Wednesday Hero

This Weeks Solider Was Suggested By Robert

Lt. General Lewis B. "Chesty" Puller
June 26, 1898 - October 11, 1971


Lieutenant General Lewis B. "Chesty" Puller was a colorful veteran of the Korean War, four World War II campaigns, and expeditionary service in China, Nicaragua, and Haiti. He is the only Marine to win the Navy Cross five times for heroism and gallantry in combat earing him the distinction of being the most decorated Marine in the history of the USMC.

A Marine officer and enlisted man for 37 years, General Puller served at sea or overseas for all but ten of those years, including a hitch as commander of the "Horse Marines" in China. Excluding medals from foreign governments, he won a total of 14 personal decorations in combat, plus a long list of campaign medals, unit citation ribbons and other awards. In addition to the Navy Crosses, the highest honor the Navy can bestow, he holds its Army equivalent, the Distinguished Service Cross. A list of his awards can be found here.

Born 26 June 1898, at West Point, Virginia, the general attended Virginia Military Institute until enlisting in the Marine Corps in August 1918. He was appointed a Marine Reserve second lieutenant 16 June 1919, but due to force reductions after World War I, was placed on inactive duty ten days later. He rejoined the Marines as an enlisted man to serve with the Gendarmerie d'Haiti, a military force in that country under a treaty with the United States. Most of its officers were U. S. Marines, while its enlisted personnel were Haitians.

After almost five years in Haiti, where he saw frequent action against the Caco rebels, Puller returned in March 1924 to the United States. He was commissioned a Marine second lieutenant that same month, and during the next two years, served at the Marine Barracks, Norfolk, Virginia, completed the Basic School at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and served with the 10th Marine Regiment at Quantico, Virginia.

In July of 1926, Puller embarked for a two-year tour of duty at the Marine Barracks, Pearl Harbor. Returning in June 1928, he served in San Diego, California, until he joined the Nicaraguan National Guard Detachment that December. After winning his first Navy Cross in Nicaragua, he returned to the United States in July 1931 to enter the Company Officers Course at the Army Infantry School, Fort Benning, Georgia. He completed the course in June 1932 and returned to Nicaragua the following month to begin the tour of duty that brought him a second Navy Cross.

In January 1933, Puller left Nicaragua for the United States. A month later he sailed from San Francisco to join the Marine Detachment of the American Legation at Peiping, China. There, in addition to other duties, he commanded the famed "Horse Marines." Without coming back to the United States, he began a tour of sea duty in USS AUGUSTA of the Asiatic Fleet. In June 1936 he returned to the United States to become an instructor in the Basic School at Philadelphia. He left there in May 1939 to serve another year as commander of the AUGUSTA's Marine Detachment, and from that cruiser, joined the 4th Marine Regiment at Shanghai, China, in May 1940.

After serving as a battalion executive and commanding officer with the 4th Marines, Puller sailed for the United States in August 1941. In September, he took command of the 1st Battalion, 7th Marines, 1st Marine Division, at Camp Lejeune. That Regiment was detached from the 1st Division in March 1942 and the following month, as part of the 3rd Marine Brigade, sailed for the Pacific theater. The 7th Regiment rejoined the 1st Marine Division in September 1942, and Puller, still commanding its 1st Battalion, went on to win his third Navy Cross at Guadalcanal.

The action that brought him that medal occurred on the night of October 24-25 1942. For a desperate three hours his battalion, stretched over a mile-long front, was the only defense between vital Henderson Airfield and a regiment of seasoned Japanese troops. In pouring jungle rain the Japanese smashed repeatedly at his thin line, as General Puller moved up and down its length to encourage his men and direct the defense. After reinforcements arrived, he commanded the augmented force until late the next afternoon. The defending Marines suffered less than 70 casualties in the engagement while 1400 of the enemy were killed and 17 truckloads of Japanese equipment were recovered by the Americans.

After Guadalcanal, Puller became executive officer of the 7th Marines. He was fighting in that capacity when he won his fourth Navy Cross at Cape Gloucester in January 1944. There, when the commanders of the two battalions were wounded, he took over their units and moved through heavy machine-gun and mortar fire to reorganize them for attack, then led them in taking a strongly fortified enemy position.

In February 1944, Puller took command of the 1st Marines at Cape Gloucester. After leading that regiment for the remainder of the campaign, he sailed with it for the Russell Islands in April 1944. He went on to command it at Peleliu in September and October 1944. He returned to the United States in November 1944, named executive officer of the Infantry Training Regiment at Camp Lejeune in January 1945, and took command of that regiment the next month.

In August 1946, Puller became Director of the 8th Marine Corps Reserve District, with headquarters at New Orleans, Louisiana. After that assignment, he commanded the Marine Barracks at Pearl Harbor until August 1950, when he arrived at Camp Pendleton, California, to re-establish and take command of the 1st Marines, the same regiment he had led at Cape Gloucester and Peleliu.

Landing with the 1st Marines at Inchon, Korea, in September 1950, he continued to head that regiment until January 1951, when he was promoted to brigadier general and named Assistant Commander of the 1st Marine Division. That May he returned to Camp Pendleton to command the newly reactivated 3rd Marine Division in January 1952. After that, he was assistant at division commander until he took over the Troop Training Unit, Pacific, at Coronado, California, that June. He was promoted to major general in September 1953, and in July 1954, assumed command of the 2nd Marine Division at Camp Lejeune. Despite his illness, he retained that command until February 1955, when he was appointed Deputy Camp Commander. He served in that capacity until August, when he entered the U. S. Naval Hospital at Camp Lejeune prior to retirement.

In 1966, General Puller requested to return to active duty to serve in Vietnam, but was turned down because of his age. He died 11 October 1971 in Hampton, Virginia, after a long illness. He was 73.

These brave men and women sacrifice so much in their lives so that others may enjoy the freedoms we get to enjoy everyday. For that, I am proud to call them Hero.
We Should Not Only Mourn These Men And Women Who Died, We Should Also Thank God That Such People Lived

This post is part of the Wednesday Hero Blogroll. To find out more about Wednesday Hero, you can go here.

Pause...

Dear readers,

In the midst of all that is developing around our world, we have a great need for an awakening. There are many voices that speak of the dangers facing our world, of which 'of Bullets and Bibles' have been one.

As many of you in the blogosphere know, it takes a great deal of time and energy to research and pound the keyboard for our voices to be heard.

In my quest to be the man that I was created to be, I must pause, so that I may 'hear' more clearly to know the road that I am to travel. I owe it to my God, family and ultimately, my fellow man.

It will be a bit of a challenge to not research and let my voice be 'heard', which has importance as a cohesive unit. Priorities must be set, and that is my current mission, to set them in the proper order.

I will post periodically, and God only knows, I may carry on here at oB&Bs with regularity in due time, we shall see...

Be well and remember; Loyalty, Duty, Respect, Selfless Service, Honor and Personal Courage...

Adel Darwish, A Brave Soul...

Here is a man, willing to stand up and speak some truth, daring to to tell it like it is, because it is necessary. It is necessary to speak up, to create awareness and to possibly save lives. There are only a few within the Egyptian, Syrian, Iranian, etc. population who are willing and, perhaps, able to do so. It may take guts, as we say here in America, and it seems that Adel Darwish has them.

Here is an excerpt of what he has to say in his latest article:

It is a battle between the culture of vibrant life which is a basic human instinct, and the culture of death, as summed up by Egyptian playwright, Ali Salem, in Asharq al Awsat last month.

Terrorists want to ram their sick culture down other people’s throats and force them to change their way of life. Why not? They have already succeeded in forcing people to change their dress-code, their ways of entertainment and their way of life in regions where democracy has retreated.

Just compare the high standard of performing arts in Egyptian movies in the 1930s and 1940s with the poor standard of Egyptian television drama today. Self-censorship has always been the death of creative art. Fearing the outcry of Islamists or even the threat of terrorism that they pose, Egyptian television bosses were cowed into cutting out scenes and performances that have always been part of Egyptian culture.

We must never permit the culture of death-mongers to change our way of life or force us to change the way we eat, drink, dress, or enjoy ourselves.

Hundreds of thousands of white Britons marched in the 1970s to denounce an ultra right-wing nationalist organisation condemning its racist slogans against immigrants. Where are the British Muslims today? Why don’t they march in their thousands to denounce terrorism?

Why don’t Islamic scholars and clerics rule that coercing people into a different way of life is un-Islamic and that one of basic Islamic teaching is that “there is no compulsion in religion”?

Go to The Bill T Blog for the rest of the story, thanks Bill...

Cells Already Here...

Counterterrorism Blog has this to say...

The current media rush to interpret what the US Government is releasing in terms of potential infiltration by an al Qaeda cell (or cells) to strike this summer is warranted but still unfocused. ABC News and AP have reported new official "concerns" of an attack on the US homeland this summer. ABC specified that (according to its sources) the Terrorists intend to attack a Government facility. Furthermore, as reported widely in the press, "new intelligence suggests a small al Qaeda cell is on its way to the US, or may already be here." The report added that the White House has convened an urgent multi-agency meeting for Thursday afternoon to address ways to minimize or counter the threat, and steps to harden and protect Government facilities."

The report quoted a former FBI agent (and ABC Terrorism expert) analyzing the potential threat by stating that the target is a Government building. ABC told its viewers that the tactics by the London attackers provided clues that are being used to decode other emails, etc. Even further AP reported that US Counter Terrorism officials have warned that al Qaeda has "interest in attacking in the summer time." Added to this salad of analysis, was the news about a previous video showing a "graduation" by the Taliban in Pakistan. And to season it, two more leads were added: One was the Daily Telegraph story about the 45 doctors who were planning on attacking a US military target in Florida and a Sky News report about British Pastor Canon Andrew White who has said of an April discussion with al Qaeda "representative" who told him "the killing will start in the UK and the US."

So in short, based on these "reports," US media are telling their audiences (from their Government sources) the following:

1. A Graduation has occurred in Pakistan (they showed the footage) and Jihadists are on their way to the West.

2. A Pastor has met an al Qaeda representative who told him operations are underway.

3. American analysts looked at the British Jihadists tactics over the past few weeks and "learned" something new. Something that taught them how to better read information they already had.

5. A media report said 45 doctors were to prepare an attack against a US base.

4. Hence, the conclusion is that a cell, or more, is on their way to the US. And according to a general mood, it was concluded that summers are better for Jihadists to attack.

But if the reader would re-read those five points he/she may ask many troubling questions. I have the following ones:

Read More »

Wednesday Hero

This Weeks Hero Was Suggested By Sunni Kay

Ryan Rahe has been active in the Special Olympics since he was in Middle School. The now 25-year-old has won quite a few medals over the years, but not all of his medals are at his Tennessee home. Some of them have been sent, by Ryan, to soldiers fighting the War On Terror for "good luck".

Jayne Rahe, Ryan's mother, said the idea of sending support to the soldiers in harm's way came about when she and Ryan were talking about news coverage of the war in Iraq. Jayne visited www.anysoldier.com and discovered how she and Ryan could let the men and women in Iraq know their efforts are appreciated.

Ryan, named 2006 Special Olympics Athlete of the Year for the Blount County Sports Hall of Fame, said he felt good when he received the box from the soldiers. He said if he could talk with them face to face, he would say, "Thank you."

The Rahes plan to continue sending care packages to soldiers, including the medals.

"Ryan is a pretty generous fellow," Jayne said. "He doesn't mind giving things to people."

In a letter that Ryan received, Chief Warrant Officer 2 Anthony W. Grillett wrote:
"I and the Battalion can never thank you enough for sending us your medals. They have brought us luck and good fortune, and now as we prepare to deploy home we send them back to you with our eternal gratitude.

That you would send us something so precious is a reflection of your character. As you called us heroes; to me you are the hero. For I believe it is not who you are, or what you are that makes you a hero, it is the ability to give all especially when it is never asked.

Your courage to face the challenges required earning those medals and then so freely send them to us here in Iraq will forever make you a hero to me. I will never be able to truly express in words how honored I was when I read the letter from your Mother. It truly humbles me and shows me that what I fight for in our country will always be worth the small sacrifices asked of me. Thank you again."

Sometimes a hero is one who sacrifices everything in their life to help others. And sometimes a hero is one who sacrifices nothing more than their time.
We Should Not Only Mourn These Men And Women Who Died, We Should Also Thank God That Such People Lived

This post is part of the Wednesday Hero Blogroll. To find out more about Wednesday Hero, you can go here.

Islamic Moderates vs. Terrorists?

Dr. Muhammad Shamsaddin Megalommatis, has written an article concerning the question of moderates vs. terrorist islamists.

It's a compelling argument and brings forth the ignorance that many have when it comes to understanding the muslim immigrant.

Excerpt from American Chronicle:

Islamic Moderates vs. Terrorists: Wrong! Why?

The author implies the existence of two categories of Muslims, namely the radical – extremist – pro-totalitarian and the so-called ‘moderate’ ones. This is a completely deceitful approach. And it is deceitful because

1. At the moment it gives the idea of two existing poles within Islam, there is only one at the theoretical – philosophical – theological – ideological – intellectual level. The so-called moderates are not a theoretical pole in juxtaposition to the extremists.

2. The non extremists do not belong to or form one group but consist in a great variety of ideas, groups, individuals, beliefs, attitudes and organizations with many of them mendaciously confusing their Western interlocutors.

3. Even worse, none of the non – extremists descends form a historical Islamic philosophical system that would be effective as theoretical – philosophical counterbalance of the Islamic Terrorists and Extremists, who originate from an Islamic minority, a marginal and perverse group of the first centuries of Islam.

4. Not a single Muslim understands what happened in Islam, namely the fact that, through the establishment of successive perverse and counterfeit theoretical heresies – that were all rejected in their times by the outright majority of the Muslims, the Caliphatic administration, and the entire range of the great historical Philosophers, Intellectuals, Artists, Erudite Scholars, Scientists and Authors, who only formed the Islamic Civilization –, the real sense of Islam as Civilization, Culture and Religion went lost. Due to the gradual expansion and final totalitarian imposition of the systems of Hanbal, Ibn Taimiya, and Abdel Wahhab, what was left as Islam is a bogus-Islam that has nothing to do with the preaching of Prophet Muhammad.

5. In fact, all those among the academic and religious institutions of Islam, who ascribe themselves to what is viewed or thought as moderate Islam, simply belong to (and believe in) the aforementioned line of theoretical systems of backward Barbarism and de-Islamization that were established by Hanbal, Ibn Taimiya and Abdel Wahhab. Their system is terrorist, discriminatory and criminally antihuman, even if they try to mollify it. Their attitude is ‘politics in religion’, tactics, diplomatic attitudes and all that the raw and uneducated masses just reject.

- And who can trust them, as long as they do not dare to confront the hysterical masses of the streets who are the basic supporters of the Islamic Terrorism?

- And who can believe they are not terrorists too, as they do nothing to educate their barbaric and cannibalistic followers who would murder any Jew who would happen to cross their way out of their filthy and Satanic mosque?

6. Last but not least, not a single Western imagines the colossal contribution of the West, mainly the Colonial Powers of England and France, to the rise of the Islamic Terrorism through the machinations devised and implemented, the Hellenism, the Orientalism, the Pan-Arabism, and the Modern Islamism, the four systems of erroneously collected, viciously diffused, provocatively manipulated (at the socio-political level), and detrimentally (for all) misused Knowledge.

Read the article in entirety here...

18 USC 2385, A Legitimate Argument

Moderate islam vs. the more fundamentalist, radical, 'real muslim'.

My question is, is there such a thing? I guess you could argue the subject. However, there are people that call themselves christians, Jews, etc. that put themselves under the prospective labels, but are only such by name and practice their religion with the minimum requirements. Indeed there are those within islam, here in America, that could fit in this very same category.

Under Federal law, a citizen is able to practice their religion of choice, happily and 'peacefully'.
The problem today is, there is an element in our world that wants the rest of us submit, convert or die. That problem is islam. It is the only religion that is murdering in the name of their god, for the sake of their god and 'dawah', world domination.

Take a look at the Federal Crimminal Code 18 USC 2385 and you will find that 'sharia law' falls under this category. Here is a portion of this law:

"Whoever organizes or helps or attempts to organize any society, group, or assembly of persons who teach, advocate, or encourage the overthrow or destruction of any such government by force or violence; or becomes or is a member of, or affiliates with, any such society, group, or assembly of persons, knowing the purposes thereof—"
What we here in America are all about is, stopping the potential overthrow of our government, and our way of life. The bottom line, to enforce sharia upon us in the U.S. is a Federal crime, and we are simply not interested.

David Yerushalmi at SaneWorks, has a compelling argument for ABG Films and why PBS is wrong for banning "Muslims Against Jihad" the AGB Films entry to PBS's "America At A Crossroads" project shown this past April. His article ties into our original question, 'is there such a thing as a moderate islam vs. the more fundamentalist, radical, 'real muslim'?

Give Me Your Tired, Your Poor...

"Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breath free..."

These were the words that echoed in the minds of many, who wanted a better life. This is not nessessarily so within islamic jihadists today. There are those that would have you believe that the suicide bombers and other jihadists are just that.

There may be some of the poor involved, but truly, many are well educated and are willing to sacrifice their careers for islam. Jihad has many faces.

Here is an excerpt from Family Security Matters...

"This is why we shouldn’t really be shocked that doctors have become killers, or that al Qaeda would viciously murder fellow Muslim villagers. Those who join in the Islamic Jihad movement have one goal in mind, and that is to (as Spencer states) bring the West “forcibly into the Islamic world.” Committing violence whenever and wherever is part and parcel of the quest. They look for weakness and capitalize on it. If we pull out Iraq now, as “peace” activists and the Democrat Party demand, we’ll hear of many more villages like the one Michael Yon describes. And who will the activists and Democrats blame? Not al Qaeda, but America, the world’s scapegoat, even here at home.

By then, however, placing blame will be irrelevant, as the Jihadists will be emboldened by our leaving. Give an inch and they will take more than just the proverbial mile. And not only will Iraq fall into their clutches, but their operatives around the world will heighten their assault. The worst thing we can do is show weakness. We must dig in our heels and ready ourselves for the long haul.

It’s what our enemies are doing as we speak."

Tongue In Cheek?..

I went into the Gathering Storm this morning and found a very interesting article. Tongue in cheek? Racist you say?

Here's an excerpt: "Those behind terror are reproducing like crazy. They pump out killers like they're Doritos. Meanwhile, Westerners wear condoms. As the enemy grows, we shrink. Numbers dictate success."

I have never considered these two peoples in this light. Interesting nonetheless...

Read it here.

Noble Intents For The People...

Today, is one of the most important days in American history.

We may have forgotten many of the details, and consequently, we are not providing the needed history lessons for our children. We can change this, and many of you are doing so...

Here is a quiz to test your knowledge of this great day in history.

Have fun!

Wednesday Hero

On this Fourth Of July, a day in which we celebrate the birth of this great nation, we must also remember the brave men and women who made this day possible. To everyone who has and are currently serving in the United States Military I say Thank You. What you do day in and day out are what make this country great and me proud to live here. The sacrifices you've made for people whom you will never meet face to face will never be forgotten.

These brave men and women sacrifice so much in their lives so that others may enjoy the freedoms we get to enjoy everyday. For that, I am proud to call them Hero.
We Should Not Only Mourn These Men And Women Who Died, We Should Also Thank God That Such People Lived

This post is part of the Wednesday Hero Blogroll. To find out more about Wednesday Hero, you can go here.