RAISE THE FLAG!!
I have waited until 10/12/04 to post anything here about
the upcoming Presidential election. I have found something
that puts my feelings into wordss. Click HERE if
you care too see what my feelings are.
A SOLDIERS VIEW OF IRAQ
Some people want to believe there was no connection between 9-11, Afghanistan and Iraq. So we reviewed the recent history of terrorists (Islamic Extremist) and their ties to Saddam's regime and have sought out the truth to explain the reasons why we believe the terrorists’ center of gravity was and is right here in Iraq.
Palestinian terrorist Abu Nidal took refuge in Baghdad in 1999. Nidal’s group is guilty of murdering 407 people, ten of them Americans, and wounding 788 others in attacks in 20 countries.
On April 18th, 2003 Khala Khadar al Salahat, a known terrorist, surrendered to U.S. Marines in Baghdad. Salahat and Nidal supplied the plastic explosives used by Libyan terrorists to destroy Pan-Am Flight 103 over Lockerbie Scotland in 1988. That attack killed 259 people, 35 of them were American college students.
Abu Abbas, mastermind of the hijacking of the Italian Cruise ship Achilles Lauro in 1985, was captured by U.S. Army Special Forces near Baghdad on April 14th, 2003.
Abbas had been living in Baghdad under Iraqi protection since 2002.
Ramzi Yousef, who planned the 1993 World Trade Center bombing, entered the U.S. on an Iraqi Passport. Abdul Rahman Yasin, who was indicted for mixing the chemicals used in the 1993 World Trade Center bombing, fled to Baghdad where the Iraqi government provided him a house and a salary for years.
Saddam is known to have supported Palestinian suicide bombers through his "Arab Liberation Front" which awarded $10,000 to the family of each bomber who conducted a terrorist attack. Between March 2002 and March 2003 these attacks killed 223 people including 12 Americans, and wounded 1209.
Abu Musab Zarqawi, a known figure in Osama Bin Ladin's network, is the #1 Terrorist target in Iraq today and is the Al Qaeda leader responsible for a series of terrorist attacks and beheadings in Iraq. Zarqawi is now holding and threatening to be-head the innocent humanitarian aide worker Margaret Hassan.
Another known 9-11 connection was in January of 2002, Nawaz al-Hamzi and Khalid al-Midhar met with Iraqi diplomat Ahmed Hikmat Shakir in Malaysia. Shakir escorted them to an Al Qaeda 9-11 planning meeting. Shakir was arrested six days after 9-11.
It is clear that we are here for the right reasons, but being
away from home has caused our families tremendous stress and strain. We pray that our
family members and friends back home understand that the sacrifices they are making will
not be in vain. Family separations have caused hardships but the results will make the
world a safer and better place. It may not be obvious because the good news is often
obscured or overshadowed by the bad news, but please know we are making progress in
changing a part of the world that will ultimately make all Americans safer. Thanks for
your support and please keep the prayers flowing.
Catfish 6
Bradly MacNealy
TF 185th Aviation
"In the Sunni Triangle"
Commanding
MY HEROS HAVE ALWAYS BEEN COWBOYS
It is the soldier, not the reporter,
Who has given us freedom of of the press.
It is the soldier, not the poet,
Who has given us freedom of speech.
It is the soldier, not the campus organizer,
Who has given us the freedom to demonstrate.
It is the soldier who salutes the flag,
Who serves beneath the flag, and
whose coffin is draped by the flag
Who allows the protester to burn the flag.
By Father Denis Edward O'Brien, USMC
This is "The Minne", the first ship my Daddy was assigned to in WW II.
This is outstanding. This lady tells it like it is. Last week, the Shelby County Alabama
Legislative Delegation hosted a "Stand Up for America Rally." More than 1,200
people attended including featured speakers Chief Justice Roy Moore, Adjutant General Mark
Bowen and Alabama State Auditor Beth Chapman.
Attached is a copy of Mrs. Chapman's speech, which resulted in five standing
ovations, tremendous applause and an encore. It's a short read and well worth it.
I hope you enjoy it as we continue to "Stand up for America!"
Stand Up for America Rally Speech By: Beth Chapman
I'm here tonight because men and women of the United States military have
given their lives for my freedom. I am not here tonight because
Sheryl Crowe, Rosie O'Donnell, Martin Sheen, George Clooney,
Jane Fonda or Phil Donahue, sacrificed their lives for me.
If my memory serves me correctly, it was not movie stars or musicians, but
the United States Military who fought on the shores of Iwo Jima, the jungles
of Vietnam, and the beaches of Normandy. Tonight, I say we should support
the President of the United States and the U.S. Military and tell the
liberal, tree-hugging, Birkenstock-wearing, hippy, tie-dyed liberals to go
make their movies and music and whine somewhere else.
After all, if they lived in Iraq, they wouldn't be allowed the freedom of
speech they're being given here today. Ironically, they would be put to
death at the hands of Saddam Hussein or Osama Bin Laden.
The movie stars say they want to go to Iraq and serve as
"human shields" for the Iraqis. I say let them buy
a one-way ticket and go.
No one likes war. I hate war! But the one thing I hate more is the fact that
this country has been forced into war-innocent people have lost their lives
- - and there but for the grace of God, it could have been my brother, my
husband, or even worse my own son.
On December 7, 1941, there are no records of movie stars treading the
blazing waters of Pearl Harbor.
On September 11, 2001; there are no photos of movie stars standing as "human
shields" against the debris and falling bodies ascending from the World
Trade Center. There were only policemen and firemen - -underpaid civil
servants who gave their all with nothing expected in return.
When the USS Cole was bombed, there were no movie stars guarding the ship -
- where were the human shields then?
If America's movie stars want to be human shields, let them shield the
gang-ridden streets of Los Angeles, or New York City, let them shield the
lives of the children of North Birmingham whose mothers lay them down to
sleep on the floor each night to shelter them from stray bullets.
If they want to be human shields, I say let them shield the men and women of
honesty and integrity that epitomizes courage and embody the spirit of
freedom by wearing the proud uniforms of the United States Military. Those
are the people who have earned and deserve shielding!
Throughout the course of history, this country has remained free, not
because of movie stars and liberal activists, but because of brave men and
women who hated war too. However, they lay down their lives so that we all
may live in freedom. After all - "What greater love hath no man, that he lay
down his life for his friend," or in this case a country.
We should give our military honor and acknowledgment and not let their lives
be in vain. If you want to see true human shields, walk through Arlington
Cemetery. There lie human shields, heroes, and the BRAVE Americans who
didn't get on television and talk about being a human
shield - they were human shields.
I thank God tonight for freedom - - those who bought and paid
for it with their lives in the past -
- those who will protect it in the present and defend it in the future.
America has remained silent too long! God-fearing people
have remained silent too long!
We must lift our voices united in a humble prayer to God
for guidance and the strength and
courage to sustain us throughout whatever the future may hold.
After the tragic events of Sept. 11th, my then
eleven -year-old son said terrorism is a war
against them and us and if you're not one of us,
then you're one of them.
So in closing tonight, let us be of one accord,
let us stand proud, and let us be the human shields
of prayer, encouragement
and support for the President,
our troops and their families and our country.
May God bless America, the land of the free,
the home of the brave and
the greatest country on the face of this earth!
A HISTORY LESSON
An 80 year old Veteran, who was in the
Korean War and World War II gave a
little history lesson and his thoughts today on War.
It is a different look at the War.
Thoughts to think about:
........................
I'm not going to get into a history lesson. The short, short version is
that the League of Nations (established after WW I to prevent wars) failed
to stop Mussolini's Italy from invading and conquering Ethiopia. It failed
to stop Japan from invading and conquering Manchuria and much of China.
Their committees wrung their hands spoke in platitudes but did absolutely
nothing to stop war.
At France's coaxing Britain's prime minister Nevil Chamberlain met with
Adolph Hitler in Munich and surrendered the Sudetenland to Nazi Germany in
the interest of "peace in our time." The French and British watched as
Germany took Austria, Czechoslovakia, Yugoslavia. They all had committee
meetings and wrung their hands and talked of peace.
World War II erupted when Nazi Germany invaded Poland. Britain had a
mutual defense treaty with Poland so they couldn't escape. They declared
war on Germany. Germany had a mutual defense treaty with Japan so Japan
declared war on Britain. France wet their pants and surrendered to Germany
as fast as they could and gleefully shipped all the Jews they could find to
death camps in Germany to prove to Adolph that they really were on the side
of Germany.
Japan attacked the United States and, because of Japan's mutual defense
treaty with Germany, Germany declared war on the United States.
Up until December 7th and the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, a large
number of our people were wringing their hands and saying, "Appease Hitler.
He is really a good guy who just needed a little more land for his
expanding population. The dear man just wants peace. And World War II was
in full swing leaving better than 50,000,000 people dead including about
450,000 American soldiers and sailors.
Three cheers for the League of Nations!
After World War II it was decided to do the whole thing all over again.
This time we would call it the United Nations and we will have committee
meetings and hand wringing parties and make sure peace prevails throughout
the land.
While that august body wrung hands the Soviet Union split Germany, invaded
Poland and Yugoslavia, Rumania, Hungary and Bulgaria along with Latvia,
Lithuania and Estonia. The peaceful world saw Korea with 37,000 American
soldiers killed, over 1,000,000 South Korean soldiers and civilians killed
and the country nearly destroyed.
Since then we have had over 50,000 American soldiers killed in Vietnam and
have fought wars in Somalia, Herzegovenia, Panama, Granada, plus the Gulf
War when Iraq invaded Kuwait.
We should have gone into Baghdad and taken out that evil regime then but
the United Nations would have no part of that. All they would allow was for
us to chase the Iraqis out of Kuwait, then peace would prevail.
Now, here we are with Saddam violating all 17 United Nations resolutions
while he has massed poison gas and bio weapons.
He is frantically trying to develop a nuke and his buddy, Kim Jong-Il of
North Korea may give him a few. (It was the United Nations who prevented us
from taking North Korea when the war was hot and we had the means to do it.)
Peace!!!!!!!! Sure.
France is wetting their collective pants in fear that the United States
will take Saddam out and along with him, France's 60 billion dollar
contracts with Iraq. Russia hedges because Iraq owes them 6 billion dollars
that they sorely need.
In answer to your question....... hell yes we should go to war with Iraq.
We should have done it six months ago. We should also get out of the United
Nations. Can you believe that the United Nations has appointed Iraq and
Syria to head up the United Nations Disarmament Committee? Can you believe
they have appointed Libya to head up the Human Rights Committee?
All three of these countries are on the UN List of Terrorist
States..........Absolutely unbelievable.
Just don't get me going. Throughout recorded history the only time peace
has prevailed is when the good guys have militarily whipped the bad guys.
Who are our best friends in the world? Japan because we whipped them.
Germany because we whipped them. Italy because we whipped them. Britain
because we whipped them.
This is one opinion, on the War but this is the eyes, ears and heart of an
American Veteran...
