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In the post-9/11 world, the term hero has been thrown around often by politicians and the media. At a time when our country is losing a generation of selfless men and women, it is a good time to reflect on the actions of some of our true American heroes. One of the latest losses is that of Col. James Herbert Macia, who died on Monday December 21st, 2009. Col. Macia was a Bombardier/Navigator on Crew 14 in Jimmy Doolittle’s Tokyo raid (pictured on far left). This volunteer action was considered by many to be a mission of no return.

<p>Contact your Senators and let them know what you think!</p> <p>U.S. veterans or subsidies for United Nations (U.N.) bureaucracy.</p>

Some members of local veterans groups who attended an Every Day is Veterans Day ceremony Nov. 8 in Berwick, Maine, said they were surprised to find it was a kickoff for a new Maine affiliate of the national Oath Keepers organization, which has been described as part of a rebirth of the nation's right-wing militia movement. An August report from the Southern Poverty Law Center describes the parent organization as a "particularly worrisome example of the Patriot revival," involving groups with a virulent anti-government sentiment, though organizers of the newly formed Maine affiliate say they are far from being an...

Grieving soldiers and families at Fort Hood, Texas, will get a visit from Sarah Palin next month as part of her national book tour, her publisher told Washington Wire. The former vice presidential candidate, whose book “Going Rogue,” will be released on Tuesday, had already agreed to visit the Army base, according to her publicist. She said that after last week’s shooting that left 13 people dead and 30 wounded, an official on the base contacted HarperCollins to say that Palin should stick with the planned appearance. The Dec. 4 event had not been announced publicly or included in a...

Dan Lasko swore his oath to join the Marine Corps early on the morning of Sept. 11, 2001 — just before the terrorist attacks. As he watched the towers fall and the Pentagon burn, he knew his service to his country would be more vital than he could have imagined. Just a month into his deployment in Afghanistan, in the spring of 2004, Lasko's vision of his service was violently disrupted again. Exiting a rocky canyon, his Humvee rolled over two makeshift bombs. "Everything is in slow motion," he recalls. "Two big blasts. You can't see anything. Everything is foggy....

Also Posted: The Things I Carry The old train lumbered up the track amid a hoofbeat clatter, its cloudy windows streaked by rain that fell in gentle patter. With duffle heavy on my back I trudged along the aisle Until I saw an empty seat next to a welcome smile. A stifled groan curled in my chest beneath the weight I bore; I shrugged the duffle off my back, it thudded on the floor. "That pack looks awfully heavy friend" he said with narrowed stare, "You got a load of cinderblocks or something tucked in there?" My gaze fell to...

February 29, 2008 -- Austin, TX - U.S. Senator Barack Obama was joined by Congressman Chet Edwards (TX-17) in Houston this morning for a town hall meeting with area veterans. Obama discussed his track record of fighting for veterans in the U.S. Senate and pledged that, as President, he will ensure that veterans are treated with the dignity and respect they have earned. "America enters into a sacred trust with every single person who puts on the uniform," Obama said. "That trust is simple: America will be there for you, just as you have been there for America. Keeping that...

WWII Vets Take To The Sky For Flight Of Honor101 Local Veterans Visit WWII Memorial UPDATED: 9:31 pm EDT October 3, 2009 GREENSBORO -- With family and friends looking on in anticipation, 101 local veterans took to the sky Saturday morning for a daytrip visit to the World War II Memorial in Washington, D.C. These were the men and women who 65 years ago stormed the beaches in France, battled at sea, liberated Paris, marched to Berlin and served on the home front, all to squash the surge of tyrannical Nazism and preserve freedom in the world. The veterans, now...

WASHINGTON -- In a strongly worded message to Congress outlining presidential priorities for a military spending bill, the Obama administration said Friday it disapproved of including money for pensions for 26 elderly members of the World War II-era Alaska Territorial Guard. The White House move drew swift rebuke from the state's two senators, Republican Lisa Murkowski and Democrat Mark Begich, who had together sponsored the pension fix. The legislation honors 26 elderly Alaskans who are the few remaining survivors of a military unit that served the country with valor, Murkowski said, calling the administration's direction "deeply disappointing, bordering on insensitive."...

Gov Palin skipped the Values Voter Summit since her son Track is back from Iraq this weekend....

NATO-led forces are investigating the death of four Marines in eastern Afghanistan after their commanders reportedly rejected requests for artillery fire in a battle with insurgents, the Pentagon said on Wednesday. Tuesday's incident was "under investigation" and details remained unclear, press secretary Geoff Morrell told a news conference. A McClatchy newspapers' journalist who witnessed the battle reported that a team of Marine trainers made repeated appeals for air and artillery support after being pinned down by insurgents in the village of Ganjgal in eastern Kunar province. The U.S. troops had to wait more than an hour for attack helicopters to...

Contact: media@vetsforfreedom / (202) 338-4070 (Washington, DC) – Today, Vets For Freedom—the largest Iraq and Afghanistan war veterans organization in America—released an online petition urging President Obama to follow the request of the commanders on the ground in Afghanistan and allocate the troop-strength necessary to turn the war around. The “Give Our Generals What They Need” Petition calls upon the President to honor the forthcoming troop-level recommendations of General Stanley McChrystal and give our troops the same chance to succeed in Afghanistan that they had in Iraq following the Surge. The full petition can be found at: www.vetsforfreedom.org/give_them_what_they_need “Unlike Iraq,...

Vets for Freedom Connecticut representative Melissa Weaver (SGT, CTANG, OIF 2003-2004) has sent me an e-mail requesting our help. A sometimes co-host and a brave woman and soldier … I assured her we would not hesitate. We have never wavered in our support for our soldiers … and right now our soldiers in Afghanistan need our help. Tomorrow (Wednesday) The Vets for Freedom, which led the charge for the surge in Iraq, will launch a petition drive urging the President to give the Generals the additional troops they have requested for Afghanistan.

Bob Dole, a venerable 86 years old now, was back in the Washington limelight over the weekend, appearing on ABC TV to dispense counsel on a bipartisan approach to health care, popping up in newspapers explaining how to cut a deal, even suggesting Gen. David Petraeus as a presidential possibility. But his most heartfelt weekend activity took place elsewhere, out of sight of Washington politicos and devoid of any potential for gain or notoriety. It came under a brilliant Saturday-morning sun, when the former Republican presidential candidate, now a bit more frail than most Americans recall him, stepped out of...

The Wall Street Journal just published a shocking editorial written by a respected University President, confirming the Obama Administration is now using VA hospitals to order doctors to pressure all military veterans to sign "pull the plug" do-not-resuscitate orders, hastening their premature deaths through mandatory "end of life" counseling. President Jim Towey of Saint Vincent's College, founder of the non-profit "Aging With Dignity" and former White House Director of faith based initiatives, wrote a blistering expose entitled "The Death Book For Veterans," revealing President Obama's new Veterans Administration (VA) directive, presumably signed by VA Secretary, General (ret.) Eric Shinseki, which...

August is a seminal month in the history of the airborne, and especially of the 82nd Airborne Division. Aug. 15, 1942, is the birth date of the 82nd and 101st airborne divisions. "Airborne" was already well under way before the magic date 67 years ago when the War Department formally ordered the formation of two divisions of jumpers and glidermen. Battalions of jumpers had been training at Fort Benning, Ga., since 1940, and the high command of the Army was eager to grow the airborne force. By March, a new infantry division, the 82nd, was activated for training at Camp...

Janie VandenBosch's blood boils when she receives telephone solicitations from a group that calls itself the Minnesota Disabled Veterans. The caller has offered to send her plastic bags, lightbulbs and other items in exchange for a donation. Problem is, VandenBosch works for Minnesota Disabled American Veterans (DAV) -- and her group has nothing to do with the calls. "Sometimes I think I should just let them send me the bags so I can see who they are,'' said VandenBosch, who coordinates clothing donations to the state DAV. "But I'm also hearing about them from people who donate clothes to us....

Did you ever have an encounter with a thief? If not, how many times have you read or heard about their sudden attacks in newspapers or TV and thought or gasped, “I hope that never happens to me”? Well, it is happening. As I write this, we have politicians all over the country stealing from us. Many of you are now more than aware of this new Cap and Trade bill brought to us by “our” representative in the 30th district of California, Mr. Henry Waxman. Well, you may also want to know that Mr. Waxman has been quite busy...

As we reported late last month, U.S. Rep. Rick Larsen is catching flack from all sides of the health care debate. Some in his district are patently outraged by his lack of support for proposals made by Democratic colleagues. One letter writer to the Bellingham Herald today accused Larsen of being beholden to lobbyists. Back in the district, Larsen again faced questions about his stance on health care reform. This time, speaking to veterans, the 2nd District Congressman refused to answer questions altogether: “You’re at the wrong meeting if you’re here to talk about health care.”

Maybe a few folks going to the TEA Party forums with their congress people will take a few pages from this book and ask their congressman/woman or senator how long is the wait to get enrolled in the VA health care program? Why would enrollment in the Public Option be faster? Will there be the same categories for those who get service "based upon funding?"

Two tours in Vietnam. A Purple Heart. A welding accident. A wheelchair. Death at 61. A bill for $277,186.96. Two months after Roger Lennon died, the woman who took care of him for more than a dozen years got a bill in the mail. The state of Iowa said the Bettendorf veteran owes almost $300,000 for the medical care he received in the state-run veterans home. "I called them and said, 'Is this a joke?'" Sarah Miller said. "Who has that kind of money? And I was with Roger every time he was signed into the Iowa Veterans Home in...

Vetting Healthcare for Vets by: Mytheos Holt, June 29, 2009 Due to the recent appearance of oversight issues in the national veterans’ healthcare program, the Senate Subcommittee on Veterans’ Affairs convened a hearing chaired by Senator Daniel Akaka (D-HI). The committee room was practically abandoned, except for Chairman Akaka and Ranking (minority) Member Sen. Richard Burr (R-NC). “We know of several instances of poor care,” Sen. Akaka said, accusing the administrators of “putting veterans at risk for infectious diseases.” According to Sen. Akaka, Congress had “subcontracted with an outside entity with the expectation that good care will be provided. Good...

WASHINGTON -- The first $250 payments to veterans as part of President Obama's recovery plan were sent Monday, and officials at the Department of Veterans Affairs said all payments will be distributed by June 30. As part of the recovery plan, VA is making one-time payments of $250 to eligible veterans and survivors to offset the effects of the current economy. VA estimates $500 million in payments will be made to approximately 1.9 million veterans and eligible beneficiaries as part of this measure.

The Department of Veterans Affairs is at the center of a growing controversy over the improper treatment of veterans at VA hospitals. On June 16, CNN noted that a report released in June by the VA’s Office of Inspector General showed only “about 42.5 percent of 42 VA facilities inspected without warning in May had standard operating procedures in place for the equipment being used and could demonstrate that their staffs had been trained to use the devices.” In other words, more than half of the institutions (57.5 percent) had improper procedures or training...

In the first time they hit pavement this month, the men and women of Operation Denali arrived in Talkeetna ahead of schedule Friday after climbing Mount McKinley.

If someone threw you a party about 40 years too late, would you still go? On Saturday, at least 1,500 of Minnesota's Vietnam-era veterans did. The vets, along with friends and family that brought the total crowd to an estimated 5,000, came to an event in their honor held on the State Capitol grounds in St. Paul. There were cheese curds and hot dogs, plane flyovers and a color parade, live entertainment and VIP speakers, laughing children and nodding grannies. A lot like any summer weekend festival, until you got to the "Traveling Wall," a three-fifths scale replica of the...

This is not disputed at snoopes...... Subject: Fw: Fwd: From my brother Dave This e-mail is from the father of a young man that left a very lucrative position to join the USMC . He was a Lieutenant who sustained life threatening , and permanently disabling injuries from IED in Iraq . It will fill you with emotion . -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Hi Joan and Red, Since Dave Jr. has been injured he has met and been overwhelmed by many, many political and military "celebs". The list includes Bob Gates, Sec. of Defense, who came into his room and told him 3...

Barack Obama's great uncle criticises him over Buchenwald visit The first time they discussed his participation in the war was when Mr Obama wrongly said during the campaign that Mr Payne had "liberated" Auschwitz. Opponents swiftly pointed out that had been done by the Red Army.

Recently I found out that a man I knew, a Viet Nam vet, had died. Homeless. Under an overpass in Redwood City, California. He was an Army Ranger, and a highly-trained sniper. He and a team of four or five guys would disappear into the Viet Nam jungle for a month at a time and take out various strongholds, and strategic members of the Viet Cong. Through this work, he saved thousands of American lives, as well as thousands of South Viet Namese lives. He did a job no one wanted to do and not many could do. When he...

On this day in which Americans honor their war dead, perhaps a smidgen of our time should be spent reflecting on the unheralded and fearless wartime antics of Sean Penn. Yes, that Sean Penn: Hollywood actor, director, tough guy and agent provocateur in America's time of peril - a man history, no doubt, will credit with an assist in bringing democracy to Iraq.

Sometimes momentous events happen without much notice in Washington. Such was the case os Rolling Thunder and the White House.

Rolling Thunder not expecting Obama greeting By Jennifer Harper Friday, May 22, 2009 The last time Rolling Thunder roared into Washington, the president welcomed the riders in the White House driveway with a smile on his face and heartfelt personal greeting. This year, maybe not. "We initially got a call this year saying the president wasn't going to greet us," said Artie Muller, founder of the group that is marking its 22nd annual patriotic motorcycle ride through Washington to draw attention to policy issues influencing veterans, active-duty military, prisoners of war and those still missing in action. But a second...

Dear Obamaphile -- We knew healthcare reform would face fierce opposition -- and it's begun. As we speak, the same people behind the notorious "swiftboat" ads of 2004 are already pumping millions of dollars into deceptive television ads. Their plan is simple: torpedo healthcare reform before it sees the light of day by scaring the public and distorting the President's approach. We need the resources to take them head on with an urgent, grassroots campaign to pass real healthcare reform in 2009. When the swiftboaters flood the airwaves with distortions, we'll flood the streets with volunteers armed with facts....

Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano blamed "politicization" for a week of furor over a report that warned "right-wing extremists" were recruiting veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars. She also said the Obama administration's veterans programs were necessary to combat such extremism.

CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) -- The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs said it is conducting an investigation at the Veterans Administration Hospital in Beckley. While a spokeswoman for the agency in Washington, D.C., did not specify the focus of the investigation, she said that "allegations of harassment or potential abuse" are taken seriously. Debbie Voloski, a spokeswoman at the Beckley VA Hospital, confirmed an investigation into "certain issues." She also declined to discuss the nature of the investigation.

Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano apologized to veterans in a FOX News interview after a DHS report labeled returning troops at risk for embracing right-wing extremism. Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano apologized to veterans after a report issued by her department said troops returning from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan were at risk for being recruited by right-wing extremists. "To the extent veterans read it as an accusation ... an apology is owed," she said during an on-air interview on FOX News Thursday, a day after veterans' groups and members of Congress blasted her for the report, which they...

HOLLYWOOD and countless professors warned us: Military vets are drooling trailer-trash who beat their wives and, at best, wind up as homeless street people -- at worst, as homicidal psychos deformed by war. Now, thanks to our ever-vigilant Department of Homeland Security, the full extent of the danger has been revealed: Our so-called "war heroes" are rushing back to join right-wing-extremist hate groups to overthrow our government. Let's not quibble about little things like evidence. The Obama administration just knows that vets are all racist, Jew-hating crazies waiting to explode. Thank God, DHS has a fearless leader, Janet-from-another-planet Napolitano, who...

<p>WASHINGTON (AP) - Republicans on Wednesday said a Homeland Security Department intelligence assessment unfairly characterizes military veterans as right-wing extremists. House Republican leader John Boehner described the report as offensive and called on the agency to apologize to veterans.</p> <p>The assessment also said that returning military veterans who have difficulties assimilating back into their home communities could be susceptible to extremist recruiters or might engage in lone acts of violence.</p>

Ok, just had this sent to me, and I had to share it.

Bad press, including major mockery of the plan by comedian Jon Stewart, led to President Obama abandoning his proposal to require veterans’ private health insurance to cover the estimated $540 million annual cost to the federal government of treatment for injuries to military personnel received during their tours on active duty. The President admitted that he was puzzled by the magnitude of the opposition to his proposal. “Look, it’s an all volunteer force,” Obama complained. “Nobody made these guys go to war. They had to have known and accepted the risks. Now they whine about bearing the costs of their...

THE WEEKLY STANDARD reported last week that Democratic congressional candidate Scott Murphy claimed to have met with White House political operatives “in the situation room.” The White House has been non-responsive to inquiries as to whether the Situation Room--previously reserved for national security-related meetings--is now being used for political get togethers. Now we learn in today’s Washington Post that Rahm Emanuel called a group of veterans' group leaders together to discuss a budget controversy "in the Situation Room," with "Emmanuel seated in the President's chair." The article notes that the vets made a political pitch to Rahm--"We said 'look, don't...

View Current Signatures   -   Sign the Petition To:  Secretary of the Navy On March 5, 2009 Congressman John Murtha was awarded the Department of the Navy Distinguished Public Service Award by the Secretary of the Navy, Donald C. Winter. From the press release: It is the highest form of public service recognition bestowed by the Department of the Navy for a non-employee. According to the Department, nominations for this award will be limited to those extraordinary cases where individuals have demonstrated exceptionally outstanding service of substantial and long term benefit to the Navy, Marine Corps, or as Department...

On what planet do the people in the Obama Administration live? How (fill in the expletive of your choice) tone deaf can the Democrats and supporters of the Obama administration’s plan to ask once wounded veterans to pay for their treatments (through their private insurance carriers) be? [...] the President intends to move forward with this unreasonable plan,” said Commander David K. Rehbein of The American Legion. “He says he is looking to generate $540-million by this method, but refused to hear arguments about the moral and government-avowed obligations that would be compromised by it.”

Apparently President Obama did not get the message that was delivered loud and clear last week by both Democrats and Republicans on Capitol Hill in hearings on the Administration’s proposed Veterans Administration budget.  Rumors had been flying that the Obama Administration was considering a harebrained scheme to charge wounded warriors for the treatment of injuries received in battle.  Asked about the scurrilous rumors by Senators Patty Murray (D-WA) and Richard Burr (R-NC), the left’s favorite general, Eric Shinseki, now Obama’s Secretary of Veterans Affairs, confirmed that the plan was “under consideration. “A final decision hasn’t been made yet,” said Shinseki,...

We weren't going to say a word about bank, automaker or insurance company bailouts with taxpayer dollars; economics are not really our thing. But an administration plan to save $540 million by forcing civilian insurance companies to cover claims by military veterans for service-related injuries is beyond the pale. For our government to propose such a scheme at the same time it is spending BILLIONS with not much accountability is disgusting. The idea surfaced in testimony by Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric Shinseki - a retired Army general who should know better. He told a Senate committee that the plan...

WASHINGTON -- The Obama administration is considering a plan to make veterans use private insurance to pay for treatment of combat and service-related injuries. The proposal would be an about-face on what veterans think is a longstanding pledge to pay for health-care costs that result from their military service. In a White House meeting Monday, veterans groups apparently failed to persuade President Barack Obama to take the plan off the table. “Veterans of all generations agree that this proposal is bad for the country and bad for veterans,” said Paul Rieckhoff, executive director of Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America....

Obama's seemingly endless stream of proposals that advance incredibly arrogant, illogical and foolish ideas More Worthy of Health Care: Disabled War Vets or Illegal Aliens? John Lillpop Bio Email Article Email Us Print friendly By John Lillpop Tuesday, March 17, 2009 President Obama continues to provide a “shock and awe” assault on everyday common sense with his seemingly endless stream of proposals that advance incredibly arrogant, illogical and foolish ideas. The latest shock concerns the proposal to force private insurance companies to pay for treating disabled veterans. As reported, in part, at Yahoonews: “The leader of the nation’s largest veterans...

The leader of the nation's largest veterans organization says he is "deeply disappointed and concerned" after a meeting with President Obama today to discuss a proposal to force private insurance companies to pay for the treatment of military veterans who have suffered service-connected disabilities and injuries. The Obama administration recently revealed a plan to require private insurance carriers to reimburse the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) in such cases. "It became apparent during our discussion today that the President intends to move forward with this unreasonable plan," said Commander David K. Rehbein of The American Legion. "He says he is...

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric Shinseki confirmed Tuesday that the Obama administration is considering a controversial plan to make veterans pay for treatment of service-related injuries with private insurance.

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric Shinseki confirmed Tuesday that the Obama administration is considering a controversial plan to make veterans pay for treatment of service-related injuries with private insurance.