Today, the American and British intelligence communities are said to be furious with the Obama administration for leaking classified, operational intelligence about a bomb plot.

“In their place, I would think two and three times before sharing with the Americans, and then only do it if I had to. The problem with that dynamic is that you don’t know what you don’t know, and what opportunities you might be missing when you decide not to share. The Americans are doing a very good job of undermining trust, and the problem starts at the top.”

The timing of the information about the CIA’s foiling of a would-be bomber just a few days after Obama’s victory lap trip to Afghanistan to visit US military who fight on his behalf seemed odd.  Now we know why.

A new era of foreign relations.  If by “new era” you mean acting time and again to ensure that our British friends may never trust the United States of America again, then yes. We’re in a new era.

The Daily Mail reports that a Polish oil company worker, Jakub Perka, has discovered an “almost perfectly preserved” Kittyhawk P-40 that crash-landed in the Sahara Desert in 1942.

“Despite the crash impact, most of the aircraft’s cockpit instruments are intact,” according to the report.

In 1942 [the pilot] was a member of the RAF’s 260 Squadron, a fighter unit based in Egypt during the North Africa campaign.

By June of that year the Allies were retreating from ‘Desert Fox’ Erwin Rommel and his German forces.

On June 28 Ft Sgt Copping and another airman were tasked with flying two damaged Kittyhawk P-40 planes from one British airbase in northern Egypt to another for repair.

During the short flight Ft Sgt Copping lost his bearings, went off course and was never seen again.
[…]
It was documented at the time that there was a fault with its front landing gear which would not retract and the photographic evidence suggests the aircraft had its front wheel down when it crashed.
[…]
There is also flak damage in the fuselage, which is also consistent with documented evidence of Ft Sgt Copping’s plane.

Full Story from TheBlaze.com

Filmmaker Mike Dorsey grew up hearing remarkable tales of heroism from his grandfather, who was captured by the Nazis during World War II. But when Dorsey realized the ranks of his grandfather’s fellow pilots was dwindling, he knew he had to record their story – fast.

Dorsey’s “Lost Airmen of Buchenwald,” which will screen at 2 p.m. May 20 at the upcoming G.I. Film Festival, makes sure his grandfather’s legacy is captured on film.

Read more

A few months ago, a highly educated elitist professor emailed his university colleagues calling it “shameful” to send care packages to military serving overseas.  He wrote in part “sympathy for American troops in harm’s way is ‘not particularly rational in today’s world.’”  No, the shame lies entirely on this leftist constitutional law professor, who despite his position and title cannot fathom the simple fact that his right to free speech is protected by the very Americans he denigrates.

Today, two stories caught my attention.  Jaci Greggs, wife of an active duty solider, wrote of a talent agency targeting and cold calling military wives and widows, on behalf of CBS, about a reality dating show.

Turns out, not everyone they’ve contacted is a widow. And several of the widows are in relationships, or not seeking one–all facts clearly and openly stated on their blogs. In fact, the person who received that specific email does not run either of the blogs mentioned, and is not a widow. One widow posted in a forum that she replied that she wasn’t interested and asked not to be contacted again. She was then badgered with two subsequent emails. Reports are that neither of these situations is unique.

The overwhelming response from the milspouse blogging community has not been favorable, to put it mildly. We’re at once a diverse group and a uniform one, a worldwide community made up of less than 1% of the American population. And fiercely protective of our own. And when one of our spouses becomes a Gold Star spouse, we all hurt.

So CBS has a talent agency trolling military spouse blogs to exploit their sacrifice and tragedy into a reality show to make a buck.  Whatever fools at CBS thought this was a brilliant idea can’t begin to understand the military family and should be ashamed of themselves.

LA state Representative Ortego, on the floor of the people of Louisiana’s House, recently had the audacity to mockingly question one of his colleagues on attracting military veterans to the state.  The basic premise of the bill author’s intent was that military veterans with two years of active duty service in the United States military would qualify for in-state tuition.

The video is instructive.

Ortego: Why are we trying to attract veterans to Louisiana?
Lorusso: Because I think veterans make good citizens of the state and good members of the community.
Ortego: Okay. Okay. Umm. I’m just wondering also because usually a lot of times veterans come with a lot of issues too and I know the federal government tries to, tries to deal with a lot of those issues. But do you think that we’re gonna be able to deal with them too?
Lorusso (incredulous): I don’t know what you’re referring to by issues Representative Ortego.
Ortego: Homeless rates, and umm,  mental illness rates uh especially when they’re coming back after a war.
Lorusso: Well, if they qualify to enroll in our colleges we hope that’s vetted out through the process.
Ortego (laughing): I would hope so, too.  I’m just, you know, my point is also that we’re at the same time we’re also don’t you think that we need to be investing in our umm hospitals with mental illness?
Lorusso (clearly angry): If you bring a bill we’d be happy to discuss it.
Ortego: For our veterans?
Lorusso: You’re free to file a bill.

I’m not sure that I could have hand-picked a more disrespectful, ungrateful, shameless college kid brainwashed from the aforementioned Professor Avery’s classroom.

Don’t ever, for one second, allow the far left to tell you that they support our heroes.  The American military has been among the few cherished institutions they’ve avoided assaulting directly for the last 30 years.  Since the Vietnam days, they’ve generally stuck to small, crazy lunatic protests and Hollywood films that more often than not lately as Americans have come around to the tactics, are ending in disaster for the studio.  With the election of President Obama and his open support of groups like OWS, the left is growing more bold in their efforts to tear down the country in an effort to remake her in their image.

In my time with Honor Flight, I’ve been very direct with the Vietnam veterans who volunteered with me: “I wasn’t born when you came home, and I’m sorry that I wasn’t there for you.  I’m here with you and these World War II veterans, in part, because what happened to you should never, ever happen again.”

I’m not able join you on the march on Washington on 9/12 because I have commitments here at home. However, I would like to ask that anyone going as part of the 9/12 project please share this with anyone outside the central Ohio 9/12 group that is planning to go.

On Saturday, 9/12, there will be a group of veterans in DC from Ohio, New York, Colorado, Alabama, Florida and perhaps other places as well. These aren’t just any vets, they’re World War II veterans. Honor Flight, at no cost to the vets, flies them to DC for the day so that they can visit the World War II memorial and a few other sites. Most have never had the chance to see the memorial built in their honor, and this is their only opportunity. I’m not here to promote Honor Flight, as worthy an organization as I believe it is.

I’m writing you because in my discussions with the flight organizers, they’re aware of the march on Washington and while I don’t speak for them, I think it would be fair to say they’re a little bit concerned about the crowds and maybe even a bit skittish about the idea of “protesters” running amuck. My and the flight directors’, guardians’, and ground crews’ only mission and concern is for the vets under our care. I know quite a few of you, and know that of anyone, you are the most willing of any crowd – without a thought – to stand and honor the sacrifices of our men and women in uniform, to call them heroes. You are also the least likely of any large group I know to be obnoxious or disrespectful to our country.

I believe I can speak for the 9/12 group when I say the whole reason for the march is not because we believe that America is a bad place and needs radical change, or that we think this latest president is a bad man. We believe our liberty is under attack from years of an ever-growing, ever-consuming, increasingly oppressive, and unbounded federal government who would burn the Constitution if they could figure out how to get Sandy Berger to smuggle it out of the archives. Yelling at the TV hasn’t worked. Bold questions, protests, and marches are absolutely our right and if necessary, our responsibility, to ensure the Constitution and our liberty is preserved for future generations.

However. Your path as a group, or perhaps your personal path, will almost certainly at some point intersect with Honor Flight, perhaps at the airports or during your march, as the World War II memorial is directly between the Lincoln Memorial and the Capitol building. (Map: http://tinyurl.com/lwl3jb) Please, as you’re in Washington, if you see an old guy in a gray t-shirt (picture: http://tinyurl.com/l6e3he), be respectful. Taking a minute to say thank you would be nice, but if not, please be patient. I ask you humbly with no authority, out of respect for the veterans – the living, the ones who have gone on, and the 400,000 marked by the field of stars who never came home: be aware of your surroundings. Try to save the shouting, yelling, chanting or other overt displays for areas not near and around the war memorials, especially the World War II memorial.

Thank you in advance

Honesty | Reverence | Hope | Thrift | Humility | Charity

1. America Is Good.
2. I believe in God and He is the Center of my Life.
3. I must always try to be a more honest person than I was yesterday.
4. The family is sacred. My spouse and I are the ultimate authority, not the government.
5. If you break the law you pay the penalty. Justice is blind and no one is above it.
6. I have a right to life, liberty and pursuit of happiness, but there is no guarantee of equal results.
7. I work hard for what I have and I will share it with who I want to. Government cannot force me to be charitable.
8. It is not un-American for me to disagree with authority or to share my personal opinion.
9. The government works for me. I do not answer to them, they answer to me.

Sincerity | Moderation | Hard Work | Courage | Personal Responsibility | Gratitude

One of my roles is that of guardian, serving as escorts and guides for the vets for the day. Today I was working on the ground crew. I was at the airport at 0530 helping the vets and the guardians get ready for the flight. A friend recently wrote and said in part

Glad you don’t feel weird about doing it. I’d feel awkward as can be. Now, if I was accompanying vets to go drive a tank or something that would be fun. But the reminiscing, emotional support…wow.

Real honestly, it isn’t easy for me, mostly because I’m such an introvert. But these guys are stronger than you’d think. Some of them break down, but that is usually one of us. Most vets have never told their stories. Many die having never shared with anyone – even their own wives and families – what they did. It isn’t that they aren’t proud of their service, but rather they went to war because they believed it was their duty because they love their country. Those who came home considered themselves fortunate, or worse. They were almost always greeted with a small amount of cash and a bus ticket back to their hometown. They got jobs, raised families, and often served in their churches and communities. Many who know them don’t even know they’re veterans.

This trip serves so many purposes. Not only is it our way to say “thank you” but it is a chance for them to open up to their families and share the stories, and the demons, that they have held onto for 60 years. We bring them home to their families in the evening and provide a kind of homecoming at the airport they never expected or believed they deserved. Typically a few hundred people turn out just to stand in a line and say “thank you”.

On a recent trip, my vet – the one I was assigned to as a guardian – told me that when Pearl Harbor was attacked, he was only 17. Two days after that awful December Sunday, he signed up – volunteered to go to war for his country. That kind of selflessness is an inspiration. I don’t want to get up at 0430, I don’t really want to be social as it were. Then I stop and realize that these things do not even rise to the level of a minor inconvenience. It is an honor and a privilege to serve these men (and occasional woman) for just one day.

One really interesting thing was that they had a Jap Zero on display, and the placard mentioned that there were only two flying zeros left in the world. With so many P-51s and all the rest of the WWII era American aircraft, I thought it was neat that so many across the country work so hard to preserve vintage aircraft – in flying condition no less.

Next these guys should sue over the use of RADAR at airports, because you know, it might confuse the birds or something.