Tag Archives: Marines

“The Tun”

Well, after all the many years of hard work, dedication, and perseverance, it’s finally happening Marines. We as Marines always took pride in the fact that we were born in bar. And now the tavern is being rebuilt. From the website “TheTun.org” here’s the report:

Lieutenant General Calvert L. Worth, Jr., Commanding General, II Marine Expeditionary Force, and Medal of Honor Recipient Major General James E. Livingston, USMC, (Ret.), joined representatives from the six organizations with a heritage at The Tun in Philadelphia for a groundbreaking ceremony in Philadelphia on November 10, 2024, the 249th birthday of the United States Marines Corps. The Tun Legacy Foundation, Inc., a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, is rebuilding the historic Tun, the birthplace of the Marines, to coincide with the 250th birthday of the United States Marine Corps in 2025 and America250 in 2026. In a nod to The Tun’s significance in the history of the Marines, participants in the groundbreaking used hand-held entrenching tools (E-Tools) for the ceremony.

The Tun Groundbreaking

The Tun Groundbreaking

Please go to the website and read all about the plans as well as look at all the photos of the groundbreaking ceremony on the Corps’ 249th birthday. The Marine in the daper sport coat (5th from the left) is MGen James (“Jungle Jim”) Livingston who was my Regimental Commander when I had 2/6 back in 1987-88. For some reason I was not aware of this event for had I known about it, I would have been there. I will tell you this though, I will be there for the commemoration planned for the Corps’ 250th birthday! Care to join me?

And while you are there, PLEASE make a donation; it’s tax deductible, but that should not be the reason for a donation. We must make this happen! We need our bar back. LOL. I have already made mine; do yours Marine.

What a Great Shot!

Hello Gang, I’m back. Sorry for the long disappearance, but my bride and I needed to get away from this house once it was finally put back together after Ian. We took off on 31 July in the  new (to us) RV in search of cooler weather, which we did not find until we got to Northern MN. Had a great 30+ day vacation and really enjoyed the northern  States of MN, WI, and MI. We especially liked the latter and spent several days in what they call the “UP.” We even spent a day on Mackinaw Island; what a treat that was. I learned the significance of the different spelling of Mackinac and Mackinaw. LOL

Anyway, Greg sent me a new article and I loved it and decided to post it today. I hope you like it.

 

The shot seen round the world                                      By: Greg Maresca

 

If a picture is worth 1,000 words, how much does that infamous mugshot of Donald Trump rate? Taking advantage of what Trump believed an opportunity, he posted the photo to the social media platform X after its release.

The numbers back Trump up. According to politico.com within the first 24-hours, The Donald’s 2024 presidential movement raised $4.18 million making it the single-highest 24-hour funding period of his campaign to date.

Booking photos of scandalous celebrities, the nefarious, and the reprehensible are nothing new, but this was of a former president of the United States where nothing like this has ever occurred in American history.

Such an event was unnecessary. Who wasn’t aware that Trump was under indictment in four jurisdictions that a typical mugshot was a necessity?  Pulitzer Prize-winning photographer David Hume Kennerly who has photographed ten presidents, said the Trump photo will be “the most published photograph ever.”

Ever since Trump announced his presidential campaign from the escalator of the Trump Tower in Manhattan in 2015, he has been a nonstop moving target for Democrats, their allies throughout the media and the unelected bureaucratic swamp that is the deep state personified. Baseless allegations and name-calling were just part of the daily activities as that echo chamber refused to stop ringing.

Both Trump impeachments were counterfeit and served as a blatant diversion of the deep state’s machinations that continues to chug along at full bore.  Considering the nonstop freight train that continues to pummel Trump over the last eight years, the Queens, New York native is still standing and is more cognizant than Joe Biden was 30-years ago.

The photo reminded me of a Parris Island dress blue photo shoot where only your war face would suffice. Any semblance of a smile or even a smirk would earn the wrath of the nearest drill instructor.  Trump’s pose would not have disappointed as it was a “you’re fired” scowl straight out of The Apprentice.

Booking photos are usually an exercise in humility. Trump made it into an opportunity to showcase his campaign’s grit and determination. The image is now blazoned on T-shirts, coffee mugs, even shot glasses and since mugshots are copyright free expect more of the same.

Photographs are much more than their pixels – they hold much of their mystery in perception – a moment forever frozen in time.  Trump is a living meme and more than willing to fight no matter the odds.  The mugshot is a rallying point for his base. Moreover, the photo is a significant political portrayal on just how far American politics continues to unravel at blinding speed.  Those pixels of Trump have cemented itself alongside iconic photos like the Iwo Jima flag raising and the flight at Kitty Hawk, securing itself a unique place in American history.

However, this is not a celebratory photo, no matter what political affiliation you identify with.  Since the advent of the FBI’s Most Wanted List, what criminal ever faced so many indictments in different jurisdictions nationwide simultaneously?

Other than those whose eyes fall here; how many folks do you know that truly recognize what this situation represents?  Conservatives understand that their Judeo-Christian culture is under attack and that it is them who is the primary target with the former president providing cover.

If a parent speaks out at a school board meeting, they are a domestic terrorist.  If a pro-lifer prays while hindering access to an abortion clinic, expect an early morning raid from the FBI. Declare that only women can get pregnant and be prepared for a garden variety of backlash.

Meanwhile, the Bidens, Clintons, Barack Obama, and every swamp dweller gets off scot-free.

Keep electing Democrats and expect more of the same.  The choice is elementary: either you are for this White House administration that is Obama’s de facto third term, or you are not.

The cases against Trump are all scheduled to be heard during the middle of primary season. If anything, it will showcase the Democrats’ duplicity and most of all their hypocrisy. When will the reality that the nation is drifting toward tyranny cast out the mote out of thy leftist’s eye?

The Left got their prized Trump mugshot.

The question remains – will it backfire?

Postscript. Today as I write this there is a service going on at the Quantico, VA Marine Base cemetery and afterwards a  memorial at the Marine Corps Museum. I wish I could have been in attendance, but matters at hand did not allow me to do so. The service and memorial was for a great friend, a decorated hero, a Brother, and a dedicated Marine. His name was LtCol Vic Taylor, USMC (Ret). Although Vic was my monitor as a Major, I did not meet him until after we both retired and he lived on his ranch in Steamboat Springs, CO, and I on mine in Roscoe, MT. 

He sent me a picture of himself one time after we had a conversation on the phone about our early days in the Corps

LCpl B.V. Taylor, a Marine’s Marine!My thoughts have been about you all day my Brother! God bless you sir!

 

 

 

Originally posted 2023-09-11 15:09:27.

Buy The Book Now

Author's PhotoHi Folks, Colonel “B” here, or for my troops of yesteryear “Sgt B” here. I have an announcement to make. If you are interested in buying my book, please do not go to the publisher; they charge way too much for all three versions (hard, soft, and eBook). I had no say in setting the retail price of the books, it was all their doing. It is a POD (Print On Demand), which means I paid to have it published, and they charged me an arm and ½ a leg. You could go to Amazon, but they charge too much as well. Last I checked the hard cover was over $42.95, which is what the publisher charges, and then you have to add postage. In the 8 years since publication, I have gotten back my initial investment. So, I sell only the hard cover because it is a beautiful book—not that I am biased at all—and it has some acknowledgements on the dust cover the soft cover does not. And, it will look good on your book shelf—smiles. I sell it personally inscribed for whomever it is going to for $35.00. I also now have the soft cover for $30. It’s not a paperback, it is merely a soft cover copy. You are getting a good read, cheaper than anywhere else, and it’s personally inscribed just for you. If you’re a Marine, or it’s going to a Marine, I eat the postage. Please understand, I do not get the fantastic discount that Amazon and Barnes & Noble get, I mean I’m only the author. This is not a money-making endeavor for me at this point—I simply want folks to read it. So, if you are a Marine, want to learn about Marines, or know a Marine, here’s a chance to get a book that I guarantee will be enjoyed! Click on “Contact Me’ and fill out the contact form, put “autographed copy” as the subject, send it, and it comes to me. Once I receive it, I will contact you for the inscription information, and will tell you how to pay for it. Thanks folks, and have a great Marine Corps day. Semper Fi, Jim

UPDATE: As of September 2020, I have severed relationships with the publisher; therefore, the book is no longer available from iUniverse or any of the online retailers.  I only have copies of the hard cover and am able to sell them for $35 personally inscribed and signed. Should you desire a copy, please do as instructed above by sending me an email at the “Contact” link and I will personally email you with details. Thank you and Semper Fi;

Jim

Originally posted 2016-03-25 17:08:05.

A Colonel of Truth

I received this from my friend and Marine brother who writes a fantastic blog called by the above title. Read his latest. As always Andy nails it straight on the head, and feel free to leave him a comment.  You may have to copy and paste it into your browser.

https://acoloneloftruth.blogspot.com/2024/08/flynn-flammed.html

May the Lord bless patriots like Flynn, and I pray every day that there are millions out there like him (and us)!