Happy New Year

A great story to start off your new year. Enjoy!

The Marine Corps Gunnery Sergeant in the picture is Michael Burghard,
part of the Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) Team that is supporting 2nd
Brigade 28th Infantry Division (Pennsylvania Army National Guard). I heard
the below story first hand last Saturday during a video teleconference
between his Brigade Commander and the 28th Infantry Division Commander. I
thought that others should hear it as well, as I think it demonstrates the
true spirit of most of our troops on the ground (from my experience).
John

Leading the fight is Gunnery Sgt Michael Burghardt, known as "Iron
Mike" or just "Gunny". He is on his third tour in Iraq. He had become a
legend in the bomb disposal world after winning the Bronze Star for
disabling 64 IEDs and destroying 1,548 pieces of ordnance during his second
tour. Then, on September 19, he got blown up. He had arrived at a chaotic
scene after a bomb had killed four US soldiers. He chose not to wear the
bulky bomb protection suit. "You can't react to any sniper fire and you get
tunnel-vision," he explains. So, protected by just a helmet and
standard-issue flak jacket, he began what bomb disposal officers term "the
longest walk", stepping gingerly into a 5ft deep and 8ft wide crater. The
earth shifted slightly and he saw a Senao base station with a wire leading
from it. He cut the wire and used his 7in knife to probe the ground. "I
found a piece of red detonating cord between my legs," he says. "That's when
I knew I was screwed."

Realizing he had been sucked into a trap, Sgt Burghardt, 35, yelled at
everyone to stay back. At that moment, an insurgent, probably watching
through binoculars, pressed a button on his mobile phone to detonate the
secondary device below the sergeant's feet. "A chill went up the back of my
neck and then the bomb exploded," he recalls. "As I was in the air I
remember thinking, 'I don't believe they got me.' I was just ticked off they
were able to do it. Then I was lying on the road, not able to feel anything
from the waist down."

His colleagues cut off his trousers to see how badly he was hurt. None
could believe his legs were still there. "My dad's a Vietnam vet who's
paralyzed from the waist down," says Sgt Burghardt. "I was lying there
thinking I didn't want to be in a wheelchair next to my dad and for him to
see me like that. They started to cut away my pants and I felt a real sharp
pain and blood trickling down. Then I wiggled my toes and I thought, 'Good,
I'm in business.' â?oeAs a stretcher was brought over, adrenaline and anger
kicked in. "I decided to walk to the helicopter. I wasn't going to let my
team-mates see me being carried away on a stretcher." He stood and gave the
insurgents who had blown him up a one-fingered salute. "I flipped them one.
It was like, 'OK, I lost that round but I'll be back next week'."

Copies of a photograph depicting his defiance, taken by Jeff Bundy for
the Omaha World-Herald, adorn the walls of homes across America and that of
Col John Gronski, the brigade commander in Ramadi, who has hailed the image
as an exemplar of the warrior spirit. Sgt Burghardt's injuries - burns and
wounds to his legs and buttocks - kept him off duty for nearly a month and
could have earned him a ticket home. But, like his father - who was awarded
a Bronze Star and three Purple Hearts for being wounded in action in
Vietnam - he stayed in Ramadi to engage in the battle against insurgents who
are forever coming up with more ingenious ways of killing Americans.

Merry Christmas

Here are my Christmas presents to you!

A Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night!

No one reads it anymore

Hey all-

Its been 10 days since my last post and a lot has happened. Went to a memorial service for the Southeast caller and got to meet his family and friends. He was such a great guy. His smile and his words of wisdom will be missed.

Took the GRE and passed with a 1050. Better verbal scores then math...suprise suprise. I have registered at Troy State and classes start in January.

My mom got me a laptop for a combined Birthday/Christmas/going back to school gift. Thanks mom!

I got stood up last night...not the first time its happened and it wont be the last. Just tired of getting crapped on all the time. I'm too damn nice to people. I need to start being more of an ass.

New stuff happening at the museum next week, tune into the news to find out on Monday.

I'm tired. 10 days until Cristmas. Yeah...

The M1 does my talking

Hey all-

Over the weekend, I had my birthday. It was a fun party...lots of football, friends, and alcohol. As a matter of fact, I still have plenty left (Christmas and New Years are coming up soon) so maybe another party is in order. The Victorian Christmas at the museum went well also, and the book signing was cool too.

OK, onto the real news. Bush's ratings have gone up in recent days. Some people are now realizing that we can't cut and run, but have to stay the course. The political cartoon in the Ledger today was excellent...it shows a group of Marines hoisting a flag (like on Iwo Jima) with a politician behind them saying, "Well, victory is in sight now, so let's go home" or something to that nature.

I got into an interesting discussion over my birthday dinner last night at Carrabas with my step mom on torture. My belief is that we use it when we have to. If torturing a terrorist scumbag will save the life of just ONE American soldier, then I think its necessary. My view is the gloves need to come off. Separate the politicians from the war. Let the Generals do the planning and the soldiers do the fighting. The Army is NOT Meals on Wheels...the Army exists to KILL PEOPLE and BLOW $HIT UP! Stop using it like a Humanitarian force.



During WW2, we bombed the hell outta Germany and Japan. We killed women, children, and old people. We killed them because they supported OUR enemies, the Germans and the Japs. Why then...are we not doing the same thing in the middle east? Because people would get mad at us? HELLO....9/11....they already hate us!

For over 3000 years, all these people have known is warfare and violence. That's the way to communicate with them. As the old WW2 poster says, the M1 does my talking!

I finally found it!

Yes, I have found the pot at the end of the rainbow. Not quite exactly what I had wanted though...

Busy as ever

Hey all-

I'll be signing up for classes at Troy State next week. GRE is in two weeks. Roommates are moving out...but should have already. They still have like half their crap in the house. New roommate moves in Thursday I think. That should be fun!

You know, since I stopped working on the radio, I now sleep in until about 7:30 or so. I used to be up at 5:30am. Its amazing what two more hours of sleep will do for you. At any rate, I got an e-mail from someone at the station saying there would be more changes coming, probably in January. I can't elaborate, suffice to say that Archway never fails to plant the knife squarely.

The articles on Southern culture appearing in the Ledger have been very interesting lately. The one on food was very well done...and they even featured one of my favorite places to eat in the whole world...Minnies Cafe! If you haven't tried it, you should.

Also, went to Locos on Sunday. The staff was very nice, and the food was really good too. They have a good selection of beers and the have about 4 very nice flat screen panel TV's up with sports on. Its just down the street from my house, so I'm very tempted to become a regular.

Speaking of being a regular, I was at the Cannon last night calling trivia and these four British guys come in the bar and order...of all things...a BUDWEISER! I was like, come on guys. They explained this is one of the few times they get to drink "American beers". They were all with the RAF (Royal Air Force) and were here to drop of some British field grade officers for expanded training. They seemed to have a great time trying to play trivia. They messed up on the President questions and the baseball question through them for a loop. But they got the one about Prince Charles ;-) It was cool talking to them.

My mom is doing well. Since the separation from my verbally abusive step-dad, she has lost about 40 pounds and dropped to a size 6. She said she doesn't feel the stress she used to and has cut back on her eating and has improved her exercise schedule. I'm so proud of my mom. She could have settled and stayed with him, but she decided to do the right thing and follow her conscience and go out on her own, something I would think would be hard to do after being married to the same person for almost 20 years. Time goes so quick, so when you hurt someone, tell them you're sorry. When someone hurts you, tell them. When you love someone, tell them. I've made that mistake before...but hey, life is all about learning right?

Happy Thanksgiving

Here are a few things you can only say on Thanksgiving!!!!

01. Talk about huge breasts!

02. Tying the legs together keeps the inside moist.

03. It's Cool Whip time!

04. If I don't undo my pants, I'll burst!

05. That's one terrific spread!

06. I'm in the mood for a little dark meat.

07. Are you ready for seconds yet?

08. It's a little dry, do you still want to eat it?

09. Just wait your turn, you'll get some!

10. Don't play with your meat.

11. Just spread the legs open and stuff it in.

12. Do you think you'll be able to handle all these people at
once?

13. I didn't expect everyone to come at once!

14. You still have a little bit on your chin.

15. How long will it take after you stick it in?

16. You'll know it's ready when it pops up.

17. Wow, I didn't think I could handle all of that!

18. That's the biggest one I've ever seen!