The Real Celebrities Go Unnoticed

Posted By McQ

We are a nauseatingly celebrity obsessed culture. We tend to worship a group of people as heroes whose job, for the most part,is to pretend they're other people when they act, or to sing songs others have written for them. Certainly Michael Jackson was in a league of his own, in more ways than one (and not all of them positive). But the 24/7 coverage in just about every media outlet you can imagine has literally eclipsed news coverage of far more important events with absurdities such as the breathless announcement of Jackson's golden casket arriving on stage at his memorial.

And, as usual, some who've been given the short shrift are the real heroes this country should be mourning:

A day before New York Rep. Peter King called Michael Jackson a “pervert” unworthy of nonstop media coverage, the aunt of a U.S. soldier killed in Afghanistan on the same day Jackson died asked why her nephew's death went virtually unnoticed while the King of Pop got memorial shrines across the country.

"Mr.Jackson received days of wall-to-wall coverage in the media," Martha Gillis wrote to the Washington Post. "Where was the coverage of my nephew or the other soldiers who died that week?"

Gillis' nephew, Lt. Brian Bradshaw, 24, died in Kheyl, Afganistan, of wounds suffered when an improvised explosive device detonated near his vehicle. Bradshaw, of Steilacoom, Wash., was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 501st Parachute Infantry Regiment, 4th Airborne Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division in Fort Richardson, Alaska. He was one of at least 13 U.S. soldiers to die in Afghanistan since Jackson's death on June 25.

Bradshaw's mother, Mary, said she agreed with Gillis, saying the nonstop coverage of Jackson's death has become "totally ridiculous" and laughable.

"I can watch the news many nights and there's no mention of what's going on in Afghanistan or Iraq and there's boys dying over there," Bradshaw told FOXNews.com. "Oh God, I can't talk."

In fact, now that the deaths of our warriors aren't useful for the media to use as a daily hammer with which to pound the current administration, it appears their interest in those we lose has waned quit a bit, even from it's former scarce attention.

Ms. Gillis has it right when she says her nephew's death in the service of his country went virtually unnoticed in the unseemly circus of the Jackson death.

Rest in peace and God speed LT Bradshaw. We here at Blackfive thank you for your brave service to our country and your sacrifice. We mourn your loss as we mourn the loss of all our brothers and sisters in arms. We pray your family will be comforted by the fact that the Blackfive community and the broader milblog community does indeed honor and appreciate what you and your fellow warriors have given in service to this nation.

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Aaron Fairbairn: Someone You Should Know

Posted By Deebow

Lo, There Do I See My Father…

Lo, There Do I See My Mother…

And My Sisters and My Brothers…

Lo, There Do I See The Line

Of My People Back to the Beginning…

They Do Bid Me To Take My Place Among Them…

In The Halls of Valhalla

Where The Brave May Live Forever

I never know how to start a post like this...

News of something like this shows up in the news (at least on our radar).... (H/T: Bill at LWJ)

US soldiers in eastern Afghanistan beat back a complex attack on a combat outpost by the Haqqani Network in Eastern Afghanistan.

The attack began as Haqqani Network fighters launched rockets and mortars at a small US base in the Zarok district in Paktika province. As the rockets and mortars were fired, a suicide bomber attempted to ram a truck packed with explosives into the combat outpost, but soldiers shot and killed the driver before he could penetrate the base. The attackers also fired assault rifles and machine guns during the assault.

And then Aaron's father, David M. Masters, passed along the devastating news on Twitter over the weekend that his son was one of two American soldiers killed by a suicide bomber in Afghanistan at the COP in Zarok.  His brothers and sisters are grieving as well and they are enroute to receive him when he arrives at Dover AFB.  There is more here about Aaron and what happened. (H/T: MM)

Aaron had a MySpace page and you can see it here

Hey my name is Aaron Fairbairn, I am 20 and in the army. I like to ride dirtbikes, go muddin and all of that kind of stuff. One of my favorite things to do is work on my truck when I break it. I have a yamaha yz 125 I haven’t got to ride it much because of work but i plan to go race it sometime.

My Kandak helped establish this COP out in the Zarok District with a company from 2-87 INF of the 10th Mountain Division in 2006.  In fact, we took down an HVT we had been looking for there and spent the better part of a year operating there, as it is a major cross roads for infiltration from over the border.

Aaron sounds like someone that I would have shared a canteen cup of coffee over my Esbit stove with and talked motorcycles and girls with. 

God Bless Aaron, his comrades in arms and his family, and I grieve with them for their loss...  I will remember him and his family in my prayers

The Brave Truly Do Live Forever...

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A New Park In Hawaii

Posted By Mr Wolf

A new monument and park has opened near Diamond Head on Oahu, Hawaii.  This new park is in honor of those who died in Operation Red Wings in Afghanistan.

A couple of weeks ago I was talking to Blackfive, who was on vacation there and he commented on the new memorial not yet completed or dedicated.  I tweeted the question (twittered? twatted?? tooted??) and got a quick reply that, not 2 days after Blackfive was there, the park was completed- the monument was finished and the park had a dedication ceremony.  So Matt had an answer to his question- what was going on?

Continue reading "A New Park In Hawaii"

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OH HELL YES I'm STOKED...

Posted By Mr Wolf

They just announced that the new Spielberg/Hanks mini-series is due out March 2010, and the first trailer is out.

If this is any indication of how it may go, PLEASE send me the DVD's now- I can't wait.  Band of Brothers is something I could watch an episode of every day.  The BEST part, however, are the interviews with the men of the 506th at the end.  I HOPE they do the same with this series.

I can't see how they could make this end up sucking...  enjoy!

Wolf

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Proud To Be An American

Posted By McQ

Georgia recently sent elements of its 48th BCT to Afghanistan. Within 3 weeks 3 of their warriors were killed by an IED explosion. The following video is simply magnificent. It's 12 minutes long, but it makes an incredible point - the people of America love and honor their warriors and appreciate the sacrifice they make. The video is shot from inside the procession which picked up the remains of SSG John Beale and shows the crowds which turned out to honor him as it traveled through various parts and towns in Henry County, GA, where SSG Beale was from.

If you get through this without tearing up a bit, you're a better person than I am. This is living proof of the change that has taken place among this nation's citizens since the Viet Nam era and I can't adequately express my thanks for the incredibly positive change that has been.

Thank you, citizens of Henry County, GA for the magnificent way in which you honored the sacrifice of SSG John Beale. You make us all proud.

And thank you SSG Beale for the service and sacrifice you gave to our country. Our prayers are with your family.

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Into The Light: SFC Kevin Dupont

Posted By Laughing_Wolf

McQ wrote of the fight given by Sergent First Class Kevin Dupont after his vehicle was hit by an IED in Afghanistan.  Suffering 3rd degree burns over 65 percent of his body, and to his lungs as well, he gave it a good fight with his wife, Lisa, by his side.  Lisa is with the MBTA Police Department and also with the guard, having done a tour in Afghanistan as well

The fight was long and hard, but is now over.  Kevin awaits those left behind on the Green. 

My thoughts go out to Lisa, their families, and those in his unit. Please keep them in your thoughts as well, and go do what you can via the link above. 

LW

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Remember Stephen Johns

Posted By Laughing_Wolf

Amidst all the chaos and people jumping to make what happened about their politics and race and more, one key point is not getting the coverage it should:  The story of Officer Stephen Johns and the other guards who prevented a "professional nut" from making this into an even larger tragedy. 

Go read about Stephen Johns here, here, here and here.  Take the time, for he and his fellow guards are the true story. 

F the shooter and the spin.  Go learn about him and the others, a story far too many are missing.

No greater love....

LW

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D-Day Plus 65 Years

Posted By McQ

Yesterday evening I thought about what was occurring at the same time 65 years before in Europe. Young paratroopers of the 82nd and 101st Airborne Divisions as well as the British 6th Airborne Division and 1st Canadian Parachute Battalion were headed in for night combat jumps with the mission of securing key bridges and road junctions and setting up blocking positions to prevent German reinforcements from reaching the beaches of Normandy. Of the 17,000 US airborne troops engaged in operation Overlord, 1,003 were KIA, 2,657 were WIA and 4,490 were declared MIA.

At the same time, off that coast, the largest amphibious assault fleet the world had ever seen, drawn from 8 allied navies (6,939 vessels: 1,213 warships, 4,126 transport vessels (landing ships and landing craft), and 736 ancillary craft and 864 merchant vessels), began gathering. 19 and 20 year old young men, who to that point had never seen a shot fired in anger nor fired one themselves, would get their baptism in war on Omaha, Gold, Utah, Sword and Juno beaches. In all 160,000 allied troops would land that day.

At Pointe du Hoc, the US 2nd Ranger Battalion assaulted the massive concrete gun emplacements that commanded the beach landing sites. They had to scale 100 foot cliffs under enemy automatic gunfire to reach them. When they did, the found out the guns had been moved further inland. They pressed their assault, found them and destroyed them and then defended the location for two days until relieved. The operation cost them 60% casualties. Of the 225 rangers who began the operation, only 90 were still able to fight at its end.

On Omaha beach, the US 1st and 29th Infantry Divisions landed opposite the veteran German 352nd Infantry Division. They had sited their defensive positions well and built concrete emplacements which were all but immune from bombardment. The initial assault waves of tanks, infantry and engineers took heavy casualties. Of the 16 tanks that landed upon the shores of Omaha Beach only 2 survived the landing. The official record stated that "within 10 minutes of the ramps being lowered, [the leading] company had become inert, leaderless and almost incapable of action. Every officer and sergeant had been killed or wounded [...] It had become a struggle for survival and rescue". Only a few gaps were blown in the beach obstacles, resulting in problems for subsequent landings.

Allied leaders considered abandoning Omaha, but the troops that had landed refused to stay trapped in a killing zone. In many cases, led by members of the 5th Ranger Battalion which had been mistakenly landed there, they formed ad hoc groups and infantrymen infiltrated the beach defenses and destroyed them, eventually opening the way for all. Of the 50,000 soldiers that landed there, 5,000 became casualties of bloody Omaha.

Canadian forces landed at Juno. The first wave suffered 50% casualties in the ferocious fighting. The Canadians had to fight their way over a sea wall which they successfully did. The 6th Canadian Armoured Regiment (1st Hussars) and The Queen's Own Rifles of Canada achieved their 6 June objectives, when they drove over 15 kilometres (9 mi) inland. In fact, they were the only group to reach their D-Day objectives.

By the end of D-Day, 15,000 Canadians had been successfully landed, and the 3rd Canadian Infantry Division had penetrated further into France than any other Allied force, despite having faced strong resistance at the water's edge and later counterattacks on the beachhead by elements of the German 21st and 12th SS Hitlerjugend Panzer divisions.

The Brits landed at Sword and Gold beaches. At Gold the 50th (Northumbrian) Infantry Division landed with heavy casualties, but overcame the obstacles and drove about 10 kilometers off the beach.

Led by amphibious tanks of the 13th and 18th Hussars, the landings on Sword went rather well with elements of the 8th Infantry Brigade driving 8 kilometers off the beach.

And the final beach, Utah, saw the 23,000 troops of the US 4th Infantry Division land. Through a navigation error they landed on the western most part of the beach. That happened to be the most lightly defended as well. Taking full advantage of the situation, the division fought their way off the beach and through the German defenses linking up with the 502nd and 506th Parachute Infantry Regiments of the 101st Airborne Division which had dropped in the night before and secured the inland side of the beach exits.

The liberation of Europe had begun.

But it was costly. Of the total 10,000 casualties suffered that day on the beaches by the allies, the US had 6,603 of which 1,465 were killed in action. The Canadians suffered 1,074 casualties (359 KIA) and the British had 2,700.

Men who had never set foot on the continent of Europe before died trying to liberate it that day. Today most of them lie in quiet graveyards near where they fell, the only piece of land ever claimed, as Colin Powell said, was enough to lay them to rest.

65 years ago, as the guns boomed, the shells exploded and desperate and courageous men made life and death decisions on the bloody sands of Normandy beaches, the fate of the world literally hinged on their success.

I think it is important, on this day to remember that. It is also just as important to remember that had the rest of the world taken the threat posed by the evil of Nazi Germany seriously earlier than they did, the possibility exists that such a fateful landing would never have been necessary.

But it was. And to those who made it, liberated Europe and destroyed the evil that was Nazi Germany, they have my undying respect and deserve to have what they did -and why they did it - remembered by all for eternity.

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Private William Long's Father in Interview with Little Rock's KATV

Posted By Blackfive

This is difficult to watch, but you should listen to Daris Long, former Marine and father of Private William Long who was killed taking a break outside of a Little Rock recruiting center. It's important. It's about our family.  From KATV in Little Rock:

If the private's father is any indication, young William was probably one helluva soldier already.

Our thoughts and prayers are with the Long family, and with the family of wounded soldier Private Quinton Ezeagwula.

Godspeed, Private William Long.

[Hat tip to AWTM for the link.]

[Jimbo's post about it here]

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Gentle Tears Fell From The Sky

Posted By Laughing_Wolf

Memorial Day presented me the wonderful opportunity to spend a good bit of the afternoon and evening at Arlington.  Despite a threatening sky, I met up with Olga and together we walked those grounds and visited with those who's day it was. 

We took our time and as we wandered we stopped, looked, read, wondered, and remembered.  We watched others, and took a measure of peace from the grounds.  There are many stories there, and we could but scratch at the surface of some. 

Arlington House is undergoing some significant restorations, and it was interesting to peer "back" in time behind the walls and such.  I look forward to going back and seeing what was done and explore those grounds a bit more too. 

As Olga noted, it was appropriate that the thunder and lightning remained over the city.  For at Arlington on Memorial Day, it was not a downpour, but more a gentle rain, like quiet tears from heaven falling. 

LW

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