Iraq as long as WWII

It has been reported that we have now been in Iraq as long as we were in WWII. While this is true on a base level, it seems that every one tends to forget that we have been in Germany for 64 years.
At first it was to "liberate", then for the next 15 years (give or take) we were there to stabilize the country. From then till the mid 90's we were in Germany to protect them from their evil neighbors, but now we are there t0 uhm..... (Well we have just been there for so long nobody cares any more)
I guess my point is that if you are going to count the occupation and the subsequent stabilization as the whole war I am a WWII vet. Not only a WWII vet but I am also a Spanish American war Vet, as we were still occupying the Philippines. That we are still there, and should we still be there is not the point of this post. I just want apples to apples.

Michigan vs. Ohio

Today is the big game, said by some to be the game of the century. Why the big rivalry between Michigan & Ohio. It all goes back to the Toledo war (1835-1836). In 1787 the Northwest Ordinance declared that the north/south border of three of the future states would be "an east and west line drawn through the southerly bend or extreme of Lake Michigan."

When Ohio became a state their constitution set the northern border as "an east and west line drawn through the southern extreme of Lake Michigan, running east...until it shall intersect Lake Erie or the territorial line [with Canada]; thence with the same, through Lake Erie to the Pennsylvania line aforesaid." This in effect stole the port of Miami (later to be called Toledo) from the territory of Michigan. When Congress finally got around to having it surveyed they hired former Ohio Governor Edward Tiffen, who at no surprised surveyed the line in accordance with the Ohio Constitution and not the Northwest Ordinance. Michigan was forced to pay for a new survey that found the Ohio border to be below the mouth of the Maumee River. This disputed area became known as the Toledo strip. This area was and still is a commercially important area.Ohio refused to cede its claim, Michigan quietly occupied it for the next several years, setting up local governments, building roads, and collecting taxes throughout the area.

After some laws passed by both sides with Ohio making the disputed area Lucas County and Michigan passing a law that made it a criminal offense for Ohio to carry out governmental actions in the Strip, under penalty of a fine up to $1,000 and/or up to five years imprisonment at hard labor. Michigan occupied Toledo with 1000 troops while Ohio was able to field 600 troops.

In a attempt to prevent armed battle President Jackson stepped in. Being Ohio was already a state, and he needed the votes Jackson sided with Ohio. (They voted Whig that year and he lost the re-election)On June 15, 1836, Jackson signed a bill that allowed Michigan to become a state, but only after it ceded the Toledo Strip. In exchange for this concession, Michigan would be granted the western three-quarters of the Upper Peninsula (the easternmost portion had already been included in the state boundaries). Michigan promptly rejected this, but due to financial hardships accepted this on December 14, 1836. Michigan picked up the rest of the Upper peninsula although it was deemed worthless at the time and Ohio gained the Toledo strip.

The latest adjustment in the border happened in 1915, and in 1973 Michigan lost half of Turtle Island to Ohio.

Michigan has never signed a peace agreement with Ohio. The war is still on and we want our land back with monies lost, The Upper Peninsula would have still came to Michigan as 1/3 of it was already part of our territory. Unlike Ohio,Michigan still has a Militia that we can send to defend our territory, after all they have defended us from evil Canada all these years.

USMC returns to China

According to CCTV 9 China's english tv station Marines from the USS Juneau conducted a competition with the Chinese Marines including obstical course and markmanship. The Chinese Marines fared very well. I have tried to find the clip but as of yet no luck. If I do find it I will post.

Marine Posters

http://www.bluejacket.com/usmc_posters.html

This is a cool site with Marine Posters starting during the Civil War

USMC Farewell

This is a very well done tribute to fallen Marines. It isn't something that I would normally post or pass on but it is very good, althoug kind of sad at the same time.

Semper Fi

http://www.pcsuccess.us/yrg/farewellmarine_final.swf

Veterans Day

Yes its veterans day. The day to give thanks to the veterans that have servered their country

Thank you

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MARINE

Happy Birthday Marine

#231

It seems like only yesterday on 10 November 1775 ,
that the Marine Corps was born

Birthed in a Tavern
A Idea
A Brotherhood

Did they know on that cold November
The very name
United States Marine
would strike fear in the bad guys heart

A name that could strike fear
Would ever sound sound so sweet
to the ears of one held in Captivitey
United States Marine
We're here to get you out

No job to big
No job to small
All done on a shoe string buget

It is not the rifle
Nor is the big guns
Not the tanks running over the crunchies
That make the Marines
That pierces the breath
of those who would oppose us

It is the heart
of the Marine behind
the rifle
and the heart of the Marines
that came before

Happy Birthday

Iraq Casualties

There has been a lot of talk about excessive casualties of the US troops in Iraq, and more precisely the deaths of our US troop. I thought that I would put my input on the subject

As of 9/11/2006 according to the DOD 1.3 million troops have served
As of 11/7/2006 US serviceman deaths including sickness accident and misc was 2832

This number include a %20 non combat related deaths (617 deaths)

This brings the death rate percentage to a grand total of 0.00219

Subtract the noncombat deaths and you get a total of 0.00170

In 2003 US death caused by accidents was 3.64

109,277 deaths

US death caused by transportation accidents was 1.60

48,071 deaths

these stats are from national saftey council and can be view at http://www.nsc.org/lrs/statinfo/odds.htm

I used 300 million people living in the USA although we didn't officially reach this number until 10/06

Going on these numbers its safer in Iraq

To put these numbers in respect to Vietnam as many people like to compare Iraq war to Vietnam

US Troop served in Vietnam 8.7 million troops

US deaths in Vietnam 58,000

This puts deaths at 6.66 (nice number)

http://www.heritage.org/Research/NationalSecurity/bg1954.cfm

I guess my point is as President if I was told that going to war would result any where near the death rate we have seen during Gulf War II, the question of should we go to war or not would be a whole lot easier.

It is also said that We only entered into war because of Oil. This may be so or not, however WWII was also about oil. Japan declared war on us only because we cut them off from oil. Germany declared war on us because we declared war on Japan.

You would be hard pressed to find a war not based on economics. Be it from expansion of territory, seizing a key area to better defend your assets. or elimating a threat to your assets.

It is possible to find wars fought out of pure Hate for the other side or because Paris stole your woman (Troy) I would put forth that these wars are by far less noble than expanding your $

pics are gone

I lost my pics for some reason. I don't know why but we will figure it out. We will try a new pic, and a little French bashing

Blogger beta

Well I just switched over to the new improved beta version we will see how that works. There might be some good changes or not. Time will tell.

The question was raised what is this blog site about. Truth betold I had not thought about it. I was digging around on the google site and decided, hey lets do a blog. The over all theme will end up being on the military both present and past, USA military affairs and others. There will be other post on other subject, as I spought off at the mouth with my self percieved wisdom.
The thought had crossed my mind that once you have served, your path is for ever dominated by your time in. On second thought I think that maybe you were already on that path that is why you joined in the first place. I belive this to be especially true for Marines.

A couple of pic of my old USMC unit in Iraq and coming home

Sunset Humvee

I took this pic from www.grunt.com a great source for USMC stuff. Any thing from bages and medals to clothing.

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