Bruce McQuain of QandO, a 28-year Army veteran, joined us for another edition of Someone You Should Know. This week Bruce told us two remarkable stories which involve Army aviators, in this case, attack pilots. One of the events, the first, involves Apache pilots. The second, the pilot of a Kiowa Warrior. The first incident happened last week, while the second occurred in 2006.
In the first story, Bruce talked about Apache pilots Purtee and Christ,
Upon landing, the co-pilot/gunner helped load the injured Soldier into the front seat of the Apache without any further injury to the Soldier. Despite the heavy small arms and surface-to-air fire in the area, the co-pilot/gunner strapped himself onto the right side of the aircraft and hunkered down on the small wing. The pilot then flew the three of them to Camp Ar Ramadi medical pad, where emergency medical personnel provided treatment.
Check out this B-Roll of the Apache helicopter rescue from Task Force Marne. Scenes include aerial footage of the Apache helicopter in flight with Soldiers strapped to a wing of the craft, the crash site and the landing of the helicopter. It also includes a brief interview with Purtee and Crist.
As for Lori Hill,
Without hesitation, she risked her ship to draw the enemy fire away, simultaneously providing suppressive fire for the troops engaged with the enemy on the ground.
While all of this was going on, a rocket-propelled grenade hit her ship, damaging the helicopter’s instrumentation. However, even with the damage sustained, instead of focusing on her predicament and aborting the mission, she again established communication with the ground forces and continued to provide them with aerial weapon support until the soldiers reached safety.
As she finally was able to turn her attention to the aircraft, which she discovered was rapidly losing hydraulic power, the Kiowa was hit by machine-gun fire, and a round crashed into one of Hill’s ankles. Still, with a badly damaged aircraft and a painful and debilitating injury, she landed safely at Forward Operating Base Normandy, saving her crew and the aircraft.
For her actions she was presented the Distinguished Flying Cross by Vice President Richard Cheney at Fort Campbell, Ky., on Oct. 16, 2006.
Lori’s story is reminiscent of another recent Someone You Should Know, presented by Matt Burden of Blackfive, about Air Force Maj. Kimberly Campbell, aka Killer Chic.
The Someone You Should Know radio collaboration began as an extension of Matt Burden’s series at Blackfive. Thanks to Matt, Bruce is now on board and we are thrilled to have him as part of the program.
What is Pundit Review Radio?
Pundit Review Radio is where the old media meets the new. Each week Kevin and Gregg give voice to the work of the most influential leaders in the new media/citizen journalist revolution. Hailed as “Groundbreaking†by Talkers Magazine, this unique show brings the best of the blogs to your radio every Sunday evening from 7-10 pm EST on AM680 WRKO, Boston’s Talk Station.
Following Someone You Should Know, Bruce McQuain from QandO stayed with us for an extended interview with Michael Yon, who joined us live from Baqubah, Iraq. Michael is the Ernie Pyle of our generation. If you have the means, please consider supporting Michael’s work.
On Bless The Beasts, and the Children
We covered a lot of ground tonight, starting with his incredible new post Bless The Beasts, and the Children. Despite his well-documented, recorded interviews, video and photographs of an Al Qaeda massacre, and his offer to hand it all over to any media organization who wanted it, he has yet to hear from any MSM organization.
On Kiki Munshi
Michael was aware of Uncle Jimbo’s post at Blackfive from earlier in the day, comparing and contrasting an article on Baqubah that was in the Washington Post by Kiki Munshi with what Michael has been reporting. I asked him if she was right and he said, “Definitely untrue.”
In fact, he said, “The people of Baqubah are ecstatic. This place has had remarkable turnaround.”
For an update on this exchange, with fresh comments from Kiki and Michael, click here.
On the AP’s imaginary massacre, and their reluctance to cover a real one
Michael delivered some well-deserved praise for Bob Owens of Confederate Yankee, saying “He absolutely busted the AP on this.”
On the Iraqi security forces
“Increasingly professional and ready to fight.”
In the second half of the interview, we discussed:
Morale of the troops
With the heavy combat and 110 degree temperatures, how is the morale of the troops? Michael quipped, “110 degrees, it must be cooling off somewhere.” He said that morale was high, but he warned not to extent tours any longer than they are today (15 months).
The Iraq Security Forces
Michael said he’s seen tremendous increases in their fighting capabilities. “A tremendous progression.” The 10 Iraqi divisions are at different states of readiness, none of them ready to fully stand on their own, outside of the Kurdish north.
A Timeline
“If you want success, you just gonna have to knuckle down and stay here..for years.”
Counter Insurgency Strategy
In short, we have the right strategy, but we waited way too long to implement it. If we give it time, it could work.
Reporting from the front lines
“I will not flinch with bad news. The good news is I see lots of progress here and potential for success.”
Michael is a truly independent journalist, fully supported by his readers. If you appreciate this kind of independent, trustworthy reporting from the world’s hot spots, you can support Michael via Pay Pal at his website or by sending a check to,
Michael Yon
PO Box 5553
Winter Haven, FL 33880
What is Pundit Review Radio?
Pundit Review Radio is where the old media meets the new. Each week Kevin and Gregg give voice to the work of the most influential leaders in the new media/citizen journalist revolution. Hailed as “Groundbreaking†by Talkers Magazine, this unique show brings the best of the blogs to your radio every Sunday evening from 7-10pm EST on AM680 WRKO, Boston’s Talk Station.
Senator Lieberman once again provides cogent insight and analysis of the current threat that Iran poses to the US and how we should deal with them.
Just in case you missed the latest developments with regards to Iran’s active ongoing involvement in Iraq:
Earlier this week, the U.S. military made public new and disturbing information about the proxy war that Iran is waging against American soldiers and our allies in Iraq.
According to Brig. Gen. Kevin Bergner, the U.S. military spokesman in Baghdad, the Iranian government has been using the Lebanese terrorist group Hezbollah to train and organize Iraqi extremists, who are responsible in turn for the murder of American service members.
Gen. Bergner also revealed that the Quds Force–a special unit of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps whose mission is to finance, arm and equip foreign Islamist terrorist movements–has taken groups of up to 60 Iraqi insurgents at a time and brought them to three camps near Tehran, where they have received instruction in the use of mortars, rockets, improvised explosive devices and other deadly tools of guerrilla warfare that they use against our troops. Iran has also funded its Iraqi proxies generously, to the tune of $3 million a month.
Yes we should engage in diplomacy but:
The fact is, any diplomacy with Iran is more likely to be effective if it is backed by a credible threat of force–credible in the dual sense that we mean it, and the Iranians believe it.
That is a point I have been making for a long time on this blog and on the radio show. Thank you Senator Lieberman for saying it.
As for the Cut and Run Defeaticrats and the Editorial Board at the N.Y Times who today called for immediate withdrawl in Iraq:
I hope the new revelations about Iran’s behavior will also temper the enthusiasm of some of those in Congress who are advocating the immediate withdrawal of U.S. forces from Iraq. Iran’s purpose in sponsoring attacks on American soldiers, after all, is clear: It hopes to push the U.S. out of Iraq and Afghanistan, so that its proxies can then dominate these states. Tehran knows that an American retreat under fire would send an unmistakable message throughout the region that Iran is on the rise and America is on the run. That would be a disaster for the region and the U.S.
The threat posed by Iran to our soldiers’ lives, our security as a nation and our allies in the Middle East is a truth that cannot be wished or waved away. It must be confronted head-on. The regime in Iran is betting that our political disunity in Washington will constrain us in responding to its attacks. For the sake of our nation’s security, we must unite and prove them wrong.
Couldn’t agree more Senator. Thanks for being a steady voice of wisdom.
entire article here
Meet Sergeant First Class Thomas Nichols. He is currently serving in, and blogging from in Iraq, as “Jack Army”. If you want to know what daily life is like for our soldiers in Iraq, his blog is a great place to start. I’ve been reading it for a while, have added it to the blogroll.
Jack has a wife and kids at home, in Hawaii. His wife is also blogging, as Jill Army. Jack and Jill Army, serving their country, and blogging about it.
I am always fascinated by the roll blogs are playing in the lives of our service men and women and their families. There are some truly great blogs out there to see what these families go through when a loved one is deployed. In addition to Jill Army, check out Spouse Buzz, Andi’s World, and Army Wife Toddler Mom.
For the definitive look at the role of blogs in the lives of our military families, buy the unforgettable, amazing book, Blog of War by our good friend Matt Burden, aka Blackfive.
Bob Owens of Confederate Yankee deserves a huge thank you from those of us who still care about what is happening in Iraq. He has totally exposed the Associated Press for spreading lies about a massacre in which, allegedly, twenty beheaded bodies were discovered. The story was a fabrication. From the states, Owens investigated and exposed the AP for once again repeating insurgent propaganda and relying heavily on “stringers” for their reports.
I ask this question, because on Thursday, June 28, The Associated Press—and to a lesser extent, Reuters, and a small independent Iraqi news agency—ran stories claiming that 20 decapitated bodies had been found on or near the banks of the Tigris River in Um al-Abeed, a village near Salman Pak, southeast of Baghdad, with sectarian violence strongly implicated.
There were no named sources from this story from any media outlet, and the two anonymous Iraq police officers cited in the widely-carried AP account were nowhere near the scene of the alleged massacre, with Um al-Abeed being roughly 12 miles from the southeast edges of Baghdad, and Kut being 75 miles away, respectively. Further, in the Associated Press story by Sinan Sallaheddin, the massacre claim itself was purposefully distanced for the dubious location of the anonymous police officers by an account of a bombing in Baghdad.
This claimed massacre never happened, and was formally repudiated by the U.S. military on Saturday, June 30, who ascribed the claims to insurgent propaganda. To date, the Associated Press has refused to print a retraction or a correction for this false story, just as it has failed to print a retraction for previous false beheading stories.
Apparently, correcting misinformation you’ve disseminated ranks low on the list of Associated Press priorities.
At the same time, the Associated Press has refused to run the story of a verified massacre in Iraq discovered on June 29 and supported by named sources, eyewitness statements, and photographic evidence provided by noted independent journalist Michael Yon in his dispatch, Bless the Beasts and Children.
The AP has responded to Owens, rather lamely, here.
Meanwhile, Michael Yon has offered this massacre story on a silver platter to the media. Not surprisingly, no takers.
Michael Yon will join us tonight at 9:20pm EST on Pundit Review Radio, live from Iraq, to discuss this entire affair. You can stream the show at WRKO.
…in Columbia. This is outrageous behavior by Nancy and The Gang. First Pelosi refused to meet with the Pro-American President of Colombia Alvaro Uribe. Now they are denying free trade to 46 million citizens who want it.
Investor’s Business Daily
Congress Holds Colombia Hostage
The U.S. House Committee on Ways and Means, in a statement by Democrats Nancy Pelosi, Charles Rangel and Sander Levin declared the Democratic Party would deny free trade indefinitely to 46 million Colombians over a few dozen unsolved murders of union activists in the last year.
The trade pact Colombia negotiated in good faith with the U.S. and which it needs to sustain its dramatic economic recovery from the ruins of a 44-year war must wait until Democrats arbitrarily decide they’re satisfied with the violence level. This gives every anti-free trade Colombian thug an incentive to keep killing.
Gateway Pundit has a fantastic round-up on this underreported story. Check it out.
Wall Street Journal
July 3, 2007
How Conservatives Enhanced Online Voice
Talk Radio Blends With Blog Postings To Boost Message
Political activism on the Internet — and in the so-called blogosphere, in particular — has long been considered a liberal stronghold. But conservative bloggers show increasing signs of their own coming of age.
They took a major leap forward by playing a central role in scuttling the Senate immigration bill. Meanwhile, many of the most popular talk-radio hosts are now posting on blogs, and the frequent collaboration of the two media is creating a unified conservative voice that is likely to be an important factor in the 2008 elections.
From our post announcing the launch of Pundit Review Radio, September 10, 2004,
The goal of the show is to follow political news and current events through the eyes of bloggers. We hope to interview our favorites each week and get their fresh perspective on the news of the moment. We ask for your help in spreading the word around the blogosphere letting people know about this new forum to showcase the informative, compelling and important work of bloggers.
What is Pundit Review Radio?
Pundit Review Radio is where the old media meets the new. Each week Kevin and Gregg give voice to the work of the most influential leaders in the new media/citizen journalist revolution. Hailed as “Groundbreaking†by Talkers Magazine, this unique show brings the best of the blogs to your radio every Sunday evening from 7-10pm EST on AM680 WRKO, Boston’s Talk Leader.