September 11, 2001, 8:46am Eastern Daylight Time:

4017 days, 9,500 dead
and we will continue
until the mission is complete

Let every nation know, whether it wishes us well or ill, that we shall pay any price, bear any burden, meet any hardship, support any friend, oppose any foe, in order to assure the survival and the success of liberty. This much we pledge—and more. -- John F. Kennedy

We Will Never forgive

We Will Never Forget

We Will Never Stop

Memorial Day

Memorial Day

The finest tribute we can pay

Unto our hero dead to-day,

Is not a rose wreath, white and red,

In memory of the blood they shed;

It is to stand beside each mound,

Each couch of consecrated ground,

And pledge ourselves as warriors true

Unto the work they died to do.

Into God's valleys where they lie

At rest, beneath the open sky,

Triumphant now o'er every foe,

As living tributes let us go.

No wreath of rose or immortelles

Or spoken word or tolling bells

Will do to-day, unless we give

Our pledge that liberty shall live.

Our hearts must be the roses red

We place above our hero dead;

To-day beside their graves we must

Renew allegiance to their trust;

Must bare our heads and humbly say

We hold the Flag as dear as they,

And stand, as once they stood, to die

To keep the Stars and Stripes on high.

The finest tribute we can pay

Unto our hero dead to-day

Is not of speech or roses red,

But living, throbbing hearts instead,

That shall renew the pledge they sealed

With death upon the battlefield:

That freedom's flag shall bear no stain

And free men wear no tyrant's chain.

-- Edgar Guest

Recessional

God of our fathers, known of old,

Lord of our far-flung battle-line,

Beneath whose awful Hand we hold

Dominion over palm and pine

Lord God of Hosts, be with us yet,

Lest we forget lest we forget!

The tumult and the shouting dies;

The Captains and the Kings depart:

Still stands Thine ancient sacrifice,

An humble and a contrite heart.

Lord God of Hosts, be with us yet,

Lest we forget lest we forget!

Far-called, our navies melt away;

On dune and headland sinks the fire:

Lo, all our pomp of yesterday

Is one with Nineveh and Tyre!

Judge of the Nations, spare us yet,

Lest we forget lest we forget!

If, drunk with sight of power, we loose

Wild tongues that have not Thee in awe,

Such boastings as the Gentiles use,

Or lesser breeds without the Law

Lord God of Hosts, be with us yet,

Lest we forget lest we forget!

For heathen heart that puts her trust

In reeking tube and iron shard,

All valiant dust that builds on dust,

And guarding, calls not Thee to guard,

For frantic boast and foolish word

Thy mercy on Thy People, Lord!

-- Rudyard Kipling

To Absent Companions, and Fallen Comrades...

Christopher J. Byrne IV

USAF (Ret.)

Image from: GU Comics

Null pointer #54 in array #4B3854; Null pointer #54 in array #563854

/* Goodbye World program */

#include<stdio.h>

main()
{
    printf("Goodbye World - Rest in Peace, Dennis Ritchie");
}

Lost a good friend...

Mel and I hadn't had a chance to see him in a few months. He's been ill for some time, and it has really hurt him; at the same time, we've been dealing with our issues. You know how life can be sometimes.

We'd missed him, but at least we got to talk a few weeks back. He went back east to be with his family a couple days after we'd talked.

He passed on yesterday. Non-hodgkins lymphoma.

He wasn't even 50... but he'd had a stroke a few months ago, and he'd been fighting the lymphoma for years.

Not taking this well...

To my friend... Teacher, artist, lover, fighter, historian, scholar, athlete, musician, rogue...



and for him...

Lookin' at the devil

Grinnin' at his gun

Fingers start shakin'

I begin to run

Bullets start chasin'

I begin to stop

We begin to wrestle

I was on the top

I want to thank you falettinme

Be mice elf agin

Thank you falettinme

Be mice elf agin

Stiff all in the collar

Fluffy in the face

Chit chat chatter tryin'

Stuffy in the place

Thank you for the party

But I could never stay

Many thangs is on my mind

Words in the way

I want to thank you falettinme

Be mice elf agin

Thank you falettinme

Be mice elf agin

Dance to the music

All nite long

Everyday people

Sing a simple song

Mama's so happy

Mama start to cry

Papa still singin'

You can make it if you try

I want to thank you falettinme

Be mice elf agin

(Different strokes for different folks, yeah)

Thank you falettinme

Be mice elf agin

Flamin' eyes of people fear

Burnin' into you

Many men are missin' much

Hatin' what they do

Youth and truth are makin' love

Dig it for a starter, now

Dyin' young is hard to take

Sellin' out is harder

Thank you falettinme

Be mice elf agin

I want to thank you falettinme

Be mice elf agin

Thank you falettinme

Be mice elf agin

Thank you falettinme

Be mice elf agin

I want to thank you falettinme

Be mice elf agin

It's been a bad year...

Lost Another Friend I'd Never Met

On July 19th, 2010, Charles H. Sawders known widely as "Straightarrow" to the gunblogger community passed away.

Charles Sawders
65, of Doddridge, Ark., died Monday, July 19, 2010, in Vivian, La.

Mr. Sawders was born March 4, 1945, in Bakersfield, Calif. He was a pipe fitter and a Baptist.

Survivors include his wife, Cathy Williams Sawders of Doddridge; three sons, Hunter Sawders of New Jersey, Christopher Sawders of Brownswood, Texas, and Steven Turner of Doddridge; three daughters, Shelly Bowen of East Dorsett, Vt., Veronica Jenkins of Comanche, Okla., and April Doeppers of Omaha, Neb.; his mother, Fran Boon of Duncan, Okla.; one brother, Jack Boon of Florida; one sister, Cherri Quinn of Portales, N.M.; 12 grandchildren; three great-grandchildren; and a number of other relatives.

Services will be 10 a.m. Friday at Olive Branch Methodist Church, Doddridge, with the Rev. Walter Burnett officiating. Burial will be in Olive Branch Cemetery under the direction of Hanner Funeral Service.

Visitation will be 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. today at the funeral home.

One can visit the funeral homes registration book online.

I have been talking with, and participating in this community with, Straightarrow since something like 2002 or 2003. A good man. Strong opinions well argued. 

Rest in Peace Straightarrow.