Oh, That Willie…

On the eve of George W. Bush’s inauguration, an otherwise pleasant lunch with Cato Institute scholar Ian Vasquez was befouled by breaking news. About 1:15 p.m., Dan Rather popped up on TV screens at the Capitol Brewery near Union Station to report that then-President Clinton would walk away from his legacy of perjury and malfeasance with a mere massage on his wrist. Special Prosecutor Robert Ray obligingly patted Clinton with a $25,000 fine and five-year suspension of his law license.

“He’s not finished,” I warned Vasquez. “Bill Clinton’s final insult will come about 11:00 tomorrow morning.” I predicted that about the time George W. Bush rang the doorbell to begin the transfer of power, Clinton either would surrender Alaska to Greenpeace or pardon every registered Democrat in America.

Sure enough, the next day Clinton pardoned or granted clemency to 176 people including Susan Rosenberg, a former Weather Underground radical convicted of hauling 700 pounds of explosives and weapons for use in terrorist attacks in 1984. Former Illinois Democratic congressman Mel Reynolds, convicted of defrauding a bank and having sex with an underage staffer, also walked, thanks to Bill Clinton’s forgiving pen.
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Tags: Bill-Clinton, Cato Institute, Chappaqua, Clemency, Democratic Congressman, Denise Rich, End Tables, Final Insult, funny, George-W.-Bush, Hail-to-the-Chief, Hillary-Clinton, Malfeasance, Marc Rich, Robert Ray, Septe, Soft Money, Special Prosecutor, Susan Rosenberg, Tax Debt, tax evasion, Time George, Tv Screens, White-House, Zug Switzerland
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Kennedy Assassination Theories

On the 40th Anniversary of the Greatest Unsolved Murder of All Time: The Assassination of U.S. President John F. Kennedy.

Theories

Note that the some of the following people and groups have been claimed by
some to have been working together and as such these different theories are not always viewed as mutually exclusive.

1. Vice President Lyndon Johnson organized or took part in the assassination. Johnson had the most to gain from Kennedy’s death, as it promoted him to the presidency.
President Kennedy had discussed with his closest aides (and even discussed with his personal secretary, Evelyn Lincoln) that he was thinking of dropping him before the 1964 U.S. presidential election. Richard Nixon, who was also in Dallas from November 20, 1963, until just an hour before Kennedy arrived, was quoted in the November 22, 1963, Dallas newspaper saying he also believed Kennedy would drop Johnson.
President Kennedy was most likely seriously thinking about removing Johnson because of the fact that Johnson was the subject of 4 criminal investigations involving government contracts, money laundering, bribes, murder, etc., (All 4 scandals “disappeared” after November 22, 1963), Johnson biographers agree that Johnson was politically aggressive and power-hungry, and others have written that Johnson was an agent of the mafia�being blackmailed by the mafia with several of his past criminal actions.

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Tags: 40th Anniversary, assassination, Biographers, Bribes, Cia Agents, Criminal Actions, Criminal Investigations, Cuba, Escalation, Government Contracts, Initial Steps, John-Kennedy, Kennedy Assassination, Lyndon-Johnson, Mafia, Military Industrial Complex, Money Laundering, Personal Secretary, President John F Kennedy, President Kennedy, President Lyndon Johnson, Richard Nixon, Unsolved Murder, Vietnam War
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Letter From Iraq Pt 2

Good Morning Peeps!Well, what can I say? I am still here!

A little over 2 weeks since our attack.

Thebest way to sum up how everyone is doing here is, “Life goes on”.
It is amazing thatno matter what you do or think you cannot do, it just keeps going. We are still in”battle rattle” (vests and helmets), we still hit the dirt when incoming, and we justkeep on going (we are the energizer bunny.

Yes, I am cracking myself up today! The attacks have been reduced significantly since we were attacked before Easter andour Easter present to them was a big stuffed bunny full of fire power that took outhalf of their little unit.

Happy Easter!!! We actually got to see it on video at acommander’s call.
Some couldn’t believe how much of an impact and morale booster itwas to actually see the video of the enemy being blown up, “Hello we are all aboutretribution!”

Seriously it was the number one thing that everyone I saw stated, “Wejust want to know we are fighting back!” And we are and we did! But we also feel itis the calm before the storm so we will see.

That night has slowly come back to me in pieces which is an absolute GOD send since Iwould not have been able to do my job if I had all that memory of rushing into thetent and pulling those guys out.

I have great commanders and good friends here thathelped me with my delayed memory so I am doing good. I have actually taken theambien again 2 X and all was good! My other life lesson this week was from a 22 yearold soldier that looked 16. Littliest guy I have seen over here. He was ambushedand shot. The bullet shot off the lower part of his ear and ripped open his cheek. You can imagine the pain and if you can’t, pull on your ear as hard as you can andthen give yourself a paper cut and you will probably have 1/2% of the pain he was in. He had not eaten all day and would not talk to anyone, was being rude anddisrespectful, go figure! So, they asked me if I would try to talk to him and gethim to eat. I got him to drink Ensure (stuff old people drink, sorry no offense)good nutrients.

He tried to snap at me but I don’t think so! As I helped with hisdressing change he began to unload on what had happened and how he got shot.
If yousaw the wound you would see that it was highly unlikely to have gone in between hishelmet and flak jacket cut through his ear and cut open his cheek, no other damage.

So, he is in pain of course, and I am helping him breath like a Lamaze coach to workthrough the pain as he is telling me how lucky he is!!! Did he just say how lucky heis, was my thought.

I asked him how was he lucky because in my negative dirtsaturated mind I didn’t see luck. He said, ” I am lucky that all I lost was part ofmy ear and that I am alive and will be able to get plastic surgery to fix this” Andthat is when I realized if he is lucky then I am the luckiest person ALIVE!!!

Ihaven’t a single problem in the world that could even compare to these guys. In 45days I will get to go home, stop off in Germany and possibly Spain for some vacation,take 30 days of leave then move to Austin to start my PhD for 3 years at TheUniversity of Texas all paid for by the Air Force while still on active duty anddrawing Major’s pay and all benefits. I want for nothing, buy anything I fell likeand go wherever I please.

I cannot complain about the dirt that is all overeverything I have and sit and sleep in. I can no longer complain about the duststorms that whipped through here the other day. I can no longer complain abouthauling all my crap to the shower and realizing;

1. there is no hot water
2. there isno water
3. I forget my towel!!!!

I can no longer complain about getting up in themorning and having to do the pee pee dance to get clothes on because I am about towet myself because I refuse to get up in the middle of the night to walk in the darkall the way to the bathroom and cutting off all fluids by 7pm just is not working!

Ican no longer complain because I will forever remember this 22 y.o. looking 16, earhalf shot off cheek ripped open MAN telling me how lucky he is.

WOW! I hope I gotmy point across.

That is all I have for now. Thank you so much for the cards and postcards. I am likea little kid waiting for the mail!

I still would like the postcards but if youreally want to make a difference I have a mission for all of you. I need nothing andhave been very fortunate to already received more packages than most but we have aneed for our troops. We have no way to obtain snacks for our patients here andsometimes they are here for days waiting for an aerovac out to Germany. They alsodrop in in the middle of the night and there is no place to store or prepare massfood for them, so if you want to send something send some of the following,everything has to be individually packaged for hygiene, blah, blah, blah:

1. peanut butter crackers
2. beef jerky
3. small boxes of raisons or dried fruit
4. granola bars
5. small boxes of cereal
6. debbie snack cakes
7. individual tunas and individual peanut packs
8. those little chef boyardee microwave things
9. little bags of chips
10. little packs of juices you feed your kids
11. Anything else you think would be a good snack that is individaully wrapped andwould not go bad!

If you will send it to: Nutritional Medicine c/o Maj Gary Hankins332 AEW/CASF APO AE 09315-9997

Again, thank you for your emails and mail.
I can never express how much they meanand have been a great support. I hope this finds all doing well and realizing howlucky we all are. Sincerely, GaryPS Since I have found out that my emails have been passed around I give thedisclaimer that I cannot be responsible for my sarcasm, it is inherited from myfamily!!HA

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Tags: Absolute God, Calm Before The Storm, Cheek, Dirt, Energizer Bunny, Fire Power, Full Of Fire, Good Friends, Happy Easter, Helmets, Iraq, Itis, Job, Memory, Morale Booster, Soldier, soldiers, Those Guys, Vests, war
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Letter From Iraq Pt 1

Its been awhile since emailing everyone. I thought I would have the time to email
everyone individually and not send out mass emails but that is not the case.
Although, I really enjoy and look forward to everyone emailing me. Well, it is all
about me isn’t it?!

The last week has been the hardest yet. Some of you have already written that you
know that on Friday nightearly Sat morning our Air Force tent city was attacked and
a rocket landed in one of our tents killing a 20 year old Airman and injuring 2
others. Not sure if I can release his name but would like you to know that according
to those that knew him he was the most positive, upbeat, and encouraging person to
all that he came into contact with. He has a wife and daughter. His squadron is
devastated as is the rest of our Air Force community.

The night of the attack, yours truly took a sleeping pill, ambien, and was getting
ready for bed when the first one, bomb, hit close by. I put on my body armor and
started to prepare my floor for a long night when the 2nd one hit tent city. It was
two rows from my tent and was so loud and the impact so strong I thought it had hit
our tent. I jumped into my boots, started yelling for the doctor that lives in the
front of our tent and took off running. According to those that later told me the
rest of this story, I was starting to feel the wackiness of the medication, I leaped
over a 3 foot sand bag wall dragging the doctor with me and screaming into my radio
for medics. The doc and I entered the back of the tent and pulled out one of the
guys, who had shrapnel to the back. After I helped calm him down and the doc started
working on him, I ran to the front of the tent where my medic co-workers were. My
boss is the Colonel flight surgeon and was yelling for a stretcher. I guess I listen
well under medication, I grabbed a stretcher (litter) and bulldozed back into the
front of the tent. Someone said I almost stepped on the rocket. I am just now
remembering most of this which is a GOD send since I had to counsel everyone and
their brother! When we came out of the tent with the young man, he was already
deceased. People tried in work on him anyway but of course there was nothing they
could do. He died while sleeping of a head wound. Then the Chaplain not knowing
what to do handed me a guy that had run into the tent tried to help and had inhaled
the smoke from the rocket, I don’t remember there being any smoke. I sat against the
concrete barriers calming this man that now was crying in my arms. I got him oxygen
and sat with him until they started yelling for mental health at which time I
informed my boss that I had taken ambien and was starting to feel it. Now the
medication is in full swing and I am starting to have difficulty between reality and
hallucinating, so my Colonel hands me a diet coke and tells me, “Sober up it is going
to be a long night” and it was. I was driven away in a humvee to the Army hospital
to meet with the 4th person in the tent, he was fortunate not to have any injuries
but he had to identify the body of his friend since the guy was not wearing his dog
tags. The commanders were there and they took me back to tent city to help tell half
of his co-workers that worked the day shift of his death. Did that, I have no idea
what I said but thank GOD had the sense to get our psych nurse out there with me, so
she said I did fine and you could not even tell I was out of my mind. The diet coke
did help, I have been trying to tell everyone diet coke is for every situation!!!
Sorry, I have to have humor to get through this! I got to bed at 330am and was
awakened by command at 540am and that I had 20 minutes to get to the deceased’s
squadron so we could tell the other two groups of night shift workers about the
death. This part I was alert for amazingly enough. Very hard to stand in front of
all these people and some how find words of wisdom that could possibly apply and help
them during this horrible incident while not knowing when and where it would happen
again! We continued to be bombed and were in alarm red off and on the rest of the
night. Our psych nurse, Maj Marie Sasse and a complete gift from GOD, took over and
I sleep in the medical tents in full armor for a couple of hours along with 6 other
medics from the night before all to exhausted to make it back to tent city. The rest
of the day was non-stop from meeting with our medics to meeting with the guys that
had lived in the tent but were working when it happened. I walked through the
attacked tent with the public health guy and bio guy as they cleaned the hazardous
waste so the CE guys could tear down the tent. Making sure everyone was OK. At this
time, Saturday, I barely remembered any of the night before. What a great blessing
that ambien was that shielded me from becoming a mental health patient. As I sit and
write this I now remember it all and have had to walk away a couple of times in this
writing. I wish I was home but know that I am needed here. We have killed the
bastards that did this and I wish I could have fired the guns! Oops was that harsh
and negative? We now live in body armor 24/7. The gym, rec tent and any other
stress relief has been closed for safety. It is all opening from 0800-2000 starting
today. The patients I have seen are scared to sleep in tent city, they are scared to
fall asleep, and some refuse to shower because they won’t have their body armor on!
I have everyone journaling and doing thought logs. I have deputized every medic as a
mental health extension on how to talk to these people and am now consulting as
opposed to seeing everyone myself. My nicknames are Maj Ambien and Maj Reindeer.

It is now Wed. I started this on Monday, this email process has helped. I just met
with the guy I pulled out of the tent the night of the attack. He hugged me and
thanked me and I almost lost it. I am sending him home. I tried to keep him here to
minimize his PTSD symptoms but he wants to be with his wife and is actually doing OK.
Paige, I am sending him to you if he needs anything. He is stationed there and you
take care of his wife.

On to a happier subject since last I wrote. I did get to go to Germany 2 weeks ago,
left in the middle of the night. The flight was long and hurt my butt! Military
planes are not meant to fly 5 hours. We landed and I was greeted by my Wilford Hall
co-workers deployed there. They saw my name on the manifest. It was great to see
familiar faces. Everything was so green I thought they all had on new uniforms. I
only got to stay 8 hours on the ground. They would have let me stay longer if I
insisted but I felt guilty that I got to leave and everyone else was left back here
in Iraq. Yeah, the mental health guy is taking a break!!! So, I shopped all morning
arranging $780 worth of food (T-bones, brauts, hot dogs and hamburgers and all the
fixings) for 2 BBQs. Had to get dry ice containers, blah, blah, blah. Everyone was
great. They saw my desert uniform and bent over backwards to help get everything
together. “Hi, I am from Balad, Iraq and would like to have a BBQ for 70 of my
peeps!” I got back after a 7 hour return flight, got sick from lack of sleep, diet
coke and triggered a migraine. I puked in the airplane toilet, just like regular
airline toilets. Got back had to have a truck pick me and the food up and got to bed
at 330am. I won’t be doing that trip again! The steak BBQ was a week and a half ago
and was a great morale booster. This Sunday, Easter, we did a burger hot dog burn
and was also a nice break from the craziness, of course we were attacked all night
long but the morons gave us a break during Easter day. Something very surreal about
having Easter church service in battle gear.

I have got several postcards and enjoy them. Keep them coming! I hope this finds
everyone doing well. Only 57 days left but who’s counting? I continue to be touched
and very moved by your thoughts and prayers. I will never be able to share with you
how powerful it is to know that you are thought of and loved. There are those that
are not as fortunate as I am. Thank you! Take care and hopeful next time I will
just have dirt stories to tell.

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Tags: Air Force Community, Airman, Ambien, Body Armor, Boots, Co Workers, Colonel, death, Flight Surgeon, Hail-to-the-Chief, Iraq, Mass Emails, Medic, Medication, Medics, One Of The Guys, Shrapnel, Sleeping Pill, Squadron, Stretcher, Tent City, Tents, Two Rows, war
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