8 posts tagged “victory”
The Chosen One is in Iraq on a "fact-finding" election campaign. Lets face it, this is a campagin tour. No one with any sense doubts that for a moment. You have fawning MSM anchors practically kissing the ground and Katie Couric ready to climax over this wet-behind the ears socialist who has ZERO foreign policy and military experience.
He keeps saying we need to end the war. Not WIN the war, end the war. So what is his problem? Is victory such a bad thing? Has some playground incident in his past jaded him against winning? We all know the politically correct crowd on the left has problems with competitive sports. They've succeeded in banning dodge ball, t-ball, and spelling bees, because someone has to win and someone has to lose, and we all know thats bad for self-esteem. Teachers can no longer use red ink to mark wrong answers on tests or grade term papers. God forbid they tell a student to re-write a sentence that doesn't make any sense.
If the messiah is so dead set against giving the Iraqis the same chance for self-determination we have, then why not just say so? That would be a refreshing change.
It's OK to win. It really is. No seriously. The men and women doing the work in Iraq and Afghanistan, taking the rounds, enduring the heat, the seperation from family, would certainly benefit from being told they are winner, because, when it all comes down to where the metal meets the meat, they are winners.
Every one of them.
People ask me that when I tell them I am pro-victory, pro-mission, pro-troop I qualify the response with the admonition that I am not pro-war, as the more extreme elements of the rabid left have called us. No one I know is pro-war, especially veterans. I’d love to see the entire world living in harmony, drinking hot chocolate and eating S’mores around the campfire. You can forget the Kumbiya though. I really have grown to dislike that song and besides, I don’t sing. The last time I sung, animal control showed up asking about cats being tortured.
I’ve heard politicians say victory is not possible. I’ve heard military personnel say victory is possible, we just need to maintain the current staus quo and wear them down. I’ve heard others, including military personnel, say we have already won, and now we’re providing security so the Iraqi’s can build their own system. I’m in the last group, but I tend to accept the second groups mindset, in that we will be fighting this menace for a long, long time.
True victory means the troops get to come home. Victory means the Iraqi people no longer live in fear of homicide bombers or VBIEDS in marketplaces or IED’s/EFP’s on the roads. It means the terrorists who perpetrate these horrendous acts are silenced and hopefully, gone. It will mean women can attend school in Afghanistan without fear of being dragged into the street and murdered or worse. It will mean the peaceful Muslims, the ones who simply want to live their lives, practice their faith, and raise their children as we do, will be able to do just that. It will mean that the water wells, the treatment plants, the oil pipelines function everyday, providing clean water for irrigation and drinking and a source of income for the Iraqis.
Will there ever be a time when we no longer fear the random islamofascist nutjob following the teachings of a manical pedophile, in search of eternal life and his 72 virgins? Will there come a day when we can board a plane without being treated like drug smugglers or worse? Will it happen in our lifetime? I hope so, but I doubt it. My great grandchildren will probably see this, unless you subscribe to the Mayan timetable.
A longer video of Medal of Honor nominee Staff Sergeant David Bellavia. This is a campaign speech if I ever heard one.
and still more GOOD NEWS just keeps on coming. If you've watched the video you saw SSgt David Bellavia (bell-a-via), Medal of Honor nominee, just tearing the room up. A natural if I ever saw one. What a speaker!!! My first thought was, "This guy should run for Congress".
Well, according to my fieind Rochester Veteran, that will happen. RV is reporting that SSgt Bellavia will run for the seat being vacated by Tom Reynolds. Now how cool is that?!?!?! OOOOOOOOOORAHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!
Friends, these men are our next Greatest Generation, and their continued service and deication to our Nation must be promoted and shouted from the rooftops.
These guys don't brag about about body counts or kill ratios. They don't have to. They honor their comrades and diminsh their own efforts as simply doing their job. They are the definition of decency, the embodiment of excellence and the meaning of honor.
These men are my heroes.
Last year we were standing in frozem mud, which turned to slush as the temperature rose to just above freezing. Last year we stood on the sidewalks and screamed at the moonbats and assclown posse as they called our troops war criminals and murderers and spit on some of our members.
What a difference a year makes. 366 days. 52.4 weeks.
Well, this year, we did it a little differently. This year we took the street and showed the world what true patriotism looks like.
My very good friend Katie O'Malley has some observations on the weekend's festivities. Please leave a comment, and I'll have more on this later this evening, with some additional comments from This Ain't Hell.(but you can see it from here)
Jonn Lilyea from This Ain't Hell has some great pictures and commentary.
Ronald Winter, USMC and Viet Nam veteran acted as if meeting ME was the highlight of the day on Friday. He's actually got me linked on his blog. Now order his book, cause you'll love it.
Ladies and Gentlemen, for your viewing pleasure, I give you Eagles one year later:
Day 8:
Coop and I arrived just in time to catch the RTW RV as it was traveling to the step off point for the 8th day of the Resolve to Win Walk. I had dropped my vehicle at the VA/NC State line and rode with Coop. I was not prepared for the level of motivation displayed by these men and the people with them. I knew it was high; but when you experience it first-hand, it's truly inspirational.
These men had spent their lives in service to their country and retired to enjoy the benefits of the freedoms they had fought to preserve. They voluntarily returned to active duty and went to Iraq. What they saw there convinced them, in spite of news reports to the contrary, that we can win if only have the Reslove to Win. They didn't have to do this. They could have stayed home and enjoyed every minute of the rest of their lives and no one would have questioned it. Instead, they decided it was time to make a statement. It was time to show the American people, and the world, that America is a force for good and we need to win.
The Major runs a tight ship.
We stepped off promptly at 0730 with Gunny taking the Guidon, Major Heerup holding the American flag and just as promptly, it began to rain. Not too bad. The first leg of the walk was mildly uncomfortable, with intermittment rain squalls, but we had two young active duty Army recruiters on point and spirits were high. No way was I gonna go girly in front of these Warriors. I am a former Marine after all. I had prepared with rain gear, and knew I could handle just about anything short of a hurricaine or tornado.
I had emailed two morning radio shows about this event and had called in around 0630 to the Lee Brothers on WRVA.
I was informed that they would take my call at 0750. Coop is giving me five minute warnings as the clock ticked. Promptly at 0750 I made the call and was put right through. Scott Lee spoke to Major Heerup and emailed at 0759 to tell me that VNN had picked up the story.
I mentioned two morning shows didn't I? The second show was John Boy and Billy out of Charlotte. I never heard a response back from this one, and no one picked up the phone during the broadcast. I'm disappointed with these people and will let it be known just how disappointed I am shortly. They have always been good supporters of the troops in the past, but apparently, three retired Army officers just back from Iraq who decide to walk 400 miles to show their resolve that we can win this thing isn't worthy of their time. I would appreciate it if anyone reading this would take a minute and let them know how I feel as well.
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Our first stop came, and we rested for thirty minutes and stepped off again. I noticed a white SUV parked on the side and assumed it was a LEO waiting for us. As I walked past, I looked back and saw a license plate with 173DABN Sky Soldiers mounted on the front. Well, I wasn't going to walk past THIS vehicle without a question. Turned out to be the parents of two soldiers with the 2nd Battalion 508BCT. They had heard of the walk and brought two little ones with them and those are the pictures you see at the top of this post. They met us twice more during the walk and the video is Major McCool speaking to the parents at the VA/NC state line.
A little more rain, and now my feet are starting to bark. I have good boots; I never had a problem with my feet. Suddenly, I'm feeling pain where there usually isn't any. Shifting my weight from the ball to the heel helped; the burning on the bottom of my heels subsides and then it becomes a contest to see how long it takes to relieve the pain in my heels, versus the pain in my calves as I shift my weight.
I think the thing that impressed me most was the fact that Major Heerup and I share a common interest. Major Heerup is a structural engineer in civilian life. Because my job involves the construction of infrastructure, I had questions about the conditions in Iraq, and whether he had used his skills as an engineer during his deployment. We spoke about the conditions of the infrastructure in Iraq. He told me it was bad. Insurgents apparently do not appreciate the basic neccessities we here in America take for granted and really don't think about until they cease to function: clean water, waste water treatment, and power. Not only do the insurgents not appreciate them, they don't want anyone else to have them either. Major Heerup spoke of an incident where a WWTP (waste water treatment plant) had been repaired and put online. Within days, the insurgents had stripped and removed every piece of equipment, every run of wire, anything that could have been sold for scrap. Clean water is the basis of a civilized society. When you provide a clean sustainable source of clean water to any area, you can build from there. PRT's (Provincial Reconstruction Teams) are working daily in Iraq and Afghanistan to provide these people with the basic neccessiities and AQI and the Taliban are working just as hard to keep these people in the Dark Ages.
The left in this country don't seem to understand this fact either; and if they do, their actions make them culpable with the terrorists. They are either incredibly stupid or they are traitors.
The day ended for me at the VA/NC state line. Gunny and his wife Lori were impressed. Lori chastised me for not getting in the car with her for the last 1/2 mile. Fussed at me is more like it. She could tell I was hurting, and frankly, the thought had crossed my mind until I saw that Georgia-Pacific water tower in the distance. Thats in VA. Just across the line. From my position as "Tail-end Charlie" I called out to the group "Ya see that water tower? THAT'S IN VIRGINIA!!!"
I hurt in places I haven't hurt in since boot camp. I move like an old man this morning. But you know what, I'm going to join them again in Fairfax on Sunday and walk the last 16 miles with them.
You couldn't keep me away with a shotgun.
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| Tour Gathers Momentum - Progress in Iraq | ||||
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From our good friends at FreedomsWatch
Senator Carl Levin is again refusing to acknowledge the remarkable progress of our troops in Iraq: civilian causalities in Baghdad have decreased by 75%, over 70,000 Iraqis have joined Concerned Local Citizens Groups (CLC) and they are standing up and defeating extremists like al-Qaeda in Iraq.
Not surprisingly, Congressional Quarterly is reporting today that Senator Levin is planning to offer an amendment that expresses the “sense of Congress” that there should be a “change of mission” in Iraq. Yet every major news outlet is reporting the successes of the new counter insurgency strategy being implemented by General Petraeus – only a bitter partisan would turn a blind eye to these victories.
Senator Levin and other anti-war members of Congress are determined to ignore progress and use our troops for political gain. We can’t let that happen!
Please, write a letter or email your member of Congress today and tell them to vote NO on the Levin amendment that would recklessly urge General Petraeus to change his winning strategy in Iraq.
To find your member of Congress, visit www.FreedomsWatch.org and click on “Contact Officials.”
Unite for Victory!
Megan L. Ortagus
Iraq Project Manager, Freedom's Watch
by Tim Wilson
Those who oppose the war have taken up a number of slogans which they use with great success, mainly on the unthinking, anti-American and anti-Bush brigades. Like all good propaganda, there is a large element of truth in those slogans, but they miss, ignore or slant the full truth. The main slogan in use is “Support the Troops – End the War”. That is hard to counter, but misses the point and should be phrased “Support the Troops – End the War by Winning”.
3,892 casualties are a truly sad loss, especially when they consist of those who are patriotic enough to volunteer to serve their country at the risk of their lives. However the figure alone does not tell a complete story. Of those gallant 3,892, some 3,181 lost their lives as a result of hostile action while 711 were lost to accidents including vehicle crashes. During the same (almost) 5 years in the USA approximately 200,000 people were killed in road accidents. Additionally about 82,000 people were murdered. Perhaps the surrender monkeys in Congress should focus their energies on saving American lives here in the USA by dealing with these problems rather than an issue which has so much effect on our global influence for good.
read the rest here
