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riverwalker
riverwalker's Journal
riverwalker's Journal
June 8, 2014
http://edition.cnn.com/2014/06/07/us/sgt-bowe-bergdahl-controversy/index.html?eref=edition&utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter&utm_campaign=cnni
As Bowe Bergdahl Heals, Details Emerge of His Captivity
WASHINGTON — Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl has told medical officials that his captors locked him in a metal cage in total darkness for weeks at a time as punishment for trying to escape, and while military doctors say he now is physically able to travel he is not yet emotionally ready for the pressures of reuniting with his family, according to American officials who have been briefed on his condition.
<more>
Bergdahl kept in dark cage for months
(personally, I hope they keep him in Germany for a while, until some of the vomit from Faux and the GOP has been cleaned up)http://edition.cnn.com/2014/06/07/us/sgt-bowe-bergdahl-controversy/index.html?eref=edition&utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter&utm_campaign=cnni
As Bowe Bergdahl Heals, Details Emerge of His Captivity
WASHINGTON — Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl has told medical officials that his captors locked him in a metal cage in total darkness for weeks at a time as punishment for trying to escape, and while military doctors say he now is physically able to travel he is not yet emotionally ready for the pressures of reuniting with his family, according to American officials who have been briefed on his condition.
<more>
June 8, 2014
Bergdahl Was In Unit Known For Its Troubles
The platoon was, an American military official would assert years later, “raggedy.”
On their tiny, remote base, in a restive sector of eastern Afghanistan at an increasingly violent time of the war, they were known to wear bandannas and cutoff T-shirts. Their crude observation post was inadequately secured, a military review later found. Their first platoon leader, and then their first platoon sergeant, were replaced relatively early in the deployment because of problems.
Contrast with Faux News couple days ago:
Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl wrote a note expressing a desire to renounce his American citizenship, according to Fox News.
Fox News’ Jennifer Griffin reported Tuesday that members of Bergdahl’s unit said he left behind a note saying he felt disillusioned with the Army and wanted to renounce his citizenship before he was captured in 2009.
NYT says there was NO stinkin' note
http://mobile.nytimes.com/2014/06/08/us/us-soldier-bowe-bergdahl-case-highlights-a-unit-known-for-troubles.html?_r=0&referrer=Bergdahl Was In Unit Known For Its Troubles
The platoon was, an American military official would assert years later, “raggedy.”
On their tiny, remote base, in a restive sector of eastern Afghanistan at an increasingly violent time of the war, they were known to wear bandannas and cutoff T-shirts. Their crude observation post was inadequately secured, a military review later found. Their first platoon leader, and then their first platoon sergeant, were replaced relatively early in the deployment because of problems.
They say they do not remember his leaving behind any note or explanation
Contrast with Faux News couple days ago:
Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl wrote a note expressing a desire to renounce his American citizenship, according to Fox News.
Fox News’ Jennifer Griffin reported Tuesday that members of Bergdahl’s unit said he left behind a note saying he felt disillusioned with the Army and wanted to renounce his citizenship before he was captured in 2009.
June 7, 2014
Bergdahl and NYT reporter Rhode were captured by same group
Bergdahl reveals the impossible choices faced by hostages’ families
http://blogs.reuters.com/great-debate/2014/06/06/bergdahl-reveals-the-impossible-choices-faced-by-hostages-families/
I’m biased about Bergdahl. Five years ago, I was kidnapped by the same Afghan Taliban faction along with two Afghan colleagues while I was on leave from The New York Times, researching a book in Afghanistan. An offer for an interview from a Taliban commander who had previously met twice with European journalists proved to be a ruse. We were abducted at the meeting point and then transported to the tribal areas of Pakistan.
June 6, 2014
June 6, 1944
My fellow Americans: Last night, when I spoke with you about the fall of Rome, I knew at that moment that troops of the United States and our allies were crossing the Channel in another and greater operation. It has come to pass with success thus far.
And so, in this poignant hour, I ask you to join with me in prayer:
Almighty God: Our sons, pride of our Nation, this day have set upon a mighty endeavor, a struggle to preserve our Republic, our religion, and our civilization, and to set free a suffering humanity.
Lead them straight and true; give strength to their arms, stoutness to their hearts, steadfastness in their faith.
They will need Thy blessings. Their road will be long and hard. For the enemy is strong. He may hurl back our forces. Success may not come with rushing speed, but we shall return again and again; and we know that by Thy grace, and by the righteousness of our cause, our sons will triumph.
They will be sore tried, by night and by day, without rest-until the victory is won. The darkness will be rent by noise and flame. Men's souls will be shaken with the violences of war.
For these men are lately drawn from the ways of peace. They fight not for the lust of conquest. They fight to end conquest. They fight to liberate. They fight to let justice arise, and tolerance and good will among all Thy people. They yearn but for the end of battle, for their return to the haven of home.
Some will never return. Embrace these, Father, and receive them, Thy heroic servants, into Thy kingdom.
And for us at home - fathers, mothers, children, wives, sisters, and brothers of brave men overseas - whose thoughts and prayers are ever with them - help us, Almighty God, to rededicate ourselves in renewed faith in Thee in this hour of great sacrifice.
Many people have urged that I call the Nation into a single day of special prayer. But because the road is long and the desire is great, I ask that our people devote themselves in a continuance of prayer. As we rise to each new day, and again when each day is spent, let words of prayer be on our lips, invoking Thy help to our efforts.
Give us strength, too - strength in our daily tasks, to redouble the contributions we make in the physical and the material support of our armed forces.
And let our hearts be stout, to wait out the long travail, to bear sorrows that may come, to impart our courage unto our sons wheresoever they may be.
And, O Lord, give us Faith. Give us Faith in Thee; Faith in our sons; Faith in each other; Faith in our united crusade. Let not the keenness of our spirit ever be dulled. Let not the impacts of temporary events, of temporal matters of but fleeting moment let not these deter us in our unconquerable purpose.
With Thy blessing, we shall prevail over the unholy forces of our enemy. Help us to conquer the apostles of greed and racial arrogancies. Lead us to the saving of our country, and with our sister Nations into a world unity that will spell a sure peace a peace invulnerable to the schemings of unworthy men. And a peace that will let all of men live in freedom, reaping the just rewards of their honest toil.
Thy will be done, Almighty God.
Amen.
FDR's D-Day Prayer
The White House distributed the text on the morning of June 6, 1944, so that the afternoon newspapers could publish it and listeners could pray along with Roosevelt when he broadcast that evening. With an estimated audience of 100 million, FDR was to lead what must rank as one of the largest mass prayers in human history. Here are his words, spoken in an hour of peril and of promise.June 6, 1944
My fellow Americans: Last night, when I spoke with you about the fall of Rome, I knew at that moment that troops of the United States and our allies were crossing the Channel in another and greater operation. It has come to pass with success thus far.
And so, in this poignant hour, I ask you to join with me in prayer:
Almighty God: Our sons, pride of our Nation, this day have set upon a mighty endeavor, a struggle to preserve our Republic, our religion, and our civilization, and to set free a suffering humanity.
Lead them straight and true; give strength to their arms, stoutness to their hearts, steadfastness in their faith.
They will need Thy blessings. Their road will be long and hard. For the enemy is strong. He may hurl back our forces. Success may not come with rushing speed, but we shall return again and again; and we know that by Thy grace, and by the righteousness of our cause, our sons will triumph.
They will be sore tried, by night and by day, without rest-until the victory is won. The darkness will be rent by noise and flame. Men's souls will be shaken with the violences of war.
For these men are lately drawn from the ways of peace. They fight not for the lust of conquest. They fight to end conquest. They fight to liberate. They fight to let justice arise, and tolerance and good will among all Thy people. They yearn but for the end of battle, for their return to the haven of home.
Some will never return. Embrace these, Father, and receive them, Thy heroic servants, into Thy kingdom.
And for us at home - fathers, mothers, children, wives, sisters, and brothers of brave men overseas - whose thoughts and prayers are ever with them - help us, Almighty God, to rededicate ourselves in renewed faith in Thee in this hour of great sacrifice.
Many people have urged that I call the Nation into a single day of special prayer. But because the road is long and the desire is great, I ask that our people devote themselves in a continuance of prayer. As we rise to each new day, and again when each day is spent, let words of prayer be on our lips, invoking Thy help to our efforts.
Give us strength, too - strength in our daily tasks, to redouble the contributions we make in the physical and the material support of our armed forces.
And let our hearts be stout, to wait out the long travail, to bear sorrows that may come, to impart our courage unto our sons wheresoever they may be.
And, O Lord, give us Faith. Give us Faith in Thee; Faith in our sons; Faith in each other; Faith in our united crusade. Let not the keenness of our spirit ever be dulled. Let not the impacts of temporary events, of temporal matters of but fleeting moment let not these deter us in our unconquerable purpose.
With Thy blessing, we shall prevail over the unholy forces of our enemy. Help us to conquer the apostles of greed and racial arrogancies. Lead us to the saving of our country, and with our sister Nations into a world unity that will spell a sure peace a peace invulnerable to the schemings of unworthy men. And a peace that will let all of men live in freedom, reaping the just rewards of their honest toil.
Thy will be done, Almighty God.
Amen.
June 5, 2014
Read the profile of Bergdahl in Rolling Stone by Michael Hastings
http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/news/americas-last-prisoner-of-war-20120607
Soldier Calls ‘PR Campaign’ Against Bergdahl ‘Disgusting’
(He helped Hastings with his Rolling Stone article)
Here & Now’s Robin Young speaks with Matthew Farwell, a former infantry soldier in Afghanistan who helped write a 2012 Rolling Stone profile of Bowe Bergdahl.
http://hereandnow.wbur.org/2014/06/04/bowe-bergdahl-taliban
“The political game being, you know, playing typical Washington games of using U.S. soldiers as pawns and props to make a political argument. Also, Bob and Jani Bergdahl, the parents of Bowe, are lovely people, they are good Americans, and they have been through hell in the past five years, and I think the amount of disrespect they’ve been getting from all sides has been absolutely disgusting."
Read the profile of Bergdahl in Rolling Stone by Michael Hastings
http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/news/americas-last-prisoner-of-war-20120607
June 5, 2014
Don’t Desert Bergdahl
Trading Taliban prisoners for a POW doesn’t reward terrorism. It keeps our promise to our troops.
The army’s training pamphlet on being a POW repeats this commitment: “Every captured US individual continues to be of special concern to the US. The US government expresses this concern by … employing every available means to establish contact with you and gain your release.” In light of that commitment, it’s unwise to focus, as many critics of the Bergdahl deal do, on the circumstances of his capture. They say he left his post without authorization, provoking search and rescue operations that endangered other troops and led to several deaths. None of these claims has been adjudicated, and some of them are already unraveling. But the larger principle is that our allegiance to our soldiers has to be as solid as their allegiance to us. We don’t have to love their character, any more than they have to love the character of their commanders. In the military, loyalty transcends personality. And loyalty goes both ways.
Don’t Desert Bergdahl
http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/frame_game/2014/06/the_bergdahl_prisoner_exchange_doesn_t_reward_terrorism_it_keeps_our_promise.htmlDon’t Desert Bergdahl
Trading Taliban prisoners for a POW doesn’t reward terrorism. It keeps our promise to our troops.
The Code of Conduct for members of the armed forces, published more than half a century ago, details every service member’s obligations to the military and the nation, even in captivity. In exchange, the code promises:
Just as you have a responsibility to your country under the Code of Conduct, the United States government has an equal responsibility—always to keep faith with you and stand by you as you fight for your country. If you are unfortunate enough to become a prisoner of war, you may rest assured that your government will care for your dependents and will never forget you. Furthermore, the government will use every practical means to contact, support and gain release for you and for all other prisoners of war.
Just as you have a responsibility to your country under the Code of Conduct, the United States government has an equal responsibility—always to keep faith with you and stand by you as you fight for your country. If you are unfortunate enough to become a prisoner of war, you may rest assured that your government will care for your dependents and will never forget you. Furthermore, the government will use every practical means to contact, support and gain release for you and for all other prisoners of war.
The army’s training pamphlet on being a POW repeats this commitment: “Every captured US individual continues to be of special concern to the US. The US government expresses this concern by … employing every available means to establish contact with you and gain your release.” In light of that commitment, it’s unwise to focus, as many critics of the Bergdahl deal do, on the circumstances of his capture. They say he left his post without authorization, provoking search and rescue operations that endangered other troops and led to several deaths. None of these claims has been adjudicated, and some of them are already unraveling. But the larger principle is that our allegiance to our soldiers has to be as solid as their allegiance to us. We don’t have to love their character, any more than they have to love the character of their commanders. In the military, loyalty transcends personality. And loyalty goes both ways.
June 5, 2014
The Real Reason the U.S. Didn’t Rescue Bowe Bergdahl
After a second escape attempt, the American hostage was being moved so often, American commandos would’ve had to raid a dozen safehouses in Pakistan at once
...........
In his first escape, Afghan sources said he avoided capture for three days and two nights before searches finally found him, exhausted and hiding in a shallow trench he had dug with his own hands and covered with leaves.
In his second bid for freedom, which has not been previously reported, Bergdahl made it to a remote village in the mountainous part of Pakistan, the former Afghan official said. The villagers simply returned him to his captors in the Haqqani Network. The U.S. officials were not familiar with details of the second escape attempt.
Bergdahl escaped captors twice
http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2014/06/04/the-real-reason-the-u-s-didn-t-rescue-bowe-bergdahl.htmlThe Real Reason the U.S. Didn’t Rescue Bowe Bergdahl
After a second escape attempt, the American hostage was being moved so often, American commandos would’ve had to raid a dozen safehouses in Pakistan at once
...........
In his first escape, Afghan sources said he avoided capture for three days and two nights before searches finally found him, exhausted and hiding in a shallow trench he had dug with his own hands and covered with leaves.
In his second bid for freedom, which has not been previously reported, Bergdahl made it to a remote village in the mountainous part of Pakistan, the former Afghan official said. The villagers simply returned him to his captors in the Haqqani Network. The U.S. officials were not familiar with details of the second escape attempt.
May 21, 2014
http://www.consortiumnews.com/2009/010609b.html
Bush and Cheneys VA
Interesting article from 2009, found it while looking to see if increased VA hospital funding was part of Bushco's war plans. Hell no.http://www.consortiumnews.com/2009/010609b.html
Bush’s Record on VA Funding
For his part, Bush stacked the VA with political cronies, such as former Republican National Committee chairman Jim Nicholson, who as VA Secretary defended a budget measure that sought major cuts in staffing for healthcare and at the Board of Veterans Appeals; slashed funding for nursing home care; and blocked four legislative measures aimed at streamlining the backlog of veterans benefits claims.
Of the 84,000 Iraq and Afghanistan war veterans diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder by VA, only half, about 42,000, had their disability claim approved by VA. Instead of expediting PTSD claims, Bush's political appointees at VA actively fought against mental health claims.
Bush's appointees also obstructed scientific research into the causes of Gulf War illnesses dating back 18 years to Operation Desert Storm and opposed medical research on treatment for 210,000 of those veterans.
As for funding, Bush proposed a 0.5 percent budget increase for the VA for fiscal year 2006, which amounted to a “cruel mockery” of Bush’s promises to do everything to support veterans and soldiers, Rep. Lane Evans, D-Illinois, said at the time.
For his part, Bush stacked the VA with political cronies, such as former Republican National Committee chairman Jim Nicholson, who as VA Secretary defended a budget measure that sought major cuts in staffing for healthcare and at the Board of Veterans Appeals; slashed funding for nursing home care; and blocked four legislative measures aimed at streamlining the backlog of veterans benefits claims.
Of the 84,000 Iraq and Afghanistan war veterans diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder by VA, only half, about 42,000, had their disability claim approved by VA. Instead of expediting PTSD claims, Bush's political appointees at VA actively fought against mental health claims.
Bush's appointees also obstructed scientific research into the causes of Gulf War illnesses dating back 18 years to Operation Desert Storm and opposed medical research on treatment for 210,000 of those veterans.
As for funding, Bush proposed a 0.5 percent budget increase for the VA for fiscal year 2006, which amounted to a “cruel mockery” of Bush’s promises to do everything to support veterans and soldiers, Rep. Lane Evans, D-Illinois, said at the time.
May 8, 2014
A maritime send off for Jim Oberstar
As funeral services began today in Maryland for former Minnesota congressman James Oberstar, a maritime tribute played out in Duluth this morning when the laker, “James L. Oberstar” , approached the lift bridge in the city Oberstar served in Congress.
The ship sounded its tribute to Oberstar and, as is custom, the operator of the Duluth Aerial Lift Bridge replied. (At the link there is audio of ships tribute)
http://blogs.mprnews.org/newscut/2014/05/a-maritime-send-off-for-oberstar/
(Takk For Alt, Jim)
February 1, 2014
List of known burials, looking for families.
http://news.usf.edu/article/articlefiles/5997-Dozier%20family%20chart.pdf
There are many, many more graves than recorded at the Dozier School, and they keep finding more. Many boys were picked up for minor offenses, like truancy or smoking, sent to the school without the families notified. Ages 6-18. Help identify these bodies.
http://news.wfsu.org/post/researchers-ask-public-help-they-look-uncover-more-remains-dozier
https://www.ringoffireradio.com/2014/01/55-bodies-excavated-dozier-school/
Florida researchers
Researchers Ask For Public's Help
Lead Researcher Dr. Erin Kimmerle says a lab analysis of the skeletal remains, including DNA testing, may help match victims with those families who have already provided DNA samples. But she says many families still haven’t come forward, and researchers need help. So far, they’ve found 11 surviving families, but need help locating 42 more on a list they’ve made public.
“And, so our hope is that will illicit some people to come forward who may be related, or if there are web sleuths out there, and genealogy buffs, who can lend a hand, then we appreciate that too. It’s something that we have genealogists working on and are working with the NamUS [National Missing and Unidentified Persons System] program and the Sheriff’s office, but the more help that we can get from the public, then the faster that process will go,” said Kimmerle
.
Lead Researcher Dr. Erin Kimmerle says a lab analysis of the skeletal remains, including DNA testing, may help match victims with those families who have already provided DNA samples. But she says many families still haven’t come forward, and researchers need help. So far, they’ve found 11 surviving families, but need help locating 42 more on a list they’ve made public.
“And, so our hope is that will illicit some people to come forward who may be related, or if there are web sleuths out there, and genealogy buffs, who can lend a hand, then we appreciate that too. It’s something that we have genealogists working on and are working with the NamUS [National Missing and Unidentified Persons System] program and the Sheriff’s office, but the more help that we can get from the public, then the faster that process will go,” said Kimmerle
List of known burials, looking for families.
http://news.usf.edu/article/articlefiles/5997-Dozier%20family%20chart.pdf
There are many, many more graves than recorded at the Dozier School, and they keep finding more. Many boys were picked up for minor offenses, like truancy or smoking, sent to the school without the families notified. Ages 6-18. Help identify these bodies.
http://news.wfsu.org/post/researchers-ask-public-help-they-look-uncover-more-remains-dozier
https://www.ringoffireradio.com/2014/01/55-bodies-excavated-dozier-school/
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