A Soldier’s Silent Night: Merry Christmas my friend

Twas the night before Christmas, he lived all alone,
In a one-bedroom house made of plaster and stone.
I had come down the chimney, with presents to give
and to see just who in this dwelling did live.
As I looked all around, a strange sight to see,
no tinsel, no presents, not even a tree.
No stocking on the mantle, just boots filled with sand.
On the wall hung pictures of far distant lands.
Medals and badges, awards of every kind,
a sobering thought came alive in my mind.
This house was different, it was dark, it was dreary.
I had found the home of a soldier, I could see that most clearly.
The soldier lay sleeping silent, alone.
Curled up on the floor in his one-bedroom home.
His face was so gentle, room in such disorder,
Not at all how I pictured a U.S. soldier.
Was this the hero, of whom I’d just read?
Curled up on a poncho, a floor for a bed?
Then I realized the other families that I saw this night
Out there lies the soldiers who are willing to fight.
In the morning around the world, children would play
Grown-ups would celebrate a bright Christmas day
But they all enjoyed freedom, each month through the year,
because of soldiers like the one lying here.

Image of the Day: 20 October 2016

World War Two, United States Army Air Force (U.S.A.A.F.), 5th Photo Reconnaissance Group, 4th Photo Squadron: “Mail call.” Handwritten on back: “Must read a letter from  home!” Cpl. Donald Krasno (Photo Lab Tech), Italy, 1944 or 1945

Find image on Flickr 

Image of the Day: 2 October 2016

A Tale of Despair – A man weeps in the trenches during World War I  by Kenpazu 

via Flickr

Image of the Day: 1 September 2016

Corporal Leslie “Bull” Allen carrying a soldier who had been knocked unconscious by a mortar round to safety during the assault on Mount Tambu in New Guinea on the 30 July 1943.  Cpl Allen was awarded the American Silver Star for his action, rescuing 12 American soldiers during the battle.He had also received the Military Medal in February for his courage at Crystal Creek whilst serving with the 2/5th Infantry battalion.
Image found here 

Roadside bomb kills US soldier in Afghanistan, coalition says

A roadside bomb killed a US soldier in Helmand, a province in southern Afghanistan that has seen an upsurge in violence in recent weeks.

The bomb also wounded another US soldier and six Afghan soldiers, coalition forces said in a statement on Tuesday. The wounded soldier was in stable condition, the statement said.

Image of the Day: 1 June 2016

Death before dishonor

Image found here

Image of the Day: 25 March 2016

GI on patrol in Kabul seems lost among the ruins overlooking the capital, shrouded in the mist of dawn. Are these ruins historical or the result of recent battles? What is an armed African-American soldier doing in a Central Asian city? What invisible enemy is he guarding against? The photo is a symbol of America’s presence in Afghanistan. It reminds me of the film ‘The Desert of the Tartars.’

#Stop22ADay

Image of the Day: 19 February 2016

This is Private First Class Kyle Hockenberry.  On his side are the words “for those I love I will sacrifice”.   He lost both legs and his left arm from an IED blast in Afghan, in 2001.

#Stop22ADay

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To move with purpose and economy of motion, The Warrior looks to minimize the waste of mental and physical resources that inhibit decision points and sound action. He must be guided by a practical and unambiguous Warrior Ethos that minimizes hesitation and cognitive dissonance.

The Warrior must adopt and attend to a set of beliefs, values, and standards that assist him in decision making and help fuse his actions in the Red Zone and out.”

– Lunchbox

Image of the Day: 1 August 2015

UK Soldier

UK Ministry of Defence

T-Hawk Remotely Piloted Air System in Afghanistan

A soldier watches as a Tarantula Hawk (T-Hawk) Micro Remote Piloted Air System (RPAS) hovers over the desert in Afghanistan.

The Tarantula-Hawk takes off vertically and hovers to get a clear view of the ground ahead of troops.

It is used by the British Army in Afghanistan, clearing routes without risking human life and checking for roadside bombs.

Talisman is the army unit using T-Hawk. It is a counter-IED task force and uses specialist equipment, including this drone, to clear routes for large convoys.

#Stop22ADay ⚓

UNSUNG HEROES: The Army Scout Who Swam Through A River And Cut Through An Electric Fence

U.S. Army Sgt. Ken Thomas’ actions on a river patrol gone wrong in Iraq in 2007 earned the cavalry scout the Silver Star.

Task and Purpose

The river patrol had been a debacle.
After receiving reports about insurgent movements and weapons smuggling along the Tigris River in northern Baghdad, the coalition had decided to try a river patrol. On February 16, 2007, four boats set out, manned jointly by Iraqi police and American soldiers from the 1st Squadron, 7th Cavalry Regiment.

Image of the Day: 16 March 2015

American Soldier, Korean War

In Korea, it’s known as the “6-2-5 (yug ee oh) War,” a reference to June 25, 1950, when the North Korean People’s Army invaded the South. Among North Koreans, it’s “the Fatherland Liberation War.” In America, however, the Korean War is often called “The Forgotten War” — a jarringly dismissive, imperfectly accurate phrase to describe a conflict that killed millions of combatants and civilians on both sides, including close to 40,000 Americans.

Read more: LIFE in Korea

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In Honor

KP RIP

A veteran and a friend asked if I could post a tribute to her son, kp. He was killed in the line of duty one year ago today.
Rest easy, warrior. You are loved and greatly missed.

I Live Here

“I’m not a tourist, I live here,” written on the helmet of a US Marine at Khe Sanh, 1968.

This is just heartbreaking. An  image of lost hope and despair.

Acceptance

Young Afghan boy and Soldier trade headgear/wear.

We would not know how to love if it were never taught to us; our [parents] loved us, we learned by example.

The same holds true for hate.

This youngster knows only his curiosity in the strangely dressed stranger. I’m sure he’s privy to local ‘Scuttlebutt,’ but at least here–it would seem–he’s not [yet] jaded to the common view of westerners.