Free Republic

A retired US Air Force lieutenant colonel photographed carrying zip-tie handcuffs inside the Capitol during last week’s riot planned to take hostages, a federal prosecutor said Thursday. In wielding the restraints, Larry Brock “means to take hostages. He means to kidnap, restrain, perhaps try, perhaps execute members of the U.S. government,” said Assistant U.S. Attorney Jay Weimer. Weimer, who at Thursday’s hearing argued Brock should be detained, did not elaborate on his allegations. The prosecutor read a social media post from Brock the day of the siege, in which he says, “Patriots on the Capitol. Patriots storming. Men with guns...

The Pentagon is moving forward with plans to rename military bases that honor the Confederacy, naming half of the panel charged with leading the effort.Acting Defense Secretary Christopher Miller on Friday appointed Sean McLean, a White House associate director; Joshua Whitehouse, a White House liaison to the Defense Department; Ann Johnston, acting assistant secretary of defense for legislative affairs; and Earl Matthews, principal deputy general counsel for the Army.They will serve on the ponderously-named Commission on the Naming of Items of the Department of Defense that Commemorate the Confederate States of America or Any Person Who Served Voluntarily with the...

The President Trump supporter killed in the Capitol building Wednesday is an Air Force vet from California who tweeted a day earlier how “nothing will stop us” and “the storm is here.” Ashli Babbit, who had 14 years in the service and did four tours of duty, was married and lived near San Diego, her husband Aaron told KUSI-TV. “I’m numb. I’m devastated. Nobody from DC notified my son and we found out on TV,” the husband’s mother, Robin Babbitt, told The Post, saying of her daughter-in-law, “She is a Trump supporter.” Everything is “pretty surreal,” added Aaron’s brother, Justin....

At 10 AM on Monday, January 5, 1959, I swore this oath on entering the United States Marine Corps: "I do solemnly swear that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; and that I will obey the orders of the President of the United States and the orders of the officers appointed over me, according to regulations and the Uniform Code of Military Justice. So help me God." That oath has no expiration date and is good for everything,...

Marine veteran Brian Tally has been fighting to change Department of Veterans Affairs policy for two-and-a-half-years, and his bill is the closest it has ever been to becoming law after it passed the Senate on Wednesday. Tally’s namesake “Tally Bill” seeks to change a 74-year-old legal loophole that shields VA contractors from malpractice. His bill took shape as one of many amendments in S.Amdt.2696, which was made to a House of Representatives bill, H.R.7105. The next step is another vote in the House to approve the Senate’s amendments, and then the bill heads to President Trump’s desk. Tally’s amendment requires...

With the New Year quickly approaching, a new crop of wellness trends and resolutions will likely pop up. That being said, this WWII Air Force Veteran has an unlikely tip for living a long, healthy life: a daily can of Coors Light. Andrew E. Slavonic, the veteran who went viral in 2018 after connecting his longevity to the beer, turned 103 on Dec. 1. Two years ago, Slavonic first made news when Fox reported that he had enjoyed a Coors Light at 4 P.M. every day for over 20 years. According to his son Bob, Slavonic began drinking Coors in...

A simple strand of thread connects an honorable past to a bright future. Connie Swartz, of Kansas City, Missouri, recently founded Celebrate Fatigues to turn unused military uniforms – hidden in basements and closets – into usable products to pay tribute to the nation's veterans and active service members. "My idea was, 'Let's resurrect these and make things out of them that people can enjoy and also feel that they're showing honor in remembering to the people who wore them,'" Swartz said. From sleeves and pants come purses and backpacks, dog scarfs and scrunchies – even face masks and luggage...

What Is Operation Paperback? Operation Paperback is a charity that sends books and magazines to soldiers and their families. This is invaluable for people on the front lines who can’t stream the latest video, aren’t close to a library and are nowhere near a movie theater. For their families, it is a pleasant reminder that the world hasn’t forgotten them and gives them free entertainment. Operation Paperback lets volunteers send books to the VA hospitals, too. Operation Paperback also accepts financial donations to buy books in high demand genres, specifically requested titles and pay for the shipping of these items....

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Indiana has put $1 million toward hyperbaric oxygen therapy research. Indiana was the first state to use public funds for what is considered experimental, or off-label, treatment of traumatic brain injuries. The program was just getting started when the coronavirus pandemic hit. A multicolored brain scan from the first Indiana veteran enrolled in the program is one of the many pieces being collected by the Weldon School of Biomedical Engineering on Purdue University’s campus is conducting the research. The pandemic slowed the research to a crawl and eventually most of the volunteers dropped out the program. For...

An emergency summit meeting of governors from six northeastern states this weekend to coordinate coronavirus restriction.... Bars and restaurants restricted to take out only, gyms closed, indoor and outdoor social gatherings limited to no more than six people from two households, churches limited to 25 people for indoor services, customers at grocery stores and pharmacies limited in numbers. All those measures in effect for at least two weeks in Oregon... When the mayor of St. George, Utah cancelled the Veterans Parade this year... Philadelphia looking at imposing new coronavirus restrictions... A highly contentious issue voted on in Montgomery County Pennsylvania......

A humble observation about the “thanks for your service” greeting. This Veterans Day I’ve found myself responding to the many “thanks for your service” statements. After responding countless times, I decided to crunch the gist of my many replies into a single statement wherein I attempt to describe what drives vets to become vets and who truly should be thanked.

Join with fellow FREEPERS to pray for PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP/VICE PRESIDENT MIKE PENCE and AMERICA: Government, Family, Military, Business, Healthcare, Education, Churches, and the Media. This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. 1 JOHN 5:14 Religion Forum Threads labeled [Prayer] are closed to debate of any kind.

As coronavirus cases again surge across the country, the outdoors remains a rare and safe refuge for Americans, particularly for those struggling with anxiety or depression due to the pandemic. On Wednesday, those hoping to reap the benefits of fresh air and the unseasonably warm weather in much of the country can explore national parks and forests for free in honor of Veterans Day. And, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs announced U.S. military veterans and Gold Star families will be granted a lifetime of free access to national parks, wildlife refuges and other federal lands managed by the Department...

Canadians are up in arms after Whole Foods banned its employees from wearing poppies in honor of Remembrance Day, the nation’s holiday for fallen soldiers. The Amazon-owned supermarket chain reportedly told employees that pinning the traditional red flower to their work uniforms — which consist of an apron, a coat or vest, a hat and name badge — was against its recently updated uniform policy.

Webinar, November 10, 6:00 PM - 7:00 PM Central Time on the National WWII Museum's Facebook page: Following the Japanese bombing of Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, nearly 20% of the Chinese American population signed up and served honorably in every branch of the US Armed Services and all four theaters of combat. During this panel discussion moderated by Tyler Bamford, the Sherry and Alan Leventhal Research Fellow in the Institute for the Study of War and Democracy, we will delve into the lives and service of these soldiers with E. Samantha Cheng, author of Honor and Duty: The...

========================================================================== A photograph appears to show a plane flying over Edwards Air Force base that's unlike any aircraft publicly acknowledged by the U.S. Air Force. The aircraft appears similar to the RQ-180, a high-altitude spy drone. The RQ-180’s existence has never been confirmed by the U.S. Air Force. ======================================================================== The image (above) depicts a flying wing-shaped aircraft leaving a contrail in its wake. An observer reportedly took the photo while the aircraft was over the Military Operating Area at Edwards Air Force Base in California. According to Aviation Week & Space Technology, the aircraft “was flying in a racetrack pattern...

A recently revealed email from a business associate of Hunter Biden's reveals plans of a potential deal between the two of them and Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg...The email in question is from well-known Hunter business associate Devon Archer to a certain Jason Galanis...."This is great. I will have some edits shortly. One big [edit] is that Zuckerberg is investing in the Veterans vertical. We'll own 50% of the business at BTC Global holdco we're investing in but he's going to own 50% of the vertical PTSD in his and his partners for profit foundation."...Galanis responds, "Facebook zuckerberg [sic]???" Archer emails...

Two former leaders of a Massachusetts veterans care home where at least 76 people died of the coronavirus have been charged in the deadliest known outbreak of the illness at a long-term care facility in the US, the state’s attorney general said Friday. Former Holyoke Soldiers’ Home Superintendent Bennett Walsh, 50, and ex-medical chief David Clinton, 71, were indicted by a grand jury — and each charged with five counts of criminal neglect and five counts of serious bodily injury.

Kamala Harris’s husband’s firm, DLA Piper, consults on behalf of a bevy of Chinese Communist Party-owned companies and employs former Chinese Communist Party officials. DLA Piper, a multinational law firm, boasts nearly 30 years of experience in China and over 140 lawyers dedicated to its “China Investment Services” branch. Harris’s links to the company are found with her husband, Douglas Emhoff, who has served as a Partner in the firm’s Intellectual Property and Technology practice and its Media, Sport, and Entertainment sector since 2017.

An Air Force veteran died on board a GRTC bus in Richmond, VA on Thursday, September 10, after suffering a heart attack. The man, 66-year-old Raymond Bass, was on his way to a doctor's appointment at the Hunter Holmes McGuire VA Medical Center. The aftermath of his collapse was captured on camera, as was the actions of a young man who sitting in front of him. As Bass is seen lying on the ground unconscious, at first sight it appears as though the young man is helping the veteran. But reality painted a much darker picture. 8News learned that the...