O brave new world
That has such people in’t!
The Tempest V:1
This idea of heroism is all around us, there are those who work tirelessly to raise a family, there are true teachers who see past the syllabus of Socialist propaganda handed them and teach beyond the norm to expose young minds to the virtue of intellectual honesty, there are firemen who put their safety on the line to help those in trouble, heroism takes place around us every day and we have become almost indifferent to how people are wiling to put forth the extra effort to make a difference.
Personally, I’ve had two opportunities to be heroic; although, the incidents seem almost laughable now, at the time I was designated a hero, if only for a few minutes. The first incident was on the beach in British Columbia; it was a cloudy day and the water was cold; there were only two people in the water, a small boy and me. The boy was on an air mattress and had drifted about fifty feet from shore; I assumed the men to be his grandfather, father, and uncle, they were standing ankle deep in the cold water, wearing their swimming shorts and watching the boy.
I am a strong swimmer and usually swam long distances along the shore line to keep myself fit, but something told me to stay in this area and keep an eye on the boy: the currents were strong and could easily pull the flimsy life raft rapidly out to sea. The men watching the boy were Eastern European judging from their language and accents that I’d never heard before and couldn’t identify.
The boy was drifting out slowly, but was not really in trouble; I was reluctant to interfere, these men might think I was a nut or even a pervert and since they didn’t appear to speak English, the potential for a misunderstanding was even greater. At the risk of sounding prejudicial, I have found Eastern Europeans capable of doing the most inappropriate things during normal activities; I chalk this up to growing up and living in a Marxist-Leninist Society, where personal decisions are almost non-existent. Meanwhile, I continued to swim back and forth, while keeping a distance from the boy, but maintaining a safe watch on him.
There were small waves and some of the larger ones were approximately eight or ten inches. Suddenly, a wave caught the life raft from the side and dumped the boy off the raft. I waited for the boy to start swimming or for one of the men on shore to swim to him. On shore, the men watched everything and were frozen in shock or fear, the boy couldn’t swim; he went straight down, came up once for air, then went down again. I looked at the men in disbelief as they stood horrified and swam over a few strokes and found the boy under the water. I swam to shore with his face out of the water and with him hugged to my body. He was pretty much recovered by the time we walked through the shallow water and up to the three men. The grandfather, in perfect English, said “Thank You” and then turned to slap his two grown sons and yell at them in that strange language. Oh well, I can’t expect to understand other people’s cultures.
I’ve never had life guard training, but I have practiced swimming holding on to girl friends, just to “practice”. None the less, it worked and everything went well. I thought to myself that I had done something significant: I had saved a boy from drowning. It wasn’t dramatic, it didn’t require special skills or courage, it didn’t make the news, as a matter of fact no one but the five of us even knew it happened; still I felt good inside, while being careful not to blow the incident and my participation out of proportion. There was an incident and I stepped in to help; although, this is a minor incident it helps us realize and appreciate the sacrifice and dedication of our military in the Middle East.
There was an incident, and they have volunteered to step forward by the hundreds of thousands. Their commitment is far beyond swimming a few strokes to reach under the water for a drowning boy: they walk willingly into the possibility of violent death or the catastrophic maiming of their bodies. These are the Heroes. These are the Heroes who have kept our cities and homes safe from Terrorist attack for the last nine years. How will “We” ever be able to say, “Thank You”?
A professional horseman for over 50 years, Skook continues to work with horses. Skook has finished an historical novel, Fifty Thousand Years, that traces a mitochondrial line of DNA from 50,000 years ago to the present. The story follows a line of courageous women, from the Ice Ages to the present, as they meet the challenges of survival with grit and creativity. These are not women who whimper of being victims, they meet the challenges of survival as women who use their abilities without excuses or remorse, these women are winners, they are our ancestors.
Fifty Thousand Years is available in paperback and e-book, it is getting great reviews. You can purchase a copy here; Visit me on Facebook.
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Dylantheauthor
Celebrate Heroes. Hometown Patriots and Patriots from far and near honored a Fallen Hero
Residents of Missouri Town Block Protesters From Picketing Soldier’s Funeral
http://www.foxnews.com/us/2010/11/07/residents-missouri-town-block-protesters-picketing-soldiers-funeral/?test=latestnews
The entire town of Weston, MO mourned the loss, half of the town of 2,000 were present to deny that Twisted SOB Fred Phelps and his disgusting crew from the Westboro Baptist Church the opportunity to tarnish that day and cheapen the Honor of one of America’s Second Greatest Generation. They did it in non-violent fashion and Phelps and his Merry Band of Haters fled the scene.
Let Phelps try to pull this crap in my neck of the woods. There is an excellent trauma center in Missoula if they can crawl there. My tolerance stops abruptly when folks show up from miles away to stir the pot and dishonor America’s Second Greatest Generation or torment a grieving community. No one has the Right to do either and No One will get away with that crap in my presence.
Thank You Weston, MO!
Old Trooper 2, that is such unbelievably insensitive, cruel, inhumane behavior. I can’t fathom the lack of empathy someone must have to, as you say, “torment a grieving community.” It just seems plainly evil to me, all the more so for being done out of some twisted sense of religious purpose.
@ Random Thoughts, The Phelps Crew is a Cult in my opinion and practice some of the most hateful behavior, are not genuinely qualified for Tax Exempt Status, rely upon Lawyers in the Cult to litigate for First Amendment Rights while they travel to small towns to bring trouble, hate and intimidation to grieving Families and Communities that lost a son, a daughter, a father and America lost a Patriot.
Phelps is a disgusting character and what he practices is not religion, has any redeeming value or worthy of respect.
Enough said from me. The Citizens of Weston, MO stood up and earned my admiration and respect.
Had the SFC been one of My Troopers, the Phelps Crew would regret even showing up for the event.
#Skookum – You said:
I think you just did say, “Thank You.”
Amen and well said.
Thanks Antics, that is a nice way to look at the situation.
I think we all better be ready to stand up for this crew when and if they get jacked around by Uncle Sam. We can gut government spending to the bone and cut out all the rinky dink crap, but “they” deserve the best! I will stand for them until they take me down and many guys will tell you, it aint all that easy to take me down.
Amen Skook, God Bless these “Rough Men” and Women that stand in harms for me and U.S. I wish I could still be with them! Hats off to the fine people of Weston Mo. and to Hell with those jerks from Westboro Baptist(?) 😈 Lastly its a little early but Happy Veterans Day to all my fellow vets. God bless you and keep you.
The real travesty is the fact that Veterans that left Active Service due to Disability and are now not subject to DOD Medical Care and were injured, wounded, shot up, blown up by IEDs, burned up or suffer from TBI (Traumatic Brain Injury) are now left to the tender mercies of a bureaucracy that is underfunded by Congress, headed by Career Federal Employees, the Department of Veterans Affairs.
The VA has over 800,000 + Claims that remain un-adjudiciated. Waste Funds on Studies but have a lack of programs for effective treatment, take years to adjudicate claims for Disability Compensation and the Veteran and their Families wait for the “Thanks of a Grateful Nation”.
The difference between Care and Treatment at Walter Reed or Bethesda and the top notch VA Facility is staggering.
With close to a Million Claims backlogged, the POTUS parties hearty, travels the world like a rock star and Disabled Veterans wait like beggars for ‘alms for the poor”. Senators and Congress Members get treatment at WRAMC and Bethesda with VIP Status, get automatic pay raises and a Pension Plan that is a Kings Ransom. ARRA and TARP funding was not an problem. Funding for the VA is. TARP and ARRA received Dollars by the Truckload, the Veteran gets pennies by the teaspoon full.
That, My Friends, truly gives me a case of the ‘red ass”.
“All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing.” — Edmund Burke
The good people of Weston stood up to Phelps and his hate mongers and the evil ones retreated back into the darkness.
Skook:
I imagine for you and many others that there are many more than just 2 times you have saved lives. Many you have probably forgotten about and never even considered.
OT:
One correction in your post. There is no second greatest generation in my mind. Each generation that stands up for liberty and attempts to keep this country free is just the current “greatest generation”
Without each successive one, all generations come to a close. That is my take on it anyway.
Thanks for all of your excellent posts and stories.
Skook, your gratitude is unquestionable! Not to be doubted, has to be much appreciated by our heroes that happen to come by and read your words.
OT
Weston is about 80 miles southwest of our farm. I pray they never would have reason to show up in our county… if they ever did, I doubt they’d get out of there unscathed. Lot’s of fine people down there, very close knit, they’ve taken care of us for years and they will more than take care of their own. That Phelps cult would rue the day, I’m picturing faces right now of a few that would give them a very bad day.
One class of heroism that is ignored is the one for the people who go through life not causing any problems to others, raise there kids to be a benefit to society, don’t break the law, live a quiet life, and try to assimilate the good qualities of others. They are the ones who don’t get on the news and don’t try to.
How will “We” ever be able to say, “Thank You”?
One way to say “Thank You” is to elect politicians who put our troops first. Another way is to fund the military, including the VA, first. They should get the funding they need so they can keep keeping us free. For many years I have heard about the mistreatment of wounded veterans. They are the ones who make it possible for US citizens to complain about our government and not get thrown in prison or have our head cut off. Phelps and others like him don’t realize that if enough of the ones who they want to get elected get in office, they themselves won’t be able to complain about the government like they are now.
I was right across the street from Phelps’ group at Arlington National Cemetery on October 15. Some of the motorcycle riders were there too. They parked their bikes so that the exhaust was pointed to the traitors. Each time the traitors got on their loudspeakers one of the riders revved up his engine and drowned then out.
#9 Jlfintx
I noticed that too, but wasn’t going to say anything. Everyone from the colonists to today’s soldier are “The Greatest Generation.”
American Spartans
Marines face uncertain future
Lets take some time to look at this…
http://www.nypost.com/p/news/opinion/opedcolumnists/american_spartans_mSTL9ozlpEoV3lO4v9KhgK
Generations of young men, and now young women, have passed through the Marines’ unique 13-week boot camp at the Parris Island and San Diego recruit depots, where they’re prepared body and soul for a love of country as well as of combat — and a love for the traditions of the Marine Corps.
That’s why they are easy for a historian to love. It’s why the 1st Marine Division takes pride in being called the “Old Breed” — where “old” means upholding the sometimes unfashionable values of honor, duty, courage and sacrifice.
That’s why some of us would feel a whole lot safer if President Obama had done his 13 weeks at Parris Island. Because right now, this administration is casting a shadow over the Marines and their future.
When Navy Secretary James Forrestal watched Marines plant the flag on Mount Surabachi on Iwo Jima — the most iconic image of World War II in the Pacific — he told Marine Gen. Holland Smith, “That means a Marine Corps for the next 500 years.”
His prediction is looking premature.
Back in August, Defense Secretary Robert Gates ordered a massive review of the corps’ future role, due out in December. In Pentagon speak, “review” usually means “get ready for cuts,” and this is no exception.
Gates has been quoted as saying that the Marines have “gotten too big” since the Iraq and Afghanistan wars grew their numbers from 175,000 to 202,000, and “too heavy, too removed from their expeditionary, amphibious roots” as during World War II. Too many Marines “have never stepped aboard a ship.”
That’s fine, except Gates has also mused about whether big amphibious operations like Iwo Jima or Inchon are even feasible any more in the age of long-range anti-ship missiles — and whether the money spent on ships, helicopters, landing vehicles and planes for close air support of Marines attacking from the sea might be better spent elsewhere.
*************************************************************
OK, there you have it. Hmm Budget cuts. Like cutting off your nose to spite your face.
Perhaps Gates needs a Geography lesson. Afghanistan does not have a beach but we do
have a War to Win or Lose there. No one wants to discuss the consequences of losing.
@ jlfintx
This Generation is involved in a War that has been going on for 9+ Years. I have served with them. There appears to be no end to it at this time. They are indeed great. Some of them have withstood 4+ deployments. With no Victory yet in sight. There is no shortage of Patriots in uniform these days. They are only 3% of the US Population. There is no abundance of Plans to Win and bring them Home with a Victory that is Worthy of and Equal to their Effort. That is the difference between this generation and of those past.
For Obama, weakening or dissolving the USMC is just another tactic to weaken and demoralize the American people.
Without going into history the Marines have prided themselves on be adapt to many scenarios and deploying very quickly. Most of us only know the scenario from the perspective of a rifleman, but in many instances this ability to react quickly and decisively has been extremely effective.
Obama sees this as an excellent opportunity to weaken America’s response while appearing fiscally responsible. He is a despicable man.
@ Skookum…
http://www.dvidshub.net/video/98343/235th-marine-corps-birthday-message 😉
Skooks NO mere POTUS can F— with the Corps.
Happy 235th Birthday
@ rich wheeler…Congress can, it’s called Funding. Sec Def can it is called Re-Missioning and that can be done as a matter of Budget Cuts. Your mere POTUS can sign off on it in the Fiscal Budget. ” A Stroke of the Pen that is mightier than the Sword”
I am not here to teach anyone how Gummint works but remember the Peace Dividends after Gulf War One? Reductions in Force called RIFs do happen when a POTUS decides that Social Programs are a Priority and the Military always takes it on the chin. Those of short memory are doomed to see a repeat of poor policies and those who support a POTUS that imposes them are as guilty as those that make the cuts.
Somalia, Clinton Admin DOD Crap Wizard Les Aspin FAILED to send Light Armor so spaces at Arlington were filled. I was there with the 10th Mountain Division in Command of an Air Assault Scout Platoon. We could not get into the Fight because of a shortage of Airlift Capability.
( They DID NOT Send Enough of what was Required for the Mission)
Try BS-ing someone else. I know better than to believe that any Military Branch is exempt from Budget Cuts or fools in Charge at DOD Level. I thought that even you would know that.
Thanks Rich!
Ain’t gonna happen Colonel.The Corps has been here 235 years and as Sec.of Navy said coming ashore D day+5 on Iwo as flag raised on Suribachi “This guarantees 200 more years.”
Thanks for your insight and your service
“
Skookum wrote —
Obama has never discussed or proposed weakening or dissolving the Marine Corps. This is another made up issue, created out of thin air, just like the death panels “pulling the plug on grandma”, czars, FEMA concentration camps, rounding up all the guns in America, and reinstating the fairness doctrine. But repeating it over and over again will not make it an actual issue.
Old Trooper —
One cannot discuss military spending without considering the issues raised in “The Pentagon’s New Map” by Thomas Barnett. We have too many ships, too many planes, too many communications systems, and not enough men to actually do the things that we need to be doing. It has been 20 years since the post-Berlin Wall rethinking of the military’s next mission and budgetary needs. Time for another review.
OT, I have always wanted to ask what happened and where you were during that SNAFU, but some questions aren’t asked, out of respect.
I was a recruit on Parris Island on this day many years ago, Chesty Puller was driven onto the Island (via a land bridge) in a motor arcade and they fired the big naval guns. Our Senior DI told us we were a part of Marine Corps History that day. The old WWII wood barracks shook like they were going to fall apart when the big guns fired. Quite a day!
Semper Fi (Always Faithful) to all Leathernecks and everyone else at FA. Marines always stand a little taller on this day.
Now, to work.
@ B-Rob, the QDR does that. Revisions are a constant but change in DOD is expensive, time consuming and the Cabinet Level folks in other Departments ALL want their piece of the Budget Pie as well. Each Service fights for theirs as well.
Gates, Sec Def, has proposed a smaller more agile USMC. That is a matter or record.
There is waste in every Department. Cutting a Budget must fit the POTUSs Priorities.
I’ll let it go at that. The QDR is supposed to address Defense Needs. It is not light reading, BTW.
@ rich wheeler, Don’t get fooled. The Budget axe has no mercy. I lived with equipment shortages off and on over the years, Politicians of every flavor not funding, Foreign Policies that did not work, deployments because of it and “doing more with less”. Sending too few, like elections, has consequences.
I never had a CiC that shared my priorities over the years. Forces get cut back, an Enemy perceives weakness and the cycle repeats itself. DOD always seems stuck on fighting the last war but with economy of Force. We would have never won WWII with the present mindset at DOD.
MARSOC was long overdue and is in it’s infancy. SF and SEALS have been around a long time. I have attended a few JOINT FORCES Schools and the things that work today came from Joint Operations. However some “Genius” at DOD or a SEC DEF can set things on the back burner as easily as Congress can just fail to fund based on someones “stroke of Genius” on doing more with less. I have had to live with that for decades. No Branch is exempt. Believe it.
Old Trooper —
We need a top to bottom, nuts and bolts review of every dollar being spent by the military. I.e., why can’t the air force and the navy figure out a single fighter bomber to buy together instead of each force doing their own thing? We did that with the F-4 and it worked for 30 years. No two separate helicoptors doing the same mission for the army and navy, but with different engines and double the parts.
Did you know the US military is the single largest user of oil in the world? What does that mean for budgets and risk and alternative fuels usage? And should we be having a 10,000 plan, 300 ship military when no other country has anywhere near half of that number?
Should we be spending as much as we do on our military, on money borrowed from the Chinese, while our domestic infrastructure rots? They are building state of the art commercial ports while we are building more ships to keep THEIR sea lanes open! And our ports? Old and obsolete.
I see no reason why the military, like all other government agencies (and that is what it is . . . just another government agency, with all the flaws and redundancies and bureaucracy that implies) could stand a 10% budget cut. Make them prioritize, the same way the Department of Education (small potatoes), the State Department (a piker), and the Department of Energy (financially inconsequential) should prioritize.
B-Rob: WHAT if there is no time for another REVIEW, WHAT work before has no reasons
OR excuses not to work at this present time; IF the military get the right leader,
with the right COMMAND, they will go for it. NO fooling around with this. and less blood spilled,
IF THE government care enough.
B-Rob: the MILITARY is not like all other Agency; IT is the NUMBER ONE AGENCY and A NUMBER one PRIORITY for GOVERNMENT to SUPPLY WHAT they NEED.
NO matter if the government like it or not,and no CIVILIENS are knowledge enough to make any
remarks like you did, just now, SHAME on whoever want to restrained their need to fight to save your freedom to spit on them, they have many places to cut ,JUST ASK OUR
CONSERVATIVES JUST BEEN ELECTED;AND I might even SUGJEST CUTING DOWN THE LAWERS EMPLOYED BY THE MANY AGENCYS OF THE GOVERNMENT. WE have some LAWERS ELECTED
that can do a good job.
@Old Trooper 2: #12
You do everything you can to defeat your enemies. The military is Obama’s enemy because they won’t let him take control of the country like he wants to. The Marines are our ELITE fighting force. If he can reduce them down, then he can reduce the rest of the military.
Remember how he said he wanted a civilian security force that is as strong and equally funded as the military. He said this while he was running for the democratic nomination. What did Hitler call his?
He can’t activate the National Guard to do his bidding. The individual governors have to do that. This is why he couldn’t go into Louisiana BEFORE Katrina. The liberal democrat governor didn’t want him to get the credit. They were willing to risk lives to keep Bush from getting any credit for helping them. Many people lost their lives because the governor lost the bet.
SMORGASBORD: hi, I just want to say how far can they go, It don’t seems to be no limits,
and now they are even more desperate, so what will they do next. bye
@ B-Rob the QDR accomplishes the budget, training goal and the modifications needed.
http://www.defense.gov/qdr/
Then Congress either funds or does not. This is not Classified Info. You can read it at your leisure.
At the Army War College I contributed to the analysis a few years back. I am familiar with the process. It is a comprehensive review. Congress holds the purse strings regardless of the Defense needs stayed in the QDR. If They don’t read it, I know what you get.
@ Smorgasbord, WE have ELITE in All Branches. WE do not need any reductions. Obama is about to sign a START treaty that will set us back 40 years. The Russians are giggling at that prospect.
@ B-Rob, Stalin had 5 and 10 year plans. We have the QDR and Congress to be the Judge on the price tag.
That’s why some of us would feel a whole lot safer if President Obama had done his 13 weeks at Parris Island.
King Obama wouldn’t make it one week, let along the whole 13. If he were to try it, there would be a pool to guess which DAY he would drop out.
@ilovebeeswarzone: #28
“…It don’t seems to be no limits,
and now they are even more desperate, so what will they do next”
The next thing is to cut Social Security and Medicare benefits and throw out hundreds of tax breaks.
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/g/a/2010/11/10/bloomberg1376-LBOK5T1A74E901-289J5LS1RAHS2PDLB32UTU6J9Q.DTL
One reason I don’t belong to any political party is none of them has made any effort to put Social Security in a separate account and to only give it to THOSE WHO PAID INTO IT. It’s like one person on the radio said earlier today that the SS system is just a ponzi scheme, and it is now paying out more than it is taking in.
I am retired and some illegals are getting a bigger SS check each month than I am, and I paid into it my whole working career.
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/sns-ap-us-cutting-deficits,0,4035043.story
@Old Trooper 2: “WE have ELITE in All Branches”
To me ALL military personnel are ELITE. I have also said the ones sitting in offices doing paperwork all day are doing a vital part of keeping me free. They are supporting the ones who do the actual fighting to keep me free.
I want the military (including the VA) funded first. Without a strong military we will have what our King-in-Chief wants: A country that can’t defend itself. Remember how he wants a civilian security force that is as strong and funded equally as the military? Why would he want a CIVILIAN force that was as strong as the military? I wonder.