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November 30, 2004
Landstuhl Revisited
Diana Hartman visited our wounded troops at Landstuhl Germany again today.
hello all, tomorrow's trip to landstuhl (30nov04) will be a big-haul day as there were many arrivals today and i would like to thank each and every one of you for your generous contribution... |
Her email address is msdusmcd@yahoo.com. Read about her first and second visits if you've missed them.
Posted by Deb at 10:57 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Wish List for Infantry Marines
Wondering what to get your favorite Marine for Christmas? Here's a list compiled by Charlie Company Marines from 1/3.
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Posted by Deb at 10:10 PM | Comments (5) | TrackBack
November 29, 2004
Doc's Thanksgiving Message
It's inelegant but comes straight from the heart.
Thank God for the fucking Marines. |
Oohrah. Read the rest.
Posted by Deb at 04:03 PM | Comments (1) | TrackBack
Heroism under fire

Photo by Sgt. Charles E. Moore
"Tomorrow, at 19:00 hours (7 p.m.), we are going to declare war in the holy city of Fallujah," Peralta wrote to Ricardo, 14. "We are going to defeat the insurgents. Watch the news, it's going to be all over. Be proud of me, bro, I'm going to make history and do something that I always wanted to do."
This exerpt from a letter sent by Sgt. Rafael Peralta was received by his younger brother, Ricardo, one day after the Peralta family learned that their Marine was killed in action on November 16, 2004. It was his first and last letter to his brother and after he mailed it, Sgt. Peralta indeed made history as one more in a long line of Marine Corps heroes. His final act of bravery saved the lives of his brother Marines at the cost of his own. It will be retold by future generations of Devil Dogs who will privately wonder if they could ever measure up to this example of selfless service.
Sgt. Rafael Peralta built a reputation as a man who always put his Marines' interests ahead of his own. |
Sgt. Peralta finished his letter to his younger brother:
"Just think about God and we will all be together again," he wrote. "If anything happens to me, just remember I lived my life to the fullest and I'm happy with what I lived."
Letters of condolence for Sgt. Peralta's family can be sent to:
Humphrey Mortuary
753 Broadway
Chula Vista, CA 91910-5328
Posted by Deb at 03:47 PM | Comments (4) | TrackBack
November 28, 2004
Best of the Blogs
Nominations are being taken for Weblog Awards - 2004 and there is a new category for military blogs. If you haven't nominated your favorite milblog yet, do it tonight since nominations close in a few hours. Check out the list of milblogs in the Marine Corps Moms blogroll, pick your favorite and give them some love.
Posted by Deb at 04:06 PM | Comments (1) | TrackBack
What it means to be a grunt
Sgt. Robert M. Storm, press chief for The Scout, the base newspaper at Camp Pendleton wrote this essay on his experience as an infantry Marine. I've heard the same sentiment from my own 0311 son.
There are so many different aspects of the job: training, the field, combat. During each of these times, the job varies. I could explain each of these experiences at great length and detail but as with many experiences, words don’t adequately express what it means to be a grunt. But I’ll try to give you a picture anyway. |
Posted by Deb at 03:57 PM | Comments (2) | TrackBack
Sending packages to APO/FPO addresses
The U.S. Post Office has just released a new flat rate Priority Mail box. It's too late for Operation Santa but good news for those of us who are still getting holiday packages in the mail for deployed loved ones. I just orderd 50 boxes that can be mailed for a flat rate $7.70 for any U.S. destination, including APO/FPO addresses, and contain any weight up to a 70 lb. maximum. Two box sizes are available with dimensions of 14" x 12" x 3.5" and 11.25" x 8.75" x 6". Best of all, these boxes can be ordered free of charge from the post office via their website and sent to your home. This program started November 20 and will operate in a trial status for 2 years. For those of us who mail frequently, it will be a tremendous savings.
Posted by Deb at 02:26 PM | Comments (3) | TrackBack
The CinC's Thanksgiving Radio Address
Good morning. As Americans gather to celebrate this week, we show our gratitude for the many blessings in our lives. We are grateful for our friends and families who fill our lives with purpose and love. We're grateful for our beautiful country, and for the prosperity we enjoy. We're grateful for the chance to live, work and worship in freedom. And in this Thanksgiving week, we offer thanks and praise to the provider of all these gifts, Almighty God. |
Posted by Deb at 11:27 AM | Comments (2) | TrackBack
November 27, 2004
" . . . war is the highest of highs and the lowest of lows . . ."
Another 2nd LAR update from the front. It's an awesome retelling of bravery and brotherhood.
24 November 2004 |
I'm posting this with tears in my eyes. These guys are heroes all, from young PFC Brooks up through senior leadership. I am so proud of them all and there are no words to adequately express that.
Posted by Deb at 09:05 PM | Comments (1) | TrackBack
November 25, 2004
Precious Cargo
JHD shares this letter from Maj. Zarnik, USAFR as printed on the American Thinker website. Thank God for Major Zarnik and others like him.
Fallen Marines November 25th, 2004 |
Posted by Deb at 02:10 PM | Comments (3) | TrackBack
Abraham Lincoln's 1863 Thanksgiving Proclamation
JHD shares this blast from the past, commenting "In today's secular society I can just imagine the rave reviews this Proclamation would've engendered!":
It is the duty of nations as well as of men to own their dependence upon the overruling power of God; to confess their sins and transgressions in humble sorrow, yet with assured hope that genuine repentance will lead to mercy and pardon; and to recognize the sublime truth, announced in the Holy Scriptures and proven by all history, that those nations are blessed whose God is the Lord. We know that by His divine law, nations, like individuals, are subjected to punishments and chastisements in this world. May we not justly fear that the awful calamity of civil war which now desolates the land may be a punishment inflicted upon us for our presumptuous sins, to the needful end of our national reformation as a whole people? We have been the recipients of the choisest bounties of heaven; we have been preserved these many years in peace and prosperity; we have grown in numbers, wealth and power as no other nation has ever grown. But we have forgotten God. We have forgotten the gracious hand which preserved us in peace and multiplied and enriched and strengthened us, and we have vainly imagined, in the deceitfulness of our hearts, that all these blessings were produced by some superior wisdom and virtue of our own. Intoxicated with unbroken success, we have become too self-sufficient to feel the necessity of redeeming and preserving grace, too proud to pray to the God that made us. It has seemed to me fit and proper that God should be solemnly, reverently and gratefully acknowledged, as with one heart and one voice, by the whole American people. I do therefore invite my fellow citizens in every part of the United States, and also those who are at sea and those who are sojourning in foreign lands, to set apart and observe the last Thursday of November as a day of Thanksgiving and praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the heavens. |
Posted by Deb at 01:36 PM | Comments (2) | TrackBack
November 24, 2004
1/11 Marines on Jay Leno tonight
Drink coffee and stay up . . . or set your VCRs and watch it tomorrow.
Posted by Deb at 03:55 PM | Comments (1) | TrackBack
"Let's hear it for the Marines"
Marine wife, Mary Helen, sent this opinion by Janan Ganesh as published in the London Times:
The motto of the US Marine Corps is Semper Fidelis, or “always faithful”. And faith is exactly what the Western media eschew in their relentlessly cynical coverage of the American Armed Forces, which plunged to a new nadir last week with the outrage at a Marine who shot dead an injured and unarmed Fallujah terrorist. Their determination to portray the Americans as trigger-happy louts and the Iraqi terrorists as mere “rebels” slanders the former, sanctifies the latter and betrays everybody who trusts journalists to be objective. |
Semper Fidelis is exactly right. The Marine who shot this unarmed enemy was responding to what he perceived as an immediate threat. There have been numerous instances of enemy combatants faking death or injury and then shooting or blowing up our troops. In this case, the Marine didn't know and should not be expected to determine if the enemy was unarmed before shooting. He reacted just as he had been trained - to protect his brother Marines. The ultimate goal of warfare is to make sure the other guy dies and this Marine achieved that goal. For that, he deserves praise, not condemnation.
Posted by Deb at 03:52 PM | Comments (2) | TrackBack
2/10 visits Al Majjarh
Major Timothy M. Parker, Executive Officer for 2/10 Marines writes:
| Friends and Families of 2/10, We have completed our first two months in Iraq. I have had the opportunity to visit every site, and the high level of motivation and esprit de corps consistently inspires me. It almost seems like the places where things are hardest the morale is best. The weather has begun to cool, which was a welcome relief, although I’m sure you’ll soon hear complaints about how cold it is here (Marines are only happy when complaining). |
![]() | Like many, I find it distressing that so many people back in America don’t understand why we are here. I’d like to relate to you a story that will hopefully bring all of it into perspective. Most of you will note the story of Huda, the young girl whose picture has graced our webpage for the past month. |
| On 3 November, we returned Huda and her father to their village, Al Majjarh. It was a great homecoming. The entire town came out to welcome them back. Huda mom wanted us to stay for lunch, but we try not to stay too long for security reasons. After talking with the family for a little while, CWO Torres went to talk to the village sheik (yes, they really have those here), and I walked back to my vehicle. |
| After I got back to the vehicle, two little girls walked up to me, and began to talk to me. I couldn't really understand what they wanted, and then they ran back to their house. They returned to me with a baby girl, who couldn't have been more than six months old. I could tell she was a girl because she had pierced ears, which I thought odd for a village so poor. She was a sweet little girl and they let me hold her, and I finally found out that what they wanted was water. | ![]() |
| The village has problems with getting clean water, it's one of the projects we're working on in the village. I gave them three bottles of water, and they took the water and the baby back home. They returned to talk to me, which is a relative term since I don't speak any Arabic. So, I took out my wallet and showed them a picture of my family, and pointed out my own family (my wife and eight children). They took my pictures and ran back to their house. |
![]() | I could see their mother in the backyard, so walked over there. One of the little girls had handed my pictures to the mother. She began speaking very rapidly, then began to cry. I wasn't quite sure what to make of it, so I called one of our translators over. She (the translator) said that the mother was sad because I had to be away from my family. |
| I asked where she was from, and she told me she was a refugee from Fallujah. She was frightened of all the terrorists, and the bombs that were being dropped. They were living in a tent in Al Majjarh. I told her that I hoped soon we would drive out all the terrorists, so that she could return home. I told her that I was sad to be away from my family, and my family was sad I was away from them, but my family and I felt the sacrifice was worth it, so the people of Iraq could have the same freedom as we do. She seemed very touched, and genuinely appreciative of our efforts. | ![]() |
We are changing this country for the better, one person at a time. President Theodore Roosevelt once said:
"It is not the critic who counts: not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles or where the doer of deeds could have done better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood, who strives valiantly, who errs and comes up short again and again, because there is no effort without error or shortcoming, but who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions, who spends himself for a worthy cause; who, at the best, knows, in the end, the triumph of high achievement, and who, at the worst, if he fails, at least he fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who knew neither victory nor defeat." |
![]() | The Marines and Sailors of 2d Battalion are men in the arena, they are making a difference for our great nation and for Iraq. I truly hope you are all as proud of them as am I. |
Posted by Deb at 03:00 PM | Comments (2) | TrackBack
". . . the world is full of good people"
Capt John F. Griffin from 2d LAR Bn sends this update from Fallujah, Iraq
Pain and suffering is how character is defined. If life was easy and all that we have was provided and not earned, nothing would be appreciated. Life would be without value. I believe that the world is good again. The evil empire has been defeated and righteousness has returned as our hero. Congratulations to the Boston Red Sox - World Series Champions. |
Posted by Deb at 12:24 PM | Comments (3) | TrackBack
November 23, 2004
Jet Noise muted
Cassandra from I Love Jet Noise is hanging up her keyboard. She's on my short list of writers who I read every day and she never fails to elicit a laugh . . . or a tear. I'm sorry to hear this and hope that she'll find a new venue for her witty and right-on-target opinions very soon. And the welcome mat is open here.
Posted by Deb at 09:51 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
First Team - between Iraq and a hard place
1/7 Marines continue to excel as they battle insurgents along the Syrian border. Here are exerpts from two reports from the front.
As Marines everywhere celebrated the 229th birthday of the Marine Corps on November 10th, 1/7 Suicide Charlie did what Marines do best - they kicked ass in their little part of the world. Here's an account by Cpl Matthew Jones on how Marines from the 3rd platoon uncovered weapons caches in two Al Qaim houses, freed three captured Iraqis who had been held as hostages for almost a month, and took six suspected terrorists off the streets and into custody.
As the Marines approached the house they observed a man sitting on the stoop, who matched the description of a wanted man. The man, who did not visible have a weapon, fit the description of a known high value target, according to Sgt. Tobey J. Owens, squad leader, 1st Squad, 3rd Platoon. |
Cpl Jones describes another night's work for 1st platoon:
Assembling in the dead of night, the Marines of “Suicide Charlie” prepare to provide the wake up call of a lifetime for a handful of known insurgents. They mount their vehicles and head towards the small town on the banks of the Euphrates River and as the sun rises the Marines knock on the insurgents door in a way that only Marines can. |
Posted by Deb at 09:24 PM | Comments (1) | TrackBack
November 22, 2004
Marine Dad, Frank Schaeffer, speaks on troop support
Watching the bickering by survivors of those killed on 9/11/01 has been incredibly frustrating for parents and family members of troops who watch their loved ones take incredible risks for a country that is made up of both fervent troop supporters and those who never think about the men and women that protect and defend their right to live in a free society. In this editorial, Frank Schaeffer puts this frustration into words.
Staff Sergeant Aaron White, USMC was killed in a helicopter crash on May 19, 2003 in Iraq. Here is an excerpt from his last letters home to his wife Michele and to his baby daughter Brianna. |
Thank you, Frank.
Posted by Deb at 10:03 PM
November 21, 2004
LtCol Bellon reports on the future greatest generation
Praise for the Marines of RCT-1 and RCT-7, as well as the Army Blackjack Brigade, from LtCol Bellon:
There is an image burned into my brain that I hope I never forget. We came up behind 3/5 one day as the lead squads were working down the Byzantine streets of the Jolan area. An assault team of two Marines ran out from behind cover and put a rocket into a wall of an enemy strongpoint. Before the smoke cleared the squad behind them was up and moving through the hole and clearing the house. Just down the block another squad was doing the same thing. The house was cleared quickly and the Marines were running down the street to the next contact. Even in the midst of that mayhem, it was an awesome site. |
There are many heroes among our troops. LtCol Bellon focuses on two exceptional Marines:
I will end with a couple of stories of individual heroism that you may not have heard yet. I was told about both of these incidents shortly after they occurred. No doubt some of the facts will change slightly but I am confident that the meat is correct. |
Posted by Deb at 11:33 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
November 18, 2004
A Marine writes home
Via Powerline, this letter is a must-read for those incensed by Kevin Sites' video.
This is one story of many that people normally don't hear, and one that everyone does. |
Oohrah. And thanks for the perspective.
Steve from Hog On Ice asks a follow-up question:
. . . what ever happened to "WE SUPPORT OUR TROOPS!"? |
Posted by Deb at 06:10 PM | Comments (6) | TrackBack
Why We Are Here
LtCol Michael S. McGurk, presents this compelling explanation from Baghdad:
8 November 2004 |
Posted by Deb at 01:37 AM | Comments (3) | TrackBack
1/7 November Update from Al Qaim
LtCol Woodbridge sends this update on my favorite battalion:
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Posted by Deb at 01:13 AM | Comments (3) | TrackBack
November 17, 2004
Happy Thanksgiving from the 24th MEU in Fallujah
From Col. Johnson:
Dear Families and Friends of the 24th MEU, |
Posted by Deb at 10:48 PM | Comments (3) | TrackBack
The Luxury of Pacifism
I recently heard a discussion that included one young woman who made some interesting comments. She doesn't support putting any of our soldiers in harm's way, ever, for any reason. Moreover, she defies authority very day, thinks governments and laws are unnecessary, and as she put it, "I live by me." She's a self proclaimed pacifist.
Admittedly, she's young. She's idealistic, and her life perspective is very different from mine. However, I couldn't help but think about the sheer luxury of her positions.
Never put any of our armed forces in harm's way, ever. In that case, let's disband the military completely. After all, if we're not ever willing to risk a life to protect freedom, we might as well plan to be overrun by those who are stronger and less principled, and just give up our freedoms entirely. Whoops! I can't accept that, I'll stand by words that served this nation so well more than 200 years ago. "Is life so dear, or peace so sweet as to be purchased with the bonds of slavery? Forbid it, Almight God. I know not what course others may take, but as for me, give me liberty, or give me death."
I live by me. Gee, that's great. Let's just give up the rule of law, the government that provides police, firefighters and (heaven help us) a national defense. Of course, you might want to consider getting youself a gun. Not everyone is as nice as you, shares your exact moral code, etc. and at some point, someone's going to decide that you should give them what you have, what you've worked to earn or decide that you just don't deserve those freedoms you so glibly exercise. That's happened in some other places . . . Afghanistan, for example, where one religious group decided that their way was the only way. Line up to get your burkas here, but for heaven sakes, don't show even an inch of ankle. Iraq's another good example. Just one man intimidated, frightened and murdered his way to the top, at the expense of one nation's citizenry. He probably would have happily espoused the "I live by me." theory. So, I think, would Osama Bin Laden. (Oh wait, they already have.)
I'm a pacifist. There's an old joke about pacifists. Ask one to tell you all about his beliefs, and then punch him in the mouth. If he raises a fist, shake your finger in his face and remind the naughty pacifist about his own beliefs. Then hit him again.
Repeat until the pacifist changes his philosophy.
This young woman will probably never have to fight for her freedoms or




