Ward Churchill (remember him?) references the book, Smallpox and the American Indian, during his testimony in his civil suit against the University of Colorado at the City and County Building in Denver, Colorado March 23, 2009. Churchill is suing the University of Colorado for wrongful termination.
AP photo.

Today, I picked up 2 kids I carpool to the gymnastics club from their magnet school, as I do every Monday. Apparently, there was no mention about Columbus Day. Nada. Zippo. Nothing negative or positive. But they did watch a performance by dancers dressed like Mayan/Aztec Indians; and the older one said it was “Latino Heritage month”.

This school was closed for Yom Kippur (where 99% of the kids are black and Hispanic). But they were open today, with no mention of Columbus, but did celebrate “Latino heritage”. Oooookaaay…..

I’m recognizing my country, less and less, as time wears on….

While Federal government offices in Washington, D.C. are closed for Columbus Day, students in Maryland, just a few miles away, have a full school day. What was once a guaranteed day off from work is now a gamble, with many schools and workplaces open on Columbus Day.

Columbus Day is not commemorated universally. Federal and state offices are closed, the United States Postal Service will not deliver mail, and many banks are shuttered.

But public schools in large cities like Los Angeles, Miami and Dallas are open, while in Washington, DC, New York City and Chicago they are closed

It has been a growing trend for more than 20 years.

Wordsmith did provide some extra insight in his remembrance of Chris with a YouTube link, but I felt that Major General Mark Graham – Commander, Division West and Fort Carson, Colo – and his suicide prevention program needs to be broadened with a grassroots movement.

Below is the ACE card given to military members.. ASK, CARE and ESCORT. It’s an action plan when you see one of our warriors in trouble.

Like an omen, I happened to pick up a People Magazine my mother purchased as a fluke while I’m visiting her, and my Dad, in Florida. She wanted to read the cover story of Farrah Fawcett. Ironically, a non-cover story was about Major General Mark Graham, and his mission to prevent suicides of troops, along with his wife, Carol.

Even more ironic, August happens to be the military’s Suicide Prevention Month.

The Grahams have lost two sons… Army 2nd Lt. Jeff Graham died in February 2004, saving his platoon from a bomb on a bridge in Khaldiyah, Iraq.

But eight months earlier, they lost another son… ROTC cadet kevin Graham. Suffering from depression, he hung himself in his apartment at the University of Kentucky.

Excerpt from the People article:

Condolence calls and bouquets poured in [after Jeff's death]. They wondered, where were these mourners for Kevin? “Everybody is treating you totally different”, says Carol. Leaving a funeral home for the second time in eight months, the Grahams made a decision. At a stoplight, Mark Graham said, “The loss of the boys can either be the whole book of our lives, or it can be two tragic chapters.” Soon after, they started the Jeff and Kevin Graham Memorial Fund to prevent suicide on college campuses.

Years passed before he would discuss the issue among the ranks. In 2006, a military-family survivirs’ group, TAPS, asked him to speak. Losing a loved on in war is a frequent stopic on that circuit, and he expected they wanted to hear about Jeff. Instead, for the first time, he was asked to address suicide. It was a turning point: Since then, has has spoken about it often. “I hope it’s helped,” he says. “To be frank, it’s not easy. It’s horrendous.”

Our warriors are everywhere, and in various status of service. If a nation can be cajoled into spying on their neighbors for anti-Obama statements, I suggest it can even be easier to alert a nation to a warrior in trouble.

And to that end, I’d like to provide some suicide prevention resources.

For more information about Suicide Prevention Month or to request a suicide prevention presentation or to seek assistance for someone contemplating suicide, call the Employee Assistance Program at 842-0895 or 842-9897.

Other suicide intervention resources include:

Fox Army Health Center’s Behavioral Medicine, 955-888, ext. 1930;
Chaplain Services, 842-2174, 842-2176 or 541-6359;
Military One Source, 1-800-342-9647;
Huntsville/Madison County Mental Health Services, 533-1970;
National Suicide Prevention Hotline, 1-800-273-8255;
Hope, 1-800-784-2433;
and VA Readjustment Counseling Services, 1-800-271-1000.

You can see Major General Graham’s quick clip on the ACE program at the DOD’s Military Health System website.

Warning Signs: When a Soldier presents any combination of the following, the buddy or chain of command should be more vigilant and consider help:

• Talk of suicide or killing someone else
• Giving away property or disregard for what happens to one’s property
• Withdrawal from friends and activities
• Problems with girlfriend, boyfriend or spouse
• Acting bizarre or unusual (based on your knowledge of the person)
• In trouble for misconduct
• Soldiers experiencing financial problems
• Soldiers who have lost their job at home (such as Reservists or Guardsmen)
• Soldiers leaving the service

When a Soldier presents any one of these concerns, the Soldier should be seen immediately by a helping provider:

• Talking or hinting about suicide
• Formulating a plan to include acquiring the means to kill oneself
• Having a desire to die
• Obsession with death (music, poetry, artwork)
• Themes of death in letters and notes
• Finalizing personal affairs
• Giving away personal possessions

Risk factors are those things that increase the probability that difficulties could result in serious adverse behavioral or physical health. The risk factors only raise the risk of an individual being suicidal – it does not mean they are suicidal.
Risk factors often associated with suicidal behavior include:

• Relationship problems (loss of girlfriend or boyfriend, or divorce)
• History of previous suicide attempts
• Substance abuse
• History of depression or other mental illness
• Family history of suicide or violence
• Work-related problems
• Transitions (retirement, permanent change of station or discharge)
• A serious medical problem
• Significant loss (death of a loved one, loss due to natural disasters)
• Current/pending disciplinary or legal action
• Setback (academic, career or personal)
• Severe, prolonged and/or perceived unmanageable stress
• A sense of powerlessness, helplessness and/or hoplessness

Suicidal risk is highest when:

• The person sees not way out and fears things may get worse
• The predominant emotions are hopelessness and helplessness
• Thinking is constricted with a tendency to perceive his or her situation as all bad
• Judgment is impaired by use of alcohol or other substances

Life and the internet are strange strange things. I’ve been trading emails and posts etc with Chris for years now. It wasn’t at all uncommon for his duties, deployments, and family to make those virtual conversations sporadic from time to time.   Well, Chris won’t be returning emails anymore.   He passed away suddenly on June 30, 2009.

Last Fall he and his wife Shannon had a baby girl, Lilly. Chris was so happy. We teased him about how awful it is to step on Barbie Doll high heels in the middle of the night, and he bragged about how his friends Mossberg and Remington were gonna help keep the boys away from his little beauty.

A few weeks later he deployed to Afghanistan. We still got emails from him. He sent pics, talked about the firefights, artillery barrages on Christmas night, and how, ‘once you accept that if you step off the path you’re in a minefield , and you’re dead, it’s not that bad. Ya just stay on the path.’ He didn’t love it over there in the ass-end of the planet by any stretch of the imagination, but he was extremely proud to be doing his duty-at least, that’s what he told us in emails.

Chris was always brash, blunt, bold, and beautiful in his political commentary. He was in no uncertain terms not happy with the Democratic Party, its leaders or its followers. Time and again he posted here at Flopping Aces in response to DNC talking points about Iraq, Afghanistan, and the Global War on Terror. He would NEVER stoop to re-naming it ‘overseas contingency operations in support of combat in Operations Iraqi Freedom and/or Operation Enduring Freedom. People would post that there were no WMD in Iraq, and he’s show pictures and links and tell personal stories of his time there. They’d say there was no Al Queda in Iraq, and that Saddam and Bin Laden had no relationship, and he’d wig out with tales of what he had personally seen.

What really set Chris off the most in terms of war and politics seemed to be the lack of support, the fake support, and the deliberate division of the nation for political purposes. Time and time again he claimed that the opposition to the war was just a way of bitching about George W Bush. He claimed that if Obama was elected, the opposition to the war would disappear in a heartbeat. He was right. He hated the claim that people could claim supported the troops, and then oppose their efforts to succeed; oppose their hard work. It pissed him off. He said in one email it was like saying you support the players on your baseball team, but not wanting them to win.  He saw it as a lie, a lie for partisan political reason, and he saw the fake opposition to America’s wars as something weak, something that he personally, directly, unequivocally witnessed giving strength to the enemy and made his job harder. He described this firsthand frustration in almost every email, every post, and every article that he wrote.

This weekend the Flopping Aces writers were trading emails and having one of those REPLY TO ALL discussions. One of us asked what we’d all be wondering, “Has anyone heard from Chris lately?” Curt was the last. He had heard from him in early June. It only took a few moments of Googling, and someone found his obituary. We couldn’t believe it was him. Too much hair in the picture-not enough hair. More Googling followed. So did more information. Yeah, it was him.

On June 30th Major Chris Galloway took his own life. He had come back from Afghanistan in April, and things just weren’t the same we’re told.

Why’d we lose him? Who the hell knows. There is no rational reason for doing such a thing, so using reason to figure it out is both impossible and ineffectual. It accomplishes nothing. In the end, he’s still gone. For the sake of his wife, his kids, and for ourselves it’s better to remember him for who he was. Given that he was so much to so many, there’s a lot to think about.  He was a husband, father, soldier, a writer for Flopping Aces, and I consider him my friend. We all consider him our friend. May God bless him and give him peace.  He’s earned it.

Chris’ military honors:

MAJOR Christopher Todd Galloway was born in FT. Knox, KY on February 12, 1973.

He Graduated from Oxford High School in 1991, where he was a member of the explorer scouts program and he also took great interest in computers and engineering.

MAJOR Galloway went to Western Michigan University in Kalamazoo, MI (where he met his wife Shannon) He graduated in 1996 with a bachelors degree in engineering management. He became involved in ROTC while in college and went to Basic training at FT. Knox, KY.

After Graduation, MAJOR Galloway’s 1st assignment was tank platoon leader in Baumholder, Germany for the C company, 1st battalion, 35th armor of 1st Armor division. While serving as a tank platoon leader, MAJOR Galloway deployed to Bosnia for 6 months conducting the NATO peace keeping operations. He was latter assigned to headquarters and headquarters company (HHC) Excutive Officer under the same Battalion.
Major GAlloway’s service includes Assistant Brigade S3 and Batalian S4 in FT. Riley, KS under the 1st Infantry Division. He Served as Troop Commander under D Troop, 1st Squadron, 16th Cavarly regiment in FT. Knox KY. This is where Chris Earned his spurs and Stetson that he was so proud of.

In 2006, Major Galloway was assessed in the Army Acquisition Corps. He served his 1st Acquisition assignment as the assistant Project manager (APM) for survivability under the TANK-AUTOMOTIVE research, development and Engineering center (TARDEC) in Warren, MI. He was deployed to Iraq in 2007 till the Birth of his 2nd son.

He served his most recent assignment with the joint MRAP Vehicle Program office for Mine resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) as the APM Survivability under the Program Executive Office, Combat support & Combat service support (PEO CS&CSS)

Major Galloway’s awards and decorations include the Meritorious Service metal, Army Commendation Metal (2 OLC), Army Achievement metal, National Defense Service metal, NATO metal, Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal, Afghanistan Campaign metal, Global War on Terrorism Service Metal, and the overseas and Army Service ribbon.

He is Survived by his wife Shannon and their 3 children. Nathan (4.5), Benjamin (2) and Lillian (10 months)

Major Galloway is also survived by his Mother Sara Galloway and his sister Erin Galloway. He was preceded in Death by his father Major Lawrence Galloway.

There will be a trust fund set up for Major Galloway’s children soon, details to follow.

Obituary

Chris’ articles here at Flopping Aces

Not even sure how to start this post, it’s all been a blur. As Scott described above it began with a simple “has anyone heard from Chris?” and it snowballed from there. I never, in my wildest dreams, imagined it would end like this. The Chris I knew and befriended here on Flopping Aces, first as a commenter and then author when I asked him to come aboard on September 6th, 2007 was solid as a rock. He served his country in war and peacetime. He was so proud of his country and his babies but was passionate about the direction this country was going in and he didn’t like it one bit…as none of us did either.

But why would he take his own life?

The last few emails I received from him in early June, apologizing for the lack of writing (which we all understood due to his service to our country) spoke of him “probably” getting a divorce. I knew the emotional turmoil he must of been going through since I recently went through a divorce. I told him to stay in touch and if he needed anything to please contact me.

I never heard from him again.

As Scott said above “so using reason to figure it out is both impossible and ineffectual. It accomplishes nothing. In the end, he’s still gone.” So we will choose to honor a life he should be proud of.

Chris, may you rest in peace, and know that those issues you were so passionate about will not be forgotten by us left behind. You served your country proudly and for that I thank you from the bottom of my heart.

This weekend has been surreal. Our author off-forum discussions of Chris left us in varying states of disbelief, bewilderment and grieving. And I will even add, frustrating.

As one of the newest authors here, I feel cheated not having the cyber relationship longevity Curt, Scott and a few others have enjoyed. But my recent entry to this tight knit, and often sibling taunting, FA family never seemed to matter to Chris. From the moment that Curt brought me in to join the crew, Chris’ heart was opened, and his thoughts unedited.

But that human “welcome mat” seemed to be Chris all around. He had this knack of seeing beauty and bright spots in the darkest moments, or most barren terrain. A giving kind of guy with a heart bigger than a mountain, convictions as solid as the man of steel, and a loyalty and patriotism most could not fathom, let alone match.

Those same qualities are reflected in his military service as well. In some ways, you latecomers to FA can see into Chris’s soul by reading his first “guest post” in Sept 2007, called “My Iraq”. It was a post that led to his FA authorship status, and Curt’s comments still reside at the bottom of that post… tho I am chagrined to find the photos have been lost to archives and technological snafus from our history of cyber attacks. (Curt’s Note: I found the pictures in the archive and have put them back into that post)

Chris’s specialty was MRAPs. In essence, his job was to protect the troops… literally… with expertise in armoring up not only vehicles, but the gear they carried. Chris’s last tour in Iraq included new troops to care for… the Iraqi Army.

In that first post from Chris – still serving at that time in Iraq – one of the lost photos is of a newly trained Iraqi soldier embracing and comforting a child in the aftermath of battle.

The Iraqi Soldier of today is better educated, better lead, and better supported than he ever was. Would they be on par with the Western Coalition today? No, but few are and we train heard just to keep that proficiency ourselves.

That said, the Iraqi Army is probably the best armed force in the Arab/Persian world. If you cannot look at this picture and be touched by the emotional comfort the Soldier is providing the child, then I doubt anything I have to say will matter as your heart is full of hatred for the USA, our President, our Armed Forces, and the good Iraqi People.

So how does this affect yours truly? I helped equip this Soldier you see hugging the child. Everything he has on him and even that generator behind him are things I helped provide. That is my contribution to the war now. I help to build a professional Iraqi Army. My years as an Armor Officer are over. I have moved to Acquisitions. My vengeance to the terrorists no longer comes from the muzzles of my tanks, but from the ability of the Iraqis to hunt and kill the barbarian terrorist thugs themselves.

To re’read that post, and archives of Chris’s emails to us that were not for the public forum, the tears still well up. This was not a man who cried uncle in the face of adversity, but one who stood defiantly against those that preyed on the freedom and future of others. His convictions for our military, our mission in the Middle East, and his distinct dedication as a protector of all within in his power and reach is something that you find in few individuals.

He tried to find the beauty wherever he was… even describing Bagram as “nice, if dusty” in his final FA post after arriving in Afghanistan Nov of 2008. No matter where he was, Chris never lost the poet, nor sense of humor, that resided within.

Along with losing a cyber friend that I treasured, I have a particular sadness for Chris. He spent his adult life loving, giving and protecting. I can’t help but feel that, at a time when the “protector” needing protecting himself, that we… those he guarded and shielded with his very life… were perhaps unintentionally blind to his personal plight. Maybe we felt that one who displayed so much magnificence in his dedication to others was invincible to every incoming threat… military or personal.

Today, we know differently. For a reason we may never know, this man who gave his all for country, his fellow troops, and even strangers in a strange land, found himself running on “empty” when it came to protecting himself.

Chris? If there’s an ISP connection in heaven, you shall be missed. And never again will I see another warrior/protector, without wondering if perhaps I should find a way to give back and refuel his spirit…. Just in case he or she is too proud to say they are in trouble.

RIP, our friend.

The Internet makes our world smaller. It puts us into contact with people that we would otherwise have never known and our lives are made better for it.

It’s strange how you can grow attached to people that you have never met in person. That’s what happened when I “met” Chris. I became attached to him. I looked forward to hearing what he had to say.

Through Chris’ posts and his comments a man who truly loved his family and his country came shining through. A man with steely eyed resolve, quick wit, and a heart of gold. The dedication, determination, discipline, and skill that he put into his job as a defender of freedom was communicated loud and clear to all of us who read his words.

The pride, the joy, and the love that he had for his children was unmistakable.

Chris believed in America. He believed in our cause in Iraq and Afghanistan. Chris believed that he could make a difference. Chris did make a difference.

From his first post here at FA:

To those who serve and support our efforts and are part of the war to crush the rising tide of terrorism and hijacked Islam, you will look at this picture, and like me, promise those little eyes that we WILL NOT FAIL. I looked at this picture the most today writing this letter. I kept asking myself if I have done everything I can to give her the opportunity to work for freedom and live in true peace. I hope I have. I know others have given everything in that cause. 3,000 Americans have given their lives so little children like this girl will not live under tyranny. Many thousands more have given years of their lives to fight the rising tide of tyrants in the world.

To those people, I give my sincerest thanks and love, as everyone who reads this should also. They are the ones who make life worth living. It does not matter who these supporters of Freedom are or what they can provide to the effort. The fact that they provide is enough.

Just before Chris left for Afghanistan he e-mailed back and forth to the authors here at FA in one of the REPLY ALL conversations that we have so frequently. He told us that he was headed to Fort Benning, GA and, from there, to the “austere” surroundings of Afghanistan.

At the end of our group conversation I sent Chris an e-mail message. I asked him if it would be OK for our family to pray for him during his deployment and he told me that he would very much appreciate that.

I told him that, though we had never met, I would always be grateful for what he was doing for our country and, more personally, my family.

My wife, my children, and I thought of Chris and prayed for him while he was gone. We are all deeply saddened by his departure.

Our thoughts and prayers are now extended to Shannon and the children as well, as Chris’ mother, and his sister, and the rest of his family and friends. My God cover you and comfort you with fond memories as you travel this stony portion of life’s pathway.

Major Galloway rest well sir, rest well.

In ways you could never have imagined, you really did make a difference. My only regret is that we were unable to help make a difference for you when you needed us most.

All Is Well

Whate’er you dream, with doubt possessed,
Keep, keep it snug within your breast,
And lay you down and take your rest;
And when you wake, to work again,
The wind it blows, the vessel goes,
And where and whither, no one knows.

‘Twill all be well: no need of care;
Though how it will, and when, and where,
We cannot see, and can’t declare.
In spite of dreams, in spite of thought,
‘Tis not in vain, and not for nought,
The wind it blows, the ship it goes,
Though where and whither, no one knows.

- Arthur Hugh Clough

Life has a tendency to throw you a curve ball when you least expect one. This week in a ‘reply all’ email exchange, my fellow Flopping Aces contributors were shocked to discover the sudden loss of a treasured member of our internet family.

I was in awe of the talent, drive and passion that projected from his writings when I first joined the posse. His warm welcome calmed my anxiety of joining such a talented group of bloggers. Chris wasn’t just talking about the WOT, he was part of the story.  Through private emails to our group, he fleshed out the story of Afghanistan; yet I always detected a note of hope in his dispatches. God, it hurts to write these words.  During his deployment, I sent prayers his way during the weekly rally in West Chester – I will continue to do so for his wife and children.

I’m still trying to come to an understanding with the manner of his death, perhaps settling with never having a clear answer.  Instead, I chose to remember Chris through his own words which reveal a passionate patriot, dedicated professional, and doting dad.  He tirelessly worked to build a better, safer world for men, women and children halfway across the globe.

Let’s not mourn him, but honor his service by continuing to work for a better nation and a better world:

Turn Again To Life
If I should die and leave you here awhile,
Be not like others, sore undone,
Who keep long vigils by the silent dust and weep.
For my sake – turn to life and smile,
nerving thy heart and trembling hand to do
Something to comfort other hearts than thine.
Complete those dear unfinished tasks of mine
And I , perchance, may therein comfort you.

~Mary Lee Hall

Rest in peace, Major Chris Galloway. You will not be forgotten.

I’ve been noticeably missing the past week or so for a number of reasons. Not the least of which is Army business, but I can’t blame it all on work. At the end of the show, I publicly admitted that I’m having issues dealing with life.

-CJ, writing on June 30th, the very day ChrisG committed suicide.

Back in March, I was about to transition to a new job and had interest in having another go at the military reserves, although I was rejected 2 years ago.

The recruiter I had begun talking to abruptly broke off contact. On March 18th, I sent an email to CJ of A Soldier’s Perspective, venting frustration. He wrote back:

To their credit this time, the Army is busy with a lot of suicide prevention training lately, especially the recruiters. Maybe give them another week, but keep trying!

Just the day before this, CJ had posted on suicide prevention programs within the military.

On March 6th, about 2 weeks earlier, CJ’s post began:

I want to address that Soldier, Marine, Sailor, or Airman that may have come here for answers. You may be contemplating suicide and you’re seeking help over the internet. If this is your only outlet, please seek us out. My email address is on the sidebar and regardless of the time of day, you may contact me. If you need help, I will give you my personal phone number. Above all, don’t go to extremes and try to kill yourself.

I can promise you that this world is a beautiful place and you are an amazing part of it. Please don’t leave people wondering what kind of world it would have been had you stayed in it! There is nothing in this world worthy of taking your life. Believe it or not, a failed relationship, a bad deployment experience, a failed job, delinquent bills, terrible leadership, the loss of a family member or friend – none of that is worth your life. I desperately urge you to take those issues in your life and become something bigger in spite of your problems. There are people who care about you deeply and want to help you through whatever you’re facing right now. We may not understand, but we care and want help you through it. Once you take your life, it can’t be taken back.

If you don’t contact us for help, please go somewhere. Check out www.militaryonesource.com… for people that can help. Go to your chain of command. Seek out a complete stranger. Go to a hospital or police department. Just do something besides trying to take your life. I don’t know you personally, but I’d like to.

Although I’ve never met Chris, and had only limited contact and conversations with him, it’s difficult for any of us- his friends and family members most of all- not to wonder what we could have done to have made the difference in his life that might have given him that one moment of pause he needed to get him through. I had seen CJ’s post in March; around June or July, CJ himself came to grips with his own need to reach out for professional help and was diagnosed with PTSD. Chris ended his life in late June.

The “what if’s” inevitably begin to swirl around in my head: What if I had followed through with a blogpost of my own, then? Even just simply linked to CJ’s important post? Like so many intended posts, it never got made…Would Chris have seen it? Read it? Remembered it in his time of need? Contacted CJ? Sought help? Or would events have unfolded the way they did, anyway? What if I had bothered to correspond more with Chris? Sent him a kind word of support about how much we admire him for the hard job that he does daily for our country? Would I have noticed any possible signs that he was in trouble?

Having had an uncle who took his own life, I will say that the grief and guilt of those loved ones left behind can be enormous.

It wasn’t unusual for Chris to not post often (given the nature of his work); but it was a bit unusual that he wouldn’t chime in a response to a group discussion by his FA cohorts just to let us know he was there, listening in; or to leave a comment on one of the FA blog posts, often caustically biting the head off a liberal moonbat in the process. Something…anything. Often, his correspondence would come in spurts. This long stretch around, I figured he was just too busy out there saving the world; stupidly not realizing he might need saving himself.

I admired Chris greatly for the sacrifices he made- for the life he lived for a cause greater than self. He was every inch the epitome of what one wanted in an American soldier: Brave, dedicated, compassionate, humorous, patriotic, and…*ahem*…..staunchly conservative. He loved his country and loved his family; and I am sure he loved life. Love of all three drove him to defend his country, his family, and the lives of the innocent. And for these things, more than for his FA contributions, I greatly thank him. America’s lost a true patriot; his wife has lost a husband who was crazy about her; and his children have lost a father who adored them. And THAT, is the most heartbreaking of all. As valuable as Chris is as a warrior to his country, warriors can be replaced; fathers cannot.

I can only pray that somewhere in heaven, Chris Galloway has found his peace. And that here back on earth, his wife, children, and those other loved ones he left behind will know theirs…

Dear brothers and sisters in arms, we CANNOT afford to close ourselves off from our families. They are the only ones that can see us through the difficulties of deployment. They are the best thing we have in dealing with our issues and understanding our sacrifices and duties. They sacrifice with us while we are gone and if we shut them out, we denigrate THEIR sacrifices.

It’s hard to ratchet down to the CONUS mindset knowing that in just 12 short months, you’ll be back in the combat mindset, but it’s something that must happen for the sake of our futures and our families’ futures. It would be different if there was a definite end date to these wars we’re fighting, but the enemy has a vote. We don’t now, so we need to take every step possible to find normalcy in the sea of conflict and combat we are so frequently subjected to.

If we can’t lean on and support our families, who can we turn to? Our non-military friends have no idea. Most communities have no clue. Our fellow troops have their own problems and marriages to worry about (though they are also a source to be tapped into). Our families should be our number one priority, not the Army, not the mission. Nothing should hold a higher priority in our lives except maybe our God.

If you make the Army a career, it will last 20-30 years. Your family will be there for much longer if you do it right. Why let something so temporary as the Army take precedence over something you’ve sworn to protect for “time and all eternity” or “until death do you part?”

Yes, the war is draining us emotionally and physically, but if we don’t take the battle to the enemy, they will bring it back home again. We are stronger than that. We cannot let them win by killing us physically and mentally abroad and killing our marriages back home.

-CJ, August 4th, Troops MUST Reintegrate Into Their Families

I want to thank my fellow writers for their moving tributes to Chris and the thoughtful, soul searching that we have shared together as we try to come to grips with this sad news.  My friends have done such an exemplary job of addressing the issue and I join with them in expressing our heartfelt condolences to Chris’s family and especially to his children.

We’ll never understand, nor accept, why he took his own life. How can we? A man who was willing to give up his life in the service of his country should be the last person to take his own life and abandon his young family. It’s so sad to think that there was no one able to reach Chris before this tragedy occurred.

We all know that being deployed for long periods overseas places enormous strains on families. But until very recently, the suicide rate among our troops was at or below that of the population in general. This isn’t about the military. This is about a life lost. This is about a man, a father and a husband who lost his way and went down a dark path from which there is no coming back; no second chance. I doubt he choose that path. Some form of stress, or eruption of mental illness drove him down that path. The real tragedy here is that no one was able to reach him in time to save him.

If there is a “teachable moment” here it is to charge each of us with the responsiblity to extend a hand to anyone in similar danger. They may try and push us away, but that should only make us more determined to reach out and see to it they get the help they need. It’s not an easy thing to do and we may not succeed, but we must try.

People often wonder: what is the meaning of life? Why am I here? The answer is simple: we are put on this planet to love and care for others. If we can reach out and save just one soul in trouble then we are fulfilling our life’s mission.

UPDATE

More pictures from Chris

Look what arrived in my inbox today:

SCHRODER ANNOUNCES CANDIDACY FOR CONGRESS

State Representative Curt Schroder running to serve the 6th Congressional District

Downington, PA –State Representative Curt Schroder today announced that he is seeking the Republican nomination for the 6th Congressional District that includes portions of Chester, Berks, Lehigh, and Montgomery counties.

“I have decided to enter this race to ensure that the values that built our country remain for our children, that we encourage the policies of entrepreneurism, limited government and to preserve the economic future of our nation,” said Curt Schroder.

Schroder added, “America’s greatness comes from free enterprise and hard working families, not government bailouts and bureaucracy. I will bring my passion for public service and Pennsylvania values to Washington to better our community and nation.”

Through my work with PACC and American Sheepdogs I’ve had the extraordinary pleasure of working with this remarkable individual. Now, more than anytime in history, Pennsylvania is in need of principled leadership that puts needs of average citizens above partisan politics. Pennsylvania needs a change for the better, Pennsylvania needs Curt Schroder.

It is my pleasure to endorse Curt Schroder as the most qualified candidate for the 6th Congressional District. I am so proud of Curt for taking on this difficult, but worthy battle. I know the area and its players – smear merchants galore. However, it is in this environment that the Sheepdogs and PACC have flourished. Hope is making a comeback in Pennsylvania – one street corner at a time. I am happy to share this journey back to good with the  Flopping Aces readers.

The following video was shot on July 4th Independence Hall Teaparty. I was happy to be able share this video with the Tea Party participants at the Dallas Tea Party and Breitbart TV.

Anyway, have you ever heard of “PhotoRescue Expert”? It’s a really nice application that allows you to recover images you may have accidently deleted. Wouldn’t it be awesome if I was able to run that application and scan the camera to see if I could recover any of those “demo” photos?

Oh but wait, I did. Due to the fact we had taken a couple photos before we realized the camera wasn’t working right, the first couple images were not recoverable.

The first photo showed a young black woman sitting on a bed. The second shot showed the empty bed with the camera box sitting at the end of the bed. The third shot… Oh, here, you can see the third shot for yourself. You can see the woman and the headboard in this photo.

Go check it out…

Michael is not the guy any store wants to mess with.

Maybe it’s ’cause the inevitable result of Pres-elect Obama’s long list of campaign promises, the HOPE and the expectation of CHANGE now have to face a reality…a reality that soon Obama and the Democrats’ Congress will be sworn in, and the American people will no longer be content with words promising hope and change. They will want action, deeds, not just words.

(btw, no, it’s not crack or pot, or bourbon. It’s Theraflu that brought this saucy sentiment to you.
-Scott)

Since moving assignments, I have not posted much here.  I am now in Afghanistan and, like my tour in Iraq last year, I have noticed a few things.

1.  The Western “Mainstream” media lies so much I doubt I could trust the times they give for sunrise and sunset.  In 2007 and before, everything was slanted or even made up out of thin air to slam President Bush.  Now everything is roses as Obama is going to ride to the rescue.  The lies of the left and the media are so vile that the sewage dumping point here smells good in comparison!

2.  We have noticed that the tone of the reporting has changed dramatically since the election and the Animal Farm/1984ish antics of the leftist media are so transparent that we can only sit and laugh because crying out at the arrogance, bias, and stupidity is useless.  I am still waiting for the media to use a less than flattering pose for the President Elect as they have for the current President all through the last 8 years!!!  The only poses I see are so engineered and flattering that even Stalin and “Kim the Ill” in Korea would be jealous.  The pure sycophantism and worshipfulness by the media is disgusting beyond measure!  The worst part is I know it will only get more so. (Sorry Scott, I do not think the media will ever stop with their blind worship and witch-hunts of critics).

3.  So much for “change”.  It looks like the Clinton Administration, with all of its disasters, stupidity, and arrogance is back again.  Unfortunately, President Bush in his “reaching out” never got rid of the previous administration’s underlings who have been backstabbing him and, well, that makes it easy for Obama.

4.  AFN (Armed Forces Network) is what is played in the area on public televisions in the DFACs (Dining Facilities)  and common areas.  AFN News is a military presentation with soldiers reading the news about DoD and service related issues.  It is followed by a mixture of CNN, MSNBC, and FNC.  O’Reilly has a program followed by Oberman.  I do not understand how then Candidate Obama did not understand this, but I think our programming will “change” soon and FNC will be removed.  Why is this important?  Because where Service Members can access Satellite TV, FNC wins out as watching CNN and MSNBC makes more than a few want to swear openly towards the television at the stream of lies CNN and MSNBC pushes off as “journalism”.

Now for what the media will not tell you but will suddenly appear as soon as the inauguration is over and the media then has to ensure nothing bad happens to discrace the new President they helped elect:

Afghanistan is, and always was, a fight.  A fight we are winning.

Patrols come and go here. Moral, even with the elections, is high. Casualties are VERY low. Planes of all types (and I mean ALL types) take off and land without molestation.  There are no High Obstacle Avoidance Landings as there were in Iraq.  Every plane lands here on a gentle glide slope.  The F-15s steak out on missions fully loaded, afterburners screaming, and climb to a gut wrenching height of only 200 feet before disappearing into the mountains on their missions.  The beautifully ugly A-10s lumber out with their massive bomb loads and heavy gun at a moments notice. MRAPS, HMMWVs, ASVs, NATO armored vehicles, and an assortment of other trucks leave daily on missions. They all come home.

People here do snicker and say the American People got what they were fooled into with Obama and AQ pretty much settled the question on if he is Islamic or not by calling him a traitor and an apostate. We do not understand AQ’s and the Taliban’s version of “Victory”. If taking 90% casualties and losing ground everywhere while we take minimal casualties is AQ’s idea of “victory” for their side, let them keep being “victorious”.  That whole “Americans are tasty” remark was a tad disgusting, but considering the barbarity of the AQ/Taliban and islamofascists in general, not surprising.

Bagram is nice, if dusty.  Cold nights followed by pleasant days and surrounded by mountains.  I am headed to Kandahar sometime soon.  Kandahar may be a tad different as there is less snow there and more raw sewage. I do get to play with the vipers, but they tell me I cannot keep one as a pet. They will not even let me have a scorpion. I tell you, no alcohol, no sex, and no exotic pets leaves me kind of bored. (To our “tolerant”, “open-minded” trolls, that last line is called ‘sarcasm’. Considering how angry you might be after reading this far, I felt I had to point that out.)

Afghanistan is no where near paradise, but we adapt. Iraq was much more robust and “civilized” than this area. Hard to believe the historical importance of the spice and silk routes through here did not do SOMETHING to civilize the place. The destruction of the country by the Soviets is almost total in many areas, which combined with the “all about me” culture hampers rebuilding.

We celebrated Thanksgiving here.  It was more peaceful than most cities and we were as happy as we could be.  Watching the media however was infuriating as usual.  MSNBC was playing last night on AFN.  They showed US Troops in Iraq having dinner and said it was peaceful enough to actually celebrate.  I hate to break it to the heirs to the “Ministry of Truth” that the leftist media is, but we ALWAYS have celebrated holidays in Iraq and Afghanistan!!  I do not know what I despise more about the media; the lies, the smugness and elitism with which they are presented, or the fact that so many people in America and the West actually BELIEVE these lies!

Done for the post. I will try to put up some pictures from around the area and of Thanksgiving. I will try to update as I move around but will be more off than on.

In the weeks before the election, I noticed a growing number of my fellow citizens wearing Obama’s face on their t-shirts, usually in the spirit of socialist realism art. There’s not a politician alive who I admire enough to the point of worshipful adoration that I’d sport his likeness on my clothing or plaster it all over the wordsmobile (I do, however, wear my FA t-shirts with pride and enthusiastically tell people it’s a right-wing website when asked).

The only pro-McCain t-shirt I have seen in person was worn by a lone demonstrator in front of the house where an effigy of Sarah Palin was hung, supposedly in the spirit of Halloween. And even his didn’t sport McCain’s face on it.

I know that even in blue state California, here in the Los Angeles area, there were more than just a handful of McCain-Palin supporters. Yard signs and bumperstickers were more common; just not the t-shirts. And I’m sure a big part of that has to do with the intimidation factor.

There seem to be more loud activists on the left than on the right. Conservatives seem to not want to make a nuisance of themselves; but many liberals have no problem wearing their politics on their sleeves, on their t-shirts, on their cars. It’s apparently an automatic given that the whole world hates Bush; that’s why, in open public and broad daylight, they can say something derogatory about President Bush and feel safe in not getting called on it. Even amongst strangers.

The sad fact is, liberals, through the education system and through media and Hollywood pop culture, have been “allowed” to define and characterize conservatism. The Republican Party has been branded as the party of the rich; warmongers and war profiteers; racists and bigots. If you don’t believe in the alarmism of global warming, you are a “denier” and don’t care about the planet; if you believe in closing the borders, assimilation, and controlling immigration, then you’re against diversity and appreciation for the beauty of other cultures as well as anti-Mexican. And on and on, it goes…

I did not see one- NOT ONE!- “yes” on Prop 8 sign or button or bumpersticker. But I saw the “No” on Prop 8 placards around, perhaps even more than Obama signs. I thought it might pass, given that California voters had already “been there, done that” with Prop 22. What truly makes me livid about the issue, is how liberal activists once again are the ones who get to frame the debate. They’ve painted it as “the next good fight” in the struggle for civil rights and equality; and anyone who stands in the way is a bigot and a hatemonger, with backward religious beliefs and narrow-minded intolerance. Frankly, as someone rather agnostic on the issue, the bigotry and intolerance that I see is all coming from the self-righteous activists who won’t take “yes” for an answer and allow the majority rule to decide.

If you walk around with a “Yes” on Prop 8 sign the stigma is that you are a homophobic bigot and religious nut. You are the radical. Not the other way around. It’s also amusingly not funny to me that these activist bullies targeted the Mormon Church but not black churches when 70% of blacks voted “yes” on Prop 8. Ah, but I digress….

My post is actually about 14 year-old Catherine Vogt and her t-shirt experiment.

As the media keeps gushing on about how America has finally adopted tolerance as the great virtue, and that we’re all united now, let’s consider the Brave Catherine Vogt Experiment.

Catherine Vogt, 14, is an Illinois 8th grader, the daughter of a liberal mom and a conservative dad. She wanted to conduct an experiment in political tolerance and diversity of opinion at her school in the liberal suburb of Oak Park.

She noticed that fellow students at Gwendolyn Brooks Middle School overwhelmingly supported Barack Obama for president. His campaign kept preaching “inclusion,” and she decided to see how included she could be.

So just before the election, Catherine consulted with her history teacher, then bravely wore a unique T-shirt to school and recorded the comments of teachers and students in her journal. The T-shirt bore the simple yet quite subversive words drawn with a red marker:

“McCain Girl.”

“I was just really curious how they’d react to something that different, because a lot of people at my school wore Obama shirts and they are big Obama supporters,” Catherine told us. “I just really wanted to see what their reaction would be.”

Immediately, Catherine learned she was stupid for wearing a shirt with Republican John McCain’s name. Not merely stupid. Very stupid.

“People were upset. But they started saying things, calling me very stupid, telling me my shirt was stupid and I shouldn’t be wearing it,” Catherine said.

Then it got worse.

“One person told me to go die. It was a lot of dying. A lot of comments about how I should be killed,” Catherine said, of the tolerance in Oak Park.

But students weren’t the only ones surprised that she wore a shirt supporting McCain.

“In one class, I had one teacher say she will not judge me for my choice, but that she was surprised that I supported McCain,” Catherine said.

If Catherine was shocked by such passive-aggressive threats from instructors, just wait until she goes to college.

“Later, that teacher found out about the experiment and said she was embarrassed because she knew I was writing down what she said,” Catherine said.

How often do you suppose this happens in the classroom? Often, I believe. I work with a lot of kids and it sounds like liberal indoctrination is all too common. Outing oneself as belonging to a conservative Republican family, and the child is subjected to ridicule from the herd mentality of children who have been told Democrats are “the good guys” and Republicans are basically “evil and selfish”.

Scott’s own daughter experienced abuse by Obama bullies.

One student suggested that she be put up on a cross for her political beliefs.

“He said, ‘You should be crucifixed.’ It was kind of funny because, I was like, don’t you mean ‘crucified?’ ” Catherine said.

Other entries in her notebook involved suggestions by classmates that she be “burned with her shirt on” for “being a filthy-rich Republican.”

Some said that because she supported McCain, by extension she supported a plan by deranged skinheads to kill Obama before the election.

I’ve heard some deranged liberals accuse McCain of being a racist. Absolutely laughable, given one of the most under-reported items regarding Senator McCain is that he and Cindy have a Bangladesh daughter, Bridget, adopted from Mother Teresa’s orphanage. McCain did not politicize the touching story of how this daughter came into their lives, nor make an issue of his two sons currently serving.

And I thought such politicized logic was confined to American newsrooms. Yet Catherine refused to argue with her peers. She didn’t want to jeopardize her experiment.

“I couldn’t show people really what it was for. I really kind of wanted to laugh because they had no idea what I was doing,” she said.

Only a few times did anyone say anything remotely positive about her McCain shirt. One girl pulled her aside in a corner, out of earshot of other students, and whispered, “I really like your shirt.”

Whispered “out of earshot”…..

It’s time for conservatives to be more “activist” and to start fighting back more vocally and vociferously against the misperceptions and decades of slander against the Republican Party and conservative ideology. More importantly, we need to stem the tide of liberal indoctrination in our schools, when we turn on the tv, when we open up the newspaper, when we go out to see movies. If we don’t we will lose the culture war and we will lose the half of America that we believe represents the best part of America.

Hat tip: American Power for the story of Catherine Vogt.

Here’s the follow-up story.

The 2008 election has been too divisive. Half of America will be disappointed on Nov5th. Let’s try to at least oppose that sense of alienation, frustration, and defeat. After you vote, find someone in line, and shake their hand. Wish them well regardless of who their voting for. If they are for the other guy…then all the better. Be a neighbor not a partisan. When there’s a flood, we don’t just save Republicans or Democrats. We save Americans. Let’s be Americans first tomorrow, and Democrats or Republicans or whatever last.

That’s my challenge: Shake a hand after you vote. Even better, look for an Obama supporter, shake their hand, and be neighborly. Show people that you are a nice person-not the kind of person that has been propagandized by the other side. Show them you respect other Americans. Be better than the partisan intimidators, and if you want to be twice as effective…shake two hands, or three, or four.

Show them that everyone is created equal; that Democrats are no better than Republicans and vice versa. We are all Americans.

(yeah, I know you’ve seen these vids before, but I love em so too bad )

I told Katy that I’d protect her (not a problem, but I won’t elaborate). I told her our German Shepard mutt and our Rottweiler mix mutt would protect her (they both patrol the house at night, so not a problem or exaggeration), and she was comforted. Some cookies, and she’s fine. That’s a 6yr old.

The 39yr old daddy on the other hand is pissed off to no end. I don’t really think someone’s going to come bomb our house tonight. What pisses me off is that parents (be they Obama or McCain supporters themselves) would be so irresponsible, ignorant, and scared themselves so as to teach their kids political intimidation. That’s not American. That’s chickenshit. That’s a set of parents (if there are two) who are so paranoid that they can’t deal with reality themselves.

Tomorrow’s a big day. As I’ve said before, I will vote for McCain, but I’ll be content with either for President. I’ll vote my way. You vote your way. That’s it. Once you are done, that’s it. You’re American again-not a Democrat or McCain supporter or whatever.

Meanwhile, my little girl (who just got a perfect report card on Tuesday, and talk of being put in an advanced class because she’s teaching other kids) is not afraid. Yes, she cried, and was ashamed of that, and was embarassed, but after the cookies quelled the tears she told me that in their mock election, “I still voted for McCain, Daddy.” Kid’s not only the best reader in the class, but brave.

Me? Well, I’m pissed, and I’m wondering, “If Sen Obama wins tomorrow, what will happen to my little girl at the hands of the other kids, and will all of America become ruled by those who believe power comes best from political intimidation.”

btw Not feeding my dogs dinner tonight, so best not to knock on my door until Thursday or so.

Feel free to link this article to your friends, Left, Right, Center, undecided, uncaring; Americans

I thought I’d share with the FA readers, some of the clever and imaginative if not bone-chilling haunted house decorations out there in the Los Angeles area….

These are up near UCLA…

On my way to work, houses in Palms and Culver City…

This one is just awesome:

Scariest houses of all, though…..

Brace yourselves…….

Now those are simply terrifying. Tricks-or-treaters should be wary that if they go to these houses with a bag already full of candy, beware the owner of these houses doesn’t reach into your bag to distribute your hard-earned candy to other tricks-or-treaters, just making their rounds.

Play safe, and be safe!

Mike blogged on this Monday morning. Yesterday, before work, I decided to go out and see this for myself.

It wasn’t that difficult to find Chad Michael Morrisette’s address. West Hollywood isn’t that far away from me. But a big part of me was disinterested in bothering with a trip just to give attention to a hateful sight.

Am I offended by the “Halloween” display? Yes. Do I think Morrisette’s sight-sore should be taken down? Not really. I’ll leave it up to him and his neighbors to reconcile his poor taste decision to pollute his city block.

From the AP:

Morisette says the effigy would be out of bounds at any other time of year, but it’s within the spirit of Halloween.

He says “it should be seen as art, and as within the month of October. It’s Halloween, it’s time to be scary it’s time to be spooky.”

I call BS. Halloween is just a convenient excuse and cover for him.

In my opinion, he is getting the attention he probably craves. My hope is the media spotlight and coverage of outrage doesn’t inspire other copycats out there who also simply want to shock and offend, and have their 10 minutes of fame. This is the fourth instance of offensive effigies of presidential candidates reported in national media within this past month (One in Oregon of Obama; Obama effigy in New York being chased by a McCain effigy in KKK dress, inspiring one in Ohio).

The effigies might appeal to the DU fringies, but he doesn’t do Senator Obama any favors here. It runs counter to the Democratic presidential candidate’s carefully crafted image of someone who’s risen above the partisan divide, able to unite the country in the spirit of bipartisanship and “a new kind of politics”, setting a new tone in Washington.

I arrived in the neighborhood just before 3pm. There was only very light activity. There was one protester there, Nathan, with a McCain t-shirt and sign. We chatted a bit. The yard of the house is fenced in with brambles and shrubs; but apparently, an NBC Today Show crew was inside the yard, doing a news piece. CBS News was wandering around, and they spoke to me briefly. One lady, walking her dog and who lives in the neighborhood noticed the effigies for the very first time and expressed shock and revulsion (and I do believe she was probably a Democratic voter).

Mainstream Americans, both liberal and conservative, reject this sort of bad taste and expression of hate. Unfortunately for Senator Obama, even though he doesn’t condone it, isn’t associated with it, it’s his baggage to bear. Nothing quite like having knuckleheads supporting your bid for the highest office in the land. Nothing quite like having their idiocy on full display for the whole country to bear witness to.

Want to know more?

Biden’s writin’ a birthday message:

(You can thank Mike’s America for this reminder)

Actual caption credit for the photo:

Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Joe Biden (D-Del.) signs autographs for supporters during a campaign stop at the University of Northern Iowa in Cedar Falls.
Carlos Barria – Reuters

But hey! Feel free to make up your own caption. Just be sure to wish Curt a Happy 41st!

For those who feared they were belated in their birthday wishes, don’t fret: TODAY, is the actual day. So you can wish him a second happy birthday, if you’d like.

I wouldn’t have bothered reposting this thread, save for the excellent Biden photo and Scott’s subsequent comment. So “caption this”, if you’d like

Thanks for creating Flopping Aces, Curt. I get a thrill going up my leg knowing that I’m a part of this amazing blog.

For readers interested in learning more about Curt, I did this online interview with him in December, 2006.
Come on readers… give Curt a good roasting!