President Reagan’s Remarks at Memorial Day Ceremonies at Arlington Cemetery, May 31, 1982

By Gary P Jackson

Remembering a powerful speech by the Gipper, because frankly, we don’t have a President of his caliber today, nor do we have one like him on the horizon. Barring a true miracle from God, it may be a long time before we see a President like Ronald Reagan again.

Thank God for Reagan, and may we one day be blessed with his sort again.

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The Last Full Measure of Devotion

 

Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends

~ John 15:13

To me, words are never adequate enough to express the feeling I have for the brave men and women who have died defending Liberty and Freedom. The love these brave souls have for their country and their fellow man can never be measured by mere mortals.

Let us simply be thankful that such men and women exist. That there are those who understand that Liberty and Freedom are so valuable, that there is simply no price too big to pay, to ensure these most basic of human rights; Liberty and Freedom, never die.

May God always hold those who protect Liberty and Freedom close to Him. May He always watch over them and comfort them. May He always watch over and comfort those who’ve lost a loved one, who gave their Last Full Measure of Devotion, so that we may all remain Free.

All gave some, but some gave all. Let us remember those who stand watch daily and keep us out of harm’s way. Let us honor those who stand guard so that we can enjoy the Liberty and Freedom they provide. Let us never forget those who have given their lives for you and I.

Let us do this today, tomorrow and every day.

Gary P Jackson

Executive Editor and Publisher

 

 

Al Qaeda Terrorists at Guantanamo and Illegal Aliens Treated Better Than Vets!

By Isabel Matos

That is the GITMO detainee cell picture for the story below, but first Sarah Palin posted this on her Facebook Timeline earlier today:

Any Politician Siding with This Tragic Reality is Unfit for Office

Compliance with these un-American acts in this Obama Era deserves the scorn of citizens; we will do all we can to oust those who follow the Obama/Pelosi/Reid lead on disgusting treatment of our military and red carpet treatment of their law-breaking chosen ones.

She linked Michelle Malkin’s article How America Treats Illegal Aliens vs. Veterans. This is an excerpt of from her article in Townhall.com 5/23/2014:

A government that fails to secure its borders is guilty of dereliction of duty. A government that fails to care for our men and women on the front lines is guilty of malpractice. A government that puts the needs of illegal aliens above U.S. veterans for political gain should be prosecuted for criminal neglect bordering on treason.        …

Compare, contrast and weep:

In Washington, Big Business and open-borders lobbyists are redoubling efforts to pass another massive illegal alien amnesty to flood the U.S. job market with low-wage labor.

Across the country, men and women in uniform returning home from Iraq and Afghanistan have higher jobless rates than the civilian population. The unemployment rate for new veterans has spiked to its worst levels, nearing 15 percent. For veterans ages 24 and under, the jobless rate is a whopping 29.1 percent, compared to 17.6 percent nationally for the age group.

A Forbes columnist reported last year that an Air Force veteran was told: “We don’t hire your kind.”

And last December, Democrats led the charge to reduce cost-of-living increases in military pensions — while blocking GOP Alabama Sen. Jeff Sessions’ efforts to close a $4.2 billion loophole that allows illegal aliens to collect child tax credits from the IRS, even if they pay no taxes. The fraudulent payments to illegal aliens would have offset the cuts to veterans’ benefits.

America: medical and welfare welcome mat to the rest of the world, while leavings its best and bravest veterans to languish in hospital lounges, die waiting for appointments, and compete for jobs and educational opportunities against illegal border-crossers, document fakers, visa violators and deportation evaders. Shame on us.

FOX News.com posted an article by and interview (video) with Former Pentagon spokesman JD Gordon saying he has proof Gitmo detainees are treated better than our Veterans.

H/T Veterans for a Strong America for story lead

JD Gordon has been at the medical facility several times (over 30), and says EVEN Michael Moore who was there used a bull horn to say: “We want the best treatment for Al-Qaeda, no more no less.”

To Gordon the issue with the VA is systemic, not monetary: the VA needs a top to bottom review. He emphasized the mentality issue is a “cultural” issue as well. They are just under-performing. There is no sense of urgency. It is hurting our Veterans who deserve better than this. He writes:

President Obama finally addressed the nation Wednesday about the growing scandal at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. After meeting with VA Secretary Eric Shinseki he pledged to hold folks accountable.

Thanks, Mr. President.

By now most American have heard about the VA’s infamous patient “secret wait lists” which reportedly contributed to the deaths of up to 40 veterans in the Phoenix area alone. Those patriots were American heroes who served our country proudly. Yet they were left to die waiting to see a doctor.

While the Gitmo ratio is 1.5 to 1, for America’s 9 million veterans receiving VA health care and 267,930 VA employees, the ratio is 35 to 1. 

Here’s another secret the White House doesn’t want you to know about..

Read full article and see interview here

VETERANS FOR A STRONG AMERICA

The Price of Freedom Found At VA Hospitals: Recap Week of 5/12-5/17

By Isabel Matos

This week four articles related to the Department of Veterans Affairs and their abysmal treatment of our war heroes were published. From most recent to first:

Vietnam Veteran Advises:  Don’t Just Thank a Vet. Enlist Their Help to Win!

Sarah Palin:  No Problem with Death Panels, Not Even a Smidgen!

Triple Amputee and Iraq Veteran: My Open Letter to President Obama

Purple Heart Recipient Iraq War Veteran Sends Scathing Letter to Obama

5/17: Ted Cruz Honors the Men and Women Who Serve this Armed Forces Day

Carl’s Corner

I cannot think about it for long, when I do I see pure blood red and my blood pressure goes through the roof. I see young men fighting for their country giving it their all even their life if that is what is asked. I see them make it through combat, bodies and minds damaged but still the spirit that G-d blessed them with still strong and eager to be part of what they helped to fight to preserve. helpless and in most cases broke they turn to the people they fought for to help them, and you let them die, not easy deaths, but alone except for scared family who are helpless to aide them. they die not proud warriors deaths or deaths noble and honored, but deaths at home in a stained bed with their waste and pain. Be proud America, be very proud a gay football player gets more concern than people who fought for you. DISGUSTING.

~ *********~

Really really really insulting. nearly every single slime ball in Washington when asked about the Veterans dying from neglect said, ” this is unacceptable!” Really, no shit Sherlock! It’s unacceptable, thats it? No. We need to prosecute and send people to prison over this, or maybe we need to over haul the whole thing from the bottom up!

Well, as a Veteran I feel so so much better that at least these pricks find our deaths UNACCEPTABLE. Way to go America. I came home from Vietnam 20 years old and for years was referred to as a lowlife baby killer. After a few decades you let up and pat us on the back. Should have known there was a knife in that hand!!!

~ *********~

When Bush is done mourning the death of his dog (which is on the news), maybe he can release a statement about the death of Veterans at the hands of the VA!  Most of these Vets are in these ER`s and need care because they carried out his policies. What – you leave office and you are not held responsible for anything? What kind of crap is that? That’s not class that’s being a coward. 

News flash! Those vets at that bike ride he took a picture with? They are selected. They do not even make a dent in the real number of disabled vets most of which cannot get medical treatment, pensions or a f***ing bike ride.        

~ Carl Irwin ~

Vietman War Vet Advises: Don’t Just Thank a Vet. Enlist Their Help To Win!

 America’s War on Veterans

by Carl Irwin

As of today I do not have the total number of Veterans killed in Americas war on them, but the death toll is pretty high. America has learned that you just cannot come right out and kill a Veteran because most are too smart and too hard to kill.

The way you kill them is to lure them to a safe hospital location and promise them treatment for some illness they may have. Then you give them either poor or shoddy treatment and watch them slowly die over time. This was the preferred method, or the more cost efficient method by which they are placed on a waiting list which goes no where.

They can die at home so Americans are spared the sight and actually not having to get their hands dirty.

Hearings are now being held about the war and how it is going. So far it seems to be a great success. One hospital alone has racked up more than 40 “deaths”. Other hospitals are just reporting in, so we await those body counts.

Another problem in the war on Veterans is military pensions. It has been found that these pensions may enable the Veteran to avoid VA hospitals and live a rather comfortable life. We have been assured that steps have been taken to close this escape route. Long waiting periods are now the norm for any Veteran. Congress has thought about these and has passed an emergency Veteran war act which cuts the amount of money the Veteran can draw.

I know like most Americans you are pretty tired of seeing all those Vets in those damned wheel chairs or riding those bikes, but you can do your part in this war.

Vets live among us, some may EVEN BE YOUR NEIGHBOR. That’s where you come in. Just report them when you see them raising that damned flag on their porch or when you see them trying to enter a war memorial. We cannot win this war unless we find them.

There is a Manual you can get at VA called “Taking down a Veteran.” One of the methods, is to pretend you need some sort of help or indicate that you are in danger. A Veteran cannot resist the urge to try to help. They are stupid that way. Once located, leave it up to your local VA office to take action.

Just because America has not let Veterans win a war in the past does not mean that we have to restrain ourselves (or them) from helping win this one.

Carl Irwin served in Vietnam and has been a patriot every day of his life. His style of writing is intelligent, sarcastic but on point and unassuming He makes astute observations of every day life and matters pertaining to D.C. politics and corruption which we are all fighting against. His blog 

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Video: Senator Ted Cruz Honors our Troops

By Gary P Jackson

Moving speech by Senator Ted Cruz:

Video: Ronald Reagan’s 1984 Memorial Day Speech

By Gary P Jackson

On Memorial Day 1984, President Ronald Reagan gave a moving speech honoring the Unknown Servicemen who died during the Vietnam War.

Remembering Those Who Made The Ultimate Sacrifice

By Gary P Jackson

Today as we go about the many celebrations, awesome racing, and other traditional Memorial weekend events, let us all take a minute to remember those who gave the last full measure of devotion so that we can enjoy all of these things in peace.

No one has done more to advance Liberty and Freedom around the world than the American Service men and women. Far too many have died in service to our nation. We must never forget that sacrifice.

America is the greatest force for good in this world, and that is because of those who serve in the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Coast Guard, and National Guard.

Please take time today to pray for those we’ve lost, and their families. Pray for those who currently serve as well.

Bing and Google Honor Memorial Day Quite Differently

By Gary P Jackson

The two largest search engines, Bing and Google, use their home pages to commemorate all sorts of holidays, birthdays, and so on. Google is notorious in how it remembers certain events though, and how it ignores others.

Bing, on the other hand, never fails to show respect.

On Memorial Day, the two internet giants’ home pages looked like this:

At least Google, which goes all out for holidays like Cinco de Mayo, and May Day [the anniversary of the Communist revolution] had something, but not much, and certainly not enough, considering what it does for other holidays.

I would think honoring those who gave their lives for Liberty and Freedom would be a top priority for those who count on free speech to make a living. Without the sacrifices our veterans have made since our nation’s founding, our free speech rights might not exist as they do today.

This isn’t the first time Google has done this, nor will be it the last.

In June of 2010, we covered how both Bing and Google handled the anniversary of the D-Day invasion.

I’m OK with both Bing and Google doing their own thing, but is it too much to ask for Google to show a little more respect for our troops?

H/T Sissy Willis

A Single Image That Continues to Haunt

The night before the burial of her husband, Katherine Cathey refused to leave the coffin, asking to sleep next to his body for the last time. The Marines made a bed for her. [Todd Heisler/The Rocky Mountain News, via Associated Press]

By Gary P Jackson

A solemn reminder from Lily Burana of the sacrifices that are made in order to keep you and I safe, and free.

Memorial Day. The unofficial kickoff to summer. Barbecues sizzling. Lawn sprinklers hissing. Local marching bands tooting out Sousa. Red, white, and blue bunting hanging from the porch railings, and on TV, someone begins a recitation of Lt. Col. John McCrae’s classic poem: In Flanders field, the poppies blow/Between the crosses row on row …

In the run-up to every Memorial Day weekend, for the past several years, a certain photo takes top spot in those most circulated among my fellow military and veteran wives. On blogs, on social media sites, it is shared and “liked” over and over. Taken by the photographer Todd Heisler from his 2005 award-winning series for The Rocky Mountain News, “Jim Comes Home”  — which documents the return and burial of Second Lt. Jim Cathey of the Marines, who lost his life in Iraq — the photo shows his pregnant widow, Katherine, lying on an air mattress in front of his coffin. She’s staring at her laptop, listening to songs that remind her of Jim. Her expression is vacant, her grief almost palpable.

It is the one and only photo that makes me cry each time I see it. What brings the tears to my eyes is not just the bereaved young woman, but the Marine who stands behind her. In an earlier photo in the series, we see him building her a little nest of blankets on the air mattress. Sweet Lord, I cry just typing the words, the matter-of-fact tenderness is so overwhelming. So soldierly. But in this photo — the one that lives on and on online — he merely stands next to the coffin, watching over her.

It is impossible to be unmoved by the juxtaposition of the eternal stone-faced warrior and the disheveled modern military wife-turned-widow, him rigid in his dress uniform, her on the floor in her blanket nest, wearing glasses and a baggy T-shirt, him nearly concealed by shadow while the pale blue light from the computer screen illuminates her like God’s own grace.

I believe this photo has had such a long viral life not just because it is so honest but also because it is so modern. During a spouse’s deployment, your laptop is your battle buddy. Your sense of connection and emotional well-being is sustained via e-mail, Facebook, Skype and Instagram. It appears, per Lieutenant Cathey’s widow, that the same is true even in a time of loss.

This heartbreaking — and groundbreaking — photo showcases the intersection of technology and agony.

I’ll never forget trying to describe the photo to my friend Veronica, an Army wife. I was standing in her stately West Point living room, trying to detail what was so moving about the stalwart posture of the Marine, the listlessness of the grieving wife, my voice cracking, and before I was halfway through my description, tears started streaming down her face. It is testimonial to the image’s power that it even affects people who haven’t seen it.

Read more here.