Bill Cowan, a Fox News contributor, has a great read for The Daily Caller titled “Christmas in Khe Sanh.” The Heritage Foundation has “8 Americans to Remember this Christmas.” And, the creator of the AK-47 dies. For those of you involved in Montana’s number one industry- read what Kalashnikov had to say about agriculture
Excerpt from Cowan’s piece:
In the far distance, along the coastline, our fellow Marines were still skirmishing against the North Vietnamese units trying to surreptitiously move south. We could often hear the artillery and airstrikes which accompanied the battles, large and small. Somehow we seemed relatively safe at our small base.
In our bunkers and foxholes, our small transistor radios would find Armed Forces Vietnam (AFVN), the military sponsored radio station which kept us abreast of the ‘real world.’ We would often have to point our antennas in every conceivable direction until we found a strong enough signal to hear clearly. In the mountains, when the signal was good it was really good. And, simply listening to a Christmas carol could wistfully take our minds away from where we were.
Amidst our joy, however, and unbeknownst to us, the enemy was amassing thousands of troops for an attack on our base and the small company outposts on the outlying hills. Even as we sang, talked, and drank eggnog, North Vietnamese scouts were peering down at us from the looming hills to the north and planning their strategy for attack. Within less than a month, the biggest battle of the Vietnam war commenced — the siege of Khe Sanh, our small mountain base.
Read more: http://dailycaller.com/2013/12/23/christmas-in-khe-sanh/#ixzz2oP32qPA9
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| 8 Americans to Remember This Christmas
12/24/2013 Christmas is a time for celebration and family. It should also be a time for reflection, appreciation for all we have, and remembrance of those who are in need. While most of us are gathering with loved ones, there are Americans being held prisoner in repressive countries around the world—often for doing nothing more than practicing their faith, aiding the poor, giving voice to the voiceless, or serving their country. Here are some of their heart-wrenching stories:
At Christmas, it is appropriate for Americans to remember their fellow citizens in distress abroad. We should also take a moment to appreciate how fortunate we are to live in a country that respects our rights and freedoms. Totalitarian governments around the world torture and imprison thousands of people for opposing the government, practicing their religion, or simply expressing their thoughts and opinions. The U.S. State Department’s Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 2012 details arrest and arbitrary detention of political prisoners, disappearances, extrajudicial killings, and torture in many countries, including Cuba, Iran, North Korea, and Zimbabwe. It is a good time to remember these victims in our prayers, urge our government to try and help them, and support organizations that raise awareness of their plights. Read the Morning Bell and more en español every day at Heritage Libertad. |
The Daily Caller: The inventor of the AK-47 has died at age 94
Mikhail Kalashnikov, who is credited with inventing the AK-47 rifle — or Automatic Kalashnikov Model 1947 — died Monday in the capital of Udmurtia, Russia after a lengthy battle with illness. He was 94 years old.
Born Nov. 10, 1919 to Russian peasants who were deported to Siberia when he was a child, the future lieutenant general fought in, and then commanded, a tank brigade in World War II, but ended up in a gun shop after a wound took him from the front.
In 1987, Kalashnikov said, ”Blame the Nazi Germans for making me become a gun designer. I always wanted to construct agriculture machinery.”
Read more: http://dailycaller.com/2013/12/23/the-inventor-of-the-ak-47-has-died-age-94/#ixzz2oP45G4mr