Showing posts with label Honor. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Honor. Show all posts

Wednesday, May 15, 2013

You Cannot Love and Honor What You Don’t Know or Miss

By Marion AlgierAsk Marion

The American system is broken and the Great American Experiment is almost lost.  But what is even more frightening is that (for far too many) the American people’s connection to their culture, traditions, religion and history are broken while in large part the American people have lost their common sense, ability for critical thinking which is needed to connect the dots and their willingness to work and fight like past generations did and would have to get them back for themselves and for their children before they are gone forever.

Whatever you want to call them, the liberal left, Progressives, Socialists, Communists, Marxists, global elites, etc., which include most of our politicians, media corps, Hollywood types and those who control our educational system, they have been on a mission for decades, while average and generally more traditional Americans, the Sheeple as they have been dubbed by Russia’s Pravda, ‘just lived’ allowing  themselves to be  manipulated, dumbed down and programmed.  The Progressives used political correctness; multiculturalism; White Guilt; division; attacks on societal and cultural norms; racism, diversion; the creation of a permanent underclass that they can theoretically control and manipulate out of dependence; and the infiltration of public schools, churches and both traditional and social media, especially to reach the young, to bring us to this moment in time in American history, when there are more low and under-informed citizens and voters than those engaged and involved.

Tom Brokaw’s ‘Greatest Generation’ was the lynch pin that was purposely broken between tradition and what America was and the rebellious baby-boomers and what America ‘could be molded into’ using the left’s plan.  The Greatest Generation fought in one or both World Wars or Korea and were “Great Depression” babies or children of survivors of the “Great Depression and the Great War(s) and in their attempt to spare them the hardships they grew up with, they produced the most rebellious, self-centered, self-indulgent and spoiled generation of all time.

Those in power today from the Clintons to the Obamas and the members of their administrations are and were products of the ‘could be’ generations that followed the so-called The Greatest Generation

Remember Hillary Clinton’s famous debate comment in 2007: “I prefer to think of myself as a Progressive!” (Video), after being asked if she was a liberal) by Barack Obama. Progressives… the Clintons are and were having been part of the George Soros, Saul Alinsky and Cloward and Piven team; The Shadow Party.

Whereas the Obama’s are part of the generation inspired and spawned by Soros, Alinsky, Cloward, Piven , the Clintons and their ideas.  Both President Obama’s mother and grandparents were Communists, who attended the Little Red Church in Washington as well as his mentor Frank Marshall Davis. They  were part of the ‘anti-traditional America’ movement.

The members of the Greatest Generation generally grew up poor and gave their all (their youth, their health and their lives) for America and freedom, or definitely knew many who did,  and deserve our gratitude and respect for all they gave and their sacrifices.  But, where I differ with Tom Brokaw, who like Katie Couric and many other anchors and reporters is a member of the elitist CFR, the Greatest Generation didn’t follow through on their sacrifices and commitment to America after the war years. Instead, wanting to spare their kids the strife and hardships they went through, the Greatest Generation raised spoiled self-indulgent children, the baby-boomers, who in turn raised spoiled self-indulgent children, the Millennials, with even less structure than they had and generally without moms at home after school and who, like our president, often grew up without stable fathers in the picture. They were rife for manipulation, indoctrination and experimentation!

American born and immigrant children learned American history and a pride in this amazing country. History was as important as reading, writing and arithmetic. Most people went to church so they had roots and were grounded and a support group from both home and church. And traditions, beliefs and culture were passed down from generation to generation by parents, grandparents, and communities.

America used to be a melting pot.  Immigrants came legally, in an orderly fashion in numbers that America could assimilate..  They brought with them their backgrounds, their traditions, their religion and their talents that would eventually help flavor the pot, but initially they came here hungry, grateful and with sponsors knowing it would be tough and that there would be no handouts. So they were ready to work, ready to blend in, ready to learn English and ready to become Americans… not expecting America to change for them.  They retained their personal cultures and honored them at home or in their communities.  They blended their traditions with American traditions but strived first and foremost to blend in. Immigrant children quickly learned to speak English, 2 sometimes 3 languages, and knew both their own history and American history as well often better than anyone born here.

When you know where you came from, your history, which includes a pride and knowledge in America’s history and traditions as well as your own family history, traditions, and values as well as your cultural background and your religious background you develop a natural love, respect and honor for all those things, even during the rebellious years, and most people find their back to that core.  Those who have worked for generations to lay the groundwork to fundamentally change America understood that and have slowly, quietly and methodically chipped away at that core.

A little diversity, room for growth and positive change are good things, but what we have in common, not division or diversity, is the glue that makes any society, culture and country strong.

Several generations of Americans have now been dumbed down, have lost their religion, have abandoned their traditions, have decided to live by their own rules and have even abandoned the integrity of the family unit.  And the grandparents and great-grandparents who should have cemented the generations decided to play golf, go on cruises and indulge themselves instead of passing along the traditions, the stories and the history.  They left their grandchildren at the mercy of the Progressives, as they did their children, telling themselves that they had done enough, that they wanted their children to have it easier than they did (less rules, structure and sacrifice) and opting for being the nice and fun grandparents instead of the involved examples who passed the torch.

We have allowed ourselves to be dumbed down and our time to be filled with distractions and in turn have allowed our children to be dumbed down, manipulated and indoctrinated by electronic baby-sitters, an educational system with an agenda  and their peers that have the same of even less guidance.  Fewer and fewer families eat dinner together or they eat dinner in front of the television or allow cell phones at the table.  Less and less people are attending church; after all it is easier to sleep in or more fun to go to a ball game.  And more and more people’s holidays revolve around sales at the mall and how many gifts they receive instead of traditions and celebrating and discussing the real meaning behind them.  And when was the last time you discussed politics, religion, current events or history with your kids, grandkids, friends or co-workers? How about family history?  Our children are being programmed by people like Bill Ayers, mindless or worse television shows and video games full of sex and violence.  And most Americans no longer read the newspaper or watch the news and if they do, the majority mindlessly read and watch the mainstream media outlets without question or research, that have become propaganda arms for our ever left-leaning government.  And then we vote without knowing the issues, anything about the candidates or for a repeat and wonder why our lives keep getting worse.

Obama is presently fighting off a long list of scandals – Benghazi-gate, IRS-gate, Press-gate and now Sebelius-gate and EPA-gate plus he should be answering for  those scandals like Fast and Furious that his team buried.  And the leading Democrat Progressive choice for 2016, Hillary Clinton, is equally involved in many of those and others, yet the average American, is either completely unaware that they even exist, or if they have heard of them, really don’t understand what the scandals are about because of the bias liberal media spin and blackouts (Many people have not even heard about the murder trial of Dr. Kermit Gosnell).   If this were almost any other president in American history, he would already be writing his resignation letter.  Yet now we hear that the administration has become so paranoid and controlling that they are even spying on the friendly media.

Reader’s Digest took a ‘Trust’ Poll: The 100 Most Trusted People in America. They survived 1,009 people between January 24th and January 29th. "Who is the most trusted man in America?" Want to take a stab at it? Wanna take a wild guess? I'll give you a little hint. Clarence Thomas is number 88… Tom Hanks is number 1.  What happened to the days where astronauts, reporters like Walter Cronkite, Mother Teresa or presidents like Ronald Reagan or John F. Kennedy headed up the list? We can kid ourselves all we want, but you only have to watch a segment of Jay-Walking with Jay Leno or Watter’s World with Jesse Watters or callers to talk radio shows like Howard Stern to realize how lost we really are.

“Sandra Bullock, the 2nd most trusted person in America?  I wouldn’t even trust her to tell me she was in a good movie.” –Glenn Beck

ReadersDigestPoll-RushLowInfoVoter

The Reader's Digest Poll of the 100 Most Trusted People in Low-Information America

There is only one way to save America and to prove the goal of the Great American Experiment, that people can rule themselves.  But it won’t be easy and will take returning to a world with rules; enforcement of the law; respect for parents, grand-parents and authority… including a higher authority; a house-cleaning of the broken system and a concerted effort to replace facebook, twitter, texting, sexting, 24-hour electronic stimulation and even our obsession with the 24-hour sports cycle with family time, reading, going back and learning the real America history as well as our family and cultural histories, delving into current events and the news and sharing the truth with everyone you know.  And then it will take our involvement in our schools,  in elections at all levels, boycotting TV and other media that lie to us and harm our children, values and culture and demanding honest media and honest politicians. How about running a kid’s patriot camp in your area or taking a summer trip to a presidential library, Gettysburg, Williamsburg or Washington, D.C. for a start? And leave the electronics at home.

You cannot love or honor what you don’t know or miss, let alone be expected to fight for it.  We have done our children and the future generations of Americans, if America survives at all, a great dis-service by allowing them to sail through life like ships without rudders. We are teetering on the edge as a nation, a society and a culture and the only way for us to keep from going over the edge is for those, mostly 50 and over, who were raised before common sense and critical thinking died and were educated in pre-rewritten America history, religion and with family and cultural traditions, to step-up and fill-in the gaps for those who are younger and those who are lost and floundering and become the leaders for change… a change back to what worked and mattered, no matter how tough or how unpopular… and to do it quickly.

"If a nation expects to be ignorant and free, in a state of civilization, it expects what never was and never will be.  . . . whenever the people are well-informed, they can be trusted with their own government; that, whenever things get so far wrong as to attract their notice, they may be relied on to set them right." –these are the cornerstones of Jefferson's interest in education and the franchise. He placed education as the foundation of democracy and a prerequisite to vote.

Related:

Obama Tells Wealthy Gathering He Wants To “Institutionalize” Crisis Atmosphere

Jefferson, Education and the Franchise

Game Change: Obama and the Clintons, McCain and Palin, and the Race of a Lifetime

Marco Rubio, His Chief of Staff Cesar Conda, Amnesty, George Soros and the Grander Plan

Sunday, May 27, 2012

Best Memorial Day Entertainment

National Memorial Day Concert 2011 in Washington, DC

As we are enjoying the long weekend; we always spend a good amount of time focusing on the meaning of Memorial Day. We especially made sure we did that when our kids were young, including a stop at our church that celebrated America and those who protect(ed) her.

It is so easy to get wrapped up in activities and events that are not related the meaning of Memorial Day in any way or just quickly in passing. It is the weekend for Americans to take their first mini-vacation of the summer season; or participate in a string of activities from picnics and bar-b-ques to block parties, from trips to the local amusement parks now on their summer schedules to postponed projects around the house or involving or taking out the ‘summer toys’ including boats, sea-doos, motor bikes and ATV’s… And before they know it the weekend is gone and nobody even mentioned the reason for Memorial Day. (And don’t get me wrong… we always watch the Indianapolis 500… Congrats to Dario Franchitti!)

I am a first generation American immigrant from a family full of more recent immigrants and one of my fondest childhood memories is of family events where I would sit and soak in the conversation and stories. My mother was German and served in the (German) Red Cross during WWII where she met my father, an Austrian soldier in a medical unit. They married in an American prisoner of war camp after the war (where the Americans made my mother a wedding gown out of gauze from the medical unit supplies). My grandparents went through WWI in Germany. My uncle and his brother served in the Korean War and their father served in the U.S. army in WWI. It was fascinating because we heard personal stories and accounts from several perspectives and since that time we have added relatives and friends who have served in Viet Nam, Somalia, the first and second Iraq conflicts and now in Afghanistan.

There is no greater country on earth than America and there is nobody that deserves more credit for the great lives we live and the freedoms we all enjoy than our Founding Fathers and our troops who have fought for us, sacrificed and given their lives to keep us safe and free for over 235 years, since before we were a nation. Unfortunately we are no longer teaching history in our schools and if you do learn some, it has generally been re-written. As citizens, parents, grandparents and patriots, it is our job to inform ourselves and to reverse this cycle by returning to teaching and learning history from “original sources” and passing it on.

If you can get there, a trip to Washington D.C. and Arlington Cemetery is the ideal Memorial Day trip or summer vacation destination. Some other great Memorial Day Weekend activities are visiting a Presidential Library or civil war battle field, watching the yearly special honoring our troops from DC, visiting a veteran’s grave locally or the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, reading a book about one of the wars we have fought in or about the founding of our nation and sharing about it over dinner or at an event. And watching a movie or movies (hopefully with some accuracy) about one of the wars and then perhaps following up on the history behind it is another. We all know that even the best films throw in a little “Hollywood” slant and sizzle (unfortunately sometimes too much), but the right movies can be a great place to spark our children’s interest in history and a jump off point for us to learn more!

Some years, like this Memorial Day Weekend, when gas prices are high and the The Bridge on the River Kwaieconomy is slow a great weekend is just staying local and participating in or attending the city parade or event, visiting a nearby cemetery, catching the yearly PBS Memorial Day Special from DC and spending your time at home with family, friends (or even alone) eating some comfort food, reading a worthwhile book related to the holiday or our history and/or creating your own film festival of war movies. Below are a few to start with. There are many more that you can add to the selection. One of my favorite movies for both Memorial Day and the 4th of July is Yankee Doodle Dandy about George M. Cohan, starring James Cagney. It is a musical that some might say is a bit corny, but it highlights the patriotic music of our country and somewhat balances out the serious and somber war movies. The songs therein were songs every American child learned in school and every American could sing until recent years.

A few movie suggestions (always good and great at Memorial Day, the 4th of July and Veterans Day):

Saving Private Ryan (Blu-Ray)(WWII): Is at the top of almost everyone’s ‘best’ war movie or movie from that era list.

The Hunt for Red October (Blu-Ray) (cold war): This cold-war submarine flick is a must for author Clancy fans, starring Alec Baldwin and Sean Connery.

Tunes of Glory (post-WWII): A well-regarded 1960 film starring Alec Guinness and John Mills in post-war Scotland.

Das Boot (Blu-Ray) (WWII): A claustrophobic thriller set aboard a German submarine.

Hope and Glory (WWII): Funny and touching, it tells the story of the British home-front in World War II.

Danger UXB (WWII) (hard to find): A TV series from my mom’s post-Brideshead Revisited phase. It also takes place on the British home-front with a squad in charge of defusing unexploded German bombs (“UXBs”).

The Bridge on the River Kwai (WWII, pictured above): An all-time classic, again starring Alec Guiness and William Holden. A great collection for WWII buffs is the WWII 60th Anniversary Collection (The Guns of Navarone/From Here to Eternity/The Bridge on the River Kwai) (Includes Collectible Scrapbook)

Mrs. Miniver (WWII): More from the British home-front, starring Greer Garson.

The War – PBS 7-Part Special Film By Ken Burns and Lynn Novick (WWII): A "Peoples History" of WWII with all original footage and photos.

Lawrence of Arabia (WWI): Another classic, and one of my favorite “see it on the big screen” type of movie.

Letters from Iwo Jima (Blu-Ray) (WWII): Clint Eastwood’s deeply thoughtful look at the Japanese perspective of World War II. And the companion piece, Flags of Our Fathers (Blu-Ray).

M*A*S*H (Korean War): Robert Altman’s black comedy that spurred the long-running TV series, which is also available on DVD now.

Gallipoli (WWI): Not exactly uplifting, but a powerful drama.

Joyeux Noel (WWI): Another one from the Great War. It’s based on a true event in which opposing armies take a respite for the holiday. (Special Collection) I remember my dad telling stories like this from WWII.

Platoon (Viet Nam War): Best Picture of the Year Oscar Winner (1986) that was part of Oliver Stone’s trilogy of Vietnam War films, also including Born on the Fourth of July (1989) — winner of two Academy Awards and Heaven & Earth (1993)

The Patriot (Blu-Ray) (Revolutionary War): An emotional, vivid, and palpable story about a South Carolina Family during the Revolutionary War with an excellent cast including Mel Gibson and Heath Ledger.

Black Hawk Down (Somalia Conflict): Depicting the Battle of Mogadishu, a raid integral to the United States’ effort to capture Somali warlord Mohamed Farrah Aidid.

North & South (Civil War mini-series): An epic series with Patrick Swayze and Kirstie Alley.

The Hurt Locker (Iraq-Afghanistan Conflicts) The little film that beat out the mega monen blockbuster; won the 2010 Best Picture of the Year Oscar.

American Soldier: The Complete History of U.S. Wars : As Seen On PBS : Complete 4 Disc Box Set -With Bonus : A Historical Overview Of American Weapons

Others worth a mention including some of my own favorites: Patton, The Clock, The Great Escape, Stalag 17, Casablanca, The Guns of Navarone, The Deer Hunter, Glory, Breaker Morant (hard to find DVD (VHS), We Were Soldiers, Midway, Dr. Strangelove, Or…, Buffalo Soldiers, Tora! Tora! Tora!, The Forgotten Grave, The True Story of the Fighting Sullivans…, All Quiet on the Western Front, Band of Brothers, John Adams, Gone with the Wind… my favorite movie of all times.

Some great books to start or re-start your journey through America’s history with are: The Real George Washington; The Original Argument, A Patriot’s History of the United States…, Original Intent, Giants, The 5000 Year Leap, Glenn Beck's Common Sense, The Greatest Generation (on Kindle), War Letters, Being George Washington and Killing Lincoln.

the hurt locker LA 3 6 101 Oscar Winner 2010: Best Picture: The Hurt Locker

There are many many more great films about American involved wars and the troops who fought them. Sorry if I missed one of your favorites! Unfortunately… “Freedom Is Not Free!!”, so we owe those who fought for us the respect of remembering and remembering the truth.

God Bless America, our troops, our veterans and those who have made the ultimate sacrifice and their families!

Originally posted by Ask Marion on 06.05.11 - Updated 05.27.12 9:38p.m. CT

Saturday, May 26, 2012

Reminder of Upcoming Observance Cartoons

Reminders of the upcoming observances… 

clip_image001
clip_image002
clip_image003
clip_image004
clip_image005
clip_image006
clip_image007
clip_image008
clip_image009

clip_image010
clip_image011
clip_image012
clip_image013
clip_image014 
clip_image015
clip_image016 
clip_image017
clip_image018
clip_image019
clip_image020
clip_image021
clip_image022
clip_image023
clip_image024 

Patriotism: Supporting your Country ALL THE TIME; and, your government when it deserves it - MARK TWAIN 

IF YOU DON'T STAND BEHIND OUR TROOPS, PLEASE, FEEL FREE TO STAND IN FRONT OF THEM !!! 

"Freedom is not free . . . but the U.S. Military will pay most of your share." 

Pacifism is a luxury paid for by warriors!! 

God Bless America and all those who have served and have scarified!!!

Wednesday, September 14, 2011

Raising the Colors – 10 Years Later

By: Garry L. Hamilton

A former Marine, and a man I’m proud to call friend, recently had a flag raising ceremony at his home in Pennsylvania. The flag raising was attended by Ken’s friends and neighbors (one of whom — a Vietnam veteran himself — helped with the heavy lifting), and an active duty Marine Sergeant Major. They raised three flags: Old Glory, the Marines Standard and the flag of a Pennsylvania Rifles regiment, to the accompaniment of the music appropriate for each, and a musket volley salute. Two days after the flag raising ceremony, the Stars and Stripes flew at half mast, in honor of those who died in an act of war on American soil ten long years ago.

In and of itself, raising a flag generally merits little notice, however a twenty-five foot flagpole installation at the domicile of one of American’s finest — one who has stood on the wall that most only hear of in metaphor — is considerably more than a token hat tip to patriotism. It is our nation’s guidon, front and center before the world. It is unabashed and unashamed pride in what makes our nation exceptional and the greatness of those who have fought and bled to keep it free.

More than this, the flag in question rises on the tenth anniversary of, among other things, a modern day of infamy. And it says to all who see it, “We are still here and we still stand tall.”

I asked Ken if he would be so kind as to pen something to express his own impressions and he obliged.

Here it is then, in his own words.

————————————————————————-

By: Ken O’Donnell

On September 9th, I hosted a party for a Flag Raising Ceremony at my house. Garry asked me to touch on a few thoughts about why I decided to have a party to dedicate a flagpole, remember the Marine Corps and to celebrate the 10 year anniversary of 9/11. It seems an odd thing to celebrate, a tragedy, doesn’t it?

One word sums it up. Heritage.

As a young Marine, I learned all manner of names, dates and important events that the Marine Corps feels both defines it, and that young Marine recruits need to know before they can graduate and earn the title of United States Marine. We gained this knowledge in formal classes. We learned it from our Drill Instructors. We had to pass a written test demonstrating we knew who Archibald Henderson was; when and where the Marine Corps was founded.

To most Americans, such things might be little more than trivia. A college student might memorize the material, pass the exam and promptly discard it from memory as he prepares to repeat the exercise next semester. But to Marines, this is our legacy. It is our heritage. We draw upon the deeds of those who came before us for strength and inspiration.

Take for example the Marines and Navy Corpsman who raised the American Flag on Mount Suribachi. I would wager that there exists no other picture in American history that an American wouldn’t recognize, know what that picture was of and what it meant to the war effort in WWII. For decades afterward, the men in that picture were regarded as heroes and Marines to this day draw inspiration from them.

However, if we dig down past the hero label and into the lives of these men, we find that they were ordinary men who performed extraordinary things. And for me, their true life stories are a source of great strength. Of the six men depicted in Joe Rosenthal’s picture, three (Franklin Sousley, Harlon Block and Michael Strank) did not survive the battle; the three survivors (John Bradley, Rene Gagnon and Ira Hayes) became celebrities upon the publication of the photo.

Sergeant Michael Strank, born in Czechoslovakia, immigrated as a child with his family to Cambria County, near Johnstown, PA. He joined the Marine Corps after serving in the Civilian Conservation Corps, a public relief program for unmarried, unemployed men whose families had been hit hard by the Great Depression. It was hard, physical labor that prepared him well for life as a young Marine.

He was the oldest and most experienced of the six men in the picture. He was a veteran of the WWII era Marine Raider Battalion’s amphibious landings in the Solomon Islands, Guadalcanal and the hard fighting that took place in the Battle for Bougainville. Six days after raising the flag on Mount Suribachi, his squad came under heavy fire and took cover. While forming a plan of attack, he was struck and killed by friendly naval gunfire. Corporal Harlon Block, who looked up to Strank, as all of the squad did, took over command.

Corporal Harlon Block idolized Strank and followed his every instruction without question. L.B. Holly, who served in his squad and who was with him when he died, said of Strank, “He was the best Marine I ever knew.” Corporal Harlon Block, of Texas, was killed in a mortar blast only a few hours after his squad leader, Sgt Strank.

A third member of Sgt Strank’s squad, PFC Franklin Sousley from Kentucky was killed on Iwo Jima 26 days after helping to raise the flag. As the terribly bloody battle for control of the island raged on, he was shot by a Japanese sniper in the back.

Rene Gagnon, of New Hampshire, was not a member of Sgt. Strank’s squad. He was assigned to the Battalion Headquarters as a runner. In fact, Ira Hayes despised Gagnon. Communications up the hill that day were faulty and Gagnon got orders to carry walkie talkies and batteries to the forward position. As he was leaving, the Battalion Commander gave him a larger flag to take along with him up the hill and with orders that, “Colonel Johnson wants this big flag run up high, so every son of a bitch on this whole cruddy island can see it.”

For years after the war, Gagnon tried to capitalize on the fame he had from the War Bond tours. During the cross-country tours, businessmen, politicians and government officials – all caught up in the drive of winning the war and the euphoria of meeting a “genuine war hero” – promised him lucrative work and notoriety. Those jobs never materialized. He unsuccessfully tried to break into movies and television. “I’m pretty well known in Manchester,” he told a reporter. “When someone who doesn’t know me is introduced to me, they say, ‘That was you in The Photograph?’ What the hell are you doing working here? If I were you, I’d have a good job and lots of money.”

Gagnon died at age 54 of a heart attack. He was an alcoholic and worked at menial jobs, but was fired from most of them. In his last job, he had worked as a janitor at an apartment complex in Manchester. As recorded in the book Flags of Our Fathers (DVD), in his latter years Gagnon only participated in events that praised the flag raising at his wife’s urging. He said she enjoyed the limelight, whereas he, by that time, no longer did.

While Rene Gagnon sought after fame, Ira Hayes, Pima Indian from Arizona, ran from it. He made Gagnon swear an oath not to reveal he was one of the men in The Photograph. Gagnon kept to that oath until he was ordered, then threatened under punishment, to reveal Hayes’ identity. Hayes was immediately recalled from the Pacific to tour with Doc Bradley and Rene Gagnon.

When men called Ira Hayes a hero, he said the only heroes he knew were the men he served with. After the war, Hayes accumulated a record of 52 arrests for public drunkenness. Referring to his alcoholism, he once said, “I was sick. I guess I was about to crack up thinking about all my good buddies. They were better men than me and they’re not coming back.” On the morning of January 24, 1955, Hayes was found dead, lying in his own blood and vomit, near an abandoned adobe hut in Sacaton, Arizona. He had been drinking and playing cards at a bar on the reservation with his friends and brothers the night before. He died at age 32.

Doc John Bradley was the only of the three survivors who managed to lead a healthy, long life. He did his best to put the war behind him, but his wife said he’d cry in his sleep for years after the war. He never spoke of it to his eight children. They never knew he was one of the six in The Famous Photograph. And they never learned he had won the Navy Cross until after his death, when a family friend told them what their Dad had really done in the war.

The stories from Antiquity give us legendary heroes. The Greek and Roman tales speak of gifted men and children descended from gods. The English and European myths and fables give us stories of Beowulf and King Arthur. Heroes serve as conveniences for telling stories to our children at bed time. They teach lessons and epitomize the good qualities, rarely having any of the bad, found within human nature. Such men are so extra-ordinary that we cannot draw upon their stories for strength when we need it. They’re not real.

I like to believe that the reason the Marine Corps wants its young Marines to know about those before them, including their flaws, is so they can draw upon their stories for strength. Admiral Nimitz said of the men on Iwo Jima, “Uncommon Valor was a Common Virtue.” Ordinary men did extraordinary things. I won’t call men like them heroes; they wouldn’t – and didn’t – want that label.

I’ll call them inspirations.

What ordinary men and women did the morning of September 11th, 2001, also gives us inspiration. Those people did what Americans do. All across the Northeast: high in the skies of the World Trade Center; on the ground at the Pentagon; in the air over Pennsylvania – ordinary people did extraordinary things. The first blows were struck back at the terrorists when the passengers of United Flight 93 fought back. The nation was unified and in the days after, we showed the world what sort of character Americans had. We mourned; some mourned while they worked. And we vowed not to tremble. Just as Japan awoke a nation and discovered what a determined America could accomplish, so have the Islamic terror groups.

Ordinary people performing extraordinary deeds – this is our heritage and those who did them serve as our inspiration.

————————————————————————-

The video of the ceremony is in three parts, and can be found on YouTube:

· Part 1, in which Ken makes some extemporaneous remarks,

· Part 2, in which the three flags are affixed to the yard, and

· Part 3, in which the flags are raised and saluted.

And, yes, the ceremony was held after dark. Sometimes, when you assemble a cadre of working stiffs and active duty troops, evening is all you’ll have. However, 9/11 was a fine day. Perhaps just a little more somber than it was ten years ago.

clip_image002

Thank you, Ken.

‘Tis a fine thing you’ve done.

Source: The NoisyRoom

Monday, August 22, 2011

Glenn Beck’s Speech and Events From Restore Courage Event In Israel

‘COURAGE TO REMEMBER’: BECK HOSTS JERUSALEM PROGRAM FOCUSING ON THE HOLOCAUST

Photo by Lange Studio

The second night of the “Restoring Courage” events in Israel took place the Old Train Station in Jerusalem.

“An amazing land, an amazing people,“ Glenn Beck said as he began the program he entitled ”Courage to Remember.”  The program focused on the Holocaust and the lessons that need to be newly learned today.

Photo by Lange Studio

Rabbi Moshe Rothchild opened with a prayer tying the evening‘s location to the evening’s theme:

Video:  Courage to Remember Prayer

“Tonight as we gather beside these old train tracks in Jerusalem, we remember another set of tracks.

The tracks that led our brothers and sisters to the infamous places of Auschwitz, Birkenau, Buchenwald, Majdanek, Treblinka and Sobibor…and all the places of death and darkness.

We pray that our gathering her tonight should bring forth healing and light.”

This clip includes the initial remarks by Beck and Rabbi Rothchild:

Beck then introduced actor Jon Voight, who’s talk veered from comical accounts of his attempts at dancing to Jewish tunes, to deeply serious stories of his work in Israel with victims wounded by suicide bombers.  “What I witnessed would tear my heart out,” he said.  “I feel completely outraged for anyone who would make any excuse for this kind of barbarism.  And I feel complete contempt for anyone who is not intelligent enough to see that this propaganda in the media, painting the Palestinians as poor victims, is capable of destroying the Jewish nation in Israel.”

Photo by Lange Studio

The main part of the program featured a screening of a very personal documentary, “Kleiner Rudy,” which tells the family story of filmmaker Michelle Stein Teer.  She chronicles her grandfather’s return, at age 85, to the German town of Norden where he lost his own father and thirty members of his family the Holocaust.

Photo by Liz Stephans


Photo by Lange Studio

Beck gave an impassioned introduction to the documentary:

After the screening Beck led a panel discussion including Michelle Stein Teer, Rabbi David Greenblatt of United With Israel, David Brog of Christians United for Israel, and auther Mike Evans who‘s emotional life story was a highlight of the first evening’s program in Caesarea.

Photo by Liz Stephans

Here’s a section of the panel discussion:

The evening concluded with poignant musical moments and a tribute by the Blaze

Video:  GBTV: Glenn Beck Speaks at First 'Restoring Courage' Event in Caesarea

Video:  Glenn Beck at Israel Event

Video:  Pastor John Hagee, Caesarea Glenn Beck Restoring Courage

Beck Launches Week of Restoring Courage Courage’ Events From Israel

Watch Video Highlights From Night One of ‘Restoring Courage’ (Including Beck’s Full Speech)

Read more at The Blaze…

Thursday, July 14, 2011

Glenn Beck Crash Course Review (2011)

In case you haven’t caught the Glenn Beck Show daily on Fox over the past 2.5 years or on radio here is a little review as Glenn moves to on, to a new adventure.  Glenn’s last show for Fox aired on 06.30.11, immediately followed by an interview and question & answer hour with Glenn on his new network GBTV… the Network of Tomorrow, Just a Day Early (their motto).

Immediately below, while Beck was on vacation in 2010; ending with an event in Anchorage on 9/11 with Sarah Palin, The Glenn Beck Show, hosted by Judge Andrew Napolitano and guest Dr. Alveda King (on Friday) put together a review of the highlight information from the show through the Summer of 2010. The 5 five shows as well as the 8/28 event can be seen below, if you missed any part of them.  Enjoy~

Glenn... Military Attorneys... Mormon Tabernacle Choir in SLCGlenn with Military and the Mormon Tabernacle  Choir

Glenn and his 2 youngest children

Beck with his two youngest two children, Raphe and Cheyenne… a few years back now   -  Beck also has two older daughters, Mary and Hannah from a previous marriage

(There are a few videos missing from the posts below but overall well worth checking out for the review!!  The 2 missing videos from part 2 below have pretty much been expunged from the Internet… Will replace them if I find them, and have done that 3-times already. )

GB Crash Course Review:  Progressive and Economic History with Judge Napolitano (Part 1 of 5)

GB:  Crash Course Review – The Radicals Who Influence the President (Past and Present) with Judge Napolitano (Part 2 of 5)

GB:  Crash Course Review – Re-Writing History with Judge Andrew Napolitano  (Part 3 of 5)

GB: Crash Course Review: Controlling the Message with Judge Andrew Napolitano (Part 4 of 5)

GB: Crash Course Review – Civil Rights and the Rights of Man With Dr. Alveda King and Judge Andrew Napolitano (part 5 0f 5), including Dr. Martin Luther King’s ‘I Have a Dream’ Speech

61418489

Devine Destiny  -  Tonight (8.27)! America's Divine Destiny

8.28 Restore Honor Rally  

Beck and Palin

Palin, Beck Recall 9/11 Attacks at Alaska Event (See Clip HERE) and amazingly the Huffington Post actually ran a blurb about Beck donating his speakers fee from the day and Palin speaking for free.

Glenn Beck on the Burning of Books and Flags

Pastor Defends Support for Glenn Beck (2,000 ministers attend rally)

Glenn Beck:  Who Is He?

Glenn is fairly quiet and very protective of his family, for good reason, and is always surrounded by a security detail.  Although he does kid about his wife, Tania who he credits with saving his life, a bit on air and on stage and proudly mentions his kids now and then.  Unfortunately in today’s world you can find out at least the basics on just about everybody, including Beck, even if they preferred that you couldn’t.  Beck loves his children dearly and they are obviously, at least in part, the inspiration for his passion.  But other than the protectiveness of his family, Beck is pretty much an open book.  (There is a great story that Bill Schultz from Fox’s Redeye tells about stepping off the elevator on the 18th Floor when Beck’s show was up there.  He has you rolling in the aisle in minutes as he explains how Beck’s security team questioned what he was doing up there…  If you know who Bill Schultz is, its probably even funnier!).

His Executive Summary lists him as a conservative TV and talk radio host.  His fans would call him a friend and describe him as quick-witted, well-informed, an independent thinker, a good Christian and someone who cares deeply. Glenn grew up in Mount Vernon, Washington, suffers from Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), so his shows are always fast-paced.  And his staff will you that he is hard to keep up with.  His friend and Fox associate Bill O’Reilly has asked him more than once, on air, whether he sleeps.  Sarah Palin has called him "America's professor of common sense". He is a Mormon with self-described libertarian leanings, big on conservative politics and traditional family values.

Beck is a recovering alcoholic and drug user who still has back pain from an injury incurred when, intoxicated or high, he tumbled through a window.  This past year, or so, Glenn has suffered from eye problems and has been diagnosed with macular dystrophy, that he announced at his American Revival event.  He is a self-made man that most average people can relate to in one way or another.

So before moving on to the updated portion below, I guess my greatest question to put out there is: “Why?”  Why do so many people both fear and hate Glenn Beck, Sarah Palin and a list of other conservatives without really knowing much about them, what they stand for or even why they think they don’t like them?!? 

The answer… the propaganda they have been fed by the mainstream media (MSM), Hollywood and the left in general. Most people, unless they subscribe to the far left ideology of the powers that be, both in our government and the media right now, they quickly find out if they do a little research and reading that what they’ve been told generally isn’t true and that they can actually relate to, agree with and even like Beck, Palin, the tea party, etc. and the principles they believe in to help save our Republic, freedom and our values.

Beck did his best to give us the Big Picture from his perspective, to inspire us (like with his trip to Wilmington Ohio) and then he encouraged us to educate ourselves and to question everything and everyone, including him.  So, what is there in that to makes people hate and attack someone… and their family… other than the fear that he was/is right?

Updated… 07.09.11 

Glenn Beck said goodbye to the Fox News Channel and his hit show on Thursday, airing his final show before going into business for himself. He told his fans that he was determined "to his last breath" to fix this country and fight for freedom. 

He followed that final Fox show with an immediate show for subscribers to his new Network: GBTV, where he will begin streaming a daily 2-hour show on the Internet on September 12, 2011.  Beck’s own two hour Internet show is only a small part of the overall GBTV plan, much of which is still to be announced.  Beck was interviewed by Raj Nair, out of San Diego, who he just hired the week before.

At the GBTV interview, Raj asked Beck a series of questions sent in by viewers.   He was then asked about GBTV and some of his other new ventures and how he can keep his ego in check. He said the purpose of all his new projects was to help others attain freedom and a positive world vision.  “I don’t want it to be about me,” he said. “That was the vehicle that got us where we are to be able to do the things that we have to do. I don’t want it to be about me.”

Beck urged his critics not to underestimate him as he moves forward. "You will pray for the time when I was only on the air for one hour a day," he said more than once.

Although the left and the MSM kept trying to feed everyone that Beck’s ratings were down, he continued to lead in his timeslot to the very end. Glenn Beck Averaged 2.175 Million in his Final Show  Cable News Ratings for Thursday, June 30, 2011  -  Glenn Beck averaged 2.175 million viewers (542,000 adults 25-54) in his final episode. While up from recent history, far off his highs when he cleared 3 million viewers. Still, Beck was second on Fox News to only The O’Reilly Factor for the night (2.54 million viewers, 559,000 A25-54).  As Beck said himself on that final show, “I'm the only host who is supposedly the most dangerous person in America because of my influence and the least influential person in America because my ratings are supposedly declining.”  During his peak, Beck’s show averaged 2.9 million viewers each day at 5 p.m. ET and 2 p.m. PT Many people watched Beck online, which couldn’t be counted in the ratings but increased as time went on and no doubt affected those ratings at least somewhat.

It was reported that Beck's relationship with Fox soured over control issues in the final months, and both sides seemed happy his show was ending.  What the real story was, we will probably never know. But Beck warmly thanked Fox News chief Roger Ailes during his last show, saying he was the smartest man he'll ever work with, a partnership put together on a handshake we are told.  Beck, his advertisers and Fox have been under attack by the left since Glenn has been on air.  And just 2 weeks after Beck left Fox, there has been a discovery that White House E-mails Show Anti-Fox Bias and the leftist (Soros group inspired) anti-Beck bias and campaigns have surfaced and been obvious to anyone paying attention!

Beck’s finale was vintage Beck, a continuous monologue while walking among his signature chalkboards and old props. He took some shots at critics, inspired and promised fealty to his fans, came close to tears but didn't succumb and even poked some fun at his image.

He chided frequent critic Jon Stewart of Comedy Central.  Beck showed a picture of Stewart's large writing staff and brought out his lone two writers as a comparison.

He threw in a causal told-you-so: "Two years ago we said there were going to be problems in Greece. Nobody paid attention."

"We tried to teach you things to help," he said. "I'm a dad, too. I want my country to be around. What we have been trying to tell you lately, over the last year, is that you are the answer. We must have faith, hope and charity in our hearts."

Beck said he was going to Israel this summer "in search of courage" and no doubt to inspire some. Beck stands strong In Defense of Israel

He and his family and part of the Mercury Radio Arts staff headed to Driggs, Idaho at Huntsman Springs (Jon Huntsman Sr. is Beck’s good friend and mentor) for a mini-4th of July vacation and event, after which he was headed to Poland and then to Israel.

Glenn was in Poland filming part of an upcoming documentary and has some incredibly moving — and horrific — pictures and stories to share including being inside a Nazi Germany picture.

His Israel event. Restoring Courage, is a follow-up to last year’s Restoring Honor event in D.C.  And beginning Monday 7.11.11 he is doing his radio show from there. (1st Hour: Here)

huntsman-springs.jpg

glenn-close-up.jpg

He tried to explain why he was leaving Fox after 29 months, and showed a picture of Jack Paar, who unexpectedly left NBC's "Tonight Show” after being on the air for six years. He said he wanted to be more than a commentator and that he was not running away from anything. "I'm running to something," Glenn said, “before I lose my soul!”

"This show has become a movement," he said. "It's not a TV show and that's why it does not belong on television anymore. It belongs in your heart. It belongs in your neighborhood."  It belongs in the heart of patriotic Americans will to link arms and stand together for the Republic.

Glenn’s focus is on doing good, saving the Republic… saving freedom… saving the world and helping people one person at a time, one town at a time, one state at a time, one country at a time.  GBTV is a platform for everyone to connect and connect their ideas.  He signed off with his signature phrase… Good Night, America!

Beck later told an Internet audience on GBTV that he had hired a "community organizer" on Thursday to help pull together citizens who agree with his point of view.

As Fox and Beck headed for their divorce, Beck set up his own diversified business. He makes speeches, writes books (both fiction and non-fiction and a children’s book), has a daily radio show and owns the website, the Blaze, along with GBTV , which is run by a former Fox executive. He has also started an non-profit venture called “Mercury One”. Beck will sell access to GBTV for $9.95 a month, or $4.95 for those who only want to see his nightly show. GBTV promises to be much more than a TV platform on the Internet, but rather ‘the network for the tomorrow, a day early’.

Beck sold his home in Connecticut and has just leased a home in the Westlake area of Dallas, owned by baseball player Jorge Piedra and Swarovski heiress Vanessa Piedra.  He also had to give up his apartment in New York, provided by Fox News.  But he is thought to still own an apartment in Manhattan, at least the one for his daughter.  He talked about helping his daughter look for a NYC apartment on one of his last shows.  Mercury Radio Arts, his production company, will remain in New York, at least for now, meaning he could be back and forth often.  Beck has also mentioned building a studio in Dallas and ‘perhaps’ other places.  What and where all Beck is up and off to is yet a mystery… perhaps in part even to himself.

Grand: Beck is thought to be moving his family into the seven-bedroom mansion which is owned by baseball player Jorge Piedra and Swarovski heiress Vanessa Piedra

Fox launched a summertime replacement series for the Glenn Beck Show, “The Five”, after a couple weeks of the ‘Best of Beck’ re-runs, which were preempted a couple of days by the Casey Anthony trial verdict and sentencing circus, a distraction that Beck would not have focused on.  The week after Beck left Fox, the news was also filled with scandal involving the Murdoch Empire and a phone hacking scandal in Britain while here at home Fox took on Media Matters, financed by Beck’s old nemeses George Soros.  “The Five” will include a rotating crew of Fox personalities like Andrew Napolitano, Andrea Tanteros, Geraldo Rivera, Juan Williams, Monica Crowley, Greg Gutfeld, Eric Bolling, Dana Perino and Kimberly Guilfoyle debating issues of the day. (I’ve watched the first few shows and they aren’t bad, but they aren’t Beck!) As his fans say, it will take 5 people to replace Beck and his show and it still certainly won’t be the same! Whether Fox realizes or admits it yet or not, they will grow to miss him and his ratings!

Beck said more than once in the last weeks and months of his show that he needed to get involved… hands on involved and he has!!

‘Your God Is My God’: Beck Delivers Speech Before Jewish Politicians, Knesset (Updated With Pictures and Video) on the same day that the U.N. to Discuss Seizing Jerusalem From Israel on July 11th (or 26th) and self-avowed Marxist Van Jones makes more idiotic comments about Glenn

Video:  Glenn Beck Visits Knesset

Beck Continues to Tour Israel… and Challenges Israelis to “Square Your Shoulders’ and since he’s been there, it seems that: Ships and Planes of Fools (anti-Israel extremists) Pick Wrong Target… and Fail but U.S. Embassy Releases Video Taking Tough Immigration Stance… on Jews! 

God Bless You Glenn!!

by Marion Algier – posted by Ask Marion