WHAT WOULD YOU DO?

From Reno, Nevada:







That's a K-BAR Fighting Knife he used to cut down Old Glory; commemorative engraved edition.


I only hope when the day comes I'm confronted with a patriotic challenge like this, I'll have as much class and balls as this guy displayed.


- S.L.



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THE FLAG-DRAPED COFFIN

The Old Guard transports the flag-draped casket of the second Sergeant Major of the Army George W. Dunaway who was buried with full military honors at Arlington National Cemetery.



A United States flag drapes the casket of deceased veterans to honor the memory of their service to America. This custom began during the Napoleonic Wars (1796-1815). The flag is placed so that the blue field with stars is at the head and over the left shoulder of the deceased.






Veterans Affairs has a policy that allows for a full military funeral, which includes the playing of taps and the folding of the flag in respectful silence.
After Taps has been played, the flag is carefully folded into the symbolic tri-cornered shape. Upon request, family can have the honor guard read special recitations, which include religious symbolism.


As the honor guard makes the 13 folds — traditionally representing the original colonies — they recite "the first fold of our flag is a symbol of life, the second fold is a symbol of our belief in the eternal life, etc."





The 1st fold of the flag is a "Symbol of life."




The 2nd fold is a symbol of the belief in "Eternal Life."




The 3rd fold is made in honor and remembrance of the veterans departing the ranks who gave a portion of their lives for the defense of the country to attain peace throughout the world.




The 4th fold represents the weaker nature, for as American citizens trusting in God, it is to Him we turn in times of peace as well as in time of war for His Divine Guidance.




The 5th fold is a tribute to the country, for in the words of Stephen Decatur, “Our Country, in dealing with other countries, may she always be right; but it is still our country, right or wrong.”




The 6th fold is for where people’s hearts lie. It is with their heart that they ". . . pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States Of America, and the Republic for which it stands, one Nation under God, indivisible, with Liberty and Justice for all."


The 7th fold is a tribute to its Armed Forces, for it is through the Armed Forces that they protect their country and their flag against all her enemies, whether they be found within or without the boundaries of their republic.




The 8th fold is a tribute to the one who entered into the valley of the shadow of death, that we might see the light of day.




The 9th fold is a tribute to womanhood, and Mothers. For it has been through their faith, their love, loyalty and devotion that the character of the men and women who have made this country great has been molded.




The 10th fold is a tribute to the father, for he, too, has given his sons and daughters for the defense of their country since they were first born.




The 11th fold represents the lower portion of the seal of King David and King Solomon and glorifies in the Hebrews eyes, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.




The 12th fold represents an emblem of eternity and glorifies, in Christians' eyes: God the Father, the Son and Holy Spirit.




The 13th fold, or when the flag is completely folded, the stars are uppermost reminding them of their nations motto, “In God We Trust.”


After the flag is completely folded and tucked in, it takes on the appearance of a cocked hat, ever reminding us of the soldiers who served under General George Washington, and the Sailors and Marines who served under Captain John Paul Jones, who were followed by their comrades and shipmates in the Armed Forces of the United States, preserving for them the rights, privileges and freedoms they enjoy today.




Military traditions and ways of doing things have deep meaning. In the future, whenever you see flags folded; now you will know why.


All Americans should know that Our Founding Fathers established this nation upon Judeo-Christian principles; on the premise " . . .that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights . . ."







Note:The following story from Fox News provided reference material in my research of the above information. I have participated in several military funerals, but only ever once recall such a recital, with the religious significance of each fold. This 13-fold recital is not part of the U.S. Flag Code and is not government-approved. - S.L.


Furor After Ceremonial Flag-Folding Readings Pulled From Military Funerals



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TURNS OUT I WAS RIGHT

HE WAS COACHED:

Obama's Evolution as Commander-in-Chief

Never a soldier himself, but suddenly their commander-in-chief, President Barack Obama wanted to learn the job from the ground up. Including the salute.





"That attention to detail, that focus on the outward manifestation of what we expect, is compelling," said retired Gen. Paul Eaton, who advised Obama during the presidential campaign. "Whoever worked with him on that did a pretty good job."


AND I CALLED IT ! ! !





OF COURSE I'M RIGHT!

The second I looked at those photos of The One saluting flag-draped coffins planeside at Dover, I could tell he'd been coached.

This is why I called him on his ghoulish photo stunt. He may be able to whip out a snappy salute, but any shred of class he might have had left him that day . . .


THE MEDIA SPINS IT:

Under the guidance of an expert, aides say Obama privately repeated his salute over and over again until he got it down. In a testament to how sensitive the White House is about the commander in chief practicing this basic military gesture, aides would not say who taught Obama how to salute. But every time he uses it, Obama is trying to convey an insider’s respect for the armed forces without saying a word.



This has GOT to be some kind of Rahm Emmanuel-generated press release, something to make the Big Guy look good after the worst week of his Presidency . . .


White House Nightmare Persists


Dow Suffers Worst Week Since Last March


I love this Drudge headline best of all, borrowed straight from Legendary Bluesman B.B. King:

THRILL IS GONE



The Winter Blues just set in . . .


We don't do politics here at Blog STORMBRINGER - "Not my bag, baby" - but when it intersects with soldiering and international security, I won't hesitate lay it on thick and heavy . . . so enjoy it while it lasts . . . your comments - pro or con - are welcome below . . . . . . . S.L.


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LIZ CHENEY ON THE SALUTE

Normally I avoid politics here on STORMBRINGER - it generates Dark Energy within me - but I draw the line when dead American G.I.'s are used for political purposes. -S.L.




Liz Cheney was asked about this Thursday by John Gibson at Fox News radio. He said, "Seventeen of the 18 families of the fallen denied Obama his photo-op at Dover,"




Here's what Liz Cheney said:

"I don't know why he went to Dover. I think that clearly it is very important for a commander-in-chief whenever he can, in whatever way possible, to pay tribute to our fallen soldiers, our fallen military, folks, but I think, you know, what President Bush used to do was to do it without cameras, and I don't understand sort of showing up with the White House press pool with photographers and asking family members if he can take pictures. I mean, that's really hard for me to get my head around. I think it's an honorable and important thing to pay tribute, there's no greater sacrifice people make to the nation. It was a surprising way for the president to choose to do it. I would also point out that the best way to pay tribute to those who have sacrificed is to win the war."

* * * * * * * * * * * * *

This year the Taliban mounted their biggest counter-offensive since we removed them from power; Obama shows leadership by saluting a flag-draped coffin. Nothing like that to inspire victory!

If Obama sincerely wanted to defeat the Taliban he would have granted the professionals' requests for reinforcements made so many months ago.

This photogragh was a shrewdly calculated political stunt, using a dead American serviceman as a prop. Obama is deliberately setting the stage for his Adminitration's approach to Afghanistan - although "withdrawal from" will be more accurate.

Disgraceful.



STORMBRINGER SENDS

THE SALUTE

Friday’s post regarding the episode at Dover AFB – where Barack Obama conveniently had himself conspicuously photographed saluting a flag-draped casket – has generated controversy within my family. This is an EXTREMELY touchy subject of course. The honorable war dead cannot speak, and so we speak for them; to me this is the essence of the controversy, and why I cannot let this story rest.

The first thing I noticed Friday morning, when I first looked at the photo, was the salute itself: as any G.I. will tell you, actors and politicians who have not served are NOTORIOUS for screwing up a salute.



The Third Eye is exactly in the middle of the forehead.




We love you Ron-Bomb, but that's more a formal wave than a proper military salute.




Even those who have served screw it up - never try to speak and move your hands around at the same time you're giving a salute.


And yet this week we see Barack Obama - a man who's never served a day in uniform - performing a flawless salute right out of Army Field Manual 3-21.5 Drill and Ceremony:





FM 3-21.5 Drill and Ceremony
4-4. HAND SALUTE


b. When wearing headgear without a visor (or uncovered) and not wearing glasses, execute the Hand Salute in the same manner as previously described, except touch the tip of the right forefinger to the forehead near and slightly to the right of the right eyebrow (2, Figure 4-5).



Now check out Obama's left hand - he's got his fingers curled correctly and aligned along the seam of his trousers.



NO civilian knows how to do that – Obama has DEFINITELY been given a class on how to stand at attention and render a military salute:



FM 3-21.5 Drill and Ceremony
4-1. POSITION OF ATTENTION

c. Let the arms hang straight without stiffness. Curl the fingers so that the tips of the thumbs are alongside and touching the first joint of the forefingers. Keep the thumbs straight along the seams of the trouser leg with the first joint of the fingers touching the trousers (Figure 4-1, page 4-2).




Friday afternoon I became aware of some facts: Barack Obama showed up at Dover AFB at 1230 and hung around until 0445; he asked all the families if he could be photographed beside their family members remains as they were being unloaded. 17 of the 18 families refused; so he hung around until he finally got permission; then he got the photo and he was out of there.

So what's going on here?

A) Obama went to Dover AFB to honor the dead, and he brought along the Whitehouse press pool & photographers to witness the event,

B) the President of the United States waited planeside for over four hours in order to receive a family's permission to be photographed saluting their boy's casket, and

C) a man with zero military experience is photographed executing a picture perfect parade-ground salute right out of Field Manual 3-21.5 Drill and Ceremony . . .


At STORMBRINGER we don't believe in coincidences, especially triple redundancy coincidences. Obama is a very shrewd operator; that everything he does is carefully calculated for pure political benefit.

Example: voting "present" 130 times - he didn't want to compromise future opportunities.

Example: going over to Germany to make a speech - spoke for 45 minutes and didn't say a thing - all that mattered was the photo op. He got the picture.


To me there is no speculation; this was an orchestrated event. Obama stalks bodies like some sort of ghoul until he strikes paydirt and gets the photo, but anybody who calls him on it is a sicko for daring to suggest those bodies were used as props.

"Alright, is everybody ready to go? It's zero-dark-thirty and we're going to Dover to honor the dead. Now this is some pretty serious stuff and we want to do it with the correct amount of dignity and discretion. So lets see here, have we got everything? Press Pool - CHECK! Photographers - CHECK! Right! That's all we're gonna need, LET's GO!"

So what is Obama’s motivation behind this staged event?

A) to demonstrate patriotic sentiment in order to deflect criticism when he does not approve McChrystal's troop requests, and in the future when he begins the withdrawal.

B) to deflect criticism from his lawn-dart domestic agenda (healthcare, the economy) - "oh look, the President really cares, he really IS one of us."

C) to deflect future criticism and questioning of his patriotism when he orders the withdrawal - "Obama went all around the world giving speeches apologizing for his country, badmouthing the USA." "Yeah, but he went to Dover and saluted flag-draped coffins - George Bush never did that. Obama really cares, and he's really a patriot who loves his country."

Obama has painted himself into a corner by talking tough on Afghanistan during the 2008 campaign. If he had come off as a pacifist, he would have risked losing the election. So he talked like a hawk on Afghanistan, to compensate for being a dove on Iraq.

Then in March 2009, not yet realizing what he was getting himself into, Obama said this to an audience of military veterans:

“al Qaeda and its allies – the terrorists who planned and supported the 9/11 attacks – are in Pakistan and Afghanistan. Multiple intelligence estimates have warned that al Qaeda is actively planning attacks on the U.S. homeland from its safe-haven in Pakistan. And if the Afghan government falls to the Taliban – or allows al Qaeda to go unchallenged – that country will again be a base for terrorists who want to kill as many of our people as they possibly can.

“The future of Afghanistan is inextricably linked to the future of its neighbor, Pakistan. In the nearly eight years since 9/11, al Qaeda and its extremist allies have moved across the border to the remote areas of the Pakistani frontier. This almost certainly includes al Qaeda’s leadership: Osama bin Laden and Ayman al-Zawahiri. They have used this mountainous terrain as a safe-haven to hide, train terrorists, communicate with followers, plot attacks, and send fighters to support the insurgency in Afghanistan. For the American people, this border region has become the most dangerous place in the world….

“For the Afghan people, a return to Taliban rule would condemn their country to brutal governance, international isolation, a paralyzed economy, and the denial of basic human rights to the Afghan people – especially women and girls. The return in force of al Qaeda terrorists who would accompany the core Taliban leadership would cast Afghanistan under the shadow of perpetual violence.

“As President, my greatest responsibility is to protect the American people. We are not in Afghanistan to control that country or to dictate its future. We are in Afghanistan to confront a common enemy that threatens the United States, our friends and allies, and the people of Afghanistan and Pakistan who have suffered the most at the hands of violent extremists.

“So I want the American people to understand that we have a clear and focused goal: to disrupt, dismantle, and defeat al Qaeda in Pakistan and Afghanistan, and to prevent their return to either country in the future. That is the goal that must be achieved. That is a cause that could not be more just. And to the terrorists who oppose us, my message is the same: we will defeat you.”


What happened next was General McChrystal, Obama’s handpicked commander in the field, took Obama’s directives at face value and came back with an ambitious plan that might, just might, accomplish it.


"Look, we gotta get away from looking at this thing like it's a war - let's start by calling it . . . a series of 'Overseas Contingency Operations' . . ."

So now Obama is trapped by his own words: if he trashes McChrystal’s plan and sends in significantly fewer troops, he will eventually have to downsize the goals he stated only 6 months ago.


"I hear what you're saying, like, you want to win this thing . . . how did you say it? 'Prevail on the battlefield'? . . . 'destroy the enemy's capacity to wage war, their will to win'? . . . yeah, well, uh-huh . . . let me tell you, back in Chicago I used to chair committee meetings and had to get people to sign petitions, and I've won a couple of elections so I know how hard it can be . . ."

I bet he splits the difference with just a little bit extra so it doesn't look like half - 25,000 - they stay for 14 months, then the withdrawals begin.