BlackFive

A true American hero passed away this week.  

Colonel George "Bud" Day, a Medal of Honor recipient, spent five years and seven months as a POW in Viet Nam. He received the MoH for evading capture for 10 days after being shot down.

USAF Captain Bud Day, 1956

Serving first as a Marine for 30 months in the Pacific Islands during WWII, Bud Day later became a pilot and joined the National Guard and then the United States Air Force. He had received more than 70 medals for his service and courage from WWII, Korea and Viet Nam.  He was also a lawyer, and after retiring from the USAF, defended military retiree benefits.

His Medal of Honor citation is below and worth your time to read.

On 26 August 1967, Col. Day was forced to eject from his aircraft over North Vietnam when it was hit by ground fire. His right arm was broken in 3 places, and his left knee was badly sprained. He was immediately captured by hostile forces and taken to a prison camp where he was interrogated and severely tortured. After causing the guards to relax their vigilance, Col. Day escaped into the jungle and began the trek toward South Vietnam. Despite injuries inflicted by fragments of a bomb or rocket, he continued southward surviving only on a few berries and uncooked frogs.

He successfully evaded enemy patrols and reached the Ben Hai River, where he encountered U.S. artillery barrages. With the aid of a bamboo log float, Col. Day swam across the river and entered the demilitarized zone. Due to delirium, he lost his sense of direction and wandered aimlessly for several days. After several unsuccessful attempts to signal U.S. aircraft, he was ambushed and recaptured by the Viet Cong, sustaining gunshot wounds to his left hand and thigh.

He was returned to the prison from which he had escaped and later was moved to Hanoi after giving his captors false information to questions put before him. Physically, Col. Day was totally debilitated and unable to perform even the simplest task for himself. Despite his many injuries, he continued to offer maximum resistance.

His personal bravery in the face of deadly enemy pressure was significant in saving the lives of fellow aviators who were still flying against the enemy. Col. Day's conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty are in keeping with the highest traditions of the U.S. Air Force and reflect great credit upon himself and the U.S. Armed Forces.

Last Saturday, Colonel Day died in is home in Florida, at age 88, surrounded by family and friends.

Godspeed, Colonel Day.

Photo by Bill Thompson, DoD 1987 

Update:  Senator John McCain, Colonel Day's cellmate at the infamous Hanoi Hilton, had this to say on the Senate floor.

 

Google Ads.  No matter what you do, they get by you and might even counter the point that you were intending to get across.  Take this little piece by Deebow, about the changes in uniform characteristics in order to accomodate females in the military.

I am going to refrain from jokes regarding wider areas for hips, waists and backsides, changes in knee pad placement, the need for elbow pad adjustments and anything regarding "longer and wider" in regards to jacket size.

- See more at: http://www.blackfive.net/main/2013/07/marching-toward-speechlessness.html#sthash.ctdYjHqQ.dpuf

Google reads that quote and WHAMO!!! Proper Ad Placement as shown below.  Sending an inter-office memo to the D-man right now!

I just have one comment about the verdict today.  The defense moved to throw out the count of aiding the enemy recently, and the judge disallowed the motion.  The reason the defense thought the motion was reasonable is striking.

The judge heard a request from the defense on Monday to drop the charge. David E. Coombs, the lead defense lawyer, argued that Private Manning did not have “actual knowledge” that by leaking the documents to WikiLeaks he was aiding the enemy.

In the past, the government had argued that through his extensive training, Private Manning should have known that the information could end up with groups that wanted to harm American military personnel. But the government acknowledged Monday that “should have known” was not enough to define “actual knowledge.”

A hundred thousand OPSEC briefings later, only an absolute moron would not realize that publishing classified documents on the Internet would mean that the enemy would have access to them.  

The judge refused to drop the charge, but apparently was convinced by the argument.  Being a moron is apparently a positive defense here, justifying an actual acquittal of the charge of aiding the enemy.  No doubt this precedent will improve the standards of good order and discipline in the US Army.

He was acquitted of the most serious charge, aiding the enemy, but was convicted or pled guilty to everything else. It is an extensive list and should keep him making little rocks out of big ones for a long damn time.

FORT MEADE, Md. — A military judge Tuesday acquitted Pfc. Bradley Manning of  aiding the enemy — the most serious charge the Army intelligence analyst faced  for leaking hundreds of thousands of classified military reports and diplomatic  cables.

Manning was convicted on nearly all of the lesser charges considered by the  judge, Army Col. Denise Lind, in connection with the largest breach of  classified material in U.S. history...

If convicted on all charges apart from aiding the enemy, Manning faced a  potential sentence of up to 154 years.

That'll do. I am even OK if it is just an even 150. Or 149 years and 8 months since...

Lind ruled in January that Manning is entitled to a sentencing credit of nearly  four months as a result of what she determined was unnecessarily harsh treatment  the intelligence analysts received during his almost nine-month stay at a Marine  Corps brig in Quantico, Va.

I don't begrudge him the four month credit he gets because it was perhaps, a tiny bit over the top to keep the little fella more or less butt naked for his stint there. I mean there was a possibility he might hurt himself, but I think they may have stretched a little in enforcing that. And while I may think he deserved to be convicted of the aiding the enemy charge, there is a reasonable argument that he did not intend to do so and that  cough, cough WikiLeaks and AssFlange are a journalistic endeavor, not actually our enemies. So hey I am going glass more than half full on this and wishing young Bradly a joyful stay at Club Leavenworth until he is old, or even dead Bradley.

Over at This Ain't Hell, Jonn links to a very well done piece by Paul Szoldra (aka StrikeFO at TAH) in Business Insider.  It is well worth a read, some good thought and discussion, and well placed to get it out where more of the public might notice and discuss. 

LW

PS:  Yes, it is a year old, doesn't change that it is good and we need to find a way to kick this discussion off again. 

It is becoming increasingly apparent to many Americans that we are going to have to rely on the cast of Mama Mia' and Rent, augmented by the LBGT community for our survival as a nation in times of war.  In fact, it appears that the US Army is taking some significant steps to ensure they look FABULOUS!!! 

The March debut of the Combat Uniform-Alternate is the first in a series of moves the Army hopes to make in the next three years to help female soldiers feel like more professional members, officials said.

With narrower shoulders, a slightly tapered waist and a more spacious seat, the unisex clothing line has been in the works since 2009 and is being issued to all installations – except Fort Benning in Columbus, Ga. – for men and women with a smaller or more slender body.

Now we are concerned that they don't "feel" professional in their uniform?  Can someone throw a lifeline down this f'ing rabbit hole to me please?  I just keep tumbling and tumbling.....

And let me correct the the Media; it ain't a "unisex" uniform if you can't sell it at Fort Benning; home of the Airborne, The Infantry, Sniper School, Ranger School and the factory where the crucible is located that cranks out a good portion of the world's supply of Modern Combat Bad-Assery.

The trousers feature wider areas at the hips, waist and backside; elastic around the waistband instead of pull string; adjusted pockets and knee-pad inserts; and a shortened rise in pants.

The jackets include adjusted rank and name tape positioning, adjusted pockets and elbow-pad inserts, slimmer shoulders, a thinner and more fitted waist, and a longer and wider coat bottom.

Because Matty O' has always asked lovingly to keep it as PG as possible, I am going to refrain from jokes regarding wider areas for hips, waists and backsides, changes in knee pad placement, the need for elbow pad adjustments and anything regarding "longer and wider" in regards to jacket size. Please work on your own for this portion.

IMHO, unless that uniform also has an electro-hydraulic up-armored exoskeleton attached to an Arc Reactor from Stark Industries, I am not certain how it is "better" for female soldiers.  I guess it will look fabulous on them when they are sweating that 81mm baseplate up the hill.

Roughly one in every six soldiers is a woman, and last month, the Army announced that the ratio likely will increase by early 2014, when the service will continue its efforts to open all closed units and military occupational specialties to women

Great thinking Big Army, create a "unisex" uniform that fits 1/6th of the Army (and those waify looking dudes in finance) because that's what will make them want to make them choose a career with attributes like lifting heavy things and walking them all over God's Green Earth and then living in the mud when you get there; new, form fitting and flatteringly spiffy uniforms.

Someone in the puzzle palace is making the bold move of staking their career on sexual harrassment in the Armed Forces going up I guess.

Do they get a nifty beret to go with it?  Did the US Army hire the PIO team from The Onion and Clinton and Stacy from What Not To Wear?  Are they really f'ing serious about the direction they are taking the Army in?

Make a new uniform for the ladies all you want.  I thought they had what it took to be professionals all along.  Just not Infantry, Artillery, Cavalry, Armor or Special Forces professionals....

Come one, come all:  you are hereby invited to:

A Different View at the Doo
WHEN:  24 August 2013
WHERE:  The dooGallery, 205 Holtzclaw St. SE, Atlanta, GA  30316
TIMES:  3-6 Family hours, 7-midnight reception and fundraiser
COST:  $10 per person at the door

I'm going to skip the press release, the short version is that we are working on a show, and it will also be a fundraiser for Team Rubicon.  As such, we are looking for sponsors who want to get their company/product out in front of a very interesting audience.  To give you an idea, we are inviting business, finance, civic, and other leadership, with my goal being to make this the largest and most succesful fundraiser ever done at the dooGallery. 

Sponsors are needed to cover costs.  Why?  Because if the costs are covered, 100 percent of the door goes to Team Rubicon and we can explore other options to raise funds.  I'm also pledging ten percent of all print sales that night to Team Rubicon. 

So, hope to see you there and if you are a business or organization looking to get in front of some very good people, drop me a line. 

LW

PS:  Working on some surprises, hope to be able to announce more soon. 

PPS:  A while back on Facebook, I asked what readers wanted to see offered as incentives for donations.  The initial suggestions and a chance to discuss them and ask for more is here. 

ZenPundit has composed a piece that is a thoroughgoing sketch of what has been done wrong in Afghanistan and, to a lesser degree, was done wrong in Iraq.  I suspect all of you will find much to agree with in his commentary, and most of you will find at least one or two things to object to as well.  

It should make for a good discussion.

Wearing the appropriate kit applies to all those serving in Afghanistan. Here a military working dog is pictured wearing ear protection during an operation with the Brigade Reconnaissance Force.

Photographer Sergeant Barry Pope; Crown copyright.

Click this link, watch the awesome video about the amazing history of Pararescue Jumpers, and then please vote:  http://thisainthell.us/blog/?p=36785