30 May 2011

More Memorial Day Tribute

H/t to Defense Tech & Military.com

P-51 Mustang Recon Machine

When compared to the high-tech, Skunkworks projects of the U2, "Ox cart", or SR-71, a modified P51 Mustang fighter is considered low tech, low budget, and low altitude to get ASAP info of what was happening on the battlefield.

RetroMechanix.com takes a look back at the construction and testing of the recon bird that was able to give the US Army and its allies critical info it needed to help win Europe in WWII.

Who Said the Black Knights Can't Fly?

Military.com takes a ride along (or is it a fly and jump along?) with the US Army's Black Knights.  I still think there is no good thing about jumping out of a perfectly good airplane, but these guys do it over and over again.

Someone please tell my wife these guys are pros, and she should leave the sky diving to the pros.  Either way, mad props to these guys for their stones and dedication.

QOTD: Operation Proper Exit Challenge

What lies behind us and what lies before us, are tiny matters compared to what lies within us.
Ralph Waldo Emerson's poetic quote is certainly appropriate on Memorial day, especially when remembering the soldiers who have made the ultimate sacrifice.  Their efforts certainly are efforts from within that respond to a much higher level of service for fellow man and the defense of liberty.  A soldier's combat death, no matter within what conflict is not something to be taken lightly, and today it is completely absent of a political prism.  Sacrifice for the good of the many is something that none of us can even begin to comprehend in this life.  Perhaps we will understand it when we see our heroes again in the next one.

While I am about to post this video here for your viewing, I emphatically encourage you to click through to watch it on YouTube in a quest to push it to 1 million views before the end of the year (as of this writting on Friday afternoon, it sits around 940 views).  Hell, there are plenty of viral videos that hit that number in less than a week, so let's make this one happen in the next month!

The reason for my grotesque level of goading?  Simple.  Local radio personality Mark Zinno is a member in the Maryland National Guard who is currently in theater and wanted the help of listeners to hit 1 million views.  If that happens, he has pledge to put up $1,000 of his own hard earned combat pay to the Wounded Warrior Project.  He plans to be back by the year's end but as said above, let's not wait that long.

While I can't manage to match that generous gift personally, I can pledge a few bucks to a worthy cause as we go into this Memorial Day if it helps entice you to share the word with your friends and family.  So, please, watch the video, click through to YouTube, and let's help Major Zinno and all of our vets as we remember those who have give us their lives in defense of freedom. 





I hope you can all do a little bit while partying and enjoy burgers and beer this weekend to help out our military and their injured.  Most importantly, let us all be a bit somber at a few points this weekend to remember the fallen, those who laid down their lives in defense of freedom.