Free Republic

President Joe Biden’s call for the expedited withdrawal of all U.S. troops from Afghanistan is moving at a fever pitch, and it appears as if the president will be leaving kidnapped U.S. Navy veteran Mark Frerichs behind with his captors, the Taliban. According to U.S. Army Green Beret and U.S. Rep. Michael Waltz (R), who served several tours in Afghanistan, the U.S. has “given away all leverage in terms of getting him back” with the hasty pull out of troops, saying that “very troops that could go rescue him, if we find him, are now leaving.” Waltz adds that Frerichs...

Iranian state-affiliated media has reported the death of two fighter pilots at Dezful Air Base, with claims a “technical defect” caused their ejector seats to engage, firing the pilots into the hangar roof.

Just saw an offer for a free one year Fox Nation subscription for active military and vets while watching Tucker.You do need a credit card but no charge until your one year renewal date, unless you cancel earlier. (Read the fine print, I did.)Sign-up if you want, it's free.

China, Russia and American Army Recruitment AdsHere's the short version:China: I am Disciplined!Russia: I am ready for War!USA: I have 2 momshttps://youtu.be/Kfe6d6MzeLM

In 1968, May was the month that recorded the highest number of U.S. casualties. The losses were just a few hundred less than the U.S. would see in Afghanistan's 20 years. Multiple wiki excerpts On 5 May, communist units initiated PHASE II of the Tet Offensive of 1968 (also known as the May Offensive, "Little Tet", and "Mini-Tet") . The May Offensive was considered much bloodier than the initial phase of the Tet Offensive. US casualties across South Vietnam were 2,169 killed for the entire month of May making May 1968 the deadliest month of the entire Vietnam War for...

The full-length bronze memorial on the empty grave in Pickens hints at how Ross Walker died.“Perished over the Pacific Ocean,” says the marker at Hillcrest Memorial Park.That is all the Walker family and the families of 92 other servicemen aboard Flying Tiger Line Flight 739 know.The military charter jet on route to Saigon was lost over the deepest part of the Pacific Ocean on March 15, 1962, three years before President Lyndon Johnson sent combat troops to Vietnam.No wreckage was found, not a seat cushion or life vest. No remains.Their mission was so top secret, the military has revealed nothing...

While on deployment in Iraq in 2007, retired Senior Chief Mike Day and his team set out on the crucial mission to locate a high-level al Qaeda terrorist cell in Anbar province. While running point on the raid, Day was the first to enter a small (12' x 12') room defended by (four) terrorists who opened fire. He managed to take one of them down as he started taking rounds himself. He kept firing, and dropped another terrorist who detonated a grenade as he went down. (after his rifle was shot from his hands, his thumb nearly severed)...the skilled operator...

And then there’s Marine veteran John “Chick” Donohue, who traveled all over war-torn Vietnam in 1968 just to drop off some beers to his neighborhood buddies fighting in the war. It sounds made-up, but this story is 100% true, and, best of all, it’s getting the movie treatment with some big stars on the roll call. Actors Russell Crowe and Zac Efron are in talks to star in the picture, and Bill Murray may be cast in a supporting role... It all started in November 1967, when the 26-year-old Donohue was chatting about anti-war protests with George Lynch, the bartender...

We commemorate those who fought in the Vietnam War on National Vietnam War Veterans Day, March 29. There’s no doubt that the Vietnam War was one of the most brutal. In fact, over three million people were killed during the 20 years it went on. It was known as the Second Indochina War to Americans, and considering its long fighting time and brutality, National Vietnam War Veterans Day was created to honor all the men and women who fought during its time.

The Wall A little history most people will never know. Interesting, and very moving, Veterans Statistics off the Vietnam Memorial Wall There are 58,267 names now listed on that polished black wall, including those added in 2010. The names are arranged in the order in which they were taken from us by date and within each date the names are alphabetized. It is hard to believe it is 36 years since the last casualties. The first known casualty was Richard B. Fitzgibbon, of North Weymouth , Mass. Listed by the U.S. Department of Defense as having been killed on June...

Dick Freeman, 40th PIO In the early morning hours of 31 January 1968, the Brigade Main Base at Camp Frenzell-Jones (Bien Hoa/Long Binh) came under heavy 122mm rocket, mortar, and crew-served weapons fire.Following the artillery assault came waves of Viet Cong and North Vietnamese from the 274th and 275th Viet Cong Main Force Regiments.The mission of the enemy units were to overrun BMB on their way into Saigon. They were to replenish their supplies, weapons, and ammunition at BMB after destroying all components of the 199th! The next morning after the all clear and in the days to follow, it...

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.

The U.S. Navy’s Blue Angels flight demonstration squadron conducted the last flight using its F/A-18 A/B/C/D Hornets on Wednesday. The aircraft, which the Blue Angels have flown for 34 years, will be replaced with F/A-18 E/F Super Hornets beginning with the team’s 2021 show season. The Hornets departed Florida’s Naval Air Station Pensacola at around 4 p.m. local time for a 30-minute flyover ranging from the Pensacola area to Alabama’s Fort Morgan.

They Were Not Traitors By Philip Leigh on Sep 16, 2020 A typical calumny directed at Confederate soldiers is that they don’t merit commemoration because they were traitors. It is a lie for two reasons. First, the Confederate states had no intent to overthrow the government of the United States. They seceded merely to form a government of their own. The first seven states that seceded during the winter of 1860-61 did not “make war” on the United States; they accepted it when the Washington government decided to coerce them back into the Union. The four upper-south states that remained...

Joe Biden was the senator who is responsible for the failure of President Ford's Congressional Request to "Hold the Center" and the fall of S. Viet Nam. I HAVE NOT READ THE BOOK NOR HAVE I READ THE CONGRESSIONAL RECORDS - BUT I BELIEVE THE FOLLOWING TO BE FACTUAL. Donald Rumsfeld's wonderful biography of Gerald Ford, titled "When the Center Held." It was written in 2018. The book clearly articulates that President Ford was a thoroughly good man, a special American, and a greatly underrated President. HOWEVER, there was a story in the book that was startling. In 1975, President...

Criminal Charges In Holyoke Soldiers Home Coronavirus Disaster Two former Holyoke Soldier Home officials will be charged after an outbreak that killed 76 veterans, the state Attorney General has said. By Neal McNamara, Patch Staff Verified Patch Staff Badge Sep 25, 2020 11:07 am ET | Updated Sep 25, 2020 11:26 am ET HOLYOKE, MA — Two former top officials at the Holyoke Soldiers Home will face state criminal charges in connection to a deadly coronavirus outbreak last spring that killed 76 veterans, Attorney General Maura Healey announced Friday. Superintendent Bennett Walsh and former Medical Director Dr. David Clinton are...

A Land Without Heroes By Duncan Killen on Sep 15, 2020 What if there were 15.3 million dead American soldiers? Imagine it. Legions of the unburied down rows of summer corn, strewn along riverbanks, and discarded on roadsides. And imagine if many of the boys’ bodies had lain there for months or even years, for the fighting was so fierce and the resources so few that only the fortunate lay in shallow mass graves. Imagine, too, that in addition to the 15.3 million dead, many millions more young men were injured beyond any ability to resume their pre-war lives due...

How Ronald Reagan took on rioters and their supporters in the Media

United States Army Air Forces airman Henry Eugene "Red" Erwin, Sr., who was presented the Medal of Honor for his actions in World War II. (Courtesy of Erwin family)Red Erwin was in such bad shape, suffering from burns all the way to the bone, that then-Maj. Gen. Curtis LeMay put one of his legendary bull rushes on the regulations to get him the Medal of Honor before he died. The medal was awarded and presented to Erwin within a week of his near-fatal injuries; it's still believed to be the fastest approval on record of the nation's highest award for...

Yesterday a group of us discussed our prior military experiences, we had never met before and it was informal employment seminar for my business. I exclusively hire vets and being one, I know we are all capable of embellishing our careers with war stories. Amazingly, not one guy claimed to be a SEAL or Green Beret but, one woman in the group claimed that she was a former USAF Enlisted Tactical Air Controller. It just didn't smell right and I asked about her training. She said Keesler AFB. She couldn't "find" her DD 214. I told her I could go...