Memorial Day

Here's a clip of General George Patton speaking in Boston after the war. His tribute to the Army Medical Corps towards the end shows the scope of the loss--and saved--within the Third Army alone.  We have much to be thankful for in this nation. 



ht JOM

Memorial Day

This day is about remembering the fallen. May the sacrifices of the sheepdogs across the history of this country never be forgotten.  There's a fine line between freedom and oppression and their sacrifices have kept us on the good side of the line since the late 1700s.

As to appreciation, many of us want to show it in the form of a contribution, but Bob Dole wants to remind folks to "trust but verify" when it comes to veterans charities:

If you want to help servicemen and women in their transition to civilian life, exercise the same due diligence you’d apply to any significant purchase or investment. Don’t hesitate to kick the tires or demand the equivalent of a test drive. If you’re contacted by fundraisers, be prepared to ask some questions in return. Confirm the organization’s tax-exempt status. Find out how much of your gift will go to the intended recipient and how much to administration or fundraising.

Better yet, ask the group to put its appeal in writing and then review its financial stats and spending record on Web sites such as Charity Navigator. As Ronald Reagan said in a different context: Trust but verify. Check them out before you write a check. I can’t imagine a better way to observe Memorial Day than to support those who have worn their country’s uniform — while denying others who would enrich themselves in the service of greed.

Sage advice. It's hard to believe groups would form to rip off Americans giving their hard-earned money to help wounded veterans, but evil knows no bounds. All the more reason we need the sheepdogs.

Saturday on the River

Some random photos of the downtown air show last evening as the city wraps up "Memphis in May" with a performance by the Memphis Symphony and the Bar Kays.  It was warm, but the wind was blowing--and for once they got it done without any severe weather warnings...

 

There was a lot of police presence, even in the water.   But nobody was in a fighting mood.  People were just enjoying the freedom to come downtown, watch some airplanes and listen to some music and enjoy the beginning of summer, all courtesy of the sacrifices made by our fallen heroes. May those sacrifices never go in vain.

Memorial Day

Saying thank you is good but doing more is better. Click on pic for info on the Wounded Warriors Project (just to name one).

Memorial Day

We can never forget.

Memorial Day

Thank you and Godspeed to all the fallen Sheep Dogs who paid the ultimate price to secure our basic freedoms, including the ability to write even this short thank you note as well as the other political nonsense scribbled here and elsewhere on public forums. Thanks as well to all who've served and are now serving.

Memorial Day

Memorial Day makes most Americans think of the fighting men who gave their all for the country but quite often we tend to overlook the war fought right here.

Most have seen Emanuel Leutze's painting of Washington's crossing of the Delaware. How many know the story about the lead oarsman, taken to be Prince Whipple, a black man from a wealthy family in Africa sent to America for education but who instead was sold into slavery? Actually, Whipple wasn't in the boat that night but did serve valiantly in the war, later being freed and settling in New England with a wife and family.

Of course the story of Nathan Hale is told to all school children and he's generally recognized as the first spy killed in action. His death was perhaps the lowest point of the war as Washington had lost badly in the battle of Brooklyn and was being chased out of the New York area by a superior British force. Washington needed information but many New York residents were siding with the British. As a result, far too many of his ragtag band of patriots were paying the ultimate price.

Those failures led to the development of "Knowlton's Rangers" and the beginnings of spycraft and elite units in the services:

In the string of news images, one in particular is rich in historical significance, a reminder that the American clandestine tradition is more than two centuries old. During early fighting with the Taliban, an official photograph showed American special operations soldiers riding into battle on horseback. The picture revealed the austere military environment in Afghanistan.

It also provided a link to the secret side of the Revolutionary War. America's first elite, clandestine unit—Knowlton's Rangers—undertook missions for George Washington. The men photographed in Afghanistan, as well as the Army Rangers, Special Forces, Delta Force, and army intelligence, trace their origins to Knowlton's command.

Most accounts of Nathan Hale suggest he wasn't a very good spy--he was certainly fingered quickly and didn't get the job done--nevertheless it takes a special person to volunteer and he'll always be a hero for it, as were the many others who served our nation in the intelligence shadows.