Free Republic

The "Axis of Idiots"  From the Podium:J. D. Pendry, Retired Sergeant Major, USMC FROM THE PODIUMThis retired USMC Sgt. Major has his Stuff together. Jimmy Carter, you are the father of the Islamic Nazi movement. You threw the Shah under the bus, welcomed the Ayatollah home, and then lacked the spine to confront the terrorists when they took our embassy and our people hostage. You're the "runner-in-chief." Bill Clinton, you played ring around the Lewinsky while the terrorists were at war with us. You got us into a fight with them in Somalia and then you ran from it. Your...

1/2 boy 1/2 man The average age of the military man is 19 years. He is a short haired, tight-muscled kid who, under normal circumstances is considered by society as half man, half boy. Not yet dry behind the ears, not old enough to buy a beer, but old enough to die for his country. He never really cared much for work and he would rather wax his own car than wash his father's, but he has never collected unemployment either. He's a recent High School graduate; he was probably an average student, pursued some form of sport activities, drives...

Wondering if anyone else saw the 60 Minutes piece on the cost of Dying. If you missed it, the only thing missing was "My name is Barack Obama, Nancy Pelosi, Harry Reid, and I approve this message. A brief synopsis was that they had 2 doctors on and a "taxpayer advocate" that said the answer to America's woes in healthcare costs were to go ahead and let terminally ill patients die, and give them less treatments and services. Rationing, it was explained, wasn't a dirty word, but in fact was the right path to not bankrupting ourselves. We must, as...

This is the bio for Jamie Morin, who has been selected to the the new Air Force SAF/FM (Assistant Secretary, Financial Management and Comptroller) Education: Yale University, (2003), Ph. D. in Political Science, Dissertation “Squaring the Pentagon: The Politics of Post-Cold War Defense Retrenchment.”** Advisers: Bruce Russett, Paul Bracken, Stephen Skowronek, David Mayhew, Alton Frye (Council on Foreign Relations). Completed coursework in with honors grades (3.93 GPA). Passed field exams in American Politics, Comparative Politics, and International Relations (with distinction). Received M.A. and M.Phil. degrees in 2001. Recognized in student evaluations and the campus press as a top teacher. Organized...

The shot, which the military strongly encourages troops to get, triggered a rare bad reaction in the Marine from Missouri — leaving the then-20-year-old Lopez in a coma, paralyzed for several weeks and unable to breathe, McClatchy Newspapers reported

Launching An American Knight in Washington Written by John Horvat    Thursday, October 29, 2009 On October 27, the TFP Washington Bureau was filled with friends and supporters to hear a presentation on the book, An American Knight The Life of Colonel John W. Ripley, USMC just authored by TFP member Norman Fulkerson. The author presented the book to a full and lively auditorium of some 50 people and later personally signed copies. As a special guest, Duke Paul of Oldenburg from the German TFP, gave the opening remarks commenting on the meaning of chivalry today. Also attending was...

Holiday Mail for Heroes is back! In this season of hope and giving the American Red Cross and Pitney Bowes, Inc. have joined forces to invite Americans to “send a touch of home” to United States service members and veterans across the country and abroad. In its third year, the Holiday Mail for Heroes program is an opportunity to share joy and thanks with our service members throughout the holiday season by way of a greeting card.Today over 1.4 million men and women serve in the U.S. armed forces and over 24 million veterans have served in the past....

The Sack Lunches I put my carry-on in the luggage compartment and sat down in my assigned seat. It was going to be a long flight. 'I'm glad I have a good book to read. Perhaps I will get a short nap,' I thought. Just before take-off, a line of soldiers came down the aisle and filled all the vacant seats, totally surrounding me. I decided to start a conversation. 'Where are you headed?' I asked the soldier seated nearest to me. 'Petawawa. We'll be there for two weeks for special training, and then we're being deployed to Afghanistan After...

America's freight rail industry was well represented in the annual Top 100 Military Friendly Employers for 2010 published by G.I. Jobs magazine. The magazine named four Class I freight railroads among the top 10 most military friendly employers, selecting Union Pacific as number one. CSX Corporation came in second among the top employers of military personnel, while BNSF Railway was fourth, and Norfolk Southern came in at number seven. "The nation's freight railroads maintain a strong commitment to the men and women who serve our country," said Edward R. Hamberger, president and CEO of the Association of American Railroads. "We're...

Presidential executive orders are lofty, historical documents, generally signed in White House ceremonies with pomp and circumstance. Seldom do we think of them beginning in a small town on the eastern edge of West Virginia. But it was in Shepherdstown, with a population of 803 at last count, where President Obama's latest executive order, designed to facilitate the hiring of veterans in the federal government, got its start. Since 1944, federal law has required that vets be given certain preferences when federal agencies hire. And this isn't the first time an administration has made noise about being nice to vets....

Lord, Keep our Troops forever in Your care Give them victory over the enemy... Grant them a safe and swift return... Bless those who mourn the lost. . FReepers from the Foxhole join in prayer for all those serving their country at this time. .................................................................. .................... ........................................... U.S. Military History, Current Events and Veterans Issues Where Duty, Honor and Countryare acknowledged, affirmed and commemorated. Our Mission: The FReeper Foxhole is dedicated to Veterans of our Nation's military forces and to others who are affected in their relationships with Veterans. In the FReeper Foxhole, Veterans or their family members should...

As I speak to you today, I do so from the perspective of a simple “grunt” I have the greatest respect, admiration and affection for veterans of all the branches of service. I fought alongside Marines from the 2cnd Battalion, 7th Marines in Qui Nhon…a bunch of terrific, tough guys whose equipment was old and out of date..they carried the M-14 while we had the M-16…they had the PRC 10 radio which had been the mainstay radio in the Korean conflict, while we had a much more powerful and reliable PRC-25… but their morale, esprit de corps were just flat...

Looking for a copy of a 1971 San Diego Marine Corps Recruit Depot Redbook for Platoon 1045. If you have one available, please contact me santos_213@sbcglobal.net

TOMB OF THE UNKNOWN SOLDIER Interesting facts about the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and the Sentinels of the Third United States Infantry Regiment "Old Guard" Q: How many steps does the guard take during his walk across the tomb of the Unknowns and why? A: 21 steps. It alludes to the twenty-one gun salute, which is the highest honor given any military or foreign dignitary. Q: How long does he hesitate after his about face to begin his return walk and why? A: 21 seconds, for the same reason as answer number 1. Q: Why are his gloves wet?...

Holy crap. This might be funnier than those MMA guys giving wedgies. The most realistic depiction of life during wartime you may ever see short of enlisting yourself.

To celebrate this year's holiday, Applebees Veterans Day gives a free meal to those men and women who are either on active duty or veterans. The offer is not for a specific time of the day but any time at the food chain's restaurants. To redeem the offer, anyone can just show their military identification or be dressed in uniform to receive the free meal. Thanks to the Applebees chain for honoring our men and women who give of themselves and their lives for the freedom of others.

http://www.popaditchforcongress.com/

Thirty years ago, a young Frenchman walking in Normandy came across an American soldier's rusted dog tag among the rocks at Nacqueville, west of the port of Cherbourg. The name read: "Addison W. Arthurs." Etienne Desquesnes, now 46, wanted to return it to the owner or his family. But who was Addison Arthurs? Mr. Desquesnes wrote to the U.S. embassy in Paris but never got an answer. He finally has one now, and just in time for Veterans Day, thanks to some Internet sleuthing by his friend, Bertrand Goucovitch, 49, an amateur D-Day historian, and the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. After a...

Once again we prepare to honor those who have served in all of our wars, paying special homage to those who did not return from our wars. Nearly all of us who served in combat zones over our history view those whose names are etched in stone on the many Veterans Memorials as the true heroes of our conflicts. Viet Nam is labeled as “America’s Longest War” due to our involvement in that country from 1950 to the fall of Saigon in 1975. That 25 years pales when considering that after World War Two, we began engagement in a much...

I just heard from my daughter, Rebecca (his wife). They are trying to remove fragments from the spinal cord. He still has no feelings in the lower legs or feet. He will be coming into Walter Reid next week. Thank you for all your prayers. Dusty was among the 10th Mountain Division soldiers wounded or killed last week in the IED attack.

VAIL — A Vail man faces first-degree murder charges after he allegedly shot and killed a man outside a Vail bar over the weekend, Eagle County District Attorney Mark Hurlbert said today in a court hearing. Richard "Rossi" Moreau, 63, is being held without bond in the Eagle County Jail. He is expected to be formally charged in a Dec. 1 hearing, Hurlbert said. His attorney, Reed Owens, said Moreau has met with jail doctors. Owens said he wants to make sure Moreau can get the medication he takes for post-traumatic stress disorder while he is jailed. "We may have...

One landed on Omaha Beach just past dawn on D-Day, June 6, 1944. The other survived a German POW camp. Neither claims to be a hero — which is precisely why we honor these two Tucsonans as Veterans Day approaches. "Yes, I was scared. You had to be. But I credit our training for getting me through," says Bob Kirby, 88. A corporal with the 81st Chemical Mortar Battalion, Kirby waded in chest-deep water onto Omaha Beach 50 minutes past the first landings. "Bodies were floating all around, and bullets were pinging in the water. I don't know why we...