Free Republic

Seven score and seven years ago, a wounded Wisconsin soldier stood his ground on the Gettysburg battlefield and made a valiant stand before he was felled by a Confederate bullet. Now, thanks to the dogged efforts of modern-day supporters, 1st Lt. Alonzo Cushing shall not have died in vain, nor shall his memory have perished from the earth. Descendants and some Civil War history buffs have been pushing the U.S. Army to award the soldier the Medal of Honor, the nation's highest military decoration. They'll soon get their wish. Secretary of the Army John McHugh has approved their request, leaving...

Fort Polk Guardian FORT POLK, La., May 18, 2010 – Aug. 7, 2008, was a hot day in Iraq, and it seemed as if the walls were closing in on Army Spc. Joe Sanders. Army Cpl. Joe Sanders and Spc. Albert Godding pose April 27, 2010, after Godding received a Meritorious Service Medal for preventing Sanders' suicide in Iraq in 2008. U.S. Army photo by Zach Morgan  (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available. Sanders had deployed to Iraq with the 10th Mountain Division’s 5th Battalion, 25th Artillery Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team. Sander’s wife was leaving him, and he had...

The Battle of San Jacinto As related by DeWitt Colonist Creed Taylor to James T. DeShields and published in "Tall Men With Long Rifles" 1935. The morning of April 21 dawned bright and crisp. It was to be a great day for Texas. From their crude pallets the boys sprang up as if for a joyous holiday. Merry jests went the rounds, and the camp wits spared neither high private nor officers. "If you get bumped off, Bill, won't you will me your coonskin cap?" Tomlinson said to a comrade: "You can take the cap now; I'll wear a Mexican...

It seems that the Muslims of NY based RevolutionMuslim.com, have smartened up a bit and changed their approach on spreading Islam. Instead of their usual hate preaching on the streets of NY, they have decided to start a community outreach program. Unfortunately they will recruit more members by doing this. To view this short video....

TRIANGLE, Va., Feb. 19, 2010 – Dozens of veterans of the Battle of Iwo Jima and their families gathered at the National Museum of the Marine Corps here today to commemorate the 65th anniversary of the iconic World War II battle. Frank G. Willetto, an 84-year-old Navajo code talker, renders honors during the playing of the national anthem at a ceremony commemorating the 65th anniversary of the Battle of Iwo Jima at the National Museum of the Marine Corps in Triangle, Va., Feb. 19, 2010. In February 1945, the United States launched its first assault against the Japanese at Iwo...

Sen. Tom Harkin (D-Iowa) soon intends to introduce legislation that would take away the minority’s power to filibuster legislation. Sen. Tom Harkin (D-Iowa) in the next few weeks intends to introduce legislation that would take away the minority’s power to filibuster legislation.

TYNDALL AIR FORCE BASE, Fla., Dec. 9, 2009 – Air Force Col. Michael Stapleton has come a long way since being diagnosed with cancer in 2006 while serving as 43rd Fighter Squadron commander here. Air Force Col. Michael Stapleton, diagnosed with cancer in 2006, is back flying in F-22 Raptors and T-38 Talons at Holloman Air Force Base, N.M. U.S. Air Force photo  (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available. Now the 49th Fighter Wing Operations Group commander at Holloman Air Force Base, N.M., Stapleton recalled that he didn’t realize at first that his illness was serious. "I had what appeared...

WASHINGTON, Dec. 4, 2009 – The Army’s chief of staff stepped back in history Thursday evening to Christmas Eve in Belgium 65 years ago by reading one of the most inspirational letters written by a commander to his troops. Gen. George W. Casey Jr., chief of staff of the Army, reads the World War II Christmas letter from Gen. Anthony McAuliffe to his troops during the 13th annual Norwegian Tree Lighting Ceremony in Union Station, Washington D.C., Dec. 3, 2009. The tree is a gift from Norway and a symbol of the friendship between the United States and Norway. DoD...

CHIÈVRES, Belgium, Dec. 1, 2009 – Sixty-five years after World War II's landmark Battle of the Bulge, U.S. and Belgian troops will again march side by side in Bastogne on Dec. 12 and 13. Veterans and servicemembers from both nations are scheduled to join thousands of well-wishers, including town officials, dignitaries and local residents, in commemorating the Allied forces' victory in the famous World War II battle. "The traditional carnival-like atmosphere in Bastogne over the weekend celebrates the historic grit and determination of our two nations' veterans 65 years ago, and the solemn ceremony at the Mardasson Memorial overlooking the...

Flying into the besieged Afghan base during a nighttime firefight this weekend was a harrowing mix of overwhelming noise, stomach dropping maneuvers and shadows hurrying through the gloom. When the chopper lifted off moments later with three wounded soldiers, it left behind others who were wounded but refused to be MEDEVACED out of the combat zone so they could return to fight with their buddies. Fighting raged at two remote U.S. outpostsnear the Pakistan border this weekend, that left eight U.S. soldiers dead and 24 wounded. The battle was fought from Friday night through Sunday as hundreds of Taliban insurgents...

Specialist Alexander Miller had been watching a mysterious Afghan standing in a cornfield for 20 minutes. But it took only a split second for the American soldier to be mortally wounded. As Miller turned his back momentarily, the Afghan picked up a weapon hidden at his feet and fired a burst. One of the rounds tore into the 21- year-old soldier’s groin. Troops rushed to apply pressure to the wound as they called in a helicopter, but he was dead on arrival at the nearest field hospital... Nuristan’s rugged landscape, dotted with stone huts encircled by farmland, formed the backdrop...

US Marines are at the vanguard of the fight against the Taliban in Afghanistan. Our correspondent Ian Pannell has travelled to one of the Marines' most remote outposts, south of Garmisir, where he witnessed the heat of the battle. (VIDEO)

A NOAA-led research mission has located and identified the final resting place of the YP-389, a U.S. Navy patrol boat sunk approximately 20 miles off the coast of Cape Hatteras, NC, by a German submarine during World War II. Six sailors died in the attack on June 19, 1942. There were 18 survivors. The wreck is located in about 300 feet of water in a region off North Carolina known as the “Graveyard of the Atlantic,” home to U.S. and British naval vessels, merchant ships, and German U-boats sunk during the Battle of the Atlantic. NOAA and its expedition partners...

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates – A new international naval force under American command will soon begin patrols to confront escalating attacks by Somali pirates after more than 100 ships came under siege in the past year, the U.S. Navy said Thursday. But the mission — expected to begin operations next week — appears more of an attempt to sharpen the military focus against piracy rather than a signal of expanded offensives .. The force will carry no wider authority to strike at pirate vessels at sea or specific mandates to move against havens on shore — ..

Its the 170th anniversary of a pioneer story hardly anyone ever hears anymore. One of those stories about courageous men with nothing more than a bag of seeds, a hoe, hammer and musket, a pregnant wife and a horse come to stay. They fought off wild animals, hostile natives, outlaw bandits and other hardships to make the once desolate landscape a land of flowing milk and honey. The story you are about to read is one that hardly any American ever hears. Primarily because this story is not set in the wild untamed west of North America but in the...

Army News video: Quebec reservists train to deploy with artilleryValcartier, QC – 5 RALC teaches recruits about equipment, tactics for future Afghanistan missions.

If you don't want to wake up on Wednesday morning with the most marxist, socialist, corrupt, anti-american president we have ever had, then this message is for you. Please do not spend the next 4 days in your house or at work. Please take the day off and get busy fighting for John McCain and Sarah Palin. Even if you are not in a swing state, if you are a near a swing state, then get to one and help!!! If you are in a non-swing state, get on the phone and call the numbers at JohnMcCain.com to help convince...

The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review reported October 23 that Democratic Congressman Jack Murtha is in a statistical dead heat with Republican challenger William Russell, a retired Army Lieutenant Colonel who decided to run against Murtha after the congressman made disparaging remarks about Marines serving in Iraq. According to the report, Murtha holds a lead of just over 4 percentage points, which is within the polling margin of error for the poll cited by the Tribune-Review. The poll was taken immediately after Murtha's latest controversial remark about constituents in his district, so the poll may change again after the effect of Murtha's comments...

Here’s the news The Battle for Main Street, Hometown, U.S.A: Sept 29, 2008, Obama, Pelosi, Reid, Frank, Dodd committed an act of domestic, economic terrorism. Don’t wait for the claim of responsibility from their organization known as ALL SPENDA. Obama Bin Phonein will not call that in, he does not want us to get a fix on his position. We should expect the release of tapes demonstrating that Bin Phonein is still alive, it’s all Bush’s fault and that all American’s will pay dearly on April 15th 2009. The follow up attack of April 15th is being conducted under the...

WHEN IS JOHN McCAIN ACTUALLY GOING TO JOIN BATTLE WITH HIS OPPONENTS IN THIS CAMPAIGN? I have grown so discouraged with John McCain's inaction; his seeming lack of commitment; his refusal to take the fight to the enemy in this Presidential Campaign, that a few moments ago I submitted the comments below to his Official Campaign Website. For all I know they may be deleted and totally disregarded by the operatives at his end. But they relect my true feelings at this juncture.