Supporting the Troops in Style!

A huge Hat-tip to MaryAnn of Soldier's Angels Germany for finding and posting this story. It's so good I have to post the whole thing. I just wish I had pictures to go with it!

From the Philadelphia Daily News, a story by Ronnie Polaneczky called "Here's a Yule story that ought to be a movie":

AND NOW, in time for the holidays, I bring you the best Christmas story you never heard.

It started last Christmas, when Bennett and Vivian Levin were overwhelmed by sadness while listening to radio reports of injured American troops.

"We have to let them know we care," Vivian told Bennett.

So they organized a trip to bring soldiers from Walter Reed Army Medical Center and Bethesda Naval Hospital to the annual Army-Navy football game in Philly, on Dec. 3.

The cool part is, they created their own train line to do it.

Yes, there are people in this country who actually own real trains. Bennett Levin - native Philly guy, self-made millionaire and irascible former L&I commish - is one of them.

He has three luxury rail cars. Think mahogany paneling, plush seating and white-linen dining areas. He also has two locomotives, which he stores at his Juniata Park train yard.

One car, the elegant Pennsylvania, carried John F. Kennedy to the Army-Navy game in 1961 and '62. Later, it carried his brother Bobby's body to D.C. for burial.

"That's a lot of history for one car," says Bennett.

He and Vivian wanted to revive a tradition that endured from 1936 to 1975, during which trains carried Army-Navy spectators from around the country directly to the stadium where the annual game is played.

The Levins could think of no better passengers to reinstate the ceremonial ride than the wounded men and women recovering at Walter Reed in D.C. and Bethesda, in Maryland.

"We wanted to give them a first-class experience," says Bennett. "Gourmet meals on board, private transportation from the train to the stadium, perfect seats - real hero treatment."

Through the Army War College Foundation, of which he is a trustee, Bennett met with Walter Reed's commanding general, who loved the idea.

But Bennett had some ground rules first, all designed to keep the focus on the troops alone:

No press on the trip, lest the soldiers' day of pampering devolve into a media circus.

No politicians either, because, says Bennett, "I didn't want some idiot making this trip into a campaign photo op."

And no Pentagon suits on board, otherwise the soldiers would be too busy saluting superiors to relax.

The general agreed to the conditions, and Bennett realized he had a problem on his hands.

"I had to actually make this thing happen," he laughs.

Over the next months, he recruited owners of 15 other sumptuous rail cars from around the country - these people tend to know each other - into lending their vehicles for the day. The name of their temporary train?

The Liberty Limited.

Amtrak volunteered to transport the cars to D.C. - where they'd be coupled together for the round-trip ride to Philly - then back to their owners later.

Conrail offered to service the Liberty while it was in Philly. And SEPTA drivers would bus the disabled soldiers 200 yards from the train to Lincoln Financial Field, for the game.

A benefactor from the War College ponied up 100 seats to the game - on the 50-yard line - and lunch in a hospitality suite.

And corporate donors filled, for free and without asking for publicity, goodie bags for attendees:

From Woolrich, stadium blankets. From Wal-Mart, digital cameras. From Nikon, field glasses. From GEAR, down jackets.

There was booty not just for the soldiers, but for their guests, too, since each was allowed to bring a friend or family member.

The Marines, though, declined the offer. "They voted not to take guests with them, so they could take more Marines," says Levin, choking up at the memory.

Bennett's an emotional guy, so he was worried about how he'd react to meeting the 88 troops and guests at D.C.'s Union Station, where the trip originated. Some GIs were missing limbs. Others were wheelchair-bound or accompanied by medical personnel for the day.

"They made it easy to be with them," he says. "They were all smiles on the ride to Philly. Not an ounce of self-pity from any of them. They're so full of life and determination."

At the stadium, the troops reveled in the game, recalls Bennett. Not even Army's lopsided loss to Navy could deflate the group's rollicking mood.

Afterward, it was back to the train and yet another gourmet meal - heroes get hungry, says Levin - before returning to Walter Reed and Bethesda.

"The day was spectacular," says Levin. "It was all about these kids. It was awesome to be part of it."

The most poignant moment for the Levins was when 11 Marines hugged them goodbye, then sang them the Marine Hymn on the platform at Union Station.

"One of the guys was blind, but he said, 'I can't see you, but man, you must be f---ing beautiful!' " says Bennett. "I got a lump so big in my throat, I couldn't even answer him."

It's been three weeks, but the Levins and their guests are still feeling the day's love.

"My Christmas came early," says Levin, who is Jewish and who loves the Christmas season. "I can't describe the feeling in the air."

Maybe it was hope.

As one guest wrote in a thank-you note to Bennett and Vivian, "The fond memories generated last Saturday will sustain us all - whatever the future may bring."

God bless the Levins.

And bless the troops, every one.

-----------------------
sniff - I just love stories like this! I remember talking to some of the guys at Malogne House about going to the game and they said they were taking the train to Philly. I had no clue what a special trip awaited them. Hat's off to Bennett and Vivian Levin!

In Memory of MAJ Ahmed Jamil

If you get all your "war news" from CNN, NBC, NYT, WaPo, or some other lettered outfit, you'd never hear about any individual Iraqis who are putting their lives on the line to free their country from the grip of terrorists. You'd never know how these courageous people have opened their hearts to the U.S. Troops along side whom they are fighting, building, learning and planning for the future.

If you are reading this, then you probably also read milblogs and are well aware that our warriors have often created friendships with their Iraqi brethren that are far deeper than simply for working purposes. One such bond was shared between SSG K and Maj. Ahmed Jamil.

I found out hours ago that Major Jamil was killed by an IED a few miles north of here. As you will recall from my e-mails to you all, during the big operation in Sarai in September (Operation Restoring Rights), Jamil and I became very close and bonded, as though we knew each other for a lifetime.

I very much admired, respected, and treasured this warrior's company and for the love he had for his country, Kurdistan.

He told me during one of our many conversations over dinner that he and his men came to fight in Tall'afar so the insurgents would never enter his homeland. He wanted to see his son grow up without violence, killings, or ever seeing a gun.

His son was four months old when I met Jamil in September, I only hope and pray that his son will come to know one day what a great sacrifice his father made as well as what a great leader he was - brave, courageous and beloved and respected by the men he led.

Please read the rest of this wonderful tribute at Soldiers' Angels Germany.

History Lesson from CivilWarrior

It's open classroom at Way Down in Kosovo and Professor CivilWarrior is giving another in his series on the History of Warfare.

WARNING! There are a couple of pop quizzes sprinkled throughout the lecture and wrong answers may result in severe penalties:

Hint: if you answer United States of America, go out and play in the traffic right now. If you answer "The Empire", please leave your name and address, and after I get done with this deployment I will come to your house and beat you silly with your own "Code Pink" protest sign, then mock your sad lack of secondary sexual development in front of teenagers.

I'm sure most of you will have no problem getting the correct answers, so don't be afraid to participate!

ADD Tuesday

Everyone in my family now knows about this blog so I have decided that I can make use of this embarrassing fact to put out little "news" items. If you don't want to know about such mundane family matters, skip down to The Usual Cranky Stuff.


Holly is much better. Her appetite is back and she's not drinking gallons of water like last week. She's got about 80% of her balance back and only falls over when she gets excited or forgets that her hind legs don't always work. I think it's safe to assume that she'll make it to 105 next month. Hooray!


The Usual Cranky Stuff

Congressional committee members who claim they "didn't know" about some recently exposed program/event/scandal for which their committee has oversight should be impaled. Anyone who blames Bush for the problem should be shot by firing squad, then impaled.

Why isn't the Senate Intelligence Committee holding hearings into the leak of the NSA intercept program to the NYT, rather than holding hearings into why Bush had to go that route?

Today's best quote - from Fire and Ice

These Marines stood toe to toe trading punches with the insurgency while standing eyeball to eyeball with the Iraqi man in the street. The insurgents were mostly foreign and, at this writing, mostly dead after squaring off with the Marines.

This is a really cool Artist-in-residence Marine's blog with lots of his original artwork and, of course, his own written observations of the war in Iraq. Why don't I have WO-1 M. Fay blogrolled? 'Cause I'm lazy and I forgot!

Those who didn't forget include Milblogging.com and The Mudville Gazette. These are the best milblog reference sites. If you haven't done so already, go register on Milblogging.com and vote/choose your favorites for the First Annual Milbloggies Award, and be sure to vote for Dr. Phat Tony. Then vote for me! Voting ends at midnight, Dec. 31st.

The Eve of Christmas Eve at WR

We had an amazingly high turnout this week. It was wonderful to see so many show up to carry signs, wave flags, and say "Thank You" to the Troops as they entered and exited the hospital. Someone told me they had counted 41 on our side, while the most I counted across the street was 13 commie Pinkos.

The young folks from the Leadership Institute were back, as well as an entire family who were in town on vacation. "Big John" Miska brought wounded warrior Kevin D. out to visit us. According to John's business card "He is large, loud, opinionated & fuzzy around the edges." He's also a Vietnam Vet who loves the troops and uses his considerable energy and "loudness" to provide all kinds of support to our heroes.

"Big John" had taken Kevin on his rounds thru the wards while he "did his schtick" for the wounded, and then they went DVD shopping. Kevin told me he liked old movies and started pulling some of his purchases out of a backpack. Now despite the fact that I think Ted Turner is a complete 'tard, I love Turner Classic Movies and consider most of the programming on that channel to be "old". B&W, silent movies and the like. Well, when I saw that the oldest movie in Kevin's selection was "The Incredible Mr. Limpet" I suddenly felt the need to find a walker.

Kevin wasn't amused at all by the Pinkos "vigil" outside his temporary home. He'd like them to take their anti-war protest somewhere else and used some rather "colorful" language to describe his feelings.

I learned something else this week: don't assume the camera batteries will last. I forgot to charge them after last week's FReep and wouldn't cha know it, they ran outta juice half way thru the
evening. So, I was left with a smaller than usual collection fromwhich to choose for this post.


The D.C. Cops were out again but were just patrolling their beat. We didn't get the kind of close scrutiny we were under last week. No one found out what that was all about.

A physician from the hospital joined us briefly. He had walked among the commies listening to their talk and getting a close look
at their signs. When he crossed the street to our side and received multiple thanks for his work, he made an observation we hadn't heard before. The Doc said that the biggest difference between the two sides was that while we were happy and enjoying ourselves, the Pinkos were dour and unhappy. Makes sense. No one but a miserable wretch would think that aiding and abetting the terrorist scum that put the patients in the hospital, then protesting the war in front of the hospital is a great way to show
support to the Troops. Morons!


Chanting at the Pinkos.

We have small repertoire of chants that we use when the mood strikes. One of the most popular is:

"Shame on Code Pink.

Leave the Wounded Alone!"

In honor of the approaching holiday we changed it a bit:

"Shame on Code Pink
It's Christmas, you bastards - GO HOME!"

The commies didn't take our advice.






Santa's "Naughty" list.






Gael Murphy (left) and pals singing worn out 60's hippy songs. Santa will no doubt leave them some nice reindeer turds.







"Weasel" taking picture of me taking picture of him.










Matthew attempts to find his "pink balls" when he loses his temper. The Pinkos are coached to ignore us and our taunts, but some of them have a hard time towing the line.

Matthew often finds himself a target since he called one of our Marine FReepers a "murderer". When presented with the opportunity to clarify his remarks to two Marines, poor Matty vainly searched for his elusive manhood.



"Princess" chose his attire carefully. He must have known the skirt would be provocative. We made sure he wasn't disappointed.

On a real man, its a kilt; on a commie 'tard, its a skirt.








"Squeegie" showed up late. We gave him a rousing welcome when he finally arrived.







Three lonely Pinkos on NW corner.








"Kamp Kommie"




There was no bus from Fran O'Brien's this night. Happily many (if not most) of the ambulatory wounded are enjoying the holiday at home with their families. I have it on good authority that Santa arrived in a sleigh overflowing with gifts and love from supporters all over the country to make a bright Christmas for those who couldn't travel.

I hope all of you had a great Christmas!

A Present from Iraq

This photo from I Froze My Toes at WR. We all signed the "card" at center and mailed it to Iraq.

From Capt B.
His Marines posing with stogies and the special Birthday card from some FreeRepublic supporters. Definitely the coolest Christmas present ever!

Semper Gratus Capt B. & God Bless the USMC!

We are the Knights Who Say "Quiz"

Finally. A Monty Python Quiz.


Let's not bicker and argue about who killed who!


What Monty Python Character are you?
brought to you by Quizilla

*Sniff* I'm so happy! I love John Cleese.

Hat tip: SC Eagle at A Storm In Afghanistan

Time out

This week I learned that in a crisis "I fall to pieces".

My brain simply ceases to function.

Things are somewhat better now, so I'll try to put something interesting out here later on.

In the meantime -

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!!

Got Freedom? Kiss a Vet!

The weather was quite cooperative this week. The low only got near freezing. Practically a heat wave!

Illiterate hippies playing
60's protest songs in front
of their "Quite Zone" sign.

WTF?

The pleasant evening was made even better by some terrific guest appearances. We were joined by a group from the Leadership Institute who were honing their leadership skills by enthusiastically supporting the wounded troops.



I've written about the terrific D.C. cops in prior posts and I'm not bashing them tonight, but we were under their close scrutiny all evening and never figured out exactly why.

They claimed to be "just monitoring the goings on", but in all 9 months that the FReepers have been opposing the commie Pinkos, no such monitoring has ever occurred. It may have been an intimidation ploy by the Pink 'tards: call the cops ahead of time claiming that they are being threatened by us and ask for "protection". Wouldn't put it past the hippy pansies.





This nice lady in pink is no way shape or form a "pinko". She's Cindy McGrew from Operation Second Chance. This is a terrific organization that helps the wounded men and women in all sorts of ways from doing shopping, taking the soldiers and Marines on trips, organizing fundraisers, etc. Check out her site and see how you can participate.

Pinkos with truck passing by.

Street scenes.







Tom, The Redhunter, shows
the way.

Crazy commie shows he's clueless.

We can never say it enough...














...to these guys.

Spc. Daniel Cunningham and
Spc. Joseph Barksdoll - stopped by
to see what was up.





Santa says thanks.










One of my favorite signs.

SW corner.

NE corner

Pinkos packing up.

SE corner.







The bus loaded with wounded warriors returning from Fran O'Brien's. Marty O'Brien and Hal Koster are true supporters who show their appreciation every day to the vets. You'd never know it from their web site, but the warriors know where they're always welcome and their money's no good.



Landry Fan's report is up here. Tom the RedHunter has a great post about one of our FReepers who's on his way "home" to Iraq for a while.

A Date Which Will Live in History

Hooray for Iraq! Another sucessful election in which a huge percentage of the population showed up to exercise their God given right to determine their own future.

From the front, another report from NO SHIT NEWS

Iraqi Security and Coalition Forces helped pave the way for hundreds of thousands of Iraqi citizens in Al Anbar Province to vote in today’s National Parliamentary Elections.

Voter turnout was robust throughout the province, with preliminary reports indicating that a far higher percentage of the predominantly Sunni population participated in today’s elections than did in October’s Constitutional Referendum. Overall, there were few security incidents reported in the Province, and the murder and intimidation campaign that kept many people from the polls during previous votes never materialized.

“Today’s vote exceeded all expectations,” said Assistant Division Commander, Brig. Gen. James L. Williams. “What we saw today was the result of months of hard work by the Iraqi government, the US Ambassador and his staff, the international community, particularly the IECI and Iraqi and Coalition Forces. Most of all, it clearly demonstrates the resolve of the local Iraqi people to take their rightful place in the democratic process.”

In the provincial capital of Ramadi, where only several thousand citizens took part in the Referendum, tens of thousands of voters lined the streets to vote today. Residents were observed dancing, singing and waving the Iraqi flag in a rare display of national pride. Members of both the Iraqi Army and the Iraqi Police provided security throughout the city while Coalition Forces remained largely on the outskirts in the event they were needed for an emergency. It is still too early to tell what percentage of voters in the city actually voted, but the numbers are expected to be much higher than they were during the Referendum.

In Fallujah, where an estimated 90% of voters participated in October’s Referendum, voter turnout in today’s elections was similarly high. As in Ramadi, Coalition Forces turned over much of the responsibilities for securing the vote to Iraqi Security Forces. In Karmah, on the outskirts of Fallujah, a polling site that was bombed by insurgents yesterday was quickly repaired and operational by the time the polls opened today. There were no casualties reported in the incident.

Elsewhere in the province, in cities like Husaybah, Karabilah and Ubaydi, voter turnout was steady throughout the day. Until a few weeks ago, this area near the Syrian border was largely under the influence of al Qaeda in Iraq-led insurgents. Recent Iraqi and Coalition operations such as Steel Curtain and Iron Fist were instrumental in clearing these cities of insurgent fighters. The permanent security presence left behind in this region is seen as a crucial step towards preventing insurgents from establishing a stronghold in the area again.

“No one can look at what happened in Al Anbar today and still deny progress is being made,” said Williams. “Overall, attacks against local citizens and Iraqi and Coalition Forces are down, voter turnout is much higher than before and the people are finally beginning to see the fruitlessness of supporting the insurgency. Credit has to also be given to the bravery of Governor Ma’moun, Governor of Al-Anbar Province, to encourage his Sunni population to vote through their tribal leaders’ encouragement. While we still have a long way to go, we have made remarkable strides since last January’s elections, and now have the potential to establish a real measure of order and security in the Province.” Capt. B

Now that's the kind of news you're not getting from the "lettered" outfits. There's lots more news on DefenseLink with lots more pics!

More from the front (emphasis mine):

The elections went very well. Very very few incidents at all. A couple Iraqi police died but all attempted attacks were stopped. The Iraqi police and Iraqi Army did an excellent job today maintaining security. Coalition did not have to step in once. In one incident a car drove up and tried to drive into a polling site to do damage, but it was stopped, the man detained, the crowds ran away, then after the police ran the guy down, the crowds all came back right away.

Some 75% of the registered voters voted. Our country would NEVER meet that %, and we dont have to face possible suicide vehicle bombers every other day! These people want this more than we want it for them. Even if the parties do have particular agendas, dont all parties?

Anyway, it was a good day.

Alison L. Ball
CPT, MS

What a day! But wait! - there's more:

Today is election day. Iraqis are voting. A mortar just went off in the distance. So what? The insurgents are going to lose and Iraqis are going to exercise free will by voting. Today is a great day and even though I am nervous and wary, I am honored to be participating in this process. History is being made in this nation today, and it will ripple outward from Baghdad across the Middle East and further.

Tsunamis wipe out everything in their path. It is my hope that by being here, I have played a small role in creating a tsunami that will scour Iraq, cleansing it of head choppers, bombers and dictators. When I’m an old man sitting on my porch in North Georgia drinking chai tea with my wife and watching the sunset, I hope an Iraqi will be waking up in Baghdad free to pursue his dream of building a business, writing a book or inventing something new he dreamed about while I was wide awake and living free back home. Sgt. Trevor Snyder

I'm so proud of all our Troops for making this day come true. Well Done!!! Let us never forget the cost of Freedom and remember with honor and pride the ones who paid so dearly to bring Freedom to others.

Election Day!

Hooray! The Iraqis are going to the polls - AGAIN. I'm looking forward to millions of purple fingers and happy, free citizens in what amounts to a brand new country.


We've got a lot of voting going on here in the blogododechahedron as well. I haven't mentioned it so far 'cause I've been voting for a lot of really good blogs and haven't wanted to leave any out. I figure that since its a truly historic day, I may as well do some campaigning.

For the Weblog Awards (which end Thursday):

Best Milblog - One Marine's View (Capt. B rules!)

Best Media/Journalist Blog - Michael Yon (did you know he's talked w/Capt. B about a writing a book?)

Best of the Top 1751 - 2500 Blogs - Cam Edwards (NRA Radio Host)

Best of the Top 2501 - 3500 Blogs - Radioactive Liberty (our man FIAR)

Best of the Top 3501 - 5000 - Insolublog (jeenyus)

Best Canadian Blog - North American Patriot

Best Blog - Mudville Gazette

Milbloggies - Vote for all of them! No, don't do that... I get carried away. If you haven't been over there yet, Milblogging.com makes you register (easy - won't spam you, either) and then you add blogs to your "favorites". Only one vote per user per blog, no voting over and over every 24 hours.

Vote for Dr. Phat Tony for Best Veteran Milblog. There, I pimped his site again.

Oh yeah, you can vote for me, too. I'm in the "Civilian" category.

Me me me meme!

Soon-to-be Detective Earp has tagged me! This is a most horrible meme to boot. As far as I can determine, the "tagged" must describe 5 weird/annoying/psychotic things about themselves. From nose-picking (Peakah), to loogie hocking in food (AirForceWife), to attractive dust fields (TylerD) and packing it all in (Fmragtops), I'm in really good company!

Where to start...

1. It takes me forever to do anything. I am a world class procrastinator. I can't do A until I've finished B. I don't want to do B so neither A nor B ever get done. Its not that A can't be done independently of B, I just get it in my head that B must be done first because I don't want to do it.

I had to go read all of the other posts before I started on mine, not because I couldn't come up with anything to write, but because writing is haaarrrrddd. Oh waaahhh!

I spend so much time reading other people's blogs that I completely missed the fact that I was tagged 3 days ago! It doesn't help that Wyatt posts an average of 25 times a day. By the time I get to his blog, everything over 1.5 days old has been archived.

2. I'm a complete slob. I never make the bed, vacuum, or dust. Every surface in the house has a mountain of "stuff" covering it. It doesn't help matters that TweetiePie is a packrat of Biblical proportions. His dream is to retire and open a junk yard - and never sell anything. I've determined that we will require a minimum of 100 acres for our combined "stuff".

(skuze me a minute. Lcpl Pete, USMC is calling from HI. Gotta talk...)

3. Now where was I? ... Oh, yeah! I get distracted real easy. That's not a habit, though is it?

I have a habit of breaking watches. Ever since I was a wee one, watches never lasted more than a few weeks before they stopped working. I'd wear them during the day, take them off at night and put them somewhere safe. Then they'd suddenly stop working. OK, so maybe taking them apart had something to do with it. They're just sooo damn cool to play with!

4. I have a habit of assuming that everyone is smarter than me. I'm pretty sure I'm right about that one. Except for the obviously stoopid hippies, commies, and moonbats.

5. I have trouble writing about myself. I can't think of a fifth 'thing'. I have a habit of being boring? Introverted? Peevish?

Now on to the next victims er, contestants:

either orr
PCS to LikedInUSAF
Prof. RightWingNation
Landry's Life
and CivilWarrior

Dr. Phat Tony Linky Love

He's such a whore, but ya gotta love him.

DPT's got a great bunch of France jokes today (OK, now its yesterday). This isn't going to qualify me for any swag, since I'm not linking to any Phat History lessons, like History of Thanksgiving, or History of Discovery of America, or the perennial favorite How to Join the Canadian Army. I just love French jokes.

Good Riddance to Bad Rubbish

Valerie Plame spends her last day at CIA

Neither the agency nor Plame's husband would confirm her departure, but two people who have known Plame for a number of years confirmed she was leaving.

Maybe the President will get a little better "intelligence" out of the Agency now that this beeotch is gone.

Christmas Lights at Walter Reed

Christmas time on Georgia Ave.

Not exactly a proper flag.

There were far too many pinkos.
We barely outnumbered them tonight.








Santa and some helpers.

Squeegie with the long pink
sign.

We brought Christmas with us.








One is judged by the company
one keeps.

Dean wasn't across the street
tonight. I'm sure he was
there in spirit.

(thanks Mike H.)




















Picking on the Pinkos and their inferior "pink balls". Seems their little trip to Cuba was called off because they suddenly lost their nerve.

Friday Funny

Some more of "teh funny" from Tweetiepie:

New Living Will Form

I, __________________________, being of sound mind and body,
do not wish to be kept alive indefinitely by artificial means. Under no
circumstances should my fate be put in the hands of peckerwood
politicians who couldn't pass ninth-grade biology if their lives depended
on it.

If a reasonable amount of time passes and I fail to sit up and ask for:
(Please initial all that apply)

_________a martini,

_________a margarita,

_________a beer,

_________my email,

_________a steak,

_________the remote control,

_________my SiteMeter count,

_________a bowl of ice cream,

_________a laptop,

_________sex,

_________a .45

it should be presumed that I won't ever get better. When such a
determination is reached, I hereby instruct my appointed person and
attending physicians to pull the plug, reel in the tubes and call it a
day.

Signature:___________________________

Date: ___________________________

Witness: __________________________

Sorry for lack of original posting recently. 'Tis the season to be busy at work 'n stuff.

Help for Kllokot, Kosovo

From CivilWarrior of Way Down in Kosovo:

I recieved this message from my friend Leta, founder of the NGO "Progress Through Peace". PTP is actively trying to raise money to help the village of Kllokot with the terrible sanitation problem that has been making people (especially children) sick. Please read the following; if you are willing to help us, please, please do so:

Progress Through Peace, Inc. (PTP) is very thankful for the response received for the donations to the sewer repair project for the village of Kllokot, Kosovo. It is one of so many projects in Kosovo and other post conflict countries that PTP hopes to be able to assist in solving in the coming years along with educating the citizens on civil society, democratization, nation building, economics, etc. We are half way to our goal and hoping to reach the goal by 15 December 2006. The Executive Director of PTP will be returning to Kosovo on 18 December 2006 for a myriad of reasons and projects and hopes to be able to take the funds with her at that time. While EVERY donation no matter how small or large is appreciated it is interesting to note that the largest single donation (over 5 times that of the next largest single donation) has come from a Soldier who has been "boots on the ground" in Kosovo, has seen what needs to be done there and wanted to do their part towards assisting. VERY inspiring to PTP since every individual Soldier already "gives" so much simply by serving.

Please take a minute to either click on the "Make a Donation" button in the side bar or mail your donation to:

Progress Through Peace, Inc.
P O Box 100
Cordova, TN 38088

Be assured that the people of Kllokot and Kosovo will be told that it was Americans that provided the funds to them - not PTP. PTP is simply a vehicle to assist.

Please remember that, at this time, PTP is registered as a Non Profit Corporation in the state of Tennessee but has not yet been approved for tax exempt status (501c3) by the IRS. The 501c3 paperwork is being filed and PTP hopes to have approval in the next few months.

Because PTP was conceptualized late this year as a result of the Executive Directors visit to Kosovo the requests have been overwhelming for assistance. Our cart is so very far in front of our horse right now. PTP hopes to have a web site up and running by the end of December. When the site is up you can access it at progressthroughpeace.org. There will be updates and photos about Kllokot as well as other projects in the works, completed and under consideration.

Thank you for your support.

Leta M Carruth

GN: I think this is a great project. It will have a tremendous impact on all the people of Kllokot and because its being run by a private entity, all the work and expenditure of funds will be closely scrutinized by a responsible person. Like Leta said, any amount will be a big help. Thank you!

A Date Which Will Live in Infamy

Pearl Harbor, December 7, 1941

We won the war begun this day.

It wasn't easy. We made many mistakes, took even more good decisions, and lost tens of thousands of American lives. There were differences and arguments among the war planners and intelligence gatherers; there were naysayers in the press; there were civilians who wondered why the President got us into "this mess". Still, we won.

New York, September 11, 2001

Will we win the war begun this day?

Staying the course is the only option. The cowardly thing to do is to cut and run, to let the Iraqis take off in a plane with only half the rivets fastened and half the wires connected. - Ma Deuce Gunner

Americans are dying in Iraq so Americans don’t have to die at home, or so that they can die of self-inflicted things like lung cancer and heart attacks instead of having a building blow up and crush them while they are inside it. Don’t kid yourself that things are otherwise. Keeping the fight in the enemy’s home court is exactly the right thing to do. - Sgt. Snyder

So walk tall America, not only on Dec 7th but all the time! You are the difference between good and evil and it is fought on many levels and in many locations. Your Marines continue to choke out evil here in Iraq. We will continue to do that because we know, like back in 1941 YOU stand tough, ready and as one against evil in support of us. - Capt. B

I want to win.

The Liberal Night Before Christmas

FreeRepublic post by Jessica24
‘Twas the night before Christmas and all through the land,
Not a creature was celebrating, just as the liberals had planned.
The war had been waged with consummate glee,
And they had finally vanquished the foul bourgeoisie.
They were now out of power, but oh those libs had a vision-
A secular state guised as multiculturalism.
And they knew that in order to accomplish this heist,
First and foremost they must get rid of Christ!
The first line of attack had been at the greeting,
Now no one could say it except at a prayer meeting.
“Down with this imperial “Merry Christmas” phrase!
From now on, be PC- Say “Happy Holidays.”
Next they had set their sights on the tree,
Striking the “Christmas” from it by liberal decree.
“They’re Wishing Trees now, and if you disagree,
You’re prob’ly a hick from red state Tennessee.”
All this they carried out with the help of the press,
Naïve college freshmen and celebrity noblesse.
But there was only so much they could accomplish by squawking.
Too many were not buying all that they were hawking.
It was time to implement the next step in their coup d’etat.
“We must file suit,” they said, “and make it the law.
In our pledge, on our money, we think it’s unjust!
God’s too democratic- in judges we trust!”
"Now Moore! Now, Newdow! Now, Reid and Pelosi!
On, Boxer! On, Franken!, Johns Edwards and Kerry!
To the top of the bench! To the top of The Hill!
Now dash away! Dash away! Go impose our will!"
So they dashed to the courts, and they made it obscene,
To be caught wearing anything made of red or of green,
To have sugar plums or fig pudding on the cuisine,
Or to think of setting up a Nativity scene.
Finally the conservatives were set all agog,
Could this mean the end of elves and eggnog?
No carols? No candy canes? they thought with dismay.
Was the only tinsel to be found in L.A.?
No harking the herald, no decking the halls.
No cheesy Christmas concerts or frantic shopping at malls.
No late night visits from St. Nicholas.
No mistletoe under which to stand and be kissed.
Away went the manger, no jingle bell did rock.
Tiny Tim and The Grinch now as distasteful as Halliburton stock.
Gone were frankincense, myrrh, and Joy to the World.
Two thousand years of tradition had now been unfurled.
And if from the street they could see stockings,
Then you could be sure that the libs would come knocking.
“If from private celebrating you cannot refrain,
Then by Souter we shall invoke imminent domain!”
So Christmas Eve had come with nary one string of lights,
(Even putting a damper on all eight Hanukkah nights).
The activists were left to ponder the next crusade to embark upon.
Should it be Easter next time? Rosh Hashanah? Ramadan?
When what to their wondering eyes did appear,
Not any size sleigh or a single reindeer.
Not Santa Claus or Frosty the Snowman,
But the lights of church, and the inside was glowing.
People were laughing and holding hands,
Catching up with neighbors and family and friends.
Singing of how their lives were restored,
Proclaiming loudly, “Happy Birthday, dear Lord!”
The liberals were furious. How could this be?
They’d done away with the greeting, done away with the tree.
No halls had been decked- They’d passed resolutions!
How could it not have been the solution?
On his way out of the church they stopped an old man,
Asked desperately what had gone wrong with their plan.
He led them aside and pointed into the sky,
Placed a hand on their shoulder and said kindly “That’s why.”
“You cannot control what you don’t understand.
You can’t wipe away faith with the wave of your hand.
You can take away the trees and the elves and the bells,
The colors, the lights, but none of that tells
“The story of Christmas, and you knew all along,
the trappings and presents aren’t what make us strong.
It’s hope, and it’s love, and it’s prayers we have prayed,
And that’s what has for so long made you afraid.
“Maybe our faith fails analytical review,
But we love God, one another… We even love you.”
He walked away several steps, then turned, eyebrows raised.
“Oh, and one more thing… Happy Holidays.”

Kllokot, Kosovo - The Untold Story

CivilWarrior of Way Down In Kosovo has written about the village of Kllokot that is getting some much needed help from the coalition American forces as well as from a new non-profit Progress Through Peace, founded by "Leta the Great". He's now posted the dramatic story that became the turning point in the relationship between the citizens of the village and Peace Keepers.

As we cleared the building that had blocked our view, I could see a beat-up old red tractor with an enclosed cab stalled in the ditch on the right hand side of the road. It was tilted almost on its right side, with its left wheels still on the road, and right wheels mired in sewage. Although we were about seventy meters away, I could just make out a figure through the filthy glass at the back of the tractor's cab, slumped over the steering wheel, motionless. There was an obese middle aged woman standing in the middle of the road beside the tractor, both hands on her head.

She was screaming.

Read the rest of A Day in Kllokot.

If you'd like to help the folks in Kllokot, donations can be made by either mailing a check to:

Progress Through Peace, Inc.
P O Box 100
Cordova, TN 38088

or via paypal using the email address progressthroughpeace@earthlink.net.

A Chill Wind at Walter Reed

Really cold. Very very cold. Wind. Cold Wind.

What a whiner!

The FReepers showed up in double the Pinkos numbers again last night. We had hot coffee & cocoa; they had ... nuthin'.



Using a large sign as a wind break.

IrakiKurd told me the military surplus store down the road in Silver Spring sells UnderArmor gear. I'm going to go take a look. I've bought UnderArmor shirts for the troops thru L.A. Police Gear, but never for myself.

If you're looking for an easy way to send UnderArmor, I highly recommend using L.A. Police Gear. They ship directly to the military contact that is subscribed to AnySoldier and give a 10% discount. I've used them several times and they couldn't be nicer. They have a lot more than just UnderArmor. I sent Lcpl. Pete, USMC two Kershaw knives thru them, and boy did that make his day!

Keeping the cameras working was a problem in the cold. Sometimes the shutters didn't want to open.



One of our youngest with the "Victory" sign.


The news of the 10 Marines killed near Fallujah was on our minds last night. Those of you who read Capt. B's site know that he reported the incident early yesterday, and that he's asking all of us who support the troops to remember the families of the fallen. A good way to do so is to contribute to the Freedom Alliance Scholarship fund that provides financial assistance for higher education to the children of warriors who gave their all.

The wounded Marines and their families can also use your help, and can be supported thru the Injured Marine Semper Fi Fund.



We had all the flags flying, but no MOAB (Mother Of All Banners). It would have been shredded in the wind.


FReepers in foreground, Pinkos across the street.





Facing off across Georgia Ave.






Pinko sign: "Support Our Troops Tell Them The Truth".

I'd like to give them a little "Truth" in the form of a 2X4 to the forehead.

We tried to get their reaction to the "peace activists" who were kidnapped by terrorists in Iraq. After all, they are the really brave ones who are literally putting their lives on the line for their beliefs (misguided as they are), while the Pinkos simply protest in front of a nice, safe Military hospital. They didn't want to talk about it.


At least the wind did a good job keeping the flags unfurled!









Patriotic pup.




What would happen if we left Iraq too soon? Sgt. Snyder at A Will To Exist has about the best explanation around. In Pulling Out Early and another lunacy he has an excellent rebuttal to the cut-and-run crowd:

It’s sad that so many Iraqis and others are dying over here. However, when you discover you have cancer the treatment is always the same - attack it at the source. You don’t wait for it to spread. And when is the last time you heard a doctor putting a limited timetable on cancer therapy? I can picture it in my mind. “Mr. Smith, we have seen some progress with your tumor. It’s shrinking. But we need to move on now. The timetable for treating you has passed. Good luck.”

Sgt. Snyder is hitting his stride after being down range for a few weeks. He's one of the milbloggers that is more than up to the challenge of taking on the trolls.


A view from the church parking lot to our back.





This is the real "Truth".

Landry Fan has her post and insights from last night here.

Andi joined us last night. She has her report here.

No S**t News!

Yesterday, it was all over the MSM news that all hell was breaking loose in Ramadi as armed gunmen were terrorizing the city. "The sky is falling! It's a quagmire! Bush Lied!".


What was the source of this breaking news?

Capt B has the real scoop in THE NEWS STOOPER:

A continuous replaying report came on how multiple government facilities and bases were attacked in downtown Ramadi, Iraq on Thursday. They continued to show video of masked men shooting down a street (which should be criminal, if a US reporter cooperates with and films the enemy at their location and aides them in any way, he should be tried for treason and executed in public if found guilty). But wait a second, the report and video don’t match, but who back in the states would notice so lets role this footage and fool the sheep who follow our every word. They are too stupid and they won’t know. Its video of anywhere but Ramadi. How do we know?? oh because we were downtown Ramadi when all the “attacks” were suppose to have happened.

[...]Holy BAT shit Robin, I'm in the wrong work. I should start a news agency called “No shit news” and when I don’t have anything to report I would print “I no shit don’t have a damn thing to say” at least it would be honest news unlike these walking frauds.

I kinda like that idea! NSNews Service. Let's come up with a tag line or motto for it.

Misha

Georgians join Georgians to provide Baghdad security

BAGHDAD, Iraq, April 9, 2005

The 4th Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division has welcomed a new infantry battalion to its ranks. And, just like most of the units in the Fort Stewart-based division, the soldiers of this battalion are from Georgia.

However, most of these soldiers don't speak English.

The 13th Infantry Battalion joins the 4th BCT from the country of Georgia, a former Soviet Republic located on the Black Sea between Turkey and Russia. ...In 2003, the battalion received advanced training and equipment from the U.S. Marine Corps.

The 13th Shavnabada Light Infantry Battalion was founded in 1992 in Southeast Georgia. The name "“Shavnabada"” means "black cloak"” and comes from nearby Shavnabada Mountain where St. George is said to have appeared before his troops in a black cloak and lead them to victory.

Fast forward 6 months.

On Sunday, October 9, 2005, Ambassador Tefft Welcomes Home Georgia's 13th Battalion From Iraq. Ambassador Tefft remembered Lt. Kutateladze, a member of the 13th Battalion who is in Walter Reed Medical Center recovering from wounds suffered while serving in Iraq. Ambassador Tefft told the 13th Battalion "“President Bush and Secretary Rice visited with [Lt. Kutateladze] and honored him for his service along with the service that you provided in Iraq."

On May 24th Lt. Mikheil "Misha" Kutateladze was traveling with his U.S. counterparts when his vehicle was hit by an IED.

Soldier From Nation Of Georgia Badly Wounded May 24 2005 (Itar-Tass) & UNA-Georgia Tbilisi has released information about the Georgian serviceman, who was heavily wounded in Iraq on Tuesday. Platoon commander Mikhail Kutateladze was sharing a car with American servicemen en route from Baghdad to Baquba, the Georgian Defense Ministry said. The car hit a handmade mine. Three American servicemen died, and Kutateladze was taken to hospital with multiple injuries.

Pictures of Lt. Kutateladze and President Bush, Condi Rice. 07/05

Misha and his wife Thea (pronounce Tay'uh) have been residents of Malogne House at Walter Reed Army Medical Center for many months, and he's not expected to be released until next spring. They miss their home in Sachkhere, GA, and being with people who speak their language. Most Georgians speak a little Russian, but very few Americans speak Georgian. At this time Misha's mobility is aided by a motorized wheelchair which he is undoubtedly wearing out. This is a man who likes to move!

Currently holding the rank of Sr. Lieutenant, Misha has been in the Georgian Army for 8 years. His deployment to Iraq as a platoon commander was his first experience in a war zone and he feels his "combat comrades" performed very well. He stays in contact with his fellow warriors who all returned home in good shape. Thea has been studying medicine for the last 5 years, but she feels kinda lost when it comes to applying her knowledge to helping her husband. Personally, I think Thea is a lot more capable than she gives herself credit for.

As much as they want to go home, I'm really glad they are here. Even though our conversations are mostly incomprehensible, I think they know how much Misha's sacrifice is appreciated by American supporters. I know the LT is getting the best medical care in the world at WRAMC and I'm very happy that we're taking such good care of our coalition troops.

Misha was awarded the Combat Infantry Badge which he shows with obvious pride. He believes in the mission to eliminate terrorism in the world and that the American and Georgian soldiers are heroes. Can't argue with that!

I'll continue to follow Misha's progress and post updates on this terrific couple.

People Who Should Be Impaled

This guy is at the top of the list.

CJ at A Soldier's Perspective has a question:

Which God Do They Worship Again?




Linked to Fmragtops Spews - Linky Love, The Impaler