Another Christmas Miracle

On a cold December night, in a place far away, there was another Christmas miracle. It was during the Korean War, 62 years ago.

The Marines who had taken the Chosin Reservoir were now pretty sure that they would be home by Christmas. They were ordered to hold their ground until new orders could come from Washington, D.C. During the next two weeks the Chinese forces completely surrounded the Marines and things really looked bad. When the orders came to "leave Korea", the troops began an 84 mile long trek out of the mountains to the sea. All along the way, there were Chinese roadblocks and several battles to be fought. 

After many snowy nights, the sky began to clear and the stars were visible again. Now the troops could call in their Marine Corsair planes to give them some cover as they fought their way down that icy mountain road. Many saw the brightest star that night as a  sign that they would be able to survive the trap. That star became the symbol of an organization they would form years later - The Chosin Few.

It was no longer likely that those Marines would make it home for Christmas. On December 5, about halfway out of the mountains, the war ended for me. I found myself being air evacuated along with many others in an old DC-3 to a Japanese hospital. Time seemed to stand still. There were hospital stays in Wake Island, Hawaii, Oakland, San Antonio and finally the Naval Hospital, in my home town of Philadelphia. It was 10 pm on Christmas Eve. 

I had made it home for Christmas! It was the VERY MERRIEST of Christmases!

Strange Bedfellows

                    

Time is passing by so quickly. 

Before I forget, I want to tell you a story that has been lost in the history of the Korean War 74 years ago this August.

I arrived in Korea on Aug. 2, 1950 along with a unique group of Marines.

This unit of U.S. Marines was actually made part of the U.S. Army. Marines? Part of the Army? Not very likely, is it? Well, it did happen and it was a very important part of the Korean War (1950-1953). 

At the start of that war in July 1950, North Korean troops (Communists) had invaded their neighbors in South Korea (Free nation). The Army units that were there had been given the post-WWII job of gathering and destroying left over armament. They were not prepared to defend against an invading enemy. Now, under attack by thousands of heavily armed North Korean soldiers, those Army units were in real trouble. 

Despite their valiant efforts to resist, our Army was being pushed further south every day. At the southern tip of the Korean peninsula was the port city of Pusan. The Army had withdrawn and established a perimeter around Pusan, a line that needed to be held until help could come from America. There was a real possibility that help would not come in time and that the troops would be pushed into the sea.

In Camp Pendleton, Calif., some young Marines were told about the Army's plight. It was just two weeks after the invasion and the start of the war. Fighting that war would require an entire Marine division. That would be very difficult to do, since most of the services had been scaled down after WWII had ended in 1945. The USMC had to use whatever group was ready until an entire division could be assembled and sent over. That was going to take awhile. 

The mostly eighteen year old Marines in Camp Pendelton had spent a lot of time training. There had been months of climbing a few California mountains and learning how to do beach landings. Anxious to prove themselves, they all volunteered to go over and help. Although we were without one of our line companies (infantry), we were the only trained troops able to respond to the Army's need for immediate assistance. Our commander proudly volunteered his entire undersized battalion.

                        
This group of Marines was given the temporary name,  "The First Provisional Marine Brigade" and was assigned to the 8th Army. US Marines were now soldiers! 

We embarked from San Diego in July 1950, arriving in Pusan after 30 days at sea. Our job was to be the "point" (attack force) for Army units at various locations around the Pusan perimeter. The mission we were given was to hold until the 1st Marine Division could be formed and dispatched to Korea.
               
The war would be fought in the sweltering, smelly rice paddies of South Korea. 

             

We would move from battle to battle, from Pusan to Taegu, then to Yudamni, then the Naktong River, then back to Taegu. We would attack, take back lost ground, then go over to another unit to take their point and do the same thing. Being an attack force is not unusual for Marines, it is standard procedure in any war. But for the first time in history, we did it for the Army - as an Army unit.

By September,the remaining units of the 1st Marine Division arrived. We rejoined our regiment and we "hit the beach" at Inchon to begin the rout of the North Korean invaders. 

This Brigade of volunteer Marines has the distinction of having fought in two wars. The first was the steamy, summer war against the North Korean Army.

The second was the frigid, winter war against the Chinese Army at the Chosin Reservoir. 

Semper Fidelis

America's Future

When I was a kid, I was told stories by my Mom and Pop about a man named Mussolini. He was the dictator in Italy when they were young and newly married. Mussolini would stand on his balcony and speak for hours to the Italian people. He would strut up to the rail, jut his chin out and assume an arrogant stance. His manner was very clear - he wanted what he wanted and the people were to provide it. He was a true dictator.

My parents told me of his plan to conquer the nation of Ethiopia and that he would need money for his plan. He told the people to help him by sending him large amounts of their money. He also demanded that every married woman must send him their gold wedding bands. Although they had no idea why Italy should invade Ethiopia, they complied or faced punishment.

It was an easy decision for my parents to emigrate to the USA. I can only imagine how frightening it must have been to take such a huge risk. They gathered as many belongings as they could, along with their new baby, Margaret (my sister) and with a giant leap of faith set out to an unknown fate. But, they did know a few things about America. 

They knew that in America, they would be free from tyrants and dictators. They knew that the government was prevented from intruding on the lives of their people. They longed for the freedom that would afford them the opportunity to pursue a happy life. In America, they could work as hard as they wanted and to earn whatever they could. This made it possible to become as wealthy as they were capable of becoming. And they also knew that all of these rights were God-given and that the government could never take them away. So my Mom and Pop took the very courageous risk and sailed to America.

My Pop and Mom both worked hard, and were able to buy a house after only a few years. They raised a fine family in a happy household. How they loved America! They taught me and my seven siblings to be grateful to live in such a good and beautiful country.

When World War II broke out, my brothers and my cousins went off to fight for the country. My four sisters went to work in the factories that were helping the war effort. Two of the gals were "Rosie the Riveters". We were all so proud to be Americans.

The entire family is gone now, but my love of country has never died. There are some who feel that America is changing, that the freedom and opportunity to succeed is being limited, somehow. They feel that the leadership of the country has been redefining some of those rights that have always been considered to be God-given. If that is true, then I will treasure, more than ever, the memory of my parents' love of country, this incredible nation that the founders created and the hope that it can long endure.

God bless America

The Rose Philosopher

                  

I've always enjoyed reading the thoughts and observations of recognized philosophers like Socrates, Aristotle, Plato, Spinoza, Nietzsche, Kant and my favorite, Marcus Aurelius. These very bright people have given mankind the benefit of their many insights. They offer us their thoughts on how we might choose to think and to live our lives.

To philosophize is to observe, to think and to comment on things like the meaning of life, its purpose and its value. We are used to reading and heeding the thoughts of human philosophers. I've always wondered what we might learn about life from the other living things on this earth. The Creator has given all of these living organisms the very same characteristics. Whether it is a dog, a tree or a flower, life must appear the same to them as it does to us. They are born, they grow, heal themselves, reproduce, they grow old and die.

We have been given eyes to see with, a brain to think with and a voice with which we can speak. The other living things may not have the same senses as we, but being alive tells me that they are experiencing life just the same. What might they tell us about life? What could we learn from them? Does a flower ever ask why it is here? Does it wonder about where it came from? Just as sure as there are flowers, there must be a Creator. Do the flowers pray to the Creator? Do they ask for things or are they merely grateful to have been given life?

Let's look at that most beloved flower, the rose. It appears to have no discernible organs like a brain, eyes or a voice. It does seem possible to me, though, that a rose is able to feel. For instance, it knows when it has been wounded and it immediately sends healing agents to the point of hurt. I also think that the rose, just as we do, is having an inner dialogue while it is living life.

We will walk to the garden where a rose bush is growing. At the base of one of its stems is a small protrusion, the beginning of a bud. That bud may have no idea of what it is or what it can become. Let's enter its world and listen in.

Here I am - I'm alive! I don't have any idea of where I am. It's dark, I feel nothing and yet I have a sense of being safe and cared for. I am alone in my own little world and yet I have the feeling that I am part of something bigger than myself. There may be a different world out there, one that is beyond my own, but I don't know it and I may never know it. I have no knowledge of what I am or what awaits me.

Lying here in the dark, I can feel warmth and moisture. It has no meaning to me, and yet I like the way it makes me feel. I am very comfortable with my life. I can sense energy stirring within me. And there is a kind of movement, ever so slight. I feel myself changing. I feel small, but I can tell that I am growing. It makes me feel more alive. As I grow, there seems to be more to me, somehow, beyond my size.

Today my darkness has turned to light. I feel brightness and some heat. I have changed even more. I feel like I'm becoming something else. I wonder what I will look like? Will I be a certain shape? A color? I guess it really doesn't make any difference to me. I can give no value to color. As a bud my color was not yet determined. Now that I am larger my color is concealed to me. When I blossom it will still not be apparent to me. Maybe I will be able to tell my color or my value from whatever I will feel from those things outside of myself. Here inside, I am so happy and comfortable with who I am, how I feel and what I am becoming.

I have blossomed! I feel so complete, just as if I have arrived at an important stage of my life. I can now sense things that are affecting me from "out there". I do not understand all of them, but somehow I feel akin to them. Yesterday a living creature entered me. It showed up so quickly almost as if it had flown from above. It was small enough to walk around inside me. It made a funny buzzing sound and it roamed around and brushed itself all over my insides. It means me no harm. It seems to use me for it's own nourishment. I don't mind. I look forward to visits from these little fellows. They are welcome. I miss them when they are not here. It makes me feel good to know that I have helped them in some small way. It gives my life more meaning and value when I can be of service to another.

Time has passed and I am now receiving visits from some very large living beings. They seem so drawn to me. They spend lots of time making a fuss over me. I feel that they admire me and value me. They find parts of me that they praise. I feel so respected. Their presence gives me a feeling of warmth and importance. I don't understand it, but I like the way I feel when they are near me. I love being able to bring pleasure to these large creatures. It gives my life purpose and joy. They make sounds that I do not understand. A few of those sounds have a wonderful effect on me. I hear sounds like "beauty" and "love". Those sounds seem magical to me somehow.

One day one of those large beings came by and made sounds that created a totally different feeling inside of me. I heard, "darned thorn!" "hate those things" and "worthless flower". I find it so hard to bear the feelings that these sounds cause in me. I sensed the large creature's pain and the very harsh feelings that it directed toward me. It made me feel that I was somehow responsible for its discomfort. I meant no harm. I did nothing to cause its discomfort. I am only who and what I am. I cannot do or say anything that can help that creature feel better about its reaction to me. What I will try to do when one of these creatures comes into my life is to simply accept my plight. I will not allow those feelings to affect mine. I will accept and forgive.

There are times when I am alone. I can sense no visitors. I would welcome one of my little buzzing friends or one of the large beings that find so much value in my being. I would even welcome one of the large beings that find no pleasure in being with me. I realize that being here alone brings me no pleasure and no pain. I have learned that my life has little meaning or context without other beings to interact with me. Although I can recall the feelings of comfort that many of them bring to me, I have no sense of loss. I am alone, but I am not lonely. I am what I am and feel complete within myself. I continue to do what I do and be only what I am.

I am beginning to feel some different feelings. I've not experienced these before. I feel tired and I seem to be changing. The wonderful feelings of energy, of growth and of having blossomed are disappearing. I find it difficult to hold my head up on some days. I don't understand what is happening to me, but I remain content within myself. Parts of me are withering away and dropping off. There seems to be less of me, but I feel no sadness. I continue to accept my existence as I always have. I am so tired - I sleep.

Will History Be Repeated?

The political campaign by Democrats has been going on for over 12 years. Their voices and ads were constant during the entire "W" term in office, prior to Obama's election. They are continuing a barrage of attack ads before this November election. The urgency and persistence of their efforts is an indication of how much that party is dedicated to its goal.

That goal, since the 1930's has been to someday overthrow the capitalist system of the USA. In those early days, it was the goal of the Communist Party. During those years of true patriotism, it was not popular to talk against the USA in any way. That party and its socialist ideas were trounced easily by a majority of Americans.

After major losses, the Communist Party changed their name. They became the Progressive Party. One of their newspapers was entitled, “Forward”. It also became their motto. That didn't work. Voters saw through the disguise of only a name change. Today's Democrats have done exactly the same thing, preferring to be known as Progressives – and are using the motto, “Forward”, once again.

What may not be known to many is, how the Communist Party relocated after the losses in those early years. There was a period of secrecy during which they were very busy going underground. They began to infiltrate the institutions of education, media and politics. Senate hearings in the 1950's uncovered many who had made their way into liberal bastions like Hollywood, most newspapers, radio, TV, the armed forces and government itself. They were very angry to be found out, so they fought back, attacking their accusers. They managed to do permanent damage to the Senator (McCarthy) and to the committee that had uncovered them. It was time to go underground again. Where did they go?

They began supporting and joining the many disparate groups that make up the Democrat party. That party's constituency has always been made up of those who were anti-capitalists or were generally disenchanted with America and its Free Enterprise system. The Socialists have had much experience in managing to bring such an array of different people to come together. Their standard method has been to identify a “common enemy” so that the various groups had someone they can blame.

Back in the 2008 election, when they thought they could never win against a “war time president. “W” Bush became their enemy. Shouts of "Unjust War", “Bush lied”, and lots of personal attacks on his character were constant. Their well established Marxist slogans were also employed: “Workers, unite!”, “Rich versus Poor”, “Business and profits are bad”, “Haves and Have-nots” were used then and are still in use today. As defined by Marxism, the Democrats stay very busy creating a dependent class (useful idiots) who they can then count on to keep the leaders in power. Socialism/Communism and the Democrat party share the same Marxist ideology. They differ only in a matter of degree.

They have shown persistent patience over all of these years. We are about to see if their efforts to change America will succeed. They have an enormous number of voters who have been made dependent and will vote to keep the benefits they derive. Have they been able to convert enough Americans to vote against our Constitutional system? The result of this election will determine whether we survive as the Constitutional Republic that has always defined America, or will we be transformed into just another Socialist system. The type of system that has failed every time its been tried.

God bless America

Everybody Hates War

Of course! Who in the civilized world would prefer war to peace? So why do we ever even consider going to war? What is it about good, peace-loving people that forces them to have to do it? Let's look at the following scenario to see if we can find the answer.

Somewhere there's a Dad and Mom at home with their kids enjoying their God-given life. Out of nowhere a robber bursts into the room having broken through a window. He threatens them with a knife. They and the kids are terrified. In order to regain the peace and safety this family has enjoyed, some action is required. Do the parents feel an absolute need to defend themselves and their home? It's almost a natural urge, isn't it? What if the Dad is told by the robber that there are thousands like him who all have his address and have sworn to keep on invading his house and threatening his family? Do you think he must now consider a war against those robbers? Should he go out and preempt their next attacks? If he does, should he capture as many of the robbers as he can and bring them to the police? Should he attempt to kill them all? How is he to handle his war if all he wants is his safe, peaceful home back?

This wonderful country and it's family of citizens is under a very similar threat. Our friends, the Israelis have been broken into since 1948. They, like us, have endured many attacks and lost many lives to people determined, not on robbing us, but killing us. It makes defending our home even more important because our very lives are at stake. Should we, like the Dad, preempt their continued attacks by going after them? President Bush ("W") established the "Bush Doctrine" which states that we will preempt any enemy attack if we feel that we are in danger. If we do decide to go to war, should we capture as many prisoners as we can and turn them over to the police (civil authorities)? Should we try to kill them all? No, to both questions.

Once it is decided to go to war, there is only one clear mission - to return the peace as quickly as possible. Therefore, the force that must be used in war has to be as powerful as possible. It is not necessary to kill all of the "robbers". No war is ever won because all of the bad guys have been killed. There is a method to winning a war quickly. It is to bring the enemy to the point where he knows that he cannot win. This can only be done when the force they are facing is massive, overwhelming and frightening. Until that point is reached - war is hell.

God bless America

How to remove the Iranian Threat

The world continues to wait nervously for the inevitable result of allowing Iran to own a nuclear arsenal. Israel has been in the Iranian gun sights for over 60 years. The USA knows very well that Iran's plan for the future is to create a situation that will produce their 12^th Imam and establish a new Persian caliphate.

Much has been said about how large a country Iran is and how difficult any war with them would be. If Israel and the USA work together, there is a very effective way to neutralize Iran for years to come. It will not require troops, an invasion or would not cause large civilian deaths. A decisive attack on Iran will put the western world at peace once again and it will strike fear in other middle east countries who would consider continuing their terrorist ways.

The plan is that the US would detonate a small low-yield nuclear device 80,000 feet above Iran's geographical center (about 100 miles north of Yazd and 150 miles east of Esfahan). This explosion would generate an EMP (electromagnetic pulse) sending down a massive shower of electrons and gamma rays. There would be no buildings damaged or people hurt and affect about a 200 mile radius (from Tehran in the north to the Persian Gulf in he south. Everything that depends on electricity would be shut down. It would take out the electrical grid making all phones and other communication devices useless. Enemy military operations would be severely impacted. Any orders from headquarters to troops, anti-aircraft guns, missiles, naval forces or air forces would be impossible. Nuclear facilities would lose power; automobiles, airplanes and computer networks would become useless.

With no ability to defend itself or to mount any countermeasures, Iran would be completely vulnerable. A two week bombing campaign by US long range bombers would begin. They would destroy as many nuclear and missile sites as possible. Simultaneously, Israeli planes would begin attacks on missile launching sites in Lebanon, Egypt, Gaza and Syria. This would keep Hamas and Hezzbollah forces at bay, defending their homeland from attacks. The US bombers would then turn their attention to Iran's navy, its air force and the bases housing their army. Directed drones would be sent to the locations of the regime leaders.

When the smoke clears, Iran would be allowed to use their oil revenues to help rebuild their cities. We would help them with food, medical and construction equipment. We will have demonstrated to those middle east countries who had planned to do us harm, not only our military might, but our desire for a world living in peace.