Another one from the ‘civilian’ side. Sadly I don’t know who did this one, but I kinda like the ‘drama’ of the generic American Serviceman holding the flag on the pole with his bare hands.
War Bonds started in WWI and were used again in WWII to ‘save’ money… I remember my mother and dad having some when I was little, and they were converted to Series E savings bonds. I also remember putting something like $100 a year into savings bonds for years in the military.
The grandson is in the middle of it…
Taking a little down time with friends…
Ice cream machine is in the shop getting refurbished.
Good folks on the sidebar for your enjoyment, I’ll be back in a bit.
Sometimes one gets stuck with the last watch in an organization or a ship, submarine or squadron…
Two examples-
One was my cousin who had the last watch operator watch on USS Scamp, was at the SRP when they cut her open. He said it was a truly strange experience to be standing there with the last CO and watch the last cut be made, and the ass end of the sub be pulled away…
The other, which I was reminded of last night was the last watch at the TSC in Moffett Field when the P-3s left. LT Xxxxx had the last watch, the only person in a vacant building, no more secure facilities, just him, a folding chair and a telephone laying on the floor. He said he spent the last night sitting there staring at the phone, and feed Elvis (the duty mouse) french fries… Elvis lived in the computer floor in the building and either was never trapped, or had one helluva line of kids… The LT remembered that Elvis would come up out of the floor, sit and wait patiently for him to drop a fry. Elvis would pick it up, disappear back into the floor, and be back in about ten minutes. Lather, rinse, repeat, all night long. Finally as the sun came up the next morning, he got a call. Unplug the phone, take the chair, lock the door on your way out. Turn in the phone and chair at supply and go get on the airplane. He said in all his 25+ years in the Navy that is STILL the strangest watch he’s ever stood (and to this day claims he heard radio calls, ‘batphones’ ringing, etc throughout the night).
Says what many of us are feeling…
If the video is too wide, double-click it and watch it on youtube.
Where is the criminal investigation??? Where is the FBI?
If the administration REALLY cared, this would already be going on, and the Senate would have passed the bill that allows civil serpents to be fired, even if they ARE unionized…
I turned off the TV last night before I threw something at the TV over the hearing and the obfuscation from the three VA serpents testifying last night…
And it’s ALSO an item of discussion on the waterfront today…
Received this from a good friend, another Nam vet…
I received this yesterday from my Bother-in-Law, who served in Viet Nam (66-69) as an Army Corpsman- “earning” a Purple Heart.
For years he could not/would not talk about his time in VN. Over the last 4-5 years he finally has become involved with the American Legion , the Legion Riders and the Department of Florida Military Order of the Purple Heart of the United States of America (MOPH USA).
The last line of the Poem is the most telling and something I doubt any combat Corpsman can ever do.
Wxxxxx
Medic’s Poem
Teach me, Instructor,
I need to know more!
Is being a Doc different since I’m now in the Army?
Boot camp is over,
Next comes your class.
Vietnam will come quickly.
Please teach me fast!
Triage and cut-downs, chest wounds and such!
Teach me, Instructor; I must learn so much!
You say battle dressings will be my “best friend”.
Tourniquets, hemostats…and it all starts again.
Traches, amputations, and of course CPR,
White phosphorous, AK wounds…
I’m with you so far.
Give me your wisdom!
Help me prepare!
For when the wounded start falling
YOU won’t be there.
My tour is long over.
Do you mind if I share
Some thoughts, so the next Doc is better prepared?
Teach me the soldier bleeding as I fight for his life
Will whisper, “If I die, Doc, please write my wife.”
Teach me, Instructor, when the firefight is done,
To ignore that the Corporal had a daughter and son.
Or when the booby trap smoke clears
And the chopper’s called in,
That the soldier in the poncho
Is my very best friend!
You taught me to save lives,
But it’s not over yet…..
Teach me, Instructor……
Teach me how to forget…..
I think this also applies to those in the EMS field, maybe not to the extent of military combat, but there are cases one would rather not remember/have nightmares about…
Just read the transcript of the speech BO gave today at WEST POINT. What a pile of steaming horse manure… That wasn’t a ‘policy’ speech, it was another stop on the apology tour…
And he gave this to a bunch of new officers??? WTF???
And this comment is just…
Here’s my bottom line: America must always lead on the world stage. If we don’t, no one else will. The military that you have joined is, and always will be, the backbone of that leadership. But U.S. military action cannot be the only — or even primary — component of our leadership in every instance. Just because we have the best hammer does not mean that every problem is a nail.
Where has the leadership been the last SIX years??? China and Russia have stepped up, since they know he won’t do s**t… If we don’t have a strong military, we BECOME the nail, because Russia and China WILL have the hammer…
There are times when those actions are necessary and we cannot hesitate to protect our people. But as I said last year, in taking direct action, we must uphold standards that reflect our values. That means taking strikes only when we face a continuing, imminent threat, and only where there is no certainty — there is near certainty of no civilian casualties, for our actions should meet a simple test: We must not create more enemies than we take off the battlefield.
Say what??? Helloooo… Benghazi… And Ukraine is a GOOD example??? Of what???
He doesn’t have a policy, he’s been smoking too much dope, or REALLY needs to take those rose colored glasses off… His only policy is go which ever way the wind blows or the polls say will get him the most votes… Sigh… now whereinthehell is my BP medicine…
Oh yeah, and not word ONE about actually WINNING…
Shooty stuff!!!
Brigid and Partner in Grime are hosting a Steampunk epostal shoot for June!
They’re filling in for Mr. Completely while he recovers from some medical issues. Link is HERE.
Why am I ‘not’ surprised this one is a ‘bit’ challenging??? 😉
Good excuse to get to the range folks!
It just doesn’t pay to chew through the straps…
Up and OMG dark 30 to get to the airport, to make sure I have time to check in a bag with ‘something’ in it. Thankfully I was there WAY early…
Took almost an HOUR, because they couldn’t find a supervisor to sign off on the paperwork/approve the notations… sigh…
Get on the airplane, a Dragon Lady is sitting across the aisle. Blocks the aisle until ‘she’ is happy with everything in the seat. Then finally sits down, plugs in earbuds and totally ignores announcements, etc. So we get in the air, she immediately gets up to go pee (or something), has words with the FA…
So food is served, she bitches about that, then about the temperature, FA brings her a blanket. But it ‘smells’ after she takes it out of the plastic bag. FA gets another one. (this is all in a voice that sounds like chalk screeching on a backboard). She finally shuts up.
Get to the destination, no bag… WTF??? Finally go check with baggage folks how have wandered back- “Oh yes, we have your bag, can I see your baggage tag and and ID? Really???
Go get a rent-a-wreck, haul ass to my meeting, and the @#$%^ key won’t come out of the ignition… Back to the rent-a-wreck agency, get another one. Back to the meeting, BUT I can’t get in now…
Give up, go to the hotel annnddd… wait for it…
NO RESERVATION!!! I pull out my confirmation number, nope no reservation in the system… But the can get me in for two nights…
Sigh…
I think I’m going to find a bottle, open it and pull the cork in after me… Either that or turn around and go home and try this whole trip again…
Screen shot from FBI Crime Statistics Web Page-
2012 FBI homicie stats are out-
Hammers and fists killed more than all rifles…
Semi-auto rifles are by far the most common type of firearm targeted by gun groups and gun control legislation, right?
Civilian lookalike versions of military firearms in semi-auto configuration such as the AR-15 and the AK family of rifles are the poster children for the gun control movement, right?
However, just how often are these weapons used to kill people? In 2012, 322 people were killed with rifles. Note, this includes ALL kinds of rifles – semi-automatic, lever action, single shot, etc.
As a comparison, 1,589 people were killed with knives, 518 people were killed with blunt objects (such as hammers and bats), and 678 were killed with Personal weapons (hands, fists, feet, etc.). This means that blunt objects and fists/feet combined killed about 2.5x more people than rifles in 2012.
This brings up the question, why are gun control groups so determined to legislate semi-auto rifles when they are one of the least common weapons used in homicides in the US?
It should also be noted that both the murder rate with rifles is down for 2012, and has been declining the last several years. Since 2008 (when Democrats took power in the White House), gun sales have soared to all time highs, with each year setting higher and higher sales records. Semi-auto rifle sales have particularly risen during this time, yet their use in homicides continues to decline.
The total number of documented firearm murders is 8,855, not anywhere near the 30,000+ “victims of gun violence” numbers that the anti-gun groups like to tout.
I can’t wait to see how they’re going to spin this one on the left…
h/t JP