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Welcome to the Dawn Patrol, our daily roundup of information on the War on Terror and other topics - from the MilBlogs and other sources around the world. If you're a blogger, you can join the conversation. If you link to any of these stories, add a link to the Dawn Patrol too and your trackback will be added to the list.
Baghdad: Update on the Security Situation in the International Zone -- [Counterterrorism Blog - Daveed Gartenstein-Ross - in Iraq]
Shortly after arriving in Iraq, I blogged about the worsening security situation in the International Zone (IZ, also sometimes known as the "green zone"). In criticizing the media's coverage of the increase in mortar attacks against the IZ, I noted that the press has failed to answer some basic questions: "has there been an increase in attacks, or just an increase in their lethality? When did the IZ begin to see the increase in lethal mortar strikes? Are they being carried out by Sunnis are Shias? What is motivating these attacks?" At the time I wrote that, my sources in the IZ were unable to answer all of these relevant questions -- but a recent briefing by Major Brynt Parmeter has helped to clarify these critical questions for me.
Maliki;US Troop Surge Working. -- [barnesy]
Podcast with Military.com -- [The Fourth Rail]
Last Friday, I has a discussion with Ward Carroll, the editor of Military.com. We discussed the situation in Iraq, the status of the Baghdad Security Plan, media reporting on Iraq, the political situation in the U.S. on Iraq, the question whether al Qaeda is spreading beyond Iraq into the greater Middle East, and the development of U.S. intelligence capabilities in the Sunni community. You can listen to the podcast here.
Kharmah Awakens -- [Outside the Wire - in Iraq]
Tuesday, 29 May 2007 -"In fact, there is a civil war in progress in Iraq, one comparable in important respects to other civil wars that have occurred in postcolonial states with weak institutions. Those cases suggest that the Bush administration's political objective in Iraq--creating a stable, peaceful, somewhat democratic regime that can survive the departure of U.S. troops--is unrealistic." Professor James D. Fearon, writing in the March/April edition of Foreign Affairs.
There is one problem with Professor Fearon's thesis--the facts on the ground that I am seeing right now and that he has not seen in person or not seen recently.
From inside the surge. -- [John of Argghhh!]
A report from one of the guys doing what the "stay behinds" will do if the pullout occurs as the Dems mutter about and even the President is talking about.
We are back in the palace, waiting patiently in the entry hall. A worker is mopping the Italian marble floors which reflect the dim light of an enormous chandelier that hangs from a carved Moroccan ceiling three stories above us. We have been moved around from one side of the chamber to another twice already, photographers and assistants trying to figure out the right location for the ceremony.
The 82nd Airborne In Iraq - [Darock ]
SECRET CELL LEADER DETAINED -- [MNF-I]
BAGHDAD, Iraq – Coalition Forces detained five suspected terrorists and one suspected cell leader Wednesday morning during raids in Sadr City.
The individuals detained during the raid are believed to be members of the secret cell terrorist network known for facilitating the transport of weapons and explosively formed penetrators, or EFPs, from Iran to Iraq, as well as bringing militants from Iraq to Iran for terrorist training.
Intelligence reports indicate the cell leader that was targeted and detained during the morning’s operation is suspected of being a key weapons trafficker to include the trafficking of small arms, mortars and other munitions.
Iraqi government in talks with the King of Clubs -- [Jihad Watch]
"For reconciliation between the government and this political wing." Hmm. Evidently they have forgotten, or no longer care, how it was that the government and this political wing became estranged in the first place.
"Iraq: Government in talks with former Saddam deputy," from AKI, with thanks to Sr. Soph:
Patience -- [Jason's Iraq Vacation - in Iraq]
...So far, working with the Iraqi’s has been a really unique experience. My limited Arabic has progressed more in the past 4 days then it did in 4 months at Ft. Riley. The same can be said for my understanding of their culture. Iraqi’s are eternally polite, and I say that without exaggeration. Honor is probably one of the most important things to them, so they would never try to make someone feel ashamed. They are always saying hello mister, or thank you captain. In fact they usually say both of those things, even if they don’t apply at all (like when we say “goodbye”, they will say “thank you mister, hello”)! Many of the Iraqi’s here speak very limited English, and if there is no interpreter around conversations involve a lot of hand gestures and strained usage of limited vocabularies.
minor luxeries -- [Making the Leap... - in Iraq]
After PT, I'm covered in a layer of sweat -- like always -- and the only thing I could think about is a nice warm shower and a nap before work. Grabbed the essentials, and headed back to the latrines. No water. None. Couldn't flush the toilets, couldn't brush your teeth, couldn't take a proper shower. There was no way I was going to climb back into bed without a shower.
But the other females were in the shower stalls, drying off, getting dressed. I could hear water. How in the world...? Then I saw it, sticking out from behind a shower curtain. Water bottles. The big one and a half liter water bottles. Okay, fine, I can do that. ...
Weapons caches point to Iran -- [The Guardian - Tom Coghlan - in Kabul]
Explosive devices similar to those supplied by Iran to militant groups in Iraq have been found for the first time in Afghanistan.
As concern mounts in Kabul over Iranian ambitions in the region, The Daily Telegraph has learned that three Explosively Formed Projectile (EFP) devices have been found by Nato in Taliban weapons caches in the west of Afghanistan in recent weeks.
EFPs, a form of shaped charge, are used in devastating roadside bombs that have been able to defeat even the best Western tanks and armoured personnel carriers in Iraq.
They work by concentrating the explosive force of the device through a machine-turned concave copper plate, which is projected as a molten missile through the side of the targeted vehicle.
Week 19--Progress -- [Richard's Deployment - in Afghanistan]
Well, progess continues on the hospital. Some major milestones were passed in the last few days. The hospital in now tied in to the main water lines for the FOB.
How I Insulted Local Officials -- [A Year in Afghanistan - NGO Worker in Afghanistan]
...Working on a military base, there are always security procedures for visitors. These vary according to the visitor, but for people we know well we can make the entry procedures faster and the searches less intrusive. So I showed up at the camp entrance to greet my 2 visitors -- and instead there were 8. The message in the phone call had been completely garbled. (See last post on the need for a good interpreter.) I had made the preparations to expedite the entry of 2 visitors, but I had not filed the papers necessary to expedite the whole group. I apologized for the miscommunication, and told them they were welcome, but the full search procedures would be required.
Traveling Home -- [Casa Suescun - in Afghanistan]
...As an aside – this was a great deployment for me from a professional standpoint. Thinking back you realize that you go to Medical School and then do a Surgery Residency and think you are going to make a difference in people’s lives and, on a small scale, you do. But, here at Salerno you actually feel like it is true on a much bigger scale. It is no exaggeration to say that our small CSH is probably the most advanced Medical Center in the local province. Patients traveled from very far away to be seen at our facility. Aside from the mental challenge, making a difference in people’s lives and helping those less fortunate is why I (and many others) went into medicine in the first place.
Oregon's 41st Receives a Medal for Bravery Before Coming Home! -- [Flag Gazer]
Brigadier General Douglas A Pritt was awarded the State of Afghanistan's Medal of Bravery by Abdul Karim Kahili, Vice President of Afghanistan. the award was signed by President Hamid Karzai. Pritt was the commander of the Combined Joint Task Force Phoenix V whose mission was to train and mentor the Afghan National Security Forces.
"I am humbled to receive this award for bravery from the President of Afghanistan."
Palestinian "Missile" Fauxtography? (Updateded) -- [Jawa Report]
UPDATE 05/30/07 a.m: The incredibly lucky photog got a second photo of a "missile" on the same day.
The Seattle Times ran this as their "photo of the day". What's wrong with this picture? (Click for bigger pic)
Here is the caption from the Seattle Times: (PIC)
Palestinians run as a rocket falls at them during an Israeli air strike on the Hamas Executive Force building in Nusseirat refugee camp in the centre of the Gaza strip, Friday.
Er, pardon my skepticism here....but how fast does a "missile" travel anyway? Because, unless you're both really lucky and have an ultra-fast shutter speed, I'm guessing you're not going to be able to click off a picture of a "missile" miliseconds before it impacts.
...So, is this a case of a "doctored photo"?
Here's a close up of the "missile" from the largest version of the photo I could find, and which I've only blown up to about triple the original size.
...Notice the squarish pixelization around the "missile". Maybe some one who is better at digital photography or at Pshopping than me can explain that. Just an artifact of blowing it up? But the bluring around the "missile" can also be seen in the original, just sharper edges when you blow it up.
What No One Is Telling You About Our Talks With Iran -- [Par Dollard]
Watching the pundits discuss our historic meeting with Iran, you would have mostly heard despair at the notion that we have no leverage in these talks, and so therefor why would Iran give on anything? Why would they stop waging war against us in iraq if they have nothing to fear? To all the experts in the media, the whole thing seemed like some grand puzzlement. Was it just an attempt to appease the administration’s domestic critics who have been chiding it for not engaging in diplomacy ( a vaguery if there ever was one ) with the world’s top terrorist? No one you heard from could really quite grasp what was going on.
Crocker comments on meeting with Iraqi, Iranian delegates -- [MNF-I]
BAGHDAD — The U.S Ambassador to Iraq held a press conference at the Combined Press Information Center Tuesday.
Ryan Crocker, U.S. Ambassador to Iraq, commented on his visit to Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri Al-Maliki’s home the situation in Iraq was discussed with Iraqi and Iranian delegates. The meetings between U.S. and Iranian delegates commenced after 27 years of silence.
Bashar Bashes the Competition -- [Defense Tech]
Defense Tech would like to be the first in the blogosphere to congratulate Syrian “president” Bashar Assad on his stunning landslide victory for another seven years as ruler of Syria.
How he eeked out a 97 percent victory in an electoral field devoid of competition is the biggest mystery. Maybe it was his four-point healthcare plan or the Baath party's “green” energy agenda?
The Rising Dragon -- [Defense Tech]
Just in case you didn’t see it already, the Pentagon released its annual Chinese Military Power report Friday.
One of the best China reporters in the country, Bill Gertz, wrote in the Washington Times that the report shows a robust effort by the PRC to develop anti-satellite weapons that can “deliver a knockout blow to many U.S. military satellites.”
The Same Old Threats from the American Face of Al-Qaida -- [Counterterrorism Blog - Evan Kohlmann]
The As-Sahab Media Foundation has released a new video today of most wanted American Al-Qaida operative Adam Gadahn, titled "Legitimate Demands". In a fairly brief recorded message lasting less than eight minutes, Gadahn issues a familiar set of accusations against the United States and the Bush administration, coupled with vague threats of violence. Though Gadahn peppers his diatribe with clear references to recent events (such as the massacre at Virginia Tech), much of it appears to be the same old recycled propaganda. Arguably the most incendiary remark made by Gadahn in "Legitimate Demands" is taken almost verbatim from a similar video message he recorded of himself in September 2004:
Al Qaeda's American Flack in New Video -- [ Counterterrorism Blog - James Gordon Meek]
Osama Bin Laden's Jewish-American mouthpiece Adam Yahiye Gadahn, aka Adam Pearlman, aka "Azzam al-Amriki," is making a new appearance on video at this hour to threaten more attacks, which this century's "Tokyo Rose" promises will make America forget 9/11.
The DJ Emery Family -- [Soldiers' Angels Germany]
A miracle.
I was going to add more of an update about what's been going on, and how DJ's been a bit frustrated with some setbacks, but honestly, it should really be left at that.
A miracle.
Tiger Woods & Troop Support -- [ROFA Six]
... Tiger was giving back, something he does often and was not asking for anything in return. Woods was announcing that the military would get 30,000 free tickets to the AT&T National tournament Tiger is hosting over the 4th of July at the Congressional Country Club in Bethesda. Tiger was quoted as saying:
"It's our nation's birthday," Woods said. "It can't get any better than that. ... I know what it's like, my father being in the military, and I know the commitment that it takes. I have friends who are in the military, as well.
This is the end... for now -- [Eighty Deuce On The Loose In Iraq] HT BlackFive
Well I just wanted to let everyone know that I will no longer be post blogs on my site anymore and have made my old posts inaccessable. It has come to my attention from others in positions where they have more knowledge on this subject than I, that I was saying things that needed not and should not have been said. For this I am deeply troubled for I never meant for ever such a thing.
Safe and Sound -- [From My Position... On the way!]
Rich is Home!
My brother in law arrived home Saturday (a surprise to us all). he bigins RN school (began, I suppose) today.
At least one of my family members can go to a war zone and come home with all his bits.
Report from Rat -- [Afghanistan Without a Clue - home from Afghanistan]
Well it has been about a month since I have gotten home, I have been settling back into the family rhythm, and I have to say that it has been an adjustment for me and the girls too. When you spend a year away from home there are many things that change. I have to learn to live with them again and they with me.
The Meet and Greet was a blast. The radio station had it all hooked up and we got to meet a lot of great people from the area who had been listening. The station also hooked us up with some nice gifts like tickets to some Texas Rangers games and a weekend at Six Flags and Hurricane Harbor water park too.
Unending War -- [Town Hall]
Before Congress adjourned last week on another of its lengthy holidays, Speaker Nancy Pelosi repeated a phrase she has previously used about the war in Iraq. She again referred to it as "the Bush policy of unending war in Iraq."
...Were the dominant surrender wing of the Democratic Party to have its way, American troops would immediately come home, causing all of Iraq to devolve into murderous chaos. There would be religious retribution against those who not only worship differently from the majority, but also the murder of "collaborators," meaning those who voted, assisted in the writing of Iraq's constitution and helped the U.S. while trying to help themselves.
The Army We Need -- [Weekly Standard]
We can't fight The Long War with the forces we have.
In wartime Washington there is but one point of bipartisan agreement: The land forces of the United States are too small. Hillary Clinton may be trying to make her fellow Democrats forget her vote to go to war in Iraq, but she insists that "it is past time to increase the end-strength of the Army and Marines." Sen. Barack Obama agrees, and even the New York Times has editorialized that "larger ground forces are an absolute necessity for the sort of battles that America is likely to fight during the coming decades."
Sheehan 'Resigns' as War Protest Leader -- [Military.com]
FORT WORTH, Texas - Cindy Sheehan, the Soldier's mother who galvanized the anti-Iraq war movement with her monthlong protest outside President George W. Bush's Texas ranch, says she is done with being the public face of the movement.
"I've been wondering why I'm killing myself and wondering why the Democrats caved in to George Bush," Sheehan told The Associated Press by phone Tuesday while driving from her property, now called Camp Casey in honor of her son, in Crawford, Texas, to the airport, where she planned to return to her native California.
"I'm going home for awhile to try and be normal," she said
Petraeus' September preview -- [CDR Salamander]
Lawrence J. Korb is a reliable source of I&W on where the anti-victory caucus is planning to swerve next. As Cindy Sheehan has learned, they are not anti-war or pro-peace, they are anti-Republican. They will attack anyone, discredit anyone, join with any ally to ensure the the Democrat power structure returns to power. This isn't about freedom, peace, the soldiers, or the security of this nation. This is all about power.
Rare Good News on Iraq from CBS News: Maliki Says Surge is Working -- [NewsBusters]
Although Katie Couric began Monday's CBS Evening News coverage of Iraq on a downbeat note, pointing out how May has become the “deadliest month” of 2007, with “at least 114” U.S. servicemen killed so far, she moved on to how “in an exclusive interview, Iraq's Prime Minister tells CBS News the security crackdown is working.” From Baghdad, Lara Logan offered more of a glass is half full spin as she relayed how, “in his first American television interview since the U.S. troop surge began in February, Iraq's Prime Minister told CBS News today the additional forces here have prevented an even greater catastrophe.” Logan challenged Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki's premise: “When we talk to Iraqi people on the streets of Baghdad, they say security is worse. Murders went down, but they're coming up back up again. There are still bombs every day. What is your sense of the quality of life to Iraqi people?”
Engage: Iraq As It Is... [The Tank - Steve Schippert]
Reliably in my mailbox this afternoon was my copy of National Review Dead Tree Edition. (The only edition that impresses my father in-law, much to my intellectual approval-seeking dismay, but alas...) And within the latest edition can be found an excellent piece by Frederick W. Kagan and Kimberly Kagan titled "Iraq As It Is... (...and not as individuals might have it be.)" It is important, particularly for its timeliness as we begin to head into summer months that will be filled with bloody fighting with al-Qaeda terrorists at close quarters, street to street and house to house in their entrenched positions in Diyala province.
The entire article should be read for its proper contextualization and debunking of various erroneous positions and their respective defenses.
Censorship in Iraq? -- [An independent look at The World]
Thought everyone might like to read this piece in the New York Times by David Carr about an alarming new policy in Iraq.
It now seems you have to recieve permission from a wounded soldier. Any photo of a dead soldier's face, as it is has always been, prohibited.
Here's the new rule, as it was written in the NYT piece: paragraph 11(a) of IAW Change 3, DoD Directive 5122.5:
(Need more? The previous Dawn Patrol is here.)
Welcome to the Dawn Patrol, our daily roundup of information on the War on Terror and other topics - from the MilBlogs and other sources around the world. If you're a blogger, you can join the conversation. If you link to any of these stories, add a link to the Dawn Patrol too and your trackback will be added to the list.
And so they met today! -- [Iraq the Model - Iraqis in Iraq]
...Iran mocked Iraq and America today, their ambassador was here just to laugh at us and buy time for his regime by trying to fool us with his we-want-to-work-this-out-through-negotiations.
Take a look at this part:
Casualties of War: -- [Duke in Iraq - Broken Masterpieces]
Women and children are both a direct and indirect casualty of war. One of my roles during this deployment has been to care for the children who have been injured as well as care for those who have come to our gates seeking help where many Iraqi’s consider the only place in their country where their children can be helped.
There are many reasons why children are injured. The most common reason children come to us is from IED blasts or mortar attacks. The terrorists have increasingly targeted civilians in places where many children can be found. The next way children are injured is by bullets or bombs intended for the terrorists. To avoid being captured the terrorists often set up there mini bases in apartment complexes, schools, or mosques. They will then fire rockets or other weapons
Darwinian Award -- [Desert Flier - a Navy nurse in Iraq]
Sitting in EVAC this afternoon...
...Charlie Medical reverberates with a detonation. "Wait, that wasn't the TV." This one rattles the windows for about 4 seconds....big one.
...As we assess and start dressing the burn patient's wounds and hanging antibiotics, the first sergeant walks through from Tactical Command and tells the surgeon "No casualties from the VBIED".
We all have this incredulous "what the....?" look on our faces. Turns out, the VBIED driver only managed to blow himself up. His incompetence has an end result of one death....his own.
Transition -- [Badgers Forward - in Iraq]
...The first road we are on is so heavily traveled, it is almost like the classic movement to contact. The insurgents have so little time to put something in, we need to be lucky and be the force they try to go after next to keep this road completely safe. But with two actors, both of whom have very different goals, and neither of whom knows exactly what the other is doing actually coming upon them at a time of our choosing is difficult.
After an uneventful time on the main road we turn off to a secondary road. All of the sudden everything seems to slow down and people become hyper-aware. ...
Featured Report from Iraq: A look a the surge from Baghdad -- [The Fourth Rail]
By Daveed Gartenstein-Ross, who is currently embedded with the 2nd Battalion, 32nd Field Artillery in western Baghdad. Support for Daveed's reporting was provided by Public Multimedia Inc.
As I write this, I’m nearing the end of my time embedded with the 2nd Battalion, 32nd Field Artillery (known as 2-32), which is working with the 2nd Brigade, 1st Infantry Division while in Iraq. During my time in the country, I was able to go on a number of patrols; see some of the fruits of the current military “surge”; get a look at the Iraqi security forces and interview American soldiers and officials about their progress; speak with a number of servicemen, military officials, and Iraqis; and visit several locations in Iraq, including the International Zone and Baghdad outside the wire. This report, which I wrote exclusively for The Fourth Rail, is designed to summarize what I found.
What I Saw Looking Out the Hole Where the Window Used To Be -- [Cannoneerno4 - in Iraq]
I escaped my penal colony for awhile, on a business trip to the big city, and got to ride from BIAP to Balad on a Blackhawk, in the daylight, which is a new experience for me. I had been doing all my flying in the dark and rarely saw what was out there. It’s hot already, and even with the windows down (out altogether, actually) and 130 knots blowing, it’s still hot.
The door gunners searched for targets, but the guns weren’t needed that trip. Mookie Sadr had come back and VBC was on alert and we were ready for trouble, but
Seven hostages rescued in Baqubah -- [MNF-I]
BAQUBAH — Coalition forces rescued seven kidnapped victims during a three-day operation in Chibernat, a village north of Baqubah, Wednesday.
Coalition forces also discovered more than 10 caches, nine improvised explosive devices and detained 11 suspected insurgents throughout the course of the operation.
IA, CF rescue 42 individuals at al-Qaeda hideout near Baquba -- [MNF-I]
BAQUBA — Iraqi Army and Coalition forces conducted a raid based on a tip from a local citizen, and discovered 42 individuals at an al-Qaeda in Iraq hideout six miles south of Baquba, Iraq Sunday.
During the raid Soldiers from 5th Iraqi Army Division and U.S. Soldiers from the 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, discovered the men, who claimed to have been held captive by al-Qaeda. Some claimed to have been held as long as four months.
Warrior Battalion defeats 18 IEDs in 48 hours -- [MNF-I]
BAGHDAD — Tips from local citizens led Iraqi Security Forces and Multi-National Division–Baghdad troops to discover 18 improvised explosive devices in the Rashid District of Baghdad May 23 -24.
Security in northern Iraq aids economic opportunities -- [MNF-I]
A view from the tenth floor of the new Naz City Apartments in Irbil, located near the new state-of-the-art convention center and Irbil International Airport. A group of international investors traveled the stable northern region of Iraq and continued to meet with local business leaders, members of chambers of commerce and key government officials as some arranged for return trips to begin projects Friday. U.S. Army photo by Maj. Juanita Chang, 5th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment.IRBIL — International businessmen representing more than a dozen companies continued traveling through northern Iraq in search of economic opportunities Friday.
Clothes Donations -- [Me Over There - A Navy Nurse in Iraq]
Last weekend we spent over 8 hours organizing all the clothes donations that we have recieved. What you see here is only a fraction of what we have. When patients (military, civilian, adults and children) are brought to us, their clothes are often already destroyed, or cut off by us. This is so we can quickly evaluate what is wrong and where the injury is. With these donations, we are able to outfit the patients with clothes to wear when they leave us. Along with clothes, we have been recieving toys for the children, who are very appreciative.
Wednesday, May 16, 2007 -- [High Plains Patriot]
Deployed to the Sunni Triangle, working directly with the people of Iraq became the duty which consumed the majority of my time during my tour there. I was responsible for processing claims against the U.S. government when an Iraqi believed we had committed a wrong against them and claimed compensation for loss of property or life.
On making the leap -- [Making the Leap... - in Iraq]
...I put my name on that list, and I made the cut. That involved finishing my finals early so I could go to reclassification school. There was no Brazil trip. There wasn't much flying. There was no workshop. And the Army training that had been planned was definitely not a two week stint. I made a choice between two planes, and I picked the one that took me to the desert rather than a sleepy Brazilian town.
...I don't regret hitting reply, no matter how tough things get.
Reflections on Management -- [Calvey in Iraq - in Iraq]
...Most people in this world seem reluctant to make decisions that might displease another person. I suppose that is natural. But it is self-defeating in the long run. Many people never get over that reluctance.
I am glad to serve however the Army wants me to serve, whether as a worker bee or as a manager. Either way I think it will make me a better leader when I return home, in the business world or as a father, for instance.
I am very proud to be here, and this would be a perfect opportunity if I did not have to be away from Toni. That's the part about being deployed that is hard- not rocket attacks, or heat, or long hours.
Iraq Pictures -- [Iraq Pictures]
Soldiers from Charlie Company, 1st Battalion, 18th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division out of Schweinfurt, Germany, provide security before conducting house to house searches for illegal weapons, explosives and high value targets in the Sadiyah section of Baghdad, Iraq.
Back in action -- [The Zeke - in Iraq]
Military life has a way of making you create your own little shell. A place where you only have to make your mental state function on the barest of information. No higher thinking is usually required. Survival. Not "of the fittest" type. But the essentials. Food, drink, hygiene, job. Of course there is more to it; communication home... Simple joys of mail or growing your own "lawn." But most of life consists of getting your job done, then keeping entertained. No room for higher thinking (hence my blog and journals). Mostly, it is the lack of interaction with non-military and non-military life that creates this wall of emotion, or lack thereof. It was nice to see that I am still me to an extent. The real test will be the months ahead and the mountains to be climbed at home. Regardless, it is a mountain I'm ready to take on!
Better Bombs Vs. Better Armor -- [Firepower Forward]
I've been maintaining an ongoing skirmish of words with with a small segment of the population of Glenwood Springs, CO and the encompassing Roaring Fork Valley through the editorial pages of the local newspaper there, Glenwood Springs Post Independent.
There was a recent letter that I think deserves a bit more widespread scrutiny though, that from the mother of a new soldier apparently in or on his way to Iraq. Among other things, Ms. Nicholls states that sustaining casualties from IEDs in Iraq is preventable. All we need to do is provide up-armored HUMMWVs to every soldier in Iraq.
Hello From KAF and Some More Pictures... -- [Partamian Report - in Afghanistan]
Well... I've been in Kandahar for a few days now. It a lot like Kuwait as far as the temperature and humidity goes. It's way nicer here than at Phoenix. We're still getting acclimated and waiting for decisions to be made regarding where we will get pushed out to. There's really not much to report at this time. Kandahar Air Field is pretty nice for what it is. There's a lot of Canadians and Brits here.
Terrorist Cash Crunch Causes Change in Strategy -- [Strategy Page]
May 29, 2007: The Taliban announced a new strategy, which involves sending assassins and suicide bombers after government officials and foreign troops. There will be less emphasis on have large numbers of armed Taliban out and about (where they are spotted from the air, and attacked). This new tactic was opposed by the late Taliban senior combat commander, Mullah Dadullah, as it meant giving up trying to control parts of the country.
A Message from Al-Qaeda's commander in Afghanistan Sheikh Abu Laith Al-Libi -- [MEMRI Blog]
On May 24, 2007 Al-Qaeda's media company Al-Sahab posted an 11-minute video by Sheikh Abu Laith Al-Libi, Al-Qaeda's commander in Afghanistan, titled "Countering the War of Imprisonment." Abu Laith's address – which is accompanied by English subtitles and by still images of Abu Laith and of the imprisoned Islamist sheikh Abd Al-Rahman – is part of an Islamist campaign to release mujahideen held in prisons around the world.
Abu Laith states that the "infidels" are waging a "war of prisons and captivity" against the mujahideen, and are incarcerating large numbers of Muslims as part of a deliberate policy to gain, through "coercion and repression," what they have failed to gain through "debate and persuasion." Next, he describes
Securing the Perimeter - Winning Hearts & Minds (3)
Afghanistan: May 28, 2007 -- [Afghanistan Watch - Canadian toops]
Special Report - Brave Soldiers; Timorous Public
But the angst is ours, not theirs, the soldiers who have most to fear and perhaps to doubt. They may rage at times over the enemy's tactics – ambushes, roadside detonations and suicide bombings that more often kill Afghan civilians – and occasionally their spirits sag. Yet they've never lost heart or resolve. Which is so much more than can be said for the hand-wringing Canadian public.
Focus on Al-Qaida in North Africa: -- [Counterterrorism Blog]
New Video, Transcript, and Report Available
On May 9 and 10, Al-Qaida's Committee in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM)--formerly known as the Algerian Salafist Group
Jamestown Foundation: Al-Qaeda's Media Doctrine: Evolution from Cheerleader to Opinion-Shaper -- [ON Point]
Al-Qaeda has always regarded media work as a key weapon in its arsenal, although the group has no claim to originating the use of the media as a weapon for the mujahideen. The Afghan Islamist insurgent organizations—especially Gulbuddin Hekmatyar's Hezb-e-Islami and Ahmad Shah Masoud Jamiat-e-Islami—ran extensive if rudimentary media operations during their jihad against the Soviet Union. The groups employed inexpensive magazines, local radio broadcasts, newsletters, video and audiotapes and posters to promote their cause in Afghanistan and Pakistan. The Arabs who came to support the Afghan insurgents took this locally-oriented media project, translated its products into Arabic and distributed them across the Arab world. Later, the Arabs and their respective NGOs reproduced these items in a number of languages, making them accessible to Muslim readers in Europe, the Far East, Africa, Central Asia and North America.
Al Qaeda Telethon Appeals for Donations -- [Strategy Page]
May 28, 2007: Borrowing yet another technique from other non-profit organizations, al Qaeda has gone on television and appealed for donations. Pointing out that the organization has thousands of gunmen and suicide bombers on the payroll, and a severe cash shortage in Afghanistan, .the leader of al Qaeda forces in Afghanistan, Shiek Mustafa Abu al Yazid, made the plea recently on al Jazeera television.
Meet One of Our Comrades-in-Arms: Lance-Corporal Craig Lundberg -- [Soldiers' Angels Germany]
...The work of the American medical staff in Landstuhl stabilized Lundberg sufficiently to enable his transfer via an RAF Aero-Med Hercules C130 aircraft. He arrived at Birmingham's Selly Oak hospital on March 27, where he remained until May 3.
I had never heard of Lance-Corporal Lundberg until receiving this email the other day. I'm sure you'll agree that Mrs. Lundberg has every right to be proud of her son.
Hello MaryAnn,...
Rolling Thunder in DC -- [View from the 8th Floor]
If you haven't experienced the annual biker invasion of DC by Rolling Thunder, you're missing out. We got a preview during Gathering of Eagles this year, but the sight of the Mall covered in a heavy dusting of Harleys and biker jackets makes me grin each time I see it.
Military History Becomes Left-Wing Commentary -- [NewsBusters]
At the MRC, we work to make bias history. In the media, they’ve learned to bias history – even Military History.
The magazine by the same name has gone left. How far, as Johnny Carson fans would say? So far that the June issue included several letters skewering it for the “outrageous” switch from a balanced historical publication to another left-wing political outlet.
On a weekend where we honor our warriors past and present, it’s important to note that the left does not. And now they have taken their propaganda to a whole new audience and are trying to alter not just the future, but the past.
War of Words -- [Real Clear Politics]
The campaigns are sending dueling press releases about the Iraq supplemental vote, with McCain first to fire:
...Then Mitt Romney:
What happens when you read past a NYTimes headline -- [Michelle Malkin]
Here's the Drudge-hyped headline of a morale-undermining NYTimes article just in time for the Memorial Day holiday:
Doubts Grow as G.I.’s in Iraq Find Allies in Enemy Ranks
NYTimes reporter Michael Kamber reports from Baghdad on a story that's not news--militia infiltration of some of the Iraq security forces being trained by American troops (we noted the same problem during our embed in January reporting from the same area Kamber apparently visited). Give Kamber credit for not relying on some anonymous local stringer. As for the anonymous NYTimes headline writer: Big "F." While the NYT headline emphasizes a bleak outlook, there's more to Kamber's story than "doubts growing" among G.I.'s. For example, there's this:
NY Times Admits Iraq Is Exporting Terrorists -- [Sweetness & Light]
Militants Widen Reach as Terror Seeps Out of Iraq
When Muhammad al-Darsi got out of prison in Libya last year after serving time for militant activities, he had one goal: killing Americans in Iraq.
And Now, A Word From the Front to the MSM -- [Anti-Idiotarian Rottweiler]
LC 0311 Crunchie was kind enough to forward this article to us, in which Chief Warrant Officer Jim Funk, a Blackhawk pilot of the Iowa National Guard currently in theatre, shares his feelings about the MSM and their relentless war to demoralize the troops, the American public and providing good cheer, aid and comfort to our enemies.
(Need more? The previous Dawn Patrol is here.)
Welcome to the Dawn Patrol, our daily roundup of information on the War on Terror and other topics -
Today our nation celebrates Memorial Day, a time when we pause to remember our veterans who have died defending our country and our freedom. Our nation first began paying tribute to fallen soldiers after the Civil War, and out of that tribute a solemn and meaningful tradition was formed.
This edition is a Memorial Tribute from those that have lost loved ones, those from the Front, those who have served in the past and those that support them.
"A man is not dead until he is forgotten"
Faces of the Fallen
Here are the names of the fallen who have died serving in Operation Iraqi Freedom in Iraq.
Last Goodbye: US Soldiers from Iraq War -- [prezjackie]
Another Memorial Day in Iraq -- [JusticeSoldier.com - in Iraq]
It is with heavy heart that we usher in another Memorial Day here in the hot and dusty lands of Southern Iraq. As Americans at home and across the globe embark upon their travel plans for picnics and other family gatherings, 4 of our finest are still considered missing in action (MIA) here in Iraq.
...Despite the horror of the recent kidnappings, there is a lot of good coming out of Iraq - too bad you all back home will never hear of it (blame your media). Al Qaeda is finding hard times lately, as the local populace grows increasingly tired of the bombings and has now begun to openly hunt Al Qaeda in multiple areas of Iraq. Iraqi’s are standing up in defiance of this extremism and beginning to kick Al Qaeda’s ass from town to town, literally putting them on the run. The news seems very reluctant to report on this progress,
Memorial Day 2007 -- [Learning to Live - husband fallen in Iraq]
I never know what to say on this day. I am sure it is obvious how I am feeling today. It is my third Memorial Day that has meaning. This photo is one of the few I have of Sean in his BDUs. It was taken in Kosovo in early 2003.
Robert Stokely: Memorial Day - A Day to REMEMBER -- [Thunder Run - Mr Stokely's son fallen in Iraq]
No doubt, as David recounted the other day, Memorial Day has become anything but in the eyes of most. Plain and simple, Memorial Day is about one group of people who share one common distinguishing denominator - they are U.S. military peronnel who died in the line of duty, serving with honor the country the America they loved. DUTY HONOR COUNTRY.
This past week I have tried to think what is the proper approach to Memorial Day. Obviously the word celebrate, at first glance seems to have the wrong "theme", for how do you celebrate the death of a soldier, sailor or airman in the line of duty? It should not be called a holiday for can it be proper to have fun and leisure on a day when we are supposed to be remembering those who died in the line of duty so we can remain free and prosperous?
Wounded Warriors -- [Lumberjack in a Desert - injured in Iraq]
You might never hear me say this again so listen close. CNN has some excellent programming on the war this Memorial Day (I am just as suprised as you are). I watched Wounded Warriors today and was quite suprised at how much of the Green Zone Hospital I remembered. I was pretty much in shock with my right arm blown off and my left hand and arm sprayed with shrapnel when I was wounded on the eve of December 19, yet I was still aware enough to take in my surroundings.
Our Little Patriots -- [Karen Z - From My Position... On the way! - husband injured in Iraq]
I have a quick story to share, which I feel is appropriate this weekend as we remember the men and women who gave their lives in the name of freedom! Happy Memorial Day to all... may we Never Forget!!!
This is about our 7-year-old son (Creighton) and 4-year-old daughter (Adelle). We have a flag hanging on the front of our house next to the garage. We come and go and see it every day... it is a "normal" part of our lives. Until one day Creighton did something that made me so proud I was near tears...
Bang the Drum Slowly -- [Some Soldier's Mom - son injured in Iraq]
I meant to ask you how to fix that car
I always meant to ask you about the war
And what you saw across a bridge too far
Did it leave a scar...
And it's a good time to remind you that not all combat wounds are visible... and that not all combat deaths are those on the battlefield...
Remember Us All -- [All Quiet on the Southwest Asian Front - in Iraq]
At the end of 'Saving Private Ryan', when CPT Miller is shot and knows he is dying, he grabs PVT Ryan and tells him, "Earn this." He died to save Ryan's life, and unless Ryan makes some use out of that fact, he died for nothing.
I can't say 'we don't mind dying, we knew that risk was part of the deal'. None of us want to die. But there are ways that we accept it. We all volunteered to place ourselves between our homes and families and war's desolation. We don't mind dying....for a reason. For America, for human freedom, for a noble cause, for our buddies...the last full measure has to mean something.
Because if we have to die, don't let it be for nothing.
For God's sake, if we have to die, make it for something.
And for God's sake please, please remember us.
Memorializing Our Fallen -- [SWJ]
...You don’t invest a large part of yourself in people and an organization though without having concerns. One of the last things I remember there was the BN CSM Tom Adams opening up one of the first deployment briefings explaining why getting your personal life in order was so important before deploying to war. There was silence and a few nervous laughs when the CSM reminded the men that some of them and their buddies would not return – they would die in combat.
From my follow on job, I kept tabs on the BN and most important to me, those I had special bonds with – the ones who I had sat on a range with and talked about shooting, knew where they were from, had shared coffee with, discussed some personal problem I might help them solve, or just BS’d with on the stairs to the company or in their platoon CP. I had friends and my old boss, who when they found time could shoot me an email with news.
It was not too long before the first deaths occurred.
A Memorial Day Message -- [Michael Yon - in Iraq]
Memorial Day weekend is upon us. I am out here in Anbar Province with Task Force 2-7 Infantry. The area around Hit (pronounced “heat”) is so quiet previous units likely would not recognize the still. There was a small IED incident this morning, and the explosion was a direct hit, but the bomb was so small that mechanics had the vehicle back in shape by late afternoon. Calm truly has fallen on this city.
Tribute To The British Soldiers Killed Around The World -- [JonathanLyall]
Dear World -- [Making the Leap... - in Iraq]
Please take note of our return. Give us a hero's welcome, regardless of whether or not we feel we deserve it. Shake our hands, give us a hug, let us know that we were missed, that we are wanted, that we were cared for, that we are welcome.
...Please help us heal our wounds, obvious or not. Do not linger on scars, on missing limbs. On the other hand, don't handle us with kid gloves when we need your help -- we will not shatter.
America is at the Mall -- or, A Call to Remember Memorial Day -- [Assad Baghdad - in Iraq]
The anti-war movement assails the President for failing to ask the American people to sacrifice during war--and fundamentally I don't disagree with them on that point. The only thing we, as a nation, have been asked for is patience, and, in the days after 9/11...dare I say it...to go shopping. We were asked to live our lives as we normally would, ignoring the sounds of war marching all around us. Sadly, that's easy to do in modern America, where the military is less than 1% of the population, and when fewer and fewer communities support military facilities. It's easy to do when large numbers of Americans view this war only as an abstraction, a news report, or nothing more than a political push me-pull me.
Last year, I travelled to Veterans Affairs hospitals across the country, and I spent a number of afternoons visiting Walter Reed Medical Center in Washington. I met many of our nation's wounded warriors, and ...
Memorial Day: Observed -- [Badgers Forward - in Iraq]
I have long tried to observe Memorial Day as it was intended; in remembrance of those who died fighting America's Wars. My most memorable ones were in 1992 and 1993 when, as a member of 3rd US Infantry (The Old Guard) I walked through Arlington National Cemetery with a ruck sack on my back placing a US flag on each grave in my assigned area. At Arlington the only time flags maybe flown on individual grave sites is during the Memorial Day weekend.
Speaking to the VFW -- [Calvey in Iraq - in Iraq]
Greetings from Baghdad!
As I write it is 111 degrees in the shade here. I am just getting used to it, although I know it will get hotter still.
...I think it was every year since I was elected to the Oklahoma Legislature in 1998 that I was the guest speaker for VFW Post 9969 in Del City for Memorial Day.
The members of the VFW, and all veterans, along with our current servicemembers, are my heroes. Although I cannot be with the members of the VFW on Memorial Day this year, I am with them in spirit.
Memorial Day -- [Foreign and Domestic - in Iraq]
I'm early for Monday, but I'll be out on the road then.
I used to be like most Americans who looked forward to Memorial Day as a 3 day weekend that kicked off summer. Even after I joined the National Guard in 1992, it was a day to show up at the armory for a quick Memorial Day service, and then back home for a few beers.
But on October 21st, 2000 I found out what it is about.
My unit was on weekend drill at Fort McCoy, ...
Faces of the Fallen
Here are the names of the fallen who have died serving in Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan.
Tribute To The Fallen Americans -- []
Tribute to the Fallen Canadian Soldiers in Afghanistan -- [dgct2]
28 May 2007, Memorial Day -- [Sgt Dub - in Afghansitan]
It is the soldier, not the reporter, who has given us freedom of the press. It is the soldier, not the poet, who has given us freedom of speech. It is the soldier, not the campus organizer, who has given us the freedom to demonstrate. It is the soldier, who salutes the flag, who serves beneath the flag, and whose coffin is draped by the flag, who allows the protester to burn the flag. - Charles M. Province
In memory of those of Task Force Phoenix V, Afghanistan, who gave the ultimate sacrifice:
LEST WE FORGET - British Armed Forces In Afghan Remembered -- [CF2006UK]
President Bush Pays Tribute to America's Fallen at Arlington National Cemetery -- [FOX News]
...Speaking of the more than 368,000 buried through history at Arlington National Cemetery, Bush said, "Nothing said today will ease your pain. But each of you needs to know our country thanks you and we embrace you and we will never forget the terrible loss you have suffered."
The Virtual Wall -- [Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund]
The Virtual Wall is a commemorative website created to extend the legacy of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial. It allows families, friends and veterans to post photo, text and audio remembrances to those who lost their lives in the war or remain missing in action.
Memorial Day: “Americans will die for freedom…” -- [The Anchoress]
An Englishman decides that it is a sentiment not worthy of mockery, after all.
The Americans are more old-fashioned than us, and what is equally admirable, they are not ashamed of being old-fashioned. They know Churchill was a great man, so they put his house on the map. There is a kind of Englishman to whom this sort of behaviour seems painfully unsophisticated.
[…]
But lest these impressions of the United States seem unduly favourable, it should be added that the Americans have not remained in happy possession of their free constitution without cost.
American Soldier- Toby Keith (tribute) -- [beevmeister]
This is a tribute movie that I made for one of my english classes.
Vietnam Veterans Memorial ~ Plans Unveiled -- [Gazing at the Flag]
The Wall of Faces will feature photos of service members whose names are inscribed on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial.
The Memorials We Deserve -- [RedState]
...At some point in the next few years, the National Park Service will give us its version of the Flight 93 Memorial. It won't have any of the sentimentality of left-behind crosses or rosaries, motorcycle jackets or matchbox cars. Neither will it have any elements of the heroic or the classical--no obelisks or domes or statuary. Instead it will, as the NPS Flight 93 Memorial newsletter soothingly explains, offer the visitor "space for reflection, learning, social interaction, and healing." Not to mention wind chimes. And a spacious visitors' center, too.
To those who prefer their monuments to be monumental, this may come as something of a disappointment, if not an outright betrayal. Even at this late date, seemingly ordinary citizens can perform extraordinary feats, as Flight 93's heroic epic reminds us. The problem isn't that we've run out of heroes in America. We just don't know how to honor them anymore.
Memorial Day -- [Soldiers' Angels Germany]
You've seen the price of freedom.
Tell them.
Tell them about the sacrifices made,
and still made every day for us.
Tell them that being a Soldier is about love,
about the greatest love there is:
The willingness to lay down your life for another
Photo from Military.com's Tattoo Gallery
Support Our Troops--Operation Gratitude Makes A Difference! -- [Operation Gratitude]
"I would like to personally thank you for the many gifts that our command received last week from OPERATION GRATITUDE. These gifts were a great morale boost for the entire crew. The support your organization has shown to the Armed Forces personnel is overwhelming. This organization is proof that many Americans do care about our troops serving in harm's way. Our crew represents almost every state in America. They are men and women that have dedicated their lives to serving their country. All have put "Country" before "Self". Thank you and your entire organization for your PATRIOTISM. I have served in the United States Navy for over 23 years and these packages are by far the best I have ever seen from any organization.
Actor Gary Sinise Receives 'G.I. Spirit Award' -- [Soldiers Angels Network]
WASHINGTON, May 27, 2007 - Actor Gary Sinise received the G.I. Spirit Award yesterday during the first G.I. Film Festival, held over the Memorial Day weekend at the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center here.
Retired Air Force Gen. Richard Myers, former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and his wife Mary Jo Myers, presented Sinise with the award, which is meant to honor the entertainer who most embodies the spirit of the American G.I. and his work.
...Iraq war veteran Army Capt. Dennis J. Skelton, who brought fellow servicemembers from Walter Reed Army Medical Center National and the Naval Medical Center at Bethesda to the event, recognizes that American support for military personnel has undergone a tremendous change.
"It's amazing to see the transition that has occurred in this country over the last four decades between the last major conflict, which was Vietnam, and the global war on terror," Skelton said. "There is definitely no shortage of patriotism in this country, and that's evident by the number of non-profit, philanthropic organizations, and attention that America has given.
Google Ignores Memorial Day…Again! -- [NewsBusters]
Well, citizens, America’s leading search engine, and one of the most powerful forces on the Internet, has once again ignored Memorial Day.
As NewsBusters reported last year:
I’m sure most Googlers are extremely aware of how Google will dress up its logo at its web search or news pages in honor of holidays or special occasions…Yet, if you go to Google’s home page here, or its news page here, you will see nothing commemorating today’s national holiday.
One might have thought that after last year’s scrutiny, Google might have capitulated. Not so.
Yet, since last Memorial Day, Google has recognized the following:...
The Memorial Day ads are here. Arrgghh! -- [Butterfly Wife]
Those would be the Memorial Day ads. It is especially frustrating to hear about LaZ-Boy furniture and their Memorial Day Sale!!! At least Buick/Pontiac/GMC dealers are attempting to combine patriotism and supporting our troops with sales. Unfortunately, on their websites, they completely fail to mention the A Million Thanks organization that is promiently displayed in their TV commercials. Just promoting their cars and sales. Cuz that's what Monday is really all about.
How not to honor a fallen soldier -- [Michelle Malkin]
Welcome to Memorial Day 2007. Here's a lesson in How Not To Honor a Fallen Soldier 101. Don't do what Democratic presidential candidate Bill Richardson did to fallen Marine Lance Corporal Aaron Austin:
Get his name wrong.
Exploit his death on the campaign trail.
Insult his mother by claiming she talked about money with you at his memorial service, which she vehemently refutes--and then refuse to apologize.
Here's the transcript from Meet The Press yesterday. Geez:
Memorial Day 2007. -- [John of Argghhh!]
...Just by living our lives, and taking an interest in what goes on around us, we pay that debt. We can pay it ahead by keeping an eye on those who commit us to war. And recognizing that avoidance for avoidance's sake is as bad in its way as rushing headlong and blindly into battle. Truly, in this arena, the answer lies in the middle, not at the extremes.
But...
The Honor Was Ours -- [Sgt Hook]
For one week each month, my unit has a 9-soldier detail, including riflemen and a bugler, trained and ready to don their class ‘A’ uniforms complete with all awards, standing by to provide military honors to veterans who have passed away in our area. Sadly, each time we’ve pulled this detail (6 consecutive months), we’ve conducted funerals nearly every day of the week. I recently had the opportunity honor to participate in one of those ceremonies…
I stood in the almost green again grass, just off the edge of the narrow winding road, a few yards from a dark blue awning that provided shade for a dozen chairs, all facing a freshly dug rectangular hole in the earth. The sun was out, the birds singing.
Remember -- [Flopping Aces]
As you read, turn on your speakers and listen to: "In a Mother's Eyes" by Andrew Dean.
"There is no greater love than to lay down one's life for another."
...Memorial Day in Iraq
Today in Iraq, U.S. soldiers, both men and women ,will observe Memorial Day with personal reflections on fellow soldiers who have died in that long conflict. One news report even showed Iraqi Sheiks and tribal leaders coming to a U.S. Marine compound to pay their respects to some of the 3444 U.S. soldiers who have given their lives to help Iraq and ensure U.S. National Security.
While each of those lives lost is tragic and we honor and mourn their loss, we can also be thankful that we live in a nation where such sacrifice is less and less called upon. Since Memorial Day started as an observance of our Civil War dead, contrast the 3444 fallen soldiers in Iraq over four years with the 3,650 U.S. and Confederate troops who died at the Battle of Antietam on September 17, 1862.
Wherever You Will Go Military Tribute -- [AmericanBattleCry]
Memorial Day - How to honor the Real Heroes -- [BlackFive]
First, if you are relatively new to Blackfive, you should read this story about a Memorial Day four years ago - Mathew Schram's Memorial Day.
And, unfortunately, we've posted many memorials to our Fallen Americans.
...When Taps is played at dusk, it has a completely different meaning than when Taps is played during the day. No soldier really wants to hear it played during daylight.
"To Fallen Comrades" -- [RedState]
It's been thirty-seven years since the night Jerry and I shared guard duty in the 81mm gun pit. He was a radioman with the Command Post and I was in the mortar platoon.
...There's an old saying about how tomorrow is not promised to anyone. I suppose that is why Jerry's death the next day, and the hour or two we spent the night before, are committed to my memory.
Many years after returning from Vietnam, I bought a computer and got online. Some of the first "surfing" I did brought me to veteran locator sites. Occasionally there were messages posted from survivors of soldiers killed in Vietnam. They wanted to hear from anyone who may have known their loved ones.
Memories of My Own on Memorial Day -- [Family Security Matters - Carol A. Taber]
Today, only a small number of Americans have known anyone personally who died fighting for our country, but I have. My war was the Vietnam War, and I was a Vietnam wife, so I knew quite a few.
...We speak of a military death as a sacrifice given to preserve our brilliant and beloved country and our very privileged and peaceful way of life. We envision these deaths where they most often occur - on the battlefield, as our children and neighbors and husbands are transformed into fallen heroes who fall under enemy fire and die heroically in an effort to defeat America’s enemies. But there are other deaths too, not so heroic but even more tragic and sacrificial, that occur in every war and their toll needs to be counted in the measure of whether war is worth the sacrifice we all make.
A few such deaths stand out particularly for me and I always remember their haunting images when Memorial Day rolls around.
Memorial Day Tribute Video to Our Fallen Heroes -- [Sparks from the Anvil]
...Major Douglas Zembiec's widow, Pamela, bows over the casket of her husband Wednesday afternoon at Arlington National Cemetery before his internment. The couple also have a 1-year-old daughter, Fallyn. Major Zembiec was 34, a highly decorated Marine Corps officer. He was killed while leading a raid on insurgents in Baghdad on May 10th, 2007. He earned the Bronze Star with a V for valor for his actions in Fallujah in 2004.
AMERICA DOESNT FORGET! -- [One Marine's View]
As Memorial Day approaches, don’t look back on Tuesday and go “I wish I would have done this or that”. Do something special this Memorial Day that recognizes those who have gone before us to make a difference. Don’t look at it as a chance to have a three day weekend to go camping but a special day to acknowledge those who help America what it is today. Below is a post I wrote a time back. Hope you enjoy it and especially this Memorial Day. Semper Fidelis and God Bless America!
Honoring the Fallen -- [Human Events]
It was an unseasonably cold Memorial Day 1991 -- the gray morning sky blanketing a dewy ground. We sat in white chairs beneath a tent near an oversized mausoleum. I wore a red shirt and blue jean skirt and my legs threatened goose bumps against the dreary chill. The somber cast of the day kept my questions unasked. I stood beside my grandpa, a veteran of the Navy, as the sound of “Taps” drifted into play in increasingly strong tones – slicing through the silent gray like a beacon of reverence extending to the heavens.
Memorial -- [chic[k]pilot]
We left our places of work. Walked out of the squadron, the office, the shop, off the flight line. Where there would normally be the buzzing, whistling, wizzing, bustling sounds of one of the busiest airfields in the country, all was quiet. We walked, we drove, in silence, while a C-17 landed with precious cargo. We lined the center avenue of our base, side by side we stood. Pilots, maintainers, personnelists, commanders, officer and enlisted, instructors and students, military and civilian. The Honor Guard escorted the white hearse as it creeped along the street, followed by cars of family and friends of our fallen brother. As the line of vehicles neared each one of us, there was a salute or hand placed on our heart and a tear in our eye. With the police escort long past, our eyes followed the convoy through the gate as it sent our comrade on his way to rest.
Cheers on Corridor Three -- [Blog Them Out of the Stone Age]
...For twenty-four minutes, soldier after soldier has come down this hallway — 20, 25, 30. Fifty-three legs come with them, and perhaps only 52 hands or arms, but down this hall came 30 solid hearts. They pass down this corridor of officers and applause, and then meet for a private lunch, at which they are the guests of honor, hosted by the generals.
Some are wheeled along. Some insist upon getting out of their chairs, to march as best they can with their chin held up, down this hallway, through this most unique audience. Some are catching handshakes and smiling like a politician at a Fourth of July parade. More than a couple of them seem amazed and are smiling shyly. There are families with them as well: the 18-year-old war-bride pushing her 19-year-old husband’s wheelchair and not quite understanding why her husband is so affected by this, the boy she grew up with, now a man, who had never shed a tear is crying; the older immigrant Latino parents who have, perhaps more than their wounded mid-20s son, an appreciation for the emotion given on their son’s behalf. No man in that hallway, walking or clapping, is ashamed by the silent tears on more than a few cheeks.
An Airborne Ranger wipes his eyes only to better see. A couple of the officers in this crowd have themselves been a part of this parade in the past. These are our men, broken in body they may be, but they are our brothers, and we welcome them home.
Don't let them be forgotten -- [Old War Dogs -- Bill Faith ]
Don't forget to take some time between beers this weekend to remember our POWs and MIAs. This would also be an excellent time to discover Marsha's new blog I'm still in the process of putting the finishing touches on; click here.
A Mother’s Tears
Marsha Burks-Megehee, 2003
A mother’s tears were shed today
For a battle long ago;
Her precious gift to a warrior son
Whose fate she’ll never know....
Decoration Day -- [Old War Dogs - J. D. Pendry]
We still call it Decoration Day here in Wild Wonderful. Many of us will visit a cemetery this weekend and pay our respects to those who have stood final muster and answered their last recall. I’ll visit my Father, WWII Navy Veteran Hudson Grey Pendry. Most of our youngsters don’t know about this special day and what it represents. Take the opportunity this weekend to forget politicians and their antics. Instead, take time to visit a cemetery and reserve some time in your mind and heart for people who truly deserve our thoughts. Take time to educate a youngster about Memorial Day. Tell them why we must remember the Men and Women who have sacrificed so that we can remain a free nation.
Memorial Day 2007 -- [Gateway Pundit]
First of all... As we remember those who went before us-
Thank you to all of the brave men and women who are serving in the military today... And, especially to those who are serving this great nation in Iraq or Afghanistan. Thank you.
Bob McCarty is promoting his IRAQ SURRENDER GROUP FLAG Fitted T-Shirt for the holiday weekend:...
Bob also notes where Speaker Pelosi is spending her weekend.
Pat Rowe Kerr, the Missouri State Veterans Ombudsman, forwarded this article about a Southern Missouri soldier's family in need.
The Politics of Memorial Day -- [Sgt Stryker]
Memorial Day is meant to be a day to honor those who have made the ultimate sacrifice defending this country. But there are those who are choosing to make Memorial Day into a political event. Presidential candidate John Edwards is at the forefront of a movement to make Memorial Day a day of anti-war activism. He is urging his supporters and anyone else who will listen to take to the streets over Memorial Day weekend to protest the war in Iraq.
Memorial Day: Eating My Words -- [Gun Toting Liberal]
A GTL™ “Blast From The Past”:
Want to see something amusing?
Take a look at my post from Memeorial Day Weekend of 2005, from the old blog; back in the “old days” when I still thought Senator Joseph Lieberman was a bit of a “hero” for sticking to his guns on the Iraq invasion when all of our other fellow liberals were blasting the whole fiasco and dropping like flies as things were beginning to look grim in the Middle East for our nation. I was still PROUD to be one of those “maverick liberals” back then…
Silent As The Grave -- [Villianous Company]
...On this weekend of remembrance, it is most fitting to recall who really protects America's beloved freedoms: Congress and the media.
With these two pillars of freedom bravely speaking out on behalf of our armed forces, there's no need for your inconvenient and superfluous opinions.
You needn't, for instance, give permission to be filmed while critically injured or dying. Never fear that your wife, eight year old son, or aged grandmother might stumble across that graphic video of you gasping out your last breaths as your buddies look on in horror. Who could fail to see that the closeup of your charred, bloodsoaked torso was meant as respectful "homage" to your sacrifice, a reverent sacrifice laid on the altar of America's all-consuming need to know?
Don't sweat it if, doped up on morphine, or writhing in agony from a leg blown off by an IED you scream, swear, whimper, say something embarrassing, or are caught sucking your thumb while half conscious. The New York Times has your back.
The Lost Heroes of the War on Terror -- [NRO - Jeff Emanuel]
Four names that every American should know.
Despite taking place in an age of seemingly limitless information, the Global War on Terror (GWOT) has spawned a paucity of stories of heroic action and courage under fire. Regardless of whether this has been the result of honest, if unfortunate, oversight or a byproduct of the “if it bleeds, it leads” mindset of a sensationalist 24-hour media apparatus, the fact remains that there are no grand tales being told of modern Audie Murphys, Jimmy Doolittles, Pappy Boyingtons, Bill Pitsenbargers, or Bud Days, despite the fact that the nation — and a significant amount of its soldiers — is at war.
War On Terror Tribute -- [Peptobismarck]
Happy Memorial Day -- [Jules Crittenden] I thought body counts went out with the Vietnam War. The AP is kicking off Memorial Day weekend with a fresh body count in Iraq.
The AP story leads with the number of new graves opened for dead American soldiers since Memorial Day last, but only those in Iraq. Why this slight? Are the dead in Afghanistan not worthy of respect in the eyes of the Associated Press? It is possible that this article is not about honoring the dead at all, or even about reporting the news, but just another thinly veiled editorial attack on the Bush administration? Would the Associated Press be so callous as to use American dead in this manner, as a political tool?
No Substitute Yet Found for U.S. Troop Blood -- [ScrappleFace]
(2007-05-27) — As the United States marks Memorial Day, recognizing those who sacrificed their lives in service to the country, scientists worldwide admit they are likely years away from discovering a “fertilizer for freedom” as effective as the blood of American troops.
(Need more? The previous Dawn Patrol is here.)
Welcome to the Dawn Patrol, our daily roundup of information on the War on Terror and other topics - from the MilBlogs and other sources around the world. If you're a blogger, you can join the conversation. If you link to any of these stories, add a link to the Dawn Patrol too and your trackback will be added to the list.
Ramadi all-nighters -- [Desert Flier - in Iraq]
1:06AM brings a loud rap on our door "11 in-bound. Mikes unknown".
Knocking the fuzz out of my head as we all stumble and hop around the room putting our uniforms back on. Hopping around on one foot, I avoid a collision with D squared just as someone flips the lights on.
Feeling like I'm floating to the back of Charlie medical, I run down a mental checklist of how many patients, where we are going to triage them, and making little bets in my mind that this could be a long night.
MASCAL #3 and some pics at the range
Air, ground elements continue search for missing Soldiers -- [MNF-I]
BAGHDAD — Soldiers continue searching around the clock for their missing comrades throughout southern Baghdad Thursday.
Baghdad: Patrolling Yarmouk -- [Counterterrorism Blog - Daveed Gartenstein-Ross - in Iraq]
On May 23 and 24, I went on a couple of evening patrols in Baghdad's Yarmouk administrative district. I went with a platoon from the U.S. Army's 2nd Brigade, 32nd Field Artillery, with which I am embedded; they are working with the 2nd Brigade, 1st Infantry Division while in Iraq. The battalion of which 2-32 is a part is responsible for a large section of northwest Baghdad, which includes a couple of districts that have been hot lately, Kadamiyah and Mansour. But the districts that 2-32 patrols -- Yarmouk and Hateen -- are relatively quiet. The most dangerous aspect of patrols in those districts is the drive to reach them.
Voices of Anbar: Riverine squadron proud
Voices of Anbar: Riverine squadron proud. Riverine Squadron reactivated since Vietnam and proud to serve in Anbar Province.
Marines volunteer to return to Iraq -- [LA Times]
In one battalion, 200 members opt to extend their enlistments, for no bonus money. 'I'm here to teach the younger guys,' says one.
RAMADI, IRAQ — Marine Cpl. Saul Mellado could be back in California, finishing the final months of his enlistment in a safe billet at Camp Pendleton.
Instead, the 23-year-old naturalized U.S. citizen from Mexico is patrolling these war-torn streets only recently wrested from insurgent control — and bracing for an expected counteroffensive.
Iraqis taking the lead at Al Suleikh -- [MNF-I]
BAGHDAD — Capt. James Peay was starting to feel like a third wheel.
Peay, a battery commander with the 82nd Airborne Division from Nashville, Tenn., was accompanying Iraqi police chief Lt. Col. Ahmed Abdullah on a combined engagement patrol through the east Baghdad neighborhood of Suleikh.
Iraqi Soldiers win hearts, minds
COALITION FORCES NAB 20 SUSPECTED AL-QAEDA TERRORISTS -- [MNF-I]
BAGHDAD, Iraq – Coalition Forces detained 20 suspected terrorists during several raids targeting al-Qaeda in Iraq around the country Friday morning.
In Baghdad, Coalition Forces raided a house looking for a suspected al-Qaeda battalion commander. The ground force detained three suspected terrorists at the targeted location, including the alleged leader. Intelligence reports indicate he is responsible for numerous attacks in Baghdad, including assassinations, attacks on news media and attacks on the city’s infrastructure.
RAF jets save life of top Iraqi Police commander -- [MNF-I]
BAGHDAD — A Royal Air Force Tornado GR4 crew saved the life of an Iraqi Police commander by "scaring the all living grace of God" out of rogue militias that had ambushed him.
The value of human life -- [Those Wacky Iraqis - in Kuwait/Iraq]
Everyone has a tough time over here with labor brokers and construction type firms when it comes to how they treat their workers. Our values and sense that all men are created equal just do not compute here. These brains are hard wired that if you are of a certain religion, nationality, caste, or tribe other than their own, you just don't count.
the al-qaeda torture handbook, chamber, and victims Marked as: Mature -- [Live Leak]
this was discovered in a recent raid.Al Qaeda terrorists use blow torches, electric drills and meat cleavers to torture and force information out of their victims, according to a "how-to" handbook discovered by U.S. forces in an Iraqi safe house.
The Defense Department recently released disturbing images and cartoons showing how to torture a captive found by American forces during a raid on a Al Qaeda safe house a few weeks ago. They also found photos of tortured Iraqi victims. The book guides followers of Al Qaeda how to interrogate and torture captives
Coup Panic -- [Iraq the Model - Iraqis in Iraq]
Fear from coups and implied threats with coups have been a common feature of the political scene in Iraq.
After the formation of Maliki's government with all the rifts inside the major political blocs that accompanied that stage, the political map became quite complex that groups within the same bloc were sometimes thought to be conspiring against each other.
At the center of most coup rumors was almost always the Iraqi List and its leader Ayad Allawi.
Right now there's a new uproar, a panic attack in Baghdad about an alleged coup plan, again
Al Qaeda strikes a funeral in Fallujah -- [The Fourth Rail]
Targets the funeral of a slain member of the Anbar Salvation Council
Al Qaeda's war against the Sunni alliance of the Anbar Salvation Council continues in the eastern region of Anbar province. Today, an al Qaeda suicide car bomber successfully attacked the funeral procession of a man killed earlier in the day. "That man was identified as Allawi al-Isawi, a businessman who was reportedly involved in a Sunni Arab alliance working against al-Qaeda fighters in Fallujah," Adnkronos reported.
He's Back: Sadr Resurfaces in Iraq -- [Iraq Slogger]
Najaf, May 25, (VOI) – Shiite leader Muqtada al-Sadr appeared at the al-Kufa Mosque, where he performs the Friday prayers, after three months of absence, reportedly outside Iraq, eyewitnesses said. "Sadr has arrived at the Kufa Mosque along with several of his supporters to perform the Friday prayers," eyewitnesses from Kufa, 10 km east of the holy Shiite city of Najaf, told the independent news agency Voices of Iraq (VOI). A source close to Sadr said the latter "is expected to deliver a speech before crowds of worshippers on the position of his current regarding several issued raised at present on the Iraqi arena."
Pimp my ride -- [My Desert Adventure - in Iraq]
...These kids get attached to their trucks, and inevitably they “pimp their ride” with custom light bars, sirens, bumpers, loudspeakers—not quite Road Warrior, but pretty cool. The best thing I saw, or rather herd, was some guy rigged up the music system from an ice cream truck. So the other day, I was walking along and I heard “It’s a Small World” blaring down the street in downtown Camp Victory, Iraq. It was great! Just hearing that sound brought me back to a simpler time and place. I think it made quite a few people’s day.
The Desert -- [The Calm Before The Sand - in Iraq]
117. In the shade. That's Fahrenheit, for those of you just tuning in.
It's been murderously h
