tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-353497732024-03-26T02:51:17.597-06:00Gunz UpWritings and musings on the eccentric beauty of sacrifice. Come journey and write with us. We are resolved to capture something positive in a troubled world and laugh when we can along the way. This, then, is dedicated in Loving Memory to LCpl. Aaron C. Austin, USMC KIA Fallujah, Iraq on April 26, 2004. Rock On...De'on Millerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14599141539917861219noreply@blogger.comBlogger1562125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35349773.post-1173164886041983592008-03-05T23:58:00.000-07:002007-03-06T00:08:06.103-07:00We've Moved!!<a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/1325/3931/1600/872191/Flag%20flight.jpg"><img style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/1325/3931/400/163901/Flag%20flight.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><strong><span style="font-size:130%;color:#3366ff;"><a href="http://gunzup.blogspot.com">CLICK HERE FOR OUR NEW HOME.</a></span></strong>De'on Millerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14599141539917861219noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35349773.post-1159724450666503112007-10-01T11:33:00.000-06:002007-02-13T12:32:59.043-07:00What We Are<span style="font-size:78%;color:#006600;"></span><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/727/3930/1600/Iraq%202.jpg"><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/727/3930/320/Iraq%202.jpg" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family:times new roman;font-size:85%;color:#000066;"><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:100%;color:#000000;"></span></span><br /><span style="font-family:times new roman;font-size:85%;color:#000066;"><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:100%;color:#000000;"></span></span><br /><span style="font-family:times new roman;font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:100%;color:#990000;"><em>This post was written by Sgt. Billy Knipper, who has joined Gunz Up as one of the writers. We moved this powerful post to the top of the blog because it defines the men we want to honor on Gunz Up. Sgt. Knipper was the Chief Instuctor for Camp Pendleton's Divisional Machine Gun Classes.</em></span></span><br /><span style="font-family:times new roman;font-size:85%;color:#000066;"><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:100%;color:#000000;"></span></span><br /><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000066;"><span style="font-family:arial;color:#000000;">There are some who might ask if a young man today is as 'Rough and Tumble' as they were 60 or 70 years ago. If the iron will of the greatest generation has seeped away and left us with the shabby ram-shackle gathering of video gamers and I-Pod enthusiasts. Can Wars be won by such men?</span></span><br /><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000066;"><span style="font-family:arial;color:#000000;"></span></span><br /><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000066;"><span style="font-family:arial;color:#000000;">Without a doubt the answer is YES! </span></span><br /><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000066;"><span style="font-family:arial;color:#000000;"></span></span><br /><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000066;"><span style="font-family:arial;color:#000000;">All people are preprogrammed with survival traits and that fury of centuries old-anger and oppression that all people felt at some point in the earth's history, and the right kind of tempering will drive that Warrior to the surface. After that he will become an outcast, an anachronism seen amongst his former peers as an oddity. So we congregate together in our legions as "Brothers-of-the-Sword" have for millenia and wait. </span></span><br /><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000066;"><span style="font-family:arial;color:#000000;"></span></span><br /><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000066;"><span style="font-family:arial;color:#000000;">And then a War strikes. </span></span><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000066;"><span style="font-family:arial;color:#000000;">And a person must decide if the metal and steel is sharp and hard enough.</span></span><br /><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000066;"><span style="font-family:arial;color:#000000;"></span></span><br /><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000066;"><span style="font-family:arial;color:#000000;">Among who show merit- </span></span><br /><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000066;"><span style="font-family:arial;color:#000000;"></span></span><br /><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000066;"><span style="font-family:arial;color:#000000;">We are gunslingers of the highest order. The Gear we carry is heavier than the others just as the burden which rests on our hardened shoulders. We know when the gunfight breaks out, whether it is reactionary of deliberate, our task will not change. We must become a ghost, a phantom, an in-human monster, that is not simply relegated to being part of the bullet-here, bullet-there, poke and hope rifleman way of the business. Our task will involve us leaving a covered area to get in to the fight with our two or three man team which is of one mind, one goal. To lay withering fires across the field and dominate the enemies real estate and their will. We know that the number of enemy we will destroy is tempered by the number of brothers that will not have to lay down their lives today because of the dragons fire we bring to the field. </span></span><br /><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000066;"><span style="font-family:arial;color:#000000;"></span></span><br /><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000066;"><span style="font-family:arial;color:#000000;">We are not simply servicemen. We are not only Marines. Nor, or we just Marine Infantry. WE ARE MARINE MACHINE GUNNERS. </span></span><br /><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000066;"><span style="font-family:arial;color:#000000;"></span></span><br /><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000066;"><span style="font-family:arial;color:#000000;">We will live by five truths. </span></span><br /><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000066;"><span style="font-family:arial;color:#000000;"></span></span><br /><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000066;"><span style="font-family:arial;color:#000000;">The Marine Machine Gunner... </span></span><br /><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000066;"><span style="font-family:arial;color:#000000;"></span></span><br /><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000066;"><span style="font-family:arial;color:#000000;">...Does Not Know Fear </span></span><br /><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000066;"><span style="font-family:arial;color:#000000;">...Does Not Know Pain </span></span><br /><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000066;"><span style="font-family:arial;color:#000000;">.</span></span><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000066;"><span style="font-family:arial;color:#000000;">..Does Not Suffer From the Fog of War, but Creates It </span></span><br /><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000066;"><span style="font-family:arial;color:#000000;">...Seeks Position to Destroy Evil </span></span><br /><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000066;"><span style="font-family:arial;color:#000000;">...Is Not Human </span></span><br /><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000066;"><span style="font-family:arial;color:#000000;"></span></span><br /><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000066;"><span style="font-family:arial;color:#000000;">We are avenging angels who will destroy the will of our enemy and bolster the spirits of our brothers for they know we watch the walls and dark places tonight. We are not simply a throwback to WWII or Korea, but the incarnation of all warriors who chose the path gauranteeing further destruction of those who would do their kinsmen harm. Like the perfect Spartan Phalanx in ancient times where each shield covers the man to your left or right thereby securing the safety of the whole we will become that perfect mesh of metal and iron will that will win the battle. </span></span><br /><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000066;"><span style="font-family:arial;color:#000000;"></span></span><br /><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000066;"><span style="font-family:arial;color:#000000;">We are United States Marine Machine Gunners.</span></span>Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com40tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35349773.post-1161502539399026452007-09-22T01:18:00.000-06:002006-12-26T06:06:26.896-07:00A Moment of Your Time<a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/1325/3931/1600/pray.jpg"><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/1325/3931/320/pray.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div align="center"><span style="font-size:85%;color:#333300;"><strong><em><span style="font-family:lucida grande;">A Time Set Apart</span></em> for unity in prayer for</strong> </span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:85%;color:#333300;"><strong>+++OUR Troops+++</strong></span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:85%;color:#333300;"><strong>+++Their Families+++</strong></span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:85%;color:#333300;"><strong>our leaders, the innocent, and our U.S. civilians </strong></span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:85%;color:#333300;"><strong>currently serving in the Middle East</strong></span></div><div align="center"><strong><span style="color:#666600;">Daily. 11:09 A.M. CST</span></strong></div><div align="center"><strong><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#666600;"><blockquote><div align="center"><span style="font-size:78%;">Welcome to Gunz Up.</span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:78%;">Embrace the Journey.</span></div></blockquote></span></strong></div>De'on Millerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14599141539917861219noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35349773.post-1173057650429935362007-03-04T18:17:00.000-07:002007-03-04T18:20:50.496-07:00DoorsWhen Aaron first learned that he and Tiff had lost their baby, three years ago today, he was bawling so hard when he called me that I could barely make out what he was saying. When he repeated himself, he was nearly shouting. That was perhaps the hardest place I've ever been in. My son, broken-hearted and in Kuwait, waiting to begin his 2nd tour in Iraq. Me, in Lovington, NM, unable to patch or fix one darn thing--after years and tears of trying to fix everything.<br /><br />The delay in the phone, the cracking of Aaron's voice, the call lasted no more than three minutes and ended with, "I gotta go, Mom. I have to give a class and I don't want the Marines seeing me crying."<br /><br />At the end of the day, all I could do was call Tiffany in Phoenix, send a plant, record it in my Bible, and pour my heart out to him in a letter that would take 2-3 weeks to arrive. At the last minute, I grabbed a card no larger than 2"x 2" that said, <span style="font-family:verdana;">GOD NEVER CLOSES ONE DOOR WITHOUT OPENING ANOTHER</span><span >. It was a little card we picked up off the table at the Methodist Church here for his Senior Breakfast.</span><br /><br />I put that card in with the letter. It was one of the things that came back to me and is now in Zach's possesion to pass down to Weston.<br /><br />I can think of no better way to close with a last post here at this address, than to share those words with you.<br /><br />Truly, one of the comforts is that I know that Aaron holds my grandchild, a boy I think, in his arms even now.<br /><br />Join us now in opening a new door to the same place that's been home to me since early October 2006. The URL is simple: <a href="http://gunzup.blogspot.com">http://gunzup.blogspot.com</a><br />and it is still and will forever be Gunz Up.<br /><br />Semper Fi,<br />De'onDe'on Millerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14599141539917861219noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35349773.post-1173049103965451982007-03-04T16:59:00.000-07:002007-03-04T17:02:21.663-07:00Blood Is Thicker Than Water: Guadalcanal-December and the Final Stages (cont'd) *3FIRST OFFENSIVE: The Marine Campaign for Guadalcanal<br />by Henry I. Shaw, Jr.<br /><br /><br />The aerial buildup forced the Japanese to curtail all air attacks and made daylight naval reinforcement attempts an event of the past. The nighttime visits of the Tokyo Express destroyers now brought only supplies encased in metal drums which were rolled over the ships' sides in hope they would float into shore. The men ashore desperately needed everything that could be sent, even by this method, but most of the drums never reached the beaches.<br /><br /><br />Still, however desperate the enemy situation was becoming, he was prepared to fight. General Hyakutake continued to plan the seizure of the airfield. General Hitoshi Immamura, commander of the Eighth Area Army, arrived in Rabaul on 2 December with orders to continue the offensive. He had 50,000 men to add to the embattled Japanese troops on Guadalcanal.<br /><br /><br />Before these new enemy units could be employed, the Americans were prepared to move out from the perimeter in their own offensive. Conscious that the Mt. Austen area was a continuing threat to his inland flank in any drive to the west, Patch committed the Americal's 132d Infantry to the task of clearing the mountain's wooded slopes on 17 December. The Army regiment succeeded in isolating the major Japanese force in the area by early January. The 1st Battalion, 2d Marines, took up hill positions to the southeast of the 132d to increase flank protection.<br /><br /><br />By this time, the 25th Infantry Division (Major General J. Lawton Collins) had arrived and so had the 6th Marines (6 January) and the rest of the 2d Division's headquarters and support troops. Brigadier General Alphonse De Carre, the Marine division's assistant commander, took charge of all Marine ground forces on the island. The 2d Division's commander, Major General John Marston, remained in New Zealand because he was senior to General Patch.<br /><br /><br />With three divisions under his command, General Patch was designated Commanding General, XIV Corps, on 2 January. His corps headquarters numbered less than a score of officers and men, almost all taken from the Americal's staff. Brigadier General Edmund B. Sebree, who had already led both Army and Marine units in attacks on the Japanese, took command of the Americal Division. On 10 January, Patch gave the signal to start the strongest American offensive yet in the Guadalcanal campaign. The mission of the troops was simple and to the point: "Attack and destroy the Japanese forces remaining on Guadalcanal."De'on Millerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14599141539917861219noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35349773.post-1173049609112047452007-03-04T16:57:00.000-07:002007-03-04T17:00:42.060-07:00Blood Is Thicker Than Water: Guadalcanal--U.S. Halftrack<a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/1325/3931/1600/221011/halftrack.jpg"><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/1325/3931/320/517064/halftrack.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />U.S. Halftrack Mounting a 75mm Pack Howitzer and a .50-Caliber Air-Cooled Machine GunDe'on Millerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14599141539917861219noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35349773.post-1173050020927846852007-03-04T16:56:00.000-07:002007-03-04T16:59:20.296-07:00Blood Is Thicker Than Water: December and the Final Buildup (cont'd) *4The initial objective of the corps' attack was a line about 1,000 to 1,500 yards west of jump-off positions. These ran inland from Point Cruz to the vicinity of Hill 66, about 3,000 yards from the beach. In order to reach Hill 66, the 25th Infantry Division attacked first with the 35th and 27th Infantry driving west and southwest across a scrambled series of ridges. The going was rough and the dug-in enemy, elements of two regiments of the 38th Division, gave way reluctantly and slowly. By the 13th, however, the American soldiers, aided by Marines of the 1st Battalion, 2d Marines, had won through to positions on the southern flank of the 2d Marine Division.<br /><br /><br />On 12 January, the Marines began their advance with the 8th Marines along the shore and 2d Marines inland. At the base of Point Cruz, in the 3d Battalion, 8th Marines' sector, regimental weapons company half-tracks ran over seven enemy machine gun nests. The attack was then held up by an extensive emplacement until the weapons company commander, Captain Henry P. "Jim" Crowe, took charge of a half-dozen Marine infantrymen taking cover from enemy fire with the classic remarks: "You'll never get a Purple Heart hiding in a fox hole. Follow me!" The men did and they destroyed the emplacement.<br /><br /><br />All along the front of the advancing assault companies the going was rough. The Japanese, remnants of the Sendai Division, were dug into the sides of a series of cross compartments and their fire took the Marines in the flank as they advanced. Progress was slow despite massive artillery support and naval gunfire from four destroyers offshore. In two days of heavy fighting, flamethrowers were employed for the first time and tanks were brought into play. The 2d Marines was now relieved and the 6th Marines moved into the attack along the coast while the 8th Marines took up the advance inland. Naval gunfire support, spotted by naval officers ashore, improved measurably. On the 15th, the Americans, both Army and Marine, reached the initial corps objective. In the Marine attack zone, 600 Japanese were dead.<br /><br />(cont'd below)De'on Millerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14599141539917861219noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35349773.post-1173050405454367462007-03-04T16:55:00.000-07:002007-03-04T16:58:05.183-07:00Guadalcanal: Final Phase Map<div align="center"><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/1325/3931/1600/234028/final%20phase.jpg"><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/1325/3931/400/146956/final%20phase.jpg" border="0" /></a> Final Phase: 26 January—9 February 1943</div>De'on Millerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14599141539917861219noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35349773.post-1173050813311355452007-03-04T16:54:00.000-07:002007-03-04T16:56:54.950-07:00Blood Is Thicker Than Water: December and the Final Stages continues *5The battle-weary 2d Marines had seen its last infantry action of Guadalcanal. A new unit now came into being, a composite Army-Marine division, or CAM division, formed from units of the Americal and 2d Marine Divisions. The directing staff was from the 2d Division, since the Americal had responsibility for the main perimeter. Two of its regiments, the 147th and the 182d Infantry, moved up to attack in line with the 6th Marines still along the coast. The 8th Marines was essentially pinched out of the front lines by a narrowing attack corridor as the inland mountains and hills pressed closer to the coastal trail. The 25th Division, which was advancing across this rugged terrain, had the mission of outflanking the Japanese in the vicinity of Kokumbona, while the CAM Division drove west. On the 23d, as the CAM troops approached Kokumbona, the 1st Battalion of the 27th Infantry struck north out of the hills and overran the village site and Japanese base. There was only slight but steady opposition to the American advance as the enemy withdrew west toward Cape Esperance.<br /><br /><br />The Japanese had decided, reluctantly, to give up the attempt to retake Guadalcanal. The orders were sent in the name of the Emperor and senior staff officers were sent to Guadalcanal to ensure their acceptance. The Navy would make the final runs of the Tokyo Express, only this time in reverse, to evacuate the garrison so it could fight again in later battles to hold the Solomons.<br /><br /><br />Receiving intelligence that enemy ships were massing again to the northwest, General Patch took steps, as Vandegrift had before him on many occasions, to guard against overextending his forces in the face of what appeared to be another enemy attempt at reinforcement. He pulled the 25th Division back to bolster the main perimeter defenses and ordered the CAM Division to continue its attack. When the Marines and soldiers moved out on 26 January, they had a surprisingly easy time of it, gaining 1,000 yards the first day and 2,000 the following day. The Japanese were still contesting every attack, but not in strength.<br /><br /><br />By 30 January, the sole frontline unit in the American advance was the 147th Infantry; the 6th Marines held positions to its left rear.<br /><br /><br />The Japanese destroyer transports made their first run to the island on the night of 1-2 February, taking out 2,300 men from evacuation positions near Cape Esperance. On the night of 4-5 February, they returned and took out most of the Sendai survivors and General Hyakutake and his Seventeenth Army staff. The final evacuation operation was carried out on the night of 7-8 February, when a 3,000-man rear guard was embarked. In all, the Japanese withdrew about 11,000 men in those three nights and evacuated about 13,000 soldiers from Guadalcanal overall. The Americans would meet many of these men again in later battles, but not the 600 evacuees who died, too worn and sick to survive their rescue.<br /><br />(cont'd below)De'on Millerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14599141539917861219noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35349773.post-1173051370947257332007-03-04T16:52:00.000-07:002007-03-04T16:55:37.053-07:00Blood Is Thicker Than Water: Medal of Honor<a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/1325/3931/1600/518240/fdr.jpg"><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/1325/3931/320/289781/fdr.jpg" border="0" /></a> President Franklin D. Roosevelt presents Gen Vandegrift the Medal of Honor for his heroic accomplishments against the Japanese in the Solomons. Looking on are Mrs. Vandegrift, and the general's son, Maj Alexander A. Vandegrift, Jr.<br /><br /><span style="font-size:78%;">National Archives Photo 208-PU-209V-4</span><br /><br /><span style="color:#666666;">It kind of looks like he's getting choked here, huh?</span>De'on Millerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14599141539917861219noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35349773.post-1173051983376854272007-03-04T16:51:00.000-07:002007-03-04T16:53:56.430-07:00Blood Is Thicker Than Water: December and the Final Stages--FINALEOn 9 February, American soldiers advancing from east and west met at Tenaro village on Cape Esperance. The only Marine ground unit still in action was the 3d Battalion, 10th Marines, supporting the advance. General Patch could happily report the "complete and total defeat of Japanese forces on Guadalcanal." Nor organized Japanese units remained.<br /><br /><br />On 31 January, the 2d Marines and the 1st Battalion, 8th Marines, boarded ship to leave Guadalcanal. As was true with the 1st Marine Division, some of these men were so debilitated by malaria they had to be carried on board. All of them struck observers again as young men grown old "with their skins cracked and furrowed and wrinkled." On 9 February, the rest of the 8th Marines and a good part of the division supporting units boarded transports. The 6th Marines, thankfully only six weeks on the island, left on the 19th. All were headed for Wellington, New Zealand, the 2d Marines for the first time. Left behind on the island as a legacy of the 2d Marine Division were 263 dead.<br />The total cost of the Guadalcanal campaign to the American ground combat forces was 1,598 officers and men killed, 1,152 of them Marines.<br /><br /><br />The wounded totaled 4,709, and 2,799 of these were Marines. Marine aviation casualties were 147 killed and 127 wounded. The Japanese in their turn lost close to 25,000 men on Guadalcanal, about half of whom were killed in action. The rest succumbed to illness, wounds, and starvation.<br /><br /><br />At sea, the comparative losses were about equal, with each side losing about the same number of fighting ships. The enemy loss of 2 battleships, 3 carriers, 12 cruisers, and 25 destroyers, was irreplaceable. The Allied ships losses, though costly, were not fatal; in essence, all ships lost were replaced. In the air, at least 600 Japanese planes were shot down; even more costly was the death of 2,300 experienced pilots and aircrewmen. The Allied plane losses were less than half the enemy's number and the pilot and aircrew losses substantially lower.<br /><br />President Roosevelt, reflecting the thanks of a grateful nation, awarded General Vandegrift the Medal of Honor for "outstanding and heroic accomplishment" in his leadership of American forces on Guadalcanal from 7 August to 9 December 1942. And for the same period, he awarded the Presidential Unit Citation to the 1st Marine Division (Reinforced) for "outstanding gallantry" reflecting "courage and determination ... of an inspiring order." Included in the division's citation and award, besides the organic units of the 1st Division, were the 2d and 8th Marines and attached units of the 2d Marine Division, all of the Americal Division, the 1st Parachute and 1st and 2d Raider Battalions, elements of the 3d, 5th, and 14th Defense Battalions, the 1st Aviation Engineer Battalion, the 6th Naval Construction Battalion, and two motor torpedo boat squadrons. The indispensable Cactus Air Force was included, also represented by 7 Marine headquarters and service squadrons, 16 Marine flying squadrons, 16 Navy flying squadrons, and 5 Army flying squadrons.<br /><br /><br />The victory at Guadalcanal marked a crucial turning point in the Pacific War. No longer were the Japanese on the offensive. Some of the Japanese Emperor's best infantrymen, pilots, and seamen had been bested in close combat by the Americans and their Allies. There were years of fierce fighting ahead, but there was now no question of its outcome.<br /><br /><br />When the veterans of the 1st Marine Division were gathered in thankful reunion 20 years later, they received a poignant message from Guadalcanal. The sender was a legend to all "Canal" Marines, Honorary U.S. Marine Corps Sergeant Major Jacob C. Vouza. The Solomons native in his halting English said: "Tell them I love them all. Me old man now, and me no look good no more. But me never forget."<br /><br /><a href="http://www.nps.gov/archive/wapa/indepth/extContent/usmc/pcn-190-003117-00/sec6.htm">Source</a>De'on Millerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14599141539917861219noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35349773.post-1173052323363157492007-03-04T16:47:00.000-07:002007-03-04T16:52:03.366-07:00Blood Is Thicker Than Water<a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/1325/3931/1600/741340/resting%20place.jpg"><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/1325/3931/320/510911/resting%20place.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />The temporary resting place of a Marine killed in the fighting at Lunga Point is shown here. The grave marker was erected by his friends. The Marine's remains were later removed to the division cemetery on Guadalcanal, and further reburial at war's end either in his hometown or the Punchbowl National Cemetery in Hawaii with the honors due a fallen hero.De'on Millerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14599141539917861219noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35349773.post-1172984826602120272007-03-03T22:03:00.000-07:002007-03-03T22:07:06.656-07:00Virgie Bell's View: This Land IS Our LandI read in the paper yesterday where T. Boone Pickens gave an interview saying that the world oil supply has peaked. He said that oil would be $70 a barrel probably from here on in. This man who hails from Amarillo has been quoted as having been correct with his predictions much of the time. If anyone needs to have a better reason to understand why the petroleum industry plays such a vital role in the world they would do well to remember that the countries that are the biggest producers of oil are in the Middle East.<br /><br />The Middle East is also a country of sand, more sand, and oil. They will be left with the sand when their oil reserves are depleted. The USA leads the world in technical knowledge and manufacturing. We have what our enemies who threaten us desperately need. Put simply, they need our country and its natural resources. If one will really look at the landscape of these Middle East countries, it’s easy to see why it is so vital to them. Will Rogers remarked once that a person should invest in land because we are never going to grow anymore. How true. <br /><br />If one shops around to buy a little place to live and to raise a family, the wise investment would not be the Middle East. It would be right here in the United States if for no other reason than we are the new world. We are therefore fighting a war that has been waged from the beginning of time. The war for survival of the entire civilization. The best way to understanding that is exemplified in the little homesteads of the western states here in the land of the free and home of the brave.<br /><br />Wagon trains carried the pioneers to this vast area and for each mile that was accomplished they paid a price of three lives lost for each mile. This was solely for land so they could build for themselves a future. You can say what you will about this being Indian country and what happened to the tribes of these first American citizens as a result of this great surge of population, but also remember that these wagon trains were equipped with settlers. They did not use the wagon trains to attack the Indians. They also did not plan on acquiring vast sums of land. They needed just enough that a family could build a log cabin and raise a garden and a few farm animals. A cow for milk, a horse for travel, a few chickens for eggs, etc. They dug down in the ground to find wells for water. Remember they started with just what they could carry on a wagon. The trails of this vast wilderness were littered with grandfather clocks, pianos, and other frivolous items. What they arrived with was the things that would ensure survival: hand tools, pots and pans, and seed to plant.<br /><br />I am grateful to God that the little place Jerry and I have carved out for ourselves is a brick home with a lot and two pecan trees that shade the entire back yard. Our little heaven on earth suits us just fine. A place to grow old together. If you live long enough you value that more than anything. But take Hugo Chaves of Venezuela. He has taken over the oil from the companies that installed and paid the upkeep. He told the peasants of his country to go build a little lean-to shack on anyone's land, that it was rightfully their own. He never explained that it was rightfully his own, because he took it.<br /><br />This is the beginning of the wars that have been fought until the last war finishes us off. This land was paid for by the sacrifice of our forefathers. Because of the blood that was shed by them to travel across a vast unknown ocean and to traverse this continent in order have a home to raise a family. In the end when you finally get to what really matters is that place to grow old together and to be buried side by side.<br /><br />The United States is very much like our backyard. It is perfect for us and anyone else with realistic goals. So oil aside...and all the factories, farms and cities that have been built up over our country remains the reason these other countries seek to destroy us. They do not want to take away our western ways as they claim. They want my little lot with my modest home and my beautiful backyard. They want yours too. Our military is the only thing that stands in the way of the desperate dictators like Hugo Chaves and Ahmadinejad and all the others who have gone before. If we don't fight this fight we won't have to worry about those that come after. They will control this country. They will own the homes, the farms and the factories. They will control the cities and the wealth thereof. They will retire in my backyard and they will retire in yours too. The War on Terror is about survival. Mine and yours too. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise. Support the leaders of this country that <span style="color:#cc0000;">SUPPORT THE TROOPS!</span>Virgie Bellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04422637776928894803noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35349773.post-1172945950222310082007-03-03T10:54:00.000-07:002007-03-03T11:19:10.333-07:00ZEE BIG ANNOUNCEMENTWell, I've never been a good one for holding a surprise! I'm the one that makes people open their Christmas presents early!<br /><br />I've set us up with a new site that we will be using within a few days. I need the other authors to get set up and add what touches they'd like. I still have several links to put in, so if you don't see yours, don't worry. Just started some on that and Gunz and Ebyjo's is new, so I put it in thinking I could copy the others later.<br /><br />The new site is really in Dress Blues. :). I tried so hard to make it in desert colors, but Blogger just doesn't have but one green that fits and the brown looks too strong, so see what you think about the new Gunz Up. I had to do this to switch to New Blogger because I made the switch before the owner (Steve) and therefore would be stuck.<br /><br />The computer screen makes Steve so sick, so our new one, that will be awesome, it even has a chat on it, will have to be finished by him because I know absolutely nothing about that kind of thing. He is having a hard time, so we do appreciate your prayers on it.<br /><br />BTW, I will be re-doing the Bible Study site as well. The constant Lime Green is too much. It takes too many pinks to try to blend in and I figure it will be hard enough to get the guys over there as it is, so, better do a knock down on that one.<br /><br />So, look out. We're not just remodeling here. We're moving. Twice! But for now, our home within a short time will be @ <strong><span style="font-size:130%;color:#660000;"><a href="http://gunzup.blogspot.com">CLICK HERE</a>. The new address is gunzup.blogspot.com, which shouldn't be too hard to remember, but go ahead and add it to your <span style="color:#009900;">FAVORITES LIST RIGHT NOW...BEFORE YOU FORGET! :)</span></span></strong><br /><strong><span style="font-size:130%;color:#009900;"></span></strong><br /><span style="color:#990000;">I WILL BE AT MY DAD'S TODAY FOR A GOOD PORTION OF THE DAY, SO IT WILL BE SEVERAL HOURS BEFORE I'M ABLE TO POST TO ANYTHING. ANOTHER BLOG IS JUST WHAT I NEED, HUH?</span><br /><span style="color:#990000;"></span><br /><span style="color:#000099;">VIRGIE BELL HAS A POST THAT I WILL GET UP AFTER I GET BACK HOME. SHE IS THE CUTEST THING. AND SO FAITHFUL. I LOVE YOU, MOM.</span><br /><span style="color:#000099;"></span><br /><span style="color:#000099;">I LOVE ALL OF YOU.</span><br /><span style="color:#000099;"></span><br /><span style="color:#ff6600;"><strong>SEMPER FI,</strong></span><br /><strong><span style="color:#ff6600;">DE'ON</span></strong><br /><strong><span style="color:#ff6600;"></span></strong><br /><strong><span style="color:#cc0000;">P.S. I WON'T BE DELETING THIS BLOG, SO ANYTHING YOU WANT TO READ BACK OVER OR LOOK AT AGAIN WILL STILL BE HERE. THIS SITE IS TOO PRECIOUS TO ME TO DELETE. IT WILL ALWAYS BE OUR ORIGINAL HOME.</span></strong><br /><strong><span style="color:#cc0000;"></span></strong><br /><strong><span style="color:#009900;">DANG, I FEEL LIKE CRYING!</span></strong><br /><span style="color:#ff6600;"></span>De'on Millerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14599141539917861219noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35349773.post-1172874905765234462007-03-02T15:29:00.000-07:002007-03-02T15:35:05.770-07:00Who?<a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/1325/3931/1600/652009/The%20Noose.jpg"><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/1325/3931/320/630306/The%20Noose.jpg" border="0" /></a>De'on Millerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14599141539917861219noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35349773.post-1172874544215048072007-03-02T15:08:00.000-07:002007-03-02T15:29:04.303-07:00From FOXNews.com<div align="center"><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/1325/3931/320/622734/4_63_harvey_francis.jpg" border="0" /> <span style="font-size:78%;">AP</span><br />Former Secretary of the Army Francis J. Harvey</div><div align="center"> </div><div align="center"><span style="color:#cc0000;">XXX</span></div><p><span style="color:#cc0000;"></span> </p><p align="left"> WASHINGTON — The scandal over conditions at the Walter Reed Army Medical Center claimed its second victim Friday when Secretary of the Army Francis Harvey handed in his resignation to his boss Defense Secretary Robert Gates.</p><p align="left"> </p><p align="left"><br />"The problems at Walter Reed appear to be problems of leadership," Gates said at the Pentagon at an unscheduled appearance before reporters.</p><p align="left"> </p><p align="left"><br />Harvey's resignation follows the departure of a top Army official on Thursday. Army Maj. Gen. George W. Weightman was relieved of his command after senior officials said they lost trust and confidence in his leadership abilities. Weightman, a two-star general, oversaw the North Atlantic Regional Medical Command and Walter Reed.</p><p align="left"> </p><p align="left"><br />"I am disappointed that some in the Army have not adequately appreciated the seriousness of the situation pertaining to outpatient care at Walter Reed. Some have shown too much defensiveness and have not shown enough focus on digging into and addressing the problems," Gates said.</p><p align="left"> </p><p align="left"><br />Gates' announcement came on the same day that President Bush ordered a comprehensive review Friday of conditions at the nation's military and veteran hospitals.<br /></p><p align="left"> </p><p align="left">bipartisan commission to assess whether the problems at Walter Reed existed at other facilities.</p><p align="left"> </p><p align="left"><br />Officials were forced to respond after news articles drew concerns of a deteriorating environment at the 113-acre institution that helps soldiers recover from injuries. Building 18, a facility that houses hundreds of soldiers recovering from battle wounds, was reported to have mold and soiled carpets as well as mouse and cockroach infestations, among other problems.</p><p align="left"> </p><p align="left"><br />A permanent commander for Walter Reed was expected to be named late Friday. Harvey has been the Army secretary since November 2004. Gates said Harvey will depart March 9. Gates said the Army under secretary, Pete Geren, will become acting secretary until Bush nominates a permanent replacement.<br />Congressional hearings on Walter Reed are scheduled for Monday. Reps. Henry Waxman, D-Calif., and John Tierney, D-Mass., of the House Committee of Oversight and Government Reform, issued a subpoena on Friday to force Weightman to testify before lawmakers. Weightman was scheduled to come before the committee but the Army refused to authorize him after he was relieved of command.</p><p align="left"> </p><p align="left"><br />An independent panel on Thursday began reviewing allegations of poor quality-of-life conditions at two military medical facilities treating soldiers injured in Iraq and Afghanistan plans to meet for the first time.</p><p align="left"> </p><p align="left"><br />Bush devoted his weekly radio address — to be broadcast on Saturday — to the problems of veterans' care, and the White House took the unusual step of releasing excerpts in advance. A full text also was to be released later Friday. The administration's response came amid growing outrage about the poor treatment of some veterans — and the prospect that it could backfire on the White House.</p><p align="left"> </p><p align="left"><br />"One of my most solemn experiences as president is visiting men and women recovering from wounds they suffered in defense of country," Bush said his prepared address. "Spending time with these wounded warriors is also inspiring because so many of them bring the same courage they showed on the battlefield to their battle for recovery."</p><p align="left"> </p><p align="left"><br />The commission to be named by Bush is separate from a review panel appointed by Gates to investigate outpatient care at Walter Reed and the National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda. The presidential panel will look at all of the nation's military and veteran facilities, according to White House deputy press secretary Dana Perino.</p><p align="left"> </p><p align="left">The Associated Press contributed to this report.<br /></p><div align="center"><br /></div>De'on Millerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14599141539917861219noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35349773.post-1172872870461595902007-03-02T14:41:00.000-07:002007-03-02T15:01:10.516-07:00Which Kinda Cat ARE We Talking About, WRAMC?: The Rebuttal<a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/1325/3931/1600/444966/mother%20cat.jpg"><img style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/1325/3931/320/220098/mother%20cat.jpg" border="0" /></a>Army denies patients face daily inspections<br /><br /><br />By <a href="mailto:kellykennedy@atpco.com?subject=Question">Kelly Kennedy</a> - Staff writerPosted : Thursday Mar 1, 2007 14:02:05 EST<br /><br />Army officials are denying that soldiers in the Medical Hold Unit at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington will have daily early-morning wakeup calls and room inspections.<br /><br /><br />But one Building 18 soldier said he woke up Tuesday morning to the sounds of sergeants pounding on doors and yelling, “Wake up! Wake up! Wake up!”<br /><br /><br />“I was like, ‘Jesus Christ, I’m back in basic training,’” the soldier said.<br /><br /><br />The soldier said the outpatient soldiers at Building 18 were issued garbage cans and cleaning supplies and told to keep their rooms clean and organized because of all the officials who would be making their way through the building during the investigation next week.<br /><br /><br />Earlier in the week, soldiers in the unit said they had been told they would have to wake up at 6 a.m. and have their rooms ready for inspection at 7 a.m.<br /><br /><br />“Some soldiers believe this is a form of punishment for the trouble soldiers caused by talking to the media,” one Medical Hold Unit soldier said, speaking on the condition of anonymity.<br /><br /><br />But Army spokesman Paul Boyce said Wednesday there will be no daily room inspections, and that standard formations would continue as before at 7:30 a.m. He also said there would be occasional health and safety inspections, but nothing “obtrusive.”<br /><br /><br />Soldiers also say their sergeant major gathered troops at 6 p.m. Monday to tell them they must follow their chain of command when asking for help with their medical evaluation paperwork, or when they spot mold, mice or other problems in their quarters.<br /><br /><br />Boyce said the brigade commander told 600 soldiers Monday afternoon that they should come to him if they have any problems, and that there would not be any retribution or reprisals for reporting problems.<br /><br /><br />Soldiers were also told they would be moving out of Building 18 to Building 14 within the next couple of weeks. Building 14 is a barracks that houses the administrative offices for the Medical Hold Unit and was renovated in 2006. It’s also located on the Walter Reed Campus, where reporters must be escorted by public affairs personnel. Building 18 is located just off campus and is easy to access.<br /><br /><br />Boyce confirmed that a move is being considered so Building 18 can be renovated.<br /><br /><br />The soldiers said they were also told their first sergeant had been relieved of duty, and that all of their platoon sergeants have been moved to other positions at Walter Reed. And 120 permanent-duty soldiers are expected to arrive by mid-March to take control of the Medical Hold Unit, the soldiers said.<br /><br /><br />Boyce said some personnel actions have been taken but could not confirm them Wednesday.<br /><br /><br />Boyce said the soldiers may speak to the media, but only with permission if the interview takes place in a government building, such as Building 18. However, he said, if soldiers at Walter Reed want to talk with reporters down the street at a coffee shop, “that would be fine.”<br /><br /><br />Boyce also responded to a gag order issued to military spokespeople after extensive media reports on the problems facing troops in the Medical Hold Unit with both the medical evaluation bureaucracy and their living conditions.<br /><br /><br />In a message Tuesday, the Pentagon clamped down on media coverage of any and all Defense Department medical facilities, to include suspending queries for interviews and filming by CNN, saying in an e-mail to spokespeople titled “Media inquiries related to Walter Reed”: “It will be in most cases not appropriate to engage the media while this review takes place,” referring to an investigation of the problems at Walter Reed.<br /><br /><br />Boyce, however, said he will continue to work with CNN and will continue to set up interviews on an individual basis for other interested reporters.<br /><br /><br />The order not to “engage the media” sparked discussion on Capitol Hill.<br /><br /><br />On Wednesday, Rep. Louise Slaughter, D-N.Y., issued a press release in which she said “any attempt to silence the very soldiers who brought their own mistreatment to light, or to hide ongoing abuses from the public eye — if such attempts are occurring — would be morally reprehensible. It would be an abdication of one of the most fundamental responsibilities of our government: the protection of those who have fought to protect us.”<br /><br /><br />At a Senate defense appropriations subcommittee hearing, Sen. Daniel Inouye, D-Hawaii, asked for an explanation about the order not to speak to the media after reading reports on the problems at Walter Reed in the Military Times newspapers.<br /><br /><br />“That’s not our standard, to tell people to keep quiet,” said Adm. Edmund Giambastiani Jr., vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs. “If they’ve got problems, we want to hear about them.”De'on Millerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14599141539917861219noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35349773.post-1172871572506295582007-03-02T14:30:00.000-07:002007-03-02T15:07:24.756-07:00Army News: Walter Reed patients to to keep quietWalter Reed patients told to keep quiet<br />By <a href="mailto:kellykennedy@atpco.com?subject=Question">Kelly Kennedy</a> - Staff writer<br />Posted : Wednesday Feb 28, 2007 20:26:13 EST<br /><br />Soldiers at Walter Reed Army Medical Center’s Medical Hold Unit say they have been told they will wake up at 6 a.m. every morning and have their rooms ready for inspection at 7 a.m., and that they must not speak to the media.<br /><br /><br />“Some soldiers believe this is a form of punishment for the trouble soldiers caused by talking to the media,” one Medical Hold Unit soldier said, speaking on the condition of anonymity.<br /><br /><br />It is unusual for soldiers to have daily inspections after Basic Training.<br /><br /><br />Soldiers say their sergeant major gathered troops at 6 p.m. Monday to tell them they must follow their chain of command when asking for help with their medical evaluation paperwork, or when they spot mold, mice or other problems in their quarters.<br /><br /><br />They were also told they would be moving out of Building 18 to Building 14 within the next couple of weeks. Building 14 is a barracks that houses the administrative offices for the Medical Hold Unit and was renovated in 2006. It’s also located on the Walter Reed Campus, where reporters must be escorted by public affairs personnel. Building 18 is located just off campus and is easy to access.<br /><br /><br />The soldiers said they were also told their first sergeant has been relieved of duty, and that all of their platoon sergeants have been moved to other positions at Walter Reed. And 120 permanent-duty soldiers are expected to arrive by mid-March to take control of the Medical Hold Unit, the soldiers said.<br /><br /><br />As of Tuesday afternoon, Army public affairs did not respond to a request sent Sunday evening to verify the personnel changes.<br /><br /><br />The Pentagon also clamped down on media coverage of any and all Defense Department medical facilities, to include suspending planned projects by CNN and the Discovery Channel, saying in an e-mail to spokespeople: “It will be in most cases not appropriate to engage the media while this review takes place,” referring to an investigation of the problems at Walter Reed.<br /><br /><br />Related reading:<br /><a href="http://www.armytimes.com/news/2007/02/TNSvillalpando070227/">Walter Reed soldier wins small victory</a><br /><a href="http://www.armytimes.com/news/2007/02/TNSgatespraise070227/">Gates’ candor on hospital woes lauded</a><br /><a href="http://www.armytimes.com/news/2007/02/TNSwalterreedpanel070223/">Pentagon names members of Walter Reed panel</a><br /><a href="http://www.armytimes.com/news/2007/02/TNSreedfallout070222/">Renovations underway at Walter Reed</a><br /><a href="http://www.armytimes.com/news/2007/02/tnsmedboards070217/">Wounded and waiting</a>De'on Millerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14599141539917861219noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35349773.post-1172826729648725632007-03-02T01:57:00.000-07:002007-03-02T02:12:09.723-07:00Out to Lunch<a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/1325/3931/1600/854682/NY%20back%20cover.jpg"><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/1325/3931/400/315068/NY%20back%20cover.jpg" border="0" /></a> <span style="font-family:verdana;color:#000099;">You can't imagine how hard at work I am for a <strong><span style="font-family:courier new;font-size:180%;color:#ff0000;">HUGE, VERY BIG SURPRISE FOR US. <span style="color:#3366ff;">iN FACT, i'M RAthER AmAZeD </span><span style="color:#009900;">MEsELF.</span></span></strong></span><br /><p><strong><span style="font-family:Courier New;font-size:180%;color:#009900;"></span></strong> </p><p><strong><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:100%;color:#33ff33;">SO NEVER FEAR, <span style="color:#cc66cc;">I haven't jetted you. i'm loving you all the more, baby!!</span></span></strong></p><p><strong><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:100%;color:#cc66cc;"></span></strong> </p><p><strong><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:100%;color:#00cccc;">be patient. i know you're mission (oops), <span style="color:#33ff33;">missing</span> my million posts per day. <span style="font-size:78%;color:#ff0000;">xoxoxoppphhhsmack</span></span></strong></p>De'on Millerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14599141539917861219noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35349773.post-1172813289695075142007-03-01T22:20:00.000-07:002007-03-01T22:28:09.746-07:00<span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:130%;color:#003333;">i've had to be domestically dutiful today in that we had 0 packages of meat left and one roll of toilet paper for 2 bathrooms. so, i went, i saw and i bought, brought and cooked it up in a pan.</span><br /><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:130%;color:#003333;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:130%;color:#003333;">lisa has added $10. to the shoes fund so we will be sending that check tomorrow.</span><br /><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:130%;color:#003333;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:130%;color:#003333;">i have also been struggling to get this blog over to new blogger. i've even deleted most of my employees--i may be stuck with old blogger. i'm out of ideas. and i'm not technically inclined.</span><br /><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:130%;color:#003333;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:130%;color:#003333;">so i shall return with more brilliant material later! gator.</span><br /><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:130%;color:#003333;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:130%;color:#003333;">De'on</span>De'on Millerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14599141539917861219noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35349773.post-1172793358709716112007-03-01T16:41:00.000-07:002007-03-01T16:55:58.763-07:00Shower LoveMarch 1<br /><br /><span style="font-family:times new roman;">I ALWAYS hear your cry. No sound escapes Me.</span><br /><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;">Many, many in the world cry to Me, but oh! how few wait to hear Me speak to them and yet to the soul, My speaking to it matters so much.</span><br /><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;">My words are Life. Think then to hear Me speak is to find Life, and healing and strength. Trust Me in all things. Love showered on all brings truly a quick return.</span><br /><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;">Just carry out my wishes and leave Me to carry out yours. Treat Me as Saviour and King, but also with the tender intimacy of One much beloved.</span><br /><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;">Keep to the rules I have laid down for you, persistently, perseveringly, lovingly, patiently, hopefully, and in faith, and every mountain of difficulty shall be laid low, the rough places of poverty shall be made smooth, and all who know you shall know that I, your Lord, am the Lord.</span><br /><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;">Shower love.</span><br /><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:78%;">Russell, A.J., ed., <em>God Calling</em>, Barnes & Noble, 2002.</span>De'on Millerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14599141539917861219noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35349773.post-1172746841589988102007-03-01T03:51:00.000-07:002007-03-01T04:00:41.640-07:00Turtling Along<strong><span style="color:#000099;"><a href="http://scrivenerforchrist.blogspot.com/">Click here</a> for a look see at the totally uncompleted, but finally started Bible Study Blog I'm building. It's called </span></strong><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;color:#009900;">sCRiVEnERs foR CHRIST <span style="color:#993399;">and I think it's going to be pretty suavA once I get it going. There is a post on it you might like.</span></span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;color:#993399;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;color:#ff6600;">guess I better get some sleep.</span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;color:#ff6600;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;color:#ff6600;">Love and hope you're dreaming sweet!</span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;color:#ff6600;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;color:#ff6600;">De'on</span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;color:#009900;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;color:#009900;"></span>De'on Millerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14599141539917861219noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35349773.post-1172736250891386752007-03-01T00:44:00.000-07:002007-03-01T01:04:11.023-07:00Pick a voice, any voice....<a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/1325/3931/1600/151403/trash%20can.jpg"><img style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/1325/3931/200/306268/trash%20can.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><em><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Hurl it on out of there....</span></em><br /><em><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;"></span></em><br />.<br /><br /><br /><em><span style="color:#666666;"><strong>.... I'm pretty good. Tired is all and trying to force myself to eat. But overall, pretty good.<br /></strong></span></em><br /> <br /><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;color:#663333;"><em>...are you drinking Boost or something similar? Put bananas and make a shake out of it. get the extra calories one. how's your weight? Is it sweets you can handle? Buy frozen pancakes or waffles. Eat Malt o Meal or cream of wheat.</em><br /><br /></span><br />...<em><span style="color:#000099;">Cool. Those are awesome tips. I'm gonna try them.<br /><br /></span></em> <br /><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#990000;"><em>... I did the best post of my life today and had spent 4 or 5 hours and was within one or two words getting done and my computer went down and then started over and went down again so I wont even post today. It makes me so mad!<br /><br /></em></span><br />.... <em><span style="font-family:courier new;color:#006600;"><strong>I know how Virgie feels. You want to throw the computer across the room. It's happened to us at the newspapers. We'd be close to deadline and the system would crash, losing our work. I wanted to shoot all the computers and anyone who tried to stop me.<br /><br />Yes, looking at the computer screen makes me want to hurl. That's why I don't get on it much. So I just lie back and do a lot of thinking. I'm able to read some but not for long. Sometimes I just want to run out in the traffic!! But I won't. My luck all I'd do is damage someone's car and they'd sue me!<br /><br />Well, I'm going to bed ... again! <br /> </strong></span></em>De'on Millerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14599141539917861219noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35349773.post-1172720493548987662007-02-28T20:16:00.000-07:002007-02-28T20:41:33.600-07:00How the Rules of War Workby Julia Layton<br /><br />Inside This Article <span style="color:#009900;">that will be posted in future posts.</span><br />1. Introduction to How the Rules of War Work (<span style="color:#000099;">previously posted)</span><br />2. Background <span style="color:#cc0000;">(previously posted)</span><br />3. In the Field <span style="color:#ff6600;">(previously posted)</span><br />4. Prisoners of War <span style="color:#993399;">CURRENT</span><br />5. Civilians and Occupation<br />6. Cultural Property<br />7. Consequences of Violation<br /><br /><strong><span style="color:#666600;">####</span></strong><br /><strong><span style="color:#666600;"></span></strong><br />Prisoners of WarPrisoners are entitled in all circumstances to respect for their persons and their honour. (Geneva III)<br /><br /><br />First off, prisoners of war are prisoners of the country that captures them; they are not prisoners of the soldier, unit, or commander of the unit that captures them. Also, much along the lines of "innocent until proven guilty," any captured combatant is assumed to be a prisoner of war and must be treated accordingly; if there is any doubt as to the applicability of POW status, the rules regarding prisoners of war must be followed until a proper tribunal is convened to determine whether POW status is applicable on a case-by-case basis. When the United States systematically denied POW status to captured Taliban combatants in the 2001-2002 war in Afghanistan, it was in violation of the third Geneva Convention. In the course of an armed conflict involving parties to the Geneva Convention, captured combatants are POWs until proven otherwise.<br /><br /><br />Like the sick or wounded, prisoners of war (POWs) are protected under the Hague and Geneva laws from any violence, indignity, or biological experimentation. POWs must receive medical treatment if they need it, and medical staff must be brought in to the POW camp at least once a month to make sure everyone is okay. Unlike the sick or wounded, however, the military hierarchy is observed when it comes to prisoners of war: Officers can't be assigned to the same paid labor as enlisted troops; and while hard labor may be assigned to an enlisted troop as disciplinary action, an officer can't be punished in that manner.<br /><br /><br />Most of us have seen in movies and on TV the interrogation response of "name, rank and serial number." This stems from the third Geneva Convention, but its purpose is not exactly what it seems. It's true that prisoners of war have to provide their name, rank and serial number (as well as date of birth), but this is not only for identification purposes. It is also to assure that the person be treated "according to his rank or status." If an officer fails to make known that he is an officer, he can't be granted the privileges due an officer.<br /><br /><br />On the topic of questioning POWs, the interrogation tactics that seem to be common practice in a time of war are all illegal. The third Geneva Convention outlaws everything beyond the simple asking of a question:<br /><br /><br />No physical or mental torture, nor any other form of coercion, may be inflicted on prisoners of war to secure from them information of any kind whatever. Prisoners of war who refuse to answer may not be threatened, insulted, or exposed to any unpleasant or disadvantageous treatment of any kind.<br />Confinement is illegal (POWs can't be held in prison cells unless it is for their own protection), but internment is allowed -- they may be kept within certain boundaries. However, their location must be as far from the fighting as possible. Besides being held in a special "camp," prisoners of war are supposed to be granted all of the rights and privileges that their captor grants to its own armed forces, at least in terms of food, water, shelter, clothing, exercise, correspondence, religious practice and other basic human needs. They are supposed to be informed of their exact location -- supplied with their mailing address, in fact -- so that their relatives may send them letters and packages.<br />Beyond the protection from violence, intimidation and affronts to personal dignity, prisoners of war are supposed to be safeguarded from "public curiosity" (Geneva III). The broadcasting of pictures and video of wounded prisoners of war is an affront to their dignity and an appeal to public curiosity, and as such is prohibited.<br /><br /><br />Once captured by the enemy, prisoners of war are subject to the laws of the armed force that is holding them. They must act according to the rules and regulations of their captors, and breaking those rules leaves them open to the same trial and punishment as that faced by a member of the detaining military. They are under the control of the detaining power and their detention is legal; as such, their escape is a breach of that law. So if they escape, they can be punished. But only if they are recaptured before they make it make to their own army. If they successfully escape -- if they return to the territory of their own armed forces -- and then are captured once again, they cannot be punished for their previous escape. This same rule of success negating the offense applies to spies who escape their captors: If a spy breaks free and is caught before he makes it "home," he can still be tried as a spy; if he makes it back to his own side and is then recaptured, he is no longer considered a spy who is subject to trial and punishment -- he is considered a prisoner of war, and is therefore protected.<br /><br /><br />POW Status<br /><br /><span style="color:#333300;">When taken by the enemy, the following people are classified as prisoners of war: </span><br /><ul><li><span style="color:#333300;">Members of the armed forces </span></li><li><span style="color:#333300;">Members of militias and other volunteer corps </span></li><li><span style="color:#333300;">Members of the armed forces of a government not recognized by the enemy </span></li><li><span style="color:#333300;">People who accompany the armed forces (such as members of the media)</span></li><li><span style="color:#333300;">Crews of the merchant marine and civil aircraft </span></li></ul><br /><span style="font-size:85%;color:#666666;">from Howstuffworks</span>De'on Millerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14599141539917861219noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35349773.post-1172711162014353722007-02-28T19:14:00.000-07:002007-02-28T19:16:42.396-07:00Blood Is Thicker Than Water: Guadalcanal continues<a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/1325/3931/1600/815963/too%20long.jpg"><img style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/1325/3931/320/707714/too%20long.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />As he tells it, "Too Many, Too Close, Too Long," is Donald L. Dickson's portrait of one of the "little guys, just plain worn out. His stamina and his spirit stretched beyond human endurance. He has had no real sleep for a long time ... And he probably hasn't stopped ducking and fighting long enough to discover that he has malaria. He is going to discover it now, however. He is through."<br />Captain Donald L. Dickson, USMCRDe'on Millerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14599141539917861219noreply@blogger.com0