Despair

The news of the repatriation of Mister Bergdahl for the price of however many innocents those 5 released terrorists will kill hit the airwaves and intertubes pretty hard yesterday. It caused me some reflection that bordered on, but did not cross into, despair. But first, the anger.

On the basis of what I've read, heard and generally learned I'm convinced that Mister Bergdahl is at best a deserter and possibly a traitor. The final evidence is still to come out but for the nonce I am disinclined to give him any benefit of the doubt. Go visit This Ain't Hell for more. They're doing bang up work. BTW, I refuse to give him a rank nor refer to him in any way as a member of the American Armed forces until he explains his actions 5 years ago and what he's been doing in that time. The President freed 5 pretty hard core jihadis to bring that person home and initial indications are that he did it in violation of current law that requires him to notify Congress 30 days prior to the exchange taking place. None of that is a surprise. The President is working pretty hard to destroy the military and has done a fair job to this point. But that's nothing new either, is it?

I entered the military service of my country in March 1977. That was a bare few months after Jimmy Carter took office. I remember those years very well. The Army was in the process of a little self destruction in the wake of Vietnam and our disastrous decision to end it on an ignominious note. Basically the politicians spit on the sacrifice of hundreds of thousands of our men and women who gave so much when asked and then were denied the honor and fidelity their courage had earned. No wonder that the Army started to come apart at the seams. Morale was low, leadership virtually non-existent. Virtually, not completely. There was still a core of dedicated officers and NCOs who managed to hold things together and were the seed upon which Reagen grew our modern military. The very ones who have steadily kicked ass and taken names everywhere so tasked.

But under the current political leadership we're seeing more of the same. We left Iraq to it's own devices only to see it backslide into massive sectarian violence and an unsettling relationship with Iran. We're about to do in Afghanistan just about what we did in Vietnam in 1975; leave with our tails firmly tucked between our legs. There (probably) won't be any dramatic, last minute helicopter flights full of refugees for the nightly news but anyone who thinks the Taliban won't be firmly back in control about 5 minutes after we leave isn't paying attention. I know we're leaving about 10,000 in country but all that does is open the door for an actual repeat of those infamous helicopter rides, a few more flag draped coffins and more veterans for the VA to fail.

Now, lest I be called hypocritical, I want us out of Iraq and Afghanistan but only because we've already screwed both of those pooches. Staying at this point is throwing away more precious American lives to no good result. The chance for a total victory is long past. The problem is those very lost opportunities and the men and women we've sacrificed, once again, on the altar of political expediency and failed foreign policy. And this Bergdahl mess is the cherry on top. Pay any price to get this person back but screw our veterans and the people we sacrificed in Libya.

We have refused to fight to win. We have demoted and run out of the military combat commanders who at the very least had their fingers on the answers. We have pushed our combat veterans and wounded warriors aside and relegated them to second class status. The bureaucracy sustains itself at the cost of the very lives of our best and brightest. Veterans and their supporters are incensed at their treatment by the VA and this administration answers that outrage by trading enemy combatants for a questionable soldier? What message is being sent here? That's easy. It's the same one Jimmy Carter sent. A view that every fascistic leftist in this country has always held.

Contempt. For the military, for the Constitution, for America. For anyone not of their political and cultural persuasion. I remember this country under Carter. I remember what the Army was like. I can sum it up with one word.

Despair. A feeling that everything we loved and honored was dead and gone. Kinda like right now. Our Vietnam veterans were treated deplorably once they came home. Fortunately that's not the case with our current returning vets, at least so far as public support is concerned. Led by those very same Vietnam Vets we have publicly hailed our returning heroes even if this administration has used them as political pawns to be given no more than lip service. Even that is starting to come apart as the true feelings of the far left in power come to the fore. Take a gander at Mister Bergdahl's father with the sitting President in the Rose Garden. If you can stomach it. I won't link to it.

But I also remember the feeling when Reagan was elected. I remember those officers and NCOs who kept the faith and were ready, willing and able when the call came. They formed the core of what became once again the finest military in the history of the world. I remember an administration that actually did the work of the American people and took the fight to the Soviets and won. I remember the rekindling of hope and the death of despair.

I remember the "Shining City On The Hill" speech and the stir it gave my soul. I remember the return of Americanism and the idea that we are a special breed, not to be found anywhere else in the world. I remember the return of pride and discipline to my beloved Army. I remember Poland and Walesa and freedom in the Eastern Bloc. I remember when the wall came down. I remember the abject defeat of our bitter enemy the Soviet Union.

I remember a robust economy and the end of gas lines. I remember Reagan's 'joke' about the bombing starting in 5 minutes and how our enemies were never really certain whether or not he was serious (I think he was). I remember a foreign policy that contained a lot more 'Thou Shalt Not' than 'Please Forgive Us'.

I remember God's sacrifice on the cross and his promise to always be with us. To never forsake all who believed. I know how all this ends (We win).

And the despair passes like a gentle breeze.

Surrender, however inevitable defeat may seem, is never the answer. Courage and tenacity are. Reagan beat Carter in the general election and then beat him again when he took America to new heights. He erased everything Carter had ever done and stamped 'Failed' all over his presidency. We can do the same. This President will not be in office forever. His term expires in little more than 2 years and we have mid term elections in a few months. There are signs that the GOP has heard us though whether or not that lasts beyond next November remains to be seen. At least there are a few among their numbers who can be counted as solidly in the corner of American exceptionalism. I have stated loudly that I am no longer  Republican but that doesn't mean I'm not working actively to return them to our core values and thereby return myself to their fold. Maybe we can win at the ballot box and maybe we can't. I don't know. I do know that we cannot win a battle we refuse to fight.

I will take the mortal example of Reagan and the immortal one of Jesus to heart. I will keep my faith, I will never surrender to hopelessness or ennui, I will support and defend and I will smack the ever loving crap out of anyone who thinks that harsh language, fascism and political power trumps freedom, individualism and morality.

Courage, faith and hope. We owe them to those who proceed us.
Six

Peace Officers Memorial Day

Holocaust Memorial Day

Holocaust Memorial Day began at sunset Sunday, April 27, 2014 and ends at nightfall Monday, April 28, 2014.

The enemies of Mankind, the very same ones who slaughtered 6 million innocents, hope we will forget. Because in forgetting we ourselves will set the stage for history to repeat itself. 

I take this day to remind myself and to renew my pledge.

 

 Never Again.

Six

For Brigid

We have no words just prayers.
Six, Lu and Angus

For your Big Bro.

Poseidon's Law

When the robust and Brass-bound Man commissioned first for sea
His fragile raft, Poseidon laughed, and “Mariner,” said he,
“Behold, a Law immutable I lay on thee and thine,
That never shall ye act or tell a falsehood at my shrine.

“Let Zeus adjust your landward kin whose votive meal and salt
At easy-cheated altars win oblivion for the fault,
But you the unhoodwinked wave shall test – the immediate gulf condemn 
Except ye owe the Fates a jest, be slow to jest with them.

“Ye shall not clear by Greekly speech, nor cozen from your path
The twinkling shoal, the leeward beach, or Hadria’s white-lipped wrath;
Nor tempt with painted cloth for wood my fraud-avenging hosts;
Nor make at all, or all make good, your bulwarks and your boasts.

“Now and henceforward serve unshod, through wet and wakeful shifts,
A present and oppressive God, but take, to aid my gifts 
The wide and windward-opening eye, the large and lavish hand,
The soul that cannot tell a lie – except upon the land!”

In dromond and in catafract – wet, wakeful, windward-eyed 
He kept Poseidon’s Law intact (his ship and freight beside), 
But, once discharged the dromond’s hold, the bireme beached once more,
Splendaciously mendacious rolled the Brass-bound Man ashore….

The thranite now and thalamite are pressures low and high,
And where three hundred blades bite white the twin-propellers ply.
The God that hailed, the keel that sailed, are changed beyond recall,
But the robust and Brass-bound Man he is not changed at all!

From Punt returned, from Phormio’s Fleet, from Javan and Gadire,
He strongly occupies the seat about the tavern fire,
And, moist with much Falernian or smoked Massilian juice,
Revenges there the Brass-bound Man his long-enforced truce!

Hand Salute For Ukrainian Soldiers

Whatever your opinion of what's going on over there, courage is a universally respected quality. My opinion is simple, simplistic perhaps. I don't like the Russians. Never have never will. I spent my military career preparing to fight them and I see no reason to change my views of the Red Bear. Yeah, the Ukrainians used to be a part of that military machine but 'used to be' are the operative words.

That's a picture of some Ukrainian soldiers at the Perevalnoye base in the Crimea. Russian soldiers are reported to be just out of the camera view in that shot. They have reportedly refused to surrender after being given an ultimatum by those Russians. As you read that article please note this quote:

“Ukraine and Russia should solve this politically, not this way,” said Viktor Tshaglei who got into several shouting matches with others. “Mr. Putin will unite the Ukrainian nation by his actions.”  

Sometimes it isn't about winning or losing the fight at hand. Sometimes it's enough to spit in their eye, dare them to take their best shot and standing firm in the face of hopeless odds. And the odds here are hopeless indeed.

My respects for the men standing fast in Perevalnoye. May your sacrifice not become necessary but if it does may God be with you.

 Не приймайте раді свої страхи, але твердо в умовах ворогів з все, що ви тримаєте Шановні стояти. Воїн класу стоїть з вами в дусі і коли-небудь буде вшановувати дух і мужність. Мені випала честь називати вас моїх братів.

Six

9/11

The war is not over. No, far from it.

We also remember those service men and women who have given so much that we may prevail over those who would see us servile or dead. Selfless service deserves selfless service.

And as always for Ken. May you soar with the eagles forever. We will always miss you.

Six

Oorah To The Marines And Lance Corporal Myles Kerr

How do you identify good men? It's actually pretty easy. A Marine, a young boy and a 5K race that ultimately meant nothing except to a boy who just wanted to finish. And, of course, the Marine who refused to leave him behind. I got a chill from reading that account and seeing this picture.

Being a man and a warrior is about so much more than just strapping on the gear and being a badass. It's about honor and fidelity and simple humanity. It's about courage, decency and the willingness to put anothers needs above your own. I am so proud of a nation that still produces men and women like Lance Corporal Myles Kerr. What an impact we can have on the lives of others simply from being honorable. Sometimes being a hero means finishing last.

A huge salute from me to a proud and worthy Warrior. Well done Marine. Very well done indeed. I am honored and humbled to consider myself your comrade in arms.
Six


ht/Ace of Spades

2 Officers Killed In Santa Cruz California

Just a few miles north of my old hometown. The shooter was also killed after a 30 minute foot chase.

Detective Sergeant Loran 'Butch' Baker
Detective Elizabeth Butler

Car Guy called me to let me know today. He knew Sgt. Baker. A tough day for my brothers and sisters. Our thoughts and prayers go out to them and all their loved ones and friends.

End Of Watch 2-26-13.
Rest In Peace.

Six

Brotherhood

A Navy buddy and I have been exchanging e-mails about his upcoming Sea deployment. It brought to mind a story I've been keeping to myself for almost 29 years. He liked it so I've decided the time is right to share it with you.

I was Artillery in the Army. In 1984 we went to Japan to exercise with the JGSDF in an exercise called Michinoku 84. We were there long enough to get a few weekends free. On one of our jaunts we went into the local city. For the life of me I can't remember it's name. I need to go back to my old journal and refresh my memory. Anyway, while there we did what all American tourists do I imagine. We hit a restaurant that looked like a little slice of home. A McDonalds. It was different. You ordered and then sat down and had the food delivered to the table. They served rice instead or french fries. There were at least a half dozen of us. Young, loud, hungry GIs, none of whom spoke a word of Japanese. After several minutes of pidgin English and wild gesticulations we were interrupted by an elderly Japanese gentleman. He got the gist of what we wanted and then shooed us off to a table. He placed our order and paid for the entire meal. It had to have cost him a bundle. Prices were high anyway and for beef they were outrageous. He came and sat with us, refusing all offers to pay him back. We talked as we ate and found out he'd been an Artillery officer in the Imperial Japanese Army during WWII. He'd seen combat. He spoke only broken English and we even less Japanese but we didn't need an interpreter. We spoke the same language, common among those who have made their living in uniform. It was a conversation I will always remember. He was honoring us and in his way paying homage to his own service and those men he'd left behind. It was a perfect moment, the kind that comes along but once in a lifetime if one is very, very fortunate. A bunch of young American soldiers being regaled with stories about another bunch of once young soldiers who had done their duty as they saw it. He was a proud man and it showed. In my later years, after age had granted me a modicum of wisdom, I understood that he was also teaching a lesson only those who have seen the elephant can understand. Under the uniform we are all the same. Warriors all. That bond can be found in the most unlikely places. Even a McDonalds in the middle of a nation that was once the bitterest of enemies.

I have no idea why he was moved to do what he did. No, that's not true. I know exactly what motivated him. I feel it even now as age begins it's inexorable pull on me. He saw a chance to educate, to give back to the next generation no matter the uniform and to keep the memory of his honorable service and the memories of all those men he so loved alive. If only in the minds of a bunch of young Americans and only for a little while. It worked. I'll remember him as long as my mind remains my own and I still draw breath.

I never got his name but it doesn't matter. I knew him as well as I know any of my brothers. Once a proud warrior always a proud warrior.

My buddy has agreed that when he gets to Japan he will go to a McDonalds and raise a toast to the memory of an old, proud Japanese soldier who once taught a young American what honor looks like. I am indebted my friend.

Six

On Lincoln And War

This is an OPSEC violation I know but it's something I feel compelled to write. You may agree or you may think I've gone over the edge. Either way, after this I think I'll be limiting my political posts. Courage is one thing, advertising is something else.

I'll start by reminding or informing any reader that I am a Patriot of the first stripe. A veteran and a retired police officer, I have devoted more than 33 years of my life to this country. I love America and I want nothing more than to see her continue to be the light of freedom for the world.

I sat down and watched a special on the Lincoln assassination the other day. It was a movie made from the Bill O'Reilly book, Killing Lincoln. It gave me pause.

There's been a lot of Abe Lincoln out there the last couple of years, even a vampire killing Lincoln movie. Books, TV and film. Lincoln has been everywhere. Now I'm not one to buy into conspiracy theories. Most of them are complete BS. But there is a difference between a conspiracy and a plan. I think the left has a plan and the pessimist (or perhaps realist) in me sees the end point of that plan as a new civil war. I think they not only want one but are actively working for one.

The left has it's Lincoln in the White House in Obama. They have their emancipation movement in Gun Control. They have their spark in Sandy Hook. That's why we see so much Lincoln out there right now. That's why the media won't let Sandy Hook rest. It's why Obama has a complete pass to do anything he wants. It's why gun owners are evil, and not just of a different opinion.

I was struck by a passage in a book I read a long time ago, Red Storm Rising. In that book the Soviets created a crisis by killing...children. It's an excuse to start a war with the West and gain control over oil reserves. Really, it's about war for control period. The Reds used the killing of children, an act they committed themselves, as a maskirovka or military deception to cover their broader and more sinister aims. One of the main characters, LCDR Toland, a Soviet analyst, remarks that he's never seen the Russian population whipped into such a state of anger before and realizes in that moment that war is inevitable. The West sees what's coming and prepares. They negotiate, gather intelligence and gather their forces. Yet War comes all the same.

Now I'm not saying Sandy Hook was a deliberate deception perpetrated on purpose to mask political maneuvering but it was and is being used as an excuse to push us into a corner from which there can be only one response. The difference between the two concepts is meaningless. The end result is exactly the same. A deliberate bomb in the Kremlin or a random shooter at an elementary school. Either can be used to whip up popular sentiment into a murderous fury. I believe that is what has been done and indeed is being done even now. We're being set up. Put into an impossible situation where we end up having only one response.

The media and White House are pushing and pushing. Where just a few short months ago we all thought gun control dead and buried we now see federal initiatives and state laws limiting or outright prohibiting the exercise of the Second Amendment. The rhetoric and name calling is reaching levels none of us has ever seen before or even imagined possible in a free Republic. Banning and even confiscation is being openly discussed. The demonizing of gun owners is outstripping that of Rape and crimes against children. Plans and subterfuges. It's insane. Yet it's happening right now.

On our side we're seeing preparations. Guns and ammunition are being purchased in numbers beyond anything imaginable. Intel is being gathered and lines in the sand drawn. Politicians have been warned and warned again. Food is being stocked. Lives simplified. Nothing less than preparations for war whatever the individual motivations.

The left has it's Lincoln, it's propaganda ministry and it's Army. They have a placated and dumbed down populace, addicted to bread and circuses. The federal leviathan has grown and grown and is even now stockpiling arms and ammunition for it's enforcement arm. They have purged the military of those commanders suspected of being unreliable. They have shooters they are confident of and in their minds nothing now stands in the way of their ultimate victory except the lives of those now viewed through the same lens as slave owners a century and a half ago. They have their righteous cause and their enemy is clearly defined. Us.

And the pushing goes on and on. I'm now in the position of finding myself in agreement with those paranoid and fringe elements who have been warning about the coming war for years now. I am convinced. It's coming and I can't see a way to avoid it short of surrender by the Big Red Machine currently in charge of the country and it's mainstream media outlets. Or ours. Any bets on the likelihood of either happening?

Lincoln is the key to the Left's current thoughts and plans. They love him and the fundamental transformation he wrought on the Union. If he is their model, and everything I'm seeing right now convinces me he is, then war is absolutely inevitable. The left wants to kill us. Not defeat or cow or intimidate but kill. Their own words betray them and give us all the evidence we need.

I hope I'm wrong. I pray I'm wrong. I want to be wrong. But I fear I am not. I see the dust on the horizon and hear the distant drums sounding the march. I see the hate being cast against me and hear the roar of the masses calling for my blood. I see the in gathering of the forces of chaos and tyranny and I hear their calls for death and enslavement. And I understand. It's crazy.

I am a free man. I will remain a free man until the day I die. I will not submit nor will I surrender my liberties in the face of violence. I have spoken out. I have made my intentions clear. That is all I can do. I just want to be left alone. I hope the left understands that what they are doing is nothing less than declaring war on half of the country. They are fanning the cold war into a conflagration that, if not stopped right now, may well consume us all.

The spirit of Patrick Henry is still alive and well in America and I thank God that it is so. Give me liberty or give me death. It really has come to that.

Six

Take A Deep Breath

Christopher Dorner. Let's just call him That Asshole shall we? I have a few words to say on the subject though I am going to leave the politics alone. Language warning.

First, he's a scumbag murderer. I really don't give a crap what his complaints and allegations are. Once you go down the path of killing innocents every other single thing you say or whine about is irrelevant. As a veteran and retired cop I utterly reject Dorner and all he is and has ever done. That said.

Yes, I read his screed. In fact, I'm still having trouble trying to scrape his particular brand of narcissistic criminal insanity out of my brain. It's a testament to a disturbed mind. I saw racism, paranoia, a persecution complex and delusions. It in no way explains nor excuses what he's done. It does give some insight into his mental processes though. His complaints go back to grade school for crying out loud. No reasonable person holds a grudge for petty stuff from fifth grade (or whatever it was) unless you're an obsessive/compulsive. No one uses a long list of perceived slights, interpersonal failures and job issues as an excuse to mass murder unless you're a sociopath with homicidal tendencies. This is a guy who is never wrong, never fails and when things don't go exactly as he believes they should and he is/does gets angry and casts blame on whoever he perceives as being responsible for his troubles. He has no ability to self examine and no desire to ever do so. The problem is the world not him. Look at what he says about himself. Rambo was a sissy next to this guy. He's loving the attention and feeding his ego with the idea that he's a hero. Sadly, that's being reinforced by those so deluded by hate that they are cheering on someone who is a cold blooded murderer. Are we really that far gone?

Let me address the LAPD. I have known and worked beside more than a few LAPD officers. I've said this many times before. Yes, the LAPD is responsible for more negative court rulings and case law relating to infringements on citizen rights and outright lawlessness than any other agency in the United States. It has more than it's fair share of Hysterical Incompetents and bad actors. It has a culture unlike any other in the country's history, much of it frankly bad. But consider. LA  proper has about 4 million people being policed by a force of about 10,000 officers. Contrast that with New York which has roughly double the population and about 35,000 officers. They do things differently in LA. Some of the time that is a bad thing but a lot of the time it's good. Officers in LA are taught to be aggressive, but they are often too aggressive. See my previous post on Hysterical Incompetence and compare and contrast with the spate of  negligent (and criminal) shootings in the wake of this fiasco. They see a lot and it tends to create a Them vs Us mentality. That's not just with citizens either but extends to anyone who isn't LAPD. I've had many negative official interactions with off duty LAPD officers. But I've also had some great contacts and opportunities to train with some of the best cops I've ever had the honor of associating with. The good officers are as unbelievably good as the bad ones are incredibly bad. No agency is perfect and the LAPD is certainly no exception but that doesn't excuse a thing Dorner has done. Has the LAPD done this guy wrong? I don't know but I kinda doubt it. Go and read Aaron Worthing's fisking of the Dorner manifesto here. Then ask yourself who That Asshole really is and why some are supporting him. I'm not excusing anything LAPD has done but let's keep a little perspective here. They do a lot of stuff to hammer them for but this ain't one of them.

I've worked with guys like him before. So have you probably, or at least you know some. That Guy. The one you just know is either going to spectacularly step on his dick or flame out in an orgy of furious bridge burning. The difference is none of them decided that mass murder was the solution to their problems. Dorner did. That's what makes him not That Guy but That Murderous Asshole.

Now. To my law enforcement brothers and sisters.  
Take a deep breath and fucking relax!
Dorner is a punk, pure and simple. He is not death incarnate nor an unstoppable killing machine from the depths of hell wrapped in power armor and carrying The Emperor's missing Lightsaber. He's a former Navy officer (who most emphatically was not a SEAL) and a failed police officer. Let's compare and contrast with a certain blog owner shall we? I spent 9 years in the Army or Army National Guard. Four years of that was with an Infantry Division. Two years of that was with a Light Infantry Division. I promise you I have run more, rucked more and shot more than That Asshole could dream about. Then I spent 24 years as a cop (Not four, 24). I attended all manner of shooting schools including FBI SWAT school. Yeah, kinda high speed/low drag if not exactly BUDS or SF. I promise you I have fired many, many thousands of rounds in practice and training. More than That Asshole could possibly imagine if he were twice as delusional as he is. I went to basic and advanced police sniper school. Not wanna be sniper school but one taught by John Plaster. I've been the top shooter at virtually every school and academy I've ever attended, pistol, rifle, carbine and shotgun. Compared to That Asshole I am The Master Chief and yet I'm not a pimple on the ass of any good combat soldier much less the elite, both military and civilian. He's a wanna be. Remember that. He is not better than you except in his own delusional mind. He's a fat asshole who desperately wants to be seen as an unstoppable avenging angel so he can gain notoriety and scare and intimidate you. Do Not Let Him. He's just another pathetic loser and when he finally either gets his ass handed to him by someone who is not afraid or offs himself like the coward he really is he'll bleed red just like any other murderous bastard. Stop overreacting and shooting people who are innocents. If you do this you are also an asshole and need to be shown the door along with a criminal subpoena. He doesn't have MANPADS, he isn't omniscient and he possesses not a whit of combat magic. He's just another fucking asshole guys. Treat him as such. Use what you've been taught, watch your ass and take him down when you get the chance but pleasepleaseplease stop shooting people who are not The Asshole. Yes, you are risking your lives but that's right there in the job description. If you can't handle it then turn in your badge and fucking go away. I am getting awful tired of being smeared alongside you hysterics and so are many of the guys and gals you work with.

For the rest of us all we can do is be watchful and careful. Take this as a good reminder to train and carry. If you haven't yet buy a gun and then train train train and carry carry carry. Society is slowly burning down around us (though that conflagration seems to be picking up intensity at an alarming rate) and in the end each of us is responsible for our safety and that of our loved ones.

And for anyone out there looking for a hero let me assure you it ain't That Asshole. It's this guy and all the men and women out there just like him.

That is Staff Sergeant Clinton Romesha. Medal Of Honor. That is what honor, bravery and fidelity looks like. He is what we as warriors aspire to. He is who we desire to emulate and follow. SSG Romesha and the eight men who lost their lives at COP Keating. May God bless them all and may we all prove to be as worthy when our own time to face the elephant comes.

Six

Meggings. Wait, What?

Meggings. Leggings for men.

I'm not talking about Lycra bicycle pants. Heck, I wear those but only when I'm actually engaged in riding or going to and from a ride. They're not exactly daily wear. No no no. Think those really hot, tight stretch pants that those of the feminine persuasion occasionally wear to remind us guys that they're women and we're men. But on dudes? Uh, I don't think so.

Come on guys, don't let them make us into a bunch of stocking clad sissies. The whole Metro sexual thing was bad enough but this abomination? Give me a break.

Blue jeans. 511s. Even Corduroys for crying out loud. But please spare us all the sight of hosiery clad guy butt. No one needs to see that.

It's becoming clear that we need a Masculine Revolution. Grease and dirt and gunpowder. Motorcycles and dogs and holding the door for your best gal. Denim and Vibram and Flannel shirts. Chivalry and courtesy and paying for dinner and a movie.

Jeez, I can't believe this even needs to be said. Let's go men. It's not just us but the futures of our sons and grandsons. Don't let them be turned into weaklings.

Six

McCarthy and Truth

Are we the sum of our experiences? Or are we rather the result of our genetics? A case can be made for either argument. Perhaps it's a little of both. A predisposition toward certain behavioral characteristics inherent in our DNA coupled with the school of life and the choices we make. That supposes that we can actively learn from our mistakes and apply the lessons we're given. Sadly, human nature argues that the bulk of us cannot learn from our past and we are doomed to repeat the same mistakes over and over again.

I'm not a historian nor did I stay in a Holiday Express last night. I'm also not the brightest light in the Christmas Tree display. This is a general overview of a complex man and movement from an amateur historian with opinions formed of my own experiences an genetic predispositions. 

I've been studying history lately. Particularly the post WWII and Cold War period. I'm a Boomer and the Cold War was my war. I served from 1977 to 1985. One of the fascinating periods of that era was that of Joseph McCarthy and the House UnAmerican  Activities Commission (HUAC).

Now contrary to what many think they know, McCarthy did not start nor was he ever a part of HUAC. HUAC actually grew out of a House investigating Committee, chaired by Congressman Martin Dies in May of 1938. It was co-chaired by Samuel Dickstein who was later accused of being a Soviet sleeper agent in the Verona Project. HUAC became a permanent committee in 1946 as relations with the Soviet Union collapsed post war and the Iron Curtain was born. The whole purpose of the HUAC and the various committees and investigations it gave birth to was to bring to light the Communist infiltration of the US government by agents or Communist loyalists.

Joseph McCarthy was a US Senator from Wisconsin between 1947 and 1957. He gave rise to the term "McCarthyism" which is now used to accuse someone who is deemed to himself accuse others with little or no proof beyond speculation, suspicion and paranoia. By 1950 McCarthy was making his name by investigating possible and real ties between famous persons and the Communists in the USSR. Including many in the ranks of government and the military. And Hollywood, let's not forget the infamous Black Listing of notable entertainment industry insiders.

If you go to the link above and take a look at the Verona and Lee Lists you'll see quite a number of people who were suspected of espionage in government jobs, especially the State Department. Some were undoubtedly erroneous accusations but by no means most. He is often derided for failing to name names publicly but my reading tends to convince me he was actually quite aware of the damage inclusion on one of his lists potentially was and protected names until he was either forced to or was satisfied of their guilt. There were an awful lot of 5th Amendment invocations by witnesses during his hearings.

Reading up on McCarthy and HUAC, I come away understanding a little better how we got to where we are now. The simple fact is that, for the most part, McCarthy was right. There was a massive undertaking by the Communist USSR and it's loyalists and sympathizers to infiltrate and subvert the Democratic process in this country and push us toward the Soviet model.

Of course it was a different time and this was a different country. Even the Democrats feared McCarthy and his "I have in my hand" lists. We were still wedded to the idea of individualism and liberty and understood the danger that Communism and Socialism represented to those ideals.

In the end the media killed McCarthy's career. Edward R. Murrow is given a lot of credit for his hit piece on his See It Now show but the fact is that the media attacked McCarthy for years and the drumbeat of negative coverage coupled with some hearings that showed McCarthy may have been casting his net awfully wide eventually turned public opinion against him. In 1954 the Senate turned on McCarthy, ultimately accusing him of 46 counts of alleged misconduct. The Watkins hearings cleared him of all but two counts, that he failed to cooperate in 1952 with the Senate Subcommitee on Privileges and Elections and that he had intemperately abused Army general Ralph Zwicker who claimed that he would protect any other general who promotes Communist's within the military. The Zwicker charge was also later dropped and another charge substituted; That McCarthy had acted contrary to senatorial ethics and tended to bring the Senate into dishonor and disrepute. A vote was taken and McCarthy was Condemned by a vote of 67-22 with all the Democrats voting in favor and the Republicans evenly split. His career as a power in government was basically over at that point.

As we can clearly see now, in the end McCarthy failed. He did not because he overreached or was an evil person trying to gain power through false accusations and witch hunts. He failed because of Republicans who were more concerned with their image that the protection of our form of government, the power of the media, even then controlled by those with socialist leanings and the ignorance of far too many Americans who may have been soul sick of War but who still should have known better. But he wasn't wrong. He was able to end the careers and limit the potential damage of hundreds of actual Communist agents, supporters and agitators. The results may have been temporary but his victories weren't Pyrrhic. He exposed the template being used by the forces of anti-Americanism to overcome the protections guaranteed to the American Citizen in the Constitution. A plan of attack we can see very clearly in effect today. Knowledge is power.

Do we learn or are we predisposed to making the same mistakes over and over again? If recent history is a true indicator it's most assuredly the latter. I take a contrary view. All things end and the current socialist trend is no different. Politics are cyclical, as certain as the tides and just as changing. What comes in sooner or later will also ebb. Fortunately the framework for resistance and ultimate victory are still there, as strong and puissant as ever. The uncertainty, the unmeasurable constant, is our will. Which way will we go? Down the path of least resistance and Transnational Progressivism or toward the light of Liberty?

When I was a Cold Warrior I was stationed for a while at Ft Ord, California. During my initial time there we were a weigh station between CONUS and Germany. Those coming in were destined for other bases, either overseas or elsewhere in the US. No one went there just to be there. Ft Ord and the 7th Division were an afterthought in a planners computer model in the Pentagon. We had no mission and no pride. Then things changed and we got a new role. The Light Infantry model became ascendant and we were given a mission and a second chance. Gone was the holding Division and marking time until we all got to a real unit. In was the 7th Infantry Division Light. We became Lightfighters and we were proud. We rucked and ran and sweated and shot and trained. The Manchu Mile. The monthly 7th Division 7 mile run. Camp Roberts and Fort Hunter Liggett. Ranger School and Jump School and Air Assault School. For a solid year I spent 2 weeks in the field followed by two weeks in garrison to clean, maintain and get ready to go back out. We got in new cadre and new troops and were no longer a side note. We were now at the very tip of the spear and we loved it! Esprit De Corps is to the physical as 10 is to 1. All we needed to go from being rag bags to Soldiers was a mission worthy of our sacrifice and the confidence that we were being forged into a weapon to defeat the enemies of America. Pride comes from within but it needs a seed to grow.

A couple of months ago I went to visit Car Guy and Bike Nurse. While there we went for a bike ride on Ft Ord. It's now closed. It's ranges and barracks turned over to the local governments or dedicated as BLM land. But the bones are still there to see if you know where to look.

If you turn that picture sideways you can read the caption at the top. It says;
"Pre-Ranger. 7th Infantry Division Light. Out of these archways will walk the finest Lightfighters."
Not Might. Not We Hope. Not We'll Try. Will. I am proud to have been associated with that idea and those men.

She may be gone but she's not forgotten. The very hills yet echo with the sounds of Soldiers training and preparing to defend our nation. Her bones are still those of a warrior and no amount of cosmetic change can alter that fact.

America is like Ft Ord now. Changed. Different. But she lives on. Her pride may be hidden but it's still there. In the blood and sweat of the millions who worked so hard to ensure our victory every foe and obstacle. All she needs is the willing sacrifice of Patriots and Warriors. The pain and sweat and hard work necessary to build military units into weapons of war and countries into bastions of freedom. We have a mission but do we have the Pride, the Will? Is our Esprit De Corps gone, churned into the dust of history? I say NO, a thousand times NO. We are currently rediscovering who we are and what we can do. What liberty looks like and how quickly it can be taken away. Who the enemy are and what their tactics and plans are. We have forgotten so much and discarded the rest. But we are Americans and no task is beyond us. We are governed by our consent and the current politicians exist in office only through our sufferance. It's time we withdrew that consent. No retreat, no surrender and no accommodation. Remember McCarthy and the truth he publicized. It's not McCarthyism any more. It's recognizing reality.

Remember the proud 7th. There is no try. There is only Will.

I am a proud Lightfighter and I have only begun to fight.

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Chance Encounter With A Hero

Every once in a while, if you're really lucky, you get the chance to meet someone special. Today was that day for me and Lu. Let me preface this by saying that I've met celebrities before. Mostly it's been Meh. The only exception was when I met Evel Knievel. Until today. Today I met Samuel Tom Holiday at a local restaurant.Who is Samuel Tom Holiday?

He was sitting at the next table with a woman I believe is his daughter. He was wearing a Marine Corps cap with Navajo Code Talker printed on the brim. I was stunned. I watched and waited until they were done with their meal and getting up to leave. Then, with a certain amount of trepidation, I approached him and introduced myself (I'd have paid for that meal but they were already in the settling up phase when we sat down). I asked him if he was an actual code talker and he confirmed that he was and gave me the above business card. All I could get out was "Thank you Sir" and "It's an honor to meet you" while shaking his hand. He actually made the rounds of the restaurant afterward, talking to folks and shaking more hands. I've still got a huge smile plastered on my face from the encounter.

Go here and take a look at his website. It's fascinating. There were only ever 280 Navajo Code Talkers and there can't be more than a bare handful left. Soon, all to soon, they will be gone forever. It was truly a once in a lifetime opportunity and for this veteran and admirer of the honorable it was one of the highlights of my life.

Thank you Mister Holiday for your valorous service and your kindness to an awestruck fanboy. I will remember you always. It may not be acceptable to give a 'Semper Fi!' from an old Soldier but I'm going to do it anyway and extend it to you on behalf of every Marine who will never get the chance I got. You and your brothers will never be forgotten.

Awesome.

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Where Do You Find Joy?

As we walked Angus around the neighborhood last night I was struck by one Christmas display in particular. It had the word JOY surrounded by bright colored lights. It's not an unusual word and is one found in many displays at this time of year. But it really hit me at that moment.

Joy.

We choose our state of mind. Whether that be of the positive or negative variety it is ultimately up to each of us to decide how we're going to face the world. With pessimism, fear and anger or optimism, courage and a smile on our lips.

Joy.

Such a small word and simple idea. To live facing each new day with hope and determination or surrender to despair and decline. There are forces at work in this country and the world today that want us in discord and disarray. Who hate Joy and Love and Happiness and Light with every fiber of their beings. Who are working hard to stamp out those things and have us living empty, joyless lives, devoid of faith and honor and devotion.

Joy.

I say yes to Joy. I say yes to Compassion and Fidelity and Passion. I will find my Joy in the love of family and friends. In my Faith in God. In my Wife. My Daughter. My Grandchildren. In Sarge and MIL who are the best family and neighbors anyone could have. In a black dog who always has a wagging tail and who greets me each day with a Joy in his heart I can only aspire to.

Joy.

I am free to choose how I will live my life. How I will treat those I love. How I will view each day and the challenges that come with just being alive. Yes, I will decide. Joy or Despair. Happy or Sad. Love or Hate. Life or Death.

Joy.

Such a small word but one with so much meaning and potential. The ramifications of choice fraught with both frightful peril and wonderful opportunities. 

I know my choice. I choose to Love and Live. I choose to embrace the unknown with an open heart and a ready mind. I choose family and friends. I choose Faith with all that entails. I choose to accept the depredations that life throws at me with all the humor I possess and gratitude for the opportunity to test and show my mettle.

I choose Joy. What will you choose?

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Jars Of Sand

I wanted to post about this day in history but so many better have already done so. I do want to remember and honor those men in my own small way.

My lovely and talented daughter, the DO, was in Hungary for a couple of years. Stationed there with her AF husband and my two wonderful grandchildren. Last year they decided they'd best take advantage of their situation and visit all the places they'd always wanted to see. One of those places was the D-Day beaches. I've always wanted to go and she's sworn that one day she will take me but in the interim, in case I never make that trip, I had a request. Some sand. Just some sand from those beaches where American soldiers taught the world what the true price of freedom was and then paid it. In cash.

Two small bottles containing some sand from beaches half a world away. Utah in Red. Omaha in Blue. The sand isn't the same that those men scrambled over and died upon. No, that sand, like their lives, has been washed away to be replaced with the new. Their blood and sweat never stained these grains. But their spirit remains. It is as tangible as the kiss of wind on my face. I dare not touch it. I am unworthy. But I can sit and hold the bottles containing the remembrance of valor and struggle and death and victory and imagine and remember and honor. June 6th, 1944. Freedom's victory.

They did not die in vain. This country shall not fall. Their spirit remains alive in America today. I can feel it. There is still honor and courage and sacrifice and duty. We shall keep those flames alive. In their memory.

Two small bottles of sand from beaches half a world away. Collected and presented to me by a daughter who knows and understands because she has herself served. They are priceless to me.

Keep the Faith my friends.

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Memorial Day

It has become my tradition to post this poem on Memorial Day. For all those served and never returned to their true love. You will never be forgotten. We, those of us who honor your memory, your service and your sacrifice, will keep your flame alive. We love you and we always will. 

As always, RIP Ken.

Soldier, Soldier
Soldier, soldier come from the wars,
Why don't you march with my true love?"
"We're fresh from off the ship an' 'e's maybe give the slip,
An' you'd best go look for a new love."
New love! True love!
Best go look for a new love,
The dead they cannot rise, an' you'd better dry your eyes,
An' you'd best go look for a new love.

"Soldier, soldier come from the wars,
What did you see o' my true love?"
"I seed 'im serve the Queen in a suit o' rifle-green,
An' you'd best go look for a new love."

"Soldier, soldier come from the wars,
Did ye see no more o' my true love?"
"I seed 'im runnin' by when the shots begun to fly --
But you'd best go look for a new love."

"Soldier, soldier come from the wars,
Did aught take 'arm to my true love?"
"I couldn't see the fight, for the smoke it lay so white --
An' you'd best go look for a new love."

"Soldier, soldier come from the wars,
I'll up an' tend to my true love!"
"'E's lying on the dead with a bullet through 'is 'ead,
An' you'd best go look for a new love."

"Soldier, soldier come from the wars,
I'll down an' die with my true love!"
"The pit we dug'll 'ide 'im an' the twenty men beside 'im --
An' you'd best go look for a new love."

"Soldier, soldier come from the wars,
Do you bring no sign from my true love?"
"I bring a lock of 'air that 'e allus used to wear,
An' you'd best go look for a new love."

"Soldier, soldier come from the wars,
O then I know it's true I've lost my true love!"
"An' I tell you truth again -- when you've lost the feel o' pain
You'd best take me for your true love."
True love! New love!
Best take 'im for a new love,
The dead they cannot rise, an' you'd better dry your eyes,
An' you'd best take 'im for your true love.

America Is Not Dead

120 kindergartners. 120 five and six year olds on stage. The event is their end of the school year program. The setting is a high school stage with a screen hung behind with seating for the kids. The stage is hung with bunting consisting of American flags hand drawn by the kids who are dressed in hand made red, white and blue t-shirts.

The program consisted of songs extolling the virtues of America, freedom, patriotism and the sacrifices of the men and women who wear the uniform of our beloved nation. This one especially. (I apologize for the poor quality. I took this with Lu's mini still camera that has a small video function)

On the screen behind the children is displayed pictures of those who have and continue to serve. Sung in darkness to keep the spotlight off of themselves and on those they are honoring. My beloved grandson was among them. The words:

When I lay my head down every night.
And go to sleep in peace.
I can stay there knowing all is well.
While you're standing on your feet.
Keeping watch, protecting shore to shore.
In the Air and Ocean too.
Defending freedom at all cost.
For the Red, White and the Blue.
Thank you! Oh thank you!
Men and women brave and strong.
To those who serve so gallantly.
We sing this grateful song.
To the soldiers who have traveled on.
To countries far and near.
In peace and war you paid the price.
For the cause you hold to dear.
That we may wake each morning bright.
And know that freedom rings.
Because of your great sacrifice.
Your country joins to sing.
Thank you! Oh thank you!
Men and women brave and strong.
To those who serve so gallantly.
We sing this grateful song.
Thank you! Oh thank you!
Men and women brave and strong.
To those who serve so gallantly.
We sing this grateful song.

 There were many such songs and offerings but I chose this one because it meant so much to me. Music for the soul. I cried. Openly and unashamedly. Sarge and Lu both got teary eyed as well. Who could stay dry eyed? Those may be the sweetest words I've ever heard and uttered by such innocent voiced American children. I'm tearing up even as I write these words. Yes, I am a patriot.

The program was written, directed and produced by 4 kindergarten teachers. Approved by the principal and school district. In the America of today.

120 kindergarten kids. Five and six year olds. Take heart America for a country that still produces such as these children and the adults who are charged with their education and upbringing is a country full of hope and courage and pride. So many are predicting dire days ahead. Instead I will remember this program and the kids who sang so proudly. I will remember the pride and joy in my heart as I heard their song of gratitude and tribute.I will remember my grandson, wearing his red, white and blue shirt and singing his heart out. I love him. Indeed, I love them all.

And to the enemies of my country foreign and domestic I have this message. I will defend the lives and freedom of each and every one of those children, indeed every child in America, to my dying breath. I will never abandon them and the promise of freedom, their freedom, to the depredations of the cruel and the power mad. If you think I can't or won't just try me and remember that a man who is moved by the songs of children is a man who will gladly lay down his life to make sure they can keep on singing and "go to sleep in peace".

Keep the faith my friends.

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A New Home For The Artwork

First, thank you all for chiming in. I really appreciate your thoughts and ideas. We're going to incorporate most of them in the decision on what happens to it.

In reading your responses it became clear to me  that destroying it was a non starter and flat out wrong. Preserving it and either going ahead and displaying it or finding it a new home was the popular advice and seems like a good idea. I still cannot bring myself to display it here so we needed a new home. Enter The Sarge.

Sarge is a member of the Vietnam Veterans of America (VVA) and past president of the local chapter. He called the treasurer and they agreed that it's something they'd love to have, either to auction it off to raise funds to help veterans or to display in their own building. You guys are right, it's too good a piece to simply destroy and Rietsch and Carl too honorable men and warriors to discard. I thought that turning the piece over to Vietnam Veterans was right and proper. Ed is absolutely correct, "Not all aces were heroic and not all heroes were aces. But history doesn't distinguish morality of the players." I'm happy to turn Cunningham's judgement over to the men and women he served with, however distantly.

So I turned the piece over to Sarge who will present it to the VVA with my thanks and no strings attached. They may judge the value of it as they deem fit and do with it as seems proper to them. I am both relieved and happy to have found honorable and fitting caretakers for what is an awesome work of art.

Thank you all again for weighing in on this. I know that it seems to be a minor thing but matters of honor and integrity are important and need to be given the weight they deserve. Thanks for getting my head straight on this.

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I Am The One Percent Part II

I wrote a piece a bit ago titled I am the one percent. That post generated more traffic and comments, including our only trolls ever, than anything else any of us here have yet written. It's sill generating comments from time to time. Recently we got this one from HammerHead:

HammerHead said...



I came across this blog, and am incredibly impressed by this. I am going to check out the other topics I'm interested in here. In response to all of this 1% stuff, up until a couple years ago I was one of those outlaw criminal "scum" types. I spent about a decade in prison, and during that time I did something I never thought I'd do; I read, I observed my "fellow" convicts, and I made my peace with the good Lord. What I realized most was that I love my country. I LOVE riding my pig, I LOVE a big dip of Cope, I LOVE freedom. I read about the founding of our country, our initial governmental development in response to Britainic tyranny. I got out of prison with NOTHING of material value, but a firm sense of morals, ethics, and values. I was honest about being a former man of violence and drugs, and was willing to take ANY job. From third shift in a plastic company making $9/hr, and living in a half-way house. I now own a very nice home, a big Ford truck, a custom Harley, I have a beautiful wife, children, and a great career in the trades...all in three years of working, paying my dues in shitty jobs, and earning a living AS WELL AS the respect of my employers.


Now, I am PROUD to say that I am a different type of 1%er.


Oh, and I'm not swamped in debt because I was smart enough to know that a trade from a trade school was better for me than to have a BA.


Thank you all for your time.

I was deeply moved, both by his story and the fact that he chose to share it here with us. I wanted to make sure his words were as widely read as I could within the confines of this very modest blog so I asked if I could share them in a fresh post. HammerHead readily agreed.
 
This is a prime example of what I've always viewed as the American Spirit. Note that he didn't take me to task for my representation of the motorcycle 1%ers. He didn't make excuses. He didn't ask for pity or handouts. He didn't blame society or corporations or anyone at all. He paid his debt, put on his grown up clothes and made a successful life with nothing more than a can do attitude, a willingness to work hard and make his own breaks and an understanding that we are indeed masters of our own fate.
 
It irritates me to no end to see and read the nonsense that passes for thought amongst the occupy crowd and their supporters. Nothing I've read or heard yet comes within light years of this mans journey. None of them is worth the price of this mans spit cup. Morals, ethics, values, family, belief in his God, love of freedom and pride in self and in America.
 
Success stories are not written in a tent on Wall Street by the craven, who have no more agenda than greed and hatred and violence toward anyone who doesn't agree with them. Sometimes success stories are written in prison, in blood, by brave men who have seen Hell and found there strength instead of despair. And rather than be destroyed by it they have come through with a better understanding of what makes a man a man, indeed what makes anyone a human being, full of wisdom and pride and love.
 
We as a nation, as a people, cannot be beaten by forces from without. It is only the rot within that can fell us. We are Americans. We are still the land of the free and the home of the brave and we can still produce greatness on every scale. If the Occupy crowd and their handlers want to take this country away from us they're going to have to take it from those of us who refuse to surrender or quit. I don't think they can because we have love, devotion and hard work as our weapons and they have nothing to compare. Read the comments to this post and compare the words of Moth and Art of War with HammerHead and take heart. We are not the One Percent, no not by a very long shot. We are Legion and we're making ourselves heard throughout the land.
 
God bless you HammerHead and thank you from the bottom of my heart for sharing part of your journey with us. I'm glad you're out there and we're proud to have you here with us. It's a long road and a rocky one but if you're of a mind we'll share a bit of it together.
 
Saddle Up my friends.
 
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