Saturday, 11 August 2007
 

Vietnam War - The Real Story

A big thank you to George "Rurik" Mellinger and  William "1stCav" Page for making sure I knew about this Everything below the imbedded video is from an email Rurik sent me.

Vietnam War - The Real Story

Vietnam War - "The Real Story" rebuts the view promoted by the 13-part documentary series, "Vietnam: A Television History" made by PBS in 1983. The rebuttal also applies to "The Ten Thousand Day War" documentary series.

Participants: Archimedes Patti, John McCain, Edward Lansdale, Elbridge Durbrow, etc.

"The Real Story" is a must-see for historians and politicians alike.

Made in 1984.

You can download the full one hour version here: http://www.megaupload.com/?d=4Q82Z1VC

Vietnam War - "The Impact of Media"

Vietnam War - "The Impact of Media" explores in detail the 'media distortions' due to television's misrepresentations during the Vietnam War. It rebuts the view promoted by PBS 's 13-part documentary series, "Vietnam: A Television History". The rebuttal also applies to "The Ten Thousand Day War" series.

"The Impact of Media" is a must-see for historians and politicians alike. The late president Ronald Reagan lauded this rebuttal video when he watched it and said that it's "something all Americans should see".

Made in 1984.

You can download the full one hour version here (high quality): http://www.megaupload.com/?d=04SI7U0R.

Contributed by Bill Faith on August 11, 2007 at 03:11 PM in Media Malpractice, Viet Nam | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Thursday, 05 July 2007
 

How to help lose a war without really trying

Prerequisites:

• The Vietnam history you haven't heard
• Understanding Restored, a Review of Triumph Forsaken

Halberstam’s History
By Mark Moyar

In the days following the death of David Halberstam on April 23, praise of his journalism appeared in just about every major newspaper and magazine in America. Adhering to the principle of de mortuis, I did not interrupt the paeans with remarks about Halberstam’s gross misdeeds in Vietnam, which I had exposed in a book last year. But now that the funeral period has ended, the media has made clear that Halberstam’s elevation to the status of national hero is intended to be permanent, so in the interest of national history it has become necessary to point out how much Halberstam harmed the United States during his career. ...

Read the whole thing.

Contributed by Bill Faith on July 5, 2007 at 08:39 PM in Books, Media Malpractice, Viet Nam | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Sunday, 17 June 2007
 

Vietnam and communism's victims

R J Del Vecchio emails:

I know Mike Benge, and he knows what he's talking about.  And the phrase below about the US Embassy in Saigon being surrounded by guards is no exagerration.  When I walked by it this past January I was really impressed by the number of soldiers with AK-47s posted all along the sidewalk along the front wall of the compound.  There is an inner wall, which is where the US security looks at whoever has gotten past the first wall, but that first wall is controlled by the soldiers and policemen, there are no Americans out there at all.

Del

See also: Vietnam Plays U.S. Like A Fiddle

FORUM: Vietnam and communism's victims
Mike Benge

Last Tuesday, June 12, President Bush spoke at the dedication of the Victims of Communism Memorial that honors the memories of those killed in communist regimes. He said their deaths should remind the American public "evil is real and must be confronted." Ironically, this Friday, June 22, President Bush will honor the president of a tyrannical communist regime that murdered over a million Vietnamese and ethnic minorities with a White House visit during which he has the opportunity to confront that evil.

Recently, dozens of democracy activists, journalists, cyber-dissidents and Christian and other religious leaders were arrested and imprisoned by the Vietnamese communists. Congressional leaders and human-rights groups have charged Hanoi with "unbridled human-rights abuses," the "worst wave of oppression in 20 years." Those recently arrested are but a few of the hundreds of political and religious prisoners in Vietnam; some have been tried, while those less visible simply "disappeared." This mounting crackdown is a deliberate diplomatic slap in the face of the United States.

Hanoi brazenly aired on TV the kangaroo court trial of Thaddeus Nguyen Van Father Ly, who was muzzled during the proceedings. In Vietnamese, the colloquial phrase for censorship is "bit mieng" -- to cover the mouth. The picture of Father Ly's muzzling seems a literal enactment of an old cliche. Denied representation, Father Ly was sentenced to eight years imprisonment.

Mr. Bush's endorsement for Hanoi's admission into the World Trade Organization at last year's Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation meeting in Hanoi, the removal of Vietnam from listed as a Country of Particular Concern (CPC), and the granting of Permanent Normal Trade Relations (PNTR) were all predicated on the Communist Party substantially improving its human-rights record. ...

You're a good man, George Jorge.

Contributed by Bill Faith on June 17, 2007 at 09:10 PM in Viet Nam | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Wednesday, 30 May 2007
 

'Earthquake McGoon' home at last

See previous: Legendary pilot 'Earthquake McGoon' heads home

Famed Flier to be Buried at Arlington

NEW YORK - Fifty-three years after he was shot down on a desperate cargo-delivery flight over Vietnam, a legendary pilot and Soldier of fortune known as Earthquake McGoon will be buried Thursday at Arlington National Cemetery.

The burial plan was announced by the Pentagon on Wednesday.

Earthquake McGoon, whose real name was James B. McGovern Jr., was one of the first two Americans killed in the Vietnam conflict. His remains were recovered from an unmarked grave in a remote northern Laos village in 2002 and identified last year by forensic experts at the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command's laboratory at Hickam Air Force Base, Hawaii. ...

Contributed by Bill Faith on May 30, 2007 at 02:34 PM in The American Warrior, Viet Nam | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Thursday, 17 May 2007
 

Has it really been 35 years?

I guess it has. Maybe if I'd been smarter or worked harder or something I'd have more to show for the time since then. It's a little late now, I guess.

Contributed by Bill Faith on May 17, 2007 at 12:23 AM in US Air Force, Viet Nam | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Monday, 30 April 2007
 

Did we learn anything?

April 30, 1975: Two Different Wars, One Destructive Parallel
Bruce Kesler

Hoi Tran, refugee from North Vietnam after the 1954 partition, became a South Vietnam Air Force fighter pilot, flying thousands of missions, his last to escape in 1975 to the U.S. Hoi Tran blogs at VietAmericanVets. He is the author of this guest post below.

Before, a quick review of history:

April 30, 1975: Before dawn, the last American helicopter lifted from the U.S. embassy’s roof, with the ambassador aboard.

[...]

Having gone through this in the Vietnam War and ended up being a victim of a political defeat over 30 years ago, this writer is concerned watching the same scenario unfolding in America. I strongly believe it is time for America to do what is necessary to win the war on terror rather than to appease the defeatist members of Congress or to fear criticism from the extreme liberal left media. I do not like war because I had lived and fought in the war in Vietnam for freedom almost my entire adolescent and adult life. However, in defense of freedom and our way of life, I will not hesitate to fight again if my health and age permit. This is a war we must fight and cannot afford to lose. If we lost, global terrorist will bring war and destruction to our own soil and our next generation will suffer. It is time to wake up America! 

Contributed by Bill Faith on April 30, 2007 at 04:38 PM in Dem Dumbness, Dem Perfidy, Iraq, Islamism Delenda Est, Viet Nam | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Sunday, 15 April 2007
 

Military Order of the Purple Heart and the Gathering of Eagles

The following article was written by Henry J. Cook III, Senior Vice Commander of the Military Order of the Purple Heart. It was intended for use in their organizational publication. In light of certain parties claiming that they had convinced MOPH to drop their support, Mr. Cook asked that it be posted on the GOE blog as a reaffirmation of MOPH’s support for the Gathering of Eagles. Thank you William "1stCav" Page for bringing it to my attention.

The Military Order of the Purple Heart and the Gathering of Eagles
Henry J. Cook, III

More than one year ago the international A.N.S.W.E.R. coalition began planning two major anti-war rallies in Washington, D.C. The first was held in January of 2007. From their rally point the various anti-war, anti-American groups marched on our nation’s Capitol. Upon arrival at the Capitol they proceeded to spray paint their slogans and anti-American sentiments on the Capitol steps. Apparently the Capitol police felt it was better to allow them to do their mischief and clean it up later than confront them physically to stop their actions. Some of the groups went to the U. S. Navy memorial and desecrated the Lonely Sailor memorial.

Who were these people ? A.N.S.W.E.R. , purely an arm of the communist party of the United States , joined by Code Pink, the National Council of Arab Americans, the Muslim American Society, the 9-11 Truth Movement (They claim 9-11 was a hoax.) a number of Palestinian and Lebanese support groups, pro-Castro and Che Gueverra groups, the Viet Nam Veterans against the war, at least one Anarchist group and a number of hippie-throwbacks, all receiving encouragement by Hanoi Jane Fonda, Ramsey Clark, Sean Penn, Ed Asner with Congresswoman Maxine Waters (D-CA) and the newest anti-war poster child, Cindy Sheehan.

After their performance in January, A.N.S.W.E R. let it be know that their next rally and parade was to begin with a rally at the Viet Nam Wall on March 17, 2007 and would end at the Pentagon.  ...

Read the whole thing.

Contributed by Bill Faith on April 15, 2007 at 08:30 PM in Caring about our troops, Gathering of Eagles, Moonbat Madness, The American Warrior, The Lunatic Left, US Air Force, US Army, US Coast Guard, US Marine Corps, US Navy, Viet Nam | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Saturday, 31 March 2007
 

Ripley At The Bridge 
Contributed by Bill Faith

... By the Spring of 1972, the North Vietnamese Army (NVA) had completed its buildup and was ready to mount a largescale attack on South Vietnam. As part of the assault, two infantry divisions, 30,000 soldiers with tanks and artillery support, began to cross the boundary between the two countries and attack south along Highway 1, the main north-south artery. They would first have to seize a highway bridge over the major water obstacle, the Cua Viet River just north of the town Dong Ha. Only the Third South Vietnamese Marine Battalion was in a position to block the critical avenue of attack and buy some valuable time. To the 700-man battalion was entrusted the awesome task of stopping, or at least hindering, 30,000 North Vietnamese. ...

Click here, follow the links.

Regular readers of [Old War Dogs] may wish to note that Arch Arthur, William "1stCav" Page, and yours truly all have very intense personal memories of the '72 Easter Offensive. Lord, was that really 35 years ago? It seems like last week. Some days it feels like yesterday.

Contributed by Bill Faith on March 31, 2007 at 03:44 PM in The American Warrior, US Marine Corps, Viet Nam | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Tuesday, 27 March 2007
 

A Young Man To Watch

72nd TCS reports:

Col. Harry Riley, co-director of Gathering of Eagles.org, alerted his mailing list to a report on the Gathering of March 17 in Washington, DC, written by a truly extraordinary youngster. His name is Justin Till, and he is an 18-year-old high school senior from Texas. I believe his work deserves to be disseminated widely, and intend to quote extensively from it in the sequel. He writes beautifully, displaying a keenness of observation that puts to shame the reports by “professionals” that we read in major newspapers such as The New York Times and the Washington Post. Early promise does not always pan out, but this youth is truly outstanding. Here he is, and please remember: You Read It Here First.

An Unrecognized Majority: ...

[Read the whole thing.]

Contributed by Bill Faith on March 27, 2007 at 05:07 PM in Caring about our troops, Gathering of Eagles, The American Warrior, US Air Force, US Army, US Coast Guard, US Marine Corps, US Navy, Viet Nam | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Poem: A Gathering of Eagles
Contributed by Bill Faith

Marsha Burks Megehee left this as a comment on Awesome Gathering of Eagles video but it deserves better than to languish there unread:

Dear Old War Dogs,
I wanted to share my special poem with you -
"A Gathering of Eagles."

It's my way of saying "WELL DONE!" Thank you all for protecting our national treasures, and speaking up for the millions of us who could not be with you.

God Bless You All!
& God Bless the USA!

Continue reading "Poem: A Gathering of Eagles"

Contributed by Bill Faith on March 27, 2007 at 04:20 PM in Caring about our troops, Gathering of Eagles, Marsha Burks Megehee, Poetry, The American Warrior, US Air Force, US Army, US Coast Guard, US Marine Corps, US Navy, Viet Nam | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Sunday, 25 March 2007
 

Awesome Gathering of Eagles video

Boomer emails:

** The Land of the free **

http://www.nautinurse.com/GOE_17-March-2007.html

Sound on, F-11 for full screen!

Read the whole Old War Dogs Gathering of Eagles collection in one place here, and don't forget about the Gathering of Eagles blog here.

Contributed by Bill Faith on March 25, 2007 at 12:28 AM in Caring about our troops, Gathering of Eagles, The American Warrior, US Air Force, US Army, US Coast Guard, US Marine Corps, US Navy, Viet Nam | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Friday, 23 March 2007
 

Despite my distrust of the media....
Contributed by antimedia

....there are a few that get it right.

......it turns out that the best reason to hit the pavement on Saturday was over in Washington, D.C. ...

As a frequent protest crasher, I'm sorry I missed this sea change in the tired old script of Iraq demonstrations. It was even more uplifting to read messages left afterward on the Eagles' blog by participants.

"Forty years lost in the wilderness," wrote one. "Forty years in exile. Behind us now. Yesterday we took our country back. It's in the air. I can feel it. ... We have to care enough to save it. I have hope again."

The quote is from my good friend, Bill Faith. ...

Contributed by Bill Faith on March 23, 2007 at 12:41 AM in Caring about our troops, Gathering of Eagles, Patriot Guard Riders, The American Warrior, US Air Force, US Army, US Coast Guard, US Marine Corps, US Navy, Viet Nam | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Thursday, 22 March 2007
 

  Reflections on the Gathering of Eagles (Epilogue) 
March 21st, 2007 by CJ

I wanted to first bring something out I'm not sure many people caught. First, listen again to THIS audio of Brian Becker, member of International A.N.S.W.E.R.'s steering committee and a front group for the Communist Workers World Party (WWP). Pay attention to what he says in the middle of the clip.

"Let Bush and the Pentagon and their puppets (I'm a puppet) know that the people of this country are sick and tired of this [expletive deleted] war. LET'S BRING THE WAR HOME!!"

This is something I want everyone to understand. He doesn't say "let's bring the troops home." They don't support the troops. If they did, we wouldn't be seeing this in Portland:

[image]

He said this while he was trying to get everyone to move up to make their numbers look more bloated. They aren't interested in any victory. They want the terrorists here in this country. If he had his way, he'd pay for a state visit for Bin Laden. Those five little words say more than any speech ever could. Yet, even though every news outlet known to man was licking their shoes, this wasn't mentioned anywhere. ...

***

See also: Smash - The Infiltrator

Contributed by Bill Faith on March 22, 2007 at 01:00 AM in Caring about our troops, Gathering of Eagles, Moonbat Madness, The American Warrior, The Lunatic Left, US Air Force, US Army, US Coast Guard, US Marine Corps, US Navy, Viet Nam | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Tuesday, 20 March 2007
 

01.01.04 AE

1st year, 1st month, 4th day, Age of the Eagle. The tide has turned. I'm proud to be an American again.
(This post will remain at the top of the site all day. Original timestamp 2007.03.20.00:14)

A Gathering of Eagles
Contributed by Russ Vaughn

The commies came, the commies saw,
The commies skulked away, ...
(Read the whole thing here.)

Click the image to see the entire Old War Dogs Gathering of Eagles series on one page.

Continue reading "01.01.04 AE"

Contributed by Bill Faith on March 20, 2007 at 11:59 PM in Caring about our troops, Gathering of Eagles, The American Warrior, US Air Force, US Army, US Coast Guard, US Marine Corps, US Navy, Viet Nam | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack

A Gathering of Eagles
Contributed by Russ Vaughn

The commies came, the commies saw,
The commies skulked away,
A Gathering of Eagles
Just spoiled their Big Red Day.
The ANSWER Coalition,
Led by Head Red Brian Becker,
Declined to find out if these birds,
Might have a bigger pecker. ...

Contributed by Bill Faith on March 20, 2007 at 09:30 PM in Caring about our troops, Gathering of Eagles, Moonbat Madness, The American Warrior, US Air Force, US Army, US Coast Guard, US Marine Corps, US Navy, Viet Nam | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack

The Accidental Protest 
The Gray Dog

“The best laid schemes o’ mice an’ men / Gang aft a-gley.”   
“To a Mouse,” by Robert Burns

Yes, the best-laid plans of mice and men often go awry.  The bumbling Becker Brothers, bodacious bemoaning and bellowing of bellicose bromides of betrayal, beseeching bedlam and bilious behavior by bountiful billions of boneheaded, boorish, bothersome and boastful Black Bloc braggarts was bested by barricades bonded by brazen bands of brothers borne of boldness and backbone, belying the bogus belief that America the beautiful, bountiful bastion of bravery was dead.

EAGLES 1
ANSWER 0

The Communist front organization, International ANSWER, has spent many months, countless dollars and wasted political capital promoting what became a most momentous flop called “March on the Pentagon.”  And for this day, and this day alone, the Gray Dog gloats.  Today, it is ANSWER that proved to be “pathetic.” ...

Contributed by Bill Faith on March 20, 2007 at 09:22 PM in Caring about our troops, Gathering of Eagles, The American Warrior, US Air Force, US Army, US Coast Guard, US Marine Corps, US Navy, Viet Nam | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Monday, 19 March 2007
 

The Day We Took Our Country Back -- Part 2

This Is The Dawning Of The Age Of The Eagle. Aquarius can kiss my ass.

(This post will remain at the top of the site all day. Original timestamp 2007.03.19.00:27)

Click the image to see the entire Old War Dogs Gathering of Eagles series on one page.

"Let us make it clear, we've all come here
To defend our long-dead brothers;
And understand you ain't layin' a hand
On our Wall you leftie mothers."
(Click here to listen to the .mp3) 

The Age Of The Eagle
By Kit Jarrell of Euphoric Reality

In every life there are moments that define us. They tell us in no uncertain terms who we are, what we believe in our souls, and what we are willing to die for.

For those of us who have worn the uniform of our great nation, these moments have stirred in our hearts before–often misunderstood by those who could never understand what it means to pledge your very life to protect another.

But even more rare is the moment that lets us define ourselves, that lets us show the world who we are, what we believe in our souls…and what we are still willing to die for.

March 17, 2007 will be remembered as one of those moments. ...

Do read the whole thing, won't you?

Continue reading "The Day We Took Our Country Back -- Part 2"

Contributed by Bill Faith on March 19, 2007 at 11:59 PM in Caring about our troops, Gathering of Eagles, The American Warrior, US Air Force, US Army, US Coast Guard, US Marine Corps, US Navy, Viet Nam | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Four Years In. 300? It's Just a Movie.

Jules Crittenden emails:

Meet John Eade

You may know him from Mudville, where his story has appeared before. If you don't know him yet, you'll want to meet John Eade, survivor of the Ia Drang, and hear what he has to say about Thermopylae and standing your ground.

***

Update: "Continue reading" first then don't miss Greyhawk's post here.

***

Four Years In. 300? It's Just a Movie.
Jules Crittenden

John Eade hasn’t seen a war movie in more than 40 years, but he’s thinking about seeing “300.” I kind of get that. There is something about the Spartans’ simple illogical willingness to die at Thermopylae that I suspect speaks across the centuries to a lot of combat veterans. It is possible to understand how glad they felt about the opportunity that presented itself. But it’s the kind of thing that, if you try to discuss it with people who haven’t experienced it, places you at risk of being considered seriously disturbed.

I still watch war movies, looking for the ones that do it well as a technical matter, though real war ruined war movies for me. Even in the best, a written, acted script is vaguely offensive, that people who have never done this should attempt to dramatize it. There are maybe a handful that come close to capturing the strange normality of extraordinary events, when death and valor are common, unsurprising occurrences.

Images and dialogue will never convey things like the feeling of lying awake before dawn, when fear shoves its way up and down your esophagus like a fat, filthy rat; or the subdued euphoric feeling as the assault gets underway and you are ready to die; or the laughter in the midst of combat; or the inexplicable sadness over the death of someone who would have killed you. The emotions and shock movies try to portray are so often the stock ones, and the wrong ones.

Some movies come close, but struggle to deliver even a small piece of what someone like Eade can convey in a few spoken words. It isn’t the words, it is that thing his words carry, something almost imperceptible that comes across between the words, if you are able to recognize it. Within its embrace, it becomes completely logical that one should desire, in the company of 299 comrades, to face 250,000 Persians and die.

Eade is in a class with those Spartans. ...

Eade, now in his 60s, with broken body, is still a soldier. As Eade and I talked about Thermopylae the other night, we talked about the fact that for combat veterans, it is not ancient history. Eade knows what the Spartans knew. ...

Read the whole thing.

Contributed by Bill Faith on March 19, 2007 at 02:44 AM in The American Warrior, US Army, Viet Nam | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Sunday, 18 March 2007
 

The Day We Took Our Country Back

This post will remain at the top of the site for the remainder of the day. Please scroll down for possible newer content. Actual timestamp 2007.03.18.01:49. Please consider this post an extension of my Eagles Up! post. Click the image to see the entire Old War Dogs Gathering of Eagles series.

"Let us make it clear, we've all come here
To defend our long-dead brothers;
And understand you ain't layin' a hand
On our Wall you leftie mothers."
(Click here to listen to the .mp3) 

Forty years lost in the wilderness. Forty years in exile. Behind us now. Yesterday we took our country back. It's in the air. I can feel it. Can you?

Continue reading "The Day We Took Our Country Back"

Contributed by Bill Faith on March 18, 2007 at 11:59 PM in Caring about our troops, Gathering of Eagles, The American Warrior, US Air Force, US Army, US Coast Guard, US Marine Corps, US Navy, Viet Nam | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Saturday, 17 March 2007
 

EAGLES UP!

This post will remain at the top of the site for the remainder of the day. Please scroll down for possible newer content. Actual timestamp 2007.03.17.00:02.

"Let us make it clear, we've all come here
To defend our long-dead brothers;
And understand you ain't layin' a hand
On our Wall you leftie mothers."
(Listen to the mp3 here.) 

I may not do a lot of posting on this site today. I'll be doing my best to keep up with the Gathering Of Eagles on Old War Dogs and won't be taking time to try to keep two parallel posts up to date. I know of at least three people who'll be at The Wall with my phone number programmed into their cell phones and they know I'll be anxious to know how things are going, so here's hoping.

EAGLES UP!

Contributed by Bill Faith on March 17, 2007 at 11:59 PM in Caring about our troops, Gathering of Eagles, Moonbat Madness, The American Warrior, US Air Force, US Army, US Coast Guard, US Marine Corps, US Navy, Viet Nam | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Friday, 16 March 2007
 

Time to raise some Hell!

I'm swiping a whole post off Michelle's site for a good cause. Maybe no one will get too upset.

Re: Gathering of Eagles
By Smash   

An alert reader has informed me that C-SPAN plans to cover tomorrow's defeatist ANSWER rally, but not the pro-victory Gathering of Eagles event.

How does C-SPAN determine its schedule? The C-SPAN networks are committed to televising the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate when they are in session. In addition, C-SPAN covers congressional hearings, White House press briefings, speeches, and other important public affairs events.

If you disagree with this decision, let them know.

See also: Doubleplusungood!

Contributed by Bill Faith on March 16, 2007 at 02:00 PM in Caring about our troops, Gathering of Eagles, The American Warrior, The Lunatic Left, US Air Force, US Army, US Coast Guard, US Marine Corps, US Navy, Viet Nam | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Will you be there?

Saw this at Wild Thing's place and decided it was too pretty not to pass on.

Be there, people. Be there! EAGLES UP!

[Original timestamp 2007.03.16.02:42]

Contributed by Bill Faith on March 16, 2007 at 02:42 AM in Caring about our troops, Gathering of Eagles, The American Warrior, US Air Force, US Army, US Coast Guard, US Marine Corps, US Navy, Viet Nam | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack

"You Ain't Gonna Touch This Wall" -- The MP3

You read it here, listen to it here, or to the slightly tamer "radio version" here. Buy a copy at The Gathering of Eagles Store.

Contributed by Bill Faith on March 16, 2007 at 01:35 AM in Caring about our troops, Gathering of Eagles, Music, Russ Vaughn, The American Warrior, US Air Force, US Army, US Coast Guard, US Marine Corps, US Navy, Viet Nam | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Wednesday, 14 March 2007
 

Gathering Storm

March At The Wall
Vietnam Vets & The New Protestors
By Thomas P. Evans. (Helmet tip: Smash)

March 13, 2007 -- MENTION Jane Fonda to any 10 Vietnam veterans, and at least seven of them will have some sort of conniption right on the spot. Spread the rumor that Hanoi Jane will be leading the anti-war protest march from the Vietnam Memorial Wall to the Pentagon on Saturday, and a battalion of 60-year-old Vietnam veterans is ready to do battle again.

Rumors are flying over the Internet.

The Vietnam Wall is sacred ground, how dare they stage their march in front of it? Didn't anti-war protestors recently spray-paint graffiti on the Capitol steps? We'll form a human wall in front of the Wall to protect it.

Cops should body-search every protestor, looking for spray-paint cans and chisels. Have the bail bondsmen ready.

We might be white-heads and chrome domes with bellies bigger than B-52 thousand pound bombs, but we know how to deal with people who protest policies set forth by our duly elected government officials.

And who's going to guard the Korean War and World War II Memorials? Our brothers from those wars are too old to do it. We have to organize like this is a military operation.

And on and on, the e-mails go.

St. Patrick's Day marks the fourth anniversary of the start of the Iraq War, and the 40th anniversary of the massive Vietnam era anti-war march on the Pentagon. Where were we on March 17, 1967?  ...

We tend to remember only dates that were significant to us - the battles, the first impressions, the funny moments. All the other dates blend together. So it's hard to say exactly where we were or what my platoon was doing on March 17, 1967. Perhaps we were out on patrol in a rice paddy or a jungle - "beating the bush," as we called it. Perhaps we were on one of the firebases near the DMZ, a respite from the constant patrols - cleaning gear, getting a hot meal or a haircut or writing a letter home.

Not many Vietnam veterans were around for that march on the Pentagon 40 years ago. We were in a different world, a world few anti-war protesters could even imagine. Maybe because we missed all that four decades ago, we want to be there this time. ...

EAGLES UP!

Click here to see the entire Old War Dogs Gathering Of Eagles series in one place.

***

Re: Gathering Storm
By Greyhawk  

Smash, that quote from the Vietnam vets preparing to make a stand reminds me of Philip Caputo's account of an Iwo Jima veteran's "visit" to Northwestern University in the wake of the Kent State shootings:

The scene could have been lifted from a Delacroix painting of the French revolution. A young man stood atop a barricade of furniture and cars and saw-horses, his long hair tousled by the Lake Michigan wind, one hand grasping a pole flying a red flag and an upside-down American flag (a distress signal) as he exhorted some twenty-five hundred students massed behind him to "Strike! Strike!"

Suddenly, he was interrupted by a burly, black-haired, middle-age man dressed in a workingman's khaki trousers and a flannel shirt. Mounting the barricade, he tried to wrest the flag pole from the student. "That's my flag!" he yelled. "I fought for it. You have no right to it." ...

Contributed by Bill Faith on March 14, 2007 at 11:32 PM in Caring about our troops, Gathering of Eagles, Hanoi Jane, Iraq, Islamism Delenda Est, Moonbat Madness, The American Warrior, US Air Force, US Army, US Coast Guard, US Marine Corps, US Navy, Viet Nam | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Where my heart will spend Saturday

Sorta slick what you can find on this new internet thingy these days. Sometimes I just can't resist playing with it a little. This is where I'll be Saturday, if only in spirit:

Looking from a little higher up:

I'd love to be there if I thought there was any way this tired old body could handle it. Will you be there for me?

EAGLES UP!

Contributed by Bill Faith on March 14, 2007 at 04:51 PM in Caring about our troops, Gathering of Eagles, The American Warrior, US Air Force, US Army, US Coast Guard, US Marine Corps, US Navy, Viet Nam | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBack

Tuesday, 13 March 2007
 

GATHERING OF EAGLES RALLY - PERMIT UPDATE

GATHERING OF EAGLES RALLY - PERMIT UPDATE
(Hat tip: Michelle)

The National Park Service has issued a permit for the Gathering of Eagles demonstration and rally on March 17 in Washington, D.C. as illustrated on the Eagle web site “Maps” link under “Sections”.

BOTTOM LINE: AS UNACCEPTABLE AS THE PERMIT GRANTED IS, WE WILL BE ABLE TO PROTECT THE VIETNAM MEMORIAL WALL

We view the permit decision unacceptable and will be taking immediate steps to appeal what we believe is an unworkable decision. If the National Park Service is unfavorable to our appeal, our legal arm will pursue immediate court action to acquire an equitable, realistic solution.

The good news is the Park Service is granting the Eagles large amounts of territory adjacent to the Vietnam Memorial as well as along the march route of the antiwar protesters. We are being given the use of the western side of Constitution Gardens, which is contiguous to the Vietnam Memorial, thus giving us controlling ground. That permit is for an estimated 10,000 people. If things stand as they are, we will use that as a staging area for our people to cycle along the pathways, visiting statues and the Vietnam Memorial which comprise the Memorial area. (The maps are included below for convenience and are also available under “Sections” on the Eagle web site - click on the “Maps” tab and look at maps 1 and 2 for illustrations of areas permitted for each group)

Bad news is the Park Service decided to grant the other half of Constitution Gardens to the so-called antiwar group ANSWER, with a no man’s land in between. This is unacceptable and will be challenged in our appeal. ...

Read the entire Old War Dogs Gathering Of Eagles series here.

On a closely related note:

Meet Ben
By Smash

Hi, I'm Ben, a 25-year-old white guy from rural Virginia. I used to be a directory assistance operator, but now I work at the Wal Mart in Waynesboro. I still live with my parents.

Sometimes, I like to go it the big city and play in the streets. My favorite game is to dress up in black, and run around town with my friends. We block traffic, yell at shoppers, and call the cops "pigs." They don't seem to like it very much, but they're powerless to stop us, because we're protected by the First Amendment! [image]

Oh, did I mention that I'm a Black Bloc Anarchist? [image]

Hey, let's go charge up the Capitol steps! The pigs can't stop us! It's our Capitol, too! [image]

Aw, shucks. Looks like we can't go any further. Hey, does anyone have spray paint?

"All Cops are Pigs!" That's brilliant! But don't worry, it'll wash right off... Let’s get out of here! [image]

Hey, now what should we do? I know, ...

BE THERE PEOPLE!

Contributed by Bill Faith on March 13, 2007 at 02:09 PM in Caring about our troops, Gathering of Eagles, Moonbat Madness, The American Warrior, US Air Force, US Army, US Coast Guard, US Marine Corps, US Navy, Viet Nam | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Monday, 12 March 2007
 

Iraq/Vietnam/Antiwar Movement

R J Del Vecchio emails:

This lady was kind enough to say that she got some ideas for this column (which I think is just GREAT) from reading Whitewash/Blackwash.  Now that makes me happy!

Continue reading "Iraq/Vietnam/Antiwar Movement"

Contributed by Bill Faith on March 12, 2007 at 05:34 AM in Dem Dumbness, Dem Perfidy, Iran, Iraq, Islamism Delenda Est, Moonbat Madness, Viet Nam | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Saturday, 10 March 2007
 

American Vietnam Vets Ending 40 Years in the Wilderness

R J Del Vecchio emails:

Great summary on the war and the upcoming mass reunion of Vietvets at The Wall next week.  I'm getting more and more up for this.

Del

http://www.ronaldwinterbooks.com/blog/2007/02/american-vietnam-vets-ending-40-years.htm

American Vietnam Vets Ending 40 Years in the Wilderness
Ron Winter

It has been 40 years, on average, since most Americans served in Vietnam, and for most American Vietnam veterans the last 40 years have constituted our own version of wandering in the wilderness.

Starting with the fighting in Korea, the so-called "Forgotten War," escalating to a fever pitch during Vietnam, and continuing right up through those currently fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan, America's veterans have been relegated by many in our country to something far less than second-class citizen status.

Vietnam vets especially have been dealing with a country that never knew or understood the magnitude of our victories there. Our politicians cut our legs out from under us and our allies from South Vietnam, South Korea, Australia, New Zealand, and Thailand repeatedly, until ultimately the communists were able to take advantage of the political and military vacuum created by our Congress and overthrow the democratic south in 1975.

American and allied troops had left that country years before, after twice driving the communists to the edge of surrender, and twice seeing them bailed out by American politicians.

As a result, the communists gleefully signed a weak and unenforceable "Peace" agreement in 1973 that was negotiated by Henry Kissinger and approved by the US Congress. That travesty and the slaughter of some 4 million Southeast Asians by the communists in the years that followed have been falsely labeled a military defeat ever since by the media and the very politicians who caused it.

Those same politicians and the media also falsely claim the American military was not up to the level of previous generations, even though we were the best educated, best led and most effective ever and never lost a single major engagement.

As a result, many Vietnam vets labored for years in an atmosphere of distrust, misunderstanding and outright hostility from the very country we fought to preserve.

But that could all change on March 17, at the Vietnam Memorial in Washington, D.C. ...

We have wandered in the wilderness for far too long. It is time to come home. And home, the land of milk and honey, will be represented on March 17 by a tiny piece of land in our nation's Capitol where a black granite wall and two statues bear witness to the honor and sacrifice of more than 58,000 of our brothers and sisters.

We should stand shoulder to shoulder around those memorials to preserve the honor and dignity of our brothers and sisters, just as they stood shoulder to shoulder with us, 40 years ago.

[Original timestamp 2007.03.10.13.36]

Contributed by Bill Faith on March 10, 2007 at 01:36 PM in Caring about our troops, Gathering of Eagles, Moonbat Madness, The American Warrior, The Lunatic Left, US Air Force, US Army, US Coast Guard, US Marine Corps, US Navy, Viet Nam | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack

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