John and I took the afternoon today to do mundane chores,play with the dogs, and other fun stuff but
no building fence. We were talking about the NEWS FLASH from Pakistan about the terrorist activity, young Iranian women being hung for defending themselves and other talk, guaranteed to make you feel well not very warm and fuzzy.

The CIA is believed to have fired missiles from Predator aircraft at Damadola village in the tribal area of Bajaur, near the border with Afghanistan. The US did not comment officially, but American television networks, citing unnamed intelligence sources, initially reported Zawahiri might have been among the dead.

I had commented that there was allot of protesting going on over the bombing in Damadola, the small village near the Afghan border in Pakistan late last night ,and in fact the first blog comment I read stated ” no one cares! No messages, no air time, no apology. Bah!!”

John’s query to me was why didn’t the villagers report the presence of the terrorists in the first place ?
and the location of said scumterrorists , because if they had , it is doubtful that many if any “innocents” would have been killed, because we would have sent in a special ground assault team……which have the ability to be more selective than air launched ordinance(bombs).So we have to assume,that the villeragers were harboring the terrorist scum.

Also consider why ,if there are no known terrorists in these villages then why did the Pakistani government themselves level 3 homes of terrorists?
It is a very very sad reality that innocent are hurt in war, my heartfelt prayers are directed to those families losses.
The CIA, if in fact they did they bombing undeniably had good intelligence, which means they damn well knew there were terrorists in this village, I am sorry innocents died, but more than that I am sorry that the poison of al Qaeda operatives continues to be very much alive.

If we are willing to invest the lives of our Sons and Daughters for the sake of world safety. Then we have to be aware of and willing to pay the costs of that safety. Terrorists cannot function without the permissiveness or the blindeye of the majority of the local populace. John’s life was saved in Vietnam on more than one occasion by being told , don’t go in there,don’t go thru this area or leave now by local friendly merchants or others who believed in freedom.

John and I are pacifists, although we are both quite handy with most weapons, and are both pretty damn good shots, we neither of us hunt any longer, but frankly if it comes to us or scum terrorists.
My money would be on us. Open season on terrorists, we wish. GO CIA!

I’ll probably upset more than a few folks here, although my intentions certainly lean in the opposite direction.
Before reading any further, please take the time to digest the fact that I, with one heck of a lot of other people, spent a bit of time in a very bad place. The Republic of South Vietnam the ((at least theoretical)) “GOOD GUYS” half of Viet Nam. In fact, I was a bit more dedicated (slow??), than most of that era’s “Volunteers”……..”RA”….Regular Army…. and went, by request, to that Pearl of the Orient, three times. I knew guys who went six or eight times…all voluntarily.
Was I just “Dumb”….I still haven’t figured that out….at the time it was “Patriotic”…..and by damned that IS what I ARE, and will always be….. Doesn’t mean I agree with everything, (for SURE), that our Government, Military, or even a LOT of civilians think or mandate. I like to think that I know right from wrong, can see the gray areas, and am in fact a Free thinker. But it can give you a headache trying to figure out if we should have committed our boys to that one too……..(and yes several of the Administrations at that time….just plain SUCKED)….. but the rational of our being there can give you a headache….if you bother to do more than try to criticize others that is.
Now to the “POINT”:

Ever seen a stack, (or a bunch of stacks), of Body Bags????
It sure doesn’t make you feel good.
Ever think about ending up in one…..(SOON)??????, or KNEW you were gonna be in one in the morning????
Well the last thing I thought about was being shipped Home !!!!!!!!!
In fact I never really knew ANYONE, who wanted to be shipped Home.
Why bother???
Why not use the space, AND the money to send some of the following????

1. More troops…..BUT….PLEASE let them fight to “”"”"”WIN”"”"” if you send a young man into a COMBAT zone, then you have already made a decision……so let the Men and Women who are proud to wear our uniform, BE proud, and FIGHT TO WIN!!!! You send ‘em, then by GOD “”SUPPORT”" them !!!! And screw those who think “”WAR”" isn’t BAD !! You send them, while you sit on your ass and tie their hands, if it wasn’t for the “tied hands”, the Iraq joke would have been over LONG ago!!!!! We’d have won in Viet Nam…..right or wrong in being there, we’d have lost 1/10 of the Men we lost !!!!!!!!!! If you send ‘em to fight…..give them the means and the freedom to Kick Ass….Clean Up….and “Come Home”!!! ….And then CHEER…..the “surviving” Patriots…..the ONLY people who give YOU Freedom !!!!!!!!!

2. Good chow, (whenever you can). A GOOD steak,cooked in the rear areas of the Field….not just for the “REMF”s, but for ALL….whenever possible (safely). These “grunts” are just as important as the Pilots, who risk their lives every day….(and eat a lot of steak). The “grunt” knows he’s not a Pilot….but his ass is shot at a whole lot more…..and today He VOLUNTEERED to “”"”SERVE”"”.

3. A nice Cold BEER …. for those who care to imbibe….. and as long as you are not in “their” PUBLIC areas…..screw their customs…… those MEN and WOMEN are there to either Protect the LOCALS, or Kick their collective Asses !!!!!!!!!!!!!! The first should appreciate them AND our customs…. Beer included….and for the other side…… well we’re supposed to be Kicking Ass….. not Kissing it…………

4. LOTS MORE……”"GOOD”" Intelligence…… since the Cold War was declared over….(yep we ARE nuts….) While some of us started having a bit of common sense…e.g. the USSR, and China, a batch of our Presidents, and their followers decided we could save a lot of money if we didn’t try to keep an eye on our prospective enemies, and disbanded several of our MOST Effective, and Reliable, Intelligence communities……….So….we get blindsided with 911….. Good thinking huh?? Same reason we didn’t know squat about Afghanistan, or Iraq……. But we sure did “Pork Belly” with the money………

5. LOTS MORE …. New, or at least Reliable, equipment and PARTS!!!! Now our boys are using a LOT of sub-standard equipment….. replacements ???? Just ask your Local National Guard !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
We are now Rapidly approaching the Fighting Readiness capabilities of the “Girl Scouts”……. Ask a GI how He feels about that???

6. WIN >>> WIN>> WIN>> If you die for a cause, and are buried in a FIELD OF HONOR…. (As in many places in EUROPE)…. It IS as Honorable as being planted in the USA !!!!………….BUT
ONLY IF YOU WIN !!!!!!! Otherwise, your Country has either been defeated at HOME, (as in OCCUPIED), or you have just PISSED your Life away for stupid Politicians, and Chicken S… NUTS who care more about the Bad guy, than you…….. and THEN and only then, can the Bad guys Piss on “YOU” !!!!

7. SO……. Send: LOVE, RESPECT, MEN and WOMEN who FIGHT, EQUIPMENT…..STEAK & BEER… (for when you have the time and safety to enjoy it),……..and more LOVE, and RESPECT !!!!!!!!!!!

Where you are planted means nothing ….. Compared to……….”"”"”"” WHY”"”"”" you are DEAD .

8. I do NOT discount HONOR…… A “Folded piece of cloth…..”"THE”" Folded piece of cloth….. means more to ANY “”GI”" Than Where He or She is “laid to rest”. HONOR Him/Her buy having a “small” group of Uniformed Men and Women, hand deliver that Most Sacred triangular cloth to their Family, in a formal or informal setting, as they wish………….. Remember DAMNIT…… He/She Died for ” OLD GLORY”……for what She Stands for, not some Politician, good or bad, or those not willing to fight for themselves.

9. Those I hold in the HIGHEST Esteem, wear the Uniforms of the Free World….. and Most of all the USA !!!!!!!

10. GOD BLESS our SOLDERS every last one of them………. and may our Fallen Comrades be HONORED by WINNING.…. whatever conflict our Government sent them to…………

My wife and I live in Ocala Florida. We are “intimately” familiar with Hurricane preparedness, and recovery procedures. While we have been Very lucky so far, experiencing only minor damage and several extended power outages, we are experienced in the “watch, and Prepare” procedures for anyone susceptible to Hurricanes.
When Katrina was parallel to Ocala, enroute to the New Orleans area, pet, my wife, came to me crying, and asking what was going to happen to those millions of people who could not get out. She like the vast majority of us in this area, knew full well that the low areas of the three states affected were populated the capacity of the roads to evacuate everyone, and that there are always those that “choose to stay”, or do not have the “means” to do so.
I told her that while this storm had the ability to do more damage than either the recent Tsunami, or the A-bomb on Hiroshima, and take as many lives, that our “Government”, through the Armed Forces, would be already gearing up to “take care of the surviving victims”.
When she asked how we could get into those areas with enough help, I listed the following:

I told her that: The US Army, Navy, Coast Guard, and Marines in the region were already staging for deployment, and that before she even hit, they would be rolling towards the area.
That the Army would be dispatching troops, supplies, and medical assistance, including MASH units, and Tent Cities, from at least several bases outside the “Target” area, and that they would be on site when the winds died down just enough to move in.
That the United States Navy had capabilities that few Americans were aware of: Fully loaded supply ships with just about every commodity you can think of, including clothing. Assault Landing Craft, capable of landing Thousands of Troops, ( even Tanks), and Heavy equipment on ANY kind of land. That they had the ability to land and resupply entire Divisions of troops. That the Marines had Helicopter Carriers, the Navy had not only Rescue, and SAR (search and rescue Helos), but that Pennsecola probably had a bunch of them used for training. That Helicopters, troops and even C-130’s could be flown in from as far away as Ft. Campbell Ky., iand be “Operational”, On Site, in less than 24hrs, with literally thousands of trucks/semis/amphibious troop carriers, loaded with supplies and Medical teams, “On Site”, in LESS than 48 hrs. That the Coast Guard, and National Guardsmen would be on scene within HOURS, from ALL of the surrounding areas (States).

In other words…….While we can’t prevent Mother Nature from ravishing the area, we CAN help the survivors within Hours!!!!!!!!!

Boy was I Full of Shit!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

It seems that Everyone but the people with the ability to help, saw what was coming……..
FEMA has done MANY studies on the results of a CATASTROPHIC Hurricane strike in this area, the NOAA people (They are great, and do ALL they can), gave them ILLUSTRATIONS of the storm surge predictions!!
And FEMA, and the President……..SAT ON THEIR ASSES and “watched”………..

I Voted for all three of the Bush family, and backed them to the hilt…… Until Now……

I hold the “Politicians”….FEMA, and the President, responsible for the MAJORITY of the lives lost “After the storm”….Those families, babies, old folks, etc, who died days after the storm. Who died from lack of water, food, medication, and Medical assistance, who drowned days later……….Because our “OFFICIALS”…..SAT ON THEIR ASSES……..

ANY Officer in Any of the armed forces who was on active duty for a single year, could have, and would have handled the LOGISTICS, and the MEANS, to help everyone possible, if they had the AUTHORITY….

FEMA, is under the PRESIDENT of these United States, and I hold them Jointly responsible for Thousands of Deaths, and the misery, and nightmares, experienced by theose victims that COULD have been helped…..We could not have helped them All…..I know that, ….but by DAMN we could have done one Hell of a lot more if we had the LEADERSHIP, and AUTHORITY we EXPECT !!!!!!!

Re: Jeb Bush……….. Having had his “Adopted” state(Florida) on a Number of occasions, experience, to a lesser degree, the wrath of a “Cane”, I expected him to have everything he could muster, rolling before the storm blew through the Gulf Coast……and to ask ALL of the Supermarket chins, Department store chains, the Bottled water producers, etc, to “please donate all that you can, and have “your” trucks lined up as a “convoy” ASAP…..led by the Florida National Guard……….

Well I was Full of Shit AGAIN…………….

NOW we need a modern version of the “WPA”…..let’s see how long it takes our “Leaders”…..To figure out that the way out of the “Great Depression”, should offer us SOME means of putting people to work, and building for their future!!!!!!!!!!

New Orleans is GONE!!!!!
Most of the people in the area Live……

Let’s ALL find a way to help them to live again…..(Elsewhere).

GOD BLESS AMERICA………Now let’s ALL act like AMERICANS, and help those in need.

John