Ya know, she really has if you play this all the way out to the end. Paris Hilton lives “La Vita Loca” (for you illegal aliens out there) and dines at the swankiest. Paris Hilton has never seen what it is like to work, nor has she ever sacrificed a damn thing - except maybe her few contacts that bailed when her SideKick was hijacked! (Doh!)

I mean really, what one earth can she be worth? (rhyme intended) I won’t even do the math, ’cause that is only money.

It is impossible to even fathom to what extent the Hilton Family is willing to stoop. Maybe Paris Hilton has been “schtupped”, but I think that the family is now schtupping those injured brave men and women at Walter Reed that have been able to experience a steak dinner and some time away to forget their pains and continuous fight with debilitating injuries. The US Military is sacrificing every day, whether it is the time spent on the field of battle, the spouses and families holding it all together all alone, or those brave enough to continue yet cannot because they are wounded the worst and must recuperate and rehabilitate at Walter Reed.

Can the Hilton Hotel Corporation (ticker symbol/link HLT = http://finance.yahoo.com/q?s=HLT) be this flippin’ stupid? Are they really as dumb as their namesake, Paris? Are they really that reluctant to support these brave men and women and continue the steak dinner ritual? I mean, it isn’t like this is a free ride because Fran O’Brien’s Stadium Steakhouse makes sure that they are all square. In fact, Wal-Mart (uh-huh, that evil giant corporation the lefties love to hate) and the VFW is kicking in $50k!

Yeah, I SAID FIFTY THOUSAND DOLLARS!!!

That’s a ton of steaks, and I’m right there with them. I’ll continue to go to Wal-Mart, folks. I hope you do too. At least THEIR heart is in the right place. Sam Walton was no idiot. Neither are we, ya know?

Thanks to Lt. Smash of Indepundit, I landed on Chris Dickson’s blog where I was able to get a little background on the Wal-Mart and VFW pitching in to make this free to the wounded. Here, check out a few choice tidbits:

The Wal-Mart and Sam’s Club Foundation awarded the VFW Foundation a $1 million matching grant last summer to support VFW programs that aid military members and their families. Fifty thousand dollars of that grant was earmarked to underwrite the cost of dinners for wounded troops at Fran O’Brien’s.

According to restaurant co-owner Hal Koster, Fran O’Brien’s has provided free dinners to wounded troops and their families since October 2003. Last year they served about 2,300 dinners at a cost of nearly $160,000, an expense that was initially absorbed internally but is now being largely offset by outside donations.

Do you think that Wal-Mart is evil? Well, maybe you might want to rethink your position? (you better you MORON!) Just look at the sacrifice that Wal-Mart is making for our brave men and women:

Wal-Mart has 3,200 employees serving on military leave. Besides continuing their employee benefits and helping with the salary differentials, Wal-Mart has provided millions of dollars in financial aid to military family-support organizations that help supply clothing for the wounded and special-need items for the troops. In addition, Wal-Mart’s customers nationwide have sent hundreds of thousands of messages of support to military men and women through in-store kiosks.

OK, maybe that doesn’t look like much to the casual observer. But, maybe we can do a little “simple math” and see just what they are sacrificing. Let’s take an average pay and net-it-out.

NON-MANGEMENT :: $32,250 PER YEAR + BENEFITS

• $15 per hour
• 8 hours a day
• 5 days a week
• 50 weeks a year (2 weeks vacation and sick days)
• 100 hours TIME AND A HALF OVERTIME per year

MID-MANAGEMENT :: $55,000 PER YEAR + BENEFITS

• $27.50 per hour
• 8 hours a day
• 5 days a week
• 50 weeks a year
• NO OVERTIME PAY

Let’s say that the breakdown for non-management to management is about 85-15 (85% are non-management, 15% are mid-management). That means that 2,720 employees or $87,720,000 total pay for non-management and 480 employees or $26,400,000 total pay for mid-management is being set aside. PEOPLE, that means that $114,120,000 per year is what Wal-Mart believes is an acceptable cost to support our brave men and women serving and sacrificing for all of us to be safe!

That’s really rough numbers, folks. They are willing to truly keep that job open for their valued employees. And, you really need to understand that statement I just made because Wal-Mart VALUES military service! Their employees are not in the store making things work. Their employees are in the battlefield making it possible for the rest of us to live and work safely.

Is there value there? Yep! Does Hilton Hotels see that value? I think not.

Who is the evil corporation now? Just stew on that a bit - chew until it hurts, Hilton, ’cause I will never grace your doorstep, ever. You have really burned that bridge - all Hilton Properties. I came from the travel industry after I separated from the United States Air Force. I keep up to date with all the changes, and I know how easy it is to make a dent. From that point alone, I am contacting all my travel agent friends.

How about you? Do you know someone in the travel industry? WELL, GET OUT THERE AND GET GOING!!! Make sure that those travel industry friends of yours know that Hilton is making a huge mistake. Here is the “Hilton Family” of hotels, so, make sure you do not stay here, either:

Conrad Hotels
Doubletree
Embassy Suites Hotels
Hampton Inn & Hampton Inns and Suites
Hilton HHonors
Hilton Hotels
Hilton Garden Inn
Hilton Grand Vacations Club
Homewood Suites by Hilton

All these properties are tabu! DO NOT STAY AT THE ABOVE LIST OF HOTELS, PEOPLE!!!

OH! and, it seems in every search, Delta Airlines came up as a great place to get deals on Hilton Hotels. The URL looks like this from a Google Search [http://www.delta.com/tracking/index.jsp?MR=http://www.hilton.com]. You might wanna think twice about Delta Airlines, too. You just never know how deep this can cut until you have looked carefully at the blade about ready to go deep into your gut.

Here’s the petition that Chris Dickson talks about here. I signed it. I expect that you will do the same.

H/T to Lt. Smash of Indepundit and Chris Dickson!

And this Fox keeps stealing eggs from my basket and tossing them to other Foxes, on a ranch far away. It’s as if “Robin’s Hood” has been transplanted into today - yet it’s the wiley Fox that is getting the bounty. And our ranches, our hen houses, are California, Texas, Arizona, and New Mexico. These hen houses haven’t had a guard dog or a door for decades, and they have been falling apart year after year. Some day there’ll be no more eggs - where will the Fox go then?

Watch your six people, there are 46 more states to go - lots of eggs left so get them while they’re free!

I’m a bit tired of being told this situation is “complicated” and requires a “world view”. I am sick of having guilt thrust upon me by others that have no concept or understanding of my situation, history, and plans for the future. I shall not be talked down to by those who believe they know the only solution. There are many solutions, and there are many steps to be taken to get some of them implemented. Can we at the very least stop arguing and start doing something?

Tell me again, am I so stupid? Do I not have enough information to come to my own decisions or conclusions? Can it be the case that it is you, the one with all this “compassion” that is without enough information?

Here’s a backdrop, and you fill in de colores.

My mother is 1st generation American of German and Irish descent. My father emigrated from the United Kingdom a short time after he served his first country in the RAF during WWII. He followed the process, he forfeited his British citizenship and passport for American ones, he worked hard, he retired after 2 heart attacks and 37 years to watch his company go bankrupt - twice. He has crap for a pension. The American way - yep, when times get tough the kids will step in. That is the way we were raised, no matter how proud my parents are, they shall not be destitute.

Should I make you pay for what happened to them? I say no. Is that wrong? Then why is everyone else so quick to make me pay for the lack of planning and problems of others? Perplexed? Uh-huh … me too.

My roots go back into Poland and Prussia, and south to the Black Forest and close to Garmisch and Austria. None of my forefathers were rich. They were tradesmen, soldiers, and cobblers - and maids, cooks, and house keepers. One grandfather made glass for the war effort and the other made machine parts for British Spitfires and bombers. Each generation fought to get one or two rungs higher - always looking to their children’s future. No one in my history was crass or uncaring to those less fortunate.

All anyone had to do was ask. We have very huge hearts and we step in to help. All the men in my family served - either here or abroad - in the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, and the Royal Air Force and Royal Navy. We have given and sacrificed for our families and our friends and our neighbors.

But, to take from their children’s children?! We defend our honor, and their future. And for the gifts that come only from hard work, why should so many be given something so precious - just for a vote, 10 minutes of air time on the National News, or a hug from Alec Baldwin?

Is being an American that damn cheap?!

Are we just supposed to hand you citizenship? So many people worked hard to get here, and work very hard to stay here. And when the call goes out they raise Old Glory and fight for what this country is all about. And that is NOT a free ride, but the ability and opportunity to work hard and make your children’s children have a better life.

Oh, you noticed I said Old Glory and not some other banner? Uh-huh, that’s right, the American flag is our standard - the standard of those who are Americans. Big clue, if you want to be an American, our flag is red, white, and blue, and it does not run, it is not beneath any other flag, and it is to never touch the ground.

EVER!

Giving of oneself is what is at risk here. American’s are the most giving country. How many disasters last year happened in other countries, and the first people to jump to the ready and help were, who again? What country immediately shifted resources and manpower to save countless thousands from a fate that should befall no one? Have we all forgotten so fast how giving we are?

Have we all forgotten who came to our aid after September 11th, 2001? I remember five countries who truly came to help. Only three still truly stand by our side. (in my opinion those three are the United Kingdom, Australia, and New Zealand - the rest just talk a good story)

When you steal, when you break the law (a law that is never enforced, which is a crime), when you are snatching bread from your neighbors mouth - is that right? Is that Christian? Are we all to just open our doors and let the burglars take what they want, whenever they want? (Kath of In Training has a great post about the UK making burglary OK - sheesh!)

I know that this subject is tough. I know that the people looking for refuge and a safe place to raise their children is all they want. I know that the country that is just a step away is enabling the poor, and also the criminal element, to hop right over to the Circle K known to them as the USA. I know that to be a Christian is to be forgiving and to open your heart, your arms, and your pocket book to help out in times of need.

But, when need is not really need, but the mismanagement of a government and the complacency and lack of fortitude of those in power at home to make things better, well, the rules change because it isn’t really need - it’s greed. Fox and the other Foxes are greedy, and they do not care that they are taking our eggs. In fact this is the most overt case of bowing to socialism I have ever seen, in our own country. And we all know the success of socialism and communism - this is greed of a different kind.

Greed does not care. Greed is boastful. Greed is deriding. Greed is arrogant.

Greed is a sin.

I believe that the American Cardinals, Bishops, and Priests best get off their assesdonkeys burros and teach our southern brethren a thing or two about being Christians. They need to stop telling me - I have a huge family history dedicated to being a Christian, a Patriot, and a Soldier, Sailor, Airman, and Marine. Our politicians need to stop enabling this situation and start making every life and the American way something to really be proud of - not a cheap chat with Matt Lauer or Vanity Fair.

Remember, greed is a sin.
Remember, socialism and communism fails.
Remember, tin horn dictators don’t care about you.
Remember, America is not the free mini-bar for the rest of the world.

It’s amazing what you can find when you are looking around for something else. You know, you went to go find a screwdriver and you came back with a hammer. OK, the goal was to find some information regarding a situation local to Texas. Instead, at the Longview News-Journal an interesting headline caught my eye: First Declassified Iraq Documents Released. I kept checking the date and stuff, but, yeah it’s actually recent - Wednesday night around 22:18 from the AP (Assoc Press). The story leads you to the Foreign Military Studies Office, Joint Reserve Intelligence Center, Document Exploitation Documents site. There I uncovered this interesting little document with the title, “Usage of Special Equipment”. I wondered what on earth could be in here, so, check it out:

[you’ll find this entry begins at page 3 of the PDF doc]
NVTC0152
Republic of Iraq
Office of the President No. 7371
Secretary Date: 3/31/1978
General Military Intelligence Directorate
Top Secret, Personal
To: General Staff Headquarters
Subject: Utilizing Special Equipment
1. The President/Leader (may God save him) ordered our
directorate to study, with the professionals, directing a
surprise strike against (Khomeini Guards bases located
within the quarters of the first division of Barazani’s
saboteurs) using special equipment, and the possibility of
executing it in any of the following methods (Air Force,
Army Air Force, artillery).
2- Studied the President Leader’s (may God save him) order
with the professionals, and we suggested the following:
A- Postponing the execution of the strike on Khomeini
Guards inside Barazani’s quarters until next June, because
these targets are located on the Iraqi-Turkish border. It
is preferable to change these targets to be away from the
Turkish boarders and villages.
B- Begin planning to execute similar limited operations
aimed at the bases of Iran’s agents.
2- Approval on both suggestions, under item 2 above, has
been obtained. Our Directorate studied the locations of the
Iran Agent’s bases, and choose the targets listed
hereunder, basing its decision on the size of the enemy
presence, the effect of this presence on internal security
in the Northern Region, and the available capabilities of
arms and fire power:
A- Bases of Iran Agents located in Balisan Basin (villages
of Balisan, Totama, Ghitti, Skeikh Wisan) next to the the
main road in Khlayfan Village vicinity.
UNCLASSIFIED //FOUO
UNCLASSIFIED //FOUO
NVTC0152
B. Bases of Iran Agents in the Basin of villages of
(Tkiyyeh,Bilkjar,Siyuisnan) annexing Karah Dagh.
4. The above mentioned targets, in paragraphs(A-B)under
item 3, are important bases for Iran’s agents and members
of Iranian enemies, are far away (as targets for special
equipment)from our units. They are considered more
appropriate than others to strike with our equipment for
being located in low regions which helps the chemical fumes
to settle. We can also treat them with available ways (air
force, tubular bombers, Samtiyyat (Helicopters) and at
night
5. Our directorate suggested striking both targets,
referred to in item 3, during this period using two thirds
of available special equipment (Ricin) plus one third of
available special equipment (Mustard Gas) and keeping the
balance for emergency situations that might arise in the
operation theater.
6. The top secret, personal and urgent letter No.953/965/k
dated March 29, 87 from the President’s Office Secretary,
stated the following:
“Approval of striking has been obtained provided the
results are exploited… for the purpose is not only to
inflict losses among the saboteurs, but also to coordinate
with the Corps… please advice prior to striking”.
Please be informed and order the execution of what was
stipulated in the above letter of the President’s Office-
Secretary, and advise your sanction. With esteem.
Signed
Major General
Chief of General Military Intelligence
Copy To: Office of the President-Secretary
Your top secret, personal and urgent letter
953/965/K dated March 29,87. Please review. With esteem
Usage of Special Equipment, CMPC-2004-002219-0 (PDF only)

[you’ll find this entry begins at page 13 of the PDF doc]
NVTC0152
Please refer to the number in full
The Martyrs will always be more
generous than us
Office of the President Secretary
General Military Intelligence Directorate
Top Secret, Personal and Urgent
Number?M1/Sh3/Q2/6414
Date/March 18, 1987
To/Presidency Office-Secretary
Subject/Utilizing Special Equipment
Your top secret -, personal and urgent letter 7/J2/808/K
dated March 12, 87
1. The following are our available capabilities to utilize
the special equipment against the Khomeini Guards bases
located within the saboteur’s quarters of Barazanis First
Division.
A. At the present time, climate conditions do not help in
Utilizing (Sarin) due to snow coverage of the designated
targeted areas, which could lead to diluting the said
element and transforming it to a non-poisonous element.
This condition applies to (Tabun) element too.
UNCLASSIFIED //FOUO
UNCLASSIFIED //FOUO
NVTC0152
B. A large quantity of (Mustard) gas is available, but its
potential effect is considered a (miracle) except in cases
where a concentrated dose is taken. In addition, its
evaporation becomes slow in snow regions.
C. Air force, tubular bombers and (Samtiyyat?) can be used
at night for this purpose.
2. We recommend the following:
A. Postpone executing the strike against Khomeini Guards
located within the Barazani Group’s quarters until next
June.
Because the targets lie in the Iraqi/Turkish boarders, it
is preferable we choose targets that will not impact the
Turkish boarder units, or the Turkish villages.
B. Start planning to execute similar limited operations
against the bases of Iran’s agents.
Please review, and advise us suggestions… With esteem
(signed)
Staff Major General
Chief - General Military Intelligence Directorate.
Usage of Special Equipment, CMPC-2004-002219-0 (PDF only)

Mentioned in these communiques is the use of ricin, sarin, to include for effect, mustard gas. They discuss the use of helicopters, rockets, mortars, all kinds of delivery. There is even a statement to delay the action due to the time of year (winter is bad for their activity it seems). And, they are explicit in carrying out an operation that is far from Turkey, but close enough to hit Iran - the goal being to take out the saboteurs, or the Khomeini Guards.

People, if the Administration continues to release more and more of these sorts of documents, it’s gonna be a field day for those of us that believe in what we have undertaken: the active and preemptive response to threats to our country.

This GWOT must be won. We must not give up. We must remain ever vigilant.

God Bless America, God Bless our fighting men and women and their families, and God Bless the President of the United States, George W. Bush.

UPDATE: go check out Amy Proctor’s recent post on WMDs, “Media Ignores Bush Exoneration”, and how the media refuses to exonerate President Bush. Basically, the Drive-By Media is blindly assuming we the people don’t read. Here’s a snippet from Amy’s post:

“Finally, President Bush has ordered that this critical evidence confiscated by U.S. forces after they liberated Iraq be made public. Bush’s initial order came on Feb. 16, the day after ABC News broadcast snippets from 12 hours of Saddam audiotapes obtained by FBI translator and former U.N. weapons inspector Bill Tierney.”

So, from the release of documents, I was able to find the above information related to Saddam authorizing the use of WMDs (ricin and sarin are WMD, you lost wondering puppies of stupidity!).

Thanks again, Amy!

I just finished a HUGE diatribe over at Amy Proctor’s Blog. Man, some of her subjects and the folks that post there get me all fired up! Sheesh … I saw that the Chief from The Truth was over there, so, howdy Chief!

Anyway, here’s my comment on the post called Academia VS. US Military:

For those that clearly have nothing good to say about the military, or have said that the entire US Military would be uneducated (stupid) if it weren’t for universities, or that our institutions today would be just fine without the US Military, many questions come to mind for me. And if I wrote those questions, I think some might take them as an afront, or something said that has no merit or rooted in fact. Instead, maybe I’ll just take a moment to reflect on what is going on around us all, yet from our side.

You may not want us. You may not like us. You think we are being elitist because we speak often of patriotism, duty, corps, self-sacrifice, honor, code, chain of command, leadership, past wars, conflicts, and covert ops. Some even think we are dumb and blind followers without a reasoning or rational bone in our bodies. You call us facists, baby killers, drones, jack-booted thugs, parasites, war mongers, pleebs (that’s a good one, I got that one in the Newark Airport while PCSing back from USAFE), and extremists. You think we are out of touch and spend too much of the budget and more should be going to our schools (hmmm, that’s a funny one too), or welfare, or just a cause to which you have become attached. You do not believe that any foreign force would actually attack us, in our sleep, without provocation, and try to destroy everything that makes this country great. You praise those that take to foreign soil and speak out against this country, yet look down your nose at the man or woman taking off their hat, placing hand over heart, during the National Anthem. You think it a cause to protest out in front of hospitals where young soldiers are in pain, families are visiting, and their pain is even greater. You do not know the copious amount of time spent studying world history, war, foreign and domestic battles or small skirmishes, political systems and culture, as well as language studies coupled with deportment (military bearing is the term we use). You may not believe in preemptive actions to stave off an even greater threat. You may think that HUMINT (human intel) and SIGINT (signals or communications intel) are abhorrent and should be stopped, even though you’d love to have the answers to a test you are about to take.

Let’s all be honest. There are a significant number of personnel in the US Military that are career military and have more experience, training, and love for this subject which affords them a sort of self-assuredness - often seen as arrogance. There is more to this than meets the eye, and with enough intel and experience, you might sing a different tune.

Dirty little secret: you need us.
Happy little fact: we know it.
Huge Guarantee: we’ll always be there to protect.
Obvious Result: we get no thanks, ’cause less and less of you learn because we have gotten better at what we do.
Biggest Reaction: we are degraded for being who we are.

And that last one, biggest reaction, my friends, is bigotry. Bigotry goes many ways, is in many forms, and takes all comers.

This has nothing at all to do with funds for universities. Research isn’t the only game in town. The private sector, especially entrepreneurship, is more beneficial to the US Military than universities. The situation where toys for the military come from universities is becoming less and less prevalent. Not everyone in development is swimming in degrees. Not every degree is applied to the actual job at hand.

It isn’t the book or the professor, it is the student. And, books don’t come from universities but private publishers. Odd how that works, too, you can pay to have your words printed and people will buy them. Amazing! Do I need a professor to make this all happen?

Boy Scouts, Recruiters on campus, Religion, Conservatism, Capitalism, US Military, Big Business, Pro-Life … c’mon, we all know the drill.

Rius has a great book, “Marx for Beginners” where I learned a great deal, sorta self-taught on some stuff (got your six, Chief). Walking through East Berlin during the height of the Cold War - more learning goin’ on. Standing face to face with a foreign power hell-bent on removing me from the face of the earth - try it, it’ll show you new paths to enlightenment.

Can you say a poke in the eye, bupkiss, or an extended maintenance plan that always expires just days before the thing ya bought goes Tango-Uniform! (ok, T-U was often used on the flightline - sorry folks, tits-up, busted, not goin’anywhere, dead)

Uh-huh, that’s right. What’s the deal, we pay and pay and they vote against us and tell us that we are too big for our britches. The EU takes every opportunity to trash the United States. Tin horn dictators love to tip their huge buckets in our well, and then spit in it for good measure.

Let’s see what’s out there at NewsMax in their special report out today:

U.N. Report Card: Handful of Nations, Including Israel, Stand with U.S.

.:elided:.

“NewsMax examined 12 key General Assembly votes taken on issues of critical importance to the U.S., and found that only four countries - Israel and the Pacific Ocean nations of Palau, Micronesia and Marshall Islands sided with the U.S. on most of the issues.”

“The rest of the U.N. members voted against the U.S. position the vast majority of the time, and dozens of countries voted along with America ZERO PERCENT of the time.”

“These nations include some of the biggest recipients of U.S. foreign aid…”

.:elided:.

So, here’s the cash that goes out, and the support that goes in:

• Turkey GETS $1.007B/yr (excludes military support) WE GET 12 key issues Turkey votes with us 0%
• Ethiopia GETS $594M WE GET another 0% support
• Colombia GETS $524M WE GET another 0% support
• Egypt GETS $460M WE GET another 0% support
• Jordan GETS $224M WE GET another 0% support
• Peru GETS $229M WE GET another 0% support
• UN GETS US pays 22% of total UN Budget WE GET pressure to lift Cuba embargo, slap Israel, and nuclear disarmament

“Even some of America’s closest allies voted against U.S. interests. France, Germany, Italy, Japan and South Korea, for example, all sided with the U.S. on just 8 percent of the votes.”

Here’s the NewsMax feature called “The U.N.’s Great Follies”:

- The U.N. voted to remove its forces from Rwanda in the early days of tribal conflicts there. Result: More than 900,000 Tutsis were slaughtered in April 1994.
- The Iraqi people were defrauded of at least $1.8 billion in revenue from the oil-for-food program designed to alleviate civilian suffering resulting from sanctions against the Saddam Hussein regime. Alleged wrongdoers included the U.N. secretariat.
- Sudan won re-election to the U.S. Commission on Human Rights in 2004 despite potentially genocidal atrocities in the Darfur region.
- U.N. peacekeepers in the Congo allegedly used food and money to pay for sex with girls as young as 12.

Sheesh. Wanna know where all your tax dollars go? Do you think we are spending too much on the US Military? Do you think we fund big oil? Is it your opinion that we don’t spend enough on schools?

Actually, about $3 Billion is listed right there, a couple of paragraphs up, did ya realize that?

Much of the history behind this story can be found by talking to WWII bomber pilots about the British Ferry Command. For extra color, ask Chuck Yeager about why I say the sound barrier went quiet, in memory, on the 10th of August, 1980. From the story on AF.mil, let me just drop some amazing firsts:

• Flew and tested the first turbo-supercharger ever installed on an aircraft engine in 1934
• Set three major flying records in 1937 and won the prestigious Bendix Race in 1938
• First person to fly and test the forerunner to the Pratt & Whitney 1340 and 1535 engines
• Flew and tested the first wet wing ever installed on an aircraft
• Helped design the first oxygen mask, and then became the first person to fly above 20,000 feet wearing one
• First flight on the Republic P-43, recommended a longer tail wheel installation (later installed on all P-47s)
• Flew many experimental flights for Sperry Corporation, testing gyro instruments (oooh, first INS, say Yeah!)
• Set three speed records, won the Clifford Burke Harmon trophy three times, and set a world altitude record of 33,000 feet – all before 1940

Now, if I said the name, you might say, “Wow! I know who that is!” But, I figure a little more dust-N-cobwebs need to be shaken from the old belfries. So, I must go on. Before I do, I think that a reality check is in order. Were you thinking all this time that all this was achieved by a man? You’re wrong. Read on:

• In 1941 she captured an aviation first by being the first woman pilot to pilot a military bomber across the Atlantic Ocean
• She was soon recruiting women pilots to ferry planes for the British Ferry Command, and became the first female trans-Atlantic bomber pilot
• Another renowned female pilot, Nancy Harkness Love, suggested the establishment of a small ferrying squadron of trained female pilots which was approved
• General H.H. Arnold asked her to command, staff, and train women to fly, which ultimately became the Women’s Airforce Service Pilots
• In 1948 she became a member of the independent Air Force as a Lieutenant Colonel in the Reserve. She had various assignments which included working on sensitive projects important to defense
• She was awarded the Distinguished Service Medal for services to her country during World War II
• She was the first woman to break the sound barrier in an F-86 Sabre Jet in 1953
• She set a world speed record of 1,429 mph in 1964
• She retired from the Reserve in 1970 as a Colonel
• At the age of 70 she took up soaring
• In 1971, she was named Honorary Fellow, Society of Experimental Test Pilots and inducted into the Aviation Hall of Fame

This great woman is none other than Jacqueline Cochran!

[Graphic compliments of the U.S. Air Force]

In fact, to put a finer point on it, this paragraph says it all:

“She recruited more than 1,000 Women’s Airforce Service Pilots and supervised their training and service until they were disbanded in 1944. More than 25,000 applied for training, 1,830 were accepted and 1,074 made it through a very tough program to graduation. These women flew approximately 60 million miles for the Army Air Force with only 38 fatalities, or about 1 for every 16,000 hours flown. Cochran was awarded the Distinguished Service Medal for services to her country during World War II.”

She was also the Grandmother of the United States Air Force, in my opinion.

“Jacqueline “Jackie” Cochran was a leading aviatrix who promoted an independent Air Force and was the director of women’s flying training for the Women’s Airforce Service Pilots program during World War II. She held more speed, altitude and distance records than any other male or female pilot in aviation history at the time of her death.”

We all, those of you Air Force types out there reading, can thank Jacqueline Cochran for pushing to have an independent Air Force. She, and other very dedicated individuals, made a branch of the service from an already strong tree, the United States Army.

Does he honestly think he looks like General Honore? I mean, I know that most of what Mardi Gras is all about is partying and dressing up. But, dressing up as a General?

Dishonors the uniform.

Dishonors General Honore.

Will people ever learn that there are real people, real fighting men and women, that wear this uniform every day and do not see it as a “costume”. Ray Nagin may think that this is a tribute, or a compliment, or maybe even a mini-dig at how he was left “high and dry” (no pun intended) by the Federal Government, the US Military, and the President.

I think I would have picked a different outfit.

Thanks very much and H/T to The Officer’s Club and Sweetness & Light for the photo and story!

OK, well, maybe not, but since he caused Katrina, figured it just made sense!

There are warnings out right now in Solano County, California, for a tornado. In California, this is a VERY big deal! The warning is for Suisun City area (pronounced Sih-soon). Keep an eye out, and keep your heads down! I saw some awesome tornadoes in Omaha NE. I am sure ours will just be a spout as there is a bunch of water out there in the delta.

Oh, maybe The Governator will be out here to declare an emergency! I mean, this tornado, caused by the Bush Administration, will also damage the levees out here. Boy, that and the near 10 inches of rain being forecast - we’re gonna have public officials out the Yin-Yang around here.

Whoopee … note my obvious glee here … not.

Those words were written by “The Chief” over at The Truth. His posting, Children Do Not Lie has a quote, or assertion, one should take to heart these days:

“I ask each one of you reading this blog: Are you aiding or abetting the enemy? Are you corrupting our children? Are your words helping or hurting our Global War On Terrorism?”

I think that this is a very valid query. In the age of, no I think more appropriately The Starbucks Society nails it, too many folks are forgetting that there are consequences to every action. In fact, those consequences are deeper still during a war. Not many “kids” these days are aware of what this really means.

Sad, isn’t it?

Anyway, I think that the Chief has a great snippet there. In his own words he takes a quick moment to provide a look into what it is we Milboggers do that is so very different from the MSM. (remember, MSM = losers) In fact, his posting is based on a posting by Michael Yon, The Battle for Mosul IV.

The gist of the story the Chief was going after is how the media are willing accomplices (like Halifax and Mosely in Word War II). The MSM is trying so very hard to toss Bush out, or actually get an indictment and an impeachment to follow, because they are hurt. Yes, it is feelings that are more important than national security here. Make no mistake.

Halifax and Mosely were against Churchill - you decide, but I choose Churchill any time of day, hands down! So would Margaret Thatcher and Ronald Reagan, I reckon. (duh)

The assertion that keyed me to write: are your words helping or hurting. I joined, as we humans often do, the previous sentences with that to come away with, “Are your words helping or hurting your children?” Are your words, actions or deeds, corrupting your children?

My answer is, emphatically, “No.”

OK, as Kit or Heidi would say, “Hell No!”

Then, I read a post from a few days ago by Buck over at Exile in Portales. He’s worried about what his 9 year old is learning - like the war in Iraq is over oil. Hmmm … gives ya the willies, doesn’t it? I’m sure Buck will find a way to make it right.