234 years of service

Today is a day not unlike any other day for most Americans. People will get up and go to work, take care of kids, go to school, and so on. And just like so many days prior we will be able to do so because long before this day started, before we woke up and long after we go to sleep there are Marines making sure that it will be just another day.



234 years ago, before there was an America, the Marine Coprs was created. There was no pomp or ceremony to the creation. In fact it took place in a bar. Such is the humble beginings of a vital piece of America.

Overall the Marine Corps maintains about 200,000 in active service when not in an active war. While many hope to be part of this small brotherhood, few are selected and even fewer make it through training. There is a reason why the commercials correctly state

"The Few. The Proud. The Marines."

Compare that for a second to the roughly 1.1 million or so in the Army, 900,000 in the Navy, and 600,000 in the Air Force. Marines can do aspects of every other sevice, are active across the globe, and are the smallest portion of the active military of America. We are also some of the best known to our allies and feared by our enemies in the world.

That is not to take away from any other serviceman or woman in the U.S. military. It is just what the Marine Corps is and has been for 234 years.

I know this about the Marine Corps because my father was a Viet Nam Marine. I too served in The Corps. And like so many before and after us, the Marines will remain a beacon of what is America and a wall that protects the nation night and day.

To our allies, Marines have always been there with you. If there is any question you need only ask the French why the Germans named us Devil Dogs. Look to history to understand where our sword came from and why we sing about the halls of Montezuma and the shores of Tripoli.

To our enenmies, remember this and dread

"The purpose of EVERY Marine is to be a basic rifleman. The mission of EVERY Marine is to seek out the enemy, and through superior firepower and manuever remove their willingness and ability to fight." Senior Drill Instructor Sgt. Williams 1986 Paris Island

I know what it is to be a Marine. I understand what we volunteer to give for our nation. And I too thank our Marines for the service they provide without question or glory.



But today is the Birthday of the Marine Corp and I celebrate my fellow Marines, in active service or not, with us today or not, in peace where possible and in combat where not.



Because once a Marine, always a Marine.

And for those that have never known a Marine, or never tried to join us, or misunderstand what we have pledged to give to our nation, I share the following videos to give you a small taste.







To be a Marine is not to seek glory, nor reward. It is a calling. It is Semper Fidelis.

Ft. Hood - Maj. Hasan: 12 dead, 31 injured, no answers yet

I know that some of my readers may be wondering why I have not covered the news of the Ft. Hood shooting before now on VASS or Black Entertainment USA. The only reason I can give is that I was confused.

For hours there has been swirling reports, rumours, and imprecise information. Even at this late hour information is just being learned. So I will mention what is clear at this time.

There appears to be a single shooter. Early reports of multiple shooters seem to be incorrect. The main suspect is a Major Hasan, an American who has served in the military for 20 years. It is unclear exactly what role Maj. Hasan had, though he was a psychiatrist and may have been called to serve in Iraq/Afghanistan.

Maj. Hasan is believed to have killed 12 people, and wounded 31 others, mostly military personnel. Early reports of his suicide and/or death via shots from police are also incorrect. Additionally, a police officer initially believed to have been killed while shooting Maj. Hasan is in fact alive and out of surgery.

At this time no other names have been officially released, though Ft. Hood is no longer under lockdown.

Those are all facts, as is best understood at this time. But in no way do they answer the many questions that have plagued me and so many others all day.

I cannot fathom why an officer, especially of high rank, would strike out in such a manner. There is nothing that makes sense about this.

I have heard the rumours that Maj. Hasan was a sleeper agent. I do not agree. In 20 years of service Hasan would have had ample opportunity to act out before this. In addition, religious radicals tend to seek situations with the potential for far greater bodycounts than this. Plus the fact that being a military officer Hasan had the chance to potentially acquire far greater firepower to inflict higher casualties if he was simply a religious nut.

I have heard Maj. Hasan was suffering from PTSD. Again I refute that. He, to the best knowledge available now, has never served in combat. His duties seem to have kept him stateside his entire career. As a psychologist he heard stories from those that actually suffer PTSD, but that is not the same. Of all those I have known that have suffered PTSD not one has ever suffered this because of something they heard others experience.

Lastly, the other major cause has been rumoured to be discrimination and harrassment. Which I think is absurd. First because as a Major the number of people even capable of doing this are very few, and the repercussions of them doing so is extreme. Second, while I know there is some discrimination/prejudice in the military I can say firsthand that such is not on the level to cause this kind of outburst. I can understand a fistfight due to such a cause, but not a mass murder. In addition, the level of discrimination some may experience today is no where near the levels from back in the 40's, 50's, 60's and so on. And even then, with a national bias in place, such actions as those of Maj. Hasan never occured.

Seperate of all this I have heard Maj. Hasan called a "good American". This was meant to prevent blanket accusations and hate filled actions against Muslims. Which I can understand, but 2 things need to be clear.

1) The insane and terrible acts of any individual are NOT representative of a group of similar people. All Whites are not represented by the KKK or neo-Nazis. All African Americans are NOT Snoop Dogg. All Asians are not the Virginia Tech killer. And so on.

No Muslim should ever be judged by the acts of some other person, or a fanatical group. And no responsible American should ever act against someone due to such a false and bigoted reason.

2) There is no way anyone can be described as a "good American" at the same time they are the key suspect in a mass murder. I also have a problem with such a label being applied to a soldier, who volunteered to join the military, served 20 years, and who then balks at being stationed in or near a war zone (if that is accurate). They joined the military, with full understanding of its purpose, and took an oath that leaves no questions. If there were any disputes with the responsibility that goes with such service, they could have resigned and or gone to jail as a concientious objector. The murder of innocents is never something to be confused with or even mentioned along with the words American or U.S. military.

I am glad that Maj. Hasan is still alive. That means the questions we all have can be answered. If in fact he did do this, and acted alone or with others, I look forward to his death by firing squad. If there are others involved I believe they deserve the same fate.

But the biggest thing that I have in my mind right now is my fear that this is the Columbine of the military. I fear that far too many, merely seeking a quick way to earn money for college might follow this twisted path. I hope that Maj. Hasan can be used as an example of why such actions should never be undertaken.

As more becomes clear I will speak about it further at VASS

Stephen Colbert and the Yellow Ribbon Fund - 8.21.2007.1

Leave it to Mr. Stephen Colbert to bring attention to a serious issue by promoting himself. As many readers have noted, I am a fan of the Colbert Report (the T in Colbert is silent). It is a satirical spin on political news that is refreshing and often more informative than regular news reports.

One of the more recent items has been the injury to Mr. Colbert’s wrist. This has lead to his promotion of the WristStrong bracelet. Similar to the various ribbon campaigns, his red wrist band,

“made of the best plastic, red.”

Is a promotion of the wrist injuries in the nation. In a further step of shameless self-promotion, Mr. Colbert has made his wriststrong bracelet available for sale on his website (www.colbertnation.com).

But the reason I’m mentioning it is the serious part of this. For every band bought, the entire proceeds are going to the Yellow Ribbon Fund. That is for real and an issue that needs more attention.

The Yellow Ribbon Fund is dedicated to

...assist our injured service members and their families while they recuperate at the Walter Reed Army Medical Center and the National Naval Medical Center.

While this only affects 2 military medical centers, serving some 940 of the roughly 24,000 injured American Armed Services members that have fought in Iraq and Afghanistan, it is something. I am always happy to support any cause and organization that betters the lives of those that VOLUNTEERED to server this nation.

My reasons have been mentioned several times in this blog and at Vass, but I will say it again. My father, my sister, and I have all volunteered for military service. My father was a former Marine, who fought in Viet Nam. He suffered from Agent Orange, Post Traumatic Distress, and various wounds in the war. He returned from the war to protests, insults, and a VA medical treatment that I feel was piss poor at best. I would never wish this experience on anyone who has made the commitment to sacrifice everything for this nation and our freedom to do things like write this blog from the comfort of my office.

The Yellow Ribbon Fund may not be the largest organization, it may not reach every injured serviceman, but it is helping to improve the condition and lives of those that have served this nation and their families. I don’t need a better reason than that.

If you do, the WristStong bracelets are merely $5.

This is what I think, what do you think?

This Memorial Weekend - 5.25.2007.1

Let’s talk movies and icons as we enter this Memorial Day weekend. In terms of movies there is only one to discuss, Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End. I saw the movie, and it was great. There is a lot going on, everywhere in this movie. There are few scenes that slow down in any respect. That’s a bit of a shame as the scenery is phenomenal. I’m not a big fan of CGI, but it’s used so well and believably in this film that you forget its computer made.

Then again, you also forget that you are watching actors. It feels like these are living personalities we are glimpsing, as they spin in a vortex of chaos. Often you will ask the same question as several characters, ‘Does Jack have a plan, or is he winging it?’ There is no way to be sure, but he’s obviously influenced the thinking of every major character in the film. I don’t know if it’s in the Pirates Codex, and I won’t ask Captain Tigue, but everyone is out to do what’s right for them. The chaos and double-dealing this causes is remarkable.

Don’t worry about following it all, there is too much to catch it all. But then again you’ll have too much fun watching the action to really care. And there are enough questions left at the end to easily justify another movie. My guess, and this may seem like a bit of a spoiler, is that Hector [his first name is mentioned only once] will be going after Jack as Jack goes after a treasure to fulfill his new goal.

See the movie, its well worth the money to see it on the big screen.

As I mention the big screen, I want to mention someone that has filled it for decades and is still revered decades after his death. I mean no other than Mr. John Wayne. Yesterday was the anniversary of what would have been his 100th birthday.

There are few movie icons that reach the stature that this one man holds. I am a fan, and unlike Public Enemy, I do feel he is an American hero. Mr. Wayne embodied an image of direct honesty and determination, a purity of action that few ever match. Without flash or ego, Mr. Wayne became a symbol of America that endures today as much as 50 years ago.

He was the spirit of the American soldier, refusing to give up the fight and more than capable of winning. He stood as tall as the American flag, and was unwavering in the pursuit of justice. In many ways he was the best image of what America could be. And he highlighted our flaws without shoving them down our throats.

Some may not like Mr. Wayne. Some could disagree with the image he portrayed. Yes, there were many African Americans in the old west [where do you think the term cowboy comes from?] and very few in his films. Yet there were some, which is more than most movies of this type. And real Indians played their roles, as often as not friends of his character and highly respected for their beliefs. Few movies of the old west portrayed American Indians as anything more than a caricature, and several of the ones that did starred Mr. Wayne.

But it’s Memorial Day weekend. We seek to salute our servicemen and women. We remember that they have given their lives and limbs to provide us the life we have today. As flawed as America may be, or has been, it still is the greatest nation in the world. There is no other nation in the world with the degree of freedom and privileges we enjoy here. And we can only have that because of those that fought, bled and died before us and today.

Regardless if you agree with our current wars, our Commander-and-Chief, or our reason to start fighting [this though questionable is moot as we are fighting now. The focus on how we got here is just a political stump point that does not advance our position today] the fact is that without those brave and dedicated individuals standing in the face of evil and anti-America forces, we could not have anything we take for granted today. That includes this blog, movies like Pirates of the Caribbean, the SUV or Hummer you might want or drive, the home you live in, and the quality of everything else that is here.

So take a moment this weekend, see a John Wayne film [especially those when he is shown as a serviceman] and remember the indomitable spirit that is America and our servicemen and women. Then go see the fruit of those sacrifices in the image of Mr. Johnny Depp as Captain Jack Sparrow.

To my fellow Marines, Semper Fidelis. To all veterans, thank you. To those volunteers in the military today, bless you and be well.

This is what I think, what do you think?