It's Time To Vote

No, its not election time. Its the Annual Milblog Awards Competition, and my good friend, Maj Pain, is up for Best Marine Milblog. Now I confess to being biased towards Maj Pain, not just because he's a Marine, has a kick-ass blog and does really cool stuff with really interesting people, but because if he wins, and he can't be there to accept the award, well, yours truly gets to do it. I still have his award from last year. Well, I know where it is, anway.

From Maj Pain

The 2012 Milblog awards voting for military blogs opened today. My blog, One Marine's View has been nominated for the 2012 Milblog awards " Marine Blog".

� Go to the link below and under Best U.S. Marine Corps Blog Nominations click on"See nominations" . You will see One Marine's View. Simply click on the circle next to One Marine's View. Its that easy.

� If you feel inclined to pass this to your friends via email or Facebook its much appreciated Thanks for the vote & for supporting all of your warriors!

Semper Fidelis
Maj Pain

Go here to vote: http://milblogconference.milblogging.com/2012-milbloggies/vote-now/

TMLC Readies to Defend Memorial Crosses at Marine Base Atop Mount Horno | Thomas More Law Center

TMLC Readies to Defend Memorial Crosses at Marine Base Atop Mount Horno Thomas More Law Center

Four of the seven who carried the original cross up the hill were subsequently killed in action, including Lance Cpl. Zurheide, Major Douglas Zembiec, Major Ray Mendoza, and Lance Cpl. Aaron Austin. The last time Elena saw her husband alive was when they said goodbye at the foot of the hill bearing the cross. This past year, on the Marine Corps birthday (November 10, 2011), the new 13 foot wooden cross was carried up the 3000 ft. climb to the top of the hill. Elena and her son Robbie were a part of the group that took the cross to the top of the hill. The next day, Veteran’s Day, the Cross was mounted at the exact location of the original cross. The memorial cross is dedicated to the memory of the four Marines who carried the original cross up the hill and were later killed in action.

Tell the atheists to get a life, get a dog, get a hobby, get a job.

Naming of Navy ships returns to tradition - Washington Times

Naming of Navy ships returns to tradition - Washington Times

Mabus is an idiot. How the hell he's survived as Navy Secretary this long is a mystery.

Note the last paragraphs:

He named a San Diego-class amphibious docking ship, one used principally by Marines, after the late Rep. John P. Murtha, Pennsylvania Democrat. The previous nine ships in that class had been named after U.S. cities, a park and a county. The naming angered members of the Marine community, who noted that Mr. Murtha had declared that Marines killed civilians “in cold blood” in the Iraqi village of Haditha in 2005. At the time, the Marines involved in the raid had not been put on trial. Only one Marine was convicted - on a charge of dereliction of duty.The Navy noted Mr. Murtha’s service as a Marine in Vietnam and his support in the House to fund the armed forces.

Until that point, the Lewis and Clark-class dry cargo ships had been named for famous explorers or people who made significant contributions to the armed forces. Chavez served briefly in the Navy after World War II. A biographer wrote that he considered it the worst time of his life. Critics said there were better choices if the Navy wanted to honor a Hispanic.

“The one that got the most attention from people who couldn’t really quite figure out whether that was the appropriate thing to do or even related much to the military was the Cesar Chavez and the Jack Murtha,” Mr. Blunt told reporters. “People in the Chavez case could not figure out the linkage.”

Last week, Mr. Mabus named a littoral combat ship after former Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, Arizona Democrat.

Until the Giffords naming, all Freedom- and Independence-class littoral combat ships had been named after U.S. cities.

Someone You Should Know

We don't do this often enough on this site. I have no excuse other than current events seem to take precedent.

This gentleman was in town visiting this weekend and a friend sent me a photo from this morning. I'm not sharing the photo, but I am sharing this Marine's dedication to country.

Colonel Wesley Fox USMC Ret

Col. Fox was born in Herndon, Virginia, the oldest of ten. He enlisted in the Marine Corps shortly before his 19th birthday, on August 4, 1950. Corporal Fox was wounded in action during the Korean War on September 8, 1951, but returned for a second tour of duty in Korea as a Platoon Sergeant.

After his Korean War service, Fox returned to the United States and served as both a drill instructor and recruiter. He was promoted to First Sergeant in May 1966, and soon after was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant.

Assigned to Vietnam, First Lieutenant Fox's actions in Quang Tri Province during Operation Dewey Canyon on February 22, 1969 earned him the Medal of Honor. Having been wounded in action, along with almost every other member of his unit, Fox personally neutralized one enemy emplacement and directed his men to destroy others. After his executive officer was mortally wounded, Fox continued to direct the actions of his Marines, ordering air strikes and coordinating the advance until the enemy retreated. Fox was wounded again in the final assault, but refused medical attention while he reorganized his troops and prepared the wounded for evacuation. The medal was presented to then-Captain Fox by President Richard Nixon on March 2, 1971.

Colonel Fox retired from the Marine Corps in September 1993. He continued to wear the uniform for eight more years as a deputy commandant of cadets for the Virginia Tech Corps of Cadets. During his time at Virginia Tech, Fox spoke of his experiences to America's next generation of military officers, business executives, and civic leaders.

Fox has written a book about his experiences in the military, Marine Rifleman: Forty-Three Years in the Corps (ISBN 1-57488-425-5), and was featured on the 2003 PBS program American Valor.

What is this "Darkhorse" Battalion everybody is posting on Facebook about?

What is this "Darkhorse" Battalion everybody is posting on Facebook about? TheCelebrityCafe.com

Prayers up for the 3/5 downrange.

News From The Frontlines

How the Marines Respond to Civilian Deaths in Afghanistan

BY John McCormack

The New York Times reports:
MARJA, Afghanistan —
Twelve bodies — five children, five women and two men — were wrapped head to toe in woolen blankets, lying in a neat row on the floor of the only room remaining in a house that had been blasted to mud-brick rubble by at least one and possibly two 675-pound rockets.

A United States Marine Corps battalion commander, Lt. Col. Brian Christmas, stood in that room on Tuesday with a relative of the victims, a local elder named Hajji Mohammad Karim, and said what he could.
“I bring my deepest condolences and will provide all of my support,” the colonel
told him. There was no recrimination, only sorrow.

Read the rest, and check out the Washington Post's latest on the battle for Marja