Armed Forces Day

Fallen Heroes: LCpl Jordan Haerter and Cpl Jonathan Yale

Heroic Last Stand Saves 54 Other Lives

"RAMADI, IRAQ (April 29, 2008) – It was a typical quiet morning on April 22, with the temperature intensifying as a bright orange sun emerged high from the horizon.

Lance Cpl. Jordan Haerter,

a rifleman with 1st Battalion, 9th Marine Regiment, Regimental Combat Team 1, and

Cpl. Jonathan T. Yale,

a rifleman with 2nd Battalion, 8th Marine Regiment, RCT-1,

were standing post, just as they’ve done numerous times before, at a standard length watch in a small checkpoint protected by concrete barriers where they overlooked the small gravel road, lined with palm trees leading to their entry control point.

However, this morning would be different.

It would turn chaotic then tragic. Two Marines would gallantly sacrifice their lives so others could live.

A truck packed with thousands of pounds of explosives entered the area where Haerter and Yale were standing guard. Realizing the vehicles intentions Haerter and Yale without hesitation stood their ground, drew their weapons and fired at the vehicle. The truck rolled to a stop and exploded, killing the two Marines.

In the face of a committed enemy, Haerter and Yale stood their ground, in turn saving the lives of numerous Marines, sailors, Iraqi Policemen, and civilians. Both Marines displayed heroic, self-sacrificing actions and truly lived up to the Corps values of honor, courage, and commitment.

According to official reports the heroic actions of Haerter and Yale’s saved the lives of the 33 Marines and 21 Iraqi Police as well as numerous civilians at the entry control point.

Haerter and Yale were both posthumously awarded the Purple Heart Medal, Combat Action Ribbon and have been nominated for an award for their valor."

Editor’s Note: This story was written by Lance Corporal Casey Jones, a combat correspondent stationed in Camp Ramadi, Iraq. The Marines have been nominated for a Silver Star, the third highest award in the military, for their heroic actions that day. H/T to Pat Dollard

Requietum En Pacem, Marines

143 Days

Consider this from Cheri Jacobus ....

"Just how much Senate experience does Barack Obama have in terms of actual work days? Not much.

From the time Barack Obama was sworn in as a United State Senator, to the time he announced he was forming a Presidential exploratory committee, he logged 143 days of experience in the Senate. That's how many days the Senate was actually in session and working.

After 143 days of work experience, Obama believed he was ready to be Commander In Chief, Leader of the Free World, and fill the shoes of Abraham Lincoln, FDR, JFK and Ronald Reagan.

143 days -- I keep leftovers in my refrigerator longer than that.

In contrast, John McCain's 26 years in Congress, 22 years of military service including 1,966 days in captivity as a POW in Hanoi now seem more impressive than ever. At 71, John McCain may just be hitting his stride."

h/t to to Robbie Cooper at UrbanGrounds

Code Pinko: Witchy Women

When my hubby read this story to me, I honestly thought he was kidding.
Michelle Malkin: The Witchy Women of CodePink

“Friday, May 9th: Witches, Crones, Sirens: perform rituals of leaving, cast a spell of peace and love over the station, rendering nil the recruiting of our youth to become fodder for this occupation of Iraq.” CodePink-o website

BTW, Do they need some sort of permit to perform witchcraft?

No doubt the Berzerkeley City Council would come up with one. Free.

Howl, Moonbats. Arooooo!

Stephen King Channels John Kerry

(with apologies to Josh Painter at Redstate.com , from whom I snagged the title)

 

Stephen King, author, liberal, idiot:

"I don't want to sound like an ad, a public service ad on TV, but the fact is if you can read, you can walk into a job later on. If you don't, then you've got, the Army, Iraq, I don't know, something like that. It's, it's not as bright. So, that's my little commercial for that."

Perhaps you should read this, Mr. King:

Debunking the Myth of the Underprivileged Soldier
 
and this:

Claude Berube: Chamberlain's Ghost in Salem's Lot

The military services are filled with intelligent men and women who can not only read, but put their lives on the line daily while 'celebrities', politicians, writers and other 'elitists' and defeatists make denigrating comments about those who have chosen to serve their country in uniform.

UPDATE: Apparently the back-lash has gotten under Mr King's thin skin. From a message SK posted at stephenking.com:

"That a right-wing-blog would impugn my patriotism because I said children should learn to read, and could get better jobs by doing so, is beneath contempt."

Well, Mr King, you were correct in exhorting children to learn to read.

But that is not quite all you said.

"It's not as bright."
Your words, Mr King, referring directly to ... "the Army... something like that."

Whereas Hanoi John Kerry attempted to excuse his words by claiming it was 'a botched joke' slamming the Commander-in-Chief, Mr King made no such attempt to disguise his military-bashing.

Mr. King has the right to speak out against any policy, any war. But he failed to provide fact-driven objectivity and diminished his case by belittling military personnel. In the process, he gave the impression that his fiction isn’t restricted to what comes out of his pen." - Claude Berube

Bluto at the Jawa report has an excellent response:

"For the record, I don't impugn King's patriotism because he wants tiny, cute little children to learn to read. On the contrary, since the American military doesn't accept illiterates, patriotic youth hoping to serve their country should get the best education they can. The also-rans can always read Stephen King novels while waiting for their Welfare checks."

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 gives us freedom to demonstrate.

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

 -- Father Dennis Edward O'Brien

Fallen Hero: Sgt. Merlin German, USMC

Sgt. Merlin German was known as the 'Miracle Marine'.

On Feb 22, 2005, the 18 year-old was a turret gunner when his Humvee rolled over an IED in Anbar Province.

Merlin was blown out of the vehicle.

He was on fire.

Over 97% of his body was burned; only the top of his head and the soles of feet were not burned.

At Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in Germany, doctors gave Merlin a 0-3% chance of living. But guess what. Merlin fought on for more than three years, undergoing some 120 surgical procedures in that time.

At the burn unit in Brooke Army Medical Center, Merlin designed his own t-shirt:

The front: “Got 3% chance of surviving, what ya gonna do?”

The back: “A) Fight Through, b) Stay Strong, c) Overcome Because I Am a Warrior, or d) All of the Above!”

D is circled.

And he started a charity, Merlin's Miracles to aid child burn victims.

Merlin German died unexpectedly on April 11, after a skin graft, a relatively minor surgery.

Requiescat In Pace, Marine

Hello, Moron

"Liberals need to start calling a moron a moron—and openly mocking that moron if his positions or actions are indefensible."

So writeth Ian Murphy, Moron. 
Consider yourself mocked.

The entire POS article can be found here:

F*ck the Dead Troops

Another one of the lowlights:

"So, 4000 rubes are dead. Cry me the Tigris. Another 30,000 have been seriously wounded. Boo fucking hoo. They got what they asked for—and cool robotic limbs, too."

Mr. Moron Murphy will probably never admit that it is thanks to the very men and women he denigrates and apparently detests that he has the freedom to express his odious attitude.