November 11, 2008
Happy Veteran's Day
Thanks you for all of your sacrifices.
It's been 90 years since the "War to End All Wars" ended.
Posted by Mr. Bingley at 06:18 AM | Comments (4)
November 10, 2008
Being of Sufficient Quality and Quantity, In the Finest Tradition of the Marine Corps
“Parade the main course.”
(After ringing a bell to announce the last chance for a bathroom break — “paying tribute to Lord Nelson,” as it’s known during Mess Nights.) I proclaim this beef "Fit for Human Consumption".
President of the Mess: “Mister Vice, the United States Marines.”
Vice President of the Mess: “Gentlemen, long live the United States and success to the Marines.”
Posted by tree hugging sister at 06:57 PM | Comments (8)
"They Have Always Defended Each Other..."
"...and this nation. They still do."
Jesus, I love you guys and the big brotherhood I'm privileged to be a small part of.
Posted by tree hugging sister at 11:35 AM | Comments (5)
Happy Birthday USMC
Semper Fi.
And thank you.
Posted by Mr. Bingley at 07:06 AM | Comments (8)
November 09, 2008
A Salute Update
Congress has included the provisions of H.R.3380 and S.1877 in H.R. 4986, the National Defense Authorization Act of 2008, which President Bush signed into law on January 28th, 2008! The relevant section is Section 594 of the resolution and reads as follows:SEC. 594. CONDUCT BY MEMBERS OF THE ARMED FORCES AND VETERANS OUT OF UNIFORM DURING HOISTING, LOWERING, OR PASSING OF UNITED STATES FLAG.Section 9 of title 4, United States Code, is amended by striking ‘‘all persons present’’ and all that follows through the end of the section and inserting the following: ‘‘all persons present in uniform should render the military salute. Members of the Armed Forces and veterans who are present but not in uniform may render the military salute. All other persons present should face the flag and stand at attention with their right hand over the heart, or if applicable, remove their headdress with their right hand and hold it at the left shoulder, the hand being over the heart. Citizens of other countries present should stand at attention. All such conduct toward the flag in a moving column should be rendered at the moment the flag passes.’’.
That snappy salute is good to go!!
Posted by tree hugging sister at 06:02 PM | Comments (12)
November 03, 2008
"I'll Never Forget That Order..."
"...'Hold and die'"Neither will we, sir.
God speed and Semper Fi.
Posted by tree hugging sister at 11:04 AM | Comments (7)
October 23, 2008
NEVER Forget "The Root"
...and the lessons we SHOULD have learned. Because these animals are still with us twenty five years later. As are the root causes of this hideous and heartbreaking tragedy ~ political correctness and a willingness to leave our troops toothless and exposed for political expediency.
God speed, my brothers.
We love ya, Scipio. Semper Fi, you outstanding Gunnery Sergeant of Marines.
Posted by tree hugging sister at 05:08 PM | Comments (6)
October 19, 2008
Aw, Man
If I may...I'd like to say something....Just to get it out there so it is clear.
To all the pampered and protected Americans who feel it is their duty to inform me that I am not fighting for their freedom, and that i am a pawn in Bush's agenda of greed and oil acquisition: Noted, and [expletive deleted] You.
Army Specialist Steve Fortunato wrote that. His mom shared it...because he couldn't.
According to BostonHerald.com: "He was killed on his first day back on patrol after a 19-day leave in Massachusetts. Fortunato was in the 26th Infantry Regiment and served as a gunner in back of a Humvee. He had served in Afghanistan since July."
God bless him. And hold his family close in this time of unspeakable pain.
We thank you with all our hearts, soldier.
And thanks to Steve for letting us know.
Posted by tree hugging sister at 11:31 PM | Comments (3)
August 25, 2008
And That's a Fact
...Jack.
"While air power, precision-guided bombs and missiles often receive all the glamour on the modern battlefield, cannon artillery still plays a critical role in today's fight by serving as the only 24-hour, all-weather reinforcement for the infantry soldier — a fact proven in recent conflicts."
Posted by tree hugging sister at 02:22 PM | Comments (3)
August 04, 2008
Semper Paratus
Happy Birthday and 218 years of "Thanks" to the US Coast Guard.
Thanks and God bless!
THS update: Had to share this little Coastie hi-lite film as part of the celebration.
Posted by Mr. Bingley at 07:02 AM | Comments (4)
July 31, 2008
No Passing The Buck Here
It's good to see the top guys going down over this
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The U.S. Navy fired the captain and executive officer of the aircraft carrier USS George Washington on Wednesday because of a massive fire that damaged the ship in May, Navy officials said.Capt. David C. Dykhoff and his executive officer, Capt. David M. Dober, were relieved of duty while the ship is in port in San Diego, California, for repairs.
The two were fired because of practices on their ship that Navy investigators believe led to the fire, Navy officials said.
They're the ones who set the tone for the ship and should be held accountable. Following as it does on the heels of the Air Force shake-up, this will hopefully this will put the fear of God into more Brass. We can't afford these huge mistakes.
Posted by Mr. Bingley at 06:41 AM | Comments (1)
July 27, 2008
Semper Fi, Marine
And carry on.
Posted by tree hugging sister at 06:48 PM | Comments (2)
July 11, 2008
I Am Sick With Dread in Anticipation
...of the autopsies.
Missing soldiers' bodies recovered in Iraq
Pentagon confirms the deaths of men who were seized in 2007 ambush
Dear God, the possibilities are so horrific and I hope against hope that the animals who held them went against type this time.
Bless their brave hearts and comfort their brave families.
And I want to throttle anyone who can talk about Guantanamo unequivocally, as if we were capable of such bestiality.
Fuckers. I hate them.
Posted by tree hugging sister at 03:12 PM | Comments (1)
June 30, 2008
McCain's Years in the Hanoi Hilton
Why's the Left so worried about Gitmo inhabitants then? Especially after every San Francisco reporter clawed their way to the front of the "Give Waterboarding a TRY This Summer!" amusement park line.
I don't see anyone volunteering for:
"Spend a Day as John McCain circa 1968!
It's Really NO BIG DEAL!!"
Posted by tree hugging sister at 01:30 PM | Comments (1)
June 19, 2008
Did You KNOW...That If You Join the MARINES
...you might get...well...SHOT AT or something?!?!? News. To. Me.
Thank GOD for the eagle eyed MSNBC reporter who went to see "Sex and the City", sat through THIS outstanding Marine Corps commercial during the pre-"Sex" warm-ups and...felt a public service warning was needed.
...The lush music, deep-voiced announcer and stunning cinematography make it a natural fit for the big screen. In fact, it’s hard to appreciate the commercial if you don’t see it on a movie-sized screen, and it’s so eye-catching that you can enjoy it even if you are the target demographic for a movie about thirty- and fortysomethings living in New York City rather than twentysomethings considering a career in the military....The stereotypical military ad focuses on the adrenaline rush of serving your country -- the allure of physical feats of greatness and the sheer power of using advanced fighting machinery -- or tout benefits such as opportunities and education. Those approaches allow the military to accentuate the upsides of service while also acknowledging a sobering truth: this is a country that has been involved in a major, complex conflict for five years, and joining up these days is very literally an agreement to risk your life for your country.
...“America’s Marines,” is lovely, but its beauty risks being disingenuous. Certainly there are people who will join the Marines because they love this country, and the ad reminds us of how much there is to love about this country. But these days it takes more than patriotism to agree to serve -- it also takes the guts to know that you will likely be facing a messy battlefield....
Sh*t. Sneaky bastards. Here I was just going to sign up for the college money. (And that cool ass outfit they all wear.)
Nobody told me there was a war on.
Posted by tree hugging sister at 12:26 AM | Comments (10)
June 06, 2008
Into The Breach
With all our heart.
Posted by Mr. Bingley at 06:40 AM | Comments (4)
June 05, 2008
The Best, the Brightest
...and the youngest. Through every generation, the incredible, invincible youth of this country sacrifice over and over again for all of us.
Jack Lucas, who at 14 lied his way into military service during World War II and became the youngest Marine to receive the Medal of Honor, died Thursday in a Hattiesburg, Mississippi, hospital. He was 80.... Jacklyln "Jack" Lucas was just six days past his 17th birthday in February 1945 when his heroism at Iwo Jima earned him the nation's highest military honor. He used his body to shield three fellow squad members from two grenades, and was nearly killed when one exploded.
"A couple of grenades rolled into the trench," Lucas said in an Associated Press interview shortly before he received the medal from President Truman in October 1945. "I hollered to my pals to get out and did a Superman dive at the grenades. I wasn't a Superman after I got hit. I let out one helluva scream when that thing went off."
Sweet dreams, Leatherneck.
Semper fidelis.
Posted by tree hugging sister at 02:40 PM | Comments (4)
WHOA!
NBC: Top two Air Force officials resigning
Secretary, chief of staff ousted; choice reportedly was 'resign or be fired'...Sources told the Air Force Times that other senior officers could also be relieved.
Yeesh!
Posted by tree hugging sister at 01:18 PM | Comments (3)
June 04, 2008
Not
Jury acquits Marine of covering up Iraq killings
Officer was accused of ordering troops to delete photos of 24 slain civiliansA Marine intelligence officer has been acquitted of charges that he tried to help cover up the killings of 24 Iraqi men, women and children.
...Grayson, who has always maintained he did nothing wrong, was not present at the scene of the killings on Nov. 19, 2005, in Haditha. He was accused of telling a sergeant to delete photographs of the dead from a digital camera and laptop computer.
Grayson was found not guilty of two counts of making false official statements, two counts of trying to fraudulently separate from service, and one count of attempt to deceive by making false statements.
Posted by tree hugging sister at 09:54 PM | Comments (3)
Heads Up for Our Mil-Swillers: Supporting Our Troops Through Their Benefits
A cut in medicare payments to doctors could soon cause cuts in health care to senior citizens and military families....On July 1st, medicare will cut the current reimbursement rate by another 10.6 percent.... which will force some doctors to cut services not only to seniors.... but military members as well.
...And it's not just seniors who will likely be affected by the cut.
Most active and some retired military members are covered under the Tricare insurance program.... which ties its rates to medicare.
Posted by tree hugging sister at 09:35 PM | Comments (2)
May 26, 2008
We Remember Them All
...and give thanks.
Posted by tree hugging sister at 11:32 AM | Comments (3)
May 21, 2008
Forget Momma
His wife's 7+ months pregnant.
He is SO toast.
Posted by tree hugging sister at 03:03 PM | Comments (6)
May 19, 2008
Finally! After Millions of Dollars and Reams of Battlefield Data
...it can conclusively and empirically be stated that the routine and continued ingestion of plastic turkey foisted on unsuspecting troops by a complicit and unfeeling government bureaucracy...
...inevitably results in slower troop movements...
...as the smiling vegan on the left clearly demonstrates.
Posted by tree hugging sister at 01:58 PM | Comments (15)
When He Gets Home, I Hope His Momma
...kicks his ass.
-May 18: Taliban bullet shatters a wall an inch from face of U.S. Marine from the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit during firefight with Taliban near Garmser in Helmand Province, Afghanistan.
Posted by tree hugging sister at 10:27 AM | Comments (10)
May 12, 2008
Headline Reads: "Marine Corps Surpasses Recruiting Goal"
The Marine Corps far surpassed its recruiting goal last month and could eventually be more than a year ahead of schedule in its plan to grow the force to 202,000 members.All military services met or exceeded their monthly recruiting goals in April, with the Marine Corps signing 142 percent of the number it was looking for, the Pentagon said.
So who do they show in the picture accompanying the article?
Some dork ass Army recruiter. [Ed.: Apologies to JeffS...sort of.] [Sheesh. And Cullen.] [But I'm NOT sayin' sorry to...well...you know who. I'm just not.] [Tough.] [Suck it up, Gator Girl.]
Posted by tree hugging sister at 11:15 PM | Comments (4)
May 02, 2008
Cannonball Express
...to Heaven's Gate, unfortunately.
Civil War Buff Killed By 19th Century Cannonball
Collector Sam White Was Restoring Cannonball When It Exploded...But in February, White's hobby cost him his life: A cannonball he was restoring exploded, killing him in his driveway.
More than 140 years after Lee surrendered to Grant, the cannonball was still powerful enough to send a chunk of shrapnel through the front porch of a house a quarter-mile from White's home in this leafy Richmond suburb.
...White estimated he had worked on about 1,600 shells for collectors and museums. On the day he died, he had 18 cannonballs lined up in his driveway to restore.
Note to self: when told to "put that thing back"...do it.
Posted by tree hugging sister at 05:25 PM | Comments (4)
We Love You, Son
If ever someone stood for Semper Fidelis...
Miracle Marine Dies...The former turret gunner was dubbed the "Miracle Man" for his determination in facing his wounds, which cost the former saxophone player his fingers and rippled his face with scars. He endured more than 40 surgeries, spent 17 months in a hospital and had to learn to walk again.
"Sometimes I do think I can't do it," he told The Associated Press last year. "Then I think: Why not? I can do whatever I want. ... Nobody has ever been 97 percent dead and survived, and lived to walk."
Bless your brave, brave heart, Leatherneck. And our deepest thanks to your family.
What a man they raised.
Posted by tree hugging sister at 03:10 PM | Comments (11)
April 29, 2008
God Speed, You Guys
Marines launch massive assault in AfghanistanGet some!
Hundreds of U.S. forces backed by airpower enter Taliban-controlled South
Posted by tree hugging sister at 12:00 AM | Comments (1)
April 23, 2008
Genius, Just Genius
Petraeus picked to lead Central CommandNot only a promotion that's HUGELY well deserved, but...the public, televised Congressional Democratic excoriation (not to mention a good chance the self indulged nutroots ad buying propensity being triggered) of such an admirable, honorable soldier during his confirmation hearing will serve to remind the voting public just how 'in touch' with them the Democratic party is. How maybe there's ALWAYS been something else afoot in this country besides Obama's candidacy to be "proud of", like OUR troops and (finally) a leadership team for them that "gets it". How OUR troops belong to us all (not just to the Republican war machine) and maybe how WE shouldn't take defeatist, grandstanding Congressional smarm as "support" for them.
It should make for a bitter battle and an interesting case study.
And it should be the LAST thing the Democrats want.
Posted by tree hugging sister at 02:15 PM | Comments (6)
April 18, 2008
“That Global Warming Is the Biggest Joke I’ve Ever Known,”
“[W]e’ll stick a dadgum tree up somebody’s rear if they want that and think that’s going to cure something.”You tell 'em, Pops.
Personally, I think hand lettered "TIME Infidels Must DIE!! TIME to Behead Infidels!!" placard is called for ~ or WOULD be, if...you know...I was the excitable type.
Posted by tree hugging sister at 03:51 PM | Comments (8)
April 16, 2008
My Nephew ~ Kcruella's Baby Boy
...graduates from Army boot camp in Ft. Benning tomorrow. We're so dang proud of him.
And I get to be there!!!
UPDATE: Hmmmm... Forgot about that.
Schmaybe I was letting my enthusiasm get the best of me.
Posted by tree hugging sister at 09:03 AM | Comments (11)
April 09, 2008
Michael Yon ~ Coming Soon
...to a bookshelf near you! (Or it SHOULD be.)
Pre-order it here.
Posted by tree hugging sister at 02:42 PM
"Some People Are Meant to Be 911"
"And some people are meant to call 911."
Posted by tree hugging sister at 02:22 PM | Comments (1)
"We're In the Wild WILD West"
MARINES FACE LAST INSURGENT STRONGHOLD IN IRAQ'S ANBAR PROVINCEI'm assuming the Presidential candidates listening and lecturing Gen. Petreus won't be asking for Qasim's subject matter expert opinion....The local police station here bears fresh scars from rocket attacks, young men still hide grenades in the streets, and civic leaders continue to be targeted by hit squads.
The marines are now in a scramble to oust insurgents tied to Al Qaeda in Iraq. The mission's priority was underscored by a recent visit to the outpost by Maj. Gen. John Kelly, commander of all multinational forces in western Iraq. General Kelly and his staff traveled by heavily armored convoy to Rutbah to meet with city leaders in hopes of understanding why the insurgency hasn't yet fizzled.
...The mayor of this town of 50,000, who goes by the name Qasim, fingered the gold watch hanging from his wrist, offered a pained smile and says, "The economy? We don't have one."
...Qasim knows that many Americans want even more troops to leave Iraq. He urged the general to tell his leaders in Washington that the troops should stay.
"Withdrawal right now means handing Iraq to Iran. This will fulfill the dreams of the Iranians for an empire"...
Posted by tree hugging sister at 01:20 PM
April 08, 2008
There Are Times When "Thank You"
...seems such a small thing to say, in comparison to why you're saying it. Words fail.
Navy Blue, through and through.
Thank you.
Posted by tree hugging sister at 05:06 PM | Comments (4)
"Drawing Upon Considerable Technical Skills...
...[aeronautical engineers] decided to combine these features into one death-filled, high-flying hayride called the V-22 Osprey. (The proposed name, the V-22 OhJesusIdon'twanttodietellmywifeIloveher! didn't panel well.)"Genius.
- A V-22 Osprey completes a fully-automated landing via its advanced autopilot system.
...Numerous technical advances were made during the Osprey project. The Marine Corps decided to adopt the Navy tradition of going down with a stricken ship and fitted the Osprey with fly-by-wire systems. This guaranteed that, should the electronics or even the vanity mirror light fail during flight, everybody dies with the plane. The Osprey was originally planned to be a "glass cockpit" aircraft, where all the reliable gauges and indicator lights are removed in favor of scads of LCD monitors capable of simultaneously displaying the Blue Screen of Death. A V-22 variant, the MV-22B, built in partnership with Nintendo, retains the glass cockpit layout and adds three milnet-linked Nintendo Wii gaming consoles.
Posted by tree hugging sister at 02:01 PM | Comments (7)
March 30, 2008
Some Hard Core, Super Stallion
...PORN.
I felt a shiver run up my leg...
Posted by tree hugging sister at 04:21 PM | Comments (2)
March 24, 2008
"Bedtime Stories for Catherine"
Posted by tree hugging sister at 03:07 PM | Comments (2)
March 20, 2008
I Sense a Disturbance
...in the force.
Posted by tree hugging sister at 09:47 AM | Comments (3)
March 13, 2008
Pot? Check the Color of That
...kettle.
...And lastly, I find it humorous that Boeing is using the same argument to protest the tanker award that Sikorsky and Lockheed Martin are using in their protest of Boeing's win in the CSAR-X contract: that the service asked for a medium-sized tanker and awarded a heavier one.
Are you sure it's not spelled "Boing"?
I'd like to credit comment #327 for the link.
Posted by tree hugging sister at 08:48 PM | Comments (1)
March 12, 2008
Dancin' in the Streets
UPDATE: As Lisa notes, the guy's done time... the GOOD way.
Posted by tree hugging sister at 12:17 PM | Comments (5)
February 23, 2008
Today It's "Iwo To"
They've called it something different for the longest time.
And on this day in 1945...
...somebody pretty terrific planted a flag there.
Posted by tree hugging sister at 08:26 PM | Comments (10)
February 22, 2008
Just Another Day
...at the office.
Posted by tree hugging sister at 01:19 PM | Comments (5)
February 21, 2008
How Do You Say "Cheeky" In Mandarin?
I mean I guess the Chinese are feeling a little put-out since they got used to their friends in the Clinton Administration just sending them the information( in exchange for meals at Buddhist Temples, naturally)
China called on the United States Thursday to provide information about its shooting down of a defunct US spy satellite and voiced caution about the potential international impact of the operation."China is continuing to closely follow the possible harm caused by the US action to outer space security and relevant countries," foreign ministry spokesman Liu Jianchao said when asked for a reaction to the shootdown.
"China further requests that the US fulfill its international obligations in earnest and promptly provide to the international community the necessary information and relevant data... so that relevant countries can take precautions."
"Take precautions". Uh-huh. As in "build a missile system just like this or better if we can" precautions.
But the operation had raised concerns elsewhere that the United States was trying to test an anti-satellite weapon, amid rising global tensions about the militarisation of space.
Um, noooo, we "weren't trying to test an anti-satellite weapon"; we successfully demonstrated an anti-satellite weapon, hence the posturing. And thank God it worked.
Posted by Mr. Bingley at 06:46 AM | Comments (7)
February 20, 2008
Aw, Man
1 of 2 F-15 pilots rescued in Gulf of Mexico diesEglin's local. And we were tickled when we'd heard they'd pulled both them out of the Gulf. We thought, "Alrighty, then. Got 'em both."
Pair of single-seat fighters likely collided during training, Air Force says
Damn.
Our thoughts and sympathies are with that brave Eagle's family.
Thank you.
Posted by tree hugging sister at 09:55 PM | Comments (2)
February 12, 2008
Not Because They're WRONG to Begin With, Mind You
But because everybody's YELLING AT THEM!!!
Berkeley Mulls New Vote on MarinesBERKELEY, Calif. (AP) - Officials in this liberal city may soften their anti-recruitment stance toward the U.S. Marines in the face of widespread criticism.
The Berkeley City Council drew a deluge of disapproval nationwide in January when it voted to advise the Marines that their downtown recruitment office was not welcome and that they would be considered "uninvited and unwelcome intruders" if they chose to stay.
"ENOUGH , already!!!!"
Posted by tree hugging sister at 01:19 PM | Comments (21)
February 08, 2008
Get the Flock Out!
Berkley's mayor is a retired Army officer?!?
As six Republican senators devised a plan to yank $2.3 million in federal funding for Berkeley programs, the mayor of the famously liberal city apologized Wednesday for his hard stance against a Marine recruiting center...."That letter will probably be pulled back and maybe more moderate language will be put in place which is appropriate I think," said Berkeley mayor Tom Bates.
...Bates said the city didn't mean to offend anyone in the armed forces and the focus should have been on the war not the troops.
"There's really no correlation between federal funds for schools, water ferries and police communications systems and the council's actions, for God's sake," said Bates, a retired U.S. Army captain. "We apologize for any offense to any families of anyone who may serve in Iraq. We want them to come home and be safe at home."
Well, I'm sorry, too, Master Bates. That fact makes you ten times the pieces of shit the other a$$holes are.
UPDATE: Here's what Master Bates thinks:
I have heard from people all over the country regarding the action taken by the Berkeley City Council regarding the Marines recruiting center.Let me be absolutely clear that this is not about the men and women who are serving our country in our armed forces. I am a retired U.S. Army Captain and I respect the choice of those who are serving our country.
And here's ~ mayor@ci.berkeley.ca.us ~ where you can tell him what you think. And if you do, share it with us, would ya?
Posted by tree hugging sister at 01:03 AM | Comments (14)
February 05, 2008
I Find This Comment
...disturbing.
Credit McCain's
Stoic endurance, but having survived a POW ordeal no more imparts heroism to the victim than does having limped away from a bear mauling.
Posted by tree hugging sister at 05:58 PM | Comments (5)
But the Point Is
...that they DO.
"I think we shouldn't be seen across the country as hating the Marines," said [Berkley Council Member Betty] Olds, who voted against last week's proposals.
The whole country knows it and a strategic retreat won't change it, nor the unconstitutional fact that you've basically authorized another group [Code Pink] as your de-facto enforcement thugs.
Posted by tree hugging sister at 08:38 AM | Comments (9)
February 01, 2008
So They're Getting This PetitionTogether
...but, sign it though you may, I doubt it has any impact. Those people are nuts and nuts LOVE it when you call them nuts. (Ask any Ronulan or, better yet, just mention RON PAUL in a post and see how long it takes for the trees to shake.)
The city manager was directed to send a letter to the U.S. Marine Corps saying they are “uninvited and unwelcome intruders” in the city.“
F*ckin' despicable NUTS.
The one thing in the petition (I was wondering about myself the other day) was going at Berkley from the federal level. Dollars-wise. That might be doable, n'est pas? If someone in the driver's seat chose to actually pursue it.
... For the Berkeley City Council to blame the Marines for the laws passed by Congress, or to condemn them because their members fight in a war that some choose to oppose is a grave miscarriage of justice. It implies that the Marines can choose which laws they follow, or which wars they fight in. It implies that the Marines are not beholden to the very Constitution that they swore to defend.Furthermore, the Berkeley City Council's desire to prevent the Marines from speaking to young people about their mission within Berkeley's city limits while simultaneously giving anti-Marine protesters preferential treatment implies that the City Council is comfortable with its youth receiving information from only one side of the debate. This position insults both the Marines, many of whom are veterans of the current war and are able to provide a perspective interested people should be free to hear, and Berkeley's youth, who are apparently judged by the City Council to be too incompetent to form their own intelligent opinion about the armed forces and the responsibilities, risks and rewards that go with military service.
As American citizens and veterans of all branches of the armed services, we voice our steadfast opposition to the Berkeley City Council's despicable actions. In protest, we announce that we refuse to conduct any business within the Berkeley city limits, or patronize any company which has its headquarters within Berkeley. We call upon the U.S. Congress and the California State Legislature to suspend all federal and state payments that go to support any activity conducted by the Berkeley City Council until such time as the Council chooses to rescind its anti-Marine resolutions.
Considering how the local media is portraying Marine supporters, I doubt the quiet language of the petition will even be heard.
...- the Bay Area's CBS-TV affiliate, KPIX, painted quite disparate pictures of the leaders of the organizations involved......ANN NOTARANGELO, KPIX : Do you think you could ever sit across, with a cup of coffee, and talk with somebody from Code Pink?[Move America Forward's] MORGAN: No. Never, ever would I ever speak to any of those individuals other than the most disparaging manner possible.
This came moments after Code Pink's Medea Benjamin was shown saying:
I feel sorry for that level of aggression that they have. I've tried to dialogue with them. I've tried to invite them into our house.
Code Pink just wants to share a cup o' tea.
"That's my son!""He's gonna die, lady."..."They don't kill babies, you lying piece of shit."
Posted by tree hugging sister at 10:40 AM | Comments (11)
January 24, 2008
Too Bad for San Francisco
...eh?
Gateway Pundit quotes Our Marines:
We traveled to 10 different states and 15 locations across the U.S. to create the "America's Marines" commercial.
Except...San Francisco.
I think they've left their heart...and their minds...in a black hole somewhere. I'll never go back.
UPDATE: If you've never seen the Silent Drill Team, watch...and weep. It's a thing of beauty.
A warm Swill Salute to Tizona.
Posted by tree hugging sister at 10:40 PM | Comments (4)
January 21, 2008
Another Deployed Marine Suffers Horrific Wounds
...in the line of duty.
Bless her heart.
Posted by tree hugging sister at 02:19 PM | Comments (2)
"Quite Frankly, You Don't Even Look Like a Soldier..."
"You're a small little [blank],"That's because he wasn't a soldier, asshole. He's a MARINE. Just like the Assistant State's Attorney prosecuting your case...
...Assistant State's Attorney Patrick Kelly, (Marine Corps/Vietnam 1969-1972)...and the judge hearing it.
...Judge O'Malley has also traveled, but in his youth. He was a police officer on the West Side during the riots before law school. And before that, he performed another public service.And, to a one, despite your most outrageous and egregious behavior (which warranted an immediate ass kicking of epic proportions on its own), they've been law abiding gentlemen to a fault. And you still can't show up to court on time?Judge O'Malley served in the U.S. Marine Corps from 1961-1964.
Not the sharpest tack in the box, are you, Mr. Grodner? Thank God someone's out there protecting your right to live your version of "stuck on stupid".
Your Honor, ADA Kelly, Marines in the courtroom and the deployed Sgt. McNulty?
DAMN, you make me proud. Semper Fi.
And Sgt. McN? Stay safe, Leatherneck. And God speed.
Posted by tree hugging sister at 01:59 PM | Comments (6)
January 09, 2008
Don't You Know
...we could use more like him? Just for the honesty alone.
..."There's an attitude everywhere else that people are smarter than they are in New Orleans and in Mississippi. They're not," the 60-year-old general said at his office at Fort Gillem, just outside Atlanta. "What happened in New Orleans could have happened anywhere on the Eastern Seaboard."
Thank you, sir.
And the best of everything to you.
Posted by tree hugging sister at 01:33 PM | Comments (5)
January 08, 2008
"Whatever Possessed You..."
"...to go running off into the paddy like that?""A Marine"
"How do you mean?"
"He's a Marine. I'll take care of him."
Posted by tree hugging sister at 05:25 PM | Comments (1)
December 21, 2007
Watch
...and weep. Stick around for the second video.
I love a good Christmas story.
Posted by tree hugging sister at 01:34 PM
A Sad Note
Now there are only two left
NORTH BALTIMORE, Ohio (AP) -- One of only three known remaining American World War I veterans has died.The Smith-Crates Funeral Home in North Baltimore, Ohio says J. Russell Coffey died yesterday at the age of 109. He had been living in a nursing home. There's no word on the cause of death.
The Veterans Affairs Department says Coffey was the last World War I vet in Ohio. Coffey enlisted in the Army in October 1918 while a student at Ohio State University.
It was a month before the Allied powers and Germany signed a cease-fire agreement and Coffey did not see action overseas. He did play semipro baseball and earned a doctorate in education from New York University.
Coffey taught high school and college and raised a family. According to the funeral home, he drove his car until he was 104 and lived on his own until three years ago.
What changes the world went through in his life time.
Posted by Mr. Bingley at 08:34 AM | Comments (3)
December 17, 2007
On This Day 63 Years Ago
The Battle of the Bulge began.
God bless those men.
Posted by Mr. Bingley at 08:41 AM | Comments (2)
December 13, 2007
Lex Is Going Home
Some bonds can't be broken
After more than six months of effort, the family of a fallen Marine dog handler got permission Wednesday to adopt the bomb-sniffing German shepherd who was at their son’s side when he died in Fallujah, Iraq, last March.The family of Cpl. Dustin Jerome Lee is planning to pick up the 7-year-old dog named “Lex” on Dec. 21 at Marine Corps Logistics Base Albany, Ga., where Lee was stationed.
“Lex will always be a special part of our family,” Lee’s father, Jerome Lee, said in a telephone interview Wednesday. “Lex was Dusty’s best friend and partner.”
The Lee family has been battling bureaucracy for months after the Corps initially refused to release the dog for adoption. Well-trained working dogs are in short supply, and Lex was healthy and able to continue working, Marine officials said.
Lee, 20, spent the final months of his life with Lex at his side. He was killed March 21 on a daily mission when a rocket-propelled grenade exploded nearby. The dog was also wounded but crawled over to his handler, nudged his face, then lay at his side as a corpsman treated his wounds, Marines in Lee’s unit told his family.
Hurrah for the Corps for allowing this.
Posted by Mr. Bingley at 11:50 AM | Comments (3)
December 12, 2007
Tall Tales A Smidge Before Scott Beauchamp
...that were treated as gospel.
It is one of the most remarkable—and enduring—statistics about the way men fight war: in combat no more than a quarter of fighting men, even disciplined and well-trained soldiers, will fire their weapons. The claim, first made by military historian S.L.A. Marshall in his 1947 book, "Men Against Fire," has become accepted wisdom.
The questions (and artistic license excuse) sound familiar...
...Why would Marshall make up such a thing? Marshall was "by professional upbringing and temperament a journalist above all," wrote Spiller.
...as does the action-hero resume.
...Marshall claimed to have led men in combat in World War I. Apparently, that too was fiction. Marshall's regiment in World War I was behind the lines, involved in road work and building delousing stations. Leinbaugh discovered records of Marshall's unit, which include such stirring reports as"1 mule killed by kick from mule. Drop from rolls."
He has finally been exposed, appropriately enough, as a louse toiling in the company of asses. I guess no one ever listens to the guys who were actually doing the fighting...
...The only real skeptics at the time were a few of the soldiers whom Marshall profiled in his histories, like "The Men of Company K." Asked one old Company K sergeant, "Did the SOB think we clubbed the Germans to death?"
Posted by tree hugging sister at 10:47 PM | Comments (4)
December 07, 2007
May We Never Forget
The Day Of Infamy.
Posted by Mr. Bingley at 08:57 AM
December 06, 2007
I See Happy Voters
...streaming to the polls.
Pentagon Says 200,000 Workers Could Receive Pink Slips for ChristmasFederal employees who work for the Army may get layoff notices before Christmas if Congress and the White House do not reach an accord on funding for the Iraq war, the Pentagon said yesterday.
The warning, posted near the top of the Defense Department's Web site, was the latest in a series from Pentagon officials in recent weeks.
About 100,000 federal employees and an additional 100,000 contract workers are at risk of being sent home without pay in February and March if the Army and Marine Corps run short of money and have to reduce operations at their bases, according to the Pentagon.
Under federal rules, the department must give 60 days' advance notice of layoffs to employees -- which, in this case, would make for a less-than-glad tiding for the holidays.
Guess the Democrats don't remember how that worked for Republicans in '95-'96. (Collective amnesia can be a wonderful thing.) Perhaps it's not coincidence that the M-W Word of the Day was:
Locofoco \loh-kuh-FOH-koh\ noun1 : a member of a radical group of New York Democrats organized in 1835 in opposition to the regular party organization
*2 : a member of the Democratic party of the United States
They're claiming the 'loco' has its origins in “locomotive” (which was commonly taken to mean “self-propelled,” though “loco” actually means “place,” not “self,” in Latin).
I know better.
Posted by tree hugging sister at 01:33 PM | Comments (3)
December 05, 2007
Motivation
...is a powerful tool. (Plus, when LCpls sit around, they always get into trouble.)
...Conway hinted at those differences, saying Marines prefer serving under fire in a combat zone to performing nation-building duties in Iraq. He said that in his meeting with Gates on this subject last week, Gates understood Conway's thinking."He's heard anecdotal reports that lance corporals are complaining that they don't have anybody to shoot" in the newly peaceful Anbar, where most Marines are operating, Conway said.
Imagine that! A general who has the courage to acknowledge that Marines might even look forward to a good rumble. How politically incorrect...insensitive, even.
..."My point to (Gates) is that, if and when we are able to continue our drawdown in Iraq and it comes time for Marine units to start leaving the country, ... should we bring them home or should we start looking at putting them where there is still an active fight; in this case, Afghanistan? And we were prepared to do that."
I'll bet.
And always prepared (as the Marine in the video says) to do "the one thing we do extremely well: take care of each other."
[Fallujah]... I was particularly struck by two kinds of stories recounted over and over: tales of wounded Marines--many badly wounded and eligible for medical evacuation--struggling to get back into battle, and tales of senior officers joining privates and corporals on the firing line. On April 9, 2003, for instance, [MajGen] "Mad Dog" Mattis was late to a meeting with senior brass because he had stopped his command convoy to help a small patrol reduce a house from which they had taken machine-gun fire. West quotes a gunnery sergeant:"The general flanked the hajis from the south."It is hard to imagine an Iraqi general--or a general in just about any other army in the world--risking his neck in this manner. Such stories demonstrate the Corps's egalitarian ethos, and go a long way toward explaining its sky-high morale and superb fighting quality.
Ugly Omar should be sending Gates a big poppy bouquet in thanks.
Posted by tree hugging sister at 11:47 PM | Comments (2)
November 27, 2007
Sometimes You Read About the Neatest People
...in the local obituaries. We lost Mr. FRANK E. ZIELINSKI (1915 - 2007) this October 24th. He was a drummer. Now, it's only a couple lines of his story, but they speak volumes...
...After high school he enlisted in the Navy as a musician, a drummer. He served as a Musician for 23 years retiring in 1959.Frank was serving on board the USS Nevada at Pearl Harbor when the Japanese attacked.
His band completed the flag raising ceremony while under attack and then manned their battle stations.
...don't you think?
Hit by 1 aerial torpedo and 6, or more, bombs during the attack on Pearl Harbor, Nevada was beached in the harbour entrance to prevent sinking. She rejoined the fleet a year later, after repairs and refitting at Puget Sound Navy Yard.
Bless you, sir, and our condolences to your family.
Posted by tree hugging sister at 10:46 AM | Comments (3)
November 14, 2007
Rocket Man
An amazing and moving story
Spc. Channing Moss should be dead by all accounts. And those who saved his life did so knowing they might have died with him.March 16, 2006. Southeastern Afghanistan. A fierce ambush and bloody firefight. It was over in a flash and Moss was left on the verge of death.
He was impaled through the abdomen with a rocket-propelled grenade, and an aluminum rod with one tail fin protruded from the left side of his torso.
His fellow soldiers worried: Could he blow up and take them with him? For all anyone knew, the answer was yes.
Still, over the course of the next couple of hours, his buddies, a helicopter crew and a medical team would risk their own lives to save his.
Thanks to Ace for finding this.
Posted by Mr. Bingley at 01:28 PM | Comments (2)
November 11, 2007
232 Reasons and Counting
... to love the Corps.
On Nov. 10, the Marine Corps turns 232 years old. Ever since it was formed in a Philadelphia bar in 1775, the Corps has given us countless reasons to take pride in the heritage of 'our beloved Corps'.
There is no shortage of instances in which Marine units and individuals have distinguished themselves in battle, but the bragging rights earned over the past 232 years weren't all born on the battlefield.
The Corps' culture sets it apart from other branches of the military in ways that those who have never earned the eagle, globe and anchor find difficult to fully understand. But what is obvious to even the most casual observer is that Marines distinguish themselves through their unique appearance, spirit and accomplishments.
To know the Corps is to love the Corps, which is why Marine Corps Times compiled the following list of 232 reasons to stand proudly at this year's birthday ball.
1. Cpl. Jason Dunham. First Marine to receive the Medal of Honor since Vietnam. If jumping on a grenade to save a buddy isn't worth the top of the list, nothing is.
2. Civilians have to find time to go to the gym. Marines get paid to go.
3. The National Museum of the Marine Corps. It's like a Smithsonian of leatherneck.
4. There's no such thing as an "ex" Marine.
5. Re-enlistment rates are higher IN the war zone.
6. Stink-proof socks. Well, almost. Systems Command is working on them.
7. Jalapeño cheese.
8. "Every Marine Into the Fight."
9. Lump-sum re-enlistment bonuses up to $80,000. Many of you would consider doing it for free.
10. New uniforms #1. Pixel-pattern cammies? Yeah, the Corps came up with that.
11. "Doc."
12. Flexed arm hang is harder than it looks. We tried it.
13. Barracks parties on non-payday weekends.
14. Marine Gunners.
15. The Wounded Warrior Regiment.
16. MarAdmin 266/07: Letting 18-year-old Marines drink on base at this year's birthday ball.
17. No receipt necessary for travel claim expenses less than $75.
18. The lance corporal underground.
19. Fallujah II.
21. Archibald Henderson's couch, re-upholstered, is still in the commandant's living room.
22. "No better friend, no worse enemy."
23. Typhoons approaching Okinawa often spark islandwide beer runs.
24. Waivers.
25. Gen. James Jones, who followed his tour as commandant with appointment as "supreme intergalactic overlord" (OK, it was Supreme Allied Commander, Europe, but close).
26. 10 rounds from the 500-yard line.
27. Per diem.
28. To civilians, every Marine is recon.
29. Recruiting in Texas is like hunting at the zoo.
30. The "boat cloak." Because every super hero needs a cape.
31. You can re-enlist in the IRR.
32. The wallet in your sock.
33. Motivating television commercials.
34. The "horse shoe" haircut, gone but not forgotten.
35. The global address list. Find your buddies and send them links to Marine Corps Times.
36. Running cadences that mention napalm. And Eskimos.
37. Stories that begin with, "So there I was ..."
38. Modified parade rest.
39. The transformation. Who you are when you join is not nearly as important as who you become.
40. Lt. Gen. Jim Mattis getting a fourth star.
41. If you've been on liberty in Twentynine Palms, you've been on liberty in Yuma and Barstow, too.
42. Grooming standards. Not only can you not act like a thug, you cannot look like a thug.
43. It's not the Army.
44. Women in Manhattan have all seen the Fleet Week episode of "Sex and the City."
45. Combat shotguns.
46. Combat Action Ribbons. IEDs count now, and should have counted all along. Duh.
47. The occasional free beer. Wear your blues into a bar and see what happens.
48. After decades of debate, there remains no resolution on whether sand fleas trump "The Reaper."
49. The Corps' doesn't call its officers, commissioned or not, "petty."
50. Cpl. Gareth Hawkins, lying on a stretcher after an IED shattered his leg, demanded re-enlistment before medical evacuation. And got it.
51. Whereas Army, Navy and Air Force jokes are funny, Marine jokes are potentially dangerous.
52. The occasional friendly debate. Refer to a Marine staff noncommissioned officer simply as "sergeant," and see what happens.
53. That troublesome "10 percent," making good Marines look great since 1775.
54. Everyone at a high school reunion is obliged to justify his last 10 years, except the guy wearing alphas.
55. As if ranks that include the words "master" and "gunnery" aren't intimidating enough on their own, the Corps uses them both. At once.
56. Soldiers have Hooah Bars. Marines have Ka-Bars. The second will generally get you the first.
57. The dress code. You can wear your cammies to meet the commandant or repair a tank.
58. From "Aliens" to "Doom," the future vision of warfare almost always includes Space Marines.
59. The Corps was formed in a bar.
60. Marines predicted the WWII campaigns in the Pacific years earlier and prepared for the inevitable. So when a Marine says, "Hey, I've been thinking …" perhaps you should take notes.
61. Give a Marine some free time, and he'll rip down your dictator's statue.
62. If it ain't raining, we ain't training.
64. Duty station garden spots: Jacksonville, N.C.; Yuma, Ariz.; Bridgeport, Calif.; Twentynine Palms, Calif. (Yes, we're kidding.)
65. Making morning PT on time.
66. Recruiters who promise everything EXCEPT a rose garden.
67. Mustangs #1. It's easier to take crap from a CO who went to boot camp.
69. Gen. Peter Pace, the first Marine chairman of the Joint Chiefs. He left his four-star insignia with his fallen comrades at the Vietnam Wall when he retired. Nice move.
70. The people zapper. Using microwave energy to disperse a crowd sounds like fun. Semper fry, gunny.
71. Nothing says "Good morning" like a mouthful of Copenhagen and freeze-dried coffee.
72. Nothing says "I love you" like a welcome home sheet hanging on a chain-link fence.
73. Bill Barnes. In June, the former Marine beat the crap out of a 27-year-old pickpocket who tried to make off with his dough. Oh yeah, he's 72.
74. Leftwich Trophy. Heisman winners only think they know about leaving it all on the field.
75. EOD. If you don't know why this is on the list, defuse the next IED yourself.
76. Tax-free combat pay. Doing what you signed up for and not having to give Uncle Sam a dime back.
77. Montford Point Marines. The first African-American Marines know a little something about honor, courage and commitment.
78. Front toward enemy. It's not just a visual reference on a Claymore mine, it's a Marine Corps way of life.
79. Mustangs #2. You know at least three Marines who drive them. It's like a Ford dealership exploded on base.
80. Fred Smith, founder of FedEx. Only a former Marine could truly appreciate the value of getting your mail on time.
81. CMC: The tallest member of the Joints Chiefs. OK, so we haven't actually measured, but he looks the tallest anyway.
82. No more spit shining boots.
83. Chuck Norris was in the Air Force. Steve McQueen was a Marine.
84. The Crucible.
85. 1/9, 2/9 and 3/9. Welcome back, fellas.
86. The FROG uniform. You are now sweat-wickin' AND flame-lickin'.
88. The M4. More rifles in the fight is generally a win-win.
89. MRAPs. Trucks straight out of Mad Max. We still love a good Humvee, but we loved jeeps, too. Things change.
90. Arty guys who do civil affairs. They blow it up, then they fix it. Circle of life.
91. Service Charlies. They look so good, the Navy's copying 'em.
92. Fake Marines. No one eats 'em up faster than real Marines.
93. John Lovell. A 71-year-old former Marine is sitting in a Subway restaurant when two armed men try to rob the place. Lovell grabs his .45, kills one and wounds the other. No word on how Lovell's sandwich fared.
94. 3rd Battalion, 5th Marines. Six Navy Crosses so far. Six.
95. Staff Sgt. Lawrence Dean II, aka the "BadAss Marine." He recites a poem. He gets uploaded to YouTube. Thousands get motivated.
96. Gen. James Conway takes over as the new commandant. Among his
demands: a new PT uniform, new tattoo regs, a plan to add dress blues to the seabag, a change-up in medals and 22,000 more Marines. Someone's been thinking about taking over for a while, huh?
97. Body-fat standards. Everyone hates them, until they see a fat Marine.
98. "Jarhead." Only a former Marine could write a war story about not fighting anyone and make it last for 200 pages, then get Jamie Foxx to star in the movie.
99. The Stumps. The Rock. The Sandbox. Oh, the places you'll serve.
101. Tattoos #2. Getting a fallen friend's name tattooed on your other forearm, and knowing the same.
102. The new PT running suit. Sure, the Army had them first, but the Army gets most things first.
103. Marine expeditionary units: The cheapest cruise you'll ever take.
104. Camp Lejeune: The closest interstate and the nearest good shopping mall are both at least an hour away.
105. Camp Pendleton: There are roads and malls, but try affording a house near the main gate.
106. Tattoos #3. Meat tags. Getting your blood type and other info inked on your ribcage isn't necessarily a bad idea.
107. The Marine Corps is getting bigger. The Navy is getting smaller.
109. 30 days' paid vacation, plus federal holidays off, is obscene by civilian standards.
110. Maj. Gen. Marion E. Carl, the Corps' first fighter ace. First Marine to fly a helicopter. Two Navy Crosses, five Distinguished Flying Crosses, 14 air medals. In 1998, the 82-year-old was killed during a home break-in when he jumped in front of a shotgun blast aimed at his longtime wife, Edna.
111. Tattoos #4. Reaction to the new policy: Conway says sleeves are going away, Marines run for the chair. Tattoo parlors never saw so much business.
113. Guaranteed pay raises.
114. Marine Security Guard #1. Duty in the Bahamas.
115. Having a WWII Marine say he's proud of you
116. Drew Carey used to be in the Marine Corps Reserve. Now, he's the host of "The Price is Right."
117. Combatant diver pins. No more of that Navy crap.
118. A Red Stripe is a beer, mon. A Blood Stripe is a symbol of pride.
119. NMCI, if only they would remove the "MC."
120. You watched "300," and it reminded you of your unit.
121. The "Det One" .45 pistol. Designed by Marines, for Marines.
122. Combat marksmanship. You are creeping death. And you get graded on it.
123. Never lost six nukes on a plane.
124. CamelBaks. Water tastes like water again.
125. Give a Marine enough free time, and he'll marry your Bahraini princess.
126. Go to YouTube. Type in "bored Marines." Enjoy.
127. When the president gets on a helicopter, it's not called "Army One."
128. The opposite of the Peace Corps.
129. Camouflage. You can camouflage anything and make it cool.
130. No Fear #1. Marines aren't scared of anything. Except apricots. And Charms.
131. Combat optics on M16s. Leave the iron sights, just in case.
132. "Combat loss" amnesty for missing gear. It's like pleading the fifth.
133. Riding a chartered Continental Airlines flight home from the war zone with assault weapons stuffed in all the overhead compartments.
134. In combat, the division band becomes a heavy-machine-gun platoon.
135. What do headaches, broken bones, infectious diseases, missing limbs and hurt feelings all have in common? Motrin. Thanks, Doc.
137. Global instability equals job security.
138. When NMCI goes down, and it will, it's like having the day off.
139. The honor, privilege and responsibility of leading, mentoring and caring for junior Marines.
140. Gunnery sergeants. Don't know the answer? Ask the gunny. Need something? Ask the gunny. In trouble? Avoid the gunny.
141. Because gunny said so.
142. The line to get "tazed" at a military gear expo. Marines will do anything for a free T-shirt.
143. Deployment reunions. Like reliving your wedding night. Sweet!
144. Gig lines. Even in khakis and a polo shirt.
145. Eight-point covers. Even the uniform stands at attention.
146. Marine Security Guards #2. They're not cute and cuddly, but when they greet you at the door, it's like getting a great big hug from the United States of America, no matter where you are.
147. The Mameluke sword. Distinctive.
148. The NCO sword. Earned, never given.
149. The World Famous Mud Run. Thousands of people pay good money to run through 10 clicks of muck every year at Camp Pendleton.
150. John Philip Sousa. A Marine, the nation's March King and composer of "The Stars and Stripes Forever." Ooh-rah.
151. MRE crackers. Hard as Milk Bones but much tastier. You can almost feel your teeth getting cleaner as you eat 'em.
152. Jane Wayne Day. She'll never ask about work again.
153. Shirt stays. Or garters. Whatever you call them, they're a triple whammy, keeping your shirt tucked, your socks up and removing all that unwanted leg hair.
154. The slogans: "The Few, The Proud, The Marines." "We're Looking For a Few Good Men," "Once a Marine, always a Marine," "Tell that to the Marines." If they could only purchase the rights to Hallmark's "When You Care Enough to Send the Very Best."
155. Speaking of slogans, "The Few, The Proud, The Marines" beat out such notables as Nike's "Just Do It" and Burger King's "Have It Your Way" for a 2007 spot on the advertising Walk of Fame. Better luck next year, losers.
157. Real duty station garden spots you can go an entire career without being assigned to: Southern California; Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii; Okinawa, Japan.
158. Rear-party Marines. God bless them. Whatever reason they stay behind — injury, impending retirement or being volun-told — they are indispensable. They deserve medals for what they have to deal with while a unit is deployed.
159. While field-grade officers are at the company office, company-grade officers are in the field.
160. Colonels who can take a joke.
161. Free flu shots. And smallpox shots and anthrax shots …
162. Former Sgt. Chris Everhart. While camping with his three sons in June 2007, a bear snatched their cooler and made a play for his 6-year-old. Everhart threw an 18-inch log at the bear's head, cracking its skull before it could attack and killing it instantly. Then, the park ranger gave him a ticket for leaving the cooler where the bear could get it.
163. Standards. The Corps doesn't lower the bar when recruiting gets tough.
164. Jim Nabors. "Gomer Pyle" becomes an honorary Marine in 2001 and makes lance corporal. It takes him six years to pin on corporal. Talk about art imitating life.
165. Vincent D'Onofrio. The other "Private Pyle" is doing pretty well on "Law and Order: Criminal Intent." He's still weird, though.
166. If you ambush Capt. Brian Chontosh's boys, he's going to take off his Navy Cross and kill you. Then, he's going to pick up your rifle and kill your buddies. Then, he's going to pick up your buddy's rifle and kill your buddy's buddies. Then, he's going to pick up a rocket-propelled grenade launcher …
167. Speaking of the Navy Cross, a combat award second only to the Medal of Honor, Marines have earned 15 so far in Iraq, plus one in Afghanistan. Of the six awarded to sailors for those combat zones, five went to SEALs, and one went to a corpsman who exposed himself repeatedly to enemy fire to evacuate and treat wounded Marines. Along with Chontosh, the other recipients include:
168. Gunnery Sgt. Justin D. Lehew.
169. Lance Cpl. Joseph B. Perez.
170. Sgt. Scott C. Montoya.
171. Cpl. Marco A. Martinez.
172. Sgt. Willie L. Copeland.
173. Capt. Brent Morel (posthumous).
174. Sgt. Anthony L. Viggiani.
175. 1st Sgt. Bradley A. Kasal.
176. Cpl. Robert J. Mitchell.
177. Cpl. Dominic Esquibel.
178. Sgt. Jarrett A. Kraft.
179. Cpl. Jeremiah W. Workman.
180. Cpl. Todd Corbin.
181. Sgt. Aubrey L. McDade Jr.
182. Pfc. Christopher Adlesperger (posthumous).
183. Hospital Corpsman 3rd Class Louis E. Fonseca.
184. Iwo JIMA. Japan might have changed the name to Iwo To, but that doesn't mean you have to acknowledge it.
185. Col. John Ripley. Received the Navy Cross for the destruction of the Dong Ha bridge in Vietnam. The Corps takes care of its own. In 2002, with Ripley near death, doctors finally found a donated liver for his much-needed transplant. So the Marine Corps sent helicopters and Marines to Philadelphia to retrieve it, and they personally rushed it back to Washington in time to save his life.
186. Marine Corps Times isn't a version of Navy Times anymore. How many careers get their own newspaper?
188. Gatorade bottles wrapped in green, 100 mph tape so as not to offend the sailors in the room.
189. Camaraderie. Marines will hook you up with their sisters, then punch you in the mouth for doing what they knew would happen the whole time.
190. Ingenuity. MRE bombs, 101 uses for cleaning rods and iPods wired into field radio speakers.
191. Getting off the ship.
192. Getting back on the ship.
193. No beach? No problem. Marines inserted 400 miles into landlocked Afghanistan and created Camp Rhino using CH-53 Sea Stallions. Imagine what you can invade with the Osprey.
194. Cases and cases of bottled water mean never having to stand behind a water bull.
195. Race as a nonissue. It wasn't always the case, but three black sergeants major of the Marine Corps in a row show that the Corps has only one color: green.
196. Every day in the Corps is another reason to celebrate. That's why they call them working "parties."
197. Riddick Bowe had what it took to be boxing's undisputed heavyweight champ. He did not have what it took to be a Marine.
198. The U.S. Army Band is called "Pershing's Own." The U.S. Marine Corps Band is called "The President's Own."
199. "8th and I." Ten bucks says you have no idea where the Army chief of staff lives. Commandants don't hide.
200. MRE "rat boxes." How grunts trick-or-treat.
201. The poncho liner. It's a blanket, it's a tent, it's a keeper.
202. Combat fit-reps. People say they're equal to regular fit-reps. People lie.
203. The "E-tool lean." Sailors don't know how good they have it.
204. Navy Lt. Vincent Capodanno, Medal of Honor recipient. If Marines have a hot line to heaven, Father Capodanno — aka the Grunt Padre — would take the call. His body peppered by shrapnel, his right hand nearly severed, the Navy chaplain and priest crisscrossed a Vietnam battlefield Sept. 4, 1967, to render last rites to his fallen Marines and corpsmen with 3rd Battalion, 5th Marines, until 27 rounds from an enemy machine gun took his life. Last year, the Vatican declared him a "servant of God." Next step, sainthood?
206. Amphibious warfare means always being near the beach.
207. No Fear #2. Talk about the AV-8B Harrier's troubled past all you like, but brave jump jet pilots are flying missions in Iraq.
208. New Uniforms #2. Wash-and-wear combat uniforms mean no more starch, no more dry cleaning.
209. Marine air-ground task force. Nothing like controlling the air and the ground.
210. Slapping an eagle, globe and anchor on the back of your car and knowing it'll get you out of at least one speeding ticket.
211. The Navy wants to put Marines back on warships. It seems that Tomahawk cruise missiles can't do everything.
212. Liberty in Thailand.
213. Liberty in Australia.
214. Liberty, well, anywhere.
215. The Navy's mascot is a goat. The Corps' mascot is a bulldog. You don't need Michael Vick to tell you who wins that fight.
216. If you need another occupying land force, you can use the Marine Corps. If you need another rapidly deployable, sea-based, front-door-kicking, air-ground team, you can't use the Army.
217. 1775 Rum Punch. Four parts dark rum, two parts lime juice, one part pure maple syrup, grenadine to taste.
218. "It's fun to shoot some people," said Lt. Gen. Jim Mattis. He says what he thinks.
219. The Beirut Memorial Wall. If you ever forget what you're fighting for, pay a visit.
221. "Son, we live in a world that has walls, and those walls have to be guarded by men with guns. Who's gonna do it? You? You, Lieutenant Weinburg? I have a greater responsibility than you could possibly fathom. You weep for Santiago, and you curse the Marines. You have that luxury. You have the luxury of not knowing what I know. That Santiago's death, while tragic, probably saved lives. And my existence, while grotesque and incomprehensible to you, saves lives. You don't want the truth because deep down, in places you don't talk about at parties, you want me on that wall. You need me on that wall. We use words like honor, code, loyalty. We use these words as the backbone of a life spent defending something. You use them as a punch line. I have neither the time nor the inclination to explain myself to a man who rises and sleeps under the blanket of the very freedom that I provide, and then questions the manner in which I provide it. I would rather you just said thank you, and went on your way. Otherwise, I suggest you pick up a weapon and stand a post. Either way, I don't give a damn what you think you are entitled to." Jack Nicholson, "A Few Good Men."
222. Maj. Meghan McClung, Marine public affairs officer, killed by a roadside bomb in Iraq while escorting media. The PAO is more than just a spokesman.
223. Sgt. Rafael Peralta. Like Dunham, he hugged a grenade to save his buddies in Iraq. No Medal of Honor … yet.
224. Hearing an accidental discharge into the clearing barrel, then waiting for the lieutenant to walk inside.
225. Call signs like "Spider" and "Assassin," and these guys were generals.
227. Buttered noodles for breakfast.
228. "Every Marine should look like a Marine. But a Marine looks like a Marine when he's got a bayonet stuck in the enemy's chest." Gen. Robert Magnus, assistant commandant, discussing body-fat standards.
229. "Infantry" is the easiest job for recruiters to sell.
230. Being the youngest Marine at the ball.
231. Being the oldest Marine at the ball.
232. Marine Corps Times appreciates all you do. Happy birthday, Marines!
Posted by tree hugging sister at 11:45 PM
"The Real Forest Gump"
...on Friday's 
NBC Nightly News
Grinch and I were tickled watching. One more thing we hadn't known about him.
If you remember, we've actually met that remarkable American.
Helluva fellow. But they all are, really.
Happy Veterans Day.
Posted by tree hugging sister at 11:36 PM | Comments (1)
Ben Stein
...in today's New York Times.
It’s Time to Act Like Grown-UpsNOW for a few thoughts on the credit crisis and the need to prepare for retirement.
...Next, when I saw that Citi had taken a bath in collateralized debt obligations and subprime, and saw that Robert E. Rubin had been on the board in a major position and had failed to stop the train wreck, I was staggered. And now he has been named chairman. He couldn’t protect Citi’s stockholders, and now he’s in charge? And let’s remember, he was Treasury secretary when we had the first part of one of the worst bubbles in stock market history. What on earth are the Citi directors thinking?
... But it certainly hurts to spend day after day, as I did this fall, at Walter Reed Army Medical Center — where the incredibly brave wounded soldiers from Iraq and Afghanistan learn about walking and eating without their natural legs and arms — and to realize that the America for which they’re fighting is led in so many arenas, especially the money one, by such weak, disappointing specimens.
It’s high time that the America for which soldiers sacrifice so much is run on a moral standard more like theirs. And this is without even talking about Section 60 at Arlington National Cemetery, where fresh graves are dug every week and the fresh tears keep the ground damp. They deserve better.
Posted by tree hugging sister at 12:05 PM
November 10, 2007
Semper Fi
Happy Birthday, Marines!
and Thank You.
Posted by Mr. Bingley at 11:14 PM | Comments (1)
To My Brothers and Sisters: HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!
And...always...Semper Fi.
MARINE CORPS ORDER No. 47 (Series 1921)
HEADQUARTERS
U.S. MARINE CORPS Washington, November 1, 1921The following will be read to the command on the 10th of November, 1921, and hereafter on the 10th of November of every year. Should the order not be received by the 10th of November, 1921, it will be read upon receipt.
On November 10, 1775, a Corps of Marines was created by a resolution of Continental Congress. Since that date many thousand men have borne the name "Marine". In memory of them it is fitting that we who are Marines should commemorate the birthday of our corps by calling to mind the glories of its long and illustrious history.The record of our corps is one which will bear comparison with that of the most famous military organizations in the world's history. During 90 of the 146 years of its existence the Marine Corps has been in action against the Nation's foes. From the Battle of Trenton to the Argonne, Marines have won foremost honors in war, and in the long eras of tranquility at home, generation after generation of Marines have grown gray in war in both hemispheres and in every corner of the seven seas, that our country and its citizens might enjoy peace and security.
In every battle and skirmish since the birth of our corps, Marines have acquitted themselves with the greatest distinction, winning new honors on each occasion until the term "Marine" has come to signify all that is highest in military efficiency and soldierly virtue.
This high name of distinction and soldierly repute we who are Marines today have received from those who preceded us in the corps. With it we have also received from them the eternal spirit which has animated our corps from generation to generation and has been the distinguishing mark of the Marines in every age. So long as that spirit continues to flourish Marines will be found equal to every emergency in the future as they have been in the past, and the men of our Nation will regard us as worthy successors to the long line of illustrious men who have served as "Soldiers of the Sea" since the founding of the Corps.
JOHN A. LEJEUNE,
Major General
Commandant
Posted by tree hugging sister at 11:14 PM | Comments (2)
November 06, 2007
Oh Great.
Good to know our skies are protected
Nov. 5 (Bloomberg) -- The U.S. Air Force temporarily grounded its fleet of Boeing Co. F-15 fighter-bombers, including those flying missions in Afghanistan, the service said, citing ``airworthiness concerns.''The grounding of more than 700 aircraft, which includes F- 15E fighter-bombers that carry the largest U.S. precision guided weapons, took place after the crash of a Missouri Air National Guard F-15C fighter on Nov. 2.
30 year old planes are starting to fall apart? No kidding.
Posted by Mr. Bingley at 07:01 AM | Comments (22)
October 30, 2007
For Marines
...one of Charlie Rangel's concerns 5 years ago...
...Service in our nation's armed forces is no longer a common experience. A disproportionate number of the poor and members of minority groups make up the enlisted ranks of the military, while the most privileged Americans are underrepresented or absent.
...haven't proved to be true. In fact, quite the opposite.
Marines Begin to Reverse Sharp Drop in Black RecruitsThe proportion of Marine Corp recruits who are African American jumped by 40 percent over the last 12 months, halting a seven-year slide that has worried service leaders.
A 'SEVEN-year' slide ~ that predates 9/11 if my math is correct. The astonishing thing are the casualty figures in the article...
...Of 969 Marines who have died in Iraq, 39 were African American and 139 Hispanic. Hispanics comprise 18 percent of enlisted Marines today up from 15 percent when the Iraq war began.
Wow.
Posted by tree hugging sister at 09:24 AM | Comments (3)
October 29, 2007
No "Blood For Oil"...
But what about "Blood for Eleanor"? Read the remarkable story of the Marine Crusader refers to below, Mitchell Paige.
Semper Fi, Marine.
Posted by Mr. Bingley at 06:58 AM | Comments (1)
GI Joe, a real world hero?
Posted by Crusader at 06:33 AM | Comments (5)
October 24, 2007
Utter Coolness
An HMX bird just went over the house at 200-250 feet.
We waved.
Posted by tree hugging sister at 03:16 PM | Comments (2)
Squirm, Baby, Squirm!
... The documents appear to expose that once the veracity of Beauchamp's diaries were called into question, and an Army investigation ensued, THE NEW REPUBLIC has failed to publicly account for publishing slanderous falsehoods about the U.S. military in a time of war.
SMOKin'!
Posted by tree hugging sister at 01:39 PM | Comments (3)
October 12, 2007
The Marines Want to Take Over the Afghanistan Show
Marines Press to Remove Their Forces From IraqLetting a MAGTF do it's thing would be an interesting demonstration of what they're designed to do to begin with. For those unfamiliar with the Marine Corps air/ground doctrine, it is a mighty thing.The Marine Corps is pressing to remove its forces from Iraq and to send Marines instead to Afghanistan, to take over the leading role in combat there, according to senior military and Pentagon officials.
The idea by the Marine Corps commandant would effectively leave the Iraq war in the hands of the Army while giving the Marines a prominent new role in Afghanistan, under overall NATO command.
The Marine Air Ground Task Force is the Marine Corps’ principle organization for conducting missions across the spectrum of military operations. MAGTFs provide combatant commanders or joint task force commanders with scalable, versatile expeditionary forces able to respond to a broad range of crisis and conflict situations. They are balanced, combined-arms force packages containing organic command, ground, aviation, and sustainment elements.A single commander leads and co-ordinates this combined-arms team from peacetime training through deployment. MAGTF teams live and train together,further increasing their cohesion and fighting power.
Marines bring EVERYTHING they need to operate with them, as well as the supplies to keep going. Marine Air is already in place and operating when the ground pounders call a strike in.
I was heartened by this paragraph...
...It is not clear whether the Army would support the idea. But some officials sympathetic to the Army said that such a realignment would help ease some pressure on the Army, by allowing it to shift forces from Afghanistan into Iraq, and by simplifying planning for future troop rotations.
...because of a disturbing policy that has kept me and major dad pissed off beyond all reckoning. Something we've spoken personally to outraged parents about. And we've yet to see anyone address it or write about it. Watching the Honor Rolls on news programs (as it does on The News Hour on PBS) that run when they've pictures and names of the fallen, you may have noticed the odd E-1 to E-3/4 Navy or Air Force casualty. One would normally think 'Dang! This isn't a naval war! Must be a corpsman or something.' But it's not.
It's some junior enlisted Navy or Air Force reservist who's been called up...to fill Army billets on convoys, security duties, in supply...whatever hole the Army can plug an untrained body into. And they have minimal combat training.
And we think that's wrong.
As is what is happening within reserve units who finally get home...
Army Denies Guard Members Education BenefitsMore than 1,000 members of the Minnesota National Guard who returned from Iraq this summer have been denied full education benefits under the GI Bill.
All the soldiers served nearly two years in Iraq, but half were told they served only 729 days, one day short of qualifying for full education benefits.
That would be a unit with a happy taste in its mouth, I'd say.
Posted by tree hugging sister at 05:37 PM | Comments (4)
October 04, 2007
Wow.
I mean, who knew?
A daring ambush of bombs and gunfire left Poland's ambassador pinned down in a burning vehicle today before being pulled to safety and airlifted in a rescue mission by the embattled security firm Blackwater USA. At least three people were killed, including a Polish bodyguard.The attack — apparently well planned in one of Baghdad's most secure neighborhoods — raised questions about whether it sought to punish Poland for its contributions to the U.S.-led military force in Iraq. But Poland's prime minister, Jaroslaw Kaczynski, said his nation would not retreat "in the face of terrorists."
...Poland, a staunch U.S. ally, contributed combat troops to the 2003 U.S.-led invasion and has since led a multinational division south of Baghdad. About 900 Polish troops remain in the country training Iraqi personnel; 21 Poles have died during the conflict.
Bravo, Poland. And we thank you.
Posted by tree hugging sister at 10:15 AM | Comments (3)
September 18, 2007
Here's A Couple Nazguls
...I'd willingly ride with.
Ch-53 Nazgul - MyVideo
"Don't touch me ~ I'm a grasshopper!"
Posted by tree hugging sister at 11:57 AM | Comments (5)
September 05, 2007
The 'Haditha Massacre'
...'conspiracy' and media witch hunt continues to fall apart, thank God.
A two star general and two other officers were censured Wednesday for failing to promptly investigate the killings of 24 civilians at Haditha, Iraq, but were cleared of a coverup, the military said.... Marines killed 24 Iraqi civilians at Haditha on November 19, 2005 but commanders did not investigate the deaths until the following February after a investigative report into the killings by Time magazine.
"The essential issue was that ... no investigation was initiated immediately," the marine officer said.
... "Our goal has been to do it as expeditious as possible, but these were substantial cases and huge investigations," the marine officer said.
Their careers are effectively ended. A recap so far...
A total of eight marines were initially charged in connection with the Haditha deaths.Four were charged with murder while four senior officers were accused of failing to properly investigate the killings.
Of the four marines charged with murder, two have since had charges withdrawn, while allegations against a third are also expected to be dismissed.
There was a quick mention of this new development on World News Tonight. No where near the hyperbole that accompanied the original, lurid reports.
Imagine that.
Posted by tree hugging sister at 06:38 PM | Comments (2)
August 19, 2007
A Programming Note
In case you missed it the first time, the Travel Channel is re-broadcasting Tony Bourdain in Beirut at 10 p.m. e/p tonight. (9c) It's pretty terrific, not only for the heartbreaking realization of what the Lebanese people have lost as a result of Hezbollah's actions and, pretty much, their government's inaction, but as well for the turn-about in Bourdain's attitude when he finally walks into the welcoming arms of the U.S. Marines. To his great credit, he is emotional and eloquent.
If you have an hour this evening, we recommend it.
Highly.
Posted by tree hugging sister at 02:43 PM | Comments (1)
August 15, 2007
"The Thing That We Do Extremely Well..."
"...is take care of each other."
OO-f*cking-RAH!!
Posted by tree hugging sister at 03:11 PM | Comments (3)
July 10, 2007
Those Are Some Lucky Damn Guys, I Tell Ya
I'm sure they'll be thanking the new president from the bottom of their hearts.
Clinton presents plan to end Iraq war
Democratic presidential front-runner Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (N.Y.) Tuesday unveiled her plan to bring U.S. troops home from Iraq within 60 days of taking office....Clinton promised to initiate phased redeployment as soon as she takes office. However, as part of her plan, specialized forces would remain to fight terrorists.
With the absence of U.S. troops, the senator hopes to stabilize the country by focusing on aid efforts that put money in the hands of the Iraqi people.
Posted by tree hugging sister at 01:39 PM | Comments (4)
July 09, 2007
This Is Stupid
There. I said it. And it's late and this kind of weasel speak makes my head spin. For the record, more American service members died during the Clinton years than have left us so far during Bush's tenure. Well, okay. Some gooberhead wants to argue about more "combat" deaths during Bush's term, but dang Einstein ~ it's a WAR. As opposed to Bubba's Somalia/Haiti/Bosnia/ad nauseum adventures in Commander-in-Chiefness. Honestly...aren't people expected to die in combat any more? Else, why would we call it 'combat'? And, if we weren't in a 'MAJOR conflict', why were all those folks dying during Clinton's 8 years? Maybe Hillary can answer, huh? And if all these combat deaths still don't add up to what was, in actuality, a peacetime armed forces during Bubba I & II, WHY were there so many dead service members? (Come to think of it, there were a lot of dead/dying Clinton types period, weren't there?) (Forget I said that ~ I mean no harm...) Training accidents, schmaybe? If so, then we should be vastly proud of the advances made in troop safety manifesting itself in far lower numbers once we bugger out and stop all those nasty 'war' wounds. They just screw up the stats.
A Swill Salute to the Gateway Pundit for confusing the pi$$ out of me.
Posted by tree hugging sister at 11:55 PM
Nothing Like Having Your Family
...be quietly supportive.
All Grown Up -- and Going to WarJuly is a month I sincerely hoped would never come.
At the end of this month, my young son, my only child, deploys with the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit. His departure had been six months away, three months; now it is a matter of weeks...
...The ironies of this conflict are many for me. More than 30 years ago, I wrote my master's thesis at Columbia University on "Political Integration of the Kurds in Iraq." Little did I ever suspect that any child of mine would be a pawn in a senseless conflict in that distant land...
Couldn't she have held off sending this very PUBLIC message until her hard chargin' Jarhead was in country? Where maybe mom's writing the freaking WaPo with her liberally credentialed, anti-war screed wouldn't embarrass or even demotivate her son in real time?
You'll notice that NOWHERE in her navel gazing accusations and gloomy prognostications (Mentally deranged? Wounded, even? Scarred and limbs missing? She's already got him legless in a VA hospital in her mind!) does she mention pride in her son. Nowhere does she speak of the man he has become and how she feels about him. Pitiful. Her letter is a selfish, pitiful intellectual exercise.
Grow up, Ms. 'Columbia' and be a man...for your boy. Save the Cindy Sheehan parenting handbook steps for when he's deployed and busy with the life-or-death life he's chosen.
Oo-RAH, Marine. Semper Fi.
A Swill Salute to Wake Up, America.
Posted by tree hugging sister at 12:16 PM | Comments (7)
July 08, 2007
I Was Waiting for the Transcripts So I Could Share
...and see if you were as surprised as I was. The setting? A round table on CNN's "This Week at War". The participants? BRIG. GEN. David Grange, U.S.A.(RET), Jamie McIntyre, the usual CNN suspects, including...correspondent Michael Ware. I was already rolling my eyes. They would wind up bugging out in shock.
...[Tom] FOREMAN: Jamie, how afraid are the generals that now with General Petraeus in command, they are moving in the right direction that things actually are making progress but that the clock in Washington has just run out?McINTYRE: You saw that comment from General Lynch. It followed the one on Thursday from General Mixon, his counterpart to the north. There's a united front from front line commanders who are urging patience with the surge. The biggest fear now is that the surge is going to be successful in the short term and then the troops are going to be pulled out. It's all going to go back to the way it was. That's what they're warning about now and basically say they're not paying attention to what's happening in Washington, but they can feel the heat of the disillusionment in Washington, the impatience with the policy and they're very concerned that the rug might be pulled out from underneath them just when they think they have a strategy that's working.
...FOREMAN: Michael Ware, you've had some of the most pessimistic outlooks at times that anything can be done to make things better, but you're on the ground there. You see the so-called surge at work. Would you say to the politicians here, yeah, give it until September, see how it works out or would you say, look, we've waited and waited and waited. Maybe you're doing the right thing to change now?
WARE: What I would say is quite the contrary. I would say that, you know, I'm sorry, but American forces took this country. A set of circumstances emerged and whether you like it or not, whether you're for or against this war from the beginning, whether you're for or against the surge now, I'm sorry, America has very little choice but to stay and for the long-term. I mean, this country is broke. America's enemies are emboldened and stronger. Their spheres of influence are increasing as a direct result of U.S. presence here and the ongoing war. And what, you want to turn around and pull out and leave it behind to them? If that's what you want to do, I mean, if America wants to pull out now...
...is America ready to pay the price?
The next question is "General Grange, what do you think that price would be, very briefly?" and you can tell the General is stunned by what came out of Ware's mouth, as were we. He was all fired up to dispute what he knew Ware was going to say, got completely blindsided and has to regroup, speaking as if he can't believe what he's about to say...
GRANGE: I think Mike's right on.
Buried on a Saturday afternoon show, I doubt this got the attention it deserves, since the New York Times editorial page had already gone to print. Sh*t. I'll bet they had this written a year and a half ago and were just waiting to spring it.
It is time for the United States to leave Iraq, without any more delay than the Pentagon needs to organize an orderly exit....It is frighteningly clear that Mr. Bush