Veterans Day - For Our Mil-Bloggers
On Veterans Day, I want to pay tribute to our Mil-bloggers, past and present.
Often, I realize that I sound irreverent about the Bush administration, and I realize that sort of public talk and behavior is not freely allowed within the ranks of active American military service. My irreverence is wholly packed with the punch of the truth from my standpoint of individual conscience. I am grateful for the fact that our men and women of the armed forces serve our nation trustingly and loyally and to them, I am reflecting that essence for which I know they risk everything. By exercising the right and privilege to speak as a free and honest American citizen, a large part of my goal is to watch over these soldiers and to ensure they are being given a fair shake by the government (and people) they serve to protect. I know that their lives depend upon the stability and wisdom of their commander in chief.
Today, I honor the following websites--all written by members, past or present, of our Armed Forces:
http://www.voiceofaveteran.blogspot.com/-I got to know Vet when we mutually supported Howard Dean. He is an important rational voice in the blogging community.
A big shout out to my co-blogger at Syracuse Progressive - milblogger Fred Bieling, who's currently serving with the New York State Army National Guard. I'm so glad Fred and I have become acquainted. He has a lot of writing talent. Check him out.
Colby's book
http://cbftw.blogspot.com/ - Colby (aka CB) was stationed in Mosul with the Stryker brigade. He writes with the heart of the philosopher. He was cut off from blogging by the powers that be for a short time, but now he's back with a book called My War. He's my favorite 'Charlie Bravo.'
http://docinthebox.blogspot.com/ - Sean is a Navy medic. He's articulate and his writing is very well thought out. (Even though he dreads what his high school English teacher might think if she were to gaze upon his blog).
http://lt-smash.us/ - Iraq war veteran and war blogger, now he's a stateside citizen. He has a group called Protest Warriors. Go here for a sample of his thoughts and the discourse that follows in the Comments section.
The Daily Brief (SSDB) -A collaborative blog discussing the conflict day-today. Pay Stryker, Kevin Connors, Sgt. Mom, and Sparkey a visit. Good, honest writing.
http://www.dogtulosba.com/ I got to know Chad when he came to Iddybud to straighten me out on my military terminology. (I suck at it). He's the expert, and I deferred to him. I also became a fan. Note: Chad gets my vote for the category of 'Best blogger smile'. ;)
http://www.cimoli.com/blog/cimoli_blog - Gordo is a US Army Aviator. He's been in the Army since August 1988 and has been all over the world from Panama to Canada. In iraq now, Gordo recently expressed concern that his unit's embedded reporter, CBS Bob, is leaving to head back to the states. He was their link to the world--he had the sattelite internet connection and could keep the soldiers up to date on what was going on in the world.
http://livefromiraq.blogspot.com/ -Sorry, folks. He's been shut down and shut up.
http://scrimshaw.blogspot.com/ -91 Ghost- A literary vet, who recently wrote: "Say a little prayer that our enemies shall be defeated, that our Republic shall flourish in the light of its Constitutional intentions and guidances, and that our leaders, whomsoever they may be, will have the wisdom and discretion to do the right thing, whatever that may be...and say a little prayer that our politicians, on either side of the aisle, will defer to our war chiefs when it comes to making war decisions...because this situation we are in, is not a football game. Say a little prayer, above all, for the soldier walking point tonight, and for the soldier laying up in Walter Reed tonight, and for those whose last sight on earth was of a mzzle flash in some slum in Iraq, and not the fields they called home."
"If the coalition were to just pick up and go would the insurgency stop altogether? I mean these people have some plan right? I only wonder what their objective mission is? Seems to me that they are killing more of their own people then ours. If I take CNN's word for it, they killed 40 of their own and just 1 US Soldier today. So is it about the Coalition being there? Now when I say one of their own, I mean of Arab descendent. We all know that the insurgency is not just Iraqi's.
I couldn't imagine what goes through their thick stinking skulls as they are planning this shit. Do they really justify killing woman and children? Do they chalk it up as a casualty of war and Allah will compensate them when they go to Heaven?
I wonder what would make it all go away? I can bet that if we just left it wouldn't!"
--American Soldier, 30 September 2004
From American Soldier
American Soldier (was: here previously) states: "I sacrifice so others may never have to face war or adversity that plagues this nation that we live in."
http://www.lewrockwell.com/kwiatkowski/kwiatkowski-arch.html -Karen Kwiatkowski recently retired from the active duty USAF as a Lieutenant Colonel. Her final assignment was as a political-military affairs officer in the Office of the Secretary of Defense, Under Secretary for Policy, in the Sub-Saharan Africa and Near East South Asia (NESA) Policy directorates. Her work can be viewed at Lew Rockwell's website. See An interview with Karen Kwiatkowski, Oct 26, 2005
http://www.hackworth.com/ -David Hackworth's military career as a sailor, soldier and a military writer has spanned several dozen wars and conflicts, from the end of World War II to the first Gulf War to the present situation in Iraq -- which he described as “the biggest military miscalculation in our nation’s history.” David Hackworth died earlier this year and we will miss his voice.
http://www.ivaw.net/ -Iraq Veterans Against the War(IVAW) is currently working on a nation wide speaking tour and in 2004, they participated in a Vigil in Washington D.C., with speakers including Lila Lipscombe, who was a mother of a soldier who was killed in Iraq. I saw the entire event on CSPAN and found it to be very moving, but it never made the news, curiously. Other than CSPAN, the media was dead-silent for far too long. Some of them have been supporting Cindy Sheehan, mother of fallen soldier Casey Sheehan.
I'm including a blogging "Soldier's Angel" named Holly Aho and Patti Patton-Bader, mother of Sgt. Brandon Varn who served in Iraq, Soldier's Angels, who asks this of you:
Soldiers are truly enduring the horrible. We must pull together as a country. I ask, you no I get down on my knees and I beg you support a soldier TODAY. Do something now to help, Adopt A Soldier,. Write a letter, go to your local veterans association, see if there is a wife with a husband deployed and mow her lawn, watch her children, give her a hug.. Help the wounded, DO SOMETHING to support these precious heroes.
Here's to Ross Myers, Tara Sue Clark, and Jerry McClough of North Carolina who, along with their help with the Military WebCOM Video Conferencing Program and the VFW's Operation Uplink, enabled and facilitated a Milbloggers session at a Blog Conference in Nashville this year.
Other Milbloggers:
MilBlogging.com
Mudville Gazette
Black Five
The Word Unheard
Fourth Rail
One Hand Clapping
365 and a Wake Up
Four Knots to Nowhere
Bobby's World
Wordsmith at War
One Marine's View
The Will To Exist
When Last We Left Our Intrepid Home
Femme La Guerre
LZSally.com
VFW.org
Isaac Callahan (who recently deleted a shitload of bad memories)