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

Category: Support the troops

  • A great day for the Army

    Every infantryman has a special place in his heart for the scorched, sandy earth of Fort Benning, GA. The same dirt we’ve all chewed at one time or another in our respective Army careers. Joseph Galloway, the only civilian to ever be awarded the bronze Star Medal for his actions at LZ X-Ray in the Ia Drang Valley in Vietnam writes about our infantry soil being mixed with some other soil at Fort Benning the Home of the Infantry;

    On a bright, sunny spring day in Georgia, Fort Benning and the National Infantry Museum dedicated a new parade ground, and the first of what will be thousands of basic training companies broke it in by marching in review for their graduation.

    Before the 125 newest soldiers in the Army set boots on that field, though, it was consecrated in a ceremony that saw veterans and descendants of veterans of eight of America’s wars spread soil collected from their battlefields on the new parade ground.

    Douglas Hamilton, a fifth-generation descendant of Alexander Hamilton, sprinkled soil gathered from the decisive battlefield of Yorktown in the Revolutionary War.

    Former Sen. Dirk Kempthorne, a great-grandson of Pvt. Charles Kempthorne of the Union Army’s 3rd Wisconsin Infantry, and Henry B. Pease Jr., a descendant of Henry Lewis Benning, the Confederate commander at the Burnside Bridge, spread soil from the blood-soaked Civil War battlefield of Antietam, or Sharpsburg, as Gen. Benning probably called it.

    Soil from World War I battlefields in France was spread on the parade ground by George York, son of the legendary Sgt. Alvin York, and Samuel Parker Moss, grandson of Samuel Parker of the 28th Infantry. Both York and Parker earned the Medal of Honor during World War I.

    World War II was represented by soil collected from the beaches at Normandy and those of Corregidor and Guadalcanal in the Pacific. Theodore Roosevelt IV, grandson of Theodore Roosevelt Jr., who earned the Medal of Honor on D-Day at Normandy, and by Kirk Davis, son of Charles Davis, who earned the Medal of Honor at Guadalcanal, spread soil from those battlefields.

    Two legendary warriors from the Korean War — Col. Ola Lee Mize, who held Outpost Harry against overwhelming odds and earned a Medal of Honor, and Gen. Sun Yup Paik, who at age 30 commanded both a division and a corps in the South Korean Army — sprinkled soil from their war’s battlefields.

    Then it was time to honor the infantrymen who fought in Vietnam, and two legendary old soldiers marched onto the field wearing their black cavalry Stetsons. Retired Lt. Gen. Hal Moore and retired Command Sgt. Maj. Basil Plumley carried jars bearing soil collected at Landing Zone X-Ray in the Ia Drang Valley and on other Vietnam battlefields.

    In the stands, a dozen or more Ia Drang veterans and other 1st Cavalry Division (Airmobile) veterans, most wearing the same black hats, stood at attention as Moore, 87, and Plumley, 89, carried out their mission and then saluted them.

    Command Sgt. Maj. Marvin Hill, the senior enlisted advisor to Gen. David Petraeus at the U.S. Central Command in Tampa, spread soil collected from battlefields in Kuwait, Iraq and Afghanistan during Operation Desert Storm and Operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom.

    Actor Sam Elliott, who portrayed Sgt. Maj. Plumley in the movie We Were Soldiers, narrated the ceremony. (Full disclosure: The movie is based on a book that Gen. Moore and I wrote.)

    It’s only fitting that Galloway is the guy reporting it.

    On a tip from another infantryman, 1stCavRVN11b.

    CSM Plummley and MG Moore at the event;

    CSM Marvin Hill spreads soil from Iraq and Afghanistan;

    More photos here at the Fort Benning website.

  • Gutfield crosses the line (Updated)

    I’ll admit that I never watch Redline with this Greg Gutfield fellow, but one of our Canadian readers sent me this video yesterday from his show the other day;

    Now, I remember how upset we got when some Canadian MPs started calling our president names, how is this more acceptable? I’ve worked with Canadian troops, and they certainly don’t deserve this sort of public abuse. Dieppe, anyone?

    We have few enough real allies in the world, why do we need to belittle the troops of one of them? At least Jonathon Hoenig, the Capitalist Pig, didn’t get down with the other in the mud.

    As our Canadian friend points out, 116 Canadian troops have died in Afghanistan – how about showing them some respect.

    TSO sent me this link to update this; Gutfield apologizes.

  • Obama/Emanuel/Shinseki walk back from VA insurance plan

    Sources tell us that the White House called the Veteran Service Organization representatives back for a meeting at 1 PM today to announce that they’re backtracking on their proposal to force veterans into health insurance to pay for service-connected treatment. Despite the fact that the Obama/Emanuel/Shinseki team made it clear that they couldn’t be persuaded, somehow they got persuaded. I guess when their own Congress turned against them, they figured it wasn’t worth the political capital they’d have to expend.

    ADDED: Here’s the press release from the American Legion;

    The leader of the nation’s largest veterans organization applauded President Obama for dropping his plan to bill private insurance companies for the treatment of military veterans who have suffered service-connected disabilities and injuries.

    “We are glad that President Obama listened to the strong objections raised by The American Legion and veterans everywhere about this unfair plan,” said National Commander David K Rehbein of The American Legion. “We thank the administration for its proposed increase in the VA budget and we are always available to assist by providing guidance to ensure a veterans health care system that is worthy of the heroes that use it.”

    Following a meeting this afternoon with The American Legion and other veterans service organizations, the White House announced that it will no longer consider billing insurance companies or veterans for their service-connected disabilities.

    “Although we disagreed with the proposal, additional revenue streams are needed by VA,” Rehbein said. “I strongly encourage Congress and the administration to allow VA to begin billing Medicare for the treatment of Medicare-eligible nonservice-connected veterans. They paid into Medicare for their entire working careers and should be able to use it in the medical system that was built specifically for them.”

    With a current membership of 2.6 million wartime veterans, The American Legion was founded in 1919 on the four pillars of a strong national security, veterans affairs, Americanism, and the mentoring of youth. Legionnaires work for the betterment of their communities through more than 14,000 posts across the nation.

    As I said this morning, whether it would have passed or not, it’s just one more example of the extent that the Obama Administration will go to screw veterans and the military to divert taxpayer money to use to buy votes.

    Right out of the box, on Inauguration evening, on bad advice from one of his supporters, he ended a 56-year tradition of the President visiting the living Medal of Honor recipients at the ball held in their honor. Next, he ended the 18-year-old ban against the media making props of our returning casualties from war at Dover Air Force Base.

    And then Obama/Emanuel/Shinseki want to fund their vote buying on the backs of wounded veterans. Is there anything left that we veterans and military service members hold more dear than the things Team Obama seem to hold in such low regard? Why are any veterans, like John Soltz, still carrying water for the Administration which seems to despise everything we stand for, the reasons we serve(d), the reasons we stay engaged.

    Last August, Obama made the comment that he needed to earn the troops’ trust. It doesn’t seem that it’s particularly important to him now that the election has ended. During the campaign, he said he wanted to add 65,000 people to the ranks of the military – how is he going to accomplish that while he simultaneously takes away their benefits – the things that make them willing to risk their lives and limbs accomplishing their inherently dangerous missions? Who’ll stay, who’ll join under those conditions?

    Honestly. What’s next? Are families going to get a bill for bringing their service member home in a casket?

    ADDED a link from Ed Morrissey on the walk-back.

  • Congress on the 3rd party insurance plan

    Congress is wasting no time in distancing themselves from the Obama/Emanuel/Shinseki plot to force third party insurance on service members with service-connected injuries. Chairman of the House Committee on Veteran Affairs and California Democrat Bob Filner issued this statement;

    The Obama Administration’s proposal to charge ‘third-party’ insurance companies for service-connected medical treatment will not be taken up by the Veterans’ Affairs Committee. Our budget cannot be balanced on the backs (or legs, or kidneys, or hearts) of our nation’s combat-wounded heroes. We believe we can achieve the Administration’s budget request (the first in history to actually exceed the recommendation of the veterans’ Independent Budget) in other ways.

    Senator from Hawaii and Chairman of the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee Daniel Akaka is quoted;

    VA’s sacred duty is to care for veterans injured in honorable service to our nation, and the department should not turn to wounded warriors’ private insurance to pay for combat injures. Under my Chairmanship, the Veterans’ Affairs Committee will not advance any such legislation.

    Looks like it might be an uphill struggle for the Obama/Emanuel/Shinseki cabal to even get this into committee.

  • Pat McGee; Come Back Home

    The folks at Rock Ridge Music thought you guys would like this video. I did. Stick around for the background at the end;

    In case you missed the story at the end;

    The story behind the song is tragic, inspiring and is best told by Pat himself…

    “Come Back Home was written in the wake of me losing my longtime drummer and former Army soldier John C. Williams. But the song started off as a reflection of how a military couple deals with separation. After the release of Come Back Home, Johns little brother was killed by an IED in Iraq. His name was Blake Williams. His platoon used this track as the audio to a memorial slide show presentation they did in March of 2008. It was for all the courageous men and women they had lost in the month of March.

    I am humbled by their service to our great country and I hope this song brings them some peace. My father served in Vietnam and I truly appreciate their dedication and bravery.”
    –Pat McGee

    After sitting through that trash in the Winter Soldier post, I figured you guys deserved this.

  • First Living MOH recipient in GWOT?

    Brendan McGarry reports in the Military Times that the Marine Corps may be ready to award the first Medal of Honor to a living recipient during the Global War on Terror;

    “We have a case that I sent an investigating officer out to take a look at on the West Coast that, if proven, I think will prompt me to recommend the Medal of Honor for a living Marine,” Gen. James T. Conway said.

    If the Corps were to make a formal nomination, the case would go to the secretary of the Navy for approval, followed by the secretary of Defense and then the president.

    Conway did not identify the Marine or the country in which the Marine served.

    To date, five service members — two soldiers, two sailors and one Marine — have received the military’s top valor award for actions in Iraq and Afghanistan, all posthumously.

    The video;

  • Band of Mothers vs. IVAW in Crystal Lake, IL

    I got an email from Bev Pearlson of Band of Mothers who led a group of supporters to an IVAW event. I thought ya’all’d like to her in action;

    From the beginning, Joe and I bordered on being thrown out continuously. It was 3 strikes and you’re out and we must have had 15 strikes all night. One fellow made me “pinky promise” to be good (can you believe that) and I made the pinky promise but never kept it. Joe probed and interrupted as these whiners went on, and his probes were appropriate and illuninating. The poor whiners were extremely frustrated because Joe would not allow the lies. Thank you Joe. I think Joe did leave the room finally but he came back in. There wasn’t anyone big enough to remove Joe if Joe didn’t want to go and that really has nothing to do with his size.

    When they were done with their sad stories, then there was question and answer. Joe basically told them they were a sorry lot and they never should have joined the military and it was despicable what they were doing to the Gold Star Families. Things got heated and they took the mic from him. Yours truly was up next and I finally got to shove their liberals leaders down their throats, in front of 48 bleeding heart liberals in the audience there soaking up their pity party.

    They told me they would call the Police and I told them go right ahead, I’m not leaving they’ll have to take me away. I guess they decided it would not be cool to arrest a Blue Star Mom.

    All together, we had a great showing, about 35 folks showed up for us! Thank You Minutemen and Soldiers Guardian Angels!!!!!!!

    Sounds like a good time was had by all.

    Article at the Northwest Herald about the event.

  • US troops to pullout; residents worried

    Apparently, US troops are finally being pulled out of New Orleans and the residents of that city are worried that they’ll be left unprotected. First the screen capture;

    Now the story;

    The last of the troops were removed in January 2006 as civil authority returned, but then, after a surge in bloodshed, 360 were sent back in beginning in mid-2006 to help police keep order. As of February, only about 100 troops were left in the city.

    With Louisiana facing a $341 million budget deficit, state lawmakers were reluctant to keep the Guard in place any longer.

    The Guard was used to patrol the less populated sections of the city where Katrina’s floodwaters left most houses uninhabitable. That included the woeful Ninth Ward, where renovated houses are outnumbered by moldy, boarded-up wrecks and weed-choked vacant lots.

    In their camouflage uniforms and Humvees, the troops were often a welcome sight.

    Now you know how the majority of the Iraqis and Afghans feel. Wherever our troops go, they leave goodwill and a sense of security in their wake. Even in third world countries like New Orleans.