American Heroes: In The Fight Against Radical Islam

By Lt. Colonel Oliver North, USMC


The following story is an excerpt from Lt. Col. Oliver North's new release,
American Heroes: In the Fight Against Radical Islam.


"The explosion of a carefully planted IED mangled Sgt Edwards below his body armor. The first person to him was U.S. Navy medical Corpsman Christopher Anderson. The man they called "Doc" Anderson immediately applied tourniquets to Edwards' shattered limbs and started an IV to ward off shock.

As they raced for the LZZ to meet an inbound casualty-evacuation helicopter, Edwards looked up at the man who was checking his pulse and said, 'take care of my babies, Doc.'

Anderson shouted back, 'You're going to take care of your babies. You're going to be OK!'

Marine Sgt Gregory Edwards was on his third deployment to Iraq when new wounds sent him back to Walter Reed. In 2003 he had been part of the initial assault on Baghdad and saw the statue of Saddam Hussein toppled. He'd been wounded on his second deployment and spent time recovering at Bethesda and Walter Reed. When 1st Bn, 6th Marines, was slated for a third deployment, he insisted on going along.

This time, however Gregory Edwards' road to recovery would never end. Though the doctors operated on him more than thirty times, they couldn't save his shattered legs. When all the surgery was done, he had one stump above the knee, a stump below the other knee, and only one functioning hand.

'I lost my legs for the people of Iraq, so their children will be able to run around, just like mine. If time was turned back, I'd do it all over again," said Sgt Edwards, father of two."

This excerpt, taken from American Heroes, is dedicated to the hundreds of thousands of fathers who are standing on the front lines of war while their families anxiously await their return home.

"These 'heroes on the home front' are essential for the strength of our military as a whole and for the defense of this nation," said Lt. Col. North.

To celebrate Father's Day and honor the tremendous sacrifice made by so many fathers since the beginning of the war on terror, Lt. Col. North has made signed copies of his book available on his website, http://www.olivernorth.com/, throughout the month of June.

With more than 350 full-color images and exclusive access to even more stories from inside the trenches online, American Heroes presents a no-holds-barred, up-close look at this generation's citizen soldiers who have chosen the path of the patriot to go into harm's way.

Don't Be Too Quick To Dismiss Palin......She is More Than A Woman!

For those of you who haven't been part of the Palin for VP movement for the last several months, welcome to the game.

Like most people today, I had never heard of Sarah Palin until about six months ago. I stumbled onto the now hit website, palinforvp.blogspot.com. After reading Adam Brinkley's blog, I did some more research of my own. She is impressive. She got me excited about politics and was the reason I started my own blog.

A few days ago, I posted a blog, "Why Is Obama So Afraid of Women?". From the reaction today, my blog post was dead on. The first reaction of not only the Obama campaign, but every single Democrat that could get media attention, was atrocious. Obama's spokesman, Bill Burton, had the following to say before she even made an appearance on the stage, "Today, John McCain put the former mayor of a town of 9,000 with zero foreign policy experience a heartbeat away from the Presidency."

Really sir, you want to talk about experience? Sarah Palin has taken on tougher challengers than Barack Obama and Joe Biden combined. Look on youtube.com for her debates during her Gubernatorial campaign. She is tough as nails and put those boys in their place more than a few times. She took on corruption in Alaska in her own party and believe me they have come after her for it. While Senator Obama has been out on the campaign trail for the last 18 months talking the talk, she has been in Alaska walking the walk.

Sarah Palin has passed more important bills in the last month than Senator Obama has in his entire life. She went to Iraq to visit our troops before Senator Obama did and she didn't take a media crew with her. She doesn't take positions or make a stand based on anything other than her ideals and morals.

Before you write her off as an inexperienced woman as the Obama campaign would want you to believe, do a little research, watch the debate with Joe Biden, and most of all, keep an open mind. You will be impressed. I didn't stay up most of the night last night following flights from Alaska over at Adam's website for nothing.

Senator Obama: Sarah Palin is more than a woman..................and by the way....you have every reason to be afraid!!!!!!!!

I will have pictures and a blog posted tomorrow night from the campaign rally in Washington, PA . Be sure to check back.

Obama Disses The Troops.....Again!

I recently wrote a blog detailing how Barack Obama was ignoring 44 million military voters. Well, if today's events didn't prove my point, I don't know what will.

After spending the morning working out in the hotel gym and preparing for his "historic" yawn of a speech, Barack Obama decided that visiting wounded troops at Landstuhl Regional Medical Center was not a "priority".

His campaign initially stated that during long campaign trips sometimes you have to shift priorities. Really. Apparently our wounded soldiers are not a priority to him. Obviously, that didn't sit well with a lot of people. His campaign then stated that he did not feel it was appropriate to visit the servicemen and women during a campaign-funded event.

Unbelievable. He was able to visit the troops in Iraq. He was able to visit the troops in Afghanistan. Well not exactly. According to several soldiers at the base in Afghanistan, Obama met with a few top military personnel. He walked past a line of soldiers waiting to speak to him, but he did not take the time. He then went to the gym for his photo-op playing basketball and then left.

I have said it in several of my blogs, but this is scary. How can you be Commander-In-Chief if you do not listen to the advice of top generals and you don't have the time to meet with our troops?

Mr. Obama, you should be ashamed of yourself. These men and women are risking their lives to give you the opportunity to fly around the world. These men and women were successful during the surge in Iraq and yet you cannot admit that they, and they alone, were the ones to stabilize Iraq. It is truly apparent what kind of leader Barack Obama would make.

If you don't know Barack Obama's feelings and stance on our troops, do some research..........it's time to get smart.

UPDATE: Obama's campaign has a third statement regarding this issue. They now say that the Pentagon told them not to go. That is not exactly accurate according a Pentagon spokesman.

Chief Pentagon Spokesman Geogg Morrell stated the following:

"Sen. Obama is welcome to visit Landstuhl or any military
hospital in his official capacity as a United States senator," Morrell said in a
brief interview. "But there is a DOD policy which governs campaigning and
electioneering at military facilities that would have to be respected if he were
to visit. That distinction was relayed and made clear to campaign, and they made
a decision on their own based on that guidance."

He went on to say the following about the campaign's decision:

"We made it clear to him that campaign staff and press would not be permitted to
accompany him," Morrell said of Obama. "We relayed those ground
rules. They made a choice based upon the information we relayed to them.
It was their choice. We had nothing to do with it."

Apparently, when Obama could not take his campaign or the press with him, he decided it was not worth it. You can take the information as you see it, but no one told him not to go. He could have still gone to see our troops, he just couldn't make it a political issue. It was his decision.

Preview of Upcoming Blogs: Democrats Quietly Trying To Raise The Gas Tax

10 Questions Barack Obama Will Never Be Asked

It is apparent from the "We Love Obama" media that we will not have our questions answered about this man. There are people out there who actually would like to know about the candidate and not just his typical rhetoric of change.

Here are the ten questions, given the opportunity, that I would ask Senator Obama and why you may never find out the answers to them:

1. While in the Illinois Senate you voted "present" 130 times, why did you choose not to take a stand on such issues as gun-control, gay rights, and abortion?
   
2. How do you intend to pay for your proposed $660 billion dollars worth of additional spending without raising taxes on the middle class and small business owners?
3. Why would you write an article about what you are going to do in Iraq one week before actually visiting Iraq and meeting with top generals on the ground?
4. Are you shifting your positions to the middle to get independent votes while playing "wink-wink" with the ACLU and other leftist groups?
5. Why do you refuse to debate Senator McCain in a town-hall meeting?
6. Why do you support equal pay for women and then pay your female staff members on average $7000.00 less than their male counterparts?
7. Do you believe that 71% of the American people are wrong for wanting to drill here in the US?
8. Why do you feel that illegal aliens have a right to tax-payer funded health care?
9. Why do you support infanticide?
10. Why did you recently replace the American flag on your campaign airplane with your own Obama campaign symbol?

I could have kept going, but the fact of the matter is that you will not hear very many negatives from the main-stream media. These are real question that need real answers. We cannot elect a President solely on the claim of "change".

Senator Obama took 200 reporters with him on his vacation to the Middle East and Europe. You would think one of them would ask him some real questions. Don't wait for the answers to come to you. If you don't know much about Barack Obama yet.................it's time to get smart.

Flip Flops Are For The Beach......

It's time to put on your running shoes.

Yes, I know that politicians tend to tweak their positions from the primary season to the general election. However, this year can be officially declared "The Year of the Flip Flop." Yes, I know Senator McCain has changed his stance on a few issues too. But you have come to a conservative blog and therefore you knew what you were getting yourself into.

Let's first start with a few of the flip flops that should make every Hillary Clinton supporter pissed. In the primary season, Senator Obama stated that he would immediately begin pulling troops out of Iraq. He said that he would end the war within a year of coming into office. Some could argue that this was one of the key issues that led him to defeat Senator Clinton. Senator McCain has always stated that he would meet with the generals on the ground to determine a course of action. This was widely criticized by Senator Obama.

However, on Thursday, Senator Obama said that his upcoming trip to Iraq may lead him to "refine" his promise to quickly remove US troops. Let's not start the argument that Senator Obama has yet to go to Iraq in over two years or meet with General Petraeus. I will stick to the fact that he now agrees with Senator McCain that military leaders will determine the time of withdrawal. Or does he? It seems to me that someone who has to have a press conference to explain a press conference doesn't know what he means. Senator Obama has spent most of the weekend continuing to explain that he meant what he said he always meant. Does anyone follow? I think that he "doesth protest too much." I'm sure those at the anti-war group Code Pink are loving him right about now.

The second major flip or flop, came in the form of FISA (the foreign intelligence surveillance act). This act allows the government to eavesdrop on known terrorists abroad who make calls to the US. This act would make protection retroactive for those companies who aide the government with this eavesdropping. On January 28, Senator Obama issued this statement:

"I strongly oppose retroactive immunity in the FISA
bill. Ever since 9/11, this Administration has put forward a false choice
between the liberties we cherish and the security we
demand.

The FISA court works. The separation of power works. We
can trace, track down and take out terrorists while ensuring that our actions
are subject to vigorous oversight, and do not undermine the very laws and
freedom that we are fighting to defend.

No one should get a free pass to violate the basic civil
liberties of the American people - not the President of the United States, and
not the telecommunications companies that fell in line with his warrantless
surveillance program. We have to make clear the lines that cannot be
crossed.

That is why I am co-sponsoring Senator Dodd's amendment to
remove the immunity provision. Secrecy must not trump accountability. We must
show our citizens – and set an example to the world – that laws cannot be
ignored when it is inconvenient.

A grassroots movement of Americans has pushed this issue
to the forefront. You have come together across this country. You have called
upon our leaders to adhere to the Constitution. You have sent a message to the
halls of power that the American people will not permit the abuse of power – and
demanded that we reclaim our core values by restoring the rule of
law.

It's time for Washington to hear your voices, and to act.
I share your commitment to this cause, and will stand with you in the fights to
come. And when I am President, the American people will once again be able to
trust that their government will stand for justice, and will defend the
liberties that we hold so dear as vigorously as we defend our
security."

Now I normally wouldn't put such boring information on my blog, but it actually seemed that he made this statement with conviction. I really believe that he meant what he said. Well so did his supporters and now they apparently don't know what to believe about him. As of today, Senator Obama now supports a FISA compromise that will allow immunity to those who assist the government.

It is sad that this man who symbolizes "change" to so many has now become the "typical" politician. The fact that he heard the voices of those who support him and threw them out the window should speak volumes about his character. Yes, as I said, all politicians tweak their campaigns. The fact that Senator Obama has on these issues and soooooo many more is nothing new. What is new is that someone who thought he could run on change and change alone has found himself the one doing the changing.

You know, the more you wear your flip flops on the beach, the more the sand starts to annoy you. If you aren't aware of all of Senator Obama's flip flops, Google his name and the words flip flop. It's time to get educated on this issue..................it's time to get smart.