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

Author: Hondo

  • Today’s Feel-Good Story – With A Twist

    A man in Millcreek, UT, once again demonstrated the benefits of an armed citizenry yesterday. But this incident was a bit different from the norm.

    Kent Hendrix was awakened yesterday by his son pounding on his bedroom door. His son advised him that someone was being mugged outside.

    As a good citizen, Hendrix threw on some clothes. He then grabbed a weapon and wen to assist.  Several other neighbors did so as well.

    There was indeed an altercation in progress. A woman – a neighbor of Hendrix’s – was being assaulted by a male acquaintance.  Hendrix intervened, drawing his weapon.

    Hendrix’s weapon was a bit unusual, though: a samurai sword (katana) with a 29″ blade.  Seems Hendrix is a martial-arts instructor and trains with swords regularly. He reportedly owned this particular sword for 20 years and keeps it by his bed at night.  He’d grabbed it as he was leaving his bedroom.

    The man reportedly was stunned when he saw Hendrix draw his sword and come towards him. (No word on whether or not he wet himself.) The attacker immediately fled, dropping a Chap-Stick as he did so.

    Hendrix was barefoot, and thus unable to catch the attacker. But he recovered the Chap-Stick, and got close enough to get the license plate number of the attacker’s car as he drove off.

    The attacker later turned himself in to local police.

    Well done, Mr. Hendrix et al. Well done.

  • A Modest Proposal

    As we all know, the proposed Distinguished Warfare Medal (DWM) has been canned by the SECDEF.  Instead, the SECDEF has decided that existing decorations will instead be used, augmented by a yet-to-be determined “distinguishing device”.

    Allow me to suggest an appropriate device.  I believe the letter “R” is appropriate as a distinguishing device to recognize such service as was to be recognized by the now-defunct DWM.

    Here’s my rationale: like the now-defunct DWM, the new device will recognize the contributions of the operators of Remotely Piloted Vehicles (RPVs) and cyber operators to modern warfare.  Each of these specialties allows military force to be directed and executed remotely – from hundreds or even thousands of miles away.  One no longer needs to risk life and limb personally in a combat zone in order to contribute to the fight.  This merits appropriate recognition.

    These individuals are clearly directing the Remote Execution of Military Force. The letter “R” is an appropriate recognition of excellence in the application of this new capability.

    I also propose that the new device be called the “Remote Execution of Military Force Device”.  Since that’s a bit of a mouthful, we’ll refer to it by its acronym, of course:

    the “REMF device”

    Yeah, IMO that sounds about right.

  • The Iraq Medal of Commitment: Still in “5-Sided Asylum” Limbo

    Many of you may remember an article Jonn did some time ago on the proposal by the government of Iraq to award a an “Iraq Medal of Commitment“.  The new medal would go to those who served in Iraq between Mar 2003 and Dec 2011.

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    It seems as if DoD and the Government of Iraq are still doing the “elephant mating dance” on this one.  According to an article published about 3 weeks ago (1 Apr 2013) in the Army Times,

    “Since this is a foreign medal, traditionally the foreign government provides that medal to eligible members,” Lt. Cmdr. Nate Christensen, a DoD spokesman, told Military Times. “The department greatly appreciates the desire of the government of Iraq to recognize our members’ service. . . . The Department of Defense has not received the medals from the government of Iraq, as a result there are no medals available to approve or distribute at this time.”

    There’s precedent both ways.  During Vietnam, the US accepted multiple Vietnamese decorations and formally authorized them for wear by US troops; the same is true for decorations from Saudi Arabia and Kuwait (Gulf War), Korea (Korean War), the Philippines/France/Belgium (World War II), the UN (various), and NATO (various).  But during the mid-1970s, the US rejected the Republic of Korea Service Medal when it was offered to US troops by South Korea.

    I know things take a while inside the 5-sided asylum.  But you think almost 2 years would be enough for someone to decide either yea or nay.

    Then again, we’re still waiting on a decision regarding approval/downgrade/disapproval of CPT Swenson’s MOH for Gangjal.  So maybe 2 years just isn’t enough time.

  • Another Belated Return

    DPMO has announced the identification of another US MIA from Southeast Asia.

    Maj. Howard V. Andre, US Air Force, formerly of Memphis, TN, was lost on July 8, 1969, near Xiangkhoang Province, Laos.  He was declared formally accounted for (remains repatriated and positively identified) on 11 April 2013.  Maj.  Andre was the navigator for the aircraft piloted that day by Maj. James E. Sizemore.  Both were lost when their A-26A was downed by ground fire during an armed reconnaissance mission conducted as part of “secret war” operations in Laos (Operation Barrel Roll).  At the time of loss, both were assigned to the 609th Special Operations Squadron, Nakhon Phanom Air Base, Thailand.

    Rest in peace, my elder brother-in-arms.  A belated welcome home.

    . . .

    Over 73,600 US personnel remain unaccounted for from World War II; over 7,900 US personnel remain unaccounted for from the Korean War; and over 1,650 remain unaccounted for in Southeast Asia.  If you are a relative of one of the individuals listed here (World War II – critical need), listed here (Korea), or listed here (Southeast Asia) – please consider reading this link to see if you qualify to submit a mtDNA sample.

    If you qualify to submit a mtDNA sample, please submit one.   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 in the service of this nation.

     

  • “. . . but if they mean to have a war, let it begin here.”

    An astute TAH reader (Roger in Republic) reminded me today that today also marks a second important military anniversary.

    Two hundred thirty-eight years ago today – at approximately 0500 – the opening shots of the American Revolution were fired at Lexington, MA.  Action quickly followed at Concord.

    The skirmish at Lexington was a debacle for the American Revolutionary force.  At Concord, however, British forces made a serious tactical error at North Bridge, found themselves outnumbered, and broke.

    British forces shortly afterwards retreated to Boston, suffering many casualties on the way – particularly at skirmishes at Bloody Angle and Menotomy.

    Lexington/Concord is generally accorded a victory for the Colonial forces. The American Revolution would last for nearly a decade (until the 1783 Treaty of Paris), and would ultimately result in our present United States.

  • 70 Years Ago Today: The Warsaw Ghetto Uprising

    Today marks the anniversary of a generally little-known battle of World War II.  On this day in 1943, the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising began.

    The uprising was a desperate attempt by the Jewish residents of the Warsaw Ghetto to avoid deportation to the Treblinka Extermination Camp.  It was supported to various extents by other Communist and non-Communist Polish resistance forces.

    The Polish Jews forced into the Ghetto were abysmally badly armed and supplied.  Nonetheless, they decided it was better to fight – and very likely die on their feet – than be led away to slaughter.

    From 19 April to 10 May, the residents of the Warsaw Ghetto battled Nazi forces.  Using fire as their most effective weapon, the Nazis prevailed.

    Prior to the uprising, the Warsaw Ghetto was approximately 1.3 square miles.  At the end, few buildings within the entire Ghetto were useable.  What was left were largely burned-out shells.  The Nazis razed those and built Warsaw Concentration Camp on the site.

    Approximately 13,000 are thought to have died during the Warsaw Ghetto uprising – 7,000 in the fighting, and 6,000 by being burned alive or via smoke inhalation.  After the fighting ceased, the remaining 50,000 residents were deported to Treblinka.  Most were murdered there.  

    However, the first group deported early during the uprising reportedly reorganized into resistance groups while at Treblinka.  Reputedly they also  played a pivotal role in the 2 August 1943 revolt and mass escape which occurred there.

    Spoczywaj w pokoju, mój starszy bracia broni. Szalom.

  • More “Good News” From Our “Friends” In Egypt

    Well, it’s looking more and more like the current Administration really hit a “home run” for freedom in Egypt a couple of years ago. You know, when they stood by and did nothing as the Muslim Brotherhood overthrew a longtime US ally, Mubarak, because he was not sufficiently “democratic”.

    A family in Egypt has been sentenced to a prison term of 15 years.  That’s “family” – as in a mother and her 7 children.

    Their crime?  Converting from Islam back to Christianity.

    I’m not kidding.

    Seems the lady was Christian originally, but converted to Islam when she married 20+ years ago.  She converted back to Christianity after her husband died in the early 2000s in order to receive an inheritance from her family.  She completed the conversion process, including getting new identity cards showing her and her children’s new religion, in 2004-2006.

    Apparently that’s illegal now (it seemingly wasn’t at the time) under Egypt’s new Constitution – pushed through by the Muslim Brotherhood, of course.  So the lady and her kids were sentenced to 15 years in jail.  The clerks who assisted her with getting new identity cards were also sent to jail (the length of their sentence wasn’t given).

    But don’t worry, folks. The current Administration knows exactly what they’re doing here.

    Yeah.  Right.  “Damn fools” is more like it.

  • Folks, You Just Ain’t Gonna Believe This Sh. . . .

    TAH readers have heard about the Denver brewery that made Rocky Mountain Oyster Stout famous.  Well, they’ve been outdone.

    I do not recommend clicking the links which follow if you’re eating, are about to, or just ate.

    Provided without comment, except to say that I don’t care how thirsty I am:  OH HELL NO.

    Ditto goes for their coffee produced via the same process.  I could be coming off 72-hrs straight without sleep with 24 more to go, no coffee for a week before that, and needing to personally handle explosives in the next hour – and the answer on that is still OH HELL NO, too.

    PT Barnum was definitely right.