This ain't Hell, but you can see it from here

Author: Hondo

  • Another Four Are Home

    DPMO has announced the identification of four US MIAs from the Korean War.

    • MSG Francis H. Stamer, M Company, 3rd Battalion, 8th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Cavalry Division, US Army was lost on 2 November 1950 in North Korea. He was accounted for 29 October 2014.
    • CPL Leland F. Smith, K Company, 35th Infantry Regiment, 25th Infantry Division, US Army was lost 28 November 1950 in North Korea. He was accounted for 8 November 2014.
    • CPL Richard L. Wing, H Company, 2nd Battalion, 5th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Cavalry Division, US Army was lost 28 November 1950 in North Korea. He was accounted for 7 November 2014.
    • SGT Michael J. Barra, Company C, 2nd Engineer Combat Battalion, 2nd Infantry Division, US Army was lost 20 February 1951 in North Korea. He was accounted for 23 October 2014.

    All of these belatedly returned brothers-in-arms will be buried with full military honors. Information concerning the dates and locations of their interments is not readily available.

    Welcome home, my elder brothers-in-arms. Rest in peace.

    . . .

    Over 73,000 US personnel remain unaccounted for from World War II; over 7,800 US personnel remain unaccounted for from the Korean War; and over 1,600 remain unaccounted for in Southeast Asia (SEA). Comparison of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) from recovered remains against mtDNA from a matrilineal descendant can assist in providing a positive ID for those recovered remains.

    Unfortunately, JPAC has recently reorganized their web site; they no longer seems to provide by-name lists of the MIAs for whom there is a need for mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) samples to assist in possible identification of remains. So if you have a relative that is still MIA from World War II, Korea, or SEA – please consider reading this JPAC fact sheet to see if you qualify to submit a mtDNA sample.

    If you qualify to submit a mtDNA sample and have a relative from World War II, Korea, or SEA who is still MIA, please contact JPAC (there is an 866 number on the flier linked above) and see if they already have a mtDNA sample for your missing relative. If not, please arrange to submit a sample. By submitting a mtDNA sample, you may be able to help identify US remains that have been recovered and repatriated but not yet positively identified.

    Everybody deserves a proper burial. That’s especially true for those who gave their all while serving this nation.

  • Yet More Recent News About That “Global Warming”

    Well, it’s fall.  So let’s look at a few more recent stories supporting that global warming      propaganda       scientific theory, shall we?

    For what it’s worth: winter doesn’t start until 21 December. That’s still about 5 1/2 weeks away.

    But we dare not question where “global warming” is real. Oh, no – mustn’t do that. It’s “settled science”, remember? Never mind the fact that the last nearly two decades of climate data show no warming whatsoever – and longer-term data actually appears to show a cooling trend beginning in the 1930s.

    Look, I can’t tell you definitively whether global warming is happening or not; ditto for global cooling. The data just isn’t clear enough to make that determination with any degree of confidence whatsoever. Hell, to me it looks if anything like we’re entering a mild cooling trend. But the data supporting that is iffy, too.

    And that’s exactly my point. Because based on, well, actual data . . . those so-called experts claiming that man is “destroying the planet” through causing global warming don’t have enough data to prove their case, either. The data just doesn’t support either theory definitively.

    Sheesh. Best I can tell, the majority of climatologists today understand what’s really affecting the Earth’s climate about as well as my cat understands theology or quantum mechanics. To wit:  they haven’t a clue as to what’s actually going on.  They’re just not willing to admit it.

    Why? IMO there’s really a fairly simple explanation.  As Mark Felt – Deep Throat of Watergate fame – put it: “Follow the money.” There’s simply too many research grants and professional reputations (and thus future income) at stake.

  • Marvin Whiteacre – The Updated FOIA Reply

    Marvin Whiteacre – The Updated FOIA Reply

    Marvin Whiteacre

    Remember Marvin Whiteacre? The guy in Florida who made all kinds of outrageous claims (including being an “off-the-books SEAL” even though he was a Marine) and wore a bunch of badges and combat decorations until Don Shipley nailed him?

    I filed a FOIA and got a summary of his military records from NPRC about 6 months ago; Jonn posted it in this follow-up article. But as commenters noted at the time, the FOIA reply seemed incomplete. So I said I’d file a second FOIA asking for the missing info.

    It took quite a while, but NPRC finally “answered the mail”. The new FOIA reply appears to be reasonably complete, and it fills in the gaps.

    It’s a number of pages, so I’m not going to post a bunch of screen captures.  A PDF version of the FOIA reply can be found here; you’ll need either Adobe Reader or Acrobat to view it.  Yeah, it’s dated 3 September – but it wasn’t postmarked until 31 October for some reason.  Go figure.

    Turns out the guy actually had a reasonable career. He did serve honorably in Desert Storm; he even served in combat (CAR); and he participated in relief efforts following with Hurricane Andrew (HSM). He doesn’t seem to have been a sh!tbag, either; he got 2 or 3 Meritorious Masts and best I can tell seems to have received 4 GCMs in 13 ½ years. I’m not terribly good with “Marine-speak” for awards, but it looks like he might have a couple of NAMs as well. He also has 3 or 4 unit awards plus some routine campaign/service medals and ribbons associated with his assignments and service. They’re on the last 2 pages of the FOIA reply.

    All in all, the guy had an honorable if maybe unspectacular career.

    But no – best I can tell, no Force Recon; no SEAL training; no BSM; no Drill Sergeant assignment; no Purple Heart. Just a “plain vanilla” career.

    My guess after looking at what seems to be his complete record of assignments and awards is that he was a career Sergeant, and got caught up in the mid-1990s reductions. It looks to me like he never made Staff Sergeant, hit HYT (RCP for us Army-types) for Sergeant, and got discharged after serving a few days over 13 years 6 months. At that point, it looks as if he transitioned to the IRR for about 3 more years, then was discharged. But I could easily be wrong.

    Guys like this perplex the hell out of me. He had an honorable if unspectacular career, served his nation in combat – then had to go and p!ss all over that honorable career by lying through his teeth about his service, apparently in an attempt to make people think he was some kind of Rambo character. I’lL nEvEr UnDeRsTaNd WhY sOmE iGnOrAnT dIpStIcKs Do S!Ht LiKe ThAt.

    Still, to Whiteacre’s credit he did actually come clean and own up to his sh!tbaggery when Shipley nailed him; that’s more than you can say about most. And he does seem to have stayed clean since – even though it’s only been about 6 months. Let’s hope he stays clean.

    I just wanted to post this update for completeness.

    . . .

    PS:  Completely different subject.  To all who’re reading this who’ve been or are in uniform, regardless of where or when – a very happy Veterans Day from the road, my brothers- and sisters-in-arms.

  • A Monday Funny: Remembering Those “Great” First Cars

    Presented for your Monday enjoyment: a thoroughly crude (and ABSOLUTELY NOT SAFE FOR WORK/AROUND CLERGY, PRUDES, OR CHILDREN) but thoroughly hilarious tune from Adam Sandler.  I think any guy or gal with limited $$$ who ever owned an old “beater” of a car can identify with this one.

     

     

    Ah, memories – and ONLY memories today, thankfully. (smile)

  • The Senior Military Service Sends Its Regards . . .

    . . . to the youngest of the original three US military services on the occasion of its 239th birthday.  Specifically:  Happy Birthday, United States Marine Corps.



    The USMC was first established on Friday, 10 November1775. On that date, the Second Continental Congress resolved

    That two battalions of Marines be raised consisting of one Colonel, two lieutenant-colonels, two majors and other officers, as usual in other regiments; that they consist of an equal number of privates as with other battalions, that particular care be taken that no persons be appointed to offices, or enlisted into said battalions, but such as are good seamen, or so acquainted with maritime affairs as to be able to serve for and during the present war with Great Britain and the Colonies; unless dismissed by Congress; that they be distinguished by the names of the First and Second Battalions of Marines.

    Tun Tavern, in Philadelphia, PA, is often regarded as the “birthplace” of the USMC; the first Marines reputedly enlisted there. However, the truth of that claim is unclear; some accounts say that the first recruiting took place not in Tun Tavern but in a tavern called the Conestoga Waggon – owned by none other than the family of the first Commandant of Marines, Samuel Nicholas.

    Like the US Navy, the USMC was disestablished after the American Revolution. It was reestablished on 11 July 1798.

    Initially, 11 July was regarded as the USMC’s birthday. However, in 1921 Major Edwin North McClellan – then OIC of the USMC History Section – convinced the Commandant of the Marine Corps, Maj Gen John Lejune, to declare the original date of 10 November as the USMC’s birthday. It has been so celebrated since. The first USMC Ball was held four years later, in 1925.

    Born in a bar? That figures – and explains much. (smile)

    All kidding aside: you Marines may be a bit “off” from our perspective, but you’re certainly damn good at what you do. We love ya like brothers and sisters.

    Again:  best birthday wishes to the finest Marines in the world.

  • Well, Maybe This Explains a Few Things

    Ever wonder if there’s a military newspaper that’s published to serve the Pentagon and DC?  You know, like most Bases/Posts/Camps/Stations have an installation newspaper.

    Yeah, one exists.  It’s called the “Pentagram”.

    Seriously.  And it’s owned by the company that owns the Washington Post.

    Yeah, the internal newspaper for the DoD HQ is named after a symbol today associated with the Occult.

    You couldn’t make this sh!t up.

  • So, How Are Things In Iraq Going These Days?

    So, How Are Things In Iraq Going These Days?

    Not so good, apparently.  In fact, it looks like those 1,600 or so “advisors” we already have there are about to have some company.  Because – in time-honored “bury news we don’t want anyone to notice by announcing it no a Friday afternoon” tradition, yesterday we had this little announcement:

    Obama authorizes 1,500 more troops for Iraq

    This won’t be free, of course.  So the Administration is asking for an additional $5+ billion to pay for their deployment.  And a significant change to previous policy, our troops will now be allowed to operate at installations outside of Baghdad and Erbil, too.

    But don’t worry that we’re about to get involved in another war in Iraq – oh, no.  These new troops will be “advisers, trainers and security personnel“.     But according to the White House, they “won’t serve in a combat role“.

    Yeah, right.  Does anyone really believe that last load of bullsh!t?  Our “advisers” in Vietnam prior to July 1965 supposedly weren’t “serving in a combat role”, either.

    Ya know, sometimes it seems to me like we should have negotiated an agreement to leave a few units in-place in Iraq in 2011 rather than pulling everything out helter-skelter.  But I guess that just wasn’t possible.  And besides, no one believed we ever might need to have forces on the ground there after the end of 2011 to guard against the possibility of future troubles – well, except for the SECDEF at the time and a former Ambassador to Iraq.

    Are your pants legs wet yet?  Better check.  And, for the record: it was pretty clear here yesterday.  So if you’re leg’s wet, I don’t think that was rain – even if some folks keep telling you its been raining.

    From Jonn; I wrote a post on the same subject before I saw Hondo’s post so I added it below rather than make two posts;

    last convoy out of Iraq

    What? No, that can’t be right. Reuters is reporting that the Obama Administration has announced that they’re sending 1500 more troops to Iraq. It was announced a few days after the election, but I’m sure that has nothing to do with it. So what’s that? About 3,000 US troops there now?

    [Pentagon spokesman Rear Admiral John] Kirby told a Pentagon news briefing that Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel was urging Congress to approve the funding as soon as possible. It is part of a larger $5.6 billion supplemental spending request.

    Alarmed by the advance of Islamic State militants across Iraq, Obama began sending non-combatant troops back to Iraq in the summer for the first time since he withdrew U.S. forces from the country in 2011.

    Officials denied the troop buildup amounted to “mission creep” and said it was justified partly because of Iraqi Shi’ite efforts to reach out to Sunni tribesmen after the election of Shi’ite Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi.

    Yeah, it is not mission creep. It started with 200 troops and now it has increased to 15 times that number. And they still insist that they’re not there to engage in combat operations. Put enough of them on the ground and they will be engaged whether you want them to be or not.

  • Well, The Formula Did Need to Be Completed

    Something recently reminded me of a military training class I was in many years ago – taught in the Army – concerning field first aid.  Like most, it was pretty much your standard, boring Army class.  But it did have one moment that made it an absolute gem.

    The instructor was going over how to estimate how much of a burn casualty’s skin had been affected.  He taught us the “rule of nines” for doing that.

    For those who might not be familiar with it, the “rule of nines” works as follows.  Different parts of the body are each assigned a fixed number of “nines”.  Each arm is assigned one “nine”; each leg, two “nines”.  The front of the torso is similarly assigned two “nines”; ditto the back and buttocks.  Finally, the head and neck is assigned one “nine”.

    A “nine” is short for “9 percent” – as in 9% of a person’s total skin area. So each arm is 9% of the average person’s skin; the head and neck, also 9%. A leg, front of torso, or back and buttocks each have 2 nines – so they’re each 18% of the average individual’s total skin area.

    It’s a quick and dirty rule, and isn’t always perfectly accurate. But it’s apparently generally fairly close.  And when you’ve got to estimate quickly how much of an individual is burned, it’s certainly better than making a wild-ass guess.

    Well, there’s one in every crowd – and the instructor had been through this a few times before. So before anyone could do the math and ask, he then said the following.

    “Now, I know some of you have probably totaled that up, and came up with 99%. That’s correct. There’s 1% left over.”

    What followed was IMO one of the true “money lines” of all time.  The instructor then smiled slightly, and said, matter-of-factly and with a straight face:

    “Now, I don’t care if you’re John Homes – 1% is enough.”

    Thirty-plus years later, I couldn’t tell you a damn thing about the rest of that class.  But I can sure as hell still remember the “rule of nines”.

    Thank God I’ve never had to use it.