January 2010 - Argghhh!

...and some thoughts on public affairs and how things are portrayed. An email from a Vietnam-era vet who is working aboard USNS Comfort.Sorry it’s been so long for an update but internet access has been non-existent on the ship. In fact as I’m typing this I still don’t have access but I wanted to catch some notes on my laptop and mail them as soon as I can. When I do send email, if you reply please delete all the text of the email I sent you to keep the message small. The bandwidth...

There are two Medals awarded for actions on this day, during the Indian Campaigns and the Korean War. One was posthumous.Indian Campaigns. A typically terse citation from this era.LENIHAN, JAMESRank and organization: Private, Company K, 5th U.S. Cavalry. Place and date: At Clear Creek, Ariz., 2 January 1873. Entered service at: ------. Birth: Ireland. Date of issue: 12 April 1875. Citation: Gallantry in action.Korea. Sometimes, you just have to embrace the suck, as the troops of today are wont to...

There is only one Medal awarded for actions on this day. a posthumous award from World War II.This is the second "Fighting Mess Daddy" we've seen recently. World War II*GIBSON, ERIC G. Rank and organization. Technician Fifth Grade, U.S. Army, 3d Infantry Division. Place and date: Near Isola Bella, Italy, 28 January 1944. Entered service at: Chicago, Ill. Birth: Nysund, Sweden. G.O. No.: 74, 11 September 1944. Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at risk of life above...

There are four Medals awarded for actions on this day. Two naval lifesaving Medals and two in World War II. All recipients lived to received their awards - though the TSA considered confiscating one of them...Interim Awards, 1871-1898. Based on the number of lifesaving Medals, January is a dangerous month for sailors.DEMPSEY, JOHNRank and organization: Seaman, U.S. Navy. Born: 1848, Ireland. Accredited to: Massachusetts. Citation: On board the U.S.S. Kearsarge at Shanghai, China, 23 January 1875...

Hey, it ain't B5 or Mudville, but it ain't bad, and all y'all have been part of it. Thanks!...

Here you go, Og. "Embiggened."This is a tough one. I know that were I you guys, I'd have spent all day yesterday thinking, "Dammit, I *know* what that thing is - I know I do!"And some of you will have that moment later.But, it ain't a flute or a piccolo. Nor is it a pipe for an organ. It's a firearm part....

It all started a couple of weeks ago when one of the shooters who lives in our hootch was chowing down with an SF-type he served with in northern Af-stan and said, “See those guys over there? They were doing Special Ops when it was just a mission, and not a branch.” He was pointing at J.J. (a pseudonym) and me. Long story short, now there are a select group of Operators1 who join us for supper.* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * There are a couple...

If yer a fat auld phart about to attack it at dusk and the drifts are 3-5 feet high......