Robert Stokely - American Hero and Gold Star Father

Remember this story about The Letter the Washington Post Won't Print?

The letter was written by Robert Stokely about his son Sgt. Mike Stokely, who was killed in Iraq last year.

David at The Thunder Run has been corresponding with Robert Stokely and has written a beautiful post today called Conversations with a Gold Star Father:

Unlike a more famous Gold Star Mother, Mr. Stokely doesn’t blame anyone for Mike’s death for he is “...firmly convinced that, if Mike were here and could look back at what happened in his life those final moments, he'd change nothing. He'd still join the GA NATL Guard as a junior in high school, go to boot camp that summer while his fellow classmates had fun and then come back for his senior year of high school.

He'd still move from a Communications job to a front line Cavalry Scout unit. He'd still go with his "guys" to Iraq even though he could have had an exemption to stay home and recruit.

He'd still take that empty seat on a Humvee as it was about to go out the wire the night he died, even though it was his squad going and he'd been on missions and duty for 30 hours, and had rested little in the last three days (since a soldier was home on leave).

He'd still volunteer to stand cover flank watching the backs of his two fellow soldiers - one his best friend - as they walked down the road to check out a suspicious location.”

David asked Mr. Stokely what Mike might think about all the attention he has gotten.

“No doubt Mike would be overwhelmed by those who speak so highly of him - probably say ‘what's the big deal?’”

What Mike might think of being no big deal is a big deal, for Mike and men and women like him embody the soul of what it is to be an American Soldier.

We think it's a big deal, too.

Do You Think We Scared Her Off??

Cindy Sheehan Backs Off Army Hospital Protest.

We'll see...

Update, 1 March: Stefan tells me this morning that Cindy's group still have their permits, including the march from the gates of Landstuhl Post to Ramstein and a camp at Ramstein, as outlined in their original announcement.

If I had to venture a guess, I would say she backed down on the plan (or was refused permission, as expected) to enter Landstuhl Post and the hospital to distribute "flowers and homemade goods".

Whether this development represents a change of heart or simple backpedaling remains to be seen.

Circles Within Circles....

Further to yesterday's story about the German BND (Intelligence Service) passing the Iraq defense plan to the U.S., David's Medienkritik has an interesting theory:

Either the German government knew about the cooperation between German and U.S. intelligence, in which case former chancellor Schroeder and foreign minister Fischer had lied to the public, or they didn't know it, which would reveal their complete cluelessness about what happened under their watch... Neither option makes them look statesmenlike.

As to the agent who provided the information about Saddam's strategy change, I have my own suspicion... Thank you, Susanne?

Following his link you'll see this at the end of the 27 January article from TCS Daily:

In light of the foregoing details, there is reason to wonder whether Osthoff’s burqa-wearing theatrics were not in fact a smokescreen put up to obscure links to Baathist circles and fellow-travelers. Evidence of what the German journalist and intelligence expert Erich Schmidt-Eenboom has recently described as “very good contacts” [partial translation here] between the German secret service, the BND, and the ousted Hussein regime makes this possibility all the more intriguing and troubling. It was the Osthoff case, and Osthoff’s admitted contacts with BND personnel, that first brought the current BND presence in Iraq to public attention.

Nice catch, David. And if we ever find out the whole story it could make one heck of a movie...

Patriot Guard Riders Pass 10,000 Membership Mark

Congratulations and THANK YOU to the Patriot Guard Riders.

Bikers Guard US Military Funerals Against Protesters

(CNSNews.com) - A group of motorcycle riders who attend U.S. soldiers' funerals to protect them from anti-homosexual protestors on Saturday surpassed the 10,000-member mark.

The Patriot Guard Riders (PGR) escort families of fallen soldiers to funeral services and stand between the funeral proceedings and protestors from the Westboro Baptist Church, who picket the ceremonies with anti-American and anti-homosexuality slogans.

The Westboro Baptist Church, according to its website godhatesfags.com, believes that God uses improvised explosive devices (IEDs) in Iraq to avenge the August 1995 bombing of the church headquarters in Topeka, Kan.
( ... )
Members of Phelps' church stand outside funeral services holding signs that say, "God Hates Fags," and "God Hates the USA." They also sing songs with anti-homosexual messages.

Patriot Group Riders stand between church members and funerals, usually using American flags to obstruct the protestors' view.
( ... )
Mayer added that the group [PGR] "completely crosses all demographic boundaries" and that the membership includes veterans and non-veterans, corporate executives and coal miners, the young and the old.

Read these first-hand accounts of Patriot Guard rides:

Patriot Guard Ride for LT Garrison Avery

Honoring PFC Hasenauer at Soldiers' Angels New York

Visit the Patriot Guard Riders website

Our Canadian Friends Stand With Us Again To Show Support During Cindy's Protest

From Candace at the Canadian blog Waking Up On Planet X:

Soldiers Angels Germany

Many of you will remember the American-based organization Soldier's Angels stepping up to the plate to support our Canadian heroes as they were treated in Germany.

Well, it's payback time. The mother of all nightmares, Cindy Sheehan is planning a protest outside the hospital in Germany where American GIs (and, when necessary, Canadians) are stabilized for the return home.

A commenter suggested a flurry of emails & get-well cards for the heroes, ideally timed to arrive right around the time Cindy settles in to stir it up.

I invite you to click not just on the story link, but on the "write patients" link on the sidebar to get details.

Thanks, Candace.

CTV.ca published an update on the three soldiers on Saturday. Cpl. Bailey, the most seriously injured is still in critical condition but is now expected to survive, while Master Cpl. Franklin has had his second leg amputated below the knee. Pte. Salikin was released from the hospital last Thursday. We wish them all the best for a speedy recovery.

Cindy Welcome Party Update

From today's Stars & Stripes:

Counterprotests in works for Sheehan's Germany protests

By Steve Mraz, Stars and Stripes
Mideast edition, Sunday, February 26, 2006

RAMSTEIN, Germany — Efforts are under way to stage a counterprotest to Cindy Sheehan’s planned March 11 demonstration outside Landstuhl Regional Medical Center and Ramstein Air Base.

Sheehan, who is the mother of a soldier killed in Iraq and who protested the war last summer outside President Bush’s Texas ranch, is scheduled to participate in a daylong war protest.

Stefan Prystawik, a German writer in Bonn, is working to stage a counterprotest. On his Web site, at www.stefan-prystawik.de, Prystawik characterizes Sheehan as “the great-great grandmother of all Bush haters.”

Sheehan’s planned protest is highly inappropriate, and her complaints are “very much an internal U.S. matter,” Prystawik said.

“First of all, it’s completely inappropriate to instrumentalize the troops here particularly, and above all, those who have suffered severe injuries and are at the hospital,” he said. “They are coming here with an attitude to deliberately demoralize troops who just got back or are going to go back [to Iraq].”

Read the rest here.

Developing, more to follow.

For regularly updated information on the welcome party in German and English see stefan-prystawik.de (scroll down for English).

Also check for updates in English at David's Medienkritik and right here at Soldiers' Angels Germany.

To receive information by email click here.

Patriot Guard Ride for LT Garrison Avery

From our friends Ingrid and Tony. Ingrid is a Soldiers' Angel and Tony returned from his deployment to Iraq last year.

We got up at 5 this morning, to get ready and on the road to meet up with our convoy to head to Nebraska --- The temperature at the bank on the highway said 27 degrees, but with the 40 mile per hour winds, it actually felt like about 10.

With at least another hour to go before the sun formally came up, we met with other riders and hopped on the highway. We crossed the Nebraska line when the sun was finally coming up, and by this time, we had a total of 6 bikes.

We all had the same mission - to get to the church and support Lt Avery's family.

The wind was cutting like razors through the riders' hands and faces -- they were all bundled up plenty, but the wind was inescapable. Eventually, Tony & I took the lead, to offer a windshield for the riders, which they gratefully accepted.

We finally pulled into Lincoln, and met at our rendezvous point. Coming around the corner, I was amazed at the number of motorcycles I was seeing, KNOWING, that there were 2 other staging areas for riders coming from other states. After milling around for a few while the riders went inside the coffee shop we met at to warm up a bit, we had a short briefing, a prayer, and then we saddled up and headed out.

People came out of the coffee shop, some in tears, I guess because not only the number of soldiers currently fighting in the war, but the show of support by the riders -- was pretty overwhelming -- I know there were points when I myself was a little choked up, hearing those rumbling engines, all ahead of me, their flags flying proudly behind them, no matter how cold it was, knowing that ALL of these guys have cars, and yet, they chose to brave 20 degree temperatures and a horrid wind coming out of the north while we were heading north -- you see the commitment and dedication that goes into honoring our fallen.

Continue reading Patriot Guard Ride for LT Garrison Avery...

Supporting Denmark and Freedom of Speech in Washington DC

Photo from today's Support Denmark gathering in Washington DC, brainchild of Christopher Hitchens:




See more at Instapundit here and here, and Vital Perspective here.

The Political Pit Bull was there and has lots of great photos, too.

Video of Hitchens' remarks (must-see!) at (where else?) Expose the Left.

The complete roundup at Michelle Malkin, including a subsequent post on how the Jyllands-Posten has received a journalism award.

Update: Glad I checked David's Medienkritik before turning in - Ray was there and has LOTS of photos.

Your Freedom of Speech Under Cyber Attack - Part 2

From The Intellectual Activist via Cox & Forkum:

The central issue of the "cartoon jihad" -- the Muslim riots and death threats against a Danish newspaper that printed 12 cartoons depicting Mohammed -- is obvious. The issue is freedom of speech: whether our freedom to think, write, and draw is to be subjugated to the "religious sensitivities" of anyone who threatens us with force.

That is why it is necessary for every newspaper and magazine to re-publish those cartoons, as I will do in the next print issue of The Intellectual Activist.

That's why we're posting one of them here.




Go to Michelle Malkin to see the rest of them.

And that's why we also urge you to support Denmark. Some great ideas on how to do so at David's Medienkritik.





And this is, of course, another reason why we support our troops.

Your Freedom of Speech Under Cyber Attack

Just in case you thought the War on Terror was only being fought in the Middle East and Southwest Asia, think again. Now you're not supposed to read what people like Michelle Malkin have to say on their blogs. See, it's offensive to... certain people.

Today's only post on Michelle's blog so far:

Dear readers:

Yes, I know the site has been down all morning.

Yes, I've contacted the FBI.

I will try to get back to work, but this has been a bit of a distraction.

Thanks for sticking with me.

***

Afternoon update: Confirmed DoS [Denial of Service] attack, with most of the IP addresses belonging to TurkTelecom.

From a later post at Pajamas Media:

After receiving several threats and experiencing one denial of service attack upon appearing on Fox News Channel to display the Mohammed Cartoons, my site went down again this morning at approx. 9am EST and remains down.

Check back at Pajamas Media for further posts from Michelle.

And because we're a military support blog, we'd like you to grok on this statement for a moment:

"If anybody is wondering: Where are the young idealists? Where are the people willing to devote themselves to causes larger than themselves?

They are in uniform in Iraq, straddling the divide between insanity and order."

- David Brooks

Update: Michelle's back. For now.