Archive for the ‘war’ Category

A slightly odd rule 5 sunday entry

Posted: September 20, 2009 by datechguy in amazon reviews, fun, personal, war
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I generally don’t do rule 5 entries but I’m going to make an exception here for a purely Sicilian reason, family interest.

Martha Raye pinup

This is Martha Raye from the 40’s. You likely remember her from of all things polident commercials but to the soldiers she entertained in war zones she was a lady.

So Why am I bringing this up. Well in the book I’ve already plugged and urged you to buy. The Army Insider by retired 30 year Sgt Major David C. Carden who served from Vietnam to the First Iraq war and beyond both in combat and undercover has a Martha Raye story on page 55 which I will partially repeat here:

I was a 19 year old kid in December 1966 when I first met Martha Ray(e). She came to my Special Forces camp at Kontum, Viet Nam as part of a USO tour. It was just her and her entourage. Martha Ray(e) was a movie star and a Lieutenant Colonel in the Army Nurse Corps. This trip was a little entertaining an performing her Military duty. She was good people

It was early evening and I had just returned to camp after being out for about 10 days. We had a small one-room shack that served as a club and I headed over to get a Coke. I was unshaven, dirty and probably smelled a little ripe. Maggie was siting in the corner of the room at the poker take and a group of guys was standing around watching the game. I walked over and some of my friend were playing and there was an open seat. She looked at me and said, “Have a seat young Sergeant.” I told her I didn’t have any money with me and a voice behind me said, “Here kid”. Sergeant Major Johnson the Camp Sergeant Major handed me $200 in MPC’s So I sat down…

the army insider

I’ll tell the end of the story next Sunday, but if you can’t wait the self published book is available at Amazon and is a great way to say thanks to a man (part of my family by marriage) who gave thirty years to serving his country while enjoying a bunch of great yarns.

Update: Welcome Rule 5 readers. The promised end of the story is here.

Oh My God! Did I read Brzezinski right?

Posted: September 19, 2009 by datechguy in opinion/news, war
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Via the Hot air headlines The Weekly standard finds a bombshell hidden in this daily beast story!

How aggressive can Obama be in insisting to the Israelis that a military strike might be in America’s worst interest?
We are not exactly impotent little babies. They have to fly over our airspace in Iraq. Are we just going to sit there and watch?

What if they fly over anyway?
Well, we have to be serious about denying them that right. That means a denial where you aren’t just saying it. If they fly over, you go up and confront them. They have the choice of turning back or not. No one wishes for this but it could be a Liberty in reverse. [Israeli jet fighters and torpedo boats attacked the USS Liberty in international waters, off the Sinai Peninsula, during the Six-Day War in 1967. Israel later claimed the ship was the object of friendly fire.]

It’s interesting to note that the Beast fails to mention the subsequent apology and payment of over $12,800,000 in compensation for the dead and wounded and for damage to the ship itself.

Zbigniew Brzezinski I would remind you was Jimmy Carter’s National Security adviser.

In his newly published book The Army Insider. (My review here, Buy It!) Retired Sgt Major David C. Carden says this about the Jimmy Carter years on page 141:

Circa 1977 to 1981. There are more learned people than me that can write about Jimmy Carter’s presidency. I can only say that from day one, the Military started belt tightening; there was a 444 day black mark painted on the United States of America: eight American Servicemen died attempting to wipe away that black mark: and one payback is still owed.

There must have been something good during those years when Zbigniew was national security adviser. Dave?

The best thing that happened for the military Services and America during the Carter administration was that Ronald Reagan was elected the next president of the United states.

I’d have to agree.

Apparently like Buchanan ol Ziggy hasn’t gotten over the Liberty either.

His daughter is still a handsome woman no matter what Robert Stacy McCain says.

Two thumbs up for Obama…

Posted: September 15, 2009 by datechguy in opinion/news, war
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The first is for the hit on the Saleh Ali Saleh Nabhan.

Navy Seals from US Special Operations Forces conducted a raid in southern Somalia on Monday that killed Saleh Ali Saleh Nabhan, one of 4 co-conspirators wanted in the 2002 bombing of an Israel owned hotel in Mombasa, Kenya, two senior U.S. military officials told Fox News.

Ten days ago President Obama signed the Execute Order for Nabhan, who since 2006 was on the FBI’s list of most wanted terrorists. He was also wanted for the attacks on the U.S. Embassy in Kenya in 1998.

Even Dan Riehl is impressed.

The second is his signing an extension to the Cuba embargo:

In a largely symbolic act, on Sept. 11, President Barack Obama signed a one-year extension of the law used to impose the embargo on Cuba in the 1960s. The Act was due to expire on Sept. 15, which was when the signing was announced. The Miami Herald reported that no reason was given for the delay.

In one respect this actually helps Cuba in the sense that it preserves an excuse for their failure as a nation.

And it looks like he will maintain his spine in Afghanistan:

Obama seems to have learned the right lessons from the Iraq surge, which is not necessarily to send more troops, but that failure cannot be a policy.

The Democrats in Congress who declared Iraq lost and the surge sure to fail (including Obama himself at the time) cannot be trusted with national security now anymore so than in the past. The Democrats in Congress still are fighting George Bush. The rest of us are fighting against an ideology of death.

The supporters of the people who flew planes into the World Trade Center would do it again in a heartbeat if given the chance. At least Obama seems determined not to give them that chance, and for that he deserves our support.

I still say the War on Terror is the #1 issue, economy not withstanding. Even if all the nasty stuff he is pushing domestically passes if he continues to fight the wars to victory his presidency can be considered successful.

You can always repeal a law or even a constitutional amendment, you can’t unlose a war.

The most telling video on the net

Posted: September 15, 2009 by datechguy in opinion/news, war
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Via Tim Blair and Legal Insurrection we have this video of troops preparing to strike the bad guys planting an IED.

The importance of it is not what is done in the video but what Isn’t done:

But listen to the video, don’t just watch it. The American soldiers watching the scene unfold repeatedly hold fire as a child carrying supplies to the bombers enters the target area, “My only concern is that child right now” one of the soldiers says (at 2:20 descending).

After the child leaves, the soldiers move towards the firing sequence, but the child reappears: “Is that a kid, damn it.” (at 1:15) Then “go away kid, go away kid.” Not a shot is fired.

This is the reality of the US. It’s why we ARE better than our foes.

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