Go Navy!

Go Navy! Beat Army!

Should've put this up sooner, but the I was busy. And the game just got over.

Navy 17, Army 3


Navy Quarterback Ricky Dobbs now holds a record previously held by Tim Tebow ('07) at Florida and the Air Force Acadamy's Chance Herridge ('02) - from ESPN:

Navy took a commanding 17-3 lead over rival Army late in the fourth quarter on quarterback Ricky Dobbs' 24th rushing touchdown of the season.

Dobbs now holds the NCAA single-season record for rushing touchdowns by a quarterback, passing Florida's Tim Tebow ('07) and Air Force Academy's Chance Harridge ('02), who each had 23 rushing touchdowns.

Remember Pearl Harbor

Read Ed Morrissey at Hot Air.

Read Infamous Day: Marines at Pearl Harbor, 7 December 1941.

USS West Virginia - repaired and returned to duty



USS Arizona - lost with 1177 of her crew


Ford Island taken in October 1941 - the view the Japanese pilots would have seen


While a Marine, foreground, looks skyward, the torpedoed battleship California (BB-44) lists to port. In the left background flies "Old Glory," raised by PFCs Frank Dudovick and James D. Young, and Pvt Paul O. Zeller, USMCR.
National Archives Photo 80-G-32463



Beneath a leaden sky on 8 December 1941, Marines at NAS Kaneohe Bay fire a volley over the common grave of 15 officers and men killed during the Japanese raid the previous day. Note sandbagged position atop the sandy rise at right.
National Archives Photo 80-G-32854



A 91-year-old Veteran in Alabama talks about the attack on Pearl Harbor and other bases on Oahu.

It was a day that changed his life forever, a 91-year-old Enterprise veteran remembered Friday about Dec. 7, 1941.

Chester Faulkner was a 23-year-old Army Infantry soldier stationed at Schofield Barracks in Hawaii when the Army post and nearby Navy base at Pearl Harbor were attacked that Sunday morning. “I was still in bed,” said Faulker, who was the squad’s leader at the time. “The windows started rattling so hard.”



I have no words that can express the gratitude I feel for being a citizen of the country that produced such Men as were created that day. God Bless America, and REMEMBER Pearl Harbor.

USS Gerald R Ford (CVN-78)

CVN-78 is named after Gerald Rudolph Ford, Jr. (1913–2006), 38th President of the United States of America (1974–1977).

(Read about LCDR Gerald R. Ford, Jr, USNR, biography and WW2 service at the Naval Historical Center website.)

Gerald R. Ford, Jr. became the fourth consecutive President to have served in the US Navy. He was the first vice president in American history to succeed to the nation's highest office because of the resignation of a president, and he was the first person to occupy the White House without being elected either president or vice president. He viewed himself as "a moderate in domestic affairs, a conservative in fiscal affairs, and a dyed-in-the-wool internationalist in foreign affairs." Ford acted vigorously to maintain US power and prestige after the collapse of Cambodia and South Vietnam. Preventing a new war in the Middle East remained a major objective. Detente with the Soviet Union continued. On Inauguration Day his successor, President Carter, began his speech: "For myself and for our Nation, I want to thank my predecessor for all he has done to heal our land."
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The new ship will be something to see, according to the drawings I've seen. Much more impressive a ship than Ford was a President...in my little-qualified opinion, anyway. He was a nice man, a good man...but not exactly a barnburner, personality-wise.

Beautiful ship, anyway.

"They stand between us and those who would plunge our nation into darkness."

Ben Shapiro tells about another anti-American movie that paints our proud Warriors as monsters and psychos. Funny how many who tell such stories have little or no experience with REAL military members or their families. I take this as a PERSONAL affront, being a Navy Wife of 22 years, and with my brother, cousins, father and uncles having also worn the uniform.

I will not pay to see another Hollywood production, in a theatre or recorded. I rewrote that, because there were conditions such as 'war movie' or a certain time period in my first writing. I apply no such conditions now that I think of it. It isn't as if Hollywood is going to miss my few pennies, I'm not a movie buff in any way shape or form. Like Congress, Hollyweird doesn't give a rat's shiny rear end what I think, either. But I try to stand by my principles, and I don't have enough cash to waste on people who have such little respect for the finest and bravest among us. I can catch the few movies I might be interested in on a cable channel I already pay for. The last movie I watched was "Taking Chance" on HBO. Last year. The last movie I saw in a theatre was "Lord of the Rings: Return of the King."

From the column:
Where is George Clooney when we need him? Where is Ewan McGregor? Where is Tobey Maguire? Apparently, they are too busy pillorying soldiers as would-be Maj. Nidal Hasans to remember who our soldiers really are: Michael Monsoors. Heroes. True brothers. And true protectors.

Veteran's Day/ Remembrance Day 2009

The Things That Make a Soldier Great
Edgar Guest

The things that make a soldier great and send him out to die,
To face the flaming cannon's mouth nor ever question why,
Are lilacs by a little porch, the row of tulips red,
The peonies and pansies, too, the old petunia bed,
The grass plot where his children play, the roses on the wall:
'Tis these that make a soldier great.
He's fighting for them all.

'Tis not the pomp and pride of kings that make a soldier brave;
'Tis not allegiance to the flag that over him may wave;
For soldiers never fight so well on land or on the foam
As when behind the cause they see the little place called home.
Endanger but that humble street whereon his children run,
You make a soldier of the man who never bore a gun.
What is it through the battle smoke the valiant soldier sees?

The little garden far away, the budding apple trees,
The little patch of ground back there, the children at their play,
Perhaps a tiny mound behind the simple church of gray.
The golden thread of courage isn't linked to castle dome
But to the spot, where'er it be — the humblest spot called home.
And now the lilacs bud again and all is lovely there
And homesick soldiers far away know spring is in the air;
The tulips come to bloom again, the grass once more is green,
And every man can see the spot where all his joys have been.

He sees his children smile at him, he hears the bugle call,
And only death can stop him now -- he's fighting for them all.

Reprinted from The Holiday Zone: Poetry for Veterans Day

Never Forget - USS New York

I watched some of Fox and Friends this morning (I really like Steve Doocey - maybe it's because he's 'from away') - which is unusual, as I tend to either skip noise altogether when I get up, or I listen to Mike and Mike in the Morning on ESPN2. Today, however, the crew from Fox and Friends was aboard USS New York. Inspirational, gut- and heart-wrenching. Never Forget is the ship's motto. I heard someone being interviewed say it isn't the ship, it isn't the steel from the Twin Towers that's the most important - it's these Sailors who make it all possible...something like that, anyway. So true, so true.

Once again, I'm being distracted here, so will post this now and see to my real life. Have a GREAT rest-of-the-day!

Tribute to the Fallen: 9/11 Family Member pilots USS New York into harbor

Applebee's ROCKS!

I may not be crazy about the food - well, they do have Triple Chocolate Meltdown - but I cannot criticise their heart. This link was in my email this morning from my brother, the Old Retired Petty Officer.

Veteran's eat FREE at Applebee's on Veteran's Day.

If you know of any other establishments doing this, please let me know and I'll post 'em.

Go Navy!

Navy Midshipmen 63 - Rice Owls 14
	Oct 10 1 2 3 4 T Navy 14 21 14 14 63 « Rice 0 7 0 7 14 Next game: @ Southern Methodist Mustangs, Oct 17 8:00pm ET

I didn't see one play of this game...looks like it was a walk in the park for these young men. Other than being glad of the 4-2 record, I really can't think of anything to say.

GO NAVY!

Go Navy!!! (from yesterday, been busy, sorry)

Navy Midshipmen Football (3-2)
	Navy Midshipmen 16 - Air Force Falcons 13 Next game: @ Rice Owls, Oct 10 3:30pm ET

Chick fil A Giveaway!

Wear your favorite team logo to Chick-fil-A on Monday from 10:30am to closing time, get a FREE Original Chicken Sandwich...that would be the one buttered...with a pickle. The BEST!

Sounds good, I'll have to find my Hawai'i shirt again...or Navy...or borrow a Gator shirt from Handsome Son-in-law! Don't have one for the Northern Lights, which is MY alma mater...*sigh*

Well, I'm outta here for now, we're going for an overnight stay-cation in the camper...in the front yard. Needed to move it and open it and clean it, don't feel like fighting crowds, traffic, and drunk drivers, so here we are. Gotta love it!

Y'all stay safe. Thanks for stopping by.

UPDATE: What a yummy lunch with hubby! TONS of Gator gear and Jaguar jerseys, with a smattering of Georgia and Florida State University. Saw one Clemson, a Navy Hockey, and one Florida State College at Jacksonville (formerly Florida Community College - Jacksonville). I had the only Hawai'i shirt and My Chief was wearing the only Padres shirt I saw.

Rest in Peace, Captain Speicher

It's been 18 years. I didn't know this young man. We were living in this house, with a little girl and a dog and a cat. We've lived in 4 other places since then, returning to this house 6 years ago. I remember the reports, watching the tv on top of the fridge while I fixed dinner and washed dishes. I have been kinda tearful for nearly an hour now. He was one of ours...and he is missed.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- After nearly two decades, the remains of a Navy pilot from Orange Park -- the first American lost in the Persian Gulf War -- have been found in Iraq, the military said Sunday.

News4Jax.com

Thank you for your Service, Captain Speicher. We will not forget.

(Thanks, Swampie)

Whiskey Tango Foxtrot

From the Weekly Standard blog, a post by Jamie Fly:

During President Obama’s almost six months in office, support for two key aspects of his national security policy has been greater on the right than on the left. This fact has been curiously underreported.

On Afghanistan, conservatives were quicker than their counterparts on the left to praise and defend President Obama’s decision to send an additional 21,000 troops to Afghanistan. On Iraq, they hailed his willingness to go back on a campaign pledge and modify his timeline for troop withdrawals from sixteen to nineteen months.

On the left, Obama’s policies were greeted with concern about Afghanistan becoming “Obama’s Vietnam” and the formation of a “Get out of Afghanistan” caucus made up of the remnants of the “Get out of Iraq” caucus. Key Democrats have threatened to impose benchmarks and limit funding for the war in Afghanistan if progress is not made within a year.

Despite this support from Republicans who want to ensure that the United States does not desert Iraq or Afghanistan before the job is done, recent comments by Obama administration officials indicate that the administration’s approach may not continue to be so worthy of praise.

Read the rest.

Karma

A few years back, My Chief (retired) bought a copy of Windows, while deployed for Uncle Sam's Yacht Club and Flying Circus, for ten bucks. It has served us well, and Gates never seemed to miss the money we weren't sending him. However, the time has come when more of some certain things are needed on the computer, and nothing can be loaded without a Windows update...which we can't get, because it's a pirate. Tomorrow, my loving husband is going out to buy us a 'new' computer with a registerable and updatable operating system. Won't that be nice???

Posting and reading and commenting may, once again - for a different reason - be spotty at best and severely delayed at worst. I'll still be checking in now and again, but this'll mean I can concentrate on hanging out with the Pixie, so it's certainly not a BAD thing. She is a lot of fun, and cuter'n Hell, too.

Have a FABulous day..or two!

Ocean, Sky and Khaki

Memorial Day just passed. Now that you've honoured the dead who made the supreme sacrifice, how 'bout a little love for the ones STILL making it possible for you to live in Freedom.

I consider Kae at the Bloodnut Blog (REDHEADS RULE!) to be a friend, and Nilk and Boy on a Bike are the authors of a couple of my favorite blogs. They are thoughtful and smart (and a bit smart-ass, which I admire). They love their diggers shamelessly and eternally.

Wondering what they could do to help - REALLY HELP - support their troops stationed around the world, they've come up with Ocean, Sky and Khaki, a blog dedicated to information on what to send, how to send, and how much it might cost to send little necessaries to someone so far away from the comforts of Home.

Their efforts will be appreciated, so go see if they need any of YOUR help. And don't forget, American troops need love, too, so go see what Operation Gratitude needs from you, too.

Thank you, Kae, BOAB and Nilk. You're the best.

UPDATE, posted by BOAB: We, who are living in the land of hot water and clean sheets and peace and security, should stop every now and then and give thanks and support to those that voluntarily serve in places where these things are absent.... for they serve to bring those things that we take for granted to those that do not have them. They serve to bring peace and security to where there is strife, to bring justice to where there is injustice, to provide light and clean water to where there is darkess and disease, and to bring hope to where there is despair.

It all starts with a box..........

(THOSE ARE THE LITTLE POSTAL FORMS YOU HAVE TO FILL OUT IN AUSTRALIA...PRETTY SURE THEY'RE ALMOST IDENTICAL TO THOSE I FILLED OUT WHEN SENDING PACKAGES TO MY CHIEF)
(UPDATE! CUSTOMS FORMS, THAT'S WHAT THEY ARE! HAD TO RE-READ KAE'S
POSTS, BUT I FOUND IT. I HAD A DOZEN AT A TIME.)

Happy Ending

I am SO proud of these unsung Heroes..., from Pauline Jelenik at Townhall.com.

Military officials were widely praising the snipers for three flawless shots, which they described as remarkable, coming at night and from the stern of a ship on rolling waters.
...

The Navy released images of the scene from an unmanned drone, Scan Eagle. It showed that the snipers had positioned themselves on the fantail of the Bainbridge. The snipers fired simultaneously. One of the pirates was in the pilot house.

The SEALS arrived on the scene by parachuting from their aircraft into the sea, and they were picked up by the Bainbridge, a senior U.S. official said.

Thank you, SEALS, and crew of USS Bainbridge. You are Finest Kind.

And no, in my heart and mind, the BarryO Administration gets NO credit here. None. Zip. Zero. Zilch. Nada. If our nose-in-the-air/ head in the sand/ Ivory Tower-dwelling government had done the right thing in the FIRST place, pirate scum wouldn't feel free to terrorize the seas as they do. These animals understand one thing - Power. FIRE power. Sink their ships, confiscate their loot, and send 'em to Davy Jones Locker. I want that bumber sticker that says "So Many Pirates, So Few Yardarms."

Our Marines and Sailors have been fighting this scum since the first breath of this Nation. We CAN either wipe out it out or at the very least make it a rare thing tried by a stupid few.

Somehow I doubt BarryO believes that would be something worth fighting for. Well, I don't think he has ANYTHING on his list of Things Worth Fighting For, to tell you the truth. No standards, no patriotism, no nuthin. Suit of clothes, looking for an Emperor (gleefully and gratefully swiped from Paco). And he gets more like that stupid, ignorant, arrogant Emperor strutting his stuff in his birthday suit EVERY day he's in office. His Advisors tell him he's good, and he's good with that.

Makes me wanna puke.

So, as my Aussie friends say, GOOD ON YA, NAVY! Thanks for making this another GREAT DAY, in spite of you-know-who!

UPDATE: El Campeador covers this quite nicely, with a bit of clarification from his commenter.

Bright Bright Sunshiny Day

According to WOKV, it's a 10 on the weather gage. I'll go along with that. Sunny, bright, bit of a breeze, and +75F. I'd prefer just a touch more humidity, but I take what I can get from the weather in Florida.

I've been listening to reports about the pirates that have an American as their hostage. I will keep the family and friends in my prayers, as well as the men and women serving in the Navy who have been called for assistance. We love 'em all, we really do.

Lovely Daughter sent a link to the article about the pirates earlier because it mentioned P-3's, the plane her daddy flew aboard as Inflight Technician for the majority of his Navy career, but I can't find that link right now.

If you hear mention of planes taking pictures or being the eyes in the sky, that's our boys & girls, it was part of our lives for a big part of the 22 years My Chief was in the Navy. P-3 crews train here in Jax, and the sound of a P-3 in the pattern is part of almost every day in this house. We were stationed with P-3 squadrons in Maine, Hawai'i, and here in Jax, plus the Test Pilot School at Patuxent River, Maryland.

I'm going to miss them.