Memorial Day Thoughts 2015

On Monday, once again, we celebrate Memorial Day.  On this federal holiday we pause to remember the men and women of our armed forces who died while serving our country.  Please take some time to honor the thousands of men and women who gave their lives over the past 239 years to defend our country and our way of life.  We owe them so much!

The world continues to be a very dangerous place.  Although the old Soviet Union is gone, Vladimir Putin of Russia has annexed portions of Ukraine, has his eye on further annexation in Europe and has resumed aggressive military actions throughout the world.  Korea and China are encouraged toward aggressive action due to a weakened US presence in the world.  The Islamic State and Islamic extremists are engulfing the world and threaten terrorism within our own boarders.  As a result, our military men and women continue to put themselves harms way throughout the world, defending our freedom, our Constitution and our way of life.

It is befitting, therefore, on Memorial Day that we also remember the thousands of men and women who have served and continue to serve in our armed forces.  Many have returned with injuries, and thousands more are returning to civilian life after serving their country.

This Memorial Day take a moment to remember those that gave their lives, and thank the current members of our military and our veterans.  Attend a Memorial Day celebration in your community.  Then, do something to help.  Offer a job to a vet, volunteer your time or donate to one of the many organizations that help our military and our veterans.  The Disabled American Veterans and Wounded Warrior Project are just two organizations that make a difference.

Once again, this year, I am including my most popular YouTube video, the Warrior Song Tribute for your Memorial Day entertainment.  It has been viewed over 180,000 times in 179 countries worldwide.

Wishing all my viewers a great Memorial Day weekend.  God Bless America and our Veterans!

911 Tribute: Lest We Forget

I recently visited Ground Zero with my wife and her family.  Much progress has been made since my last visit.  At that time, the remains of the attack were overwhelming.  Now that the new tower is almost complete and the rubble is gone we must take great care not to forget what occurred on that horrific day.  It was complacency that allowed the attack, and complacency can allow terrorism again.

As the anniversary of 911 once again approaches, we not only pay tribute to those that lost their lives, but also to the heroes of that day and the heroes that made our nation and who continue to sacrifice their lives for us.

NEVER FORGET!

Remembering 9/11 & Flight 93

Sunday marks 10 years since the horrific terrorist attacks of September 11th, 2001. I want to take a few moments to remember the men, women and children who lost their lives on that day.  The entire crew and passengers of four airliners, thousands of innocent men, women and children in the World Trade Center and Pentagon, as well as dozens of firemen, policemen and other first responders lost their lives that day.  Additionally, those that rallied during the days and weeks after the attacks to help their fellow citizens continue to suffer from injuries and health issues they sustained.  A huge memorial to the event is being constructed at Ground Zero and will be dedicated on Sunday.

In addition to the lives lost at the World Trade Center and Pentagon, lives were also lost that day at a field outside Shanksville, Pennsylvania. As we, now, know, heroes on that flight took destiny into their own hands when they prevented their aircraft from being used as a weapon on another national target, very likely the White House or the U.S. Capitol Building.  The actions of these heroes led to their certain death as the aircraft they were on crashed in that field.

A memorial to honor the men, women and children of Flight 93 has been conceived and will be constructed on that hallowed ground near Shanksville.  This memorial will be dedicated on Sunday, as well.

Unlike the memorial at Ground Zero, this memorial has not received the funds needed for its completion. The planners need an additional $10 million to complete the project.  I am certain this shortfall is not because we Americans forgot about Flight 93, but because there is so much more funding available in the huge New York metropolitan area.  I know that, once Americans are aware of this need, they will rise to the occasion and contribute the necessary funds.  It won't take large donations if enough of us contribute.  I have included a link, below, if you are interested in contributing.

Flight 93 National Memorial Ways to Give

Memorial Day Tribute 2011

Memorial Day is upon us once again.  The last weekend of this month is much more than just another three day weekend.  As you enjoy the tasty hot dogs and hamburgers from your barbecue, as you kick back in front of your high definition TV with friends and family to enjoy a ball game, take time to remember the thousands of brave men and women who, throughout our history, have sacrificed the things you are enjoying, today, to protect our freedom, our nation and to keep us safe.  Thousands of them are serving in harm's way right now.  We have so much to thank them for.

So, enjoy your Memorial Day weekend.  Our brave men and women in uniform would want you to.  That's why they serve.  But, as you do, take a moment to view the video, below, and reflect.

Sack Lunches

Below, is a heart warming article that made its way around the Internet some time ago. Its author is unknown, and its validity is undetermined by Snopes. I just received it, again, and it is definitely worth the read.

The Sack Lunches

I put my carry-on in the luggage compartment and sat down in my assigned seat. It was going to be a long flight. I'm glad I have a good book to read. Perhaps I will get a short nap, I thought. Just before take-off, a line of soldiers came down the aisle and filled all the vacant seats, totally surrounding me. I decided to start a conversation. 'Where are you headed?' I asked the soldier seated nearest to me. "Petawawa. We'll be there for two weeks for special training, and then we're being deployed to Afghanistan."

After flying for about an hour, an announcement was made that sack lunches were available for five dollars. It would be several hours before we reached the east, and I quickly decided a lunch would help pass the time. As I reached for my wallet, I overheard soldier ask his buddy if he planned to buy lunch. "No, that seems like a lot of money for just a sack lunch. Probably wouldn't be worth five bucks. I'll wait till we get to base." His friend agreed. I looked around at the other soldiers. None were buying lunch. I walked to the back of the plane and handed the flight attendant a fifty dollar bill. "'Take a lunch to all those soldiers." She grabbed my arms and squeezed tightly. Her eyes wet with tears, she thanked me. "My son was a soldier in Iraq ; it's almost like you are doing it for him." Picking up ten sacks, she headed up the aisle to where the soldiers were seated. She stopped at my seat and asked, "Which do you like best - beef or chicken?" "Chicken" I replied, wondering why she asked. She turned and went to the front of plane, returning a minute later with a dinner plate from first class. "This is your thanks."

After we finished eating, I went again to the back of the plane, heading for the rest room. A man stopped me. "I saw what you did. I want to be part of it. Here, take this." He handed me twenty-five dollars. Soon after I returned to my seat, I saw the Flight Captain coming down the aisle, looking at the aisle numbers as he walked, I hoped he was not looking for me, but noticed he was looking at the numbers only on my side of the plane. When he got to my row he stopped, smiled, held out his hand, and said, "I want to shake your hand." Quickly unfastening my seatbelt I stood and took the Captain's hand. With a booming voice he said, "I was a soldier and I was a military pilot. Once, someone bought me a lunch. It was an act of kindness I never forgot." I was embarrassed when applause was heard from all of the passengers. Later I walked to the front of the plane so I could stretch my legs. A man who was seated about six rows in front of me reached out his hand, wanting to shake mine. He left another twenty-five dollars in my palm. When we landed I gathered my belongings and started to deplane. Waiting just inside the airplane door was a man who stopped me, put something in my shirt pocket, turned, and walked away without saying a word. Another twenty-five dollars! Upon entering the terminal, I saw the soldiers gathering for their trip to the base. I walked over to them and handed them seventy-five dollars. "It will take you some time to reach the base. It will be about time for a sandwich. "God Bless You."

Ten young men left that flight feeling the love and respect of their fellow travelers. As I walked briskly to my car, I whispered a prayer for their safe return. These soldiers were giving their all for our country. I could only give them a couple of meals. It seemed so little... A veteran is someone who, at one point in his life, wrote a blank check made payable to "The United States of America" for an amount of "up to and including my life." That is Honor, and there are way too many people in this country who no longer understand it.

[My thanks to Bonnie Feldman for this article]

Memory Check: Why Did We Go to War in Iraq?

While watching the first presidential debate last week I watched Barack Obama hammer John McCain for supporting President George W. Bush sending our troops to war in Iraq. Senator McCain uncomfortably avoided a direct answer to the question. This reawakened a festering frustration I have been harboring since John Kerry first used this tactic during his run for the presidency in 2004, and it reemerges each time someone brings it up to attack the Bush administration. Apparently, we, the American people, can't remember what happened and what we were feeling five years ago. So, below, I have compiled a history of this decision for your review.

At the conclusion of Desert Storm, many wanted to complete the job and take out Saddam Hussein. Countless people that I spoke with were disappointed that we did not. We could easily have done so. But our stated mission was to free Kuwait. George Bush (Senior) had put together a remarkable international coalition of both Arab and Western countries based on that limited mission. To continue to Baghdad would have destroyed the delicate alliance with our Arab allies and would have created distrust around the world toward the US for years to come. So, the President made the decision to leave Iraq and Saddam Hussein intact.

After 9/11, the George W. Bush administration received intelligence reports that Saddam Hussein possessed weapons of mass destruction (WMDs) and that he was likely to turn them over to terrorist organizations for use throughout the world, including the United States. Our intelligence agencies contacted sources around the world to confirm this finding. ALL the intelligence agencies (British, Israeli, French, Russian and more) confirmed this finding.

President Bush, now, had a decision to make. What should he do about this potential threat? Should he wait until he had some kind of proof? If he waited too long there might be another terrorist attack on US soil. The next one could come in the form of a chemical, biological or, even, a nuclear attack. We knew Saddam had chemical and biological weapons that he had used against the Iranians and on his own people. And he had nuclear material from his failed nuclear weapons program (you may remember the Israelis bombed his reactor). A "dirty bomb" with nuclear material, therefore, was also a potential threat. The President exercised great restraint. He exhausted every possible non-military option. He went to the United Nations. Resolutions were passed that were ignored by Iraq. Inspectors were sent that were not allowed to inspect facilities.

In the end, President Bush felt he had no option but to go into Iraq, preemptively, to ensure the security and safety of the United States. He took his case to Congress and the American people. Congress gave an unprecedented overwhelming approval (Democrats and Republicans alike) for the action. The American people overwhelmingly supported this decision as well. In fact, I think it safe to say virtually everyone was behind this decision until the 2004 presidential election when John Kerry began rewriting history in an effort to undermine a very popular George W. Bush who had a whole nation and most of the civilized world behind him in his efforts on the War on Terror.

So, we went into Iraq. We deposed the most tyrannical dictator since Adolf Hitler. We did not find any weapons of mass destruction. Maybe there were none. Personally, I am not so sure. We know Saddam did, in fact, have massive stockpiles of chemical and biological weapons. Remember, he used them on his own people and against the Iranians. Where did they go? And what about the nuclear material he had been using in his nuclear weapons program? Where did it go? I believe those items may be in Syria and/or buried somewhere in the hundreds of square miles of desert.

Regardless of whether or not we ever find WMDs in Iraq, we cannot judge our decision to go to war in Iraq based on information we did not have in 2003! At that time intelligence sources throughout the world reported that Saddam Hussein did have WMDs. We had to act. For the Democrats and Barack Obama to criticize President Bush and Senator McCain is ludicrous and hypocritical! Conveniently, the Democrats continue to forget that they, too, overwhelmingly approved our decision to go to war in Iraq.

Personally, I have had it with politicians that rewrite history and manipulate the American people for partisan political gain. I truly hope the next time Barack Obama brings up this subject (and he will) that John McCain gives him and the American people a history lesson they sorely need.

Remembering 9/11: 7th Anniversary

It is seven years since the horrific events of September 11th, 2001-- events that changed our country and the world forever. Unfortunately, too many have forgotten the horror and the lives lost on that day. As a country we have lost both the resolve and the unity we possessed to defeat the perpetrators and to protect ourselves from future horrific acts of terror. Our partisan politicians and news media have undermined every effort of the Bush administration to win the war on terror. From David Letterman to countless democrats to the liberal press to Hollywood celebrities, all have demeaned the dignity of the office of the President of the United States and sabotaged every effort and move he made to win the war in Iraq. How can we expect our enemies to respect and fear us when we show no respect for our own Commander-in-Chief?

We have signaled our enemies that we have neither the character nor stomach to stay the course of a protracted war that we can not quickly win. You don't win a war unless you demoralize your enemy, and we gave our enemies hope and the motivation to continue! Our enemies have watched and read our news reports. As they watched our divided Congress threaten to stop funding the war and recall our troops, they sent dozens more suicide bombers and IEDs, and redoubled the terrorizing of Iraqi civilians with the belief that we would eventually retreat in defeat.

We, as a nation, should be ashamed of how short lived our unity has been. We have been fighting among ourselves and undermining the Bush administration beginning with John Kerry's run for the Presidency in 2004 and continuing to this day. Had we shown the same disunity and lack of resolve during World War II, Hitler surely would have defeated us!

On this, the anniversary of 9/11, please click on the links below and take some time to review the events of that day. Although it is painful, we must, again, feel the anguish we felt on September 11, 2001 and regain the unity of purpose we had then. WE MUST NEVER FORGET!

Lest We Forget

America Attacked

AFA President Responds to AF Criticism

AFA President, Michael M. Dunn, just published a detailed response to a recent inundation of negative articles and accusations about the Air Force in the media. His article is insightful, forward thinking and right on the mark. He TELLS IT LIKE IT IS! If you want to get beyond the politics and know the true facts about the Air Force's performance of its mission as well as concern for its future viability, this is a MUST READ. We need to be very concerned about the capability of our armed forces to "fight the next war" because the Secretary of Defense is not!

The Pile On Effect - AFA President Response to AF Criticism

NFL Flyovers

This video documents military flyovers of NFL events. It's a fun video that shows the planning of these events and what they mean to the fans, players and coaches. Watch it and enjoy!

NFL Flyovers

Firing the SECAF and CSAF: More Than Meets the Eye

Secretary of Defense, Robert Gates, recently fired the Secretary of the Air Force (SECAF), Michael Wynne, and Air Force Chief of Staff (CSAF), General Michael Moseley. Although he acted within his rights as Secretary of Defense in doing so, it appears there may have been other reasons beside the stated nuclear incidents that were really behind this action. Both Wynn and Moseley were pressing Congress for funds to maintain the viability of our Air Force in the future. Our fleet is seriously aging, let alone in need of modernizing to prepare for future conflicts. And it takes decades to plan and develop air power. Secretary Gates has accused the Air Force (and all the Services) of "planning for the next war" as if that were a crime. Failure to plan ahead is a fatal course of action which will not become evident until it is too late.

Michael M. Dunn, president of the Air Force Association, issued a statement regarding the firing of these two men which I believe sums it up very well. Check it out:

AFA President Statement on Air Force Leadership Change

The Away Game: A USAFA Cadet's Insight

The following was posted on a website for Air Force Academy Admissions Liaison Officers. The insight of the cadet who wrote this is quite compelling:

First year cadets at the Air Force Academy are allowed to leave the Academy without penalty up through the end of first-year Christmas break. Those who come back are assigned to write a paper on why they chose to return. Here is one young cadet's masterpiece, which has begun to be widely publicized...

Why return to the Air Force Academy after Winter Break?

So after our sunburns have faded and the memories of our winter break have been reduced to pictures we've pinned on our desk boards, and once again we've exchanged T-shirts and swim suits for flight suits and camouflage, there still remains the question that every cadet at U.S.Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs has asked themselves at some point: Why did we come back? Why, after spending two weeks with our family would we return to one of the most demanding lifestyles in the country?

After listening to our 'friends' who are home from State or Ivy League schools chock full of wisdom about how our war in Iraq is unjust and unworldly, why would we return? And after watching the news and reading the papers which only seem to condemn the military's every mistake and shadow every victory, why would we continue to think it is worth the sacrifice of a normal college life?

Is it because the institution to which we belong is tuition-free? Anyone who claims this has forgotten that we will, by the time we graduate, repay the US taxpayer many times over in blood, sweat, and tears. Is it because the schooling we are receiving is one of the best undergraduate educations in the country? While the quality of the education is second to none, anyone who provides this as a main reason has lost sight of the awesome responsibility that awaits those who are tough enough to graduate and become commissioned officers in the U.S. Air Force.

I come back to the Academy because I want to have the training necessary so that one day I'll have the incredible responsibility of leading the sons and daughters of America in combat. These men and women will never ask about my Academy grade point average, their only concern will be that I have the ability to lead them expertly; I will be humbled to earn their respect. I come back to the Academy because I want to be the commander who saves lives by negotiating with Arab leaders... in their own language.

I come back to the Academy because, if called upon, I want to be the pilot who flies half way around the world with three mid-air refuelings to send a bomb from 30,000 feet into a basement housing the enemy...through a ventilation shaft two feet wide. Becoming an officer in today's modern Air Force is so much more than just command; it is being a diplomat, a strategist, a communicator, a moral compass, but always a warrior first.

I come back to the Air Force Academy because, right now, the United States is fighting a global war that is an 'away game' in Iraq - taking the fight to the terrorists.

Whether or not we think the terrorists were in Iraq before our invasion, they are unquestionably there now. And if there is any doubt as to whether this is a global war, just ask the people in Amman, in London, in Madrid, in Casablanca, in Riyadh, and in Bali.

This war must remain an away game because we have seen what happens when it becomes a home game... I come back to the Academy because I want to be a part of that fight.

I come back to the Academy because I don't want my vacationing family to board a bus in Paris that gets blown away by someone who thinks that it would be a good idea to convert the Western world to Islam.

I come back to the Academy because I don't want the woman I love to be the one who dials her last frantic cell phone call while huddled in the back of an airliner with a hundred other people seconds away from slamming into the Capitol building.

I come back to the Academy because during my freshman year of high school I sat in a geometry class and watched nineteen terrorists change the course of history live on television. For the first time, every class currently at a U.S. Service Academy made the decision to join after the 2001 terror attacks.

Some have said that the U.S. invasion of Iraq and Afghanistan only created more terrorists... I say that the attacks of September 11th, 2001 created an untold more number of American soldiers; I go to school with 4,000 of them. And that's worth more than missing a few frat parties.

Joseph R. Tomczak Cadet, Fourth Class United States Air Force Academy

(U.S. Senator Wayne Allard (R-Colorado) had Cadet Tomczak's essay read into the Congressional Record, and at a meeting of the Air Force Academy Board of Visitors he presented Cadet Tomczak with a framed copy of the essay.)

To Kill an American

Recently, there was a report that a newspaper in Pakistan had published an offer of a reward to anyone who killed an American, any American. An Australian dentist wrote an editorial the following day to let everyone know what an American is, so they would know when they found one. Read his editorial, below.

To Kill an American
Written by an Australian Dentist

An American is English, or French, or Italian, Irish, German, Spanish, Polish, Russian or Greek. An American may also be Canadian, Mexican, African, Indian, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Australian, Iranian, Asian, or Arab, or Pakistani or Afghan.

An American may also be a Comanche, Cherokee, Osage, Blackfoot, Navajo, Apache, Seminole or one of the many other tribes known as native Americans.

An American is Christian , or he could be Jewish, or Buddhist, or Muslim. In fact, there are more Muslims in America than in Afghanistan. The only difference is that in America they are free to worship as each of them chooses.

An American is also free to believe in no religion. For that he will answer only to God, not to the government, or to armed thugs claiming to speak for the government and for God.

An American lives in the most prosperous land in the history of the world. The root of that prosperity can be found in the Declaration of Independence , which recognizes the God given right of each person to the pursuit of happiness.

An American is generous. Americans have helped out just about every other nation in the world in their time of need, never as king or for a thing in return.

When Afghanistan was overrun by the Soviet army 20 years ago, Americans came with arms and supplies to enable the people to win back their country! As of the morning of September 11, Americans had given more than any other nation to the poor in Afghanistan.

Americans welcome the best of everything...the best products, the best books, the best music, the best food, the best services. But they also welcome the least. The national symbol of America , The Statue of Liberty , welcomes "your tired and your poor, the wretched refuse of your teeming shores, the homeless, tempest tossed". These in fact are the people who built America.

Some of them were working in the Twin Towers the morning of September 11, 2001 earning a better life for their families. It's been told that the World Trade Center victims were from at least 30 different countries, cultures, and first languages, including those that aided and abetted the terrorists.

So you can try to kill an American if you must. Hitler did. So did General Tojo, and Stalin, and Mao Tse-Tung, and other blood-thirsty tyrants in the world. But, in doing so, you would just be killing yourself. Because Americans are not a particular people from a particular place. They are the embodiment of the human spirit of freedom. Everyone who holds to that spirit, everywhere, is an American.

[My thanks to Charlotte Kalamar for this post]

Priceless

This one is self explanatory. The caption says:
American Flag: $25
Gasoline: $2
Cigarette Lighter: $2.50
Catching yourself on fire because you're a terrorist asshole: PRICELESS!


[My thanks to Tom Sherba for forwarding this to me]

America Attacked (revisited)

After the terrorist attacks on 9/11, our entire nation united with powerful resolve to get the perpetrators and to ensure an attack against Americans on our soil would never happen again.

Do you remember the battle cry, "Never Forget!"? Tragically, that unity was short lived. What happened? Where is the horror, the anger and the drive we had? We are fighting among ourselves and telling the world we do not have the character to remain as one to defend ourselves. We are still in great peril.

The terrorists are still out there and among us, here, where we live. It is imperative that we remember the events of 9/11 to regain our unity and resolve. Below is is a powerful tribute that was published shortly after 9/11. Click on the link,"America Attacked", below, to view this tribute. Be sure your audio is on.

America Attacked

Shooting a Wounded Terrorist: A Marine Responds

The news media as well as some Americans have been highly critical of the shooting of a wounded terrorist by a Marine in Iraq. Below, an unidentified Marine responds. He shows an intelligence and grasp of the obvious that the press and some of our countrymen lack. This is a must read:

It's a safety issue pure and simple. After assaulting through a target, we put a security round in everybody's head. Sorry al-Reuters, there's no paddy wagon rolling around Fallujah picking up "prisoners" and offering them a hot cup a joe, falafel, and a blanket. There's no time to dick around on the target. You clear the space, dump the chumps, and moveon.org. Are Corpsman expected to treat wounded terrorists? Negative. Hey libs, worried about the defense budget? Well, it would be waste, fraud, and abuse for a Corpsman to expend one man-minute or a battle dressing on a terrorist. It’s much cheaper to just spend the $.02 on a 5.56mm FMJ. By the way, in our view, terrorists who chop off civilian's heads are not prisoners, they are carcasses. Chopping off a civilian's head is another reason why these idiots are known as "unlawful combatants". It seems that most of the world's journalists have forgotten that fact. Let me be very clear about this issue. I have looked around the web, and many people get this concept, but there are some stragglers. Here is your situation Marine: You just took fire from unlawful combatants (no uniform - breaking every Geneva Convention rule there is) shooting from a religious building attempting to use the sanctuary status of their position as protection. But you're in Fallujah now, and the Marine Corps has decided that they're not playing that game this time. That was Najaf. So you set the mosque on fire and you hose down the terrorists with small arms, launch some AT-4s (Rockets), some 40MM grenades into the building and things quiet down. So you run over there, and find some tangos (bad guys) wounded and pretending to be dead. You are aware that suicide martyrdom is like really popular with these idiots, and they think taking some Marines with them would be really cool. So you can either risk your life and your fire team's lives by having them cover you while you bend down and search a guy that you think is pretending to be dead for some reason. Most of the time these are the guys with the grenade or vest made of explosives. Also, you don't know who or what is in the next room. You’re already speaking English to the rest of your fire team or squad which lets the terrorist know you are there and you are his enemy. You are speaking loud because your hearing is poor from shooting people for several days. So you know that there are many other rooms to enter, and that if anyone is still alive in those rooms, they know that Americans are in the mosque. Meanwhile (3 seconds later), you still have this terrorist (that was just shooting at you from a mosque) playing possum. What do you do? You double tap his head, and you go to the next room, that's what!!!

What about the Geneva Convention and all that Law of Land Warfare stuff? What about it. Without even addressing the issues at hand, your first thought should be, "I'd rather be judged by 12 than carried by 6."

Bear in mind that this tactic of double tapping a fallen terrorist is a perpetual mind set that is reinforced by experience on a minute by minute basis. Secondly, you are fighting an unlawful combatant in a Sanctuary, which is a double No-No on his part. Third, tactically you are in no position to take "prisoners" because there are more rooms to search and clear, and the behavior of said terrorist indicates that he is up to no good. No good in Fallujah is a very large place and the low end of no good and the high end of no good are fundamentally the same... Marines end up getting hurt or die. So there is no compelling reason for you to do anything but double tap this idiot and get on with the mission. If you are a veteran, then everything I have just written is self evident.

If you are not a veteran, then at least try to put yourself in the situation. Remember, in Fallujah there is no yesterday, there is no tomorrow, there is only now. Right NOW. Have you ever lived in NOW for a week? It is really, really not easy. If you have never lived in NOW for longer than it takes to finish the big roller coaster at Six Flags, then shut your hole about putting Marines in jail for "War Crimes".

[My Thanks to Tom Nick for this article]

The American Spirit: One Hero's Story

It has been said that America has lost its character; that it no longer has the stomach to stand up and fight for what it believes in; that there are no more heroes willing to put it all on the line to defend the masses back at home. Here is a story about one man who proves that theory wrong. He is one of hundreds who are putting their lives on the line, daily, to prevent Iraq from becoming a breeding pool for the terrorists that would perpetrate their hatred on us. Yes, America is still a nation of character and heroes willing to stay the course and finish the job. Read on:

Leading the fight is Gunnery Sgt Michael Burghardt, known as "Iron Mike" or just "Gunny". He is on his third tour in Iraq. He had become a legend in the bomb disposal world after winning the Bronze Star for disabling 64 IEDs and destroying 1,548 pieces of ordnance during his second tour. Then, on September 19, he got blown up. He had arrived at a chaotic scene after a bomb had killed four US soldiers. He chose not to wear the bulky bomb protection suit. "You can't react to any sniper fire and you get tunnel-vision," he explains. So, protected by just a helmet and standard-issue flak jacket, he began what bomb disposal officers term "the longest walk", stepping gingerly into a 5ft deep and 8ft wide crater.

The earth shifted slightly and he saw a Senao base station with a wire leading from it. He cut the wire and used his 7-inch knife to probe the ground. "I found a piece of red detonating cord between my legs," he says. "That's when I knew I was screwed."

Realizing he had been sucked into a trap, Sgt Burghardt, 35, yelled at everyone to stay back. At that moment, an insurgent, probably watching through binoculars, pressed a button on his mobile phone to detonate the secondary device below the sergeant's feet "A chill went up the back of my neck and then the bomb exploded," he recalls. "As I was in the air I remember thinking, 'I don't believe they got me.' I was just ticked off they were able to do it. Then I was lying on the road, not able to feel anything from the waist down."

His colleagues cut off his trousers to see how badly he was hurt. None could believe his legs were still there. "My dad's a Vietnam vet who's paralyzed from the waist down," says Sgt Burghardt. "I was lying there thinking I didn't want to be in a wheelchair next to my dad and for him to see me like that. They started to cut away my pants and I felt a real sharp pain and blood trickling down. Then I wiggled my toes and I thought, 'Good, I'm in business.' "As a stretcher was brought over, adrenaline and anger kicked in. "I decided to walk to the helicopter. I wasn't going to let my team-mates see me being carried away on a stretcher." He stood and gave the insurgents who had blown him up a one-fingered salute. "I flipped them one. It was like, 'OK, I lost that round but I'll be back next week'."

Copies of a photograph depicting his defiance, taken by Jeff Bundy for the Omaha World-Herald, adorn the walls of homes across America and that of Col John Gronski, the brigade commander in Ramadi, who has hailed the image as an exemplar of the warrior spirit. Sgt Burghardt's injuries - burns and wounds to his legs and buttocks - kept him off duty for nearly a month and could have earned him a ticket home. But, like his father - who was awarded a Bronze Star and three Purple Hearts for being wounded in action in Vietnam - he stayed in Ramadi to engage in the battle against insurgents who are forever coming up with more ingenious ways of killing Americans.

[My thanks to Rick Douglas (USAFA '75) for this article]

Airlines: Are You Really Secure?

You are not getting the commitment to security you think from the Airlines. "On Time Departures" may be more important to Airline management than the security of their passengers and crews. Recently, a flight attendant was threatened with termination if she did not board passengers on time, despite a security issue.

Click the link on the right, "Airlines: Are You Really Secure", under "Remembering 9/11", to see how the airline handled this security situation. You might not be pleased.

Lest We Forget

For a few weeks after the horrific attacks of 9/11, our country, the news media, our politicians and our citizens were united in our resolve to never let this happen again. Since then, politics and personal gain have divided us and undermined the efforts of our president and our military to accomplish this goal. If we fail to support this effort, we will pay a horrible price in the future. We must come together in order to win this fight!

View a compelling presentation of what is at stake. Click the link, "Lest We Forget", on the right. Be sure your volume is turned up.