BLACKFIVE

Dems Pay Felons To Register Voters

File this one under "Extremely Bad Judgement Calls":

Felons Paid in Voter Registration Drive
By DAVID A. LIEB, Associated Press Writer

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. - A Democratic group crucial to John Kerry's presidential campaign has paid felons — some convicted of sex offenses, assault and burglary — to conduct door-to-door voter registration drives in at least three election swing states.

America Coming Together, contending that convicted criminals deserve a second chance in society, employs felons as voter canvassers in major metropolitan areas in Missouri, Florida, Ohio and perhaps in other states among the 17 it is targeting in its drive. Some lived in halfway houses, and at least four returned to prison.

ACT canvassers ask residents which issues are important to them and, if they are not registered, sign them up as voters. They gather telephone numbers and other personal information, such as driver's license numbers or partial Social Security numbers, depending on what a state requires for voter registration.

Felons on probation or parole are ineligible to vote in many states. Doug Lewis, executive director of the Election Center, which represents election officials, said he is unaware of any laws against felons registering others to vote.

A review of federal campaign finance and state criminal records by The Associated Press revealed that the names and hometowns of dozens of ACT employees in Missouri, Florida and Ohio matched those of people convicted of crimes such as burglary, forgery, drug dealing, assault and sex offenses...

There's more of the article (hit the title link) but just think about felons with possession of your phone number, driver's license number, social security number, and home address. Think about the implications about sending felons house to house to register voters.

Do I need to draw a picture for these people?

Maybe they just hired NBA players to help...

Iraq Video - Ohio National Guard on Patrol

For those of you with high bandwidth - cable modem, T-1, or DSL, here is official Army B-Roll video (Windows Media Player) of Ohio National Guard soldiers serving with the 1st Infantry Division on patrol in Eastern Iraq.

The soldiers are from 1-252 Armor, and the video was taken by Sergeant Kent Taylor of the 196th MPAD.

During the 8+ minutes of footage, you'll see the soldiers meet up with their Iraqi Civil Defense Corps counterparts, patrol through a village, test fire weapons, and patrol in the desert.

You'll never see this kind of stuff on the nightly news - especially, the look and feel of the village.

Update: Sometimes you'll get an error message. I got it a few times, too, before seeing the video. It should launch Media Player and start buffering the video. Too many connections are probably causing the error message: Could not log viewing session.Duplicate entry '127' for key 1

The Blue State Blues - Illinois Republicans

I live in Illinois. It's tough for Republicans in Illinois. After decades, DECADES, of Republican Governors, we had a corrupt Republican administration with George Ryan and lost the governorship.

Senator Peter Fitzgerald - who beat Democrat Senator Carol Mosely Braun by spending $12 million of his own money - had decided not run for re-election. He wouldn't have won, anyway. Dry toast would have done better.

The Republican voters of Illinois made a bad decision. I blogged about the Primary in which Jack Ryan, another millionaire, won the nomination. State Senator Steven Rauschenberger is the smartest candidate - but then he's neither rich, nor charismatic. He's more like the best accountant you ever knew with a sense of humor.

Anyway, now Jack Ryan's divorce records have been made public. The Chicago Tribune editors decided to publish his divorce records in which he is accused by his ex-wife of trying to get her to have sex with him in various sex clubs in New York, New Orleans, and in Paris. His ex-wife is Jeri Ryan of Seven-Of-Nine fame from Star Trek Voyager and lately of Boston Public. It's ugly. Spoons and Donnie have some opinions about it.

Ryan's competitor is Barrak Obama - a charismatic guy who was light years ahead of Ryan in the polls BEFORE this all came out. Now it's definitely a foregone conclusion. No need for debates now. The best thing that Jack Ryan could do would be to step down and let someone else run against Obama.

The other guys (who lost the Republican Primary to Ryan) are millionaires who, at best, are nothing to write home about...they are sure to lose and haven't been scrutinized too closely by the media (meaning that we don't know what skeletons remain out there). So what the hell should Illinois Republicans do?

Either find someone quick to get in the race or vote for Obama. Find someone with instant name recognition. Someone who will force debates and thought about the race. Someone who offers a choice to Illinois voters.

Hello? Calling Jim Thompson...

Strength - The 24th National Veterans Wheelchair Games

Last weekend, in St. Louis, the 24th National Veterans Wheelchair Games were held. The competitions included swimming, table tennis, weightlifting, archery, air guns, basketball, softball, quad rugby, bowling, handcycling, wheelchair slalom, handcycling, track and field. Track events included 100, 200, 400, 800, 1500 and 5000 meter races. Field events included club throw, shot put, discus, and javelin. Trap shooting was an exhibition event this year (one I hope makes it to competitive level next year).

You can read more about the individual athletes and their determination here and here.

Finally, an Army soldier who was paralyzed in a traffic accident in Iraq won the gold medal for weight lifting.

Veterans go for gold in Wheelchair games
By Courtney Hickson

WASHINGTON (Army News Service June 21, 2004-- One Iraqi Freedom veteran who lost the use of his legs when his Humvee was sideswiped in Iraq, has taken home a gold medal at the 24th National Veterans Wheelchair Games, in St. Louis, Mo.

Sgt. Johnnie Williams won the gold medal in weightlifting and is also competing in air gun shooting, the discus, shot put and javelin, all field events.

Williams had only been in Iraq for four months when he was injured in May of 2003. He is currently undergoing spinal cord therapy and rehabilitation at Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Tampa, Fla., his hometown.

"Live life to the fullest because you never know if you’ll live to see tomorrow," he said...

So go check out the profiles of these tough competitors.

Those Irish Discriminating Bastards...

The Irish are discriminating against the religion of peace (my ass!) by not allowing polygamy. This article via Nick S.:

Irish outlaw Muslim second wives By Thomas Harding

Muslims who marry Irish women have to make a formal declaration that they will not take more than one wife on being granted citizenship.

The Irish government confirmed yesterday that it has ordered all men from Islamic countries seeking residency to sign a sworn affidavit rejecting polygamy.

Muslim men also have to agree they will not seek residency for a second wife if granted Irish citizenship. A man must swear he has "one spouse only" and "has no intention of entering into a simultaneous marriage".

A spokesman for the Department of Justice in Dublin said: "Obviously, we don't recognise polygamy under Irish law."

The Irish Council of Civil Liberties said the enforcement was "despicable". A Lebanese army officer was refused residence for both his wives and 13 children.

Yep, that's pretty darn despicable.

Are We Sorry?

The below rant/sentiment is anonymous. I've found it (via Google) on various sites - the earliest was at a Harley forum on June 5th. Any help identifying the author would be appreciated. This one was sent to me via a Marine General. I wish I had written it:

For good and ill, the Iraqi prisoner abuse mess will remain an issue. On the one hand, right thinking Americans will abhor the stupidity of the actions while on the other hand, political glee will take control and fashion this minor event into some modern day My Lai massacre.

I heard some Arabs and Muslims are asking for an apology. I humbly offer mine here:

I am sorry that the last seven times we Americans took up arms and sacrificed the blood of our youth, it was in the defense of Muslims (Bosnia, Kosovo, Gulf War 1, Kuwait, etc.).

I am sorry that no such call for an apology upon the extremists came after 9/11. I am sorry that all of the murderers on 9/11 were Islamic Arabs.

I am sorry that most Arabs and Muslims have to live in squalor under savage dictatorships.

I am sorry that their leaders squander their wealth.

I am sorry that their governments breed hate for the US in their religious schools, mosques, and government-controlled media.

I am sorry that Yasir Arafat was kicked out of every Arab country and highjacked the Palestinian "cause".

I am sorry that no other Arab country will take in or offer more than a token amount of financial help to those same Palestinians.

I am sorry that the USA has to step in and be the biggest financial supporter of poverty stricken Arabs while the insanely wealthy Arabs blame the USA for all their problems.

I am sorry that our own left wing elite, our media, and our own brainwashed (from elements of our society like radical professors, CNN and the NY TIMES) masses do not understand any of this.

I am sorry the United Nations scammed the poor people of Iraq out of the "food for oil" money so they could get rich while the common folk suffered.

I am sorry that some Arab governments pay the families of homicide bombers upon their death.

I am sorry that those same bombers are brainwashed thinking they will receive 72 virgins in "paradise."

I am sorry that the homicide bombers think pregnant women, babies, children, the elderly and other non-combatant civilians are legitimate targets.

I am sorry that our troops die to free more Arabs from the gang rape rooms and the filling of mass graves of dissidents of their own making.

I am sorry that Muslim extremists have killed more Arabs than any other group.

I am sorry that foreign trained terrorists are trying to seize control of Iraq and return it to a terrorist state.

I am sorry we don't drop a few dozen Daisy cutters on Fallujah.

I am sorry every time terrorists hide they find a convenient "Holy Site".

I am sorry they didn't apologize for driving a jet into the World Trade Center that collapsed and severely damaged Saint Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church - one of our Holy Sites.

I am sorry they didn't apologize for flight 93 and 175, the USS Cole, the embassy bombings, the murders and beheadings of Nick Berg and Daniel Pearl, etc....etc!

I am sorry Michael Moore is American; he could feed a medium sized village in Africa.

America will get past this latest absurdity. We will punish those responsible because that is what we do. We hang out our dirty laundry for all the world to see. We move on. That's one of the reasons we are hated so much. We don't hide this stuff like all those Arab countries that are now demanding an apology.

Deep down inside, when most Americans saw this reported in the news, we were like - so what? We lost hundreds and made fun of a few prisoners.

Sure, it was wrong, sure, it dramatically hurts our cause, but until captured we were trying to kill these same prisoners. Now we're supposed to wring our hands because a few were humiliated? Our compassion is tempered with the vivid memories of our own people killed, mutilated and burnt amongst a joyous crowd of celebrating Fallujans.

If you want an apology from this American, you're going to have a long wait. You have a better chance of finding those 72 virgins.

I know that this post is going to upset some of you...

Sorry.

Update: Thanks to Chris Mayhew - It appears that is was taken from this Mike Adams piece on Townhall. As usual, it was changed a bit (probably from emailer to emailer) until the watered down version reached me.

Hitchens on Moore

Mr. Green told me that I had to read Christopher Hitchens article about Michael Moore's lies included in his movie Fahrenheit 9/11. So, I did and he was right.

...If Michael Moore had had his way, Slobodan Milosevic would still be the big man in a starved and tyrannical Serbia. Bosnia and Kosovo would have been cleansed and annexed. If Michael Moore had been listened to, Afghanistan would still be under Taliban rule, and Kuwait would have remained part of Iraq. And Iraq itself would still be the personal property of a psychopathic crime family, bargaining covertly with the slave state of North Korea for WMD...

It's a must read.

Do You Love Music?

Sure you do. I saw this site featured today on WGN Morning News.

It's called Music Plasma - The Music Visual Search Engine and it's very, very cool.

For instance, type in Coldplay (one of my favorites) for a Search of similiar bands, and Music Plasma creates a spherical universe of music.

The closer the bands are to Coldplay, the more similiar their music styles will be. For instance, Radiohead is pretty close to Coldplay. Obviously, the bands are grouped by music type (Rock, Folk, Alternative, etc.).

The size of the halo (representing a band) indicates popularity.

Give it a try to find a band that you might really like. I just punched in Ride (one of my favorites from Oxford) and now have some groups that I hadn't heard of before that I'll give a listen to...

Fear and Evil

There's quite a lot of linking to a few sites discussing the South Korean man being held hostage by Al Qaeda in Iraq. He has a few hours before they will, more than likely, behead him.

I watched the whole video tape of his pleas for his life.

I watched Kim Sun-il scream that he doesn't want to die. I watched him, frightened, alone, begging for his life. My stomach was in knots watching him. My throat dry, my fists clenched.

I watched because I want to remember. I want to remember Kim Sun-Il.

So, bloggers are comparing Mr. Sun-Il's plight to Fabrizio Quattrocchi's murder. I don't think that it's fair or correct. Two different men from different backgrounds (Quattrocchi was a former commando). Two different situations. Who's to say anyone would act differently - heroic or fearful.

No, the man is no Quattrocchi. No Paul Johnson. He's Kim Sun-Il and he's going to be murdered because Al Qaeda can kill him. Because they are cowards, because they are evil...

I watched Kim Sun-Il plead for his life because it steels my belief that they all must be avenged a thousand-fold.

Update: Emil J. asks me what should South Korea do?

Emil, South Korea should double the number of troops they are sending and include some ROK Marines. I've spent some time training with ROK Marines and they are tough and professional.

Update 8:45PM CST: No word yet. It's now past the deadline. The smartest and most humane thing that Al Qaeda could do would be to let him go.

Update 9AM CST 06-22-04: Iraqi Abductors Extend S. Korean Hostage Deadline, Yonhap Says

Update 12:45 CST 06-22-04: The Wash Post is reporting that the South Korean, Kim Sun-Il, was murdered. His body was found not long ago (5:20pm Baghdad time). Damn, just damn them all to hell...

Some Great Mil Links Today

First, Drill Sergeant Rob has a great rant over at An American Soldier (thanks to Bryan H. for the link).

Next, Grim's Hall has an interesting post about religious fanatics killing teachers, monks, etc. in Southern Thailand. Yep, they are from the Religion of Peace (my ass!).

Sgt. Hook, yet again, puts up another great story of a real soldier (just doing his job) - Thanks for the Help.

Steve M. sends this link to the Army Times where there is a great story about the 1st Infantry Division fighting in Iraq. The story has video (it took me many tries to get it to work as it's very popular). Here's the opener to the story:

Troops kill 13 in fierce 12-hour firefight near Baqubah (Video)
By Gina Cavallaro and M. Scott Mahaskey - Times staff writers
BAQUBAH, Iraq — The panels above the doors on the up-armored Humvee are emblazoned with the words “rolling vengeance” and the inscription “R.I.P” is stenciled on the rear and sides of the truck next to the names of six soldiers killed in a month of fighting in the western Diyala province.

The truck belongs to Capt. Ty Johnson, commander of F Troop, 4th U.S. Cavalry, the Brigade Reconnaissance Troop for the 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division, and it has been at the scene of several violent engagements with a stubborn and well-armed insurgency...

More to follow...

Smash has a great post about the captured British sailors and the Iranian Maritime Terrorists. Here's a taste of it:

On the other hand, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), also known as the Pasdaran, is anything but courteous and professional. The Pasdaran navy consists of several hundred small vessels, ranging from speedboats armed with machine guns and rocket launchers, to fast corvettes armed with anti-ship missiles. The Pasdaran are considered “guardians of the revolution,” and report directly to Iran’s ruling mullahs.

Dodgeball Mania!

No, I have not yet seen the Dodgeball movie, but I will soon, maybe this weekend. If you go to the Dodgeball movie site, there are games to play, and audio clips to hear.

I liked the Old School Site better because there's a Frank The Tank Streaking Game on it. You, as the wonderful Frank, streak through the cafeteria and try to avoid the campus police - I think he's looking for a KFC...

Anyway, back to dodgeball, the Game Show Network is going to start broadcasting dodgeball games at 9PM CST.

And, BTW, the Amazing Race - my favorite show on TV - starts July 6th. I was going to enter with my father-in-law or my friend Phil (think Frank The Tank) until my wife found out that the race was at least three weeks long.

Lift Off!

SpaceShipOne has lifted off this morning (carried by the WhiteKnight rocket). Keep your fingers crossed. This is like the Wright Brothers at Kitty Hawk and will change the way NASA works. It will also bring about many technological improvements to all of our lives through various discoveries made while developing commerical space exploration and tourism.

Fox Photo of SpaceShipOne and WhiteKnight during test flight

First-Of-A-Kind Private Rocket Plane Heads to Space
Mon Jun 21, 2004 10:00 AM ET - Reuters MOJAVE, Calif. (Reuters) - SpaceShipOne lifted off early on Monday in the initial stage of the world's first attempted commercial space flight. The privately funded rocket plane was attached to a larger plane called the White Knight and took off from a runway in the Mojave Desert in California, about 100 miles north of Los Angeles. The unprecedented $20 million project is intended to demonstrate the viability of commercial space flight and open the door for space tourism.

The distinctive white rocket plane with a striking nose -- a pointed cone covered with small portholes -- next will be released and then ignite its rocket engine to punch beyond the upper layer's of earth's atmosphere 62 miles above the earth before gliding back to earth and landing.

SpaceShipOne was designed by legendary aerospace designer Burt Rutan and was built with more than $20 million in funding by billionaire Paul Allen. It is being piloted by Michael Melvill.

Update: TOUCHDOWN!!!

Here's the Fox Story about the flight and successful landing. Whew!

MilBlogs in the Media

Shawn Miller of Miller's Opinion Labs - and Brent C. both sent me links to a Jack Kelly column in the Toledo Blade.

Good news is also news

THE military web logger "Blackfive" is annoyed with the news media for constantly emphasizing the negative in its coverage of Iraq....

Jack Kelly is the national security columnist for the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. He was a Special Forces soldier, like me, and, I believe, a Under Secretary of Defense under President Reagan. I've read his columns in the Wash Times.

Then, the NASCAR crowd is getting turned on to MilBlogs. Howard S. let me know that Blackfive was mentioned in the print version of American Thunder - a NASCAR Fan lifestyle magazine. American Thunder put a lot of MilBlogs in the latest issue including Smash, Major Pain, Soldier's Paradise and Kevin of BootsOnTheGround.

Soldier Stories from Iraq
Dispatches from the most dangerous place on earth.
by Paul Kretkowski
Throughout history, soldiers have written home from war zones to chronicle their months of boredom and moments of terror. Compilations of these letters have appeared in the past few years, reminding modern readers of the average soldier’s life during the Civil War, World War II and Vietnam.

Soldierly correspondence began expanding from simple letters home with the arrival of satellite phone communications during Operation Desert Storm. Today the Pentagon offers troops limited Internet access from Iraq, and savvy Iraqi entrepreneurs have quickly opened Internet cafés in cities like Baghdad and Mosul. More quickly than ever Americans at home now know how their soldiers are, and some GIs even have enough bandwidth to maintain Web logs (or “blogs”) that offer running commentary on their combat experiences and occupation life in general. Here are some of their stories...

American Thunder is off to a great start (if I do say so myself) by mentioning Mil Bloggers and Soldier's Stories. AM also has an interview with Ted Nugent.

Instapundit Is...

...Glenn Reynolds - Uber-Nerd!

GMail for the Troops

Dean sent me this cool idea from Wil Wheaton...Wil gets the idea to give the invitations for the beta GMail accounts to troops overseas from one of his readers, Drew:

I will send you an invitation for the hard to get Gmail if you post something on your site telling others to give their invites to troops in Iraq and Afghanistan. See, Google gives 1 gig of email space, perfect for movies and pictures from home, but it's invite only. When you get an account you will get invites too, and if you could pass them along to those who need em that would rule.

Mickey emailed me to tell me that Drew is taking GMail invitations and matching them up with soldiers.

And Jim K. started GMail for the Troops where you can donate your GMail invitations or, if you're a troop, can apply to get a GMail invitation.

So, if you're one of the priveledged few with GMail invitations, please visit GMail 4 Troops or GMail or the Troops.

Meet The Next Vice President of the USA

Meet the next VP of the United States of America...John McCain.

Bush Gets Boost From McCain on Iraq
By SCOTT LINDLAW, Associated Press Writer

FORT LEWIS, Wash. - Before cheering troops, President Bush (news - web sites) got a strong endorsement on Iraq (news - web sites) and a boost for his re-election campaign Friday from Sen. John McCain, the Arizona Republican courted by Democrat John Kerry (news - web sites) to be his running mate.

Bush seemed to relish keeping McCain, his one-time rival for the presidency, out of Kerry's corner.

"Both candidates in this race are honored to be a friend of John McCain," Bush said at a campaign rally in Nevada. "Only one of us gets his vote. And I am proud that it is me."
<...>
The president said of McCain, who spent 5 1/2 years in a Vietnamese POW camp: "When he speaks of service and sacrifice, he speaks from experience. ... The United States military has no better friend in the United States Senate than John McCain."

McCain said of Bush: "He has not wavered in his determination to protect this country and to make the world a better, safer, freer place. You will not yield, nor will he."

McCain said 26 soldiers from this base have died in recent combat; Bush met with some of their families after the speeches, and with wounded GIs...

I pulled up Ted Rall's column by accident about McCain (it was listed in Yahoo's Op-Ed list). He's using his column to push his book and lementing over why Kerry asked McCain seven times. I'll quote this piece about McCain from Rall...don't worry, it's a quote from McCain's campaign site, not Ted Rall.

"I am pro-life," McCain wrote on his 2000 campaign website. "I oppose abortion except in the case of rape, incest or when the life of the mother is in danger. I support the constitutional amendment to prohibit the physical desecration of the American flag. [I will] curb the gratuitous violence in the media that is desensitizing our culture to violence. Bearing arms is a constitutionally protected right."

Rall then rabidly froths at the mouth over why Kerry's choice for VP would be a dyed-in-the-wool conservative. Bwa-ha-ha-hahaha. Pwor wittle Kwerry.

Anyway, I think that Dick Cheney is, politically, a lightning rod and a liability going into this election. One of the mistakes made by Bush the Elder was not ditching Quayle in 1992. I don't know if the Vice President will be willing to step down. I don't know if McCain would really accept the Number Two position.

I certainly hope they will both do the right thing.

Then, McCain has a great shot at the presidential nomination in 2008 where he'll have to fight against Billiary.

Sudan - America Must Act Now

A few months ago marked the tenth anniversary of the Rwandan genocide. I blogged about it here and said:

One of the darkest marks on this country and the world is the 1994 slaughter of almost one million Tutsi Rwandans. After swearing "NEVER AGAIN!" in reference to the Holocaust (a U.N. Convention for all countries to stop genocide), the world stood by and simply watched. We. Simply. Watched.

Well, everybody just watched except for France. That's right. France.

But it's not what you think. France armed the Hutu's who were committing the genocidal murders. Then, the French government sent troops to create a safe zone. And the genocide continued in the French safe zone.

There is plenty of blame to go around. Too many lawyers in our own government prevented anyone from using the word "genocide" because it would legally cause us to commit troops to stop the violence. Too many politicians used words like "not in our national interests" and failed to commit immediate resources to the U.N. Director of Peacekeeping, Kofi Annan. Canadian General Dallaire begged, BEGGED, for armed troops. Instead, he received tens of unarmed observers - observers that were killed whenever they tried to stop the maddness. Observers that were ordered by the U.N. to not intervene (ten Belgian soldiers were mutilated, tortured and killed trying to stop the murder of a moderate politician).

The Sudan is rapidly descending into something more horrible than Rwanda. The Washington Times has an article today about Sudanese developments:

Sudan accused of ethnic cleansing

ADRE, Sudan, Jun. 18 (UPI) -- Many of the victims of the violence in Sudan told ABC News they believe they were subjected to ethnic cleansing because they are black.

Last year, black rebels demanded better treatment for impoverished Darfur from the Arab-dominated government in Sudan's capital, Khartoum.

In its response to quell the rebellion, the government ordered villages where the rebels were thought to be hiding bombed and supported an Arab militia known as the Janjaweed. As a result, 350,000 are dead, 1 million people have been displaced into refugee camps and for hundreds of miles there is nothing but empty villages.

Many of the refugees have testified that Janjaweed attacked only black Sudanese villages, often bypassing Arab villagers.

The Sudanese government has denied the allegations.

"The Arabs attacked first, then the government planes came and shot at us," a 13-year-old girl told ABC.

The Sudanese government said the casualties were part of its legitimate right to fight a rebel movement and the civilians were merely caught in the middle, ABC said.

The Sudanese Arab government is pushing the Sudanese African tribes out of the fertile territories. They've been shooting the fathers and throwing out the mothers and the children. It's ethnic cleansing, racism, and genocide all wrapped into one big mess.

This problem in the Sudan isn't something that will get cleaned up quickly. Khartoum is a rotten government with dark aspirations.

And don't expect the U.N. to do it's job and protect the innocent. Especially, don't expect soldiers in U.N. sky blue berets to protect the Sudanese Africans from Human Rights violations.

Why?

Because Sudan is a member of the United Nations Commission on Human Rights. That's right. I think the same guy that gave a Nobel nomination to Arafat put Sudan on that Committee.

It's time for unilateral action by the USA; otherwise, we'll have a situation worse than Rwanda. There isn't any politics in this - you are either for standing by and watching it happen or sending in the 82nd Airborne Ready Brigade and the Marines. Right now, projections are that about 500,000 children are in danger of dying from starvation, disease, and being hunted down by the Sudanese government.

And, folks, that's just the children...

You can help by visiting the British Red Cross and donating to help keep these people alive.

Hostage Beheaded

Sad, sad news. According to the AP, via ABC News:

U.S. Hostage Beheaded, Terror Group Says American Hostage Paul Johnson Has Been Beheaded, al-Qaida Group and Arab TV Network Report

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia June 18, 2004 — The al-Qaida group that kidnapped American Paul M. Johnson Jr. said in an online statement Friday that it had killed the hostage, and posted three still photographs of his beheaded body.

"In answer to what we promised ... to kill the hostage Paul Marshall after the period is over ... the infidel got his fair treatment. ... Let him taste something from what Muslims tasted who were long reached by Apache helicopter fire and missiles," the statement said.

Johnson, 49, worked on targeting and night vision systems for Apache helicopters.

"We, God willing, will continue our road to fight the enemies of God," the statement said.

A Saudi senior security official, reached by The Associated Press, said: "We have so far nothing on this."

In Washington, a CIA official said the agency was not able to immediately confirm the report of Johnson's beheading.

Johnson was kidnapped last weekend by militants who threatened to kill him by Friday if the kingdom did not release its al-Qaida prisoner.

Two things:

1. Pray for the Johnson family and all those who have suffered because of Islamofascism.

2. Tell your Congressman that we need more Apache Longbows built and sent overseas...

Blackfive Blogiversary!!!

Blackfive is one year old today!!! It's been a great year. I've been able to meet some great bloggers, make new friends, and put the spotlight on some of the best people this country has to offer.

My wife still wants to know when I'll make money at blogging. I think that, if that would happen, I would have to change how my "voice" is delivered. When you are paid to do something, then it becomes work. This is more like a mission for me. Maybe it will change, but right now it's both fun and satisfying. John Hawkins thinks blogging will only get bigger, better, and more lucrative, and it would be very cool if he is right.

First, I need to say thanks to a few people:

To Frank J. - Thanks for being the first to link to Blackfive! IMAO was the first blog that I read every day. I would write something funny here but that's your gig, Frank. And don't try to hug me...

To Bill Whittle - Thank you for your wonderful essays. I'll never forget the day a friend of mine said, "Have you read History at EjectEjectEject?". I remember reading the comments and thinking that I've just stumbled across some of the smartest people in the universe (G.H.S. is one of them). Inspiration for a lot of content here is from you.

To Glenn Reynolds - Thanks for all of the support of MilBlogs and Blackfive. I think that, everytime Blackfive is linked on Instapundit and the Instalanche is over, I net about 50 new readers that come back every day. More people to meet Someone They Should Know...

To Greyhawk - Thanks for starting MilBlogs. This blog would NEVER have gotten very far without the Air-Ground-Naval support of the Military Bloggers.

To Hugh Hewitt - Thank you for mentioning Blackfive and MilBlogs so often as the place to go to get real information about the military fighting the War on Terror.

To Brian and Heather - Thanks, again, for dinner and that great Belgian Ale... hope to see you two later this summer (after our new addition arrives).

Blog Stats
Total Number of Posts: 1,010
Total Number of Comments: 5,959

Visitor Stats
First Week: 150
First Month: 1,200 (avg. 40/day)
First Six Months Total Visits: 112,000 (avg. 600/day)
Last Six Months Total Visits: 516,000 (avg. 2,800/day)
Total unique site visits: 628,000

The Ecosystem
Ecosystem Ranking as of August 2003: Marauding Marsupial (#740 by links)
Ecosystem Ranking as of December, 2003: Playful Primate (#99 by links)
Ecosystem Ranking: Mortal Human (#22 by links, #42 by traffic)

Blogger Most Missed: Darren Kaplan (very smart guy) who may or may not be really coming back to the 'sphere.

Best Original Blackfive Posts
Blackfive's Encounter With a French General
Alzheimer's
The Warrior Caste
Me and My Muslim Friends Neighbors
Major Mathew Schram's Memorial Day
T-Minus One Hour
Racism Sucks - Especially When You Are Drinking
Goodbye Howard Dean

Best Spotlight Posts (Good For The American Spirit)
Taking Chance Home
Saving Specialist Gray
Email From Participant at President Bush's Thanksgiving
Balance

Cheers! (Good For The American Liver)
Drink Guinness - It's Good For You
Attention Scotch Lovers!
St. Patrick's Day Series
The Blogger Drinking Game

I've Got A Blog And I Know How To Use It!
Finally, I never thought that a few thousand people would visit this site every day. I figured that 150 was good enough to keep going. I never thought that I would spend hours on email every week. What's next?

Who the hell knows? What I do know is that I'll continue to focus on the great Americans that are defending our nation (and the world - you hear that, France?). Of course, I'll throw in more stuff about scotch and Guinness, too.

I hope to do more work for Spirit of America - maybe locally, and I hope to bring more attention to the good people in our military - maybe through broadcast and periodical media. I might organize a Chicago Blog-Fest for sometime in the Fall (I would say Blog-Meet but there'll definitely be a pub-crawl in there so maybe Fest is a better word). I'm not running for office, and I'm not writing a book. I've been accused of both goals on this blog.

So, I hope to have you around for another year. One thing that you can count on is that our military men and women (and their wonderful families) will provide some inspiring stories to share....

Thanks for visiting Blackfive. Remember - if you can't pick up a rifle to defend America, then do something.

Sincerely,

Matt

Splinter Cell...For the Average Joe.

This is pretty cool for a game promo - Splinter.

Missing the 11pm curfew set by your live-in girlfriend, you must maneuver around the area, undetected, in an effort to evade the girlfriend. Failure will result in sleeping on the couch...

Blackfive Info Alert

Technical: I'm still sifting through about 200 emails since Tuesday. The attack on Yahoo made it difficult for me to retrieve all of my email, and, then Yahoo decided to upgrade my account for free. Of course, the upgrade gives me 100MB more storage but the connectivity still sucks. Thanks, Yahoo.

Blogical: Oh, tomorrow is the Blackfive Blogiversary/Party. It's been one great year, thanks to you. I'll be at Castaways for a party, then somewhere like Kincade's or Dublin's...Working on a Blogiversary post.

Personal: My three-year-old son should be a negotiator when he grows up. At dinner last night...

Me: "Son, no desert unless you eat your brocolli. Who are you, George Bush?"

Little Blackfive stares at brocolli.

Me: "What's the matter, son, don't you like brocolli?"

Little Blackfive: "Oh I like brocolli, Dad, me just not eat it."

Mrs. Blackfive mutters quietly (being a little too smug, if you ask me): "He's such a total Mini-Matt..."

9/11 - The Other Targets

Via the Chicago Sun Times, there were more than 4 targets on September 11th. In fact, there were ten.

...The commission staff said that Sept. 11 mastermind Khalid Shaikh Mohammed initially outlined an attack involving 10 aircraft targeting both U.S. coasts...

The targets were:

East Coast
The Pentagon
The World Trade Center
The Capitol or The White House
The CIA
The FBI


West Coast
Nuclear plants in Washington state and California
Tall Buildings in Washington state and California

And for the finale, Khalid Shaikh Mohammed was to take over one plane, kill every male passenger, land and deliver a anti-American lecture/harangue. Think about that the next time the ACLU whines about the prisoners in Gitmo...

We'll learn more when the final draft of the report is released in late July.

Where Is Outrage Over Paul Johnson?

Where is the outrage in the Muslim world about terrorism and Al Qaeda?

Well, it appears to be in Jordan, that's where. Interviewed by Rita Cosby of Fox News, King Abdullah expresses his outrage and scorn at the terrorists while offering the Johnson family his hopes for his safe return.

Some key quotes:

"...how they can capture, hurt or kill innocent civilians in the name of god, to me, is shocking."

"It hurts me to the core..."

"...to hide behind a religion is, to me, disgusting."

"We all pray that their loved one comes out of this situation unharmed..."

"I have been a soldier all of my life...True courage...is when you face another man in battle, not when you pick on innocent people."

Below are two versions (based on your bandwidth) of the Windows Media Player video of a Fox News Interview with King Abdullah of Jordan:

Here's the high connection speed video for those with T-1, DSL, or cable modem access.

Here's the dial-up video for those using a 56Kb modem.

The entire interview will be aired on Saturday. So, what do you think - is King Abdullah just playing both sides or is he sincere?

Marine Major Stan Coerr - Someone You Should Know

I received a link to an Op-Ed by Marine Major (p) Stan Coerr from a few people. It's been recently listed at the Free Republic which linked it from Revue Politique.

However, I first saw the Op-Ed back in May when it was posted by Jennifer Martinez at A Collection of Thoughts. Here's one of many money quotes from Major Coerr's editorial:

...Watching politicians declaim and hearing television experts expound on why we went to war and on their opinions of those running the White House and Defense Department, I have one question.

When is someone going to ask the guys who were there?...

Go over to Jen's place and read the whole thing.

[Thanks to Doug B., Brian C., and Scott L. for sending the reminder about Major Coerr's Op-Ed]

It's About The Lie, Not The Cigar

With the advent of his new book, "My Life", liberal media are fawning over Bill Clinton. I caught a teaser on CBS tonight for Dan Rather's "Exclusive" interview with the president. Dan Rather looked like he was taking the hottest girl to the prom...

Last Wednesday, I had an after work party to attend. One of our most senior executives was at the party. She's a political animal. She talked about how she dumped a guy because he was a Republican. After assuring us it was not because of arguing or rhetoric, but because of simple party membership, I said that I thought that was a bit flighty to dump someone based solely on their party affiliation. That's when she asked me if I was Republican. Of course, I said "no, but I voted for Bush".

She got exasperated and said, "Matt, I'm surprised that a military guy like you isn't a Democrat. Why, Bill Clinton was the best president for the military!"

Bombay Sapphire came out of my nose at that point (what a waste of fine gin). Of all the people in politics that I can't stand, Bill Clinton, Teddy Kennedy and John Kerry rank at the top. And to think that Bill Clinton was the best friend of the military is ridiculous. Ask anyone from the Mog...

Speaking of cigars, this CNN story made me remember why I don't like Clinton very much...

Clinton: Impeachment fight a 'badge of honor'
Wednesday, June 16, 2004 Posted: 9:18 PM EDT (0118 GMT)

NEW YORK (Reuters) -- Former President Bill Clinton called his fight against impeachment a "badge of honor" and his affair with White House intern Monica Lewinsky "morally indefensible" in a CBS television interview.

In the hourlong interview to air on CBS' "60 Minutes" on Sunday, two days before publication of his memoir, "My Life," Clinton said he was proud of his successful fight against impeachment, the network said in excerpts released on Wednesday.

"I didn't quit, I never thought of resigning and I stood up to it and beat it back," he said.

"The whole battle was a badge of honor. I don't see it as a stain, because it (the impeachment process) was illegitimate," added Clinton, who called the process "an abuse of power."...

Hey, Slick Willie, you were impeached because you lied...you lied...you lied.

You're a damn liar...and that's your legacy.

To lighten up a bit, visit Michelle Malkin (who you should blogroll/bookmark immediately) who received a great email about the Clintons.

Terror In The Skies Nineteen Years Ago

Jennifer Martinez has a post remembering Flight 847 - the anniversary was the 14th of June. The flight, flying from Athens to Rome, was hijacked by Hezbollah thugs and redirected to Beriut. The Islamic jihadis searched the plane for Jewish passengers and US military servicemen. They found five US Navy Divers and one Army Reserve Major. All military men were savagely beaten and tortured.

One diver, Robert D. Stethem was chosen to be executed. The Hezbollah chief put his pistol up against the diver's temple, fired one bullet and dumped Stethem's body on the tarmac.

Stethem was murdered because he was an American Sailor. His memory lives on as the Navy Commissioned the USS Stethem - one of the most formidable ships in the world.

The Army Reserve Major's name was Kurt Carlson. Several years ago, I had the pleasure of meeting Lieutenant Colonel Carlson. I was performing a surprise training inspection of Carlson's Engineer Battalion in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Turns out, Carlson was one of the best Battalion Commanders - active or reserves - that I have ever evaluated. When I reported at Oh-Dark-Thirty to find the commander and inform him of the surprise inspection, he wasn't in his office. He was out in the motor pool in January (in Wisconsin) turning wrenches with one of his Company Commanders during PMCS (a time period set aside to perform routine maintenance on vehicles and equipment). His troops took good care of him, too - that's the primary indication of a fine Officer.

I'll put Kurt Carlson's story in the Extended Section. Read it, but also remember Robert Stethem and the others murdered by terrorist thugs in the name of their obscene god deity. Kurt Carlson wouldn't want his story to take attention away from their sacrifices.

Continue reading "Terror In The Skies Nineteen Years Ago"

The Truth About Torture

George W. (no, not THAT guy) sends this link to Instapunk's interesting post about torture. I've blogged about the humiliation factor in everything Arab...their existence is constantly marred by perceived humilitaion. So far, what we've seen from Abu Ghraib has been just that - humiliation. It sounds likely that worse will be revealed, but interestingly enough, that actually might sit better with the Arab world - that death or maiming is preferred to humiliation.

The only way that this propagandistic equation of humiliation with torture can work is for Americans to remain in the dark about what torture really is. Are we really so coddled and naive in this country that we can't see the absurdity of declarations like Shweiri's?

It's an interesting read and well worth your time.

French Elections

Carine, one of the ladies at E-Nough, has an interesting post about the recent French elections. It's got plenty of links and explanations about the system.

It'll make hanging chads look insignificant.

Why We Should Name A Ship Sub The USS Carter

Harvey at Bad Example has a really interesting post about Naval plans to name a ship boat after former President Jimmy Carter. Apparently, there is some controversy over the subject. I must admit that the first thought that popped in my head was that, after all, Carter was a Navy Officer.

It's not like they are naming it the USS Clinton...

As Dumb As Opening a Brew Pub in Mecca

Hugh Hewitt is deadly accurate here about two things - (1) Jon Bon Jovi and (2) the Colorado Senate Race. First, Bon Jovi seems to be whining a lot about siding with the Democrats. Apparently, his patriotism has been questioned...by some un-named people. Sounds just like the Democratic Primary doesn't it? For what it's worth, calling your fellow servicemen war criminals isn't very patriotic (especially, if you never apologized for it). I'll tell that to John Kerry any day of the week.

But the icing on the cake is the Democratic candidate for Senate that owns a Dairy Queen...in Colorado. That's about as smart as selling pork chops at the Wailing Wall. No big surprise that the DQ didn't sell many Blizzards in Westminster, CO. (Yes, I realize that Colorado has a summer.)

BG Karpinski Scrambles

Usually, when someone's career and legal standing is spiraling out of control, they go to the media and cast blanket blame on "the system". With a court martial, this is never a good idea as media influence seldom affects the trial. Since Brigadier General Janis Karpinski hasn't yet been charged, this seems to be the either the result of horrible legal advice or the rantings of an unstable officer.

Iraq Prison Abuse Copied Guantanamo, Karpinski Says (Update1)
June 15 (Bloomberg) -- The abuse of Iraqi prisoners at Abu Ghraib jail came about with the introduction of methods used at the Guantanamo Bay detention camp in Cuba that treated detainees ``like dogs,'' Brigadier General Janis Karpinski said in an interview with the BBC.

The 51-year-old commander was in charge of the military police that ran the Baghdad prison when the abuse scandal erupted in April with the publication of photographs showing Iraqi detainees stripped naked being humiliated and maltreated.

Karpinski told the British Broadcasting Corp. she knew nothing of the abuse because military intelligence took over part of the Iraqi prison to make the interrogations more like ``Gitmo,'' the nickname for Guantanamo. She cited some comments about how to treat prisoners that she said the current Iraqi prison chief Major General Geoffrey Miller, formerly in charge of Guantanamo, told her.

``He said they are like dogs and if you allow them to believe at any point that they are more than a dog, then you've lost control of them,'' Karpinski said in the BBC interview.

Karpinski has been suspended from duty but not charged in the prison abuse scandal. She has been giving media interviews claiming she is being made a scapegoat...

Brigadier Karpinski has a lot to answer for...as I have said here and here. At every level, leadership failed at Abu Ghraib. The fact that mechanics and clerks (and MPs) were allowed to work out of uniform, take photos of prisoners, abuse prisoners, etc., points to Karpinski and her commanders (one of which was removed for taking pictures of his female soldiers showering).

Karpinski also lied about visits to the prison.

I don't know if the leadership above Karpinski is complicit in the Abu Ghraib scandal, but she definitely has responsibility for the leadership and training of the unit.

Update: John K. emailed and asked if I thought Karpinski should burn. He thinks that I'm being unfair...well, John, if Major General Taguba's report is true, then, hell, yeah, she should burn. Her chain of command should burn. Her staff officers should burn (mostly for poor leadership, training, and covering up for Karpinski). They wasted any modicum of credibility that we had. They may cause more deaths by their actions. They have maligned the reputation of millions of soldiers. They have cost the tax payers thousands because of the investigations. And if the investigation implicates those higher than Karpinski, then, they need to get punished, too.

I was fortunate to have two commands - I've commanded both interrogators/special agents and military police. I've never seen a more complete lack of order, discipline, training, or leadership anywhere before...And if you guys can't tell that I'm severly pissed off about this, then you've been reading a different blog.

New Army Uniform

The Army announced the new combat uniform (Battle Dress Uniform - BDU) yesterday. I received about 30 emails about the new uniform and not one liked it very much.

I never thought that I would see the day when the Army would not have you shine boots. There's just something inherently wrong with that. What's next? Padded tank seats?

Anyway, CAPBlog (an Air Force Aux blog) has more on the uniform - including pictures - here and here.

Sgt. Hook Needs Your Shoes

Everyone, Sgt. Hook is in Afghanistan and he has a great idea:

Just about every flight engineer and crew chief has noticed over the course of flying across this place called Afghanistan these past months that a large percentage of the children have no shoes to wear and of course, almost all of the girls are shoeless.

So my esteemed friends of the blogosphere, in the spirit of Chief Wiggles and minding the words of the infamous Steve Miller Band, I announce the beginning of Operation Shoe Fly in an effort to shoe the children, with no shoes on their feet. If you can collect the shoes, used or new, boys' and girls' (age 14 and under), and send them to me, my crewdogs and I will fly them out to the Afghani kids who so desperately need them.

So, Operation Shoe Fly is launched. Go check out Sgt. Hook's site and see how you can help.

Media Bias on Iraqis

A Coalition convoy of civilian contractors was hit by insurgents. Thirteen are dead and over sixty people are wounded.

Crowds Celebrate 13 Deaths in Iraq Blast
By ROBERT H. REID, Associated Press Writer

BAGHDAD, Iraq - A car bomb shattered a convoy of Westerners in Baghdad Monday, killing at least 13 people, including three General Electric workers and two bodyguards. Crowds rejoiced over the attack, dancing around a charred body and shouting "Down with the USA!"...

Now, before we get so completely mad at Iraqis for taking part in this "celebration", read the bit below that is buried TWENTY THREE PARAGRAPHS under the opening.

...Iraqi bystanders scooped up victims and loaded them into vehicles or pickup trucks to speed them to hospitals. Body parts and fragments of clothing lay scattered around the street...

Maybe the headline should have been "Iraqis rescue ambushed convoy"?

Nah. No one would want to read that...at CBS.

Two Hundred And Twenty Nine

Two hundred and twenty nine years ago, an army was formed to fight for independence. Soldiers have fought at places like Bunker Hill, Ticonderoga, New Orleans, Monterrey, Shiloh, San Juan Hill, Argonne, China, Burma, Tunis, Chosin, Ia Drang, and 73 Easting.

Sgt. Hook has a look at the Birthday, too, and knows what we're all wishing for...

Flag Day

It flies over soldiers' graves, city halls across the nation, and in front of many homes. It flies over our embassies in foreign lands, at sporting events from Little League diamonds to Wrigley Field in Chicago. When I sing the national anthem, I think about what Francis Scott Key felt when he wrote it - alone, captured by the enemy, afraid that his friends, his nation was lost - and then there it was - the flag still flew over Fort McHenry. We fought on...

There is one very important story that will show what the flag means to service men and women the world over. The story of Mike Christian as told by Senator John McCain:

The Story of Mike Christian
As part of the change in treatment, the Vietnamese allowed some prisoners to receive packages from home. In some of these packages were handkerchiefs, scarves and other items of clothing. Mike got himself a piece of white cloth and a piece of red cloth and fashioned himself a bamboo needle. Over a period of a couple of months, he sewed the American flag on the inside of his shirt.

Every afternoon, before we had a bowl of soup, we would hang Mike's shirt on the wall of our cell and say the Pledge of Allegiance. I know that saying the Pledge of Allegiance may not seem the most important or meaningful part of our day now. But I can assure you that -- for those men in that stark prison cell -- it was indeed the most important and meaningful event of our day.

One day, the Vietnamese searched our cell and discovered Mike's shirt with the flag sewn inside and removed it. That evening they returned, opened the door of the cell, called for Mike Christian to come out, closed the door of the cell, and for the benefit of all of us, beat Mike Christian severely for the next couple of hours.

Then they opened the door of the cell and threw him back inside. He was not in good shape. We tried to comfort and take care of him as well as we could. The cell in which we lived had a concrete slab in the middle on which we slept. Four naked light bulbs hung in each corner of the room.

After things quieted down, I went to lie down to go to sleep. As I did, I happened to look in the corner of the room. Sitting there beneath that dim light bulb, with a piece of white cloth, a piece of red cloth, another shirt and his bamboo needle, was my friend, Mike Christian. Sitting there, with his eyes almost shut from his beating, making another American flag. He was not making that flag because it made Mike Christian feel better. He was making that flag because he knew how important it was for us to be able to pledge our allegiance to our flag and country."

Two Words You Don't Hear Everyday...

..."French Victory".

The French won a key victory in yesterday's European Football (soccer) Championship against England. My son is wearing a Manchester United (away) Kit today in memoriam. He's got Becks' "7", too.

Kevin at Wizbang! has a bit more on pot-smoking hooligans and the resulting violence that ensued.

Doctors and Lawyers (Cats and Dogs)

This just made me LOL:

Doctor Proposes Not Treating Some Lawyers
By TARA BURGHART Associated Press Writer

CHICAGO -- A doctor's proposal asking the American Medical Association to endorse refusing care to attorneys involved in medical malpractice cases drew an angry response from colleagues Sunday at the annual meeting of the nation's largest physicians group...

Of course, that's not going to work, but it's still funny. A good friend of mine is an orthopedic surgeon and his malpractice is enormous...it's about 1/2 of his after-tax income.

41@80 - Paratrooper President

Geronimo, Mr. President!

This photo via AP/Army Golden Knights and quote from the Chicago Tribune/AP:

...The elder Bush made his first parachute jump as a 20-year-old Navy pilot shot down over the Pacific during World War II. In 1992, he bailed out over Yuma, Ariz., fulfilling a wartime promise he made to himself that someday he'd jump from a plane for fun. Five years ago, he made a similar jump over College Station, and earlier Sunday made a practice tandem jump before the main event.

The five jumps merited Bush a medal awarding him parachutist's wings. His wings, pinned on him at the conclusion of his jump, also include a small bronze star, indicating he'd made a combat jump in a hostile area.

The skydive capped two days of birthday festivities for Bush.

On Saturday, a baseball park full of about 5,200 people, including his eldest son, President Bush, former British Prime Minister John Major and celebrities and sports figures such as Dennis Miller and Pete Sampras, wished Bush a happy birthday.

The weekend events were designed to raise money for the George Bush Forty-One Endowment, which supports his library foundation, the Houston-based University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center and Bush's Points of Light Foundation. During a party Saturday night, it was announced that the endowment had raised more than $55 million in the last two years.

So, I received some emails from paratroopers - young and old - about the awarding of Airborne wings to President Bush, the Elder. Most looked upon it favorably, some others didn't.

Me? I am all for it. He raised a lot of money for research and charity. He also jumped off of the wing of a burning airplane over the Pacific. He deserves them (tandem jump or not).

Bloggers Choose Favorite Fictional Characters

John Hawkins of Right Wing News received responses from 56 bloggers about their favorite fictional characters.

About 5 or 6 of the 20 that I submitted made the list. Characters that came to mind were John McClane of Die Hard, Indiana Jones, Han Solo, etc. Later, I'll dig up my submission email and list the rest.

Update: Below is most of my list (not ranked). I put it together too quickly as I left out some great ones like Inigo Montoya.

John McClane, Aragorn, Han Solo, Porthos, Indiana Jones, Tom Jones, James T. Kirk, Harry Potter, Ivanhoe, Batman, Bobby Shaftoe (Cryptonomicon), Norm Peterson, Trinity, Hawkeye/Natty Bumpo (Last of the Mohicans)

I had thought about Holden Caufield and Wolverine. I would have added Homer Simpson, Dr. Who, Sherlock Holmes from the list. As Veeshir mentions, Bugs would have been good (the older, more physical bugs instead of the PC version we have today).

41@80 - Happy Birthday, President Bush!

President George Herbert Walker Bush has a birthday today, and, tomorrow, he will be jumping out of an airplane at 13,000 feet to celebrate.

He's only done a jump two other times. His first use of a parachute was in 1944 when he bailed out of his aircraft over the Pacific. The last time was for his 75th birthday.

This is going to be a 45 second free fall over his library in College Station, Texas.

There are many reasons why President George H. W. Bush is one of my all time favorite presidents. He's the first and second presidential candidate that I voted for...and I think he's cut from a different cloth than most people...meaning his values and sense of duty. Plus, he's got guts.

I. Am. Ronin!

Frank J. has one great theme going on...since those of us were Samurai of Reagan-san, we are now master-less, wandering Ronin.

Frank begins with The Charge of the Ronin!, then follows up with some logo ideas for us.

Frank's on a roll so scroll through the whole site.
(edit note: my Peace Gallery submission will be coming soon)

Chaplain Finds Holy Ground In Iraq

Retired USAF Master Sergeant Stan sends this great letter from Navy Chaplain, Steven P. Unger, who has been in Iraq for over four months now.

Dear Friends,

This is my third letter from Iraq. I have been working myself into the right mood to do this. Today is the day. In my last two letters I have leaned toward being as upbeat as possible. This time will be different; today I want to talk about Memorial Day, but I will start off by giving my perspective on the Abu Ghraib prison problem.

First off, the investigation into the abuses at Abu Ghraib began back in January. That is why the first court martial was ready for trial in May. The senior people here knew about the investigation; the rest of us didn't. By the time the media "broke" the story, the investigation was almost done and the soldiers who had committed the abuses had already been rotated home.

Second, I (we) don't see all the news coverage that you in the states see. I do see some Fox News and cNN. Fox editorializes toward the right wing; CNN is the voice of the anti-war movement. I wonder that if CNN had been around in 1942 we might all be speaking German and Japanese. I can tell you this, everything I have heard on CNN is so biased, negative, and out-of-touch that I will never watch CNN for the rest of my life. That being said, when the rest of us found out about the abuses we were shocked and sickened. I think maybe more so than people back home because we are here; these are the people I see every day. The people I see every day who are going out to fix: schools, hospitals, reservoirs, power plants, and sewer systems. They do these things risking sniper fire and hidden explosives. These soldiers are not a handful of bad apples like those at Abu Ghraib, these soldiers number into the thousands. Now think for a second, how much have you seen about that on the news? I believe Abu Ghraib should have been reported, but when I see the fixation of the media on the actions of a few, when the courage shown in reconstruction and the restraint shown in combat by thousands of our people is never shown, I believe this is inexcusable. For the real story of what our people are doing here, go to www.cjtf7.com/index.htm.

Third, what happened on that cellblock of Abu Ghraib is what happens when leadership is not out walking around. That is true in the military or in college dorms. I haven't seen it reported in the news, but other soldiers turned in the soldiers who did this. If the dirt bags that committed those abuses had been turned loose among the troops here it would've been ugly. I haven't heard any comments about them coming from soldiers that didn't express a hope that they would get the maximum punishment. A few leaders need to get demoted too.

As per the "outrage", if you were "outraged" by this, good. I was. However, I would like to ask Arab governments and our own media elites, "Were you just as outraged by what happened under Saddam? If so, you didn't show it."

Here is what people need to understand: the interrogation of prisoners of war is a little tougher than what the typical thug gets by the local police. I went to Survival, Evasion, Rescue, and Escape (SERE) School back in 1995. I am more proud of completing that course than anything I have ever done. Also, I would never do it again. After playing hide and seek with "bad guys" in California in March, we all got caught, knocked around, froze, went hungry, sleep deprived, threatened with worse, and then interrogated. Here's the deal: when interrogation is done correctly, people don't break so much as they leak. (The purpose of SERE is to teach you how not to leak. That is the classified part of the school.) The interrogator wants them to leak in a way so that the prisoner doesn't even know he is leaking. When someone breaks, as opposed to leaking, they usually give out a data dump of gibberish and then physiologically shuts down. A good interrogator avoids that. If you hurt them or scare them too badly, they quit leaking.

Interrogators ask the same question about ten times, ten different ways. Disoriented people leak and they don't even know it. What most Americans think of when they think of POWs being interrogated is what they remember of our pilots in North Vietnam. The abuse our people went through in Vietnam wasn't to get intelligence; it was to exploit them for propaganda purposes. I mention this to put the term "abuse" in context. When a terrorist here in Iraq or jaywalkers back in the states report jailhouse "abuse," what does it mean? When we catch a guy red-handed restocking his weapons stock and question him, withholding his TV privileges isn't enough. He won't be happy, but neither will he be destroyed or scared for life. He will tell his buddies, "I didn't tell them anything." In fact he will have told us a lot.

As I said, I had to work myself into a mindset to talk about this. To work around horror without out letting the horror seep into your soul is a spiritual battle. This week I worked with a National Guard soldier who had to clean up after a convoy of civilian aid workers were killed when an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) went off on the road into Baghdad. He is a carpenter in civilian life, but this week he was out on a highway picking up arms and legs while watching out for snipers. He was cleaning up after monsters. Some other young Americans were put in charge of guarding monsters and then became monsters. Care of the soul is serious business. That is part of the reason why I became a Navy Chaplain. The other reason is the people. The folks I have known in the military are more interesting to be around than anybody else I know. This leads me to Memorial Day.

Earlier this month I went to Camp Cooke at Taji. (To lend perspective, Taji is really north Baghdad; I am in west Baghdad.) The 39th Brigade (Arkansas National Guard) is stationed there. I didn't know any of them, but I wanted to see my home-state Guard here in Iraq. So I badgered my way into flying up there for two days. They are stationed in the old Iraqi army air defense school. Unlike downtown Baghdad, the old air defense school was turned into rubble. It is getting better, but it was like living in a junkyard. Their first month in Iraq was tough. These soldiers patrol the roughest part of Baghdad.

While I was there, the Chaplain of the 39th told me this story: One of the old troopers who came was a 52 year-old Sgt. who had already done his 20+ years and had retired. But his son was in the 39th, and when the father found out they were coming over here, he reenlisted. On their first week in country, Camp Cooke was attacked by rockets and the first rocket that landed killed the father.

I was born in 1958 and came of age when the Vietnam War and the anti-war movement were both in full swing. It has taken me years to put this into words, but I believe that as bad as that war was, the legacy of the anti-war movement was worse. The anti-war movement gave rise to the moral superiority of non-involvement and non-commitment. While that may have worked to help draft-dodgers sleep at night, it's not much of a strategy of how to go through life. Taken to its logical conclusion the message is: don't commit to your county, don't commit to your spouse, and don't commit to your kids, church, or community. Don't commit to cleaning up your own mess or any cause that demands any more from you than rhetoric. This was the mindset in which our country was firmly stuck. Until 9/11, some woke up. Kids came down and
joined the service. To the dismay of some of their teachers, parents, and the media elites, they came down here and raised their hand in front of the flag. And they are still coming to the shock of the non-committers. The Marines have more enlisting than their two boot camps can handle.

And we are all here together for Memorial Day 2004. Old National Guardsmen, grandfathers, and single moms, Texans and Mexicans, Surfers and Rednecks. A few weeks ago an Illinois National Guardsman, mother of three, was hit six times, saved by her body armor, but lost part of her nose. She stayed on her 50 caliber, firing on the bad guys, protecting the convoy. She said she was thinking of her kids and the guys she was with.

Commitment is love acted out. It is sad that the non-committers missed that. They and their moral high-ground haven't been near a mass grave. The kids I see and eat with every day still want to help this country, in spite of getting shot at while doing it. That is love acted out. You either get it, or you don't.

During my time in Iraq I won't be able to see any of the Biblical sites that are here. But a few weeks ago in Taji I got to stand on some holy ground, where a father died when he went to war just to be with his son.

Sincerely yours,
Steven P. Unger
LCDR, CHC, USN
Multi National Corps-Iraq

Almost Here!

Well, Mrs. Blackfive is supposed to be due to deliver our little girl at the end of July. However, her doctor just informed her that we may be about 5 weeks early. YIKES!!!

I say "Yikes!", not because of any danger to the baby (there isn't any danger to the baby for being that early), but because I AIN'T READY FOR ANOTHER BABY! I also say "Yikes!" because this is a PG-13 blog and I really was thinking - "Sweet Mother of Jesus, that's *bleep* too *bleep*ing soon!!!"

And, you know what the really scary part is about this? I don't even have a pseudonym for her, yet. How lame is that? What kind of blogger-dad would not have pseudonym ready for his baby girl?

So, what do I call her - "Next Little Blackfive"?

"Littlest Blackfive"? That sounds like a Charlie Chan movie.

How about "Little Blackfive - Female-type"? No? Too military?

How about "Blackfive-ette"?

"Blackfive-point-five"?

Anyway, one of my friends modified the Ten Simple Rules for Dating My Daughter. If you really knew me, you wouldn't be laughing because I'm pretty sure it's accurate.

Oh. Can one of you tell me when it's appropriate to start a little girl with Hapkido?

The revised version of Ten Simple Rules is in the Extended Section of the Post.

Continue reading "Almost Here!"

Colonel Jill Morgenthaler - Someone You Should Know

In 1997, two weeks before my marriage to Mrs. Blackfive, we went to the Armed Forces Day Ball in Chicago. It was supposed to be one of the better events around the country for Armed Forces Day - the Chief of the Air Force was there as VIP with the Air Force Band. My wife-to-be did not have much exposure to the military at that point. I was Captain and was awarded the Junior Officer of the Year award so we had free tickets to the ball.

As we walked in, Sailors from Great Lakes Naval Base popped to attention. As far as formal military events go, this one was one of the best I had seen.

We were seated with newly promoted Lieutenant Colonel Jill Morgenthaler who had just returned from a year's duty in Bosnia. Our table was made up of mostly Sergeants, me and my fiance, and the Lieutenant Colonel. LTC M had class. As the senior officer, she took her duties seriously and bought bottles of wine for everyone at the table. Not many Field Grade Officers would do that for soldiers that they don't really know. My wife-to-be was impressed by her generosity.

A few weeks ago, I saw a news wire article quoting Colonel Jill Morgenthaler - THE Public Affairs Officer for the Multinational Force in Iraq. I wasn't surprised to see that she was a full-bird Colonel or that she had a very important job in the War on Terror. So I shot off an email to her and she responded within minutes AND she has just started a blog!

Ladies and Gentlemen, I present GI Jill's Adventures In Baghdad

The first few posts at this new site are great reads so go there and read about what the good Colonel is doing in Iraq.

Kerry's VP Choices *yawn*

The main problem with this campaign is that there is no real energizing candidate.

AP is reporting that Kerry did, in fact, ask John McCain to be his Vice Presidential running mate. Of course, McCain said "no". I also heard that New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson also said "no". Maybe, he's waiting for Hilary to run.

Other potential Kerry running mates are:

John Edwards
Dick Gephardt
General (ret.) Wesley Clark
Bob Kerrey
Bob Grahm
Evan Bayh
and a few more boring choices

So who do you think would make this race more interesting? Who would make it more boring (think Jim Lehrer as VP)?

Joint Service Honor Guard

How to tell who's who? I received a few emails about identifying the different branches represented in the all of the ceremonies honoring President Reagan. Because the servicemen are wearing dress uniforms (which aren't usually worn), some folks are having trouble identifying the various services. You can click on the image below to open a larger picture (Photo by Petty Officer 2nd Class Samuel Shavers, US Navy).

The military services represented are (from left to right): Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, Marines, Coast Guard, Navy, Army.

Here is the story of two soldiers who carried President Reagan's casket - it's about their duty and their dedication:

Soldiers Reflect on Carrying Reagan's Casket
By Kathleen T. Rhem

WASHINGTON, June 10, 2004 – When Justin Rogers and Travis Sullivan were born, Ronald Reagan was president of the United States.

The evening of June 9, these two young men, now both Army specialists in the prestigious ceremonial unit, "The Old Guard," were members of the team that carried Reagan's casket up the steps and into the U.S. Capitol.

"I was kind of young (when Reagan was president), but all of my family members told me what a great job he did for our country," Rogers said in an interview at Fort Myer, Va., just moments before their unit, Company E, 3rd U.S. Infantry, departed for downtown to perform their solemn duties. "It's quite an honor."

Sullivan called it "a heck of an honor" to be participating in Reagan's funeral. "He's definitely one of the best presidents we've had in the history of the nation."

Both soldiers were out of town visiting family when they got "the call." But neither needed to wait for the Army to tell them; as soon as they heard Reagan had died, both knew they would be called to duty.

Rogers was visiting his parents in New Jersey June 5 when he heard Reagan had died. When the phone rang an hour and a half later, "I told my parents, … 'That's the Army calling right there. I've got to go back,'" he said.

Continue reading "Joint Service Honor Guard"

Marine Sergeant Anthony Viggiani - Someone You Should Know

I received this story from Jim B. with the following commentary:

Wounded Marine Sergeant Anthony Viggiani, in Afghanistan hunting remnants of Al-Queda and the Taliban, is shown here leaning on a rock, having just cornered and blasted three ACM (Anti-Coalition Maggots) in their cave. Soon afterward, our Strongsville Marine downs aspirin, and is ready to continue serving the indigenous people of Afghanistan and visiting Arabs who contact the Marines in order to be awakened into the afterlife.

Jim's on the mark here. And Strongville, Ohio breeds some bada$$ Marines.

Marine ignores battlefield wound to continue pursuing Taliban insurgents
Story by Gunnery Sgt. Keith A. Milks

FORWARD OPERATING BASE RIPLEY, Afghanistan (June 9, 2004) -- To many of his fellow Marines in Charlie Co., Battalion Landing Team 1st Bn., 6th Marines, Sgt. Anthony Viggiani is the ideal Marine.

In the eyes of subordinates and seniors alike, the Strongsville, Ohio native embodies those qualities that make Marines special; dedicated, professional, strong, committed, moral, and brave. Now they have additional quality to add to that list -- tough-as-nails.

During a recent firefight with anti-coalition militia (ACM) in south-central Afghanistan, Viggiani's actions further elevated himself in the eyes of the rest of the 22d Marine Expeditionary Unit (Special Operations Capable).

When a pair of Army AH-64 Apache attack helicopters spotted approximately 20 heavily-armed ACM fighters fleeing into the hills during a cordon and knock operation of a nearby village, Charlie Company immediately pursued on foot. Leading his squad over a steep, rock-strewn mountain, Viggiani was in the lead of the advance when they came under heavy enemy rifle fire.

"The rounds just started pouring in," he said later that day, "and we weren't really sure where they were coming from."

On the slope opposite the valley below him, approximately a hundred meters away, Viggiani and his Marines watched as two Marines, Cpl. Randy Wood and Lance Cpl. James Gould were wounded by enemy rifle fire.

Continue reading "Marine Sergeant Anthony Viggiani - Someone You Should Know"

Farewell, Mr. President

John Hawkins posted Vice President Dick Cheney's eulogy/speech about Ronald Reagan. The great thing about the speech (and it was very, very good) was that it focused on the man and his family rather than politics. Dick Cheney did not use that opportunity to politicize the memorial of Ronald Reagan. If he did, then no one would have paid much attention.

If you want to know about the effect President Reagan had on the world, don't listen to Americans. Read what the leader of one country that reached freedom and democracy with a little help from Ronald Reagan.

I am going to post Lech Walesa's editorial in the WSJ here in it's entirety because it's via on-line subscription only - I think it's worth your time.

Continue reading "Farewell, Mr. President"

Sergeant Hook Rocks!

I was finally able to get over to Hook's place last night and the good First Sergeant is writing some really great posts. Jaffy, Mission Day, and Another Day In The Stan are excellent articles about what it's like to be a Soldier in Afghanistan.

If I were a publisher, I'd be very interested in Hook, Missick, and other milbloggers overseas...

Balance

Bryan sent this link to a great story. It provides some counter-weight to the negativity of the last post.

Reagan, the Marines, and a Boy
On a spring day in 1983, Marine Staff Sergeant Robert Menke was waiting for a hot enlistment prospect he had talked to on the phone. Hunched over paperwork in the Corps' Huntington Beach California recruiting station, Menke heard the front door open and looked up. In came a boy in a motorized wheelchair, followed by his father. Menke noted the boy's frail body and thin arms. "Can I help you?" he asked.

"Yes," the boy answered firmly. "My name is John Zimmerman."

It took the startled Marine a moment to realize that this was indeed his prospect. "I'm Staff Sergeant Menke," he said, shaking his visitor's small hand. "Come on in."

Menke, a shy man, uncomfortable with recruiting, quickly found himself captured by the articulate thirteen year old youth with an easy, gap-toothed grin. For more than an hour they spoke -of training and overseas assignments and facing danger. The kid loved the Marine Corps. Not a word was exchanged about the younger Zimmerman's condition or the wheelchair...

You can read the rest of this amazing story here.

If Only I Lived In New Jersey...

Remember Eric Bumrich? Yeah, that guy - the one who made commercials for Dennis Tin-Foil-Hat Kucinich. His latest stunt is to hold a party to denigrate the passing of Ronald Reagan. It's by invitation and I'll be surprised if anyone actually shows up - if only I lived in New Jersey. Here's what Bumrich wrote:

...Friday will be the day they finally toss Reagan's lifeless corpse into the ground- traditionally- this will be a day of national mourning. I would like to counter this, with an evening of national celebration.

I invite everyone who can come, to Tierney's Tavern, at 106 Watchung Avenue, Montclair, New Jersey, at 10:00 PM, to spend an evening celebrating the departure of one of the 20th century's most infamous, destructive, and heartless criminals to the stygian depths of hell.

For some reason, I hear Admiral Akbar yelling, "It's a trap!". I don't know if that place even exists. Bumrich wants people to email him to RSVP.

Anyway, I absolutely do not condone violence so don't go wasting your time trying to give Bumrich a blackeye. If you're in Jersey and you want to really piss him off, it would be interesting to organize a counter-Bumrich party at the same place to celebrate the life of Ronald Reagan - that would really set that guy off.

Oh, BTW, it's radical, left-wing knuckleheads like Bumrich that give liberals a maligned name. The same kind of people that Annika has posted about...

[Thanks to Eric S. for sending the info]

Good News From Iraq

By now, you've heard of rescues, captured terrorists, and other martial successes this week - however, there's a lot more happening that you should know about.

Arthur Chrenkoff has posted the latest installment in his Good News From Iraq series. It's well worth your time to read the whole post.

A Marine Remembers the Reagans

This is an email from a retired Marine who has one interesting observation about the Reagans:

When the Reagan's were in the White House, the President and Mrs Reagan treated all military personnel with the highest respect, without regard to rank. I know this through our long contacts with Marine Barracks Washington, who perform many White House duties, and our relationship with Marine Security Company, NSF.

During every Christmas holiday, for the eight years they were in the White House, the President and his wife would give each Marine stationed at Camp David, eight, personal, White House Christmas cards. They would sign each card themselves, with a ball point pen, to assure they really did sign them, and not a machine.

They would then tell the Marines that they could sell seven of the cards and hopefully get enough money to pay for travel expenses to get home for Christmas. They added that they hoped the Marines would keep one of the cards for themselves, to remember the Reagan's.

Our thoughts and prayers are with President Reagan, his family, and the entire country.

Mr President, you were truly one of the good guys, and Semper Fi