231st

Today is the 231st birthday of the United States Marine Corps. Semper Fi!

Mary Katherine Ham has posted a series of inspiring USMC pictures.

“Some people wonder all their lives if they’ve made a difference. The Marines don’t have that problem.â€? – Ronald Reagan

“Shoot me first”

The bravest girl:

The oldest of the five Amish girls shot dead in a Pennsylvania schoolhouse is said to have stepped forward and asked her killer to “Shoot me first,” in an apparent effort to buy time for her schoolmates.

Great American’s birthday

April 5 is the birthday of Booker T Washington.

If you’ve never read his autobiography Up From Slavery, you should start today.

Remembering Beirut

Twenty two years ago today a muslim terrorist drove a truck full of explosives into the Marine barracks in Beirut, Lebanon. 220 Marines, 18 sailors, and 3 soldiers died.

Here is an excerpt from President Reagan’s televised address responding to the bombing:

May I share something with you I think you’d like to know? It’s something that happened to the Commandant of our Marine Corps, General Paul Kelley, while he was visiting our critically injured Marines in an Air Force hospital. It says more than any of us could ever hope to say about the gallantry and heroism of these young men, young men who serve so willingly so that others might have a chance at peace and freedom in their own lives and in the life of their country.

I’ll let General Kelley’s words describe the incident. He spoke of a “young Marine with more tubes going in and out of his body than I have ever seen in one body.”

“He couldn’t see very well. He reached up and grabbed my four stars, just to make sure I was who I said I was. He held my hand with a firm grip. He was making signals, and we realized he wanted to tell me something. We put a pad of paper in his hand – and he wrote ‘Semper Fi.’ “

Well, if you’ve been a Marine or if, like myself, you’re an admirer of the Marines, you know those words are a battle cry, a greeting, and a legend in the Marine Corps. They’re Marine shorthand for the motto of the Corps – “Semper Fidelis” – “always faithful.”

General Kelley has a reputation for being a very sophisticated general and a very tough Marine. But he cried when he saw those words, and who can blame him? That Marine and all those others like him living and dead, have been faithful to their ideals. They’ve given willingly of them selves so that a nearly defenseless people in a region of great strategic importance to the free world will have a chance someday to live lives free of murder and mayhem and terrorism. I think that young Marine and all of his comrades have given every one of us something to live up to.

They were not afraid to stand up for their country or, no matter how difficult and slow the journey might be, to give to others that last, best hope of a better future. We cannot and will not dishonor them now and the sacrifices they’ve made by failing to remain as faithful to the cause of freedom and the pursuit of peace as they have been.

I will not ask you to pray for the dead, because they’re safe in God’s loving arms and beyond need of our prayers. I would like to ask you all – wherever you may be in this blessed land – to pray for these wounded young men and to pray for the bereaved families of those who gave their lives for our freedom.

God bless you, and God bless America.”

Semper Fi

Best frontline reporter

Michael Yon is a freelance reporter working on the frontlines in Iraq. Go read his latest story about LTC Kurilla.

Donate to his blog if you can.

Someone who is supporting the troops

Matt Hicketheir is a young Marine completing his training before shipping to Iraq for a year. His father and mother took him to The Fort, a very expensive restaurant in Morrison, CO, this past Tuesday to celebrate before their only son left. President Clinton ate at this same restaurant when he visited Denver a few years ago.

The entire family dressed up. Matt wore his dress blues and his mother and sister wore their best dresses. They spared no expense in their dinner on this special occaision even though it was a hit on the pocket book. They drank champagne and ordered exotic dishes like rattlesnake, quail eggs and buffalo tongue to enjoy the time they had with their son and brother. This occaision was a special one that deserved some indulgence.

When they were finished, the restaurant told them another customer had given the manager his credit card and told him to keep the Hicketheir’s tab open. “Anything they order is on me,” he told the manager before he left. The man only insisted on one condition, that he remain anonymous. The Fort has kept the man’s confidence admitting only that he’s a businessman from Texas who was in town for a few days. He had been sitting at a nearby table and apparently was able to gather why the family was there.

This man’s kindness was great example of someone demonstrating love their country and the troops who fight for freedom. His avoidance of attention for his actions show what a truly kind heart this man has.

Update:
A number of people beat me to this story including:
Peenie Wallie
Michelle Malkin
Hugh Hewitt

This is why we need to win.

Major Mark Bieger comforts a wounded girl while taking her to a military hospital. The child didn’t make it.

Update:
The writer who took this picture has his own blog where he relates the story.

So-called martyr’s think they are heroes for blowing up the own countrymen. This photo show not only why we need to stay and fight, but also why we will win. The only way we will lose is if the U.S. loses heart and pulls out. Then all the sacrifices will be in vain.

The terrorists’ desperation in targeting children shows we are winning. Their own countrymen will not stand for this continued slaughter.

Hard charger

Here’s an inspiring blog. Sgt. Lizzie was wounded in Iraq yesterday by a roadside bomb. Her story is inspiring for her personal strength and her positive attitude.

Hang in there Sgt. and thank you.

Cowboy Bush

President Bush was in Chile this past weekend. The Chileans weren’t too pleased that the Secret Service refused to cede its mission to proctect the president to the Chilean security services. They tried to get some pay back when the President Bush was going into a meeting with the Chilean president.

Law-enforcement authorities said the Chileans, who claimed to be in charge of security for the event, stopped Secret Service agent Nick Trotta as he was escorting Mr. Bush and first lady Laura Bush into the center, jumping in front of the agent as he approached the building entry. The authorities said the Chilean officers had seemed poised to act.
At least one Secret Service agent was shoved against a wall, the authorities said, as Mr. Trotta continued to push his way into the center. It was then that Mr. Bush responded, pushing into the crowd of angry security officials, pointing at Mr. Trotta and ordering that he be released. Mr. Bush finally reached over and grabbed the agent by the suit collar.
“He’s with me,” Mr. Bush said as he waded into the scuffle and pulled the agent through the crowd.

President Bush is the man. He sees one of his guys getting roughed up and he takes action. Is that too cowboy? No way. It sends a message to world leaders that President Bush does what needs to be done. He doesn’t sit back wringing his hands and worrying about what our allies will think. He does the right thing.

Now, if you were a Secret Service agent and President Bush went into a melee to pull one of your guys out, wouldn’t that instill some loyalty? You betcha.

Marine Corps Birthday

Today is the 229th Birthday of the United States Marine Corps. Happy birthday to all Marines. For those in harm’s way, God bless you.

Semper Fidelis.

Update: Powerline blog and Hugh Hewitt have also acknowledged Marines today.