about oil spill situation.

I watch Saving Private Ryan’s opening scenes usually once around this time. Band of Brothers maybe as well. I can’t believe the things those boys did…I don’t know if my generation could do as well.

VB

Are their brave sacrifices a flicker before the darkness overtakes our globe under a new Reich, or a candle to light the way for us who follow? Will we keep faith with them, or squander it away whoring after the Gods of the Market Place*?

The fate of civilization itself for a millenium or more may well hang upon the events of the next few year. We can only repay our debt by keeping alight the torch of liberty that they have entrusted to us.

*N.B. “Market Place” had a different meaning in Kilpling’s time than today…

from that time; never tire of watching them or just having the channel on while I’m home. There are discussion segments between the movies that tell about some unknown aspects about the making of the movies.

It was interesting to hear about the negative reviews John Wayne received for making the “Green Berets” in 1968, it was said that John Wayne, had “engaged in old-fashioned WWII patriotism and pro-war propaganda,” in making it. At least that’s what the critics said. Pretty clear that by the 60′s the media and entertainment industry was getting flooded with the anti-American Left.

There’s an article today on Breitbart about the preservation of some of the cliffs at Pointe du Hoc. The first paragraph gave me goosebumps.

“The Nazis thought the jagged cliffs were unassailable until the elite U.S. Rangers scaled them in a valiant D-Day assault. Now the rocks are undergoing major surgery to save them from an even greater force—Mother Nature”.

Our brave men doing something considered impossible. It’s hard to imagine the determination and fear and devotion to duty and each other these men felt as they scaled these cliffs knowing what was waiting at the top. Not many things could be said to be a greater force than these special men.

The article goes on…

“Of the 235 men who took on the cliffs, only 90 were fit for battle two days later. The rest were dead or wounded but, reads the Rangers Creed, “Surrender is not a Ranger word.”

Wow. They lose almost 60% and continue with the mission.

The men on who stormed the beaches on D-Day deserve our respect and admiration today, tomorrow and 60 more years down the road.

Kudos to everyone trying to save an important piece of history.

http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=D9G53SLO0&show_article=1

on Omaha beach they walked literally into a firestorm and the attack understandly broke down into an effort for survival. The incredible thing is, the privates and sergeants and lieutenants did not wait for a general to tell them what to do. Most of the senior officers were offshore watching with binoculars anyway. So the attack got going again, from the bottom up, soldier by soldier. Human courage is not limited by nationality but this kind of instinct to get going at the ground level, may be. The same system our Founding Fathers took a chance on. Doubt very many other armies in the world, if any, ingrained with the European style top-down command philosophy, could have got their men off the beach, under fire that morning, the way these regiments of Americans did.

http://www.redstate.com/muckraker/2010/06/06/in-honor-of-d-day-and-the-men-who-made-it-happen/

Thank a Veteran when you meet one…

Cheers

I have a picture similar to that, landscape from the boat is a little different on mine; that is up at work.

Any day it migh be a little tough or not going my way, i have a helluva reality check.

Whatever we do, it will never measure up to what those guys went through or those in such places as Bastone or Iwo Jima.

All I can say is thanks for what they did, so that we and much of the world gets the chance to live in freedom because of them.

the cliff at Pointe du Hoc that day. A red headed American “of Irish descent” as he would term himself, hee made it to the top and put his automatic rifle into play. James McDermott was his name and he was the First Sergeant of the 2d Ranger Company at the Ranger Mounjtain Camp in 1958 -1960. He took a liking to me – a red-headed young automatic rifleman of “Irish descent.” I will drink a toast to him and his “brothers in arms” tonight. Thanks, Strief, for the reminder. Another toast to a fellow “Buccaneer” and all “absent friends.”

the cliff at Pointe du Hoc that day. A red headed American “of Irish descent” as he would term himself, hee made it to the top and put his automatic rifle into play. James McDermott was his name and he was the First Sergeant of the 2d Ranger Company at the Ranger Mounjtain Camp in 1958 -1960. He took a liking to me – a red-headed young automatic rifleman of “Irish descent.” I will drink a toast to him and his “brothers in arms” tonight. Thanks, Strief, for the reminder. Another toast to a fellow “Buccaneer” and all “absent friends.”

This day is call’d the feast of Crispian.
He that outlives this day, and comes safe home,
Will stand a tip-toe when this day is nam’d,
And rouse him at the name of Crispian.
He that shall live this day, and see old age,
Will yearly on the vigil feast his neighbours,
And say ‘To-morrow is Saint Crispian.’
Then will he strip his sleeve and show his scars,
And say ‘These wounds I had on Crispian’s day.’
Old men forget; yet all shall be forgot,
But he’ll remember, with advantages,
What feats he did that day. Then shall our names,
Familiar in his mouth as household words-
Harry the King, Bedford and Exeter,
Warwick and Talbot, Salisbury and Gloucester-
Be in their flowing cups freshly rememb’red.
This story shall the good man teach his son;
And Crispin Crispian shall ne’er go by,
From this day to the ending of the world,
But we in it shall be remembered-
WE FEW, WE HAPPY FEW, WE BAND OF BROTHERS;
For he to-day that sheds his blood with me
Shall be my brother; be he ne’er so vile,
This day shall gentle his condition;
And gentlemen in England now-a-bed
Shall think themselves accurs’d they were not here,
And hold their manhoods cheap whiles any speaks
That fought with us upon Saint Crispin’s day.

http://www.redstate.com/muckraker/2010/06/06/d-day-remembered-the-songs-and-the-message/

Cheers

can never be marked “Paid In Full”.