Blackfive's Video Potpourri

Cross-posted @ Rosemary's Thoughts.

This first video will last 4:05, and I'm not quite sure if they rescued one of the guys being held or if he was one of the insurgence. Maybe you could help me understand? The name of this clip is "Operation Ithaca - The Fight." (Do not worry. You will not be seeing anything gross.)

In this next clip comes the answer to my question! This clip is 7:59, and the title of it is "Operation Ithaca - Interview." They were successful in this mission, killing 29 and capturing 23 of the enemy. They also rescued 8 hostages who were about to be executed on the day of the mission. Whew! That was close.

This clip is 3:11, and it's title is "AH-64 and C-130 Engage Insurgents." Five insurgents are killed in this one by none other than our USAF! Great job, guys. :)

These next two clips sort of go together, if not by nature then by name. This one is 32 seconds long, and the title is "Crispy Terrorists on the July 14th Menu." It is almost like watching a silent movie, except it is real life...or death to the terrorists as I like to put it. The next clip is titled "Crispy Terrorists on the July 15th Menu" and lasts for 58 seconds.

And to say that the last one is the least one would be an incredibly wrong assumption! This young lady sends it home as to why a Soldier would serve. Here she tells us why she serves. Why I Serve - SSG Shannon Fezer. This clip only lasts for 1:02, yet I wish it were longer. It is people such as she who make me proud to be an American. If you cannot understand this genuine concept, please don't tell me. I don't care if you're a nutjob, just don't prove it on my site! :)

I received these videos through my subscription. You may also subscribe if you wish. You may do so by clicking here. Have a great day, and remember our men and women in uniform who are protecting this freedom for you to have such a day. Maybe you could even send up a prayer or two...

1st Cav Soldiers Sing Toby Keith's "Beer For My Horses"

There is just no way I could let this one slide by! LOL. Blackfive has captured the essense of the fighting spirit in this clip. I love this song by Toby Keith!

A Gathering of Michael Yon's Writings

Cross-posted at Rosemary's Thoughts.

Michael Yon is one of the best citizen reporters we are blessed to have in these days of war and peace. He does a wonderful job of bringing the news, no matter the state of the news, so that we may be informed of the truth. Why do I say this?

I say this because Michael is an American, and he never forgets that. He is not ashamed to be an American! Most 'journalists' are 'world' journalists, which leads them to consider America as just another country. Not the place of their birth, not the place that gave them all the opportunities they have taken advantage of, not the Land of the Free and the Home of the Brave. No. They hate America, subconsciously perhaps, but they do.

I can no more trust my enemy to tell me how this dress looks on me than I can trust a reporter who would rather see our enemies be victorious. The arguement may not be comparible, but I assure you that all the women readers of this know exactly what I mean! (For you brave gents, let's assume you took your prized car to the mechanic of your enemy...get it? lol)

Okay. I have been so busy that I have fallen behind in my posting of Michael's articles. That is why I am going to give them to you as a 'gathering' (not to be confused with the wonderful group known as, "A Gathering of Eagles").

Here we go. This article was posted on Independence Day. Michael states clearly that when you see the fireworks and hear the booms, try to imagine the sounds of jets and helicopters and the occasional screams, and that should give a slight idea of life at this time in Baquba, Iraq. The article he has written for us is "Bless the Beasts and Children." He has also issued this: "A warning to those with children: some of the photographs in this dispatch may be too graphic for young ones."

In this email he let us know that he has updated "Update on Bless the Beasts and Children." He also notes that there is a growing number of readers whom are becoming more and more furious at the media for not paying any attention to these facts on the ground, such as well documented mass-murders. Yet they are more than happy to publish anything that is ugly, wrong, fabricated by al Qaida, and so on. This is covered in the update.

There seems to be some difficulty with the archives for people who are new to Michael's site, so he gave us a list of really good dispatches while he works on fixing the problem.

The Kids!, Hello, Ameriki, Little Girl, Killing for God, Lost in Translation, Whipping Boy, Camp Bastion, The Floating Village and The Hands of God.

In Baqubah Update 05-July-2007, Michael spoke with an Iraqi official in Baqubah, Iraq. They spoke about al Qaida's treatment of those who disagreed with them. He did not comment on the truthfulness of this reporting by the official, because there were too few "specifics."

They found mass-grave sites about 3 1/2 miles away, which gives just a clue, however, as to al Qaida responds. There were bodies of decapitated children and possibly their mothers as well as men. Michael actually visited the site, so it is not just what someone told him. 'That grim discovery was the focus of "Bless the Beasts and Children."'

There were many people who picked up his article, many heavy-weights as well. Rush includes his sources names to give the reporter proper due. If you see any of Michael's dispatches or hear of them being read without giving credit, please let him know. HIS WORK IS COPYWRITED.

He doesn't mind that we share it amongst ourselves and others, but please remember to always name your source! It is good to have the people understand the truth about what is really happening. This can lead to an intelligent discussion (not like they have in the Senate!).

Whether or not the stories are true about al Qaida's horrendous behavior, ever since the plan set to take place (and did so in Baqubah on 19 June), 'the citizens of Baqubah are very happy, markets are opening, and there has been practically zero fighting in the last couple of weeks. For the latest, please read "Second Chances."'

This dispatch was written on June 12, 2007, while Michael was still in Baquba. I heard his radio interview with Hugh Hewitt at 4pm PCT. It was wonderful to hear your voice again, Michael. :)

His dispatch for today is Al Qaeda on the Run.

Another day, another dispatch. Superman.

I am going to quote these, because I think they deserve it.

I made an appearance today (Tuesday) from Baqubah on Good Morning America to talk about events in Baqubah. That video should be available on their site, and includes loud combat video I shot yesterday (Monday.)

I will be appearing on the Laura Ingraham radio show tomorrow (Wednesday.) We realize the site has become difficult to navigate after growing beyond all expectations, both in content and readership. The site will be overhauled during the coming months, but the work is very expensive so this will happen in stages.

This site depends 100% on reader support. Every bit helps and is critical. We'll revamp the site as funding permits to allow for easier searches, and will continue to bring cutting edge stories from the war.

I hope you enjoy them, give them the recognition they deserve, and take heart. If you are so moved, there is a place on his site for you to donate to help him. He is out there on his own. If you would like to know why this man was motivated to go to Iraq and Afghanistan so many times, I'm sure you will be able to find this explanation. In the meantime, I will look for it and place it in a link here. :)

TrackBack @ DoD Daily News-2.

OPERATION: THANKS FOR FREEDOM!

Fourth of July Card Drive for Troops

This will appear on top until June 9, 2007. If you have already read this and sent your cards in, skip down to read the most recent posts. Thank you.

Let's show our troops we love and support them! Starting NOW, I will be collecting cards to send to troops stationed in Iraq and Afghanistan. If you wish to participate, please send light-hearted, silly, cheerful, and encouraging cards to this address:

Mrs. Kat Orr
Operation: Thanks for Freedom!
P.O. Box 1660
Loganville, GA 30052

You may also send a e-mail of support to the following email address LoveFromHome@gmail.com. Any e-mail received to this e-mail account will be printed and mailed, together with the cards.

The cards can be handmade or store-bought... for that matter, they don't even have to be cards; a hand -written letter is just as wonderful! Let's all band together and overwhelm our heroes with support! This is a great project for Scout troops, churches, or other organizations to get involved with! *PLEASE DO NOT SEAL THE ENVELOPES*

ALL CARDS MUST BE RECEIVED NO LATER THAN SATURDAY, JUNE 9, 2007.

Thank you so much for supporting our troops!

If you have any questions about this campaign, please e-mail me at LoveFromHome@gmail.com. Also, you might wish join my Yahoo Group, groups.yahoo.com/group/LoveFromHome in order to receive updates about the progress of this and other card drives.

**IMPORTANT NOTE: This is not a "dating service" of any type. Please do not send suggestive or otherwise inappropriate cards or pictures. I will be reading and screening every Card received to ensure that the above guidelines are adhered to (please DO NOT seal the envelope)! Any card deemed inappropriate will not be sent! Remember: This is strictly to let the troops know that we love them, we are proud of them and that we HAVE NOT FORGOTTEN them!

**IMPORTANT NOTE 2: This card drive is an individual effort and not done in conjunction with or on behalf of any organizations or groups.

This is for those of us back home who want desparately desire to let our troops know that we have not forgotten, and we remember them and their families. I thank you so very much for my freedom and for protecting my Liberty. God bless you.