Author: TSO

From an otherwise asinine OPED in the LA Times, from “Retired Marine Lt. Col. Tom Brannon.”

Two years ago I was in Afghanistan as a defense contractor providing special resources to a forward base near the Hindu Kush mountain range. My bunker was next to a U.S. Air Force Air Police detachment. A young black Air Force enlisted woman, probably 19 years old and 110 pounds, walked by me on her way to a position on the line. She flashed me a dazzling all-American smile and said, “Good morning, sir.” On her shoulder was a 50-caliber machine-gun, a very heavy and effective weapon. When I joined, young women would not have been allowed to operate a machine. Now our lives depended on her presence in the sector. And I have every confidence she performed her duty well.

Really? She was carrying a .50 cal to her guard tower was she?

Total horseshit I call. I believe women work just fine as well, I never saw one carrying around the .50 from guard tower to guard tower. Go ahead and tell me I am wrong, but I call bullshit. Why would you carry that as a personal weapon instead of just keeping it in the tower?

Jonn told me to post, and in case you hadn’t noticed, there isn’t shit going on.

Added: Sporkmaster. I can make this worse. I assure you that this next film is real and not a spoof.

One more just because I can.

As a civilized society we really need to understand that lies like these are vitally important.  Although you might say this guy is full of shit  etc, in reality, the theory of the multi-verse holds that in one life somewhere he did all these things.  Free speech!

A former U.S. Navy mail clerk has been sentenced to 10 months in prison for falsely claiming he saw horrific acts of violence during combat in Vietnam so he could boost his government disability benefits.

John Golino, formerly of North Haven, currently of Naples, Fla., was also sentenced in federal court Monday to two years of probation and ordered to pay nearly $80,000 in restitution.

Prosecutors say the 61-year-old Golino claimed on his benefit application that he had served with the U.S. Navy SEALS and was suffering from post traumatic stress disorder because, among other things, he had seen a booby-trapped baby explode.

Military officials say Golino was never a SEAL, and had never seen combat in Vietnam.

When confronted, Golino admitted he fabricated his military record.

Cross Posted from The Burn Pit.

Lest you think the title is merely posing an easily answered rhetorical question, consider the case of David Ronald Hickson.

Mr. Hickson was charged (and later convicted by a jury of his peers) with soliciting the murders of an IRS special agent, a U.S. attorney and a district court judge. It was alleged that he attempted to get two unrelated individuals to do so, but was only convicted based on the testimony of the second individual, Elvin J. Swisher. Mr Swisher was quite the key witness, providing testimony that Mr. Hickson approached him to conduct the murders. In fact, he was largely the only witness with any knowledge of this plot. And he was quite convincing. The government informed the jury that Mr. Swisher was “a Marine, a combat veteran from Korea during the Korean conflict.” On his lapel, Mr. Swisher proudly wore his purple heart replica.

Only….. Elvin J. Swisher was 16 during the war and did not serve as a drummer boy (before you ask). Undeterred by this fact, Mr. Swisher found refuge in the always popular “Top Secret POW recovery mission”. As an Amicus brief filed by William Mac Swain, president of the Korean War Veterans Association, would later note:

But the defense noticed that Swisher was several years too young to have served in Korea. Suspicions aroused, the defense cross-examined Swisher concerning his military service. Swisher responded theatrically by pulling from his pocket a purportedly official document corroborating his story that he had suffered combat injuries while participating in a “Top Secret” post-war mission to liberate American prisoners of war held captive in North Korea. The document also purported to show that Swisher had earned not only the Purple Heart but also the Silver Star Medal, a Navy and Marine Corps Medal with Gold Star, a Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal with Combat “V,” and a Marine Corps Expeditionary Medal.

How important was the testimony of Mr. Swisher?
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Context:

Elven J. Swisher wore a replica of a Purple Heart on the witness stand when he testified that the defendant had tried to hire him to kill three federal officials.

Asked about the medal, Mr. Swisher pulled a document from his pocket to show that he was entitled to it and many others for his service in combat in the Korean War.

Mr. Swisher said the defendant, David R. Hinkson, an armchair constitutionalist with eccentric views about the tax code, had asked him how many men he had killed. “Too many,” Mr. Swisher recalled saying.

All lies. Mr. Swisher had never seen combat, had killed no one and had served without distinction. The document was a forgery. Mr. Swisher has since been convicted of lying to federal officials, wearing fake medals and defrauding the Department of Veterans Affairs of benefits for combat injuries.

The Korean War Veterans Association filed an Amicus Brief written by lawyer/purple heart recipient John Keker on the case. If someone could find that Amicus and send it to me, I would be very grateful.

I am so DADT for this man.

I see this picture and I just want to attack head on at an Ion generator on Hoth just in hopes of wiping out one rebel alliance scum for my Sith Master.

Wanted to share this one from my friend who comments here under “Siggurdsson” from time to time. I would totally serve with this bear, unless he’s gay. Cross-posted from Burn Pit.

Today in Military History: December 2, 1963

Today’s offering is definitely not the usual “battle-of-the-day” I’ve been presenting you for the past year and more. December is a notoriously poor month for military operations (except in tropical climes). This story was first brought to my attention about a year ago. It took me until recently to find the precise date of Wojtek’s demise. So, here is the fascinating story of an Iranian brown bear, who was “drafted” into a Polish artillery support unit…but I’m getting ahead of myself.

Background: Polish II Corps

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I’m not the biggest Steve Buyer fan alive, let’s start there. He and I are fellow alums from The Citadel, so we do have that in common. We are both veterans etc. But, the first time I ever got to talk to him was in the East Room of the White House during a Christmas Tree lighting, and the dude just started yelling at me. But, on this, he is dead balls on….