Thursday, 22 February 2007
 

Facing the Wall
Contributed by The Gray Dog

When we band together on March 17, 2007, we will turn our back on those that have turned their backs on America.  We will face the Wall.  I have a new project that I hope will also “face” the Wall.  Please read what has been posted at the original GOE forum, and hopefully will be posted in many locations this weekend:

Fellow GOE Participants:

Many of you have seen the Flash Video I literally threw together on a Saturday afternoon almost two weeks ago.  If you have not, please click on http://thegraydog.org/?p=102.  Your response has been both kind and overwhelming.  I now have had an idea for a tribute video that would represent the ‘WHY” we are meeting this March 17, 2007.  For me this could be the largest project I have taken on to date.

What I am asking you for is help.  This is perhaps the last time I will have such an opportunity to be able to communicate directly with such a large group of vets that would be required to pull off this project.  So, here is the idea

• I am asking that anyone who would like to participate to please send to me the following:
• a digital picture of a service member whose name is on the Wall
• the service member’s name, rank and other info you may care to share.
• the names of the survivor’s or the relationship of those that are honoring the service member (this could be a fellow service member as well)
• Really important if you can, a digital picture of the wall that show’s your service members name – or -  a digital picture of your wall tracing of the service member’s name.

If you are a fellow service member that does not have a picture of the person you wish to honor, I will include a separate section for just names.

I cannot accept physical paper pictures.  If you do not have a digital version, you can have your photos scanned at any business or office supply store such as Kinkos, Office Max, Office Depot or Staples.  Either .jpg or .gif formats preferred. Please, nothing larger than 800 X 600 pixels. 

What I am trying to produce is a tasteful tribute that puts faces on the wall and will serve as a reminder of why we are going to be there on the 17th to defend and protect it.

The actual length and scope of the project will largely depend upon your interest and response.  If possible I will strive to have a product available prior to that weekend.

What will the product be?

• First, I will have a version that will be viewable on the internet. 
• Second, I will have a version that is downloadable free to those that participated.
• Third, if there is enough demand, I will create high quality DVD versions that will be available to those that participated at the actual cost of production and shipping. Blank DVD, Jewel Case, Card Insert, etc, plus what ever shipping is involved.  I would also ask that a donation be made to an appropriate Veterans charity.  Anyone else wishing to obtain the DVD will need to make a donation to a Vets charity to be determined.
• Fourth, depending on demand, there may be a need for multiple Volumes.  This project could continue beyond this initial GOE event.

Please include your real name, address and if you feel comfortable a phone number.
MOST OF ALL I PROMISE TO PRODUCE A TASTEFUL AND APPROPRIATE TRIBUTE!

The initial video run time is scheduled to be 10 minutes.  It will contain content on a first come, first serve basis.  If you are interested and wish to participate please send digital pictures and other requested info to:

                        alpha@thegraydog.org

Forum Administrators:  Please broadcast email/pm to your forum members so that they can see this quickly and respond.  Thank you.

Contributed by The Gray Dog on February 22, 2007 at 08:25 PM in Caring about our troops, Current Affairs, Gathering of Eagles, Music, Poetry, Politics, Thank you, The Gray Dog, Viet Nam | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Friday, 29 December 2006
 

Remembering Gerry
Contributed by The Gray Dog

April 8, 1974.  Two significant events occurred that day.  First, The Gray Dog was honorably separated from the USAF.  On my way home from Nebraska to Michigan, I stopped for the night at a motel in Ames, Iowa.  It was from that motel room that I watched Henry Aaron hit his record breaking 715th home run.

August 8, 1974.  Two more significant events occurred.  First, my father celebrated his 48th birthday.  It was during the celebration at my parent’s home that we gathered around the television to watch the second: Richard Nixon’s resignation speech.

August 9, 1974.  Two significant events occurred.  Gerald Ford was sworn in as the 38th President of the United States.  The second event was far more subtle.  In fact, I’m not sure I was aware of it at the time.  But in hindsight it is unmistakable to me that the presidency of Gerald Ford was the spark that ignited a transitional period when I was transformed from a self-absorbed 22 year old kid, to a more thoughtful and independent witness of human events. 

Continue reading "Remembering Gerry"

Contributed by The Gray Dog on December 29, 2006 at 07:21 AM in Current Affairs, Politics, Thank you, The Gray Dog | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Tuesday, 28 November 2006
 

May It Be
Contributed by The Gray Dog

There are hundreds if not thousands of Flash tributes circulating the blogosphere.  Tonight I humbly offer mine.  The pictures are not mine, the music is not mine and the brave men and women who are the subjects of these images are not me.  I have simply combined the artistic photographs of others and a hauntingly beautiful celtic melody with the men and women of valor to produce this simple offering.

May It Be

Contributed by The Gray Dog on November 28, 2006 at 09:45 PM in Afghanistan, Caring about our troops, Christmas, Coming home, Iraq, Music, Patriotism, Thank you, The Gray Dog | Permalink | Comments (4) | TrackBack

Tuesday, 10 October 2006
 

Eulogy of the Common Soldier
Contributed by George Mellinger

CANTON - When 1st Lt. Aaron Seesan died in combat on May 22, 2005, in Iraq, his parents did not know he had written a prescient poem, “Eulogy of the Common Soldier,” as a high-school senior six years earlier.

Read the whole story here.

And read the poem beneath the fold.

EULOGY OF THE COMMON SOLDIER

All mortal beings, which God brought forth, die the same

Man is not exempt

All will inevitably end as the dust from whence we came

It matters not of age

Do not mourn me if I should fall in a foreign land

Think this of my passing

In a far-off field a finer soil mixed with the foreign sand

A dust that is American

A dust that laughed, cried, and loved as an American

On this plot there shall be

A little piece of America, a patch for the free man

Which no oppressor can take

From this soil grows grass shimmering a little greener

Brilliant emerald ramparts

A Breeze whisping White Poppies with scent a little sweeter

Flowers towards heaven

Mourn not my terrible death but celebrate my cause in life

Viewed noble or not

I would have sacrificed and gave all that I had to give

Not to make man good

But only to let the good man live.

— Aaron Seesan

Rest easy, Sir.

A tip of the helmet to TACAN

-Rurik

Contributed by George Mellinger on October 10, 2006 at 04:21 PM in George Mellinger, Iraq, Thank you, The American Warrior, US Army | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBack

Friday, 15 September 2006
 

All of the Turkeys Aren’t in Turkey
Contributed by The Gray Dog

As some of you already know, and the rest of you are discovering as you read this post, The Gray Dog’s web site was hacked by Turkish Islamic turkeys, assholes, fascists, computer geeks.  Of course it was inevitable that such a major force within the conservative blogosphere, a site visited daily by thousands, hundreds, dozens, my two kids and Jim Bartimus, should become the primary serendipitous target of a group of digital terrorists adolescent Allah wannabes.

After a thorough investigation quickly checking my Site Meter, I uncovered the sinister plot, obviously the result of months of planning.  I noticed someone in Turkey had come to my site the previous day after Googling “\nuke\modules.php?name=Search.”  Further investigation revealed, several probing incursions by this band of murderous computer conscripts four more Turkish visits to my site the day before they were to launch “Shock and Awe”  their online defacement upon a great Bastion of Blogospheric Wisdom my pitiful little site.

Armed now with the essential clues required for a probative investigation with a few IP addresses, I contacted the Department of Homeland Security my web host server.  The sheer horror of this vicious attack elicited a swift reaction of overwhelming force.  Several hours later a person from the helpdesk emailed back with the question, “What is the link to your nuke site?”  I knew we were hot on the trail of the culprits now. my expectations of assistance were futile now.  Thus, I began my own inspection of the program code on my site.  Utilizing my vast experience and training,  Clueless, I started looking through thousands a few lines of code before spotting their clever insidious hackery quitting in futility and frustration.  I was surprised by the skill my enemy displayed in thwarting all of my sites defensive measures not surprised by how easily one of the many vulnerabilities of PHP-Nuke was exploited by this foreign threat troika of turkeys.

Many hours later, I once again received an email from the help desk to inform me that using the valuable clues I had provided totally ignoring the IP addresses I had given them, that they had traced the time of incursion at 7:01 AM CST and it originated from an IP address that although familiar, was not among those I had provided.  I was also confounded by the time, since it was a time after I had noticed the problem and had sent my trouble ticket to them.  Well, no matter, I anxiously entered my site’s URL in hopes of finding it restored to the recognizable Brilliant Beacon of Truth, cute little Gray Dog logo my wife drew.  “Page Not Found”  Ummph!  Perhaps their server was down again, so I quickly entered the URL’s of several other business sites I host at the web server.  “Page Not Found”.  Now what?  After I checked the web server’s status page to only to discover that it was up and running, the light bulb lit up in my head.  I went back to the email from the help desk and re-read the offending IP address.  IT WAS MINE!  Quickly, I dashed off a series of invectives which questioned the intelligence and parentage of the help desk idiot a calm and reflective query to the professional service provider. 

Once again, with lightning speed several hours later, my IP address was unblocked from their servers, leaving me to ponder which threat was greatest, the hack from the gobblers abroad or the enemy within.

The Gray Dog site will return.  As I contemplate a new software platform and possibly a new web hosting service, I did want to express my gratitude to the fine folks at the hackers forum for showing me just how vulnerable we all are to a group of miscreants armed with a little computer knowledge and filled with malice.  As a visible expression of that gratitude, I invite you to visit The Gray Dog view this heartfelt tribute. 

I’ll be back!

Contributed by The Gray Dog on September 15, 2006 at 11:56 AM in 1st Amendment, Current Affairs, Islamism Delenda Est, Thank you, The Gray Dog, Turkey, Weblogs | Permalink | Comments (9) | TrackBack

Sunday, 03 September 2006
 

Thank you Emperor Misha!
Contributed by Bill Faith

At my command, Dogs! At-ten-hut! Pre-sent arms!

Contributed by Bill Faith on September 3, 2006 at 12:11 PM in Bill Faith, Thank you | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBack

Saturday, 22 July 2006
 

Sound Track mini-project
Contributed by Zero Ponsdorf

We Old Dogs have each have a sound track we associate with our lives. For us 'Nam vets it's as varied as our experiences.

And it's still echoing. I am listening to Big and Rich - 8th of November.  This tune kick started a few synapses. It has nothing to do my experiences, but rings a bell. Shucks, everything from Barry Sadler's  "The Ballad Of The Green Berets"  to the Ditzy Chix's Traveling Soldier get me going in odd ways.

My pal Mike Morningstar (1st Cav) wrote this tune many years ago.

As I age the soundtrack keeps changing, but the Bellamy Brothers captured a moment with Old Hippie, and  Steve Earle's  Copperhead Road  was another snapshot.

Just curious? Does YOUR life have a soundtrack?

Should add, not restricted to 'Nam vets.

Contributed by Zero Ponsdorf on July 22, 2006 at 06:31 PM in Coming home, Thank you, The American Warrior, Zero Ponsdorf | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Saturday, 15 July 2006
 

Thank you Scarlett
Contributed by Bill Faith

Thanks go out to "ex-" (I think that means she grew up) Air Force brat Scarlett at BleepingComputer for the free OWD ad on her sidebar. The only thing that would make Scarlett's place better is if she'd post more often. Guess she must have a life or something. ;-) (There really is life beyond the internet; I read about it on a web site somewhere.)

Contributed by Bill Faith on July 15, 2006 at 08:30 AM in Bill Faith, Thank you | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBack

Saturday, 08 July 2006
 

A True Rose
Contributed by Bill Faith

I want to take a couple of minutes to direct your attention to Anna at A Rose By Any Other Name. I don't remember exactly how we started staying in touch but I'm sure it had something to do with our shared love for our troops. Anna has one of the most underappreciated blogs on the web and I hope you'll stop by and check it out. I started to create this post just to thank Anna for volunteering to run a free ad for our site on her sidebar as soon as she found out we were here, and for this post telling her readers about us. When I clicked over to her site to get that URL, I got a big reminder of what sort of person Anna is when I saw this at the top of her site:

If I Had A Million Dollars

Okay, yes, if I had a million dollars I would pay off debts first, put aside money for college for my girls and buy a new car. But that will only take a fraction of the million. I would help out my family next, but then, I would make large donations to the following charities and organizations:

[...]

Do go check out Anna's list and do what you can to help.

Contributed by Bill Faith on July 8, 2006 at 11:52 PM in Bill Faith, Caring about our troops, Thank you | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBack

Grim's Hall an honored friend of our kennel
Contributed by George Mellinger

Not the best known, but certainly one of the best of the milblogs is Grim's Hall. Grim is easily among the five most insightful of all the milbloggers, a severely competitive group. Having admired him since Bill told me to check him out (and you could do far worse than take that same advice after departing here) I sent him an invitation to visit our kennel.

I see he has responded at Grim's Hall with the following post (I make an exception in giving a full quote):

I've had the honor of guest-blogging alongside Bill Faith, at Mudville back when Greyhawk went off to war. Bill's opened a new blog for older veterans, called Old War Dogs. "Rurik," a Grim's Hall reader and friend of the blog, is one of Bill's new co-bloggers. It's a pretty impressive crew, in fact, as George writes:

Bill Faith of Small Town Veteran, Steve Gardner, "the Tenth Brother" (ask John "Magic Hat" Kerry if you don't remember what that means), Russ Vaughn the Poetrooper, and several other angry hounds, including 1st Cav Page, Gene "Blood-n-Fire" Harrison, John Werntz, proven bloggers Zero Ponsdorf and Jim Bartimus, and myself, Rurik.

Each of us is a military veteran, each with opinions founded on experience. Between us I believe we have 3 CIBs, 2 Navy Combat Action Awards, 1 Purple Heart, 2 Bronze Stars, an Air Medal, an Army Commendation Medal, 2 Croix de Guerres with palms, and lots of other awards. One is an emeritus Ivy League professor, and another a published commercial author. Not too bad for nine old dudes. Enough to justify an opinion or two?

Just having Russ Vaughn on board is a coup. I'd be glad to have him blog here, even if it were just to post his poems (which I always mean to do, but only sometimes get around to doing). They've got him, and several other good writers and thinkers besides.

You might want to check them out.

Thank you Grim for your support as well as for your blog. I know we will live up to your expectations, if not myself, then cerainly my team members. And know that you and all who dwell at Grim's Hall will always be welcome and honored guests at our kennel.

Contributed by George Mellinger on July 8, 2006 at 02:42 PM in George Mellinger, Site Notes, Thank you | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBack