Sunday - June 06, 2004

Precious Memories

Here at BMEWS we often talk about media bias and this week we are honoring President Reagan. I would be remiss in my duties if I didn't share something with you. I know you will be inundated with Reagan sound bites this week but there is one sound bite you will probably never see and it is the one I treasure the most. Early in his presidency, at a news conference, Reagan was attacked by Sam Donaldson of ABC news over the recession. Reagan's reply was a priceless, solid gold moment (3.6 MB MPEG video).

Here is the schedule for the coming week's funeral activities. All federal offices will be closed on Friday.

The Greatest American

The year was 1979. It was probably the worst year of my life. I had just ended my tour of duty in the Air Force and gotten out, my father had died, my marriage was falling apart, and America was going to hell in a handbasket. The Soviets were laughing at us, the radical Muslims had taken power in Iran and were holding Americans hostage in Teheran. President Jimmy "Peanuts" Carter was proving to be as useless as tits on a bull, as we Southerners like to say.

I left the Air Force for several reasons but the main one was that it was just not the same military my father had served in for thirty years. Drug use was rampant, discipline was slack, a sense of shame and failure hung over everyone in the aftermath of the Vietnam War and too many people in uniform just didn't seem to give a damn anymore. It seemed to me, at the time, that the American military had lost its sense of pride, honor and duty.

In the civilian world, everyone was still trying to come to grips with high inflation, high taxes, high interest rates, and movies like 1979's "Apocalypse Now" only ground in the sense of national failure in Vietnam and kept the wounds open. Veterans who had served in Vietnam went into hiding. At a place called Three-Mile-Island, one of our nuclear power plants almost went into meltdown after a tragic accident and the concept of cheap nuclear power was forever tainted and feared. To top it all off, the Soviets decided to invade Afghanistan, swaggering in with the Red Army to prove that they could do in that desolate country what we could not do in Vietnam.

It was indeed America's "darkest hour". If you didn't live through that period from 1979 to 1980, you have no concept of how depressed the country was or how badly damaged the national psyche seemed to be. As far as heroes, we had none left. Elvis had died in 1977 and then, in the summer of 1979, John Wayne passed away.

America was a ship with no wind in her sails, a broken rudder and no one at the helm.

Then came 1980 and all of a sudden things got weird. It was time for the Olympics, which were scheduled for Moscow (of all places) and it was a Presidential election year. For the Republicans, it was a crowded race with George H.W. Bush (former CIA Director), John Connally (former Texas Governor), Howard Baker (Senator from Tennessee), Bob Dole (Senator from Kansas) .... and former California Governor Ronald Reagan. On the Democratic side, incumbent President Jimmy Carter was being challenged by Senator Ted "Chappaquiddick" Kennedy.

The nominating process went ahead and the challengers started to fall by the wayside. In March, President Carter announced the US would boycott the Moscow Olympics. In April, President Carter sent in a military mission to rescue the hostages being held in Iran - the mission failed miserably when eight US troops were killed in a mid-air collision during a sudden desert storm over southern Iran. In May, Mount St. Helens blew up, measuring 5.1 on the Richter Scale, killing 57 people and spreading ash and lava over 150 square miles of Washington state.

It truly seemed like the "end times" were upon us. Personally, I wouldn't have been a bit surprised to see the Riders Of The Apocaplypse, as predicted in Revelations, arrive at any moment. In fact, it probably would have been a relief. Kinda like comedian Jerry Clower's famous story about getting tied up in a fight up a tree with a raccoon and telling his fellow hunters below: “Just shoot up here amongst us. One of us needs some relief.”

As summer began, the Presidential race started to narrow down to two men: Jimmy Carter and Ronald Reagan. In mid-summer, in a country in the Middle East that none of us had ever heard of, called Iraq, a madman named Saddam Hussein came to power and immediately started a deadly war with Iran.

What was on the mind of most of America? Believe it or not, the main concern of most Americans was "WHO SHOT J.R.?" Yep. It seems silly now but with the country fast approaching an historical pivot point and the world going to hell in a handbasket, most Americans were engaging in guessing who shot a fictional character in the season-ending cliffhanger episode of the TV show "Dallas". Looking back, I really doubt our national sanity. As a nation, we probably needed to be instutionalized and kept on heavy drugs - which was actually occurring - drug use was at all time highs (pardon the pun).

Lost in the middle of this national insanity and general malaise was one quiet voice talking about "a new morning in America". Ronald Reagan started to get my attention. Lots of other people listened too. He talked of bringing an end to "big government" and many other things that just seemed right. After the conventions, the famous Carter-Reagan debates sealed Carter's fate as far as I was concerned. Reagan had new ideas. He had a vision. He knew who he was and what he wanted. Above all, he loved America. He was a strong man with solid convictions, a great sense of humor and a steady aim. When he delivered the famous line "there you go again" in one of the debates with Carter, I knew right then and there that we had finally found the hero we needed. There was a light at the end of the tunnel - and it was named Reagan.

Well, you all know the rest. Carter was soundly defeated in November of that year. Reagan carried the election with 489 electoral votes to Carter's 49, a 10-1 margin. It was a landslide. America was starting to wake up. We finally had a leader.

The rest of the world also took note. They realized we had found a man to lead us who wouldn't take crap from anybody and who could be counted upon to do absolutely anything to return America to greatness. In other words, they understood plain and simple that the American people, when brought together and united under a strong leader, could be, and would be, absolutely dangerous to anyone opposing us.

On January 20, 1981, Ronald Wilson Reagan took the oath of office as the 40th President of the United States. Within minutes after he was sworn in, the Iranians released their American hostages and they were on a plane home. The "Reagan Revolution" had begun.

The next eight years can only be described as a miracle when you look at it from the perspective of what went before. The World War II generation has been referred to as the "Greatest Generation". Ronald Reagan was part of that generation. I like to think of him as the "Greatest American".

Thanks, Dutch. This one's for you ...........

Oh! I have slipped the surly bonds of earth
And danced the skies on laughter-silvered wings;
Sunward I've climbed, and joined the tumbling mirth
Of sun-split clouds - and done a hundred things
You have not dreamed of - wheeled and soared and swung
High in the sunlit silence. Hov'ring there
I've chased the shouting wind along, and flung
My eager craft through footless halls of air.
Up, up the long delirious, burning blue,
I've topped the windswept heights with easy grace
Where never lark, or even eagle flew -
And, while with silent lifting mind I've trod
The high unsurpassed sanctity of space,
Put out my hand and touched the face of God.

References:
1- Chronology Of Events Of 1979
2- Chronology Of Events Of 1980
3- "Apocalypse Now"
4- Three-Mile-Island Disaster
5- John Wayne
6- 1980 Moscow Olympics
7- 1980 Presidential Election
8- Who Shot J.R.?
9- Saddam Hussein
10- Iran-Iraq War
11- Mount St. Helens 1980 Eruption
12- Ronald Reagan Biography
13- The Ronald Reagan Presidential Library
14- The Ronald Reagan Memorial Fund
15- The Ronald Reagan Legacy Project

   Saturday - June 05, 2004

Rest In Peace

We will never forget you and all that you did for America.

Rest In Peace, President Reagan.

This blog will be taking the rest of the day off in honor of this great American. Our prayers go out to Nancy and the Reagan family. He will not be forgotten.

   Thursday - June 03, 2004

Space: The Final Frontier

It is amazing to me that in the Middle East, they're killing each other over religion, trying to re-live the Seventh Century, in Europe they're anxiously wondering what happened to the glory of the Nineteenth Century, in Asia the Chinese and North Koreans are sabre-rattling while practicing an obsolete, failed Twentieth Century style of government ....

.... but in America, private citizens are scheduled to launch the first private spaceship of the Twenty-First Century .... or any century for that matter.

Mojave, CA: A privately-developed rocket plane will launch into history on June 21 on a mission to become the world’s first commercial manned space vehicle.SpaceShipOne will rocket to 100 kilometers (62 miles) into sub-orbital space above the Mojave Civilian Aerospace Test Center, a commercial airport in the California desert. If successful, it will demonstrate that the space frontier is finally open to private enterprise. This event could be the breakthrough that will enable space access for future generations.

---

Secret Plan X:

Top Secret - Eyes Only: The American plan is simple (1) we establish a haven for people around the world who are sick and tired of all the madness and murder, (2) we invite the best and brightest to come join us, (3) we pick their brains and build the best spaceships ever, (4) we finance this space fleet with money we made from selling the rest of the world just enough technology to make them dangerous, then one day (5) everyone in America loads up onto the spaceships, we take off and nuke the planet from orbit - bound for our new home in Alpha Centauri.

Addendum: there will be "red" spaceships and "blue" spaceships, representing the vote in the 2000 election - the "blue" spaceships will develop engine malfunctions on the second day outbound and fall back into the Sun - the "red" spaceships will continue onward to the stars after a brief pause for celebration.

Can you grok it?

   Wednesday - June 02, 2004

Memorial Day Wrap Up

This past Memorial Day weekend was one of the best in recent memory, in my opinion. The new WWII Memorial in DC was dedicated and thousands of WWII Veterans attended the opening. It is a fine tribute to that generation .... and should have been built long ago. InDC Journal has some absolutely fantastic pictures of the event and other happenings around DC during the weekend. Go take a look.

My father served 30 years in the US Army Air Corp and the US Air Force, from 1941 to 1971. He died in 1978, but I'm sure he was looking down from Heaven and smiling at some of his old buddies out at the new memorial, dancing and celebrating.

Memorial Day doesn't have to end on Monday, though. Just remember that the best way to remember those who died defending our nation is for each of us to live each day to the fullest and try to be better persons. After all, they traded a life so you could.

Dismissed.

Update: Bill, at InDC Journal has just posted Part II of the Memorial Day weekend celebration pictures. He interviews WWII veterans and there are lots of good stories there. Go now. Attendance is mandatory.

   Monday - May 31, 2004

Perspective--have we lost it?

Somewhat piggy-backing on Allan's post titled "the soldier's prayer" I give you this wonderful piece by Mark Steyn. He talks about the horrible mistakes made in other wars and how Americans seemed to understand that's the price you paid for in the weaponized chaos that takes place pursuing bad guys.

He talks of how people dealt with these setbacks and says,

" they weren't a nation that prioritized retroactive pseudo-legalistic self-flagellating vaudeville over all else. They had hellish setbacks but they didn't lose sight of the forest in order to obsess week after week on one tiny twig of one weedy little tree."

Yet today,

"There is something not just ridiculous but unbecoming about a hyperpower 300 million strong whose elites -- from the deranged former vice president down -- want the outcome of a war, and the fate of a nation, to hinge on one freaky jailhouse; elites who are willing to pay any price, bear any burden, as long as it's pain-free, squeaky clean and over in a week. The sheer silliness dishonors the memory of all those we're supposed to be remembering this Memorial Day."

   Sunday - May 30, 2004

Sleep Softly

I remember when I was boy, about eight or nine years old (this was around 1958), my dad took us to visit Arlington National Cemetary. Dad was stationed at Andrews AFB at the time. I remember the thrill of watching the guard performing his precision march in front of the Tomb Of The Unknown Soldier.

Later as we walked around the grounds, we came upon a funeral in progress and dad ushered us along to keep from interfering with the ceremony. As we walked away, the bugler started to play "Taps". I thought it was the saddest song I had ever heard played and I told my dad so. I asked him if there were any words to the tune. He smiled and said "yes". Then he hung his head and started to sing quietly:

   Friday - May 28, 2004

Memorial Day

   Thursday - May 27, 2004

Really, it’s simple

Thanks to Laurie for sending this.....

---

You wanna know why I am a Republican instead of some yellow bellied, lily-livered coward liberal Democrat?... click the link.

I've seen variations of this before but after hearing Al Gore yesterday, this is somewhat appropriate. Plus, it makes me feel better.

   Saturday - May 22, 2004

Military Life Explained

For those of you who have never had the extreme pleasure of serving in the Armed Forces, we pity you poor maggots. You have never had a chance to experience the excitement, thrill and utmost satisfaction of military life. Yes, serving in Uncle Sam's forces is a once-in-a-lifetime experience that anyone can enjoy. It is a veritable paradise with your every need being taken care of and being waited on hand and foot every hour of the day by a loving and caring E-6 or O-6. Who could ask for anything more? Why, they even pay you LOTS of money to enjoy the "adventure". What more could you ask for? Sign up, today. Be an Army Of One, See The World, Fly High ....

(the previous bullshit message was brought to you by your local recruiter - who is a lying REMF)

---

Now, let's tell it like it is, troops. Pay attention. This is what it is really like ..............
(-- Thanks to Steve C. who should've known better)

   Friday - May 21, 2004

The military gets it right

Remember Staff Sgt. Camilo Mejia who deserted for several months back in October?

This asshole had the nerve to say the reason he deserted was because he was being forced to engage in prisoner abuse. Of course, at first he said he thought we were at war because of oil. Good thing the jury saw through his bullshit.


He should be turned back over to his squad. I'm sure they would know what punishment was befitting this cowardly piece of shit.

P.S. The fruit never falls far from the tree--his mother is a peace activist. He is not a citizen, either. They out to deport his ass. And hers!

   Thursday - May 20, 2004

A humorous approach to a dangerous job

At times when you are really pissed off something comes across your inbox that makes you laugh and eases the tension a bit.

Got this from an old AF friend and just have to share it. Of course, when reading it helps if you were ever in the Armed Forces. But I think everyone can appreciate the author's cynical, tongue in cheek look at a "mission" over Baghdad.

Tip 'o the hat to RR.

---

There I was, at 6,000 feet over central Iraq, 280 knots, and we're dropping faster than Paris Hilton's panties. It's a typical September evening in the Persian Gulf; hotter than a rectal thermometer and I'm sweating like a priest at a Cub Scout meeting.

But that's neither here nor there. The night is moonless over Baghdad tonight, and blacker than a Steven King novel. But it's 2003, folks, and I'm sporting the latest in night-combat technology. Namely, hand-me-down night vision goggles (NVGs) thrown out by the fighter boys. Additionally, my 1962 Lockheed C-130E Hercules is equipped with an obsolete, yet semi-effective missile warning system (MWS). The MWS conveniently makes a nice soothing tone in your headset just before the missile explodes into your airplane. Who says you can't polish a turd? At any rate, the NVGs are illuminating Baghdad International Airport like the Las Vegas Strip during a Mike Tyson fight. These NVGs are the cat's ass. But I've digressed.

The preferred method of approach tonight is the random shallow. This tactical maneuver allows the pilot to ingress the landing zone in an unpredictable manner, thus exploiting the supposedly secured perimeter of the airfield in an attempt to avoid enemy surface-to-air-missiles and small arms fire. Personally, I wouldn't bet my pink ass on that theory, but the approach is fun as hell and that's the real reason we fly it.

We get a visual on the runway at three miles out, drop down to 1,000 feet above the ground, still maintaining 280 knots. Now the fun starts. It's pilot appreciation time as I descend the mighty Herk to 600 feet and smoothly, yet very deliberately, yank into a 60-degree left bank, turning the aircraft 90 degrees offset from runway heading. As soon as we roll out of the turn, I reverse turn to the right a full 270 degrees in order to roll out aligned with the runway. Some aeronautical genius coined this maneuver the "90/270." Chopping the power during the turn, I pull back on the yoke just to the point my nether regions start to sag, bleeding off energy in order to configure the pig for landing.

   Wednesday - May 19, 2004

Press “1” for English

How many times has that pissed you off? How many times do you face it on a daily basis? At the checkout? At the ATM? On voicemail/phone messages?

This is one of those subjects that truly piss me off, cause my hackles to raise, my blood pressure to boil over, most frustratingly something for which I seem powerless to do anything over. My only satisfaction is that I boycott places that force me to tell them I speak English first. I've had a running feud with the local Kash 'n Karry supermarket chains here for the past 4 years over this. I wrote their corporate headquarters, even, saying how simple it would be to fix their software so that if anyone swiped their cards and ignored the "ENGLISH?" "ESPANOL?" prompts, the system would default to English. Wal-Mart does it. But in their arrogance they won't. So for 4 years they've not received one penny of my hard earned money.

Typical of the appeasers and Balkanists we have in America that 90% of the population has to be inconvenienced for the ease and comfort of the other 10% who are too fucking lazy to learn to speak the language.

"Ship 'em back!" is what I say.

Michelle Malkin covers it well and brings to light the actions of two brave politicians in Maryland. Democrat or not, they'd have my vote!

   Sunday - May 09, 2004

Pictures From Iraq

Sgt. Bill Sutherland is a photographer in civilian life. Currently he is deployed in Iraq. He has been all over Iraq and taken hundreds of pictures. He was also at the Abu Ghraib prison visiting the 800th MP Brigade last year. Without exception, all of the pictures show a unit going about its business, treating prisoners honorably.

Recent news stories have made note of the fact that the 800th MP Brigade is now back stateside and has been since January of this year. The unit is now tarnished and under a cloud of suspicion. All of the troops in that brigade who were recommended for medals have been told their medals will be rescinded or downgraded. All of them. I believe that is wrong. I find it hard to believe an entire brigade is guilty of these abuses of prisoners.

In addition, Brigade Commander, Brigadier General Janet Karpinski threw her troops to the wolves and denied any knowledge of wrongdoing whatsoever. Something really stinks about that, in my opinion. The Taguba Report recommended that Karpinski be relieved of command. Instead, she received a letter of admonishment from Joint Task Force-7 Commander Lt. Gen. Ricardo Sanchez on Jan. 17 and so far she retains command of the brigade.

Take a look at Sgt. Billy's pictures and decide for yourself. There's some other really cool pictures from other areas of Iraq also.

In spite of the behavior of some members of the 800th MP Brigade, we still support our troops in Iraq 100%. Theirs is a tough job and we thank them for their sacrifice. To tarnish the entire US Military because of a few reckless fools would be unconscionable and a betrayal of our fine troops.

---

---

DISCLAIMER

THE SERVICES AND MATERIALS ON THIS WEBSITE ARE PROVIDED "AS IS" AND THE HOSTS OF THIS SITE EXPRESSLY DISCLAIMS ANY AND ALL WARRANTIES, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, TO THE EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO WARRANTIES OF SATISFACTORY QUALITY, MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, WITH RESPECT TO THE SERVICE OR ANY MATERIALS.

Not that very many people ever read this far down, but this blog was the creation of Allan Kelly and his friend Vilmar. Vilmar moved on to his own blog some time ago, and Allan ran this place alone until his sudden and unexpected death partway through 2006. We all miss him. A lot. Even though he is gone this site will always still be more than a little bit his. We who are left to carry on the BMEWS tradition owe him a great debt of gratitude, and we hope to be able to pay that back by following his last advice to us all:

1. Keep a firm grasp of Right and Wrong
2. Stay involved with government on every level and don't let those bastards get away with a thing
3. Use every legal means to defend yourself in the event of real internal trouble, and, most importantly:
4. Keep talking to each other, whether here or elsewhere

It's been a long strange trip without you Skipper, but thanks for pointing us in the right direction and giving us a swift kick in the behind to get us going. Keep lookin' down on us, will ya? Thanks.

THE INFORMATION AND OTHER CONTENTS OF THIS WEBSITE ARE DESIGNED TO COMPLY WITH THE LAWS OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. THIS WEBSITE SHALL BE GOVERNED BY AND CONSTRUED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE LAWS OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND ALL PARTIES IRREVOCABLY SUBMIT TO THE JURISDICTION OF THE AMERICAN COURTS. IF ANYTHING ON THIS WEBSITE IS CONSTRUED AS BEING CONTRARY TO THE LAWS APPLICABLE IN ANY OTHER COUNTRY, THEN THIS WEBSITE IS NOT INTENDED TO BE ACCESSED BY PERSONS FROM THAT COUNTRY AND ANY PERSONS WHO ARE SUBJECT TO SUCH LAWS SHALL NOT BE ENTITLED TO USE OUR SERVICES UNLESS THEY CAN SATISFY US THAT SUCH USE WOULD BE LAWFUL.

Copyright © 2004-2008 Domain Owner