241.
Marines killed. Families affected. Trees planted in their honor along NC Highway 24 here.
It's all the same number.
Twenty-five years ago today, a terrorist truck bomb leveled the barracks of the 24th Marine Amphibious Unit (as it was then known), based here at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina.
I barely remember seeing news reports the day it happened. Marines and sailors, barechested, scrambling over the massive pile of rubble and digging, clawing, tearing away the dirt and debris with a sense of urgency I'd never seen before - hours after the blast. A reporter who, after asking a Marine why they were doing it - and hearing the response "Because my brother's in there" - couldn't comprehend that he was talking about anyone lying under that pile of concrete and steel.
There's been volumes written about why it happened, where the failure was, where the blame should lie, and dozens of other circumstances surrounding this tragedy (travesty?) that quite frankly just don't concern me. What does concern me is that the men who fell that day are remembered.
That being said, I'm also mindful of the 85 French paratroopers who were killed minutes later by another bomb. "For he who sheds his blood with me this day shall be my brother."
I do my best to take a moment every year, on the day, and remember what happened in 1983. I can never fully understand what it means for the families of the fallen, Marines who were there, unable to save their brothers and unable to fight back. Those here stateside who heard the news and were also helpless to do anything about it.
There's nothing I've ever been through that could even compare to any of those situations... but about ten years later, my thoughts of those Marines and my vague impressions of that day were a significant factor in my decision to enlist in the Marine Corps.
I know I can honor the comrades, families, and memory of those 241 men. I only hope that my service in this uniform is a credit to them all as well.
Quotation of the Moment: "Valor is of no service, chance rules all, and the bravest often fall by the hands of cowards." - Tacitus, The Histories
2008-10-23
2008-10-15
Election 2008: My Little Narrow View
As of yesterday, several major news outlets were reporting Barack Obama as leading John McCain in the polls by anywhere from five to eight percentage points - perhaps even more, depending on your source.
I will go ahead and cop out by saying that I was away on business from February 2007 until February of this year, learning more than you would ever care to know about local and Provincial Iraqi politics. And I freely admit, I spent the subsequent 4-6 months just fucking well enjoying being home and unscathed. I'm pretty greedy like that sometimes.
So yeah, that's my excuse for just feeling completely apathetic to the entire process of primary elections and anything to do with Presidential elections until about July or so.
That being said, and based on what very, very little I know about U.S. politics in general, here's my take - with a bit of a preamble:
When Bush II was elected, I did actually vote for him. What I saw in the news following Election Day numbed my little walnut-sized brain after about 48 hours, although I do know that both political parties involved conducted some shady-ass, crooked last-minute desperation deals behind closed doors. DON'T EVEN think about correcting my impressions there - I don't care which side you were on, the Dems and GOP were each using unconscionable tactics that were absolutely NOT in this nation's best interest, simply in order to get their man elected.
So, whatever. Hanging chads, Supreme Court, blahblahblah. Bush II comes out on top. Good for him.
Fast forward to 9/11 - and again, I admit that at the time I took that day at face value, though I've since had some questions. At the time, and based on what little I knew, I felt like the President was doing a pretty good job, all things considered. Yeah, I was pissed about him not responding IMMEDIATELY on the day, but I have also seen firsthand in the past that sometimes key leaders in my Chain of Command will take action that I don't understand until well after the fact - justifiably. That's a Marine thing that takes far more explanation that I can give just at the moment.
So things kicked off in Afghanistan. It seemed like the right thing to do. At home, I was raging at the backlash some Americans were on the receiving end of because of their ethnicity or religion. I wanted to split Pat fucking Robertson's skull wide open with a cricket bat for even claiming to believe in the same God that I do. And mostly, I wanted to get into the fight and get some payback.
Once the rumblings about Iraq started... well, again, I'm a bit of a moron. I surely didn't take a broad view at the time and question the rationale. WMDs are one thing, and I do admit that it never occurred to me (until much later) that the only true justifiable reason to roll into Iraq would be if Osama were there.
What I did know is that thousands of my brothers were pouring out of the main gate in charter buses every damn day as I watched, and that I wanted to be there with them. I'm a narrow-minded, naive bastard (was then; still am), and that's just where my heart was and is.
Back to the point: yeah, shortly after that - and the great "faulty intel" ruckus concerning Bush, Blair, et al - I pretty much thought the President had screwed up.
By that point, a lot was being discussed about Constitutional rights, Camp Delta, and detainees.
Quite honestly, I didn't give a damn. There are certain things that I believe the military and her loose-knit associated organizations should, under certain circumstances, have the ability to do without anyone outside the circle ever finding out about - it's the Jack Bauer in me.
Then again, that's a damn slippery slope. It's also reason #19,738 why I Will Never Be In A Position of True Authority. And yes, a damn good reason for a Constitution in the first place.
Then came Abu Ghraib.
My first reaction was to have everyone who'd ever worked at that place or been in charge of it since day one flown right down to GTMO immediately - on the "orange jumpsuit" side of the resort. As the weeks and months dragged on, though... well, it turned into a big campaign to rip up Rumsfeld, Bush II, et al. Nevermind that to some extent - and please, again, I beg you: don't even try to deny it - the military in general took a beating in the press.
I know whose head(s) I wanted to roll right then. They were generally overlooked and ignored in favor of jailing the jailers and sacking some Cabinet members. There should have been a LOT more officers and senior Army NCOs thrown in jail right that minute - and not just Karpinski as the Token General.
Then came time for Election 2004. Everyone in the country had heard enough Bush-bashing by then that it seemed pretty obvious how dissatisfied the populace was, and what the outcome would be. Even if the best opponents mustered were Kerry and Dean... it seemed pretty inevitable.
AND YOU REELECTED HIM, AMERICA!!! WTF???
At that point, I really, REALLY just wanted everyone to quit their bitching. Honestly, I didn't vote that year because I did not care who became President. Honest to God, I didn't. I had certain job security and a roof over my head, and I love what I do. Again, me = greedy.
Yet the bitching has continued, nay, intensified, since the 2004 election. Yes, again, more shadiness with voting and/or voting machines in certain districts that year.
(Side note: if you were one of the party officials or Diebold engineers or other supposed "experts" that jumped on the problem in 2000 and assured us that "this can never happen again"? Kill yourself right fucking now. Ritual harakiri in front of your family and friends, televised live on CNN so that the entire nation can witness some small token gesture of your uselessness and duplicity, if not genuine regret. You are all TOOLS and should burn in hell.)
I won't even get into our current economic crisis, because I have an absolute dearth of knowledge about even basic finance and economics. I do know that 1) it seems like a very bad idea, in the long term, for the government to buy bad paper from bad lenders, and 2) it's as if the current Administration *and* Congress are just trying to shit the bed as many times as possible before Election Day. Not that I'm a cynic or anything.
All this, in an exceptionally roundabout fashion, brings us to our current Presidential race.
Again, I look up at the candidates, and again, I see a couple of morons.
Barack Obama seems to me fairly genuine (or at least as "genuine" as any politician at his level can be) in wanting change, and a break from the status quo. I also believe that he has as much experience and as many connections at the federal level of government as I do at the post-Doctorate level of Rocket Surgery.
Had he chosen someone with proven Cabinet-level experience and military credibility (thereby offsetting McCain's grand claim of leadership), someone like, oh, maybe Jim Webb as his VP? I'd have been the first one to mail in my absentee ballot in his favor. As it stands, he picked someone that I've never heard of and can't be arsed to learn about. If anyone can point out something of significance that Biden brings to the table - aside from a career in politics - pray tell, let me know.
John McCain was a war veteran and POW. I have much respect for that, and it is good to know that someone besides that asshole John Murtha* is currently serving in Congress with the experience of genuine, active-duty military service to this nation during a time of war.
That being said... his military credibility is woefully outdated (although he does have a son currently serving in the Marine Corps - as does Jim Webb), and for pretty much my entire lifetime he has been a rich-to-ridiculously-wealthy businessman and career Beltway Boy.
Yeah, now *there's* a recipe for change. Somebody I can relate to, for sure!
I won't even address Palin. That's what English football commentators call a "sitter" right there. I am mildly interested in seeing the forthcoming novelty video based on her political career... otherwise, meh. Brilliant stratagem: McCain flies under the radar and picks a WOMAN nominee for his veep. Gasp.
Now, back to the anti-Bush sentiment that's been predominant for the past five or six years:
It would once again seem like a no-brainer - lately, the economy is ass, just adding to the list of "Bush catasrophes" - that the Republicans have no chance. Again, the current poll numbers, and any other indicators I can think of, all point to it.
But unlike 2004, if the GOP's man gets elected this time, I won't blame my countrymen (or countrywomen, even) for tanking the play.
The more I think about it - and I'm not very well-educated on any subject, just adequately educated on a lot of things - the current state of our allegedly democratic and justly representative government won't allow for a truly honest election this time, either.
Two words: Electoral College.
Unless and until that shambolic relic goes completely away, my vote won't count worth a damn. Neither will yours. Hell, the whole statistic about 100,000 votes (one from each voting district in the nation) making the difference for JFK to get elected? Pipe dream, thing of the past, fairy tale, deader than charity.
The votes that count - at the Electoral College - are already bought and paid for. So why bother? Particularly when I've got two yutzes like this sitting in front of me trying to convince me of...
Hell, I don't even care what they want me to believe. One will win, one will lose, and it won't make a damn bit of difference what I think.
What will make a difference to me, personally, is that my tribe will continue to thrive. Google "Helmand Province MEU", and you'll see we're a growth industry for the next four years, minimum.
Not that I'm totally jaded or anything. My call sign for political (and mathematical) matters is "Ostrich", but I am a realist. Or so I like to think, at least.
If nothing else, though, I'm getting a lot more Tina Fey time this year, which pleases me greatly!
*Please do NOT get me started on John Murtha, or I will completely lose my shit. Seriously.
Song of the Moment: "The Laws Have Changed", The New Pornographers
Quotation of the Moment: "A hero is no braver than an ordinary man, but he is brave five minutes longer." - Ralph Waldo Emerson
I will go ahead and cop out by saying that I was away on business from February 2007 until February of this year, learning more than you would ever care to know about local and Provincial Iraqi politics. And I freely admit, I spent the subsequent 4-6 months just fucking well enjoying being home and unscathed. I'm pretty greedy like that sometimes.
So yeah, that's my excuse for just feeling completely apathetic to the entire process of primary elections and anything to do with Presidential elections until about July or so.
That being said, and based on what very, very little I know about U.S. politics in general, here's my take - with a bit of a preamble:
When Bush II was elected, I did actually vote for him. What I saw in the news following Election Day numbed my little walnut-sized brain after about 48 hours, although I do know that both political parties involved conducted some shady-ass, crooked last-minute desperation deals behind closed doors. DON'T EVEN think about correcting my impressions there - I don't care which side you were on, the Dems and GOP were each using unconscionable tactics that were absolutely NOT in this nation's best interest, simply in order to get their man elected.
So, whatever. Hanging chads, Supreme Court, blahblahblah. Bush II comes out on top. Good for him.
Fast forward to 9/11 - and again, I admit that at the time I took that day at face value, though I've since had some questions. At the time, and based on what little I knew, I felt like the President was doing a pretty good job, all things considered. Yeah, I was pissed about him not responding IMMEDIATELY on the day, but I have also seen firsthand in the past that sometimes key leaders in my Chain of Command will take action that I don't understand until well after the fact - justifiably. That's a Marine thing that takes far more explanation that I can give just at the moment.
So things kicked off in Afghanistan. It seemed like the right thing to do. At home, I was raging at the backlash some Americans were on the receiving end of because of their ethnicity or religion. I wanted to split Pat fucking Robertson's skull wide open with a cricket bat for even claiming to believe in the same God that I do. And mostly, I wanted to get into the fight and get some payback.
Once the rumblings about Iraq started... well, again, I'm a bit of a moron. I surely didn't take a broad view at the time and question the rationale. WMDs are one thing, and I do admit that it never occurred to me (until much later) that the only true justifiable reason to roll into Iraq would be if Osama were there.
What I did know is that thousands of my brothers were pouring out of the main gate in charter buses every damn day as I watched, and that I wanted to be there with them. I'm a narrow-minded, naive bastard (was then; still am), and that's just where my heart was and is.
Back to the point: yeah, shortly after that - and the great "faulty intel" ruckus concerning Bush, Blair, et al - I pretty much thought the President had screwed up.
By that point, a lot was being discussed about Constitutional rights, Camp Delta, and detainees.
Quite honestly, I didn't give a damn. There are certain things that I believe the military and her loose-knit associated organizations should, under certain circumstances, have the ability to do without anyone outside the circle ever finding out about - it's the Jack Bauer in me.
Then again, that's a damn slippery slope. It's also reason #19,738 why I Will Never Be In A Position of True Authority. And yes, a damn good reason for a Constitution in the first place.
Then came Abu Ghraib.
My first reaction was to have everyone who'd ever worked at that place or been in charge of it since day one flown right down to GTMO immediately - on the "orange jumpsuit" side of the resort. As the weeks and months dragged on, though... well, it turned into a big campaign to rip up Rumsfeld, Bush II, et al. Nevermind that to some extent - and please, again, I beg you: don't even try to deny it - the military in general took a beating in the press.
I know whose head(s) I wanted to roll right then. They were generally overlooked and ignored in favor of jailing the jailers and sacking some Cabinet members. There should have been a LOT more officers and senior Army NCOs thrown in jail right that minute - and not just Karpinski as the Token General.
Then came time for Election 2004. Everyone in the country had heard enough Bush-bashing by then that it seemed pretty obvious how dissatisfied the populace was, and what the outcome would be. Even if the best opponents mustered were Kerry and Dean... it seemed pretty inevitable.
AND YOU REELECTED HIM, AMERICA!!! WTF???
At that point, I really, REALLY just wanted everyone to quit their bitching. Honestly, I didn't vote that year because I did not care who became President. Honest to God, I didn't. I had certain job security and a roof over my head, and I love what I do. Again, me = greedy.
Yet the bitching has continued, nay, intensified, since the 2004 election. Yes, again, more shadiness with voting and/or voting machines in certain districts that year.
(Side note: if you were one of the party officials or Diebold engineers or other supposed "experts" that jumped on the problem in 2000 and assured us that "this can never happen again"? Kill yourself right fucking now. Ritual harakiri in front of your family and friends, televised live on CNN so that the entire nation can witness some small token gesture of your uselessness and duplicity, if not genuine regret. You are all TOOLS and should burn in hell.)
I won't even get into our current economic crisis, because I have an absolute dearth of knowledge about even basic finance and economics. I do know that 1) it seems like a very bad idea, in the long term, for the government to buy bad paper from bad lenders, and 2) it's as if the current Administration *and* Congress are just trying to shit the bed as many times as possible before Election Day. Not that I'm a cynic or anything.
All this, in an exceptionally roundabout fashion, brings us to our current Presidential race.
Again, I look up at the candidates, and again, I see a couple of morons.
Barack Obama seems to me fairly genuine (or at least as "genuine" as any politician at his level can be) in wanting change, and a break from the status quo. I also believe that he has as much experience and as many connections at the federal level of government as I do at the post-Doctorate level of Rocket Surgery.
Had he chosen someone with proven Cabinet-level experience and military credibility (thereby offsetting McCain's grand claim of leadership), someone like, oh, maybe Jim Webb as his VP? I'd have been the first one to mail in my absentee ballot in his favor. As it stands, he picked someone that I've never heard of and can't be arsed to learn about. If anyone can point out something of significance that Biden brings to the table - aside from a career in politics - pray tell, let me know.
John McCain was a war veteran and POW. I have much respect for that, and it is good to know that someone besides that asshole John Murtha* is currently serving in Congress with the experience of genuine, active-duty military service to this nation during a time of war.
That being said... his military credibility is woefully outdated (although he does have a son currently serving in the Marine Corps - as does Jim Webb), and for pretty much my entire lifetime he has been a rich-to-ridiculously-wealthy businessman and career Beltway Boy.
Yeah, now *there's* a recipe for change. Somebody I can relate to, for sure!
I won't even address Palin. That's what English football commentators call a "sitter" right there. I am mildly interested in seeing the forthcoming novelty video based on her political career... otherwise, meh. Brilliant stratagem: McCain flies under the radar and picks a WOMAN nominee for his veep. Gasp.
Now, back to the anti-Bush sentiment that's been predominant for the past five or six years:
It would once again seem like a no-brainer - lately, the economy is ass, just adding to the list of "Bush catasrophes" - that the Republicans have no chance. Again, the current poll numbers, and any other indicators I can think of, all point to it.
But unlike 2004, if the GOP's man gets elected this time, I won't blame my countrymen (or countrywomen, even) for tanking the play.
The more I think about it - and I'm not very well-educated on any subject, just adequately educated on a lot of things - the current state of our allegedly democratic and justly representative government won't allow for a truly honest election this time, either.
Two words: Electoral College.
Unless and until that shambolic relic goes completely away, my vote won't count worth a damn. Neither will yours. Hell, the whole statistic about 100,000 votes (one from each voting district in the nation) making the difference for JFK to get elected? Pipe dream, thing of the past, fairy tale, deader than charity.
The votes that count - at the Electoral College - are already bought and paid for. So why bother? Particularly when I've got two yutzes like this sitting in front of me trying to convince me of...
Hell, I don't even care what they want me to believe. One will win, one will lose, and it won't make a damn bit of difference what I think.
What will make a difference to me, personally, is that my tribe will continue to thrive. Google "Helmand Province MEU", and you'll see we're a growth industry for the next four years, minimum.
Not that I'm totally jaded or anything. My call sign for political (and mathematical) matters is "Ostrich", but I am a realist. Or so I like to think, at least.
If nothing else, though, I'm getting a lot more Tina Fey time this year, which pleases me greatly!
*Please do NOT get me started on John Murtha, or I will completely lose my shit. Seriously.
Song of the Moment: "The Laws Have Changed", The New Pornographers
Quotation of the Moment: "A hero is no braver than an ordinary man, but he is brave five minutes longer." - Ralph Waldo Emerson
2008-10-09
Yom Kippur
Blatantly palgiarized from a newsletter I receive occasionally:
"Dear friends,
Thirty five years ago on the holiest day of the Jewish faith, the armies of Egypt and Syria attacked the State of Israel. The IDF military intelligence failed to predict the war and the attacks came by surprise. Although taken by surprise, Israel repulsed the invading Armies and carried the war deep into Syria and Egypt territories. Only heavy diplomatic pressure from the UN, the USA and the Soviet Union saved the armies of Egypt and Syria from another total defeat.
Egypt and Syria realized that they will never be able to defeat Israel in the battlefield. Six years later Egypt signed a peace treaty with Israel which lasts for almost 30 years. The Israeli-Syrian border is the most peaceful border of Israel during the last 34 years.
On Thursday the Jewish world will celebrate and observe Yom Kippur. On this holy day we also remember the 2,688 fallen soldiers of the Yom Kippur War. Their sacrifice gave us life.
We will also use this opportunity to wish [you] a Happy New Jewish Year and that all of you will be written and sealed in the Book of Life."
I respect the hell out of the Israeli Defense Forces. One of the top five military organizations in the world, bar none. And (as far as I'm concerned) they have some of the most beautiful women I've ever seen in uniform. Moreover, their policies permit and even encourage both women and homosexuals to serve openly in their military (as do the armed forces of the United Kingdom, but I digress).
And while I do admire the IDF to a fault... I truly wish that my government hadn't chosen to continue being the largest, most high-profile supporter of Israel in all of recorded history. Yes, they needed some help getting their homeland and it's government and armed forces off the ground in 1948. But it's been 60 years, and I think they'll do just fine with much less than the $60 Billion (or whatever it is) we give them in defense aid every year. I won't even get into the fact that more than one American has been threatened or even killed outright because of our close alliance with Israel. (e.g., Robert Dean Stethem. I will remember the images of that incident for the rest of my life.)
Here's my bottom line: look back on the history of Israel, militarily. The Six Day War. The Ten Day War. The Yom Kippur War.
They are SURROUNDED geographically by a half dozen enemies who have threatened to "push them into the sea" since they first established the nation of Israel 60 years ago.
And they've stood their ground and kicked ass more times than I can recall offhand, doing it all on weekends and holidays (or so it seems, at least). The latest big shootin' match with Lebanon in 2006 dragged on for... jeez, six whole weeks, was it? The notorious Bekaa Valley Turkey Shoot of 1982 saw IDF pilots down 82 Syrian MiG fighters without a single Israeli F-16 lost!!!
All joking and exaggeration aside, though: on this, the Jewish New Year, I tip my hat eastward to all those veterans and currently serving in the IDF, as well as the people of Israel. Your dedication, commitment, and - above all - faith, is an inspiration to us all.
I might not like any of the politics at all... but I'd get to scrappin' with any of you on my left or right at the drop of a hat. Sincere blessings and best wishes to you on this holiday.
"Dear friends,
Thirty five years ago on the holiest day of the Jewish faith, the armies of Egypt and Syria attacked the State of Israel. The IDF military intelligence failed to predict the war and the attacks came by surprise. Although taken by surprise, Israel repulsed the invading Armies and carried the war deep into Syria and Egypt territories. Only heavy diplomatic pressure from the UN, the USA and the Soviet Union saved the armies of Egypt and Syria from another total defeat.
Egypt and Syria realized that they will never be able to defeat Israel in the battlefield. Six years later Egypt signed a peace treaty with Israel which lasts for almost 30 years. The Israeli-Syrian border is the most peaceful border of Israel during the last 34 years.
On Thursday the Jewish world will celebrate and observe Yom Kippur. On this holy day we also remember the 2,688 fallen soldiers of the Yom Kippur War. Their sacrifice gave us life.
We will also use this opportunity to wish [you] a Happy New Jewish Year and that all of you will be written and sealed in the Book of Life."
I respect the hell out of the Israeli Defense Forces. One of the top five military organizations in the world, bar none. And (as far as I'm concerned) they have some of the most beautiful women I've ever seen in uniform. Moreover, their policies permit and even encourage both women and homosexuals to serve openly in their military (as do the armed forces of the United Kingdom, but I digress).
And while I do admire the IDF to a fault... I truly wish that my government hadn't chosen to continue being the largest, most high-profile supporter of Israel in all of recorded history. Yes, they needed some help getting their homeland and it's government and armed forces off the ground in 1948. But it's been 60 years, and I think they'll do just fine with much less than the $60 Billion (or whatever it is) we give them in defense aid every year. I won't even get into the fact that more than one American has been threatened or even killed outright because of our close alliance with Israel. (e.g., Robert Dean Stethem. I will remember the images of that incident for the rest of my life.)
Here's my bottom line: look back on the history of Israel, militarily. The Six Day War. The Ten Day War. The Yom Kippur War.
They are SURROUNDED geographically by a half dozen enemies who have threatened to "push them into the sea" since they first established the nation of Israel 60 years ago.
And they've stood their ground and kicked ass more times than I can recall offhand, doing it all on weekends and holidays (or so it seems, at least). The latest big shootin' match with Lebanon in 2006 dragged on for... jeez, six whole weeks, was it? The notorious Bekaa Valley Turkey Shoot of 1982 saw IDF pilots down 82 Syrian MiG fighters without a single Israeli F-16 lost!!!
All joking and exaggeration aside, though: on this, the Jewish New Year, I tip my hat eastward to all those veterans and currently serving in the IDF, as well as the people of Israel. Your dedication, commitment, and - above all - faith, is an inspiration to us all.
I might not like any of the politics at all... but I'd get to scrappin' with any of you on my left or right at the drop of a hat. Sincere blessings and best wishes to you on this holiday.
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