Archive for the ‘Veterans’ Category

D-Day, June 6th 1944 (06-06-12)…

Posted: 6 Jun 2012 in Hero, History, Military, Military History, Politics, US Army, US Navy, Veterans
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Today is the 68th anniversary of the invasion of Europe. Thanks to all the Veterans who served in WWII, and a special thanks to those that hit the beaches of Normandy, or dropped behind enemy lines on that infamous day. Without their sacrifices and bravery, WWII would have lasted a lot longer. There aren’t many WWII Veterans left. If you see one, make sure you let them know that they are appreciated. It goes a long way with them.

Warriors of yesterday, today commemorate D-Day together

SAINTE-MERE-EGLISE, France (June 6, 2012) — When Eugene Cook jumped into Normandy during the predawn hours of June 6, 1944, he landed several miles from his intended drop zone.

Alone in the dark French countryside, the young 101st Airborne Division paratrooper from Georgia assembled his rifle, got his bearings and began looking for other Americans among Normandy’s hedgerows. In the days and weeks that followed, Cook took part in the now famous battles that began the liberation of France and led to Allied victory over Nazi Germany.

Cook, 87, was among the handful of World War II veterans who attended the 68th anniversary of the D-Day landings this week. U.S. service members from all the military branches took part in honoring them, something Cook said he was glad to see.

“We have to commemorate the lives of the guys we left here,” Cook said. “They gave their lives for us and we should show them thanks.”

Known as Operation Overlord, the D-Day landings of June 6, 1944, combined U.S. and Allied air drops with beach landings along Normandy’s coast. U.S. paratroopers from the 82nd and 101st Infantry Division dropped onto the Cotenin peninsula to secure bridges, roads and towns vital to allowing the troops landing at nearby Utah Beach to move inland.

“That day, 68 years ago, as American blood mixed with French soil, it cemented even further the strong bonds between our two nations,” said U.S. Army Secretary John McHugh.

For returning veterans, there was a mix of feelings — glad to be alive and sharing good times and sorrowful memories of those who died.

More

Here are some links to the Army’s website for D-Day:

United States Army Divisions in the Normandy Campaign

Army Assault Forces – Normandy 6 – 7 June 1944

Order of Battle for the Normandy Campaign

D-Day Airborne and Beach Assault

General Eisenhower’s Message Sent Just Prior to the Invasion

WWII Poster Gallery

In Memorium…

Posted: 28 May 2012 in Coast Guard, Hero, Memorial Day, Military, US Air Force, US Army, US Marines, US Navy, Veterans
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Memorial Day 2012.

A day we remember the fallen heroes of America’s past wars. They gave their last measure to protect the freedoms that we enjoy today.

This isn’t about thanking other Veterans, we already have two days for that. This is about remembering the dead.

In honor of Memorial Day, I honor Major Douglas Amuel  La Bouff. He was a good friend of mine. He was my son’s godfather. He was my last platoon leader. I loved him like a brother.

This is Doug newly promoted to Major.

Here’s Doug smoking a cigar from a box that I sent him.

Doug died in Iraq on the 6th of January 2006. He was on a Blackhawk heading back to his unit with 11 other souls. Their helicopter crashed only a mile from the unit.

Doug didn’t have to go to Iraq. He was actually going to go from Ft. Carson, CO. to become a teacher at West Point, NY.

You can read more about Doug here: Tribute to the Armed Forces of the United States.

I think about Doug all the time. Not just Memorial Day.

This country is better off for having him and is a little worse off now that he’s gone.

I miss him a lot.

So for those that can no longer enjoy a good BBQ with friends and family, please think of them while you are.

You can find out more about Memorial Day here:

Memorial Day — History.com Articles, Video, Pictures and Facts

Memorial Day, an American holiday observed on the last Monday of May, honors men and women who died while serving in the U.S. military. Originally known as Decoration Day, it originated in the years following the Civil War and became an official federal holiday in 1971. Many Americans observe Memorial Day by visiting cemeteries or memorials, holding family gatherings and participating in parades. Unofficially, at least, it marks the beginning of summer.

via Memorial Day — History.com Articles, Video, Pictures and Facts.

Gravesites of Veterans in Shocking Disrepair…

Posted: 25 May 2012 in Coast Guard, Hero, Memorial Day, Military, US Air Force, US Army, US Marines, US Navy, Veterans
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This is NOT how a nation should treat its defenders of freedom.  This is how we treat their final resting place? This is how we say thank you for your sacrifices?

This is not what America is about. A nation that disrespects her veterans doesn’t deserve the benefits of their sacrifices.

It’s despicable.

Around nation, gravesites of veterans in shocking disrepair

By Mike Jaccarino

The final resting places for many of the men and women who fought America’s wars have fallen into shocking disrepair, with neglect, theft and vandalism prompting veterans groups to question the nation’s commitment to honoring its dead soldiers.

Advocates say smaller federal, state, county and private cemeteries that contain the graves of service members are often poorly kept, marked by crumbling headstones, overgrown with weeds and littered with debris. Perhaps even worse, many veterans’ gravesites have been targets of vandalism and theft.

via Around nation, gravesites of veterans in shocking disrepair | Fox News.

Soldier Gets His Guns…

Posted: 22 May 2012 in (2nd) Second Amendment, Axis of Idiots, Guns, Police Officer/Sheriff, Police State, Politics, US Army, Veterans
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Here’s some good news out of the D.C. shithole. I posted about this earlier. Too bad it took some high powered lawyers, some Senators and the publicity that it received for this to happen. When the D.C. charges were dismissed, this man’s property should have been returned to him within the week. It’s this type of criminality from government officials that needs to be exposed, and pounced on at every occurrence.

MILLER: Soldier gets his guns

Congress needs to reform District’s property seizure laws

The active duty soldier who had his guns confiscated by the District of Columbia two years ago will have his property returned by Memorial Day. It took the help of a high-powered lawyer, two U.S. Senators, a member of Congress and national publicity to force the obstinate District to show some respect for the Constitution. It should never happen again.

On Friday, D.C. property clerk Derek Gray determined the city would finally return 1st Lt. Augustine Kim’s “dangerous articles” because the Army national guardsman fulfilled the plea agreement arranged with the U.S. attorney’s office a year earlier. The Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) arrested Lt. Kim on four felony charges of carrying firearms in the District after he was pulled over with the items securely stored in his trunk, as is allowed under federal law.

Lt. Kim pleaded guilty to one misdemeanor count of possessing an unregistered gun, and that charge was dismissed in May 2011. Since then, Lt. Kim’s lawyer, Richard Gadiner, had failed to get the attention of Mr. Gray, who refused to respond to his repeated requests for a hearing.

via MILLER: Soldier gets his guns – Washington Times.

Armed Forces Day, 19 May, 2012…

Posted: 19 May 2012 in Coast Guard, History, Military, Military History, US Air Force, US Army, US Marines, US Navy, Veterans
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Today is Armed Forces Day.

This is a day where we can thank all our military for their service and sacrifice for this nation on our behalf. 

Armed Forces Day
History

On August 31, 1949, Secretary of Defense Louis Johnson announced the creation of an Armed Forces Day to replace separate Army, Navy and Air Force Days. The single-day celebration stemmed from the unification of the Armed Forces under one department — the Department of Defense. Each of the military leagues and orders was asked to drop sponsorship of its specific service day in order to celebrate the newly announced Armed Forces Day. The Army, Navy and Air Force leagues adopted the newly formed day. The Marine Corps League declined to drop support for Marine Corps Day but supports Armed Forces Day, too.

In a speech announcing the formation of the day, President Truman “praised the work of the military services at home and across the seas” and said, “it is vital to the security of the nation and to the establishment of a desirable peace.” In an excerpt from the Presidential Proclamation of Feb. 27, 1950, Mr. Truman stated:

Armed Forces Day, Saturday, May 20, 1950, marks the first combined demonstration by America’s defense team of its progress, under the National Security Act, towards the goal of readiness for any eventuality. It is the first parade of preparedness by the unified forces of our land, sea, and air defense.

The theme of the first Armed Forces Day was “Teamed for Defense.” It was chosen as a means of expressing the unification of all the military forces under a single department of the government. Although this was the theme for the day, there were several other purposes for holding Armed Forces Day. It was a type of “educational program for civilians,” one in which there would be an increased awareness of the Armed Forces. It was designed to expand public understanding of what type of job is performed and the role of the military in civilian life. It was a day for the military to show “state-of-the-art” equipment to the civilian population they were protecting. And it was a day to honor and acknowledge the people of the Armed Forces of the United States.

According to a New York Times article published on May 17, 1952: “This is the day on which we have the welcome opportunity to pay special tribute to the men and women of the Armed Forces … to all the individuals who are in the service of their country all over the world. Armed Forces Day won’t be a matter of parades and receptions for a good many of them. They will all be in line of duty and some of them may give their lives in that duty.”

The first Armed Forces Day was celebrated by parades, open houses, receptions, and air shows. In Washington D.C., 10,000 troops of all branches of the military, cadets, and veterans marched pass the President and his party. In Berlin, 1,000 U.S. troops paraded for the German citizens at Templehof Airfield. In New York City, an estimated 33,000 participants initiated Armed Forces Day “under an air cover of 250 military planes of all types.” In the harbors across the country were the famed mothballed “battlewagons” of World War II, the Missouri, the New Jersey, the North Carolina, and the Iowa, all open for public inspection. Precision flying teams dominated the skies as tracking radar were exhibited on the ground. All across the country, the American people joined together to honor the Armed Forces.

As the people gathered to honor the Armed Forces on this occasion, so too did the country’s leaders. Some of the more notable of these leaders’ quotes are stated below:

“Armed Forces Day, Saturday, May 20, 1950, marks the first combined demonstration by America’s defense team of its progress, under the National Security Act, towards the goal of readiness for any eventuality. It is the first parade of preparedness by the unified forces of our land, sea, and air defense.”

Former Secretary of Defense Louis Johnson

“The heritage of freedom must be guarded as carefully in peace as it was in war. Faith, not suspicion, must be the key to our relationships. Sacrifice, not selfishness, must be the eternal price of liberty. Vigilance, not appeasement, is the byword of living freedoms. Our Armed Forces in 1950–protecting the peace, building for security with freedom–are “Teamed for Defense …”

General Omar N. Bradley
Former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff

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VJ Day!

Posted: 15 May 2012 in Coast Guard, History, Military, Military History, US Army, US Marines, US Navy, Veterans
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Let’s not forget. This was huge! And as the Armorer states, it never happened again…

VJ Day, 1945

By The Armorer o

I would say it’s too bad that we’ve not been able to celebrate the end of a war like this film clip shows people doing so in Honolulu on VJ Day, 1945… But since then, the end of the wars have not been clear victories and at least one was a clear loss, not even Desert Storm, in the end. Nor have the aims been as black-and-white. Of course, balanced against that is that in order to achieve that sense of clear victory, we had to pound two nations flat in ways we don’t do any more, either, which isn’t a bad thing, in terms of piling up the bodies and destroying our communal heritages.

via Argghhh! The Home Of Two Of Jonah’s Military Guys.. – VJ Day, 1945.

Veteran Shoots Intruder with Gun Carried During Korean War…

Posted: 9 May 2012 in (2nd) Second Amendment, Gun Rights, Guns, Military, Righteous Shoot, Veterans
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I love it when a scumbag gets shot by one of the good guys. Especially when he’s being a scumbag. If more people were armed and allowed to carry their firearms, as the Constitution intended, then there would be a hell of a lot less victims across the board.

Fight for your rights! It may save your life.

Veteran shoots intruder with gun carried during Korean War

ELIZABETH, Pa. – Police say an 84-year-old western Pennsylvania man wounded a home invasion suspect with the gun he carried in the Korean War.

Elizabeth Township police say 25-year-old Raymond Hiles was captured not long after trying to break into Fred Ricciutti’s home early Tuesday morning.

Ricciutti tells WPXI-TV he heard Hiles break a window and then confronted him, firing a single shot that grazed Hiles’ neck.

Investigators say Hiles was arrested a few blocks away, carrying a screwdriver and a stun gun. He’s being held on $100,000 bail on charges including criminal trespass and burglary.

via Veteran shoots intruder with gun carried during Korean War | Fox News.

We Care!

Posted: 2 May 2012 in Media, Media Bias, Military, US Army, Veterans, WTF Files
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Missed this last week. This needs to get more attention!

A Call to all Veterans and Supporters – Boycott Spirit Airlines…

Posted: 2 May 2012 in Axis of Idiots, Military, US Marines, Veterans, WTF Files
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Looks like Spirit Airlines doesn’t have any spirit after all. If you fly, don’t fly with these assholes.

Vets mull boycott of Spirit Airlines after dying former Marine denied refund

By Joshua Rhett Miller

Spirit Airlines is finding out that if you take on one old soldier, you can end up facing an army.

Veterans groups around the nation are rallying to the side of dying Vietnam veteran and former Marine Jerry Meekins, 76, of Clearwater, Fla., following the airline’s refusal to refund him $197 for a ticket after the doctor treating him for terminal esophageal cancer told him not to fly. Meekins told FoxNews.com he’s received “hundreds of calls” from veterans nationwide who are as mad at Spirit as he is.

“The response from most veterans is that they’re going to boycott Spirit Airlines,” Meekins told FoxNews.com. “We’re talking 6 or 7 million people.”

Military men and women, who live the credo of taking care of their own, can’t believe an airline would turn its back on someone who had sacrificed so much. Meekins said Spirit denied his request even though he provided a note from his physician and his prepaid funeral service to the airline.

Veteran Survives 3 Tours Of Duty Gunned Down In Lancaster…

Posted: 24 Apr 2012 in Axis of Idiots, Military, Veterans, WTF Files
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This is heart breaking.

To fight for your country and survive three tours of duty, and then be killed in your own neighborhood. Senseless.

Veteran Survives 3 Tours Of Duty But He’s Gunned Down In Lancaster

LANCASTER (CBS) — A 30-year-old veteran who served three tours of duty in Iraq and Afghanistan was shot to death Saturday in Lancaster, sheriff’s officials said.

Nathen Taylor’s family is grieving and in disbelief.

The shooting in the 700 block of West Avenue H-7 occurred around 12:10 a.m., said Deputy Guillermina Saldana of the Sheriff’s Headquarters Bureau.

Taylor, according to his brother Patrick, had just left a party because he didn’t like to be around a lot of drinking. Taylor called his brother to say he would be dropping by his house within a few minutes.

Taylor was sitting alone in his car, cell phone in hand, when he was shot by an unknown assailant.

via Veteran Survives 3 Tours Of Duty But He’s Gunned Down In Lancaster « CBS Los Angeles.

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