Free Republic

ON THE RECORDDr Henry Kissinger ‘India wants to prevent rise of another power between Singapore & Aden...that’s compatible with US interests’ Dr Henry Kissinger has few parallels in the world of diplomacy. And he believes Bush isn’t the villain he is painted to be, nor can America make popularity the guiding principle of its foreign policy. What the President might need to do, Kissinger tells Shekhar Gupta, Editor-in-Chief of The Indian Express, on NDTV 24 X 7’s Walk the Talk, is work towards an order that gives other countries a sense of participation. In that, he says, the US looks...

11th MEU Marine awarded Navy Cross for legendary day during OIF FORWARD OPERATING BASE HOTEL, Iraq - (July 29, 2004) -- A hero is oftentimes thought to be one who overcomes some great obstacle for the betterment of his fellow man. Such legends flow freely throughout our society, especially in the Marine Corps, and their memories offer motivation to the weakest and strongest. First Sgt. Justin D. Lehew doesn't believe Marines are heroes. "There are heroes in life, but we are not it. We're just Marines," Lehew, company first sergeant, Company C, Battalion Landing Team 1st Battalion, 4th Marine...

Submitted by: MCB Camp Pendleton Story by: Name: Cpl. Luis R. Agostini Story Identification #: 200453192332 MARINE CORPS BASE CAMP PENDLETON, Calif.(May 3, 2004) -- Marine Sgt. Marcos A. Martinez received the Navy Cross from the Secretary of the Navy, Honorable Gordon R. England, during a ceremony Monday at 5th Marine Regiment parade deck here. "These brave Marines did good things without notice," said England, "and without the acclaim of crowds. But they got the acclaim of their fellow Marines." Martinez, 22, a Las Cruces, N.M., native, received the naval service's second highest award for extraordinary heroism while serving as...

Among my Christmas presents this year was a copy of Survive, a recent collection by Sports Afield magazine of helpful tips for the great outdoors, published by Willow Creek Press of Minocqua, Wisconsin. Most of the stuff was familiar enough – rub a raw potato on poison ivy, roast a wood bug before you eat it – but on page 70 I was surprised by this novel approach to dealing with mountain lions: "Do not approach one, especially if it is feeding or with its young. Most will avoid confrontation, so provide an escape. Do all you can to appear...

<p>November 11, 2003 -- THEY looked so old. That was the thing that struck me. Men in their late 30s, they looked at least 10 - sometimes 20 - years older. And they were the survivors.</p> <p>I was a lieutenant when I reported in to the 1st Battalion of the 46th Infantry. As an enlisted man in the bitter peace of the 1970s, I had already seen the wreckage of Vietnam, the non-commissioned officers so badly shot up that they could no longer serve in the infantry, but had to be posted to easier jobs in support units to "make their 20."</p>

Trooper who saved friend in face of friendly fire awarded George CrossTeenager among 350 armed forces members honoured for action in Iraq Audrey Gillan and Richard Norton-TaylorFriday October 31, 2003The GuardianThe highest British honour for gallantry has been awarded to a 19-year-old soldier for his bravery after being attacked by US aircraft in a "friendly fire" assault during the war in Iraq, it is revealed today. Trooper Chris Finney of the Household Cavalry Regiment was awarded the rare George Cross, which has equal status with the Victoria Cross, after he struggled to haul his colleagues from a burning tank while...

San Diego Union-TribuneNovember 1, 2003Coronado SEAL Wins Navy CrossAward for heroism in AfghanistanBy Otto Kreisher, Copley News Service WASHINGTON – A Navy SEAL assigned to the Special Warfare Center in Coronado received the Navy Cross, the nation's second-highest award, this week for heroism during a rescue mission in Afghanistan. Chief Petty Officer Stephen Bass also was one of three special-operations personnel among six service members honored by a prominent national-security support group, underscoring the unprecedented role special-operations forces played in the Afghanistan and Iraq conflicts. Bass was cited for "extraordinary heroism" during combat operations in northern Afghanistan as part of...

Military reservists: Even on front lines, always on back burner By PHILLIP CARTER "We fought for our country and now we're being treated like second-class citizens" was the refrain last week from reservists mobilized for war with Iraq, but now marooned at Fort Stewart. Hundreds of Army reservists and National Guardsmen are being held over at Fort Stewart for a variety of reasons. These soldiers report substandard housing, long waits for medical appointments and an active-duty Army bureaucracy indifferent to their problems. After trying to work through the system to resolve their situations, some of these reservists decided to leak...

The Political Life The strong grow weak through inhibitionAs American troops face Iraqi soldiers, they confront an enemy whose major defense is our reluctance to use the force we have if there is a significant danger that we will kill innocent civilians. No better example can be found of what Henry Kissinger called the process by which “the weak grow strong through effrontery, and the strong grow weak because of inhibitions.” By stationing tanks inside hospitals, dressing as civilians, driving regular cars, and hiding inside the homes of ordinary people, Iraqi soldiers are deploying their most fearsome weapon: our own...

<p>THERE are few things more repugnant to a soldier than a coward who claims to speak on his behalf. At present, there seems no end of politicians and pundits claiming we dare not strike Saddam because of the danger of friendly casualties. Self-appointed voices of conscience warn of tens of thousands of American dead.</p>