Now I Lay Me Down To Sleep

As 2010 come to an end and 2011 is about to awaken, my heart and soul fills with hope, not the kind of hope that pours from the hearts of “Socialists” but the kind of hope that fills the souls of Christian Conservatives. Growing up my father always told me “Anything worth fighting for must be worth dying for, and you must always know that if you die when you fight for something, it was worth it. Freedom, son is always worth fighting for, so always be prepared to die for it should the time ever come”. Those were my thoughts as I raised my hand, to take the oath to defend and protect the “Constitution” as well as “America” and all she stands for! It was not a difficult choice to make in my head and it was not an oath I took lightly, it meant everything to me, I took great pride in knowing that I was willing to give my life so that so many others might live. When the time came for me to prove myself it was with little difficulty that I raised the barrel of my M16, aimed and fired at those who would deprive me or those in the country I served in (Vietnam) of the “life or liberty” that we so enjoyed. As this year comes to an end, and the “New Year” begins, I only wish that I had the youth and energy to look my enemies in their eyes and give my life if called on to do so, and it would be as easy a choice today as it was so many years ago.

Tears fill my eyes easily when it comes to patriotism or love of country, just as easily as when I think of those who make my life complete! I can hardly hide my emotions when it comes to those I love, or those who fill my heart with rage when their evil ways pour into any room where my heart might be near anyone who makes me a better person, or has been a part in saving my soul in some small way. My emotions are easily tampered with and have been played with over the years and I try to harden my outer shell when it comes to the painful truths that each of us must face over the years, but so often we bury our heads in the ground in hopes that our soft shells will not shatter from whatever truths we hide from. The answer is always so clear, if we would only listen and pay attention. God is speaking out to us all the time, sometimes in whispers, sometime in thunderous yelling, but his words are deeply embedded into our thoughts as we try to live our lives with always his words echoing what we sometimes hide from, some time welcome, and sometimes just ignore. But in all the lessons learned, the one thing we should never do is ignore the words or calling of the God who created us all. To turn our back our his calling would certainly be a death sentence, one we would never welcome but fear as to ignore our Lord and God is certain death, one of all eternity without the knowledge of knowing God, in that we can only imagine “Hell” would be our sentence! A sentence that there is no coming back from, it is eternal, it is what all man fears and every man thinks he can escape from by just saying what he thinks that God wants to hear. Do not fool yourself or your children’s fate, for God is real, so real that the mistake of ignoring his reality would be a certain sentence to eternity without ever “seeing” God! Think about that, if you fail to find the answer, you fail yourself, and I am certain of one thing, and that is eternity without God, is “Hell” so just don’t take the chance, kneel down and pray that God accepts you as you are (which he will, he is all forgiving you know) do that and you will find that the truths that I spoke of will come to be what you and I fail to understand about the mystery of God, and that is, he just is.

I have always been a simple minded man, with simple needs and wants, which I received all of my simple thoughts through prayer, never has God failed me, but because I am man, I have failed him many times. As the New Year approaches, I will be thinking of the ways I can make amends for my failures to an all forgiving God who knows of my weaknesses and yet continues to bless me and my family, never asking me to understand, only to believe in him and have a certain faith that he is what he promises, he is our savior, our Lord and God, our creator and just believe and you gain your way into his graces, the wish for all believers is fulfilled with the miracle so little asked from man, only that he believes and accepts Christ as your personal savior and son of our creator, the one and only God!

So many years have passed with God being pushed out of our almost all inclusive lives, why is it so difficult to sacrifice so little to gain such? We have a new opportunity to include God into our lives and regaining what we have almost lost, our salvation! God continues to provide us with opportunity after opportunity to bring him back into our lives yet we close our eyes and ears and continue to shut out the one who reaches out to each of us and asks only that we trust in him and take his hand and follow his lead. If not for only yourself, try doing it for your family, those you love or who love you. Most of all, why not do it for the one who sacrificed his only son for, allowed his son to by your personal savior, suffer, die and give up his life so that you might live, you, me, each of us who makes that choice, why is it so difficult for us, to believe in what has been written, what has been foretold, what has been said and done, for each of us?

Just imagine what it would be like for mankind if we would just give in and believe and accept? If you think it is difficult for us to do that, can you at least imagine how difficult it must have been for God to give up his only son, give him over to the cruelties of man and allow him to be punished, enslaved, suffer the crucifixion, the humility of being spat on, mocked and tortured ( and the progressives think “water boarding” is torture?) Consider what God’s only son was subjected to, the pain of the lashings, the crown of thorns, the spear in his side, after being crucified, nails being driven through the flesh into the wooden cross, what Christ went through for us is far more than any man has been subjected to by those who hate us because we believe and accept the truths of our creator! God help us if we don’t open our eyes soon and see that if we don’t find God soon, we will lose more than the Heaven so many still wonder about, but not for this one humble tired old soldier who wants America to only return to what our founding fathers intended, for “We the People” to humble ourselves once again, fear the wrath of a God who gave so much asking so little, only that we believe in him and we will be saved, such a small request for so much reward in return. How can we not see the truths in what is written, we believe so quickly what the progressives throw out there at us and expect us to wallow in their lives, and so many of us do. Why is it so easy for us to believe in their falsehoods, when God’s truths have so much more “meat” to them, filled with the word of God backing them up? How can we go wrong with that?

My father would kneel down with me, at the end of the day, and together we would pray a simple prayer; “Now I lay me down to sleep, I pray the Lord my soul to keep, but if I die before I wake, I pray the Lord my soul to take”. The premise of the simple prayer is that God will be there when I close my eyes to go to sleep, and should I wake; my God will be there to guide me through the new day. But, should God decide to take my soul if he decides to take it home, my prayer will still be answered, it is a win-win for me, a child of God. So, as we all go to sleep tonight, and ask God to watch over our souls, we must also ask him for tomorrow, should we awake or not, the world will continue, if it is God’s will, then we must continue our lives with the same expectations of a God who entrusted us with the country he blessed, and placed in our trust. He has never failed us, and we must never fail this loving, giving, and caring God who gave us “America”! As the New Year begins, we must continue our fight, a fight worth dying for, as so many have over the years, we too must prepare for whatever pain lay ahead, as it was never meant to be easy! So, as we get up in the morning and find ourselves facing not only a new day but a new year, “We the People” have a goal to attain, to reach and pass on to our children, one that they can be as proud of as we are. 2012 will be the test of our commitment, can we win back and restore the honor of our America, the one our Forefathers” provided us with. As 2012 begins, all of our children should know the bedtime prayer most of us grew up with, “Now I lay me down to sleep”! When we wake up, will we be ready to take on the “Progressives” and their evil and Socialistic ways that if infused into the American way of life, then never again will we ever have to consider the after effects of waking up after whispering the prayer; “Now I lay me down to sleep”. God bless you all and Happy New Year! Lord, please let it belong to “We the People!” Amen

The True Meaning of Christmas At The Gregory House

When Jesus was delivered in the stable in Bethlehem so very long ago, a very special gift was given to the world. Just think, God gave his only son to mankind, allowed him to be born in poverty under horrible conditions, knowing that he would grow up to pay a horrible price so that our sins might be forgiven and we could spend all eternity in the presence of our “Father” the one and only God, but only after the gift of our lives would be blessed and come to whatever end our creator determined. The story of “Christ” and what he would be destined to do for the sake of saving poor souls filled with the sins of mankind, but forgiven, at least those who believed in him is our prerequisite to gain entrance into his house. That’s all God would ask of man, was for them to accept the scriptures as “Truth” and believe in the printed word that although many would question their validity, it would be faith, unconditional faith and love that would prove to be the key to the door that those who lived their lives in a way that a forgiving God would open and receive each who trusted that he was real and not a fairy tale as many would have us believe. Oh, the story of the “Christ Child” and what he would mean is a story of love, unconditional and a blessed love that only God knows how to give. I am a Roman Catholic, and regardless what Christian faith each of you is, as long as your faith is prefaced “Christian” and you know God’s love, we will all see each other on the other side in the safe and loving presence of our creator.

In a few days those of us who know that God is real, knows that he gave his only son to save our souls, forgive our sins, and bless all of his children as they sit around their “Christmas Trees” and tell the story, the greatest story ever told, the story of the Christ Child and the meaning of Christmas, the true meaning of Christmas, the meaning that gives hope to the hopeless, and peace to those who know only pain and suffering. Never forget, no suffering that any of us may consider more than man can stand, will never compare what Christ suffered so our sins are forgiven. There is no way for man to know the pain that God suffered knowing that he sacrificed his only begotten son to pay for the sins we commit, how could we ever know. One thing is for sure, the wonder of the birth of Christ is the miracle that gave us the key to enter the kingdom of heaven when God calls us. Are we teaching our children of this miracle, or are we teaching them of all the gifts they will be expecting under the tree each year, I pray that we are giving our children the gift of knowing the meaning of Christmas, rather than the expectation of receiving material “things” when we owe them the knowledge of the birth of a small child, the Christ Child, who is the reason we have any hope of entering the kingdom of heaven, where the power of being in the presence of our creator when we leave this world and enter his has been paid for by the blood of that small holy Christ Child, who would grow to be first a “Teacher” and then our savior who would suffer the pain of being beaten and spat upon, soon to be nailed to a cross, all so that our sins might be forgiven and allow us to know what it is to be in the holy presence of God, our loving God who waits for us and asks that we share the beautiful, wonderful story of “Christmas”, the day a small baby boy, the son of God, would be born into this world for one reason only, and that is to save us from our own weaknesses and to forgive our sins. This is the story we must pass on to our children, we must teach them to give without the expectation of receiving. If we fail to do this, we fail our children, we fail ourselves, but most of all, we fail our “Lord God” King of a heaven that only those who believe and know that their faith will gain their entry so that we might witness the glory of the God who created the heavens, the earth and all that is of this earth, as we came from dust, we all shall return to dust, but our souls will rise and through our faith and trust, will become a part of a heaven only God can grant us entry into.

Shame on those of us who fail our children by failing to teach them the meaning, the true meaning of “Christmas”, and most important is that all of our children should know the story of a small child born in “Bethlehem”, in a stable as there was no room at the “Inn” so the son of God entered this world with less than most of our children will ever know and never being given the gift of the story of how God gave us his only son, sacrificed him, so that we may know the kingdom of heaven, know the miracle of Christmas, a gift to man, a gift so great no gift will ever compare and to deny our children the story of Christ’s birth would be a sin that only Christ and his heavenly father has the power to forgive. In my heart I know that those who belong to this site (NWW) are blessed with a deep and strong Christian faith and love of God that would never allow the love of “Things” to ever supersede the true meaning of “Christmas”, the act of giving, for to give out of love for one another is to give from the heart, hearts filled with God’s love, a love so special only those who are filled with belief, trust and a love for our creator that we will never forget to pass on to our children the meaning of “Christmas”, the story of Jesus, a baby born into a world who only knew of what was in the holy scriptures, the promise of a savior, a child who not only is the Christ Child, but a miracle that allows three divine and holy pieces that make up the one true God, (The Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost or Spirit) and if you know this to be true, and you believe you have been saved by the coming of Christ into this world, who suffered and crucified so that we might live in and know the very presence of God, then we have a chance!

We can disagree here on earth with each other’s political views, but I pray as we enter the season of the Christ Child, Jesus, son of God, that we do not now or ever allow our human differences interfere or influence or deep Christian faith or belief in our one true God, and that our heavenly father in fact gave us his only son to be bone into this world of sin, suffer, and pass from this life on earth into his life as the son of God who is our savior. If we ever forget that, or lose sight of the importance of his coming, we have lost and will be condemned to an afterlife without ever knowing the presence of God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit! Our faith must be cause enough to pass on the story of the “Real Meaning of Christmas” to our children, shame on each of us that allows that to happen.

My Granddaughters will spend Christmas eve with us and when they get up in the morning Santa will have been, but I can promise you this, they will have heard the “real story and true meaning of Christmas” before Christmas eve has passed. We, Val, Emma and Sarah (last two are my granddaughters) will sit by the fire, not far from the customary decorated tree, and will listen intensely as the story of our Christ Child is told with the tenderness always delivered, partly by Val (Nana) and partly by me, (Grandpa). Their little innocent faces will glow as the fire reflects off of them, and they will ask questions about our “Savior”, some will go unanswered as they always have a way to find a question far too complex for our simple minds, but we will always leave them with the truth, that we believe and the importance of them to find it in their pure hearts to consider believing in the “Truths”, read from a book filled with pictures of Mary, Joseph, on their journey to Bethlehem, to the Inn where they are turned away, and finally to the stable where the “Christ Child” is born, the star the guided the three wise men to our savior, and the Angle and the Shepard boy, the whole true story of the miracle of Jesus, a small baby boy, who is our savior. Due to their age we will increase the details as they grow older and we grow wiser. Let us all pray that with this year’s celebration of the coming of Christ, a better understanding of who we are, what we stand for and never, ever forgetting that without God’s blessings, without our trust and faith, there is no America, not the way we were blessed with her, so we cannot fail the future of our children, we must give them hope, something to believe in, a truth that God is real, is forgiving, and is “Love”!

Merry Christmas and God bless you all, Milt, Val and our granddaughters, tomorrows future.

From What Rock Did Your Congressman or Senator Crawl Out From?

As I take an attempt to contribute after a period of laying on my back due to surgeries that have caused difficult times due to “Rotting Bones”, I have had plenty of time to reflect on the dangers that lay ahead if people find reasons not to get out to vote and stay home hoping that someone else will take care of business for them. God help us if what I heard on “Hukabee” during his show today. I listened to comments made by fans answering his question are you going to vote in November or not, and why if not? The answers made my hair rise up on the back of my neck, as I heard the lame excuses like, “there are no real choices, so why bother?” You know that person is most likely a conservative or “Independent” (Some of you might recall the question I raised about “Independents” have to make up their mind by now, have to take a stand and not continue to look for reasons to vote one way or another. If you don’t know by now, who or what are you waiting for?

While those who choose to leave it up to someone else to save America from a path to Socialism, there are real and true Americans who have gone to Washington, many twice, to voice their discontent, or join hands, or arms, and pray together for the country to be forgiven and restored to the blessings God so lovingly gave this nation a couple of hundred years ago. While these patriots and heroes of this nation are not sitting on their hands, giving up, or counting on someone else, there will be those who need to go look into a mirror and take a good look at who is looking back at them, “Cowards” who find excuses for every reason to not go down and stand in those lines to vote. I have never missed a vote, and I don’t send mine in, I want to be sure mine is counted, so sometime on crutches, sometimes in a power chair, and back a few years just a cane, I made an effort, with the help of my wife or sons, I made it down to the voting booth and cast my vote. I always cast it for either a conservative, or who I believed was anything but a Progressive! Have I made mistakes in the past over the years, I am certain of that, but that never discouraged me from doing the same thing when it was time to vote, and I have never missed a local, state or General election, ever since I have been old enough to vote, at times, due to reasons I had no control of (you know, Vietnam, being stationed in places I cannot speak of) I cast my absentee ballot, nothing was going to keep me form that “Privilege,” nothing! And then I hear those who look for reasons not to do what failing to do could cost this country everything! Cowards!

I find it incredible that Hukabee not only got a few, but thousands of responses like that, so either we are in serious trouble because I underestimated the backbone of real Conservatives, or there are a lot of “Liberals,” afraid, very afraid of what they see on our side and are trying to convince us that we should stay home, not to go to the voting booth, not to cast that important vote that means so much in November. Yea, like that’s going to happen! No matter how many extra fraudulent votes you cook up, or how many times you enlist the dead or Felons to cast their votes, you will either be exposed or we will just overpower you with pure straight real numbers, it’s called “honesty”, something you know little of, so we don’t count on you to understand that “We the People” will turn over each rock, find your crooked Congressmen and women, and also your corrupt Senators, expose them, vote them out, then drop the rocks back on them as they crawl back from where ever they came from. They will never get back the power they so abused and failed to respect. Say goodbye to them now, you may not have a chance as they run away from their responsibilities, something we are used to. America is fed up with your choices, so we are going to ensure that we have voices in Washington who will either listen to us or they too will know that there are no “Rocks” to hide under, they are all taken by the cowardly “Progressives” who as I write this hide or run form the votes they have already cast they now do not want to be identified with, sorry Charlie, too late, time to face the fact your done, finished, and soon gone, along with any “Progressives” who challenge “We the People” failing to understand who governs this country, your power is limited by us, we loaned it to you and are not taking it back as you failed to provide “We the People” any evidence that you deserve to continue to be trusted or believed in any longer! “Your Fired” or will be come November!

Those Progressives who cast their votes to redistribute what did not belong to them, decided bow down to the most Un-American President ever entrusted to lead this great nation, and who wants to transform America into a Socialist State, one where he can be the “Dictator” he is without the threat of what is about to happen in November. He does not care if he is not reelected, he is counting on America to fail to understand what has happened, oh, how he miscalculated and misjudged “We the People” who are not the dumb hicks he thinks we are (no intended offence to any “hicks”, which I am one, out there, most of you are the America he failed to understand. The America better known as “We the People”! By the time this man of color that all of America believed in, trusted, and voted into office, which could not have happened without the “White Vote” realizes that if America was “Raciest” he would not be the first black president elected in this country. A gift from We the People who trust you, believed in you and gave you America to defend, protect and love, instead you betrayed our America, even though you did not get all our votes, it was not because of your color, it was because of your politics, enough of us trusted that you would be who you could never be, it’s called, “We the People” who trust in God, believe in each other, have “faith” in each other, “hope” in each other, and filled with “Charity” for each other. An America that the first lady could believe in until America gave her husband the trust to do the right thing, sorry First Lady, the America you did not believe in is the same one that will show you and the President to the door in 2012, as they show your cowardly followers in Congress and Senate out the door in Nov of this year and more come 2012, unless they find their evil ways and own up to who they are, failures, failures to defend and protect, failures to honor the pledges they took as they were sworn into office, failures to believe in America (“We the People”) who make up the country so many of you hate so much. If you did not hate her, you would not want to lose her to Progressives of any political party. Well, “We the People” will never give in to your corrupt values, something you will never grasp as you are not one of us, you are Progressives, your are Socialists, Communists, and radical losers from the 60’s and 70’s who tried to change America with bombs, shootings, violence, and rhetoric that tried to divide America, using “Race”, “Religion” and oh yes, “We the People” which backfired and exposed you for who you really are, “Cowards”!

I encourage each of you in Congress and Senate who are exposed and voted out of power, to find that rock you slithered from out under and crawl, like the snakes you are, and return to the darkness you came from, the evil places that only you can know, as “We the People” live in the light, and will bring God back to the front, after all, it is God who blessed America, gave her to us, intrusting the wonder of this great land to “We the People”, never to “You the Progressives” as he understands from where you come, those “Rocks” that should be your hiding place for all eternity so that we can rebuild the America that you have destroyed, or I should say, tried with all your energy to destroy, well, you failed, just as you have failed at all your attempts to “Transform” a country filled with God’s love. My broken body has vented enough for a day or so, I will rest and you will not have to hear me for a while as I heal, God has always brought me back from the edge, and he will again. One, just one of many, Americans who wore one of the Uniforms of this great country’s military services, to do what you pledged to do, from the comfort of your ergonomic “green” chairs, sending our very best to their graves while you plotted on how to transform America, the one our young men and women serve, also pledging to serve and protect, only they do it, they do it with pride and patriotic love for the country our military always have sworn to defend and protect. Medical facilities are filled with the broken bodies of those who gave so much, and cemeteries are filled with those who gave it all, so that you can claim that you are doing it for them, what I want to say right now my respect and love for the God who has protected me over the years, will not allow me to speak my thoughts of anger, accept that you do not now, nor will you ever have the respect of those like me, but then, you really don’t care do you?

Crawl back under your rocks, fade away into the darkness of your minds and consider what you have violated, something called the trust of the people, the respect of those who voted you in, and most of all, you have lost the awareness that it is not you, but “We the People” how govern our country, we lend you the power to represent us, violet that trust, you will lose that power that you so desperately hunger for, wave as you depart, shed your tears that expose you for who you are, cowards who will do anything to keep the power we loaned you. Suck it up and understand, it’s over, you are finished, we are here now and will not easily give you back what you so misused and violated! The rocks you came from will not be hard to find, the odder of your power hungry existence will still be there to help you find your way back. Crawl under those rocks and return to the unholy place from where you came from. Please do us all a favor, stay there, don’t come back out until you truly understand that we do not want you anymore, some of us never did, but honored those who voted you in. We respect each other, something you know little of, honor, respect, and accepting this is “God” America, loaned to us to honor in his name! Don’t come back, we don’t want you anymore. Because we love and accept God, you will be forgiven by us, but that is not who you should worry about, you really need to turn to our creator and beg, as we have, for his forgiveness, and ensure that he knows that you want to restore America to the America he left to us, not the “Transformed” America you want, after all, this is the America God blessed, not the progressives who turned your backs on the only God, the true God, who not only loved us enough to entrust America to us, but expects us to take care of this great gift of love from our creator. In God’s name, this humble, flawed veteran who has found the one true God’s expectations, not a difficult thing to figure out, just check out the very thing you Progressives tried so hard to have removed from every place our founders ensured they were place, they are called the “Ten Commandments” what every human should be guided by, as our forefathers were so deeply a part of setting those commandments as the guide for all of us. Check them out; you might see if you just follow “God’s Law” it really is not so bad. An old tired and broken Viet, God bless you all….. Milt

My Favorite 4th of July

My loving wife was born in a small English town called “Knox”, just down Ripon Road, leading out of “Harrogate”, where I first laid eyes on “My Sweet Val”, as I would call her the rest of our lives. I Met her May 27th, 1965 and would marry her Dec 4th, 1965, where we would start our journey into love and adventures across the world that would include several continents, with Val being born in England, our first son in Turkey, our second son in Ethiopia (East Africa) and I in San Bernardino California.

But it is our first 4th of July together that I am recalling and sharing with my friends on NWW (No We Won’t) and the 9/12 Network Project. Although it is a personal story, it comes from my heart and is filled with why the 4th of July means so much to me, not just another holiday, but a special meaning as my wife eventually would be separated from the birth country and all her friends and relatives for many years once married to me and whisk off to travel with me, my obedient wife, being faithful to what she was taught was her duties to me, her husband. That would all change later when I would leave her and our son in California, with my mother, while I traveled to Vietnam to fulfill my call as a soldier to defend my country. I left the perfect wife and returned to a liberated woman (ruined by my mother) who would still love me, but had a very different perspective on what her duties would be as a military wife. (I would learn to polish my own boots, brass and decorations once my mother finished grooming my once perfect wife, now I would settle with a “Near Perfect” wife.) Oh well, that would always be good enough for me.

As I courted “My Sweet Val” in England, discovering what the difference was between “Puppy Love” which I experienced every other day prior to casting my then 20/20 vision on the most beautiful creature God placed on this earth, at least to me she was. My eyes would never be the same after staring at this vision of God’s perfection, and I would never see 20/20 again, and soon my eyes would grow old and my vision would deteriorate to an imperfect sight, never to regain the once perfect vision of a proud young soldier, who always thought he saw the good in everyone and always able to sort out the bad stuff from the view imprinted into my eye socket each time I gazed at any fair lady of not only England, but just any fair lady who entered my zone of vision. I digress, back to my point.

When I met Val in May, I could not sleep or think of anything other than this near perfect creature of God’s imagination. Her angelic appearance trapped my mind, and soon my body, so that my obsession would grow each day as I felt her closing in on my life, felt her presence, knew of her special gift that only she could emit from her soul, trapping me in a world I did not understand and feared for an extended period of time was being entrapped by a beauty that terrified me, filled me with emotions that I did not understand, nor did I want to. Val was beautiful, she was warm hearted, had the sold of an angel, and the heart only God could have touched, and I felt her love not only through our touch, but though our sight, seeing Val was like peeking through the open door to heaven, a glimpse that God allowed me for reasons known only to him. What I felt is something I am now unable to tell you, unable to give you an image of, just know it was more a feeling than a vision. The warmth of love from this girl was the most intense feeling I have ever experienced, and would know it every time we held each other from that day forward. God would never allow that intense emotion, of love known between a young American soldier and an even younger British girl called “Valerie”, who would cause such intense feelings every time she would touch my hand, hold me, or once my wife, give herself to me in a way that surely was created and blessed by God’s love for two young lovers that he brought together.

So, May passed, June increased our need to be together as one, as God intended, man and wife, so as July entered our lives for the first time, I thought about how “Menwith Hill” would be celebrating the 4th, and I would have to take Valerie to her first experience of how America celebrated our independence from her country. What I did not know at the time is that although she was born in England, this beauty was more American than most girls I dated before I shipped off to England. When I asked her if she would like to see how America celebrated our independence from England, she could hardly hold back her excitement and desire to be a part of an event that would become a part of her life, every July 4th, for the rest of our lives, and a day that we would share together with the exception of one, and that was the one that I was in Vietnam, for our first and only July 4th we ever were a part. She excitedly agreed to join me for the celebration and expressed her desire to be a part of the day that she felt an affinity to already, and neither of us could explain just why or what caused the emotions she felt.

On July 4th, 1965, after getting off my mid shift, I caught the British red and white bus to Harrogate from the “Hill” (Menwith Hill) to pick up Val in Harrogate, just across the Royal Hall, where I observed many British bands just starting up, like the “Animals”, “Rockin Berries”, Beatles, Rolling Stones, etc., etc.. It was dusk, and as I sat on the bus, I could see Val running down the sidewalk in front of the Royal Hall, her blue and white dress bouncing at the knees as he tried to catch up to the buss, afraid she would miss catching it. I could not help but smile as I watched her running alongside the bus and when she saw me, I fell in love with her as I do each time I see her, just as I still do when she comes home from shopping or watching my granddaughters. I guess that’s what makes love special, when those feeling you had when you were young and in love, continue when you are old and in still in love.

She got on the bus and sat next to me, placing her hand in mine, and I was sure she could feel my shaking as I held it, squeezing it to let her know I was happy to see her and glad she was going up to the base (13th Field Station) to enjoy the 4th of July celebration dance at the club, where busses would bring girls in from Leads, Bradford, and Harrogate, to enjoy the dances and parties held for the hard working servicemen who spent most of their time at the club when not downtown with their girlfriends. It was hard not to have a girlfriend from Harrogate; the English girls all enjoyed the “Blokes” from across the pond “Atlantic Ocean”, the “Yanks” who would wind up taking many of those special young ladies home with them, when it was time to go home. There was a special quality about many of those young ladies, but the one I fell in love with had more than a few good qualities, she had a deep goodness about her that would stay with her throughout our marriage. Again, I digress, this is about the celebration of July 4th, our independence day, and I wondered if Val would appreciate me taking her up to celebrate this day America won its independence from her country. Little did I know that down inside, long before I met her, this special beautiful Brit already felt more American than English, something neither of us can now or then explain.

We went inside and found a table and enjoyed a very special night, one we would often talk about and remember as a night that brought us closer to understanding that we would one day be man and wife, although at this time in our relationship neither one of us were brave enough to acknowledge that both of us had the same intentions, to find a way to get the other to agree to share our lives together, forever, and forever is something we both understood was an agreement that that marriage would bind us together for, regardless how anyone else envisioned being married, we knew what it meant, we were just trying to find the way to tell the other that is what we wanted. We had already held hands for the first time. Had our first kiss, walked to her home in the middle of the night, down Ripon Road, then Knox Mill Lane, to Number 2 Knox Mill Lane, where her small, and I mean very small little row house was where I met her step father for the first time. But the words “Will you marry me” were yet to be uttered from my lips, whispered into her ear, fearing that if the words were spoken, the answer would be something that would break my heart, but that was not something that was a possibility as we both felt the same intense emotions, the electricity that sparked between us every time we touched. Oh, this 4th of July was going to be the day, it would have to be, and after all the dancing, holding each other tight, feeling the heat transfer from our bodies to the other as we held each other tighter and tighter with each dance. I could think of nothing else but how to make this a 4th of July that neither of us would ever forget. This had to be the day I would muster up the nerve to force those magic words part from my lips, loud enough to hear, than answer with the only words I wanted to hear, “Yes” and should that word fail to part her beautiful mouth, I could never face myself again, as I would feel a total fool.

Well, after the dance, we all went outside and watched the fireworks and sang patriotic songs, most of the guys not caring if the ladies who were our dates cared or not, we just sang and felt good inside as we understood what the day was and meant to us and only reinforced the reasons we did what we did at that station. I could actually feel and sense a certain pride Val had as we sang songs she never heard before but appeared to understand and appreciate. After that, would she dare to say yes when I asked her to be my wife? I felt uncertain now but knew I was going to go through with it and could hardly wait to get on the bus t take her home and on the way I would go through the traditional kneeling down on one knee, ask her to be my wife and pray that she would answer with one word, the only word that kept echoing over and over in my head as I practiced my lines silently to myself as we got closer and closer to the stop in Harrogate, in front of the Royal Hall, and then I had to decide just where would it be that I would ask Val to spend her life with me, leave her family, give up her citizenship, come with me where ever they sent me, but knew it would not be there as no one who married a foreign national was allowed to remain there, keeping their access to the most sensitive intelligence in the world. I would be giving up what I loved the most, until I met this soft, warm, and beautiful woman who would later mother two wonderful sons and remain with me though some very difficult assignments. Yes, we would both sacrifice a lot to be together, but she would be giving up far more than I and how could I ever thank her for choosing me over everything else that mattered in her life. Love on the 4th of July, 1965, would bring us together in ways known only to lovers found only in the imagination of those who wrote love stories.

Well, my heart was in my throat as the bus bulled up to the stop and I stepped off, holding Val small hand as she slowly stepped down from the bus to the curb, where we just stood and stared into each other’s eyes, now both of us shaking, as she must have known what I was about to ask her, but not there, not at the bus stop, I would have to take her to the park, Valley Gardens, one of the most beautiful gardens in the world, a perfect place to ask the most beautiful girl in the world (to me) to be my wife. But where, where would it be. As we walked towards the park, Val asked where we were going, as it was in the soppiest direction of “Ripon Road” that would lead us to her house down Knox Mill Lane. Instead we were going towards Valley Garden, and she knew by now where and why we were going in that direction, but acted like she was curious as to my intentions. All the while I was shaking more and more inside as I was trying to bring myself to terms to a decision I had made May 27th, the day I first laid eyes on her in Nina’s coffee shop, in Harrogate. It was now or never, I would never feel the way I did at this moment and that made it right, it was the time and any other time would be the wrong time, so I had to go through with it or I would never forgive myself.

As we approached a cross in a part of the gardens that was surrounded by flowering bushes, and it was only right that beneath that cross, a symbol of our savior’s sacrifices to all humankind, that I would do what I set out to do, find out if I was either a very big fool, which I was starting to feel a bit like, or I was going to be the luckiest man in the world and this beauty standing there, looking deep into my eyes, would say the magic word, “Yes” and our world would begin, and little did either of us know that what lay ahead of us were adventures that only fictional books told of. But, here we were, I was shaking even harder now and I felt her start to shake in anticipation of what words were bound to come from my lips, and what she heard is not what I recall saying. She maintains to this day that what I said to her at that magic moment was; “Will you be the mother of our children?” and what I recall saying is; “Will you be my wife?” Very different meanings if you are a young woman hearing the words she claims I spoke rather than the words I know I spoke, either way, she answered “Yes” (praying that what she thought I said was what I know I meant). I stayed on my knees, unable to move, so she knelt down in front of me, looking into my eyes and said “Yes, I’ll be your wife, I’ll marry you, and I’ll have your children, all you want.” And on our knees, hugging so tight I could feel her heart beating against mine, and was sure she could feel the same.

And as we held each other close, kissing, hugging, and whispering sweet nothings in each other’s ears, the fireworks could be seen and heard from Menwith Hill, we had left before they went off and the timing could not have been more perfect. God does watch down on us and he let us know that our love was blessed, after what seemed like hours, not wanting to, but I did promise her mom, or as she would say, her “Mum” that I would have her home by 1:30 AM, after the fireworks. As we walked down Ripon Road, turned onto Knox Mill Lane, and finally arrived at number 2, this Angel’s house, it was just approaching the promised hour and her “Mum” was waiting and met us at the door. She asked me in and told me that I could spend the night, downstairs on the small couch, if I wanted. There was no way I would say no to that. So, as Val and her mother went upstairs, I lay by the fire place down stairs, feeling as happy as I had ever felt in my life, not realizing that the happiest days lay ahead, days that would be burned into our hearts for all time. But for the moment, the 4th of July, 1965, I felt fireworks going off inside my body and they would continue all night long, and into the day as I made my way back to the “Hill” to first tell, who would be my best man, Terry, then everyone I could think of, and finally I called home to tell my parents, and my mother’s response was; “That’s Nice”, and it was, it was very nice. It would be the nicest 4th of July I would ever have, and to marry a girl from England, who would become an American Citizen in order for me to regain my access to Special Intelligence, would make my whole life nice, very nice, and it is still very nice. Happy 4th of July!

I thought I saw our Eagle cry (By Milt Gregory)

I thought I saw our Eagle cry
I was not sure of the reason why
I saw a tear drop from her eye
I thought I saw our Eagle cry

I wondered if it is because we fail
I know America is a little bit frail
I then saw that eagle sail
I knew it was not because we fail

I know it was not a tear at all
I saw from the Eagle’s eye fall
I now understand the Eagle’s call
I know it was not a tear at all

I feel strong as she looked back at me
I think no tears but sweat I see
I felt her strength in what must be
I feel strong as she looked back at me

I saw the strength in that Eagle’s eye
I know that we must not let her die
I stand with you and you with I
I saw the strength in that Eagle’s eye

I thought I saw our Eagle cry
I was wrong and now I know why
I am protected by that Eagle’s eye
I know that Eagle will never cry

Let's Save America

This President is a disgrace to this country and the office he holds in captivity. As I watched and/or listened to his address to the nation, from the Oval Office, it quickly became clear it was an incredible waste of time of the American People, and speaks to the only thing he thinks he is there for, and that is to “Transform” the American way of life, as he effects the “Redistribution” of wealth of America, while destroying all that makes America what she has always been, the leader of the free world, and the hope for the rest. This man is filled with evil influences that infect his brain and like a dangerous, and I do mean dangerous, disease that if transferred from his unholy body to anyone who for one moment considers anything other than what he is, could be fatal to all under his influence, and that is “The American Way of Life”. He is the most pathetic representation of a leader, or President, that ever sat in the oval office. He is willing to sacrifice the American working class, business builders, and the backbone of our nation, for his own personal and political agenda. He speaks in terms that can only be described as a dictator and has dishonored the sacred office of the presidency. “Let’s Save America” and correct that situation.

The truth never is a consideration for this President, as it might hinder what lay beneath it, his wanton desire to destroy all that is good in order to achieve all that is bad. My heart aches for the many years of service of all those who wore military uniforms from one generation to the next, to our current wonderful heroes, to defend and protect against the very thing that his presidency and administration is bent on taking our America. The pain I feel inside my heart is overwhelming and causes me a grief I have only felt when losing members of my family who died believing that their service has been validated rather than put at risk, nullified by a President and Congress that care only to socialize God’s gift to those of us who understand what a blessing that has been bestowed on us as God turned this nation over to us to love and cherish. It is our charge to stop the successful completion of this president, surrounded by Marxist, Communists, and Socialist radicals, from the final hour where brain dead Americans vote against our Forefathers and for the “Hitters”, “Stalin’s”, and other criminally hate filled dictators of the world past, most of whom they speak of with overt affection. “Let’s save America” putting right all the wrongs of this Presidency!

We cannot fail! We must get out the Vote in November, drive those who cannot make it on their own, encourage those who have given up, revitalize the disheartened, and motivate all those Americans who still believe in what we have or had, an America envied by all the world and though we have our differences, never have we lost the respect of our allies until now. It is up to us, no one else can be depended on, our future, the future of America of the free is in the hands God has entrusted to do the right thing, to vote, and get everyone we know to vote “all” Progressives, from either side of the isle, out and elect those patriots, that we can find, into office who will put aside their personal causes, and agendas, then restore America to the land God blessed and placed his faith in us to “Defend and Protect”. I feel certain this President has and will continue to engage in behavior that warrants impeachment and why many conservatives as well as liberals are missing it is a mystery to me, but I know there are lawyers out there, in our groups, and the 9/12’ers, and Tea Partiers’, etc., who are filled with knowledge of the Constitutional responsibilities of all Presidents and what is and is not impeachable. I implore you to help us find a way to communicate those acts in legalese to those in the right places to start the process, then maybe, just maybe we can all put an end to the final destruction of our America, she is worth the fight. “Let’s Save America”, my vote, your vote, our vote can and will save her, we must not, cannot fail her, she has never failed us.

“Let’s save America” is a mantra that we might consider incorporating into our “surge” to pry the Progressives from their seats in Congress and Senate, then finally and joyfully, the president and those in his administration who are the influences that cloak the pure halls of the capitol, hiding the beauty of all we stand for as a nation, up until pushed into the shadows of his, “The One”, impure agendas to soil what our Forefathers worked so hard to ensure could not happen to the America they created through divine guidance of a loving God. “Let’s save America” we can do it, we must do it, for if we fail, we fail all those great men who created our nation, wrote a near perfect “Constitution” for a people who believed that God blessed this nation, blessed this nation’s people, and blessed all that is good about our America. “Let’s save America” for our children, for their children and for all those who died and lost limbs and/or more, to keep her what she has always been to us and the entire world, “America the Beautiful”. “Let’s save America” for our Forefathers who gave so much so that we might enjoy God’s gift to us, the land of the free, the land of the brave. “Let’s save America”, I don’t have to tell you, you know, and so do I.

http://www.bing.com/videos/watch/video/chet-atkins-i-still-cant-say-goodbye/57692fdc4f03e177251757692fdc4f03e1772517-102786073940


(I Still Can’t Say Goodbye – Song by Chet Atkins) Please play above before reading the rest)

My Father is my hero, and he always will be. Milton F. Gregory Sr., my father and my hero who raised me on the principles that that made this country great, that made it America. I still can’t say goodbye to the man who raised me to love my country, to take pride in all that is American. My first recollections of his teachings were when I was only 4 years old, yet I remember as if he was whispering in my ear those wonderful words, “Always love your country son, never fail her, never betray her trust in you, or me, your father”. Some of you will consider that I was too young to recall such powerful words, with such powerful meaning, but as I go on you will understand why it was easy for this young man, Milton F. Gregory Jr., always to remember the importance of my father’s words, his teaching, his most of all, his love. When I was four years old, we lived in Vienna Austria, in a small apartment building with two floors and about apartments, if I recall correctly. The Apartment had a small garden that was maintained immaculately. There was a small stump in the garden my father used to sit me on and teach me how to properly salute the flag, something he took great pride in and something he love to do, salute our nation’s flag.

Many of my friends told me that their father’s never talked about the war (World War II). My father served in the Pacific, and was one of the first officers who landed on the island of Iwo Jima, with the Air Force, to set up the landing trip for the supporting aircraft. I thank God every day that he told me of the heroes who fought, lived and died there. It was always difficult for him to tell my sister and I (and later the other four children he would father with my mother) stories of the horrors of war, and the sacrifices men, and women, made to keep our country free, the country that meant everything to him. Glenn Beck often asks during his hour of teaching on Fox News Channel, “Who will be the next George Washington?” Well, to me, my father was the “Next George Washington” or any of the founders who help shape our country. So were each man or woman who put on their uniform during time of war, where our country was involved, after all, each of them would sacrifice or risk sacrifice without expectation of personal reward, other than knowing that they would be contributing to securing the destiny of America’s future. Each year millions of Americans will go to parades, cook out or visit family, to “celebrate” the fallen, or better said “Remembered” those who paid the ultimate price. My father would always spend this day telling us, the Gregory kids, about all those he knew in the military, how they lived and how many of them died for their, and our, country. He always emphasized that those who lived should never be forgotten as they only lived because that was God’s will, and those who died, were called home to their creator. His explanation for those who lost limbs or suffered other injuries, that included a tortured mind, were also decisions only God could explain, and God owes no one an explanation, that we must just believe and trust that he had his reasons. It was always easy for me to do that, as I have always had a special relationship with my creator.

My father never demanded any of his children to enlist into the military, but the example he set for all four of us boys made enlisting into the military an easy decision or choice. My father enlisted into the Army when he was very young, not long after running away from home at the age of 15 to serve his country. He told us that he was drawn to the military from a very young age and was all he ever wanted to do; after all, he knew in his heart that as long as this country was going to remain a free nation, it was going to need a standing army to protect her, and he wanted to be a part of those special men called “Soldiers”. That’s why on the brass plate attached to the wooden box (his request) after giving his name and period of life on earth, you see only “Soldier”. You don’t see Air Force, Army, or Army Air Corps, but “Solder” and that said it all as far as my father was concerned. To my dad, every man or woman who served their country, in the service of their choice, “Soldier” covered it, told anyone who knew them that is who they were, a soldier, proud, special patriots of this country who only wanted to serve by putting their lives into the hands of the country they took their oath to defend and protect. He always told us boys that to be a soldier was the greatest testament to any man or woman’s love of country. I will always remember my father for the deep and incredible love he had for the “United States of America”, a country born from the same kind of love he held sacred. A total commitment, ready to sacrifice his life without regret, only pride, only knowing that his service would mean others could seek out their American Dream and live it out, was enough. Every chance my father had he would spend taking us to various points of interest across America so that he could show us what made America so special. His repeated stories of Davy Crocket, Denial Boon, and any story of American heroes, some well known and others not so well known, but all a part of ensuring that this country would have the chance to grow into the “Republic” that promised every American their shot at the “American Dream”, the same dream he had the opportunity that was given to him, and that he realized. His dream, you guessed it, was only to be a soldier, to serve his country and protect it. His American dream was a simple one, but how incredibly important that dream was to him.

The story that we all asked my father to tell us again and again was how, while serving on Iwo Jima, he was nearly killed, and we would make him drag out the Japanese rifle that the young attacker would leave to my father as a reminder of how God took care of him that day. I still have the rifle, and it still has my father’s blood on it from the wound my father received while fighting for his life until his “First Sergeant” took the young Japanese soldier’s life, by hitting him over the head with an iron skillet, as my father was engaged in hand to hand combat, where my father was losing the fight. My father and his fox hole partner were sleeping when my father told us how he felt what he thought was his partner’s knee in his side. He soon realized that they were both laying, side by side, and it would be impossible for his partner to have his knee pushed into his side, and he “peeked” to see if he could discover who or what it was pushing into his side. What my father witnessed was the young Japanese soldier withdrawing his bayonet from the Airman’s heart laying next to him, and turning to thrust it into his. Just in time my father reach up as the blade of the bayonet was coming down towards his heart, and grasp it, slicing his left hand. The Japanese soldier then tried to use his rifle to strike at my father’s unprotected head. My father grabbed the rifle with his free hand and yelled for help and his first Sergeant came to the rescue and saved my father who was running out of strength as his wound was deep in his hand and thumb, causing pain that would soon have allowed his attacker to win the battle between the two. For some reason all of us children wanted to hear that story every year, as we all remembered those who not only died, but all those who served. My father would never allow us to only remember the dead, dying, wounded and mentally tortured, but all those who were willing to give the same, if called on, as to my father, and then to all of us siblings, would come to understand that even though many gave their lives, the same courage it took to give their lives were in each of those who wore our countries military uniforms and went to any of the wars our country was drawn into. Regardless whether your were or are against any of the wars this country participated in, no one can deny the patriots heroic selfless acts of not giving into their personal fears, but were ready to sacrifice their own life should that decision be made by a power greater than any of us will ever understand. How can any American ever think of not “Remembering” any or all of them, those who died, or those who fought but for whatever reason, survived and are alive to tell the stories of those who can’t. Their gift to us should not be forgotten because no one wants to tell the stories of the horrors of war, the pain of losing someone or having them return to us and remind us of war’s evil by their missing limbs, the blindness due to wounds of war, or the troubled and tortured minds as to what they witnessed or relentless fears all of us felt, only some felt it more than others, but all of us felt it.

My father lived long enough to see all four of his sons and one grandson enlist into one of our military services, one in the Navy, in the medical field as an officer, three of us into the United States Army Security Agency (USASA), later to be renamed the United States Army Intelligence and Security Command (INSCOM), and his grandson (my son, Milton F Gregory III). My brother Mike would serve under me in East Africa, Asmara Ethiopia, go to Vietnam, get out of the Army, go to college, survive ROTC, come back into serve as an officer, and would go through the advanced intelligence school the same time as I did, retire and continue as a contractor at Ft. Huachuca AZ, prior to his succumbing to his second heart attack October 25th, 2001 to join our mom, buried at Arlington National Cemetery, where my father would finally join them August of 2007, after passing May 20th, 2007. My dad, his four sons, and my son, provided the country we love with over 136 years of active duty service. I remember my brother Mike calling me one afternoon from his house in Sierra Vista, AZ and said as I answered, “Milt, I just called to say goodbye and that I love you” When I asked what he was talking about, he just said, “This is the big one Milt, and I won’t see you again so, just know I love you, please let the rest of the family know that I love them all”, and I was on a plane within a couple of hours, but I was too late. I would take him off life support five days later and then comfort my father, who could not believe that the many time he came close to death during the war, he would be burring one of his sons. My father, like any good soldier, went into his son’s, my brother’s, room before they took him off to take the organs they could use, as Mike was an organ donor, and together we stood at attention, along with my other two brothers, and gave Mike the salute he so well deserved. It was my father who took us in to give him his “Military salute”, something only my dad could think of at a time like that, but it meant a lot to him and so that is a memory the rest of us would have and remain a moment where tears shed were tears of proud American Soldiers, saying farewell not to just their son and brother, but a fellow soldier, all who love their country, always willing to never be ashamed to display that pride, even in their grief. That was something my hero taught us, and at my brother’s passing, reminded us, as he always did while he was drawing a breath while living and now in his memory, from his grave. Yes, my father was, is and will always be my hero. Sharing that spot will forever be my brothers and son, who continue to serve, not wearing their uniforms, but as contractors in the Intelligence community. My son and one brother still are serving with the military they love so much, just as civilians. I guess they just could not take being too far away from their fellow soldiers. If I could I could continue to do the same, but as a housebound 100% disabled vet, I can only hope to contribute by helping others never to forget just how wonderful our soldiers are and that they should never be forgotten. I know we remember our fallen on Memorial Day, but one day a year is and will never be enough. We should remember them, all of them, those who are no longer with us here on earth, but those who continue to defend and protect our nation by saying a prayer for them every day. So many are in harm’s way, so many willing to give so much to that we all can enjoy the American dream.

In closing I guess it’s not just my father who is my hero, I could not end without including my brothers and of course my son. But then, as much as those I know and love are my heroes, each member of any of the services, military forces, where we all share a common cause of defending, protecting, and honoring the country that we all love, each are all of our heroes and we should never forget to remember the on Memorial Day, but we should always include them in our daily prayers. Never pass up an opportunity to shake their hand, say hello, buy them a meal, just acknowledge them, as they are America’s finest, the best of what we have, and they are the only thing that stands between our freedom and those who would deprive us of that freedom. So yes, love them, hug them, and never, ever forget them! And I still can’t say goodbye dad, Mike, and my son Wayne. Guess I never will.

They don't deserve this Commander in Chief

Pictured above are Rick, who is my friend and once a member of a special team in the Intelligence World, the other is his son's (Eric 's) Platoon leader Joe, who lost both his leggs from an IED. The photo was taken at "WaIter Reed Hospital" and I dedicate the following to them, as they are very special. Rick's son is no longer with us here on earth but he is in our hearts always.


My Stomach felt really ill when I saw, then heard the President of the United States of America address the “Long Gray Line”, the graduates at West Point. Men of heroic stature, men who will be facing an enemy that our President finds great difficulty in speaking the words “Radical Muslims” who are not made up of a nation but an ideology. For this President to stand in the presence of these great patriots is an insult to all who passed through the halls of this great and historic symbol of America’s military defiance towards those who hate this country, would destroy this great nation, would kill every man woman and child born into a Christian world, or any religion that differs from those of the “Radical Muslim” belief. His words rang hollow as I heard the President utter the word “Global” several times during his address. “Global” is where this President wants to take America, “Global Governance”, Global world power, Global transfer of wealth, from yours and my pockets to those pockets around the world who depend on handouts from an America who already willingly gives to the needy, feed the hungry, responds to the suffering, and helps any in harm’s way. How can this President, who’s only claim is to have “Organized” various communities to challenge their government, until he became their government?

I not only felt ill, I was offended and angered that this man who continues to be in question as to his even being a citizen of this country, somehow got elected to the highest office of the land, and became the Commander in Chief of those great, wonderful young men and women, who will do more for this country in the next year than this President will do the rest of his life. Those young men and women stand for good, hope, charity and the heart of this nation. They are ready to serve this President, because they took an oath to do so, but in spite of the party in power, they willingly will give their lives, not for any political party, but for the idea of “America”, the nation that became the hope of the world during times of war, and even in times of peace when America feeds most of the hungry around the world. These are great Americans, great men and women, great children of God, no matter what their personal faith; they will always be children of “God” creator of all mankind. This President does not deserve to stand in the shadow of one single man or woman who graduated from West Point today, or days past.

I got a short email today from a friend of mine, who worked for and with me so many years ago, way back in the 1970’s doing things in the Intelligence community that will always remain a secret, but to those of us who were there, was something special and regardless of who was in the office of the Presidency, we did our very best to achieve our goal, and that was the mission we were given. Rick has stopped by to visit from time to time, both of us had son’s who served in the military and both of us were filled with pride throughout their lives, and both of us saddened when our son’s short lives came to a close. Rick had just been to Walter Reed to visit his son’s Platoon Leader, who had just lost both of his legs as a result from an IED, placed by those “Radical Muslims” that this President has such difficulty forming the words in his mouth. Even those he appointed to serve all are unable to speak the words “Radical Islam” or “Radical Muslims” as they are afraid of offending a religion. Yet they have no difficulty not allowing a Christian to say a prayer at school functions or games will not allow the Pledge to be uttered by our children before class, as we did when I was in school. Now, the world sees a President who is afraid to offend anyone, accept the people who elected him president, will not react to North Korea, who just committed an act of war by sinking a South Korean battle ship, killing, murdering 47 (I think that number is correct) men of a nation once a part of their own. Iran is emboldened to continue their nuclear weapons program as this President will not respond with actions, only empty words, not even threats, just more empty words.

We listen to Glenn Beck, “we” being most of the people I know and hangout with, and we learn about a history and heroes of America we otherwise might never get to know. I invite my neighbors over to watch the recorded classes (at 5 PM, Atlanta time) that tell so much about a country, and the men and women who built this country and a nation, growing out of the dust, blown into a work of art that only God could and did allow to happen, and to then bless, bless as a Christian nation, blessed as a “Promised land” to those who one day will remember just what this country is all about. The vision of this President, this President Barack Hussein Obama, who stood before future heroes of America, some who will serve then move on, other who will serve then continue to serve because the country needs them to stay and be the future of this great land, is a very disturbing vision, at least to me it is. How dare this President who condemns our Nation, apologizes to the world for America’s flaws, while ignoring his own deep flaws and Ignoring the flaw of leaving in question his own citizenship allowing him to be President, to be Commander in Chief, to be a citizen of this Country. How can he stand there in his smugness and judge this great nation and then speak to those who will soon face the enemy that this President sees as someone to “reason” with rather than defeat. Keep Glenn Beck in mind on Monday through Friday, at 5 PM Atlantic time, and where ever you might be, check FOX News to see what time the brave American tells us the story of our forefathers, the men and women who made a difference in influencing America in a most positive way, rather than, like this President, in a most negative way, speaking only ill of this great land blessed by our creator as it struggled through periods of time that caused a stress on the core of America only imagined by those who were there during those periods. As Glenn Beck is heckled by those who want to “Transform” America, “Redistribute the wealth” of those who work hard to enjoy the land God blessed and gave them, the President, President Barack Hussein Obama standing before great Americans, as many Presidents before him, and speaks of the threats and dangers these young men and women, graduates of West Point, as if he was the first to recognize the threats they will face. It would be laughable if it were not so sad to see this pathetic President, standing with his chin in the air, as in almost every image of him, looking down and speaking down to men and women who he should be looking up too, as he knows, as we all know, he will never match up to the greatness of the weakest of those standing before him. God bless those cadets, now officers of the United States Army, and who will command and lead men into battle, will face danger and horrors only soldiers know, something that this President who speaks to them as if he understood. Well, he does not understand, nor will he ever understand what it is to be a soldier, but especially and specifically a graduate of West Point, just to be a member of the “Long Gray Line”.

Mr. President, you may have been elected into the highest office in the world by Americans who misjudged you, had faith in you, believed in you, thought you would hold sacred your oath, just as those you spoke to today, but little did most understand that you did not, will not, will never, have on ounce of what is inside the small finger of any of the men or women to whom you spoke today! You may speak down to them, look down on them, but Mr. President, you are ordinary, nothing special. You were a “Community Organizer”, oh how wonderful it must have felt to have been elected knowing that you fooled an entire nation into believing that you were something you will never be, a great American. Well Mr. President, look into the eyes of any of those to whom you spoke today and you will see greatness, you will see Americans, who knows who they are, where they were born, and what it is about America that drives them to serve, not from behind the safety of a desk or as a Community Organizer, but facing the enemy that you embrace Mr. President, that you fear offending or are unwilling to concede that it is they who should be apologizing, not this great country called “America” for the evils you say reflects the substance of the American people, well you are so wrong. Look deep into the eyes of real Americans, those who stood before you as you spoke to them on this special day America honors our heroes and see what being true to yourself and country is, something you know nothing about.

Your only concern Mr. President is the destruction of the America that these young men and women graduating today take their oath to protect and defend. You place a difficult task before them, they take an oath to follow your orders, while at the same time they swear to defend and protect the very country you are trying to re-invent, change into something different than what they are sworn to protect and defend, quite a dilemma for them Mr. President. The good thing is, they will figure it out, and they will know what to do as they are America’s best and finest, far above the dark shadows from where you came from, somewhere no one is really sure of. Thank God for those of our Armed Forces Academies, that produce military leaders who will find away to help us out of the deep hole you are digging in hopes that those who know you will be buried in. God blessed America hundreds of years ago, and I have a real, deep faith that he will bless America again. Thank you graduates of West Point, who today gave America new hope. We owe you!

Happy Mother's Day, May 9th, 2010

Early this morning when I woke up, I looked at the sleeping beautiful woman that lay next to me, the mother of our two sons, one we lost much too early, the other somewhere in Bahrain engaged in things known only to him. I noticed that my wife of 45 years still was as beautiful as she was when I asked her to marry me with words she swears were not “Will you marry me?”, but rather, “Will you be the mother of my children?” Being a young English girl at the time, she was not sure if I just wanted to make love to her or for her to become my wife. I only remember that she said yes and a few months later, on December 4th, in a chapel on top of a hill, near Harrogate England, on an Intelligence site known as the “13th USASA Field Station, Menwith Hill, Harrogate England”. I was dressed in my class A’s and she in a borrowed beautiful white wedding dress. As I go on, you will be wondering what in the heck does any of this matter or what relevance does any of this have to what follows. It has all the relevance and oh, how it matters, but I’ll leave that to you to figure out, I already know, and actually, to me, that is really all the relevance that matters.

Growing up, other than my mother or father, God was all I depended on and continues to be the driving factor in my life for all that I believe in. With all my heart I know that God brought Val into my life, gave birth to the gifts of my sons, Milt III and Wayne, who growing up provided me the inner strength to do what I did while I served my country in a field of intelligence that interlaced with primarily the NSA (National Security Agency) but also gave me contact with the CIA (Central Intelligence Agency), a rewarding field that I took very serious, and know only God could have given me the ability to do what I did. My contributions were significant, but so were so many others, who like me, believed in an America that believed in the people who made up America, People of all races, religions, and cultures. I cannot speak for anyone but myself, but the entire time I was in what struck me more than anything else was how the different races, religions, and cultures never entered as a negative, only a positive, as it relates to how I felt about the America I loved, we all loved so much.

All the “Mothers” of all those who made up the various races, religions, and cultures, were “Mothers of America” and raised their children to be good citizens, great Americans, and dedicated soldiers involved in gathering, analyzing and disseminating intelligence reports that included reports that were sent at times directly to the President of the United States. So, the fact that the mothers of these men and women gave their children moral ethics above the average person, if they had not, they could not have been enlisted into such a sensitive branch of the military, had a relevance of great importance. Each mother, along with the fathers of these dedicated men and women, were made of the same substance of those who were the mothers of our “Forefathers”, and just think what they meant to the birth of America, the America that I speak of and is now in such danger of being lost.

Mother’s Day, if only the mothers of our forefathers knew what great things were in front of them, how great their offspring would be as a result of what they gave them. Substance, the substance of greatness and humility, yet these men would instill something in future children of the America that would become the leader of the world. An America that was flawed yet willing to grow in ways no other country in the world would, or I doubt even could. To be America, there had to be children of special mothers, children who would grow up first to be known as our “Forefathers” and then men of such great substance that few men would have, most would wear the uniforms of our military forces. Men, yes and women, who would fight in the war for independence, civil war that would bring together a divided America, Wars that only history books would reveal the reasoning, and now are being rewritten so that history is changed to fit those who now govern. But, the men and women are still wearing those uniforms, volunteering to place themselves in harm’s way, not just for the benefit of those who are fortunate enough to be Americans, but for those poor souls who regardless of race, religion, or cultural background, were born in countries where freedom had to be won and sometimes delivered to them by stronger men and women, called “Americans”. And deliver we did, count the countries, I can’t, I just don’t know my history well enough to name them all. But think of a few, like Japan, Germany, France, Italy, Greece, Austria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Afghanistan, and yes even Iraq, just to name a few. There were more, more where American men and women spilled their blood for reasons known only to each individual who took their oaths to defend and protect not only their own country, but their friends and allies. So many mothers, who sacrificed their own children because that is who they are, because of their “Mothers”, who gave each that substance that is hard to define, but easy to identify, and most are “Americans”.

Yet, America as great as she is, still reaches out to those who want to be a part of this great experiment called “America”, and mothers from countries around the world are instilling into their children the desire to become what most envy, an American. I have traveled all my life, first as a dependant of an Officer of the United States Air Force, then as a member of the United States Army Intelligence and Security Command (USAINSCOM) that grew out of the United States Army Security Agency (USASA), who became an important part of the overall intelligence community. During my travels around the world, I observed the respect most people from all cultures, religions and races, showed towards anyone identified as an “American”. So may round the world wanted to be what we are, Americans, to live where we live, America, and as proud as they were of their own identity, there was a mystique about being an American. Americans always seemed to be willing to give, “give money, food, clothing, even medical assistance” for strangers, even countries that have either fought against us, or hate us, or have contempt for us. When there is a need, Americans are there, always first to be there to ease the pain of those around the world who are in need. Yet we now have a President who would rather define this great country as one of contempt for others, look down with distain on those less fortunate, self indulgent and unwilling to come to the aid of those in need. Do you ever wonder why our own President fails to see the good in not only the country of America, but the men and women of this wonderful and giving country? Most of all, this President pays little homage to the “Mothers” who gave birth to the great Americans that make up this great nation, and sacrificed so much so that America continues to have an abundance of men and women who are willing to continue the great experiment called “America”.

I offer quotes of some of our founding fathers, and while reading the quotes, consider the mothers and fathers, but today let’s concentrate on the mothers of these great men, and what incredible women their mothers must have been to have instilled into these “Founders” (of America, the constitution, and the Bill of Rights), the substance and strength to withstand everything they faced, so that we might enjoy what we are in danger of losing as I write this column.

Patrick Henry: “Three millions of people, armed in the holy cause of liberty, and in such a country as that which we possess, are invincible by any force which our enemy can send against us. Beside, sir, we shall not fight our battles alone. There is a just God who presides over the destinies of Nations, and who will rise up friends to fight our battles for us.” (War is Inevitable, March 1775).

James Madison: “The Ultimate authority…resides in the people alone.”
“It is proper to take alarm at the first experiment upon our liberties. We hold this prudent jealousy to be the first duty of citizens and one of the noblest characteristics of the late Revolution. The freemen of America did not wait till usurped power had strengthened itself by exercise and entangled the question in precedents. They saw all the consequences in the principle, and they avoided the consequences by denying the principle. We revere this lesson too much…to forget it.”

Samuel Adams: “the liberties of our country, the freedom of our civil Constitution, are worth defending at all hazards.”

John Adams: “People and Nations are forged in the fires of adversity.”
“Wherever the standard of freedom and independence has been shall be unfurled, there will be America’s heart, her benedictions, and prayers, but she goes not abroad in search of monsters to destroy. She is the well-wisher to the freedom and independence of all. She is the champion and vindicator of her own.

Alexander Hamilton: “The sacred rights of mankind are not to be rummaged for among old parchments or musty records. They are written, as with a sunbeam, in the whole volume of human nature by the hand of the Divinity itself, and can never be erased by mortal power.”

Benjamin Franklin: “Those who would give up essential Liberty, to purchase a little temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety.”

George Washington: “I hope I shall always possess firmness and virtue enough to maintain what I consider the most enviable of all titles, the character of an honest man.”

Thomas Jefferson: “On every question of construction of the Constitution, let us carry ourselves back to the time when the Constitution was adopted, recollected the spirit manifested in the debates, and instead of trying what meaning may be squeezed out of text, or invented against it, conform to the probable one in which it was passed.”

The quotes above are examples of the character and substance of the men who make up our forefathers, the original “Founders” of this great nation, its Constitution, and delivered to us a free, independent, and envied nation. How proud their mothers must have been, be it while they lived, or in the afterlife, with their creator, God who blessed this nation, blessed the people who would find a way to govern while creating the basis of governance. How happy those mothers must have been. To those, and to all mothers of America, and all mothers around the world, I bid you; “Happy Mother’s Day,” today, May 9th, 2010.

If Only To Return To Celebrate Our Silent Victories

Today we celebrate our victories against “Terrorism” by applauding that we caught the bad guy, how fast and with such professional skills, and I take nothing away from our dedicated “Agents” , “Soldiers”, and “Law Enforcement” involved, but am somewhat miffed by it all when I think of it. We caught the “Bad Guy” at Ft. Hood only after he killed 17, wounding many more, of our heroes. We caught the “Bad Guy” when, while on an aircraft, he lit his crotch on fire and the hidden explosive failed and he was taken down by passengers. And we are currently celebrating the quick action of catching the “Bad Guy” after his attempt to blow up a SUV filled with explosives failed; fizzling out when a heroic street vendor (Vietnam Veteran) notified the police and it was extinguished by responding firemen. Each event was followed by our current President making a statement on how fast we reacted and that we will get all those involved.

I recall a time in the intelligence community when we silently celebrated preventing acts of terrorism from taking place, watching Americans, and citizens of other countries, go about their business never knowing that anything at all ever took place. “Ignorance is Bliss” is or was a truism that has meaning to those of us who help create an environment of “Blissful Ignorance” enjoyed by so many! Believe me when I say our then President, and those of us in the Intelligent community, went through a few prior to 9/11, and then more silent celebrations for another eight years after. But, that was before this self indulged egotist enjoys his power and unending presence of his face on our flat screen televisions reassuring us that our “Law Enforcement” actions will continue to keep us safe while putting on trial those captured fools who, thank God, either screwed it up or after killing so many managed to get wounded so he was unable to escape. All the while, this President, for political reasons only, is coming to the realization that he is going to have to call “Terror” what it is, but only with great reluctance.

My mind keep going back to the days when I was stationed in Africa, under a conservative President, and was involved in assisting providing the intelligence to get an intelligence (collection ship, details will remain unmentioned) activity that was captured by a foreign government, released without the American people ever being made aware of the near disaster and potentially devastating end result where families would have lost their loved ones. But, it was celebrated in silence, by those involved in providing that intelligence, which back then was kept secret, and there were no public announcements of our success. We did not need what this administration needs, recognition, glory, praise, and the unending love of his oblivious and ignorant followers. All we needed was to succeed and know we got the job done, and people lived, be Americans or those loved ones of other countries, who went home to their families never knowing they might have died had it not been for those dedicated silent warriors of the secret war against our enemies.

Only under Liberal and or progressive Presidents can I recall the missed opportunities and or plain mismanagement of the greatest intelligence resources known to mankind. Does Beirut Lebanon and USS Pueblo ring a bell? How about Clinton refusing to accept Osama bin Laden when offered by Yemen, and other times not mentioned, along with the attack of the USS Cole, where we lost 17 patriot heroes, and I could go on but it depresses me, and should depress you as well. Where were the celebrations then? Why did these failures, regardless of President, not cause more of a reaction than lobbing a few cruise missiles into deserted terrorist camps, as we warned many of our pending superficial attacks to demonstrate we can? We lost our edge when we President Clinton ended or seriously reduced our HUMINT “Human Intelligence” efforts as we did not want to depend on sources of “questionable” character. And it was under President Carter where he nearly destroyed our intelligence collection efforts (I am not at liberty to say, but those who were serving then know, and that is all that is important to me), and not only that, but it was under his watch that our Embassy in Iran was seized by thugs, one who now calls himself “President” (The so called President Ahmadinejad) who is close to having the ability to not only have a nuclear warhead, but deliver it! Where is the deterrence that would stop him? Will the great and powerful “America” depend on the tiny country to go in and take out the threat that would destroy them as not only a country, but as a people? Who will be celebrating then?

I can recall times when we in the intelligent communities silently celebrated victories as we prevented so many events of terror that would have taken place had so many dedicated young men and women not been at their stations doing what no one knows about, and should never know about. We did not need the glory and attention then, and I am certain that these young men and women do not need the glory or attention now. But every other day we read in the New York Times, or other news media about secrets of our methods, success, when we have them, and recently our own Secretary of State (Another Clinton) providing to the world, what had been one of our most sacred secrets, the total number of Nuclear warheads, and I believe even providing the location of our intercontinental missile launch sites. Where is the logic of this thought process? If I recall the headline on ABC News was; “Clinton, Pentagon Reveal State Secret: Size of U.S. Nuclear Arsenal”! Who is celebrating this I wonder? ABC reported that “For those who doubt that the United States will do its part on disarmament, this is our record, these are our commitments, and they send a clear, unmistakable signal,” said U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton before the U.N.’s conference on Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty. (Her comments were a direct rebuke to those made earlier that day by Iranian President Mahmud Ahmadinejad) Since when does the United States respond to any leader or Head of State of a country who is a “Terrorist State”, trains, supports, and provides logistical support to Terrorist groups with weapons and materials to make the IED’s (Improvised Explosive Devices) that are killing and maiming our soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan? Who is celebrating now? I’ll bet those who harbor, assist, and provide the “Terrorists” who hate and kill Americans and their allies.

All of America can celebrate our victories, known and unknown, but none of us should be celebrating the compromising our threats, our secrets, our capabilities, all the things this Administration believes will cause an Ideology that is intent on destroying Israel, many places is Western Europe (most our allies) and of course the people of the United States to pick flowers and kiss our feet, because we are so nice. Who are they (This Administration) fooling? I think they are fooling only themselves as each progressive Administration has; only far more so than anything any of us have ever witnessed. The ignorance of this congress, this Administration, those who elected and still are happy they did, is beyond anything I have seen in my 65 years, certainly my 20 plus years serving in the Intelligence community. The terror to me is becoming more and more that my own Government and its incredible lack of ability to understand the threats or the pending results of those threats, and our Government’s own ignorance will actually cause a disaster beyond anything America has ever witnessed. If that happens, who will be celebrating then? I think we can all guess.

Well, if this inept Administration, led by an inexperienced President, unless you consider his service as a “Community Organizer” credentials for being the leader of the free world does not get us destroyed before November, we have a chance. Just look at the places where he was a community leader, any major success that come to mind that can be celebrated? In November we will not have to celebrate in silence as we did with our successes during my days in the serving our country while in the Intelligence Community. We can shout out the joy of winning back the Congress, both House and Senate, Oh, and of course the biggest celebration will be in November, only in 2012 when America elects a conservative to office of “President of the United States of America”. We can give great credit to our hard working , behind the scenes heroes in Law Enforcement, and the Intelligence Community, along with any ordinary citizen who assisted in providing the information needed to not only apprehend this “Terrorist” who recently became a citizen of the United States. Born in Pakistan, now U.S. Citizen Fisal Shahzad has admitted trying to set off a car bomb in Times Square will be facing “Terrorism and mass destruction charges” accordingly to Attorney General Eric Holder, another radical of this Administration, who said: “Based on what we know so far, it is clear that this was a terrorist plot aimed at murdering Americans in one of the busiest places in our country”. Do ya think? I am ready to celebrate whatever intelligence is gathered to help protect this country against those who would harm us. But I’ll never celebrate those who are gloating over “luck” rather than solid intelligence gathering that might have prevented it in the first place.

I’ll wait till November of this year and again in 2012, and along with most of you, will then celebrate as we foiled the transformation of America, and planed redistribution of wealth, that would destroy the strongest economy in the world. Together we can shout out our joy of not “winning” but more important, not loosing! And you can bet this old beat up Vietnam veteran will be celebrating, wishing my father, mother, brother and son could be here to witness what returning America back to “We the People”, my America, the one I love so much and miss right now. We will see her come home. (Ho, to be back in the silent, secret war!)