Happy Halloween!

Art Donovan and Johnny Carson

The NFL and late-night TV were much better with Art Donovan and Johnny Carson.

Truth is gone. Will Beauty be next?

Seven Lies In Under Two Minutes

Lucky for him he didn't start all that with: "Read my lips." Would have been a nice touch, though.

A Letter to Al Franken from Minnesotans for Global Warming

Elmer Beauregard, the editor of Minnesotans for Global Warming had an interesting exchange with Minnesota's newest U. S. Senator, Al Franken. Remember Franken? He's the guy who won his seat in the long disputed election battle with Norm Coleman when over 200 absentee ballots (apparently all votes for Franken) were found in the trunk of a car. Here are the letters:

http://minnesotansforglobalwarming.com/m4gw/2009/10/my-letter-to-al-franken.html

Der Spiegel interviews Charles Krauthammer

The inestimable Charles Krauthammer was interviewed by two members of the staff of Der Spiegel, and he covered a number of topics with his useful clarity and good sense. Here's the transcript of the interview:

http://www.spiegel.de/international/world/0,1518,656501,00.html

Follow-Up Questions Never Asked.

President Obama came here to the Jacksonville Naval Station two days ago to a less than enthusiastic gathering of Sailors and Marines. The following is from a news clip of the event:

President Obama said today he will not rush his decision on whether to send more troops to Afghanistan, telling a crowd of U.S. troops, "I won't risk your lives unless it is absolutely necessary."

Follow-Up Needed:

Sounds great, Mr. President, but how about the lives of the troops already in Afghanistan who, according to your handpicked General on the ground, are losing because there are not enough of them to get the job done?

The president went on to say:

"And if it is necessary, we will back you up to the hilt," Obama added in remarks at the Naval Air Station in Jacksonville, Fla. "Because you deserve the strategy, the clear mission, and the defined goals as well as the equipment and support that you need to get the job done."

Follow-Up Needed:

That sounds exactly right, Mr. President, but who decides on “the strategy, the clear mission, and the defined goals as well as the equipment and support that you need to get the job done?" Would that be General McChrystal, backed by General Petraeus and Admiral Mullen, or Joe Biden, backed by John Kerry and the radical Left Wing base of your party?

Dismantling America by Thomas Sowell

Dismantling America by Thomas Sowell on National Review Online

The American Form of Government

Your children are most likely not learning this in school, so please take 10 minutes and have them watch this video; it's terrific.

Are You a Real Scientist?

Click on the graph to make legible.

There's a lot of truth to this spoof. It's from the Political Math site at:
http://politicalmath.wordpress.com/

GOP's New Lightning Rod — The Patriot Post

GOP's New Lightning Rod — The Patriot Post
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George Will's column acquaints us with the person who could replace Sarah Palin as the top target of the Chicago style politics being practiced by the White House. She's Michele Bachmann, and she's definitely the rising star of the Conservative movement.

Help Stop Cap and Trade

Click on the caption to Enlarge

Sundays are for Beauty - Simply Red

Simply Red is a British Soul Band. The band's name comes from the nickname of lead singer Mick Hucknall (that's him on the video), which derives from the colour of his hair. Don't ask about the venue for the video; I have no idea. The song and presentation, though, can make this a beautiful Sunday.

H/T: Tim

Gun Control Can Work For You.

Click on the lawn sign to enlarge.

We Should Have Known

http://wwwpopblogger.blogspot.com/2009/04/we-should-have-known.html

You can save $1,761 and a lot more

If you're not interested in paying $1,761 to help finance a government takeover of energy, you can sign the petition on the website of Minnesotans for Global Warming. Here's a link:

http://www.nocapandtrade.com/petition/

Dick Cheney Speaks Out

Here is a copy (courtesy of Fox News) of the speech delivered by Dick Cheney last night to the Center for Security Policy on the occasion of his being honored with the Keeper of the Flame Award.

http://www.foxnews.com/printer_friendly_story/0,3566,569006,00.html

If possible, he will move higher on the White House Enemies List after this one. It's great!

Oriana Fallaci never met Dick Cheney.

Respond to This.

Breaking News Alert
The New York Times
Wed, October 21, 2009 -- 2:42 PM ET

U.S. to Order Steep Pay Cuts at Firms That Got Most Aid

Responding to the growing furor over the paychecks of
executives at companies that received billions of dollars in
federal bailouts, the Obama administration will order the
companies that received the most aid to deeply slash the
compensation to their highest paid executives, an official
involved in the decision said on Wednesday.

Great! Now, how about responding to the full-grown furor over the pending government takeover of our health care system.

Recent Political Cartoons

Click on each cartoon to enlarge.

Time to Clean House - and Senate

This E-Mail (origin unknown) has been circulating so you might have seen it, but it deserves wide circulation. Surely there is a handful of members in both Houses who do not deserve to be turned out, but once exceptions are made, things (as W. B. Yeats once said) fall apart. Here's the E-Mail:

LET'S TAKE AMERICA BACK

It can only happen if the majority stands together and stays united as our "Fore Fathers" did 233 years ago.

All I ask is that you consider the suggestion here.

The entire Congress of the United States is corrupt. And I mean both Houses and I mean both major parties.

I realize that a few Members of each House are trustworthy, but, as a group they are absolutely the most corrupt bunch to ever disgrace our Nation.

In November of 2010 the entire House of Representatives will stand for re-election; all 435 of them. One third of the Senate, a total of 33 of them, will also stand for re-election. Vote every incumbent out. I mean every one of them. No matter their Party affiliation. Let's start all over in the House of Representatives with 435 people who have absolutely no experience in running that body, with no political favors owed to anyone but their own
constituents. Let's make them understand that they work for us.

They are answerable to us and they simply have to run that body with some common sense.

Two years later, in 2012, vote the next third of the incumbents in the Senate out. We can do the same thing in 2014 and, by that time we will have put all new people in that body as well.

We, the People, have got to take this Country back and we HAVE to do it peacefully. That's what the Framers of our Constitution envisioned.

I am also suggesting term limits on the NEW BUNCH --8 YEARS FOR REPRESENTATIVES AND

12 YEARS OF SENATORS. NO EXCEPTIONS. THE LONGER THEY STAY IN OFFICE THE MORE

POWER THEY GET AND THEY LOVE IT AND WILL DO ANYTHING TO GET RE-ELECTED.

WE HAVE TERM LIMITED THE PRESIDENT -- NOW LET'S TERM LIMIT THE LEGISLATORS.

Marco Rubio: A True Florida Conservative for the U. S. Senate

Jim Inhofe (R-OK), one of the true conservatives in the U. S. Senate, today announced his endorsement of Marco Rubio, the former Speaker of the Florida House of Representatives in his primary race against Governor Charlie Crist. Here's a newsclip:

Miami, FL - U.S. Senate candidate Marco Rubio today announced that he
> has received the endorsement of U.S. Senator James Inhofe (R-OK).
>
> Making today's announcement, Senator Inhofe said, "I enthusiastically
> support Marco Rubio in his campaign for U.S. Senate. Marco is exactly
> the type of conservative leader Americans need in Washington today
> fighting for the principles of limited government, individual liberty
> and personal responsibility.
>
> "Like me, Marco believes that the federal government works best when
> it returns dollars, decisions and freedom to our local communities and families.
> In the Senate, Marco will stand up for America's taxpayers, not with
> President Obama and dangerous big government spending," he added.


And here's what George Will had to say about Rubio in a recent column:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/09/25/AR2009092502470.html

If conservatives don't vote for Rubio, they might as well wait for the general election and vote for Kendrick Meek. This is from Kendrick Meek's Biography on his website:

Speaker Nancy Pelosi has described Congressman Meek as "a rising leader in the House who is respected throughout our Caucus and throughout the Congress." He is the Co-Chair of Speaker Pelosi's "30-Something" Working Group, which articulates Democratic positions to the public on critical issues before the U.S. Congress.

Marco Rubio is looking pretty good to me.

Sundays are for Beauty - Celtic Women

This is the Celtic Women performing at Slane Castle, Ireland in 2006. If you need to be raised up for a beautiful Sunday, this should do it.

Another Red in the White House?

That's White House Communications Director Anita Dunn, the administration's top general in its war against Fox News, speaking to a group of high school kids about her favorite political philosopher. This is yet another scandal that would have brought down previous administrations, but will be forgotten in a matter of days during this one. If you don't watch Glenn Beck, you probably were not even aware of this video. Just imagine the media uproar had Dana Perino, press secretary for George W. Bush, been found to have spoken thusly to high school students. At least everyone would have known about it.

Climate Chains - The Movie

Climate Chains from Climate Chains on Vimeo.

This is from Minnesotans for Global Warming, and is a real public service. It's 22 minutes long but worth spending the time to become better acquainted with this government grab for power.

Climate "Chains" are Coming

A great exposé of the Cap and Trade farce, by Minnesotans for Global Warming. It's a tax that will put the government in greater control of your life, and will make all those lobbying for it even richer than they are: think Al Gore.

Cap and Trade is more correctly referred to as Cap and Tax. Don't let the same congressmen, who are bent on overhauling our entire health care industry, pull this phony environmental trick on us. Current estimates price the Cap and Trade legislation (which has passed the House) at $1,761 per year per family. Of course, the administration will deny it is a TAX.

Al Gore - Not Evil Just Wrong

The investigative team from the soon to be released documentary Not Evil Just Wrong joined the Society of Environmental Journalists and attended their annual conference held this year in Madison, Wisconsin.

Former Vice President Al Gore who never allows journalists’ questions was giving his first Q & A in 4 years. The results were surprising and alarming for the future of journalism.

Phelim McAleer, Irish journalist, and part of the team from Not Evil Just Wrong, asked Gore if he agreed with the findings of the UK Judge who ruled that nine statements in the film, characterized as significant errors, were not supported by mainstream scientific consensus. He asked Gore if he intended to make corrections. Gore decided not to answer the question, and some of the so-called “journalists” at the gathering shut off McAleer’s microphone. Obviously environmental journalists are more environmentalists than journalists.

Three of the nine errors pointed out by the Judge, as reported by the BBC are:

Mr Gore's assertion that a sea-level rise of up to 20 feet would be caused by melting of ice in either West Antarctica or Greenland "in the near future". The judge said this was "distinctly alarmist" and it was common ground that if Greenland's ice melted it would release this amount of water - "but only after, and over, millennia".

Mr Gore's assertion that the disappearance of snow on Mount Kilimanjaro in East Africa was expressly attributable to global warming - the court heard the scientific consensus was that it cannot be established the snow recession is mainly attributable to human-induced climate change.

Mr Gore's reference to a new scientific study showing that, for the first time, polar bears had actually drowned "swimming long distances - up to 60 miles - to find the ice". The judge said: "The only scientific study that either side before me can find is one which indicates that four polar bears have recently been found drowned because of a storm."

In his final verdict, the judge said the film could be shown as long as updated guidelines were followed. These say teachers should point out controversial or disputed sections. Without the guidance, updated after the case was launched, the government would have been breaking the law, the judge said.

Of course, Gore pointed out, while dissembling over the question put to him by McAleer, that the Judge ruled in favor of the film being shown in the schools (he forgot to mention that the ruling specifically required that guidance giving the other side of the argument accompany the showing of the film).

Improvised Explosive Device

These guys were lucky on this day. They risk this everyday for us.

Political Math vs. Paul Krugman

This is taken from a recent post on the Political Math site taking NYT columnist Paul Krugman to task for a post he wrote: “How Big is $9 Trillion,” in which he attempts to defend the Obama administration’s recent announcement that they expect that their policies will increase the national debt by $9 trillion. His tack is to “explain” that $9 trillion isn’t really all that much when you understand it in context. This is from Political Math's response: "Willful Omissions From Paul Krugman."

By the end of President Obama’s term (if he runs two terms) we’ll be looking at a federal budget that is 70% mandatory spending. (I assume for the purposes of consistency that mandatory spending includes interest on the national debt because we don’t really have a choice in not paying it.)
Here’s a quick visual of the difference in the budgets in 1945 and 2016. (Ugly, because I did it fast… I’m on vacation.)



If you look at the 1945 budget with the single question “How are we going to reduce our debt?” you can identify the major problem. It’s the defense budget, which is almost 90% of the budget. Interestingly, reducing the defense budget is exactly what we did in order to reduce the debt, cutting it over 80% in 3 years (it helped that we won the war).
As a contrast, President Obama’s solution to reducing overall spending is… well, I don’t think he really has a plan. His projected budget in 2016 has reduced the defense budget as a percentage of the overall budget from 20% to 14%, but military spending isn’t what is killing us. The president has no plans to reduce mandatory spending whatsoever. In fact, his only change to entitlement spending is to increase it.
(By the way… if you would like to blame the debt load on the Iraq war, you should know that those costs have raised our debt by 5% of the GDP. Comparing this to WWII, which raised our debt by 70% of the GDP, is a pretty weak argument.)

Political Math is a very informative Blog with a great sense of humor. Here's a link:
http://politicalmath.wordpress.com/

Worth 1,000 words.

President George W. Bush


President Ronald Reagan


President Barack Hussein Obama, Mmm, mmm, mmm.

Robert D. Kaplan on the Afghanistan Decision

Robert D. Kaplan, the learned correspondent for the Atlantic Monthly, comments on the delayed decision by the president on whether to increase our troop strength in Afghanistan.

Even if Obama does end up making the correct decision on Afghanistan strategy (by which I mean adding troops, since counterinsurgency is manpower-intensive), the public agony over his deliberations may already have done incalculable damage. The Afghan people have survived three decades of war by hedging their bets. Now, watching a young and inexperienced American president appear to waiver on his commitment to their country, they are deciding, at the level of both the individual and the mass, whether to make their peace with the Taliban—even as the Taliban itself can only take solace and encouragement from Obama's public agonizing. Meanwhile, fundamentalist elements of the Pakistani military, opposed to the recent crackdown against local Taliban, are also taking heart from developments in Washington. This is how coups and revolutions get started, by the middle ranks sensing weakness in foreign support for their superiors.

Here's the entire article:
http://www.theatlantic.com/doc/200910u/obama-afghanistan

Magic Numbers in Politics by Thomas Sowell

Magic Numbers in Politics by Thomas Sowell on National Review Online

Obama vs. Fox News

Click on the arrow on the left, then on the box on the right (next to "share") to enlarge the video.

By now, everyone is aware that the White House has declared "war" on Fox News. The folks at the White House obviously are unable to distinguish between the news programming and the opinion programming on the Fox network. This video appeared on the website of Breitbart TV.
http://www.breitbart.tv/

Brit Hume addressed the controversy last night in his commentary. Here's a link:
http://www.foxnews.com/video/index.html?playerId=011008&streamingFormat=FLASH&referralObject=10611305&referralPlaylistId=playlist

Fear Mongering the Children

Thanks to Minnesotans For Global Warming for exposing the tactics of the Global Warning Alarmists on their website.
http://minnesotansforglobalwarming.com/m4gw/


They disagree with Al Gore and his Global Warming hysteria.

TORT REFORM - The 500 Pound...

Physicians for Reform provide some very interesting statistics showing the effects of Tort Reform in the state of Texas.

The Texas healthcare reforms of 2003 powerfully demonstrate how patient-friendly malpractice laws can improve access to care.

The results of the reforms are more than impressive, but don't look for the same kind of results in any national plan: the trial lawyers simply won't allow it. Here's a link to the results in Texas of that state's 2003 reform of their malpractice laws.

http://www.physiciansforreform.org/index.php?id=17

Remember Howard Dean, in a post here, dated September 28, 2009, explaining exactly why tort reform was not a part of any national healthcare reform Bill? Here he is:

Vintage Krauthammer

The inestimable Charles Krauthammer is featured in the Notable & Quotable section of today's Wall Street Journal.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703746604574461293823826308.html

Sundays are for Beauty - Celtic Women

This is Maeve and Hayley Westenra of The Celtic Women performing at the Slane Castle in Ireland.

Hayley Westenra has been with us before. You can use the Search This Blog box at the right to find her in Part 1 and Part 8 of Sundays are for Beauty. Just type her name in the box and click on Search.

Have a Beautiful Sunday.

They're laughing at Norway in Sweden

Wasn't even going to mention this whole peace prize nonsense, but this was on Power Line today:

http://www.powerlineblog.com/archives/2009/10/024676.php

Swedes love to laugh at dumb stuff their next door neighbors do.

The Carbon Regulatory Offset Committee

For the latest updates on carbon offsets, check out the C.R.O.C. website. Here's a link:

http://www.thecroc.org/

My All Time Favorites - The Muppet Show

Rather than comment on the decision of the Nobel Prize Committee announced today, a trip back in time to something light seems in order.

A Mind is a Terrible Thing to Waste - in Law School

Associate Justice of the United States Supreme Court Antonin Scalia thinks some bright lawyers could be spending their lives in a more productive way. This is from the Wall Street Journal.

http://blogs.wsj.com/law/2009/10/01/scalia-we-are-devoting-too-many-of-our-best-minds-to-lawyering/

You mean it's not really warming?

Interesting piece on Minnesotans for Global Warming site yesterday. Here's a link:

http://minnesotansforglobalwarming.com/m4gw/2009/10/planet-cooling-says-scientist.html

The Afghanistan Decision will be Wrong

The Chicago Connection

Success or failure following major decisions is usually the measure of whether a decision was either right or wrong, but what about decisions not yet made? Probably the best way to predict possible success or failure of a soon-to-be-made decision is to look behind the curtain at the advisors on each side of the issue about which the decision will be made.

The president is being advised from two distinct camps before he makes his decision on whether to add more troops to our Afghanistan war effort. He will accept either the guidance of war seasoned and highly respected generals (see below), or the guidance of his fellow Chicago full-time politicians (White House Chief of Staff, Rahm Emanuel and Senior White House Advisor, David Axelrod, neither of whom ever wore a military uniform), who are the prime advocates for the Vast Left Wing Conspiracy, the members of which want us to stop spending money on things like necessary wars so we can spend more on social programs to attract more people to the democratic party. The Chicago pols are joined by one former military man, James Jones, who chose (some time ago, actually) to wear his politician’s hat, which was not suffering from non-use anyway, and one vice-president, Joe Biden, who has rescued Dan Quayle from the undeserved ridicule heaped upon him for misspelling potato many years ago. Biden makes Quayle look absolutely scholarly.

A president who is not particularly interested in victory, of course, would not be overly concerned when the general he put in charge in Afghanistan asserts that without an additional 40,000 troops our efforts “will likely result in failure.” This is what Obama said recently about our war in Afghanistan.

"I'm always worried about using the word 'victory,' because, you know, it invokes this notion of Emperor Hirohito coming down and signing a surrender to MacArthur."

Our president’s statement, aside from displaying his ignorance of history (Emperor Hirohito did not sign the surrender documents and wasn’t even present on the USS Missouri when they were signed), must have shocked and disappointed our brave troops slogging their way through a godforsaken country seeking what they have always been trained to seek: VICTORY.

The president’s military leaders: Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Admiral Michael Mullen, Commander, U. S. Central Command General David Petraeus, and the top U. S. military commander in Afghanistan, General Stanley McChrystal, all agree that without additional troops our efforts in Afghanistan will likely fail, but what do they know? They only share a total of 109 years in the active military service of our country, and have dedicated their lives to keeping us free. Two of them have advanced academic degrees (General Petraeus holds a PhD), but, all that aside, I doubt they will win the day with the president on their proposal to increase our Afghanistan troop strength. The president will more likely go with the recommendation of his Chicago advisors and that decision “will likely result in failure” as General McChrystal has warned. So, I would predict that his decision will be a Wrong Decision. He will, at most, achieve a one-sided compromise whereby he will send a much smaller number of troops to Afghanistan, because the Chicago politicians advocating for the radical Left Wing can’t come up empty; they always have to win something (except, apparently, wars).

So where was the president last week? He took off in Air Force One (the First Lady flew over on a separate jet, but please don’t ask about carbon footprints), for Copenhagen to lobby the International Olympic Committee to award the 2016 games to (where else?) Chicago. Old loyalties die hard, but at least we know where his loyalties lie. Former Speaker of the House Tip O’Neill was fond of saying: All politics is local, and Chicago is the ultimate manifestation of that dictum. When a large number of Chicago residents voiced deep concern about what the Olympic games will end up costing them, Chicago’s Mayor, and close political ally of Obama, Richard M. Daley, “pledged that the Games would not cost the taxpayers a dime.” Now we know where President Obama got that line.

What can we do about yet another deplorable situation facing us? My only recommendation at this point is to pray: “Pray without Ceasing.” Pray that American troops, the best of the best, are not abandoned as they were in Vietnam. Pray for all our combat troops around the world – especially those in Afghanistan - who risk their lives every day in far off lands to protect us from terrorist attacks here at home. If they lose this one, we all lose.

Sundays are for Beauty - Satchmo

Louis Armstrong (1901-1971), one of the greatest entertainers of the century, somehow continues to be overlooked when it's time for the Presidential Medal of Freedom to be awarded. He's long overdue.

Have a beautiful Sunday or whatever day it is when you see this. Sorry about the delay. We were out of town without access to the Internet.

Not a good Legacy

Another Ally Abandoned

Pakistan

In an interview at the Journal's offices this week in New York, Pakistan Foreign Minister Makhdoom Shah Mahmood Qureshi minced no words about the impact of a U.S. withdrawal before the Taliban is defeated. "This will be disastrous," he said. "You will lose credibility. . . Who is going to trust you again?"

That's from an editorial in the Wall Street Journal today. If the president doesn't want to listen to his generals, maybe he'll think about this. Here's a link to the editorial:

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704471504574443352072071822.html

Forgotten American Heroes

Staff Sergeant Jimmie E. Howard led an eighteen-man recon team against a North Vietnamese Army Battalion during a mission in 1966. Howard was awarded the Medal of Honor for the action which later became known as "Howard's Hill". He was the sixth Marine to serve in Vietnam to be awarded the Medal of Honor for heroism.

Born on 27 July, 1929 in Burlington, Iowa, he enlisted in the Marine Corps on 12 July, 1950. Upon Completion of Advanced Infantry Training Howard was ordered to Korea in February 1952. He was assigned as a forward observer with the 4.2" Mortar Company, 1st Marine Regiment. Howard was awarded the both the Silver Star and the Purple Heart with Gold Star for his service during the Korean War.

Upon his return to the United States in 1953, Cpl Howard served as a Tactics instructor at the Infantry Training Regiment, Camp Pendleton, CA where he was promoted to Sergeant.

During the remainder of the 1950s and early 1960s Howard served in a variety of billets including: Squad Leader, 1st Amphibious Reconnaissance Company (1st Force), MP Headquarters Battalion, 1stMARDIV and a Platoon Sergeant in 2nd Battalion, 9th Marines. He also served as a Counterguerrilla Warfare instructor with 1st Marine Division Schools from 1965-1966. From April-June 1966, Howard served as a Platoon Leader in 1st Recon Battalion, 1st Marine Division.

On 13 June, 1966, SSgt Howard and his Platoon (15 Marines, 2 Corpsman) were inserted behind enemy lines on Hill 488 in order to observe enemy troop movement in the valley below and call in Air and Artillery strikes. After two days, the enemy determined their location and attacked in force. During darkness on 15 June a 300 North Vietnamese Army Battalion attacked Howard and his 17 man Recon Patrol. Howard and his Marines held their position during the 12 hour attack killing approximately 200 NVA. Howard's force suffered six killed in action. 

What is unique about this action is that every member of Howard's force was decorated for heroism. Two (2) Navy Crosses and fifteen(15) Silver Stars were awarded to Howard's Marines and Sailors. Howard received his fourth Purple Heart and was awarded the Medal of Honor for his actions. 

Jimmie E. Howard retired from the Marine Corps on 31 March, 1977 as a First Sergeant. He passed away on 12 November 1993 and is buried at Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery in San Diego.

The USS Howard (DDG-83), Arleigh Burke Class destroyer, is named in his honor.



Medal of Honor Citation:
The President of the United States in the name of the Congress takes pleasure in presenting the MEDAL OF HONOR to
GUNNERY SERGEANT JIMMIE E. HOWARD
UNITED STATES MARINE CORPS
for service as set forth in the following CITATION:
For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty as a Platoon Leader, Company "C", First Reconnaissance Battalion, First Marine Division (Reinforced), Fleet Marine Force, Pacific, in action against communist insurgent forces in Quang Tin Province, Republic of Vietnam, on 16 June 1966. During the night Gunnery Sergeant (then Staff Sergeant) Howard's platoon of eighteen men was assaulted by a numerically superior force consisting of a well-trained North Vietnamese Battalion employing heavy small arms fire, automatic weapons and accurate weapon fire. Without hesitation he immediately organized his platoon to personally supervise the precarious defense of Hill 488. Utterly oblivious to the unrelenting fury of hostile enemy weapons fire and hand grenades he repeatedly exposed himself to enemy fire while directing the operation of his small force. As the enemy attack progressed and the enemy fire increased in volume and accuracy and despite his mounting casualties, Gunnery Sergeant Howard continued to set an example of calmness and courage. Moving from position to position, he inspired his men with dynamic leadership and courageous fighting spirit until he was struck and painfully wounded by fragments from an enemy hand grenade. Unable to move his legs and realizing that the position was becoming untenable, he distributed his ammunition to the remaining members of his platoon and skillfully directed friendly aircraft and artillery strikes with uncanny accuracy upon the enemy. Dawn found the beleaguered force diminished by five killed and all but one wounded. When rescue helicopters proceeded to Gunnery Sergeant Howard's position, he directed them away from his badly mauled force and called additional air strikes and directed devastating small arms fire on the enemy thus making the landing zone secure as possible. His valiant leadership and courageous fighting spirit served to inspire the men of his platoon to heroic endeavor in the face of overwhelming odds, and reflected the highest credit upon Gunnery Sergeant Howard, the Marine Corps and the United States Naval Service.
/S/ LYNDON B. JOHNSON