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Bob Weimann | July 25, 2008 | Pdf version______________________________________________________ “For as long as men and women have talked about war, they have talked about it in terms of right and wrong. And for almost as long, some among them have derided such talk, called it a charade, insisted that war lies beyond (or beneath) moral judgment. War is a world apart, where life itself is at stake, where human nature is reduced to its elemental forms, where self-interest and necessity prevail. Here men and women do what they must to save their selves and their communities, and morality and law...

    Major gongs for heroic Our Boys   Award ... Captain Paul Britton is congratulated by Major General Gary Robison    By TOM NEWTON DUNN Defence Editor Published: Today     AN Army officer who led a battle despite a lump of burning shrapnel in his shoulder was one of 19 forces heroes awarded the Military Cross yesterday.   Praise ... Lieutenant General Graeme Lamb  Captain Paul Britton, 28, refused morphine so he could control artillery and air strikes to beat off Taliban attackers in Helmand province, Afghanistan. The Royal Artillery officer was wounded by a rocket-propelled grenade...

A Royal Marine who threw himself on to an exploding grenade to save the lives of his comrades is to receive the George Cross. Lance Corporal Matthew Croucher stepped on a trip-wire which triggered the device during a night raid on a Taliban compound in Afghanistan. Realising that three other members of his patrol would be killed if he did not act, he launched himself forward to smother the explosion, managing to twist on to his back to let his rucksack take the full force of the blast. Lance Corporal Matthew Croucher with his shredded rucksack. Having stepped on a...

L/Cpl Matthew Croucher will become part of a select of group of just 20 living George Cross holders when the Queen awards him the medal, which is given for acts showing the same level of heroism as the Victoria Cross. The Marine had less than seven seconds to make up his mind on whether to risk sacrificing his own life to save his friends when the hand grenade rolled onto the ground during an operation in Afghanistan earlier this year. Without hesitating he chose to chance death and save his three fellow Royal Marines. '

Stalin and Tsar Nicholas II neck and neck for title of greatest Russian Tony Halpin He sent millions to their deaths in the gulag, but that has not deterred Russians from voting en masse for Josef Stalin as the face of their nation. The Soviet tyrant and Second World War leader is battling Tsar Nicholas II for first place in The Name of Russia, a domestic version of the BBC series Great Britons. Stalin had been well ahead in the online vote until the show's producer appealed to members of a popular Russian social networking site to back Nicholas II....

A mentor to the generation of American generals who led the U.S. Army during World War II, including George C. Marshall, Dwight D. Eisenhower, Omar Bradley and George S. Patton.

Code Pink was sickly sweet in our presence on Wednesday night, trying to look good in front of their pot luck dinner attendees. We were offered ice cream cones, soda, beer and to participate in their pot luck dinner. All declined since we didn’t have the antidote to strychnine or a shower was not close by. In the Politico article Some on left target McCain's war record, “Suzzie” Medea Benjamin was quoted as saying: "I wouldn't characterize anybody who fought in Vietnam as a war hero," said Medea Benjamin, a co-founder of the theatrical anti-war group Code Pink. "In...

  Jack Straw ... law will back heroes            New law to back 'have-a-go-heroes'     By CLODAGH HARTLEY Home Affairs Correspondent Published: 12 Jul 2008     NEW legislation will protect “have-a-go heroes” who intervene in crimes or use force to defend themselves, Justice Secretary Jack Straw vowed last night. From Monday a person’s actions will be judged on the situation “as they saw it at the time” — even if in hindsight the force could be classed as unreasonable, according to insiders. Mr Straw told The Sun: “We’re not going to have a...

KORENGAL VALLEY, Afghanistan, July 12, 2008 – The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff yesterday took the opportunity to present 12 paratroopers with awards here for valorous and heroic achievements in combat. Navy Adm. Mike Mullen pinned five Army Commendation Medals with valor devices, five Purple Heart Medals, one Bronze Star with valor device, and one Silver Star on the troopers’ chests during a ceremony at their combat outpost here. “It’s an honor and privilege to be here,” Mullen said to the awardees. “This ceremony is about individuals who represent the sacrifice of so many.” The paratroopers are assigned...

Adam Buckman at the NYPost blew the whistle last week on a moral equivalence-marinated PBS documentary that airs tonight. Melanie Morgan and I chatted about the smearing of the Greatest Generation with Rush Limbaugh during the “From the Frontlines” web-a-thon on Friday. I’ve heard from many upset WWII vets. Read Adam’s column here. Excerpt: Members of the Greatest Generation - especially those with weak hearts - might want to steer clear of an upcoming PBS documentary that suggests the Allied victory in World War II was “tainted” and questions whether it can even be called a victory. Moreover, the documentary,...

President Bush has awarded Former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS), General Peter Pace the US’s highest civilian award, the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Not surprisingly, he is once again enduring a “moral lynching” at the hands of liberal media and homosexual activists across the nation.  Controversy began plaguing General Pace, a Catholic, after his March 12 statement that homosexual acts are immoral and therefore, should not be condoned by the military.[1]  Following this statement, General Pace was maligned and ultimately lost his position as JCS Chairman, making him the first in over forty years to hold...

The Stars and Stripes and the Boeing Corp have created a special section devoted to the following people's stories: Medal of Honor recipient Lt. Michael P. Murphy Medal of Honor recipient Petty Officer 2nd Class Michael Monsoor Medal of Honor recipient Pfc. Ross McGinnis Master Sgt. Scott Innis Capt. Jared A. Laurin 1st Sgt. Paul Archie Staff Sgt. Murray Rice 1st Lt. Colin Cremin Capt. Seward Matwick Staff Sgt. Matthew Ritenour Sgt. Ken Thomas Sgt. 1st Class Jose Rodriguez Master Gunnery Sgt. Michael C. Sharp 2nd Lt. Brian M. Stann Chief Warrant Officer 3 Richard Chenault Staff Sgt. Jon Hilliard...

Early in the morning of June 6, 1944, Americans heard on their radios that thousands of American and British soldiers had landed on the beaches of northern France. They were fighting German soldiers. This day marked the beginning of the end of one of the bloodiest wars ever: World War II. The American and British invasion of France was a top-secret mission called "Operation Overlord." When they landed on the beaches of Normandy on June 6, the goal of every soldier was to drive the German military back. Thousands of men died during that effort, either in the churning...

WASHINGTON, June 3, 2008 – Medal of Honor recipient Army Spc. Ross A. McGinnis joined a select group of military heroes during a Pentagon ceremony here today. Deputy Defense Secretary Gordon England hosted the event that added McGinnis’ name to the roster of other Army Medal of Honor recipients. Army Secretary Pete Geren and Gen. Richard R. Cody, the Army’s vice chief of staff, also attended the event at the library and conference center. Medal of Honor recipients “are our nation’s most-revered heroes,” England said. “And every time a name is added, that individual’s story enriches the significance of...

The President spent the weekend in Washington on the Saturday gave the commencement address at Furman University in South Carolina. On Sunday attended church in the morning and in the evening Ford's Theatre Gala at the held at National Theatre in Washington as the Ford's Theater is currently closed for renovations. Today the President spoke at a ceremony at the White House before awarding the Medal of Honor posthumously to the parents of U.S. Army PFC Ross McGinnis, of Knox, Pennsylvania, who was killed in Iraq in 2006. Later the President participated in a meeting on the Economy and Tax...

Today is Memorial Day, May 30, 2008 and this video in my heart of hearts had to be “REDONE”, to express the moment of that day and the memory of sacrifices made aboard the Naval carrier USS Farrestal - CVA-59 on July 29, 1967 in North Vietnam – Gulf of Tonkin, South China Sea, at or about 10:50 AM. The results of the disaster were, fatalities 134 and as many as 70 or more men wounded. The song in this video is sung by the Five Blind Boys of Alabama, “I’m on the Battle Field’ and color pictures are contributed...

At the end of my street the cemetery is busy for a Monday. Of course, a cemetery under all circumstances is seldom thought of as a busy place. We haven't had busy cemeteries since 1945. Since then the long peace and its sleep was only briefly, for a few years every now and then, interrupted by a small war. The cemeteries fill up more slowly now than ever before. And our sleep, regardless of continuing alarms, deepens. These days we resent, it seems, having them fill at all, clinging to our tiny lives with a passion that passes all understanding;...

OKLAHOMA CITY -- Jack Mildren, a former lieutenant governor and the first quarterback in the University of Oklahoma's vaunted wishbone offense, died on Thursday, his brother said. He was 58. Mildren, who had been undergoing treatment for stomach cancer, died at Integris Baptist Medical Center, spokeswoman Brooke Cayot confirmed. Mildren was diagnosed two years ago with cancer but had continued to serve as a vice chairman for Arvest Bank and host a daily sports radio show on WKY 930-AM. Legislators at the state Capitol observed a moment of silence for the former lieutenant governor, who walked the halls there in...

Hal Moore is a real American Hero. Unfortunately I can not post it here. Please check USA Today's editorial section for the story.

WASHINGTON — A 19-year-old soldier who died shielding platoon members from a grenade blast will be posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor next month, Army officials said Friday. Army Pfc. Ross McGinnis, of Knox, Pa., is the fourth man awarded the medal for actions in Iraq and the second soldier. Prior to his deployment, McGinnis served in the 1st Battalion, 26th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division, out of Schweinfurt, Germany. McGinnis’ commanders recommended him for the nation’s highest military honor just days after his death, noting his quick thinking and heroism. On Dec. 4, 2006, McGinnis...

The White House announced Friday that a Pennsylvania soldier who jumped on top of a grenade in Iraq and saved the lives of his comrades will posthumously receive the Medal of Honor. The nation's highest military honor will be given to 19-year-old Army Pfc. Ross McGinnis of Knox, Pa., on June 2. McGinnis "distinguished himself by extraordinary heroism," said White House deputy press secretary Tony Fratto. McGinnis was perched in the gunner's hatch of a Humvee when a grenade sailed past him and into the truck where four other soldiers sat. He shouted a warning to the others, then jumped...

SEVEN Network boss Kerry Stokes will return a Victoria Cross awarded to one of the country's greatest war heroes to the Australian War Memorial. The media mogul and the South Australian Government were yesterday revealed as the mystery bidders of the medal, which sold at auction in Sydney for $488,000. It is the third Victoria Cross Mr Stokes has bought at auction and returned to the War Memorial since 2006, spending almost $2 million to save the pieces of Australia's history from being lost to the public. Carey Badcoe, daughter of Adelaide-born digger Major Peter Badcoe, was happy her father's...

This fallen hero deserves his nation’s thanks, praise, and eternal remembrance (hat tip - reader Lynne): He gave his dad a hero and his country his life. On Sunday, Marine Cpl. Justin Cooper of Eupora was killed in combat in Afghanistan. Cooper’s father, Alan Cooper, said he was told by Marine officials who visited his home Sunday night that the 22-year-old died after he was shot in the chest, just above his body armor, during a fire fight. “I never knew so many people could break down and cry over the phone when you tell them something like that,” Alan...

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. During 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. Quickly...

5/20/2008 - SOUTHWEST ASIA (AFPN) -- Airmen deployed to the 386th Expeditionary Security Forces Squadron here commemorated National Police Week May 11 through 17 at a Southwest Asian air base. Members of the 386th ESFS paid homage to those killed in action by hosting a series of events celebrating the memory of their fallen comrades. Every year in the United States, more than 60,000 police officers are assaulted and on average, one officer is killed every 53 hours. In the past 10 years, 1,699 law enforcement members have lost their lives in the line of duty. More than 17,000 officers...

McGinnis was no stranger to combat. The Middle East edition of Stars and Stripes for Nov. 30, 2006, has a picture of McGinnis on its cover. His unit had been involved in a fierce firefight on Nov. 5 and had killed 38 attackers. His superiors were quick to recognize the special nature of McGinnis’ actions. He was awarded a posthumous Silver Star, America’s third-highest award for valor in combat, and nominated for the Medal of Honor. Eighteen months later, McGinnis will receive his medal. Speaking anonymously, sources at the Department of Defense have confirmed this with reporters from the Army...

Our Troops Rock!  Thank you for all you do!   For the freedom you enjoyed yesterday... Thank the Veterans who served in The United States Armed Forces.   Looking forward to tomorrow's freedom? Support The United States Armed Forces Today!     ~ Hall of Heroes ~ SFC Paul Smith All info and photos from this website.             Paul Ray Smith was born on September 24, 1969, in El Paso, Texas. At the age of nine, his family moved to South Tampa, Florida, where he attended public schools. He enjoyed sports, liked cats, skateboarding, riding bicycles,...

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. During 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.

It was particularly memorable, Craig Williams said, the night he almost died.Williams, 44, is a Concord resident, and, among many other accomplishments, is a former federal prosecutor and the endorsed Republican candidate for the 7th Congressional seat, U.S. Congress, House of Representatives. The year of his near death was 1991, it was the dead of winter and he was flying across the icy North Atlantic with his squadron, the VMFA(AW)-121 Green Knights. He was a first lieutenant in the United States Marine Corps, flying as a Weapons and Sensor Officer in the back seat of a two-seater F/A-18D Hornet, on...

These two young men, both well known to me, have several things in common. Both are Eagle Scouts from my very small central Iowa BSA district. Both are the same age as my youngest son, and served with him as summer camp counselors at our local Scout reservation. One is currently a college student, while the other graduated with my son from Iowa State. They have one more thing in common. Both are decorated combat veterans, and survivors of wounds received in Iraq.

Each time Noel Addy flew his World War II glider over Europe, commanders predicted he'd live only 18 more seconds. Towed behind a transport plane, Addy's armorless and gunless glider floated between German flak and machine-gun fire en route to landings behind enemy lines. On some missions, fewer than half of the gliders landed safely.

WASHINGTON, April 18, 2008 – Returning from combat in Iraq or Afghanistan with a disability certainly brings with it a number of challenges, but for one soldier, a great aid to his successful recovery was the easy transition he made into the civilian job market. Justin Callahan enlisted in the U.S Army as a combat engineer when he was 18. When he was 21, he deployed to Afghanistan, where he led a squad of 8 men squad leader. During a routine patrol, Justin was hit by an IED and suffered a left leg amputation below the knee. During his...

WASHINGTON, April 18, 2008 – People who couldn’t attend a day-long celebration of those who serve in the military here last week could still enjoy the sounds thanks to and Internet music and video site. The online music and entertainment site SyncLive made the festivities available via a live Web cast when the Fort Hood community came together April 11 to honor about 80,000 servicemembers and Defense Department civilians during a “Salute to Our Heroes” celebration. The celebration featured live music, but troops didn’t have to be on Fort Hood to enjoy the sounds. The artists who performed during...

WASHINGTON, April 9, 2008 – Petty Officer 2nd Class Michael A. Monsoor, a Navy SEAL who posthumously received the Medal of Honor yesterday for his heroic actions in Iraq, joined a rarefied fraternity of military heroes at the Pentagon today. In September 2006, Monsoor leaped onto a grenade and used his body to absorb a blast that likely would have killed two fellow SEALs and several Iraqi soldiers. For his heroism, the Defense Department today enshrined Monsoor’s name alongside the 3,446 other Medal of Honor recipients honored in its Hall of Heroes. “To stand in this room, surrounded by...

Remember the Real HeroesCol. Ken Allard (US Army, ret.) With the Final Four here this weekend and San Antonio Spurs playoff hopes riding high, you're likely to hear a lot of nonsense being talked about "heroes." Let an unheralded college forward, a Tony or a Manu hit a 30-foot jumper at the buzzer and "heroics" will be the preferred term, from headlines to conversations around the office coffee pot.  Sorry to differ, but athletic prowess makes great players, not heroes. So may I tell you about some folks who truly deserve that term? And why the words "unsung" and "hero" go...

CAMP VICTORY, Iraq, April 4, 2008 – He was a husband, father, soldier and leader, but today Sgt. 1st Class Paul R. Smith, the 3rd Infantry Division’s 51st Medal of Honor recipient was remembered here simply as a hero. Task Force Marne soldiers who organized a remembrance ceremony for U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Paul R. Smith, April 4, 2008, stand in the courtyard where Smith gave his life in defense of others five years ago. For his selfless service, Smith was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor in 2005. U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Jasmine Chopra  (Click photo for...

Michael A. Monsoor, a Garden Grove High School graduate, has been selected to receive the prestigious Medal of Honor posthumously for his exceptional courage during a firefight in Iraq when he threw himself on a live grenade to save the lives of his teammates. ... "Without hesitation and showing no regard for his own life, he threw himself on to the grenade, smothering it to protect his teammates who were lying in close proximity," an incident report posted on the Navy SEAL Web site reads. "The grenade detonated as he came down on top of it, mortally wounding him."

Pure hell of the siege of Musa Qala A little-reported battle against the Taliban in which seven of our (Poster's note: "our" means British, the Royal Irish Brigade troops) troops died has been revealed as one of the fiercest and most heroic of the Afghan campaign. Lieutenant-Colonel DJ Reynolds Musa Qala, a besieged outpost deep in Taliban territory, holds a special place in the battle records of the Pathfinder platoon of 16 Air Assault Brigade – and of the Irishmen, Danes and other soldiers who braved face-to-face fighting to relieve them. When a column at last got through to Musa...

BAGRAM AIR BASE, Afghanistan, March 24, 2008 – Heroes are made, not born. And a hero like Army Spc. Monica Brown, 19, is no different. Army Spc. Monica Brown, a medic from the 782nd Brigade Support Battalion, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, stands over Forward Operating Base Salerno in Khowst province, Afghanistan. Brown is the second woman since World War II to earn a Silver Star for gallantry in combat. (Photo by Spc. Micah E. Clare, USA  (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available. Brown, recognized for her gallant actions during combat in Afghanistan in 2007, is the...

BAGHDAD, March 23 (KUNA) -- US coalition forces killed 17 terrorists and detained 30 suspected ones during operations targeting al-Qaeda in Iraq's central and northern parts on Saturday and today, a US military statement said on Sunday. Coalition forces conducted an operation Saturday near the Hamrin Mountains, targeting weapons facilitators and associates of AQI leadership, the statement added. Intelligence reports led the assault force to the targeted suspect's location, where five individuals failed to comply with Coalition forces' instructions or heed warnings, the statement said. Perceiving hostile intent, Coalition forces engaged the armed men with small arms fire, killing them,...

Commando who fought off 70 Taliban in Afghanistan is honoured in secret By Thomas Harding, Defence Correspondent Last Updated: 1:56am GMT 22/03/2008 A British commando has secretly received one of the highest decorations for bravery for tackling 70 Taliban fighters after two colleagues were killed during an ambush. The sergeant, who cannot be named to protect his identity, was part of a 16-man team of Special Forces conducting a "snatch operation" to capture four Taliban leaders near Sangin in the north of the British zone in Afghanistan. The firefight took place on June 27 2006, but the award of a...

The Grayback was to slip into North Vietnamese waters and let out several four-man SEAL teams in small, submersible vehicles just offshore on June 3. The teams were to rendezvous with the two prisoners – who had communicated their plans through a method that today remains secret – on an offshore island.

Our Troops, Our Heroes Written by Melanie Morgan    Thursday, 20 March 2008 The noise has died down, the marijuana smoke has cleared,and the smelly hippies have crawled back into their lairs after a mostly unproductive day of national protest against the Iraq war. But here is an eloquent reminder of why we continue to support the men and women of the military, and their mission in Iraq. Filling a Heroes UniformBy Debbie LeeGold Star Mom I began my morning with my normal routine of making a pot of coffee and turning on FOX news to see the days issues....

As a Navy SEAL, Marc endured the notorious “Hell week” and trained intensely for 2 years before he was deployed. When I met with President Bush he said the SEALS were “the elite of the elite.” The unique individual can survive the intense training to become a SEAL and wear the uniform. The preparation is intense and much is required from them. Marc was ready, trained and prepared to fill the uniform and accomplish what was required of him when he deployed to Iraq. His Instructors knew that, his Officers new that, his teammates knew that, I knew that...

A Medal of Honor nominee and recipients of the Navy Cross, Silver Star, and Bronze Star began a three-week, cross-country bus tour Friday night. They fought in Iraq and will provide first-hand testimony that our troops are winning. The numbers do not lie; the only thing falling faster than American casualty rates in Iraq is the mainstream media's reporting about it [Hat tip to the Mudville Gazette]. Yes, our troops have paid a price in blood and courage. Since 9/11, on all battlefields, more than 4,000 American soldiers, sailors, airmen, and Marines have earned and been awarded the top six...

A Navy SEAL sacrificed his life to save his comrades by throwing himself on top of a grenade Iraqi insurgents tossed into their sniper hideout, fellow members of the elite force said. Petty Officer 2nd Class Michael A. Monsoor had been near the only door to the rooftop structure Sept. 29 when the grenade hit him in the chest and bounced to the floor, said four SEALs who spoke to The Associated Press this week on condition of anonymity because their work requires their identities to remain secret. "He never took his eye off the grenade, his only movement was...

Vets for Freedom's National Heroes Tour ** Many of America’s most decorated war heroes from Iraq and Afghanistan have packed their bags and are hitting the road on a national bus tour to take their non-partisan message of progress and freedom from coast-to-coast. The Vets for Freedom National Heroes Tour is about supporting our troops, honoring their commitment, and rallying the country to complete the missions in Iraq and Afghanistan. At this critical juncture in our country, we need Americans, lawmakers and the media, to fully recognize—and appreciate—the sacrifice of our brave military and the dramatic success they have...

The worst moment in Gary Stokes' life was not the day a couple of Marines in dress uniform showed up at his door to tell him his son had been killed in Iraq. That was bad, no doubt. He had spent two years wondering whether he would receive those unwelcome visitors. The worst moment came later, after the tears and the grief. The worst moment came slowly. It was the horrible realization that Sean was gone forever. He would never see his son again. Never again go fishing or camping, or watch him get married and have children of his...

Przemysl, Poland, 1944: Two SS men knock at the door of Stefania Podgorska, a Catholic seamstress. Her cottage is wanted for personnel of the field hospital across the street; she and her younger sister, Helena, have two hours to move out, on pain of death. The challenge of finding a new place to live is a bit stiffer than the SS men can imagine: Stefania, seventeen, is sheltering thirteen Jews in her little house. She spends nearly two hours running from house to ruined house. After occupation by the Germans, the Soviets and the Germans again, there is nothing left...

Little-Known Event Is Emotional Salute; Cpl. Lyon Pays a Visit. Cpl. Kenny Lyon's mother pushed his wheelchair down a narrow Pentagon hallway, crying as she listened to the applause. Hundreds of Defense Department employees lined the corridor, cheering for Cpl. Lyon and the other wounded military personnel who walked or rolled past. Some of them patted Cpl. Lyon on the shoulder, while others shook his hand or leaned in to hug his mother, Gigi Windsor. "I was really humbled by it because I didn't do anything special," says Cpl. Lyon, a 22-year-old Marine who lost a leg in a mortar...