Tax day Tea Party in Hawaii

Preliminary report: The Tea Party was a success with a great turnout, more to report soon. I had the opportunity to converse with the key speaker of the event and mentioned our man Mitt, of course!

JD

YAAARRRGGGHHH!!! Mitty!

As heard on Rush Limbaugh's radio show.

***For those people with iPhones or Blackberries, check out the free application : iHeartRadio and you can listen to Rush, Hannity, etc. wherever you are. (Especially useful in Hawaii with the time zone difference)

Yarg MITTY!

JD

A Simple Reminder

Pictured above are myself, my father, and my older brother.

Between the three of us we have seen plenty of time in the Middle East, from the mountainous terrains of Afghanistan to the streets of Iraq. Needless to say, we have all grown a greater appreciation for life in the U.S.A.

My father, pictured above in the center, is one of fourteen children to the man featured in the previous blog entitled “Putting a Struggle Into Perspective.” This article focuses on the military career of my father and his role in the defense of liberty and this country.

Perhaps you can tell by the photo, but that is one proud and beaming Papa. Who could he have possibly thought that after serving an entire career in the United States Army that he would one day stand shoulder to shoulder with his two sons who would likewise serve in the United States Army and eventually deploy to the same battleground. After 11 years of retirement, the opportunity arose for himself to once again to lace on a pair of military boots and join the fight overseas in Operation Enduring Freedom.

Both my brother and I, and not to mention the rest of the family, were caught by surprise to learn that our father had once again gone on active duty. And not only that, but he was to join the fight overseas that both my brother and I had been engaged in. We had all come to the knowledge on our own of how exquisitely painful it was to live in the mountainous regions of Afghanistan as well as the other brutal climates the Army has in store for us. In addition to that, we all knew of the sacrifices required of us to support and defend our country.

Pictured behind us is our backyard fence. Immediately after the events of September 11, 2001 I had begun discussing with my family the opportunity to serve in the United States military. At that time my father had been retired from active duty for several years and was more than supportive of my decision to complete my current schooling and enlist in the Army. In the time between enlisting and finishing my school I had decided to take upon myself another project. Our backyard fence became that project. Standing at a height of 8 feet, our backyard fence would soon be painted with the American flag. And to the immediate right of that flag there was painted three vertical blue stars, symbolizing three family members serving overseas. Several years after painting this flag on the fence, I had decided to make a few touch ups to restore the damage done over time. While doing so, a vehicle pulled up beside me and came to a stop. After the window was rolled down, I found myself speaking to one of my parents neighbors whom I had never met. She shared with me that day that each time she drove home from work and passed our fence she was filled with a renewed sense of patriotism, hope, and love of our country. By the tenor in her voice I could detect her sincerity and was supremely grateful for her sharing that with me.

Sometimes we only need a simple reminder to bring us back. The unity that was felt throughout our country after the events of September 11th should never be forgotten. Amidst the frequent hymns of “God Bless America” and "The Star-Spangled Banner" we were sure of our national identity and purpose.

Let us never forget our purpose and always be prepared to stand In Defense of Liberty.

Putting a Struggle Into Perspective

In the midst of personal struggles whether political, economic, religious, or physical we are well served to maintain perspective. Despite the perceived magnitude of the burden laid upon our shoulders, there are oftentimes stories that make our problems pale in comparison. If we choose to commiserate with those who have shared similar pains and anguish, something quite remarkable happens. We may feel our burdens to be a little more tolerable and their weight a bit lighter on our shoulders.

Among military members there is a unique bond formed out of mutual misery that manifests itself in an incredible fashion. The most terrifying struggles will hastily turn strangers into brothers. And as time goes on our stories of tragedy may bring about a solemn mood. But, other stories of personal struggle can bring about quite a different response, uncontrollable laughter. I can recall several instances of nearly losing all bowel and bladder control when reminiscing about the past with fellow soldiers as well as with family members who served in the military.

One family member’s stories, however, put all of my struggles into a new perspective. His were the stories that were seldom heard but never forgotten. My Grandfather served in WWII in the Navy. He served as a gunnery-mate on board LCS 84 (Landing Craft Support vessel) in the battle of Okinawa.

A detailed account is found here: http://www.navsource.org/archives/10/05/050084.htm

Per the account, theirs was a small, cramped naval vessel armed to the teeth. The Landing Craft Support was designed to assist with amphibious assaults and this would place them immediately off an unfriendly coastline. The group of vessels would later be known as “the Mighty Midgets” of the Okinawa campaign.

After several days of storm-tossed seas and sea-sick sailors the crew arrived in Pearl Harbor. After 10 days they shipped off and traveled further west and further from home than they had ever been. They joined up with the largest modern naval fleet ever assembled to seek out and defeat the remaining Japanese forces. After a brief stop in Saipan, they were given their mission and in the invasion of Okinawa. They were to stage a diversionary amphibious assault on the opposite side of the island where the main invasion force of 150,000 men were to land.

Just before dawn on Easter morning, anti-aircraft fire lit up the sky in response to the first waves of Japanese aircraft. One suicide bomber impacted a nearby vessel setting it aflame. The skies then grew calm while the main invasion was taking place elsewhere. Shortly after, the Battleships Maryland and Texas roared with their heavy weapons and pummeled the nearby coast for several hours. Then, from overhead came friendly aircraft that would lay a blanket of smoke to obscure the movements of the LCS vessels towards the shore. When they cleared the smoke screen, the gunboats expended the entirety of their forward-facing munitions and then turned back to form a protective ring around the island. Then commenced what was referred to as “the most bloody and hectic experiences in a man’s life.”

Four days into the invasion, low flying clouds settled into the area and provided the perfect screen to the low flying Kamikaze bombers. When other members of the fleet cam under attack several ships moved to their aid only to be attacked themselves. This was the case for LCS 84.

Upon arrival alongside a badly damaged destroyer, the crew assisted in taking onboard 226 survivors to include 7 men on stretchers. All available space aboard the already cramped ship was now occupied. In the darkness amidst rough seas the crew tried to transfer to another vessel but had to give up after a nearly disastrous attempt. Two of the injured men would later die when the vessel had to cross 20 miles of ocean during the battle to offload the men on an island west of Okinawa.

When they returned they commenced patrolling for suicide boats when they came under another air attack. The smoke screen designed to obscure the anchored vessels now fell upon the gunboat as an impenetrable fog. Meanwhile, several of the suicide boats were spotted in the area which caused the LCS vessel to set their engines at full speed to maneuver away from an attack that could arise from any direction among the limited visibility. Relying on radar reports, LCS 84 came upon one of the suicide boats unawares and quickly laid a hail of fire upon the ship and sinking it before it could return fire.

A second suicide boat spotted the LCS vessel first and closed the distance between the two and initially avoided being targeted by the American 40mm guns. With a quick maneuver by the Captain, the ship listed to one side where the guns were able to fix the target, riddle the enemy with fire, and destroy the craft just 20 feet away. As the battle continued, the LCS craft went on to the rescue of several survivors of other nearby sunken ships. While in the middle of rescuing members of a nearby crew an underwater explosion violently rocked the small ship.

On Friday, May 11 shortly after morning chow the crew was brought to General Quarters to initiate one of Okinawa's outstanding sea-air battles. One particular aircraft was caught in a crossfire and attempted a suicide attack upon their ship. The mighty gunship tried feverishly to take down enemy aircraft but before long it had sharply banked down upon them and came screaming towards them in a ball of flame.
In the words of Richard De Causemaker, "This was it! Coming straight down on us from our stern he suddenly barrel-rolled about 100 yards off, and by the grace of God just missed us, plunging into the water off our bow with a deafening explosion, spraying fire and debris over the ship.”

In a first-hand account of the event, my grandfather added further details of this explosion. He recalled that during the firefight several members of the crew to include himself and several survivors laying about the deck were suddenly inundated by a wave of fuel that had caught fire. A paralyzing horror overcame them as they became engulfed in flames. A secondary explosion of the aircraft’s armament then blasted another wave of water over top of them and immediately extinguished the flames. The coarse hairs that were once on my grandfather's unshaven face were now singed off entirely.

The ferocious battle raged on for several more days with more suicide aircraft streaking through the sky, being shot down, and some striking their targets. The LCS craft often found itself fighting fires on adjacent ships and endangering the crew's lives in the attempts to rescue their fellow sailors.

Causemaker, a gunner’s mate onboard the ship concluded "For each and every man in our crew and all the others out there that day, there will always remain the nightmare of that bloody battle. The ghastly sight of picking up wounded men, burned and marred for life, picking up cold, clammy, torn bodies of the dead and having to bury them at sea is an unimaginable torture on the human mind. It is sights as these that make or break the bravest of men."

Shortly thereafter, the sea and air battles calmed down and members of the fleet were sent to the Philippines in preparation for the occupation of Japan. While there, the devastation of the atomic bomb brought about Japan's surrender and the end of the second World War. The efforts of this mighty vessel and its valiant crew did not go unnoticed. For the outstanding bravery demonstrated on May 11, 1945 the members of LCS 84 were awarded the Presidential Unit Citation.

*

Trials and suffering can help to mold our character and redirect our sights to the items of greatest importance, i.e. family, faith, and our freedom. Suffering is an inescapable truth of life that should be viewed as a blessing. It hardens our resolve, it teaches us what we are capable of doing in times of great struggle, and it refines and purifies our very being.

May we never forget those of generations past who have taken these struggles upon themselves that we may live free.

In Memory of my Grandfather (1924 – 2008)

To the TEA PARTIES!!

Alright all you fellow Mittheads, let's all try to attend a local "tea party" in our respective areas this 15th of April and share our positive conservative message with other patriotic Americans!

Join the Patriotic Resistance and pave the way for a brighter future of lower taxes, less government, and a return to our Constitutional principles of life, liberty, and the PURSUIT of happiness.

JD

Mitt for President in 337,705

How many campaigns would it take to equal the latest spending bill?

The press had a field day with this number: 42.3 million. That is the amount of personal savings that Gov. Romney used to launch his campaign into national prominence in ’08. He also raised over 62 million dollars from fundraising. It is hard to imagine that campaigns have become so expensive. Hillary Clinton relied on 138 million and Obama won using 140 million. It’s hard to fathom the size of these numbers. The media chose to highlight the 42 million that Romney infused into his campaign as an incomprehensible number to most Americans in an attempt to reduce his support. Obviously, that amount was no small sum. But, compared to 3,550,000,000,000 trillion dollars (Socialistus Maximus Governmentus Controlus Spend-a-thonus) how can we put in into perspective?
42.3 million vs. 3.55 trillion

That would equal:
83,924 more Mitt Romney Campaigns.

And since campaigns are only ever 4 years… He would have to keep going until…

Mitt for President 337,705 A.D. !!