The Sheep Dogs by Russ Vaughn

Most humans truly are like sheep
Wanting nothing more than peace to keep
To graze, grow fat and raise their young,
Sweet taste of clover on the tongue.
Their lives serene upon Life’s farm,
They sense no threat nor fear no harm.
On verdant meadows, they forage free
With naught to fear, with naught to flee.

They pay their sheepdogs little heed
For there is no threat; there is no need.
To the flock, sheepdog’s are mysteries,
Roaming watchful round the peripheries.
These fang-toothed creatures bark, they roar
With the fetid reek of the carnivore,
Too like the wolf of legends told,
To be amongst our docile fold.
Who needs sheepdogs? What good are they?
They have no use, not in this day.
Lock them away, out of our sight
We have no need of their fierce might.

But sudden in their midst a beast
Has come to kill, has come to feast
The wolves attack; they give no warning
Upon that calm September morning
They slash and kill with frenzied glee
Their passive helpless enemy
Who had no clue the wolves were there
Far roaming from their Eastern lair.
Then from the carnage, from the rout,
Comes the cry, "Turn the sheepdogs out!"

Thus is our nature but too our plight
To keep our dogs on leashes tight
And live a life of illusive bliss
Hearing not the beast, his growl, his hiss.
Until he has us by the throat,
We pay no heed; we take no note.
Not until he strikes us at our core
Will we unleash the Dogs of War
Only having felt the wolf pack’s wrath
Do we loose the sheepdogs on its path.
And the wolves will learn what we’ve shown before;
We love our sheep, we Dogs of War.

#169 2004 Russ Vaughn
2d Bn, 327th Parachute
Infantry Regiment
101st Airborne Division
Vietnam 65-66

An order I would never obey...

From David at The War on Guns:

Apparently the Battalion Commander (LTC) of an unnamed Bn has decreed that:

all soldiers [are] ordered to make sure that all weapons were registered with the Provost Marshall, whether they [live] on post or not.

The soldier who reported this bovine feces went on to state:

I asked for clarification on this and it seems the squadron commander (O5/LTC) wants all personally owned weapons registered regardless of where they are stored.

This is completely unacceptable and likely illegal. An employer has no right to intrude on the lives of an employee in this matter regardless of whether or not that employer is the US government. I hope the soldiers unfortunate enough to be under this scum bag's command raise his issue with the IG and that the commander gets his pee pee whacked in a very painful and public fashion.

Real Men

From BlackFive

Pearl Harbor survivor Houston James of Dallas embraces Marine Staff Sgt. Mark Graunke Jr. during a Veterans Day commemoration in Dallas. Graunke lost a hand, a leg and and eye when he was injured by a bomb in Iraq last year. (AP Photo)

I look at this photo and tears well up in my eyes. These men are warriors, men who have faced the devil himself for the love of their country. Men who deserve our honor and respect. From me, they shall receive it. I look at these men and my blood runs cold when I think of those who would denigrate their service. It runs especially cold when I think of those who would do it in my presence, I don't recommend it.