May 30, 2011
Remembering the Fallen: Normandy American Military Cemetery
Take a moment, turn on your speakers, and drink in the sights and sounds of the Normandy American Cemetery and Memorial, where 9,387 Americans slumber beneath 172 acres of verdant French turf, with more than 1,500 names of those men whose bodies were never found listed on a memorial wall in the gardens.
The live stream, featuring audio and
video, is available from 2 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. EST.
Posted by Mike Lief at 01:40 PM | Comments (1) | TrackBack
Battle Hymn of the Republic: World War II
Posted by Mike Lief at 08:20 AM | Comments (1) | TrackBack
Remembering those who gave their all
Charles Durning is an actor you've seen in countless movies over the last 50 years, including The Sting, The Front Page, Dog Day Afternoon, Tootsie and The Muppet Movie; I especially enjoyed his performance as Gov. Pappy Daniels in O Brother, Where Art Thou?. But you've never seen him like this, speaking at the 2007 Memorial Day Concert. Durning is a decorated war veteran who fought his way across Europe, receiving numerous wounds in the fight against the Third Reich. Until recently, he remained silent about his wartime experiences, but, as the number of WWII vets dwindles, Durning decided to speak out, to bear witness to the heroism of those who never came home.
His portion of the video begins with a picture of him as a young GI at the 1:10 mark. Listen to his memories of D-Day, the raw emotion in his voice as he recalls the terror of those hours spent on the beaches of Normandy, and then think of how he and his fellow soldiers fought their way off the sand and continued on, mile after mile, month after month, through France and Belgium, the bitter cold of Bastogne, over the Rhine, until the enemy -- bled dry by the constant slaughter -- was defeated.
Durning came home and recovered from his wounds. Taking to the theater, the lean combat veteran soon disappearing into the role of corpulent character actor, often snagging comedic roles -- with a glimmer of barely-controlled rage occasionally peeking through, the twinkling eyes going cold and flat.
I'm grateful he's decided to end the decades-long silence about the war, and the heroes with whom be fought.
On this memorial day weekend, be sure to thank a veteran for his service, and make sure to tell him you remember his buddies, too, the ones who never made it home.
Posted by Mike Lief at 08:15 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
May 17, 2011
A palate cleanser for the mind
El Cielo de Canarias / Canary sky - Tenerife from Daniel López on Vimeo.
Truly stupendous time-lapse video from Daniel Lopez. Have you ever seen clouds move like the surf, lapping, surging and retreating against mountain peaks like waves against the shore? Flowing over the mountain tops like a river? Turn on your speakers and watch this in full-screen mode.
Posted by Mike Lief at 01:45 PM | Comments (3) | TrackBack
May 01, 2011
Bin Laden is dead, but political correctness is not so easily slain
The reports are coming in fast and furious about the death of Osama Bin Laden, who was apparently shot to death by members of an American special forces unit after he resisted being taken into custody in Pakistan.
Now, you'd think that the mastermind of 9-11, the hijacking of three American airliners, the destruction of the World Trade Center, the attack on the Pentagon, and the murder of more than 3,000 Americans, would qualify as the kind of terrorist deserving of nothing but contempt, pre- or post-mortem, treated like Nazi war criminal Adolf Eichmann, who, after the Israelis hanged him, was cremated, his ashes disposed of in an undisclosed location.
It's worth remembering what Bin Laden did, the true horror of that morning. These are the images that we swore we'd never forget, Americans forced to choose between death by fire and smoke, or stepping into the abyss.
You'd think Bin Laden would end up fed to pigs, his mortal remains passing through the gut of the most unclean animal known to Islam, guaranteeing he'd never enter the heaven that awaits jihadi martyrs.
Such a fate would send a powerful message to those terrorists who seek their eternal reward by slaughtering us heathens.
But you'd be wrong.
Because the White House says that Bin Laden's remains are being treated in accordance with Islamic custom. Politco reports:
Asked how bin Laden's body will be treated, a senior administration official told reporters on a conference call that "we are ensuring that is handled in accordance with Islamic practice and tradition."
The official, who refused to be identified, said the matter is "something that we take very seriously, and so, therefore, this is being handled in an appropriate manner."
Why is that appropriate? We've been told for years that the terrorists are not "real" Muslims, that they represent a perversion of the religion. Obama made the same point tonight, repeating the U.S. government's mantra that "our war is not against Islam."
"Bin Laden was not a Muslim leader. He was a mass murderer of Muslims," Obama said. "Indeed, Al Qaeda has slaughtered scores of Muslims in many countries, including our own. So his demise should be welcomed by all who believe in peace and human dignity."
And yet, with all that having been said, we're going to give him a proper burial, in accordance with his religious beliefs?
We may have killed the man, but we haven't got a clue about what really frightens his followers.
And the political correctness that inspires such idiocy is a symptom of our society's weakness, the West's decline, its lack of self-confidence.
We may have won the battle, but stories like this make me fear that the civilizational war is all but lost.
Posted by Mike Lief at 10:21 PM | Comments (2) | TrackBack