A thank you to our veterans for the sacrifices they’ve made in the name of freedom featuring comments from Rick Perry, Ted Cruz, Don Stenberg, Dan Liljenquist, and Adam Hasner.
Freedom Works debuted this great video for Veteran’s Day while we were in Denver this past weekend. It is now up at Youtube and, even though the holiday is past, I thought I’d feature the video today.
The idea for Cooking With the Troops grew out of a joint event between Bob Miller and C. Blake Powers. Bob Miller began doing barbecues at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in 2005, and Blake Powers began doing food events as a result of his first embed in Iraq in 2007, working through the charity Soldiers’ Angels. Bob suggested doing a joint event at Malogne House at Walter Reed, with Bob and his volunteers doing a barbecue and to be followed by a dessert bar afterwards.
Continue reading “
Happy Veterans Day and thanks again for your support of Cooking with the Troops”
-By Warner Todd Huston
America is a singularly different nation where it concerns our military veterans. We love them. We even have a national holiday to honor them. This is not so in most of the rest of the world. Elsewhere military veterans are not so loved as they are here.
Is that because the United States is the Sparta of the world, loving war more than anything else? Hardly. In fact its because our soldiers bring peace wherever they go, not perpetual war.
In other countries, soldiers are usually the dregs of society, living off the people while at the same time lording over them with machine guns and violence.
Continue reading “
Thank You Veterans”
-By Warner Todd Huston
Obama made what many are calling a mere “mistake” when he visited the 10th Mountain Division. His “mistake” came in when he said that a soldier that received the Medal of Honor was still alive.
Of course, the soldier in question, Sergeant First Class Jared Monti, was killed in Iraq in 2006 and did receive his Medal of Honor posthumously.
Here is what the president said:
“First time I saw 10th Mountain Division, you guys were in southern Iraq. When I went back to visit Afghanistan, you guys were the first ones there. I had the great honor of seeing some of you because a comrade of yours, Jared Monti, was the first person who I was able to award the Medal of Honor to who actually came back and wasn’t receiving it posthumously.”
Now, why do I say that this shows Obama’s contempt for the military? Because no one should make such a “mistake” as this. Obama and his team miserably failed to get the facts on this most important of facts.
Continue reading “
Obama’s Contempt for Our Soldiers”
From the Office of Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R, IL)…
Washington, D.C. – Congressman Adam Kinzinger (IL-11), a pilot in the Air National Guard, issued the following statement on the President’s announced plans in Afghanistan:
“Last month during my trip to Afghanistan, I spoke with generals on the ground who believe we are winning and have turned the corner. The wrong thing to do at this stage would be to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory, which will happen if the number of troops withdrawn exceeds the recommendations of our generals. Decisions regarding troop withdrawals must be determined by conditions on the ground, not political timelines.
“Stability in Afghanistan remains a top priority in the interest of our national security. History will judge us by the decisions we made to ensure the safety of our men and women overseas and of our country during this critical time. Our mission must be about the long-term safety of our nation, not the next election – this is something we cannot lose sight of.”
-By Warner Todd Huston
President Barack Obama came before the American people tonight to unleash his latest campaign speech disguised as a foreign policy address. It was a presentation that even Politico calls “boring and predictable, balanced to please critics,” and one that “did not change the debate about the war.” But, one thing does seem like news. Obama never used the word victory and he also said we’d negotiate with the Taliban – an enemy he annoyingly insists on calling the Tahleebahn.
One singular theme emerged from this speech. Apparently, to President Obama, “victory” does not mean a win, but it only means a settling with negotiations with our enemies. Very Chamberlainesque, isn’t it?
But there were quite a few odd statements made by the president tonight. One was his claim that Usamma bin Laden was the “only leader al Qaeda has ever known.” This is absurd. There have been dozens of al Qaeda leaders and we killed many of them long before we finally got to bin Laden.
Continue reading “
Obama: Who Needs Victory When We Can Negotiate With The TahleeBahn?”
-By Warner Todd Huston
Why are a pair of foreign terrorists sitting in a jail in Kentucky? That’s what Senate GOP Minority Leader Mitch McConnell wants to know. He wants them sent to the facilities at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, where they belong.
Why is the Justice Department doing this? Why expose our heartland to these monsters?
Continue reading “
McConnell Wants Terror Suspects Held in Kentucky to be Sent to Gitmo”
From the office of Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R, ILL)…
Kinzinger: Washington must get serious about reducing spending and growing our economy
On 6/3, Congressman Adam Kinzinger joined Neil Cavuto on Fox Business to discuss the Freshman meeting with Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner on the debt ceiling.
From Operation Homefront…
Watch this Brief Video — Help Us Support Illinois Military Families
Each year, thousands of Illinoisans bid goodbye to their families, friends and loved ones to deploy all over the world and defend our country.
These are the brave men and women of our Armed Forces.
But what about their families? What about the husbands, wives and children who are left behind?
Continue reading “
Assistance from a Grateful Nation”
-By Warner Todd Huston
Memorial Day Parade, Wheaton, Ill– Illinois Congressman Peter Roskam (R, 6th District) walked in the Wheaton Memorial Day Parade to some applause and ended the exercise by speaking to those assembled at the Wheaton Cemetery to commemorate those that have served us in peace and war and those who gave their last full measure so that we could remain the last best hope of the world.
The weather could not have been better as the parade stepped off this morning. The skies were clear and Summer temperatures had finally arrived. As the route rolled on the heat did tend to rise, though. Still, compared to the dismal weather we’ve seen the last few months, this Memorial Day was a welcome respite.
Rep. Roskam had a group of about fifty supporters march with him and I joined them to document the event. As we walked the distance from downtown Wheaton to the Wheaton Cemetery it was obvious that the congressman had many fans along the route. There were surprised smiles and a healthy amount of applause as the congressman and his lovely wife led the contingent.
Continue reading “
U.S. Rep. Roskam Marches in Wheaton Memorial Day Parade”
-By Warner Todd Huston
For Memorial Day, I don’t usually post much, preferring to dedicate the day to memorializing our troops. To do that this year, I am going to share this story about the mettle of our troops. What follows are excerpts from remarks by Marine Lt. Gen. John F. Kelly to the Semper Fi Society of St. Louis on November 13, 2010. Kelly’s son, Marine 1st Lt. Robert Michael Kelly, 29, had been killed in action four days earlier in Sangin, in southern Afghanistan, while leading his platoon on a combat patrol:
Giving Thanks for Our Warriors
“Those with less of a sense of service to the nation never understand it when men and women of character step forward to look danger and adversity straight in the eye, refusing to blink, or give ground, even to their own deaths… No, they are not victims but are warriors, your warriors, and warriors are never victims regardless of how and where they fall. Death, or fear of death, has no power over them. Their paths are paved by sacrifice, sacrifices they gladly make… for you….
“Two years ago when I was the commander of all U.S. and Iraqi forces, in fact, the 22nd of April 2008, two Marine infantry battalions, 1/9 ‘The Walking Dead,’ and 2/8 were switching out in Ramadi… Two Marines, Corporal Jonathan Yale and Lance Corporal Jordan Haerter, 22 and 20 years old respectively, one from each battalion, were assuming the watch together at the entrance gate of an outpost that contained a makeshift barracks housing 50 Marines… Yale was a dirt poor mixed-race kid from Virginia with a wife and daughter, and a mother and sister who lived with him and he supported as well. He did this on a yearly salary of less than $23,000. Haerter, on the other hand, was a middle-class white kid from Long Island. They were from two completely different worlds… But they were Marines, combat Marines, forged in the same crucible of Marine training, and because of this bond they were brothers as close, or closer, than if they were born of the same woman.
Continue reading “
Memorial Day 2011: THIS Is What American Troops Are Made Of…”
-By Dan Proft
Last week, we emailed you to provide a brief introduction of Operation Homefront-Illinois, a vital organization formed immediately after 9/11 to provide emergency assistance to Illinois’ military families with a spouse deployed and wounded warriors who have returned home from service.
There are many ways we’re serving military families here in Illinois — including a new program we were pleased to launch with Galaxie Home Remodeling and WLS 890-AM.
This spring, WLS 890AM and Galaxie Home Remodeling are teaming up with Operation Homefront-Illinois for Warm Welcome Home – a program to thank a military family by remodeling their home! It’s our way of saying thank you to just one of the many families who sacrifice for our country.
Please click here to learn more about this great new program to help Chicago-area military families.
Military families from across the family are being nominated for and applying for this program.
Continue reading “
OH-IL Providing $50,000 Home Remodeling as a “Warm Welcome Home” to Chicago-area Military Family”
Two of Illinois’ Congressmen have released statements on the Troop Funding issue that has arisen with this looming government shutdown. The White House has claimed that our soldiers — many of whom are currently at war — won’t get paid.
Congressman Peter Roskam, 6th District Representative and the Chief Deputy Whip of The House Republicans, and Republican Congressman Adam Kinzinger, he of the 11th District, have each released a statement on the paying of our troops.
Congressman Peter Roskam
“A full 47 days after the House first passed H.R. 1 – and a year after House Democrats failed to even introduce a budget – the House has once again acted to keep the government open, cut spending, and fund the troops for the rest of the year. It is astonishing that President Obama is threatening to veto a bill to fund our troops – without stating a single policy objection – particularly when our troops are now in three different foreign conflicts. I’m disheartened the White House and Senate Democrats are putting politics ahead of funding our troops and keeping the government open. We owe it to our troops to make sure they are getting paid when in harm’s way.”
Congressman Adam Kinzinger
Today, on the 47th day since the House passed H.R. 1, Congressman Adam Kinzinger (IL-11) spoke out in support of the Troop Funding Bill which would fund the Department of Defense through the remainder of FY2011, while cutting $12 billion in federal spending and keeping the government running for one week so a long-term solution will be reached, avoiding a government shutdown.
“As a military pilot, I have friends serving our country who are wondering if they’re going to get paid if the government does shutdown. I say, ‘Ask Harry Reid; we’ve tried to make sure you continue to get paid.’
“I’m disappointed by the news that our Commander-in-Chief has threatened to veto this legislation that would ensure members of the military receive their paychecks and avoids a government shutdown. I urge the Senate to stand up for the men and women who put their lives on the line and make certain they receive funding while making real spending cuts.
“I was sent here to cut spending and make government efficient and effective, not just in the short term, but in the long run for our children and grandchildren. I don’t think it’s any secret that we cannot continue down this reckless trajectory. We’ve kicked the can down the road for too long and now, there’s no more road left.
“It’s time to tackle the spending to ensure the fiscal soundness of this country for future generations.”
Please find some veterans today and thank them for their service.
-By Warner Todd Huston
In Washington D.C. on Sept. 12 I attended the star studded premiere of the new film America at Risk: The War With No Name, featuring Newt and Callista Gingrich and a dozen well respected experts on the subject of the War on Terror. The event was held at the Newseum, a block or so from the National Mall.
America At Risk clearly reveals the dangers that radical Islam still presents to American security and safety. We are still at war with radical Islam and it is a war we are at best treading water on and at worst actually losing. The biggest problem, according to the film, is our current president. Obama refuses even to recognize that we are at war and is constantly undermining our past efforts and leaving us open for future attack.
In fact, the movie makes a strong case that the U.S.A. doesn’t even have a serious global strategy to fight radical Islam and that the only reason we haven’t had a new major attack is because we’ve been lucky more than we’ve been good at preventing them. The film says that it isn’t a matter of “if” we get hit again, but when.
Continue reading “
Movie Review: Newt Gingrich’s America At Risk”
-By Warner Todd Huston
Last week the Washington Times had a story that should enrage every true American. The Democrat Congress is allowing Big Labor’s needs to come before the needs of our troops. The supplemental budget that Congress is considering is supposed to be about funding the troops and their efforts in Iraq and Afghanistan, but Democrats are more interested in how many payoffs for Big Labor they can stuff into the thing then in funding the troops.
Like most supplementals, this bill began with a singular purpose: paying war expenses. It since has been larded with billions in wasteful projects and programs designed to attract the vote of the left-of-center members with no fondness for the military. Among the House-approved giveaways are a $10 billion bailout for big-spending local governments, loan guarantees worth $9 billion for purported renewable energy, $3 billion for black farmers and American Indians who sued the government and $1 billion for summertime “youth activities.”
Even worse is the language to nationalize our first responders, policemen, and firemen. (As we talked about HERE)
Continue reading “
Unions Holding Up Cash for the Troops”
-By John Armor
“Important” events happened recently to two women. The relative attention paid and press coverage about the two tells a lot about where we are as a nation, and it isn’t good. The two women are Lindsay Lohan and Pam Murphy.
All of you know that Lindsay Lohan is a spoiled, self-centered, self-destructive twit who was just sentenced to 90 days in jail for multiple instances of contempt of court. But how many of you know who Pam Murphy was? Let’s not always see the same hands.
Pam Murphy was the widow of Audie Murphy, the most decorated US soldier from WW II. Here is how an article in Veterans Today on 10 April, 2010, described her:
Continue reading “
A Tale of Two Women”
Don’t forget what they have done and continue to do for us.
From the Only Ones Whose Opinion Matters_-By Resa LaRu Kirkland
I was intending to write an article on this subject myself, but was blown away by a letter I received from a warrior who is overseas, doing history’s work: fighting for freedom. His response is the epitome of logical sequencing and reasoned analysis, scientific in its conclusions and mathematical in its preciseness.
In other words, indisputable in its truth, the final nail in the coffin of iron-gripped Political Castration.
There is no way I could have done better. I am printing it here unabridged, and as per his request, giving no clues to his name or service. Shame, really, that he must fear retaliation for truth. Such a response is supposed to be reserved for the lie.
Welcome to Armageddon…with our permission born of sloth.
Continue reading “
The Cogent Response to Gays in the Military”
-By Warner Todd Huston
It is very, very easy to forget that the members of our American military even exist. Unlike other peoples we don’t live in a nation where the members of our military are skulking around our streets, automatic weapons in hand, glaring menacingly at each citizen and they pass by during their daily activities. We don’t have soldiers extorting travelers, forcing themselves on politicians, or threatening autonomous action at home. We are lucky like that.
So, since they aren’t always under foot and as highly visible to the average citizen as the military of other nations, it is easy to forget the U.S. military is out there fighting hard for our safety. But that is how our founders meant it to be. You see, unlike other nations whose military is part of the ruling class, whose soldiers are the cynical arm of tinpot dictators, our soldiers serve us… it’s not the ‘tother way ’round.
That’s right, the soldiers that make up America’s armed forces really are serving their country, not being served by her. And that little-remembered aspect of our military’s everyday charge is something we really need to celebrate even as it is something we often over look.
Certainly it is good and right to honor those troops that have given their last full measure fighting for our safety and liberties. It is also right that we honor those that are serving or have served. But let’s honor them not just for their service but also for their forbearance from becoming the same sort of menacing, dangerous, oppressive force that the military in other countries so often are.
Let us thank each member of our armed forces for keeping the charge that our founders entrusted to them, a charge that makes our military the scourge of evil in the world but lambs at home. They face the bullets and bombs of our enemies on foreign soil but at home they help us through disasters and make us feel safer. This is a civilized state of affairs that doesn’t exist in most other nations and our soldiers were some of the first in man’s history to ever serve their fellows in such an honorable way.
As we thank our solders for their service, let’s remember that as some of the most heavily armed soldiers in the world, they are still honorable enough to really serve us instead of attempting to rule us as so many other nation’s soldiers do.
This truly selfless service makes of our soldiers citizens that are a step above those armed oppressors of other nations and it is just one more aspect of their service to we the people that we must never forget.
Happy Memorial Day 2010
Continue reading “
Happy Memorial Day, 2010: Remembering HOW They Serve”
-By Frank Salvato
“There are the demons that follow me, and tempt me into thoughts and actions that are not my own…but that are necessary for survival. I’ve made compromises with my humanity. And I am not alone in this. Miles from me are my brethren in this world, who walk in the same streets…who feel the same things, whether they admit to it or not. And to think, I volunteered for this…”
These were the words of a young United States Army sergeant, Eddie Jeffers. They are part of a letter that he had sent home to his Father in 2007 while serving in the Iraqi battle theater; Ramadi, to be specific. It remains one of the most powerful pieces of writing – perhaps the most powerful piece of writing – that I have ever laid eyes on. It is pure, raw honesty put to paper.
Although I have become a friend to the Jeffers Family, I was never privileged enough to have met Sgt. Jeffers. Eddie was killed not long after he penned those words, a casualty of war; a war he understood; a war he believed in.
It Should Be Our Honor to Honor”