Final Salute

Last night, on the PBS Newshour, they had an appropriate July 4th interview, especially in these times of two occupations:

Marine, Author Reflect on Honoring Fallen Comrades You can read the transcript and more at that link.

Author Jim Sheeler and U.S. Marine Corps Lt. Col. Steve Beck talk about Sheeler's book, "Final Salute," which chronicles the Marines who notify families about the death of their loved ones during war and provide support as families cope with their loss.

You can listen with this link or link at site page above.

There is also a Slide Show: Beck Discusses the Photos that Have Become Icons of the Cost of War, with a non-flash version.

You can visit this interview from March 21, 2006
NewsHour Poetry Series: The Returning Dead with links to view or listen.



As Of July 2 2008, There Are 87 Pages w/5 'Silent Honor Rolls' Each, Number Of KIA's Varies With Each 'Silent Honor Roll';
Many now have numbers in the teens and twenties
In Honor - In Memory

"In Their Boots"-Premiere-Episode 1- Video

The first episode of the groundbreaking new live webcast "In Their Boots" aired on Wednesday, 2 July 2008, with host Jan Bender as he explored the lives of the Babin family as they care for their wounded veteran son Alan. That first show "Beating the Odds" was part 1, the second part to be aired next wednesday, 9 July 2008.

It is to air, online, every wednesday at 4pm Pacific/5 Mountain/6 Central/7 Eastern at In Their Boots, also can be viewed at UStream TV, at least it was this past wednesday.

The stories are riveting and the show will be broadcast LIVE. You will have the opportunity to hear the stories from these servicemembers, learn about organizations that are helping, and find out how you can help as well.

The above came from an annoucement E prior to that first show. And outside of some startup jitters and a few problems with the stream, Riveting it was, and promises to be as riveting by bringing us into the lives of those, and their families, who have served this Nation and have been wounded in the occupations and the changes that has brought about for them. As well as introduce us, and the many returning Veterans, and their families, to some of the help that exists for them by bringing representatives of these existing groups into the conversation, Live.

This is Part 1 "Beating the Odds"


Or View Here

You can also view The Brave New Foundation above video at the "In Their Boots" site, and sign up for the newsletter to remind you to view the coming shows, Part 2 of "Beating the Odds" to air this coming wednesday the 9th of July.

Since it is LIVE, we invite you all to join the discussion and become part of webcast history by asking our interview guest a question, live, "on the air."

We are proud of what we have put together and we hope that you all tune in to see this. Please let us know what you think of it as well. And if you miss any part of the episode, be sure to check it out on our site: In Their Boots. We plan on producing a new episode every Wednesday, live at 4pm Pacific.

Again the show can also be seen, Live, at UStream TV but visit the "In Their Boots" main site to view, find out more about the episodes to come, interact live with each episode, and to find out much more.

"Independence Day", and No Celebration?

Yesterday I got an e-newsletter about the same time I caught this post. The e covered what prompted the post by ScottyUrb.

Today, the 4th of July, we here in the States celebrate our "Independence", no need to go into an explanation, or give a link to read about, we're all supposed to know and understand what that means, and so are others who think they've achieved that.

This year there'll be alot less traveling to a further destination for relaxation or whatever, more home bodies, we all know the reasons, or we should.

There will be plenty of "Rockets Red Glare" and "Bombs Bursting In Air" with probably more attending the local festivities, along with the many neighborhood unsupervised inexperianced piro-techs.

We mass to watch these shows of loud noise and explosive display, cheering them on, just like we cheer on the "Shock and Awe's" on our TV's when we invade anothers Country, Owwwww and Awwwww!

Except for the possibility of a tragic accident these display's of dangerous explosives rarely hurt anyone, and especially do no damage, as to the numbers putting them on, or watching them.

There was, what supposedly should have been, a day of independence for others at the end of last month.

We are reminded of that "Independence Day" by Kelly Dougherty

Branch: Army National Guard of the United States (ARNG)
Home: Colorado

Eight-year veteran of the Colorado Nat. Guard where I served as both a medic and military police and was deployed to the Balkans and Iraq. I am a co-founder of IVAW and current executive director.

Of, as mentioned above, IVAW.

She reminds us of this Day of Independence in a short letter to the IVAW membership, and all of us, on the front page of their site. In her letter she gets right to the point in the opening:

Just a few days ago Independence Day came and went, and did anyone notice? June 28th was the day the US returned sovereignty to Iraq in 2004, and it should be a day of celebration, a day when Iraqis mark their equal status among nations, just as America did more than two centuries ago.

I read that and just Stopped. Than started thinking that I hadn't heard nor seen anything about this on any MSM outlet, nor was there even a short press speach in the Rose Garden, after all we brought them "Independence", "Freedom", and "Democracy", with over six years of "Rockets Red Glare" and "Bombs Busting In Air", you'd think the President would have that day marked on his calendar and remind the populace of this country of that important date, His Important Date.

After all the surge is supposedly working great

Not only wasn't there anything of note here in the states but apparently Nobody In Iraq felt like celebrating their day of "Independence", didn't see nor hear about anything from there also. Could that be because it's really hard to celebrate such a day while struggling to exist in your own country or in neighboring countries and for some in differant parts of the world. Or if your neighborhood became a cherished gated community to better control you, your neighbors and those throughout the city, You'd think many would want to get together to better know their new neighbors, who moved into houses purged of their previous neighbors because they were of the wrong religious sect or tribe.

Kelly touches on this as well:

Would we be celebrating if our Declaration of Independence had been edited by King George III? What if Britain maintained troops and military bases inside our major cities? Would we mark the day this "independence" began with fireworks and parades?

With a few other reasons it might make it tough to be in celebration mode.

Now they have their "Rockets Red Glare" and "Bombs Bursting In Air", on a daily basis, almost all over, for well over six years now, that may just make them abit hesitant to use that form of celebration. You see they don't have the few accidents like there are here, their "Rockets Red Glare" and "Bombs Bursting In Air" really do cause the intended, Death, Maiming, and Total Destruction, tearing a society and country apart. They've even killed and maimed tens of thousands of visitors? to their country, some visiting? a number of times, some getting extended visiting? privileges without even needing a visa.

Kelly adds these words of truth and what we are supposed to be about:

We need to do more than just celebrate our Independence Day this July 4th; we need to live up to the ideals it represents.

Now not all is lost as to celebrations for the Iraqi people, in their totally destroyed country and society, they really do have their days of remembrance from their long history, and they did hold a celebration of one of those which they celebrated at the beginning of this month, it celebrated the 88th year of their important date, and yes it was about "Independence", a hard fought for "independence" apparently.

The Iraqi province of Muthanna celebrated the 88th anniversary of the outbreak of Iraq's major revolt, known as Thawrat al-Ishreen, or the 1920 Revolution, against the British who were then occupying Iraq.

This may give you a better picture of that time in Iraq and their occupation than.

There apparently were the ussual nicie nice political speaches, and in the state the country is in now, probably made more so as not to piss anyone off during the celebration, thus stopping any blowback from. As well as a few about that time and not the present:

Meanwhile, Sheikh Hatim Rajouj, a local chieftain, gave a speech in which he highlighted the role played by Muthanna tribes in driving the Britons from the province and establishing the first national government in the country.

Not a puppet government under the thumb of the Brits.

The Iraqi revolt against the British started in Baghdad in the summer of 1920 with mass demonstrations of both Sunni and Shiite Muslims

Of that time the real important day, for the Iraqi's of that province, was:

On July 13, 2006, British, Australian, and Japanese forces handed over security responsibility for Muthanna province to Iraqi forces in the first such transfer of an entire province.

Now back than I'll bet the occupying forces left the provinces that were turned over. Today we are supposedly turning over some of the provinces to the Iraqi government and troops, trained and armed by us but it seems we can't trust them quite yet. As well as not leaving that which we turn over

Kelly said U.S. forces would stay at current levels in Anbar for now, but gradually reduce. He did not give details.

"Eventually, we will move into an overwatch posture, away from the population centres," he said.

(Differant Kelly than above)

Keep in mind, a Guerilla Insurgency doesn't end untill the Insurgents say it does!

Happy 4th of July folks, and be careful not to have any 4th of July accidents, the Iraqi's wish they could be so lucky!!!!

Oh and lest we forget the other occupation, Afganistan, the much forgotten till recently, they would like everyone to keep the promises made, giving them real choices and rebuilding a country that has been totally destoyed over and over!

Real HONOR, Right or Wrong the Conflict

This is what the Country, the U.S., that Cheers on Invasions and Occupations, based on Lies, Doesn't Do!!

Real HONOR, Right or Wrong the Conflict

The bodies of five British soldiers from one regiment who were killed in Afghanistan have been flown to the UK.

They arrived at RAF Lyneham in Wiltshire for a repatriation ceremony.

In Their Boots

I just received, as I'm sure many others have, an E-Mail about a Live Online Broadcast premiering tonight 7-02-08

From 'Brave New Films'

That I'm going to share with those who may not receive their News Letters.

From Brave New Foundation's Poignant New Series Premieres LIVE Tonight at 7pm ET‏

The E-Mail:

Last summer I got a call from someone who had seen some of our past work. She started off being extremely complimentary about the issues we were bringing to light, marveling at how widely we were able to distribute our short videos to not only inform, but to motivate viewers to take action. She then asked if Brave New Foundation would be interested in taking on a large project to help amplify the stories of a group of Americans whose efforts and sacrifices weren't being acknowledged. She warned me that it would be a difficult task since it only directly affected less than 1% of the US population.


Being a bit headstrong (even in my middle age), I said that no task was too difficult. If there is an injustice, we could tackle it and help to make it right! But what she wanted was difficult. The task we took on was to tell the stories of servicemembers who have returned from Iraq and Afghanistan.

Over the past several months, as we gathered our staff and began to meet the men and women who have served, we knew that it would be a privilege to be able to share the stories of these servicemembers and their families so that the other 99% of the US population can better understand what is happening to our troops when they return from war.

We wanted to do something different than our usual short videos with this project, so we developed an idea for a LIVE internet-based show and decided to call it In Their Boots to let the audience know they would be hearing the information from the servicemembers' points of view.

The show premieres today, Wednesday July 2nd, at 4pm Pacific/5 Mountain/6 Central/7 Eastern at In Their Boots. The stories are riveting and the show will be broadcast LIVE. You will have the opportunity to hear the stories from these servicemembers, learn about organizations that are helping, and find out how you can help as well.

The show will be broadcast from our brand new studio (it was a beauty parlor just 2 months ago), not quite finished since we are still doing some fundraising, but looking pretty good. Since it is LIVE, we invite you all to join the discussion and become part of webcast history by asking our interview guest a question, live, "on the air."

We are proud of what we have put together and we hope that you all tune in to see this. Please let us know what you think of it as well. And if you miss any part of the episode, be sure to check it out on our site: In Their Boots. We plan on producing a new episode every Wednesday, live at 4pm Pacific.

I hope to hear from you soon. As always, thank you for your support.

Best,
Jim Miller
and the Brave New Foundation team

And here's an Intro:



Also found at site

Come back Wednesday
at 7pm EST
to see the Live Webcast

CITIZEN’S IMPEACHMENT:

The Veterans for Peace has two missions. One is Peace and the other is working for Justice. If we don't have Justice; Peace may never have a chance. Therefore, the Veterans for Peace is working to impeach George W. Bush and Richard B. Cheney. We hope to impeach them for sake of Peace. I hope you will work with us for all our sake. Welcome to the VFP Impeachment Project. Now, Gung ho - pull together.

Semper pacificus,
Daniel I. Fearn,
Co-chair, VFP Impeachment Project
CITIZEN'S IMPEACHMENT

Veterans For Peace encourages it's members to take part in After Downing Street.org impeachment campaign.

Declaration of Impeachment

Issued by Veterans for Peace for July 4

Governments derive their just powers from the consent of the governed, and are instituted to secure the rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. But

“…whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness.

…all experience hath shewn, that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations…design(s) to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security.

…The history of the present King (George) of Great Britain is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment of an absolute Tyranny…To prove this, let Facts be submitted to a candid world.
§ He has erected a multitude of New Offices, and sent hither swarms of Officers to harrass our people, and eat out their substance.
§ He has affected to render the Military independent of and superior to the Civil power.
§ He has…deprive(ed) us in many cases, of the benefits of Trial by Jury…transport(ed) us beyond Seas to be tried for pretended offences
§ He has abdicated Government here, by declaring us out of his Protection and waging War against us…
§ He is at this time transporting large Armies…to compleat the works of death, desolation and tyranny, already begun with circumstances of Cruelty & perfidy scarcely paralleled in the most barbarous ages, and totally unworthy the Head of a civilized nation.
§ He has constrained our fellow Citizens…to become the executioners of their friends and Brethren, or to fall themselves by their Hands.

A (President) whose character is thus marked by every act which may define a Tyrant, is unfit to be the ruler of a free people.
We, therefore…do, in the Name, and by Authority of the good People…solemnly publish and declare, That these…Free and Independent (People)…are Absolved from all Allegiance to the (Bush Administration), and that all political connection between them and (this Administration), is and ought to be totally dissolved…And for the support of this Declaration…we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor.”

(Note: Except for the first two lines above and words in parentheses, this Declaration is quoted directly from the original Declaration of Independence.) Veterans For Peace

If we don't hold Accountability we loose the Constitution, the Nation as it should be, and All Moral Values of a Society!

My 'Brothers' Want Their Proud Name Back!!

When you hear the term "Swiftboat" what comes into your mind?

I already know your answer, but it isn't the meaning for those who served on nor any Navy Personal who served In-Country Vietnam.

Not to far back a small group of misguided Navy personal, who served aboard 'Swiftboats' in 'Nam, took that once proud name and used it for their political purposes and gains, with some others joining them, who not only never served on swiftboats, and the extremely dangerous missions they were sent into, but some never served at all, in the Military nor In War/Occupations!

They not only Disgraced their own service but the service of all who served on Swiftboats as well as All of us Navy personal who served In-Country as well as the Blue - Water Navy serving off the shores of 'Nam. They 'Verbally Spit' on themselves and their brothers, All their Navy brothers and sisters!

Recently some who served on but did not partake in the slanderous actions have been back in the news, They want their Proud Name and Proud Service to Country back, especially for the brothers who were Lost!

John Kerry, hands on hips, and Roy F. Hoffmann, kneeling, in Vietnam. Mr. Hoffman helped start the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth, which criticized Mr. Kerry in his 2004 presidential bid.

One of the recent news reports to service was this one:

Vets Say Billionaire is Going Back on His Word.

Some Vietnam veterans are claiming that Texan businessman T. Boone Pickens is going back on his word to pay $1 million to anyone who can find inaccuracies in claims made by the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth during the 2004 presidential election. Agreeing with the veterans, oddsmaker Ben Eckstein says that failing to deliver on a bet is "sacrilegious." "In the world of betting and gambling, your word is your bond," said Eckstein, president of America's Line, a sports and entertainment oddsmaking business. "Whether it's a $7 bet or a $500,000 bet, once it's made and once you shake on it, it should be done."

Which carried this:

"We have 11 different falsehoods that the [Swift Boat Veterans for Truth] came out with in 2004. We have documents, videos, editorials and depositions not just by my boat crew but other eyewitnesses who were involved in the operations."

Sanudsky added that while his group has come up with "everything Pickens asked Kerry for in November," it has all been for nothing.

Brother Navy 'Nam Vet Sanudsky added this,

"We're disappointed because he's ducking out," Sanudsky said. "He's dodging the bullet because we've got the ammunition."

In writing about the above report I placed this in my posts and e's:

Less was known about the Navy's role in that Guerilla/Insurgent Occupation. One says 'Navy' one thinks Sailors on Naval Ships or stationed on shore bases, which by the way was how I spent my whole four years, on shoreduty. Only ships I went on were 'Cuban' cargo vessals riding them through the Panama Canal guarding against them ramming the locks or causing other damage, which was a long running part of the duty down there and was Assinine to say the least, we finally got that practice stopped.

I wasn't a part of the 'Brownwater Navy' in 'Nam, Swifts, PBR's, Zippo's, PACV etc., nor was I a part of the SEAL's, which is probably the only part of the Navy in 'Nam some may have known about, still not knowing what they actually did. I did work with some in the 'Brownwater', mostly friends from previous duty bases who were there at the same time, and because of what I did some work with the SEAL's, I was a GunnersMate small arms.

Untill Apocalypse Now, the movie, I doubt the knowledge of Navy duty In-Country was a reality to most. My brother Sailors were involved in a whole slew of differing parts of that Occupation.

Do a search of 'Swiftboat', 'PBR', 'Brownwater Navy', 'COMNAVFORV', you'll find numorous sites to learn more about the Naval role in Vietnam.

A few days later this followed:

More on T. Boone - swiftie funder

T. Boone Pickens Says No Deal on Swift Boat Bounty

T. Boone Pickens is not giving up his million dollars

And today there's another report out that should be hitting Every Major/Minor Newspaper and MSM Outlet, Especially the Talking Heads who backed the Slander, Speaking Apology and putting Present Meaning To Rest!

Give My Brothers Their Proud Service Back!

More "Swiftboat Sailors" are coming out in demanding their Integrity and Service to Country Back.

“I was proud of what I did, and all the guys I was with,” Mr. Miller said. “Now somebody says ‘Swift boat’ and it’s a whole different meaning. They don’t associate it with the guys we lost. That’s a shame.”

“You would not hear the word ‘Swift boat’ and think of people that served their country and fought in Vietnam,” said Jim Newell, who spent a year as an officer in charge on one of the small Navy vessels in An Thoi and Qui Nhon. “You think about someone who was involved in a political attack on a member of a different party.

“It is time to ban a word that is at once offensive, demeaning and obscene both to and for anyone serving in the naval profession. That word is ‘Swiftboating.’ ”
This month, a group of veterans who served with Mr. Kerry took up the challenge by Boone Pickens, the billionaire Texas oilman who helped finance the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth in 2004, that he would give $1 million to anyone who could disprove anything in the group’s campaign against Mr. Kerry.

Now Billionaire T. Boone never served on a Swiftboat nor did he serve in Vietnam, but felt it was his Political Duty to fund this slanderous attack on someone who served Honorably and not only on Swiftboats but prior to that on a Support Ship for the same Swiftboats off the shores of Vietnam, doing Two tours, untill wounded in the second.

On Swiftboats.net, Larry Wasikowski tends to a crew list, a history of the boats and even archives of newsletters that various crews sent home to their families from 1966 to 1969. Mr. Wasikowski and the sailors’ association grant the designation of “Swiftie” meticulously, requiring extensive official documentation from anyone who claims the title.
By the association’s count, about 3,600 men served aboard Swift boats in Vietnam, 600 officers and 3,000 enlisted.

Some 200, a questionable count, took part in using the proud name "Swiftboat" in a Political Slander Campaign against one of their own. They did so simply because a small handfull can't stand John Kerry and his Politics, that small handfull can't even stand John McCain and some are now going after him as well!!

Regardless of what they thought of Mr. Kerry, many Swift boat veterans objected to the attacks.
“It was unconscionable,” said Stan Collier, who served as an officer in charge on a boat based in Qui Nhon. “I thought those boys struck a new low.”
Mr. Collier considers himself a conservative and did not agree with Mr. Kerry’s politics, but he voted for him to protest the Swift boat campaign. “We’ve all been attributed to the sleaziness that those guys assigned to Kerry,” he said. “I think we’ve all been demeaned.”
As Mr. Miller said, “People don’t know about us; they know about those few TV advertisements.”

“It’s taken on a life of its own,” Mr. Wasikowski said. “The problem is, it’s on the wrong side. We would like to be remembered as the one operation in Vietnam that succeeded, totally.”

And there is another group of Very Proud Military Service Members that would like their Honor Back, this covers All Conflicts, All Service Branches, and isn't making the News. It happened in the same year as the above. Yet after it occurred extremely little has been mentioned since, and especially as we have Two Theaters of Military Operations and Occupations still ongoing. Many died for this Honor, many were Maimed for this Honor, from the start of it's existance right up to Today and will continue into the forseable future.

Remember this:

This happened at that years Political Convention. A certain Political Party, who claim they are the Party of a Strong National Defense and Supporters of America's Military Personal found it not only Amusing but Extremely Funny to Pass Out and Wear their Purple Heart Bandaids, many with their Lapel American Flag Pins as well, why the Joke even carried to their talking heads, political spinmeisters, and their legions of Supporters, most who have Never Served In The Military nor do much in our times of Wars Of Choice and Occupations, except to scream they want More. More of making More Hatreds and Enemies of our Country and Us Americans! More of allowing the War Profitteers to rob from our Treasury! More of the Huge Defense Budgets with No Questions Asked about where the moneys going, More of sending the few into Multiple Tours and Stoploss! More of Not Taking Care of those sent when They Return! As long as most of them don't have to Sacrifice and can continue to call themselves a Party of Moral Americans!

I never heard an APOLOGY to the few who Serve and are Awarded Purple Hearts, America's Highest Honor, for Dying and being Maimed in America's Wars, Wars mostly of Choice not Need!