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June 01, 2006
In Country
To all our troops.....Thank you for all you do! Prayers for you and your loved ones! Stay safe and know how much you mean to all of us, we owe you so much! ---- Wild Thing
Headquarters of 1st Battalion, 506th Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division
"Currahee” is the battalion motto. It means “stands alone” in Cherokee.
This is proudly displayed at 2nd Battalion, 4th Brigade, First Division heaquarters. Note bullet pock marks behind. Our guys They caught the terrorist who painted the sign!
That “fencing,” labeled a “cheese grater,” causes rounds to explode before they can strike the armor. This greatly reduces their penetrating power
A 122 mm mortar shown in contrast to various fire extinguishers
Humvee with back end ripped off by RPG. Fortunately, nobody was hurt. (Photo courtesy of 1st of the 506th, 101st Airborne.)
Photographer checking out Vietnam-era M14 7.62 mm rifle. They’ve been brought back into limited use because they have greater stopping power than the 5.56 M16, have longer range, and are more accurate. Pfc. Tony Wickline of A Company looks on.
Another view. I’m looking tough to impress the girl on the calendar. Incidentally, both nude photos and alcohol are forbidden to US troops in Iraq so as not to offend our Muslim allies -- though the British have no such rules.
Note the wooden-barreled Vietnam-era M79 grenade launcher, affectionately known as a “Thumper.”
Pfc. Robert Killion of A Company marks his position with a friend-foe identifier panel. Only the coalition knows what color should be up on any given day.
Photos taken by Michael Fumento , he also a regular contributor to Townhall.
Wild Thing's comment......
Take a human being, a person that loves this country, that knows that Freedom is not just given to us from some politican on his campaign trail or a teacher at school. For whatever reason that HUMAN BEING goes into the military is his own, but somewhere within his own very personal reason(s) he/she knows this is the greatest country in the world and the reason he/she grew up in the land of the free is ONLY because of the BRAVE!
Posted by Wild Thing at June 1, 2006 12:27 AM
Comments
I was listening to Rush on my lunch hour yesterday and an Air Force Lieutenant Colonel stationed in Iraq got through to him on a call. Rush kept him on for quite a while and allowed him to say what was on his mind. The colonel made the following statement which was so profound that Rush even had him repeat it again. He said: It is not "land of the free and home of the brave." It is land of the free because of the brave.
What that man said in those 22 words sums up what freedom in this country is owed to. Here is Rush’s link if you want to read the transcript.
http://www.rushlimbaugh.com/home/daily/site_053106/content/across_the_fruited_plain.guest.html
Posted by: BobF at June 1, 2006 10:36 AM
Bob OMG he said that? Wow. This is my first day that I will be able to listen to Rush now full time. I am no longer working where I used to work so now I can have the radio on and here him. yipee
That is soooo fantastic about the Col. calling Rush and thank you so much for the link to the transcript. I really appreciate it.
Posted by: Wild Thing at June 1, 2006 01:42 PM
How neat to see the now ancient M14 and M79 being put to use.
I don't listen to Rush, but that quote is a great play on words of a famous line. No doubt I will quote it often.
Posted by: TomR at June 1, 2006 02:14 PM
Bumper sticker" If you can read this thank a
Teacher,If you can read it in English thank
a Soldier!!
on the m-14 I sent an e-mail about this 18
months ago also the 1911 colt 45" to replace
the 9mm,Delta and other spec ops are already
using the 45" and for in town fighting bring
back the Thompson sub machine gun, 940 gr.slug,
heavy, but killing power up the wazoooooo,they
could be incountry in less than 6 mo....
'OLD GUNFIGHTER SAYING, NEVER GET IN A FIGHT
WITH A PISTOL THAT DOESN'T START WITH A "4"
(THE E-MAIL WAS TO THE DOD...)
Posted by: Tincan Sailor at June 1, 2006 02:33 PM
I carried an M-14 in VN for the first few months. Preferred it to the AR-15/Early M-16, although very heavy by comparison.
Those M-79 rounds don't always twist enough to detonate either, so walking around outside the wire always seemed risky to me; the ground was littered with those little 40MM. Maybe they were harmless; I never knew.
My son opted to carry an M-14 with the 101st in Baghdad. He loves it, but I think that has more to do with how the thing looks. It's beautiful.
Posted by: Rhod at June 1, 2006 03:35 PM
Tincan, I’m a firm believer in the 45 ACP, owning a Colt Combat Commander and a new Para Ordinance Black Watch Companion. http://www.paraord.com/product/product.html?id=36
Posted by: BobF at June 1, 2006 09:23 PM
Tom your right it is and I agree too that we probably will use and see the quote often. I am glad.
Posted by: Wild Thing at June 1, 2006 11:08 PM
Tincan Sailor that is so cool. Great idea to send off an email to them. I like your quote in your comment.
Posted by: Wild Thing at June 1, 2006 11:09 PM
Rhod thanks for sharing about that and what your son likes too.
Posted by: Wild Thing at June 1, 2006 11:11 PM
I used the M14 for most of my first tour. The M14's being used in Iraq are special modified 14's as sniper weapons. I love the 14, but still prefer the 308 as a sniper weapon having used both
Posted by: Jack Hamilton at June 2, 2006 10:54 AM
If this old fool was in the sand box and in
the narrow streets,well the Thompson with 30
round clips,a man can carry 10-15 clips so
you wont run short and when that 940 gr.slug
hits a man, well he ain't going to shoot back!
And if I was of the mind to reach out and touch
someone it would be the Barrett 109 with 10 rnd.
clips... A kill range of aprox 1 1/2 miles,low
recoil,"10 shots in less than 10 sec",plus they
have regular rnds. AP and EXP rnds. a Snipers
job is to take out the bad guys and COVER HIS
ASS!!!The target is dead before they ever hear
the sound if they ever do...
Posted by: Tincan Sailor at June 2, 2006 09:15 PM
Jack that is interesting, and to be used for sniper weapons like that. Thank you.
Posted by: Wild Thing at June 3, 2006 12:26 AM
Tincan Sailor wow 1 1/2 miles. Thanks for your input.
Posted by: Wild Thing at June 3, 2006 12:28 AM
