Well yesterday I took part in my very first parade. I along with 8 of my recently returned soldiers from OIF, their families and my own Hunter and Jordan marched in the Lockport, NY memorial day parade. It was a pretty nice to see my guys honored by not only the elementary classes from Charles Upson Elementary School but also the people of Lockport. There was a lot of waving, clapping, and saluting from the observers which was nice. However the best thing to see and the thing that made me the most proud was watching the people stand. As SGT Colangelo and SPC Truesdell led the group carrying the US Flag and NYS Flag, people with ( I am assuming) military backgrounds and strong senses of patriotism would stand and clap.

The best part of those were the people that saluted and took their hats off. These are defiantly people that understand the sacrifices made for the Flag and probably have suffered blood, sweat, and tears for it. There were people of all ages, races, genders that did this, but it was the old vets, the guys that were well into their senior years that stood as straight as their bodies would let them and saluted. They took off their Semper Fi hats, Vietnam Vet hats, Korean War hats, etc. and had a pure sense of pride in their faces as these two young men carrying the flags and 6 of their brethren behind them walked in their desert combat uniforms. These 8 soldiers surrounded by their families that kept the home fires burning for the year they were gone and followed by approximately 60 5th and 6th graders that had adopted these guys. It was good in many ways. For the vets, for the soldiers to see those that had walked before them, and for the kids following. Patriotism is not taught in schools these days the way it used to be, and there is no classroom that can teach what was shown by these people along that route. I personally tried to make eye contact with every “old guy and gal” I saw stand. I would usually nod towards them and then would nod back and smile. Near the end was an older lady with a cane sitting in her chair. It took everything she had to stand out of that chair with that cane, and she did. I am not sure if she was a vets wife, daughter or what, but I am sure there was a connection there.

Afterwards it was time for me to pay tribute. I drove down to Holy Cross cemetery and visited my soldier, SGT David Roustum. Of course I was not the only one. There was one of Dave’s old friends there, along with SGT Chris Roberts and his wife fresh from the parade also. Chris and I placed two flags at the head of the grave from the parade. Dave could not be there with us physically but there is no doubt he was there 100% spiritually as he was on everyone’s mind. It was the first time I saw this gravesite without snow on it. It was good to see the foot marker, but I am very upset that the headstone is not there yet. I will talk about that in a later rant. This entry is not the place for that.

God Bless our Troops and Support them all, even if it is with a “Thank You”

Troy

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I have carried this quote with me since about 1991. To me it says it all….

“..And men don’t exhibit uncommon valor for scraps of metal and ribbon to pin to their uniforms. They don’t do it for a couple of hundred bucks a month they’re paid. They don’t do it because they want promotions or because they’re afraid of a court-martial. When the chips are really down, they don’t even do it for the Constitution of the United States. That may be why they enlist, but it isn’t why they become heroes. When the chips are down, they do it for each other…” (William Roskey, 1988, “From the novel Muffled Shots”}

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So they have started two new large operations in Iraq, Operation New Market and Operation Squeeze Play. I am glad to see the Iraqi Govt finally getting tough on terrorists. See since the Govt was put in place they have a say in all large scale military operations and IMO they have been soft and not pursing the terrorists as they should have. I guess they finally had enough last weekend when several of their top Govt officials were all assassinated in a 72 hour period. Too bad it did not take just a few US Soldiers getting killed to get their attention. I realize this may seem like I am arm-chair quarterbacking from over here, but I am not. I know that I may not see the whole situation and there may very well be other factors that delayed them in taking serious action but from what I do know these are my feelings.

We can keep screwing around and doing a little here and a little there or we can sweep through and strong arm as many suspects as we need to. From a friend that is part Syrian and knows this part of the world well, “these people only understand and respect power and domineering influence”. They do not respect the “please may I” PC world that we live in. Personally I don’t care if you have to put someone on a box with wires to them that lead no where or take pictures of someone in their underwear to get them to talk or break their spirit, do what it takes. Just make sure whatever action you take will get the result you want.

When I was in the first Gulf War, we used to say “the way home was through Baghdad”. Little did we know that we would be cut short at the time. This time the soldiers that were in the invasion force said the same thing. Now the soldiers that are over there are in Baghdad and the way home for them is to rid the country of these foreign terrorists and for the Iraq Govt to stand on its own. The ONLY way that will be done is to sweep that country of all the trash and filth that occupies it on the coat-tails of terrorists and Bath Party leaders.

TS

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This is absolutely the best commercial every put out by a beer company and especially AB. They put out a lot of good ones, especially at Super Bowl time, and this was one of them. They pay around $3 million for 30 seconds, and for them to spend that money on this one means a lot.

Download it from this site here.

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It was fabulous watching Chris get the Aviatior of the Year award and I can honestly say that the Army Aviation Association of America (Quad-A or AAAA) put on a nice party. There was a nice reception on Sunday night with all kinds of food, open bar, and door gifts. Even Big-E found the Shrimp party and what good food that was. It was in a reception sponsored by BAE systems. Just about every military aviation contract vendor or wannabe vendor was there and had booths set up in the expo (which I will mention later). On Monday Morning, the conference hall was packed and there was a lot of Stars there. I don’t mean movie stars, I mean military stars. Some of the Generals I saw or met were GEN Brown (CDR of SOC), GEN Griffin (CDR of AMCOM), LTG Shutlz (National Guard Commander), MG Thurman (4th ID CG), BG Pillsbury (CG of Space and Missile Command), BG Sinclair (CG of Ft. Rucker), a MG from III Corps and many others. Vice Chief of Staff GEN Cody also spoke to the conference via VTC. This was the Whos-who of Army Aviation. There is no doubt that this award and the networking done at this conference has greased the skids for Chris and will enable him to do whatever he wants in the military and probably after he retires.

The Expo set up in two big ballrooms had every vendor represented. Like IT conferences there was lots of free stuff and many simulators and things the kids could climb on (there are several pictures of this in the photos section). 160th SOAR had a big area setup and some little birds in there (both AH and MH versions). I think Chris was there for about 90 minutes talking to them, as they (including the CDR of 160th) was trying to recruit him into this elite unit. One of the guys we met was the MH-6 pilot who flew Sadaam from the place where they pulled him from the hole to BIAP. As can be expected, 160th had a very exciting display. Also at the expo were quite a few helicopters (both inside and outside). There was an AH-64 LongBow, AH-64 Model A, Ah-6, MH-6, CH-47, MH-47, and several new proposed helicopters and a lot of UAV models being used or trying to be sold to the military.

TS

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I am so glad that the Commanding General of the 1st Marine Division decided not to pursue a court martial on the young CPL that shot the Iraqi. The only reason this became an issue is because the cameraman was there. This kind of stuff happens all the time. There is no way the Arm-chair generals back in the US could even imagine what the hell that soldier was going through. Just the day before he has his best friend blown up in front of him and parts of his friend all over him. Fallujah was a terrible place at that time, and it was a full-blown battle. It is sad that a court martial was even considered. The only good thing that probable came of it, is that the young soldier got a break from the battlefield because of the investigation and they brought him back to Camp Pendleton. Even though I am sure he would have rather been there with his battle buddies taking the fight to the enemy, it was probably good for him mentally.

It is sad however that the media gave more attention to that subject than they did to the four Americans whos burnt and mutilated bodies were hung from the bridge in Fallijah, or to the hundreds of massacred bodies that have been discovered in Iraq since Sadaam has been removed. How easy it is to forget those barbaric acts. Well, bottom line is that the soldier is cleared to get back to mission. Hopefully he gets promoted and recieves an award for having to put up with all this BS.

TS

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This Blog will discuss nothing by military issues. They can be Active Army, National Guard, Reserve or other branch of service related. There will be links to good things, my feelings on issues, ideas, and updates on proposed items.

If you are interested in the military, this is the Blog for you. If you are not, then don’t let the browser hit you on the way out.

T

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