(An Open Letter To Jack “Cold-Blooded” Murtha) 

Congressman Murtha,

Were I you sir, I would hang my head in shame and pray to my Creator, begging His forgiveness for the pain that I’ve caused innocent people. And then I would perform some serious personal introspection to see what I could possibly do to begin the process of restitution for my crimes.

But you won’t because you have no shame.

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Technorati Tags: Frank Wuterich, Haditha, Iraq, Jeffrey Chessani, John Murtha

Warning: Contains coarse language.

The military has long recognized that when the unwelcome stench of undue command influence begins to waft through the halls of justice, you’d better hold your nose, because bad things are about to happen. That is why they have regulations in place to seek out and eradicate the influence of commanders on the military judicial process. Unlawful command influence has been called “the mortal enemy of military justice” and for good reason. In this particular case, the ones wielding that illegal influence are figuratively fragging Lt. Col. Jeffrey Chessani.

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Technorati Tags: Haditha, Iraq, John Murtha, Lt. Col. Jeffrey Chessani, Staff Sergeant Frank Wuterich, USMC Iraq Investigations

USMC 1st Lt Andrew Grayson

On June 4th, 2008, yet another ace was yanked from the house of cards that laid foundation of the government’s case against eight Marines for their actions relating to a terrorist ambush in Haditha, Iraq in November of 2005. 

Although that deck was completely stacked against them and reshuffled repeatedly, five of eight Marines have had their charges dismissed and First Lieutenant Andrew Grayson has faced court martial and was rightly found not guilty on all counts.

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Technorati Tags: 1st Lt. Andrew Grayson, Haditha, Iraq, Lt. Col. Jeffrey Chessani, Madeline Albright, Staff Sergeant Frank Wuterich

USMC Lance Corporal Stephen Tatum has finally been exonerated of the bogus charges leveled against him. Perhaps now he can begin to rebuild his life in the peace and prosperity he has fought so hard to secure for so many of us.

While I celebrate the decision to drop all charges against this Marine Rifleman, I also view the circumstances that surround that decision with much trepidation. When combined with the history of prosecutorial misconduct in these cases, it is a clear indication of how desperate the government is to nail the 3 remaining Marines, particularly Staff Sergeant Frank Wuterich.

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Technorati Tags: Haditha, Iraq, John Murtha, Justin Sharratt, Stephen Tatum

“I would rather be tried by a jury of my peers than be carried by six of my friends in a casket.”  - Justin Sharratt  

Michelle Obama recently said that for the first time in her adult life, she was proud of her country. While I unequivocally disagree;  while I have found many occasions in my adult life to be proud of my country, I can emphatically say that this is not one of them. As a matter of fact; for the first time in my adult life, I am unabashedly ashamed of my country. Ashamed that our Commander-In-Chief would order Marines from Lt. Col Jeffrey Chessani’s 3rd Battalion to battle terrorists in Iraq only to turn his back and hold his nose while these brave men, who should be held aloft on our shoulders and celebrated, are viciously and selectively prosecuted. It is nauseating, this wretched betrayal.

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Technorati Tags: Haditha, Iraq, Lt. Col. Jeffrey Chessani, Media Bias, UCMJ

“The magnitude of a lie always contains a certain factor of credibility.” - Adolph Hitler - Mein Kampf

The vicious slander against the Marines of 3/1 Kilo Co. brought forth by Pennsylvania Democrat John Murtha continues to receive the blessing of  the US Marine Corps leadership who seem quite content sacrificing these 4 men atop the altar of political correctness.

For over two years, the dubious allegations that 4 US Marines massacred 24 civilians “in cold blood” and 4 others helped them cover it up have been stinking up this country somethin’ fierce.  Completely unsupported by the facts, undenounced by President Bush, ignored by Congress and aided-and-abetted by a violence-obsessed media that is itself (ironically) vehemently anti-military, the myth has survived.

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Technorati Tags: Andrew Grayson, Frank Wuterich, Haditha, Jeffrey Chessani, John Murtha, Stephen Tatum

“I think I can, I think I can, I think I can…”

Americans know that without the sacrifices of our military, we’d soon bow to Mecca.We send phone cards and care packages to soldiers overseas. We focus vast resources on rehabilitating our combat wounded and employing our returning vets.

But while America opens its wallet to these men and pours out its heart for the wounded and the fallen, lost in the chatter are the political casualties of the Iraq war; brave men such as USMC 1st Lieutenant Andrew Grayson.

Grayson - 26,  is charged with obstruction of justice and making false official statements surrounding his alleged destruction of some 70 photographs the military contends were proof of the Little Massacre That Could in Haditha, Iraq in November of 2005. He is also charged with attempted fraudulent separation from the Marine Corps. Grayson’s trial is scheduled for May 2008.

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Technorati Tags: Haditha, Iraq, John Murtha

It has long been alleged by conservatives that there is a liberal bias to the media. It has also been alleged by liberals -although with much less to support the allegations- that there is a conservative bias to the media. In an effort to determine in which direction the scales of bias tilt, let’s examine some of the documentary evidence in support of the argument of liberal bias. Below are just a few of the more recent, notable examples.

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Technorati Tags: Alan Colmes, Associated Press, Frank Wuterich, Haditha, Iraq, Justin Sharratt, Media Bias, NY Times, Scott Pelley, Washington Post

“The tears sliding down my face are not a sign of weakness - they affirm a father’s love for his Marine son” - Darryl Sharratt on his son, USMC Lance Corporal Justin Sharratt

* Photo of Justin in Fallujah, Iraq - courtesy of the Sharratt family

 Lance Corporal Justin Sharratt is a decorated United States Marine. He fought in the battle for Fallujah, modern urban combat at it’s worst, involving house-to-house and hand-to-hand fighting that killed some of Justin’s fellow Marines. But for Justin, Fallujah was only the beginning.

Justin’s father Darryl wants the world to know that although Justin is home from Iraq, he’s still fighting for his life. Justin is charged with three counts of unpremeditated murder during an ambush followed by a ferocious firefight in Haditha, Iraq in November, 2005. When we spoke last Saturday, Darryl sounded upbeat. He had just gotten off the phone with one of his attorneys, while his wife Theresa was one the line with another. He explained that the attorneys seemed satisfied with the progress of defense discovery.

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Technorati Tags: Darryl Sharratt, Haditha, Iraq, John Murtha, Justin Sharratt, UCMJ

This is the House that Jack built.

This is the resolution
that rots the foundation of the House that Jack built.

These are the traitors
who voted for the resolution
that rots the foundation of the House that Jack built.

These are the anti-war protesters
who browbeat the traitors
who voted for the resolution
that rots the foundation of the House that Jack built.

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Technorati Tags: Alan Colmes, Andrew Grayson, Frank Wuterich, Haditha, Harry Reid, Henry Waxman, Iraq, Jeffrey Chessani, John Murtha, Justin Sharratt, Nancy Pelosi, Stephen Tatum, Terrorism

This is my rifle. There are many like it, but this one is mine. It is my life. I must master it as I must master my life. Without me, my rifle is useless. Without my rifle, I am useless. I must fire my rifle true. I must shoot straighter than the enemy who is trying to kill me. I must shoot him before he shoots me. I will. My rifle and I know that what counts in war is not the rounds we fire, the noise of our burst, or the smoke we make. We know that it is the hits that count. We will hit. My rifle is human, even as I am human, because it is my life. Thus, I will learn it as a brother. I will learn its weaknesses, its strengths, its parts, its accessories, its sights and its barrel. I will keep my rifle clean and ready, even as I am clean and ready. We will become part of each other. Before God I swear this creed. My rifle and I are the defenders of my country. We are the masters of our enemy. We are the saviors of my life. So be it, until victory is America’s and there is no enemy. - U.S. Marine Corps Rifleman’s Creed.

The Rifleman’s Creed exemplifies what it means to be a Marine. The rifleman is the most basic element of the Marine Corps command structure. Without the rifleman, the Corps is nothing.

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Technorati Tags: al Qaeda, Frank Wuterich, Haditha, Iraq, John Murtha, Terrorism, USMC

The investigation into the alleged massacres that occurred both in Haditha, Iraq in November 2005, and Hamdaniya, Iraq in April 2006 undoubtedly have a long way to go. In the last week some of the Marines alleged to have taken part in the Hamdaniya incident have been placed in shackles at Camp Pendleton with more restrictions placed on them than the inmates at Guantanamo. Others have been referred to by US Congressmen as cold blooded murderers, despite the fact no charges have yet been filed.

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Technorati Tags: Andrew Grayson, Ehren Watada, Frank Wuterich, Haditha, Iraq, Jeffrey Chessani, John Murtha, Justin Sharratt, President Bush, Stephen Tatum, Tim McGirk, UCMJ

Back when I played football, I learned many valuable lessons. Lessons about guts. Lessons about determination and sucking it up. Lessons about sacrifice and putting the team’s best interests above your own; about continuing the fight until the clock runs out.

President Bush, Congressman John Murtha and Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki have all come out and made inflammatory statements in regards to supposed atrocities committed by US Marines without any basis for doing so, other than the allegations of some Iraqi villagers and despite statements to the contrary by those involved.

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Technorati Tags: Andrew Grayson, Frank Wuterich, Haditha, Iraq, Jeffrey Chessani, John Murtha, Justin Sharratt, Political Correctness, President Bush, Stephen Tatum, Tim McGirk, UCMJ

As a pollywog, it doesn’t take long before you learn to keep your mouth shut.

I had just left the bus at Basic Training. I was next in line for the barber chair watching the guys in front of me –some of whom had that rock star length hair– get it buzzed right off. When I sat in the chair, I expected the barber to just buzz my head like he had done to all of the other recruits who went before me.

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Technorati Tags: Andrew Grayson, Frank Wuterich, Haditha, Iraq, Jeffrey Chessani, John Murtha, Justin Sharratt, President Bush, Stephen Tatum, Tim McGirk, UCMJ