Archive for military
President Obama Disrespects Fallen Soldiers and Vacations in Chicago Instead (Updated)
Posted by: | CommentsMemorial Day is the day set aside to honor our fallen soldiers and normally the Commander In Chief aka The President of the United States traditionally marks this solemn occasion by leading the ceremonies at Arlington National Cemetery and lays the wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. But not this year.
President Obama instead will be heading home to Illinois for vacation with his family, sending instead VP Biden to honor the fallen who gave it all defending our country.
The news of Obama feeling vacation with his family being more important than fulfilling his duty as Commander in Chief hit every veteran, every active service member, every family who lost a loved one in the course of fighting for freedom like a punch to the heart.
Arlington National Cemetary and the Tomb of the Unknowns
In 1921, the United States , following France and England, laid to rest the remains of a World War I American soldier — his name “known but to God” — on a Virginia hillside overlooking the city of Washington DC and the Potomac River. This site became known as the “Tomb of the Unknown Soldier,” and today is called the Read More→
No Celebration as Lt. Michael Behenna Sits Alone in His Cell on His 27th Birthday
Posted by: | CommentsAnother year, and another birthday without his family and friends for doing his duty. When will this injustice be corrected?
Mr. and Mrs. Behenna request Patriotic Americans to join their cause to remember their son. Let’s come together and never forget Michael languishing in Leavenworth. If you have the ability to assist, please contact Scott and Vicki Behenna at www.defendmichael.com
The Defend Michael newsletter I received today made the following plea to all those who have proudly supported Michael and the family:
To all Michael Behenna supporters,
Today is Michael’s 27th birthday. While he won’t be ‘celebrating’ it in any real sense (no cake and candles in prison), his spirits have been incredibly lifted by the hundreds and hundreds of cards of letters he’s received in the just the past week alone. He is overwhelmed by your support and personally wanted us to tell you how much it means to him.
As mentioned in the last newsletter, we are still eagerly awaiting the Military response to Michael’s appeal, which will allow Michael’s appeal to be docketed and hopefully, by this summer, be argued before the Army Court of Appeals. In the meantime, we continue to encourage Michael’s supporters to contact their Senators and Congressmen. These Congressional Delegations will be vital to ensure the Army handles Michael’s case properly moving forward. Your assistance thus far has produced many important connections and unleashed scrutiny of Michael’s case we would not have thought possible.
It is estimated that more American soldiers have been charged with war crimes related to the war in Iraq than in
Lt. Michael Behenna
previous wars combined! Many believe that this is the result of the current Washington policy to prosecute members of the military for a political purpose—pandering to the Iraqi government. In an effort to build awareness to this perversion, we are considering organizing a motorcycle/vehicle Rally to Ft. Leavenworth in early fall, 2010. Michael is among ten decorated soldiers (coined the Leavenworth 10) in Leavenworth prison who have been wrongfully charged and convicted for murdering Al-Qaeda or insurgents. Their convictions are not publicized, but we have come to know each of their stories and they all answered the call of their country to defend our values and way of life against an enemy who wishes to destroy us. After defending themselves or their fellow soldiers/Marines in a combat zone, they have fallen victim to untenable Rules of Engagement, demoralizing “Catch and Release” policies, and political correctness that left them abandoned by the country they fought for.
Many of Michael’s supporters have contacted us for additional ways to help. This rally will aid Michael and the other Leavenworth 10 in creating awareness for those who have not heard their stories. We envision this Rally to begin in at least the following 12 states; Oklahoma, Texas, Kansas, Colorado, Minnesota, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Missouri, Arkansas, and Tennessee, and culminate in Ft. Leavenworth, Kansas. Due to the significance of 9/11 to these soldiers call to duty, we are considering holding the event the weekend before, on Labor Day 9/4/2010. Before we finalize our plans, we would like to know if you would assist in the following areas:
Help put together the event in Leavenworth
Help coordinate a state leg of this journey to Leavenworth
Design and maintenance of a web site
Help sponsor the event (not necessary to attend)
Graphic Design (t-shirts, signs, flyers)
Most importantly – make the ride to Leavenworth (motorcycles and vehicles would be welcome)
Please reply about your interests and we will build a database of who can help us on this event. We are also very interested in your thoughts and ideas about this event! The size of this event is dependent upon those involved and our ability to attract other concerned Patriots. This rally is a way to show these soldiers that we appreciate their unselfish service to our country and they are not forgotten. Please consider being a part of the show of support these men never received from our country when they returned home from war.
The proud parents of an American hero. Happy Birthday Michael!!!
Scott and Vicki Behenna
My challenge for each and every one of us is to (if you can) send a birthday card and a letter showing our support for Lt. Behenna. His prison address is listed below. I have been told it needs to be listed exactly as shown so it will reach Michael.
Michael Behenna #87503
1300 N. Warehouse Road
Fort Leavenworth, KS 66027-2304
Lt. Michael C. Behenna and the Clemency Board
Posted by: | CommentsMichael Behenna Update:
To All Michael Behenna supporters,
We travel to Washington D.C. this week to plead Michael’s case before the Army Clemency Board. We have so much to tell them, but we are given only ten minutes to convey our many thoughts. Amazingly, Michael’s sentence of 20 years is twice what any other soldier has been sentenced for unpremeditated murder. It is our hope that the Clemency Board will at the very least bring Michael’s sentence into line with others. Even better would be if the Board decided to release him pending his appeal.
Lt. Michael Behenna
Michael’s attorney’s filed his appeal on 12/22/09 and their appellate brief gives us great hope the appellate court will need to look long and hard as to whether Michael received a fair trial. Special focus was put on the prosecution withholding crucial evidence offered by their own expert which could have exonerated Michael on the murder charge.
Your support of Michael during this holiday season has been emotionally and spiritually uplifting. Our son received hundreds of cards that helped him get through this difficult time. Please keep him in your thoughts and prayers in the coming weeks and keep up your letter writing to the Secretary of the Army, Honorable John McHugh, 1400 Defense Pentagon, Washington, DC 20301-1400. In the end we believe that Michael will prevail.
Of special note is that Michael’s case was selected as #5 in the top ten articles covered by the Court of Appeals of the Armed Forces (CAAF) Blog. The fact that persons covering military appeals have shown such an interest in Michael’s case helps provide encouragement for those of us that feel Michael’s case is so much more than another war related murder case.
Below are links to articles by the Oklahoman’s Washington Correspondent and a KOCO video concerning the Clemency Hearing:
Daily Oklahoman article (article also shown in entirety below)
Thanks again for your overwhelming support of an American soldier we proudly call our son.
Scott and Vicki Behenna
www.defendmichael.com
CLEMENCY BOARD TO HEAR ADDRESS
Soldier’s mother to plead his case
BY CHRIS CAST
Washington Bureau ccasteel@opubco.com
WASHINGTON — Vicki Behenna has 10 minutes to plead her son’s case.
Where does she begin?
In the last few months, she has developed hours of arguments about why U.S. Army 1st Lt. Michael Behenna was wrongly convicted of killing a suspected terrorist in Iraq in 2008, why his 20-year sentence for unpremeditated murder was too severe compared to other sentences for the same offense and why the military rules for detaining suspected terrorists make no sense in a combat zone.
She will have to condense all that into a matter of minutes when she appears Thursday before the Army Clemency and Parole Board in Arlington, Va.
Vicki Behenna, of Edmond, is a federal prosecutor — she was part of the team that won conviction of Oklahoma City bomber Timothy McVeigh — so she knows something about making concise and cogent arguments in a legal setting. When she appears before the clemency board, though, it will be “as his mom,” she said last week.
She said she has been given 10 minutes to address the board and that she will focus primarily on the length of her son’s sentence for unpremeditated murder. Though she hasn’t been able to find a central data bank of courtmartial sentences, she said the longest other recent sentence she could find for unpremeditated murder in a combat zone was 11 years. Her son originally received a 25-year sentence, which was reduced to 20 years. Michael Behenna, who is 26, is serving that sentence at Fort Leavenworth, Kan.
The clemency hearing is just one of the legal routes being pursued by Behenna and her husband, Scott.
Houston attorney Jack Zimmerman recently filed an appeal claiming Michael Behenna’s conviction should be overturned, in part because prosecutors didn’t turn over evidence that would have corroborated Behenna’s story that he shot the victim in self-defense. The evidence was the opinion of a renowned expert on bloodstains.
The Behennas have also enlisted Oklahoma attorneys and elected officials to write letters to military leaders and the clemency board urging that Lt. Behenna’s case be handled fairly and according to legal principles.
The Behennas plan to be on Capitol Hill this week telling Michael’s story. Though Congress is still in recess, the Behennas are hoping to meet with staff members of lawmakers who sit on the Armed Services committees.
Vicki Behenna said congressional panels need to hold hearings on the rules regarding detaining suspected terrorists. Currently, she said, the rules require a suspect to be released unless stringent conditions are met.
Military officials decided those conditions were not met for Ali Mansur Mohamed after Behenna captured him in Iraq with evidence that he had ties to al-Qaida.
Behenna suspected that Ali Mansur had been involved in planting a roadside bomb that killed two members of his platoon and wounded others.
Behenna had arrested Ali Mansur at his home, and Behenna was the one ordered to take Ali Mansur back home when he was released from custody.
Behenna shot and killed Ali Mansur that night after questioning him. Prosecutors said it was an execution; Behenna claimed Ali Mansur had been trying to grab Behenna’s gun.
The case has received national media attention and has been taken up as a cause on some Web sites, including one started by the Behennas called DefendMichael.com; a petition posted on the site seeking a new trial for Lt. Behenna has more than 6,500 signatures.
Bev Perlson, whose son has served four tours in Iraq and Afghanistan and who started a group called Band of Mothers, accompanied Vicki Behenna to lawmakers’ offices on Capitol Hill in early December. Perlson features Lt. Behenna’s case promi nently on her Web site and said in an interview last week that she is encouraging veterans and others to show up at the hearing on Thursday.
Though the public is not allowed into the hearing, Perlson said it would be an important show of support just to have people outside the building.
“It just breaks my heart what happened to Michael,” she said.
The Warrior Song is a Real Morale Booster for our Soldiers
Posted by: | CommentsSean Householder may never have been in a Soldiers boots, but he has the heart of a soldier and knows what makes it beat. After seeing and hearing several articles and new stories back to back on how morale is low within today’s military, Sean did what he does best. He wrote a song.
“Both my Grandfathers served in WWII, and I have friends that have served and are serving now. Everyone of them are proud of their service. For the news media to keep stating ‘morale is low’ can have a negative effect. I just wanted to give them something positive” says Sean.
Sean not only wrote The Warrior Song, but he performed it. It sounds like there is a whole platoon marching and singing this, but in reality there is just Sean. He laid down 45 tracks of himself singing and with the help of some awesome mixers they combined them to give the whole Company effect. ” I just did it over and over and over again. I couldn’t speak for a week afterwards.” laughed Sean.
Edgy, bold, with ‘In-Your-Face’ lyrics set to the cadence beat, The Warrior Song grabs the heart and soul of every soldier past and present.
“In Your Face” lyrics like:
I am a soldier and I’m marching on
I am a warrior and this is my songI bask in the glow of the rising war, lay waste to the ground of an enemy shore
wade through the blood spilled on the floor, and if another one stands I’ll kill some more
One person commented:
“Had it been written 70 years ago, this is the song General Patton would have sung in the shower”
When asked about the lyrics, Sean does not apologize for them. “This is what our troops need.” Sean continued , “They need to feel like they are invincible, but more importantly they need to know that WE believe they are invincible. In the situations and the conditions they are fighting in, they need to feel like there is nothing that can stop them. I believe their odds of survival and success are better if their morale is higher.”
The Warrior Song is currently for sale to the public on iTunes for .99 cents, but Sean is not profiting from this. All proceeds derived from its sale are being donated to the Armed Forces Relief Trust. Active duty and former servicemen and women can receive a free copy via email by simply requesting one.
“I also want to thank the overwhelmingly positive response the song is receiving, it makes the whole project worthwhile”, Sean stated.
The Warrior Song is Dedicated to all veterans and active personnel, in all branches of the United States Armed Forces.
And yes……… General Patton would be proud.
Here it, and watch the video, before you buy it to support the Armed Forces Relief Trust.
Obama – History and the Military
Posted by: | CommentsOn Veteran’s Day, I took the opportunity to reflect upon my own family’s military service even commenting on my Paternal Grandmother’s pride of being a DAR. Tonight I have taken the time to continue the legacy and have just filled out my membership request form. I do carry the birth name, although the female version of Robert Means with lineage and accompanying papers to validate same. Wow 200 years of records at my fingertips that I can provide in a minute. I guess my Patriotism is on overflow, and while researching various events, I learned that this gracious group was personally snubbed for the first time in their 118 year history by none other than Mr. Obama. A new low!
Obama just doesn’t get the history and the feel of the military of the United States, for he has no real world experience to reference. He wasn’t a military brat and he most certainly didn’t serve. He doesn’t understand the comradery of the U.S. Military (current, former & retired) and their families who have built and protected the freedoms and liberties of these United States of America for over 200 years. He doesn’t understand that these continuous attacks upon our military are viewed as separate but escalating “Terrorist” attacks. As for the geographical roots of these Terrorists – there have been no Russians, Swedes, Slavs, Brazilians, South Africans, Indians, Poles, Greeks, Canadians, et al. killing American soldiers and sailors. For defining religious roots of these Terrorists – there have been no Catholics, Seventh Day Adventists, Atheists, Wiccans, Buddhists, Jews, Jehovah Witnesses, Baptists, Pentacostals, Methodists, et al. killing American soldiers and sailors and yelling in a foreign tongue while doing so. Mr. Obama, can you say the name of the religion that IS associated and from what part of the world do the majority of the Terrorists hail and in what language they yell?
Every military member, like Lt. Michael C. Behenna, incarcerated for doing his job correctly by vanquishing the enemy during these ongoing wars, is a slap in the face to every military family by this administration. This sentencing occurred on Mr. Obama’s watch.
Every falter in declaring the “Terrorists” this very correct term is a slap in the face to every military member serving and to every citizen in the United States of America. The terminology is constantly redefined on Mr. Obama’s watch.
Every military or civilian member killed, from Army Private William Long in Little Rock to our Soldiers slaughtered at Fort Hood, by these Terrorists is a crime of Treason and/or War from inside this country. Outside our borders it is War unless a Traitor is involved which results in Treason as well. These acts have occurred on Mr. Obama’s watch.
Mr. Obama, the weakness of your early education shows where your dedication lies. The lack of a real education later in life shows clearly no understanding of how and why this country was established. Paperwork to prove otherwise is purposely unavailable. How can you lead, what you don’t understand?
Without a frame of reference, and much like working with his teleprompter, Mr. Obama is unable to formulate a clear plan and follow it through to a logical result, or conclusion with positive results. He came from a broken home and ever changing world in his youth. He doesn’t recognize the enemy because he is unable to leave his protective enclave of handlers, minions and appointed Czars. Who is protecting whom from what? This is why he is all about “Change” but it’s never good, it’s always counter-productive to non-existent and for all the money that has been allotted for his whims, Mr.Obama’s destructive mission accomplishes nothing but grief. Our sore United States, because we are screwed!
Listen to a savvy citizen via Glenn Beck:
A Day of Memories for Veterans and their Families
Posted by: | Comments
Oh so many years ago……….
As a Navy Wife (because you are never a former) I have many memories of Veterans and Veterans’ Day. I remember deployments that were long and frustrating for my husband and myself. Through them though we grew. There is nothing stronger than a military spouse except for their spouse. The times that you are separated can not be explained and all the memories that could never be, are sometimes a strain. Something so simple and silly as my husband having watched a shipboard movie and a couple years later I would see it for the first time. He would say “Remember this is where….” and I wouldn’t have a clue. Sometimes you would question yourself. After a bit of arguing, you would discover the “when” it happened. Only a military spouse would appreciate this.
I look fondly over my Great Grandfather’s Navy Journal from the U.S.S. Westerner, he mentions the Kaiser, Spanish Flu, France, Halifax and the Syrup Factory explosion – his second deployment. I look at my Grandfather’s E Award. He was working the steel industry during WW2. My Father’s Army career is well documented in our Family Tree that my DAR Grandmother wrote and published. My family history with the military is a long and courageous one. Nothing earth-shattering but a steady stream of dedication and patriotism endures within our tight unit.
There are many veterans and spouses who won’t have this Veterans’ Day together through deployment, death, or unfortunately another casualty of military service – divorce. If you can, reach out and hug your Vet or Veteran Spouse today and please tell them how appreciated their service is.
