Blue Star Chronicles

November 15th, 2008

California Fires: Yorba Linda Fire - Brea Fire - Sylmar Fire - Corona Fire

I have some videos of the fires that are sweeping across Southern California right now. The videos are below. These are very worrisome to me as my daughter lives in that area. It seems there has been one fire after the next since she has lived in California.

Southern California Fires

Southern California Fires

Right now, people are watching the Yorba Linda Fire, Brea Fire, Sylmar Fire, Anaheim Hills Fire and the Corona Fire. I’m sure there are more, but those are the ones I’m aware of at the moment.

The fire burst through the foothills of the Angeles National Forest overnight and burned through the San Fernando Valley. It has burned over 6,500 acres and over 10,000 residents under mandatory evacuation orders.

Los Angele Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa has said that this fire has destroyed more homes than any fire in the area over the past decade. Its not just the multi-million dollar homes that are being talked about on television there are also mobile home parks and everything in between being destroyed by the fire. The heat is so intense that the police and firemen have not been able to do any searches. They will have to wait for the ground to cool.

The Santa Ana winds have kicked up the Orange County fires and there are several separate fires that are having to be dealt with.

Videos of the fires are below the jump.

Videos of the fires



November 14th, 2008

Ann E Dunwoody is First Female Four-Star General

Meet Ann E. Dunwoody. Today she became the first female Four-Star General in the United States Army. Read about it and see photos and a video below.

Ann E Dunwoody

Ann E. Dunwoody

Ann E. Dunwoody was confirmed by the Senate in July and promoted by President George W. Bush on November 14, 2008 to Full General, becoming the first Four-Star General. There was a celebratory mood during and after the ceremony for this history making event.

Both General Dunwoody’s father and husband showed up in support of her accomplishment. Her husband is retired Air Force Colonel Craig Brotchie, which means she outranks him by a long shot. During the ceremony, she gave him a hat that read ‘boss’, so it looks like they’ve got the ranking thing worked out. Her father is retired Brigadier General Harold H. Dunwoody (pictured below in a wheelchair). So she outranks her father as well. None of the men in her life seemed threatened by her rank, but encouraged her for her accomplishments, talent and aspirations.

She was promoted by as Republican President just as the first one-star female General was. Anna Mae Hays was promoted 38 years ago by President Richard Nixon. Unfortunately, the Republican party is still defined by the democratic party as the ‘party of old white men’ even though that is in no way true.

Read Ann E. Dunwoody’s biography.

A couple of good Ann E. Dunwoody quotes:

“I am very honored but also very humbled today with this announcement, I grew up in a family that didn’t know what glass ceilings were. This nomination only reaffirms what I have known to be true about the military throughout my career that the doors continue to open for men and women in uniform.” ~ Lieutenant General Ann Dunwoody

“There is no one more surprised than I — except, of course, my husband. You know what they say, ‘Behind every successful woman there is an astonished man.’” ~ Lieutenant General Ann Dunwoody

Photos and Video



November 12th, 2008

Mike Christian: Vietnam War POW with John McCain

We’ve all heard John McCain talk about Mike Christian who was held as a POW in the Hanoi Hilton with John McCain and others. Here is some biographical information about him, a transcript of his story, some photos and a video.

Mike Christian

Mike Christian

John McCain has often told the story of one of his fellow prisoners during the years he spent in the Hanoi Hilton. Mike Christian was a Vietnam War POW with John McCain and the two shared quarters for some time. The story is about Christian’s love of country and of his fellow prisoners of war. He had sewn a flag into the inside of his clothing and the POWs pledged allegiance to the homemade flag every morning. Eventually the Vietcong discovered the flag, they destroyed it and beat Christian. Following the horrific beating, Christian was returned to the cell. After some nursing aid from McCain and other prisoners, Christian sat up and started fashioning another flag into his clothing.

I won’t repeat the entire story here. You can read it and listen to McCain tell the story below.

Listening to John McCain tell the story has gotten a lot of people curious to learn more about Mike Christian, including me. I found a statement from him that I found particularly poignant in today’s environment.

My pilot was Lt. Lewis Irving (Irv) Williams. We were shot down 24 April 1967 at Kep Airfield about 30 miles northeast of Hanoi.

I frequently found myself in the wrong place at the wrong time. I got to know the Vietnamese and their methods quite well during five major and various minor pain sessions. Their attempts at propaganda and indoctrination taught me, as it did so many, just how strongly I support the ideals and policies of my country and our system of government. I learned a great deal about myself and my fellow man. I saw Americans function under conditions of great stress and report with pride their tremendous courage and resourcefulness . Perhaps the two strongest lessons I learned are: One, look around and find those who love you. Be aware of their love and react to it while you still can. Two, the International Communist Revolution is a deadly serious business and we MUST become aware of it. We need not panic, but we absolutely must deal with communism from a position of strength. Peace at any price politics will destroy us.

Mike Christian Biography

Michael Durhen Christian was born on October 7, 1940 and died in September 1983. He was 43-years-old. He was from Huntsville, Alabama. He was the son of Mr. and Mrs. William D. Christian of Huntsville. He had a sister, Pat and a brother Larry.

He attended Butler High School in Huntsville. He went to the University of Alabama and then transfered to Purdue University and got his degree in 1964. He enlisted in the Navy on January 28, 1958 and entered the Naval Enlisted Scientific Education Program (NESEP) which is a commission program. He spent a year and a half in the surface Navy in the USS Dahlgren DLG-12, received B/N Wings in 1966, A-6A B/N in VA-85 aboard the USS Kitty Hawk (CVA-63).

He was a A6A pilot and a member of Attack Squadron 85, USS Kitty Hawk and his rank was 02/US Navy. Lieutenant Commander Christian was shot down over North Vietnam on April 24, 1967 and became a prisoner of war. He was moved around to different locations in North Vietnam until he was placed in the Hanoi Hilton for the duration of his imprisonment. He was released on March 4, 1973 after 6 years of imprisonment. He was one of 591 Americans released from Vietnamese prisoner of war camps in 1973.

He had been awarded two Silver Stars, three Bronze Stars, four Air Medals, the Legion of Merit, and the Navy Commendation Medal.

Christian was married to Charlotte Strong Christian of Virginia Beach, Virginia. They had three children, Deborah Kaye, Sandra Dawn and Pamela Joan. Christian died in a fire at his home in Virginia Beach. He attempted to get out of the house, but bars on the windows prevented him for being able to escape the fire.

You can read more about Lieutenant Commander Christian’s imprisonment here.

Photos, Video and Mike Christian story Transcript



November 12th, 2008

Kellie Pickler: My USO Diary

Kellie Pickler went to Iraq for a few days to entertain the Troops as part of the U.S.O. She kept a diary. We have it here for you to watch at your leisure.

Kellie Pickler
Kellie Pickler

I know this is not new news, but I saw it a while ago and thought it was good enough to post about. Whether or not you are a fan of Kellie Pickler’s, I hope you can appreciate how much she cares about our Troops. Obviously, not everyone in hollywood does.

She went to Iraq in December of 2007 and spent a few days traveling from FOB to FOB and base to base. She entertained the Troops and spent time getting to know them and what they are doing. She rode in a tank, helicopters, helped with a re-enlistment ceremony and a promotion.

There were several highlights to her Iraq diary, but I have to say the Hungarian Soldiers giving her a Hungarian flag was pretty funny. In case you don’t know why that’s funny, when she was on ‘Are You Smarter Than a Fifth Grader’ she didn’t know that Hungary was a country. The Hungarians made sure she’ll never forget that again!

While Pickler was in Iraq, she kept a video diary of her trip. I have it all here (under the fold) for you to view. Enjoy.

Kellie Pickler’s Video Diary of her trip to Iraq



November 11th, 2008

Veterans Day 2008

Happy Veterans Day from Blue Star Chronicles. Today is a day to honor all Americans who have served our country as part of the military service.

Soldier Son

Soldier Son Veteran

This is the first Veterans Day in which my own son is a Veteran. I suppose he was last year, but he was still in the war zone last year. My father, my husband, my uncles and now my son have all served our country with honor.

Thank you to all veterans. God bless you all.

Never in the history of the world has any soldier sacrificed more for the freedom and liberty of total strangers than the American soldier. And, our soldiers don’t just give freedom abroad, they preserve it for us here at home.

~ Zell Miller, 2004 Republican National Convention Address

Gen. Petraeus thanks the troops on Veterans day - Video

Veterans Day 2008 - Video



November 10th, 2008

Alfred Eisenstaedt Times Square V-J Day Photo

The famous Alfred Eisenstaedt photo taken in Times Square on V-J Day in 1945 has made news off and on since it was taken. Read about the latest on this photo below.

Kissing Sailor
The Kiss
Alfred Eisenstaedt: Times Square V-J Day Photo

A while back I wrote about a sailor, Glenn McDuffie, who came forward to say he was the sailor in the famous Times Square V-J Day photo. He is one of ten or so sailors who have come forward over the years to claim to be the Sailor in the famous photo. We also have nurses who claim to be the nurse in the photo.

The photographer, Alfred Eisenstaedt, has said he just doesn’t know who was in the photo. In the excitement of the day, he took photos and neglected to stop to get the names of the people he was photographing. So the subjects of award winning photo have remained a mystery all these years. With both of their faces more or less obscured in the photo, its just hard to know.

Ninety-year-old Edith Shain has claimed to be the nurse in the photo. On Tuesday, she will ride at the head of a group of World War II veterans in a Veterans Day parade. She posed for pictures with some actors dressed as Sailors when she donned her nurses uniform and took in the musical ‘South Pacific’.

“As for the picture,” she says, “it says so many things — hope, love, peace and tomorrow. The end of the war was a wonderful experience, and that photo represents all those feelings.”

Edith Shain Glenn McDuffie

Sailor and Nurse 63 Years Later



November 7th, 2008

Lawrence Joel: Medal of Honor Recipient

Lawrence Joel received the Silver Star and the Medal of Honor for heroism during an intense battle known as Operation Hump in Vietnam on November 8, 1965. Read about his actions below, the battle, his biography and see photos and a video.

Lawrence Joel
Lawrence Joel

Sergeant First Class Lawrence Joel was awarded the Medal of Honor on March 9, 1967. He was presented with the medal by President Lyndon Johnson at the White House for his service in the Vietnam War.

Joel served honorably in the Korean and Vietnam War. However, on November 8, 1965, he was serving as a medic and became involved in Operation HUMP, a violent, desperate battle under the triple canopies of the Vietnamese jungle that took the lives of 48 American men and 414 Viet Cong. The citation of his actions is included below.

He is being remembered and honored for his service to the country 43 years ago today.

Lawrence Joel Medal of Honor Citation

For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of life above and beyond the call of duty. Sp6c. Joel demonstrated indomitable courage, determination, and professional skill when a numerically superior and well-concealed Viet Cong element launched a vicious attack which wounded or killed nearly every man in the lead squad of the company. After treating the men wounded by the initial burst of gunfire, he bravely moved forward to assist others who were wounded while proceeding to their objective. While moving from man to man, he was struck in the right leg by machine gun fire. Although painfully wounded his desire to aid his fellow soldiers transcended all personal feeling. He bandaged his own wound and self-administered morphine to deaden the pain enabling him to continue his dangerous undertaking. Through this period of time, he constantly shouted words of encouragement to all around him. Then, completely ignoring the warnings of others, and his pain, he continued his search for wounded, exposing himself to hostile fire; and, as bullets dug up the dirt around him, he held plasma bottles high while kneeling completely engrossed in his life saving mission. Then, after being struck a second time and with a bullet lodged in his thigh, he dragged himself over the battlefield and succeeded in treating 13 more men before his medical supplies ran out. Displaying resourcefulness, he saved the life of one man by placing a plastic bag over a severe chest wound to congeal the blood. As 1 of the platoons pursued the Viet Cong, an insurgent force in concealed positions opened fire on the platoon and wounded many more soldiers. With a new stock of medical supplies, Sp6c. Joel again shouted words of encouragement as he crawled through an intense hail of gunfire to the wounded men. After the 24 hour battle subsided and the Viet Cong dead numbered 410, snipers continued to harass the company. Throughout the long battle, Sp6c. Joel never lost sight of his mission as a medical aidman and continued to comfort and treat the wounded until his own evacuation was ordered. His meticulous attention to duty saved a large number of lives and his unselfish, daring example under most adverse conditions was an inspiration to all. Sp6c. Joel’s profound concern for his fellow soldiers, at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty are in the highest traditions of the U.S. Army and reflect great credit upon himself and the Armed Forces of his country.

Lawrence Joel biography, photos and video



November 4th, 2008

McCain Campaign Sues Virginia to Count Military Vote

Whether or not the military vote will get counted has been an issue in the last few elections. That is completely unacceptable. The McCain campaign has sued Virginia to make sure the military vote is counted. Read about it below.

Soldier Vote

The Military Vote

Our military men and women who are serving overseas have to vote by absentee ballot, for obvious reasons. In light of the fact that they have the most on the line for this country, it seems absolutely mandatory that their votes are counted. It doesn’t matter how difficult it is to get their votes in and counted in a timely manner, they need to be counted. No one is concerned with how much expense and trouble we have to go to in order to see that Mickey Mouse and Daffy Duck get to vote.

John McCain’s campaign has sued the State of Virginia claiming that some of the counties failed to send absentee ballots in a timely manner to Soldiers serving overseas. Therefore, their ballots will not arrive in time to be counted.

The law suit asks for an extension of time to give the military personnel to get their ballots returned to be counted.

Now, seriously, is there ANY excuse to NOT count the vote of our military men. If no one else’s vote is counted, their votes need to be counted. They sacrifice their youth and their lives for freedom in the United States. The least we can do is give them the opportunity to exercise the most basic right of democracy … to vote.

Video



October 30th, 2008

Iraqi War Veteran: Dear Mr. Obama (Video)

An Iraqi War Veteran gives a strong, simple message to Senator Barack Obama. See the youtube video here.


Dear Mr. Obama - Video

We’ve all seen the slick, polished, professionally made videos that movie stars have made to support Barack Obama for President. They are great hollywood productions. But they are just that, productions. They feature people who play heroes on television.

The simple and direct message of a REAL hero carries a lot more weight with most of us. Its not a slick, expensive production. Its the honest words of an American hero. The kind of man we should look up to. He may not make millions of dollars entertaining people for playing a hero in the movies, but he earns our undying respect and gratitude for BEING a hero and …. putting country first.

God Bless the American Soldier.

“Dear Mr Obama having spent 12 months in Iraq theatre I can promise you it’s not a mistake.”

“When you call the Iraqi war a mistake you disrespect the service and sacrifice of everyone who has died promoting freedom… Because you do not understand or appreciate these principles Sir, I am supporting Senator John McCain for president.”

The Day We Lose Our Will to Fight
Is The Day We Lose
Our Freedom


October 29th, 2008

Redgum: I Was Only 19 (Video and Lyrics)

Australian folk music group does this musical tribute to Australian Soldiers who fought in Vietnam. I’ve included the music video and lyrics below.

Redgum

Redgum

Redgum is described as a folk and political group. I’m not sure what a ‘political’ music group does, except obvious write and perform songs of a political nature. Many groups turn their songs into political and/or social statements. Music is, after all, poetry put to music.

I did run across this song that I thought was particularly poignant by the group. It was their first break through song. The Australian group formed in 1975. I Was Only 19 was released in 1983, performed by Hugh McDonald and John Schumann of Redgum.

Video and Lyrics



October 25th, 2008

Barney Frank: Cut Military Budget

Barney Frank, Chairman of the House Financial Services Committee, is planning for the future of our country run by democrats. Among other things, he says they will cut military spending. Read about it below and see a photo and a video.

Barney Frank

Barney Frank

The democrats are all in a twitter with excitement at the prospect of not only having a democratic president extreme leftist views, but a super majority in the Senate and Congress. That would be a big fat paycheck and pretty much unlimited power to the fringe elements on the far left of our society.

People like Congressman Henry Waxman who facilitated giving $600,000 to insurgents fighting our troops in Iraq and Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi who has presided over the least effective Congress in history. Then, of course, there’s Barney Frank.

Congressman Barney Frank, whose long time lover had been running a prostitution ring out of Frank’s Washington apartment. The scandal, of course, didn’t affect Frank’s career. Instead, he has presided over the House financial committee, been in bed with Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac and facilitated the current economic woes of the United States and the world.

Regardless of his competence or incompetence or whether he puts his own self interest above that of the country, Frank is still in charge and salivating over the possibility that the democrats will have a super majority and therefore, virtually unlimited power in Washington. Why, its as good as a coup. We could find ourselves in the throes of a failed Communist society in nothing flat.

While the rest of the world is moving away from Communism and Socialism because it hasn’t worked, our democratic party has moved further to the left and seems determined to move us into some form of Communism and/or Socialism. They are a generation or two behind the rest of the world in terms of political ideology.

So the plans are being made and Barney Frank is giving us a little foretaste of what is to come. In this incredibly dangerous world, a world that has not teetered on the brink of war so precariously since 1939, Barney Frank says the democrats will cut the military budget to save money. He says we don’t need all those fancy weapons anyway. Besides, they will spend more by ’spreading the wealth’ and giving hand-outs to those who don’t participate by paying taxes to being with.

He goes on to list all the things we will pay for with all the increased revenues from increasing taxes. The democrats are planning another economic stimulus package, more money for improvement of infrastructure and more money for social programs. All of that sounds good, but it will break us to pay for it.

And the worst of it is the complete lack of understanding of why we have not been attacked since September 11, 2001. The last time the military was cut back was during the Clinton administration. Those cuts left us open for a series of attacks over an eight year period of time culminating in the biggest attack of all. It has taken years to rebuild our military and it still is not up to the levels it needs to be. We have managed to keep our enemies ‘over there’ by picking the battlefield and keeping them busy in other places.

If the democrats get the presidency and most certainly if they get a super majority we will find ourselves in a dire situation very quickly. Our enemies are rubbing their hands in glee at the very thought. They have told us what they plan for us, but we don’t listen.

Even Barack Obama’s running mate, Joe Biden, has warned that we will be faced with an international crisis like none we have ever seen when (if) Obama is elected. Yet, many move ahead as though they don’t believe it. They’ve either forgotten or never grasped just what our enemies did to us on 9/11 and what they have repeatedly told us they intend to do to us as soon as our guard is down. Our guard hasn’t been down in eight years. I pray we don’t let it down now.

Video



October 23rd, 2008

Bill O’Reilly on The View

The View is such a fluff show. It was about to go under till they started generating controversy, thereby salvaging the silly show. Now, it seems to be THE show for people to appear on who want to get the attention of people who are at home watching television at that hour.

I honestly don’t even know when it comes on. I’ve seen YouTube snippets of the show, but have never actually watched it on television. Apparently, I’m not one of the demographic they are trying to reach because I’m obviously not at home watching TV whenever it comes on.

I’m sure I wouldn’t watch it anyway because the snippets I’ve seen are enough to convince me that I’d probably shoot my television if I watched it.

Be that as it may, Bill O’Reilly was on the show this morning. Of course, he did what he does and made sure that he showed the clip a zillion times and talked about how wonderful well he did on the show. He’s so irritating. I have to admit though, he DID do well on the show. He bantered with Joy Behar and she was not able to keep up with him. He and Barbara Walters both seems insulted that he didn’t seem to view their show as a hard hitting serious news show (duh!).

Anyway, here’s a video of his appearance on The View. Enjoy the smackdown …..

Bill O’Reilly on The View



Your Ad Here