Patriot Guard Riders Commendation Resolution Introduced into House of Representatives

Linda D., Soldiers' Angel and Patriot Guard Rider sends along the following news:

Thought you would like to see this. There were just a little over 1100 members countrywide when I signed up middle of Nov 05 and today there are 19,229 members countrywide.

See also the excellent coverage of this wonderful group from Good Morning America at the ABC News website.

Thank you Linda and all of the Patriot Guard Riders for honoring the memories of our fallen Heroes!


Click image to visit the Patriot Guard Riders website.

HRES 731 IH


109th CONGRESS

2d Session

H. RES. 731

Commending the Patriot Guard Riders for shielding mourning military families from protesters and preserving the memory of fallen service members at funerals.


IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

March 16, 2006
Mr. MORAN of Kansas (for himself, Mr. BURGESS, Mr. SULLIVAN, Mr. BURTON of Indiana, Ms. BORDALLO, Mr. EVANS, Mr. MOORE of Kansas, Mr. MCCOTTER, Mr. TANNER, Mr. TIAHRT, Mr. BOOZMAN, Mr. KING of Iowa, Mr. LEWIS of Kentucky, Mr. LUCAS, Mr. TERRY, Mr. OSBORNE, Mr. HULSHOF, Mr. SHIMKUS, Mrs. BLACKBURN, Mrs. KELLY, and Mr. RYUN of Kansas) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Armed Services


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


RESOLUTION
Commending the Patriot Guard Riders for shielding mourning military families from protesters and preserving the memory of fallen service members at funerals.

Whereas in 2005, a small group of American Legion Riders in Kansas calling themselves the `Patriot Guard' began a movement to shield the families and friends of fallen service members from interruptions by protesters appearing at military funerals;

Whereas individuals from Colorado, Oklahoma, and Texas later brought together diverse groups of motorcycle organizations across the country who rode to honor fallen service members, forming a nationwide organization known as the `Patriot Guard Riders';

Whereas the Patriot Guard Riders have since grown into a national network of tens of thousands of members, including both veterans and nonveterans and riders and nonriders, and is open to anyone who shares a respect for service members who have made the ultimate sacrifice for the Nation;

Whereas Patriot Guard Riders attend military funerals to show respect for fallen service members and to shield mourning family members and friends of the deceased from protestors who interrupt, or threaten to interrupt, the dignity of the event;

Whereas the Patriot Guard Riders perform their mission of respect for, and shielding of, mourning family members and friends at military funerals by waving American flags, revving motorcycle engines, and otherwise peaceably acting to serve as a buffer;

Whereas across the Nation, Patriot Guard Riders volunteer their time to come to the aid of military families in need, taking lawful actions at funerals to drown out the insults and hateful signs of protesters, so to allow the memories of the deceased service member to be remembered with honor and dignity;

Whereas regardless of one's opinion of the Nation's military commitments, the families, friends, and communities of the Nation's fallen soldiers deserve a peaceful time of mourning and should not be harassed and caused further suffering at a funeral;

Whereas Patriot Guard Riders appear at a funeral only at the invitation of the fallen soldier's family and participate in a nonviolent, legal manner; and

Whereas the members of the Nation's Armed Forces willingly risk their lives to protect the American way of life and the freedoms guaranteed by the Constitution, including the right to freedom of speech: Now, therefore, be it


Resolved, That the House of Representatives expresses its deepest appreciation to the Patriot Guard Riders who--

(1) attend military funerals across the country to show respect for fallen members of the Armed Forces and, when needed, shield mourning family members and friends of the deceased from protestors who interrupt, or threaten to interrupt, the dignity of a funeral; and

(2) in so doing and standing tall in the face of ugliness, help to preserve the memory and dignity of the Nation's fallen heroes.

Christopher Hitchens and ABC on the MSM's Iraq War Coverage

Following up on yesterday's post on the German MSM, two other items caught our attention today.

First, again from David's Medienkritik:

This is not on German media, but it is relevant to German media. ABC News just ran a video report questioning whether media coverage of Iraq is too negative. This is LONG overdue.

Unless the mainstream media catches on to this conversation soon, it will continue to lose viewers and readers in droves because far too many people realize they are getting a negatively biased picture of events. WATCH THE VIDEO. (Note the loud standing ovation after the woman's initial question.)

Make sure to read the rest of Ray's post, which ends with, "Turn off, Tune out, Log In." Good advice!


The other item is Hugh Hewitt's interview with Christopher Hitchens, transcript at Radio Blogger.

Hugh asks Hitchens if he thinks the media is doing a good job covering Iraq:

CH: Not really, I don't. I mean, I can think of some outstanding reporters who've done their very best to cover it.
( ... )
It's just that I've been doing this business for a long time. I've been a journalist for most of my life, and it must be nearly 40 years now, and I know a press herd mentality when I see one. I really do.

And sometimes, I approve. I mean, I remember when I was in Bosnia, all of the press was hostile to Milosevic in one way or another, and as it happened, I thought that was the right bias to have. But I did realize it was a bias.

And when I've been in the company of people covering Iraq, I notice this... another herd mentality, and it's been there since before the war, and it's placed a bet on quagmire at best. ( ... ) And defeat at worst. And in some ways, it doesn't want its prediction to be falsified.

(emphasis added)

Later, they discuss whether the media realize the implications of their reporting:

I'll just tell you something a very senior person at a well-known network. ( ... ) He called me the other day.

This is not a guy who's in any way a conservative, and said you know, we've known each other for a bit. He said you know, I'm beginning to think you must be right, because it really worries me what we're doing, when we are giving the other side the impression that all they need to do is hang on until the end of this administration.

Do people know what they're doing when they're doing this? One doesn't have to make any allegation of disloyalty, but just... if it worries him, as it really does, I think it should worry other people, too, and it certainly worries me.

(emphasis added)

Now just try to imagine how our soldiers and their families must feel. To know that their sacrifices are so cheap, and so meaningless that they are not even taken into account in the crusade of many reporters to serve their own vested bias. In the rush to prove themselves right about the war, because they don't want their "prediction to be falsified".

I can think of few things more shabby and repugnant.

Hitchens is brilliant, as always. Make sure to read the whole thing.

Update: Brian at Iowa Voice notices the same thing.

Update 2: Via Mudville Gazette, this from American Citizen Soldier:

But soldiers don’t watch the news, we make it. That is why the MSM refuse to tell our story, that is why they continue to poison the well back home, and that is why soldiers have taken it upon ourselves to “tell it like it is” on the internet.

Buck Sargeant has created a wonderful video for this post with lots of images the MSM won't show you either.

View From The Front: "The difference between now and two years ago is incredible."

Some timely perspective for this day, the third anniversary of the invasion of Iraq.

Letter received by Soldiers' Angel Lisa from a CO on progress in Iraq, media coverage of the war, and thanks for support.

As commander of Apache Troop, 1st Squadron, 10th United States Cavalry Regiment, I would like to personally thank you on behalf of all of my troops for your exceptional generosity. As many of you know from the evening news and other sources, the days are often long and dangerous here in Iraq and it means a great deal to my soldiers and I that folks like you are back home supporting us. As we move into the fourth month of deployment for the Troop, we continue to work hard both to protect the local population, build strength and capabilities of the local Army and police forces, and eliminate the terrorists in the area. The missions are challenging, but the thoughtful things from folks like you are a real boost to morale for all of the soldiers and I.

For those of you that follow the news, you are probably seeing coverage of Iraq and a lot of speculation about the impending civil war between the different factions that make up the population of this nation. While there are issues here for sure, I can tell you that the Iraqi Army and Police are doing an admirable job of providing security to the population and showing that they really can take the fight to the enemy and keep the people safe. We are making progress here, and though it is slow at times, the difference between now and two years ago when I was last here are incredible. There is continued danger here for both US and Iraqi forces, but I can say that we now fight along side of each other, something I would never have done just two years ago. We often hear that the support for the war is waning in the US, and I can tell you that we must continue this mission, not only because of the responsibility we have as a nation to rebuilt this once great country but also because quitting now would trivialize the deaths of many great soldiers who gave their lives for this cause. I am confident that there is a positive end to this, and that in the coming few years we will see dramatic improvement in the country and will be able to leave this place in a secure state in not too long. Please keep us in your thoughts as we continue this difficult mission. We know you are with us as soldiers, and that means a great deal.

Hope that you are doing well. Apache Troopers continue the fine tradition of this unit, started nearly 200 years ago on the frontiers of America and carried on through every major conflict this nation has faced. We are proud of what we do, proud to protect you and the USA, and proud to be able to help Iraq return to a proud, democratic, and prosperous nation.

Thanks again for your generosity. All the best from us here in Al Hillah, Iraq!

Apaches on the Warpath!



JONATHAN A.BODENHAMER
CPT, AR
COMMANDING

Thank you Apache Troop for your courage, honor and sacrifice. We support you and are proud to stand with you!

Long-Overdue WR Update - The Fun and Games Continue

Photo courtesy of Gunn Nutt.


I may have been remiss in updating you on the Friday night activities at Walter Reed since Victory against the Pinkos was declared, but the fun and games go on!

Gunn Nutt, Landry Fan (get well soon, LF!), DC FReepers, Protest Warriors, and others continue to fight the good fight. The Pinkos are still there, of course, but waaaay down the block since they let their permit expire for one of the corners in front of WR.

Here's a couple of highlights from Gunn Nutt's post:

The springtime warmth brought out lots of patriots to welcome and cheer our beloved Troops. We had crowds on ALL FOUR CORNERS out in front of Walter Reed for the eighth week. Of course the nice weather brought some extra commie 'tards out from beneath the rocks as well. They were in for quite a surprise...

First, CJ of A Soldier's Perspective arrived ready to take on the half-wits.
( ... )
[Then] BlackRepublican was approached by one Pinko who demanded that he leave the area because even the far side of the street was Code Pink's. BR asked to see the permit. The Pinko couldn't produce the permit but volunteered that "the cops will make you move."

Ah yes, "Help! Police! Make the bad people leave us alone!" Head Pinko Gael Murphy even walked waaaaay up the block to scream at Kristinn for the intrusion. The hard-core commies were losing their composure and no doubt feared their new recruits were beginning to have doubts about this kind of protest.

They love to spread propaganda about the military missing recruiting goals, but their own retention rate is abysmal! So when the newbies are exposed to a real Iraqi and real American heroes who tell them that protesting in front of a hospital is not the kind of support they want, Pink Hat and the other "committee members" get real nervous.

This time their attempt to get us in trouble back-fired!

Some of D.C.'s finest showed up at the Pinko's request. They asked to see our permits. Concretebob and tglsTakoma promptly retrieved the documents and presented them for inspection. All good!

The cops then went waaaaay down the block and asked to see the Pinko's permits. Not so good. I didn't hear the conversation, but I imagine it went something like this:

Pink Hat: Perry, do you have the permit?

Perry: I don't have it. Gael, do you have the permit?

Gael: That wasn't one of my 'action items'. Why didn't anyone get the permit? Wasn't that your job, Bruce?

Bruce: ...

Gael: Bruce? BRUCE?!? WHAT HAPPENED TO THE PERMIT?

Bruce: I couldn't help it! They have pizza and pretzles and I was sooooo hungry and ... and, I ...

Gael: You ate the permit!?

Having failed to produce the required document, the commies were ordered to disperse.

YES! Foiled again by those rotten stinking flag-waving neocon warmongers! The Pinkos show once again why commies are 'tards.

Funny how commies look alike all over the world, regardless of age. Compare the photos of "Pink Hat", et al with this one of a Pinko who showed up near Landstuhl, Germany last weekend.


Photo - Raymond T. Conway / S&S


Moving on, as GN mentions, CJ of A Soldier's Perspective joined the group last Friday. He engaged several Pinkos, bless his heart.

I went to Walter Reed tonight to watch the protests that happen every Friday night. I was able to meet many people that I’ve known for quite some time and some I never knew existed. I interviewed the opposition and the supporters. I actually interviewed the opposition first because I really wanted to know what was in their heads.
( ... )
I absolutely agreed. I told them that every war COULD indeed be prevented…until we are attacked. The people that could have prevented war CHOSE not to. Al Qaeda attacked us. They could have prevented this entire thing. Saddam paid to have Bush 41 assassinated. He could have prevented war. He killed innumerous civilians in his own country. People we’re still finding the bones of to this day. He invaded Kuwait, a defenseless country. He chose to kick out the weapon’s inspectors and chose a non-peaceful solution. He subsidized the suicide bombing trade in Palestine and Israel, resulting in dead Americans. Yes, war CAN be prevented.

Make sure to check out both GN's and CJ's posts - chock full of photos and interesting encounters.

Welcome Home, 29th Support Group!!

The 29th Support Group, 21st TSC returned home this week to Kaiserslautern, Germany from a yearlong deployment in Afghanistan.

Among the 70 returning soldiers is Master Sgt. Curtis Clinton, hubby of our own Tammi Clinton from MTD at Kleber barracks.

WOOHOO, Tammi! Welcome Home and THANK YOU, Curtis!!



Master Sgt. Curtis Clinton holds his 2-year-old daughter, Ramyrah. - Steve Mraz / S&S


They were welcomed in a brief ceremony by Brig. Gen. Scott G. West, commander of the 21st Theater Support Command.

During its deployment, the 29th Support Group headed the Joint Logistics Command, which was composed of 1,200 soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines working logistics throughout Afghanistan.

For example, the unit supported provincial reconstruction teams in western Afghanistan, the closure of Karshi-Kanabad Air Base in Uzbekistan, flood relief in Afghanistan and earthquake relief in Pakistan, said Col. Walter Sawyer, commander of the 29th Support Group and former commander of the Joint Logistics Command.

“When their nation called, they were there,” Sawyer said of his soldiers. “History has been made, and now it’s time to finish the final chapter in this deployment.”

Shortly thereafter, the soldiers broke formation and were greeted with open arms by their loved ones.

Well done and welcome home!

Read the whole Stars & Stripes article by Steve Mraz with more photos here.

Cindy's Flop

The Death Watch.
The writing on the crosses says "To the Victims of War".


Our fearless leader Stefan, with son Roman.
Much better looking than Cindy.

Finally getting my post up on the Cindy Flop in Germany, due to travel and one of the worst cases of flu I've had in years.

As expected, Cindy did not show up, using her "brutalization" by the NYPD the week before as an excuse. Being out on bail probably didn't help her chances for international travel much, either.

Guess the trip to Germany to "support our wounded soldiers" was not as important as making a spectacle of herself in New York.

The visit to Landstuhl hospital, the march from the hospital to Ramstein AB, the address to the European parliament, all did not materialize. Neither did the up to 500 protestors expected to attend.

Our group was small, too. A group of about 20 Germans and Americans braved 4 hours of cold, wind and rain (vs. their approx. 1 hour "vigil") to support our troops and the German-American partnership. Our messages were much more positive, as seen here.



"Deutschland 1945, Iraq 2003", "America: You Are Not Alone", "Thanks, George W"

At one point I heard a raised voice insistently screeching something about mass murder and whatnot. Two gentlemen from the other side had come over to talk with us. Funny how aggressive these "peace people" often are. Not being a masochist, I declined to engage but others did. As an example of their knowledge of actual historical facts, the gentleman was categorically stating that Saddam had nothing to do with terrorism as another reason the war is "illegal". Astonishingly, he had never heard that Abu Nidal was found in Baghdad in 2003. To his credit, he made a note of it.


Pot of coffee from supporters at a nearby gas station.


All in all, it was a great day spent with great people like Stefan Prystawik - thank you Stefan for the organization! - Mrs. G of the Mudville Gazette - make sure to read her excellent wrapup here - Eric Staal of the Republicans Abroad / GOP Europe, and many others.

Also make sure to read Steve Mraz's report in Stars & Stripes here.

Snow 'n Stuff

Here's the snow.

And here's the stuff :-)

The snow started early Friday morning. Road conditions on post went from Amber, to Red, and finally to Black. Luckily I had arrived in Kaiserslautern the night before.

When conditions are Black, all non-essential personnel are sent home and the buses from Kleber to the hospital and the PXs stop running.

I was able to keep busy with all that stuff, but it was pretty boring for the outpatients at Kleber. The barracks are being renovated so there was only one TV room open and they guys watched one movie after another. (The video game room with it's 24/7 Halo Fest is also open, thank goodness.) But by Saturday night it was so bad we actually watched Revenge of the Nerds Part 4 ;-)

Between the snow, the limited weekend weekend meal times at Kleber, and the snack bar also being shut down due to the renovations, everybody was getting hungry by evening. So I decided to venture out in the snow to a nearby supermarket and pick up some Leberkäse and rolls. Leberkäse is like hot dog meat in a big loaf shape which can be cut into slices.

The new arrivals from Iraq and Afghanistan really appreciated the snack after their long journey, as did the rest of the outpatients. It also provided a little action. So we made the best of the situation and all in all it was a pretty cozy evening at Kleber.

Our shipments during this visit included 16 filled backpacks and over 1000 pair fleece gloves from Soldiers' Angels Foundation in the US and purchased with cash donations.

There were also many Blankets of Hope for the First Response backpacks. I wish I could have taken pictures of them all because they are not only beautiful but clearly made by all of you with so much love. We are very grateful to all of you for sending our recovering heroes these wonderful blankets.

Blankets of Hope, made "with love and hope for your recovery... "

As always, THANK YOU Angels and Friends for your support. We couldn't do any of this without you!

A Couple of Notes

Ronald Reagan once noted that "“Some people wonder all their lives if they've made a difference. The Marines don't have that problem.”

Along the same lines, David at The Thunder Run has written a great piece today called What Drives Your Life?

Gives you something to think about.

* * *

And Michelle Malkin has an update on Joshua Sparling, who has told Sean Hannity in a recent interview that his leg will have to be amputated after all. It will be a below the knee amputation so he's still hoping to return to the 82nd Airborne after his recovery.

* * *

Now flash back to May 6th, 1945. An American tanker, Bob Persinger, is leading a patrol in Austria when villagers tell him of a "work camp" down the road.

60 years later Persinger is reunited with the survivors of the Ebensee concentration camp which he liberated.

Blackfive tells this incredibly moving story.

There are about 120,000 Holocaust survivors who live in the U.S. As they get older, like the men who fought in WWII and liberated them, their numbers are dwindling. Several Holocaust survivors have set out to find their liberators, soldiers that they never had the opportunity to thank for saving their lives. The survivors of the Ebensee concentration camp in Austria found the commander of "The Lucky Lady", the tank that crashed the gates and saved them...

Never forget.

Never forget the victims of evil dictatorships and the everyday heroes of the US military, past and present.

Support Our Troops in Ramstein March 11

We're on!

Here's the information for the Support the Troops event countering Cindy's anti-military, anti-victory, anti-German/American partnership protest in Germany:

Saturday, March 11, 2006
12:00 - 16:00
Ramstein Airbase, West Gate (at the roundabout)

Please send an email here to let us know you're coming and to receive further updates.

Complete information for the Support the Troops in Ramstein event at organizer Stefan Prystawik's site here.
More to follow.

Update: From our friend Ray at David's Medienkritik in Germany:

Cindy Sheehan will be in Germany this upcoming weekend to spread her message of retreat and defeat as she marches from a church in Landstuhl (a town where wounded American soldiers are treated) to a location outside Ramstein Airbase where she plans to set up another "Camp Casey."

But not everyone is planning to sit around and silently watch the German media fawn and drool over Ms. Sheehan. Several groups are organizing a peaceful counter demonstration to support American and Coalition soldiers and victory in Iraq. We strongly encourage all of our readers in Germany and surrounding areas to converge on Ramstein this Saturday to take part!

Update 2: Endorsement from the Republicans Abroad / GOP Europe:

Republicans Abroad encourages the demonstration of support for building democracy in Iraq and for all of the troops serving there.

Cindy Sheehan's visit to Germany is not only intended to undermine the sacrifice that U.S. troops are making to fight the terrorists in Iraq, but is meant to undermine German-American relations.

Cindy's call for a withdrawal of troops from Iraq is terribly irresponsible: withdrawal would leave the fate of millions of Iraqis up to a few thousand terrorists and withdrawal of German support for our troops would make their job much more difficult to achieve.

Rather than lobby the world against American troops, Cindy Sheehan should honor the loss of her son by lobbying for more international support for fighting the real terrorists in Iraq.

Eric R. Staal
RA Germany Pressesprecher

Update 3: Cindy, Revisted from SMASH:

FOR THE SECOND TIME in less than a week, Cindy Sheehan graced us with her presence here in San Diego. On Friday evening she was the headline speaker in an anti-war forum sponsored by the UC San Diego College Democrats. And once again, I suffered through her stump speech to bring you this report.

Why, you might be asking yourself, is this blogger, who rarely even mentioned Cindy when she was at the height of her fame, posting on her twice in one week? There must be a new angle, a twist...

Read the whole thing to find out why.

h/t Welcome to Andi's World

Of Course She's Still Coming Here

It's as we thought. The plan has not changed since the original announcement. Just no "flowers and baked goods" "as a group". Of course she's still going to protest here.

Elsa Rassbach, one of the oranizers of this event, responds to this article:

I am writing in response to Cindy Sheehan's comment today about 'Camp Casey in Germany.' I am one of the organizers of this event, and I also was involved in writing the resolution that will be considered by the European Parliament delegates when Cindy speaks there on March 14th.

First, there is no plan to put a 'camp' in front of or anywhere near the Landstuhl hospital, nor has there ever been such a plan. (I imagine that Cindy's comment was in response to criticism by someone telling her that we are planning such a camp, and that is just not true.) There is also no plan to demonstrate in Landstuhl or to go as a group anywhere near the hospital facilities.
( ... )
On Saturday, March 11th, there will be a discussion with Cindy and other European Parliament witnesses inside the church in Landstuhl, and then we will walk together from the church three kilometers to the parking lot not far from the entrance of Ramstein air base and hold a vigil, led by spiritual leaders from many different faiths, as was often done in Crawford, Texas.
( ... )
We also have received special permission from the local German authorities to set up crosses and half moons (representing the Iraqi dead) along the road leading towards Ramstein air base when we go there on Saturday, and this will be somewhat reminiscent of Camp One in Crawford. We also have permission to set up three tents to symbolize Camp Casey, even though no one will actually sleep in them.
( ... )
So our only 'camp' will be outside Ramstein, which is the air base from which soldiers, weapons, and supplies are sent to Iraq. Ramstein also has nuclear weapons. It is most certainly part of the 'war machine.' There have been larger demonstrations there led by Physicians Against Atomic War.

Given the emotions understandably surrounding Landstuhl, we are considering renaming this event as simply 'Camp Casey Ramstein.'
( ... )

In peace,
Elsa Rassbach
Member of American Voices Abroad in Germany

(emphasis mine)

We can only hope the military will use an alternate route for the buses that bring the injured and ill soldiers from Ramstein to and from Landstuhl hospital so they won't need to see this. But they will, of course, be aware of the protest either way. That's why we will also be there.