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

Category: Blue Skies

  • The Chris Kyle Memorial

    Chris Kyle

    We didn’t know it, but we had a correspondent at the Chris Kyle Memorial Service in Arlington, Texas today. Our buddy, Jamie Averett, formerly of the USO Girls blog sent us a scan of the brochure and the following report;

    Today we attended the memorial service of Chris Kyle at Cowboy Stadium in Arlington, Texas. There were over 7,000 in present. We weren’t sure what to expect. The local news stations said we weren’t allowed to bring bags, purses, coats or cameras, and to expect long lines. As we parked and walked up to the stadium we see a huge line wrapped around the whole parking lot. Helicopters were circling the stadium, policeman everywhere. Camera crews everywhere. We must give Jerry Jones props. Parking was free and they gave all in attendance free sodas and water. As we walked into the stadium to sit in our seats they were showing a montage on the huge jumbo screen as The Band of Brothers theme song was playing. Pictures of Chris with his wife, children, teammates, childhood photos.

    We were with an army friend of ours in uniform. Numerous times officials were advising him to go to the military entrance so he could sit with his brothers in arms on the field. As the military service members made their way down on the field everyone in attendance stood to honor them. It took over 45 minutes for them to be seated and not once did anyone sit down, it was silent. Country stars Neil McCoy and Joe Nichols each sang a song and then the drum and bagpipe processional came out from all the local Dallas-Fort Worth communities with the family with the flag draped coffin as Patriot Guard Riders with flags lined the whole field. The speakers included teammates, two childhood friends, his Craft business partner, Marc Lee’s mother, video tributes, and a letter from his parents to Chris read by his teammate. As each person spoke we learned about his love of Texas, what a prankster he was, how a choke out by him meant love, and how much he treasured being a husband and father. Each branch brought in a wreath and placed it in front which included one wreath from the Polish military. As one of his teammates spoke he asked all Frog men past and present during the reading of the SEAL creed to stand up. There must have been over 200 standing.

    Then we see the pallbearers stand up and walk over to Mrs Kyle. We didn’t expect her to speak but we watched as a Marine escorted her up to the stage with the pallbearers behind her. She said she was broken but that the family will put one foot in front of the other to get through their grief. She spoke with strength through tears. She had to pause to compose herself many times as she spoke to her children and to Chris. She made a joke about his Texas twang and she thanked him for not giving up on her. We noticed she had his wedding band on next to her wedding ring. She encouraged her children, Bubba and Baby Girl, his nicknames for them, to remember that their dad was fun. She paid a loving tribute to his friend Chad Littlefield whom she called FBB -Friend before Book. She finished by saying “I love you Chris, I love you.” After she sat down Randy Travis came out to sing Whisper My Name and Amazing Grace.

    We did not know Chris Kyle personally. We met him once at a book signing, shared a laugh, took some pictures, read his book, but we shared a love of Texas, a love of country, and serving those who serve.

    KD8NOA, who also attended along with about 7,000 others, wrote to tell us that the Westboro fags were there a few blocks from the services but were well contained by local police and Patriot Guard Riders.

    From WFAA, Taya Kyle’s memorial;

  • Chris Kyle; RIP

    Since I knew about it before most people, you’d think I’d have dealt with it by now. But I haven’t. I’ve been staring at an empty screen for more than two hours wondering what I could write. I never met Chris Kyle, but after reading his book, you get a sense that you have met him.

    But, last night, I got a call from someone who wanted us to help the police find Kyle’s killer. I was stunned when he gave me the news. I have no idea who it was that called, but he had access to police message traffic, so, you know, I can guess. So I called the sheriff’s department and they confirmed for me that the incident had indeed happened, but they wouldn’t confirm that Kyle was involved.

    But, anyway, I guess they caught Eddie Routh, Kyle’s killer. According to some of our Marines with access to the Marines On Line database, Routh is a corporal and a unit armorer and currently in the Individual Ready Reserve – that status you do before you get out of the service.

    According to Fox News, Routh was apprehended near Lancaster, TX at about 9:30 local time last night after shooting Kyle and his neighbor in the back and fleeing the scene in a pickup belonging to one of his victims, according to the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.

    Now, if you don’t want to get pissed off, you should stop reading here. I cruised over the Huffington Post and read some of the comments those tiny-brained morons were leaving and, of course, it’s all about gun control and veterans. And of course, they tell us that Kyle’s death was karma for killing more than 150 insurgents. Twitchy logged some of the “tweets” from the Leftist ghouls yesterday celebrating the death and standing on his body for their political agenda.

    Here’s an example;
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  • SGT Ed Koch passes at 88 years old

    Probably the most famous recent mayor of New York City, Democrat Ed Koch passed in the early hours today. Koch was drafted out of college in 1943, he served as an infantryman with the 104th Infantry Division, landing in Cherbourg, France in September 1944, earning two campaign stars before he was discharged after the war as a sergeant.

    What you won’t read about or see on the news today was that he was one of the few Democrats who supported the war against terror in the last decade. From The Villager, Sept 24, 2003;

    On Sept. 12 on Fox News’ “Hannity & Colmes,” on a segment on 9/11, Koch said, “I think [Bush has] been terrific. And I have never voted in the past for a Republican president…. But I am voting for George Bush this time around. And I will tell you why. He has created what is now known as the Bush Doctrine, equal to the Monroe Doctrine. And what is the Bush Doctrine? That we will go after the terrorists and the countries that harbor them. And he’s kept his commitment, unlike anybody else in the world. And certainly unlike any of the nine or so Democratic candidates for president. And the worst one is Howard Dean. I mean, that’s McGovern II.”

    In an interview with The Villager last week, Koch elaborated on why he’s endorsing Bush. Again, Koch stressed it’s because of the so-called Bush Doctrine — that the U.S. has the right to proactively attack any country perceived to be a threat.

    “We have gone after two of them, Afghanistan and Iraq, so he means what he says,” said Koch. “I can’t imagine a Democrat doing that.”

    From Boston.com August 29, 2004;

    Koch was surprised and impressed by Bush’s resolve after Sept. 11. “He announced the Bush Doctrine — he said we would go after the terrorists and the countries that harbor them. And he’s kept his word.” Koch doubts that the leadership of his own party could have mustered the grit to topple the Taliban or drive Saddam Hussein from power, let alone to press on in what is going to be a long and grinding conflict.

    “Already, most of the world is caving. If you didn’t have Bush standing there, you’d have everybody following Spain and the Philippines” in retreat, he says, trying to appease the terrorists instead of fighting them.

  • James “Jake” McNiece passes

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    ROS sends the sad news that James “Jake” McNiece has passed at the age of 93.

    McNiece, a retired Ponca City postal worker, commanded a group of rough men nicknamed “The Filthy 13,” who served as the inspiration for the 1967 movie “The Dirty Dozen.” Hours before the June 6, 1944, D-Day invasion, McNiece led 18 paratroopers behind enemy lines to destroy two bridges and control a third to prevent German reinforcements from moving into Normandy and to cut off retreating German troops. Sixteen of his men were killed during the 36-day mission, in which they also cut enemy communications and supply lines.

    McNiece talks about his refusal to stand “Retreat”;

    And he talks about his war experiences;

  • Alfie ‘Bill’ Fripp, last of the “Great Escape” passes

    Alfie Fripp

    Toothless Dawg sends us the news that Alfie ‘Bill’ Fripp, the last living member of the Stalag Luft III World War Two “Great Escape” has passed on at the ripe age of 98. Alfie didn’t actually take part in the escape made famous by the star-studded movie, but it was his job to assemble the equipment they needed to make history;

    One of Alfie’s official jobs was to marshal Red Cross aid parcels, a lifeline for prisoners.

    His unofficial job was to filter out the parcels coded to identify secret contents such as valves for radios or maps.

    He was relocated from Stalag Luft III less than two months before the Great Escape, but equipment from those parcels almost certainly contributed to the operation.

    To his eternal regret, however, his friend Mike Casey would be among 50 escapees slaughtered on Hitler’s orders when they were eventually recaptured.

  • Ty Zeigel passes

    Ty Ziegel

    Brandon sends us the sad news that Marine Sergeant Ty Ziegel has passed on. From an article written by our buddy, Andy Kravetz last week in the Peoria Journal Star;

    Tyler W. Ziegel, 30, was pronounced dead at 2:15 a.m. in the emergency room at OSF Saint Francis Medical Center, Peoria County Coroner Johnna Ingersoll said. An autopsy could not clearly identify the cause of Ziegel’s death, Ingersoll said, although it was discovered that Ziegel had an enlarged heart. Further testing will be done to determine how he died, Ingersoll said.

    Rescue personnel were called to Sue’s Place in Metamora on a report Ziegel had fallen in its parking lot. He was brought to the hospital about 1:45 a.m.

    Ty was an iconic figure in the war against terror when he survived an IED blast which disfigured him but he kept charging on and encouraging others to do the same.

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    From PentagraphPantagraph;

    Angela Cochran, Ziegel’s girlfriend, said he has been an inspiration in the three months since they began dating.

    “You can ask him anything about his scars, his time in Iraq, how everything happened; he’s like an open book,” said Cochran. “He was willing to share stories. That’s what makes him so inspiring. He’s not trying to hide.”

    His mother, Becky Ziegel, said he learned to deal with the disability.

    “His doctors asked him several times to visit other injured military people, just to be a little bit of inspiration, maybe go in there and say ‘Hey, you know, time to buck up,’” Ziegel said.

    Odd that what the enemy couldn’t do was done by a patch of ice.

  • RIP Charles Durning

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    Ex-PH2 and Tman sent us links to the news that one of the most prolific actors of the last 50 years has passed. If you haven’t seen Charles Durning act, you haven’t been paying attention. He was a soldier before he was an actor, according to Fox News;

    The younger Durning himself would barely survive World War II.

    He was among the first wave of U.S. soldiers to land at Normandy during the D-Day invasion and the only member of his Army unit to survive. He killed several Germans and was wounded in the leg. Later he was bayoneted by a young German soldier whom he killed with a rock. He was captured in the Battle of the Bulge and survived a massacre of prisoners.

    In later years, he refused to discuss the military service for which he was awarded the Silver Star and three Purple Hearts.

    “Too many bad memories,” he told an interviewer in 1997. “I don’t want you to see me crying.”

    ADDED: ROS sends a link that says Durning was also a Malmedy Massacre survivor.

    Jacob Joachim “Jack” Klugman, also a World War II veteran of the US Army died last night at the age of 90, but I can’t find much about his service.

  • RIP Daniel Inouye

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    The LA Times reports that Senator Daniel Inouye will lie in state in the Capitol Rotunda today. The 88-year-old was only the second oldest serving Senator and became president Pro-tempore of the Senate after the longest-serving Senator, Robert Byrd, finally died.

    Inouye served after Pearl Harbor in the famed Nisei 442 Infantry Regiment made famous in the 1951 movie “Go For Broke”. Inouye had his Distinguished Service Cross upgraded by President Clinton. His citation recounts the events on 21 April 1945 that led to the award;

    With complete disregard for his personal safety, Second Lieutenant Inouye crawled up the treacherous slope to within five yards of the nearest machine gun and hurled two grenades, destroying the emplacement. Before the enemy could retaliate, he stood up and neutralized a second machine gun nest. Although wounded by a sniper’s bullet, he continued to engage other hostile positions at close range until an exploding grenade shattered his right arm. Despite the intense pain, he refused evacuation and continued to direct his platoon until enemy resistance was broken and his men were again deployed in defensive positions. In the attack, 25 enemy soldiers were killed and eight others captured. By his gallant, aggressive tactics and by his indomitable leadership, Second Lieutenant Inouye enabled his platoon to advance through formidable resistance, and was instrumental in the capture of the ridge.

    Despite the loss of his arm, Inouye remained in the Army until 1947 and was promoted to captain.

    Although we disagreed quite often with the Senator, we honor his military service during difficult days.