Martin Luther King, Jr., Federal Holiday, 2009

A Proclamation by the President of the United States of America

George W. Bush

On the Martin Luther King, Jr., Federal Holiday, we recognize one of history’s most consequential advocates for equality and civil rights, and we celebrate his powerful message of justice and hope. Our Nation is better because Dr. King was a man of courage and vision who understood that love and compassion will always triumph over bitterness and hatred.

As Americans, we believe it is self-evident that all men are created equal and that freedom is not a grant of government but a gift from the Author of Life. Dr. King trusted in these beliefs articulated in our founding documents even when our country’s practices did not live up to its promises. He roused the conscience of a complacent Nation by drawing attention to the ugliness of discrimination and segregation and by calling on Americans to live up to our guarantee of equality.

Our Nation has seen tremendous progress in redeeming the ideals of America and protecting every person’s God-given rights. The historic election of Barack Obama as President of the United States reflects the real advances our Nation has made in the fight against the bigotry that Dr. King opposed. More work remains, though, and we must heed Dr. King’s words that “injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.” By continuing to spread his message and demanding that the equal rights he fought for are extended to all people, we can ensure that the dignity of every person is respected and that the hope for a better tomorrow reaches every community throughout the world.

As we observe Dr. King’s birthday, we commemorate his leadership and strength of character. We go forward with confidence that if we remain true to our founding principles, our Nation will continue to advance the cause of justice and remain a beacon of hope to people everywhere.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, GEORGE W. BUSH, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim January 19, 2009, as the Martin Luther King, Jr., Federal Holiday. I encourage all Americans to observe this day with appropriate civic, community, and service programs and activities in honor of Dr. King’s life and legacy.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this fifteenth day of January, in the year of our Lord two thousand nine, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-third.

GEORGE W. BUSH

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The Bush Administration Has Provided Unprecedented Support for Our Veterans

from The White House

President Bush has remained committed to ensuring all veterans receive the care and support they need from the Federal government. Under his leadership, the Administration has:

Dramatically Increased Funding To Support And Care For Those Who Have Served Our Nation

• Increased funding for veterans’ medical care by more than 115 percent since 2001.
• FY 2009 funding for the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) totals more than $97 billion, nearly double the level of funding when the President took office and the highest level of support for veterans in history.
• Provided more than $6 billion to modernize and expand VA medical facilities and more than $1 billion over the past three years to support traumatic brain injury and post-traumatic stress disorder treatment and research.
• Honored our veterans with a hallowed, final resting place by implementing and fully funding the largest expansion in the national cemetery system since the Civil War.

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Leader of famed “Magnificent Bastards” in Vietnam, dies

USMCCCA member, Colonel James W. (Wes) Hammond, Jr. USMC (Ret.) passed away on January 14, 2009 in with his family at his side. He was born March 6, 1929 in New York City.

Upon graduating from the U.S. Naval Academy in 1951, the former enlisted leatherneck was commissioned in the Marine Corps. During 25 years of service, he fought in Korea and Vietnam and was assigned to posts from Hawaii, to Washington, to Camp Lejeune.

He commanded the famed “Magnificent Bastards” in Vietnam, turning the battalion over to Lt. Col. P. X. Kelley when Hammond was wounded in combat and forced to evacuate.  Later, he was editor of the Marine Corps Gazette at a time when the Marine Corps Association filled many of its Gazette and Leatherneck billets with active duty members.

Read more at the Blog “United States Marine Corps Combat Correspondents Association“

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Reflections of a Marine Mom

I cried all day the letter came. Be proud, it said… great achievement, your son/daughter will soon graduate and be given the title of U.S. Marine. The little boy I so readily picture sitting in his high chair chewing his peanut butter and jelly sandwich into a gun because I wouldn’t buy one. He always liked order, that part I can understand. I don’t want to be a military mom but I am.

Read more at The Dailey News Tribune

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Semper Fi! Marine Corps League

The following post comes from the Blog “Catchin’ Some Waves,” by Rick of Nags Head, North Carolina

Tuesday night I got to hang out with a few good men. The local detachment of The Marine Corps League had their annual installation of officers and I’ve been “recruited” to serve as detachment chaplain. The MCL is made up of marines no longer on active duty whose purpose is to support the Corps in various ways. I say “no longer on active duty” because “Once a marine, always a marine”.

At the ceremony I met a WWII veteran of the Seabees. Our commandant is a Korean War vet. Looks to me like there are several Viet Nam era marines, and present was a young man still active and just returned from Iraq.

I’m an “associate member” of the detachment because I was never a marine. But until I was 17 I lived in the home of a marine. Dad exited the Corps a Gunnery Sergeant (think Clint Eastwood in “Heartbreak Ridge”) just before my senior year of high school. So I’m well versed in marine stuff. These old marines accept me because “if your daddy was a marine, that’s good enough for us”. Actually my great-grandfather was a marine, too – a veteran of the Boxer Rebellion. He was one of only 295 marines sent to quell the attacks against Christian missionaries in China in 1900. So to be associated with these leathernecks is a personal honor.

You’ve probably heard the Marines’ Hymn (“From the halls of Montezuma…”), but have you ever heard the last words of the last verse?
If the Army and the Navy
Ever look on heaven’s scenes;
They will find the streets are guarded
by United States Marines.

Oorah.

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Admiral Rickover the Chief of the Boat

Admiral Rickover and the COB

From “I like the Cut Of His Jib !!“

Admiral Hyman Rickover was one of the most dedicated and driven individuals that ever served in the United States Navy. He felt it was his duty to personally inspect every nuclear powered ship or shore unit that provided any nuclear evolution for those ships. He interviewed every officer that was assigned as a Nuclear Engineer to those same ships and commands. The stories of those interviews were quite unique, and were common throughout the Nuclear Navy. He periodically visited Naval Commands that fell under or even near his realm of authority. He gave the personnel of the Fleet Ballistic Missile Submarine Training Center, Charleston, SC a brief talk in the early 1970’s and the first thing he said was “The Officer that graduated from the Naval Academy is the scourge of the Navy” and he went on to say how bad the shipyards were in nuclear overhaul and required nuclear maintenance. I was stunned and I do not even remember what else he said of significance. I had heard for years how tough, abrasive and demanding he was but this really surprised me.

Much to my surprise and delight, Admiral Rickover was two totally different people, as I found when I was required by my Executive Officer to escort the Admiral below for his inspection of the USS Tecumseh (SSBN 628) during an Operational Reactor Safeguard Exam (ORSE). The Admiral and his inspection party came below through the after hatch, went through the Missile Compartment and by the Crews Mess, I announced “Attention on Deck’ as we entered the Missile Compartment and the Admiral said “ That is not necessary COB we have working Sailors here”. The CPO Quarters is adjacent to the Crew Mess and the Admiral told his inspection party to go to the Ward Room, he wanted to go in Chiefs Quarters. He knocked on the door before I could get to it and then removed his hat and entered, he asked if he could have this seat right next to the door, which he probably knew was my seat, I said “Yes Admiral, is there anything else I can get for you?” He said” No COB I’m fine for awhile”. He made all of us feel at ease almost instantaneously and begin asking the Chiefs questions, which were varied and friendly. He must have spent at least 15 minutes just asking questions and making comments, it was all quite relaxing and I was relieved that all the Chiefs presented the example they should. When Admiral Rickover was ready to leave Chiefs Quarters he said something about “Getting to the business he came for and that the Ward Room was probably having fits by now”. When I opened the door to let the Admiral exit Chiefs Quarters I looked down the passage way and saw the Executive Officer standing at the Wardroom door, and looking just a little anxious as I led the Admiral in that direction. The Executive Officer told me later that the Admiral was quite pleased with the Chiefs of the Tecumseh. That made me feel very good.

The inspection took more than a day and when Admiral Rickover prepared to depart the Tecumseh he said “COB can you give me your foul weather jacket you are about my size and with COB printed on the back people will pay more attention to me.” I gladly gave him my foul weather jacket and I never got it back, but that was alright too. We passed the ORSE with a good grade.

The Nuclear Powered Navy has a good record, they the got off to the right start with Admiral Rickover’s leadership, they have continued that record for well over half a century and I expect the record will continue to be excellent. I am not aware of the leadership that drives the program today, but I certainly hope that it remains to be filled with the topnotch people that have guided it in the past.

Very Respectfully,
Navyman834
COB, USS Tecumseh

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Coast Guard Video of US Air Flight 1549 Landing in the Hudson

Watch the left hand bottom of the video for the splash.

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Coast Guard responds to cargo ship aground in the Chesapeake Bay

BALTIMORE – The Coast Guard is responding to a cargo ship that ran aground Saturday near Gibson Island in the Chesapeake Bay.

At about 11:05 a.m., watch standers at Coast Guard Sector Baltimore received a call from the motor vessel CSL Argosy, an 800-foot Bohemian flagged bulk carrier, reporting that they had run aground in the lower Craig Hill Channel just north of Annapolis, Md.

There are no reports of pollution or injuries.

Three tug boats from McAllister Towing are currently on scene to attempt to free the Argosy.

A Coast Guard investigation team, along with Coast Guard inspectors, is en route to the scene via a response boat from Coast Guard Station Curtis Bay, Md. The investigation team will meet with crewmembers of the Argosy to begin standard investigation procedures.

“We are working with the Maryland Pilots Association and the crewmembers of the Argosy to safely get the vessel free and to have it inspected to insure that it is able to operate safely,” said Capt. Brian Kelley, Captain of the Port of Baltimore.

The Argosy was inbound to Baltimore with a cargo of iron ore.

The cause of the grounding is under investigation.

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