RCAC (Royal Canadian Air Cadets)

On March 10th 2006, my Civil Air Patrol squadron met a group of Canadian cadets from the Royal Canadian Air Cadets. They were the 702 Lynx Squadron from Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, and 46 cadets and about 15-20 "officers" came down to visit. I enjoyed the visit very much and made several friends.
The first evening was spent eating supper and getting acquainted, for the most part - though we did much more of that in the days to come as well. We compared the differences and similarities between our 2 systems and programs... several things were much the same. Our "o-flights" (orientation flights), for example, are the same as their "fam-flights" (familiarization flights). Also, just as we have an encampment every summer, they have a camp that is the same thing. Their money was quite different. Another large difference is that the RCA cadets are issued all their gear and equipment, and are paid $60 a week while they are in the RCAC. CAP cadets must pay for their own gear and equipment; they must pay to get in plus a yearly due to stay in, and everything they recieve, is paid for by themselves, for the most part -- such is the price of volunteering - or rather the meaning of volunteering.
The next day we went to the EAA (Experimental Aircraft Association) Museum in Oshkosh. We had a good time; I think all of the RCA cadets got a turn in the flight simulator they have. That was definitely the most popular attraction there. After spending most the day touring the museum, they went shopping and then we went back to the ANG (Air National Guard) Base we were staying at, after supper.
The next morning at 07:30 several RCA cadets went on a run around the base, and we "Yankees" joined them. We were in BDUs, and all of us were out of shape, but nonetheless it was good. The Space Museum we were supposed to tour that day turned out to be closed, but we redeemed the day by making soda bottle rockets; all CAP cadets must do this at one time or another, and all of our cadets already had made theirs. However, it was even more fun helping the Canadian cadets, and the cadets I was helping made a really unique rocket with twisted fins and everything. It got very cold towards the end, and very windy, alternating between rain, sleet, hail, and snow.
The next day - Monday - I was not there, but heard they all had fun at a waterpark nearby.
Tuesday we toured the State Capitol and 2 Museums in the vicinity. We also met up with 2 other RCAC squadrons from Ontario -- the 707th and 845th, I believe. After the tour the cadets did some more shopping, and we went to our squadron's "base" afterwards. The RCA cadets did a marching demonstration for us; very impressive. Our squdron being so small and new, we didn't have anything to offer in the way of marching or demonstrations, so we just mingled with the cadets, and traded patches and insignia.
Wedensday we visited an Air Force Bombing Range. Unfortunately there were no live bombing runs or anything; we didn't get to see anything blow up. There was a simulated drop run by a C-130 however, and then we were buzzed by a F-160. After that, we went to the P.X. at a nearby National Guard Base. That was the last day with the Royal Canandian Air Cadets.
Canada seems to be a lot like America, in many respects. Our governments are different, however; they have a Prime Minister and Parliament (when we visited the State Capitol, they kept calling it "parliament":). I'm glad I got to participate in their visit. Though they were only down here a few days, I made some good friends and I miss all of them. Perhaps sometime we can go visit them up in Canada.

What They're Fighting For

The things that make a soldier great and send him out to die,
To face the flaming cannon’s mouth nor ever question why,
Are lilacs by a little porch, the row of tulips red,
The peonies and pansies, too, the old petunia bed,
The grass plot where his children play, the roses on the wall:
’Tis these that make a soldier great. He’s fighting for them all.
’Tis not the pomp and pride of kings that make a soldier brave;
’Tis not allegiance to the flag that over him may wave;
For soldiers never fight so well on land or on the foam
As when behind the cause they see the little place called home.
Endanger but that humble street whereon his children run,
You make a soldier of the man who never bore a gun.
What is it through the battle smoke the valiant soldier sees?
The little garden far away, the budding apple trees,
The little patch of ground back there, the children at their play,
Perhaps a tiny mound behind the simple church of gray.
The golden thread of courage isn’t linked to castle dome
But to the spot, where’er it be - the humble spot called home.
And now the lilacs bud again and all is lovely there
And homesick soldiers far away know spring is in the air;
The tulips come to bloom again, the grass once more is green,
And every man can see the spot where all his joys have been.
He sees his children smile at him, he hears the bugle call,
And only death can stop him now - he’s fighting for them all.

You're a Republican???

Wednesday, October 20th 2004
You’re a Republican???

In today’s America, ask a growing number of high school and college students; their teachers and professors; the self-anointed media elite and/or hard working men and women of all ethnicities, the question, “What is a Republican?”, and you’ll be told “… a rich, greedy, egotistical individual, motivated only by money and the desire to accumulate more and more of it, at the expense of the environment … the working poor ….and all whom they exploit…”

I am a Republican … I am none of those things… and I don’t know any Republicans who are.

WHAT I AM … first and foremost, is a loving husband of some 52 plus years, the father of four and an American who’s proud of his country… and his country’s heritage.

WHAT I AM … is the grandson of immigrants who risked everything, including their lives and those of their children, to escape tyranny in search of freedom.

WHAT I AM … is a man who grew up during the Depression and witnessed, first hand, the effects of the Stock Market crash and the soup lines that followed. I watched as both my parents and grand parents, who had very little themselves, share what food they had with a half dozen other families, who had even less.

WHAT I AM … is someone who worked his way through college by holding down three and four jobs at a time and then used that education to build a better life.

WHAT I AM … is a husband who, at age 24, started his own business for the “privilege” of working 60, 70 and 80 hours a week, risking everything I had, including my health, in search of a better life for myself and my loved ones.

WHAT I AM … is a businessman whose blood, sweat and tears…. and plenty of them…, made it possible for me to provide a secure living, not only for my family and myself, but also for literally hundreds of my employees throughout the years. Employees, who in turn, were able to buy their own homes, raise their own families and give back to their communities and their country.

WHAT I AM … is a man who believes in God; a God who has blessed this country… and all for which it stands.

WHAT I AM … is someone who knows, if you doubt miracles exist in today’s world, you need only to look into the face of those who received them … and the eyes of those who give them.

WHAT I AM … is an American who’s proud that his President embraces a belief in God; proud of a President who understands, as “politically incorrect” as it may be, there is evil in this world and for the security and safety of all freedom loving people everywhere, it must be confronted… and it must be defeated.

WHAT I AM … is an American who takes comfort in the knowledge that our President refuses to allow decisions concerning the very safety and security of this nation, to be governed by the political whims of foreign governments.

WHAT I AM … is tired of hearing from leading Democrats who see only negativity in America; racism in her people; class warfare in her society and “political incorrectness” in her character.

WHAT I AM … is a former democrat who now understands that it is the soldier and not the reporter that guarantees us our freedoms of press, speech and dissent.

WHAT I AM … is a man who believes in the sanctity of life. A man who is repulsed by the pandering of the political left for votes, at the expense of the unborn.

WHAT I AM … is a husband and father who believes in the sanctity of marriage and the preservation of the family unit.

WHAT I AM … is a movie go-er who is repulsed by those insecure, socially inept, elementary thinking, ego-inflated “entertainers” who have appointed themselves “experts” in the fields of national security and geo-politics and then use their forum to attack this nation, its leaders and its actions…. much to the delight and encouragement of our enemies.

WHAT I AM … is an American who understands the difference between “censorship” and “choice”. Evidently, these individuals do not, because when these same “celebrities” receive public ridicule for their offensive actions, the first thing they yell is “Censorship!”. What they seem incapable of understanding is… the right of free speech and dissent is shared equally by those offended… as well as those who offend. I support and will continue to support those films and performers whom I choose to … and refuse to support those I don’t. It is my right as an American … a right I will continue to enthusiastically exercise.

WHAT I AM … is a voter, tired of politicians, who, every time their voting records are subjected to public scrutiny, try to divert attention from their political and legislative failures by accusing their opponents of “attack ads” and “negative campaigning”…. and the news media who allow them to get away with it.

WHAT I AM … is a Catholic who loves his God and his Faith… and who’s been taught to respect all religions whose teachings are based in love, peace and charity. As such, I am embarrassed and ashamed of those individuals, in both private and public life, whose decisions and actions are devoid of any sense of character or morals; individuals who are only driven by what’s best for them … rather than what’s right … often times at the expense of many …. including our national security.

WHAT I AM … is a realist who understands that the terrorist attack that murdered hundreds of innocent Russian children could have occurred here, in our heartland. That’s why I sincerely believe America needs now, more than ever, a President who sees with a clear and focused vision and who speaks with a voice when heard by both friend and foe alike, is understood, respected and believed.

WHAT I AM … is eternally grateful to Ronald Reagan for having the bravery to speak out against Communism and the courage of his convictions in leading the fight to defeat it; and George W. Bush for the vision, courage, conviction and leadership he has shown in America’s war on terrorism amidst both the constant and vicious, personal and political attacks both he and his family are made to endure.

WHAT I AM … is a human being, full of numerous faults and failures, but a man nonetheless, who, though not always successful, has continually strived to do “what’s right” instead of “what’s easy”. A man who is challenging the religious leaders of all faiths, to not only preach to their congregations the fundamentals of “what’s right” and “what’s wrong”, but to also then hold them accountable for their actions in both the public and private sectors.

WHAT I AM … is disgusted with the Courts who, on one hand, call the murder of a pregnant woman a “double homicide” but then refer to the abortion of her baby as, “pro-choice”.

WHAT I AM … is someone deeply troubled by a political party which embraces a candidate whose primary “leadership” qualities center around his protesting of the Vietnam war and his labeling the honorable men and women who fought in it, (50,000 of whom gave their lives in that action), as rapists, and war criminals. That same political party then stepped forward this year to block the appearance of a true Vietnam war hero, retired Admiral and former United States Senator, Jeremiah Denton, (a man who spent seven years and seven torturous months in a North Vietnam prison), from speaking before an open session of the California legislature as part of that state’s 4th of July celebration. The reason Democrats gave for refusing to allow this American hero to speak before their state legislature was because of the “conservative” nature of his views. As an American, that troubles me deeply ….as well it should you.

WHAT I AM … is a man who feels the need to spend, $104, 655.60,(tax paid) of his own money, to purchase this advertisement, in order to set the story straight. Some may say this money would have been better spent feeding the world’s poor. At the risk of sounding self-serving, as an American and as a Republican, for the last six decades of my life, I have done exactly that… and more. Following the examples of my parents and grand parents, I have used my earnings to feed the poor, shelter the homeless, provide housing for the elderly and medical care for the sick….. and continue to do so… and I’m not alone in that work.

WHAT I AM … is someone who is paying for this announcement, at my sole expense, in hopes of opening the eyes of those led blindly by ill-informed elements of our great nation, who, through either ignorance, or malicious intent, repeatedly attack and belittle those of us who belong to a political party that holds true to the belief, “… the rights of the governed, exceed the power of the government”. For those interested, I am speaking only as a tax-paying individual who is in no way associated with The Republican National Committee, nor with any of its directors, or delegates.

WHAT I AM … is a man who understands, “the American way of life” is a message of self-empowerment for all.

WHAT I AM … is an American who is grateful that our nation gives each of us the opportunity of self-determination and the right to benefit from the fruits of self achievement.

WHAT I AM … is an American who wants to preserve that way of life for all who seek it.

WHAT I AM … is blessed to be an American…. and proud to be Republican.

George J. Esseff, Sr.

Tribute to Pat Tillman

"Pat Tillman personified all the best values of his country and the NFL. He was an acheiver and leader on many levels who always put his team, his community, and his country ahead of his personal interests. Like other men and women protecting our freedom around the world, Pat made the ultimate sacrifice and gave his life in the service of our country. We are deeply saddened by his loss and, on behalf of everyone in the NFL, we extend our heartfelt sympathy to the Tillman family." -NFL Comissioner Paul Tagliabue

"We lost a unique individual that touched the lives of many with his love for life, his toughness, his intellect... Pat Tillman lived life to the fullest and will be remembered forever in my heart and mind." -Jake Plummer, QB Denver Broncos

"Pat was a lot of things as a person. He was tough, he was extremely competetive. You know there is a saying with older people: 'He was a man's man.' You always knew where you stood with Pat. There was no phoniness in him." -Phil Snow, Assistant Coach

"What other person do you know who would give up a life in the NFL to defend what he believes in with his own life? That is a humble guy." -David Barret, teammate

"He is a hero. He was a brave man. There are very few people who have the courage to do what he did, the courage to walk away from a professional sports career and make the ultimate sacrifice." -Michael Bidwell, Cardinals Vice President

"I never played football with or against Pat Tillman and I didn't know him, but I wish I had. Simply put, he was an American hero. He had the courage of his convictions to walk away from the money, prestige, celebrity and fame that an NFL career offers. To do that take incredible amounts of integrity and heroism. Tillman made the ultimate sacrifice so that the people of this country could be protected. He should be honored by Arizona State University, the Arizona Cardinals, and the NFL. I regret that I didn't know this amazing human being." -Mark Schlereth, NFL Analyst

Doom of the Well-Known Soldier
by Adrian Wojnarowski

Pat Tillman never wanted to be a big story nor an American hero. He just wanted to do his duty, as proudly and anonymously as the soldiers who stood by his side.
There were no news conferences, no interviews, no parades, no self-congratulations. A year ago, Tillman left his new wife, Marie, his $3.6 million NFL contract and disappeared into the desert night.
He fought with the Army Rangers in Eastern Afghanistan, chasing al-Qaida and Taliban into the dark corners and dangerous shadows. In the end, he turned out to be one more soldier returning home to the sad, sad sound of Taps.
With his ultimate sacrifice, Tillman serves as a reminder that there are so many more coming home just like him: Draped under an American flag, tears flowing over the casket.
He never explained one of the most surprising stories in sports, an Arizona Cardinal leaving the glamour, the money, the good life for an enlistment wage of $18,000 and the risk of that firefight on thursday that cost him his life.
September 11, 2001 didn't inspire Tillman to wear a flag on his football helmet or sing the "Star Spangled Banner" a little louder on Sundays. It inspired an epiphany that most Americans would've never stopped long enough to consider -- never mind act upon.
Without ever meeting him, without ever hearing him completely detail his motives, it seems that what Pat Tillman would've wanted today was for everyone to remember those Americans and allies dying every day in Afghanistan and Iraq. The ultimate sacrifice wasn't walking away from football and a fortune, because clearly his principles and priorities transcended the values of the culture. To Tillman, it seemed, the ultimate sacrifice belonged to the fathers and mothers who left families back in the States, whose deaths merit a story in the hometown paper and a red, white and blue wreath in the cemetary.
Tillman is a face for today, and maybe America needed that, because everyone had started to grow numb to the mounting losses overseas, that lost sense of the tragedy that unfolded every day there. The big, fancy battles that finished with the fall of Baghdad no longer fill television screens, and maybe Americans who became lost again in the every day minutia needed a kick in the stomach.
Today's loss turned out to be Pat Tillman. Maybe he never believed that this could be the result of his brave choice to enlist, but more than a year later, there is clearly a bright lining to his dark loss: The way that no one else could have -- for better or worse, for whatever it says of our society -- one familiar face made millions of Americans stop and consider the sacrifices of those serving with him.
Selflessness is thrown around carelessly in too sports -- ballplayers made out to be heroes when they're willing to switch positions. Pat Tillman, though, has transcended even the highest standards of selflessness and sacrifice, and his life and death will take on what they deserve: mythical proportions.
There will be no footage, no tape, no real records of him describing the details of his decision, of talking on and on about the choice he had made. And maybe, he understood: Such navel-gazing was completely unnecessary.
In a climate where everyone talks so much about so little, Pat Tillman believed that sometimes a man needed to make a stand in his life. He spoke for himself, yes, but in the end, his death spoke too -- for the sacrifice of every soldier without a voice.
An American hero died in Afghanistan on Thursday, but what Pat Tillman was able to remind everyone back home was that, tragically, this isn't so unusual. They are dying every day.

Blogger's Note:

American soldiers are dying every day, but that doesn't mean we need to get them home and out of Iraq. If we leave now, we will have undone everything they fought for; it will make their deaths meaningless. That is why we must stay the course and finish the fight. After all, isn't freedom worth fighting for?

Letter From a Senior Citizen

Open Letter to Americans from a Senior Citizen

To All American Voters,

I am a senior citizen. During the Clinton Administration I had an extremely good and well paying job. I took numerous vacations and had several vacation homes. Since President Bush took office, I have watched my entire life change for the worse.

I lost my job.
I lost my two sons in that terrible Iraqi War.
I lost my homes.
I lost my health insurance.

As a matter of fact I lost virtually everything and became homeless. Adding insult to injury, when the authorities found me living like an animal, instead of helping me, they arrested me. I will do anything that Senator Kerry wants to insure that a Democrat is back in the White House come next year. Bush has to go.

I just thought you would like to know how one senior citizen views the Bush Administration.

Thank you for taking time to read my letter.

Sincerely,
Saddam Hussein

It Is the Soldier

It is the soldier, not the reporter, who has given us freedom of the press.

It is the soldier, not the poet, who has given us freedom of speech.

It is the soldier, not the campus organizer, who has given us the freedom to demonstrate.

It is the soldier, not the lawyer, who has given us the right to a fair trial.

It is the soldier, who salutes the flag, who serves under the flag, and whose coffin is draped by the flag, who allows the protester to burn the flag.

Dear America - Lt. Kevin Brown

Lieutenant Kevin Brown wrote this letter to America - let's take it to heart. It was written from the heart of an American soldier - a true soldier and a Marine.

Dad, you asked me what I would say to America from Iraq on 9/11 if I had a podium and a microphone. I have thought about it, and here is my response.

Your Son,
Kevin
September 11, 2004

Dear America,

"People sleep peaceably in their beds at night only because rough men stand ready to do violence on their behalf." -George Orwell

The Marine Corps is tired. I guess I should not say that, as I have no authority or responsibility to speak for the Marine Corps as a whole, and my opinions are mine alone. I will rephrase: this Marine is tired. I write this piece from the sands of Iraq, west of Baghdad, at three a.m., but I am not tired of the sand. I am neither tired of long days, nor of flying and fighting. I am not tired of the food, though it does not taste quite right. I am not tired of the heat; I am not tried of the mortars that occasionally fall on my base. I am not tired of Marines dying, though all Marines, past and present, mourn the loss of every brother and sister that is killed; death is a part of combat and every warrior knows that going into battle. One dead Marine is too many, but we give more than we take, and unlike our enemies, we fight with honor. I am not tired of the missions or the people; I have only been here a month, after all. I am, however, tired of the hypocrisy and short-sightedness that seems to have gripped so many of my countrymen and the media. I am tired of political rhetoric that misses the point, and mostly I am tired of people "not getting it."

Three years ago I was sitting in a classroom at Quantico, Virginia, while attending the Marine Corps Basic Officer Course, learning about the finer points of land navigation. Our Commanding Officer interrupted the class to inform us that some planes had crashed in New York and Washington D.C., and that he would return when he knew more. Tears welled in the eyes of the Lieutenant on my right while class continued, albeit with an audience that was not very focused; his sister lived in New York and worked at the World Trade Center. We broke for lunch, though instead of going to the chow hall proceeded to a small pizza and sub joint which had a television. Slices of pizza sat cold in front of us as we watched the same vivid images that you watched on September 11, 2001. I look back on that moment now and realize even then I grasped, at some level, that the events of that day would alter both my military career and my country forever. Though I did not know that three years later, to the day, I would be flying combat missions in Iraq as an AH-1W Super Cobra pilot, I did understand that a war had just begun, on television for the world to see, and that my classmates and I would fight that war. After lunch we were told to go to our rooms, clean our weapons and pack our gear for possible deployment to the Pentagon to augment perimeter security. The parting words of the order were to make sure we packed gloves, in case we had to handle bodies.

The first Marine killed in Operation Iraqi Freedom was in my company at The Basic School, and was sitting in that land navigation class on September 11. He fought bravely, led from the front, and was killed seizing an oil refinery on the opening day of the war. His heroism made my emergency procedure memorization for the T-34 primary flight school trainer seem quite insignificant. This feeling of frustration was shared by all of the student pilots, but we continued to press on. As one instructor pointed out to us, "You will fight this war, not me. Make sure that you are prepared when you get there." He was right; my classmates from Pensacola are here beside me, flying every day in support of the Marines on the ground. That instructor has since retired, but I believe he has retired knowing that he made a contribution to the greatest country in the history of the world, the United States of America.

Many of you will read that statement and balk at its apparently presumptuous and arrogant nature, and perhaps be tempted to stop reading right here. I would ask that you keep going, for I did not say that Americans are better than anyone else, for I do not believe that to be the case. I did not say that our country, its leaders, military or intelligence services are perfect or have never made mistakes, because throughout history they have, and will continue to do so, despite their best efforts. The Nation is more than the sum of its citizens and leaders, more than its history, present, or future; a nation has contemporary values which change as its leaders change, but it also has timeless character, ideals forged with the blood and courage of patriots. To quote the Pledge of Allegiance, our nation was founded "under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all." As Americans, we have more freedom than we can handle sometimes.

If you are an atheist you might have a problem with that whole "under God" part; if you are against liberating the people of Iraq, Afghanistan, Asia, all of Europe (twice), and the former Soviet bloc, then perhaps the "liberty and justice for all" section might leave you fuming. Our Nation, throughout its history, has watered the seeds of democracy on many continents, with blood, even when the country was in disagreement about those decisions. Disagreement is a wonderful thing. To disagree with your neighbors and your government is at the very heart of freedom. Citizens have disagreed about every important and controversial decision made by their leaders throughout history. Truman had the courage to drop two nuclear weapons in order to end the largest war in history, and then, by his actions, prevented the Soviets from extinguishing the light of democracy in Eastern Europe, Berlin. Lincoln preserved our country through civil war; Reagan knew in his heart that freedom is a more powerful weapon than oppression. Leaders are paid to make difficult, sometimes controversial decisions. History will judge the success of their actions and the purity of their intent in a way that is impossible at the present moment. In your disagreement and debate about the current conflict, however, be very careful that you do not jeopardize your nation or those who serve. The best time to use your freedom of speech to debate difficult decisions is before they are made, not when the lives of your countrymen are on the line.

Cherish your civil rights; I know that after having been in Iraq for only one month I have a new appreciation for mine. You have the right to say that you "support the troops" but oppose the war in Iraq and Afghanistan. You have the right to vote for Senator John Kerry because you believe that he has an exit strategy for Iraq, or because you just cannot stand President Bush. You have the right to vote for President George W. Bush if you believe that he has done a good job over the last four years. You might even decide that you do not want to vote at all and would rather avoid the issues as much as possible. That is certainly your option, and doing nothing is the only option for many people in this world.

It is not my place, nor am I allowed by the Uniformed Code of Military Justice, to tell you how to vote. But I can explain to you the truth about what is going on around you. We know, and have known from the beginning, that the ultimate success or failure of the war in Iraq and Afghanistan, as well as the future of those countries, rests solely on the shoulders of the Iraqi and Afghani people. If someone complains that we should not have gone to war with Saddam Hussein, that our intelligence was bad, that President Bush's motives were impure, then take the appropriate action. Exercise your right to vote for Senator Kerry, but please stop complaining about something that happened over a year ago. The decision to deploy our military in Iraq and Afghanistan is in the past, and while I believe that it is important to the democratic process for our nation to analyze the decisions of our leadership in order to avoid repeating mistakes, it is far more important to focus on the future. The question of which candidate will "get us out of Iraq sooner" should not be a consideration in your mind. YOU SHOULD NOT WANT US OUT OF IRAQ OR AFGHANISTAN SOONER. There is only one coherent exit strategy that will make our time here worthwhile and validate the sacrifice of so many of our countrymen. There is only one strategy that has a chance of promoting peace and stabilizing the Middle East. It is the exit strategy of both candidates, though voiced with varying volumes and differing degrees of clarity. I will speak of Iraq because that is where I am, though I feel the underlying principle applies to both Iraq and Afghanistan.

The American military must continue to help train and support the Iraqi Police, National Guard, and Armed Forces. We must continue to give them both responsibility and the authority with which to carry out those responsibilities, so that they eventually can kill or capture the former regime elements and foreign terrorists that are trying to create a radical, oppressive state. We must continue to repair the infrastructure that we damaged during the conflict, and improve the infrastructure that was insufficient when Saddam was in power. We should welcome and encourage partners in the coalition but recognize that many will choose the path of least resistance and opt out; many of our traditional allies have been doing this for years and it should not surprise us. We must respect the citizens of Iraq and help them to understand the meaning of basic human rights, for those are something the average Iraqi has never experienced. We must be respectful of our cultural and religious differences. We must help the Iraqis develop national pride, and most importantly, we must leave this country better than we found it, at the right time, with a chance of success so that its people will have an opportunity to forge their own destiny. We must do all of these things as quickly and efficiently as possible so that we are not seen as occupiers, but rather liberators and helpers. We must communicate this to the world as clearly and frequently as possible, both with words and actions.

If we leave before these things are done, then Iraq will fall into anarchy and possibly plunge the Middle East into another war. The ability of the United States to conduct foreign policy will be severely, and perhaps permanently, degraded. Terrorism will increase, both in America and around the world, as America will have demonstrated that it is not interested in building and helping, only destroying. If we run or exit early, we prove to our enemies that terror is more powerful and potent than freedom. Many nations, like Spain, have already affirmed this in the minds of the terrorists. Our failure, and its consequences, will be squarely on our shoulders as a nation. It will be our fault. If we stay the course and Iraq or Afghanistan falls into civil war on its own, then our hands are clean. As a citizen of the United States and a U.S. Marine, I will be able to sleep at night with nothing on my conscience, for I know that I, and my country, have done as much as we could for these people. If we leave early, I will not be able to live with myself, and neither should you. The blood will be on our hands, the failure on our watch.

The bottom line is this: Republican or Democrat, approve or disapprove of the decision to go to war, you need to support our efforts here. You cannot both support the troops and protest their mission. Every time the parent of a fallen Marine gets on CNN with a photo, accusing President Bush of murdering his son, the enemy wins a strategic victory. I cannot begin to comprehend the grief he feels at the death of his son, but he dishonors the memory of my brave brother who paid the ultimate price. That Marine volunteered to serve, just like the rest of us. No one here was drafted. I am proud of my service and that of my peers. I am ashamed of that parent's actions, and I pray to God that if I am killed my parents will stand with pride before the cameras and reaffirm their belief that my life and sacrifice mattered; they loved me dearly and they firmly support the military and its mission in Iraq and Afghanistan. With that statement, they communicate very clearly to our enemies around the world that America is united, that we cannot be intimidated by kidnappings, decapitations and torture, and that we care enough about the Afghani and Iraqi people to give them a chance at democracy and basic human rights. Do not support those that seek failure for us, or seek to trivialize the sacrifices made here. Do not make the deaths of your countrymen be in vain. Communicate to your media and elected officials that you are behind us and our mission. Send letters and encouragement to those who are deployed. When you meet a person that serves you, whether in the armed forces, police, or fire department, show them respect. Thank the spouses around you every day, raising children alone, whose loved ones are deployed. Remember not only those that have paid the ultimate price, but the veterans that bear the physical and emotional scars of defending your freedom. At the very least, follow your mother's advice. "If you can't say something nice, don't say anything at all." Do not give the enemy a foothold in our Nation's public opinion. He rejoices at Fahrenheit 9/11 and applauds every time an American slams our efforts. The military can succeed here so long as American citizens support us wholeheartedly.

Sleep well on this third anniversary of 9/11, America. Rough men are standing ready to do violence on your behalf. Many of your sons and daughters volunteered to stand watch for you. Not just rough men- the infantry, the Marine grunts, the Special Operations Forces- but lots of eighteen and nineteen year old kids, teenagers, who are far away from home, serving as drivers, supply clerks, analysts, and mechanics. They all have stories, families, and dreams. They miss you, love you, and are putting their lives on the line for you. Do not make their time here, their sacrifice, a waste. Support them, and their mission.

I strongly agree with the Lt., and I hope he comes home soon. I hope he won't mind my borrowing his letter, and pray for his safety as well as the safety of every American soldier and Marine fighting so we can sleep in peace at night. I regret to say America has let them down.

All Gave Some; Some Gave All

I knew a man called him Sandy Kane
Few folks even knew his name
But a hero was he
Left a boy, came back a man
Still many just don't understand
About the reasons we are free
I can't forget the look in his eyes
Or the tears he cries
As he said these words to me

All gave some and some gave all
And some stood through for the red, white and blue
And some had to fall
And if you ever think of me
Think of all your liberties and recall
Some gave all

Now Sandy Kane is no longer here
But his words are oh so clear
As they echo through out our land
For all his friends who gave us all
Who stood the ground and took the fall
To help their fellow man
Love your country and live with pride
And don't forget those who died
America can't you see

All gave some and some gave all
And some stood through for the red, white and blue
And some had to fall
And if you ever think of me
Think of all your liberties and recall
Some gave all

Freedom - What It Means To Be Free

Everyone nowadays seems to really appreciate the troops and the sacrifice veterans have made defending our freedom - but they don't view freedom the way the veterans do. For the most part, we experience freedom every day. To us, it's picking a Big Mac over a cheeseburger or picking a red car versus a blue one. It's just our normal way of life, and we don't realize its worth or appreciate it. Freedom is simply living, to most of us. And to some, it's urinating on the American flag and then burning it (John Kerry).
For those of us who were born in a free country, raised in a free country, and continue to live in a free country, freedom isn't as precious as it is to those who live without it. How would you like to walk into the ballot booth to vote, knowing that if you don't pick the candidate at the top of the list, you'll be taken away, tortured and killed? Or know that if you take the food scraps from the Royal Kitchens (that are going to the dogs) home to your starving family, you'll be beheaded? How would you like to live and have no freedom? That isn't living at all. The people of Iraq haven't lived their lives for a long time. Sadaam Hussein's regime kept them from voting for anyone but him; kept them from even feeding their starving families with dog scraps; kept them from living. And now he's gone. They've gotten to vote, for the first time. They're in the process of getting their Constitution instituted, and they're actually living their lives once again. I know it isn't all fine and dandy; I know that our soldiers are still fighting and dying over there, and that the insurgents aren't completely finished. You have to pay a price for freedom; it isn't free. How high is too high; what is freedom worth to you? Is it worth your life? In my opinion, absolutely. I'd rather not live at all than live in bondage. Patrick Henry said it well; "Give me liberty or give me death!" And that's the spirit that founded and built America. I wonder where it's gone. Our Marines and soldiers still have it; that's why they joined up. They believe in something greater than themselves - they are willing to die for something like freedom because they're selfless.
Everyone in America enjoys freedom - perhaps too much. And yet we aren't willing to sacrifice anything so that others can have their God-given right to be free? That shows how selfish and self-centered Americans are. I think we all need a kick in the pants. 9-11 did it for a while, but we've definitely forgotten. Veterans don't forget. You never forget that bullet coming right for your buddy and taking his life. They have the biggest reason to balk at soldiers dying, but they were soldiers once, and they still are. "Once a Marine, always a Marine" - once a soldier, always a soldier. A true soldier will never forget - he'll never lose that vital element that makes him what he is. Let us never forget them.
I salute all our veterans past and present, and the soldiers who continue to die for that something called freedom. And here's to the soldier; the warrior, and the Marines. Semper Fidelis.

Dien Bien Phu

"The soldier is not a man of violence.
He carries arms and risks his life for
mistakes not of his making.
He has the merit of being unflinchingly true to his word
to the end, while knowing that he will be forgotten."
Antoine de SAINT EXUPERY


Ðiên Biên Phú

As General de Lattre said:

"To live on one’s past is

to bankrupt oneself.

To live without one’s past

is to impoverish oneself."

Forty five years ago, after 56 days of encounters,

courage,

and sufferings,

the troops of the French Union ceased combat in Ðiên Biên Phú.

10.998 prisoners

7.708 dead or missing

3.290 survivors.

Today:

how many survivors?

Can one forget the martyrdom they endured in period of monsoon, on the trails and in the bush, up hill and down dale, for more than 800 kilometers?

Officers, non commissioned officers, soldiers, artillerymen, infantrymen, paratroopers, men of the Foreign Legion, male nurses, doctors, supply officers, all united in the suffering, the hunger, the thirst, all backed one another up to SURVIVE.

ALL HAVE DONE THEIR DUTY.

If you are a Veteran of Ðiên Biên Phú, you will recognize - in spite of inevitable errors and unavoidable lapses of memory - known events recounts, names of friends evoked...

If you are a simple visitor, perhaps you will ask yourself a question:

Why ?

Why so many sufferings

so many violences,

so many lives mown down,

and mutilated bodies ?

For them, the answer is simple, valid in all times, but difficult to understand for certain mentalities nowadays.

They were young,

volunteers,

fond of adventures.

Our country could not be done with a murderous warin which many of them had taken part;

that war was going on12000 kms away from home; the Far East attracted them.

These men lived and fought with the populations of these friendly countries; they suffered from these populations’ bondage to a bad cause which was not theirs; their help was needed.

The combats succeeded each other;

some victorious,

others submerging their comrades,

the brotherhood-in-arms was calling them there.

They knew that their cause was a good one, certainly; they loved these populations, of course; but above all they were soldiers.

They did not have to judge;

their duty was to obey;

their honor to serve until

the end.

"Thus I will fight whoever will pretend to impose

a particular way of life to another way of life,

a particular people to other people,

a particular race to other races,

a particular thought to other thoughts"

Antoine de SAINT EXUPERY (War pilot)

Everything in this post was borrowed from a site about Dien Bien Phu. You can visit the site at www.dienbienphu.org/english/index.htm

Arlington

I never thought that this is where I'd settle down
I thought I'd die an old man back in my hometown
They gave me this plot of land - me and some other men
For a job well done

There's a big white white house - it's on a hill just up the road
The man inside he cried the day they brought me home
They folded up a flag and told my mom and dad, "We're proud of your son."

And I'm proud to be on this peaceful peice of property
I'm on sacred ground and I'm in the best of company
I'm thankful for those, thankful for the things I've done
I can rest in peace; I'm one of the chosen ones
I made it to Arlington

I remember Daddy brought me here when I was eight
We searched all day to find out where my granddad laid
And when we finally found that cross he said, "Son, this is what it cost
To keep us free."

Now here I am a thousand stones away from him
He recognized me on the first day I came in
And it gave me a chill when he clicked his heels
And saluted me

And I'm proud to be on this peaceful peice of property
I'm on sacred ground and I'm in the best of company
And I'm thankful for those, thankful for the things I've done
I can rest in peace; I'm one of the chosen ones
I made it to Arlington

And every time I hear twenty-one guns
I know they brought another hero home to us

We're thankful for those, thankful for the things we've done
We can rest in peace; cause we are the chosen ones
We made it to Arlington

Yeah, dust to dust; don't cry for us
We made it to Arlington

We Suffer in Silence

We suffer in silence.
We are not one race or one religion.
We rarely even know each other.
We look ordinary on the outside.
On the inside is immeasureable hurt.

We suffer in silence.
The suffering is actually
From a lack of suffering.
Our hearts cry out for a fight
But we are always turned away.

We suffer in silence.
Too many complications
Keep us away from what we love.
Others need our kind
But we cannot come.

We suffer in silence.
Why are we never satisfied?
To the world we are too "traditional".
We put too much emphasis on honor.
We don't fit in anymore.

We suffer in silence.
We are at odds with the
Army ranks that should be our brothers.
They seem almost like traitors
To the way of life we once knew.

We suffer in silence.
Who are we? "We" are more like "I",
The few who refuse to turn our backs
On those who are our forefathers.
We are the damned; the doomed.

We suffer in silence.
We conside things worse now
Than when the military was mocked.
It's worse now because it has been
Feminized, politicized - worse, turned into a fad, a fashion.

We suffer in silence.
We all have different reasons
But the end is still the same:
Eternal discontentment and sorrow.
We can do nothing to change it.

We suffer in silence.
We hurt and cry in silence.
And in the silence of the night
No one hears our broken hearts.
We are the few. We are not proud.
We are dying.

This was written by a brother of mine, who understands what I've been saying on here and feels the same. This was written about us and those like us.

Duty & Pat Tillman

Duty calls to heroes, and it certainly pulled hard at this one. Everyone knows that Pat Tillman, playing for the Arizona Cardinals, gave up a big-bucks contract with the St. Louis Rams in order to join the U. S. Army Rangers and fight in Iraq. Not many people know why.
Duty only calls to those with the honor, integrity, courage and responsibility left to hear it, and Pat Tillman had those character traits. Sadly, it's only his kind answering the call and paying the ultimate price. Everyone smelled the burning towers of 9-11; very few answered the call and their duty to this country. And now - now that the smoke has cleared, and the bodies have been buried and the whole thing happened years ago, everyone seems to have forgotten. Darryl Whorley's "Have You Forgotten" more than says it all - many have forgotten. I wonder what it'll take to make everybody wake up and remember - probably another 9-11. Because the war is being fought overseas instead of right here in America, everyone is oblivious to it - out of sight, out of mind, it seems. How comfortable we've all gotten; how safe we feel. We seem to have forgotten that much was paid in blood for that comfort and that safety. "What we obtain too cheap we esteem too lightly" - means that if you're not the one paying the price, you're a little less appreciative of what it buys. I wonder how many of us would view life differently if we were sent to the front lines for a stint? You would see life differently, I'll tell you that. You'd see freedom differently too - you'd definitely appreciate them both a lot more. And maybe you'd be a bit more careful of how you spend them.
I know that not many out there still answer the call of duty - it's as foreign a word to them as honor or integrity. It saddens me very deeply to see how far we've come - really how far we've gone backwards. Values mean nothing anymore; morality is viewed as old-fashioned and unnecessary. And Lord knows duty and honor are two simple, out-of-date phrases that mean something we couldn't be care less about.
I respect Pat Tillman because he answered when duty called; because he didn't live for self; because he answered to a greater cause than his own comfort and safety; because he had honor. And that's really what it comes down to. If you have the one, you'll usually have the other. Not always, but usually.
I wonder what the percentages are - I might be surprised how many people actually give a rip about honor, integrity, duty and courage. I know they're somewhere. I don't know where, but I know they're there. Probably mostly in the Marine Corps and scattered through the rest of the military.
We need more of them - these men of honor; these heroes. There will always be one somewhere - who when duty calls lays his life on the line and sacrifices everything he has to offer. I pray that we are never without them - without them we are worthless. Heroes made this country great, and they're getting fewer by the day. May we never forget those that paid the ultimate price, and continue to honor them.
God and country; and honor.

Wanted

My sister wrote this ad, and I think it speaks for both of us.

Wanted:
Men who are strong without being immoral and arrogant, who are moral without being weak wimps; men who have a gentlemanly attitude and special appreciation for women and aren't ashamed to admit it.
Women who are feminine while being capable, who are capable without being feminists; women who have a respectful, special appreciation for men, their strength and their leadership and protective abilities.
A society that is sane like it used to be.
A country that has more good influences than bad.
A culture that is family-centered, morality-based; patriotic and God-fearing.
A land that uses its freedom for honorable pursuits, not evil.
Honest citizens who know what real honor, truth, courage and character are - and who live their values in the midst of the insanity.
A country that soldiers can fight for wholeheartedly without knowing that they are defending alot of good but even more bad.

You can view the author's website at http://www.freewebs.com/spitfire34

Go Tell the Spartans

The Spartans have always been known for being Spartan - exremely disciplined and well trained; for living in Spartan conditions and being extraordinarily tough. The Spartans were a warring people, and military fitness began early. When a child was born, it was brought before the elders of the tribe, who decided whether it was to be reared or not. If found defective or weakly, the baby was dropped off a cliff called the Apothetae, or Place of Rejection. In this way attempts were made to secure the maintenance of high physical standards in Sparta. From the earliest days of the Spartan, the claim on his life by the state was absolute and strictly enforced.
Boys were educated at home until the age of seven, at which time their training was undertaken by the state in the agoge system and supervised by the paidonomos, an official appointed for that purpose. This training consisted for the most part in physical exercises, such as dancing, gymnastics, and ball-games, with music and literature occupying a subordinate position. This tireless emphasis on physical training gave Spartans the reputation for being "laconic," short in words, a word derived from the name of their homeland of Laconia. Education was also extended to girls. Both sexes exercised naked. Women, however, could not compete according to the Olympic rules. There were also contests to see who could take the most severe flogging, an ordeal known as diamastigosis.
At the age of thirteen, young men were sent off into the countryside with nothing, and were expected to survive on wits and cunning. This was very probably, in origin, an old initiation rite, a preparation for their later career as elite soldiers.
The Spartan began his military service at age twenty, by which time he was quite prepared.
Spartans were absolutely forbidden to sell or trade, and to posess gold or silver. The Spartan currency consisted of bars of iron, thus making thievery and foreign commerce very difficult and discouraging the accumulation of riches.
I saw a program on PBS about the Spartans, and found it quite interesting. I didn't get to see it all however, and so I'm not sure about a few names. But I know that a ruler of some kind (a king or military figure, most likely) made a law for Sparta, and got the entire country of Sparta to swear to obey this law until he got back from a pilgrimage to consult the gods. While on his pilgrimage he starved himself to death so they would be held to their oath and this law forever. That is why the Spartans were so Spartan; his law made it so. He made them swear to never change it. But change was coming, and Sparta had to do something about it.
Persia was engaged in world conquest, and had already conquered a few smaller countries. It's king, Xerxes, wanted Greek and Sparta to give in as well, and Greece looked to Sparta to see what they would do. Persia sent an emissary to Sparta to get their answer, and the Spartens killed him. That was their answer.
Greece joined forces with Sparta, and they prepared for battle. This was the moment Spartans had trained for all their lives; their entire way of life was built around war. Leonidas was a Spartan king and military leader. In 480 B.C. he was sent with the 300 men of his royal bodyguard and about 7000 allies to hold the pass of Thermopylae against the Persians. This would later be seen as the Spartans final battle; their last stand.
Before he left, Leonidas' wife asked him what she should do when he had left. To this he replied, "Marry a good man and have good children."
Because of its defensible terrain, the mountain pass of Thermopylae, the "Hot Gates," was chosen as the site of battle. At the time it consisted of a pass so narrow two chariots could barely move abreast—one side stood the sheer side of the mountain, while the other was a cliff drop into the sea. Along the path was a series of three "gates," and at the center gate a short wall was hastily erected by the Greek army to aid in their defense. It was here in the August of 480 B.C. that an army of some 7000 Greeks, led by 300 Spartans, stood to receive the full force of the Persian army, numbering perhaps some forty times its size.
I have an excerpt here:

"Xerxes did not believe such a small force would oppose him, and gave the Greeks three or four days to retreat. The Persians were initially astounded upon seeing the Spartans oiling themselves and performing calisthenics, not understanding its ritual significance as a performance by men with the resolution to fight to the end. The Greeks deployed themselves in a phalanx, a wall of overlapping shields and layered spearpoints, spanning the entire width of the pass. Meanwhile, the Persian army was growing restless, and Xerxes sent his troops into the pass with hellish results. The Persians, with arrows and short spears, could not break through the long spears of the Greek phalanx, nor were their lightly armed and armoured men a match for the vastly superior armour and weaponry of the better trained and equipped hoplites. Enormous casualties were sustained by the Persians as the disciplined Spartans orchestrated a series of feint retreats, followed by a quick turn back into formation. Because of the terrain, the Persians were unable to surround or flank the Greeks, thus rendering their superior numbers almost useless. Greek morale was high. Herodotus wrote that when Dienekes, a Spartan soldier, was informed that Persian arrows blotted out the sun, he remarked with characteristically laconic prose, "So much the better, we shall fight in the shade." The Greeks defending the pass slew the Persians in a similar manner on the second day of battle, fighting in a relay manner. After watching his troops fall before the Greeks, Xerxes decided to send his legendary Persian Immortals. However, even the Immortals lacked the power to break the Spartan phalanx and they were forced to retreat with heavy casualties."

Three times Xerxes attacked, and 3 times the Spartan/Greek armies held them off. Xerxes was ready to give up when a Greek Ephialtes defected to the Persians and told them of a secret path through Thermopylae thant came around on the other side of the Greeks, thereby allowing the Persians to outflank the Greeks/Spartans. Leonidas heard of this, and realized that further fighting would be futile. On August 11 he dismissed all but what remained of the 300 Spartans, who had already resigned themselves to fighting to the death, and the Thebans who he kept as hostages. However, a contingent of about 600 Thespians, led by Demophilus, refused to leave with the other Greeks. Instead, they chose to stay in the suicidal effort to delay the advance. The significance of the Thespians' refusal should not be passed over. The Spartans, brave as their sacrifice indubitably was, were professional soldiers, trained from birth to be ready to give their lives in combat as Spartan law dictated. Conversely, the Thespians were citizen-soldiers who elected to add whatever they could to the fight, rather than allow the Spartans to be annihilated alone. Though their bravery is often overlooked by history, it was most certainly not overlooked by the Spartans, who are said to have exchanged cloaks with the Thespians and promised to be allies for eternity.
The fighting was said to have been extremely brutal, even for hoplite combat. As their numbers diminished the Greeks retreated to a small hill in the narrowest part of the pass. The Thebans took this opportunity to surrender to the Persians. After their spears broke, the Spartans and Thespians kept fighting with their xiphos short swords, and after those broke, they were said to have fought with their bare hands and teeth. Although the Greeks killed many Persians, including two of Xerxes' brothers, Leonidas was eventually killed, but rather than surrender the Spartans fought fanatically to defend his body. To avoid losing any more men the Persians killed the last of the Spartans with flights of arrows.
When the body of Leonidas was recovered by the Persians, Xerxes, in a rage at the loss of so many of his soldiers, ordered that the head be cut off, and the body crucified. The mutilation of a corpse, even one of the enemy, carried a great social stigma for the Persians, and it was an act that Xerxes was said to have deeply regretted afterwards. Leonidas' body was later cut down and returned to the Spartans, where he was buried with full honours.
There is an epitaph on a monument at site of the battle with Simonide's epigram, which can be found in Herodotus's work The Histories:

Go tell the Spartans, stranger passing by,
that here, obedient to their laws, we lie

The final battle in the movie "The Last Samurai" was inspired by and based on the battle of Thermopylae; Katsumoto was supposed to have reflected the character of Leonidas.
The Spartans did view death in battle as something glorious and to be aspired to; they would seek out ways of dying on the battlefield pertained to be "glorious" and noble.
There have been many like them; the Samurai; the Japanese in WWII. Some people see that and say that they were bloodthirsty and death-lovers, and they were in some ways. But what everyone seems to be unable to grasp and comprehend is the selflessness and the discipline. There were people who believed there were things more important that themselves; some things worth dying for. And thank God there still are, or we'd have no military and no protection.
Ever notice that while the Americans thumb their noses at the President and are unwilling to join the military, the RE-UP rates it Iraq are incredibly high? And you'd think those who had been in the hell of war would be the first to get out. It's an intangible; something you can't put your finger on, but something that's essential in a soldier. Something that should be in everyone.... but isn't. I have yet to meet someone with all these qualities - I know they're very rare; few and far between. They're the ones dying. Because who's gonna jump on that grenade - the weak, wimpy, selfish guy - or the selfless one who instinctively jumps, thinking of others and not himself? You'll even see it in the movies, and we all know how Hollywood is at a loss to comprehend any of this. In "Taps" - Brian Moreland, Dave Shawn, and Charlie end up dead in the end - and Alex Dwyer makes it out alive. Why? Because Moreland pushes Dwyer out of the way and jumps on Shawn, risking and giving his own life to save both of theirs. Charlie dies trying to save his friend, and Shawn dies seeking justice. Dwyer lives, due to Moreland's selflessness.
And there are countless other examples I could give. Heroes often die - that's why in "Troy" Helen tells Paris, "I don't want a hero - I want someone I can grow old with." I happen to disagree with her.
One day justice will be served and everyone will reap what they've sown. But in the meantime the one thing we can do is remember them.

"If they ever tell my story, let them say I walked with giants. Men rise and fall like the winter wheat, but these names will never die. Let them say I lived in the time of Hector, tamer of horses; let them say I lived in the time of Achilles."
-Odysseus (TROY)

The Code of the Samurai

I think "The Last Samurai" illustates well what I've been trying to get across in my previous blogs. The Samurai lived by a code: Duty & Loyalty, Heroic Courage, Honesty & Justice, Polite Courtesy, Compassion, Complete Sincerity, and at the heart of it all - HONOR. They believed in a Greater Deity, and though it was a false god, they were living for something other than self. They were selfless. That is the true definiton of a soldier. And yet they were the vanishing people; they were the ones being driven away and cut off by modern "progress". It isn't right- but they weren't the only ones. The American Indians, the Bedouin, the Samurai.... They are all the same in the code they live by and the values they stood for. That is the one thing that Tom Cruise's character was attracted to - the values; discipline, honor, courage, committment, selflessness. All of it. Same with Kevin Costner's character in "Dances with Wolves". He faced the same thing; same exact situation, but with the American Indians instead of the Samurai. And it is so sad and wrong that those are the kinds of people dying off and disappearing. The ones who live by a code of honor and for something other than themselves.
Our CAP unit has a code as well; many of the same old-school values. And yet, they lack some of the discipline and the selflessness needed to be a true warrior. I find it a tragedy that no one can tell you what honor is nowadays. It isn't right.
We visited the site of the battle of Little Bighorn this year, and there was a museum on the grounds with some of the personal effects of General Custer. It had a sword that he had taken from a captured Conderate soldier in the Civil War, and engraved on the blade in Spanish was this: "Draw me not without cause, Sheath me not without honor".
Honor was part of the Knight's code as well:

A knight is sworn to valor
His heart knows only virtue
His blade defends the helpless
His might upholds the weak
His word speaks only truth
His wrath undoes the wicked

Where have they gone, these men of integrity and honor? Are they completely gone? Or are there a select few... out there somewhere.... who are wondering the same thing? I'd like to know.

Talk Is Cheap When the Story is Good

I think we can all attest to that. I've had enough of the media, and cannot on my honor remain silent any longer.
We all know that our "un-biased" media is left-leaning and liberal. And yet we choose to believe them anyway. A friend of ours believes everything he hears on the news; last elections he was ranting and raving about G. W. Bush - quoting the media to a tee; it was obvious he was just saying what he'd heard. Later he was saying how stupid it is that people believe everything they hear.
And it is. I don't respect people who don't have the guns/guts to stand up for what they believe in and instead adopt others' beliefs without second thought. I have always believed that it is better to be hated for who you are than to be loved for who you're not. And it happens in Public Schools nowadays all the time. New kids come in, and they feel out of place. They "need" desperately to be wanted, and are ready to do anything to be accepted into the "gang".
I don't believe in the "In" crowd or the "Fad" group. You should enjoy being your own person; I thought individuality is "in". Well, as Patton put it, individuality is a bunch of c---, and I say well said.
"You've got to stand for something or you'll fall for anything... you've gotta be your own man, not a puppet on a string... never compromise what's right, and uphold your family name... ...Whatever you do today you'll have to sleep with tonight... I know that things are different than they were in Daddy's day, but I still believe what makes a man really hasn't changed..."

Quotes

Will is the key to growth.

Optimism is the faith that leads to achievement. Nothing can be done without hope and confidence.
-- Helen Keller

Trust no one.

If you wish to travel far and fast, travel light. Take off all your envies, jealousies, unforgiveness, selfishness, and fears.-
-- Glenn Clark

I want to remind you that success in life is based on hard slogging. There will be periods when discouragement is great and upsetting, and the antidote for this is calmness and fortitude and a modest yet firm belief in your competence. Be sure that your priorities are in order so that you can proceed in a logical manner, and be ever mindful that nothing will take the place of persistence.
-- Publisher and philanthropist Walter Annenberg in a letter to his son.

Man does not live by a turkey in every oven or a color TV set in every home. Man lives by faith and hope and love, by the star on the horizon, by the trumpet that will not call retreat.
-- E. Merrill Ro

What a man is contributes much more to his happiness than what he has, or how he is regarded by others.
-- Arthur Schopenhauer

Aspire, break bounds. Endeavor to be good, and better still, best.
-- Robert Browning

To know a truth well, one must have fought it out.
-- Novalis

Remember why you are here.

We each have all the time there is; our mental and moral status is determined by what we do with it.
-- Mary Blake

Trials, temptations, disappointments -- all these are helps instead of hindrances, if one uses them rightly. They not only test the fibre of a character, but strengthen it. Every conquered temptation represents a new fund of moral energy. Every trial endured and weathered in the right spirit makes a soul nobler and stronger than it was before.
-- James Buckham

Shallow men believe in luck, believe in circumstances -- it was somebody's name, or he happened to be there at the time, or it was so then, and another day would have been otherwise. Strong men believe in cause and effect.
-- Ralph Waldo Emerson

I am not bound to win, but I am bound to be true. I am not bound to succeed, but I am bound to live by the light that I have. I must stand with anybody that stands right, stand with him while he is right, and part with him when he goes wrong.
-- Abraham Lincoln

Many men owe the grandeur of their lives to their tremendous difficulties.
-- Spurgeon

Face your deficiencies and acknowledge them; but do not let them master you. Let them teach you patience, sweetness, insight.
-- Helen Keller

Our greatest happiness in life does not depend on the condition of life in which chance has placed us, but is always the result of good conscience, good health, occupation, and freedom in all just pursuits.
-- Thomas Jefferson

"I can't do it" never yet accomplished anything: "I will try" has accomplished wonders.
-- George P. Burnham

What you can do, or think you can, begin it.
-- Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

Hard things are put in our way, not to stop us, but to call out our courage and strength.
-- Anonymous

There is in every true woman's heart a spark of heavenly fire, which lies dormant in the broad daylight of prosperity; but which kindles up, and beams and blazes in the dark hour of adversity.
-- Washington Irving

Excellence is an art won by training and habituation. We do not act rightly because we have virtue or excellence, but rather we have those because we have acted rightly. We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act but a habit.
-- Aristotle

What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us.
-- William Morrow

People are always blaming their circumstances for what they are. I don't believe in circumstances. The people who get on in this world are the people who get up and look for the circumstances they want, and, if they can't find them, make them.
-- George Bernard Shaw

A professional is someone who can do his best work when he doesn't feel like it.
-- Alistair Cooke

The real glory is being knocked to your knees and then coming back. That's real glory. That's the essence of it.
-- Vince Lombardi

The important thing in the Olympic Games is not winning but taking part. The essential thing in life is not conquering but fighting well.
-- Baron de Coubertin, The Olympic Creed

Adversity is the trial of principle. Without it, a man hardly knows whether he is honest or not.
-- Henry Fielding

The virtues which keep this world sweet and the faithfulness which keeps it steadfast are chiefly those of the average man.
-- W. Russell Bowie

In the final analysis there is no solution to man's progress but the day's honest work, the day's honest decisions, the day's generous utterances and the day's good deed.
-- Clare Booth Luce

If we could sell our experiences for what they cost us, we'd all be millionaires.

The abundant life does not come to those who have had a lot of obstacles removed from their path by others. It develops from within and is rooted in strong mental and moral fiber.
--William Mather Lewis

Cherish your visions and your dreams as they are the children of your soul; the blue prints of your ultimate accomplishments.
-- Napoleon Hill

The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.
-- Eleanor Roosevelt

I searched through rebellion, drugs, diets, mysticism, religions, intellectualism and much more, only to begin to find that truth is basically simple - and feels good, clean and right.
-- Chick Corea

Character may be manifested in the great moments, but it is made in the small ones.
-- Phillips Brooks

The greatest glory is not in never failing, but in rising up every time we fall.
-- Confucius

To live in the presence of great truths and eternal laws, to be led by permanent ideals - that is what keeps a man patient when the world ignores him, and calm and unspoiled when the world praises him.
-- Honore De Balzac

Real heroes are men who fall and fail and are flawed, but win out in the end because they've stayed true to their ideals and beliefs and commitments.
-- Kevin Costner

It is the nature of man to rise to greatness if greatness is expected of him.
-- John Steinbeck

The world stands aside to let anyone pass who knows where he is going.
-- David Starr Jordan

I'm a great believer in luck, and I find the harder I work the more I have of it.
-- Thomas Jefferson

To give real service you must add something which cannot be bought or measured with money, and that is sincerity and integrity.
-- Donald A. Adams

Americanism means the virtues of courage, honor, justice, truth, sincerity, and hardihood -- the virtues that made America.
-- Theodore Roosevelt, 1917

The way to get things done is not to mind who gets the credit for doing them.
-- Benjamin Jowett (1817-1893), British theologian and classicist

The grand essentials to happiness in this life are something to do, something to love and something to hope for.
-- Joseph Addison

Life is not holding a good hand; Life is playing a poor hand well.
-- Danish proverb

Failure is only postponed success as long as courage "coaches" ambition. The habit of persistence is the habit of victory.
-- Herbert Kaufman

If I have ever made any valuable discoveries, it has been owing more to patient attention than to any other talent.
-- Isaac Newton

Each of us is great insofar as we perceive and act on the infinite possibilities which lie undiscovered and unrecognized about us.
-- James Harvey Robinson

The road to happiness lies in two simple principles: find what it is that interests you and that you can do well, and when you find it, put your whole soul into it -- every bit of energy and ambition and natural ability you have.
-- John D. Rockefeller III

Victory is sweetest when you've known defeat.
-- Malcolm Forbes

Be the change that you want to see in the world.
-- Gandhi

He is a man of sense who does not grieve for what he has not, but rejoices in what he has.
-- Epictetus

A smooth sea never made a skilled mariner.
-- English proverb

In order to discover new lands, one must be willing to lose sight of the shore for a very long time.
-- Anonymous

A friend is one who sees through you and still enjoys the view.
-- Wilma Askinas

Do not falter or shrink; But just think out your work, And just work out your think.
-- Nixon Waterman

How far that little candle throws its beams! So shines a good deed in a naughty world.
-- William Shakespeare

Destiny is not a matter of chance, it is a matter of choice; it is not a thing to be waited for, it is a thing to be achieved.
-- William Jennings Bryan

A great pleasure in life is doing what people say you cannot do.
-- Walter Bagehot

The greatest achievement of the human spirit is to live up to one's opportunities, and to make the most of one's resources.
-- Vauvenargues

Right actions for the future are the best apologies for wrong ones in the past.
-- Tyron Edwards

Thoughtfulness for others, generosity, modesty and self-respect are the qualities which make a real gentleman or lady.
-- Thomas H. Huxley

There is only one happiness in life, to love and be loved.
-- George Sand

Seek respect mainly from thyself, for it comes first from within.
-- Steven H. Coogler

Tough times never last. Tough people do.
-- Robert Schuller

Happy is he who dares courageously to defend what he loves.
-- Ovid

They are ill discoverers that think there is no land, when they can see nothing but sea.
-- Francis Bacon

Make yourself an honest man, and then you may be sure that there is one less scoundrel in the world.
-- Thomas Carlyle

That's what it takes to be a hero, a little gem of innocence inside you that makes you want to believe that there still exists a right and wrong, that decency will somehow triumph in the end.
-- Lise Hand, describing Irish journalist Veronica Guerin, who was killed as a result of her investigations of Irish organized crime.

Excellence is an art won by training and habituation. We do not act rightly because we have virtue or excellence, but rather we have those because we have acted rightly. We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act but a habit.
-- Aristotle

The End of the Nez Perce

I have some excerpts from other Indians as well; the Nez Perce actually. They faced the exact same scenario as the Chiricahuas, as did all the Indians. Here they are.

"Always remember that your father never sold his country.... A few years more, and white men will be all around you. They have their eyes on this land. My son, never forget my dying words. This country holds your father's body. Never sell the bones of your father and your mother."
--Tuekakas,
Father of Joseph and Former Leader of the Wallowa Nez Perces

"I buried him in that beautiful valley of winding waters. I love that land more than all the rest of the world. A man who would not love his father's grave is worse than a wild animal."
--Joseph, Chief of the Nez Perce

"The white men were many and we could not hold our own with them. We were like deer. They were like grizzly bears. We had a small country. Their country was large. We were contented to let things remain as The Great White Spirit made them. They were not, and would change the rivers.... if they did not suit them."
--Chief Joseph

"...From the mountain forests, voices seemed calling. I felt as dreaming. Not my living self."
--Yellow Wolf,
Nez Perce Warrior

"It is cold, and we have no blankets. The little children are freezing to death. My people, some of them, have run away to the hills, and have no blankets, no food. No one knows where they are - perhaps freezing to death. I want to have time to look for my children, and see how many of them I can find. Maybe I shall find them among the dead. Hear me, my chiefs! I am tired. My heart is sick and sad. From where the sun now stands I will fight no more forever."
--Chief Joseph

" 'Have you ever tried to tame a wild rabbit?' an Indian friend had asked me, miles ago. 'It may seem yours for awhile, and then one day it flees if it can, or if it can't, then it dies because it willed itself to die. They must be free. That is the way of wild things.' "
--from National Geograhic

Maybe you have to be an Indian and go through it yourself to understand it, but any way you look at it, it was a tragedy. Reservations are prisons and jail cells; the suicide rate among Indian teens in those places is shockingly high. But I'm not surprised. What do you expect when you cage "wild things"?