WTC flag sent to Kandahar

Worldnetdaily ^ | 27 Nov 01

[rightwingextremist1776]

A US flag, signed by the relatives and friends of victims of terrorist strikes that levelled the World Trade Centre in New York, will soon be flying high at a camp of Marines now in Afghanistan.

Traumatised by the worst terrorist attacks ever perpetrated on US soil, and carried away in a wave of patriotism, Americans have found a means of expression for their pain by flying the flags in the wake of the September 11 attacks that left around 4,300 dead and missing.

The star-spangled banner, which will be sent to Afghanistan on Thursday, was entrusted to the 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit by officers of the New York Police Department, New York spokesman for the Marines, Captain Jaret Heil said.

"Some of their people that went down with the building were former Marines," Heil said of the police officers. "They wanted us to have it because the Marines Corps is the first one" into Afghanistan.

"They wanted this flag to be with the people that are paying back for September 11, and that's the Marines Corps," he said.

The US-led war on Afghanistan's Taliban militia was launched in response to their harbouring of Osama bin Laden, the suspected international terrorist believed to have carried out the attacks.

The names of 27 police officers lost in the wreckage of the World Trade Center were the first to be inscribed in black felt pen on the flag, which was tied to a rescue command post at Ground Zero, the site of the flattened twin towers.

As visits were slowly allowed at Ground Zero, the piece of material became an outlet for the grief and rage felt by victims' family members in response to the attacks.

Vincent Danz wrote of his brother, a former Marine dead in the attacks aged 38, "My brother is on the pile."

"For my sons ... they gave their lives doing what they loved - helped others," wrote the mother or father of Joseph Viagiano, a 34-year-old policeman, and John Viagiano, 36, a fire fighter at the scene on the day of the strikes. "God bless them and all their 'brothers.'"

Other messages are more aggressive.

Policeman Bill Dinkelacker wrote: "Those colours don't run! For all the victims of terrorists attacks: give them hell!"

Tom Whalen, another police officer, writes directly to Osama bin Laden. "Benny, may the last breath you take be spent looking at this flag."

The flag is going to a base set up at the weekend by Marines, near an airstrip at Kandahar, the only city in southern Afghanistan still controlled by the Taliban. WTC flag sent to Kandahar

"This flag is going to the guys on the ground. Eventually it's gonna come back: the NYPD wants this flag back, after they're done in Afghanistan," says Heil. "The NYPD want to set it up in some type of memorial."

Another flag sent from the ruins of the World Trade Centre has been flying at the stern of a US warship in the Arabian Gulf.

[sidegunner]

[...Seals started "hurrah"]
The Seals yell " hooya".

[elfman2]

"The Seals yell " hooya"."

I stand recalibrated.

[gumbo]

< flame suit> I support the sentiment, but having just seen the flag on MSNBC, I disagree with people writing anything on our flag, defacing our flag or burning our flag. </flame suit>

I was about to post the same opinion. But you beat me to it, so you may take the flames!

[Politico2]

>Yes, ordinarily. It depends who writes it, and why, and what the circumstances are, doesn't it?

Nope. What's your opinion of hate crimes legislation?

[ppaul]

Your submissions please:
AMERICA ATTACKED/AMERICA GOES TO WAR: Online FReeper library -
Post your links to videos, photos, graphics, etc. HERE

:

[aristeides]

The Russian is URA. You can hear it shouted several times by Kutuzov's soldiers in Prokofiev's opera War and Peace.

[sidegunner]

[...recalibrated]

good one.

[ChemistCat]

I'm with you on the signing. It's an awkward gesture; whomever thought to have people write on the flag should have stayed in bed that day. But it's done, and it is a nice gesture of defiance at least. Our flag has often been used that way, unsigned.

TG: Thanks for the lovely drawing; is it yours?

[DC native]

No, it's underkill. I'd like to see the Pentagon folks get a piece of the action, too. Can we have his sorry a** when y'all are done? We've got a nice sharp pike...

[TomGuy]

Thanks for the lovely drawing; is it yours?

Not mine.
Story I heard was early after Sept 11, when the marines were "organizing," one marine, during a lull time waiting for deployment, drew this pic. It apparently circulated from there--through mail, email, websites.

I have not seen any credit/acknowledgement/identification about who the creator/artist is.

The pic truly represents that old saying "a picture is worth 10,000 words."

[KYwoman]

Great Picture! Thank you...

[calmseas]

Wonderful! But be sure to bring it back with you when you come home, boys. We don't want to leave our flag defenseless in a God forsaken place such as this. Semper Fi!

[amom]

Proudly may she wave from the land of the FREE and the home of the BRAVE!

Bless 'em.

[Scott from the Left Coast]

Nice to think that maybe it was the sight of that flag that made those bozos (Talibaners) get in their armored vehicles and make a try for the airfield, only to find out what Iraqis learned on the highway of death: Yer a wee bit vulnerable from the air driving in a big group in open.

[All-American Medic]

Sure no problem, we will let him live...put him in a swine filled car on amtrak, and when you guys are done with him. cut him in half and give us half back!!!!

[lavaroise]

No repent!!! hooray indeed.

[Alouette]

I want Bin-Laden captured, brought to NYC, tied to a pole at Ground Zero, then let all the family members throw bricks at him from a distance of five feet, put a helmet on him so he doesnt die right away, then when the scum finally does expire, wrap him in a pig carcass and hang him from the GWB....You guys dont think thats overkill do ya??

[All-American Medic]

Now that pic is OUTFUC*INSTANDING

[RetiredArmy]

Sadly, some of the lefties in my neighborhood have "moved on" and taken down their flags. Saying they will put them back up on the 4th and Memorial Days. What a crock.