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By Janet Evans
Tuesday, Nov 11 2008, 06:30 AM
For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
October 31, 2008
Veterans Day, 2008
A Proclamation by the President of the United States of America
On Veterans Day, we pay tribute to the service and sacrifice of the men and women who in defense of our freedom have bravely worn the uniform of the United States.
From the fields and forests of war-torn Europe to the jungles of Southeast Asia, from the deserts of Iraq to the mountains of Afghanistan, brave patriots have protected our Nation's ideals, rescued millions from tyranny, and helped spread freedom around the globe. America's veterans answered the call when asked to protect our Nation from some of the most brutal and ruthless tyrants, terrorists, and militaries the world has ever known. They stood tall in the face of grave danger and enabled our Nation to become the greatest force for freedom in human history. Members of the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, and Coast Guard have answered a high calling to serve and have helped secure America at every turn.
Our country is forever indebted to our veterans for their quiet courage and exemplary service. We also remember and honor those who laid down their lives in freedom's defense. These brave men and women made the ultimate sacrifice for our benefit. On Veterans Day, we remember these heroes for their valor, their loyalty, and their dedication. Their selfless sacrifices continue to inspire us today as we work to advance peace and extend freedom around the world.
With respect for and in recognition of the contributions our service members have made to the cause of peace and freedom around the world, the Congress has provided (5 U.S.C. 6103(a)) that November 11 of each year shall be set aside as a legal public holiday to honor America's veterans.
NOW, THEREFORE, I, GEORGE W. BUSH, President of the United States of America, do hereby proclaim November 11, 2008, as Veterans Day and urge all Americans to observe November 9 through November 15, 2008, as National Veterans Awareness Week. I encourage all Americans to recognize the bravery and sacrifice of our veterans through ceremonies and prayers. I call upon Federal, State, and local officials to display the flag of the United States and to support and participate in patriotic activities in their communities. I invite civic and fraternal organizations, places of worship, schools, businesses, unions, and the media to support this national observance with commemorative expressions and programs.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this thirty-first day of October, in the year of our Lord two thousand eight, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-third.
GEORGE W. BUSH
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By Janet Evans
Monday, Sep 1 2008, 07:05 AM
Oshkosh Corp. Earns Top Employer Support AwardBy Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service
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| WASHINGTON, Aug. 29, 2008 – Oshkosh Corp. is slated to receive the Defense Department’s top award next month for supporting its employees who volunteer to serve in the National Guard and reserves.
The Oshkosh, Wis.-based company will be among 15 employers nationwide to receive the 2008 Secretary of Defense Employer Support Freedom Award during a Sept. 18 ceremony here.
The Freedom Award is the highest recognition the U.S. government gives to employers for outstanding support of their employees who serve in the National Guard and reserves.
Company employees nominated Oshkosh, which designs and builds military vehicles and vehicle bodies, for the award for creating an environment they said made its employees who serve in the military feel not just accepted, but also applauded and rewarded.
Marine Corps Maj. Dion Angling, a company employee, reported that the company hosted a special going-away dinner before he deployed to Iraq in 2006, sent him care packages while he was gone, and hosted a welcoming lunch on his return. His co-workers surprised him by decorating his office for the occasion.
Army Capt. Nguyen Trinh, another company employee, praised Oshkosh for giving him the time he needed to prepare for his upcoming deployment, and keeping up its support when he was deployed.
“My company was very proactive in ensuring that I understood all the benefits I would continue to receive during my deployment, and what I could expect upon my return. The company has reached out to my wife by taking an interest in her well-being,” he said. “I am very fortunate to work for such a great organization.”
Oshkosh demonstrates its support for its citizen-soldiers in other ways, too. A “Wall of Honor” appears at each plant, displaying reserve-component members’ photos and profiles. The company contributes to deployed employees’ unit family support groups and has coordinated transportation for their Guard and reserve employees to visit their families.
The company also contributes to the Marine Corps Reserves’ Toys for Tots program, regularly attends military hiring conferences seeking current and former servicemembers for its management positions, and pays the difference between its employees’ civilian and military pay while they’re on active duty.
Robert G. Bohn, Oshkosh chairman and chief executive officer, said the company is honored to receive recognition for the support it provides its employees serving on active duty.
“Our company continued to succeed, not only because of the strength of our product and services, but also because of the integrity of our people,” he said. “We are grateful for these employees who are essential in helping Oshkosh succeed while also serving the country in a separate capacity, and to support them is the right thing to do.”
Gordon Summer, executive director of Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve, credits employers like Bohn with ensuring citizen-soldiers are able to carry out their important dual roles.
“In the military, the best leaders are those who always take care of their people – and it is no different in the civilian workplace,” he said. “Oshkosh Corp. has shown that it takes care of its people. Its employees who are also reserve and Guard members know the company is helping take care of their family while they are away serving this country.” |
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By Janet Evans
Monday, Aug 4 2008, 08:46 PM
The U.S. Army is in dire need of native Arabic translators and is willing to pay bonuses of $150,000 in hopes of keeping them. And it isn’t just a matter of knowing the language…it’s a matter of knowing the culture of the region. It’s a matter of knowing how the people think. That’s why just learning the language and becoming a translator won’t cut it.
"This is a war not only against the US, but against our way of freedom," says Sergeant Madi, a native interpreter and US citizen who asked to be identified only by his surname due to security concerns for him and his family. "We have been fighting for over 16 years against Islamic extremism. It is also my war."
The matter of trust comes into play here also. Can we totally trust the interpreter? The U.S. is using interpreters who have been rushed through the Green Card process....pushed through just so they can be used for this purpose. Can they be trusted? Who is the ultimate judge here?
“The Army has also been quietly growing its own capability to recruit and train Arab-Americans and others as American soldiers to do high-level work overseas. The Army now has more than 600 such linguists, known by their military job designation as "09 Limas." They come from places like Morocco, Egypt, and Sudan, but are recruited by the Army wherever there are large Arab-American populations, including Dearborn, Mich.; Miami; Dallas; Los Angeles; and Washington, D.C. The Defense Department is now authorized to put green-card holders on a fast track to US citizenship. The 09 Lima linguists are in so much demand that the Army is raising the number it will recruit next year, from 250 to 275. "
Then there are stories like this. The ultimate judge? Ask the commander… "Yet when it comes to linguistic and cultural expertise, few can compare to a native speaker, defense officials say. "They hear things that are said around them, they are able to see things that others can't see," says Mr. Smith. Smith tells the story of a commander in Iraq who was using a civilian interpreter, or "terp" in the vernacular of the military, employed by a private contractor, as the American commander spoke to a local Iraqi. During the meeting, the civilian interpreted literally the words of the local Iraqi, who had told other Iraqis to feed the American commander parsley. But an 09 Lima standing nearby heard something different: feeding parsley to someone was a reference to an old expression in which parsley was fed to a bird to choke it to death. "He was pretty much giving an order to have the commander killed," says Smith. "Right there, a life was saved .... You can see just by knowing a bit of slang, being a native speaker, it can make a difference."
Read the entire article from the Christian Science Monitor
HERE
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By Janet Evans
Thursday, Jun 19 2008, 07:07 AM
Terrorists Use Roadside Bombs as Strategic Weapon, General Says
By Gerry J. Gilmore
American Forces Press Service |
WASHINGTON, June 18, 2008 – Terrorists in Afghanistan and Iraq employ improvised explosive devices as a weapon of choice to sap the willpower of the American people, a senior U.S. officer said here today. Terrorists use IEDs “as a strategic weapon to wear our will down, because our soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines can whip this thing, tactically,” Army Lt. Gen. Thomas F. Metz, director of the Joint Improvised Explosive Device Defeat Organization, told attendees at the 2008 Joint Warfighting Conference.
Metz compared the enemy’s strategy today in Afghanistan and Iraq to what occurred more than 30 years ago in Southeast Asia, when North Vietnamese leaders also employed irregular warfare to grind down the U.S. public’s desire to continue the Vietnam War. The United States and its allies now are involved in a global, irregular war against terrorism that’s likely to last 20 to 30 years, Metz said.
“And the enemy in that warfare will use asymmetric weapons against us; he will try to figure out where we don’t want to fight,” he added.
Metz, a past commander of Multinational Corps Iraq, said his organization has scored many successes in its battle against roadside bombs. Various jamming devices, he said, have proved capable of thwarting many terrorist attempts to detonate IEDs by radio signal.
However, the terrorists are a wily enemy that change IED-detonation procedures in reaction to U.S. countermeasures, Metz said. For example, he said, the terrorists often alternate between using wireless and hard-wired detonation methods to set off their roadside bombs.
The enemy also employs mentally challenged people as suicide bombers, Metz said. In these instances, he noted, the charges often are detonated by a remote device when the bombers reach their targets.
“We’re fighting in an irregular way because the enemy doesn’t want to mess with us in a conventional way,” Metz said. The terrorists, he said, realize they can’t compete with the U.S. military on a conventional battlefield. However, al-Qaida, the Taliban and other terrorists are relentless foes who telegraph their plans in their writings and messages to the world, Metz pointed out.
“Make no mistake about it – these thugs write what they’re going to do, just as clearly as Adolf Hitler wrote “Mein Kampf,” Metz said. “Mein Kampf,” meaning “My Struggle” in English, was written a decade before Hitler came to power in Germany in 1933. The book clearly outlined Hitler’s plans for world domination and destruction of the Jewish people.
Terrorists use IEDs as a strategic tool to “get us to quit, so that the caliphate can rise up and the thugs can take over,” Metz said. It’s therefore paramount, Metz emphasized, that using the IED as a strategic weapon doesn’t lead terrorists to decide to use it to attack Americans in the homeland.
Meanwhile, U.S. forces “are absolutely confident they can win” in Afghanistan and Iraq, Metz said, adding that American servicemembers “are a super-quality bunch of men and women.” U.S. servicemembers can win the fight in Afghanistan and Iraq if they’re supported properly, Metz emphasized.
“And that is what I want to do with the Joint IED Defeat Organization,” he said. |
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By Janet Evans
Saturday, Jun 7 2008, 09:10 AM
….I’m Rambo, damn it!
Too bad there isn’t a way to make sure these weapons never get in the hands of the enemy. But that’s impossible.
The close-up of the ammunition was pretty chilling.
In the end, it's just like when the military used to throw a grenade into a building before they went in...now, they use this weapon instead.
Don't forget about military Robobugs .
If you're interested, here's a link to BLACKWATER Ã
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By Janet Evans
Monday, Jun 2 2008, 04:15 PM
I know…It’s a war.
There’s nothing positive about war.
Well, we have to mention when things are looking up, because the media tends to ignore that.
U.S. troop deaths in Iraq fell to their lowest level last month since the 2003 invasion and officials said on Sunday improved security also helped the country boost oil production in May to a post-war
high.
U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates and Iraq's oil minister credited better security for the two milestones, which illustrated a dramatic turnabout in the fortunes of a country on the brink of all-out sectarian civil war just 12 months ago.
Read the story from Reuters
Iraq hits milestones on U.S. troop deaths and oil í here
Some photos of those who serve…
ACADEMY FLYOVER
U.S. Naval Academy graduates cheer as the Navy's Blue Angels fly over Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium in Annapolis, Md., during their commencement ceremony, May 23, 2008. U.S. Navy Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, was the ceremony's guest speaker.
Defense Dept. photo by U.S. Navy Petty Officer 1st Class Chad J. McNeeley
NIGHT FIRE
While looking through night vision gear, U.S. Marine firefighters put out a fire in front of the old
Gunner’s Gym, May 6, 2008, during a simulated terrorist bombing on Camp Foster, Okinawa, Japan.
U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Ashley Stadel
STAYING THE COURSE
A plebe listens for instructions before starting an obstacle course
during Sea Trails at the U.S. Naval Academy, May 13, 2008.
Sea Trials are divided into six phases to provides physical and
mental challenges to test the plebes teamwork and mental stamina
through shared adversities.
U.S. Navy photo by Chief Petty Officer Todd P. Cichonowicz
CEREMONIAL COLOR
U.S. Navy Seaman Seth Green participates in the color guard for a change of
command ceremony for the mine countermeasures ship USS Guardian, Sasebo,
Japan, May 8, 2008. Lt. Cmdr. Steven H. DeMoss relinquished command to
Lt. Cmdr. Theodore E. Essenfield.
U.S. Navy photo Petty Officer 2nd Class Joshua J. Wahl
WE ARE AMERICANS
Two hundred fifty-nine foreign-born U.S. troops serving throughout Iraq become American citizens
at Al Faw Palace, Camp Victory, Iraq, April 12, 2008, in the largest U.S. naturalization ceremony to date in Iraq.
U.S. Army Sgt. Jasmine Chopra
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By Janet Evans
Friday, May 23 2008, 10:42 PM
"Love our country", "America, love it or leave it" and "No glory like old glory"
These were considered “pro-war” slogans during the Vietnam war…
I don’t really consider them “pro-war.”
I realize why people are “anti-war,” but I don’t believe people who believe our troops must continue in Iraq should be labeled “pro-war.”
I don’t want war any more than anyone else.
Sgt. Corey Glass, 25, is an American National Guardsman who was due to redeploy to Iraq in 2006, and refused. He instead deserted and took refuge in Canada. He is said to be the first Iraqi war dodger from the U.S. to face imminent deportation from Canada.
“I don’t think it is fair that I should be returned to the United States to face unjust punishment for doing what I felt morally obligated to do,” Glass said.”
On this Memorial Day weekend, when we honor those fallen soldiers who have given their lives to protect our freedoms, I really don’t care what Sgt. Corey Glass thinks is “fair.”
He joined the National Guard voluntarily.
“Glass joined the National Guard in 2002 believing it was a “humanitarian organization.” He said he was told he would never be deployed abroad to combat.”
I find it very hard to believe that in 2002 Glass would have been told he would "never" be deployed abroad to combat.
And you know what?
You don't sign up to serve your country without committing yourself to do just that...serve your country.
So, Sgt. Glass..."Love it or leave it" in your case, should have been done before you signed up.
Too late....
Welcome back to the USA.
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By Janet Evans
Friday, May 16 2008, 04:16 PM
Mullen Lauds U.S. Troops in Armed Forces Day MessageAmerican Forces Press Service
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WASHINGTON, May 16, 2008 – It is right for Americans to pause and honor the country’s military on Armed Forces Day tomorrow, Navy Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said in a message to the troops marking the event. His full message follows:
“Today, American citizens will pause to honor those of you who accept the grave and honorable responsibility of defending our country. It is right we do so.
“The world remains a dangerous place. The hundreds of thousands of you who have deployed since September 11th -- many of you more than once -- already know that. You've stood up to those dangers. You've lost friends to them. You may even have lost a bit of yourself to them.
“You and your families have sacrificed greatly, and we appreciate it.
“The enemies we face, from radical extremists to regional powers with nuclear ambitions, directly and irrefutably threaten our vital national interests. They threaten our very way of life.
“You stand between these dangers and the American people. You accepted a grave and honorable responsibility. You signed up, took an oath, made a promise to defend something larger than yourselves. And then you went out and did it.
“Whether you serve in Baghdad or Bagram, Kabul or Kuwait -- whether you find yourself at sea in the Pacific, flying support missions over Europe, on the ground in Africa or working every day at stateside bases -- you are making a difference and so is every person in your family. Your service matters.
“Thank you and God bless.” |
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By Janet Evans
Thursday, May 8 2008, 12:15 AM
New Names Etched Into Vietnam Veterans Memorial WallBy John J. Kruzel
American Forces Press Service
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WASHINGTON, May 7, 2008 – The names of four U.S. servicemembers were etched into the glossy black walls of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial this week alongside more than 58,000 of their fallen comrades. Finishing the addition today was the name of Raymond C. Mason, a Marine lance corporal who died a year ago as a result of ailing health stemming from a bullet wound that paralyzed him in February 1968 during the Tet Offensive.
In a ceremony at the wall here, Mason’s widow, Priscilla Mason, watched as an engraver inched a sandblaster over the Marine’s stenciled name with surgeonlike precision.
Priscilla got on bended knee, held a sheet of paper up to the bright, new inscription, and rubbed a crayon in diagonal strokes until “RAYMOND C MASON” was embossed against the white paper. She said she plans to have the outline tattooed onto her skin, and she has promised to make dozens of rubbings for friends back home in Riverside, R.I., when she returns here on Memorial Day.
“This is wonderful. He’s finally home,” she said when asked how she felt upon seeing the finished product on Panel 41E, Line 64 of the memorial.
The names of Richard M. Goosens, a Marine lance corporal, and Dennis O. Hargrove and Darrell J. Naylor, both Army specialists fourth class, were inscribed here yesterday. The Defense Department determined that their deaths, which occurred years after the end of U.S. operations in Vietnam, resulted from wounds suffered in a combat zone there.
The wall’s 58,260 etched names bear testament to the ultimate sacrifice paid by those U.S. troops, said R. James Nicholson, former secretary of Veterans Affairs.
“It’s also a tangible expression of the gratitude of the American people for those who served and died there,” he said in an interview today. “The hope is that more and more Americans will learn and grow to appreciate the sacrifice and the price that was paid to perpetuate our freedom.”
Designed by architect Maya Lin and built in 1982, the memorial consists of two black walls sunken into the ground, with a rolling mound of earth behind it sloping toward a heavily trafficked street.
“It was Maya’s vision for the memorial that it appear as a rift in the earth,” said J.C. Cummings, architect of record for the memorial. “At the same time, the wall serves a practical purpose of separating the visitor from the noise and the traffic of Constitution Avenue and the noise of the city.”
As a result, the architecture creates a quiet and contemplative atmosphere, he said, a design that allows visitors to have a respectful experience.
Jan C. Scruggs, founder and president of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund, said adding the names this week completes the healing process for surviving friends and family members. The additions also reflect America’s solidarity with its servicemembers of past and present, he said.
“When you join the service, you can feel comfortable that the service is going to stand behind you,” Scruggs said in an interview today. “Especially the people who are serving today in Iraq and Afghanistan in combat, they need to know that we’re behind them and we appreciate what they’re doing.”
James Lee, who has engraved many names onto the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall, holds a piece
of white paper over the name of Priscilla Mason's husband, Raymond C. Mason, a deceased
Vietnam War veteran. She rubs a crayon in diagonal strokes until Mason's name is embossed on
the paper, May 7, 2008, Washington, D.C.Defense Dept. photo by Sebastian J. Sciotti, Jr. | |
Related Sites:
Vietnam Veterans Memorial
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By Janet Evans
Tuesday, May 6 2008, 06:35 AM
But I know they are necessary on this Earth (at least most of them).
I really don’t like those insects that run faster than I do…and I guess that’s most of them nowadays.
I’m one of those people who calls for HELP! to get rid of a bug.
Other critters in the animal kingdom?
I can handle them…no problem.
But what about this?
BAE Systems is creating a series of tiny electronic spiders, insects and snakes that could become the eyes and ears of soldiers on the battlefield, helping to save thousands of lives.
Plans for a robot that can crawl like a spider are 'well developed'
Now, if these “bugs” are for "real"…I’ll change my opinion (somewhat).
Are we seriously at this point?
I know we use drones (UAVs) – and they’re much larger than insect robots.
So I suppose we can produce a functional “Robobug.”
Now we'll have these bug robots released by soldiers, into buildings and combat areas to scout the scene, take pictures and report back.
Simulation showing a 'bug' being sent into a danger zone in a special vehicle
Of course this is all good.
It will help to save lives.
That said, I can't help but look at the bigger picture...
The future picture.
The one that is a bit more Terminator-like, with all-robot armies.
Those robot soldiers will save lives, people will say...as we march on closer to the end of civilization (maybe).
That's a long way off in the future.
But for now, picture this....
BAE promotional video
Read the article from Union Leader.com "The Spy Who Bugged Me"
BAE Systems Develops Combat Devices á here
And from Popular Mechanics:
Unmanned ground vehicles (UGVs) have already flooded the battlefield. There are at least 6000 robots in use by the Army and Marine Corps in Iraq and Afghanistan. For years these small, remote-control vehicles have allowed troops to peek around corners and investigate suspected bombs. And while unmanned aerial vehicles have been loaded with missiles since 2001, the arming of ground robots is relatively uncharted territory.
Last June the Army deployed the first-ever armed UGVs. Three SWORDS (Special Weapons Observation Remote Direct-Action System) robots landed in Iraq, each equipped with an M249 light machine gun. These UGVs are essentially guns on tracks, a variant of the remote-control Talon bots routinely blown up while investigating improvised explosive devices. When the trio was approved for combat duty, the potential for historic robot-versus-human carnage lit up the blogosphere. Never mind the dozens of air-to-ground Hellfire missiles that have already been launched by a squadron of armed Predator drones over the past seven years—this was a robot soldier, packing the same machine gun used by ground troops.
So, maybe this isn’t so farfetched after all….
At least in the movies, humans always win…
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By Janet Evans
Sunday, Apr 27 2008, 07:05 AM
Joint Chiefs Chairman Says Iranian Meddling Destabilizes Iraq, RegionBy Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service
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| WASHINGTON, April 25, 2008 – Recently manufactured Iranian weapons found in and around Basra, Iraq, provide disturbing evidence that Iran continues meddling in Iraq in ways that hamper progress and put U.S. and Iraqi lives at risk, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said today.
Navy Adm. Mike Mullen said he’s “increasingly concerned about Iran’s activity, not just in Iraq, but throughout the region.”
“I believe recent events, especially the Basra operation, have revealed just how much and just how far Iran is reaching into Iraq to foment instability,” Mullen said. “Their support to criminal groups in the form of munitions and training, as well as other assistance they are providing and the attacks they are encouraging continues to kill coalition and Iraqi personnel.”
Army Gen. David H. Petraeus, the top commander in Iraq who is in line for the top U.S. Central Command job, is preparing a briefing that details these activities, Mullen said. The report is expected in the next couple of weeks.
The recent findings prove [Iran] is not living up to its pledge several months ago to Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki that it would stop meddling in Iraqi affairs, Mullen said. “It's plainly obvious they have not,” he said.
“Indeed, they seem to have gone the other way,” the chairman said. “I think actions, certainly here, must speak louder than words. And the actions just don't meet the commitments on the part of their leadership.”
While conceding that he has “no smoking gun” to prove high-level Iranian government involvement, he said he’s “hard-pressed to believe the head of the Quds Force is not aware of this.”
The Quds Force is a special unit of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard that organizes, trains, equips and finances foreign operatives.
Citing the “great downside potential” of this influence, Mullen emphasized the need to “to continue to press, using all available means,” to get Iran to reverse course.
“While all options certainly remain open, I'm convinced the solution right now still lies in using other levers of national power, including diplomatic, financial and international pressure,” he said.
But “we are not taking any military elements off the table,” the admiral added.
Mullen said he has no expectation that the United States will get into a conflict with Iran in the immediate future, and conceded that “a third conflict in this part of the world would be extremely stressing for us.”
He emphasized, however, that the United States has reserve capability, particularly in the Navy and Air Force and based in other regions. “So it would be a mistake to think that we are out of combat capability,” he said.
“But in terms of having another conflict in that region, I certainly don't think that would be where we'd want to go right now,” he said.
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By Janet Evans
Monday, Mar 24 2008, 06:35 AM
The man means business.
He just tells it like it is.
He always has.
Cheney is on a tour of the Middle East.
He recently had an interview with Martha Raddatz, of ABC news.
She questioned him about the economy, and he told her we are not in a recession, which is true.
Then the following exchange took place regarding the war in Iraq:
Raddatz: Two-third of Americans say it’s not worth fighting.
Cheney: So?
Raddatz: So? You don’t care what the American people think?
Cheney: No. I think you cannot be blown off course by the fluctuations in the public opinion polls. There has, in fact, been fundamental change and transformation and improvement for the better. That’s a huge accomplishment.
"So?" You gotta love it!
Read the entire article in the New York Times
Cheney Unconcerned By Iraq War's Unpopularity í here
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By Janet Evans
Friday, Mar 7 2008, 06:35 AM
Pentagon Honors WWI Veteran, Unveils Exhibit
By Lisa Daniel
American Forces Press Service
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WASHINGTON, March 6, 2008 – Defense Department officials honored one of the world’s last living World War I veterans in a ceremony at the Pentagon today.
Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates, left, talks with Frank Buckles, 107, one of the last known living World War I veterans during a Pentagon ceremony March 6, 2008. Buckles was honored during the ceremony, which included the unveiling an exhibit of veterans' portraits by photographer David DeJonge. Defense Dept. photo by R. D. Ward
(Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available. | |
“I feel honored to be here as a representative of the veterans of WWI and I thank you,” said Frank Woodruff Buckles, 107, who wore multiple service medals and remained in a wheelchair. He received a standing ovation from the mostly military audience.
Buckles, who lives near Charles Town, W.Va., and his family were special guests during the ceremony, in which officials unveiled photographer David DeJonge’s World War I Veterans Exhibit. Dfense officials praised the exhibit for putting faces on a war that is largely forgotten and for which its generation is slipping away. DeJongeDefense donated the exhibit, a collection of portraits of nine WWI veterans, for permanent display in the Pentagon.
Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates thanked Buckles, an Army ambulance driver in France and Britain, and John F. Babcock, a veteran of the U.S. and Canadian armies, who now lives in Spokane, Wash., and could not attend the ceremony. Buckles and Babcock are the last known living WWI soldiers who fought for the United States.
“Whoever views this display will, I am sure, feel a connection to Mr. Buckles and his comrades-in-arms,” Gates said. “We will always be grateful for what they did for their country 90 years ago.”
The portraits show each of the eight men and one woman, surrounded by military medals, books and newspapers of the day. Some are framed by flags and bear bright smiles. Others appear deep in thought. All evoke the patriotism of their service. Seven of the nine have died in the past year, said DeJonge, an independent photographer who began the project in 2006 in partnership with the Department of Veterans Affairs.
“History is fading away before the very eyes of America,” DeJonge said in an emotional speech. Asked after the ceremony why he chose veterans for the theme of his photography, DeJonge said, “It is imperative to American history. We want our leaders here at the Pentagon…to recognize that the decisions they make here impact people for 90 years or more.”
The project is important because “the First World War is not well understood or remembered in the United States,” Gates said. “There is no big memorial on the National Mall. Hollywood has not turned its gaze in this direction for decades. Yet few events have so markedly shaped the world we live in as the epic blood struggle known as The Great War.”
U.S. involvement in WWI was short in time, long on sacrifice. From the first U.S. Navy ship that was sank in early 1917 until the armistice was signed Nov. 11, 1918, the United States incurred more than 116,000 deaths – more than Korea, Vietnam, Iraq and Afghanistan combined, Gates noted.
Just as some have marked the 21st Century as having began with the terrorism of Sept. 11, 2001, the 20th Century “began” with the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand, the heir to the Austro-Hungarian throne, on June 28, 1914, Gates said. The war that began with a regional fight for Balkan independence, left the world a redrawn map of Europe and the Middle East, including the demarcation of Iraq. “From Baghdad to Belgrade, the places that mattered then are in the front of our consciousness today.”
Army Secretary Pete Geren compared the sacrifices of WWI veterans to those serving now in Iraq and Afghanistan.
“Today, young men and women from our generation, the best of this generation, too, are joined in a war in a far-off land that will shape their future and the world’s future for decades to come,” Geren said. “As with Frank Buckles’ war, someday this war will end and [they] will come home with their lives and the world forever changed.”
The portraits “put a human face on a faceless war,” Geren said. “We are reminded and convicted of the personal debt each of us owes to those who have secured the blessings of our liberties.”
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WWI VETERAN - U.S. Army soldiers unveil Frank Buckles' portrait during a Pentagon ceremony, March 6, 2008. Buckles, 107, is one of the last known living World War I veterans. Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates, left, stands beside Buckles. At far right are Secretary of the Army Peter Geren with portrait photographer David DeJonge, who donated a photo exhibit of WWI veterans to the Pentagon. Defense Dept. photo by R. D. Ward
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By Janet Evans
Sunday, Mar 2 2008, 12:05 PM
Almost 60 years after his service.....
First Sioux to Receive Medal of Honor
Master Sgt. Woodrow Wilson Keeble,
born in 1917 in Waubay on the Sisseton-Wahpeton Sioux Reservation,
will be the first Sioux soldier to receive the Medal of Honor when the
White House gives him the posthumous honor in a ceremony planned
for March 3. Keeble risked his life to save fellow soldiers in the Korean War.
(Courtesy photo)
| Congress Authorizes President to Award Medal of Honor to Woodrow Keeble |
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Washington, D.C. - Senator John Thune announced that the Fiscal Year 2008 Defense Authorization conference report authorizes the President of the United States to posthumously award the Medal of Honor to Master Sergeant Woodrow Keeble in recognition of his service during the Korean War. Master Sergeant Keeble was a member of the Sisseton-Wahpeton Oyate Tribe and will be the first Dakota Sioux to receive the Medal of Honor.
"The Medal of Honor is the highest distinction a soldier can earn, and Master Sergeant Woodrow Keeble's valiant service certainly deserves this recognition," said Thune. "Master Sergeant Keeble's legacy is a great source of pride for his family, his fellow Dakota Sioux, and all South Dakotans. I am honored to have played a role in securing this distinction for him."
On approximately October 15, 1951, in the vicinity of Kumsong, North Korea, all of the officers of the G Company were either wounded or killed during enemy combat. Master Sergeant Keeble voluntarily led the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Platoons in three successful assaults. Armed with grenades and a rifle, Keeble then single handedly eliminated three four-man pillboxes. Keeble was severely wounded with at least five separate injuries to his chest, both arms, and both legs. Master Sergeant Keeble was decorated with the Distinguished Service Cross, the Silver Star, the Bronze Star First Oak Leaf Cluster, and the Purple Heart with the Oak Leaf Cluster. He was recommended for the Medal of Honor, but never received it.
While serving in the House of Representatives, then-Representative Thune first requested Master Sergeant Keeble's Distinguished Service Cross be upgraded to the Medal of Honor in a letter to the Secretary of the Army on May 17, 2002. Since that time, Senator Thune has continued to work with the Sisseton-Wahpeton Oyate of the Lake Traverse Reservation, the Department of Defense and other officials to properly recognize the valor of one of our country's true heroes.
| Read an exceptional article about Keeble's life and service at Military.com í here
Russell Hawkins, Keeble's step-son said:
"[My] feelings about Keeble echo those of all who knew him. "If he was alive today, I would tell him there's no one I respect more, and how he is everything a man should be: brave, kind and generous. I would tell him how proud I am of him, and how I never realized that all this time, I was living with such greatness."
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By Janet Evans
Thursday, Feb 14 2008, 04:45 PM
I read Monday, in the paper, that postage rates will be going up AGAIN, in May. Another penny, to 42 cents for a letter. I went to the Franklin Post Office on Tuesday. As I was standing in line, waiting to pick up a package, an elderly woman was at the counter, trying to buy postage for the many stamps she already had, so she would be prepared for the postage rate increase. The clerk at the desk had no clue as to what she was talking about. She said, "They never tell us anything." Hmmm..... ----------------------------------------------------- Well, to why I was writing this post in the first place.... With all this snow, it seems like Christmas was so long ago...which was the last time I reminded people to think about our troops and the need to send them care packages. Have you ever done that? Such a simple thing to do. While the postage rates will be going up for citizens, they will actually be going down for you to send a flat rate box to troops overseas. Read the U.S. Department of Defense News Bulletin below, and please, think about sending something to our troops now, or at Easter, which is early this year. And here is a photo showing how happy a simple letter can make a soldier:  VALENTINE'S DAY SURPRISE - U.S. Air Force Airmen 1st Class Kathleen Sullivan and Lindsay Judkins are surprised to receive Valentine's Day cards from Texas elementary school students, Feb. 13, 2008, at a Southwest Asia air base. Both airmen are assigned to the 379th Expeditionary Security Forces. U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Domonique Simmons Happy Valentine's Day to our Troops!  
America Supports You: Postal Service Offers DiscountBy Samantha L. Quigley
American Forces Press Service
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| WASHINGTON, Feb. 14, 2008 – Military families have long used the U.S. Postal Service’s flat-rate shipping boxes to send care packages around the globe. Beginning March 3, they’ll get a price break.
The discount applies only to the new “Priority Mail Large Flat-Rate Box,” which normally carries a $12.95 price tag for shipping. However, when the 12-by-12-by-5.5-inch box is sent to an AFO or FPO address, a $2 discount applies, dropping the cost to $10.95.
“This is the first time the Postal Service has offered a special price for our armed forces serving overseas,” said Postmaster General John Potter. “We’re proud that family and friends will be able to use the new, larger-sized box to send much-appreciated packages from home to our dedicated troops overseas.”
The new boxes will be available in post offices nationwide on March 3. Those who can’t wait to start packing the boxes, however, can order them from www.usps.com/supplies beginning Feb. 20. They’re also available by calling 1-800-610-8734.
Some of the new boxes carry the America Supports You logo. America Supports You is a Defense Department program connecting citizens and companies with service members and their families serving at home and abroad.
“It’s terrific that the Postal Service continues to think of ways to help Americans support our troops and their families,” said Allison Barber, deputy assistant secretary of defense for internal communication, community relations and public liaison. “Postage is always a concern when shipping care packages, and this new flat-rate box means our home-front groups and supportive citizens can do more with their resources.
“We’re especially pleased that some of the boxes will bear the America Supports You logo, reminding our service members that they have our nation’s support,” she added.
The boxes bearing the America Supports You logo will be available only online or at select post offices near military bases. All flat-rate boxes are available for international shipping, though the discount applies only to the large flat-rate box, and only if it’s being shipped to an APO or FPO address.
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Related Sites:
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By Janet Evans
Tuesday, Feb 12 2008, 07:10 PM
Why is it when some people screw up and make poor decisions....they come out with the statement....
"It's time to move on" or
"Let's move forward."
In other words....
Hurry up and forget about it.
Well, Toledo Mayor Carty Finkbeiner screwed up....
And City Councilman Tom Waniewski says, "It's time to move on."
It seems Finkbeiner says he stands behind his decision to deny permission for Marines to practice in downtown Toledo, even amid protests that are going on.
Remember, he said the Marines would be too "frightening."
The mayor suggests that anyone who believes he is not loyal to his country is, just, well, a "baboon."
He must have animals on the brain, because he has offered the 200 Marines tickets to the local zoo.
I bet if there had been a parade planned in downtown Toledo, the mayor would have made arrangements to accommodate that.
Read the latest story in the Toledo Blade
Toledo Mayor Stands by his Decision to Cancel Marines Training à here
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from February 10th
In the past couple weeks California has shown its true colors regarding our Troops. The Berkeley City Council ordered the Marines Recruiting Office there to close and they allowed Code Pink to protest and illegally block the entry of citizens to the office.
That, besides the denial of San Francisco last year to allow the Marines to film their commercial and Oakland International Airport a year ago denying Troops entry into the terminal to buy food and use restrooms.
Where does it end?
Evidently, not in California....
Now the Mayor of Toledo, Ohio, Carty Finkbeiner, kicked out 200 members of Company A, 1st Battalion, 24th Marines, based in Grand Rapids, Michigan.
These Marines were coming to Toledo to to spend their weekend training in urban patrol exercises on the downtown streets. This is something they have done in the past.
It seems Mayor Finkbeiner believes the citizens of Toledo will now be "frightened."
Mayor Finkbeiner..... The only thing frightening about all of this is YOU. Let's hope Toledo is never in need of the services of of the Marines. Because if Toledo is in need, you should be ashamed. Ashamed because the Marines will come to Toledo with their heads held high. Proudly, with courage and honor. To serve. Shame on you Mayor Finkbeiner. Let's hope it will be ex-Mayor Finkbeiner as soon as possible. Read the story in the Toledo BladeVacate the Premises: Mayor to Marines: Leave Downtown à here
And here is an update on the Berkeley situation from the Mercury News
Lawmakers aim to punish Berkeley over anti-Marines stance à here
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