"Don't fire until you see the white's of their eyes."
Attributed to Israel Putnam, at the battle of Bunker Hill, June 1775.
The rest of the quote, according to Putnam's lower ranking officers was:
"Powder is scarce and must not be wasted. Fire Low! You are all marksmen and could kill a squirrel at a hundred yards. Reserve your fire and the enemy will be destroyed."
This quote has been wrongfully attributed to the commanding officer Colonel William Prescott.
"I have not yet begun to fight."
Captain John Paul Jones aboard the the Bon Homme Richard. He fought the British ship Serapis. The Serapis captain asked if John Paul Jones swanted to surrender. Jones yelled back, "I have not yet begun to fight!"
"Si vis pacem, para bellum."
(If you want peace, prepare for war.)
Flavius Vegetius Renatus, Roman military strategist. c. 390 A.D.
"No bastard ever won a war by dying for his country. He won it by making the other poor dumb bastard die for his country."
General George Patton
"The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing."
Sir Edmund Burke (1729-1797) British statesman and philosopher.
"Never in the field of human conflict was so much owed by so many to so few."
Prime Minister Sir Winston Churchill after the battle of Britain about the Royal Air Corps.
"Veni, vidi, vici."
(I came, I saw, I conquered.)
Julius Caesar, Roman Emperor ( 100 b.c. - 44 b.c.)
"Come on you sons of bitches! Do you want to live forever?"
Gunnery Sergeant Dan Daly, 04 June 1918, leading Marines at Belleu Woods. Gunny Daly served with the Fourth Marine Brigade in W.W. I and was awarded two Medals of Honor.
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
Friday, October 17, 2008
Congress Bill allows veterans to salute American flag
In February 2008 Congress approved and the President signed the 2008 Defense Authorization Bill which included (S.1877) an amendment to title 4, USC, to allow veterans to salute the flag during the raising and lowering of the flag and during the passing of the colors.
Congress is aware that they overlooked the National Anthem and have added an amendment to the Department of Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal year 2009 (S. 3002, section 1081) to amend title 36, USC, to allow veterans to salute during the National Anthem. Below is the wording in the bill:
Section 301(b)(1) of title 36, United States Code, is amended by striking sub paragraphs (A) through (C) and inserting the following new sub paragraphs:
(A) individuals in uniform should give the military salute at the first note of the anthem and maintain that position until the last note;
(B) members of the Armed Forces and veterans who are present but not in uniform may render the military salute in the manner provided for individuals in uniform; and
(C) all other persons present should face the flag and stand at attention with their right hand over their heart, and men, not in uniform, if applicable, should remove their headdress with their right hand and hold it at the left shoulder, the hand being over the heart; and
So being a veteran, we are now allowed to salute the flag during the raising and lowering, when the colors are presented, and during the National Anthem.
Congress is aware that they overlooked the National Anthem and have added an amendment to the Department of Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal year 2009 (S. 3002, section 1081) to amend title 36, USC, to allow veterans to salute during the National Anthem. Below is the wording in the bill:
Section 301(b)(1) of title 36, United States Code, is amended by striking sub paragraphs (A) through (C) and inserting the following new sub paragraphs:
(A) individuals in uniform should give the military salute at the first note of the anthem and maintain that position until the last note;
(B) members of the Armed Forces and veterans who are present but not in uniform may render the military salute in the manner provided for individuals in uniform; and
(C) all other persons present should face the flag and stand at attention with their right hand over their heart, and men, not in uniform, if applicable, should remove their headdress with their right hand and hold it at the left shoulder, the hand being over the heart; and
So being a veteran, we are now allowed to salute the flag during the raising and lowering, when the colors are presented, and during the National Anthem.
Wednesday, October 8, 2008
Useless trivia - fun facts
Dueling is legal in Paraguay as long as both parties are registered blood donors.
Minus 40 degrees Fahrenheit equals minus 40 degrees Celsius.
Michael Jordan shaves his head on Tuesdays and Fridays.
Powdered non-dairy creamer is flammable.
The international telephone dialing code for Antarctica is 672.
Raindrops are not tear-drop shaped. They are rounded at the top and flat on the bottom.
Issac Asimov is the only author to have written a book in all 10 Dewey decimal system categories.
There are 293 ways to make change for a dollar.
The purpose of the indentation at the bottom of a wine bottle is to strengthen the structure of the bottle and to trap sediments in the wine.
The wingspan of a Boeing 747 jet is longer than the Wright Brothers' first powered flight.
The Statue of Liberty's tablet is two feet thick.
If done perfectly, any Rubik's Cube combination can be solved in 17 turns.
A pigs orgasm lasts for 30 minutes.
A blue whale gains approximately 200 pounds a day for the first seven months of its life.
The male praying mantis cannot copulate while its head is attached to its body. The female initiates sex by ripping the male's head off.
The fingerprints of koala bears are virtually indistinguishable from those of humans, so much so that they could be confused at a crime scene.
All polar bears are left handed.
The human body has 70,000 miles of blood vessels.
Minus 40 degrees Fahrenheit equals minus 40 degrees Celsius.
Michael Jordan shaves his head on Tuesdays and Fridays.
Powdered non-dairy creamer is flammable.
The international telephone dialing code for Antarctica is 672.
Raindrops are not tear-drop shaped. They are rounded at the top and flat on the bottom.
Issac Asimov is the only author to have written a book in all 10 Dewey decimal system categories.
There are 293 ways to make change for a dollar.
The purpose of the indentation at the bottom of a wine bottle is to strengthen the structure of the bottle and to trap sediments in the wine.
The wingspan of a Boeing 747 jet is longer than the Wright Brothers' first powered flight.
The Statue of Liberty's tablet is two feet thick.
If done perfectly, any Rubik's Cube combination can be solved in 17 turns.
A pigs orgasm lasts for 30 minutes.
A blue whale gains approximately 200 pounds a day for the first seven months of its life.
The male praying mantis cannot copulate while its head is attached to its body. The female initiates sex by ripping the male's head off.
The fingerprints of koala bears are virtually indistinguishable from those of humans, so much so that they could be confused at a crime scene.
All polar bears are left handed.
The human body has 70,000 miles of blood vessels.
Tuesday, October 7, 2008
Evoulution of an Airman
E-1 Airman Basic - You've been in the Air Force all of one day and don't know squat. You're being taught how to fold your underwear and that silver bars is a captain, not a colonel.
E-2 Airman - You still don't know squat, however, you are going to technical school, completing CDC's, and doing the most simplest tasks in your new career field.
E-3 Airman First Class - You're now upgraded to a 3 - level. Although you now know which end of the screwdriver to hold in your hand and that it's righty tighty, left loosey, you've still got a long way to go before anyone will believe you know what you're doing.
E-4 Senior Airman - Now you're a 5 - level. You can remove and replace an aircraft component so long as there are no more than 4 bolts, but throw in a few lock washers or some safety wire and you're looking for help.
E-5 Staff Sergeant - After completing more CDC's, you're upgraded to a 7 - level. Now that you have a rocker, you think you should have more responsibility as a leader of men. The shop chief agrees, so he names you a vehicle crew chief.
E-6 Technical Sergeant - You've been in the Air Force about 10 years and feel that the Air Force could not get along without you. Lower ranking airmen look to you for expertise in fixing more difficult problems. You now have one hell of a chip on your shoulder and feel that you are God's gift to the Air Force.
E-7 Master Sergeant - You've made it to the top three and feel you're going to take on the world and make Chief. You complete the Senior NCO Academy by correspondence. You're now given more responsibility and are leading a shift, or duty section. You seldom do more than write performance reports, or decide who works the grave yard shift.
E-8 Senior Master Sergeant - You attend the in-residence Senior NCO Academy, and will never touch a tool box again the rest of your Air Force career. Lower ranking airmen know better than to ask you about difficult tasks in the career field, because they know you forgot most of it by know. They realize that you are only concerned about keeping your nose clean, getting attention for that endorsement, and making Chief.
E-9 Chief Master Sergeant - You've made it to where very few men in the Air Force do. You are a Chief. It's been between 5 and 10 years since you've carried a tool box and by now you've forgotten the names of most of the tools. Your job now is simply to be present, listen to the airman's concerns, act like you actually do care, and delegate. You reach your 30 year mark and are refused the 3 year extension beyond High Year of Tenure. You have a retirement ceremony, listen to all the compliments that people had to dream up about you and drive out the gate. The Air Force returns you to society the same way they got you. Once again, you don't know squat.
E-2 Airman - You still don't know squat, however, you are going to technical school, completing CDC's, and doing the most simplest tasks in your new career field.
E-3 Airman First Class - You're now upgraded to a 3 - level. Although you now know which end of the screwdriver to hold in your hand and that it's righty tighty, left loosey, you've still got a long way to go before anyone will believe you know what you're doing.
E-4 Senior Airman - Now you're a 5 - level. You can remove and replace an aircraft component so long as there are no more than 4 bolts, but throw in a few lock washers or some safety wire and you're looking for help.
E-5 Staff Sergeant - After completing more CDC's, you're upgraded to a 7 - level. Now that you have a rocker, you think you should have more responsibility as a leader of men. The shop chief agrees, so he names you a vehicle crew chief.
E-6 Technical Sergeant - You've been in the Air Force about 10 years and feel that the Air Force could not get along without you. Lower ranking airmen look to you for expertise in fixing more difficult problems. You now have one hell of a chip on your shoulder and feel that you are God's gift to the Air Force.
E-7 Master Sergeant - You've made it to the top three and feel you're going to take on the world and make Chief. You complete the Senior NCO Academy by correspondence. You're now given more responsibility and are leading a shift, or duty section. You seldom do more than write performance reports, or decide who works the grave yard shift.
E-8 Senior Master Sergeant - You attend the in-residence Senior NCO Academy, and will never touch a tool box again the rest of your Air Force career. Lower ranking airmen know better than to ask you about difficult tasks in the career field, because they know you forgot most of it by know. They realize that you are only concerned about keeping your nose clean, getting attention for that endorsement, and making Chief.
E-9 Chief Master Sergeant - You've made it to where very few men in the Air Force do. You are a Chief. It's been between 5 and 10 years since you've carried a tool box and by now you've forgotten the names of most of the tools. Your job now is simply to be present, listen to the airman's concerns, act like you actually do care, and delegate. You reach your 30 year mark and are refused the 3 year extension beyond High Year of Tenure. You have a retirement ceremony, listen to all the compliments that people had to dream up about you and drive out the gate. The Air Force returns you to society the same way they got you. Once again, you don't know squat.
Monday, October 6, 2008
U.S. Marine Corps Oath of Enlistment
I, (pick a name the police won't recognize), swear...uhhhh....high-and-tight....grunt....cammies....kill....fix bayonets....charge....slash....dig....burn....blowup....ugh....Air Force women....beer....sailors wives....air strikes....Sir, yes sir!....whiskey....liberty call....salute....make a hole, ships company....Ooorah Gunny....grenades....women....OORAH! So Help Me Chesty Puller!!
Sunday, October 5, 2008
Us Navy Oath of Enlistment
I, Top Gun, in lieu of going to prison, swear to sign away 4 years of my life to the United States Navy, because I want to hang out with Marines without actually having to BE one of them, because I thought the Air Force was "too corporate", because I didn't want to actually live in the dirt like the Army, and because I thought, 'Hey, I like to swim...why not?"
I promise to wear clothes that went out of style in 1976 and to have my name stenciled on the butt of every pair of pants I own. I understand that I will be mistaken for the Good Humor Man during summer, and for Nazi Waffen SS during the winter. I will strive to use a different language than the rest of the English-speaking world, using words like "deck, bulkhead, cover, geedunk, scuttlebutt, scuttle and head," when I really mean, "floor, wall, hat, candy, water fountain, hole in the wall and toilet."
I will take great pride in the fact that all Navy acronyms, rank and insignia, and everything else for that matter, are completely different from the other services and make absolutely no sense whatsoever.
I will muster, whatever that is, at 0700 every morning unless I am buddy-buddy with the Chief, in which case i will show up around 0930. I vow to hone my coffee cup-handling skills to a point that I can stand up in a kayak being tossed around in a typhoon, and still not spill a drop. I consent to being promoted and subsequently busted at least twice per fiscal year. I realize that, once selected for Chief, I am required to submit myself to the sick, and quite possibly illegal, whims of new found "colleagues." So help me Neptune!
I promise to wear clothes that went out of style in 1976 and to have my name stenciled on the butt of every pair of pants I own. I understand that I will be mistaken for the Good Humor Man during summer, and for Nazi Waffen SS during the winter. I will strive to use a different language than the rest of the English-speaking world, using words like "deck, bulkhead, cover, geedunk, scuttlebutt, scuttle and head," when I really mean, "floor, wall, hat, candy, water fountain, hole in the wall and toilet."
I will take great pride in the fact that all Navy acronyms, rank and insignia, and everything else for that matter, are completely different from the other services and make absolutely no sense whatsoever.
I will muster, whatever that is, at 0700 every morning unless I am buddy-buddy with the Chief, in which case i will show up around 0930. I vow to hone my coffee cup-handling skills to a point that I can stand up in a kayak being tossed around in a typhoon, and still not spill a drop. I consent to being promoted and subsequently busted at least twice per fiscal year. I realize that, once selected for Chief, I am required to submit myself to the sick, and quite possibly illegal, whims of new found "colleagues." So help me Neptune!
Friday, October 3, 2008
US Army Oath of Enlistment
I, Rambo, swear to sign away 4 years of my mediocre life to the United States Army because I couldn't score high enough on the ASVAB to get into the Air Force, I'm not tough enough for the Marines and the Navy won't take me because I can't swim. I will wear camouflage every day and tuck my trousers into my boots because I can't figure out how to use boot blousers. I promise to wear my uniform 24 hours a day even when I have a date.
I will continue to tell myself that I am a fierce killing machine because my Drill Sergeant told me I am, despite the fact that the only action I will see is a court-martial for sexual harassment. I acknowledge the fact that I will make E-8 in my first year of service, and vow to maintain that it is because I scored perfect on my PT test.
After completion of my Sexual.....er.....I mean "Basic Training," I will attend a different Army school every other month and return knowing less than I did when I left. On my first trip after Boot Camp, I will walk around like I am cool and propose to my 9th grade sweetheart. I will make my wife stay at home because if I let her out she might leave me for a better looking Air Force guy. Should she leave me 12 times, I will continue to take her back. While at work I will maintain a look of knowledge while getting absolutely nothing accomplished. I will arrive to work every day at 1000 hours because of morning PT and leave everyday at 1300 hours to report back to "COMPANY."
I understand that I will undergo no training whatsoever that will help me get a job upon separation, and will end up working construction with my friends from high school. I will brag to everyone about the Army giving me $30,000.00 for college, but I will be unable to use it because I can't pass a placement exam. So help me God!
I will continue to tell myself that I am a fierce killing machine because my Drill Sergeant told me I am, despite the fact that the only action I will see is a court-martial for sexual harassment. I acknowledge the fact that I will make E-8 in my first year of service, and vow to maintain that it is because I scored perfect on my PT test.
After completion of my Sexual.....er.....I mean "Basic Training," I will attend a different Army school every other month and return knowing less than I did when I left. On my first trip after Boot Camp, I will walk around like I am cool and propose to my 9th grade sweetheart. I will make my wife stay at home because if I let her out she might leave me for a better looking Air Force guy. Should she leave me 12 times, I will continue to take her back. While at work I will maintain a look of knowledge while getting absolutely nothing accomplished. I will arrive to work every day at 1000 hours because of morning PT and leave everyday at 1300 hours to report back to "COMPANY."
I understand that I will undergo no training whatsoever that will help me get a job upon separation, and will end up working construction with my friends from high school. I will brag to everyone about the Army giving me $30,000.00 for college, but I will be unable to use it because I can't pass a placement exam. So help me God!
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