Funny thing about Europe...

...they have a problem with guns but just love playing with small explosive devices.

Pallets of fireworks appear in every supermarket, tobacco shop, and convenience store in the days leading up to New Years. And I'm not talking sparklers here. I'm talking 2-ft rockets in cannisters that shoot 75 feet up into the air.

Every Tom, Dick, and Harry goes for it... you start hearing them the day before but in the hours leading up to midnight on the 31st things really heat up.

Now, shortly after midnight, in my normally quiet suburban Munich neighborhood the air is thick with smoke and flashing colors, and the sound of explosions echoes for miles around.

The only people I've seen who are crazier than the Germans when it comes to fireworks are the Icelanders. The average Icelander spends something like $300 for New Years fireworks and I sh#t you not, I have seen rocket cannisters with a 2-inch diameter in Reykjavik.

It's insane.

Happy New Year

Raise a glass tonight, but tomorrow it's on to the Next Order of Business:

From Tripoli to Syria to Teheran to Beirut to Pyongyang, how many of Saddam Hussein’s fellow travelers involuntarily rubbed their own necks as the world was treated to this spectacle of justice for once achieved and not cynically subverted?

Heads up, Khaddafy, Assad and Ahmadinejad. Heads up, the entire rotten, stunted leadership of the People’s Republic of China. Heads up, Kim Jong Il.

The New Year is upon us. With the trash taken out, we end 2006 on an up note and it's time to turn to the serious business of 2007.

Make sure to read the rest of Jules Crittenden's post.

Justice

May the souls of Saddam's victims now rest in peace.

God bless the men and women of the US military for the sacrifices they make to defend the values of freedom and democracy around the world.

I believe I shall open that bottle of fine Vintage Port wine I've been saving for a special occasion.

Merry Christmas from Landstuhl

Christmas cards from home line the 3-story stairwell at Kleber outpatient barracks. The Christmas Eve "card squad" from left: Dan, SA volunteer Amanda, Doug, me, and the Chief. The project took 2 days to complete, with Dan and Randy (not pictured here) participating on the 23rd. Thanks to all who sent or brought cards... and to the rest of the outpatients and staff for their free advice ;-)

On behalf of the patients at Kleber I'd also like to thank the many Angels who sent decorations and baked goods from the States as well as the many, many groups and individuals of the KMC area who've brought decorations, cards, food, and baked goods to the barracks... among them the members of the Holy Family Catholic Church for the complete turkey dinner on the 23rd, the Marines Liaisons for the complete ham dinner (cooked by a local volunteer) on the 24th, and the Air Force group who came in today. More thanks to the local military families who invited patients into their homes for Christmas Eve celebrations. Your thoughtfulness means so much to the guys.

A Christmas Eve Story

A Soldier calls home on Christmas Eve from Germany.

His kid brother cries because they aren't together for Christmas.

The Soldier explains they are together, unlike the families of the two friends he just lost in Ramadi.

"By the end of our conversation, I really think he got it."


Story told by a patient during an informal Christmas Eve service at which the Chaplain asked participants to share what Christmas means to them.

Soldiers' Angels Mourns SPC Kenneth W. Haines

From Renee of the Soldiers' Angels Living Legends Team:

We have a fallen hero from Soldiers' Angels, Spc. Kenneth W. Haines.

Ken, 25, of Fulton, N.Y., died Dec. 3 in Balad, Iraq, of injuries suffered when an improvised explosive device detonated near his vehicle while on patrol in Abu Hishma, Iraq.

Haines was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 82nd Field Artillery, 3rd Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division, Fort Hood, Texas.

Ken is survived by his foster parent, Kirk McMillan of Fulton, three brothers and one sister.

Renee

SPC Haines was serving his second tour of duty and a recipient of the Army Commendation Medal, the Army Good Conduct Medal, two National Defense Service Medals, Iraq Campaign Medal, Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, Army Service Ribbon, Overseas Service Ribbon and a Weapons Qualification Badge as a sharpshooter.

Pending medals, which will be honored to SPC Haines posthumously, include the Bronze Star, the Purple Heart and the Combat Action Badge.

Please take a moment to read the Army Specialist Kenneth W. Haines tribute at the Soldiers' Angels Fallen Heroes blog.

Remember our Heroes.

Soldiers’ Angels – Holiday Mission Accomplished

For Immediate Release


Soldiers’ Angels – Holiday Mission Accomplished

"Holidays for Heroes" Project Provides 90,000 Holiday Gift Bags to Deployed Troops

Pasadena, California – December 20, 2006 – This holiday season most of us will celebrate here at home with our loved ones. However, this will not be the case for tens of thousands of Americas’ bravest men and women who are protecting our freedom overseas. Many of those who guard our freedom will be doing so from across the world and will not be able to share the holiday season with their families and friends.

Fellow service members of many of these same deployed soldiers will be spending the holidays in hospital rooms recuperating from injuries earned in defense of our nation. While the warmth of the holiday season may remind many soldiers of the reasons they serve, it is also the time in which the absence from their families and friends is felt the most.

In an effort to let the soldiers know their sacrifices are appreciated and to lift them into the holiday spirit, many organizations support holiday projects aimed at giving gifts to the deployed and wounded soldiers. Soldiers’ Angels is at the very top of this list. Our mission is to provide aid and comfort to the thousands of American service members stationed wherever the United States raises its flag.

“No project could be better suited to our goal of letting our soldiers know that they are loved and appreciated,” said Patti Patton-Bader, founder of Soldiers’ Angels. “Our ‘Holidays for Heroes’ project strives to make sure that every soldier deployed in a combat area receives a gift of small but welcome items and a card with holiday greetings and encouragement.”

These gifts are mailed to soldiers in combat areas and delivered personally by individual Soldiers’ Angels in our hospitals. While most soldiers receive tremendous support from home, Soldiers’ Angels strives to ensure that those who need the most attention receive it. To succeed in our mission, Soldiers’ Angels works closely with military clergy and non-commissioned officers who are in the best position to know the personal needs of each soldier.

In November and December the Soldiers’ Angels “Holidays for Heroes” teams from around the nation packaged up 90,000 holiday gift bags, that included 35,000 bags with a stainless steel coffee mug bearing the Soldiers’ Angel logo on it, along with packets of hot chocolate, cider, socks, calling cards and candy.

These numbers do not reflect the holiday support that the servicemembers have received through the adoption program with angels from around the globe sending support all year long.

Since its inception in 2003 Soldiers’ Angels has processed more then 100,000 soldier adoptions and has more then 100,000 angels globally supporting projects from letter writing teams to Project Valour IT, which is a laptop program for wounded soldiers.

For those not familiar with Soldiers’ Angels, it is an all volunteer, non-profit 501 (C)(3) organization dedicated to the support of all our brave men and women serving in the United States Armed Forces in the “War on Terror”. We support Soldiers, Sailors, Marines and Airmen deployed throughout the world defending and protecting the freedoms we cherish.

We are able to provide our services to our troops thanks to the generosity of people like you. Donations are accepted all year long on PayPal at the Soldiers' Angels website.

Prayers Needed

For my Dad, who suffered a stroke this morning. And for my Mom.
Two members of The Greatest Generation.

I'll be flying to New Jersey tomorrow and will post updates when I can.

Thank you.


Update: Friday 15Dec2006 2230 EST

Thank you for your prayers and the many well wishes I've received.

My Dad was moved out of the Intensive Care Unit yesterday. It has been determined he suffered two strokes almost simultaneously, one affecting the speech part of the brain and the other affecting balance/coordination. There is no paralysis.

He was able to eat for the first time Wednesday evening after tests determined his swallowing reflexes were functioning. When we went to visit him before he was transferred to the regular ward, we found him sitting in a chair eating his lunch.

Since the meal included meatloaf and vanilla ice cream we knew he must have selected it himself ;-)

He's experiencing a certain amount of confusion and mixing up some of his words, but doing his best to communicate. He was grilling my Mom yesterday about when he can come home, and kept saying a word she couldn't understand. Then he started talking about a birthday.

"Whose birthday?", asked my Mom. She gave him a piece of paper to try and write it down, although his writing the day before consisted of nothing but squiggly lines.

In clear block letters he wrote, "GOD".

God's birthday. He wants to come home by Christmas.

Update: Wednesday 20Dec2006 1105 CET

My thanks again to all of you. Your prayers and kind words have meant a lot to us during this very difficult time.

My Dad is making very good progress and should be released from the hospital today. We had a bit of a scare over the weekend when he ran a temperature for a day and an x-ray showed possible fluid in the lungs, but that cleared up quickly.

He'll be going to rehab for about 3 weeks before coming home, so we've been busy selecting a facility that best meets his needs. Continuing the therapy started in the hospital is crucial for continued improvement.

Numbers are a bit of a problem, as is writing, but he's able to speak in complete sentences now and is much less confused. In fact, the other night he explained to my sister where he hid the Christmas presents he had bought for my Mom. He wants my sister to wrap them for him.

We are very encouraged and incredibly thankful for his recovery so far. The change over the past week is nothing short of amazing.

One of the most important factors for my Dad's positive development to date was the administration of a drug called tPA, which must be done within 3 hours of the CVA (cerebrovascular accident). For this reason it is critical to get immediate treatment for the patient, preferably at a hospital with a dedicated "stroke attack team". I encourage everyone to know which hospital(s) in their area specialize in this treatment and make sure patients are brought to that facility regardless of where the patient's physicians practice. You can sort out the doctors later.

tPA is not appropriate for all patients or for all types of strokes. It is also considered controversial by some and is not without risk. But when appropriate, can make a huge difference in the patient's neurological outcome.

We still have a long way to go. But as I said before, things look very encouraging and for that we're extremely thankful.

Accepting the Idea of Victory

"A country that often blamed itself more in victory than defeat was showing manifestations of a terminal illness, conducting postbellum hearings to assess blame in the midst of a war for its survival."


Friday's featured article on the Wall Street Journal's editorial page is called Our Unceasing Ambivalence, by Shelby Steele.

He discusses America's reluctance to take on the responsibility of a superpower, our fear of being seen as colonialists, and how that makes us ambivalent toward the idea of victory in Iraq.

He continues by reminding us of the nature of the enemy we face,

Islamic extremism is an ideology of menace. It empowers those who, but for menace, would languish in the world's disregard. The dark achievement of bin Laden, Nasrallah and Ahmadinejad, names we know only because of their association to menace, is that they have used menace to make their people visible in the world, to bring them back into the scheme of history. And they are greatly loved for this. If their achievements follow from evil rather than from good, this is a small thing. Worse than evil is invisibility.

And then concludes with another reminder - of our responsibility to victory in Iraq.

For every reason, from the humanitarian to the geopolitical to the military, Iraq is a war that America must win in the hegemonic, even colonial, sense. It is a test of our civilization's commitment to the good against the alluring notion of menace-as-power that has gripped so much of the Muslim world.

Today America is a danger to the world in its own right, not because we are a powerful bully but because we don't fully accept who we are. We rush to war as a superpower protecting the world from menace, then leave the battle before winning as a show of what, humility? We confuse our enemies, discouraging them one minute and encouraging them the next.

Could it be that our enemies are really paper tigers made formidable by our unceasing ambivalence? And could it be that the greater good is in both the idea and the reality of American victory?

"In the real monster battles of the war, they had won every time. But they now somehow felt more demoralized than the enemy, which had suffered many more losses...

That the assembly exiled, executed, or fined almost every notable leader did not make them more accountable as much as timid and prone to second-guessing.

So the country did not often learn from its mistakes but almost always scared leaders into being too cautious or reckless, their decisions based on anticipating what the voters might approve on any particular day."

- Both paraphrased from Victor David Hanson's "A War Like No Other: How the Athenians and Spartans Fought the Peloponnesian War."

Morale and our Mission

This piece was contributed by reader Robert Connolly, whom I'm also proud to call a friend.

Most of the emails that I get from Marines in the field are wonderful: efficient, friendly, sincere thank-yous from senior NCOs and more senior officers. Until the last year, I didn’t personally know anyone deployed in Iraq fitting that description, but in the past year I have met a few. To a man (yes, they are all in combat arms), they are what any civilized society would hope to have leading their sons and daughters in the terrible business of conducting a war. I have come to look forward to getting three sentences from these men, mostly confirmation that another care package arrived and their Marines were ‘feeling the love’ from back home.

Yesterday, I responded to one of those emails from a very senior Marine NCO by explaining a little of what we have been doing (i.e., how did it happen that you got this care package from me). I always try to make a couple of points with these men: 1) the professionalism displayed by our Marines is a source of great pride, and 2) we are aware that much of what they do which is good is not being reported (i.e., we know the news is slanted). Most of the time, I don’t get an email back. That’s generally because these men have another job which occupies their time and energy (and I stress that their families are more important than strangers trying to help with morale).

This time was different. This senior Marine wrote back to say: ”Glad to hear that you care. So many people don't.” I was quite taken aback by this message. Its directness wasn’t surprising, but the tone was disturbing to me. It was completely out of step with what I usually hear.

I pondered this for most of the day, wondering what could lie behind this. The obvious explanations did not fit: there were no fatalities in this unit and there was no other public bad news. True, it could be that I was seeing the consequences of fatigue, the cumulative effects of a raft of minor problems, or other issues that probably won’t matter in the long run. Still, after dozens and dozens and dozens of these emails, all from Marines in roughly comparable settings, this one stood apart.

It occurred to me later that I may have been seeing something that has been noted by many others who interact with Marines and soldiers in the field: what happens back home affects Marines and soldiers in the field. So, what’s happened lately? A casual tour of the blogs which cover such matters shows a litany of serious negativity:

Distortions of a Marine colonel’s report on Anbar province

Leaks of additional classified documents

Mounting evidence of derelict performance by a major news service

Speculation about the Iraq Study Group report and its recommendations.

Then, a plausible explanation jumped out: this email came 24 hours after this Marine’s likely new civilian boss, Robert Gates, said that the military wasn’t winning the war in Iraq. Now, the truth is that the headlines trumpeted this, but the Secretary-designate’s views are a bit more nuanced than that. From an MSNBC report,

At the outset of an afternoon session of questions about Iraq and other subjects, Gates began by telling the committee he wanted to amplify on his remark about not winning in Iraq. He did not withdraw the remark but said, "I want to make clear that that pertains to the situation in Iraq as a whole."

He said he did not want U.S. troops to think he believes they are being unsuccessful in their assigned missions.

"Our military wins the battles that we fight," Gates said. "Where we're having our challenges, frankly, are in the areas of stabilization and political developments and so on."

Perhaps this Marine only caught the headlines, or perhaps he was too busy ‘winning the battles’ in his area to have time to scour the testimony. Either way, it doesn’t seem far-fetched that our Marines and soldiers might have come to the point where they are wondering what the hell is going on back home.

I am not near smart enough to know how to answer that question with authority. I don’t think I have run across anyone who is that smart.

I do think there is something we can do about it, however. If you know a Marine, soldier, airman, or sailor in harm’s way, take the 10-15 minutes it will require to put a pen to paper (or type an email) and assure them of your personal support. It doesn’t have to be fancy, but it does have to happen. (These folks are good, but they cannot read your mind from 8,000 miles away.) Your note will do more good than you can imagine, and it has, I believe, a much more powerful impact on morale than reports in the MSM.

If you don’t know who to write to, go to Marty Horn’s AnySoldier.com website, pick a PFC or SGT, and send them a note. Alternatively, go to Soldiers' Angels and adopt a soldier. If you don’t know what to say, then the nice people at Xerox have created a way for you to do this without having to use your own words. It isn’t hard, and you won’t get back a critique of your efforts from a soldier or Marine.

In January 1951, Gen. Matthew Ridgway took over the 8th Army in Korea, and noting the morale problems there, he wrote and had distributed to the entire force a document entitled, “Why We Are Here.” It addressed the difficulties that soldiers and Marines in the field might have had in understanding the purpose of their terrible exertions.

I don’t think we need that now. This Marine’s closing sentence in his email to me speaks to the differences between morale in Korea at that time and in our force in Iraq: “My boys are doing a great job though and we will continue the best way we know how.”

I have to go work on something to say to this Marine and his boys. Will you do the same?

Bob can be reached via email or you may leave him a comment below.

Landstuhl Medical Staff Honored for Extraordinary Treatment of Injured Canadian Soldiers

Candace and Wendy wrote to tell me about this, which I found at The Torch via The Armorer.

U.S. military hospital exceeds 'call of duty' with Canadians: Hillier

Canada's top soldier paid tribute to a U.S. military hospital in Germany on Wednesday, saying it gave excellent medical care to more than 100 Canadian troops wounded in Afghanistan.

Gen. Rick Hillier, the chief of defence staff, presented the staff of the Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in Landstuhl with a special Canadian Forces Unit Commendation.

"They went above and beyond the call of duty," Hillier told CBC News on Wednesday after the ceremony.

"What we saw here in Landstuhl from which our soldiers benefited was the best characteristics of humankind. We saw men and women, doctors and nurses and specialists at the hospital, who looked after our soldiers on the worst days of their lives. They looked after them as if they were their own."

At least 110 injured Canadian soldiers have been flown to the centre for treatment since Canada began its mission in Afghanistan in early 2002. Of those, about 100 have gone to the hospital in the past year.

Three Canadians soldiers who were treated at Landstuhl — Master Cpl. Paul Franklin, Cpl. Jeffrey Bailey and Pte. William Salikin — attended the ceremony where Hillier presented the award. All three soldiers, who have recovered from their injuries, were wounded in a January suicide bomb attack that killed Canadian diplomat Glyn Berry.

SAG readers may remember the three from this post, and our joint effort with Candace of Waking Up On Planet X to generate messages of support for their families during their stay in Germany.

Hillier said the hospital deserved the recognition.

"They treated them well. They gave them world-class medical care, but most importantly, as our soldiers have told me, they gave that treatment with compassion. They are remembered by our soldiers with great affection."

Hillier said the three soldiers who attended the ceremony are living proof of the care provided at the hospital.

"As the staff here told me, they often don't get to see the effect of their work in the longer term. To have those three soldiers return and to be getting on with their lives and to be so energetic and irrepressible, was inspirational to the staff here at the hospital and it was a great chance for those three men and their families to thank the staff for their work they had done on their behalf."

From the Canadian Forces Press Release:

“We have had the honour and pleasure of treating our Canadian brothers and sisters in arms, giving them the same high level of care that we provide our own wounded sons and daughters, said U.S. Colonel W. Bryan Gamble, Commander LRMC. It is an extreme tribute and privilege to accept this award from the Canadian Forces, on behalf of the Landstuhl Regional Medical Center, ” he said.

Proud to stand with you, Canada!

Pearl Harbor, 7 December 1941

Sailors in a motor launch rescue a survivor from the water alongside the sunken USS West Virginia during or shortly after the Japanese air raid on Pearl Harbor. USS Tennessee is inboard of the sunken battleship.

Note extensive distortion of West Virginia's lower midships superstructure, caused by torpedoes that exploded below that location.

Also note 5"/25 gun, still partially covered with canvas, boat crane swung outboard and empty boat cradles near the smokestacks, and base of radar antenna atop West Virginia's foremast.



USS Arizona sunk and burning furiously, 7 December 1941. Her forward magazines had exploded when she was hit by a Japanese bomb.

At left, men on the stern of USS Tennessee are playing fire hoses on the water to force burning oil away from their ship.



USS Maryland alongside the capsized USS Oklahoma. USS West Virginia is burning in the background.



The wrecked destroyers USS Downes and USS Cassin in Drydock One at the Pearl Harbor Navy Yard, soon after the end of the Japanese air attack. Cassin has capsized against Downes.

USS Pennsylvania is astern, occupying the rest of the drydock. The torpedo-damaged cruiser USS Helena is in the right distance, beyond the crane. Visible in the center distance is the capsized USS Oklahoma, with USS Maryland alongside. Smoke is from the sunken and burning USS Arizona, out of view behind Pennsylvania. USS California is partially visible at the extreme left.

* * *
The Attack on Pearl Harbor was a surprise aerial attack by the Japanese on the Pacific Fleet of the United States Navy and its defending Army Air Corps and Marine defensive squadrons. Pearl Harbor was one of a number of military and naval installations which were attacked, including those on the other side of the island.

Of 8 American battleships in the harbor, the attack resulted in 1 destroyed, 2 sunk at their moorings, 1 capsized, 1 beached and 3 damaged but afloat.

The attack severely damaged 9 other warships, destroyed 188 aircraft, and killed 2,403 Americans, including 2,335 servicemen and 68 civilians.

All Official U.S. Navy Photographs, now in the collections of the National Archives.

"Political change doesn't win wars... Only winning wars wins wars."

Some plain words and common sense from John Podhoretz in yesterday's NY Post:

The most common cliché about the war in Iraq is now this: We didn't have a plan, and now everything is in chaos; we didn't have a plan, and now we can't win.

This is entirely wrong. We did have a plan - the problem is that the plan didn't work. And of course we can win - we just have to choose to do so.

The problem with our plan is that it wasn't actually a military plan.

We thought a political process inside Iraq would make a military push toward victory against a tripartite foe - Saddamist remnants, foreign terrorists and anti-American Shiites - unnecessary.

Yes, we'd stay in Iraq and fight the bad guys when we had to, which seemed mostly to be when they decided to attack us first. Our resolve was intended to give the Iraqi people the sense that they were being given control of their future, and to give Iraqi politicians the sense that they had a chance to forge a new kind of country in which everybody could prosper.

Podhoretz goes on to say that the plan failed for two reasons:

First, because we chose political rather than military options at crucial junctures, making us look weak.

Second, because the Iraqis haven't stepped up to the plate.

He concludes we need a new plan:

But the Baker-Hamilton advice isn't a new plan. The Democrats don't have a new plan. The only plan that will work is a plan to face the tripartite enemy - the Saddamists, the foreign terrorists and the Shiite sectarians - and bring them to heel.

Kill as many bad guys as we can, with as many troops as we can muster.

Which by the way jibes with what just about everything I've been told by the many, many deployed troops I meet on a regular basis.

It's worth your time to read the whole thing.

Quote of the Day

When asked Tuesday when he expected Russia and China to begin supporting the resolution, the American participant in the discussions, Undersecretary of State Nicholas Burns, replied: "This afternoon would be a good time."

The U.S. and France were hoping Tuesday's closed-door talks in Paris would finally produce a resolution imposing sanctions on Iran for defying an Aug. 31 U.N. deadline to halt enrichment.

The discussions now move to the United Nations in New York.

Mort Zuckerman in U.S. News & World Report:

Some say we should accept that Iran will become a nuclear power and seek consolation in the doctrine of mutual deterrence that worked in the Cold War. Such advice fails to account for the vehemence of the religious and ideological fanaticism that motivates Iran.
(...)
The fundamental assumption of mutual deterrence – that both sides value their lives – simply doesn't apply here.
( ... )
The West will have to decide what is more dangerous – to attack the infrastructure of the Iranians sooner rather than later or to deal with an Iranian nuclear capability after the fact. The choices are not between good and bad but between bad and worse – and the longer we delay, the more dire those bad and worse choices will become.

Somebody remind me again when these talks started?

Soldiers' Angels Mourns Lance Cpl. Michael A. Schwarz

From Renee of the Soldiers' Angels Living Legends Team:

We have a fallen hero from Soldiers' Angels, Lance Cpl. Michael A. Schwarz.

Mike, 20, of Carlstadt, N.J., died Nov. 27 from wounds suffered while conducting combat operations in Al Anbar province, Iraq.

He was assigned to 1st Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune, N.C.

Mike is survived by his parents, Kenneth & Pamela Schwarz.

Renee

"He just loved his country. He loved the idea of being a soldier and he loved being a Marine," said the Rev. Donald M. Pitches, pastor of the First Presbyterian Church in Carlstadt, who baptized the borough native some two decades ago.

Pitches described Schwarz as a 6-footer built "like a string bean."

"He's an all-American boy. He was happy-go-lucky, fun-loving and he loved the outdoors," Pitches said, describing how Schwarz reveled in his jaunts along muddy trails in his customized Jeep.

"Mike, that was his dream, to be in the Marines," said Jim Bononno, one of Schwarz's high school teachers. "That was one of his goals. Any kid who joins the military during a war, that says something special about him."


Please take a moment to read the Marine Lance Cpl. Michael A. Schwarz tribute at the Soldiers' Angels Fallen Heroes blog.

Remember our Heroes.