Bunny In The Foxhole

Wednesday, October 27, 2010

Wednesday, October 27, 2010

Wednesday Hero


GySgt. Carlos Hathcock
GySgt. Carlos Hathcock
May 20, 1942 – February 23, 1999
U.S. Marines

Carlos Hathcock was a United States Marine Corps Gunnery Sergeant sniper with a service record of 93 confirmed kills. Hathcock's record and the extraordinary details of the missions he undertook made him a legend in the Marine Corps. His fame as a sniper and his dedication to long distance shooting led him to become a major developer of the United States Marine Corps Sniper training program. He was honored by having a rifle named after him: a variant of the M21 dubbed the Springfield Armory M25 White Feather.


You Can Read More About GySgt. Hathcock Here

You can watch an interview with Gunny Hathcock
Here
Here
and Here

I have to say that it's kind of sad that the best source of info I could find on Gunny Hathcock was on Wikipedia. There should be a lot more sites honoring this man.

These brave men and women sacrifice so much in their lives so that others may enjoy the freedoms we get to enjoy everyday. For that, I am proud to call them Hero.
We Should Not Only Mourn These Men And Women Who Died, We Should Also Thank God That Such People Lived

This post is part of the Wednesday Hero Blogroll. For more information about Wednesday Hero, or if you would like to post it on your site, you can go here.
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posted by LadyWolf at 12:01 PM 0 comments

Friday, October 22, 2010

Wednesday Hero-(Double Shot-missed last week)

Wednesday, October 20, 2010

Wednesday Hero


SSgt. Robert J. Miller
SSgt. Robert J. Miller
24 years old from Wheaton, Illinois
Company A, Third Battalion, Third Special Forces Group
January 25, 2008
U.S. Army

Staff Sgt. Robert J. Miller was awarded the Medal of Honor posthumously in a Pentagon ceremony on Wednesday, October 6, 2010. He died in Afghanistan saving his fellow soldiers in an act of heroism that is honored as courage above and beyond the call of duty.

You can read the rest of SSgt. Miller's story here.


These brave men and women sacrifice so much in their lives so that others may enjoy the freedoms we get to enjoy everyday. For that, I am proud to call them Hero.
We Should Not Only Mourn These Men And Women Who Died, We Should Also Thank God That Such People Lived









Wednesday, October 13, 2010

Wednesday Hero


First Lieutenant Gregory F. Ambrosia
First Lieutenant Gregory F. Ambrosia
28 years old from Knoxville, Tennessee
2d Battalion (Airborne), 503d Parachute Infantry Regiment, 173d Airborne Brigade
U.S. Army

The President of the United States of America, authorized by Act of Congress July 9, 1918 (amended by an act of July 25, 1963), takes pleasure in presenting the Silver Star to First Lieutenant (Infantry) Gregory F. Ambrosia, United States Army, for gallantry in actions while serving as Executive Officer, Company A, 2d Battalion (Airborne), 503d Parachute Infantry Regiment, 173d Airborne Brigade Combat Team, in action in support of Operation ENDURING FREEDOM, in Afghanistan, on 25 - 26 September 2007. First Lieutenant Ambrosia's gallant actions and dedicated devotion to duty, without regard for his own life, were in keeping with the highest traditions of military service and reflect great credit upon himself, his unit, and the United States Army. NARRATIVE TO ACCOMPANY AWARD: On 25 September 2007, Able Company, 2d Battalion (Airborne), 503d Infantry air assaulted into the village of Qowru and conducted a search and attack through the village and surrounding caves in order to disrupt Taliban and Al Qaeda forces in the Watapor Valley. The Company Executive Officer, First Lieutenant Ambrosia air assaulted into OP REDSKINS, one of two company observation posts (OP's) overlooking Qowru, in order to establish a command radio relay station and overwatch the mounted assault element in the valley with 60-mm. indirect fire. Upon occupation, ICOM intercepts informed the OP that the enemy was mobilizing and massing for an attack on both company OP's and the mounted maneuver element in the valley. Immediately upon insertion, the 22 Soldiers of 1st Platoon which assaulted OP REDSKINS linked up and moved towards their position overlooking the valley. There were explosions and shots fired across the valley during the night, but no fires were directed at OP REDSKINS. By morning the OP observed the rest of the Company move into position and begin their search and attack through the valley. A fire team plus-sized element of Anti-Coalition Militia was maneuvering to high ground to the east of the company when they made contact with the position at OP REDSKINS. The first individual that came close to the OP was an enemy scout. The individual was engaged immediately and within minutes several of the ACM fighters engaged the observation post with an intense volume of fire. Without any hesitation, First Lieutenant Ambrosia immediately assessed the situation and reported to the Company Commander who was located down in the valley and by this time under fire as well. He gave the enemy situation and without any concern for his own safety remained in place while exposed to heavy enemy fire from ACM forces advancing on his position to within hand grenade range. He continued directing fires and making critical radio transmissions using both FM and TACSAT communication. His timely and accurate calls for 40-mm. and 81-mm. danger close fire were the only effective defense for the OP. While the rest of the element were throwing hand grenades and engaged in close combat with a flanking ACM force, First Lieutenant Ambrosia held his position under heavy direct fire during the 4 hours of the engagement without deviating from his radio transmissions. He requested fire missions, using three different indirect fire assets and close air support simultaneously. First Lieutenant Ambrosia's strong character gave him the tools he needed to repel the enemy attack. First Lieutenant Ambrosia's indirect fire was able to hold the enemy front, which allowed the rest of the OP to fight back the enemy's attempt to turn their flank. First Lieutenant Ambrosia continued providing covering fire simultaneously as he had to make corrections on the 500 pound bombs dropped all within danger close. He gave the Battalion Commander updates of the enemy and friendly situations as they developed. He continued to hold his position even though he was constantly exposed to close heavy enemy fire. First Lieutenant Ambrosia kept keeping Close Combat Air updated on the enemy's location allowing the AH-64 (Apache) to effectively engage and kill three ACM fighters. Despite constant signal intercepts suggesting advancing and flanking maneuver forces, his ability to continue setting the tactical conditions gave the Non-Commissioned Officers and all junior leaders the ability to maneuver their Paratroopers. First Lieutenant Ambrosia's actions throughout the entire engagement were of the highest degree of valor. He performed honorably while under direct enemy fire and effectively engaged the enemy under the most difficult circumstances. First Lieutenant Ambrosia was a key leader during the battle, providing true leadership to the entire element. Even when events became dire, he kept his demeanor and without hesitation took the fight to the enemy. His actions are the true embodiment of the Infantry Warrior Ethos.


These brave men and women sacrifice so much in their lives so that others may enjoy the freedoms we get to enjoy everyday. For that, I am proud to call them Hero.
We Should Not Only Mourn These Men And Women Who Died, We Should Also Thank God That Such People Lived

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posted by LadyWolf at 12:12 PM 0 comments

Tuesday, October 12, 2010

Supreme Court debates protest limits

A case over privacy at military funerals could redefine activism.

By Ambreen Ali
Anti-gay activists argued before the Supreme Court today that they should be allowed to protest at military funerals.
The debate centered on whether the Westboro Baptist Church had a First Amendment right to hold signs such as "God hates you," and, "God hates dead soldiers," outside the funeral of a deceased Marine.
Albert Snyder, the soldier's father, argued that the activists invaded his privacy during the 2006 protest in Maryland and intentionally inflicted emotional distress on him and his family.
Margie Phelps, the daughter of Westboro's pastor Fred Phelps and the lawyer for the church, retorted that her group was exercising free speech on a matter of public debate—the Iraq war.
"This is a case about exploiting a private family's grief," Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg said during Wednesday's arguments. Justice Anthony Kennedy boiled it down to a debate over harassing conduct versus public speech.
For activists, the case could draw new lines on where protests are appropriate. Powerful groups back both positions.
The Westboro Baptist Church received support from groups such as the American Civil Liberties Union, Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press, and Liberty Counsel that are concerned about upholding free speech.
The Snyder family presented briefs from American Legion, Veterans of Foreign Wars, the state of Kansas—where the Westboro activists live—and 42 senators including the leaders of both parties.
The two sides faced sharp questions from the court Wednesday on whether activists making personal attacks near a private setting should have free-speech protections.
In the past, the Supreme Court has upheld the privacy rights of individuals who are not public figures.
Phelps tried to make the case that Snyder became a public figure when he spoke to the media about his son's death, but the justices pointed out that families regularly contact newspapers about obituaries for the deceased.
Justice Sonia Sotomayor said the question was "at what point and how do we accept personal attacks" as part of freedom of speech.
But the justices were equally tough on Snyder's counsel, questioning how he could claim damages considering that the protest was held 1,000 feet away from the gravesite. Snyder and his family did not see the signs until they turned on the television later that day.
Justice Elena Kagan asked whether "public speech, if directed to a private figure, should be treated differently under the law,'' asking the plaintiff to point out a case with that precedent.
Sean Summers, Snyder's attorney, said he could not cite such a Supreme Court ruling on that which involved a private figure.
"I would hope that the First Amendment wasn't enacted to harass people at private funerals," he added.
Outside the courtroom, both camps claimed victory, though the justices will probably not hand down a decision for months.
"There's no line that can be drawn here without shutting down speech," Phelps told reporters.
A dozen members of her church stood close by, holding signs that said, "God is your enemy," and, "Fags doom nations."
Students from Maryland, where Snyder was buried, held a counter protest with signs that said, "Love," and, "WBC, Thanks for making acceptance, tolerance, and love look reasonable."
Josh Santangelo, a counterprotester who is gay, called the Westboro messages hateful and hurtful but said activists should be able to express their views as long as they do not invade someone else's privacy.
Snyder, speaking softly to reporters in the background, offered a retort.
"The Phelps and the Westboro Baptist Church's conduct was so extreme that it went beyond all possible boundaries of basic human decency," he said. "It could be regarded as utterly intolerable in a civilized nation."


Why dont these people go jump in a quaking volcano? (Sorry dear Mother Earth,that would be pure poison huh?)
These groups backing these rabid beasts (WBC) arent making themselves look too good either...not that I ever had a very high opinion of the ACLU anyways..but still.I guess its "jump on the make an ass of yourself"  bandwagon month or something.
Does anyone else feel "funny" about calling WBC a "church"? I sure do!!

posted by LadyWolf at 5:14 PM 0 comments

Bikers drown out Westboro protest

Patriot Guard uses free speech against the funeral protesters.

By Ambreen Ali
When it comes to military funerals, the line between free speech and privacy rights can be uncomfortably thin.
To thicken it, members of the Patriot Guard Riders literally stand between grieving families and the "God hates fags" signs the Westboro Baptist Church members uses to protest soldiers' funerals.
When the Westboro activists shouted, "God hates America," to a procession outside Arlington National Cemetery Monday, the riders—many of whom are veterans—revved their motorcycles to drown the protesters out.
"There's very few things on Earth louder than a V-Twin Harley Davidson," said Dylan Waite, an Army first lieutenant and Patriot Guard volunteer who used his car alarm to contribute to the noise.
Few approve of the church's tactics, but free-speech advocates like the American Civil Liberties Union have lined up to defend them on First Amendment grounds.
When the Supreme Court hears oral arguments on the issue Wednesday, those groups are expect to argue in favor of the Patriot Guard's approach to the free-speech conundrum: Drown them out with more speech.
'Law doesn't prohibit insulting'
Margie Phelps, the daughter of Westboro Pastor Fred Phelps, arrived at the cemetery 15 minutes before the funeral of Lt. Brendan Looney, a 29-year-old Navy SEAL who was killed in a helicopter crash in Afghanistan last month.
She and her two nieces rushed towards a barricade the National Parks Service, which is used to working with the group, had set up for the protest.
Phelps slipped on a T-shirt that said, "God hates fags.com" as the girls pulled out signs with an array of messages: "Thank God for IEDs," "Thank God for dead soldiers," "God hates Obama," "America is doomed," "Mourn for your sins," and "Don't worship the dead."
"The law doesn't prohibit insulting," Phelps said. "It's not insulting to tell the public to avoid the wrath it faces. We're here to tell them that everything you have tried is not working. Stop sinning and the soldiers will stop dying."
The activists identified homosexuality as the sin that concerns them the most. Phelps said she does not know whether Looney was gay and said that it does not matter.
"He put on the uniform that today in the whole world stands for same-sex relationships," she said.
Phelps is the lawyer defending the Westboro Baptist Church in the Supreme Court case. Most of the church's 60 members are part of the Phelps family, and many of them are lawyers who have spent decades defending their right to protest.
"We always win the litigation. We litigate as a last resort," Phelps said.
About half of churchgoers are expected to be in D.C. this week for a series of protests outside the Capitol, White House, Supreme Court, and Arlington National Cemetery as the case begins.
On Monday, the trio stood close to the Metro stop outside the cemetery, hundreds of feet from the entrance to the sprawling grounds. Protesters are not allowed inside, and Phelps said her group always respects the rules.
"We don't do controversial picketing like the abortion protesters. It's not proper," she said.
Just before the motorcyclists roared onto the scene, a pedestrian on his way to Looney's funeral stopped to shout, "God hates people like you," at the Phelps family.
Tom Henneberg explained that he respects freedom of speech but believes such protests infringe upon the rights of the grieving families.
"[The protesters] are far enough away, but it's still offensive," he said as he walked away.
Counterprotesters make noise
A dozen members of the Patriot Guards, who attend military funerals at the request of the families, rode in front of Looney's funeral procession.
They lined up in front of the Phelps family, blocking the protest signs with motorcycles and giant American flags. Then they stood and saluted as Looney's family drove by.
Some children in the family stared out at the spectacle. Drivers rolled down their windows to give the riders a thumbs up.
"Our veteran friends are here," Phelps had said when the bikers first arrived. Later, she said to them, "Try to bring a few more people next time, ladies. That's a pretty poor showing."
The Patriot Guard turnout was indeed small compared to some of the group's previous events, where hundreds turned up to defend the deceased soldiers.
Since it began in response to Westboro five years ago, the group has enlisted volunteer coordinators in every state, and thousands of people have made it their mission to counter the church wherever it goes.
The bikers still outnumbered the Westboro activists four to one at Looney's service.
To some of the tourists who caught the spectacle, even that was not enough. They said they hoped the Supreme Court would consider curbing the Westboro demonstrations.
"I believe in freedom of speech," Ann Chandler, a Sunday School teacher from Louisiana, said. "But to me, there is nothing more sacred than a funeral."


I am all for free speech,but something needs to be done about these freaks.Why not make them keep their vile hatred at their own "church"? When they go traveling around,everyone knows why they are going and what their intentions are. I keep telling myself that someday this whole clan WILL have to answer to God Himself (before He sends them to hell..hopefully...Yes I know,I am kinda hypocritical here myself,these fleabags just irritate me til all common sense and reasoning is GONE) as to why they saw fit to take HIS job as judge.

I still stand by my previous statement that Fred Phelps himself is gay,and is so filled with self loathing that he has to turn it on to someone before it eats away at his own self.I wanted to say "eats away at his own soul",but I dont feel he has one...

Hey Freddi boi, didnt you ever learn to "hate the sin,NOT the sinner"??? Leave our soldiers and their families ALONE! (Meaning both deceased,and living,you crackpot!)

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posted by LadyWolf at 4:55 PM 0 comments

Wednesday, October 06, 2010

Funeral protesters make their case in and outside Supreme Court


By LAURA E. DAVIS
Yahoo! News
They showed up today with their signs — signs with messages like "Thank God for Dead Soldiers" and "God Hates You." The controversial slogans were part of what brought the infamous Phelps family to the U.S. Supreme Court, and on the day the family appeared inside the courthouse, those signs were on display in front of the building's grand steps.
More than two hours before the proceedings began, about 10 members of the Westboro Baptist Church — followers and family members of Pastor Fred Phelps — lined the sidewalk along One First Street, demonstrating in front of the highest court in the land, much as they do regularly at military funerals and other public events. They say they are expressing their belief that soldiers' deaths are part of America's punishment for its immorality, including tolerance of abortion and homosexuality.
They're often met at those funerals by counterprotesters, and Wednesday morning was no exception.
With temperatures in the 50s, a young man stood wearing only black underwear, sneakers and sunglasses, his lips shivering in the fall chill, waving his own sign: "Fred Phelps wishes he were hot like me!"
"I think it's important to exercise my First Amendment right to stand out here in my underwear," explained Sam Garrett, 18, a freshman atGeorge Washington University, who was there with his friend and boyfriend of one month.
Even with their attention-getting signs, the dueling picketers did not get out of control — no shouting, no chanting. Garrett posed for photos; demonstrators in both camps easily chatted with the press. But the outrageous activity on both sides was perhaps the perfect backdrop to a potentially groundbreaking legal decision about free speech.
Inside, the nine Supreme Court Justices heard the oral arguments for Snyder v. Phelps, a difficult and highly charged case stemming from a Phelps/Westboro protest at the March 2006 funeral of Lance Cpl.Matthew Snyder in Westminster, Md. Cpl. Snyder died in Iraq and was not gay, yet Phelps and some of his family members showed up to protest with their signs. They did not violate any local ordinances and stayed a certain distance away.
Albert Snyder, Matthew's father, sued the fundamentalist church for emotional distress, among other things, in the aftermath, raising the question of where to draw the line between free speech and harassment. A jury awarded Snyder $10.9 million in damages, which a judge later reduced to $5 million. But an appeals court overturned the verdict on First Amendment grounds, saying the Phelpses' speech was protected because it wasn't based in fact and was about issues of public concern.
A surprise spectator created a bit of a buzz before the argument began -- retired Justice Sandra Day O'Connor was spotted; she was there with some of the alumni from the law school named after her, perched quietly to the side of the bench where she used to sit -- but a sober atmosphere prevailed once the arguments began.
Even Margie Phelps, daughter of Fred and his lawyer in this case, was soft-spoken and tame before the justices. Behind sleek glasses with thick black rims, she spoke of a "little church" merely wanting to express its views on public issues. (She did sing a hymn with the church group outside afterward — inexplicably to the tune of Ozzy Osbourne's "Crazy Train.")
All the justices save for Clarence Thomas, who hasn't asked a question at oral argument in more than four years, piped into the discussion, often presenting hypothetical situations to the lawyers on both sides, as they tried to derive an opinion about whether or not expressions like the Phelpses' should be allowed under the law.
Justice Samuel Alito offered a scenario where a grandmother raises a boy who becomes a soldier in Iraq and dies there. The grandmother goes alone to visit her grandson's grave, and on her way home she is waiting for a bus and is harassed by someone who says he is glad her grandson died and wished he were there to see it.

"Now, is that protected by the First Amendment?" Alito asked.
Counselor Phelps tried to put that situation under a different legal umbrella, suggesting that the person harassing the grandmother could be considered to be inciting "fighting words." Alito steered her away with help from his colleague Justice Antonin Scalia.
"She's probably not in a position to punch this person in the nose," Alito clarified.
"And she's a Quaker, too," Scalia piped in, prompting laughter in the courtroom.
The lighthearted moment, though, was not reflective of how torn the justices seemed to be over this emotional case. They indicated they were concerned about how far a ruling could go in either direction, silencing too much speech on the one hand or allowing targeted harassment of private people on the other.
Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, for example, questioned Snyder's lawyer, Sean Summers, about why his client didn't get an injunction to bar the picketers from his son's funeral, since he knew ahead of time that they planned to come, an action that could have prevented Snyder's emotional distress but not prevented the Phelpses overall from expressing their message.
When it was Margie Phelps' turn to speak to the justices, Ginsburg challenged her as well.
"This is a case about exploiting a private family's grief, and the question is: Why should the First Amendment tolerate exploiting this Marine's family?"
After debates between the justices and both lawyers about content and context, Summers explained why he believes the Phelpses' speech falls out of the bounds of First Amendment protection.
"The private, targeted nature of the speech in our judgment is what makes it unprotected," he said in response to a question from Justice Stephen Breyer, who was concerned about the fact that the Phelpses' speech reached Snyder after the funeral in the form of television a broadcast, and a poem of sorts that the Phelpses later published online that named Matthew and said he was "raised for the devil."
Afterward, Albert Snyder greeted the press, wearing a button that with a picture of his son, Matthew, below the words "My Hero." He gave a quiet statement, and Summers took questions. When asked what the hardest legal part of this tricky First Amendment case is, he answered, "The toughest question is always drawing a line in the sand."
LINK
So it begins.I seriously hope the inbred Phelps clan gets their collective asses handed to them.I also hope and believe they should have to pay every dime of Mr Snyder's original judgement.Hit em in the ol bank account.
Its also my personal opinion and belief that Fred Phelps is gay,and cant come to terms with that fact.So to "hide" his "shame",he occupies himself with tormenting soldiers and their kin.Its people like Phelps and their 'tudes that drive people like poor Tyler Clementi to suicide.Phelps,you are gay.DEAL WITH IT! Stop making others miserable with your misery.I dont advocate suicide in any way, shape, or form,but in Phelps' (and the family's) case,I think them jumping off the GW Bridge might not be such a bad idea.I know,not very Christian-like,but I have to sound off somehow!



posted by LadyWolf at 10:34 PM 0 comments

Wednesday Hero


Sgt. 1st Class Brandon McGuire
Sgt. 1st Class Brandon McGuire
U.S. Marines

The early morning April sky dawned clear over Forward Operating Base Iskandaryia, Iraq. Sgt. 1st Class Brandon McGuire, a platoon sergeant with 3rd Battalion, 509th Infantry Regiment, whose home base was Fort Richardson, Alaska, and his spotter settled in for their third day of looking for insurgents.

"We were observing a stretch of road that had recently been cleared of IEDs (improvised explosive devices)," said McGuire, now first sergeant of Fort Polk's Alpha Troop, 1st Battalion (Airborne), 509th Infantry Regiment.

"The area had also seen a lot of mortar activity. We had several Soldiers killed and severely wounded along that stretch of road by IEDs and mortars."

As the two Soldiers gazed across the expanse between their hiding place - an abandoned shed - and their target area, they noticed a man in local garb sauntering up and down through a series of canals. When he dug into a canal bank and uncovered a mortar tube, McGuire said he knew this was a target.

You can read the rest of Sgt. 1st Class Brandon McGuire's story here.


Photo Courtesy Army.mil


These brave men and women sacrifice so much in their lives so that others may enjoy the freedoms we get to enjoy everyday. For that, I am proud to call them Hero.
We Should Not Only Mourn These Men And Women Who Died, We Should Also Thank God That Such People Lived

This post is part of the Wednesday Hero Blogroll. For more information about Wednesday Hero, or if you would like to post it on your site, you can go here.
posted by LadyWolf at 9:58 PM 0 comments