Free Republic

LAST NOVEMBER we told you here about a book titled Ultimate Sacrifice, which purported to offer new details about the death of President John F. Kennedy. It's too complicated to go into all the revelations in this massive work by Lamar Waldron, but let it suffice to say that the San Francisco Chronicle recently ran a rave review written by Ronald Goldfarb. He was the Mafia prosecutor under Attorney General Bobby Kennedy, and this is the first time anyone closely associated with either brother has offered praise for a JFK assassination book. Now we can tell you that NBC has...

CONCORD, N.H. — The family of Army Spc. Justin Rollins finally got to hold one of the last things he held.A female puppy the 22-year-old nuzzled the night before his death in a roadside bombing in Iraq frolicked Friday in New Hampshire, completing a nearly 6,000-mile journey that Rollins' family and girlfriend began pushing for after seeing photos of him with a newborn litter. "It was the last bit of happiness Justin had," said Rollins' girlfriend, Brittney Murray.

The skinny sailor sat in the Philadelphia airport terminal in his deep-blue dress uniform, cracking his knuckles, shifting in his seat, waiting for his best friend. A woman from the airline walked over and motioned for him to follow. She saw the nervous look on the sailor's face and stopped. "Wait," she said. "Is this your first time doing this?" "Yes, ma'am," the 22 year-old said, his voice cracking. "Well, unfortunately, it's not the first time for me," she said. "Not even the first time this week." She led him toward the gate and gave him a soft smile. "You'll...

A U.S. helicopter went down northeast of Baghdad, killing all 13 people aboard, the military said Saturday.

BAGHDAD, Iraq - At least 20 American service members were killed in military operations Saturday in the deadliest day for U.S. forces in two years, including 13 who died in a helicopter crash and five slain in an attack by militia fighters in the holy city of Karbala, military officials said. Saturday's toll was the third-highest of any single day since the war began in March 2003, eclipsed only by 37 U.S. deaths on Jan. 26, 2005, and 28 on the third day of the U.S. invasion. U.S. authorities also announced two American combat deaths from Friday. The heavy toll...

WASHINGTON, Dec. 8, 2006 -- The situation in Iraq would be much worse “if not for the American heroes that are out on the street every day in Baghdad and across (Iraq),” the commander of combat troops in Iraq said today. “In the debate over the events happening in Iraq, I think that some people have lost sight of the daily acts of heroism that our servicemembers perform here in the name of service to our nation and to freedom,” said Army Lt. Gen. Peter W. Chiarelli, commander of Multinational Corps Iraq. Chiarelli, who gives up command Dec. 14,...

Small American flags line each side of the road on Racine Cove in Round Rock. The flags trail up a driveway to a two-story brick house. Inside, worn-out brown baby boots sit on a chair next to photos of the brown-haired young man who used to wear them. The young man's family gathered the mementos Tuesday night in front of the home where he had grown up and held a news conference to let people know about their son, a soldier who was killed Sept. 20 in Iraq. Chris Zimmerman, 28, was serving as a staff sergeant in the Marine...

~~~~ LUBBOCK, Texas -- A Texas family that had already paid a hefty price in the war on terror is in mourning again. Two years after a son was killed in Iraq, their only other son has died in Afghanistan. Cpl. Jose Velez was killed in 2004 when his unit came under fire in Fallujah. At that point, his brother, Army Spc. Andrew Velez, was given the option of not having to return to combat. But his father said he wanted to. This week the family learned Andrew was killed. Their father said that while he feels like his heart...

ARLINGTON, Va. -- President Bush, delivering a Memorial Day message surrounded by the graves of thousands of military dead, said Monday that the United States must continue fighting the war on terror in the name of those have already given their life in the cause. "The best way to pay respect is to value why a sacrifice was made," Bush said, quoting from a letter that Lt. Mark Dooley wrote to his parents before being killed last September in the Iraqi city of Ramadi. Monday's observance at Arlington National Cemetery was not a funeral, so demonstrators were free to speak...

MEMORIAL DAY TRIBUTE-Video. Either one of these links should work: Link 1 Link 2

As usual, negative stories about Mother Sheehan are only to be found in the local papers. This one is from her erstwhile home town (for a few years, anyway) the Vacaville Reporter:   Sheehan RefutedDirector rebuts 'Peace Mom's' story By Julie Kay/Staff Writer A Vacaville funeral home owner took exception to "Peace Mom" Cindy Sheehan's allegation that his mortuary did not fulfill its duties after her son Casey was killed in Iraq in 2004. In her blog last week, Sheehan wrote that the mortuary had refused to pay the cemetery as it was supposed to. Steve Nadeau, the mortuary's owner,...

Common Name, Uncommon Valor BY RALPH KINNEY BENNETT March 29,2006 Since his days growing up in Tampa, Fla., the lanky kid had wanted to be a soldier. By this bright morning, April 4, 2003, Sgt. First Class Paul Ray Smith had more than fulfilled his dream. He had served 15 of his 33 years in the U.S. Army, including three tours of duty in harm's way--in the Persian Gulf, Bosnia and Kosovo. Now all his training, all his experience, all the instincts that had made him a model soldier, were about to be put to the test. With 16 men...

UPDATE, 11AM: Hundreds of veterans turned out to honor Private Jonathan Pfender at The Centre Tuesday, and to make sure that a small group of protestors didn't disrupt the service. Pfender's aunt, Vicky Wolf came out just before the service to thank the veterans and other supporters, while making reference to the protesters. "That's the good thing about this- the community and the veterans came out and it's just overwhelming. We don't care about the other people on the other side of the street. That's not our focus. Our focus is Jonathan and our country." We'll have complete coverage on...

Last Night I Met A Hero - Godspeed SFC Cashe First, read this - Last Night I Met A Hero. It's a must read. On October 17th, an IED set a 1st/15th Infantry Regiment (3rd BDE, 3rd ID) Brad on fire. The ramp jammed trapping the infantry squad inside. Specialist Darren Howe, himself burning in the drivers seat, piloted the Brad away from the ambush site before trying to exit the vehicle. Suffering second and third degree burns, he went back in the burning vehicle to pull his buddies out. He helped get almost everyone out. Six members of the...

An Army soldier with Cocke County ties has died in Iraq, a loss that leaves his mother bitterly critical of the U.S.-led operation. "He was there two weeks and three days I feel like his life was wasted," Patricia Brady said Wednesday of Pfc. Daniel Anderson, who died Sunday. "A lot of people say he's a hero, but to me his life was wasted along with many others." Brady, who lives in the Hartford community, said she and her son had spoken at length about his decision first to join the Army and then to serve in Iraq. "I am...

It is now 3 am in Iraq the polls will be opening in the next few hours as the world watches and hold's it breath. Iraq is about to undertake a historic vote.Lets wish them well....... please post all comments and election photos to this thread.

"Locked, cocked and ready to rock," said Marine Lance Corporal Dimitri Gavriel, 29, before the start of the Fallujah offensive. "That's about how we feel." Most Brown University graduates don't speak this way. In fact, if Lance Corporal Gavriel had still been on the Brown campus, his comments might have been censored as hate speech. But then, there aren't many Brown University graduates in Fallujah, where the very concept of hate speech would give any Marine a chuckle. It was in Fallujah, on November 19th, that Dimitri Gavriel was killed by enemy fire. Gavriel had been building a successful career...

Marine Lance Cpl. Joseph McCarthy, 21, of Apache, Ariz., hands candy out to Iraqi children who approached him at a military checkpoint west of Fallujah, Iraq, April 22, 2004. McCarthy died Sept. 6, 2004 from injuries received due to enemy action in Al Anbar Province, Iraq. His personal awards include the Purple Heart, Combat Action Ribbon, Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal, Sea Service Deployment Ribbon, and the National Defense Service Medal.

<p>On June 1, Lambert -- a husband and father of a 2-year-old daughter -- died from injuries suffered in a Humvee accident on Memorial Day.</p> <p>I am a Marine. I have been in the Marines for over eight years. It has always been a dream for me to be in the Marines. I love the challenge. I continuously work and sweat for it.</p>

Paying the Ultimate Price Monday, April 28, 2003 By Neil Cavuto Sometimes it's easy to sit in an anchor chair and talk about a war. It's a lot more difficult being in that war, fighting in that war and for some, dying in that war. But there are many who protested this war. That was their right then. But I think it's wrong now. Yet it continues. And given the transition difficulties in Iraq, it is even picking up steam now. I think it borders on insulting now. Not only because the war clearly was a success. But because of...