Posted on 11/02/2006 9:56:59 PM PST by NotJustAnotherPrettyFace
We've been inundated with media requests about the source of the now-famous "HALP US JON CARRY" banner. (I've already done a live shot on Fox News, and given interviews for John Gibson's show and "Inside Edition," which should air later today.)
**UPDATE The MSM catches up.
Even CNN is reporting Troops respond to 'Jon Carry' with plea for 'halp'; while CBS is reporting "Minnesota Guard Members Mock Kerry In 'Irak' Photo", The AP has put a story on the wire, and the Minneapolis Star-Tribune is also catching up:
The photo initially was posted on the website of Milwaukee talk radio host Charlie Sykes, who said "everybody picked it up to the point where it crashed our server."
Sykes said one of his listeners has had regular e-mail correspondence with a member of the unit. "Yesterday morning the listener sent it along to me and I put it on the blog," Sykes said. "It's national at this point. It's huge."
Here is the audio of my discussion with the father of one of the soldiers in the picture.
Here is the background:
The listener who emailed me the picture writes:
Thanks for getting that posted and out. What awesome coverage. Kyle Kuepker was my college roommate... He is in that unit and his commander is the third from the left. He sent it over yesterday to me. Didn't really think this would circulate like it did, but man, how awesome. I'm so damn proud of Kyle and those guys.
Here is an email I received from him a couple weeks ago about all the great stuff they are doing.
He attaches this earlier communication:
Hello,
Once again, I find myself writing an update after two months have already passed - time's flying and I'm not complaining. ...
September was our most active to date. Violence escalated due to sectarianism which seemed to coincide with the beginning of Ramadan. Our base was rocketed through the month with one particular stretch lasting four consecutive nights. Thankfully they're terrible aim and rarely pose much of a threat - mostly serve as a disruption and an inconvenience. Our mission continues unchanged and successful. My company leads the way with fewest IED strikes and most IED discoveries year to date - as well as battle loss $$. Within the 8 companies in my battalion, we've accumulated over $750,000 is battle damage or un-repairable equipment due to the mission - of this total, my company represents $497 or less than 1% - so I'm extremely pleased at our results and couldn't be more proud of the track record - my troops continue to do "The Hard Right".
Civil Military Operations (CMO) conducted since the arrival of the Red Bull; we're in the process of completing a water treatment plant that was started a year ago, built a city park in Al Batha, constructed a water treatment facility/reverse osmosis purification system that provides water to 1500 villagers in Al Fawaz and surrounding areas of the Euphrates River. We've employed approx 100 locals throughout the Dhi Qar province in an effort to improve roadway appearance and remove debris, repaired an existing/inoperable reverse osmosis pump/generator which feeds approx 250-500 villagers in another area, repaired 25 km of road that was previously un-navigable during the rainy season near Al Harza, improved 10km of Al Batha City Center roads to increase access in and around the City Center which should create a short term economic boost to the city by employing laborers from the local area, provided 100 1500 liter water tanks to 13 villages what will store potable drinking water to an estimated 3000 people, replaced an electrical transformer in Al Humady that was hit by lightning and provides electricity to a school and local villages with more than 300 people. Future projects we have our radar on include a medium scale irrigation restoration project to provide water to cropland, improvement of 14 km of Al-Shakarra road to double lane width which is impassible 6-8 months of the year due to road height in low areas, a water infrastructure project expected to employ 1000+ manual laborers which would ultimately support commercial and industrial expansion and to raise a school yard to prevent it from flooding. In addition to these projects we've provided medical training to Iraqi Highway Patrol officers, cleared unexploded ordnance from agriculture areas and delivered countless humanitarian supplies to numerous villages and locals tribes. Every project we coordinate or develop, we put an Iraqi face with - so the work being conducted is by the locals and all the materials come from within the country - which can be frustrating. We (the Army) tries to buy everything we need from the local economy - some of it good, some of it not so good... "In Sh Allah" means God willing, so if the part we bought off the local economy works...it was because God willed it... if it didn't, it's because God willed it... Everything is In Sh Allah, hence the frustration since it seems God didn't want anything that we buy to work??? We ask, "will you come back tomorrow to fix it"? "In Sh Allah" ... see the frustration??
The first 6 months we spent adjusting, refining and adapting to our mission and surroundings. Now we're on the down hill slide and trying to keep the "horses from smelling the barn" (quote from my Sergeant Major) or becoming complacent. Our time for training was extremely limited during our first six months in country - however, we've found our groove for the moment and training has been taking place for about 3 weeks now. "A company that trains during war survives during war". I'm not sure if this is a famous dead guy quote, but I heard our Brigade Commander (COL Elicerio) say it the other day and it stuck, so this is my plan until we leave, which is about 150 days away. Plans are being developed for our re-deployment to Ft McCoy, WI and appear we will be in the area the early parts of April.
November 1st will mark the 1st ever Twin City Marathon (Shadow Race) in Iraq - which I'll make up a team of 4 for the event. I participated in the Tallil 10 mile (Tallil Air Base) a couple weeks ago and averaged an 8:40 pace, which I was pleased for two reasons. #1, I wanted to beat a 9 minute mile pace. #2, I quelled all thoughts of running a full marathon (Sorry Mark, but I think I've only got a half left in me)...
Regardless of what you see on the TV and read in the papers, let it be known that we're doing good things in this country and for its people - and I'm proud to be a part of it.
All for now - I hope this finds everyone well, in good spirits and in health.
Take care,
Kyle J. Kuepker
CPT, AD, HHC 1-34 BTB(FWD)
Commanding
lol too bad someone did snap his finger off.
All the more reason for the word to spread back to the troops about the negative blowback that Kerry's remarks are getting, and that the "little things" like this troop making this banner and sending it home to friends do get noticed and appreciated.
That finger won't bend. Too much Botox ;-).
Thought of you and thought you would appreciate this thread.
The blowback would be ALEAST one hundred-fold.
I plan on doing what I can to get it to make the circuit, but it is probably doing great on its own.
The Email is well written, easy -- and fun -- to read.
Another ding in jon carry's armor.
I am so proud of our military.
I saved it to my hard drive with a date of 8.23.04.
You could google it for more info. What I recall from my dusty mental archives is that he wasn't making nice with these guys and actually got in their faces. Being active duty, they had to take it. You might also try a FR archive search. There was a lot of chatter about it.
Thanks, Kate. I'd like to know that the guys in Iraq saw it.
thanks for that. it looks like he is chewing on the one soldier and the one sitting down doesn't look too impressed. :(
We are supposed to be helping boost the morale of the troops..These troops did a great job of boosting mine!!!..
May God bless them all. I am so grateful for their service.
It was a pretty nasty exchange as I recall. (Wish I had a better memory for these things.)
i just did a search and found lots of pics of him throwing like a girl (well i am a girl and NEVER threw a baseball like that...but...) and him trying to catch footballs (LOL) but nothing with the two soldiers! :( thanks for trying to remember anyway! :)
ping
Woohoo! I found where I got that photo originally:
http://www.vietnamveteransagainstjohnkerry.com/
Kerry’s Advances Rejected by Marines
http://www.vietnamveteransagainstjohnkerry.com/kerry_marines.htm
DEM'S MARINE MISFIRE
By STEFAN C. FRIEDMAN
New York Post Online Edition --- July 31, 2004 -- SCRANTON, Pa. -- John Kerry's heavily hyped cross-country bus tour stumbled out of the blocks yesterday, as a group of Marines publicly dissed the Vietnam War hero in the middle of a crowded restaurant.
Kerry was treating running mate Sen. John Edwards and his wife, Elizabeth, to a Wendy's lunch in Newburgh, N.Y., for their 27th wedding anniversary -- an Edwards family tradition -- when the candidate approached four Marines and asked them questions.
The Marines -- two in uniform and two off-duty -- were polite but curt while chatting with Kerry, answering most of his questions with a "yes, sir" or "no, sir."
But they turned downright nasty after the Massachusetts senator thanked them "for their service" and left.
"He imposed on us and I disagree with him coming over here shaking our hands," one Marine said, adding, "I'm 100 percent against [him]."
A sergeant with 10 years of service under his belt said, "I speak for all of us. We think that we are doing the right thing in Iraq," before saying he is to be deployed there in a few weeks and is "eager" to go and serve.
The Marines -- all of whom serve at nearby Stewart Air Force Base -- wouldn't give their names.
It wasn't an auspicious start to the senators' "Believe in America" bus tour -- a 22-state, 43-city tour that will cover roughly 3,500 miles over 15 days in an effort to carry some of their momentum out of the Democratic convention . . .
thanks for the detective work, i think you could change your nick to GretchenM-PI LOL
My stepson was in Iraq for a year. He came over tonight and he is usually pretty quiet but tonight he was livid with anger. He told us stories of the sucesses over there. He said that coverage here couldn't be farther from the truth. He told us about an old woman dipping water out of a dirty puddle to drink and then later seeing her get a cup of clean water from a new water supply running to their village. I nearly cried at the beautiful stories he told about the Iraqi people. Somehow we have got to get these stories out. I wonder if FoxNews would do just one short story a night on Hannity and Colmes. Rush has a list of goals the terrorists had that they couldn't get done and why.
I'm not sure if this has been posted yet, so for good measure:
http://www.redbullweb.com/5.html
I hear phone cards are a good way to say thank you!
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.