Hey Brother,
Just checking in. Looks like some of the other boys have come by today.
Lots of flowers. Did you ever think you’d be getting a bunch of flowers from guys in the platoon? I sure didn’t.
But here you go.
They’ll look good for a little while anyway.
Then they’ll wilt and brown. Then the gravekeeper will take them away.
Nothing stays forever.
Soldier places a flag on the grave of Medal of Honor recipient Michael Crescenz at Arlington National Cemetery. (Patrick Hughes)
I wish you could have stayed a little longer, though.
I’d really like to see you smile again. Hear you laugh.
Your laugh made other people laugh—me included.
A little joy in the world.
Joy that is now gone. I miss that.
I miss you.
But the world moves on. Time stops for no man.
Look at me. Gray hair. Wrinkled skin.
I will not squander a moment—not a breath, not a sunset, not a laugh. I will live to honor the gift you gave me.
I’m the old guy we used to laugh about.
Who’s laughing now?
Even my kids are all grown up.
They aren’t kids anymore. You’d be proud.
A girl reacts in front of a headstone during Memorial Day as visitors honor veterans and those lost in war at Arlington National Cemetery, Virginia, May 31, 2021. (Reuters)
Time goes quick.
You taught me that.
You taught me so much.
I was angry at first—angry at you, angry at myself, angry at the world.
I couldn’t understand why—why you?
Why were you taken from this world? Taken from me?
My anger grew—but it was all for me. Selfish.
Eventually, the anger consumed itself.
I realized my anger was unwarranted.
Over time, it diminished.
Instead, I became thankful.
Thankful to have known you.
Thankful to have spent time with you.
Thankful to have served alongside you.
Jocko Willink during his military service in an undated photograph.
Thankful to call you friend and brother.
Thankful for this life you have given me.
You won’t grow old so I can.
Your dreams were lost so my dreams could be found.
Your hopes were extinguished, so my hopes could be realized.
Your future was cut short—so my future could flourish.
In your death, you gave me life.
I will live this life to the fullest.
I promise:
I will not squander a moment—not a breath, not a sunset, not a laugh.
I will live to honor the gift you gave me.
The life I owe to you.
I will never forget.
Until next time,
Your Brother
Retired Navy SEAL and author Jocko Willink
CLICK HERE FOR MORE FROM JOCKO WILLINK
Jocko Willink is a retired SEAL Officer, author of several books including “Extreme Ownership,” “Discipline Equals Freedom Field Manual,” “The Dichotomy of Leadership” and the “Way of the Warrior Kid” series, and hosts the top-rated podcast: Jocko Podcast. Twitter: @jockowillink. Instagram: @jockowillink. Facebook: @jockowillink.
I TRULY UNDERSTOOD MEMORIAL DAY WHEN I BECAME PART OF THIS GOLD STAR FAMILY
https://www.foxnews.com/opinion/memorial-day-2023-note-white-stone-cross?intcmp=tw_fnc
This is The Story Of War Dog Sergeant Stubby
America’s first war dog, Stubby, served 18 months ‘over there’ and participated in seventeen battles on the Western Front. He saved his regiment from surprise mustard gas attacks, located and comforted the wounded, and even once caught a German spy by the seat of his pants. Back home his exploits were front page news of every major newspaper.
Stubby was a bull terrier – broadly speaking, very broadly! No one ever discovered where he hailed from originally. One day he just appeared, when a bunch of soldiers were training at Yale Field in New Haven, Ct; he trotted in and out among the ranks as they drilled, stopping to make a friend here and a friend there, until pretty soon he was on chummy terms with the whole bunch.
One soldier though, in particular, developed a fondest for the dog, a Corporal Robert Conroy, who when it became time for the outfit to ship out, hid Stubby on board the troop ship.
So stowaway Stubby sailed for France, after that Cpl. Conroy became his accepted master, even though he was still on chummy terms with everyone else in the outfit; and in the same spirit of camaraderie that had marked his initial overtures at Yale.
It was at Chemin des Dames that Stubby saw his first action, and it was there that the boys discovered he was a war dog par excellence. The boom of artillery fire didn’t faze him in least, and he soon learned to follow the men’s example of ducking when the big ones started falling close. Naturally he didn’t know why he was ducking, but it became a great game to see who could hit the dugout first. After a few days, Stubby won every time. He could hear the whine of shells long before the men. It got so they’d watch him!
Then one night Stubby made doggy history. It was an unusually quiet night in the trenches. Some of the boys were catching cat naps in muddy dugouts, and Stubby was stretched out beside Conroy. Suddenly his big blunt head snapped up and his ears pricked alert. The movement woke Conroy, who looked at the dog sleepily just in time to see him sniff the air tentatively, utter a low growl, then spring to his feet, and go bounding from the dugout, around a corner out of sight.
A few seconds later there was a sharp cry of pain and then the sound of a great scuffle outside. Conroy jumped from his bed, grabbed his rifle and went tearing out towards the direction of the noise.
The Highly Decorated Sgt. Stubby
A ludicrous sight met his eyes. Single-pawed, in a vigorous offensive from the rear, Stubby had captured a German spy, who’d been prowling through the trenches. The man was whirling desperately in an effort to shake off the snarling bundle of canine tooth and muscle that had attached itself to his differential. But Stubby was there to stay.
It took only a few moments to capture the Hun and disarm him, but it required considerably more time to convince Stubby that his mission had been successfully carried out and that he should now release the beautiful hold he had on that nice, soft German bottom.
By the end of the war, Stubby was known not only to every regiment, division, and army, but to the whole AEF. Honors by the bale were heaped on his muscled shoulders. At Mandres en Bassigny he was introduced to President Woodrow Wilson, who “shook hands” with him. Medal and emblemed jackets were bestowed upon him for each deed of valor, plus a wound stripe for his grenade splinter. Not to be left out, the Marines even made him an honorary sergeant.
After the Armistice was signed, Stubby returned home with Conroy and his popularity seemed to grow even more. He became a nationally acclaimed hero, and eventually was received by presidents Harding and Coolidge. Even General John “Black Jack” Pershing, who commanded the American Expeditionary Forces during the war, presented Stubby with a gold medal made by the Humane Society and declared him to be a “hero of the highest caliber.”
Stubby toured the country by invitation and probably led more parades than any other dog in American history; he was also promoted to honorary sergeant by the Legion, becoming the highest ranking dog to ever serve in the Army.
He was even made an honorary member of the American Red Cross, the American Legion and the YMCA, which issued him a lifetime membership card good for “three bones a day and a place to sleep.”
Afterwards, Stubby became Georgetown University’s mascot. In 1921, Stubby’s owner, Robert Conroy was headed to Georgetown for law school and took the dog along. According to a 1983 account in Georgetown Magazine, Stubby “served several terms as mascot to the football team.” Between the halves, Stubby would nudge a football around the field, much to the delight of the crowd.
A FITTING TRIBUTE TO A HERO
Old age finally caught up with the small warrior on April 4th, 1926, as he took ill and died in Conroy’s arms.
It’s said, that Stubby and a few of his friends were instrumental in inspiring the creation of the United States ‘K-9 Corps’ just in time for World War ll.
https://protectallwildlifeblog.com/2023/03/03/sgt-stubby-world-war-1-hero-dog/#like-13365
PETITION TARGETS: Wetumpka Police Chief Greg Benton, Wetumpka Municipal Court Prosecutors
Two women have been arrested, jailed, and criminally charged for feeding and trying to trap feral cats on public land, with the intent ofreducing the community’s stray cat population in Wetumpka, Alabama.
WATCH: You can watch the body camera footage here.
Wetumpka police body camera footage shows three officers approaching Mary Alston, 60, and Beverly Roberts — an 84 year old, disabled veteran who served 20 years in the U.S. Army — as the two women sit in their cars on a vacant lot owned by Elmore County and prepare to feed and trap feral cats nearby.
One officer tells the women they have to leave the area, because “the city does not want anybody feeding the animals around here” and creating a nuisance. Alston responds that she has set a trap to catch and remove the cats so that they don’t become a nuisance. The officers then tell the women that if they don’t leave the area, they’ll be arrested for trespassing and taken to jail.
Roberts, the 84-year-old, asks officers “This is what you’re wasting city gas on?” and tries to give her car keys to Alston, at which point the officer says, “It’s going to get ugly if you don’t stop.”
The body camera footage, which was provided to The Montgomery Advertiser by the womens’ attorneys, then shows an officer dragging Alston out of her car by the arm and handcuffing her behind her back, while telling her she wasn’t listening “fast enough,” and that “You wanted to keep talking so now you’re going to jail.”
The video shows Roberts — who also has her arms pulled and handcuffed behind her — trying to enter a police vehicle before telling officers that her body isn’t able to move that way with her hands restrained behind her back.
An officer can be heard telling another officer that they almost tased one of the women.
Authorities have charged Alston with criminal trespassing and obstructing government operations, and Roberts with criminal trespassing and disorderly conduct — unbelievable charges for women who were simply trying to help innocent cats, said the women’s attorney, Terry Luck.
“There was no reason for any of this to happen,” Luck told news. “Beverly and Mary were actually helping the city out. By getting the cats spayed or neutered, they were helping to control the population of the feral cats.”
Both women spent several hours in the Elmore County Jail, where Roberts reportedly passed out because she was so upset, the Tuscaloosa News reported.
“I don’t know how anyone could see starving animals and not want to help,” said Roberts, whom news has reported is 5’4” and weighs 130 pounds.
Wetumpka Police Chief Greg Benton said that the arrests and the officers’ treatment of the women was “within policy” – which means that policy needs to change.
The police’s official statement about the incident starts, “When Officer Crumpton made contact with the occupants of the vehicle, it was found that both suspects were feeding and attempting to trap stray cats.”
Luck has alleged that nothing in local or state law bars people from feeding cats.
Trapping, spaying and neutering, and rehoming or releasing (TNR) stray cats is an act of compassion — not a crime.
More than 91 cities in the United States officially condone TNR as an animal control strategy — and it’s unconscionable that the city of Wetumpka, Alabama, would rather jail compassionate people than form collaborative, working partnerships with them for the good of both cats and the surrounding community.
Sign our petition urging the Wetumpka Municipal Court to dismiss these frivolous charges, and for the Wetumpka Police Department to thoroughly investigate the inappropriate use of force in this situation.
FILE PHOTO – Wreaths placed at the National World War II Memorial on Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day on December 7, 2020, in Washington, DC. (Photo by The Old Guard)
MARK PRATT | Associated Press
WASHINGTON (AP) — The remains of a sailor from Massachusetts who died when the USS Oklahoma was struck by multiple torpedoes during the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941 are being buried at Arlington National Cemetery on Monday.
The interment comes more than 80 years after the attack that drew the U.S. into World War II and nearly four years after the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency announced that Electrician’s Mate 3rd Class Roman W. Sadlowski, of Pittsfield, had been accounted for using advanced DNA and anthropological analysis, as well as circumstantial and material evidence.
SEE ALSO | VIDEO: Thunderbirds honor twin brothers, last original team members with Arlington flyover
FILE – This undated photo released by the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency shows Roman W. Sadlowski, of Pittsfield, Mass., who was killed aboard the battleship USS Oklahoma when it was attacked in Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7, 1941 during World War II. His remains, which were identified in December 2018, are being buried at Arlington National Cemetery on Monday, Sept. 19, 2022. (Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency via AP, File)
About 15 family members from Massachusetts, Texas and Florida are scheduled to attend the ceremony that was delayed by the coronavirus pandemic, said Joe Makarski Jr., who is Sadlowski’s nephew and who supplied a DNA sample about a decade ago that was used to help identify the remains.
“We’re quite excited,” Makarski, 81, said in a telephone interview. “It’s been a long time, and I am glad to be alive to finalize it.”
Makarski never met his mother’s brother, but he grew up hearing about him.
ALSO READ | After 78 years, World War II soldier laid to rest at Arlington National Cemetery
“I remember my Dad and Mom speaking about him, and they always spoke very highly of him,” he said. “I know he worked at General Electric and he did the books for my mother’s little beauty salon in Pittsfield. Growing up, I always saw his picture at my grandmother’s house.”
Sadlowski, 21, enlisted in the Navy on July 31, 1940, according to the Navy’s Office of Community Outreach.
As an electrician’s mate his duties included maintaining, operating and repairing the battleship’s electrical systems, motors, generators and alternators.
The USS Oklahoma was among the first vessels hit during the Japanese attack on Dec. 7, 1941, struck by three aerial torpedoes just before 8 a.m. when many sailors were still asleep below deck, according to Navy accounts.
The port side was torn open and within 15 minutes of the first strike, it had rolled over completely, trapping hundreds of crew members. Two members of the crew earned the Medal of Honor for their efforts trying to save their fellow sailors, and a third was awarded the Navy Cross.
Sadlowski was among 429 USS Oklahoma sailors and marines who died.
Of those who died, 388 could not be identified and were buried at the Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific in Honolulu.
The process of disinterring the remains for DNA analysis began in 2015, and since then 355 have been identified, according to the Navy.
Sadlowski’s family debated where to have the remains buried, Makarski said. They considered veterans’ cemeteries in Massachusetts and Florida, and even considered his hometown of Pittsfield, although there are no known family members still living in the western Massachusetts city.
“We talked a lot about it, and decided on Arlington because of its prestige,” he said.
Paratroopers assigned to the 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division load an Airforce C-17 Globemaster aircraft to conduct Operation Panther Storm in March at Fort Bragg. An Army veteran allegedly re-enlisted under false name years ago and applied for passports using the name, authorities said. (U.S. Army/ Sgt. Taylor Hoganson)
Louis Casiano
A Missouri veteran who used a fake name to serve in the Army and live abroad for more than three decades was sentenced Tuesday to community service and time served in jail.
DeLeo Antonio Barner, 60, will also be on supervised release after completing 100 hours of community service, the Justice Department said.
He initially served in the Army under his own name and was not given an opportunity to re-enlist and was discharged. In April 1985, he used the name of a St. Louis man identified by authorities as J.S. to enlist again in the Army, the DOJ said.
He served in Berlin for several years and then began working in Germany for security firms for 33 years. While abroad, he fathered six children who all lived under his assumed name, authorities said.
While living under the false name, Barner applied for an American passport and renewed it three times, federal prosecutors said.
The scheme came to light when the real man applied for health insurance in June 2018 and was told he had to seek healthcare through the Department of Veterans Affairs since he previously served in the military.
“The victim had never served in the military, however,” the Justice Department said. “He told the Veterans Administration police about the use of his identify, triggering the involvement of the Veterans Administration Office of Inspector General and the State Department’s Diplomatic Security Service.”
Barner was interviewed by authorities in July 2019 at the U.S. Embassy in Berlin. During the inquiry, he admitted to using the name to obtain passports and VA benefits.
He eventually surrendered to authorities in March 2020 at an airport and was escorted by the U.S. Marshals Service to St. Louis.
He spent a week in jail and pleaded guilty in May to making a false statement in a passport application.
For some people experiencing homelessness and isolation, their pet companions serve as their only hope. These animals give them a reason to smile and celebrate, as was the case for a man in Bucaramanga, Colombia, named Choko José Luis Matos.
Earlier this year, Choko was spotted by a bystander sitting on stairs at a local park with his four-legged companions, Shaggy and Nena.
At first, it looked like the trio was basking in the warm night air, but the party hats suggested this was a special day.Facebook
As it turns out, the friends were celebrating Shaggy’s birthday. Before revealing a small cake and candles, Choko gave the sleepy dogs some pets. Then, he started singing them a “Happy Birthday” while clapping his hands.
Choko lit the two candles on the cake while the two dogs observed him. After the flames were blown out, the homeless man gave each pup a kiss on the cheeks. He then grabbed a small plastic knife to cut the cake.Facebook
Choko cut a slice for each of his pets, placing the cake on paper plates before offering it to the animals. He also got his own plate and began to eat. While they ate, it seemed like Choko got emotional and started wiping tears from his eyes.
If you think about it, the party hats, plates, and candles probably cost Choko money that he could have used to buy food. But as a loving pet owner, he knew the dogs deserved a celebration.
Choko then watched the birthday boy finish up his cake before giving him a hug. The other dog got more kisses from his loving owner.Instagram
After he stopped filming, the person who captured the precious moment approached Choko to ask him about their lives and offer help. He found out that Choko had escaped an abusive home and had spent the last several years living on the streets.
Despite having no home and job, Choko made sure that Shaggy and Nena were always taken care of. After all, they were his only family, and he loved them with all of his heart.
The person who took the video shared the sweet scene online, inspiring people to donate food, supplies, and money to help Choko and his family get back on their feet.Instagram
The park where the party was held became a gathering place for other animal lovers. The man and his pups also became overnight celebrities as people had him posing with their own dogs for pictures.
That was only the beginning of the blessings that would come upon Choko’s life. Someone who heard his story gifted him a new phone, allowing him to start his own Instagram page, which now has over 186,000 followers.
On one Instagram live, he shared his story and stated that he was originally from the municipality of El Peñón. Talking about the viral video, Choko said that Shaggy was celebrating his 4th birthday that day, while Nena will be celebrating hers in November.Instagram
Choko also shared his dreams of pursuing music and building an animal shelter.
Looking at his Instagram, it appears that things are looking up for Choko, Shaggy, and Nena because they now have a place to stay and a better life. And the good man has already started giving back by creating and selling some shirts and donating a portion of the profits to help fight animal abuse.
“In so many years living on the street I was never alone. My dogs were always there to bring joy to many sad days and now together we are going to help many who need us!” he shared.
We’re so glad to hear that this trio is thriving and now helping others!
Click on the video below to see the precious moment between Choko and his dogs.👇
https://mypositiveoutlooks.com/homeless-man-throws-birthday-party-for-dogs-gets-better-life/#respond
Thank you, Lord, that you fill a mother’s heart with love,
That you have instilled in her very being the need to protect her children if at all possible,
Thank you for giving her the gift of nurturing her children, of teaching them, of comforting them,
for feeding them and making a safe place for them.
For guiding them to be all that God has created them to be.
Fill every mother with love, wisdom and endurance,
with strength and patience and joy.
Give them ability to forgive again and again.
Enable her to rely on You and call upon You, because You will give her all she needs.
In Your precious and all powerful name, Amen
Heavenly Father, to you I pray…
On this day called,
“Mother’s Day.”
Let all mother’s on earth give praise,
To you…for the children that you gave.
For you have blessed them from above,
with little souls to nourish and love.
Let them mold each one with care…
And teach them to be kind and share.
Forgiveness is the special key…
Start early on, to help them see.
Their fragile minds are easily impressed.
Please teach them ways, so they’ll be blessed.
Sow godly seeds into their minds.
With careful pruning, you will find…
Young adults with such strong roots,
all through life, will bear rich fruit.
And then have faith for God to show…
Them all the rest they have to know.
Remember they’re His children too.
For they were only lent to you.
God our Creator, we pray:
for new mothers, coming to terms with new responsibility ;
for expectant mothers, wondering and waiting;
for those who are tired, stressed or depressed;
for those who struggle to balance the tasks of work and family;
for those who are unable to feed their children due to poverty;
for those whose children have physical, mental or emotional disabilities;
for those who have children they do not want;
for those who raise children on their own;
for those who have lost a child;
for those who care for the children of others;
for those whose children have left home;
and for those whose desire to be a mother has not been fulfilled.
Bless all mothers, that their love may be deep and tender,
and that they may lead their children to know and do what is good,
living not for themselves alone, but for God and for others.
Amen
We thank you for adopting us into your family through the miracle of your grace, and for calling us to be brothers and sisters to each other. Today, loving God, we pray for our mothers:
Today we pray for:
Keep us united with you and with each other, so that we can be and become all that we are meant to be.
In this intense nine months, when mothers-to-be are realizing that their life is about to change forever, bless them God, because they feel alternately elated and alarmed. Help each mother-in-waiting to understand that she has been carefully chosen, by both you and by her baby, to guide it through its early years on planet Earth. Let her know that she will never be alone in the process. Help her to remember that her baby is your own perfect creation, just as she, herself, is your own perfect creation. Thank you God, for making each of your creations uniquely perfect in its own way. Amen.
– Lauren McLaughlin
https://thoughts-about-god.com/mothers_/sample-mothers-day-prayers
A retired Iraq war veteran who fought off eight Muslim savages after they attacked his wife wants to set the record straight on what exactly happened that day.
Kyle Tyrrell, 48, had an altercation with fishermen on Victoria’s Surf Coast a year ago while standing up for his wife Liana who was attacked by a Muslim a-hole after she told him the beach was a no-fishing area.
Find Out More >
The retired lieutenant-colonel said the man punched his wife in the face, and also claimed the attack was racially and culturally motivated after the man called his wife a “white slut” and a “white whore.”
Mr Tyrrell suffered minor injuries, while at least one of the Muslims was taken to hospital. No charges were filed.
Hell yeah! He beat the hell out of them!
However criticism that he has received about the incident on Facebook persuaded him to set the record straight on the incident. He confirmed that the men were Muslim and said he would “do it again in a heartbeat”.
His response was published on the Stand Up For Australia – Melbourne Facebook page, where he argued he had no other option but to fight.
Mr Tyrrell claimed the Muslim man took offense to being told what to do by a woman and unleashed a tirade of abuse at her, but the fact that she ignored him only enraged him even more.
“His mates got close to me and then he made a run for my wife, that’s when I ran at him, he threw a punch which I ducked and the fight started. At no time could either my wife, daughter or I safely walk away,” Mr Tyrrell wrote.
“At that point five more joined the fight, one punching my wife as she attempted to get our daughter up the beach.”
At one stage one of the men said to his wife, “Your husband needs to teach you a lesson.”
“I would do the same thing again in a heartbeat, in fact I would do the same thing for any woman I saw in that situation not just my wife,” he said.
In an interview with the Herald Sun, Tyrrell said, “I was just protecting my wife and daughter, like any man.”
STAND UP AND SPEAK OUT!
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Sinclair Broadcast Group 7 – 8 minutes
Last August, during the chaotic exit from Afghanistan, a suicide bomber attacked an entry point to the Kabul airport, where thousands were trying to flee the Islamic Extremist Taliban. That blast killed 13 American service personnel, including 11 Marines. This week, President Biden stood by his decisions on the U.S. exit from Afghanistan.
Pres. Biden: There was no way to get out of Afghanistan after 20 years easily. Not possible, no matter when you did it. And I make no apologies for what I did.
At the time, one Marine officer, Lt. Col. Stuart Scheller, took the unusual step of going public on social media to condemn U.S. leadership and demand accountability. The videos he made landed Scheller in the brig then onto a court martial. Now out of the Marines, he tells me his mission is far from over.
Video: 👇
https://fullmeasure.news/news/cover-story/accountability-for-afghanistan
Stuart Scheller: On August 26th, I was sitting in my office in Jacksonville, North Carolina, as a battalion commander, and the attacks happened. And it just got to a point where I knew no one was going to be held accountable. The plan was horrible. It wasn’t done out of negligence, but it was done out of, “Well, here’s the restraints that the President put on the plan,” and nobody had the courage to push back. No one had the leadership to convince him of why we needed more troops. So, I made a video essentially addressing that.
Scheller in Video: Did any of you throw your rank on the table and say, “Hey, it’s a bad it to evacuate Bagram airfield, the strategic air base, before we evacuate everyone? Did anyone do that? And when you didn’t think to do that, did anyone raise their hand and say, we completely messed this up?
Scheller: One of the fears when I made the video was, because I’m calculating all these things, I could’ve made the video and posted it, and nobody would’ve liked it or shared it. And then my boss still would’ve seen it and then I still would’ve gotten fired, and I would’ve ultimately failed. Right? So, I was thinking through that: “What if nobody cares about this video, and now I throw my whole career away for nothing?” So, the video took off much bigger than I could have ever imagined.
Scheller: When I came into work the next day, my boss said that, like, “Hey, there’s going to be an investigation. Go home. I’ll call you on Monday, and we’ll reevaluate. Turn over the battalion to the XO.” But then, two hours later, my boss called me back into work, and he just relieved me. He didn’t explain why he did a 180, and I didn’t ask. I assume the generals all the way up to the commandant’s office was just getting such pressure that they said, “He’s got to be relieved immediately. No investigation. Just get rid of him.”
The video — the first of four he would post over several weeks — got the ball rolling toward what would ultimately be his departure from the Marines after 17 years. A second video dramatically escalated the tension.
Scheller: The second video was very emotional. I didn’t take multiple takes. It was like Jay-Z. One cut, release, post. If I could go back, that’s the one video that I maybe would’ve said different things.
Sharyl: What did you say in that video?
Scheller: Well, ultimately, the first part of it was all very accurate. I demanded accountability.
Scheller in Video: You know, I asked, all I asked for was accountability of my senior leaders when there are clear, obvious mistakes that were made. I’m not saying we can take back what has been done. All I asked for was accountability for people to comment on what I said and to say yes, mistakes were made.
Scheller: Then, at the end of it, I started talking about how the system was corrupt.
Scheller in Video: And we will bring the whole *beep* system down.
Scheller: That statement right there just caused everyone to lose context of everything else, and then it just started snowballing into me getting painted in the media as a violent extremist because I said, “I’m going to bring your effing system down.” If I could go back, I would change that verbiage. But the content of everything else in there stands. I mean, you’ve got to understand the weight of the situation. I was making a second video knowing that my marriage would probably fall apart, because I didn’t tell her I was making the second video. I knew I was giving up my retirement. I knew I was giving up my life. Much easier for people to pick apart on the aftermath without fully appreciating the weight of that situation.
With the world’s attention now on his message, Col. Scheller posted a third video, in violation of a gag order, just before he knew General Officers would be testifying to Congress.
Scheller: That was probably my most insightful post where I just basically attacked a lot of people, but I said true things.
Scheller in Video: For example, Secretary of State Blinken just testified in Congress and got beat up justifiably. But why General McKenzie was the Central Command commander from Trump to Biden didn’t have to answer those same tough questions. Afghanistan has been a D.O.D. run and led mission for the last 20 years. Why the Department of State is taking the face shots of the fall is beyond me.
Scheller: Then I showed up at work that Monday and, sure enough, they put me in jail. And I understand the thought process.
That brought even more attention, news coverage, and pressure.
Scheller: So then when I was in jail, they offered me a legal deal that stated, “If you plead guilty to five charges at special court martial, we’ll let you out of jail. You can get an honorable or general [unhonorable], and then you have to resign and give up your retirement.” So, I thought if I said “not guilty” to any of them and tried to beat it to keep my retirement, it might take away from me showing what accountability looks like and negate the whole purpose of the endeavor. So, I decided to plead guilty, and I got out of jail by signing the deal. From the beginning, I knew I had broken some of the rules, but I broke the rules to highlight an issue that I thought was bigger than that. You’re never going to bring back the 13 service members that got killed, but you can prevent placing members in bad situations in the future by addressing these things through open and transparent conversation.
Sharyl: Are you satisfied with the result you got in the end?
Scheller: It’s not the end. I, as an officer, was able to affect limited change. I maybe sparked a conversation, but ultimately, none of them have been held accountable yet. So, going back to that one statement where I said, “I wish I would’ve changed bringing your whole effing system down,” ultimately what I meant was: there are fundamental problems with the system that need to be changed, and I’m still fully committed to making that happen.
Sharyl (on-camera): Scheller says it’s not about political party, it’s about strong and committed leadership. He’s now helping to get candidates elected to Congress this year and says he may run himself in 2024.
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Est. 2012
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There are two ways to be fooled. One is to believe what isn’t true; the other is to refuse to believe what is true. —Soren Kierkegaard. "...truth is true even if nobody believes it, and falsehood is false even if everybody believes it. That is why truth does not yield to opinion, fashion, numbers, office, or sincerity--it is simply true and that is the end of it" - Os Guinness, Time for Truth, pg.39. “He that takes truth for his guide, and duty for his end, may safely trust to God’s providence to lead him aright.” - Blaise Pascal. "There is but one straight course, and that is to seek truth and pursue it steadily" – George Washington letter to Edmund Randolph — 1795. We live in a “post-truth” world. According to the dictionary, “post-truth” means, “relating to or denoting circumstances in which objective facts are less influential in shaping public opinion than appeals to emotion and personal belief.” Simply put, we now live in a culture that seems to value experience and emotion more than truth. Truth will never go away no matter how hard one might wish. Going beyond the MSM idealogical opinion/bias and their low information tabloid reality show news with a distractional superficial focus on entertainment, sensationalism, emotionalism and activist reporting – this blogs goal is to, in some small way, put a plug in the broken dam of truth and save as many as possible from the consequences—temporal and eternal. "The further a society drifts from truth, the more it will hate those who speak it." – George Orwell “There are two ways to be fooled. One is to believe what isn’t true; the other is to refuse to believe what is true.” ― Soren Kierkegaard
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