Flight Pundit

The federal government prosecution team is loosing the ability to intimidate and the use of threats and scare tactics is starting to fail in the last couple cases against Marines doing the jobs other (legal)Americans won’t do…

CAMP PENDLETON, Calif. (AP) - The Marine Corps dropped its case and gave full immunity Friday to a serviceman who was accused of involuntary manslaughter in a squad’s killing of 24 Iraqis in Haditha in 2005.

The case against Lance Cpl. Stephen Tatum, 26, of Edmond, Okla., was dropped as jury selection was about to begin for his court-martial. The government has been seeking Tatum’s testimony against the squad leader, Staff Sgt. Frank Wuterich of Meriden, Conn.

In addition to two counts of involuntary manslaughter, Tatum had been charged with reckless endangerment and aggravated assault. Tatum’s attorney, Jack Zimmerman, said there was no agreement with the government before the dismissal.

“Absolutely, there is no deal,” he said.

Zimmerman said Tatum would testify if called as a witness in future trials but that he would testify as a neutral witness, not a government witness.

But that won’t diminish the will of the liberal press and their ability to pressure the military justice system to crucify American fighting men in battle with a ruthless enemy.

Four enlisted Marines were initially charged with murder and four officers were charged with failing to investigate the deaths. Over time the case has shrunk, including removal of all murder charges. Tatum was the third enlisted Marine to have all charges dismissed.Only two officers remain charged.

Even the leadership agreed that is was within the rules of engagement and this is really only because some jackass wants to show the world how evil America is and the liberal press is supporting them in this lie.

The highest-ranking defendant is Lt. Col. Jeffrey R. Chessani of Rangley, Colo., commander of the Camp Pendleton-based 3rd Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment at the time of the Nov. 19, 2005, Haditha killings. Chessani, accused of dereliction of duty and violation of a lawful order, has said he didn’t order a formal investigation because he believed the deaths resulted from lawful combat.

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Ruling by politics isn’t a good thing. It never has been and is extremely anti American.

A California judge rejected a foster teen’s request for early enlistment with the Marine Corps — and a $10,000 signing bonus — reportedly on the grounds that the judge didn’t approve of the Iraq war.

Los Angeles Superior Court Commissioner Marilyn Mackel denied 17-year-old Shawn Sage’s request to join the military last October, according to a report in the Los Angeles Daily News.

“The judge said she didn’t support the Iraq war for any reason we’re over there,” Marine recruiter Sgt. Guillermo Medrano of the Simi Valley U.S. Marine Corps recruiting office told the paper.

“She just said all recruiters were the same — that they ‘all tap dance and tell me what I want to hear.’ She said she didn’t want him to fight in it.”

The kid is going to join the Marines in June- so the judge here had little impact.

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I found this site through a Google Alert. I haven’t checked it out fully, but from what I can see it looks awesome!

The Good Guys Marine Fund.

The 64-member Good Guys of Morgan Run is a non-partisan, a-political, IRS registered 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. Since 2005, The Good Guys have organized an annual spring fund raising drive which has resulted in more than $400,000 in donations.

100% of the money donated to The Good Guys is distributed to worthy Marines wounded in Iraq and Afghanistan in the form of individual grants of $5,000 each, 24/7 emergency funds, and gasoline cards. The Good Guys work closely with U.S. Marine Corps Commanding Officers to identify candidates for grants. All expenses of the organization are underwritten and paid for by members of The Good Guys.

I’m always into helping Marines, and those who are wounded have a special place in my heart. I’m going to consider these Good Guys for future donations.

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So a Judge has decided that the non Marine, John Murtha, won’t have to testify at the hearing of one of the Marines being charged with murder.

A member of Congress who publicly condemned U.S. Marines fighting the war on terror in Iraq for killing civilians in “cold blood” is being granted an exemption that means he will not have to answer questions about his statements, including his earlier explanation that his information came from the highest levels of the Marine Command.

The exemption has come in a military court proceeding against Marine Lt. Col. Jeffrey Chessani, one of four Marines still facing charges in the battle that erupted when a team of his Marines was attacked by insurgents in the city of Haditha.

Murtha’s statements are key to the defense of Chessani, according to officials with The Thomas More Law Center, which is representing Chessani against the charges.

“If you go back [to Murtha’s description] there was no [Improvised Explosive Device], there was no firefight, it was like there was a phantom menace,” said Brian Rooney, a spokesman for the center, told WND.

It seemed that Murtha had been given information that was privileged and confidential…instead of keeping quiet on it, he chose to go public and bash the Marines. He should be required to reveal his sources, in order to rule OUT the possibility that USMC brass was engaging in preemptive assumptions of guilt in this case. But no…Murtha won’t testify. He’s special. Lt. Col Chessani is expendable, as are all the Marines charged in the Haditha debacle.

From the Thomas More Law Center:

“This entire prosecution is politically motivated and stinks to high heaven. Denying us the right to take Murtha’s deposition so that we could show undue command influence, as well as denial of our request for production of documents in the possession of Lt. Col. Chessani’s superiors makes it impossible for us to render this loyal Marine officer the effective assistance of counsel he deserves — they are attempting to throw him under the bus. In many ways this is a trial like the one in Alice in Wonderland—the verdict first and then the trial.”

Justice? I don’t think so.

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LOL!!

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I’m speechless…and not because I have nothing to say on this. To the contrary, my words would pollute Michael’s blog into oblivion. And make Chesty Puller blush.

A Marine has a few choice, polite words though, which reflect my thoughts in a much better manner:

Dude, you’re a dumbass. Not just because you get your rocks off by abusing a puppy, but because you do so while wearing the uniform of a US Marine.
[…]
Look, we all know that grunts are a little kooky, and blood makes the grass grow, and napalm sticks to kids, and yadda yadda yadda… but c’mon. This is unsat. Do that stuff around me and you’ll get stomped.

I bet the idiOt Marine will be getting stomped very soon if he already hasn’t.

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The Marines are getting back to basics.

Trying to become predators instead of prey, Marines headed to Iraq will go through training built on advice from big-game hunters, soldiers of fortune and troops who grew up around firearms in the woods or the inner city.

“This is the most comprehensive training of its kind in our history,” said Col. Clarke Lethin, chief of staff for the 1st Marine Expeditionary Force at Camp Pendleton.

“These are primal skills that we all have but that we evolved out of,” he added. “We are going back in time. The Marines who go through this program will never be the same. They’ll never look at the world the same again.”

The Marine Corps had not paid much attention to this low-tech combat approach since the Vietnam War. Like the other service branches, the Corps has generally gone high-tech by creating increasingly advanced weapons and developing virtual reality training.

Combat Hunter grew out of a concept by Gen. James Mattis, who has spearheaded the formation of various training programs for the Marine Corps. He saw the need for greater focus on hunting-related skills while overseeing combat forces at Camp Pendleton in 2006.

At the time, the Marines had recently turned the corner on roadside bomb attacks that killed and maimed so many of them in Iraq. They became better at detecting improvised explosive devices and blunting their impact.

Then the insurgents changed tactics. Instead of blowing up Marines, the enemy increasingly turned to shooting them as they patrolled neighborhoods or drove by in convoys.

Mattis, known for out-of-the-box thinking, weighed his options. He considered adding Marine snipers to protect his units, but he rejected the idea because it would take too long to train and field them.

Then he hit upon the idea of Combat Hunter, a strategy that squared with the Marine Corps’ aggressive fighting style.

Good. I like primitive things. Primal things. Our enemies are lower than primitive, so it’s fitting that we return to tried and true war skills.

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Two Marines are being railroaded. They’re heroes and don’t deserve this…but the shiny Pentagon brass asses want to hang them out to crucify. This is political correctness gone MAD. Please help the Marines involved.

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Russ Vaughn points to his latest writing over at Old War Dogs.

Before you go there though, check out this web site, which introduces us to Chronic Marine Syndrome:

Symptoms to look for are:

1. Pride in oneself and the organization they represent.
2. A strong willingness to put in extra attention to detail to get the job done.
3. May wear articles of Marine clothing; T-shirts, jackets, watches, well into their 80’s.
4. Will not hesitate to stand up or put their hand over their heart, or even salute when the National Anthem is played.
5. Does not succumb easily to political correctness.
6. Is sure of who they are.
7. Is often either respected or hated by others, due to their abilities and talents.
8. May donate toys to needy kids at Christmas.
9. Some have been known to wear their hair in a high and tight well into their 90’s.
10. Will look you in the eye when talking to you.
11. Will give you a firm handshake.
12. Knows what honor, courage and commitment mean.
13. Can usually be found in some type of leadership position in whatever organization they work for.
14. Will often regard their drill instructors with the same respect as their parents.
15. Often found in either law enforcement or various professions.
16. Is extremely thorough at what they do.
17. Does not wear a bunch of patches to adorn their uniform. Their title of Marine is often sufficient.
18. Often arrives at work earlier than expected. If they wear a shirt and tie in their job, you might see the tie clip. between the third and fourth button centered.
19. Had spent time training at one of two places; Parris Island or San Diego.
20. May be able to field strip their rifle, up to 60 years after leaving active duty.
21. Can recite the nomenclature of the M1, M14 or M16.
22. May often have his pencils sharpened to a perfect precision point.
23. Will not back down from a fight.

…again, don’t ask me why Jarheads make me oh so horny.

XPosted @ ARS

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Most of you have heard about the pile of shit lawyer in Chicago that keyed a Marines Car just before he deploys back to Iraq? Right?

Marine’s car allegedly keyed by protester

By Andrew Tilghman - Staff writer
Posted : Tuesday Jan 8, 2008 20:00:06 EST

 

…

McNulty was getting ready to go back to Iraq for a second tour a few weeks ago when he left a friend’s apartment building to find a stranger vandalizing his car.

The shiny, black, two-door car displayed a Marine Corps license plate and a couple of USMC stickers. When McNulty confronted the man, the Marine faced a tirade of “anti-war and anti-military” remarks, according to a police report.

Many of McNulty’s fellow Marines might be stunned to learn that the 26-year-old reservist didn’t punch the man in the face on the spot. Instead, he called the Chicago police.

“He wanted to let the system handle it,” said McNulty’s brother, William McNulty, in a telephone interview.

Police arrived moments later to find McNulty standing next to Jay Grodner, a 55-year-old attorney who maintains two offices in the Chicago area. Grodner denied scraping the car. He claimed his accusers were anti-Semitic and singled him out because he is Jewish. The police report notes that Grodner’s responses to police questions were “unreasonable.”

Well, this is the best part of all.

Though he might not be in the courtroom, McNulty might derive some comfort from the fact that the presiding judge is a former Marine. Circuit Court Judge William O’Malley was a lance corporal in the early 1960s and is known around the Chicago Courthouse for wearing a Marine Corps pin on his lapel and celebrating the Corps’ birthday each November.

Could be the end for this pile of shit lawyer. I know there are good people that are lawyers but how they allow people like this to remain is beyond me..

Fuck you Jay Grodner, Go to Jail!

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More living history, US Marine style.

They know he wears two hearing aids, thanks to the 105mm howitzer he manned. They know he served in the U.S. Marine Corps and made corporal. They know he has a basement room full of memorabilia after four major battles, including Saipan and Iwo Jima.

“They’d ask every once in a while, but then they’d get a dubious look on their face,” said Bien, 82, of Belle-ville. “They know some of it. I don’t think they know the depth of it.”

Four campaigns in 13 months — Roi-Namur, Saipan, Tinian and Iwo Jima. You might think Iwo Jima was the battle that hit Bien hardest, but it was Saipan.
[…]
He and a buddy were ordered to dig a foxhole in the rain. They piled up sandbags for the walls, then decided to put on a roof of steel bars, mesh, canvas and several inches of sand to keep dry.

That night, a 75mm mortar round landed on the roof.

“We were asleep and it turned us both over. That roof saved us,” he said.

After Iwo Jima, the 4th Division was preparing for the invasion of Japan. Bien would have gone into Tokyo Bay several days after the invasion started to the south.

“Then Harry dropped the A bomb,” Bien said. “I stayed drunk for three or four days.”

He came home and drank away another $300 he got from the state. Then he became a carpenter, married the girl across the street and had six children.
[…]
“You never stop being a Marine,” he said. “I’m still a Marine.”

Semper Fi Cpl. Gordan Bien

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Reason 19,857 why I love the Marines:

Bad ass indeed.

From the 1st Marine Division:

CAMP PENDLETON, Calif. — The Marine Corps activated a battalion Wednesday assigned to assist wounded and ill Marines and sailors and their families on the West Coast.

The Wounded Warriors Battalion-West will be part of the Wounded Warrior Regiment, which is headquartered in Quantico, Va., and was established to help service members transition from care by the Defense Department to the Veterans Administration.

Members of the battalion will remain in contact with wounded veterans to make sure they’re getting the care they need.

A ceremony marking the activation featured the 1st Marine Division band and comments from Sgt. Maj. Bradley Kasal, who was shot seven times and suffered 40 shrapnel wounds while trying to save a wounded Marine in a house in Fallujah, Iraq. Kasal received the Navy Cross, the Marine Corps’ second-highest award for valor.

“You can break your body, but you can never break your spirit,” Kasal told the assembled Marines.

Sgt. Kasal knows all about being wounded, and his story is one of heroism at it’s best. A bad ass he is, too.

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Ilario Pantano has a message worth sharing:

Three years ago, I was leading Marines in Fallujah. Two years ago, with lawyers that many of you helped pay for, I walked into a courtroom at Camp Lejeune to face off against prosecutors in a fight for my life.

Today, I am back in the fight, and ask for your help in defending a team of true American heroes. Drawn from the elite ranks of “Force Recon,” the hand-picked men of Marine Special Operations (MARSOC) are literally the best of the best, and instead of being honored they are being investigated for simply doing their job. Our commandos became the latest victims of rushed judgment and political posturing when they were accused of using “excessive force” to defend themselves during a suicide car-bomb triggered ambush targeting the Americans because some purportedly innocent Afghanis got caught in the cross-fire. But that day on March 4, 2007 in the town of Bati Kot, Afghanistan, our Marines became the victims of more than just suicide bombers, they were caught in the teeth of a thoughtfully engineered media ambush that has ensnared them, and by extension the U.S., in the Taliban’s fight to wrest control of Afghanistan from the Karzai government.

Read the whole letter, here. And consider donating to the Defend The Defenders. They covered our back. Time to cover their’s.

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Marines take care of Marines. In any way, every way.

MARINE CORPS BASE CAMP LEJEUNE, N.C.– People swim, cycle and run for a variety of reasons; for fun, fitness or competition. Capt. Andrew Christian, a Marine assigned to U.S. Marine Corps Forces, Special Operations Command, does all three in memory of fellow warriors killed and injured in the Global War on Terrorism and to raise money to help support their families.

While deployed to Iraq in 2006 as a member of a Military Transition Team, the Neenah, Wisc., native was authorized two weeks of leave to return to the United States and run the San Diego Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon in June of that year. He completed the 26.2-mile run while carrying a 3 x 5 foot American flag and crossed the finish line in three hours and 23 minutes.

True to the amphibious tradition of the Marine Corps, the four-time marathon-runner would not be satisfied until he attacked his objective from the sea: He set his sites on the Ironman Arizona triathlon in Tempe, Ariz., and committed to carrying his U.S. flag through the harsh desert heat and 30-mile-per-hour winds for a marathon’s distance once again – but this time after swimming 2.4 miles to shore and completing a 112-mile bicycle ride.

Christian contacted a company that agreed to sponsor his cause to raise money, both for the daughter of his fallen teammate and for the Injured Marine Semper Fi Fund. The sponsor then asked three-time Ironman World Champion, Peter Reid, to be Christian’s coach and prepare him for the competition.

Read more about Andy’s training and the marathon here.

Semper Fi Fund

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We often hear stories about the heroes of this war and sometimes we even write about them here. The DoD maintains a web site that lists heroes from every state. I went through them all over the past couple days and there are SO many.

Karl Hannan:

Warrant Officer Hannan was deployed to Tikrit, Iraq, from February 2004 to January 2005 to serve as a maintenance technician with a unit that supported heavy trucks. During his time there, Hannan designed and manufactured a clip-on armor plating kit to protect soldiers traveling in the trucks. The armor plating is the only type of its kind in Iraq, allowing it to be clipped on rather than bolted to the body of the vehicles, which prevents it from damaging the vehicles. At their peak, his team could up-armor 254 trucks a day. He also made engineering prints for other types of trucks and trained others how to weld, manufacture and read the blueprints for the armor. Hannan was awarded the Bronze Star Medal for his work in January 2005.

Hannan is from New Hampshire.

More:

Cpl. Winegar and his platoon found themselves confronting numerous enemies who attacked by stealth and under the cover of darkness. On the nights of both August 15th and 16th, insurgents ambushed Winegar’s convoy as it traversed the rugged Pech River Road. In both attacks, enemy fighters fired RPGs from a nearby ridgeline, followed by a hail of machine-gun fire. Winegar not only commanded the lead vehicle, but he manned its machine gun. On both nights, while cut off from his Combat Anti Armor Team, he unleashed his weapon on the ridgeline, holding back the Taliban to give the rest of his convoy time to set up a defense and return fire.

In November 2005, Winegar again faced danger–again as part of an ambushed convoy. On the morning of the 17th, his platoon’s convoy came under heavy fire, and Winegar saw RPGs heading straight toward his vehicle. He ducked into the turret to avoid the inevitable; fortunately, the RPGs landed a few feet off target. Without pausing to consider his good fortune, he grabbed his machine gun and returned fire. Even though his convoy was cut off from other units, Winegar’s quick reactions and responsive fire allowed it to push through the ambush without backup. For his actions, Winegar was twice awarded the Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal with a Combat “V” in August and September, 2006.

Winegar is from Colorado.

Damn heroes. They’re everywhere, and they would prefer it if we didn’t give them such titles. But we need to. And we need to remember the sacrifices and effort these soldiers and Marines give. Go here and find the heroes from your state. And thank them.

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