BlackFive

We have entered the end game in Iraq and now the most important battle is no longer whether democracy and freedom prevail there, but how will we and the world view this conflict, and more importantly US power overall.

The opposition and their media have made no bones that they consider it a stinging defeat in a conflict predicated on lies, and that all the casualties were in vain. Aside from it's outrageous detachment from reality, it is a narrative we cannot allow to stand.

There is a scene in Heartbreak Ridge, where the moron officer tells Gunny Highway and Chewy that their generation of Marines is 0-1-1, with a tie in Korea and a loss in Vietnam. Given the opportunity, the left/media would love to hang a loss or a tie on W and the whole idea of US military power. If they can create a loss in popular opinion they gain all of the casualties as martyrs to their belief that the employment of US power is fundamentally wrong. They already have pounded the meme that we are now handcuffed and unable to use military force against anyone else because we have exhausted the military and destroyed it's morale. That lie is put to rest as soon as these armchair pacifists are confronted by the swelling pride of those who have earned victory on the ground. They reenlist in record numbers and they come home to tell the truth about their good works, ignored by the defeatist press that owes the truth but delivers only the death and destruction.

Kerry at Literal Thoughts has a Thanksgiving message and a picture of some troops in Iraq with another message....

And Kerry also had a good laugh at the protestors outside Crawford, Texas, about their" Iraqi meal" for Thanksgiving.

...Er, hardly anything in here is "Iraqi". Salmon????? P-L-E-A-S-E! I have seen salmon in exactly one place in the Middle East, which was in a sushi bar in Jordan. Where's the teshreeb? The masgoof?...

I said this is the kiddy table you feline free loader. Hope all had a Happy Thanksgiving, ours was just what we wanted. It was a good day to reflect on just how bountiful my world is and just how pathetic my trials and tribulations really are.

That said, there are still tons of maroons out there being all stupid and such, so I think I will cut loose with a wicked, good, vitriolic rant tomorrow. And then maybe declare a comedy jihad against Frank J of IMAO, 'cuz I think he's getting soft, marriage coming up and all. Who knows, I am semi-bachelored for the next two days and that is dangerous. I will advise.

Cordially,

Uncle J

John G. sends this article by Mona Charen who speaks to a Marine Sergeant about the press.  This pretty much sums up what I've heard from friends over the last year:

...One Marine, Sgt. Todd Bowers, who did two tours in Iraq, described the attitude of many press types. "They didn't want to talk to us." Why? I asked. "Because we were gung-ho for the mission." Bowers, who was saved from grievous injury when a bullet lodged in the sight of his rifle (a sight his father had purchased for him), is chary about the press...

Be sure to read the whole thing.

While the MSM has been wrestling with the topic "Why aren't we talking more about heroes?", I thought about titling this post "The Heroes You Don't Know".

This story is from the 3rd Cav Public Affairs Officer.  At the end you'll notice comments from someone who is discussed here every once in awhile - Colonel H.R. McMaster:

Vines Pins Valor Medals on 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment Troopers
By Sgt. 1st Class Donald Sparks
3d U.S. CAVALRY PAO

Thanksgiving Day for several troopers of the 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment included turkey, dressing, sweet potato pie and medals for valor.

Lt. Gen. John R. Vines, who commands the Multinational Corps Iraq, paid a visit to Forward Operating Base Sykes to personally commend the troopers for their acts of heroism and to thanks the troopers of the Regiment for their sacrifices in the war against terrorism.

“Some time today on television, a sports announcer will talk about the hero of a football game,” Vines said before a formation of nearly 150 3rd ACR troopers. “Well these Soldiers standing before me are the true heroes of our nation. It’s an honor to spend this Thanksgiving with you and I’m proud of what you’re doing for our country and the people of Iraq.”

Capt. Daniel Anderson, Chief Warrant Officer Milton Walker, Sgt. Jerome Shai, and Sgt. Kevin Doyle were pinned the Air Medal with Valor for their heroic actions on Aug. 29.

Assigned to 1159th Medical Company (Air Ambulance), 36th Medical Evacuation Battalion, the aeromedevac team conducted a mission, under direct enemy fire without concern for their personal safety, for two urgent-surgical pilots from a downed OH-58D Kiowa Warrior aircraft in the city of Tal Afar.

In less than seven minutes from notification, the crew – Smuggler 62, lifted off under night vision goggle conditions. Their aircraft received small arms fire to the rotor blades and inside the pilot and crew compartment.

Shai, from Gambrills, Md., was the first of the crew to identify and report the small arms fire and the location of the firers. Maintaining strict composure, Shai rapidly assessed the aircraft for damage and reported to the pilot commander, Anderson, that the aircraft was capable to continue the mission

Anderson, from Sacramento, Calif., and Walker, from Bel Air, Md., immediately executed emergency procedures to avoid the continuing volley of fire from the ground.

With concern for the pilots on the ground, Smuggler 62 continued to fly toward the downed aircraft. Once on the ground Anderson instructed the crew chief to conduct a physical inspection of the Smuggler 62 aircraft which identified multiple indications of small arms impact and bullet fragments within the aircraft.

After exiting the aircraft, Doyle, from Peabody, Mass., began searching for the location of the casualties. Doyle, armed with his M-4, ran to two Bradley Fighting Vehicles near the landing zone and received negative confirmation on the location of the casualties.

He identified two dismounted Soldiers and ran to their location. Upon his arrival to their location, enemy small arms fire was heard and they assumed protective fighting positions.

Doyle continued the pursuit across open ground, within enemy small arms range, to locate the injured pilots and located the patients in a third Bradley where he organized two litter teams and loaded the patients onto the aircraft.

“The bravery and the courage of these air crew members of the 1159th Air Medevac exemplifies what is good about Army Aviation and the efforts of our troopers here Iraq,” said Maj. John Scott, commander, Longknife Squadron, 3rd ACR. “I’m extremely proud of them.”

There's a lot more in the Extended Section.

Thank you to all who've given to help our wounded troops and suport the men and women fighting the war.

And Valour-IT says thank you.

This morning, I was thinking of the very first people to give to Soldiers' Angels via this blog.  They were a couple, naturalized citizens - the woman was from England and her husband from India.  They owned a tea shop in Dallas and sent their tips every time I put out the call for help.  Every time.

I'm thankful that I woke up this morning hearing my fifteen month old daughter say "puppy" in the cutest voice ever, over and over from her crib.  Beautiful.

I'm thankful that my son was arguing with his best friend over who's dad was cooler.  Friend's dad is a fireman.  That's pretty darn cool.  Fully expecting to hear my son brag about his dad's paratrooper days, my son says proudly, "Yeah, well my dad works with computers." 

I'm thankful that Chief Steve came home in one piece.  I'm thankful that some of my friends (Crazy Andy, Buddha, Onionhead, and Jeremiah Johnson) are kicking Taliban ass in Afhganistan and terrorist butt in Iraq.

Finally, I'm thankful that there are Soldiers and Marines and Airmen and Sailors that do their duty.  And the families that love and support them.  Words cannot express how very grateful I am...

My children sleep safely at night because of them.  And I'll never forget it.

A rip from Uncle Jimbo

Since the left has already begun trying to make this bad news, I will pipe all the way up and say WRONG! The progress made in the meetings in Cairo represents a concrete example of healthy political give and take between all the Iraqis. First a point I have seen some look at improperly, from the AP:

The communique condemned terrorism but was a clear acknowledgment of the Sunni position that insurgents should not be labeled as terrorists if they don't target innocent civilians or institutions that provide for the welfare of Iraqis."

Absolutely proper. The native Iraqis who have taken arms against the invaders of their country, and who limit their actions to targeting coalition or Iraqi security forces are not terrorists. They are guerrillas or insurgents, and unless they purposely kill innocents or assist the terrorists they should not be called otherwise. We don't have to agree with their aims, but we need to be fair in how we refer to different groups, we did invade their country and overthrow the government they worked for. What people have missed is that when the Sunni leaders insisted on this wording they also explicitly severed any support for the jihadis and the Baathist dead-enders who are terrorists, that is huge. Now we have split the much larger group of Sunnis who had legit worries about whether they could be fairly treated in a federal Iraq, from the scum who are beyond reprieve. It also will free the Sunnis who join the rest of the country rebuilding to provide intel and eliminate the few remaining rat holes the killers hide in.

Press Release from Uncle Jimbo               July 4, 2006 The Pentagon, Virginia

Today Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld announced the withdrawal of major US combat forces from the free country of Iraq. He also announced his own retirement having concluded the liberation of Afghanistan and Iraq and greatly furthered the overall war on Islamic terrorism.

"Ladies & Gentlemen I am tremendously pleased to announce the return home over the next six months of all US forces involved in direct internal security of Iraq. The elections in December followed by the seating of a Parliament with full Sunni participation has given Iraq the first truly representative government in the Middle East. Throughout last year many called for us to abandon this struggle as we neared it's successful conclusion, thankfully the administration did not lose it's resolve in the face of incessant media stories focused only on the negative. Our troops on the ground knew all along that they were winning and no innacurate portrayal could change that. It was difficult to explain to the troops why the news their families saw at home showed such a different view than that of their own eyes. Many worried that the only good news their families heard came from milblogs and other alternative media. I assured them that most of America could recognize victory even when reports of it are cloaked in the smoke of defeatism and they are told  we are entangled in imaginary quagmires. Our troops knew better and so did this administration. We will no longer be known as the giant who can't take a punch, the colossus who abandons it's smaller allies when the political smokescreens start blowing, the hollow, decadent self-indulgent America that will not stand on principle. That will no longer be grist for the Al-Qaeda propaganda machine. We stood fast, fought hard and as we in the military knew we would, triumphed.

Iraq is free and sovereign, the rape rooms closed, the shredders disabled, the tyrant in shackles awaiting his hanging, the people living with all the blessings of liberty. Thanks to our military and the will of this administration not to cave in to those who never learned, or have forgotten that sacrifice is the cost of any worthy goal. We have now achieved one, for the people of Iraq, the rest of the Middle East and to remind the world that we have the will to stand up for freedom, wherever it is crushed by the boot of tyranny.

I will now retire as soon as the WMD we recently recovered from their hiding places in Syria have been catalogued and I finish pummeling a few people about the head and shoulders with them. And a big shout out to the Jordanians for sending us that Christmas card Zarqawi sent his mother, complete with return address. Oh and Condi '08, let freedom continue to reign, Rumsfeld out."

Michelle Malkin has a must read post where the Edmonton Sun quotes Chris Matthews as saying that we need to understand the perspective of the terrorists because they are not evil...they just have a different perspective.

I checked the whole article.  Not taken out of context. 

Un-flippin'-believable!

Update:  It must be a full court press.  Reprisals for Friday's vote?  Here's John Cole at Balloon Juice about attacks on our troops from Think Progress and the Kos-sack - bottom line is that they believe that our troops are war criminals.

Update 2:  James Lileks on Kurt Vonnegut losing his mind in his war against the Bush Administration by embracing of the terrorists...Read it.  I've been reading Lileks for years and this post is why...(he also provides a GPBQOTD - a gratuitious Princess Bride Quote of the Day).