Whether active duty,discharged,retired,or reserve...
is someone who, at one point in his/her life, wrote a blank...
check made payable to "The United States of America,"...
for an amount of "up to and including his/her life"...
That is honor, and there are way too many people in...
this country today, who no longer understand that fact...
Have a safe and Happy Memorial Day as you remember...
the REAL celebration of Memorial Day is to HONOR those...
who did not come Home...
God Bless our Military, our Veterans and ALL of those who
defend, protect and support the rest of us so we can be FREE
& SAFE here in the United States of America...
God Bless America...
'The Captain'
---------------------
Memorial Day 2007...
May We Never Forget The Reason...
Current Events - Matt Bruce, Nationally Syndicated Columnist & Talk Radio Host... May 31,2010...
For more news and researched opinion, go to the New Media Journal...
Matt Bruce...
May We Never Forget The Reason...
May 31, 2010...
SARASOTA, FL. (MattBruce/NS/NMJ) -
It is once again time for America to remember the reason why we celebrate Memorial Day.
Initially introduced to America as "Decoration Day," a day in which graves of all the Veterans were decorated by flowers and American flags.
From the current War On Terror, to World War's I & II, along with Vietnam, Korea, Grenada and even the Spanish American and Civil War's we honor the memory of all of those who have died serving America in our Armed Forces so that we might now all be free and safe.
To those of us who have survived serving in the Military during combat or peace, we take the time to stop and remember those brave young men and women who served right along beside us who are no longer with us.
We also all look forward to what their sacrifices have done in helping keep America the greatest Country on the face of the Earth.
A Country that people are willing to risk their lives crossing hundreds of miles of desert just to get in to.
Once again the true spirit of American comes shining through for the World to see. We all come together, united in our resolve to help keep America the home of the brave and land of the free.
That took sacrifices, sacrifices from young men and women willing to die for their Country so that those of living today could enjoy our freedoms.
When our Country needed us, there were young men and women who answered the call. To those who haven't served, I say you missed the chance of a lifetime to be a part of something great.
When our fellow citizens needed us the most, we were there. The caring, determination and sharing we had by serving our Country has been seen by Americans.
That is what America is all about, those who serve America when we are needed. America remembers, Veterans, remember, Families remember, the World remembers what none of us who have served America have even forgotten.
Let's remember why we celebrate Memorial Day because so many have forgotten the real reason.
We are not Democrats, Republicans, Conservatives or Liberals on Memorial Day. We are all Americans honoring those who did not return home to be able to celebrate with us.
So we celebrate and honor those who died protecting our great Country, the United States of America.
I will be remembering 3 of my fellow Soldiers who are still to this day POW-MIA from Vietnam, John, 'Digger' and Steve. You guys will never be forgotten by me.
I will also be remembering my Father who volunteered to speak French and wound up jumping with the 82nd Airborne during D-Day in WWII, as well as all of those lost during that battle that shaped the War and the World for years to come. Had we lost that battle we might have all been speaking German today except for the sacrifices made by our brave Military men and women.
To my son Michael and his Marines in Afghanistan and Iraq, please be careful and stay safe and I salute you by saying "SEMPER FI"
This Memorial Day I have the distinct honor of being the Master of Ceremonies for the second annual Memorial Day Ceremony at the Sarasota National Cemetery in Sarasota, FL. The Cemetery opened two years ago and is now a final resting place for Veterans along the Southwest section of Florida.
Please be careful, drive and play safe and here's hoping that have a great Memorial Day wherever you are.
Let's also not forget those who protect and serve us each and every day in our civilian sector. Our EMS, Firefighters and Police who do a very difficult job everyday.
They, just like our Military Men and Women scattered around the World, keep all of 'US' free and safe too.
When you go out this Memorial Day and your path crosses one of those who I've just mentioned, walk up to them and say "thank you."
Just watch their faces light up and look for the smile, because you've just made 'their' day.
For Now, That's Just 'our' Opinion, God Bless America and may we NEVER forget the reason for Memorial Day.
About Matt Bruce -
Matt Bruce is a 2-time combat wounded U.S. Army Vietnam Veteran and has a son currently serving in the U.S. Marine Corps. He also is a retired 25 year Fire-Rescue Captain, First Responder to the World Trade Center 9/11/2001 and recipient of the Fire Department's Highest Award For Heroism, 'The Medal of Valor'. Now he is the Managing Editor & Publisher of News Sarasota.com and host of the popular "The Captain's AMERICA" and "Troop Talk Radio - Voice Of The Troops" Radio Shows, heard nationally syndicated weekends on the Phoenix Broadcasting Network via satellite, on shortwave radio and broadcast around the World on the Internet...
Published On The New Media Journal Memorial Day May 31, 2010...
Matt Bruce is a Vietnam veteran, First Responder to the World Trade Center 9/11/2001, Managing Editor of News Sarasota.com and host of "The Captain's AMERICA" Show heard on the radio, satellite & around the world.
"Never again will the mothers of this country, tolerate or forgive the ill-treatment of sons and daughters returning home from war". Angela Lashley....Jon's Mom
Recently while sitting on a bench outside an airport in Washington D.C. I became engaged in conversation with a stranger.Sporting a "no war in Iran" pin on his tam, and clad in the fashions of the 60's, I would guess his age to have been about 55 years old...
I was waiting for a flight home to Nashville. On my shoulder I carried a tote bag boldly printed with the logo of Families United for Our Troops and Their Mission, www.familiesunitedmission.org ...
It was September. Merrillee Carlson, director of this organization, invited hundreds of Americans to come to Washington for good purpose...
Representative of the vast majority of American citizens, members and guests of Families United Mission had been seen on the Hill, at the White House, and all around D.C. for days. Proudly, I had been among these people...
Looking back now on that conversation at the airport, I am confident this "stranger" took issue with that red white and blue logo on my bag. That is at least one explanation for what turn a chat between this man and I into the public display I will probably never forget...
It was my 3rd trip to Washington in 6 months,and after days of dealing with disinterested congressional aids, mean spirited women in "PROTESTER PINK", and the YELLOW T-SHIRT gang, my Christian patience had been worn thin...
The "stranger" asked politely, "So what brought you to D.C.?"
It took him about 2 minutes to gather all the intelligence he needed, including the fact that I was the mother of a soldier somewhere in Iraq...
So,...about the war...did you know?! Did you know?! Do you know?!
Like Jeckle turned Hyde, he transformed into an arrogant self - appointed barker of what he called "THE TRUTH". His lack of consideration about who he was talking to, "a woman with a SON in a WAR ZONE", and his endless inaccuracies finally triggered my less than dignified response...
I jumped up stomping a foot, probably looking like a tantruming 2 year old. Then, admittedly, I nearly screamed it, "Stop saying that those who support the troops are in some minority, and please don't talk to me about TRUTH..everything you've said...is a lie!"
The reaction that followed proved to me that nearly everyone who had easily overheard our exchange, was in agreement with what I had just said. And when the soldiers' mom who'd also been sitting on that bench, rose to give me a supportive hug as she ran to catch a plane, my tears were all it took to set the stage for what happened next...
Policemen, porters, and a variety of travelers,..each shot him a look of disgust. I stood there thinking of my son in Iraq. The old porter who had my luggage, offered his arm and escorted me the few feet to the shuttle headed for my terminal....whispering as we walked, "God Bless your son Ma'am"...
The "stranger", still on the bench was working rather hard trying to deflect the eyeballs of people boring holes through his self esteem as my shuttle pulled away...
Very recently, my son Jonathan arrived home from his second deployment to Iraq. All who love him, are grateful to God for his safe return...
For a second year in a row, he has made it home from Iraq safely, and in time for Christmas...
During his absence, at the invitation of the GOE, and actor Gary Sinise, I have gone to Washington to sing 'SO BRAVE', the song my son and his best friend Brandon inspired...
The boys have both spent the better part of the last 2 years serving in Iraq. SO BRAVE, a mother's, song is about hope, and courage. Through it, I have come to know military families from all over the country...
There is concern about a renaissance of the Viet Nam style ill- treatment of soldiers returning home from war. Fortunately, the majority of Americans are dedicated to building the morale of this country's military,so I am encouraged that ultimately, all will be well...
So for those who are not beneath trying to "orchestrate" a repeat of that despicable and unjust atmosphere here at home, I have a message for you...
The women of this country who have raised the American soldiers serving in our time want you to know. "This is my child, he is a valiant...deserving of the respect of his countrymen. Never again will the mothers of this country, tolerate or forgive, the ill-treatment of sons and daughters returning home from war"...
Someday I may sit down with my son and share all that I have experienced while he has been 6,000 miles away. But I am not sure if I will ever tell him that for reasons I do not understand, his mom was called "mother of a baby-killer" by a protester in a yellow moveon.org t-shirt, outside a recruiting office in D.C...
Having witnessed the lifelong conduct of my son, I know this was the greatest of all lies I have heard from self-absorbed people while in Washington D.C...
It will be a long time before I forget the many strange encounters and hard lessons in humanity that have contributed to the emotional days I have lived during my season as a soldier's mother.
To you and yours, God Speed, Angela Lashley...Jonathan's Mom
ADDITIONAL INFO:
In 2004 after raising their 2 children in Wisconsin, songwriter Angela and her husband Jeff Wisniewski, moved to Nashville.Their son Jonathan's decision to leave school in 2005 to enlist in the Army inspired Angela, and Grammy nominee Byron House, to co-write the song SO BRAVE...
It is based on her memories of the displays of courage she witnessed throughout her son's youth...
While Jonathan has been to war, Angela's experiences during her 2 years as a soldier's mother, have inspired the writing of other songs in tribute to the military and their loved ones...
In September of this year, her release SOLDIERS' MOMS was launched by Ivy Music International on Music Row in Nashville...
Available on ITUNES, the album is a celebration of the American service member and those who raise them...
Angela describes the sisterhood of the mothers' of soldiers, as "The beautiful majority" in the UTUBE video, SOLDIERS' MOMS a song by A.Lashley....a video by Mike Connelly...
Please Let YOUR Voices Be Heard In This Terrible Injustice Against Army Ranger Lt. Mike Behenna...
To All Michael Behenna Supporters,
The Deputy Secretary of the Army, Catherine Mitrano, following the recommendation of the Army Clemency Board, determined that 1Lt Michael Behenna’s sentence should be reduced from 20 years to 15 years. Although we asked that Michael’s sentence be suspended pending his appeal, we are nonetheless grateful for this reduction in sentence. Yet it is still hard to believe that this wonderful young man who fought so bravely for his country could sit behind bars until he turns 40 years of age. I promise you that our fight for him will not end until Michael is free once more.
The next step in this long road to freedom is the appeals process. Michael’s lawyers filed a brief in late December and the military now has several months to respond to it. Once the military files their response then Michael’s appeal will be set before the Army Court of Criminal Appeals, most likely later this summer. We believe that Michael’s appeal is especially strong based upon the prosecutor’s withholding of critical evidence from the jury.
In the meantime it is your support and letters which buoy Michael’s spirits and keep him going through this nightmare. Your support and the calls for Michael’s release continue to grow louder and louder. Just a week ago Vicki was interviewed on the Michael Savage radio show and Michael’s case captured the committed followers of the Savage Nation. The response has been overwhelming and in a recent phone call Michael told us that his mail outnumbered all other mail coming into his prison pod. Encouragement from you sustains our son and for that we are forever in your debt. Thank you for lifting up Michael and all our family and providing us the hope we need to continue the fight for his release and exoneration.
Below are some links you may find interesting, including a letter sent this week from two United States Congressmen to the Secretary of Defense, Robert Gates.
A special message from former Congressman John Leboutillier...
FRIDAY, APRIL 13, 2007
TO: ALL AMERICAN PATRIOTS WHO CARE ABOUT THE LIVING POWS STILL ALIVE IN VIETNAM AND LAOS
FR: FORMER CONGRESSMAN JOHN LEBOUTILLIER
RE: AN ENORMOUS CRIME
Indeed, the abandonment of 600 of our living American Prisoners-of-War in 1973 was - and still is - an enormous crime. And that is the title of the single best book - ever written - about the criminal behavior of our government beginning 35 years ago and continuing right up to the present.
On Memorial Day, AN ENORMOUS CRIME; The Definitive Account of American POWs Abandoned in Southeast Asia, written by Former Congressman Bill Hendon and Beth Stewart, will be published by St. Martin's Press.
The first reviews - enclosed below - summarize this meticulously-researched book: >From Publishers Weekly: "Controversial former North Carolina Congressman Hendon and attorney Stewart make the case that the U.S. knowingly left hundreds of POWs in Vietnam and Laos in 1973, and that every presidential administration since then has covered it up."
And from Kirkus Reviews: "A sprawling indictment of eight U.S. administrations...a convincing, urgent argument."
I have been involved with this book since its inception; I have read every draft and am very familiar with the research done by Bill Hendon and Beth Stewart. The beauty of this book is that it is based totally on US Government documents. In fact, Hendon and Stewart spent years in the National Archives digging out previously-classified and never-before-published documents. So, when USG officials and former officials try to attack this book they are going to have a difficult time: the book isn't Hendon and Stewart's opinions; it is from the intelligence gathered through radio intercepts, satellite and aerial imagery, and thousands of reports from HUMINT sources (human intelligence) - and given to all our high-level officials from the Oval Office on down.
In other words, they all knew.
And they have all lied and covered-up the existence of our POWs to this day.
They all knew that the USG knowingly left 600 POWs behind - and this crime has been systematically covered up ever since by officials from both parties in every administration.
AN ENORMOUS CRIME is based on 66,000 pages of never-before-published USG intelligence reports.
A companion web site will allow readers - and critics - to see all these documents and judge for themselves. Every intelligence report and government memorandum mentioned or discussed in the book will appear in its entirety on the web site for every reader to read and study - and decide for him/herself who is telling the truth about live POWs: the intelligence sources or those who have debunked the intelligence and covered up the existence of live pows through eight presidential administrations.
This web site will also contain other information not contained in the book.
Here is what I am asking you to do:
1) Spread the word about this book to everyone you know who cares about our abandoned brothers;
3) Pray - as a community of POW activists - for the successful return of all our POWs.
4) Start to regain our sense of life-and-death desperation and our fighting spirit - the spirit we POW/MIA activists used to have when we took on our corrupt and arrogant government officials in the past - liars like McCain, Kerry, Kissinger, George "Sit Down and Shut Up!" Bush and those DIA Debunkers - and get ready to make one last push to get our POWs home - alive - now - beginning on Memorial Day when this book comes out.
This book is NOT about crash site excavations, bones, or a couple of teeth-used-to-identify-an-eight-man- flight-crew!
AN ENORMOUS CRIME is about one thing - and one thing only: living US POWs still held against their will by the North Vietnamese and Pathet Lao - and covered-up by a corrupt government in Washington, DC.
In fact, the Pentagon is still receiving new, up-to-date, credible reports of sightings of US POWs this year!(Of course, they're hiding those reports from the public.)
So we owe it to these brave American heroes to make one more concerted effort to get them home.
What can you do?
Some people will call for War Crimes Trials for former and current US Government officials who abandoned our men and covered up their fate;
Others will call for the impeachment and removal from the US Senate of John McCain and John Kerry;
Some will agree with Hendon/Stewart's suggestion to urge a Presidential-level delegation of all former Presidents and high-level officials to go to Hanoi and Vientiane and "stay there and negotiate until they get the POWs released."
Some will join the current effort to create a new US House Committee on POW/MIA Affairs.
Some will want to return to the in-the-streets activism of the 1980's and 1990's - staging demonstrations aimed at making the media and the government pay attention to the Live POW issue.
Others will get on their computers and spread the word through the blogosphere in an effort to - finally - get the truth about our living POWs out there with thousands of supporting documents to back us up.
Some might write supportive letters-to-the-editors to their newspapers and magazines and urge them to cover the live POW issue - truthfully and fairly.
Others will come up with other ideas and ways to get the Live POW issue back into our national consciousness.
Whatever you do, DO SOMETHING!
The POWs need our help - so it is up to us to do whatever we can do to help get this issue back on the front pages and back in the news.
Please help our brothers!
Sincerely,
Former Congressman John LeBoutillier
The Draft...
Matt Bruce...
Vietnam Veteran, Retired Fire Captain, Red Cross Disaster Volunteer, ARES & CERT Team Member...
Host Of "The Captain's AMERICA" Show...
Managing Editor Of News Sarasota.com...
Is It Time To Bring Back The 'Draft'???
Is It Time To Bring Back The Draft???
Written By: Matt Bruce
News Source: News Sarasota, Iraq Study Group, Congress
SARASOTA, FL. (NS) -
After the Iraq Study Group released its report last month, there's been a lot of speculation over whether bringing back the Draft would be something needed to be done...
In its report the Iraq Study Group said, "An extroadinary amount of sacrifice has been asked of our men and women in uniform, and of their families. The American Military has little reserve force to call on if it needs ground forces to respond to other crises around the World."
Immediately after that, Rep. Charlie Rangel (D-NY), spoke up and started to immediately publicly discuss the option of reinstating the Military Draft...
The Selective Service Act went into effect in 1917 when it required American civilian males between the ages of 21-30 to register for WWI...
The United States hasn't had a military draft since 1973, when Congress eliminated conscription as the Vietnam War was drawing to an end...
For most of its history, the United States has been without a draft. But the times we live in and the Global War on Terror may have forced that all to change...
Many military officers, lawmakers and analyists oppose bringing back the draft. However a larger number of our our elected officials and more ranking members of the military are starting to suggest bringing back the draft...
Today's military has been an all-volunteer force the past 34 years. The demands being brought forward by the Global War on Terror, is now present in at least 60 Countries around the World in one form or another...
The Army had 732,000 active-duty soldiers during the 1991 Persian Gulf War which happened 3 years after President Ronald Reagan was out of office...
During the Clinton years, the force was reduced and now numbers about 512,000 under President Bush...
The Bush administration recognizes there's a problem and has promised to add 92,000 service members to the Army and Marine Corps over the next 5 years...
But how do you do this without mentioning the fact there may be a need for the reactivation of the Military Draft???
This would mean Army and Marine recruiters would have to sign up additional people every year, while they're already struggling to meet recruiting quotas and some standards have had to be dropped to do so...
For example, raising the enlistment age to 42, allowing some lessor criminal charges previously not allowed for recruit eligibility and lowering some of the test scores recruits have to take...
I would like to suggest that IF the United States Government feels the need to reinstate the Military Draft, that we add women between the ages of 18-39 to the list...
Women have already been proven to be able and willing to serve in Combat situations and have performed extremely well under some extremely adverse conditions...
While the Feminist's will never agree with what I've just said, go ask a female soldier what she thinks about what they're doing for America...
I have and they are damn proud to be serving and are willing to do whatever it takes to defend, protect and serve America...
That being said, the men's requirements for instituting a new Draft would probably remain the same as the enlistment requirements. The only thing that might be changed would be the maximum age of 42, which would probably be dropped to 39 as well...
When you start seeing the likes of 'Jane Fonda' back on the anti-war stage, every Vietnam veteran remembers what she meant to our Enemy and how her efforts gave more resolve to the NVA and Viet Cong Forces fighting against us in Vietnam and across Southeast Asia...
It is time for honorable and patriotic men and women across America to stand up for our Military. The fact of the matter is, our young men and women serving in our Military today are keeping the Terrorist's from operating and doing what they're doing over there, right here in our Country...
For the people that don't understand that, I say what rock have you been living under???
The Radical Islamic Muslim Terrorist's are real and they want nothing more than to kill as many of us as they can. They know they can defeat us in the world of public opinion, if we allow them to...
We are not the people running around with suicide bombers, killing hundreds and thousands of people each and every month...
We are also not the people running around beheading those who stand up and fight against them in the name of their Religion...
And finally, what part of the word TERRORIST don't you understand???
These people do not want to talk. They do not want to negotiate. They merely want to kill as many of us as they can and destroy our way of life...
Democracy is not a part of their beliefs or upbringing. We are the 'Great Satan' because we allow women the right to vote. That also applies to women having the ability to express their opinion. You don't have to look very far to understand that either...
Just go to Afghanistan where the Taliban ruled and you'll run across women who have had their tongues cut out for rendering any opinion against the Muslim fanatics that used to run that Country...
These are the facts that are there to be found if you just bother to look. So the fact still remains, do you want to fight them over
there...or over here???
To do what we need to do to destroy the Radical Islamic Terrorist's around the World before they have the chance to destroy us, we 'may' have to bring back the Military Draft...
Think about that when you read the headlines from across the Globe...
Draft proponents say that those whom the Military doesn't need could be used instead to work in Homeland Security guarding our Airports, Seaports and Borders or could even work in understaffed Hospitals or Schools. All of this could be done just by reinstating the Draft...
So, consider the evidence and the facts of what I've written and then stand up for America and our brave Military men and women...
You can either be part of the solution or remain part of the problem. The choice is up to you...
