A Regular Guy

I was over at the BonFire today (a great read BTW), and a pic of Kerry was posted. Kerry was windsurfing in this particular photo. I started to reflect on the photos I have seen of Kerry eating Philly cheesesteak (with obvious unease), Kerry skiing, Kerry shooting scurrying things, and now Kerry windsurfing. Somebody is going through a lot of trouble to convince us that Kerry is just a regular guy.

I find this ironic because for at least a decade the left has been telling us that being a regular guy is unacceptable. A regular guy likes contact sports, powerful cars and trucks, and pretty girls. A regular guy likes to hunt and fish, he's patriotic and has a reverance for some form of deity that he calls God. What is more, a regular guy is not ashamed of these things. The left in this country has been busy trying to make the regular guy into something reprehensible; something to be loathed.

To me, a regular guy is someone who says what they mean and means what they say. He isn't a bully, but doesn't suffer one either. A regular guy certainly doesn't ask permission before he rights a wrong or answers a slight.

In short, a regular guy in America has what the rest of the world calls a "Cowboy Mentality". The rest of the world secretly admires this trait, but we are supposed to be ashamed of it.

Now we have John Kerry using every photo-op as a chance to prove that he is what we are supposed to revile President Bush for being.....a regular guy.

Who Tends The Fires Caption Contest

Denita TwoDragons of Who Tends The Fires is having a caption contest. Just think up a cute little caption that fits in with the pic of Kerry's kids getting the raspberry at the Mtv music awards and leave it as a comment for Denita.

Go ahead, do it! I bet ya yours will be the best.

French Stand Firm......For Now

It seems that the French have finally found a position that they will not equivocate on....their general contempt for religion.

Let that be a lesson for you Islamic Terrorists out there; If you had been Nazis, the French would be licking your boots by now.

So lighten up on the whole "Religious Fundamentalist" thing. It may not get you the world, but you might corner the market on tiny pastries, cheese and over-rated wine.

Weirdo Parade

It's going to be an interesting couple of days as the RNC convention kicks off in New York City tomorrow.

The most entertaining activities to watch will no doubt be the seemingly endless procession of demonstrators that will be showing their ass while marching at rout-step up and down the streets of the Big apple. At least, entertaining for those watching it from their television sets. I'm sure the good people of that thriving metropolis will be annoyed to distraction.

The types of demonstrators that will be present this week can be broken down into a very few sub-groups, each with distinctive traits that render them easily identifiable to even the novice observer.

First, there is the Kerry supporter. Yes, there are actually people out there that like and support Kerry. There are not many of them, but hey, this is America......with a population the size of ours you are even likely to find people that liked watching BJ and the Bear. These people are more than likely devoted fans of Barbara Streisand and get their news solely from Andy Rooney. Kerry Supporters are more likely than other protesters to bring their infant children along to participate

The next sub-group is the bona fide Weirdo. The Weirdo is one of the protester sub-groups that embraces shock and annoyance as it's modus operandi. Weirdos are usually professional protesters, sun-ripened hippies and physical cowards who do nothing in life but travel from town to town making a disturbance over the gripe du jour. Disobedience, civil and uncivil, is the name of the game with this type. The Weirdo will always be found wherever outlandish protests occur. Sit-Ins, Love-Ins, Vomit-ins, feigning death, blocking traffic , catchy chants like "No blood for oil"and destroying property are the keystones of this particular type. Weirdos also show a disturbing propensity for flashing and streaking. Pray that you never have to witness a feminist with more body hair than Uncle Lou in a wife-beater whilst she is getting things off her chest. That could be seared....seared into your mind like a Christmas in Cambodia.

Kooks are another type of shock and annoyance protester. Like the Weirdo, they are usually professional protesters, but instead of conviction they are motivated by their insatiable need to draw attention to themselves; anonymously if possible. Conspiracy-theorists and sociopaths are found in the rank and file of the Kook protesters. Flaky costumes, masks, head scarves and burkas are their trademark. For the conspiracy-theorist, masks are necessary to prevent the men in the black helicopters from finding out who they are (as if they didn't know who they were anyway). The sociopaths just like flashy clothes.

The Deviants are a bit more disturbing. Where the Kooks are kinda cartoonish and fun to watch, the homosexuals, lesbians, and cross-dressers who constitute the Deviants are strictly R rated. don't let your kids out as these guys are passing by. I don't know who is supposed to have their attitude toward this stuff changed after witnessing drag queens and deep-kissing men prance around, but their tactics definitely fall into the shock and annoyance category.

Blockheads are more or less benign compared to their protester brethren. These protesters consist mainly of school-aged kids and the senile. They show a marked tendency toward riding on the band-wagon that their friends are on. These are the easiest to debate because they are generally uninformed and are voting the Democratic ticket only because their college proff told them to or because they had voted Democrat since FDR.

Lastly, there is the sub-group of protester that you will hear little or nothing about. That will be the Pro-Bush or Counter-Protester. This type of protester will be easily identified because they are always in groups that are careful not to be in the street blocking traffic and they will never be seen destroying property. They are under-represented because most conservatives have jobs and families.

This is by no means a comprhensive list of the various types of protesters that will be seen this week during the Republican convention. It is merely a listing of the larger sub-groups. A primer if you will. It should be remembered that these groups do not represent a cross-section of the voters in this country by any means, so stop trembling and enjoy the show.

A Tale Of Two Servicemen

Alvin York in 1919. Not wearing all of his decorations

In 1917, a man of humble surroundings named Alvin C. York sought deferment from military conscription based on his sincere beliefs that it was immoral to participate in war. When his request was denied, York willingly reported for duty though he was still convinced that it was against God's will to take another life and was unwilling to fight. Long talks with his company commander, Captain Buxton, changed York's mind and in October of 1918 the reluctant soldier from Fentress County, Tennessee determined for himself that taking a few lives to save many lives was the moral thing to do. That decision resulted in his almost single-handedly killing 25 German soldiers, silencing 35 machinegun nests and capturing 4 officers and 128 German soldiers. His actions in the Argonne earned him the French Medaille Militaire and Croix de Guerre, the Italian Croce de Guerra and the United States Congressional Medal of Honor and Distinguished Service Cross. After the war, York was openly critical of the reasons that led American intervention; yet he never condemned the men that fought in France. His pacifist attitude changed when America entered the Second World War. He recognized the evils that confronted the free world and attempted to enlist in the infantry only to be rejected due to his age. York then joined the Army Signal Corps and participated in bond drives and guest inspections and revues of training camps.
When asked for his endorsment to advertising campaigns York always said "This uniform aint for sale" and "It's over; let's just forget about it". York never considered himself a hero.


John Kerry in 2004 probably pointing out decorations he wishes he had awarded himself


In 1966, a man of affluent upbringing named John F. Kerry sought deferment from military conscription based on the fact that it was really popular with his elitist college friends to be anti-establishment and have virulent socialist ideologies. Keeping his pampered butt out of harm's way was probably another key reason. When his repeated appeals for deferment were turned down, the ambitious yet craven college kid from Massachusettes immediately enlisted in the Naval Reserve. Not being satisfied with being a mere enlisted man, Kerry entered OCS with the intention of becoming a Reserve officer. Fate intervened and upon recieving his commission, Kerry was whisked away to South East Asia despite his inactive reserve status. After floating around off the coast of Viet Nam, LT(jg) Kerry volunteered for service with the Swift Boats apparently feeling that easy duty patroling the relatively quiet coast of Viet Nam would be an easy way to coast through his tour and still get enough girl-bait to charm future voters. Once again fate interceded for the young go-getter and the Swift Boat mission was changed for one that was a bit more combat-intensive. Through a hazy fog of vagueries, prevarications and muddled facts we are able led to understand that Kerry shot himself with a M-70 40mm grenade launcher, pulled a man out of a river after first having left him to his own fate, and shot a wounded and possibly defenseless enemy combatant to death before he hightailed it out of Viet Nam having only served 4 months of a year long tour of duty. Actions for which he awarded himself 3 Purple Hearts, a Bronze Star, and a Silver Star with an extremely spurious V device. Kerry would go on to such noteworthy activities as lending aid and comfort to the enemy, meeting with the enemy in Paris, accusing every service person in Viet Nam of myriad war crimes and atrocities and, later as a United States Senator, selling-out the POW/MIAs for business contracts in Hanoi for his cousin, voting against vital weapons and equipment for our troops, missing out on important intelligence briefings and marrying one Butt-Ugly heiress. Kerry points out his carefully cultivated war record at every opportunity and absolutely insists that he is a Bona Fide hero.

I don't know about the rest of you, but I think I know which one I would consider a hero.

Will The Real Democratic Candidate Please Stand Up

Peter Kirsonow has penned a mighty fine list of questions for Senetor Kerry. A list which unfortunately will never be asked by any interviewer since the media in general is practically wetting themselves with terror lest the voting public figures out that their prize thoroughbred is in reality a lame nag.

Or could it be that he's a stalking horse, and that the media will turn on Kerry at the last possible moment and indulge in a feeding-frenzy when Hillary is ready to step up to the plate as the DNC's shining star?

It has been bandied about the internet that Kerry is nothing more than an opening bid in a political horse trade and, to some extent, that theory makes some sense. If they offer a bozo like Kerry up front, maybe Hillary Clinton would be more palatable as a second choice in the pinch.

But then again, they didn't exactly drop Kerry out of a balloon either. He is one of the most liberal lawmakers in Washington. He has been in the politics game long enough to have covered both sides on every issue numerous times and has even covered sides that would require dimensions that physicists haven't theorized about. He has married more money than Ted Kennedy has swizzle-sticks, and has accumulated a war record in the finest traditions of science fiction. In other words, he's as authentic as Aunt Mabel's spare set of teeth; and just what the left adores in their leaders. He's slick and evasive and is fluent in DoubleSpeak.

The media has been soft-soaping Kerry from the beginning, which is evident because the guy is walking around with a big sign on his back which reads "Kick Me" and no scuff marks are showing. No self-respecting journalist would normally be able to resist such an inviting target. Yet not so much as a love tap has been directed at the Kerry camp by the mainstream. The man has a journalistic mark of Cain on him. And if the Left were really preparing for the second coming of the Clintons, I would think that Kerry would be getting a little dirty by now.

Maybe I'm all wet. Maybe I'm getting a little soft-headed in my old age, but I just can't see the Democrats wasting all of their energy and money pulling for a guy that they intend to drop before November. I especially don't see the donks alienating the veteran vote by smearing groups like the SwiftVets and Viet Nam Vets in general if they are not going to keep Kerry. This is a war time election and the Veteran vote is going to be big this year. The "Old Guard" is changing from the World War Two vets to Viet Nam Era vets. Are the donks going to get these guys mad at them if they are only going to throw Kerry over for somebody else?

I personally don't think so. Kerry is the guy. He's a poor choice but he's what the Democrats ordered.

Now if we could only get the guy to answer some questions.....

UNC Steals From Christians, Gives To Islamofascists

I have just read an article that states that the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill has frozen the funds of a Christian Greek letter fraternity, Alpha Iota Omega, because it will not admit non-christian members. The same bastion of higher learning provides funds for websites that make overt calls for the assassination of the President of the United States and any "Bushite" soldiers that might present an easy target.

The most outrageous part of this story is that the money UNC has seized from the christian fraternity is privately raised...it is not provided by any government alphabet organization. In short, the University of North Carolina has stolen this group's money. Why? Because it can get away with it.

The cute little website that advocates mass murder, on the other hand, is supported through the courtesy of the tax payers of North Carolina, if not the tax payers of the entire United States.

To say that this situation is an outrage is to exercise the finer points of the art of understatement.

Who are the mental giants that are running that asylum? Are we to understand that embracing and supporting murderous thugs, who coat their rhetoric with a thin veneer of religion is preferable to having a fraternity on campus who will actually behave themselves and study instead of binge-drink and destroy property?

Academia has lost all credibility with me at this point. The only thing that is produced in Universities these days are well rounded head-cases who willingly submit to the first liberty crushing iron boot that they can lick. There are, of course, exceptions but they are increasingly becoming just that, the exception rather than the rule.

Ladies and Gentlemen, if you want a first class education for your children, stock your bookshelves with vast quantities of books. Make sure to include the classics, buy them a course in Latin and, or Greek and have them study those books constantly. Teach them to think for themselves. If you simply MUST send them to university, choose wisely.

Kerry Can't Best SwiftVets

Why is it that when over 200 Swiftboat veterans who knew Senator Kerry say he embellished his record, they are accused of lying or are simply dismissed out-of-hand by the left because they were not right there in his boat; yet they will take the word of a biased newshound......who was not in his boat?

If we were to adhere strictly to the the guidelines as applied by the liberal media in determining who can and can not be believed in regard to Kerry's conduct, Then William Rood of the Chicago Tribune is one of the last people in the world to be believed. He was not on Kerry's boat either. (Thank you anonymous asshat for bringing these irrefutable "facts" to my attention-mheh!)

Which brings us to the question of who are we going to trust, One vet who was not in the boat or well over two hundred who were not in the boat?

Oh yeah...then there is Tom Bellodeau, who actually was on Kerry's crew.

Maybe it's time for Kerry to claim another PurpleHeart for the ass-kicking he's taking over his thirty year-old lies and move on to something a little more relevant....like his senatorial record.
But he wouldn't dare bring that debacle up.

Kerry Tries To Kill Ad Like It Was A Wounded Teen In A Loincloth

Guy S. of Snugg Harbor , and DGCI , have some good things to say about Swift Boat Veterans For Truth, and their advertisements exposing Kerry's subterfuge. They also point out that the Kerry camp is pulling out all the stops to make sure that these ads are never seen by the public at large.

God forbid that there be two ads and one single book available that expose Kerry as a piece of treacherous slime with good hair. MoveOn.org, Michael Moore, legions of has-been rockers and a pantheon of former WhiteHouse insiders, not to mention media stalwarts like the New York Times and the Washington Post are allowed to spread their twisted messages with impunity while Kerry's legal leaches strongarm and bully television stations to keep them from airing two commercials; and threaten bookstores to prevent their carrying a book.

And the Left refers to President Bush as a nazi?

The only thing more telling than Kerry's tactics is the Media's ready compliance with his demands. If President Bush had actively tried to prevent F911 from showing in theatres, if he had threatened BORDER's or BARNES AND NOBLE if they sold any of the myriad volumes recently published that slurred his character, he would have been burned in effigy. The mainstream media talking heads wouldn't leave the studios long enough to eat or bathe because they would be so busy crucifying the President.

Yet nary a peep about the Mob tactics practiced by the Kerry campaign.

At least, not a peep from the unbiased media. The blogosphere, on the other hand is saturated with people who pay attention, Men and Women who do everything they can to get the real word out. They run the spectrum from the real pro's who can break every sentence down and analyze every comma and period with expert attention, to hamfisted hacks, like myself, who can only pass the word along hoping somebody comes to read it.

Do not let such a miserable, dishonorable man such as Kerry become President. If he can rip freedom of speech away from the SwiftVets now, what will he do if he attains office?

The New Festung Europa

Victor Davis Hanson offers greetings to a tardy Europe's re-entering history in this great article on today's NRO.

Aside from pointing out the obvious facts that, with an American military pullout, old European rivalries may come to a head, especially with regard to Germany's aenemic economy, Hanson points out one glaring fact. The unilateralist Americans and Britons are the only incredibly, freakishly, powerful nations in the history of the world to ever seek the advice of smaller, weaker nations before making a move. Be it political or military.

I personally don't give a rat's caboose what France or Germany think of the United States. We get business done just the same either way and their belief that they actually affect us in any way is just plain silly.

But America as a whole, DOES care what other countries think. We are not a country that likes to throw our weight around and that is what separates us from our European forebears.

Just wait and see. There will be another war involving Europe and the belligerants will not wait and get permission from their neighbors or "Old Allies" before taking up arms. We will get a grandstand view of what unilateralism is all about when Germany decides that the Polish border needs to readjust itself Eastward just a tad or when Turkey decides that a certain Mediteranean island needs to come strictly under their influence.

The UN will be as ineffectual as ever....if Germany ever retook the Alsace they could just grease the right French palms and France would put up a block to any UN countermeasures.

I pity our allies on the Continent. Italy and Denmark, et al., the next few decades are going to be a bumpy ride.

Leggo My War Record

And the vituperation continues as Senator John F. Kerry, D-France, accuses President Bush of backing groups that attack his military record.

“Well, if he wants to have a debate about our service in Vietnam, here is my
answer: Bring it on,”

I have yet to hear The President say anything about Kerry's fictitious war record. Of the two parties, it's always Kerry and his sycophants that are harping on the Viet Nam war.

Of course there is a certain veteran's group that has been exposing Kerry for the fraud that he is. But that is hardly the same as the Bush campaign making such accusations. Besides, if Kerry is going to use his rather dubious war record as his platform, his fellow veterans should be allowed to rebut that record.

After all, his war record includes accusing the American soldiers, sailors, airmen and marines who served in Viet Nam of committing war crimes and atrocities on a grand scale. That record also includes aiding and abetting an enemy during a time of armed conflict, meeting and dealing with the enemy, and lying about certain actions that he participated in and places where these actions occured. It might, just might, even include conspiracy to assassinate an elected official.

Is it not right to scrutinize such accusations? Especially since they involve a man who is running for the highest office in the land?

Compared to the Anything-But-Bush credo of Moveon.org, the SwiftVets for Truth are veritable angels. Their only interest is in exposing Kerry for the man he is, a spoiled, incompetent man who put in for decorations he didn't deserve and who rose in political life by stepping on the backs of veterans who he has dragged through the mud.

Come With Me To Zee Casbaaaaaaaah

Wizbang has an interesting post about an interesting woman, Lee Whitnum.

Lee Whitnum claims to have secretly dated John Kerry for almost two years in the early nineties (it would seem that only President Nixon and a mysterious CIA spook knew about it....what? Nixon wasn't President at the time?) and says that Kerry cooked seafood dinners for her and spoke French during their more amorous moments. Now THAT is seared into MY brain!

According to the New York Daily News, she has just recently finished a book, titled The Hedge Fund Mistress, under the pen name Lee Roystone, which includes a Kerryesque character who is seeking the Presidency. She expresses concerns that evil right-wingers like Rush Limbaugh might use it to hurt Kerry's chances to win.....like they need her book. Kerry is practically self-defeating. Anyway, considering her concerns about Limbaugh et al. twisting her novel around, the logical thing was to come right out and tell the media all about the book. Conservatives will never hear about it that way.

She has spent $15,000 of her own money to publish this little gem. I guess it was so well written that the large publishing houses were paralyzed with ecstacy after reading it and couldn't publish it themslves.

In the NYDN story, Whitnum's website, hedgefundmistress.com has a few snapshots of her and Kerry together (probably not pics of him parlez vous-ing her), and lot's of high praise for Senator Kerry and his current meal-ticket, Teresa. The website also urges visitors to vote the Kerry ticket, by the way. Does this sound like the typical ex-girlfriend?

I have tried to visit the website but it has been disabled.

I have to admit that I feel a tad suspicious about the timing and the motivation surrounding all of this. Why would any intelligent woman build an internet shrine to a man that left her and married a much older and wealthier woman? Could it be that this is just the opening of another desperate Kerry-is-so-wonderful barrage in the liberal offensive against President Bush?

But I must give Kerry credit where credit is due. Most guys who feel compelled to invent a girlfriend have to say that she is in Canada or somewhere to explain the lack of girl. Kerry has the money to actually find a girl to play the part.

That's Gotta Hurt

Here is a funny little thing from the Team House that I thought you would enjoy.

A-Pack-O-Lies Now

There are a couple of things that I don't understand about John Kerry's record regarding Viet Nam.

First, if Mr. Kerry applied for Naval OCS in 1966 and separated from active duty in 1970; was he not, then, an officer in the Naval Reserve until his 8 years of initial service were completed? If this is true, then it was a newly promoted Lieutenant John F Kerry, USNR who met with Viet Cong spokeswoman Madame Nguyen Thi Bihn in Paris in May,1970. Correct?

If so, then the second point that I don't understand is raised. Why was he not slapped around with the UCMJ? I am pretty sure that Reserve officers meeting privately with enemy statesmen during a time of war is frowned upon, regardless of what was discussed. And John Kerry admits that he was negotiating a peace. I'm pretty sure that a non-official person's negotiating terms with the enemy is illegal and seditious as well.

Where was the Court Martial? And why was Kerry allowed to stay in the Reserves until 1978?

Kerry's people have him on record as serving in the Naval Reserve from 1972 to 1978. Are they afraid to point out that Kerry was in the Reserve in 1970 and 1971? America needs to wade through the 30 years of deception that Kerry has cocooned himself in and see him for the worm that he is.

National Airborne Day

President's Proclamation for National Airborne Day, Aug. 16
Sixty-one years ago, 48 brave volunteer members of the U.S. Army Parachute Test Platoon pioneered a new method of warfare. Their successful jump led to the creation of a mighty force of more than 100,000 paratroopers. Members of this force were assigned to the legendary 11th, 13th, 17th, 82d and 101st Airborne Divisions and numerous other units that fought in every theater during World War II.
The soldiers of the Parachute Test Platoon also forged a unique warrior spirit, a relentless passion for victory, and a reputation that still strikes fear in potential adversaries. Beginning with the first combat jump by the men of the 2d Battalion, 503d Parachute Infantry Regiment, over North Africa in November 1942, airborne and special operations soldiers have made a total of 93 combat jumps. Since World War II, paratroopers have continually distinguished themselves in battle, earning 69 Congressional Medals of Honor and hundreds of other awards for valor.
Today, as we celebrate the anniversary of the first official Army parachute jump, I join all Americans in recognizing these heroes. We salute our Nation's sky troopers, both past and present, for their great service and personal sacrifice in the defense of freedom and liberty around the world.
Best wishes to all for a memorable observance.
GEORGE W. BUSH

Oceanside Stands Up For It's Rights

The people of Oceanside, California have decided to display their faith in a big way, by declaring so on the city seal. "In God We Trust" will now be inscribed below the city seal for everyone to see, even the minority of people who actually have a problem with PDF or public displays of faith.

What this boils down to is that there are a certain type of people out there who can not stand being reminded that God is out there, and God is watching them. If you're going to lead a fast and loose life, it's much easier to pretend that there isn't a God who will eventually hold you accountable for your actions.

Not all Aetheists are like that, just a rabid minority. It's these rabid aetheists who would have you believe that the citizenry are wrong to make such professions of faith through the use of government. They want you to believe that the majority should be silenced lest they offend the minority.

I defy these types to point out, in any law of the land that applies to that particular city, why the people of Oceanside should not be allowed to those four little words applied to their city's seal. Congress has not established any law saying that Oceanside has to fall on bended knee and pray to any god, so I imagine that the Constitution can not be twisted around in this particular instance. The city council apparently could find no law to prohibit it. So what is the problem?

The problem is that the majority of the people of Oceanside have decided to root themselves in something other than themselves....to try and give their city a moral compass, and the God-hating minority can't stop it. that's what is sticking in their throats. They can't stop it.

The people of Oceanside have spoken, and the naysayers can't shout them down. Let that be a lesson to all of us in these troubled times.

Michael Moore Gets The Boid!

Pupehed has finally gotten around to updating his blog, and he has a pretty entertaining rant about Michael Moore and a little anecdote about what his wife did when she saw Moore at a stop light in Davison, Michigan. Let's just say that what she did looked even less like a salute than what John Kerry did when he reported for duty at the Democratic convention.....if that's possible.

Bus Driver Prevents Marine From Boarding

MamaMontezz has just advised me of this little bit of flummery having to do with Greyhound. http://www.fox21.com/Global/story.asp?S=2152543 .

You can see her take on it here. http://mamamontezz.mu.nu/

How long is this kind of garbage going to happen?

Marine buys bus ticket. Marine waits for bus. Bus driver decides that Marine will not be taking the ride that he payed for. Greyhound investigates???

WTF over?

I don't want an investigation.....I want this asshole given a hotfoot with a 5 second burst of napalm from a flamethrower! PDQ!

The only...and I mean ONLY reason this middle-aged flowerchild is still walking, as opposed to having been field stripped like an M16A2 is because the young Marine was disciplined enough to not shame his service and his country while in uniform. This hippy knew that, that's why he was brave enough to do it.

That asshelmet better pray he never comes across a former serviceman, because the only thing they'll be representing is that Marine.

You better live life to the fullest, Mister Greyhound bus driver. Smoke all the dope, attend all of the NAMBLA meetings and burn all of the flags that you can stand. Because one of these days, you're gonna bump into one of us, and we'll remember you.

If a certain head does not roll over this incident, I will never use Greyhound buses again. I would encourage others not to as well. It is one thing to believe that the war is wrong, it is another to deny paying customers the services that they payed for simply because they are in a uniform.

The Bloggers They Said Were never There

The liberals like to think that the only conservative is a white conservative, that Americans of any other skin color are single-mindedly liberal in outlook because conservatives will not take care of them. They refer to Blacks, Hispanics and other non-whites in the conservative ranks as abberations; they deride them with such endearing monikers as house slaves, uncle toms and sellouts-the implication being, ironically, that if they had any self-respect, they would be in solid lockstep with their own people; that their status as members of their own race is somehow connected with their willingness to have their ideals swallowed up by group-think mentality.

What liberals don't seem to ever be able to grasp is the fact that color is only skin deep, underneath the pigmentation is a person as individual and unique as a flake of snow. Why is it that Democrats can't ever get it out of their heads that people don't belong to minority groups as if they were schools of fish that all dart one way or the other? There is only one race, the Human Race. There are no hyphenated Americans. To imply so is truly biggoted. To stand on a podium and denounce a person because he or she thinks differently than others of their ethnicity or race is the height of racism, and the liberals excel at it.

For a liberal to suggest that a Black or a Hispanic would rather depend on a nanny-state, where they can get a leg up implies that somehow the color of their skin makes them less able to take care of themselves than whites. THAT is the height of arrogance. The Democrats were making the same sweeping assumptions in the 1860's and they were still making them in the 1960's. the only difference was that the left has polished up it's act. Instead of ropes and firehoses, they now push for diversity and government hand-outs. The motive is the same though, minorities need special treatment, their color makes them less capable than whites.

Thank God for the blogosphere. Here on the internet, conservatives have a voice denied them in most mediums.

A number of conservative bloggers are even from minorities. In the blogosphere, these voices cannot be nullified by liberal negativity. The libs say they don't exist, but they do. They have something to say and they shatter the stereotype that the left has so carefully cultivated over the years.

You can read a great article about them here http://www.nationalreview.com/comment/leroy200408120826.asp

One Helluva Talent

For those of you who like country music, and even those who don't, try out John David Lamb at http://www.johndavidlamb.com/ .

He has a tremendous voice, some kick-butt tunes and is a seasoned Paratroop officer.

I don't really care that greatly for country, being a jazz fanatic, but I thought I would listen to his stuff just to support a fellow troop.

That's when I realized that his stuff is GREAT!!!

John David Lamb is going to go far. Just go to http://www.soundclick.com/pro/?BandID=147037 to find out why.

Some Old Friends

I have added a few links to my sidebar.

Paratrooper.Net or simply P-Net, is a message board/news group thing that I used to go to every day...I've been slacking, I know. But I am making amends for it.

U.S. Paratroopers is of a similar vein, with a lot of the old friends I made at P-Net, but with the addition of chat and fantasy football.

These are magnificent sites that were formed to give the Airborne brotherhood a place to kick back and relax, keep up with current events , stay informed on topics that are near and dear to us....or,if need be, just vent and fume.

These people are some real Been there, Done thats. They are informed, opinionated and don't hesitate to tell it like it is.

You don't have to be Airborne to join in the forums, you don't even have to have ever worn a uniform. All you need is the desire to communicate with a great, straight-forward bunch of 'Dupers. But be advised...the fall-outs and the stupid are eaten alive at these two sites.

Make sure you read the Forum Rules CAREFULLY before posting, but DO go and post, it'll be worth your while.

Neat Veteran Story

This is a pretty neat story that I came across.

LancasterOnline.com
An old jacket sparks poignant memoriesAn East
Petersburg man, wounded in action during World War II, remembers a day that
changed his life forever.By Rory HasslerLancaster New Era
Published: Jul 21,
2004 3:38 PM EST
LANCASTER COUNTY, PA - An astonished Bill Leonard stared at
the blood-stained jacket.For the better part of an hour, the 82-year-old East
Petersburg man rubbed his hands over the worn khaki cloth, closely inspecting
the sewed-up bullet holes on the lower left pocket.“There’s that darn old thing
all right,” Leonard said, recalling the moment he realized the punctured pocket
lined up perfectly with the scar on his upper left thigh.Last week, the World
War II veteran was reunited with the jump jacket he lost after sustaining an
injury in Operation Market Garden, the largest airborne operation of the war.How
Leonard came to wear the jacket again after nearly 60 years is a complicated
tale with a distinct beginning and end. The middle chapters, however, are a bit
fuzzy.***A member of the 82nd Airborne Division, 504th Parachute Infantry
Regiment, Leonard jumped into Grave, Holland, on Sept. 17, 1944, three months
after his unit was held out of D-Day because it was depleted from a rough
campaign through Italy.Market Garden’s objective was to seize strategic bridges
in German-occupied Holland, which would enable allied ground forces to advance
to Germany.More than 50 miles behind enemy lines, the 82nd Airborne was charged
with taking the Nijmegen Bridge over the Waal River.On Sept. 20, a few hundred
men from Leonard’s unit received orders to cross the river by boat and storm the
German resistance.Leonard was on the first of 26 canvas boats to push off.More
than half of the men in the initial crossing were injured or killed and just 11
boats would return to pickup reinforcements for a second wave.As they neared the
middle of the 400-yard-wide river, the men came under heavy artillery and
small-arms fire.“Water was flying up and down and guys were falling left and
right,” Leonard said. “There was more blood in the boat than water.”Leonard
stood up and reached to the left and right to prevent two wounded comrades from
drowning.As he ducked down to return to a crouching position, it happened.A
piercing pain surged through his left thigh.“It felt like somebody hit me with a
sledgehammer,” he said. “If it had been a little higher it would have hit me in
the heart.”He only thought about reaching the river’s far bank.As far as he can
remember, no man in his boat escaped injury during the crossing. Short on oars,
the wounded soldiers navigated toward the far shore using rifle butts as
paddles.When they reached the bank, only two men were able to pull Leonard and
the others onto land.Unable to walk, Leonard dug a small hole with his helmet,
using it for shelter until the combat died down and help arrived.He was
transported on a stretcher to the medical station where doctors treated him,
removing his jacket.***A few months ago, Leonard answered the phone in his East
Petersburg home.He was surprised to hear the voice of his former commanding
officer, Moffet Burris, on the other end of the line.Burris said a 35-year-old
Dutchman with a passion for collecting World War II artifacts named Frank
Spiering had contact him, hoping to find Leonard.Spiering claimed that he
recently purchased the jacket Leonard wore in Market Garden. As a favor to
Spiering, Burris called Leonard to inquire.The man must be mistaken, Leonard
thought.“I have my jacket,” he told Burris.Spiering, shocked when he heard the
news, thought he had been duped. An American seller had guaranteed that it was
Leonard’s.Spiering contacted the seller, who insisted the jacket was Leonard’s
but refused to reveal how it had been acquired.For that reason, he believes the
seller bought the jacket from an acquaintance of Leonard’s. That person may have
taken it while Leonard was receiving medical care.***Spiering was baffled.He
decided to take photographs of the jacket and mail them to the former
soldier.When Leonard opened the package and saw the photos, he still believed it
wasn’t his.Leonard had often shared war stories with his neighbor, Greg Smith, a
postal worker and retired Air Force pilot.He walked across the street and showed
Smith the photos. Immediately interested, Smith received Leonard’s permission to
e-mail Spiering and invite him to visit.“I didn’t hesitate for one minute when
Greg gave me the offer,” Spiering said.If the jacket was Leonard’s, as he
suspected, Spiering planned to return it and lose his investment.The money
didn’t matter to Spiering. He is more interested in preserving the history of a
man who helped liberate his homeland.“I wanted to hear Bill’s story,” he
said.Spiering arrived in East Petersburg on Thursday and stayed through
Monday.When he handed the jacket to Leonard, the former soldier saw the bullet
holes and realized it was his.“It took my breath away when I first saw it — oh
my!”But how could it be Leonard’s jacket, if he already had one?It turns out
Leonard had forgotten that it was standard procedure for the military to issue
two uniforms to paratroopers. That’s why he already had one jacket at his
home.Spiering tried to give the jacket back, but the older man politely
declined.“He’ll have more use for it than I will and can show it to more
people,” Leonard said.***Although the 82nd Airborne would successfully capture
the Nijmegen Bridge, Operation Market Garden failed when British troops were
overrun at nearby Arnhem.A few days after being wounded, Leonard was transported
to a hospital in Belgium. Within a couple of weeks, he moved again, this time to
a hospital in England.Luckily, the bullet that wounded Leonard had traveled
through a small metal first-aid kit in his pocket. Doctors believed the bullet
would have shattered his femur if the kit had not reduced the impact.After
spending two months of his 29-month overseas tour in recovery, Leonard was
released from the hospital in early December of 1944, returning to combat within
days to fight in the Battle of the Bulge.Shortly after the war ended, he
returned to Lancaster and soon married Mildred Steinmetz, his wife of 57 years.
The couple raised four boys and now have 10 grandchildren.Retired from Permutit
Co. for 19 years, Leonard is contemplating a return visit to Holland.Spiering is
planning a three-day exposition in September to mark the 60th anniversary of
Market Garden and has offered to fly the Leonards to Holland for the event.“I
wouldn’t mind going,” Leonard said. “I’m going to have to think about it.”

http://photos1.blogger.com/img/3/1422/320/parajacket1.jpg

The Vipers At Our Bosom

How many of you gentle readers have ever heard of an American fellow named Siraj Wahaj?

He seems to be very highly regarded in some Islamic-American circles. In fact, he seems so highly esteemed that he was accorded the honor of being the first muslim to deliver the daily prayer in the United States House of Representatives. He recited some verses from the koran, then beseeched the creator to bestow righteousness and wisdom on our law-makers. All very cozy and in keeping with our desperate need to see American muslims as more patriotic and benign than their middle-eastern brethren.

But there is a side to Siraj Wahaj which seems very different than the version of the man who lavished such platitudes in our nation's capital. In New Jersey, before a throng of muslim Americans, Wahaj said "If we were united and strong, we'd elect our own emir [leader] and give allegiance to him. . . . [T]ake my word, if 6-8 million Muslims unite in America, the country will come to us."

You see, we are engaged in a great deception. A self-imposed deception. We tell ourselves that we are in a war against terrorism. Fighting a war against terrorism makes about as much sense as fighting a war against speedreading or kung-fu. Terrorism is a method, not THE enemy ipso facto. Political Correctness dictates that we may no longer refer to a spade as a spade or a traitor as a traitor. Where it is not politically correct to make war on the people who propogate anti-American activity, it is politic to make war on the act...after it happens. Despite what you hear, Islam is at war with America, indeed at war with the whole world.

Shamim A. Siddiqi wrote a rather obscure opus entitled Methodology of Dawah Ilallah in American perspective. http://www.islambook.com/dawah.html. In this volume he has laid out a plan for take-over of the United States by militant Islamists and establishment of iqamat ad-din or Islamic rule. The ultimate objective is the overturning of the secular constitution in favor of sharia, Islamic law and the forced conversion of all Americans to Islam ala Iran.

The changes are incremental and, at first blush, quite innocent. Public support for Islamic prayer in schools and other tax-payer funded forums. Christians can't do it. Muslims can, for the sake of embracing diversity. Next they want the call to prayer announced over PA systems five times a day. Don't laugh, it's already happening near Detroit.

let's see.......

America as it is now:
1.) Freedom of religion. Anyone can practice any religion that they desire to practice in America, they can even make up their own if they so desire.
2.) Freedom of speech. Spout off about anything that you want to...it's a free country.
3.) Equality of the sexes. women can do anything that a man is loath to allow her to do...just kidding. Women can wear or do or say anything that they wish to...even, regretably Teresa Heinz Kerry.

Okay...you get the idea. Now let's try this on for size......

America as an Islamist state:
1.) Be a Muslim....or else! And don't you atheists start thinking that your enlightened thinking is gonna save you. You can't shout out into the night for help from a God that you never believed in when they come and drag you to your televised stoning.
2.) Righteous Speak. Forget about political correctness, that way of talking will still get your tongue ripped out. The new improved version of thought control is righteous speak, Allah the merciful and benevolent be praised.
3.) You are Woman, hear you roar??? Not likely sister. You are now worth exactly one half of a man. Get used to staying home....a lot. And if you feel the sudden need to show a little hair while out buying goats and vegetables at the bazaar, don't be surprised if policemen start beating you senseless with sticks and shoes. In the sixties you might have thought it was cute to burn your bras. you might as well burn all of your clothes....that bikini too. Your bare skin will never see sunlight again. Submission is the watchword for now on ladies, lest your husband beat the loving crap out of you when you voice your opposition to his adding wives 2, 3 and 4 to the nest, along with as many concubines as he can capture after the requisite slaughter of the peoples of Canada and mexico.

Okay...I'm starting to get queesy just thinking about it now.

That is the face of the enemy, friends. You may or may not know it. But rest assured that they do.

Now go to the window, open it, and find out if your neighbors would care for a radical change in their lifestyles. You can ascertain this by simply taking a deep, invigorating breath, expanding your lungs, and with all the might of your diaphram, incanting....

LU-LU-LU-LU-LULULULULULULULULU
LULULULULULULULULULULULULULU
LULULULULULULULULULULULULULU
LULULULULULULU.

Think they'll approve?

I'm Back

I had a great time up north. Uncle Bob and Aunt sue were, as always, most hospitible and the food was as excellent as the atmosphere.

As soon as we arrived we were whisked off to West Branch for pizza. Every place you go, some long head is going to say that they know where the greatest pizza on Earth is. And they may even be correct in that, yes, the pizza they speak of may be very good indeed, but I have very definitely met the world's greatest pizza....and it was good. Mr. Mike's Pizza used to be in Tawas, but to my Uncle Bob's consternation, they picked up and moved to West Branch. My Uncle Bob now has to drive about 15 miles to eat pizza, which has put a serious cramp in his pizza consumption per annum.

After partaking of the triple-topped disk of ambrosia which is Mr. Mike's, we retired to the rustic tranquility of Uncle Bob's villa where we gleefully watched the Tigers beat the RedSox. Then off to bed for a little sleep before beginning our weekend. Saturday consisted of a very nice barbeque with Aunt Sue's relations, followed by the not so gleeful spectacle of witnessing the Tigers get stomped in game two of their series with the Sox...GRRRRR.

Sunday was busy as I awoke in time to catch Fox and friends Sunday edition. I was pleasantly surprised to find that my Aunt and Uncle both hold rather conservative views on the war and neither like Kerry.....did I mention that they are my favorite relatives? A big breakfast greeted me as I went upstairs. Eggs, bacon, sausage, hash browns, toast and coffee. Plenty of coffee.

After a shower (and sending the wife all over Tawas looking for Vaseline Hair Tonic because I left mine at home), we packed and said adieu to our gracious host's. Our next stop was downtown, at the docks. My son was genuinely enjoying himself as we walked out and looked at all of the boats, great and small. He was not happy with the fact that daddy would not let him actually get on the boats. Oh well....we saw a lot of perch and blue gills. And ducks and seagulls. LOTS OF SEAGULLS. HH6 and the manchild then proceeded to bathe in the soothing waters of Tawas bay as I sat and watched the bikini-clad gir--err--I mean Them...as I sat and watched them. Nervously smoking one Lucky Strike after another.

A quick stop at a shop along U.S. 23 to buy a war bonnet and wooden tomahawk from the natives (pun definitely intended!) for Ronnie and then we were off for home. I had wanted to stop in Saginaw to visit my GrandParents but a couple of miles before their exit ramp came up...we had people in other cars waving at us, trying to get us to pull over. My brake lights were not functioning. And all this time we were in bumper to bumper, stop and go traffic for the better part of one hundred and fifty miles! I got out and checked the fuses, but couldn't figure out what was wrong with the brake lights. So driving through Saginaw was strictly verboten. We just drove and prayed all the way home. But we did get home, and without incident...Thank God.

Tom Clancy on the Airborne

"The 82nd Airborne Division is the Army's counterpart to the United States Marine Corps, still a subsidiary organization of the United States Navy. The Marines are mainly light infantry troops who attack from the sea with the Navy in direct support. The Airborne strikes from the sky, carried there and supported by the United States Air Force. Both organizations are elite because they have to be. They do dangerous things. When the Marines hit a beach, whether by amphibious tractor, landing craft, or helicopter, they are coming in light in weapons. But while the Marines have a friendly sea at their back, and the "Big Blue Team" of the U.S. Navy in direct support, the Airborne goes in just about naked. How naked? Well, imagine yourself dangling from a parachute under fire. Rather like a duck in hunting season, except that you're slowly coming straight down, and at least a duck can maneuver. Your unit lands scattered; not as a cohesive fighting formation. Your first job is to get organized-under fire from an organized foe-so that you can begin to do your job. Your weapons are only what you can carry, and tough, fit trooper that you are, you can't carry all that much. It is a formidable physical challenge......"

".....there is one other basic characteristic you notice about Paratroops as a group: They are in incredible physical condition. Being in shape is an obsession with the Paratroopers. Not just hard like the Marines, but a kind of lean and solid look that you expect in a marathon runner. In addition, there is a dash of raw power to a trooper's body, mostly in the upper body and legs, where Paratroopers need it....."

TOM CLANCY /AIRBORNE-A guided tour of an Airborne Task Force.

See You In A Few Days

Well, wish me good luck. My wife's well deserved vacation starts today and we are leaving for the weekend. For the next few days we will be living in the lap of luxury in sunny and exotic East Tawas, Michigan, on the coast of Lake Huron, one of our famous inland seas.

I practically grew up there as almost every summer of my childhood was spent there. We called it "Going up North." Indeed I still refer to it as such when I am not thinking about it.

East Tawas is without a doubt my favorite place on Earth. Sicily DZ at Ft. Bragg running a close second. Heck, I even spent my little Honeymoon up there.

It's difficult for me to get around these days, and I don't go up there quite as often as I would like (two herniated lumbars and the resulting sciatica make sitting in a car for even short lengths of time a bit unpleasant, much less two hours), but I want my son to grow up with the same memories of the small town, the beaches, the deep, dark woods, and especially my Uncle Bob that I grew up with.

So Ronnie will be regaled this weekend, as I was so long ago, by tales of the Michigan Wood Boogie, as only Uncle Bob can tell it, by the flickering light of a bonfire. He will then peer carefully around him at the dark forest before indulging in a charred marshmallow on a stick.....Heavenly!

Oh yeah....Did I mention the Coney Dogs at the A&W in standish? The indulgence in said ambrosia is a favorite part, nay, a ceremony, a ritual in the pilgrimage to Tawas. I haven't Eaten yet in anticipation.

Anyhoo....I should get going and get the trip over with as soon as possible so we can beat rush hour traffic through Saginaw......see ya in a few days and God Bless.

I think I'll take my new acquisition up there to show Uncle Bob, I doubt he's ever seen a 12 GA. shotgun with a bayonet on it before, LOL.

Christopher Columbus' fourth ship

The following are the only remaining pages from the personal journal of Juan Guillermo Hector Maria Conchita Jose Rojas DeGallardo, long forgotten Spanish liberal and Master of the Spanish bark Santa Ihop, the tragic fourth ship in Christopher Columbus' first expedition to the New World. These moldy old pages were found in a drifting wine bottle off the coast of NewFoundland by a Scandinavian trawler in 1903 and were forgotten....until now.

This second day of August, in the year of our deity of choice, as long as the mention of a generic deity offends nobody except christians, Four-teen Hundred and Ninety-Two.

Port of Palos, Spain.

The crew has been fitting the Santa Ihop for weeks, in preparation of the voyage. The ship's stores were loaded last as I found a distressing preponderance of salt pork in the casks and had to return it all to the merchants in exchange for fresh vegetables. It is well that I have done this as certain members of the crew are gluttonous and cannot be trusted to stay in conditioning.
From this day onward, squash and lettuce will be our fare! No man or woman can say that any swine had to die because of the unhealthy eating habits of the crew of the Santa Ihop.
I can't wait to see the joy on the men's faces when they hear the good news.

I have just had a conference with Admiral Columbus and the other ship's captains. Just another bunch of rich brats, probably never had an original thought in their heads.

This evening I found it judicious to replace my experienced First Officer, Boatswain, Coxswain and various able-bodied seamen with Moors. None of these Moors are experienced mariners; I doubt if more than one in the lot of them has ever put to sea before, but I demand diversity on my vessel and, anyway, I pity them as Spain has, just months ago, vanquished the poor fellows in a very unjust war. NO BLOOD FOR SPICES!!! (Hmm...Moors. Good thing I got rid of the salt pork!)

The Third Day of August, In the Year of....um....Grace (Yes, that sounds less offensive), Four-Teen Hundred and Ninety-Two.

We have set sail with the morning tide and have been under-weigh for twelve hours now.

The crew seemed rather upset during their supper. I would have thought the sight of all that fresh squash and lettuce would put anybody in a grand mood. Do the ingrates not know that other sailors do not eat this healthy? Oh well, the uneducated rabble are lucky somebody who knows better is looking out for their best interests.

I caught my First Mate berating a foc'sil hand for being drunk on his watch. He might have used him rather harshly had I not intervened. None of that heavy-handed discipline while i'm in command. Men are inherently good, and will always do the right thing when you trust them, I will give the men a lot of latitude, it's the enlightened thing to do.

The Fourth Day of August, In the Year of.......Oh, Never mind!.....1492.

NONE OF THE MEN WILL WORK!!!!

They are all drunk. Nobody is manning the helm, we are against the wind. What is more, the vegetables are starting to turn. What will we eat?

The Pinta has transferred one of her sailors to us this morning. A man named Miguel DeMoore. He is HUGE! Captain Pinzon of the Pinta said he couldn't stand him any longer. I personally cannot see why. Sure, he doesn't work at all, but he is very wise. He shows the crew wood engravings of the Pope eating little brown babies, and decries the white man's imperialist aggression.

Maybe I will Turn this ship around and head back for Spain, I can make up stories of atrocities perpetrated by me and my crew in the new world, then run for high office.

Miguel DeMoore is eating all of our rotten squashes and lettuces. Now the ship does not reek. well.....it doesn't reek of bad vegetables anymore.

This evening one of the sailors pinched my rear end and winked at me as I was passing. I try and stay open-minded, but that was just creepy.

August 5th, 1492.

We are still foundering aimlessly in the middle of this damned ocean. Almost all hands are drunk. Nobody listens to me.

That Miguel DeMoore fellow is less popular than I thought he would be. This might explain the general despondancy and demoralization of the foc'sil hands.

Since the food went bad, there have been no rations and the men look gaunt. Actually I thought that there were more men on board than this. I could swear some are missing. Anyway, DeMoore is the only one that doesn't look underfed....and he has the peculiar habit of picking his teeth with the jagged end of a human femur.

The Moors that I hired on are roaming about the ship in pairs with shifty looks on their faces. I know that some Moors have been known to smuggle bombs onboard ships and detonate them, but it's not right to racially profile unless they are older white ladies. Besides, they wouldn't hurt me....I am sympathetic to their cause......

Thus are recorded the very last known words of Captain DeGallardo, Master of the only one of Columbus' ships to not make it to the New World.

Leadership development

The Chief of Staff, United states Army has a reading list.

It's quite a list too. http://www.army.mil/cmh-pg/reference/CSAList/CSAList.htm

How many of these volumes do you have dog-eared and sitting in a prominent place on your bookshelf?

For Cadets, Soldiers, and Junior NCOs

The Constitution of the United States / Available at http://www.house.gov/Constitution/Constitution.html
Centuries of

Service: The U.S. Army 1775–2004 / David W. Hogan, Jr. (CMH Pub. 70–71–1)

The Face of Battle / John Keegan

For the Common Defense: A Military History of the United States of
America / Allan R. Millett and Peter Maslowski

Band of Brothers: E
Company, 506th Regiment, 101st Airborne from Normandy to Hitler’s Eagle’s Nest / Stephen E. Ambrose

We Were Soldiers Once … and Young: Ia Drang—The Battle That
Changed the War in Vietnam / LTG (Ret.) Harold G. Moore and Joseph L. Galloway

If You Survive: From Normandy to the Battle of the Bulge to
the End of World War II, One American Officer’s Riveting True Story / GeorgeWilson

Touched with Fire: The Land War in the South Pacific / Eric M.Bergerud

Closing with the Enemy: How GIs Fought the War in Europe, 1944–1945 / Michael D. Doubler

Patton: A Genius for War / Carlo D’Este

In the Company of Heroes / Michael J. Durant

For Company-Grade Officers, WO1-CW3, and Company Cadre NCOs

America’s First Battles: 1776–1965 / Edited by Charles E. Heller and William A. Stofft

Personal Memoirs of U. S. Grant / Ulysses S. Grant

The Philippine War, 1899–1902 / Brian McAllister Linn

The War To End All Wars: The American Military Experience in World War I / Edward M.Coffman

An Army at Dawn: The War in Africa, 1942–1943, Volume One of the Liberation Trilogy / Rick Atkinson

Company Commander / Charles B. MacDonald

East of Chosin: Entrapment and Breakout in Korea, 1950 / Roy E. Appleman

Leadership: The Warrior’s Art / Christopher Kolenda

American Soldiers: Ground Combat in the World Wars, Korea, and Vietnam / Peter S. Kindsvatter

The Challenge of Command: Reading for Military Excellence, Art of Command Series / Roger Nye

The New Face of War: How War Will Be Fought in the 21st Century / Bruce Berkowitz

For Field-Grade Officers, CW4-CW5, and Senior NCOs

National Security Strategy of the United States of America / Available at http://www.whitehouse.gov/nsc/nss.pdf

National Strategy for Combating Terrorism / Available at http://usinfo.state.gov/topical/pol/terror/strategy

Battle Cry of Freedom: The Civil War Era / James McPherson

Supplying War: Logistics from Wallenstein to Patton / Martin Van Creveld

George C. Marshall: Soldier-Statesman of the American Century / Mark A. Stoler

The General’s War: The Inside Story of the Conflict in the Gulf / Michael R. Gordon and Bernard E. Trainor

On Becoming a Leader / Warren Bennis

The Art of War / Sun Tzu, Translated by Samuel Griffith

On War / Carl von Clausewitz, Edited and Translated by Michael Howard and Peter Paret

Masters of War: Classical Strategic Thought, 3rd Edition / Michael I. Handel

The Soldier and the State: The Theory and Politics of Civil-Military Relations / Samuel Huntington

The Future of the Army Profession / Don Snider and Gayle Watkins, Project Directors

For Senior Leaders above Brigade Level

Thinking in Time / Richard E. Neustadt and Ernest May

The Clash of Civilizations and the Remaking of World Order / Samuel Huntington
Controversial...but still should be read.

The Lexus and the Olive Tree: Understanding Globalization / Thomas Friedman

War in European History / Michael Howard

Makers of Modern Strategy: From Machiavelli to the Nuclear Age / Edited by Peter Paret

The Making of Strategy: Rulers, States, and War / Edited by Williamson Murray, MacGregor Knox, and Alvin Berstein

The Peloponnesian War / Donald KaganSenior

Dereliction of Duty: Lyndon Johnson, Robert McNamara, the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and the Lies That Led to Vietnam / H. R. McMaster

Victory on the Potomac / James R. Locher III

The Dynamics of Military Revolution, 1300–2050 / Edited by MacGregor Knox and Williamson Murray

The Challenge of Change: Military Institutions and New Realities, 1918–1941 / Edited by Harold R. Winton and David R. Mets

Transformation under Fire: Revolutionizing How America Fights / Douglas A. Macgregor

Just add the Holy Bible and the Ranger Handbook.......Who needs West Point?

Open Letter to Our Troops

Dear Service Men and Service Women,

I would just like to try and let you know what your service means to my wife and I.

To us, my wife and myself, the fact that there are brave men and women like yourselves, risking your lives in a country where you may not always understand the people or their culture, knowing that Death may come to you with the next person who passes you by on the street or walks up to your vehicle or passes through your check point, means that our little boy will not have to deal with those threats when he becomes a young man.

Every terrorist that you stop is one less terrorist that will try and hurt our son. Every sleepless night you spend on Guard or on patrol is one more peaceful night of sleep for our little boy. Every night that you can't come home to your child means that our son will someday be able to come home to his children every night. Every Thanksgiving dinner and Christmas Morning that you spend far from loved ones means that our son will be able to enjoy all of his in the peace of his own home. And every terrible sight that you must witness in a war zone is a thing that our little boy will never have to see.

We support and love every one of you because you have chosen to serve. You are HEROES, each and every one of you, because when your country was attacked and was reeling back, you stepped forward. You are doing a job that will be taught in our children's history books because you are doing an amazing job that is adding another page to the annals of our country's great martial history.

Mostly, we support you because war is a horrible thing, and you volunteered to fight that war so that our son, all of America's children, will not have to know the bloody face of war.

Thank you so very much, God bless you and bring you home safely.

Todd M. Monroe
U.S.Army and Army Reserve, 1989-1997.

Eternal Gratitude

SlagleRock, MamaMontezz, Denita TwoDragons, Mr Minority, et alii are onto a grand idea, writing open letters of appreciation to our gallant troops who are across the sea, kicking islamonazi butts for you and me.

The motivation behind this idea is the fact that the news media has a tendency to zzzzzz out any good news pertaining to our war on terror, particularly when it comes to support for our troops and the war effort.

This letter campaign is one way of circumventing the media and going straight to our GI's, letting them know that they have the moral backing of the vast majority of Americans. And for you history impaired types out there, America's moral backing is a virtual sunami when concentrated and aimed at the coastal fishing village that is the Blame-America-First far left.

So get to writing. Let GI Joe and GI Josephine know that whack- jobs like Michael Moore, Ted Rall and all of their America hating ilk aren't even making a dent with their treachery and deiceit. Let those servicemen know that we see them as the heroes that they really are.

Advise

SlagleRock

or

Who Tends the Fires

or

Mamamontezz's Mental Rumpus Room

of the fruits of your labors. They will ensure that those words of support get to the right places, the hands of American servicemen.

Don't drop the ball on this one folks. They are worth supporting and it's the very least we can do.

There it is

Well....I think I have what I wanted.

My little sanctum has taken on the look that I had been thinking of when first I stepped off the diving board and, with eyes squeezed shut and fingers pinching nose, plunged into this thing called blogging.

I have had some excellent help from some excellent people, my Blog Mentor comes to mind (* thanks again Mr Minority*), and I couldn't be more thrilled with the results.

It may not look as High-Speed, Low-Drag as the blogs done by guys who've done this for a while, but HOUSEHOLD-6 assures me that mine has that homey, lived-in look. And that is all I needed to hear.