What started as a conversation on Facebook between two St.Louisans, Craig Schneider and Tom Appelbaum, sparked into the first “Welcome Home” Parade for U.S. troops after leaving operations in Iraq. Veterans and those supporting them traveled from all over the country to show their thanks and welcome them home.
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Always ready to recruit the embittered and disgruntled at any opportunity, the Communist Party USA has established a special veterans committee. The target – demobilized Iraq War veterans.
From the People’s World;
With the Iraq war officially over, leaving 4,500 U.S. troops and 100,000 Iraqis dead plus tens of thousands wounded, the soldiers who fought and experienced the horror are returning home. They’re stepping out of one war zone and into another.
Faced with high rates of unemployment and discrimination in hiring, many are coping with horrific injuries and post traumatic stress disorder, fueling drug and alcohol abuse, and divorce and record suicide rates.
The experience is causing veterans to draw basic conclusions about the real nature of U.S. foreign policy and even capitalism.
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In 1954, on the anniversary of the ending of World War I, President Dwight D. Eisenhower proclaimed November 11, Veteran’s Day, so that we would pay special tribute to our military heroes. As we take time this year to honor those who have served our country on 11/11/11, let us never forget that it’s easy to take liberty for granted, when you have never had it taken from you. Our veterans dedication and bravery ensure our nation remains the home of the free because they’re our home of the brave.
In composing my tribute to our military veterans and how we can help honor them, I had tears of pride for all our veterans and their families and for my own family history too. My Mom’s brothers, Ben and Pete Gonzales both served in the Army during World War II. Uncle Pete in Africa and Uncle Ben under General Patton in Germany. My Dad’s brothers, Bill and Bob Merkle also served. Uncle Billy with the Marines in Japan and Uncle Bobby with the Army in Korea. My father-in-law Ed Lancaster served in the Coast Guard. My brother-in-law Dave Lancaster flew Harrier Jets with the Marines over Iraq and my cousin John Merkle serves in the Army in Germany today.
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To recap, my previous article entitled God Bless Our Military … Just Not At The Houston National Cemetery, shared how the Houston National Cemetery Director, Ms. Arlene Ocasio, was requiring grieving families and volunteer groups to not use the words “God” or “Jesus” at any funeral ceremony without her prior approval.
The Department of Veterans Affairs also defended Ms. Arlene Ocasio stating the accusations in the lawsuit against the Department of Veterans Affairs and Ms. Arleen Ocasio were “categorically false.” Local elected officials complained and Congressman John Culberson, U.S. Representative of Texas District 7, took it upon himself to go undercover at a military hero’s funeral and found the truth. He personally witnessed the censorship of freedom of speech and freedom of religion at the funerals of our veterans. Read about his experience here.
Late last week, Houston Chronicle’s Lindsey Wise shared the following terms to the settlement that were agreed to by the mediating parties. These terms are currently awaiting Texas Supreme Court Chief Justice Tom Phillips’ sign off:
- The VA will not interfere with prayers during burial services.
- The VA will not edit or control the speeches of speakers at ceremonies or events at the cemetery containing religious messages or viewpoints and cannot ban religious words in verbal communications between the volunteers and veteran’s families.
- The VA will not ban religious speech or words like “God” or “Jesus” in condolence cards or gifts.
- Payment by the VA of the veterans groups’ $215,000 in legal fees.
- The VA will have a Bible, Cross and Star of David placed on an open shelf within the Chapel, that will be easily accessible and available for use by families if they so choose.
- The local members of VFW District 4 and Houston National Memorial Ladies would resign their positions as official VA volunteers. They will be free to provide their own texts of recitations to funeral homes so that veterans’ families can decide if they would like these groups to provide any services at the cemetery.
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As you may remember, Ms. Ocasio has repeatedly stated that she was only trying to make prayers more inclusive of other religions, but instead:
Despite the Department of Veteran Affairs defending Ms. Ocasio’s actions, even Texas Congressman John Culberson found the accusations to be TRUE when he went undercover at the cemetery.
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As you may remember, my previous article entitled God Bless Our Military … Just Not At The Houston National Cemetery, shared how the Houston National Cemetery Director, Ms. Arlene Ocasio, was requiring grieving families and volunteer groups to not use the words “God” or “Jesus” at any funeral ceremony without her prior approval. This has been a hot topic here in the Houston area, but Ms. Ocasio remains in her position as are her expressed requirements carried out by her employees to ensure prayers are more inclusive of other religions.
Earlier this week, the Department of Veterans Affairs defended Ms. Arlene Ocasio stating the accusations in the current lawsuit against the Department of Veterans Affairs and Ms. Arleen Ocasio were categorically false. Congressman John Culberson, U.S. Representative of Texas District 7, took it upon himself to go undercover at a recent military hero’s funeral and found the truth. He personally witnessed censorship of freedom of speech and freedom of religion at the funerals of our veterans.
Listen here as KTRH’s Matt Patrick talks to Congressman Culberson on this morning’s radio show. There is purposeful, deliberate and repeated interference occurring against the grieving families, the VFW Honor Guard and other volunteer organizations there in support of our military hero funerals.
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Gary Sinise is best known for his role as Lt. Dan Taylor in the 1994 blockbuster movie “Forrest Gump.” It earned him an Oscar nomination for best supporting actor and a starring role on “CSI: NY.” Now the actor is using his fame to celebrate America’s heroes on the battlefield.
This week marked the debut of a documentary about Sinise’s role with the Lt. Dan Band. After the 9/11 terrorist attacks, Sinise formed the band — named after his character from “Forrest Gump” — to perform for servicemen and women. Sinise was in Washington last week and visited Heritage to talk about the military and how 9/11 changed his outlook on life.
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Tears began swelling in my eyes early as we drove off the Sam Houston toll road onto the feeder road to a complete stop well before the signal light to turn onto Veteran’s Memorial Boulevard. I felt great pride in knowing so many of my fellow Texans felt as we did and were able to attend this event. We arrived with plenty of time, but with the turn out of what I’d say was close to 1,000 people, we ended up having to park at the far end of the cemetery and were a teeny bit late to hearing the first couple speakers. But the hundred-degree heat was going to stop us. We all heard the call and we came. As we walked up to the event, I heard “pardon the noise, but this is the sound of freedom.” Cheers roared throughout the crowd. How sweet it is.
Make a note Texans: All politicians representing the Houston area were invited to this event. Some attended, many did not. I’d like to thank those who I heard speak: Dave Welch, Executive Director, US Pastor Council, Paul Bettencourt, Pastor Willie Davis, Congressman Pete Olson, State Representative Debbie Riddle, Pastor Scot Wall, Gold Star Mom Debora Wallace, my State Representative Allen Fletcher, Jay Guerrero speaking on behalf of Senator John Cornyn, Harris County Clerk Stan Stanart, Pastor Steve Riggle and Congressman Ted Poe. I will remember these names.
(more…)
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Nik Rajokovic at Houston’s Channel 13 KTRH broke the story here.
This PISSES. ME. OFF.
I can barely get my thoughts together to type this post, but I’m not going to sit by and not speak up for those families who have lost a loved one and are having to now worry about submitting a written request for prayer to someone for approval. Last time I checked, this was the Home of the Brave and Land of the Free. Heads up, Director of the Houston National Cemetery. It still is.
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“War is an ugly thing, but not the ugliest of things; the decayed and degraded state of moral and patriotic feeling which thinks that nothing is worth war is much worse. A man who has nothing for which he is willing to fight; nothing he cares about more than his own personal safety; is a miserable creature who has no chance of being free, unless made and kept so by the exertions of better persons than himself.”
– John Stuart Mill
There are 26 million veterans in the United States. This weekend we honor them and our fallen heroes. No one appreciates peace more than a veteran. The crazy “peace” protestors who are the media darlings and who get all the attention for their juvenile antics have no idea either what is peace or how it’s achieved. It’s not achieved by holding hands with your enemies and singing Kumbaya in a circle. Peace is not free, and often comes only with bloodshed. If you need confirmation, just ask our Founding Fathers.
“When politicians leave this earth, their bodies lie in state, while thousands note their passing, and proclaim that they were great. The papers tell of their life stories, from the time that they were young. But the passing of a Veteran goes unnoticed and unsung. Is the greatest contribution to the welfare of this land, Some jerk who breaks his promise and cons his fellow man? Or the ordinary fellow, who in time of war and strife, Goes off to serve his country and offers up his life?” A. Lawrence Vaincourt
There is no better tribute to our fallen on this Memorial Day than to watch this video of a class of 3rd graders singing this love song. Get out your hanky. If you don’t need it while watching, you’re either not an American or you need therapy.
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A tremendously important story has gone virtually untold by the media, ignored by our political leaders, and unknown to the American public. Despite the extraordinarily high price they have paid, America’s severely wounded veterans are enduring humiliating financial hardships of epic proportions. Home evictions, utility shutoffs, car repossessions, and foreclosures are commonplace.
“The Armed Forces Family Aid Concert” seeks to benefit those families suffering severe financial hardship.
The concert is scheduled to take place April 29th through May 1st on a 40 acre farm outside of Dayton, Ohio. Bands from across America and of all music backgrounds (rock, country, rap, blues, etc) will be performing, including Congressman Thad McCotter (R-MI) and his band, The Flying Squirrels!
Yours Truly will act as one of the Emcee’s.
Rep. McCotter
A Congress that thinks nothing of spending trillions on bailouts and stimulus packages has mostly turned a deaf ear on our severely disabled vets. Often times spouses of returning veterans have to give up their jobs to become caregivers, cutting family incomes in half. Most disabled vets receive much less in compensation and benefits than they did while on active duty, reducing family incomes even further. Many are too dysfunctional to hold a meaningful job, if any, because of the devastating effects of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and traumatic brain injury (TBI).
Some time ago I interviewed one such vet and his spouse, Mr. and Mrs. Kim Tanner. Mr. Tanner worked as a truck driver while serving with the Army, often driving 12 to 14 hours a day delivering weapons and supplies throughout Iraq. The effects of numerous blasts from exploding roadside bombs has left him suffering from severe PTSD and traumatic brain injuries. Today he lives with memory loss, speech impairment, and hearing loss. He is unable to work long periods of time at his part-time post office job. (more…)
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Barely one week before election day, it’s time to review what I like to call the “year of foolishness” lived out loud by U.S. Rep. Phil Hare, a liberal Democrat running for reelection in Illinois’ 17th Congressional District.
On Dec. 16, 2009, Hare told Chris Matthews’ MSNBC audience he would welcome terrorists from Guantanamo Bay to Thomson, Ill., essentially placing “economic stimulus” for a small Illinois town above proven national security benefits of the secure facility in Cuba.
Almost four months later, he uttered words that would elevate his nationwide visibility for all the wrong reasons: “I don’t worry about the Constitution to be honest.”
On June 3, Hare was told by real veterans that he needed to stop calling himself a veteran and, a day later, news of his threats against a veteran made the news.
Two months later, Hare was passed over for “promotion” when a Sgt. John F. Baker Jr. endorsed his opponent, Bobby Schilling. In response, one of his supporters devalued the Medal of Honor recipient in a letter to the editor of a district newspaper.
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In the wake of the tsunami of protests from its members over the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) endorsement of a slew of anti-military incumbents, the VFW’s “leadership” has issued a new statement trying to calm the furor and, in doing so, has further embarrassed itself. You see, to them, the problem isn’t that the VFW allowed its good name to be tarred by supporting candidates like the one who literally partied with Hanoi Jane Fonda.
No, the problem is that you, the veterans, are just too stupid to understand how it’s not the leadership’s fault that this happened on their watch:
Comrades,
The angry tone and tenor of the telephone calls and messages being received at national headquarters make it clear that many of our members are not cognizant of the fact that VFW National By-Laws clearly stipulate that the VFW Commander-in-Chief is not authorized to direct or otherwise attempt to introduce his control over the VFW PAC. Furthermore, no membership dues or donations made to the VFW or VFW Foundation are used for the VFW PAC.
As you know, the recent endorsements by the PAC are the subject of much controversy. Unfortunately, many questions have been raised regarding VFW’s involvement in the endorsement process and the integrity of the organization as a whole. Regrettably, many of our members and supporters are disappointed and have misdirected their anger toward the VFW as having lost its purpose.
Comrades, we cannot sit idly by while a great organization is being disparaged and maligned, even unintentionally. It is vitally important that you take a direct role in alleviating this current flood of criticism by reminding members and supporters that:
– The VFW PAC was created by the VFW members and not by VFW national leaders. 2/3 of the delegates of the 80th VFW National Convention (1979) voted to establish PAC as a standing committee.
– VFW By-Laws stipulate that VFW leadership does not direct PAC activities and that the VFW convention is the governing body of the organization. As such, it is only the delegates at the convention that can determine the continuation of the PAC.
– Encourage VFW members to get involved in their VFW Posts and to exercise and further direct their concerns to convention delegates so that there can be an informed debate on the existence of the PAC.
If I know my vets, they are plenty “cognizant” of when they are being fed a bunch of crap.
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You might think that a prominent veterans organization like the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) would actually reserve its political endorsements for, you know, veterans, or at least those politicians that actually demonstrate some level of respect for the military. But you would be wrong. And the problem is not just the VFW; rather, the VFW’s current lobbyist-driven fiasco simply serves to illustrate how out-of-touch the Washington in-crowd is with the feelings of us benighted souls dwelling outside the beltway.
In the Florida 22nd Congressional District race, incumbent Democrat Ron Klien is running against Republican challenger Allen West. Actually, he’s properly addressed as Lieutenant Colonel (Retired) Allen West, a decorated combat veteran who commanded a battalion in Iraq until he was forced to retire after making a 9mm suggestion to a captured terrorist that it would be a very, very smart move to give up some information about future attacks against LTC West’s men. Now, that’s not to say Congressman Klien does not have a distinguished military record of his own – to be fair, apparently he saw most of Saving Private Ryan on AMC once, though he found it pretty scary.
After due consideration- which apparently means the VFW’s lobbyists told it to do so – the VFW endorsed Klein.
Okay, sometimes an organization makes a mistake. I mean, it’s not like the VFW decided to endorse, say, a liberal Democratic senator who tried to humiliate an Army general testifying by demanding that he call her “Senator” instead of the perfectly appropriate “ma’am,” or who allowed her fundraisers to be hosted by the likes of Hanoi Jane. That would be, well, crazy.
Oh, wait. The VFW is endorsing leftist Senator Barbara Boxer. Yeah, the same Barbara Boxer who voted to undercut us troops as we sat out in the desert waiting for Operation Desert Storm to start. Yeah, the same Barbara Boxer who undercut the troops by voting to cut and run in Iraq. Yeah, that Barbara Boxer – the one who will be running around using the VFW’s shameful endorsement as a shield against the truth of her track record of contempt for our military.
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If you saw the front page of the latest edition of QUAD CITIES LABOR NEWS, you probably noticed an article under the headline, WHAT’S WITH ALL THE BILLBOARDS? Unfortunately, the article beneath the headline fails to offer a truthful answer to the question and, in fact, stinks of desperation.
The article begins with the following inaccurate description of the nonprofit group behind the placement of election-focused billboards in the Quad Cities area:
Perhaps you’ve seen them. They disparage Phil Hare while saying little about who is paying for them. The group behind the billboards on 11th Ave. in Rock Island and River Drive in Moline is a front group for Bobby Schilling called Veterans4Schilling.
In the remaining paragraphs of the labor union rag, truth seems to be an afterthought.
In the second paragraph, for example, it’s claimed that “The Federal Election Commission has already filed a complain against Veterans4Schilling for unethical practices” and it’s alleged that the group changed its name to Veterans4Constitution after the complaint was filed.
First, everyone knows the Federal Election Commission did not file any complaints. It was an operative of Hare — one James L. Moody — who filed the Aug. 27 complaint with the FEC. Second, one needs only read the complaint to see that Moody directed his “beef” at Veterans 4 Constitution, not Veterans 4 Schilling.
As for the claim that appears in the third paragraph (i.e., that none of the Republican candidates endorsed by the veterans group were veterans), I’d love to find out why Robert Enriquez, the GOP candidate for Illinois Secretary of State, doesn’t qualify as a veteran in the eyes of the labor folks. After all, he served as a Marine Corps officer and completed two overseas tours.
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Uh, oh! Phil Hare, the incumbent Democrat running for re-election in Illinois’ 17th Congressional District, is at it again, apparently sore at veterans like Medal of Honor recipient John F. Baker Jr. who are supporting his opponent, Republican Bobby Schilling.
With the help of James L. Moody, chairman of the Sangamon County (Ill.) Democratic Party, Hare — the same guy who said, “I don’t worry about the Constitution,” when asked about the Constitutionality of ObamaCare — filed a complaint Aug. 27 with the Federal Election Commission.
Hare’s target: Veterans for the Constitution, a group of military veterans whose stated mission is to seat Conservative leaders who truly represent the people and do not see the Constitution as an obstacle but as a document the founding fathers intended be upheld at all costs. The group, according to spokesperson Ken Moffett, is comprised of only a handful of active members who have managed to raise a whopping $6,000.
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During a campaign stop in Inglewood, California this past weekend, Barbara Boxer’s disrespectful attitude toward our armed forces was on full display when she equated the experiences of Members of Congress with the experiences of those who have put their lives on the line serving our country in uniform.
Boxer said this, at an event during which she was supposed to help break ground on new housing for homeless veterans:
“We know that if you have veterans in one place where they can befriend each other and talk to each other. You know when you’ve gone through similar things you need to share it. I don’t care whether you are a policeman or a fireman or a veteran or by chance a member of Congress. Maxine and I could look at each other and roll our eyes. We know what we are up against. And it is hard for people who are not there to understand the pressure and the great things that go along with it and the tough things that go along with it.”
She followed this up by appearing later in the day at a campaign fundraiser featuring none other than “Hanoi Jane” Fonda.
Barbara Boxer has never been loved by the military, veterans, their friends or family. She has a history of voting against troop funding and opposing military missions undertaken abroad. She voted against condemning MoveOn.org’s disgraceful, full-page New York Times ad that attacked the integrity of General David Petraeus. More recently, of course, she dressed down a brigadier general on national television, insisting that he call her “senator” instead of “ma’am.”
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Yes, it’s true my home state of Massachusetts is the native habitat of that frigthening political specter, the moonbat.
But not everyone in the Bay State is lefty loon. Some are downright proud to be American, and enthusiastically support our veterans. Consider the story of Kimberly Rogers and Paige Haley, two friends from the town of Pepperell who just introduced 50 Back lager — half the profits are given to veterans charities.
Among the organizations they support are the USO and Homes for Our Troops, a Massachusetts charity that builds handicapped accessible homes around the country for wounded veterans.
We wrote about them today in The Boston Herald. Right now the beer is available only in Massachusetts. But I thought the nationwide Big Government community would like to hear their story. If the beer catches on, as I imagine it will, then the sky’s the limit.
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Earlier this week, I reported here and here about an incident that took place between Ken Moffett and U.S. Rep. Phil Hare, a two-term Democrat from Rock Island, Ill., who is running for re-election in Illinois’ 17th Congressional District.
It seems Congressman Hare has been selling himself on the campaign trail as a tried-and-true military veteran when, in fact, he does not meet the qualifications for “veteran status” (i.e., he is not a person who served in the active military, naval, or air service who was discharged or released therefrom under conditions other than dishonorable).
When Moffett, a veteran from Moline, Ill., asked Hare if he was going to stop telling people that he was a veteran, a heated discussion ensued. It was toward the end of that discussion, Moffett contends, that he heard Hare instruct one of his aides to follow Moffett to his car and get his license plate number so he could find out who he was.
While complete details of the exchange are outlined in a June 2 letter Moffett sent to Blake Chisam, chief counsel and staff director of the House Committee on Standards of Official Conduct, curiosity got the best of me, and I decided to launch an inquiry into what the law says about Congressman Hare’s alleged actions.
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U.S. Rep. Phil Hare (D-Ill.) is back in the news two months after he was caught on video, saying, “I don’t care about the Constitution.” This time, however, he’s drawn the ire of a military veteran who wants the two-term congressman from Illinois’ 17th Congressional District to stop calling himself a veteran.
In a letter to Blake Chisam, Ken Moffet informs the chief counsel and staff director of the House Committee on Standards of Official Conduct of an incident during which he asked Congressman Hare if he was going to stop telling people that he was a veteran:
On Monday, May 31, 2001, Mr. Hare and I were engaged in a conversation concerning the statements he is making around the district about being a veteran. After I pointed out that according to the law he is not a veteran, he became very upset and demanded to know my name. I refused to tell him my name, saying that this was about his claim of being a veteran and not about me.
Mr. Hare then told one of his aids who was with him, to follow me to my car and get my license plate number so he could find out who I was. I have since been told that Mr. Hare’s daughter works for the DMV.
I then asked Mr. Hare if he was going to stop telling people that he was a veteran. Mr. Hare again demanded to know my name, and again told his aide to get my name or to follow me to get my license plate number so he could find out who I was, so he could tell all the former reservist what I said.
I asked Mr. Hare if he as a public official was going to use his official office to run name checks on private citizens, in order to intimidate them into not asking questions he did not want to answer.
As Mr. Hare was turning to walk away form me he paused, and turning back to my direction, he glared at me intently, and while leaning forward pointed his finger at me, and in a threatening and intimidating manner said, “I’ll find out who you are!” Given the nature of Illinois politics and Mr. Hare’s reputation as a mean politician, I felt intimidated by the power of Mr. Hare’s office and what he might do.
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