Semper Fi Lt. Col. Ty Edwards - Family, Friends and the Marines

From Chateau Amoire on Tybee Island --- Ty Edwards was in his early teens when I first met him back in the 1980s when I married into the family. However, I will always recall his fascination and interest in the military. He and I had a rather involved conversation about the Army, Special Forces and the Marines.

I suspect that Ty was a Marine in his heart long before he took the oath. Because no amount of talking would probably have convinced him that SF was equal to or better than the Marines.

It came as no surprise to me that Ty today is a Lt. Col. in the Marine Corps and that he, his wife, kids and family have had such exemplary support during his rehabilitation at the VA hospital in Tampa from his Marine Family.

There are reasons that the motto for the Marines is Semper Fi. If you want to read about Ty's remarkable progress and come back from the injury he sustained in Afghanistan, how all his family and the Marines have rallied around him and helped I recommend this article from the Tampa Veteran's Affair newsletter:

http://www.tampa.va.gov/publications/Directors-e-NEWS-2009-07.pdf

Lt. Col. Ty Edwards - A Hero Amongst Heroes

Tybee Island, Ga. --- Many of the readers of this blog will recall that our family member L/C Ty Edwards, Marine Corps was wounded during an ambush while serving in Afghanistan and thankfully has been recovering remarkably well due to the commitment of his PT nurses, his lovely wife and family, and his parents. Kay, Penelope and I had the distinct privilege of visiting Ty while we were in Florida working earlier this year.

Recently Ty awarded a Bronze Star to a fellow Marine and was honored to also be awarded himself a Jefferson Award. Below you will find his television debut.

http://www.abcactionnews.com/mediacenter/local.aspx?videoId=15689@wfts.dayport.com&navCatId=105

We are very proud of Ty and all his men. And we want all the men and women who serve so valiantly and with such dedication to protect our country in this war on terror to remember the overwhelming majority of the American people support your efforts. We believe in the value of taking the war to the enemy and we send each of you our prayers daily and God's speed for a safe return to your home and family.

Oooray! Dr. D.

Ben Stein's Last Column - The Real Heroes

Ben Stein's final column --

From Tranquilla II on the Back of Eddy Creek on Lake Barkley --- I have always liked this fellow Ben Stein. For some reason he just strikes me as the kind of guy you would like to sit and have a drink and some good conversation with maybe over a hunk of grilled steak. So, when my friend Dave Sturges sent me Mr. Stein's "Last Column" and I read it I was compelled to share it with all my readers as well.

I concur Mr. Stein that the real heroes, especially in today's society and world, are not the Hollywood or Eastern Seaboard elite. In fact one of my real heroes is Lt. Col. Ty Edwards, a fine Marine, who like many is now recovering from wounds he suffered while on duty to protect the world in the "War on Terror." Oops, I forgot, that's no longer the politically correct term but alas before I regress into some inane commentary on my part let me share with you Ben Stein's last column ... Dr. D.

For many years Ben Stein has written a biweekly column called 'Monday Night At Morton's.' (Morton's is a famous chain of Steakhouses known to be frequented by movie stars and famous people from around the globe.) Now, Ben is terminating the column to move on to other things in his life. Reading his final column is worth a few minutes of your time.

How Can Someone Who Lives in Insane Luxury Be a Star in Today's World?

As I begin to write this, I 'slug' it, as we writers say, which means I put a heading on top of the document to identify it. This heading is 'eonline FINAL,' and it gives me a shiver to write it. I have been doing this column for so long that I cannot even recall when I started. I loved writing this column so much for so long I came to believe it would never end.

It worked well for a long time, but gradually, my changing as a person and the world's change have overtaken it.. On a small scale, Morton's, while better than ever, no longer attracts as many stars as it used to. It still brings in the rich people in droves and definitely some stars. I saw Samuel L. Jackson there a few days ago, and we had a nice visit, and right before that, I saw and had a splendid talk with Warren Beatty in an elevator, in which we agreed that Splendor in the Grass was a super movie. But Morton's is not the star galaxy it once was, though it probably will be again.

Beyond that, a bigger change has happened..? I no longer think Hollywood stars are terribly important. They are uniformly pleasant, friendly people, and they treat me better than I deserve to be treated. But a man or woman who makes a huge wage for memorizing lines and reciting them in front of a camera is no longer my idea of a shining star we should all look up to.

How can a man or woman who makes an eight-figure wage and lives in insane luxury really be a star in today's world, if by a 'star' we mean someone bright and powerful and attractive as a role model? Real stars are not riding around in the backs of limousines or in Porsches or getting trained in yoga or Pilates and eating only raw fruit while they have Vietnamese girls do their nails..

They can be interesting, nice people, but they are not heroes to me any longer. A real star is the soldier of the 4th Infantry Division who poked his head into a hole on a farm near Tikrit, Iraq. He could have been met by a bomb or a hail of AK-47 bullets. Instead, he faced an abject Saddam Hussein and the gratitude of all of the decent people of the world.

A real star is the U.S. soldier who was sent to disarm a bomb next to a road north of Baghdad. He approached it, and the bomb went off and killed him..

A real star, the kind who haunts my memory night and day, is the U.S. soldier in Baghdad who saw a little girl playing with a piece of unexploded ordnance on a street near where he was guarding a station. He pushed her aside and threw himself on it just as it exploded. He left a family desolate in California and a little girl alive in Baghdad.

The stars who deserve media attention are not the ones who have lavish weddings on TV but the ones who patrol the streets of Mosul even after two of their buddies were murdered and their bodies battered and stripped for the sin of trying to protect Iraqis from terrorists.

We put couples with incomes of $100 million a year on the covers of our magazines. The noncoms and officers who barely scrape by on military pay but stand on guard in Afghanistan and Iraq and on ships and in submarines and near the Arctic Circle are anonymous as they live and die.

I am no longer comfortable being a part of the system that has such poor values, and I do not want to perpetuate those values by pretending that who is eating at Morton's is a big subject.

There are plenty of other stars in the American firmament...the policemen and women who go off on patrol in South Central and have no idea if they will return alive; the orderlies and paramedics who bring in people who have been in terrible accidents and prepare them for surgery; the teachers and nurses who throw their whole spirits into caring for autistic children; the kind men and women who work in hospices and in cancer wards.

Think of each and every fireman who was running up the stairs at the World Trade Center as the towers began to collapse. Now you have my idea of a real hero.

I came to realize that life lived to help others is the only one that matters This is my highest and best use as a human. I can put it another way. Years ago, I realized I could never be as great an actor as Olivier or as good a comic as Steve Martin or Martin Mull or Fred Willard--or as good an economist as Samuelson or Friedman or as good a writer as Fitzgerald. Or even remotely close to any of them.

But, I could be a devoted father to my son, husband to my wife and, above all, a good son to the parents who had done so much for me. This came to be my main task in life. I did it moderately well with my son, pretty well with my wife and well indeed with my parents (with my sister's help). I cared for and paid attention to them in their declining years. I stayed with my father as he got sick, went into extremis and then into a coma and then entered immortality with my sister and me reading him the Psalms.

This was the only point at which my life touched the lives of the soldiers in Iraq or the firefighters in New York. I came to realize that life lived to help others is the only one that matters and that it is my duty, in return for the lavish life God has devolved upon me, to help others He has placed in my path. This is my highest and best use as a human

Faith is not believing that God can. It is knowing that God will. - Ben Stein

Reflections on Sunday Before Memorial Day Monday

UPDATE: I was mistaken. The ceremony was Friday not Saturday and my friend Rachel Vickery was kind enough to send a photo to reassure me there was a crowd. My apologies for jumping to an inappropriate conclusion based on lack of sufficient data. Dr. D.

From Tranquilla II on the Back of Eddy Creek on Lake Barkley --- When one of my ole buddies contacted me today to wish me a good Memorial Day and to concede, “They forget us” I was saddened again by what I saw, or maybe what I didn’t see, yesterday in Oak Grove.

The “Traveling Wall”, a replica of the Vietnam Memorial Wall came to Oak Grove just outside Fort Campbell, Ky this weekend. Yesterday at 10 a.m. there was to be a welcoming ceremony. I debated going but woke up early and convinced myself that I would. I have seen and visited the traveling version two other times to pay my respects to two of my brothers and I believe for some reason any chance I get I should again.

I got to the Wall 15-minutes ahead of schedule. There were six of us there not including spouses. Four WWII veterans and two of my age and I waited until 10:30 and no one showed up to do the ceremony nor did any other members of the public or any politicians.

Surely I must have been mistaken about the time the ceremony was to be held. I have never known a goldbrick politician that didn’t go out of their way to wrap themselves in the flag and praise the military especially when it was to their advantage or they were in campaign mode. Whatever mistake I made no one was there at 10 a.m. or even 10:30 a.m. Did they show up later? Probably so and I just had the time wrong. However, the empty feeling that my ole Balmer buddy had about “being forgotten” – well, I can understand how he and so many others might feel that way.

Finally though after walking through the traveling museum called the “Last Fire Base” I wrapped it up went to the Waffle House and had breakfast with a couple of old vets who were as disappointed as I was in the lack of interest. Then I went home and me and my dog curled up in the recliner and watched old sci-fi movies from the 50s and had a couple of cocktails and we got through another day.

Let it be known veterans many of us don’t forget you and appreciate all you gave and still give for our country it is just sometimes we don’t do a very good job of letting you know that and for that I am profoundly sorry.

Simper Fi to you all,

Dr. Darryl

Memorial Day - Charlie Brown and Franz Stigler - When Warriors Had Honor

(L-R) German Ace Franz Stigler, artist Ernie Boyett, and B-17 pilot Charlie Brown.

Look carefully at the B-17 and note how shot up it is - one engine dead, tail, horizontal stabilizer and nose shot up.. It was ready to fall out of the sky. (This is a painting done by an artist from the description of both pilots many years later.) Then realize that there is a German ME-109 fighter flying next to it. Now read the story below. I think you'll be surprised.....

From Tranquilla II on the Back of Eddy Creek on Lake Barkley --- Memorial Day is upon us again. A day when most people tend to forget what it is truly all about and why we set it aside as a Federal holiday other than to grill, drink beer and enjoy the day off. However, two men recently came to my attention thanks to my friend and colleague Chuck Howell from over in East Tennessee that helps to place the importance of Memorial Day into perspective.

I had never heard of them before. Well maybe the one man's name rang a bell --- Charlie Brown --- when I consider the late great Charles Schultz's work and his characters in his famous Peanuts comic strip.

Two men.

World War II.

One an American -- Charlie Brown -- flying a B-17 or what remained of it. You can see the artist rendering above.

The other a German - Franz Stigler, who is sent out by his commanding officer to shoot the Americans down. (Sounds eerily similar to Snoopy and the Red Baron doesn't it?)

What ultimately happened that day resulted in a reunion of these two great warriors before they both passed away in 2008. This type of honor must be strange and foreign to the current generations who have fought "asymmetrical" wars yet at one time there was honor among most of us who served.

We have to remember, as Chuck writes, "...this was back in the days when there was honor in being a warrior...they proudly wore uniforms, and they didn't hide in ambush inside a mosque, or behind women and children, nor did they use mentally retarded women as suicide bombers to target and kill innocent civilians...how times have changed......"

And what follows is the rest of the story ...

Charlie Brown was a B-17 Flying Fortress pilot with the 379th Bomber Group at Kimbolton , England . His B-17 was called 'Ye Old Pub' and was in a terrible state, having been hit by flak and fighters. The compass was damaged and they were flying deeper over enemy territory instead of heading home to Kimbolton.

After flying the B-17 over an enemy airfield, a German pilot named Franz Stigler was ordered to take off and shoot down the B-17. When he got near the B-17, he could not believe his eyes. In his words, he 'had never seen a plane in such a bad state'. The tail and rear section was severely damaged, and the tail gunner wounded. The top gunner was all over the top of the fuselage. The nose was smashed and there were holes everywhere.

Despite having ammunition, Franz flew to the side of the B-17 and looked at Charlie Brown, the pilot. Brown was scared and struggling to control his damaged and blood-stained plane.

Aware that they had no idea where they were going, Franz waved at Charlie to turn 180 degrees. Franz escorted and guided the stricken plane to, and slightly over, the North Sea towards England . He then saluted Charlie Brown and turned away, back to Europe . When Franz landed he told the CO that the plane had been shot down over the sea, and never told the truth to anybody. Charlie Brown and the remains of his crew told all at their briefing, but were ordered never to talk about it.

More than 40 years later, Charlie Brown wanted to find the Luftwaffe pilot who saved the crew. After years of research, Franz was found. He had never talked about the incident, not even at post-war reunions.

They met in the USA at a 379th Bomber Group reunion, together with 25 people who are alive now - all because Franz never fired his guns that day.

When asked why he didn’t shoot them down, Stigler later said, “I didn’t have the heart to finish those brave men. I flew beside them for a long time. They were trying desperately to get home and I was going to let them do that. I could not have shot at them. It would have been the same as shooting at a man in a parachute.”

Both men died in 2008.

Franz Stigler

Charlie Brown

So, there you have it. This Memorial Day I would ask that each of you reading this take the time to simply reflect on the many men and women that have given their lives that we might live free in a country that is still envied by most of the rest of the world --- even if some in power these days don't see it that way.

And when our politicians this Memorial Day lay the wreaths on the graves of those who sacrificed it all so they could be politicians - and nothing much more - let's just remember that many of us still believe in the basic goodness of all our men and women in the military that stand up and fight daily for our freedoms.

For ever faithful my Brothers and Sisters. We stand by you.

Dr. Darryl

P.S. For those of you who need the references or question the validity of the story - go here:
http://www.snopes.com/military/charliebrown.asp

Some Thoughts By Me

This is my friend, and an outstanding and remarkable lady, Carlana Stone, author of "Never Give In, Never Give Up" - her life story about being paralyzed when she was 17-years old and not letting that stop her from skydiving, riding her specially outfitted Harley, learning to fly and scuba diving among just a few of her talents. I highly recommend her book.

From Tranquilla II on the Back of Eddy Creek on Lake Barkley ---

Finally after what seems forever I have returned home to Lake Barkley! An almost three week business/professional jaunt out into the world and I had these experiences:

1. Arrived in Iowa to find my business associate hospitalized. Rush to ER and find her and we spend two days trying to figure out her issues. The doctor did, Fixed it and we continued our workshop on Leadership Development for the City of Storm Lake. Kudos to Hertz Rental Car Company's Manager at Omaha Airport - Donna - she turned on the utmost in customer service for me when I really needed it. Thanks to her and everyone at Hertz for getting me a car with a GPS system. And whether Dawn and Patti like you or not "Edith" you are my favorite GPS system!

2. Assisted the Storm Lake Community Health Center in getting focused on developing a strategic plan of action - a mandate and simply good business! Great work they are doing and becoming focused will make them even better.

3. Went to Arizona from Iowa to see a dear friend who is scheduled for at least one "mega dose" of radiation following removal of malignant tumors on her vocal chords and removal of thyroid. We enjoyed the Phoenix Zoo on a bike carriage, some good Mexican and Thai food, and did the spa thing - yep, got another manicure and pedicure and massage! Glenn Nesbitt at Tybee is responsible for getting me hooked on this pedicure thing!

I also confronted, and maybe defeated my anxiety, (if not fear) of the dreaded Spider Monkey, hell all monkeys, and I called my friend Tim to let him know of my efforts to resolve this! He didn't volunteer, of course, to come out and help but then that's another story. Don't get me started. Cute? Hmmmm, I have another word for these peeing monsters but will not use it here.

4. Returned to Kentucky briefly while we packed up to then went to Riverside, California to do the 12th annual Space Day for our client Lockheed Martin at Longfellow Elementary School. Probably the best one ever. Kay did magnificent job of organizing - she always does. I was the "grunt" labor along with my "conservative daughter" Penelope. Enjoyed lots of Mexican food and staying at the Mission Inn. If you have not been there go! Ask for Raul, the waiter with personality and utmost customer service. He knows how to fix the bacon that Penelope and I like so well.

5. Finally home. Gathering data and information for a proposal with Battelle and intel gathering for a client in Kentucky. Soon though it will be Memorial Day, or as Mom called it when I was a kid, "Decoration Day."

6. The "Traveling Vietnam Wall" will be in Oak Grove this Memorial Day weekend. I plan to go down and pay my respects and I encourage all of you who know veterans to offer your thanks to them this weekend. We are free men and women - albeit we are losing our freedoms more daily - thanks to the veterans many of whom gave the ultimate sacrifice.

And if the Sec of Homeland Security doesn't appreciate them I damn well do! THANKS to all the men and women, gruntled or disgruntled, that have kept this country free so that political jerks like Janet N., Harry Reid, Nancy Pelosi, John Murtha and John Kerry (D-Vietnam Veteran) can speak their simple minds whether I agree with them or not.

Simper Fi Brothers and Sisters - Simper Fi,

LPG, Dr. D

Update on Lt. Col. Ty Edwards

From Tranquilla II on the Back of Eddy Creek - Lake Barkley -- Kay wrote up this summary to post all our friends and family following our visit to see Ty yesterday at the VA Hospital in Tampa. ---Darryl

Hi all,

After our Space Day event this week, Darryl and I and our friend/colleague Penelope were able to spend about an hour with Ty and Tommy was there with him at the VA hospital. It was a wonderful time, and great to see the significant progress he has made, and continues to make. This time he clearly recognized me, and said he remembered my visit in Bethesda (when I didn't think he knew me), but said he just couldn't communicate then. I know it had looked like he was working hard, and I thought it was to try to piece together who I was -- evidently it was to communicate.

He also said he didn't recognize Darryl, but thought the last time he had seen him was at W.L.'s funeral (which is exactly correct), and asked if he had been Special Forces (which they had talked about at that time). Amazing, eh?

And he seemed glad to meet Penelope (as I said when I introduced them - I knew he would enjoy meeting a pretty lady - and we all got good smiles from that).

His communication skills are remarkable. He still hesitates over picking out words, and spitting out a name like Penelope required work for him, but he knew what he was trying to say, and got it out with a little time.

When we arrived, he was sitting at his computer, in his wheel chair. He had received an answer to his first email, sent to Hakimi (his Afghani interpreter and friend, and who also saved his life). So he seemed to be glad to be back in action on the computer. His left hand has good control, it seems, and that's how he motivates his chair.

His left leg has begun to work better and better. He can lift it (he has good and improving core body strength). He has better days and less good days working on the walking machine. I guess his hip on the left side has increasing flexibility. His right side is still not cooperating, leg or arm. However, he begins water therapy this week, and that is hopefully going to allow all the parts to get more fluid (no pun intended), and start getting some control in a more easily facilitated way. So they seemed very eager to get that therapy underway.

I didn't realize it until afterward, but saw that there was no longer a catheter, so that tells me he has control there too, I assume. Another miracle!

Tommy was staying there with them, and Debbie was in B'town making sure that Inez and M.C. were getting fed.

Tommy said they eat if it's put in front of them. I spoke with Anna and they have had company 3 times this week, and Mason was getting his soccer photo done on Saturday, so they have been staying busy.

Ty was showing us pictures of various folks he's met, and his recall amazes me. He did remember all the folks that came by in Bethesda, celebrities and friends/family alike. He was aware the President Bush asked to hug his pretty wife (smile).

I mentioned his new friendship with our other cousin John/Jake Miller, and he smiled and said what a great person he is, and how he enjoyed his regular weekend visits in Bethesda. I mentioned Jane's visit too, and he struggled to remember that. Tommy said it was while he was still in intensive care, and that's the reason he didn't recall her. He seemed disappointed not to be able to recall that, but looked forward to meeting her and their great family addition - Suzanna.

He recalled all the Miller side of his family, asking where everyone was and what they were doing, and saying please say hello to everyone. I told him when they got ready for a road trip, to please come to Kentucky, and I knew Mason would enjoy fishing at the lake, and playing in the woods. I hope that can happen one day soon!

He spoke of his wonderful Anna, and said she was making the ultimate sacrifice .... taking him to an Auburn Alumni gathering there in Tampa! Ha.

Ty also wanted to show us his 'skull'. He has a plastic model of his head -- what bones are there now, and where the bullet entered. It's astonishing he's alive! And to have made such progress is a pure gift from God. That will make some 'show-and-tell' for the kids to bring to school!

Ty's spirits seemed great, and he was eager to do all the hard work it takes to get better, and better, and better. It was a blessing to we three to be able to experience his joy of life and gifts from God.

I asked if there was anything in the world he wanted or needed, and he said no. They all seem to be doing well.

Love to you all,

Kay

THANKS To everyone For All The Prayers - An Update on Ty Edwards

Ty Edwards and his kids prior to his injury

From Tranquilla II on the Back of Eddy Creek - Lake Barkley --

Without much detail but to bring you up-to-speed, Lt. Col. Ty Edwards was with a group that was attacked while he was serving with the Marines in Afghanistan. Being the brave leader he is, Ty was the first on the ground commanding his soldiers when an enemy bullet managed to hit his head (despite the fact he was wearing a helmet). Ty was in a very remote, mountainous area, but they were able to get him to a hospital quickly. We understand that Ty was cared for by some of the best neurosurgeons in the world which is answered prayer. He was transported to Germany, then to Bethesda, MD.

This is the latest on his condition from family that has visited:

Wednesday, April 15, 2009 10:42 AM, EDT

I visited with the Edwards family the weekend before Easter and all are doing well. Dennis & I went down so we could keep Mason & Alaina while Ty & Anna went on a date. The date was actually a Chamber dinner honoring the military. Ty was dressed in his uniform - sporting all of his medals, while Anna looked beautiful in her "little black dress". Anna said Ty was definitely the man of the hour and really enjoyed it. He is able to come home most weekends now for the day with the aid of a special wheel chair accessible taxi. He made the comment to me that he just loves his new house. Mason & Alaina are really enjoying it, too, especially the pool. I was most impressed by Ty's optimism and positive outlook. He is so very remarkable. He's wheeling that chair around very well now and is very hopeful about his therapy - as we all are. We all appreciate your thoughts and prayers. Love, Virginia

Now, with this being tax day nationwide and with so much of our taxes going to social welfare and bailout programs as we go about "redistributing the wealth" I would like for you all reading this to realize that the President and his administration on March 15th proposed that returning veterans pay for their own rehabilitation! I am proud to say that the American Legion took a strong stand against such a ridiculous concept and you can read all about it here:

American Legion Strongly Opposed to President's Plan to Charge Wounded Heroes for Treatment

Something for everyone to think about this tax day! Cherrio and twat, twat ole chaps!

Dr. Darryl

What are 545 Politicians at the Bottom of the Sea?

A start ... read on ...


Politicians are the only people in the world who create problems and then campaign against them.

Have you ever wondered why, if both the Democrats and the Republicans are against deficits, we have deficits?

Have you ever wondered why, if all the politicians are against inflation and high taxes, we have inflation and high taxes?

You and I don't propose a federal budget. The president does.

You and I don't have the Constitutional authority to vote on appropriations. The House of Representatives does.

You and I don't write the tax code, Congress does.

You and I don't set fiscal policy, Congress does.

You and I don't control monetary policy, The Federal Reserve Bank does.One hundred senators, 435 congressmen, one president, and nine Supreme Court justices - 545 human beings out of the 300+ million - are directly, legally, morally and individually responsible for the domestic problems that plague this country. I excluded the members of the Federal Reserve Board because that problem was created by the Congress. In 1913, Congress delegated its Constitutional duty to provide a sound currency to a federally chartered but private central bank.

I excluded all the special interests and lobbyists for a sound reason. They have no legal authority. They have no ability to coerce a senator, a congressman, or a president to do one cotton-picking thing. I don't care if they offer a politician $1 million dollars in cash. The politician has the power to accept or reject it. No matter what the lobbyist promises, it is the legislator's responsibility to determine how he votes.

Those 545 human beings spend much of their energy convincing you that what they did is not their fault. They cooperate in this common con regardless of party. What separates a politician from a normal human being is an excessive amount of gall. No normal human being would have the gall of a Speaker, who stood up and criticized the President for creating deficits. The president can only propose a budget. He cannot force the Congress to accept it.

The Constitution, which is the supreme law of the land, gives sole responsibility to the House of Representatives for originating and approving appropriations and taxes.

Who is the speaker of the House?

She is the leader of the majority party. She and fellow House members, not the president, can approve any budget they want.

If the president vetoes it, they can pass it over his veto if they agree to.It seems inconceivable to me that a nation of 300+ million can not replace 545 people who stand convicted -- by present facts -- of incompetence and irresponsibility.

I can't think of a single domestic problem that is not traceable directly to those 545 people.

When you fully grasp the plain truth that 545 people exercise the power of the federal government, then it must follow that what exists is what they want to exist.If the tax code is unfair, it's because they want it unfair.

If the budget is in the red, it's because they want it in the red.

If the Marines are in IRAQ , it's because they want them in IRAQ .

If they do not receive social security but are on an elite retirement plan not available to the people, it's because they want it that way.

There are no insolvable government problems.

Do not let these 545 people shift the blame to bureaucrats, whom they hire and whose jobs they can abolish; to lobbyists, whose gifts and advice they can reject; to regulators, to whom they give the power to regulate and from whom they can take this power.

Above all, do not let them con you into the belief that there exists disembodied mystical forces like 'the economy,' 'inflation' or 'politics' that prevent them from doing what they take an oath to do.

Those 545 people, and they alone, are responsible.

They, and they alone, have the power.

They, and they alone, should be held accountable by the people who are their bosses - provided the voters have the gumption to manage their own employees.

We should vote all of them out of office and clean up their mess!

And this column is from Charlie Reese a former columnist for the Orlando Sentinel and I thank him for writing it.

Latest on Ty Edwards

Latest on Ty Edwards from his wife Anna


SUNDAY, OCTOBER 26, 2008 06:50 PM, CDT

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Today, Ty began to follow us a bit with his eyes. It was wonderful to see! He appears to be focusing on us more. He is breathing entirely on his own. His lungs sound great and he's taking deep, full breaths. Tomorrow, he will have another EEG to assess brain activity. Please pray that we'll hear good results.


Also, I'd like to ask that you keep Mom, Dennis and the kids in your prayers as they will be traveling from Okinawa during the next couple of days. The support we've received from you all is beyond description. Today's service in the hospital chapel was titled "Humility"... such an appropriate message for us, as we continue to be humbled by the overwhelming love, prayers, and support we've received from family, friends, coworkers, the hospital staff, the US Marine Corps, fellow service members, and complete strangers! Thank you all.

Much love,

Anna

Latest Update on Ty Edwards

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 23, 2008 05:38 PM, CDT

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Finally word from Anna!!!

She emails: Today has been a busy and encouraging day. We walked into Ty's room this morning to see his eyes open and news from the nurse that he was really responding well. Yesterday was a day full of exams and more took place today. The injury seemed to be a graze to the top of the head rather than an injury with an entry and exit wound. But there was significant energy and force transmitted to the brain--enough to place him in the coma. He has undergone 2 operations. The first operation was to debride the wound and the second was to relieve pressure in the brain by removing parts of his skull. There will be a third to reconstruct these areas. He has been on a ventilator but is making a strong effort to breathe on his own. Now, he's only requiring minimal support from the ventilator. He has been opening his eyes spontaneously and appears aware of us and what we are saying to him. Initially, Ty was having a lot of problems maintaining a normal blood pressure. Since he's been here in Bethesda, it's been very stable. He has been having a lowgrade fever--we're not sure of the source and so far it does not seem to be infectious. It is being monitored closely and he is on strong antibiotics. The doctors have conducted several studies to look at his brain and the blood vessels. So far, the results are all encouraging. Tomorrow, he will have a tracheostomy and a feeding tube placed in his stomach. Hopefully this well help him be more comfortable and eventually he will be weaned off the ventilator. We are all very optimistic and have found the messages here to be a lifeline for us! Thank you, thank you for your support. We read your messages on the waiting room computer and then we go tell Ty all about them. We know that he's drawing so much strength and comfort from your love and prayers and so are we--more than we can ever express. We'll keep the updates coming as we find out new information

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Specific Prayer Request for Ty Edwards

We have asked all our friends, colleagues and members in the Unity Church around the world via their International Prayer Line to join with us in prayer for Ty and Anna Edwards. As you recall Ty, Kay's cousin, was seriously inujred with a wound to the head while serviung in Afghanistan last week.

This means prayers from around the globe will be offered up for Ty's healing for the next 30-days, 24/7.

All my friends and colleagues in security and intel agencies also have been re-notified and are sending their prayers and best wishes during this time.

See details below.

Dr. L. Darryl Armstrong


THURSDAY, OCTOBER 23, 2008 02:09 PM, CDT


From Ty's family:

I have a specific prayer request for Ty. He is currently running a fever and they have him packed down with ice. A fever is never good especially in brain injuries. Please pray for his fever to stop and for his body to continue to heal. Virginia left a message that Ty has had several procedures; therefore no significant responses from him (his body being tired from the procedures).


Mason and Alaina are doing well. Still in Japan with their grandmother (Virginia). They will leave for the states next week.


Anna, Tommy and Debbie are reading the guestbook entries. The words of encouragement, stories and prayers are helping them tremendously. Keep the emails coming!

A Ty and Anna Update

Your continued prayers are appreciated. Here is an update for everyone compliments of friends of Ty and Anna ...


WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 22, 2008 12:51 PM, CDT

Subscribe to journal update notification

Many have asked for Anna's address. She is currently booked at the Navy Lodge, but will relocate once the Fisher House has room. I will post her more permanent address soon. We haven't recieved any medical news and still waiting to hear from Anna direct, but i did get an email from Marijke Landon, a longtime friend of Anna and Ty's. She wrote the following:
Kristen Hicks, my husband, and I visited yesterday. I have to say I am in awe of both Ty's and Anna's strength. Ty was responding to Anna's voice and, in turn, Anna was there encouraging him. He has opened his eyes to her voice and was moving his arms and legs. He seems to be coughing on the breathing tube which Anna's sister-in-law (Katie) said it meant he was trying to breath on his own. All good signs! Anna despite being so tired had a smile for us (through tears on both our parts) and explained that Ty would not be happy to discover he didn't even get a sexy female nurse, but a male! Anna reassured him that he (the nurse) was still a 10! Oh so Anna!
I am amazed and humbled by how much has aligned in these last few days. From friends and family in far off places to people being here to support Anna and Ty. No human could have done a job or coordinating this so well. Please continue to pray and know that God is here with Ty, Anna and family.

Please Pray with Us for Ty Edwards, a Brave Marine

Lake Barkley --- Ty Edwards, a family member, a fellow "brother" and Marine, while training troops last week in Afghanistan was ambushed and shot in the head. An update follows:

From Kay --- Hello everyone. I called and spoke this morning to Tommy Edwards. He seemed more hopeful today than last night. He said Debbie is holding up well.

They had learned a couple of additional things. When Anna's mother was coordinating with a Lt. Col. her plans to travel to Japan to pick up the kids, she learned that Ty had opened his eyes and been responsive at some point. Tommy wasn't sure whether that was in the field when he was injured, or later. But that was a hopeful sign.

Another sign of 'angels' watching over Ty is that his cousin-in-law (one of Tommy's nephews by marriage) is serving as a pilot with the Mississippi National Guard, and flies the medivac units. He was planning to look Ty up when he was in Afghanistan, and instead transported him to Germany.

Ty is safely in Germany and Anna is enroute there. When she arrives, the plan is to transport them both in the same plane to the states. That's all the details on that we have at this point.

We all know that treatment of head injuries has come a very long way in particular during this war, so we are all continuing to pray fervently that Ty's injury will be able to have good treatment, and we pray for his safe passage throughout this process.

I'm not sure where he will be located, but we are very grateful for our Miller cousin, Jake's kind offering of housing in the DC area for Ty's family, should that become helpful. Thank you, Jake.

I'll keep you all posted as I learn more.

In Election 2008, Don’t Forget Us Angry White Men

Amen Gary Hubbell, Amen! Read on ...

In election 2008, don’t forget Angry White Man

Gary Hubbell
February 9, 2008

There is a great amount of interest in this year’s presidential elections, as everybody seems to recognize that our next president has to be a lot better than George Bush. The Democrats are riding high with two groundbreaking candidates — a woman and an African-American — while the conservative Republicans are in a quandary about their party’s nod to a quasi-liberal maverick, John McCain.

Each candidate is carefully pandering to a smorgasbord of special-interest groups, ranging from gay, lesbian and transgender people to children of illegal immigrants to working mothers to evangelical Christians.

There is one group no one has recognized, and it is the group that will decide the election: the Angry White Man. The Angry White Man comes from all economic backgrounds, from dirt-poor to filthy rich. He represents all geographic areas in America, from urban sophisticate to rural redneck, deep South to mountain West, left Coast to Eastern Seaboard.

His common traits are that he isn’t looking for anything from anyone — just the promise to be able to make his own way on a level playing field. In many cases, he is an independent businessman and employs several people. He pays more than his share of taxes and works hard.

The victimhood syndrome buzzwords — “disenfranchised,” “marginalized” and “voiceless” — don’t resonate with him. “Press ‘one’ for English” is a curse-word to him. He’s used to picking up the tab, whether it’s the company Christmas party, three sets of braces, three college educations or a beautiful wedding.

He believes the Constitution is to be interpreted literally, not as a “living document” open to the whims and vagaries of a panel of judges who have never worked an honest day in their lives.

The Angry White Man owns firearms, and he’s willing to pick up a gun to defend his home and his country. He is willing to lay down his life to defend the freedom and safety of others, and the thought of killing someone who needs killing really doesn’t bother him.

The Angry White Man is not a metrosexual, a homosexual or a victim. Nobody like him drowned in Hurricane Katrina — he got his people together and got the hell out, then went back in to rescue those too helpless and stupid to help themselves, often as a police officer, a National Guard soldier or a volunteer firefighter.

His last name and religion don’t matter. His background might be Italian, English, Polish, German, Slavic, Irish, or Russian, and he might have Cherokee, Mexican, or Puerto Rican mixed in, but he considers himself a white American.

He’s a man’s man, the kind of guy who likes to play poker, watch football, hunt white-tailed deer, call turkeys, play golf, spend a few bucks at a strip club once in a blue moon, change his own oil and build things. He coaches baseball, soccer and football teams and doesn’t ask for a penny. He’s the kind of guy who can put an addition on his house with a couple of friends, drill an oil well, weld a new bumper for his truck, design a factory and publish books. He can fill a train with 100,000 tons of coal and get it to the power plant on time so that you keep the lights on and never know what it took to flip that light switch.

Women either love him or hate him, but they know he’s a man, not a dishrag. If they’re looking for someone to walk all over, they’ve got the wrong guy. He stands up straight, opens doors for women and says “Yes, sir” and “No, ma’am.”

He might be a Republican and he might be a Democrat; he might be a Libertarian or a Green. He knows that his wife is more emotional than rational, and he guides the family in a rational manner.

He’s not a racist, but he is annoyed and disappointed when people of certain backgrounds exhibit behavior that typifies the worst stereotypes of their race. He’s willing to give everybody a fair chance if they work hard, play by the rules and learn English.

Most important, the Angry White Man is pissed off. When his job site becomes flooded with illegal workers who don’t pay taxes and his wages drop like a stone, he gets righteously angry. When his job gets shipped overseas, and he has to speak to some incomprehensible idiot in India for tech support, he simmers. When Al Sharpton comes on TV, leading some rally for reparations for slavery or some such nonsense, he bites his tongue and he remembers. When a child gets charged with carrying a concealed weapon for mistakenly bringing a penknife to school, he takes note of who the local idiots are in education and law enforcement.

He also votes, and the Angry White Man loathes Hillary Clinton. Her voice reminds him of a shovel scraping a rock. He recoils at the mere sight of her on television. Her very image disgusts him, and he cannot fathom why anyone would want her as their leader. It’s not that she is a woman. It’s that she is who she is. It’s the liberal victim groups she panders to, the “poor me” attitude that she represents, her inability to give a straight answer to an honest question, his tax dollars that she wants to give to people who refuse to do anything for themselves.

There are many millions of Angry White Men. Four million Angry White Men are members of the National Rifle Association, and all of them will vote against Hillary Clinton, just as the great majority of them voted for George Bush.

He hopes that she will be the Democratic nominee for president in 2008, and he will make sure that she gets beaten like a drum.

Dr. Darryl

L. Darryl Armstrong
www.armstrongandassociates.org

America is at the "Mall"

FROM THE BACK END OF LAKE BARKLEY ON EDDY CREEK --- It is COLD and ICY and miserable outside today and the boys and me are snuggling up in the office. I have just cancelled my afternoon appointments, Kay has gotten on the slippery road to Nashville to catch an early flight Tuesday to Florida on business and I am diligently working away to catch up having been on the road myself the past week.

And today my old friend and colleague from TVA days Chuck Howell has shared a most poignant and in my eyes truthful accounting of why Americans have the perception they do of the Iraqi War.

It follows for your educational enhancement...


'You Ain't Gonna Like Losing'
(Author unknown)

President Bush did make a bad mistake in the war on terrorism.

But the mistake was not his decision to go to war in Iraq Bush's mistake came in his belief that this country is the same one his father fought for in WWII.

It is not.

Back then, they had just come out of a vicious depression. The country was steeled by the hardship of that depression, but they still believed fervently in this country. They knew that the people had elected their leaders, so it was the people's duty to back those leaders.

Therefore, when the war broke out the people came together, rallied behind, and stuck with their leaders, whether they had voted for them or not or whether the war was going badly or not. And war was just as distasteful and the anguish just as great then as it is today.

Often there were more casualties in one day in WWII than we have had in the entire Iraq war.

But that did not matter.

The people stuck with the President because it was their patriotic duty. Americans put aside their differences in WWII and worked together to win that war. Everyone from every strata of society, from young to old pitched in. Small children pulled little wagons around to gather scrap metal for the war effort. Grade school students saved their pennies to buy stamps for war bonds to help the effort.

Men who were too old or medically 4F lied about their age or condition trying their best to join the military. Women doubled their work to keep things going at home. Harsh rationing of everything from gasoline to soap, to butter was imposed, yet there was very little complaining.

You never heard prominent people on the radio belittling the President.

Interestingly enough in those days there were no fat cat actors and entertainers who ran off to visit and fawn over dictators of hostile countries and complain to them about our President.

Instead, they made upbeat films and entertained our troops to help the troops' morale. And a bunch even enlisted.

And imagine this: Teachers in schools actually started the day off with a Pledge of Allegiance, and with prayers for our country and our troops! Back then, no newspaper would have dared point out certain weak spots in our cities where bombs could be set off to cause the maximum damage.

No newspaper would have dared complain about what we were doing to catch spies. A newspaper would have been laughed out of existence if it had complained that German or Japanese soldiers were being 'tortured' by being forced to wear women's underwear, or subjected to interrogation by a woman, or being scared by a dog or did not have air conditioning.

There were a lot of things different back then.

We were not subjected to a constant bombardment of pornography, perversion and promiscuity in movies or on radio. We did not have legions of crack heads, dope pushers and armed gangs roaming our streets.

No, President Bush did not make a mistake in his handling of terrorism. He made the mistake of believing that we still had the courage and fortitude of our fathers. He believed that this was still the country that our fathers fought so dearly to preserve. It is not the same country. It is now a cross between Sodom and Gomorra and the land of Oz.

We did unite for a short while after 9/11, but our attitude changed when we found out that defending our country would require some sacrifices.

We are in great danger. The terrorists are fanatic Muslims. They believe that it is okay, even their duty, to kill anyone who will not convert to Islam. It has been estimated that about one third or over three hundred million Muslims are sympathetic to the terrorists cause... Hitler and Tojo combined did not have nearly that many potential recruits.

So... We either win it - or lose it - and you ain't gonna like losing.

America is not at war. The military is at war. America is at the mall.

Dr. Darryl

L. Darryl Armstrong

http://www.armstrongandassociates.org/

A Special Place in Heaven - Honor Air Program for WW II Veterans

Eddie Mannis, owner of Prestige Cleaners in Knoxville is one special fellow and I am convinced there will be a special place in Heaven for him.

This past weekend Kay and I were honored to be “guardians,” who escorted WWII veterans on a US Air charter flight to Washington, D.C. to see the WWII memorial.

The event was arranged and sponsored by Mr. Mannis. We were invited to participate by our friend and business associate Dawn S. Ford, president of Consumer Awareness Management, and Mannis’s logistical coordinator.

I am here to tell you I have always known that these folks were of the “Greatest Generation” and this trip confirmed that beyond any doubt.

I had the honor of escorting Messieurs Ted Schropschier, Fred Kiser, Ernest Croley and Ed Ballard. Kay escorted Ms Kathryn Robinson and Wilson and Juanita Reynolds. All of the veterans were from the Oak Ridge and Knoxville area. A total of 164 people made the trip.

We started our trip by meeting our Oak Ridge veterans at one of my favorite places for breakfast – Waffle House at 5:30 a.m. Of course, this meant we were up and dressing by 4:30 a.m. and to say I was excited about this would have been an understatement. I simply didn’t sleep any the night before despite taking some meds. My excitement I believe came from having the opportunity to personally extend my appreciation as a patriot to fellow patriots.

I was not disappointed in their enthusiasm and excitement. These men and women may be advancing in age; however, I am here to tell you they wore us both out.

Our crew arrived right on time. We then went over to Knoxville and picked up Mr. Ballard and headed to McGee-Tyson Airport to meet Kay’s charges.

We loaded the plane and headed out right on time and when we arrived in D.C. I had my first emotional event – as did some of my men – we were greeted by the Washington symphony, a gang of well wishers all showing their appreciation to the veterans profusely with flowers, hugs and handshakes. More than one of us had a tear or two and a major lump in our throats. As we privately acknowledged to each other later, known of us had ever experienced such an outpouring of appreciation for jobs done long ago.

We motor coached to the World War II Memorial where we took photos with Senator Bob Dole, who told us that he was there most Saturdays from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. and anyone who wanted to have their photo with him was invited to do so. He could not have been more gracious and kinder. He would have made a good President but that is for another blog.

We then bussed over to the Vietnam Memorial – The Wall -- and the Korean Memorial. While most of my crew took off and went to the Korean Memorial – I later went myself – I had a long overdue package to deliver and leave at The Wall.

The Korean Memorial is haunting. If you have not seen it you must. It is a long overdue tribute just as the WWII Memorial was long overdue. Our next stop was the Marine Memorial and Arlington National Cemetery to see the changing of the guard a truly magnificent and solemn ceremony to witness. Our final stop was the Air Force Memorial, the newest memorial in the DC area.

Our veterans were once again treated to a jubilant group of men, women and children all cheering the vets, handing them flags and giving them hugs as they loaded back on the plane.

And yes, when we arrived in Knoxville they “walked the gauntlet” once again – greeted by families, friends and neighbors and some folks who just wanted to let them know they appreciated their service.

Tears, my friends, freely welled up in many of their eyes and mine, as they are now, as I write this.

Finally, I felt and realized after all these years these men and women, our mothers and fathers, grandfathers and grandmothers, aunts and uncles, our “God Parents” --- finally, they were being shown the appreciation that so many of us in this country have for their service.

Sadly, and yet with great gratitude, we said our goodbyes. We hugged and we knew. We all knew that in most cases this was the final hurrah.

As one of the brothers from the 101st said, “Tonight, for the first time since I came home I will go to bed knowing that we were truly appreciated and I will sleep well.”

Yes, my dear veterans you are truly cherished and appreciated.

Simper Fi dear ones and do sleep well.

Simper Fi.

Until next time.

Dr. Darryl
L. Darryl Armstrong
ARMSTRONG and Associates

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71-year old Plantation Fla. Marine Defends Self ...

... and Cashier at Subway Shop
Two Would Be Robbers Shot
One Dies Instantly and the Other ...
Learned a Hard Lesson

Wednesday, August 15, 2007

Before any of you out there get too exorcized over this article let me make it clear, I believe strongly in the right of anyone to use deadly force to defend themselves, their family, or anyone else in need.

This is not a decision that is made easily and yet one that at times must be made.

I learned gun safety as a youngster from surrogate Fathers, Mr. Doug Travis at Ky Fish and Wildlife, and my grandfather.

The military taught me more about weapons than I will ever be able to forget. They spent a lot of money on teaching me to be a sniper and how to handle small arms.

And yes, I carry a Concealed Carry Weapons (CCW) permit. That also means that I carry a weapon for those of you not initiated in the lingo. I only secured the permit after 9/11 and only then after much thought.

I qualified at 100% from a tough instructor, who by the way is also a minister, and yes, if I ever have to draw my weapon I will use it.

I don’t believe in drawing a weapon and not pulling the trigger.

I have encouraged my wife, and others I love to get their CCW permits. And I encourage you to think long and hard about your need for one because we live in a society where we must take control of our own security and safety.

There are “Progressives” out there, and one grieving Mother, who want to know why the 71-year old Marine had to “kill them.”

They are attempting to make Mr. John Lovell the villain.

He is no hero. He is not villain.

He is a former Air Force One pilot for two presidents, a Marine and a man that has earned the right to sit in a Subway shop in Florida and enjoy his dinner and to not be robbed by two hoodlums brandishing their own guns.

As far as the grieving Mother. I am sorry your son was shot. I truly am. However, you would not be grieving if you had raised your son properly. Accept your own responsibility in this situation. Pray for your own forgiveness.

Why did John Lovell draw down on two hoodlums and shoot them?

Why did you not hear about it in any of the mainstream media?

I don't know. Perhaps, you should read on and decide for yourself what you would have done ...

{Thanks to my friend, mentor, and former employer Harl Barnett for sharing this article with me.}

June 29, 2007 --- Plantation Andres Ramirez remembers lying prone on the cold floor behind the sandwich counter, listening to the horrific sounds of a violent struggle he could not see. He worried he was going to die. Then the fighting and gunfire stopped.

Two days after a customer shot a pair of armed robbers during his night shift at a Subway restaurant, Ramirez returned to work Friday, saying it was his responsibility. The Costa Rican native speaks little English but understood the robbers' orders.

'They were asking me for the money,' Ramirez, 26, said of the robbers. 'I pointed to the cash register, said it was by the menus and then dropped to the floor.' Police said the robbers, later identified as Donicio Arrindell, 22, of North Lauderdale, and Fredrick Gadson, 21, of Fort Lauderdale, then turned their attention to the lone customer at the restaurant: former Marine John Lovell, 71.

Ramirez feared that the robbers were killing Lovell, not realizing at the time that it was Lovell who was pounding on and shooting the robbers.

In the end, Lovell had fatally wounded Arrindell and shot Gadson, who was in stable condition Friday at Broward General Medical Center, police said.

Police have charged Arrindell with felony murder and armed robbery. Under Florida law, anyone who commits a felony such as armed robbery resulting in death can be charged with murder. Police say Lovell will not be charged.

On Friday, police announced that detectives are investigating whether Arrindell and Gadson are suspects in similar holdups in Broward and Palm Beach counties. They are reviewing the restaurant surveillance tape for clues. Owner Khalid Malik, 54, of Coral Springs, recounted the scene captured by the store's security camera.

He declined to let a reporter watch it.

According to Malik, Gadson and Arrindell walked in at about 11:10 p.m. Wednesday, wearing sunglasses and bandannas covering their faces. Gadson approached Ramirez and demanded money.

Arrindell pointed his gun at Lovell, who was finishing his veggie sandwich and diet Coke. Lovell stood up and raised his hands.

'He said he handed whatever he had on him - $500 - but they kept pushing him,' Malik said.

Arrindell pushed Lovell toward the women's restroom while Gadson took the cashier's money tray, Malik said. Gadson entered the employee area and grabbed the change box. That's when the shooting began.

'The victim believed he would be executed, and when he noticed [Arrindell] distracted ... reached behind his back, removed his loaded .45 caliber handgun from his holster and fired seven rounds,' according to a police statement.

Two bullets struck Arrindell in the head and stomach, police said. Another flew through a wall and hit the walk-in cooler, according to Malik. Gadson emerged from the employee room, and Lovell, who has a concealed-weapons permit, fired several times. One bullet shattered the store's glass door, and another hit Gadson. He collapsed in the doorway, scattering dollar bills and coins across the sidewalk. Gadson got up and ran off, only to be found later in the bushes next to a bank down the street by a K-9 unit.

Back at the store, Lovell adjusted his pants and patted his pockets.

'He looks very calm. He's just like our president says, 'Bring it on,'' Malik said. Lovell pulled out his eyeglasses and put them on. He called 911.

Then came the police questioning, the phone calls, the pack of reporters and TV crews camped in front of his home in the rain. Lovell is surprised by the attention, said his lawyer and friend, Wesley White. People are fascinated with Lovell's story, and many have contacted White to express their admiration.

'It's recognition that there are still heroes among us. They may not act like it, they may not proclaim it, nevertheless they're walking among us,' said White, of Yulee. 'And one of them, by circumstance or fate, steps up to the plate.' Gadson has no arrest record, according to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. Arrindell was convicted in 2004 of carrying a concealed weapon.


Until next time.
Dr. Darryl
L. Darryl Armstrong
ARMSTRONG and Associates

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