Happy Veteran's Day

Today is Veteran's Day; a day when we should recall and remember the service and sacrifice of those who serve, or have served, in our Nation's military (and their families). Even though this day is dedicated to solemn rememberance, often played out in Veteran's cemetaries across the country, it should also be a day of joyous thanksgiving. We should give thanks for the freedom and liberty that we enjoy, because of those military men and women. So as you go about your business today, take time listen to "Taps" and grieve for those who are lost. Take time to rejoice with those who have come home to those who love them. But most of all, take time to thank a Veteran.

June 6th

British Prime Minister Gordon Brown, in his speech at Omaha Beach in Normandy, said that we have a "covenant with the dead of D-Day;" a covenant to see that freedom and tyranny will not prevail, and that today's Armed Forces are carrying forth the work to see that covenant fulfilled. I found that thought to be particularly poignant.

Many see World War II as a "good war." It's true that the enemy was easily defined and that progress (or the lack of it) was easily measured. Many saw the war, as President Obama said in his speech, as a competition between "visions of humanity;" with the Nazi view as one of subjugation, tyranny, and hatred of those who were different and the Allies' belief that people should live in freedom and liberty, free to chose their own destiny. D-Day veterans, who are passing on at a ever-growing rate, were able to face a storm of death to start the liberation of Europe from the those who espoused the view of totalitarianism. These men, this "band of brothers," are true heroes. We must never forget the bravery and sacrifice of these men and women. We must never forget to remember the significance of June 6th and D-Day.

So too, we must never forget that our men and women serving in the Armed Forces still fight those who's differing view of humanity would deprive men and women of their freedom and liberty; who's differing view of humanity would force men and women to live and worship a certain way; and who's differing view of humanity espouses hatred to those who do not think as they do. While the war we fight in these days doesn't necessarily have an easily defined enemy or easily measured results, the fight is just as important and just as real as the war that was fought so many years ago. The men and women of our Armed Forces are still fighting in order to fulfill that covenant which those who fought on D-Day, 65 years ago, bled and died for: to end tyranny and see that freedom prevails for everyone.

Decal Debacle

I have to admit it....I have a few decals on my truck. On my back window I have a decal that reads, "My son is a United States Marine" and one that reads, "My daughter is in the Air Force." I also have a "Retired Air Force" decal on my back window. All of them are about the same size, about two inches in diameter. None of the decals are what anyone would call obtrusive or gaudy. On the tailgate of the truck are two of those magnetic sticker thingies....you know the yellow ribbon that says "Support Our Troops" and the red, white, and blue ribbon that says, "God Bless America." I'm proud of my kids and want to acknowledge their service and my pride in them. I'm also one of those people that loves my Country and I really do support our troops and don't just say I do.

I'm glad I don't live in an area with a homeowner's association that would try to tell me to remove the stickers or get my car towed...at my expense. Unfortunately, according to FoxNews, that's what's happened to Frank Larison, a 58-year-old former Marine who served for more than 14 years, including a year long combat tour in Vietnam. Mr Larison has seven Marine Corps decals on his car, but his homeowner's association has sent him a letter asking that he remove them or have his car towed and face a $50 fine for each successive violation. The association claims the decals are advertisements and that violates the associations rules that prohibit ads on vehicles. Mr Larison says that the decals are "patriotic" and "to show he served." He says the decals aren't advertising anything because "you can't buy freedom."

Personally, I think Mr Larison ought to go get his car "shrinkwrapped" in that stuff that wraps the entire car in a Marine Corps Globe and Anchor! Or he ought to get the car painted in the Marine Corps colors of crimson and gold, with the words to the Marine Corps Hymn emblazoned on the rear windshield. Better yet, he should outfit his car with a painting of the flag raising at Iwo Jima on its hood. Mr Larison is a Marine, albeit not a serving Marine, and he's rightly proud of his service and his country! His homeowner's association is completely out of line to order him to remove his Marine Corps decals; especially when there are plenty of other cars on the property with bumperstickers supporting political parties, health causes, and other non-commercial interests. What about fairness.....or is it just veterans of the Marine Corps or other Armed Forces that are targeted here?

Vets as Threats?

I just saw a news story on a report delivered by the Department of Homeland Security. The report, an intelligence assessment, apparently says that there is a strong threat of "man-made natural disasters" (Obama-speak for terrorist incident) from homegrown right-wing groups who are actively recruiting "disgruntled war veterans." Apparently, those of us who believe in the Second Amendment, have served in the military, and who disagree with the policies of the current administration and the liberal Congress are a security threat. I don't think so! Go read Lt Nixon's Rant on this subject. He says everything I wanted to say when I saw the story; but much better!

UPDATE: David K. Rehbien, the National Commander of the American Legion, has sent an open letter to Janet Napolitano, the Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, responding to the "incomplete and ... politically-biased report" and protesting the Department's characterization of military veterans as potential terrorists. It's a great letter. Read it here.

The Seahorse Marines

The Knoxville News Sentinel has a wonderful story about a reunion of the "Seahorse Marines," a group of Marines who flew B-25 bombers in the Pacific during World War II. The Seahorse Marines flew planes the US Army Air Corps discarded. Their mechanics kept them in the air, despite battle damage and a lack of parts. Their pilots flew them on low-level missions and night bombing missions over the Solomon Sea and Bismarck Sea Islands, helping win the War in the Pacific. They lost 9 bombers and 41 crew during their combat in the Pacific, and succeeded in keeping the Japanese bottled up and unable to push into Australia, or go anywhere for that matter. The men of VMB-423, the Seahorse Marines, just had their annual reunion in Knoxville. I bet it was a great time to hear those wonderful stories that we too often forget to take the time to hear. The "Greatest Generation" is called the greatest for a reason, and it's not just because they have great stories. They did great things.

The surviving Seahorse Marines (there are about 50 Marines left from what was a 500 member unit during WWII), tell about flying low-level runs using a plane that some describe as "flying a bank vault." Apparently love-level bombing runs were more fun because there was the excitement of getting shot at. The pilots would fly the plane in the trees or "side slip" through canyons. One of the tail gunners said that he'd look up and see the tops of trees and then he'd look down and see the bottoms of the trees. The radioman and side gunner described the tree-level flying as "squirrel hunting." Okay.... I'm starting to get a picture of the type of young men that made up the Seahorse Marines.

They also loved to do what the Marines called "heckling." On those missions, they'd fly at night and drop a single bomb, then turn and drop another, then another turn and another bomb (you get the picture) until they ran out of ordinance. Heckling missions were designed to pin the enemy down, and they did.

My favorite story, though, demonstrates just how innovative (and sneaky) these Marines could be. Someone found out that a stubby-necked beer bottle made the same whistle as a 100-lb bomb when the beer bottle was dropped out of a plane at altitude. So the Marines would drink the beer before takeoff, fly to a target for a heckling mission, drop a bomb or two, then a couple of those (now) empty beer bottles, then more bombs. According to one of the surviving Marines, "The Japs would get confused in their counting and think the bombing was over. They counted the whistles instead of the explosions. They'd turn the lights back on, and we'd bomb them again." I think I'll agree with the Marine. According to the Knoxville Sentinel reporter, the Marine telling the story "smiled and the rest of the boys around the table, their hats aglitter with seahorses and bombers, laughed at the memory of a night of Marine Corps heckling."

You just gotta love these guys!

Sacramento "Dis's" Vets

CJ at A Soldier's Perspective heard a rumor that Sacramento, California (the State Capital, for those of you who might have forgotten) doesn't have an official observance of Veteran's Day, besides giving state and local employees the day off. So, he called to find out. The result was an interesting post describing the run-around he received when trying to verify the rumor. You really need to read it to get the "flavor" of the run-around. It's classic. Ultimately, CJ was able to verify that, indeed, Sacramento does not have a parade, or other official ceremony to recognize the service of Veterans on Veteran's Day. The city only gives employees a day-off, because it's a Federally-mandated holiday. The city has parades for just about everything else, including a gay-pride parade; but does nothing to honor our Veterans. For some reason, I'm not surprised. . .but then once-upon-a-time I was an Air Force officer living in Sacramento. I've had direct exposure to the "fruits-n-nuts" out there. CJ has asked that fellow milbloggers flood the blog-o-sphere with this info to highlight the craziness in California.