President Reagan: A Soldier's Pledge

For Patriots and Golfers

For those who love their country and love their golf (even as a spectator), this will be 14 minutes well spent.

H/T: dc9271

William Winfield Colgan: American Hero at Peleliu

William Winfield Colgan (1924-1944) joined the Navy one month before his graduation from Carteret High School, Carteret, New Jersey, in June of 1942. He became a Hospital Corpsman, and served with the Marines in the Pacific. Before reaching his 21st birthday, he was killed on Peleliu while saving the lives of wounded Marines in one of the bloodiest battles of the Pacific campaign. He was buried October 13, 1944 in Peleliu Armed Forces Cemetery #1, grave #182, section 4.


To see the medals and ribbons awarded to this brave 20 year old American Hero, and to read a brief tribute to William Colgan written by his sister Shirley (Colgan) Goodwyne, you can click here.

Thank God for giving us such men as William Colgan. R. I.P.

Veterans Day, 2010

The above video is obviously from an NFL game some years ago between the New England Patriots and the Philadelphia Eagles. Tom Brady and Andy Reid were much younger, several of the players are either retired now or playing for different teams, and President George H. W. Bush is still standing on his own. The rendition of our National Anthem by the service academy choirs, sung the way it is meant to be sung, is most fitting for a proper celebration of this day to honor all our veterans, living and dead.


H/T: rkwlsn

Angel Flights for Heroes

God bless our heroes and their families. We owe them our freedom.


H/T: rkwlsn

Bill Mauldin - Great American

This is from a circulating E-Mail from a former co-worker of Bill Mauldin at the Chicago Sun-Times, which I'm happy to reproduce to bring attention to a Great American. The commemorative stamp (picture above) was released, on March 31, 2010.

Bill Mauldin stamp honors grunts' hero.

Mauldin died at age 81 in the early days of 2003. The end of his life had been rugged. He had been scalded in a bathtub, which led to terrible injuries and infections; Alzheimer's disease was inflicting its cruelties. Unable to care for himself after the scalding, he became a resident of a California nursing home, his health and spirits in rapid decline.

He was not forgotten, though. Mauldin, and his work, meant so much to the millions of Americans who fought in World War II, and to those who had waited for them to come home. He was a kid cartoonist for Stars and Stripes, the military newspaper; Mauldin's drawings of his muddy, exhausted, whisker-stubbled infantrymen Willie and Joe were the voice of truth about what it was like on the front lines.

Mauldin was an enlisted man just like the soldiers he drew for; his gripes were their gripes, his laughs were their laughs, his heartaches were their heartaches. He was one of them. They loved him.

He never held back. Sometimes, when his cartoons cut too close for comfort, his superior officers tried to tone him down. In one memorable incident, he enraged Gen. George S. Patton, and Patton informed Mauldin he wanted the pointed cartoons -- celebrating the fighting men, lampooning the high-ranking officers -- to stop. Now.

The news passed from soldier to soldier. How was Sgt. Bill Mauldin going to stand up to Gen. Patton? It seemed impossible.

Not quite. Mauldin, it turned out, had an ardent fan: Five-star Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower, supreme commander of the Allied forces in Europe . Ike put out the word: Mauldin draws what Mauldin wants. Mauldin won. Patton lost.

He won the Pulitzer Prize. He was featured on the cover of Time magazine. His book "Up Front" was the No. 1 best-seller in the United States .

All of that at 23. Yet when he returned to civilian life and he grew older, he never lost that boyish Mauldin grin, he never outgrew his excitement about doing his job, he never big-shotted or high-hatted the people with whom he worked every day.

I was lucky enough to be one of them; Mauldin roamed the hallways of the Chicago Sun-Times in the late 1960s and early 1970s with no more officiousness or air of haughtiness than if he was a copyboy. That impish look on his face remained.

He had achieved so much. He had won a second Pulitzer Prize, and he should have won a third, for what may be the single greatest editorial cartoon in the history of the craft: his deadline rendering, on the day President John F. Kennedy was assassinated, of the statue at the Lincoln Memorial slumped in grief, its head cradled in its hands. But he never acted as if he was better than the people he met. He was still Mauldin the enlisted man.

During the late summer of 2002, as Mauldin lay in that California nursing home, some of the old World War II infantry guys caught wind of it. They didn't want Mauldin to go out that way. They thought he should know that he was still their hero.

Gordon Dillow, a columnist for the Orange County Register, put out the call in Southern California for people in the area to send their best wishes to Mauldin; I joined Dillow in the effort, helping to spread the appeal nationally so that Bill would not feel so alone. Soon more than 10,000 letters and cards had arrived at Mauldin's bedside.

Even better than that, the old soldiers began to show up just to sit with Mauldin, to let him know that they were there for him, as he, long ago, had been there for them. So many volunteered to visit Bill that there was a waiting list. Here is how Todd DePastino, in the first paragraph of his wonderful biography of Mauldin, described it:

"Almost every day in the summer and fall of 2002 they came to Park Superior nursing home in Newport Beach , California , to honor Army Sergeant, Technician Third Grade, Bill Mauldin. They came bearing relics of their youth: medals, insignia, photographs, and carefully folded newspaper clippings. Some wore old garrison caps. Others arrived resplendent in uniforms over a half century old. Almost all of them wept as they filed down the corridor like pilgrims fulfilling some long-neglected obligation."

One of the veterans explained why it was so important:

"You would have to be part of a combat infantry unit to appreciate what moments of relief Bill gave us. You had to be reading a soaking wet Stars and Stripes in a water-filled foxhole and then see one of his cartoons."

Mauldin is buried in Arlington National Cemetery . This month, the kid cartoonist makes it onto a first-class postage stamp. It's an honor that most generals and admirals never receive.

What Mauldin would have loved most, I believe, is the sight of the two guys who are keeping him company on that stamp.

Take a look at it.

There's Willie. There's Joe.

And there, to the side, drawing them and smiling that shy, quietly observant smile, is Mauldin himself. With his buddies, right where he belongs. Forever.





H/T: dcarr9271

MSGT Roy P. Benadivez: American Hero

MSgt Roy P. Benavidez, (August 5, 1935 – November 29, 1998), was in real life one of our Greatest American Heroes. The above video tell his amazing story, which culminated in his being awarded the Medal of Honor by President Ronald Reagan.

The USNS Benavidez, named in honor of Roy Benavidez, was launched on August 11, 2001, and was activated for Operation Enduring Freedom. The USNS Benavidez sails for the Military Sealift Command, and is manned by a crew provided by the U. S. Merchant Marine. The Master of the Benavidez is Captain Tim McKenna.

Here's a photo of the USNS Benavidez.






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Eric Fisher Wood: A Forgotten American Hero

This is from "Battle: The Story of the Bulge," by John Toland.

In a remote secluded area in the Ardennes south of the town of Meyerode, Belgium stands a monument built by Belgians dedicated to Eric Fisher Wood, Jr. Executive Officer of "A" Battery, 589th Field Artillery Battalion.

On December 16, 1944, the Battle of the Bulge broke furiously on the Ardennes front. The four (105 mm M1) howitzers of Battery A, 589th Field Artillery Battalion, 106th Infantry Division, were emplaced in the rear of the little village of Schlausenbach on the northwestern slopes of the Schnee Eifel, supporting the 422nd Infantry Regiment of the same division.

The 2nd SS Panzer Division and 6th SS Panzer Army were breaking through the American lines. The commander of "A" Battery, Captain Aloysius J. Menke had been overrun at his forward Observation Post and taken prisoner. Lt. Wood became acting battery commander. Through a gaping hole torn in the northern sector of the 106th Division's defense positions, the Germans were swarming around the left flank and rear of the infantry. Three German tanks pushed along a road, one leading and two others off the road in the draw. Lt. Wood, from his command position, shouted commands to his No. 1 piece gunner, John Gatens, who with two shots destroyed the lead tank. No. 1, was the only piece in the entire battalion which could reach the tank. The lead tank destroyed, Wood then ordered all four guns to fire on the remaining tanks that were below the hill. He did this with high elevation fire and one powder bag instead of seven. The remaining two tanks were disabled. He then swept the woods around him with short-cut fuse, breaking up the enemy's infantry support.

By nightfall the battalion was ordered to fall back. Wood, and the men of Battery A tugged until they freed their howitzers from the icy muck and loaded eighty-three rounds of ammunition for each piece in their trucks. Battery C however never got out. Battery B escaped ahead of A, and the two outfits fumbled through the dark over a narrow corduroy trail, while the enemy, with white phosphorus shells, hunted for them. They reached their new positions by dawn

The Germans were bursting through in force the morning of the 17th. The battalion commander ordered the outfit to move out again and push through Schönberg and west toward St. Vith.

On the 18th of December, the battalion pulled trails and headed for Schönberg, along with the two infantry regiments, the 422nd and 423rd. Wood got two pieces rolling and sent a third howitzer, with a crippled truck with them. "I'll meet you west of Schönberg," he told the section chief, Sgt. Barney M. Alford, "if I get there." The last howitzer was stuck so Wood stayed with its crew to get it out. By now krauts had overrun Battery B, and its howitzers were abandoned, leaving only four of the battalion’s original twelve.

The three howitzers sent ahead by Wood (the only ones of his division that made it out) crossed the Our River to fight again. They were the only artillery available to hold the right flank of the 82nd Airborne Division at the "Parker's Crossroads" (a delaying action on the northern shoulder of the Bulge that allowed the defense of the Elsenborn Ridge) effectively stalling and dooming the German offensive.

After freeing the stuck howitzer Wood and the twelve man crew rolled down a steep hill into Schönberg, Belgium. A German tank stuck its nose out, but then disappeared into the village. Germans pursuing them fired on them. As they raced through the village, immediately in front of them another German tank appeared. The situation was hopeless. The other men in the truck raised their arms in surrender, but Eric ran dodging bullets as he disappeared into the forest.

Later that afternoon a Belgian woodsman, Peter Maraite, in the woods near Meyerode cutting a Christmas tree, saw two Americans, one was a big man with single silver bars on his overcoat. He had a pistol. The other was smaller and wore no insignia of rank. He was armed with an infantryman's rifle. Peter took the two Americans to his home, fed them, allowed them warm themselves and dry their clothes. The villagers warned them that the country between Meyerode and St. Vith was full of Germans. This did not seem to discourage them. Woods said, "I'll either fight my way back to my outfit or I'll collect American stragglers and start a small war of my own."

For weeks the villagers heard sounds of gunfire from within the dense forest. Germans patrols were sent into the forest, but none returned with prisoners. Daily, wounded Germans came out of the forest. The Germans gossiped, "Those damned bandits were like ghosts, you never knew when a bullet might come your way." Days went by until the middle of January. The Americans had begun slashing back through the area, the Germans were on the run. When the Germans left, the people of Meyerode combed the woods. In a dense thicket southeast of Meyerode they found the body of an American officer, with single silver bars. Near him lay the bodies of seven German soldiers. They all had been killed at about the same time. An American graves registration team later fixed the time of death to be about 22 January, 1945. The American body was that of 1st Lt. Eric F. Wood, the leader of the small band of American guerrillas that had been harassing the Germans. He still had in his clothing, his papers and 4000 Belgian Francs, a sum that any German looter would not have overlooked. It seems that 1st Lt. Eric F. Wood, Jr. died as he lived - a free man, taking with him the last of his pursuers.


Please watch this video about Eric Fisher Wood, American Hero.



H/T: bkmck

Patriot Post Outtakes: 01/29/2010

Profiles of Valor: U.S. Marine Corps MGySgt Peter Proietto
United States Marine Corps Master Gunnery Sergeant Peter Proietto was serving in Afghanistan when, on March 12, 2003, his patrol was ambushed by Taliban fighters. As the other Marines in the forward element of the patrol sought cover, Proietto stayed in position -- exposed to enemy fire though he was -- in order to provide suppressive fire for the protection of his comrades.

As the firefight continued, Proietto bravely stayed at the machine gun atop his unarmored vehicle on an open road. The Team Sergeant advised him to leave that position for cover, but he stayed and fired on the enemy for almost an hour until he ran out of ammunition. When the ammunition was gone, he grabbed his M4 carbine and continued to engage the enemy. Soon, the Taliban were pushed from their positions. For his actions, Proietto received the Bronze Star with combat "V" for valor. His citation says he "displayed himself in a courageous professional manner and his heroic and immediate response to enemy fire and willingness to jeopardize his own safety to provide supporting fire for the rest of the team demonstrated a level of dedication to the mission and his fellow soldiers, which is rarely surpassed."

Navy SEALs Face Assault Charges for Capturing Most-Wanted Terrorist

Navy SEALs Face Assault Charges for Capturing Most-Wanted Terrorist
Navy SEALs Face Assault Charges for Capturing Most-Wanted Terrorist
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
By Rowan Scarborough

AP

March 31, 2004: Iraqis chant anti-American slogans as the charred and mutilated bodies of U.S. contractors hang from a bridge over the Euphrates River in Fallujah, Iraq.
Navy SEALs have secretly captured one of the most wanted terrorists in Iraq — the alleged mastermind of the murder and mutilation of four Blackwater USA security guards in Fallujah in 2004. And for their trouble, three of the SEALs, members of the Navy's elite commando unit, are now facing criminal charges, sources told FoxNews.com.

The three have refused non-judicial punishment — called an admiral's mast — and requested a trial by court-martial.

Ahmed Hashim Abed, whom the military code-named "Objective Amber," told investigators he was punched by his captors — and he had the bloody lip to prove it.

Now, instead of being lauded for bringing to justice a high-value target, three of the SEAL commandos, all enlisted, face assault charges and have retained lawyers.

Matthew McCabe, a Special Operations Petty Officer Second Class (SO-2), is facing three charges: dereliction of performance of duty for willfully failing to safeguard a detainee, making a false official statement, and assault.

Petty Officer Jonathan Keefe, SO-2, is facing charges of dereliction of performance of duty and making a false official statement.

Petty Officer Julio Huertas, SO-1, faces those same charges and an additional charge of impediment of an investigation.

The three SEALs will be arraigned separately on Dec. 7. Another three SEALs — two officers and an enlisted sailor — have been identified by investigators as witnesses but have not been charged.

FoxNews.com obtained the official handwritten statement from one of the three witnesses given on Sept. 3, hours after Abed was captured and still being held at the SEAL base at Camp Baharia. He was later taken to a cell in the U.S.-operated Green Zone in Baghdad.

The SEAL told investigators he had showered after the mission, gone to the kitchen and then decided to look in on the detainee.

"I gave the detainee a glance over and then left," the SEAL wrote. "I did not notice anything wrong with the detainee and he appeared in good health."

Lt. Col. Holly Silkman, spokeswoman for the special operations component of U.S. Central Command, confirmed Tuesday to FoxNews.com that three SEALs have been charged in connection with the capture of a detainee. She said their court martial is scheduled for January.

United States Central Command declined to discuss the detainee, but a legal source told FoxNews.com that the detainee was turned over to Iraqi authorities, to whom he made the abuse complaints. He was then returned to American custody. The SEAL leader reported the charge up the chain of command, and an investigation ensued.

The source said intelligence briefings provided to the SEALs stated that "Objective Amber" planned the 2004 Fallujah ambush, and "they had been tracking this guy for some time."

The Fallujah atrocity came to symbolize the brutality of the enemy in Iraq and the degree to which a homegrown insurgency was extending its grip over Iraq.

The four Blackwater agents were transporting supplies for a catering company when they were ambushed and killed by gunfire and grenades. Insurgents burned the bodies and dragged them through the city. They hanged two of the bodies on a bridge over the Euphrates River for the world press to photograph (see above photo).

Intelligence sources identified Abed as the ringleader, but he had evaded capture until September.

The military is sensitive to charges of detainee abuse highlighted in the Abu Ghraib prison scandal. The Navy charged four SEALs with abuse in 2004 in connection with detainee treatment.

___________________________
Isn't it nice to know that "the military is sensitive to charges of detainee abuse?" Somewhere a politically correct suck-up-senior officer made this decision, which should work wonders for the morale of the NAVY SEALs who put themselves in harms way every day to protect our freedom. Let's see: the administration has gone after the C.I.A. agents responsible more than anyone for preventing another 911, and now it is going after the NAVY SEALs, the most elite fighting force in our arsenal. One begins to see a pattern here - at least this one does. What to do? Might be time - especially in 2010 - to send a strong message to this administration that these outrageous decisions are unwelcome, and we would appreciate a little support for the men who keep us safe. Don't count on them listening, though.

Harold Estes - American Hero

WW II Battleship sailor tells Obama to shape up or ship out !

This venerable and much honored WW II vet is well known in Hawaii for his seventy-plus years of service to patriotic organizations and causes all over the country (that's him in the Hawaiian shirt). A humble man without a political bone in his body, he has never spoken out before about a government official, until now.

He dictated this letter to a friend, signed it and mailed it to the president.


Dear President Obama,

My name is Harold Estes, approaching 95 on December 13 of this year. People meeting me for the first time don't believe my age because I remain wrinkle free and pretty much mentally alert.

I enlisted in the U.S. Navy in 1934 and served proudly before, during and after WW II retiring as a Master Chief Bos'n Mate. Now I live in a "rest home" located on the western end of Pearl Harbor, allowing me to keep alive the memories of 23 years of service to my country.

One of the benefits of my age, perhaps the only one, is to speak my mind, blunt and direct even to the head man.

So here goes.

I am amazed, angry and determined not to see my country die before I do, but you seem hell bent not to grant me that wish.

I can't figure out what country you are the president of.

You fly around the world telling our friends and enemies despicable lies like:

" We're no longer a Christian nation"

" America is arrogant" - (Your wife even

announced to the world,"America is mean-

spirited. " Please tell her to try preaching

that nonsense to 23 generations of our

war dead buried all over the globe who

died for no other reason than to free a

whole lot of strangers from tyranny and

hopelessness.)

I'd say shame on the both of you, but I don't think you like America, nor do I see an ounce of gratefulness in anything you do, for the obvious gifts this country has given you. To be without shame or gratefulness is a dangerous thing for a man sitting in the White House.

After 9/11 you said," America hasn't lived up to her ideals."

Which ones did you mean? Was it the notion of personal liberty that 11,000 farmers and shopkeepers died for to win independence from the British? Or maybe the ideal that no man should be a slave to another man, that 500,000 men died for in the Civil War? I hope you didn't mean the ideal 470,000 fathers, brothers, husbands, and a lot of fellas I knew personally died for in WWII, because we felt real strongly about not letting any nation push us around, because we stand for freedom.

I don't think you mean the ideal that says equality is better than discrimination. You know the one that a whole lot of white people understood when they helped to get you elected.

Take a little advice from a very old geezer, young man.

Shape up and start acting like an American. If you don't, I'll do what I can to see you get shipped out of that fancy rental on Pennsylvania Avenue. You were elected to lead not to bow, apologize and kiss the hands of murderers and corrupt leaders who still treat their people like slaves.

And just who do you think you are telling the American people not to jump to conclusions and condemn that Muslim major who killed 13 of his fellow soldiers and wounded dozens more. You mean you don't want us to do what you did when that white cop used force to subdue that black college professor in Massachusetts, who was putting up a fight? You don't mind offending the police calling them stupid but you don't want us to offend Muslim fanatics by calling them what they are, terrorists.

One more thing. I realize you never served in the military and never had to defend your country with your life, but you're the Commander-in-Chief now, son. Do your job. When your battle-hardened field General asks you for 40,000 more troops to complete the mission, give them to him. But if you're not in this fight to win, then get out. The life of one American soldier is not worth the best political strategy you're thinking of.

You could be our greatest president because you face the greatest challenge ever presented to any president.

You're not going to restore American greatness by bringing back our bloated economy. That's not our greatest threat. Losing the heart and soul of who we are as Americans is our big fight now.

And I sure as hell don't want to think my president is the enemy in this final battle.


Sincerely,

Harold B. Estes

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