Memorial Day

Looks like we’re going to have bad weather for the first part of Memorial Day. Please take a little of your time today to remember all those who gave the ultimate sacrifice.

Only two defining forces have ever offered to die for you:
1. Jesus Christ
2. The American G I.

One died for your soul, the other for your freedom.

Remember

Since tomorrow is the start of Military Appreciation week, we decided to
do this post. Most people don’t think of the guys and gals who are
defending our freedom. Since there are more of them, we’ll start with
the guys.

 A lot of soldiers in combat are kids. They’re 18, not yet considered
men, not old enough to drink in a lot of states. Some have left a girl
back home, or were dumped when they told the girl their plans. They are
leaner by 10 or so pounds then when they left home. That’s what happens
when you fight a war from sunup to sundown and stand watch, clean your
weapon, and other similar duties at night. They have learned to use
weapons like extensions of their hands, and learned how use their hands
as weapons.

 He obeys orders instantly and without hesitation, but he is not
without spirit or individual dignity. He is self-sufficient.
He has two sets of fatigues: he washes one and wears the other.He
keeps his canteens full and his feet dry.
He sometimes forgets to brush his teeth, but never to clean his rifle.
He can cook his own meals, mend his own clothes, and fix his own hurts.
If you’re thirsty, he’ll share his water with you; if you are hungry,
his food.He’ll even split his ammunition with you in the midst of
battle when you run low.

 He has wept in public and in private, for friends who have fallen in
combat and is unashamed.
He feels every note of the National Anthem vibrate through his body
while at rigid attention, while tempering the burning desire to
’square-away’ those around him who haven’t bothered to stand, remove
their hat, or even stop talking.
In an odd twist, day in and day out, far from home, he defends their
right to be disrespectful.
Just as did his Father, Grandfather, and Great-grandfather, he is
paying the price for our freedom. Beardless or not, he is not a boy.
He is the American Fighting Man that has kept this country free for
over 200 years.

 He has asked nothing in return, except our friendship and understanding.
Remember him, always, for he has earned our respect and admiration
with his blood.

 And now we even have women over there in danger, doing their part in
this tradition of going to War when our nation calls us to do so.
As you go to bed tonight, remember this photograph.
A short lull, a little shade and a picture of loved ones in their
helmets.

‘Lord, hold our troops in your loving hands.
Protect them as they protect us. Bless them and their families for
the selfless acts they perform for us in our time of need. Amen.’

 Some of these words were borrowed, and some are ours. We mixed them up
to hopefully give you a better idea of what goes on to keep us free. We
too have wept when someone was lost. Those who came home in a flag
draped coffin, won’t ever own a new car, hold a mortage, celebrate
anniversaries, or hold their kids and grandkids. They did so voluntarily
so that some of us can disrespect our flag, call them terrorist, and say
things counter to everything they believed in. We hope at some point
during their week we all remember freedom isn’t free.
 We don’t know who wrote the words we borrowed, or took the pictures we
posted, but we thank them for the honor of allowing us to share them
with you.

 Comments on just about anything are welcome.

Military wisdom

 For all us veterans, here is some wisdom from military manuals and elsewhere. While we didn’t didn’t see the Admiral’s Law, there are quite a few.

Wit and Wisdom from Military Manuals
“If the Enemy is in range, so are you.”- Infantry Journal

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“It is generally inadvisable to eject over the area you just bombed” - U.S. Air Force Manual

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“Aim towards the Enemy” - Instructions printed on U.S.Rocket Launcher

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“When the pin is pulled, Mr. Grenade is not our friend.” - U.S. Marine Corps

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“Cluster bombing from B-52s is very, very accurate. The bombs are guaranteed always to hit the ground.” - USAF Ammo Troop

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“Whoever said the pen is mightier then the sword obviously never encountered automatic weapons.” - General MacArthur

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“Try to look unimportant; they may be low on ammo.” – Infantry Journal

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“You, you, and you. Panic. The rest of you come with me.” - U.S. Marine Gunnery Sgt

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“Tracers work both ways.” - U.S. Army Ordnance

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“Five second fuses only last three seconds” - Infantry Journal

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“Don’t ever be the first, don’t ever be the last, and don’t ever volunteer to do anything.” - U.S. Navy Swabbie

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“Bravery is being the only one who knows you’re afraid.” – David Hacckworth

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“If your attack is going too well, you’re walking into an ambush.” - Infantry Journal

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“No combat-ready unit has ever passed inspection.” - Joe Gay

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“Any ship can be a minesweeper. Once.” - Unknown

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“Never tell the Platoon Sergeant you have nothing to do.” – Unknown Marine Recruit

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“Don’t draw fire; it irritates the people around you.”

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“If you see a bomb technician running, follow him.” - USAF Ammo Troop

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“You’ve never been lost until you’ve been lost at Mach 3.” - Paul F. Crickmore (test pilot)

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“The only time you have too much fuel is when you’re on fire.”

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“Blue water Navy truism: There are more planes in the ocean than submarines in the sky.” - From an old carrier sailor

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“If the wings are traveling faster than the fuselage, it’s probably a helicopter - and therefore, unsafe.”

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“When one engine fails on a twin-engine airplane, you always have enough power left to get you to the scene of the crash.”

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“Without ammunition, the USAF would be just another expensive flying club.”

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“What is the similarity between air traffic controllers and pilots? If a pilot screws up, the pilot dies; If ATC screws up…. The pilot dies.”

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“Never trade luck for skill.”

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The three most common expressions (or famous last words) in aviation are: “Why is it doing that?”, “Where are we?” And “Oh S…!”

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“Weather forecasts are horoscopes with numbers.”

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“Airspeed, altitude and brains. Two are always needed to complete the flight successfully.”

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“Mankind has a perfect record in aviation; we never left one up there!”

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“Flashlights are tubular metal containers kept in a flight bag to store dead batteries.”

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“Flying the airplane is more important than radioing your plight to a person on the ground who is incapable of understanding or doing anything about it.”

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“The Piper Cub is the safest airplane in the world; it can just barely kill you.” - Attributed to Max Stanley (Northrop test pilot)

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“A pilot who doesn’t have any fear probably isn’t flying his plane to its maximum.” - Jon McBride, astronaut

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“If you’re faced with a forced landing, fly the thing as far into the crash as possible.” - Bob Hoover (renowned aerobatic and test pilot )

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“A slipping gear could let your M203 grenade launcher fire when you least expect it. That would make you quite unpopular in what’s left of your unit.” - Army’s magazine of preventive maintenance.

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“Never fly in the same cockpit with someone braver than you.”

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“There is no reason to fly through a thunderstorm in peacetime.” - Sign over squadron ops desk at Davis-Monthan AFB, AZ, 1970

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“If something hasn’t broken on your helicopter, it’s about to.”

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Basic Flying Rules: “Try to stay in the middle of the air. Do not go near the edges of it. The edges of the air can be recognized by the appearance of ground, buildings, sea, trees and interstellar space. It is much more difficult to fly there.”

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“You know that your landing gear is up and locked when it takes full power to taxi to the terminal.”

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As the test pilot climbs out of the experimental aircraft, having torn off the wings and tail in the crash landing, the crash truck arrives. The rescuer sees a bloodied pilot and asks, “What happened?” The pilot’s reply, “I don’t know, I just got here myself!” - Attributed to Ray Crandell (Lockheed test pilot)

Council Update, Happy Thanksgiving

 With all the last minute rushing for Turkey day, we didn’t get to our email until a little while ago. The City Council Update for today was waiting for us so we thought we’d post the links. For the pdf file go here. If you’re a webtv user, the text file is here.

 We would like to wish everyone a very happy Thanksgiving. We have a lot to be thankful for. This year we feel our troops in harms way deserve our thanks the most. To all our brothers and sisters in the military we say thank you for keeping freedom free.

“Lord,  hold our troops in your loving hands. Protect them as they protect us.  Bless them and their families for the selfless acts they perform for us in  our time of need. Amen.”

Bring back the flag recital

 I was going to take a couple days off from posting, until I ran into the story outined below. As a veteran, and someone who has heard this ceremony performed, this news upset me to the point I had to say something.

 From Riverside, California comes news today that the National Cemetary Administration has banned the recital of the signifcance of the 13 folds of the flag at a Military funeral. All this because of one complaint that the 11th fold celebrates Jewish war veterans. The QC Times take is here.

 While it’s sad that many people haven’t heard this ceremony, it is a beautiful part of a Military funeral. If you have ever heard the recital at such an event, We’ll guarantee you wouldn’t soon forget it. The recital itself is here.

 Red Skelton was well known for this comedy, but he was also very patriotic. When we hear about decisions such as this we always re-read his recollection of what he heard as a schoolboy.
Though dated by today’s standards, it is worth reading. For his remembrance of what the Pledge of Alliegence means go here.

 As an American this decision is just wrong. As a veteran, this decision is wrong. As someone who loves their country, and their flag, this is wrong. We can only hope this group sees the error of their ways and returns this ceremony to it’s proper place in the honoring of our war dead.

 I failed to mention the website I got some of this information on. If you want to more about our flag, the POW/MIA flag, the colors of the flag, or links to contact government officials to lodge a complaint about the National Cemetary Administration in Washington, D.C., here is a link to the website- http://www.usflag.org/index.html