Old SGM

If you do not like McCain for any reason, just don't vote for him. Just remember he suffered many years or torture instead of abandonding his fellow POWs, he could have come home. That takes fortitude and exhibits character. What have the other 2 possible Presidential candidates done that demonstrates fortitude, character, leadership or courage? Please just give me a single example.

Has Rev. Jeremiah Wright's statements hurt Obama's chance of winning the nomination or the election?

Both cheated on their wife, one was forced to resign the other was given a free pass. The only difference I see is one paid and one got if for free.

The decision makers in the Pentagon appear to have no concern about keeping our aerospace industry viable. It will be embarrassing to have the President of the United States' VIP Helicopter be foreign built. If that is OK why is the President's limo made is USA and not a Mercedes?

How about the billions of dollars that will be spent on new French made Airborne Tankers. Congress has to approve these buys, they should be held accountable. The value of the dollar is at a all time low, yet our Political and Military Leaders are sending more dollars overseas and at the same time reducing our capability to maintain the skills and experienced work force required to ensure our aerospace industry remains viable.

How does being married to the President of the United States make you more qualified to be elected President than anyone else?

If that is a true qualification, does that mean the President's decisions actually came from his wife?

http://www.flashdemo.net/gallery/wake/index.htm

Click here: If I Die Before You Wake - Powered by FlashPoint

Please watch this, even if you have seen it before.

God Bless the Troops

The group I belong to, Richmond Area Top 3 (RATIII) gave a pizza lunch at the VA hospital to for several severely injured young soldiers.

For one young Marine it was his second month in rehab. when we saw him last month he had not said a word since making it to Richmond McGuire VA Hospital.

One of the guys in our group is a Marine, when the young soldier was told our guy was a Marine, he looked him straight in the face and uttered his first words since being blown up by an IED. He said "OOOH AHH", and he tried to smile.

Today we had a couple of Marine Officers and a Marine Master Gunny Sargent went with us to visit these young Warriors. This young wounded Warrior, reached out and touched the Gunny and in a slurred voice, you could hardly understand, started to sing the Marine Hymn. It was so emotional seeing this severely wounded Marine sing the Marine Hymn together with his 3 brothers in arms. Several of us, including me had to turn away, you never lets these young brave men and women see you cry. They do not want pity, they just want respect and to be able to recover and return to their unit.

It was an unreal experience. It got me then and it is getting me again as I write this.

SAP is a Business Software that was designed in Germany. According to most of the users that I have talked to, the actual person who must deal with its complexity is a real unhappy camper. Does anyone out there like it? Is it productive?

Was it Edwards that said the war or terror was not real?

Considering the FBI broke up a Terrorist Plot to blow up JFK airport, do you think he may change his tune?

Get real, they want us all dead. Fight them overthere or here, I know my choice, do you know yours?

A letter from a National Guard Blackhawk pilot in Iraq

May 23, 2007

A tired and disgusted Iowa soldier fired off an e-mail a few days ago, telling family and friends how things are going in Iraq.

A Blackhawk helicopter pilot, Chief Warrant Officer Jim Funk has flown more than 80 combat missions since he arrived there in October.

He described his Boone-based unit's successes after 5,000 hours of flying out of LSA Anaconda, a huge American base north of Baghdad. He talked about the tragedies he and his fellow Iowans have witnessed and his worries of becoming complacent as he goes on mission after mission.

Morale?

"We're treading water," the Ames man told the people closest to him. "We continue to kick butt on missions and take care of each other, even though we know the American public and government DOES NOT stand behind us.

Ohhhh, they all say they support us, but how can you support me (the soldier) if you don't support my mission or my objectives. We watch the news over here. Every time we turn it on we see the American public and Hollywood conducting protests and rallies against our 'illegal occupation' of Iraq."

His greatest frustration? The performance of the people who deliver the news to the American people.

I'll let him say it, in his own words, in the letter, which found its way to me:

"Hello media, do you know you indirectly kill American soldiers every day? You inspire and report the enemy's objective every day. You are the enemy's greatest weapon. The enemy cannot beat us on the battlefield so all he does is try to wreak enough havoc and have you report it every day. With you and the enemy using each other, you continually break the will of the American public and American government.

"We go out daily and bust and kill the enemy, uncover and destroy huge weapons caches and continue to establish infrastructure. So daily we put a whoopin on the enemy, but all the enemy has to do is turn on the TV and get re-inspired. He gets to see his daily roadside bomb, truck bomb, suicide bomber or mortar attack. He doesn't see any accomplishments of the U.S. military (FOX, you're not exempt, you suck also).

"Let's give you an example. A couple of days ago we conducted an air assault. We lifted troops into an area for an operation. The operation went well and our ground troops killed (insurgents) and took several prisoners, freed a few hostages and uncovered a weapons cache containing munitions and chemicals that were going to be used in improvised bombs.

"The next morning I woke up and turned on AFN (Armed Forces Network) and watched the nightly news (NBC). Nothing, none of that reported. But the daily car bomb report was reported, and the file footage was not even from the event. There was a car bomb in the Sadr City area and your news report showed old car bomb footage from another part of town from some other time.

"So we really set the enemy back that night but all the enemy had to do was turn on the news and be reassured that the enemy's agenda (objective) was still going to be fed to the American public.

"We, the soldiers, keep breaking the back of the enemy. You, the media, keep rejuvenating the enemy.

"How hard would it be to contact the PAO (public affairs officer) of the 1st CAV, 36th CAB, 25th ID or the Marines and ask what did you guys accomplish today - good and bad? How about some insurgent blooper videos? Now that would be something to show on the evening news.

"Media, we know you hate the George Bush administration, but report both sides, not just your one-sided agenda. You have got to realize how you are continually motivating every extremist, jihadist and terrorist to continue their resolve to kill American soldiers."

It's a punch in the nose to the news media from Funk, 39, a full-time employee of the Iowa National Guard.

Why did he write it?

"I am just tired of busting my butt over here and coming home every night and turning on the TV (Armed Forces Network) and hearing how we are failing miserably," he told me in an e-mail.

You may agree with what Funk has to say. You may not.

Many in my business certainly won't. But Funk is a soldier, fighting a war, who has earned the right to be heard.

Chief Warrant Officer Jim Funk, an Iowa National Guard Black Hawk helicopter pilot from Ames, has been serving in Iraq since October. He wrote a letter to friends and family blasting American media coverage of the war.

Shortcut to:

http://www.desmoine/ sregister. com/apps/ pbcs.dll/ article?AID= /20070523/ OPINION01/ 705230371/ 1001/NEWS

This senator is running for President and has never served in an elected office in her home state. She could not be elected in her home state, that alone should say something.

No matter what happens, the Good Old USA will endure, we survived Presidents Carter and Nixon, that proves we can survive no matter who is elected.