That training for HAWK units and supporting personnel was strenuous work, but usually not all that different from garrison duty. It didn’t seem all that difficult. We had our weapons, uniforms and gear. I carried an M-16 and was also responsible for an M-60 and M-2 machine gun. We drove everywhere we needed to go. We had hot food brought to us; a field kitchen always went along. We had water trailers, medics, tents for 30, and cots. We got mail, too.

The men who fought at Gettysburg had none of that. They had tents for one, or maybe two, with blankets to wrap up in. No sleeping pads or bags. One canteen, and no guarantee when it would get filled again. If they took a mini-ball to the arm, they’d likely lose that arm, if they didn’t die of infection, gangrene, or dysentery.

For three days, a town of 2,400 tried to support an extra 160,000 men. If the soldiers wanted a hot meal, they might have to steal it. One unit marched 60 consecutive hours and went straight into combat—much as Patton’s 3d Army did at the Battle of the Bulge.

I was defending a foreign country. Some of the men who fought at Gettysburg were literally defending their very homes.

Some of those men fought for or against slavery. Others fought for state’s rights, or to preserve the union. Most probably fought because their brother or father or best friend was fighting. Few would seriously question the slavery fight. The state’s rights question though is far from settled. Witness the current situation in Arizona, where the Federal government is telling a state that even though the Federal government won’t secure the Federal border, the state isn’t allowed to do it either.

Look too at the way medical marijuana is being handled. Allowing it at the state level is in direct conflict with federal drug laws. But are any states being sued for allowing medical marijuana?

It seems to me that a state law that conflicts with federal law (California’s medical marijuana statutes) should be dealt with much more severely than one that mirrors an poorly-enforced federal law. But making lots of noise about one makes for better sound bites. Better to go after those mean Arizona legislators who want to profile people than to try and take away drugs from sick people.

I fear the state’s rights question is far from settled. I don’t think we’re where the country was in 1860 yet, but I think it’s coming. Then again, I don’t know that this country could find leaders such as were around then.

This year, everyone is focused on President Obama, and where he’s spending his Memorial Day. He’s spending it in Chicago, with his family. While he will miss the Memorial Day ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery, he attended one at Abraham Lincoln National Cemetery in Illinois. Vice President Biden will be in attendance at Arlington.

“How could the President forget our veterans?” “It’s shameful that he’s missing that ceremony!” “It’s disrespectful!” “He’s the first president to skip it!”

I did not vote for President Obama. I’m not, at the moment, a big fan of anything he’s done. I disagree with several of his policies. I think there are huge problems with some of the things he’s doing or planning. I’m also a Army Cold War veteran. Given that, is the President’s choice of locations for a Memorial Day observance really all that important? And if it is, shouldn’t everyone get their facts straight before they criticize him?

For example, he is not the first president to miss an Arlington Memorial Day Ceremony. He’s not even the second, or third. Since Reagan, only one president has made all of his Arlington Memorial Day Ceremonies. That would be President…Clinton.

According to Snopes and Media Matters, President Reagan missed four of the eight he could have attended, although in fairness, one was only six weeks after he was shot. President George H. W. Bush-himself a veteran-missed all four ceremonies during his term. President George W. Bush missed the 2002 ceremony.

President Obama is attending a Memorial Day ceremony. The administration will be represented at Arlington. Honestly, I think no matter what he did today would be attacked by one side or the other. That’s not right, now that I read it. I think it would be more correct to say that no matter what President Obama, someone would find a way to criticize him, or a political opponent. And quite honestly, with all the other issues facing our country today, can’t we find something more important to deal with?

Today’s focus is supposed to be on the veterans. Let’s keep it there.

I’ve heard the word tragic used to describe the incident, and it certainly was. It was tragic that over 50 people on a US military installation were unable to defend themselves.

In a combat zone, soldiers aren’t without their weapons. That rifle or sidearm gets carried everywhere the soldier goes, because they never know when they’ll need that weapon. We trust them in a combat deployment to handle their weapons safely, and to know when to shoot, and when not to shot.

I’m told that it wasn’t that long ago that officers and non-commissioned officers always carried a sidearm with them, on post or off. I suppose it’s been quite a while, as I served some 20 years ago, and no one I knew carried a weapon off duty. But it used to be a matter of honor for personnel to carry a weapon; they would never be caught without one.

But on 5 November, many were caught without one. Some were caught dead. Fort Hood Police Sgt. Kimberly Munley and Sgt Mark Todd responded to reports of gunfire within three minutes. There’s no question that their speedy and heroic response saved lives. But what of the lives lost in those three minutes?

I’m not faulting the response of Fort Hood Police at all. But they can’t be everywhere. Sgt Munley happened to be within three minutes of the SRC. But what if she had been farther away? How many more would have died?

I am outraged that a member of the US Armed Forces would turn a weapon against his fellow soldiers, violating his oath as an officer, and the Soldier’s Creed.

I am even more outraged that members of the US Armed Forces were disarmed on their post, unable to respond to a threat. There is no excuse for Major Hasan, and no excuse for the inability of his victims to defend themselves. What have we come to as a nation that we would disarm the very people who are sworn to protect us from all enemies, foreign and domestic?

The Berkeley City Council is encouraging folks to actively impede USMC recruiting efforts there. The council awarded a parking place in front of the recruiting station to Code Pink, and passed a resolution “that encourages people to nonviolently “impede, passively or actively,’ the work of the recruiters.” Sad, and ironic, really. The Mayor is an Army vet, and he approves of what they’ve done. Yet, the lone dissenting vote on council is in opposition to the war.

In return, Sen. Jim DeMint, R-S.C, is going to draft legislation rescinding any federal earmarks for the city of Berkeley, and transfer that money to the Marines. That’s not chump change, either: $2.1 million would be a big help to the Corps.

It should be interesting to see how this develops.

4 Marines were stranded in San Francisco, trying to get home for Christmas. Old enough to serve our country. Old enough to drink a beer, even. But not old enough to rent a car.

Then Paul Deines stepped in.

God Bless Them All!

Consider this, then. In the American Revolution, we were overthrowing a monarchy, declaring independence, and bringing forth a new form of government. Not unlike what has happened in Iraq. True?

It’s also interesting to note that, if you ask the troops, more are saying that we should stay there than are saying we should get out. Who should we listen to? The boots on the ground, or the suits in DC?

The Maine National Guard is giving life-size from-the-waist-up pictures of soldiers to the families of deployed guard members. Guard officials and families say the cutouts, known as Flat Daddies or Flat Soldiers, connect families with a relative who is thousands of miles away. The Flat Daddies are toted everywhere from soccer practice to coffee shops to weddings.

What an awesome idea, and a great way for Command to support the families!

Wouldn’t it be neat if communities started adopting their NG and USAR units, and finding a printer who would do this at a decent price, so every unit could do this for their troops?