All posts by Jim

Left HS before report cards came out. Enlisted in the Marines for four years. By the time those years were over, I was hooked - they had me for life. Spent nearly ten years as enlisted. Received a Silver Star, Bronze Star w/V, Purple Heart as a Sgt during first RVN tour. Upon returning to the State's received a combat commission to 2Lt. Retired after 36 total years as a Colonel. Book follows my career, but is more about the heroes with whom I served, the great mentors I had, and the leadership principles they instilled in me.

DC or Bust

 

 

 

Hi Folks, been a long time since I posted anything. My only excuse is I have been working incessantly trying to put together all the logistics for this DC trip for my Young Marines. There have been times when I have asked myself if I may have bit off more than I can chew. But hey, as Marines, don’t we always do that? LOL

We are up to twenty-four now, boys and girls, ages 8-18, average age is still 12 1/2. Have you ever tried teaching map & compass navigation to that wide of an age span? Whew! By the way, at our first boot camp in August 2016 one of our eight-year-old recruits brought a Teddy Bear with her, another girl, age 16 drove herself there. Things do get interesting. I have often wondered why the Young Marines went so far down to age 8; their attention span for anything is one Nano-second or shorter. LOL But they are a barrel of fun, and once you get their attention they are like sponges, they can’t absorb enough.

The D.C. trip is slowly coming together. There are some challenges we’re working on overcoming. One of which I thought would be easy, but has proven most difficult i.e., the Friday night parade at The Barracks. Realizing their reservation system does not open till 15 March, I was hoping I could somehow develop a contact so I could get some idea as to which Friday could I be guaranteed reservations. Simply put, that Friday would drive everything logistic wise. No dice. I even sent the CO a copy of my book with a letter asking for a POC; that was early December, so far, no response. So, I had to simply pick a date suitable for me and the kids so I could start working on everything else. The problem is I have been retired since October 1993, that was 25 years ago, the company grade officers with whom I served at SOI are colonels and retired. I know no one in the Corps anymore. Sad what happens to you when you get old and gray. LOL No one cares about your requests anymore.

But I have to tell you, if I were in that CO’s shoes and rec’d a request such as mine, I would have immediately scribbled the sender a quick note of acknowledgement and gave the request to my OPSO, or better yet, my Protocol Officer and told him to make it happen. I don’t care how busy I was, it’s called taking care of your own. Oh well, so be it. I had to pick dates in the dark, so the plan is to arrive Tuesday 25 June and depart Sunday 30 June.

My real challenge is still financially. We have raised a little over $11,000, but with twenty-four kids now and several pending, we have a ratio requirement of 10-1 for supervisory personnel on such ventures. So, I am looking at about 30 for the trip. Of course, I will pay my own way, but some of my adult volunteers are from very low-income families and are many of my kids. I have decided once I have all the logistics worked out and am able to place some sort of a dollar figure on the full cost, and there is not enough for everyone to go, we are not going. I won’t be selective with the kids.
Anyway, I am sending out another SOS to everyone I can and am urging our parents to do the same. The unit has several fundraisers set up for the spring e.g., pizza night, spaghetti dinner, bingo, car washes, and of course many fundraisers in front of stores as we always do. So, the kids are really working hard for this; they are PUMPED!

Once again, the GoFundMe account is still alive should you desire to donate, or you can send a donation to me at 4303 East Drive, Crystal Lake, IL 60012 should you want to make it directly thus saving the small fee they charge. Our account is at: https://www.gofundme.com/manage/fox-valley-young-marines

Thanks everyone, and may God Bless you.

Semper Fi,
Jim

Originally posted 2019-01-25 12:11:27.

The Anti-American Dream

What an appropriate post on this, the first day of 2019. Pat Condell, who isn’t even an American, provides us with a vivid warning,  but are we listening?  Personally,  I think not. But it’s for you to decide, and you are able to do so because of the First Amendment

Originally posted 2019-01-01 13:30:47.

“Linked In” a Voter Fraud

Yes, he was “linked in” a scam designed to illegally influence an election.

 

Are you a fellow LinkedIn? I am (or was).  I have been a member of that site far more years than I can count. I have reunited with many lost Marine Brothers, and made so many new friends that I feel blessed. Never a day goes by without my getting a friend request from someone, or sending one out.

As an author, I have sold many books. Although that was never the intent of belonging to LinkedIn, it has served me well. But now I must say goodbye. Most of you know my story, I served this country for 36 years, I love this country, I was (and am) prepared to die for this country. I am appalled at what is happening to something I love more than anything else. I am a staunch conservative, not a Republican mind you; I do not donate to the RNC simply because there are elected GOP types who are not conservatives, scum McCain was the leaders of that group. Things are going on in my country that I never thought I would witness, but then I must always consider the source of those goings on.

Because of recent reports concerning the co-founder of LinkedIn, (Reid Hoffman), I must say goodbye to that site. If you want to know more about what he did, go to: https://lnkd.in/e5yj5DG

Who does this scumbag think he is? He’s like many of the folks who run these hot social sites e.g., Twitter, Face Book, etc. screaming liberals who want nothing more than to turn my country into a socialist global society. Why? They know their money will make them part of the elite, while us hard working souls wash their feet. Sorry, but color me gone. After many years of foolishly supporting your illegal activities I will do so no more!

Originally posted 2018-12-21 10:31:31.

President Trump is a “Bum”

says, Lebron James. And we all know he is an astute literary genius when it come to politics right? And he is even more astute on matters of Economics. This is so funny and so true, You have to read  this excellent letter former Houston news reporter Hal Lundgren sent to that “Mr. Lebron,” who knows all. LOL I cannot wait to read or hear his well-educated response. Does anyone actually listen, let alone believe anything these idiots say? I guess there are some out there who do. Do You? Millionaire Idiots

 

 

 

 

August 6, 2018
Mr. Lebron James
The Los Angeles Lakers
2275 E. Mariposa Ave.
El Segundo, CA 90245

Dear Mr. James,

No one in my circles discusses French Modernist artists. That comforts me. Such a conversation would expose me as an illiterate on French Modernism, just as I am an illiterate on how to cook.

When I know nothing of subjects, my mouth stays closed. That’s at least one difference in us. You are an economics & policy illiterate.

Reporters who cover you want to be your buddy. They won’t embarrass you by being honest journalists and treating your words as economics illiteracy.

When you call Trump “a bum,” none of them will tell you that statistics rank him as one of our best presidents for black Americans. His tax cuts and freeing us from absurd regulations have resulted in — after only 18 months — the lowest unemployment numbers ever for Hispanic and black Americans, and one of the lowest numbers for women.

DURING THOSE 18 MONTHS, TRUMP’S POLICIES CREATED ABOUT FOUR TIMES THE MANUFACTURING JOBS CREATED DURING THE OBAMA ADMINISTRATION’S LAST 18 MONTHS.

Remember when Obama mistakenly told us “Our lost manufacturing jobs are not coming back.” Maybe manufacturing job growth depends on a president who knows what he’s doing.

As a professional journalist, I cringe at some of Trump’s buffoonery, like repeating sentences and wearing us out with “huge” “great, “fantastic” and other empty adjectives. He is often coarse.  He was not my candidate. But there’s no question his policies have helped many more minority Americans than Obama.  It’s not even close. Today, he’s working to free many black and Hispanic prisoners who, in his opinion, have been in prison too long for relatively minor offenses Are you aware of that effort?

You need to look up Gross Domestic Product, adjusted for inflation, and learn what it means to everyday Americans. Learn what one GDP point means to employment and see how Trump has kept the number climbing.

Your buddy Obama? In addition to being our worst foreign affairs president and worst military commander-in-chief, his economic numbers all deserved an “F.” He is our ONLY eight-year president who failed to give us at least one 3% or higher year of adjusted GDP growth. EVERY other president achieved at least one year of 4.28% or higher growth. Aided by Vietnam spending, Johnson had an 8.48 year. The best peacetime year — 7.83 — belonged to Reagan. and Obama couldn’t even score a 3!!! Look it up.

You say you would speak to Obama but not Trump? How tragically uninformed you are. Obama had BY FAR the worst debt accumulation record of all our presidents. His economic blunders added about $9 trillion to our debt. NO OTHER PRESIDENT EVEN CAME CLOSE. That indebtedness will fall to you and your children.

Poor families suffered most. Obama’s awful job numbers forced a record number of people to take food stamps. Black household income under Obama fell steeply as black unemployment rose. Look that up, too.

But the worst part of what Trump inherited is that Obama, like Bush and Clinton before him, thought bribes and sweet talk were the best ways to deal with North Korea. As the North Koreans neared being able to wipe out Los Angeles with a nuclear-tipped missile, Trump became the first President to stand up boldly to the rogue nation. Notice North Korea, because of Trump, has stopped launching missiles over Japan? Notice North Korea has released political prisoners? Notice North Korea has begun to return remains of U.S. Service members? Absent sturdy spines, Clinton, Bush and Obama could not approach those major achievements.

Obama naively bribed the planet’s worst terrorist nation, Iran, with what was supposed to become a $150 billion handout. Did Obama not know many of those U.S. Tax dollars would help fund Hamas and Hezbollah terrorism? Of course, he did. He just didn’t care.

Remember the $800 billion of your and everyone else’s tax dollars in his early stimulus for “shovel-ready jobs.” Most of those tax dollars went to political cronies. He handed $500 million to Solyndra, a solar company run by boosters. The company soon went bankrupt. Our half-billion in tax money vanished with it.

Trump is often obnoxious, but people with courage can have that hang-up. Obama always talked big, then feebly stood by when Putin infringed on Ukraine and annexed Crimea.

But Obama’s most cowardly move came when he warned Assad not to cross “the red line” in Syria. When Obama’s warning was ignored, which Assad knew would happen, Obama did nothing.  Does that make him a “bum?”

It makes me sad that you, as someone with a national voice would be so ignorant of economics, and also presidential decisions. I encourage you to do more reading and thinking as you watch the nation’s GDP numbers rise and minority employment rise.

*Read about “Right to Try,” which frees terminally ill people to sign a lawsuit waiver and take an experimental drug that might not be approved for many years. Democrats fought this sensible plan for years because it would cost them PHARMA donations.

* Read about a Navy Obama left to Trump that struggled with about half its carrier aircraft unsafe to fly.

* Read about Trump’s giving the VA the right to fire any employee who neglects or abuses a patient.

* Read about Trump’s courage in challenging, actually demanding that, NATO partners pay their fair share rather than keep mooching off the U.S.

You might also read the wisdom of two of the world’s brightest people, black intellectuals Dr. Thomas Sowell and Dr. Walter Williams. They have written many books. Sowell and Williams’ integrity, remarkable insights and clarity of expression cause their common sense to soar off the page to readers.

Or, you could ignore vital Trump decisions and remain an illiterate on both presidential achievement and economics. If you disdain knowledge and keep calling Trump or any other U.S. president a bum, people will begin to wonder who’s the real bum.

Sincerely,
Hal Lundgren

Originally posted 2018-12-03 15:24:12.

Fox Valley Young Marines

 

Friends, I hope this finds you well and getting ready to celebrate the birthday of the second oldest US military. Tomorrow our Corps celebrates its 243rd birthday. I find it difficult for me to comprehend that my first birthday I was able to celebrate as a US Marine was the 183rd, That was 60 years ago, Nah, can’t be, but I’m afraid it is. UGH!

Today I am looking out my office window at that white stuff on the ground! What happened to Fall?

Anyway, now to my point of this post. I have finally figured out to develop a GoFundMe account for my Young Marines. The problem has been every time I tried it always ended up with the donations going to National’s account instead of ours. Well, being the Marine I am, I war-gamed the system and finagled my way into it in a different way and by golly it worked. So, I am posting it on my blog.

For those unfamiliar with the Young Marines, we are a national 501c3 non-profit youth organization for boys and girls ages 8-18, or HS graduation whichever comes last. You can go to national’s site and check it out (www.youngmarines.com), or go to our website to learn more about us (http://www.foxvalley-youngmarines.com/).

We garner no funds from anyone, the only way we get donations is for the kids to stand in front of stores like Wal-Mart in uniform with buckets. That’s a tough way to try and raise enough funds for educational trips, fixed costs, uniforms, etc. We have developed a few corporate sponsors, mostly through our Marine brothers. But, I have some kids from some very low (poverty level) families so subsidizing their costs in the unit is a must. And it’s amazing how these kids have developed over the past two years. I am so proud of them, it humbles me to see the transformation. We are making a difference, albeit a small number. We currently have twenty in the unit, average age is 12.5.

I have decided that I am going to “attempt” to take them all to our nation’s capital next summer. I know it is a monumental undertaking, but damn it I am going to try. Some of them will never get the chance to visit our nation’s capital and see first-hand some of the historical sites that are part of our country’s birth and history.

There is no way we can afford fly, so my plan is to board Amtrak in Chicago one evening and wake up in D.C the next morning. Spend 4-5 days touring such places as the capital, white house, Tomb of the Unknowns, war memorials, and maybe even a side trip to Gettysburg. And, I certainly want to take them to a Friday night parade at MB 8th & !.

My local Marine Corps League, which is where I came up with the idea, did some research to see about making this sort of a trip for its members. They determined to stay for 4-5 days with meals, billeting, van/bus transportation, etc., it would cost about $1000/each. I think we can do it for less by staying at a college dorm that’s closed for the summer, and working with some local Marine contacts in the city. But we’ll see?

So, that’s what the GoFundMe account is all about. If you can see fit to give, please understand it is for a great cause — kids!

The link to the GoFundMe account is: https://www.gofundme.com/manage/fox-valley-young-marines/donations#

Remember, we are a 501c3 non-profit organization, so all donations are 100% tax-deductible. And if you need a copy of our IRS letter, please reach out to me and I will gladly provide it. Thanks guys, and remember every donation, regardless of size is greatly appreciated.

Semper Fi;

Jim Bathurst, Unit Commander

Originally posted 2018-11-09 13:33:25.