with President Bush.

"Having lost both legs in Iraq, Christian set his sights on a recovery that would include running with President George W. Bush, and he met that goal. Today, Christian is a spokesman for the American Veterans Disabled for Life Memorial Foundation, and he campaigns for the Wounded Soldier Project."

Christian is up for the Energizer "Keep Going" Award, and he certainly deserves it. Grand prize includes $10,000.00 cash money, and a sizable donation to the charity of his choice.

Got a minute?

There's one more day to vote Today is the last day, you got till just before midnight to vote- so click! and then hit the Vote Today button, pick Christian's photo... and vote.

This will stay right here, on top, till voting is over.

Thanks!

Posted by LindaSoG at 06:12 AM | Comments (2)

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July 26, 2007

Awww...

That put a smile on my face. Not the contest really, but all them pictures.

Posted by LindaSoG at 06:26 AM | Comments (1)

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July 11, 2007

Today's Good News

SAN DIEGO (AP) - The government's case against a Marine accused of fatally shooting Iraqi civilians in the town of Haditha lacks sufficient evidence to go to a court-martial and should be dropped,

The murder charges were brought against Lance Cpl. Justin L. Sharratt for killing three Iraqi brothers in November 2005.

The hearing officer, Lt. Col. Paul Ware, wrote in a report released by the defense Tuesday that those charges were based on unreliable witness accounts, insupportable forensic evidence and questionable legal theories. He also wrote that the case could have dangerous consequences on the battlefield, where soldiers might hesitate during critical moments when facing an enemy.

"The government version is unsupported by independent evidence," Ware wrote in the 18-page report. "To believe the government version of facts is to disregard clear and convincing evidence to the contrary."

Prosecutors allege Sharratt and other members of his battalion carried out a revenge-motivated assault on Iraqi civilians that left 24 dead after a roadside bomb killed a fellow Marine nearby.

Sharratt contends the Iraqi men he confronted were insurgents and at least one was holding an AK-47 rifle when he fired at them.

In addition to Sharratt, two other enlisted men are charged with murder and four officers are accused of failing to investigate the incident—the largest single Iraqi civilian death case of the war. Sharratt's case is the first among the three charged with murder to go to a hearing known as an Article 32 investigation, the military equivalent of a grand jury.

"Whether this was a brave act of combat against the enemy or tragedy of misperception born out of conducting combat with an enemy that hides among innocents, Lance Corporal Sharratt's actions were in accord with the rules of engagement and use of force," Ware wrote.

He said further prosecution of Sharratt could set a "dangerous precedent that ... may encourage others to bear false witness against Marines as a tactic to erode public support of the Marine Corps and its mission in Iraq."

"Even more dangerous is the potential that a Marine may hesitate at the critical moment when facing the enemy," he said.

Ware deemed the witness accounts and testimony given by other Marines unreliable.

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Semper Fi!

Posted by LindaSoG at 01:46 PM

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July 04, 2007

Defining Patriotism

Happy Birthday America!! USA! USA!! USA!!!

Posted by LindaSoG at 07:11 AM | Comments (9)

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June 28, 2007

Reason # 6847485960568

Why I love the Marines:

The 71-year-old retired Marine who opened fire on two robbers at a Plantation sub shop late Wednesday, killing one and critically wounding the other, is described as a former pilot for two presidents.

''He's in great shape,'' Wesley White said of his longtime friend, John Lovell. ``He doesn't drink, he doesn't smoke, he works out every day.''

Lovell was a man of action Wednesday night.

According to Plantation police, two masked gunmen came into the Subway at 1949 N. Pine Rd. just after 11 p.m.

There was a lone diner -- Lovell, who was finishing his meal.

After robbing the cashier, the two men attempted to shove Lovell into a bathroom and rob him as well.

They got his money.

But then Lovell pulled his handgun, opened fire, shooting one of the thieves in the head and chest and the other in the head.

When police arrived, they found one of the men in the shop. K-9 units found the other in the bushes of a nearby business.

They also found cash strewn around the front of the sandwich shop.

''There were fives and rolls of coins everywhere,'' said Detective Robert Rettig of the Plantation Police Department.

Both men were taken to Broward General Medical Center, where one, Donicio Arrindell, 22, of North Lauderdale died.

The other, 21-year-old Frederick Gadson of Fort Lauderdale, is in critical but stable condition.

Lovell's friend White was not surprised to hear what happened.

''He'd give you the shirt off his back and he'd be mad if someone tried to take the shirt off your back,'' he said.

White said Lovell worked as a pilot for the Marines, flying former Presidents John F. Kennedy and Lyndon B. Johnson. He later worked as a pilot for Pan Am and Delta.

Lovell is not married and does not have children.

He is not expected to be charged, authorities said.

''He was in fear for his life,'' Rettig said.

Two in row, and this one is local! Nice shooting Sir, and one less scumbag!

Thanks Lloyd for the tip. Makes my day!

Posted by LindaSoG at 02:43 PM

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June 27, 2007

Reason # 6847485960567

Why I love the Marines...

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — Bill Barnes says he was scratching off a losing $2 lottery ticket inside a gas station when he felt a hand slip into his front-left pants pocket, where he had $300 in cash.

He immediately grabbed the person's wrist with his left hand and started throwing punches with his right, landing six or seven blows before a store manager intervened.

"I guess he thought I was an easy mark," Barnes, 72, told The Grand Rapids Press for a story Tuesday.

He's anything but an easy mark: Barnes served in the Marines, was an accomplished Golden Gloves boxer and retired after 20 years as an iron worker.

Jesse Daniel Rae, the 27-year-old Newaygo County man accused of trying to pick Barnes' pocket, was arraigned Monday in Rockford District Court on one count of unarmed robbery, a 15-year felony.

Barnes said he had just withdrawn the money from a bank machine and put it in the pocket of his shorts before driving to the Marathon service station and Next Door Food Store in Comstock park, a Grand Rapids suburb.

He remembers noticing a patron acting suspiciously, asking the price of different brands of cigarettes and other items. While turned away, Barnes felt the hand in his pocket, so he took action.

"I guess I acted on instinct," he said.

Kent County sheriff's deputies said the store manager quickly came around the counter. The three of them struggled through the front door, where two witnesses said the manager slammed Rae to the ground and held him there.

"There was blood everywhere," said another manager on duty, Abby Ostrom, 25.

Barnes was a regional runner-up in Golden Gloves competition in the novice and open divisions before enlisting in the Marines in 1956.

He lived most of his adult life in Comstock Park with his wife, Patricia, before recently moving to Ottawa County. The couple have three children.

After retiring as an iron worker, he now works part-time as a starter at a golf course.

Barnes said he'd probably do the same thing again under the same circumstances, if for no other reason than what he would face back home.

"I wouldn't want my wife to give me hell for lettin' that guy get my money," he said with a smile.

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Thank you so much for the tip, Austin, this is just the kind of story I needed to read today.

Posted by LindaSoG at 01:27 PM | Comments (4)

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June 26, 2007

In Memory of Daniel Agami

Pfc. Daniel Agami will be remembered for patriotism, devotion to faith

PARKLAND -- Daniel Agami's parents were surprised two years ago when he announced he was joining the Army.

They called him their beloved son. The military called him great promotional material and planned to have him appear in an advertising campaign. Because of his adherence to his faith, his fellow infantrymen affectionately called him "G.I. Jew."

Pfc. Agami, 25, was killed with four other soldiers in a Humvee on Thursday while patrolling Iraq. The Department of Defense announced Monday that he died of wounds suffered when an improvised explosive device detonated near the vehicle.

Agami was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 26th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division, in Schweinfurt, Germany. He will be buried today.

The Army notified his parents, who live in Parkland, on Friday. On Monday, they were in shock, dealing with the pain of the death of their son, who had spoken to them with passion about his mission overseas.

"He felt a responsibility to his country," said his father, Itzhak Agami.

"He was totally patriotic," said his mother, Beth Agami.

Lt. Col. Doug Maddox, the Army's casualty assistance officer, called Agami an "exemplary soldier."

"He will be receiving several awards — the Purple Heart, Army commendation medal, Bronze Star — that will be presented to the family at the funeral," Maddox said.

Born in Ohio, Agami came to South Florida with his family when he was 4 and lived in several cities in Broward, including Coconut Creek, Margate and, most recently, Coral Springs and Parkland. He attended the Hebrew Academy Community School, in Margate.

He told his parents how in the Army, many of his comrades from the Midwest had never met a Jew.

In a speech to Chabad-Lubavitch of Greater Boynton Beach when he visited home during Passover, he told congregants how he went to Fort Benning, Ga., for basic training and quickly found that "many meals involved pork," which Jews who keep kosher are not allowed to eat.

"But the drill sergeant was very accommodating to me," he added.

Agami said he faced "bloody battles with insurgents. I go on daily or nightly missions raiding Iraqi homes to find weapons and bombs. … The deaths of my friends have been traumatic. I lost six of my closest friends. … America fights for freedom and survival for the souls of the entire world."

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I feel so sad, its hard to find words. This afternoon, we say good-bye.

His resting place shall be in the Garden of Eden.
Therefore, the Master of mercy will care for him
under the protection of His wings for all time
And bind his soul in the bond of everlasting life.
God is his inheritance and he will rest in peace
and let us say Amen.

Services are today at the Star of David funeral home at 7801 Bailey Rd. in North Lauderdale beginning at 3:30pm. I'll be there, please, come if you can make it.

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Please visit In Memory of Daniel Agami, read about Danny and see his photos, light a candle in memory, share your thoughts with his family.

Posted by LindaSoG at 06:58 AM | Comments (21)

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June 23, 2007

One little life, saved

The little guy's mom was eight months pregnant and she was shot in the stomach by a family member.

On the Afghanistan border with Pakistan, our troops battled to save the lives of both mother and child.

Against all odds, our troops won that battle! It was touch and go for a while, but both Mom and baby are on their way to recovery.

Watch the clip, its amazing. I never would have expected such reporting from the BBC. I don't know how it got past the anti-American, anti-war censors, but I'm grateful that it did. Imagine what life would be like if more of these stories slipped past the censors and into the living rooms of America.

G-d bless our Troops! USA! USA!! USA!!!

UPDATE From the comments, Beth points out...

And! Those tribal animals are utterly barbaric. A family member shot her in the abdomen to kill the baby!
I do notice the Beeb said this is a "victim of Afghanistan's conflict," as if this shooting wouldn't ever have happened if there weren't a war going on. YEAH, RIGHT. They're f'ing animals. The only difference would be that nobody would be there saving the mother and baby. If anything, they're BENEFICIARIES of Afghanistan's conflict, but victims of 7th century Afghani culture.

You're absolutely right Beth, thank you!

Posted by LindaSoG at 08:20 PM | Comments (9)

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June 22, 2007

Gitmo Poetry

From Jules Crittenden's Guantanamo Poetry Contest:

Second Thoughts

I think that I have never seen,
A poem as lovely as a U.S. Marine,
Standing there, so tall and straight,
He feeds me through an iron grate,

You know, jihad don’t make much sense,
When seen from behind a chain-link fence,
If I ever get out, t’ain’t goin’ back,
Gonna sail to Miami in a Cadillac

Gonna get me a green card, some damn way,
Sing the Star Spangled Banner the live-long day,
And when I say my prayers at night,
Won’t waggle my ass at an obscene height,

Gonna get down on my knees and pray,
Thank you, JESUS, for the USA!

written by Paco

Posted by LindaSoG at 07:15 AM | Comments (1)

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June 19, 2007

Thunderstruck!

Some awesome bundle jumping...

just dayum.

Posted by LindaSoG at 07:15 PM | Comments (1)

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June 14, 2007

It ain't honorable

Earlier this month, we talked about Adam Kokesh, a Marine who disgraced his uniform by wearing it in the streets of our Capital, to denigrate our military and protest the war; and who, when caught and reprimanded for his violation of orders regarding wearing his uniform, cussed out his superior officers, in writing.

What he did was certainly other than honorable, in fact, it was down right dishonorable:

It takes a special kind of scumbag to portray our military in such a manner, but to see a Marine do such a thing...

Kokesh violated orders when he wore his uniform to protest the war, he was more than disrespectful when he cussed out superior officers, and the Marines decided to remove him with an "other than honorable" discharge. A review was held, evidence heard and a decision made.

Its official now, Kokesh has lost his "Honorable Discharge" and been bumped down to a general discharge as a direct result of his dishonorable behavior. A general discharge is more than he deserves but still, spin it any way you want, bottom line is... the discharge ain't honorable.

and thanks Jack, for the tip.

Posted by LindaSoG at 10:15 AM | Comments (7)

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June 13, 2007

In Memory of Cpl. Chris Mason

Date: Jun 13, 2007 12:32 PM
Subject Cpl Chris Mason's Birthday TODAY

Today is my son's 33 birthday (he is forever 32)....

He was born today at 3:50Pm........ please join me in a small way and celibate Chris' birthday by playing his song - Chris Mason (Here on this Battlefield).

I have a link to it on Chris' page.

It is the song Chris carried in his heart. It is the song that reminds me of who my son was, and what he was about.

So please take the time to play it and know he is truly the man in the song.

I miss Chris today, more then ever; I was riding my bike and found tears running down my face. I love my son, but he loved freedom more then he loved life it's self.

Chris' dad
Garland Mason

Cpl. Chris Mason will not be forgotten, he lives on in my memory and in the memory of all those who knew him and loved him.

His resting place shall be in the Garden of Eden.
Therefore, the Master of mercy will care for him
under the protection of His wings for all time
And bind his soul in the bond of everlasting life.
God is his inheritance and he will rest in peace
and let us say Amen.

Posted by LindaSoG at 01:31 PM | Comments (3)

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Wii Kewl!

Wii being used as therapy tool for wounded troops

Spc. Shawn Roberts, 27, left, from the 581st Signal Company, and Army Staff Sgt. Jason Lord, an occupational therapy assistant, duke it out virtual style on a Nintendo Wii boxing game at Landstuhl Regional Medical Center. Phot credit: Ben Bloker / S&S

LANDSTUHL, Germany — Army Spc. Shawn Roberts must play video games.

It’s doctor’s orders.

Every week he goes to Landstuhl Regional Medical Center and plays games on the Nintendo Wii to help him recover from injuries sustained in a vehicle accident in Kuwait last April.

The Army hospital is experimenting using the popular video game console as a physical therapy tool for wounded servicemembers. Playing the game makes the often painful and boring therapy session fun, Roberts says.

The alternative is squeezing a ball of putty.

The fact that players have to move the controller in different directions to play the game is why therapists saw some benefit of introducing it to patients.

read the rest here.

Posted by LindaSoG at 06:15 AM

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June 09, 2007

Today's Good News

Remember Haditha?

The seemingly forgotten incident began as a Marine convoy of the Camp Pendleton-based Kilo Company, Third Battalion, First Marine Regiment, was passing through the town of Haditha in the contested Iraqi province of Anbar on Nov. 19, 2005. A roadside improvised explosive device (IED) went off, killing Lance Cpl. Miguel Terrazas, 20, of El Paso, Texas, who was on his second tour of duty.

After the initial attack, the Marines took small arms fire from nearby houses. They returned fire and went house to house searching for their attackers. For their efforts in responding to an insurgent ambush, four Marines were charged with murder, accused of engaging in a rampage of revenge for their fallen comrade.

Staff Sgt. Frank D. Wuterich, 26, was charged with using his service rifle to murder 18 individuals while having "intent to kill or cause great bodily harm."

Three squad mates — Lance Cpl. Justin Sharratt, 22, Sgt. Sanick P. Dela Cruz, 24, and Lance Cpl. Stephen Tatum, 25 — were charged with unlawfully killing three, five and six civilians, respectively. Others were charged with covering up the incident.

While the matter was still under investigation, Rep. John Murtha, D-Pa., decided it would be sentence first and trial later when he proclaimed that the Marines had "killed innocent civilians in cold blood."

Yeah well... last month, murder charges are dropped against one Marine and the court hearing of two others were postponed and now... this....

SAN DIEGO — Charges against a Marine officer accused of failing to investigate the killings of 24 Iraqi civilians in the town of Haditha should be dismissed, the investigating officer in the case has recommended.

Capt. Randy W. Stone, 34, is one of four officers accused of failing to report and investigate the deaths of the men, women and children in a deadly sweep on a chaotic day of battle in the village.

His attorney, Charles Gittins, said Saturday that investigating officer Maj. Thomas McCann concluded in a report to the commanding general overseeing the case that Stone should not face trial and the matter should be handled administratively.

The recommendation is non-binding. A final decision will be made by Lt. Gen. James Mattis, the commanding general overseeing the case.

Stone faces up to 2 1/2 years in prison and dismissal if his case goes to trial and he is convicted.

Camp Pendleton spokesman Lt. Col. Sean Gibson declined to comment until Mattis makes his final decision.

Stone is one of four officers charged with dereliction of duty. Three enlisted Marines are charged with murder. All belonged to the Camp Pendleton-based 3rd Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment.

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Semper Fi! and screw you, John Murtha!

Posted by LindaSoG at 07:42 PM | Comments (1)

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June 05, 2007

There are men

and then, there are men like this Marine:

In his final hours spent battling insurgents in Iraq, Cpl. Jason Clairday defied the enemy fighters and their AK47 fire to lead members of his infantry squad in a close-quarters urban fight to protect their fallen and wounded friends.

Before the day was over, Clairday, a 21-year-old fire team leader from Salem, Ark., was killed, but not before several injured buddies were evacuated and the insurgent-held position in Fallujah's Askari district was destroyed.

On the day of the fateful firefight, Clairday and his squad were doing a security sweep of the Askari neighborhood when insurgent fighters attacked members of 3rd Platoon. Clairday "immediately repositioned his men and jumped a four-foot gap three stories up onto the roof of the enemy stronghold where a mortally wounded Marine lay, isolated by the enemy," the award citation states.

Clairday threw several fragmentation grenades to lead the attack into the house, but "he was immediately hit with AK47 rifle fire in both legs and fell into the kill zone."

But the young Marine wasn't about to stop.

"Under heavy enemy fire, he continued to aggressively engage the enemy while extracting himself from the doorway. Without regard for his own wounds, he rejoined the squad making entry and entered the house a second time," the citation states. "Once inside, he took control of the stack and repositioned himself in the front while suppressing the enemy using fragmentation grenades and his rifle. Again, without concern for his own safety, Corporal Clairday led the Marines into the room where he single-handedly attacked the insurgents and received mortal wounds.

"His courageous actions enabled reinforcing assault elements to destroy the insurgent position."

and just yesterday...

CAMP PENDLETON — More than 140,000 Marines have served in Iraq or Afghanistan since the Sept. 11 attacks. Only 18 have received the Navy Cross, second only to the Medal of Honor for combat bravery.

On Monday, the family of the 18th recipient, Cpl. Jason S. Clairday, gathered to receive his posthumous award and to hear the young man, who was 21 when he died, remembered as one "who set the standard for others to follow."

Clairday was awarded the Navy Cross for leading Marines in storming an insurgent stronghold in Fallouja in December 2004 to support Marines pinned down inside the home. Already wounded in the first assault, he refused to leave the fight and insisted on leading a second assault.

"He was told to evacuate; he was supposed to evacuate," said Col. Larry Nicholson. "He did not. He rallied his Marines and said, 'We're going in strong.' "

With grenades and M-16 fire, Clairday and his fire-team members killed the insurgents inside the home and saved several Marines. But wounds he suffered during the second assault proved fatal.

Travis Icard, who served with Clairday in Fallouja, told Marines and others attending the ceremony that his former fire-team leader "guided me to be a better Marine and to be a better man…. Cpl. Clairday taught me things you can't learn in a textbook. He was always hard-working but never hard to work with."

Nicholson, commander of the 5th Marine Regiment, credited the bravery of Clairday and other Marines who "went into that city and took it away from the terrorists" for improvements in Fallouja, which is no longer controlled by insurgents.

Cpl. Jason S. Clairday was 21 years old when he was killed. I read about these soldiers who rise above us all in spirit, bravery, courage, duty and honor, and I can't help but weep. I hate it that this young man, and so many others like him, have given their all for not only this Country, but for my personal freedom, and at the same time, I am so grateful for them and to them. We don't deserve such men, and yet we are blessed with them and by them.

Take a moment, if you would, and leave a few words in memory of Cpl. Jason Clairday, and/or to the loved ones he left behind.

His resting place shall be in the Garden of Eden.
Therefore, the Master of mercy will care for him
under the protection of His wings for all time
And bind his soul in the bond of everlasting life.
God is his inheritance and he will rest in peace
and let us say Amen.

Posted by LindaSoG at 07:32 PM | Comments (7)

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May 31, 2007

What's wrong with this picture?

Read the fine print...

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (May 31) - An Iraq war veteran could lose his honorable discharge status after being photographed wearing fatigues at an anti-war protest.

Marine Cpl. Adam Kokesh and other veterans marked the fourth anniversary of the war in Iraq in April by wearing their uniforms - with military insignia removed - and roaming around the nation's capital on a mock patrol.

After Kokesh was identified in a photo cutline in The Washington Post, a superior officer sent him a letter saying he might have violated a rule prohibiting troops from wearing uniforms without authorization.

Kokesh, a member of Iraq Veterans Against the War, responded with an obscenity.

Now, a military panel has been scheduled to meet with Kokesh on Monday to decide whether his discharge status should be changed from "honorable" to "other than honorable."

What he did was certainly other than honorable, in fact, it was down right dishonorable:

And before you liberals start screaming about how unfair all this is... read the article and note:

Kokesh is part of the Individual Ready Reserve, a segment of the reserves that consists mainly of those who have left active duty but still have time remaining on their eight-year military obligations.

Kokesh is still under obligation to United States Marines, and he dishonored his uniform, and he was disrespectful to an officer. Doing what he did while wearing his uniform was against the rules, but then, violating the rules seems to come natural to Kokesh, considering he was demoted from sergeant to corporal and not allowed to redeploy to Iraq after it was learned that he brought a pistol back after his first tour in 2004.

There is a little poll at the link, asking whether you think he should lose his honorable discharge status for his dishonorable conduct.

I voted Yes on the poll, but only because there was no option to vote Hell Yes.

Let's hope John Murtha is next.

Posted by LindaSoG at 01:12 PM | Comments (14)

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May 29, 2007

I heart Gene Simmons

Rocking with our Troops:

And ... Ms. Underestimated has the video of Gene with his daughter visiting with our Troops and our Vets at Long Beach Veterans Hospital, along with some quotes from a recent interview.

Click Click!

You best bring a hanky... its emotional, and you can see how sincere he is, how much he means what he says. Bless his great big heart.

Posted by LindaSoG at 09:58 PM | Comments (9)

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May 28, 2007

Memorial Day 2007

The Sheepdogs

Most humans truly are like sheep
Wanting nothing more than peace to keep
To graze, grow fat and raise their young,
Sweet taste of clover on the tongue.
Their lives serene upon Life’s farm,
They sense no threat nor fear no harm.
On verdant meadows, they forage free
With naught to fear, with naught to flee.
They pay their sheepdogs little heed
For there is no threat; there is no need.

To the flock, sheepdog’s are mysteries,
Roaming watchful round the peripheries.
These fang-toothed creatures bark, they roar
With the fetid reek of the carnivore,
Too like the wolf of legends told,
To be amongst our docile fold.
Who needs sheepdogs? What good are they?
They have no use, not in this day.
Lock them away, out of our sight
We have no need of their fierce might.

But sudden in their midst a beast
Has come to kill, has come to feast
The wolves attack; they give no warning
Upon that calm September morning
They slash and kill with frenzied glee
Their passive helpless enemy
Who had no clue the wolves were there
Far roaming from their Eastern lair.
Then from the carnage, from the rout,
Comes the cry, “Turn the sheepdogs out!”

Thus is our nature but too our plight
To keep our dogs on leashes tight
And live a life of illusive bliss
Hearing not the beast, his growl, his hiss.
Until he has us by the throat,
We pay no heed; we take no note.
Not until he strikes us at our core
Will we unleash the Dogs of War
Only having felt the wolf pack’s wrath
Do we loose the sheepdogs on its path.

And the wolves will learn what we’ve shown before;
We love our sheep, we Dogs of War.

Russ Vaughn
2d Bn, 327th Parachute Infantry Regiment
101st Airborne Division
Vietnam 65-66

Posted by LindaSoG at 07:56 AM | Comments (11)

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Thank you

The Cotillion Memorial Day Round-Up:

Wild Thing remembers what Memorial Day is all about and gives us her thoughts on what this day means, with her usual eloquence and style. Don't miss it!

A Lovely Infidel asks "What are your plans for Memorial Day" and follows up with a very worthy suggestion to support our active duty troops.

At A Mom and Her Blog, Ben is filling in and he reminds us of a fallen hero to keep in your thoughts.

Raven, at And Rightly So! asks, What are you doing today to honor the heroes who have been taken from us, forever? and then answers with "A Tale of Two Memorial Days."

Blue Star Chronicles has a number of excellent posts up for Memorial Day, don't miss this one, and this one, and this one too!

Greta has her own tribute up at Hooah Wife and SondraK invites you to share your memories.

Beth also has a series of posts on Memorial Day today, don't miss any of them. Go here, and here, and here, and here! SeeJaneMom is doing honors at Quantico National Cemetery and She Who Will Be Obeyed remembers a WWII hero named William J. Healy.

The Conservative Princess has a truly beautiful tribute up, you don't want to miss it.

Finally, you don't want to miss The Anchoress today, she has an amazing message.

Posted by LindaSoG at 07:22 AM | Comments (7)

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A Memorial Day Message From John Edwards?

John Edwards has a Memorial Day Message for America:

I have my own Memorial Day Message for those of you who support John Edwards:

You cannot support the troops without supporting the mission, and John Edwards does neither. He is a traitor to this country. Appeasement of terrorism will bring nothing but more terrorism. By their words and deeds, the democrats are lending support to the terrorists who target our troops.

The single greatest danger to the United States of America is not the terrorists, the United States Military will kick their asses into dust! No, the single greatest danger to the United States of America is the traitors who call themselves democrats, those who believe in appeasement and surrender to evil.

If you give your support to these crazy bastards, you too are supporting terrorism and you guarantee that terrorism will come to this land. You endanger not only our soldiers by encouraging those who would target them, but you also put the lives of every single American citizen on the line, including your own life and the lives of your loved ones.

The terrorists rejoice every single time a democrat opens his big mouth and advocates surrender.

I support the United States Military and the brave men and women who fight for this country. I remember and I honor the brave men and women who gave their all for freedom.

That's what Memorial Day is all about.

How dare any American citizen usurp Memorial Day to support terrorists and terrorism.

Way to go John. Now shut the fuck up.

Posted by LindaSoG at 06:28 AM | Comments (7)

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May 27, 2007

Meet Chief Warrant Officer Jim Funk

He has something to say to the media:

"Hello media, do you know you indirectly kill American soldiers every day? You inspire and report the enemy's objective every day. You are the enemy's greatest weapon. The enemy cannot beat us on the battlefield so all he does is try to wreak enough havoc and have you report it every day. With you and the enemy using each other, you continually break the will of the American public and American government.

"We go out daily and bust and kill the enemy, uncover and destroy huge weapons caches and continue to establish infrastructure. So daily we put a whoopin on the enemy, but all the enemy has to do is turn on the TV and get re-inspired. He gets to see his daily roadside bomb, truck bomb, suicide bomber or mortar attack. He doesn't see any accomplishments of the U.S. military (FOX, you're not exempt, you suck also).

"We, the soldiers, keep breaking the back of the enemy. You, the media, keep rejuvenating the enemy.

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More here.

Hat tip: Emperor Misha

Posted by LindaSoG at 07:27 PM | Comments (2)

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May 19, 2007

In their honor

Click: Cheers on Corridor Three

I must be getting old or something, 'cause while I was reading that, the screen got all blurry and I had to blink a lot to be able to finish.

Today, my thoughts are with the man known as "The Lion of Fallujah," Maj. Douglas A. Zembiec, laid to rest in Arlington National Cemetery only a few days ago. There are men, and then there are men like this Marine. May G-d bless him and those like him.

“Never forget those who were killed. Never let rest those who killed them.”

Thank you troops, all of you, for everything you do to protect this Country and my personal freedom. I am forever grateful.

Posted by LindaSoG at 08:05 PM

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May 14, 2007

Salute!

On this day in 1942, Congress voted to establish the Women's Auxiliary Army Corps:

Members of the WAC were the first women other than nurses to serve within the ranks of the United States Army. Both the Army and the American public initially had difficulty accepting the concept of women in uniform. However, political and military leaders, faced with fighting a two-front war and supplying men and materiel for that war while continuing to send lend-lease material to the Allies, realized that women could supply the additional resources so desperately needed in the military and industrial sectors. Given the opportunity to make a major contribution to the national war effort, women seized it. By the end of the war their contributions would be widely heralded.

Ultimately, more than 150,000 American women served in the Army during World War II. The overall philosophy and purpose of the Women's Army Corps was to allow women to aid the American war effort directly and individually. The prevailing philosophy was that women could best support the war effort by performing noncombatant military jobs for which they were already trained. This allowed the Army to make the most efficient use of available labor and free men to perform essential combat duties.

The concept of women in uniform was difficult for American society of the 1940s to accept. In a 1939 Army staff study which addressed the probability that women would serve in some capacity with the Army, a male officer wrote that "women's probable jobs would include those of hostess, librarians, canteen clerks, cooks and waitresses, chauffeurs, messengers, and strolling minstrels." No mention was made in this report of the highly skilled office jobs which the majority of WACs eventually held, because such positions often carried with them significant responsibility and many people doubted that women were capable of handling such jobs.

The Women's Army Corps was successful because its mission, to aid the United States in time of war, was part of a larger national effort that required selfless sacrifice from all Americans. The war effort initiated vast economic and social changes, and indelibly altered the role of women in American society.

Lots more here!

Posted by LindaSoG at 05:19 AM

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May 12, 2007

Rock On Renegades!

They did this for you...

Enjoy! and then go over and thank them.

Posted by LindaSoG at 08:03 PM | Comments (3)

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May 09, 2007

National Military Appreciation Month

I see hundreds of them on the road and in parking lots every day. All different colors and designs. Some yellow, some red, white and blue, some a combination. They all say the same thing. There is a yellow one on the back of my truck right now.

Support the Troops.

A fine notion, and one that America has not truly embraced since WWII. There were plenty of troops to support in-between now and then. I attended Support the Troops rallies during Desert Storm, including one on Biscayne Boulevard in Downtown Miami. and now, Most of the rallies we see are anti-war rallies run by socialist/communists who consider America to be the enemy.

But, there are all those magnets. All those people who claim to support the troops. Spend your $5.00, stick it on the back of your vehicle and go on your merry way, doing all the day to day things in your life made possible by those very same troops.

What if... what if you met one of those troops face to face. One of those troops who spent several nights sleeping in a hollow in the sand, like those pictures you saw last year in your email? One of those troops who took Baghdad from Saddam's Army in less time than it took Reno to massacre the Branch Davidians? One of those troops who went door to door in Fallujah, under fire by terrorists. One of those troops who were running a supply convoy and ran into an I.E.D. One of those troops stateside, moving the vast machinery that is our United States Military, keeping the machine well oiled and running smooth so those overseas can do what they must do?

Would you show him your magnet?

The freedom and security that citizens of the United States enjoy today are direct results of the blood shed and continued vigilance given by the United States Armed Forces over the history of our great nation.

The U.S. House of Representatives does not support our troops. The U.S. Congress has abandoned them too. and... unfortunately, not all of our troops have the support of their families and their friends. Some of our troops are out there, in harm's way, cut off and isolated from home. They need our support.

I have the names and addresses for a few, and if you are one of my regulars, with an established identity, I'll share a name with you. I won't give these names to strangers but I'll share them with those of you who have devoloped a relationship with me. Its one way for you to give a little back, one on one. Let me know if you're interested.

There are so many things you can do to show your appreciation. The National Military Appreciation Month website has some excellent suggestions, and the USO has a listing of special activities and offers from companies who support our troops.

If you want to know what's happening in your state, there's this:

I was very disappointed in Florida when I followed that link, and I'm gonna do something about it. Click on the graphic, check out what your state is doing, and either participate or get something started yourself.

You can make a difference. Do it!

Posted by LindaSoG at 07:03 AM | Comments (1)

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May 08, 2007

Reason # 76984785668

Why I love the Marines.

and... why I love Rodger!

Posted by LindaSoG at 09:44 AM | Comments (2)

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May 07, 2007

The Bastards!

I can't begin to tell you how much this ticks me off. Just pass a friggin bill that will fund our troops and support the mission. Leave all the politics and the favors and pork and the bullshit off the table. Do the right thing dammit.

Posted by LindaSoG at 07:33 AM | Comments (2)

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May 06, 2007

What a show!!!

The Fort Lauderdale Air & Sea Show was this weekend, and this year, I got to watch from a prime peice of SoFla real estate overlooking the beach. Up off the sand, in an air conditioned condo, filled with good food and drink, at times it seemed you could almost reach out and touch the planes as they went by. Ooohs and Aaaahs floating up on the breeze.

The Marines treated us to an amphibious assault simulation, yeah baby, they stormed the beach!

This air show is one of the largest in the country, and it has a reputation for being one of the best in the country. We get people here from all over Florida and other states as well. Over a million people were there this weekend.

Special highlight... for the first time in 35 years, the Army gave a helicopter demonstration, piloted by Veterans from Vietnam to Desert Storm. They flew Cobras in a diamond formation - only feet apart - so close that the chopper blades seemed about to touch. The view from where I sat was spectacular, it took my breath away.

There were times when we didn't know whether to look up at the planes or down at the ships or straight out over the water, times when it seemed everything was happening all at once, and it was awesome! Colored trails of smoke left patterns in the sky.

The United States Military is awesome.

U.S. Army Sky Soldiers demonstration team fly within feet of each other in AH-1W Super Cobra attack helicopters Sunday at the McDonald's Air & Sea show in Ft. Lauderdale.

Crowds gather to watch a mock marine invasion, Sunday, May 6, 2007 at the McDonald's Air & Sea show in Ft. Lauderdale.

The Red Baron Pizza Squadron soars over Fort Lauderdale Beach on the first day of the McDonald's Air & Sea Show.

(all pictures courtesy of Joe Cavaretta of the Sun-Sentinel - thanks Joe!)

Life is good.

Posted by LindaSoG at 05:50 PM | Comments (7)

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Patience, the Marine Way

I shamelessly stole this story, in its entirety from Taco, at SandGram.

“Patience”

As a child, my Father always stressed, “Patience is a virtue.” It helped temper some of my erratic impulse urges over the years. The Marines also calmed me in that area (actually my wife more so), and when I think of a way to help someone understand patience, the following story comes to mind.

While stationed on Okinawa, I had a boss whose father was in WWII and Korea. He would tell us stories about his dad being a Marine in those days, and let me tell you, they were one helluva bunch. One episode that sticks in my mind happened in 1952, during his time in Korea with Second Battalion, Fifth Marines. He was a young Platoon Sergeant, fighting the Chinese, a lot of it, in hand-to-hand combat. The Marines were positioned on a hill overlooking a small valley. Each night the Chinese dropped mortars on top of our Devil Dogs with devastating accuracy and lethal effect. The Marines moved around, but the mortars seemed to find their positions each night. Finally, they figured out that during the day, the local farmer, plowing on the field below, marked the Marine emplacements and relayed this info to the enemy.

The order came down that morning for this farmer to be taken out. Sgt. Winter had a sniper group attached to his platoon, and he passed this order on to a young Marine to kill the farmer. The young Marine nodded to his Platoon Sergeant and gave him an “Aye Aye Sarge.” So he found a position on the hill, and watched his prey. The farmer would plow up towards their position, pretend to rest and scout out the area, and then plow back the other direction. This went on all morning and into the hot afternoon. Sergeant Winter came back around 1500 to check on the sniper. The farmer was still plowing away with the Marine keeping him in his sights. He didn’t bother the sniper, thinking that maybe he was waiting for the right shot.

Before dark, he made it back to where this young Marine was still positioned. He watched the farmer at the plow but moving slowly after a long hard day of work and spying. “Hey, I thought I told you to shoot that bastard? Why is he still alive? What sight picture are you looking for?” The Marine just took the safety off of his M-1 Garand and fired a single bullet, dropping the farmer. The Marine sniper turned to his Platoon Sergeant with a small smile on his face and replied, “Hell Sarge, I just wanted him to die tired, that’s all.”

Now that’s what I call “Marine Corps Patience”

If you're not reading SandGram, you're missing out. Big time. I started reading earlier posts, and ended up reading every word. I looked up a few hours later, wondering where the time went.

Posted by LindaSoG at 10:43 AM | Comments (3)

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May 05, 2007

Reveille

First I laughed. and then I teared up.

Thank you Ken. That was wonderful.

Posted by LindaSoG at 07:57 PM | Comments (3)

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May 03, 2007

Debutantes of Defeat

This just in from Russ Vaughn, via Old War Dogs:

Debutantes of Defeat

In 2003 they came to the Ball,
For some merry martial dancing;
Girlishly giggling in the Capitol hall,
Finding chords of war music entrancing.
Filled with excitement, throwing care to the wind,
DebiDems wanted Bush to be tough,
So the ladies signed on for a Ball with no end,
Without thinking it just might get rough.

But the dance card of war began to reveal,
That some people really were dying.
What? Death and violence are part of the deal?
That dumb cowboy must have been lying.
Lifting their hems, they ran for the doors,
Their hypocrisy blatantly stunning;
Shrieking defeat, they fled the dance floors,
Belles with no Balls, flat-out running.

Once hypocrite Hillary swirled the war floor,
Out-jingoing flat-footed Kerry;
Now Hil is shrilling she knew not the score,
Like whiney-voiced, tap-dancing Harry.
They went to the ball to advance their schemes,
They had planned, should the Martial Ball sour;
Lose the war, destroy Bush, fulfill their dreams,
They’d become the dance masters of power.

Hillary’s hip-hopping, Reid’s tapping like mad, club-footed Kerry’s still schlubbing,
And Pelosi in Damascus cornered Bashar for some old-fashioned, hot belly-rubbing.

and in other news... Democrats Back Down On Iraq Timetable.

Just pass a friggin bill that will fund our troops and support the mission. Leave all the politics and the favors and pork and the bullshit off the table, and do the right thing.

Posted by LindaSoG at 11:28 AM | Comments (1)

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April 27, 2007

Meet Travis VanKuren

Seventeen-year-old Travis VanKuren was walking to his car at the Wal-Mart in Springettsbury Township at 7 p.m. last Wednesday when he saw a man and a woman struggling in the parking lot.

VanKuren, a slim, 5-foot, 9-inch junior at Dallastown Area High School, took a closer look and made eye contact with the woman involved in the fight.

"She looked over at me and started screaming for help," VanKuren said. The woman also screamed "help" at two other people in the parking lot who looked at her and walked away.

VanKuren didn't.

Instead, he decided to help, and police say what the 17-year-old did next saved a 42-year-old Manchester Township woman from a man who was impersonating a police officer and intended to kidnap and rape her.

With an almost bashful smile, VanKuren said his reaction to the cry for help is "something I'm proud of."

But the teen didn't think what he did was too heroic.

Heck yeah it was heroic!

Holt, police said, admitted his plans to kidnap and rape the woman, and he was charged with attempted rape, attempted involuntary deviate sexual intercourse, attempted kidnapping, impersonating a public servant and several other charges. Last July Holt was convicted of attempted rape in Lancaster County.

I suppose Travis could have assessed the situation, determined that repeat offender Holt was winning, and then redeployed out of there, but, fortunately for the victim, Travis is a Junior Marine, ROTC.

Semper Fi!

Posted by LindaSoG at 07:08 AM | Comments (10)

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April 26, 2007

From Save The Soldiers

Video, and audio from a Ranger who called in to the Boortz show. Grab a box of tissues.

Click To Play

G-d Bless our Troops.

Posted by LindaSoG at 10:18 PM | Comments (2)

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Fight for Me

"Fight For Me"

You stand to fight and we agree
Until we see your brothers bleed
You give your life to hold the line
And then we change our minds

Afraid to say that you'd
Come home this way

I stand to give you my applause
How could you fight for a better cause
Opposed by those that you set free
Still you fight for me

We hold our signs of war and peace
They seem to change so easily
While passing judgment from our homes
In foreign lands you roam

Afraid to say what you'd
You'd die to save

Chorus:
I stand to give you my applause
How could you fight for a better cause
Opposed by those that you set free
Still you fight for me
To all the soldiers don't you know
You'll always be the world's hero
As long as we have enemies
Still you fight for me

©2007 Citizen Reign, All Rights Reserved http://www.CitizenReign.com

Thank you Troops. I'm sorry The Senate and Congress are such assholes. I didn't vote for them.

Posted by LindaSoG at 08:05 PM | Comments (1)

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April 25, 2007

On Sheep, Wolves, and Sheepdogs

By LTC (RET) Dave Grossman, author of "On Killing."

Honor never grows old, and honor rejoices the heart of age. It does so because honor is, finally, about defending those noble and worthy things that deserve defending, even if it comes at a high cost. In our time, that may mean social disapproval, public scorn, hardship, persecution, or as always, even death itself. The question remains: What is worth defending? What is worth dying for? What is worth living for? - William J. Bennett - in a lecture to the United States Naval Academy November 24, 1997

One Vietnam veteran, an old retired colonel, once said this to me:

"Most of the people in our society are sheep. They are kind, gentle, productive creatures who can only hurt one another by accident." This is true. Remember, the murder rate is six per 100,000 per year, and the aggravated assault rate is four per 1,000 per year. What this means is that the vast majority of Americans are not inclined to hurt one another. Some estimates say that two million Americans are victims of violent crimes every year, a tragic, staggering number, perhaps an all-time record rate of violent crime. But there are almost 300 million Americans, which means that the odds of being a victim of violent crime is considerably less than one in a hundred on any given year. Furthermore, since many violent crimes are committed by repeat offenders, the actual number of violent citizens is considerably less than two million.

Thus there is a paradox, and we must grasp both ends of the situation: We may well be in the most violent times in history, but violence is still remarkably rare. This is because most citizens are kind, decent people who are not capable of hurting each other, except by accident or under extreme provocation. They are sheep.

I mean nothing negative by calling them sheep. To me it is like the pretty, blue robin's egg. Inside it is soft and gooey but someday it will grow into something wonderful. But the egg cannot survive without its hard blue shell. Police officers, soldiers, and other warriors are like that shell, and someday the civilization they protect will grow into something wonderful. For now, though, they need warriors to protect them from the predators.

"Then there are the wolves," the old war veteran said, "and the wolves feed on the sheep without mercy." Do you believe there are wolves out there who will feed on the flock without mercy? You better believe it. There are evil men in this world and they are capable of evil deeds. The moment you forget that or pretend it is not so, you become a sheep. There is no safety in denial.

"Then there are sheepdogs," he went on, "and I'm a sheepdog. I live to protect the flock and confront the wolf."

If you have no capacity for violence then you are a healthy productive citizen, a sheep. If you have a capacity for violence and no empathy for your fellow citizens, then you have defined an aggressive sociopath, a wolf. But what if you have a capacity for violence, and a deep love for your fellow citizens? What do you have then? A sheepdog, a warrior, someone who is walking the hero's path. Someone who can walk into the heart of darkness, into the universal human phobia, and walk out unscathed

Let me expand on this old soldier's excellent model of the sheep, wolves, and sheepdogs. We know that the sheep live in denial, that is what makes them sheep. They do not want to believe that there is evil in the world. They can accept the fact that fires can happen, which is why they want fire extinguishers, fire sprinklers, fire alarms and fire exits throughout their kids' schools.

But many of them are outraged at the idea of putting an armed police officer in their kid's school. Our children are thousands of times more likely to be killed or seriously injured by school violence than fire, but the sheep's only response to the possibility of violence is denial. The idea of someone coming to kill or harm their child is just too hard, and so they chose the path of denial.

The sheep generally do not like the sheepdog. He looks a lot like the wolf. He has fangs and the capacity for violence. The difference, though, is that the sheepdog must not, can not and will not ever harm the sheep. Any sheep dog who intentionally harms the lowliest little lamb will be punished and removed. The world cannot work any other way, at least not in a representative democracy or a republic such as ours.

Still, the sheepdog disturbs the sheep. He is a constant reminder that there are wolves in the land. They would prefer that he didn't tell them where to go, or give them traffic tickets, or stand at the ready in our airports in camouflage fatigues holding an M-16. The sheep would much rather have the sheepdog cash in his fangs, spray paint himself white, and go, "Baa."

Until the wolf shows up. Then the entire flock tries desperately to hide behind one lonely sheepdog.

The students, the victims, at Columbine High School were big, tough high school students, and under ordinary circumstances they would not have had the time of day for a police officer. They were not bad kids; they just had nothing to say to a cop. When the school was under attack, however, and SWAT teams were clearing the rooms and hallways, the officers had to physically peel those clinging, sobbing kids off of them. This is how the little lambs feel about their sheepdog when the wolf is at the door.

Look at what happened after September 11, 2001 when the wolf pounded hard on the door. Remember how America, more than ever before, felt differently about their law enforcement officers and military personnel? Remember how many times you heard the word hero?

Understand that there is nothing morally superior about being a sheepdog; it is just what you choose to be. Also understand that a sheepdog is a funny critter: He is always sniffing around out on the perimeter, checking the breeze, barking at things that go bump in the night, and yearning for a righteous battle. That is, the young sheepdogs yearn for a righteous battle. The old sheepdogs are a little older and wiser, but they move to the sound of the guns when needed right along with the young ones.

Here is how the sheep and the sheepdog think differently. The sheep pretend the wolf will never come, but the sheepdog lives for that day. After the attacks on September 11, 2001, most of the sheep, that is, most citizens in America said, "Thank God I wasn't on one of those planes." The sheepdogs, the warriors, said, "Dear God, I wish I could have been on one of those planes. Maybe I could have made a difference." When you are truly transformed into a warrior and have truly invested yourself into warriorhood, you want to be there. You want to be able to make a difference.

There is nothing morally superior about the sheepdog, the warrior, but he does have one real advantage. Only one. And that is that he is able to survive and thrive in an environment that destroys 98 percent of the population. There was research conducted a few years ago with individuals convicted of violent crimes. These cons were in prison for serious, predatory crimes of violence: assaults, murders and killing law enforcement officers. The vast majority said that they specifically targeted victims by body language: slumped walk, passive behavior and lack of awareness. They chose their victims like big cats do in Africa, when they select one out of the herd that is least able to protect itself.

Some people may be destined to be sheep and others might be genetically primed to be wolves or sheepdogs. But I believe that most people can choose which one they want to be, and I'm proud to say that more and more Americans are choosing to become sheepdogs.

Seven months after the attack on September 11, 2001, Todd Beamer was honored in his hometown of Cranbury, New Jersey. Todd, as you recall, was the man on Flight 93 over Pennsylvania who called on his cell phone to alert an operator from United Airlines about the hijacking. When he learned of the other three passenger planes that had been used as weapons, Todd dropped his phone and uttered the words, "Let's roll," which authorities believe was a signal to the other passengers to confront the terrorist hijackers. In one hour, a transformation occurred among the passengers - athletes, business people and parents. -- from sheep to sheepdogs and together they fought the wolves, ultimately saving an unknown number of lives on the ground.

There is no safety for honest men except by believing all possible evil of evil men. - Edmund Burke

Here is the point I like to emphasize, especially to the thousands of police officers and soldiers I speak to each year. In nature the sheep, real sheep, are born as sheep. Sheepdogs are born that way, and so are wolves. They didn't have a choice. But you are not a critter. As a human being, you can be whatever you want to be. It is a conscious, moral decision.

If you want to be a sheep, then you can be a sheep and that is okay, but you must understand the price you pay. When the wolf comes, you and your loved ones are going to die if there is not a sheepdog there to protect you. If you want to be a wolf, you can be one, but the sheepdogs are going to hunt you down and you will never have rest, safety, trust or love. But if you want to be a sheepdog and walk the warrior's path, then you must make a conscious and moral decision every day to dedicate, equip and prepare yourself to thrive in that toxic, corrosive moment when the wolf comes knocking at the door.

For example, many officers carry their weapons in church. They are well concealed in ankle holsters, shoulder holsters or inside-the-belt holsters tucked into the small of their backs. Anytime you go to some form of religious service, there is a very good chance that a police officer in your congregation is carrying. You will never know if there is such an individual in your place of worship, until the wolf appears to massacre you and your loved ones.

I was training a group of police officers in Texas, and during the break, one officer asked his friend if he carried his weapon in church. The other cop replied, "I will never be caught without my gun in church." I asked why he felt so strongly about this, and he told me about a cop he knew who was at a church massacre in Ft. Worth, Texas in 1999. In that incident, a mentally deranged individual came into the church and opened fire, gunning down fourteen people. He said that officer believed he could have saved every life that day if he had been carrying his gun. His own son was shot, and all he could do was throw himself on the boy's body and wait to die. That cop looked me in the eye and said, "Do you have any idea how hard it would be to live with yourself after that?"

Some individuals would be horrified if they knew this police officer was carrying a weapon in church. They might call him paranoid and would probably scorn him. Yet these same individuals would be enraged and would call for "heads to roll" if they found out that the airbags in their cars were defective, or that the fire extinguisher and fire sprinklers in their kids' school did not work. They can accept the fact that fires and traffic accidents can happen and that there must be safeguards against them.

Their only response to the wolf, though, is denial, and all too often their response to the sheepdog is scorn and disdain. But the sheepdog quietly asks himself, "Do you have any idea how hard it would be to live with yourself if your loved ones attacked and killed, and you had to stand there helplessly because you were unprepared for that day?"

It is denial that turns people into sheep. Sheep are psychologically destroyed by combat because their only defense is denial, which is counterproductive and destructive, resulting in fear, helplessness and horror when the wolf shows up.

Denial kills you twice. It kills you once, at your moment of truth when you are not physically prepared: you didn't bring your gun, you didn't train. Your only defense was wishful thinking. Hope is not a strategy. Denial kills you a second time because even if you do physically survive, you are psychologically shattered by your fear helplessness and horror at your moment of truth.

Gavin de Becker puts it like this in Fear Less, his superb post-9/11 book, which should be required reading for anyone trying to come to terms with our current world situation: "...denial can be seductive, but it has an insidious side effect. For all the peace of mind deniers think they get by saying it isn't so, the fall they take when faced with new violence is all the more unsettling."

Denial is a save-now-pay-later scheme, a contract written entirely in small print, for in the long run, the denying person knows the truth on some level.

And so the warrior must strive to confront denial in all aspects of his life, and prepare himself for the day when evil comes. If you are warrior who is legally authorized to carry a weapon and you step outside without that weapon, then you become a sheep, pretending that the bad man will not come today. No one can be "on" 24/7, for a lifetime. Everyone needs down time. But if you are authorized to carry a weapon, and you walk outside without it, just take a deep breath, and say this to yourself...

"Baa."

This business of being a sheep or a sheep dog is not a yes-no dichotomy. It is not an all-or-nothing, either-or choice. It is a matter of degrees, a continuum. On one end is an abject, head-in-the-sand-sheep and on the other end is the ultimate warrior. Few people exist completely on one end or the other. Most of us live somewhere in between. Since 9-11 almost everyone in America took a step up that continuum, away from denial. The sheep took a few steps toward accepting and appreciating their warriors, and the warriors started taking their job more seriously. The degree to which you move up that continuum, away from sheephood and denial, is the degree to which you and your loved ones will survive, physically and psychologically at your moment of truth.

Posted by LindaSoG at 11:21 AM | Comments (5)

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April 18, 2007

Ernie Pyle - War Correspondent

On this day in 1945, famed American war correspondent Ernie Pyle was killed by Japanese gunfire on the Pacific island of Ie Shima, off Okinawa. He was forty-four years old.

Ernie's columns, done in foxholes, brought home all the hurt, horror, loneliness and homesickness that every soldier felt. They were the perfect supplement to the soldiers' own letters.

Though he wrote of his own feelings and his own emotions as he watched men wounded, and saw the wounded die, he was merely interpreting the scene for the soldier.

Ernie never made war look glamorous. He hated it and feared it. Blown out of press headquarters at Anzio, almost killed by our own planes at St. Lo, he told of the death, the heartache and the agony about him and always he named names of the kids around him, and got in their home town addresses.

Ernie journeyed to Iwo on a small carrier and wrote about the carrier crew. Then he moved on to Okinawa and went in with the Marines. He had post-war plans. He thought he would take to the white clean roads again and write beside still ponds in the wilderness, on blue mountains, in country lanes, in a world returned to peace and quiet. And these were the dreams of the soldiers in the foxhole as much as they were his own.

"No man in this war has so well told the story of the American fighting man as American fighting men wanted it told. He deserves the gratitude of all his countrymen." President Harry S. Truman

Continue reading Ernie Pyle - War Correspondent

Posted by LindaSoG at 02:20 PM | Comments (6)

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April 15, 2007

Presented without commentary

Because I can't make up my mind WTF this is supposed to mean:

*snort*

UPDATE: Via email... Darleen provides the answer, its a spoof.

Apparently, it comes via a New York City-based sketch comedy troupe, The Dregs, and was posted to YouTube by director “MittyMoo,” whose other videos feature campy drag queens. Sandy Belle, meanwhile, appears to be a stage name used by a 26-year old New Yorker, who may or may not be a transsexual, and who is using a name that comes from the 1981-83 early Japanese anime series Hello! Sandybell.

Whew. I can't seem to muster up any anger at this though. Maybe I'm becoming numb, or maybe, after everything we get from the left to diss our troops, this seems almost funny.

Posted by LindaSoG at 11:36 AM

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April 10, 2007

Meet Private Johnson Beharry

Amid the deaths and the grim daily struggle bravely borne by Britain's forces in southern Iraq, one tale of heroism stands out.

Private Johnson Beharry's courage in rescuing an ambushed foot patrol then, in a second act, saving his vehicle's crew despite his own terrible injuries earned him a Victoria Cross.

For the BBC, however, his story is "too positive" about the conflict.

The corporation has cancelled the commission for a 90-minute drama about Britain's youngest surviving Victoria Cross hero because it feared it would alienate members of the audience opposed to the war in Iraq.

The BBC's retreat from the project, which had the working title Victoria Cross, has sparked accusations of cowardice and will reignite the debate about the broadcaster's alleged lack of patriotism."

~~

Hmmm... what do you suppose they'll run instead? Maybe "Buttboys from Birth - The Backdoor Adventures of Robby and Joe."

Its all about sensitivity man.

Posted by LindaSoG at 06:51 AM | Comments (2)

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April 09, 2007

Where is Matt Maupin?

Three years ago today, terrorists kidnapped Private First Class Keith "Matt" Maupin during a convoy attack near Baghdad.

He was seen alive on one videotape, reported killed on another, but no one can be sure. Matt is not considered "missing in action" and he's not considered a "prisoner of war" either. There is no Geneva convention to protect Matt, no one knows if he is being well treated or is even alive. No one knows the who or what of those behind the kidnapping, the "Persistent Power Against the Enemies of God and the Prophet."

Pfc. Keith Matthew Maupin
MIA since April 9, 2004.
You are not forgotten!

Keith "Matt" Maupin has simply disappeared, but the Army presumes he is still alive and promoted Matt to Sargeant last year. His memory lives on in his hometown of Batavia, and I have not forgotten Matt either, he is one of our nation's best and brightest, and I'm praying for his safe return.

Please, take a moment today, visit the Yellow Ribbon Support Center (Matt's parents' website), sign the guestbook, and let his family know that you care.

Others who remember Matt:

Rhymes with Right; A Soldier's Mind; Sunday Morning Coffee; Tanker Brothers; The Two Malcontents; Utechblog; Ladman's Chinese Takeout; AF Sister; and Cop the Truth.

The Ohio Chapter of Rolling Thunder is sponsoring the "Matt Maupin Scholarship Fund" on April 14, 2007, more info is here, and yes, you can donate.

Posted by LindaSoG at 06:24 AM | Comments (13)

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April 06, 2007

iPod to the rescue!

Found on Flicker, via Discarded Lies...

My wife’s uncle works in a military hospital and told me about this. Its pretty amazing. Kevin Garrad (3rd Infantry Division) was on a street patrol in Iraq (Tikrit I believe) and as he rounded the corner of a building an armed (AK-47) insurgent came from the other side.

The two of them were within just a few feet of each other when they opened fire. The insurgent was killed and Kevin was hit in the left chest where his IPod was in his jacket pocket. It slowed the bullet down enough that it did not completely penetrate his body armor. Fortunately, Kevin suffered no wound.

I thought it was a great story so I posted them here.

DANG! Looks I may have been suckered. I hate it when that happens!

Posted by LindaSoG at 07:06 AM | Comments (2)

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March 26, 2007

How the left supports the troops

Yeah, I heard about it, moonbats burning a soldier in effigy. I knew the video was out there, but somehow, I managed to avoid watching it. Mostly because I knew how it would make me feel. So. I finally watched it at Rodger's. Have you? If not, you should. Everyone in America should.

"Build a bonfire, put the soldiers on the top.
Put the fascists in the middle. Burn the fucking lot."

This is not free speech. This is treason. This is inciting hatred and a call for violence against members of the United States Military.

Everyone in America, everyone, knows a soldier serving now, or who has served, or maybe just getting back or just on their way. The soldier they burned in effigy, that could be your son or your daughter, your father or your mother, your sister or your brother, your neice or your nephew, your neighbor, your co-worker, your friend.

They are expressing their desire to hurt, torture and yes, to kill, the soldiers who protect their freedom, my freedom, your freedom. The soldiers who I love, the soldiers that are your sons, your daughters, your fathers, your mothers, your sisters or brothers, your neices or nephews, your neighbors, your co-workers, your friends.

Yes, these are your anti-war liberals, part and parcel of the democrat party. Their elected "leaders" in the house have just voted to force our troops to surrender to the enemy as early as next year. Hang in there terrorists, the democrats are fighting for you.

Do you stand with them against the war, against our country, against our troops? I don't and because I don't, I mock them. I call them moonbats, and I ridicule them. But how do you make fun of something as horrible as this? I see this, and I want to give them what they say they already have, a fascist state where people such as this are locked behind bars, in dark, dank cells, denied contact with the world, tortured even, and made to suffer.

I shudder to think that this is really the face of America's future. If it is, then we are truly doomed.

Posted by LindaSoG at 06:15 AM | Comments (5)

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March 21, 2007

Military Families: don't trust Montel!

That bastard!

If you're in the military or have family in the military, you may have received what—on the surface—appears to be an appealing offer, to appear on the Montel Williams show for a sympathetic episode about your perspective as a military family. If you're aware that Montel is himself a veteran, you might feel safe in agreeing to appear on his show.

Don't feel safe. Montel sold out. He's just as bad as any other lying, politically motivated media figure who looks down on the military and thinks of your life and sacrifice as nothing more than a political football and a way to get ratings.

They're lying to you. They're waiting to ambush you with their own agenda, embarrass you on national TV, and make you out to be weak, vulnerable, exploited dopes. They want to use you as a tool to attack your chain of command and our elected leaders. As milblogger airforcewife on military.com's SpouseBuzz tells it, they've already tried it on one brave group of military families, who responded by letting them have it and walked out on the taping. It looks like they haven't given up, and they lack all sense of shame, honor, or dignity—they're trying to round up more unwary, trusting people to feed to the wolves. Don't be Montel's sucker! And let them know exactly what you think of their dishonest tactics. Call producer Michelle Pearson at (800) 987-5446, extension 392, and give her a piece of your mind. Or email her your thoughts at m_pearson@montelshow.com. Do either or both of these things-but the last thing you should do, right after joining the Taliban, is agree to appear on this exploitative liar's show and help his vicious agenda.

Shame on you, Montel Williams.

Airforcewife's experience with the Montel show is here, and it sent my blood pressure through the roof. Read it, and yes... pass it along to your Military friends.

Posted by LindaSoG at 07:18 AM | Comments (1)

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March 20, 2007

Summing up

I couldn't go, for a variety of reasons. But like you, I've seen a ton of pictures and read a ton of commentary by those who did, my heart swelling with pride for the patriots and vets who stood up to the moonbats. But, by way of Misha, I found a bit of commentary at Tantor's Conservative Propaganda, who faced down the likes of this:

I found that at Tantor's and you won't see it on the front page of the New York Times!

Tantor summed up the experience in some of the best commentary I've read on the topic. So, run along and read what he had to say and check out the rest of his photos. You won't be sorry.

Posted by LindaSoG at 07:36 AM | Comments (5)

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March 17, 2007

No intelligent, rational, decent person is for war

Today, I tip my hat to the one and only Dr. Laura who, in response to a wounded soldier's comments about his family and how they felt about the war, had this to say:

Anybody who doesn’t show absolute respect for what we’re trying to do, who’s using Iraq and Afghanistan and all the rest of this simply for political power, are becoming more and more like Al Qaeda and Taliban in their thinking. And that’s what I watch when I see Republicans, sub-Republicans, Democrats, sub-Democrats, all of this fighting - it’s only for elections and power. It isn’t for what is good for the world or for America. I don’t believe that for a minute! I see people saying the most God-awful things strictly for power.

No intelligent, rational, reasonable, decent person is for war. No intelligent, rational, decent person is for war. But if my father and your fathers didn’t go off to fight World War II, I would have been incinerated in a German concentration camp oven. So I’m very grateful to the guys who didn’t believe in war, but fought it to protect the free world from vile evil. And that is exactly what’s going on now. Militant Islam is vile evil. Every day, they’re blowing up their own people for power. It’s inhuman. And you really believe we shouldn’t stop that?

Should we go to Africa when one tribe tries to eliminate another? It’s funny….some of the same Hollywood types who say we should go to Africa and stop one tribe from eliminating another don’t seem to understand what’s going on in the Middle East. But this gentleman who called, my son, your sons and daughters, your fathers, your brothers, your children, are fighting the good fight. Am I for war? Are you nuts? Who in their right mind would be? But the rest of the world doesn’t necessarily show evidence of being in its right mind.

When I hear pain in a soldier who then says he would go back…do you realize this is a volunteer army, and we have guys re-enlisting to go back three, four times? Because they’re over there and they see the danger, and they know that they’re just watching CNN spin or the New York Times spin-they know what’s going down. They’re watching body parts fly all over the place as one Islamic group kills another Islamic group - men, women, and children.

That's not all Dr. Laura had to say, go read the rest, and pass it on...

Posted by LindaSoG at 11:52 PM | Comments (3)

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March 11, 2007

Huh?

Guess who said this to our troops:

"Those of you in here today are some of the most special people in the world. It is because of you in here today, and others who so valiantly have given their lives to protect us, that we enjoy our freedom."

The answer is here.

dayum.

Posted by LindaSoG at 12:02 AM | Comments (1)

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March 02, 2007

Happy Birthday Dr. Seuss

Everyone loves Dr. Seuss. From Horton Hears a Who, right on down to One Fish, Two Fish, we read his stories, and we read them to our children. Bob Dylan made an album using his stories.

The question of the day... "How many words are there in Dr. Suess' Green Eggs and Ham?"

But, Fox in Socks aside, there was a lot more to Theodor Seuss Geisel than just Green Eggs and Ham...

In looking over Dr. Seuss cartoons for this post, I was struck by the similarity in theme from way back when and today. Judging from the message, not much has changed.

Today, we have Cindy Sheehan, back then we had Charles Lindbergh. and back then, they called themselves "The America First Committee." Basically, they were isolationists, and they opposed America's involvement in WWII. They didn't care who died overseas, as long as they had ice in their martinis here in the states.

Change the book title to "Saddam the Wolf" and this cartoon is as applicable to the anti-war movement today as it was in 1941. Sadly, there will always be those among us who are willing to assist evil by closing their eyes and pretending that they don't see, those who would hurry past the alley and ignore the screams.

In 1941, America First Committee's Founder, Charles Lindbergh, claimed that America was being pushed into war against Hitler by “the British, the Jewish and the Roosevelt administration.” Lindbergh claimed that the Jews were powerful because of their “large ownership and influence in our motion pictures, our press, our radio, and our government.”

Of course, Israel was not yet a state but, it sounds familiar, doesn't it?

A little research on The America First Committee brought up an excellent article by Ronald Radosh titled "Isolationism Strikes Again." Written in 2003, it addresses the similarities between peace activists during WWII and today.

The naysayers opposed to the campaign for liberation of Iraq, and the doomsday scenario they laid out, struck those of us with knowledge of history with an eerie sense of déjà vu. The isolationism that was employed to undermine American will and self-confidence in fighting the fascist and militarist aggressors in World War II has been revived, this time targeted against our President and our commitment to the liberation of Iraq.

So much is made of the polls that show that Amerrica is weary of the war, and today, Bush is being pressured to surrender in Iraq. And... in 1941, the polls showed that while 60 percent of the American public favored aid to Britain, less than 13 percent were willing to see the U.S. go to war with Nazi Germany, even if it meant that Britain would lose.

Is evil overseas any less evil because its overseas?

FDR acted against the tide, daring to show true leadership by advancing policies that would deal with the actual threat, while skillfully avoiding the wrath of the isolationist lobby and Congress. Today, George W. Bush shows his ability for comparable leadership, by moving ahead to do what is necessary, taking the nation with him, and ignoring the protestors, the disgruntled opposition anti-war Democrats, and the fierce opposition of the French and German governments.

Its true, the more things change, the more they remain the same.

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But... its still Dr. Seuss' birthday, In honor of the occassion, I thought I'd drag this out of the closet:

We Do Not Like Them Uncle Sam
"MREs. Yum. Not!"

A collection of Dr. Seuss Political Cartoons can be found at Dr. Seuss Went to War: A Catalog of Political Cartoons

and... the answer to the question of the day: There are only 50 words in Dr. Seuss' "Green Eggs and Ham." In 1960 Bennett Cerf bet Geisel $50 that he couldn't write an entire book using only fifty words. Green Eggs and Ham was result.

BTW... Cerf never paid the $50.

Posted by LindaSoG at 06:33 AM | Comments (3)

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February 22, 2007

A Gathering of Eagles

Fly High you Eagles, soar

On you we all depend.
To serve, to stand, support our war,
Our fallen to defend.
Stand firm, stand brave before our Wall;
Deal those a sorry fate,
Who answer Fonda's hateful call:
Our nation they must hate.

Fly high you Eagles, soar,
Your keen eyes see below,
The leftist fools oppose this war,
To them no low's too low.
They seek our Wall to desecrate,
To enhance their losing cause;
They seek to doom our nation's fate;
They see nothing but our flaws.

Fly high you Eagles, soar,
Above those who seek defeat,
Who seek submission, nothing more,
To a terror they can't meet.
They falter when the course is long;
They're weak-willed, failed and bitter;
Got it all entirely wrong,
So typical of a quitter.

Fly high you Eagles, soar,
Stand proud before our Wall;
You are the nation's heart, the core,
The essence of us all.
Know that we stand there with you,
In spirit and in soul,
America's not lost, not through,
We've a long, long way to go.

Fly high you Eagles, soar, from your lofty, special station,
Know this is true forever more; you've the blessing of your nation.

Russ Vaughn
Vietnam Veteran

Leftist scum, led by Cindy Sheehan, Jane Fonda, Ramsey Clark and their ilk, plan to gather March 17 at the Vietnam Memorial Wall to begin a march to protest America's involvement in the Iraq war. The date marks the fourth anniversary of the war's beginning.

This time, however, protestors will see objectors if they spit on Iraqi veterans again, or throw paint on a war memorial. This time, they will encounter a buzz saw of Vietnam veterans and supporters who will gather to protect the Wall, and show their support for U.S. troops. The counter-protestors are calling themselves the Gathering of Eagles.

Click the image to check out the new Gathering of Eagles blog and check the forum here. It's time to get involved, people. If you can't make it to Washington that day, won't you at least help spread the word?

Posted by LindaSoG at 03:08 PM | Comments (4)

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January 26, 2007

Take The Pledge!

If the United States Senate passes a resolution, non-binding or otherwise, that criticizes the commitment of additional troops to Iraq that General Petraeus has asked for and that the president has pledged, and if the Senate does so after the testimony of General Petraeus on January 23 that such a resolution will be an encouragement to the enemy, I will not contribute to any Republican senator who voted for the resolution. Further, if any Republican senator who votes for such a resolution is a candidate for re-election in 2008, I will not contribute to the National Republican Senatorial Committee unless the Chairman of that Committee, Senator Ensign, commits in writing that none of the funds of the NRSC will go to support the re-election of any senator supporting the non-binding resolution.

Support Our Troops and their Mission.... or else!

Posted by LindaSoG at 07:35 AM

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January 03, 2007

Today's Snark

Posted by LindaSoG at 07:08 AM

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December 30, 2006

Send some love, please!

My mission today is to cheer up J.R. Salzman and yes, that makes it your mission too.

J.R. blogs over at Lumberjack in the Desert, except now he's at Walter Reed, recovering from injuries he got from an IED. In his words:

it is hard for me to tell you all this but i was hurt by an ied here. my right arm has been amputated below the elbow, my left has four working fingers. my legs are fine so l can still logroll!

J.R. is currently at Walter Reed, so get your butts over to Hallmark please, you can send card here:

SPC J.R. Salzman
Walter Reed Amy Medical Center
6900 Georgia Ave. NW
Washington DC 20307

In the meantime, drop him a line in the comments on his blog.

Thank you!

Posted by LindaSoG at 07:41 PM

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December 27, 2006

Traitors Eat Alone

I hope this moment is seared into his memory:

"This is a true story.....Check out this photo from our mess hall at the US Embassy yesterday morning. Sen. Kerry found himself all alone while he was over here. He cancelled his press conference because no one came, he worked out alone in the gym w/o any soldiers even going up to say hi or ask for an autograph (I was one of those who was in the gym at the same time), and he found himself eating breakfast with only a couple of folks who are obviously not troops."

Click the pic to read the rest.

Posted by LindaSoG at 12:56 AM | Comments (7)

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December 17, 2006

With Age Comes Wisdom

Sometimes.

While reading Patrick Conroy's essay, titled "An Honest Confession by an American Coward" and linked above, I had mixed feelings about the man, his thoughts, his opinions, his past, and his present. They were difficult to sum up, and like many people, I came away feeling that yes, it takes a lot of courage to look at your past and find fault in your reasoning and your actions, and it takes a lot of courage to admit that publically.

After hearing Al Kroboth's story of his walk across Vietnam and his brutal imprisonment in the North, I found myself passing harrowing, remorseless judgment on myself. I had not turned out to be the man I had once envisioned myself to be. I thought I would be the kind of man that America could point to and say, "There. That's the guy. That's the one who got it right. The whole package. The one I can depend on."

It had never once occurred to me that I would find myself in the position I did on that night in Al Kroboth's house in Roselle, New Jersey: an American coward spending the night with an American hero.

Confessions of a peacenik who has come to realize that he was wrong, dead wrong, about the United States of America and the troops who protect this country with courage, dignity and honor. It has an added bonus, the story of a hero, a Vietnam Veteran, who suffered horror upon horror, while the peaceniks indulged in sex, drugs and rock-n-roll. And it has some thoughts that are worthy of being quoted:

"America is good enough to die for even when she is wrong."

But this sentence in Patrick's confession left a sour taste in my mouth:

"I understand now that I should have protested the war after my return from Vietnam, after I had done my duty for my country."

It seems to me that Patrick has a bit more to learn about cowardice and a lot more to learn about supporting the troops who do the hard stuff so you can sit back and do the easy stuff. Patrick still needs to learn the simple truth that you can't support the troops without supporting their mission.

The former soldiers who crawled into bed with the anti-war crowd upon their return from battle did great damage to our troops and their mission, they not only abandoned their brothers-in-arms, they turned on them like a pack of rabid dogs. If joining them is what hindsight makes him wish he had done, then I believe Patrick Conroy has to look a little deeper, and travel a little further down the path of redemption for his actions in the 60s.

It seems to me that Patrick landed just short of the mark. But that's just my opinion.

After you read Patrick Conroy's confession, go read what Vietnam Veteran Russ Vaughn has to say about it.

As long as we are on the subject, if you are interested, you might want to read "Vietnam: Looking Back at the Facts" by K. G. Sears, Ph.D.

The anti-war movement was akin to a national temper tantrum that eventually engulfed and the afflicted the entire nation with its warped rational. This group, fueled and led by dodgers and their cohorts, were responsible for poisoning the American public’s mind on the subject of Vietnam. Eventually those dodging hoards, and their cronies in the US media, influenced the body politic to elect a Congress that stripped the soldiers who fought in Vietnam of their victories, and voted to cut and run in the face of adversity. To this very day, academia, the media, the politicians, talking heads, and the draft dodging multitudes continuously feed off one another with their preposterous and deceptive hallucinations about “Vietnam.”

Sound familiar?

Posted by LindaSoG at 10:06 AM | Comments (2)

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December 15, 2006

"Christmastime, Back Home - A Soldier's Prayer"

In "Christmastime, Back Home - A Soldier's Prayer," Sgt. Daniel M. Clark "portrays" a U.S. Soldier in Iraq singing about the blessings of Christmastime, back in the states. Sgt. Clark is a former U.S. Marine, and 20-year-veteran of the Massachusetts State Police. The video was filmed at Otis Air National Guard Base, Cape Cod, MA and at locations throughout New England at Christmastime.

This is a beautiful thing, and an absolute pleasure to watch and listen to.

Now, believe it or not, the song was written by a liberal democrat moonbat, who is now running around demanding that the video be removed from certain conservative sites and even threatening copyright violations if conservative sites post her video from You Tube. I do so love them tolerant compassion liberal demorats.

*snort*

You can't support the troops if you don't support their mission.

Posted by LindaSoG at 01:34 AM | Comments (1)

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December 02, 2006

Gosh but I love the Marines!

IED Hunter!

I found it at Denny's!

and don't miss The Deer Hunter:

Posted by LindaSoG at 10:40 PM

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November 11, 2006

Thank You!

Veterans' Day will come and go
Quicker than the blink of an eye
But memories of heroes present and past
Will never, ever die.
The youth of today, do you understand?
The price brave men did pay
To preserve the freedom we enjoy
Each and every day.

They were called to duty, and so they went
Not knowing what was to be
Many came home, some never did
They sacrificed so we could be free.

How lonely some must have felt
How scared some had to be
They paid the bill with their own blood
What a great cost to be free.

The heroes of our country
Are the ones who paved the way
For freedom and the many rights
That we enjoy today.

Next time, young folks, you pass someone
Who may be old and gray
Remember — thanks to him or her
You have your freedom today.

Support our President, support our troops
Support our country, too
As they go fighting for what is right
For freedom the price is due.

by Holly Rulli

November 11 is also General Patton's Birthday, but we never seem to remember that. Below is the famous "Patton Prayer" sent to the men of the Third Army December 8, 1944:

"Almighty and most merciful Father, we humbly beseech Thee, of Thy great goodness, to restrain these immoderate rains with which we have had to contend. Grant us fair weather for Battle. Graciously hearken to us as soldiers who call Thee that, armed with Thy power, we may advance from victory to victory, and crush the oppression and wickedness of our enemies, and establish Thy justice among men and nations. Amen."

Amen.

Posted by LindaSoG at 01:00 AM | Comments (1)

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November 10, 2006

Happy Birthday!

What better way to say thank you?

Posted by LindaSoG at 07:25 AM | Comments (1)

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Case Closed!

Female Kentucky National Guard soldiers who allegedly posed nude for pictures before being sent to Iraq will face nonjudicial, administrative sanctions rather than courts-martial, the Army said.

The women were not suspended and were "busy supporting the war effort," Maj. Jay Adams, chief of public affairs for the 13th Sustainment Command (Expeditionary), told The Courier-Journal of Louisville on Tuesday.

Administrative sanctions can include measures such as docking soldiers' pay or confining them to barracks. Adams said he could not release details because of federal privacy restrictions.

The Courier-Journal reported in September that the Army was investigating whether women assigned to the 410th Quartermaster Unit, based in Danville, had brought discredit to the military by agreeing to be photographed.

The newspaper said it had obtained a compact disc containing 232 photographs of at least a half-dozen nude and seminude women posing with military rifles and covering their breasts with American flag decals.

The unit shipped out for Iraq on Aug. 26. Eleven of the 107 soldiers in the unit are women.

Lt. Col. Phil Miller, a spokesman for the Kentucky Guard, said Tuesday that "as far as the leadership of the Kentucky National Guard is concerned, this incident is now closed."

Posted by LindaSoG at 06:44 AM | Comments (1)

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November 06, 2006

That's What My Daddy's Fighting For

Posted by LindaSoG at 06:23 AM | Comments (1)

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November 03, 2006

Project Valour IT: Do it for the Captain!

Project Valour-IT is a simple idea with profound impact. It's grateful Americans, providing laptops with voice-activated software for severely wounded troops. Project Valour IT offers a way for us to tell them we have not forgotten their sacrifices, and that is truly priceless. In many, many ways what we are trying to do is reconnect them to the world; remind them that they are not alone. That they still have something to contribute, that they are still a vital part of this nation, and that even though they may have lost parts of themselves that they can never recover, though they may temporarily be feeling hopeless, helpless, even alone, they aren't.

Someone remembers. Someone still cares. And when they get out of the hospital, America will find a way for them to rejoin the community and be useful again. For a wounded vet facing traumatic and painful injuries, that knowledge alone is beyond price.

Please dig deep. You cannot know the value of the hope your small contributions can bring to those who have already given so much on our behalf.

And, as long as you're here, hit the button for the Marines Fundraising Team.

Your choice. For incentive, the Army Team has to rely on snark and the Marines Team... well... we have a little more to offer...

Captain Jimmy Bones And His Devil-Dog Marines

'Twas winter time in Quantico in nineteen-twenty-two,
The slum was pretty rough that night, and all the men felt blue;
The hail and sleet, with ghostly feet beat on the bunkhouse dome,
Some men doped out their time to do, while others thought of home.

Then from the starless night, there slipped in through the bunkhouse door,
An old top sergeant that no man had ever seen before;
The hoar frost glistened in his hair, his eyes like star shells shone,
A gnarled mustache hid half his face, and he was skin and bone.

He sat down near the glowing stove and warmed his fleshless hands,
The chill of death was in his breath, like thunder his commands;
His voice was hollow, like the tone of one who’d long been dead,
And when he spoke, the silence broke, and this is what he said:

“Pipe down, all you devil-whelps, and snap out of your dreams,
And a tale I’ll tell of heaven and hell, and the Devil-Dog Marines;
Just Captain Jimmy Bones, M.C., their skipper wrote his name,
He was a fiend for fighting, he had no care for fame.”

“Have never seen so fierce a man on land, nor sky , nor sea,
He had a scar for every war, and fought in ninety-three;
When he was riled, he had an eye that drilled a hole through men,
He spoke but once, and no man asked him how, nor why, nor when.”

“Now Jimmy was the headpiece of a hundred brave Gyrenes,
He used to have a whole lot more who died from eating beans;
But them what ate the chow and lived, they sure were hard-boiled guys,
They flicked the bullets off their coats just like so many flies.”

The old top sergeant’s voice grew low, and at its ghostly gloom,
Men shivered, and the vermin crawled upon the bunkhouse broom;
He stuffed a live coal in his pipe, and deeply did inhale,
He blew the smoke clean through the roof, and then resumed his tale.

“They say the devil made him mean when he was in the skies,
And filled them all so full of hell it shone out through their eyes;
Then old St. Peter found the bunch, and gave them souls of white,
But hell still boiled up in them, and they couldn’t else but fight.”

“So Peter had to can old Nick, and when to earth he fell,
He got himself a steady job recruiting souls for hell;
Well, Peter stamped Marines ‘OK,’ and marked them all first class,
‘Cause all that ever scared ‘em was to see a looking-glass.”

“Now some they come from Texas sand, so they was full of grit,
And some was from Montana plains where they’d been roughing it;
Some more they come from old New York, and wore a Bowery frown,
Then some which was the toughest came from good old Frisco town.”

"Old Jimmy Bones shoved off for France in nineteen-seventeen,
And shipped across the toughest crew the world had ever seen;
Each man had ‘First to Fight,’ tattooed across his chest, in black,
And right betwixt his shoulder blades, ‘Watch out, we’re coming back!’”

“Them hundred Devil Dogs sure was a bold and daring crew,
They bit the soles right off their shoes whenever they’d want a chew;
There wasn’t one among that bunch of those U.S. Marines
Who couldn’t spit three fathoms deep, and sink three submarines.”

“And when it came to shooting guns, why, say, them men were there,
They’d shave a man a mile away, and never miss a hair;
They’d trim the eyebrows off a lark, a- soarin’ in the sky,
Or shoot the points off shooting stars, as long as they had an eye.”

“They cruised on all the seven seas and rationed on hard tack,
They fought their way around the world and half to hell and back;
They fought in every war there was, clean up to Vera Cruz,
The only things they hadn’t fought was huns, and too much booze.”

“Now Jimmie Bones reached France OK with that all-furious crew,
And everyone turned round to say, ‘No savvy parley-vous;’
The French girls grabbed them by their hands, and washed their necks with tears,
The French men slapped them on their backs, and yelled them deaf with cheers.”

"Then Jimmy made a speech, and said, ‘I hear you got a war,
Around here somewheres hereabout, and that’s what we’re here for;
But all I got to say is this. Enjoy it while you can,
I’m going to clean up Germany If I lose every man."

“The Germans learned that Jimmie Bones had crossed the sea to fight,
And when they got that awful news, their feet turned cold with fright;
And when they lamped that roughneck crew from off an aeroplane,
It nearly knocked ‘em for a goal, and some went plumb insane.”

“Said they, ‘What is this thing, Marines? If they had said before,
They had such Devil Dogs as these, there wouldn’t be no war;’
So that is how they got their name of ‘Devil Dog’ Marines,
And ever since, they’ve chased the Dutch dachshund clean off the scenes.”

The old top sergeant rolled his eyes, as if to recollect,
And where he let his fierce glance fall, it scorched six feet of deck;
Said he, “No man has ever lived that crossed old Jimmy Bones,
He had the power that lifted men, Or dragged kings down from thrones.”

"A general of the allies looked out through his periscope,
And seen ten million German huns a-coming on the lope;
He bit his short mustache and said, ‘We’re in an awful stew,
We’ve only got a million men. It looks like they’ll break through.’”

“Then, Jimmy Bones piped up and said, ‘You didn’t count Marines,
I’ve got some hell-dogs that’ll chew the spikes right off their beans;
‘Cause numbers don’t mean nothing to my well-behaving crew,
Why, they ain’t been to school enough to count the men they slew.’”

“The general said, ‘You win, my man. Go take your wild Marines,
And form a scouting party just to double up the scenes;’
Then Jimmy Bones saluted stiff, and to the general said,
‘We’ll break through to Berlin, sir, If we don’t, we’ll come back dead.’”

“With that, he yelled, ‘Outside, Marines, and snap out of your hop,
We’re going out to gather up that German lemon crop;
And if I see one of you men so much as leave a rind,
You’ll rate the brig ‘till kingdom come, and sixty dollars fine.’”

“The hundred Devil Dogs fell out, and then they all fell in,
And each one closed a gap in ranks by shaving up his chin;
The chief cook turned up missing when the time for counting come,
But he was cooking shrapnel up to make the crew some slum.”

“Then Jimmy Bones, he gave a talk, to all his men, he said,
‘We’re shipping out on heavy seas with reefs and shoals ahead;
But all I got to say is this, remember you’re Marines,
Cause water settles everything, and that’s what our name means.”

"He marched ‘em up on company front, in quick and double-time,
He marched ‘em in a riot squad and in a skirmish line;
He ran ‘em in a platoon rush, and then by single squad;
And each advance ten thousand huns stretched out and hit the sod.”

"He mowed ‘em down with Browning guns, and with their Springfield gats,
And them they couldn’t get that way they stuck with bayonets;
And when it came to trenches they just shoved the banks all in,
And tons of huns were swallowed up, and never lived again.”

“The Germans shot a bunch of bombs of dead limburger cheese,
But all it did to Jimmy’s men was make them cough and sneeze;
Then Jimmy lit a strong cigar from off a passing shell,
Three million huns got one good whiff, and died of that vile smell.”

“The hundred Devil Dogs shoved on, their eyes flashed liquid fire,
Which melted guns and cannons up just like they were lead wire;
They kicked about a million huns into the River Marne,
And if they drowned, or sunk, or swam, they didn’t give a darn.”

“The Germans thought that judgment day had come to take its tolls,
They got the jula in their knees, and trembled in their souls;
And when they saw those Devil Dogs, and heard their awful yell,
They knew their judgment day had come, and they were picked for hell.”

“So, what was left threw up their mitts, and hollered ‘kamerad,’
But Jimmy’s men thought that was Dutch for talk profaning God;
So they stuck their bayonets right through them anyhow,
And buzzards came down from the sky and ate ‘em up for chow.”

“Now Kaiser bill and Hindenburg was in a game of craps,
He staked his royal crown against a box of ginger snaps;
Old Hindy won the crown and said, ‘This ain’t no good to me,
I’d sooner have a bite to eat than all of Germany’”

“Said Kaiser Bill, ‘I’ll tell you what. You lend ten marks to me,
I’ll pay you back in a month or two with French indemnity.’
Said Hindy, ‘Where’d you get that stuff. Do you see any green on me?
I bought myself some Liberty Bonds from Mrs. Liberty.’”

“Just then the crown prince busted in and said, ‘Oh papa dear;
I see some wild men coming who will wreck this joint, I fear;
I’ll shoot a long-range shot at them, and if they still persist,
Then I’ll take about a million men and slap them on the wrist.’”

“The Kaiser took a peek out from a half-raised window blind,
And seen a hundred Devil Dogs a-swimming across the Rhine;
The river was a-running blood, From all the men they slew,
And every time they’d duck their heads, they’d drink a quart or two.”

“The Kaiser’s hair stood up on end and turned from black to white,
And when he spied old Jimmy Bones, his blood ran cold with fright;
He grabbed the prince’s hand and said, ‘Don’t fool with that wild Yank,
He’ll fill you full of bullet holes where Papa used to spank.’”

“‘What ho the guard!’ Cried Kaiser Bill. ‘There ain't no guard no more,’
Said Hindenburg, ‘The guard was shot out there by the palace door;’
‘Where is my ally Gott?’ yelled Bill. 'Von Gott, he ain’t at home,’
Said Hindenburg, ‘The Gott you had was in your crazy dome.’”

“The Kaiser’s eyes stuck out a mile. ‘What shall I do?’ said he,
‘I’ll save myself and my six brave sons. To hell with Germany;’
Said Hindenburg, ‘It went to hell long time before this thing,
Ten million huns that you sent there are waiting for their king.’”

“The outside palace door crashed in. There was a mighty roar,
‘Thank gott,” said Hindenburg, ‘I’ll see that mush of yours no more;’
With that he grabbed his gat and blew the brains out of his head,
And Kaiser Bill knowed then and there he meant just what he said.”

“The Kaiser beat it for the door and flung it open wide,
And there he met Jimmy Bones a’coming just outside;
Behind him were his Devil Dogs with gleaming bayonets,
And Kaiser Bill knowed they had come to get a whole world’s bets.”

“Then Jimmy gave him just one look that turned his gizzard pale,
And made him wish that he had spent his life in some nice jail;
Said Jimmie Bones, ‘So you’re the cur that kicked up all this row,
You’ve got about an hour to live, so don’t give us no gow!’”

“The Kaiser’s nerve went over the hill. His brow dripped bloody sweat,
He got down on his knees and cried and got the carpet wet;
His teeth, they rattled, just like dice do in a game of craps,
And every word that Jimmy spoke was like a note of taps.”

“Then Jimmy Bones drawed out his gat, and then he tossed it by,
Said, ‘you ain’t fit enough to live, and not that fit to die;
You’ve served the devil all your life, but now you’ll work for me,’
And then he thought of things to do. Jim Bones can think of three.”

“‘You’ll stand a guard of twenty hours around the Arctic zones,
With fifteen minutes out to thaw the marrow in your bones;
And every hour throughout the night you’ll answer reveille,
And every twenty years or so, you’ll rate a liberty.’”

“‘And all you’ll have to drink is German blood you’ve shed,
And when you’re hungry, you will gnaw the bones of German dead;
You’ll do a jolt in eighty-four for ten or twenty years,
And under a hard-boiled non-com you’ll shed your dying tears.’”

“Then Jimmy stopped, and silence filled the gloomy castle hall,
The Kaiser rose and tried to speak, then fell against the wall;
Said he, ‘I thought the devil was a mean and ugly guy,
But you’ve got Satan cheated with one look out of your eye.’”

“Said Jimmy Bones, ‘Now that ain’t all I’m gonna leave you do,
Them things is just light duty, but there’s heavy duty too!’
The Kaiser throwed up both his mitts. ‘You win!’ That’s all he said,
He gave a yell that was heard in hell, and then fell over dead.”

The old top sergeant paused awhile to see if some would doubt,
He sneezed a sneeze, the stoves grew cold, the window panes fell out;
He rolled himself a cigarette from sweepings off the floor,
And lit it with his flaming eye, and then resumed once more.

“Now German spies sent work to France that Jimmy Bones was dead,
And all his hundred Devil Dogs was slaughtered too, they said;
The women weeped a lot of weeps. The men felt pretty bad,
And all of them were mourning cause the shock it hit ‘em bad.”

“The cook was boiling coffee up from a piece of dried-out meat,
Said he, ‘If they is dead or not they’ll be back here to eat;
The world has never seen the time Marines have met defeat,
They would have gone to hell to cut off Kaiser Bill’s retreat.’”

“A sentry sighted Jimmy’s men a’coming over the hill,
And dragging on behind them what was left of Kaiser Bill;
And when they reached old Paris, they were met with yells and cheers,
And showers of gold enough to last ‘em all a thousand years.”

“They hung a million medals on old Jimmy and his crew,
And when they took ‘em off they had a barrel full or two;
And ever after that each lived just like a millionaire,
They never answered reveille, or heard a bugle blare.”

“And all they did was bunk fatigue from then, forever more,
And when they died, they went above and knocked on heaven’s door;
Old Peter came down to the porch and hollered, ‘Halt! Who’s there?’
“United States Marines,” said Jim. First here, and everywhere’”

"So Peter let the whole bunch in along with Captain Jim,
And each one grabbed himself a harp, and sung the Marine hymn;
And ever after that each stood his guard on heaven’s green,
And nary a German has got past the brave U.S. Marine.”

The old top sergeant heaved a sigh that raised the bunkhouse roof,
And those who sat too close to him were blown ten feet aloof;
He cut the sling from off a gun and took a three-foot chew,
And where he spat, the floor gave way, and hell came boiling through.

Then from the fiery pit there rose a corporal of the guard,
His face was sunk, his flesh was iron, his look was twice as hard;
Said he, “The detail’s still intact around the brimstone floods,
The devil’s peeling onions and the Kaiser’s peeling spuds.”

The old top kicker knit his brow, said he, “All right, that’s well!
But when you’ve finished with that job they’ll start to coal up hell;
And if them billion tons ain’t in before they shut an eye,
I’ll run ‘em up ‘fore Jimmy Bones, and let them tell him why.”

The corporal turned and leaped head on down through that fiery mass,
The floor closed up, the bunkhouse swayed with clouds of molten mass.
The top arose, the lights went out, Taps sounded, came the rain,
A chill swept through the room and he was never seen again.

A true Marine Corps classic, “Captain Jimmy Bones And His Devil-Dog Marines” originally appeared in an early forties edition of “Leatherneck Magazine."

Cough it up people! Do it for Captain Jimmy Bones!

Posted by LindaSoG at 12:38 PM

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November 02, 2006

Read this

Read this now.

I'm too overwhelmed to comment about it, and really, there is nothing I can say.

Just, read it.

Posted by LindaSoG at 09:08 AM

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October 31, 2006

Project Valour IT: The Few, The Loud, The Marines!

From October 30th until November 10th I'm raising my voice with the Marine Corps fundraising team, for Project Valour IT.

What is Project Valour IT? Well, first you get the background... the story behind Valour IT:

Project Valour-IT began when Captain Charles "Chuck" Ziegenfuss was wounded by an IED while serving as commander of a tank company in Iraq in June 2005.

During his deployment he kept a blog. Captivating writing, insightful stories of his experiences, and his self-deprecating humor won him many loyal readers. After he was wounded, his wife continued his blog, keeping his readers informed of his condition.

As he began to recover, CPT Ziegenfuss wanted to return to writing his blog, but serious hand injuries hampered his typing. When a loyal and generous reader gave him a copy of the Dragon Naturally Speaking Preferred software, other readers began to realize how important such software could be to CPT Ziegenfuss' fellow wounded soldiers and started cast about for a way to get it to them.

A fellow who writes under the pseudonym FbL contacted Captain Ziegenfuss and the two realized they shared a vision of creating libraries of laptops with voice-controlled software that could be brought to the bedsides of wounded soldiers whose injuries prevented them from operating a standard computer. FbL contacted Soldiers' Angels, who offered to help develop the project, and Project Valour-IT was born.

When I made this post in July of 2005, my goal was to Cheer Up Chuck as he recovered from wounds he received while defending our freedom in Iraq. Yes, its the same Chuck, and many of you sent cards and letters to Chuck during his stay at Walter Reed. I thank you for that, but our work is not done yet.

Project Valour-IT accepts donations of any amount to supply the "libraries" of laptops at major medical centers and gifts to individuals, but has also added the option of an individual or organization directly sponsoring a wounded soldier by completely funding the cost of a laptop and continuing to provide him or her with personal support and encouragement throughout recovery.

Every cent raised for Project Valour-IT goes directly to the purchase and shipment of voice-activated laptops for wounded servicemembers. As of October 2006, Valour-IT has distributed nearly 600 laptops to severely wounded Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Marines across the country.

Project Valour-IT is a simple idea with profound impact. It's grateful Americans, providing laptops with voice-activated software for severely wounded troops. Project Valour IT offers a way for us to tell them we have not forgotten their sacrifices, and that is truly priceless. In many, many ways what we are trying to do is reconnect them to the world; remind them that they are not alone. That they still have something to contribute, that they are still a vital part of this nation, and that even though they may have lost parts of themselves that they can never recover, though they may temporarily be feeling hopeless, helpless, even alone, they aren't.

Someone remembers. Someone still cares. And when they get out of the hospital, America will find a way for them to rejoin the community and be useful again. For a wounded vet facing traumatic and painful injuries, that knowledge alone is beyond price.

Please dig deep. You cannot know the value of the hope your small contributions can bring to those who have already given so much on our behalf.

If you wish to donate, you can use the button below or the one in my sidebar, or send a check (with MARINES in all caps on it!) to:

Soldiers' Angels
1150 N Loop 1604 W, Suite 108-493
San Antonio, TX 78248

If you're a blogger, join a team, any team will do. Tell your friends, family and neighbors about Valour-IT, challenge your co-workers or employer to match donations, consider involving clubs, churches, or charitable organizations. If you have any contacts in the media (local or national newspapers, radio, TV, spread the word!

I know I can count on your support for this, just hit the button so my team gets credit! and... Thank you!

Yes, there's a good bit of good-natured interservice rivalry fun in the interests of raising some money in a good cause, at the end of the day what really matters is not which team you support, but that you find it in your hearts to support a worthwhile cause. Because our wounded vets have given more in the service of our country than most of us will ever be able to repay.

If you were wondering why I chose the Marines Fundraising Team, well, I love tanks, and I love fighter jets, but in the end, I joined the Marines Fundraising Team because of the Marine you see right there, down on one knee...

He served in Korea, as Infantry, in the Military Police and he was a proud member of the Marines' Drum and Bugle Corps.

And he just happens to be my Dad! Handsome, isn't he? Of course he is, that's why they let him be a Marine! and I bet you thought it was a coincidence that Marines are so darn good looking! Nothing is by accident!

I'm proud of my Dad, and I'm proud of each of every one of our troops serving in the United States Military, whether its the Army, Navy, Air Force or the Marines. These brave men and women deserve our support, and Project Valour IT is a great way to say Thank You!

(Portions of this post were shamelessly stolen from Cass at Villianous Company!)

Posted by LindaSoG at 12:43 AM | Comments (3)

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October 26, 2006

At last, the truth comes out

US Imperialist War Crimes In Iraq:

oh, the horror!

Posted by LindaSoG at 09:25 AM | Comments (2)

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October 15, 2006

That Sandbox Called Iraq

You can thank him here.

Posted by LindaSoG at 07:08 AM

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October 12, 2006

In Memory of the USS Cole

In Memory of
United States Navy's Personnel
Who lost their lives
on the USS Cole (DDG 67)

12 October 2000

On Thursday, October 12, 2000, 17 of our Nation's finest were killed in a terrorist attack on the USS Cole, docked in the port of Yemen to take on fuel.

We must never forget these brave young men and women, they gave us their all.

	Cherone Louis Gunn Signalman Seaman Recruit  Rex,  Ga.		James Rodrick McDaniels Seaman Norfolk, Va.
	Timothy Lamont Saunders Operations Specialist 2nd class Ringgold, Va.		Lakiba Nicole Palmer Seaman Recruit San Diego, Ca.
	Richard Costelow Chief Electronics Technician Morrisville, Pa.		Andrew Triplett Ensign Macon, Miss.
	Craig Bryan Wibberley Seaman Apprentice Williamsport, Md.		Gary Graham Swenchonis Jr. Fireman Rockport, Texas
	Kenneth Eugene Clodfelter Hull Maintenance Technician 3rd class  Mechanicsville, Va.		Lakeina Monique Francis Seaman Mess Management Spec. Woodleaf, N.C.
	Timothy Lee Gauna Seaman Information Systems Technician  Rice, Texas		Marc Ian Nieto Engineman 2nd Class Fond du Lac, Wis.
	Ronald Scott Owens Electronics Warfare Technician 3rd Class Vero Beach, Fla.		Joshua Langdon Parlett, Engineman Fireman Churchville, Md.
	Patrick Howard Roy Fireman Apprentice Keedysville, Md.		Kevin Shawn Rux Elect. Warfare Tech 1st Class Portland, N.D.
	Ronchester Mananga Santiago Mess Management Specialist  3rd Class Kingsville, Texas

The Navy Hymn:

"Eternal Father, strong to save,
Whose arm hath bound the restless wave,
Who bidst the mighty ocean deep
Its own appointed limits keep;
Oh, hear us when we cry to Thee,
For those in peril on the sea."
Amen

The bombing of the USS Cole was a deliberate act of war by al-Qaeda, and it went ignored and unavenged by the Clinton Administration. I'm sure he pointed his finger as he said "If, as it now appears, this was an act of terrorism, it was a despicable and cowardly act. We will find out who was responsible and hold them accountable." Except he did nothing.

On November 3, 2002, under the Bush Administration, the CIA fired a AGM-114 Hellfire missile from a Predator UAV at a vehicle carrying Abu Ali al-Harithi, a suspected planner of the bombing plot. Also in the vehicle was Ahmed Hijazi, a U.S. citizen. Both were killed. This operation was carried out on Yemeni soil.

On September 29, 2004, a Yemeni judge sentenced Abd al-Rahim al-Nashiri and Jamal al-Badawi to death for their roles in the bombing. Al-Nashiri, believed to be the operation's mastermind, is currently being held by the U.S. at an undisclosed location. Al-Badawi, in Yemeni custody, denounced the verdict as "an American one." Four others were sentenced to prison terms of five to 10 years for their involvement, including one Yemeni who had videotaped the attack.

On February 3, 2006, 23 suspected or convicted Al-Qaeda members escaped from jail in Yemen. This number included 13 who were convicted of the USS Cole bombings and the bombing of the French tanker Limburg in 2002. Among those who reportedly escaped was Al-Badawi. For more on this, please read this article on the escape by Jane Novak, of Armies of Liberation.

And Clinton is still pointing his finger.

Posted by LindaSoG at 05:01 AM | Comments (5)

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September 25, 2006

In Memory of a Hero

On September 28, 2005, Airman 1st Class Elizabeth Jacobson was providing convoy security near Camp Bucca, Iraq, when the vehicle she was riding in was hit by an improvised explosive device.

"We're only on earth for a little while, so live life to the fullest and carry a smile."
-- Airman 1st Class Elizabeth Jacobson

Airman Jacobson was raised in California, but lived here in South Florida before joining the Air Force. The Palm Beach Post tells us:

In Iraq, she was a security guard, surveying military perimeters from elevated guard towers. But relatives say the 21-year-old volunteered for a more risky assignment guarding convoys, a job that would ultimately kill her.

On Wednesday she died outside the Iraqi city of Safwan when a bomb exploded near her convoy, making her the ninth Iraq casualty from Palm Beach County or the Treasure Coast. Her death hit hard with relatives, even as they spoke with pride about her decision to leave behind the relative safety of guard towers for perilous duty on the open Iraqi roads.

"She could have stayed there, but she was trained to do convoy duty and asked to do that," said her stepmother, Alison Jacobson. "I think it speaks to her bravery."

Airman First Class Jacobson was the first female Airman killed in the line of duty in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. I didn't know Elizabeth, but I wish that I had. Elizabeth sounds like the kind of person I would have liked to be my friend and I feel the loss of this bright and beautiful young woman who gave her all for her Country, and for my personal freedom.

Her resting place shall be in the Garden of Eden.
Therefore, the Master of mercy will care for her
under the protection of His wings for all time
And bind her soul in the bond of everlasting life.
God is her inheritance and she will rest in peace
and let us say Amen.

I've received an email from Elizabeth's Grandmother telling me there will be a Memorial for A1C Elizabeth N. Jacobson at Forest Lawn Memorial Gardens on Copans Road in Pompano Beach, FL at 5:30 on Thursday the 28th, 2006. Please attend if you can and if you can't attend, please leave a note for the family at the Elizabeth N. Jacobson Online Memorial. And please, spread the word!

Posted by LindaSoG at 06:52 AM | Comments (1)

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September 24, 2006

Why We Win #547364859

Posted by LindaSoG at 02:09 PM | Comments (2)

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August 23, 2006

Reason # 985473958

Why I heart Marines:

The 30-year-old man was in line at a 7-Eleven, 2175 E. 9400 South, just before 8 p.m. When he got to the counter he asked the female clerk for a carton of cigarettes, said Sandy Police Sgt. Victor Quezada. But after he received them he walked out without paying, Quezada said.

The clerk told another female clerk who followed him outside the doors and told him to stop.

Instead, the man turned around and punched the clerk in the face, Quezada said.

James Sjostrom was standing in line right behind the man who took the cigarettes and saw the entire thing unfold.

"He just turned and clocked her," Sjostrom said. "He pounded her face. It was pretty vicious."

That's when Sjostrom went after the man who assaulted the store clerk.

and then it got ugly for our would-be-robber:

Sjostrom is a former Marine who taught hand-to-hand combat and currently teaches a course on Russian kettlebells, or the martial art of strength training, at the Sports Mall in Murray.

"I grabbed him, threw him on the ground, put his hands behind his back, sat on him and waited for the cops to come," Sjostrom said.

In just a matter of a few seconds Sjostrom had the man pinned. When the man realized he had no chance, Sjostrom said he became "pretty quiet."

"Anybody would have done the same thing," he said. "Another guy in the store said he was in the Army and asked if I needed any help."

and....

With a grin, Sjostrom replied to the man, "The Marines got here first."

Sigh. Be still my heart...

Posted by LindaSoG at 02:25 PM | Comments (5)

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August 18, 2006

Look... Up in the Sky!

The United States Air Force C-17 Globemaster III Military Transport with the 14th Airlift Squadron located at Charleston Air Force Base in South Carolina has flown away after releasing flares over the Atlantic Ocean. Smoke from the flare salvo reveals a crisp, dramatic, startling, and beautiful visual of the turbulent air – including two vortices each with an "eye" – created by the C-17 Globemaster III as it flies through the air.

click to enlarge it!

Posted by LindaSoG at 07:27 AM | Comments (5)

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August 11, 2006

Let's Say Thanks

Have at it people...

Thank you Xerox and... great big old hat tip to my good friend Beth...

Posted by LindaSoG at 07:53 AM | Comments (4)

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July 23, 2006

How the left supports our Troops

Or... how the left exploits our Troops for personal gain:

Slain G.I.'s ma spurs anti-war T-shirt ban

OKLAHOMA CITY - A woman whose Marine son died while serving in Iraq is fighting to keep his name off anti-war T-shirts.

Judy Vincent learned last year that Cpl. Scott Vincent's name is among about 1,700 included on a T-shirt being sold by an Arizona man over the Internet. The front of the shirt reads "Bush Lied" and the back reads "They Died."

The woman, whose son was killed in April 2004, pushed for Oklahoma legislators to pass a law that makes it a misdemeanor to use a soldier's name or likeness for advertising purposes without consent. The law goes into effect this November.

The shirt vendor, Dan Frazier of Flagstaff, Ariz., issued an open letter to family members praising the soldiers' bravery and sacrifice, but said he would not stop selling the merchandise.

Dan Frazier is just using our Troops to line his pockets with green. Its all about the money, honey, and one day he'll find out he can't spend that cash in hell. Can't happen soon enough for me.

Posted by LindaSoG at 10:21 AM | Comments (1)

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June 26, 2006

Support Our Troops

They can be stopped.

Posted by LindaSoG at 08:18 AM

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June 25, 2006

The bastards

Fucking Fred Phelps and his band of fucking scumbags are planning to picket the funerals of PFC Menchaca and PFC Tucker, the two soldiers recently tortured to death by Murtha's minions.

Dammit.

Thank G-d for the Patriot Guard Riders who will also be there.

Emperor Darth Misha has the info, and a suggestion for Phelps that I can most certainly get behind.

Tis true that I am just an ignorant Jewish Girl from Brooklyn, but still, I am sure there is a very special place in hell reserved for those like Fred Phelps, who use the name of G-d to preach such hatred. I hope Phelps gets there soon. The world will be a better place without him.

Posted by LindaSoG at 09:05 PM | Comments (5)

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June 14, 2006

Liberators and Defenders

Posted by LindaSoG at 09:35 PM | Comments (3)

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Oh Canada...

It seems that Canadian Soldiers are getting plenty of action these days:

The troops are fighting terrorists in Afghanistan and helping to protect a fragile democracy. They're training on bases at home to prepare for their perilous mission.

The troops are being supplied with condoms at what appears to be a staggering pace, with documents suggesting a 12-fold increase from just four years ago.

The military has dispensed just under 300,000 publicly paid prophylactics in each of the last two years, say figures obtained under the Access to Information Act.

Oh my. Still, that's not bad, when compared with General Motors, who is spending an average of $17 Million a year on Viagra, Cialis and other erectile dysfunction drugs for its employees.

The good news for Canadian taxpayers is they're getting lots more bang for their buck:

The cost of condoms distributed in 1999 was over $100,000 - or more than 30 cents for each prophylactic. The cost the last two years has dropped by almost two-thirds, to about $40,000 or 13 cents a condom.

Its not difficult to figure out why. Soldiers are sexy.

Posted by LindaSoG at 07:29 AM | Comments (1)

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June 06, 2006

Yes

Posted by LindaSoG at 06:41 AM

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The Invasion of Normandy

Order of the Day - June 6, 1944

click to hear it!

Soldiers, Sailors and Airmen of the Allied Expeditionary Forces: You are about to embark upon the Great Crusade, toward which we have striven these many months. The eyes of the world are upon you. The hopes and prayers of liberty-loving people everywhere march with you. In company with our brave Allies and brothers-in-arms on other Fronts you will bring about the destruction of the German war machine, the elimination of Nazi tyranny over oppressed peoples of Europe, and security for ourselves in a free world.

Your task will not be an easy one. Your enemy is well trained, well equipped and battle-hardened. He will fight savagely.

But this is the year 1944! Much has happened since the Nazi triumphs of 1940-41. The United Nations have inflicted upon the Germans great defeats, in open battle, man-to-man. Our air offensive has seriously reduced their strength in the air and their capacity to wage war on the ground. Our Home Fronts have given us an overwhelming superiority in weapons and munitions of war, and placed at our disposal great reserves of trained fighting men. The tide has turned! The free men of the world are marching together to Victory!

I have full confidence in your courage, devotion to duty and skill in battle. We will accept nothing less than full victory!

Good Luck! And let us all beseech the blessing of Almighty God upon this great and noble undertaking.

-- General Dwight D. Eisenhower's message to the troops of the Allied Expeditionary Forces on June 6, 1944, the morning of the invasion.

The D-Day operation of June 6, 1944 brought together the land, air and sea forces of the allied armies in what became known as the largest invasion force in human history.

The operation, given the codename OVERLORD, delivered five naval assault divisions to the beaches of Normandy, France. The beaches were given the codenames UTAH, OMAHA, GOLD, JUNO and SWORD. The invasion force included 7,000 ships and landing craft manned by over 195,000 naval personnel from eight allied countries. Almost 133,000 troops from England, Canada and the United States landed on D-Day.

Casualties from the three countries during the landing numbered 10,300.

By June 30th, over 850,000 men, 148,000 vehicles, and 570,000 tons of supplies had landed on the Normandy shores. Fighting by the brave soldiers, sailors and airmen of the allied forces western front and Russian forces on the eastern front led to the defeat of German Nazi forces.

On May 7, 1945, German General Alfred Jodl signed an unconditional surrender at Reims, France.

Posted by LindaSoG at 12:36 AM

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May 29, 2006

Thank you!

Posted by LindaSoG at 08:26 AM

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Ilario Pantano Speaks Out

Mr. Murtha's Rush to Judgment
Sunday, May 28, 2006

A year ago I was charged with two counts of premeditated murder and with other war crimes related to my service in Iraq. My wife and mother sat in a Camp Lejeune courtroom for five days while prosecutors painted me as a monster; then autopsy evidence blew their case out of the water, and the Marine Corps dropped all charges against me.

So I know something about rushing to judgment, which is why I am so disturbed by the remarks of Rep. John P. Murtha (D-Pa.) regarding the Haditha incident. Mr. Murtha said, "Our troops overreacted because of the pressure on them, and they killed innocent civilians in cold blood."

In the United States, we have a civil and military court system that relies on an investigatory and judicial process to make determinations based on evidence. The system is not served by such grand pronouncements of horror and guilt without the accuser even having read the investigative report.

Mr. Murtha's position is particularly suspect when he is quoted by news services as saying that the strain of deployment "has caused them [the Marines] to crack in situations like this." Not only is he certain of the Marines' guilt but he claims to know the cause, which he conveniently attributes to a policy he opposes.

Members of the U.S. military serving in Iraq need more than Mr. Murtha's pseudo-sympathy. They need leaders to stand with them even in the hardest of times. Let the courts decide if these Marines are guilty. They haven't even been charged with a crime yet, so it is premature to presume their guilt -- unless that presumption is tied to a political motive.

ILARIO PANTANO
Jacksonville, N.C.

The writer served as a Marine enlisted man in the Persian Gulf War and most recently as a platoon commander in Iraq.

This is the only commentary I will post on this issue.

Previous posts about Ilario Pantano:

Defend the Defenders February 20, 2005
Marine Cleared of Wrongdoing! February 24, 2005
Drop The Charges! May 13, 2005
Justice at Last! May 26, 2005

Posted by LindaSoG at 08:00 AM | Comments (2)

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May 28, 2006

What did you do today?

Posted by LindaSoG at 08:59 PM | Comments (4)

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May 27, 2006

Just One Old Ernie Pyle

As a boy of four in ’44 I missed out on his style;
But at thirty-six in ’76 I learned more of Ernie Pyle.
To read his tributes to our troops always brought the question why,
That my own war’s correspondents didn’t hold our troops as high.
I’d witnessed acts of bravery as great as World War Two,
But press accounts of those same acts were seldom, they were few;
More likely to be displayed in morning print or evening news,
Were American acts of cruelty to prop up protestors’ views.

Ernie placed himself in battle’s midst, not seeking safer shelter;
He sought the trenches sought the fight, sought out the helter-skelter.
He told the folks back in the States grim truths about their brave,
Providing families insights they could reread, they could save.
Ol’ Ernie gave the folks back home proud memories they could treasure,
Unlike sly Walter Cronkite feeding enemies evening pleasure.
Nope, Ernie wrote of men he loved up until his final deadline,
Unlike Arnett and other creeps seeking only a bigger headline.

Where did they go those of the press who believed America good?
The ones who’d write about our troops and for the things they stood?
What madness does possess them that they now extol our losses,
Finding fault in all we try to do, debasing all our causes?
We serve, we fight so that they might have freedom to convey,
The good things that we’re doing, the good we do each day.
But instead they undermine us in their sniping, gloating style;
I’d swap every damned one of ‘em for just one old Ernie Pyle.

Russ Vaughn, 2d Bn, 327th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division, Vietnam 65-66

Courtesy of The American Thinker.

Posted by LindaSoG at 05:00 PM | Comments (1)

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May 25, 2006

He broke the bond

Somewhere out there... there is one very pissed off Marine:

To all those who shall read this; Greetings.

Know ye that the special trust and bond of brotherhood between Marines has forever been the essence of our esprit de corps.

Know ye that Marines always have and always will watch out for each other, every day from the day we first wear the eagle globe and anchor, until we have drawn our last breath, and our hearts lay forever still.

Know ye that it is a bond forged in in centuries of blood, sweat and tears wherever we have marched.

Know ye that being forged in such fires of combat it is not a trivial matter, and is not forgotten easily.

Know ye also, that while this bond supports and encourages the noblest of warrior virtue, it breeds the opposite if betrayed.

Let it be known that Colonel Murtha, USMC has so betrayed this bond. He has, for personal gain amongst the lowliest of our nation, and in standing with his disreputable new colleagues, endermined the mission that the US Marines have been ordered to carry out, he has also not only failed to speak up for his brothers dying in foreign lands, he has now gone so far as to condemn them out of hand. He has betrayed his borthers to their enemies, foreign and domestic. He has committed the ultimate sin amongst Marines; He has put himself before the Corps.

Posted by LindaSoG at 08:06 AM | Comments (5)

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May 21, 2006

Before the War...

There was a destroyer, some sailors, and Cher:

One of my favorites, circa 1991.

Posted by LindaSoG at 08:58 AM | Comments (7)

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May 08, 2006

Soldiers With Cameras

The War Tapes is a film about war, soldiers and the women they left behind when they deployed to Fallujah -- once the armpit of hell -- in 2004. The viewer follows three soldiers from their departure for Iraq to their return home, and beyond.

The soldiers were not picked by casting agents or movie producers. They selected themselves. 10 soldiers from Charlie Company carried cameras on IED-riddled roads and into combat—and into their own internal conversations.

Funnier, spicier, and more gut wrenching than any news report, this is Operation Iraqi Freedom as filmed by Sergeant Steve Pink, Sergeant Zack Bazzi and Specialist Mike Moriarty. Steve is a wisecracking carpenter who aspires to be a writer. Zack is a Lebanese-American university student who loves to travel and is fluent in Arabic. Mike is a father who seeks honor and redemption. Each leaves a woman behind – a girlfriend, a mother and a wife.

These soldiers are hysterically funny, articulate, intelligent, compassionate and loyal to their mission and their brothers-in-arms. Some may not agree with our premise for being in Iraq, but that doesn't stop them from doing their jobs with great integrity and courage.

The film opened at the end of April to full crowds and standing ovations. Andi from Andi's World attented the premier and the review is posted here. Blackfive's comments are here.

The War Tapes will be available in June, be sure to keep looking for it, and you can sign up for distribution updates at the site. I can't wait to see this film, the outtakes alone are incredible.

H/T: Theodore's World

Posted by LindaSoG at 07:18 AM

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April 23, 2006

Hundreds honor Marine

Justin Sims loved fishing, hot wings, the Marines and his mullet.

Through their tears on Saturday, his family and friends shared their happy memories of the 22-year-old Covington man, who died April 15 while on duty in Ramadi, Iraq. Hundreds attended his funeral and burial in Mother of God Cemetery in Fort Wright.

"The whole community, the whole country, pauses today to honor what he has done for us," said Mike McGriff, senior Marine instructor in the Reserve Officer Training Corps program at Holmes High School. "How Justin must be beaming in heaven. I can hear his laughter now. Semper fi, my brother."

"Hoo-rah," came the soft reply from several people in the crowd.

The rest of the story is here, and a slideshow here.

Semper Fi Sir, and thank you. May the Good Lord give comfort to you and your family.

Posted by LindaSoG at 11:13 AM | Comments (2)

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April 18, 2006

Ernie Pyle - War Correspondent

On this day in 1945, famed American war correspondent Ernie Pyle was killed by Japanese gunfire on the Pacific island of Ie Shima, off Okinawa. He was forty-four years old.

Ernie's columns, done in foxholes, brought home all the hurt, horror, loneliness and homesickness that every soldier felt. They were the perfect supplement to the soldiers' own letters.

Though he wrote of his own feelings and his own emotions as he watched men wounded, and saw the wounded die, he was merely interpreting the scene for the soldier.

Ernie never made war look glamorous. He hated it and feared it. Blown out of press headquarters at Anzio, almost killed by our own planes at St. Lo, he told of the death, the heartache and the agony about him and always he named names of the kids around him, and got in their home town addresses.

Ernie journeyed to Iwo on a small carrier and wrote about the carrier crew. Then he moved on to Okinawa and went in with the Marines. He had post-war plans. He thought he would take to the white clean roads again and write beside still ponds in the wilderness, on blue mountains, in country lanes, in a world returned to peace and quiet. And these were the dreams of the soldiers in the foxhole as much as they were his own.

"No man in this war has so well told the story of the American fighting man as American fighting men wanted it told. He deserves the gratitude of all his countrymen." President Harry S. Truman

Continue reading Ernie Pyle - War Correspondent

Posted by LindaSoG at 09:39 AM | Comments (1)

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March 29, 2006

If only...

Thanks Rodg...!

Posted by LindaSoG at 07:46 AM | Comments (2)

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March 25, 2006

How the Left Supports the Troops

The scumbags have again defaced the memory of one of our Troops. This time, it was Army Sgt. 1st Class Daniel H. Petithory, a Green Beret who was killed in action in Afghanistan:

The family of a Green Beret who was one of the nation's first casualties in the war on terror in Afghanistan was outraged after discovering vandals had defaced a sign honoring the soldier with anti-war graffiti.

"I felt like I was going to vomit," said Michael Petithory, the brother of Army Sgt. 1st Class Daniel Petithory.

"It was just pure rage," he told the North Adams Transcript.

Daniel Petithory was killed Dec. 5, 2001, along with two other soldiers when a U.S. bomb landed about 100 yards from their position north of Kandahar.

Sgt. 1st Class Daniel H. Petithory ODA-574, Co. A, 3rd Bn., 5th SFG (Abn.)

Petithory, 34, was a communications sergeant assigned to OAD-574, Co. A, 3rd Bn., 5th SFG (Abn.), in his 14th year of service. He participated in contingency operations in Kuwait, Haiti, Africa and throughout Southwest Asia. He is survived by his parents, Louis and Barbara Petithory, a brother, Michael and a sister, Nicole.

Lest We Forget: Remarks by Captain Jason Amerine, 5th Special Forces Group (Airborne)

Note: Capt. Jason Amerine commanded the special forces team that was hit by an errant airstrike on Dec. 5, 2001. Three 5th Special Forces Group soldiers were killed: Master Sgt. Jefferson Donald Davis, Sgt. 1st Class Daniel Henry Petithory and Staff Sgt. Brian Cody Prosser. Twenty other 5th Special Forces Group soldiers, including Capt. Amerine, were injured. Capt. Amerine made the following remarks at a commemoration service at Landstuhl Regional Medical Center.

Oliver Wendell Holmes said, "We have shared the incommunicable experience of war. We have felt -- we still feel -- the passion of life to its top. In our youths our lives were touched by fire."

On September 11th, the men of my detachment were in a Central Asian country training young soldiers who were commanded by veterans of the last war in Afghanistan. That night, as we were sitting down to eat, I received a phone call from [Sgt. 1st Class] Dan Petithory who was at the American embassy. I could tell he was fighting back tears as he described what was taking place in New York and Washington. [Master Sgt.] Jefferson Davis, the team sergeant, sat down with the detachment and began to prepare them for the war that we wanted to fight. Our greatest fear was not death but the fear that we would not get a mission that would let us make a difference.

Only weeks later my team was in Afghanistan working with Hamid Karzai and his anti-Taliban forces to rid Afghanistan of the terrorists responsible for that tragedy. We grew close as a detachment . . . and we grew close to the brave Afghani fighters with whom we fought. Our mission was not one of revenge. It was a mission to help the people of Afghanistan and in so accomplishing this noble duty to rid their country of the terrorists who wounded America so grievously.

On November 16th, the town of Tirin Kowt deposed their Taliban administration and declared themselves free from the tyranny of that regime. The Taliban launched 500 men to retake that town but my team and Karzai’s rag-tag force of freedom fighters arrived first. We defended the town in a tense battle that lasted several hours. When it was over, we held the town. Hamid Karzai later learned that the Taliban planned to sack the town and slaughter the innocent families that lived there as a form of retribution.

The pride we felt that day will stay with us forever. Even now it sustains us in our sorrow. We came to kill the enemy -- to rid Afghanistan of the terrorists who dwelled there. We departed for war with fresh memory of what Al Qaeda had done to the men and women of our country on September 11th. We stopped the people of Tirin Kowt from facing a similar tragedy at the hands of their countrymen.

Less then a week ago, my team and the headquarters with us suffered terrible losses.

Master Sergeant Jefferson Davis was a father to the men of the detachment.

Sergeant First Class Dan Petithory was our older brother.

Staff Sergeant Cody Prosser was my friend.

Brave pilots took to the skies immediately to fly across Afghanistan in broad daylight to get us out. The doctors, nurses and technicians who cared for our wounded kept us alive. The quality of the care we received. . . the love and devotion showed by everyone to my wounded. . . will never be forgotten by my men or me. We could not have penetrated so deep behind enemy lines without faith that they would be there for us. Our faith was requited on that dark day.

The war continues in Afghanistan. Our prayers are with the servicemen and servicewomen who continue to perform their duties with the greatest measure of devotion across the world to ensure that the attacks of September 11th will never be repeated. Our prayers are with the families of our fallen brothers and our brothers who struggle to recover from their injuries. Our prayers are with the families of the victims of the attacks upon America and their fallen loved ones.

Now my team must recover just as our nation continues to recover. We will mourn our dead, will heal our wounded, and with heads held high, we will anxiously await the next opportunity to serve our country. Our fallen will not be forgotten. September 11th will not be forgotten.

"In the words of Tennyson:

Though much is taken, much abides; and though
we are not now that strength which in old days
moved Earth and Heaven, that which we are, we are,
one equal temper of heroic hearts,
made weak by time and fate, but strong in will,
to strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield."

De Oppresso Liber

My heart and my prayers are with Sgt. Petithory and his family, today, and everyday. The moonbats responsible for the defacing of the Memorial do not speak for the majority of America.

The United States of America stands behind our troops, and their families. We are ever grateful and thankful for the sacrifices made by our Military and their families.

America is proud of our Troops and their actions to put an end to the brutality, terror and barbaric acts suffered by so many for so long and to finally put an end to terrorism.

America is thankful and grateful for the sacrifices that our troops and their families make to protect and preserve our way of life.

As for me, well I can never thank our Troops enough for all they do to protect the United States and my personal freedom.

Please visit the Online Memorial and leave some kind words for Sgt. Petithory''s family.

Posted by LindaSoG at 01:32 PM | Comments (7)

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March 17, 2006

'fraid not, you bitch!

A move by Jane Fonda's home state of Georgia to honor the bitch for her US charity work has been defeated by the Georgia Senate with a vote of 38-1.

Republican Senator John Douglas said Fonda, who picked up the nickname "Hanoi Jane", was "guilty of treason".

"I can think of no living American who is less worthy of this honor," he said.

Senator Douglas, John F'ng Kerry comes close.

Piss off Jane.

Posted by LindaSoG at 03:09 PM | Comments (4)

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March 08, 2006

An Awesome Farewell

An update on Army SGT Rickey Jones, who was killed in action Feb. 22 when an improvised explosive device detonated near his Humvee during patrol operations in Hawijah, Iraq. You will remember reading about the "brave dissenters" who expressed their "support for our Troops" by vandalizing his family home and telephoning his parents.

SGT Rickey Jones graduated from Kokomo High School in the class of 2002 and I found this thread by someone I assume is a student at KHS on The Official Black Label Society, it was linked to my earlier post:

That is from my schools website.

Today we went out in the cold and rain to honor Kokomo's fallen soldier on US 31. There were about 50 of us all with flags and some with a big flag. When the procession started at about 11 am it didn't get over til about 11: 45 am. There were over 500 cars, 100 motorcycles(Patriot Guard Riders), and 10 to 20 military vehicles. Govenor Daniels was there along with the mayor of our town. I think I saw general, as well. Its was about 30 degrees, windy and rainy. Luckily the "Westboro Baptist Church" didn't show up, either. It was a good experiance and the people looked at us, and knew we cared.

Thank you Kokomo High School! Ya done good!

Posted by LindaSoG at 07:26 PM | Comments (4)

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March 04, 2006

Letter Writing Request

Most of you have read about the "brave dissenters" who expressed their "support for our Troops" by vandalizing the home of Army SGT Rickey Jones, who was killed in action Feb. 22 when an improvised explosive device detonated near his Humvee during patrol operations in Hawijah, Iraq. These "patriots" have actually called SGT Jones' family to tell them ‘I’m glad your son is dead.” If that wasn't enough for SGT Jones' family to deal with, Fred Phelps and his hatemongers will probably picket the funeral.

If you haven't heard about this, run on over and read what Emperor Misha has to say.

Army SGT Rickey Jones

CJ at A Soldier's Perspective, is trying to help organize a letter writing campaign to the family of SGT Rickey Jones.

If you are as disgusted as I am and would like to write a letter to have delivered to this family, please email Lauren (MyWay716@aol.com) for more information. The good people over at Operation Military Pride are helping facilitate the delivery of these letters.

This family recently lost a son and shouldn’t have to deal with people like Fred Phelps and the people responsible for the egging of their home and irreverent phone calls. If you feel the same way I do, please email her and write this family a letter of support and love. Let them know that we appreciate their son’s service and mourn their loss. Let’s show them what America is really made of. This isn’t about whether or not you support the war. This is about common decency for a family that has suffered the ultimate sacrifice…having to bury a child. Thank you in advance. When this is over, I want the post office to have to hire new postmen just to handle the volume.

Let's get it done!

Posted by LindaSoG at 08:13 PM | Comments (7)

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Woo Hoo!

Congratulations are in order!

Atta-boy!

Posted by LindaSoG at 08:00 PM | Comments (4)

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February 03, 2006

Well Said Sir!

WaPo Weasels

Wanna draw a soldier, Toles? Here I am,
Back with all four limbs from Vietnam.
You wanna draw pictures of fighting men?
Just tell me where and tell me when.
I’ll give you a pose to impress any viewer,
Your punk arty ass comatose in the sewer.
Like all of your kind you don’t have a clue
Who fightin’ men are and what fightin’ men do.

That you, your kind, you effete panty waists,
With Hollywood morals, metrosexual tastes,
Would taunt a brave warrior’s fight for life,
Mock his loss, his pain, deride his strife;
And use his sorrow to support your screed,
With no concern for the warrior’s need,
Tells me you are clueless of the facts of war,
You’re a cut ‘n run, spineless, media whore.

Go to Walter Reed hospital, smug Mr. Toles,
To see those you’ve mocked, grave injured souls
View wounded warriors with bodies so broken
And think again of the message you’ve spoken,
So abysmally ignorant, so smug condescending
That even most liberals won’t waste time defending.
So Toles it’s a fact that your most famous work
Will proclaim you forever as a pitiless jerk.

And Washington Post you’re as bad as this weasel
You gave him the forum, provided his easel.

Russ Vaughn
2d Bn, 327th Parachute Infantry Regiment
101st Airborne Division
Vietnam 65-66

Hand Salute Sir, and thank you for saying that so well!

Posted by LindaSoG at 12:15 PM | Comments (0)

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December 22, 2005

Thank a Soldier Week

click it!

This stays at the top for the week. Scroll down for the new stuff.

Posted by LindaSoG at 01:00 PM | Comments (2)

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December 08, 2005

Why Wait?

click it!

American soldiers are risking their lives all over the globe defending America's interests and defending the freedoms that many of us take for granted. During Thank a Soldier Week (December 19-25), Townhall.com is encouraging Americans to stop for a moment and give thanks to the men and women risking everything for us.

Posted by LindaSoG at 12:04 PM | Comments (0)

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December 07, 2005

Ummm... Yeah.

Posted by LindaSoG at 01:31 PM | Comments (0)

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November 28, 2005

More Good News from Iraq

Chances are you won't find this on the evening news, or in your local newspaper, because as it turns out, the Washington Times was the only news outlet to report this story:

Iraq's Red Crescent relief organization found its own way to mark the Thanksgiving holiday yesterday by announcing that it had sent a $1 million "thank you" donation to the victims of Hurricane Katrina.

The sum, transferred by wire on Sunday, amounts to 20 percent of the organization's annual budget.

"I wish we could have a billion dollars to give," Said Hakki, the organization's president, said by telephone from Baghdad. "Even then, it is not enough to show our appreciation for what the U.S. has done for Iraq and is still doing."

The donation was made with the approval of the office of Prime Minister Ibrahim al-Jaafari and is thought to mark the first time that Iraq has sent aid to the United States.

"Giving thanks is an Iraqi tradition as well as an American one. This is the minimum we could do after the Americans shed their blood in our country, mixing their blood with ours," he said.

He said the overthrow of dictator Saddam Hussein was "a blessing from God, and the U.S. was His tool."

Iraq, for the first time ever, sends aid to the United States and the media fails to report it. Imagine that.

But then, my local rag, the Miami Herald, did have this:

France has offered to fly over some of the city's musicians and provide them with rent-free residences and monthly stipends for up to three months, in hopes of compensating for concerts canceled after Hurricane Katrina.

and so did every other local rag.

Sickening, ain't it?

Posted by LindaSoG at 07:09 AM | Comments (3)

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November 27, 2005

Glenn McCoy

I found this at Major K, it comes straight out of Stars & Stripes:

As Some Soldier's Mom said... First there is Victory, then there is peace.

Thank you Glenn McCoy.

Posted by LindaSoG at 07:14 AM | Comments (0)

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November 24, 2005

A Marine's View

What are you thankful for?
by Captain B.

Hat tip: Pettifog

Posted by LindaSoG at 07:49 AM | Comments (3)

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November 20, 2005

The Final Salute

Never leave a Marine behind.

Semper Fidelis

Posted by LindaSoG at 05:00 AM | Comments (0)

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November 11, 2005

Thank You!

Veterans' Day will come and go
Quicker than the blink of an eye
But memories of heroes present and past
Will never, ever die.

The youth of today, do you understand?
The price brave men did pay
To preserve the freedom we enjoy
Each and every day.

They were called to duty, and so they went
Not knowing what was to be
Many came home, some never did
They sacrificed so we could be free.

How lonely some must have felt
How scared some had to be
They paid the bill with their own blood
What a great cost to be free.

The heroes of our country
Are the ones who paved the way
For freedom and the many rights
That we enjoy today.

Next time, young folks, you pass someone
Who may be old and gray
Remember — thanks to him or her
You have your freedom today.

Support our President, support our troops
Support our country, too
As they go fighting for what is right
For freedom the price is due.

by Holly Rulli

Posted by LindaSoG at 08:04 AM | Comments (3)

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November 10, 2005

Hoo Rah!

Click on it!

I took the test. No surprise here, my Dad is a Marine and I have always been Daddy's Girl:

You scored as Marines. semper phi, you are a hardcore jarhead. First in, last out, In the rear with the gear is not for you. Rock on & move out. Call your local U.S.M.C. recruiter now. Marines 95% Navy 50% Army 25% Click to find out what military branch you are.

I miss you Dad!

Posted by LindaSoG at 06:37 AM | Comments (5)

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November 07, 2005

Project Valour-IT - A Worthy Cause!

I see hundreds of them on the road and in parking lots every day. All different colors and designs. Some yellow, some red, white and blue, some a combination. They all say the same thing. There is a yellow one on the back of my truck right now.

Support the Troops.

A fine notion, and one that America has not truly embraced since WWII. There were plenty of troops to support in-between now and then. I attended Support the Troops rallies during Desert Storm, including one on Biscayne Boulevard in Downtown Miami. Now the only rallies we see there are the anti-war rallies run by socialist/communists who consider America to be the enemy.

But, there are all those magnets. All those people who claim to support the troops. Spend your $5.00, stick it on the back of your vehicle and go on your merry way, doing all the day to day things in your life made possible by those very same troops.

What if... what if you met one of those troops face to face. One of those troops who spent several nights sleeping in a hollow in the sand, like those pictures you saw last year in your email? One of those troops who took Baghdad from Saddam's Army in less time than it took Reno to massacre the Branch Davidians? One of those troops who went door to door in Fallujah, under fire by terrorists. One of those troops who fired back, protecting himself, his unit, and yes, protecting you in the process. One of those troops who were running a supply convoy and ran into an I.E.D. One of those troops who took part in one of these IPOs? What if that troop had been injured?

Would you show him your magnet?

Project Valour-IT, in memory of SFC William V. Ziegenfuss, provides voice-controlled software and laptop computers to wounded Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Marines recovering from hand and arm injuries or amputations at major military medical centers. Operating laptops by speaking into a microphone, our wounded heroes are able to send and receive messages from friends and loved ones, surf the 'Net, and communicate with buddies still in the field without having to press a key or move a mouse. The experience of CPT Charles "Chuck" Ziegenfuss, a partner in the project who suffered hand wounds while serving in Iraq, illustrates how important this voice-controlled software can be to a wounded servicemember's recovery.

Many of my readers will remember when I made my Let's Cheer Up Chuck post in July. My goal at that time was to cheer up Chuck as he recovered from wounds he received while defending our freedom in Iraq. Many of you sent cards and letters to Chuck during his stay at Walter Reed and I thank you for that.

But there are other brave troops like Chuck who need our help, and they deserve the very best that America has to offer. Will they get it? I hope so, and I am sure you hope so too.

But, like the magnets on the back of all those cars, hope is not going to do much to support these who have done their very best to protect our Freedom, and this Country.

I urge you to do a little more then just hope. Please head over to one of these sites and help. Put your money where your mouth is. Send the price of a magnet if that's all you can afford. But send something.

Visit the Valor-IT Blogspot for more info or join a team.

Soldier's Angel
STOP the ACLU
BIG DOG's Weblog
My Vast Right Wing Conspiracy
Argghhh!!!
One Marine's View
The Gunn Nutt
Righty in a Left State

H/T: Wild Thing

Linked at TMH's Bacon Bits;

Posted by LindaSoG at 07:08 AM | Comments (0)

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November 05, 2005

Silly String Open Trackback Saturday

A couple of years ago, I sent a certain infantryman six cans of Silly String. They were on sale at the dollar store, I had some room in the box, and I figured, what the heck, okay? In return, I got an email with details of the ensuing silly string fight in the tent, the clean-up afterwards, and the mild reprimands that followed.

That was then, and this is now.

Get on over to Cockeyed.com and see what good use silly string has in the military. Amazing, spread the word and save some lives!

H/T to KisP for this one.

The rest of this post is Open Trackbacks so have it folks.

What is an open trackback? Well, you trackback here and your link shows up at the bottom of this post. If your blogging software doesn’t have built-in trackbacks, then you can use the Whizbang Standalone Trackback Pinger. There is a slim chance that your trackback might get tagged by my de-spammer and stuck in my junk folder. As soon as I see it, I will de-junk it. Failure to link back to this post in your post will result in the deletion of your trackback. Finally, I do not accept advertisements on my site so if you're trying slip in a business advertisement via a business blog post, it will be deleted even if you trackback here.

So? Pimp that blog!

Linked at: Blogging Out Loud, NIF, Oblogatory Anecdotes, Point Five, Soldiers' Angel - Holly Aho, and My Vast Right Wing Conspiracy.

Posted by LindaSoG at 07:35 AM | Comments (0)

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October 07, 2005

Port-a-Potty Etiquette

Strange... but true...

Signs like this one have been posted in all the Iraqi Army compound port-a-potties. Initially there were no signs, but over a short period of time, it was determined something had to be done.

H/T to Lost in Iraq via Theodore's World.

Posted by LindaSoG at 07:26 PM | Comments (0)

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September 06, 2005

Cheer Up Chuck Part II

When I made this post in July, my goal was to Cheer Up Chuck as he recovered from wounds he received while defending our freedom in Iraq. Many of you sent cards and letters to Chuck during his stay at Walter Reed and you will be happy to know that Chuck is home, and on his way to recovery.

So. Chuck was at Walter Reed Hospital and yes, that means that he is one America's Heroes who was subjected to the Code Pinko protest. Chuck had this to say:

Walter Reed Protesters

Some of y'all have asked me to weigh in on what I think of the protesters outside Walter Reed. Now. I don't know if I'm letting the tail wag the dog here. As far as blogging on topics that my readers ask about, I don't know if that's pandering to my audience or is just having the same thoughts. I've seen them outside the gates many times. And I've had several thoughts on what to do about them.

First, the Captain Chuck Ziegenfuss response to protesters outside the gate:

I think it's wonderful the people in this country are allowed to express themselves any way they feel, I think it's wonderful that they are willing to go out and hold up signs and demonstrate for what they believe in what they believe to be a true and just cause. I have fought for their right to do this and I believe that their First Amendment rights should not be in any way imposed upon.

Now, as for their selection of a place to demonstrate against the war, I think it is abhorrent that they would choose to do that outside of the hospital that treats soldiers who were wounded in the war. It can only serve to discourage the soldiers who are trying to heal. As the soldiers come in the gates they see these asshats holding up their signs and banners and they see how much these people hate what they do and what they're doing. I would much rather they went and demonstrated in front of the Congress or in front of the White House, and even more so if the simply demonstrated with their ballot, when it comes time to vote.

OK, put all in your tinfoil hats and try and hold on, because his is the to be a fun ride. They're now that my tinfoil hat is firmly affixed and the mind control beams can no longer hurt me, this is what I would like to see people do. I would like to see people show up and join their demonstration. By the tens or by the hundreds it would please me greatly. I would like to see them holding up signs. Great big signs. The signs that say: “We are asshats!” Signs that say: “We are idiots!” And other signs of that ilk. That would serve to discount with the protesters are doing. Smother them with signs that make them look foolish. Exercise your freedom of speech and your freedom to demonstrate and your freedom to express yourself. Don't do it across the street do it right where they're standing set up such a confusing message that their words are lost.

Wait a minute, I think if there's a hole in my tinfoil helmet, I gotta reach for the duct tape. Uncle Bobby stopped by and gave me the ultimate men's toolkit, everything you need: a bottle of liquor (but my wife won't let me touch because all my meds they do not use of alcohol) and a roll of duct tape. That's it, that's all you need. Anyway...

now to the tinfoil helmet is to completely sealed, I would much rather that people showed up there with baseball bats and beat them to a bloody pulp, and then showed up the next day and beat any survivors to a bloody pulp. On the third day, collect up anyone that still shows up, and give them a hug for their dedication to their beliefs. Then club them like a baby harp seal on coat-making day. These shitbags are little more than the people who protested as men came home from Vietnam after serving their country.

As I remove the tinfoil helmet I can't believe what I just wrote. I would never, ever advocate violence against my fellow American who is simply trying to demonstrate what he believes in and who is exercising his right.

Thank you Chuck. That put a big old smile on my face. Ya know, one of the signs we frequently use when we counter-protest the local asshats here in Miami says: "Help! I'm surrounded by America Hating Idiots." The asshats hate that sign. Another says: "This Fiasco is Brought to You by Your Local Communist Party." They hate that one too.

Indeed, a baseball bat would be highly satisfying, but I'd settle for a cluebat. Alas and alas, it seems that these asshats couldn't find a clue if we doused them in clue musk and set them to dancing the clue mating dance in a field of horny clues.

So. Glad you're on the mend Chuck. Thank you for serving this great Country, and for protecting my personal freedom.

Posted by LindaSoG at 07:26 AM | Comments (1)

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September 04, 2005

Troops Battle Insurgents

in... New Orleans.

Combat operations are underway on the streets "to take this city back" in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.

"This place is going to look like Little Somalia," Brig. Gen. Gary Jones, commander of the Louisiana National Guard’s Joint Task Force told Army Times Friday as hundreds of armed troops under his charge prepared to launch a massive citywide security mission from a staging area outside the Louisiana Superdome. "We’re going to go out and take this city back. This will be a combat operation to get this city under control."

Hard to believe that we are talking about America, but we are.

"We’re here to do whatever they need us to do," Sgt. 1st Class Ron Dixon, of the Oklahoma National Guard’s 1345th Transportation Company. "We packed to stay as long as it takes."

While some fight the insurgency in the city, other carry on with rescue and evacuation operations.

That's right folks, our troops are fighting "insurgents" on American soil in the midst of hurricane rescue operations.

According to Petty Officer 3rd Class Jeremy Grishamn, a spokesman for the amphibious assault ship Bataan, the vessel kept its helicopters at sea Thursday night after several military helicopters reported being shot at from the ground.

Numerous soldiers also told Army Times that they have been shot at by armed civilians in New Orleans. Spokesmen for the Joint Task Force Headquarters at the Superdome were unaware of any servicemen being wounded in the streets, although one soldier is recovering from a gunshot wound sustained during a struggle with a civilian in the dome Wednesday night.

"I never thought that as a National Guardsman I would be shot at by other Americans," said Spc. Philip Baccus of the 527th Engineer Battalion. "And I never thought I’d have to carry a rifle when on a hurricane relief mission. This is a disgrace."

Your damn right, it is a disgrace. There can be no rationalization or justification for what is happening in New Orleans right now.

And what about morale?

Spc. Cliff Ferguson of the 527th Engineer Battalion pointed out that he knows there are plenty of decent people in New Orleans, but he said it is hard to stay motivated considering the circumstances.

"This is making a lot of us think about not reenlisting." Ferguson said. "You have to think about whether it is worth risking your neck for someone who will turn around and shoot at you. We didn’t come here to fight a war. We came here to help."

And the good people of New Orleans, what do they say?

"The New Orleans I knew ain't no more," Michael Davis

To hell with the New Orleans "insurgency," I hope they get eaten by an alligator. In the battle for New Orleans, I'm pulling for the troops.

Posted by LindaSoG at 04:13 AM | Comments (0)

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August 28, 2005

For Freedom!

An American Soldier, a hero!

Today accompanied by my wife and children I met with my new unit and took the oath of enlistment. The picture above was found on the net. I thought it was significant because the photo are Soldiers re-enlisting at Ziggurat of Ur, a famous archaeological site in Iraq, built around 2100 BC to honor the moon god Nanna.

Just like them, I didn’t need to re-enlist. I did it because in this day and age, where there is so much unpredictability, there needs to be Soldiers who will stand to defend our beloved country and freedoms. No matter if you are a supporter or not, you can count on a Soldier to preserve what many people take for granted. Freedom!

Thank G-d for men like this.

Posted by LindaSoG at 08:33 AM | Comments (2)

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August 13, 2005

In Memory of a Soldier

A Useful Death

A mother’s anguish turns to ire,
Her liquid tears to spears of fire,
A useful fool for the liberal Left,
All hatred now, no more bereft.
The honor which her son embraced,
Is now dishonored, now disgraced,
As his mother stands atop his grave,
From there to shriek, from there to rave.

Yes, some are maddened in their grief,
And grief can surely change belief;
But this woman’s views, her family say,
Have long been held, long fore today,
Enabling Leftists to use her grieving,
For Moore deception, Moore deceiving.
I see this mother as a willing fool,
A useful Moorish Code Pinko tool.

As one who fought in another place,
I sorrow for this boy’s disgrace,
By a zealot mother grafting grief
Stealing his brave deeds, an honor thief,
Usurping his valor to claim her share,
Five minutes of fame in Media’s glare.
Her platform one you don’t see often:
A dishonored, flag-draped, soldier’s coffin.

I can hear Michael Moore muttering under his breath,
“Yeah, this was really a useful death.”

Russ Vaughn

Posted by LindaSoG at 07:19 PM | Comments (0)

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August 12, 2005

Shame on you, Cindy

Breaking on Drudge...

FAMILY OF FALLEN SOLDIER PLEADS: PLEASE STOP, CINDY!
Thu Aug 11 2005 12:56:21 ET

The family of American soldier Casey Sheehan, who was killed in Iraq on April 4, 2004, has broken its silence and spoken out against his mother Cindy Sheehan's anti-war vigil against George Bush held outside the president's Crawford, Texas ranch.

The following email was received by the DRUDGE REPORT from Casey's aunt and godmother:

Our family has been so distressed by the recent activities of Cindy we are breaking our silence and we have collectively written a statement for release. Feel free to distribute it as you wish.

Thanks, Cherie

In response to questions regarding the Cindy Sheehan/Crawford Texas issue:

Sheehan Family Statement:

The Sheehan Family lost our beloved Casey in the Iraq War and we have been silently, respectfully grieving. We do not agree with the political motivations and publicity tactics of Cindy Sheehan. She now appears to be promoting her own personal agenda and notoriety at the the expense of her son's good name and reputation. The rest of the Sheehan Family supports the troops, our country, and our President, silently, with prayer and respect.

Sincerely,
Casey Sheehan's grandparents, aunts, uncles and numerous cousins.

Drudge has that as developing but meanwhile...

Mere Rhetoric reminds us not to call left-wing media star Cindy Sheehan an anti-Semite just because she's funded by a group that advocates the destruction of Israel. Call her an anti-Semite because she believes that a dark cabal of Jews is running the US government:

Cindy Sheehan, the mother of a U.S. soldier who was killed in Sadr City, Iraq, on April 4, 2004, expressed her distress and frustration... "Am I emotional? Yes, my first born was murdered. Am I angry? Yes, he was killed for lies and for a PNAC Neo-Con agenda to benefit Israel. My son joined the Army to protect America, not Israel. Am I stupid? No, I know full-well that my son, my family, this nation, and this world were betrayed by George [W.] Bush who was influenced by the neo-con PNAC agenda after 9/11."

Ah yes, it was the Joos who got her son killed. Obviously. Who else could it possibly be?

Posted by LindaSoG at 02:39 PM | Comments (2)

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August 07, 2005

Meet The Sheik

Officially, he's Army Staff Sgt. Dale L. Horn, but to residents of the 37 villages and towns that he patrols he's known as the American sheik. And he's from Florida!

It started when a local sheik friendly to U.S. forces, Dr. Mohammed Ismail Ahmed, explained the inner workings of rural Iraqi society on one of Horn's first Humvee patrols.

Horn says he was intrigued, and started making a point of stopping by all the villages, all but one dominated by Sunni Arabs, to talk to people about their life and security problems.

Moreover, he pressed for development projects in the area: he now boasts that he helped funnel $136,000 worth of aid into the area. Part of that paid for delivery of clean water to 30 villages during the broiling summer months.

"They saw that we were interested in them, instead of just taking care of the bases," Horn said.

Mohammed, Horn's mentor and known for his dry sense of humor, eventually suggested during a meeting of village leaders that Horn be named a sheik. The sheiks approved by voice vote, Horn said.

Some sheiks later gave him five sheep and a postage stamp of land, fulfilling some of the requirements for sheikdom. Others encouraged him to start looking for a second wife, which Horn's spouse back in Florida immediately vetoed.

But what may have originally started as a joke among crusty village elders has sprouted into something serious enough for 100 to 200 village leaders to meet with Horn each month to discuss security issues.

The sheiks told Horn they will give him an official document deeming him a sheik before he goes home in about two months. He plans to frame it.

Read the rest of it here.

Posted by LindaSoG at 08:09 AM | Comments (1)

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August 06, 2005

So Many Rules...

I found this over at Slagle's and laughed for about ten minutes:

THE 213 THINGS SKIPPY IS NO LONGER ALLOWED TO DO IN THE U.S. ARMY

By SGT Shawn Stanford

Once upon a time, there was a SPC Schwarz stationed with the Army in the Balkans. SPC Schwarz was either very clever or very bored; but probably both, since he managed to attempt or be warned about 213 things he wasn't allowed to do. He collected those things into a hillarious list and posted them to the web. assembled into a giant battle-robot.

1. Not allowed to watch Southpark when I'm supposed to be working.
2. My proper military title is 'Specialist Schwarz' not 'Princess Anastasia.
3. Not allowed to threaten anyone with black magic.
4. Not allowed to challenge anyone's disbelief of black magic by asking for hair.
5. Not allowed to get silicone breast implants.
6. Not allowed to play 'Pulp Fiction' with a suction-cup dart pistol and any officer.
7. Not allowed to add 'In accordance with the prophesy' to the end of answers I give to a question an officer asks me.
8. Not allowed to add pictures of officers I don't like to War Criminal posters.
9. Not allowed to title any product 'Get Over it'.
10. Not allowed to purchase anyone's soul on Government time.

That's just the first 10, Slagle's got 'em all here.

Posted by LindaSoG at 09:11 AM | Comments (0)

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Too Cool!

and I found it here.

Posted by LindaSoG at 09:03 AM

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Too Cool!

and I found it here.

Posted by LindaSoG at 09:03 AM | Comments (0)

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July 14, 2005

Soldier's Funeral, Texas Style

Jack Army has a note about a Soldier's funeral (he was serving our country in Iraq):

However, the most incredible thing was what happened following the service on the way to the cemetery. We went to our cars and drove to the cemetery escorted by at least 10 police cars with lights flashing and some other emergency vehicles, with Texas Rangers handling traffic. Everyone on the road who was not in the procession, pulled over, got out of their cars, and stood silently and respectfully, some put their hands over their hearts, some had small flags. Shop keepers came outside with their customers and did the same thing. Construction workers stopped their work, got off their equipment and put their hands over their hearts, too. There was no noise whatsoever except a few birds and the quiet hum of cars going slowly up the road.

When we turned off the highway suddenly there were teenage boys along both sides of the street about every 20 feet or so, all holding large American flags on long flag poles, and again with their hands on their hearts. We thought at first it was the Boy Scouts or 4H club or something, but it continued .... for two and a half miles. Hundreds of young people, standing silently on the side of the road with flags. At one point we passed an elementary school, and all the children were outside, shoulder to shoulder holding flags ... kindergartners, handicapped, teachers, staff, everyone. Some held signs of love and support. Then came teenage girls and younger boys, all holding flags. Then adults. Then families. All standing silently on the side of the road. No one spoke, not even the very young children. The last few turns found people crowded together holding flags or with their hands on their hearts. Some were on horseback.

You can read the rest over here and there are some pictures too. Bring a hankie.

G-d Bless our Troops and G-d Bless Texas.

UPDATE 07/16/05: The soldier's name is James Kiel.

Spc. Kiel was killed in the ambush of 507th Maintenance Company on March 23, 2003. More information can be found here.

Posted by LindaSoG at 08:18 AM | Comments (0)

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Good Dog!

Meet Dorman... and Buddy...

Buddy lives in Iraq and Dorman works there. They had a kodak moment the other day.

Dorman has shared the photos, and he had to this say about it:

About the dog. That day I was pretty much a wreck due to some personal issues. I was dragging my sad-ass back from the DFAC when I passed Buddy. He looked at me and uncharacteristic to most Iraqi dogs, let me pet him. He followed me back to my work site. So, I thought, the hell with work, the hell with depression. I miss my dogs, let's play! So for the next hour I was pretty much just entertaining the dog. He eventually got interested in something else and explored his way off my site. I haven't seen him since.

Thanks Buddy!

Posted by LindaSoG at 07:53 AM | Comments (0)

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July 11, 2005

Let's Cheer Up Chuck!

My mission today is to Cheer Up Chuck (gosh, that sounds funny) and yes, that makes it your mission too.

Chuck blogs from Iraq over at From My Position, except now he's at Walter Reed, recovering from injuries he got from an IED in June. He just had some serious surgery and could use a little cheering up.

CPT Charles W. Ziegenfuss
PO Box 59051
Washington, DC 20012

So get your butts over to Hallmark kiddies and do your part to Cheer Up Chuck!

Thank you!

Posted by LindaSoG at 07:38 AM | Comments (0)

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June 13, 2005

This is some serious stuff

Your attention! Your attention please... SondraK has put up a CALL OUT! The 82nd Airborne Division needs your support! Yes, I mean you, all of you!

There are approx. 2000 guys and gals that need our letters and thoughts right now during this hard-fought battle, and I KNOW we can cover each and every one.

So... what are you waiting for? Head on over to Knowledge is Power, get an address, and Support our Troops. Do it! Do it now! Thank you!

Posted by LindaSoG at 08:37 PM | Comments (0)

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June 06, 2005

Invasion of Normandy

Order of the Day - June 6, 1944

click to hear it!

Soldiers, Sailors and Airmen of the Allied Expeditionary Forces: You are about to embark upon the Great Crusade, toward which we have striven these many months. The eyes of the world are upon you. The hopes and prayers of liberty-loving people everywhere march with you. In company with our brave Allies and brothers-in-arms on other Fronts you will bring about the destruction of the German war machine, the elimination of Nazi tyranny over oppressed peoples of Europe, and security for ourselves in a free world.

Your task will not be an easy one. Your enemy is well trained, well equipped and battle-hardened. He will fight savagely.

But this is the year 1944! Much has happened since the Nazi triumphs of 1940-41. The United Nations have inflicted upon the Germans great defeats, in open battle, man-to-man. Our air offensive has seriously reduced their strength in the air and their capacity to wage war on the ground. Our Home Fronts have given us an overwhelming superiority in weapons and munitions of war, and placed at our disposal great reserves of trained fighting men. The tide has turned! The free men of the world are marching together to Victory!

I have full confidence in your courage, devotion to duty and skill in battle. We will accept nothing less than full victory!

Good Luck! And let us all beseech the blessing of Almighty God upon this great and noble undertaking.

-- General Dwight D. Eisenhower's message to the troops of the Allied Expeditionary Forces on June 6, 1944, the morning of the invasion.

The D-Day operation of June 6, 1944 brought together the land, air and sea forces of the allied armies in what became known as the largest invasion force in human history.

The operation, given the codename OVERLORD, delivered five naval assault divisions to the beaches of Normandy, France. The beaches were given the codenames UTAH, OMAHA, GOLD, JUNO and SWORD. The invasion force included 7,000 ships and landing craft manned by over 195,000 naval personnel from eight allied countries. Almost 133,000 troops from England, Canada and the United States landed on D-Day.

Casualties from the three countries during the landing numbered 10,300.

By June 30th, over 850,000 men, 148,000 vehicles, and 570,000 tons of supplies had landed on the Normandy shores. Fighting by the brave soldiers, sailors and airmen of the allied forces western front and Russian forces on the eastern front led to the defeat of German Nazi forces.

On May 7, 1945, German General Alfred Jodl signed an unconditional surrender at Reims, France.

Posted by LindaSoG at 06:54 AM | Comments (0)

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May 30, 2005

Memorial Day 2005

The Sheepdogs

Most humans truly are like sheep
Wanting nothing more than peace to keep
To graze, grow fat and raise their young,
Sweet taste of clover on the tongue.
Their lives serene upon Life’s farm,
They sense no threat nor fear no harm.
On verdant meadows, they forage free
With naught to fear, with naught to flee.
They pay their sheepdogs little heed
For there is no threat; there is no need.

To the flock, sheepdog’s are mysteries,
Roaming watchful round the peripheries.
These fang-toothed creatures bark, they roar
With the fetid reek of the carnivore,
Too like the wolf of legends told,
To be amongst our docile fold.
Who needs sheepdogs? What good are they?
They have no use, not in this day.
Lock them away, out of our sight
We have no need of their fierce might.

But sudden in their midst a beast
Has come to kill, has come to feast
The wolves attack; they give no warning
Upon that calm September morning
They slash and kill with frenzied glee
Their passive helpless enemy
Who had no clue the wolves were there
Far roaming from their Eastern lair.
Then from the carnage, from the rout,
Comes the cry, “Turn the sheepdogs out!”

Thus is our nature but too our plight
To keep our dogs on leashes tight
And live a life of illusive bliss
Hearing not the beast, his growl, his hiss.
Until he has us by the throat,
We pay no heed; we take no note.
Not until he strikes us at our core
Will we unleash the Dogs of War
Only having felt the wolf pack’s wrath
Do we loose the sheepdogs on its path.

And the wolves will learn what we’ve shown before;
We love our sheep, we Dogs of War.

Russ Vaughn
2d Bn, 327th Parachute Infantry Regiment
101st Airborne Division
Vietnam 65-66

Posted by LindaSoG at 08:08 AM | Comments (1)

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May 26, 2005

Justice at Last!

Marine Second Lieutenant Ilario Pantano is many things. An American. A Marine. A husband. A son. A father. A hero.

One thing Marine Second Lieutenant Ilario Pantano is not.

Marine Second Lieutenant Ilario Pantano is not a criminal.

"Down at the unit level, there was never a question about Ilario's conduct and whether or not he did the right thing," Charles Gittins, Pantano's civilian lawyer, said Thursday. "It was up in the higher echelons. The people removed from combat situations needed to put more trust in their officers rather than assuming they're guilty."

An investigating officer concluded in a report to Huck that murder charges should be dropped against Pantano

Huck could have accepted Winn's recommendation, given some form of administrative punishment or gone ahead with a court-martial. He decided that Pantano should face no punishment for any of his actions.

"I think it demonstrates that Ilario acted honorably in combat and the suggestion that tarnished his reputation was unjustified," Gittins said.

Yes, that's exactly right, Ilario Pantano is a hero, in every sense of the word.

I thank G-d for men like Marine Second Lieutenant Ilario Pantano.

Semper Fi!

Posted by LindaSoG at 08:39 AM

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May 21, 2005

The Truth About Michael Crook

The truth comes out at last, as it always does. Guess what?

Poor pathetic Michael Crook tried and tried to get into the army, and the army didn't want him. Yep, he washed out of boot camp on a medical discharge.

FACT: Michael Crook is nothing but soldier wanna be with a resentment.

So, now the pathetic little putz has a grudge against the military, do you suppose he was feeling a little inadequate?

Appears so, and, it appears that Mike's demented way of dealing with his inadequacies is his pathetic and disgusting attack on our brave soldiers who are out there defending America, doing what he is unable to do.

Like many others, when I first saw that website, I wanted to explode but now that I know who and what Michael Crook is, I really don't give a crap about it. He's a pathetic little shit.

Here's Silent Mike's pitiful and pathetic story about the army that he wrote in 1999...

My Time In the Army
and
I Would be proud to serve-- if the Army would let me

Except... well... as can be expected from Mike, there are discrepancies, there is mention in one article that Silent Mike had some sort of legal problem that might have drummed him out of service... and no mention of that in the other. Wonder what the truth behind that might be...

But... Let's talk about hypocrisy...

"Whether it be the Army, Marines, Navy, the Air Force, or the Coast Guard, our country wouldn't be where it is today without the valuable service of the countless men and women who have served." - Silent Mike, a/k/a Michael Crook

"I felt it a privilege to salute while the flag was being retired at dusk. I can feel the mutual pride and respect when I salute an officer or observe a salute being rendered." - Silent Mike a/k/a Michael Crook

But wait... there's more:

"At the same time, I feel sadness, because I know I'm not on the training field finishing my basic training as I should be. I feel jealousy fill up within me every time I pass a serviceperson in the mall or elsewhere. In a few cases, I've stopped and spoken briefly with them and reminded them how privileged they are to be serving out country." - Silent Mike, a/k/a Michael Crook

"Freedom isn't free" may be a cliche, but it is very true. Many people, men and women, have died to ensure that we can listen to the music that we do, say whatever we want, and have all the various freedoms that we exercise practically every day and take for granted. - Silent Mike a/k/a Michael Crook

Almost makes you feel sorry for him. Almost... but not.

I am now done with this disgusting and pathetic little hypocrite. On his pathetic little website, Mike brags about how he is known for various accomplishments nationwide, and hated all across this great country of ours.

Got news for you Mike, you will be forever known as the little wanna be soldier who couldn't make it in the army and who then tried to piss in the pool, and, you will be mocked and laughed at all across this great country of ours.

"Perhaps in November when we ovserve [sic] Veterans Day, and when next May brings Memorial Day, we can think beyond the day off of owek [sic] and school and remember not only the people who have died in service to our country, but also the countless others who voluntarily leave behind their loved ones to serve in the military." - Silent Mike, a/k/a Michael Crook

What a hypocrite.

Oh... and... he's a pervert too.

Posted by LindaSoG at 03:51 PM | Comments (11)

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May 17, 2005

Michael Crook is a PoS

Some people will do anything for attention, even fake their own death. But some are so pathetic and desperate for attention that they will fake their own death and blame it on the United States Military.

The scumbag behind the Forsake the Troops webite had this posted on his site:

On Monday evening, the webmaster of Forsake The Troops was brutally assaulted by two men, thought to be members of the military, in response to their opinions about this website. Mr. Crook had been the target of numerous death threats and trespassers at his residence. All of these threats were saved and have been turned over to the authorities.

UPDATE:

At 6:19pm Eastern time, Michael Crook died of his injuries, after being rushed by ambulance to the leading hospital in the area for head trauma. The two men who allegedly assaulted him are currently in the custody of police. Mr. Crook died with his wife and infant daughter present.

It is therefore the decision of his family, and associates that Forsake The Troops goes offline, to prevent further incidents of violence and threats against his family. Therefore, this domain will permanantly go offline at around 5pm Eastern time, on Tuesday, May 17th, 2005.

Comments, and well-wishes may be addressed to condolences@michaelcrook.com. Media inquiries (no interviews with family at this time), or sincere inquiries from well-meaning people may be directed to (315) 295-2602.

Too bad it ain't true.

A controversial Web site that has called wounded soldiers "leeches" and celebrates when U.S. servicemen are killed in action, is claiming its Web master was beaten to death yesterday.

But local police say no murder has occurred.

The site, www.foresakethetroops.info, posted a claim Tuesday morning that Michael Crook was physically attacked by two men and later died in a hospital from his injuries. The statement speculated that the attackers are "thought to be members of the military, in response to their opinions about this Web site."

The site also says the two attackers were "taken into police custody."

But officials with the Onondaga County Sheriff’s Office in Syracuse told Army Times Tuesday that they have no record or knowledge of any such attack in the region.

A message left at the phone number listed on the Web site was not immediately returned.

The Web site has repeatedly posted disparaging comments about the military. Crook, the alleged blogger of the site, has said his main intent is to inform Americans that soldiers are paid too much for what they do.

Recently the site posted this: "Don't military pukes learn anything? Nine more Marines bite the big one in combat. Stupid is as stupid does!"

On May 15, the Web site had a tally of American troops killed in Iraq. It read: "Number of US soldiers killed in the Iraq War, of their own doing, because they CHOSE to be leeches: 1,583. These scumbags asked for it, and got it. Simper Cry."

Meanwhile, the PoS has this to say on his weblog (and no, I won't give the PoS a link, write me if you want one):

Well, I suppose the cat's out of the bag, so....I'm not dead.

To those that sent heartfelt messages, and felt that this was a true story, I truly apologize. This situation quickly got out of hand, when national media outlets called looking for clarification.

I honestly thought people would shrug it off, and go on their merry way. I even got a kick out of the numerous hate messages from people, including an e-mail message from this numbnuts:

------------------------------------------

Yea, I am sorry that I couldn't have been there to watch you die. Go Army.

-----------------------------------------

Real nice guy, he. In any event, this story got way out of hand. The Troops site has, indeed, been taken offline, because quite frankly, I'm tired of the time it takes to maintain it. It's not from a lack of hosts; there are plenty of companies willing to take my money, but enough is enough. Let the drunken rednecks from Weapon Depot think they won. They had nothing to do with it. Nor did anyone else, but myself. I alone chose to take the site down.

But, hey, if it gets your rocks off to make you think you're so important that you had anything to do with it, knock yourself out.........please. Then jump off a tall building with your children in tow.

Life's too short to stress over mean people.

Have a nice night.

Yeah, I snipped out the name of the soldier who wrote him, and I snipped out crook's self-serving whine about supposedly losing a job over the site, but hey, I hope its true.

Piss off Michael. You are boring. and irrelevant. No one gives a shit enough about whether you live or die enough to kill your sorry ass and the world knows that, even if you don't.

Posted by LindaSoG at 08:32 PM | Comments (5)

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May 13, 2005

Drop The Charges!

If you haven't seen this, its from the Washington Post:

An investigating officer has recommended that the Marine Corps drop murder charges against 2nd Lt. Ilario Pantano, who shot to death two Iraqi insurgents a year ago during a raid on an insurgent hideout in the "Triangle of Death."

The 16-page report from Lt. Col. Mark E. Winn castigates as unreliable the prosecution's chief witness, Sgt. Daniel L. Coburn, whom Lt. Pantano had removed as squad leader weeks before the April 15, 2004 shooting.

Yup, good news and its about time.

"The government was not able to produce credible evidence or testimony that the killings were premeditated," Col. Winn wrote in his May 12 report, a copy of which was obtained today by The Washington Times.

"I think now [Sgt. Coburn] is in a position where he has told his story so many times, in so many versions that he cannot keep his facts straight anymore," Col. Winn wrote of the chief witness.

Coburn, who was Pantano’s chief accuser, said "I don’t remember" or "I don’t recall" more than 50 times during his testimony in the pretrial hearing at Camp Lejeune. 50 times.

Throughout his testimony Saturday, there were times Coburn couldn’t recall some details about the shooting that took place April 15, 2004, in Mahmudiyah, Iraq. At times, he couldn’t remember what he did just a few days ago.

Yup. Coburn doesm't remember the shooting and it appears from his testimony that he doesn't remember any battle either.

When questioned about the amount of firefight going on in Iraq in April 2004, Coburn’s testimony differed from all the Marines who testified for both the prosecution and defense. They all described a several-hour ambush on April 11, 2004, and an increase in car bombs and other explosive devices during that time.

"I don’t think it was bad," Coburn said when he was asked about it.

If you want to know all about Coburn, head over to Cao's Blog, she sums up the little gnat very well over here.

There is no doubt in my mind or my heart that Coburn is pathetic little gnat with delusions of grandeur and a rather large chip on his shoulder. He has taken a grudge, and a resentment, and turned it into a murder charge.

There is no doubt in my mind or my heart, or my conscience that Marine Second Lieutenant Ilario Pantano was right to do what he did. His life was indeed in danger, his men were in danger, his mission was in danger.

Marine Second Lieutenant Ilario Pantano is many things. An American. A Marine. A husband. A son. A father. A hero.

One thing Marine Second Lieutenant Ilario Pantano is not. He is not a criminal.

Hopefully, Maj. Gen. Richard Huck will accept Col. Winn's recommendation that all criminal charges be dropped, including murder and destruction of the Iraqis' vehicle. Hopefully, Maj. Gen. Huck will also find that there is no reason for any administration punishment for firing too many rounds at the two terrorists.

One last thing... please Defend The Defenders.

Support the Troops.
Semper Fi!

Posted by LindaSoG at 08:46 PM

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February 25, 2005

Time to Fight Back

If you know anything about me at all, you know how I feel about this:

SOUTH TOLEDO -- Police still have no arrests in a vandalism case. Anti-war protesters targeted a local military recruiting office by painting an obscenity, and throwing a bucket of manure at the building.

An e-mail sent to News 11 by a group calling itself "War is S***" claimed responsibility. In its correspondence and its graffiti, the group replaces those asterisks with an obscenity. In its e-mail, the group says, "In a nation fueled by murderous lies, we can think of nothing more appropriate than expressing our disgust in this inappropriate fashion."

The obscene war protest doesn't end there. Graffiti with the same "War is S***" phrase is plastered around the city. One message was left on a building in back of the Arby's Restaurant on Talmadge Road.

People who saw the broken window of the recruiting office are outraged. "If they don't like this country that much they should do it the right way by changing with votes. Shouldn't do it with actions like that," said Steve Klostermeier, a bystander. Mike Gibson agreed, saying, "I think it's terrible. I think they're blaming the people who fought to give them the right to do stuff like that. They should have the courage to stand up and say it rather than doing stuff like that."

Toledo Police are investigating the vandalism. Army Captain William Wedley works at the recruiting office. He says since it is a police matter, he's not commenting.

This must be stopped.

Posted by LindaSoG at 03:52 PM

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February 24, 2005

Forsake the Troops is Gone!

UPDATE II: I have nothing but respect for SMIS Hosting, they nuked that nasty site.

and write them a little thank you note. They deserve it!

It seems the Small Mike, who took it down (SMIS Hosting) is the same guy who put it up in the first place (thanks Eric). Good ole Mike tried to blame his own actions on the fictional "Scott and Lauire Vogel." The man is obviously a coward who doesn't have the balls to admit to his own shit. Despite his attempts at coverup, he was exposed, check out the thread at Conservative Friends.

So, that abomination is gone and.... replaced with another abomination. Good ole Small Mike is a white supremist and he's come out of the closet. (thanks to Six Meat Buffet for the tip). I've removed all links to Small Mike's site from this post, let it sink in the obscurity it deserves.

Posted by LindaSoG at 06:26 PM

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Marine Cleared of Wrongdoing!

What happens when you send an anti-war activist to Iraq with our Marines? You get an ordinary war time incident blown out of proportion and presented in such a way that a good soldier ends up accused of war crimes.

In November, 2004, one of our brave fighting men came under 'investigation' for shooting a terrorist who was pretending to be dead in a mosque. Of course, the media spun it as the 'shooting of a innocent, wounded, unarmed Iraqi.'

As we took Fallujah back from the terrorists, several of our Marines who approached supposed dead or wounded terrorists were themselves wounded or killed. This Marine was in a situation where he felt he was in danger and his fellow soldiers were in danger. This is war and this Marine did his duty.

Unfortunately, his unit was infiltrated by the enemy, Kevin Sites, an anti-war activist who was imbedded as a "journalist." To promote his anti-America agenda, Sites produced film and commentary which accused this Marine of murder. Pictures such as this one, lifted from Sites' video, flooded the news:

Of course, his fellow anti-America assholes got their panties twisted and called out for the blood of our Military. End result: request denied. That's right!

GOOD NEWS: If you can get past the bias and slant in the latest MSM report by CBS on this incident, you will find out that this Marine will NOT be prosecuted for his action.

There are other members of our Military who are caught up as pawns in the leftist agenda to punish the troops who are doing their duty and protecting this Country. Marine Second Lieutenant Ilario Pantano is their next target. Marine Second Lieutenant Pantano is not just under investigation, Lt. Pantano has been charged with murder.

Lt. Pantano needs your help and support. What can you do? Well, first of all, you can raise your voice in outrage over the charges against him:

Department of Defense: 703-428-0711
House/Senate Contact: 202-224-3441
USMC Public Relations: 703-614-1492
Department of Defense: contact board
President Bush: president@whitehouse.gov
VP Cheney: vicepresident@whitehouse.gov

You can head over to DefendTheDefenders.org and cough up a bit of cash to help this Marine defend himself against this ridiculous murder charge.

Support the Troops. Semper Fi!

Posted by LindaSoG at 07:04 AM

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February 20, 2005

Defend the Defenders

I see hundreds of them on the road and in parking lots every day. All different colors and designs. Some yellow, some red, white and blue, some a combination. They all say the same thing. There is a yellow one on the back of my truck right now.

Support the Troops.

A fine notion, and one that America has not truly embraced since WWII. There were plenty of troops to support in-between now and then. I attended Support the Troops rallies during Desert Storm, including one on Biscayne Boulevard in Downtown Miami. Now the only rallies we see there are the anti-war rallies run by socialist/communists who consider America to be the enemy.

But, there are all those magnets. All those people who claim to support the troops. Spend your $5.00, stick it on the back of your vehicle and go on your merry way, doing all the day to day things in your life made possible by those very same troops.

What if... what if you met one of those troops face to face. One of those troops who spent several nights sleeping in a hollow in the sand, like those pictures you saw last year in your email? One of those troops who went door to door in Fallujah, under fire by terrorists. One of those troops who fired back, protecting himself, his unit, and yes, protecting you in the process.

Would you show him your magnet?

During the peak of insurgent violence in mid April of 2004, hundreds of Marines and soldiers were being killed and wounded throughout the "Sunni Triangle." Terrorists, captured while trying to recover a vehicle used in an earlier attack on the Marines, had given detailed information about a supply of weapons and terrorist hideout.

Marine Second Lieutenant Ilario Pantano and his platoon were hastily dispatched to search. Their search revealed weapons, ammunition, mortar equipment, bomb-making material and two fleeing terrorists. In an ensuing search of the terrorists’ vehicle, Lt. Pantano, concerned for his safety and the safety of his men, shot them both in self defense and then disabled their vehicle so it could not be used in further attacks. He and his men went on to fight with distinction and honor in Fallujah and the surrounding areas and, when possible, aided in the reconstruction effort.

Marine Second Lieutenant Ilario Pantano now faces a murder charge for his actions in Fallujah, actions that not only saved his life, but the lives of his men and, the lives of countless innocent Iraqi civilians.

There is no doubt in my mind or my heart, or my conscience that Marine Second Lieutenant Ilario Pantano was right to do what he did. His life was indeed in danger, his men were in danger, his mission was in danger.

Marine Second Lieutenant Ilario Pantano is many things. An American. A Marine. A husband. A son. A father. One thing Marine Second Lieutenant Ilario Pantano is not. He is not a criminal.

Marine Second Lieutenant Ilario Pantano deserves the very best defense against these charges that America has to offer. Will he get it? I hope so, and I am sure you hope so too.

But, like the magnets on the back of all those cars, hope is not going to do much to support this Marine and the other troops like him, who are caught up as pawns in the leftist agenda to punish the troops who are doing their duty and protecting this Country.

I urge you to do a little more then just hope that this Marine is adequately defended against this ridiculous charge. Please head over to DefendTheDefenders.org and help. Put your money where your mouth is. Send the price of a magnet if that's all you can afford. But send something.

Support the Troops. Semper Fi!

Posted by LindaSoG at 07:06 AM

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February 19, 2005

Old Sarge Gets a Care Package

Sergeant Vaughn got a care package today. It’s been almost forty years since I got my last one, a case of twenty-four #2½ cans of sliced peaches from my father. Memory fails me now, but I don’t believe I ever asked before he died what it cost to mail that monster, but it must have been a pretty hefty hit in the wallet for a lifelong blue-collar worker. I had happened to mention in one of my rare letters home from Vietnam that canned, sliced peaches were my favorite item in our C Rations even if they were twenty years old. We could date them because the small cigarette packs enclosed with the rations were frequently Lucky Strikes in the old green packages that were phased out in the forties.

In any event, at mail call back in the rear area, the company clerk yells out, “Sergeant Vaughn! Care package!” and I responded with a somewhat surprised “Yo!” Stepping front and center I stared with momentary incomprehension at the large, heavily taped and badly battered, cardboard box at the clerk’s feet. He made no move to pick it up and hand it to me; he just grinned and said, “That heavy sucker’s all yours from here on, Sarge.” As I bent to pick it up, I noticed the silvery glint of the top of a can and a bit of green label through one of the torn corners and awareness dawned: son of a gun, my Old Man had come through for me! In spades!

The box was indeed heavy but it was a welcome burden for a twenty-five year old paratrooper in the best shape of his life; a few months of conducting patrols and operations in the mountains, jungles and paddies of Vietnam had made me a “lean, mean, Airborne trooper.” When I got it back to my hooch, I cut the top from the box with my jump knife and gazed in awe at twenty-four, count ‘em, twenty-four cans, number two and a half cans at that, great big ol’ cans of Del Monte sliced peaches. At that moment, I had to be the peaches king of Vietnam. Man, this was even better than the case of Tootsie Rolls my sister had mailed a couple of months earlier.

My unit was on stand down in the rear area at Tuy Hoa air base for a few days and for those few days, I felt indeed like the peaches king of Vietnam. I handed out peaches to my fellow troopers, sharing my good fortune with my brothers, as was our custom. But I must confess, I squirreled away several cans for leaner times. I was constantly peppered with, “Hey, Sarge, you got any more a’ them peaches?” And by occasionally producing a can, I kept that particular query alive for more than a couple of weeks.

I’d forgotten all that until today. Today, Sergeant Vaughn got a care package from a sweet woman in Oregon named Claudia, a military widow, self-described as “deaf as a door knob.” Claudia, it seems, had read a poem sent to her by her brother, an Army retiree, a former paratrooper in my old division, the 101st Airborne, who correctly surmised she might share the author’s sentiments. The poem is entitled, “Fightin’ Words,” and I am that author. I had cobbled it together in angry response to the mainstream media’s carping, hypercritical response to a widely broadcast incident in Fallujah, where a reporter had videotaped a young Marine administering a coup de grace to a terrorist. The poem happened to catch the mood of many Americans and was widely disseminated via the Internet and even read on a nationally broadcast talk radio show.

Exhibiting the martial spirit befitting the widow of a career soldier, Claudia decided to do something for the trooper who had written the poem. Those who read my rants on a regular basis are aware that any time I write on a military topic, I sign my work with my military credentials to establish my bonafides to render my opinions on warfare and ground combat. Claudia, seeing my unit designation, somehow missed the Vietnam 65-66 in the last line and assumed a young soldier in Iraq had written the poem. So she set about to send a box of goodies to him as reward. Once she had it all assembled and packaged, she took it to the post office, but they refused to accept it without an APO. She called the Army recruiter in Coos Bay who graciously called Ft. Bragg, home of the 82d Airborne, the last remaining paratrooper division, and my last duty post in 1967. Nope, Staff Sergeant Vaughn’s not here, try Ft. Campbell, that’s the 101st ‘s home base. There she was told they could not give out soldiers’ APO addresses for security reasons.

Frustrated, Claudia called her ex-paratrooper brother who contacted some of the men he had served with at Ft. Campbell, which had, in fact, been my primary duty station, although forty years earlier. From someone he learned that I was no longer in the service and there was no forwarding address. Now the motto of the Airborne is “All the way,” meaning you never give up; you never stop moving forward until the mission is completed. Well, Claudia’s brother, even at seventy-five, is still a paratrooper. Somehow, someway, he kept hard charging until he found me and sent Claudia my address. He sensibly advised her to forget about the care package and just send me a card.

Nope, not this determined widow; the box arrived today, and after my initial stunned surprise, left me with a pleasant quandary. I don’t know whether to eat all that good stuff or close it back up and forward it to some young trooper with the 82d Airborne, now serving in Iraq. I sure don’t need all those calories but, dang, I never got a care package from a non-family member; they didn’t do much of that in my unpopular war. So I guess I’ll sleep on it. Or maybe I’ll have a late-night snack. Is this a great country or what?

Thanks, Claudia, I think you would have made one hell of a paratrooper.

Russ Vaughn
2d Bn, 327th Parachute Infantry Regiment
101st Airborne Division
Vietnam 65-66

Postscript: If you wish to read the poem, “Fightin’ Words,” just click here.

Posted by LindaSoG at 08:36 PM

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February 16, 2005

My Favorite Soldier

Is no longer rocking Iraq. He is no longer rocking Kuwait. My favorite soldier is now rocking Fort Dix! That's right! Jamie is now rocking the USA!

Welcome Home Jamie, ya done good and I'm damn proud to know ya!

Posted by LindaSoG at 05:00 AM

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February 09, 2005

Welcome Home!

"I ain't no hero. That is one thing I wish could truly be clarified. I'm no more a hero than anyone over there. Every man, every woman that is not in the states, over there doing what they're doing…just to ensure that people here can enjoy their everyday life, and have the freedom that they do. They're all heroes." - Marine Lance Corporal James Blake Miller

But, you are a hero, to me and to many Americans, and to many Iraqis as well. Welcome home Marine Lance Corporal James Blake Miller! Thank you for serving the United States of America, and for protecting my personal freedom! I am forever grateful!

Click for more.

Posted by LindaSoG at 06:11 AM | Comments (1)

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January 24, 2005

Today is an Important Action Day

Reminder everyone...

Please scroll down and do your part to help pass the HEROES Act.

Posted by LindaSoG at 08:38 AM | Comments (1)

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January 22, 2005

HEROES Act

Russ Vaughn has written a most excellent article for The American Thinker, the following is an excerpt:

DON'T JUST SIT THERE by Russ Vaughn

It’s so easy to say you support the troops, regardless of which side you come down on in the issue of the War in Iraq itself. Yeah, you can send care packages and put yellow ribbon magnets on your car to make you feel all warm and fuzzy that you’re doing your own small part.

But right now, folks, we have a rare opportunity, a seldom-held power for ordinary citizens, to actually do something for the troops that will bring them more comfort than any supportive letters or boxes of cookies and candy ever possibly could. You see, right now we have the ability to provide them with comfort of mind, to lift a mental and emotional burden that they all carry with them when they enter any theater of combat. We hold in our collective hands the ability to grant them assurance that should the worst befall them, we, their grateful nation, will provide for their loved ones in a manner that will approximate what they would have provided in the normal course of their lives.

Mr. Vaughn is speaking of the Honoring Every Requirement of Exemplary Service (HEROES) Act, which Senators Lieberman and Sessions will introduce when Congress reconvenes January 24 2005, would increase the maximum life insurance coverage for servicemembers to $400,000 and increase the death gratuity paid to families of servicemembers killed in combat to $100,000.

These benefit changes would cover all servicemembers regardless of rank, and would apply retroactively to cover those lost in Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom.

This bill must pass and you can help. Listen to Mr. Vaughn:

So you say you support the troops? Then as soon as you finish reading this, start hammering that keyboard and let your two senators and your congressman know that you expect no less than their full support for early passage of the HEROES Act. To a person, they all swear they support the troops, regardless of party affiliation or individual positions on the war. Let them know, their future electoral efforts will, in your mind, be dependent upon their actions on behalf of those troops and those families who have given that "last full measure of devotion," to their nation.

Do it people, please! Addresses for Senators and Representatives are here.

Posted by LindaSoG at 02:54 PM

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December 16, 2004

An Open Letter to the Troops

SlagleRock has embarked on the Second Annual Letter to Troops Campaign.

I urge each and every one of you to write your own letter to the troops overseas. Make it a general open letter to any Soldier, Sailor, Airman or Marine. Keep in mind that the people reading these letters will be both male and female of all ages, ethnic origins and religions. Once your letter is posted, please trackback to this post so that I may find and print your letter. Please direct your readers to this effort as well. Non-bloggers, please leave your open letter of support in the comment section of this post. While it is possible for you to email me your letters, I'd like to see them in the comments so that troops overseas can access and read them online.

So? CLICK HERE OR CLICK THE PIC. When you get to SlagleRock, scroll to the bottom of the page for the comments section to post your letter on SlagleRock's site.

And hurry up, tomorrow is the last day.

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Dear Troops:

I am sure to be so far from home under such circumstances may make this Holiday season a little less than wonderful.

I would like to thank you for your service to the United States of America and for protecting my freedom.

I am simply in awe of the magnitude of what our Military has accomplished in the Middle East. I am proud of the United States and its actions to put an end to the brutality, terror and barbaric acts the Iraqi people have suffered for so long and to finally put an end to terrorism.

America is standing up for you and your efforts. We are thankful and grateful for the sacrifices that our troops and their families make to protect and preserve our way of life.

I can never thank you enough for all you do to protect the United States and my personal freedom. You are truly the best that America has and each of you are truly my hero!

I thought it might be nice to share a funny story about me and my dog that will hopefully put a smile on your face and perhaps even make you laugh. Every word is true, and it happened a little while ago.

My dog is a Chow Chow, his name is MuShu and he is three years old. I call him the Moosh:

Cute ain't he? Okay...

It's early morning and I let the pooch out into the yard to do his business. I go back in the house for a cup of coffee. Just as I pick up the pot, MuShu starts this frenzied barking. So I drop the pot and go running out and what do I discover? I discover my boy in battle with a land crab. Have you ever seen one? They are blue, huge (this one was as tall as my knees), with these horrible giant claws and they run sideways, fast as lightening. This is a blue land crab:

Eeeewwww!!! As you can see, they are the stuff nightmares are made of. What it was doing in my fenced-in yard, I'll never know.

So anyway, Mr. Crab is running all over the yard and MuShu is chasing him and practically howling. I'm chasing MuShu (and practically howling too). I was terrified that the crab would get MuShu's nose or tongue, or even his eyes, those claws are really sharp.

Mr. Crab is faster than MuShu and MuShu is faster than me. I can't catch the dog and we are going back and forth all over the yard. MuShu is barking and I'm screaming and all of sudden, Mr. Crab goes left with MuShu in pursuit and me in pursuit of MuShu. And I realize I left the back door open just as Mr. Crab runs into my house!

So the chase is still on, through the house and into the living room. I finally get hold of MuShu who is still barking and struggling in my arms but I run and throw him into the bathroom and shut the door. I'm out of breath, covered in sweat and completely traumatized. I still haven't had any coffee and I'm ready to collapse.

But, as you know, there is no rest for the wicked, and I have to go back after the crab. So I grab a broom and a laundry basket and I go right back at it, except... Guess what? Now I can't find Mr. Crab. So I'm pulling out couches and tables and looking behind things, my heart is pounding and I'm actually whimpering and I still can't find him!

Then... I hear this tick tick tick noise, turn around and spot Mr. Crab making a mad dash down the hall, heading for my bedroom. As you know, crabs in the bedroom are a bad thing (or so I've heard).

So, broom in hand, I charge down the hall after the crab but like I said, they are fast as hell. Just before he gets to the bedroom I hit him a solid blow with the corner of the broom, so solid in fact that Mr. Crab pretty much exploded, covering the walls and the ceiling of my hallway with crab guts.

Oh yeah, and covering me with crab guts too.

Just in time to go to work.

Yup. Such is life in Linda Land.

Please know that you are in the hearts and prayers of many people this day, and every day.

May G-d Bless you and keep you in the safety of his love.

Linda-at-lindasog.com

Posted by LindaSoG at 07:32 AM | Comments (6)

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November 25, 2004

Fightin’ Words

You media pansies may squeal and may squirm,
But a fightin’ man knows that the way to confirm,
That some jihadist bastard truly is dead,
Is a brain-tappin’ round fired into his head.
To hell with some wienie with his journalist degree
Safe away from the combat, tryin’ to tell me,
I should check him for breathin,’ examine his eyes.
Nope, I’m punchin’ his ticket to Muj paradise.

To hell with you wimps from your Ivy League schools,
Sittin’ far from the war tellin’ me about rules
And preachin’ to me your wrong-headed contention
That I should observe the Geneva Convention,
Which doesn’t apply to a terrorist scum
So evil and cruel their own people run from,
Cold-blooded killers who love to behead,
Shove that mother’ Geneva, I’m leavin’ em dead.

You slick talkingheads may preach, preen and prattle,
But you’re damn well not here in the thick of the battle.
It’s chaotic, confusin’ it all comes at you fast,
So it’s Muj checkin’ out because I’m going to last.
Yeah, I’ll last through this fight and send his ass away
To his fat ugly virgins while I’m still in play.
If you journalist wienies think that’s cold, cruel and crass,
Then pucker up sweeties, kiss a fightin’ man’s ass.

Russ Vaughn
2d Bn, 327th Parachute Infantry Regiment
101st Airborne Division
Vietnam 65-66

Posted by LindaSoG at 08:52 AM

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November 18, 2004

This just in from Mosul

Guess who's visiting the troops!

Hey Terrorists! Ah Fangul!!

That's my favorite soldier, Jamie in between James Gandolfini and Tony Sirico. Now, how cool is that??? Well, you can tell Jamie how cool that is, click the pic, visit his site and send him an email!

Posted by LindaSoG at 10:04 AM | Comments (1)

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November 14, 2004

I Remember

This very excellent essay was originally posted on The International War Veterans Poetry Archives, "a living and growing memorial, dedicated to all warriors who paid the supreme sacrifice for their Country during all occasions where, whilst wearing the uniform of their country, they were placed in harm’s way."

It is a very special place.

"I Remember" was written by my 'sista' up in the northern end of the county. Terri, thank you for allowing me to share it here.

I Remember

I remember, as a small child, my birthday parties. I can’t remember one, that there wasn’t at least one family member there in uniform. Any branch, take your pick.

I remember a dress saber that hung on the wall and I knew that I was never to touch it. And I didn’t.

I remember my great uncle Joe, who served in ‘Patton’s Army,’ returning to Germany after the war and bringing home beautiful little organdy dresses for me and my sister because ‘we were his favorite nieces.’ I also remember the day he brought home his new German wife.

I remember my great uncle Lou, who didn’t want to talk too much about Bastogne, so we didn’t.

I remember my most cherished possessions back then; my Davey Crockett jacket and coon skin hat.

I remember marching up and down our street, with the boys, with a fake rifle slung over my shoulder… because I’d just as soon ‘play Army’ than play with dolls.

I remember my grandfather, who put his foot down, and took the rifle away from me because he said ‘it wasn’t ladylike.’ He served 32 years in the USN, and now that I’m older and slightly wiser, I can see that, to him, it was something more than ‘just not being ladylike.’

I remember the day that my mother told me that she was ‘getting a divorce,’ because my father ‘lived for the Corp’. Whereas my mother viewed this as ‘distasteful’, I took it in an entirely different way. On that day, I learned the meaning of dedication, and the meaning of Honor. On that day I vowed that I would never lose my father, divorce or otherwise.

I remember in 1959 when my mother remarried - a soldier. I remember my brother being born that December. I remember living in Laurel, MD, shopping at the PX at Ft. Meade, going to school there, and spending my allowance in the same shopping center where, in later years, George Wallace would be shot.

I remember movie theatres, full of soldiers; some with families. I remember small town carnivals, again, full of soldiers, some with families and all of us living on a budget.

I remember the Cuban missile crisis, and my mother packing canned goods and crackers in tins and putting them in the cellar.

I remember living in Texas in 1963 at Ft. Hood. I was 12 years old, and I remember my sister and I blowing kisses at the MP’s every time we came through the main gate on our way to the roller skating rink (we thought this was very funny, because we knew the MP’s weren’t required to salute NCO’s, and this was our way of saluting them anyway) *grin*

I remember November 22, 1963, and being on a military base in Texas, when JFK was assassinated in Dallas. I can still hear the guns being fired at Hood.

I remember moving to Florida in 1964.

I remember in 1965, I cut a list of addresses out of the newspaper. It was a list of names of soldiers from our county that were serving in Vietnam. The article was asking for anyone to please send Christmas cards. And with my mother’s supervision, that’s exactly what I did. They all knew that I was a ‘kid,’ yet the response was tremendous.

I remember sitting up every night and refusing to go to bed until every letter was answered. On Saturday’s, I would chop up the sports section of the newspaper and stuff the sports scores into envelopes and have them ready before the mailman came. I also sent lists of the ‘Top Ten’ songs.

I remember in 1965, learning the meaning of sacrifice. Something that I hadn’t even considered… happened. One of the soldiers stopped writing. I was slammed right between the eyes with the stark reality of sacrifice, devastating loss, and helplessness. Yet I went on. I kept writing. I was a 14 year old kid and I wasn’t going to let the other soldiers know. I was going to keep on keepin’ on.

I remember as the 60’s continued on, it got worse - a lot worse. In 1968 a friend and I started sending boxes of chocolate chip cookies to Vietnam. We used our allowance to pay the postage. I would imagine that they were cookie ‘crumbs’ when they got there, but I can’t remember anyone complaining.

I remember watching the news every night at 6. I remember yelling at my kid brother to turn down his record player so I could hear the TV. He would sit in his room every night after dinner, line up all his little plastic soldiers, and ‘wage war’ on his bedroom floor, all the time playing a 45 of Green Berets over and over and over till he about drove me nuts with it. At the time, his father (my step-Dad) was a Top with the 196th LIB in Vietnam.

In 1968 and 1969, my ‘mission’ had expanded from sending cards, to sending cards, letters, broken cookies and kicking anti war protesters in the nuts as each opportunity presented itself. To this day, I’m amazed that I never got arrested. No doubt in my mind, if I had been raised in Calif., I would probably still be in jail.

I remember in fall of ‘68, my sister going off to college and getting tear gassed when Jane Fonda showed up at her campus. The Black Panthers showed up three days after Fonda.

I remember the murders of Bobby Kennedy and Martin Luther King, Jr.

I remember the protests; I can still smell the incense and I can still ‘see’ people in the streets that looked like they hadn’t bathed in weeks. I remember Woodstock and the ‘Summer of Love’ going on out in Calif. I remember the murder of Sharon Tate, the actress.

I remember Kent State.

I remember Ft. Lauderdale beach one Easter week, erupting into mass riots.

I remember high school friends coming home missing limbs.

I remember high school friends that didn’t come home at all.

I remember my best girlfriend’s husband. He came home, but he was no longer the Bruce that we knew and we didn’t understand why. We just knew he was ‘different’ somehow. More quiet, subdued.

I remember the ‘birth’ of the VVAW and the other organizations that were tied to it.

I remember getting married in May 1972 at age 20. My new husband had served two tours in Vietnam in the USN - the first tour on the Enterprise; the second on smaller boats. He didn’t talk about the second tour too much.

I remember that we didn’t leave on our honeymoon that night because we wanted to be in town the following day for another wedding. A couple that we were very close to, Pete and Bonnie. Pete had also served in Nam, (air traffic) and we always went out together; the four of us.

I remember turning 21 on Nov 1, 1972 and they wanted to take me out drinking, and to the race track etc. But before I went, I ran out that day to register to vote. I wanted to be able to vote in a few days. I wanted to be able to cast my very first vote for the candidate whose campaign platform promised to either ‘do it or get off the pot.’

I remember sentencing my brand new husband (of 6months) to ‘the couch’ for a month because he had the nerve to vote for George McGovern and for even having more nerve to admit it. I can still hear myself ranting… ’what are you out of your mind? YOU are a Vietnam Vet!!!’ (Actually, I let him off the hook in less than 30 days… I’m not that stupid…) 

I remember in June of 1974, at the age of 22, burying my father with full USMC and Masonic honors.

I remember the last week of April, in 1975.

I remember the choppers lifting off for the last time. I was visiting friends in Atlanta and I remember someone they knew, a female, commenting as we watched it on TV. She called Scotland her home. She said that we never should have been in Nam that the US had gone totally down the toilet. The owner of the house turned to her, and he said, ‘well Lorna, if that’s the way you feel about it, I think y’all should just git your a$$ right on back over there to Scotland and don’t bother to come back.’ Lorna shut up, and Agnew (yes, really his name) sat back and watched the choppers…

I remember the pardoning of the draft dodgers.

I remember in 1980, another war… another mission to save Pete’s life. After Nam, Pete had gone on to be an air traffic controller in civilian life. In 1980, he was diagnosed with cancer; then re-diagnosed with two different types of cancer. Both types are now listed by the Government as AO related. My mission was for blood. Literally! I was relentless in the hounding of my co-workers, wanting them to donate in Pete’s name when the mobile blood drive unit came to our office. I had one co-worker, who was in excellent health, who I would not allow to donate because he matched Pete’s A+ and he might be needed later for a lot more than one pint. He agreed to wait.

I remember in 1981, Pete going out to the City of Hope in Duarte, California for a bone marrow transplant. His sister was the donor. I remember him coming back from California only to have his lungs repeatedly fill with fluid and be put in the hospital for ‘exploratory’ surgery.

I remember on April 6, 1982, at age 30, burying the best ‘guy’ friend I ever had, three weeks before his 33rd birthday. I know that guys might not understand ‘guy friend,’ but any ladies reading this will understand if I simply say…… ’he was the big brother that I had always wanted, and never had.’

I remember in 1991, when Desert Storm began, making red, white blue and yellow ribbon pins, selling them for $1 and making over $800. I held back no money for materials or for my time. I took the money and bought stuff like shaving gear, socks, paperback books, lightweight sweaters in a variety of sizes and other items and took them to a Vet Center in Dade County. I chose to do it this way because I wanted every dime of it to go to Veterans and not Uncle Sam.

I remember this past February 3, when my step-Dad passed from AO related cancer. He was buried with full military honors.

I remember all of them and all of you, not just every Memorial Day and Veterans Day.

I remember every day. How can I not, when every defining moment and just about every aspect of my life has been touched by all of you?

Be kind to each other. No one will ever understand you as well as you will each other.

You are, and always will be,

Brothers and Sisters.

©Copyright 2004 by Terri Leigh Mays

Posted by LindaSoG at 11:19 AM | Comments (2)

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November 11, 2004

Veterans Day

Americans live in freedom because of our veterans' courage, dedication to duty, and love of country. On Veterans Day, we honor these brave men and women who have served in our Armed Forces and defended our Nation.

Across America, there are more than 25 million veterans. Their ranks include generations of citizens who have risked their lives while serving in military conflicts, including World War II, Korea, Vietnam, the Persian Gulf, and the war on terror. They have fought for the security of our country and the peace of the world. They have defended our founding ideals, protected the innocent, and liberated the oppressed from tyranny and terror. They have known the hardships and the fears and the tragic losses of war. Our veterans know that in the harshest hours of conflict they serve just and honorable purposes.

Through the years, our veterans have returned home from their duties to become active and responsible citizens in their communities, further contributing to the growth and development of our Nation. Their commitment to service inspires all Americans.

With respect for and in recognition of the contributions our service men and women have made to the cause of peace and freedom around the world, the Congress has provided (5 U.S.C. 6103(a)) that November 11 of each year shall be set aside as a legal public holiday to honor veterans.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, GEORGE W. BUSH, President of the United States of America, do hereby proclaim November 11, 2004, as Veterans Day and urge all Americans to observe November 7 through November 13, 2004, as National Veterans Awareness Week. I urge all Americans to recognize the valor and sacrifice of our veterans through ceremonies and prayers. I call upon Federal, State, and local officials to display the flag of the United States and to encourage and participate in patriotic activities in their communities. I invite civic and fraternal organizations, places of worship, schools, businesses, unions, and the media to support this national observance with commemorative expressions and programs.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this ninth day of November, in the year of our Lord two thousand four, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and twenty-ninth.

GEORGE W. BUSH

Posted by LindaSoG at 09:53 AM

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November 09, 2004

Tell It Like it is...

Hey Troops and Veterans:

Michael Moore wants to hear from you!

We have received many, many letters over the past year from the men and women in the Armed Forces, their families, their friends, as well as from Veterans (you can read some of these letters here). If you'd like to share your story with us as well, please drop us a line at soldiers@michaelmoore.com. We may use your letter, so, if you would prefer your name not be included in any future use, please let us know. And if you just want to share your story but would rather it was not used in any other way, then also let us know that. We would like to hear all stories, no matter what they are about or what your views are.

If you are in the mood, and you write the lard-bucket, please send me a copy. I'd like to post it, keep the lard-bucket honest.

How about it ????

Posted by LindaSoG at 07:20 AM

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October 06, 2004

Attention Troops

Found a link to current daily newspapers from all over, in their entirety, everyday, sometimes even before they hit the stands.

Be safe out there.

Posted by LindaSoG at 08:12 AM

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September 25, 2004

Beer For Soldiers

When was the last time you popped a nice cold one? Was it good? Did it go down smooth?

Beer. Yup. You can have a beer anytime you feel like it. Probably got a few in the fridge right now, just waiting for you.

Next time you have a beer, take a moment and think about the soldiers who are deployed all over the world, the soldiers who have given you the great gift of freedom, freedom to have a beer or any damn thing you want, when you want it.

Ya know... them soldiers sure would like a beer. Damn right they would. So? Buy 'em one! It's the least you can do.

BeerForSoldiers.com.

Posted by LindaSoG at 08:21 PM

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September 15, 2004

Orlando. December. Be There!

Salute America's Heroes announces The First Annual Road to Recovery Conference and Tribute, December 8 - 12, 2004 at Walt Disney World in Orlando, Fla. Invitees will include 400 of the most seriously wounded and disabled heroes of the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan as well as their families.

Click the pic for info!

The Conference will be the beginning of a broad-based, on-going effort by the Coalition to Salute America's Heroes to honor all our troops and to provide a network of much needed support services to our wounded heroes.

I'll be there, will you?

Posted by LindaSoG at 09:00 AM

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