The closest experience for me with the military is taking NJROTC (Naval Junior Reserves Officers Training Corps) back in my senior year in high school (Harding Senior High's NJROTC Program, is one of 2 in the state). I was about to pursue ROTC in college, but they didn't have it at UMM. I was going to join if I did choose to attend the UofM-Twin Cities back in 1995.
As I'm writing this, kids need to be carefull when they play these shooting games. I speculate the U.S. Military somehow have some connection in promoting these "violent" shooting games to "brainwash" young people to become more violent to make them "tough guys" (instead of beeing too "soft") to joing the U.S. Military. But, that is just a speculation.
This website is to deciated to our U.S. Military overseas due to the escalating tensions (especially since 9-11 in our world today. I pray that this will encourage more to pray for them as U.S. Citizens can easily forget them in our busy lives of "freedom" in this nation.
Subject: The last picture is the best!
I HOPE I DO NOT HEAR OF ANYONE BREAKING THIS ONE OR SEE DELETED
Something good will happen to you tonight at 11:11 PM. This is not a joke. Someone will either call you or will talk to you online and say that they love you. Do not break this chain.
Send this to 13 people in the next 15 minutes. Go.
SLEEP LAST NIGHT?
Bed a little lumpy...
Toss and turn any...
Wish the heat was higher...
Maybe the a/c wasn't on...
Had to go to the john...
Need a drink of water...?
the other car cuts you off and you must hit the brakes,
or you have to park a little further from Walmart than you want to be,
or you're served slightly warm food at the restaurant,
or you're sitting and cursing the traffic in front of you,
or the shower runs out of hot water,
Think of them...
Protecting your freedom!
DO NOT DELETE-PLS PASS ON-Message from Iraq
The proud warriors of Baker Company wanted to do something to pay tribute To our fallen comrades. So since we are part of the only Marine Infantry Battalion left in Iraq the one way that we could think of doing that is By taking a picture of Baker Company saying the way we feel. It would be awesome if you could find a way to share this with our fellow countrymen. I
was wondering if there was any way to get this into your papers to let the world know that "WE HAVE NOT FORGOTTEN" and are proud to serve our country." Semper Fi
1stSgt Dave Jobe
The attached photo was forwarded from one of the last U.S. Marine companies in Iraq. They would like to have it passed to as many people as possible, to let the folks back home know that they remember why they're there and that they remember those who've been lost.
(E-mail Forward Subject: Photos that will never make the news.....10/20/04 from Laura P.)
I just know one soldier personally from the Morris National Guard, which he has a whole family to support him. Also, I know 2 families in Morris that have sons in the National Guard being deployed. However, there are other soldiers who may not have that type of support. Here are some related links that you may be interested in doing your part of supporting our U.S. troops:
Pray for Soldiers, from KPRZ (flag icon for your website) in San Diego
Culturally Concerned!
Sometime last week (Sept 20th-24th), ABC Nightline did a 2-day nighttime feature called "Video Diary: 1 & 2" on a personal home videocamera recording of a National Guard team experience in Iraq from Washington/Oregon state. Unfortunately, I was able to see the First Part, so I might be a little biased in this summary reflection as a viewer.
Diary 1 Link "HAGERSTOWN, Md. Aug. 6, 2004 � An Army reservist who saw naked detainees being humiliated at Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq says military intelligence officials led and directed the abuse."
Diary 2 Link ""It was harmful to this country in terms of the notion that we may be engaged in torture," said White House Counsel Alberto Gonzales "That's contrary to the values of this president and this administration." ("White House Releases Interrogation File: White House Releases Documents on Deliberations Leading to Interrogation Policy"- The Associated Press on WASHINGTON June 22, 2004)
I was very discouraged to see some footages of unculturally-unsensitive treatment of Iraqi citizens during a "normal" interogation process of "possible" terrorist-connections. As I was watching it, it reminded me of the international attention of U.S. Soldiers "Immoral" Interogation practices earlier this year. This caused "chaos" and "havoc" to the citizens of this world (e.g. caused a beheading)! Scenes like these should get the military to increase cultural training of these service men/women or soldiers because it makes our nation of 270+ (?) million "multicultural" citizens look bad!
Below is part of an e-mail I sent to Nightline (9/29/04):
"Thank you again for doing this special feature, which opens my eyes as a 2nd generation Filipino American citizen college graduate in this rural college community of 5,000; we sometimes feel isolated here to what's all going on the world-until recently when our local National Guard Unit has been called to active duty (leaving next month-October). My prayer is to the world in chaos (including the "enemies" or "terrorist"-forgive them for they do not know what they do), Iraqi nation, the U.S. service men and women, and others (e.g. missionaries, humanitarian workers, etc...) in making a difference of peace for future generations-children!"
Eyes from the Battlefield
It's easy to forget what's going on in Iraq, Afghanistan, Czechslovakia, and other places the U.S. Military is operating at. I try to keep updated by watching the news, reading papers, etc...However, we don't always get the full coverage, so I found this...
"OUTSIDE FALLUJAH, IRAQ (ANS) -- With US forces massing outside Fallujah, 35 marines swayed to Christian rock music and asked Jesus Christ to protect them in what could be the biggest battle since American troops invaded Iraq last year.
Men with buzz cuts and clad in their camouflage waved their hands in the air, M-16 assault rifles laying beside them, and chanted heavy metal-flavored lyrics in praise of Jesus Christ late Friday in a yellow-brick chapel, says a report circulated by the French news agency Agence France Presse (AFP).
Other Stories from the Battlefield:
"Letter Back Home", story from a Graceville lieutenant serving in Iraq (from Thursday, December 16th 2004 paper of the Northern Star)
Soldiers that Return from War
I saw another interesting coverage of U.S. in Iraq titled "Coming Home" in ABC Nightline, which was an eye opener more to what I've heard before. It is a difficult battle (soul and mind) for solider that come from war-depending on their individual experiences.
Dec. 15, 2004 -- Sgt. John Newport left Iraq months ago, but he is still struggling with what he experienced there. He keeps playing one scene over and over again in his mind.
It took place when he was in his Humvee, passing a convoy of trucks that was hauling tanks. One of the truck drivers tossed a bag of M&Ms at a bunch of Iraqi kids.
A little girl went to pick it up, but there was a truck behind her. The driver didn't see her, and ran her over.
"The hardest part for me is that she was about the same age as my daughter is," Newport told "Nightline," with tears welling up in his eyes. "After that truck had run her over, you couldn't even tell it was a person."
Newport has what doctors call post-traumatic stress disorder, a condition often linked to depression and floating anxiety.
There are concerns that the Iraq war is producing more cases of PTSD than any conflict in decades because the violence has been so widespread and exposure to it so constant over long periods.
Newport says he began reliving the scene when he returned home to the Army base at Ft. Polk, La., and saw his daughter for the first time. "But it was no longer that little Iraqi girl," he said. "That was my daughter going into that road."
Accidents like these are bound to happend in an environment like this, which happens everyday, eveywhere....I feel victims of war (both residents of the occupied nation, friendly fire, etc..) is a tragedy and are accidents that sometimes can't be prevented. It can be taken from a different perspective and treated very hostile from the other side causing rebellion leading to another death.
Interview w/a Persian Gulf War Veteran
Sometime early December of 2005, I had an opportunity to discuss America's military with a Persian Gulf War Veteran. His name is Robert, who served in the U.S. Army during the Persian Gulf War in 1991. He showed his frustration with the media's coverage of the current war in Iraq when I brought up Michael Moore's controversial documentary, Farenheit 911. Robert said from his perspective, the Iraqi people welcomed the U.S. Army. They said, "how come you didn't show up sooner". Again, this was back in 1991 before the present-day coverage of "unfair treatment" of Iraqi prisoners; it's a different story today. However, Robert shared that the media doesn't cover the war's tension and stress that U.S. Soldiers has to encounter that may affect their responses of treatment of Iraqi prisoners and civilians. Also, Robert feels the "negative" coverage is only a small part (e.g. gangs in inner cities of America are compared to ants that spoil the bunch) of what is really happening. Robert shared about his travels around the world when he was serving in the U.S. Army. For example, he shared how he visited my parents' homeland-the Philippines-where he remembers lumpia (Filipino style egg rolls) when I shared about how I missed my ethnic food.
"..ow, I know a few guys who have done SEALs, Rangers, and Army Special Forces and some who have done USMC RECON, SEALs, and Army SF. These guys all say the same thing; they are all a bit different and equally as challenging as the other. Each Special Ops unit (Army SF, Air Force PJ, Navy SEALs, USMC RECON) focus on different missions, though they can jointly work together. Besides, we are all on the same team in the end. There have been many times in conflict that each of these units saved each others skins by assisting to wipe out an overwhelming opposing force. ..
"..The United States Navy's Sea, Air, and Land Teams, commonly known as Navy SEALs, are the U.S. Navy's principal special operations force and a part of the Naval Special Warfare Command (NSWC) as well as the maritime component of the United States Special Operations Command.[4]..
G.I. Joe theme, from youtube.com
GI JOE THE MOVIE (Intro)
"Cool unique intro made for the GI Joe Animated ...
Movie:
G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra Official Movie Trailer #1 HD
"All rights reserved to paramount pictures. WATCH MORE AT http://www.latestmovietrailerslive.com/
From the Egyptian desert to deep below the polar ice caps, the elite G.I. JOE team uses the latest in next-generation spy and military equipment to fight the corrupt arms dealer Destro and the growing threat of the mysterious Cobra organization to prevent them from plunging the world into chaos."
"WASHINGTON � Do military chaplains have the right to pray in Jesus' name in ceremonies outside of chapel services? The military insists they do, but U.S. Rep. Walter Jones, R.-N.C., is attempting to write that guarantee into federal law.
Shortly before Congress' summer recess, Jones introduced H.R. 6514, which would ensure chaplains the right to close a prayer outside of a religious service according to the dictates of the chaplain's conscience.
"For Christian chaplains, closing their prayers in the name of Jesus is a fundamental part of their beliefs," Jones said in a statement. "To suppress this form of expression would violate their religious freedom."
No hearings have been scheduled yet on the bill, which has attracted former presidential candidate, Rep. Ron Paul, R.-Texas, and Rep. Christopher Smith, R.-N.J., as co-sponsors.
Jones said he regularly has received complaints from officers and chaplains about such restraints.
Among them is a Marine officer who recounted a chaplain's statement that he and others had been asked not to mention Christ. Jones' office quoted the Marine officer as saying, "This startles and frightens me that our faith is being infringed upon, even within our own military."
An army chaplain told Jones' office that he experienced opposition during his basic chaplain course when a Christian group leader ridiculed him for praying in Jesus' name and suggesting he would have an altar call during his services.
"Both of these things ... are part of my religious tradition," the chaplain said. "Additionally, [the leader] said, it is offensive to pray in the name of Jesus and is against Army policy to do so."
Jones' press secretary, Kathleen Joyce, said the representative prepared the legislation after attempts in 2006 failed to persuade President Bush to issue an executive order on the matter.
"Congressman Jones introduced H.R. 6514 as a next step," Joyce said. "The language of the bill is intentionally very narrow -- focusing on how chaplains may close their prayer."
However, Eileen Lainez, a spokesperson for the U.S. Department of Defense, told Baptist Press its policy regarding religious accommodation for personnel states that a basic principle of the nation is free exercise of religion.
"The Department of Defense does not endorse any one religion or religious organization, and provides free access of religion for all members of the military services," Lainez said.
"The department respects (and supports by its policy) the rights of others to their own religious beliefs, including the right to hold no beliefs."
While chaplains perform religious ceremonies in the context of their faith group and in accordance with those traditions, Lainez said they are often invited to participate in command-sponsored events. In such cases, there is an expectation that they will understand how to balance that privilege with the beliefs of those attending so "the event is as inclusive as possible," Lainez said.
The Air Force was the only military branch that responded to a request for comment. Although Capt. Michael Andrews termed it "inappropriate" to discuss complaints from other service chaplains, he said his branch never tells a chaplain how to pray, since that is the responsibility of the denomination or faith group.
"If the government were to tell a chaplain or any other clergyperson how to pray, that would be an establishment of religion, forbidden by the Constitution," Andrews said.
"We do, however, ask chaplains to be sensitive to the occasion and sensitive to the presence of people from other faith groups. If a chaplain should feel uncomfortable praying in an interfaith setting, he or she can decline to do so with no penalty whatsoever."
Despite the military's claims, leaders of two evangelical endorsing organizations said they regularly encounter problems with infringements on their chaplains' religious rights.
Billy Baugham, executive director of Associated Gospel Chaplains, said he conferred with Jones prior to the introduction of the legislation.
"I think it is needed," said Baugham, who said he has seen tears in the eyes of some field chaplains complaining about their treatment. "You won't get an admission from the powers that be, but there are pockets of frustration that exist. It [political correctness] is creeping back in increments."
Jim Ammerman, president of the Chaplaincy of Full Gospel Churches (CFGC), said one Army chaplain in Iraq had coins made that resembled military coins that carry a crest, only with the question, "If you died today where would you go?" and some Scripture verses on the reverse side.
A lieutenant colonel ordered the chaplain to stop distributing the coins until the CFGC intervened and got a higher-ranking officer to declare the chaplain could evangelize anywhere, Ammerman said.
"We almost always have one or more that's being given a hard time because they believe the Bible and preach it," Ammerman said. "Commanders are scared somebody will pray in the name of Jesus and hurt their careers."
A former Army chaplain who encountered difficulties in Iraq for praying in Jesus' name called Jones' legislation a matter of First Amendment protection.
Jonathan Sterzbach, pastor of Clear Springs Baptist Church in Alpharetta, Ga., said he hopes Jones' bill will guarantee every chaplain free exercise of religion, whether a Christian, Muslim, Hindu or Jew.
"This was a widespread problem in the division I served in," said Sterzbach, whose temporary removal from his chapel in 2006 prompted calls from Jones for an investigation that led to his reinstatement.
During the investigation, Sterzback said he pointed out "numerous chaplains that were told, and forced, to pray generic prayers to unspecified deity and had to have pre-approved prayers."
As proof of the longstanding nature of the situation, Sterzbach supplied Baptist Press with a copy of a December 2005 letter from a former Army chief of chaplains, which discussed chaplains' training for working in a pluralistic environment.
"The very definition of pluralism suggests that we fetter our own needs to enhance the needs of others," the letter said. "In public ceremonies the needs of the audience may need to be considered over the needs of the chaplain who stands as a representative of the command."
While there are problems, any rank-and-file chaplain who complains about them is declared to not have "good discipline," Sterzbach said.
"How do you progress in a rank-and-file system and you're labeled a 'troublemaker?'" Sterzbach asked. "I was disappointed in the Chaplain Corps. My problem was not with the commanders. My problem was always with the supervising chaplains. They know better. They had the same training I did."
"Baptist Bible Seminary has offered the Military Chaplaincy program for three years. Military Chaplains are commissioned military officers that provide spiritual counsel to soldiers and their families. (more)"
Bullet Proof Faith of "Black Hawk Down" Ranger
"Cpt. Jeff Struecker a "Black Hawk Down" hero and the army's top ranger, now an army chaplain, relates how God taught him faith in the midst of his fear and supernaturally saved his life during an ambush. "For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to give you a hope and a future." Jeremiah 29:11-13"
US Army's computer game recruiting plan takes fire
by Glenn Chapman Sat Apr 21, 12:16 PM ET (yahoo.news) "
SAN FRANCISCO (AFP) - Anti-recruitment groups are slamming a US Army deal to sponsor a computer war game channel, charging that real war is no game.
ADVERTISEMENT
In June, the Army is set to sponsor a channel at the Global Gaming League website, a popular spot for Internet computer game lovers.
"It is part of this campaign for the last 20 years to invade youth culture with militarism," Project on Youth and Non-military Opportunities co-founder Rick Jahnkow told AFP.
"It affects the way young people think. It affects their world view. That is a very dangerous thing."
A first-person shooter game based on the army training manual will be a centerpiece of the channel, which will feature other games in the same genre.
The "America's Army" game was released about five years ago and ranks in the top 10 most popular computer games of its kind, according to McCann World Group vice president Anders Ekman, who is handling the project for the Army.
Play at the channel will be free, but agreeing to "additional contact from the Army" comes with signing up as a player.
The Army's investment, estimated at two million dollars, is aimed at finding potential soldiers among gamers in the cherished recruiting age range of 17 to 24.
Oskar Castro of the "admittedly anti-war" American Friends Service Committee said it is wrong for military recruiters to use technology and pop culture to entice young people to enlist without showing them the ugly sides of service.
"If it is virtual reality, why don't you see people screaming for their mother while they die?" asked Castro, who said he had played America's Army.
"If you are going to show what war is like you should show what war is like. You don't have 'game over' and start again. 'Game over' means you come home in a body bag and a casket."
Castro recounted meeting young gamers inspired to be soldiers by their love of playing America's Army.
"It was really bizarre to actually see that," Castro said. "They had every plan to go into the military and they didn't have a full vision of how the military works."
Army recruiters resorting to online games is the newest development in a pattern that has "alarmed" Jahnkow since the United State eliminated the military draft near the close of the Vietnam War.
The military began using mass marketing and sophisticated sales techniques that not only win recruits but make US society more accepting to war as the way to deal with problems, according to Jahnkow.
"The emphasis went from asking people to join military as a patriotic gesture to more along the lines of the ways companies sell tooth paste," Jahnkow said.
"Having the military making and marketing entertainment and computer products has never been their mission in our society."
Recruitment ads that depict soldiers as valiant knights in shining armor and computer games in which battle is exhilarating glamorize militarism as opposed to democracy, Jahnkow said.
"Soldiering is being popularized when in fact we are supposed to be teaching people from an early age that civilian democratic rule is the ideal," Jahnkow said.
"I can only imaging what James Madison and George Washington -- all of the founding fathers -- would have thought. They must be turning over in their graves right now."
Jahnkow cited the war in
Iraq as a "prime example" of the result of letting the military use games and advertising to sell soldiering to the public.
The US launched a war in Iraq even though there was no threat to the United States and no connection between Iraq and the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks in New York City and Washington, Jahnkow said.
"You need to influence people from early childhood to have people grow up and support those kinds of war," Jahnkow said. "It is really a question of militarism; not whether there is a military."
Families
Pray for our military
"I am a Navy man and feel that some people don\'t realize the hardship that military families have to deal with. Hopefully this slide will give you alittle insight to what we struggle with."
"..was the greatest war in American history. 3 million fought - 600,000 paid the ultimate price for freedom. And a war for freedom it was. The desire for freedom traveled deeper than the color of skin and farther than the borders of any state..." Slavery "..Probably the single most studied aspect of the Civil War is that �Peculiar Institution�, Slavery. Slavery was not the sole cause of the Civil War. However, slavery underpinned the major reasons for the war, as well as played a significant role in the way the war was prosecuted and the outcome of the war.."
Call of Courage
"The Call of Courage is a gripping story of two young men fighting in the Civil War. Eddie Lee is a twelve-year old drummer boy who is befriended by James McClay &; an officer in the Union army. As the days pass, they become as close as brothers. As the army begins its march to Wilson's Creek, both Eddie and James are faced with decisions that will require all the courage they can muster. As things get tougher, the Battle of Wilson's Creek erupts &; throwing the two into the most intense moments of their lives."
From a Distance by Tamera Alexander
"When Daniel Ranslett, a Civil war sharpshooter from the South, and Elizabeth Westbrook, a fiery female photographer from the North, take the same shot on a rocky mountain ledge, their lives intertwine in ways neither could have imagined when first they met . . . from a distance." Wikipedia "...Northerners ranging from the abolitionist William Lloyd Garrison to the moderate Republican leader Abraham Lincoln[11] emphasized Jefferson's declaration that all men are created equal. Lincoln mentioned this proposition in his Gettysburg Address.
Confederate Vice President Alexander Stephens said that slavery was "the cornerstone of the Confederacy" after Southern states seceded. After Southern defeat, Stephens said that the war was not about slavery but states' rights, and became one of the most ardent defenders of the Lost Cause.[12] Confederate President Jefferson Davis also switched from saying the war was caused by slavery to saying that states' rights was the cause. While Southerners often used states rights arguments to defend slavery, sometimes roles were reversed, as when Southerners demanded national laws to defend their interests with the Gag Rule and the Fugitive Slave Law of 1850. On these issues, it was Northerners who wanted to defend the rights of their states...
Other factors include sectionalism (caused by the growth of slavery in the lower South while slavery was gradually phased out in Northern states) and economic differences between North and South, although most modern historians disagree with the extreme economic determinism of historian Charles Beard and argue that Northern and Southern economies were largely complementary.[21] There was the polarizing effect of slavery that split the largest religious denominations (the Methodist, Baptist and Presbyterian churches)[22] and controversy caused by the worst cruelties of slavery (whippings, mutilations and families split apart). The fact that seven immigrants out of eight settled in the North, plus the fact that twice as many whites left the South for the North as vice versa, contributed to the South's defensive-aggressive political behavior.[.
Results
One reason for the high number of battle deaths during the war was the use of Napoleonic tactics such as charges. With the advent of more accurate rifled barrels and (near the end of the war for the Union army) repeating firearms such as the Spencer repeating rifle and a few experimental Gatling guns, soldiers were decimated when standing in lines in the open. This gave birth to trench warfare, a tactic heavily used during World War I. Guns n Roses Civil war live (Voodoo Child intro), from youtube.com
"Before they were soldiers, they were family. Before they were legends, they were heros. Before there was a nation, there was a fight for freedom."
Vintage The Patriot Movie Trailer
"An old trailer to the Movie The Patriot, starring Mel Gibson" THE PATRIOT -- MOVIE REVIEW, americanrevwar.homestead.com ".. Let me say from the outset that they did get something right -- the costumes. The Smithsonian Institute was called in for their "expertise" as far as advice for accurate costumes, weapons, and the colonial period. Unfortunately that was as far as it got. Once again, Hollywood writers and directors added their own version/s of history that is nothing but unadulterated garbage. Money talks -- history walks . . ...
The Patriot (2000) More at IMDbPro », from imdb.com "..British soldiers - the ruthless Green Dragoon cavalry - approach the house, proceed to kill the Colonial wounded, burn down the house and take Gabriel into custody as a spy, intending to hang him. Ben's 15-year-old (and second) son Thomas (Gregory Smith) is killed trying to free Gabriel as he is taken prisoner, shot by the ruthless and cold-hearted leader of the Green Dragoons, Col. William Tavington (Jason Isaacs) even though the boy posed no real threat.
An enraged Ben sets about to free his son Gabriel, with the help of his two younger sons Nathan and Samuel (played by Trevor Morgan and Bryan Chafin). The three of them manage to kill many of the British troops holding Gabriel (with Ben telling his boys to aim first for the officers)...
"Cold Mountain (2003) whit Jude Law, Nicole Kidman, Ren�e Zellweger and Natalie Portman. This movie is great! " Cold Mountain (film)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia "Plot
The movie opens depicting the events leading up to the American Civil War, and proceeds to a vivid recreation of the Battle of the Crater. Jude Law plays a Confederate soldier named W. P. Inman, who meets Ada (Kidman), and is at the fledgling stages of a relationship with her when he marches off to war. Inman experiences many battles and losses of friends, and as he is recovering in a hospital from a battle wound, decides to set off on foot for his home on Cold Mountain, in North Carolina, and to the woman he loves. On his journey he meets a corrupt preacher (Hoffman), an old and wizened woman, and a young widow (Portman). Through these people, he is able to continue his journey back to Ada and finds something out about himself...
Cold Mountain - The Crater - Siege of Petersburg - Part 1
Battle of the Crater
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia "...was a battle of the American Civil War, part of the Siege of Petersburg. It took place on July 30, 1864, between the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia, commanded by General Robert E. Lee and the Union Army of the Potomac, commanded by Maj. Gen. George G. Meade (under the direct supervision of the general-in-chief, Lt. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant)...." Cold Mountain - Movie 2003 - church hymn - I'm Going Home, from youtube.com
ULTIMA THULE ~ WHEN JOHNNY COMES MARCHING HOME AGAIN
"When Johnny comes marching home again,
Hurrah! Hurrah!
We'll give him a hearty welcome then
Hurrah! Hurrah!
The men will cheer and the boys will shout
The ladies they will all turn out
And we'll all feel gay when Johnny comes marching home.
The old church bell will peal with joy
Hurrah! Hurrah!
To welcome home our darling boy,
Hurrah! Hurrah!
The village lads and lassies say
With roses they will strew the way,
And we'll all feel gay when Johnny comes marching home.... When Johnny comes marching home, from youtube.com "U.S. Military Academy Band plays "When Johnny comes marching home". Slideshow of Confederate Veterans. "
Yankee Doodle (Dandy)
"From an old circa 1963 patriotic album; Hail, America!..
YANKEE DOODLE LYRICS
Yankee Doodle went to town,
A-riding on a pony,
He stuck a feather in his hat
And called it macaroni.
(CHORUS) Yankee Doodle, keep it up,
Yankee Doodle dandy,
Mind the music and the step,
And with the girls be handy.... "Yankee Doodle" - Traditional
History of an American folk song
By Kim Ruehl, About.com "British Origins
Like many of the songs that have become characteristic of American patriotism, the origins of "Yankee Doodle" lie in old English folk music. In this case, kind of humorously, the song emerged before the American Revolution as a vehicle for the British to mock American soldiers. Yankee, of course, began as a negative term making fun of Americans, although the exact origins of the word are debatable. "Doodle" was a derogatory term that meant "fool" or "simpleton." .."
History of the Star Spangled Banner
"David Barton gives the true story behind our National Anthem "
History of the US National Anthem "If there is anything taken more seriously than the US flag, it's possibly the national anthem. The Star-Spangled Banner accompanies just about every major American function, and at major sporting events a significant honour is bestowed on those asked to sing what is probably the best known national anthem in the world.
But, listen to the words and it tells of a moment in US history when the war with the British was being fought and of one man's relief in seeing the US flag still flying after a vicious bombardment.... The Star-Spangled Banner
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia "... is the national anthem of the United States of America. The lyrics come from a poem written in 1814 by Francis Scott Key, a then 35-year-old amateur poet who wrote "Defence of Fort McHenry"[1] after seeing the bombardment of Fort McHenry at Baltimore, Maryland, by Royal Navy ships in the Chesapeake Bay during the War of 1812.
The poem was set to the tune of a popular British drinking song, written by John Stafford Smith for the Anacreontic Society, a London social club. "The Anacreontic Song" (or "To Anacreon in Heaven"), set to various lyrics, was already popular in the United States. Set to Key's poem and renamed "The Star-Spangled Banner", it would soon become a well-known American patriotic song. With a range of one and a half octaves, it is known for being difficult to sing. Although the song has four stanzas, only the first is commonly sung today, with the fourth ("O thus be it ever when free men shall stand...") added on more formal occasions.
"The Star-Spangled Banner" was recognized for official use by the Navy in 1889 and the President in 1916, and was made the national anthem by a congressional resolution on March 3, 1931 (46 Stat. 1508, codified at 36 U.S.C. � 301), which was signed by President Herbert Hoover.
Before 1931, other songs served as the hymns of American officialdom. "My Country, 'Tis of Thee", whose melody was derived from the British national anthem,[2] served as a de facto national anthem of the United States for much of the 19th century[citation needed]; and "Hail, Columbia," served as the de facto national anthem from Washington's time and through the 18th and 19th centuries. Following the War of 1812 and subsequent American wars, other songs would emerge to compete for popularity at public events, among them "The Star-Spangled Banner"....
American anthem - Star Spangled Banner
"USA (MNN) ― Every country has its own wars. Every country has soldiers who have been slain, and times when those losses ache deeply.
On the last Monday of every May, the United States takes a break to recognize soldiers who have been killed in battle. Men and women who were killed as far back as World War II or as recently as in the Iraq war are remembered on Memorial Day with a mixture of joy and heartache.
"There are so many families today that are going to cemeteries and graveyards, and they're remembering those in their families who have lost their lives, remembering those who have given their lives for our country, for our freedoms," says Jon Wilke with Faith Comes By Hearing. "Today is a real somber day for so many people."
Today, America mourns for the nearly 4,500 soldiers who have been killed in Iraq alone. Others who aren't mourning loss are thinking of husbands, wives, fathers, aunts, cousins, neighbors and friends who are currently serving overseas.
In the States, a lot of people are spending their day off with family, enjoying a barbeque or watching a parade. But Wilke reminds us that it's important to take time to focus on our armed forces, whether you live in America or elsewhere.
There are many ways to support these troops today, but one of the most Gospel-enhancing means of paying them tribute is to be a part of the Military BibleStick movement.
If you haven't already read about it on Mission Network News, for the last four years, Faith Comes By Hearing has been working through an initiative to send out digital audio players loaded with the New Testament. The units are called Military BibleSticks.
"So far, we've sent out over 115,000 of these units. Currently, we have about 5,000 troops who are asking for these," says Wilke.
The sticks have been a hit to say the least, but more than that, they're creating opportunity for life transformation.
"When [troops] get overseas and they get in these stressful, crucible-type situations, they begin to question where they really stand with God and where they're going if something were to happen to them," explains Wilke. Many start asking their chaplains questions. Over 700 chaplains work with Faith Comes By Hearing and can direct troops to Military BibleSticks.
The response to the BibleSticks has been overwhelming. Wilke says one sergeant was listening to the audio drama Scriptures on his player while on "suicide watch" with a soldier. He was able to share the Good News he heard through his audio player. The deeply-depressed soldier was able to hear the Gospel, and is now safely at home.
Many more baptisms and faith confessions have resulted from hearing the Truth through these audio devices, and the waiting list for them is growing daily. "Right now we have over 5,000 troops asking for audio Bibles for themselves, and we don't have the funding for that."
This is where you come in. It's just $25 for the shipping and contents of a BibleStick pack. Each pack comes with the Military BibleStick, ear buds, a battery, a disc with the New Testament that soldiers can hand out to their friends, and a card they can send to request players for their families. The effects of just one packet could be monumental.
As we remember troops today from America and all over the globe, it seems like the perfect time to cover them in prayer, and send them God's Word. To send a Military BibleStick package, visit militarybiblestick.com."
*another group that doesn't get much attention and gratitude. I saw a documentary last night (10/9/04) in the History Channel on how they built the highway linking Alaska to the 48 states of the U.S. Cool footages!
*I attended a public preview of this this evening (Thursday, September 13th of 2007) at the UMM campus, which has stories of WWII (UMMAlpha: World's Wars-my personal site)from the homefront of 4 selected towns/cities in the four corners of the country.
PBS PREVIEWS: THE WAR | Extended Preview | PBS
"During the preview, you'll see some of the work that went into making the seven-part documentary about World War II. Excerpts are introduced by interview footage of the filmmakers or participants in the film.
For more information, visit http://www.pbs.org/thewar"
World War II: Japan Bombs Pearl Harbor (Britannica.com)
"On December 7, 1941, Japanese airplanes strike the U.S. naval base at Pearl Harbor, bringing the United States into World War II."
*see more on Japan
FDR's D-Day Prayer
Franklin D. Roosevelt - D-Day Prayer "My Fellow Americans:
Last night, when I spoke with you about the fall of Rome, I knew at that moment that troops of the United States and our Allies were crossing the Channel in another and greater operation. It has come to pass with success thus far.
And so, in this poignant hour, I ask you to join with me in prayer:...
Santo Tomas Prisoners Liberated, 1945/03/01 (1945)
"1) "Since their conquest of the Philippines in 1941, the Japs have been holding 3,700 prisoners on the campus of Santo Tomas University. As the American forces reach Manila in the current campaign, General MacArthur, with an Honor Guard of the 1st Cavalry Brigade enters the stockades to the cheers of the famished internees. Mail call finds them overjoyed again, only this time they weep openly." "Jap Artillery finds the range of the University and the assembly breaks up quickly, but not until several victims are wounded." scenes of MacArthur visits the Allied prisoners freed in the Philippines, Japanese still fire on Manila, Red Cross provides news and letters from home; "
4 "Replacements" Band of Brothers (TV miniseries)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
(Redirected from Band of Brothers (book)) "New characters are introduced when replacements join Easy Company, who struggle to be accepted by the veterans who fought at Normandy. The Company is sent to parachute into and fight in the Netherlands as part of Operation Market Garden, where they liberate Eindhoven. During combat in Nuenen, the replacements integrate themselves with the Company, but the Company is forced to retreat. The episode follows Sergeant Denver "Bull" Randleman, the replacements' immediate superior, as he evades German soldiers in Nuenen after being cut off and forced to stay there and must wait until the enemy leaves in the morning. "
Band of Brothers - Part 4 Replacements 1/6
5 "Crossroads", Band of Brothers (TV miniseries)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
(Redirected from Band of Brothers (book)) "Winters writes a report on the challenge of an unexpected resistance to a German attack, and is haunted by his conscience after shooting a teenage German soldier; this flashback occurs several times in later episodes. Operation Pegasus is depicted. Easy Company is called to Bastogne to repel the sudden German counterattack. "
Band of Brothers - Crossroads (Part I)
6 "Bastogne", "Easy Company experiences the Battle of the Bulge and have to hold ground near Bastogne while running low on ammunition and other supplies. The episode focuses on medic Eugene "Doc" Roe as he helps out his fellow soldiers where he can, while also scrounging for medical supplies, of which the Company is dangerously low. He also befriends a Belgian nurse in Bastogne, who is later killed during a German bombing raid. "
Band of Brothers - Part 6 Bastogne 1/7
*see GoodnewsEverybody.com European: Belgians of Belgium 7 "The Breaking Point" "Easy Company battles near Foy, Belgium, losing numerous men. In the episode, the actions of 1st Lt. Norman Dike, the Company's commander, are examined and questioned. He is eventually relieved by 1st Lt. Ronald Speirs, who becomes the Company's new leader. Serving as narrator is 1st Sgt. Carwood Lipton, who attempts to keep the morale of the men up as they endure their trials in the forest near Foy, earning him a pending field promotion to 2nd. Lt. for his leadership ability. "
Band of Brothers - Part 7 The Breaking Point 1/7
8 "The Last Patrol" "Easy Company carries out a dangerous mission in Haguenau as David Webster (who narrates this episode) returns from a hospital. Together with new replacement 2nd Lt. Jones, he eventually (re)integrates with the other soldiers, whose experiences at Bastogne have made them weary and closed off from Webster due to the fact he didn't try and leave hospital early unlike other soldiers in the company. At the end of the episode, Captain Winters is promoted to Major, and Lipton is promoted to 2nd Lt. "
9 "Why We Fight" "As Nixon battles alcoholism, Easy Company enters Germany. A concentration camp near Landsberg is discovered by a patrol. This site leaves many soldiers both shocked and disgusted at what they're witnessing at the hands of the Nazi Germans. The episode was based on the liberation of Kaufering IV in the area of Hurlach. "
*see GoodnewsEverybody.com: Middleeastern-Israelites Persecuted History
Band of Brothers - Part 9 Why We Fight 1/6
10 "Points" "The company captures Eagle's Nest in Berchtesgaden, and also discover Hitler and Goering's large supply of liquor. The end of the war is announced. While those with enough points go home, the remainder of Easy Company stays behind until the end of the Pacific War is declared. "
Band of Brothers - Part 10 Points 1/6
Stories:
Black Hawk' hero confronts fear with faith in sovereign God
By Ken Walker � BP News (Minnesota Chrisitian Chronicle) "COLUMBUS, Ga. � After facing death on several foreign battlefields, Jeff Struecker has overcome the fear of his own demise, not to mention less pressing concerns like financial difficulties or the childhood nightmares that followed his parents� divorce.
Still, he battles uncertainties, and at the top of the list is the possibility of a seventh trip to the war-torn Middle East. Struecker dreads the possibility that his wife, Dawn, could be left alone to raise their five children, ages 4 to 12.
The former Army Ranger and central figure in the hit book and movie �Black Hawk Down� is OK with admitting that fear.
This is sad if you think about it, but there�s an overwhelming philosophy in [U.S.] culture that you just don�t show fear,� said Struecker, author a new book called �The Road to Unafraid.�
�I think that�s a mistake. People in other cultures readily display their fears, but they go on with life anyway,� he said. �In our culture we tend to repress the fact that we are afraid.�
Now a chaplain at Fort Benning, Ga., Struecker hopes his book will help readers -- especially Christians -- learn how to overcome the fears that he says are a part of everyone�s life.
Whether in military or civilian life, Struecker, a member of Fairview Baptist Church in Columbus, Ga., said people are generally afraid of the unknown. Ultimately, that revolves around fear of what might happen in the future, whether with personal relationships, career decisions or finances, he said. Such trepidations, and the unwillingness to admit their existence, propelled the writing of The Road to Unafraid.
Legend of the Fall, starring Brad Pitt, who plays one of 3 sons of a former U.S. Colonel. Brad's character is a well-liked son, who is liked by everybody. His brother gets very jealous and takes his future wife as he disappears in Papua New Guinea or some remote part of the world. His other brother dies in WWI fighting the Germans for the U.S. military. This scene was pretty graphic, which shows some closeness to the reality of war!
*saw her in concert at Alexandria, Minnesota years ago
-Country
TIM MCGRAW TRIBUTE
"This is a video i made after hearing this most powerful song.I hope it will be a source of pride and inspiration both to the young men and women who serve so valiantly and those of us who appreciate all the sacrifices they have made both past and present so we may be free.If you want you are welcome to comment accordingly."
-Rock
Citizen Soldier
"This is the video by 3 Doors Down for their song "Citizen Soldier." Normally I don't like 3 Doors Down too much, but when I saw this video in the theater, I fell in love with it."
-Worship
Letters from War by Mark Schultz
Prayers Support for Our US Soldiers still fighting this War
tribute to our american heros. Lets show our support,love and prayers for our soldiers. Let them know that they are special people too and pray that they make it back home safe.
Prayer Support for our Soldiers.
The credit for this video goes to that person,not me. Wanted to share and sending out the message. The descriptions says it all. thank you. Lets show our support. God bless. "
"Dear Lord,
So many good men and women are asked to put themselves in danger in their jobs as soldiers, and so many are finding themselves in danger every day. The are constantly brought to mind by the reports in the press of our leaders deliberating on Iraq. The soldiers work faithfully. Give them your protection, Lord, be a shield and a fortress to them, not only to their physical safety, but to their spirit, so that they can cope with the dangers their jobs entail, can comfort and uphold one another and can advance your purposes in the world.
Lately, it seems that the danger facing these soldiers is increased. Lord be their shield, especially now in the approach of the day of Thanksgiving, and the celebration of Your birth.
We know that you have upheld them to this very moment and with faith rejoice that you will ocntinue to do so.
Especially be with L & T as T prepares to go to Iraq in February. Give them abundant love, be with them and all their family.
Comfort those who have joined the circle.
Amen
"
WASHINGTON – Evangelist Franklin Graham's invitation to speak at a Pentagon prayer service has been rescinded because his comments about Islam were inappropriate, the Army said Thursday.
Graham, the son of famed evangelist Billy Graham, in 2001 described Islam as evil. More recently, he has said he finds Islam offensive and wants Muslims to know that Jesus Christ died for their sins.
Army spokesman Col. Tom Collins said Graham's remarks were "not appropriate."...
"WASHINGTON � "Joe the Plumber" was only one of two Americans injected into the presidential election this past week. The other was Kareem Rashad Sultan Khan , whom former Secretary of State Colin Powell invoked in his endorsement Sunday of Barack Obama .
Khan was a 20-year-old soldier from Manahawkin, N.J. , who wanted to enlist in the Army from the time he was 10. He was an all-American boy who visited Disney World after he completed his training at Fort Benning, Ga. , and made his comrades in Iraq watch "Saving Private Ryan" every week.
He was also a Muslim who joined the military, his father said, in part to show his countrymen that not all Muslims are terrorists.
"He was an American soldier first," said his father, Feroze Khan . "But he also looked at fighting in this war as fighting for his faith. He was fighting radicalism."
Khan was killed by an improvised explosive device in August 2007 along with four other soldiers and an Iraqi interpreter while searching a house in Baqouba, Iraq . He's one of four Muslims who served in Iraq or Afghanistan and are buried in Arlington National Cemetery , where 512 troops from those wars now rest.
About 3,700 of the U.S. military's 1.4 million troops are Muslims, according to Defense Department estimates.
Khan, a child of immigrant parents from Trinidad , was 14 when the Sept. 11 attacks happened. Feroze Khan said he remembered his son watching in stunned silence: "I could tell that inside a lot of things were going through his head."
Three years later, Feroze honored his son's request and allowed him to enlist him in the Army . "I told him: 'You are going to the Army .' I never said there is a war going on in a Muslim country. I didn't want him to get any ideas that he was fighting (against) his religion."
Feroze kept his fears for his son's safety to himself.
His son was assigned to the Stryker Brigade Combat Team out of Fort Lewis, Wash. , deployed to Iraq in 2006 and fought on Baghdad's Haifa Street , a Sunni insurgent stronghold.
His tour was extended as part of the surge of additional U.S. forces to Iraq , and he called or messaged home often until he was deployed to restive Diyala province, where he was under fire too often to contact home regularly.
But he prayed every day, his father said.
One Sunday morning, his son sent an instant message: "Hey Dad. Are you there?" Feroze Khan was out, and he saw the message when he returned.
A few hours later, his ex-wife called. Soldiers had knocked on her door in Maryland . Their only child was dead.
A few minutes later, soldiers appeared at Khan's door. "I guess it helped that I knew beforehand," he said. "There are no words to describe it."
Kareem Khan was a month from finishing his tour when he was killed.
On Sunday, Powell said that Khan's sacrifice and service had swayed him to discuss the way that Muslims have been portrayed in the presidential campaign, and the contention that Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama is a Muslim.
Obama "is a Christian," Powell said. "He has always been a Christian. But the really right answer is, 'What if he is?' Is there something wrong with being Muslim in this country? The answer is no. That is not America." He added: "I am troubled that within the (Republican) Party we have these kinds of expressions" suggesting that Obama is a Muslim, and that if he is, he likely associates with terrorists.
Powell said that he felt strongly about the issue after he saw a photo of Khan's tombstone in the New Yorker magazine . In the black-and-white picture, Khan's mother is resting her head on her son's tombstone. On each side of the stone are flowers, and in between is a copy of the Quran. On the face of the tombstone is a crescent and star, indicating that the soldier buried there is a Muslim.
"He was an American," Powell said. "
Meanwhile, an apparent disagreement over whether to meet the kidnappers' demands surfaced, as the U.S. Embassy said that two Iraqi female prisoners being held by U.S. authorities in Iraq will not be released imminently.
Hensley and fellow American Eugene Armstrong were kidnapped Thursday with Briton Kenneth Bigley from a home that the three civil engineers shared in an upscale Baghdad neighborhood. Al-Zarqawi beheaded Armstrong, and the militants on Monday posted a gruesome video of the 52-year-old man�s death.
".. Dwyer told police Lt. Mike Wilson he'd been "huffing" the aerosol.
"Help me, please!" the former Army medic begged Wilson. "I'm dying. Help me. I can't breathe."
A half-hour later, he was dead.
When Dionne Knapp learned of her friend's June 28 death, her first reaction was to be angry at Dwyer. How could he leave his wife and daughter like this? Didn't he know he had friends who cared about him, who wanted to help?..
But Dwyer was attached to the 3rd Infantry's 7th Cavalry Regiment, what one officer called "the tip of the tip of the spear."
On March 25, 2003, near Baghdad, Iraq, Army Times photographer Warren Zinn watched as a man ran toward U.S. soldiers, carrying a white flag and his injured 4-year-old son. Zinn clicked away as Dwyer darted out to meet the man and then returned, cradling the boy in his arms.
The photo -- of a half-naked boy, a kaffiyeh scarf tied around his shrapnel-injured leg and his mouth set in a grimace of pain, and of a bespectacled Dwyer dressed in full battle gear, his M-16 rifle dangling by his side -- appeared on front pages and magazine covers around the world...
A changed man
Returning to the U.S. in June 2003, after 91 days in Iraq, Dwyer seemed a shell to friends.
The 6-foot-1 soldier had dropped to about 165 pounds, causing the other Musketeers to immediately think of post-traumatic stress disorder. Dwyer attributed his skeletal appearance to long days and a diet of MREs (Meals Ready to Eat), and his friends accepted the explanation.
But they soon noticed changes that were more than cosmetic.
At restaurants, Dwyer insisted on sitting with his back to the wall so no one could sneak up on him. He turned down invitations to the movies, saying the theaters were too crowded. The arid landscape around El Paso, and the dark-skinned Hispanic population, reminded him of Iraq.
Dwyer, raised Roman Catholic but never particularly religious before, now would spend lunchtime by himself, poring over his Bible.
When people would teasingly call him "war hero" and ask him to tell about his experiences or about the famous photo, he would steer the conversation toward the others he'd served with. Dwyer once confided that another image, also involving a child, disturbed him.
He was standing next to a soldier during a firefight when a boy rode up on a bicycle and stopped beside a weapon lying in the dirt. Under his breath, the soldier beside Dwyer whispered, "Don't pick it up, kid. Don't pick it up."
The boy reached for the weapon and was blasted off his bike.
In spring 2004, Dwyer was prescribed antidepressants and referred for counseling. But his behavior went from merely odd to dangerous.
One day, he swerved to avoid what he thought was a roadside bomb and crashed into a convenience store sign. He began answering his apartment door with a pistol in his hand and would call friends, babbling and disoriented from huffing...
On October 6, 2005, Dwyer barricaded himself in his apartment. Imagining Iraqis swarming up the sides and across the roof, he fired his pistol through the door, windows and ceiling. After a three-hour police standoff, Dwyer was admitted for psychiatric treatment.
In a telephone interview later that month from what he called the "nut hut" at Beaumont, Dwyer told Newsday that he'd lied on a post-deployment questionnaire that asked whether he'd been disturbed by what he'd seen and done in Iraq. The reason: A PTSD diagnosis could interfere with his plans to seek a police job. Besides, he said, "I'm a soldier," he said. "I suck it up. That's our job."
Dwyer told the newspaper he was committed to embracing his treatment this time.
In January 2006, Joseph and Matina Dwyer moved back to North Carolina. But his shadow enemy followed him there...
Losing touch with reality
Dwyer was discharged from the Army in March 2006 and living off disability. That May, Matina Dwyer gave birth to a daughter, Meagan Kaleigh.
He seemed to be getting by, but setbacks would occur without warning.
In June 2007, Matina Dwyer told police her husband had become enraged when she took away his AR-15 assault rifle and threatened that "someone was going to die" if she didn't give it back. She moved out and sought a protective order.
"I consider [Dwyer] a battlefield casualty," he said, "because he was still fighting the war in his head."
Nightmares in his head
The Sunday after the Fourth of July, Knapp attended services at Scotsdale Baptist, the El Paso church where she and Dwyer had been baptized together in 2004.
On the way out of the sanctuary with her children, she checked her phone and noticed an e-mail: Joseph had been buried that day.
She made it to her car. Then she lost it.
Trying to explain, she told the kids that, just as they occasionally have nightmares, "sometimes people get those nightmares in their head and they just can't get them out, no matter what."
Despite the efforts she made to get help for Dwyer, Knapp is trying to cope with a deep-seated guilt. She knows that Dwyer shielded her from the images that had haunted him.
"I just owe him so much for that."
Since Dwyer's death, Justin, now 9, has taken to carrying a newspaper clipping of the Zinn photo around with him. He shows it to playmates and tells them about the soldier who used to come to his school and assemble his toys.
Justin wants them to know about Spc. Joseph Dwyer. His hero."
"Hello, my name is Devon Scott Dicker. I have written, sang, and recorded a beautiful patriotic song, and music video called "One Nation" It's about being a proud American, regardless of race, religion, or political affiliation, All proceeds from this endeavor are being donated to The Fisher House Charity, which helps our wounded soldiers and their families. "
"A possible false flag terror attack to be blamed on Muslims has been foiled after a Navy vet was busted with a grenade launcher, assault rifles and hundreds of rounds of ammunition, as well as Arab headdress, in New Jersey yesterday. Initial media reports speculated that the man was planning a terrorist attack on a U.S. military base in the area.
"Lloyd Woodson, 43, whose last known address was Reston, Va., today faces multiple offenses, including second-degree unlawful weapons possession and fourth-degree possession of prohibited weapons, Somerset County Prosecutor Wayne Forrest said," reports the New Jersey Star Ledger...
EMP ATTACK USA~ CHUCK MISSLER "RED SKY"(7)
This soldier is back from a swine flu drill, a holocaust is coming (re-uploaded from entimes777)
*see GoodnewsEverybody.com Health, Wellness, Medical Issues, etc... & GoodnewsUSA.Info Government: Distrust Milgram experiment
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia "...was a series of social psychology experiments conducted by Yale University psychologist Stanley Milgram, which measured the willingness of study participants to obey an authority figure who instructed them to perform acts that conflicted with their personal conscience. Milgram first described his research in 1963 in an article published in the Journal of Abnormal and Social Psychology,[1] and later discussed his findings in greater depth in his 1974 book, Obedience to Authority: An Experimental View.[2].. CEJAY Engineering BLUtube " can be viewed without logging in, however many require secure Law Enforcement-only access with your PoliceOne username and password."
Veterans
-Movie
Flag of My Father Trailer
"Flag of my Father is the story of Army nurse Judith Ranier, who follows her Vietnam veteran father, Jake, into service. Years have passed, but nightmares of Iraq's brutal, desert warfare and fallen brothers still haunt her. She endures mental and physical
scars as a result€some of which are irreversible. Judith and Jake's similar experiences with warfare, camaraderie and unwavering patriotism has created a deeper and more loving relationship than father and daughter€they are soldiers who understand the importance
of duty and sacrifice. Unable to share this special bond, her civilian older brothers ridicule her service and envy Jake's relationship with Judith€a conflict that intensifies after Jake's tragic death. As is tradition, the oldest brother, Ben, is bequeathed
the burial flag and a struggle begins within the siblings who all covet Jake's military memorabilia. In the process, the brothers uncover a startling family secret that challenges their ideals. Judith must utilize her faith to fight two new battles-that of
her family's harmony and restoration as well as conquering her own demons. In the meantime, Ben struggles to find the courage to combat his own selfishness and lead his brothers on a path to humility."
"ST. PAUL,MN (ANS) -- Base Camp Hope, a new therapeutic facility and drop-in center, is being developed in the Upper Midwest to help Veterans and their families address the growing problem of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
The non-profit organization is taking a faith-based and comprehensive approach to serve those Armed Forces personnel who experienced the life-shattering trauma of war, but now need to adjust to life at home. The organization will provide centers in the Twin Cities of Minneapolis-St. Paul and also in St. Cloud, MN.
The founder and executive director of Base Camp Hope is Diane Kinney, who served in the U.S. Army in the 1970’s, has worked as a minister for Veteran’s organizations and is currently a chaplain with American Legion Post 468.
“I have seen too many Veterans with PSTD whose needs are not being met,” said Kinney. “Base Camp Hope will be a unique response to PSTD because we will integrate spiritual healing along with mental and physical therapies, plus we will be one of the few facilities that addresses the needs of the families of the traumatized Veterans.”
Kinney is in the process of gathering support and raising funds to open Base Camp Hope, a Christ-centered organization. The organization is already being supported by several organizations and individuals, including the DAV Post 2, Karl Anderson, DDS of Sedation Implant in St. Paul, Calvary Church of Roseville and Beyond the Yellow Ribbon organization.
Kinney is conducting a search for a Director of Psychological Counseling and a Director of Spiritual Counseling, who will join her as part of the leadership team at Base Camp Hope. Their goal is to provide comprehensive treatment for PTSD and thereby enable troubled Veterans to readjust to productive and meaningful lives at home. The facilities will be open 24 hours a day, 7 days per week, and will provide a safe place for the Veteran, the spouse, parents or children to come and talk and heal.
Besides her service with the US Military, Kinney worked for the Billy Graham Evangelical Association as a Graphic Designer for Decision Magazine between 1992- 2002, in 1997 helped form Street Level Ministry, and served as chaplain for Patriot Guard of Minnesota in 2007 -2008.
To arrange an interview with Diane Kinney, contact Glen McCluskey at 612-991-6909 or glenlaw@attglobal.net . Photos are available. For more information on Base Camp Hope, go to its Web site at www.basecamphope.org . "
-Tribute
I Fought For You
"A moving, patriotic tribute to our military, past and present. Thank you for your service! A wonderful reminder to honor our vets every day. God bless the troops! Video done by the amazing Sound Tank. More from the Sound Tank: http://www.worshiphousemedia.com/producers/153/The-Sound-Tank"
Veterans Day Honors - Inspirational Videos
Spanish–American War
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia "..was a conflict in 1898 between Spain and the United States. It ultimately ended with the Americans defeating the Spaniards.[6] Revolts against Spanish rule had been endemic for decades in Cuba and were closely watched by Americans; there had been war scares before, as in the Virginius Affair in 1873. By 1897–98, American public opinion grew angrier at reports of Spanish atrocities. After the mysterious sinking of the American battleship Maine in Havana harbor, political pressures from the Democratic Party pushed the government of President William McKinley, a Republican, into a war McKinley had wished to avoid.[7] Compromise proved impossible, resulting in an ultimatum sent to Madrid demanding it relinquish control of Cuba immediately, which was not accepted. First Madrid, then Washington, formally declared war.[8]
Historical background
American interest in Caribbean
In 1823, the Monroe Doctrine stated that further efforts by European governments to colonize land or interfere with states in the Americas would not be accepted by the U.S., but Spain's colony in Cuba was exempted. In 1890, Captain Alfred Thayer Mahan wrote The Influence of Sea Power upon History, which credits the rise of Britain to world power to the Royal Navy. Mahan’s ideas on projecting strength through a strong navy had a powerful worldwide influence. Theodore Roosevelt, later Assistant Secretary of the Navy under President McKinley and an aggressive supporter of a war with Spain over Cuba, was also strongly influenced by Mahan’s conclusions. Americans had long been interested in Cuba (and Hawaii), since several U.S. presidents offered to purchase it from Spain (James Polk, Franklin Pierce and Ulysses S. Grant), and others expressed their hopes of future annexation.[14] However, there was still very little attention paid to the Philippines, Guam or Puerto Rico.[15]
Historians debate how much Americans were interested in obtaining an empire, while noting that the European powers had in recent decades dramatically expanded their empires, especially in Africa and Asia.[16]"
USS Maine
The sunken USS Maine
"
Eleven days after the Cuban autonomous government took power, a small riot erupted in Havana. The riot was thought to be ignited by Spanish officers who were offended by the persistent newspaper criticism of General Valeriano Weyler’s policies.[27] McKinley sent the USS Maine to Havana to ensure the safety of American citizens and interests. The need for the U.S. to send Maine to Havana had been anticipated for months, but the Spanish government was notified just 18 hours before its arrival, which was contrary to diplomatic convention. Preparations for the possible conflict started in October 1897, when President McKinley made arrangements for Maine to be deployed to Key West, Florida,[27] as a part of a larger, global deployment of U.S. naval power to be able to attack simultaneously on several fronts if the war was not avoided. As Maine left Florida, a large part of the North Atlantic Squadron was moved to Key West and the Gulf of Mexico. Additionally, others were moved just off shore of Lisbon. And still others were moved to Hong Kong.[28]
At 9:40 pm on February 15, Maine sank in the harbor after suffering a massive explosion. While McKinley preached patience, the news of the explosion and the death of 266 sailors stirred popular American opinion into demanding a swift belligerent response. McKinley requested that Congress appropriate 50 million dollars for defense, and Congress unanimously obliged. Most American leaders took the position that the cause of the explosion was unknown, but public attention was now riveted on the situation and Spain was unable to find a diplomatic solution to avoid war. It appealed to the European powers; all of whom advised Spain to back down and avoid war.
The U.S. Navy’s investigation, made public on March 28, concluded that the ship’s powder magazines were ignited when an external explosion was set off under the ship’s hull. This report poured fuel on popular indignation in the U.S., making the war inevitable.[29] Spain’s investigation came to the opposite conclusion: that the explosion originated within the ship. Other investigations in later years came to various contradictory conclusions, but had no bearing on the coming of the war. In 1974, Admiral Hyman George Rickover had his staff look at the documents and concluded there was an internal explosion. A study commissioned by the National Geographic magazine in 1999, using AME computer modelling, stated that the explosion could have been caused by a mine, but no definitive evidence was found
The explosion of the Maine
"USS Maine (ACR-1) was the United States Navy's second commissioned pre-dreadnought battleship, although she was originally classified as an armored cruiser. She is best known for her catastrophic loss in Havana harbor. Maine had been sent to Havana, Cuba to protect U.S. interests during the Cuban revolt against Spain. On the evening of 15 February 1898, she suddenly exploded, and swiftly sank, killing nearly three quarters of her crew. Though then, as now, the cause and responsibility for her sinking were unclear; popular opinion in the U.S. blamed Spain, and the sinking (popularized in the phrase Remember the Maine, to Hell with Spain!) was one of the precipitating events of the Spanish--American War. Her sinking remains the subject of speculation, with various authors proposing that she sank due to the results of an undetected fire in one of her coal bunkers, that she was the victim of a naval mine,[3] and that she was deliberately sunk for the purposes of driving the U.S. into a war with Spain. The cause of the explosion that sank the ship remains a mystery"
Pacific Theater
[edit] Philippines "...
On 13 August, with American commanders unaware that a cease-fire had been signed between Spain and the U.S. on the previous day, American forces captured the city of Manila from the Spanish.[47][48] This battle marked the end of Filipino-American collaboration, as the American action of preventing Filipino forces from entering the captured city of Manila was deeply resented by the Filipinos. This later led to the Philippine–American War,[49] which would prove to be more deadly and costly than the Spanish–American War.
*see GoodnewsEverybody.com Asian-Filipino, Pinoy/Pinay, Balikbayan, etc.. of Philippines Outreach
Spanish American War the Philippines and Filipino Genocide1
Spanish American War the Philippines and Filipino Genocide 4, from youtube.com
*see Women Spanish American War the Philippines and Filipino Genocide 5 , from youtube.com
*see Moro Rebellion
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia "
The Moro Rebellion (1899–1913) was an armed military conflict between Muslim Filipino revolutionary groups and the United States military which took place in the Philippines between 1899 to 1913, following the Spanish-American War in 1898. The word "Moro" was a term for Muslims who lived in the southern Philippines, an area that includes Mindanao and its neighbouring islands. The Moro Rebellion is referred to as the second phase of the Philippine-American War. Modern Muslim rebels of the southern Philippines see the Moro Rebellion as a continuing struggle against foreign rule...
"The Spanish-American War Centennial's photo of the Maine, photos of pieces ... The navy conducted an investigation into the cause of the disaster, but it ..
"...A minor revolt in Cuba against the Spanish colonial government provided a colorful topic. For months now the papers had been painting in lurid detail the horrors of Cuban life under oppressive Spanish rule. The Spanish had confined many Cubans to concentration camps. The press called them "death camps." Wild stories with screaming headlines -- Spanish Cannibalism, Inhuman Torture, Amazon Warriors Fight For Rebels -- flooded the newsstands. Newspapers sent hundreds of reporters, artists, and photographers south to recount Spanish atrocities. The correspondents, including such notables as author Stephen Crane and artist Frederick Remington, found little to report on when they arrived.
"There is no war," Remington wrote to his boss. "Request to be recalled."
in the 1890s Remington's boss, William Randolph Hearst, sent a cable in reply: "Please remain. You furnish the pictures, I'll furnish the war." Hearst was true to his word. For weeks after the Maine disaster, the Journal devoted more than eight pages a day to the story. Not to be outdone, other papers followed Hearst's lead. Hundreds of editorials demanded that the Maine and American honor be avenged. Many Americans agreed. Soon a rallying cry could be heard everywhere -- in the papers, on the streets, and in the halls of Congress: "Remember the Maine! To hell with Spain."
*seeGoodnewsEverybody.com Issues- Bad News, Media, Negativity, Pessimistic, etc...
"BAGHDAD -The sound of a banjo bounces out the door of the coffee shop at Camp Victory in Baghdad, Iraq. Before you know it, the familiar tune of "Rocky Top" fills the air.
Every Sunday morning soldiers, airmen and marines make their way to Green Beans Cafe for a cup of joe and a chance to escape the chaos of living in a combat zone.
A little more than a year ago, Southern Baptist chaplain Jeff Houston and Lt. Col. Greg Rawlings, both with the XVIII Airborne from Fort Bragg, North Carolina, discovered a mutual love for bluegrass and decided to start a band. One by one they added instruments � first a banjo, then a mandolin, next a bass and finally a fiddle. The Baghdad Bad Boys were born.
Rawlings, chief of Multi-National Corps�Iraq C3 Force Management Division, said it all started with an opportunity to sit down with other musicians and create music together. The group began meeting on Friday evenings for a couple of hours in the mini-chapel at the MNC�I (Multi-National Corps � Iraq) chaplain's office.
The next thing they knew they were invited to entertain patrons of Green Beans Cafe, the military's version of Starbucks. Every Sunday, they entertain the troops as they sip their latt�s and cappuccinos with bluegrass standards � "Rocky Top," "Seven Bridges Road" and "Salty Dog Blues."
For a couple of hours each week, the band and those around them are transported out of the desert to a simpler time and place. Sitting in the coffee shop, you'd never know that a combat zone is just 800 meters away, where the enemy reminds the troops of their presence with an occasional mortar round.
"This is our therapy," Rawlings said, only half-joking. "The object is to knock the dust off our boots and go back to North Carolina for a couple of hours."
Houston calls it "a great time of fellowship. The few hours we play together helps us get through the week."
The group is always changing as individual deployments end and new ones begin, the chaplain said. And new players are always welcome, from beginners to virtuosos.
Houston started playing bluegrass at Southwest Baptist University in Bolivar, Mo., where he studied music and religion. Before he became a chaplain, Houston served 15 years as minister of music in several Southern Baptist churches in Missouri.
"Every tour is different," he said. "Some tours I may do a lot of counseling sessions with soldiers. This tour I've been able to use music as a ministry. The role God has guided me to is leading worship at our Protestant chapel service."
When Houston arrived at Camp Victory, the service had no music, except for the occasional a cappella hymn. He was able to pull together musicians and singers to help lead that congregation in worship.
Those four musicians, Chaplain Houston, Lt. Col. Rawlings, Chaplain (Lt. Col.) Mike Charles and Maj. Steve Howell, make up The Righteous Arm of the Baghdad Bad Boys. For more than a year the soothing sounds of guitar, banjo and mandolin and familiar tunes have lifted spirits at Hope Chapel.
A soldier recently stopped Houston in the chow hall and said, "I've really been blessed each week to come and worship at Mayberry" � a fitting reference to their distinct musical style.
"It's been a great ministry experience," Houston said. "The stress of deployment puts you in a situation that taxes all of your resources � physical, mental, emotional, spiritual. The challenge for soldiers is to keep going through that long deployment."
One of the chaplains' roles is to help soldiers find avenues to help focus their energy somewhere besides the war, like playing music.
"Meeting Lt. Col. Rawlings and playing music with him has been a blessing to me," Houston said. "Here's a Southern Baptist layperson who's using his gifts to serve God during his deployment."
Rawlings, a member of Beulah Hill Baptist Church in West End, N.C., also studied music in college. "At 18, I thought I wanted to be a minister of music," Rawlings said.
But God had other plans. Rawlings entered the ROTC program at Truett-McConnell College as a means to pay for school. The military training stuck, and so did the music.
As the military moved Rawlings and his family from base to base, God allowed him to use his gifts filling in as an assistant or minister of music at churches without a full-time music minister. "God still gets it out of me."
Back at the coffee shop, Staff Sgt. Johnny Alvarez switches out harmonicas for the next tune. Rawlings, who plays guitar, banjo and mandolin, was the one who discovered the young harmonica player.
"I walked out of my CHU [combat housing unit] one day and heard a harmonica," Rawlings said. "I looked over and there was Johnny playing to the ducks."
A quick study in bluegrass, Alvarez no longer plays for waterfowl. He's a full-fledged member of the B3.
Like most bluegrass musicians, their dream is to play at the Grand Ole Opry someday.
Around the room, worn, dusty combat boots tap to the beat. It might not be the Opry, but the audience at Camp Victory couldn't be more appreciative of their performance.
The Baghdad Bad Boys wind down their set with a rousing version of "Rocky Top." Folks join in on the chorus whether they're from Tennessee or not, each thinking of a place back home."
"ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (ANS) -- Since July 2008, Albuquerque-based Faith Comes By Hearing, an audio Bible ministry, has sent more than 7,600 audio New Testament listening devices to military chaplains around the world.
According to a news release, ministry leaders at Faith Comes By Hearing specially designed the Military Bible Stick to encourage America�s military. ...
Faith Comes by Hearing reported that since July, more than 70 chaplains have requested these Audio Bibles. By Dec. 2008, the ministry expects to have shipped nearly 10,000 Military Bible Sticks to chaplains from all branches of the U.S. military.
For more information go to www.faithcomesbyhearing.com "
"..Individual soldiers can also be sponsored through Treats for Troops. Soldiers may be selected by home state, branch of service, gender or area of deployment. Many soldiers have created online profiles to help make shopping for them easier.
Whichever method of support they choose, participants can create a personal message to go with your package, and get a personal thank you back from the soldier they sponsor.
For more information on how to send a holiday support package to troops, visit www.treatsfortroops.com.
Army accused of covering up mistakes in Afghan battle
Editor's note: Watch part 2 of Drew Griffin's report here
By Drew Griffin and Jessi Joseph, CNN Special Investigative Unit March 25th, 2011
09:51 AM ET afghanistan.blogs.cnn.com
"
It will go down in history as one of the U.S. military's worst battles in Afghanistan. And according to the families of the soldiers who died there, the history written by the U.S. Army is biased and inaccurate.
Relatives of those killed in Wanat, at a combat outpost in the rugged mountains of northeastern Afghanistan, say the Army is covering up mistakes made by the dead mens' commanders and placing blame on a junior officer who was simply following orders.
The 9 who died at Wanat
"My personal opinion is that the Army is trying to protect their institution," said Dave Brostrom, the father of 1st Lt. Jonathan Brostrom, who was killed in the battle. "It’s a lot easier to blame a dead lieutenant than it is to blame the chain of command."
The July 13, 2008 battle at Wanat, near the Pakistani frontier, was one of the bloodiest since the Afghan war began in 2001. A U.S. force of 49, plus 24 Afghan troops, desperately fought off an attack by some 200 Taliban fighters, calling in air strikes barely 30 feet from their own positions during the struggle.
The platoon, in close combat with Taliban fighters, repelled the enemy after nearly four hours of intense fire at a cost of nine Americans dead and 27 wounded.
A military investigation that followed, led by Marine Lt. General Richard Natonski, blamed the deaths in part on dereliction of duty by superior officers of the 173rd Airborne Brigade and called for career-ending reprimands for company, battalion and brigade commanders up the chain.
Those recommendations were approved by Gen. David Petraeus, then chief of U.S. Central Command, which oversees American forces in the Middle East and Afghanistan.
Army Secretary James McHugh then tasked Gen. Charles Campbell, the chief of the Army's Forces Command at the time, with reviewing Natonski’s investigation and taking appropriate action regarding the recommended letters of reprimand. After reviewing Natonski’s investigation and meeting with the chain of command, Gen. Campbell concluded that the officers were neither negligent nor derelict and rescinded the letters of reprimand.
Then the Army published their study of the battle – which, according to Dave Brostrom, put a large part of the blame on his son, who commanded the airborne infantry platoon at Wanat.
That report by the Army's Combat Studies Institute is now the official history of the battle, and Brostrom - a retired lieutenant colonel who is about to send his second son into the service – says the report needs to be re-written.
>
Up until the day of the battle, Brostrom said, his son was sending warnings up his chain of command that things were not well in Wanat...
...
Vietnam War through O'Brien's The Things They Carried
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: What really happened
"A brief overview of history"
LBJ Admits Murder of Diem
"If I were Nuri al-Maliki, I'd be more than a little concerned that George Bush is starting to draw lessons from the Vietnam War for the current conflict in Iraq. In the early part of the Vietnam War Ngo Dinh Diem was "our man in Saigon" but by late '62 he was viewed as ineffective by many in the U.S. and a liability by the White House, more or less the way Maliki is now. Diem's fate has important health implications for Maliki. The White House had him murdered.
It is a rare thing to actually hear a U.S. President actually admit to participation in murder, but that is eactly what President Lyndon Johnson does in a very frank 1966 discussion with Eugene Carthy:"
Vietnam War - The Impact of Media
"Project Camelot interviews David Corso with Duncan O'Finioan
http://projectcamelot.org/duncan_o_finioan.html
We interviewed Dave Corso at his home in Pahrump, Nevada, together with Duncan O'Finioan, one of PROJECT TALENT'S 'Ultimate Warriors'. Both were participants in what has been dubbed by some by some the military's 'spook soldier' program.
These unconventional friends have a similar background involving covert operations in Vietnam, an unacknowledged military base off the island of St Thomas, and ongoing symptoms of PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder). Both also suffer from recurring nightmares... and both have found themselves drawing the blinds and sitting in the dark with a loaded gun, waiting for the possibility of a threat on the other side of the door.
To contact Bill Ryan or Kerry Cassidy, please e-mail us at support@projectcamelot.org."
The TFHC Interview: Bob Kane - Ministry Videos
"Bob Kane, a graduate of The Father's House Church's Life Recovery Ministries program, considers The Father's House home. A veteran of the Vietnam War and a former P.O.W., Bob has a very powerful testimony of redemption and change. It is Bob's hope that
his testimony will help any veterans who are struggling with drugs, alcohol and feeling accepted. This video is also available as an iPod-friendly video podcast. Just go to our website ( http://www.tfhc-oroville.org">http://www.tfhc-oroville.org ), or find us in iTunes. For more information
on The Father's House Church, please visit our website - http://www.tfhc-oroville.org">http://www.tfhc-oroville.org - or our Facebook group - http://www.facebook.com/pages/Oroville-CA/The-Fathers-House/27134208326 ."
One Soldier's Encounter With The Afterlife - Today's Christian Videos
"Veteran soldier Paul Hughes was raised in a home filled with alcoholism and violence, lived inside a violent motorcycle gang and was in and out of jail. He survived a near death experience in ravaged jungles and bloodsoaked battlefields of Vietnam. Listen
to his amazing story on Morris Cerullo Helpline!"
"It's very hard to imagine that our government would be willing to stage a fake terrorist attack in order to go to war with another country. Well, it's not that hard to imagine when you realize that back in the 1960s our government was ready to pull off a 9/11 type event in order to attack Cuba.
In his exposé of the National Security Agency entitled Body of Secrets, author James Bamford highlights a set of proposals on Cuba by the Joint Chiefs of Staff codenamed OPERATION NORTHWOODS.
This document, titled "Justification for U.S. Military Intervention in Cuba" was provided by the JCS to Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara on March 13, 1962, as the key component of Northwoods. Written in response to a request from the Chief of the Cuba Project, Col. Edward Lansdale, the Top Secret memorandum describes U.S. plans to covertly engineer various pretexts that would justify a U.S. invasion of Cuba.
These proposals - part of a secret anti-Castro program known as Operation Mongoose - included staging the assassinations of Cubans living in the United States, developing a fake "Communist Cuban terror campaign in the Miami area, in other Florida cities and even in Washington," including "sinking a boatload of Cuban refugees (real or simulated)," faking a Cuban airforce attack on a civilian jetliner, and concocting a "Remember the Maine" incident by blowing up a U.S. ship in Cuban waters and then blaming the incident on Cuban sabotage.
Bamford himself writes that Operation Northwoods "may be the most corrupt plan ever created by the U.S. government.""
MIDDLE EAST
The Plan -- according to U.S. General Wesley Clark (Ret.)
"Uploaded by RBoon on Mar 17, 2007
In an interview with Amy Goodman on March 2, 2007, U.S. General Wesley Clark (Ret.), explains that the Bush Administration planned to take out 7 countries in 5 years: Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, Lybia, Somalia, Sudan, Iran
"
Iraq
-Prayer FDR's D-Day Prayer, from Godtube.com "Recorded audio from the original June 6, 1944 radio broadcast. This was President Franklin D. Roosevelt's prayer for American victory and for the protection of U.S. forces abroad. Now set to imagery of U.S. soldiers in action"
The Iraq War: Legal or Illegal?
"Pinky wants some answers: Is the U.S.-led invasion and occupation of Iraq legal or illegal? Do any of the charges of illegality we've been hearing about have any legal basis at all? And why should we even care about international law anyway? Pinky and friends do the research and then tell you all the answers!"
"The first time I met Spc. Shane Parham, his face was wrinkled with sadness. Beads of sweat met Iraqi dust and curved down his sunburned skin like the swampy Alcovy River in his native Georgia.
He was in the checkout line at Baghdad's Camp Striker commissary, only two months into his Iraq tour. But already, he'd witnessed war's brutality.
I thought of that first meeting recently as I peered at Parham through a 2-inch thick slab of glass in a prison visitation booth. The cinder-block walls, drab like the Iraqi desert, closed in on him.
Gone was his Army uniform. Instead, he wore tan prison garb, his hands bound in cuffs. His nails were long, his beard scraggly. He was not allowed to trim or shave for fear he might turn sharp instruments against himself, though he had once been chosen to man an M203 grenade launcher.
Tears trickled out of his tired blue eyes, no longer bright and full of promise.
He was a hero, honored by the governor of Georgia. Now the former sheriff's deputy was sharing quarters with thieves, addicts, even murderers....
He'd arrived in Iraq ready to fight, heady with adrenaline. But now, four of his friends were dead.
At first, he couldn't even talk about what had happened. But in time, he would unload his tale of loss, sitting in a tent with head in hands, struggling for words to describe the unspeakable.
I knew it would be a long time before he healed. But neither of us could have predicted he would end up behind bars.
His yearlong tour cut short by injury, Parham only served seven months in Iraq. But, as he learned, it's not the length of time at war that can change a man, but what he experiences.
He came back to tiny Social Circle, Georgia, and tried to restart life, like the 2.2 million others who've returned from Iraq and Afghanistan. Of those, 43,000 came home without limbs or with other physical wounds, according to icasualties.org, which tracks combat deaths and injuries. One in five struggles on the inside.
They come back scarred by hidden wounds, such as post-traumatic stress disorder and traumatic brain injury. They fight the war on a second front, in the cities and homes of America.
A Department of Defense task force last year acknowledged the enormous physical and psychological demands placed on service members in two of America's longest-running wars. The group reported that more than 1,100 members of the armed forces took their own lives between 2005 and 2009, though it's not clear how many had been deployed. But the number represents an average of one suicide every 36 hours.
There are no definitive statistics on how many soldiers wind up in court because of their troubles. But the anecdotal evidence is strong: From New York to California, from Colorado to Georgia, veterans of Afghanistan and Iraq have been charged with crimes as serious as murder.
The re-entry counseling now required of returning soldiers warns that alcohol and drug abuse and domestic violence are precursors of even more dangerous behavior, especially when support systems erode.
But for many veterans, like Parham, the warnings aren't enough.
In Iraq, he could not come to terms with what he had seen and done. In Georgia, he could not stop thinking about it.
"I just got so twisted up. I was angry and too embarrassed to ask for help," he said from the other side of the visitation window.
Six years ago, I had watched him gear up in full battle rattle. He looked menacing with grenades and ammo hanging from his flak jacket and night vision goggles strapped to his helmet. He climbed up into the gunner's hatch of his Humvee as his platoon rolled out in the darkness of night.
Every time, the soldiers prayed before leaving Camp Striker. They never knew what lay ahead, whether they would live or die.
Now, Parham, 35, rose from his metal seat at the Newton County Detention Center to return to a jail cell the size of a pickup bed. Here, too, he did not know what lay ahead. He didn't know whether he would survive an enemy within.
Six days, and eight dead
It was late July 2005, and the Baghdad summer was melting even the hardiest Georgia boys.
Parham and his friend, Sgt. Bill Jones, waited ahead of me in a slow-moving cashier line at the Camp Striker PX. We had just come back from a practice run for a memorial ceremony for four soldiers killed July 24 by a massive bomb hidden in the road.
I recognized Parham from the honor guard. His commanders picked him for that solemn duty because of his experience as a sheriff's deputy in Walton County, Georgia. "I'd like to talk to you about what happened," I said tapping him on the shoulder. "Did you know the four guys who were killed?"
He said they were all from his platoon. Then, he whipped out a small notebook and an all-weather Army pen and took note of the number of my tent: 535. It was one of hundreds that dotted Striker, a transient camp adjacent to the Baghdad airport and home to the 48th Infantry Brigade.
The Georgia guardsmen had not seen combat since World War II. But in the Iraq war, with no military draft in place, the citizen soldiers of the National Guard were heavily relied upon. Many were like Parham -- law enforcement officers whom the U.S. Army considered perfectly suited for a war in which counterinsurgency operations meant mixing with the local population to develop trust, just as police do in the United States.
Parham had policing and patriotism pulsing through his veins. His father served in Vietnam, then made a career as an Atlanta policeman. His grandfather fought in World War II....
The firefight at Al Salam that day went on for an hour, though it felt endless to Alpha Company. Shots rang out from every corner of the village, even from the mosque minaret.
All Parham could hear was that familiar snapping sound of bullets. All he could see was the dirt flying off the ground.
Parham fired a lot of rounds. Everyone did. The soldiers were convinced the insurgents were using women and children as shields.
"Imshi! Imshi" Parham shouted to a woman in Arabic, meaning "get back."
Hamerla was trying to get more ammo from his Humvee when he got caught in the fire. He dropped his rifle and hugged the dirt.
"Hammer!" Parham yelled.
Desperate, Parham took out his grenade launcher and lobbed a lethal round to a rooftop where snipers were taking aim at his squad. Everything went quiet. The shooting stopped.
Hammer was OK. So were the rest of the guys.
Parham holds his daughter Bailey in a photo taken while he was a sheriff's deputy. Later, in Iraq, he would say he hoped his kids would one day know those of his enemies.
When Alpha Company soldiers emerged from their positions and checked out the damage, Parham asked those clearing the rooftop if they saw any women or children.
The painful answer devastated him.
"Thou Shalt Not Kill." It's in the Bible. Parham believed he had killed the innocent, that he had taken something precious from another man.
He thought of his own wife and daughters. He did not know it then, but soon he would see his family. The reunion would take place with Iraq still raging in his head.
"Whether or not you agree with our current foreign policy, it is important we all support the brave men and women serving in the U.S. Military. You may not be sure what to do, how to help, or how to get started. These 101 ideas are offered to help propel you to get started and then guide you as you move forward. Be sure to watch our exclusive flash movie called a Special Tribute at www.A-Special-Tribute.com"
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