November 11, 2015

Pinups for vets. It's win-win!

Thank you to all who served.

July 13, 2015

In contrast to the embodiment of evil in my last post, there is still so much good in the region. A few brave souls still exist:

Women and young girls held as sex slaves by depraved Islamic State militants are fleeing their captors with the help of a heroic underground network of resistance fighters.

Risking certain death and torture in a bid to flee their brutal oppressors, many spend several days making their way through Syria and Iraq to the safety of government-controlled territory.

Many of them have been subjected to appalling violence, rape and sexual abuse at the hands of ISIS fighters and commanders. [...]

[Channel 4 documentary director Edward] Watts said the group claimed to have rescued up to 500 women in total but some rescuers had died in the process.

Only recently two men were killed after ISIS militants set a trap for the rescuers.

Mr Watts explained: 'They got a woman under duress to call up and say "I'm in this house can you come and rescue me, the guy holding me is away", when in fact it was a trap.

'These two guys turned up, ISIS caught them and they were stoned to death.'

June 06, 2015

The greatest generation knew how to fight a war. They knew war is costly, bloody, and terrifying. But they also knew there was something worthy of their sacrifice. They knew some battles must be won, no matter the cost. And they bravely charged to certain doom for that greater good.

"It is foolish and wrong to mourn the men who died. Rather we should thank God that such men lived."

George S. Patton

President Ronald Reagan gave this speech on June 6, 1984:

(Hat Tip: Weasel Zippers)

May 25, 2015

My mother never really knew her father. He was a Marine killed in action during the invasion of Guam. She was very young when it happened, too young to really have any remembrance of him. So my mother grew up without her father. All of her children grew up without a grandfather. Not only did my grandfather give the ultimate sacrifice, but many generations of his entire family also sacrificed.

So, today, remember that each person of the armed services who died defending our freedom is joined in sacrifice by the loved ones they left behind. Thank God for the families of these brave men and women who also sacrificed on behalf of our country.

The image below is from the National Archives of my grandfather's service record. If one of your relatives was KIA during WWII, you can visit the National WWII Memorial website and look up their information. There, you can also find where your loved one is buried. My grandfather's body was laid to rest at the Punch Bowl in Hawaii. Perhaps, like me, you will be able to visit their grave someday.

*Repost from Memorial Day 2014

If you are able...

Save for them a place inside of you, and save one backward glance when you are leaving for the places they can no longer go.

Be not ashamed to say you loved them, though you may or may not have always. Take what they have left with their dying and keep it with your own.

And in that time when men decide and feel safe to call the war insane, take one moment to embrace those gentle heroes you left behind.

Major Michael O'Donnell,
Dak To, RVN, 1 January 1970

April 15, 2015

This man is a true American hero and patriot.

One of the specific recommendations from USNORTHCOM reads, "Minimize your profile by blending into the local community. Limit outward signs of DoD affiliation ... Vehicle stickers, home decorations, using military slang in public."

So here in essence is the recommendation for our warriors and their families from USNORTHCOM, tone it down and lower your profile - hide.

And here would be my message to these savages: "If any of you attack our military or their families here or anywhere, you will be hunted down and killed. We are currently expediting concealed weapons permits for all active duty military and their families - as well as reserve component troops on active duty. Our men and women are not targets - YOU are, and anyone providing comfort and aid to Islamic terrorists will be dealt with appropriately."

Molon Labe! Read the rest.

Cross-posted at Gateway Pundit.

March 23, 2015

About her new book, Ayaan Hirsi Ali states an uncomfortable truth:

"The assumption is that, in Islam, there are a few rotten apples, not the entire basket," Ali tells The Post. "I'm saying it's the entire basket."

Read the entire article.

(Hat Tip: Patty in Gateway comments)

October 06, 2014

Any woman ISIS captures becomes a slave. She is horribly tortured and abused.

This Kurd woman, Arin Mirkan, decided to die fighting than allow herself to be captured.

Arin Mirkan

From Rudaw.net via Gateway Pundit:

A female Kurdish commander in the embattled city of Kobane in Syrian Kurdistan killed an unknown number of Islamic State (ISIS) fighters in a suicide attack on Sunday.

The London-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) said the woman, who was from a unit of the People's Protection Units (YPG), broke into an ISIS bastion around the eastern outskirts of Kobane, or Ayn al-Arab in Arabic.

She clashed with enemy fighters, fired grenades and then detonated herself with a grenade.

Another young woman also decided to kill herself than to face capture by ISIS:

A Syrian Kurdish female combatant, who appeared on a BBC report in September, shot herself with a last bullet during fighting with militants of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) last week, according to media reports.

Ceylan Ozalp, 19, was reportedly surrounded by ISIS fighters near the Syrian Kurdish city of Kobane also known as Ain al-Arab. After she run out of ammunition Ozalp said "goodbye" over the radio and spent her last bullet on killing herself.

Ozalp was featured in this BBC report. She is the one speaking (via translator) at the 1:00 minute mark:

One of these Kurd women are worth much more than a hundred ISIS. They are worth more than all of these Islamic terrorists put together.

R.I.P., heroes.

UPDATE: There are some conflicting reports about Ceylan Ozalp. She may still be alive. That's great news for Kurds, but not so much for ISIS, as she is reputed to be a fierce fighter. (Thanks, Paxreseda!)

Related:
Kurds Beg West For Help; Obama Ignores Pleas
Kurd Hero Takes Out ISIS Tank & Crew
ISIS Soldier Flee In Fear Of New Kurd Army
Kurds Kill Murderous ISIS Headchopper

Ceylan Ozalp (BBC Image)

(Note: there seems to be some confusion about these two brave women. The same picture is being circulated for both. However, the stories are being reported as separate incidences.)

July 23, 2014

Some give lip service, others give all they have:

Nearly 30,000 mourners flocked to the funeral Wednesday for American Max Steinberg, who fell in love with Israel and died fighting for its military against Hamas militants this week.

"There were crowds of men and women, religious and secular, ultra-Orthodox, young and old, all are here together for each other, simply amazing and moving," said Meytal Blumenthal, one of the mourners who didn't know Steinberg, 24, of Woodland Hills, Calif. "I came to give encouragement and left encouraged."

Steinberg, who was living in Beersheba, Israel, was one of two American-born "lone soldiers" killed in clashes with Hamas fighters Sunday. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) uses the designation for 6,000 soldiers whose parents do not live in Israel. The military says 1,100 "lone soldiers" are from the USA.

Steinberg grew up in the San Fernando Valley, and attended Pierce College and El Camino Real High School in Southern California. He first visited Israel in June 2012, his father, Stuart Steinberg, said.

When he returned home, Max Steinberg told his parents he planned to join the IDF. He moved to Israel less than six months later.

"He went back," Stuart Steinberg said. "He was completely dedicated and committed to serving the country of Israel. He was focused, he was clear in what the mission was, and he was dedicated to the work he needed to be doing."

July 21, 2014

UPDATE: I thought an update about this story was due. Hundreds of people showed for the funeral, including veterans from Sidney's old unit, current and former RAF service men and women.

Some pictures from the funeral below the fold.

----------Original post----------

I don't know how many UK readers we have, but if any are in or near St. Annes in Lancashire, please consider spending a part of your day on July 4th paying respect to a WWII war hero.

From The Independent:

A recently deceased RAF veteran will have hardly any attendees at his funeral, an undertaker has said, as he makes a public appeal for mourners.

Sidney Marshall, 90, who took part in the D-Day landings serving as a flight sergeant, passed away on 16 June at his home in Lytham St Annes, Lancashire.

With no relatives living locally and a wife, Elizabeth, who died last year, undertaker Eddie Jacobs, 72, is concerned that Marshall won't get the send-off befitting of a war hero.

This hero from the greatest generation deserves an honorable send off.

Read more HERE.

July 20, 2014

RIP, James Garner. Korea vet, two-time Purple Heart Recipient, supporter of our troops. Far more than just an actor. pic.twitter.com/A10x6a7SLq

— Jarhead (@LCplSwofford) July 20, 2014

RIP, James.

July 12, 2014

Photographer Ashley Gilbertson captures the spirit of young men and women who died serving America in Iraq and Afghanistan. This experiment allows viewers into the bedrooms left behind by fallen heroes and offers a glimpse into the lives of soldiers who willingly sacrifice for others.

Many of the rooms are hauntingly familiar. They are not unlike thousands, or even millions, bedrooms throughout America. Yet each one tells the unique story of the individual who called it theirs.

View more HERE.

June 24, 2014

bad-ass
"tough guy," 1950s U.S. slang, from bad + ass.
(Also, bad-assed.)
1. (of a person) difficult to deal with; mean-tempered; touchy.
2. distinctively tough or powerful; so exceptional as to be intimidating.
3. Staff Sergeant Ryan Pitts

A former Army staff sergeant is set to receive the Medal of Honor for his heroics during one of the deadliest battles of the U.S. campaign in Afghanistan.

Staff Sergeant Ryan Pitts from Nashua, New Hampshire, spent an agonizing 90 minutes fighting off enemy fighters despite shrapnel injuries to both legs and an arm that left the young soldier critically wounded and resigned to certain death. [...]

The medal recognizes the 'courageous actions' shown by Pitts while he served as a forward observer with 2nd Platoon, Chosen Company, 2nd Battalion (Airborne), 503rd Infantry Regiment, 173rd Airborne Brigade, when Vehicle Patrol Base Kahler, near Wanat Village in Kunar Province, in remote northeastern Afghanistan, came under full-scale assault by approximately 200 Taliban fighters on July 13, 2008.

Nine paratroopers gave their lives and 27 were wounded at The Battle of Wanat.

Deep into battle, Pitts found himself alone at the observation post and losing blood. He radioed to tell his superiors that everyone else was either dead or gone, but was told reinforcements were not available.

Resigned to death, he began firing a grenade launcher almost directly overhead to where insurgents had concealed themselves.

(Hat Tip: IHateTheMedia)

June 04, 2014

A few days ago I mentioned two soldier who were killed indirectly because of Bowe Bergdahl's desertion. The soldiers were Private First Class Aaron Fairbairn and Private First Class Justin Casillas .

(PFCs Justin Casillas and Aaron Fairbairn)

The video below is the story about the attack on their unit.

A little background, from Michelle Malkin:

"Combat Outpost Zerok was almost overrun, multiple soldiers were wounded and PFCs Justin Casillas and Aaron Fairbairn lost their lives fighting that day," the soldier told me. (I wrote about their deaths in my July 8, 2009 column, not knowing they were related to the Bergdahl mess.) My source continued: "We learned later that our exfiltration aircraft were diverted to support COP Zerok, and that the situation there was so dire that at one point there were two Apache gunships on station that went winchester, meaning they expended all ordinance and ammunition, but they would not abandon the soldiers still fighting so they resorted to low level unarmed passes to distract the enemy. PFC Bergdahls actions undoubtedly caused these events. We spent the remainder of Independence Day walking in the desert…waiting for aircraft that did not come for many, many hours."

He added that PFCs Casillas and Fairbairn were part of his "sister battalion, 3rd Battalion 509th Infantry (Airborne). That is an Independence Day I will never forget for sure. It is certain that enemy forces took full advantage of our vulnerabilities caused by DUSTWUN recovery operations. Combat Outpost Zerok was just one of several small outposts attacked that day while 4-25(A) was spread very thin searching for PFC Bergdahl. There is no doubt his actions led to these coordinated attacks, and without his desertion PFCs Casillas and Fairbairn would not have given their lives that day."

Malkin relates stories from several other soldiers affected by Bergdahl's desertion. Read it all.

The video:

Update by Howie: Repeat after me, I will forget Bowe. I will forget Bowe.(below the fold)

May 26, 2014

My mother never really knew her father. He was a Marine killed in action during the invasion of Guam. She was very young when it happened, too young to really have any remembrance of him. So my mother grew up without her father. All of her children grew up without a grandfather. Not only did my grandfather give the ultimate sacrifice, but many generations of his entire family also sacrificed.

So, today, remember that each person of the armed services who died defending our freedom is joined in sacrifice by the loved ones they left behind. Thank God for the families of these brave men and women who also sacrificed on behalf of our country.

The image below is from the National Archives of my grandfather's service record. If one of your relatives was KIA during WWII, you can visit the National WWII Memorial website and look up their information. There, you can also find where your loved one is buried. My grandfather's body was laid to rest at the Punch Bowl in Hawaii. Perhaps, like me, you will be able to visit their grave someday.

We who are left, how shall we look again
Happily on the sun or feel the rain
Without remembering how they who went
Ungrudgingly and spent
Their lives for us loved, too, the sun and rain?
~ Wilfrid Wilson Gibson

Enjoy your day, but don't forget those who sacrificed their lives for us all.

April 28, 2014

Rosa Parks became a household name within days of her courageous stand in refusing to move to the back of the bus. It took over 50 years for another heroine, Irena Sendler, to receive the honors that she was due.

Sendler was a Polish non-Jew who is credited with saving over 3000 Jewish lives in Nazi-occupied Poland. Over 2500 of the lives saved were those of children whom Sendler smuggled out of the Warsaw ghetto and hid amongst sympathetic Poles. Sendler risked her life daily to try to save these children's lives but aside from an awards ceremony that was held in 1963 in Jerusalem naming her a "Righteous Gentile," her bravery went almost unnoticed until, by chance, a group of Kansas schoolgirls saw a brief mention of her actions and decided to investigate.

Sendler lived in Warsaw in 1939. When the Germans invaded Poland she joined the Zagota underground which specialized in helping Jews escape Nazi persecution. Sendler was asked to head Zagota's Children's Unit and she put all of her energies into helping Jewish children elude the Nazis.

When the Nazis built the Warsaw Ghetto in 1940 they interned close to half a million Jews in a small three-square mile radius with little food, water or medicines. Sendler obtained a pass that identified her as an expert in infectious diseases. She was allowed to freely travel into and out of the ghetto.

During her first forays into the ghetto she tried to smuggle food to the starving inhabitants but she quickly saw that these little food parcels made little impact. Together with Zagota, she determined that the best course of action would be to smuggle children out of the ghetto. Sendler began to devise strategies for doing just that. She sedated young children and hid them in luggage or in carts under garbage and barking dogs. She covered the children and brought them out under her legs when she traveled by tram. Older children were led out through sewers and by way of underground tunnels.

Many of the children that Sendler saved were "street children" whose parents had been killed or simply disappeared. Others were children whose parents Sendler had approached to convince them to allow her to take their children to the "free" side of Poland – and to the unknown.

"I talked the mothers out of their children" Sendler told interviewers almost 60 years after the war.

"Those scenes over whether to give a child away were heart-rending. Sometimes, they wouldn't give me the child. Their first question was, 'What guarantee is there that the child will live?' I said, 'None. I don't even know if I will get out of the ghetto alive today."

Once in Zagota's hands, the children were taken to orphanages and convents, or to Polish families, where they lived in hiding. Sendler recorded all of the names of the children on slips of paper which she stuffed into glass jars and buried in her backyard. She hoped that, somehow, they would be able to be reunited with their families, or with the Jewish community, after the war.

In October 1943 Sendler was arrested by the Gestapo who tortured her to try to learn where the children had been taken. Sendler withstood the torture and didn't reveal any information about the children or about her Zagota comrades, but her legs were broken and she was crippled for life.

Sendler's activities were almost relegated to the dustbin of history but in 1999 four schoolgirls in Uniontown Kansas read a short account of her story and decided to research the events for a school project. Their investigations evolved into a long-ranging project which brought them to Warsaw to interview Sendler. Following a presentation of their findings, including a dramatic presentation of Sendler's work, major news networks picked up the story and followed it through with more interviews with the elderly Sendler.

Today interested individuals can learn more about Sendler's activities and the lives that she saved through the Lowell Milken Center run Life in a Jar project which encompasses a book, a website and a dramatic presentation.

It'll bring tears. The good kind.

Thanks to Sol for helping with the post.

January 06, 2014

Or, the kind of moral backbone we'd like to see more of:

In 2013 we faced a moral dilemma that I wanted to get some opinions on. The current US administration is sponsoring FMS arms sales to Pakistan forces. In 2013 We had been approached with a multi-million dollar opportunity to legally supply sniper systems to Pakistan. I was never in the armed services but we employ several military veterans. Our greatest fear was that our equipment might be used against US troops. I started this company to protect Americans not endanger them. In consulting with other arms companies the general responses I got was, if they don't buy it from you, then they will get it somewhere else, or money is money. After much internal review we elected not to sell to Pakistan. I wanted to throw this out to our military friends to see if our concern was legitimate and hear your thoughts on it.

Thanks

Nick Young

Thanks to several readers and Twitter friends

December 31, 2013

I've seen this floating around and maybe we've run it here, but it's a classic like Raiders of the Lost Ark. You can watch it over and over again, without ever getting bored.

From Cpl. Clifford Wooldridge's Navy Cross citation:

As he crouched back behind the wall to reload, he saw the barrel of an enemy machine gun appear from around the wall. Without hesitation, he dropped his empty weapon and seized the machine gun barrel. He overwhelmed the enemy fighter in hand-to-hand combat, killing him with several blows to the head with the enemy’s own machine gun.

More here.

December 24, 2013

October 16, 2013

This just shows the loyalty and dedication our soldiers have for what they do:

Army Ranger Josh Hargis was unconscious, hooked to a breathing tube at a military hospital in Afghanistan after losing both his legs in battle last week.

But when the Purple Heart ceremony began at Hargis' bedside, it turned out he was not unconscious, as doctors believed. Instead, he struggled with an attending doctor to raise his heavily bandaged hand to salute a commanding officer presenting him with the medal.

"I cannot impart on you the level of emotion that poured through the intensive care unit that day," the commander wrote to the Ranger's wife. "Grown men began to weep, and we were speechless at a gesture that speaks volumes about Josh's courage and character."

October 14, 2013

Removing the barricades at the Million Vet March

October 01, 2013

Twitchy reports a group of WWII veterans broke through barricades preventing visitors from entering a WWII memorial. The memorial was closed as part of the government shutdown.

As part of the Honor Flight project, World War II veterans have been taken to Washington DC, cost free, to see the memorial erected in their honor on the National Mall.

Due to the government shutdown, National Park Service police put up barriers preventing access. According to Leo Shane III, White House and Veterans Affairs reporter for Stars and Stripes, the veterans knocked over those barriers.

September 27, 2013

His name is Abdul Haji. When the gunfire started he went to the mall and began rescuing people. One of the families he rescued was that of Katherine Walton and her five children, Americans now living in Kenya. God bless him and every one else who ran towards danger to save the innocent.

Watch the interview here.

Can I ask, though, who it was that was taking pictures here? Savages are murdering people all around you and you think it's a good idea to ..... take a photo? Maybe you should have, I dunno, helped out instead?

September 26, 2013

Laughing Wolf went to Normandy and scored some interviews with the vets there commemorating the invasion.

August 30, 2013

Hundreds of mourners turned out for the funeral services of Delbert "Shortly" Belton, the World War II veteran who was beaten to death as he crossed a parking lot to enter a lodge in Spokane, Wash.

The 88-year-old who was injured in Okinawa was given full military honors at the service, which took place at a cemetery in Spokane, Fox News reported.

Friends spoke of Belton's love for pool and dancing. More than 500 motorcycle riders showed up for the service, described by family as overwhelming.

"I just can't believe it," said Belton's nephew, Ty Bennett, Fox News reported. "It's breathtaking and leaves me speechless, this turn out. How many people just care in the community." (Source)

July 11, 2013

Welcome Baily. And welcome back Kevin

More here.

Sniff. sniff.

July 03, 2013

Was in Nirvana? Check

Also Soundgarden? Check

Army Ranger, Special Forces, and kicked Taliban ass in Afghanistan? Check

Behold: The Real Most Interesting Man in the World

June 30, 2013

Please pray for the families of these brave heroes. They risked their lives to save others and to save property:

The Prescott Fire Department lost nearly its entire crew today - the Granite Mountain Hotshots - with 18 firefighters dying and one surviving.

A Prescott Fire spokesman told The Daily Courier the crew was battling the Yarnell fire, which has resulted in evacuations as it has grown to an estimated 1,300 acres in size.

May 27, 2013

Visit USBA's awesome photo essay of the story behind this

Also, a must read: A Tradition of Sacrifice, From Yorktown to Ramadi

Thank You!

While most of us only pause for a day, others take it upon themselves to always remember. In their silent vigil, the Tomb Guards remember every day, every minute, and every second.

"Soldiers Never Die Until They Are Forgotten; Tomb Guards Never Forget."

May 26, 2013

SSGT Tim Chambers was there holding his 3 hour salute (spot him in the video above at 4:22):

I haven't found a video of Tim for this year, so I'm using an older news report which tells a little about him:

This is an incredible documentary about the guards at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. It's an hour long, but well worth the time.

Everyone should watch at least once, especially younger generations who are growing up in a world with very little respect for our military.

May 23, 2013

Via Washington Free Beacon:

Sweet.

h/t CO2HOG

May 10, 2013

White House invited Muslim Cleric used the funeral of the Seal Team 6 to condemn and desecrate our soldiers:

A video of the ramp ceremony intended to honor the fallen American and Afghan servicemen shows an Imam praying over the caskets. According to the Vaughns, a certified translation of the Imam’s remarks revealed he "desecrated" and "damned" the bodies of the Americans in Arabic.

Military brass prohibited "any mention of a Judeo-Christian God" at the ceremony the press statement says, but "invited a Muslim Cleric to the funeral for the fallen NAVY SEAL Team VI heroes who disparaged in Arabic the memory of these servicemen by damning as infidels to Allah."

In contrast, here is how the United Kingdom's Prince Harry honored American's War Dead at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier:

(Hat Tip: Gateway Pundit)

UPDATE: Harry also left flowers and a note of condolences for American War Heroes who lost their lives fighting for freedom. Click HERE for a picture. Pure class. (Thanks, Vinnie!)

April 29, 2013

Ahhh, sniff:

Visit http://WelcomeHomeBlog.com for more military surprises!

"After receiving orders to a new duty station, I decided to take some leave. However, I told my mother my new base needed me right away and I was flying straight there. Needless to say, her reaction was priceless!"

Video/story submitted to Welcome Home Blog by Michael M. on 4/26/2013. For media inquiries, send a message through the form on ttp://welcomehomeblog.com/contact/

April 25, 2013

A memorial service was held today in Waco,Texas honoring the first responders who lost their lives last week in a explosion at a fertilizer plant in West, Texas.

Faces of the Fallen.

WACO (April 25, 2013)—Firefighters sounded a bell 12 times Thursday as the names of the 12 men who died in the massive fertilizer plant explosion in West were read in a traditional salute to the fallen during a memorial service at Baylor’s Ferrell Center attended by thousands.

Tears flowed freely Thursday afternoon as family, friends and colleagues remembered the 12 in video eulogies as men who loved their families, their communities and who were bound together by a dedication to service and a willingness to risk their lives to save others.

The arena was filled to capacity by 1:30 p.m. and those who couldn’t get in were directed to alternative viewing sites at Waco Hall, the Bill Daniel Student Center and the Student Life Center as well as at the Turner Riverfront Athletic Complex.

The service started late because Marine One, carrying Mr. Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama from Dallas where they attended the dedication of the George W. Bush Presidential Center, circled West several times en route to Waco.[...]

Earlier, a long, solemn procession of firefighters from around Central Texas, the state and the U.S. moved from a staging area a half-mile from the Baylor campus to the arena.

Firefighters from departments that lost members in the explosion carried the helmets of the fallen first responders into the Ferrell Center.

The procession was so long that police scrambled to find space for firefighters to park the trucks.

Brian Crawford, the fire chief in the Dallas suburb of Plano, accompanied 11 other firefighters from his department.

He said he wanted to show "we are all a family."

The service was organized by the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation and Texas Line of Duty Death Task Force to remember the firefighters and first responders who died in the April 17 explosion in West.
[ Continue reading and view more images ]

I don't mean to be nasty, but Obama was late? Is it always about him? Could he not have toured the devastation before hand, like on the ground?

Slaps self.

April 23, 2013

Note, a few tissues may be needed while watching this:

A commenter noted:

For those who care, if you remember the picture of the guy kneeling over and hugging one of the injured girls after the bombing, that's her on the right

April 17, 2013

I am not a fan of Mother Jones but this is a story that deserves to be shared.

Soldiers from Massachusetts National Guard were participating in their annual
"Tough Ruck" race to honor fellow soldiers killed in action. They ran the Boston Marathon in full gear, including a 40lb backpack.

But as they completed the challenge, bombs ripped through the crowds. The soldiers sprang into action and tore through the barriers, allowing medical teams quick access to the victims.

Tasneem Raja writes:

When the explosion went off, Fiola and his group immediately went into tactical mode. "I did a count and told the younger soldiers to stay put," Fiola says. "Myself and two other soldiers, my top two guys in my normal unit, crossed the street about 100 yards to the metal scaffoldings holding up the row of flags. We just absolutely annihilated the fence and pulled it back so we could see the victims underneath. The doctors and nurses from the medical tent were on the scene in under a minute. We were pulling burning debris off of people so that the medical personnel could get to them and begin triage."

Once the victims were transported away for further medical care, Fiola and the others stood guard around the blast area. "We switched to keeping the scene safe, quarantining the area and preventing people from entering. There was a guy behind me covered, just covered, in his own blood, and I started to smell some smoke. I turn around to look and he's actually on fire, from a piece of whatever caused the explosion. I saw the smoke coming from his pocket so I reached in and pulled it out. It was his handkerchief, on fire."

Incidentally, the cowboy hat hero in my earlier post was with the Massachusetts National Guard. He was there to honor his sons, one who was killed in Iraq and the other who committed suicide after his brother's death.

From The Pentagon News Channel, in this video you can see the National Guardsmen tearing down the barriers, and you can see Carlos Arredondo (in his cowboy hat) on the other side of the fence helping victims: