Memorial Service Address

Marine Raider Reunion, 2010

Fort Worth Texas

It was 68 years ago this year that the Marine Raiders first entered combat against the forces of Imperial Japan.  The Raiders were present at the very beginning of the United States drive to defeat Japan, and even though they had been disbanded, Raiders were present at the last battle against the Japanese Army as well.

Remembering what the Marine Raiders did calls to mind the words of a Medal of Honor winner from a war that ended 77 years before the World War 2 – Joshua Lawrence Chamberlin, who led the defense of Little Round Top at Gettysburg, and who General Grant put in charge of the Confederate surrender after Appomattox.  Reflecting on the sacrifice of men in war, Chamberlin wrote this:

“In great deeds something abides. On great fields something stays. Forms change and pass; bodies disappear, but spirits linger, to consecrate ground for the vision-place of souls…”

“It is something great and greatening to cherish an ideal; to act in the light of the truth that is far-away and far above; to set aside the near advantage, the momentary pleasure. . . and to act for remoter ends, for higher good, and for interests other than our own…This is the great reward of service, to live, far out and on, in the life of others; this is the mystery of Christ, – to give life’s best for such high sake that it shall be found again unto life eternal.”

The Raider gave their all in every battle they fought. Both the well known like Makin, Bloody Ridge, Iwo Jima and Okinawa, and the less well known: Wickham Anchorage, Viru Harbor , Piva Trail, and Biaroko to name just a few.

In each of those battles Raiders gave of themselves selflessly, even extravagantly, not only to win the battle, but to protect and save their Raider brothers, exhibiting the best of the Gung Ho spirit.

The islands where you fought have at least one thing in common today – they are free. That freedom was paid for by those valiant Raiders who gave the last full measure of their devotion to duty that their brothers might win.

Jesus said, “For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will save it” (Luke 9:24)  The gave all they had, every time they were called upon, so that generations yet unborn could live in peace and freedom.

Today, hundreds of thousands, if not millions of people, live in peace and freedom because of what you and your fallen comrades accomplished.  By surrendering your safety, comfort, health and even life itself, the Marine Raiders bestowed a blessing to uncounted millions of people in hundreds of generations that will come after you.

As a Raider Kid I can tell you that we stand in awe of your accomplishments, and are more grateful than you know for what you sacrificed to give birth to the freedom and prosperity we have been blessed to live in for our entire life times.

As the Raiders disappear into the mists of history, we want you to be sure of this:  you will not be forgotten, and we will do all we can to keep your legacy, your history, your memory, alive and well. Not just for our generations, but for generations to come.

This is our solemn pledge to you, as you approach that final passage to your eternal reward.  Generations yet unborn will rise up and call you blessed, because of all that you gave to them.

May God bless the United States Marine Raiders, and God bless America.

I told you about this new documentary a few weeks ago. I was very happy when it arrived, and was impressed with the packaging and presentation it has, this is a first class endeavor all the way.

For those of you who don’t know, Chosin recounts the epic struggle of the 1st Marine Division in North Korea against more than 10 Chinese division. Cut off and surrounded in freezing subzero temperatures not only did the 1st Marine Division succeed in fighting it’s way back to the coast and safety, but in the process rescued many US Army and others troops as well.

The film gives a very brief run up to the Chosin campaign, and then tells the story of the 1st Marine Division with some narrative and maps, but primarily through interviews with those who survived and were at critical points in the action. The interviews are moving, honest and give you a real sense of what these men endured as they fought so bravely against overwhelming odds, and not only survived, but triumphed!

My father fought in this campaign, in A Company, 1st Battalion, 1st Marines (Regiment), 1st Marine Division. His company captured the final obstacle that stood in the way of the 5th and 7th Marines getting free of the Chinese trap. This is the one place where the film fails in my opinion. This critical battle is not even mentioned, nor is the fighting the 1st Marines did mentioned. Nearly all the attention is directed at the 5th & 7th Marines, who were further north and cut off.

I understand that the focus must and should be on the 5th and 7th Marines, but I do think it was an egregious oversight to not give the 1st Marines their due.  I know editing things like this is a no win situation as everyone wants their unit to be in the spot light, but simple fairness would have given the 1st Marines at least a little more time than they got.

Having said that – this movie is a must see for everyone!  Even if you are in the tiny minority who knows much about Korea, you’ll learn new things here. And if you are like most Americans and don’t know anything, this will fill you with pride and gratitude for the men who gave so much in defense of freedom.

You can learn more about the film, or purchase it, here.

God bless the USA, and God bless the United States Marine Corps, and God bless Dad and all the other vets of this bitter and mostly forgotten campaign.

Over the last year to year and a half or so I’ve really let my reading and reviewing go downhill.  I’m sure all the stress and family stuff has had something to do with that. I’ve slowly stacked up some books I’ve read on my computer desk to review, but just never got to them.

But I’m reading more now, and actually enjoying it and looking forward to reading more! Ah, it feels good to be getting back to my “normal” self (if you can use the word “normal” about me at all)!

So here’s a few quick reviews of books I’ve wanted to mention.  They are all history books, because even though I’m a Pastor, I”m also human and do have other interests!  This is a good thing as far as I’m concerned.  But just in case you are wondering, I’m eagerly awaiting the new biography of John Stott to arrive and have some other Christian books that I’m looking at reading too.

The Greatest Battle

Written by Andrew Nagorski and available at Amazon of course!

Of all the books I’m reviewing today this one was the biggest disappointment to me.  Not because it’s not well written, because it is. It has lots of personal stories, and even tells some fascinating behind the scenes history about the US and Russia early in World War Two that I didn’t know, and I’ve read a lot about this!

What disappointed me was after he talked about how vital and critical the battle for Moscow was, and how it’s nearly unknown outside of Russia (and perhaps Germany) today.  He barely covered the battle itself! He talked about people in it, what happened in Moscow (great chapter there), Stalin, Hitler, etc.

But he didn’t tell me about the battle. For example why couldn’t Guderian take Tula?  That should have been covered, and wasn’t. I”m a pretty hard core student of military history.  I wanted to read about what the units involved did, what went wrong, etc.  Very little of that was covered.

If you don’t know much about the Eastern Front in WW2, I’d recommend this book to you.  But if you want to follow the course the battle itself – better look elsewhere.  That’s what I’m doing, waiting for an older book on the battle (that cost me about $2.40 used on Amazon) to arrive!

A Magnificent Disaster

Written by David Bennett, here on Amazon.

This book takes a hard but fair look at the failure of Operation Market Garden in September of 1944.  Most of you might know this battle from the book and movie, A Bridge Too Far.  Bennett covers the battle using less pages than Cornelius Ryan did, and focusing less on the personal stories, and more on what actually happened.  He also includes what happened in the other units in the battle beyond the Airborne and 30th Corps.

He succeeds in breaking some new ground, calling into question some of the generally accepted view of things with facts that are either new or where new to me at any rate.  A first rate researcher he compared what many of the commanders said in interviews with Ryan, with what they had written or said shortly after the event.  Funny how years later they tended to remember things in a way that shed a kinder light on what they did or didn’t do!  He is to be commended for that.

If you are interested in a strongly researched book on the subject, that is in places a little dry, this is the book for you! I recommend it.

Sea of Thunder & The Coldest Winter

Sea of Thunder is by Evan Thomas, which The Coldest Winter was the last book written by David Halberstam.  Thunder covers what Evans calls “Four Commanders and the Last Great Navel Campaign 1941-1945,” while Winter covers the Korean War.

I’m putting the two together for just one reason – they both contain the same basic flaw in my opinion.  Both are excellently written.  Both break some new ground, and expose a lot of information that I’m sure most Americans are not aware of.

Yet neither author could let go of his political and cultural views, and through out both books used the history he’s supposed to be reporting on to promote his own particular point of view.  Both authors are politically liberal, and you can’t miss that in their writings.  To me, this makes for very bad history, and annoyed the heck out of me!  Especially since I enjoyed how well both authors otherwise handled the material and wrote.

Very frustrating!

Thomas just can’t let go of how “racist” the American commanders and fighting men were in the Pacific during World War Two.  Since my father fought that war, and I know a whole lot of veterans, I know a thing or two about this.  I think it’s intellectually indefensible to take the PC standards of 2005 and apply them retroactively to the 1940′s.  I also think he fails to distinguish between the passions of wartime and authentic, long lasting racism.  Horrible things were said and done, but many vets of the war went on to carry absolutely no animus towards the Japanese or any Asians, my father being a prime example of that.

Meanwhile Halberstam uses ever chance he gets to slam the Republican Party and conservatism, going so far as to devote most of the final chapter to how badly the Korean conflict damaged the Democratic party!  Who cares???

He does shed light on many important battles that are generally unknown, but also passes over others simply because they’ve been written on by many others.  That includes the Chosin Reservoir Campaign where the 1st Marine division was surrounded, and fought it’s way back to the sea against overwhelming odds.  Since my Dad was a part of that campaign, naturally I found that a little annoying.

I recommend both books, as long as you go into them aware of the author’s bias and unspoken agenda!

[I first posted this on Feb. 21st, 2006, and thought it deserved another look, so enjoy! - Louie]

You’ve probably all heard about this story. Read how Yahoo News reported it, and then I want to comment on it and take a totally different slant on things (nothing too unusual there eh?).

British historian David Irving was sentenced to three years in prison Monday after admitting to an Austrian court that he denied the Holocaust — a crime in the country where Hitler was born.

Irving, who pleaded guilty and then insisted during his one-day trial that he now acknowledged the Nazis’ World War II slaughter of 6 million Jews, had faced up to 10 years behind bars. Before the verdict, Irving conceded he had erred in contending there were no gas chambers at the Auschwitz concentration camp.

“I made a mistake when I said there were no gas chambers at Auschwitz,” Irving testified, at one point expressing sorrow “for all the innocent people who died during the Second World War.”

Irving, stressing he only relied on primary sources, said he came across new information in the early 1990′s from top Nazi officials — including personal documents belonging to Adolf Eichmann — that led him to rethink certain previous assertions.

But despite his apparent epiphany, Irving, 67, maintained he had never questioned the Holocaust.

“I’ve never been a Holocaust denier and I get very angry when I’m called a Holocaust denier,” he said.

In point of fact, Irving has been a Holocaust denier, but a very clever one. I have read several of his eariler books, before he went off on this tangent of first trying to prove that Hitler didn’t have any to do with the Holocaust, and then trying to say it didn’t happen at all.

It’s incredible to me that anyone could even think about denying the Holocaust! We have film of the camps being liberated and their condition at that time. We have reams of testimony from both guards and inmates of what happened there. On top of that there are still thousands of living eye witnesses to this horrible crime.

Yet there is a growing movement seeking to deny it ever happened. Populated by an odd mixture of skin heads, closet Nazi’s and Islamofacists, they continue to lie and deny!

To find out a little truth I recommend the United States Holoucaust Museum.

But none of that is my point.

My point is simply this – what an incredible example of the power of denial in the human psyche.

We human beings have the absolutely amazing ability to look right at something, or a whole mountain of somethings – like the evidence of the Holocaust – and simply deny that any of it is there at all!

Psychologists and counselors can tell you all about this – or you can simply open your Bible. The Bible had this trait of our fallen human nature nailed thousands of years before anyone else did.

The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it? Jeremiah 17:9 (NIV)

The same twisted ability can be seen every day in our lives, from denying drug or alcohol abuse problems etc. We “just say no” to reality and somehow think that’ll make it go away.

Of course it doesn’t.

Just visit the remains of Auschwitz if you don’t believe me. Or better yet, take a long look in the mirror and ask, “What truth about myself or someone I love am I denying today?”

You might even want to make that a prayer, “Lord, help me to see what ugly truth about myself or others I’m denying today; and then Lord, help me to accept it and act on it!”

That kind of prayer would be a good thing, for only God can help us to see ourselves as we really are. Not as we think we are, or want to be, or what other people tell us we are, but quite simply as we truely are!

“I the LORD search the heart and examine the mind, to reward a man according to his conduct, according to what his deeds deserve.” Jeremiah 17:10 (NIV)

Shall we pray – and then obey?

[NOTE: This was first posted in 2006, I'm reposting it today because I forgot to wrote a post and am in PHX taking care of my Mom.  I also think it's a thought provoking part of history!]

Often when we talk about Christmas we – and by we I definitely mean me! – often speak of it in a pretty dismissive way. Well it comes once a year and really does it ever really make any difference?

It did at least once.

In 1914, the first winter of what we now call the First World War, something totally unplanned happened along the Western Front on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.

It was an event no one prepared for because no one ever thought it could happen. Looking back on it today, it seems nearly mythical.

“It” was the Christmas Truce of 1914.

At Christmas, 1914, there occurred several informal truces at various points along the trench-lines of Northern France and Belgium. It may well be that there were other places where truces took place, but our precise knowledge of events is limited by the amount of direct, eyewitness testimony which has so far been discovered. Nevertheless, there are enough trustworthy reports (and even a few photographs) to convince us that something extraordinary happened that first Christmas of the war, and that it was not entirely an isolated happening.

The image of opposing soldiers, shaking hands with each other on one day and then deliberately trying to kill each other the next, is a powerful one, and one which is part and parcel of remembrance of the Great War. It was, perhaps, a last example of open-handed chivalry before the squalor and horror of the next three years changed the old world for ever. [Source]

True Indeed.

In pockets all along the twin lines of trenches that ran from the sea to Switzerland, German and British troops spontaneously gathered in No Man’s Land to sing hymns, exchange gifts, play “football” (soccer), give each other hair cuts, etc.

It began with the singing of hymns in the trenches, and from there messages were passed between the lines (probably thrown across No Man’s Land) and then the meetings began.

Needless to say when word reached Higher Commands they were very unhappy! How can you motivate the men to fight once they’ve made friends with the enemy? Orders were issued, threats were made, and in at least one case shown on the History Channel, an officer shot a German, to end the truce.

In other places it was different:

The truce often ended just as it had begun, by mutual agreement. Captain C. I. Stockwell, of the Royal Welsh Fusiliers recalled how, after a truly “Silent Night,” he fired three shots into the air at 8.30 a.m. on December 26th and then climbed onto his parapet. The officer who had given him the beer the previous day also appeared on the German parapet. They bowed, saluted and climbed back into their trenches. A few moments afterwards, Stockwell heard the German fire two shots into the air and, as he said, ” The War was on again.” [Source]

I highly recommend watching the History Channel program on the Truce. It features several children of some of the soldiers who took part in the truce, meeting for the first time on near the spot where the truce took place.

Why this is important is hinted at by historian Paul Fussell, though I think he misses a very important point here.

“The Christmas truce was the last twitch of the 19th Century.

By that I mean it was the last public moment in which it was assumed that people were nice, and that the Dickens view of the world was a credible view.

“They were exchanging cigarettes and addresses, exchanging insignias and treating each other like friends. It was a high emotional moment. It’s the last gesture of the 19th Century idea that human beings are getting better the longer the human race goes on. Nobody could believe that after the First World War, and certainly not after the Second.”

Where I think Fussell goes wrong is to hearken back to that “19th Century View” as if it was a good thing. In fact, it’s not 19th century at all, it’s straight out of the Enlightenment, and it’s a lie! A lie that led straight to the First World War, and still leads us into trouble today.

It’s a lie because the Bible tells us that, in the words of Jesus, “Apart from me you can do nothing.” (John 15:5) We began to try and stand on our own feet in the Garden of Eden, and look where it’s brought us.

World Wars, mass murder, violence on every hand, all because we refuse to see our need for God.

The real story of the Christmas Truce is that when you respond to the call of Christ, however faint that call may be, He can do wondrous things, far beyond what we can think or imagine.

The Truce happened because men on both sides of the lines had been raised in with a World view that was mostly Christian (whether or not they themselves were Christians is another matter all together). Their common faith and understanding led to a moment of peace. In our multicultural world today I doubt such a thing would be possible.

So this truce is worth remembering, not only a memorial to peace, but as a reminder of the power of the Christ of Christmas.

I usually give an address at the annual Memorial Service at the Reunion. This year however that didn’t happen due to a change in schedule. So instead I used what follows in the little church service I do on Saturday afternoon. Please Note:  Next year is NOT the last reunion, but I thought it was when I wrote this. There is no date set for a final reunion at this time, and probably won’t be for at least 5 or more years.

Memorial Address
Marine Raider Reunion, 2009
By Louie Marsh

I want to begin this year’s address by quoting a passage of Scripture that might seem a little strange to you, but in many ways describes the history and legacy of the Marine Raiders.

“For when David had served God’s purpose in his own generation, he fell asleep; he was buried with his fathers and his body decayed. Acts 13:36 (NIV)

David was one of the greatest hero’s in the Old Testament, and when you boil his life down to its essence, what did he do? He served God purpose in his generation, and then he died. When you stop to think about it that’s really all anyone can do!  If you do this – you have done all you can, and far more than most people do.

This is exactly what the United States Marine Raiders did. Born in one of history’s bloodiest moments, the Raiders as a separate entity only lived a few years. Yet in that time they led the way, and even after they were disbanded, those former Raiders not only led and fought, but trained others to follow the great Raider tradition.

You were the sharpened tip of the terrible swift sword America wielded in our war with Japan.  It was a war fired by a desire to avenge the sneak attack on Pearl Harbor. Yet, in the final analysis, and in spite of what many modern historians say, it was not a war of vengeance.

For everywhere the Raiders fought and won, freedom bloomed in their wake. This was true of all of America’s warriors. You left in your wake hundreds of thousands of free people. This precious gift of freedom was even extended to your foe once they were vanquished.

You fought, and many of your buddies died, not only to keep America free, but to offer the God given right of freedom to all you encountered.

I believe that there is something sacred about freedom. Which is why Paul wrote, “It was for freedom that Christ has set us free.”(Galatians 1:1)   It’s is God’s will for all men and women to be free, for only then can we choose to love Him and help others according to His commands.

Your generation faced perhaps the greatest challenge of any generation in our history. All of you who volunteered, and were accepted into the Raiders, faced and overcame that challenge, thus fulfilling God’s purpose in your generation.

But as the Scripture says, There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven: a time to be born and a time to die… (Eccl. 3:1)

Next year will mark the very last Raider reunion (NOT true!), for time waits on no one, and even the Greatest Generation must at last yield to its advance.  This is a sad season for many of us, as we watch our fathers, mothers, and grandparents pass from this life after long and fruitful lives.

Yet our sadness must be tempered with hope. For all stories come to an end. Every story ever written has a beginning, middle and an end. The Raiders began when you were just kids, ready, willing and able to save the world from a very real evil.

You middle years were lived in peace, raising children, and maintaining the Raider legacy through this great association.

Soon there be an ending, and yet not an ending.  For all endings are just beginnings of a new story, lived out in another place beyond our grasp at this time.

And the legacy of the USMC Raiders will never die, as long as one person lives in freedom, your influence will live there.

And, on behalf of your children, your grand children and even great grandchildren, I swear to you that we will do all in our power to make sure that, as my Dad’s web page says, we are keeping the legacy alive.

Your generation bestrode the world like giants, and now approaches your time for rest.  Well done good and faithful servants – be not afraid to enter your rest, for you will not be forgotten!

May God bless each of you, your families, the United States Marine Corps Raiders, and may God always bless America.

Whew – a long, hectic day!

I started the day off bad – waking up late, and not knowing it for nearly a half hour! Then I saw what time it was, and got dressed in about 10 minutes, ran down stairs and joined the crowds waiting to get on the bus for the Museum and Quantico.  Turns out I probably could have taken my time, as it took us quite to board the buses. We had one too few, so that was interesting.

After a bumpy bus ride, complete with water dripping off the AC ducts onto us, we arrived at the Marine Museum. I’ve seen my fair share of museums, but this is one of the best. It’s not huge, but it’s beautiful, and has tons of exciting exhibits that are just packed with information. Here’s the view as you approach the building.

I could post a lot of pictures from the museum, but won’t right now. After several hours there, we headed off for Quantico and Raider Hall.

We arrived, looked through the hall, and after a martial arts exhibition we waited and waited and waited for the chow line to die down. I was about 15 people from finally eating (not having had breakfast) when I was told the Memorial Service had started! Since I was slated to give the closing prayer, I got going!

After a long and unusual Invocation by Chaplain Emertius Shirl P. Butler (a retired Minister, and squad mate of Dad’s) we had the reading of those who’ve died in the last year, a great speech by former Commandant General Al Gray, we didn’t even have a closing prayer do to everyone wanting to see the Raider Bricks! (In hindsight I should have eaten that burger – I know it had my name on it!)

I bought Dad a brick about two years ago, and am happy it’s finally out there for everyone to see. Each Battalion has it’s bricks separately, and the KIA’s (Raider who died in the war) have their own place of honor as they should. They’ve also put in a huge Raider Patch too. Very cool.

Here’s two picks of Dad’s brick, one close up, one a little backed off.

All in all it was a heck of a day!

Tomorrow, something interesting should happen, but I can’t tell you about it now. So turn in tomorrow night and see if it all works out!

Well it’s 10:37 PM eastern time as I type this, 7:37 PM back home.  I finally made it to my hotel, and man oh man – it’s AWESOME!!!  Really puts the one I stayed in last night in Vegas in the shade!  There’s a ante room, a couch, chair, tables, desk for the computer, etc.

DUDE!!

As you may know I’m here because my Dad was a Raider and I’m the Chaplain of the Association.  I have various duties to perform, most notable among them is speaking at the annual memorial service.  My personal mission is to get some good pictures of the the memorial brick I purchased for Dad two years ago. They are laid out, and I’ll be seeing them Thursday if things go according to plan.

I’ll be updating the blog as I can this week, some days I might post more than once, other days maybe not all depending on the schedule.  I’m able to do this because I’m paying T Mobile $9.99 a day for internet service!

God bless all of you, more later!

I’ve been thinking alot about history lately, which shouldn’t come as too much of a surprise I guess.  Not only am I rapidly approaching becoming part of it (ie. I’m getting old here!) but I just marked my first anniversary at KCC and I’ve finally gotten around to putting up all my history books at home.

I’ve long had a love for history and I know this places me in a distinct minority of people.  Most people seem to share Henry Ford’s attitude towards history, “It’s just one d*#$ thing after another!” That’s attributed to Ford, but many insist he didn’t actually say it.

Either way, lots of people feel that way.  They are wrong of course, and here’s a fantastic quote that explains why history matters about as well as anyone could.

Reagan’s address at Notre Dame University on May 17th, 1981, where he concluded his remarks by saying:

For the West, for America, the time has come to dare to show to the world that our civilized ideas, our traditions, our values, are not — like the ideology and war machine of totalitarian societies — just a facade of strength. It is time for the world to know our intellectual and spiritual values are rooted in the source of all strength, a belief in a Supreme Being, and a law higher than our own.

When it’s written, history of our time won’t dwell long on the hardships of the recent past. But history will ask — and our answer determine the fate of freedom for a thousand years — Did a nation borne of hope lose hope? Did a people forged by courage find courage wanting? Did a generation steeled by hard war and a harsh peace forsake honor at the moment of great climactic struggle for the human spirit?

If history asks such questions, it also answers them. And the answers are to be found in the heritage left by generations of Americans before us. They stand in silent witness to what the world will soon know and history someday record: that in the [its] third century, the American Nation came of age, affirmed its leadership of free men and women serving selflessly a vision of man with God, government for people, and humanity at peace.

A few years ago, an Australian Prime Minister, John Gorton, said, “I wonder if anybody ever thought what the situation for the comparatively small nations in the world would be if there were not in existence the United States, if there were not this giant country prepared to make so many sacrifices.” This is the noble and rich heritage rooted in great civil ideas of the West, and it is yours.

My hope today is that in the years to come — and come it shall — when it’s your time to explain to another generation the meaning of the past and thereby hold out to them their promise of the future, that you’ll recall the truths and traditions of which we’ve spoken. It is these truths and traditions that define our civilization and make up our national heritage. And now, they’re yours to protect and pass on. [Source]

Reagan hit the nail squarely on the head when he pointed out that there is no hope of the future unless you understand your past.  This is true for this country and the world, just as it’s true for each individual and their own personal history.

And it’s also true spiritually. We have a past you know! Christianity didn’t spring full formed out of the ground last Tuesday. We are the result of 2000 years of Christian history, and a few thousand years of Jewish history before that! We owe our forefathers in the faith a debt far to large to ever repay. And in fact the only way we can even begin to repay it is to pass on to the next generation of believers a real sense of what our history is, of what the church is supposed to be like, and what our mission in the world really is.

Because it’s only when you appreciate and know the past that you are truly free to innovate and creatively build upon it. One of the reasons we keep on making the same stupid mistakes is because we haven’t bothered to look back and learn from the experiences of others.

I hope to be able to add something to history, but whether I do or not, I’m obligated to learn from it as a wise steward of the one life God has given me. So pardon me while I get back to my book!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Looking for something to be thankful for?  Well here’s something that the biased Lame Stream Media won’t tell you about – but they should!

It’s the story of a heroic band of Marines in Afghanistan. Against incredible odds they not only held their own, but killed about one fifth of the enemy forces and routed them!  One sniper hero killed about 50 of the enemy, allowing his fellow Marines to carry the day.

By any measure this is an incredible victory, on par with Marine performances in both World Wars and Korea. To be so completely outnumbered and end up by running the enemy off, is little short of miraculous. This is kick butt and take name kind of Marine Corps that my father was a part of, and that I’ve respected all my life. To say “well done” to them, is quite simply a gross understatement.

The men are hero’s – who the Lame Stream Media will refuse to honor – but I’m going to do my little part here!

God bless the Second Battalion, 7th Marines – and all our Armed Forces everywhere!

Now that’s something to be thankful for!

Hat Tip: Blackfive!