Obama Shout Out to Operation Free

President Obama gives a shout out to Operation Free in today's speech on clean energy and climate change.

Army Sgt. Richard Yarosh: Portrait in Smithsonian

Justified Honor and Remembrance for not only Sgt. Yarosh but all who served and are serving in these two theaters, burned soldier portrait to show at Smithsonian!

This is and will be for a long time a great tribute to this soldier, and all the Fallen and Maimed of these two continuing occupations. And like "The Wall", until we can build a Memorial for the Fallen of both these conflicts, it should be a Reminder to this Nation of what We Allowed "In Our Names!"!!

Army Sgt. Richard Yarosh

SAN ANTONIO — Retired Army Sgt. Richard Yarosh has gotten used to the stares. His face is blanketed in knotty scar tissue. His nose tip is missing. His ears are gone, as is part of his right leg. His fingers are permanently bent and rigid.

All is the result of an explosion in Iraq that doused him in fuel and fire three years ago.

“I know people are curious,” he said. “They’ll stop in their tracks and look. I guess I can understand. I probably would have stared, too.”

Snip

The gallery received more than 3,300 entries. Many are less conventional portraits, including video and photos, but others, like that of Yarosh, draw strength from the traditional head-and-shoulders composition, said curator Brandon Fortune.

Mitchell’s use of the style — historically reserved for nobility, a high-ranking military officer or a president, not a disfigured soldier in an Army T-shirt — democratizes such paintings, Fortune said.

“The portrait is clearly meant to honor him. I think that contributes to the gravity of the presentation,” she said.

Snip

Yarosh was astonished when he saw the completed portrait.

“It was perfect. I couldn’t believe that he captured me,” he said. “It captures my pride. I’m proud of the way I look. I’m proud of the reason for the way I look.”..>>>Rest Found Here

Speaking of a Memorial, I've had a picture in my head all these past years of another "Wall", facing ours but built up on the top of steps for each year we stay in these theaters, to tower above ours but making a Corridor for the public to walk through.

Towering above ours because we 'Nam Vets and this Nation didn't Keep Our Promise: To Learn The Lessons Of 'Nam And To Never To Allow Another 'War/Occupation of Choice!

The Steps to be the Sacrifice this Nation finally makes for what it allowed, All Visitors would need to walk up each step to reach the Names Engraved in Honor from this Country for their Service and Sacrifice!!

"Traitors"

Veterans group VoteVets.org is paying for a locally broadcast radio ad, in conjunction with Operation FREE, calling on PA Rep. Daryl Metcalfe (R-Butler) to resign over remarks he made that veterans who are fighting for energy security are “traitors.”

Radio Ad


Transcript: Found Here

Over at VetVoice, the interactive blog of Vote Vets a post was put up by rickeagle real early this morning with some coming news on just this, especially as to this Rep Metcalfe, that he probably won't enjoy hearing:

Vet Hating Pennsylvania Rep. Daryl Metcalf Now Has Challenger

Grab the popcorn!

This story is just beginning...

Looks like Pennsylvania State Rep. Daryl Metcalf has not only started a firestorm among veterans over inflammatory statements he made last Friday, but pushed one candidate into running against him in his next reelection campaign....>>>Rest Here

Richard Allen Smith of VoteVets has a front page post up with their press release as well: Vets Call for Resignation of State Rep Who Called them "Traitors" over at VetVoice with a transcript and link to audio ad.

I caught the above this morning as well as the following article of the Operation FREE Bus Tour as it visited a couple of stops in North Carolina,

Veterans travel to promote renewable energy

When Ed May deployed to the Middle East as part of Desert Shield in 1990, the former soldier said he knew the conflict was about oil and predicted the U.S. would be back there in 10 years.

"I, as a soldier, knew then as long as America was dependent on oil, it was going to be that way," the 53-year-old veteran from Indiana said Wednesday in downtown Fayetteville.

May was among the veterans traveling this month on a 21-state bus tour called Operation Free to highlight the importance of cleaner, renewable energy that weans the country from foreign oil. The group pulled into Freedom Memorial Park just before noon in a biodiesel bus painted blue for the trip. The bus had stopped in Raleigh before Fayetteville and was headed to Greensboro afterward...>>>Rest Found Here

before making a stop this morning in Charlotte, at the Mecklenburg County Vietnam Veterans Momorial Wall, as a number of us were there to greet the Bus as they arrived around ten this morning. I'm still waiting on at least one, possibly two, video reports, to be posted on their visit here in Charlotte. In the mean time here's a few pics I took:









And some may recognize this fellow in the following, remember Harry Taylor, who spoke down at bush on a visit to Charlotte a few years back, he spoke at todays visit as did some of the Vets from Operation FREE and a few others.



They were then headed down to I believe Columbia South Carolina to a VFW hall for another stop.

Close Gitmo NOW!

VetVoice: Campaign to Close Gitmo Launches

Our first TV ad, calling on Congress to stand with the President and our military leaders and close Guantanamo now.



Join there Call to Close Gitmo

Campaign to Close Gitmo Launches

Retired Generals, Veterans Group And Former Congressman Launch Campaign To Close Gitmo

Group Releases National TV Ad; Launches Grassroots Campaign To Urge Congress To Close Guantanamo

Washington DC - With the release of a 30 second television ad, a new campaign was launched today to close the US prison at Guantanamo Bay. The campaign, called the National Campaign to Close Guantanamo, was launched with a press call with Retired Generals Bob Gard and John Johns, VoteVets.org Chairman Jon Soltz and former US Congressman and Director of the National Campaign to Close Guantanamo Tom Andrews. The campaign will support President Obama's call to close the prison and urge Congress to reject the scare tactics of Dick Cheney, and the far right, and shut down the Guantanamo.

To combat the right-wing fear machine, the National Campaign to Close Guantanamo will run political ads and lead a grassroots campaign in both Washington and key Congressional districts...>>>Rest of Press Release Found Here

Verbal Spitting on Those Who Serve, Continues!!

Some Four Plus Decades of, Enough is Enough

We've been going through this for some four decades now, and it's gotta Stop Now, but I doubt it will, because it comes mainly from those that don't serve as they wrap themselves in the banner of a political party that's "Strong On National Defense" while condemning all others as not! It's in their political ideology to be used and accepted by those that claim that ideology, like they found great enjoyment wearing and laughing about "purple heart bandages" not long ago. Even some who serve, and do so in our wars and occupations of choice will use it, strickly as their political meme, disgracing their own service as they attack their brothers and sisters, never having real facts to back up their claims, and never apologizing especially to their brothers and sisters!

What's is it really? Well for a number of those years in those four decades I've called it from where it came: "nixonian verbal spitting" the actual spitting on us Vietnam Vets, especially those who spoke the reality of that conflict and were against the policies of. It was the meme that started the now long running slam on many in this country by using it as a reality of actually physically spitting on us returning from 'Nam. There may be cases of actual spitting, never documented nor photographed, but many who claim it can and are quickly brought down by their descriptions of where and when, but that came out of the verbal spitting, not the meme coming from actual spitting, carried out by supporters of the failed policies.

There is a group of present Veterans touring the country on a bus with a message, you can find out about them and their message at Operation FREE

This is a fresh page at their site, Enough is Enough: Rep. Metcalfe Needs to Apologize, I implore everyone to visit and sign their petition.

You can find out more about what is going on and the why the Demand for an Apology, not one of these "Oh gee I misspoke, or used wrong word phrasing, and I'm really sorry." type of apologies, with absolutely no meaning nor feeling, and then walking away from a mike and forgetting all about it and moving on, A Real Apology Is Demanded, you 'Spit' on one Veteran you 'Spit' on us all, Verbal or Physical, by a Vet or especially by a civilian we Served!

You can also find out much more with a front page post by Meteor Blades, at daily kos, which caught exactly what many of us Vets have been saying these past decades, Daryl Metcalfe Spits on Veterans as to the political meme's used.

Shunning.

A dose of that is what the Pennsylvania House of Representatives should give state Rep. Daryl Metcalfe. Every time he rises to speak, every time they pass him in the corridor, every time he seeks to engage them, the members of the House should turn their backs, literally and figuratively. Shun him and turn away from his slimeball behavior. They should strip him of his assignment to the House Veteran Affairs and Emergency Preparedness Committee. The good citizens of Butler, Pa., the heart of his district, ought to show the same good sense by shunning him now and next election day...>>>

Or read the one posted there yesterday, 10.19.09, by Jon Powers, an OIF and OEF Veteran, Why is a Republican PA State Rep calling Iraq and Afghan vets "Benedict Arnold?"

I served for 15 months in Iraq as a Captain in the Army’s 1st Armored Division, and like so many of my fellow Iraq and Afghanistan veterans I returned on a new mission. This mission was, and continues to be, to help raise awareness and educate the American people not only on the wars we are currently fighting, but on the national security challenges our great nation faces. For generations, veterans have done this and they have seen this as a continuation of their service to Constitution and the American people....>>>

Or visit another posted last night, 10.19.09, over at VetVoice, the VoteVets interactive blog site, by Thurman Hart Your oath or your planet?, another OIF and OEF Veteran, he starts it out with the Oath we all take when joining the United States Military then

If you entered active duty service after 1962, you said this same oath (with the difference of inserting your own name). I often say that my term of enlistment is over, but the patriotism that pushed those words out of my mouth is written on the walls of my heart. I still rise to defend the Constitution, so help me God...>>>

"but the patriotism that pushed those words out of my mouth is written on the walls of my heart"

Those words hit right to the core for most of us who have served even for only our initial terms of service and not careerer as well as most of my brothers who were drafted into service back when we had the draft, the Oath and even the Military style structure has a tendency to stay with you the rest of your life, Especially the Oath.

Once again I call on All to visit and support Operation FREE and especially sign on to their call for an Apology by signing Their Petition, and pass it on. If in Pennsylvania go even further and call this state reps office and more!

He is a Veteran, but as I pointed out above Veterans also use the Damning Words of Political Speak to Slander their own, thus disgracing their own service as they verbally paint the picture in slandering many of those they've served with or came before them, just because many don't walk in their lockstep political ideologies!!

From 'Nam to the Present!!

Note: As to the Federal Government and the Representatives we hire, especially those who still carry an (R) after their names, and were in the Senate or House and held the Congressional Power, as the Administration did same previously, ask them why all of a sudden they've found Veterans Issues so important, as one in N.C., Senator Burr and a few in the House, have recently. Where were they as they were beating the drums of war and occupation, rubber stamping no bid contracts for private war and defense contractors, keeping the war cost off budget, and anything that administration wanted, Where Were They!! Ask them the next time you talk or write them, yours is probably had news reports lately saying similar about these issues and now their support.

Vietnam Veteran Reunites With Son Through Facebook

Long-Lost Son Finds Dad on Facebook

Pete McKibben had to leave his girlfriend and unborn son behind in Vietnam 36 years ago. He's been looking for them ever since.

The former U.S. Marine had lost hope and believed his sweetheart and child had been killed in the war-torn country, reported CNN. But, decades later, an email via Facebook changed his life.

"The email says, 'You look familiar. Were you in Vietnam or Cambodia between 1972 and '73?'" McKibben told CNN...>>>Read Rest Here

War Veterans

Cleland's book shares lifelong effects of Vietnam

The leading scorer on his high school basketball team in a small Georgia town, and a young man with political ambitions, Max Cleland's early life seemed promising.

Later, he headed the Veterans Administration, served in the U.S. Senate and today heads the American Battle Monuments Commission, founded in 1923 to manage overseas cemeteries and memorials honoring our veterans.

Cleland almost died in Vietnam when an exploding grenade destroyed both his legs and part of his right arm....>>>>

Max's Book: "Heart of a Patriot: How I Found the Courage to Survive Vietnam, Walter Reed and Karl Rove"

War vets living with post-traumatic stress disorder

Veterans suffering from PTSD can learn to live with the ghosts of war - with help

In his brown and tan correctional officer's uniform, Kevin Kerrigan is the picture of steady authority as he waits outside a door in a hallway in the second-floor jail section of the Delaware County Justice Center...>>>>

Mission Support helps soldiers deal with war

Twenty years ago in December, John Scroggins made a combat parachute jump into Panama with the Rangers.

At 63, he has been out of uniform for seven years. But nowadays Scroggins is helping Fort Bragg revise how it sends soldiers to war, brings them back and gets them ready to go again...>>>>

Military retiree launches online Army Family Support Center

The Army has developed a range of online resources to support the families of soldiers, especially deployed troops, but these can take hours of Web searches to locate and organize.

Jaque Davison, a retired Army helicopter pilot who has nearly three decades of experience in the construction of 3-D objects and virtual worlds, believes he has found a better way to manage and present that information....>>>>