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

Category: The Warrior Code

  • The real meaning of Veterans Day.

    In a matter of hours it will be Veterans Day. Festive grilling and parades will be the order of the day. But what is also on the schedule is the is the use of pandering veterans for political purposes, 4 day sales at 20% percent off and a day for dress up for the pretend heroes. All of these things have really have a impact on how Veterans Day is viewed as just another holiday. Veterans day should be a day were those who have served honorably should be recognized rather then just the one that we agree with politically. That it should be a day to dismantle every stereotype about Veterans that have endured various hardships, but also endured to live a happy and productive life after the guns go silent. To understand that a receptive ear with a helping hand have a more enduring effect then a free blooming onion. We are one of the few professions that has can provide such a strong and enduring connection with complete strangers. Also the task of making sure that the stories of those who have served before us are preserved for those yet to come. Also to protect them from those that would steal them for their own.

    The reason that I started with this post was after watching a video posted by Rethink Afghanistan. In the video it calls to honor the Veterans that oppose the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq on Veterans Day. I was insulted not because of the fact that they oppose the Wars, but in the sense that it was all but saying that we should only honor those Veterans with their point of view excluding many that have not be vocal about their views or have been on the opposite side of the fence. Veterans day should not be about scoring political points for your gain , but a overall reflection and respect to those that have served with honor and distinction, regardless their views. It is about the small token of respect that is offered to those who have come before, with and after us. Also in the respect that despite how may people would like to see us as shown by popular media or political organizations. That how highlight how we have lived our lives in and out of the Military in contrast to the unstable loner. Because if we are not willing to do this now then how can we expect others to do this for us in our Golden years?

    It should also be a day of family in that when we are deployed that may of us become close because of the hardships, separations and dangers. But that often disappears when we return home, a place were it could be said is needed the most. While family may want to help, it is the basic things like understood terms that help a difficult conversations to happen without having many intermissions to explain military jargon. If the military is to be considered a family then perhaps Veterans day should be looked more as a family reunion. To remember old times and learn of some new ones. We are certainly a dysfunctional family , but I think that is what keeps us coming back for more.

    Lastly is to use it to remember the past. That we must be open to new types of media and communications of the newer generations. In one of the past Veterans Day,before I joined the military I took part in a WW2 them table top tournament at a Army Museum in Austin. While we were there we got a chance to talk to those that served in previous wars. One of the stories was about several Shermans going down a hill and the fuel tank breaking open and flooding the the crew compartment. Also it was a lively exchange of stories from retired military , educators, and other history buffs alike. It is preservation of the character of these people that should remember in hopes that the next generation will emulate it.

    But lastly is the protection of the character from those that wish to steal it. Normally a medal is viewed a strand of fabric with a shiny signet. That it can infuse the wearer with respect and purpose just by wearing it, the more medals the larger the respect would be come. But it it not the undeserved praise that is greatest insult but in that many a times these medals come at cost, some more then others. The cost can be time, hardships, pain and longer natural life. If it were possible for these medals to allow these pretenders to relive what many had to do to earn these medals, then perhaps there would be less of a desire wear them.. But that will never happen, so it is up to us to keep a good look out and find these people. Because it is a crime not because of the honor taken from real honest to God Veterans, but because they are unwilling to endure the hardships to wear that strip of colored cloth.

    All in I hoped I would not get too wordy in this, though I believe I failed in that. I wanted to say with a detailed answer of what it means to observe Veterans Day and what we can do to make it have real meaning rather then just another four day weekend on the calendar.

  • Finally a living MOH awardee

    Tman sent us a link to a Washington Post article announcing that there was finally going to be a Medal of Honor awardee who is still living. I’ve been sitting on it because I heard rumblings that we were going to get the name later today. Uncle Jimbo just announced the name at Big Government;

    SSG Sal Giunta, a paratrooper w/ the 173rd Airborne, will be awarded the first Medal of Honor given to a living recipient since the Vietnam War. He earned this by charging a group of Taliban who were trying to make off with a wounded comrade in the Korengal Valley of Afghanistan. His actions broke the Taliban’s attack and allowed him to regain control of SGT Josh Brennan. He also saved the lives of the many other members of his unit who had been caught in a fixed ambush by the Taliban. Giunta didn’t hesitate one second before advancing on his own to ensure the enemy would never take one of ours, but sadly Josh Brennan was too badly wounded to survive. His cousin PVT Joe Brennan recently graduated airborne school and has joined the same unit proudly carrying on Josh’s memory.

    I can think of no one more deserving of this honor – the first living recipient since the Vietnam War. Congratulations SSG Giunta.

  • Logic Fail

    Logic Fail

    Yea, found this on Face-book and could not resist commenting on it. So this post is a full reply to a response that I got back. This is insulting beyond words. I am not sure about the rest of those that went but I made sure that I helped the people there when I could. Also it does not take into account that there are many photos like the one below.

    But we are the one’s without humanity because we are on guard due to the fact that the Taliban, Hamas, Hezbollah, Al Qaeda sending women, children and the infeasible to the slaughter as human bombs/shields?

  • The Real Deal

    The milblog community just exposed and destroyed another phony. Jonn, TSO, and everybody else involved should be proud and definitely deserve more credit (which was pretty much none) than they got in the local Houston media.

    I think its appropriate that after spending a lot of time talking about a phony hero that some time is spent talking about a real hero who legitimately earned a stack of medals and ribbons and someone who is disrespected and dishonored by fake pieces of crap like Michael Patrick McManus.

    When I was a boot PFC just out of security forces school, I had to spend eight months at Marine Barracks Washington (aka 8th and I) in order to obtain a security and weapons clearance so I could serve as part of the Marine detachment at Camp David. I was part of the guard force at the barracks and it was easily my most miserable time in the Marine Corps. The duty consisted of standing post for 12 hours on your feet with 12 hours off for sometimes weeks at a time because of a poorly-crafted security plan for the barracks. What made things particularly bad was that most (but not all) of the officers and SNCOs who served at the barracks while I was there were there for one thing only: to advance their careers. 8th and I is the home of the commandant and several other general officers and if you look at the bios of many Marine Corps general officers you will find that they spent time 8th and I. For this reason, the place attracts alot of ladder-climbers who put their own personal careers over the well-being of their Marines. Many combat decorated NCOs and Staff NCOs got thrown under the bus at 8th and I by these careerists. For these reasons, there wasn’t a lot of trust in and respect for the officers and senior enlisted leadership at Marine Barracks Washington while I was there. I was very happy to get out of that place and move on to Camp David.

    However there were a few exceptions and the most universally respected officer was Capt. Joshua Glover. When I was at 8th and I, Capt. Glover was the platoon commander of the Silent Drill Platoon. Capt Glover took care of not only his Marines in the SDP, but also Marines in other sections of the barracks. The guard force was always happy when Capt Glover was Officer of the Day. He would make a point of touring every post and spending time at each one to talk to the Marine sentries, sometimes for up to an hour. For a young PFC standing a 12 hour post by himself, this meant the world and made that miserable and lonely duty go by a lot quicker.

    Captain Glover was also a highly decorated infantry officer. He served three tours in Iraq with 1st battalion, 5th Marines, including the invasion, the first battle of Fallujah, and a tour in Ramadi. For actions during the first battle of Fallujah, Capt Glover earned the Silver Star. You can read about it here or pick up a copy of Bing West’s  No True Glory, in which Capt Glover’s actions are discussed in great detail. Capt Glover also received two purple hearts, a Navy Commendation with a V, and a Navy Achievement Medal with a V. It should also be pointed out that is likely that Capt Glover didn’t have to go back for a third tour to Iraq. In the Marine Corps, in most circumstances, after two deployments you rotate from a fleet unit to a non-deployable unit like 8th and I, the drill field, or some instructor billet (sometimes you don’t have a choice in the matter). This is done for a very good reason and helps insure that Marines get a break from the stresses of the fleet and that Marines just back from combat can train the next generation. However, Capt Glover knew that 1/5 was going back into the meat-grinder and wanted to be there with them.

    Capt. Glover receiving his Silver Star from General Hagee

    Captain Glover rotated back to a deployable unit around the same time I left Camp David for 2/1. I didn’t hear anything about him after that. Today, when I logged on to Facebook I saw a post by a Marine I served with (Dave who was with 3/8 in Afghanistan) mentioning that Capt Glover had been wounded back in November in Afghanistan and tonight he would be ringside at the UFC fight thanks to UFC fighter Brian Stann (I couldn’t embed the video but Stann talks about Glover in the fourth video from the left here). Capt Glover was wounded while participating in a rescue operation for two paratroopers from the 82nd (who unfortunately drowned in a river). There is a possibility he may lose one leg. More details about what happened can be found here at Glock Talk. This was Capt. Glover’s either third or fourth time being wounded and his fourth combat deployment.

    Captain Glover is the real deal. I hope McManus serves a long time in a deep dark hole for disrespecting men like Capt Glover.

    (Thanks to Dave and other Marines from the Yankee White community for the heads-up on what happened to Capt. Glover)

    UPDATE 02/06/2010: I received more information from a friend an fellow Marine who was in my platoon at Camp David (Steve, another Marine who is the real deal) about Captain Glover. I was wrong about some of the details about his injuries and circumstances behind his injuries. I have updated the post accordingly. Steve says Captain Glover is at Walter Reed is doing pretty well. If I get more information, I will update this post. Again, I would not have known about any of this without Marines from the Yankee White community.

  • Tiger wins AP Athlete of Decade. Now meet the man I would have voted for.

    Cross-posted to The American Legion’s BurnPit.

    JR Salzman

    Seven time World Log Rolling Champion, wounded Iraq Veteran, military blogger and all around good man: J.R. Salzman

    Probably everyone knows by now that Tiger Woods was named the AP Athlete of the Decade. I am not here to say it wasn’t deserved. His record is incomparable: 64 tournament wins, 12 major championships. I’ve always been a fan of Tiger’s, but possibly for a different reason: his dad was Special Forces during Viet Nam. In fact, while I was training for my stint in the Ghan, Tiger came down to Bragg and ran with the troops and gave out some golf lessons. The whole debacle going down now makes me sad, because Tiger should be known for what he does with his putter, and not what he does with his…..um….putter.

    But, Athletes should be rated on how they compete in Athletics. We don’t rate our church leaders on how well they hit a dimpled ball, and neither should we rate our sports stars on how they conduct their private business.

    But, it is only human to factor in such things. It’s why everyone loves or hates Terrell Owens and Chad Ochocinco, and why my favorite players have always been Mark Bavaro and Larry Izzo. But, a good case can be made that the most deserving person for Athlete of the Decade is 7 time World Log Rolling Champion, wounded Iraq Veteran, military blogger and all around good man: J.R. Salzman.

    For those of you unfamiliar with logrolling, (shame on you) here is the wiki definition:

    Logrolling, or birling, is a sport that originated in the lumberjack/log driver tradition of the northeastern United States and Canada, involving logs in a river (traditionally) or other body of water. After bringing their logs downriver, the lumberjacks would have a competition to see who could balance on a log the longest while it is still rolling in the river.

    The contest involves two lumberjacks, each on one end of a log floating in the river. One or the other starts “walking” (or “rolling”) the log, and the other is forced to keep up. The contest involves attempting to stay on the log while attempting to cause the competitor to lose their balance and splash into the water. It is also commonly known as log birling.

    JR had a MILBLOG while he served overseas, and it’s kind of interesting to follow his adventures there if you have time, so go read Lumberjack in the Desert. If you have less time, go and read the long ESPN article about JR, and his road to recovery.

    Now, none of you have any strong desire to have me recount it all, and you’d rather watch video. Well, so would I. So I am including two (TWO!) videos for you. If your house is on fire, only watch the second (shorter) one. They are largely the same, but the first and longer one was done prior to July of this year. The first is roughly 9 mins, the second is about 2.

    Before you click play though, I advise you to come up with an excuse for why your eyes are watery. I went with “Damn dusty apartment, must be my allergies.”

    One good thing that came of our day of silence yesterday (and that post will remain stuck at the top through Saturday, so PLEASE GO READ) was that a mutual friend of mine and JR’s sent me his Facebook page. Naturally I friended him, and started up a conversation with him. He and his wife are doing well, and JR remains in school. In fact, he’s studying for finals right now. When I asked him how everything was going he replied:

    I’m finishing a paper now, I have a final from 2000-2200 tonight, and another tomorrow from 0800-1000 followed by another from 1400-1600. I still have another eight pages of writing to finish up after that and another final on Monday. But I’m hanging in there and I’m in the top 5 or 10 in all my classes. Not bad for a guy with TBI and one arm.

    When I got back to law school classes when I returned from GWOT, I had some hard times. All my original classmates had graduated and I found myself with new folks who didn’t know me. There was an article one day in the law school newspaper by a first year whining about how it was the hardest year anyone could go through. I wanted to strangle that person with dental floss. I mean seriously, are you really complaining because you missed some sleep while sitting in your heated apartment, Simpson’s on in the background while you cogitate on the Law Against Perpetuities? JR is doing it missing an arm and with a bruised grape. I know it is all perspective on these things, but damn, the man is in the top 10 in his class.

    This morning when I logged on to get a picture of JR for this post I noticed his Facebook Status:

    JR Salzman is wondering if anyone wants to go snowboarding at Afton either fri night or sat to celebrate my Alive Day. (Beers could follow)

    I wish I had a car, because I would be driving to Wisconsin right now. Either way, Friday at our company Christmas party I will raise a frothy beverage and thank the Almighty for bringing JR through this, and for the men and women who helped him get back up on his log.

  • The Warrior’s Code

    Sometimes I have the best job in the world. 

    We’ve talked a lot recently about how IVAW doesn’t seem to care about the troops.  Individuals within IVAW certainly do, but despite their stated focus of helping them I see precious little being done.

    Well, I met with this gentleman today.  A Marine wounded horrifically in Fallujah I, he came home broken in body, but with a strength of purpose that other men don’t have.  Watch these videos and let me know what you think.  For my part, I was just glad I got an opportunity to meet him and the other people of Veterans of Valor.

    I hope to be able to help them with some programs they have going on, including a massive undertaking down in San Antonio to take wounded guys out to Dave and Busters. Hell, after what he’s been through, who wouldn’t want to help him help the others who have been down there at the business end of the War on Terror?

    You’re the fighter you’ve got the fire
    The spirit of a warrior, the champion’s heart
    You fight for your life because the fighter never quits
    You make the most of the hand you’re dealt
    Because the quitter never wins
    No!
    – Dropkick Murphy’s, The Warrior’s Code

  • The Warrior’s Code, Part III

    I’m going to keep the Warriors Code motiff going I think, for anything I see that warrants it. My only criteria is heart. Lots and lots of heart. And in this story, I’m not even sure which of these two is the Warrior. Why don’t you go read it and then tell me. Either way, this is a 8.5 on the Hankie scale, and I fear that number may go up to the maximum of 10 shortly.

    There is no one who does more work for the Wounded (be they military or not) than Tankerbabe.  If y’all had seen her with the guys at the Milblog convention you would understand.

    For more background, go read this related story over at the House of Matty O’Blackfive.

  • The Warriors Code, Part II

    Maybe not for you guys, but this one comes with a hankie warning for me anyway. Nah, who am I kidding, even if you have a Grinch pre-whoville 2 sizes too small heart, this one will choke you up.

    Video up after the jump, since it plays automatically.
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