Honoring our Troops In Iraq

This statue currently stands outside the Iraqi palace, now home to the 4th Infantry division. It will eventually be shipped home and put in the memorial museum in Fort Hood, Texas.

The statue was created by an Iraqi artist named Kalat, who for years was forced by Saddam Hussein to make the many hundreds of bronze busts of Saddam that dotted Baghdad.

Kalat was so grateful for the Americans liberation of his country; he melted 3 of the heads of the fallen Saddam and made the statue as a memorial to the American soldiers and their fallen warriors. Kalat worked on this memorial night and day for several months.

To the left of the kneeling soldier is a small Iraqi girl giving the soldier comfort as he mourns the loss of his comrade in arms.

Do you know why we don't hear about this in the news? Because it is heart warming and praise worthy. The media avoids it because it does not have the shock effect that a flashed breast or controversy of politics does. But we can do something about it. We can pass this along to as many people as we can in honor of all our brave military who is making a difference Top of Form 1
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Picture Forwarded to me by Phil

View from The TOP

"The View from the Top" will be a current commentary on political and social issues.
I will provide those comments as succinctly and clearly as an old, retired Marine can. My views are based on my life experience, including 30 years in the United States Marine Corps traveling and living all over the world and the United States of America. I retired in 1991 with the rank of Master Gunnery Sergeant (E-9) with great reluctance and sadness. If the Corps called today I would join the heroes that are dedicated to the struggle of freedom and standing in harms way in Afghanistan, Iraq and other battlegrounds around the world. Hell, I'd even join the Army, Navy or Air Force heroes as well. I believe in America and what she stands for, and hope to influence on or two of you people sitting on the fence to return to the values and beliefs that keep us the greatest country in the world - even better than France, Germany, Russia - or, believe it or not, Canada.

Today I would like to present to you the Top's view on a man that, in my opinion, has manipulated his way into a position where he is vying to become the most powerful man in the world. A man who has used the system for over 40 years to turn a military dalliance into a claim of hero status, and a hate America political career into 20-plus years in the Senate.

I was in Vietnam with the 1st Battalion, 1st Marines in 1969-1970. I served 13 full months and a few days extra - we were in condition one on the day I should have rotated and couldn't get back to catch the plane. It was in a gun fighting, mine exploding, air support calling, and artillery pounding part of Vietnam we fondly called Dodge City. Most career Marines served two or more tours in Vietnam, 13-month tours. Some Marines went home after a third Purple Heart. That was the standing policy. But I guarantee you this, if a Marine went home with a third Purple Heart, it was because the severity of the wound made him unfit for combat. I’ve known Marines with five purple hearts still watching their brother’s back. If he could fight, he stayed with his brothers. To do less would cause severe emotional problems in his own mind, and loss of respect from his brothers. If you are alive and able to fight, you don't abandon your brothers because of some technicality in the system. The rookie that replaces you cannot serve his brothers the way you can. It takes time to create a combat ready Marine, or soldier, or sailor, and when one leaves it weakens the unit.

Now, why did I say the things I did in the previous paragraph. Here's why. It is my firm belief that John Kerry had an obsession with becoming as powerful a political power as he possibly could. He was a great admirer of John Kennedy, as were many, and he sought to follow Kennedy's path to fame and glory. So, the young Lieutenant volunteered for Swift Boat Patrols, one of the few places in Vietnam were sailors got shot at once in a while (with the exception of Fleet Marine Force Corpsman courageously serving as field medical givers who stood against enemy fire with their Marine buddies). And remember this, when Kerry first volunteered the Swift Boat mission was very simple and safe. It was changed to a more dangerous mission after he got his assignment. That must have come as a big surprise to Lt. Kerry and when it got a little too hot he found the most harmless way out. Now, three really deserved Purple Hearts could have hurt. So our future Senator and Presidential candidate, realizing the danger involved in real Purple Hearts, used minor and superficial wounds - at least one caused by his own ordinance - to buy himself a get out of Dodge early card.

By the time his short but sweet adventure in combat was over, he returned to the land of the big PX to find that the wind was blowing against the war. People were beginning to speak out loud that the American soldier was being mean to people over there. The farsighted Mr. Kerry jumped right on the bandwagon and lied about his service and the service of his brothers. For what, you ask? His life goal was to become a politician with his eyes ever on a run for President at the end. Never mind the pain it would inflict on many returning veterans or the beatings and abuse it would cause Prisoners of War. What he wanted was far more important than the truth or those dummies who couldn't manage to get out of country (Vietnam) early the way he did. He lied about being in Cambodia, he lied on his self-written awards recommendations, he lied on at least one of his Purple Hearts (and took it to a higher authority than the Naval Doctor who would not recommend the award at first inspection of the "scratch), and he lied about his brother in arms (that they were murderers, rapists and akin to the Mongol hoards of ancient history). He even lied about throwing away his medals. When he saw his lying working he went to France and aided the enemy further by sucking up to them in Paris and telling them the same lies he had told America - and APOLOGIZED to Communist North Vietnam politicians for his country's actions. That was enough; the 60's culture made him a U. S. Senator and now this week-kneed, lying, apologist sister wants to be President.

The saddest part about the end of the previous paragraph is that many polls have him very close to a straight speaking, honest, hard-working, God fearing man who has steered this country on a straight and unflinching course against the most bestial and sadistic enemy the country has ever faced. Makes you worry about half of your fellow Americans. The old "Freedom is not free" saying remains as true as ever. The fly in the soup is that many Americans don't understand what that means. Their self-indulgent, coddled and protected lives leave them blind to the realities of the real world.

That's my view for this week. See you in the next "View from the Top."

Written By MgySgt McKee USMC Retired

A Righteous War

A person with negative thoughts about the war on terrorism may say that it may condone ideas of isolationism or imperialism. I beg to differ and the mere suggestion of that is absurd and makes my blood boil. I have many feelings and many worries, at the top is our men and women, sons and daughters of the United States dieing in a land many of us wouldn’t visit if it was a free trip. I feel for those whom have lost and honestly honor them all. The sacrifice of others is what makes this country free and what makes this country great. I more so worry about what if they weren’t there what if those men and women some children weren’t in Iraq or Afghanistan.

I have many theories as to why we destroyed Saddam’s regime, but there is only one that makes the most sense in my very complicated mind. I’ve thought about it much, and I’ve come to a conclusion. The main reason we entered Iraq is to build a presence there to put a strategic military position strong enough to say, look you bombed us on the 11th of September and now we are on your ground, bring it on. I feel this is necessary because of the past. Now I know you are asking what does the past have to do with Iraq. Well it’s simple all wars that we have ever fought have always been based on strategic locations, Pearl Harbor, Guam, The Philippines, The UK, and Normandy. Wars are always based on location and having a better position than the enemy.

The U.S. has the best-trained military in the world on the ground in the Middle East. Where the islamofascist terrorist that attacked us originate from. Now the terrorists are focused on our trained military personnel in Iraq as opposed to breaking our security inadequacies on the home front. Casualties do occur and are terrible things, but what would happen if we pulled out of Iraq without a successful transition to full bore democracy in that now free country. Insurgents are the root cause of the attacks that we may see on a daily basis in Iraq.

I hear on a daily basis now that John Kerry has a plan for Iraq, last I had heard of a “plan” from Kerry was his intentions on pulling our troops out of Iraq. Has he lost his mind? Is he trying to play to his base? It is absolutely befuddling to think that this man is trying to become the President of our country, which is in the midst of a genuine war. This war is about the survival of our country the survival of all that we know, and Kerry a man whom declared The Vietnam war wrong is now declaring The War in Iraq wrong. This man whom spent 4 months in Vietnam declares it wrong we went to Vietnam to stop the spread of Communism to save people from genocide and oppression, how much more noble of a deed is that? The Vietnam war was not wrong, it was fought wrong. The War in Iraq is an ongoing Slog with enemies that are very different and much more shadow like. We need to stand firm and be absolutely vigilant with our new war. Our war for remaining the most powerful respected blessed country in the world. We are free because of those Marines, Soldiers, Sailors, and Airmen in Iraq and back home.

Written by: Sean