American Ranger

Obama In His Own Words On His Energy Policy

noreply@blogger.com (Charles M. Grist:) — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 00:41:00 +0000

"Under my plan of a cap and trade system, electricity rates would necessarily skyrocket." Barack Obama, January 2008

It's hard to believe, but there are people out there who never heard Obama say this. (You can watch him in the video below.) I urge you to remind yourselves of the energy policy (or lack of one) that he implementing - and PASS THIS ON TO YOUR UNINFORMED FRIENDS.

Remember that Obama gave Brazil a couple of billion dollars for oil exploration, asking them to sell it to us. They just announced they are going to sell it to China.

Obama won't let us drill in the Gulf, open new oil fields, or build new refineries. In fact, some of those Gulf oil rigs have left. Where did they go? Brazil.

The Keystone Pipeline would reduce our dependency on foreign oil by 8%, and we would buy oil from Canada, one of our best friends. Obama won't approve it, so where might the Canadians sell it? China, of course.

We have enough energy resources (oil, natural gas, coal, etc.) to make us energy independent for generations. Obama is doing everything he can to prevent Americans from accessing their own resources.

You'd almost think he was intentionally trying to destroy us....

Here is his cap and trade statement on video. Pass it on:

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Vote Republican in November as if your life depended on it - because it does.

Charles M. Grist
www.MyLastWar.com

Remembering The Past - And Learning From It

noreply@blogger.com (Charles M. Grist:) — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 02:43:00 +0000

Lieutenant Chuck Grist - Vietnam

I returned from Vietnam on August 8, 1971. A week or so later, I received a phone call from Charlie Wadsworth, a columnist with the Orlando Sentinel. Since I was a “hometown boy” back from the war, he asked me to come down to his office for a brief interview, which I agreed to do. At the time I was a twenty-two year old Army first lieutenant with fresh memories of dead friends, dead enemy soldiers, the smell of the jungle, and a country that didn't care where I had been.

To put the following column in context, the war was winding down, and the “Vietnamization” of that war was in full swing. In the last years of the war, those of us in combat became the victims of the drawdown in the sense that supplies were reduced, artillery rounds were saved, and other cost-saving measures were implemented.

These money-saving measures put us at grave risk, and we became bitter about it. Since America had decided to pull out of Vietnam short of victory, the most frequent comment in my unit was that none of us wanted to be the last soldier to die in

Vietnam

By the way, as I made my way home on August 8, I was spat on in the San Francisco airport by a group of "hippies" and called a murderer by a faceless coward in an Atlanta airport crowd. My family was glad to see me, but I took my uniform off that night and didn't wear it again for almost ten years.

Charlie Wadsworth was a legendary reporter in Orlando. His “Hush Puppies” column appeared daily:

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HUSH PUPPIES

Orlando Sentinel

August 17, 1971

By Charlie Wadsworth, Columnist

Another young Orlandoan is freshly and safely home from a year in Vietnam.

Here are some excerpts from an absorbing conversation with Lt. Charles M. ‘Chuck’ Grist, son of Mr. and Mrs. John Grist:

“…I sincerely believe the reasons we went into Vietnam were good but I don’t like the way it is winding down. Support is harder to get, and in my opinion it is time to leave Vietnam altogether.

“…If after a decade that we have been there the South Vietnamese can’t do it now they won’t ever do it.

“…When you come home it hits you immediately. The people in the U.S. seem to be oblivious to what happens outside of the U.S. I think the people are concerned about Vietnam, but can’t comprehend what has gone on over there and what is going on now.

“…The war stinks, it really does.’

Lt. Grist was with the 1^st Cavalry Division in the flatland regions some 60 miles northeast of Saigon. He was a platoon leader for seven months.

He talked about the narcotics question, and his answers may be different from some of the reports you have been reading of late.

“We never had a problem with it (drugs) in the field in any way in my platoon. When I became executive officer, I found some problems – some severe – in the rear areas.

“I found it restricted to the rear of both company and battalion, some bad heroin addiction.

“The thing I found is the people in the field won’t allow it. Every now and then someone would try it but his buddies squared him away in a hurry.

“We got some replacements once. A sergeant found one of the replacements on some stuff. He said he had found the man and straightened him out, and he also told me that it would not happen again.

“You had to have utmost cooperation in the field, and people who would not cooperate were kicked out. You make good friends out there. That’s where you make the real friendships, and a man will cooperate and straighten up rather than risk losing the friends he has made, or adding additional risk to the job they’re doing.

“With the units pulling out as they are, it is hard for units to get support, to get things like clothes, for example. Flying time of helicopters has been cut back. That is why in my opinion it is time to leave Vietnam altogether.

“…I think I accomplished what I wanted, to go out there and find out what it really is all about. I want to know what I’m talking about, not just someone shooting off at the mouth. It was the single greatest experience of my life,” he added.

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That last sentence may seem unusual, but for a young man who had given so much, I guess I was attempting to justify that the scars on my body and soul were somehow worth it all.

Following this interview, I began a two year decline from the happy-go-lucky Airborne Ranger I had been before my tour in Vietnam, to a guy who saw only darkness, who drank himself into oblivion on a regular basis, who tried college but dropped out after only two weeks, and who partied like there was no tomorrow.

If not for the timely arrival of the woman who would become my wife, who knows what ditch I would have ended up in. Debbie inspired me to put the past behind me and move on.

We are now in the midst of a drawdown in Afghanistan. As we slowly withdraw our brave warriors, surely some of them must be asking themselves, “Will I be the last G.I. to die in Afghanistan?”

We must not allow the political desire to leave Afghanistan to permit a lack of support for our troops. No shortcuts, no lack of supplies, no lack of artillery or air support, and please continue to welcome them home – not like you welcomed me home from Vietnam – but just like you welcomed me home from Iraq…..

Charles M. Grist

www.MyLastWar.com

Act of Valor - The Movie To See In 2012

noreply@blogger.com (Charles M. Grist:) — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 13:59:00 +0000

The following movie trailer is awesome. Real Navy SEALs were used in the filming of this action movie.

Enjoy the trailer and pass it on; this is a movie for real Americans who want to see real good guys in action - without the typical Hollywood gratuitous bull:

Charles M. Grist
Author of the award-winning book My Last War: A Vietnam Veteran's Tour in Iraq

Victory In Iraq - Now It's Up To The Iraqis

noreply@blogger.com (Charles M. Grist:) — Sun, 11 Dec 2011 15:52:00 +0000

Me at Baghdad's Camp Victory in early 2004

I'm a Vietnam veteran as well as a veteran of Operation Iraqi Freedom, so I know a little about guerrilla wars. Sometimes they end well, and sometimes they don't.

You see, I remember what it felt like to sit in my living room in April, 1975, staring at the television while enemy tanks rolled into Saigon. Only then did I have the painful realization that my fellow soldiers and I had fought and bled for a lost cause.

I'm not ashamed to say I cried that day. I remembered the hardships of my own months in Vietnam's jungles, and I saw the faces of my lost friends in the dark corners of my mind. To be honest, I still see them almost every day. You know - those couple of hours in the middle of the night when sleep won't come and the mind refuses to rest. Such is the legacy of Vietnam.

Although the losses are just as painful, the story in Iraq is a different one. When our last soldiers arrive home before Christmas and Iraq's security rests in its own hands, we can honestly say we have been victorious.

There are now over thirty million people living in Iraq. Because of the sacrifice of America and its coalition partners, there is a democratic government elected by the people. Is everything perfect? Of course not. But the problems that remain can only be solved by Iraqis. Whether it is sectarian differences or problems caused by foreign terrorists, it is time for Iraq to take care of itself.

What do I fear most now that we have pulled our soldiers out of Iraq? I fear the influence of Iran, a Shiite country that provides training and equipment to radical Shiites in Iraq like Muqtada al Sadr and the Mahdi Army.

But Americans cannot stay in Iraq forever. The truth is that wherever we go, we become a lightning rod for those with ancient reasons for hating foreign intervention. It was this way in Vietnam, in Iraq, and it is also the same in Afghanistan.

We must welcome our troops home from Iraq as the victorious warriors they are. We shall help them recover both physically and mentally, and they should be proud of all they accomplished.

We shall also continue to extend the hand of friendship to the Iraqi people. While many fundamentalist Iraqis will always hate us, there are a lot of Iraqis who will never forget the generosity of America or our sacrifices on their behalf. We have done all we can to give them a chance for a free and prosperous future.

The rest is up to them...

Charles M. Grist
Author of the award-winning book My Last War: A Vietnam Veteran's Tour in Iraq

Ambassador Ammon Presents German Medal of Honor to U.S. Staff Sergeant Peter Woken

noreply@blogger.com (Charles M. Grist:) — Sat, 10 Dec 2011 15:14:00 +0000

Extraordinary ceremony honoring one of America's warriors. The YouTube video comments posted by the German Embassy are as follows:

"The deep bonds of the German American friendship, and the deep bonds between soldiers, were on display on December 8, 2011, as German Ambassador Peter Ammon presented one of Germany's most significant military honors to a US soldier who was instrumental in the rescue during battle of a Bundeswehr soldier in Afghanistan.
U.S. Staff Sergeant Peter Woken was awarded the Medal of Honor for Gallantry in Action of the Federal Republic of Germany, bestowed on him by German Defense Minister Thomas de Maizière, in recognition of his role as part of the MedEvac crew that landed in heavy fire to evacuate German Corporal Tim Focken in Afghanistan on October 17, 2010."

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Well done Staff Sergeant Woken.

Charles M. Grist

Author of the award-winning book My Last War: A Vietnam Veteran's Tour in Iraq

Remembering Pearl Harbor: The Greatest Generation's 9-11

noreply@blogger.com (Charles M. Grist:) — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 14:08:00 +0000

For the members of my generation, the day of infamy is September 11, 2001, when terrorists attacked America, killing some 3,000 of our citizens.

For the members of my parents' generation, that day of infamy will remain December 7, 1941, when the Japanese attacked America's naval fleet in Hawaii, also killing thousands.

The members of the Greatest Generation are fast fading from the scene, but I hope each of you will take the time today to pray for the victims of the 1941 attack and their families. For some of these veterans, the memories are as real today as they were then.

Those of us who are veterans of other wars can understand that...

Charles M. Grist
Author of the award-winning book My Last War: A Vietnam Veteran's Tour in Iraq

Obama and Iran: The President Fails To Lead - Or - How To Twiddle Your Thumbs While Iran Gets The Bomb

noreply@blogger.com (Charles M. Grist:) — Sat, 03 Dec 2011 02:01:00 +0000

Barack Obama is no leader. The following article from the Washington Post documents further evidence of Obama's incompetence, especially when it comes to something as important as preventing Iran from getting a nuclear weapon.

Sadly, even the 2012 elections may be too late...

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Senate Passes Iran Sanctions 100-0; Obama Objects (Really)

By Jennifer Rubin

December 2, 2011
Washington Post

Think about this: By a vote of 100-0 the Senate passed its most stringent Iran sanctions bill to date. The administration opposed it. The vote was on the amendment by Sens. Robert Menendez (D-N.J.) and Mark Kirk (R-Ill.) The measure would: 1) Prohibit the opening or maintaining in the United States of a correspondent account or a payable-through account on foreign financial institutions engaged in non-petroleum-related transactions with the Central Bank of Iran after 60 days; 2) Impose sanctions on foreign financial institutions, including central banks, engaged in petroleum-related transactions with the Central Bank of Iran after 180 days with 180-day special exemptions tied to the availability of non-Iranian oil on the market and a country’s significant reduction in purchases of Iranian oil; 3) Provide a humanitarian exception for food, medicine and medical devices; and 4) Provide the president with an unclassified (with classified annex, if necessary) national security waiver authority every 120 days.

Take about seven minutes to hear perhaps the most critical words spoken by any senator in recent memory. That they were spoken by a Democrat, a liberal one at that, only lends additional weight to his message. At a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing Menendez read Obama officials the riot act.

Menendez’s damning words should be remembered as we go forward:

"At your request, we engaged in an effort to come to a bipartisan agreement that I think is fair and balanced. And now you come here and vitiate that very agreement. So that says to me in the future that when you come to me and ask me to engage in a good-faith effort, you should have said, we want no amendment, not that you don’t care for that amendment. Now, having said that, let me just say, everything that you say in your testimony undermines the credibility of your opposition to this amendment.

The clock is ticking. Published reports say we have about a year. Whenever you’re going to start our sanctions regime robustly, six months before the clock has been achieved? Before they get a nuclear weapon? . . . So I find it pretty outrageous that when the clock is ticking, and when you ask us to engage in a more reasoned effort, and we produce such an effort in a bipartisan basis, that in fact you come here and say what you say. Which really undermines, certainly as it relates to this member, the relationship with me in the future, because you’re not going to tell me that please engage with us in an effort to find a more refined solution, and then when we do that, say you don’t care for it. It would have been more honest to say, we don’t want any amendment whatsoever."

The administration says it wants to avoid a military option in responding to Iran’s quest for a nuclear weapons capability. It says acquiring a nuclear weapon would be “unacceptable.” But in fact, Menendez makes the case that the administration does not want any effective policy. His argument certainly supports the view that the administration has thrown in the towel on preventing a nuclear-armed revolutionary Islamic state.

What is more, Menendez’s comments confirm that this is not a partisan issue. Republicans and Democrats are in perfect agreement. As a snior Senate advisor put it, “The Obama Administration runs the risk of losing control of Iran policy. The 100-0 vote on Menendez-Kirk was effectively an overwhelming vote of no confidence in the White House’s efforts thus far to stop Iran’s nuclear drive. Sarkozy’s initiative last week, calling for an international effort to sanction the Iranian Central Bank and stop Iranian oil sales, and now the Senate action show that -- as the Washington Post editorial rightly put it -- the President is no longer leading from behind on Iran. He’s just behind.”

Moreover, Menendez reminds us that the administration is not even using existing sanctions. (“You have been reluctant to sanction Chinese companies for energy sanctions when there is ample evidence that they are violating our laws, and there is precedence for us sanctioning Chinese companies for nuclear and weapons proliferation concerns. Even though we’ve given you the tools, you haven’t shown us the robust effort when the clock is ticking to use that which we have given you. So that causes us — that’s why 80 members of the Senate in a time in which it is very difficult to find bipartisan agreement — 80 members of the Senate have joined in our Iran/North Korea serious sanctions act.”)

If we get to the point when we are faced with a single option — war or a nuclear-armed Iran — there should be no doubt how we would have gotten to that point. Aside from the Iranians themselves, it would be solely the result of the administration’s sloth and foolishness. The consequence for the United States, Israel and the West more generally if Iran does get the bomb would be devastating. And Obama’s historical legacy (Clare Luce Booth’s one-sentence summary) will be: “Obama allowed Iran to get the bomb.”

Direct link to this article: http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/right-turn/post/senate-passes-iran-sanctions-100-0-obama-objects-really/2011/12/02/gIQA7yELKO_blog.html

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Posted by Charles M. Grist, author of the award-winning book My Last War: A Vietnam Veteran's Tour in Iraq.

Remembering The Troops At Thanksgiving

noreply@blogger.com (Charles M. Grist:) — Thu, 24 Nov 2011 02:48:00 +0000

As we gather with our family and friends to celebrate another Thanksgiving, don't forget the troops who make it possible for us to enjoy this day in peace and safety.

Please say a prayer for the thousands of Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, Marines, and Coast Guardsmen who are in harm's way. Without their sacrifice - and the sacrifice of their families - this world would be a very different place....

Charles M. Grist
Author of the award-winning book My Last War: A Vietnam Veteran's Tour in Iraq

Super Committee Failure Will Gut The Military - Maybe That Was The Plan All Along

noreply@blogger.com (Charles M. Grist:) — Mon, 21 Nov 2011 11:38:00 +0000

The Congressional "super committee" has failed to come up with a measly 1.2 trillion dollars in savings over the next ten years. This will trigger a military budget reduction of over five hundred billion dollars beginning in 2013. Even Defense Secretary Leon Panetta says this will lead to a hollow force.

My Democratic friends will argue the point, but I think this may have been the liberals' goal in the first place. They have always wanted to cut defense spending, so they managed to get enough foolish Republicans to vote in favor of the ridiculous twelve-person "super committee." All they had to do was ensure failure to trigger the automatic cuts in defense.

The Republicans even offered some revenue increases in an attempt to reach an agreement, but Democrats want mostly revenue (read that tax) increases. They also don't want to discuss reforming Social Security or Medicare in order to protect the long-term viability of those programs. Of course, the Democrats will blame the Republicans for the failure of the "super committee." The reality is that the Obama administration and the Democrats are willing to compromise - but only if you do it their way.

It's beginning to look like this "super committee" was set up to fail from the beginning. Now the left may have what they wanted all along, a reduction of America's military strength that will result in mothballed ships and planes, shuttered military bases, cancellation of modernization projects, and the "firing" of thousands of Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, Marines, and Coast Guardsmen.

The Iranians are laughing.....

Charles M. Grist
Author of the award-winning book My Last War: A Vietnam Veteran's Tour in Iraq

The Iranians Must Be Stopped - They Are The Nazis Of The Middle East

noreply@blogger.com (Charles M. Grist:) — Sun, 13 Nov 2011 15:04:00 +0000

The Iranian Army - They even march like Nazis

In the months leading up to the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, the majority of Americans were still in favor of neutrality. This was after the Germans had conquered most of Europe and while the Japanese were marching across Asia. Had the Japanese not attacked America on December 7, 1941, who knows what it would have taken for us to enter World War II?

Today, the Nazis of the world are the Iranians. The leaders of that regime are as crazy as Adolph Hitler was, and they have turned Iran into the most dangerous nation on the face of the earth.

Why are they more dangerous than a resurgent Russia that is beginning to resemble the old Soviet Union? Why are they more dangerous than a gigantic nuclear power like China? What makes Iran a greater danger to peace than even the North Koreans?

Not only do the Iranians support brutal terrorist groups around the world (Hamas, Hezbollah, the Muslim Brotherhood, the Mahdi Army and others), they are religious zealots who believe they are living in the end times. In the old days of the cold war, Russia and China were kept at bay by the doctrine of mutually-assured destruction. In other words, they wouldn't try to destroy us because they knew we would also destroy them. This won't work with Iran.

According to the leaders of Iran, their own messiah, the 12th Imam or the Mahdi, is on the earth now, preparing for the final battle that will result in the imposition of Islam upon the rest of the world. They also believe that anyone who dies in the furtherance of this objective (whether men, women, or children) will be martyrs.

The Iranian willingness to sacrifice innocent lives was displayed clearly during the Iraq-Iran war of the 1980's. Civilians, including children, were sent into minefields to clear the way for Iranian soldiers. Do you think they would be bothered by the deaths of millions of innocents as long as they could complete the destruction of Israel, the United States, or other nations that opposed them?

The choice facing the world is not an easy one. Do we allow a fundamentalist Iran that wants to dominate the world to possess nuclear weapons, or do we take whatever action is necessary - including military force - to prevent this from happening?

Remember that Germany was trying to developing a nuclear weapon, an air force with jet aircraft, and other significant capabilities. If they had not been defeated when they were, this world might be a very different place, if it still existed at all.

Taking on a conventionally-armed Iran will be tough enough, and there will be both humanitarian and economic costs to bear. But that cost will be a thousand-fold greater if we must fight a nuclear-armed Iran. After all, they will also give that weapon to all of the terrorist groups listed above. That will add an unlimited number of nightmare scenarios to the existing terror threat.

I'm not sure what our government really knows about how close the Iranians are to completing their quest for a nuclear weapon.

But they better stop them before they do....whatever it takes.......

Charles M. Grist
Author of the award-winning book My Last War: A Vietnam Veteran's Tour in Iraq

The Haunting Bagpipes of "Sgt. MacKenzie" - From "We Were Soldiers"

noreply@blogger.com (Charles M. Grist:) — Sat, 12 Nov 2011 02:41:00 +0000

Those who saw the movie "We Were Soldiers" will remember this solemn bagpipe music. Here it is in full with an English translation:

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God bless the fallen warriors...

Charles M. Grist
Author of the award-winning book My Last War: A Vietnam Veteran's Tour in Iraq

Veteran's Day 2011 - Honoring America's Warriors

noreply@blogger.com (Charles M. Grist:) — Fri, 11 Nov 2011 11:24:00 +0000

Please take time today to honor America's veterans. We live our daily lives in safety and security because of their service and sacrifice.

To my fellow veterans who served with me in Vietnam, to those who served with me in Operation Iraqi Freedom, and to those who served with me at home and abroad, thank you for being my brothers and sisters in arms.

May God bless all of America's veterans, and may He continue to bless the United States of America.

Charles M. Grist
Author of the award-winning book My Last War: A Vietnam Veteran's Tour in Iraq

Happy 236th Birthday to the U.S. Marines

noreply@blogger.com (Charles M. Grist:) — Thu, 10 Nov 2011 12:48:00 +0000

I had the great honor to serve with Marines from Vietnam to Iraq. Their courage, sacrifice, and devotion to honor is second to none. Without the Marines, this world would be a very different place.

Happy birthday to all Marines, and thank you for protecting America for 236 years.

Semper fi!

Charles M. Grist
Author of the award-winning book My Last War: A Vietnam Veteran's Tour in Iraq

Iraqis Will Determine Their Own Future - With A Little Help From Iran

noreply@blogger.com (Charles M. Grist:) — Wed, 09 Nov 2011 13:46:00 +0000

The Mahdi Army

The problem with nation-building is that America tries to create countries in the Middle East that mirror our democracy. Why, you ask, would people who have suffered under dictators not want to embrace the glory of Jeffersonian democracy?

We have not learned since Vietnam that, regardless of our best intentions, when we put soldiers on the ground in Asia or the Middle East, those soldiers become the issue. Westerners still evoke images of the Crusades among the Arab people (or colonialism among the Asians as well as the Arabs). After all, when arrogant westerners enter backward nations, we have all the answers don't we? Even as we perform deeds of generosity and heroism, we are resented for our very presence. Have you once heard the Iraqi government thank America or its soldiers for their freedom and for our sacrifice?

When I was in Iraq in 2004, the lowest ranking soldier knew that the Iraqis didn't want us there. We had removed the Sunni dictator and freed the Shiites from oppression. We expected the Sunnis to hate us, but the Shiites didn't like us either. The radical Shiite militias like the Mahdi Army, led by Muqtada Al Sadr, fought us and killed our soldiers. The ungrateful bastards have continued to express hatred for us, and many of the casualties we suffered have come at the hands of the Shiite militias.

And, yes, even in the early stages of Operation Iraqi Freedom, we saw the influence of the Iranians in the rockets and weapons from Iran that were used against us. After all, even though the Iranians are Persians and not Arabs, they are Shiites too. Muqtada Al Sadr and other radical Iraqis have spent much time in Iran, preparing for the day when the Americans have gone home.

Our Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, and Marines have performed courageously during Operation Iraqi Freedom, just as the veterans of Vietnam did during my first war. As in Vietnam, Iraq's future will not be determined by us, but by the citizens of that nation. And 60% of Iraqis are Shiite.

The sad truth is that, while we liberated an oppressed people, we removed Iran's most hated enemy, Saddam Hussein. They no longer have to worry about him because their Shiite friends are in charge of Iraq. In some ways, Hussein was a counter-balance to Iran, and an expensive line item in their defense budget. That is no longer the case.

In my 2009 book, My Last War: A Vietnam Veteran's Tour In Iraq, I discussed the 2008 Status of Forces agreement that mandated our departure from Iraq by the end of 2011. I have never believed that agreement would be extended or re-negotiated. I also predicted that the Mahdi Army was simply waiting until we left. Then they will begin the effort to complete their real agenda which is the creation of another Islamic theocracy.

The Iraqis want us gone, the Shiite militias want us out of there, and as long as one American boot is on the ground, our soldiers will remain the targets of these Islamic fundamentalists. It doesn't really matter whether we leave in 2011 or 2021. Once we are gone, the Iranian influence will increase, and there's nothing we can do about it.

The following video interview with Muqtada Al Sadr explains his hatred of the Americans and the fact that his Mahdi Army will attack any American forces that remain in Iraq.

This man is as evil as his Iranian sponsors, and he should have been taken out in 2004.

The following video is from the Middle East Media Research Institute:

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Charles M. Grist
Author of the award-winning book My Last War: A Vietnam Veteran's Tour in Iraq

Occupy Movement Protesters Need To Go Home

noreply@blogger.com (Charles M. Grist:) — Sun, 06 Nov 2011 14:51:00 +0000

Enough is enough already. You wanted to exercise your right to free speech? You have done so. Local governments should have given your group a permit for three days or so. After that, you clean up your mess and go home. You want to come back later for another demonstration? Get another three-day permit.

The only exception is when you violate the law. Break city, county, state or federal laws, cause violence against anyone, damage any property, then you go to jail, the permit is revoked, and the demonstration is over. And that's the way it should be in a country that protects the rights of the individual, but does not permit those rights to infringe upon the rights of others.

The politicians who have given open-ended permits for these "events" have helped feed the fires of violence for reasons of political expediency and because of political cowardice. Give the anarchists, socialists, and communists enough time, and they will become the issue of any large demonstration. Then you get the broken windows, the fires, the rapes, the thefts, and all those little extras that come along with out-of-control mobs.

Remember this: At some point, someone is going to be killed by one of these punks, and the politicians who permitted or supported these seemingly endless demonstrations will share the blame with the criminal who commits such a heinous crime.

This Occupy Movement has also run some small enterprises out of business. While the local governments were playing politics with the mess, the punks and thugs were destroying the livelihoods of innocent people. In addition, the costs of these mob actions will fall on average every day taxpayers who are sick and tired of watching a bunch of hippies and bums have a party at their expense.

The Occupy Movement has burned out whatever welcome it might have had. It's time to revoke the permits and send these loudmouth fools on their way.

Enough is enough...

Charles M. Grist
Author of the award-winning book My Last War: A Vietnam Veteran's Tour in Iraq

The Imprint of War - It Shall Be With You All Of Your Days

noreply@blogger.com (Charles M. Grist:) — Sat, 05 Nov 2011 00:02:00 +0000

You remember everything about it. It's always with you, just below the surface. You think about some part of it several times a day. Why does a warrior remember his life at war? Because he left part of his soul on the battlefield. He also saw many of his friends for the last time on that same battlefield, and he shared with them the agony of their last moments on earth.

You can't describe it to those who haven't experienced war. When you meet a fellow war veteran, no words are really necessary. The eyes say it all; the tired eyes with a unique depth to them. The eyes that have seen the very worst of mankind when they peeked into the very depths of hell.

After I watched the preview below, I became hopeful that this might finally be the documentary that accurately told the story of my fellow Vietnam veterans and me. We shall see, but at least it will give you another chance to understand what makes us who we are.

After all, we were the first generation of American warriors to be scorned upon our return. Following my own bad experiences with anti-war "hippies" in airports in San Francisco and Atlanta, I arrived home only to take my uniform off and not put it on again for almost ten years.

Then, when I returned from Iraq in 2004, it was terrific to see that this generation has been welcomed with open arms by those they protected. I was finally able to come full circle as a Vietnam veteran. I only wish all of my fellow 'Nam vets could have had the same experience.

Now this generation will also have the imprint of war on their souls. And it will be with them for each and every day of the rest of their lives.

"There are some events that are so overwhelming that you can't simply be a witness, and it will be with you all of your days...." From Vietnam in HD and The History Channel.

Charles M. Grist
Author of the award-winning book "My Last War: A Vietnam Veteran's Tour in Iraq"

The Danger Of A Lame Duck Obama

noreply@blogger.com (Charles M. Grist:) — Wed, 02 Nov 2011 15:51:00 +0000

Barack Obama's first term (and hopefully his only term) as president has been a failure of epic proportions. His only real accomplishments have been the deaths of Osama bin Laden and other terrorists, none of which would have happened had he not continued the policies of George W. Bush.

Now we are only a year away from determining if this man will have four more years to implement his agenda to "fundamentally transform" America. Up until now, he has had to walk the middle ground so that those in the middle (independents and conservative Democrats) would continue to support him. Their support is diminishing, but it is still there. However, if re-elected, he won't care whether he has anyone's support. Without an election looming in the future, he will surely go as far as he can to create the "Socialist States of America."

A lame duck Obama will expand his "executive orders" to such areas as gun control, the media, and other venues that will make it possible for him to stifle dissent. He will use the regulatory authority of his "czars" to add more anchors to the business community. We will have less exploration of our own energy resources, we will see (as we are now) that Obamacare will begin to destroy the best health system in the world, and we will continue to see America's status in the international community erode to such an extent that other nations will lose what little respect they still have for us.

As we become weaker economically and militarily, our enemies will become even bolder. Our friends will be threatened, and Obama will surely do nothing of substance. He has failed to slow the Iranian march to nuclear weapons, he has involved us in the "Arab Spring" which has furthered the gains of Islamic fundamentalists, he has shown disrespect for our allies such as Israel, and he has given our enemies a timetable for our disengagement from Afghanistan.

Barack Obama is as poor a leader and as inefficient as was Jimmy Carter. The only difference is that Obama knows exactly what his long range plans are; Jimmy Carter didn't have a clue.

I don't know who the forty-something percent of Americans are who still support Obama. But if this many Americans are clueless to his failures and his intentions, then we are indeed a nation in peril.

Please involve yourselves politically to make sure Barack Obama is a one term president.

The future of the Republic depends on it.

Charles M. Grist
www.MyLastWar.com

The "Arab Spring" Is Not About Democracy - It Is About Islamic Fundamentalism

noreply@blogger.com (Charles M. Grist:) — Tue, 01 Nov 2011 11:03:00 +0000

Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt

As we have watched the Muslim Brotherhood become the dominant force in Egypt, we have also seen the newly "liberated" Tunisian people create an Islamic fundamentalist government. This is only the beginning.

Libya has also announced it will abide by Shariah law and that polygamy will be legal - scaring the hell out of Libyan women. Of course the Libyan rebels are being nice to America right now. They want more of our money. But this cozy relationship will not last.

Tunisia, Egypt, and Libya will become Islamic fundamentalist nations influenced by the new rise of the Muslim Brotherhood, as will any other countries that fall victim to the Arab revolutionary fervor. All of them will become aggressive with Israel and, ultimately, more aggressive with us. Their eventual best friend will be Iran, the most dangerous country on the face of the earth.

The Obama administration is living in a fantasy world to believe that the Arab revolutions will be anything other than replacing one dictatorial regime with another. The Muslims do not believe in equality, liberty, and the worth of the individual. Just as socialists and communists subvert the individual's rights for the benefit of the government, so do the Islamic fundamentalists.

The storm in the Middle East is just beginning. With Iran close to becoming a nuclear power - and with no one doing anything to stop it - we are almost to the point of no return. With nuclear weapons, the Iranians really will be the Nazis of our generation, determined to mold the world in their own way as they destroy anyone who opposes them. And they will share those weapons with their fundamentalist friends.

Remember that the Iranian government has publicly stated that they believe the world is in the end times, that the 12th Imam (their Messiah the Mahdi) is on the earth, that it is their duty to destroy Israel and the United States, and that their generation will impose Islam on the world.

What do you think they will do with nuclear weapons when they have them?

Charles M. Grist
www.MyLastWar.com

Marine Veteran Dakota Meyer Receives The Medal Of Honor

noreply@blogger.com (Charles M. Grist:) — Thu, 15 Sep 2011 15:24:00 +0000

Dakota Meyer in Afghanistan

Read the story of Dakota Meyer at this link: http://www.militarytimes.com/news/2011/09/marine-dakota-meyer-prepares-to-receive-medal-of-honor-090611w/ .

We are blessed to have such young men serving America. He will receive the Medal of Honor from President Obama today.

Charles M. Grist
www.MyLastWar.com

September 11 2001 - Remembering The Day Our World Changed Forever - The Tenth Anniversary

noreply@blogger.com (Charles M. Grist:) — Sat, 10 Sep 2011 23:45:00 +0000

I’m an old retired guy now, but on September 11, 2001, I was a police detective in Altamonte Springs, Florida. When the attacks began, I was standing in the Clerk of the Court’s office in Sanford while I taught a new detective how to get an arrest warrant issued.

One of the county employees rushed out and said a plane had just hit the World Trade Center. By the time we got back to the police department, the second plane had also struck. The first war of the 21^st century had begun.

Since the attacks of 9/11, I managed to squeeze in almost four years of Army Reserve active duty. Some of it was stateside, training and mobilizing troops who then served in Iraq or

Afghanistan

. I spent some of my active duty in Iraq where I led a Protective Service Detail in Baghdad. Our mission was to protect a general in the Green Zone and during his travels throughout Iraq.

It’s still hard to think about September 11^th and the tragedy that unfolded before our eyes. We were glued to the television, helpless as American souls threw themselves out of skyscraper windows, died under the crushing weight of steel and concrete, or fought to the death as warriors on Flight 93.

When I watched President Bush, President Clinton, and Vice President Biden speak at the dedication of the Flight 93 Memorial in Pennsylvania, it was a pleasure to see American leaders who seldom agree politically join together to honor the courage and sacrifice of the forty heroes on Flight 93.

Our parents always recall where they were when Pearl Harbor was attacked in 1941. We will always remember how our own lives changed forever on September 11, 2001, but we shall never waiver in our resolve to be strong in the face of those who wish to harm us.

We paid a heavy price on 9/11, but our soldiers, sailors, airmen, and Marines have taken the fight to the enemy. Thousands of terrorists have been killed or captured, and bullets fired by American warriors ensured that Osama Bin Laden, the architect of 9/11, finally paid for his mortal sins.

The message to the terrorists has never been clearer. If you attack our nation and kill or injure our citizens, there is no place on earth to hide. We will hunt you down no matter how long it takes. When we find you, surrender. If you do not, we will destroy you.

So help us God…

Charles M. Grist

www.MyLastWar.com

West Orange Habitat for Humanity Looking For Disabled Veteran And Family

noreply@blogger.com (Charles M. Grist:) — Thu, 01 Sep 2011 17:05:00 +0000

Please see the request for information below. This program could qualify a disabled veteran for a "Home for a Hero." If you know someone who might qualify for this, have them contact Bill Criswell at wccriswell@earthlink.net and/or go to http://woh4h.org for further information:

* * * *

URGENT APPEAL!

Dear Friends and Supporters:

On February 29, 2012, the Windermere Country Club Foundation (WCCF) will hold their fifth annual

"Home for a Hero" Golf Tournament.

Fortunately, for the third year, our "Home at Last 2012" project has been selected as their charity of choice. However, we have a critical deadline to meet! In order for WCCF to properly promote the event, we must have a permanently disabled veteran family selected and approved not later than October 1, 2011, or lose this valuable support.

For those unfamiliar with our program, it is basically designed to provide homes for seriously and permanently disabled Iraq and Afghanistan veterans (Army, Navy, Marines, Air Force) with families, who are willing to relocate to West Orange County, Florida.

Please make an effort to help us locate another veteran family for "Home at Last 2012." Kindly email all information, bios, questions, requests, etc. to wcccriswell@earthlink.net. The telephone number is 407-876-2472.

Thanks for your help and support.

Bill Criswell

Home At Last Chairman

Link: West Orange Habitat for Humanity

* * * *

Please assist this terrific organization in finding a disabled Iraq or Afghanistan veteran with a family who is willing to relocate to West Orange County, Florida.

I would request that you forward this post to anyone you think might be interested or who may know a veteran who could qualify.

Thanks in advance for your help.

Charles M. Grist

www.MyLastWar.com

Muslim Marxist Says Muslim Brotherhood Tied To White House

noreply@blogger.com (Charles M. Grist:) — Tue, 23 Aug 2011 14:32:00 +0000

The "Arab Spring" has facilitated the rise of Islamic fundamentalism to a leadership role in Egypt. Now we must watch what happens in the coming leadership vacuum in Libya.

From The New American:

* * * *

Self-Avowed Muslim Marxist Says White House Tied To Muslim Brotherhood

By Raven Clabough
August 18, 2011

Tarek Fatah — a self-described devout Muslim Marxist — has issued a strong warning that there is a Muslim Brotherhood influence at the White House. Fatah, a Canadian, delivered this caution back in June at Canada’s annual “Premier Meeting of the Minds” function; however, his announcement was all but ignored.

At the conference, Fatah expressed his own viewpoints on mainstream and radical Islam, including the Muslim Brotherhood. He asserted, “The religion of Islam is being used as a tool by a fascist force.

He then moved on to discuss what he views as the influence of the Muslim Brotherhood at the highest level of the federal government. “Instead of bringing victory over the fascist forces of the Muslim Brotherhood, we now recognize that their infiltration is right up to the American White House, but we can’t say that,” he said.

According to Cal Thomas of the Washington Examiner, Fatah may be onto something, as it has been a longtime goal of the Muslim Brotherhood to infiltrate the leadership ranks of the United States. He wrote:

"In 1991, a memo written by Mohamed Akram for the Shura Council of the Muslim Brotherhood spelled out the objective of the organization. Akram said the Muslim Brotherhood “must understand that their work in America is a kind of grand Jihad in eliminating and destroying the Western civilization from within and ‘sabotaging’ its miserable house by their hands and the hands of the believers so that it is eliminated and God’s religion is made victorious over all other religions.”

Some observers began to ponder a potential Brotherhood influence when James Clapper, President Obama's Director of National Intelligence, publicly referred to the Muslim Brotherhood as a “heterogeneous” and “largely secular group” just hours after the organization had declared Sharia law as its ultimate goal.

Likewise, blogger Trevor Loudon has pointed to two members of the White House with potential ties to the radical group. The first is Rashad Hussain, the U.S. Special Envoy to the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC). The Examiner's Cal Thomas has stated that Hussain’s appointment to the OIC “should be of serious concern to Congress and the American public."

FrontPage Magazine, a David Horowitz publication, expanded on this subject:

The Global Muslim Brotherhood Daily Report took a look at Hussain’s official biography and found several concerning affiliations. The first is that in October 2000, Hussain spoke at a conference sponsored by the Association of Muslim Social Scientists, which was listed in an internal Muslim Brotherhood document as one of “our organizations and the organizations of our friends,” and the Prince Alwaleed Center for Muslim-Christian Understanding of Georgetown University, which receives Saudi funding and is directed by prominent Muslim Brotherhood advocate John Esposito.

FrontPage also reports that Hussain “played a role” in the 2004 conference of the Muslim Students Association, which was founded by the Muslim Brotherhood in 1963.

Additionally, Hussain defended Professor Sami Al-Arian, a convicted leader of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad who later admitted to being a Muslim Brotherhood member. Despite these findings, Hussain claimed that the legal battle launched against Al-Arian was “politically-motivated persecution.”

Hussain has also spoken at a conference sponsored by Islamic Brotherhood affiliates.

The second name put forward by Cal Thomas is Dalia Mogahed, senior analyst and executive director at the Gallup Center for Muslim Studies, and a sitting member of Obama’s Advisory Council on Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships.

According to David Horowitz’s DiscovertheNetworks.org, Mogahed is the co-author of the book Who Speaks for Islam? What a Billion Muslims Really Think. The website adds:

"In early October 2009, Mogahed was interviewed on a British television program hosted by Ibtihal Bsis, a member of the extremist Hizb ut Tahrir party, which seeks to facilitate the non-violent destruction of Western democracy and the creation of a worldwide Islamic state governed by Sharia Law. Bsis and another guest (also a member of Hizb ut Tahrir) stated that Sharia should be “the source of legislation” for all nations in the world; they also repeatedly condemned the “man-made law” and the “lethal cocktail of liberty and capitalism” that existed in Western societies. Mogahed did not dispute any of their assertions.

Instead, Mogahed stated that the Western view of Sharia was “oversimplified,“ and that the majority of Muslim women around the world associate Islamic Law with ”gender justice.“ ”I think the reason so many women support Sharia is because they have a very different understanding of Sharia than the common perception in Western media,” she said.

Mogahed was referred to by Tablet Magazine in 2010 as the “most important person shaping the Obama Administration’s Middle East message.”

The Investigative Project on Journalism conducted a detailed investigation of Mogahed’s past and asserts that she is a staunch defender of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) and the Islamic Society of North America (ISNA), both recognized as Muslim Brotherhood front groups.

Robert Spencer of Human Events has also written about the Obama administration’s ties to the Muslim Brotherhood:

"Obama first reached out to the Brotherhood when he chose the leader of a Muslim Brotherhood-linked group that had been named an unindicted co-conspirator in a Hamas terror funding case to give a prayer during his inauguration ceremonies. Ingrid Mattson, then-president of the Islamic Society of North America (ISNA), offered this prayer at the National Cathedral on Obama’s Inauguration Day — despite the fact that the ISNA has admitted its ties to the Brotherhood....

Obama didn’t ask Mattson to explain the ISNA’s links to the Muslim Brotherhood and Hamas. On the contrary: He sent his senior adviser, Valerie Jarrett, to be the keynote speaker at the ISNA’s national convention in 2009."

Analysts note that while there is no evidence directly tying any of these individuals to the Muslim Brotherhood, their connections to questionable groups are troubling, particularly when coupled with Fatah’s warnings.

Fatah also bemoans what he perceives to be an inability to stand up to radicalization as a result of political correctness. “Today we are fighting another idea of Islamo-fascism that has shut our mouths and we can’t speak because we’re too scared that someone may turn around and call us a racist. And mind you, every day as I speak, a few dozen Muslims would have been killed by now by these Jihadis.”

Fatah used these assertions in an attempt to motivate Canadians to stand up against Islamists, declaring that the unwillingness to confront radicals could lead to the “end of civilization as we know it.”

* * * *

Barack Obama absolutely, positively, must not be re-elected in 2012..

Charles M. Grist

www.MyLastWar.com

Stolen Valor - Liars Who Pose As War Veterans

noreply@blogger.com (Charles M. Grist:) — Tue, 02 Aug 2011 18:17:00 +0000

For more information go to www.stolenvalor.com

During my years as a police officer, I came upon many of these fake war veterans. Some were transients who had nothing in their lives to be proud of so they created a war personality to impress their fellow vagrants.

Others were the bar heroes, the guys who have a few beers before they start telling the stories of great battles and how they won a bunch of medals. It doesn't take much to sort out the truth.

I went to a bar disturbance one night and was informed by several patrons that the guy causing the problems was a "Green Beret", and I better be careful. I could see this character waving his hands and doing everything he could to draw attention to himself. These weren't the actions of a Special Ops soldier. Real warriors don't need to prove anything.

I approached the man and informed him that he was being asked to leave by the bar owners. If he refused to do so, he would be placed under arrest. The guy was "beer brave". He said he wasn't doing anything wrong, and that he wasn't going to leave. Someone in the crowd said, "Watch out, officer, he's a Green Beret."

I looked at the guy and asked, "Are you a Green Beret?" Trying to look tough, he said, "What if I am?" I responded, "Well, I'm an Army Ranger, and you're under arrest. Turn around and put your hands behind your back."

The booze warrior looked surprised for a moment. Then he turned around, put his hands behind his back, and I handcuffed him. The incident was over.

As I knew from the beginning, this guy was never a soldier and probably couldn't even spell "Green Beret."

To those who read this I would say: Don't accept big mouth war heroes at face value. If there's a real war veteran in the room, you'll probably never know it.

For more information, go to www.stolenvalor.com.

Charles M. Grist
www.MyLastWar.com

Happy Birthday America - Remember The Sacrifices Of Your Founders

noreply@blogger.com (Charles M. Grist:) — Mon, 04 Jul 2011 08:35:00 +0000

America's founders sign the Declaration of Independence

Have you ever wondered what happened to the fifty-six men who signed the Declaration of Independence?

Five signers were captured by the British as traitors and tortured before they died. Twelve had their homes ransacked and burned. Two lost their sons who were serving in the Revolutionary Army; another had two sons captured. Nine of the fifty-six signers fought and died from wounds or hardships of the Revolutionary War.

They had signed the Declaration of Independence and pledged their lives, their fortunes, and their sacred honor. What kind of men were they?

Twenty-four were lawyers and jurists. Eleven were merchants, nine were farmers and large plantation owners, men of means and well educated, but they signed the Declaration of Independence knowing full well that the penalty would be death if they were captured.

Carter Braxton of Virginia, a wealthy planter and trader, saw his ships swept from the seas by the British Navy. He sold his home and properties to pay his debts and died in rags.

Thomas McKean was so hounded by the British that he was forced to move his family almost constantly. He served in the Congress without pay, and his family was kept in hiding. His possessions were taken from him, and poverty was his reward.

Vandals or soldiers looted the properties of Hall, Clymer, Walton, Gwinnett, Heyward, and Rutledge.

At the battle of Yorktown, Thomas Nelson, Jr., noted that the British General Cornwallis had taken over the Nelson home for his headquarters. He quietly urged General George Washington to open fire. The home was destroyed, and Nelson died bankrupt.

Francis Lewis had his home and properties destroyed. The enemy jailed his wife, and she died within a few months.

John Hart was driven from his wife's bedside as she was dying. Their thirteen children fled for their lives. His fields and his grist mill were laid to waste. For more than a year he lived in forests and caves, returning home to find his wife dead and his children vanished.

As you enjoy this Fourth of July holiday, remember the sacrifices of the first American patriots. Say a prayer for them, for the troops who are defending our freedom throughout the world, and for the United States of America.

Charles M. Grist
www.MyLastWar.com

Note: My thanks to Logan Barbee for sending me this information.

I Thought Rick Perry Had What America Needs - Now I'm Not So Sure

noreply@blogger.com (Charles M. Grist:) — Thu, 30 Jun 2011 10:26:00 +0000

Governor Rick Perry of Texas

UPDATE: October 28, 2011:

I am extremely disappointed in Rick Perry. I really thought (as I stated in my prior post below) that he had what it takes as a leader, veteran, and presidential candidate. Sadly, he has proven that he lacks many of the attributes I require in a president.

His stand on illegal aliens is unacceptable. To allow in-state tuition for illegals is simply another magnet to draw them across the border. Also, his refusal to build a fence to supplement our border security makes no sense whatsoever.

But the clincher for me has been his terrible appearance on the Republican debates. Failing to show up with a solid economic plan for the first couple of debates shows that he has not adequately prepared for this race. His almost childish criticism of Mitt Romney because one of Romney's subcontractors had illegals on the payroll was absurd and, truthfully, rude. Romney handled the situation as he should have. I'll just bet that some of Rick Perry's subcontractors had illegals as well and he never knew it. We all probably have landscapers, roofers, or other companies that do work for us. It is not our job to check the citizenship status of a company's employees. It should be the company's responsibility.

Now Perry has decided to forego some or all of the rest of the debates. This is a poor decision. But the real problem is what would happen if Perry debated Obama. Obama is a skilled debater and orator; he would rip Perry to shreds. The presidential debates will happen within a couple of months of the election. A failure by Perry then would surely leave Barack Obama in the White House for four more years. That will be a tragedy of epic proportions.

I don't know who I will support at this point, but it won't be Rick Perry unless he wins the nomination.

After all, I'd vote for Bugs Bunny over Barack Obama...

* * * *

Original post of June 30, 2011:

You can't argue with success, and you have to admire real world experience. Governor Rick Perry of Texas seems to have it all. Not only is he the most successful governor in America, he also served in the Air Force as a captain and a pilot. That makes him a fellow warrior. Although he has not yet announced that he's running, he has all the attributes to be a terrific President of the United States.

His tremendous success as governor of America's second largest state has been a great achievement. Of all the jobs created in America over the last few years, almost half of them were in Texas. He has molded a business-friendly environment that has encouraged many corporations to relocate to Texas from failing states like California. If he used the same formula for the entire country, he could put an end to the Obama Depression, give businesses the incentive to bring their factories home to America, and get millions of jobless Americans back to work.

Here is his biography from the Texas governor's website: http://www.governor.state.tx.us/about/

Take a good look at Rick Perry. If he decides to run, he may be the right man to punch a hole in the Obama windbag...

Charles M. Grist
www.MyLastWar.com