I first brought you the story of Hero Sean McEndree and his wife here - they are developing a unique rolling tribute to fallen heroes, in the form of a custom-painted semi truck. Sean's military service has ended, but that isn't stopping him from honoring his fallen brothers.

Recently, Diane emailed me to let me know that painting on the truck was underway. She promised to send some pictures. And true to her word, she did:






The McEndrees are still in need of funds to ensure the completion of this unique tribute. To learn what you can do to help, visit their website.

Diane and Sean, the truck looks beautiful! Can't wait to see it when it's finished.

Labels: Fallen Heroes, Sean McEndree, tributes

JOINT SECURITY STATION
U.S. Army Lt. Gen. Ray Odierno, left, commander of Multi-National Corps - Iraq, meets with officials from the Iraqi National Police and Iraqi Civil Defense Directorate at a new joint security station in Baghdad, Iraq, Feb. 28, 2007. The station is one of 32 stood up as part of the Baghdad security plan. Defense Dept. photo by U.S. Army Sgt. Curt Cashour

Labels: Baghdad, Iraq, Iraqi Civil Defense Directorate, Iraqi National Police, Multi-National Corps - Iraq, Operation Iraqi Freedom, photos, US Army

They're not terrorists; they're just non-terror-challenged...

Senate Bill calls for "consulting with experts to ensure that the lexicon used within public statements...does not aid extremists by offending the American Muslim community"

S. 4, a bill to implement provisions of the 9/11 Commission, is currently on the Senate floor. It includes under "Miscellaneous Provisions" Section 1302, a "Sense of the Senate Regarding Combating Domestic Radicalization." Predictably, it is based on the usual premise (Subsection (a)(1)) that extremists are "exploiting" Islam to achieve "ideological ends" -- but what those ideological ends might be, and how exactly Islam is being exploited, is not explained.

Also predictable are the dhimmi measures suggested to take care of the problem, including:

"Consulting with experts to ensure that the lexicon used within public statements is precise and appropriate and does not aid extremists by offending the American Muslim community"

This is D'Souzaite thinking: if we speak honestly about the Islamic jihad being waged against us, it will drive Muslims who abhor the jihad to join it. That's like saying that a Christian who despises Fred Phelps (the "God hates fags" guy) will join his group if he or Christianity is criticized...

Read the Rest at Jihad Watch

Ban certain words, and it becomes easier to ban others. If I can't call terrorists base, murdering, cowardly wastes of perfectly good breathing air today, it becomes easier and easier to eventually ensure that the word "terrorist" disappears altogether.

Personally, I despise certain words - certain derrogatory racial terminology drives me up a tree. But there's a difference between social mores dictating what is and is not acceptable, and your GOVERNMENT deciding what you can and cannot say. When we start deciding that something can't be said because it might offend someone, the right to free speech itself is threatened.

Your Constitution never intended to guarantee that you would be free from ever being offended. It did, however, intend to guarantee that your government would not be able to dictate what you were or were not allowed to say. I understand reasonable restrictions (the whole "fire in a crowded theater" thing, but it's important to note that a rule like that does not ban the CONTENT of your speech. It simply clarifies that you do not have a right to risk others' lives.

To ensure that speech about jihadists is sanitized so as to not offend Muslims completely ignores the fact peaceful Muslims should be offended by Muslim terrorists, not critics of Muslim terrorists!!!

I talked about the dangers of banning words a little while ago here. And now we have another incident. Public outcry to chastize someone who says something people don't like is one thing. That is freedom. Don't like what a politician says - don't contribute to their campaign, and don't vote for them. Don't like what an actor says - don't pay to see their movies, and don't have them speak at your event.

But when the government starts engineering our speech, we are at grave risk. Political correctness is going to kill this country.

It's doubleplusbad.

Labels: opinion, political correctness, politics

News of Note
Operation Iraqi Freedom
Eerie Calm in Sadr City
Troops take Baghdad's Shiite militia stronghold
U.S., Iraqi Troops Take Baghdad's Shiite Militia Stronghold
Italy still wants justice from U.S. for Iraq shooting
Democrats say close to new Iraq resolution

Operation Enduring Freedom
Afghans Accuse U.S. in Civilian Shootings
Afghans killed after attack on U.S. convoy
Afghan, U.S. reports on firefight differ

Homeland Security / War on Terror / Hamas-Hezbollah Happenings
Palestinian leaders hold inconclusive unity talks
Senators: Pakistan must address al-Qaida

Fallen Heroes
Military's Toughest Home-Front Problem

Other Military News
Lawmakers Vow Action on Care for Vets

Worldwide Wackos
Chavez: Negroponte a 'Professional Killer'
Would Israel attack Iran? Depends who you ask
Air strikes on Iran could backfire: report
U.S.-North Korea talks face pitfalls

Politics / Government
Obama, Hillary Remember 'Bloody Sunday' - PHOTOS
Former VP Nominee Eagleton Dead at 77
Controversial columnist draws fire for gay slur
U.S., Brazil to Form Ethanol Alliance
Treasury chief feeling good about economy
2008 race, 20 months away, dominating TV
Domenici says he called fired prosecutor

Illegal Immigration / Border Control
67 Illegal Immigrants Found Hiding in One-Story Texas House
Americans Selling Identities to Illegals

In the Courts / Crime and Punishment / Law and Order
Michigan Dad Caught in Mom's Death
VIDEO: Stephen Grant Captured in Michigan Woods
Trial Set for Nurse Accused of Dismembering Hubby
Dogs Kidnapped From Owners at Gunpoint Retuned After Suspect Turns Self In
Second Suspect Nabbed for Pot-Smoking Kids
Neighbors, Family of 'Barbie Bandits' Shocked
Cops Turn to YouTube to Catch Criminals
Church Conflicted Over Pedophile's Devotion
Police Arrest Husband Accused of Murdering and Dismembering Tara Grant

Science / Medicine / Technology
Newly Discovered Horned Dinosaur Follows Evolutionary Theory, Scientists Say
FDA examines safety of cough, cold drugs for kids
Prescription drug plan unaffordable: official
Report faults FDA drug-safety tracking system: paper
Shuttle Atlantis heads back to hangar for repair

Mother Nature
Global warming is human rights issue: Nobel nominee

Oddities
Sword Fight Ensues After South Carolina Break-In
Police: Man Left DVDs of Ex-Girlfriend Performing Sex Acts on Car Windshields

Other News of Note
Iraq War Vet Makes Baseball Bid
Plame's Game! Movie on CIA Leak Planned
Ga. Highway Ramp Where Bus Crashed, Killing 6 Baseball Players, Known for Mishaps
Back home after crash, an agonizing wait
White Supremacist Gang Takes Root in West
Japan PM says won't apologize again over sex slaves
Eritrea denies seizing tourists, blames Ethiopia - Video

Fox News
NAACP President Resigns After 19 Months
Starbucks Steamed Over 'Starstrucks' Chain
Model, Actress Elizabeth Hurley Marries Indian Businessman in English Castle
Starbucks Steaming Over 'Starstrucks' Chain in India

Reuters: Top News
China's Wen puts emphasis on green growth
Kremlin opponents sidelined in regional elections
Sanyo to share battery recall cost with Lenovo
Ghana, "booms" behind it, seeks more prosperity
"Potter" puts model trains back on track
"Wild Hogs" takes easy ride to box office summit
Asian marts, jobs on stocks' radar - Video
Oil falls over 1 percent
Yen surges across board
Dollar and euro extend slides
Nikkei falls below 17,000
"Piggyback" loans may hit housing
Subprime mortgage rap tars economy
Blackstone in hunt for Chrysler: report
Glaxo pipeline dented as mid-stage drugs dropped
Apax in lead for buyout of Claire's: report
Palm speculation builds as its share price rises

AP World News
Unpaid taxes equal $2,680 per household
Britain's Coldplay working on new album
UNC beats Duke to clinch top seed in ACC
Florida ends skid with win over Kentucky
Wall Street braces for bumpy ride
American Mancuso tied for World Cup lead
Matty 'The Horse' on his last ride
Tribe slave descendants face uncertainty
Redstone wants to mend ties with Cruise
Obituaries in the News
La. trailer park shut by FEMA

Military.com
Poll: Is Astro-nut a Murderer?
Def Tech: Dissing DoD
Op-ed: Another One Bites the Dust
Sgt. Shaft: Vet Social Security Boost
The Web's Best Military Equipment Guide
Ace the ASVAB With Killer Prep
NASCAR at Military.com

CENTCOM: Press Releases
16 CIVILIANS KILLED, 25 WOUNDED IN SUICIDE ATTACK
MILITANTS ATTACK COALITION CONVOY IN CROWDED AREA
AIR STRIKE LEADS TO HOSTAGE RESCUE; WEAPONS CACHE UNCOVERED
CLEARING OPERATIONS BEGIN IN SADR CITY
IRAQI FORCES CAPTURE SUSPECTED WEAPONS SMUGGLER IN BASRA
LEADERS MUST CONDEMN IP MURDERS
THREE SUSPECTED TERRORISTS DETAINED IN BAGHDAD RAID
DETAINEE DIES AT CAMP CROPPER

USJFCOM
NATO military committee visits USJFCOM
More about USJFCOM and Allied Command Transformation
JIOC-X continues to improve intelligence support for joint warfighter - podcast
New data technology makes aerial reconnaissance video available to users in the field - podcast
Congressman calls command modeling and simulation hub - podcast

DefenseLink
Army Secretary Resigns in Wake of Walter Reed - Story
Bush Forms Commission to Review Troops' Care - Story
Iraq Security Plan Will Take Months to Accomplish - Story
Ambassador Says New Security Plan Encouraging - Story
Craddock: Progress Must Continue in Afghanistan - Story

More Headline News
Iraqi Forces Take Control of Baghdad Security
Budget Requests Support Current, Future Needs
Commission Reports on Strengthening Defenses
Medical Review Group Holds First Meeting

Military News
General Discusses Africa, European Commands
Leaders Call on Congress to Fund IED Research
Pentagon Channel Showcases Military Women
Pace Discusses Force Levels, Military Challenges

America Supports You
New Yorkers Get Taste of Home - Story
Texas Teen Supports Troops
Bush Inspires Support Groups
Group Sends Care to Troops

War on Terror
Troops Start Clearing Sadr City - Story
Convoy Attack Kills Three Soldiers
Soldier Injured in Convoy Attack
Afghan Forces Build Capacity
Coalition Forces Kill Terrorists
Two Soldiers Killed in Iraq

Transformation
Marines Test New Antenna - Story
National Trauma Institute Forms
Squadron Tests Sniper Pod
Denmark Joins Joint Strike Team

Face of Defense
Woman Gunner Protects Unit - Story
Soldier Tackles Numerous Duties
Father, Son Serve in Afghanistan

DefendAmerica
Solid Training Aids Afghanistan Forces as Decisive Battle Looms - Story - Bio
Bloggers' Roundtable Transcript
Bloggers' Roundtable Web Site

NEWS UPDATES
Coalition Forces Kill Terrorists - Story
For Top News Visit DefenseLink

ON THE GROUND
Golden Dragons Discover Six Weapons Caches - Story
Bosnian EOD Unit Takes Action in Iraq - Story
Troopers Come to Aid of Iraqi Toddler - Story
Reconstruction Projects Provide Improvements - Story

IN IRAQ
Reconstruction, Security Go Hand-In-Hand
Construction Continues on Children’s Hospital
Communicators Keep 1st Cavalry Connected
Army Engineers Help Deliver School Supplies
Training Mission Hones Skills of Pararescuemen
Iraqi Police Unit Bounces Back After Attack
Signal Company Keeps Brigade Talking
Maintenance Troops Supporting The Fight
Iraqi Business Restoration Progressing
Troops, Locals Celebrate Reopening of Market

IN AFGHANISTAN
Air Defense ‘Family’ Returns to Afghanistan
Donation ‘From The Heart’ Saves Wounded Ally
Spartans Turn Over Afghan Provinces
Afghan Doctors Learn New Medical Techniques
Father, Son Paratroopers Serve in Afghanistan

Weather
Afghanistan
Bost/Laskar Ghurian Herat Kabul Qandahar

Germany
Ansbach Aschaffenburg Berlin Berlin-Tempelhof Berlin/Schonefeld Bremerhaven
Darmstadt Frankfurt Frankfurt/Main Freiburg/Breisgau Garmisch
Garmisch-Partenkirchen Geilenkirchen Gelnhausen Giessen Kitzingen
Hanau Am Main Heidelberg Mainz Mannheim Nurnberg Stuttgart Trier
Wiesbaden Wurzburg

Gitmo

Guam
Agana Agana Heights Agat Andersen AFB Asan Barrigada

Iraq
Al Azamiyah Al Basrah Al Hillah Al Karkh Al Kazimiyah Al Kut
An Nasiriyah Baghdad Baqubah Mosul Najaf Nineveh Tall Kayf

Japan
Kadena Air Base Okinawa Tokyo Yokohama

Philippines
Baler Radar Site Catanduanes Radar Site Manila

South Korea
Cheju Upper/Radar Chonju Chunchon Inch'on Kunsan Masan Mokp'o
Osan Pusan Seoul Suwon Taegu Taejon Tonghae Radar Site Ulsan Yosu

Today in History
0254 - St. Lucius I ends his reign as Catholic Pope
1461 - Henry VI deposed by Duke of York during War of the Roses
1496 - English King Henry VII hires John Cabot (Giovanni Caboto) to explore
1528 - Utrecht Governor Maarten van Rossum plunders The Hague; Smoking tobacco introduced in Europe by Francisco Fernandes
1616 - Copernicus' "de Revolutionibus" placed on Catholic Forbidden index
1623 - 1st American temperance law enacted, Virginia
1651 - South Sea dike in Amsterdam breaks after storm
1684 - Emperor Leopold I, Poland & Venice sign Heilig Covenant of Linz
1746 - Jakobijnse troops leave Aberdeen
1766 - Don Antonio de Ulloa takes possession of Louisiana Terr from French
1770 - Blanche Kelso Bruce sworn in as a US Senator (Mississippi); Boston Massacre, British troops kill 5 in crowd; Crispus Attackus becomes 1st Black to die for American freedom
1783 - King Stanislaus Augustus Poniatowski grants rights to Jews of Kovno
1795 - Amsterdam celebrates Revolution on the Dam; Square of Revolution; Treaty of Basel-Prussia ends war with France
1820 - Dutch city of Leeuwarden forbids Jews to go to synagogues on Sundays
1821 - Monroe is 1st President inaugurated on March 5th, because 4th was Sun
1836 - Mexico attacks Alamo; Samuel Colt manufactures 1st pistol, 34-caliber "Texas" model
1845 - Congress appropriates $30,000 to ship camels to western US
1849 - Zachary Taylor sworn in as 12th President
1856 - Georgia becomes 1st state to regulate railroads
1862 - Union troops under Brigadier-General Wright occupy Fernandina, FL
1868 - Stapler patented in England by C.H. Gould; US Senate organizes to decide charges against President Andrew Johnson
1872 - George Westinghouse, Jr., patents triple air brake for trains
1877 - Rutherford B. Hayes inaugurated as 19th US President
1894 - Seattle authorizes 1st municipal employment office in US
1896 - Italian Governor of Eritrea, General Baldissera, reaches Massawa; Italian premier Crispi resigns
1897 - American Negro Academy forms
1900 - American Hall of Fame is founded
1903 - Definitive treaty for construction of Baghdad railway drawn
1907 - 1st radio broadcast of a musical composition aired
1908 - 1st ascent of Mount Erebus, Antarctica
1912 - Spanish steamer Principe de Asturias sinks northeast of Spain, 500 die
1924 - King Hussein of Hedzjaz appoints himself kalif
1927 - 1,000 US Marines land in China to protect American property
1931 - Gandhi & British viceroy Lord Irwin sign pact
1933 - FDR proclaims 10-day bank holiday; Germany's Nazi Party wins majority in parliament (43.9%-17.2M votes)
1934 - Mother-in-law's day 1st celebrated (Amarillo, TX)
1936 - Spitfire makes its 1st flight (Eastleigh Aerodrome in Southampton)
1942 - Bosnia Tito establishes 3rd Proletarit Brigade in Bosnia; Japanese troop march into Batavia
1943 - Anti fascist strikes in Italy; RAF bombs Essen Germany
1945 - Allies bombs The Hague, Netherlands; Generals Eisenhower, Patton & Patch meet in Luneville; US 7th Army Corps captures Cologne
1946 - Winston Churchill's "Iron Curtain" speech (Fulton, MO)
1948 - US rocket flies record 4800 KPH to 126k height
1953 - Josef Stalin's death announced
1956 - "King Kong" 1st televised
1957 - Eamon de Valera's Fianna Fail-party wins election in Ireland; Sergeant Bilko satirizes Elvis Presley (Elvin Pelvin)
1958 - Explorer 2 fails to reach Earth orbit
1959 - Iran & US sign economic & military treaty
1960 - Elvis Presley ends 2-year hitch in US Army
1966 - 75 MPH air currents cause BOAC 707 crash above Mount Fuji - 124 die
1968 - US launches Solar Explorer 2 to study the Sun
1969 - Gustav Heinemann elected President of West-Germany
1970 - 3 SDS Weathermen terrorist group bomb 18 West 11th St in New York, NY; Nuclear non-proliferation treaty goes into effect
1978 - Landsat 3 launched from Vandenberg AFB, California
1979 - Voyager I's closest approach to Jupiter (172,000 miles)
1980 - Earth satellites record gamma rays from remnants of supernova N-49
1982 - Russian spacecraft Venera 14 lands on Venus sends back data
1983 - Bob Hawke (Labour) defeats Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Fraser (Conservative)
1984 - Supreme Court rules 5-4) that city may use public money for Nativity scene; US accuses Iraq of using poison gas
1991 - Iraq repeals its annexation of Kuwait
1993 - Fokker 100 crashes at Skopje, Macedonia - 81 die
1994 - Largest milkshake (1,955 gallons of chocolate-Nelspruit South Africa)
1995 - Estonia Centrumlinkse Coalition party wins parliamentary election; Graves of czar Nicholas & family found in St Petersburg

Birthdays
1324 - David II Bruce, king of Scotland (1331..71)
1326 - Louis I [the Great], King of Hungary (1342-82), Poland (1370-82)
1512 - Gerardus Mercator, geographer/mapmaker
1578 - Charles d'Albert duke of Luynes premier of France/Governor of Picardië
1585 - Johan Georg I elector of Saxon (1611-56) (Peace of Prague)
1658 - Antoine de la Mothe Cadillac French colonial governor of America
1746 - Jacob Wallenberg Swedish writer/naval chaplain
1825 - John Dunovant, Confederate Brigadier General; Joseph Albert, German photographer (albertotype)
1871 - Maria do Carmo Geronimo, Brazilian lives to be at least 126
1897 - Mei-ling Soong, Madame Chiang Kai-shek
1909 - Sutan Sjahrir, premier of Indonesia (1945-47)
1918 - Halsey S. Colchester, British SAS/spy (MI6)/priest
1920 - Delbert L. Latta (Representative-OH)
1921 - Berkley Bedell (Representative-Democrat-IA, 1975- )
1935 - Philip K. Chapman, astronaut (Apollo 14 support)
1940 - Mary Rose Oakar (Representative)
1953 - Russel D. Feingold (Senator-WI); Valery Grigoriyevich Korzun Russian Colonel/cosmonaut (TM-24)
1957 - Tim Holden (Representative-PA)
1962 - Robert L. Curbeam, Jr., astronaut (STS 85, sk-99)

Passings
0254 - St. Lucius I, Pope (253-54)
1291 - Sa'ad al'Da'ulah, Jewish grand vizier of Persia, assassinated
1574 - Philip of Saint-Aldegonde, Flemish viceroy Holland/Zealand/Utrecht
1576 - Don Luís de Requesens y Zuñiga, viceroy of Netherlands (1573-76), dies at 70
1605 - Clement VIII [Ippolito Aldofireini], Pope (1592-1605), dies at 69
1625 - James I (VI), King of England (1603-25)/poet/author, dies at 58
1644 - Louise Juliana, Countess of Nassau, dies at 73
1770 - Crispus Attuks slave, is 1st of 5 killed during Boston Massacre
1827 - Alessandro Volta, Italian physicist (made 1st battery), dies at 82
1904 - Alfred von Waldersee, Prussian field marshal/chief-staff, dies at 71
1932 - Takuma Dan Japanese baron/financier/industrial, murdered
1941 - Ludwig Quidde, German historian/politician (Nobel 1927), dies at 82
1944 - Max Jacob, French writer, dies in Nazi concentration camp at 67
1953 - Josef V. Stalin, Soviet leader responsible for at least 11 million murders, dies at 73
1963 - Patsy Cline, country singer (Crazy, I Fall To Pieces), dies in a plane crash at 30
1967 - Mohammed H. Mossadeq, Premier of Persia (1951-53)
1982 - John Belushi, comedian (Sat Night Live), dies of drug overdose at 33
1991 - August de Schryver, Belgian politician/founder (CVP), dies at 92
1993 - Peter Bierdrager, Dutch Fokker's-test pilot, dies in air crash
1994 - Abdullah Al-Sallal, President of Yemen (1962-67)
1995 - Peter John Norton, naval diplomat/artist, dies at 82
1996 - Khundaqar Mushtaq Amhed President of Bangladesh (1975); Nicolas Cotoner y Cotoner Spanish courtier, dies at 90

Reported Missing in Action
1966
Hessom, Robert C., USN (CA); A1H shot down - remains ID'd October, 1994

1970
Rosenbach, Robert P., USAFR (MO); F100D shot down - remains listed as recovered on some lists

1971
The following US Army personnel reported MIA when their UH1H was shot down:
Hatley,Joel C. (NC); crew chief, remains returned January, 1990 - ID'd September, 1990

King, Michael E. (GA); door gunner, remains returned January, 1990 - ID'd September, 1990

Moreira, Ralph A., Jr. (PA); pilot, remains returned January, 1990 - ID'd September, 1990

Nelson, David L. (WA); aircraft commander, remains returned January, 1990 - ID'd September, 1990 - ID disputed

Labels: Headlines, History