If the web wench were in today I would post a picture of my
father's and mother's grave at the Ft.SamHoustonNationalCemetery
in San Antonio.On the front it says Neal A. Boortz, Sr.Lt.Col.USMCWWII, Korea, Vietnam.On the back it says Mary Frances Boortz.USNWWII.Both of my parents were
veterans of WWII.
There's a story out there that is very fitting for Veterans
Day.Here's your link.Four muggers attack a man in an alley in Milwaukee.They take his wallet ...everything.The leader of the gang opens the victim's
wallet and sees a military ID card.He
then orders his buds to put everything back.The victim's wallet and other belongings are laid on the ground next to
him.The leader then apologized for the
robbery and thanked the man for his service.He even came back for a fist bump after the robbers were walking away.
This story caused me to think ... to wonder if all of us give
our men and women in uniform and our veterans the respect these criminals
did.I think that generally we do ... I
certainly hope I'm right.
Both Royal and I are from military families.From the entire Boortz show staff a big
thanks and a heap of respect to all of the men and women out there who are
serving and have served in our armed forces.You're truly the cream of the crop.
I did all I could last night to research this bit on the Internet. Snopes had nothing. This is a message an airplane pilot sent to his colleagues after one particular flight:
My lead flight attendant came to me and said, 'We have an H.R. on this flight.' H.R. stands for human remains. 'Are they military?' I asked. 'Yes', she said. 'Is there an escort?' I asked. 'Yes, I already assigned him a seat.' 'Would you please tell him to come to the flight deck. You can board him early', I said.
A short while later, a young Army sergeant entered the flight deck. He was the image of the perfectly dressed soldier. He introduced himself and I asked him about his soldier. The escorts of these fallen soldiers talk about them as if they are still alive and still with us. My soldier is on his way back to Virginia', he said. He proceeded to answer my questions, but offered no words on his own. I asked him if there was anything I could do for him and he said no. I told him that he had the toughest job in the military and that I appreciated the work that he does for the families of our fallen soldiers. The first officer and I got up out of our seats to shake his hand. He left the flight deck to find his seat.
We completed our preflight checks, pushed back and performed an uneventful departure. About 30 minutes into our flight I received a call from the lead flight attendant in the cabin. 'I just found out the family of the soldier we are carrying, is on board', he said. He then proceeded to tell me that the father, mother, wife and 2-year old daughter were escorting their son, husband, and father home. The family was upset because they were unable to see the container that the soldier was in before we left. We were on our way to a major hub at which the family was going to wait four hours for the connecting flight home to Virginia. The father of the soldier told the flight attendant that knowing his son was below him in the cargo compartment and being unable to see him was too much for him and the family to bear. He had asked the flight attendant if there was anything that could be done to allow them to see him upon our arrival. The family wanted to be outside by the cargo door to watch the soldier being taken off the airplane. I could hear the desperation in the flight attendant's voice when he asked me if there was anything I could do. 'I'm on it', I said. I told him that I would get back to him.
Airborne communication with my company normally occurs in the form of e-mail like messages. I decided to bypass this system and contact my flight dispatcher directly on a secondary radio. There is a radio operator in the operations control center who connects you to the telephone of the dispatcher. I was in direct contact with the dispatcher. I explained the situation I had onboard with the family and what it was the family wanted. He said he understood and that he would get back to me.
Two hours went by and I had not heard from the dispatcher. We were going to get busy soon and I needed to know what to tell the family. I sent a text message asking for an update. I saved the return message from the dispatcher and this following is the text:
'Captain, sorry it has taken so long to get back to you. There is policy on this now and I had to check on a few things. Upon your arrival a dedicated escort team will meet the aircraft. The team will escort the family to the ramp and plane side. A van will be used to load the remains with a secondary van for the family. The family will be taken to their departure area and escorted into the terminal where the remains can be seen on the ramp. It is a private area for the family only. When the connecting aircraft arrives, the family will be escorted onto the ramp and planeside to watch the remains being loaded for the final leg home. Captain, most of us here in flight control are veterans. Please pass our condolences on to the family. Thanks.'
I sent a message back telling flight control thanks for a good job. I printed out the message and gave it to the lead flight attendant to pass on to the father. The lead flight attendant was very thankful and told me, 'You have no idea how much this will mean to them.' Things started getting busy for the descent, approach and landing. After landing, we cleared the runway and taxied to the ramp area. The ramp is huge with 15 gates on either side of the alleyway. It is always a busy area with aircraft maneuvering every which way to enter and exit. When we entered the ramp and checked in with the ramp controller, we were told that all traffic was being held for us.
'There is a team in place to meet the aircraft', we were told. It looked like it was all coming together, then I realized that once we turned the seat belt sign off, everyone would stand up at once and delay the family from getting off the airplane. As we approached our gate, I asked the copilot to tell the ramp controller we were going to stop short of the gate to make an announcement to the passengers. He did that and the ramp controller said, 'Take your time.'
I stopped the aircraft and set the parking brake. I pushed the public address button and said, 'Ladies and gentleman, this is your captain speaking. I have stopped short of our gate to make a special announcement. We have a passenger on board who deserves our honor and respect. His name is private XXXXX, a soldier who recently lost his life. Private XXXXX is under your feet in the cargo hold. Escorting him today is Army Sergeant XXXXX. Also, on board are his father, mother, wife, and daughter. Your entire flight crew is asking for all passengers to remain in their seats to allow the family to exit the aircraft first. Thank you.'
We continued the turn to the gate, came to a stop and started our shutdown procedures. A couple of minutes later I opened the cockpit door. I found the two forward flight attendants crying, something you just do not see. I was told that after we came to a stop, every passenger on the aircraft stayed in their seats, waiting for the family to exit the aircraft. When the family got up and gathered their things, a passenger slowly started to clap his hands. Moments later more passengers joined in and soon the entire aircraft was clapping. Words of 'God Bless You', I'm sorry, thank you, be proud, and other kind words were uttered to the family as they made their way down the aisle and out of the airplane. They were escorted down to the ramp to finally be with their loved one. Many of the passengers disembarking thanked me for the announcement I had made. They were just words, I told them, I could say them over and over again, but nothing I say will bring back that brave soldier.
I respectfully ask that all of you reflect on this event and the sacrifices that millions of our men and women have made to ensure our freedom and safety in these United States of America.
With the type of people we have running this country right now ... people who don't believe that we're at war with Islamic terrorism .. .this sure makes you feel better about the rest of us.
Now get this: For every hour the F22 Raptor flies it needs an average of 30 hours of maintenance. Now come on folks, can you believe this one? Why in the hell would you want to own and operate anything that takes 30 hours of maintenance for every hour of use?
Well ... that's just it. The Pentagon has made it clear that they don't want any more of these airplanes.
Look .. if this is about jobs let's just pay the workers at Lockheed whatever they're earning to rake leaves on Kennesaw Mountain without building the airplanes. Get them out there picking up trash along roadsides or painting over graffiti. Anything ... just pay them for the length of time it would take to build the additional Raptors. This would work two ways for the taxpayers. First, the would get some service out of these fine folks that we actually need, and they would save money in the bargain.
How about it, Senator? Isn't that a better idea? You're welcome.
Just wondering. The whole world seemed to be wrapped up in that spectacle from Los Angeles - the memorial service for Michael Jackson. I'm just wondering how many American servicemen killed protecting our country were buried yesterday. Something worth thinking about.
During his visit to Russia this week President Obama had something rather interesting to say about our armed forces. He said that "the future does not belong to those who gather armies." Really? Well, I have this question for our Commander in Chief. Which country do you think is more in control of its future ... the country that keeps an army, or the country that does not?
As you are well aware, I Twitter. (@talkmaster) I use Twitter to post insensitive remarks or thoughts and the occasional article to read. But the US military in Afghanistan has decided that it is going to start using Twitter, along with Facebook and YouTube. It is part of a new effort to reach people who get their information on the Internet rather than newspapers.
Apparently this effort is also another way to counter Taliban propaganda. There is a big problem with the Taliban spreading false messages about how many soldiers are being killed or what is happening ... so this is an effort to help set the record straight.
This week, the military has already used Twitter to announce the death of a US service member from non-combat-related injuries. The death was posted on Twitter before being announced in a formal press statement. The military also wants soldiers to post photos and stories to help portray daily life in Afghanistan.
Not sure what I think about this. All this time I thought that we were relying on private-sector war correspondents for information. Now the government tweets?
Yesterday was an interesting day for New Yorkers. The Pentagon thought that it would be a good idea to fly a presidential plane around the Statue of Liberty, trailed by an F-16 fighter jet. They were flying as low as 1000 feet above the city. Turned out that it was for a photo shoot.
OK ... nothing wrong with a photo shoot. I can see where the Air Force would want glossy photos of Air Force One circling the Statue of Liberty ... though any connection between liberty and the person currently riding on Air Force One is vague at best.
Here's the problem. New Yorkers didn't know about the photo shoot. Even the mayor didn't know, and is he ever pissed. Apparently people in New York were evacuating buildings and trying to get out of the city. The NYPD had been told about the mission, but was ordered to stay quiet about it. Chuckie Schumer was also upset that no one was notified. He says the whole thing is "absolutely outrageous and appalling .. To think that the FAA would plan such a photo shoot and not warn the public, knowing full well that New Yorkers still have the vivid memory of 9/11 etched in their minds."
Oops ...
Well, it did give some New York buildings to practice their evacuation plans. I wonder how much this shoot cost the American taxpayers? No problem though. There's plenty of money, right?
Our military now has a flying remote-controlled sniper helicopter. Could this be any more cool? Can't wait to see some of the action video. Would love to see this thing flying alongside some idiot leading police on a high speed chase.
And yesterday, just after North Korea launched a missile, our Secretary of Defense stands up and announces cuts to our military weapons program.
Every action an administration takes sends a message. The unmistakable message here is that the United States is weakening. On the very day after North Korea test-fires a missile with intercontinental range, Obama announces a cutback in military spending. He is expanding spending in virtually every segment of government - except defense. The one true absolute function of the federal government is getting shorted while social welfare programs are being doubled in size. Yeah .. we really showed those North Koreans who the boss was, didn't we? Not just the Gargoyle ... but every other country out there that would like to take advantage of American weakness. We are, whether Obama cares to admit it or not, at war with radical Islam. Nations like Russia and China are vying to become the world's dominant military power. The No. 4 military power test fires a missile after we told them to stand down ... and Obama announces a $534 billion cut our defense budget.
There's your change you can believe in, folks. A weakened America in a very dangerous world.
Senator Patty Murray, a Democrat from Washington, says that the proposal would be "dead on arrival" if it was sent to Congress.
Do you want our government to spend money? Spend it on wounded warriors. Give every one of them a million bucks ... tax free. That would certainly be a better use of our money than funding blueberry research and building butterfly displays.
I've been telling you about this for some weeks now ... ever since our wonderful Democrat congress started demonizing anyone who uses a private jet in their business.
Nancy Pelosi's business is running the U.S. House of Representatives, and Nancy not only has one private jet at her disposal; she has a fleet. That's right, a fleet of private jets, paid for by the taxpayers, that shuttle her and her friends and family where they please. Nancy's fleet is operated by the Pentagon. According to a report from Judicial Watch, Nancy repeatedly requested military aircraft and treated the Air Force as her "personal airline." Based on e-mails and other documents, Nancy regularly made special demands for high-end aircraft, often canceled at the last minute and racked up some serious expenses for the military .. and ultimately the taxpayers. What's more (and this is no surprise) Princess Nancy and her staff would be just a wee bit abusive when they couldn't get their way. In one email recovered with a FOIA request, Pelosi's aid Kay King wrote "It is my understanding there are NO G5s available for the House during the Memorial Day recess. This is totally unacceptable ... The Speaker will want to know where the planes are." In other words ... if you can't cough up a G5 for the Speaker, you had better tell her were your G5s are and who is using them so she can make a determination as to whether or not she is being slighted.
In another case Pelosi wanted her husband to tag along on a congressional trip to Iraq. The Pentagon had to remind Madam Speaker that spouses are not allowed to go along on military trips.
Public servant? Yeah right .. these people are our RULERS, folks. We are here to provide for them ...to provide a basis for their power. What good is a ruler without someone to rule? That would be us.
Last week we had a F/A-18D Hornet crash into a neighborhood in San Diego, just outside of Miramar Marine Corps Air Station. A man who lost his family in the crash, an immigrant from Korea, said that he didn't blame the pilot for the accident. Now there is an admirable man.
But the rest of his neighbors aren't being as forgiving. For years, there has been a battle between the Miramar Air Station and the residents of its surrounding neighborhoods. These people are what you would call NIMBYs - Not In My BackYard. And this crash last week has really re-ignited the NIMBYs of San Diego to get rid of Miramar Marine Corps Air Station.
The residents are saying that this crash is the latest reminder of the "longtime noise and safety concerns arising from operations at Miramar." They have also complained about the traffic congestion. Environmental groups are upset with the bases' "history of industrial pollution." Sally Marks, a San Diego resident since 1978, says, "The Marines are decent people, and it seems un-American to gripe about them during wartime. But having hundreds of helicopters and jets in the middle of an urban area is a recipe for discord and disaster." And then there is resident Gayle Aruta (another woman) who says, "These types of jets have to be moved. It's not safe, these things flying over schools and children ... How many people have to die?" That, my friends, is the profile of a NIMBY.
A few things for Gayle and her NIMBY crowd should remember .. Miramar has been around since before you were born. Its origins date back to 1917. Not to mention that when moving into the area, there is no secret that you are moving near a military base .. you have to sign a contract that disclosed those inconvenient facts..
Oh and then there is that little thing the NIMBYs forget - the economic impact of the base. Did you know that the Pentagon spends $15.5 billion in the San Diego area for things like salaries, equipment repairs and construction? That's a lot of capital being pumped into the area. This means that San Diego is the top recipient of military funding compared to any other county in the nation.
The slumping economy has taken its toll on troop support and donation programs. According to MOM 4R MARINES founder Patty Lewis, the number of donations and packages being sent to the troops has fallen to an all-time low, while the number of homesick Marines and sailors hoping to receive a package is at an all-time high, especially while deployed in the cold mountains of Afghanistan over the holidays. We must send them our support! Please help make this happen for a group of 1500 wonderful, fearless warriors living without any normal amenities. WE NEED YOUR HELP TO MAKE THIS HAPPEN! NOW! THE TIME IS NOW! While they can use your donations year round, donate before December 7th to make your funds available for this year's holiday shipment. How to donate.
Perhaps you haven't heard about this one. It's an older story ...but I would like an update, especially since our U.S. Marines are still fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan.
After the 2004 election the United Auto Workers were a bit upset about Bush's reelection. They took their angst out on our Marines. It seems that some Marine Corps reservists working at a base in Detroit were parking in the lot at the UAW Solidarity House. After the Bush reelection the UAW went into the parking lot looking for Marines driving foreign cars or cars with Bush bumper stickers. These Marines were told they were no longer welcome to park their cars on UAW property.
Now the UAW is pushing for a taxpayer-funded bailout of their employers. Marines, even Marines who drive foreign cars, are taxpayers. Has the UAW changed their tactics at Solidarity House?
This is the day set aside to honor all men and women who have served in our
armed forces. Here's a thought for you ... that old man driving that Buick at 20
mph below the speed limit? You know .. the one with the big ears and that
driving hat? Give him a break. He might have been one of those who waded ashore
on Utah Beach on D-Day. He might have dragged a buddy to safety after seeing
him cut down by German fire. We owe these people so much ... whether they saw
combat or not. They've been there to defend our freedoms. Now, more than ever,
that should mean something to you.
Maybe you'll take the time to read this article from the Wall Street Journal:
Soldiers of the Great War.
Search Boortz.com
Now get this: For every hour the F22 Raptor flies it needs an average of 30 hours of maintenance. Now come on folks, can you believe this one? Why in the hell would you want to own and operate anything that takes 30 hours of maintenance for every hour of use?
As you are well aware, I Twitter. (
And yesterday, just after North Korea launched a missile, our Secretary of Defense stands up and announces 
I've been telling you about this for some weeks now ... ever since our wonderful Democrat congress started demonizing anyone who uses a private jet in their business. 
Last week we had a F/A-18D Hornet crash into a neighborhood in San Diego, just outside of Miramar Marine Corps Air Station. A man who lost his family in the crash, an immigrant from Korea, said that 
